Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Riemann-Finsler geometry and its applications to diffusion magnetic resonance imaging

Riemannian geometry has become a popular mathematical framework for the analysis of diffusion tensor images (DTI) in diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWMRI). If one declines from the a priori constraint to model local anisotropic diffusion in terms of a 6-degrees-of-freedom rank-2 DTI tensor, then Riemann-Finsler geometry appears to be the natural extension. As such it provides an interesting alternative to the Riemannian rationale in the context of the various high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) schemes proposed in the literature. The main advantages of the proposed Riemann-Finsler paradigm are its manifest incorporation of the DTI model as a limiting case via a "correspondence principle" (operationalized in terms of a vanishing Cartan tensor), and its direct connection to the physics of DWMRI expressed by the (appropriately generalized) Stejskal-Tanner equation and Bloch-Torrey equations furnished with a diffusion term.
Aggregated Antibiograms and Monitoring of Drug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae

Community-specific antimicrobial susceptibility data may help monitor trends among drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and guide empiric therapy. Because active, population-based surveillance for invasive pneumococcal disease is accurate but resource intensive, we compared the proportion of penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates obtained from existing antibiograms, a less expensive system, to that obtained from 1 year of active surveillance for Georgia, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, Oregon, Maryland, Connecticut, and New York. For all sites, proportions of penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates from antibiograms were within 10 percentage points (median 3.65) of those from invasive-only isolates obtained through active surveillance. Only 23% of antibiograms distinguished between isolates intermediate and resistant to penicillin; 63% and 57% included susceptibility results for erythromycin and extended-spectrum cephalosporins, respectively. Aggregating existing hospital antibiograms is a simple and relatively accurate way to estimate local prevalence of penicillin-nonsusceptible pneumococcus; however, antibiograms offer limited data on isolates with intermediate and high-level penicillin resistance and isolates resistant to other agents.
A State-of-the-Art Review: Personalization of Tinnitus Sound Therapy

Background: There are several established, and an increasing number of putative, therapies using sound to treat tinnitus. There appear to be few guidelines for sound therapy selection and application. Aim: To review current approaches to personalizing sound therapy for tinnitus. Methods: A “state-of-the-art” review (Grant and Booth, 2009) was undertaken to answer the question: how do current sound-based therapies for tinnitus adjust for tinnitus heterogeneity? Scopus, Google Scholar, Embase and PubMed were searched for the 10-year period 2006–2016. The search strategy used the following key words: “tinnitus” AND “sound” AND “therapy” AND “guidelines” OR “personalized” OR “customized” OR “individual” OR “questionnaire” OR “selection. ” The results of the review were cataloged and organized into themes. Results: In total 165 articles were reviewed in full, 83 contained sufficient details to contribute to answering the study question. The key themes identified were hearing compensation, pitched-match therapy, maskability, reaction to sound and psychosocial factors. Although many therapies mentioned customization, few could be classified as being personalized. Several psychoacoustic and questionnaire-based methods for assisting treatment selection were identified. Conclusions: Assessment methods are available to assist clinicians to personalize sound-therapy and empower patients to be active in therapy decision-making. Most current therapies are modified using only one characteristic of the individual and/or their tinnitus.
Success despite specific learning disabilities

Abstract Proactive coping is known to be a key resource for life success by adults who have specific learning disabilities. This paper describes two programs that were trialled as part of doctoral research. These were a coping program and a teacher feedback intervention designed to increase proactive coping for adolescent students with specific learning disabilities. The coping program focused on use of proactive coping strategies, optimistic thinking and assertiveness, and was designed according to best practice for access by students who have specific learning disabilities. The teacher feedback intervention involved teacher feedback to individual students that focused on expectation of use of effort, and strategy in preference to negative rumination on poor ability.
Decentralized fuzzy controlling for target classification using wireless sensor networks

Target classification is one of the applications of wireless sensor networks that aims to recognize the type of mobile targets that navigate within a sensing field. This paper presents a fuzzy-based controller module using MaxMin and MinMax Distributed K-Nearest Neighbors (DKNN) algorithms for ground vehicle classification in order to achieve efficient energy usage and better classification accuracy. This fuzzy module has embedded in an existing target classification system. The fuzzy-based controller module handles the wireless sensor nodes sensing rate (refresh rate) dynamically. A simulation-based study has carried out to test our approach and the simulation results have compared to well-known MaxMin and MinMax DKNN algorithms from literature. Simulation results show that our proposed approach prolongs the network lifetime and achieves better target classification accuracy.
Emotion understanding: A cross-cultural comparison between Italian and German preschoolers

