Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rethinking the Proposition of Privacy Engineering

The field of privacy engineering proposes a methodological framework for designing privacy-protecting information systems. Recognising that the utilisation of privacy-enhancing techniques for data storage and analysis does not address the entire scope of individual privacy, privacy engineering incorporates influences from user sentiment, legal norms and risk analysis in order to provide a holistic approach. Framed by related design principles, such as 'Privacy-by-Design', privacy engineering purports to provide a practical, deployable set of methods by which to achieve such a holistic outcome. Yet, despite this aim, there have been difficulties in adequately articulating the value proposition of privacy engineering. Without being able to adequately define privacy or map its contours, any proposed methodology or framework will be difficult to implement in practice, if not self-defeating. This paper identifies and examines the assumptions that underpin privacy engineering, linking them to shortcomings and open questions. Further, we explore possible research avenues that may give rise to alternative frameworks.
Probabilistic VHM Failure Envelopes for Skirted Foundations in Spatially Variable Normally Consolidated Clay

Skirted foundations are used in offshore applications to resist the large horizontal and moment loads that are characteristic of the ocean environment. The ultimate capacity of a skirted foundation subjected to vertical-horizontal-moment (VHM) loading combinations can be described using failure envelopes in VHM load space. This represents a far more versatile design approach than classical bearing capacity solutions and is able to accommodate complex loading scenarios and similarly complex stress conditions in the soil. Typically, VHM envelopes are constructed using deterministic plastic limit analyses or numerical methods. However, soil is a natural material and as such is inherently variable. The value of soil parameters fluctuates through the ground, as evident in field or laboratory test results. In this study, the ultimate capacity of a skirted foundation in spatially variable undrained clay under VHM loading is investigated. Spatial variation is taken into account using a random field representation of undrained shear strength and the increase of strength with depth typical of a normally consolidated marine clay is considered. The random field is coupled with a finite element method to assess the ultimate limit state. The failure mechanism and ultimate capacity are consequently direct results of the spatial variation of undrained shear strength. Monte Carlo simulation is used to produce probabilistic failure envelopes, based on the probability that the true combination of VHM loads causing failure will fall inside on or inside that envelope. Hence, this method allows designers to select a failure envelope that is associated with an acceptable level of risk.
Characterizing safe and partially safe evolution scenarios in product lines: An Empirical Study

Evolving software product lines is often error-prone. Previous works have proposed classifying product line evolution into safe or partially safe, depending on the number of products that have their behavior preserved after evolution. Based on these notions, it is possible to derive transformation templates that abstract common evolution scenarios, such as adding an optional feature. However, existing works are focused on evaluating either safe or partially safe templates. Hence, in this work we aim to characterize product line evolution as a whole, measuring to what extent the evolution history is safe compared to partially safe, to better understand how product lines evolve. We measure how often existing templates happen using 2,300 commits from an open-source product line. According to our study, 91.7% of the commits represent partially safe evolution scenarios. Our results also show that 1,800 of these commits can automatically be classified as instances of existing templates. Among these, commits that do not modify other variability-aware models, are the most frequent, accounting for 72.3% out of the total of commits. For the remaining 500 commits, we identify that 24.4% are related to changes in the configuration knowledge, that is, the file responsible for the mapping between features and code.
Relative Responsiveness of Trade Flows to a Change in Prices and Exchange Rate

A country can restrict her imports by imposing tariffs and stimulating her exports by providing subsidies. The same goal could be achieved through devaluation. One policy question that we face is the time it takes for either policy to affect the trade flows. We investigate here the relative responsiveness of the trade flows to a change in relative prices versus to a change in exchange rate. After estimating an error-correction version of import and export demand functions for nine industrial countries, unlike earlier studies that employed non-stationary data, our findings indicate that there is no specific answer and trade flows of different countries react differently.
Comparison Of Lumbar Drain Insertion And Conservative Management In The Treatment Of Traumatic CSF Rhinorrhoea.

