Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A case study on the automated verification of groupware protocols

We report on a fruitful combination of applying academic experience with formal modelling and verification techniques to an industrial case study. The goal of the case study was to investigate a priori, i.e. before implementation, the effects of adding a lightweight and easy-to-use publish/subscribe (event) notification service to thinkteam/spl reg/ - an asynchronous and dispersed groupware system which was developed by think3. Researchers from the Formal Methods and Tools (FM&&T) group of ISTI-CNR $with a longstanding experience in research on the development and application of formal methods, notations, and software tools for the specification, design, and verification of complex computer systems - therefore teamed up with think3 - a global provider of integrated product development solutions that provides mechanical design and Product Data Management (PDM) software catering the product management needs of design processes in the manufacturing industry. The technical details of this joint research effort have been documented elsewhere, here we report on the lessons learned from this experience.
Employee Participation、Trust and Affective Commitment

Human capital enhances corporate competitiveness. In order to retain talent within organization, employee attitude becomes a critical issue. This study investigates the relationship between employee participation, trust and affective commitment. We take path analysis and find out that both perceptions of financial participation and degree of non financial participation are positively associated with affective commitment. Also, the relationship between financial participation and affective commitment was mediated by trust. However, trust doesn’t have complete mediation effects on the relationship between non financial participation and affective commitment. The result is offered to corporation officers for the reference of making human capital retention decisions.
Recent advances in the obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome.

Introduction The past decade has seen a rapid increase in the number of patients being referred for investigation for the obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS). Indeed, in many centres, possible OSAHS is now the most common respiratory referral and OSAHS is the most common outpatient respiratory diagnosis. OSAHS is extremely rewarding to treat as the patient benefit can be enormous. It is important that all physicians are familiar with OSAHS as missing the diagnosis can be catastrophic, as OSAHS patients are as dangerous on the road as drunk drivers. This review will highlight recent advances in our understanding of OSAHS.
Comparison of 1470 nm Laser and Radial 2ring Fiber with 980 nm Laser and Bare-Tip Fiber in Endovenous Laser Ablation of Saphenous Varicose Veins: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized, Non-Blind Study.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of two laser wavelengths and fiber types in endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) of saphenous varicose veins of the lower limb. DESIGN Multi-center prospective randomized non-blind clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS From January 2007 to December 2011, 113 patients (113 limbs) with primary varicose veins were randomized into two groups. They were treated with radial 2ring fiber and 1470 nm laser in Group I (57 limbs) and bare-tip fiber and 980 nm laser in Group E (56 limbs) in order to ablate the saphenous vein. Vein occlusion rates at 12 weeks and pain in treated region were recorded as primary endpoint. Visual analogue scale (VAS) for assessment of pain, rates of bruising, complications and equipment failure were recorded as secondary endpoint of safety. RESULTS Occlusion rates at 12 weeks were 100% in both groups. Rates of pain (0% vs. 25.0%) and bruising (7.0% vs. 57.1%) were significantly lower in Group I (p <0.0001). VAS of pain was significantly lower on postoperative day 1, day 5 and 2nd week in Group I. CONCLUSION Treatment of saphenous varicose veins by EVLA using a 1470 nm laser and a radial 2ring fiber resulted in comparable occlusion rates at 12 weeks and less postoperative pain and bruising than EVLA with a 980 nm laser and a bare-tip fiber. (This article is a translation of Jpn J Vasc Surg 2014; 23: 964-971.).
CMAC modeling using pseudo-bacterial genetic algorithm and its acceleration

A cerebellar model arithmetic computer (CMAC) is a neural network whose advantage is fast learning. It is, however, difficult to decide on the various parameters of a CMAC in advance. The pseudo-bacterial genetic algorithm (PBGA) is an evolutionary algorithm that is efficient in local searching. This paper proposes a "PBGA/CMAC" system that decides the positions of partitions, which are the main parameters of a CMAC, using the PBGA. The PBGA/CMAC hardware is implemented for acceleration, because PBGA/CMAC needs a large amount of computation time. An efficient learning method using pipelining is also presented. It is found that the accuracy with the proposed learning method is almost the same as that of the conventional CMAC's learning. The PBGA/CMAC hardware is 140 times faster than that of the equivalent PBGA software.
The ABC-Type Multidrug Resistance Transporter LmrCD Is Responsible for an Extrusion-Based Mechanism of Bile Acid Resistance in Lactococcus lactis

