Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Quantification on Persuasion When Outcome is Uncertain: The Case of it Security

Businesses are being targeted by cyber-extortionists at a minimum cost of hundreds of millions of dollars per year (Computer Crime and Security Survey 2004). A top reason listed for failure to incorporate better system security the inability to persuade top management of its value (Ernst and Young 2004). Previous studies suggest that quantitative arguments are more persuasive than qualitative arguments in business proposals, suggesting that proposals including the quantitative costs and benefits of system security would be appropriate to present to management (Porter 1995; Birdsell 1998; Kadous, Koonce, and Towry 2005). Due to the difficulties in quantifying returns in some projects, I look to theory in psychology to show when qualitative proposals would prove more effective. Goal framing has shown that emphasizing the negative is more persuasive than emphasizing the positive (Levin, Schneider, and Gaeth 1998). Following, I propose and find that in settings when the outcome is uncertain in quantitative terms, that qualitative arguments that accentuate the potential to avoid negative outcomes associated with lesser security are more persuasive than quantification.
Is a Severe Clinical Profile an Effect Modifier in a Web-Based Depression Treatment for Adults With Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes? Secondary Analyses From a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Depression and diabetes are two highly prevalent and co-occurring health problems. Web-based, diabetes-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) depression treatment is effective in diabetes patients, and has the potential to be cost effective and to have large reach. A remaining question is whether the effectiveness differs between patients with seriously impaired mental health and patients with less severe mental health problems. Objective To test whether the effectiveness of an eight-lesson Web-based, diabetes-specific CBT for depression, with minimal therapist support, differs in patients with or without diagnosed major depressive disorder (MDD), diagnosed anxiety disorder, or elevated diabetes-specific emotional distress (DM-distress). Methods We used data of 255 patients with diabetes with elevated depression scores, who were recruited via an open access website for participation in a randomized controlled trial, conducted in 2008–2009, comparing a diabetes-specific, Web-based, therapist-supported CBT with a 12-week waiting-list control group. We performed secondary analyses on these data to study whether MDD or anxiety disorder (measured using a telephone-administered diagnostic interview) and elevated DM-distress (online self-reported) are effect modifiers in the treatment of depressive symptoms (online self-reported) with Web-based diabetes-specific CBT. Results MDD, anxiety disorder, and elevated DM-distress were not significant effect modifiers in the treatment of self-assessed depressive symptoms with Web-based diabetes-specific CBT. Conclusions This Web-based diabetes-specific CBT depression treatment is suitable for use in patients with severe mental health problems and those with a less severe clinical profile. ClinicalTrial International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 24874457; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN24874457 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/63hwdviYr)
Design of a prototype of an adaptive soft robot based on ferrofluid

Soft robots have shown amazing moving ability through a variety of motion patterns including bending, contraction, extension and twisting, leading to an extraordinary adaptability to complex environments. Pneumatic actuators and SMA are already used to achieve the softness, new materials are still waiting to thrive the field. Ferrofluid is a kind of novel smart material which can be controlled by a gradient magnetic field. In this paper, the concept of a ferrofluid soft robot is introduced for the first time. A prototype called Soft-ball is designed to test the potential of the soft robot. Soft-ball is made by putting ferrofluid into a soft shell so that it provides both characteristics of ferrofluid and softness. It is tested that Soft-ball can alter shapes or change position with the gradient of the magnetic field. To investigate its performance on different environments, Soft-ball passes several obstacles of different shapes in a series of experiments. Eventually we demonstrate that the design has the potential of adaptability to complex environments.
Hydrodynamic description of heavy ion collisions

We give a short review of hydrodynamic models at heavy ion collisions from the point of view of initial conditions, an equation of states (EoS) and a freezeout process. Then we show our latest results of a combined fully three-dimensional macroscopic/microscopic transport approach. In this model for the early, dense, deconfined stage relativistic 3D hydrodynamics of the reaction and a microscopic non-equilibrium model for the later hadronic stage where the equilibrium assumptions are no longer valid are employed. Within this approach we study the dynamics of hot, bulk QCD matter, which is being created in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions at RHIC.
Enhancement of Larval RNAi Efficiency by Over-expressing Argonaute2 in Bombyx mori