Italy and Germany belong to the Latin and the Germanic cultural cluster, respectively, and show, e.g., diverse languages, religious practices, rearing styles, and socialization goals. Given potential cultural differences in the developmental goals of independence and interdependence, the present work sought to explore developmental differences between Italian and German 3–6-year-old children's understanding of emotion assessed by the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC). On average, Italian (n = 114) compared to German (n = 108) preschoolers mastered more TEC components at the ages 3 and 5. On component level, however, the samples only differed on the component Hiding: more Italian compared to German preschoolers understood that expressed and felt emotion may differ. Cultural differences within the Western industrial world thus likely relate to specific components rather than overall competence. Results will be discussed in relation to cultural belonging, controlling for maternal educational level, presence of siblings, and multilingualism.
DNA-EIA to detect high and low risk HPV genotypes in cervical lesions with E6/E7 primer mediated multiplex PCR.

BACKGROUND: Oncogenicity of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in premalignant and malignant uterine cervical diseases is mainly induced by E6/E7 open reading frame (ORF). The presence of an oncogenic HPV DNA may be a diagnostic marker for the detection of cytologically negative smears. AIMS: To evaluate an original polymerase chain reaction enzyme immunoassay (PCR-EIA) for the detection and typing of oncogenic and non-oncogenic HPV types. METHODS: The test was an original multiplex labelled PCR-EIA for the detection and typing of oncogenic and non-oncogenic HPV using three consensus sequence primers within the oncogenic E6/E7 ORF. One primer was dinitrophenyl (DNP) labelled and the DNP labelled amplimers could be further hybridised with specific biotinylated oligoprobes mixed in only two cocktails: oncogenic (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58) and non-oncogenic (6 and 11) HPV types in only two wells; then biotinylated oligoprobes were deposited in streptavidin-coated microplates. The PCR-EIA was validated on HPV plasmids (types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 35, 52, and 58) and used to evaluate cervical scrapes from 181 patients (median age 32 years) at high risk for cervical cancer. RESULTS: HPV were detected in the cervical scrapes of 88 of 181 patients (48.6%); nine with non-oncogenic HPV (5.0%) and 79 with oncogenic HPV (43.6%) including 29 coinfections with oncogenic and non-oncogenic HPV. The number of oncogenic HPV infections increased with the presence of high grade lesions: 95.8% of the cervical scrapes from patients with high grade lesions contained oncogenic HPV compared with 32.1% of the specimens from patients without any lesions detectable by colposcopy and/or by cytological examination of the cervical smears. Moreover, 60% of cervical scrapes exhibiting low grade lesions contained oncogenic HPV. CONCLUSIONS: This test is simple, specific, sensitive, safe, fast, reproducible, and easy to use in routine practice. Thus, it is possible to detect simultaneously on a simple cervical scrape, two kinds of HPV--oncogenic and non-oncogenic--in just two microplate wells with non-isotopic oligoprobes.
Vascular Occlusions in Grapevines with Pierce’s Disease Make Disease Symptom Development Worse1[OA]

Vascular occlusions in Pierce's disease-susceptible grapevines suppress water conduction in host vines which contributes to the vines' disease susceptibility. Vascular occlusions are common structural modifications made by many plant species in response to pathogen infection. However, the functional role(s) of occlusions in host plant disease resistance/susceptibility remains controversial. This study focuses on vascular occlusions that form in stem secondary xylem of grapevines (Vitis vinifera) infected with Pierce’s disease (PD) and the impact of occlusions on the hosts’ water transport and the systemic spread of the causal bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in infected vines. Tyloses are the predominant type of occlusion that forms in grapevine genotypes with differing PD resistances. Tyloses form throughout PD-susceptible grapevines with over 60% of the vessels in transverse sections of all examined internodes becoming fully blocked. By contrast, tylose development was mainly limited to a few internodes close to the point of inoculation in PD-resistant grapevines, impacting only 20% or less of the vessels. The extensive vessel blockage in PD-susceptible grapevines was correlated to a greater than 90% decrease in stem hydraulic conductivity, compared with an approximately 30% reduction in the stems of PD-resistant vines. Despite the systemic spread of X. fastidiosa in PD-susceptible grapevines, the pathogen colonized only 15% or less of the vessels in any internode and occurred in relatively small numbers, amounts much too small to directly block the vessels. Therefore, we concluded that the extensive formation of vascular occlusions in PD-susceptible grapevines does not prevent the pathogen’s systemic spread in them, but may significantly suppress the vines’ water conduction, contributing to PD symptom development and the vines’ eventual death.
AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL ON WEB USER EXPERIENCE

