Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An empirical evaluation of the G/Q/M method

Improvement of the software process is a major concern for many organizations. A critical part of such an endeavor is the definition of metrics. Despite the importance of metric definition, there have been no evaluations of existing methods for achieving this. It is generally taken for granted that a method with wide acceptance is suitable. A review of metric definition methods identities Basili's G/Q/M as one of the most widely used. This paper reports on an evaluation of the G/Q/M method. The evaluation is based on an actual application of the method in a process improvement effort. The resultant metrics (and instrument) are evaluated with respect to the following criteria: interpretability, validity, reliability, effectiveness, and transportability. The causes of problems found are identified. These causes are problems with the G/Q/M method itself. The evaluation indicates that the metrics resultant from the application of the G/Q/M method do not appropriately meet the above criteria, and research on evolving G/Q/M or developing alternative methods is emphasized.
Paper-top interface for supporting note-taking and its preliminary experiment

Paper-top interface (PTI) is a fusion of paper and digital technology and proposes a new note-taking style in the digital age. We developed a PTI prototype system for supporting student note-taking in a classroom. The prototype system uses a visual-marker-based AR (Augmented Reality) technique and projects e-Learning materials onto the corresponding papers on a classroom desk. A student is allowed to not only view e-Learning materials under his/her eyes but also write on the papers (pages of his/per notebook) using pencils (and/or pens). The advantages of the PTI are easy annotation, quick navigation, flexible spatial layout, and intuitive interaction, which are necessary for effective and efficient note-taking. To know how the PTI influences note-taking and learning effect in comparison with other learning styles, we conducted a preliminary experiment where participants were divided into four groups: traditional notebook, paper handout, tablet PC-based annotatable digital slide, and the PTI. The experimental results revealed that the PTI is not inferior to traditional learning styles and can be used in a classroom.
Atomic Nitrogen Density Measurements in a Nanosecond Capillary Discharge

This paper forms part of a larger study geared towards examining the atomic nitrogen production as a function of reduced electric fields, particularly in nanosecond type discharges. In this study, the atomic nitrogen density in a pure molecular nitrogen capillary discharge at 27 mbar is measured using two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence (TALIF). Due to its small volume, the capillary provides an ideal geometry for achieving high levels of specific deposited energy into the plasma (> 1 eV per molecule) as well as high peak reduced electric fields (> 500 Td). Under these conditions, our results show that unusually high densities of atomic nitrogen are recorded, with the time evolution measurements indicating a peak dissociation fraction of slightly more than 10%. Further validation of these results with numerical simulations are ongoing, but on the current basis, support the notion that the capillary discharge is an extremely efficient configuration for the generation of nitrogen atoms.
An approximate dynamic programming approach for designing train timetables

Traditional approaches to solving the train timetabling problem – the optimal allocation of when each train arrives and departs each station – have relied on Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) approaches. We propose an alternative formulation for this problem based on the modeling and algorithmic framework of approximate dynamic programming. We present a Q-learning algorithm in order to tractably solve the high-dimensional problem. We compare the performance of several variants of this approach, including discretizing the state and the action spaces, and continuous function approximation with global basis functions. We demonstrate the algorithms on two railway system cases, one minimizing energy consumption subject to punctuality constraints, and one maximizing capacity subject to safety constraints. We demonstrate that the ADP algorithm converges rapidly to an optimal solution, and that the number of iterations required increases linearly in the size of the rail system, in contrast with MIP approaches whose computation time grows exponentially. We also show that an additional benefit to the ADP approach is the intuition gained from visualizing the Q-factor functions, which graphically capture the intuitive tradeoffs between efficiency and constraints in both examples.
PARP1 Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ates Sox2 to Control Sox2 Protein Levels and FGF4 Expression during Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation*

Transcription factors Oct4 and Sox2 are key players in maintaining the pluripotent state of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Small changes in their levels disrupt normal expression of their target genes. However, it remains elusive how protein levels of Oct4 and Sox2 and expression of their target genes are precisely controlled in ESCs. Here we identify PARP1, a DNA-binding protein with an NAD+-dependent enzymatic activity, as a cofactor of Oct4 and Sox2 to regulate expression of their target gene FGF4. We demonstrate for the first time that PARP1 binds the FGF4 enhancer to positively regulate FGF4 expression. Our data show that PARP1 interacts with and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ates Sox2 directly, which may be a step required for dissociation and degradation of inhibitory Sox2 proteins from the FGF4 enhancer. When PARP1 activity is inhibited or absent, poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of Sox2 decreases and association of Sox2 with FGF4 enhancers increases, accompanied by an elevated level of Sox2 proteins and reduced expression of FGF4. Significantly, specific knockdown of Sox2 expression by RNA interference can considerably abrogate the inhibitory effect of the poly(ADP- ribose) polymerase inhibitor on FGF4 expression. Interestingly, PARP1 deficiency does not affect undifferentiated ESCs but compromises cell survival and/or growth when ESCs are induced into differentiation. Addition of FGF4 can partially rescue the phenotypes caused by PARP1 deficiency during ESC differentiation. Taken together, this study uncovers new mechanisms through which Sox2 protein levels and FGF4 expression are dynamically regulated during ESC differentiation and adds a new member to the family of proteins regulating the properties of ESCs.
Testing the Therapeutic Potential of Doxycycline in a Drosophila melanogaster Model of Alzheimer Disease*

