Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Secret key rate region of multiple access channel model

A channel model for secret key generation between three terminals is considered. In this model, there is a two-user generalized multiple access channel (MAC) in which, in addition to the receiver, both transmitters receive noisy channel outputs. There is also a one-way public channel from the transmitters to the receiver. In this model, each of the transmitters intends to share a secret key with the receiver using the MAC and the public channel where the transmitters are eavesdroppers with respect to each other. In this setup, the channel outputs at the transmitters are only used for eavesdropping and not as inputs to the encoders. For the secret key rate pair, we derive the inner bound of the secret key capacity region. Thorough an example, it is shown that unlike the broadcast channel model, using a oneway public channel from the transmitters to the receiver is beneficial.1
Autologous Transplantation of Amniotic Fluid-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Sheep Fetuses

Long-term engraftment and phenotype correction has been difficult to achieve in humans after in utero stem cell transplantation mainly because of allogeneic rejection. Autologous cells could be obtained during gestation from the amniotic fluid with minimal risk for the fetus and the mother. Using a sheep model, we explored the possibility of using amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSCs) for autologous in utero stem cell/gene therapy. We collected amniotic fluid (AF) under ultrasound-guided amniocentesis in early gestation pregnant sheep (n = 9, 58 days of gestation, term = 145 days). AFMSCs were isolated and expanded in all sampled fetal sheep. Those cells were transduced using an HIV vector encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) with 63.2% (range 38.3–96.2%) transduction efficiency rate. After expansion, transduced AFMSCs were injected into the peritoneal cavity of each donor fetal sheep at 76 days under ultrasound guidance. One ewe miscarried twin fetuses after amniocentesis. Intraperitoneal injection was successful in the remaining 7 fetal sheep giving a 78% survival for the full procedure. Tissues were sampled at postmortem examination 2 weeks later. PCR analysis detected GFP-positive cells in fetal tissues including liver, heart, placenta, membrane, umbilical cord, adrenal gland, and muscle. GFP protein was detected in these tissues by Western blotting and further confirmed by cytofluorimetric and immunofluorescence analyses. This is the first demonstration of autologous stem cell transplantation in the fetus using AFMSCs. Autologous cells derived from AF showed widespread organ migration and could offer an alternative way to ameliorate prenatal congenital disease.
Effect of different pretreatment methods on dentin bond strength of a one-step self-etch adhesive.

AIM The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of a one-step self-etch adhesive to dentin pretreated with phosphoric acid, air abrasion, or laser. METHODS AND MATERIALS Fifty-six extracted non-carious human mandibular molars were mounted and the occlusal surfaces ground with a mechanical grinder to obtain flat occlusal dentin surfaces. The teeth were randomly divided into four groups of 14 teeth according to the different dentin surface pretreatment methods: Group I--acid, Group II--laser, Group III--air abrasion, Group IV (control)--no surface treatment. After applying a one-step self-etch adhesive system, Futura Bond NR, cylinders of Z250 composite resin were bonded to the dentin surfaces by transparent gelatin capsules (2.5 mm diameter; 3 mm high) and then polymerized. All specimens were stored in distilled water at 37 masculineC for 24 hours. Shear bond testing was carried out using an Universal testing machine with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/sec. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS The bond strength of air abrasion (Group III) and the control group (Group IV) were statistically higher than both the acid (Group I) and laser (Group II) pretreatments (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in shear bond strength between surfaces treated with air abrasion and the control group (p > 0.05). Surfaces pretreated with laser (Group II) resulted in the lowest bond strength which was not statistically different from those pretreated with acid (Group I) (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Surfaces pretreated with acid and laser adversely affected the bond strength of a one-step self-etch adhesive, Futura Bond NR, while pretreatment with air abrasion had no effect on bond strength. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The pretreatment of dentin surfaces prior to self-etch adhesive seems to be unnecessary and defeats the original purpose of these systems.
Adult living‐related liver donation for acute liver failure: is it ethically appropriate?

Carlisle EM, Angelos P, Siegler M, Testa G. Adult living‐related liver donation for acute liver failure: is it ethically appropriate? Clin Transplant 2011: 25: 813–820. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
A mobile diabetes management and educational system for type-2 diabetics in Saudi Arabia (SAED).

