Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antidepressant efficacy and tolerability of milnacipran, a dual serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor: a comparison with fluvoxamine

The antidepressant efficacy and tolerability of milnacipran, a dual action serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, were compared with those of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluvoxamine, in 113 patients with moderate to severe major depression. Treatment with milnacipran, 50 mg b.d. for 6 weeks, produced a significantly greater reduction in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores than fluvoxamine, 100 mg b.d. (P = 0.007; 65.4% versus 49.9%, respectively); significantly greater decreases were also seen on days 7 (P = 0.04) and 28 (P = 0.03). The response rate (the proportion of patients showing a decrease in MADRS scores of at least 50%) was 78.9% in patients receiving milnacipran, compared with 60.7% in fluvoxamine-treated patients (P = 0.04). Milnacipran also produced greater improvements in 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores (P = 0.05). On the Clinical Global Impression Improvement scale, 77.2% of milnacipran-treated patients were rated as considerably or markedly improved, compared with 60.7% of patients receiving fluvoxamine (P = 0.06 chi-squared). Both treatments were well tolerated; the only significant difference between the two groups was a higher incidence of tremor and drowsiness in patients treated with fluvoxamine. It is concluded that milnacipran may offer some advantages over selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluvoxamine, in the treatment of moderate to severe major depression.
Perceptual compensation in individuals with autism spectrum disorders

Langston, Elizabeth A. M.S., Purdue University, August 2014. Perceptual Compensation in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Major Professor: Amanda Seidl. Compensation for coarticulation is the extent in which an individual perceives the contextual variations of speech. When presented with an ambiguous consonant-vowel segment (e.g., a consonant halfway between /sa/ and /ʃa/) research illustrates that a listener is likely to compensate for coarticulation with the following vowel. Therefore, a listener will be more likely to report an ambiguous speech sound as /s/ when it occurs before [u] than before [a]. Previous results have suggested that, within neurotypical individuals, the degree to which individuals compensate for coarticulation may be related to their Autism Quotient (AQ; Yu, 2010). However, this research did not examine individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study extends this research by exploring compensation for coarticulation in individuals with an ASD as compared to neurotypical peers in a phoneme classification task (labeling an ambiguous phoneme as either /s/ or /ʃ/). Results from a generalized linear mixed effect model suggest that while there are no differences in how the clinical and neurotypical population compensate for coarticulation, there is a difference in how these two cohorts categorize phonemes. Individuals with an ASD illustrate a gradient categorization slope, while neurotypical individuals show a categorical response curve.
Evaluating the Performance of Nearest Neighbour Algorithms when Forecasting US Industry Returns

Using both industry-specific data on 55 US industry sectors and an extensive range of macroeconomic variables, the authors compare the performance of nearest neighbour algorithms, OLS, and a number of two-stage models based on these two methods, when forecasting industry returns. As industry returns are a relatively under-researched area in the Finance literature, we also give a brief review of the existing theories as part motivation for our specific choice of variables, which are commonly employed by asset managers in practice. Performance is measured by the Information Coefficient (IC), which is defined as the average correlation between the 55 forecasted returns and the realised returns across industries over time. Due to transaction costs, investors and asset managers typically want a steady outperformance over time. Hence, the volatility of IC is taken into account through the application of “Sharpe Ratios”. We find that two-stage procedures mixing industry-specific information with macroeconomic indicators generally outperform both the stand-alone nearest neighbour algorithms and time-series based OLS macroeconomic models.
Automatic replication of teleoperator head movements and facial expressions on a humanoid robot

Robotic telepresence aims to create a physical presence for a remotely located human (teleoperator) by reproducing their verbal and nonverbal behaviours (e.g. speech, gestures, facial expressions) on a robotic platform. In this work, we propose a novel teleoperation system that combines the replication of facial expressions of emotions (neutral, disgust, happiness, and surprise) and head movements on the fly on the humanoid robot Nao. Robots' expression of emotions is constrained by their physical and behavioural capabilities. As the Nao robot has a static face, we use the LEDs located around its eyes to reproduce the teleoperator expressions of emotions. Using a web camera, we computationally detect the facial action units and measure the head pose of the operator. The emotion to be replicated is inferred from the detected action units by a neural network. Simultaneously, the measured head motion is smoothed and bounded to the robot's physical limits by applying a constrained-state Kalman filter. In order to evaluate the proposed system, we conducted a user study by asking 28 participants to use the replication system by displaying facial expressions and head movements while being recorded by a web camera. Subsequently, 18 external observers viewed the recorded clips via an online survey and assessed the quality of the robot's replication of the participants' behaviours. Our results show that the proposed teleoperation system can successfully communicate emotions and head movements, resulting in a high agreement among the external observers (ICCE = 0.91, ICCHP = 0.72).
Multi-scale and hidden resolution time series models

