Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal traversal planning in road networks with navigational constraints

A frequent query in geospatial planning and decision making domains (e.g., emergency response, data acquisition, street cleaning), is to find an optimal traversal plan (OTP) that traverses an entire area (e.g., a city) by navigating through all its streets. The optimality is defined in terms of the time it takes to complete the traversal. This time depends on the number of times each street segment is traversed as well as the navigation time such as the time spent on changing direction at each intersection. While the problem roots in the classic problems of graph theory, real-world geospatial constraints of road network introduce new application-specific challenges. In this paper, we propose two algorithms to find OTP of a directed road network. Our greedy algorithm employs a classic graph traversal algorithm. During the traversal, it utilizes a set of heuristics at each intersection to minimize the total travel time. Our near-optimal algorithm, however, reduces an OTP problem to an Asymmetric Traveling Salesman Problem (ATSP) by extracting the dual graph of the original network in which each edge is represented by a graph node. Using an approximate solution for ATSP, our algorithm finds a near optimal answer. Our experiments using real-world road networks verify that our near-optimal algorithm outperforms the greedy algorithm in terms of the overall cost of its generated traversal by a factor of two, while its complexity is tolerable in real-world cases.
A hybrid model for task completion effort estimation

Predicting time and effort of software task completion has been an active area of research for a long time. Previous studies have proposed predictive models based on either text data or metadata of software tasks to estimate either completion time or completion effort of software tasks, but there is a lack of focus in the literature on integrating all sets of attributes together to achieve better performing models. We first apply the previously proposed models on the datasets of two IBM commercial projects called RQM and RTC to find the best performing model in predicting task completion effort on each set of attributes. Then we propose an approach to create a hybrid model based on selected individual predictors to achieve more accurate and stable results in early prediction of task completion effort and to make sure the model is not bounded to some attributes and consequently is adoptable to a larger number of tasks. Categorizing task completion effort values into Low and High labels based on their measured median value, we show that our hybrid model provides 3-8% more accuracy in early prediction of task completion effort compared to the best individual predictors.
The Virtual Counseling Center: Its Niche, Resources, and Ongoing Research and Development Activity

Thomas Friedman’s best sellers have raised awareness of our nation’s need to remain competitive in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. However, advances in these fields cannot occur without the proper cultivation of human potential. The usual costs of career assessment and planning systems preclude their scalability to non-wealthy populations and their services are inevitably not integrated with supportive counseling interventions. In contrast, the Virtual Counseling Center (VCC) is freely available to everyone and contains a comprehensive array of resources including career exploration tests scored online with results linked to massive occupation and education databases; programs for stimulating interest and persistence in STEM studies and careers; academic and life skill programs; and resources for counseling research and practice. The VCC has received considerable support from the National Science Foundation; this article describes its niche, resources, and ongoing research and development activity.
Molecular Mechanisms of Ca2+ Signaling in Neurons Induced by the S100A4 Protein

ABSTRACT The S100A4 protein belongs to the S100 family of vertebrate-specific proteins possessing both intra- and extracellular functions. In the nervous system, high levels of S100A4 expression are observed at sites of neurogenesis and lesions, suggesting a role of the protein in neuronal plasticity. Extracellular oligomeric S100A4 is a potent promoter of neurite outgrowth and survival from cultured primary neurons; however, the molecular mechanism of this effect has not been established. Here we demonstrate that oligomeric S100A4 increases the intracellular calcium concentration in primary neurons. We present evidence that both S100A4-induced Ca2+ signaling and neurite extension require activation of a cascade including a heterotrimeric G protein(s), phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C, and diacylglycerol-lipase, resulting in Ca2+ entry via nonselective cation channels and via T- and L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. We demonstrate that S100A4-induced neurite outgrowth is not mediated by the receptor for advanced glycation end products, a known target for other extracellular S100 proteins. However, S100A4-induced signaling depends on interactions with heparan sulfate proteoglycans at the cell surface. Thus, glycosaminoglycans may act as coreceptors of S100 proteins in neurons. This may provide a mechanism by which S100 proteins could locally regulate neuronal plasticity in connection with brain lesions and neurological disorders.
Estimation of Basis Frequencies for Time-Varying SIMO Channels: A Second-Order Method

