Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Censorship and Co-option of the Internet Infrastructure

Over a few short years, the Internet has grown to play an integral part of daily economic, social, and political life in most countries. From the Egyptian “Velvet Revolution” to the last US presidential campaign, Internet communication shapes public opinion and fosters social change. But despite its immense social importance, the Internet has proven remarkably susceptible to disruption and manipulation, including government induced multi-week outages (e.g. Libya and Egypt) and multi-year campaigns by autocratic regimes to render web sites and large address blocks unreachable. While parents, enterprises, and governments have always placed restrictions on end-user communication to meet social or legal goals we argue recent years have seen the beginning of a new trend—the co-option of the Internet infrastructure itself to affect large-scale censorship. In this paper, we use Internet routing, allocation, and backbone traffic statistics to explore several recent and ongoing infrastructure-based efforts to disrupt Internet communication. We focus our discussion on the risks of this infrastructure corruption trend to long-term evolution of the Internet.
Area Preserving Parameterisation of Shapes with Spherical Topology

Statistical shape models are powerful tools for model-based segmentation and have been successfully applied to the segmentation of various structures in medical images. Though the segmentation algorithms based on statistical shape models are simple, finding corresponding landmarks for the construction of the models is a challenging optimisation task. State-of-the-art algorithms that solve the correspondence problem require a representation of the training shapes in a suitable parameter space. The mapping of a shape to a parameter space can introduce large area distortions so that simple sampling techniques can not reconstruct the original shapes sufficiently well. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to construct area preserving parameterisations of shapes with spherical topology. Using our approach, good reconstructions of the original shapes can be achieved by uniform sampling. In contrast to previously published methods that use a black box optimisation approach, we exploit knowledge about the shortcomings of initial parameterisations.
Can evidence change the rate of back surgery? A randomized trial of community-based education.

CONTEXT Timely adoption of clinical practice guidelines is more likely to happen when the guidelines are used in combination with adjuvant educational strategies that address social as well as rational influences. OBJECTIVE To implement the conservative, evidence-based approach to low-back pain recommended in national guidelines, with the anticipated effect of reducing population-based rates of surgery. DESIGN A randomized, controlled trial. SETTING Ten communities in western Washington State with annual rates of back surgery above the 1990 national average (158 operations per 100,000 adults). PARTICIPANTS Spine surgeons, primary care physicians, patients who were surgical candidates, and hospital administrators. INTERVENTION The five communities randomized to the intervention group received a package of six educational activities tailored to local needs by community planning groups. Surgeon study groups, primary care continuing medical education conferences, administrative consensus processes, videodisc-aided patient decision making, surgical outcomes management, and generalist academic detailing were serially implemented over a 30-month intervention period. OUTCOME MEASURE Quarterly observations of surgical rates. RESULTS After implementation of the intervention, surgery rates declined in the intervention communities but increased slightly in the control communities. The net effect of the intervention is estimated to be a decline of 20.9 operations per 100,000, a relative reduction of 8.9% (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION We were able to use scientific evidence to engender voluntary change in back pain practice patterns across entire communities.
Using HDDT to avoid instances propagation in unbalanced and evolving data streams

Hellinger Distance Decision Trees [10] (HDDT) has been previously used for static datasets with skewed distributions. In unbalanced data streams, state-of-the-art techniques use instance propagation and standard decision trees (e.g. C4.5 [27]) to cope with the unbalanced problem. However it is not always possible to revisit/store old instances of a stream. In this paper we show how HDDT can be successfully applied in unbalanced and evolving stream data. Using HDDT allows us to remove instance propagations between batches with several benefits: i) improved predictive accuracy ii) speed iii) single-pass through the data. We use a Hellinger weighted ensemble of HDDTs to combat concept drift and increase accuracy of single classifiers. We test our framework on several streaming datasets with unbalanced classes and concept drift.
TERM WEIGHTING BERBASIS INDEKS BUKU DAN KELAS UNTUK PERANGKINGAN DOKUMEN BERBAHASA ARAB