BACKGROUND Diabetes is a chronic disease, with high prevalence across many nations, which is characterized by elevated level of blood glucose and risk of acute and chronic complication. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has one of the highest levels of diabetes prevalence globally. It is well-known that the treatment of diabetes is complex process and requires both lifestyle change and clear pharmacologic treatment plan. To avoid the complication from diabetes, the effective behavioural change and extensive education and self-management is one of the key approaches to alleviate such complications. However, this process is lengthy and expensive. The recent studies on the user of smart phone technologies for diabetes self-management have proven to be an effective tool in controlling hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels especially in type-2 diabetic (T2D) patients. However, to date no reported study addressed the effectiveness of this approach in the in Saudi patients. This study investigates the impact of using mobile health technologies for the self-management of diabetes in Saudi Arabia. METHODS In this study, an intelligent mobile diabetes management system (SAED), tailored for T2D patients in KSA was developed. A pilot study of the SAED system was conducted in Saudi Arabia with 20 diabetic patients for 6 months duration. The patients were randomly categorized into a control group who did not use the SAED system and an intervention group whom used the SAED system for their diabetes management during this period. At the end of the follow-up period, the HbA1c levels in the patients in both groups were measure together with a diabetes knowledge test was also conducted to test the diabetes awareness of the patients. RESULTS The results of SAED pilot study showed that the patients in the intervention group were able to significantly decrease their HbA1c levels compared to the control group. The SAED system also enhanced the diabetes awareness amongst the patients in the intervention group during the trial period. These outcomes confirm the global studies on the effectiveness of smart phone technologies in diabetes management. The significance of the study is that this was one of the first such studies conducted on Saudi patients and of their acceptance for such technology in their diabetes self-management treatment plans. CONCLUSIONS The pilot study of the SAED system showed that a mobile health technology can significantly improve the HbA1C levels among Saudi diabetic and improve their disease management plans. The SAED system can also be an effective and low-cost solution in improving the quality of life of diabetic patients in the Kingdom considering the high level of prevalence and the increasing economic burden of this disease.
Australian Exceptionalism in the Typology of Affinal Avoidance Registers

This article systematizes speech registers employed in in-law avoidance into a cross-linguistic typology. Such affinal avoidance registers, consisting of lexical repertoires substituting for “everyday” speech forms tabooed for certain speakers or in certain contexts, are shown to typically diverge from one another in terms of two parameters, their context-sensitivity and the relatively idiolectal or sociolectal character of their register repertoires. Comparative data illustrate that Aboriginal Australian “mother-in-law” speech registers, which are context-sensitive and exclusively sociolectal, are highly exceptional among affinal avoidance registers cross-linguistically. In the final section of the article I seek to understand this exceptionalism in terms of the broader context of Aboriginal Australian ethnolinguistics.
Task-Driven Tactile Exploration

This paper presents a decision-theoretic approach to problems that require accurate placement of a robot relative to an object in the world, including grasping and insertion. The decision process is applied to a robot hand with tactile sensors, to localize the object and ultimately achieve a target placement by selecting among grasping and information-gathering trajectories. The process is demonstrated in simulation and on a real robot.
Firm Actions Toward Data Breach Incidents and Firm Equity Value: An Empirical Study

Managing information resources including protecting the privacy of customer data plays a critical role in most firms. Data breach incidents may be extremely costly for firms. In the face of a data breach event, some firms are reluctant to disclose information to the public. Firm may be concerned with the potential drop in the market value following the revelation of a data breach. This paper examines the impact of data breach incidents to the firm’s market value/equity value, and explores the possibility that certain firm behaviors may reduce the cost of the incidents. We use regression analysis to identify the factors that affect cumulative abnormal stock return (CAR). Our results indicate that when data breach happens, firms not only should notify customers or the public timely, but also try to control the amount of information disclosed. These findings should provide corporate executives with guidance on managing public disclosure of data breach incidents.
Assessing Chemical Constituents of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Stem Bark: Possible Bioactive Components Accountable for the Cytotoxic Effect of M. caesalpiniifolia on Human Tumour Cell Lines

Mimosa caesalpiniifolia is a native plant of the Brazilian northeast, and few studies have investigated its chemical composition and biological significance. This work describes the identification of the first chemical constituents in the ethanolic extract and fractions of M. caesalpiniifolia stem bark based on NMR, GC-qMS and HRMS analyses, as well as an assessment of their cytotoxic activity. GC-qMS analysis showed fatty acid derivatives, triterpenes and steroid substances and confirmed the identity of the chemical compounds isolated from the hexane fraction. Metabolite biodiversity in M. caesalpiniifolia stem bark revealed the differentiated accumulation of pentacyclic triterpenic acids, with a high content of betulinic acid and minor amounts of 3-oxo and 3β-acetoxy derivatives. Bioactive analysis based on total phenolic and flavonoid content showed a high amount of these compounds in the ethanolic extract, and ESI-(−)-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS identified caffeoyl hexose at high intensity, as well as the presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Furthermore, the evaluation of the ethanolic extract and fractions, including betulinic acid, against colon (HCT-116), ovarian (OVCAR-8) and glioblastoma (SF-295) tumour cell lines showed that the crude extract, hexane and dichloromethane fractions possessed moderate to high inhibitory activity, which may be related to the abundance of betulinic acid. The phytochemical and biological study of M. caesalpiniifolia stem bark thus revealed a new alternative source of antitumour compounds, possibly made effective by the presence of betulinic acid and by chemical co-synergism with other compounds.
‘She can see how much I actually do!’ Talking Mats®: helping people with dementia and family carers to discuss managing daily living

