Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energy efficient battery management

A challenging aspect of mobile communications consists of exploring ways in which the available run time of the terminals can be maximized. In this paper we investigate battery management techniques that can dramatically improve the energy efficiency of radio communication devices. We consider an array of electrochemical cells connected in parallel. Through simple scheduling algorithms the discharge from each cell is properly shaped to optimize the charge recovery mechanism, without introducing any additional delay in supplying the required power. Then, a traffic management scheme, that exploits the knowledge of the cells' state of charge, is implemented to achieve a further improvement in the battery performance. In this case, the discharge demand may be delayed. Results indicate that the proposed battery management techniques improve system performance no matter which parameter values are chosen to characterize the cell behavior.
A Randomized Controlled Trial: Efficacy and Safety of Azithromycin, Ofloxacin, Bismuth, and Omeprazole Compared With Amoxicillin, Clarithromycin, Bismuth, and Omeprazole as Second‐Line Therapy in Patients With Helicobacter pylori Infection

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach is widespread among human populations and is considered to play a major role in the pathogenesis of various diseases such as peptic ulcer, adenocarcinoma, and mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the stomach. To increase H. pylori eradication rate without increasing bacterial resistance, various regimens have been recommended. Commonly the association of at least two antibiotics with a proton‐pump inhibitor is used. The treatment regimens for second‐line therapy, suggested in studies from the western world may not be ideal in Iran.
Immunoglobulin G and M composition of naturally occurring antibody to type III group B streptococci

Human sera were examined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies to purified type III polysaccharide of group B streptococci. The antigen-binding capacity of a reference human serum was determined by a radioimmunoassay, and the total antibody content was determined by quantitative precipitation. The serum was then depleted of IgM and IgA to determine the effect on the antigen-binding capacity. Duplicate samples of 81 sera were tested by the enzyme-linked assay in comparison with reference standard serum. Although levels of IgG antibody were greater in subjects who had carried type III streptococci during pregnancy, concentrations of this antibody were generally low. Only 2 of 28 sera (7%) from parturient subjects and 7 of 25 sera (28%) from adult volunteers contained greater than or equal to 1 microgram of IgG antibody per ml; the mean levels were 0.13 and 0.53 micrograms/ml, respectively. In contrast, 19 of 28 maternal sera (68%) and 22 of 25 (88%) volunteer adult sera contained greater than or equal to 1 microgram/ml of IgM antibody; mean levels were 1.33 and 1.54 micrograms/ml, respectively. The cord serum levels of IgG antibody were almost identical to maternal serum concentrations, whereas IgM antibody was essentially undetected.
A Shift in Media Credibility

This study surveyed politically interested online users to examine how they perceive the traditional news media, their online counterparts and independent web-based newspapers, as well as exploring which factors influenced credibility of online sources during the 2004 general election in South Korea. Independent web-based newspapers were considered more credible for political information than either traditional media or their online counterparts. Reliance on online and traditional sources tended to be stronger predictors of credibility of online sources and political variables, such as campaign interest, political involvement and voting, also turned out to be significant predictors. Based on the findings, a shift in media credibility in Korea is discussed.
How Choice Reveals and Shapes Expected Hedonic Outcome

Humans tend to modify their attitudes to align with past action. For example, after choosing between similarly valued alternatives, people rate the selected option as better than they originally did, and the rejected option as worse. However, it is unknown whether these modifications in evaluation reflect an underlying change in the physiological representation of a stimulus' expected hedonic value and our emotional response to it. Here, we addressed this question by combining participants' estimations of the pleasure they will derive from future events, with brain imaging data recorded while they imagined those events, both before, and after, choosing between them. Participants rated the selected alternatives as better after the decision stage relative to before, whereas discarded alternatives were valued less. Our functional magnetic resonance imaging findings reveal that postchoice changes in preference are tracked in caudate nucleus activity. Specifically, the difference in blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal associated with the selected and rejected stimuli was enhanced after a decision was taken, reflecting the choice that had just been made. This finding suggests that the physiological representation of a stimulus' expected hedonic value is altered by a commitment to it. Furthermore, before any revaluation induced by the decision process, our data show that BOLD signal in this same region reflects the choices we are likely to make at a later time.
Effects of Dependence and Trust on Channel Satisfaction, Commitment and Cooperation

ABSTRACT Although researchers in the area of channel behavior have examined issues of dependence and trust on satisfaction, commitment and cooperation independently, the joint effects of dependence and trust on the listed dependent variates have received little attention in the literature. This study seeks to fill that void via an experiment conducted in Singapore. Extending on the work of Andaleeb (1996), an experimental design to create treatment groups with differing levels of dependence and trust was used to establish the relationships between the dependent and independent constructs. Research results highlight the important mediating effect of trust on dependence in determining attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. Specifically, all three dependent constructs were rated highly under conditions of high trust, regardless of the level of dependence, pointing to the overbearing influence of trust in shaping channel dynamics.
Differential CSF Biomarker Levels in APOE-ε4-Positive and -Negative Patients with Memory Impairment

