Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coordinated Resource Management for Large Scale Interactive Data Query Systems

Interactive ad hoc data query over massive datasets has recently gained significant traction. Massively parallel data query and analysis frameworks (e.g., Dremel, Impala) are built and deployed to support SQL-like queries over distributed and partitioned data in a clustering environment. As a result, the execution of each query is converted into a set of coordinated tasks including data retrieval, intermediate result computation and transfer, and result aggregation. To support high request rate of concurrent interactive queries, coordinated management of multiple resources (e.g., bandwidth, CPU, memory) of the cluster environment is critical. In this paper, we investigate this resource management problem using an utility-based optimization framework. Our goal is to optimize the resource utilization, and maintain fairness among different types of queries. We present a price-based algorithm which achieves this optimization objective. We implement our algorithm in the open source Impala system and conduct a set of experiments in a clustering environment using the TPC-DS workload. Experimental results show that our coordinated resource management solution can increase the aggregate utility by at least 15.4% compared with simple fair resource share mechanism, and 63.5% compared with the FIFO resource management mechanism.
An Ergonomics Analysis of Archers through Motion Tracking to Prevent Injuries and Improve Performance

Archery ranks among the sports with a high incidence of upper extremity injuries, particularly affecting the drawing shoulder and elbow, as well as inducing stress on the lower back. This study seeks to bridge the gap by integrating real-time human motion with biomechanical software to enhance the ergonomics of archers. Thirteen participants were involved in four tasks, using different bows with varied draw weights and shooting distances. Through the application of advanced integrative technology, this study highlights the distinct postures adopted by both males and females, which indicate the biomechanical differences between genders. Additionally, an analysis of the correlation between exposed spinal forces and these adopted postures provides insights into injury risk assessment during the key archery movements. The findings of this study have the potential to significantly enhance the application of training methodologies and the design of assistive devices. These improvements are geared towards mitigating injury risks and enhancing the overall performance of archers.
Which way do you lean? Using slope aspect variations to understand Critical Zone processes and feedbacks

Soil‐mantled pole‐facing hillslopes on Earth tend to be steeper, wetter, and have more vegetation cover compared with adjacent equator‐facing hillslopes. These and other slope aspect controls are often the consequence of feedbacks among hydrologic, ecologic, pedogenic, and geomorphic processes triggered by spatial variations in mean annual insolation. In this paper we review the state of knowledge on slope aspect controls of Critical Zone (CZ) processes using the latitudinal and elevational dependence of topographic asymmetry as a motivating observation. At relatively low latitudes and elevations, pole‐facing hillslopes tend to be steeper. At higher latitudes and elevations this pattern reverses. We reproduce this pattern using an empirical model based on parsimonious functions of latitude, an aridity index, mean‐annual temperature, and slope gradient. Using this empirical model and the literature as guides, we present a conceptual model for the slope‐aspect‐driven CZ feedbacks that generate asymmetry in water‐limited and temperature‐limited end‐member cases. In this conceptual model the dominant factor driving slope aspect differences at relatively low latitudes and elevations is the difference in mean‐annual soil moisture. The dominant factor at higher latitudes and elevations is temperature limitation on vegetation growth. In water‐limited cases, we propose that higher mean‐annual soil moisture on pole‐facing hillslopes drives higher soil production rates, higher water storage potential, more vegetation cover, faster dust deposition, and lower erosional efficiency in a positive feedback. At higher latitudes and elevations, pole‐facing hillslopes tend to have less vegetation cover, greater erosional efficiency, and gentler slopes, thus reversing the pattern of asymmetry found at lower latitudes and elevations. Our conceptual model emphasizes the linkages among short‐ and long‐timescale processes and across CZ sub‐disciplines; it also points to opportunities to further understand how CZ processes interact. We also demonstrate the importance of paleoclimatic conditions and non‐climatic factors in influencing slope aspect variations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Digestion kinetics of carbohydrate fractions of citrus by-products

The present experiment was carried out to determine the digestion kinetics of carbohydrate fractions of citrus by-products. Grapefruit pulp (GP), lemon pulp (LE), lime pulp (LI) and orange pulp (OP) were the test feed. Digestion kinetic of whole citrus by-products and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) fraction and acid detergent fiber (ADF) fractions of citrus by-products were measured using the in vitro gas production technique. Fermentation kinetics of the neutral detergent soluble carbohydrates (NDSC) fraction and hemicelluloses were calculated using a curve subtraction. The fermentation rate of whole was the highest for the LE (p < 0.05). For all citrus by-products lag time was longer for hemicellulose than other carbohydrate fractions. There was no significant difference among potential gas production (A) volumes of whole test feeds (p < 0.16). Dry matter (DM) digestibility contents of LE and LI were the highest (p < 0.02). The NDF digestibility was the highest (p < 0.05) in LI and GP, while the lowest (p < 0.03) values of ADF digestibility were observed in LI and LE. According to the results of the present study, carbohydrate fractions of citrus by-products have high potential for degradability. It could also be concluded that carbohydrate fractions of citrus by-products have remarkable difference in digestion kinetics and digestive behavior.
The WRF Microphysics and a Snow Event in Chicago

