Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robotic data mules for collecting data over sparse sensor fields

We present a robotic system for collecting data from wireless devices dispersed across a large environment. In such applications, deploying a network of stationary wireless sensors may be infeasible because many relay nodes must be deployed to ensure connectivity. Instead, our system utilizes robots that act as data mules and gather the data from wireless sensor network nodes. We address the problem of planning paths of multiple robots so as to collect the data from all sensors in the shortest time. In this new routing problem, which we call the data gathering problem (DGP), the total download time depends on not only the robots' travel time but also the time to download data from a sensor and the number of sensors assigned to the robot. We start with a special case of DGP in which the robots' motion is restricted to a curve that contains the base station at one end. For this version, we present an optimal algorithm. Next, we study the two‐dimensional version and present a constant factor approximation algorithm for DGP on the plane. Finally, we present field experiments in which an autonomous robotic data mule collects data from the nodes of a wireless sensor network deployed over a large field. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An input-output clustering approach for structure identification of T-S fuzzy neural networks

This paper proposes a novel input-output clustering approach for structure identification of T-S fuzzy neural networks. This approach consists of two phases. Firstly, k-means clustering method is applied to the input data to provide the initial clusters of the input space. Secondly, check whether the sub-clustering is needed for each input cluster by considering the corresponding output variation and then apply the k-means method to further partition those input clusters needed sub-clustering. Applying the above process recursively leads to the structure identification of a T-S fuzzy neural network and then the parameter identification is completed by using the gradient learning algorithm. The experiments by applying the proposed method to several benchmark problems show better performance compared with many existing methods and then verify the effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed method.
Selenite Enhances Immune Response against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 via SKN-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans

Background Selenium (Se) is an important nutrient that carries out many biological processes including maintaining optimal immune function. Here, inorganic selenite (Se(IV)) was evaluated for its pathogen resistance and potential-associated factors in Caenorhabditis elegans. The immune effects of Se(IV) were investigated by examining the responses of C. elegans to Pseudomonas aerugonisa PA14 strain. Principal Findings Se(IV)-treated C. elegans showed increased survival under PA14 infection compared with untreated controls. The significant pathogen resistance of Se(IV) on C. elegans might not be attributed to the effects of Se(IV) on PA14 as Se(IV) showed no effect on bacterial quorum-sensing and virulence factors of PA14. This study showed that Se(IV) enhanced the expression of a gene pivotal for the innate immunity in C. elegans. The study found that the pathogen-resistant phenotypes contributed by Se(IV) was absent from the skn-1 mutant worms. Moreover, Se(IV) influenced the subcellular distribution of SKN-1/Nrf in C. elegans upon PA14 infection. Furthermore, Se(IV) increased mRNA levels of SKN-1 target genes (gst-4 and gcs-1). Conclusions This study found evidence of Se(IV) protecting C. elegans against P. aeruginosa PA14 infection by exerting effects on the innate immunity of C. elegans that is likely mediated via regulation of a SKN-1-dependent signaling pathway.
CXC motif chemokine receptor 4 gene polymorphism and cancer risk

Background: Previous epidemiological studies have reported the relationship between CXC motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) synonymous polymorphism (rs2228014), and risk of cancer, but the results remained conflicting and controversial. Therefore, this study was devised to evaluate the genetic effects of the rs2228014 polymorphism on cancer risk in a large meta-analysis. Methods: The computer-based databases (EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed) were searched for all relevant studies evaluating rs2228014 and susceptibility to cancer. In the analysis, pooled odds ratios (ORs) with its corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in 5 genetic models to assess the genetic risk. Egger regression and Begg funnel plots test were conducted to appraise the publication bias. Results: Data on rs2228014 polymorphism and overall cancer risk were available for 3684 cancer patients and 5114 healthy controls participating in 11 studies. Overall, a significantly increased risk of cancer was associated with rs2228014 polymorphism in homozygote model (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.22–3.33) and in recessive model (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.23–3.16). When stratified by ethnicity, the results were positive only in Asian populations (heterozygote model: OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.13–1.65; homozygote model: OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.21–4.91; dominant model: OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.13–1.90; recessive model: OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.13–4.48; and allele model: OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.10–1.99). Besides, in the subgroup analysis by source of control, the result was significant only in population-based control (homozygote model: OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.06–5.40; recessive model: pooled OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.02–4.96). Conclusion: In general, our results first indicated that the rs2228014 polymorphism in CXCR4 gene is correlated with an increased risk of cancer, especially among Asian ethnicity. Large, well-designed epidemiological studies are required to verify the current findings.
Normalization is a general neural mechanism for context-dependent decision making

