Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Region Classification with Decision Trees

The region-classification task is to construct class regions containing the correct classes of the objects being classified with a given probability. To turn a point classifier into a region classifier, the conformal framework is used . However, applying the framework requires a non-conformity function. This function estimates the instances' non-conformity for the point classifier used. This paper studies how to turn decision trees into region classifiers. It considers two non-conformity functions. The first one is a general non-conformity function applicable to any point classifier . The second function is a specific non-conformity function for decision trees . Our main contribution is twofold. First we show, contrary to , that the general function outperforms the specific one for decision-tree region classifiers in terms of validity and efficiency of the class regions. Second, we show how the decision-tree complexity influences the quality of the class regions based on these two functions.
Relationships between Root Pathogen Resistance, Abundance and Expression of Pseudomonas Antimicrobial Genes, and Soil Properties in Representative Swiss Agricultural Soils

Strains of Pseudomonas that produce antimicrobial metabolites and control soilborne plant diseases have often been isolated from soils defined as disease-suppressive, i.e., soils, in which specific plant pathogens are present, but plants show no or reduced disease symptoms. Moreover, it is assumed that pseudomonads producing antimicrobial compounds such as 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) or phenazines (PHZ) contribute to the specific disease resistance of suppressive soils. However, pseudomonads producing antimicrobial metabolites are also present in soils that are conducive to disease. Currently, it is still unknown whether and to which extent the abundance of antimicrobials-producing pseudomonads is related to the general disease resistance of common agricultural soils. Moreover, virtually nothing is known about the conditions under which pseudomonads express antimicrobial genes in agricultural field soils. We present here results of the first side-by-side comparison of 10 representative Swiss agricultural soils with a cereal-oriented cropping history for (i) the resistance against two soilborne pathogens, (ii) the abundance of Pseudomonas bacteria harboring genes involved in the biosynthesis of the antimicrobials DAPG, PHZ, and pyrrolnitrin on roots of wheat, and (iii) the ability to support the expression of these genes on the roots. Our study revealed that the level of soil disease resistance strongly depends on the type of pathogen, e.g., soils that are highly resistant to Gaeumannomyces tritici often are highly susceptible to Pythium ultimum and vice versa. There was no significant correlation between the disease resistance of the soils, the abundance of Pseudomonas bacteria carrying DAPG, PHZ, and pyrrolnitrin biosynthetic genes, and the ability of the soils to support the expression of the antimicrobial genes. Correlation analyses indicated that certain soil factors such as silt, clay, and some macro- and micronutrients influence both the abundance and the expression of the antimicrobial genes. Taken together, the results of this study suggests that pseudomonads producing DAPG, PHZ, or pyrrolnitrin are present and abundant in Swiss agricultural soils and that the soils support the expression of the respective biosynthetic genes in these bacteria to various degrees. The precise role that these pseudomonads play in the general disease resistance of the investigated agricultural soils remains elusive.
The Role of Demographics, Personality Variables and School Stress on Predicting School Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction: Review of the literature and research findings

The importance in studying Quality of School Life (QSL) lies predominantly on research findings concerning its relationship with educational outcome. Although some studies have focused on factors affecting QSL, no study so far has assessed various factors of QSL simultaneously, with regard to secondary education, in order to construct a QSL model and establish its best predictors. The present research has attempted to study correlates of QSL including demographic, personality variables and school stress, and construct a consistent model of QSL, using data derived from pupils in two Scottish secondary pupils (n = 425). The model constructed was found able to account for 56% of the QSL variance. Overall results indicated that QSL is predominantly associated with personality factors, in particular school self-esteem. Results are discussed in relation to the 'trait' character of QSL and the educational implications of the model.
k-core decomposition: a tool for the analysis of large scale Internet graphs

We use the k-core decomposition, based on a recursive pruning of the least connected vertices, to study large scale Internet graphs at the Autonomous System level. This approach allows the characterization of progressively central cores of networks, conveniently uncovering hier- archical and structural properties. Internet maps show the noticeable property of having all k-cores consisting of a single connected compo- nent with invariant statistical properties (degree distribution, correlation spectrum etc.). This feature suggests that the Internet is organized in a defined hierarchy of connected subgraphs of increasing centrality with self-similar properties. The k-core decomposition provides also an inter- esting tool to follow the temporal evolution of Internet maps and test the stability and reliability of different mapping strategies.
Modeling all exceedances above a threshold using an extremal dependence structure: Inferences on several flood characteristics

