Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring the Necessity of Medical Procedures

This is a report on the extension of the concept of the appropriateness of a procedure to the necessity, or crucial importance, of that procedure. To state that a procedure is crucial means that withholding the procedure would be deleterious to the patient's health. Appropriateness and necessity ratings for six procedures were obtained using a modified Delphi panel process developed in earlier work. Panels were composed of practicing clinicians who were recognized leaders in their fields. The panels included both performers and nonperformers of the procedure under discussion. For most procedures and panelists, necessity was related to appropriateness, but was distinct from it. The proportion of indications for which the procedure was crucial varied in clinically consistent ways both among and within procedures. However, panelists did not achieve a consensus on necessity. Further research is suggested to refine the method to promote consensus and to validate further the ratings of necessity. In conclusion, necessity ratings can be used together with appropriateness ratings to address not only the overuse of procedures, but also to indicate limited access to care through underuse of procedures.
Neural Underpinnings of the Decline of Topographical Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Spatial navigation is one of the cognitive functions known to decline in both normal and pathological aging. In the present study, we aimed to assess the neural correlates of the decline of topographical memory in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Patients with aMCI and age-matched controls were engaged in an intensive learning paradigm, lasting for 5 days, during which they had to encode 1 path from an egocentric perspective and 1 path from an allocentric perspective. After the learning period, they were asked to retrieve each of these paths using an allocentric or egocentric frame of reference while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. We found that patients with aMCI showed a specific deficit in storing new topographical memories from an allocentric perspective and retrieving stored information to perform the egocentric task. Imaging data suggest that this general decline is correlated with hypoactivation of the brain areas generally involved in spatial navigation.
A fast super-resolution reconstruction algorithm for pure translational motion and common space-invariant blur

Super-resolution reconstruction deals with the recovery of a single high-resolution image from a set of warped, blurred and decimated versions of it. Several algorithms were already proposed for the solution of this general problem. We concentrate on a special case where the warps are pure translations, the blur is space invariant and the same for all the images, and the noise is white. We exploit previous results to develop a new highly efficient super-resolution reconstruction algorithm for this case, which separates the treatment to de-blurring and measurements fusion. The fusion part is shown to be a non-iterative and very simple algorithm, preserving the optimality of the entire reconstruction process, in the maximum-likelihood sense. Simulations demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed algorithm.
Father involvement in Mexican-origin families: Preliminary development of a culturally informed measure.

OBJECTIVES An increasing body of research has documented the significant influence of father involvement on children's development and overall well-being. However, extant research has predominately focused on middle-class Caucasian samples with little examination of fathering in ethnic minority and low-income families, particularly during the infancy period. The present study evaluated measures of early father involvement (paternal engagement, accessibility, and responsibility) that were adapted to capture important cultural values relevant to the paternal role in Mexican-origin families. METHODS A sample of 180 Mexican-origin mothers (M age = 28.3) and 83 Mexican-origin fathers (M age = 31.5) were interviewed during the perinatal period. RESULTS Descriptive analyses indicated that Mexican-origin fathers are involved in meaningful levels of direct interaction with their infant. A 2-factor model of paternal responsibility was supported by factor analyses, consisting of a behavioral responsibility factor aligned with previous literature and culturally derived positive machismo factor. Qualities of the romantic relationship, cultural orientation, and maternal employment status were related to indices of father involvement. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results contribute to understanding of the transition to fatherhood among low-income Mexican-origin men and bring attention to the demographic, social, and cultural contexts in which varying levels of father involvement may emerge.
Predicting query potential for personalization, classification or regression?

The goal of predicting query potential for personalization is to determine which queries can benefit from personalization. In this paper, we investigate which kind of strategy is better for this task: classification or regression. We quantify the potential benefits of personalizing search results using two implicit click-based measures: Click entropy and Potential@N. Meanwhile, queries are characterized by query features and history features. Then we build C-SVM classification model and epsilon-SVM regression model respectively according to these two measures. The experimental results show that the classification model is a better choice for predicting query potential for personalization.
Enhancing Information Exchange/Sharing in Virtual Teams: A Study on the Efficacy of Techniques

The benefits of information sharing on a team’s performance have been well documented. Information sharing helps individual members in a team overcome their individual biases thereby leading to better decisions. Despite such perceived advantages, its still a challenge to get team members to share information with one another, especially the tacit part and even more so in the case of virtual teams. In this study, we posit that one of the primary reasons for the lack of information exchange /sharing might be the difficulty of a team member in eliciting their tacit knowledge/information itself-in most cases referring to the unique component of information. This study attempts to address this issue by examining the efficacy of two cognitive based techniques: Delphi and RepGrid in eliciting such unique information. Our preliminary results indicate that RepGrid is a better technique for information elicitation especially when dealing with complex tasks and could permit more information exchange/sharing than the Delphi when used in a virtual team context.
CD94-NKG2A recognition of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E bound to an HLA class I leader sequence