Mesoscale meteorological models are increasingly being used in NWS forecast offices. One important performance aspect of these models is the parameterization of the ice phase microphysics. Such parameterizations can affect the model output of precipitation during the winter months. The precipitation forecast are important for duration, estimation of the amount of snow and the location of large amounts of snow in a 3 to 48 hour forecast time frame. This study examines various ice phase microphysics schemes or parameterizations and how they affect the model forecast of precipitation amount. The day chosen for this study was December 8, 2005, when there were very good measurements of a significant snowfall that impacted northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. This study will be a part of the decision process for selection of a microphysical scheme when the model, such as the WRF model, is run operationally in the National Weather Service (NWS) Chicago forecast office.
A Preliminary Study on Identifying Fabrication Material From Fake Fingerprint Images

Existing studies suggest the vulnerability of fingerprint verification system against spoof attacks. A spoofing attack occurs when an adversary mimics the biometric trait of another individual for illegitimate access and advantages. Liveness detection algorithms aim to detect live fingerprint samples from the fake artifact. A variety of materials, such as latex, gelatine and silicone, can be used to fabricate fake fingerprint samples. Continuous advancement in the spoofing techniques will lead to the introduction of new materials for fake fingerprint fabrication. However, the performance of these liveness detection algorithms severely degrade when new spoof materials are encountered during the operational stage. Therefore, there is a need for automatic detection of the fabrication material from fake fingerprint images. To this aim, this work investigates texture descriptors such as LBP, BSIF, BGP and GLCM for automatic detection of the fabrication material from fake fingerprint images.
Antenatal Syphilis Screening Using Point-of-Care Testing in Sub-Saharan African Countries: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Yukari Manabe and colleagues evaluate the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of antenatal syphilis screening for 43 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and estimate the impact of universal screening on averted stillbirths, neonatal deaths, congenital syphilis, and DALYs. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
Conservation of ecdysis-triggering hormone signalling in insects

SUMMARY Pre-ecdysis- and ecdysis-triggering hormones (PETH and ETH) from endocrine Inka cells initiate ecdysis in moths and Drosophila through direct actions on the central nervous system (CNS). Using immunohistochemistry, we found Inka cells in representatives of all major insect orders. In most insects, Inka cells are numerous, small and scattered throughout the tracheal system. Only some higher holometabolous insects exhibit 8-9 pairs of large Inka cells attached to tracheae in each prothoracic and abdominal segment. The number and morphology of Inka cells can be very variable even in the same individuals or related insects, but all produce peptide hormones that are completely released at each ecdysis. Injection of tracheal extracts prepared from representatives of several insect orders induces pre-ecdysis and ecdysis behaviours in pharate larvae of Bombyx, indicating functional similarity of these peptides. We isolated several PETH-immunoreactive peptides from tracheal extracts of the cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea and the bug Pyrrhocoris apterus and identified the gene encoding two putative ETHs in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Inka cells also are stained with antisera to myomodulin, FMRFamide and other peptides sharing RXamide carboxyl termini. However, our enzyme immunoassays show that these antisera cross-react with PETH and ETH. Our results suggest that Inka cells of different insects produce only peptide hormones closely related to PETH and ETH, which are essential endocrine factors required for activation of the ecdysis behavioural sequence.
An efficient visitation algorithm to improve the detection speed of high-interaction client honeypots

Drive-by-download attacks are client-side attacks that originate from web servers that are visited by web browsers. While many web browsers are vulnerable to the drive-by-download attacks, the cost of detecting malicious web pages that launch drive-by-download attacks is expensive. High-interaction client honeypots are security devices capable of detecting malicious web pages; however, their slow and expensive operations in web page visiting have been considered as a problem. The high-interaction client honeypots employ a visitation algorithm to pinpoint which page has made an unauthorized change of system state when any unauthorized change of the system state occurred after visiting suspicious web pages. To improve the performance of the high-interaction client honeypots, we propose a new visitation algorithm, logarithmic divide-and-conquer (LDAC), for identifying malicious web pages. The LDAC algorithm is an enhanced version of the existing binary divide-and-conquer (BDAC) algorithm. If any system state is abnormally changed after having visited k suspicious web pages concurrently, our LDAC algorithm divides the buffer of k pages into [log2k] pieces and recursively visits the pieces until the malicious page or pages are identified, while the BDAC splits the buffer into k/2 portions. Experimental results show that the LDAC has improved performance of the system up to 15 percent compared to the BDAC algorithm.
Ranking Optimization using Outlier Detection Technique