ABSTRACT Upon prolonged exposure to cholate and other toxic compounds, Lactococcus lactis develops a multidrug resistance phenotype that has been attributed to an elevated expression of the heterodimeric ABC-type multidrug transporter LmrCD. To investigate the molecular basis of bile acid resistance in L. lactis and to evaluate the contribution of efflux-based mechanisms in this process, the drug-sensitive L. lactis NZ9000 ΔlmrCD strain was challenged with cholate. A resistant strain was obtained that, compared to the parental strain, showed (i) significantly improved resistance toward several bile acids but not to drugs, (ii) morphological changes, and (iii) an altered susceptibility to antimicrobial peptides. Transcriptome and transport analyses suggest that the acquired resistance is unrelated to elevated transport activity but, instead, results from a multitude of stress responses, changes to the cell envelope, and metabolic changes. In contrast, wild-type cells induce the expression of lmrCD upon exposure to cholate, whereupon the cholate is actively extruded from the cells. Together, these data suggest a central role for an efflux-based mechanism in bile acid resistance and implicate LmrCD as the main system responsible in L. lactis.
Novel high efficiency multilevel DC-DC boost converter topologies and modulation strategies

In this paper new topologies and interleaving modulation concepts for multilevel DC-DC boost converter enabling a significantly less loss and a reduced chip size of the power semiconductors are proposed. Moreover, a new soft switching concept is presented. The achievable efficiency, chip area and boost inductance reduction are compared with existing solutions for V<inf>In</inf> = 800V, V<inf>Out</inf> = 3kV and P<inf>Out</inf> = 150 kW. A 30% loss reduction and a chip area decrease by 50% is achieved.
Hierarchical unbiased group-wise registration for atlas construction and population comparison

A novel hierarchical unbiased group-wise registration is developed to robustly transform each individual image towards a common space for atlas based analysis. This hierarchical group-wise registration approach consists of two main components, (1) data clustering to group similar images together and (2) unbiased group-wise registration to generate a mean image for each cluster. The mean images generated in the lower hierarchical level are regarded as the input images for the higher hierarchy. In the higher hierarchical level, these input images will be further clustered and then registered by using the same two components mentioned. This hierarchical bottom-up clustering and within-cluster group-wise registration is repeated until a final mean image for the whole population is formed. This final mean image represents the common space for all the subjects to be warped to in order for the atlas based analysis. Each individual image at the bottom of the constructed hierarchy is transformed towards the root node through concatenating all the intermediate displacement fields. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed hierarchical registration in atlas based statistical analysis, comparisons were made with the conventional group-wise registration in detecting simulated brain atrophy as well as fractional anisotropy differences between neonates and 1-year-olds. In both cases, the proposed approach demonstrated improved sensitivity (higher t-scores) than the conventional unbiased registration approach.
On the design and development of a breast biopsy navigation system: Path generation algorithm and system with its GUI evaluation

Breast cancer is a major problem for women throughout the world. It is the second most common factor for women's death. Therefore, early detection by breast biopsy is a necessary process for decreasing the mortality rate. In the breast biopsy process, a surgical specialist is required. Moreover, the traditional breast biopsy procedure is based on 2D real-time ultrasound images guidance, while the procedure is done on a soft-breast tissue with 3D objects. To increase the surgeon's performance in breast biopsy, and to reduce the error opportunity, we propose to develop a breast biopsy navigation system using optical tracking system and a passive robotic needle holder. This paper focuses on the process of developing the path generation algorithm, prototyped breast biopsy navigation system and its graphical user interface (GUI) that displays details to guide the surgeon in performing the procedure. A number of experiments have been done to test and evaluate the efficiency of the navigation system and its GUI. The result shows the success rate of this system is about 80%.
Colonization pattern of Pasteurella pneumotropica in mice with latent pasteurellosis.

Colonization pattern of Pasteurella pneumotropica (P. pneumotropica) in mice with latent pasteurellosis was examined with the original selective media, NKBT medium and TGN broth. In the mice of 0 to 15 weeks old, the organism was mainly isolated from the upper respiratory tract, lower intestinal tract, feces and vagina, with the highest isolation rate in the pharyngolarynx. In the pregnant and lactating mice, the organism was isolated from the same sites, but not from the uterus, fetus or mammary gland. In the neonates, the organism was isolated from the respiratory and intestinal tracts within 24hr after birth. The organism was constantly detected in the feces of the 0- to 20-week-old mice, with the highest viable count one week after birth. Through the monitoring of mouse colonies, the pharyngolarynx always showed higher isolation rate than the feces in several mouse strains. These results reveal that the pharyngolarynx is the primary colonization site of P. pneumotropica in mice, and the lower intestinal tract and vagina are also the main sites. Further, frequent isolation of the organism from the feces and vagina, and the results in neonates suggest the mode of the transmission to newborn mice in the colony, i.e., intravaginal infection at the partition, and oro-nasal infection through the maternal feces and saliva.
Contribution Use of Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs and Distal Large Bowel Cancer in Whites and African Americans

