Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do we still need to train them for distance teaching?: distance teachers attitudes

This article describes a survey of attitudes of distance teachers' towards distance learning that was conducted at Reykjavík University. The 21 distance teachers that participated claimed they had good preparation in using computers in distance teaching, although half of them wanted more training in distance teaching methods. They thought distance education was a realistic alternative in Icelandic education and were satisfied with their online courses although 24% claimed they were insecure about their ability to teach online. They said they could master the main options of the learning management systems (LMS) and wanted to be active in their teaching, but they were not using all the online options available for them. The main conclusion is that we need to train the distance teachers in using ICT in teaching and online pedagogic; they have the technological skills needed.
Web Services, IT Integration and Value Generation in eGovernment: an Exploratory Case Study

The IT value generation process in the public sector is still far from being wellunderstood and managed, both at the scientific level and in established practices. This paper investigates the enabling role of Web services technology in IT integration processes and its effects on IT value generation in the public sector. We advance the hypothesis that a higher degree of IT integration, enabled by the adoption of Web services technology, could lead to increased effectiveness in IT conversion, ultimately enhancing the value of IT investments. We offer a preliminary investigation into this issue based on an exploratory case study, drawing on an IT integration project implemented by the Italian City of Genoa. Our hypothesis would be rejected by the theory of IT conversion effectiveness, but confirmed if we extend the IT conversion process theory to the public sector, where it produces significant advantages in terms of IT value generation. The integration project investigated would not generate significant growth in the legacy IT asset portfolio, but would contribute to value generation. Our conclusions highlight pending issues and proposals for future research.
Multiple Functional Neural Fuzzy Networks Fusion Using Fuzzy Integral

This paper presents multiple functional neural fuzzy networks (FNFN) fusion using fuzzy integral (FI). Since the classifiers are able to complement each other, the fusion of multiple classifiers overcomes the limitations of applying a single classifier. In addition, the FI is a better decision-combination scheme than the majority voting method that uses the subjectively defined relevance of classifiers. A combination of multiple FNFN classifiers with FI is proposed to achieve data classification with higher accuracy than existing traditional methods. The advantage of the proposed method is that not only are the classification results combined but the relative importance of the different networks is also considered. Computer simulations for the Iris, Wisconsin breast cancer, and wine classifications show that the fusion of multiple FNFNs using FI can perform better than existing traditional methods.
Machine learning approach towards email management

Originally supposed to be a communication application, email is now used for a wide range of functions. Nowadays, it is increasingly becoming very difficult for email users to keep track of their email messages and to organize them such that can be retrieved easily, changed, and managed. Email tools, however have not progressed correspondingly to support users with information management based on users' need. These tools do not understand the information they contain, so they are unable to help user manage it. The goal of this research is to provide a better intelligent email manager that can help to understand, manage, organize and use the overwhelming amount of information received and stored to capture the semantic content relations and also to build intelligent tools to assist with the management of the semantic relations.
Instrumental Evaluation of In-Car Communication Systems

The aim of an in-car communication system is to improve the communication inside a vehicle. This communication is impaired, due to the high background noise occurring at higher velocities and can be improved by recording, processing, and playing back the speech signal of the talking passenger using loudspeakers. Due to this closed electroacoustic loop further issues arise, requiring more sophist icated algorithms, e.g., feedback control. After the development of an ICC system, the quality of the system is of great interest. Not only to analyze and to improve a single ICC system an evaluation is beneficial, but also to compare different ones. However, the term communication quality is not easy to fit into one instrumental measure, since quality depends on a variety of criteria. This contribution give s some first instrumental measures classifying the quality of an ICC system and a first approach to combine these to obtain an overall evaluation strategy.
Growth and its Properties of GaMnN Film Based on ECR-PEMOCVD

The DMS GaMnN film with certain concentration of Mn and good crystal qualities has been successfully grown on the substrate of sapphire (α-Al2O3) by ECR-PEMOCVD. The graphs of RHEED presented a clear spot-like lattice and the surface was not very glossy, which showed that the GaMnN film was single crystalline and its growth model was three -dimensional island. XRD analysis showed that the film was hexagonal structure with c -Axis oriented and the crystallinity was very well. The AFM test result showed that the GaMnN films were composed of many submicron grains with the same orientation. SQUID(superconducting quantum interference device) measurement showed an apparent ferromagnetic hysteresis at room temperature, and the Curie temperature of the film was about 400k.
FaceDNA : Intelligent Face Recognition System with Intel RealSense 3 D Camera

