Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust wait-free hierarchies

The problem of implementing a shared object of one type from shared objects of other types has been extensively researched. Recent focus has mostly been on <italic>wait-free implementations</italic>, which permit every process to complete its operations on implemented objects, regardless of the speeds of other processes. It is known that shared objects of different types have differing abilities to support wait-free implementations. It is therefore natural to want to arrange types in a hierarchy that reflects their relative abilities to support wait-free implementations. In this paper, we formally define robustness and other desirable properties of hierarchies. Roughly speaking, a hierarchy is robust if each type is “stronger” than any combination of lower level types. We study two specific hierarchies: one, that we call <italic>h<supscrpt>r</supscrpt><subscrpt>m</subscrpt></italic> in which the level of a type is based on the ability of an <italic>unbounded</italic> number of objects of that type, and another hierarchy, that we call <italic>h<supscrpt>r</supscrpt><subscrpt>1</subscrpt></italic>, in which a type's level is based on the ability of a <italic>fixed</italic> number of objects of that type. We prove that resource bounded hierarchies, such as <italic>h<supscrpt>r</supscrpt><subscrpt>1</subscrpt></italic> and its variants, are not robust. We also establish the unique importance of <italic>h<supscrpt>r</supscrpt><subscrpt>m</subscrpt></italic>: every nontrivial robust hierarchy, if one exists, is necessarily a “coarsening” of <italic>h<supscrpt>r</supscrpt><subscrpt>m</subscrpt></italic>.
The role of emotion in moral socialization

will discuss the relationship of that research to some of the more enduring theoretical issues in emotion. Theories of emotion wax and wane across a more extended time frame than is typical for theoretical approaches in many other areas in psychology. Perhaps these extended cycles of emotion theory result from the relative difficulty in the recent past in doing definitive research within the area of human emotion. The field was thereby insulated from sudden shifts in focus precipitated by dramatic research relevant to basic theory. One of those areas of enduring concern to philosophers and psychologists interested in human emotion has been whether to conceive of emotion as dimensional versus discrete in structure. Those on the discrete side of this controversy generally trace their theoretical lineage to Charles Darwin, whereas dimensional theorists often credit William James. Discrete theorists hold that there are eight or nine basic emotions, which are inborn syndromes of feeling and behavior (e.g
Directed Walk Designs for Dose‐Response Problems with Competing Failure Modes

Summary We examine adaptive allocation designs for the problem of determining the optimal therapeutic dose for subjects in early‐phase clinical trials. A subject can fail due to lack of efficacy or due to a toxic reaction. Successful subjects will have both a positive response and no toxic side effects. Thus, we seek to maximize the product of the nontoxicity and efficacy dose‐response curves. We are interested in sampling rules that perform well along several criteria, including the ethical criterion that, as often as possible, experimental subjects be treated at or close to the maximum in question. Statistically, we wish to identify the optimum dose with high probability at the close of the experiment. Here, we propose designs that combine new allocation policies, directed walks, with new smoothed shape‐constrained curve‐fitting techniques. These are compared with a variety of other curve‐fitting techniques and with up‐and‐down and equal allocation rules.
Association of sleep duration with mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes for Japanese men and women: the JACC study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To examine sex-specific associations between sleep duration and mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes. DESIGN Cohort study. SETTING Community-based study. PARTICIPANTS A total of 98,634 subjects (41,489 men and 57,145 women) aged 40 to 79 years from 1988 to 1990 and were followed until 2003. INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS During a median follow-up of 14.3 years, there were 1964 deaths (men and women: 1038 and 926) from stroke, 881 (508 and 373) from coronary heart disease, 4287 (2297 and 1990) from cardiovascular disease, 5465 (3432 and 2033) from cancer, and 14,540 (8548 and 5992) from all causes. Compared with a sleep duration of 7 hours, sleep duration of 4 hours or less was associated with increased mortality from coronary heart disease for women and noncardiovascular disease/noncancer and all causes in both sexes. The respective multivariable hazard ratios were 2.32 (1.19-4.50) for coronary heart disease in women, 1.49 (1.02-2.18) and 1.47 (1.01-2.15) for noncardiovascular disease/noncancer, and 1.29 (1.02-1.64) and 1.28 (1.03-1.60) for all causes in men and women, respectively. Long sleep duration of 10 hours or longer was associated with 1.5- to 2-fold increased mortality from total and ischemic stroke, total cardiovascular disease, noncardiovascular disease/noncancer, and all causes for men and women, compared with 7 hours of sleep in both sexes. There was no association between sleep duration and cancer mortality in either sex. CONCLUSIONS Both short and long sleep duration were associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular disease, noncardiovascular disease/noncancer, and all causes for both sexes, yielding a U-shaped relationship with total mortality with a nadir at 7 hours of sleep.
D-IMRT verification with a 2D pixel ionization chamber: dosimetric and clinical results in head and neck cancer