The complex exponential basis expansion model (CE-BEM) provides an accurate description for the time-varying (TV) channels encountered in mobile communications. Many blind channel identification and equalization approaches based on the CE-BEM require precise knowledge of the basis frequencies of TV channels. Existing methods for basis frequency estimation usually resort to the higher-order statistics of channel outputs and impose strict constraints on the source signal. In this paper, we propose a novel method to estimate the basis frequencies for blind identification and equalization of time-varying single-input multiple-output (SIMO) finite-impulse-response (FIR) channels. The proposed method exploits only the second-order statistics of channel outputs and does not require strong conditions on the source signal. As a result, it exhibits superior performance to the existing basis frequency estimation methods. The validity of our method is demonstrated by numerical simulations.
A Randomized Evaluation of a Computer-Based Nursing Documentation System

Abstract A two-month randomized, controlled trial based on 60 patients has been performed on a ward of the Department of Psychiatry at Heidelberg University Medical Center, Germany, to investigate the influence of computer-based nursing documentation on time investment for documentation, quality of documentation and user acceptance. Time measurements, questionnaires, documentation analysis and interviews were used to compare patients documented with the computer-based system (PIK group) with the control group (patients documented with the paper-based system). The results showed the advantages and disadvantages of computer-based nursing documentation. Time needed for nursing care planning was lower in the PIK group. Some formal aspects of quality were considerably better in the PIK group. On the other hand, time required for documentation of tasks and for report writing was greater in the PIK group. User acceptance increased significantly during the study. The interviews indicated a positive influence of PIK on the cooperation between nurses and physicians.
The Relationship Between Health-Related Quality-of-Life and Disability in Patients with Controlled Epilepsy: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

ObjectiveThe aims this study were to assess the impact of epilepsy on the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) of patients and on patterns of disability and to describe the relationship between disability and HRQoL in adult patients with controlled epilepsy. DesignDisability was measured with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, second version (WHO-DAS II), whereas HRQoL was measured with the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The relationships between SF-36 and WHO-DAS II were evaluated with Pearson correlation. The impact of epilepsy on disability and HRQoL was assessed by comparing WHO-DAS II and SF-36 scores with the Italian normative values and by evaluating different disability and HRQoL profiles in patients self-reporting change in health state against those reporting no change. ResultsFew differences between patients’ and normative scores were observed. In particular, patients with a stable health state reported higher HRQoL and lower disability status, compared with those reporting an improvement or a decline in health state. The relationships between WHO-DAS II and SF-36 were significant but were generally low or moderate. ConclusionsDisability and HRQoL scores of patients with controlled epilepsy were not significantly different compared with those of the general population, in particular among stable patients. Measures of HRQoL and disability evaluate different psychosocial aspects of epilepsy and can be used jointly to evaluate outcomes.
Communication before coherence

The hypothesis of communication through coherence proposes that coherent or synchronous oscillations in connected neural systems can promote communication. It has been applied mainly to how oscillations interact in connected networks. We tested by simulations whether information transmission about an external stimulus from one network to a second network is influenced by gamma oscillations, by whether the oscillations are coherent, and by their phase. Gamma oscillations were induced by increasing the relative conductance of AMPA to NMDA excitatory synapses. It was found that small associative connection strengths between the networks were sufficient to produce information transmission (measured by Shannon mutual information) such that the second attractor network took the correct decision based on the state of the first network. Although gamma oscillations were present in both networks, the synaptic connections sufficient for perfect information transmission about the stimulus presented to the network (100% correct, 1 bit of information) were insufficiently strong to produce coherence, or phase‐locking, between the two networks; this only occurred when the synaptic strengths between the networks were increased by > 10 ×. Further, the phase of the oscillations between the networks did not influence the information transmission or its speed at these connection strengths. Moreover, information transmission was as good when the AMPA‐to‐NMDA ratio was reduced to its normal value, and oscillations were not present. Similar results were found when the second network was not an attractor decision‐making network. Thus information transmission can occur before synapses have been made sufficiently strong to produce coherence.
Effect of Trap Design, Chemical Lure, Carbon Dioxide Release Rate, and Source of Carbon Dioxide on Efficacy of Bed Bug Monitors

ABSTRACT Bed bugs, (Cimex lectularius L.), are difficult to find because of their nocturnal and secretive behavior. In recent years, a number of monitors containing carbon dioxide (CO2), chemical lures, heat, or both, to attract bed bugs have been developed for detecting bed bugs. Ineffective trap design, lack of attraction of chemical lures, high cost of the CO2 delivery system, or insufficient CO2 release rates are some factors that limited the wide adoption of these monitors. To develop an affordable and effective monitor, we conducted a series of laboratory and field tests. Specifically, we tested a new pitfall trap design, a chemical lure mixture, different CO2 release rates, and a sugar and yeast mixture as CO2 source. Results show the new pitfall trap design was significantly more effective than Climbup insect interceptor, the most effective passive monitor available in the market for bed bugs. The experimental chemical lure mixture increased Climbup insect interceptor catch by 2.2 times. Results exhibit a distinct positive relationship between the CO2 release rates and bed bug trap catches. There were no significant differences between CO2 derived from cylinders and CO2 generated from sugar and yeast mixture in their attractiveness to bed bugs. The findings suggest an effective and affordable monitor can be made incorporating the new pitfall trap design, a sugar and yeast mixture, and a chemical lure.
An Algorithm for Detecting Seam Cracks in Steel Plates