Information Retrieval berdasarkan query tertentu sudah jamak ditemukan pada sistem komputer saat ini. Salah satu metode yang populer digunakan adalah perangkingan dokumen menggunakan space vector model berbasis pada nilai term weighting TF.IDF. Pada penelitian ini, terdapat beberapa buku berbahasa Arab yang memiliki puluhan bahkan ratusan halaman. Masing-masing halaman dari buku tersebut adalah sebuah dokumen yang akan diranking berdasarkan query dari pengguna. TF.IDF hanya melakukan pembobotan berbasis pada dokumen tanpa memperhatikan indeks buku dan kelas yang merupakan induk dokumen tersebut sehingga kinerjanya kurang maksimal jika diimplementasikan pada kasus ini. Oleh karena itu, diusulkan metode baru term weighting yang berbasis pada indeks buku dan kelas. Metode ini memperhatikan frekuensi kemunculan term pada keseluruhan buku dan kelas. Metode yang disebut inverse class frequency (ICF) dan inverse book frequency (IBF) ini digabungkan dengan metode sebelumnya sehingga menjadi TF.IDF. ICF.IBF. Pengujian metode ini menggunakan dataset dari beberapa e-book berbahasa arab. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa metode yang diajukan terbukti dapat diaplikasikan pada perangkingan dokumen berbahasa arab dan memiliki performa yang lebih bagus dibanding metode sebelumnya dengan nilai F-Measure 75%, precision 76%, dan recall mencapai 74%.
Small RNA-Directed Epigenetic Natural Variation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Progress in epigenetics has revealed mechanisms that can heritably regulate gene function independent of genetic alterations. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of epigenetics in evolution. This is due in part to scant data on epigenetic variation among natural populations. In plants, small interfering RNA (siRNA) is involved in both the initiation and maintenance of gene silencing by directing DNA methylation and/or histone methylation. Here, we report that, in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, a cluster of ∼24 nt siRNAs found at high levels in the ecotype Landsberg erecta (Ler) could direct DNA methylation and heterochromatinization at a hAT element adjacent to the promoter of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a major repressor of flowering, whereas the same hAT element in ecotype Columbia (Col) with almost identical DNA sequence, generates a set of low abundance siRNAs that do not direct these activities. We have called this hAT element MPF for Methylated region near Promoter of FLC, although de novo methylation triggered by an inverted repeat transgene at this region in Col does not alter its FLC expression. DNA methylation of the Ler allele MPF is dependent on genes in known silencing pathways, and such methylation is transmissible to Col by genetic crosses, although with varying degrees of penetrance. A genome-wide comparison of Ler and Col small RNAs identified at least 68 loci matched by a significant level of ∼24 nt siRNAs present specifically in Ler but not Col, where nearly half of the loci are related to repeat or TE sequences. Methylation analysis revealed that 88% of the examined loci (37 out of 42) were specifically methylated in Ler but not Col, suggesting that small RNA can direct epigenetic differences between two closely related Arabidopsis ecotypes.
Functional verification of the CMOS S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server G4 system

Verification of the S/390® Parallel Enterprise Server G4 processor and level 2 cache (L2) chips was performed using a different approach than previously. This paper describes the methods employed by our functional verification team to demonstrate that its logical system complied with the S/390 architecture while staying within the changing cost structure and time-to-market constraints. Verification proceeded at four basic levels defined by the breadth of logic being tested. The lowest level, designer macro verification, contained a single designer's hardware description language (in VHDL). Unit-level verification consisted of a logical portion of function that generally contained four or five designers' logic. The third level of verification was the chip level, in which the processor or L2 chips were individually tested. Finally, system-level verification was performed on symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) configurations that included bus-switching network (BSN) chips and I/O connection chips, designated as memory bus adaptors (MBAs), along with multiple copies of the processor and L2 chips.
Comparative and International Education

Foreword by Professor Erwin H. Epstein Introduction 1. Making comparisons 2. How comparative education has developed 3. Domains of practice and fields of inquiry in international education 4. Education and national development: An introduction to key ideas and questions 5. Comparative education: method 6. Researching education and development: Perspectives, practicalities, and ethics 7. Comparative education research: survey outcomes and their uses 8. Outcomes of comparative education: Selected themes Conclusions References
0 M ar 2 00 6 Theory of Spin Hall Effects

Spin Hall effects are a collection of phenomena, resulting from spin-orbit coupling, in which an electrical current flowing through a sample can lead to spin transport in a perpendicular direction and spin accumulation at lateral boundaries. These effects, which do not require an applied magnetic field, can originate in a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic spin-orbit coupling mechanisms and depend on geometry, dimension, impurity scattering, and carrier density of the system—making the analysis of these effects a diverse field of research. In this article, we give an overview of the theoretical background of the spin Hall effects and summarize some of the most important results. First, we explain effective spin-orbit Hamiltonians, how they arise from band structure, and how they can be understood from symmetry considerations; including intrinsic coupling due to bulk inversion or structure asymmetry or due to strain, and extrinsic coupling due to impurities. This leads to different mechanisms of spin transport: spin precession, skew scattering, and side jump. Then we present the kinetic (Boltzmann) equations, which describe the spin-dependent distribution function of charge carriers, and the diffusion equation for spin polarization density. Next, we define the notion of spin currents and discuss their relation to spin polarization. Finally, we explain the electrically induced spin effects; namely, spin polarization and currents in bulk and near boundaries (the focus of most current theoretical research efforts), and spin injection, as well as effects in mesoscopic systems and in edge states.
A Review of: “No Quick, Fix, The RTI Edition: Rethinking Literacy Programs in America's Elementary Schools. Richard A. Allington and Sean Walmsley (eds.)”

