Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Trust-Driven Recommendation System for E-commerce Networks

In traditional recommendation systems, the challenging issues in adopting similarity-based approaches are sparsity, cold-start users and trustworthiness. We present a new paradigm of recommendation system which can utilize information from social networks including user preferences, item`s general acceptance, and influence from friends. A probabilistic model, particularly for e-commerce networks, is developed in this paper to make personalized recommendations from such information. Our analysis reveals that similar friends have a tendency to select the same items and give similar ratings. We propose a trust-driven recommendation method known as HybridTrustWalker. First, a matrix factorization method is utilized to assess the degree of trust between users. Next, an extended random walk algorithm is proposed to obtain recommendation results. Experimental results show that our proposed system improves the prediction accuracy of recommendation systems, remedying the issues inherent in collaborative filtering to lower the user`s search effort by listing items of highest utility.
1 3 D creativity for the Web

Autostereograms on the Web make a very appealing combination: • The World Wide Web brings together art, science and technology, both in the medium and in its content. Autostereograms, likewise: based in science, they are art made possible by computer graphics technology. • The Web is extremely accessible: it makes multimedia available to more people than any other computer-based medium. Autostereograms, similarly, are easily viewed without any special equipment and give true stereoscopic 3D effects. This paper discusses stereoscopic 3D effects, and how drawing autostereograms lends itself to the networking constraints and page layout freedom characteristic of the Web. There are wonderful opportunities for making science and art interesting and accessible to wide audiences.
QoS-Based Power-Efficient Resource Management for LTE-A Networks with Relay Nodes

This paper investigates the resource management problem in the relay-enhanced long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) systems. The challenges of this resource allocation problem arise from the complication of assigning transmission links to the multicast broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe within the numerous physical resource block (PRB) pair. Existing research work does not fully consider all the influential factors to achieve power efficiency for the LTE-A networks. In this paper, a power-efficient QoS-based resource management (PERM) scheme is proposed to allocate MBSFN subframes, PRB pairs, and transmission power. The proposed PERM scheme is targeting at power efficiency with the consideration of both QoS requirements of user equipment (UE) and direct/two-hop communications. Moreover, the heuristic PERM (H-PERM) scheme is designed to provide efficient resource allocation for the LTE-A systems compared to the original PERM scheme. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes can provide power efficiency with consideration of UE’s QoS requirements for the LTE-A systems.
An Evaluation of International Asset Pricing Models

This Paper assesses the ability of international asset pricing models to explain the cross-sectional variation in expected returns. All the models considered seem to capture national market returns fairly well. Global portfolios sorted on earnings-price ratio and market value, however, pose a special challenge. We find that an unconditional inter national CAPM cannot explain the cross-sectional variation in these portfolio returns. Interestingly, a conditional international asset-pricing model that includes foreign exchange risk factors is able to explain a large part of the variation in average returns. Our empirical work suggests that this model has the same explanatory ability as an inter national three-factor model, where zero-cost portfolios based on earnings-price ratios and market values are used in addition to the world market portfolio. Importantly, the loadings associated with the zero-cost portfolios are driven out by the characteristics themselves, indicating a misspecification.
A Frequency Domain Analysis Based Gait Feature Representation

A method for representing gait feature based on frequency domain analysis is proposed. For a gait represented by a sequence of binarized silhouettes, its frequency domain feature is extracted following period detection, contour extraction and unwrapping, distance normalization, 2D Fourier transform, feature frequencies computation and some other procedures. Nearest neighbor classifier is used to test its usefulness for gait recognition purpose, and experiment result, compared with previously conducted research, shows that the proposed gait feature representation is soundly effective. Keywords-gait recogniton; biometrics recognition; nearset neighbor classifier
Wyner-Ziv Coding with Temporal and Spatial Correlations for Motion Video

Distributed video coding (DVC), now has become one of the fastest evolving coding techniques in the current signal processing world. It has its remarkable low complex yet powerful encoder which is essential for some applications in the consumer market. In this paper we propose a novel Wyner-Ziv architecture that splits a frame in to two sub frames and leave one as a key sub frame while encoding the other as a WZ sub frame. The split key sub frame is encoded using a conventional coding scheme as in the other DVC techniques. At the decoder end the sub key frame is used to exploit the spatial and temporal correlations using an intra prediction technique and temporal motion search in order to generate the side information for the corresponding WZ sub frame. Simulation results show that over 1 dB PSNR gain can be obtained with the proposed algorithm over the results of the algorithm presented in the literature at the same bit rate
A Decision-making Specification Language for Verifiable User-interface Adaptation Logic

