Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term nightly treatment with indiplon in adults with primary insomnia: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-month study.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of indiplon in primary insomnia. DESIGN Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-month study. SETTING Multi-center outpatient setting. PATIENTS N=702 (61% female; mean age 46 years) who met DSM-IV criteria for primary insomnia of at least 3 months' duration. INTERVENTIONS Indiplon 10 mg (n=236), indiplon 20 mg (n=233), or placebo (n=233). MEASUREMENTS Subjective assessment of each of the following: latency to sleep onset (sLSO), total sleep time (sTST), number of awakenings after sleep onset (sNAASO), wake time after sleep onset (sWASO), sleep quality, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and global improvement. RESULTS Treatment with indiplon resulted in significant improvement relative to placebo at all time points for the primary endpoint, sLSO. Mean sLSO at Month 1 for each treatment group was: 10 mg (34.0 +/- 1.3 mins), 20 mg (33.0 +/- 1.3 mins), and placebo (48.7 +/- 1.9 mins; P <0.0001 for both comparisons); efficacy was sustained through Month 3. Both doses of indiplon resulted in significant improvement in sleep maintenance and duration endpoints, sTST and sWASO, as well as sleep quality, ISI, and global improvement at all assessment time points. CONCLUSIONS In patients with chronic insomnia, long-term nightly treatment with 10 mg and 20 mg doses of indiplon resulted in significant and sustained efficacy in sleep onset, maintenance, and duration, and significant associated improvement in both daytime functioning and quality of life.
Power spectra of multipath faded pulse trains

We address the problem of modeling received pulse trains in a multipath fading channel and of computing their exact spectrum. We propose a model based on point processes. Such model is very general, simple and tractable and it allows to account for various phenomena that affect the transmission. We then give the exact spectrum of the output of such a model. Spectral formula of specific configurations are then derived from a singular general formula, where the various features of the channel and the pulse transmission appear explicitly
A Proposal for Reening Case Libraries 1 Problem and Proposed Solution 2 the Context of Conversational Case-based Reasoning

Conversational case-based reasoning (CCBR) systems are used in many commercial applications. Their distinguishing behavior is that they interactively acquire features values from users (i.e., they incrementally build queries), and typically address problem diagnosis tasks. Users want CCBR systems to be precise (i.e., retrieve the correct case for solving their problem) and eecient (i.e., require a minimal amount of interaction before cases are retrieved). Case authors require substantial expertise to ensure that their case libraries satisfy these demands. Commercial CCBR vendors help by supplying documents describing guidelines for designing case libraries, but mastering them involves a challenging learning curve. Software is needed that helps authors to design and reene case libraries according to these design guidelines. This paper outlines a proposal for using machine learning and data mining techniques to support the process of case authoring by reening case libraries. Recent growth in the commercial case-based reasoning (CBR) industry has been dramatic. Although commercial CBR tools were rst introduced in the late 1980's, at least 15 companies now market CBR shells or provide related services, and some have hundreds of thousands of end users. However, CBR is not a \magic bullet" that eliminates the need for good knowledge acquisition techniques. Rather, it focuses developers on the process of case authoring 1 rather than knowledge engineering. Authoring cases is exceedingly diicult in some contexts and requires substantial skill, which can be expensive in time (e.g., long learning curves) or money (e.g., for training fees, consulting fees, or for purchasing case libraries). CBR vendors provide users with library design guidelines because novice case authors frequently generate poorly designed case libraries, which can lead to low user satisfaction, causing clients to abandon CBR products. Unfortunately, written guidelines, even if extracted according to careful knowledge engineering principles, are seldom eeective because, in addition to being large in number, they are imperative rather than descriptive: guidelines typically state characteristics of good case library designs rather than explain how to guarantee good CCBR behavior. Novice case authors need additional guidance to increase their productivity, preferably interactive assistance from the CBR system itself. This paper introduces a proposal for assisting case authors under the assumption that design guidelines are available. Our proposal uses machine learning and data mining techniques to transform case libraries so that they comply with the design guidelines. We describe the context of our approach, outline our proposal, and exemplify the case transformation process. We …
A new technique for acoustic source localization in an anisotropic plate without knowing its material properties

