Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Interactive Dynamic Tiled Display System

Data acquisition devices and algorithms are generating each day larger datasets. As displays are not evolving in the same velocity, the use of tiled displays systems is being seriously considered for the visualization of huge datasets. However, tiled-displays are expensive and large, requiring dedicated rooms for it. Therefore we propose a low cost and scalable tiled display using an array of movable tablet PCs. We also present a strategy to interact with applications running on this dynamic tiled display system, which can be operated by one or multiple users concurrently. Our solution is based on two principles: even if each tile is a separate computer, users should feel it as an unique application running on a single machine; interaction is provided by sketching gestures directly over the displays surfaces using the tablet stylus. Users may use the system in a natural way, as they are just taking notes in their own scrapbook. Preliminary results are presented and discussed. Keywords-Tiled displays; gestures interaction; touch screen
Photonic Discrete-time Quantum Walks and Applications

We present a review of photonic implementations of discrete-time quantum walks (DTQW) in the spatial and temporal domains, based on spatial- and time-multiplexing techniques, respectively. Additionally, we propose a detailed novel scheme for photonic DTQW, using transverse spatial modes of single photons and programmable spatial light modulators (SLM) to manipulate them. Unlike all previous mode-multiplexed implementations, this scheme enables simulation of an arbitrary step of the walker, only limited, in principle, by the SLM resolution. We discuss current applications of such photonic DTQW architectures in quantum simulation of topological effects and the use of non-local coin operations based on two-photon hybrid entanglement.
Implications of IDS Classification on Attack Detection

Accurate taxonomies are critical for the advancement of research fields. Taxonomies for intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are not fully agreed upon, and further lack convincing motivation of their categories. We survey and summarize previously made taxonomies for intrusion detection. Focusing on categories relevant for detection methods, we extract commonly used concepts and define three new attributes: the reference model type, the reference model generation process, and the reference model updating strategy. Using our framework, the range of previously used terms can easily be explained. We study the usefulness of these attributes with two empirical evaluations. Firstly, we use the taxonomy to create a survey of existing research IDSs, with a successful result, i.e. the IDSs are well scattered in the defined space. Secondly, we investigate whether we can reason about the detection capability based on detection method classes, as defined by our framework. We establish that different detection methods vary in their capability to detect specific attack types. The reference model type seems better suited than reference model generation process for such reasoning. However, our results are tentative and based on a relatively small number of attacks.
Update in Anaesthesia Issue 10

Add adrenaline (epinephrine) to reduce the speed of absorption. The addition of adrenaline will reduce the maximum blood concentration by about 50%. Usually adrenaline is added in a concentration of 1:200,000, with a maximum dose of 200 micrograms. This is made up by taking an ampoule of adrenaline with a concentration of 1:1,000 = 1mg/ml =0.1mg%. From this you take 0.1ml (zero point one millilitres) and add it to each 20ml of the local anaesthetic. The addition of adrenaline will make no difference to the toxicity of the local anaesthetic if it is injected intravenously.
Beyond renoprotective impact; ameliorative effects of metformin on malignancies

Diabetes therapies were associated with either a reduced or increased risk of cancer. There are continuous discussions about a possible protective action of metformin. In fact, metformin, a commonly consumed anti-diabetic medication has an ameliorative impact on some cancers by direct (preventing cell growth and apoptosis) and indirect (increasing insulin sensitivity) effects. Observational reports have suggested which metformin reduces the incidence of few common cancers. In general, metformin is an extensively recommended anti-diabetic medication with a recognized ability coupled with a satisfactory and safety profile and inexpensive. This review article considers reduction and protective abilities of metformin on cancers especially prostate, liver, breast, lung, and colon cancer.
A Modelling Assessment of the Impact of Clean Development Mechanism on Electricity Generation Systems: Case of Shandong Province, China

The electricity generation sector is broadly cited among the most promising domains for implementation of greenhouse gases (GHG) abatement measures intended to achieve the targets set up in the Kyoto Protocol. Meanwhile, considered through the perspective of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the electricity sector offers attractive business opportunities for investment in GHG mitigation projects which may be beneficial for both industrialised and developing countries. This work aims to identify such GHG emissions reduction projects within the electricity sector that can be eligible for CDM. It is assumed that revenues from sale of the certified emission reductions (CERs) would increase competitiveness of the power generation technologies with lower carbon emission rates, thereby altering economically efficient load order and capacity deployment. Possible range of CDM projects as well as economical and environmental benefits from their implementation were estimated using a least cost electricity system expansion planning model PLANELEC-Pro. It is found that in a reference Chinese province of Shandong the Clean Development Mechanism may contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions by 46.8 million tons (1.64%) compared to the baseline case through the deployment of wind power and advanced clean coal technologies. The total cost of the electricity generation system can be decreased by up to US$ 86 million (0.24%) due to sale of CERs in the international market. Sensitivity analyses were made on the price of CERs which is the main factor having effect on the economical benefits from CDM and the resulting structure of the power generation mix.
Introduction Introduction : Air Pollution in China