In automatic user interface adaptation, developers pursue the delivery of best-fit user interfaces according to the runtime-supplied profiles of individual end users and usage contexts. Software engineering of automatic interface adaptability entails: (a) storage and processing of user and usage-context profiles; (b) design and implementation of alternative interface components, to optimally support the various user activities and interface operations for different users and usage contexts; and (c) runtime decision-making, to choose on the fly the most appropriate alternative interface components, given the particular user and context profile. In automatic interface adaptation, the decision making process plays a key role in optimal on-the-fly interface assembly, engaging consolidated design wisdom in a computable form. A verifiable language has been designed and implemented which is particularly suited for the specification of adaptation-oriented decision-making logic, while also being easily deployable and usable by interface designers. This paper presents the language, its contextual role in adapted interface delivery and the automatic verification method. The employment of the language in an adaptation-design support tool is discussed, the latter automatically generating language rules by relying upon adaptation rule patterns. Finally, the deployment methodology of the language in supporting dynamic interface assembly is discussed, further generalizing towards dynamic software assembly, by introducing architectural contexts and polymorphic architectural containment.
Economics and Autism : Why the drive towards closed systems ?

In recent years many theorists within the field of critical realism have highlighted the drive within modern mainstream economics towards mathematical modelling (Lawson 1997; Fleetwood 1999). Simultaneously, a group of French economics students have criticised the discipline, describing it as autistic and calling for a return to reality (Devine 2002). More recently, a theory has been advanced drawing in part on the work of critical realism to provide a psychological explanation of autism spectrum conditions on the cognitive level (Lawson 2003). This paper provides an overview of this most recent theory and draws on it to offer an explanation as to why there is a drive towards closed system methodology (in the form of mathematisation) in mainstream economics. The drive is argued to result from a male tendency towards closed system thinking and evidenced by research into autism spectrum conditions.
Analog baseband beamformer for use in a phased-array 60 GHz transmitter

This paper presents an analog baseband section that implements the beamforming functionality of a 40 nm digital low-power (LP) CMOS 60 GHz transmitter. An input 1dB compression point larger than 240 mVpeak over the whole band is obtained, in a circuit operating with a 1.1 V supply. The targeted phase shift resolution of 22.5 degrees is obtained. Fully automatic, digitally assisted DC offset compensation is also present on-chip. The current consumption is 70 mA.
The EcoCyc database: reflecting new knowledge about Escherichia coli K-12

EcoCyc (EcoCyc.org) is a freely accessible, comprehensive database that collects and summarizes experimental data for Escherichia coli K-12, the best-studied bacterial model organism. New experimental discoveries about gene products, their function and regulation, new metabolic pathways, enzymes and cofactors are regularly added to EcoCyc. New SmartTable tools allow users to browse collections of related EcoCyc content. SmartTables can also serve as repositories for user- or curator-generated lists. EcoCyc now supports running and modifying E. coli metabolic models directly on the EcoCyc website.
GRASPs in Golgi Structure and Function

The Golgi apparatus is a central intracellular membrane organelle for trafficking and modification of proteins and lipids. Its basic structure is a stack of tightly aligned flat cisternae. In mammalian cells, dozens of stacks are concentrated in the pericentriolar region and laterally connected to form a ribbon. Despite extensive research in the last decades, how this unique structure is formed and why its formation is important for proper Golgi functioning remain largely unknown. The Golgi ReAssembly Stacking Proteins, GRASP65, and GRASP55, are so far the only proteins shown to function in Golgi stacking. They are peripheral membrane proteins on the cytoplasmic face of the Golgi cisternae that form trans-oligomers through their N-terminal GRASP domain, and thereby function as the “glue” to stick adjacent cisternae together into a stack and to link Golgi stacks into a ribbon. Depletion of GRASPs in cells disrupts the Golgi structure and results in accelerated protein trafficking and defective glycosylation. In this minireview we summarize our current knowledge on how GRASPs function in Golgi structure formation and discuss why Golgi structure formation is important for its function.
Simulations of the Age-threshold and Fitness Free Space Collection Algorithms on a Long Trace

The purpose of this paper is to report results of simulations of two algorithms for free space collection in log-structured storage systems. The algorithms considered are the age-threshold algorithm of Menon and Stockmeyer and the tness algorithm of Butterworth. The simulations were done using a trace collected by Ruemmler and Wilkes from a le system over a period of two months. The performance of an algorithm is measured by the amount of disk I/O done as a result of free space collection. The performance of the algorithms and several variations of them are compared.
The use of computer vision technologies to augment human monitoring of secure computing facilities

