Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comments on the review of Statistical Inference Murray Aitkin University of Melbourne April 26 , 2012 1

It is a rare event in the statistical world for a book review to take 15 pages (plus references). The three reviewers are all eminent in the profession, and have tried to be scrupulously careful in their review of a book whose main principle they firmly dispute as non-Bayesian, and which they find not to be useful in their work. The length of the review demonstrates the seriousness with which they regard the book’s approach, and the importance to them of denying its relevance to either Bayesian analysis or practical data analysis with complex data. In responding to the authors’ review, I found it helpful to place our different views in the framework of Thomas Kuhn’s (1962) discussion of paradigm changes in science.
Towards a General Model for Selection in Virtual Environments

Selection is one of the fundamental building blocks of all interactive virtual environment systems. Selection is the ability of the user to specify which object, or sub-part of an object in the environment, is the target for subsequent actions. Examples include selecting 3D buttons thus invoking an action or selecting a target upon which an action will occur. Selection is also an implicit or explicit part of manipulation techniques. In a virtual environment selection can be performed in many different ways. In this paper we develop a generalized model of how interaction is and could be performed in virtual environments using 3D gestures. The purpose of this model is to highlight some potential areas for development and evaluation of novel selection techniques. The model is based on an analysis of the complexity of selection. We develop a model for selection that is based on time-varying scalar fields (TVSFs) that encompasses a very broad range of existing techniques. This model will be abstract, in that a direct implementation will be prohibitively complex, but we show how some standard implementation strategies are good approximations to the formal model.
Modification of mineral trioxide aggregate. Physical and mechanical properties.

AIM To evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of two cements with a similar chemical composition to mineral trioxide aggregate and to attempt to improve their properties by producing a composite material. METHODOLOGY Two cement types were used: a mixture of calcium sulpho-aluminate cement and Portland cement (CSA) and calcium fluoro-aluminate cement (CFA) in conjunction with an admixture to improve the handling characteristics. Cements were mixed with an inert filler to produce cement composite. The setting time of the cements was evaluated using an indentation technique. The flexural and uni-axial compressive strengths and solubility of the cements and cement composites were evaluated. The properties of the materials were compared with proprietary brand glass-ionomer cement. RESULTS The setting time of the CSA and CFA cements was less than 6 min. The use of an admixture to improve the handling properties tended to retard setting. CSA was stronger then CFA in both compression and flexure (P < 0.001). Addition of granite increased the flexural strength of both cements but reduced the compressive strength (P < 0.01). CFA absorbed more water then CSA. Addition of granite reduced the water uptake of both cements. CONCLUSIONS Both CSA and CFA cements had adequate setting times and compressive strength values when compared with proprietary brand glass-ionomer cement. CSA was superior to CFA and had more promise as a prospective dental material.
Self‐calibrated GRAPPA method for 2D and 3D radial data

A fast parallel MRI (pMRI) reconstruction method is presented for 2D and 3D radial trajectories. A limitation of the radial generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions (GRAPPA) method is the need to acquire training data prior to the actual scan. This can be eliminated by the use of self‐calibration when synthesizing the missing data for each coil reconstruction. The training data for each coil are estimated by multiplying the conventionally reconstructed composite image, which contains the aliasing artifacts from undersampling, with each coil's spatial sensitivity profile. An estimate of the individual receiver spatial sensitivity profiles is obtained from the k‐space data that fulfill the Nyquist sampling criterion. The frequency domain representation of the training data is then calculated at the acquired k‐space sample points and at the unacquired locations at which we desire to synthesize k‐space data. Fitting the acquired k‐space samples to the unacquired points creates reconstruction weights that are used to synthesize unacquired radial lines. The in vivo feasibility of the method for 2D radial trajectories is illustrated with an example of 2D abdominal imaging. Preliminary results obtained after applying the method on a 3D radial steady‐state free precession (SSFP) data set are also demonstrated. Magn Reson Med 57:931–938, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A new model control for DC-DC converter

The purpose of this paper is to present a new model control method of the switching dc-dc converter using both the static and dynamic functions to improve the dynamic characteristics. The proposed method is the improved "Static Model Reference" which is the smart digital reference of output voltage. As a result, the transient time is suppressed to within 0.13 ms and this result is approximately 55% smaller than that of the conventional one.
Assessment of pharmacists' opinions toward the behind-the-counter category of medications.

