Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How to compensate for the disturbances that Jeopardize Dynamic Balance of a Humanoid Robot?

It is expected that the humanoid robots of the near future will "live" and work in a common environment with humans, which imposes the requirement that their operative efficiency ought to be close to that of humans. The main prerequisite to achieve this is to ensure the robot's efficient motion, which is its ability to compensate for the ever-present disturbances. The work considers the different strategies of how to compensate for the large disturbances that jeopardize the robot's dynamic balance in a most direct way, as well as the requirements to be met in the control synthesis. The ways in which such compensation can be efficiently realized are proposed and then verified by simulation.
Staffing Services Quality and Innovativeness in Pharmaceutical Companies

This paper examines whether the main dimensions of staffing services quality have any effect on innovativeness. A resource-based view of human resource management is used as theoretical approach. A questionnaire was sent to the CEOs of an international sample of pharmaceutical companies. A regression analysis was used to test hypotheses about the influence of the staffing services quality dimensions on innovativeness. The main findings are that all but one of the staffing services quality dimensions considered have significant, positive effects on innovativeness. Candidate quality is the dimension that affects innovativeness most, while timeliness has no significant effect.
Identification of Multiple HPV Types on Spermatozoa from Human Sperm Donors

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) may cause sexually transmitted disease. High-risk types of HPV are involved in the development of cervical cell dysplasia, whereas low-risk types may cause genital condyloma. Despite the association between HPV and cancer, donor sperm need not be tested for HPV according to European regulations. Consequently, the potential health risk of HPV transmission by donor bank sperm has not been elucidated, nor is it known how HPV is associated with sperm. The presence of 35 types of HPV was examined on DNA from semen samples of 188 Danish sperm donors using a sensitive HPV array. To examine whether HPV was associated with the sperm, in situ hybridization were performed with HPV-6, HPV-16 and -18, and HPV-31-specific probes. The prevalence of HPV-positive sperm donors was 16.0% and in 66.7% of these individuals high-risk types of HPV were detected. In 5.3% of sperm donors, two or more HPV types were detected. Among all identified HPV types, 61.9% were high-risk types. In situ hybridization experiments identified HPV genomes particularly protruding from the equatorial segment and the tail of the sperm. Semen samples from more than one in seven healthy Danish donors contain HPV, most of them of high-risk types binding to the equatorial segment of the sperm cell. Most HPV-positive sperm showed decreased staining with DAPI, indicative of reduced content of DNA. Our data demonstrate that oncogenic HPV types are frequent in men.
Cooperative diversity over log-normal fading channels: performance analysis and optimization

Although there has been a growing interest on cooperative diversity, the current literature is mainly limited to the results obtained for Rayleigh, Rician, or Nakagami fading channels. In this paper, we investigate the performance of cooperative diversity schemes over log-normal fading channels which provide an accurate channel model for indoor wireless environments. We focus on single-relay cooperative networks with amplify-and-forward relaying and consider three TDMA-based cooperation protocols: which correspond to distributed implementations of MIMO (multi-input multi-output), SIMO (single-input multi-output), and MISO (multi-input single-output) schemes. For each protocol under consideration, we derive upper bounds on pairwise error probability over log-normal channels and quantify the diversify advantages. Based on the minimization of a union bound on the bit error rate performance, we further formulate optimal power allocation schemes which demonstrate significant performance gains over their counterparts with equal power allocation.
Adipose-derived stem cell fate is predicted by cellular mechanical properties

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) show great promise for tissue engineering applications and cell-based therapies because of their multipotency, relative abundance and immunosuppressive properties. However, ASCs must be isolated from heterogeneous cell populations present in adipose tissue. In this brief report, we provide a concise summary of the history and use of cellular mechanical properties as novel, label-free biomarkers to predict the differentiation potential of ASCs toward adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages. Additionally, we have found that passage number influences the mechanical properties of ASCs along with a discussion of potential environmental factors that could affect these properties. Altogether, this report provides evidence for the reliability of cellular mechanical properties as biomarkers for ASC differentiation potential and outlines how they can be used to sort ASCs with lineage-specific preferences for particular applications.
New lower bounds for parallel computation

