Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Good Is “Good Enough”? The Case for Varying Standards of Evidence According to Need for New Interventions in HIV Prevention

In 2010, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of two different biomedical strategies to prevent HIV infection had positive findings. However, despite ongoing very high levels of HIV infection in some countries and population groups, it has been made clear by regulatory authorities that the evidence remains insufficient to support either product being made available outside of research contexts in the developing world for at least two years. In addition, prevention trials in endemic areas will continue to test new interventions against placebo. But the judgments of evidentiary standards are never value-neutral. Using the recent trials and their contexts as case studies, we examine the basis for these decisions, which will potentially delay access to scientific innovation to the people who are most urgently in need of it.
Computationally feasible VCG mechanisms

A major achievement of mechanism design theory is a general method for the construction of truthful mechanisms called VCG (Vickrey, Clarke, Groves). When applying this method to complex problems such as combinatorial auctions, a difficulty arises: VCG mechanisms are required to compute optimal outcomes and are, therefore, computationally infeasible. However, if the optimal outcome is replaced by the results of a sub-optimal algorithm, the resulting mechanism (termed VCG-based) is no longer necessarily truthful. The first part of this paper studies this phenomenon in depth and shows that it is near universal. Specifically, we prove that essentially all reasonable approximations or heuristics for combinatorial auctions as well as a wide class of cost minimization problems yield non-truthful VCG-based mechanisms. We generalize these results for affine maximizers. The second part of this paper proposes a general method for circumventing the above problem. We introduce a modification of VCG-based mechanisms in which the agents are given a chance to improve the output of the underlying algorithm. When the agents behave truthfully, the welfare obtained by the mechanism is at least as good as the one obtained by the algorithm’s output. We provide a strong rationale for truth-telling behavior. Our method satisfies individual rationality as well.
Pulsation Powered by Deuterium Burning in Brown Dwarfs and Very‐Low‐Mass Stars

Pulsation powered by deuterium burning in brown dwarfs and very low mass stars has been put forth (Palla & Baraffe 2005) as a novel probe of the interiors of these objects in the 1–15 Myr age range. Previous observations have hinted at variability on the expected timescales of a few hours, suggesting but not confirming that the phenomenon is at work in young brown dwarfs. We have recently carried out a dedicated campaign to search for this putative class of pulsators among known low‐mass members of five young star clusters. Our survey achieves sensitivity to periodic oscillations with photometric amplitudes down to several millimagnitudes. We present the census of variability over timescales ranging from minutes to days and discuss the current prospects for pulsation as a tool in the study of young, objects near the substellar boundary. As a byproduct, this work provides new insights into the distribution of stellar rotation periods at young ages via the detection of variability due to cool surface spots.
Overweight and obesity in Dutch adolescents: Associations with health lifestyle, personality, social context and future consequences: methods & tables

This report is part of a study that investigated adolescents’ health behaviour in relation to attitudes about their health lifestyle and their consideration of the future consequences of their behaviour. The study focussed on young adolescents in the age of 12 to 14 years, attending 1 or 2 grade of secondary education. This report is meant to serve as a reference book for future output from the project by providing a description of the measures selected for inclusion in the “Health & Future” questionnaire, the study sample, the results of intermediate analyses of multiple-item scales as well as a full overview of the data collected, in relation to the main outcome variable “overweight”. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We wish to acknowledge ZonMW (www.zonmw.nl) for funding the project (2100.0100), the members of the advisory board (Annex A) for their constructive contributions, and the schools and their pupils (Annex C) for their enthusiastic participation. AFFILIATIONS Job van Exel: Erasmus MC, institute for Medical Technology Assessment (iMTA) and Department of Health Policy & Management (iBMG). Xander Koolman: Erasmus MC, Department of Health Policy & Management (iBMG). Gjalt de Graaf: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Public Administration & Organisation Science. Werner Brouwer: Erasmus MC, institute for Medical Technology Assessment (iMTA) and Department of Health Policy & Management (iBMG).
Capturing pyramidal-like objects

This paper discusses a grasp scheme for a pyramidal-like object placed on a table under the gravitational field. We assume that the contact friction is small enough to ensure that any direct grasp fails in achieving an equilibrium grasp. For an idealized 2D triangle object placed vertically on a table, we first show that a planar two-fingered hand can always achieve an equilibrium grasp under frictional contact. We also extend the basic idea to a polyhedron whose face is triangle and show two possible procedures leading to equilibrium grasps. Finally, we verify our idea experimentally for the polyhedra.
A Parallel Ant Colony Algorithm for Bus Network Optimization