The recognition of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E by the heterodimeric CD94-NKG2 natural killer (NK) receptor family is a central innate mechanism by which NK cells monitor the expression of other HLA molecules, yet the structural basis of this highly specific interaction is unclear. Here, we describe the crystal structure of CD94-NKG2A in complex with HLA-E bound to a peptide derived from the leader sequence of HLA-G. The CD94 subunit dominated the interaction with HLA-E, whereas the NKG2A subunit was more peripheral to the interface. Moreover, the invariant CD94 subunit dominated the peptide-mediated contacts, albeit with poor surface and chemical complementarity. This unusual binding mode was consistent with mutagenesis data at the CD94-NKG2A–HLA-E interface. There were few conformational changes in either CD94-NKG2A or HLA-E upon ligation, and such a “lock and key” interaction is typical of innate receptor–ligand interactions. Nevertheless, the structure also provided insight into how this interaction can be modulated by subtle changes in the peptide ligand or by the pairing of CD94 with other members of the NKG2 family. Differences in the docking strategies used by the NKG2D and CD94-NKG2A receptors provided a basis for understanding the promiscuous nature of ligand recognition by NKG2D compared with the fidelity of the CD94-NKG2 receptors.
Improving Security for SCADA Sensor Networks with Reputation Systems and Self-Organizing Maps

The reliable operation of modern infrastructures depends on computerized systems and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, which are also based on the data obtained from sensor networks. The inherent limitations of the sensor devices make them extremely vulnerable to cyberwarfare/cyberterrorism attacks. In this paper, we propose a reputation system enhanced with distributed agents, based on unsupervised learning algorithms (self-organizing maps), in order to achieve fault tolerance and enhanced resistance to previously unknown attacks. This approach has been extensively simulated and compared with previous proposals.
(E)-1-(2,5-Dichlorothiophen-3-yl)ethanone [8-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-4-yl]hydrazone

In the title compound, C16H10Cl2F3N3S, the dihedral angle between the quinoline and thiophene ring systems is 4.94 (10)°. The NH group of the hydrazone moiety does not form a hydrogen bond, due to a steric crowding. In the crystal, the thiophene ring takes part in weak π–π stacking interactions with the pyridine ring [centroid-to-centroid separation = 3.7553 (19) Å and interplanar angle = 5.48 (12)°] and the benzene ring [3.7927 (19) Å and 4.58 (12)°]. Together, these lead to [100] stacks of molecules in an alternating head-to-tail arrangement, with two π–π stacking contacts between each adjacent pair.
Design and Experimental Study of a VCM-Based Stewart Parallel Mechanism Used for Active Vibration Isolation

This paper presents the design and experimental study of a voice coil motor (VCM)-based Stewart platform used for active vibration isolation. The high precision payloads carried on the satellites always require an extremely stable environment to work properly. Installing a vibration isolation device between the vibration sources and precision payloads is an efficient method for dissipating vibration energy. A Stewart platform with active damping is designed to isolate the vibration transferring from the satellite to the payloads in six degrees-of-freedom. First, the kinematics and dynamical equations of a Stewart platform with spherical joints at both the base and top of each leg are established with Newton-Euler Method in task space and joint space. Second, the H ∞ Control Theory is employed to design a robust controller for the linearized system with parameter uncertainty, noise and sensor errors. Finally, an experimentation study on the vibration of the payload supported by a Stewart platform with VCM actuator is conducted. The feasibility and effectiveness of the vibration isolation system are verified by comparing the amplitude-frequency characteristics of the active control system with that of the passive control system and the system without damping.
Collaborative Clustering: Sample Complexity and Efficient Algorithms

We study the problem of collaborative clustering. This problem is concerned with a set of items grouped into clusters that we wish to recover from ratings provided by users. The latter are also clustered, and each user rates a random but typical small number of items. The observed ratings are random variables whose distributions depend on the item and user clusters only. Unlike for collaborative filtering problems where one needs to recover both user and item clusters, here we only wish to classify items. The number of items rated by a user can be so small that anyway, estimating user clusters may be hopeless. For the collaborative clustering problem, we derive fundamental performance limits satisfied by any algorithm. Specifically, we identify the number of ratings needed to guarantee the existence of an algorithm recovering the clusters with a prescribed level of accuracy. We also propose SplitSpec, an algorithm whose performance matches these fundamental performance limit order-wise. In turn, SplitSpec is able to exploit, as much as this is possible, the users’ structure to improve the item cluster estimates.
Protein flexibility predictions using graph theory

