Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance evaluation of transport layer protocols for video traffic over WiMax

With a variety of access technologies available, the demand for mobile multimedia applications has increased enormously. Supporting these multimedia applications with varied quality of service (QoS) requirements while maximizing the resource utilization is a challenging task. One important factor is the transport protocol that significantly affects the offered QoS and efficient utilization of network resources in the inherently varying transmission conditions due to the wireless medium. Currently most of the multimedia applications use UDP as the main transport layer protocol. However, UDP performance has not been satisfactory in meeting the varied QoS of diverse multimedia applications. A number of new protocols are being developed to meet the diverse needs of emerging multimedia applications. SCTP and DCCP are two important developments that are being considered in this regard. In this paper, through simulations, performance of UDP, SCTP and DCCP protocols has been analyzed for the transport of MPEG-4 video traffic over WiMAX as underlying access technology. Considering single cell WiMAX network, performance metrics such as throughput, delay and jitter have been determined for each of the three protocols in varying WiMAX network topologies/scenarios. On the basis of this study, it has been found that both SCTP and DCCP outperform UDP by large extent. Further, DCCP performance is better than SCTP in terms of delay and jitter.
Prevalence and Clinical Implications of Epstein–Barr Virus Infection in De Novo Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in Western Countries

Purpose: Epstein–Barr virus–positive (EBV+) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the elderly is a variant of DLBCL with worse outcome that occurs most often in East-Asian countries and is uncommon in the Western hemisphere. We studied the largest cohort of EBV+ DLBCL, independent of age, treated with rituximab combined with CHOP (R-CHOP) in developed Western countries. Experimental design: A large cohort (n = 732) of patients with DLBCL treated with R-CHOP chemotherapy is included from the multicenter consortium. This study group has been studied for expression of different biomarkers by immunohistochemistry, genetic abnormalities by FISH and mutation analysis, genomic information by gene expression profiling (GEP), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Results: Twenty-eight patients (4.0%) were positive for EBV with a median age of 60.5 years. No clinical characteristics distinguished patients with EBV+ DLBCL from patients with EBV-negative (EBV−) DLBCL. Genetic aberrations were rarely seen. NF-κB p50, phosphorylated STAT-3, and CD30 were more commonly expressed in EBV+ DLBCLs (P < 0.05). Significant differences in survival were not observed in patients with EBV+ DLBCL versus EBV− DLBCL. However, CD30 expression combined with EBV conferred an inferior outcome. GEP showed a unique expression signature in EBV+ DLBCL. GSEA revealed enhanced activity of the NF-κB and JAK/STAT pathways independent of molecular subtype. Conclusions: The clinical characteristics of patients with EBV+ versus EBV− DLBCL are similar and EBV infection does not predict a worse outcome. EBV+ DLBCL, however, has a unique genetic signature. CD30 expression is more common in EBV+ DLBCL and, consistent CD30 and EBV is associated with an adverse outcome. Clin Cancer Res; 20(9); 2338–49. ©2014 AACR.
Improvement of snakes for SAR images

Active contour models or snakes have been proved to be very effective tools for extracting the contours of objects. The total snake energy is given by the sum of the internal deformation energy and the external potential energy. The external energy function is derived from the image so that it takes on its smaller values at the features of interest, such as boundaries. External forces help to push the snake towards the image features we are looking for. These forces are associated to which in general, is defined in terms of gradient module of the image convolved by a Gaussian function. It is widely used in optical images, while it is difficult to extend in SAR images. The problem is complicated by the nature of multiplicative noise, known as speckle, which is characterized by a high degree of correlation and signal dependence. At the same time Gaussian filter will smooth the edges in SAR images. So traditional snakes are not effective for edge detection in SAR images. In this paper, we suggest to replace Gaussian filter with an edge preserved filter before calculating the external energy. Experiments prove that the improved snakes overcome effectively the influence of noise and enhance the snakes’ ability of extracting the contours of objects in SAR images. Keywords-snakes; Gamma MAP; SAR images
Tidal-shelf sedimentation: an example from the Scottish Dalradian

