Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
D-optimal plans for variable selection in data bases

This paper is based on an article of Pumplun et al. (2005a) that investigates the use of Design of Experiments in data bases in order to select variables that are relevant for classification in situations where a sufficient number of measurements of the explanatory variables is available, but measuring the class label is hard, e. g. expensive or time-consuming. Pumplun et al. searched for D-optimal designs in existing data sets by means of a genetic algorithm and assessed variable importance based on the found plans. If the design matrix is standardized these D-optimal plans are almost orthogonal and the explanatory variables are nearly uncorrelated. Thus Pumplun et al. expected that their importance for discrimination can be judged independently of each other. In a simulation study Pumplun et al. applied this approach in combination with five classification methods to eight data sets and the obtained error rates were compared with those resulting from variable selection on the basis of the complete data sets. Based on the D-optimal plans in some cases considerably lower error rates were achieved. Although Pumplun et al. (2005a) obtained some promising results, it was not clear for different reasons if D-optimality actually is beneficial for variable selection. For example, D-efficiency and orthogonality of the resulting plans were not investigated and a comparison with variable selection based on random samples of observations of the same size as the D-optimal plans was missing. In this paper we extend the simulation study of Pumplun et al. (2005a) in order to verify their results and as basis for further research in this field. Moreover, in Pumplun et al. D-optimal plans are only used for data preprocessing, that is variable selection. The classification models are estimated on the whole data set in order to assess the effects of D-optimality on variable selection separately. Since the number of measurements of the class label in fact is limited one would normally employ the same observations that were used for variable selection for learning, too. For this reason in our simulation study the appropriateness of D-optimal plans for training classification methods is additionally investigated. It turned out that in general in terms of the error rate there is no difference between variable selection on the basis of D-optimal plans and variable selection on random samples. However, for training of linear classification methods D-optimal plans seem to be beneficial.
A general method for debiasing a Monte Carlo estimator

Consider a process, stochastic or deterministic, obtained by using a numerical integration scheme, or from Monte-Carlo methods involving an approximation to an integral, or a Newton-Raphson iteration to approximate the root of an equation. We will assume that we can sample from the distribution of the process from time 0 to finite time n. We propose a scheme for unbiased estimation of the limiting value of the process, together with estimates of standard error and apply this to examples including numerical integrals, root-finding and option pricing in a Heston Stochastic Volatility model. This results in unbiased estimators in place of biased ones i nmany potential applications.
Evaluation of the Efficacy of Fermented By-product of Mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, as a Fish Meal Replacer in Juvenile Amur Catfish, Silurus asotus: Effects on Growth, Serological Characteristics and Immune Responses

The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of dietary fermented by-product of mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, (FBPM) as a fish meal (FM) replacer in juvenile Amur catfish, Silurus asotus. A total number of 225 fish averaging 5.7±0.1 g (mean±standard deviation) were fed one of the five experimental diets formulated to replace FM with FBPM at 0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30% (FBPM0, FBPM5, FBPM10, FBPM20, and FBPM30, respectively). At the end of eight weeks of the experiment, average weight gain (WG) of fish fed FBPM0 or FBPM5 were significantly higher than those of fish fed FBPM20 or FBPM30 diets (p<0.05). However, there was no significant differences in WG among the fish fed FBPM0, FBPM5 or FBPM10, and between fish fed FBPM10 or FBPM20, and also between those fed FBPM20 or FBPM30 diets. Lysozyme activity of fish fed FBPM0 or FBPM5 were significantly higher than those of fish fed FBPM10, FBPM20 or FBPM30 diets (p<0.05). The chemiluminescent response of fish fed FBPM5 was significantly higher than those of fish fed FBPM0, FBPM20 or FBPM30 diets (p<0.05). Broken line regression analysis of WG suggested that the maximal dietary inclusion level for FBPM as a FM replacer could be 6.3% without any adverse effects on whole body composition and on serological characteristics. Therefore, these results may indicate that the maximal dietary inclusion level of FBPM as a FM replacer could be 6.3% in juvenile Amur catfish.
Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school

Introduction Individuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math anxiety and math performance. Method We measured math anxiety, test anxiety, general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year 4, aged 8–9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11–13). We conducted latent profile analysis of students’ anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship between profiles and academic performance. Results Anxiety profiles appeared to change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or academic anxiety (test and math anxiety). Our findings suggest that boys are slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety. Conclusions There may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one’s anxiety profile. The anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and math performance.
Dynamic population changes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis during acquisition and fixation of drug resistance in patients.