Humans are poorly equipped to perform repetitive tasks without adversely affecting the efficiency with which they are performing the task. Assets within a secure environment are usually protected with various controls that are enforced by users who follow operational controls associated to those assets. The current approach to security monitoring by means of video cameras are performed by a person physically needing to concentrate on multiple video feeds. This method relies on the constant vigilance of the operator and the consequence of loss of vigilance can range from minor theft of assets to missing a bomb placed within an airport. This paper will approach security monitoring using Computer Vision augmented with Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF) as the catalyst to provide event-driven object detection to assist in securing an environment. A scenario of a secure computer environment will be used to demonstrate the problems with current approaches and present an alternative to human monitoring using Computer Vision. The paper demonstrates that some of the physical aspects of information security can be improved through the use of SURF algorithms.
A Collaborative Effort to Address Adolescent Obesity in Primary Care

Adolescent obesity is a growing national healthcare concern. Barriers to effective treatment, such as limited time for office visits and limited reimbursement for obesity counseling, leave both patient and practitioner feeling frustrated and unsupported. This article will discuss the adolescent weight management program, Triple E: Eat, Exercise, and Enjoy. This program was created in collaboration with a pediatric primary care practice, a local university, an affiliated pediatric practice within the health system, the local middle school, and the community. Triple E was developed, with minimal funding, to combat the adolescent obesity epidemic occurring in a primary care practice.
A Long-term Wearable Vital Signs Monitoring System using BSN

Wearable medical devices provide great convenience to the elderly for the monitoring of vital signs at home. This paper describes a novel long-term wearable vital signs monitoring system which can real-time measure physiological signs such as ECG, SpO2 (saturation of arterial oxygen) and systolic blood pressure. The proposed device is easy to wear, convenient to use and has almost no impact on the quality of life. A miniaturized PCB integrated with the ECG analog front-end and SpO2 LED drive circuit is attached onto the BSN node. By simply wearing the chest band embedded with ECG micromachined electrodes and the ear-probe which incorporates LEDs and photodetector, the measured physiological signals can be wirelessly transmitted to a hand-held device, such as PDA phone, where the heart beat rate, SpO2 and systolic blood pressure are calculated and displayed.
Retrospective Analysis of Serotype Switching of Vibrio cholerae O1 in a Cholera Endemic Region Shows It Is a Non-random Process

Genomic data generated from clinical Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates collected over a five year period in an area of Kolkata, India with seasonal cholera outbreaks allowed a detailed genetic analysis of serotype switching that occurred from Ogawa to Inaba and back to Ogawa. The change from Ogawa to Inaba resulted from mutational disruption of the methyltransferase encoded by the wbeT gene. Re-emergence of the Ogawa serotype was found to result either from expansion of an already existing Ogawa clade or reversion of the mutation in an Inaba clade. Our data suggests that such transitions are not random events but rather driven by as yet unidentified selection mechanisms based on differences in the structure of the O1 antigen or in the serotype-determining wbeT gene.
Mobile Anchor Assisted Error Bounded Sensing in Sensor Networks: An Implementation Perspective

Energy constraint is a critical hurdle hindering the practical deployment of long-term wireless sensor network applications. Turning off (that is, duty cycling) sensors could reduce energy consumption, however, this would occur at the cost of low sensing fidelity due to sensing gaps introduced. Existing techniques focus mainly on scheduling a network with static anchors. Few methods provides a rigorous approach to confining sensing errors within desirable bounds while seeking to optimize the tradeoff between energy consumption and accuracy of predictions. In this work, we propose a sensing scheduling scheme, called MAS, to support mobile anchors in sensor networks. Within a node, we use a sensing probability bound to control tolerable sensing errors. While communicating with the mobile anchor, nodes trigger additional sensing activities to accommodate the QoS requirement in mobile communication. We validated the concept by constructing a lab-grade mobile anchor that fully supports 4G-LTE communications for monitoring applications. We further conducted simulations to investigate system performance. The simulation results demonstrated that the MAS achieved enhancement performance compared to several other sensing schemes.
Inflammation Regulates TMPRSS6 Expression via STAT5

TMPRSS6 is a regulated gene, with a crucial role in the regulation of iron homeostasis by inhibiting hepcidin expression. The main regulator of iron homeostasis, the antimicrobial peptide hepcidin, which also has a role in immunity, is directly upregulated by inflammation. In this study, we analyzed whether inflammation is also a modulator of TMPRSS6 expression in vitro and in vivo and we determined the mechanism of this regulation A Human Hepatoma cell line was treated with interleukin-6 and mice were injected with lipopolysaccharide and TMPRSS6 expression and the regulatory mechanism were addressed. In this study, we demonstrate that inflammation downregulates TMPRSS6 expression in vitro and in vivo. The downregulation of Tmprss6 by inflammation in mice is not dependent on the Bmp-Smad pathway but occurs through a decrease in Stat5 phosphorylation. Moreover, Stat5 positively regulates Tmprss6 expression directly by binding to a Stat5 element located on the Tmprss6 promoter. Importantly, our results highlight the functional role of inflammatory modulation of TMPRSS6 expression in the regulation of hepcidin. TMPRSS6 inhibition via decreased STAT5 phosphorylation may be an additional mechanism by which inflammation stimulates hepcidin expression to regulate iron homeostasis and immunity.
Clinical study of Cone Beam CT imaging and 3D reconstruction aided detection accuracy of impacted tooth

