Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-recurrence rate for discriminating ‘concious’ and ‘unconcious’ state in propofol general anesthesia

This paper introduces the use of cross recurrence rate (CRR) for discriminating between ‘conscious’ and ‘unconscious’ state from the electrical brain activity (EEG) of patients under general anesthesia. CRR measures the bivariate dependencies between two time series by looking at recurrences of the phase space from one system to the other. Here, the feasibility of pairwise electrode CRR to discriminate ‘conscious’ and ‘unconscious’ state is investigated using the EEG of 10 subjects during recovery of consciousness from general anesthesia with propofol. Performance is investigated with a Support Vector Machine. An average accuracy of 98% is obtained.
Joint Distributed Rate Control and Resource Allocation in Multiradio Multichannel Multihop Wireless Networks with Network Coding

In this paper, we propose a joint distributed rate control algorithm and distributed resource allocation algorithm in multiradio multichannel multihop wireless networks with network coding. Our formulation provides a method of finding active links from the source to the destination and utilizing the resources from the available ones in order to maximize the network utility. Distributed schemes are used to approximate the upper bound within the feasible solution region of the optimization problem. The performance evaluation results show that the proposed scheme can effectively exploits multiple radios and channels.
Postprandial changes in enteric electrical activity and gut blood flow in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) acclimated to different temperatures

SUMMARY Enteric electrical activity, cardiac output and gut blood flow were measured in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) acclimated to either 10°C or 16°C. Enteric electrical activity showed, in both the fasted and postprandial state, a distinct pattern with clusters of burst-like events interspersed by silent periods. The frequency of electrical events increased postprandially for both acclimation groups. Event frequency increased from 3.0±0.5 to 9.6±1.4 events min–1 and from 5.9±0.9 to 11.8±2.0 events min–1 in the 10°C and 16°C groups, respectively. Similarly, the number of events per cluster increased postprandially for both acclimation groups. Gut blood flow, cardiac output and heart rate increased after feeding. The gut blood flow significantly increased in both groups and peaked at 257±19% and 236±22% in the 10°C and 16°C groups, respectively. There was a strong correlation between the number of events and gut blood flow at both temperatures. Comparison between the two groups showed that fish acclimated to 16°C may have an increased cost of sustaining the basal activity of the gut compared with the group acclimated to 10°C. In conclusion, we have for the first time measured enteric electrical activity in vivo in a fish species and we have also demonstrated a strong correlation between gut blood flow and enteric electrical activity in fasted and postprandial fish.
Coping with saturating projection stages in RMPI-based Compressive Sensing

Though compressive sensing hinges on extracting linear measurements from the signals to acquire, actual implementations introduce nonlinearities whose effect can be far from negligible. We here address the problem of saturation in the circuit blocks needed by a Random Modulation Pre-Integration architecture. To allow a fair a comparison with previous analysis, we rely on a model capturing the essentials of saturations in actual implementations while being able to reproduce more abstract settings considered in the literature. Based on this, we analyze some methods already proposed to cope with simplified saturation mechanisms, briefly discussing their underlying principles. Finally, we introduce a novel approach that takes into account the more realistic model and, at the cost of an almost negligible hardware overhead, is extremely effective in countering saturation effects.
Acute Effects of Block Jumps in Female Volleyball Players: The Role of Performance Level

Although the role of jumping ability in female volleyball players is well recognised, the effect of fatigue on this ability is not well known. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a series of block jumps (BJ) on jumping ability and whether it varies by performance level. Ten elite (EG) and 11 amateur (AG) female volleyball players performed a fatigue intervention consisting of 45 BJ, being tested for squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ) and BJ before and after the intervention. Elasticity index (EI): (100 × (CMJ − SJ)/SJ) and upper limbs coordination index (ULCI): (100 × (BJ − CMJ)/CMJ) were calculated. After the intervention, EG showed a decrease of 4.40% in BJ height (p = 0.04; ES = 0.40), whereas AG presented an increase of 1.27%, which was not significant (p = 0.57; ES = 0.07). However, EG and AG presented no significant differences in SJ (p = 0.965 and p = 0.655) and CMJ (p = 0.742 and p = 0.211) when comparing baseline with post-intervention. Although EI and ULCI showed no significant differences after intervention in any group (AG: p = 0.989 and p = 0.114; EG: p = 0.242 and p = 0.205, respectively), AG presented a medium effect size (ES = 0.50) in EI and a small one in ULCI (ES = 0.37), also EG showed a medium-large effect in ULCI (ES = 0.75). These findings suggest that EG performance in BJ tends to decrease at the end of a specific jump training practice. Therefore, coaches and fitness trainers working with elite volleyball players should focus on exercises to maintain jumping ability during a match.
Adolescents’ Views on the Power of Violence in a Rural School in South Africa

