Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Universal and Distinct Properties of Communication Dynamics

With the advancement of information systems, means of communications are becoming cheaper, faster, and more available. Today, millions of people carrying smartphones or tablets are able to communicate practically any time and anywhere they want. They can access their e-mails, comment on weblogs, watch and post videos and photos (as well as comment on them), and make phone calls or text messages almost ubiquitously. Given this scenario, in this article, we tackle a fundamental aspect of this new era of communication: How the time intervals between communication events behave for different technologies and means of communications. Are there universal patterns for the Inter-Event Time Distribution (IED)? How do inter-event times behave differently among particular technologies? To answer these questions, we analyzed eight different datasets from real and modern communication data and found four well-defined patterns seen in all the eight datasets. Moreover, we propose the use of the Self-Feeding Process (SFP) to generate inter-event times between communications. The SFP is an extremely parsimonious point process that requires at most two parameters and is able to generate inter-event times with all the universal properties we observed in the data. We also show three potential applications of the SFP: as a framework to generate a synthetic dataset containing realistic communication events of any one of the analyzed means of communications, as a technique to detect anomalies, and as a building block for more specific models that aim to encompass the particularities seen in each of the analyzed systems.
Collaborative mental health care in the bureaucratic field of post-apartheid South Africa

ABSTRACT South Africa's long and arduous journey from colonial and apartheid-era care for people with mental illness to more comprehensive, equitable mental health care is well-described. Deeper engagement with the structural power dynamics involved in providing collaborative mental health services are less-well described, especially in its post-apartheid era. This conceptual article positions state and non-state mental health service providers – along with their relationships and conflicts – within Bourdieu's bureaucratic field. It is suggested that key internecine struggles in South Africa's post-apartheid socio-political arena have influenced the ways in which collaborative mental health care is provided. Drawing from two recent examples of conflict within the bureaucratic field, the article illustrates the ways in which neoliberal forces play out in contemporary South Africa's mental health service delivery. Struggles between the state and private healthcare in the Life Esidimeni tragedy receive focus, as well as the shifting of responsibility onto civil society. A court case between the state and a coalition of non-profit organisations provides further evidence that neoliberal rationalities significantly influences the position and power of non-state service providers. Unless serious consideration is given to these dynamics, collaborative mental health care in South Africa will remain out of reach.
Physical inactivity: common pathway to peripheral muscle weakness in chronic respiratory diseases?

Lower limb muscle atrophy and weakness are common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and make an important contribution to limiting their exercise tolerance 1. Muscle disuse, hypoxaemia, malnutrition, oxidative stress and systemic inflammation have all been portrayed as possible causes of muscle dysfunction in COPD 2. As far as systemic inflammation is concerned, the available literature supports cytokine-mediated effects on peripheral muscle atrophy, dysfunction and regeneration 3. The study by Swallow et al. 4 in the current issue of the European Respiratory Journal is the first to show that idiopathic scoliosis (a noninflammatory disease) and COPD (currently thought of as a systemic inflammatory disease affecting many tissues and organs in addition to the lungs) share skeletal muscle weakness and wasting as common phenomena. Muscle strength and exercise tolerance were shown to be compromised to a comparable degree in patients with scoliosis and COPD. Interestingly, quadriceps muscle molecular analyses were indicative of peripheral muscle dysfunction manifested in both disease entities by a reduced proportion of Type I myosin heavy-chain isoform (corresponding to Type I oxidative muscle fibres) and by upregulation of local muscle oxidative stress markers. Therefore, the study by Swallow et al. 4 presents an interesting paradigm that argues against inflammation as the principal aetiology of peripheral muscle wasting in chronic respiratory diseases and suggests another common aetiological mechanism. This mechanism was not directly elucidated by Swallow et …
Assessing application areas for tunnel transistor technologies

Tunnel transistors are one of the most attractive steep subthreshold slope devices currently being investigated as a means of overcoming the power density and energy inefficiency limitations of CMOS technology. In this paper, projected tunnel transistor technologies are evaluated and compared to LP and HP versions of both conventional and FinFET CMOS in terms of their power and energy in different application areas.
Influence of Personality Traits, Peer Group Pressure and Parental Monitoring on Alcohol use among In-School Secondary Students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Objective: Alcohol consumption has been found to be common among adolescents in various studies globally. It has been associated with public health problems, high risk lifestyles, mental disorders, eating disorders, risk taking attitudes, failure in school and increased drop-out rate. This study therefore, investigated the influence of personality traits, peer group pressure and parental monitoring on alcohol use among in-school secondary students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Method: Survey design was adopted for the study. The researchers randomly selected Ibadan South - East Local Government Area out of eleven (11) Local Government Areas in Ibadan, for the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select three (3) public secondary schools out of nineteen (19) secondary schools in Ibadan South-East Local Government Area while accidental sampling technique was used to select (298) in-school secondary students. Four research instruments were used to collect data. Analysis of data was carried out using mean and percentage while the hypotheses were tested using simple multiple regression and t-test statistics.
A Statistical Cost-Modeling of Financial Time Series Functions for an Object-Relational DBMS Query Optimizer