Theories regarding effective early literacy instruction and intervention programs have been hotly debated for years. The so-called ‘‘reading wars’’ of the 1990s pitted phonics aficionados against whole language advocates (Kaustuv, 2005; Kim, 2008; Lemann, 1997; Pearson, 2004), causing many practitioners to continue to search for effective literacy methods. In 1995, enter No Quick Fix: Rethinking Literacy Programs in America’s Elementary Schools. When the first edition of No Quick Fix was published, it was hailed as a no-nonsense look at successful early literacy intervention programs that beat the odds in helping children learn to read. Although the original edition of No Quick Fix was published before the National Reading Panel report (2000), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the subsequent Reading First initiative to improve early reading achievement using scientifically based reading programs focused on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, it is still relevant to the literacy landscape of the present. With the advent of the Response to Intervention (RTI) initiative as part of the reauthorization of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 (renamed Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act), Allington and Walmsley have reissued No Quick Fix with a preface that briefly explains RTI. When Congress reauthorized IDEA, they changed the law about identifying children with specific learning disabilities. The requirement to identify students based on a ‘‘discrepancy’’ formula between IQ score and actual achievement was removed, and the law now requires states to allow districts to try alternative models, including RTI (Wedl, 2005). The RTI initiative allows school districts to allocate up to 15% of its special education federal dollars to be used for general education interventions before children are identified for special education services (Allington & Walmsley, 2007). Although not required by law, the RTI initiative is strongly recommended as a way to intervene earlier, thereby possibly
Atherosclerotic Carotid Stenoses of Apical versus Body Lesions in High-Risk Carotid Stenting Patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Different lesion locations in the atherosclerotic carotid bulb stenosis have not been clearly defined. We sought to evaluate 2 locations of carotid bulb stenosis in high-risk patients and to determine the relationship of each location to atherosclerotic risk factors and clinical features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Atherosclerotic carotid plaques of apical versus body lesions, defined according to the area and extent of plaque involvement, were retrospectively analyzed in 200 consecutive high-risk patients who underwent carotid stent placement because of ≥50% symptomatic stenosis. We evaluated interobserver concordance and assessed each type of lesion relative to 13 atherosclerotic risk factors, mode of symptom presentation, infarct pattern, procedure-related factors, and clinical outcomes, by univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Interobserver concordance showed good agreement for differentiating apical and body lesions (κ = 0.745). Univariate analysis revealed that apical lesions (n = 108, 54%) were associated with pseudo-occlusion (P = .027), older age (P = .073), and alcohol intake (P = .080), whereas body lesions (n = 92, 46%) were associated with hyperlipidemia (P = .001), a wedge-shaped cortical infarct pattern (P = .057), and hyperperfusion syndrome (P = .083). Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted by age revealed that hyperlipidemia (P = .002; OR, 3.462; 95% CI, 1.595–7.515) and hyperperfusion (P = .026; OR, 6.727; 95% CI, 1.261–35.894) were independent predictors of body-type lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Atherosclerotic carotid bulb stenosis was found to have 2 distinct locations, body and apical. Hyperlipidemia and cortical wedge-shaped infarcts were more frequently associated with body than with apical stenosis at the time of presentation.
A Near-Linear Pseudopolynomial Time Algorithm for Subset Sum

Given a set Z of n positive integers and a target value t, the S ubset S um problem asks whether any subset of Z sums to t. A textbook pseudopolynomial time algorithm by Bellman from 1957 solves S ubset S um in time O(nt). This has been improved to O(n max Z) by Pisinger [J. Algorithms'99] and recently to [EQUATION] by Koiliaris and Xu [SODA'17]. Here we present a simple and elegant randomized algorithm running in time O(n+t). This improves upon a classic algorithm and is likely to be near-optimal, since it matches conditional lower bounds from S et C over and k-C lique . We then use our new algorithm and additional tricks to improve the best known polynomial space solution from time O(n3t) and space O(n2) to time O(nt) and space O(n log t), assuming the Extended Riemann Hypothesis. Unconditionally, we obtain time O(nt1+e) and space O(nte) for any constant e > 0.
Schmerzforschung mit der Positronen-Emissions-Tomografie

Zusammenfassung Im Rahmen der Schmerzforschung mit der Positronen- Emissions-Tomografie (PET) sind in den letzten Jahren zahlreiche wegweisende Arbeiten entstanden, welche unser heutiges Verständnis der zerebralen Schmerzverarbeitung und Schmerzmodulation wesentlich geprägt haben. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit fassen wir wichtige PET-Befunde zur Physiologie der Schmerzverarbeitung und des Opioidsystems sowie zur Pathophysiologie von ausgewählten Schmerzsyndromen zusammen und erörtern welche zukünftigen Entwicklungen zu erwarten sind.
AppleScript: The Definitive Guide