This introduction provides an overview and analysis of key scientific data regarding air pollution in China. It constitutes a reference for understanding how policymakers, media and population in China make sense of and deal with air pollution, as discussed in the other articles of the section. We summarize the major characteristics and trends regarding air pollution in China, including its main sources and composition, levels of population exposure across the country, attributable mortality, and mitigation efforts. We also compare current levels of air pollution in China with other parts of the world and in a historical perspective. While the situation remains dire in many regions, particularly the Northeast, we conclude that there are signs of relief, or at least a halt to the increase in ambient air pollution levels. At the same time, critical issues regarding unequal levels of exposure remain, and health damaging levels of air pollution in cities will undoubtedly remain high for a long time to come. The rural population residing in areas close to industry and polluted cities and still depending on solid household fuels will likely be the worst off when it comes to air pollution exposure.
Hyperglycemic effect of Chlorpyrifos , Profenofos and possible ameliorative role of Propolis and ginseng

Received: 02 December, 2013 Accepted: 27 December, 2013 Published: 20 January, 2014 The present study was aimed to evaluate the toxic effect of both Chlorpyrifos and Profenofos (organophosphorous insecticides) each alone and in their combinations with either propolis or ginseng and using of propolis and ginseng in this study to be effective antidiabetic agents, therefore, the present study aimed to elucidate the possible ameliorative role of propolis and ginseng in alleviating the toxicity of both Chlorpyrifos and Profenofos when given to male rats. This was done through studying the effects of both Chlorpyrifos and profenofos on some glycemic parameters like Blood glucose and Insulin. Animals were divided into nine groups; The 1 (Control group): Animals received 1ml of distilled water orally daily for 8 weeks, The 2 (Chlorpyrifos treated group)Animals were daily received oral doses of Chlorpyrifos (6.75 mg/Kg b.wt.) for 60 days , The 3 (Profenofos treated group)Animals were received orally Profenofos (20 mg/Kg b.wt.) daily for 8 weeks , The 4 (Propolis treated group)Animals were received orally Propolis extract (70mg/kg b.wt.) daily for 8,The 5 (Ginseng treated group)Animal were given orally Ginseng extract (200mg/Kg b.wt.) for 8 weeks daily, The 6 (Chlorpyrifos + Propolis treated group)Animals were given orally Chlorpyrifos (6.75 mg/Kg) and then co-administered with Propolis extract (70mg/kg b.wt.) for 8 weeks daily, The 7 (Chloropyrifos+Ginseng treated group)Animals were given orally Chlorpyrifos (6.75 mg/Kg b.wt.) and then coadministered with Ginseng extract (200mg/Kg) for 8 weeks daily , The 8 (Profenofos +Propolis treated group)Animals were given orally Profenofos (20 mg/Kg) and then co-administered with Propolis extract (70mg/kg) for 8 weeks daily, The 9 (Profenofos +Ginseng treated group)Animals were given orally Profenofos (20 mg/Kg) and then co-administered with Ginseng extract (200mg/Kg) as mentioned above for 60 successive days . Results showed that there was a correlation between CPF and PRF administration and the highly significant increase of blood glucose level and decreasing Insulin level, while administration of both propolis and ginseng highly ameliorate this hyperglycemic effect. © 2014 PSCI Publisher All rights reserved.
Gender- and Age-related Differences in Designing the Characteristics of Stereotypical Virtual Faces

The characteristics of virtual faces can be important factors for avatars and characters in video games. Previous work investigates how users create their own avatars and determines the generally preferred characteristics of virtual faces. However, it is currently unknown how the preferred characteristics of avatar faces depend on the players' age and gender or if these demographics can be predicted based on the data provided by an avatar creation system. In this paper, we investigate the effects of gender and age on the facial characteristics of 4,215 virtual faces created by 1,475 participants (994 male, 481 female) mainly from Central Europe using a web-based avatar creation system and the Caucasian average face. Our results show that with increasing age, men and women design increasingly realistic and less stylized avatars. We also found that young persons design more androgynous avatars, while adults further increase the masculinity and femininity of their avatars. However, women with higher age decrease the femininity and increase the masculinity of stereotypical faces. Based on the data collected during the avatar creation process, we can predict the participants' gender with an accuracy up to 91%, which open up new use cases for video games and avatar creation systems. We discuss potential social, biological, and cognitive explanations for our results and contribute with design implications for games and future avatar customization systems.
Review of Potential Wind Tunnel Balance Technologies