Understanding the neural code is critical to linking brain and behavior. In sensory systems, divisive normalization seems to be a canonical neural computation, observed in areas ranging from retina to cortex and mediating processes including contrast adaptation, surround suppression, visual attention, and multisensory integration. Recent electrophysiological studies have extended these insights beyond the sensory domain, demonstrating an analogous algorithm for the value signals that guide decision making, but the effects of normalization on choice behavior are unknown. Here, we show that choice models using normalization generate significant (and classically irrational) choice phenomena driven by either the value or number of alternative options. In value-guided choice experiments, both monkey and human choosers show novel context-dependent behavior consistent with normalization. These findings suggest that the neural mechanism of value coding critically influences stochastic choice behavior and provide a generalizable quantitative framework for examining context effects in decision making.
Transtorno do processamento auditivo (central) em indivíduos com e sem dislexia

BACKGROUND: comparison of (central) auditory processing disorders in children with and without dyslexia. AIM: to compare the (central) auditory processing disorders in Brazilian children with and without dyslexia using speech in noise, dichotic digits and pattern of frequency tests. METHOD: forty-five children with ages ranging between 7:0 and 12:11 years were assessed; twenty children composed the dyslexic group and twenty composed the (Central) auditory processing disorder group. The tests used involved closing aural, auditory figure-ground and temporal ordering abilities. RESULTS: individuals of the (Central) auditory processing disorder group presented a higher alteration probability in the speech in noise and dichotic digits tests than those from the dyslexic group. CONCLUSION: subjects from the dyslexic group presented different patterns of (central) auditory processing disorder, with greater alteration in the tests that evaluate the temporal processing when compared to the tests that evaluate other auditory abilities.
Evidence of Predictability in Hedge Fund Returns and Multi-Style Multi-Class Tactical Style Allocation Decisions

While there has been a significant amount of research on the predictability of traditional asset classes, very little is known about the predictability of returns emanating from alternative vehicles such as hedge funds. This is perhaps surprising, given that significant attempts at structuring the alternative investment markets have occurred over the last decade which now allow investors to implement dynamic trading strategies in hedge fund indexes. This paper attempts to fill this gap by documenting evidence of predictability in hedge fund index returns, focusing on their use for tactical style allocation decisions. Using data from nine CSFB-Tremont hedge fund indexes, we find that there is strong evidence of very significant predictability in hedge fund returns. We also find that the benefits in terms of tactical style allocation portfolios are potentially very large. Even more spectacular results are obtained both for an equity-oriented portfolio mixing traditional and alternative investment vehicles, and for a fixed-income oriented portfolio mixing traditional and alternative investment vehicles. These results do not seem to be significantly affected by the presence of reasonably high transaction costs.
Asset Sales to Private Equity Funds : Shareholder Value Maximization on the Sell-Side?

In this paper, we analyze the question of whether companies that sell assets to private equity funds experience higher abnormal returns than companies that sell assets to buyers with strategic interests. Moreover, we investigate whether companies that sell assets to private equity investors have different changes in systematic risks than companies that sell to strategic buyers. Using data for asset sales in Germany, Switzerland and Austria and employing event study methodology, we find that the announcement of asset sales generally generates positive abnormal returns with the transactions where there is a private equity buyer having significantly higher abnormal returns compared to transactions where there is a strategic buyer. On the other hand, we find no evidence of changes in systematic risk, neither for the sample consisting of all transactions nor for the sub-samples of sales to private equity funds and strategic buyers, respectively.
Design and implementation of incremental algorithm for creation of generalized one-sided concept lattices

In this paper we describe incremental algorithm for generalized one-sided concept lattices based on the Galois connections within Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) framework, which allows to analyse object-attribute models with different structures for truth values of attributes. Therefore, this method provide interesting opportunity for researcher or data analyzer to work with any type of attributes without the need for specific unified preprocessing. The result is that such algorithm can be very useful for any object-attribute models with non-homogenous attributes types, what is quite typical in data mining or online analytical tools. Moreover, it allows to create same FCA-based output in form of concept lattice as in any other case with very precise definition of attribute values and their interpretation. Description of algorithm is extended with practical details regarding its implementation and illustrative example based on the real data from analysis of the secondary school learning process.
Profile of Hanwoo Steer Carcass Characteristics, Meat Quality and Fatty Acid Composition after Feeding Italian Ryegrass Silage