AppleScript: The Definitive Guide explores and teaches the language from the ground up. If you're a beginner and want to learn how to write your first script or just understand what the excitement is all about, you'll be able to do so after reading this book. Experienced AppleScripters will love having the most definitive, up-to-date AppleScript language reference available.
Chronic Infusion of Bradykinin Delays the Progression of Heart Failure and Preserves Vascular Endothelium-Mediated Vasodilation in Conscious Dogs

Background—This study examined the effects of chronic bradykinin infusion on hemodynamics and myocardial and endothelial functions during the development of heart failure. Methods and Results—Sixteen instrumented dogs were randomized to receive through the left atria either vehicle or bradykinin (1 &mgr;g/min) during ventricular pacing (250 bpm, 5 weeks). Hemodynamic and left ventricular (LV) parameters and the vasodilator responses to intravenous acetylcholine (0.3 to 3 &mgr;g/kg) and nitroglycerin (1 to 10 &mgr;g/kg) were examined in the control and after 3 and 5 weeks of pacing. The expression of endothelial NOS in femoral, carotid, and renal arteries was determined by Western blot analysis. After 3 weeks of pacing, changes in LV diastolic and systolic parameters were significantly lower in bradykinin-treated than vehicle-treated dogs (LV end-diastolic pressure, +10±3 versus +19±2 mm Hg; time constant of LV isovolumic relaxation, +11±2 versus +17±1 ms; LV wall thickening, −33±18% versus −75±9%; and cardiac output, −16±6% versus −32±6%; all P <0.05). Compared with vehicle-treated dogs, bradykinin-treated dogs had a reduced rightward shift of the diastolic LV pressure-diameter relation and a reduced diastolic LV wall stress. Similar trends were observed after 5 weeks. The vasodilator response to nitroglycerin was preserved in both groups. The response to acetylcholine was blunted in vehicle-treated but preserved in bradykinin-treated dogs. Vascular endothelial NOS expression decreased in vehicle-treated but was preserved in bradykinin-treated dogs. Conclusions—In conscious dogs, chronic bradykinin infusion delays the heart failure progression by preserving LV diastolic and systolic functions and by preserving vascular endothelial function.
Code Size and Depth Flows in Genetic Programming

This paper examines the process of genetic programming using a search space which measures not only program tness, but also program size and depth. We then explore two prominent ows through this space. We nd support for a Replication Accuracy Force McPhee and Miller, 1995] which produces a ow towards larger programs to protect against destructive crossover events. There is a related ow towards deeper programs. This ow is relatively stronger than that towards larger programs, resulting in progressively less dense programs as long as growth continues .
Family history-taking in community family practice: Implications for genetic screening

Purpose: To identify characteristics of physicians, patients, and visits associated with obtaining family history information in community family practice.Methods: Research nurses directly observed 4454 patient visits to 138 family physicians and reviewed office medical records.Results: Family history was discussed during 51% of visits by new patients and 22% of visits by established patients. Physicians' rates of family history-taking varied from 0% to 81% of visits. Family history was more often discussed at well care rather than illness visits. The average duration of family history discussions was <2.5 minutes.Conclusions: These data can form the basis for realistic interventions to increase the use of family history in primary care.
Flecainide exerts paradoxical effects on sodium currents and atrial arrhythmia in murine RyR2-P2328S hearts

Cardiac ryanodine receptor mutations are associated with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), and some, including RyR2‐P2328S, also predispose to atrial fibrillation. Recent work associates reduced atrial Nav1.5 currents in homozygous RyR2‐P2328S (RyR2S/S) mice with slowed conduction and increased arrhythmogenicity. Yet clinically, and in murine models, the Nav1.5 blocker flecainide reduces ventricular arrhythmogenicity in CPVT. We aimed to determine whether, and how, flecainide influences atrial arrhythmogenicity in RyR2S/S mice and their wild‐type (WT) littermates.
How Can Positive Effects of Pop-Up Windows on Multimedia Learning Be Explained?.

A large body of research has shown that incorporating text in the corresponding sections of an illustration facilitates the learning of illustrated documents. More recently, a series of studies has revealed that the use of interactive windows located close to the illustration causes similar effects. The aim of this paper is to help bring about a better understanding of the beneficial effects of these pop-up windows on multimedia learning. The first study shows that the spatial integration of these windows has a positive effect on performances in tasks designed to evaluate, in particular, the quality of the referential connections between the text and the illustration and, additionally, that their interactive characteristics also contribute to learning. The second study shows that this specific advantage seems to be due to the intermittent nature of these windows which makes it possible to reduce the visual perceptual load of the document. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)