Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An energy-efficient initialization algorithm for random radio networks

A radio network is a distributed system consisting of a large number of tiny sensors with low-power transceivers and no central controller. One of the most important problems in such networks is to minimize the energy consumption, and maximize the network lifetime. In the initialization problem (also known as naming) each of the $n$ indistinguishable (anonymous) nodes in a given network is assigned a unique identifier, ranging from $1$ to $n$. We consider a network where $n$ nodes (processors) are randomly deployed in a square (resp. a cube) $X$. The network is assumed to be synchronous and the time to be slotted. Two nodes can communicate only if they are at a distance of at most $r$ from each other ($r$ is the transmitting/receiving range). Moreover, if two or more neighbors of a processor $u$ are transmitting concurrently at the same time slot, $u$ cannot receive either of their messages (collision). We suppose also $n$ and $|X|$ represent the only topological knowledge in each node. To solve the initialization problem, we propose an energy-efficient randomized algorithm running in at most $\mathcal{O}\l(n^{3/4}\,\log{(n)}^{1/4}\r)$ time slots, with no station being awake for more than $\mathcal{O}\l(n^{1/4}\,\log{(n)}^{3/4}\r)$ time slots.
Comparing determinants of perceived and actual recycling skills: The role of motivational, behavioral and dispositional factors

ABSTRACT An empirical investigation assessed the role of different factors of motivational, behavioral, and dispositional nature in the prediction of both perceived and actual skills concerning household waste recycling. A structured questionnaire (measuring attitudes, social norms, perceived control, need for cognitive closure, self-reported household recycling behavior and perceived recycling skills) and a simulation task (assessing actual recycling skills) were administered to 300 participants in Italy. Results indicate that, although positively related, perceived and actual skills are two distinct constructs differently related to motivational, behavioral, and dispositional factors. Implications for designing educational interventions to increase citizens' recycling skills are discussed.
Morale in the oldest old: the Umeå 85+ study.

OBJECTIVE to describe morale among the oldest old, and to investigate which social, functional and medical factors are associated with morale in this population. DESIGN a cross-sectional study. SETTING a population-based study in the municipality of Umeå, a city in Northern Sweden. SUBJECTS half of the 85-year-old population, and the total population of 90-year-olds and > or = 95-year-olds (95-103) were asked to participate (n = 319) and 238 were interviewed. METHODS structured interviews and assessments during home visits, interviews with relatives and caregivers and review of medical charts. The 17-item Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS) was used to measure morale. Participants were assessed with the Barthel Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Index, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and a symptom questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to find independent factors to explain the variation in the PGCMS score. RESULTS eighty-four per cent (n = 199) of those interviewed answered the PGCMS. Three-quarters had middle range or high morale. GDS score, type of housing, previous stroke, loneliness and number of symptoms, adjusted for age group and sex, explained 49.3% of the variance of total PGCMS score. CONCLUSIONS a large proportion of the oldest old had high morale. The most important factors for high morale were the absence of depressive symptoms, living in ordinary housing, having previously had a stroke and yet still living in ordinary housing, not feeling lonely and low number of symptoms. The PGCMS seems applicable in the evaluation of morale among the oldest old.
Optimal Arrival Flight Sequencing and Scheduling Using Discrete Airborne Delays

An algorithm for optimal arrival flight sequencing and spacing in a near-terminal area is proposed. The optimization problem and algorithm proposed in this paper are developed for a decision-support tool for air-traffic control, which uses discrete delay times as optimization variables. The algorithm is applicable to various scenarios with situational and operational constraints such as maximum position shift (MPS) constraints or different sets of discrete delay times, depending on aircraft types or approaching routes. The proposed algorithm is based on a branch-and-bound algorithm with linear programming (LP) and Lagrangian dual decomposition. We formulate the sequencing and scheduling problem as LP with linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), which allows computing the lower bound of the cost for the best first search in the branch-and-bound algorithm and propose Lagrangian dual decomposition for computational efficiency. The proposed algorithm is analyzed and validated through illustrative air-traffic scenarios with various operational constraints, and the simulation results show that the computation time can be significantly reduced using the proposed Lagrangian dual-decomposition method.
Time to wealth goals in capital accumulation

