Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discovering Knowledge in Data: An Introduction to Data Mining

This book is the first volume of a three-volume series on data mining, which introduces the reader to this rapidly growing field. Data mining, which has gained noticeable popularity in the past decade, is essentially an interdisciplinary field bringing together techniques from machine learning, pattern recognition, statistics, databases, and visualization (Cabena et al., 1998) to address the issue of exploring large and complicated databases to identify “interesting” relationships, e.g., high order interactions, or very non-linear relationships that ordinarily would not be detected by standard statistical analyses (Borok, 1997; Szolvits, 1995). This area has been approached by computer scientists and statisticians from slightly different perspectives. The author of the book is a statistician, but has tried to include a computer science theme throughout the book, in which I think he has been successful. As he mentions in the preface, the book is intended to be used either by analysts, managers, and decision makers in industry or as a textbook for an introductory course in data mining for graduate or advanced undergraduate students (in computer science or statistics). Chapter 1 is a short introductory chapter, in which in addition to a brief description of the Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM), several real-world case studies are covered to motivate the topics of subsequent chapters. These case studies are also used to describe the first phase of the CRISPDM process, namely business understanding. Chapters 2 and 3 examine the next two phases of the CRISP-DM process, i.e., data understanding and data preparation. Chapter 2 is on data preprocessing, which is divided into the two major tasks of data cleaning and data transformation. In data cleaning, general methods for handling missing data, identifying misclassified records in the data, and also a graphical method for detecting outliers are described. In the data transformation section, min-max normalization and z-score standardization methods are discussed. A numerical method for detecting outliers based on z-score standardization is also covered. Exploratory data analysis is the topic of Chapter 3, which focuses on data understanding. The chapter begins with making a contrast between hypothesis testing and exploratory data analysis, and is followed by the basic ideas of dealing with correlated variables in the data set. Most of this chapter is dedicated to exploring the variables in a real data set, in which by using several diagrams a number of intuitive approaches for obtaining a high level understanding of the data are proposed.
Feature analysis for the reverberation perception in speech signals

This paper considers the problem of quantifying the reverberation perception on speech signals. We investigate several combinations of three distinct reverberation-related features (namely, the reverberation time (RT), room spectral variance (RSV), and direct-to-reverberant energy ratio (DRR)), which can be extracted directly from the associated room impulse response. Particular attention is also paid on different post-processing nonlinear mappings in order to provide a more effective quality evaluation algorithm. Results indicate that the RSV feature can be completely disregarded if the RT and DRR estimates are properly weighted. Performance of resulting measure is slightly superior in comparison to previous state-of-the-art method, particularly with respect to the computational cost and robustness (by disregarding the RSV estimation), but also on the statistical correlation level with subjective grades of a large dataset of reverberant speech.
Micro-Current Source Generated by a WGM of Light Within a Stacked Silicon-Graphene-Au Waveguide

A micro-current source using the drive electron mobility model is proposed by using the non-linear micro-ring resonator. The system consists of a nonlinear microring resonator known as Panda ring resonator made of InGaAsP/InP. The stacked waveguide (plasmonic island) of silicon-graphene-gold is formed at the center of the Panda ring, through which the whispering gallery mode (WGM) of light can be controlled and generated by the central ring it allows the driven electron mobility within the gold layer that can increase WGM beam acceleration and device current density with respect to the input optical power and ring parameters. The simulation results are obtained using the Opti-wave and MATLAB software programs. Results have shown that the relationship between the input of optical power and driven output current density can be obtained.
Re-Designed Recombinant Hepatitis B Virus Vectors Enable Efficient Delivery of Versatile Cargo Genes to Hepatocytes with Improved Safety

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) takes humans as its sole natural host, and productive infection in vivo is restricted exclusively to hepatocytes in the liver. Consequently, HBV-derived viral vectors are attractive candidates for liver-targeting gene therapies. Previously, we developed a novel recombinant HBV vector, designated 5c3c, from a highly replicative clinical isolate. 5c3c was demonstrated to be capable of efficiently delivering protein or RNA expression into infected primary tupaia hepatocytes (PTH), but the design of 5c3c imposes stringent restrictions on inserted sequences, which have limited its wider adoption. In this work, we addressed issues with 5c3c by re-designing the insertion strategy. The resultant vector, designated 5dCG, was more replicative than parental 5c3c, imposed no specific restrictions on inserted sequences, and allowed insertion of a variety of cargo genes without significant loss of replication efficiency. 5dCG-based recombinant HBV effectively delivered protein and RNA expression into infected PTH. Furthermore, due to the loss of functional core ORF, 5dCG vectors depend on co-infecting wild type HBV for replication and efficient expression of cargo genes. Development of the improved 5dCG vector makes wider applications of recombinant HBV possible, while dependence on co-infecting wild type HBV results in improved safety for certain in vivo applications.
Two-stage control via virtual desired values in soft-fingered manipulation with time delay

