Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
D B ] 3 M ay 2 01 6 Cohort Query Processing

Modern Internet applications often produce a large volume of user activity records. Data analysts are interested in cohort analysis, or finding unusual user behavioral trends, in these large tables of activity records. In a traditional database system, cohort analysis queries are both painful to specify and expensive to evaluate. We propose to extend database systems to support cohort analysis. We do so by extending SQL with three new operators. We devise three different evaluation schemes for cohort query processing. Two of them adopt a non-intrusive approach. The third approach employs a columnar based evaluation scheme with optimizations specifically designed for cohort query processing. Our experimental results confirm the performance benefits of our proposed columnar database system, compared against the two non-intrusive approaches that implement cohort queries on top of regular relational databases.
Boundary linear utility and sensitivity of decisions with imprecise utility trade-off parameters.

In earlier work we have developed methods for analysing decision problems based on multi-attribute utility hierarchies, structured by mutual utility independence, which are not precisely specified due to unwillingness or inability of an individual or group to agree on precise values for the trade-offs between the various attributes. Our analysis is based on whatever limited collection of preferences we may assert between attribute collections. In this paper we show how to assess the robustness of our selected decision using the properties of boundary linear utility.
Delivering Optimal Health Outcomes: Making Sense Of A Business Intelligence Decision In A Notfor-Profit Organisation

In this paper, the researcher reports on an empirical qualitative case study which investigated the extant information systems (IS) in a not-for-profit (NFP) healthcare delivery organisation in Australia. The researcher was exploring the readiness of the organisation for business intelligence (BI) initiatives prior to a decision on the BI project proceeding or otherwise. Shortly after the completion of the case study, the executive managers of the organisation reached an unforeseen negative decision regarding the BI project although BI remains a strategic objective. The sensemaking processes associated with the decision are discussed in this paper with sense making as the over-arching conceptual framework. The study found that, despite some support for BI at the individual level, corporate memory of a recent failed IT project and lack of a committed business sponsor at the organisational level meant that in the quest for meaning, the decision makers had reverted to past patterns of sense making to reject the BI project. The contributions of the study are derived from utilising sense-making concepts with an industry readiness methodology. This paper should be of value to both academics and practitioners worldwide as they work with organisations especially in the NFP sector that are considering embarking on complex and innovative BI projects.
Coincident Spiking Activity Induces Long-Term Changes in Inhibition of Neocortical Pyramidal Cells

In pyramidal cells, induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) of excitatory synaptic transmission by coincidence of presynaptic and postsynaptic activity is considered relevant to learning processes in vivo. Here we show that temporally correlated spiking activity of a pyramidal cell and an inhibiting interneuron may cause LTD or LTP of unitary IPSPs. Polarity of change in synaptic efficacy depends on timing between Ca2+ influx induced by a backpropagating train of action potentials (APs) in pyramidal cell dendrites (10 APs, 50 Hz) and subsequent activation of inhibitory synapses. LTD of IPSPs was induced by synaptic activation in the vicinity of the AP train (<300 msec relative to the beginning of the train), whereas LTP of IPSPs was initiated with more remote synaptic activation (>400 msec relative to the beginning of the AP train). Solely AP trains induced neither LTP nor LTD. Both LTP and LTD were prevented by 5 mm BAPTA loaded into pyramidal cells. LTD was prevented by 5 mmEGTA, whereas EGTA failed to affect LTP. Synaptic plasticity was not dependent on activation of GABAB receptors. It was also not affected by the antagonists of vesicular exocytosis, botulinum toxin D, and GDP-β-S.
History of Central Africa

An authoritative account and analysis of what has happened to the region of central Africa since the period of vigorous decolonization in the 1960s, this volume compares the legacies of British, French and Portuguese colonization. History of Central Africa examines the modern nations of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; and considers the impact on the region of the ethnic conflict in neighboring Rwanda and Bweebndi.
BI-STABLE COMPOSITE SHELLS

This paper is concerned with a new type of deployable structures that can be rolled up like a tape measure but, unlike a tape measure, are stable in two different configurations. The key to the behaviour of these structures is a particular type of composite construction based on an anti-symmetric lay-up of glass fibres in a polypropylene matrix. The paper presents a finite element analysis using the ABAQUS package of the process of rolling up a bi-stable cylindrical shell. The results of this simulation provide considerable new insights into the structural mechanics of bi-stable shells, as well as predicting the stress distribution, curvature variation, etc. in the rolledup shell.
Antimicrobial compounds produced by Weissella confusa Cys2-2 strain inhibit Gram-negative bacteria growth