Abstract: This study presents an optimization model for a bus network design based on the coarse‐grain parallel ant colony algorithm (CPACA). It aims to maximize the number of direct travelers per unit length, that is, direct traveler density, subject to route length and nonlinear rate constraints (ratio of the length of a route to the shortest road distance between the origin and destination). CPACA is a new optimal algorithm that (1) develops a new strategy to update the increased pheromone, called Ant‐Weight, by which the path‐searching activities of ants are adjusted based on the objective function, and (2) uses parallelization strategies of an ant colony algorithm (ACA) to improve the calculation time and the quality of the optimization. Data collected in Dalian City, China, are used to test the model and the algorithm. The results show that the optimized bus network has significantly reduced transfers and travel time. They also reveal that the proposed CPACA is effective and efficient compared to some existing ant algorithms.
Modeling of the power-supply interactions of CMOS operational amplifiers using symbolic computation

Parasitic interactions through the power supply lines, the substrate or capacitive crosstalk put major limitations on the performance of analog integrated circuits, especially in mixed analog-digital ASICs. A general method is presented for modeling power supply interactions based on symbolic computation. Complete and accurate new models for the power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) of CMOS operational amplifiers are provided and are verified with simulation. The models include both mismatch and high-frequency effects. Different topologies are compared and design rules are derived from the models. <<ETX>>
The use of the calculated panel-reactive antibody and virtual crossmatch in heart transplantation

Purpose of reviewAlloantibodies to human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) in patients awaiting heart transplantation are associated with prolonged wait time to transplant, increased risk of posttransplant rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy, and decreased survival. Solid-phase assays to determine antibody presence have allowed for the development of a calculated panel-reactive antibody to denote unacceptable antigens. The virtual crossmatch allows for the comparison of recipient HLA antibodies to prospective donor HLA antigens to safely match a patient to an appropriate donor without a prospective crossmatch. Recent findingsExpansion of the donor pool and decreased waiting time for heart transplant may be impacted by further assessment of the functional status of alloantibodies and novel means for desensitization. Sensitized patients who receive left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a bridge to cardiac transplant appear to have similar postoperative 1-year outcomes compared with nonsensitized patients. SummaryAntibody sensitization poses an additional hurdle to patients awaiting heart transplantation. Functional antibody assessment, placement of a LVAD as bridge to cardiac transplant, and novel means of desensitization may impact a sensitized patient's ability to safely undergo heart transplantation.
The effects of size and synthesis methods of gold nanoparticle-conjugated MαHIgG4 for use in an immunochromatographic strip test to detect brugian filariasis

This study describes the properties of colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with sizes of 20, 30 and 40 nm, which were synthesized using citrate reduction or seeding-growth methods. Likewise, the conjugation of these AuNPs to mouse anti-human IgG4 (MαHIgG4) was evaluated for an immunochromatographic (ICG) strip test to detect brugian filariasis. The morphology of the AuNPs was studied based on the degree of ellipticity (G) of the transmission electron microscopy images. The AuNPs produced using the seeding-growth method showed lower ellipticity (G ≤ 1.11) as compared with the AuNPs synthesized using the citrate reduction method (G ≤ 1.18). Zetasizer analysis showed that the AuNPs that were synthesized using the seeding-growth method were almost monodispersed with a lower polydispersity index (PDI; PDI≤0.079), as compared with the AuNPs synthesized using the citrate reduction method (PDI≤0.177). UV–visible spectroscopic analysis showed a red-shift of the absorbance spectra after the reaction with MαHIgG4, which indicated that the AuNPs were successfully conjugated. The optimum concentration of the BmR1 recombinant antigen that was immobilized on the surface of the ICG strip on the test line was 1.0 mg ml−1. When used with the ICG test strip assay and brugian filariasis serum samples, the conjugated AuNPs–MαHIgG4 synthesized using the seeding-growth method had faster detection times, as compared with the AuNPs synthesized using the citrate reduction method. The 30 nm AuNPs–MαHIgG4, with an optical density of 4 from the seeding-growth method, demonstrated the best performance for labelling ICG strips because it displayed the best sensitivity and the highest specificity when tested with serum samples from brugian filariasis patients and controls.
Design methodology and evaluation of rate adaptation based congestion control for Vehicle Safety Communications

Vehicle Safety Communications (VSC) is advancing rapidly towards product development and field testing. While a number of possible solutions have been proposed, the question remains open as how such a system will address the issue of scalability in its actual deployment. This paper presents a design methodology for congestion control in VSC as well as the description and evaluation of a resulting rate adaption oriented protocol named PULSAR. We start with a list of design principles reflecting the state of the art that define why and how vehicles should behave while responding to channel congestion in order to ensure fairness and support the needs of safety applications. From these principles, we derive protocol building blocks required to fulfill the defined objectives. Then, the actual protocol is described and assessed in detail, including a discussion on the intricate features of channel load assessment, rate adaptation and information sharing. A comparison with other state-of-the-art protocols shows that “details matter” with respect to the temporal and spatial dimensions of the protocol outcome.
iTrustU: a blog recommender system based on multi-faceted trust and collaborative filtering

