Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An approximate truthfulness motivated spectrum auction for dynamic spectrum access

Secondary Spectrum Auction (SSA) has been proposed as an effective approach to design spectrum sharing mechanism for dynamic spectrum access. However, due to the location-constrained spectrum interference among users, it is a great challenge to provide truthful auction with maximized spectrum utilization. Most previous SSA designs either fail in addressing truthfulness or cause loss on spectrum utilization. In this paper, we focus on providing truthful SSA with maximized spectrum utilization. In order to minimize the computational overhead involved in addressing location-constrained interference, we leverage the truthfulness by introducing approximate truthfulness. Moreover, we define a general spectrum auction model using linear programming. Based on this model, we further propose ETEX, a sealed-bid auction mechanism with approximate truthfulness. Theoretical analysis confirms that ETEX is able to achieve truthfulness in expectation with polynomial complexity. Extensive experimental results show that ETEX outperforms most popular truthful spectrum auctions in terms of social welfare, spectrum utilization and user satisfaction.
Risk, reconviction and their relationship to key developmental variables in a complete urban sample of child molesters and rapists

A good deal of attention has been paid to the question of recidivism in sex offenders, with a particular emphasis on identifying those variables which might best predict future risk. Despite growing interest in developmental variables, such as attachment and trauma, their relationship to risk in sex offenders has not yet been established. The aim of this thesis was to establish the extent to which developmental variables may contribute to a risk assessment model in sex offenders- based on fixed variables with particular reference to treatability and failure in the community. A complete urban sample of 310 convicted sex offenders (child molesters and rapists) were studied, and followed up after an average period at risk in the community of four years. It was found that key developmental variables - childhood victimisation (sexual, physical and emotional), emotional/behavioural difficulties, and insecure attachments to primary caregivers - were significantly associated with a higher risk of recidivism and treatment non-compliance. An enhanced prediction model is proposed, which postulates that the presence of a combination of two or three of these key developmental variables - considered in conjunction with a static risk prediction level - is the key to determining risk of community failure.
Reducing errors made by emergency physicians in interpreting radiographs: longitudinal study

Abstract Objectives: To reduce errors made in the interpretation of radiographs in an emergency department. Design: Longitudinal study. Setting: Hospital emergency department. Interventions: All staff reviewed all clinically significant discrepancies at monthly meetings. A file of clinically significant errors was created; the file was used for teaching. Later a team redesigned the process. A system was developed for interpreting radiographs that would be followed regardless of the day of the week or time of day. All standard radiographs were brought directly to the emergency physician for immediate interpretation. Radiologists reviewed the films within 12 hours as a quality control measure, and if a significant misinterpretation was found patients were asked to return. Main outcome measures: Reduction in number of clinically significant errors (such as missed fractures or foreign bodies) on radiographs read in the emergency department. Data on the error rate for radiologists and the effect of the recall procedure were not available so reliability modelling was used to assess the effect of these on overall safety. Results: After the initial improvements the rate of false negative errors fell from 3% (95% confidence interval 2.8% to 3.2%) to 1.2% (1.03% to 1.37%). After the processes were redesigned it fell further to 0.3% (0.26% to 0.34%). Reliability modelling showed that the number of potential adverse effects per 1000 cases fell from 19 before the improvements to 3 afterwards and unmitigated adverse effects fell from 2.2/1000 before to 0.16/1000 afterwards, assuming 95% success in calling patients back. Conclusion: Systems of radiograph interpretation that optimise the skills of all clinicians involved and contain reliable processes for mitigating errors can reduce error rates substantially.
Reliability Analysis of Permanent Degradations on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

In this paper, we review and add additional data and understandings on our findings on the two most common failure modes of GaN-based HEMTs: 1) permanent gate leakage current increase and 2) output current drop. We suggested that they have different origins and one is not necessarily correlated to the other. Yet, they can both concur to the device degradation. First, we demonstrate that the phenomenon of gate leakage current increase has a voltage-accelerated degradation kinetic. Therefore, the identification of the critical voltage for leakage increase is meaningless. We demonstrate that the time-to-breakdown tBD data are Weibull distributed and we prove that they represent intrinsic failures. According to our data, this phenomenon is not related to the inverse piezoelectric effect. Finally, a new degradation model for the gate leakage current increase based on the percolation path theory is proposed. Second, we show that the permanent output current drop is a consequence of the relaxation of AlGaN layer. This occurs by means of formation of crystallographic defects as described by the inverse piezoelectric degradation model. Finally, we show an excellent stability of devices with reduced Al content in the AlGaN barrier, proving the crucial role of strain in the reliability of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.
Purification and characterization of the conidial laccase of Aspergillus nidulans

