Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
UNUSUALLY LUMINOUS GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS IN THE OUTER DISK OF M33

We use high spatial resolution (∼7 pc) observations from the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter Wave Astronomy (CARMA) to derive detailed properties for eight giant molecular clouds (GMCs) at a galactocentric radius corresponding to approximately two CO scale lengths, or ∼0.5 optical radii (r25), in the Local Group spiral galaxy M33. At this radius, molecular gas fraction, dust-to-gas ratio, and metallicity are much lower than in the inner part of M33 or in a typical spiral galaxy. This allows us to probe the impact of environment on GMC properties by comparing our measurements to previous data from the inner disk of M33, the Milky Way, and other nearby galaxies. The outer disk clouds roughly fall on the size–linewidth relation defined by extragalactic GMCs, but are slightly displaced from the luminosity–virial mass relation in the sense of having high CO luminosity compared to the inferred virial mass. This implies a different CO-to-H2 conversion factor, which is on average a factor of 2 lower than the inner disk and the extragalactic average. We attribute this to significantly higher measured brightness temperatures of the outer disk clouds compared to the ancillary sample of GMCs, which is likely an effect of enhanced radiation levels due to massive star formation in the vicinity of our target field. Apart from brightness temperature, the properties we determine for the outer disk GMCs in M33 do not differ significantly from those of our comparison sample. In particular, the combined sample of inner and outer disk M33 clouds covers roughly the same range in size, line width, virial mass, and CO luminosity than the sample of Milky Way GMCs. When compared to the inner disk clouds in M33, however, we find even the brightest outer disk clouds to be smaller than most of their inner disk counterparts. This may be due to incomplete sampling or a potentially steeper cloud mass function at larger radii.
Influence of PET reconstruction parameters on the TrueX algorithm. A combined phantom and patient study.

UNLABELLED With the increasing use of functional imaging in modern radiotherapy (RT) and the envisaged automated integration of PET into target definition, the need for reliable quantification of PET is growing. Reconstruction algorithms in new PET scanners employ point-spread-function (PSF) based resolution recovery, however, their impact on PET quantification still requires thorough investigation. PATIENTS, MATERIAL, METHODS Measurements were performed on a Siemens PET/CT using an IEC phantom filled with varying activity. Data were reconstructed using the OSEM (Gauss filter) and the PSF TrueX (Gauss and Allpass filter) algorithm with all available products of iterations (i) and subsets (ss). The recovery coeffcient (RC) and threshold defining the real sphere volume were determined for all settings and compared to the clinical standard (4i21ss). PET acquisitions of eight lung patients were reconstructed using all algorithms with 4i21ss. Volume size and tracer uptake were determined with different segmentation methods. RESULTS The threshold for the TrueX was lower (up to 40%) than for the OSEM. The RC for the different algorithms and filters varied. TrueX was more sensitive to permutations of i and ss and only the RC of the OSEM stabilised with increasing number. For patient scans the difference of the volume and activity between TrueX and OSEM could be reduced by applying an adapted threshold and activity correction. CONCLUSION The TrueX algorithm results in excellent diagnostic image quality, however, guidelines for native algorithms have to be extended for PSF based reconstruction methods. For appropriate tumour delineation, for the TrueX a lower threshold than the 42% recommended for the OSEM is necessary. These filter dependent thresholds have to be verified for different scanners prior to using them in multicenter trials.
Investigation of Experience Curve Effects While Processing Visual Representations of Financial Data for Managerial Decision Making: A Triangulated Longitudinal Study

Whereas learning and the experience curve have been closely investigated in production for decades there could be found hardly any closer examination on this issue in the field of processing visual representations of financial data. In the research area of information perception there are two major theories, the information processing theory and the theory of cognitive load, that point towards the existence of an experience curve. A major drawback of prior experimental studies, that approach this issue primarily by observing different subject groups with different levels of experience, is that the experience curve itself is not investigated more closely. This paper aims to contribute in closing the research gap by conducting a longitudinal study for the repetitive perception of static visual representations of financial data. The longitudinal study is set up over eight trials to examine the distinctiveness of the experience curve effect when it comes to efficiency and effectiveness in perception, processing and decision making while viewing static visual representations of financial data. In addition, a ninth trial investigates a potential resistance when familiarity with a visual representation is disrupted. Results reveal the existence of an experience curve effect regarding efficiency and effectiveness. Familiarity with a visual representation takes hold for the experience curve effect in the first few trials. However, overall experience with visual representations regardless of familiarity with the type, and experience with the task types have a stronger influence on the experience curve effect in the long run. Control variables, namely working memory capacity and prior experience on visual representations, do not affect the experience curve effect in terms of efficiency and effectiveness in this study.
Mining Coreference Relations between Formulas and Text using Wikipedia

