Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incremental Learning for Large Scale Churn Prediction

Modern companies accumulate a vast amount of customer data that can be used for creating a personalized experience. Analyzing this data is difficult and most business intelligence tools cannot cope with the volume of the data. One example is churn prediction, where the cost of retaining existing customers is less than acquiring new ones. Several data mining and machine learning approaches can be used, but there is still little information about the different algorithm settings to be used when the dataset doesn't fit into a single computer memory. Because of the difficulties of applying feature selection techniques at a large scale, Incremental Probabilistic Component Analysis (IPCA) is proposed as a data preprocessing technique. Also, we present a new approach to large scale churn prediction problems based on the mini-batch Stochastic Gradient Decent (SGD) algorithm. Compared to other techniques, the new method facilitates training with large data volumes using a small memory footprint while achieving good prediction results. Data is one of the important assets for any type of company and thats why large volumes of data are becoming more common everyday. Therefore, large scale data analysis and management is also turning increasingly more complex. Churn prediction is one such exemplar, where well known data mining models can be used to predict whether a customer is likely to leave a company (1). Whenever the signals that directly influence the churn phenomena are not known (i.e. customer satisfaction, competitive market strategies, etc.), it becomes difficult to achieve accurate prediction results, even if large volumes of transactional data are available. Most business operations are recorded and can therefore be used to create features that relate the customer behavior to the churn probability, however because of the size of the business data sets and the total number of different operations that can be performed, preprocessing techniques such as feature selection and dimensionality reduction must be performed. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a well known technique for dimensionality reduction that projects the full dataset into a subset of the eigenvectors of the covariance matrix (2). The method is robust and can be used to reduce the dimensionality of high dimensional transactional data for the churn prediction problem, however the computational cost is expensive in the case of large datasets. An incremental version of PCA (IPCA) was proposed inn order to sequentially create the data projection, without an explicit pass over the whole data set each time a new data point
Running Title : Endothelin Receptor B Protects GM-CSF mRNA from Degradation

Evidence lacks on the differential effects of the two therapeutic concepts of endothelin receptor antagonists (ERA): the blockade of only the endothelin-receptorA (ETAR) (selective antagonism) versus both ETAR and ETBR (dual blockade). Ambrisentan, a selective ERA, and bosentan, a dual blocker, are both available for therapy. We hypothesized that there are differences in the potential of ERAs to ameliorate inflammatory processes in human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and aimed to unravel underlying mechanisms. We used HASMC culture, ELISA and qRTPCR. TNFα induced transcription and expression of CXCL2, CXCL3, GM-CSF and MMP12 in HASMCs. In concentration-response experiments, bosentan led to a significantly greater reduction of GM-CSF and MMP12 protein release than ambrisentan while there was no significant difference in their effect on GM-CSF and MMP12 mRNA. Both ERA reduced CXCL3 protein and mRNA equally but had no effect on CXCL2. Blocking mitogen-activated protein kinases revealed that both ETAR and ETBR signal through p38, but ETBR also signals through ERK-1/-2 to induce GMCSF expression. In the presence of the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D, bosentan but not ambrisentan reduced GM-CSF but not MMP12 and CXCL3 mRNA. In conclusion, blockade of each endothelin receptor subtype reduces GM-CSF transcription but blocking ETBR additionally protects GM-CSF mRNA from degradation via ERK-1/-2. Accordingly, blocking both ETAR and ETBR leads to a stronger reduction of TNFα induced GM-CSF protein expression. This mechanism might be specific for GM-CSF. Our data stress the anti-inflammatory potential of ERA and warrants further investigation of their utility in chronic inflammatory airway diseases. This article has not been copyedited and formatted. The final version may differ from this version. JPET Fast Forward. Published on April 8, 2015 as DOI: 10.1124/jpet.114. 215822 at A PE T Jornals on D ecem er 3, 2017 jpet.asjournals. org D ow nladed from
Rethinking the Approach to Evaluating Mental Functioning of Older Persons The Value of Careful Observations

I 'mpairment of mental function is a serious geriatric problem, affecting approximately 10% of the population older than 65 years of age.l This disability I produces enormous costs: loss of the individual's sense of well-being, productivity, and independence; increased stress and caregiving responsibility for family members; and greater use of health services and community resources. Because independent living depends so much on adequate mental functioning, accurate assessment of mental performance is an essential component of geriatric care; errors or oversights can produce unfortunate and far-reaching consequences. The most widely accepted method of assessment is the use of mental status questionnaires. An older person is asked a series of questions or is given a simple task to perform, such as copying a geometrical figure, and the total number of correct or appropriate responses is compared to a standardized scale. This approach has several advantages; most importantly it ensures that mental functioning is addressed during the evaluation. Questionnaires are quick, convenient, reliable, and inexpensive to administer;* in addition, the numerical results from questionnaires seem familiar and meaningful, like laboratory test values. Moreover, many of these mental status instruments have clearly documented use for research purposes, such as determination of the aggregate characteristics of mental function in large populations of older people. Despite these advantages, mental status question-
Efficacy of different growth regulators at different stages of somatic embryogenesis Eryngium foetidumL.—A rare medicinal plant

