Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyzing the Effects of Delaying Aster Separation on Furrow Formation during Cytokinesis in the Caenorhabditis elegans Embryo

Signaling by the centrosomal asters and spindle midzone coordinately directs formation of the cytokinetic furrow. By analyzing the effects of altering inter-aster distance in the C. elegans embryo, Lewellyn et al. show that signaling by the separated asters couples furrow formation to anaphase onset and restricts furrowing to a single site.
A Novel Multi-Sender algorithm based on Multi-Cast Concept for P2P Networks

Unlike those on Internet, the media providers on P2P networks are ordinary nodes whose contribution bandwidth is limited. Multi-sender methods are the best solutions known to video streaming on P2P networks. In this paper, we propose use of a multi-cast method on the top of an arbitrary multi-sender method so that all requesting peers receive almost the same expected bit-rate. That is while the existing multi-sender methods maximize the bit-rate delivered to the first receiver and cannot provide acceptable bit-rates to the next requesting nodes
Modification of Diffie-Hellman Algorithm to Provide More Secure Key Exchange

-- Diffie-Hellman algorithm is one of the first schemes proposed for the exchange of keys required in asymmetric encryption. It was developed by Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman in 1976. This algorithm removes the need of transferring keys between two communicating parties. It enables each party to generate a shared secret key for encryption and decryption of data. The security of this algorithm cannot be compromised because several security protocols and services depend upon Diffie-Hellman key exchange for reliable communication. In this paper, we have used a random parameter to make this algorithm more efficient. The random parameter generates new shared keys for each message that is exchanged between sender and receiver. So, different ciphertext will be produced each time even for the same message. Thus, systems using this scheme will become more tolerant to various attacks.
Fulminant hepatic failure secondary to acetaminophen poisoning: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prognostic criteria determining the need for liver transplantation

ObjectivesTo summarize and compare different prognostic criteria used to determine need for liver transplantation in patients with fulminant hepatic failure secondary to acetaminophen poisoning. Data SourcesStudies published in the literature that investigated criteria for hepatic transplantation secondary to acetaminophen-induced liver failure as identified by a preestablished MEDLINE strategy (1966 through October 2001). Study SelectionStudies were included if 2 × 2 tables could be reconstructed and if they did not assume that patients undergoing transplantation would have eventually died had they not received the transplant. Data ExtractionRelevant articles were reviewed by two authors independently. Discrepancies or disagreements, if any, on the inclusion or exclusion of studies were resolved by consulting the third author. Data SynthesisKing’s criteria (pH < 7.30 or prothrombin time of >100 secs plus creatinine of >300 &mgr;mol/L plus encephalopathy grade of ≥3) were evaluated in nine studies, pH < 7.30 in four, prothrombin time of >100 secs in three, prothrombin time of >100 secs plus creatinine of >300 &mgr;mol/L plus encephalopathy grade of ≥3 in three, creatinine of >300 &mgr;mol/L in two, and one each for increase in prothrombin time day 4, factor V of <10%, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score of >15, and Gc-globulin of <100 mg/L. King’s criteria were more sensitive than pH: 69% (95% confidence interval, 63–75) vs. 57% (95% confidence interval, 44–68). Their specificities were, however, comparable: 92% (95% confidence interval, 81–97) vs. 89% (95% confidence interval, 62–97). APACHE II score of >15 had the highest positive likelihood ratio (16.4) and the lowest negative likelihood ratio (0.19) but was evaluated in only one study. The accuracy measures of all other criteria were lower than that of King’s criteria or pH < 7.30. ConclusionsPresently, available criteria are not very sensitive and may miss patients requiring transplantation. Future studies should further evaluate the efficacy of the APACHE II criteria.
The Role of Emotion Regulation in the Expressive Writing Intervention

Expressive Writing (EW) involves asking participants to write emotionally about stressful life events and has been associated with improvements in psychological and physical health. The purpose of the current study was to extend previous work by examining the moderating and mediating role of emotion regulation within the EW intervention. Sixty participants who had experienced a traumatic event were recruited from the community and were assigned to an EW or control writing condition. Measures assessing emotion regulation and indices of psychological and physical health were administered at baseline and one month follow-up to determine changes in symptomatology. In comparison to control writing, EW led to significant improvements in depression, emotional clarity, and to a lesser degree emotional awareness. Although no other group differences were found, all participants demonstrated significant improvements in their symptoms of posttraumatic stress, reported physical health, overall emotion regulation abilities, their ability to accept their emotions, engage in goal directed behaviour when distressed, and access emotion regulation strategies they perceive as effective. No support was found for our moderation hypothesis. However, a significant moderation was discovered revealing that difficulties engaging in goal directed behaviour when distressed moderated improvements in posttraumatic stress symptoms. Specifically, control participants with this emotion regulation deficit demonstrated significantly poorer outcomes than control participants without this deficit; in comparison to the EW group participants who improved similarly on posttraumatic stress
IMPLICATIONS OF GROWTH THEORY FOR MACRO-POLICY : WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ~