The Jura Quartzite, a formation of probably late Precambrian metasediments over 5 km thick from the Caledonian belt in Southwest Scotland, has been divided into a coarse and three fine facies. The former comprises cross-bedded sands with some laminated sands and silt horizons, interpreted as the deposits of shallow marine tidal dunes and other bedforms together with some beach units. Deposition from suspension of silt and sand formed climbing dunes while largescale erosion produced flat or channelled surfaces. The fine facies comprise laterally persistent, parallel and cross-laminated sand units from millimetres to decimetres thick, interbedded with muds. The coarse and fine facies can be finely interbedded, the former sometimes filling decimetre deep, straight channels, cut in the latter. The fine facies exhibit structures indicative of deposition from decelerating currents and are interpreted as shallow marine storm deposits. The facies are compared with a model developed from published observations on modern shelf areas. Zones of erosion, large and small dunes, flat bedded sand and mud are considered to be the end product of a wide spectrum of tidal and storm conditions. During severe storms the fair weather tidal dunes may be modified or washed out, new dunes may be initiated downcurrent of the normal dune field while storm-sand layers are deposited in the distal zones. Hence, the nature of the preserved sediment blanket reflects the rare severe storm event rather than normal tidal conditions. The Jura Quartzite was deposited in a tidal gulf intimately connected with an ocean basin. The north-northeast directed palaeocurrent modes are probably roughly parallel to the coastline.
Heart to heart: challenges and perspectives for genetic research in congenital heart disease

The advent of novel and innovative genetic ana lysis techniques in congenital heart disease (CHD), including the deciphering of individual genomes, is likely to lead to a paradigm shift in medicine. In this article, we challenge current views of congenital cardiac malformations as being either monogenic or due to common variants, succinctly summarize recent developments in the field and outline the promises and challenges that lies ahead. Most cases of CHD occur in a sporadic fashion and are of unknown cause. Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are primarily based on anatomical and physiological considerations, with advances in pediatric cardiac care now allowing surgical repair in infants with even the most complex malformations, at a low mortality risk. These advances have resulted in a major shift in population demographics. Declining mortality rates in the young have translated into adults now outnumbering children with CHD [1]. Despite these successes, the lack of knowledge regarding the underlying etiology of CHD hinders our ability to predict or modify the disease course or to develop preventive (primary prevention) or early interventional (secondary prevention) strategies. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the evidence summarizing the known genetic factors implicated in CHD, discuss the potential interplay of such factors in different models, and highlight some questions that genetic research is likely to inform, as we tackle translational and clinical research in the coming years.
Nuclear colocalization of transcription factor target genes strengthens coregulation in yeast

Eukaryotic chromosomes are not randomly distributed in the interphase nucleus, but instead occupy distinct territories. Nonetheless, the genome-wide relationships of gene regulation to gene nuclear location remain poorly understood in yeast. In the three-dimensional view of gene regulation, we found that a considerable number of transcription factors (TFs) regulate genes that are colocalized in the nucleus. Colocalized TF target genes are more strongly coregulated compared with the other TF target genes. Target genes of chromatin regulators are also colocalized. These results demonstrate that colocalization of coregulated genes is a common process, and three-dimensional gene positioning is an important part of gene regulation. Our findings will have implications in understanding nuclear architecture and function.
Welcome to the neighborhood: epithelial cell‐derived cytokines license innate and adaptive immune responses at mucosal sites

Summary: There is compelling evidence that epithelial cells (ECs) at mucosal surfaces, beyond their role in creating a physical barrier, are integral components of innate and adaptive immunity. The capacity of these cells to license the functions of specific immune cell populations in the airway and gastrointestinal tract offers the prospect of novel therapeutic strategies to target multiple inflammatory diseases in which barrier immunity is dysregulated. In this review, we discuss the critical functions of EC‐derived thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin‐25 (IL‐25), and IL‐33 in the development and regulation of T‐helper 2 (Th2) cytokine‐dependent immune responses. We first highlight recent data that have provided new insights into the factors that control expression of this triad of cytokines and their receptors. In addition, we review their proinflammatory and immunoregulatory functions in models of mucosal infection and inflammation. Lastly, we discuss new findings indicating that despite their diverse structural features and differential expression of their receptors, TSLP, IL‐25, and IL‐33 cross‐regulate one another and share overlapping properties that influence Th2 cytokine‐dependent responses at mucosal sites.
Molecular docking studies of bacoside from Bacopa monnieri with LRRK2 receptor

Bacosides, constituents of Bacopa monnieri (Linn.), are reported to be potential therapeutic saponins in the cure of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, detailed mechanism for control of PD by bacosides is not well documented. PD has been reported to be caused by genetic mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) leading to higher kinase activity that has been identified as a major cause of familial PD. The LRRK2 was thus proposed as an important marker in the pathogenesis of PD. This suggests that inhibition of LRRK2 holds promise as a potential treatment for PD. Our study focuses on the possible application of bacoside A constituents as potential inhibitors of LRRK2. In this work, we have carried out the in silico molecular docking studies of bacoside A constituents with LRRK2, proposing their role as an inhibitor in PD. The study has revealed the significant interactions between bacosaponin and LRRK2 having ten H-bonds at receptor-ligand site with binding affinity −7.5 kcal/mol. Hence, amongst the studied triglycosidic saponins, bacosaponin was analyzed to be a better ligand, proposing it to be a major constituent in inhibiting enzymatic activities of mutated LRRK2.
Network traffic anomalies detection and identification with flow monitoring

