Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Big data exploration requires collaboration between visualization and data infrastructures

As datasets grow to tera- and petabyte sizes, exploratory data visualization becomes very difficult: a screen is limited to a few million pixels, and main memory to a few tens of millions of data points. Yet these very large scale analyses are of tremendous interest to industry and academia. This paper discusses some of the major challenges involved in data analytics at scale, including issues of computation, communication, and rendering. It identifies techniques for handling large scale data, grouped into "look at less of it," and "look at it faster. " Using these techniques involves a number of difficult design tradeoffs for both the ways that data can be represented, and the ways that users can interact with the visualizations.
Estrogen stimulates delayed mitogen-activated protein kinase activity in human endothelial cells via an autocrine loop that involves basic fibroblast growth factor.

BACKGROUND Estrogen plays a significant role in protecting premenopausal women from cardiovascular disease. We have found that estradiol augments endothelial cell activities related to vascular healing and that human coronary artery and umbilical vein endothelial cells express estrogen receptors (ERs). Classically, the ER functions as a transcription factor, but the cytoplasmic targets of this genomic effect have not been defined for endothelial cells. In the present study, we examined the potential role of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases ERK1 and ERK2 as mediators of estrogen action. METHODS AND RESULTS Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were estrogen depleted by culturing in hormone-free medium for 48 hours before experiments. 17Beta-estradiol (E2) stimulated a delayed (3 hours) 5- to 7-fold induction of ERK1/2 activity requiring activation of ER and new transcription/translation. Conditioned media from cells stimulated for 3 hours with E2 induced immediate ERK1/2 activation and phosphorylation of the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) receptor. Moreover, ERK1/2 activation by E2 or by conditioned media was abrogated by treatment with neutralizing anti-bFGF antibody. CONCLUSIONS These data describe an autocrine mechanism for E2 induction of ERK1/2 in HUVEC. Because our previous studies suggested that certain cardioprotective effects of estrogen are genomic in nature, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that autocrine stimulation of endothelial ERK1/2 activity by bFGF may play a role in the beneficial effects of estrogen on cardiovascular biology.
Policies and practices for a low-carbon society

In February 2006, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) Japan and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in the UK set in motion an ambitious research project aimed at informing the Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development established during the UK’s 2005 G8 Presidency (DEFRA, 2005). The Dialogue has engaged G8 and other interested countries with significant energy needs. It has focused on:
LINKING DIFFERENT GEOSPATIAL DATABASES BY EXPLICIT RELATIONS

: The growing awareness of the importance of spatial information has led to a continuously increasing demand for geospatial data. Thus, a lot of different companies and institutions have evolved that are aiming at satisfying this demand by capturing the real world according to the needs of different applications. This process involves that one and the same real world object is stored in several representations in different geospatial databases. The integration of these representations is a major research challenge in the field of GIS. In our approach we use a semi-automatic matching tool for defining relations between representations on the instance level. These relations are used in order to automatically derive an integrated data schema. The relations on the instance level as well as the integrated data schema can be used for automatically merging data sets, for automatically transferring updates from one data set into another or for a common analysis of spatial data from different sources.
Infants' Acquisition of Grammatical Gender Dependencies

To successfully understand spoken language, listeners need to determine how words within sentences relate to one another. Although the ability to compute relationships between word categories is known to develop early in life, little research has been conducted on infants' early sensitivity to subcategorical dependencies, such as those evoked by grammatical gender (where the article form is dictated by the noun's gender). This study therefore examines whether French-learning 18-month-olds track such relationships. Using the Visual Fixation Procedure, infants were presented with article–noun sequences in which the gender-marked article either matched (e.g., laFEM poussetteFEM “the stroller”) or mismatched (e.g., leMASC poussetteFEM) the gender of the noun. A clear preference for correct over incorrect co-occurrences was observed, suggesting that by 18 months of age, children's storage and access of words is sufficiently sophisticated to include the means to track subcategorical dependencies. This early sensitivity to gender information may be greatly beneficial for constraining lexical access during online language processing.
Cardiovascular responses to plyometric exercise are affected by workload in athletes

