Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survival multipath routing for MANETs

Many efforts have been made to develop security solutions for MANETs. These networks are vulnerable to diverse types of attacks, where routing is a critical operation. Current secure routing protocols are based on preventive or reactive security mechanisms, monitoring node behavior or controlling the access to networks and information. These mechanisms are insufficient to put all attacks and intrusions off, motivating the use of techniques that can tolerate them as multipath routing. This work proposes a new scheme based on fuzzy logic to select better paths and to increase network survivability. Our approach considers different selection criteria, where some of them represent network status and others are issued by preventive, reactive and tolerant defense lines. Simulations have been carried out comparing AODV and AOMDV with a modified AOMDV protocol. Results show the survivability of our approach under different conditions.
Skin detection using neighborhood information

Skin detection is employed in tasks like face detection and tracking, naked people detection, hand detection and tracking, people retrieval in databases and Internet, etc. However, skin detection is not robust enough for dealing with some real-world conditions, like changing lighting conditions and complex background containing surfaces and objects with skin-like colors. This situation can be improved by incorporating context information in the skin detection process. For this reason in this article a skin detection approach that uses neighborhood information is proposed. A pixel will belong to the skin class only if a direct neighbor does. This idea is implemented through a diffusion process. Two new algorithms implementing these ideas are described and compared with state-of-the-art skin detection algorithms.
A Novel Frameshift Mutation of the ALDOB Gene in a Korean Girl Presenting with Recurrent Hepatitis Diagnosed as Hereditary Fructose Intolerance

Hereditary fructose intolerance is an autosomal recessive disorder that is caused by a deficiency in fructose-1-phosphate aldolase (Aldolase B). Children can present with hypoglycemia, jaundice, elevated liver enzymes and hepatomegaly after intake of dietary fructose. Long-term intake of fructose in undiagnosed patients can result in hepatic failure or renal failure. We experienced a case of hereditary fructose intolerance presenting as recurrent hepatitis-like episodes. Detailed evaluation of her dietary habits revealed her avoidance of sweetened foods and fruits. Genetic analysis of ALDOB revealed that she is a homozygote for a novel frameshifting mutation c[758_759insT]+[758_759insT] (p.[val25 3fsX24]+[val253fsX24]). This report is the first of a Korean patient diagnosed with hereditary fructose intolerance using only molecular testing without undergoing intravenous fructose tolerance test or enzyme assay.
Using Compassion Focused Therapy as an adjunct to Trauma-Focused CBT for Fire Service personnel suffering with trauma-related symptoms

Abstract Individuals working for the emergency services often bear witness to distressing events. This outcome study examines therapeutic interventions for Fire Service personnel (FSP) experiencing symptoms of trauma, depression, anxiety and low levels of self-compassion. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of using Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) as an adjunct to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) in reducing symptoms of trauma, anxiety and depression and increasing self-compassion. A convenience sample (n = 17) of participants, referred for therapy following a traumatic incident, were allocated to receive 12 sessions of either TF-CBT or TF-CBT coupled with CFT. The study employed a repeated-measures design. Data were gathered pre- and post-therapy, using three questionnaires: (1) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; (2) Impact of Events Scale-R; (3) Self-Compassion Scale – Short Form. TF-CBT combined with CFT was more effective than TF-CBT alone on measures of self-compassion. Significant reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, hyperarousal, intrusion and avoidance and a significant increase in self-compassion occurred in both groups post-therapy. The study provides some preliminary evidence to suggest that FSP may benefit from therapeutic interventions aimed at cultivating self-compassion. Further research is warranted using a larger sample size and adequately powered randomized controlled trial, to detect statistically significant differences and to negate the risk of confound due to low numbers resulting in significant differences between groups at baseline. Using CFT as an adjunct to TF-CBT may help FSP, who bear witness to the distress of others, cultivate compassion for their own suffering.
Interventions in higher education and their effect on student success: a meta-analysis