Objectives: To investigate the relationships between episodic memory, APOE genotype, CSF markers (total tau, T-tau; phospho-tau, P-tau; β-amyloid, Aβ42) and longitudinal cognitive decline. Methods: 124 memory clinic patients were retrospectively divided into 6 groups based on (i) episodic memory function (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, RAVLT): severe, moderate or no impairment (SIM, MIM or NIM), and (ii) APOE genotype (Ε4+ or Ε4–). CSF marker levels and cognitive decline were compared across groups. Results: Episodic memory function, according to RAVLT scores, was significantly correlated with CSF marker levels only among Ε4+ subjects and not among Ε4– subjects. When comparing the 6 subgroups, SIM Ε4+ and MIM Ε4+ groups showed significantly lower Aβ42 levels than the other groups. T-tau and P-tau levels were significantly increased in SIM Ε4+ when compared to all the other groups, including the SIM Ε4– group. However, both SIM Ε4+ and SIM Ε4– declined cognitively during the follow-up. Conclusion: It remains to be determined whether APOE genotype affects the expression of biomarkers in CSF, or whether the different biomarker patterns reflect different types of disease processes in patients with progressive cognitive dysfunction.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Parental Bonds and Relational Competencies during the College Years

ABSTRACT This two-wave longitudinal study spanning the college years examined average change in adolescent-parent bonds, subgroup patterns in change, continuity of bonds, and continuity in the associations between bonds and relational compencies among 247 students attending a large, state-supported southwestern university. Consistent with theoretical approaches emphasizing the enduring nature of family bonds, no average change was found in adolescent-parent relationships during the transition to young adulthood, and correlational evidence indicated continuity in bonds over time. Differences in parental relationships occurred based upon student employment, source of financial support, and distance between home and university. Total correlations between latent constructs representing parental bonds and relational competencies were similar at the two times of measurement; a substantial portion of the T2 relationship between constructs was accounted for by the T, relationship and across-time continuity. An exploratory cluster analysis suggested differential change in parental bonds and competencies for those categorized in a high-scoring cluster on all variables at both time points versus those categorized in a high-scoring cluster at T1 and a low-scoring cluster at T2, and differing patterns of change by gender.
Cheese whey as substrate of batch hydrogen production: Effect of temperature and addition of buffer

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of buffer addition and process temperature (ambient and 35°C) on H2 production in batch fermentation of cheese whey (CW). When the H2 production reached a plateau, the headspace of the reactors were flushed with N2 and reactors were re-incubated. Afterwards, only the reactors with phosphate buffer showed a second cycle of H2 production and 48% more H2 was obtained. The absence of a second cycle in non-buffered reactors could be related to a lower final pH than in the buffered reactors; the low pH could drive the fermentation to solvents production. Indeed a high solvent production was observed in non-buffered bioreactors as given by low ρ ratios (defined as the ratio between sum of organic acid production and sum of solvents production). Regarding the process temperatures, no significant difference between the H2 production of reactors incubated at ambient temperature and at 35°C was described. After flushing the headspace of bioreactors with N2 at the end of the second cycle, the H2 production did not resume (in all reactors).
Maresin 1 Mitigates High Glucose-Induced Mouse Glomerular Mesangial Cell Injury by Inhibiting Inflammation and Fibrosis

Background. Inflammation and fibrosis are the important pathophysiologic processes in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Maresin 1 is a potential anti-inflammatory lipid mediator, which has displayed powerful proresolving activities. Aim. We determine whether maresin 1 has protective effect on mouse glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) induced by high glucose. Methods. We cultured GMCs stimulated by high glucose and categorized as follows: normal glucose group (5.6 mmol/L), high glucose group (30 mmol/L), mannitol group, maresin 1 intervention group (1, 10, and 100 nmol/L), maresin 1 and normal glucose group, and the N-acetylcysteine (NAC) intervention group (10 μmol/L NAC). After 24 h, the expression of ROS, NLRP3, caspase-1, procaspase-1, IL-1β, and pro-IL-1β was detected by western-blot, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence. After 48 h, the expression of TGF-β1 and FN was detected by RT-PCR and ELISA. Results. Compared with normal glucose group, the expression of ROS, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, TGF-β1, and FN increased in high glucose group (P < 0.05), but it decreased after the treatment of maresin 1 in different concentrations. On the contrary, the expression of procaspase-1 and pro-IL-1β protein was restrained by high glucose and enhanced by maresin 1 in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Maresin 1 can inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome, TGF-β1, and FN in GMCs; it may have protective effect on DN by mitigating the inflammation and early fibrosis.
Phenomenology of the Interest Rate Curve