Product ranking optimization is an emerging required research area where we are getting a heavy duly competition day by day, number of products with sort of ranges are available in market, finding the best out of the different product is a major problem, several times it observed that number of survey has been made in order to make a product ranking and show it to users about the best available product for their requirement in the market, the ranking been held on multiple required attributes work or play the role to increase or decrease their ranking. Existing Line-up technique is only provided rank to number of products. It did not optimize the ranking. Now, in this paper, defeat these entire problems and provide the best solution. Introduce the outlier detection technique to optimize the product ranking according to requirement feature or attribute. Here i am going to implement some algorithm to detect best outliers such as distributing solving set algorithm, line-up algorithm & improved LAZY DSS.
Myricetin Amorphous Solid Dispersions—Antineurodegenerative Potential

Our research aimed to develop an amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) of myricetin (MYR) with Polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP30) to enhance its solubility, dissolution rate, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. Employing a combination of solvent evaporation and freeze drying, we successfully formed MYR ASDs. XRPD analysis confirmed complete amorphization in 1:8 and 1:9 MYR-PVP weight ratios. DSC thermograms exhibited a single glass transition (Tg), indicating full miscibility. FT-IR results and molecular modeling confirmed hydrogen bonds stabilizing MYR’s amorphous state. HPLC analysis indicated the absence of degradation products, ensuring safe MYR delivery systems. Solubility, dissolution rate (pH 1.2 and 6.8), antioxidant (ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays), and in vitro neuroprotective activities (inhibition of cholinesterases: AChE and BChE) were significantly improved compared to the pure compound. Molecular docking studies revealed that MYR had made several hydrogen, hydrophobic, and π-π stacking interactions, which could explain the compound’s potency to inhibit AChE and BChE. MYR-PVP 1:9 w/w ASD has the best solubility, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activity. Stability studies confirmed the physical stability of MYR-PVP 1:9 w/w ASD immediately after dissolution and for two months under ambient conditions. Our study showed that the obtained ASDs are promising systems for the delivery of MYR with the potential for use in alleviating the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases.
Vascular and autonomic dysregulation in primary open-angle glaucoma

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to discuss whether vascular dysfunction and autonomic dysfunction are related to primary open-angle glaucoma stratified by the intraocular pressure (IOP) level. Recent findings Patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) across the spectrum of IOP exhibit a variety of ocular and nonocular vascular abnormalities. Interestingly, common genetic variation in nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) and the caveolin 1/caveolin 2 (CAV1/CAV2) genomic regions, which code for proteins involved in setting vascular tone, are associated with POAG. These markers seem to stratify with POAG subtypes stratified by sex or pattern of initial visual field loss and not by IOP level. Overall, it is clear that there is also cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in high-tension glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma but it is unclear if this dysfunction is more common in normal-tension glaucoma compared with high-tension glaucoma. Summary Overall, POAG is likely a heterogeneous disease but stratifying cases by IOP level associated with initial optic nerve damage may be less useful than using other endophenotype approaches. Embracing the evidence suggesting systemic endothelial and autonomic dysfunction are operative in POAG will help us move beyond an IOP-centric view of the disease and facilitate ‘tearing down the wall’ that divides treating physicians and a better understanding of POAG pathogenesis.
Contact investigations in congregate settings, New York City.

SETTING Large urban tuberculosis control program. OBJECTIVE To evaluate results of procedures implemented for systematic investigation of tuberculosis exposures in congregate settings. DESIGN Between October 1995 and December 2000, a unit consisting of epidemiologists, health educators and tuberculin screening staff investigated exposures in sites with >15 persons. Transmission at the site was defined as likely, possible, unlikely or unknown. RESULTS Among 100 investigations, 12 were tuberculosis case clusters, five were source case investigations, and 83 were exposures to single infectious cases. Transmission was likely in 24 (21%), possible in eight (8%), unlikely in 62 (62%), and could not be assessed in four (4%). Among the 83 exposures to single infectious cases, 2740 contacts were tested; 502 (18%) were infected. Among 1202 close contacts, 996 (82%) were tested, 197 (20%) were infected and started treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and 102/197 (52%) completed treatment. Sites with likely transmission had index patients with longer duration of cough (13 vs. 6 weeks, P = 0.01) and cavitary lesions (84% vs. 44%, P = 0.01) compared to sites with unlikely transmission. CONCLUSION A systematic approach for conducting contact investigations in congregate settings is useful for assessing transmission. As such investigations are resource intensive and transmission is not common, performing tuberculin skin testing after most persons would have converted should be considered in low-risk groups. Additional efforts are needed to increase completion of treatment for LTBI in contacts identified in these settings.
CS1 (CRACC, CD319) Induces Proliferation and Autocrine Cytokine Expression on Human B Lymphocytes1

