Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Renormalization of earthquake aftershocks

Assume that each earthquake can produce a series of aftershock independently of its size according to its “local” Omori's law with exponent 1 + θ. Each aftershock can itself trigger other aftershocks and so on. The global observable Omori's law is found to have two distinct power law regimes, the first one with exponent p− = 1‐θ for time t < t* ∼ κ−1/θ, where 0 < 1 − κ < 1 measures the fraction of triggered earthquakes per triggering earthquake, and the second one with exponent p+ = 1 + θ for larger times. The existence of these two regimes rationalizes the observation of Kisslinger and Jones [1991] that the exponent p seems positively correlated to the surface heat flow: a higher heat flow is a signature of a higher crustal temperature, which leads to larger strain relaxation by creep, corresponding to fewer events triggered per earthquake, i.e. to a larger κ, and thus to a smaller t*, leading to an effective measured exponent more heavily weighted toward p+ > 1.
Current-Voltage Relations for Electrochemical Thin Films

The DC response of an electrochemical thin film, such as the separator in a microbattery, is analyzed by solving the Poisson--Nernst--Planck equations, subject to boundary conditions appropriate for an electrolytic/galvanic cell. The model system consists of a binary electrolyte between parallel-plate electrodes, each possessing a compact Stern layer, which mediates Faradaic reactions with nonlinear Butler--Volmer kinetics. Analytical results are obtained by matched asymptotic expansions in the limit of thin double layers and compared with full numerical solutions. The analysis shows that (i) decreasing the system size relative to the Debye screening length decreases the voltage of the cell and allows currents higher than the classical diffusion-limited current; (ii) finite reaction rates lead to the important possibility of a reaction-limited current; (iii) the Stern-layer capacitance is critical for allowing the cell to achieve currents above the reaction-limited current; and (iv) all polarographic (cur.
A Human Volunteer Study to Identify Variability in Performance in the Cognitive Domain of the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale

Background:The Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale found lower than anticipated recovery in the cognitive domain. The definition of cognitive recovery did not allow for performance variability, and may have been too sensitive. This study aimed to examine variability in cognitive performance in volunteers. Methods:One hundred forty-three volunteers completed the cognitive domain questions at baseline, after 15 min and 40 min, and on days 1 and 3. Delivery via face-to-face interview was conducted for the first three measurements, and then randomized for day 1 and 3 measurements (face-to-face only, telephone only, telephone then face-to-face, face-to-face then telephone). Results:All volunteers answered orientation correctly. Mean change scores for other tests were positive, indicating a modest learning effect. There were no significant differences between methods of delivery (all P > 0.05). Due to variability in volunteers’ performances, the authors propose a new scoring system to introduce a tolerance factor in scoring cognitive recovery. The proposed revised change from baseline scores are: orientation 0 or higher, digits forward −2 or higher, digits back −1 or higher, word recall −3 or higher, and word generation −3 or higher. This resulted in approximately 95% volunteers classed as “recovered” for each test item, and recovery for the domains ranged from 82.6 to 89.1%. The initial feasibility study was reanalyzed and cognitive recovery increased at all assessment times. At 3 days, cognitive recovery was found to increase from 33.5 to 86.4%. Conclusion:The authors recommend adoption of the new method for scoring cognitive recovery in the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale. Telephone or face-to-face delivery was equivalent and either method can be reliably applied.
Process-driven Analysis of Dynamics in Online Social Interactions

Measurement studies of online social networks show that all sociallinks are not equal, and the strength of each link is best characterized by the frequency of interactions between the linked users. To date, few studies have been able to examine detailed interaction data over time, and studied the problem of modeling user interactions. A generative model can shed light on the fundamental processes that underlie user interactions. In this paper, we analyze the first complete record of full interaction and network dynamics in a large online social network. Our dataset covers all wall posts, new user events, and new social link events during the first full year of Renren, the largest social network in China, including 623K new users, 8.2 million new links, and 29 million wall posts. Our analysis provides surprising insights into the evolution of user interactions over time. We find that users invite new friends to interact at a nearly constant rate, prefer to interact with friends with whom they share significant overlaps in social circles, and most social links drop in interaction frequency over time. We also validate our findings on Facebook, and show that they do generalize across OSNs. We use our insights to derive a generative model of social interactions that accurately captures both our new results and previously observed network properties. Our model captures the inherently heterogeneous strengths of social links, and has broad implications on the design of social network algorithms such as friend recommendation, information diffusion and viral marketing.
Establishing User Profiles in the MediaScout Recommender System

