Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual-Task Performance Consequences of Imperfect Alerting Associated With a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information

Objective: Performance consequences related to integrating an imperfect alert within a complex task domain were examined in two experiments. Background: Cockpit displays of traffic information (CDTIs) are being designed for use in airplane cockpits as responsibility for safe separation becomes shared between pilots and controllers. Of interest in this work is how characteristics of the alarm system such as threshold, modality, and number of alert levels impact concurrent task (flight control) performance and response to potential conflicts. Methods: Student pilots performed a tracking task analogous to flight control while simultaneously monitoring for air traffic conflicts with the aid of a CDTI alert as the threshold, modality, and level of alert was varied. Results: As the alerting system became more prone to false alerts, pilot compliance decreased and concurrent performance improved. There was some evidence of auditory preemption with auditory alerts as the false alarm rate increased. Finally, there was no benefit to a three-level system over a two-level system. Conclusion: There is justification for increased false alarm rates, as miss-prone systems appear to be costly. The 4:1 false alarm to miss ratio employed here improved accuracy and concurrent task performance. More research needs to address the potential benefits of likelihood alerting. Application: The issues addressed in this research can be applied to any imperfect alerting system such as in aviation, driving, or air traffic control. It is crucial to understand the performance consequences of new technology and the efficacy of potential mitigating design features within the specific context desired.
A medical device containing purified bovine colostrum (Monurelle Biogel) in the treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: Retrospective analysis of urinary symptoms, sexual function, and quality of life

This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of a medical device containing purified bovine colostrum (Monurelle Biogel; Zambon, Bresso, Italy) in improving vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA), sexual function, urinary symptoms, and quality of life (QoL) in postmenopausal women.
The Road to Fully Integrated DC–DC Conversion via the Switched-Capacitor Approach

This paper provides a perspective on progress toward realization of efficient, fully integrated dc-dc conversion and regulation functionality in CMOS platforms. In providing a comparative assessment between the inductor-based and switched-capacitor approaches, the presentation reviews the salient features in effectiveness in utilization of switch technology and in use and implementation of passives. The analytical conclusions point toward the strong advantages of the switched-capacitor (SC) approach with respect to both switch utilization and much higher energy densities of capacitors versus inductors. The analysis is substantiated with a review of recently developed and published integrated dc-dc converters of both the inductor-based and SC types.
Self-assembled liposomal nanoparticles in photodynamic therapy

Abstract Photodynamic therapy (PDT) employs the combination of non-toxic photosensitizers (PS) together with harmless visible light of the appropriate wavelength to produce reactive oxygen species that kill unwanted cells. Because many PS are hydrophobic molecules prone to aggregation, numerous drug delivery vehicles have been tested to solubilize these molecules, render them biocompatible and enhance the ease of administration after intravenous injection. The recent rise in nanotechnology has markedly expanded the range of these nanoparticulate delivery vehicles beyond the well-established liposomes and micelles. Self-assembled nanoparticles are formed by judicious choice of monomer building blocks that spontaneously form a well-oriented 3-dimensional structure that incorporates the PS when subjected to the appropriate conditions. This self-assembly process is governed by a subtle interplay of forces on the molecular level. This review will cover the state of the art in the preparation and use of self-assembled liposomal nanoparticles within the context of PDT.
Should the dexamethasone suppression test be resurrected?

Following reports that plasma cortisol levels were elevated in patients with Cushing’s disease, similar abnormalities were found in patients with severe mood disorders (1–3). In normal persons adrenal cortisol exhibits a diurnal rhythm, which peaks in the morning and troughs in the early night. The interdependence of the body’s hormonal systems encompasses the release of hypothalamic CRH, stimulation of pituitary ACTH, that then evokes adrenal cortisol in a diurnal cycle. The release is inhibited by synthetic glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone and prednisolone. In severely depressed patients plasma cortisol levels are elevated, diurnal rhythmicity is shallow, and the response to synthetic glucocorticoids is lost. Interest in cortisol functioning in psychiatric patients led to the development of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) as a formal test of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function. Interest then waned and little use is made of the DST in clinical psychopharmacology today. In this number of the journal, Yuuki et al. (4) remind us that the abnormal HPA functioning in patients with major depression resolves with adequate treatment. They applied the dexamethasone-corticotropin releasing hormone test (DEX/CRH), a modification of the DST, in their assessment. Much credit for the development of our understanding of the HPA axis and the DST is due to the work of Bernard Carroll and his associates at Universities of Melbourne and Michigan that began in 1967 (2, 3). They studied cortisol release in plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid, varied the time and dosage of glucocorticoid administration, examined different sampling schedules, and optimized the statistical handling of these complex measures (5). They explored the differences between severely depressed and non-depressed psychiatric patients and normal subjects. The result was an illuminating moment in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Abnormal cortisol regulation and failure to suppress with dexamethasone were frequent in the more severely depressed patients, especially in those with weight loss, agitation, suicide risk, and psychosis. Elevated plasma cortisol levels fell with successful antidepressant treatment, exhibiting posttreatment values similar to those of normal subjects. An example is reported in five depressed patients treated with ECT who exhibited abnormal cortisol functioning that normalized when substantial improvement in clinical condition occurred (5). Of depressed patients studied over four years, seven patients persisted in an abnormal response to dexamethasone despite treatment. All exhibited persistent signs of depressive illness and active outpatient treatments were required to prevent relapse and re-hospitalization. Carroll concluded that:
Human Plasma-derived Polymeric IgA and IgM Antibodies Associate with Secretory Component to Yield Biologically Active Secretory-like Antibodies*