Flood quantile estimation is of great importance for several types of engineering studies and policy decisions. However, practitioners must often deal with the limited availability of data and with short‐length observation series. Thus, the information must be used optimally. During the last decades, to make better use of available data, inferential methodology has evolved from annual maxima modeling to peaks over a threshold. To mitigate the lack of data, peaks over a threshold are sometimes combined with additional information, mostly regional or historical information. However, the most important information for the practitioner remains the data available at the target site. In this study, a model that allows inference on the whole time series is introduced. In particular, the proposed model takes into account the dependence between successive extreme observations using an appropriate extremal dependence structure. Results show that this model leads to more accurate flood peak quantile estimates than conventional estimators. In addition, as the time dependence is taken into account, inferences on other flood characteristics can be performed. An illustration is given with flood duration data. Our analysis shows that the accuracy of the proposed models to estimate flood duration is related to specific catchment characteristics. Some suggestions to increase the flood duration predictions are presented.
A traceback phenomenon can reveal the origin of prion infection

The transmission of prions to animals with incongruent prion protein (PrP) gene (referred to as cross‐sequence transmission) results in a relatively long incubation period and can generate a new prion strain with unique transmissibility designated as a traceback phenomenon. For example, cross‐sequence transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions to human generated variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (vCJD) prions which retained the transmissibility to mice expressing bovine PrP. This finding suggests that traceback studies could enable us to identify the origin of prions. There are two distinct phenotypes in dura mater graft‐associated Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (dCJD), with the majority represented by a non‐plaque‐type of dCJD (np‐dCJD) and the minority by a plaque‐type of dCJD (p‐dCJD). To identify the origin of p‐dCJD, we performed a traceback study using mice expressing human PrP with methionine homozygosity (129M/M) or valine homozygosity (129V/V) at polymorphic codon 129. The characteristics of p‐dCJD such as the accumulation of abnormal isoform of PrP (PrPSc) intermediate in size between type 1 and type 2, and plaque‐type PrP deposition in the brain were maintained after transmission to the 129M/M mice. Furthermore, the 129V/V mice were more susceptible to p‐dCJD prions than the 129M/M mice and produced type 2 PrPSc that were identical in size to those from the 129V/V mice inoculated with sporadic CJD prions from a patient with 129V/V and type 2 PrPSc (sCJD‐VV2). In addition, we performed intracerebral transmission of sCJD‐VV2 prions to the 129M/M mice as an experimental model for p‐dCJD. These 129M/M mice showed the accumulation of the intermediate type PrPSc and plaque‐type PrP deposition in the brain. These results suggest that p‐dCJD could be caused by cross‐sequence transmission of sCJD‐VV2 prions to individuals with the 129M/M genotype.
Force generation by the growth of amyloid aggregates

Significance Force generation by active biological materials, in particular through native protein polymerization, is a key feature of cellular function and motility. Protein polymerization to form amyloid fibrils is associated with a number of devastating and currently incurable protein misfolding diseases. Unlike the polymerization of actin and tubulin driving cell motility, little is known about the mechanical properties of amyloid fibril growth. Here, we present direct experimental measurements of the force generated by growing amyloid fibrils. These measurements demonstrate that amyloid growth can release comparable forces to actin and tubulin polymerization. This conclusion is remarkable as actin and tubulin, unlike proteins forming amyloid fibrils, have evolved to generate force. The generation of mechanical forces are central to a wide range of vital biological processes, including the function of the cytoskeleton. Although the forces emerging from the polymerization of native proteins have been studied in detail, the potential for force generation by aberrant protein polymerization has not yet been explored. Here, we show that the growth of amyloid fibrils, archetypical aberrant protein polymers, is capable of unleashing mechanical forces on the piconewton scale for individual filaments. We apply microfluidic techniques to measure the forces released by amyloid growth for two systems: insulin and lysozyme. The level of force measured for amyloid growth in both systems is comparable to that observed for actin and tubulin, systems that have evolved to generate force during their native functions and, unlike amyloid growth, rely on the input of external energy in the form of nucleotide hydrolysis for maximum force generation. Furthermore, we find that the power density released from growing amyloid fibrils is comparable to that of high-performance synthetic polymer actuators. These findings highlight the potential of amyloid structures as active materials and shed light on the criteria for regulation and reversibility that guide molecular evolution of functional polymers.
The fundamental interaction of singing