Conidial laccase of Aspergillus nidulans was purified by standard protein purification methods. Although the purified material showed a cluster of several protein bands on a nondenaturing gel, each of these protein bands had laccase activity. All bands of activity, however, were absent in a strain carrying a mutation in the structural gene for laccase. Concentrated solutions (greater than 1 mg/ml) were bright blue, suggesting that, like other laccases, this enzyme contains copper. The enzyme contained asparagine-linked carbohydrate (12% by weight) which could be removed by digestion with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H. The molecular weight of native enzyme as determined by gel filtration was 110,000, but the largest component in a sodium dodecyl sulfate gel was 80,000. Several smaller components (55,000 and 36,000 molecular weight) were also visible. We present evidence which suggests that the smaller components are in vivo cleavage products tightly associated with enzymatically active molecules. Comparison of the laccase from a white-spore (wA) and a green-spore (wA+) strain showed, surprisingly, that the enzymes differed in electrophoretic pattern, in vitro heat stability, and in vivo metabolic stability. The difference was manifested for enzymes isolated from cultures after conidial pigmentation of the wA+ strain had occurred. If examined earlier, before pigmentation, the enzymes were indistinguishable. Since wA strains lack the precursor of the wild-type green pigment, i.e., the laccase substrate, we suggest that the transformation of the enzyme of the wA strain is due to its failure to interact with its normal substrate.
Sub-cytotoxic Concentration of AflatoxinB2 Prevents NO-Mediated Increased Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Intracellular Killing of Candida albicans in MacrophagesRunning Title: Changes of Nitric Oxide and Mitochondrial Membrane Potential by Aflatoxin

Aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) is a carcinogenic and immunotoxic metabolite produced by Aspergillus flavus growing on crops and food. The immune functions of rat macrophages when exposed to sub-cytotoxic concentrations of AFB2 which may make exposed people susceptible to Candida albicans infections, have been assessed. This level of AFB2 sig- nificantly prevents immune functions of macrophages by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production, mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular killing of C.albicans by macrophages even in the presence of activating signal, interferon-γ. AFB2-induced prevention of increased membrane potential and intracellular killing of C.albicans by macrophages may be due to the prevention of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthetase) activity which results in the suppression of NO production. This study provides an important clue to the possibility that macrophages may give refuge to C.albicans for survival and dissemination and thus C.albicans is capable of inducing self-protective effect by the action of AFB2. The presence of AFB2 would thus help the macrophages to allow the C.albicans to replicate and persist, while being invisible to the im- mune system. This plausibility will give impetus to medicinal development.
Surface photovoltage study of GalnNAs layers for photovoltaic applications

The optical and carrier transport properties of GaInNAs layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on n-GaAs substrates are studied by surface photovoltage (SPV) spectroscopy combined with photoluminescence (PL) measurements data. The SPV spectra clearly show a red shift of the band gap energy with respect to the band gap of GaAs, which is in line with the PL results. The combined analysis of the SPV amplitude and phase spectra has allowed determining the residual doping type in the layer. The minority carrier diffusion length was assessed by means of the method called “constant SPV”.
Subclinical Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Experimentally Infected Apodemus agrarius

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the dose dependence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection in one of the reservoirs, i.e. Apodemus agrarius, a small rodent species. Methods: The animals were challenged with TBEV per os and intramuscularly with infectious doses ranging from 1 to 1,500 plaque-forming units (pfu). Clinical signs were recorded and clinical and pathological features were evaluated by histological, immunohistochemical, and serological methods. Results: High perorally administered infectious doses resulted in virus replication in the brain, which is the first sign of subclinical viral encephalitis in the Apodemus genus. The animals seroconverted at infectious doses greater than 100 pfu, and all animals remained asymptomatic. Conclusion: Our work shows the first evidence that subclinical TBEV encephalitis may occur in Apodemus species, depending on the virus load of the inoculum. The antiviral response of the local innate immune system may influence the resistance of Apodemus individuals to lower infectious doses. Per oral/nasal infection seems to be more dangerous for the host than other routes of infection.
People mistake the internet’s knowledge for their own