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial compounds produced by lactic acid bacteria emerged as a promising group of agents for managing the growth of pathogens in food. Previously, we have isolated a bacteriocinogenic strain, Weissella confusa Cys2-2, producing active substances with inhibitory potential, however, its antimicrobial mechanism is still undefined. This study was aimed to determine the Cys2-2 bacteriocins mechanism of action against food pathogens using: agar-well diffusion and broth assay to evaluate the spectrum of inhibition and the minimum inhibitory concentration, Tricine-SDS-PAGE analysis to estimate the molecular weight, determination of the target cell viability with the Cys2-2 compounds applied as cell-free supernatant (CFS) and precipitated peptides (PP) with or without an chelator agent (EDTA) and evaluate the effect on the membrane integrity by monitoring the release of DNA/RNA molecules. The results revealed that Cys2-2 bacteriocin exerted its bactericidal effect by weakening of membrane integrity of target cells leading to cell death.
A conceptual approach to construction of large information systems international

In this paper considered need of development of scientific and methodical base for creation of big systems is considered. Based on this methodology a large system of the next generation must be created. At present in all spheres of human activity there is a need for systems that can support or serve to activities of many legal entities, as a single-purpose system or a multi-purpose one. Moreover, these systems need to be not only just an integrated system, as an integrated system takes into account, coordinates and integrates only the resources but not the management. Large system integrates management (specialized management) and supports general management. In this regard, we have started a research on the problems of large information systems. The study plans that all the aspects in the life cycle of large information systems will be included. In this paper some results of these studies are set out. First of all, the main conceptual provisions of large systems are presented.
Evolutional analysis of licenses in FOSS

FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) is repeatedly modified and reused by other FOSS or proprietary software systems. They are released to others under specific licenses whose terms and conditions are usually written on the source-code files as program comments. There are a few researches which automatically analyze the licenses in a FOSS release, but there is no statistical study on the evolution of licenses along the evolution of FOSS. In this paper, we analyze licenses through FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Eclipse, and ArgoUML evolution, using our license analysis tool Ninka, and discuss characteristics on the evolution of the license used in those systems.
Classification of DNA microarray data with PCA based Support Vector Machines

The article includes information about the advantages of support vector machines in DNA microarray data classification. The analysis of the data was performed on the set of 108 microarrays representing different types of thyroid cancer and healthy thyroid tissue samples. The idea of application of PCA based SVM evolved from the studies on explanation of biological variability sources in the Affymetrix microarray data. There was presented way of classification data presentation, method of dealing with technical bias in the microarray experiment results and proves for molecular differences in thyroid cancer types. Proposed solutions are said to be a proper solution for classification results presentation. Thanks to its application proper explanation of molecular differences in thyroid cancer types has been obtained.
The Role of Occupational Achievement in Homeownership Attainment by Immigrants and Native Borns in Five Metropolitan Areas

This article addresses the homeownership attainment of immigrants and native borns in five metropolitan areas: Los Angeles; New York; Washington, DC; Atlanta; and Philadelphia. The major question for analysis is the role of occupational achievement in shaping the attainment of homeownership for specific cohorts between 1980 and 1990. This effect is estimated in addition to that of human capital endowments, life cycle maturation, lengthening duration of U.S. residence, and earnings. We find that occupational achievement makes a significant contribution to homeownership attainment, net of other factors, and that this effect is remarkably consistent across metropolitan areas, immigrant groups, and birth cohorts. The analysis also unveils substantial differences in ownership trends between metropolitan regions. Although immigrant groups attain lower levels of homeownership than non-Hispanic whites who are native born, the rate of progress toward homeownership for immigrants generally parallels that for young whites in the same metropolitan area.
A Time & Energy Efficient Topology Discovery and Scheduling Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

TDMA-based MAC protocols are considered an energy efficient solution to prolong wireless sensor networklifetime. The topology learning and collection process, together with the used scheduling scheme, are essential partsin the design of such MAC protocols. Previous MAC and multihop scheduling protocols rely completely on CSMA to exchangetopology scheduling information. However, for large or dense sensor networks, CSMA may lengthen the time it takesto reach a state in which enough information has been collected to build a highly conflict free multihop schedule.In addition, due to the nature of CSMA, collisions may occur during packet transmission. These factors cause energy waste in an environment where energy resources are scarce. In this paper, we propose PROGRESSIVE, a time and energy efficient topologydiscovery and multihop scheduling protocol that progressively schedules nodes as their topology information becomesavailable at the sink. The proposed protocol controls the time during which CSMA is used for control message transmission,and hence, energy consumption is reduced. Simulation results show that PROGRESSIVE is able to schedule a large number ofnodes in less time and energy compared to DRAND.
Speed improvement algorithm for 16×16 multipliers using sizing optimization