Financial time series functions are in prevalent use in stock market analysis, and are so important in business applications as to be supported by every major commercial object-relational database management system (ORDBMS). These ORDBMSs require users to provide the cost functions of user-defined functions (UDFs) for their query optimizers. The traditional approach to developing a cost function is to build an analytic function of variables derived from data configurations and system configurations. This is an overwhelming task for users without advanced knowledge of the internal implementation of an ORDBMS. In the case of financial time series functions, there is a statistical approach much easier for users. Users provide a set of variables influencing the costs (as we call the cost variables) based ∗The contact author, e-mail: bslee@cs.uvm. edu, tel: (802)656-1919, fax: (802)656-0696
Influence of Home and School Based Factors on Pupils Academic Performance at Kenya Certificate of Primary Education in Makadara Sub-County, Nairobi County

The aim of primary education is to provide education at the basic level of all ongoing primary school pupils. This study was carried out to investigate influence of home and school based factors on pupil’s academic performers at Kenya certificate of primary education in Makadara sub-county, Nairobi County. The study adopted the ex-post facto design which involved the studies that investigate possible causes and effects by observing an existing condition and searching back in time for possible causal factors. It involved testing out possible antecedents of events that had happened and cannot be manipulated by the investigator. The study sampled 240 teachers, 39 Parents Association members and 150 pupils from class 6 and 7. The data collection instruments comprised of questionnaires and interview guide. Data collected was categorized, coded, analyzed then tabulated. The analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The analysis was both qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative analysis considered use of frequency counts and distribution, tabulation totals and calculation of percentages aimed at generating the data collected into meaningful groups and frequency tables for further analysis. Qualitative analysis involved the conclusions from the respondents’ opinions. The study established that most parents had a college educational level, majority of the teachers were female whereas majority of the students were males. It also established that parental level of income influenced pupils’ performance in KCPE at 60%s. Physical facilities and teaching and learning resources were also cited as factors that highly influence performances. The researcher recommended that the parents should provide a conducive learning environment at home to give the pupils ample time and space to study. Parents ought to strive to provide the basic required learning materials that are vital for a good performance in the KCPE exam irrespective of their level of income. The government should endeavor to allocate funds to be used for improving on the existing teaching and learning resources in public primary schools while adding more. The government should allocate enough funds that will enable provision of key physical learning facilities.
Ionic Mechanisms Underlying Autonomous Action Potential Generation in the Somata and Dendrites of GABAergic Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata Neurons In Vitro

Through their repetitive discharge, GABAergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) tonically inhibit the target nuclei of the basal ganglia and the dopamine neurons of the midbrain. As the repetitive firing of SNr neurons persists in vitro, perforated, whole-cell and cell-attached patch-clamp recordings were made from rat brain slices to determine the mechanisms underlying this activity. The spontaneous activity of SNr neurons was not perturbed by the blockade of fast synaptic transmission, demonstrating that it was autonomous in nature. A subthreshold, slowly inactivating, voltage-dependent, tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive Na+ current and a TTX-insensitive inward current that was mediated in part by Na+ were responsible for depolarization to action potential (AP) threshold. An apamin-sensitive spike afterhyperpolarization mediated by small-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ (SK) channels was critical for the precision of autonomous activity. SK channels were activated, in part, by Ca2+ flowing throughω-conotoxin GVIA-sensitive, class 2.2 voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Although Cs+/ZD7288 (4-ethylphenylamino-1,2-dimethyl-6-methylaminopyrimidinium chloride)-sensitive hyperpolarization-activated currents were also observed in SNr neurons, they were activated at voltages that were in general more hyperpolarized than those associated with autonomous activity. Simultaneous somatic and dendritic recordings revealed that autonomously generated APs were observed first at the soma before propagating into dendrites up to 120 μm from the somatic recording site. Backpropagation of autonomously generated APs was reliable with no observable incidence of failure. Together, these data suggest that the resting inhibitory output of the basal ganglia relies, in large part, on the intrinsic firing properties of the neurons that convey this signal.
Humidity-dependent phase state of SOA particles from biogenic and anthropogenic precursors