BACKGROUND Conservative management of traumatic CSF rhinorrhoea is associated with a greater risk of developing meningitis in the presence of active CSF leak. Lumbar drains have been reported to be better than conservative management alone in stopping CSF leaks following traumatic brain injury. METHODS This randomized controlled trial enrolled 60 patients with CSF rhinorrhoea and divided them into two groups. One group was managed with conservative management plus a lumbar drain (group A) and the other was managed with conservative management alone (Group B). Length of CSF rhinorrhoea in days was estimated in both groups. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in in mean length of CSF rhinorrhoea in both groups. In group A, mean Length of CSF rhinorrhoea was found to be 3.4 days ±1.1 SD, while in group B it was 6.75 days ±1.96 SD (p=0.001). Stratification with respect to gender, age, duration and type of trauma showed similar trend (p<0.05 in all cases). CONCLUSIONS Patients who underwent lumbar drain insertion plus conservative management demonstrated significantly shorter length of CSF rhinorrhoea when compared to conservative management alone in the treatment of traumatic CSF rhinorrhoea.
Advanced Target Tracking Techniques

Abstract : In many engineering applications, including surveillance, guidance, or navigation, single stand-alone sensors or sensor networks are used for collecting information on time varying quantities of interest, such as kinematical characteristics and measured attributes of moving or stationary objects of interest (e.g. maneuvering air targets, ground moving vehicles, or stationary movers such as a rotating antennas). More strictly speaking, in these applications the state vectors of stochastically moving objects are to be estimated from a series of sensor data sets, also called scans or data frames. The individual measurements are produced by the sensors at discrete instants of time, being referred to as scan or frame time, target revisit time, or data innovation time. These output data (sensor reports, observations, returns, hits, plots) typically result from complex estimation procedures themselves characterizing particular waveform parameters of the received sensor signals (signal processing). In case of moving point-source objects or small extended objects, i.e. typical radar targets, often relatively simple statistical models can be derived from basic physical laws describing their temporal behavior and thus defining the underlying dynamical system. In addition, appropriate sensor models are available or can be constructed, which characterize the statistical properties of the produced sensor data sufficiently correct. As an introduction to advanced target tracking techniques characteristic problems occurring in typical radar applications are presented; key ideas relevant for their solution are discussed.
An IQSEC2 Mutation Associated With Intellectual Disability and Autism Results in Decreased Surface AMPA Receptors

We have recently described an A350V mutation in IQSEC2 associated with intellectual disability, autism and epilepsy. We sought to understand the molecular pathophysiology of this mutation with the goal of developing targets for drug intervention. We demonstrate here that the A350V mutation results in interference with the binding of apocalmodulin to the IQ domain of IQSEC2. We further demonstrate that this mutation results in constitutive activation of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity of IQSEC2 resulting in increased production of the active form of Arf6. In a CRISPR generated mouse model of the A350V IQSEC2 mutation, we demonstrate that the surface expression of GluA2 AMPA receptors in mouse hippocampal tissue was significantly reduced in A350V IQSEC2 mutant mice compared to wild type IQSEC2 mice and that there is a significant reduction in basal synaptic transmission in the hippocampus of A350V IQSEC2 mice compared to wild type IQSEC2 mice. Finally, the A350V IQSEC2 mice demonstrated increased activity, abnormal social behavior and learning as compared to wild type IQSEC2 mice. These findings suggest a model of how the A350V mutation in IQSEC2 may mediate disease with implications for targets for drug therapy. These studies provide a paradigm for a personalized approach to precision therapy for a disease that heretofore has no therapy.
Feeding and prey capture cycles in the aposymbiontic gorgonian Paramuhcea clavata

A study of the stomach contents of a population of the Mediterranean gorgoman Paramuricea clavata (hsso, 1826) showed that zooplankton accounted for an important share of the &et. Nauplu, copepod eggs, other invertebrate eggs, and other small (100 to 200 pm) prey items of low motility accounted for 78 % of prey items, though adult calanoid copepods (600 to 700 pm) were also captured. The mean number of prey items per polyp ranged from 1.2 to 3.3. The prey capture rate was highly dependent upon the density and frequency of occurrence of planktonic prey in the habitat. Peak prey capture levels were recorded in spring and at the end of autumn, while prey capture rates fell off substantially in summer, when the proportion of colonies with contracted polyps was very high. There were significant differences in the prey capture rates between colonies, which was attributed to differences in the spatial distribution of the zooplankton. There were also large differences in prey capture rates within the same colony. Polyps located on the apical and peripheral branches captured twice as many prey as those located in the centre or at the base of the colony. It was estimated that the population, located off the Medes Islands (northwestern Mediterranean) at between 17 and 29 m depth with a mean density of 32 gorgonians m-2, may capture between 1.52 X 105 and 1.06 X 106 prey items m-2 d-l, according to the time of year The prey capture rates recorded during a die1 cycle, when extrapolated to an annual cycle, suggest that gorgonians play an important role in littoral food webs and particularly in the flow of energy from the plankton to the benthos.
Late Preterm Infants' Social Competence, Motor Development, and Cognition