In this paper the speed improvement of a 16times16 multiplier is addressed via sizing of the transistors used in multiplying blocks. Genetic algorithm (GA) is used to calculate the appropriate W for transistors. Modification of W/L ratio of transistors has reduced the multiplier delay up to 16 percent under different supply voltages and technologies with respect to the case of transistors having non-optimized but common W/L ratios. The algorithm is implemented in Matlab and circuit simulations are done using HSPICE for 0.18 um, 0.13 um, 100 nm and 70 nm static CMOS technologies. The multiplier is simulated with different supply voltages in each technology.
Use of inbred sires to exploit epistatic

The genetic variance of inbred sires is increased and variance due to additive x additive effects proportionately more than that due to additive ones. In case of inbreeding by mating sire to daughters the time interval elite sire – son needs not to be elongated so that the genetic progress could be increased by this procedure. This pertains even more to the procedure where inbred sires are produced from sib mating. Use of such sires should increase the genetic gain via the sire son path by about 10 %
Compressive CFAR Radar Processing

In this paper we investigate the performance of a combined Compressive Sensing (CS) Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) radar processor under different interference scenarios using both the Cell Averaging (CA) and Order Statistic (OS) CFAR detectors. Using the properties of the Complex Approximate Message Passing (CAMP) algorithm, we demonstrate that the behavior of the CFAR processor is independent of the combination with the non-linear recovery and therefore its performance can be predicted using standard radar tools. We also compare the performance of the CS CFAR processor to that of an `1-norm detector using an experimental data set.
Dynamic Network Formation in Ambient Information Networking

In ambient information society, a variety of networks consisting of sensory and computational devices are embedded in the environment and individuals. They are autonomously connected, merged, and divided depending on the context and provide a network service appropriate for time, place, occasion, and individuals. In this paper, we investigate how such dynamic network formation is performed focusing on synchronization of operational frequency. Assuming that a pulse-coupled oscillator model is adopted for autonomous and self-organizing synchronization, we show how networks operating on different operational frequency are connected, merged, and divided.
Saplings in the Hurricane: A Grounded Theory of College Trauma and Identity Development

Abstract:Research confirms trauma as pervasive in college student populations. Yet, a literature gap exists regarding the intersection of trauma and college student development. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study, informed by situational analysis, was to understand how college student identity development is impacted by college trauma. Based on the experiences of 12 participants, a grounded theory model of college trauma and identity development emerged that includes three major components: (a) orienting systems that shape trauma meaning making; (b) identity sites where trauma meaning making connected to identity is made; and (c) a trauma-informed lens on self in the world.
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Using Enhanced Shape from Stereo Technique

Three-Dimensional reconstruction is the art of getting a 3D model using flat 2D images, this process becomes too difficult when we use a few number of images like the case of stereo images. In stereo images, pair of images are used to reconstruct the view. The reconstruction process depends on the matching process, in which every feature in the first image is matched with its exact feature in the second image. Matching the features only will affect the smoothness and the density of the reconstructed model, in addition matching the whole features in the first image with the whole features in the second image is an exhausting process, since it wastes the processing time and affects the accuracy of the matching process. In this paper we proposed a novel technique to get a more dense 3D model depending on more accurate matching process, we made the matching process in two levels, the first level is matching the features the second level is matching the pixels , then we used the adaptive window technique to match in a small area rather than matching the whole image. The results showed an essential enhancement in the accuracy of the matching process giving a more dense 3D model.
Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour Fusing Multiple Color Images for Texturing Models Fusing Multiple Color Images for Texturing Models Fusing Multiple Color Images for Texturing Models *

A commonly encountered problem when creating 3D models of large real scenes is unnatural color texture fusion. Due to variations in lighting and camera settings (both manual and automatic), captured color texture maps of the same structure can have very colors. When fusing multiple views to create larger models, this color variation leads to a poor appearance with odd color tilings on homogeneous surfaces. This paper extends previous research on pairwise global color correction to multiple overlapping images. The central idea is to estimate a set of blending transformations that minimize the overall color discrepancy in the overlapping regions, thus spreading residual color errors, rather than letting them acumulate. The authors and the University of Edinburgh retain the right to reproduce and publish this paper for non-commercial purposes. Permission is granted for this report to be reproduced by others for non-commercial purposes as long as this copyright notice is reprinted in full in any reproduction. Applications to make other use of the material should be addressed in the first instance to Copyright Permissions, Abstract A commonly encountered problem when creating 3D models of large real scenes is unnatural color texture fusion. Due to variations in lighting and camera settings (both manual and automatic), captured color texture maps of the same structure can have very different colors. When fusing multiple views to create larger models, this color variation leads to a poor appearance with odd color tilings on homogeneous surfaces. This paper extends previous research on pairwise global color correction to multiple overlapping images. The central idea is to estimate a set of blending transformations that minimize the overall color discrepancy in the overlapping regions, thus spreading residual color errors, rather than letting them accumulate.
Signal restoration with overcomplete wavelet transforms: comparison of analysis and synthesis priors

