Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
imPlag: Detecting image plagiarism using hierarchical near duplicate retrieval

Plagiarism in any form is a serious offense especially in academia and industry where integrity and royalty from work is of utmost importance. In this work, a novel hierarchical feature extraction as well as an approximate nearest neighbor search is proposed for detecting plagiarism of images. The proposed scheme is applicable for natural images as opposed to specific image classes reported in a previous work. A comprehensive experimental analysis is provided to illustrate the efficacy of the techniques chosen for the scheme. We demonstrate that the scheme shows a lot of promise for a wide variety of attacks and is amenable to scaling.
Increased IL-18 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: relations with Th-1, Th-2, pro-inflammatory cytokines and disease activity. IL-18 is a marker of disease activity but does not correlate with pro-inflammatory cytokines.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the imbalance between Th-1 and Th-2 cytokines in systemic lupus erythematosus patients (SLE) and to asses if any of these cytokines could be related to disease activity. METHODS Twenty SLE patients and 20 healthy individuals were investigated. Blood samples were collected to evaluate, using ELISA method, serum levels of a wide array of cytokines including: Th-1 type cytokines (Interleukin (IL)-12, Interferon (IFN)-gamma), Th-2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10), pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-18). Disease activity was assessed using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Data were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney and Spearman's rank tests. RESULTS The SLE patients group had a higher IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-18 serum concentration compared to the normal control group. IL-18 was negatively correlated with IL-4 and positively correlated with IFN-gamma. No serum cytokine level was correlated with disease activity except for IL-18, which was found strongly correlated with "active disease", defined as SLEDAI > 8 points. IL-18 showed no correlation with pro-inflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that Th-1 as well Th-2 cytokines can be elevated in SLE patients suggesting that lupus is a complex disease that may be supported by different cytokine patterns in different time-points. Only IL-18 has been found to be disease-activity related. The role of IL-18 in the pathogenesis of SLE might be important through apoptosis-mediating properties.
Role of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in aberrant crypt foci-adenoma-carcinoma sequence.

AIM To investigate the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in aberrant crypt foci (ACF) -adenoma-carcinoma sequence and its relation with tumor cell apoptosis, proliferation and angiogenesis. METHODS The expression of iNOS, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and microvessel density (MVD) in different stages of colorectal cancer were studied by immunohistochemical method from 30 normal tissues, 30 nonhyperplastic ACF, 30 hyperplastic ACF, 30 dysplastic ACF, 30 adenomas and 60 carcinomas. The apoptotic cells were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method using an Apop Tag in situ detection kit. RESULTS The immunoreactivity of iNOS significantly increased in the transition from hyperplastic ACF to dysplastic ACF. This transition was associated with a significant decrease in the apoptotic index (AI) (0.73+/-0.37 vs 0.61+/-0.35, P<0.05) and significant increases in the PCNA labeling index (LI) (27.3+/-2.80 vs 40.3+/-3.11, P<0.01) and microvessel density (MVD) (55+/-11.5 vs 70+/-13.2, P<0.01). The expression of iNOS was in low levels and positively correlated with PCNA-LI (r=0.812, P<0.01) and MVD (r=0.863, P<0.01) during transition from normal mucosa to nonhyperplastic ACF and hyperplastic ACF. The expression of iNOS was in high levels and positively correlated with AI (r=0.901, P<0.01) after transition from hyperplastic ACF to dysplastic ACF, adenoma and carcinoma. CONCLUSION The results suggest that the transition from hyperplastic ACF to dysplastic ACF may be a crucial step in the ACF-adenoma-carcinoma sequence, in which iNOS plays an important role by regulating tumor cell apoptosis, proliferation and angiogenesis.
Synovial fluid neutrophils transcribe and express class II major histocompatibility complex molecules in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate a potential interaction between neutrophils and T cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), by defining the optimal conditions for induction of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expression on peripheral blood neutrophils in vitro and investigating the capacity for neutrophils to express class II MHC molecules in RA. METHODS Surface expression of class II MHC and costimulatory molecules by peripheral blood and synovial fluid (SF) neutrophils obtained from healthy controls and patients with RA was measured by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Intracellular class II MHC protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) were detected by Western blotting and Northern blotting, respectively. RESULTS Freshly isolated peripheral blood neutrophils from controls did not express surface class II MHC; expression was induced by culture with appropriate cytokines. Freshly isolated peripheral blood neutrophils from patients with RA expressed mRNA, but there was no surface expression of class II MHC. Freshly isolated SF neutrophils from patients with RA contained high levels of class II MHC mRNA, did not express surface class II MHC, but did have large intracellular amounts of this protein as detected by Western blotting. After culture for 20 hours in vitro, SF neutrophils from RA patients expressed large amounts of surface class II MHC but very low levels of costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86. Fluorescence microscopy localized surface class II MHC to discrete areas on the neutrophil. Class II MHC-expressing neutrophils stimulated T cell proliferation. CONCLUSION Peripheral blood neutrophils from patients with RA but not healthy controls express class II MHC mRNA. SF neutrophils in RA synthesize and express large amounts of class II MHC but not costimulatory molecules. This might underlie a novel interaction with T cells that is important in terms of disease pathology.
The Early Childhood Educator Preparation Innovation Grant: Lessons from Initial Implementation. IERC 2015-2.