We are witnessing, in the second half of this century, an unprecedented wave of growth across the world. The experience of the East Asian and OECD economies has proved that real convergence can be achieved within a few decades. However, the welfare and technological gap between the developed and the least developed countries continues to widen, even as large sections of the world economy have recently joined the international trading system. Confronted with the extraordinary amount of quantitative and institutional data amassed by statistical and, case studies, we need theories to interpret these phenomena. Economists of the "old" and "new" growth theories have gone a long way in explaining why some countries grow faster than others, but I believe that any model that could explain such a variety of experiences would have to be quite complex. Otherwise, we would already have discovered the "recipe for making miracles," as Lucas (1993) has wisely reminded us, and countries around the world could already have applied such a simple model. I will attempt here not to review models of growth theory, but to underline some of the most important traits of the theory that are relevant for macro-policy. Let me begin by reviewing some assumptions about growth and technology that seem to come out of the recent flurry of empirical work. First, technological progress is of overriding importance in explaining growth in developed economies, while most of the growth in developing countries takes place through human and physical capital accumulation that incorporates ideas, products, or processes transferred from the more
MULTIVARIATE OUTLIER DETECTION WITH COMPOSITIONAL DATA

Multivariate outlier detection is usually based on Mahalanobis distances, by plugging in robust estimates of location and covariance. For compositional data, carrying only relative information, a special transformation needs to be consulted in order to be able to work in the appropriate geometry. The effect of the transformation is discussed in this contribution. Furthermore, different possibilities for the interpretation of the identified multivariate outliers are presented.
Controlling thematic choices in discourse : towards a specification of contextual constraints

In this article we propose contextual deontic logic. Contextual obligations are written asO j n , and are to be read as ‘ should be the case if is the case, unless is the case’. The unless clause is analogous to the justification in Reiter’s default rules. We show how contextual obligations can be used to solve certain aspects of contrary-to-duty paradoxes of dyadic deontic logic.
Direct Heuristic Dynamic Programming for Damping Oscillations in a Large Power System

This paper applies a neural-network-based approximate dynamic programming method, namely, the direct heuristic dynamic programming (direct HDP), to a large power system stability control problem. The direct HDP is a learning- and approximation-based approach to addressing nonlinear coordinated control under uncertainty. One of the major design parameters, the controller learning objective function, is formulated to directly account for network-wide low-frequency oscillation with the presence of nonlinearity, uncertainty, and coupling effect among system components. Results include a novel learning control structure based on the direct HDP with applications to two power system problems. The first case involves static var compensator supplementary damping control, which is used to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the learning control performance. The second case aims at addressing a difficult complex system challenge by providing a new solution to a large interconnected power network oscillation damping control problem that frequently occurs in the China Southern Power Grid.
Corpus consultation for ESP: A review of empirical research

Corpus linguistics is commonly concerned with language description, but the tools and techniques can also be used by language learners themselves in what has come to be known as data-driven learning or DDL (Johns & King 1991). This paper reviews 20 studies representing empirical evaluations of corpus use by second or foreign language users within the context of ESP. The wide variety of tools, corpora, course objectives, experiment designs and research questions makes a thorough meta-analysis impossible. However, analysis of the individual papers shows that students can use corpora successfully for ESP and are generally favourable to the approach, whether as a learning tool (especially for vocabulary and lexico-grammar) or as a reference resource (especially for writing).
The chloride‐channel blocker 9‐anthracenecarboxylic acid reduces the nonlinear capacitance of prestin‐associated charge movement