Background: We investigated doxycycline neuroprotection in a Drosophila model of AD. Results: Doxycycline improves Aβ42 fly locomotion and partially rescues the toxicity of Aβ in the developing eye of E22G Aβ42 flies, preventing Aβ fibrillization and generating non-toxic structures. Conclusion: Doxycycline prevents Aβ toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Significance: Doxycycline is a potential therapeutic agent in AD. Therapies for Alzheimer disease that reduce the production of pathogenic amyloid β (Aβ) peptides have been associated with a range of unwanted effects. For this reason, alternative strategies that promote the clearance of the peptide by preventing its aggregation and deposition in the brain have been favored. In this context we have studied doxycycline, a member of the tetracycline family of antibiotics that has shown neuroprotective effects in a number of models of neurodegenerative disease. We investigated the neuroprotective potential of doxycycline in a Drosophila model of Aβ toxicity and sought to correlate any effects with the aggregation state of the peptide. We found that administration of doxycycline to Aβ42-expressing flies did not improve their lifespan but was able to slow the progression of their locomotor deficits. We also measured the rough eye phenotype of transgenic flies expressing the E22G variant of Aβ42 and showed that doxycycline administration partially rescued the toxicity of Aβ in the developing eye. We correlated these in vivo effects with in vitro observations using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and thioflavin T binding. We found that doxycycline prevents Aβ fibrillization and favors the generation of smaller, non-amyloid structures that were non-toxic as determined by the lack of caspase 3 activation in a neuroblastoma cell line. Our confirmation that doxycycline can prevent amyloid β toxicity both in vitro and in vivo supports its therapeutic potential in AD.
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: which staging systems best predict prognosis?

PURPOSE The purpose of cancer staging systems is to accurately predict patient prognosis. The outcome of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) depends on both the cancer stage and the extent of liver dysfunction. Many staging systems that include both aspects have been developed. It remains unknown, however, which of these systems is optimal for predicting patient survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with advanced HCC treated over a 5-year period at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center were identified from an electronic medical record database. Patients with sufficient data for utilization in all staging systems were included. TNM sixth edition, Okuda, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC), Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP), Chinese University Prognostic Index (CUPI), Japan Integrated Staging (JIS), and Groupe d'Etude et de Traitement du Carcinome Hepatocellulaire (GETCH) systems were ranked on the basis of their accuracy at predicting survival by using concordance index (c-index). Other independent prognostic variables were also identified. RESULTS Overall, 187 eligible patients were identified and were staged by using the seven staging systems. CLIP, CUPI, and GETCH were the three top-ranking staging systems. BCLC and TNM sixth edition lacked any meaningful prognostic discrimination. Performance status, AST, abdominal pain, and esophageal varices improved the discriminatory ability of CLIP. CONCLUSION In our selected patient population, CLIP, CUPI, and GETCH were the most informative staging systems in predicting survival in patients with advanced HCC. Prospective validation is required to determine if they can be accurately used to stratify patients in clinical trials and to direct the appropriate need for systemic therapy versus best supportive care. BCLC and TNM sixth edition were not helpful in predicting survival outcome, and their use is not supported by our data.
Distinct kinetic and mechanical properties govern mucin 16- and podocalyxin-mediated tumor cell adhesion to E- and L-selectin in shear flow

