Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Big-Step Semantics

With the popularity of model-driven methodologies, and the abundance of modelling languages, a major question for a requirements engineer is: which language is suitable for modelling a system under study? We address this question from a semantic point-of-view for big-step modelling languages (BSMLs). BSMLs are a popular class of behavioural modelling languages in which a model can respond to an environmental input by executing multiple, possibly concurrent, transitions. We deconstruct the semantics of a large class of BSMLs into high-level, orthogonal semantic aspects and discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of the semantic options for each of these aspects to allow a requirements engineer to compare and choose the right BSML. We accompany our presentation with many modelling examples that illustrate the differences between a set of relevant semantic options.
Visual Feedback Reduces Co-contraction in Children With Dystonia

Inappropriate muscle activation and co-contraction are important features in childhood dystonia, and clinical interventions are often targeted to reduce the excess muscle activation. Previous research has shown that visual biofeedback of muscle activity can help people to reduce excess muscle activation in a variety of motor disorders. To investigate the effectiveness of similar techniques for dystonia, we had participants perform a tracking task with and without visual feedback of co-contraction. Children with dystonia had greater levels of co-contraction than children without dystonia. Most importantly, individuals were able to reduce their co-contraction significantly when visual biofeedback was provided. These results indicate that children with dystonia are able to control co-contraction, at least to a certain extent, provided attention can be directed to the excess muscle activation. These results also suggest that methods of biofeedback focusing on inappropriate muscle activations might provide a clinical benefit for treatment of children with dystonia.
An Explicit Martingale Version of the One-Dimensional Brenier's Theorem with Full Marginals Constraint

We provide an extension of the martingale version of the Frechet–Hoeffding coupling to the infinitely-many marginals constraints setting. In the two-marginal context, this extension was obtained by Beiglbock and Juillet (2016), and further developed by Henry-Labordere and Touzi (in press), see also Beiglbock and Henry-Labordere (Preprint).
The Practices and Popularity of British Bloggers

A snapshot of the British blogosphere focusing on the blogging habits and technical abilities of a sample of British bloggers. Most of the academic research that has so far been published on blogging behaviour has been based on US bloggers. By investigating British bloggers, who are relatively late in the field as a group, we hope to clarify the role of gender, as opposed to early adoption or subject matter, in the popularity of blogs. Analysis of the blogs has so far focused on technical information such as technical ability of the blogger, which software used, analysis of the blogroll, enhancements to the blog and use of images This sample suggests that male and female bloggers in the UK approach the construction of their blogs differently. However, the finding that women tend to have more outward links means that the facile ‘men-filter’ and ‘women-journal’ distinction should not be made.
Effect of exposure of guinea pigs to cigarette smoke on elastolytic activity of pulmonary macrophages.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of exposure to cigarette smoke on the elastolytic activity of guinea pigs' alveolar macrophages (AMs), and to compare elastolytic activity of AMs obtained by BAL with that of lung macrophages (LMs) obtained from minced lung tissue. METHODS AMs were obtained by BAL from seven adult guinea pigs exposed to cigarette smoke for 5 d/wk during 6 weeks, as well as from age-matched control guinea pigs. From each animal, one lung was used to obtain LMs by mincing and teasing the lung, followed by enzymatic digestion and isolation of mononuclear cells by Hypaque-Ficoll separation. The other lung was inflated and fixed to quantitate emphysema by the destructive index (DI). Elastolytic activity (microgram of elastin degraded by 10(6) macrophages) was determined at 24, 48, and 72 h, by culturing AMs and LMs (1 x 10(6) cells in 1 mL of medium) in 3H-elastin-coated wells. RESULTS In animals exposed to cigarette smoke, the total number of BAL cells (8.6+/-2.1 x 10(6)) and DI (21.8+/-8.1) were significantly higher than in nonexposed animals (6.4+/-1.8 x 10(6), p<0.05 for cells, and 12.1+/-4.1, p<0.01 for DI). Elastolytic activity of AMs from smoke-exposed guinea pigs was significantly higher at 24, 48, and 72 h than elastolytic activity of AMs from control animals (19.0+/-9.4 vs 10.0+/-5.3, p<0.05 at 72 h). Likewise, elastolytic activity of LMs was significantly higher in exposed than nonexposed guinea pigs (11.8+/-7.7 vs 7.4+/-5.0 at 72 h, p<0.05). Elastolytic activity of LMs was not significantly different from elastolytic activity of AMs, both in exposed guinea pigs (11.8+/-7.7 vs 19.0+/-9.4 at 72 h) and nonexposed animals (7.4+/-5.0 vs 10.0+/-5.3 at 72 h). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that elastolytic activity of both AMs and LMs of guinea pigs increases significantly after exposure to cigarette smoke and that AMs and LMs have similar elastolytic activities.
The disposal of inhaled particulate matter; a unifying hypothesis.

