Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Indexing constraint databases by using a dual representation

Linear constraint databases are a powerful framework to model spatial and temporal data. The use of constraint databases should be supported by access data structures that make effective use of secondary storage and reduce query processing time. Such structures should be able to store both finite and infinite objects and perform both containment (ALL) and intersection (EXIST) queries. As standard indexing techniques have certain limitations in satisfying such requirements, we employ the concept of geometric duality for designing new indexing techniques. In (Bertino et al., 1997) we have used the dual transformation for polyhedra to develop a dynamic optimal indexing solution based on B/sup +/-trees, to detect all objects contained in or intersecting a given half-plane, when the angular coefficient belongs to a predefined set. We extend the previous solution to allow angular coefficients to take any value. We present two approximation techniques for the dual representation of spatial objects, based on B/sup +/-trees. The techniques handle both finite and infinite objects and process both ALL and EXIST selections in a uniform way. We show the practical applicability of the proposed techniques by an experimental comparison with respect to R/sup +/-trees.
Analyst Forecast Revision and Market Sales Discovery of Online Word of Mouth

Online word-of-mouth (WOM) communication in the form of online product reviews, such as those provided by consumers who have previously purchased a product, has become a major information source for consumers and marketers about a product's quality. The literature has thus far used online product reviews to predict a product's sales and future success, and found a positive relationship between the mean review scores and product sales. However, the questions that whether consumers appreciate both quantitative and qualitative aspects of online review and how do they use review information remain unaddressed. Using portfolio methodology, this paper empirically shows that consumers do appreciate the quality value difference between a good review and a bad review, and respond more to a review written by a reviewer with better reputation and higher exposure. Furthermore, it shows that the impact of online review on sales is moderated by the information environment of product. Finally, we find that the impact of reviewer exposure and product coverage on sales is moderated by the innovation level of review signal
A nonparametric statistical comparison of principal component and linear discriminant subspaces for face recognition

The FERET evaluation compared recognition rates for different semi-automated and automated face recognition algorithms. We extend FERET by considering when differences in recognition rates are statistically distinguishable subject to changes in test imagery. Nearest Neighbor classifiers using principal component and linear discriminant subspaces are compared using different choices of distance metric. Probability distributions for algorithm recognition rates and pairwise differences in recognition rates are determined using a permutation methodology. The principal component subspace with Mahalanobis distance is the best combination; using L2 is second best. Choice of distance measure for the linear discriminant subspace matters little, and performance is always worse than the principal components classifier using either Mahalanobis or L1 distance. We make the source code for the algorithms, scoring procedures and Monte Carlo study available in the hopes others will extend this comparison to newer algorithms.
Statins Improve Survival in Patients With Cardioembolic Stroke

Background and Purpose— The objective of this study was to investigate the potential benefits of statin therapy on mortality and stroke recurrence after cardioembolic stroke. Methods— In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed data from 535 patients with first-ever cardioembolic stroke. Patients were classified into nonstatin, low-potency statin, and high-potency statin groups. The primary outcomes were time to mortality and time to recurrent stroke. Results— The mean duration of follow-up was 22.2 months. The cumulative mortality rate was 7% at the end of the first year and 10% at the end of the third year. Statin therapy was independently associated with reduced mortality (hazard ratio, 0.237; 95% confidence interval, 0.080–0.703 for nonstatin versus low-potency statin; hazard ratio, 0.158; 95% confidence interval, 0.037–0.686 for nonstatin versus high-potency statin). Statin treatment did not affect the incidence of recurrent stroke in patients with cardioembolic stroke. Conclusions— Statin therapy could be associated with reduced mortality in patients with cardioembolic stroke.
Information processing in dynamical systems: foundations of harmony theory

Abstract : At this early stage in the development of cognitive science, methodological issues are both open and central. There may have been times when developments in neuroscience, artificial intelligence, or cognitive psychology seduced researchers into believing that their discipline was on the verge of discovering the secret of intelligence. But a humbling history of hopes disappointed has produced the realization that understanding the mind will challenge the power of all these methodologies combined. The work reported in this chapter rests on the conviction that a methodology that has a crucial role to play in the development of cognitive science is mathematical analysis. The success of cognitive science, like that of many other sciences, will, I believe, depend upon the construction of a solid body of theoretical results: results that express in a mathematical language the conceptual insights of the field; results that squeeze all possible implications out of those insights by exploiting powerful mathematical techniques. This body of results, which I will call the theory of information processing, exists because information is a concept that lends itself to mathematical formalization. One part of the theory of information processing is already well-developed. The classical theory of computation provides powerful and elegant results about the notion of effective procedure, including languages for precisely expressing them and theoretical machines for realizing them.
Clinical and experimental allergy