People with dementia who feel included in decisions about their care show higher well‐being and positive adjustment to accepting care than those who feel their family make decisions for them (Bourgeois, 1991). Most carers want to involve the person with dementia in decision‐making and care arrangements, but many struggle because of the communication and cognitive problems associated with the condition. Research examined whether the Talking Mats framework could help people with dementia and their family carers feel more involved in decisions about managing their daily living. Eighteen couples (person with dementia and family carer) were asked to discuss how the person with dementia was managing their daily living activities using the Talking Mats framework (Condition A), and when having a typical conversation (Condition B). Each couple then completed a brief questionnaire separately to measure how involved they felt in both types of discussion. Both the person with dementia and their family carer felt more involved in discussions about managing daily living when using the Talking Mats framework than when having a typical conversation. Qualitative analysis of all discussions also offered insight into what people with dementia who are still living at home are managing in relation to their daily living. The study will contribute in a practical way to the current debate on how to involve people with dementia meaningfully in service planning. This will have implications for the organisation, delivery, and improvement of services to people with dementia.
Experience with albumin dialysis in five patients with severe overdoses of paracetamol

Five patients in whom the serum paracetamol levels or the amount of ingested paracetamol was high enough to cause severe liver injury were treated with N‐acetyl‐cysteine (NAC) and a molecular absorbant recirculating system (MARS). MARS treatment was started as early as possible in order to prevent or retard the development of hepatocyte necrosis. Four of our five patients survived without liver transplantation, and one died due to brain oedema. The early commencement with NAC and MARS treatments in paracetamol intoxication might give enough time for the liver to regenerate and thus avoid liver transplantation.
How Interviewing Became Therapy for Wives of Professional Athletes: Learning From a Serendipitous Experience

During field research on wives of professional athletes, several of the wives seemed to find that the in-depth interviews had a therapeutic value. Indeed, they themselves often referred to the interview sessions as “therapy sessions,” opportunities to unload suppressed feelings, innermost thoughts, and private experiences in ways that led to certain self-transformations. This article examines the nature of collaborative relationships in the interviewing process and factors that enabled some of the wives to experience a cathartic process of self-revelation and an introspective process of self-discovery, thereby gaining more from their participation than they had expected.
Police Response to Mandatory Arrest Laws

Mandatory arrest laws, although controversial, have gained support as one mechanism for reducing domestic violence. This research examines how police officers responded to mandatory arrest statutes. Twenty-four police departments produced data on interventions in 861 cases of domestic violence. Implementing a mandatory arrest law significantly increased arrests of offenders, especially those in violation of a restraining order. Arrest was affected by injury to the victim, use of a weapon, use of alcohol, and presence of a witness. Police training was crucial to the implementation of the mandatory arrest statute.
BARHL2 transcription factor regulates the ipsilateral/contralateral subtype divergence in postmitotic dI1 neurons of the developing spinal cord

In the dorsal spinal cord, distinct interneuron classes relay specific somatosensory information, such as touch, heat, and pain, from the periphery to higher brain centers via ipsilateral and contralateral axonal pathways. The transcriptional mechanisms by which dorsal interneurons choose between ipsilateral and contralateral projection fates are unknown. Here, we show that a single transcription factor (TF), BARHL2, regulates this choice in proprioceptive dI1 interneurons by selectively suppressing cardinal dI1contra features in dI1ipsi neurons, despite expression by both subtypes. Strikingly, dI1ipsi neurons in Barhl2-null mice exhibit a dI1contra cell settling pattern in the medial deep dorsal horn, and, most importantly, they project axons contralaterally. These aberrations are preceded by ectopic dI1ipsi expression of the defining dI1contra TF, LHX2, and down-regulation of the dI1ipsi-enriched TF, BARHL1. Taken together, these results elucidate BARHL2 as a critical postmitotic regulator of dI1 subtype diversification, as well as its intermediate position in the dI1 genetic hierarchy.
Online Semi-Supervised Learning on Quantized Graphs

