Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Validation of self-applicable questionnaire for a Mediterranean dietary index in Chile].

BACKGROUND Availability of brief dietary indexes that can effectively evaluate dietary patterns and their association with health is critical for prevention and management of several chronic disease conditions. AIM To adapt a self-applicable Mediterranean Dietary Index in Chile (Chilean-MDI). MATERIAL AND METHODS The Chilean-MDI was developed based on a previous Mediterranean eating score that was adapted to Chilean dietary habits. This index was further validated in a sample of 153 adults by comparing the concordance between the results obtained by self-application of the Chilean-MDI with those obtained by a trained nutritionist. Additionally, the index was applied in a sample of 53,366 Chilean adults in order to describe the diet quality of our population. RESULTS There was an adequate concordance between findings obtained by self-application of the Chilean-MDI and those achieved by the nutritionist. The application of the index in Chilean adult population showed a better diet quality (high Mediterranean diet adherence) among women, with advanced age and among people with higher educational levels. CONCLUSIONS The Chilean-MDI can be successfully self-applied to portray the overall diet quality in the Chilean adult population. Additionally, this dietary index describes overall food intake in Chilean adults, showing demographic trends that are comparable to those obtained with similar indexes applied in other populations.
Content based video indexing and retrieval

Video management tools and techniques are based on pixels rather than perceived content. Thus, state-of-the-art video editing systems can easily manipulate such things as time codes and image frames, but they cannot "know," for example, what a basketball is. Our research addresses four areas of content-based video management. <<ETX>>
Methods for Identifying Specific Language Impairment in Bilingual Populations in Germany

This study investigates the performance of 22 monolingual and 54 bilingual children with and without specific language impairment (SLI), in a nonword repetition (NWRT) and a sentence repetition task (SRT). Both tasks were constructed according to the principles for LITMUS tools (Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings) developed within COST Action IS0804, and incorporated phonological or syntactic structures that are linguistically complex and have been shown to be difficult for children with SLI across languages. For phonology these are in particular (non)words containing consonant clusters. In morphosyntax complexity has been attributed to factors such as embedding and/or syntactic movement. Tasks focusing on such structures are expected to identify SLI in bilinguals across language combinations. This is notoriously difficult because structures that are problematic for typically developing bilinguals (BiTDs) and monolingual children with SLI (MoSLI) often overlap. We show that the NWRT and the SRT are reliable tools for identification of SLI in bilingual contexts. However, interpretation of the performance of bilingual children depends on background information as provided by parental questionnaires. In order to evaluate the accuracy of our tasks we recruited children in ordinary kindergartens or schools and in Speech Language Therapy centers and verified their status with a battery of standardized language tests, assessing bilingual children in both their languages. We consider a bilingual child language impaired if she shows impairments in two language domains in both her languages. For assessment we used tests normed for monolinguals (with one exception) and adjusted the norms for bilingualism and for language dominance. This procedure established the following groups: 10 typical monolinguals (MoTD), 12 MoSLI, 46 BiTD and 8 bilingual children with SLI (BiSLI). Our results show that both tasks target relevant structures: monolingual children are classified with 100% accuracy. Crucially, both our tasks distinguish BiTDs from MoSLIs and BiTDs from BiSLIs. The NWRT shows high accuracy and only minimal influence of language dominance. The SRT can be scored as “identical repetition” or as “target structure”, the latter aiming for scoring the mastery of a syntactic structure, ignoring lexical and specific case or gender errors. Focusing on the latter measure, we
Distributed PC-based haptic, visual and acoustic telepresence system-experiments in virtual and remote environments

We present a distributed PC-based multimodal (haptic, visual and acoustic) telepresence and virtual presence system. Two desktop kinesthetic devices (DeKiFeD3 and DeKiTop3) with 3 degrees-of-freedom have been developed for multi-modal telepresence. Feedback to the human modalities of the visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile and temperature senses is generated using appropriate actuator hardware. We present several applications in virtual presence and teleoperation in physical remote environments.
Membrane-associated phosphatidylinositol kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Membrane-associated phosphatidylinositol kinase (ATP:phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.67) was partially purified 93-fold from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Activity was dependent on magnesium ions (10 mM) and the optimum pH was 8.5. The apparent Km values for ATP and phosphatidylinositol were 0.21 mM and 71 microM, respectively. Activity was stimulated by sodium cholate and inhibited by sodium, potassium, lithium, and fluoride ions.
Virtual bubble filtering based on heading angle and velocity for unmanned surface vehicle (USV)