Abstract. The physical phase state (solid, semi-solid, or liquid) of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles has important implications for a number of atmospheric processes. We report the phase state of SOA particles spanning a wide range of oxygen to carbon ratios (O / C), used here as a surrogate for SOA oxidation level, produced in a flow tube reactor by photo-oxidation of various atmospherically relevant surrogate anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The phase state of laboratory-generated SOA was determined by the particle bounce behavior after inertial impaction on a polished steel substrate. The measured bounce fraction was evaluated as a function of relative humidity and SOA oxidation level (O / C) measured by an Aerodyne high resolution time of flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF AMS). The main findings of the study are: (1) biogenic and anthropogenic SOA particles are found to be amorphous solid or semi-solid based on the measured bounced fraction (BF), which was typically higher than 0.6 on a 0 to 1 scale. A decrease in the BF is observed for most systems after the SOA is exposed to relative humidity of at least 80% RH, corresponding to a RH at impaction of 55%. (2) Long-chain alkanes have a low BF (indicating a "liquid-like", less viscous phase) particles at low oxidation levels (BF
A Flow Cytometry-Based Quantitative Drug Sensitivity Assay for All Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Stages

Background Malaria elimination/eradication campaigns emphasize interruption of parasite transmission as a priority strategy. Screening for new drugs and vaccines against gametocytes is therefore urgently needed. However, current methods for sexual stage drug assays, usually performed by counting or via fluorescent markers are either laborious or restricted to a certain stage. Here we describe the use of a transgenic parasite line for assaying drug sensitivity in all gametocyte stages. Methods A transgenic parasite line expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP) under the control of the gametocyte-specific gene α-tubulin II promoter was generated. This parasite line expresses GFP in all gametocyte stages. Using this transgenic line, we developed a flow cytometry-based assay to determine drug sensitivity of all gametocyte stages, and tested the gametocytocidal activities of four antimalarial drugs. Findings This assay proved to be suitable for determining drug sensitivity of all sexual stages and can be automated. A Z’ factor of 0.79±0.02 indicated that this assay could be further optimized for high-throughput screening. The daily sensitivity of gametocytes to three antimalarial drugs (chloroquine, dihydroartemisinin and pyronaridine) showed a drastic decrease from stage III on, whereas it remained relatively steady for primaquine. Conclusions A drug assay was developed to use a single transgenic parasite line for determining drug susceptibility of all gametocyte stages. This assay may be further automated into a high-throughput platform for screening compound libraries against P. falciparum gametocytes.
Training Artificial Neural Network using Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

In this paper, the adaptation of network weights using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) was proposed as a mechanism to improve the performance of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) in classification of IRIS dataset. Classification is a machine learning technique used to predict group membership for data instances. To simplify the problem of classification neural networks are being introduced. This paper focuses on IRIS plant classification using Neural Network. The problem concerns the identification of IRIS plant species on the basis of plant attribute measurements. Classification of IRIS data set would be discovering patterns from examining petal and sepal size of the IRIS plant and how the prediction was made from analyzing the pattern to form the class of IRIS plant. By using this pattern and classification, in future upcoming years the unknown data can be predicted more precisely. Artificial neural networks have been successfully applied to problems in pattern classification, function approximations, optimization, and associative memories. In this work, Multilayer feed- forward networks are trained using back propagation learning algorithm.
The Visual Asymmetry Effect: An Interplay of Logo Design and Brand Personality on Brand Equity

Five studies using a variety of experimental approaches and secondary data sets show that a visual property present in all brand logos—the degree of (a)symmetry—can interact with brand personality to affect brand equity. Specifically, compared with symmetrical logos, asymmetrical logos tend to be more arousing, leading to increased perceptions of excitement. As such, consumers tend to perceive asymmetrical logos as more congruent with brands that have an exciting personality. This can boost consumers’ evaluations and the market’s financial valuations of such brands, a phenomenon referred to as the “visual asymmetry effect. ” The studies also show that this interplay between brand personality and logo design occurs only for the personality of excitement and the visual property of asymmetry. These findings add to theories of visual design and branding and offer actionable insights to marketing practitioners.
Upper and Lower Bounds for the Ergodic Capacity of MIMO Jacobi Fading Channels

