Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estudo exploratório do uso de classificadores para a predição de desempenho e abandono em universidade

A Mineracao de Dados Educacionais, por meio da triade melhoria da qualidade, reducao do custo e eficacia do ensino, age e procura compreender melhor o processo de ensinoaprendizagem dos alunos. Neste contexto, o objetivo desta dissertacao e o estudo exploratorio de metodos de classificacao para predizer o desempenho e o abandono de alunos a partir de dados existentes nas bases de dados academicas das universidades. Neste trabalho foram usados dados demograficos, socio-economicos e resultados academicos, oriundos do Vestibular e do banco de dados academico da universidade para analisar diversas tecnicas de classificacao, assim como tecnicas de balanceamento e selecao de atributos identificadas atraves de uma revisao sistematica da literatura. Seguindo uma tendencia verificada nos artigos levantados, optou-se por utilizar como principal algoritmo de classificacao o J48, apesar de estudos comparativos terem mostrado melhores resultados com tecnicas de regressao logistica e redes Bayesianas. Isto se deve ao fato das arvores de decisao permitirem uma analise dos atributos usados nos modelos gerados, mantendo ni- veis de acuracia aceitaveis, enquanto as outras tecnicas funcionam como uma caixa preta. Neste sentido, a tecnica de Resample, que escolhe um subconjunto balanceado dos dados, apresentou melhores resultados que a tecnica de SMOTE, que gera dados sinteticos para balancear os dados. Quanto ao uso de tecnicas de selecao de atributos, estas nao trouxeram vantagens significativas. Dentre os atributos usados, notas e aspectos economicos aparecem com frequencia nos modelos gerados. Uma tentativa de prever desempenho por disciplina, com base em dados de disciplinas ja cursadas em semestres anteriores foi menos bem sucedida, talvez pelo fato de usar classes preditoras ternarias. Apesar disto, as analises realizadas mostraram que o uso de classificadores e um caminho promissor para a predicao de desempenho e abandono, mas estudos mais aprofundados ainda sao necessarios
Enzymatic hydrolysis and recrystallization behavior of initially amorphous cellulose

Cellulose samples from cotton and wood pulps with varying low degrees of crystallinity (mechanically decrystallized) were studied. The influence of initial cellulose crystallinity on sugar yield after enzymatic hydrolysis was determined by two different methods. As expected, samples with low crystallinity were much more accessible to enzymatic attack and glucose yields were higher than were samples of high initial crystallinity. Hydrolysis of cellulose seems more dependent on cellulose crystallinity than on the source of cellulose. It is known that decrystallized or amorphous cellulose can recrystallize under proper conditions, e.g., during acid hydrolysis. The data reported here also reveal some recrystallization during enzymatic hydrolysis which probably occurs simulataneously with a selective enzymatic attack on the amorphous regions of cellulose. In all cases, the amorphous celluloses recrystallized in the original lattice form, that of native cellulose.
Percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation as an effective treatment of refractory lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis: preliminary data from a multicentre, prospective, open label trial

Background: Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) has been proposed as a new, minimally invasive neuromodulation technique to treat lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Objective: To evaluate efficacy, safety and impact on quality of life (QoL) of PTNS on patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have LUTS. Methods: 21 patients (5 men, 16 women) with MS and LUTS unresponsive to anticholinergics were treated with 12 sessions of PTNS. Assessment of LUTS was by validated, self-administered chart and questionnaires, testing the subjective and objective relevance of LUTS for patients and their impact on QoL before and after treatment; the mean post-micturition residual was assessed by trans-abdominal ultrasound scanning. Analysis was by intention to treat. Results: There was a significant reduction of daytime frequency (from 9 to 6, p = 0.04), nocturia (from 3 to 1, p = 0.002) and mean post-micturition residual (from 98 ± 124 ml to 43 ± 45 ml, p = 0.02). The mean voided volume increased from 182 ± 50 ml to 225 ± 50 ml (p = 0.003). Eighty-nine percent of patients reported a treatment satisfaction of 70%. Significant improvement in QoL was seen in most domains of the King’s Health QoL questionnaire (p < 0.05). No adverse events were reported. Conclusions: PTNS is an effective, safe and well-tolerated treatment for LUTS in patients with MS.
Somatosensory temporal discrimination remains intact in tension-type headache whereas it is disrupted in migraine attacks

