Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applications of fuzzy theory on health care: an example of depression disorder classification based on FCM

The purpose of this study is to apply fuzzy theory on health care. To achieve this goal, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II was adopted as the instrument and outpatients of a psychiatric clinic were recruited as samples and undergraduates as non-clinical sample as well. To elicit the membership degree, we asked the subjects are free to choose more than one alternative for each item listed in BDI and, in turn, assign percentages on the chosen alternatives. Moreover, the sum of percentages of the chosen categories is restricted to 100%. We performed the possibility- based (fuzzy c-means, FCM) and probability-based classification (Wald's method and k-means) to classification of severity of depression. The scoring of BDI of subjects were analyzed by clustering analysis while the diagnose of depression-severity by a psychiatrist was used as the criterion to evaluate classification accuracy. The percentage of correct classification among FCM, Wald's method and k-means were compared. The analytical results show the Kendall's τ coefficient of FCM, Wald's method and k-means were . 549, . 316, and . 395, respectively. That is, FCM exhibited a higher association between the original and classified membership than did Wald's and k-means methods. We concluded that FCM identified the data structure more accurately than the two crisp clustering methods. It is also suggested that considerable cost concerning prevention and cure of depression might be reduced via FCM.
Novelty Encoding by the Output Neurons of the Basal Ganglia

Reinforcement learning models of the basal ganglia have focused on the resemblance of the dopamine signal to the temporal difference error. However the role of the network as a whole is still elusive, in particular whether the output of the basal ganglia encodes only the behavior (actions) or it is part of the valuation process. We trained a monkey extensively on a probabilistic conditional task with seven fractal cues predicting rewarding or aversive outcomes (familiar cues). Then in each recording session we added a cue that the monkey had never seen before (new cue) and recorded from single units in the Substantia Nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) while the monkey was engaged in a task with new cues intermingled within the familiar ones. The monkey learned the association between the new cue and outcome and modified its licking and blinking behavior which became similar to responses to the familiar cues with the same outcome. However, the responses of many SNpr neurons to the new cue exceeded their response to familiar cues even after behavioral learning was completed. This dissociation between behavior and neural activity suggests that the BG output code goes beyond instruction or gating of behavior to encoding of novel cues. Thus, BG output can enable learning at the levels of its target neural networks.
Relations between Reading Motivation and Reading Skills in Students with a Reading Disability.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the short-term longitudinal relations between two constructs of reading motivation (reading self-concept and value of reading) and two aspects of reading (reading fluency and reading comprehension) in a clinical sample of elementary school students diagnosed with a SLD in reading. Skills in reading fluency and comprehension were assessed by the Gray Oral Reading Tests, Fifth Edition (GORT-5; Wiederholt & Bryant, 2012) and reading motivation was assessed by the Motivation to Read ProfileRevised (MRP-R; Malloy, Marinak, Gambrell, & Mazzoni, 2013). A cross-lag panel analysis was used to examine autoregressive paths (the relation between the same variables at two points of time) and cross lagged paths (reading motivation at time 1 and reading skill at time 2; reading skill at time 1 and reading motivation at time 2) in a reciprocal effects model. Support was found for the autoregressive paths, but not for the crosslagged paths in the reciprocal effects model. A time-reversed model was also analyzed to rule out the possibility that results from the reciprocal effects model were due to regression to the mean. Limitations of the current study, implications for educational practice, and directions of future research were discussed.
Property Graph vs RDF Triple Store: A Comparison on Glycan Substructure Search

Resource description framework (RDF) and Property Graph databases are emerging technologies that are used for storing graph-structured data. We compare these technologies through a molecular biology use case: glycan substructure search. Glycans are branched tree-like molecules composed of building blocks linked together by chemical bonds. The molecular structure of a glycan can be encoded into a direct acyclic graph where each node represents a building block and each edge serves as a chemical linkage between two building blocks. In this context, Graph databases are possible software solutions for storing glycan structures and Graph query languages, such as SPARQL and Cypher, can be used to perform a substructure search. Glycan substructure searching is an important feature for querying structure and experimental glycan databases and retrieving biologically meaningful data. This applies for example to identifying a region of the glycan recognised by a glycan binding protein (GBP). In this study, 19,404 glycan structures were selected from GlycomeDB (www.glycome-db.org) and modelled for being stored into a RDF triple store and a Property Graph. We then performed two different sets of searches and compared the query response times and the results from both technologies to assess performance and accuracy. The two implementations produced the same results, but interestingly we noted a difference in the query response times. Qualitative measures such as portability were also used to define further criteria for choosing the technology adapted to solving glycan substructure search and other comparable issues.
Non–cell autonomous toxicity in neurodegenerative disorders: ALS and beyond