The conventional triangulation technique cannot locate the acoustic source in an anisotropic plate because this technique requires the wave speed to be independent of the propagation direction which is not the case for an anisotropic plate. All methods, proposed so far for source localization in anisotropic plates, require either the knowledge of the direction dependent velocity profile or a dense array of sensors. In this paper a technique is proposed to locate the acoustic source in large anisotropic plates with the help of only six sensors without knowing the direction dependent velocity profile in the plate. The proposed technique should work equally well for monitoring large isotropic and anisotropic plates. For an isotropic plate the number of sensors required for the acoustic source localization can be reduced to four.
Basic FGF decreases clearance receptor of natriuretic peptides in fetoplacental artery endothelium.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is present in the fetoplacental circulation of humans and sheep. The ANP-A receptor is the specific membrane receptor for ANP, which produces cGMP. The clearance receptor of natriuretic peptide (CR) is postulated to modulate local concentrations of ANP, thereby modulating cGMP production through the ANP-A receptor. Recently we reported that fetoplacental basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and cGMP levels are increased dramatically during the third trimester of ovine gestation. Therefore we hypothesized that bFGF will downregulate CR expression in cultured ovine fetoplacental artery endothelial (OFPAE) cells via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal cascade mechanism, thereby causing augmentation of ANP-mediated cGMP production. Western analysis and/or RT-PCR of CR expression were performed after treatment of OFPAE cells with bFGF (10 pg/ml-1 μg/ml) with or without 50 μM PD-98059, a selective inhibitor of MAPK kinase. To investigate the possible effects of CR downregulation on the functional modulation of ANP-A receptor activation, cGMP production (20 min) by OFPAE cells was measured in response to ANP (10 pM-1 μM) with or without pretreatment (24 h) of 10 ng/ml bFGF. CR expression in OFPAE cells was dose dependently downregulated by 1-10 ng/ml bFGF treatment (maximum -69%), which was completely reversed by pretreatment with PD-98059. Treatment of OFPAE cells with 10 ng/ml bFGF (24 h) did not alter maximum ANP-A activity (cGMP production/20 min), but decreased the apparent ED50 of ANP to stimulate cGMP production from 2.5 to 0.83 nM, suggesting the possibility that bFGF-mediated downregulation of CR may elevate ANP-mediated cGMP production responses. Thus bFGF downregulates CR mRNA and protein expressions via the MAPK cascade in OFPAE cells.
Evolution of fruit development genes in flowering plants

The genetic mechanisms regulating dry fruit development and opercular dehiscence have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the bicarpellate silique, valve elongation and differentiation is controlled by FRUITFULL (FUL) that antagonizes SHATTERPROOF1-2 (SHP1/SHP2) and INDEHISCENT (IND) at the dehiscence zone where they control normal lignification. SHP1/2 are also repressed by REPLUMLESS (RPL), responsible for replum formation. Similarly, FUL indirectly controls two other factors ALCATRAZ (ALC) and SPATULA (SPT) that function in the proper formation of the separation layer. FUL and SHP1/2 belong to the MADS-box family, IND and ALC belong to the bHLH family and RPL belongs to the homeodomain family, all of which are large transcription factor families. These families have undergone numerous duplications and losses in plants, likely accompanied by functional changes. Functional analyses of homologous genes suggest that this network is fairly conserved in Brassicaceae and less conserved in other core eudicots. Only the MADS box genes have been functionally characterized in basal eudicots and suggest partial conservation of the functions recorded for Brassicaceae. Here we do a comprehensive search of SHP, IND, ALC, SPT, and RPL homologs across core-eudicots, basal eudicots, monocots and basal angiosperms. Based on gene-tree analyses we hypothesize what parts of the network for fruit development in Brassicaceae, in particular regarding direct and indirect targets of FUL, might be conserved across angiosperms.
The Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter 2 Inhibitor, Empagliflozin, Protects against Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Inhibition of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Pathway

Background/Aims: This study aimed to determine whether or not the sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, empagliflozin (EMPA), can protect against diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) and to elucidate the related mechanism. Methods: Rats were divided into the following four groups: a non-diabetic group; diabetic cardiomyopathy rats without EMPA treatment; and diabetic cardiomyopathy rats with EMPA treatment (low- and high-dose EMPA). Hemodynamic measurements were performed to evaluate left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. The histopathology of the heart was examined with hematoxylin-eosin staining. Expression of glucose-regulated protein (GRP)78, enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), and caspase-12 was detected by Western blot, and the mRNA levels of XBP1, ATF4, and TRAF2 were analysed by real-time PCR. Results: EMPA significantly decreased the blood glucose level when compared with vehicle. EMPA strongly improved cardiac function based on hemodynamic and histopathologic analyses. Moreover, EMPA can significantly down-regulate the expression of GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-12 (P < 0.01). Additionally, the mRNA levels of XBP1, ATF4, and TRAF2 were markedly decreased by administration of EMPA (P < 0.01). Conclusion: EMPA protects against DCM by inactivating the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.
Image quality assessment based on the visual perception of image contents