Dynamic intensity-modulated radiotherapy (D-IMRT) using the sliding-window technique is currently applied for selected treatments of head and neck cancer at Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment of Candiolo (Turin, Italy). In the present work, a PiXel-segmented ionization Chamber (PXC) has been used for the verification of 19 fields used for four different head and neck cancers. The device consists of a 32 × 32 matrix of 1024 parallel-plate ionization chambers arranged in a square of 24 × 24 cm2 area. Each chamber has 0.4 cm diameter and 0.55 cm height; a distance of 0.75 cm separates the centre of adjacent chambers. The sensitive volume of each single ionization chamber is 0.07 cm3. Each of the 1024 independent ionization chambers is read out with a custom microelectronics chip. The output factors in water obtained with the PXC at a depth of 10 cm were compared to other detectors and the maximum difference was 1.9% for field sizes down to 3 × 3 cm2. Beam profiles for different field dimensions were measured with the PXC and two other types of ionization chambers; the maximum distance to agreement (DTA) in the 20–80% penumbra region of a 3 × 3 cm2 field was 0.09 cm. The leaf speed of the multileaf collimator was varied between 0.07 and 2 cm s−1 and the detector response was constant to better than 0.6%. The behaviour of the PXC was measured while varying the dose rate between 0.21 and 1.21 Gy min−1; the mean difference was 0.50% and the maximum difference was 0.96%. Using fields obtained with an enhanced dynamic wedge and a staircase-like (step) IMRT field, the PXC has been tested for simple 1D modulated beams; comparison with film gave a maximum DTA of 0.12 cm. The PXC was then used to check four different IMRT plans for head and neck cancer treatment: cervical chordoma, parotid, ethmoid and skull base. In the comparison of the PXC versus film and PXC versus treatment planning system, the number of pixels with γ parameter ⩽1 was 97.7% and 97.6%, respectively.
Converter circuit design, semiconductor device selection and analysis of parasitics for micropower electrostatic Generators

For various medical monitoring and sensing applications it is desirable to power the electronics by scavenging energy from any locally available source. An electrostatic motion-driven generator for low-frequency (human body) motion has been developed by the authors using microelectromechanical system technology. The prototype generates pulses of 250V on a 10-pF capacitor. This paper examines the design of a circuit and semiconductor devices to convert this energy to a low voltage. Because of the very small charge involved, the effects of leakage and parasitic stored charge are important. Converters for this application using silicon-on-insulator metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors and insulated gate bipolar transistors are compared using physics-based finite-element simulation. The overall effectiveness of the generation process is shown to be composed of several terms which are functions of system parameters such as generator flight time, semiconductor device area, and circuit inductance. It is shown that device area is a compromise between leakage current, charge storage, and on-state voltage. It can, for a given generator and inductance, be optimized to provide the maximum energy yield. Parasitic series inductance is shown to be of little importance to the circuit efficiency; however, parasitic capacitance has a significant influence.
The ceramide analog, B13, induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cell lines and inhibits tumor growth in prostate cancer xenografts

Apoptosis is a therapeutic target for the elimination of cancer cells. As elevations in ceramide levels induce apoptosis, there is much excitement about the use of agents that elevate ceramide levels as novel chemotherapeutic agents. Ceramidases are enzymes involved in degradation of ceramide and inhibition of ceramidase has been proposed as a mechanism to increase ceramide levels. This study provides the first insight into the effect of B13, an inhibitor of acid ceramidase, on human prostate cancer cell lines and xenografts.
Secure and effective image storage for cloud based e-healthcare systems

For a cloud based system, storage volume, users' privacy and computing capacity are three key issues. In this paper we propose a secure and effective cloud based image storage framework for e-healthcare systems with images transmission and storage. The main contribution of the proposed framework is a high compression ratio method for encrypted images. We first analyze the difficulties of encrypted image compression and discuss the drawbacks of current compressive sensing (CS) based encrypted image compression. Then we propose a novel lossy encrypted image compression method, which is based on the CS, dictionary coding, and recent sparse couple reconstruction theories. The experiment results show that compared to state-of-the-art encrypted image compression methods and classical JPEG/JPEG2000 compression methods, the proposed scheme can achieve much higher compression ratio of JPEG2000 with the similar reconstruction quality, meanwhile can obtain much better reconstruction quality than CS based methods with a similar compression ratio.
On the Role of High-Order Coherent Population Oscillations in Slow and Fast Light Propagation Using Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

In this paper, we present a numerical investigation of the phase shift experienced by the detected envelope of a sinusoidally modulated optical carrier propagating in a nonlinear semiconductor optical amplifier. The model we employed accounts for high-order coherent population oscillations. As such, it allows for large gain levels and arbitrary modulation indexes of the input field. We highlight the role of the fields that are generated by high-order nonlinearities and compare the results with those of more common small-signal nonlinear models. We find that conventional models suffice only for low powers, small modulation indexes, and moderate amplifier gain levels.
Interactive Whiteboards: Interactive or Just Whiteboards?