Techniques from graph theory are applied to analyze the bond networks in proteins and identify the flexible and rigid regions. The bond network consists of distance constraints defined by the covalent and hydrogen bonds and salt bridges in the protein, identified by geometric and energetic criteria. We use an algorithm that counts the degrees of freedom within this constraint network and that identifies all the rigid and flexible substructures in the protein, including overconstrained regions (with more crosslinking bonds than are needed to rigidify the region) and underconstrained or flexible regions, in which dihedral bond rotations can occur. The number of extra constraints or remaining degrees of bond‐rotational freedom within a substructure quantifies its relative rigidity/flexibility and provides a flexibility index for each bond in the structure. This novel computational procedure, first used in the analysis of glassy materials, is approximately a million times faster than molecular dynamics simulations and captures the essential conformational flexibility of the protein main and side‐chains from analysis of a single, static three‐dimensional structure. This approach is demonstrated by comparison with experimental measures of flexibility for three proteins in which hinge and loop motion are essential for biological function: HIV protease, adenylate kinase, and dihydrofolate reductase. Proteins 2001;44:150–165. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
UTwente does Brave New Tasks for MediaEval 2012: Searching and Hyperlinking

In this paper we report our experiments and results for the brave new searching and hyperlinking tasks for the MediaEval Benchmark Initiative 2012. The searching task involves nding target video segments based on a short natural language sentence query and the hyperlinking task involves nding links from the target video segments to other related video segments in the collection using a set of anchor segments in the videos that correspond to the textual search queries. To nd the starting points in the video, we only used speech transcripts and metadata as evidence source, however, other visual features (for e.g., faces, shots and keyframes) might also aect results for a query. We indexed speech transcripts and metadata, furthermore, the speech transcripts were indexed at speech segment level and at sentence level to improve the likelihood of nding jump-in-points. For linking video segments, we computed k-nearest neighbours of video segments using euclidean distance.
Realtime Constraint-Based Cinematography for Complex Interactive 3D Worlds

In 3D interactive fiction systems, a virtual camera must "film" the behaviors of multiple autonomous characters as they unpredictably interact with one another, are modified by the viewer, and manipulate artifacts in 3D worlds with complex scene geometries. It must continuously plan camera movements to clearly shoot the salient visual features of each relevant character. To address these issues, we have developed a 3D interactive fiction system with a narrative planner that, together with a bank of autonomous character directors, creates cinematic goals for a constraintbased realtime 3D virtual cinematography planner. As interactive narratives unfold, a cinematic goal selector creates view constraints to film the most salient activities performed by the characters. These constraints are then passed to a camera planner, which employs a partial constraintbased approach to compute the position and orientation of the virtual camera. This framework has been implemented in a prototype 3D interactive fiction system, COPS&ROBBERS, a testbed with multiple characters interacting in an intricate cityscape.
Spectroscopic Gravitational Lens Candidates in the CNOC2 Field Galaxy Redshift Survey

We present five candidate gravitational lenses discovered spectroscopically in the Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (CNOC2), along with one found in follow-up observations. Each has a secure redshift based on several features, plus a discrepant emission line that does not match any known or plausible feature and is visible in multiple direct spectral images. We identify these lines as Lyα λ1216 or [O II] λ3727 emission from galaxies lensed by or projected onto the CNOC2 target galaxies. Einstein radii estimated from the candidate deflector galaxy luminosities indicate that for two candidates the lines are probably [O II] from projected z < 1 galaxies (consistent with the detection of Hβ as well as [O II] in one of them), but that in the remaining four cases the lines could be Lyα from lensed z < 3 galaxies. We estimate that only 1.9 ± 0.7 [O II]–emitting galaxies are expected to project onto target galaxies in the original CNOC2 sample, consistent with three or four of the six candidates being true gravitational lenses.
Regulation of Human Cdc25A Stability by Serine 75 Phosphorylation Is Not Sufficient to Activate a S-phase Checkpoint

Degradation of Cdc25A phosphatase is an ubiquitous feature of stress. There are some discrepancies in the reported roles for different phosphorylation sites in the regulation of Cdc25A stability. Using a panel of doxycycline-inducible phosphorylation mutants we show that the stability of human Cdc25A protein is dependent upon phosphorylation at S75. In non-stressed conditions and in non-mitotic cells, Cdc25A is unstable and its stability is regulated in a Chk1-dependent manner. During mitosis, Cdc25A becomes stable and does not undergo degradation after DNA damage. We further show that Chk1 kinase regulates Cdc25A stability after UV irradiation. Similar to Chk1 kinase, p38 MAPK controls Cdc25A protein level after osmotic stress. Using phospho-specific antibodies, we find that both kinases can phosphorylate S75 and S123 in vitro. Inactivation of either Chk1 after UV-irradiation or p38 MAPK after osmotic stress prevents activation of a S phase checkpoint and S75 and S123 phosphorylation. However, introduction of stable Cdc25A (S75A or S75/123A) proteins is not sufficient to overcome this checkpoint. We propose that regulation of human Cdc25A stability by its phosphorylation at S75 may contribute to S phase checkpoint activation only in cooperation with other regulatory mechanisms.
Effects of supernumerary heterochromatin on chiasma formation and chromosome segregation in Dociostaurus genei (Orthoptera)