In this study, we developed an algorithm for detecting seam cracks in a steel plate. Seam cracks are generated in the edge region of a steel plate. We used the Gabor filter and an adaptive double threshold method to detect them. To reduce the number of pseudo defects, features based on the shape of seam cracks were used. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, we tested 989 images with seam cracks and 9470 defect-free images. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is suitable for detecting seam cracks. However, it should be improved to increase the true positive rate. Keywords—Defect detection, Gabor filter, machine vision, surface inspection.
Distorções conceituais dos atributos do som presentes nas sínteses dos textos didáticos: aspectos físicos e fisiológicos

Educational research has demonstrated that textbooks usually exhibit a certain reductionist and distorted standpoint in the presentation of some contents in physics. In searching such distortions, the present research tries to proceed a categorisation and an analysis of the physiological qualities attributed by primary and secondary school textbooks to the phenomenon of sound. In such a research we have found several conceptual distortions in the process of didactical transposition, as well as the neglect of the complexity involved in the ideas of pitch, loudness and timbre.
Bone Mineral Density in HIV-Negative Men Participating in a Tenofovir Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Randomized Clinical Trial in San Francisco

Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trials are evaluating regimens containing tenofovir-disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for HIV prevention. We determined the baseline prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) and the effect of TDF on BMD in men who have sex with men (MSM) in a PrEP trial in San Francisco. Methods/Findings We evaluated 1) the prevalence of low BMD using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) in a baseline cohort of 210 HIV-uninfected MSM who screened for a randomized clinical trial of daily TDF vs. placebo, and 2) the effects of TDF on BMD in a longitudinal cohort of 184 enrolled men. Half began study drug after a 9-month delay to evaluate changes in risk behavior associated with pill-use. At baseline, 20 participants (10%) had low BMD (Z score≤−2.0 at the L2–L4 spine, total hip, or femoral neck). Low BMD was associated with amphetamine (OR = 5.86, 95% CI 1.70–20.20) and inhalant (OR = 4.57, 95% CI 1.32–15.81) use; men taking multivitamins, calcium, or vitamin D were less likely to have low BMD at baseline (OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.10–0.71). In the longitudinal analysis, there was a 1.1% net decrease in mean BMD in the TDF vs. the pre-treatment/placebo group at the femoral neck (95% CI 0.4–1.9%), 0.8% net decline at the total hip (95% CI 0.3–1.3%), and 0.7% at the L2–L4 spine (95% CI −0.1–1.5%). At 24 months, 13% vs. 6% of participants experienced >5% BMD loss at the femoral neck in the TDF vs. placebo groups (p = 0.13). Conclusions Ten percent of HIV-negative MSM had low BMD at baseline. TDF use resulted in a small but statistically significant decline in BMD at the total hip and femoral neck. Larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to determine the trajectory of BMD changes and any association with clinical fractures. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00131677
Applying Clinical Trials in Social Work Practice

Social work is in the midst of a trend to assess the efficacy of various modes of treatment. This article presents a research method heavily utilized in the biomedical sector and currently entering the psychosocial disciplines to achieve this goal, namely, controlled clinical trials. This method is first described, some studies which employed it are presented, its potential benefits are explored, the problems it poses for social work use are summarized, and conclusions are put forth which suggest steps necessary for its successful use in social work practice.
The Pythia PRF Service

Conventional cryptographic services such as hardware-security modules and software-based key-management systems offer the ability to apply a pseudorandom function (PRF) such as HMAC to inputs of a client's choosing. These services are used, for example, to harden stored password hashes against offline brute-force attacks. We propose a modern PRF service called PYTHIA designed to offer a level of flexibility, security, and ease-of-deployability lacking in prior approaches. The keystone of PYTHIA is a new cryptographic primitive called a verifiable partially-oblivious PRF that reveals a portion of an input message to the service but hides the rest. We give a construction that additionally supports efficient bulk rotation of previously obtained PRF values to new keys. Performance measurements show that our construction, which relies on bilinear pairings and zero-knowledge proofs, is highly practical. We also give accompanying formal definitions and proofs of security. We implement PYTHIA as a multi-tenant, scalable PRF service that can scale up to hundreds of millions of distinct client applications on commodity systems. In our prototype implementation, query latencies are 15 ms in local-area settings and throughput is within a factor of two of a standard HTTPS server. We further report on implementations of two applications using PYTHIA, showing how to bring its security benefits to a new enterprise password storage system and a new brainwallet system for Bitcoin.
Using the lag of autocorrelation function in order to identify the anaerobic threshold during dynamic physical exercise