Selective degeneration and death of one or more classes of neurons is the defining feature of human neurodegenerative disease. Although traditionally viewed as diseases mainly affecting the most vulnerable neurons, in most instances of inherited disease the causative genes are widely—usually ubiquitously—expressed. Focusing on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), especially disease caused by dominant mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), we review here the evidence that it is the convergence of damage developed within multiple cell types, including within neighboring nonneuronal supporting cells, which is crucial to neuronal dysfunction. Damage to a specific set of key partner cells as well as to vulnerable neurons may account for the selective susceptibility of neuronal subtypes in many human neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's disease (PD), prion disease, the spinal cerebellar ataxias (SCAs), and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
The Number of Metabolic Abnormalities Associated with the Risk of Gallstones in a Non-diabetic Population

Aim To evaluate whether metabolic syndrome is associated with gallstones, independent of hepatitis C infection or chronic kidney disease (CKD), in a non-diabetic population. Materials and Methods A total of 8,188 Chinese adult participants that underwent a self-motivated health examination were recruited into the final analysis after excluding the subjects who had a history of cholecystectomy, diabetes mellitus, or were currently using antihypertensive or lipid-lowering agents. Gallstones were defined by the presence of strong intraluminal echoes that were gravity-dependent or that attenuated ultrasound transmission. Results A total of 447 subjects (5.5%) had gallstones, with 239 (5.1%) men and 208 (6.0%) women. After adjusting for age, gender, obesity, education level, and lifestyle factors, included current smoking, alcohol drinking, regular exercise, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and CKD, there was a positive association between metabolic syndrome and gallstones. Moreover, as compared to subjects without metabolic abnormalities, subjects with one, two, and three or more suffered from a 35, 40, and 59% higher risk of gallstones, respectively. Conclusions Non-diabetic subjects with metabolic syndrome had a higher risk of gallstones independent of hepatitis C or CKD, and a dose-dependent effect of metabolic abnormalities also exists.
An architecture for self-managing microservices

Running applications in the cloud efficiently requires much more than deploying software in virtual machines. Cloud applications have to be continuously managed: 1) to adjust their resources to the incoming load and 2) to face transient failures replicating and restarting components to provide resiliency on unreliable infrastructure. Continuous management monitors application and infrastructural metrics to provide automated and responsive reactions to failures (health management) and changing environmental conditions (auto-scaling) minimizing human intervention. In the current practice, management functionalities are provided as infrastructural or third party services. In both cases they are external to the application deployment. We claim that this approach has intrinsic limits, namely that separating management functionalities from the application prevents them from naturally scaling with the application and requires additional management code and human intervention. Moreover, using infrastructure provider services for management functionalities results in vendor lock-in effectively preventing cloud applications to adapt and run on the most effective cloud for the job. In this position paper we propose a novel architecture that enables scalable and resilient self-management of microservices applications on cloud.
Do Expectations of Divorce Predict Union Formation in the Transition to Adulthood?

Objective This study describes the association between explicit expectations to divorce and subsequent first union formation over the transition to adulthood (ages 18-28). Background Expectations for marriage in young adulthood predict union formation. Even before marrying, young adults may express a perceived risk of eventual divorce, and expectations of divorce may also have implications for union formation over the transition to adulthood. Method Data from the 2005-2015 years of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition to Adulthood Supplement (n = 2052) were used to estimate the association between expectations to divorce and entry into first premarital cohabitation and first marriage using discrete-time logistic and multinomial logistic survival models. Results As hypothesized, greater expectations for divorce predicted slower entrance into first marriage, even controlling for expectations for marriage and various sociodemographic characteristics, and predicted a greater likelihood of both remaining single and being first observed cohabiting instead of marrying in young adulthood for both men and women. Conclusion Despite desiring to marry, young adults may delay marriage if they are concerned about their risk of future divorce.
On the Distribution of Income and Worker Assignment under Intrafirm Spillovers, with an Application to Ideas and Networks