Background Patients allergic to cashew nuts often report allergy to pistachio, which could be a result of cross-reactivity between the two as both are members of the Anacardiaceae family. Objective Because cashew 7S globulin (vicilin, Ana o 1) is a recognized major allergen, we cloned the pistachio homologue and assayed it for IgE reactivity and cross-reactivity with Ana o 1. Methods Degenerate primers for 7S globulin were used in PCR to amplify DNA from a pistachio cDNA library. An isolate was sequenced, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Reactivity to the allergen was screened by dot blot using 19 pistachio and/or cashew-allergic patients' sera. Cross-reactivity was investigated by inhibition dot-and Western immunoblot assays using pistachio/cashew-allergic patients' sera, and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against recombinant Ana o 1 (rAna o 1). Results An isolate was found that coded for a 7S vicilin-like protein, designated Pis v 3. IgE reactivity to Pis v 3 was found in the serum of seven of the 19 (37%) patients with histories of allergy to both pistachio and cashew or who were allergic to cashew but had never eaten pistachio. The seven patients with IgE that recognized rPis v 3 also recognized rAna o 1. Six of nine anti-rAna o 1 MAbs also showed reactivity to rPis v 3 on dot blots. Conclusion Of the 37% of pistachio/cashew-allergic patients' sera that recognized the pistachio allergen, rPis v 3, all showed complete cross-reactivity with rAna o 1. The data does not identify the primary sensitizing agent but suggests that IgE reactivity to rPis v 3 and rAna o 1 is focused on the most conserved regions of the proteins. Clinical histories suggest that in some cases, cashew was the sensitizing agent. rPis v 3 is a likely contributor to the observed co-sensitivity to pistachio and cashew in some patients.
Realtime segmentation of range data using continuous nearest neighbors

In mobile robotics, the segmentation of range data is an important prerequisite to object recognition and environment understanding. This paper presents an algorithm for realtime segmentation of a continuous stream of incoming range data. The method is an extension of the previously developed RBNN algorithm and proceeds in two phases: Firstly, the normal vector of each incoming point is estimated from its neighborhood, which is continuously monitored. Secondly, new points are clustered according to their Euclidean and angular distance to previously clustered points. An outline of the algorithm complexity as well as the parameters that influence the segmentation performance is provided. Three benchmark scenarios in which the algorithm is deployed on a mobile robot with a laser range finder confirm that the method can robustly segment incoming data at high rates.
The pig as an experimental model for clinical craniofacial research

The pig represents a useful, large experimental model for biomedical research. Recently, it has been used in different areas of biomedical research. The aim of this study was to review the basic anatomical structures of the head region in the pig in relation to their use in current research. Attention was focused on the areas that are frequently affected by pathological processes in humans: the oral cavity with teeth, salivary gland, orbit, nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, maxilla, mandible and temporomandibular joint. Not all of the structures have an equal morphology in the pig and human, and these morphological dissimilarities must be taken into account before choosing the pig as an experimental model for regenerative medicine.
Estimation of Effective Fronto-Parietal connectivity during Motor Imagery using partial granger causality analysis

Connectivity analysis has become an essential tool for the evaluation of functional brain dynamics. The functional connectivity between different parts of the brain, or between different sensors, is assumed to provide key information for the discrimination of brain responses. In this study, we propose an estimation of effective cortical connectivity measures in frontal and parietal areas of human brain during four different Motor Imagery (MI) tasks. Feedback based brain-computer interface (BCI) technology has been successfully implemented for recovery of stroke patients as it can enhance the neural plasticity in brain areas associated with motor execution. However, it is still challenging to obtain reliable information regarding improvement in neural functioning during rehabilitation and its neuro-physiological dynamics. Brain connectivity is a reliable biomarker associated with brain functionality. Here, we evaluate to what extent partial granger causality can provide information in form of effective neural connectivity that can differentiate motor imagery tasks. Our results on nine subjects using the EEG dataset (BCI competition 2008 dataset 2A) show distinct connectivity patterns for all four MI classes, and higher information flow in the fronto-parietal network during task phase as compared to non-task phase. The results support the conclusion that effective connectivity analysis through partial granger causality can provide key information about neural interactions specific to different MI tasks. Moreover these interactions can be utilized as reliable biomarkers for assessment of motor recovery during stroke rehabilitation.
Frictional Wage Dispersion in Search Models: A Quantitative Assessment