After exposing rats to 0.5 to 5 . mu.m hematite or silica dust at concentrations of 40 and 4 mg/m/sup 3/, respectively, the data suggests inhaled particles form aggregates near respiratory bronchioles are ingested and liberated by a series of dying phagocytes and move with aid of alveolar fluid film. Some particles are transferred interstitially by the same cellular mechanism. Foci become larger and fibrosis, in case of silica but not hematite, ensues. Also, they enter lymph to hilar nodes.
Foreign Direct Investment, Domestic Investment and Economic Growth in China: A Time Series Analysis

This paper investigates the causal link between foreign direct investment (FDI), domestic investment and economic growth in China for the period 1988-2003 using a multivariate VAR system with error correction model (ECM) and the innovation accounting (variance decomposition and impulse response function analysis) techniques. The results show that while there is a bi-directional causality between domestic investment and economic growth, there is only a single-directional causality from FDI to domestic investment and to economic growth. Rather than crowding out domestic investment, FDI is found to be complementary with domestic investment. Thus, FDI has not only assisted in overcoming shortage of capital, it has also stimulated economic growth through complementing domestic investment in China. Copyright 2008 United Nations University. Journal compilation 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Motorcycle rider conspicuity and crash related injury: case-control study

Abstract Objective To investigate whether the risk of motorcycle crash related injuries is associated with the conspicuity of the driver or vehicle. Design Population based case-control study. Setting Auckland region of New Zealand from February 1993 to February 1996. Participants 463 motorcycle drivers (cases) involved in crashes leading to hospital treatment or death; 1233 motorcycle drivers (controls) recruited from randomly selected roadside survey sites. Main outcome measures Estimates of relative risk of motorcycle crash related injury and population attributable risk associated with conspicuity measures, including the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, headlight operation, and colour of helmet, clothing, and motorcycle. Results Crash related injuries occurred mainly in urban zones with 50 km/h speed limit (66%), during the day (63%), and in fine weather (72%). After adjustment for potential confounders, drivers wearing any reflective or fluorescent clothing had a 37% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.42 to 0.94) than other drivers. Compared with wearing a black helmet, use of a white helmet was associated with a 24% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.76, 0.57 to 0.99). Self reported light coloured helmet versus dark coloured helmet was associated with a 19% lower risk. Three quarters of motorcycle riders had their headlight turned on during the day, and this was associated with a 27% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.73, 0.53 to 1.00). No association occurred between risk and the frontal colour of drivers' clothing or motorcycle. If these odds ratios are unconfounded, the population attributable risks are 33% for wearing no reflective or fluorescent clothing, 18% for a non-white helmet, 11% for a dark coloured helmet, and 7% for no daytime headlight operation. Conclusions Low conspicuity may increase the risk of motorcycle crash related injury. Increasing the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, white or light coloured helmets, and daytime headlights are simple, cheap interventions that could considerably reduce motorcycle crash related injury and death.
10 Echovirus Epidemics , Autoimmunity , and Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus [T1D] results from the autoimmune destruction of insulinproducing beta cells triggered by environmental factors (Hyoty & Taylor, 2002; Jun & Yoon, 2003). Genetic predisposition accounts for 36-50% of disease susceptibility as demonstrated in monozygotic twin studies (Barnett et al., 1981; Hemminki et al., 2010; Redondo et al., 2001). Differences in the incidence of T1D among countries are thought to be due to the proportions of HLA susceptibility haplotypes; however, other genes seem to be involved in conferring risk. On the other hand, the bulk of new T1D cases lack family history of the disease, altogether indicating that the contribution of exogenous factors to disease pathogenesis is important. Among examined environmental agents, human enteroviruses (HEVs) seem to play a prominent role (Hyoty & Taylor, 2002). HEVs are common RNA viruses spreading through the fecal-oral route. The genus comprises over 100 different virus types (Simmonds, 2006). The positive sense single-stranded 7.5 kb RNA genome contains a single open reading frame flanked by two untranslated regions (termed 5` and 3` UTRs). A translated single poly-protein is cleaved generating four structural proteins (VP1, VP2, VP3 to VP4) and seven nonstructural proteins (2A, 2B, 2C and 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D). VP1 to VP4 proteins form the viral capsid comprising epitopes involved in virus neutralization; they are responsible for the type-specific protective immunity. Nonstructural proteins determine virus replication and cellular pathology (Agol, 2006). Although prediction of T1D using genetic, immunologic, and biochemical markers is rather accurate (Hirai et al., 2008; Notkins, 2007), the cost-benefit ratio of periodical determinations appears not to justify large scale screening programs. Unfortunately, primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies evaluated so far have failed to prevent or halt the initiation or progression of the disease. For instance, attempts to induce disease regression by utilizing either immunosuppressive and/or cell replacement therapies have been successful only temporarily (Shapiro et al., 2006; Voltarelli et al., 2007). A vaccine inducing neutralization of putative pathogenic HEVs may represent an ideal primary prevention means for T1D. Unfortunately, available data on sequence of HEV isolated from pancreases of patients who died at T1D onset are not sufficient to define the
Prävention von Cybermobbing und Reduzierung aggressiven Verhaltens Jugendlicher durch das Programm Medienhelden: Ergebnisse einer Evaluationsstudie

