Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Supporting the Discovery of Relevant Topological Patterns in Attributed Graphs

We propose TopGraphVisualizer, a tool to support the discovery of relevant topological patterns in attributed graphs. It relies on a new pattern detection method that crucially needs for sophisticated post processing and visualization. A topological pattern is defined as a set of vertex attributes and topological properties (i.e., properties that characterize the role of a vertex within a graph) that strongly co-vary over the vertices of the graph. For instance, such a pattern in a co-authorship attributed graph where vertices represent authors, edges encode coauthor ship, and vertex attributes reveal the number of publications in several journals, could be "the higher the number of publications in IEEE ICDM, the higher the closeness centrality of the vertex within the graph". Two different ways of navigation through the topological patterns and the related graph data are provided to the end-user. We exploit graph visualization and exploration techniques from the open platform Gephi. As an illustrative scenario, we consider a co-autorship attributed graph built from DBLP digital library and a video has been produced that describe the main possibilities of the TopGraphVisualizer software.
Tsinghua University at TAC 2009: Summarizing Multi-documents by Information Distance

This paper presents our extractive summarization systems at the update summarization track of TAC 2009. This system is based on our newly developed document summarization framework under the theory of conditional information distance among many objects. The best summary is defined in this paper to be the one which has the minimum information distance to the entire document set. The best update summary has the minimum conditional information distance to a document cluster given that a prior document cluster has already been read. Experiments on the TAC dataset have proved that our method has got a good performance in many categories.
Third World School Quality

Eager to boost literacy, economic growth, and national institutions, Third World governments and international aid agencies have greatly expanded schooling since the 1950s. Enrollments have quintupled since the late ‘50s, from 100 million children to now more than 500 million. The sharp economic decline felt over the past decade throughout the developing world, however, has led to deep cuts in education budgets. Child populations are doubling every 20 years in many countries. Popular demand for primary schooling, as manifest in enrollment rates, continues to skyrocket. This conflict between ever-rising enrollments and falling resources is severely eroding school quality. We detail and illustrate this collapse of educational quality, calling on North American educators to recognize this quiet crisis and to contribute to its remedy. In addition, we map out a strategy for attacking the problem, drawing on the growing body of Third World research and new initiatives coming from international organizations.
A probabilistic interpretation for artificial neural network-based voice conversion

Voice conversion (VC) using artificial neural networks (ANNs) has shown its capability to produce better sound quality of the converted speech than that using Gaussian mixture model (GMM). Although ANN-based VC works reasonably well, there is still room for further improvement. One of the promising ways is to adopt the successful techniques in statistical model-based parameter generation (SMPG), such as trajectory-based mapping approaches that are originally designed for GMM-based VC and hidden Markov model (HMM)-based speech synthesis. This study presents a probabilistic interpretation for ANN-based VC. In this way, ANN-based VC can easily incorporate the successful techniques in SMPG. Experimental results demonstrate that the performance of ANN-based VC can be effectively improved by two trajectory-based mapping techniques (maximum likelihood parameter generation (MLPG) algorithm and maximum likelihood-based trajectory mapping considering global variance (referred to as MLGV)), compared to the conventional ANN-based VC with frame-based mapping and the GMM-based VC with the MLPG algorithm. Moreover, ANN-based VC with the trajectory-based mapping techniques can achieve comparable performance when compared to the state-of-the-art GMM-based VC with the MLGV algorithm.
Evidence for Secular Evolution in Late-Type Spirals

We combine deep optical and IR photometry for 326 spiral galaxies from two recent galaxy samples and report that the surface brightness profiles of late-type spirals are best fitted by two exponentials. Moreover, the ratio of bulge and disk scale lengths takes on a restricted range of values and is uncorrelated with Hubble type. This suggests a scale-free Hubble sequence for late-type spirals. Careful numerical simulations ensure that our results are not affected by seeing or resolution effects. Many of these galaxies show spiral structure continuing into the central regions with a previously undetected small bar and slowly changing colors between the inner disk and the bulge. We invoke secular dynamical evolution and interpret the nature of disk central regions in the context of gas inflow via angular momentum transfer and viscous transport. In this scenario, galaxy morphologies in late-type spirals are not imprinted at birth but are the result of evolution.
Maturation of Dendritic Cells by Recombinant Human CD40L‐Trimer Leads to a Homogeneous Cell Population with Enhanced Surface Marker Expression and Increased Cytokine Production