Selectin-mediated tumor cell tethering to host cells, such as vascular endothelial cells, is a critical step in the process of cancer metastasis. We recently identified sialofucosylated mucin16 (MUC16) and podocalyxin (PODXL) as the major functional E- and L-selectin ligands expressed on the surface of metastatic pancreatic cancer cells. While the biophysics of leukocyte binding to selectins has been well studied, little is known about the mechanics of selectin-mediated adhesion pertinent to cancer metastasis. We thus sought to evaluate the critical parameters of selectin-mediated pancreatic tumor cell tethering and rolling. Using force spectroscopy, we characterized the binding interactions of MUC16 and PODXL to E- and L-selectin at the single-molecule level. To further analyze the response of these molecular interactions under physiologically relevant regimes, we used a microfluidic assay in conjunction with a mathematical model to study the biophysics of selectin-ligand binding as a function of fluid shear stress. We demonstrate that both MUC16 and PODXL-E-selectin-mediated interactions are mechanically stronger than like L-selectin interactions at the single-molecule level, and display a higher binding frequency at all contact times. The single-molecule kinetic and micromechanical properties of selectin-ligand bonds, along with the number of receptor-ligand bonds needed to initiate tethering, regulate the average velocity of ligand-coated microspheres rolling on selectin-coated surfaces in shear flow. Understanding the biophysics of selectin-ligand bonds and their responses to physiologically relevant shear stresses is vital for developing diagnostic assays and/or preventing the metastatic spread of tumor cells by interfering with selectin-mediated adhesion.
Genetic algorithm to generate optimized soft keyboard

In this paper, we propose a genetic algorithm formal framework to optimize character location on a soft keyboard. This method is described regardless of the language and layout used and can then easily be adapted to any language and layout. In this scope, we present a measure, based on Mackenzie's model, to estimate the performances of the best characters in a given layout. We apply our method to common English language and two different layouts (hexagonal and rectangular layout) in order to compare with FITALY, OPTI or Metropolis keyboards. In all configurations, our method has the best performance.
Tool Wear Monitoring Based on Localized Fuzzy Neural Networks for Turning Operation

On-line tool wear monitoring is essential to automatic machining process. In order to predict tool wear accurately and reliably under different cutting conditions, a novel tool wear monitoring system (TWMS) is proposed by using localized fuzzy neural networks(LFNN) in this study which may improve classification accuracy of tool states and the computing speed compared with BPNN and normal fuzzy neural networks in the process of turning. By analyzing cutting forces signals and acoustic emission signals in time domain, frequency domain, and time-frequency domain, a series of features that sensitive to tool states were selected as inputs of neural networks according to synthesis coefficient. The nonlinear relations between tool wear and features were modeled by using integrated neural network (INN) that constructed and optimized through LFNN trained by an adaptive learning algorithm. The experimental results show that the monitoring system based on LFNN is provided with high precision, rapid computing speed and good multiplication.
An Extensible Heuristic-Based Framework for GUI Test Case Maintenance

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) make up a large portion of the code comprising many modern software applications. However, GUI testing differs significantly from testing of traditional software. One respect in which this is true is test case maintenance. Due to the way that GUI test cases are often implemented, relatively minor changes to the construction of the GUI can cause a large number of test case executions to malfunction, often because GUI elements referred to by the test cases have been renamed, moved, or otherwise altered. We posit that a general solution to the problem of GUI test case maintenance must be based on heuristics that attempt to match an application’s GUI elements across versions. We demonstrate the use of some heuristics with framework support. Our tool support is general in that it may be used with other heuristics if needed in the future.
Situations, Si! Situation Terms, No!

The situation calculus, as proposed by McCarthy and Hayes, and developed over the last decade by Reiter and co-workers, is reconsidered. A new logical variant is proposed that captures much of the expressive power of the original, but where certain technical results are much more easily proven. This is illustrated using two existing non-trivial results: the regression theorem and the determinacy of knowledge theorem of Reiter. We also obtain a regression theorem for knowledge, and show how to reduce reasoning about knowledge and action to non-epistemic non-dynamic reasoning about the initial situation.
Multimodal biometric system based on hand geometry, palmprint and signature

The aim of this paper is to exploit the best possible combinations of hand geometry, palmprint and offline signatures for multimodal biometric systems by integrating the information at score level fusion. Initially, Zernike moments are extracted for each biometric trait of a person and study the identification accuracy. Subsequently, the effect of identification accuracy using score level fusion of multiple traits of a person is studied. Experiments are conducted on GPDS hand geometry database, PolyU two dimensional palmprint database and UOM offline signature database to assess the actual advantage of the fusion of multiple biometric traits performed at score level fusion, in comparison to the unimodal biometric system. The proposed methodology has shown promising results.
Miniature Pulpotomy of Symptomatic Mature Permanent Teeth: A Report of Two Cases

Human dental pulp inflammation can progress to periapical lesion formation and conventional root canal treatment (RCT) has been the traditional method for disease management. This observational study presents two cases of vital pulp therapy in mature molars diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis and associated with apical periodontitis. In these two clinical cases, the involved teeth had deep carious lesions with a history of spontaneous/lingering pain and radiographic examinations revealed the presence of apical radiolucencies. A conservative miniature pulpotomy (MP) using calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) was performed and the teeth were permanently restored with amalgam. Clinical evaluations indicated resolution of pain 24 hours after treatment; the teeth showed normal vitality, remained asymptomatic and maintained normal function after recall examinations. Furthermore, the 18-month radiographic evaluation showed healing of the apical lesions. Vital pulp therapy using the MP technique with CEM appeared successful in avoiding RCT intervention. These two reports of case outcome suggest that simple MP using a CEM bioregenerative technique may provide a favorable outcome for permanent teeth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis and associated with apical periodontitis.
Apparatus and method for measuring blood pressure