We introduce a class of multi-scale models for time series. The novel framework couples standard linear models at di(cid:11)erent levels of resolution via stochastic links across scales. Je(cid:11)rey’s rule of conditioning is used to revise the implied distributions and ensure that the probability distributions at the di(cid:11)erent levels are strictly compatible. This results in a new class of models for time series with three key characteristics: this class exhibits a variety of autocorrelation structures based on a parsimonious parameterization, it has the ability to combine information across levels of resolution, and it also has the capacity to emulate long memory processes. The potential applications of such multi-scale models include problems in which it is of interest to develop consistent stochastic models across time-scales and levels of resolution, in order to coherently combine and integrate information arising at di(cid:11)erent levels of resolution. Bayesian estimation based on MCMC analysis and forecasting based on simulation are developed. One application to the analysis of the (cid:13)ow of a river illustrates the new class of models and its utility.
The transactional model of development: How children and contexts shape each other.

Originally proposed in 1975, the transactional model has become central to our understanding of how nature and nurture interact in the development of positive and negative outcomes for children. Although scientists have long acknowledged that nature and nurture work together in producing particular developmental outcomes, such cooperation has been difficult to demonstrate because of inadequate conceptual models, experimental designs or statistical methodologies. This book documents the state-of-the-art research in developmental psychology for overcoming these inadequacies, and present new ideas for future work. This book is suitable for psychologists in academic and applied programs, including developmental psychology, child clinical psychology, developmental psychopathology, psychiatry, human ecology, and those in schools of education. Typically the reader will be a developmental, clinical, or educational psychologist. It is intended for social workers, teachers, those working closely with children.
Design concepts and strategies for tissue engineering scaffolds

In the emerging field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, new viable and functional tissue is fabricated from living cells cultured on an artificial matrix in a simulated biological environment. It is evident that the specific requirements for the three main components, cells, scaffold materials, and the culture environment, are very different, depending on the type of cells and the organ‐specific application. Identifying the variables within each of these components is a complex and challenging assignment, but there do exist general requirements for designing and fabricating tissue engineering scaffolds. Therefore, this review explores one of the three main components, namely, the key concepts, important parameters, and required characteristics related to the development and evaluation of tissue engineering scaffolds. An array of different design strategies will be discussed, which include mimicking the extra cellular matrix, responding to the need for mass transport, predicting the structural architecture, ensuring adequate initial mechanical integrity, modifying the surface chemistry and topography to provide cell signaling, and anticipating the material selection so as to predict the required rate of bioresorption. In addition, this review considers the major challenge of achieving adequate vascularization in tissue engineering constructs, without which no three‐dimensional thick tissue such as the heart, liver, and kidney can remain viable.
The Dynamics of the Columbian Civil Conflict: A New Dataset

We present a detailed, high-frequency data set on the civil con? ict in Colombia during the period 1988u2002. We brie? y introduce the Colombian case and the methodological issues that hinder data collection in civil wars, before presenting the pattern over time of con? ict actions and intensity for all sides involved in the confrontation. We also describe the pattern of victimisation by group and the victimisation of civilians out of clashes.
Profit Maximization Analysis Based on Data Mining and the Exponential Retention Model Assumption with Respect to Customer Churn Problems

Confronted with fierce competition, an increasing number of telecommunication companies in China realize that they can increase proflts by reducing the rate of customer churn rather than attracting the same number of new customers. Recently, the availability of big data has increased, which has stimulated the development of data mining techniques. Identifying methods by which to maximize proflts is vital for operators based on big data. Novelly, this paper studies three key factors of the customer churn problem, namely, churn rate, prediction performance, and retention capability. We propose a proflt function that maximizes proflts under different conditions and obtain favorable results in applying it to sample data from China Mobile Communications Corporation. Theoretically, about 7.72 million Chinese Yuan per month can be obtained by applying proposed model to China Mobile Group Guangxi Company Limited, making our research of great economic value.
Fuzzy Self-Tuning PID Semiglobal Regulator for Robot Manipulators