OBJECTIVES To determine pharmacists' opinions toward implementation of a behind-the-counter (BTC) category of medications and assess pharmacists' level of agreement with dispensing certain medications in this category. METHODS 473 licensed pharmacists from Ohio were randomly selected for inclusion in the study, 248 of whom completed the survey (52.4% response rate). A self-administered, mailed questionnaire was used to collect data on pharmacists' opinions toward a BTC category, including usefulness to patients, reimbursement issues, impact on patient care, and access issues. The researchers also assessed the degree to which pharmacists felt educationally prepared regarding a BTC category and the potential need for further training and/or education. The questionnaire also included 25 prescription drugs identified from pharmacist focus groups to evaluate appropriateness for inclusion in a BTC category. RESULTS Pharmacists moderately agreed (5.78 ± 1.33 [mean ± SD]) that introducing a BTC category of medication would advance the profession's goals of providing more pharmacist-directed patient care. Pharmacists also moderately agreed (6.09 ± 1.71) that patient counseling should be mandatory before providing any medications in a BTC category. At their current practice site, pharmacists moderately agreed (5.65 ± 1.62) that they would participate in providing BTC medications; however, they felt the largest issue pertaining to a BTC category of medications was the added amount of time that would be spent with patients (5.34 ± 1.53). On the other hand, pharmacists moderately agreed (5.82 ± 1.26) that they would take the time to counsel patients on BTC medications. Prescription prenatal vitamins (1 mg folic acid), triamcinolone cream, silver sulfadiazine cream, mometasone nasal inhalation, fluconazole 150 mg, epinephrine injection, promethazine, and mebendazole were considered the most appropriate for a BTC category of medications. CONCLUSION Ultimately, pharmacists moderately agreed that a BTC category is a change in the pharmacy profession that they were willing to embrace.
5G Development in China: From Policy Strategy to User-Oriented Architecture

5G encompasses the development of various key wireless communication technology standards. The development entails both technological advancement and social interaction. This paper analyzes 5G development and its significant shift from a strategy policy to a user-oriented development showing the coplay of technology and society in China. Based on this theory, relevant proposals are recommended for future technical development and industrial regulation. Also, to increase the throughput and spectrum efficiency, channel assignment and load balance are considered. A hybrid routing protocol TOHRP (tree-based and on-demand hybrid routing protocol) and a distributed channel assignment algorithm LBCA (Load Based Channel Assignment) in the multichannel environment are proposed and they solve the traditional problem of () waste of spectrum and () self-interference. The computer-simulated experiment shows that the algorithm improves the performance.
Stone architecture, monumentality and the rise of the early Tongan chiefdom

Monumental construction is commonly associated with the rise of complex societies and frequently supported the ceremonies and ideologies that were instrumental in the creation of the new social order. Recent fieldwork at Heketa in eastern Tongatapu recorded stone-built platforms for houses and seats, and a three-tiered tomb and trilithon. Tongan tradition and archaeology combine to show that these were the setting for new ceremonies instituted by the emergent Tu’i Tonga lineage in the fourteenth century AD as they laid the foundations of the early Tongan chiefdom. Key to their success were activities that emphasised the sacred origins of the living Tu’i Tonga, including the drinking of kava and the presentation of first fruits to the chiefs.
A Path to Successful IT Outsourcing: Interaction Between Service-Level Agreements and Commitment