Background and objective Somatosensory temporal discrimination was recently reported as prolonged during migraine attacks, which is consistent with disrupted sensorial perception in migraine. However, knowledge about central sensory processing in tension-type headache is still lacking. This prospective, controlled study aimed to investigate somatosensory temporal discrimination thresholds in tension-type headache. Methods The study included 10 tension-type headache patients, 10 migraine patients and 10 healthy volunteers without headache. Somatosensory temporal discrimination thresholds were evaluated during the headache attacks of tension-type headache and migraine patients. Results Somatosensory temporal discrimination thresholds of tension-type headache patients (39.0 ± 5.5 ms for the right hand and 40.6 ± 4.6 ms for the left hand) were significantly lower than those of episodic migraine patients (137.1 ± 35.8 ms for the right hand and 118.4 ± 34.3 ms for the left hand, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001 respectively), and comparable to those of healthy volunteers (38.6 ± 5.3 ms for the right hand and 38.3 ± 7.2 ms for the left hand, p = 0.79 and p = 0.45 respectively). Conclusion Central sensory processing, as tested by somatosensory temporal discrimination, was remarkably disrupted during the headache attacks in migraineurs, whereas it remained intact in the tension-type headache patients.
Estimation of the generalized extreme-value distribution by the method of probability-weighted moments

We use the method of probability-weighted moments to derive estimators of the parameters and quantiles of the generalized extreme-value distribution. We investigate the properties of these estimators in large samples, via asymptotic theory, and in small and moderate samples, via computer simulation. Probability-weighted moment estimators have low variance and no severe bias, and they compare favorably with estimators obtained by the methods of maximum likelihood or sextiles. The method of probability-weighted moments also yields a convenient and powerful test of whether an extreme-value distribution is of Fisher-Tippett Type I, II, or III.
Cre‐mediated site‐specific recombination in zebrafish embryos

Cre‐mediated site‐specific recombination has become an invaluable tool for manipulation of the murine genome. The ability to conditionally activate gene expression or to generate chromosomal alterations with this same tool would greatly enhance zebrafish genetics. This study demonstrates that the HSP70 promoter can be used to inducibly control expression of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) –Cre fusion protein. The EGFP–Cre fusion protein is capable of promoting recombination between lox sites in injected plasmids or in stably inherited transgenes as early as 2 hr post–heat shock induction. Finally, the levels of Cre expression achieved in a transgenic fish line carrying the HSP70‐EGFP–cre transgene are compatible with viability and both male and female transgenic fish are fertile subsequent to induction of EGFP–Cre expression. Hence, our data suggests that Cre‐mediated recombination is a viable means of manipulating gene expression in zebrafish. Developmental Dynamics 233:1366–1377, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
CSAW 2014 Computer Science Annual Workshop Malta , 2014 6 th and 7 th November 2014 Proceedings

Current computing devices span a large and varied range of computational power. Interactive high-fidelity graphics is still unachievable on many of the devices widely available to the public, such as desktops and laptops without high-end dedicated graphics cards, tablets and mobile phones. In this paper we present a scalable solution for interactive high-fidelity graphics with global illumination in the cloud. Specifically, we introduce a novel method for the asynchronous remote computation of indirect lighting that is both scalable and efficient. A lightweight client implementation merges the remotely computed indirect contribution with locally computed direct lighting for a full global illumination solution. The approach proposed in this paper applies instant radiosity methods to a precomputed point cloud representation of the scene; an equivalent structure on the client side is updated on demand, and used to reconstruct the indirect contribution. This method can be deployed on platforms of varying computational power, from tablets to high-end desktops and video game consoles. Furthermore, the same dynamic GI solution computed on the cloud can be used concurrently with multiple clients sharing a virtual environment with minimal overheads.
Sum discrete-rate maximization with rate and power control in layered space-time coding

