Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Duration-Variable Participant Recruitment for Urban Crowdsourcing With Indeterministic Trajectories

For urban crowdsourcing applications, the data sensing tasks can be achieved by vehicles traveling on the roads, which can save the expenses on constructing dedicated infrastructures. In this paper, to efficiently handle the crowdsourcing recruitment problem, we propose to recruit participants with the duration-variable principle and prove that it performs better compared to the strategy that recruits vehicles for all required time periods. The duration-variable principle enables recruitment of vehicular sensing resources across different time epochs to maximize the crowdsourcing profits. To ensure the utilization of limited budget, we formulate the duration-variable participant recruitment (DPR) problem with the consideration of indeterministic trajectories to determine which vehicle subset is chosen and how many epochs are provided for each selected vehicle. Since the formulated problem is NP-hard, we propose a two-step DPR algorithm by maximizing the available sensing resource utilization efficiency in each recruitment round, which is shown to be near-optimal and has low computational complexity. Experiments on real traces show that the proposed DPR scheme exceeds three other solutions in providing higher spatial coverage for urban crowdsourcing applications.
Quadratic Gaussian Joint Pricing Model for Stocks and Bonds: Theory and Empirical Analysis

This study proposes a joint pricing model for stocks and bonds in a no-arbitrage framework. A stock price representation is obtained in a manner consistent with the quadratic Gaussian term structure model, in which the short rate is the quadratic form of the state variables. In this study, specifying the dividend as a function using the quadratic form of the state variables leads to a stock price representation that is exponential-quadratic in the state variables. We prove that the coefficients determining the stock price have to satisfy some matrix equations, including an algebraic Riccati equation. Moreover, we specify the sufficient condition in which the matrix equations do have a unique solution. In our empirical analysis using Japanese data, we obtain estimates with a good fit to the actual data. Furthermore, we estimate the risk premiums for stocks and bonds and analyze how the BOJ fs unconventional monetary policy has affected these risk premiums.
A performance of coded modulation based on optimal Faster-than-Nyquist signals

This paper proposes novel coded modulation schemes based on LDPC codes and optimal partial response (or Faster-than-Nyquist) signals. In these schemes coded bits are mapped into the points of QPSK constellation and the spectrum bandwidth (hence, the spectral efficiency) is widely handled by choosing the optimal finite impulse response (pulse) of the shaping filter. The shaping filter allows the intentional introduction of inter-symbol interference (ISI). The pulse optimization was based on the criterion of the minimal bandwidth comprising 99% of the signal power. It also included additional constraints of the ISI level and the signal peak-to-average power ratio. By simulation, we have shown that for the channel with additive white Gaussian noise the transition from conventional RRC-pulses to optimal finite pulses within the proposed coded modulation provide a reduction of bandwidth and energy consumption.
Exercise training on disease control and quality of life in asthmatic children.

PURPOSE Aerobic training has been shown to be effective in improving cardiopulmonary fitness in asthmatic children. However, the actual impact of physical training on clinical indicators of disease control remains controversial. METHODS Thirty-eight children with moderate to severe persistent asthma were randomly assigned to control (N=17) and training (N=21) groups. Spirometry, exercise challenge, and maximum incremental cardiopulmonary exercise tests were performed 16 wk apart. Daily doses of inhaled steroids and Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) scores were also recorded. RESULTS Physical training was associated with significant improvements in physiological variables at peak and submaximal exercise (P<0.05); in contrast, no significant changes were found in controls. Severity of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and postexercise breathlessness were significantly lessened in trained patients; improvement in fitness and EIB, however, were not linearly related (P>0.05). In addition, PAQLQ scores improved only in trained children (P<0.01). Daily doses of inhaled steroids were reduced in trained patients (52%), but they remained unchanged or increased in controls (70.6%) (P=0.07). CONCLUSION Supervised exercise training might be associated with beneficial effects on disease control and quality of life in asthmatic children. These data suggest an adjunct role of physical conditioning on clinical management of patients with more advanced disease.
Bacterial swimmers that infiltrate and take over the biofilm matrix