Abstract This article provides a meta-analysis on the effect of academic probation, student-faculty mentoring and need-based grants on various student outcomes. Using 25 (quasi-) experimental studies, we find that academic probation has a significant negative effect on retention (d = −.17), while it does not have an effect on graduation. Student-faculty mentoring, however, has a positive significant effect on both retention (d = .15) and graduation (d = .10). Need-based grants are proven to have a positive significant effect on enrollment (d = .05), retention (d = .05) and graduation (d = .05). Based on the general effect sizes of each intervention, student-faculty mentoring has the largest influence on student outcomes. The latter intervention improves retention and graduation of the treatment group by, respectively, 8% and 5% compared to the control group.
Holistic Computation: Reconstructing a Muddled Concept

It has been claimed that connectionist methods of encoding compositional structures, as Pollack's recursive auto-associative memory (RAAM), support a non-classical form structure-sensitive operation known as 'holistic computation', where symbol structures be acted upon holistically without the need to decompose them, or to perform a search locate or access their constituents. In this paper, it is argued that the concept as described in the literature is vague and confused, and a revised definition of holistic computation proposed which aims to clarify the issues involved. It is also argued that holistic computation neither requires a highly distributed or holistic representation, nor is it unique to connectionist methods of representing compositional structure.
A Systematic Search for High Surface Brightness Giant Arcs in a Sloan Digital Sky Survey Cluster Sample

We present the results of a search for gravitationally lensed giant arcs conducted on a sample of 825 SDSS galaxy clusters. Both a visual inspection of the images and an automated search were performed, and no arcs were found. This result is used to set an upper limit on the arc probability per cluster. We present selection functions for our survey, in the form of arc detection efficiency curves plotted as functions of arc parameters, for both the visual inspection and the automated search. The selection function is such that we are sensitive only to long, high surface brightness arcs with g-band surface brightness μg ≤ 24.8 and length-to-width ratio l/w ≥ 10. Our upper limits on the arc probability are compatible with previous arc searches. Finally, we report on a serendipitous discovery of a giant arc in the SDSS data, known inside the SDSS Collaboration as Hall's arc.
Globular clusters as tracers of stellar bimodality in elliptical galaxies: the case of NGC 1399

Globular cluster systems (GCSs) frequently show a bimodal distribution of cluster integrated colours. This work explores the arguments to support the idea that the same feature is shared by the diffuse stellar population of the galaxy they are associated with. The particular case of NGC 1399, one of the dominant central galaxies in the Fornax cluster, for which a new B surface brightness profile and (B - R KC ) colours are presented, is discussed taking advantage of a recently published wide-field study of its GCS. The results show that the galaxy brightness profile and colour gradient, as well as the behaviour of the cumulative globular cluster specific frequency, are compatible with the presence of two dominant stellar populations, associated with the so-called 'blue' and 'red' globular cluster families. These globular families are characterized by different intrinsic specific frequencies (defined in terms of each stellar population): S n = 3.3 ± 0.3 in the case of the red globulars and S n = 14.3 ± 2.5 for the blue ones. We stress that this result does not necessarily conflict with recent works that point out a clear difference between the metallicity distribution of (resolved) halo stars and globulars when comparing their number statistics. The region within 0.5 arcmin of the centre shows a deviation from the model profile (in both surface brightness and colour) that may be explained in terms of the presence of a bulge-like high-metallicity component. Otherwise, the model gives an excellent fit up to 12 arcmin (or 66.5 Kpc) from the centre, the galactocentric limit of our blue brightness profile. The inferred specific frequencies imply that, in terms of their associated stellar populations, the formation of the blue globulars took place with an efficiency about six times higher than that corresponding to their red counterparts. The similarity of the spatial distribution of the blue globulars with that inferred for dark matter, as well as with that of the X-ray-emitting hot gas associated with NGC 1399, is emphasized. The impact of a relatively inconspicuous low-metallicity population, that shares the properties of the blue globulars, as a possible source of chemical enrichment early in the formation history of the galaxy is also briefly discussed.
Older adults' reports of formal care hours and administrative records.