RNA interference has been described as a powerful genetic tool for gene functional analysis and a promising approach for pest management. However, RNAi efficiency varies significantly among insect species due to distinct RNAi machineries. Lepidopteran insects include a large number of pests as well as model insects, such as the silkworm, Bombyx mori. However, only limited success of in vivo RNAi has been reported in lepidoptera, particularly during the larval stages when the worms feed the most and do the most harm to the host plant. Enhancing the efficiency of larval RNAi in lepidoptera is urgently needed to develop RNAi-based pest management strategies. In the present study, we investigate the function of the conserved RNAi core factor, Argonaute2 (Ago2), in mediating B. mori RNAi efficiency. We demonstrate that introducing BmAgo2 dsRNA inhibits the RNAi response in both BmN cells and embryos. Furthermore, we establish several transgenic silkworm lines to assess the roles of BmAgo2 in larval RNAi. Over-expressing BmAgo2 significantly facilitated both dsRNA-mediated larval RNAi when targeting DsRed using dsRNA injection and shRNA-mediated larval RNAi when targeting BmBlos2 using transgenic shRNA expression. Our results show that BmAgo2 is involved in RNAi in B. mori and provides a promising approach for improving larval RNAi efficiency in B. mori and in lepidopteran insects in general.
A Low Latency Arbitration Circuit

Indexing terms: Asynchronous circuits, Arbiters We present an asynchronous circuit for an arbiter cell that can be used to construct cascaded multi-way arbitration circuits. The circuit is completely speed-independent. It has a short response delay at the input request-grant handshake link due to both (a) the propagation of requests in parallel with starting arbitration, and (b) the concurrent resetting of request-grant handshakes in diierent cascades of a request-grant propagation chain. Arbitration circuits are commonplace in digital systems with a single resource allocated to diier-ent user processes. The typical examples are systems with shared busses, multi-port memories, packet routers to name but a few. An asynchronous arbiter is deened as a circuit that dynamically allocates a single shared resource to the user components in a system which is free from common clock. Each user, when requires the resource, issues an asynchronous request and waits until the arbiter produces a grant. The user then uses the resource and after nishing its action releases its request. This results in a subsequent release of the grant, after which the user can issue another request and so on. The arbiter, when it receives a number of active requests from diierent users, generates after some nite delay a grant to exactly one of them and leaves other requests pending until the granted user has released the request. The arbiter then releases the grant and, if there are pending requests, produces another active grant, again on a mutually exclusive basis. We consider a standard basic cell of a multi-way arbiter that arbitrates between two users. Multi-way arbitration is organised by building a cascade of such cells to form a tree or a linear structure. Each cell thus propagates the request in the direction from the lower level to the higher level of the structure, while the grants are generated in the opposite direction. Figure 1. (a) shows one such cell, a 2-way arbiter, with its three request-grant handshake links (R1,G1), (R2,G2) and (R,G), where (R1,G1) and (R2,G2) stand for the links with lower level cascades, generating competing requests at R1 and R2, and the (R,G) pair is the link with the higher level cascade. An example of a 4-way arbiter, shown in Figure 1. (b), illustrates the regular way in which a cascaded multi-way arbiter can be composed from the basic cells. Figure 1. (c) illustrates the handshaking protocol between the links. After a rst request by R1 is granted …
Recovery of Pidgin Chat Communication Artefacts from Physical Memory: A Pilot Test to Determine Feasibility

This research describes a study that looks at the feasibility of extracting remnant information about an instant message client from physical memory. The research goal was to gather information about the target application in order to assess the viability of creating methods to recover specific data about its use. The study consists of a formal experiment where the application is used and the physical memory collected at various points. The memory image was then interrogated to assess whether remnant data could be recovered. The study shows that it is feasible to recover data about the target application.
Value Relevance Of Institutional Investors

In this paper we investigate the influence of institutional investors on share prices using data from companies quoted on the Athens Stock Exchange. For finance theorists the value of an investment, real or financial, is a function of its expected benefits and the riskiness of these benefits. Whatever influences are exerted by the structure of equity ownership are diversified away by efficient risk-averse investors. Managerial and agency theorists argue that the particular ownership structure may have an effect on share value or returns. Their arguments are based (mainly) on the consequences of the separation of ownership from control. In addition to traditional methods of estimation we have used Chamberlain’s (1982) multivariate panel data estimator, which allows for arbitrary patterns of error autocorrelation and parameter temporal behavior. Among all alternative methods of estimation used, only this one produced a statistically significant and econometrically well specified relationship between share prices and institutional shareholdings.
Outlier Detection : A Survey

Outlier detection has been a very important concept in the realm of data analysis. Recently, several application domains have realized the direct mapping between outliers in data and real world anomalies, that are of great interest to an analyst. Outlier detection has been researched within various application domains and knowledge disciplines. This survey provides a comprehensive overview of existing outlier detection techniques by classifying them along different dimensions.
Evidence for Antisense Transcription Associated with MicroRNA Target mRNAs in Arabidopsis