CS1 (CRACC, CD319), a member of the CD2 family of cell surface receptors, is implicated in the activation of NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Previous studies showed that CS1 is also expressed on activated B cells. However, the functional role of CS1 in human B-lymphocytes is not known. Two isoforms of CS1, CS1-L and CS1-S, are expressed in human NK cells that differentially regulate NK cell function. CS1-L contains immunoreceptor tyrosine-based switch motifs in its cytoplasmic domain whereas CS1-S lacks immunoreceptor tyrosine-based switch motifs. In this study, we show that human B lymphocytes express only the CS1-L isoform, and its expression is up-regulated upon B cell activation with various stimulators. Moreover, anti-CS1 mAb strongly enhanced proliferation of both freshly isolated as well as activated B cells. The enhanced proliferation effects of CS1 were most prominent on B cells activated by anti-CD40 mAbs and/or hrIL-4. The effects of CS1 on B cell proliferation were shown on both naive and memory B cells. Human cytokine microarray and quantitative real-time PCR results indicated that CS1 activation enhanced mRNA transcripts of flt3 ligand, lymphotoxin A, TNF, and IL-14. Neutralizing Abs against lymphotoxin A, TNF-α, and/or flt3 ligand abolished the ability of CS1 on the B cell proliferation. These results suggest that activation of B lymphocytes, through surface CS1, may be mediated through secretion of autocrine cytokines and CS1 may play a role in the regulation of B lymphocyte proliferation during immune responses.
Endogenous Sex Hormones and Breast Density in Young Women

Background: Breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer and reflects epithelial and stromal content. Breast tissue is particularly sensitive to hormonal stimuli before it fully differentiates following the first full-term pregnancy. Few studies have examined associations between sex hormones and breast density among young women. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 180 women ages 25 to 29 years old who participated in the Dietary Intervention Study in Children 2006 Follow-up Study. Eighty-five percent of participants attended a clinic visit during their luteal phase of menstrual cycle. Magnetic resonance imaging measured the percentage of dense breast volume (%DBV), absolute dense breast volume (ADBV), and absolute nondense breast volume (ANDBV). Multiple-linear mixed-effect regression models were used to evaluate the association of sex hormones and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) with %DBV, ADBV, and ANDBV. Results: Testosterone was significantly positively associated with %DBV and ADBV. The multivariable geometric mean of %DBV and ADBV across testosterone quartiles increased from 16.5% to 20.3% and from 68.6 to 82.3 cm3, respectively (Ptrend ≤ 0.03). There was no association of %DBV or ADBV with estrogens, progesterone, non–SHBG-bound testosterone, or SHBG (Ptrend ≥ 0.27). Neither sex hormones nor SHBG was associated with ANDBV except progesterone; however, the progesterone result was nonsignificant in analysis restricted to women in the luteal phase. Conclusions: These findings suggest a modest positive association between testosterone and breast density in young women. Impact: Hormonal influences at critical periods may contribute to morphologic differences in the breast associated with breast cancer risk later in life. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(2); 369–78. ©2014 AACR.
How fast are larch trees migrating across the treeline border in Siberia under recently increasing temperatures – results from a combined approach of genetics and modelling

The Arctic is currently experiencing the strongest temperature changes worldwide, causing a geographic shift in optimal habitats for many species. Trees are projected to advance into treeless tundra with increasing warmth, which will likely cause a positive vegetation-climate feedback due to an albedo decrease. To date, global simulation models generally assume that species follow the changing abiotic environment immediately. However, responses are strongly shaped by species’ traits determining seed dispersal, and the complex process of migration is not well understood. We approached better projections by parameterising dispersal processes in the individual-based spatially-explicit model LAVESI for larches at the treeline in Siberia. To do this, we inferred the effective seed dispersal based on a genetic parentage analysis using an assay of eight highly polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci. We genotyped a total of 612 individuals from an open forest site, situated close to the border to treeless taiga at the southern Taymyr Peninsula in north-central Siberia. At this remote site, we sampled all mature trees within an area of 100x100 m2, and we sampled all recruits within the central area of the plot. The results indicated a high on-site recruitment rate of ~53%. The effective seed dispersal follows a pronounced Gaussian function with a fat-tail. The median dispersal distance of ~10 m is comparable to results from studies, but this is unexpectedly short for a wind-dispersed species in an open forest. Simulations with the improved model on hypothetical south-to-north transects revealed a slow-moving treeline front, advancing only by ~1.6 m yr-1 into tundra. While the observed colonisation of the tundra is assisted by occasional long-distance seed dispersal events beyond the treeline area, we conclude that the treeline advance in north-central Siberia currently lags behind the current strong warming and will continue to lag in the near future.