BACKGROUND Drug-resistant tuberculosis poses a growing challenge to global public health. However, the diversity and dynamics of the bacterial population during acquisition of drug resistance have yet to be carefully examined. METHODS Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 7 serial Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) populations from 3 patients during different stages in the development of drug resistance. The population diversity was assessed by the number and frequencies of unfixed mutations in each sample. RESULTS For each bacterial population, 8-41 unfixed mutations were monitored by the fraction of single-nucleotide polymorphisms at specific loci. Among them, as many as 4 to 5 resistance-conferring mutations were transiently detected in the same single sputum, but ultimately only a single type of mutant was fixed. In addition, we identified 14 potential compensatory mutations that occurred during or after the emergence of resistance-conferring mutations. CONCLUSIONS M. tuberculosis population within patients exhibited considerable genetic diversity, which underwent selections for most fit resistant mutant. These findings have important implications and emphasize the need for early diagnosis of tuberculosis to decrease the chance of evolving highly fit drug-resistant strains.
The Prevalence of Sleep Disorders in College Students: Impact on Academic Performance

Abstract Objective: To examine the prevalence of risk for sleep disorders among college students by gender and age, and their associations with grade point average (GPA). Participants: Participants were 1,845 college students at a large, southeastern public university. Methods: A validated sleep disorder questionnaire surveyed sleep data during the 2007–2008 academic year. Students’ GPAs were obtained from the office of the registrar. Results: Twenty-seven percent of students were at risk for at least one sleep disorder. African American and Asian students reported less risk for insomnia and fewer poor sleep practices relative to white and Latino students. Students reported insufficient sleep and a discrepancy between weekday and weekend amount of sleep. Students at risk for sleep disorders were overrepresented among students in academic jeopardy (GPA < 2.0). Conclusions: Many college students are at risk for sleep disorders, and those at risk may also be at risk for academic failure.
Insight into the neurophysiological processes of melodically intoned language with functional MRI

Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) uses the melodic elements of speech to improve language production in severe nonfluent aphasia. A crucial element of MIT is the melodically intoned auditory input: the patient listens to the therapist singing a target utterance. Such input of melodically intoned language facilitates production, whereas auditory input of spoken language does not.
A short note on option pricing with Lévy Processes

In this paper, we provide exact formulas for the pricing of European options under the risk neutral measure, whereas under the historic measure the data follow two types of models : a GARCH process with Levy innovations, or a GARCH process with Poisson jumps. This approach aims to take realistic account of the jumps that are observed in the markets and to introduce them into the theory of pricing in incomplete markets. We assume that the "pricing kenel" that can move from measurement historical risk-neutral measure can be obtained from the Esscher transform (Siu et al., 1994), or using the MEMM transformation introduced by Elliott and Madam (1998). We show how these two types of "pricing kernels" impact on the options prices and through an example we quantify the difference.
A Study on Scalable Routing Protocol for Ad Hoc Networks

The growing interest in Mobile Ad Hoc Network techniques has resulted in many routing protocol proposals. Scalability issues in ad hoc networks are attracting increasing attention these days. In this paper, we will survey the routing protocols that address scalability. The routing protocols we intend to include in the survey fall into three categories: (1) flat routing protocols, (2) hierarchical routing approaches, and (3) GPS augmented geographical routing schemes. The paper will compare the scalability properties and operational features of the protocols and will discuss challenges in future routing protocol designs. Keywords— Mobile ad hoc networks, ad hoc routing, scalable routing, scalability, proactive routing, on-demand routing, hierarchical ad hoc routing, geographic position assisted routing.
A pilot study to determine the feasibility of enhancing cognitive abilities in children with sensory processing dysfunction