This article focuses on the modeling and control in soft-fingered grasping and manipulation. We observed how a pair of 1-DOF fingers, whose fingertips are similar to humans in that they have a soft and hemispherical pad with a buttressing hard back plate, grasped and manipulated a rigid object. Based on the observations, we propose a parallel distributed model that takes into account tangential deformation of the fingertips. Human can grasp and manipulate an object despite of a relatively large delay of several ten milliseconds in the nerve system. We thus propose a two-stage control law via virtual desired angles for soft-fingered grasping and manipulation, and show that the proposed control law works well despite of the delay in control loop.
Psychophysiology: Human Behavior and Physiological Response

Contents: Preface. Introduction to Psychophysiology. Concepts in Psychophysiology. The Nervous System and Measurement of Its Activity. The EEG and Behavior I: Motor and Mental Activities. The EEG and Behavior II: Sensation, Attention, Perception, Conditioning, and Sleep. Event-Related Brain Potentials and Behavior I: Measurement, Motor Activity, Hemispheric Asymmetries, and Sleep. Event-Related Potentials and Behavior II: Mental, Sensory, Attentional, and Perceptual Activities. Event-Related Slow Brain Potentials and Behavior. Neuroimaging, Neuromagnetism, and Behavior. Muscle Activity and Behavior. Electrodermal Activity (EDA) and Behavior. Pupillary Response and Behavior. Eye Movements, Eye Blinks, and Behavior. Heart Activity and Behavior I: Developmental Factors, Motor and Mental Activities, Perception, Attention, and Orienting Responses. Heart Activity and Behavior II: Stress, Emotions, Motivation, Personality, Social Factors, Brain Interactions, and Conditioning. Blood Pressure, Blood Volume, and Behavior. Applied Psychophysiology I: Detection of Deception, Vigilance, Job Design, and Workload. Applied Psychophysiology II: Auditory and Visual System Tests, Nervous System Disorders, Clinical Neurology, and Behavior Disorders. Applied Psychophysiology III: Biofeedback and Psychoneuroimmunology. Environmental Psychophysiology. Appendix: Laboratory Safety.
A unified treatment of kinetic effects in a tokamak pedestal

We consider the effects of a finite pedestal radial electric field on ion orbits using a unified approach. We then employ these modified orbit results to retain finite E×B drift departures from flux surfaces in an improved drift-kinetic equation. The procedure allows us to make a clear distinction between transit averages and flux surface averages when solving this kinetic equation. The technique outlined here is intended to clarify and unify recent evaluations of the banana regime decrease and plateau regime alterations in the ion heat diffusivity; the reduction and possible reversal of the poloidal flow in the banana regime, and its augmentation in the plateau regime; the increase in the bootstrap current; and the enhancement of the residual zonal flow regulation of turbulence.
Mentors’ contributions to gifted adolescents’ affective, social, and vocational development

Research on mentorships for gifted adolescents primarily has focused on the role mentors play in students’ academic success. Mentors’ contribution to gifted adolescents’ affective, social, and vocational development rarely has been addressed. This article identifies special needs and characteristics of gifted adolescents in these latter areas, and suggests how mentors can play a significant role in each, including the particular value of mentoring relationships for gifted adolescent females. Finally, educational implications are explored, as well as the need for empirical studies which examine the benefits derived by gifted and nongifted mentees from mentoring relationships.
Association of MAO-A Variant with Complicated Grief in Major Depression

Background/Aims: It has been suggested that monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) activity is involved in the pathogenesis of major depression. Bereavement-related complicated grief significantly increases the risk of major depression and has been shown to be influenced by serotonergic tonus, possibly conferred by MAO-A activity. Complicated grief – whose inclusion in DSM-V as a separate mental disorder is under discussion – has been shown to be a distinct syndrome with symptoms not seen in depression. Therefore, in the present study, genetic variation in the MAO-A gene was investigated for its influence on complicated grief in major depression. Methods: Sixty-six unrelated Caucasian patients (41 female, 25 male) with major depression and a history of bereavement were evaluated for complicated grief using the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), the posttraumatic stress reaction after the loss by means of the Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) and further psychopathological measures. Patients were additionally genotyped for the functional variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in the promoter region of the MAO-A gene. Results: The more active longer allele of the MAO-A VNTR was significantly associated with complicated grief in the female subgroup of patients (χ2 = 9.471, p = 0.002, OR = 9.208, 95% CI 2.129–38.899, Bonferroni-corrected p = 0.012), whereas there was no such effect in male patients. Higher posttraumatic stress reaction was only nominally associated with the more active longer allele of the MAO-A VNTR in the female subgroup of patients (genotypes: χ2 = 5.939, p = 0.015, OR = 5.333, 95% CI 1.366–20.557, Bonferroni-corrected p = 0.087). No significant associations of MAO-A VNTR with the severity of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), anxiety symptoms (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), general mental health (Brief Symptom Inventory), or perceived social support (F-SozU) were found (all p > 0.10). Conclusion: The present pilot study for the first time suggests a gender-specific contribution of the more active MAO-A VNTR variant to an increased vulnerability for complicated grief as a potential intermediate phenotype of major depression.
Why the "Death Panel" Myth Wouldn't Die: Misinformation in the Health Care Reform Debate