This paper generalizes the information-theoretic optimality of minimum mean square error successive interference cancellation in layered space-time coding with rate and power control. Based on this derivation, a new concept relying on partial feedback is introduced, whose core idea is to exploit an additional degree of freedom relative to the partitioning of transmit antennas. Taking into account this additional degree of freedom, together with power control and decoding order, allows the reduction of the quantization noise induced by the use of finite discrete-rate sets at the transmitter. However, the simultaneous optimization of all those degrees of freedom proves to be computationally intensive and would result in a tremendous feedback load. Practical algorithms are thus proposed to achieve this optimization with a reasonable complexity and a limited amount of feedback. Monte-Carlo simulations show that those algorithms perform close to the theoretical limits.
The scrapie prion protein is present in flotillin‐1‐positive vesicles in central‐ but not peripheral‐derived neuronal cell lines

Transmissible prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases associated with the conversion of the normal host prion protein (PrPc) into an abnormal isoform (PrPSc) that accumulates in brain. This pathology affects neurons of the central nervous system whereas no clear toxic effect has been reported for peripheral neurons. We examined the subcellular distribution of PrPc and PrPSc in the scrapie‐infected mouse neuronal cell lines GT1‐7 and N2a, derived, respectively, from the central and peripheral nervous system. We observed that in both cell types, PrPc is present in the endocytic compartment, mainly in LAMP‐1‐positive late endosomes, but excluded from LYAAT‐1‐lysosomes. In contrast, PrPSc was distributed differently in the two cell lines. In infected N2a, PrPSc and PrPc had comparable distribution patterns. In infected GT1‐7, PrPSc is present in an additional vesicular compartment which is flotillin‐1‐positive. The level of expression of flotillin‐1 is higher in GT1‐7 than in N2a cells, but no difference is observed between infected and noninfected cells. In Alzheimer's disease patients, it has been reported that flotillin‐1 is abundant in brain areas containing the β‐amyloid protein, which accumulates in endosomal vesicles in primary neurons. We propose that the flotillin compartment could store aggregated proteins and play a role in these neurodegenerative pathologies.
Estrutura fatorial da escala de dignidade em doentes com necessidades de cuidados paliativos.

Introducao: A Escala de Dignidade do Doente (The Patient Dignity Inventory) de Chochinov et al., (2008) foi projetada para medir varias fontes de sofrimento relacionadas com a dignidade entre os pacientes que se aproximam do fim de vida. Considerando que alguns doentes poderao estar a sofrer e perecer com diminuicao da sua dignidade e que o conhecimento acerca desta problematica e ainda deficitario, impoe-se desenvolver investigacao clinica e academica neste dominio.Objetivos: Avaliar as propriedades psicometricas, nomeadamente a estrutura fatorial e a consistencia interna; Classificar a dignidade autopercecionada pela pessoa com necessidade de cuidados paliativos.Metodos: Estudo de natureza quantitativa, descritivo correlacional e foco transversal, realizado em contexto paliativo, numa amostra de 83 participantes (50,6% mulheres), com uma media de 70,95 anos.Foi estudada a consistencia interna e realizada uma analise fatorial confirmatoria da Escala de Dignidade do Doente (The Patient Dignity Inventory), Chochinov et al., 2008). Resultados: O estudo da consistencia interna da escala de dignidade confirmou a estrutura original, apresentando 5 fatores: fator 1- Presenca de Sintomas (α= 0.902); fator 2 - Sofrimento Existencial (α=0.895); fator 3 - Paz Interior (α= 0.701); fator 4 – Dependencia (α=0.872); fator 5 - Suporte Social (α=0.962). O valor de Alfa de Cronbach para o global da Escala de Dignidade do Doente foi de 0,962.Cerca de 73,8% das mulheres e 73,2% dos homens autopercecionam uma dignidade positiva (moderada a elevada). Conclusao: Esta investigacao constitui mais um passo no estudo das propriedades psicometricas da Escala de Dignidade do Doente, numa amostra da populacao portuguesa. O estudo comparativo da presente investigacao com os resultados obtidos por Chochinov et al. (2008) revelou que no presente estudo os valores de consistencia interna nos varios fatores e na nota global sao mais robustos.Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a identificacao de fatores preditores da dignidade em pessoas com necessidades paliativas potencia o desenvolver e implementacao de estrategias clinicas para a sua promocao o que podera ser um importante contributo para futuras investigacoes e pratica clinica.
Predictors of 30-day and 1-year mortality after transvenous lead extraction: a single-centre experience.

