Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clock Drawing Test (CDT): is Qualitative Analysis of the CDT Better to Screen Mild Cognitive Impairment than Quantitative Analysis?

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was originally used to describe a transitional state between normal condition and dementia. Revised and extended definition of MCI has been proposed that covers a broader range of cognitive impairment, distinct from normal ageing and from Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the existence of reports regarding analyses of the Clock Drawing test (CDT) in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, those focusing on MCI subjects are still lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics of CDT and compare the results of quantitative and qualitative analyses of CDT performance in patients with MCI. Materials and methods: Five hundred four consecutive patients with MCI (Korean versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE)>23) were recruited for the study. All participants were examined by the K-MMSE, modified-MMSE (3MS) and the CDT. Quantitative scoring of the CDT was done by the Manos and Wu’s method. Qualitative error types of the CDT were classified as stimulus-bound response (SBR), conceptual deficit (CD), spatial and/or planning deficit (SPD), and perseveration error (PE) by Rouleau’s classification. We divided the subjects into two subgroups by the MMSE scores (lower cognitive function group, MMSE=24~26 vs. higher cognitive function group, MMSE=27~30) and compared the CDT scores and frequency of the error types between them. Results: The total scores in the CDT significantly correlated with the total scores of the K-MMSE, 3MS and the level of education. Of the errors in the CDT, SPD was the most frequent type of error (45.3%) in the total samples. The scores in the K-MMSE and 3MS in the patients having CD errors were lower compared with those of other types of error. The lower cognitive group made more CD error (32.9%) than that of the higher cognitive group (25.5%). Conclusion: Although the CDT cannot be used solely for clinical diagnosis of dementia, it provides useful cognitive information quantitative as well as qualitative ways, estimating the characteristics of MCI patients as a simple screening test.
Ground moving personnel indication and tracking from airborne platforms

Radar is valued for its ability to surveil large areas, day and night, in all weather conditions, with high revisit in order to provide detection and tracking of individuals and groups. Such radars operate either stand-alone or while networked and may generate cues for EO/IR sensors for identification and classification. In the security applications domain radar basing or siting has been predominately, if not exclusively, from fixed, ground-based positions (this includes mobile systems that must be stationary when employed). Airborne radar systems employing phased array antennas and advanced adaptive processing are investigated for their ability to detect and track individuals, in a security application, when integrated with small and medium Unmanned Air Vehicles. Airborne surveillance radar overcomes many of the visibility issues of ground-based systems by operating at steeper grazing angles. We evaluate performance for two operating altitudes and in a variety of surface wind conditions, demonstrating high probability of detection against walking human targets. These results suggest the viability of UAV-based airborne radar as candidates for future surveillance architectures.
Weighted nonbinary repeat-accumulate codes

Repeat-accumulate (RA) codes are random-like codes having remarkably good performance over an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, like turbo and low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. In this correspondence, we introduce an ensemble of random codes called "weighted nonbinary repeat-accumulate (WNRA) codes" whose encoder consists of a nonbinary repeater, a weighter, a pseudorandom symbol interleaver, and an accumulator over a finite field GF(q). They can be decoded in a simple way by applying the sum-product algorithm to their factor graphs over GF(q). Simulation results show that WNRA codes with proper weighting values over GF(4) or GF(8) are superior to binary RA codes on AWGN channels.
THE NON-BACKTRACKING SPECTRUM OF THE UNIVERSAL COVER OF A GRAPH

A non-backtracking walk on a graph, H, is a directed path of directed edges of H such that no edge is the inverse of its preceding edge. Non-backtracking walks of a given length can be counted using the non-backtracking adjacency matrix, B, indexed by H's directed edges and related to Ihara's Zeta function. We show how to determine B's spectrum in the case where H is a tree covering a finite graph. We show that when H is not regular, this spectrum can have positive measure in the complex plane, unlike the regular case. We show that outside of B's spectrum, the corresponding Green function has "periodic decay ratios. " The existence of such a "ratio system" can be effectively checked, and is equivalent to being outside the spectrum. We also prove that the spectral radius of the non-backtracking walk operator on the tree covering a finite graph is exactly √ gr, where gr is the growth rate of the tree. This further motivates the definition of the graph theoretical Riemann hypothesis proposed by Stark and Terras (ST). Finally, we give experimental evidence that for a fixed, finite graph, H, a ran- dom lift of large degree has non-backtracking new spectrum near that of H's universal cover. This suggests a new generalization of Alon's second eigenvalue conjecture.
Integrated navigation for pedestrian with building heading algorithm and inertial measurement unit