The present paper discusses the basic theory of an environment recognition algorithm used in unmanned surface vessels for autonomous navigation. It aims to acquire environment data as (x, y, z) with three-dimensional LIDAR independently and remove noise data occurring during data acquisition. In particular, a large number of noise sources are generated in LIDAR sensors, which are operated based on optics, due to the refraction of light and large number of bubbles. Accordingly, in the present paper, research was conducted on algorithms based on the velocity and heading angle of unmanned surface vessels to delete water waves at the rear side, a basic characteristic of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). A virtual region was set at the rear side considering the dynamic characteristics of USVs, and then a rotation radius was calculated by applying the Ackerman-Jantoud type algorithm to the virtual region created using the velocity and heading angle, thereby determining the size of the region according to velocity. According l y, noise data could be removed depending on the behavior of USVs.
Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound promotes cell motility through vinculin-controlled Rac1 GTPase activity

ABSTRACT Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a therapy used clinically to promote healing. Using live-cell imaging we show that LIPUS stimulation, acting through integrin-mediated cell-matrix adhesions, rapidly induces Rac1 activation associated with dramatic actin cytoskeleton rearrangements. Our study demonstrates that the mechanosensitive focal adhesion (FA) protein vinculin, and both focal adhesion kinase (FAK, also known as PTK2) and Rab5 (both the Rab5a and Rab5b isoforms) have key roles in regulating these effects. Inhibiting the link of vinculin to the actin-cytoskeleton abolished LIPUS sensing. We show that this vinculin-mediated link was not only critical for Rac1 induction and actin rearrangements, but was also important for the induction of a Rab5-dependent increase in the number of early endosomes. Expression of dominant-negative Rab5, or inhibition of endocytosis with dynasore, also blocked LIPUS-induced Rac1 signalling events. Taken together, our data show that LIPUS is sensed by cell matrix adhesions through vinculin, which in turn modulates a Rab5-Rac1 pathway to control ultrasound-mediated endocytosis and cell motility. Finally, we demonstrate that a similar FAK-Rab5-Rac1 pathway acts to control cell spreading upon fibronectin. Highlighted Article: LIPUS is a therapeutic intervention used to promote healing. We show that the mechanical signal is sensed by the FA protein vinculin to trigger intracellular signalling events, promoting cell motility.
Shift operators and complex systems

In this paper, we deal with some multiagent systems modelling, based on population of automata. We focus our attention with automatic computation of emerging systems. A multiscale representation is proposed here and consists in representing the internal states of an agent behaviour by a automaton with multiplicities, on the one hand and an adaptive global system behaviour by a genetic algorithm over a population of automata, on the other hand. This genetic process can lead to generate many new automata which behaviour can be eventually similar. The role played by shift operators is to identify these similar behaviours. Two applications are presented. The first one concerns adaptive strategies in game theory. The second one concerns an automatic emerging computation of self organised multiagent systems based on the efficience of operation expressivity of automata with multiplicities.
New Media/Internet Research Topics of the Association of Internet Researchers

This study summarizes prior reviews of new media and Internet research, and the growth of the term Internet in academic publications and online newsgroups. It then uses semantic network analysis to summarize the interests and concepts of an interdisciplinary group of Internet researchers, as represented by session titles and paper titles and abstracts from the 2003 and 2004 Association of Internet Researchers conferences. In both years, the most frequent words appearing in the paper abstracts included Internet, online, community, social, technology, and research. The 2003 papers emphasized topics such as the social analysis/research of online/Internet communication, community, and information, with particular coverage of access, individuals, groups, digital media, culture; role and process in e-organizations; and world development. The 2004 papers emphasized topics such as access; news and social issues; the role of individuals in communities; user-based studies; usage data; and blogs, women, and search policy, among others.
Hidden Markov Models : An Approach to Sequence Analysis in Population Studies

In this paper we provide an extensive overview of Hidden Markov models for longitudinal data. It is a stochastic model used to describe the evolution of observable events that depends on internal factors which are not directly observable. We will illustrate the general version of the model and the estimation procedures and the more interesting extensions for social sciences like the inclusion of covariates, the Mixture Transition Distribution model for high-order Markov Models, the Double Chain Markov Model and so on. Some empirical examples from life course perspective have been provided.
Rating Scales in Context

To the Editor: Bleichrodt and Johannesson' argue that rating-scale valuations of health outcomes can not be measurable value functions because they are sensitive to the ranks of outcomes in the choice set. They present subjects with multidimensional health outcomes to rankorder and then assign ratings to them on a 0-100 scale, such that the difference between two ratings reflects the strength of preference for one state over another. One group rated health outcomes A, B, C, D, E, and F (where C 2 A Z E 2 B 2 F 2 D); another rated outcomes A, B, C, D, G, and H (where C 2 A 2 B 2 H 2 G 2 D). The subjects in the second group rated outcome B significantly higher on average than did the subjects in the first group. Context effects are well known in the psychological literat~lre. *,~ A psychological approach to context-dependence in ratings is to specify a theory of the context-a model that can predict the different ratings given to the same outcome in different contexts. If there is a true underlying continuum of preference for health states, the theory of context derives the ratings from these true preferences and contextual informaton. Moreover, given a theory of the context, it should be possible to retrieve the true preferences from the ratings, once the context is known. One parsimonious model of evaluation in context is Parducci's range-frequency theory. ',' In range-frequency theory, the rating of a stimulus i with underlying utility xi in a set of N stimuli is linearly related to:
ON THE ASYMPTOTICS OF ADF TESTS FOR UNIT ROOTS