Bacteria grow in either planktonic form or as biofilms, which are attached to either inert or biological surfaces. Both growth forms are highly relevant states in nature and of paramount scientific focus. However, interchanges between bacteria in these two states have been little explored. We discovered that a subpopulation of planktonic bacilli is propelled by flagella to tunnel deep within a biofilm structure. Swimmers create transient pores that increase macromolecular transfer within the biofilm. Irrigation of the biofilm by swimmer bacteria may improve biofilm bacterial fitness by increasing nutrient flow in the matrix. However, we show that the opposite may also occur (i.e., swimmers can exacerbate killing of biofilm bacteria by facilitating penetration of toxic substances from the environment). We combined these observations with the fact that numerous bacteria produce antimicrobial substances in nature. We hypothesized and proved that motile bacilli expressing a bactericide can also kill a heterologous biofilm population, Staphylococcus aureus in this case, and then occupy the newly created space. These findings identify microbial motility as a determinant of the biofilm landscape and add motility to the complement of traits contributing to rapid alterations in biofilm populations.
Reformas regulatorias y crisis de los modelos VaR.

A raiz de la crisis, la regulacion financiera que emana del Comite de Basilea de Supervision Bancaria ha sufrido varias transformaciones concretadas en el marco regulatorio conocido como Basilea III. El marco referente al riesgo de mercado esta siendo actualmente revisado y las propuestas de reforma del Comite cuestionan la idoneidad de los modelos VaR como base de computo de los requerimientos minimos por esta categoria de riesgo. Los modelos VaR han sido ampliamente utilizados para el calculo del capital regulatorio a lo largo de casi dos decadas desde de su introduccion en las normas internacionales de Basilea en el ano 1996. Este trabajo presenta la manera en la que se calcula el capital regulatorio por riesgo de mercado en base a un modelo VaR calculado para una cartera formada por acciones de empresas pertenecientes al indice S&P 500 en el periodo 2000-2014. Para la estimacion de las volatilidades, covarianzas y correlaciones se utiliza la metodologia RiskMetrcis™ y se analiza el comportamiento del modelo en el periodo elegido tanto a nivel de cada accion individual, como a nivel de la cartera. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el capital regulatorio calculado en base a las normas vigentes durante la crisis cubre en todo momento las perdidas efectivas de la cartera considerada.
UbcH10 has a rate-limiting role in G1 phase but might not act in the spindle checkpoint or as part of an autonomous oscillator

Ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis mediated by the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) ubiquitin ligase lies at the heart of the cell cycle. The APC/C targets mitotic cyclins for destruction in mitosis and G1 phase and is then inactivated at S phase, thereby generating the alternating states of high and low cyclin-Cdk activity required for the alternation of mitosis and DNA replication. Two key questions are how the APC/C is held in check by the spindle-assembly checkpoint to delay cells in mitosis in the presence of improperly attached chromosomes, and how the APC/C is inactivated once cells exit mitosis. The ubiquitin-conjugating protein UbcH10 has been proposed to be crucial in the answers to both questions. However, here we show that the behaviour of UbcH10 is inconsistent with both a crucial role in the spindle checkpoint and in inactivating the APC/C as part of an autonomous oscillator. Instead, we find that the rate-limiting role of UbcH10 is only at the end of G1 phase, just before DNA replication begins.
Tactile remapping beyond space