To improve the positioning accuracy in indoor environments, we use the Inertial Navigation System (INS) algorithm to perform the pedestrian tracking, and the measurements consist of two parts: the velocity error and the heading error. The velocity error can be gotten from the navigation result. Meanwhile, we get the heading error in two ways. First, taking the magnetometer as the heading resource, the magnetic perturbations can be eliminated through a new ellipsoid fitting based calibration algorithm. Furthermore, the building heading algorithm(BHA) is also adopted to aid the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), the corresponding building heading can be derived based on the motion path. Finally, the Kalman filter (KF) is utilized to fuse the data in order to compensate the sensor error and navigation solution through a 15-dimentional state vector. As a result, some field trials were taken to prove the validity of the proposed algorithm. By contrast the result of Magnetometer (MAG)/BHA/INS and the Zero Velocity update (ZUPT) algorithms, we proved that the algorithm of MAG/BHA aiding INS can effectively improve the indoor positioning accuracy which shows better performance.
Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication PrinciplesArchitecture of an Object-Level Vertical Search

Current mobile web search engines essentially conduct document-level ranking and retrieval. However, structured information about real-world objects embedded in static WebPages and online databases exists in huge amounts. We explore a new paradigm to enable web search at the object level in this paper, extracting and integrating web information for objects relevant to a specific application domain. We then rank these objects in terms of their relevance and popularity in answering user queries. We introduce the overview and core technologies of object-level vertical search engines that have been implemented in one working systems: Windows Live Product Search on mobile (http://m.live.com).
Slack-based resource arbitration for real-time Networks-on-Chip

Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) designed for real-time systems must efficiently deal with a broad diversity of traffic requirements. This requires providing latency guarantees for hard real-time transmissions with minimum impact on performance sensitive best-effort traffic. In this work, we present a novel mechanism which achieves this goal through a slack-based global and dynamic prioritization of data streams. This is performed using an overlay network and a scheduling unit combining local arbitration performed in routers with global scheduling of entire logical transmissions for end to end guarantees. Consequently, our approach allows to decrease both hardware and temporal overhead when compared with existing solutions and to achieve a performance improvement up to around 60%.
Effect of Food Waste Compost on the Antler-Type Fruiting Body Yield of Ganoderma lucidum

Abstract The effects of the composition of a mixture containing food waste compost (FWC), rice bran (RB), and oak sawdust (SD) on the antler-type fruiting body (FB) yield of Ganoderma lucidum were studied. Experiments were performed using 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40% (w/w) FWC added to a basal growth medium consisting of 20% (w/w) RB and 80% (w/w) SD. The content of 15% FWC gave the highest FB yield (27.0 ± 1.3 g/bottle), which was 44% higher than the yield (18.6 ± 2.8 g/bottle) of the control treatment. However, FWC contents of 20~40% showed reduced yield (2.4~23.0 g/bottle), partly because FWC had a high Na concentration (0.6%). These results demonstrate the potential for use of FWC as a component of a growth medium for production of G. lucidum FBs.
Selecting Applicants

A firm selects applicants to hire based on hard information, such as a test result, and soft information, such as a manager’s evaluation of an interview. The contract that the firm offers to the manager can be thought of as a restriction on acceptance rates as a function of test results. I characterize optimal acceptance rate functions both when the firm knows the manager’s mix of information and biases and when the firm is uncertain. These contracts may admit a simple implementation in which the manager can accept any set of applicants with a sufficiently high average test score.
Capacity estimation for low rank MIMO channels

A novel capacity estimator for low rank multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels impaired with white noise is proposed by reducing the impact of noise on both the spatial multiplexing gain and on the power gain. Numerical results show that the estimator performs better than conventional methods in estimation accuracy, and the requirements on the number of observations as well as on the computation resources are small.
Redefinition of Fault Classes in Logic Expressions

Fault-based testing selects test cases to detect hypothesized faults. In logic expression testing, many fault classes have been defined by researchers based on the syntax of the expressions. Due to the syntactic nature of the logic expressions, some fault classes may exist in one form (say, disjunctive normal form - DNF) of the logic expressions but not in other forms (say, general form). As a result, different fault-based testing techniques have been developed for different types of logic expressions and these techniques have different fault detecting capabilities. For example, some have high detecting power in DNF but low detecting power in the general form. Another complication arises when software developers decide which forms of logic expressions should be used in the first place. Should software developers use the general form for flexibility but compromise that with fewer fault classes and less fault detection? Or should they use DNF for more fault classes and, hence, better fault detection (because software developers have more ''hypothesized faulty'' scenarios to test) but sacrificing the generality of the expressions. In this paper, we propose a set of uniform definitions of fault classes such that they can be applied irrespective of the syntactic nature of the logic expressions, to produce consistent fault-based testing techniques and fault detection capabilities.
Whether Aspects in Virtual Storefronts Influence Customers' Patronage and Purchase Intention in Physical Counterparts? An Empirical Study

This article reports an investigation verifying and measuring the relationships among aspects in virtual storefronts and customers' patronage and purchase intention in physical commercial contexts, as well as the familiarity' impact on purchase intention. Based upon prior theoretical studies, a research model was established, and then the corresponding instrument's reliability and validity were confirmed through analyzing empirical data. The findings are valuable to click-and-mortar businesses aiming to increase revenue in physical storefronts by means of enhancing the design and contents of their online business footholds.
Asymptomatic urethritis and detection of HIV-1 RNA in seminal plasma.

