Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mineralization of the Cyclic Nitramine Explosive Hexahydro-1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazine by Gordonia and Williamsia spp

ABSTRACT Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) is a cyclic nitroamine explosive that is a major component in many military high-explosive formulations. In this study, two aerobic bacteria that are capable of using RDX as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen to support their growth were isolated from surface soil. These bacterial strains were identified by their fatty acid profiles and 16S ribosomal gene sequences as Williamsia sp. KTR4 and Gordonia sp. KTR9. The physiology of each strain was characterized with respect to the rates of RDX degradation and [U-14C]RDX mineralization when RDX was supplied as a sole carbon and nitrogen source in the presence and absence of competing carbon and nitrogen sources. Strains KTR4 and KTR9 degraded 180 μM RDX within 72 h when RDX served as the only added carbon and nitrogen source while growing to total protein concentrations of 18.6 and 16.5 μg/ml, respectively. Mineralization of [U-14C]RDX to 14CO2 was 30% by strain KTR4 and 27% by KTR9 when RDX was the only added source of carbon and nitrogen. The addition of (NH4)2SO4 greatly inhibited KTR9's degradation of RDX but had little effect on that of KTR4. These are the first two pure bacterial cultures isolated that are able to use RDX as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. These two genera possess different physiologies with respect to RDX mineralization, and each can serve as a useful microbiological model for the study of RDX biodegradation with regard to physiology, biochemistry, and genetics.
Powerful males on top: Spatial simulations in the mental representation of gender stereotypes

The theory of grounded cognition proposes that abstract thinking involves mental simulations of acquired sensorimotor experiences. In this thesis, my primary aim was to investigate whether the mental representation of gender stereotypes is related to sensorimotor experiences associated with space. In a series of experiments, I asked participants to complete a spatial task and categorise as quickly as possible which person (one female name; one male name) of two vertically displayed on the screen (top and bottom) was socially powerful or powerless. As predicted, stereotypically constructed power-gender associations involved simulations of males as powerful at the top as opposed to females as powerful at the top. This was specific to spatial location, as males as powerful, but not females, were chosen faster at the top than at the bottom. Further, I replicated the above findings using pupillometry. Additional mechanisms as well as consequences of spatial simulations were further examined. I found that spatial simulations in gender-power associations are dependent on simultaneous power and gender salience. Finally, I demonstrate that spatial features involved in the representation of gender stereotypes have consequences for gender perceptions by promoting stereotype-consistent thinking. Altogether, my studies show that the representation of power and gender involves spatial simulations that are influenced by stereotypic thinking. When making judgements about power differences, the spatial cues and socially constructed stereotypical beliefs compete for activation to accomplish conceptual integration and produce meaning. Such findings imply that mental representations of stereotype-consistent knowledge are more pronounced as they involve concrete spatial simulations.
Ranking and Clustering Software Cost Estimation Models through a Multiple Comparisons Algorithm

Software Cost Estimation can be described as the process of predicting the most realistic effort required to complete a software project. Due to the strong relationship of accurate effort estimations with many crucial project management activities, the research community has been focused on the development and application of a vast variety of methods and models trying to improve the estimation procedure. From the diversity of methods emerged the need for comparisons to determine the best model. However, the inconsistent results brought to light significant doubts and uncertainty about the appropriateness of the comparison process in experimental studies. Overall, there exist several potential sources of bias that have to be considered in order to reinforce the confidence of experiments. In this paper, we propose a statistical framework based on a multiple comparisons algorithm in order to rank several cost estimation models, identifying those which have significant differences in accuracy, and clustering them in nonoverlapping groups. The proposed framework is applied in a large-scale setup of comparing 11 prediction models over six datasets. The results illustrate the benefits and the significant information obtained through the systematic comparison of alternative methods.
Increase in Dickkopf-1 Serum Level in Recent Spondyloarthritis. Data from the DESIR Cohort

Objectives To investigate DKK-1 and SOST serum levels among patients with recent inflammatory back pain (IBP) fulfilling ASAS criteria for SpA and associated factors. Methods The DESIR cohort is a prospective, multicenter French cohort of 708 patients with early IBP (duration >3 months and <3 years) suggestive of AxSpA. DKK-1 and SOST serum levels were assessed at baseline and were compared between the subgroup of patients fulfilling ASAS criteria for SpA (n = 486; 68.6%) and 80 healthy controls. Results Mean SOST serum levels were lower in ASAS+ patients than healthy controls (49.21 ± 25.9 vs. 87.8 ± 26 pmol/L; p<0.0001). In multivariate analysis, age (p = 5.4 10−9), CRP level (p<0.0001) and serum DKK-1 level (p = 0.001) were associated with SOST level. Mean DKK-1 serum levels were higher in axial SpA patients than controls (30.03 ± 15.5 vs. 11.6 ± 4.2 pmol/L; p<0.0001). In multivariate analysis, DKK-1 serum levels were associated with male gender (p = 0.03), CRP level (p = 0.006), SOST serum level (p = 0.002) and presence of sacroiliitis on radiography (p = 0.05). Genetic association testing of 10 SNPs encompassing the DKK-1 locus failed to demonstrate a significant contribution of genetics to control of DKK-1 serum levels. Conclusions DKK-1 serum levels were increased and SOST levels were decreased among a large cohort of patients with early axial SpA compared to healthy controls. DKK-1 serum levels were mostly associated with biological inflammation and SOST serum levels.
Performance Analysis of Dense SCNs with Generalized Shadowing/Fading and NLOS/LOS Transmissions