Network management and security is currently one of the most vibrant research areas, among which, research on detecting and identifying anomalies has attracted a lot of interest. Researchers are still struggling to find an effective and lightweight method for anomaly detection purpose. In this paper, we propose a simple, robust method that detects network anomalous traffic data based on flow monitoring. Our method works based on monitoring the four predefined metrics that capture the flow statistics of the network. In order to prove the power of the new method, we did build an application that detects network anomalies using our method. And the result of the experiments proves that by using the four simple metrics from the flow data, we do not only effectively detect but can also identify the network traffic anomalies.
Transcriptome analysis of wheat inoculated with Fusarium graminearum

Plants are frequently exposed to microorganisms like fungi, bacteria, and viruses that cause biotic stresses. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an economically risky wheat disease, which occurs upon Fusarium graminearum (Fg) infection. Moderately susceptible (cv. “Mizrak 98”) and susceptible (cv. “Gun 91”) winter type bread wheat cultivars were subjected to transcriptional profiling after exposure to Fg infection. To examine the early response to the pathogen in wheat, we measured gene expression alterations in mock and pathogen inoculated root crown of moderately susceptible (MS) and susceptible cultivars at 12 hours after inoculation (hai) using 12X135K microarray chip. The transcriptome analyses revealed that out of 39,179 transcripts, 3668 genes in microarray were significantly regulated at least in one time comparison. The majority of differentially regulated transcripts were associated with disease response and the gene expression mechanism. When the cultivars were compared, a number of transcripts and expression alterations varied within the cultivars. Especially membrane related transcripts were detected as differentially expressed. Moreover, diverse transcription factors showed significant fold change values among the cultivars. This study presented new insights to understand the early response of selected cultivars to the Fg at 12 hai. Through the KEGG analysis, we observed that the most altered transcripts were associated with starch and sucrose metabolism and gluconeogenesis pathways.
Of Cyborgs and Brutes: Technology-Inherited Violence and Ignorance

The broad aim of this paper is to question the ambiguous relationship between technology and intelligence. More specifically, it addresses the reasons why the ever-increasing reliance on smart technologies and wide repositories of data does not necessarily increase the display of “smart” or even “intelligent” behaviors, but rather increases new instances of “brutality” as a mix of ignorance and violence. We claim that the answer can be found in the cyborg theory, and more specifically in the possibility to blend (not always for the best) different kinds of intentionality.
Common Property Resource Management in Vanuatu - Perspectives from a Community

Vanuatu's common property natural resources provide essential ecological services for the global community and sustain the livelihoods of 80% of the Vanuatu population. Sustainable management of natural resources is dependent on locally developed systems that govern common property resources. Understanding the drivers of commons management problems from local resource-users' perspectives is essential to know how local governance systems can be supported and strengthened. I explore locally identified drivers of commons management problems using a case study of the Tangoa Island community of South Santo, Vanuatu. Methods include participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques and 31 interviews with local people. Literature from Vanuatu as well as 18 interviews with Vanuatu government departments, NGOs, and aid donors informs how relevant the issues identified in the case study are for other communities across Vanuatu. I found that drivers at different contextual scales, from local to global, affect two main elements of a community's cooperative capacity for commons management - social cohesion and governance systems. The issues identified by the Tangoa Island community affect many Vanuatu communities because they are driven by wider processes of social, cultural, economic, and institutional change. Approaches to support and strengthen local social and governance systems can target drivers at multiple contextual scales.
An Overview of FlamMap Fire Modeling Capabilities

Computerized and manual systems for modeling wildland fire behavior have long been available (Rothermel 1983, Andrews 1986). These systems focus on one-dimensional behaviors and assume the fire geometry is a spreading line-fire (in contrast with point or area-source fires). Models included in these systems were developed to calculate fire spread rate (Rothermel 1972, Albini 1976), fire shape (Anderson 1983, Alexander 1985), spot fire distance (Albini 1979, 1983) and crown fire spread rate (Van Wagner 1977, Rothermel 1991). The FlamMap program was developed for extending the utility of these models to a landscape-level where the necessary inputs have been mapped using geographic information systems (GIS). This paper documents the capabilities in FlamMap 3.0 and discusses some of the uses for such capabilities.
Revisiting the status of speech rhythm