I study the earnings structure and the equilibrium assignment of workers when workers exert intrafirm spillovers on each other. I allow for arbitrary spillovers provided that output depends on some aggregate index of workers’ skill. Despite the possibility of increasing returns to skills, equilibrium typically exists. I show that equilibrium will typically be segregated and that the skill space can be partitioned into a set of segments and any firm hires from only one segment. Next, I apply the model to analyze the effect of information technology on segmentation and the distribution of income. There are two types of human capital, productivity and creativity, that is, the ability to produce ideas that may be duplicated over a network. Under plausible assumptions, inequality rises and then falls when network size increases, and the poorest workers cannot lose. I also analyze the impact of an improvement in worker quality and of an increased international mobility of ideas.
The correlation between proprioception and handwriting legibility in children

[Purpose] This study investigated the association between proprioception, including joint position sense and kinetic sense, and handwriting legibility in healthy children. [Subjects and Methods] Assessment of joint position sense, kinetic sense, and handwriting legibility was conducted for 19 healthy children. Joint position sense was assessed by asking the children to flex their right elbow between 30° to 110° while blindfolded. The range of elbow movement was analyzed with Compact Measuring System 10 for 3D motion Analysis. Kinetic sense was assessed using the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test. The children were directed to write 30 words from the Korean alphabet, and the legibility of their handwriting was scored for form, alignment, space, size, and shape. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0. [Results] There was significant negative correlation between handwriting legibility and Kinetic sense. A significant correlation between handwriting legibility and Joint position sense was not found. [Conclusion] This study showed that a higher Kinetic sense was associated with better legibility of handwriting. Further work is needed to determine the association of handwriting legibility and speed with Joint position sense of the elbow, wrist, and fingers.
Nitrogen Removal Characteristics of Pseudomonas putida Y-9 Capable of Heterotrophic Nitrification and Aerobic Denitrification at Low Temperature

The cold-adapted bacterium Pseudomonas putida Y-9 was investigated and exhibited excellent capability for nitrogen removal at 15°C. The strain capable of heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification could efficiently remove ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite at an average removal rate of 2.85 mg, 1.60 mg, and 1.83 mg NL−1 h−1, respectively. Strain Y-9 performed nitrification in preference to denitrification when ammonium and nitrate or ammonium and nitrite coexisted in the solution. Meantime, the presence of nitrate had no effect on the ammonium removal rate of strain Y-9, and yet the presence of high concentration of nitrite would inhibit the cell growth and decrease the nitrification rate. The experimental results indicate that P. putida Y-9 has potential application for the treatment of wastewater containing high concentrations of ammonium along with its oxidation products at low temperature.
A New Link Adaptation Scheme for IEEE 802.11 WLANs

The IEEE 802.11 WLAN becomes more applied for multimedia traffics that are very strict in terms of link rate and transmission delay performance. In this paper, the authors will study link adaptation requirements to allow the requested multimedia quality-based communications. The efficiency of rate control diagrams is linked to the fast channel variation response. A new dynamic time-based link adaptation mechanism, called MAARF (modified adaptive auto rate fallback), is proposed. Beside the transmission frame results, the new model implements round trip time (RTT) mechanism to choose adequately instantaneous link rate. This proposed model is evaluated with ARF (auto rate fallback) and AARF (adaptive ARF) schemes. Simulation results are given to illustrate the quality improvement of transmission link over Wi-Fi networks.
How School Achievements Interplay with School Culture and Principal Behaviors: A Comparative Study.

The purpose of the study was to explore school culture in radically different schools due to school achievement. The particular objectives of this study were to investigate: (1) the teachers’ perceptions of school culture (2) the teachers’ perceptions of principal behaviors, and additionally (3) to determine the relationship between principals’ behaviors and perception of school culture by teachers. This study employed a comparative-descriptive research design and took place in A - Middle School, representing a high-performing school, and B -Middle School, representing a low-performing school. These two middle schools were both located in capital city of Poland and were selected based on their position in Warsaw Middle Schools Ranking. The “School Culture Survey” (Gruenert & Valentine, 1998) was used to obtain data about school culture factors. To determine the teachers’ perceptions of principal’s behaviors, “The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire - Middle Level” (OCDQ-ML, Hoy et al., 1996) was used. Statistical comparisons of collaborative school culture indicated that the compared schools differ significantly in four school culture dimensions. In school A there is a culture focused on individual achievements, the competition more than cooperation, unlike the situation in B-middle school, in which collaborative school culture is strong and visible. According to principal behaviors, significant differences between compared schools were also identified. Namely, more supportive principal behaviors were typical for school B (low school performing), while restrictive principal behaviors were more common in school A (high-performing). Results indicated that principal behaviors and collaborative school culture were associated with each other.
Environmental Lead Exposure Accelerates Progressive Diabetic Nephropathy in Type II Diabetic Patients