This Technical Appendix to Hornstein, Krusell, and Violante (2009) (HKV, hereafter) contains a set of derivations that complement some of the results stated without proofs in our main paper. In Section 1, we show that the matching model of Pissarides (1985) in its version with heterogeneous productivities yields the same expression for the Mm ratio as in the sequential search model (Section I.B in HKV). In Section 2, we derive the Mm ratio in the sequential search model with endogenous e¤ort (Section II.A in HKV). Section 3 derives a detailed characterization of the search model with wage shocks during employment but no on-the-job search (Section III in HKV). In Section 3.2, we derive the Mm ratio in a model with returns to labor market experience (Section III in HKV). In Section 4, we show that even if agents are risk-averse the implications for the Mm ratio are limited if agents can self-insure through a risk-free asset (Section IV in HKV). For the model with directed search, in Section 5 we derive an upper bound for the Mm ratio that is close to the Mm ratio in the standard search model (Section V in HKV). In Section 6.1, we present the model with on-the-job search, derive the Mm ratio, and closed-form solutions for the equilibrium separation rate (Section VI.A in HKV). In Section 6.2, we show how to compute bounds for the Mm ratio in the model with endogenous search e¤ort on the job (Section VI.B in HKV). Section 6.3 describes how to derive the Mm ratio in a simple version of search models with countero¤ers and wage tenure contracts (Section VI.C in HKV). Unless noted otherwise all our environments are populated by ex-ante equal, risk-neutral, in nitely lived individuals who discount the future at rate r. Unemployed agents receive a
Spin One's Wheels? Byzantine Fault Tolerance with a Spinning Primary

Most Byzantine fault-tolerant state machine replication(BFT) algorithms have a primary replica that is in charge of ordering the clients requests. Recently it was shown that this dependence allows a faulty primary to degrade the performance of the system to a small fraction of what the environment allows. In this paper we present Spinning, a novel BFT algorithm that mitigates such performance attacks by changing the primary after every batch of pending requests is accepted for execution. This novel mode of operation deals with those attacks at a much lower cost than previous solutions, maintaining a throughput equal or better to the algorithm that is usually consider to be the baseline in the area, Castro and Liskov’s PBFT.
α1‐Adrenoceptors in the conduction system of rat hearts

1 We have characterized α1‐adrenoceptor in the conduction systems of the rat heart by quantitative autoradiography. 2 Consecutive 20 μm thick sections from a single rat heart containing the sinoatrial (SA) node and atrioventricular (AV) node were incubated with increasing concentrations of [3H]‐prazosin with or without 10 μm phentolamine. After exposure to 3H‐Ultrofilm, optical densities corresponding to the SA node and AV node were determined by computerized densitometry after comparison with 3H standards. 3 The SA node and AV node were stained heavily for cholinesterase and they contained a higher concentration of α1‐adrenoceptors than the adjacent myocardium without a significant change in the affinity. 4 These results support the hypothesis that α1‐adrenoceptors may play an important role not only in inotropism but also in chronotropism of rat hearts.
Digital Radiography with Computerized Conventional Monitors Compared to Medical Monitors in Vertical Root Fracture Diagnosis

Introduction Vertical root fracture (VRF) is a complication which is chiefly diagnosed radiographically. Recently, film-based radiography has been substituted with digital radiography. At the moment, there is a wide range of monitors available in the market for viewing digital images. The present study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of medical and conventional monitors in detection of vertical root fractures. Material and Methods In this in vitro study 228 extracted single-rooted human teeth were endodontically treated. Vertical root fractures were induced in 114 samples. The teeth were imaged by a digital charge-coupled device radiography using parallel technique. The images were evaluated by a radiologist and an endodontist on two medical and conventional liquid-crystal display (LCD) monitors twice. Z-test was used to analyze the sensitivity, accuracy and specificity of each monitor. Significance level was set at 0.05. Inter and intra observer agreements were calculated by Cohen’s kappa. Results Accuracy, specificity and sensitivity for conventional monitor were calculated as 67.5%, 72%, 62.5% respectively; and data for medical grade monitor were 67.5%, 66.5% and 68% respectively. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences in detecting VRF between the two techniques. Inter-observer agreement for conventional and medical monitor was 0.47 and 0.55 respectively (moderate). Intra-observer agreement was 0.78 for medical monitor and 0.87 for conventional one (substantial). Conclusion The type of monitor does not influence diagnosis of vertical root fractures.
Context enabled multi-CBR based recommendation engine for e-commerce

Electronic commerce is steadily becoming more important in changing the way people buy/sell products and services. Case-based reasoning (CBR) has been used in various e-commerce applications for product recommendations. The appropriateness of the use of CBR in e-commerce applications is enhanced by introducing context-sensitive information related to e-commerce as cases in CBR. Usage of context leads to providing the right level of information to users in assisting them to take right decisions quickly. In this paper, we have proposed a context enabled multi-CBR approach comprising of two CBRs (user context CBR and product context CBR) to aid the recommendation engine (RE) in retrieving appropriate information for e-commerce applications. The RE further derives personalized negotiation and presentation strategies based on contextual information and ontology
Two Routes to Face Perception: Evidence From Psychophysics and Computational Modeling