In this paper, we present an integrative approach to describe the user experience of website usage. Starting from a basic user experience process model four dimensions of experience are integrated in the model: perceived usefulness, ease of use, hedonic quality and visual attractiveness. The model is tested empirically in two web domains: online bookshops and travel agencies. The intention to use a system as a predictor of system usage is studied as one consequence of the users’ experience of interaction. The results suggest that all four aspects of experience are mostly independently perceived by the user and all contribute significantly to the intention to use a website while perceived usefulness had the major influence and the other experience dimensions had smaller effects. Consequences of the findings for developing interactive systems that take all of the users’ needs into account and that users so intend to use are discussed.
Renormalized Ginzburg-Landau energy and location of near boundary vortices

We consider the location of near boundary vortices which arise in the study of minimizing sequences of Ginzburg-Landau functional with degree boundary condition. As the problem is not well-posed --- minimizers do not exist, we consider a regularized problem which corresponds physically to the presence of a superconducting layer at the boundary. The study of this formulation in which minimizers now do exist, is linked to the analysis of a version of renormalized energy. As the layer width decreases to zero, we show that the vortices of any minimizer converge to a point of the boundary with maximum curvature. This appears to be the first such result for complex-valued Ginzburg-Landau type problems.
Optimizing Beam Pattern of Linear Adaptive Phase Array Antenna Based on Particle Swarm Optimization

In this paper, an innovative optimal radiation pattern of an adaptive linear array is derived by phase-only perturbations using a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. An antenna array is often made as an adaptive antenna. An optimal radiation pattern design for an adaptive antenna system is not only to suppress interference by placing a null in the direction of the interfering source but also to derive the maximum power pattern in the direction of the desired signal. The Signal Interference Ratio (SIR) can be maximized. The PSO algorithm is a new methodology in this study area, which can handle adaptive radiation pattern of antenna array. In this paper, an optimal radiation pattern of linear array is derived by phase-only perturbations using a PSO algorithm. PSO algorithms will be stated and computed for this problem. Then, the optimal solution can be derived, and simulation results are also presented in this paper.
Profile of the modulation instabilities in different environments

The coverage area of an WIMAX system operating with 2.5 GHz is analyzed according to the modulation used. The modulation of an antenna depends on the value of the power received and the attenuation of this power leads to regions of different modulations. We used the shadowing model to describe this attenuation. In this model, the different environments are described by different beta values and the distribution of the power values around the mean value is described by a statistical variable. When this distribution is associated with the antenna modulation we can notice that there will be regions associated with two kinds of modulations, leading to instabilities. Furthermore, we noticed that this instability is associated with the beta value: in outdoor environments the instability covers a larger region than in indoor environments.
Why did this code change?

When a developer works on code that is shared with other developers, she needs to know why the code has been changed in particular ways to avoid reintroducing bugs. A developer looking at a code change may have access to a short commit message or a link to a bug report which may provide detailed information about how the code changed but which often lacks information about what motivated the change. This motivational information can sometimes be found by piecing together information from a set of relevant project documents, but few developers have the time to find and read the right documentation. We propose the use of multi-document summarization techniques to generate a concise natural language description of why code changed so that a developer can choose the right course of action.
A Strategy for Using Genetic Algorithms to Automate Branch and Fault-Based Testing

Genetic algorithms have been used successfully to generate software test data automatically; all branches were covered with substantially fewer generated tests than simple random testing. We generated test sets which executed all branches in a variety of programs including a quadratic equation solver, remainder, linear and binary search procedures, and a triangle classifier comprising a system of five procedures. We regard the generation of test sets as a search through the input domain for appropriate inputs. The genetic algorithms generated test data to give 100% branch coverage in up to two orders of magnitude fewer tests than random testing. Whilst some of this benefit is offset by increased computation effort, the adequacy of the test data is improved by the genetic algorithm's ability to generate test sets which are at or close to the input subdomain boundaries. Genetic algorithms may be used for fault-based testing where faults associated with mistakes in branch predicates are revealed. The software has been deliberately seeded with faults in the branch predicates (i.e. mutation testing), and our system successfully killed 97% of the mutants.
Motion planning on rough terrain for an articulated vehicle in presence of uncertainties

This paper addresses motion planning for a mobile robot moving on a rough terrain. Simeon and Dacre-Wright proposed (1993) a geometrical planner for a particular architecture of robot, based on a discrete search technique operating in the (x, y, /spl theta/) configuration space of the robot, and on the evaluation of elementary feasible paths between two configurations. The overall efficiency of the approach was made possible by the use of fast algorithms for solving the placement problem and checking the validity of such placements. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we study the extension of this approach to an articulated vehicle composed of three axles connected to the chassis by joints allowing the roll and pitch movements. We also propose new algorithms to improve the robustness of the planner by considering additional constraints: uncertainties in the terrain model and existence of a free channel around the computed trajectory. Some simulation results presented at the end of the paper show the effectiveness of the planner which turns out to be both fast and capable of solving difficult problems.
Psychiatric Symptoms, Social Disability, Low Wellbeing and Need for Treatment: Data from a Population-Based Study