Introduction With regard to blood pressure responses to plyometric exercise and decreasing blood pressure after exercise (post-exercise hypotension), the influence of different workloads of plyometric exercise on blood pressure is not clear. Aim The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of a low, moderate and high workload of plyometric exercise on the post-exercise systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR) and rate-pressure product (RPP) responses in athletes. Material and methods Ten male athletes (age: 22.6 ±0.5 years; height: 178.2 ±3.3 cm; and body mass: 75.2 ±2.8 kg) underwent PE protocols involving 5 × 10 reps (Low Workload – LW), 10 × 10 reps (Moderate Workload – MW), and 15 × 10 reps (High Workload – HW) depth jump exercise from a 50-cm box in 3 non-consecutive days. After each exercise session, SBP, DBP and HR were measured every 10 min for a period of 70 min. Results No significant differences were observed among post-exercise SBP and DBP when the protocols (LW, MW and HW) were compared. The MW and HW protocols showed greater increases in HR compared with LW. Also the HW indicated greater increases than LW in RPP at post-exercise (p < 0.05). Conclusions All protocols increased SBP, HR and RPP responses at the 10th and 20th min of post-exercise. With regard to different workloads of plyometric exercise, HW condition indicated greater increases in HR and RPP and strength and conditioning professionals and athletes must keep in their mind that HW of plyometric exercise induces greater cardiovascular responses.
Key Players in Choline Metabolic Reprograming in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), defined as lack of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the absence of protein overexpression/gene amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, is still a clinical challenge despite progress in breast cancer care. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows identification and non-invasive monitoring of TNBC metabolic aberrations and elucidation of some key mechanisms underlying tumor progression. Thus, it has the potential to improve in vivo diagnosis and follow-up and also to identify new targets for treatment. Several studies have shown an altered phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) metabolism in TNBCs, both in patients and in experimental models. Upregulation of choline kinase-alpha, an enzyme of the Kennedy pathway that phosphorylates free choline (Cho) to phosphocholine (PCho), is a major contributor to the increased PCho content detected in TNBCs. Phospholipase-mediated PtdCho headgroup hydrolysis also contributes to the build-up of a PCho pool in TNBC cells. The oncogene-driven PtdCho cycle appears to be fine tuned in TNBC cells in at least three ways: by modulating the choline import, by regulating the activity or expression of specific metabolic enzymes, and by contributing to the rewiring of the entire metabolic network. Thus, only by thoroughly dissecting these mechanisms, it will be possible to effectively translate this basic knowledge into further development and implementation of Cho-based imaging techniques and novel classes of therapeutics.
Evaluation of Intrusion Detection Systems

This paper presents a comprehensive method for evaluating intrusion detection systems (IDSs). It integrates and extends ROC (receiver operating characteristic) and cost analysis methods to provide an expected cost metric. Results are given for determining the optimal operation of an IDS based on this expected cost metric. Results are given for the operation of a single IDS and for a combination of two IDSs. The method is illustrated for: 1) determining the best operating point for a single and double IDS based on the costs of mistakes and the hostility of the operating environment as represented in the prior probability of intrusion and 2) evaluating single and double IDSs on the basis of expected cost. A method is also described for representing a compound IDS as an equivalent single IDS. Results are presented from the point of view of a system administrator, but they apply equally to designers of IDSs.
Physiological Correlates of Emotions

Recent sensor development enables wireless capture of context information, i.e., body and environmental data, in an unobtrusive way. Collected data is provided to mobile systems, which in turn respond intelligently, providing meaningful services to the user. Within the European project e-SENSE, the affective state of the users is one component of context capture. To develop algorithms for emotion inference, an experiment was conducted in which five different emotional states were induced. Heart rate, electrodermal activity, breathing rate, and skin temperature were utilized to measure the respective emotional states. Self-assessment ratings were applied for manipulation check and comparison with the collected physiological data. Results show that at least three of the four measures seem promising for detecting differences in affective states and support a dimensional model of affect.
Automatic induction of inter-domain hierarchy in randomly generated network topologies

There are different types of links between the domains that compose Internet. Relationships introduced by these types impose a hierarchical structure on the global network. This structure may influence the functioning of the different mechanisms used in the network, notably inter-domain routing protocols. In order to validate a new inter-domain protocol it is necessary to have a model of hierarchical networks. To the best of our knowledge, there is no random topology generator which is well adapted to represent the Internet hierarchy. We try to induce this hierarchy into random topologies generated by BRITE. The obtained results show that the hierarchy inducted in topologies generated with the extended model of Barabási and Albert (BA2) is very close to the real one. The implementation of the proposed solution, the SHIIP program, is available on Internet under a public-domain license.
Clock-RSM: Low-Latency Inter-datacenter State Machine Replication Using Loosely Synchronized Physical Clocks

This paper proposes Clock-RSM, a new state machine replication protocol that uses loosely synchronized physical clocks to totally order commands for geo-replicated services. Clock-RSM assumes realistic non-uniform latencies among replicas located at different data centers. It provides low-latency linearizable replication by overlapping 1) logging a command at a majority of replicas, 2) determining the stable order of the command from the farthest replica, and 3) notifying the commit of the command to all replicas. We evaluate Clock-RSM analytically and derive the expected command replication latency. We also evaluate the protocol experimentally using a geo-replicated key-value store deployed across multiple Amazon EC2 data centers.
A Study on Developing Critical Thinking of English Major Students through the Teaching of Comprehensive English

