Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On nonbinary 3-connected matroids

It is well known that a matroid is binary if and only if it has no minor isomorphic to U2,4, the 4-point line. Extending this result, Bixby proved that every element in a nonbinary connected matroid is in a U2,4minor. The result was further extended by Seymour who showed that every pair of elements in a nonbinary 3-connected matroid is in a U2,4-minor. This paper extends Seymour's theorem by proving that if {x, y, z} is contained in a nonbinary 3-connected matroid M, then either M has a U2,4-minor using {x, y, z}, or M has a minor isomorphic to the rank-3 whirl that uses {x, y, z} as its rim or its spokes.
3D Finite Element Study on: Bar Splinted Implants Supporting Partial Denture in the Reconstructed Mandible

AIM: This study aimed to estimate the stress patterns induced by the masticatory loads on a removable prosthesis supported and retained by bar splinted implants placed in the reconstructed mandible with two different clip materials and without clip, in the fibula-jaw bone and prosthesis using finite element analysis. METHODS: Two 3D finite element models were constructed, that models components were modeled on commercial CAD/CAM software then assembled into finite element package. Vertical loads were applied simulating the masticatory forces unilaterally in the resected site and bilaterally in the central fossa of the lower first molar as 100N (tension and compression). Analysis was based on the assumption full osseointegration between different types of bones, and between implants and fibula while fixing the top surface of the TMJ in place. RESULTS: The metallic bar connecting the three implants is insensitive to the clips material. Its supporting implants showed typical behavior with maximum stress values at the neck region. Fibula and jaw bone showed stresses within physiologic, while clips material effect seems to be very small due to its relatively small size. CONCLUSION: Switching loading force direction from tensile to compression did-not change the stresses and deformations distribution, but reversed their sign from positive to negative.
An empirical analysis of the effects of juvenile offender placement in adult facilities on recidivism rates

Over time, efforts have been aimed at protecting the public while at the same time resocializing young people who have entered the juvenile justice system. However, once they have entered, the juvenile justice system is putting young offenders into adult incarceration facilities resulting in them actually becoming worse criminals with higher chances of reoffending. This study demonstrates that not only are juvenile offenders different from adult offenders, they need to be treated as such. This thesis will discuss the ways in which youth offenders are different from adults and use quantitative analyses to show that juveniles incarcerated in adult prisons have a higher recidivism rate, and that juvenile public policy in many different states increases young offenders’ chances of reoffending. I conclude that while juvenile offenders need punishment, they also need to be successfully reintegrated into society. Keeping them out of adult incarceration facilities is one important way to do this.
What Works in Student Retention? All Survey Colleges.

It has been quite some time since ACT has engaged in a comprehensive study of college student retention practices. This study would not have been possible. however, without the earlier efforts of ACT staff members Lee Noel and Susan Cowart, who conducted " What Works in Student Retention " studies and published results in 1980 and 1987, respectively. And, this study could not have been completed without the continuing support of Jon Erickson, ACT Vice President of Educational Services. No study of this magnitude could be achieved without efforts of a multitalented team. The staff of ACT's Survey Research Area, directed by Michael Valiga, was the backbone of this team: supportive, creative, thorough, and responsive. Specific thanks go to the following people: • Peggy Loveless provided statistical analysis and responded promptly to requests for just one more data run. • Vi Bitterman managed a multilevel, complex mailing and return strategy. • Elizabeth McBride, who handled data entry and far more, had the magical ability to massage, manipulate, and mine the database to produce a never-ending stream of charts and tables. • Randy McClanahan (co-author) contributed to all phases of this study: she was instrumental in the design of the survey; she supervised the data collection; she wrote the review of the literature assembled the bibliography; and she critiqued the manuscript mercilessly and necessarily. In an undertaking of this scope, one could not ask for a better colleague. Deb Anderson is responsible for the production of the final manuscript. Whether interpreting my scribbled notes, gently suggesting changes that should have been obvious, adjusting layout of tables, or producing countless drafts, Deb has been unflappable, unerring and essentially my right arm. Finally, I acknowledge the readers of this report, particularly those who recognize that there is much at stake and much to be done if college students are to be successful. If this report in some small way provides a stimulus and creates a resolve to for you to enhance campus retention practices, then it will have served its purpose. This report reflects ACT's three-decade commitment to assist colleges and universities to better understand the impact of campus practices on college student retention and degree completion. During that time, ACT has conducted many research projects that demonstrate that commitment. Below are selected examples of this effort. Six National Surveys on Academic Advising Practices ACT believes that academic advising plays a pivotal role …
High temperature requirement A1 in placental tissues and serum from pre-eclamptic pregnancies with or without fetal growth restriction

