Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality of Service Adaptation in Data Stream Management Systems : A Control-Based Approach

Unlike snapshot queries in traditional databases, the processing of continuous queries in Data Stream Management Systems (DSMSs) needs to satisfy user-specified QoS requirements. In this paper, we focus on three major QoS parameters in a DSMS environment: processing delay, querying frequency and loss tolerance. To minimize processing delays, the Earliest Deadline First (EDF) CPU scheduling policy is recommended. QoS control for data streams is a difficult problem because both the processing cost and data rate can be unpredictable. One salient problem is that DSMSs are vulnerable to overloading as the data points tend to come in bursts. QoS degrades significantly when the system is overloaded. We propose a QoS adaptation framework that smartly adjusts application QoS and performs admission control based on the current and historical system status. The design of the QoS adaptation framework takes advantages of techniques from the area of control theory. Algorithms derived from control theory are mathematically analyzable and this makes the parameter tuning an easy job. In addition to load shedding, our QoS adaptor adjusts system load by changing multiple QoS parameters for streams. Extensive simulations using both synthetic and real data sets are Permission to copy without fee all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage, the VLDB copyright notice and the title of the publication and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of the Very Large Data Base Endowment. To copy otherwise, or to republish, requires a fee and/or special permission from the Endowment. Proceedings of the 30th VLDB Conference, Toronto, Canada, 2004 carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed control-based QoS adaptation framework. The results show that: compared to current solutions for QoS control in DSMS, the control-based strategy provides better guarantees of QoS and achieves higher resource utilization. Our solution is also light-weight and easy to implement.
A Simple Method for Estimating the Economic Cost of Productivity Loss Due to Blindness and Moderate to Severe Visual Impairment

Abstract Purpose: To estimate the annual loss of productivity from blindness and moderate to severe visual impairment (MSVI) using simple models (analogous to how a rapid assessment model relates to a comprehensive model) based on minimum wage (MW) and gross national income (GNI) per capita (US$, 2011). Methods: Cost of blindness (COB) was calculated for the age group ≥50 years in nine sample countries by assuming the loss of current MW and loss of GNI per capita. It was assumed that all individuals work until 65 years old and that half of visual impairment prevalent in the ≥50 years age group is prevalent in the 50–64 years age group. For cost of MSVI (COMSVI), individual wage and GNI loss of 30% was assumed. Results were compared with the values of the uncorrected refractive error (URE) model of productivity loss. Results: COB (MW method) ranged from $0.1 billion in Honduras to $2.5 billion in the United States, and COMSVI ranged from $0.1 billion in Honduras to $5.3 billion in the US. COB (GNI method) ranged from $0.1 million in Honduras to $7.8 billion in the US, and COMSVI ranged from $0.1 billion in Honduras to $16.5 billion in the US. Most GNI method values were near equivalent to those of the URE model. Conclusion: Although most people with blindness and MSVI live in developing countries, the highest productivity losses are in high income countries. The global economy could improve if eye care were made more accessible and more affordable to all.
Energy Efficiency of Distributed Signal Processing in Wireless Networks: A Cross-Layer Analysis

In order to meet the growing mobile data demand, future wireless networks will be equipped with a multitude of access points (APs). Besides the important implications for the energy consumption, the trend towards densification requires the development of decentralized and sustainable radio resource management techniques. It is critically important to understand how the distribution of signal processing operations affects the energy efficiency of wireless networks. In this paper, we provide a cross-layer framework to evaluate and compare the energy efficiency of wireless networks under different levels of distribution of the signal processing load: 1) hybrid, where the signal processing operations are shared between nodes and APs; 2) centralized, where signal processing is entirely implemented at the APs; and 3) fully distributed, where all operations are performed by the nodes. We find that in practical wireless networks, hybrid signal processing exhibits a significant energy efficiency gain over both centralized and fully distributed approaches.
Situational Influences of Acceptable Wildland Fire Management Actions

This article examines the effect of fire-specific situational factors on forest users’ normative beliefs about wildland fire management. The acceptability of three fire management actions for eight scenarios was examined. The scenarios varied five factors: (1) fire origin, (2) air quality impact, (3) risk of private property damage, (4) forest recovery, and (5) outdoor recreation impact. Data were obtained from a mail survey of visitors to three national forests: (1) Arapaho–Roosevelt, Colorado (n = 469), (2) Mt. Baker–Snoqualmie, Washington (n = 498), and (3) San Bernardino, California (n = 321). Conjoint analyses indicated varying levels of the five factors (e.g., fire started by humans or lightning) differentially affected acceptability ratings of management actions. Similar percentages of importance were attributed to four of the factors for decisions regarding “put the fire out” and “contain the fire. ” There was more dispersion in the relative importance of factors for “letting the fire burn. ”
Hybrid Discriminative-Generative Approach with Gaussian Processes