Despite the belief that the etiology of and risk factors for rectal cancer might differ from those for colon cancer, relatively few studies have examined rectal cancer in relation to use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The authors evaluated the association between NSAIDs and distal large bowel cancer in African Americans and whites, using data from a population-based case-control study of 1,057 incident cases of adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon, rectosigmoid junction, and rectum and 1,019 controls from North Carolina (2001– 2006). NSAID use was inversely associated with distal large bowel cancer in whites (odds ratio (OR) 1⁄4 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46, 0.79). The inverse association was evident for all types of NSAIDs but was slightly stronger with prescription NSAIDs, particularly selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors (OR 1⁄4 0.38, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.56). Compared with whites, a relatively weak inverse association was found in African Americans (OR 1⁄4 0.87, 95% CI: 0.55, 1.40), although odds ratio heterogeneity by race could not be confirmed (P 1⁄4 0.21). In addition, the strength of the association with NSAIDs varied by tumor location, suggesting more potent effects for rectal and rectosigmoid cancers than for sigmoid cancer. The chemopreventive potential of NSAIDs might differ by population and by tumor characteristics.
A systematic survey of conformational states in β1 and β4 integrins using negative-stain electron microscopy

ABSTRACT Structural analyses of β2 and β3 integrins have revealed that they generally assume a compact bent conformation in the resting state and undergo a global conformational transition involving extension during upregulation of ligand affinity, collectively called the ‘switchblade model’. This hypothesis, however, has not been extensively tested for other classes of integrins. We prepared a set of recombinant integrin ectodomain fragments including αvβ3, α2β1, α3β1, α5β1, α6β1 and α6β4, and used negative-stain electron microscopy to examine their structures under various conditions. In contrast to αvβ3 integrin, which exhibited a severely bent conformation in low-affinity 5 mM Ca2+ conditions, all β1 integrin heterodimers displayed a mixed population of half-bent to fully extended conformations. Moreover, they did not undergo significant conformational change upon activation by Mn2+. Integrin α6β4 was even more resistant to conformational regulation, showing a completely extended structure regardless of the buffer conditions. These results suggest that the mechanisms of conformational regulation of integrins are more diverse and complex than previously thought, requiring more experimental scrutiny for each integrin subfamily member. Summary: A systematic structural analysis using negative-stain electron microscopy on many different β1 and β4 integrins showed no large ‘switchblade-like’ conformational change coupled to their affinity states.
WordDriver-1: evaluating the efficacy of an app-supported decoding intervention for children with reading impairment.

BACKGROUND Fluent word reading is a key characteristic of skilled reading, yet most children with reading disorders have impaired word-reading skills. Previous research has demonstrated that multi-component interventions targeting phonemic awareness and the alphabetic principle are effective for children with reading disorders. However, about 25% of children fail to respond to these interventions. While it has been difficult to isolate the active ingredient, the findings of some studies suggest that tasks targeting phonological recoding and orthographic processing are essential elements in improving decoding. AIMS To develop and evaluate an intervention that specifically targets phonological recoding and orthographic processing (a decoding intervention) for children with persistent word-reading impairment. METHODS & PROCEDURES A single-subject crossover design with multiple treatments was used to examine the efficacy of the decoding intervention (15 × 20-min sessions) compared with a language intervention that controlled for individual therapy time. Eight children (aged 7:6-8:11 years) with persistent word-reading impairment were randomly assigned to one of two intervention sequences. The effect of the decoding intervention was evaluated by (1) changes in decoding accuracy measured by performance on researcher-developed non-word lists; and (2) generalization to other standardized measures of reading. OUTCOMES & RESULTS The results showed that all participants demonstrated significant gains in non-word reading on researcher-developed non-word lists and standardized measures of non-word-reading accuracy and efficiency. Trends for improvement on standardized measures of word-reading efficiency, text-reading accuracy and reading comprehension were observed. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS This decoding intervention significantly improved non-word decoding skills in all participants who had not responded to previous reading interventions. As such, it may be an efficient adjunct to the first stage of reading interventions for this population. The relative lack of generalization to other word-reading skills may have been due to the nature of the outcome measures, the short intervention time and/or additional delays in participant orthographic processing skills.
Anomaly Detection From the Signal of Low-Cost Laser Device Without the False Alarm and the Missing