Lower bounds are proven on the parallel-time complexity of several basic functions on the most powerful concurrent-read concurrent-write PRAM with unlimited shared memory and unlimited power of individual processors (denoted by PRIORITY(∞)):<list><item>It is proved that with a number of processors polynomial in <italic>n</italic>, &OHgr; (log <italic>n</italic>) time is needed for addition, multiplication or bitwise OR of <italic>n</italic> numbers, when each number has <italic>n</italic>' bits. Hence even the <italic>bit complexity</italic> (i.e., the time complexity as a function of the total number of bits in the input) is logarithmic in this case. This improves a beautiful result of Meyer auf der Heide and Wigderson [22]. They proved a log <italic>n</italic> lower bound using Ramsey-type techniques. Using Ramsey theory, it is possible to get an upper bound on the number of bits in the inputs used. However, for the case of polynomially many processors, this upper bound is more than a polynomial in <italic>n</italic>. </item><item>An &OHgr; (log <italic>n</italic>) lower bound is given for PRIORITY(∞) with <italic>n</italic><supscrpt>o(1)</supscrpt> processors on a function with inputs from {0, 1}, namely for the function ƒ(<italic>x</italic><subscrpt>1</subscrpt>, … , <italic>x<subscrpt>n</subscrpt></italic>,) = &Sgr; <supscrpt><italic>n</italic></supscrpt><subscrpt><italic>l</italic>- 1</subscrpt> <italic>x<subscrpt>l</subscrpt>a<supscrpt>i</supscrpt></italic> where <italic>a</italic> is fixed and <italic>x<subscrpt>i</subscrpt></italic> ε {0, 1}. </item><item>Finally, by a new efficient simulation of PRIORITY(∞) by unbounded fan-in circuits, that with less than exponential number of processors, it is proven a PRIORITY(∞) cannot compute PARITY in constant time, and with <italic>n<supscrpt>O</italic>(1)</supscrpt> processors &OHgr;(@@@@log <italic>n</italic>) time is needed. The simulation technique is of independent interest since it can serve as a general tool to translate circuit lower bounds into PRAM lower bounds. </item></list>Further, the lower bounds in (1) and (2) remain valid for probabilistic or nondeterministic concurrent-read concurrent-write PRAMS.
The role of inflamed adipose tissue in the insulin resistance

In this article, we discuss inflammation associated with adipose tissue dysfunction as a potential link with obesity‐related insulin resistance, and how obesity‐related inflammatory components, such as immune cells, cytokines/chemokines and adipocytokines, induce obesity‐related pathologies. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Visual support for analyzing network traffic and intrusion detection events using TreeMap and graph representations

Network security depends heavily on automated Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to sense malicious activity. Unfortunately, IDS often deliver both too much raw information, and an incomplete local picture, impeding accurate assessment of emerging threats. We propose a system to support analysis of IDS logs, that visually pivots large sets of Net-Flows. In particular, two visual representations of the flow data are compared: a TreeMap visualization of local network hosts, which are linked through hierarchical edge bundles with the external hosts, and a graph representation using a force-directed layout to visualize the structure of the host communication patterns. Three case studies demonstrate the capabilities of our tool to 1) analyze service usage in a managed network, 2) detect a distributed attack, and 3) investigate hosts in our network that communicate with suspect external IPs.
What Does Monetary Policy Reveal About a Central Bank's Preferences?

