Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Where Businesses Thrive: Predicting the Impact of the Olympic Games on Local Retailers through Location-based Services Data

The Olympic Games are an important sporting event with notable consequences for the general economic landscape of the host city. Traditional economic assessments focus on the aggregated impact of the event on the national income, but fail to provide micro-scale insights on why local businesses will benefit from the increased activity during the Games.In this paper we provide a novel approach to modeling the impact of the Olympic Games on local retailers by analyzing a dataset mined from a large location-based social service, Foursquare. We hypothesize that the spatial positioning of businesses as well as the mobility trends of visitors are primary indicators of whether retailers will rise their popularity during the event. To confirm this we formulate a retail winners prediction task in the context of which we evaluate a set of geographic and mobility metrics. We find that the proximity to stadiums, the diversity of activity in the neighborhood, the nearby area sociability, as well as the probability of customer flows from and to event places such as stadiums and parks are all vital factors. Through supervised learning techniques we demonstrate that the success of businesses hinges on a combination of both geographic and mobility factors. Our results suggest that location-based social networks, where crowdsourced information about the dynamic interaction of users with urban spaces becomes publicly available, present an alternative medium to assess the economic impact of large scale events in a city.
Random Generation of Finitely Generated Subgroups of a Free Group

We give an efficient algorithm to randomly generate finitely generated subgroups of a given size, in a finite rank free group. Here, the size of a subgroup is the number of vertices of its representation by a reduced graph such as can be obtained by the method of Stallings foldings. Our algorithm randomly generates a subgroup of a given size n, according to the uniform distribution over size n subgroups. In the process, we give estimates of the number of size n subgroups, of the average rank of size n subgroups, and of the proportion of such subgroups that have finite index. Our algorithm has average case complexity $\O(n)$ in the RAM model and $\O(n^2\log^2n)$ in the bitcost model.
Learning latent theories of relations and individuals

Inductive learning of statistical models from relational data is a key problem in artificial intelligence. Two main approaches exist for learning with relational data, and this thesis shows how they can be combined in a uniform framework. The first approach aims to learn dependencies amongst features (relations and properties), e.g. how users’ purchases of products depend on users’ preferences of the products and associated properties of users and products. Such models abstract over individuals, and are compact and easy to interpret. The second approach learns latent properties of individuals that explain the observed features, without modelling interdependencies amongst features. Latentproperty models have demonstrated good predictive accuracy in practise, and are especially useful when few properties and relations are observed. Interesting latent groupings of individuals can be discovered. Our approach aims to learn a unified representation for dependency structures for both observed features and latent properties. We develop a simple approximate expectation maximisation (EM) algorithm for learning the unified representation, and experiments demonstrate cases when our algorithm can generate models that predicts better than dependency-based models of observed features as well as a state-of-the-art latent-property model. We extend our approximate EM algorithm to handle uncertainty about the number of values for latent properties. We search over the number of values and return error bounds, as an alternative to existing proposals based on sampling in the posterior distribution over the number of values. We also solve a specific case where dependencies involve functional relations, which induces a verbose model with many parameters. In comparison, the stan-
A novel static parameter calculation method for model compensation

Vector Taylor Series (VTS) based model compensation approach has been successfully applied to various robust speech recognition tasks. In this paper, we propose a novel method of variable transformation to calculate the static statistics. In addition, we provide a detailed explanation of VTS and random variable transformations adopted in some recent papers. Experiments on Aurora 4 showed that the proposed approach obtained 22.8% relative WER reduction over the traditional first-order VTS methods.
Sexual sensation seeking, sexual compulsivity, and high-risk sexual behaviours among gay/bisexual men in Southwest China

ABSTRACT High-risk sexual behaviours (HRSBs), such as having male casual sexual partners (MCSPs) and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), are combined with a high prevalence of HIV infection among gay/bisexual men. Sexual sensation seeking (SSS) and sexual compulsivity (SC), which are intrapersonal factors, were observed to have associations with HRSB among gay/bisexual men in Western nations. The aim of the study was to examine the relationships between SSS, SC, socio-demographic factors, and HRSB (defined as having MCSP and UAI with MCSP) among self-identified gay and bisexual men in Southwest China. The study was cross-sectional, with a sample of 436 respondents. And their mean age was 24.5 years. The results confirmed that SSS, SC, and sexual attitude are associated with both having MCSP and UAI with MCSP in the Chinese cultural context, among the subgroup of men who have sex with men. Being older, not a student, and having transactional sex in the last 6 months were independently associated with having MCSP. Lower educational level, unemployed, having a relationship with a man, and an unsure HIV status were independently associated with UAI with MCSP. This study indicates that SSS and SC are cross-cultural personality traits related to HRSB. The results of this study may shed light on HIV prevention among gay/bisexual men in China.
Multiple causality in developmental disorders: methodological implications from computational modelling