Dendritic cells (DC) have been shown to be potent inducers of specific cytotoxic T‐cell responses both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, exposure to cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α or CD40 triggering changes DC phenotype and cytokine production and may enhance the T‐cell activating capacity of the DC. We studied DC phenotype and cytokine production as well as the T‐cell proliferation and cytotoxic T lympocyte (CTL) activation induced by DC generated in vitro. In addition, the effect of exposure to recombinant human CD40L‐trimer (huCD40LT) on these parameters was investigated. Effective differentiation of monocytes derived from freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was obtained with granulocyte macrophage‐colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) and interleukin (IL)‐4. The DC expression of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) molecules, CD80, CD83, and CD86 was markedly enhanced by exposure to huCD40LT even compared to TNF‐α exposure. Only a moderate cytokine production was observed initially, while TNF‐α addition or CD40 triggering, especially, induced enhanced production of IL‐6 and IL‐12 p40. Surprisingly, comparable induction of T‐cell proliferation by a DC allostimulus or through the presentation of PPD, and influenza M1‐peptide specific CTL activity was obtained with nonmaturated (CD83−) and maturated (CD83+) DC. In conclusion, a final maturation of monocyte‐derived DC through huCD40LT resulted in a highly homogeneous cell population with enhanced surface marker expression and high production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. In addition, the induction of responses to allo or recall antigens presented by huCD40LT maturated DC was comparable to the responses obtained with the DC maturated through TNF‐α exposure.
Diagnosing dying: an integrative literature review

Background To ensure patients and families receive appropriate end-of-life care pathways and guidelines aim to inform clinical decision making. Ensuring appropriate outcomes through the use of these decision aids is dependent on timely use. Diagnosing dying is a complex clinical decision, and most of the available practice checklists relate to cancer. There is a need to review evidence to establish diagnostic indicators that death is imminent on the basis of need rather than a cancer diagnosis. Aim To examine the evidence as to how patients are judged by clinicians as being in the final hours or days of life. Design Integrative literature review. Data sources Five electronic databases (2001–2011): Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) on The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. The search yielded a total of 576 hits, 331 titles and abstracts were screened, 42 papers were retrieved and reviewed and 23 articles were included. Results Analysis reveals an overarching theme of uncertainty in diagnosing dying and two subthemes: (1) ‘characteristics of dying’ involve dying trajectories that incorporate physical, social, spiritual and psychological decline towards death; (2) ‘treatment orientation’ where decision making related to diagnosing dying may remain focused towards biomedical interventions rather than systematic planning for end-of-life care. Conclusions The findings of this review support the explicit recognition of ‘uncertainty in diagnosing dying’ and the need to work with and within this concept. Clinical decision making needs to allow for recovery where that potential exists, but equally there is the need to avoid futile interventions.
A Fully Distributed Location Registration Strategy for Universal Personal Communication Systems

The universal personal communication system (UPCS) is a system that enables anyone to communicate instantly with anyone else anywhere in the world. One of the crucial problems of such a system is locating hundreds of millions of moving portables in an efficient manner. The location registration strategy described is able to locate active portables automatically in the system with a small overhead in a distributed fashion. The system knows the exact position of an active portable in its service areas. The connection is set up by the system directly to its destination using the direct (shortest) path. The system capacity, efficiency, and inquiry time delay have been improved greatly compared to the leading existing techniques. It is shown that in the proposed system, the maximum database size is 0.51% and the database updating cost is 6.86% of that needed by a central database system under a specified scenario. >
Training General Educators to Increase Behavior-Specific Praise: Effects on Students with EBD

Students identified with or at risk for Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (EBD) are being included in the general education classroom with teachers who have little training or exposure to characteristics of and interventions for students with EBD. In this study, we used a simple professional development intervention to train teachers to better use behavior-specific praise (BSP) in their classroom. A modified multiple baseline design was conducted across four teachers and seven students. Three students were identified with EBD and four were considered at risk for EBD. The goal of the study was to increase the rate of BSP delivered to all students in the classroom and determine the effects of increased BSP on students with or at risk for EBD. Results of the study show that, following the teacher training, teachers increased BSP and target students increased their task engagement. In addition to increases in BSP, the use of corrective statements decreased following the training.
Doing Practitioner Research Differently

1. Background and Introduction Part I Visualisation as a Method of Enquiry and Reporting 2. Children with Special Needs, Teachers with Special Needs Ros Frost 3. Visualisation in Research and Data AnalysisJacqui Potter Part II Conversation as a Method of Enquiry and Reporting 4. Towards and Understanding of Autism: An Outsider's Attempt to Get Inside Joe Geraci 5. Perceptions of Purpose for Children's Writing Tish Crotty 6. Communicative Practices in a Classroom for Children with Severe and Profound Learning Difficulties: A Case Study of Methodologies of Reflective Practice Linda Ferguson Part III Fictional Writing as a Method of Enquiry and Reporting 7. Imaginary Gardens - Enigmatic Encounters Tish Crotty 8. Not a Perfect Offering Liz Waterland Part IV Reflecting on Innovation and Quality in Practitioner Research 9. Innovation and Quality in Practitioner Research 10. New Thinking for New Practices 11. Keeping Moving
Hypoxia-induced Bmi 1 promotes renal tubular epithelial cell – mesenchymal transition and renal fibrosis via PI 3 K / Akt signal