In this paper, we address the problem of discovering coreference relations between formulas and the surrounding text. The task is different from traditional coreference resolution because of the unique structure of the formulas. In this paper, we present an approach, which we call ‘CDF (Concept Description Formula)’, for mining coreference relations between formulas and the concepts that refer to them. Using Wikipedia articles as a target corpus, our approach is based on surface level text matching between formulas and text, as well as patterns that represent relationships between them. The results showed the potential of our approach for formulas and text coreference mining.
Local Disparity Not Perceived Depth Is Signaled by Binocular Neurons in Cortical Area V1 of the Macaque

Binocular neurons that are closely related to depth perception should respond selectively for stimuli eliciting an appropriate depth sensation. To separate perceived depth from local disparity within the receptive field, sinusoidal luminance gratings were presented within a circular aperture. The disparity of the aperture was coupled to that of the grating, thereby rendering unambiguous the psychophysical matching between repeating cycles of the grating. In cases in which the stimulus disparity differs by one horizontal period of the grating, the portion of the grating that locally covers a receptive field is binocularly identical, but the depth sensation is very different because of the aperture. For 117 disparity-selective V1 neurons tested in two monkeys, the overwhelming majority responded equally well to configurations that were locally identical but led to different perceptions of depth. Because the psychophysical sensation is not reflected in the firing rate of V1 neurons, the signals that make stereo matches explicit are most likely elaborated in extrastriate cortex.
What's wrong with pain?

What’s Wrong With Pain? (August 2005) Adam Joseph Shriver, B.S., Iowa State University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Gary Varner The experience of pain is something that most people are extremely familiar with. However, once we begin to examine the subject from an ethical point of view, and particularly when we examine so-called marginal cases such as nonhuman animals, we are quickly confronted with difficult questions. This thesis, through an examination of a particular feature of moral language and a description of recent research on pain, provides an analysis of how pain fits into ethical theory. It is argued that universalizability is an important feature of ethical systems and provides a basis for claiming that an agent is acting inconsistently if he or she evaluates similar situations differently. Though the additional features prescriptivity and overridingness provide an important connection between moral judgment and action in Hare’s two-level utilitarianism, it is argued that they ultimately lead to claims incompatible with lived moral experience. Arguments by Parfit and Sidgwick are discussed which tie acting morally to acting consistently, and it is concluded that selfinterest theory is not a tenable position. After the features of moral judgment are discussed, the necessary features of a moral subject are examined. It is concluded that sentience, or the ability to feel pleasure or pain, is a sufficient condition for being a moral subject. Arguments are examined that attempt to show which animals likely consciously experience pain. Difficulties for these
Primary and specific anamnestic antibody responses of rabbits to heterologous serum protein antigens.

In the primary and anamnestic antibody responses to heterologous serum protein antigens rapid antibody synthesis ceases with or shortly after the disappearance of detectable antigen. In the primary response there was no conclusive evidence of continued antibody production after the disappearance of antigen. In the anamnestic responses, however, antibody continued to be produced at a low level for more than 6 months after antigen could no longer be detected.
Comparison between the EUCAST Procedure and the Etest for Determination of the Susceptibility of Candida Species Isolates to Micafungin

ABSTRACT We compared the ability of the EUCAST EDef 7.2 and the Etest to detect the susceptibility to micafungin of 160 Candida and non-Candida clinical isolates. Agreement was higher when Etest MICs were obtained after 24 h of incubation; essential agreement was 90%, and categorical agreement was >90%. False susceptibility was seen only for Candida krusei (10%), and false resistance was observed in 6% of the isolates, ranging from 2.6% (C. glabrata) to 13% (C. albicans).
Peer and Self-Assessment for English Oral Performance: A Study of Reliability and Learning Benefits

This paper reports a study which investigated the reliability and potential benefits of peer and self-assessment for English oral training at the tertiary level. Participants were 40 second-year students taking English oral training at a national university in southern Taiwan. Data were collected from pre- and post-study questionnaires as well as student and teacher assessments of oral performance. The study found that peer and self-assessment was highly correlated with teacher assessment, though students' markings were more centrally distributed. Students' analytical scorings were likely to agree with the teacher's on the criteria of language and delivery most and manner least. After the practice, students were more certain about student participation in assessment and felt more comfortable about peer assessment, but the proposed ratio for student assessment was reduced 2.4%. Peer and self-assessment was perceived less objective than teacher assessment. In terms of learning effects, students claimed gains in English speaking skills, critical thinking, awareness of strengths and weaknesses in the assessed skills, and confidence in evaluation. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research are also provided.
Use of ampicillin-sulbactam for treatment of experimental meningitis caused by a beta-lactamase-producing strain of Escherichia coli K-1