SummaryHigh-frequency somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration were achieved on callus developed from root, stem disc, leaf, and scape explants of Eryngium foetidum L. (Apiaceae). Calluses developed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with 5.37–10.74 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) in combination with 2.32 or 4.65 μM kinetin (Kn) formed somatic embryos after transfer to liquid half-strength MS (1/2MS) mediumwith 2.69 μM NAA and 1.16 μM Kn. Furthermore, promotion of embryo formation was also observed in callus developed on medium with 4.52 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and Kn after transferral to 1/2MS liquid medium containing 10% coconut water (CW)/coconut toddy (CT). Somatic embryos developed into plantlets at the highest frequency (98%) after transferral to solid 1/2MS medium containing 10% CW/CT. All the plantlets were acclimatized in soil and survived under field conditions, and they were morphologically indistinguishable from the source plant.
Alpha Subunit and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Normal Pregnancy and Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

The reported incidence of gestational trophoblastic disease is an order of magnitude higher in Nigeria than in the United States. Sera from a total of 283 pregnant black patients, 138 United States and 148 Nigerian pregnant patients, were analyzed for their serum levels of α subunit and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The patterns of hCG secretion were similar in the two populations during normal pregnancy. However, the level of α subunit was persistently higher in Nigerian women than in comparable pregnant United States patients. A statistically significantly higher at subunit level in the Nigerian patients was found only in the ten- to 13-week gestational period (P < .005). The higher level of α subunit in pregnancy in Nigerian women may signal a population of trophoblastic cells which may be at higher risk for malignancy development in the Nigerian woman.
Stage of Disease Progression Moderates the Association Between Social Support and Depression in Prostate Cancer Survivors

This study was designed to test the association between social support and depression at different stages of disease progression in men with prostate cancer.Seventy-one men with prostate cancer completed measures of social support and depression three times: T1 (at baseline), T2 (T1 + 2 months), and at T3 (T1 + 4 months). Stage of disease progression was significantly associated with increasing symptoms of depression. Stage of disease progression also moderated the association between social support and depression. Social support was associated with a subsequent worsening of depression for men with early-stage disease. For men with more advanced prostate cancer, social support was associated with improvements in subsequent depression. Social support has different prognostic value for psychological distress among men with prostate cancer depending upon the stage of their disease.
Microarray analysis of murine palatogenesis: Temporal expression of genes during normal palate development

The mammalian face is assembled in utero in a series of complex and interdependent molecular, cell and tissue processes. The orofacial complex appears to be exquisitely sensitive to genetic and environmental influence and this explains why clefts of the lip and palate are the most common congenital anomaly in humans (one in 700 live births). In this study, microarray technology was used to identify genes that may play pivotal roles in normal murine palatogenesis. mRNA was isolated from murine embryonic palatal shelves oriented vertically (before elevation), horizontally (following elevation, before contact), and following fusion. Changes in gene expression between the three different stages were analyzed with GeneChip® microarrays. A number of genes were upregulated or downregulated, and large changes were seen in the expression of loricrin, glutamate decarboxylase, gamma‐amino butyric acid type A receptor beta3 subunit, frizzled, Wnt‐5a, metallothionein, annexin VIII, LIM proteins, Sox1, plakophilin1, cathepsin K and creatine kinase. In this paper, the changes in genetic profile of the developing murine palate are presented, and the possible role individual genes/proteins may play during normal palate development are discussed. Candidate genes with a putative role in cleft palate are also highlighted.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Related Diseases

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic autoimmune disease characterized by multi-system involvement in association with autoantibody production. This disease is manifest by inflammation and damage to the skin, joints, serosal surfaces, kidneys, and nervous system, often accompanied by fatigue, malaise, and pain. SLE is more prevalent in women than in men and occurs with increased frequency in certain racial and ethnic groups. While the pathogenesis of disease is not well understood, studies on patients as well as animal models suggest that etiology is complex and involves both genetic and environmental factors. – 3] Among autoantibodies produced in SLE, those directed to components of the cell nucleus are the most characteristic. These antinuclear antibodies (ANA) target a variety of nuclear macromolecules (DNA, RNA and nuclear proteins) and have features of antigen drive as shown by specificity for multiple epitopes as well as variable region gene sequences. While antibodies may bind single molecular species, these antigens occur as complexes within cells, with concurrent expression of antibodies (linkage) suggesting that these complexes are the driving antigens. In addition to ANA, patients with SLE express autoantibodies directed to other molecules such phospholipids, cell surface proteins, and humoral factors (Table I) In this article, the diagnostic and predictive value of the commonly tested autoantibodies in SLE will be discussed.
Late Complications of Immune Deviation Therapy in a Nonhuman Primate