AIMS Owing to the increasing use of cardiac implantable electronic devices, there is a growing need for safe and effective techniques to manage device-related complications and lead dysfunction. Lead extraction remains a challenging procedure with inherent risks. We present the 30-day and long-term outcomes of lead extractions in the University Hospitals Leuven. METHODS AND RESULTS We report a retrospective cohort study of 176 patients admitted to the University Hospitals Leuven between January 2005 and December 2011, for the transvenous extraction of 295 leads. Indications for extraction were lead dysfunction and device upgrade in 84 (47.7%), pocket infection in 61 (34.7%), and systemic infection in 31 patients (17.6%). Extraction was successful in 95.5% of patients with complete removal of the leads or only a minor fragment remaining. One fatal peri-procedural complication occurred. Thirty-day mortality was 3.4% (n = 6). Systemic infection was the only significant predictor of 30-day mortality [odds ratio (OR) 29.706; P = 0.029]. A lower level of haemoglobin prior to extraction also tended to be related with a higher mortality, but this was not significant (OR 2.024; P = 0.082). One-year mortality was 8.5% (n = 15). Systemic infection (OR 9.727; P = 0.009), a lower level of haemoglobin (OR 1.597; P = 0.05), and a higher level of ureum (OR 1.021; P = 0.017) prior to extraction were significant predictors of 1-year mortality. Systemic infection was associated with significantly higher 30-day (19%), 1-year (32%), and long-term (39%) mortality rates. CONCLUSION Lead extraction can be safely and successfully performed in the majority of patients, with limited life-threatening complications. However, lead extraction because of systemic infection is associated with a significantly higher risk of short- and long-term mortality.
Contribution à l'analyse CEM globale de structures et de circuits. Application aux antennes Vivaldi en présence d'un système non linéaire pour la récupération d'énergie : une approche FDTD