This paper considers the problem of investment of capital in risky assets in a dynamic capital market in continuous time. The model controls risk, and in particular the risk associated with errors in the estimation of asset returns. The framework for investment risk is a geometric Brownian motion model for asset prices, with random rates of return. The information filtration process and the capital allocation decisions are considered separately. The filtration is based on a Bayesian model for asset prices, and an (empirical) Bayes estimator for current price dynamics is developed from the price history. Given the conditional price dynamics, investors allocate wealth to achieve their financial goals efficiently over time. The price updating and wealth reallocations occur when control limits on the wealth process are attained. A Bayesian fractional Kelly strategy is optimal at each rebalancing, assuming that the risky assets are jointly lognormal distributed. The strategy minimizes the expected time to the upper wealth limit while maintaining a high probability of reaching that goal before falling to a lower wealth limit. The fractional Kelly strategy is a blend of the log-optimal portfolio and cash and is equivalently represented by a negative power utility function, under the multivariate lognormal distribution assumption. By rebalancing when control limits are reached, the wealth goals approach provides greater control over downside risk and upside growth. The wealth goals approach with random rebalancing times is compared to the expected utility approach with fixed rebalancing times in an asset allocation problem involving stocks, bonds, and cash.
Forecasting of regional wind generation by a dynamic fuzzy-neural networks based upscaling approach

Short-term wind power forecasting is recognized nowadays as a major requirement for a secure and economic integration of wind power in a power system. In the case of large-scale integration, end users such as transmission system operators focus on the prediction of regional or even national wind power up to 48 hours ahead. At a European level such predictions will be required in the future for planning power exchanges between regions or countries. The main difficulty for predicting regional wind power is that on-line information is not available for all concerned wind farms. Predictions have to be based on a limited number of representative wind farms for which SCADA data and/or Numerical Weather Predictions are available and then extrapolated (“upscaled”) to predict the total wind power. In this work several approaches were developed for upscaling ranging from simple to more complex ones (i.e. based on artificial intelligence methods such as fuzzy-neural networks). Evaluation results are provided for the case of the Irish power system. Predictions for the output of eleven wind farms are made from a number of one up to five representative wind parks. The performance of the various approaches is evaluated using one year of data. Useful conclusions are derived for the impact of the “smoothing effect” on the performance of Persistence and that of advanced models.
A prospective study of aspirin use and the risk of pancreatic cancer in women.

BACKGROUND In vitro experiments and limited animal studies suggest that aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may inhibit pancreatic carcinogenesis. Because few studies have examined the association between aspirin use and pancreatic cancer in humans and the results have been inconsistent, we examined the relationship between aspirin use and the development of pancreatic cancer in the Nurses' Health Study. METHODS Among 88 378 women without cancer at baseline, we documented 161 cases of pancreatic cancer during 18 years of follow-up. Aspirin use was first assessed at baseline in 1980 and updated biennially thereafter. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Participants were classified according to history of aspirin use. In a multivariable analysis, the risk of pancreatic cancer was not associated with current regular aspirin use (defined as two or more standard tablets per week; relative risk [RR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.87 to 1.65), compared with use of fewer than two tablets per week. Increasing duration of regular aspirin use, compared with non-use, was associated with a statistically significant increase in risk: Women who reported more than 20 years of regular aspirin use had an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (RR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.03 to 2.43; P(trend) =. 01). Among women who reported aspirin use on at least two of three consecutive biennial questionnaires compared with consistent non-users of aspirin, the risk increased with dose (one to three tablets per week: RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.70 to 1.76; four to six tablets per week: RR = 1.29, 95% CI = 0.70 to 2.40; seven to 13 tablets per week: RR = 1.41, 95% CI = 0.76 to 2.61; and > or = 14 tablets per week: RR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.03 to 3.35) (P(trend) =. 02). CONCLUSION Extended periods of regular aspirin use appear to be associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of pancreatic cancer among women.
Model building attacks on Physically Unclonable Functions using genetic programming

Design, implementation and characterization of Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) in silicon have drawn considerable research interest in recent years. However, side-by-side, there are concerns that these PUF circuits, although physically unclonable, might be vulnerable to computational model-building attacks that compromise their security. In this work, we have used ideas from evolutionary computation, specifically genetic programming, to build accurate and compact mathematical models to approximate the response of FPGA-based ring oscillator PUFs (RO-PUFs). Hence, we have demonstrated the feasibility of a computationally simple scheme to model FPGA-based PUFs, and we believe this work will pave the way for similar attempts to attack more sophisticated PUF implementations.
Association of polymorphisms across the tyrosine kinase gene, TYK2 in UK SLE families.