The administration of antigens in soluble form can induce antigen-specific immune tolerance and suppress experimental autoimmune diseases. In a marmoset model of multiple sclerosis induced by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), marmosets tolerized to MOG were protected against acute disease, but after tolerization treatment a lethal demyelinating disorder emerged. In these animals, MOG-specific T cell proliferative responses were transiently suppressed, cytokine production was shifted from a T helper type 1 (TH1) to a TH2 pattern, and titers of autoantibodies to MOG were enhanced. Thus, immune deviation can increase concentrations of pathogenic autoantibodies and in some circumstances exacerbate autoimmune disease.
Abnormal colonic motility in mice overexpressing human wild-type &agr;-synuclein

The presynaptic protein &agr;-synuclein (&agr;Syn) has been implicated in both familial and sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease. We examined whether human &agr;Syn-overexpressing mice under Thy1 promoter (Thy1-&agr;Syn) display alterations of colonic function. Basal fecal output was decreased in Thy1-&agr;Syn mice fed ad libitum. Fasted/refed Thy1-&agr;Syn mice had a slower distal colonic transit than the wild-type mice, as monitored by 2.2-fold increase in time to expel an intracolonic bead and 2.9-fold higher colonic fecal content. By contrast, Thy1-&agr;Syn mice had an increased fecal response to novelty stress and corticotropin releasing factor injected intraperipherally. These results indicate that Thy1-&agr;Syn mice display altered basal and stress-stimulated propulsive colonic motility and will be a useful model to study gut dysfunction associated with Parkinson's disease.
Morphological and molecular characterization of Colletotrichum species from herbaceous plants in Thailand

Thirty-four isolates of Colletotrichum spp. were isolated from banana, ginger, Euphatorium thymifolia, soybean, longan, mango and Draceana sanderiana. They included endophytes from healthy plants and probable pathogens from disease lesions. Isolates were identified and grouped based on colony morphology, and size and shape of appressoria and conidia. Molecular analysis based on sequences of the rDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2), indicated that the Colletotrichum isolates comprised four clades that paralleled the morphological groupings. Most isolates clustered within three distinct clades which potentially represented different species. Endophytes isolated from different hosts are more likely to be the same species. Colletotrichum musae was positioned close to the C. gloeosporioides clades. Morphological and phylogenetic analysis of Colletotrichum pathogens and endophytes showed that endophytic isolates were most similar to C. gloeosporioides however, no pathogenic isolates clustered with endophytic isolates. The correlation between morphological and molecular-based clustering demonstrated the genetic relationships among the isolates and species of Colletotrichum and indicated that ITS rDNA sequence data were potentially useful in taxonomic species determination.
ARY anisms of cell rearrangement and cell recruitment in hogenesis and the requirement of bric à brac ea Godt

The dis an organ properti shape o Change been sh opment and Gru (Irvine al., 199 evagination (Condic et al., 1991). Most of the work on morphogenetic mechanisms in Drosophila has been focused on epithelial sheets. However, studies predominantly done on vertebrates show that mesenchymal cells also participate actively and autonomously in morphogenetic movements and pattern formation during organogenesis (for review see Bard, 1990). One organ where the morphogenetic abilities of mesenchymal cells can be studied genetically is the Drosophila ovary. The Drosophila ovary possesses about twenty ovarioles, repeated units that serve as an assembly line for oogenesis (for review see Snodgrass, 1935; King, 1970; Mahowald and Kambysellis, 1980; Spradling, 1993). Each ovariole contains a germarium at its anterior end where oogonia are located, and the 16-germ-cell cyst is formed and surrounded by a follicular epithelium (Fig. 1). The germarium is followed posteriorly by a string of follicles of advancing developmental stages, each of which contains a differentiating oocyte accompanied by fifteen nurse cells. The ovarioles are separated from each other by epithelial sheaths. The different elements of the ovariole are ializ t, th ly si s. Th ound t the e du to a King nads con are rounded by mesodermal cells (f and Hartenstein, 1985). During most of the larval stages, the Drosophila ovary consists of a growing spherical mass of mesenchymal somatic and primordial germ cells (Kerkis, 1930), and is transformed through complex morphogenetic events into an organ of repeated units, the ovarioles, during the late larval and early pupal stages (Kerkis, 1933; King et al., 1968; King, 1970). The morphogenetic process that leads to the development of the ovarioles starts with the formation of a field of cell stacks, the two-dimensional array of terminal filaments. Subsequently, anteriorly located somatic cells migrate posteriorly, initially guided by the regular grid provided by the terminal filaments, and subdivide the ovary into ovarioles. We have studied the development of the terminal filaments and their regular spatial arrangement, as well as the formation of the structurally related basal and interfollicular stalks. We find that they develop through recruitment and cell intercalation of mesenchymal cells, a process resembling the formation of the notochord by convergence and extension in a chordate Developme Printed in G
Sensor comparation for smart parking system