Text-to-Speech synthesis offers an interesting manner of synthesising various knowledge components related to speech production. To a certain extent, it provides a new way of testing the coherence of our understanding of speech production in a highly systematic manner. For example, speech rhythm and temporal organisation of speech have to be well-captured in order to mimic a speaker correctly. The simulation approach used in our laboratory for two languages supports our original hypothesis of multidimensionality and non-linearity in the production of speech rhythm. This paper presents an overview of our approach towards this issue, as it has been developed over the last years. We conceive the production of speech rhythm as a multidimensional task, and the temporal organisation of speech as a key component of this task (i.e., the establishment of temporal boundaries and durations). As a result of this multidimensionality, text-to-speech systems have to accommodate a number of systematic transformations and computations at various levels. Our model of the temporal organisation of read speech in French and German emerges from a combination of quantitative and qualitative parameters, organised according to psycholinguistic and linguistic structures. (An ideal speech synthesiser would also take into account subphonemic as well as pragmatic parameters. However such systems are not yet available).
Logarithmic asymptotics for steady-state tail probabilities in a single-server queue

We consider the standard single-server queue with unlimited waiting space and the first-in first-out service discipline, but without any explicit independence conditions on the interarrival and service times. We find conditions for the steady-state waiting-time distribution to have asymptotics of the form x –1 log P(W > x) → –θ ∗as x → ∞for θ ∗ > 0. We require only stationarity of the basic sequence of service times minus interarrival times and a Gärtner–Ellis condition for the cumulant generating function of the associated partial sums, i.e. n –1 log E exp (θSn ) → ψ (θ) as n → ∞, plus regularity conditions on the decay rate function ψ. The asymptotic decay rate θ is the root of the equation ψ (θ) = 0. This result in turn implies a corresponding asymptotic result for the steady-state workload in a queue with general non-decreasing input. This asymptotic result covers the case of multiple independent sources, so that it provides additional theoretical support for a concept of effective bandwidths for admission control in multiclass queues based on asymptotic decay rates.
Countering Countermeasures: Detecting Identity Lies by Detecting Conscious Breakthrough

One major drawback of deception detection is its vulnerability to countermeasures, whereby participants wilfully modulate their physiological or neurophysiological response to critical guilt-determining stimuli. One reason for this vulnerability is that stimuli are usually presented slowly. This allows enough time to consciously apply countermeasures, once the role of stimuli is determined. However, by increasing presentation speed, stimuli can be placed on the fringe of awareness, rendering it hard to perceive those that have not been previously identified, hindering the possibility to employ countermeasures. We tested an identity deception detector by presenting first names in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation and instructing participants to lie about their own identity. We also instructed participants to apply a series of countermeasures. The method proved resilient, remaining effective at detecting deception under all countermeasures.
Will Asian carp take over the Great Lakes

This paper examines the legal and legislative efforts to prevent the invasive Asian carp species from gaining access to Lake Michigan and thereby populating all the Great Lakes. So far appeals to the US Supreme Court and a case filed in the US District Court in Illinois have unsuccessfully argued for an injunction closing the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) canals that connect the Des Plaines River to Lake Michigan. The Army Corp of Engineers, which has jurisdiction over the CAWS, has installed a system of electric barriers, which it insists is adequate to prevent the carp from accessing Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, these barriers are not entirely effective. In June 2010, a commercial fisherman caught a bighead carp north of the barriers in a lake only six miles from Lake Michigan, and Asian carp eDNA has been identified in Lake Michigan. Court rulings to date make it clear that nothing short of a proven, established, breeding population will be deemed threatening enough to justify a court order closing the CAWS connection to Lake Michigan. Of course if, and when, this is proven, it will be too late to prevent the fish from establishing themselves in the Great Lakes. Once the carp are established, the entire ecosystem of the Great Lakes is likely to change. This could be disastrous for both the fish that currently inhabit the lakes and the people and industries that depend on them. Since legal efforts appear ineffective, what other actions are possible that might prove successful in protecting the Great Lakes from Asian carp? Federal legislation and numerous agencies are seeking solutions but most experts agree that the best way to prevent a bilateral exchange of invasive species between the Great lakes and the Mississippi River Basin is to sever the CAWS connection that joins the two water systems.
Environmental factors affecting global atmospheric methane concentrations

Methane is a greenhouse gas of largely biological origin. Micro-organisms responsible for production of much of the atmospheric methane are directly affected by climate resulting in potential feedbacks between the atmosphere and the biosphere. Our current understanding of the role of methane in the climate system is reviewed in this article, with a brief discussion of biological, chemical, and physical processes responsible for the spatial and temporal distribution of atmos pheric methane. The magnitude of most methane sources is highly speculative, and their distributions are qualitatively understood. Most terrestrial source regions have been surveyed, but few have been studied in much detail. The strength of enteric sources is based on laboratory measurements of emissions from a few animals and estimates of global populations. Accuracy of the resulting flux size and distribution is highly suspect. Data available on either magnitude or distribution of non-biogenic methane sources are scarce. Models of the influence of climate on biological methane sources are primarily regressions dependent on measures of heat and water in the environment. Process-based models derived from biological and physical principles are called for in order to address environmental conditions unlike the present.