The MediaScout system is envisioned to function as personalized media (audio, video, print) service within mobile phones, online media portals, sling boxes, etc. The MediaScout recommender engine uses a novel stereotype-based recommendation engine. Upon the registration of new users the system must decide how to classify the new users to existing stereotypes. In this paper we present a method to achieve this classification through an anytime, interactive questionnaire, created automatically upon the generation of new stereotypes. A comparative study performed on the IMDB database illustrates the advantages of the new system
Speech Emotion Recognition by Gaussian Mixture Model

In the field of human computer interaction automatic speech emotion recognition is a current research topic. Emotion recognition in speech is a challenging problem because it is unclear that which features are effective for speech emotion recognition. In this paper we proposed an approach in which we extract the features of energy, spectral and acoustic domains and then merging these features by Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and then we get a new hybrid feature that feed into a Gaussian mixture model with kernel approach and analysis its accuracy, precision, recall and ROC curve.
Mitigating Browser Fingerprint Tracking: Multi-level Reconfiguration and Diversification

The diversity of software components (e.g., Browsers, plugins, fonts) is a wonderful opportunity for users to customize their platforms. Yet, massive customization creates a privacy issue: browsers are slightly different from one another, allowing third parties to collect unique and stable fingerprints to track users. Although software diversity appears to be the source of this privacy issue, we claim that this same diversity, combined with automatic reconfiguration, provides the essential ingredients to constantly change browsing platforms. Constant change acts as a moving target defense strategy against fingerprint tracking by breaking one essential property: stability over time. We leverage virtualization and modular architectures to automatically assemble and reconfigure software components at multiple levels. We operate on operating systems, browsers, fonts and plugins. This work is the first application of software reconfiguration to build a moving target defense against browser fingerprint tracking. The main objective is to automatically modify the fingerprint a platform exhibits. We have developed a prototype called Blink to experiment the effectiveness of our approach at randomizing fingerprints. We have assembled and reconfigured thousands of platforms, and we observe that all of them exhibit different fingerprints, and that commercial fingerprinting solutions are not able to detect that the different platforms actually correspond to a single user.
Expanded endonasal approach: the rostrocaudal axis. Part I. Crista galli to the sella turcica.

OBJECT Transsphenoidal approaches have been used for a century for the resection of pituitary and other sellar tumors. More recently, the standard endonasal approach has been expanded to provide access to other, parasellar lesions. With the addition of the endoscope, this expansion carries significant potential for the resection of skull base lesions. METHODS The anatomical landmarks and surgical techniques used in expanded (extended) endoscopic approaches to the rostral, anterior skull base are reviewed and presented, accompanied by case illustrations of each segment (or module) of approach. The rostral half of the anterior skull base is divided into modules of approach: sellar/parasellar, transplanum/transtuberculum, and transcribriform. Case illustrations of successful resections of lesions with each module are presented and discussed. CONCLUSIONS Endoscopic, expanded endonasal approaches to rostral anterior skull base lesions are feasible and hold great potential for decreased morbidity. The effectiveness and appropriate use of these techniques must be evaluated by close examination of outcomes as case series expand.
Time of feeding and the intrinsic circadian clock drive rhythms in hepatic gene expression