When developmental disorders are defined on the basis of behavioural impairments alone, there is a risk that individuals with different underlying cognitive deficits will be grouped together on the basis that they happen to share a certain impairment. This phenomenon is labelled multiple causality . In contrast, a developmental disorder generated by a single underlying cognitive deficit may nevertheless show variable patterns of impairments due to individual differences. Connectionist computational models of development are used to investigate whether there may be ways to distinguish disorder groups with a single underlying cause (homogeneous disorder groups) from disorder groups with multiple underlying causes (heterogeneous disorder groups) on the basis of behavioural measures alone. A heuristic is proposed to assess the underlying causal homogeneity of the disorder group based on the variability of different behavioural measures from the target domain. Heterogeneous disorder groups are likely to show smaller variability on the measure used to define the disorder than on subsequent behavioural measures, while homogeneous groups should show approximately equivalent variability. Homogeneous disorder groups should show reductions in the variability of behavioural measures over time, while heterogeneous groups may not. It is demonstrated how these predictions arise from computational assumptions, and their use is illustrated with reference to behavioural data on naming skills from two developmental disorder groups, Williams syndrome and children with Word Finding Difficulties.
Binding strength and activation state of single fibrinogen-integrin pairs on living cells

Integrin activation states determine the ability of these receptors to mediate cell–matrix and cell–cell interactions. The prototypic example of this phenomenon is the platelet integrin, αIIbβ3. In unstimulated platelets, αIIbβ3 is inactive, whereas exposing platelets to an agonist such as ADP or thrombin enables αIIbβ3 to bind ligands such as fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor. To study the regulation of integrin activation states at the level of single molecules, we developed a model system based on laser tweezers, enabling us to determine the rupture forces required to separate single ligand-receptor pairs by using either purified proteins or intact living cells. Here, we show that rupture forces of individual fibrinogen molecules and either purified αIIbβ3 or αIIbβ3 on the surface of living platelets were 60 to 150 pN with a peak yield strength of 80–100 pN. Platelet stimulation using either ADP or the thrombin receptor-activating peptide enhanced the accessibility but not the adhesion strength of single αIIbβ3 molecules, indicating that there are only two states of αIIbβ3 activation. Thus, we found it possible to use laser tweezers to measure the regulation of forces between individual ligand-receptor pairs on living cells. This methodology can be applied to the study of other regulated cell membrane receptors using the ligand-receptor yield strength as a direct measure of receptor activation/inactivation state.
Effect of Adjunctive Celecoxib on BDNF in Manic Patients Undergoing Electroconvulsive Therapy: a Randomized Double Blind Controlled Trial

Abstract Introduction: The possible effect of inflammatory factors on decreasing BDNF has been proposed in the literature. There is conflicting evidence regarding association between BDNF level alteration and treatment response in depressive patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This study investigated the effects of celecoxib in manic patients undergoing ECT on treatment response and BDNF levels. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, clinical trial included 35 manic patients who received either celecoxib (200 mg twice daily) or placebo, from one day before the 1st ECT session throughout the 6th session. BDNF levels were measured at baseline, 1st, 3rd and 6th ECT sessions. Young mania rating scale was used to assess treatment response. Results: Adding celecoxib was not associated with a significant rise in BDNF levels following ECT. No difference was noted between groups in terms of treatment response. No significant association was found between changes in BDNF levels and patients’ responses. Discussion: Adjuvant celecoxib did not significantly affect the BDNF level or the treatment response following ECT in manic patients.
Zliding: fluid zooming and sliding for high precision parameter manipulation

High precision parameter manipulation tasks typically require adjustment of the scale of manipulation in addition to the parameter itself. This paper introduces the notion of Zoom Sliding, or Zliding, for fluid integrated manipulation of scale (zooming) via pressure input while parameter manipulation within that scale is achieved via x-y cursor movement (sliding). We also present the Zlider (Figure 1), a widget that instantiates the Zliding concept. We experimentally evaluate three different input techniques for use with the Zlider in conjunction with a stylus for x-y cursor positioning, in a high accuracy zoom and select task. Our results marginally favor the stylus with integrated isometric pressure sensing tip over bimanual techniques which separate zooming and sliding controls over the two hands. We discuss the implications of our results and present further designs that make use of Zliding.
Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type: Changes in Hippocampal L‐[3H]Glutamate Binding