Background: Production of SIgA or SIgM for therapeutic application remains an unsolved issue. Results: Human plasma-derived polyclonal, polymeric IgA and IgM associate with recombinant or colostrum-derived human secretory component to form digestion-resistant, functionally active SIgA- and SIgM-like molecules. Conclusion: SIgA and SIgM can be rebuilt ex vivo from plasma-derived IgA/IgM. Significance: This would enable development of SIgA/SIgM-based mucosal therapeutics. Immunotherapy with monoclonal and polyclonal immunoglobulin is successfully applied to improve many clinical conditions, including infection, autoimmune diseases, or immunodeficiency. Most immunoglobulin products, recombinant or plasma-derived, are based on IgG antibodies, whereas to date, the use of IgA for therapeutic application has remained anecdotal. In particular, purification or production of large quantities of secretory IgA (SIgA) for potential mucosal application has not been achieved. In this work, we sought to investigate whether polymeric IgA (pIgA) recovered from human plasma is able to associate with secretory component (SC) to generate SIgA-like molecules. We found that ∼15% of plasma pIgA carried J chain and displayed selective SC binding capacity either in a mixture with monomeric IgA (mIgA) or after purification. The recombinant SC associated covalently in a 1:1 stoichiometry with pIgA and with similar efficacy as colostrum-derived SC. In comparison with pIgA, the association with SC delayed degradation of SIgA by intestinal proteases. Similar results were obtained with plasma-derived IgM. In vitro, plasma-derived IgA and SIgA neutralized Shigella flexneri used as a model pathogen, resulting in a delay of bacteria-induced damage targeted to polarized Caco-2 cell monolayers. The sum of these novel data demonstrates that association of plasma-derived IgA or IgM with recombinant/colostrum-derived SC is feasible and yields SIgA- and SIgM-like molecules with similar biochemical and functional characteristics as mucosa-derived immunoglobulins.
Who are You Talking About? Tracking Discourse-level Referential Processing with Event-related Brain Potentials

In this event-related brain potentials (ERPs) study, we explored the possibility to selectively track referential ambiguity during spoken discourse comprehension. Earlier ERP research has shown that referentially ambiguous nouns (e.g., the girl in a two-girl context) elicit a frontal, sustained negative shift relative to unambiguous control words. In the current study, we examined whether this ERP effect reflects deep situation model ambiguity or superficial textbase ambiguity. We contrasted these different interpretations by investigating whether a discourse-level semantic manipulation that prevents referential ambiguity also averts the elicitation of a referentially induced ERP effect. We compared ERPs elicited by nouns that were referentially nonambiguous but were associated with two discourse entities (e.g., the girl with two girls introduced in the context, but one of which has died or left the scene), with referentially ambiguous and nonambiguous control words. Although temporally referentially ambiguous nouns elicited a frontal negative shift compared to control words, the double bound but referentially nonambiguous nouns did not. These results suggest that it is possible to selectively track referential ambiguity with ERPs at the level that is most relevant to discourse comprehension, the situation model.
Analysis of distributed intrusion detection systems using Bayesian methods

In computer and network security, standard approaches to intrusion detection and response attempt to detect and prevent individual attacks. However, it is not the attack but rather the attacker against which our networks must be defended. To do this, the information that is being provided by intrusion detection systems (IDS) must be gathered and then divided into its component parts such that the activity of individual attackers is made clear. Our approach to this involves the application of Bayesian methods to data being gathered from distributed IDS. With this we hope to improve the capabilities for early detection of distributed attacks against infrastructure and the detection of the preliminary phases of distributed denial of service attacks.
CSP gaps and reductions in the lasserre hierarchy