Background: Identifying need for treatment due to mental problems is necessary for rational health care planning. The aim of this study was to study reports of psychiatric symptoms, social disability and low wellbeing as indicators of meetable need of care. Methods: An extensive questionnaire was sent out to a representative adult population in Stockholm, Sweden. Psychiatric symptom scales, social disabilities due to psychological distress and wellbeing were included. Of the 10,442 persons that answered 1093 were interviewed by psychiatrists. Meetable need of care was assessed and psychiatric diagnoses were made according to DSM-IV. Results: Reports of psychiatric symptoms, social disabilities and low wellbeing were all associated with being female, younger, single, manual work and unemployed. Somatic disorders, a lower degree of social network and more negative life events were also associated. Of the interviewees persons with low well-being had the highest risk for being regarded as having meetable need of care. Additionally they were more likely to fulfil the criteria for a psychiatric disorder accordingtoDSM-IV. Conclusion: Persons with low wellbeing had a higher risk of having meetable need of care than persons with psychiatric symptoms and/or social disabilities had.
Family History and Women With Ovarian Cancer: Is it Asked and Does it Matter?

Objective The objective of the study was to determine how many women in an ovarian cancer (OC) study cohort had a family history (FH) recorded in their case notes and whether appropriate action was taken on the basis of that FH. Methods This was a review of patient case-note data of women in a randomized controlled trial of follow-up after primary treatment for OC. Available case notes of 114 women recruited at 3 UK gynecologic cancer centers in a 2-year period between January 2006 and 2008 were examined. Case-note entries for the period from first hospital consultation to 2 years after completion of primary treatment were included. Outcome measures were (1) recording of an FH of cancer in the case notes, (2) whether appropriate action had been taken on the basis of the FH in those women with affected relatives, and (3) characterizing insufficient FH records. Results Family history was not consistently recorded. Although FH was recorded in the majority of women, 14 women had no FH recorded. In 63 women, the FH was recorded as not significant, and in 15 cases, FH information was insufficient to complete a risk assessment. Twenty-two women had significant FH meeting criteria for specialist genetics referral. In 15 of these 22 cases, the relevant history suggestive of hereditary breast cancer and OC (due to BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations) or Lynch syndrome had been documented, but no action was recorded, and its significance was not appreciated. Conclusions These data indicate that training in recognizing relevant FH is needed for clinicians looking after women with OC. Research is necessary to determine the barriers in taking and interpreting an FH and to determine the optimal time for broaching FH issues during a woman’s care pathway. This will improve the accuracy of FH recording and ensure families with OC have access to appropriate surveillance and genetic testing.
Silences and Silence in "Creativity".

This reﬂective piece – written primarily to provoke discussion – raises some questions about and for the recent ‘creativity agenda’ in educational policy in England, suggesting that something fundamental is missing. The author argues that ‘creativity’ has characteristi- cally been deﬁned in recent policy discourse as a set of skills concerned with developing independent thinking, problem-solving and ﬂexible working. ‘Creativity’ thus turns out to be intimately and explicitly allied to ‘employability’. The author believes that creativity, on the contrary, is stimulated by the encouragement of vivid inner lifeworlds, a sense of imaginative interiority and a sensuously-felt subjectivity – as exempliﬁed in S.T. Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan. She argues that these are part of pedagogic responsibility as well as a sine qua non for the work of the imagination. The author is writing in her role as poet (who also leads creative writing workshops, including for teachers), rather than as a researcher.
Scalable consistency maintenance for edge query caches: exploiting templates in web applications

Semantic database caching is a self-managing approach to dynamic materialization of "semantic" slices of back-end databases on servers at the edge of the network. It can be used to enhance the performance of distributed Web servers, information integration applications, and Web applications of oaded to edge servers. Such semantic caches often rely on update propagation protocols to maintain consistency with the back-end database system. However, the scalability of such update propagation protocols continues to be a major challenge. In this paper, we focus on the scalability of update propagation from back-end databases to the edge server caches. In particular, we propose a publish-subscribe like scheme for aggregating cache subscriptions at the back-end site to enhance the scalability of the ltering step required to route updates to the target caches. Our proposal exploits the template-rich nature of Web applications and promises signi cantly better scalability. In this paper, we describe our approach, discuss the tradeoffs that arise in its implementation, and estimate its scalability compared to naive update propagation schemes.