This study aims to explain how adolescents in a rural high school conceptualise school violence. Qualitative data were collected over two two-day periods (24 hours) through child-centred tasks like drawing and the completion of open-ended sentences, informal conversations regarding the given activities, observations documented as visual data (photographs), a research journal, and focus group discussions. In total, four boys and five girls participated in the study. Results of the study indicate that the adolescents (aged 15–17 years) view school violence both as negative, in that it causes harm, and positive, in that it serves as a strategy to ensure order and protection. The adolescents conceptualise violence as interweaving constructs of power, discipline and aggression. Future adolescent-focused interventions regarding violence must include conversations about these nuanced understandings.
Automating survey coding by multiclass text categorization techniques

Survey coding is the task of assigning a symbolic code from a predefined set of such codes to the answer given in response to an open-ended question in a questionnaire (aka survey). This task is usually carried out to group respondents according to a predefined scheme based on their answers. Survey coding has several applications, especially in the social sciences, ranging from the simple classification of respondents to the extraction of statistics on political opinions, health and lifestyle habits, customer satisfaction, brand fidelity, and patient satisfaction. Survey coding is a difficult task, because the code that should be attributed to a respondent based on the answer she has given is a matter of subjective judgment, and thus requires expertise. It is thus unsurprising that this task has traditionally been performed manually, by trained coders. Some attempts have been made at automating this task, most of them based on detecting the similarity between the answer and textual descriptions of the meanings of the candidate codes. We take a radically new stand, and formulate the problem of automated survey coding as a text categorization problem, that is, as the problem of learning, by means of supervised machine learning techniques, a model of the association between answers and codes from a training set of precoded answers, and applying the resulting model to the classification of new answers. In this article we experiment with two different learning techniques: one based on naive Bayesian classification, and the other one based on multiclass support vector machines, and test the resulting framework on a corpus of social surveys. The results we have obtained significantly outperform the results achieved by previous automated survey coding approaches.
Brain-Computer Interface Based on Generation of Visual Images

This paper examines the task of recognizing EEG patterns that correspond to performing three mental tasks: relaxation and imagining of two types of pictures: faces and houses. The experiments were performed using two EEG headsets: BrainProducts ActiCap and Emotiv EPOC. The Emotiv headset becomes widely used in consumer BCI application allowing for conducting large-scale EEG experiments in the future. Since classification accuracy significantly exceeded the level of random classification during the first three days of the experiment with EPOC headset, a control experiment was performed on the fourth day using ActiCap. The control experiment has shown that utilization of high-quality research equipment can enhance classification accuracy (up to 68% in some subjects) and that the accuracy is independent of the presence of EEG artifacts related to blinking and eye movement. This study also shows that computationally-inexpensive Bayesian classifier based on covariance matrix analysis yields similar classification accuracy in this problem as a more sophisticated Multi-class Common Spatial Patterns (MCSP) classifier.
Reliability and validity of the French version of the 18-item Karasek job content questionnaire

Abstract Previous studies have shown that job strain, a combination of high psychological demands and low decision latitude, may be involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases and other health outcomes. In 1985, Karasek recommended a standard questionnaire to measure psychological demands (nine items) and job decision latitude (nine items). The internal consistency, factorial validity, discriminant validity, and 1-year stability of the French version of this instrument were evaluated in a population of 8263 white collar workers. Participants filled out the questionnaire during working hours in the context of a larger cardiovascular study. A subgroup of the study population completed the questionnaire again 1 year later (n = 953). Internal consistency was adequate: . 74 for men and . 73 for women for psychological demands and . 83 for men and . 81 for women for decision latitude. The results of the factor analysis were consistent with the two dimensions expected from the theory, although some items .
The Trehalose Phosphotransferase System (PTS) in E. coli W Can Transport Low Levels of Sucrose that Are Sufficient to Facilitate Induction of the csc Sucrose Catabolism Operon