Whether environmental lead exposure has a long-term effect on progressive diabetic nephropathy in type II diabetic patients remains unclear. A total of 107 type II diabetic patients with stage 3 diabetic nephropathy (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) range, 30–60 mL/min/1.73 m2) with normal body lead burden (BLB) (<600 μg/72 hr in EDTA mobilization tests) and no history of exposure to lead were prospectively followed for 2 years. Patients were divided into high-normal BLB (>80 μg) and low-normal BLB (<80 μg) groups. The primary outcome was a 2-fold increase in the initial creatinine levels, long-term dialysis, or death. The secondary outcome was a change in eGFR over time. Forty-five patients reached the primary outcome within 2 years. Although there were no differences in baseline data and renal function, progressive nephropathy was slower in the low-normal BLB group than that in the high-normal BLB group. During the study period, we demonstrated that each 100 μg increment in BLB and each 10 μg increment in blood lead levels could decrease GFR by 2.2 mL/min/1.72 m2 and 3.0 mL/min/1.72 m2 (P = 0.005), respectively, as estimated by generalized equations. Moreover, BLB was associated with increased risk of achieving primary outcome. Environmental exposure to lead may have a long-term effect on progressive diabetic nephropathy in type II diabetic patients.
Product Market Competition and the Severity of Distressed Asset Sales

This article explores the effect of an industry’s market structure on the liquidation value of assets. We show that when firms with financial constraints compete for the gains arising from market concentration, they expend insufficient efforts to deploy assets across industries, leading to significant liquidation discounts when compared with an efficient benchmark. Equilibrium distress costs and private costs of leverage should increase with the rents linked to concentration in the product market.
Ephrin-B Reverse Signaling Is Required for Formation of Strictly Contralateral Auditory Brainstem Pathways

Specificity in the projections from the mammalian ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) is essential for sound localization. Globular bushy cells project from the VCN to the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) on the contralateral, but not the ipsilateral, side of the brainstem, terminating in large synaptic endings known as calyces of Held. The precision in this pathway is critical for the computation of interaural intensity differences, which are used in sound localization. The mechanisms underlying the development of this projection are not completely understood. In this study, we tested the role of Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands in limiting the VCN–MNTB projection to the contralateral side. We found that mice with null mutations in EphB2 and EphB3 had normal contralateral VCN–MNTB projections, yet these projections also had significant numbers of aberrant collateral branches in the ipsilateral MNTB. These aberrant branches ended in calyceal terminations in MNTB. Similar ipsilateral projections were seen in mice with mutations in ephrin-B2. In both of these mouse lines, ipsilateral projections formed concurrently with normal contralateral projections and were not eliminated later in development. However, mice with mutations that affected only the intracellular domain of EphB2 had normal, strictly contralateral VCN–MNTB projections. Expression studies showed that EphB2 is expressed in VCN axons and ephrin-B2 is expressed in MNTB. Together, these data suggest that EphB2–ephrin-B2 reverse signaling is required to prevent the formation of ipsilateral VCN–MNTB projections and that this signaling operates non-cell autonomously.
Memes against sexism? A multi-method analysis of the feminist protest hashtag #distractinglysexy and its resonance in the mainstream news media

Hashtag feminism has become a popular tactic of online protest against gender inequality. Using the Twitter hashtag #distractinglysexy, women scientists posted pictures of themselves in labs or during field research to contest misogynist remarks by Nobel laureate Tim Hunt. We examined the resulting humorous and memetic discourse on Twitter as well as its coverage in news media combining a content analysis of the multimodal tweets with a qualitative discourse analysis of German and British news media. The results show that the ironic memes in which researchers addressed sexism in academia by parodying social norms and ideals of ‘sexiness’ yielded substantial media attention, but with differences in the two countries: While the hashtag #distractinglysexy initiated a broader debate on sexism and discrimination in academia in the UK news media discourse, in the German context, this form of ‘self-mediation’ was portrayed either as ‘something funny on the Web’ or as a harmful firestorm.
Reducing work related uncertainty: the role of communication and control in software development

Applies an "organizational theories" lens to the general problems incurred when organizations undertake unclear, poorly specified technical projects for which there are no easy solutions. In an empirical study of 57 software development teams, we investigate the impact of team member communication and team control strategies on the role and task ambiguity experienced by team members. The results indicate that stakeholder rating of team performance is associated with decreased levels of role and task ambiguity. This finding goes beyond previous studies by showing the mediating impact of role and task ambiguity on the relationship between team performance on the one hand, and team communication and control strategies on the other.