Blogs give users a channel to express their knowledge and feelings with individuals worldwide, explaining the exponential growth of new blogs. However, due to the diverse subjects covered by bloggers, bloggers/readers have difficulty in finding valuable articles from the hundreds of millions of blogs on the Internet. To help ease information overload in the blogosphere, this work proposes a trust-enhanced collaborative filtering approach that integrates multi-faceted trust based on article type and user similarity. An online blog article recommender system, called iTrustU, is also designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of accuracy and quality of recommendations. Results of a 45-day online experiment with 179 participants from the Internet demonstrate that the proposed integrated approach yields a significantly higher accuracy than traditional approaches, especially for cold-start users. Analysis results indicate that trust and similarity among bloggers/readers have a significantly positive correlation in the blogosphere. Effective recommender systems can be achieved by exploiting trust relationships in a trust network. The proposed approach is applicable not only to the blogosphere, but also to online social communities when trust relationships already exist between users.
COMPARISONOF FOCUSED AND NEAR-FIELDIMAGING OF SPRAY ON FOAM INSULATION (SOFI) AT MILLIMETERWAVE FREQUENCIES

Millimeter wave imaging techniques can provide high spatial-resolution images of various composites. Lens antennas may be incorporated into the imaging system to provide a small incident beam footprint. Another approach may involve the use of horn antennas, which if operating in their near-fields, images with reasonably high spatial-resolutions may also be obtained. This paper gives a comparison between such near-field and focused far-field imaging of the Space Shuttle Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) used in its external fuel tank at millimeter wave frequencies. Small horn antennas and lens antennas with relatively long depth of focus were used in this investigation.
Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Eukaryotic and Bacterial Communities Found in Vernal Pools

ABSTRACT In this study, we examined the effects of physicochemical variability on the microbial communities of vernal pools. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed temporal changes to be more pronounced than spatial changes in eukaryotic and bacterial communities. Sequencing revealed high degrees of richness in decomposers, which supports the notion that vernal pools are heterotrophic habitats.
3D-HEVC extension for circular camera arrangements

The paper presents an extension of 3D-HEVC for the circular camera arrangements. It generalizes the derivation of the disparity vectors from depth data for sequences captured using cameras located on an arc. The general equation for disparity calculations has been implemented instead of the simplified equation used in 3D-HEVC. Experiments have been performed on widely recognized multiview test sequences with both circular and linear camera arrangements. In the case of sequences obtained using cameras located on an arc, the proposed extension provides about 6% bitrate reduction when compared to 3D HEVC, and does not influence the 3D-HEVC performance for linear view arranged sequences.
Effect of the PPAR-Alpha L162V Polymorphism on the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor in Response to n–3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Background: Dietary n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet, genetic variations of the gene encoding the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) can also modulate CVD risk factors. Since fatty acids, including n–3 PUFAs, are natural ligands of PPARα, a gene-diet interaction effect could be observed. Aims: To examine whether n–3 PUFA- induced changes in CVD risk factors are influenced by the PPARα L162V polymorphism. Methods: Fourteen men, carriers of the V162 allele and 14 L162 homozygotes, were matched according to age and body mass index. Subjects followed, for 8 weeks, a low-fat diet and then were supplemented daily with 5 g of fish oil for 6 weeks. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar for both genotype groups. Independently of the genotype, the supplementation was associated with a significant decrease in plasma triacylglycerol and fasting glucose concentrations, diastolic blood pressure, and with an increase in total apolipoprotein B concentrations. The extent of the decrease in plasma triacylglycerol concentrations was comparable for both genotype groups (p < 0.03). A significant genotype-by-diet interaction effect was observed for plasma C-reactive protein concentrations (p = 0.01). Conclusions: The PPARα L162V polymorphism may contribute to the interindividual variability in the CVD risk factor response to n–3 PUFAs.
Replenishment policy based on modified ant colony optimisation and statistical analysis under the pre-order penetration point

In the supply chain, most businesses in the pre-order penetration point (pre-OPP) operate under the forecast-driven mode, so that the decisions regarding inventory are made in accordance with the forecast and replenishment planning. This paper considers the stochastic dynamic lot-sizing problem of the two-phased transportation cost, service level constraint, and cash flow under a non-deterministic demand. This problem includes a nonlinear integer programming sub-problem. Therefore, this paper proposes an optimisation replenishment policy method based on modified ant colony optimisation (ACO) and response surface methodology. The main differences between the modified ACO and the traditional ACO lie in the modified update of pheromone intensity and the dynamic mutation operator. The experimental result shows that when the demand is normal distribution, the proposed approach, successfully finds the stationary point of minimum response. Besides, in the test of the algorithm solution quality, the modified ACO is better than the traditional ACO in all scenarios.
Simultaneous Semimechanistic Population Analyses of Levofloxacin in Plasma, Lung, and Prostate To Describe the Influence of Efflux Transporters on Drug Distribution following Intravenous and Intratracheal Administration