Significance In the current digital age, people are constantly connected to online information. The present research provides evidence that on-demand access to external information, enabled by the internet and search engines like Google, blurs the boundaries between internal and external knowledge, causing people to believe they could—or did—remember what they actually just found. Using Google to answer general knowledge questions artificially inflates peoples’ confidence in their own ability to remember and process information and leads to erroneously optimistic predictions regarding how much they will know without the internet. When information is at our fingertips, we may mistakenly believe that it originated from inside our heads. People frequently search the internet for information. Eight experiments (n = 1,917) provide evidence that when people “Google” for online information, they fail to accurately distinguish between knowledge stored internally—in their own memories—and knowledge stored externally—on the internet. Relative to those using only their own knowledge, people who use Google to answer general knowledge questions are not only more confident in their ability to access external information; they are also more confident in their own ability to think and remember. Moreover, those who use Google predict that they will know more in the future without the help of the internet, an erroneous belief that both indicates misattribution of prior knowledge and highlights a practically important consequence of this misattribution: overconfidence when the internet is no longer available. Although humans have long relied on external knowledge, the misattribution of online knowledge to the self may be facilitated by the swift and seamless interface between internal thought and external information that characterizes online search. Online search is often faster than internal memory search, preventing people from fully recognizing the limitations of their own knowledge. The internet delivers information seamlessly, dovetailing with internal cognitive processes and offering minimal physical cues that might draw attention to its contributions. As a result, people may lose sight of where their own knowledge ends and where the internet’s knowledge begins. Thinking with Google may cause people to mistake the internet’s knowledge for their own.
Effects of anabolic steroids on the muscle cells of strength-trained athletes.

PURPOSE Athletes who use anabolic steroids get larger and stronger muscles. How this is reflected at the level of the muscle fibers has not yet been established and was the topic of this investigation. METHODS Muscle biopsies were obtained from the trapezius muscles of high-level power lifters who have reported the use of anabolic steroids in high doses for several years and from high-level power lifters who have never used these drugs. Enzyme-immunohistochemical investigation was performed to assess muscle fiber types, fiber area, myonuclear number, frequency of satellite cells, and fibers expressing developmental protein isoforms. RESULTS The overall muscle fiber composition was the same in both groups. The mean area for each fiber type in the reported steroid users was larger than that in the nonsteroid users (P < 0.05). The number of myonuclei and the proportion of central nuclei were also significantly higher in the reported steroid users (P < 0.05). Likewise, the frequency of fibers expressing developmental protein isoforms was significantly higher in the reported steroid users group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Intake of anabolic steroids and strength-training induce an increase in muscle size by both hypertrophy and the formation of new muscle fibers. We propose that activation of satellite cells is a key process and is enhanced by the steroid use. The incorporation of the satellite cells into preexisting fibers to maintain a constant nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio seems to be a fundamental mechanism for muscle fiber growth. Although all the subjects in this study have the same level of performance, the possibility of genetic differences between the two groups cannot be completely excluded.
Morbidity and mortality in liver diseases in Sweden 1969–2001 in relation to alcohol consumption

Objective. In Sweden, there is stable or slightly increased total alcohol consumption but a decrease in mortality in liver disease. The aim of the study was to determine the temporal relation between alcohol-related liver disease morbidity and mortality and type of alcohol beverage consumption. Material and methods. Data on patients with liver disease from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register and from the Causes of Death Register between 1969 and 2001were analysed. Data on the registered sales of the different beverages were taken from the Swedish State Monopoly. Results. Liver disease mortality increased from 1969 to 1976, coinciding with the increase in sales of spirits. Both mortality and spirits sales decreased thereafter, whereas there was no decrease in beer or wine sales. Hospitalization rates were reduced after 1987. Depending on age and gender, there was a 30–80% 5-year mortality rate following discharge. Among men, but not among women, differences in the alcohol and non-alcohol-related liver diagnoses in the Hospital Discharge Register and in the Cause of Death Register were sometimes recorded in the same patient. Conclusions. There was a reduction in hospitalization rates and mortality in liver diseases, and the reduction in mortality in liver diseases in Sweden from 1969 to 2001 seems to be associated with sales of spirits. Patients hospitalized for liver disease have a poor prognosis. There were difficulties in differentiating between alcohol and non-alcohol liver diseases.
Randomised controlled pilot trial of an exercise plus behaviour change intervention in people with multiple sclerosis: the Step it Up study