1 The Gateways credentials are standards of professional and educational achievement. Institutions become entitled by aligning their coursework with certain state and national benchmarks. In order for individuals to become entitled, they need to fulfill a combination of credit hours, content areas, hours of supervised experience, and professional contributions. http://www.ilgateways. com/en/entitled-institutions The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) sought to evaluate the implementation of the Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grant. The grantees consisted of partnerships that included community colleges, four-year institutions, and in some cases community-based entities or schools, such as Head Start programs. The four-year institution in the partnership was required to be the fiscal agent for the grant and had to be accredited with a currently approved early childhood educator preparation program. These grants were competitive and the proposals required that the potential grantees demonstrate the extent to which their grantrelated activities furthered the work of the Illinois Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge.
LDPC code optimization with joint source-channel decoding of quantized Gauss-Markov signals

This paper proposes an extrinsic information transfer (EXIT)-chart based optimization technique of LDPC codes for the transmission of quantized Gauss-Markov (GM) source samples over additive white Gaussian (AWGN) noise channels. A joint source and channel (JSC) decoding technique of the proposed code is also devised. In the proposed scheme, no interleaving is performed between the source and the JSC encoder so that the decoder can well exploit the relatively low entropy of the source with memory compared to memory-less sources. At the transmitter, the quantized samples are converted to bit sequences with an injective mapping and the bit sequences are encoded using a systematic binary LDPC code. The proposed JSC decoder is a concatenation of a multi-state BCJR Markov decoder and a sum-product (SP) LDPC decoder. Decoding thresholds of the optimized codes at certain code rates are investigated for both uniform and Lloyd-Max quantizations in different numbers of bits. The decoding thresholds are close to the Gaussian code book Shannon limits for code rate Rc ≤ 0.5, although the gap to the Shannon limit notably increases at the higher rates. Finally, the simulation results confirm the significant improvement of coding gain on the bit error rate (BER) performances of the optimized LDPC codes with both the quantization schemes.
A Model of Entrepreneurial Socialization and Organization Formation

This model applies theories of organizational socialization to characterize the aspiring entrepreneur's journey from neophyte to firm founder and to Identify factors that may Influence the transition from a pre-organization to the formation of a new organization. The model distinguishes two identifiable stages which shape organization formation—Anticipatory Socialization and New Entrepreneur Socialization. Anticipatory Socialization characterizes the predisposing characteristics and experiences that precede the cognitive choice to become an entrepreneur. New Entrepreneur Socialization specifies the critical variables that Influence the new recruit once the decision Is made to start a firm. Three factors determine the transition into the entrepreneurial role: Motivational Bases for Adaptation, Socializing Agents and the Structural Context of the Entrepreneurial Setting. The eventual outcome of entrepreneurial socialization, Organization Formation, Is the survival or discontinuance of the venture. A model of entrepreneurial socialization focuses attention on the adaptive Intra-personal and Inter-personal processes that shape the new venture creation process.
Phosphorylase a and Labile Metabolites During Anoxia: Correlation to Membrane Fluxes of K+ and Ca2+

Abstract: The objective of the present study was to explore mechanisms responsible for activation of ion conductances in the initial phases of brain ischemia, particularly for the early release of K+ that precedes massive cell depolarization, and rapid downhill fluxes of K+, Na+, Cl−, and Ca2+. As it has been speculated that a K+ conductance can be activated either by an increase in the free cytosolic calcium concentration (Ca2+i) or by a fall in ATP concentration, the question arises whether the early increase in extracellular K+ concentration (K+e) is preceded by a rise in Ca2+i and/or a fall in ATP content. In the present experiments, ischemia was induced in rats by cardiac arrest, the time courses of the rise in K+e and cellular depolarization were determined by microelectrodes, and the tissue was frozen in situ through the exposed dura for measurements of levels of labile metabolites, including adenine nucleotides and cyclic AMP (cAMP), after ischemic periods of 15, 30, 60, and 120 s. Conversion of phosphorylase b to a was assessed, because it depends, among other things, on changes in Ca2+i. The K+e value rose within a few seconds following induction of ischemia, but massive depolarization (which is accompanied by influx of calcium) did not occur until after ∼65 s. Activation of phosphorylase was observed already after 15 s and before glycogenolysis had begun. At that time, 3′,5′‐cAMP concentrations were unchanged, and total 5′‐AMP concentrations were only moderately increased. The results demonstrate that a K+ conductance is activated at a time when the overall ATP concentration remains at 95% of control values. If major compartmentation can be excluded, the results fail to demonstrate that an ATP‐activated K+ conductance is involved. In view of the early activation of phosphorylase, one may speculate that the triggering event is a rise in Ca2+i.
Monte Carlo simulation study of LSO crystals