This paper contains a phenomenological description of the whole U.S. forward rate curve (FRC), based on an data in the period 1990-1996. We find that the average FRC (measured from the spot rate) grows as the square-root of the maturity, with a prefactor which is comparable to the spot rate volatility. This suggests that forward rate market prices include a risk premium, comparable to the probable changes of the spot rate between now and maturity, which can be understood as a `Value-at-Risk' type of pricing. The instantaneous FRC however departs form a simple square-root law. The distortion is maximum around one year, and reflects the market anticipation of a local trend on the spot rate. This anticipated trend is shown to be calibrated on the past behaviour of the spot itself. We show that this is consistent with the volatility `hump' around one year found by several authors (and which we confirm). Finally, the number of independent components needed to interpret most of the FRC fluctuations is found to be small. We rationalize this by showing that the dynamical evolution of the FRC contains a stabilizing second derivative (line tension) term, which tends to suppress short scale distortions of the FRC. This shape dependent term could lead, in principle, to arbitrage. However, this arbitrage cannot be implemented in practice because of transaction costs. We suggest that the presence of transaction costs (or other market `imperfections') is crucial for model building, for a much wider class of models becomes eligible to represent reality.
A Qualitative Review on 3D Coarse Registration Methods

3D registration or matching is a crucial step in 3D model reconstruction. Registration applications span along a variety of research fields, including computational geometry, computer vision, and geometric modeling. This variety of applications produces many diverse approaches to the problem but at the same time yields divergent notations and a lack of standardized algorithms and guidelines to classify existing methods. In this article, we review the state of the art of the 3D rigid registration topic (focused on Coarse Matching) and offer qualitative comparison between the most relevant approaches. Furthermore, we propose a pipeline to classify the existing methods and define a standard formal notation, offering a global point of view of the literature. Our discussion, based on the results presented in the analyzed papers, shows how, although certain aspects of the registration process still need to be tested further in real application situations, the registration pipeline as a whole has progressed steadily. As a result of this progress in all registration aspects, it is now possible to put together algorithms that are able to tackle new and challenging problems with unprecedented data sizes and meeting strict precision criteria.
Physiological Correlates of Aesthetic Perception of Artworks in a Museum

Arts experts are commonly skeptical of applying scientific methods to aesthetic experiencing, which remains a field of study predominantly for the humanities. Laboratory research has however indicated that artworks may elicit emotional and physiological responses. Yet, this line of aesthetics research has previously suffered from insufficient external validity. We therefore conducted a study in which aesthetic perception was monitored in a fine-art museum, unrestricting to the viewers’ freedom of aesthetic choice. Visitors were invited to wear electronic gloves through which their locomotion, heart rate and skin conductance were continuously recorded. Emotional and aesthetic responses to selected works of an exhibition were assessed using a customized questionnaire. In a sample of 373 adult participants, we found that physiological responses during perception of an artwork were significantly related to aesthetic-emotional experiencing. The dimensions ‘Aesthetic Quality’, ‘Surprise/Humor’, ‘Dominance’ and ‘Curatorial Quality’ were associated with cardiac measures (heart rate variability, heart rate level) and skin conductance variability. This is first evidence that aesthetics can be statistically grounded in viewers’ physiology in an ecologically valid environment, the art gallery, enhancing our understanding of the effects of artworks and their curatorial staging.
The use of psychological treatments for people with personality disorder: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Background This is a companion paper to our earlier review of psychological treatments for people with personality disorder that examined the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Here, we report on the evidence of pharmacological treatments from RCTs for people with personality disorder. As in the previous report, this paper incorporates information from an earlier review that examined the evidence to 2002, and extends it to December 2006. As in the previous paper, this review restricts itself to the findings from RCTs, and excludes evidence from other study designs; however, details of these other studies will be posted in the National Personality Disorder Institute Website (http://www.pdinstitute.org.uk). Aim This study aimed to examine the evidence from RCTs to justify intervening with pharmacological treatments in people with personality disorder. Method Fifteen electronic databases (including MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) were searched to the end of December 2006 for any RCT of a pharmacological intervention for participants meeting DSM or ICD criteria for personality disorder. Outcomes were grouped using a similar symptomological categorization to that suggested by Soloff in 1998. Results This methodology identified 35 trials for inclusion. The main positive findings were those favouring the use of anticonvulsants to reduce aggression, and of anti-psychotics to reduce cognitive perceptual and mental state disturbance. However, there were major methodological deficiencies in the trial designs, including small numbers of participants and limited duration of treatment and follow-up. Conclusion This review identifies a very limited evidence base to justify intervening with drugs in this group. Reasons why this should be so are examined that relate to fundamentally differing conceptualizations of how any intervention might impact in an individual with personality disorder. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Insulin and risk of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Our purposes were to estimate the strength of the longitudinal relationship between hyperinsulinemia and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) from the available literature and to identify study characteristics that modify this relationship. METHODS AND RESULTS Articles were identified by means of a MEDLINE and Embase search and citation tracking. Eligible studies were prospective population-based cohort studies and nested case-control studies on the relationship between, on the one hand, fasting or nonfasting insulin levels and, on the other hand, myocardial infarction, death from coronary heart disease, and/or ECG abnormalities. Data were extracted pertaining to insulin measurements, type of outcome studied, adjustment for confounding, sex, mean age of the study population, follow-up period, insulin assay, and ethnic background (white or nonwhite). Associations of insulin and CVD were reexpressed in a uniform manner, an estimate of relative risk (RR) and 95% CI, to be used in meta-regression analyses. Twelve of 17 potentially eligible articles provided sufficient information. Overall, a weak positive association was found. The meta-analysis resulted in an estimated summary RR (95% CI) of 1.18 (1.08 to 1.29) for differences in insulin level, equivalent to the difference between the 75th and the 25th percentiles of the general population in The Netherlands. Ethnic background and type of insulin assay modified the relationship between insulin and CVD with borderline significance. CONCLUSIONS Hyperinsulinemia is a weak risk indicator for the occurrence of CVD. The relationship between hyperinsulinemia and CVD was modified by ethnic background and by the type of insulin assay involved.
The Discriminating Consumer: Product Proliferation and Willingness to Pay for Quality