The Anaerobic Threshold (AT) is one of the best parameter to quantify aerobic capacity at sub-maximal dynamic physical exercise power levels. By the other side, there is a function in nonlinear dynamics called Aurocorrelation Function (ACF). We measure the AT, in this work, in a non-invasive way, using the ACF. The results exhibited a perfect correlation with previous works that used the same set of data, but the method now proposed is faster and easier to apply, producing an almost instantaneous visual outcome.
Culture, Self-Construal, and Embarrassability

This study investigates individual and cultural differences in embarrassability (i.e., susceptibility to embarrassment). Three hypotheses are formulated. First, the strength of the independent self-construal (the image of self as separate from others) is negatively correlated with embarrassability. Second, the strength of the interdependent self-construal (the image of self as connected with others) is positively associated with embarrassability. Third, Asian Americans are more susceptible to embarrassment than are Euro-Americans. A total of 503 Euro-American and Asian American -university students completed the Self-Construal Scale and the Embarrassability Scale. Results strongly supported all hypotheses. Further, individual differences in self-construal accounted for cultural differences in embarrassability. Many prior studies have associated embarrassability with social deficiencies; the authors propose that embarrassability be viewed in abroader cultural context that considers its functions as an adaptive mechanism.
Chemical Tuning Enhances Both Potency Toward Nrf2 and In Vitro Therapeutic Index of Triterpenoids

The transcription factor Nrf2 protects against a number of experimental pathologies, and is a promising therapeutic target. The clinical investigation of a potent Nrf2-inducing agent, the triterpenoid (TP) bardoxolone methyl (BARD), was recently halted due to adverse cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease patients, although the underlying mechanisms are yet to be resolved. The majority of small molecule Nrf2 inducers are electrophilic and trigger Nrf2 accumulation via the chemical modification of its redox-sensitive repressor Keap1. Therefore, it is pertinent to question whether the therapeutic targeting of Nrf2 could be hindered in many cases by the inherent reactivity of a small molecule inducer toward unintended cellular targets, a key mechanism of drug toxicity. Using H4IIE-ARE8L hepatoma cells, we have examined the relationship between (a) Nrf2 induction potency, (b) toxicity and (c) in vitro therapeutic index (ratio of b:a) for BARD and a number of other small molecule activators of Nrf2. We show that BARD exhibits the highest potency toward Nrf2 and the largest in vitro therapeutic index among compounds that have been investigated clinically (namely BARD, sulforaphane and dimethylfumarate). Through further examination of structurally related TPs, we demonstrate that an increase in potency toward Nrf2 is associated with a relatively smaller increase in toxicity, indicating that medicinal chemistry can be used to enhance the specificity of a compound as an inducer of Nrf2 signaling whilst simultaneously increasing its therapeutic index. These findings will inform the continuing design and development of drugs targeting Nrf2.
A Three-stage Data Mining Model for Reject Inference

Reject inference is a term that distinguishes attempts to correct models in view of the characteristics of rejected applicants. The main difficulty in establishing reject inference model is that the 'through-the-door' applicant population is unavailable. In this paper, we propose a hybrid data mining technique for reject inference. It is a three-stage approach: k-means cluster, support vector machines classification and computation of feature importance. By combining the samples of the accepted applicants and the new applicants, we obtain representative samples. To some extent, this is cost-free. Analytic results demonstrate that our method improves the predictive performance while still retaining interpretability.
Supporting content-based searches on time series via approximation

Fast retrieval of time series in terms of their contents is important in many application domains. This paper studies database techniques supporting fast searches for time series whose contents are similar to what users specify. The content types studied include shapes, trends, cyclic components, autocorrelation functions and partial autocorrelation functions. Due to the complex nature of the similarity searches involving such contents, traditional database techniques usually cannot provide a fast response when the involved data volume is high. This paper proposes to answer such content-based queries using appropriate approximation techniques. The paper then introduces two specific approximation methods, one is wavelet based and the other line-fitting based. Finally, the paper reports some experiments conducted on a stock price data set as well as a synthesized random walk data set, and shows that both approximation methods significantly reduce the query processing time without introducing intolerable errors.