Introduction Pre-eclampsia (PE) is the most serious syndrome of human pregnancy and it is potentially life-threatening for both mother and fetus. The aim of the study was to identify the role of high temperature requirement A1 (HtrA1) in pre-eclampsia. Material and methods One hundred consecutive pregnancies complicated by PE and 100 normal controls were included in our study. The changes in serum HtrA1 and fetal growth restriction were recorded. The placentae after delivery was also obtained for laboratory analyses. Results High temperature requirement A1 expressed positively in all placenta tissues, but showed higher expression from control, PE with AGA (pre-eclamptic pregnancies with appropriate-for-gestational-age newborns) to PE with fetal growth restriction (FGR) groups. Early-onset PE happened more frequently while in PE with AGA, late-onset PE was more common. Additionally, we found that only during ∼28-32 gestational weeks, sera HtrA1 level of PE with AGA and PE with FGR was increased significantly compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In contrast, there was no significant difference between groups in other gestational ages in the third trimester (p > 0.05). Conclusions HtrA1 could potentially affect trophoblast migration and invasion during placentation, resulting in the shallow invasion noted in pre-eclampsia. HtrA1 may play an important role in the etiology and severity of PE and FGR. But the actual mechanism still needs deep research.
The Moderating effect of Espoused Cultural Dimensions on Consumer's Intention to Use Mobile Payment Devices

Prior research in cross-cultural studies in technology adoption has mainly focused on national cultural level and conducted in western countries. This paper examines the impact of espoused national cultural values on consumer’s intention to use mobile payment devices using the UTAUT and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as the basis for the research framework. The moderating effect of espoused uncertainty avoidance, espoused power distance, espoused collectivism, and espoused masculinity were examined. A Structural Equation Model using a convenience sample from Qatar population was used to test the model. Performance expectancy, social influence, and perceived information security have direct significant effects on consumer’s behavioral intention to use the MPD. The espoused national cultural values of uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and collectivism have moderating effects on the hypothesized relationships. For example, social influence is a stronger predictor of consumer’s intention for individuals who espouse collectivism cultural values.
Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness

Mindfulness—as a state, trait, process, type of meditation, and intervention has proven to be beneficial across a diverse group of psychological disorders as well as for general stress reduction. Yet, there remains a lack of clarity in the operationalization of this construct, and underlying mechanisms. Here, we provide an integrative theoretical framework and systems-based neurobiological model that explains the mechanisms by which mindfulness reduces biases related to self-processing and creates a sustainable healthy mind. Mindfulness is described through systematic mental training that develops meta-awareness (self-awareness), an ability to effectively modulate one's behavior (self-regulation), and a positive relationship between self and other that transcends self-focused needs and increases prosocial characteristics (self-transcendence). This framework of self-awareness, -regulation, and -transcendence (S-ART) illustrates a method for becoming aware of the conditions that cause (and remove) distortions or biases. The development of S-ART through meditation is proposed to modulate self-specifying and narrative self-networks through an integrative fronto-parietal control network. Relevant perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral neuropsychological processes are highlighted as supporting mechanisms for S-ART, including intention and motivation, attention regulation, emotion regulation, extinction and reconsolidation, prosociality, non-attachment, and decentering. The S-ART framework and neurobiological model is based on our growing understanding of the mechanisms for neurocognition, empirical literature, and through dismantling the specific meditation practices thought to cultivate mindfulness. The proposed framework will inform future research in the contemplative sciences and target specific areas for development in the treatment of psychological disorders.
Applied Soft Computing a Comparative Study between Dynamic Adapted Pso and Vns for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Dynamic Requests

Keywords: Vehicle routing problem (VRP) Dynamic vehicle routing problem (DVRP) Degree of dynamism (dod) Particle swarm optimization (PSO) Variable neighborhood search (VNS) Adaptive memory Performance measures for dynamic problems a b s t r a c t Combinatorial optimization problems are usually modeled in a static fashion. In this kind of problems, all data are known in advance, i.e. before the optimization process has started. However, in practice, many problems are dynamic, and change while the optimization is in progress. For example, in the dynamic vehicle routing problem (DVRP), new orders arrive when the working day plan is in progress. In this case, routes must be reconfigured dynamically while executing the current simulation. The DVRP is an extension of a conventional routing problem, its main interest being the connection to many real word applications (repair services, courier mail services, dial-a-ride services, etc.). In this article, a DVRP is examined, and solving methods based on particle swarm optimization and variable neighborhood search paradigms are proposed. The performance of both approaches is evaluated using a new set of benchmarks that we introduce here as well as existing benchmarks in the literature. Finally, we measure the behavior of both methods in terms of dynamic adaptation.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AS A DETERMINING FACTOR IN BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS

Unstable market conditions caused by innovation and increasing intensity and diversity of competition have resulted in organizational capabilities rather than served markets becoming the primary basis upon which firms establish their long-term strategies. If the most important resource from a strategic point of view is knowledge, then the essential organizational capacity of the company will be the generation, integration and institutionalization of knowledge through continuous learning processes. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyze the contribution of learning to the achievement of competitive advantages. First of all, the literature on organizational learning is reviewed the aim being to clarify its distinctive characteristics. Secondly, the relationship, within an empirical scope, between organization learning and business performance is analyzed. In order to do that, a causal model contrasted from a sample of Spanish companies by means of structural equations is proposed. This model establishes that organizational learning contributes positively both to customer and employee satisfaction and to economic/financial results.
The chronic kidney disease self-efficacy (CKD-SE) instrument: development and psychometric evaluation.

BACKGROUND Self-management has been associated with positive health outcomes among adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Perceived disease-related self-efficacy (DSE) is considered a critical component in the successful self-management of chronic disease. A valid and reliable instrument for measuring CKD patients' self-efficacy is needed. This study aims to develop and test a new instrument to measure the DSE of patients with early stage CKD. METHODS A total of 594 Taiwanese patients with early stage CKD recruited from two medical centers and one regional hospital in southern Taiwan completed the questionnaire. The CKD self-efficacy (CKD-SE) was evaluated using exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and measures of reliability. RESULTS EFA identified four distinct factors with loadings ranging from 0.557 to 0.970: autonomy, self-integration, problem solving and seeking social support, accounting for 64.348% of the total variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.843 to 0.901. CONCLUSION This promising 25-item CKD-SE instrument can be used for the early identification of patients with low DSE, thus allowing the development of interventions to help these patients attain an appropriate level of DSE.
Computing Story Trees

A theory of understanding (parsing) texts as a process of collecting simple textual propositions into thematically and causally related units is described, based on the concept of macrostructures as proposed by Kintsch and van Dijk. These macrostructures are organized into tree hierarchies, and their interrelationships are described in rule-based story grammars related to the Kowalski logic based on Horn clauses. A procedure for constructing and synthesizing such trees from semantic network forms is detailed. The implementation of this procedure is capable of understanding and summarizing any story it can generate using the same basic control structure.
Modelling Class Noise with Symmetric and Asymmetric Distributions

In classification problem, we assume that the samples around the class boundary are more likely to be incorrectly annotated than others, and propose boundary-conditional class noise (BCN). Based on the BCN assumption, we use unnormalized Gaussian and Laplace distributions to directly model how class noise is generated, in symmetric and asymmetric cases. In addition, we demonstrate that Logistic regression and Probit regression can also be reinterpreted from this class noise perspective, and compare them with the proposed models. The empirical study shows that, the proposed asymmetric models overall outperform the benchmark linear models, and the asymmetric Laplace-noise model achieves the best performance among all.
Information Risk and Underwriter Switching in SEOs: Evidence from China

In this paper we examine whether information risk affects underwriter switching in a seasoned equity offering (SEO) process. Building on previous research, we hypothesize that SEO firms and underwriters associate with one another by mutual choice, and firms with a low degree of information risk tend to match up with prestigious underwriters. Using a sample of SEO firms in China and employing accruals quality as a proxy of information risk, we find evidence consistent with our hypothesis: the information risk and the initial public offering (IPO) underwriters' reputation at the time of the SEO jointly determine the probability that the firms will switch their underwriters. A mismatch between information risk and underwriter reputation increases the probability of an underwriter switching. Furthermore, if the firms decide to switch underwriters, then a lower degree of information risk is associated with a greater likelihood of changing to a more reputable underwriter. We also find that the relationship between information risk and the choice of underwriter reputation primarily exists in non-state-controlled companies. Copyright (c) 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Interobserver variation of prostatic volume estimation with digital rectal examination by urological staffs with different experiences.