In this paper, we present a semiglobal asymptotic stability analysis via Lyapunov theory for a new proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller control scheme, proposed in this work, which is based on a fuzzy system for tuning the PID gains for robot manipulators. PID controller is a well-known set point control strategy for industrial manipulators which ensures semiglobal asymptotic stability for fixed symmetric positive definite (proportional, integral, and derivative) gain matrices. We show that semiglobal asymptotic stability attribute also holds for a class of gain matrices depending on the manipulator states. This feature increases the potential of the PID control scheme to improve the performance of the transient response and handle practical constraints in actual robots such as presence of actuators with limited torque capabilities. We illustrate this potential by means of a fuzzy self-tuning algorithm to select the proportional, integral, and derivative gains according to the actual state of a robotic manipulator. To the best of the authors' knowledge, our proposal of a fuzzy self-tuning PID regulator for robot manipulators is the first one with a semiglobal asymptotic stability proof. Real-time experimental results on a two-degree-of-freedom robot arm show the usefulness of the proposed approach.
Effect of early administration of probiotics on gut microflora and feeding in pre-term infants: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of early probiotic administration on gut microflora and influence on feeding in pre-term infants. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical study was conducted to assess the effect of probiotics [live, combined lactobacillus and bifidobacterium (LCB)] supplementation in pre-term infants. Sixty hospitalized pre-term babies were randomly assigned to two groups: a probiotics-supplemented group and the control group. The primary endpoint was measurement of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in the gut. The secondary outcome was the rate of feeding intolerance. Results: In the first weekend, the quantity of gut lactobacillus and bifidobacterium was significantly higher in the probiotics-supplemented group than in the control group [7.84 ± 0.35 versus 6.39 ± 0.53 (log copy number/g wet fecal weight), p = 0.013; 8.52 ± 0.23 versus 7.01 ± 0.48, p = 0.024, respectively]. In the second weekend, the amount of gut lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in the probiotics-supplemented group remained significantly higher (8.62 ± 0.28 versus 7.34 ± 0.59, p = 0.036 and 9.45 ± 0.64 versus 7.85 ± 0.43, p = 0.007, respectively). Fewer patients in the probiotics-supplemented group developed a feeding intolerance (13.3% versus 46.7%, p = 0.013). Conclusions: Probiotic supplementation in the hospitalized pre-term infants in the first 2 weeks of life resulted in higher amounts of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in the gut and a concomitant lower rate of feeding intolerance.
Isolation of different bacteriophages using the LamB protein for adsorption on Escherichia coli K-12

Ten phages which use the LamB protein for adsorption have been isolated from sewage waters. Nine have a shape similar to lambda and require only the LamB protein for adsorption. One has a shape similar to T phages and can use either the LamB or the OmpC protein. Preliminary characterization by a number of criteria showed that at least nine of these phages were different and also differed from other known phages which use the LamB protein, such as lambda, 21, and K10.
ACTIV-ES: a comparable, cross-dialect corpus of ‘everyday’ Spanish from Argentina, Mexico, and Spain

Corpus resources for Spanish have proved invaluable for a number of applications in a wide variety of fields. However, a majority of resources are based on formal, written language and/or are not built to model language variation between varieties of the Spanish language, despite the fact that most language in everyday use is informal/ dialogue-based and shows rich regional variation. This paper outlines the development and evaluation of the ACTIV-ES corpus, a first-step to produce a comparable, cross-dialect corpus representative of the everyday language of various regions of the Spanish-speaking world.
Molecular and mutational analysis of three genes preceding pyrE on the Escherichia coli chromosome

The nucleotide sequence of two kilobase pairs (kb) 5′ to the orfE‐pyrE operon has been determined. The sequence revealed two open reading frames, orfX and orfY, consisting of 286 and 274 codons, respectively, and having a transcriptional orientation opposite that of the orfE‐pyrE operon. Analysis of transcription initiations showed that the promoters of orfE and orfX constitute a pair of divergent promoters with overlapping ‐35 regions and that orfY is transcribed from an independent promoter. Translational analysis indicated that the orfs are expressed in Escherichia coli.
PHENOTYPIC EVOLUTION IN A CRETACEOUS FORAMINIFER