Both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama struggled to overcome widespread and persistent myths about their proposals to reform the American health care system. Their difficulties highlight the influence of factual misinformation in national politics and the extent to which it correlates with citizens' political views. In this essay, I explain how greater elite polarization and the growth in media choice have reinforced the partisan divide in factual beliefs. To illustrate these points, I analyze debates over health care reform in 19931994 and 20092010, tracing the spread of false claims about reform proposals from Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and analyzing the prevalence of misinformation in public opinion. Since false beliefs are extremely difficult to correct, I conclude by arguing that increasing the reputational costs for dishonest elites might be a more effective approach to improving democratic discourse.
Efficient temporally controlled targeted somatic mutagenesis in hepatocytes of the mouse

To generate temporally controlled targeted somatic mutations selectively and efficiently in hepatocytes, we established SA+/CreERT2 mice in which the tamoxifen‐dependent Cre‐ERT2 recombinase coding sequence preceded by an internal ribosomal entry site was inserted in the 3′ untranslated region of the serum albumin (SA) gene. Whereas the wildtype SA allele was strongly expressed in the liver and at lower levels in some extrahepatic tissues, SA‐Cre‐ERT2 fusion transcripts were only detected in the liver. The Cre‐ERT2 protein was expressed in most if not all hepatocytes, and tamoxifen (Tam) treatments of adult mice at various ages efficiently induced Cre‐mediated recombination of LoxP flanked (floxed) alleles in these cells, but none in other cell types or tissues. Thus, SA+/CreERT2 mice should be of great value to analyze gene function in the liver and to establish animal models of human diseases. genesis 39:167–172, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Patterning the embryonic heart: identification of five mouse Iroquois homeobox genes in the developing heart.

We isolated cDNAs of mouse Iroquois-related homeobox genes Irx1, -2, -3, -4, and -5 and characterized their patterns of expression in the developing heart. Irx1 and Irx2 were found to be expressed specifically in the ventricular septum from the onset of its formation onward. In fetal stages, the expression of both genes appeared to gradually become confined to the myocardium of the atrioventricular bundle and bundle branches of the forming ventricular conduction system. Irx3 was found to be expressed specifically in the trabeculated myocardium of the ventricles. Irx4 expression was observed in a segment of the linear heart tube and the atrioventricular canal and ventricular myocardium including the inner curvature after looping, resembling the pattern of MLC2V. Transcripts for Irx5 were detected specifically in the endocardium lining the ventricular and atrial working myocardium that also expressed von Willebrand factor, but were absent from the endocardium of the endocardial cushions, i.e., the atrioventricular canal, inner curvature, and outflow tract. The spatiodevelopmental pattern of Irx5 matched that of ANF, a marker for the forming working myocardium of the chambers. Taken together, all members of the Irx gene family were found to be expressed in highly specific patterns in the developing mouse heart, suggesting a critical role in the specification of the distinct components of the four-chambered heart.
Evaluation of Health Status of Fishers: Prediction of Cardiovascular Fitness and Anaerobic Power

It is assumed that physically demanding jobs may have a positive influence on the physical parameters of workers. Thus the present study was designed to evaluate the influence of fishery, such an physically demanding occupation on physical fitness and to compare whether fishermen have more cardiovascular fitness, anaerobic power than sedentary population or not. The study was carried out among randomly selected fishermen of coastal, West Bengal (mean age 22.4). A significant difference (p < 0.05) in Blood pressure, PFI, Energy expenditure, body fat% and anaerobic power was found in fishermen. But, in contrast, BSA, BMI, resting heart rate, V.O2 max, upper arm circumference and thigh and calf circumferences were found to be non-significant. This study infers fishermen have more physical fitness (cardiovascular fitness) and muscle mass, but less fat percentage than sedentary population. But with physical strength and cardiovascular fitness more endurance is required for better health of young fishermen.
The relationship between enduring leadership and organizational performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to replicate previous findings exploring the mediating effect of personal leadership on professional leadership and intentions to cooperate, and to extend the model by examining organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach – Employees from two school districts (one high performing, the other low performing) in New York State completed a survey designed to gather their perceptions of study variables. Findings – Professional and personal leadership are positively related to employee intentions to cooperate, personal leadership mediates the effect of professional leadership on employee intentions to cooperate, and employees in the high-performing organization rated all study variables higher than employees in the low-performing organization. Research limitations/implications – Limitations include predictor and outcome data both collected from the same respondents and all measures collected via survey. Both of these issues raise concerns with regards to common.
Child Malnutrition in Ethiopia: Can Maternal Knowledge Augment the Role of Income?*

