Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient Distributed Smith-Waterman Algorithm Based on Apache Spark

The Smith-Waterman algorithm, which produces the optimal local alignment between pairwise sequences, is universally used as a key component in bioinformatics fields. It is more sensitive than heuristic approaches, but also more time-consuming. To speed up the algorithm, Single-Instruction Multiple-Data (SIMD) instructions have been used to parallelize the algorithm by leveraging data parallel strategy. However, SIMD-based Smith-Waterman (SW) algorithms show limited scalability. Moreover, the recent next-generation sequencing machines generate sequences at an unprecedented rate, so faster implementations of the sequence alignment algorithms are needed to keep pace. In this paper, we present CloudSW, an efficient distributed Smith-Waterman algorithm which leverages Apache Spark and SIMD instructions to accelerate the algorithm. To facilitate easy integration of distributed Smith-Waterman algorithm into third-party software, we provide application programming interfaces (APIs) service in cloud. The experimental results demonstrate that 1) CloudSW has outstanding performance and achieves up to 3.29 times speedup over DSW and 621 times speedup over SparkSW. 2) CloudSW has excellent scalability and achieves up to 529 giga cell updates per second (GCUPS) in protein database search with 50 nodes in Aliyun Cloud, which is the highest performance that has been reported as far as we know.
Orientation Histograms for Hand Gesture Recognition

We present a method to recognize hand gestures, based on a pattern recognition technique developed by McConnell [16] employing histograms of local orientation. We use the orientation histogram as a feature vector for gesture class cation and interpolation. This method is simple and fast to compute, and o ers some robustness to scene illumination changes. We have implemented a real-time version, which can distinguish a small vocabulary of about 10 di erent hand gestures. All the computation occurs on a workstation; special hardware is used only to digitize the image. A user can operate a computer graphic crane under hand gesture control, or play a game. We discuss limitations of this method. For moving or \dynamic gestures", the histogram of the spatio-temporal gradients of image intensity form the analogous feature vector and may be useful for dynamic gesture recognition. Reprinted from: IEEE Intl. Wkshp. on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition, Zurich, June,
Are Firstborn Children More Creative?

This study examined the differences in mean scores of first- and lastborn subjects on measures of creativity: fluency, flexibility, originality, and total score. From 335 secondary school students of families having three or fewer children, 165 were identified as firstborns (82 boys and 83 girls) and 170 as lastborns (83 bys and 87 girls). Their ages ranged from 13 to 16 yr. , and all came from average socio-economic strata. Subjects were administered the three verbal subtests of the Passi Test of Creativity (1979), namely, seeing problems, unusual uses, and consequences tests. Observing no significant sex differences on any measure of creativity, Student's t was employed to assess differences among means of first- and lastborn subjects on the four creativity scores. Significantly higher mean scores were observed for firstborns than lastborns on fluency (t = 2.83, p = .01), flexibility (t = 2.23, p = .05), originality (t = 6.79, P = .001), and total score (t = 4.85, P = ,001). These find
The Impact of Formal Selection Processes on the Characteristics of Judges - Reconsidered

Students of the judicial process have focused considerable attention on the relationship between judges' background characteristics and their voting behavior on collegial courts. The argument for such a focus is that background characteristics are usually indicative of particular socialization processes and that these processes produce certain attitudes which are often responsible, directly or indirectly, for the judges' votes. Thus these characteristics can be viewed, in the aggregate, as predictive of judges' behavior-at least in certain types of cases. Research into the connection between background characteristics and judicial voting behavior has produced some positive results. Most frequently noted is the relationship between partisan affiliation and direction of vote in a wide variety of cases by judges on state supreme courts and federal courts of appeals (Ulmer, 1963; Goldman, 1966; Nagel, 1970: Chapter 14). Religious differences have also been found to be related to judges' voting behavior in some types of caseJ (Vines, 1964; Goldman, 1966; Nagel, 1970: Chapter 18). Two scholars have found that judges' career patterns have been related to their voting behavior (Danelski, 1964; Vines, 1965) and there is some evidence linking judges' educational experience with their behavior (Nagel, 1970: Chapter 18). Some scholars, investigating the relationship between dissensus on collegial courts and variation in judges' background characteristics, have offered evidence supporting (in part at least) the proposition that the latter is productive of the former (Schmidhauser, 1962; Ulmer, 1970; Jaros and Canon, 1971). 1 Such linkages, however, areby no means solidly established. The investigators noted above, particularly Goldman (1966) and Nagel (1970: Chapter 18), as well as others (Bowen, 1965; Grossman, 1967; Adamany, 1969) have noted the tenuous nature of these findings and have in some cases offered contrary evidence.
Influence of Castration-induced Sex Hormone Deficiency on Serum Lipid Levels and the Genes Expression in Male Pigs