Plasticity in substrate acceptance is a well-characterised phenomenon for disaccharide transporters. Sucrose, a non-reducing disaccharide, is usually metabolised via either the permease-mediated chromosomally-encoded sucrose catabolism (csc) regulon or the sucrose phosphotransferase system (PTS). E. coli W is a fast-growing strain which efficiently utilises sucrose at concentrations above 1% via the csc regulon. To examine if sucrose could be metabolised via other routes, a library of transposon mutants was generated and screened on 0.2% sucrose. One mutant identified from this library had an insertion in the repressor for the regulon controlling catabolism of the disaccharide trehalose (treR). A series of mutants was constructed to elucidate the mechanism of sucrose utilization in the treR insertion strain. Analysis of these mutants provided evidence that deletion of TreR enables uptake of sucrose via TreB, an enzyme II protein required for PTS-mediated uptake of trehalose. Once inside the cell, this sucrose is not processed by the TreC hydrolase, nor is it sufficient for growth of the strain. QRT-PCR analysis showed that levels of cscA (invertase) transcript increased in the WΔtreR mutant relative to the wild-type strain when grown under low sucrose conditions. This result suggests that the intracellular sucrose provided by TreB can facilitate de-repression of the csc regulon, leading to increased gene expression, sucrose uptake and sucrose utilization in the treR mutant.
Basic Trust and Posttraumatic Growth in Oncology Patients

Basic trust is a presumption that the world has unchangeable order and meaning and is generally positive towards human beings. The results of three separate studies on oncology patients indicate that level of basic trust is positively related to the challenge approach, positive reinterpretation of new life situations, and posttraumatic growth. Structural equation modeling shows that positive reinterpretation, the lack of any dominant anxiety, and hopelessness-helplessness reactions are mediators in the relationship between basic trust and posttraumatic growth after a traumatic experience with cancer.
Children's human figure drawings in the UK and Japan: The effects of age, sex and culture

The participants were 120 UK and 120 Japanese children. There were two age groups (7-year-olds and 11-year-olds) with equal numbers of boys and girls in each. Each child drew three figures: a man standing and facing the viewer, a man running towards the right, and a man running towards the viewer. The older children's figures were rated more highly than those of younger children, supporting previous research findings. Girls' figures received higher ratings than those of boys, contradicting previous claims that boys are more flexible in their drawings of figures in action. Japanese children's figures received higher ratings than those in the UK, suggesting that Japanese children are influenced by a greater exposure to graphic images in their school art curriculum and the widespread popularity of manga comics. The prediction that Japanese boys would make the greatest adaptations to their figures (since manga comics for boys contain more action figures) was not supported. As well as gaining higher ratings, the older children also constructed their figures in more complex ways than did the younger children. The figures drawn by girls and by the Japanese children were not constructed differently from those of boys or UK children; their higher ratings were attributed to their greater facility in the execution of their constructions.
The Role of Transfer in the Variability of Performance Assessment Scores

Large-scale use of performance assessments for individual-level, high-stakes purposes is not widespread, in part because the scores from such assessments are seldom reliable enough for that use. Perhaps the most pervasive cause of this poor reliability is the error variance associated with a Person ×Task interaction. This problem seems quite similar to problems of transfer of learning. The literature on these 2 issues are synthesized to offer an explanation of Person ×Task variability. A research agenda is then proposed based on this literature.
Mediating Effects of Reading Engagement on the Reading Comprehension of Early Adolescent English Language Learners

Reading engagement has been found to be a predictor of reading comprehension and reading achievement in English monolingual students across the elementary grades. However, researchers have not yet explored this relationship with English language learners (ELLs). The purpose of this study was to understand the role of ELLs' reading engagement in both their general and content-specific reading comprehension. We used the construct of reading engagement to determine whether engagement mediated the relationship between ELLs' English language proficiency and general reading comprehension and the relationship between content-specific (science) academic vocabulary and content area (science) reading comprehension. For both 5th-grade Asian ELLs and 6th-grade Hispanic ELLs, reading engagement mediated the relationship between English language proficiency and general comprehension and the relationship between science vocabulary and science comprehension. Taken together, these findings suggest that reading engagement functions as an explanatory mechanism between language proficiency and comprehension in early adolescent ELLs. We discuss the implications of these findings for reading engagement in late elementary and middle school.
Citation data clustering for author name disambiguation

In this paper, we propose a new method of citation data clustering for author name disambiguation. Most citation data appearing in the reference section of scientific papers include the coauthor first names with their initials. Hence, we often search citation data by using such an abbreviated name, e.g. "S. Lee" or "J. Chen", and consequently obtain many irrelevant data in the search result, because such an abbreviated name refers to many different persons. In this paper, we propose a method of citation data clustering to construct clusters each of which includes only citation data corresponding to a unique author. Our clustering method is based on a probabilistic model which is an extension of the naive Bayes mixture model. Since our model has two hidden variables, we call it two-variable mixture model. In the evaluation experiment, we used the well-known DBLP data set. The results show that the two-variable mixture model can achieve a better balance between precision and recall than the naive Bayes mixture model.
Software-Defined Networking for Big-Data Science - Architectural Models from Campus to the WAN