The authors propose that a crowded product space motivates consumers to better discriminate between options of different quality. Specifically, this article reports evidence from three controlled experiments and one natural experiment that people are prepared to pay more for high-quality products and less for low-quality products when they are considered in the context of a dense, as opposed to a sparse, set of alternatives. To explain this effect, the authors argue that consumers uncertain about the importance of quality learn from observing market outcomes. Product proliferation reveals that other consumers care to discriminate among similar alternatives, and in turn, this inference raises the importance of quality in decision making.
On the homotopy theory of $n$-types

An n-truncated model structure on simplicial (pre-)sheaves is described having as weak equivalences maps that induce isomorphisms on certain homotopy sheaves only up to degree n. Starting from one of Jardine's intermediate model structures we construct such an n-type model structure via Bousfield-Friedlander localization and exhibit useful generating sets of trivial cofibrations. Injectively fibrant objects in these categories are called n-hyperstacks. The whole setup can consequently be viewed as a description of the homotopy theory of higher hyperstacks. More importantly, we construct analogous n-truncations on simplicial groupoids and prove a Quillen equivalence between these settings. We achieve a classification of n-types of simplicial presheaves in terms of (n-1)-types of presheaves of simplicial groupoids. Our classification holds for general n. Therefore this can also be viewed as the homotopy theory of (pre-)sheaves of (weak) higher groupoids.
Optimal Power and Range Adaptation for Green Broadcasting

Improving energy efficiency is key to network providers maintaining profit levels and an acceptable carbon footprint in the face of rapidly increasing data traffic in cellular networks in the coming years. The energy-saving concept studied in this paper is the adaptation of a base station's (BS's) transmit power levels and coverage area according to channel conditions and traffic load. Cell coverage is usually pre-designed based on the estimated static (e.g. peak) traffic load. However, traffic load in cellular networks exhibits significant fluctuations in both space and time, which can be exploited, through cell range adaptation, for energy saving. In this paper, we design short- and long-term BS power control (STPC and LTPC respectively) policies for the OFDMA-based downlink of a single-cell system, where bandwidth is dynamically and equally shared among a random number of mobile users (MUs). STPC is a function of all MUs' channel gains that maintains the required user-level quality of service (QoS), while LTPC (including BS on-off control) is a function of traffic density that minimizes the long-term energy consumption at the BS under a minimum throughput constraint. We first develop a power scaling law that relates the (short-term) average transmit power at BS with the given cell range and MU density. Based on this result, we derive the optimal (long-term) transmit adaptation policy by considering a joint range adaptation and LTPC problem. By identifying the fact that energy saving at BS essentially comes from two major energy saving mechanisms (ESMs), i.e. range adaptation and BS on-off power control, we propose low-complexity suboptimal schemes with various combinations of the two ESMs to investigate their impacts on system energy consumption. It is shown that when the network throughput is low, BS on-off power control is the most effective ESM, while when the network throughput is higher, range adaptation becomes more effective.