Although service-level agreements (SLAs) are important for IT outsourcing management, appropriate mechanisms for constructing effective SLAs are still poorly understood, leading to inadequate or overcomplicated contracts that are ineffective. This study examines the associations among three distinct sets of SLA characteristics and outsourcing success, as well as the role of commitment in these relationships. Analyzing survey data based on a model theorizing the alignment of SLA characteristics with intended outsourcing objectives, we find that different types of benefits attained through IT outsourcing arrangements are associated with the use of specific contractual dimensions. We also find that commitment, in general, moderates the impact of SLAs on outsourcing success, although the nature of the moderation varies with the different benefits IT outsourcing engagement is intended to achieve. Interestingly, in certain cases—change characteristics for achieving technology benefits, in particular—commitment can be a barrier to the effective use of SLAs in achieving intended outsourcing benefits. As such, our study extends the literature on IT outsourcing, contracting and commitment, as well as provides a general guideline for practitioners to structure effective SLAs and to properly use commitment for managing IT outsourcing engagements to successfully achieve intended benefits.
Resource-based Verification for Robust Composition of Aspects

Aspect Oriented Software Development has been proposed as a means to improve modularization of software in the presence of crosscutting concerns. Compared to object-oriented or procedural approaches, Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) has not yet been applied in many industrial applications. In this thesis we investigate the application of AOP within an industrial context and propose a novel solution to the problem of behavioral conflicts between aspects. We report on our experience transferring an aspect-oriented solution to a company called Advanced Semi-conductor Material Lithography (ASML). We investigate the acceptance criteria for AOP in industry, based on two industrial cases studies. We present a process that includes quantification of the benefits of AOP and elicitation of key worries expressed by stakeholders. We conducted a controlled experiment to assess the advantages and disadvantages of an aspect-based approach using a tracing example. Twenty developers from ASML were requested to carry out five maintenance scenarios. This experiment has shown that, in case the tracing concern is implemented using an AOP implementation instead of a procedural language, the development effort is on average 6% reduced while the impact of errors is reduced by 77%, for maintaining code related to tracing. For a subset of the scenarios, the results were statistically significant on a confidence interval of 95%.
Physical and Functional Interactions between Drosophila Homologue of Swc6/p18Hamlet Subunit of the SWR1/SRCAP Chromatin-remodeling Complex with the DNA Repair/Transcription Factor TFIIH*

Background: TFIIH interacts with multiple factors. Results: The fly p8 subunit of TFIIH is encoded in a bicistronic transcript with the homolog of the Swc6/p18Hamlet subunit of the SWR1/SRCAP complex and physically and genetically interacts with TFIIH. Conclusion: There is a functional link between Swc6/p18Hamlet and TFIIH. Significance: This functional interaction opens new avenues to study how TFIIH modulates transcription and DNA repair. The multisubunit DNA repair and transcription factor TFIIH maintains an intricate cross-talk with different factors to achieve its functions. The p8 subunit of TFIIH maintains the basal levels of the complex by interacting with the p52 subunit. Here, we report that in Drosophila, the homolog of the p8 subunit (Dmp8) is encoded in a bicistronic transcript with the homolog of the Swc6/p18Hamlet subunit (Dmp18) of the SWR1/SRCAP chromatin remodeling complex. The SWR1 and SRCAP complexes catalyze the exchange of the canonical histone H2A with the H2AZ histone variant. In eukaryotic cells, bicistronic transcripts are not common, and in some cases, the two encoded proteins are functionally related. We found that Dmp18 physically interacts with the Dmp52 subunit of TFIIH and co-localizes with TFIIH in the chromatin. We also demonstrated that Dmp18 genetically interacts with Dmp8, suggesting that a cross-talk might exist between TFIIH and a component of a chromatin remodeler complex involved in histone exchange. Interestingly, our results also show that when the level of one of the two proteins is decreased and the other maintained, a specific defect in the fly is observed, suggesting that the organization of these two genes in a bicistronic locus has been selected during evolution to allow co-regulation of both genes.
Self and identity in borderline personality disorder: Agency and mental time travel

Abstract We consider how conceptions of the self and identity from the philosophical literature can help us to understand identity disturbance in borderline personality disorder (BPD). We present 3 philosophical approaches: connectedness, narrative, and agency. We show how these map on to 3 different ways in which the self can be temporally extended. The connectedness approach is dominant in philosophy, and the narrative approach has been used by psychiatry, but we argue that the lesser‐known agency approach provides a promising way to theorize some aspects of identity disturbance in BPD. It relates the 2 diagnostic criteria of identity disturbance and disinhibition and is consistent with evidence of memory deficits and altered self‐processing in BPD patients.
RGS9-1 is required for normal inactivation of mouse cone phototransduction.