In order to study light transport in LSO crystals for PET, we simulated single crystals and block detectors using Detect2000. We devised basic experiments to evaluate fundamental physics parameters of the simulation and benchmarked the simulation with a set of experiments on single crystals. The block detectors that were studied were composed of Lutetium Oxyortho-Silicate crystals, a light guide and Photo Multiplier Tubes. The results of the simulation were compared to an experimental detector block's position profile. By refining our simulation to model actual detectors, a tool was created that can be used to optimize the performance of detector blocks.
Activity as the Ultimate Particular of Interaction Design

In the turn towards practice-oriented research in interaction design, one of the most important proposals has been the emphasis on the 'ultimate particulars' produced by design, as embodiments of design knowledge. In current HCI research, those particulars are almost always taken to be 'things' artefacts or singular systems. We argue that this emphasis may have come at a cost that can be described as a loss of identity; interaction design research was never primarily concerned with the design of artefacts, but with how humans act and interact with each other with and through artefacts. We propose a complementary perspective by looking at design projects and traditions where the 'ultimate particulars' can be considered to be activities rather than things. The article is concerned with how knowledge needs to be articulated in the scholarly engagement with such design practices. We argue that engagement with activity-centric design gets design research one step closer towards understanding salient contemporary design practices and what Buchanan calls 'environmental design'.
Combinational Reasoning of Quantitative Fuzzy Topological Relations for Simple Fuzzy Regions

In recent years, formalization and reasoning of topological relations have become a hot topic as a means to generate knowledge about the relations between spatial objects at the conceptual and geometrical levels. These mechanisms have been widely used in spatial data query, spatial data mining, evaluation of equivalence and similarity in a spatial scene, as well as for consistency assessment of the topological relations of multi-resolution spatial databases. The concept of computational fuzzy topological space is applied to simple fuzzy regions to efficiently and more accurately solve fuzzy topological relations. Thus, extending the existing research and improving upon the previous work, this paper presents a new method to describe fuzzy topological relations between simple spatial regions in Geographic Information Sciences (GIS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Firstly, we propose a new definition for simple fuzzy line segments and simple fuzzy regions based on the computational fuzzy topology. And then, based on the new definitions, we also propose a new combinational reasoning method to compute the topological relations between simple fuzzy regions, moreover, this study has discovered that there are (1) 23 different topological relations between a simple crisp region and a simple fuzzy region; (2) 152 different topological relations between two simple fuzzy regions. In the end, we have discussed some examples to demonstrate the validity of the new method, through comparisons with existing fuzzy models, we showed that the proposed method can compute more than the existing models, as it is more expressive than the existing fuzzy models.
Use of Patient-Derived Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Integrases To Identify a Protein Residue That Affects Target Site Selection

ABSTRACT To identify parts of retroviral integrase that interact with cellular DNA, we tested patient-derived human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrases for alterations in the choice of nonviral target DNA sites. This strategy took advantage of the genetic diversity of HIV-1, which provided 75 integrase variants that differed by a small number of amino acids. Moreover, our hypothesis that biological pressures on the choice of nonviral sites would be minimal was validated when most of the proteins that catalyzed DNA joining exhibited altered target site preferences. Comparison of the sequences of proteins with the same preferences then guided mutagenesis of a laboratory integrase. The results showed that single amino acid substitutions at one particular residue yielded the same target site patterns as naturally occurring integrases that included these substitutions. Similar results were found with DNA joining reactions conducted with Mn2+ or with Mg2+ and were confirmed with a nonspecific alcoholysis assay. Other amino acid changes at this position also affected target site preferences. Thus, this novel approach has identified a residue in the central domain of HIV-1 integrase that interacts with or influences interactions with cellular DNA. The data also support a model in which integrase has distinct sites for viral and cellular DNA.
An approach towards medium term forecasting based on support vector regression