ABSTRACT Levofloxacin (LEV) is a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone used to treat pneumonia, urinary tract infections, chronic bacterial bronchitis, and prostatitis. Efflux transporters, primarily P-glycoprotein (P-gp), are involved in LEV's tissue penetration. In the present work, LEV free lung and prostate interstitial space fluid (ISF) concentrations were evaluated by microdialysis in Wistar rats after intravenous (i.v.) and intratracheal (i.t.) administration (7 mg/kg of body weight) with and without coadministration of the P-gp inhibitor tariquidar (TAR; 15 mg/kg administered i.v.). Plasma and tissue concentration/time profiles were evaluated by noncompartmental analysis (NCA) and population pharmacokinetics (popPK) analysis. The NCA showed significant differences in bioavailability (F) for the control group (0.4) and the TAR group (0.86) after i.t. administration. A four-compartment model simultaneously characterized total plasma and free lung (compartment 2) and prostate (compartment 3) ISF concentrations. Statistically significant differences in lung and prostate average ISF concentrations and levels of kidney active secretion in the TAR group from those measured for the control group (LEV alone) were observed. The estimated population means were as follows: volume of the central compartment (V1), 0.321 liters; total plasma clearance (CL), 0.220 liters/h; TAR plasma clearance (CLTAR), 0.180 liters/h. The intercompartmental distribution rate constants (K values) were as follows: K12, 8.826 h−1; K21, 7.271 h−1; K13, 0.047 h−1; K31, 7.738 h−1; K14, 0.908 h−1; K41, 0.409 h−1; K21 lung TAR (K21LTAR), 8.883 h−1; K31 prostate TAR (K31PTAR), 4.377 h−1. The presence of P-gp considerably impacted the active renal secretion of LEV but had only a minor impact on the efflux from the lung following intratracheal dosing. Our results strongly support the idea of a role of efflux transporters other than P-gp contributing to LEV's tissue penetration into the prostrate.
The initial change in tumor size predicts response and survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with combination chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND To determine whether the change in tumor diameters at the first follow-up computed tomography (CT) examination after baseline examination (first change) correlates with outcome in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with combination chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS The first change was analyzed in a multicenter randomized phase III trial (Nordic VI, N = 567) comparing first-line irinotecan with either bolus or infused 5-fluorouracil. Cox proportional hazards multiple regression model and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses after correction for guarantee-time bias were carried out to evaluate correlations between first change, objective response according to RECIST 1.0, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS The hazard ratios for PFS and OS decreased along with first change. A decrease between 10% and <30%, albeit RECIST does not regard this as a partial response, was a positive prognostic factor for PFS and OS. Patients who had new lesions or unequivocal progression of nonmeasurable lesions had a worse prognosis than those with only an increase in size of >20%. CONCLUSIONS The change in tumor size at the first follow-up CT is strongly prognostic for PFS and OS in mCRC.
Visual Object Recognition Using Pseudo-random Grid Encoding

This paper presents a new grid node indexing method based on "pseudo-random binary array" (PRBA) encoding. This method requires only one code bit per grid step, independent of the desired grid resolution. Applications are discussed for 3-D object recognition and for 2-D absolute position recovery of a free- ranging mobile robot.
The ability of an antimicrobial agent to penetrate a biofilm is not correlated with its killing or removal efficiency

The penetration ability of 12 antimicrobial agents, including antibiotics and biocides, was determined against biofilms of B. cereus and P. fluorescens using a colony biofilm assay. The surfactants benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), and the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and streptomycin were of interest due to their distinct activities. Erythromycin and CTAB were retarded by the presence of biofilms, whereas ciprofloxacin and BAC were not. The removal and killing efficacies of these four agents was additionally evaluated against biofilms formed in microtiter plates. The most efficient biocide was CTAB for both bacterial biofilms. Ciprofloxacin was the best antibiotic although none of the selected antimicrobial agents led to total biofilm removal and/or killing. Comparative analysis of the results obtained with colony biofilms and microtiter plate biofilms show that although extracellular polymeric substances and the biofilm structure are considered a determining factor in biofilm resistance, the ability of an antimicrobial agent to penetrate a biofilm is not correlated with its killing or removal efficiency. Also, the results reinforce the role of an appropriate antimicrobial selection as a key step in the design of disinfection processes for biofilm control.