This manuscript reviews design, manufacture, materials, sensors, and data acquisition technologies that may benefit wind tunnel balances for the aerospace research community. Current state-of-the-art practices are used as the benchmark to consider advancements driven by researcher and facility needs. Additive manufacturing is highlighted as a promising alternative technology to conventional fabrication and has the potential to reduce both the cost and time required to manufacture force balances. Material alternatives to maraging steels are reviewed. Sensor technologies including piezoresistive, piezoelectric, surface acoustic wave, and fiber optic are compared to traditional foil based gages to highlight unique opportunities and shared challenges for implementation in wind tunnel environments. Finally, data acquisition systems that could be integrated into force balances are highlighted as a way to simplify the user experience and improve data quality. In summary, a rank ordering is provided to support strategic investment in exploring the technologies reviewed in this manuscript.
The Emerging Landscape of Epidemiological Research Based on Biobanks Linked to Electronic Health Records: Existing Resources, Analytic Challenges and Potential Opportunities

Biobanks linked to electronic health records provide a rich data resource for health-related research. With the establishment of large-scale infrastructure, the availability and utility of data from biobanks has dramatically increased over time. As more researchers become interested in using biobank data to explore a diverse spectrum of scientific questions, resources guiding the data access, design, and analysis of biobank-based studies will be crucial. The first aim of this review is to characterize the types of biobanks that are discussed in the recent literature and provide detailed descriptions of specific biobanks including their location, size, data access, data linkages and more. The development and accessibility of large-scale biorepositories provide the opportunity to accelerate agnostic searches, new discoveries, and hypothesis-generating studies of disease-treatment, disease-exposure and disease-gene associations. Rather than spending time and money designing and implementing a single study with pre-defined objectives, researchers can use biobanks’ existing data-rich resources to answer scientific questions as quickly as they can analyze them. While the data are becoming increasingly available, additional thought is needed to address issues related to the design of such studies and analysis of these data. In the second aim of this review, we discuss statistical issues related to biobank research in general including study design, sampling strategy, phenotype identification, and missing data. These issues are illustrated using data from the Michigan Genomics Initiative, UK Biobank, and Genes for Good. We summarize the current body of statistical literature aimed at addressing some of these challenges and discuss some of the standing open problems in this area. This work serves to complement and extend recent reviews about biobank-based research and aims to provide a resource catalog with statistical and practical guidance to researchers pursuing biobank-based research.
A decade of conservation effects assessment research by the USDA Agricultural Research Service: Progress overview and future outlook

Ten years ago, the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) began a series of watershed assessment studies as part of the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). In this overview, a decade of research progress in 14 watersheds dominated by rain-fed croplands is reviewed to introduce a special section of this journal issue containing papers describing multiwatershed syntheses. The papers evaluate impacts of agricultural practices on soil quality, stream sediment sources, and the role of climate variability in watershed studies and conservation assessments at the watershed scale. The cross-watershed comparisons help enhance our understanding of emerging conservation technologies in terms of their readiness and suitability for wide-scale adoption. Research from ARS CEAP watershed assessments published during the past 10 years suggests encouraging (1) wider adoption of minimum disturbance technologies to reduce runoff risks associated with applying manure, nutrients, and agrichemicals; (2) adoption of winter cover crops; and (3) a renewed emphasis on riparian corridors to control loads of sediment, phosphorus (P), and other contaminants originating from within (and near) stream channels. The management of agricultural watersheds requires that watershed-scale data can be interpreted and applied in management at the farm scale, and that farm-scale information, including financial and management constraints, can be used to clarify watershed management opportunities and challenges. Substantial research needs remain, including social engagement of agricultural communities, use of multiple conservation practices to account for environmental tradeoffs, improved models to simulate the dynamics of nutrient retention and movement in watersheds, and understanding ecosystem responses to changes in water quality. Moreover, a long-term commitment to understand land use trends, water quality dynamics, climate impacts, and the real effectiveness of precision conservation approaches for improving water quality will help secure agriculture's capacity to provide food, water, and other ecosystem services vital to society.
Investigating the use of real-time data in nudging patients' emergency department (ED) attendance behaviour

Decision-making in healthcare is a complex process involving multiple stakeholders. One such stakeholder category is the intended users of the system itself - the patients. We present a study in which users use real-time hospital operations data to make attendance choices. The work was carried out with the Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT) and its network of Minor Injury Units (MIUs) and one Emergency Department (ED). The aim of this research was to provide information transparency on ED/MIU waiting times which would allow recipients, including, significantly, patients who are in need of urgent medical attention, to make informed decisions as to the facility that could best serve their needs. This work will contribute towards reducing pressure in ED by redistributing demand for minor ailments among the MIUs, since the MIUs have facilities for the treatment of minor injuries and the ED exists mainly for emergency and life-threating conditions.
A Concept for Productivity Tracking based on Collaborative Interactive Learning Techniques