In this paper, we propose a unified framework to analyze the performance of dense small cell networks (SCNs) in terms of the coverage probability and the area spectral efficiency (ASE). A practical path loss model incorporating both non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and line-of-sight (LOS) transmissions has been considered in our analysis. Moreover, we adopt a generalized shadowing/fading model, in which log-normal shadowing and/or Rayleigh fading can be treated in a unified framework. The coverage probability and the ASE are derived, using a generalized stochastic geometry analysis based on a transformed Poisson point process (PPP). Using the analysis, we show for the first time that depending on the intensity of the BSs, the performance of the SCNs can be divided into four different regimes, i.e., the noise-limited regime, the signal NLOS-to-LOS-transition regime, the interference NLOS-to-LOS-transition regime and the dense interference-limited regime, where in each regime the performance is dominated by different factors. The analysis helps to understand as the intensity of the BSs grows continually, which dominant factor that determines the cellular network performance and therefore provide guidance on the design and management of the cellular networks as we evolve into dense SCNs.
Implicit Perceptual Anticipation Triggered by Statistical Learning

Our environments are highly regular in terms of when and where objects appear relative to each other. Statistical learning allows us to extract and represent these regularities, but how this knowledge is used by the brain during ongoing perception is unclear. We used rapid event-related fMRI to measure hemodynamic responses to individual visual images in a continuous stream that contained sequential contingencies. Sixteen human observers encountered these statistical regularities while performing an unrelated cognitive task, and were unaware of their existence. Nevertheless, the right anterior hippocampus showed greater hemodynamic responses to predictive stimuli, providing evidence for implicit anticipation as a consequence of unsupervised statistical learning. Hippocampal anticipation based on predictive stimuli correlated with subsequent processing of the predicted stimuli in occipital and parietal cortex, and anticipation in additional brain regions correlated with facilitated object recognition as reflected in behavioral priming. Additional analyses suggested that implicit perceptual anticipation does not contribute to explicit familiarity, but can result in predictive potentiation of category-selective ventral visual cortex. Overall, these findings show that future-oriented processing can arise incidentally during the perception of statistical regularities.
Experimental evaluation for IPv6 over VANET geographic routing

Vehicular communication is an important part of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Geographic routing in vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is becoming an interesting topic to deliver safety messages between cars but also between a car and a roadside infrastructure within a designated destination area. The Car2Car Communication Consortium specified C2CNet architecture as a geographic routing protocol. The results of GeoNet project are presented in the paper, which aims at combining IPv6 networking and C2CNet. The system with IPv6 and C2CNet is designed and implemented in Linux. The prototype implementation is first evaluated indoor testbed with the fixed positions. Then it is evaluated in the field testbed with three vehicles with various scenarios. For evaluation in field testbed, we have developed the AnaVANET evaluation tool to perform the evaluation taking into account all of geographic factors.
Linear MMSE interference suppression in asynchronous random-CDMA

This paper considers interference suppression, based on linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) filtering, in random code-division multiple-access (random-CDMA) systems such as IS-95 and wideband-CDMA using long pseudo-noise (PN) sequences. It examines the design of the MMSE receiver and its performance in terms of probability of bit error (P/sub e/). Expressions for P/sub e/ are derived for systems with multiple bit rates (and spreading factors), variable signal powers and chip pulse shaping. Numerical examples show substantial P/sub e/ gains in systems with one to two high-powered users and square-root raised cosine (Sqrt-RC) pulse shaping with 100% excess bandwidth.
Marriage as a Rat Race: Noisy Premarital Investments with Assortative Matching

We study the efficiency of premarital investments when parents care about their child’s marriage prospects, in a large frictionless marriage market with nontransferable utility. Stochastic returns to investment ensure that equilibrium is unique. We find that, generically, investments exceed the Pareto-efficient level, unless the sexes are symmetric in all respects. Girls will invest more than boys if their quality shocks are less variable than shocks for boys or if they are the abundant sex. The unique equilibrium in our continuum agent model is the limit of the equilibria of finite models, as the number of agents tends to infinity.
Knowledge, attitude and Perception Regarding Risk Factors of Overweight and Obesity Among Secondary School Students in Ikeja Local Government Area, Nigeria