Zusammenfassung „Medienhelden“ stellt eine der ersten evaluierten Interventions- und Praventionsmasnahmen gegen Cybermobbing dar. Es bietet eine Langversion (IGL) uber zehn Wochen und eine Kurzversion (IGK) von einem Tag. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden die Effekte mit den Werten einer Kontrollgruppe (KG) ohne Intervention verglichen. Langsschnittliche Daten (vor und sechs Monate nach der Intervention) von insgesamt 590 Schulerinnen und Schulern (M = 13.30 Jahre, SD = 0.96 Jahre; 51.7% Madchen, 46.1% Jungen) konnten fur die vorliegende Fragestellung berucksichtigt werden. Vergleiche wurden mittels MANOVAs, ANOVAs und t-Tests fur verbundene Stichproben angestellt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass das Programm in der IGL wirksam Cybermobbing und die Bereitschaft zu Cybermobbing reduziert und zu einer Stagnation der Aggression fuhrt. In der IGK stagnierten alle Werte, wahrend sie sich in der KG verschlechterten. Die IGL zeigte gegenuber der IGK und die IGK gegenuber der KG hohere Effekte. „Medienhelden“ zeigte eine Langzeitwirkung sowohl auf das Verhalten als auch auf zugrundeliegende Risikofaktoren. Auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse wird vor allem der Einsatz der Langversion im Schulkontext empfohlen. Schlagworter: Cybermobbing, Aggression, Medienhelden, Pravention, Schule ----- Prevention of cyberbullying and reduction of adolescents‘ aggressive behavior using the ‘Medienhelden’ program: Results from an evaluation study Abstract The ‘Medienhelden’ program is one of the first evaluated preventive intervention approaches targeting cyberbullying. A ten-week-long version (IGL) and a short, one day version (IGK) are both available. The effects were compared to a control group (KG) with no intervention. Longitudinal data (before and approximately six months after the intervention) were available from 590 students (M = 13.30 years, SD = 0.96 years; 51.7% girls, 46.1% boys). Comparisons were conducted using MANOVAs, ANOVAs, and paired t-tests. Results show that the program effectively reduces cyberbullying and willingness to cyberbully others, and levels of aggression scores in the IGL. In the IGK, all scores stagnated, while they worsened in the KG. The IGL showed higher effects than the IGK and the IGK showed higher effects compared to the KG. The ‘Medienhelden’ program showed long-term effects on the behavior itself as well as on underlying risk factors. Based on the results, the utilization of the long version is especially recommended within schools. Keywords: Cyberbullying, Aggression, Medienhelden program, Prevention, School ----- Bibliographie: Schultze-Krumbholz, Anja/Zagorscak, Pavle/Wolfer, Ralf/Scheithauer, Herbert: Pravention von Cybermobbing und Reduzierung aggressiven Verhaltens Jugendlicher durch das Programm Medienhelden: Ergebnisse einer Evaluationsstudie, Diskurs Kindheits- und Jugendforschung, 1-2014, S. 61-79. https://doi.org/10.3224/diskurs.v9i1. 19083
Trading Strategies To Exploit News Sentiment