Machine learning practitioners are often faced with a choice between a discriminative and a generative approach to modelling. Here, we present a model based on a hybrid approach that breaks down some of the barriers between the discriminative and generative points of view, allowing continuous dimensionality reduction of hybrid discretecontinuous data, discriminative classication with missing inputs and manifold learning informed by class labels.
Development of a Continuous Measurement System for Atmospheric O 2 /N 2 Ratio Using a Paramagnetic Analyzer and Its Application in Minamitorishima Island, Japan

A continuous measuring system for atmospheric O 2 /N 2 ratio was developed employing a paramagnetic oxygen analyzer. Sample air is allowed to flow through a water trap cooled to −80°C, and is introduced into the analyzer at a flow rate of 100 mL min −1 by stabilizing the pressure to an order of 10 −1 Pa. The analytical reproducibility of the O 2 /N 2 ratio achieved by the system is about 5 and 3 per meg for 2 and 30 minutes average values, respectively. The O 2 /N 2 ratio values obtained by the system are in good agree- ment with the values obtained by our traditional system using a mass spectrometer. Using our new system, we started measuring the atmospheric O 2 /N 2 ratio at Minamitorishima, Japan since December, 2015. Some preliminary results show clearly the O 2 /N 2 day-to-day and seasonal variations that are in the opposite phase with the CO 2 concentration. ( Citation : Ishidoya, S., K. Tsuboi, S. Murayama, H. Matsueda, N. Aoki, T. Shimosaka, H. Kondo, and K. Saito, 2017: Develop- ment of a continuous measurement system for atmospheric O 2 /N 2 ratio using a paramagnetic analyzer and its application in Min- amitorishima Island, Japan. SOLA , 13 , 230−234, doi:10.2151/ sola.2017-042.)
Seizure prediction by nonlinear EEG analysis.

Attempting to increase insight into the spatio-temporal dynamics of the epileptogenic process to address one of the greatest challenges in epileptology. In the field of EEG analysis the search for the hidden information predictive of an impending seizure has a long history. The nonlinear EEG analysis techniques we have used in principle allow one to define a pre-ictal state and to characterize different temporal and spatial aspects of this state. The results obtained so far emphasize the high value of nonlinear EEG analysis techniques for the detection of a long-lasting pre-ictal state. Once given a sufficient sensitivity and specificity of seizure prediction techniques, more extensive clinical studies on a larger population of patients, either at home or in a clinical setting, can be envisaged.
A Regression Model of the Number of Taxicabs in U.S. Cities

In cities that control the number of taxicabs by law or regulation, setting the number of cabs is one of the most important decisions made by taxicab regulators and elected officials. Licensing either too many or too few cabs can have serious deleterious effects on the availability and quality of service and the economic viability of the taxi business. Yet local officials often have difficulty in quantifying the demand for taxi service or tracking changes in demand. Multiple regression modeling of the number of cabs in 118 U.S. cities identifies three primary demand factors: the number of workers commuting by subway, the number of households with no vehicles available, and the number of airport taxi trips. These results can be used to identify peer cities for further comparison and analysis and to guide regulators in measuring changes in local demand for cab service.
Comparative analysis of domestic value-added in China-U.S. trade

Based on the framework developed by Hummels et al(2001), this paper estimates the domestic value added in the exports of China to U.S. and U.S. to China. We find the following results: The value that comes from other countries to the export of China is much higher than U.S., those sectors that are likely to be labeled as sophisticated or high-skilled, such as computers, electronic devices, and telecommunication equipment, tend to have especially low shares of domestic content in China.
Domains of the human androgen receptor involved in steroid binding, transcriptional activation, and subcellular localization.

A series of human androgen receptor (AR) deletion mutants was constructed to study the relationship between the structural domains and their different functions in the AR protein. Human AR mutants were expressed in COS-1 and HeLa cells to investigate hormone binding, transcriptional activation, and subcellular localization. The wild-type human AR (AR 1-910) was expressed as a 110- to 112-kDa doublet, as revealed on immunoblots. All mutant AR proteins also migrated as doublets, except for one. This AR has a deletion from amino acid residues 51-211 and migrated as a single protein band, possibly due to altered posttranslational modification. The AR steroid-binding domain is encoded by approximately 250 amino acid residues in the C-terminal end. Deletions in this domain as well as truncation of the last 12 C-terminal amino acid residues abolished hormone binding. Cotransfection studies in HeLa cells showed that transcriptional activation of an androgen-regulated reporter gene construct was induced by the wild-type human AR. Mutational analysis revealed two regions in the N-terminal part, encoded by amino acid residues 51-211 and 244-360, to be essential for this transcriptional activation. Deletion of the hormone-binding domain yielded a constitutively active AR protein, indicating that in the absence of hormone this domain displays an inhibitory function. In the presence of its ligand, the wild-type AR was located in the cell nucleus. In the absence of androgens the receptor was mainly nuclear, but cytoplasmic localization was observed as well. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Common Mechanistic Features among Metallo-β-lactamases

Metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs) constitute an increasingly serious clinical threat by giving rise to β-lactam antibiotic resistance. They accommodate in their catalytic pocket one or two zinc ions, which are responsible for the hydrolysis of β-lactams. Recent x-ray studies on a member of the mono-zinc B2 MβLs, CphA from Aeromonas hydrophila, have paved the way to mechanistic studies of this important subclass, which is selective for carbapenems. Here we have used hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods to investigate the enzymatic hydrolysis by CphA of the antibiotic biapenem. Our calculations describe the entire reaction and point to a new mechanistic description, which is in agreement with the available experimental evidence. Within our proposal, the zinc ion properly orients the antibiotic while directly activating a second catalytic water molecule for the completion of the hydrolytic cycle. This mechanism provides an explanation for a variety of mutagenesis experiments and points to common functional facets across B2 and B1 MβLs.
Intragastric acidification reduces the occurrence of false-negative urea breath test results in patients taking a proton pump inhibitor

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to investigate whether reducing intragastric pH, at the time of urea ingestion, decreases the likelihood of false-negative (FN) urea breath test (UBT) results in patients taking a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). METHODS:Patients with active Helicobacter pylori infection underwent a baseline 14C-UBT (UBT-1) followed by treatment with lansoprazole 30 mg/day for 14 to 16 days. On day 13, patients returned for a repeat standard UBT (UBT-2). Between days 14 to 16, patients underwent a modified UBT (UBT-3), which included consuming 200 ml of 0.1 N citrate solution 30 min before and at the time of 14C-urea administration. Breath samples were collected 10 and 15 min after 14C-urea ingestion. Mean 14CO2 excretion and the number of FN and equivocal UBT results were compared for the three UBTs.RESULTS:A total of 20 patients completed the study. Lansoprazole caused a significant decrease in mean breath 14CO2 excretion (disintegrations per minute) between UBT-1 (2.96 ± 0.23) and UBT-2 (2.08 ± 0.52, p < 0.05). Lansoprazole caused six (30%) FN and eight (40%) equivocal UBT-2 results. Mean breath 14CO2 excretion for UBT-3 (677 ± 514) was greater than for UBT-2 (234 ± 327, p = 0.001). UBT-3 caused only two (10%) FN and three (15%) equivocal results. The 15-min breath sample caused fewer FN and equivocal results than the 10-min sample for both UBT-2 and UBT-3.CONCLUSIONS:Giving citrate before and at the time of 14C-urea administration increases mean breath 14CO2 excretion and decreases FN and equivocal UBT results in patients taking a PPI. These observations suggest that it may be possible to design a UBT protocol that will remain accurate in the face of PPI therapy.
Transforming Constraint: Transnational Feminist Movement Building in the Middle East and North Africa

This dissertation focuses on the intersection of global and indigenous a dvocacy strategies in feminist women’s movements in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). I explore strategies of resistance and innovation in three contexts: (1) Gl obally, I analyze a sample of MENA NGOs in a transnational women’s rights network, Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP) and their interactions in the international fundin g sphere; (2) Domestically, I examine a local Moroccan NGO’s strategy developme nt process and their domestic and regional partnerships when organizing to reform the Moudawana (19992004); and (3) Regionally, I analyze inter-organizational collaboration a nd coalition building between three NGOs in the Campaign to Reform Arab Wome n’s Nationality (2001-2008). I locate the dissertation in a feminist activist fra mework and draw from diverse data sources, including years of fieldwork with WLP (2004 -2008); participant observation and notes from five transnational women’s rights meetings (2005-2008); a content analysis of a sample of international funders’ and MENA fe minist NGOs’ websites; and two in-depth case studies with data derived from histo rical analysis, three months of fieldwork in Morocco, interviews with Moroccan, Lebanese, and re gional activists, and secondary document analysis. The findings provide deeper clarity into the strategic action of MENA feminist movements and the variety of social, political, and economic forces that shape their discourses and practices for achi eving social change and gender equality. The findings contribute to the scholarly literatur e on transnational feminism and social movements and its intersection with the law.
Pulsatile stretch activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members and focal adhesion kinase (p125(FAK)) in cultured rat cardiac myocytes.