The aim of this study was to compare the social competence, motor development, and cognition of late preterm infants (LPIs) with full-term infants. Several studies in the recent past indicated that LPIs are at high risk of social development problems. We compared the development of motor skills, cognition, and social competency of LPIs with full-term infants at between 2 and 2.5 years old. The Chinese versions of the Gesell Development Diagnosis scale and the Normal Development of Social Skills from Infants to Junior High School Children scale were used for the assessment. LPIs were not more socially competent than their full-term counterparts. Each skill—namely, adaptability, gross motor, fine motor, language, and personal-social responses—was separately associated with the total level of social skills. It was found that gross motor skills had a positive correlation with the self-help and locomotive abilities, and fine motor skills had a positive association with locomotion abilities. LPIs had risk factors due to their delayed social skills in areas including motor disorders and physiological and perinatal factors. LPIs under three were at a higher risk of impairment in social competency. Therefore, it is recommended that they be monitored regularly to identify the development of social and cognitive disorders at an early stage.
SC-FEGAN: Face Editing Generative Adversarial Network With User’s Sketch and Color

We present a novel image editing system that generates images as the user provides free-form masks, sketches and color as inputs. Our system consists of an end-to-end trainable convolutional network. In contrast to the existing methods, our system utilizes entirely free-form user input in terms of color and shape. This allows the system to respond to the user’s sketch and color inputs, using them as guidelines to generate an image. In this work, we trained the network with an additional style loss, which made it possible to generate realistic results despite large portions of the image being removed. Our proposed network architecture SC-FEGAN is well suited for generating high-quality synthetic images using intuitive user inputs.
A comparison of individual qualities of resiliency in adolescents with mild intellectual disability and typically developing adolescents

Intellectual disability (ID) is a chronic adversity that increases the likelihood of negative developmental outcomes. The aim of this research is to examine differences between adolescents with mild ID and typically developing (TD) adolescents in personal qualities which contribute to successful adaptation. The sample consisted of 92 adolescents with mild ID and 772 TD adolescents, 13–19 years of age, of both sexes. Resiliency was assessed using the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents. In comparison to TD adolescents, adolescents with mild ID have significantly lower levels of sense of mastery and sense of relatedness and a higher level of emotional reactivity. In the subsample of adolescents with mild ID there were no age or sex differences for resiliency. Adolescents with mild ID have a lower level of resiliency than TD adolescents, which highlights the need to develop programs focused on personal qualities associated with positive developmental outcomes.
Efficacy and safety of megestrol in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review of the literature

Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. There is as yet no standard therapy for inoperable HCC. We aimed to systematically review all health-related evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of megestrol in HCC patients. Material and methods We conducted a systematic computerised search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL. All original human studies reporting the efficacy of megestrol in HCC patients were included in our review. Results Six studies including 357 patients were finally eligible. The overall mean survival time of 87 megestrol-treated patients, was 9.187 (95% CI 1.134–17.239) months. Eight patients had tumour size enlargement, and eight patients had tumour size reduction. From three studies including 76 patients, 42 patients reported having improvement of appetite and food intake after receiving megestrol. Diverse adverse events were noticed between studies; however, they were tolerable in most of the studies. Conclusions To summarise, no conclusive evidence should be declared regarding the effectiveness of megestrol in patients with inoperable HCC. However, previous studies have shown promising results at the level of prolonging the survival rate, tumour size reduction, and improving the quality of life. Therefore, we recommend that future research studies must examine the role of megestrol in large-population, randomised studies.
Serum Interleukin-33 in Rheumatoid Arthritis and its Relation to Disease Activity

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive, systemic inflammatory, connective tissue disease affecting approximately 1% of the general population. Interleukin-33 (IL33), a member of the IL-1 family, is a ligand for the orphan receptor ST2 (known as IL-1RL1 also). IL-33 is crucial for Th2 cytokine-mediated immune responses however; it can overcome this role in RA. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the potential role of inflammatory cytokine (IL-33) in RA and assess the correlation of IL-33 level to disease activity. Subjects and Method: The study included sixty patients with RA. Patients were diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2010 revised criteria and were classified into 2 groups of 30 patients each according to disease activity score 28 (DAS28), the first group included RA patients with DAS28 of ≤2.4 and the second group included RA patients with DAS28 >2.4. Thirty normal subjects served as a control group. Serum IL-33 was measured using ELISA. Results: Serum IL33 level was significantly higher in patient's group compared to the control group (P ≤.001). Also, serum IL33 level, was significantly higher in patients’ group 2 (DAS>2.4) than patients’ group 1 (DAS≤2.4) (P<0.001). Serum IL-33 level positively correlated with disease duration, ESR, CRP and disease severity. Conclusion: IL-33 is a novel potential marker for the risk of RA as well as a marker of disease activity
Stress Elicits Contrasting Effects on the Structure and Number of Astrocytes in the Amygdala versus Hippocampus