We use quantitative news data generated by a large-scale natural language processing (NLP) news analysis system to perform a comprehensive study on how a company’s reported news frequency, sentiment polarity and subjectivity anticipates or reflects its stock trading volumes and financial returns. Our analysis provides concrete evidence that news data is highly informative, as previously suggested in the literature – but never studied on our scale of over 500 newspapers daily for over four years. Building on our findings, we give a news-based market-neutral trading strategy which gives consistently favorable returns with low volatility over a four year period (2005-2008). Our results are significant in confirming the performance of general sentiment analysis methods over broad domains and sources.
Conducting research with minimally verbal participants with autism spectrum disorder

A growing number of research groups are now including older minimally verbal individuals with autism spectrum disorder in their studies to encompass the full range of heterogeneity in the population. There are numerous barriers that prevent researchers from collecting high-quality data from these individuals, in part because of the challenging behaviors with which they present alongside their very limited means for communication. In this article, we summarize the practices that we have developed, based on applied behavioral analysis techniques, and have used in our ongoing research on behavioral, eye-tracking, and electrophysiological studies of minimally verbal children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Our goal is to provide the field with useful guidelines that will promote the inclusion of the entire spectrum of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in future research investigations.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms Predict Delay to Hospital in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background Increased delay to hospital presentation with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with poor outcomes. While demographic factors associated with this delay have been well described, scarce data are available on the role of modifiable factors, such as psychosocial disorders, on pre-hospital delay. Patients with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often avoid stressful situations and may delay presenting for care when they experience cardiac symptoms. It is unknown, however, whether PTSD symptoms negatively impact the time to presentation during an ACS. Methods We assessed the relationship between PTSD symptoms and pre-hospital delay in 241 adults with an ACS in the ongoing Prescription Use, Lifestyle, Stress Evaluation (PULSE) study. Results Overall, 66% of patients were male; 40% were Hispanic or Latino. The mean age was 61.9±11.6 years old. PTSD symptoms were present in 17.8% of patients. Pre-hospital delay was longer for patients with PTSD symptoms compared to those without [geometric mean: 25.8 hours (95% CI 13.8 – 44.8) vs. 10.7 hours (95% CI 8.3 – 13.8)]; P = 0.005. After multivariable adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, depression, left ventricular ejection fraction and history of myocardial infarction, the mean pre-hospital delay was 173% (95% CI: 36% –450%) longer for patients with versus without PTSD symptoms. Conclusion Among patients presenting with an ACS, PTSD symptoms were independently associated with longer pre-hospital delays. Future studies of pre-hospital delay should examine the mechanisms underlying this association.
Mixed Infections of Four Viruses, the Incidence and Phylogenetic Relationships of Sweet Potato Chlorotic Fleck Virus (Betaflexiviridae) Isolates in Wild Species and Sweetpotatoes in Uganda and Evidence of Distinct Isolates in East Africa