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that Regulator of G-protein Signaling 9 (RGS9-1) is necessary for the normal inactivation of retinal cones. METHODS Mice having the gene RGS9-1 inactivated in both alleles (RGS9-1 -/-) were tested between the ages 8-10 weeks with electroretinographic (ERG) protocols that isolate cone-driven responses. Immunohistochemistry was performed with a primary antibody against RGS9-1 (anti-RGS9-1c), with the secondary conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate, and with rhodamine-conjugated peanut agglutinin. RESULTS (1) Immunohistochemistry showed RGS9-1 to be strongly expressed in the cones of wildtype (WT is C57BL/6) mice, but absent from the cones of RGS9-1 mice. (2) Cone-driven b-wave responses of dark-adapted RGS9-1 -/- mice had saturating amplitudes and sensitivities in the midwave and UV regions of the spectrum equal to or slightly greater than those of WT (C57BL/6) mice. (3) Cone-driven b-wave and a-wave responses of RGS9-1 -/- mice recovered much more slowly than those of WT after a strong conditioning flash: for a flash estimated to isomerize 1.2% of the M-cone pigment and 0.9% of the UV-cone pigment, recovery of 50% saturating amplitude was approximately 60-fold slower than in WT. CONCLUSIONS (1) The amplitudes and sensitivities of the cone-driven responses indicate that cones and cone-driven neurons in RGS9-1 -/- mice have normal generator currents. (2) The greatly retarded recovery of cone-driven responses of RGS9-1 -/- mice relative to those of WT mice establishes that RGS9-1 is required for normal inactivation of the cone phototransduction cascades of both UV- and M-cones.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Substance Use History among Vulnerable Older Adults Living in Public Housing

ABSTRACT Previous research shows strong correlations between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and later life health. The current study examines the relationship between ACEs and substance use among older adults living in public housing. Results show that about one-third of participants had four or more ACEs, and ACE score predicted likelihood of substance use history. Over half of older adults with four or more ACEs experienced substance abuse in their lifetime compared to one out of ten older adults with less than four ACEs. Findings shed light on a vulnerable group and point to next steps in research and practice.
Position Statement from the Italian College of Fetal Maternal Medicine: Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) by maternal plasma DNA sequencing.

In recent years, researchers have been trying to isolate traces of foetal DNA from maternal blood in order to identify a possible Down’s syndrome foetus and, trisomy of chromosomes 13 and 18. At present, all International literature and the current Guidelines are against the utilization of such screening for clinical diagnostic purposes in general populations. In fact, the tests are extremely interesting but, for the moment, confined among the less proven prenatal Down screening. That’s why at moment there are too many uncertainties for to be used in diagnostics routine.
A strong association between immune responsiveness and natal dispersal in a songbird

Because parasite faunas typically show considerable spatio–temporal variation, and because parasites can have important fitness consequences, host defence mechanisms, including the immune system, can be expected to coevolve with natal dispersal, i.e. the movement of a newborn individual from its site of birth to its first site of reproduction. We demonstrate that immigrant individuals show a significantly higher humoral immune response towards a novel antigen than do local recruits in two independent populations of the great tit (Parus major). There was no effect of age, sex, tarsus length or body mass on immune responsiveness. Our results are consistent with the idea that phenotype–dependent dispersal and/or dispersal–by–phenotype–dependent selection establish a relation between immune responsiveness and natal dispersal.
1-GHz Input bandwidth 6-bit under-sampling A/D converter for UWB-IR receiver