The objective of this work was to evaluate the growth performance, feed intake, slaughter characteristics, meat quantity and quality characteristics of Hanwoo steers fed with Italian ryegrass (IRG) silage (TRT). IRG silage consisted 11.70% protein, 2.84% ether extract, 53.50% dry matter digestibility and 63.34% total digestible nutrients. The daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio of TRT were significantly (p<0.01) higher than that of control diet (CON; fed rice straw) in the whole periods. However, the slaughter weight, dressing percentage, quantity grade and quantity traits (marbling score, meat color, fat color, and quality grade) of either TRT or CON were similar. Meat fed TRT diet showed higher crude fat and lightness (L*) value and lower moisture content and pH value compared with the CON diet (p<0.05). Overall the carcass yield was 12.5% higher than CON diet.
Public and Corporate Governance and Young Global Entrepreneurial Firms

Manuscript Type Conceptual Research Question/Issue New ventures are internationalizing their operations from inception. This creates opportunities for growth and profitability. However, early internationalization creates serious challenges for effective governance. This article focuses on two key layers of governance (public and corporate) and how they interact to influence global entrepreneurial young firms, especially those �born globals� that enter foreign markets from inception (e.g., internet companies) or soon after their establishment, also known as early internationalizers. Though established companies also create new businesses dedicated to international business, they differ in fundamental ways from their younger counterparts that venture into international markets. Therefore, in this article, we focus on those global entrepreneurial young companies. We propose that the interaction of public and corporate governance systems has important implications for global entrepreneurial young firms' strategic choices as they seek to position themselves in their markets. Ideally, public and corporate governance systems combine to ensure the viability, survival and success of these firms. Research Findings/Insights Born global and early internationalizing new ventures encounter distinct problems centered on free riding and management of intellectual property. Public governance establishes the essential framework that can guide the resolution of these issues. Corporate governance systems interact with public governance to harmonize the interests of different claimants, especially in disputes that arise across national borders. Corporate governance systems not only ensure effective monitoring of owner-managers but define what they do and how to do it in a highly globalized environment. Theoretical/Academic Implications The article shows how public and corporate governance systems interact over time, determining the fate of global new ventures. It also articulates how these systems define and protect intellectual property rights. The discussion highlights the role of governance in a global marketplace where intangibles define success and failure, pointing out the efficacy of traditional agency theory while underscoring the need for revising its boundaries. Future theorizing should consider diversity of managerial motives, and these motives are influenced by national institutions. As a result, we should not start with the assumption that the interests of firms and owners are perfectly aligned. Practitioner/Policy Implications There is a need to understand the dynamic interplay between public and corporate governance systems, placing a greater focus on value creation across international borders. This interplay defines what managers (owner-managers) do and how they lead their ventures in a global environment, one that is characterized by political and institutional uncertainties. The discussion makes clear that national institutions shape the definition and performance of managerial decisions and roles.
Wage inequalities in France 1976-2004: a quantile regression analysis

This paper studies changes in wage differentials accross education groups for full-time male workers in the French private sector, from 1976 to 2004. We apply quantile regressions to Mincer-type equations to disentangle between- and within-education group wage inequalities, and we describe separately their evolutions. We use a matched dataset of administrative data and Census information, which contains yearly data. Our main results are: (1) the overall wage inequality was stable from 1976 to 1992 and slightly decreased from 1995 to 2004. (2) Within-education group wage inequalities increase with education and are higher across non-vocational degrees than vocational ones. (3) Between-education group wage inequalities increase with experience. (4) The within-education group wage inequalities were rather stable from 1976 to 1992 and decreased between 1995 and 2004, strongly for low levels of experience. (5) The between-education group wage inequalities decreased all over the period, due to decreasing education premiums, particularly for low levels of experience. These results are related to the dramatic evolutions of the French labor market during this period: older cohorts gradually replaced by more educated ones, unemployment and minimum wage rises.
Effect of the thymic factor, thymostimulin (TP-1), on the survival rate of tumor-bearing mice.