The variational approach to signal restoration calls for the minimization of a cost function that is the sum of a data fidelity term and a regularization term, the latter term constituting a 'prior'. A synthesis prior represents the sought signal as a weighted sum of 'atoms'. On the other hand, an analysis prior models the coefficients obtained by applying the forward transform to the signal. For orthonormal transforms, the synthesis prior and analysis prior are equivalent; however, for overcomplete transforms the two formulations are different. We compare analysis and synthesis ℓ1-norm regularization with overcomplete transforms for denoising and deconvolution.
Effects of 1/f Fluctuation Music Listening on Autonomic Nervous System Activity

In order to investigate the effects of listening of 1/f fluctuation music, analyses of heart rate variability (HRV) by discrete Fourier transform (DFT) have been widely conducted. These methods are useful to estimate the autonomic nervous system activity (sympathetic or parasympathetic activity). To examine the effects of listening of 1/f fluctuation music, three experiments are carried out. 23 healthy subjects participated the first experiment, and one piece of 1/f fluctuation music is employed as the test piece. All subjects are asked to listen to the test piece individually, and their HRV are recorded and analyzed by DFT. The experiment result shows that the sympathetic nerve activity tends to decrease significantly when the subjects are listening to the test piece. The second invited 2 healthy subjects. They are asked to listen to the test piece (different from the first experiment) individually for 14 times (one time per a day), and their HRV are recorded and analyzed by DFT. The experiment result discovers linear relationship between the frequency of listening to the test piece and the changes of parasympathetic activity for both subjects. 5 healthy subjects participated the third experiment. They are asked to listen to the test piece (different from the first and second experiment) at the same time, and their HRV are recorded and analyzed by DFT. The experiment result shows that the sympathetic nerve activities of all subjects tend to decrease when they are listening to the test piece. From these results, this study concludes: (1) the effect of decreasing in sympathetic nervous activity by listening of a 1/f fluctuation music is significant; (2) repeated listening of a 1/f fluctuation music has effect to increase the parasympathetic activity.
Embolization of Intracranial Aneurysms with HydroSoft Coils: Results of the Korean Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Various modifications of detachable coils have been attempted to reduce recurrence rates in aneurysmal coil embolization and HydroSoft coil is one of them. The authors report their experience using HydroSoft coils in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a prospective multicenter observational series of 127 aneurysms in 120 patients treated with HydroSoft coils. RESULTS: Ten centers participated in this study, and there were 92 (72%) unruptured and 35 ruptured aneurysms. Aneurysm volumes were ≥100 mm3 in 21 (17%) and <100 mm3 in 106 (83%) (mean, 56 mm3; range, 5–249 mm3). The average percentage length of HydroSoft coils detached in treated aneurysms was 67% (range, 42%–100%). Immediate postprocedural angiography demonstrated complete aneurysm occlusion in 69% (87/127 aneurysms), residual neck in 20% (25/127), and residual sac in 12% (15/127). Procedure-related adverse events occurred in 4.7% (6/127 aneurysms), including procedural bleeding (5/127) and thromboembolism (2/127), and immediate procedure-related morbidity and mortality rates were 0.8% and 0%. Conventional angiography or MRA follow-up was performed in 83% (105/127) at ≥6 months after treatment (mean interval, 11 months; range, 6–24 months). The overall recanalization rate was 3% (3/105 aneurysms; 2 major and 1 minor recanalizations). Progression to complete aneurysmal occlusion was noted in 20 of 27 aneurysms (74%) during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The safety profile of HydroSoft coils appears acceptable. In terms of initial occlusion rates and durability, embolization by using HydroSoft coils seems to be favorable compared with most large series of pure platinum or coated coils.
Instantons, hypermultiplets and the heterotic string

Hypermultiplet couplings in type IIA string theory on a Calabi-Yau space can be quantum corrected by D2-brane instantons wrapping special Lagrangian cycles. On the other hand, hypermultiplet couplings in the heterotic string on a K3 surface are corrected by world-sheet instantons wrapping curves. In a class of examples, we relate these two sets of instanton corrections. We first present an analogue of the c-map for the heterotic string via a dual flux compactification of M-theory. Using this duality, we propose two ways of capturing quantum corrections to hypermultiplets. We then use the orientifold limit of certain F-theory compactifications to relate curves in K3 to special Lagrangians in dual type IIA compactifications. We conclude with some results from perturbative string theory for hypermultiplet F-terms and a conjecture about the topology of brane instantons.