Children with Sensory Processing Dysfunction (SPD) experience incoming information in atypical, distracting ways. Qualitative challenges with attention have been reported in these children, but such difficulties have not been quantified using either behavioral or functional neuroimaging methods. Furthermore, the efficacy of evidence-based cognitive control interventions aimed at enhancing attention in this group has not been tested. Here we present work aimed at characterizing and enhancing attentional abilities for children with SPD. A sample of 38 SPD and 25 typically developing children were tested on behavioral, neural, and parental measures of attention before and after a 4-week iPad-based at-home cognitive remediation program. At baseline, 54% of children with SPD met or exceeded criteria on a parent report measure for inattention/hyperactivity. Significant deficits involving sustained attention, selective attention and goal management were observed only in the subset of SPD children with parent-reported inattention. This subset of children also showed reduced midline frontal theta activity, an electroencephalographic measure of attention. Following the cognitive intervention, only the SPD children with inattention/hyperactivity showed both improvements in midline frontal theta activity and on a parental report of inattention. Notably, 33% of these individuals no longer met the clinical cut-off for inattention, with the parent-reported improvements persisting for 9 months. These findings support the benefit of a targeted attention intervention for a subset of children with SPD, while simultaneously highlighting the importance of having a multifaceted assessment for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions to optimally personalize treatment.
To Beam or Not to Beam: A Study of Remote Telepresence Attendance at an Academic Conference

Attending and presenting at conferences is a core part of academic and industrial research. Yet it can sometimes be challenging to attend conferences due to travel restrictions, time limitations, or accessibility challenges. To understand how people may be able to attend conferences remotely, we explored the use of commercial telepresence robots called Beams at Ubicomp/ISWC 2014. Seven people attended the conference remotely and used Beams to attend presentations, ask questions, and participate in break mingling activities. We collected data of their activities and conducted an online survey with the broader set of conference attendees. Results show that telepresence robots supported attendance at a basic level and even empowered those with accessibility challenges. However, issues related to identity, interaction, navigation, and privacy emerged. We present recommendations for future telepresence attendance at conferences focused on balancing these concerns with the benefits participants received.
Clinical Interventions in Aging Dovepress Sex Differences in Stroke: a Socioeconomic Perspective

hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms Background: A number of studies have explored the issue of sex differences in stroke from biomedical perspective; however, there are still large gaps in the existing knowledge. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the differences in socioeconomic status and living conditions between men and women may explain the part of the sex differences in incidence and outcomes of stroke. were included in this study. Computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were used to confirm stroke. A series of χ 2 tests were performed and Statistical Program for Social Sciences, Version 21.0, was used to investigate the potential differences between older men and women in stroke incidence and outcomes. Results: A total of 159 incident stroke cases were documented during 1 year. The annual rate of stroke was statistically significantly higher in elderly women than in elderly men (401 vs 357 per 100,000; P,0.001). Female elderly participants had significantly lower socioeconomic status, poorer living conditions, and higher lifetime history of depression, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus than their male counterparts. Conclusion: The findings from this study showed that elderly women are more adversely affected by stroke in terms of incidence and outcomes of stroke than elderly men. The most noticeable result is that sex differences in socioeconomic status and living conditions may result in increased incidence of stroke and poorer outcomes in elderly women. Therefore, it is imperative to identify vulnerable elderly women and provide them appropriate treatment and services.
Tissue-Specific Defects Are Caused by Loss of the Drosophila MAN1 LEM Domain Protein

The nuclear lamina represents a protein network required for nuclear structure and function. One family of lamina proteins is defined by an ∼40-aa LAP2, Emerin, and MAN1 (LEM) domain (LEM-D) that binds the nonspecific DNA-binding protein, barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF). Through interactions with BAF, LEM-D proteins serve as a bridge between chromosomes and the nuclear envelope. Mutations in genes encoding LEM-D proteins cause human laminopathies that are associated with tissue-restricted pathologies. Drosophila has five genes that encode proteins with LEM homology. Using yeast two-hybrid analyses, we demonstrate that four encode proteins that bind Drosophila (d)BAF. In addition to dBAF, dMAN1 associates with lamins, the LEM-D protein Bocksbeutel, and the receptor-regulated Smads, demonstrating parallel protein interactions with vertebrate homologs. P-element mobilization was used to generate null dMAN1 alleles. These mutants showed decreased viability, with surviving adults displaying male sterility, decreased female fertility, wing patterning and positioning defects, flightlessness, and locomotion difficulties that became more severe with age. Increased phospho-Smad staining in dMAN1 mutant wing discs is consistent with a role in transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling. The tissue-specific, age-enhanced dMAN1 mutant phenotypes are reminiscent of human laminopathies, suggesting that studies in Drosophila will provide insights into lamina dysfunction associated with disease.
Surface Plasmon Resonance Temperature Sensor Based on Photonic Crystal Fibers Randomly Filled with Silver Nanowires