This paper develops an intelligent face recognition system which has been applied to Intel Realsense 3D camera. The key components include computer vision application, face tracking, personal attributes, FaceDNA, emotion detection, video application modules. Computer vision application can extract rich information from images to categorize and process visual data. FaceDNA is consist of face verification, face identification, face detection, face matching, face grouping. It can detect human faces and compare similar ones, organize people into groups according to visual similarity, and identify previously tagged people in images. Emotion application can analyze faces to detect a range of feelings and personalize your responses. Intelligent video processing stable video output, detect motion, creates intelligent thumbnails, and detects and tracks faces.
ACCF/AHA Clopidogrel Clinical Alert: Approaches to the FDA “Boxed Warning”: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Task Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Documents and the American Heart Association

The recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “boxed warning” on clopidogrel raises important questions for practitioners and patients. The warning addresses the need for pharmacogenomic testing to identify patients’ altered clopidogrel metabolism and thus their risk for a suboptimal clinical response to clopidogrel. Although there is an expanding database on genetic polymorphisms that may affect clopidogrel metabolism and thus clinical outcomes, there are no evidence-based data upon which todevelop specific recommendations on the role of genetic testing in routine care nor strategies proven to improve the safety/efficacy of specific pharmacologic approaches. To provide guidance on this issue, the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the American Heart Association (AHA) convened a writing committee. The ACCF and AHA adhere to a rigorous policy regarding relationships with industry and other entities (RWI) of authors and peer reviewers for clinical document development (see http://www.cardiosource.org/Science-And-Quality/Practice-Guidelines-and-Quality-Standards/Relationships-With-Industry-Policy.aspx). This policy requires that a majority of writing committee members have no relevant relationships with industry to this topic, a standard that has been achieved for this document as indicated in Appendix 1. In the spirit of full disclosure, comprehensive RWI (RWI not relevant to this document) for all authors is available online for public view. RWI …
Soil organic matter and litter chemistry response to experimental N deposition in northern temperate deciduous forest ecosystems

The effects of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on organic matter decomposition vary with the biochemical characteristics of plant litter. At the ecosystem‐scale, net effects are difficult to predict because various soil organic matter (SOM) fractions may respond differentially. We investigated the relationship between SOM chemistry and microbial activity in three northern deciduous forest ecosystems that have been subjected to experimental N addition for 2 years. Extractable dissolved organic carbon (DOC), DOC aromaticity, C : N ratio, and functional group distribution, measured by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), were analyzed for litter and SOM. The largest biochemical changes were found in the sugar maple–basswood (SMBW) and black oak–white oak (BOWO) ecosystems. SMBW litter from the N addition treatment had less aromaticity, higher C : N ratios, and lower saturated carbon, lower carbonyl carbon, and higher carboxylates than controls; BOWO litter showed opposite trends, except for carbonyl and carboxylate contents. Litter from the sugar maple–red oak (SMRO) ecosystem had a lower C : N ratio, but no change in DOC aromaticity. For SOM, the C : N ratio increased with N addition in SMBW and SMRO ecosystems, but decreased in BOWO; N addition did not affect the aromaticity of DOC extracted from mineral soil. All ecosystems showed increases in extractable DOC from both litter and soil in response to N treatment. The biochemical changes are consistent with the divergent microbial responses observed in these systems. Extracellular oxidative enzyme activity has declined in the BOWO and SMRO ecosystems while activity in the SMBW ecosystem, particularly in the litter horizon, has increased. In all systems, enzyme activities associated with the hydrolysis and oxidation of polysaccharides have increased. At the ecosystem scale, the biochemical characteristics of the dominant litter appear to modulate the effects of N deposition on organic matter dynamics.
Nonparametric flaw detection in large grained materials

The detection of targets embedded in dense microstructure scatterers using ultrasonic pulse-echo systems is examined. Split-spectrum processing (SSP) is presented as an efficient method for discriminating between target echoes and microstructure scattering based on differences between their RF phase patterns. The design of constant false-alarm thresholds is described for the F-test applied to RF SSP vectors. Experimental results are presented for A-scans from large-grain stainless-steel samples with flat-bottom holes. <<ETX>>
Splenic abscess: another look at an old disease.