Over the last decade, interactive whiteboards have become popular teaching and learning tools, especially in primary school classrooms. Research studies from recent literature report on high levels of student motivation, teacher enthusiasm and whole-school support associated with these technological tools. Much research to date has reported on the potential of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) to improve the quality of teaching and learning processes by enhancing levels of interaction, communication and collaboration. Whether these claims have been substantiated has not yet been fully investigated. This paper reports on the findings from a collaborative research project between university lecturers, school-based primary school teachers and principals, pre-service teachers and district education consultants who worked together on a small, school-based research project. The researchers involved in this project had three main purposes: (1) to investigate different ways that IWBs are used in primary schools; (2) to share ideas and expertise on the use of IWBs; and (3) to document teachers' current practice with IWBs. Field notes from professional development meetings and classroom observations were analysed using a grounded theory methodology. Findings from this research are reported in this paper and compared to other recent research. The paper concludes with recommendations for practice and future research.
Ensuring Effective Learning from Modular Courses: A Cognitive Psychology-Skill Learning Perspective.

Abstract Modular courses have been widely implemented as part of the competency-based training agenda. However, there is emerging concern that modular courses are not promoting effective learning although pragmatic considerations indicate they will continue to be widely used since there appear to be numerous advantages associated with their employment. A major inherent weakness of modularisation as a method of content organisation is it tends to fragment knowledge. The cognitive psychology and skill learning literatures, largely ignored in the development and implementation of competency-based training, indicate principles, which if followed, will help to ensure effective learning from modular courses. Particularly salient are the needs to ensure adequate practice and the integration of modules if effective problem solving is a desired objective. Stressed are the need for the teaching of ‘learning-to-learn’ strategies before modular courses are commenced and the importance of assessment to integrate knowl.
outputs Non-compliance , board structures and the performance of financial firms during crisis : UK

Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online's data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. Abstract This paper examines the effectiveness of internal corporate governance mechanisms for improving the performance of financial firms in the UK. The research is first of its kind to look into the relationship between corporate governance and performance of financial firms in the UK before and during the financial crisis. Using Generalised Methods of Moments (GMM) estimates that control for dynamic endogeneity, this study shows that firm performance as measured by Total Shareholder Returns (TSR) and Return on Equity (ROE) is negatively associated with the level of non-compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code. The study also finds that having higher number of internal controls is most effective monitoring mechanism and is positively associated with firm performance. However, board independence represented by the number of non-executive directs (NEDs) is the least effective monitoring mechanism and is negatively associated with the performance of firms. The study also shows that directors' share ownership is an effective incentive mechanism for aligning their interests with shareholders as it is positively associated with firm performance. However, the findings suggest that remuneration is negatively associated with performance. Finally, the study provides evidence which indicates that board size impact the performance of firms differently in different time periods. As proposed by agency theory the study provides evidence that shows the positive impact of effective monitoring and incentive alignment for performance. It also provides support for the resource dependence view that directors are a critical resource during difficult economic times.
Reliable Client Accounting for P2P-Infrastructure Hybrids

Content distribution networks (CDNs) have started to adopt hybrid designs, which employ both dedicated edge servers and resources contributed by clients. Hybrid designs combine many of the advantages of infrastructure-based and peer-to-peer systems, but they also present new challenges. This paper identifies reliable client accounting as one such challenge. Operators of hybrid CDNs are accountable to their customers (i.e., content providers) for the CDN's performance. Therefore, they need to offer reliable quality of service and a detailed account of content served. Service quality and accurate accounting, however, depend in part on interactions among untrusted clients. Using the Akamai NetSession client network in a case study, we demonstrate that a small number of malicious clients used in a clever attack could cause significant accounting inaccuracies. We present a method for providing reliable accounting of client interactions in hybrid CDNs. The proposed method leverages the unique characteristics of hybrid systems to limit the loss of accounting accuracy and service quality caused by faulty or compromised clients. We also describe RCA, a system that applies this method to a commercial hybrid content-distribution network. Using trace-driven simulations, we show that RCA can detect and mitigate a variety of attacks, at the expense of a moderate increase in logging overhead.
Inhibiting Methanogenesis in Rumen Batch Cultures Did Not Increase the Recovery of Metabolic Hydrogen in Microbial Amino Acids