In multi-(core/mode) optical fiber communication, the transmission channel can be modeled as a complex sub-matrix of the Haar-distributed unitary matrix (complex Jacobi unitary ensemble). In this letter, we present new analytical expressions of the upper and lower bounds for the ergodic capacity of multiple-input multiple-output Jacobi-fading channels. Recent results on the determinant of the Jacobi unitary ensemble are employed to derive a tight lower bound on the ergodic capacity. We use Jensen's inequality to provide an analytical closed-form upper bound to the ergodic capacity at any signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Closed-form expressions of the ergodic capacity, at low and high SNR regimes, are also derived. Simulation results are presented to validate the accuracy of the derived expressions.
Epicatechin and Catechin Modulate Endothelial Activation Induced by Platelets of Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease

Platelet activation contributes to the alteration of endothelial function, a critical initial step in atherogenesis through the production and release of prooxidant mediators. There is uncertainty about the precise role of polyphenols in interaction between platelets and endothelial cells (ECs). We aimed to investigate whether polyphenols are able to reduce endothelial activation induced by activated platelets. First, we compared platelet activation and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in 10 healthy subjects (HS) and 10 patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Then, we evaluated the effect of epicatechin plus catechin on platelet-HUVEC interaction by measuring soluble cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), NOx production, and eNOS phosphorylation (p-eNOS) in HUVEC. Compared to HS, PAD patients had enhanced platelet activation. Conversely, PAD patients had lower FMD than HS. Supernatant of activated platelets from PAD patients induced an increase of sCAMs release and a decrease of p-eNOS and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability compared to unstimulated HUVEC. Coincubation of HUVEC, with supernatant of PAD platelets patients, pretreated with a scalar dose of the polyphenols, resulted in a decrease of sCAMs release and in an increase of p-eNOS and NO bioavailability. This study demonstrates that epicatechin plus catechin reduces endothelial activation induced by activated platelets.
Evaluating the Performance of Map Optimization Algorithms

Localization and mapping are essential capabilities of virtually all mobile robots. These topics have been the focus of a great deal of research, but it is not always easy to tell which methods are best. This paper discusses performance evaluation for an important sub-problem of robot mapping, map optimization. We explore aspects underlying the evaluation of map optimization such as the quality of the result and computational complexity. For each aspect we discuss evaluation metrics and provide specific recommendations.
Random tree growth by vertex splitting

We study a model of growing planar tree graphs where in each time step we separate the tree into two components by splitting a vertex and then connect the two pieces by inserting a new link between the daughter vertices. This model generalizes the preferential attachment model and Ford’s α-model for phylogenetic trees. We develop a mean field theory for the vertex degree distribution, prove that the mean field theory is exact in some special cases and check that it agrees with numerical simulations in general. We calculate various correlation functions and show that the intrinsic Hausdorff dimension can vary from 1 to ∞, depending on the parameters of the model.
Breast-feeding practices in Mexico: results from the Second National Nutrition Survey 1999.

OBJECTIVE To assess breast-feeding (BF) practices and determinants of exclusive BF (EBF) < 4 and < 6 months (mo) among women and infants < 23 mo in the NNS-1999. MATERIAL AND METHODS BF practices from the day and night before the interview were ascertained, and median duration estimated. Determinants of EBF < 4 and < 6 mo were analysed by logistic regression models for complex surveys. RESULTS Prevalence of EBF < 4 mo was 25.7%, and of < 6 mo 20.3%. The overall rate of continued BF (second year) was 30.9%, median duration of BF 9 mo, and the national proportion of children ever breast-fed 92.3%. The probability (p) of EBF < 4 mo was determined by infant age and sex, by maternal socio-economic level (SEL) and ethnicity, and by the interaction between infant sex and SEL. The pEBF < 6 mo was determined by infant age and length, by maternal ethnicity, and employment. CONCLUSIONS EBF rates and duration are low in Mexico and have improved only slightly in the last 20 y. Infant and maternal characteristics determine the pEBF. If improvements in infant health are a national priority, aggressive interventions to promote and protect BF are urgently needed in Mexico, as well as formal evaluation of current initiatives. The English version of this paper is available too at: http://www.insp. mx/salud/index.html.
Analyzing Job Analysis Data Using Mixture Rasch Models

An important piece of validity evidence to support the use of credentialing exams comes from performing a job analysis of the profession. One common job analysis method is the task inventory method, where people working in the field are surveyed using rating scales about the tasks thought necessary to safely and competently perform the job. This article describes how mixture Rasch models can be used to analyze these data, and how results from these analyses can help to identify whether different groups of people may be responding to job tasks differently. Three examples from different credentialing programs illustrate scenarios that can be found when applying mixture Rasch models to job analysis data. Discussion of what these results may imply for the development of credentialing exams and other analyses of job analysis data is provided.