This paper presents Medium term load forecasting for hourly electric loads prediction of the peak loads of different days or hourly loads throughout the day. Most of the researchers concentrate on Short Term Load Forecasting, there are less researches are going on in Medium term load forecasting. This paper presents a Support Vector Regression (SVR) model for Medium Term Load Forecasting and also it compares the results obtained from SVR Model with ANN model. The month wise hourly electrical load is predicted by using Support Vector Regression model and ANN model, the result shows that SVR model have great potential towards MLTF. In literature most of the models used for MLTF are ANN based. The Neural Network Model is providing comparatively better results, but it requires relatively large amount of training data for learning the data pattern. Therefore the memory requirement and the processing time are quite high; due to these problems, the real time application is not possible with these models. So more accurate model having negligible processing time is required, this leads to Support Vector Regression model.
Phosphorylation of the Vasodilator-stimulated Phosphoprotein Regulates Its Interaction with Actin*

The vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) is a major substrate for cyclic nucleotide-dependent kinases in platelets and other cardiovascular cells. It promotes actin nucleation and binds to actin filaments in vitro and associates with stress fibers in cells. The VASP-actin interaction is salt-sensitive, arguing for electrostatic interactions. Hence, phosphorylation may significantly alter the actin binding properties of VASP. This hypothesis was investigated by analyzing complex formation of recombinant murine VASP with actin after phosphorylation with cAMP-dependent kinase in different assays. cAMP-dependent kinase phosphorylation had a negative effect on both actin nucleation and VASP interaction with actin filaments, with the actin nucleating capacity being more affected than actin filament binding and bundling. Replacing VASP residues known to be phosphorylated in vivo by acidic residues to mimic phosphorylation had similar although less dramatic effects on VASP-actin interactions. In contrast, phosphorylation had no significant effect on VASP oligomerization or its interaction with its known ligands profilin, vinculin, and zyxin. When overexpressing VASP mutants in eukaryotic cells, they all showed targeting to focal contacts and stress fibers. Our results imply that VASP phosphorylation may act as an immediate negative regulator of actin dynamics.
Impact of slot geometry and rotor position on AC armature losses of interior PM synchronous machines

This paper examines the influence of slot geometry in means of the impact of pole shoes at the stator teeth on ac armature losses in concentrated windings of Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) synchronous machines. It is shown that the rotor position as well as the stator teeth geometry affects the ac armature losses in the concentrated windings. Here a configuration without a pole shoe tends to have higher losses due to the stronger effect of the rotor stray flux onto the stator windings.
Tactical Action Officer Intelligent Tutoring System (TAO ITS)

Abstract : The U.S. Navy's Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS) in Rhode Island is pioneering the use of a low-cost, simulation-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS) as part of its Tactical Action Officer (TAO) training program to train Navy officers in high-level tactical skills. This software was designed and built for SWOS for use on standard PCs, and the Navy has a royalty-free license to use it. A key objective of the software is to increase the active training that officers receive to improve their ability to apply their conceptual knowledge of tactics. Early results from its use with two classes are encouraging and indicate that the software will succeed in this goal by enabling as much as a 10-fold increase in hands-on training. The software has three parts. First, there is a scenario generator, with which instructors -- with limited assistance from a programmer -- can create any number of simulated scenarios. These can be set in any part of the world, and populated with different surface and air platforms. Each individual platform is implemented as an "intelligent agent" and can be given its own performance characteristics and behaviors. Second, there is the ITS, which presents selected scenarios to the student to practice different tactical concepts. The third part of the software is an instructor interface tool for instructors to review the students' work with the tutoring system in detail. This paper describes what the TAO ITS can do and the benefits it can provide. It also includes an explanation of why the case-based reasoning technique was used in the software to reduce three problems commonly associated with intelligent tutoring systems: effective incorporation of subject expert knowledge in the software, cost, and development time. It also reviews SWOS's experience with the software since its introduction, students' opinions of the software, and ways in which future simulation-based ITSs might be improved based on SWOS's experience.
Parameter-Insensitive Mixed-Signal Hysteresis-Band Current Control for Point-of-Load Converters With Fixed Frequency and Robust Stability

The inductor current ripple under hysteresis current control is sensitive to system as well as controller parameters, which often deviates from the desired band. Thus, a phase-locked-loop (PLL) is employed to regulate the switching frequency over the operating range. Digital platform drastically simplifies this using an all-digital PLL (ADPLL) and offers the controller-tuning flexibility for improved performance. However, the use of uniform voltage-sampling often leads to multilimit cycle instability. This paper proposes a mixed-signal hysteretic current controller (MSHCC) with the digital voltage-loop and the analog current-loop. A digital-to-analog converter is sufficient to generate time-multiplexed current references. This achieves robust stability and parameter-insensitive current ripple by sampling the error-voltage at the rising edge of the high-side gate signal. Stability analysis is carried out using discrete-time models. The proposed MSHCC can be configured to either of the peak, average, or valley current-mode techniques along with the flexibility to adjust the switching frequency using an ADPLL for real-time energy-optimization. The proposed scheme is implemented using an FPGA device and tested on a buck converter prototype. The MSHCC scheme can be extended to a multiphase buck converter.