The basis of the extraordinary sensitivity and frequency selectivity of the cochlea is a chloride‐sensitive protein called prestin which can produce an electromechanical response and which resides in the basolateral plasma membrane of outer hair cells (OHCs). The compound 9‐anthracenecarboxylic acid (9‐AC), an inhibitor of chloride channels, has been found to reduce the electromechanical response of the cochlea and the OHC mechanical impedance. To elucidate these 9‐AC effects, the functional electromechanical status of prestin was assayed by measuring the nonlinear capacitance of OHCs from the guinea‐pig cochlea and of prestin‐transfected human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) cells. Extracellular application of 9‐AC caused reversible, dose‐dependent and chloride‐sensitive reduction in OHC nonlinear charge transfer, Qmax. Prestin‐transfected cells also showed reversible reduction in Qmax. For OHCs, intracellular 9‐AC application as well as reduced intracellular pH had no detectable effect on the reduction in Qmax by extracellularly applied 9‐AC. In the prestin‐transfected cells, cytosolic application of 9‐AC approximately halved the blocking efficacy of extracellularly applied 9‐AC. OHC inside‐out patches presented the whole‐cell blocking characteristics. Disruption of the cytoskeleton by preventing actin polymerization with latrunculin A or by decoupling of spectrin from actin with diamide did not affect the 9‐AC‐evoked reduction in Qmax. We conclude that 9‐AC acts on the electromechanical transducer principally by interaction with prestin rather than acting via the cytoskeleton, chloride channels or pH. The 9‐AC block presents characteristics in common with salicylate, but is almost an order of magnitude faster. 9‐AC provides a new tool for elucidating the molecular dynamics of prestin function.
Perspectives of Human Development: Time, Space, and Chrononutrition

This chapter attempts to step backward in time and space, to consider evolution in the context of chronobiology and chronomics and to then focus on how this science, pioneered by Professor Halberg and his team at the University of Minnesota, can bring improved health benefits to mankind. Although being mindful of this old yet formally modern science, care is taken to include many practical considerations that have a tendency to be sometimes undervalued in research. Evolution continues under the omnipresence of gravity, changing electromagnetic forces, time, space, and Earth's climate and environment as an ecological biogeographical phenomenon that took place extremely slowly in geological time but is now undergoing change at an extraordinary pace in recent times of human evolution and adaption to their environment (1). Already about 1 out of 3 billion people go hungry (2) (and currently in overall decline) and by 2050 the estimated population is about 9 billion (3). Great challenges to reduce poverty and hunger lie ahead: people need to be fed but safely, the risk of inflammatory diseases such as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disorders needs to be reduced: and one potential area of research concerns chrononutrition. It is by understanding the chronobiological science that underpins health that will enable such goals to be reached.
Mundos imaginarios y cuasi-emociones: la solución a la paradoja de la ficción en Walton y Currie

Though they differ in important details, the solutions to the paradox of fiction put forward by Kendall Walton and Gregory Currie share two key conceptual moves in their attempt to understand the situation of the consummer of fiction, through the notion of “quasi-emotions” and through their appeal to the idea of construction of imaginary scenarios. I argue that their accounts fail in both of these central respects, though the problems I identify are independent of each other. First I contend that their ideas as to the emotions we feel when we are caught up with a work of fiction fail insofar as they assume an untennable version of the cognitivist thesis regarding the emotions. Then I argue that their ideas regarding the construction of imaginary worlds on the part of the consummers of fiction fail insofar as they presuppose a dichotomy between fictional worlds and reality. In the concluding section I briefly discuss the way in which both of these problems reflect on the prospects for other treatments of the paradox itself.
Non-curative surgery for patients with gastric cancer with local peritoneal metastasis

Abstract The role of non-curative surgery for patients with M1 gastric cancer (GC) is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of non-curative resectional surgery for patients with GC with local peritoneal metastasis. We reviewed the medical records of 47 patients with GC with local peritoneal metastasis, which was found by laparotomy or laparoscopy. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent gastric resection (n = 29), and a non-resection group who did not (n = 18). The clinical characteristics, postoperative complications, mortality, palliative intervention, and long-term outcomes of the 2 groups were compared. Complications occurred more frequently in the resection group than in non-resection group (P = 0.017). There was no postoperative mortality or reoperation in either group. Palliative intervention was performed in 9 (31%) patients in resection group and 16 (88.9%) patients in non-resection group (P < 0.001). The intervention interval and hospital-free time were significant longer in resection group than in non-resection group (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). The Kaplan–Meier survival curves revealed that resection group had longer survival than non-resection group (P < 0.001). Non-curative resectional surgery helps prolong survival time and improve the quality of life for patients with GC with local peritoneal metastasis.
Does flower phenology mirror the slowdown of global warming?