There is an interest in controlling rumen methanogenesis as an opportunity to both decrease the emissions of greenhouse gases and improve the energy efficiency of rumen fermentation. However, the effects of inhibiting rumen methanogenesis on fermentation are incompletely understood even in in vitro rumen cultures, as the recovery of metabolic hydrogen ([H]) in the main fermentation products consistently decreases with methanogenesis inhibition, evidencing the existence of unaccounted [H] sinks. We hypothesized that inhibiting methanogenesis in rumen batch cultures would redirect [H] towards microbial amino acids (AA) biosynthesis as an alternative [H] sink to methane (CH4). The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of eight inhibitors of methanogenesis on digestion, fermentation and the production of microbial biomass and AA in rumen batch cultures growing on cellulose. Changes in the microbial community composition were also studied using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Inhibiting methanogenesis did not cause consistent changes in fermentation or the profile of AA, although the effects caused by the different inhibitors generally associated with the changes in the microbial community that they induced. Under the conditions of this experiment, inhibiting methanogenesis did not increase the importance of microbial AA synthesis as a [H] sink.
Effects of short-term oral vitamin A supplementation on the ocular tear film in patients with dry eye

Objective To investigate the effects of short-term oral vitamin A supplementation on the ocular tear film in patients with dry eye. Methods In total, 30 male patients with dry eye (age range, 18–38 years; mean age, 25.2±2.8 years) who did not wear contact lenses or exhibit any ocular (other than dry eye) or systemic diseases were included, along with 30 age-matched men (control group; mean age, 24.5±2.3 years) with healthy eyes. Subject exclusion was based on the findings of the McMonnies questionnaire (cutoff score for dry eye: 14.5) and slit-lamp biomicroscopy. All subjects received an oral vitamin A supplement at a daily dose of 1,500 mg for 3 consecutive days. The phenol red thread (PRT) test was performed along with assessments of tear ferning (TF), tear osmolarity, and the tear break-up time (TBUT) before and 24 hours after the third dose of the vitamin A supplement. A 10-minute interval was observed between different tests. Results In the dry eye group, the TF grade (Wilcoxon test, P=0.01) exhibited a significant decrease, while the tear osmolarity value (t-test, P=0.01) exhibited a significant increase after vitamin A supplementation. The PRT test findings (P=0.17) and TBUT (P=0.49) showed no significant differences before and after vitamin A supplementation. In the control group, vitamin A supplementation showed no significant effects on TF (P=0.74), tear osmolarity (P=0.55), the TBUT (P=0.19), and the PRT test scores (P=0.48). Conclusion Our findings suggest that short-term oral vitamin A supplementation improves the quality, but not quantity, of tears in patients with dry eye. Future studies should involve larger patient samples and longer periods of vitamin A supplementation.
Relationship between progression of visual field defect and intraocular pressure in primary open-angle glaucoma

Purpose To analyze the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and the progression of visual field defects in Japanese primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients. Patients and methods The subjects of the study were patients undergoing treatment for POAG or NTG who had performed visual field tests at least ten times with a Humphrey field analyzer (Swedish interactive thresholding algorithm standard, C30-2 program). The progression of visual field defects was defined by a significantly negative value of the mean deviation slope at the final visual field test during the follow-up period. The relationships between the progression of visual field defects and IOP, as well as other clinical factors, were retrospectively analyzed. Results A total of 156 eyes of 156 patients were included in the analysis. Significant progression of visual field defects was observed in 70 eyes of 70 patients (44.9%), while no significant progression was evident in 86 eyes of 86 patients (55.1%). The eyes with visual field defect progression had significantly lower baseline IOP (P<0.05), as well as significantly lower IOP reduction rate (P<0.01). The standard deviation of IOP values during follow-up was significantly greater in the eyes with visual field defect progression than in eyes without (P<0.05). Conclusion Reducing IOP is thought to be useful for Japanese POAG or NTG patients to suppress the progression of visual field defects. In NTG, IOP management should take into account not only achieving the target IOP, but also minimizing the fluctuation of IOP during follow-up period.
Social Comparisons in Novel Situations

The authors propose that individuals transitioning to a novel environment will prefer upward comparisons, particularly those made with individuals who have experienced a similar transition. Such comparisons help to reduce uncertainty and demonstrate that future success is possible. Study 1 found that individuals facing transitions to unfamiliar situations seek upward comparisons as a result of their uncertainty. Study 2 demonstrated that individuals who perceive themselves to be making a significant life transition are especially motivated by upward comparisons. Study 3 provided evidence that upward comparisons are especially inspiring to individuals making a transition to a novel cultural environment. Study 4 provided experimental evidence that individuals in a novel cultural environment are particularly inspired by upward comparisons with other newcomers. These studies suggest that upward comparisons with individuals who have experienced a similar transition enhance individuals’ sense of control over future outcomes and play a key role during adjustment to novel environments.