ABSTRACT In this paper, we derive the asymptotic distributions of Augmented-Dickey–Fuller (ADF) tests under very mild conditions. The tests were originally proposed and investigated by Said and Dickey (1984) for testing unit roots in finite-order ARMA models with i.i. d. innovations, and are based on a finite AR process of order increasing with the sample size. Our conditions are significantly weaker than theirs. In particular, we allow for general linear processes with martingale difference innovations, possibly having conditional heteroskedasticities. The linear processes driven by ARCH type innovations are thus permitted. The range for the permissible increasing rates for the AR approximation order is also much wider. For the usual t-type test, we only require that it increase at order o(n 1/2) while they assume that it is of order o(n κ) for some κ satisfying 0 < κ ≤ 1/3.
Characteristics of motor imagery based EEG-brain computer interface using combined cue and neuro-feedback

In this paper, we evaluated BCI algorithm using CSP for finding out about realistic possibility of BCI based on CSP. BCI algorithm that was comprised of CSP and least square linear classifier was evaluated in 10 persons. According to the result of the experiment, the effect of combined cue and neurofeedback is evaluated. In case of combined cue, the correlation of combined cue and visual cue is higher than other conditions. And in case of neurofeedback, some subject is exceptional but general trend shows the performance improvement by neurofeedback.
Preliminary note on the morphometric differences between two populations of Podarcis muralis muralis (Laurenti, 1768) and Podarcis muralis maculiventris (Werner 1891) in Slovenia

The aim of this preliminary study is to evaluate some differences between two populations of Podarcis muralis muralis and Podarcis muralis maculiventris living in Slovenia using some biometric and meristic characters. Forty-eight specimens from @ovnek (Central Slovenia, 46°16' N, 15°10' E) and 24 specimens from Lucija (Slovenian Istria, 45°30' N, 13°36' E) were included in a statistical analysis. The values of body dimensions of both sexes differ significantly between the two localities. Specimens from Lucija are bigger with a longer pileus. According to the results of this preliminary study on some characters of the external morphology, the classification of Slovenian populations of wall lizard into two subspecies seems justified.
Corporate Governance and Banking in China

1. Introduction 2. Models of Corporate Governance 3. Corporate Governance in Transitional Economies 4. The Chinese Perspective on Corporate Governance 5. Chinese Corporate Governance Problems Faced 6. External Determinants of Corporate Governance 7. Financial Systems and Economic Growth 8. A Historical Perspective of City Commercial Banks in China 9. Government Policies Affecting City Commercial Banks 10. Foreign Stretegic Partners in China's City Commercial Banks 11. Corporate Governance Reforms Made After Entry of Foreign Partners 12. The Global Economic Crisis and its Implications 13. Conclusion
Transcription Factors GATA4 and HNF4A Control Distinct Aspects of Intestinal Homeostasis in Conjunction with Transcription Factor CDX2*

Background: Different transcription factor combinations may control distinct or overlapping cellular functions. Results: Intestines lacking tissue-restricted CDX2 and broadly expressed GATA4 or HNF4A show unique defects. Conclusion: Combined with CDX2, GATA4 controls crypt cell replication, whereas HNF4A regulates enterocyte maturation and a cohort of functional enterocyte genes. Significance: Combinatorial mechanisms for intestine-specific gene regulation may apply generally to other tissues. Distinct groups of transcription factors (TFs) assemble at tissue-specific cis-regulatory sites, implying that different TF combinations may control different genes and cellular functions. Within such combinations, TFs that specify or maintain a lineage and are therefore considered master regulators may play a key role. Gene enhancers often attract these tissue-restricted TFs, as well as TFs that are expressed more broadly. However, the contributions of the individual TFs to combinatorial regulatory activity have not been examined critically in many cases in vivo. We address this question using a genetic approach in mice to inactivate the intestine-specifying and intestine-restricted factor CDX2 alone or in combination with its more broadly expressed partner factors, GATA4 and HNF4A. Compared with single mutants, each combination produced significantly greater defects and rapid lethality through distinct anomalies. Intestines lacking Gata4 and Cdx2 were deficient in crypt cell replication, whereas combined loss of Hnf4a and Cdx2 specifically impaired viability and maturation of villus enterocytes. Integrated analysis of TF binding and of transcripts affected in Hnf4a;Cdx2 compound-mutant intestines indicated that this TF pair controls genes required to construct the apical brush border and absorb nutrients, including dietary lipids. This study thus defines combinatorial TF activities, their specific requirements during tissue homeostasis, and modules of transcriptional targets in intestinal epithelial cells in vivo.
Analysing and adapting communication scenarios in virtual learning environments for one-to-one communication skills training