OBJECTIVES This is a family-based association study to investigate the genetic contribution of tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2 ) to disease susceptibility in 380 UK systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) families, consisting of parents and affected offspring. METHODS Genotyping was performed using the Sequenom platform on DNA from affected individuals and their parents. Haplotypes were constructed using Haploview from the founders, and family-based association was conducted using GENEHUNTER-TDT and Family-Based Association Test. RESULTS There are two associated haplotypes across TYK2, both carrying alleles with distorted inheritance. One SNP shows individual association to SLE. This is the under-transmitted rare A allele of TYK2 SNP 6 (P = 0.004), which tags the under-transmitted haplotype 2 (P = 0.055). A second SNP shows a trend for association. This is the A allele of TYK2 SNP 13, which is unique to the over-transmitted haplotype 1 (P = 0.014). We defined a 2.8 kb core association region in TYK2, between these two variants, which narrows down the 5.7 kb gap in the study by Sigurdsson et al. (Sigurdsson S, Nordmark G, Goring HH et al. Polymorphisms in the tyrosine kinase 2 and interferon regulatory factor 5 genes are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. Am J Hum Genet 2005;76:528-37). CONCLUSIONS We have shown association to SLE from individual SNPs and haplotypes in TYK2. The strongest individual association, which is carried on the associated haplotype, is from TYK2 SNP 6. The variant is located close to an intron/exon boundary, suggesting a role for mis-splicing events in molecular pathogenesis. The associated haplotype also carries a missense mutation at TYK2. Therefore it is likely that the allelic contribution of TYK2 to SLE is complex, our data confirm previous findings and provide additional resolution regarding the causal polymorphisms in this gene.
Equivalence Results for Optimal Pass-Through, Optimal Indexing to Exchange Rates, and Optimal Choice of Currency for Export Pricing

Firms sometimes write price lists or catalogs for their exports, so they set prices for a period of time and do not adjust prices during that interval in response to changes in their environment. The firm sets the price either in its own currency or the importer's currency. This paper draws a simple link between the choice of currency, and the pricing decision of a firm that changes prices in response to all shocks. Specifically, if the latter firm's price has a lower variance in terms of its own currency than the importer's currency, then the firm with a price list will set the price in its own currency (and otherwise it will set price in the foreign currency.) This relationship is established by consideration of the firm with a price list as a special case of a firm that indexes its export price to the exchange rate.
Performance of compulsive behavior in rats is not a unitary phenomenon – validation of separate functional components in compulsive checking behavior

A previous analysis of the quinpirole sensitisation rat model of obsessive‐compulsive disorder revealed that the behavioral phenotype of compulsive checking consists of three constitutive components – vigor of checking performance, focus on the task of checking, and satiety following a bout of checking. As confirmation of this analysis, the aim of the present study was to reconstitute, without quinpirole treatment, each of the putative components, with the expectation that these would self‐assemble into compulsive checking. To reconstitute vigor and satiety, the employed treatment was a bilateral lesion of the nucleus accumbens core (NAc), as this treatment was shown previously to exaggerate these components. To reconstitute focus, the employed treatment was a low dose of the serotonin‐1A receptor agonist 8‐hydroxy‐2‐(di‐n‐propylamino) tetralin hydrochloride (DPAT) (0.0625 mg/kg), as high doses of this drug induce compulsive behavior and exacerbate focus. Results showed that injection of DPAT to NAc lesion rats did yield compulsive checking. Neither the drug alone nor the NAc lesion by itself produced compulsive checking. The demonstrated synthesis of compulsive checking by the combined treatment of low‐dose DPAT and NAc lesion strengthened the previous fractionation of the model obsessive‐compulsive disorder phenotype into three constitutive components, and suggested a role for serotonin‐1A receptors outside the NAc in enhanced focus on the task of checking.
p53 mutations in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome after ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE Although p53 mutations occur in alkylating agent-related leukemias, their frequency and spectrum in leukemias after ovarian cancer have not been addressed. The purpose of this study was to examine p53 mutations in leukemias after ovarian cancer, for which treatment with platinum analogues was widely used. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Adequate leukemic or dysplastic cells were available in 17 of 82 cases of leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome that occurred in a multicenter, population-based cohort of 23,170 women with ovarian cancer. Eleven of the 17 received platinum compounds and other alkylating agents with or without DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors and/or radiation. Six received other alkylating agents, in one case, with radiation. Genomic DNA was extracted and p53 exons 5, 6, 7, and 8 were amplified by PCR. Mutations and loss of heterozygosity were analyzed on the WAVE instrument (Transgenomic) followed by selected analysis by sequencing. RESULTS Eleven p53 mutations involving all four exons studied and one polymorphism were identified. Genomic DNA analyses were consistent with loss of heterozygosity for four of the mutations. The 11 mutations occurred in 9 cases, such that 6 of 11 leukemias after platinum-based regimens (55%) and 3 of 6 leukemias after other treatments (50%) contained p53 mutations. Two leukemias that occurred after treatment with platinum analogues contained two mutations. Among eight mutations in leukemias after treatment with platinum analogues, there were four G-to-A transitions and one G-to-C transversion. CONCLUSIONS p53 mutations are common in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome after multiagent therapy for ovarian cancer. The propensity for G-to-A transitions may reflect specific DNA damage in leukemias after treatment with platinum analogues.
Religious harmony/disharmony and mental health in pre-adolescents and adolescents