Context: Childhood obesity has risen dramatically in the last four decades. Childhood obesity is likely to continue through adulthood and increases the risk of non-communicable diseases later in life. Aims: This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and perception of the secondary school students in Ikeja local government, Lagos state towards the risk factors of overweight and obesity. Methods and Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out using a structured questionnaire administered on consenting participants. The completed questionnaires collected from the participants was then analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 6.6% and 1.4%. Overall knowledge (<50%) of students regarding the risk factors of overweight and obesity was very low. Majority of the students (97.4%) do daily exercise, 48.4% spend at least 30 minutes doing exercise daily. However, 62.0% watching television, 18.7% play video games, and 35.8% sleep for more than 8 hours daily. Participants also showed negative perception towards the effects of overweight and obesity. There was a significant association between age, gender, class, and body mass with knowledge, attitude, and perception of respondents towards risk factors and effects of overweight and obesity (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Despite the low prevalence of overweight and obesity, low knowledge, poor attitude and negative perception regarding risk factors of overweight and obesity, the majority of the students perceived regular exercise as an important means of reducing overweight and obesity.
Thermal Emission from Bare Quark Matter Surfaces of Hot Strange Stars

We consider the thermal emission of photons and e+e- pairs from the bare quark surface of a hot strange star. The radiation of high-energy (≳20 MeV) equilibrium photons prevails at the surface temperature TS ≳ 5 × 1010 K, while below this temperature, 8 × 108 K ≲ TS < 5 × 1010 K, emission of e+e- pairs created by the Coulomb barrier at the quark surface dominates. The thermal luminosity of a hot strange star in both photons and e+e- pairs is estimated.
Chemical differentiation along the CepA-East outflows

We present the results of a multiline survey at mm-wavelengths of the Cepheus A star forming region. Four main flows have been identified: three pointing in the SW, NE, and SE directions and accelerating high density CS clumps. The fourth outflow, revealed by high-sensitivity HDO observations, is pointing towards South and is associated with conditions particularly favourable to a chemical enrichment. The analysis of the line profiles shows that the SiO molecule dominates at the highest velocities and at the highest excitation conditions, confirming its close association with shocks. H2S, SO2, and SO preferentially trace more quiescent regions than SiO, and in particular a lack of bright H2S emission at the highest velocities is found. OCS and H2CS emit at quite high velocities, where the abundances of three shock tracers like SiO, CH3OH, and HDO are higher. These results may indicate that H2S is not the only major sulphur carrier in the grain mantles, and that OCS and H2CS may probably play an important role on the grains; or that alternatively they rapidly form once the mantle is evaporated after the passage of a shock. Finally, the outflow peak emission has been compared with recent time-dependent sulphur chemistry models: the results indicate that, if associated with accurate measurements of the physical conditions, the CH3OH/H2CS column density ratio can be used as an effective chemical clock to date the age of shocked gas.
Practical Construction Against Theoretical Approach in Fingerprinting

We consider fingerprinting under collusion attacks in the Hamming space. To model the attacks we use the framework of Somekh-Baruch and Merhav, IEEE Trans, on Inf. Th.9 vol. 51(3), 2005. We construct a family of fingerprinting codes efficient against coalition of arbitrary size. Using this family, tracing dishonest users can be done without error and in polynomial time. The number of users is exponential in the length. The proposed construction relies on centered error correcting codes. Our results have an amazing relation with an upper bound on the number of users derived by Somekh-Baruch and Merhav: dropping two assumptions that they used we construct codes beating their bound
A Doppler Map and Mass-ratio Constraint for the Black-Hole X-ray Nova Ophiuchi 1977

We have reanalyzed Keck observations of Nova Oph 1977 to extend the work done by Filippenko et al. (1997), who recently determined a mass function f(M_x) = 4.86 +/- 0.13 M_o for the compact object. We constrain the rotational broadening, v sin i < 79 km/s, at the 90% confidence level, which gives a mass ratio q < 0.053. The K-type companion star of Nova Oph 1977 contributes 28-37% of the light at red wavelengths. The abnormal LiI 6708 absorption line from the companion star is not detected (EW < 0.12 A), in contrast to four other X-ray binaries. An Halpha Doppler image of the system shows emission from the companion star in addition to the accretion disk.
Effectiveness of approaches to stimulate critical thinking in social work curricula