This paper describes an image quality assessment (IQA) metric based on the visual perception of image contents (VPIC)). In the metric, VPIC is firstly modelled by simulating the nonlinearity of luminance perception, masking properties and contrast sensitivity characteristics of human visual system (HVS). Then the source and distorted images are processed by this model respectively, and their intensity differences are calculated. Finally, based on the intensity differences, an IQA model is built. And 47 reference images and 1549 distorted images in the LIVE, TID2008 and CSIQ databases are tested with the IQA metric. The results show that it is helpful to improve the consistency between the objective IQA scores and the subjective mean opinion scores (MOSs) combining the visual perception and complexity of image contents.
The Virtual Commons: Why Free-Riding Can Be Tolerated in File Sharing Networks

Peer-to-peer networks have emerged as a popular alternative to traditional client-server architectures for the distribution of information goods. Recent academic studies have observed high levels of free-riding in various peer-to-peer networks, leading some to suggest the imminent collapse of these communities as a viable information sharing mechanism. Our research develops an analytic model to analyze the behavior of P2P networks in the presence of free-riding. In contrast to previous predictions we find that P2P networks can operate effectively in the presence of significant free-riding. In future work we plan to explore how much peerto-peer network performance could be improved if free-riding were eliminated and discuss both the costs and benefits of managerial mechanisms to limit free-riding.
Hybrid adaptive memory programming using GRASP and path relinking for the scheduling workover rigs for onshore oil production

There are many oil wells in onshore fields that need artificial lift methods in Brazil. These wells periodically need some maintenance services that are performed by workover rigs, available on a limited number. The problem consists in optimizing the workover rigs schedule by minimizing the production loss associated with the yield of the wells that are waiting for service. We propose a hybrid GRASP algorithm to solve this problem. Experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the hybrid version in terms of quality solution.
On the time-frequency content of Weyl-Heisenberg frames generated from odd and even functions [signal representation applications]

This work discusses the time-frequency content of frames, especially of Weyl-Heisenberg frames. We begin by showing that the sum of the time-frequency contents of all the functions in a set being always positive is a sufficient condition for this set of functions to generate a frame. It is then derived that for Weyl-Heisenberg frames {E/sub mb/T/sub na/g(t)}/sub n,m//spl epsiv/z of an even function g(t) the maxima are placed at (na, mb) in the time-frequency domain and the minima at (na+a/2, mb+b/2); whereas for an odd function g(t) the maxima are placed at (na, mb+b/2) and the minima at (na+a/2, mb). This indicates effective ways to, for a given increase in the cardinality of the frame, obtain "tighter" frame bounds.
Clinical Study of Advanced Glycation End Products in Egyptian Diabetic Obese and Non-Obese Patients

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are complex, heterogenous molecules generated by glycation and oxidation of proteins in vivo, which are thought to markedly increase in diabetic patients. One of the recently identified AGEs is carboxy methyl lysine (CML), which is the main ligand of receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). The present study aimed to assess the effect of obesity on such pathways in presence and absence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. CML, soluble receptors for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE), HbA1C, lipid profile, liver function tests and kidney function tests were determined in 29 diabetic obese, 29 diabetic non-obese, 15 non-diabetic obese and 15 non-diabetic non-obese subjects. The study compared obese and non-obese subjects in presence and absence of type 2 diabetes. The results showed a significant increase in CML and a significant decrease in sRAGE in each of the diabetic obese group when compared with the diabetic non-obese group and the non-diabetic obese group when compared with the non-diabetic non-obese group. A significant positive correlation was found between CML and markers of obesity (body mass index and waist/hip ratio). These results suggest that obesity can increase CML independent of diabetes and support the reports that CML could be generated from both sugars and lipids. The present study suggests that treatment using glycation inhibitors like aminoguanidine or recombinant sRAGE will not only retard the diabetic complications, but may also have a prophylactic effect.
Trade Liberalization and Firm Dynamics

In this paper, we analyze the transition dynamics associated with an economy's response to trade liberalization. We start by reviewing the recent literature that incorporates firm dynamics into models of international trade. We then build upon that literature to characterize the role of firm dynamics, export-market selection, firm-level innovation, sunk export costs, and firms' expectations regarding the time path of liberalization in generating those transition dynamics following trade liberalization. These modeling ingredients generate substantial aggregate transition dynamics as they shift and shape the endogenous distribution of firms over time. Our results show how the responses of trade volumes, innovation, and aggregate output can vary greatly over time depending on those modeling ingredients. This has important consequences for many issues in international economics that rely on predictions for the effects of globalization over time on those key aggregate outcomes.
Testing for Jumps : A Delta-Hedging Perspective ∗