This edition of the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy provides articles for two contrasting and eminently useful aspects of music therapy research with preterm infants. Friederike Haslbeck provides two articles to champion the lived experience of creative music therapy (CMT) for the preterm infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), while Garunkstiene and her team refine the application of live and recorded music for preterm infants. The studies epitomise the contrasting conceptualisation of music as an interpersonal process, and music as a stimulus. In both cases, the researchers have used pre-existingmodels of music therapy for inspiration and protocol delineation. This provides the reader with an advantage in comprehending how the intervention protocol looks and sounds. For the Garunkstiene study, we learn that the often-cited Arnon et al. (2006) study protocol is largely replicated, but with valuable refinements. They specify the age group at 28–32 weeks postmenstrual age, which discriminates a definite developmental phase rather than classifying all preterm infants as one group. Based on newborn preference for unaccompanied singing (Ilari & Sundara, 2009), they make a judicious choice to use unaccompanied singing as a simpler stimulus than voice and instrument combined. The explanation of the rationale for these selections enables the reader to confirm the rationale for these very immature participants. Haslbeck builds on the precise application of CMT with patients in coma, and her own broad base of experience in the perinatal NICU. The shared underpinning on breath clearly implies that this is a meticulous process, which she has fully explored across both of these articles arising from her elegant PhD study. The researchers have all selected research methods which exemplify rather than try to eliminate the complexity of the experience. Garunkstiene tests the effectiveness of recorded and live singing using traditional quantitative methods, but specifically a within subject design to acknowledge the unique capacities of each infant. Haslbeck celebrates the lived experience of infant, parent and therapist by using richly triangulated data to produce new categorisations of infant vitality, therapist responsiveness and tightly interpreted relationships. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 2014 Vol. 23, No. 1, 2–4, http://dx.doi. org/10.1080/08098131.2014. 876178
The Capability Approach: Amartya Sen's capability view: insightful sketch or distorted picture?

Introduction It is now more than twenty-five years since the publication of Amartya Sen's Tanner lecture (Sen 1980) in which he first began to develop what we now know as the ‘capability approach’ (CA). The approach has evolved and matured quite considerably over time, and its influence and stature have also grown. It now stands as a, if not the only, major alternative to standard welfare economics. There have also been numerous attempts at applying the CA in different contexts. In some ways the CA has ‘grown up’ and it is an appropriate time to reassess the CA, and to consider its prospects. Sen's CA gives us a way of thinking about and, in that sense, a ‘view’ of various interrelated subjects, such as the quality of life, justice, and development. It is a view which is, as Sen repeatedly tells us, incomplete , and which is supposed to be open to different accounts of valuation. Sen stops short of completing the picture, rather like an artist who prefers a sketch with a few sharply executed marks to a more fully worked and developed painting. The view Sen gives us might be seen as a rather masterful sketch. Yet by leaving out a great deal of detail and producing a striking effect by giving some things a particular prominence, a sketch can distort reality. So I shall look at the view Sen ‘draws’ and ask: is this view an insightful sketch or a distorted picture?
Cloning and Characterization of the Hakata Antigen, a Member of the Ficolin/Opsonin p35 Lectin Family*

The Hakata antigen is a novel, thermolabile β2-macroglycoprotein that reacts with sera from patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus. In this study we present the structure and the function of the Hakata antigen. We have identified cDNA clones encoding the Hakata antigen and analyzed its function. The cDNA included a possible open reading frame of 897 nucleotides, encoding 299 amino acids. The Hakata antigen consisted of a collagen-like domain in the middle section and a fibrinogen-like domain in the COOH terminus, both of which are homologous to human ficolin-1 and opsonin P35, indicating that these three molecules form a distinct family. The molecular mass of the Hakata antigen expressed in transfected cells was 35 kDa under reduced conditions, and it formed ladder bands under nonreducing conditions compatible with the previous result that the Hakata antigen exists in serum as homopolymers. Purified Hakata antigen sustained lectin activity, showing affinity with GalNAc, GlcNAc, d-fucose as mono/oligosaccharide, and lipopolysaccharides from Salmonella typhimurium andSalmonella minnesota. These results suggest that the Hakata antigen, a new member of the ficolin/opsonin P35 family, plays a role in the serum exerting lectin activity under physiological conditions.
Comparison of wireless clock synchronization algorithms for indoor location systems

The advent of time based location systems paves the way to the introduction of many exciting applications. However, they can only function correctly if the system has a common concept of time. Often it is not practical to synchronize all receivers using wires so alternative methods must be found. This paper outlines the use of a DW1000 ScenSor, an IEEE 802.15. 4a transceiver, as a test platform. It then describes and compares several methods of wirelessly synchronizing all the sensors in the location system.
Grandparents as Regular Child Care Providers: Unrecognised, Under-Valued and Under-Resourced

In Australia, nearly one quarter of all 0-4-year-olds in child care are in the ‘informal’ care of grandparents (ABS, 2003). There is also evidence that the courts are assigning increasing numbers of children to the custodial care of grandparents. While there is a considerable body of descriptive literature that reports on the incidence and nature of grandparenting in relation to the custodial care of children, little is known about grandparents who are regular child care providers. This article draws from a larger study that sought to gain insights into grandparents' experiences as regular child care providers for children below school age. While these grandparents chose to care for their grandchildren they were also involved in balancing this responsibility with their own work commitments, their leisure activities, and a sense of family obligation. The grandparents' stories of their experiences highlight the need for greater recognition of the role grandparents play in supporting family cohesiveness and the contribution they make to society as a whole.
Servant-leadership: the Online Way! E-learning where community building is key