We study integrality gaps for SDP relaxations of constraint satisfaction problems, in the hierarchy of SDPs defined by Lasserre. Schoenebeck [23] recently showed the first integrality gaps for these problems, showing that for MAX k-XOR, the ratio of the SDP optimum to the integer optimum may be as large as 2 even after Ω(n) rounds of the Lasserre hierarchy. We show that for the general MAX k-CSP problem, this ratio can be as large as 2k/2k - ε when the alphabet is binary and qk/q(q-1)k - ε when the alphabet size a prime q, even after Ω(n) rounds of the Lasserre hierarchy. We also explore how to translate gaps for CSP into integrality gaps for other problems using reductions, and establish SDP gaps for Maximum Independent Set, Approximate Graph Coloring, Chromatic Number and Minimum Vertex Cover. For Independent Set and Chromatic Number, we show integrality gaps of n/2O(√(log n log log n)) even after 2Ω(√(log n log log n)) rounds. In case of Approximate Graph Coloring, for every constant l, we construct graphs with chromatic number Ω(2l/2/l2), which admit a vector l-coloring for the SDP obtained by Ω(n) rounds. For Vertex Cover, we show an integrality gap of 1.36 for Ω(nδ) rounds, for a small constant δ. The results for CSPs provide the first examples of Ω(n) round integrality gaps matching hardness results known only under the Unique Games Conjecture. This and some additional properties of the integrality gap instance, allow for gaps for in case of Independent Set and Chromatic Number which are stronger than the NP-hardness results known even under the Unique Games Conjecture.
Playing roles in design patterns: An empirical descriptive and analytic study

This work presents a descriptive and analytic study of classes playing zero, one, or two roles in six different design patterns (and combinations thereof). First, we answer three research questions showing that (1) classes playing one or two roles do exist in programs and are not negligible and that there are significant differences among the (2) internal (class metrics) and (3) external (change-proneness) characteristics of classes playing zero, one, or two roles. Second, we revisit a previous work on design patterns and changeability and show that its results were, in a great part, due to classes playing two roles. Third, we exemplify the use of the study results to provide a ranking of the occurrences of the design patterns identified in a program. The ranking allows developers to balance precision and recall.
Empathy level differences between Polish surgeons and physicians.

AIM The aim of this study was to assess the levels of empathy among Polish physicians and surgeons. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ninety-two physicians took part in the study. The physicians were either employed in hospitals, outpatient clinics or university departments in Krakow. The participants were asked to fill out a personal questionnaire, the Emotional Empathy Scale (EES), as well as describe four chosen tables from the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). RESULTS The study group consisted of 92 physicians, including 25 women (27.2%) and 67 men, in the mean age of 42 ± 16.3 years (age span: 27-68 years). The physicians have been divided into two subgroups - non-surgical specialists (52 people - 56.5%) and surgical specialists (40 people - 43.5%). There were no gender differences, as to the level of empathy, in the study group (p >0.05). Non-surgical specialists displayed a higher level of empathy (p=0.03) than their surgical counterparts. There was a positive correlation between age and the level of empathy. This was seen both among non-surgical (r = 0.41; p < 0.0001) and surgical specialists (r = 0.59; p < 0.0001). No correlation was seen between the number of years of experience working as a doctor and the level of empathy (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Empathy is an essential element in the physician-patient relationship. This study has shown that non-surgical specialists display a higher level of empathy. We have also shown that years of experience working as a doctor do not influence the level of empathy, while age is a beneficial factor.
System-wide Studies of N-Lysine Acetylation in Rhodopseudomonas palustris Reveal Substrate Specificity of Protein Acetyltransferases*

Background: Protein acetylation is widespread in prokaryotes. Results: Six new enzymes whose activities are controlled by acetylation were identified, and their substrate preferences were established. A new protein acetyltransferase was also identified, and its substrate specificity was determined. Conclusion: Protein acetyltransferases acetylate a conserved lysine residue in protein substrates. Significance: Protein acetyltransferases acetylate AMP-forming acyl-CoA synthetases and regulate fatty acid metabolism. N-Lysine acetylation is a posttranslational modification that has been well studied in eukaryotes and is likely widespread in prokaryotes as well. The central metabolic enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase is regulated in both bacteria and eukaryotes by acetylation of a conserved lysine residue in the active site. In the purple photosynthetic α-proteobacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris, two protein acetyltransferases (RpPat and the newly identified RpKatA) and two deacetylases (RpLdaA and RpSrtN) regulate the activities of AMP-forming acyl-CoA synthetases. In this work, we used LC/MS/MS to identify other proteins regulated by the N-lysine acetylation/deacetylation system of this bacterium. Of the 24 putative acetylated proteins identified, 14 were identified more often in a strain lacking both deacetylases. Nine of these proteins were members of the AMP-forming acyl-CoA synthetase family. RpPat acetylated all nine of the acyl-CoA synthetases identified by this work, and RpLdaA deacetylated eight of them. In all cases, acetylation occurred at the conserved lysine residue in the active site, and acetylation decreased activity of the enzymes by >70%. Our results show that many different AMP-forming acyl-CoA synthetases are regulated by N-lysine acetylation. Five non-acyl-CoA synthetases were identified as possibly acetylated, including glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and Rpa1177, a putative 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase. Neither RpPat nor RpKatA acetylated either of these proteins in vitro. It has been reported that Salmonella enterica Pat (SePat) can acetylate a number of metabolic enzymes, including GAPDH, but we were unable to confirm this claim, suggesting that the substrate range of SePat is not as broad as suggested previously.
Delegated Portfolio Management, Optimal Fee Contracts, and Asset Prices