Although recent global warming trends in air temperature are not as pronounced as those observed only one decade ago, global mean temperature is still at a very high level. Does plant phenology – which is believed to be a suitable indicator of climate change – respond in a similar way, that is, does it still mirror recent temperature variations? We explored in detail long-term flowering onset dates of snowdrop, cherry, and lime tree and relevant spring temperatures at three sites in Germany (1901–2012) using the Bayesian multiple change-point approach. We investigated whether mean spring temperature changes were amplified or slowed down in the past decade and how plant phenology responded to the most recent temperature changes. Incorporating records with different end points (i.e., 2002 and 2012), we compared differences in trends and inferred possible differences caused by extrapolating phenological and meteorological data. The new multiple-change point approach is characterized by an enhanced structure and greater flexibility compared to the one change point model. However, the highest model probabilities for phenological (meteorological) records were still obtained for the one change point (linear) model. Marked warming trends in the recent decade were only revealed for mean temperatures of March to May, here better described with one or two change point models. In the majority of cases analyzed, changes in temperatures were well mirrored by phenological changes. However, temperatures in March to May were linked to less strongly advancing onset dates for lime tree flowering during the period 1901-2012, pointing to the likely influence of photoperiodic constraints or unfulfilled chilling requirements. Due to the slowdown of temperature increase, analyses conducted on records ending in 2002 demonstrated distinct differences when compared with records ending in 2012. Extrapolation of trends could therefore (along with the choice of the statistical method) lead to distinctly different results and most recent data should be integrated in order not to over- or underestimate future phenological changes.
SVM Kernels Accuracy and Generalization Capability on Apnea Detection from ECG

still there exists no theory which shows that good generalization performance is guaranteed for S VM [1]. Choosing the right kernel is one of crucial issues to obtain good generalization capability to recognize unseen data. In this paper, we try to find the right kernel for apnea detection from ECG. The S VM classifier receives as its training data thousands of chunked ECG data from 35 persons which is labeled by medical experts into three categories: heavy apnea, borderline or middle apnea, and normal or healthy. Then the classifier tests its generalization capability when given unknown or untrained chunked ECG data taken from other set of 35 persons. Our experiments show the best applied kernel for this data is radial basis function (RBF) with configuration of soft margin cost parameter C = 32 and gamma = 0.5. This S VM kernel and configuration obtains classification accuracy of 77% on training dataset and 54% on testing dataset. Other issue related to the observed overfitting by each kernel is also discussed.
An Ontological Approach Applied to Information Security and Trust

Software applications become highly distributed and complex, involving independent collaborating components working towards achieving system goals. At the same time, security attacks against these applications have also grown being more sophisticated and are quite difficult to detect and withstand, especially distributed attacks. In this paper, we argue that one way to identify and mitigate such attacks is through the trust-based collaboration of application components. However, to achieve collaborative defense in distributed environments, a common vocabulary is needed for the components to collaborate with each other in identifying security incidents. Thus, we employ an ontological approach to define security ontologies as a common vocabulary that is understandable for both humans and software agents. Further, we introduce basic security concepts and trust implications, explain our security ontologies (specified in OWL) that include the security asset-vulnerability ontology (SAVO), the security algorithm-standard ontology (SASO), the security function ontology (SFO), and the security attack and defence ontologies (SAO and SDO respectively). Trust is also examined while its dimensions are employed to create trust-based communications used to distribute security ontologies. We use a case study involving Mitnick attacks to demonstrate our approach.
Formal verification of integer multipliers by combining Gröbner basis with logic reduction

Formal verification utilizing symbolic computer algebra has demonstrated the ability to formally verify large Galois field arithmetic circuits and basic architectures of integer arithmetic circuits. The technique models the circuit as Gröbner basis polynomials and reduces the polynomial equation of the circuit specification wrt. the polynomials model. However, during the Gröbner basis reduction, the technique suffers from exponential blow-up in the size of the polynomials, if it is applied on parallel adders and recoded multipliers. In this paper, we address the reasons of this blow-up and present an approach that allows to apply the technique on basic and complex parallel architectures of multipliers. The approach is based on applying a logic reduction rule during Gröbner basis rewriting. The rule uses structural circuit information to remove terms that evaluate to zero before their blow-up. The experiments show that the approach is applicable up to 128 bit multipliers.
Epidemiology of brucellosis in domestic animals caused by Brucella melitensis, Brucella suis and Brucella abortus.

Summary Brucellosis is a disease that causes severe economic losses for livestock farms worldwide. Brucella melitensis, B. abortus and B. suis, which are transmitted between animals both vertically and horizontally, cause abortion and infertility in their primary natural hosts – goats and sheep (B. melitensis), cows (B. abortus) and sows (B. suis). Brucella spp. infect not only their preferred hosts but also other domestic and wild animal species, which in turn can act as reservoirs of the disease for other animal species and humans. Brucellosis is therefore considered to be a major zoonosis transmitted by direct contact with animals and/or their secretions, or by consuming milk and dairy products.
Statement of Research Interest

My research interests lie broadly in the field of software engineering and specifically in the areas of software testing, software evolution, and search−based software engineering. My current research work at NC State University in software evolution and testing aims at providing software developers automated solutions to adapt their software because of changes to an external library [1]. My earlier research work at Research Center for Software Technology involved applying search−based techniques to software engineering problems [2, 3, 4, 5].