Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Getting there: six meta-principles and interaction design

Principled knowledge is a mark of any established disciplinary practice. Its derivation and validation of varies across disciplines, but HCI has tended towards posthoc ('a posteriori') syntheses. We present an alternative a priori approach that is relatively compact and open to inspection. We use John Heskett's position on the origins of design outcomes to derive six metaprinciples for all design processes: receptiveness, expressivity, committedness, credibility, inclusiveness and improvability. Although very abstract, these meta-principles generate critical insights into existing HCI approaches, identifying gaps in suitability and coverage. Practical value is increased by progressive instantiation of meta-principles to create first craft-specific, and ultimately project-specific, Interaction Design principles. A worth-centred approach is adopted to illustrate progressive instantiation towards a framework of adapted and novel HCI approaches. The internal coherence of the six metaprinciples is shown to provide direct effective support for synergistic progressive instantiation.
Human oligodendrocytes from embryonic stem cells: conserved SHH signaling networks and divergent FGF effects

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) offer a platform to bridge what we have learned from animal studies to human biology. Using oligodendrocyte differentiation as a model system, we show that sonic hedgehog (SHH)-dependent sequential activation of the transcription factors OLIG2, NKX2.2 and SOX10 is required for sequential specification of ventral spinal OLIG2-expressing progenitors, pre-oligodendrocyte precursor cells (pre-OPCs) and OPCs from hESC-derived neuroepithelia, indicating that a conserved transcriptional network underlies OPC specification in human as in other vertebrates. However, the transition from pre-OPCs to OPCs is protracted. FGF2, which promotes mouse OPC generation, inhibits the transition of pre-OPCs to OPCs by repressing SHH-dependent co-expression of OLIG2 and NKX2.2. Thus, despite the conservation of a similar transcriptional network across vertebrates, human stem/progenitor cells may respond differently to those of other vertebrates to certain extrinsic factors.
Molecular detection of parasitic protozoa

The development of molecular diagnostic methods, particularly those utilizing PCR for the detection of parasitic protozoa will contribute greatly to the identification and control of these pathogens, by increasing speed of diagnosis, specificity and sensitivity, reproducibility and ease of interpretation. PCR methods are not without their problems however, and there is a need for laboratory procedures to be refined before PCR-based assays are accepted as the tools of choice for the routine detection of protozoan parasites. The application of PCR detection to various parasites is discussed.
Exploring Notice and Choice: Design Guidelines for a User-Centered Permission Model for Personalized Services

When users install an application on their mobile Android device, they must decide whether to grant the application access to privacy-sensitive information. Building upon recent research on the limitations of the current installation dialog, we investigate a new permission model better aligned with users’ current understanding of data collection and privacy concerns. Using three mobile applications that offer highly personalized services, we conduct a series of online surveys (n = 1,316) varying the information disclosed in the installation screen and exploring the option to limit data collection. First, we identify two factors that significantly affect users’ willingness to install applications—the frequency of data collection and the third party sharing policy—and find that in the absence of such information, as in the case of existing dialogs, many survey respondents incorrectly assume that an application’s capabilities are more restricted than they actually are. Second, we find that offering a third option beyond existing all-or-nothing choice affects users’ willingness to install applications. We further analyze how our participants would like to limit data collection, and compile a set of suggestions for the design of a permission model that can provide better privacy notice and meaningful controls to users.
A survey of service oriented architecture systems testing

Service oriented architecture (SOA) is one of the latest software architectures. This architecture is created in direction of the business requirements and removed the gap between softwares and businesses. The software testing is the rising cost of activities in development software. SOA has different specifications and features proportion of the other software architectures. First this paper reviews SOA testing challenges and existing solution(s) for those challenges. Then that reports a survey of recent research to SOA systems testing, that covers both functional and non -functional testing. Those are presented for different levels of functional testing, including unit, integration, and regression testing.
Antifungal effects of actinomycin D on Verticillium dahliae via a membrane-splitting mechanism

Abstract Antifungal bioassays led to the isolation of actinomycins D and A1 from Streptomyces luteus TRM45540 collected from Norpo in Xinjiang, and these compounds were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The antifungal activity of actinomycin D was higher than that of actinomycin A1. Actinomycin D clearly inhibited the spore germination, hyphal growth and biomass accumulation of Verticillium dahliae in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis with propidium iodide, total ergosterol measurement, cell leakage and scanning electron microscopy experiments demonstrated that the plasma membrane of this fungus was damaged by actinomycin D, resulting in swollen cells and cellular content leakage. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that parts of the plasma membrane infolded after being treated with actinomycin D. The antifungal activity of actinomycin D damaged the fungal plasma membrane of V. dahliae via a membrane-splitting mechanism, which provided new insights into the functional mechanism of actinomycin D.
ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1 Gene I823M Polymorphism Affects Plasma High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Level and Modifies the Effect of Low High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol on the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease

Background: TheI823M polymorphism of the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) gene has been reported to affect plasmahigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level. Information about its relationship to coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited. Methods and Results: We included 205 patients with angiographically documented CAD and 201 controls from the general population. We found thatI823M polymorphism was a significant source of variation of HDL-C (p = 0.024 after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking and alcohol drinking). Subjects with M823/M823 homozygotes (n = 103) had a higher HDL-C than those with I823/I823 or I823/M823 genotype (n = 98) (50.5 ± 9.7 vs. 47.6 ± 10.1 mg/dl, p = 0.039). I823M polymorphism was not a predictor of CAD in multivariate analysis (adjusted odds ratio = 1.5 [0.9–2.5], p = 0.145). However, it interacted with low HDL-C level to increase the risk of CAD. The odds ratio of CAD with M823 homozygosity was 5.3 (2.0–20.0) in patients with HDL-C ≤35 mg/dl, but was only 1.0 (0.5–2.0) in those with HDL >40 mg/dl (p = 0.039 for interaction). Conclusions: M823 variant of the ABCA1 gene was associated with a higher HDL-C. Furthermore, I823M polymorphism interacted with low-HDL-C on the risk of CAD. It served as a marker to identify high-risk patients for CAD in subjects with low-HDL-C.
Crab mating optimization algorithm

In this paper we propose a new nature inspired algorithm for solving optimization problems: the Crab Mating Optimization Algorithm. The algorithm proposed is inspired from the breeding behavior of crabs in nature. We followed two main steps when developing the Crab mating optimization algorithm: (i) analyzing the breeding behavior of crabs in nature, and modeling the identified concepts and processes to fit to the optimization problem; (ii) elaborating a Crab Mating Optimization Algorithm for solving optimization problems, based on the above. The new algorithm was tested on the domain of Web service composition. The experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm is able to provide good fitness values in a short execution time.
Genomic Ancestry of North Africans Supports Back-to-Africa Migrations

North African populations are distinct from sub-Saharan Africans based on cultural, linguistic, and phenotypic attributes; however, the time and the extent of genetic divergence between populations north and south of the Sahara remain poorly understood. Here, we interrogate the multilayered history of North Africa by characterizing the effect of hypothesized migrations from the Near East, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa on current genetic diversity. We present dense, genome-wide SNP genotyping array data (730,000 sites) from seven North African populations, spanning from Egypt to Morocco, and one Spanish population. We identify a gradient of likely autochthonous Maghrebi ancestry that increases from east to west across northern Africa; this ancestry is likely derived from “back-to-Africa” gene flow more than 12,000 years ago (ya), prior to the Holocene. The indigenous North African ancestry is more frequent in populations with historical Berber ethnicity. In most North African populations we also see substantial shared ancestry with the Near East, and to a lesser extent sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. To estimate the time of migration from sub-Saharan populations into North Africa, we implement a maximum likelihood dating method based on the distribution of migrant tracts. In order to first identify migrant tracts, we assign local ancestry to haplotypes using a novel, principal component-based analysis of three ancestral populations. We estimate that a migration of western African origin into Morocco began about 40 generations ago (approximately 1,200 ya); a migration of individuals with Nilotic ancestry into Egypt occurred about 25 generations ago (approximately 750 ya). Our genomic data reveal an extraordinarily complex history of migrations, involving at least five ancestral populations, into North Africa.
Promoting multiword expressions in A* TAG parsing

Multiword expressions (MWEs) are pervasive in natural languages and often have both idiomatic and compositional readings, which leads to high syntactic ambiguity. We show that for some MWE types idiomatic readings are usually the correct ones. We propose a heuristic for an A* parser for Tree Adjoining Grammars which benefits from this knowledge by promoting MWE-oriented analyses. This strategy leads to a substantial reduction in the parsing search space in case of true positive MWE occurrences, while avoiding parsing failures in case of false positives.
An introduction to a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine

Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine technology is relatively new and has not matured sufficiently to be commercialised compared with conventional engines. It can use spark ignition or compression ignition engine configurations, capitalizing on the advantages of both: high engine efficiency with low emissions levels. HCCI engines can use a wide range of fuels with low emissions levels. Due to these advantages, HCCI engines are suitable for use in a hybrid engine configuration, where they can reduce the fuel consumption even further. However, HCCI engines have some disadvantages, such as knocking and a low to medium operating load range, which need to be resolved before the engine can be commercialised. Therefore, a comprehensive study has to be performed to understand the behaviour of HCCI engines.
Development of Shape Based Leaf Categorization

Leaves can be categorized based on various physical attributes but the most popular attribute is shape. For example, we can use "shape" as a criterion to differentiate between a mango leaf and a banana leaf. Ideally this criterion can be of immense help to the user of an image database that stores, for instance, the images of different kinds of leaves. The user would often wish to retrieve images of leaf similar to the one he/she has or categorize the leaf according to its kind. This retrieval is mostly based upon the shape of the image. We investigate shape analysis methods for retrieving images and we develop an approach for doing so. In our approach we first find out the corners of the leaf by "Harris corner detection" and then determine the convex hull by joining these "corner points". The leaves are then distinguished by finding the difference between their internal angles at each control point. The same criterion is then used to retrieve images of leaves from a plant database that are identical to the one in the input image. Index Terms:Shape based leaf categorization, corner detection,convex hull detection,internal angle differences.
Tone and Non-tone Languages: An Alternative to Language Typology and Parameters *

Linguists often classify languages into various types. In generative phonology, language typology is usually translated into parameters, such as the parameter for trochaic vs. iambic feet, or the parameter for syllable counting vs. mora counting. Focusing on the typology of tone and non-tone languages, I argue that the typological or parametric approach has four problems. First, it does not offer a clear-cut classification. Second, it does not capture similarities between different language types. Third, it does not capture differences within a given language type. Fourth, it does not offer a good guide for research. As an alternative, I offer a theory in which there is no typology or parameters. Instead, languages differ in their selection of various phonological inventories (vowel inventory, consonant inventory, tonal inventory, etc.). Each inventory selection has a specific set of properties, and the interactions among various inventory selections give the overall properties of a given language. The present theory is simpler, offers a better guide for research, and offers a better understanding of language differences and language universals.
The Evolving Landscape of Healthcare-Associated Infections: Recent Advances in Prevention and a Road Map for Research

This white paper identifies knowledge gaps and new challenges in healthcare epidemiology research, assesses the progress made toward addressing research priorities, provides the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Committee's recommendations for high-priority research topics, and proposes a road map for making progress toward these goals. It updates the 2010 SHEA Research Committee document, “Charting the Course for the Future of Science in Healthcare Epidemiology: Results of a Survey of the Membership of SHEA,” which called for a national approach to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and a prioritized research agenda. This paper highlights recent studies that have advanced our understanding of HAIs, the establishment of the SHEA Research Network as a collaborative infrastructure to address research questions, prevention initiatives at state and national levels, changes in reporting and payment requirements, and new patterns in antimicrobial resistance.
The relationship between phenolic, tannin and flavonoid content with the antioxidant activity of Pereskia bleo (Kunth)

Phenolic, flavonoid and tannin content of dried Pereskia bleo were investigated using the well established method via UV-Vis Spectrometry. Pereskia bleo has phenolic content the highest followed by flavonoid and tannin content. A study of antioxidant activities of dried sample of Pereskia bleo was carried out by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The plant shows moderate antioxidant activity. Pereskia's leaves from ethyl acetate extract showed the highest antioxidant activity (66.32%) followed by Pereskia's leaves from methanol extract (61.76%). The total phenolic content showed a good correlation with antioxidant activity but not the total flavonoid and tannin content.
Prone Position Endoscopic Transthoracic Release With Simultaneous Posterior Instrumentation for Spinal Deformity: A Description of the Technique