In mammals, the circadian oscillator generates approximately 24-h rhythms in feeding behavior, even under constant environmental conditions. Livers of mice held under constant darkness exhibit circadian rhythm in abundance in up to 15% of expressed transcripts. Therefore, oscillations in hepatic transcripts could be driven by rhythmic food intake or sustained by the hepatic circadian oscillator, or a combination of both. To address this question, we used distinct feeding and fasting paradigms on wild-type (WT) and circadian clock-deficient mice. We monitored temporal patterns of feeding and hepatic transcription. Both food availability and the temporal pattern of feeding determined the repertoire, phase, and amplitude of the circadian transcriptome in WT liver. In the absence of feeding, only a small subset of transcripts continued to express circadian patterns. Conversely, temporally restricted feeding restored rhythmic transcription of hundreds of genes in oscillator-deficient mouse liver. Our findings show that both temporal pattern of food intake and the circadian clock drive rhythmic transcription, thereby highlighting temporal regulation of hepatic transcription as an emergent property of the circadian system.
OCTOPUS: aggressive search of multi-modality data using multifaceted knowledge base

An important trend in Web information processing is the support of multimedia retrieval. However, the most prevailing paradigm for multimedia retrieval, content-based retrieval (CBR), is a rather conservative one whose performance depends on a set of specifically defined low-level features and a carefully chosen sample object. In this paper, an aggressive search mechanism called Octopus is proposed which addresses the retrieval of multi-modality data using multifaceted knowledge. In particular, Octopus promotes a novel scenario in which the user supplies seed objects of arbitrary modality as the hint of his information need, and receives a set of multi-modality objects satisfying his need. The foundation of Octopus is a multifaceted knowledge base constructed on a layered graph model (LGM), which describes the relevance between media objects from various perspectives. Link analysis based retrieval algorithm is proposed based on the LGM. A unique relevance feedback technique is developed to update the knowledge base by learning from user behaviors, and to enhance the retrieval performance in a progressive manner. A prototype implementing the proposed approach has been developed to demonstrate its feasibility and capability through illustrative examples.
The Oklahoma Warning Awareness Scale: A Psychometric Analysis of a Brief Self-Report Survey Instrument

Natural hazards (e.g., earthquakes, tornadoes, floods) pose many risk communication challenges for emergency managers and policy makers. Critical obstacles to risk readiness are often attributed to differences in (a) warning awareness, (b) risk understanding, and (c) behavioral responses. Although a considerable body of research has focused on risk understanding (see www.RiskLiteracy.org) there is relatively less research mapping individual differences in warning awareness and related vulnerabilities. Here, we present a psychometric study (n=254) with cross-validation, testing a two parameter polytomous logistic model of subjective warning awareness (i.e., people’s assessment of how likely they are to receive risk and hazard warnings from trusted sources). The final instrument included four items and one criterion that may be related to other important natural hazard response behaviors, providing a foundation for continuing exploration of warning awareness. Discussion focuses on potential applications of the Oklahoma Warning Awareness Scale as it pertains to natural hazards and other risks more broadly.
Selecting a model of nucleotide substitution

Models of nucleotide substitution are commonly used in the analysis of DNA sequences. In this unit a protocol is described for the use of the program MODELTEST (coupled with PAUP*) to find the best-fit model of substitution for the sequence alignment at hand. An example data file is analyzed and the interpretation of the results is discussed. Some background theory on model selection and a discussion of the relevance of models is included at the end of the unit. Choosing the best-fit model of nucleotide substitution Models of nucleotide substitution are commonly used in the analysis of DNA sequences, especially in the estimation of evolutionary parameters and in the construction of phylogenetic trees. A common problem that a researcher has to face is the objective selection of such a sample. The program MODELTEST (Posada and Crandall, 1998) offers two sound statistical procedures to carry out this choice. This protocol describes the joint use of the program MODELTEST and PAUP* (Swofford, 2000) to select the best-fit model of nucleotide substitution for a given set of aligned DNA sequences. The three basic steps within this protocol consist of the estimation of a phylogenetic tree, the estimation of likelihood scores for the candidate models, and the selection of a particular model given these likelihood scores. The first two procedures are carried in the program PAUP* with a batch file included in the MODELTEST package. The discussion in this unit summarizes the theory behind the procedure and provides several caveats and guides for interpretation of the results. Particular comments about the implementation different platforms are also given. Users are encouraged to download the most current versions from the MODELTEST and PAUP* Web site USING MODELTEST AND PAUP* TO SELECT A MODEL OF NUCLEOTIDE SUBSTITUTION
Lucifer yellow – an angel rather than the devil