The design of monetary policy depends on the targeting strategy adopted by the central bank. This strategy describes a set of policy preferences, which are actually the structural parameters to analyse monetary policy making. Accordingly, we develop a calibration method to estimate a central bank's preferences from the estimates of an optimal Taylor-type rule. The empirical analysis on US data shows that output stabilization has not been an independent argument in the Fed's objective function during the Greenspan's era. This suggests that the output gap has entered the policy rule only as leading indicator for future inflation, therefore being only instrumental (to stabilize inflation) rather than important per se. Copyright Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, 2003
First Draft : January 14 th 2002 Current Draft : August 26 th 2003 Forthcoming – Review of Economics and Statistics , 2004 Firm-Specific Variation and Openness in Emerging Markets

This paper compares the comovement of individual stock returns across emerging markets. Campbell et al. (2001) and Morck et al. (2000) show that the US in the post war period saw rising firm specific stock return variations and thus declining comovement. We detect a similar, albeit weaker, pattern in most, but not all, emerging markets. We further find higher firm-specific variation associated with greater capital market openness, but not goods market openness. Moreover, this relationship is magnified by institutional integrity (good government). Goods market openness is associated with higher market-wide variation.
Does magnesium sulfate increase the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage? A systematic review

The incidence of Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) is increasing in the western world. We hypothesize that magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) could be a contributing factor. MgSO4 might increase the incidence of PPH by induction of vasodilation, tocolytic effects, and effects on the blood like red cell deformity, platelet activity inhibition and a prolonged bleeding time. Based on these effects of MgSO4 a correlation with PPH is suspected. MgSO4 is widely used in the prevention of eclampsia. However, the working mechanism of this effective drug is largely unknown. We performed a systematic search to find all Randomized Controlled trials (RCTs) containing MgSO4 in preeclamsia as well as all MgSO4 studies with information on PPH. Titles, abstracts and references of publications were evaluated for appropriateness and whether they met the inclusion criteria. RCTs about MgSO4 with original data on PPH prevalence were included in our systematic review. We calculated the relative risk of PPH in every study as well as an overall relative risk. Four relevant and valid RCTs were found, totalling 11,621 relevant patients. The relative risk of PPH in women treated with MgSO4 is 0.964 (95% CI 0.886 - 1.050) In this systematic review we found no significant increase in PPH in women treated with MgSO4. However, there is still room for discussion due to the heterogeneity in methods (dosage and duration of treatment), results, and tertiary outcomes, as well as the small number of studies found with respect to this important issue.
Glial-neuronal ensembles: partners in drug addiction-associated synaptic plasticity

Drugaddictionismanifestedbyacompul-sive drive to take licit or illicit substancesdespite repeated severe adverse conse-quences (Volkow et al., 2012). Addictionis also accompanied by a vicious cycle ofbinges, abstinence, and relapses. Almostall drugs of abuse trigger euphoric feel-ings consequent to a rapid increase ofdopamine levels in the mesolimbic sys-tem. Even after long periods ofabstinence,addicts remain vulnerable to drug crav-ing and/or relapses that can be triggeredbystimulipreviouslyassociatedwithdrugs(Koob and Volkow, 2010). These featuresof addiction suggest that drugs mightcause a form of persistent neuroplasticitythat is acutely responsive to environmen-tal stimuli, with consequent compulsivedrug-seeking and taking behaviors.Neural functions require the coordi-nated interactions of multiple neuronalcell types and a diverse population ofglial cells. The three major glial celltypes in the brain, astrocytes, oligo-dendrocytes, and microglia, communi-cate with each other and with neuronsby using neurotransmitters, other smallmolecules, and gap junctions (Araqueetal.,2014). Oligodendrocytesincreasethespeed of electrical transmission throughnerve axons by forming the axonal myelinsheath and clustering ion channels atnodes of Ranvier (Nave, 2010). Microgliaprune synapses in part by monitoringsynaptictransmission(Schaferetal.,2013;Wake et al., 2013). Astrocytes can regulatesynaptic transmission between neurons bymodifyingtheconcentrationofextracellu-larpotassium,controllinglocalbloodﬂow,by releasing and/or taking up neurotrans-mitters or neuromodulators, by deliveringnutrients to neurons, and by altering thegeometry and volume of the brain extra-cellular space (Araque et al., 2014). This brief summary of glial functionssuggests that these cells might play impor-tant roles in the long-term manifestationsof substance use disorders, both in termsofaddictiontotheseagentsandtheirlong-term neuropsychiatric consequences. Inwhat follows, we discuss some recent ﬁnd-ings that support the thesis that glial cellsare part and parcel of the plastic mecha-nisms that are induced by drugs of abuse.
Numerical Modeling of Temperature Distributions within the Neonatal Head