Abstract It has been known that the changes in gonadal steroids are closely associated with adipose tissue metabolism. Domestic pigs have been a well-recognized experimental animal in biomedical research because of their similarity to humans in body size and other physiological/anatomical features. The aims of this study were to investigate the influence of castration-induced sex hormone deficiency on serum lipid levels and the genes expression of key enzymes associated with lipogenic and lipolytic processes in male pigs. The experimental animals consisted of 2 groups slaughtered on 147th and 210th day, respectively. In each of the group, 7 full-sib pairs of castrated and intact male hybrids from Yorkshire dams sired by Landrace were contained. The results showed that castration of male pigs led to increased total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, and leptin levels in serum (p<0.05). No differences in levels of the free fatty acid, insulin, and glucose were observed between boars and barrows (p>0.05). Castration caused upregulation of fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha genes expression at both 147 and 210 days of age (p<0.05). No differences in expression of hormone sensitive lipase and adipose tissue triglyceride lipase genes were observed between boars and barrows at either 147 or 210 days of age (p>0.05). It is speculated that higher body fat deposition in castrated male pigs might have resulted mainly from increased transcription of the lipogenic genes, but not from decreased transcription of the lipolytic genes.
Roomware©: the second generation

In this paper, we describe our 'Formal Demonstration Presentation' and provide background information on the video published in the video proceedings. The presentation provides an account of the development of the second generation of roomware© components based on our experiences with the first generation. The redesign, resp. new design and implementation resulted in a comprehensive environment consisting of several different roomware components and software facilitating new forms of human computer interaction and cooperation. We present the second generation consisting of: DynaWall, InteracTable, CommChairs, ConnecTable, and the Passage mechanism, together with the corresponding software BEACH, PalmBeach, and MagNets.
Patient Needs and Sources of Drug Information in Singapore: Is the Internet Replacing Former Sources?

Background: Patients are exposed to a broad range of drug information (DI) sources; among them is the Internet, which has been increasingly used over the years, especially by adolescents. Objective: To identify patients' needs and common sources of DI: examine the differences in use of DI sources among groups, by age and sex; and better understand patients' use of the Internet as a source of DI. Methods: A quota sample of 201 outpatients from National University Hospital in Singapore was surveyed. A questionnaire was developed to examine patients' needs for and common sources of DI as well as their experience with and attitudes toward using the Internet as a DI source. Results: Physicians (83.1%) and pharmacists (57.7%) were reported to be the most commonly used sources of DI regarding prescription drugs (n = 201), whereas pharmacists (40.9%) and relatives or friends (40.9%) were the most commonly reported sources for information about nonprescription drugs (n = 149). Respondents most commonly sought DI about adverse effects (72.6%), dosing (54.7%), and indications (54.2%). Among Internet users, people aged 31–50 years were more likely than those in other age groups to search the Internet for DI (p < 0.001). The Internet was considered to be a convenient source with a broad range of information; however, patients faced both the inability to find needed information and uncertainty about information reliability when searching (or DI on the Internet. Conclusions: Pharmacists play an important role in counseling patients about prescription and nonprescription drugs. There is a need to educate patients on how to locate and evaluate DI on the Internet.
Determinants of the extent of compound use: A contrastive analysis

Abstract Little is known about the principles governing the extent to which nominal compounds are used. Adopting a contrastive perspective, this paper takes as its starting point the widely held assumption that German assigns a more important role to compounding than English. The notion of compound use is broken down into the three factors of (type and token) frequency, productivity and complexity. An analysis of newspaper and fictional language reveals an astonishing crosslinguistic difference in the interaction of frequency and complexity. The higher rate of German compared to English two-noun compounds decreases with increasing complexity to the point of overturning this ratio in favor of relatively more four-noun compounds in English than in German. This holds good for type and token frequency, expanding productivity as well as for both text genres. The consistency of the empirical results invites a structural explanation of the crosslinguistic difference. Two language-particular factors are invoked: general compound propensity and the range of typical compound types. The former explains the predominance of shorter compounds in German, the latter the predominance of longer compounds in English. German is argued to have a higher compound propensity than English while English allows a wider range of compound types than German. In particular, because English permits more nonlexicalized compounds and because the proportion of these items increases with compound size, the higher frequency of English compared to German overlong compounds is restricted to the upper end of the complexity scale. Table 5 (p. 285) was originally printed with an error. Please find the corrected version of Table 5 in the Erratum in Volume 50, issue 3 (or click here 10.1515/ling-2012-err-v50i2)
Impact simulation of PEV parking lots to power distribution systems