This paper proposes a model of asset-market equilibrium with portfolio delegation and optimal fee contracts. Fund managers and investors strategically interact to determine funds' investment profiles, while they share portfolio risk through fee contracts. In equilibrium, their investment decisions, fee schedules, and stock price feed back into one another. The model predicts that (1) stock market's expected return and volatility increase as more investor capital is intermediated by funds, (2) fund's expense ratio is stable despite volatile market, (3) aggregate fund flow is positively (inversely) related to subsequent (past) market return, and (4) funds provide investors with a volatility hedge by adjusting market exposure counter-cyclically.
Evaluating Digital Libraries for Teaching and Learning in Undergraduate Education: A Case Study of the Alexandria Digital Earth Prototype (ADEPT)

This is a discussion on the research design for an educational evaluation of the Alexandria Digital Earth ProtoType (ADEPT), a digital library of geo-referenced information resources. ADEPT is being studied in undergraduate classrooms at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The article provides a brief review of the deployment of digital libraries in educational settings, the role of information technology in developing students' scientific thinking, and the evaluation of digital libraries. We outline the overall research design, report on progress to date, and describe plans for the remainder of the five-year project. The article concludes with initial observations about classroom environments for using ADEPT and about the initial deployment of ADEPT prototypes.
TensorBeat

Breathing signal monitoring can provide important clues for health problems. Compared to existing techniques that require wearable devices and special equipment, a more desirable approach is to provide contact-free and long-term breathing rate monitoring by exploiting wireless signals. In this article, we propose TensorBeat, a system to employ channel state information (CSI) phase difference data to intelligently estimate breathing rates for multiple persons with commodity WiFi devices. The main idea is to leverage the tensor decomposition technique to handle the CSI phase difference data. The proposed TensorBeat scheme first obtains CSI phase difference data between pairs of antennas at the WiFi receiver to create CSI tensors. Then canonical polyadic (CP) decomposition is applied to obtain the desired breathing signals. A stable signal matching algorithm is developed to identify the decomposed signal pairs, and a peak detection method is applied to estimate the breathing rates for multiple persons. Our experimental study shows that TensorBeat can achieve high accuracy under different environments for multiperson breathing rate monitoring.
Direct vs . Indirect Network E ¤ ects : Standardization and Compatibility ¤

Strong direct and indirect network e¤ects both lead to technological standardization. While many analyses con‡ate the two, I show that the ways in which direct and indirect e¤ects in‡uence standardization are quite di¤erent. Some parameter changes have opposite e¤ects in the two models, and some factors which are irrelevant under direct e¤ects are central under indirect effects. Compatibility in particular has a di¤erent interpretation and more subtle implications for standardization in the indirect model. The di¤erences in predictions are illustrated using a variety of markets, including computer hardware and software and automobiles and service. ¤I am very grateful to Jim Dana for his guidance in the writing of this paper. I would also like to thank David Besanko, Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Shane Greenstein, Charles Hope, Emre Ozdenoren, John Panzar, and Bill Sandholm for many helpful comments. yManagerial Economics and Decision Sciences Department, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University; mtc@nwu.edu.
ON THE OSCILLATORY POTENTIALS OF THE HUMAN ELECTRORETINOGRAM IN LIGHT AND DARK ADAPTATION

The effect of adaptation to short flashes of light on the oscillatory potentials and the slow potentials (a‐ and b‐wave) of the human ERG as well as the effect on adaptometric visual threshold in response to a series of three flashes were studied. The total energy and the dominant frequency of the oscillatory potentials in response to the third (stimulus) flash were calculated by a combined impulse response and Fourier analysis when the interval between the flashes changed and the intensity of the first two (conditioning) flashes varied.