PURPOSE To compare the accuracy of estimating prostatic volume with digital rectal examination (DRE) by urological staffs with different experiences. Measurement of prostatic volume with transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) serves as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-nine consecutive male patients admitted with acute urinary retention had their prostatic volume estimated with DRE by a urology junior trainee, a urology higher trainee and a trained urologist. All patients had TRUS to measure their prostatic volumes. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were used to assess the relationships between the prostatic volume measured with TRUS and that estimated with DRE by the 3 urological staffs. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests were used to compare the discrepancies between the prostatic volume measured with TRUS and that estimated with DRE for the 3 Urological staffs, and to assess the inter-observer differences of these discrepancies. RESULTS The correlation coefficients for the 3 urological staffs were r = 0.573 for the urology junior trainee, r = 0.541 for the urology higher trainee, and r = 0.640 for the trained urologist. The median discrepancies between the prostatic volume measured with TRUS and that estimated with DRE were -9.1 mL for the urology junior trainee, -1.3 mL for the urology higher trainee and 0.9 mL for the trained urologist. These discrepancies were statistically significant only in the case of urology junior trainee (p = 0.015, Wilcoxon signed ranks test). The difference in these discrepancies was statistically significant only between the urology junior trainee and the trained urologist (p = 0.003, Wilcoxon signed ranks test). CONCLUSIONS The trained urologist was more accurate in estimating prostatic volume with DRE than the urology junior trainee.
Adaptive Normalized Quasi-Newton Algorithms for Extraction of Generalized Eigen-Pairs and Their Convergence Analysis

The main contributions of this paper are to propose and analyze fast and numerically stable adaptive algorithms for the generalized Hermitian eigenvalue problem (GHEP), which arises in many signal processing applications. First, for given explicit knowledge of a matrix pencil, we formulate two novel deterministic discrete-time (DDT) systems for estimating the generalized eigen-pair (eigenvector and eigenvalue) corresponding to the largest/smallest generalized eigenvalue. By characterizing a generalized eigen-pair as a stationary point of a certain function, the proposed DDT systems can be interpreted as natural combinations of the normalization and quasi-Newton steps for finding the solution. Second, we present adaptive algorithms corresponding to the proposed DDT systems. Moreover, we establish rigorous analysis showing that, for a step size within a certain range, the sequence generated by the DDT systems converges to the orthogonal projection of the initial estimate onto the generalized eigensubspace corresponding to the largest/smallest generalized eigenvalue. Numerical examples demonstrate the practical applicability and efficacy of the proposed adaptive algorithms.
Disentangling Chat with Local Coherence Models

We evaluate several popular models of local discourse coherence for domain and task generality by applying them to chat disentanglement. Using experiments on synthetic multiparty conversations, we show that most models transfer well from text to dialogue. Coherence models improve results overall when good parses and topic models are available, and on a constrained task for real chat data.
Characterization of the Duffy-Binding-Like Domain of Plasmodium falciparum Blood-Stage Antigen 332

Studies on Pf332, a major Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage antigen, have largely been hampered by the cross-reactive nature of antibodies generated against the molecule due to its high content of repeats, which are present in other malaria antigens. We previously reported the identification of a conserved domain in Pf332 with a high degree of similarity to the Duffy-binding-like (DBL) domains of the erythrocyte-binding-like (EBL) family. We here describe that antibodies towards Pf332-DBL are induced after repeated exposure to P. falciparum and that they are acquired early in life in areas of intense malaria transmission. Furthermore, a homology model of Pf332-DBL was found to be similar to the structure of the EBL-DBLs. Despite their similarities, antibodies towards Pf332-DBL did not display any cross-reactivity with EBL-proteins as demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy, Western blotting, and peptide microarray. Thus the DBL domain is an attractive region to use in further studies on the giant Pf332 molecule.
Simulations of biomass dynamics in community food webs

Food webs are the backbone upon which biomass flows through ecosystems. Dynamical models of biomass can reveal how the structure of food webs is involved in many key ecosystem properties, such as persistence, stability, etc. In this contribution, we present BioEnergeticFoodWebs, an implementation of Yodzis & Innes (1992) bio-energetic model, in the high-performance computing language Julia. We illustrate how this package can be used to conduct numerical experiments in a reproducible and standard way. A reference implementation of this widely used model will ease reproducibility and comparison of results across studies.
Novel a‐Si:H TFT pixel circuit for electrically stable top‐anode light‐emitting AMOLEDs

Abstract— A novel pixel circuit for electrically stable AMOLEDs with an a‐Si:H TFT backplane and top‐anode organic light‐emitting diode is reported. The proposed pixel circuit is composed of five a‐Si:H TFTs, and it does not require any complicated drive ICs. The OLED current compensation for drive TFT threshold voltage variation has been verified using SPICE simulations.