The effect of treatment with the thymic factor thymostimulin (TP-1) on the survival rate of tumor-bearing mice was studied, using C57BL/6 mice inoculated with 1 x 10(5) Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) cells. TP-1 given from inoculation day (4 mg/kg, twice weekly) caused a delay in the appearance of primary tumor [14.4 +/- 1.1 (S.E.) days in control; 18.5 +/- 1.4 days in TP-1-treated animals; p less than 0.05], without changing ultimate survival rate. When primary tumor was resected, the incidence of fatal lung metastasis increased as a function of tumor size on resection day. TP-1 given after resection (same dose schedule) significantly increased survival rate as compared to resection only, provided that resected tumor diameter was less than 1.7 mm. The combination of TP-1 and 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU; single i.p. injection, 50 mg/kg) was effective in either resected or nonresected primary tumor. Without resection, TP-1 with CCNU cured (more than 6 months free of tumor; untreated animals died within 30 to 44 days) 55% of the animals, as compared to 23% cured by CCNU alone (p less than 0.01). With resection animal cure rates were: resection (resected tumor diameter, 0.7 to 1.7 mm) alone, 42% cured; resection with CCNU, 47% cured; resection with TP-1, 70% cured; resection with CCNU and TP-1, 100% cured (last two groups significantly different from resection only). The results indicate a profound effect of TP-1 in prolonging life and increasing cure of tumor-bearing mice. This effect was manifested when tumor load was small and was apparently more pronounced on metastatic than on primary tumor.
NONPARAMETRIC METHODS IN COMBINED HETEROSCEDASTIC EXPERIMENTS FOR ASSESSING STABILITY OF WHEAT GENOTYPES IN PAKISTAN

Genotype performance in multienvironment trials (METs) are usually analyzed by parametric analysis of variance (ANOVA) and stability models. The results of these models can give misleading inferences when some sensitive assumptions are not satisfied. In this paper, assumptions of combined ANOVA are scrutinized in detail to justify the validity of use of 5 nonparametric stability methods (Si (1) , Si (2) , Si (3) , Si (6) and YSi (1) , YSi (2) ) applied to 20 genotypes grown in 40 hetroscedastic and nonnormal environments in Pakistan for the year 2004-05. There is a severe heterogeneity problem in the data because the ratio of the largest estimated mean squares error (MSE) for individual environments randomized complete block design (RCBD) to the smallest MSE is approximately (1.00/0.02=50). Out of 40 environments individual coefficients of determination (R 2 ), 27 are less than 0.70. This leads to violation of linearity assumption in the model. Standardized residual plots vs. individual environments plots and normal probability plot are indicators of the violation of homogeneity, normality assumptions and absence of outliers. No linear relationship was established between the natural logs of the error variance and the natural log of environments' mean, which again violates coefficient of variation (CV) assumption. Remedial transformations as suggested in literature were not successful to stabilize environments MSEs and could not normalize the data, so as a last resort in this regard nonparametric stability methods seem to justify the analysis of genotype x environment interactions (GEI). The low values of modified rank-sum statistics YSi (1) and YSi (2) were positively and significantly associated with mean yield but the other nonparametric methods were not correlated with mean yield. The results of principal component analysis and correlation analysis of nonparametric stability methods indicate that the use of modified rank-sum method would be justifiable for simultaneous selection for high yield and stability. Using modified rank-sum method, the genotypes G7, G3, G15, G5 and G12 were found to be the most stable with yield, whereas G14 and G19 were the least stable genotypes.
Biologically Inspired Snake-like Robots

We have developed the snake-like robot since 1972. The body of snake has "the function of an arm" when it holds something by coiling itself and also has "the function of legs" when it moves by creeping. The body of ACM has several functions, which are fulfilled one after another according to the situation. Especially in this paper, it introduces about the various move method realized about the move function using 3-dimensional type ACM, and its feature
Crowding Out Redefined: The Role of Reserve Accumulation

It is well understood that investment serves as a shock absorber at the time of crisis. The duration of the drag on investment, however, is perplexing. For the nine Asian economies we focus on in this study, average investment/GDP is about 6 percentage points lower during 1998-2012 than its average level in the decade before the crisis; if China and India are excluded, the estimated decline exceeds 9 percent. We document how in the wake of crisis home bias in finance usually increases markedly as public and private sectors look inward when external financing becomes prohibitively costly, altogether impossible, or just plain undesirable from a financial stability perspective. Also, previous studies have not made a connection between the sustained reserve accumulation and the persistent and significantly lower levels of investment in the region. Put differently, reserve accumulation involves an official institution (i.e., the central bank) funneling domestic saving abroad and thus competing with domestic borrowers in the market for loanable funds. We suggest a broader definition of crowding out, driven importantly by increased "liability" home bias in finance and by official capital outflows. We present evidence from Asia to support this interpretation.