OBJECTIVE: To define risk factors for detection of HIV-1 RNA in semen in men attending the two largest HIV clinics in the West Midlands. METHODS: 94 HIV-1 seropositive men at any stage of infection donated matched semen and blood samples. 36 subjects (38%) were on no antiretroviral treatment, 12 (13%) were on dual therapy, and 46 (49%) were on three or more drugs. Median CD4 count was 291 cells x 10(6)/l. 87 subjects underwent a urethritis screen (Gram stained urethral smear and culture for gonococcus, and LCR for Chlamydia trachomatis on first pass urine). Quantitative cell free HIV-1 RNA was determined by commercial nucleic acid sequence based assay with a lower detection limit of 800 copies/ml for semen and 400 copies/ml for blood. Independent risk factors for seminal HIV RNA detection were defined by logistic regression. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, subjects not taking antiretrovirals were 11 times more likely to shed HIV RNA (21/36 (58%) v 6/58 (10%); p < 0.0001). Seven subjects (8%) had urethritis (including one C trachomatis infection). Urethritis was significantly associated with detection of seminal HIV RNA (adjusted OR, 80.2; p = 0.006), as was blood plasma viral load (adj OR, 19.3 per factor 10 increase; p < 0.001) and age (adj OR, 1.16 per 1 year older; p = 0.001). Antiviral treatment status, absolute CD4 and CD8 count, clinical stage, treatment centre, ethnicity, and risk factor were not independent predictors. No subject with undetectable blood viral load had detectable seminal HIV RNA. CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic urethritis is independently associated with seminal HIV RNA shedding.
Squashing cubes: automating deformable model construction for graphics

The vast majority of geometric meshes used in computer graphics are optimized for rendering, and not deformable object simulation. Despite tools for volume (or surface) (re)meshing of geometric models to support physical simulation, in practice, the construction of physically based deformable models from arbitrary graphical models remains a tedious process for animators. Squashing Cubes (SC) automates the construction of physically based deformable objects from arbitrary geometric models. During preprocess, the geometric model (typically a surface mesh) is voxelized into tiny elastic cubes, i.e., the squashing cubes model. Second, a generic deformable object simulator is used to deform the SC model. Finally, the resulting deformations are interpolated back onto the original model, thus producing the final animation. Such domain embedding schemes are familiar to graphics [Pentland and Williams 1989; Faloutsos et al. 1997]. SC is simple to implement, practical for complex models, supports any geometric representation, and the SC deformable models are trivial to simulate. Although SC geometry is approximate, reasonable approximations of deformation displacement fields can be obtained for many animation purposes. One practical benefit of voxelization is that geometric features and defects smaller than the voxel scale are merged; consequently, intersecting and topologically disconnected polygons (so common in graphical models) are deformed appropriately. SC is especially appealing for complex superstructures, such as the bridge, for which the geometric mesh is not “structurally sound. ” For example, the bridge model contains numerous modeling shortcuts, such as improperly attached cables, intersecting geometry, small “gaps,” badly shaped (skinny) triangles, and isolated polygons. In short, Squashing Cubes allows animators to focus on animation, and less on physically based modeling details, such as the engineering of bridges using properly connected beam, truss, and shell elements.
A Possible Solution for Privacy Preserving Cloud Data Storage