The academic success of individual students differs widely and it depends on various factors, ranging from financial to social and to health aspects. In this article, we propose a concept for a novel productivity tracking system that provides the basis for a self-assessment of academic behaviour and that can be used by students to support their academic success. The development of such a system requires interdisciplinary efforts, most of them located in the field of collaborative interactive learning (CIL) that is grounded on a socio-technical system perspective. The system is interactive since it is based on bidirectional communication, collaborative in the sense that it uses students, other students, and external sources such as the Internet for generation of knowledge, and learning in the sense that it continuously and autonomously acquires knowledge. It is further self-organised as it decides about interaction partners and self-adaptive in terms of modifying its behaviour according to changing conditions.
Vaccines and Other Immunological Products

The concept of vaccination was introduced in the late 18th century by Edward Jenner when he used cowpox virus as a vaccine to protect humans against smallpox virus infections. This led to the development of vaccines over the next 2 centuries to provide protection against various bacterial and viral pathogens. Undoubtedly, the effective vaccination against infectious diseases is the best method of reducing suffering of human and animals caused by viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections. Over the last 200 years, the technology of vaccine development and production has not changed significantly. This usually involves the use of either a killed pathogen combined with an adjuvant or a live pathogen with reduced virulence. Apart from the tremendous success of killed and attenuated virus vaccines over the years, many of such vaccines do not provide satisfactory protection, and there are a number of other disadvantages associated with these vaccines. Additionally, there are important pathogens against which attempts to develop effective vaccines using traditional approaches were unsuccessful. Various protective viral antigens (envelope and/or capsid proteins or glycoproteins and other viral proteins) and bacterial antigens (surface, internal, or fimbria proteins; bacterial polysaccharides; bacterial toxins; and other proteins involved in bacterial metabolism) have been identified as potential vaccine candidates. These protective antigens are used by various means to develop effective vaccines. The field of vaccine technology is not limited to infectious diseases but has shown potential in other areas, such as cancer treatment, reproduction, and modulation of animal productivity. An overview of vaccine strategies is depicted in Fig. 1.
Local Ecological Knowledge of Ivory Gull Declines in Arctic Canada

We gathered local ecological knowledge (LEK) on the ivory gull ( Pagophila eburnea ) from residents of three High Arctic communities in eastern Canada. This gull has always been uncommon, but Inuit had suggested that numbers of gulls were declining. LEK from Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay was clear and consistent, indicating that far fewer gulls are currently observed near the community compared to 25 years ago. The LEK from Arctic Bay was less consistent, although in general, community members thought that the species was less commonly observed. Observations from nonsystematic surveys by local wildlife officers corroborated the LEK data, and an aerial survey of the known colony locations on the Brodeur Peninsula (near Arctic Bay) found only one gull. Collectively, this information suggests that ivory gull populations are declining across the species' Canadian range. Systematic surveys will be needed to confirm these perceived declines.
Assessing low-frequency oscillations in cerebrovascular diseases and related conditions with near-infrared spectroscopy: a plausible method for evaluating cerebral autoregulation?

Abstract. Background: Cerebral autoregulation (CA) is the brain’s ability to always maintain an adequate and relatively constant blood supply, which is often impaired in cerebrovascular diseases. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) examines oxygenated hemoglobin (OxyHb) in the cerebral cortex. Low- and very low-frequency oscillations (LFOs ≈ 0.1 Hz and VLFOs ≈ 0.05 to 0.01 Hz) in OxyHb have been proposed to reflect CA. Aim: To systematically review published results on OxyHb LFOs and VLFOs in cerebrovascular diseases and related conditions measured with NIRS. Approach: A systematic search was performed in the MEDLINE database, which generated 36 studies relevant for inclusion. Results: Healthy people have relatively stable LFOs. LFO amplitude seems to reflect myogenic CA being decreased by vasomotor paralysis in stroke, by smooth muscle damage or as compensatory action in other conditions but can also be influenced by the sympathetic tone. VLFO amplitude is believed to reflect neurogenic and metabolic CA and is lower in stroke, atherosclerosis, and with aging. Both LFO and VLFO synchronizations appear disturbed in stroke, while the former is also altered in internal carotid stenosis and hypertension. Conclusion: We conclude that amplitudes of LFOs and VLFOs are relatively robust measures for evaluating mechanisms of CA and synchronization analyses can show temporal disruption of CA. Further research and more coherent methodologies are needed.