Hypoxia is an important microenvironmental factor in the development of renal fibrosis; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well elucidated. Here we show that hypoxia induces Bmi1 mRNA and protein expression in human tubular epithelial cells. We further demonstrate that Bmi1 expression might be directly regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) under low oxygen. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation and reporter gene assay studies reveal cooperative transactivation of Bmi1 by HIF-1α and Twist. Enforced Bmi1 expression induces epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), whereas silencing endogenous Bmi-1 expression reverses hypoxia-induced EMT. Up-regulation of Bmi1 leads to stabilization of Snail via modulation of PI3K/Akt signaling, whereas ablation of PI3K/Akt signaling partially rescues the phenotype of Bmi1-overexpressing cells, indicating that PI3K/Akt signaling might be a major mediator of Bmi1-induced EMT. In a rat model of obstructive nephropathy, Bmi1 expression increases in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that increased levels of Bmi1, correlated with HIF-1α and Twist, are associated with patients with chronic kidney disease. We provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that activation of HIF1a/Twist-Bmi1 signaling in renal epithelial cells is associated with the development of chronic renal disease and may promote fibrogenesis via modulation of PI3K/Akt/Snail signaling by
Disorders and Dysfunctions of the Self

Intersubjectivity joint attention, and autistic developmental pathology, Peter Mundy and Anne Hogan self-regulation in normal and atypical development, Claire B. Kopp and Natallie Wyer the development of the will - a neuropsychological analysis of Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome, Simon Baron-Cohen, et al peering into the Black Box - an exploratory treatise on the development of self in young children, Patricia M. Crittenden affective splitting and dissociation in normal and maltreated children - development pathways for self in relationships, Kurt W. Fischer and Catherine Ayoub the impact of sexual abuse on self structure, Drew Westen dissociation and disturbances of self, Frank W. Putnam attachment and meta-monitoring - implications for adolescent autonomy and psychopathology, Roger Kobak and Holland Cole clinical-developmental psychology in developmental psychopathology - theory and research of an emerging perspective, Gil G. Noam and Gayle Valiant the directionality of the link between self-esteem and affect - beyond causal modelling, Susan Harter and Donna B. Marold adolescent suicide and the loss of personal continuity, Michael Chandler.
Small RNAs in plant defense responses during viral and bacterial interactions: similarities and differences

Small non-coding RNAs constitute an important class of gene expression regulators that control different biological processes in most eukaryotes. In plants, several small RNA (sRNA) silencing pathways have evolved to produce a wide range of small RNAs with specialized functions. Evidence for the diverse mode of action of the small RNA pathways has been highlighted during plant–microbe interactions. Host sRNAs and small RNA silencing pathways have been recognized as essential components of plant immunity. One way plants respond and defend against pathogen infections is through the small RNA silencing immune system. To deal with plant defense responses, pathogens have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to avoid and counterattack this defense strategy. The relevance of the small RNA-mediated plant defense responses during viral infections has been well-established. Recent evidence points out its importance also during plant–bacteria interactions. Herein, this review discusses recent findings, similarities and differences about the small RNA-mediated arms race between plants and these two groups of microbes, including the small RNA silencing pathway components that contribute to plant immune responses, the pathogen-responsive endogenous sRNAs and the pathogen-delivered effector proteins.
Interaktive Empfehlungsgenerierung mit Hilfe latenter Produktfaktoren

In diesem Beitrag beschreiben wir ein Verfahren zur Generierung interaktiver Empfehlungsdialoge auf Basis latenter Produktfaktoren. Der Ansatz verbindet auf neuartige Weise Methoden zur automatischen Generierung von Empfehlungen mit interaktiven, explorativen Methoden der Produktsuche. Das vorgestellte Verfahren nutzt verborgene Muster in Produktbewertungen („latente Faktoren“) und erzeugt auf dieser Basis visuelle Dialoge, die den Nutzer schrittweise und intuitiv durch einen Explorationsprozess führen. In einer Nutzerstudie konnten wir zeigen, dass ein derartiger interaktiver Empfehlungsprozess hinsichtlich des Aufwandes und der Zufriedenheit mit den erzielten Resultaten eine deutliche Verbesserung gegenüber rein manuellen oder rein automatischen Verfahren bieten kann.
Coherent FM-SCM system using DFB lasers and a phase noise cancellation circuit

A multichannel coherent subcarrier multiplexing (SCM) system using standard distributed-feedback lasers is discussed. A simple phase noise canceling circuit yields excellent quality FM video transmission (SNR=56 dB), even though the 50-MHz IF linewidth exceeds the 30-MHz signal bandwidth. <<ETX>>
A systematic method for design of multivariable fuzzy logic control systems