In this paper, we tackle the problem of online semi-supervised learning (SSL). When data arrive in a stream, the dual problems of computation and data storage arise for any SSL method. We propose a fast approximate online SSL algorithm that solves for the harmonic solution on an approximate graph. We show, both empirically and theoretically, that good behavior can be achieved by collapsing nearby points into a set of local "representative points" that minimize distortion. Moreover, we regularize the harmonic solution to achieve better stability properties. We apply our algorithm to face recognition and optical character recognition applications to show that we can take advantage of the manifold structure to outperform the previous methods. Unlike previous heuristic approaches, we show that our method yields provable performance bounds.
Medium-Voltage Multilevel Converters—State of the Art, Challenges, and Requirements in Industrial Applications

This paper gives an overview of medium-voltage (MV) multilevel converters with a focus on achieving minimum harmonic distortion and high efficiency at low switching frequency operation. Increasing the power rating by minimizing switching frequency while still maintaining reasonable power quality is an important requirement and a persistent challenge for the industry. Existing solutions are discussed and analyzed based on their topologies, limitations, and control techniques. As a preferred option for future research and application, an inverter configuration based on three-level building blocks to generate five-level voltage waveforms is suggested. This paper shows that such an inverter may be operated at a very low switching frequency to achieve minimum on-state and dynamic device losses for highly efficient MV drive applications while maintaining low harmonic distortion.
A Coprological Survey of Parasites of Wild Mantled Howling Monkeys, Alouatta palliata palliata

Fecal samples from 155 mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata palliata) examined at Centro Ecologico La Pacifica, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, revealed 75 (48%) had parasitic infections. A sampling of nine howling monkeys from Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica indicated only one infected animal (11%). Only three of 19 (16%) spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) also from Santa Rosa were infected. Controrchis biliophilus, Trypanoxyuris minutus, unidentified strongylid eggs and Isospora sp. oocysts were found. Three monkeys from La Pacifica died and were examined for adult helminths. They were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides, C. biliophilus and T. minutus.
Relationships between Perceived Learning Environment and Intrinsic Motivation in Middle School Physical Education

In this article, a study focusing on the perceptions and motivations of middle school students in physical education classes is described. The Physical Education Learning Environment Scale (PELES) was developed to measure student perceptions of learning environment, or class climate, in physical education on dimensions of perceived challenge, perceived threat to sense of self, perceived competitiveness, and perceived control. The PELES was administered, together with the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) to a sample (N = 622) of middle school students. Exploratory factor analyses provided evidence of adequate construct validity for the PELES, following elimination of the perceived control subscale. Multiple regression analyses indicated that perceived threat and perceived challenge predicted intrinsic motivation for both males and females. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for practicing teachers and for future research.
Chemokine RANTES is upregulated in monocytes from patients with hyperhomocysteinemia

AbstractAim:To investigate the changes in plasma level of the chemokine RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted) and the responsiveness of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RANTES secretion from monocytes in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). Methods:The plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy), folate, and RANTES were measured in 38 control patients with normal Hcy levels and 40 patients with HHcy and the mRNA synthesis of RANTES in isolated human monocytes was determined by RNase protection assays.Results:The plasma level of RANTES was elevated in HHcy patients compared with controls (median 5.3 vs 3.5 ng/mL, P<0.01). LPS-induced RANTES production from monocytes of HHcy patients was also increased significantly. In addition, Hcy directly increased the mRNA level of RANTES in isolated normal human monocytes in a time- and dose-dependent manner.Conclusion:Upregulated RANTES from monocytes in HHcy patients may be involved in the atherogenesis of HHcy-induced atherosclerosis.
Epidemiology of renal osteodystrophy in Iberoamerica.

1Bone and Mineral Research Unit, Hospital Central de Asturias, Instituto Reina Sofi´a de Investigacio´n Nefrolo´gica, Oviedo,Spain, 2Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil, 3Centro de Nefrologi´a de Montevideo, Uruguay, 4Nephrology Unit Hospital,Curry Cabral, Lisbon, Portugal, 5Hospital Virgen Macarena, Seville, Spain and 6Universidade Federale de Minas Gerais,Brasil
The emergence of cognitive sex differences during adolescence : a longitudinal study

Cognitive sex differences have consistently been found in adulthood, with males excelling on visual-spatial tasks and females excelling on manual dexterity tasks. Although these differences are found in adulthood, they rarely exist before adolescence. The present study aims to document the emergence of cognitive sex differences in an adolescent sample. The first year of the study began when the adolescent sample was in the 7th grade. Cognitive measurements continued in the same sample once a year for five consecutive years. Participants were administered a battery of sex-sensitive tasks known to show sex differences in adulthood. In order to compare adult performance with adolescent performance, college-aged males and females were also tested once on the same battery of cognitive tasks.