Dociostaurus genei is a grasshopper in which most of the autosomes present polymorphisms for distal heterochromatic supernumerary segments. C-banding, DAPI banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of a probe, which is representative of the highly repetitive DNA sequences comprising the segments, have been used to analyse the effects of the segments on chiasma formation. Results show that the supernumerary segments are associated with two major effects. First, a higher content of supernumerary heterochromatin is correlated with the formation of a lower number of chiasmata within a given chromosome complement. Secondly, because the methods used strongly suggest that the distal segments are truly terminal, they could be considered to be involved in the maintenance of achiasmate associations that persist up to the first anaphase migration. These terminal associations occurred in about 50 per cent of homozygous and heterozygous bivalents and did not impair the correct segregation of homologues at anaphase I.
Alternative reading frame selection mediated by a tRNA-like domain of an internal ribosome entry site

The dicistrovirus intergenic region internal ribosome entry site (IRES) utilizes a unique mechanism, involving P-site tRNA mimicry, to directly assemble 80S ribosomes and initiate translation at a specific non-AUG codon in the ribosomal A site. A subgroup of dicistrovirus genomes contains an additional stem-loop 5′-adjacent to the IRES and a short open reading frame (ORFx) that overlaps the viral structural polyprotein ORF (ORF2) in the +1 reading frame. Using mass spectrometry and extensive mutagenesis, we show that, besides directing ORF2 translation, the Israeli acute paralysis dicistrovirus IRES also directs ORFx translation. The latter is mediated by a U∶G base pair adjacent to the P-site tRNA-mimicking domain. An ORFx peptide was detected in virus-infected honey bees by multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry. Finally, the 5′ stem-loop increases IRES activity and may couple translation of the two major ORFs of the virus. This study reveals a novel viral strategy in which a tRNA-like IRES directs precise, initiator Met-tRNA-independent translation of two overlapping ORFs.
The Role of Regular Eating and Self-Monitoring in the Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa: A Pilot Study of an Online Guided Self-Help CBT Program

Background: Despite cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) being regarded as the first-line treatment option for bulimia nervosa (BN), barriers such as its time-consuming and expensive nature limit patient access. In order to broaden treatment availability and affordability, the efficacy and convenience of CBT could be improved through the use of online treatments and selective emphasis on its most ‘potent’ components of which behavioural techniques form the focus. Method: Twenty-six individuals with BN were enrolled in an online CBT-based self-help programme and 17 completed four weeks of regular eating and food-monitoring using the online Food Diary tool. Participants were contacted for a weekly check-in phone call and had their bulimic symptom severity assessed at five time points (baseline and weeks 1–4). Results: There was a significant decrease in the frequency of self-reported objective binge episodes, associated loss of control and objective binge days reported between pre- and post-treatment measures. Significant improvements were also observed in most subscales of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. Conclusion: This study provides encouraging preliminary evidence of the potential of behavioural techniques of online CBT in the treatment of BN. Online therapy with this focus is potentially a viable and practical form of treatment delivery in this illness group. These preliminary findings support the need for larger studies using control groups.
Novel reversible image secret sharing based on Thien and Lin's scheme using discrete Haar wavelet Transform

Security has become very important with increasing number of attacks made on digital content in today's internet savvy world. The sharing of information in secret way has become challenging field for exploration. Many image secret sharing schemes are based on the Shamir's secret sharing. Thien and Lin have also proposed the secret sharing based on the Shamir's scheme using polynomial based approach. Major drawback with the Shamir's secret sharing is the computational time. The paper proposes image secret sharing scheme based on Thien and Lin's secret sharing using discrete Haar wavelet transform. Experimentation is carried out on 10 images. Using proposed approach, time and space complexity is reduced to great extent only with minor degradation of regenerated original image. The 62%, 78% and 82% time complexity reduction is observed along with 75%, 93% and 98% space complexity reduction for wavelet transform level 1, level 2 and level 3 respectively of the proposed novel reversible image secret sharing based on Thien and Lin's scheme using discrete Haar wavelet Transform.