We propose a temperature sensor design based on surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) supported by filling the holes of a six-hole photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with a silver nanowire. A liquid mixture (ethanol and chloroform) with a large thermo-optic coefficient is filled into the PCF holes as sensing medium. The filled silver nanowires can support resonance peaks and the peak will shift when temperature variations induce changes in the refractive indices of the mixture. By measuring the peak shift, the temperature change can be detected. The resonance peak is extremely sensitive to temperature because the refractive index of the filled mixture is close to that of the PCF material. Our numerical results indicate that a temperature sensitivity as high as 4 nm/K can be achieved and that the most sensitive range of the sensor can be tuned by changing the volume ratios of ethanol and chloroform. Moreover, the maximal sensitivity is relatively stable with random filled nanowires, which will be very convenient for the sensor fabrication.
Spatial organization of the assembly pathways of glycoproteins and complex polysaccharides in the Golgi apparatus of plants

The Golgi apparatus of plant cells is the site of assembly of glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and complex polysaccharides, but little is known about how the different assembly pathways are organized within the Golgi stacks. To study these questions we have employed immunocytochemical techniques and antibodies raised against the hydroxyproline-rich cell wall glycoprotein, extensin, and two types of complex polysaccharides, an acidic pectic polysaccharide known as rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I), and the neutral hemicellulose, xyloglucan (XG). Our micrographs demonstrate that individual Golgi stacks can process simultaneously glycoproteins and complex polysaccharides. O- linked arabinosylation of the hydroxyproline residues of extensin occurs in cis-cisternae, and glycosylated molecules pass through all cisternae before they are packaged into secretory vesicles in the monensin-sensitive, trans-Golgi network. In contrast, in root tip cortical parenchyma cells, the anti-RG-I and the anti-XG antibodies are shown to bind to complementary subsets of Golgi cisternae, and several lines of indirect evidence suggest that these complex polysaccharides may also exit from different cisternae. Thus, RG-I type polysaccharides appear to be synthesized in cis- and medial cisternae, and have the potential to leave from a monensin-insensitive, medial cisternal compartment. The labeling pattern for XG suggests that it is assembled in trans-Golgi cisternae and departs from the monensin-sensitive trans- Golgi network. This physical separation of the synthesis/secretion pathways of major categories of complex polysaccharides may prevent the synthesis of mixed polysaccharides, and provides a means for producing secretory vesicles that can be targeted to different cell wall domains.
An improved valence-arousal emotion space for video affective content representation and recognition

To understand video affective content automatically, the primary task is to transform the abstract concept of emotion into the form which can be handled by the computer easily. An improved V-A emotion space is proposed to address this problem. It unifies the discrete and dimensional emotion model by introducing the typical fuzzy emotion subspace. Fuzzy C-mean clustering (FCM) algorithm is adopted to divide the V-A emotion space into the subspaces and Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is used to determine their membership functions. Based on the proposed emotion space, the maximum membership principle and the threshold principle are introduced to represent and recognize video affective content. A video affective content database is created to validate the proposed model. The experimental results show that the improved emotion space can be used as a solution to represent and recognize video affective content.
Using lattice for web-based medical applications

This paper will describe a methodology for developing next generation web-based medical systems. Recent web-based technologies have created completely new possibilities to various medical information systems. Nevertheless, transferring 3D patient models through usual low band-width networks is difficult because of their large data size. We address this problem by making use of Lattice, an extension for X3D proposed at the Web3D Consortium, which represents high quality surface shape with small data size. Taking advantage of Lattice, detailed anatomical 3D models are rapidly transferred within a few seconds through low band-width networks. Anatomical Lattice models are semi-automatically generated from CT/MRI data. Our system also provide a multi-user functions which can be used as remote clinical conferences or instructing surgical procedures. Some practical applications of our system are also presented. CR Categories: I.3. 5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modeling—curve, surface, solid, and object representations; hierarchy and geometric transformations; I.3. 6 [Computer Graphics]: Methodology and Techniques—graphics data structures and data types; standards; I.3. 7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism—virtual reality; G.1. 2 [Numerical Analysis]: Approximation—approximation of surfaces and contours; J.3 [Life and Medical Sciences]: medical ∗{wakita, t98761th, kanai, chiyo}@sfc.keio. ac.jp information systems