We evaluated the pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy of ampicillin combined with sulbactam in a rabbit model of meningitis due to a beta-lactamase-producing strain of Escherichia coli K-1. Ceftriaxone was used as a comparison drug. The MIC and MBC were 32 and greater than 64 micrograms/ml (ampicillin), greater than 256 and greater than 256 micrograms/ml (sulbactam), 2.0 and 4.0 micrograms/ml (ampicillin-sulbactam [2:1 ratio, ampicillin concentration]) and 0.125 and 0.25 micrograms/ml (ceftriaxone). All antibiotics were given by intravenous bolus injection in a number of dosing regimens. Ampicillin and sulbactam achieved high concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with higher dose regimens, but only moderate bactericidal activity compared with that of ceftriaxone was obtained. CSF bacterial titers were reduced by 0.6 +/- 0.3 log10 CFU/ml/h with the highest ampicillin-sulbactam dose used (500 and 500 mg/kg of body weight, two doses). This was similar to the bactericidal activity achieved by low-dose ceftriaxone (10 mg/kg), while a higher ceftriaxone dose (100 mg/kg) produced a significant increase in bactericidal activity (1.1 +/- 0.4 log10 CFU/ml/h). It appears that ampicillin-sulbactam, despite favorable CSF pharmacokinetics in animals with meningitis, may be of limited value in the treatment of difficult-to-treat beta-lactamase-producing bacteria, against which the combination shows only moderate in vitro activity.
Environment as an Influence on Managerial Autonomy

Propositions about the influence of environmental constraints on organizational behavior are rare, but they are essential in administrative science. Behavior depends on the patterns of inputs from the environment to an organization and on the interpretation of these inputs as tasks by members of the organization. A study of two Norwegian firms shows how the autonomy of managerial personnel-their decisions for and against independent action-may be influenced by the structure of the environment, by the accessibility of information about the environment, and by managerial perceptions of the meaning of environmental information.1 William R. Dill is on the faculty of the Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Challenges for Fast Synthesis Procedures in SMT

A number of synthesis applications are made possible by automated tools for synthesis. Recent work has shown that SMT solvers, instead of just acting as subroutines for automated software synthesis tasks, can be instrumented to perform synthesis themselves. This paper focuses on some of the current challenges for developing fast and useful procedures in SMT solvers for the benefit of synthesis applications.
Predicting Future Criminal Offending in a Community-Based Sample of Males Using Self-Reported Psychopathy

This study evaluated the utility of the Self-Report of Psychopathy–III (SRP-III) for predicting three classes (i.e., violence, theft, and serious charges) of criminal charges in a sample of community-based males (N = 417). This is the first study to examine the potential of the SRP-III to predict future criminal behavior in a community-based sample. Official criminal records were obtained on average 3.5 years after initial SRP-III assessment. Area under the curve analyses indicated fair predictive power for SRP-III total and factor scores, and after controlling for a host of risk factors, SRP-III measured psychopathy predicted charges for violent and serious offenses, but not theft. Notably, additional analyses revealed none of the individual SRP-III facets uniquely predicted future offending when entered into a regression model. The findings of this study indicate the SRP-III holds some promise as an assessment instrument in the prediction of violent and serious offenses.
Characterization of Pneumocystis carinii PHR1, a pH-Regulated Gene Important for Cell Wall Integrity

ABSTRACT Pneumocystis carinii remains an important opportunistic fungal pathogen causing life-threatening pneumonia in patients with AIDS and malignancy. Currently, little is known about how the organism adapts to environmental stresses and maintains its cellular integrity. We recently discovered an open reading frame approximately 600 bp downstream of the region codingGSC-1, a gene mediating β-glucan cell wall synthesis in P. carinii. The predicted amino acid sequence of this new gene, termed P. carinii PHR1, exhibited 38% homology to Saccharomyces cerevisiae GAS1, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein essential to maintaining cell wall integrity, and 37% homology to Candida albicans PHR1/PHR2, pH-responsive genes encoding proteins recently implicated in cross-linking β-1,3- and β-1,6-glucans. In view of its homology to these related fungal genes, the pH-dependent expression of P. carinii PHR1 was examined. As in C. albicans, P. carinii PHR1 expression was repressed under acidic conditions but induced at neutral and more alkaline pH. PHR1-related proteins have been implicated in glucan cell wall stability under various environmental conditions. Although difficulties with P. carinii culture and transformation have traditionally limited assessment of gene function in the organism itself, we have successfully used heterologous expression of P. carinii genes in related fungi to address functional correlates of P. carinii-encoded proteins. Therefore, the potential role of P. carinii PHR1 in cell wall integrity was examined by assessing its ability to rescue an S. cerevisiae gas1 mutant with absent endogenous Phr1p-like activity. Interestingly, P. carinii PHR1 DNA successfully restored proliferation of S. cerevisiae gas1 mutants under lethal conditions of cell wall stress. These results indicate that P. carinii PHR1encodes a protein responsive to environmental pH and capable of mediating fungal cell wall integrity.
Deep-Spying: Spying using Smartwatch and Deep Learning