In recent years, the development of electric vehicles has drawn a lot of attention. Locations and pricing strategies can effect a car owner's willingness to park and recharge their cars in a parking lot. Different living habits also result in different parking behavior. Even with the dynamic energy prices, it is still unable to identify the energy demand at different peak times. In order to save the costs of construction or expand substations transformers and conductors in feeders, a smarter system needs to be implemented. The system will analyze the amount of energy required at different peak times and report it back in order to adjust the topology accordingly to improve load factor of the distribution systems. This paper develops a parking lot decision-making system that is able to manage and exchange data by implementing of the Smart Object System. The control of distribution systems and parking lots is optimized through Genetic Algorithm. Analysis of power flow of electric power system is performed by using PowerFactory. To minimize the impact to the existing distribution system operations, line and transformer ampacities as well as voltage profile are considered as constraints such that the operation of car parks does not violate the normal operation of distribution systems. The simulation results show that the proposed system can efficiently minimize the charging time while maintain the voltage current constraints in IEEE 14-bus.
Investigating employment and entrepreneurship barriers in higher education according to students of complementary program satsaveh Branch of Islamic Azad University

The growing course of unemployment among college and universitygraduates can bedue to different factors including non-correspondence of academic education to demands of the labor market, knowledge-oriented approach in the content and methods used in higher education programs and the prevailing culture in the society expecting employment of university graduates in the public sector as their inevitable occupational destiny. The above situation necessitates study and exploration of the existing problems in the higher education system for adoptingthe right entrepreneurship strategy. Considering the importance of the issue, present research through a survey intends to “identify and analyze entrepreneurship barriers in the higher education system”. The research statistical population includes students of master programs fromvarious disciplines currently studying at faculties of Islamic Azad University, Saveh Branch in the academic year of 2011–2012. Of a total number of 2361 students as the statistical population using stratified sampling with proportional allocation 300 students were selected as the sample. Data gathering tool in this research was a researcher-made questionnaire and the understudy students by responding to it supplied the major part of the research findings. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS (version 18). Research results in the section Descriptive Findings describe individual variables and study the key factors in choice of discipline, study follow-up and prioritization of graduates employment barriers, and entrepreneurship problems and obstacles in the higher education. In the section Inferential Statistics, using correlation analysis, mean comparison tests and Kruskal-Wallis Non-Parametric Test the research hypotheses were examined.
Recent Advances in Characterizing the Gastrointestinal Microbiome in Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review

Background:The intestinal microbiota is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. A reduction in the diversity of the intestinal microbiota as well as specific taxonomic and functional shifts have been reported in Crohn's disease and may play a central role in the inflammatory process. The aim was to systematically review recent developments in the structural and functional changes observed in the gastrointestinal microbiome in patients with Crohn's Disease. Results:Seventy-two abstracts were included in this review. The effects of host genetics, disease phenotype, and inflammatory bowel disease treatment on the gastrointestinal microbiome in Crohn's disease were reviewed, and taxonomic shifts in patients with early and established disease were described. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes is increased and Firmicutes decreased in Crohn's disease compared with healthy controls. Enterobacteriaceae, specifically Eschericia coli, is enriched in Crohn's disease. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is found at lower abundance in Crohn's disease and in those with postoperative recurrence. Observed functional changes include major shifts in oxidative stress pathways, a decrease in butanoate and propanoate metabolism gene expression, lower levels of butyrate, and other short-chain fatty acids, decreased carbohydrate metabolism, and decreased amino acid biosynthesis. Conclusions:Changes in microbial composition and function have been described, although a causative role remains to be established. Larger, prospective, and longitudinal studies are required with deep interrogation of the microbiome if causality is to be determined, and refined microbial manipulation is to emerge as a focused therapy.
Nature of expertise in searching mammograms for breast masses