Over the past decades, child malnutrition in Ethiopia has persisted at alarmingly high rates. By applying the conditional nutrition demand approach to household data from three consecutive welfare monitoring surveys over the period 1996-1998, this study identifies household resources, parental education, food prices, and maternal nutritional knowledge as key determinants of growth faltering in Ethiopia. Income growth is important for alleviating child stunting, though on its own it will not suffice to reach the international goal of halving each country's level of child malnutrition by 2020. Universalizing access to primary schooling for girls has slightly more promise. However, to reduce child growth faltering in Ethiopia in a significant - and timely - manner, our empirical results indicate that targeted child growth monitoring and maternal nutrition education programs will be needed in conjunction with efforts to promote private income growth and formal schooling.
Academic development for knowledge capabilities: Learning, reflecting and developing

In this paper, we look backwards to educational development principles and practices as implemented in the 1990s at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and forward to ideal principles and practices for the design of courses for teachers in higher education. The bridge between the two lies partly in an evaluation study, which we will describe, and partly in the theoretical work of John Bowden on knowledge capabilities for learning for an unknown future. The underlying framework depends on phenomenography, with its theoretical emphasis on learning as becoming able to discern the whole from its background, and how the constituents of the whole relate to one another and to the whole, and its empirical emphasis on qualitative variation in the ways in which students understand, conceptualize or experience phenomena they meet in their studies. A PET model and PET process are described, relating Practice, Experience and Theory through reflective problematization.
Electrochemical Study and Characterization of an Amperometric Biosensor Based on the Immobilization of Laccase in a Nanostructure of TiO2 Synthesized by the Sol-Gel Method

Laccase amperometric biosensors were developed to detect the catechol compound. The laccase enzyme (LAC) immobilization was performed on nanostructures of (a) titania (TiO2); (b) titania/Nafion (TiO2/NAF) (both immobilized by the sol-gel method) and a third nanostructure, which consisted of a single biosensor composite of Nafion and laccase enzyme denoted as NAF/LAC. The Nafion was deposited on a graphite electrode and used to avoid “cracking” on the matrix. The TiO2 particle size was an average of 66 nm. FTIR spectroscopy vibration modes of different composites were determined. The electrochemical behavior of the biosensor was studied using electrochemical spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The biosensor based on TiO2/NAF/LAC presented the best electro-chemical properties with regard to sensitivity, stability and detection limit after a period of 22 days.
Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer

Despite advances in therapy, ovarian cancer remains the most deadly of the gynecological cancers. Less than 30% of women with advanced stage disease survive long-term. When diagnosed in stage I, up to 90% of patients can be cured with conventional surgery and chemotherapy. At present, only 25% of ovarian cancers are detected in stage I due, in part, to the absence of specific symptoms and to lack of an effective screening strategy. Early detection of ovarian cancer might significantly improve the overall survival rate of women with ovarian cancer if 1) most cancers are clonal and unifocal, arising in the ovary rather than in the peritoneum, 2) metastatic disease results from progression of clinically detectable stage I lesions, and 3) cancers remain localized for a sufficient interval to permit cost-effective screening. Given the prevalence of ovarian cancer, strategies for early detection must have high sensitivity for early stage disease (> 75%), but must have extremely high specificity (99.6%) to attain a positive predictive value of at least 10%. Transvaginal sonography (TVS), serum markers and a combination of the two modalities have been evaluated for early detection of ovarian cancer. Among the serum markers, CA125 has received the most attention, but lacks the sensitivity or specificity to function alone as a screening test. Greater specificity can be achieved by combining CA125 and TVS and/or by monitoring CA125 over time. Two stage screening strategies promise to be cost effective, where abnormal serum assays prompt TVS to detect lesions that require laparotomy. Accrual has been completed for a 200,000 woman trial in the United Kingdom that will test the ability of a rising CA125 to trigger TVS and subsequent exploratory surgery. Given the heterogeneity of ovarian cancer, it is unlikely that any single marker will be sufficiently sensitive to provide an effective initial screen. Sensitivity of serum assays might be enhanced by utilizing a panel of biomarkers. Candidate biomarkers have been discovered through empirical development of monoclonal antibodies, studies of gene expression, cloning of gene families and proteomic techniques. The development of technologies that measure multiple serum markers simultaneously, linked to the creation of statistical methods that enhance sensitivity without sacrificing specificity hold great promise.