We present a low-cost intruder detection system that recognizes an anomaly using a parametric statistical technique, of which the complexity of computation is linear for data size and the probability of false alarm and miss are respectively zeros. To make the perfect intruder detection system inexpensive and effective, we adopt the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The IoT devices work with limited power, a little memory, and small computational power. However, the low-cost controllers, such as Arduino are capable of computing the fast Fourier transform. As the test statistics for discriminating whether the Line-of-sight is lost or not, we propose a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and also use the power of the matched-filtered signal. By using the coefficients of the fast Fourier transform of the sampled signal, we jointly analyze the signal in the time and frequency domains. If we use the proposed SNR as the test statistics for detection, and if the sample size is greater than or equal to 256, the false alarm probability and the miss probability of the proposed detector are zeros. The experimental results show that the maximum SNR of the case with disturbance is lower than the minimum SNR of the case without disturbance by 14.49 dB.
Administration and Autonomy in a Replication-Transparent Distributed DBMS

Administrative issues are of vital importance to organizations adopting distributed database technology. Most research systems and emerging commercial DDBMSs have assumed site autonomy as a guiding principle. This paper presents some general problems associated with autonomy and administration in a DDBMS, and discusses the incompatibility between replication transparency and site autonomy. In a DDBMS which supports replication transparency, the degree of site autonomy in a system should properly be a policy decision made by system administrators. Parameterization of the degree of site autonomy in a DDBMS involves careful design of a mechanism involving storage structures, operations, and authorization. A mechanism which extends the ANSI SQL authorization model is described, and examples of how users can use the mechanism to implement both centralized and decentralized administration policies are presented.
Discovering semantically meaningful places from pervasive RF-beacons

Detecting visits to semantically meaningful places is important for many emerging mobile applications. We present PlaceSense, a place discovery algorithm suitable for mobile devices that exploits pervasive RF-beacons. By relying on separate mechanisms to detect entrance to and departure from a place and buffering overlapping data for subsequent visits, it is more robust than the state-of-the-art, especially in detecting short visits, places where people are mobile, or where inconsistent beacons are prevalent due to interference. We experimentally evaluate PlaceSense's effectiveness in discovering semantically meaningful places, and compare with other approaches that use coordinates or RF-beacon fingerprints. Our results demonstrate that PlaceSense correctly discovers 92% (compared to between 28% and 65% for previous work) of the visited places and accurately detects their entrance and departure times from both real-life and scripted data sets.
The structure of degradable quantum channels

Degradable quantum channels are among the only channels whose quantum and private classical capacities are known. As such, determining the structure of these channels is a pressing open question in quantum information theory. We give a comprehensive review of what is currently known about the structure of degradable quantum channels, including a number of new results as well as alternate proofs of some known results. In the case of qubits, we provide a complete characterization of all degradable channels with two dimensional output, give a new proof that a qubit channel with two Kraus operators is either degradable or anti-degradable, and present a complete description of anti-degradable unital qubit channels with a new proof. For higher output dimensions we explore the relationship between the output and environment dimensions (dB and dE, respectively) of degradable channels. For several broad classes of channels we show that they can be modeled with an environment that is “small” in the sense of ΦC. Suc.
Three-dimensional array of dielectric spheres with an isotropic negative permeability at infrared frequencies

A negative effective permeability is shown to exist at infrared frequencies in a three-dimensional collection of polaritonic spheres. This is demonstrated by an effective medium theory which relates the Mie resonances of the constituent spheres to the bulk response of the composite. The derived permittivity and permeability are shown to be isotropic. The results are verified by a comparison with multiple-scattering photonic band calculations. The existence of an anomalous dispersion region with a negative group velocity and the appropriate signs associated with the imaginary parts of the permittivity and permeability are also discussed.
A statistical approach to contour extraction based on quantum mechanics

Contour extraction is a key issue in many medical applications. A novel statistical approach based on quantum mechanics to extract contour of the interested object of medical images was proposed in this paper. The natures of quantum statistical concepts such as the quantum discontinuity and the wave function correspond to the discrete and gray possibility of an image respectively. Contour extraction will be performed by the quantum particle movement, where the particle will be moved forward to the position with high probability density edges in image potential field. Experimental results with medical images demonstrated that the proposed approach has the capability to extract contours with arbitrary initialization and handle topology changes as well as both the inner and outer contours by a single initialization. Keywords: Statistical approach, contour extraction, path integral, quantum mechanics.ing