Eye position of observes representing four levels of training and experience: mammographers; mammography residents; mammographic technologists; and, laypersons were compared to a random search model as they examined a set of nine two-view digital mammogram pairs for breast masses. Analysis of time-to-hit data revealed that mammographers' training and experience combined to produce the most efficient search patterns as measured by the fastest search times to detect breast masses on two views. Scanning patterns of mammography residents and mammographic technologists were less efficient due to wider dispersion of visual attention that was divided between potential breast masses and perturbations in breast parenchyma. Because laypersons lacked training in radiology, bright blobs in the breast image were considered to be intuitively valid target candidates, and these features distracted search by capturing visual attention.
Evaluation of the Potential Carcinogenic Effects of Electromagnetic Fields(EMF) on Tissue and Organs

The purpose of this study is evaluate the likelihood that exposure to nonionizing electromagnetic radiation (NIEMR) poses a risk or is a risk factor for the development of c ancer in humans. This investigation provides evidence that exposure to EM fields and the thundering results related various cancers, most notably leukemia, lymphoma, and brain cancer caused of EM fields can be described also by the use of the quantity magnetic flux density. The latter depends on the permeability of the medium in which the measurement takes place and has the unit tesla (T). Man-made sources dominate exposure to time-varying fields and radiation. Over that part of the frequency spectrum used for electrical power, man-made fields are many thousands of times greater than natural fields arising from either the Sun or the Earth. Naturally occurring time-varying magnetic fields are associated with changes in ionospheric currents which are most affected by the Sun's activity. Magnetic flux densities of 0.5 JJT at frequencies of a few hertz can be generated at times of intense solar activity, but normal daily variations from pulses of l ess than 0.1 Hz are about 0.03 ^T. This may be compared to the Earth's static magnetic flux density which is in the range 30-70 uT and around 50 jxT in the UK. Lightning strikes can generate a wide range of frequencies up to the megahertz region, the peak intensity occurring at frequencies of a few kilohertz but under normal circumstances the magnetic flux density decreases from 10~ \xT at several hertz to 10" uT at a few kilohertz. 58 Atmospheric time-varying electric fields up to 1 kHz are less than 0.5 Vm" and decrease with increasing 1 frequency. Many of the effects of exposure can be related to the response to electric fields and currents induced in tissues. Dosimetric concepts have been developed which provide a basis for linking external electric and magnetic fields to the electric field strength. induced current density and the energy absorption rate in tissues. The exposures to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELFMF) in our environment have dramatically increased, which includes both occupational exposure and general exposure to sources, such as
Practice patterns in percutaneous image-guided intraabdominal abscess drainage: survey of academic and private practice centers.

PURPOSE To evaluate current practice patterns of percutaneous image-guided abdominal and pelvic abscess drainage in academic and private practice centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS The institutional review board did not require approval for this study. In a survey conducted between November 2002 and February 2003, 493 questionnaires were sent to 193 academic and 300 private practice radiology departments in the United States. All recipients were informed of the study purpose. The survey included questions about departmental demographics, patient selection criteria for percutaneous abscess drainage (eg, abscess diameter at imaging, laboratory parameters such as white blood cell count, and clinical indications such as fever), use of analgesia or conscious sedation, drainage method, and imaging technique. The statistical significance of differences between respondent subgroups was analyzed with a Pearson or Mantel-Haenszel chi(2) test. RESULTS Academic centers returned 95 questionnaires (49%), and private practice centers, 72 (24%). Percutaneous abscess drainage is performed by a fellowship-trained radiologist at 92 (97%) of 95 academic centers and 41 (79%) of 52 private practice centers (P < .001). Among 95 academic respondents and 52 private practice respondents, respectively, 56 (59%) and 33 (63%) do not perform drainage if an abscess has a diameter of less than 3 cm; 30 (32%) and nine (17%), if the white blood cell count is normal; and 16 (17%) and six (12%), if the patient is afebrile. Most (90 [95%] of 95 academic, 45 [87%] of 52 private practice) respondents use conscious sedation. A transabdominal approach and 8-12-F catheters are most frequently used by both groups. Academic respondents more frequently use transvaginal and transrectal approaches (54 [57%] and 51 [54%] of 95, vs 16 [31%] and 15 [29%] of 52 private practice respondents; P = .003) and 14-F catheters (69 [73%] of 95 vs 18 [35%] of 52; P < .001). CONCLUSION Percutaneous drainage is usually performed by fellowship-trained radiologists in abscesses of more than 3 cm in diameter, for appropriate clinical indications (multiple parameters above the established threshold), by using conscious sedation and 8-12-F catheters.