Introduction of hypothermia therapy as a neuroprotection therapy after hypoxia-ischemia in newborn infants requires appraisal of cooling methods. In this numerical study thermal simulations were performed to test the hypothesis that cooling of the surface of the cranium by the application of a cooling bonnet significantly reduces deep brain temperature and produces a temperature differential between the deep brain and the body core. A realistic three-dimensional (3-D) computer model of infant head anatomy was used, derived from magnetic resonance data from a newborn infant. Temperature distributions were calculated using the Pennes heatsink model. The cooling bonnet was at a constant temperature of 10°C. When modeling head cooling only, a constant body core temperature of 37°C was imposed. The computed result showed no significant cooling of the deep brain regions, only the very superficial regions of the brain are cooled to temperatures of 33–34°C. Poor efficacy of head cooling was still found after a considerable increase in the modeled thermal conductivities of the skin and skull, or after a decrease in perfusion. The results for the heatsink thermal model of the infant head were confirmed by comparison of results computed for a scaled down adult head, using both the heatsink description and a discrete vessel thermal model with both anatomy and vasculature obtained from MR data. The results indicate that significant reduction in brain temperature will only be achieved if the infant's core temperature is lowered.
Un cuestionario para evaluar el clima social del centro escolar

A questionnaire to assess school social climate. A questionnaire to assess the school social climate (CECSCE) made from items of The California School Climate and Safety Survey is presented. The CECSCE displays a stable factorial Oblimin structure in two social climate factors: 1) relative to the school and 2) relative to the teaching staff. Both factors present a correlation that oscillates between 0.42 and 0.48; and they explain 54,2% and 45,6% of the variance, respectively. Its reliability test-retest is acceptable (r= 0.61) after 9 months. Both factors present gender differences in favour of girls. They also differentiate at the educational level, displaying in 2o course higher means in both factors than in 3o course. The second factor correlates positively with the factors that measure social competence in the Merrell School Social Behaviour Scales and negatively with those that measure antisocial and non adapted behaviour.
Tracking The Invisible Man - Hidden-object Detection for Complex Visual Scene Understanding

Reliable detection of objects of interest in complex visual scenes is of prime importance for video-surveillance applications. While most vision approaches deal with tracking visible or partially visible objects in single or multiple video streams, we propose a new approach to automatically detect all objects of interest being part of an analyzed scene, even those entirely hidden in a camera view whereas being present in the scene. For that, we have developed an innovative artificial-intelligence framework embedding a computer vision process fully integrating symbolic knowledge-based reasoning. Our system has been evaluated on standard datasets consisting of video streams with real-world objects evolving in cluttered, outdoor environment under difficult lighting conditions. Our proposed approach shows excellent performance both in detection accuracy and robustness, and outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
Teacher Turnover and Teacher Shortages: An Organizational Analysis

Contemporary educational theory holds that one of the pivotal causes of inadequate school performance is the inability of schools to adequately staff classrooms with qualified teachers. This theory also holds that these school staffing problems are primarily due to shortages of teachers, which, in turn, are primarily due to recent increases in teacher retirements and student enrollments. This analysis investigates the possibility that there are other factors—those tied to the organizational characteristics and conditions of schools—that are driving teacher turnover and, in turn, school staffing problems. The data utilized in this investigation are from the Schools and Staffing Survey and its supplement, the Teacher Followup Survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. The results of the analysis indicate that school staffing problems are not primarily due to teacher shortages, in the technical sense of an insufficient supply of qualified teachers. Rather, the data indicate that school staffing problems are primarily due to excess demand resulting from a "revolving door"—where large numbers of qualified teachers depart their jobs for reasons other than retirement. Moreover, the data show that the amount of turnover accounted for by retirement is relatively minor when compared to that associated with other factors, such as teacher job dissatisfaction and teachers pursuing other jobs. The article concludes that popular education initiatives, such as teacher recruitment programs, will not solve the staffing problems of such schools if they do not also address the organizational sources of low teacher retention.
How top management team diversity fosters organizational ambidexterity