PURPOSE Personal assistance care is a Medicaid benefit in New York, but few data are available on its prevalence and contribution to home care. We examined these issues in a New York City sample by assessing older adults' reports of weekly home care hours and Medicaid billing records. DESIGN AND METHODS With help from New York City's Human Resources Administration, we identified all respondents in an ongoing population-based survey of Medicare enrollees who were receiving Medicaid-reimbursed personal assistance care in 1996. RESULTS Of respondents in the sample, 10.3% (185 of 1,902 alive through 1996) had Medicaid claims for personal assistance care. The mean was 46.1 hr/week for reported hours and 40.1 hr/week for administrative claims. Accuracy of reported hours was evident in a high correlation (r =.91; p <.001) between respondent reports and authorized claims, and a consistently high and mostly constant ratio of billed to reported hours across all categories of activities of daily living disability. IMPLICATIONS In this urban, low income, and mostly minority sample, older adults' reports of weekly formal care hours were valid when matched against administrative records. Respondent reports of formal care hours were valid even in complex care situations.
The Centre Acknowledges Financial Support from the Leverhulme Foundation under Programme Grant F114/bf Centre for Research on Globalisation and Labour Markets Mergers in Open Economies the Author Acknowledges Financial Support from the Leverhulme Trust under Programme Mergers in Open Economies

This paper explores the problems of merger policy in open economies, using a simple model of the market for a homogeneous product in which firms are Cournot competitors and differ in their unit costs. Mergers can take place within or across national boundaries, and may raise or lower global welfare. Their approval by national competition authorities will depend on their separate national welfare effects, however, which can lead to biases against socially desirable international mergers.
Consensus and Products of Random Stochastic Matrices: Exact Rate for Convergence in Probability

We find the exact rate for convergence in probability of products of independent, identically distributed symmetric, stochastic matrices. It is well-known that if the matrices have positive diagonals almost surely and the support graph of the mean or expected value of the random matrices is connected, the products of the matrices converge almost surely to the average consensus matrix, and thus in probability. In this paper, we show that the convergence in probability is exponentially fast, and we explicitly characterize the exponential rate of this convergence. Our analysis reveals that the exponential rate of convergence in probability depends only on the statistics of the support graphs of the random matrices. Further, we show how to compute this rate for commonly used random models: gossip and link failure. With these models, the rate is found by solving a min-cut problem, and hence it is easily computable. Finally, as an illustration, we apply our results to solving power allocation among networked sensors in a consensus+innovations distributed detection problem.
Internet-Based Treatment of Pathological Gambling with a Three-Year Follow-Up

Effective therapies for pathological gambling exist, but their use is limited to about 10% of the target population. In an attempt to lower the barriers for help, Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) has been shown to be effective when delivered to a non-depressed sample with pathological gambling. This study sought to extend this finding to a larger, more representative population, and also test a model to predict responder status. Following advertisement, a total of 284 participants started an 8-week ICBT programme with minimal therapist contact via e-mail and weekly telephone calls of less than 15 min. The average time spent on each participant, including telephone conversations, e-mail, and administration, was 4 h. In addition to a mixed effects model to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment, two logistic regression analyses were performed with the following eight pre-defined response predictor variables: work-life satisfaction, primary gambling activity, debts due to gambling, social support, personal yearly salary, alcohol consumption, stage of change, and dissociative gambling. ICBT resulted in statistically significant reductions in the scores of pathological gambling, anxiety, and depression as well as an increase in quality of life compared to pre-treatment levels. Follow-ups carried out in the treatment group at 6, 18, and 36 months indicated that treatment effects were sustained. Using the eight predictor variable model rendered an acceptable predictive ability to identify responders both at post-test (AUC = .72, p < .01) and at 36-month follow-up (AUC = .70, p < .01). We conclude that ICBT for pathological gamblers, even if depressed, can be effective and that outcome can partly be predicted by pre-treatment characteristics.
An Alternate Pathway for Visual Signal Integration into the Hypothalamo-Pituitary Axis: Retinorecipient Intergeniculate Neurons Project to Various Regions of the Hypothalamus and Innervate Neuroendocrine Cells Including Those Producing Dopamine