We measure asset price jumps by the hedging error they induce on a delta-hedged position of European options. Based on high frequency data, we propose a nonparametric estimator for this measure and a test for its positivity. We further construct a Kolmogorov-type test for the presence of jump hedging errors for a possibly infinite-dimensional family of options based on the worst-case contract in this family. Under regularity conditions, these tests are equivalent to tests for jumps. An empirical application on U.S. stocks in 2008 shows that jumps cause statistically significant and economically sizable hedging errors for short-dated call and put options. JEL classification: C22
Revision graph extraction in Wikipedia based on supergram decomposition

As one of the popular social media that many people turn to in recent years, collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia provides information in a more "Neutral Point of View" way than others. Towards this core principle, plenty of efforts have been put into collaborative contribution and editing. The trajectories of how such collaboration appears by revisions are valuable for group dynamics and social media research, which suggest that we should extract the underlying derivation relationships among revisions from chronologically-sorted revision history in a precise way. In this paper, we propose a revision graph extraction method based on supergram decomposition in the document collection of near-duplicates. The plain text of revisions would be measured by its frequency distribution of supergram, which is the variable-length token sequence that keeps the same through revisions. We show that this method can effectively perform the task than existing methods.
Sequence Analysis and Expression of ORF 5 in Korean Isolate of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

Sun Shin Yi, Ji-Sun Sun, Hyun-Soo Kim, Shien-Young Kang and Tae-Wook Hahn* College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon; College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon; College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea; Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Science, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
Semiellipsoid microlens fabrication method using the lift-off and alignment exposure processes

We present a new semiellipsoid microlens fabrication method using the lift-off and alignment exposure processes. The lift-off method is used to create an elliptical base before the thermal reflow process. During the photoresist thermal reflow process, the elliptical base can precisely define the bottom shape of the liquid photoresist, and fabricate the semiellipsoid microlens array with a large height and small radius of curvature. The prolate spheroid approximation method is developed to estimate the thickness of the elliptic photoresist column required by the semiellipsoid microlens of a certain height, with the error being controlled within ±3%. Electroforming technology is then used to convert the photoresist patterns into a metallic mold for a PDMS ellipsoidal microlens. The experiment results show that the geometries of a semiellipsoid microlens can be accurately defined by three parameters: the length of the major axis of the elliptical base, the length of the minor axis of the elliptical base and the thickness of the elliptical photoresist column. The proposed fabrication method facilitates mass production to achieve a high-yield and high-coupling semiellipsoid microlens that is suitable for use in commercial fiber transmission systems
Noise robust speech recognition using recent developments in neural networks for computer vision

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are superior to fully connected neural networks in various speech recognition tasks and the advantage is pronounced in noisy environments. In recent years, many techniques have been proposed in the computer vision community to improve CNN's classification performance. This paper considers two approaches recently developed for image classification and examines their impacts on noisy speech recognition performance. The first approach is to increase the depth of convolution layers. Different approaches to deepening the CNNs are compared. In particular, the usefulness of learning dynamic features with small convolution layers that perform convolution in time is shown along with a modulation frequency analysis of the learned convolution filters. The second approach is to use trainable activation functions. Specifically, the use of a Parametric Rectified Linear Unit (PReLU) is investigated. Experimental results show that both approaches yield significant improvements in performance. Combining the two approaches further reduces recognition errors, producing a word error rate of 11.1% in the Aurora4 task, the best published result for this corpus, with a standard one-pass bi-gram decoding set-up.
The influence of framed messages and self-affirmation on indoor tanning behavioral intentions in 18- to 30-year-old women.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of gain- and loss-framed indoor tanning (IT) prevention messages among young adult women, and examine the potential moderating effect of self-affirmation. METHOD Young adult women ages 18 to 30 who reported IT at least once in the past year (n = 475) participated in an online experiment. Participants first completed assessments of IT behavior and related constructs and were randomized to either a self-affirmation manipulation or control condition. Then, participants were randomized to either a gain-framed message emphasizing the benefits of avoiding IT or a loss-framed message emphasizing the risks of IT. Participants completed outcome measures of intentions to IT, intentions to quit IT, and emotional and cognitive responses to the framed messages. RESULTS Compared with gain-framed messages, loss-framed messages led to weaker intentions to IT and stronger intentions to quit IT. Self-affirmation did not moderate message framing effects, but had a main effect increasing intentions to IT. Mediation analyses indicate that loss-framed messages affect IT behavioral intentions by increasing fear, and self-affirmation may have increased intentions to IT by producing defensive reactions to the framed messages. CONCLUSIONS Loss-framed messages were more effective for reducing intentions to IT and promoting intentions to quit IT among young women after a brief exposure, and emotional response appears to be 1 pathway through which loss-framed messages affect behavioral outcomes. Messages emphasizing the risks of IT may be optimal as a public health intervention strategy. Unlike other behavioral domains, self-affirmation did not reduce defensive processing of loss-framed messages.