Reacting to a touch on the skin often requires the remapping of the initial somatotopicaly‐based representation of the stimulus into an external frame of reference that incorporates information about current body posture. A growing number of studies support the view that tactile encoding in external coordinates occurs automatically. However, it remains unclear whether or not spatial task demands are required to trigger this remapping process, casting some doubt on the automaticity hypothesis. We designed three experiments in which space was progressively removed, and tactile remapping across different body postures was gauged through the modulation of visual performance. We used speeded two‐alternative forced‐choice colour judgements (i.e., a nonspatial selection feature) about visual targets presented laterally following a spatially noninformative (congruent or incongruent) tactile cue on one hand. In experiment 1, using footpedal responses, visual performance was modulated according to the external location of the tactile cue, regardless of hand posture (either crossed or uncrossed). In experiment 2, using verbal responses, external cueing was also observed (albeit in an attenuated fashion) despite the removal of space from response set. In experiment 3 we removed spatial uncertainty about cue and target locations by presenting tactile cues and visual targets from fixed positions, yet spatial congruency still exerted some modulation on visual performance, again independent of hand posture. These results demonstrate that engaging in spatial tasks is not a prerequisite for triggering tactile remapping, and are thus in agreement with previous accounts suggesting that touch is automatically remapped.
Disaster Management from a POM Perspective: Mapping a New Domain

We have reviewed disaster management research papers published in major operations management, management science, operations research, supply chain management and transportation/logistics journals. In reviewing these studies, our objective is to assess and present the macro level “architectural blue print” of disaster management research with the hope that it will attract new researchers and motivate established researchers to contribute to this important field. The secondary objective is to bring this disaster research to the attention of disaster administrators so that disasters are managed more efficiently and more effectively. We have mapped the disaster management research on the following five attributes of a disaster: (1) Disaster Management Function (decision‐making process, prevention and mitigation, evacuation, humanitarian logistics, casualty management, and recovery and restoration), (2) Time of Disaster (before, during and after), (3) Type of Disaster (accidents, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, terrorism and wildfires etc.), (4) Data Type (Field and Archival data, Real data and Hypothetical data), and (5) Data Analysis Technique (bidding models, decision analysis, expert systems, fuzzy system analysis, game theory, heuristics, mathematical programming, network flow models, queueing theory, simulation and statistical analysis). We have done cross tabulations of data among these five parameters to gain greater insights into disaster research. Recommendations for future research are provided.
THE APPRAISE OF ACCESSIBILITY ON THE EVOLUTION OF HIGHWAY NETWORK IN HUNAN PROVINCE

Based on the "shortest path matrix",the author calculated the accessibility of the highway network in Hunan province in 1984,1993,2004 and 2025.The paper gets the result: the cities in the highway network turn out the obvious "core-periphery" model with velocity index.The best accessibility is in the Mid-south of Hunan province and the accessibility's circle is homocentric.The direction of the accessibility' change is distinct from northeast to southwest.In the process of highway network evolvement,the accessibility' improvement follow the 1aw of diminishing returns of scale.The cities in the northwest and south of Hunan province are the worse.In the beginning of the highway improvement,the associated coefficients of variation(CV) have been larger.In the end of the Hunan freeway network construction,the accessibility will be in balance.In 2025,the most cities can be reached within four hours in terms of the 14 cities at prefecture level,with more cities can reach the circle of the two hours' intercommunion of the core region,the regional integration progress will be quicken.
Evaluation of a signal intensity mask in the interpretation of functional MR imaging activation maps.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of susceptibility artifacts on functional MR imaging (fMRI) studies and their effect on fMRI readings. We hypothesized that the availability of the signal intensity maps (SIMs) changes the interpretation of fMRI studies in which susceptibility artifacts affected eloquent brain regions. METHODS We reviewed 152 consecutive clinical fMRI studies performed with a SIM. The SIM consisted of the initial echo-planar images (EPI) in each section thresholded to eliminate signal intensity from outside the brain and then overlaid on anatomic images. The cause of the artifact was then determined by examining the images. Cases with a susceptibility artifact in eloquent brain were included in a blinded study read by four readers, first without and then with the SIM. For each reader, the number of times the interpretation changed on viewing the SIM was counted. RESULTS Of 152 patients, 44% had signal intensity loss involving cerebral cortex and 18% involving an eloquent brain region. Causes of the artifacts were: surgical site artifact, blood products, dental devices, calcium, basal ganglia calcifications, ICP monitors, embolization materials, and air. When provided with the SIM, readers changed interpretations in 8-38% of patient cases, depending on reader experience and size and location of susceptibility artifact. CONCLUSION Patients referred for clinical fMRI have a high incidence of susceptibility artifacts, whose presence and size can be determined by inspection of the SIM but not anatomic images. The availability of the SIM may affect interpretation of the fMRI.
Predicting trends in HIV-1 sexual transmission in sub-Saharan Africa through the Drug Resource Enhancement Against AIDS and Malnutrition model: antiretrovirals for 5 reduction of population infectivity, incidence and prevalence at the district level.