ABSTRACT The development of critical thinking is an essential aim in social work curricula, similar to all higher education programmes. Learning environments that effectively stimulate the development of critical thinking are hence of key importance. This paper starts with a small-scale review of the empirical research on learning environments in social work that aims at developing critical thinking in view of gaining insight in the effectiveness of the used approaches. The results indicate that almost all studies had learning environments combining approaches. The review also points at the limited number of empirically sound studies on critical thinking in social work curricula. Therefore, a research agenda is proposed, in order to improve the understanding of critical thinking education within social work and beyond.
Water Distribution in Africa: The Behavioral Relevance of Scarcity and Social Status

Making use of a repeated distribution game experiment, we investigate how African peasants distribute and enforce water access in irrigation schemes. Two questions are addressed. First, we investigate the influence of scarcity by comparing a treatment with abundant water availability with a treatment where water is insufficient for both players to reach a minimum production threshold. Second, we study to what extent social status influences distribution and enforcement of water access. For this, we complement the experimental data with data from a social status ranking exercise.
Cerebral MR venography: normal anatomy and potential diagnostic pitfalls.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE MR venography is often used to examine the intracranial venous system, particularly in the evaluation of dural sinus thrombosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of MR venography in the depiction of the normal intracranial venous anatomy and its variants, to assess its potential pitfalls in the diagnosis of dural venous sinus thrombosis, and to compare the findings with those of conventional catheter angiography. METHODS Cerebral MR venograms obtained in 100 persons with normal MR imaging studies were reviewed to determine the presence or absence of the dural sinuses and major intracranial veins. RESULTS Systematic review of the 100 cases revealed transverse sinus flow gaps in 31% of the cases, with 90% of these occurring in the nondominant transverse sinus and 10% in the codominant transverse sinuses. No flow gaps occurred in the dominant transverse sinuses. The superior sagittal and straight sinuses were seen in every venogram; the occipital sinus was seen in only 10%. The vein of Galen and internal cerebral veins were also seen in every case; the basal veins of Rosenthal were present in 91%. CONCLUSIONS Transverse sinus flow gaps can be observed in as many as 31% of patients with normal MR imaging findings; these gaps should not be mistaken for dural sinus thrombosis.
Compressive Sensing Reconstruction of Correlated Images Using Joint Regularization

This letter proposes a novel compressive sensing reconstruction method for correlated images by using joint regularization, where a compensation-based adaptive total variation (CATV) regularization and a multi-image nonlocal low-rank (MNLR) regularization are included. In CATV, local weights are assigned to the residual values in the gradient domain so as to constrain the regularization strength at each pixel. In MNLR, the search of similar patches goes across different images so that both self-similarity and inter-image similarity are explored. Afterward, an efficient algorithm is proposed to solve the joint formulation, using a Split-Bregman-based technique. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated with experiments on both multiview images and video sequences.
Real-time eye pupil localization using Hough regression forest

Eyes are one of the most salient features of the human face, and the location of the pupil allows access to important information which can be used in several computer vision applications. Several commercial eye-trackers can estimate with good accuracy the pupil location, but need complex hardware specifications and a controlled user environment (high eye image resolution, good illumination, small head pose variations) making these solutions difficult to use in an arbitrary environment. In this paper, we present an approach based on Hough randomized regression trees. We demonstrate, by several evaluations on challenging public datasets that our approach is very robust to illumination, scale, eye movements and high head pose variations and yields a significant improvement compared to a wide range of state-of-the-art methods.
On Analyzing User Topic-Specific Platform Preferences Across Multiple Social Media Sites

Topic modeling has traditionally been studied for single text collections and applied to social media data represented in the form of text documents. With the emergence of many social media platforms, users find themselves using different social media for posting content and for social interaction. While many topics may be shared across social media platforms, users typically show preferences of certain social media platform(s) over others for certain topics. Such platform preferences may even be found at the individual level. To model social media topics as well as platform preferences of users, we propose a new topic model known as MultiPlatform-LDA (MultiLDA). Instead of just merging all posts from different social media platforms into a single text collection, MultiLDA keeps one text collection for each social media platform but allowing these platforms to share a common set of topics. MultiLDA further learns the user-specific platform preferences for each topic. We evaluate MultiLDA against TwitterLDA, the state-of-the-art method for social media content modeling, on two aspects: (i) the effectiveness in modeling topics across social media platforms, and (ii) the ability to predict platform choices for each post. We conduct experiments on three real-world datasets from Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr sharing a set of common users. Our experiments results show that the MultiLDA outperforms in both topic modeling and platform choice prediction tasks. We also show empirically that among the three social media platforms, "Daily matters" and "Relationship matters" are dominant topics in Twitter, "Social gathering", "Outing" and "Fashion" are dominant topics in Instagram, and "Music", "Entertainment" and "Fashion" are dominant topics in Tumblr.