Using tract tracing and immunocytochemistry, this study explored the connectivity between lateral geniculate efferents and neurons of the hypothalamus, including those producing dopamine, that have direct access to fenestrated capillaries. It was also determined whether the intergeniculate neurons that give rise to hypothalamic projections are targeted by retinal axons. Within the hypothalamus, Phaseolus vulgarisleucoagglutinin-labeled, lateral geniculate efferents were observed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, subparaventricular area, periventricular nuclei, medial preoptic areas, and between the arcuate and ventromedial nuclei. In these sites, intergeniculate efferents contacted populations of neurons that were retrogradely labeled from fenestrated capillaries by the intraperitoneal injection of fluorogold. Hypothalamic dopamine neurons, a population of which was neuroendocrine, were also synaptic targets of lateral geniculate efferents. After injection of the retrograde tracer fluorogold into these hypothalamic projection sites in parallel with bilateral enucleation, retrogradely labeled perikarya were restricted to the intergeniculate leaflet. All of the labeled perikarya contained infolded nuclei, and their distal dendrites were frequently found to be contacted by degenerated, retinal fibers. This study provides morphological evidence for a signaling pathway from the retina through the intergeniculate leaflet to hypothalamic cells that participate in neuroendocrine regulations. These observations raise the possibility that visual signals independent of the circadian clock may also influence the hypothalamo-pituitary axis. In light of the overlapping distribution of intergeniculate and suprachiasmatic efferents in the hypothalamus and their similar relationship with neuroendocrine cells, it is suggested that integration of circadian and visual signals can occur outside of the suprachiasmatic nucleus to regulate endocrine rhythms.
An Exploration of the Relation between Hunting and Aggressiveness: Using Inmates Networks at Prison Secondary School as an Illustration

Aim of this research is to explore the relation of hunting with aggressiveness. For this purpose, two samples of prison inmates (who were students of the prison secondary school) were collected (class A = 23, class B = 12). The network indicators for superficial, idiosyncratic and strategic behavior (particularly, aggressiveness), applied in Bekiari and Hasanagas (2016), which were based on the primary network variables (outdegree, indegree, Katz status, pagerank, authority) were used. Non-network variables were also used for the criminal profile of the inmates. The data were sampled with questionnaire. Spearman test was conducted for detecting correlation between aggressiveness and hunting and Principal Component Analysis was used for formulating a typology. The following results were produced: The criminal profile seems hardly to be related with hunting experience or attitude. The relation of hunting experience and attitude with the superficial, idiosyncratic and strategic aggressiveness was examined. These three occasions of aggressiveness are expected to describe the incidental reaction, impulsive and adaptive reaction, respectively. The hunting is quite irrelevant to the incidental reaction. The impulsiveness seems to be more strongly correlated with hunting. In case of adaptiveness, there are many similarities with impulsiveness. The typology which is based on the existence (or not) of hunting experience seems to be more insightful, as it reveals a gradual involvement of aggressiveness dimensions, from incidentality to impulsiveness and further to adaptiveness. The following behavioral patterns of gradually enhanced aggressiveness appear: incidentally just provoking, impulsively being aggressive but without harming, and adaptively being aggressive and harming.
Is the Map in Our Head Oriented North?