OBJECTIVE To study the changes in the incidence, causes, bacteriologic profile, and management of a splenic abscess. DESIGN Retrospective case study. SETTING Tertiary, university referral center. PATIENTS Thirty-nine patients with a splenic abscess. INTERVENTIONS None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Demographics, signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, diagnostic methods, bacteriologic profile, treatment, and outcome. RESULTS Patients presented at a mean age of 43 years (range, 2-83 years), after a mean symptomatic period of 16 days, with fever (69%), abdominal pain (56%), nausea and vomiting (38%), and splenomegaly (31%). The majority of abscesses represented metastatic infection (n=19), and 11 were secondary to immunosuppression. Twelve patients had human immunodeficiency virus disease and 9 used intravenous drugs. In patients who underwent computed tomography, all had abnormal scans (n=33), with a well-defined abscess(es) in 28. Nine abscesses were polymicrobial; monomicrobial isolates included gram-positive organisms (23%), gram-negative organisms (31%), fungi (23%), and mycobacteria (23%). Patients presenting before 1989 (1981-1988) (n=15) and those presenting after 1989 (1989-1996) (n=24) differed in risk factors (intravenous drug abuse, 0% vs 47% [P=.02]; hematologic malignancy, 43% vs 9% [P=.04]) and gram-positive isolates (18% vs 64%; P=.06). Patients underwent splenectomy (n=18), open drainage (n=4), medical therapy (n=10), or percutaneous drainage (n=5) with respective survival rates of 94%, 50%, 70%, and 100%. CONCLUSIONS In 1996, splenic abscesses are increasingly common. Intravenous drug abuse and human immunodeficiency virus disease are significant risk factors, and the diagnosis should be considered in a patient with fever and abdominal pain who uses intravenous drugs. Antimicrobial agents should be broad since 36% of abscesses were polymicrobial, and should include coverage of gram-positive organisms.
Predicting the Accuracy of Regression Models in the Retail Industry 1

Companies are moving from developing a single model for a problem (e.g., a regression model to predict general sales) to developing several models for sub-problems of the original problem (e.g., regression models to predict sales of each of its product categories). Given the similarity between the sub-problems, the process of model development should not be independent. Information should be shared between processes. Different approaches can be used for that purpose, including metalearning (MtL) and transfer learning. In this work, we use MtL to predict the performance of a model based on the performance of models that were previously developed. Given that the sub-problems are related (e.g., the schemas of the data are the same), domain knowledge is used to develop the metafeatures that characterize them. The approach is applied to the development of models to predict sales of different product categories in a retail company from Portugal.
Volume‐activated DIDS‐sensitive whole‐cell chloride currents in trout red blood cells

1 The nystatin‐perforated whole‐cell recording mode of the patch‐clamp technique was used to investigate the membrane conductance of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) red blood cells in the steady state, 5 min after exposure to hyposmotic medium and 10 min after return to normal isosmotic medium. 2 Whole‐cell I–V relations showed outward rectification when red blood cells were bathed in isosmotic (320 mosmol l−1) saline solution and the patch pipette was filled with 117 mm KCl. The membrane conductance was 2.58 ± 0.59 nS (number of experiments, n=18) between 0 and 100 mV and 1.32 ± 0.19 nS (n=18) between 0 and −100 mV. Removal of Cl− from the extracellular side or incubation with the CL−1 channel blocker DIDS caused a reduction in whole‐cell membrane conductance by more than 50%, indicating that the membrane current was generated by Cl− ions. The remaining conductance was voltage independent and probably due to non‐selective cation conductance. 3 The membrane conductance increased approximately 2‐fold after cell swelling induced by exposure to hyposmotic saline solution (215 mosmol I1). This effect was abolished in Cl−1‐free hyposmotic medium or in the presence of DIDS. 4 The return to isosmotic solution produced a fall in membrane conductance to, or below, control values. 5 We conclude that trout red blood cells possess a significant Cl− conductance in the steady state which is reversibly activated during cell swelling and contributes to volume recovery.
Confirmation of involvement of new variants at CDKN2A/B in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia susceptibility in the Spanish population

The locus CDKN2A/B (9p21.3), which comprises the tumor suppressors genes CDKN2A and CDKN2B and the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) known as ANRIL (or CDKN2B-AS), was associated with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) susceptibility in several genome wide association studies (GWAS). However, the variants associated in the diverse studies were different. Recently, new and independent SNPs deregulating the locus function were also identified in association with ALL risk. This diversity in the results may be explained because different variants in each population could alter CDKN2A/B locus function through diverse mechanisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether the annotated risk variants in the CDKN2A/B locus affect the susceptibility of B cell precursor ALL (B-ALL) in our Spanish population and explore if other SNPs altering additional regulatory mechanisms could be also involved. We analyzed the four SNPs proposed by GWAs and two additional SNPs in miRNA binding sites in 217 pediatric patients with B-ALL and 330 healthy controls. The SNPs rs2811712, rs3731249, rs3217992 and rs2811709 were associated with B-ALL susceptibility in our Spanish population. ALL subtypes analyses showed that rs2811712 was associated with B-hyperdiploid ALL. These results provide evidence for the influence of genetic variants at CDKN2A/B locus with the risk of developing B-ALL.
Minimizing Transient Congestion during Network Update in Data Centers