Study Design. A prospective series of 15 consecutive adult patients with spinal deformity who underwent endoscopic transthoracic release with simultaneous posterior instrumentation while positioned prone. Objectives. To describe the technique and clinical results of endoscopic transthoracic release performed with the patient prone (as opposed to lateral) on the concave side for scoliosis or on either side for kyphosis, with simultaneous posterior exposure, instrumentation, and correction of the deformity. Summary of Background Data. Use of endoscopic surgical techniques is rapidly advancing across all subspecialties. These techniques can be used to expose and operate on the spine in a less invasive fashion, thus avoiding damage to other tissues and facilitating earlier mobilization and rehabilitation. Current endoscopic techniques with the patient in the lateral decubitus position mimic open thoracotomy. A new technique is described with the patient positioned prone, which allows simultaneous posterior exposure. Methods. Preoperative Cobb angle or thoracic kyphosis angle, maximal correction bending films, and postoperative Cobb angle or kyphosis angle were measured and compared. All perioperative morbidity, intraoperative complications, and surgical variables were prospectively documented and analyzed. Results. There were no intraoperative technical problems with the endoscopic equipment or instruments and no immediate, 6-month, or 2-year postoperative complications related to the endoscopic component of the procedure. In the scoliosis patients, the average correction was 60%. In the kyphosis patients, the average correction was 39%. Conclusions. Transthoracic endoscopic techniques, compared with thoracotomy, offer a less invasive method of accessing the anterior spinal column, with the benefits of an excellent view of the area of the spine being instrumented, minimal soft tissue disruption, and an improved cosmetic result. With the simultaneous technique, staged or subsequent procedures can be eliminated, and a circumferential structural release as well as control of the mobilized spine can be achieved. This simultaneous technique can be extended for use in correction of a variety of thoracic spinal pathologies.
A case of intractable methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus sepsis after an operation for tetralogy of Fallot that was successfully resolved by combined treatment with vancomycin and urokinase

Correspondence: Kumiko Masuya, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750 – 1 Mikicho, Kitagun, Kagawa 761 – 0793, Japan. Email: masuya@kms.ac. jp Received 26 May 2004; accepted 9 February 2005. It had been thought until the appearance of methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) 10 years ago that all infections by pathogenic bacteria were curable by treatment with antimicrobial drugs. Even in cases in which MRSA is susceptive to vancomycin (VCM), treatment of MRSA infection with antimicrobial agents is diffi cult because MRSA has the biological property of forming a biofi lm. A biofi lm is composed of a bacterial lump surrounded by fi brin and provides an environment for the survival of bacteria. Combined treatment with urokinase and an antimicrobial agent has been shown to be effective for treating intractable catheter sepsis. However, there is still no effective treatment for intractable sepsis caused by a biofi lm adhering to an artifi cial blood vessel. In this report, the effectiveness of combined treatment with urokinase and VCM for a case of intractable sepsis that suggested the possibility of formation of an MRSA biofi lm is described.
Dietary copper and high saturated and trans fat intakes associated with cognitive decline.

BACKGROUND Evidence from prospective epidemiologic studies and animal models suggests that intakes of dietary fats and copper may be associated with neurodegenerative diseases. OBJECTIVE To examine whether high dietary copper intake is associated with increased cognitive decline among persons who also consume a diet high in saturated and trans fats. DESIGN Community-based prospective study. SETTING Chicago, Ill. Patients Chicago residents 65 years and older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Cognitive function was assessed using 4 cognitive tests administered during in-home interviews at 3-year intervals for 6 years. Dietary assessment was performed with a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary intakes of copper and fats were related to change in global cognitive score (the mean of the 4 tests) among 3718 participants. RESULTS Among persons whose diets were high in saturated and trans fats, higher copper intake was associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline. In multiple-adjusted mixed models, the difference in rates for persons in the highest (median, 2.75 mg/d) vs lowest (median, 0.88 mg/d) quintiles of total copper intake was -6.14 standardized units per year (P<.001) or the equivalent of 19 more years of age. There was also a marginally statistically significant association (P = .07) with the highest quintile of food intake of copper (median, 1.51 mg/d) and a strong dose-response association with higher copper dose in vitamin supplements. Copper intake was not associated with cognitive change among persons whose diets were not high in these fats. CONCLUSION These data suggest that high dietary intake of copper in conjunction with a diet high in saturated and trans fats may be associated with accelerated cognitive decline.
Wide Residual BLSTM Network with Discriminative Speaker Adaptation for Robust Speech Recognition

We present a system for the 4th CHiME challenge which significantly increases the performance for all three tracks with respect to the provided baseline system. The front-end uses a bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BLSTM)-based neural network to estimate signal statistics. These then steer a Generalized Eigenvalue beamformer. The back-end consists of a 22 layer deep Wide Residual Network and two extra BLSTM layers. Working on a whole utterance instead of frames allows us to refine Batch-Normalization. We also train our own BLSTM-based language model. Adding a discriminative speaker adaptation leads to further gains. The final system achieves a word error rate on the six channel real test data of 3.48%. For the two channel track we achieve 5.96% and for the one channel track 9.34%. This is the best reported performance on the challenge achieved by a single system, i.e., a configuration, which does not combine multiple systems. At the same time, our system is independent of the microphone configuration. We can thus use the same components for all three tracks.