Les systemes electroniques sont au cœur de notre vie quotidienne, ils sont integres dans la plupart des objets que nous utilisons chaque jour, et dans des secteurs cles comme l’aeronautique, l’automobile, le spatial, l’electronique grand public. Les techniques d’alimentation classiques (pile ou batterie) restent difficiles a envisager dans certaines applications car, elles sont limitees en autonomie, elles necessitent des remplacements periodiques et leur recyclage est couteux. Afin de detourner ces contraintes, le concept de la transmission d’energie sans fil se presente comme une alternative aux systemes d’alimentation classiques. La recuperation d'energie electromagnetique a beaucoup attire l'attention puisque la puissance RF est largement diffusee a partir de nombreuses ressources electromagnetiques fiables. De plus, les circuits electroniques et notamment microondes deviennent de plus en plus rapides a cause des frequences de travail de plus en plus elevees. L’analyse frequentielle seule ne peut repondre a un certain nombre d’interrogations dans ces circuits. Une analyse purement temporelle devient necessaire pour resoudre et repondre a toutes les problematiques. Parmi les problemes poses dans les circuits microondes, on s’interesse a deux approches totalement complementaires:• L’Integrite du Signal qui represente le dysfonctionnement des circuits du a la distorsion des signaux. • La Compatibilite ElectroMagnetique qui est le resultat de l’encombrement des composants electroniques dans les circuits. La premiere approche se base sur les modeles de composants et peut predire parfaitement la qualite des signaux pendant le placement et le routage des cartes electroniques. En revanche, il sera tres difficile de mettre en evidence les causes du comportement anormal du circuit en question. La deuxieme approche complementaire de la premiere, et qui est l’analyse par la compatibilite electromagnetique permettra de couvrir les causes du probleme tels que diaphonie (Cross Talk), rayonnement et susceptibilite des systemes dans le but de corriger le circuit pour qu’il fonctionne correctement.La methode de travail adoptee dans cette these consiste dans un premier temps a identifier les differents problemes. Ensuite proposer des solutions via des codes de calcul existants (FDTD, FEM, MoM…) et qu’on pourra developper (2D) ou bien via des logiciels adaptes tels que Spice, Matlab, EMPro, ADS…. etc.
Training the Hubble space telescope flight team

As the results demonstrate, members of the flight team judged, on average, that the use of a virtual environment for training had a positive effect on their job performance during the HST repair and maintenance mission. Moreover, audio and visual cues provided a positive aid in using the virtual environment. The discomfort experienced by some of the participants did not pose a serious problem with training transfer, but further study should be devoted to reducing these effects. The positive experiences reported here have broadened and deepened the interest of NASA in the use of VR technology as a training tool. >
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s Impact on Patent Litigation

More than 20 years after the establishment of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), research has yet to explain accurately the new court’s impact on patent litigation, patenting, and inventive activity. To address this shortcoming in the literature, we analyze a novel data set that permits us to consider separately the issues of validity and infringement in comparing the tendencies of the CAFC with those of its predecessor appeals courts. Our analysis of district and appellate decisions spanning 1953–2002 yields a recasting of the “pro‐patent” nature of the CAFC: while it has been significantly more reluctant than its predecessors to affirm decisions of invalidity, it has not been more reluctant to affirm “not infringed” decisions. Because of the CAFC’s tendencies, district courts have decided patents to be invalid significantly less often, patentees have appealed decisions of invalidity significantly more often, and infringement has become the more frequently decisive inquiry.
Anisotropic deformation response of single protein molecules

Single-molecule methods have given experimental access to the mechanical properties of single protein molecules. So far, access has been limited to mostly one spatial direction of force application. Here, we report single-molecule experiments that explore the mechanical properties of a folded protein structure in precisely controlled directions by applying force to selected amino acid pairs. We investigated the deformation response of GFP in five selected directions. We found fracture forces widely varying from 100 pN up to 600 pN. We show that straining the GFP structure in one of the five directions induces partial fracture of the protein into a half-folded intermediate structure. From potential widths we estimated directional spring constants of the GFP structure and found values ranging from 1 N/m up to 17 N/m. Our results show that classical continuum mechanics and simple mechanistic models fail to describe the complex mechanics of the GFP protein structure and offer insights into the mechanical design of protein materials.
Functional programming and input/output

A common attraction to functional programming is the ease with which proofs can be given of program properties. A common disappointment with functional programming is the difficulty of expressing input/output (I/O) while at the same time being able to verify programs. Here, the author shows how a theory of functional programming can be smoothly extended to admit both an operational semantics for functional I/O and verification of programs engaged in I/O. He obtains, for the first time, operational semantics for the three most widely implemented I/O mechanisms for lazy languages, and proves that the three are equivalent in expressive power. He also develops semantics for a form of monadic I/O and verifies a simple programming example. These theories of functional I/O are based on an entirely operational theory of functional programming, developed using Abramsky's "applicative bisimulation. " Graduate students and researchers will gain much from reading this book.