PURPOSE: A device and a method for measuring blood pressure are provided to obtain a blood pressure measurement result by considering the thickness of a subcutaneous fat on a measurement part. CONSTITUTION: A pressure sensor(117) senses a sphygmus wave and blood vessel pressure from a blood vessel of the blood pressure measurement part. At least one optical source(111-113) irradiates the light to a blood pressure measurement part. An optical detector(115) detects the light reflected from the blood pressure measurement part. A body fat measurement part(122) produces the fat property of the blood pressure measurement part based on the intensity of the reflected light. A reference blood pressure detector(124) detects a reference blood pressure of a subject based on the sphygmus wave and the blood vessel pressure detected by the pressure sensor.
Additional Value of Intra-Aneurysmal Hemodynamics in Discriminating Ruptured versus Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hemodynamics are thought to play an important role in the rupture of intracranial aneurysms. We tested whether hemodynamics, determined from computational fluid dynamics models, have additional value in discriminating ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. Such discriminative power could provide better prediction models for rupture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on patients eligible for endovascular treatment, including 55 ruptured and 62 unruptured aneurysms. Association with rupture status was tested for location, aneurysm type, and 4 geometric and 10 hemodynamic parameters. Patient-specific spatiotemporal velocities measured with phase-contrast MR imaging were used as inflow conditions for computational fluid dynamics. To assess the additional value of hemodynamic parameters, we performed 1 univariate and 2 multivariate analyses: 1 traditional model including only location and geometry and 1 advanced model that included patient-specific hemodynamic parameters. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, high-risk locations (anterior cerebral arteries, posterior communicating artery, and posterior circulation), daughter sacs, unstable inflow jets, impingements at the aneurysm body, and unstable complex flow patterns were significantly present more often in ruptured aneurysms. In both multivariate analyses, only the high-risk location (OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.77–8.68) and the presence of daughter sacs (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.25–6.25) remained as significant independent determinants. CONCLUSIONS: In this study population of patients eligible for endovascular treatment, we found no independent additional value of aneurysmal hemodynamics in discriminating rupture status, despite high univariate associations. Only traditional parameters (high-risk location and the presence of daughter sacs) were independently associated with ruptured aneurysms.
Inhibition of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase increases the expression of interferon‐responsive genes

The 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) pathway is an important metabolic route that is present in almost every organism. However, whether HMGCR affects the expression of interferon (IFN)‐responsive genes is unclear. In the present study, expression levels of IFN‐responsive genes were monitored by real time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that expression levels of IFN‐responsive genes were significantly increased in HMGCR‐downregulated cells and HMGCR inhibitor‐treated cells, indicating that inhibition of HMGCR activates the expression of IFN‐responsive genes. The result in this study will provide new insight into the role of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase in antiviral research.
Choosing foods for infants: a qualitative study of the factors that influence mothers.

BACKGROUND Examining the experiences of parents making food choices for infants is important because ultimately this influences what infants eat. Infancy is a critical period when food preferences and eating behaviour begin to develop, shaping dietary patterns, growth and health outcomes. There is limited evidence regarding what or why foods are chosen for infants. OBJECTIVE To describe the experiences of mothers making food choices for their infant children. METHODS Semi-structured interviews with 32 Australian mothers of infants aged four to 15 months from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. An inductive thematic analysis through a process of constant comparison was conducted on transcribed interviews. RESULTS Mothers described many ideas and circumstances which influenced food choices they made for infants. Themes were developed which encapsulate how the wider environment and individual circumstances combine to result in the food choices made for infants. Beliefs, values, norms and knowledge were a central influence on choices. Cost, quality and availabilities of various foods were also key factors. Related to this, and combined with inherent factors such as perishability and infant acceptability, fresh fruits and vegetables were often singled out as an easy or difficult choice. Influences of time, parents' capacities, social connections and different information sources were clearly apparent. Finally infants' own preferences and how parents helped infants with learning to eat were also key influences on food choices. CONCLUSIONS Choosing foods for infants is a complex social practice. An ecological framework depicting the multiple influences on what people eat and sociological theory on food choice regarding the role of 'social structure' and 'human agency' are both applicable to the process of choosing foods for infants. Equity issues may be key regarding the degree to which mothers can choose particular foods for infants (e.g. choosing foods which promote health).