Parking is defined as a condition when a vehicle is temporary stored In big cities, where parking space become more limited In most of conventional parking system, driver enter parking area, search available parking space and park. Finding one available parking space can be frustrating, particularly during rush hour or weekend, since the driver did not know the exact available space. Some parking service provider count their available space and display it at the entry gate, but this system cannot detect vehicle that already leave the parking space until they reach the exit gate. With the system proposed, driver can reserve a parking space. When the vehicle arrives, sensor detects the vehicle and set the status to be occupied Sensor can also detect when the vehicle leave the space so the space can be reserved for another vehicle. For the system proposed, four sensors are tested with three different positions. Sensor placement. Sensor proposed must be cheap, reliable, and require minimal maintenance.
Weak Organic Acids: A Panoply of Effects on Bacteria

Weak organic acids have been used for centuries to preserve foods, but only recently has the possible mechanism for bacterial growth inhibition been investigated. Although the lowering of internal pH was favored as the cause of growth inhibition, the emphasis has shifted to the anion and its specificity. There are a number of applications of weak organic acids to foods and in the food industry be they pre-or postharvest, However, there is concern that the ability of foodborne pathogens to adapt to these acids may allow longer survival in these commodities and also to better survive transit through the gastric acid barrier of the stomach. Genomic and proteomic approaches have been applied to the identification of genes and proteins that may allow prokaryotes to cope with organic acid stress. These technologies in combination with genetic approaches may provide better identification of genes essential for survival to organic acids. These acids may have other roles: they can induce phenotypic antibiotic resistance, and the high concentrations of these acids in the colon may signal a relationship to diet, colonic microflora, and human health.
PSEUDACTEON DECAPITATING FLIES: POTENTIAL VECTORS OF A FIRE ANT VIRUS?

Solenopsis invicta virus (SINV-1) is a positive-stranded RNA virus recently found to infect all stages of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Valles et al. 2004; Valles and Strong 2005). SINV-1 and a second genotype have been tentatively assigned to the Dicistroviridae (Mayo 2002). Infected individuals or colonies did not exhibit any immediate, discernible symptoms in the field. However, under stress from introduction into the laboratory, brood death was often observed among infected colonies, ultimately leading to the death of the entire colony (Valles et al. 2004). These characteristics are consistent with other insect-infecting positive-stranded RNA viruses. They often persist as inapparent, asymptomatic infections that, under certain conditions, induce replication within the host, resulting in observable symptoms and often death (Christian and Scotti 1998; Fernandez et al. 2002). The SINV infection rate among colonies was reported to be around 25% in Gainesville, Florida (Valles et al. 2004; Valles and Strong 2005). SINV vertical and horizontal transmission were inferred based on RT-PCR detection of virus genome in eggs and successful colony to colony transfer under lab conditions (Valles et al. 2004). However, the exact mechanisms by which the virus is spread from nest to nest in the field are unknown.more » Our results indicate that SINV does not replicate within Pseudacteon decapitating flies that parasitize S. invicta. Flies appeared to develop normally from SINV-infected S. invicta workers. Mechanical transmission of SINV to uninfected ants by oviposition appears unlikely. « less
What is Sure Start?

“Joined up thinking” and “joined up government” are now familiar phrases. Joined up real life is rarer, with services for children and families frequently fragmented. Sure Start is therefore particularly encouraging as an initiative which will potentially pull together health, education, and welfare services for 0–3 year olds in a coordinated way. Sure Start is part of the current government's policy to prevent social exclusion, and as such, it is targeted at preschool children and their families in disadvantaged areas. The initiative was the result of a cross cutting review of services for young children chaired by the Treasury.1 The review's conclusions focused on the importance of the early years for child development, and highlighted the problems of multiple disadvantage for young children, the variation in quality of services for children and families, and the need for community based programmes of early intervention. The cash behind Sure Start is substantial: £540m is to be spent between 1999 and 2002 of which £452m will be spent in England. The policy is being developed in different ways in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.2 Starting with 60 “trailblazer” schemes selected on the basis of deprivation, geographical spread, and links with other government initiatives to tackle deprivation, there will eventually be 250 local programmes covering up to 150 000 children.3 The aim of Sure Start is to work with parents and preschool children to promote the physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development of children—particularly those who are disadvantaged. The idea is to ensure that the children who have been in Sure Start programmes are ready to thrive when they get to school.4 In each area where there is a Sure Start project, locally based programmes are encouraged to build on what already exists to ensure a range of core services including: …