This paper reveals the definition, connotation and significance of critical thinking. It further improves and explores approaches to develop students’ critical thinking capability through Comprehensive English teaching and verifies the validity of those approaches through Comprehensive English class implementation and students’ class presentation. However, it also suggests that developing critical thinking of instructors shall be prioritized before cultivating that of students’, which is worth reflecting in the long run.
Superlinear convergence of an interior-point method for monotone variational inequalities

We describe an infeasible-interior-point algorithm for monotone variational inequality problems and prove that it converges globally and superlinearly under standard conditions plus a constant rank constraint qualification. The latter condition represents a generalization of the two types of assumptions made in existing superlinear analyses; namely, linearity of the constraints and linear independence of the active constraint gradients.
On the Practical Use of LDPC Erasure Codes for Distributed Storage Applications

As peer-to-peer and widely distributed storage systems proliferate, the need to perform efficient erasure coding, instead of replication, is crucial to performance and efficiency. Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes have arisen as alternatives to standard erasure codes, such as Reed-Solomon codes, trading off vastly improved decoding performance for inefficiencies in the amount of data that must be acquired to perform decoding. The scores of papers written on LDPC codes typically analyze their collective and asymptotic behavior. Unfortunately, their practical application requires the generation and analysis of individual codes for finite systems. This paper attempts to illuminate the practical considerations of LDPC codes for peer-to-peer and distributed storage systems. The three main types of LDPC codes are detailed, and a huge variety of codes are generated, then analyzed using simulation. This analysis focuses on the performance of individual codes for finite systems, and addresses several important heretofore unanswered questions about employing LDPC codes in real-world systems. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grants ACI-0204007, ANI-0222945, and EIA-9972889, and the Department of Energy under grant DE-FC0201ER25465.
GSM-Bluetooth based Remote Monitoring and Control System with Automatic Light Controller

In past few years, home automation & remote control and monitoring systems have seen a rapid growth in terms of technology. This paper gives a review of these systems based on existing technologies and also proposes a GSM-Bluetooth based light controller and remote monitoring system. This system has simple features designed with the objective of minimum power consumption using infrared sensor for controlling lights, fans and other appliances which are controlled via SMS using a GSM module. A Bluetooth module is also interfaced with the main microcontroller chip. This Bluetooth module eliminates the usage charges by communicating with the appliances via Bluetooth when the application is in a limited range of few meters. The system informs user about any abnormal conditions like intrusion detection and temperature rise via SMS from the GSM module or by Bluetooth module to the user’s mobile and actions are taken accordingly by the user. General Terms Remote Monitoring and Control Systems
Intensity of human prion disease surveillance predicts observed disease incidence

Background Prospective national screening and surveillance programmes serve a range of public health functions. Objectively determining their adequacy and impact on disease may be problematic for rare disorders. We undertook to assess whether objective measures of disease surveillance intensity could be developed for the rare disorder sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) and whether such measures correlate with disease incidence. Method From 10 countries with national human prion disease surveillance centres, the annual number of suspected prion disease cases notified to each national unit (n=17 610), referrals for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 14-3-3 protein diagnostic testing (n=28 780) and the number of suspect cases undergoing diagnostic neuropathological examination (n=4885) from 1993 to 2006 were collected. Age and survey year adjusted incidence rate ratios with 95% CIs were estimated using Poisson regression models to assess risk factors for sporadic, non-sporadic and all prion disease cases. Results Age and survey year adjusted analysis showed all three surveillance intensity measures (suspected human prion disease notifications, 14-3-3 protein diagnostic test referrals and neuropathological examinations of suspect cases) significantly predicted the incidence of sporadic CJD, non-sporadic CJD and all prion disease. Conclusions Routine national surveillance methods adjusted as population rates allow objective determination of surveillance intensity, which correlates positively with reported incidence for human prion disease, especially sporadic CJD, largely independent of national context. The predictive relationship between surveillance intensity and disease incidence should facilitate more rapid delineation of aberrations in disease occurrence and assessment of the adequacy of disease monitoring by national registries.
PENGARUH SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING BERBASIS TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI TERHADAP KETERAMPILAN BERPIKIR KRITIS DAN KEMANDIRIAN BELAJAR SISWA KELAS XI IPA DI SMA NEGERI 1 PALU