Purpose – Premised on the information‐processing perspective, this paper attempts to examine whether diverse top management team can simultaneously pursue contradictory innovations.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a questionnaire survey and analysis of a sample of 113 firms in China.Findings – Team heterogeneity has an ambiguous nature which may not only facilitate building paradoxical mental models or cognitive frames, but also harm the exchange of information and integration of differential knowledge within top management teams. Therefore, the paper argues that the most important issue in this research field is to address the dilemma and to find the governance mechanism to effectively manage the dual impact of team diversity on attaining organizational ambidexterity. The findings show that the social capital among top executives, including connectedness, trust and shared vision, can moderate the link between team diversity and organizational ambidexterity.Originality/value – The paper.
Elevations in serum anti-flagellin and anti-LPS Igs are related to growth faltering in young Tanzanian children.

BACKGROUND Antibodies to LPS and flagellin have been described as indirect measures of increased gastrointestinal permeability and may be markers of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), which is a condition associated with poor child growth. OBJECTIVE We assessed whether LPS- and flagellin-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations were associated with poor growth in young Tanzanian children at risk of EED. DESIGN Blood samples were obtained from 590 children at 6 wk, 6 mo, and 12 mo of age. Serum LPS- and flagellin-specific Ig concentrations (IgA and IgG) were measured with the use of an ELISA. Growth was measured on a monthly basis for 18 mo. RESULTS Anti-LPS and anti-flagellin IgA and IgG concentrations increased over the first year of life and were higher than concentrations (measured at 9 mo of age) in healthy controls. Children with anti-flagellin IgA, anti-LPS IgA, anti-flagellin IgG, and anti-LPS IgG concentrations in the highest quartile at 6 wk of age were 2.02 (95% CI: 1.11, 3.67), 1.84 (95% CI: 1.03, 3.27), 1.94 (95% CI: 1.04, 3.62), and 2.31 (95% CI: 1.25, 4.27) times, respectively, more likely to become underweight (weight-for-age z score <-2) after adjustment for covariates (P-trend < 0.05) than were children with Ig concentrations in the lowest quartile. Children with increased concentrations of anti-flagellin IgA were also more likely to become wasted; however, there was no association between any of the markers and subsequent stunting. CONCLUSION Serologic measures of increased intestinal permeability to bacterial components are associated with subsequent poor growth and could help identify children who may benefit most from preventive interventions. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00421668.
Low‐Fluence Q‐Switched Neodymium‐Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (1,064 nm) Laser for the Treatment of Facial Melasma in Asians

BACKGROUND Pigment lasers have been used in melasma with unsatisfactory results. OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness and safety of 1,064‐nm Q‐switched neodymium‐doped yttrium aluminum garnet (QS‐Nd:YAG) laser treatment of melasma in Asians. MATERIALS AND METHODS Split‐face randomized study comparing combination QS‐Nd:YAG laser and 2% hydroquinone with topical treatment in dermal or mixed‐type melasma. Twenty‐two patients were treated with 1,064‐nm QS‐Nd:YAG laser, 6‐mm spot size, 3.0‐ to 3.8‐J/cm2 fluence for five sessions at 1‐week intervals. Pigmentation was objectively recorded using a colorimeter (lightness index score), and subjective assessments were evaluated using the modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (mMASI) score. RESULTS After five laser treatments, statistically significant improvement of melasma from baseline was observed in colorimeter (p<.001) and mMASI score (p<.001) on the laser side. The laser side achieved an average 92.5% improvement in relative lightness index and 75.9% improvement in mMASI, compared with 19.7% and 24%, respectively, on the control side (p<.001). Mottled hypopigmentation developed in three patients. During follow‐up, four of 22 patients developed rebound hyperpigmentation, and all patients had recurrence of melasma. CONCLUSION QS‐Nd:YAG laser treatment for melasma in Asians produced only temporary improvement and had side effects. Common complications were hypopigmentation, melasma recurrence, and rebound hyperpigmentation. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.