The aim of this study was to separately analyze the role of featural and configural face representations. Stimuli containing only featural information were created by cutting the faces into their parts and scrambling them. Stimuli only containing configural information were created by blurring the faces. Employing an old-new recognition task, the aim of Experiments 1 and 2 was to investigate whether unfamiliar faces (Exp. 1) or familiar faces (Exp. 2) can be recognized if only featural or configural information is provided. Both scrambled and blurred faces could be recognized above chance level. A further aim of Experiments 1 and 2 was to investigate whether our method of creating configural and featural stimuli is valid. Pre-activation of one form of representation did not facilitate recognition of the other, neither for unfamiliar faces (Exp. 1) nor for familiar faces (Exp. 2). This indicates a high internal validity of our method for creating configural and featural face stimuli. Experiment 3 examined whether features placed in their correct categorical relational position but with distorted metrical distances facilitated recognition of unfamiliar faces. These faces were recognized no better than the scrambled faces in Experiment 1, providing further evidence that facial features are stored independently of configural information. From these results we conclude that both featural and configural information are important to recognize a face and argue for a dual-mode hypothesis of face processing. Using the psychophysical results as motivation, we propose a computational framework that implements featural and configural processing routes using an appearance-based representation based on local features and their spatial relations. In three computational experiments (Experiments 4-6) using the same sets of stimuli, we show how this framework is able to model the psychophysical data.
Antiosteoporotic Activity of Genistein Aglycone in Postmenopausal Women: Evidence from a Post-Hoc Analysis of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Genistein has a preventive role against bone mass loss during menopause. However, experimental data in animal models of osteoporosis suggest an anti-osteoporotic potential for this isoflavone. We performed a post-hoc analysis of a previously published trial investigating the effects of genistein in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density. The parent study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving postmenopausal women with a femoral neck (FN) density <0.795 g/cm2. A cohort of the enrolled women was, in fact, identified at the baseline as osteoporotic (n = 121) on the basis of their T-score and analyzed thereafter for the 24 months’ treatment with either 1000 mg of calcium and 800 IU vitamin D3 (placebo; n = 59); or calcium, vitamin D3, and Genistein aglycone (54 mg/day; genistein; n = 62). According to the femoral neck T-scores, 31.3% of the genistein and 30.9% of the placebo recipients were osteoporotic at baseline. In the placebo and genistein groups, the 10-year hip fracture probability risk assessed by Fracture Risk Assessment tool (FRAX) was 4.1 ± 1.9 (SD) and 4.2 ± 2.1 (SD), respectively. Mean bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck increased from 0.62 g/cm2 at baseline to 0.68 g/cm2 at 1 year and 0.70 g/cm2 at 2 years in genistein recipients, and decreased from 0.61 g/cm2 at baseline to 0.60 g/cm2 at 1 year and 0.57 g/cm2 at 2 years in placebo recipients. At the end of the study only 18 postmenopausal women had osteoporosis in the genistein group with a prevalence of 12%, whereas in the placebo group the number of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis was unchanged, after 24 months. This post-hoc analysis is a proof-of concept study suggesting that genistein may be useful not only in postmenopausal osteopenia but also in osteoporosis. However, this proof-of concept study needs to be confirmed by a large, well designed, and appropriately focused randomized clinical trial in a population at high risk of fractures.
Patients' perceptions of orthognathic treatment, well-being, and psychological or psychiatric status: a systematic review

Abstract Objective. To conduct a systematic review of studies concerning the psychosocial well-being of surgical–orthodontic patients. Material and methods. Articles published between 2001 and 2009 were searched using PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo. Only articles written in English were included. Articles on methodological issues or on patients with clefts or syndromes or studies in which treatment had included surgically assisted maxillary expansion or intermaxillary fixation were excluded. The exclusion of articles was carried out in collaboration with two reviewers. To find new relevant articles, references from all the obtained review articles were hand-searched. Thirty-five articles fulfilled the selection criteria and were included in this review. Results. The main motives for seeking treatment were improvements in self-confidence, appearance, and oral function. Patients were not found to suffer from psychiatric problems. Treatment resulted in self-reported improvements in well-being, even though these improvements were not found with current assessment methods. Changes in well-being were most often registered using measures designed for evaluation of the impact of oral health on quality of life (e.g. the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Oral Health Impact Profile). Conclusions. Surgical–orthodontic patients do not experience psychiatric problems related to their dentofacial disharmony in general. However, subgroups of patients may still experience problems, such as anxiety or depression, as many studies only report patients' mean problem scores and compare them to controls' scores or population norms. New assessment methods focusing on day-to-day changes in mood and well-being, as well as prospective studies with controls, are needed.