The research about application of self-directed learning (SDL) base on information technology in chemistry learning has been done at grade XI IPA SMA Negeri 1 Palu. The aimed of this study was to determined influence of SDL toward critical thinking skill and student’s learning autonomy. The sample of this research were class XI IPA 7 as experiment group and class XI IPA 5 as control gruop which determined by purposive sampling technique. This research employed the quasi experimental method and nonrandomized control group pretest-posttest design. The technique of analysis data was used descriptive and inferensial analysis (t-test). The result of this research showed N-gain of critical thinking skill with SDL base on TI was 0,88 whereas student with teacher centered was 0,83. The result of analysis showed that student’s critical thinking skill with SDL base on TI is better than students with teacher centered learning. Student’s learning autonomy with SDL base on TI iz better than students with teacher centered learning. The conclusion of this research is learning with SDL base on TI influential to learning autonomy and critical thiking skill students.
WIDE Workflow Model and Architecture

Workflow management is emerging as a challenging area for databases, stressing database technology beyond its current capabilities. Workflow management systems need to be more integrated with data management technology, in particular as it concerns the access to external databases and as a support technology for workflow management, to support intelligent exception handling and transaction management. Thus, a convergence between workflow management and databases is occurring. In order to make such convergence effective, however, it is required to improve and strengthen the specification of workflows at the conceptual level, by formalizing within a unique model their "internal behavior'' (e.g., interaction and cooperation between tasks), their relationship to the environment (e.g., assignment of work task to agents) and the access to external databases. In the WIDE (Workflow on Intelligent and Distributed database Environment) project , a rich conceptual model is proposed, including an organizational model as a basis for task assignment proposed for the project, advanced functionalities for exception handling, the concepts of multitask and supertasks for workflow modularization, and integrated extended transactional semantics. 1 WIDE is an ESPRIT Project of the European Commission (Project N. 20280). Partners in WIDE are: Sema Group sae Spain, Politecnico di Milano, University of Twente, Hospital General de Manresa, ING Bank.
GLUTAMATERGIC CIRCUITS IN THE SONG SYSTEM OF ZEBRA FINCH BRAIN DETERMINED BY GENE EXPRESSION OF VGLUT2 AND GLUTAMATE RECEPTORS

The songbird brain has a system of interconnected nuclei that are specialized for singing and song learning. Electrophysiological findings indicate a role for the glutamatergic neurons in the song system. Vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGluT2) is considered to be a specific biomarker of glutamatergic neurons in birds. Neurons receiving glutamatergic afferents express mRNA of ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits. This study examined expression of vGluT2 and glutamate receptor subunit mRNAs in nuclei of the song pathways of male zebra finch brain by in situ hybridization. VGluT2 mRNA was revealed high density of expression in the song nuclei, namely HVC, lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium, and robust nucleus of the arcopallium. Area X did not show expression of vGluT2 mRNA. Nuclei in the descending motor pathway (dorsomedial nucleus of the intercollicular complex and retroambigual nucleus) were expressed vGluT2 mRNA. Target nuclei of vGluT2 mRNA-expressing nuclei showed hybridization signals for mRNAs of ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits. At least one of five subunit mRNAs (GluA1, GluA4, GluK1, GluN1, GluN2A) was expressed in song nuclei. The present findings support the existence of glutamatergic circuits in the song system in songbirds. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/ralf.v1i1. 22356 Res. Agric. , Livest. Fish. 1 (1): 61-70, Dec 2014
Implementation of an Automated Text Segmentation System Using Hearst's Texttiling Algorithm

This paper describes the implementation of a text segmentation system based on Hearst’s TextTiling algorithm. Hearst is a pioneer in the field of text segmentation, and her algorithm has already been shown to provide good results. The algorithm uses lexical frequency and distribution information to recognize the level of cohesion between blocks of text, and then uses these cohesion estimates to judge which sections are likely to be different topics. INTRODUCTION Most of the texts one comes across are composed of a number of topics, perhaps varying in their relevance to one another and their scope. A system that could automatically detect these subtopics would certainly be useful, allowing the reader to quickly skip to the topics most relevant to her purpose. The segmentation might also aid in tasks of information extraction and summarization, since it provides structural semantic information about the document. The ability to identify the various subtopics could let one quickly build outlines of the essential points. More recently, the web’s proliferation has led to an overwhelming increase in readily available information, but finding the information one needs can be a difficult task. Search engines and directories provide a means of classifying and organizing this information on a multi-document level, but there is still a need for a system that can provide organization within long, information rich documents. A good segmentation system, perhaps combined with summarization and information extraction technologies, could fill this niche quite nicely. Thus, any highly accurate segmentation system would certainly be useful in these times of overly abundant, undocumented data. The system described in this paper is currently not up to this daunting task, but it is an interesting experiment in building a system that automatically locates topic boundaries. This paper will review the algorithm