A 1-GHz input bandwidth 6-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is described. The A/D converter is designed for an ultra-wideband impulse radio (UWB-IR) receiver that needs to digitize an input signal with a higher frequency than the sampling frequency. With the proposed under-sampling technique, sampling is executed with low-current consumption by separating a sampling capacitor from an operational amplifier and accumulating the offset voltage of the amplifier in another capacitor. In addition, a low-power comparator is proposed, which reduces bias current dynamically corresponding to its input voltage level. The A/D converter is implemented in a 0.18-mum CMOS process technology, which achieves an effective number of bits of 4.9 for input signals with frequencies greater than 1 GHz at 32 M samples/s, and consumes 0.89 mA at a 1.8-V supply. The converter occupies a 0.18 mm2 area.
Analysis of metabolic pathways and fluxes in a newly discovered thermophilic and ethanol‐tolerant Geobacillus strain

A recently discovered thermophilic bacterium, Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius M10EXG, ferments a range of C5 (e.g., xylose) and C6 sugars (e.g., glucose) and is tolerant to high ethanol concentrations (10%, v/v). We have investigated the central metabolism of this bacterium using both in vitro enzyme assays and 13C‐based flux analysis to provide insights into the physiological properties of this extremophile and explore its metabolism for bio‐ethanol or other bioprocess applications. Our findings show that glucose metabolism in G. thermoglucosidasius M10EXG proceeds via glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the TCA cycle; the Entner–Doudoroff pathway and transhydrogenase activity were not detected. Anaplerotic reactions (including the glyoxylate shunt, pyruvate carboxylase, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) were active, but fluxes through those pathways could not be accurately determined using amino acid labeling. When growth conditions were switched from aerobic to micro‐aerobic conditions, fluxes (based on a normalized glucose uptake rate of 100 units (g DCW)−1 h−1) through the TCA cycle and oxidative pentose phosphate pathway were reduced from 64 ± 3 to 25 ± 2 and from 30 ± 2 to 19 ± 2, respectively. The carbon flux under micro‐aerobic growth was directed to ethanol, L‐lactate (>99% optical purity), acetate, and formate. Under fully anerobic conditions, G. thermoglucosidasius M10EXG used a mixed acid fermentation process and exhibited a maximum ethanol yield of 0.38 ± 0.07 mol mol−1 glucose. In silico flux balance modeling demonstrates that lactate and acetate production from G. thermoglucosidasius M10EXG reduces the maximum ethanol yield by approximately threefold, thus indicating that both pathways should be modified to maximize ethanol production. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1377–1386. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Coreshine, un phénomène et un outil

Bien que les grains de poussieres representent 1% du milieu interstellaire en masse, leur etude est essentielle pour comprendre le contenu et la structure des nuages interstellaires. Les grains de poussiere, apres avoir quitte leurs lieux de formation, se dispersent dans le milieu diffus avant d’etre rassembles lors de la formation des nuages moleculaires denses. C’est lors de cette etape qu’ils grossissent, notamment par coagulation, et acquierent des manteaux de glaces. Ces changements morphologiques modifient egalement leurs proprietes optiques (absorption, diffusion et emission). Cependant, leur composition comme leur taille et leur forme restent difficiles a determiner a partir des observations et constituent un probleme hautement degenere. L’utilisation des longueurs d’onde en emission n’est pas suffisante pour lever cette degenerescence dans les cœurs denses, lieu de formation des futures etoiles et planetes. En revanche la diffusion peut dominer l’absorption a 3.6 et 4.5 μm, ce phenomene appele coreshine, est particulierement utile pour sonder les parties les plus denses des nuages. La presence de coreshine dans plus d’une centaine de nuages de notre Galaxie permet d’eliminer bon nombre de modeles de poussieres. La modelisation multi–longueurs d’onde en 3 dimensions est une approche necessaire pour caracteriser la balance entre l’absorption du rayonnement et sa diffusion. Alors que la plupart des travaux se concentrent sur l’absorption et la reemission du rayonnement, la diffusion, souvent delaissee, permet d’apporter une vision complete du transfert de rayonnement dans les nuages denses.