Abstract: Glutamate or a related excitatory amino acid is thought to be the major excitatory neurotransmitter of hippocampal afferents, intrinsic neurons, and efferents. We have used an autoradiographic technique to investigate the status of excitatory amino acid receptors in the hippocampal formation of patients dying with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). We examined l‐[3H]glutamate binding to sections from the hippocampal formation of six patients dying of DAT and six patients without DAT and found marked reductions in total [3H]glutamate binding in all regions of hippocampus and adjacent parahippocampal cortex in DAT brains as compared to controls. When subtypes of excitatory amino acid receptors were assayed, it was found that binding to the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA)‐sensitive receptor was reduced by 75–87%, with the greatest loss found in stratum moleculare and stratum pyramidale of CA1. Binding to quisqualate (QA)‐sensitive receptors was reduced by 45–69%. There were smaller reductions (21–46%) in GABAA receptors in DAT cases. Muscarinic cholinergic receptors assayed in adjacent sections of hippocampal formation were unchanged in DAT. Benzodiazepine receptors were reduced significantly only in parahippocampal cortex by 44%. These results suggest that glutamatergic neurotransmission within the hippocampal formation is likely to be severely impaired in Alzheimer's disease. Such impairment may account for some of the cognitive decline and memory deficits that characterize DAT.
More variation in lifespan in lower educated groups: evidence from 10 European countries.

BACKGROUND Whereas it is well established that people with a lower socio-economic position have a shorter average lifespan, it is less clear what the variability surrounding these averages is. We set out to examine whether lower educated groups face greater variation in lifespans in addition to having a shorter life expectancy, in order to identify entry points for policies to reduce the impact of socio-economic position on mortality. METHODS We used harmonized, census-based mortality data from 10 European countries to construct life tables by sex and educational level (low, medium, high). Variation in lifespan was measured by the standard deviation conditional upon survival to age 35 years. We also decomposed differences between educational groups in lifespan variation by age and cause of death. RESULTS Lifespan variation was higher among the lower educated in every country, but more so among men and in Eastern Europe. Although there was an inverse relationship between average life expectancy and its standard deviation, the first did not completely predict the latter. Greater lifespan variation in lower educated groups was largely driven by conditions causing death at younger ages, such as injuries and neoplasms. CONCLUSIONS Lower educated individuals not only have shorter life expectancies, but also face greater uncertainty about the age at which they will die. More priority should be given to efforts to reduce the risk of an early death among the lower educated, e.g. by strengthening protective policies within and outside the health-care system.
A Slotted and Cross-Layer Node-Disjoint Multipath Routing Protocol for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we propose a protocol for identifying node-disjoint paths in an ad hoc network. The core of a protocol is a scheme that forwards copies of a route request at an intermediate node. We propose schemes that are slotted and utilize the cross-layer properties of an ad hoc network. There can be a trade-off between the overheads incurred during the route discovery and the probability of identifying all node-disjoint paths between a given source and a destination. One may select an appropriate scheme from the schemes presented in this paper depending upon the overhead-probability trade-off.
Assessing Intraindividual Variability on Neuropsychological Assessments in African American Older Adults

The current investigation examined intraindividual variability and predictors of this variability on neuropsychological measures. A total of 50 (39 women and 11 men) independently living, community-dwelling African Americans ranging in age from 50 to 80 years (M = 65.40, SD = 8.53) were asked to complete measures assessing socio-demographics, physical health (i.e. blood pressure and sleep), and cognitive functioning (i.e. executive function, memory, perceptual speed, constructions, and language) over 8 occasions within a 2-3 week period. The current study observed intraindividual variability across the neuropsychological measures. Results from multilevel modeling suggested that a within-person change in systolic blood pressure was positively associated with performance on executive function (e.g., Letter Fluency), particularly for those participants who on average had high systolic blood pressure and high stress. In contrast, a within-person change in sleep duration was associated with worse performance on constructions and executive functioning (e.g., Letter Fluency). Results also reflected a significant interaction between within-person change in sleep duration and average sleep duration for both perceptual speed (e.g., Number Comparison test) and executive function (e.g., Stroop task). Individuals with low sleep duration on average tended to perform poorly, particularly on those occasions when their sleep duration was below their personal average. In contrast, individuals with high sleep duration on average tended to perform poorly, particularly on those occasions when their sleep duration was above their personal average. Furthermore, daily fluctuations in sleep duration were associated with an increased risk for classification of mild cognitive impairment. The results suggest that variability on neuropsychological measures may be a useful clinical assessment of older African AmericansA¢â‚¬â„¢ cognitive competency.
Total Joint Replacement in the Past Does Not Relate to a Deteriorated Functional Level and Health Status in the Oldest Old