Abstract Stress causes divergent patterns of structural and physiological plasticity in the hippocampus versus amygdala. However, a majority of earlier studies focused primarily on neurons. Despite growing evidence for the importance of glia in health and disease, relatively little is known about how stress affects astrocytes. Further, previous work focused on hippocampal astrocytes. Hence, we examined the impact of chronic immobilization stress (2 h/d, 10 d), on the number and structure of astrocytes in the rat hippocampus and amygdala. We observed a reduction in the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes in the basal amygdala (BA), 1 d after the end of 10 d of chronic stress. Detailed morphometric analysis of individual dye-filled astrocytes also revealed a decrease in the neuropil volume occupied by these astrocytes in the BA, alongside a reduction in the volume fraction of fine astrocytic protrusions rather than larger dendrite-like processes. By contrast, the same chronic stress had no effect on the number or morphology of astrocytes in hippocampal area CA3. We also confirmed previous reports that chronic stress triggers dendritic hypertrophy in dye-filled BA principal neurons that were located adjacent to astrocytes that had undergone atrophy. Thus, building on earlier evidence for contrasting patterns of stress-induced plasticity in neurons across brain areas, our findings offer new evidence that the same stress can also elicit divergent morphological effects in astrocytes in the hippocampus versus the amygdala.
Late Immersion and Language of Instruction (English vs. Chinese) in Hong Kong High Schools: Achievement Growth in Language and Nonlanguage Subjects.

This study examines how instruction in the first language (L1), Chinese, and in the second language (L2), English, affects a large sample of students' academic achievement in Ll, L2, and content, nonlanguage school subjects, including mathematics, science, geography, and history, in their first 3 years of high school. For all four content area subjects, to a lesser extent in mathematics, late immersion in English as the language of instruction had negative effects that did not vary with initial general ability; were slightly smaller for students initially more proficient in the second language; declined slightly over time for some subjects; and were counteracted somewhat by particularly strong English-language courses. Immersion in English had positive effects on English and, to a lesser extent, Chinese language achievement, but these effects were small relative to the large negative effects in nonlanguage subjects. Whereas previous research has shown positive effects for early-immersion programs that start in kindergarten where language demands are not so great, negative effects for this late immersion program challenge the generality of these findings to high schools, and perhaps even theoretical models of second language acquisition. The paper begins with a literature review, provides a description of the situation in Hong Kong, presents empirical data, and concludes with an exploration of the educational policy implications. (Contains 45 references.) (KFT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Language of Instruction I Late Immersion and Language of Instruction (English vs. Chinese) in Hong Kong High Schools: Achievement Growth in Language and Nonlanguage Subjects Kit-Tai Hau, The Chinese University of HOfig-Kong, Hong Kong. Herbert W. Marsh, University ofWestern Sydney, Macarthur, Australia Chit-Kwong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Andrew Chung-Shing Poon, Hong Kong Education Department PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Iti 4ait_ TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
Multimaterial 3D laser microprinting using an integrated microfluidic system

An instrument brings 3D laser printing to a new level, exemplified by 3D fluorescent microstructures composed of five materials. Three-dimensional (3D) laser micro- and nanoprinting has become a versatile, reliable, and commercially available technology for the preparation of complex 3D architectures for diverse applications. However, the vast majority of structures published so far have been composed of only a single constituent material. Here, we present a system based on a microfluidic chamber integrated into a state-of-the-art laser lithography apparatus. This system is scalable in terms of the number of materials and eliminates the need to go back and forth between the lithography instrument and the chemistry room numerous times, with tedious realignment steps in between. As an application, we present 3D deterministic microstructured security features requiring seven different liquids: a nonfluorescent photoresist as backbone, two photoresists containing different fluorescent quantum dots, two photoresists with different fluorescent dyes, and two developers. Our integrated microfluidic 3D printing system opens the door to truly multimaterial 3D additive manufacturing on the micro- and nanoscale.