Antisense transcription is a pervasive phenomenon, but its source and functional significance is largely unknown. We took an expression-based approach to explore microRNA (miRNA)-related antisense transcription by computational analyses of published whole-genome tiling microarray transcriptome and deep sequencing small RNA (smRNA) data. Statistical support for greater abundance of antisense transcription signatures and smRNAs was observed for miRNA targets than for paralogous genes with no miRNA cleavage site. Antisense smRNAs were also found associated with MIRNA genes. This suggests that miRNA-associated “transitivity” (production of small interfering RNAs through antisense transcription) is more common than previously reported. High-resolution (3 nt) custom tiling microarray transcriptome analysis was performed with probes 400 bp 5′ upstream and 3′ downstream of the miRNA cleavage sites (direction relative to the mRNA) for 22 select miRNA target genes. We hybridized RNAs labeled from the smRNA pathway mutants, including hen1-1, dcl1-7, hyl1-2, rdr6-15, and sgs3-14. Results showed that antisense transcripts associated with miRNA targets were mainly elevated in hen1-1 and sgs3-14 to a lesser extent, and somewhat reduced in dcl11-7, hyl11-2, or rdr6-15 mutants. This was corroborated by semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR; however, a direct correlation of antisense transcript abundance in MIR164 gene knockouts was not observed. Our overall analysis reveals a more widespread role for miRNA-associated transitivity with implications for functions of antisense transcription in gene regulation. HEN1 and SGS3 may be links for miRNA target entry into different RNA processing pathways.
Topical Colchicine Gel versus Diclofenac Sodium Gel for the Treatment of Actinic Keratoses: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study

Introduction. Actinic keratoses (AKs), a premalignant skin lesion, are a common lesion in fair skin. Although destructive treatment remains the gold standard for AKs, medical therapies may be preferable due to the comfort and reliability . This study aims to compare the effects of topical 1% colchicine gel and 3% diclofenac sodium gel in AKs. Materials and Methods. In this randomized double-blind study, 70 lesions were selected. Patients were randomized before receiving either 1% colchicine gel or 3% diclofenac sodium cream twice a day for 6 weeks. Patients were evaluated in terms of their lesion size, treatment complications, and recurrence at 7, 30, 60, and 120 days after treatment. Results. The mean of changes in the size was significant in both groups both before and after treatment (<0.001). The mean lesion size before treatment and at 30, 60, and 120 days was not different between the two groups (p > 0.05). No case of erythema was seen in the colchicine group, while erythema was seen in 22.9% (eight cases) of patients in the diclofenac sodium group (p = 0.005). Conclusions. 1% colchicine gel was a safe and effective medication with fewer side effects and lack of recurrence of the lesion.
Consensus control of multi-agent system with constraint - the scalar case

This paper describes a new distributed algorithm for the consensus control of a group of agents connected via a communication network where the states of the agents lie within individually-defined constraints. It considers the case where the state of each agent is a scalar in an undirected network with no communication delays and uses the edge weights as the working variables to enforce satisfaction of the constraints. The convergence and consensus of the states under reasonably mild assumptions are provided. The proposed algorithm has the advantage that it preserves many of the desirable properties of the standard unconstrained consensus algorithm: the consensus value is independent of the sequence of network changes; the average of the states remains a constant for all time steps; and the states of the agents, when all constraints are identical, follow the same trajectories as the standard consensus algorithm. Several examples are provided to illustrate the results.
On the evolution of self-organised role-allocation and role-switching behaviour in swarm robotics: a case study

In spite of its significance for the adaptability of autonomous robotic swarms, the dynamic allocation and re-distribution of robots to tasks (i.e., role-allocation and role-switching behaviour) is still a design challenge in swarm robotics. This study investigates a simulated foraging scenario in which the variability of the environmental conditions requires that robots switch between two roles (i.e., foraging and nestpatrolling). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first simulation study that demonstrates that role-allocation and role-switching behaviour can be evolved using dynamic neural network controllers for robots with minimal communication capabilities. Initial analyses of the best evolved teams shed light on some of the characteristics and robustness of the strategies used by these teams to repeatedly face this task.
Bidirectional Synaptic Plasticity in the Rat Basolateral Amygdala: Characterization of an Activity-Dependent Switch Sensitive to the Presynaptic Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Antagonist 2S-α-Ethylglutamic Acid