The digitalisation of educational communities has increased rapidly in the last decade. Modern technologies transform the way educational leaders such as teachers, tutors, deans and supervisors view and manage their educational communities. More often, educational leaders offer a variety of gateways, guiding the e-learners in their search for finding and understanding information. A new type of leader is required for understanding the needs and requirements of geographically dispersed e-learners. This calls for a compassioned kind of leader, able to reconcile the dilemma of high-tech versus hi-touch in the online classroom. This article examines servant-leadership and its implications for e-learning in the 24/7 classroom where community building is key.
The Flow of life : essays on eastern Indonesia

Introduction James J. Fox Part One: Marriage, Alliance, and Exchange 1. Principles and Variations in the Structure of Sumbanese Society Rodney Needham 2. The Marriage Nexus among the Manggarai of West Flores John L. Gordon 3. Concordance, Structure, and Variation: Considerations of Alliance in Kedang Robert H. Barnes 4. Obligation and Alliance: State Structure and Moiety Organization in Thie, Roti James J. Fox 5. The Social Organization of the Ema of Timor Brigitte Clamagirand 6. Descent, Alliance, and Exchange Ideology among the Makassae of East Timor Shepard Forman 7. Notes on the Meaning of Marriage Prestations among the Huaulu of Seram Valerto Valeri Part Two: Systems of Social and Symbolic Classification 8. The Significance of Livestock on Sumba L. Onvlee (Translated from the Dutch by James J. Fox and Heriny Fokker-Bakker) 9. Structural Aspects of East Sumbanese Art Marie Jeanne Adams 10. The Order and Significance of the Savunese House N. L. Kana (Translated from the Indonesian by James J. Fox) 11. The Symbolic Classification of the Atoni of Timor H. G. Schulte Nordholt 12. Incursions upon Wehali: A Modern History of an Ancient Empire Gerard Francillon 13. Boiled Woman and Broiled Man: Myths and Agricultural Rituals of the Bunaq of Central Timor Claude Friedsero (Translated from the French by Elizabeth Traube) 14. Mambai Rituals of Black and White Elizabeth Traube Part Three: Eastern Indonesia as a Field of Ethnological Study 15. The Concept of the Field of Ethnological Study P. E. de Josselin de Jong 16. Models and Metaphors: Comparative Research in Eastern Indonesia James J. Fox Notes References Index
Analyzing injury severity factors at highway railway grade crossing accidents involving vulnerable road users: A comparative study

ABSTRACT Objective: The main objective of this study is to identify the main factors associated with injury severity of vulnerable road users (VRUs) involved in accidents at highway railroad grade crossings (HRGCs) using data mining techniques. Methods: This article applies an ordered probit model, association rules, and classification and regression tree (CART) algorithms to the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) HRGC accident database for the period 2007–2013 to identify VRU injury severity factors at HRGCs. Results: The results show that train speed is a key factor influencing injury severity. Further analysis illustrated that the presence of illumination does not reduce the severity of accidents for high-speed trains. In addition, there is a greater propensity toward fatal accidents for elderly road users compared to younger individuals. Interestingly, at night, injury accidents involving female road users are more severe compared to those involving males. Conclusions: The ordered probit model was the primary technique, and CART and association rules act as the supporter and identifier of interactions between variables. All 3 algorithms' results consistently show that the most influential accident factors are train speed, VRU age, and gender. The findings of this research could be applied for identifying high-risk hotspots and developing cost-effective countermeasures targeting VRUs at HRGCs.
C57BL/6 and A/J Mice Have Different Inflammatory Response and Liver Lipid Profile in Experimental Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is an important worldwide public health issue characterized by liver steatosis, inflammation, necrosis, and apoptosis of hepatocytes with eventual development of fibrosis and cirrhosis. Comparison of murine models with different inflammatory responses for ALD is important for an evaluation of the importance of genetic background in the interpretation of ethanol-induced phenotypes. Here, we investigated the role of inflammation and genetic background for the establishment of ALD using two different mouse strains: C57BL/6 (B6) and A/J. B6 and A/J mice were treated with a high fat diet containing ethanol (HFDE) and compared to the controls for 10 weeks. Hepatomegaly and steatohepatitis were similar in B6 and A/J mice, but only A/J mice were resistant to weight gain. On the other hand, HFDE-fed B6 accumulated more triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol and presented more intense cellular infiltrate in the liver when compared to HFDM-fed mice. Liver inflammatory environment was distinct in these two mouse strains. While HFDE-fed B6 produced more liver IL-12, A/J mice increased the TNF-α production. We concluded that mouse genetic background could dictate the intensity of the HFDE-induced liver injury.