BACKGROUND The use of antiretrovirals to reduce the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been evaluated in mathematical models as potential strategies for curtailing the epidemic. Cohort data from the Drug Resource Enhancement Against AIDS and Malnutrition (DREAM) Program was used to generate a realistic model for the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS Two combined stochastic models were developed: patient and epidemic models. Models were combined using virus load as a parameter of infectivity. DREAM data that assessed patient care in Mozambique and Malawi were used to generate measures of infectivity, survival, and adherence. The Markov chain prediction model was used for the analysis of disease progression in treated and untreated patients. A partnership model was used to assess the probability that an infected individual would transmit HIV. RESULTS Data from 26565 patients followed up from January 2002 through July 2009 were analyzed with the model; 63% of patients were female, the median age was 35 years, and the median observation time was 25 months. In the model, a 5-fold reduction in infectivity (from 1.6% to 0.3%) occurred within 3 years when triple ART was used. The annual incidence of HIV infection declined from 7% to 2% in 2 years, and the prevalence was halved, from 12% to 6%, in 11 years. Mortality in HIV-infected individuals declined by 50% in 5 years. A cost analysis demonstrated economic efficiency after 4 years. CONCLUSIONS Our model, based on patient data, supports the hypothesis that treatment of all infected individuals translates into a drastic reduction in incident HIV infections. A targeted implementation strategy with massive population coverage is feasible in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methodological aspects on measurement of Clara cell protein in urine as a biomarker for airway toxicity, compared with serum levels

The Clara cell protein CC16, secreted from Clara cells in the lung, is discussed as a potential biomarker for toxic effects on the airways. An increased concentration of CC16 in serum may be caused by increased permeability of the lungs, caused by high levels of air pollution. Since CC16 is eliminated by renal excretion, it may be possible to use urine instead of serum samples. Few studies have been conducted on urinary CC16 (U‐CC16), however.
Differential mRNA stability controls relative gene expression within the plasmid-encoded arsenical resistance operon

The arsenical resistance (ars) operon of the conjugative plasmid R773 encodes an ATP-driven anion extrusion pump, conferring bacterial resistance to arsenicals. The operon contains a regulatory gene, arsR, and three structural genes, arsA, arsB, and arsC. The hydrophilic ArsA and ArsC proteins are produced in large amounts, but the hydrophobic ArsB protein, an integral membrane polypeptide, is synthesized in limited quantities. Northern (RNA-DNA) hybridizations provide evidence that the inducible operon is regulated at the level of transcription. The genes were transcribed in the presence of an inducer (arsenite) as a single polycistronic mRNA with an approximate size of 4.4 kilobases (kb). This transcript was processed to generate relatively stable mRNA species: one of 2.7 kb, encoding the ArsR and ArsA proteins, and a second of 0.5 kb, encoding the ArsC protein. Segmental differences in stability within the polycistronic transcript are proposed to account for the differential expression of the ars genes. In addition, analysis of the mRNA structure at the 5' end of arsB suggests a potential translational block to the synthesis of this membrane protein.
Impact of Etiology of Cirrhosis on the Survival of Patients Diagnosed With Hepatocellular Carcinoma During Surveillance