Total hip or knee replacement is effective in improving joint function, quality of life, and pain reduction. The oldest old population with joint replacements (TJR) is underrepresented in current literature. We compared health-related and functional characteristics of oldest olds with and without TJR. Participants (aged 85 years) were divided into a group with and without TJR. Comorbidity, physical and joint functioning, daily living activities, quality of life, and mortality were recorded. Thirty-eight of 599 participants (6.3%) received a TJR in the past. Participants with a TJR had slightly less comorbidities, walked slower (P = 0.006), and complained more about hip-pain (P = 0.007). Mortality of those with a TJR was lower during the first 8-year followup (P = 0.04). All other characteristics were comparable between groups. We conclude that subjects with a TJR performed equally well, besides showing a lower gait speed and a higher frequency of hip-pain. Except for the lower gaitspeed, having a TJR is not associated with poorer health.
A planer 2G/3G/LTE/WWAN/WiMAX antenna for tablet computer

A planer antenna is developed for metallic framed tablet computer for various applications. The open slot dual antenna system for the 2G/ 3G/ LTE/ WWAN/ WiMAX bands is presented. The proposed antenna system can fit inside the tablet in such a manner that the display screen is above this antenna and the metallic frame of the tablet computer is below this antenna as a ground plane. The antenna composed of filter circuits for different bands of the antenna with the two feeds. The parametric analysis is done for filter circuits, ground slot width and tuning stubs to obtain impedance matching for different resonant modes of required bandwidth. The antenna achieves frequency range 810-895, 1700-2790, 3300-3610, 5500-6040 MHz bands. Reflection coefficient (S11 and S22) and effect of Filter parameter are discussed for the proposed design.
“One-stop shop” spectral imaging for rapid on-site diagnosis of lung cancer: a future concept in nano-oncology

Background There are currently many techniques and devices available for the diagnosis of lung cancer. However, rapid on-site diagnosis is essential for early-stage lung cancer, and in the current work we investigated a new diagnostic illumination nanotechnology. Methods Tissue samples were obtained from lymph nodes, cancerous tissue, and abnormal intrapulmonary lesions at our interventional pulmonary suites. The following diagnostic techniques were used to obtain the samples: endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy; flexible bronchoscopy; and rigid bronchoscopy. Flexible and rigid forceps were used because several of the patients were intubated using a rigid bronchoscope. In total, 30 tissue specimens from 30 patients were prepared. CytoViva® illumination nanotechnology was subsequently applied to each of the biopsy tissue slides. Results A spectral library was created for adenocarcinoma, epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, usual interstitial pneumonitis, non-specific interstitial pneumonitis, typical carcinoid tumor, sarcoidosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, thymoma, epithelioid and sarcomatoid mesothelioma, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, malt cell lymphoma, and Wegener’s granulomatosis. Conclusion The CytoViva software, once it had created a specific spectral library for each entity, was able to identify the same disease again in subsequent paired sets of slides of the same disease. Further evaluation of this technique could make this illumination nanotechnology an efficient rapid on-site diagnostic tool.
Resistance to Granzyme B-mediated Cytochrome c Release in Bak-deficient Cells

Granzyme B (GrB), a serine protease with substrate specificity similar to the caspase family, is a major component of granule-mediated cytotoxicity of T lymphocytes. Although GrB can directly activate caspases, it induces apoptosis predominantly via Bid cleavage, mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, and cytochrome c release. To study the molecular regulators for GrB-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic events, we used a CTL-free cytotoxicity system, wherein target cells are treated with purified GrB and replication-deficient adenovirus (Ad). We report here that the Bcl-2 proapoptotic family member, Bak, plays a dominant role in GrB-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic events. A variant of Jurkat cells, deficient in Bak expression, was resistant to GrB/Ad-mediated apoptosis, as determined by lack of membranous phosphatidylserine exposure, lack of DNA breaks, lack of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, and unchanged expression of inner mitochondrial membrane cardiolipin. The resistance of Bak-deficient cells to GrB/Ad cytotoxicity was reversed by transduction of the Bak gene into these cells. The requirement for both Bid and Bak, was further demonstrated in a cell-free system using purified mitochondria and S-100 cytosol. Purified mitochondria from Bid knockout mice, but not from Bax knockout mice, failed to release cytochrome c in response to autologous S-100 and GrB. Also, Bak-deficient mitochondria did not release cytochrome c in response to GrB-treated cytosol unless recombinant Bak protein was added. These results are the first to report a role for Bak in GrB-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. This study demonstrates that GrB-cleaved Bid, which differs in size and site of cleavage from caspase-8-cleaved Bid, utilizes Bak for cytochrome c release, and therefore, suggests that deficiency in Bak may serve as a mechanism of immune evasion for tumor or viral infected cells.