Viruses infecting wild flora may have a significant negative impact on nearby crops, and vice-versa. Only limited information is available on wild species able to host economically important viruses that infect sweetpotatoes (Ipomoea batatas). In this study, Sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV; Carlavirus, Betaflexiviridae) and Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV; Crinivirus, Closteroviridae) were surveyed in wild plants of family Convolvulaceae (genera Astripomoea, Ipomoea, Hewittia and Lepistemon) in Uganda. Plants belonging to 26 wild species, including annuals, biannuals and perennials from four agro-ecological zones, were observed for virus-like symptoms in 2004 and 2007 and sampled for virus testing. SPCFV was detected in 84 (2.9%) of 2864 plants tested from 17 species. SPCSV was detected in 66 (5.4%) of the 1224 plants from 12 species sampled in 2007. Some SPCSV-infected plants were also infected with Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV; Potyvirus, Potyviridae; 1.3%), Sweet potato mild mottle virus (SPMMV; Ipomovirus, Potyviridae; 0.5%) or both (0.4%), but none of these three viruses were detected in SPCFV-infected plants. Co-infection of SPFMV with SPMMV was detected in 1.2% of plants sampled. Virus-like symptoms were observed in 367 wild plants (12.8%), of which 42 plants (11.4%) were negative for the viruses tested. Almost all (92.4%) the 419 sweetpotato plants sampled from fields close to the tested wild plants displayed virus-like symptoms, and 87.1% were infected with one or more of the four viruses. Phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses of the 3′-proximal genomic region of SPCFV, including the silencing suppressor (NaBP)- and coat protein (CP)-coding regions implicated strong purifying selection on the CP and NaBP, and that the SPCFV strains from East Africa are distinguishable from those from other continents. However, the strains from wild species and sweetpotato were indistinguishable, suggesting reciprocal movement of SPCFV between wild and cultivated Convolvulaceae plants in the field.
Photophysiology of the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus: Ecotypic differences among cultured isolates

Cultured isolates of Prochlorococcus from the Mediterranean Sea (MED4) and Sargasso Sea (SS120) have been shown to have dramatically different pigment composition and growth rate responses when grown over a range of irradiances. Moreover, analyses of field populations in the North Atlantic have shown that distinct ecotypes can coexist in the same water column. These and other observations have led to the hypothesis that Prochlorococcus is comprised of genetically distinct ecotypes that collectively expand the range of light intensities over which the genus can thrive. In this paper, we explore this hypothesis by comparing the photophysiology of 10 different Prochlorococcus isolates from diverse oceanographic regimes. We found that the 10 isolates could be grouped into two loose clusters based on their growth response to varying light intensity and their chlorophyll b/a2 (Chl b/a2) ratios. Although both groups photoacclimate when grown over a range of light intensities, isolates with distinctly higher Chl b/a2 ratios (high B/A ecotype) reach maximal growth rates at lower irradiances (Ik,g), have high growth efficiencies (αg), and are inhibited in growth at irradiances where isolates with low Chl b/a2 ratios (low B/A ecotype) are growing maximally. High Chl b/a2 ratios resulted in higher spectrally weighted average Chl a2‐specific absorption coefficient (āchl*), Chl a2 specific light‐harvesting efficiency (αchla), and quantum yield (φm) under low growth irradiances for the isolates of the high B/A ecotype relative to the others. The distinction between the high and low B/A ecotypes is supported by molecular phylogenies constructed using the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene. The physiological differences between the ecotypes most likely result in different relative distributions in a given water column and in fluctuations in their relative abundances as a function of seasonal dynamics and water‐column stability.
Sequential hardware Trojan: Side-channel aware design and placement

Various design-for-security (DFS) approaches have been proposed earlier for detection of hardware Trojans, which are malicious insertions in Integrated Circuits (ICs). In this paper, we highlight our major findings in terms of innovative Trojan design that can easily evade existing Trojan detection approaches based on functional testing or side-channel analysis. In particular, we illustrate design and placement of sequential hardware Trojans, which are rarely activated/observed and incur ultralow delay/power overhead. We provide models, examples, theoretical analysis of effectiveness, and simulation as well as measurement results of impact of these Trojans in a hardened design. It is shown that efficient design and placement of sequential Trojan would incur extremely low side-channel (power, delay) signature and hence, can easily evade both post-silicon validation and DFS (e.g. ring oscillator based) approaches.