OBJECTIVES:Although the etiology of liver disease affects the features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosed during surveillance, it is not known whether it influences patients' survival. We analyzed the impact of etiology on the characteristics and outcome of HCC detected during surveillance.METHODS:In this cohort study, 742 patients with HCC detected during semiannual or annual surveillance were selected from the ITA.LI. CA database, including 1,834 consecutive patients observed in three primary and seven tertiary care settings for HCC. Patients were grouped according to etiology: hepatitis B virus (HBV, 87), hepatitis C virus (HCV, 461), alcohol (59), and multietiology (135). RESULTS:In all etiologic groups, most HCCs were unifocal (51–68%) and most of them were ≤3 cm (60–69%). Unifocal HCCs were less common in the multietiology group (P = 0.050) and slightly more frequent in the HCV group (P = 0.087). Besides etiology, only age was associated with gross pathology (P = 0.023). About two-thirds of HCCs in all groups were discovered at Cancer of the Liver Italyn Program (CLIP) stage 0 or 1.The 1-, 3-, and 5-yr survival rates were comparable among groups (HBV 81%, 47%, and 22%; HCV 86%, 49%, and 24%; alcohol 76%, 41%, and 25%; multietiology 75%, 37%, and 24%; P = 0.446). The surveillance interval did not influence survival, which was independently predicted by serum α-fetoprotein, Child-Pugh class, gross pathology, cancer size, vascular invasion, and treatment.CONCLUSION:In patients with HCC diagnosed during surveillance: (a) single nodules are less common in multietiology cases and (b) prognosis is independent of etiology, being dictated by liver function, oncologic features, and treatment.
Comorbidity The effect of obesity on polycystic ovary syndrome : a systematic review and meta-analysis

E-mail: robert.norman@adelaide.edu. au Summary While many women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are overweight, obese or centrally obese, the effect of excess weight on the outcomes of PCOS is inconsistent. The review aimed to assess the effects of overweight, obesity and central obesity on the reproductive, metabolic and psychological features of PCOS. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and PSYCINFO were searched for studies reporting outcomes according to body mass index categories or body fat distribution. Data were presented as mean difference or risk ratio (95% confidence interval). This review included 30 eligible studies. Overweight or obese women with PCOS had decreased sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), increased total testosterone, free androgen index, hirsutism, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance index and worsened lipid profile. Obesity significantly worsened all metabolic and reproductive outcomes measured except for hirsutism when compared to normal weight women with PCOS. Overweight women had no differences in total testosterone, hirsutism, total-cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol compared to normal weight women and no differences in SHBG and total testosterone compared to obese women. Central obesity was associated with higher fasting insulin levels. These results suggest that prevention and treatment of obesity is important for the management of PCOS.
Developmental challenges of adolescents with type 1 diabetes: The role of eating attitudes, family support and fear of negative evaluation

Young people with chronic illnesses including type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at increased risk of developing psychological problems during adolescence. The aim of the present study was to explore whether a relationship exists between developmental challenges of adolescence (eating attitudes, family support and fear of negative evaluation) and psychopathology in adolescents with T1DM, and the nature of such a relationship. Sixty-one adolescents with T1DM completed a series of questionnaires assessing illness beliefs, eating attitudes, family support, Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) and psychopathology. The study was of a correlational design, and also included a seven-day diabetes management diary in order to collect blood glucose levels over this time. Results demonstrated the relevance of all three developmental challenges. In multiple regression analyses, FNE and eating attitudes independently predicted current levels of depressive symptomatology. Current levels of anxiety were predicted by FNE and family support, but not eating attitudes. The results support the relevance of all three developmental challenges of adolescence to psychopathology in young people with diabetes. These results suggest that in working with adolescents who are having difficulty coping with diabetes; it may be beneficial to focus on the developmental issues that commonly face adolescents.