• Introduction • A very brief history of intracellular labelling techniques • Methods for loading cells with LY ‐ Intracellular injection ‐ Scrape loading ‐ Electroporation ‐ Ballistic loading ‐ Uptake of LY into cells by endocytosis? ‐ Potential methods for loading LY into cells • Electrophysiological studies using LY‐filled electrodes • Studying cell morphology with LY • Using LY to study intercellular communication ‐ The dye coupling method for gap junction detection and characterization ‐ LY uptake by hemichannels, pannexins and P2×7 receptors ‐ Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) • Retrograde labelling with LY • Photoconversion of LY • Combination of LY labelling with other methods • Antibodies against LY • Using LY for selective ablation of cells • Conclusion
Engineering RNA sequence specificity of Pumilio repeats

Puf proteins bind RNA sequence specifically and regulate translation and stability of target mRNAs. A “code” for RNA recognition has been deduced from crystal structures of the Puf protein, human Pumilio1, where each of eight repeats binds an RNA base via a combination of three side chains at conserved positions. Here, we report the creation of seven soluble mutant proteins with predictably altered sequence specificity, including one that binds tightly to adenosine-uracil-rich element RNA. These data show that Pumilio1 can be used as a scaffold to engineer RNA-binding proteins with designed sequence specificity.
Dynamical Evolution of Galaxies in Clusters

Tidal forces acting on galaxies in clusters lead to a strong dynamical evolution. In order to quantify the amount of evolution, I run self-consistent N-body simulations of disk galaxies for a variety of models in the hierarchically forming clusters. The tidal field along the galactic orbits is extracted from the simulations of cluster formation in the Ω0 = 1, 0.4, and 0.4, ΩΛ = 0.6 cosmological scenarios. For large spiral galaxies with a rotation speed of 250 km s-1, tidal interactions truncate massive dark matter halos at 30 ± 6 kpc and thicken stellar disks by a factor of 2-3, increasing Toomre's parameter to Q ≳ 2 and halting star formation. Low-density galaxies, such as the dwarf spheroidals with a circular velocity of 20 km s-1 and the extended low surface brightness galaxies with a scale length of 10-15 kpc, are completely disrupted by tidal shocks. Their debris contribute to the diffuse intracluster light. The tidal effects are significant not only in the core but throughout the cluster and can be parametrized by the critical tidal density. The tidally induced evolution results in the transformation of the infalling spirals into S0 galaxies and in the depletion of the low surface brightness galaxy population. In the low-Ω0 cosmological models, clusters form earlier and produce stronger evolution of galaxies.
Effects of isoflurane anesthesia and intravenous morphine self‐administration on regional glucose metabolism ([18F]FDG‐PET) of male Sprague‐Dawley rats

Although certain drugs of abuse are known to disrupt brain glucose metabolism (BGluM), the effects of opiates on BGluM are not well characterized. Moreover, preclinical positron emission tomography (PET) studies anesthetize animals during the scan, which limits clinical applications. We investigated the effects of (i) isoflurane anesthesia and (ii) intravenous morphine self‐administration (MSA) on BGluM in rats. Jugular vein cannulated adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats self‐administered either saline (SSA) or morphine (0.5 mg/kg/infusion, 4 h/day for 12 days). All animals were scanned twice with [18F]‐fluoro‐deoxy‐glucose (FDG)‐PET/CT at a baseline and at 2‐day withdrawal from self‐administration. After the IV injection of FDG, one batch of animals (n = 14) was anesthetized with isoflurane and the other batch (n = 16) was kept awake during the FDG uptake (45 min). After FDG uptake, all animals were anesthetized in order to perform a PET/CT scan (30 min). Isoflurane anesthesia, as compared to the awake condition, reduced BGluM in the olfactory, cortex, thalamus, and basal ganglia, while increasing BGluM in the midbrain, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Morphine self‐administered animals exhibited withdrawal signs (piloerection and increased defecation), drug seeking, and locomotor stimulation to morphine (0.5 mg/kg) during the 2 day withdrawal. The BGluM in the striatum was increased in the MSA group as compared to the SSA group; this effect was observed only in the isoflurane anesthesia, not the awake condition. These findings suggest that the choice of the FDG uptake condition may be important in preclinical PET studies and increased BGluM in the striatum may be associated with opiate seeking in withdrawal.
Distributed-Memory Breadth-First Search on Massive Graphs