Background. TRAILS is a prospective cohort study of Dutch youth, from pre-adolescence (10-12 year) to adolescence (18-21 year). This study examines whether religious differences between parents (harmony parents), between pre-adolescents and their mothers (harmony pre-adolescent/mother) or fathers (harmony pre-adolescent/father), and between pre-adolescents and school (harmony pre-adolescent/school), represent a risk factor for the mental health problems, measured by internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in pre-adolescence and in adolescence. Methods. Mental health problems in a sample of 2230 youngsters (49.2% boys) were assessed using self-report: in pre-adolescence with the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and in adolescence with the Adult Self Report (ASR). Repeated measure ANOVA analyses were performed with internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors as dependent variables, time (pre-adolescence, adolescence) as within factor, and the four harmony variables as independent factors. Results. The variables harmony parents, harmony pre-adolescent/father, and harmony pre-adolescent/school were not associated with internalizing or externalizing problems, whereas the variable harmony pre-adolescent/mother was significantly associated with internalizing problems in pre-adolescence and adolescence (partial ŋ2=0.05). Pre-adolescents had more internalizing problems when there was religious dysbalance (=being different religious) rather than religious harmony and non-religious harmony between adolescents and their mothers. Further, there was a significant two-way interaction between harmony pre-adolescent/mother and time, indicating externalizing problem behavior in connection with harmony pre-adolescent/mother decreased with time, as the child developed from pre-adolescence to adolescence. Effects were similar for boys and girls. Conclusions. The harmony pre-adolescent/mother variable was the only one that was weakly associated with internalizing problem behavior. This suggests that this variable is somewhat more sensitive than other harmony measures in connection with problem behavior.
Diversity by Design

Research shows that students in integrated schools, despite race or socioeconomic status, benefit academically and socially. Austin Independent School District (AISD) serves diverse communities in Austin, but many individual schools remain economically segregated. Approximately 56% of all AISD students are considered economically disadvantaged, but economically disadvantaged students are concentrated in certain parts of the district. Schools located in Trustee District 1 show a particular lack of economic diversity (See Table 1). For these reasons, the AISD Board of Trustees requested a socioeconomic integration plan for AISD schools, beginning with District 1.
Enhancement of nitric oxide production by pulmonary cells following silica exposure.

In vivo exposure of rat lungs to crystalline silica either by intratracheal instillation or by inhalation results in an increase in mRNA levels for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BALC), elevated nitric oxide (.NO) production by BALC, and an increase in . NO-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) from alveolar macrophages (AM). Induction of iNOS message occurs in both AM and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) harvested from silica-exposed lungs but is not significantly elevated in lavaged lung tissue. In vitro exposure of AM to silica does not stimulate . NO production or enhance iNOS message. However, treatment of naive AM with conditioned media from BALC harvested from silica-exposed rats does increase iNOS message and . NO production by these AM. The potency of this conditioned medium is dependent on interaction between AM and PMN. In the rat model, a relationship exists between the ability of various dusts to cause PMN recruitment or protein leakage into the alveolar space and the induction of iNOS message in BALC, i.e., silica > coal mine dust > carbonyl iron > titanium dioxide. Similarly, a comparison of BALC from a healthy volunteer, a silica-exposed coal miner with a normal chest radiograph, and a silica-exposed coal miner with an abnormal chest radiograph shows a correlation between pathology and both the level of iNOS message in BALC and the magnitude of . NO-dependent CL from AM. These data suggest that . NO may play a role in silicosis and that human pulmonary phagocytes exhibit enhanced . NO production in response to an inflammatory insult. ImagesFigure 1Figure 2Figure 5Figure 6
Conducting effective research into state complicity in human rights abuses

ABSTRACT This paper explores how to conduct effective research into state complicity in human rights abuses. This type of research is challenging: the secretive nature of state violence presents considerable difficulties for the researcher, in terms of both access to evidence, and the safety and security of the researcher and victims. Recent developments in the methods and types of data available present new opportunities for strengthening research. Drawing on our own experience, specifically our work to map the CIA’s rendition, detention and interrogation programme, we aim to show how we have navigated the difficult terrain of human rights investigation. The paper begins by exploring a number of challenges involved. We then discuss recent developments in human rights investigation techniques, as well as the emerging body of critical scholarship that is beginning to shape this kind of work among practitioners and academics alike. We consider some of the imbalances of power that affect this type of research. We then demonstrate how we tried to embrace new opportunities, while being mindful of the risks involved and the limitations of what we can achieve. We close with some reflections on ways forward for this type of research.