The objective is to explore the efficiency and accuracy of the KODAK 9000C Dental Cone Beam CT imaging and 3D reconstruction to detect the impacted tooth and help decide the orthodontic-surgical treatment. 30 patients who were diagnosed to suffer an impacted tooth were selected to have a Cone Beam CT scan. After scanning, we used the technique of image processing and sharpening to make a clear three-dimensional reconstruction model of the impacted tooth. The three-dimensional reconstruction model had collected these medical information including site, extent, shape, and other characteristic features of the impacted tooth. Then we applied the processing technique which could adjust the color of the impacted tooth and the surrounding bone tissue so as to separate them, as the result, we could get a 3D reconstructed visualization image of the impacted tooth. A clinician could study the precise radiographic information about the segmented impacted tooth which helped to decide the orthodontics treatment to pull the impacted tooth back to its anatomical position. All the patients had accepted the orthodontics treatment aided by processed Cone Beam CT 3D reconstruction image and received a satisfying treatment outcome. It was concluded that the digital image processing technique could separate out the impacted tooth successfully and provide the accurate radiographic information to help the clinician decide an optimal orthodontics treatment plan.
A Simple Sensitive Method for Measuring Borderline Mental Fatigue.

Mental fatigue [MF] is a critical condition that can accompany cognitive dysfunction. Various surveys have been used to determine the MF state. However, differences in participants' perception levels' can decrease' survey specificity, which therefore should be supported using objective methods. This study describes a new and simple MF scale based on evaluating results from the Piper Fatigue Scale [PFS], together with the results for reaction times. In the study, 29 healthy, right-handed, male, medical student volunteers were included. Attending a theoretical class for 4 hours was used as the MF model. PFS was applied before and after the MF model to determine their levels of vulnerability to fatigue and perception of fatigue qualitatively. The finger tapping test [FTT] and simple and complex visual reaction time [VRT] tests were used to determine physical fatigue and MF quantitatively. There were no significant differences between pre- and post-fatigue PFS scores or FTT and simple VRT results [p=0.531, p=0.160, p=0.065, respectively]. However, the complex Original Article VRT was significantly longer after the MF model [p<0.05]. This study showed that borderline MF, which cannot be determined by the PFS alone, might be accomplished when tested with the complex VRT test that keeps participants in a vigilant state.
T-SNIPER: Trust-Aware Sensor Network Information Protocol for Efficient Routing

This paper presents a new framework called t-SNIPER for sensor node clustering and routing that is based on socio-economic banking model. Unlike other routing protocols, this particular model does not guarantee data transfer and instead focuses more on determining the best route for the transfer to occur. The communication protocol also employs a trust framework to ensure integrity among the nodes. T-SNIPER draws on the features demonstrated in LEACH and HEED, and is assessed against these models to prove some of the benefits of this model using a WSN simulator (WSNSim). The results presented in this paper show how the proposed model can improve network lifetime and also discusses some of the main trade-offs and assumptions.
A Chimeric A2 Strain of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) with the Fusion Protein of RSV Strain Line 19 Exhibits Enhanced Viral Load, Mucus, and Airway Dysfunction

ABSTRACT Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of respiratory failure and viral death in infants. Abundant airway mucus contributes to airway obstruction in RSV disease. Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is a mediator of pulmonary mucus secretion. It has been shown that infection of BALB/c mice with the RSV line 19 strain but not with the RSV A2 laboratory strain results in lung IL-13 and mucus expression. Here, we sequenced the RSV line 19 genome and compared it to the commonly used A2 and Long strains. There were six amino acid differences between the line 19 strain and both the A2 and Long RSV strains, five of which are in the fusion (F) protein. The Long strain, like the A2 strain, did not induce lung IL-13 and mucus expression in BALB/c mice. We hypothesized that the F protein of RSV line 19 is more mucogenic than the F proteins of A2 and Long. We generated recombinant, F-chimeric RSVs by replacing the F gene of A2 with the F gene of either line 19 or Long. Infection of BALB/c mice with RSV rA2 line 19F resulted in lower alpha interferon lung levels 24 h postinfection, higher lung viral load, higher lung IL-13 levels, greater airway mucin expression levels, and greater airway hyperresponsiveness than infection with rA2-A2F or rA2-LongF. We identified the F protein of RSV line 19 as a factor that plays a role in pulmonary mucin expression in the setting of RSV infection.