Wearable technologies are today on the rise, becoming more common and broadly available to mainstream users. In fact, wristband and armband devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers already took an important place in the consumer electronics market and are becoming ubiquitous. By their very nature of being wearable, these devices, however, provide a new pervasive attack surface threatening users privacy, among others. In the meantime, advances in machine learning are providing unprecedented possibilities to process complex data efficiently. Allowing patterns to emerge from high dimensional unavoidably noisy data. The goal of this work is to raise awareness about the potential risks related to motion sensors built-in wearable devices and to demonstrate abuse opportunities leveraged by advanced neural network architectures. The LSTM-based implementation presented in this research can perform touchlogging and keylogging on 12-keys keypads with above-average accuracy even when confronted with raw unprocessed data. Thus demonstrating that deep neural networks are capable of making keystroke inference attacks based on motion sensors easier to achieve by removing the need for non-trivial pre-processing pipelines and carefully engineered feature extraction strategies. Our results suggest that the complete technological ecosystem of a user can be compromised when a wearable wristband device is worn.
THEORIES OF INTELLIGENCE

o be labeled as being ‘‘intelligent’’ imparts positive feelings, encourages self esteem and a sense of worth. Yet, what is intelligent and smart? This has been the focus of theories, definitions and philosophies dating as far back as Plato (428 BC); yet most presumably, dating prior to this historical figure, might be due to the fact that humankind is himself intelligent. One way to seek understanding of intelligence is simply to define what it is. Sternberg (1986) purports two principal classifications of definition of intelligence—the operational definition and the ‘‘real’’ definition. Operational intelligence is measurable. Real intelligence is one that inquires the true nature of the thing being defined. As with the plethora of definitions of intelligence, there are numerous theories of intelligence. From examining how smart one is to how to measure one’s smartness, how to measure how one is smart, thories have come and gone and some have endured to be pondered and proven over time.
Review on Graph Clustering and Subgraph Similarity Based Analysis of Neurological Disorders

How can complex relationships among molecular or clinico-pathological entities of neurological disorders be represented and analyzed? Graphs seem to be the current answer to the question no matter the type of information: molecular data, brain images or neural signals. We review a wide spectrum of graph representation and graph analysis methods and their application in the study of both the genomic level and the phenotypic level of the neurological disorder. We find numerous research works that create, process and analyze graphs formed from one or a few data types to gain an understanding of specific aspects of the neurological disorders. Furthermore, with the increasing number of data of various types becoming available for neurological disorders, we find that integrative analysis approaches that combine several types of data are being recognized as a way to gain a global understanding of the diseases. Although there are still not many integrative analyses of graphs due to the complexity in analysis, multi-layer graph analysis is a promising framework that can incorporate various data types. We describe and discuss the benefits of the multi-layer graph framework for studies of neurological disease.
The influence of considering the past, present, and future on college satisfaction

Although we all live in the present and often hear about the importance of living “here and now”, every moment of our lives is highly influenced by explicit and implicit thoughts about our past and potential future. The present study investigated the relation between individuals' tendencies to either drift towards the past by, e.g. constantly re-evaluating and regretting past choices, towards the future by, e.g. basing present actions on anticipated future consequences, and their inclination to deal with the present by either committing to chosen alternatives or procrastinating on their implementation. Finally, the influence of these factors on participants' satisfaction with their chosen college major was also explored. The obtained results indicate a close relationship between the assessed considerations of different temporal directions. Furthermore, regret, procrastination, commitment (choice closure), and consideration of future consequences (future focus) were revealed as statistically significant predictors of students' satisfaction with their college major. These findings indicate that individuals' considerations of various temporal directions influence their valuation of own choices and life outcomes and open new questions regarding the general relevance and effects of mental time travel.
The PCL theorem: transactions cannot be parallel, consistent and live

We show that it is impossible to design a transactional memory system which ensures parallelism, i.e. transactions do not need to synchronize unless they access the same application objects, while ensuring very little consistency, i.e. a consistency condition, called weak adaptive consistency, introduced here and which is weaker than snapshot isolation, processor consistency, and any other consistency condition stronger than them (such as opacity, serializability, causal serializability, etc.), and very little liveness, i.e. that transactions eventually commit if they run solo.