We examined how a highly familiar environmental space—one’s city of residence—is represented in memory. Twenty-six participants faced a photo-realistic virtual model of their hometown and completed a task in which they pointed to familiar target locations from various orientations. Each participant’s performance was most accurate when he or she was facing north, and errors increased as participants’ deviation from a north-facing orientation increased. Pointing errors and latencies were not related to the distance between participants’ initial locations and the target locations. Our results are inconsistent with accounts of orientation-free memory and with theories assuming that the storage of spatial knowledge depends on local reference frames. Although participants recognized familiar local views in their initial locations, their strategy for pointing relied on a single, north-oriented reference frame that was likely acquired from maps rather than experience from daily exploration. Even though participants had spent significantly more time navigating the city than looking at maps, their pointing behavior seemed to rely on a north-oriented mental map.
The Effect of PCSK1 Variants on Waist, Waist-Hip Ratio and Glucose Metabolism Is Modified by Sex and Glucose Tolerance Status

Background We aimed to evaluate the effects of the G-allele of rs6232 and the C-allele of rs6235 within PCSK1 on measures of body fat and glucose homeostasis in Danish individuals and to assess interactions of genotypes with age, sex and glucose tolerance status. Data were included in meta-analyses of additional Europeans. Methodology/Principal Findings Rs6232 and rs6235 were genotyped in 6,164 Danes from the Inter99 study of middle-aged people. Results from these analyses were combined with previously published studies in meta-analyses of a total of 27,786 individuals. The impact of the variants was also investigated in a subset of 62 glucose-tolerant men during a meal challenge including measures of serum incretins. In men we found an effect on body composition in sex-stratified analyses where the rs6235 C-allele conferred an increased waist circumference of 0.8 cm per allele (0.2–1.5, p = 0.008) and increased waist-to-hip ratio of 0.004 (0.0005–0.008, p = 0.027). In the meta-analyses where men and women were combined, the rs6232 G-allele associated with increased waist-to-hip ratio (p = 0.02) and the rs6235 C-allele associated with increased waist circumference (p = 0.01). Furthermore, the rs6235 C-allele was associated nominally with a 0.6% (0.1–1%, p = 0.01) reduction in fasting glucose, it interacted with glucose tolerance status for traits related to glucose metabolism and analysis among individuals having abnormal glucose tolerance revealed a 5% (−0.7–9%, p = 0.02) elevated level of acute insulin response for this variant. Finally, we found that the rs6232 G-allele associated with higher levels of GLP-1, GLP-2 and glucagon and that the rs6235 C-allele associated with higher levels of GIP and glucagon during a meal-test. Conclusions/Significance PCSK1 rs6232 G-allele and rs6235 C-allele have an effect on body composition which may be modified by sex, whereas the effect of rs6235 C-allele on fasting and stimulated circulating plasma glucose and hormone levels may be influenced by glucose tolerance status.
The benign online disinhibition effect: Could situational factors induce self-disclosure and prosocial behaviors?

The current study, which focuses on the benign effects of disinhibition, was designed as a continuation of an earlier study conducted on the toxic effects of online disinhibition (Lapidot-Lefler & Barak, 2012). Using a factorial design, the study examined the effects of three online situational factors—anonymity, invisibility, and lack of eye contact—on inducing self-disclosure and prosocial behaviors as expressions of benign online disinhibition. Random pairs of adult strangers (n = 144) discussed a dilemma and were required to reach a joint solution using online chat. Self-disclosure and prosocial behavior effects were measured using participants’ self-reports, expert judges’ ratings of chat transcripts, and textual analyses of the conversations. Results suggested that the interaction between anonymity and invisibility had a significant effect on the revealing of emotions. Lack of eye contact, the interaction between anonymity and invisibility and the interaction between lack of eye contact and invisibility had a significant effect on the inducement of first-person words. The interaction between anonymity, invisibility and lack of eye contact had significant effects on the total self-disclosure score, yet no significant effects were found for prosocial behaviors. A discussion of the findings with regard to previous research on toxic online disinhibition suggests that different factors play a role in the inducement of benign vs. toxic online disinhibition effects. More research is required to substantiate current findings and determine the nature of the contribution of each situational factor.