To maximize data center network utilization, the SDN control plane needs to frequently update the data plane as the network conditions change. Since each switch updates its flow table independently and asynchronously, the state transition -- if done directly from the initial to the final stage -- may result in serious flash congestion and packet loss. Prior work strives to find a congestion-free update plan with multiple stages, each with the property that there will be no congestion independent of the update order. Yet congestion-free update requires part of the link capacity to be left vacant and decreases utilization of the expensive network infrastructure. Further, it involves solving a series of LP, which is slow and does not scale well. In this paper, we study the more general problem of minimizing transient congestion during network update, given the number of intermediate stages. This exposes the tradeoff between update speed and transient congestion, and allows an operator to navigate a broader design space for performing network update. We formulate the minimum congestion update problem (MCUP) as an optimization program and prove its hardness. We propose an approximation algorithm and a greedy improvement algorithm to find the update sequence in an efficient and scalable manner. Extensive experiments with Mininet show that our solution reduces update time by 50% and saves control overhead by 30% compared to state of the art.
Electrical stimulation for the treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction after spinal cord injury

Abstract Electrical stimulation for bladder control is an alternative to traditional methods of treating neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) resulting from spinal cord injury (SCI). In this review, we systematically discuss the neurophysiology of bladder dysfunction following SCI and the applications of electrical stimulation for bladder control following SCI, spanning from historic clinical approaches to recent pre-clinical studies that offer promising new strategies that may improve the feasibility and success of electrical stimulation therapy in patients with SCI. Electrical stimulation provides a unique opportunity to control bladder function by exploiting neural control mechanisms. Our understanding of the applications and limitations of electrical stimulation for bladder control has improved due to many pre-clinical studies performed in animals and translational clinical studies. Techniques that have emerged as possible opportunities to control bladder function include pudendal nerve stimulation and novel methods of stimulation, such as high frequency nerve block. Further development of novel applications of electrical stimulation will drive progress towards effective therapy for SCI. The optimal solution for restoration of bladder control may encompass a combination of efficient, targeted electrical stimulation, possibly at multiple locations, and pharmacological treatment to enhance symptom control.
INCIDENTAL MORTALITY OF HUMBOLDT PENGUINS SPHENISCUS HUMBOLDTI IN GILL NETS, CENTRAL CHILE

Mortality of Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humboldti drowned in gill nets is documented for the Valparaiso Region, central Chile, based on sampling and reports from local fishermen. Between 1991 and 1996 at least 605 Humboldt Penguins died in gill nets set for ‘corvina’ Cilus gilberti, an average of 120 birds per year. Lesser numbers of other seabirds, including Magellanic Penguins S. magellanicus, Red-legged Cormorants Phalacrocorax gaimardi and Guanay Cormorants P. bougainvillii were killed. Drownings occur mainly during winter (June to August), reducing the population prior to the spring breeding season. Drowning kills adults from the two major colonies of Humboldt Penguins in central Chile, Cachagua and Pajaro Nino. Entanglement of Humboldt Penguins in fishing nets has been reported for other sites in Chile and Peru, suggesting similar mortality along most of the species’ range. RESUMEN
Detecting prefix hijackings in the internet with argus

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) plays a critical role in the Internet inter-domain routing reliability. Invalid routes generated by mis-configurations or forged by malicious attacks may hijack the traffic and devastate the Internet routing system, but it is unlikely that a secure BGP can be deployed in the near future to completely prevent them. Although many hijacking detection systems have been developed, they more or less have weaknesses such as long detection delay, high false alarm rate and deployment difficulty, and no systematic detection results have been studied. This paper proposes Argus, an agile system that can accurately detect prefix hijackings and deduce the underlying cause of route anomalies in a very fast way. Argus is based on correlating the control and data plane information closely and pervasively, and has been continuously monitoring the Internet for more than one year. During this period, around 40K routing anomalies were detected, from which 220 stable prefix hijackings were identified. Our analysis on these events shows that, hijackings that have only been theoretically studied before do exist in the Internet. Although the frequency of new hijackings is nearly stable, more specific prefixes are hijacked more frequently. Around 20% of the hijackings last less than ten minutes, and some can pollute 90% of the Internet in less than two minutes. These characteristics make \emph{Argus} especially useful in practice. We further analyze some representative cases in detail to help increase the understanding of prefix hijackings in the Internet.