Recently, we demonstrated that pulsatile mechanical stretch induced rapid secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by cultured rat cardiac myocytes in vitro. To investigate whether pulsatile stretch activates intracellular signaling in cardiac myocytes, we examined the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members and focal adhesion kinase (p125(FAK)) in cultured rat cardiac myocytes. We found that pulsatile stretch rapidly phosphorylated p44/p42 MAPKs (extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase [ERK] 1/2), stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK), p38MAPK, and p125(FAK). The stretch-induced activation of ERKs was at least partly mediated by VEGF, which was shown to be induced by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, and was also partly dependent on tyrosine kinases as well as protein kinase C (PKC). These data provide the direct evidence that pulsatile stretch can activate intracellular signaling in cardiac myocytes and that this was at least partly mediated by VEGF, which may play a role in cardiac adaptation to mechanical overload.
Current Concepts and Challenges in Ocular Surface Reconstruction Using Cultivated Mucosal Epithelial Transplantation

Ocular surface disorders wherein corneal stem cells are deficient result in total conjunctivalization leading to severe visual dysfunction and blindness. Treatment of these diseases requires reconstruction of the ocular surface using epithelial transplantation to provide a smooth refractive corneal surface and biologic and physical barriers against a variety of destructive factors. Recently, regenerative medicine focusing on tissue-engineered techniques has been developed and established as a new clinical field. In particular, cultivated mucosal epithelial transplantation using well-differentiated, stratified epithelial sheets on amniotic membrane allows a rapid re-epithelial cover over the entire corneal surface, resulting in early reduction of inflammation and cicatrization. This surgical approach dramatically improves the prognosis of severe ocular surface diseases, especially severely inflamed corneal stem cell deficiency. This new approach not only provides early epithelialization but also allows reconstruction of the corneal surface using autologous cultivated epithelium including the cornea and oral mucosa from a small number of cell sources after amplification. Tissue-engineered strategies using autologous corneal or oral mucosal epithelial sheet transplantation avoid the risk of rejection and complications associated with immunosuppressive treatments. In addition to new cellular transplantation, combined automated lamellar therapeutic keratoplasty provides better refractive stromal interference and contributes to performance and safety of cataract surgery in severe corneal opacity cases. Although long-term prognosis and cell biologic behavior of tissue-engineered epithelium after transplantation should be carefully monitored, these recent surgical treatments have opened a new field for ocular surface reconstruction.
Natural Variation in Vif: Differential Impact on APOBEC3G/3F and a Potential Role in HIV-1 Diversification

The HIV-1 Vif protein counteracts the antiviral activity exhibited by the host cytidine deaminases APOBEC3G and APOBEC3F. Here, we show that defective vif alleles can readily be found in HIV-1 isolates and infected patients. Single residue changes in the Vif protein sequence are sufficient to cause the loss of Vif-induced APOBEC3 neutralization. Interestingly, not all the detected defects lead to a complete inactivation of Vif function since some mutants retained selective neutralizing activity against APOBEC3F but not APOBEC3G or vice versa. Concordantly, independently hypermutated proviruses with distinguishable patterns of G-to-A substitution attributable to cytidine deamination induced by APOBEC3G, APOBEC3F, or both enzymes were present in individuals carrying proviruses with completely or partly defective Vif variants. Natural variation in Vif function may result in selective and partial neutralization of cytidine deaminases and thereby promote viral sequence diversification within HIV-1 infected individuals.
Liver resection after chemotherapy and tumour downsizing in patients with initially unresectable colorectal cancer liver metastases.

OBJECTIVES Among patients with initially unresectable colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLM), a subset are rendered resectable following the administration of systemic chemotherapy. This study reports the results achieved in liver resections performed at a single hepatobiliary referral centre after downsizing chemotherapy in patients with initially unresectable CLM. METHODS All liver resections for CLM performed over a 10-year period at the Toronto General Hospital were considered. Data on initially non-resectable patients who received systemic therapy and later underwent surgery were included for analysis. RESULTS Between January 2002 and July 2012, 754 liver resections for CLM were performed. A total of 24 patients were found to meet the study inclusion criteria. Bilobar CLM were present in 23 of these 24 patients. The median number of tumours was seven (range: 2-15) and median tumour size was 7.0 cm (range: 1.0-12.8 cm) before systemic therapy. All patients received oxaliplatin- or irinotecan-based chemotherapy. Fourteen patients received combined treatment with bevacizumab. Negative margin (R0) resection was accomplished in 21 of 24 patients. There was no perioperative mortality. Ten patients suffered perioperative morbidity. Eighteen patients suffered recurrence of disease within 9 months. Rates of disease-free survival at 1, 2 and 3 years were 47.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 30.4-74.6%], 23.8% (95% CI 11.1-51.2%) and 19.0% (95% CI 7.9-46.0%), respectively. Overall survival at 1, 2 and 3 years was 91.5% (95% CI 80.8-100%), 65.3% (95% CI 48.5-88.0%) and 55.2% (95% CI 37.7-80.7%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Liver resection in initially unresectable CLM can be performed with low rates of morbidity and mortality in patients who respond to systemic chemotherapy, although these patients do experience a high frequency of disease recurrence.