University campuses, Supercomputer centers and R&E networks are challenged to architect, build and support IT infrastructure to deal effectively with the data deluge facing most science disciplines. Hybrid network architecture, multi-domain bandwidth reservations, performance monitoring and GLIF Open Lightpath Exchanges (GOLE) are examples of network architectures that have been proposed, championed and implemented successfully to meet the needs of science. Most recently, Science DMZ, a campus design pattern that bypasses traditional performance hotspots in typical campus network implementation, has been gaining momentum. In this paper and corresponding demonstration, we build upon the SC11 SCinet Research Sandbox demonstrator with Software-Defined networking to explore new architectural approaches. A virtual switch network abstraction is explored, that when combined with software-defined networking concepts provides the science users a simple, adaptable network framework to meet their upcoming application requirements.
Clinical Applicability of Whole-Exome Sequencing Exemplified by a Study in Young Adults with the Advanced Cryptogenic Cholestatic Liver Diseases

Background The proper use of new medical tests in clinical practice requires the establishment of their value and range of diagnostic usefulness. While whole-exome sequencing (WES) has already entered the medical practice, recognizing its diagnostic usefulness in multifactorial diseases has not yet been achieved. Aims The objective of this study was to establish usability of WES in determining genetic background of chronic cholestatic liver disease (CLD) in young patients. Methods WES was performed on six young patients (between 17 and 22 years old) with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis due to CLD and their immediate families. Sequencing was performed on an Ion Proton sequencer. Results On average, 19,673 variants were identified, of which from 7 to 14 variants of an individual were nonsynonymous, homozygous, recessively inherited, and considered in silico as pathogenic. Although monogenic cause of CLD has not been determined, several heterozygous rare variants and polymorphisms were uncovered in genes previously known to be associated with CLD, including ATP8B1, ABCB11, RXRA, and ABCC4, indicative of multifactorial genetic background. Conclusions WES is a potentially useful diagnostic tool in determining genetic background of multifactorial diseases, but its main limitation results from the lack of opportunities for direct linkage between the uncovered genetic variants and molecular mechanisms of disease.
Photographs and accountability: cracking the codes of an NGO

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to formulate an analytical model for interpreting photographs in accountability statements from Barthes' celebrated theoretical work on photography, Design/methodology/approach - The study establishes a conceptual framework for examining photography based on Findings - The framework is enlightening: the photograph's Research limitations/implications - The study provides a model which may be applied to the wealth of photographs produced by contemporary organizations; the framework encompasses promotional images as well as photographic art, and is well suited to figurative photography. It is limited regarding photographs of a hybrid or abstract nature. Practical implications - The analysis is of interest to accounting researchers, practitioners, trainees, auditors and any user of accounting and accountability statements. It illuminates the way in which photographs highlight, complement and supplement information more traditionally communicated in numbers and words. Originality/value - The paper adds to research into NGOs; augments theoretical work on photographs in accountability literature; and expands the empirical literature on the interpretation of photographs in accounting and accountability statements.
No Smoke Without ‘Fire’

ABSTRACT The use of Ganja has been known to create adverse effects on youth. In Jamaica, ganja use is culturally accepted despite the fact that its use is illegal. Many studies done on the use of ganja in Jamaica have looked at prevalence but understanding of motivating factors that drive youth to perform this risky behavior is not clear. This paper analyses the effect of attitude and subjective influences on the prevalence of ganja use among teenagers twelve to seventeen years in the rural parish of St. Thomas, Jamaica. This is based on a study done using the constructs of the Theory of Reasoned Action a behavior theory that explains the factors that are likely to motivate an individual to perform a specific behavior. Ganja use is associated with belief that it has emotional health benefits. There is also a role for the subjective influences of family and peers who smoke ganja. Addressing the problem of ganja use among teens in this community will have to include social policies and other strategies which impact key persons in their social milieu.
Sampling First Order Logical Particles

Approximate inference in dynamic systems is the problem of estimating the state of the system given a sequence of actions and partial observations. High precision estimation is fundamental in many applications like diagnosis, natural language processing, tracking, planning, and robotics. In this paper we present an algorithm that samples possible deterministic executions of a probabilistic sequence. The algorithm takes advantage of a compact representation (using first order logic) for actions and world states to improve the precision of its estimation. Theoretical and empirical results show that the algorithm's expected error is smaller than propositional sampling and Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) sampling techniques.