Studies show that pre-game content that is customized to fit a player could lead to better learning than a fixed sequence of worked examples and problem solving. A scenario is a description of a series of interactions between a player and a virtual character for one-to-one communication skills training, where at each step the player is faced with a choice between statements. A communication skills teacher/expert (author) develops a scenario in an authoring tool. A simulation presents such a scenario to a player. In this paper we apply the concept of code- smells [2] to a scenario. We define a scenario-smell as a symptom of a scenario that could be an indicator of an error or incorrect design. We use scenario-smells to evaluate a scenario pre-game. A scenario author can use an evaluation to assess and adapt a scenario to better train a player in a game/simulation. This paper presents work in progress.
Licensing in the Patent Thicket - Timing and Benefits

Licensing can be a solution for hold-up in patent thickets. In this paper we study whether licensing is an effective solution for hold-up. To do this we distinguish between ex ante and ex post licensing. A theoretical model shows that firms’ expectations of blocking in a patent thicket determine whether they license ex ante while ex post licensing arises if expected blocking was low but realized blocking turns out to be high. It can also be shown that ex ante licensing will allow firms to reduce their patenting efforts. A sample selection model of licensing is derived from the theoretical model. Applying this to data from the semiconductor industry we show that licensing does help firms to resolve blocking. However, the probability of observing licensing decreases as fragmentation of property rights increases and arises mainly between large firms with similar market shares. Licensing experience is also an important determinant of licensing. As expected ex ante licensing allows firms to reduce the level of patenting.
Perception of Water Quality and Health Risks in the Rural Area of Medellín

In Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately 36 million people lack even basic access to drinking water, most of them living in rural areas. This uneven spatial distribution of the drinking water supply poses a continuous public health risk, results in low economic productivity, low prosperity and thus contributes to the enforcement of regional disparities. As to the successful implementation of drinking water systems, the focus is still on technical factors and on measures to improve the knowledge of the target groups. Using the example of three rural quarters of Medellin (Colombia), this study shows how the perception of water quality and health risks by different social target groups may influence the implementation process of drinking water systems. A social area analysis was carried out to determine the socio-economic framework of the study, followed by 125 face-to-face interviews with drinking water consumers, complemented by additional expert interviews. Within the study area, 36% of the households use exclusively drinking water from the provided drinking water infrastructure. 10% of the respondents still consume only raw water and 54% are connected to both the raw water and drinking water supply system. The main factors influencing peoples' water quality perception are its colour and appearance, which form a sort of “quality standard” used to evaluate the water quality, even of raw water. The use of raw water for hygiene practices and irrigation is not perceived as a potential risk. A relatively small group of consumers of drinking water seem to have a suitable risk perception with a link between the river pollution and waterborne health risks and diseases. The implementation process of drinking water systems must consider the target groups' socio-economic and cultural context forming their perceptions. A realistic risk perception should be prevalent among the target group prior to the introduction of drinking water supply systems.
An attribute selection process for software defect prediction

In software quality research, software defect prediction is a key topic. The characteristics of software attributes influences the performance and effectiveness of the defect prediction model. However this issue is not well explored to the best of our knowledge. Thus we focus on the problem of attribute selection in the context of software defect prediction here and hence in this research, we propose a technique for selecting best set of attributes to improve the accuracy of the software defect prediction. The proposed method is evaluated using the data sets from NASA metric data repository which demonstrate acceptable accuracy using simple algorithm.
Preprocessing for an efficient decoding of turbo-codes with non-binary Belief Propagation

In this paper, we present an effective approach to decode turbo-codes using a non-binary Belief Propagation decoder. The proposed approach can be decomposed into two main steps: first, a non binary Tanner graph representation of the turbo-code is derived by clustering the binary parity-check matrix of the turbo-code. Then, a group Belief Propagation decoder runs several iterations on the obtained non-binary Tanner graph. We show in particular that it is necessary to add a preprocessing step on the parity-check matrix of the turbo-code in order to ensure good topological properties of the Tanner graph, and then good iterative decoding performance. Finally, by capitalizing on the diversity which comes from the existence of distinct efficient pre-processings, we propose a new decoding strategy, called decoder diversity, that intends to take benefits from the diversity through collaborative decoding schemes.