Statistically well-documented sequences of fossil species are rare, as has been observed, for example, by Eldredge and Gould (1972), Boucot (1978) and Dodson and Hallam (1977). Rapid advances in theoretical paleontology made over the last few years have, however, made it imperative that the many new and exciting theories we now have at our disposal be tested against real data (Maynard Smith, 1981). Although suitable data should be available from several sources, it seems that the most likely area for providing good study material is that of micropaleontology. The present paper summarizes the results of mainly genetically oriented statistical analyses of borehole samples of the Cretaceous bolivinid foraminifer Afrobolivina afra Reyment, a species which has been well studied in several connections (Reyment, 1959, 1966, 1980; Castelain et al., 1962; Campbell and Reyment, 1978; Campbell, 1979; Reyment and Reyment, 1979; Campbell and Reyment, 1980). Although these contributions are of significance for the present account, the results given here are new. The quantitative-genetic analysis of the present data owes much to the research of Lande (1976, 1979, 1980b), who has demonstrated how the principles of Falconer (1960) can, in some cases, be successfully adapted for models framed in terms of the evolution of the average phenotype in a population by natural selection and genetic drift. The intent of the present paper is to attempt to apply quantitative-genetic reasoning to the interpretation of morphologic changes in an evolutionary series and to search for eventual interactions between the average phenotype of the organism and the paleoenvironment. It is shown that phenotypic variation in characters of the foraminiferal test is closely associated with fluctuations in the paleoenvironment, as evidenced in the properties of the fossil substrate. These environmental variations seem to have been caused by epicontinental transgressions and regressions. The analysis points to regionally valid weak selective effects as having brought about the morphological changes in the foraminifer, the influence of which seems to have been heightened by the ecophenotypic reaction of the test to the environment; random genetic drift does not appear to have been of first-order importance. Variation in the size of the proloculus of megalospheric individuals is shown to be connected with population density and certain chemical elements. Obviously, quantitative-genetic principles can only be applied to fossil material in a tentative manner and it is important that the limitations of this approach be recognized. The present study should therefore be seen as one possible interpretation of the observed sequence of morphologic changes, and not the only one.
RingSTM: scalable transactions with a single atomic instruction

Existing Software Transactional Memory (STM) designs attach metadata to ranges of shared memory; subsequent runtime instructions read and update this metadata in order to ensure that an in-flight transaction's reads and writes remain correct. The overhead of metadata manipulation and inspection is linear in the number of reads and writes performed by a transaction, and involves expensive read-modify-write instructions, resulting in substantial overheads. We consider a novel approach to STM, in which transactions represent their read and write sets as Bloom filters, and transactions commit by enqueuing a Bloom filter onto a global list. Using this approach, our RingSTM system requires at most one read-modify-write operation for any transaction, and incurs validation overhead linear not in transaction size, but in the number of concurrent writers who commit. Furthermore, RingSTM is the first STM that is inherently livelock-free and privatization-safe while at the same time permitting parallel writeback by concurrent disjoint transactions.We evaluate three variants of the RingSTM algorithm, and find that it offers superior performance and/or stronger semantics than the state-of-the-art TL2 algorithm under a number of workloads.
PRACTICAL SIGNAL DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION IN GNU RADIO

This paper selects a number of effective, general methods for enabling signal detection, estimation, and classification needs for cognitive radio. Implementations of algorithms such as these are of key importance to Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA). These algorithms are decomposed into logical blocks and then implemented in reusable GNU Radio signal processing blocks. These blocks are then demonstrated in an example GNU Radio application running in a Linux environment, using a Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) as a radio frontend. A second USRP on an unconnected host computer is used to generate the relevant test signals used for training and detection/classification trials. A key advancement presented in this work is application of these algorithms to real-world signals input from an RF frontend, rather than ideal signals generated in MATLAB. We show that work is needed to normalize the output of the USRP to make signal detection and classification more robust.
Subword Latent Semantic Analysis for Texttiling-Based Automatic Story Segmentation of Chinese Broadcast News

This paper proposes to perform latent semantic analysis (LSA) on character/syllable n-gram sequences of automatic speech recognition (ASR) transcripts, namely subword LSA, as an extension of our previous work on subword text tiling for automatic story segmentation of Chinese broadcast news. LSA represents the 'meaning' of a lexical term by a feature vector conveying the term's relations with other terms. We apply subword LSA vectors to the measurement of inter-sentence lexical score in text tiling-based story segmentation. Subword n-grams are robust to speech recognition errors, especially out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words, in lexical matching on Chinese ASR transcripts. This work combines the concept matching merit of LSA and the robustness of subwords. Experimental results on the TDT2 Mandarin corpus show that subword-LSA-based text tiling can effectively improve the story segmentation performance. Character-bigram-LSA-based text tiling achieves the best Fl-measure of 0.6598 with relative improvement of 17.4% over the conventional word-based text tiling and 6.5% over our previous syllable-bigram-based text tiling.
Factors Associated With Pain Experience Outcome in Knee Osteoarthritis

Few strategies to improve pain outcome in knee osteoarthritis (OA) exist in part because how best to evaluate pain over the long term is unclear. Our objectives were to determine the frequency of a good pain experience outcome based on previously formulated OA pain stages and test the hypothesis that less depression and pain catastrophizing and greater self‐efficacy and social support are each associated with greater likelihood of a good outcome.