This paper proposes a systematic method to design a multivariable fuzzy logic controller for large-scale nonlinear systems. In designing a fuzzy logic controller, the major task is to determine fuzzy rule bases, membership functions of input/output variables, and input/output scaling factors. In this work, the fuzzy rule base is generated by a rule-generated function, which is based on the negative gradient of a system performance index; the membership functions of isosceles triangle of input/output variables are fixed in the same cardinality and only the input/output scaling factors are generated from a genetic algorithm based on a fitness function. As a result, the searching space of parameters is narrowed down to a small space, the multivariable fuzzy logic controller can quickly constructed, and the fuzzy rules and the scaling factors can easily be determined. The performance of the proposed method is examined by computer simulations on a Puma 560 system and a two-inverted pendulum system.
Using Cattle to Reduce Oak Savanna Understory Shrub Abundance: Stocking Rates and Weight Gains

Oak (Quercus spp.) savanna, characterized by widely scattered oaks with an understory of prairie and other specialized species, is one of the most endangered native ecosystems in North America (Nuzzo 1986, Packard and MuteI1 997). The absence of grazing and burning along with the in troduction of tillage agriculture are key factors for the loss of this ecosystem. Our objective was to determine the effect iveness of rotational grazing to reduce the shrub layer in degraded oak savannas. T his study took place at three sites in southwestern Wisconsin. In th is paper, we report on the results of the savanna grazing on the cattle. For two summers, cow/calf pairs or yearling Scottish Highland cattle (Bas taurus spp.) were placed on l ~acre (OA~ha) treatment sites for two to three days per month with a rest on grass pasture for one day between replicates. Animal weight gain was satisfactory. During the study, cattle generally gained better in 2002 due to adjusted stocking densities from 2001. Cows that calved prior to the study typically maintained body weight similar to controls, while late~calving cows in both groups lost some weight. Dry cows, steers, and nursing calves also performed similar to the controls. Body condition scores (BCS) for all classes of cattle were similar between the treatment and control groups over the season, hovering around 5 and 6. Managed grazing with fi ve to seven cow/calf pairs or 12 yearlings per acre, for two to three days per month two to four t imes per season reduced the shrub layer in oak savanna, while permitting adequate weight gains in the cattle.
Brush Sign on 3-T T2*-Weighted MRI as a Potential Predictor of Hemorrhagic Transformation After Tissue Plasminogen Activator Therapy

Background and Purpose— The brush sign (BS) is the enlargement of medullary veins on 3-T T2*-weighted MRI seen in patients with ischemic stroke because of major cerebral artery occlusion. However, the clinical relevance of BS in patients with acute stroke remains unclear. We assessed the correlation between detecting BS with the development of hemorrhagic transformation after intravenous thrombolysis. Methods— We enrolled consecutive patients with M1 or M2 occlusion treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. We classified the patients into 2 groups: the group positive for BS (P-BS) and the group negative for BS (N-BS). We investigated the differences in MRI findings and the clinical outcome between the 2 groups. Results— The subjects consisted of 36 patients (19 men; mean age, 74.7 years). Twenty-one patients (58%) had M1 occlusion, and 15 (42%) had M2 occlusion. Twenty-five patients (69%) were classified into the P-BS group and 11 (31%) into the N-BS group. Recanalization was observed in 15 (60%) and 10 (90%) patients in the P-BS and N-BS groups, respectively (P=0.116). Hemorrhagic transformation on MRI was observed more frequently in the P-BS group than in the N-BS group (64% versus 18%; P=0.027). A good outcome (mRS, 0–1) at discharge was found in 24% of patients in the P-BS group and in 45% of patients in the N-BS group (P=0.152). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of BS (odds ratio, 9.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.4–59.8; P=0.022) was independently associated with hemorrhagic transformation. Conclusions— BS may predict the development of hemorrhagic transformation in patients with acute stroke treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator.
BPS black hole degeneracies and minimal automorphic representations

We discuss the degeneracies of 4D and 5D BPS black holes in toroidal compactifications of M-theory or type-II string theory, using U-duality as a tool. We generalize the 4D/5D lift to include all charges in = 8 supergravity, and compute the exact indexed degeneracies of certain 4D 1/8-BPS black holes. Using the attractor formalism, we obtain the leading micro-canonical entropy for arbitrary Legendre invariant prepotentials and non-vanishing D6-brane charge. In particular, we find that the = 8 prepotential is given to leading order by the cubic invariant of E6. This suggests that the minimal unitary representation of E8, based on the same cubic prepotential, underlies the microscopic degeneracies of = 8 black holes. We propose that the exact degeneracies, at fixed 4-dimensional angular momentum, are given by the Wigner function of the E8() invariant vector in this automorphic representation. A similar conjecture relates the degeneracies of = 4 black holes to the minimal unipotent representation of SO(8,24,).