This study examines forms of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in the basolateral amygdala in vitro and demonstrates that a brief high frequency stimulus (HFS) train can induce a switch in the direction of the enduring change in synaptic strength induced by subsequent low-frequency stimulation (LFS). LFS (1 Hz, 15 min) of the external capsule (EC) induced a persistent 1.7-fold enhancement in the amplitude of synaptic potentials recorded intracellularly in basolateral amygdala neurons. The enhancement occurred gradually during the stimulation and was maintained for >30 min after termination of the stimulus train. LFS-induced enduring synaptic facilitation was not affected by the NMDA receptor antagonistd(−)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate (APV; 100 μm). Brief high-frequency EC stimulation (HFS; 100 Hz, 1 sec) induced APV-sensitive short-term potentiation (2.5-fold) that generally decayed within 10 min. When LFS was applied after recovery from the short-term potentiating effect of HFS (HFS/LFS), there was an initial transient (<10 min) enhancement of the synaptic response followed by persistent synaptic depression (synaptic potential amplitude reduced by 22% at 30 min). This represents the first demonstration of stimulus-dependent long-lasting synaptic depression in the amygdala. Application of the presynaptic (group II) metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist 2S-α-ethylglutamic acid (EGLU; 50 μm) prevented the HFS-dependent switch from synaptic facilitation to depression. Thus, LFS in the in vitroamygdala slice can induce either enduring synaptic potentiation or depression, depending on whether a priming HFS train has been applied. This experience-dependent switch, a novel form of metaplasticity, is not dependent on NMDA receptors but may require group II metabotropic glutamate receptors. In the amygdala, experiential modification of activity-dependent long-term synaptic plasticity adds flexibility to the ways in which synaptic strength can be modified and could play a role in diverse amygdala-dependent processes, including the formation, storage, and extinction of emotional memory and the regulation of epileptogenesis.
A framework for annotating CSV-like data

In this paper, we propose a simple and expressive framework for adding metadata to CSV documents and their noisy variants. The framework is based on annotating parts of the document that can be later used to read, query, or exchange the data. The core of our framework is a language based on extended regular expressions that are used for selecting data. These expressions are then combined using a set of rules in order to annotate the data. We study the computational complexity of implementing our framework and present an efficient evaluation algorithm that runs in time proportional to its output and linear in its input. As a proof of concept, we test an implementation of our framework against a large number of real world datasets and show that it can be efficiently used in practice.
An MDP Approach for Explanation Generation

In order to assist a power plant operator to face unusual situations, we have developed an intelligent assistant that explains the suggested commands generated by an MDP-based planning system. This assistant provides the trainee a better understanding of the recommended actions to later generalize them to similar situations. In a first stage, built-in explanations are predefined by a domain expert and encapsulated within explanation units. When the operator takes an incorrect action, an explanation is automatically generated. A controlled user study in this stage showed that explanations have a positive impact on learning. In a second stage, we are developing an automatic explanation generation mechanism based on a factored representation of the decision model used by the planning system. As part of this stage, we describe an algorithm to select a relevant variable, which is a key component of the explanations defined by the expert.
Thin-film piezoelectric-on-silicon resonators for high-frequency reference oscillator applications

This paper studies the application of lateral bulk acoustic thin-film piezoelectric-on-substrate (TPoS) resonators in high-frequency reference oscillators. Low-motional impedance TPoS resonators are designed and fabricated in 2 classes--high-order and coupled-array. Devices of each class are used to assemble reference oscillators and the performance characteristics of the oscillators are measured and discussed. Since the motional impedance of these devices is small, the transimpedance amplifier (TIA) in the oscillator loop can be reduced to a single transistor and 3 resistors, a format that is very power-efficient. The lowest reported power consumption is ~350 muW for an oscillator operating at ~106 MHz. A passive temperature compensation method is also utilized bThis paper studies the application of lateral bulk acoustic thin-film piezoelectric-on-substrate (TPoS) resonators in high-frequency reference oscillators. Low-motionalimpedance TPoS resonators are designed and fabricated in 2 classes--high-order and coupled-array. Devices of each class are used to assemble reference oscillators and the performance characteristics of the oscillators are measured and discussed. Since the motional impedance of these devices is small, the transimpedance amplifier (TIA) in the oscillator loop can be reduced to a single transistor and 3 resistors, a format that is very power-efficient. The lowest reported power consumption is ~350 muW for an oscillator operating at ~106 MHz. A passive temperature compensation method is also utilized by including the buried oxide layer of the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate in the structural resonant body of the device, and a very small (-2.4 ppm/degC) temperature coefficient of frequency is obtained for an 82-MHz oscillator.y including the buried oxide layer of the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate in the structural resonant body of the device, and a very small (-2.4 ppm/degC) temperature coefficient of frequency is obtained for an 82-MHz oscillator.
Morphology-based license plate detection from complex scenes

This paper presents a morphology-based method for detecting license plates from cluttered images. The proposed system consists of three major components. At the first, a morphology-based method is proposed to extract important contrast features as guides to search the desired license plates. The contrast feature is robust to lighting changes and invariant to several transformations like scaling, translation, and skewing. Then, a recovery algorithm is applied for reconstructing a license plate if the plate is fragmented into several parts. The last step is to do license plate verification. The morphology based method can significantly reduce the number of candidates extracted from the cluttered images and thus speeds up the subsequent plate recognition. Under the experimental database, 128 examples got from 130 images were successfully detected. The average accuracy of license plate detection is 98%. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves the state-of-the-art work in terms of effectiveness and robustness of license plate detection.