Author(s): Buluc, Aydin; Beamer, Scott; Madduri, Kamesh; Asanovic, Krste; Patterson, David | Abstract: This chapter studies the problem of traversing large graphs using the breadth-first search order on distributed-memory supercomputers. We consider both the traditional level-synchronous top-down algorithm as well as the recently discovered direction optimizing algorithm. We analyze the performance and scalability trade-offs in using different local data structures such as CSR and DCSC, enabling in-node multithreading, and graph decompositions such as 1D and 2D decomposition.
The Early Evolution of Massive Stars: Radio Recombination Line Spectra

Velocity shifts and differential broadening of radio recombination lines are used to estimate the densities and velocities of the ionized gas in several hypercompact and ultracompact H II regions. These small H II regions are thought to be at their earliest evolutionary phase and associated with the youngest massive stars. The observations suggest that these H II regions are characterized by high densities, supersonic flows, and steep density gradients, consistent with accretion and outflows that would be associated with the formation of massive stars.
A Novel Feature Extraction Algorithm Based on Joint Learning

In this paper, a novel feature extraction algorithm, called Joint Discriminant Sparse Neighborhood Preserving Embedding (JDSNPE), based on Discriminant Sparse Neighborhood Preserving Embedding (DSNPE) and joint learning is proposed. JDSNPE aims to get the row sparsity of the transformation matrix while preserving discriminant sparse neighborhood. Experimental results on Yale database demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm compared to Sparse Neighborhood Preserving Embedding and DSNPE.
FAAH inhibition enhances anandamide mediated anti-tumorigenic effects in non-small cell lung cancer by downregulating the EGF/EGFR pathway

The endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA), a neurotransmitter was shown to have anti-cancer effects. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) metabolizes AEA and decreases its anti-tumorigenic activity. In this study, we have analyzed the role of FAAH inhibition in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We have shown that FAAH and CB1 receptor which is activated by AEA are expressed in lung adenocarcinoma patient samples and NSCLC cell lines A549 and H460. Since the synthetic analogue of anandamide (Met-F-AEA) did not possess significant anti-tumorigenic effects, we used Met-F-AEA in combination with FAAH inhibitor URB597 which significantly reduced EGF (epidermal growth factor)-induced proliferative and chemotactic activities in vitro when compared to anti-tumorigenic activity of Met-F-AEA alone. Further analysis of signaling mechanisms revealed that Met-F-AEA in combination with URB597 inhibits activation of EGFR and its downstream signaling ERK, AKT and NF-kB. In addition, it inhibited MMP2 secretion and stress fiber formation. We have also shown that the Met-F-AEA in combination with URB597 induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest by downregulating cyclin D1 and CDK4 expressions, ultimately leading to apoptosis via activation of caspase-9 and PARP. Furthermore, the combination treatment inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft nude mouse model system. Tumors derived from Met-F-AEA and URB597 combination treated mice showed reduced EGFR, AKT and ERK activation and MMP2/MMP9 expressions when compared to Met-F-AEA or URB597 alone. Taken together, these data suggest in EGFR overexpressing NSCLC that the combination of Met-F-AEA with FAAH inhibitor resulted in superior therapeutic response compared to individual compound activity alone.