Objective To investigate feasibility of multiple sclerosis (MS) exercise guidelines for inactive people with MS (PwMS) and to examine preliminary efficacy for walking. To investigate effect of augmenting that intervention with education based on social cognitive theory (SCT). Design Pilot multicentre, double-blind, randomised, parallel, controlled trial. Setting Community-delivered programme. Participants Sixty-five physically inactive PwMS walked independently, scored 0–3 on the Patient Determined Disease Steps Scale, had no MS relapse or change in MS medication in 12 weeks. Interventions 10-week exercise plus SCT education (SCT) compared with exercise plus attention control education (CON). Outcome measures Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 (MSWS-12). Results 174 expressed interest, 92 were eligible and 65 enrolled (SCT, n=32; CON, n=33). The intervention was feasible and delivered as intended. 68% of SCT group and 50% of control group met the exercise guidelines after intervention. Using linear mixed effects models, intention-to-treat basis, there was insufficient evidence for difference between the groups over the trial (6MWT, p=0.30; TUG, p=0.4; MSWS-12, p=0.8). Using secondary analysis of a cohort with data for≥3 assessments (SCT, n=21; CON, n=20), there was significant treatment effect favouring the intervention group (p=0.04) with mean effect for 6MWT 39.0 m (95% CI 2.26 to 75.73) at 12 weeks and 40.0 m (95% CI 2.3 to 77.8) at 36 weeks. Both groups improved significantly in 6MWT following 10-week intervention (SCT, mean ∆=83.02, SD=60.1, p≤0.01; CON, mean ∆=56.92, SD=73.5, p≤0.01), TUG (SCT, ∆=−0.70, SD=1.25, p≤0.01; CON, ∆=−0.54, SD=0.95, p≤0.01) and MSWS-12 (SCT, ∆=−8.03, SD=16.18, p=0.02; CON, ∆=−0.86, SD=18.74, p=0.81). Conclusions A 10-week exercise programme based on the MS exercise guidelines for improving walking in previously inactive PwMS was feasible. There is marginal evidence of a treatment effect in favour of the exercise plus SCT intervention at 12 and 36 weeks. Trial registration number NCT02301442; Results.
Solar diesel hybrid mini-grid design considerations: Bangladesh perspective

With the declining price of solar PV panels and increasing price of diesel make the solar PV system popular for rural electrification. The demand of electric energy in rural areas is minimum and also the loads are sparsely distributed. So, it is not economically viable to extend the national grid line to the remote off grid areas. Also there are islands where the grid extension is not economically feasible. Electricity access in rural Bangladesh is less than 50%. IT is the common tendency of the rural people to live in clustered areas. So, it is very common to see the clustered households in rural Bangladesh. These paved the options for electrification of off grid areas with small isolated solar minigrids. One of the challenges of developing minigrids is the storage system management. Incorporation of a small diesel generator not only reduces the requirement of storage system but also can provide energy in low insolation days. This paper highlights the design consideration for developing solar diesel hybrid minigrids in rural areas of Bangladesh.
Three-dimensional linear modeling of tongue: Articulatory data and models

Volume images of tongue were acquired by MRI from one subject uttering a corpus representative of French allophone articulations. Supplementary images of hard palate, jaw, and hyoid bone were acquired by CT. The three-dimensional tongue surface outline was represented, for each of the 46 articulations of the corpus, by a mesh obtained by fitting a generic mesh to the set of tongue contours traced from the MR images. Jaw and hyoid bone positions were also determined. The set of the 3D coordinates of all vertices of the tongue mesh constituted the variables on which linear component analysis was applied. Six linearly independent components were found to explain 87 % of the variance of the tongue data. The associated parameters that control the linear articulator tongue model are related to jaw and hyoid positions, and to the actions of tongue muscles such as the genioglossus, the hyoglossus or the styloglossus. In addition, it was shown that the full 3D tongue surface is predictable from its 2D midsagittal contour with a mere 13.6 % increase in the overall full 3D reconstruction RMS error, which confirms quantitatively previous results. Finally, the tongue volume was found to depart by at most ±5% from its mean over the corpus, which supports the hypothesis of tongue tissue incompressibility for speech.
An Efficient Watermarking Method Based on Significant Difference of Wavelet Coefficient Quantization

This paper proposes a blind watermarking algorithm based on the significant difference of wavelet coefficient quantization for copyright protection. Every seven nonoverlap wavelet coefficients of the host image are grouped into a block. The largest two coefficients in a block are called significant coefficients in this paper and their difference is called significant difference. We quantized the local maximum wavelet coefficient in a block by comparing the significant difference value in a block with the average significant difference value in all blocks. The maximum wavelet coefficients are so quantized that their significant difference between watermark bit 0 and watermark bit 1 exhibits a large energy difference which can be used for watermark extraction. During the extraction, an adaptive threshold value is designed to extract the watermark from the watermarked image under different attacks. We compare the adaptive threshold value to the significant difference which was quantized in a block to determine the watermark bit. The experimental results show that the proposed method is quite effective against JPEG compression, low-pass filtering, and Gaussian noise; the PSNR value of a watermarked image is greater than 40 dB.