Despite the economic advantages of cloud data storage, many corporations have not yet migrated to this technology. While corporations in the financial sector cite data security as a reason, corporations in other sectors cite privacy concerns for this reluctance. In this paper, we propose a possible solution for this problem inspired by the HIPAA safe harbor methodology for data anonymization. The proposed technique involves using a hash function that uniquely identifies the data and then splitting data across multiple cloud providers. We propose that such a "Good Enough" approach to privacy-preserving cloud data storage is both technologically feasible and financially advantageous. Following this approach addresses concerns about privacy harms resulting from accidental or deliberate data spills from cloud providers. The "Good Enough" method will enable firms to move their data into the cloud without incurring privacy risks, enabling them to realize the economic advantages provided by the pay-per-use model of cloud data storage.
Treatment outcomes for HIV-uninfected patients with multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND Multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) is more difficult to treat than is drug-susceptible TB. To elucidate the optimal therapy for MDR TB, we assessed the treatment outcomes and prognostic factors for patients with MDR TB. METHODS This study included patients who received an individualized treatment regimen for MDR TB at Samsung Medical Center, a tertiary referral hospital in Seoul, Korea, from January 1995 through December 2004. To identify the prognostic factors related to favorable treatment outcomes, univariate comparison and multiple logistic regression were performed. RESULTS Of 155 patients, 18 (12%) had newly diagnosed MDR TB, 81 (52%) had previously received treatment with first-line drugs, and 56 (36%) had received treatment with second-line drugs. The isolated strains were resistant to a median of 5 drugs. Twenty-seven patients (17%) had extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB at the start of treatment. Outcome assessment revealed that 102 patients (66%) were cured or completed therapy. The treatment success rates did not differ significantly between patients with non-XDR MDR TB and those with XDR TB (66% vs. 67%). Surgical resection was performed more frequently for patients with XDR TB than for those with non-XDR MDR TB (48% vs. 17%). Combined surgical resection, body mass index >/=18.5 (calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters), use of >4 effective drugs, and a negative sputum smear result were independent predictors of a favorable outcome. CONCLUSIONS Early aggressive treatment comprising at least 4 effective drugs and surgical resection, when indicated, may improve the outcome for patients with MDR TB or XDR TB.
An advanced spread-spectrum clock generator with triangular modulation for EMI suppressing

In this paper, an advanced spread-spectrum clock generator (SSCG) with triangular modulation is presented. It is more compact than general frequency jittering circuit. Furthermore, the circuit minimizes effect caused by leakage current. A theoretical analysis of the frequency modulation process and some considerations about the influence of the modulation parameters are also pointed out in this paper. The proposed SSCG can generate clocks of 132KHz with center spread ratios of 6.06%, 3.03%, 1.51% and 0.75%. The proposed circuit has been fabricated in a 0. 5μm BCD process, and was applied to a fly-back switching converter. Experimental results confirm the theoretical analyses.
CHAIN REACTION IN TUBERCULOUS MENINGITIS

In view of the importance of early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM), the efficiency of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), one of the most reliable and sensitive DNA-based assays, was compared with conventional methods (acid-fast microscopy and culture) for the detection of M.tuberculosis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from patients suspected of TBM. Of the 29 CSF specimens from highly probable TBM patients (based on clinical features), 25 were positive by PCR (86.2%), whereas only one of 29 was acid-fast microscopy (AFM) positive (3.4%) and 5 out 29 were culture positive (17.2%). No positive results were found by AFM, culture or PCR in the non-tuberculous control group. The results of this study indicate that application of PCR should be extremely useful for the diagnosis of TBM.
Do European citizens support the idea of a European welfare state? Evidence from a comparative survey conducted in three EU member states

Some scholars have argued that the only way to resolve the Euro crisis would be to further deepen the integration process by institutionalising a European welfare state. This article examines whether a Europeanised welfare system would be supported by citizens of three member states of the EU. The authors argue that the legitimacy of a harmonisation of national welfare regimes would be established if a majority of citizens supported a Europeanised social policy. Using survey data from Germany, Poland and Spain, descriptive findings show that indeed a majority supports the idea of Europeanisation of social policy. Further, multivariate analyses show that those respondents who reject Europeanisation of social policy cannot be characterised to any significant extent in terms of socio-economic factors, and are only slightly more likely to be associated with cultural factors. The cleavages that structure people’s attitudes are thus relatively weak. The authors conclude that the potential for political mobilisation against Europeanisation of social policy in the three countries under investigation is rather low.
RATSAC: An Adaptive Method for Accelerated Robust Estimation and its Application to Video Synchronisation

A new method for robust estimation is introduced. The presented algorithm seeks to unify adjustable per-iteration speedup methods with an adaptive assumption regarding the number of inliers. This is achieved by assuming a prior distribution on the true number of inliers, and using Bayesian inference to adjust the speedup whenever a best-so-far model estimate is found. Convincing results are obtained for both synthetic and real cases of the robust synchronisation of video pairs generated by independently moving cameras.
Evaluation and comparision of compactly supported radial basis function for kernel machine

In order to reduce computer storage requirements for kernel matrix and the computational costs for floating point operations in kernel machine learning, compactly supported radial basis function is used for kernel machine to construct sparse kernel matrix. This paper deals with evaluation and comparison of compactly supported radial basis function for kernel machine in three aspects: the savings in storage, computation time for training, and performance. It is shown that savings in storage can be adjusted by user parameters, computation time for training decreases but it doest not mean that the more sparse the less training time, it will be stationary when ratio of non-zero elements of kernel matrix is in some range, the test accuracy to evaluate performance do not change much from our experimental results.