Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expected reciprocal rank for graded relevance

While numerous metrics for information retrieval are available in the case of binary relevance, there is only one commonly used metric for graded relevance, namely the Discounted Cumulative Gain (DCG). A drawback of DCG is its additive nature and the underlying independence assumption: a document in a given position has always the same gain and discount independently of the documents shown above it. Inspired by the "cascade" user model, we present a new editorial metric for graded relevance which overcomes this difficulty and implicitly discounts documents which are shown below very relevant documents. More precisely, this new metric is defined as the expected reciprocal length of time that the user will take to find a relevant document. This can be seen as an extension of the classical reciprocal rank to the graded relevance case and we call this metric Expected Reciprocal Rank (ERR). We conduct an extensive evaluation on the query logs of a commercial search engine and show that ERR correlates better with clicks metrics than other editorial metrics.
Mail Survey Return Rates Published in Health Education Journals: An Issue of External Validity

Abstract This study assessed mail survey return rates published in seven general health education journals for the 13-year period, 1990–2002: American Journal of Health Behavior, American Journal of Health Education, American Journal of Health Promotion, Health Education & Behavior, Health Education Research, Journal of American College Health, and the Journal of School Health. A significant difference in mail survey return rates across the seven journals was found. Also, published mail survey return rates significantly increased from 1990–1995 (M=61.8%) to 1997–2002 (M=65.5%). All of the journals had published a noteworthy percentage (10–26%) of their mailed survey research studies with return rates of less than 50%. Finally, there was not a significant association between sample size and return rates of published mail survey studies. Researchers reporting mail survey research results in health education journals should expect to have return rates of 60% or greater. Yet, such return rates may still be considered a significant threat to the external validity of the findings.
HAIL: a high-availability and integrity layer for cloud storage

We introduce HAIL (High-Availability and Integrity Layer), a distributed cryptographic system that allows a set of servers to prove to a client that a stored file is intact and retrievable. HAIL strengthens, formally unifies, and streamlines distinct approaches from the cryptographic and distributed-systems communities. Proofs in HAIL are efficiently computable by servers and highly compact---typically tens or hundreds of bytes, irrespective of file size. HAIL cryptographically verifies and reactively reallocates file shares. It is robust against an active, mobile adversary, i.e., one that may progressively corrupt the full set of servers. We propose a strong, formal adversarial model for HAIL, and rigorous analysis and parameter choices. We show how HAIL improves on the security and efficiency of existing tools, like Proofs of Retrievability (PORs) deployed on individual servers. We also report on a prototype implementation.
Assessing the Prevalence of Mechanical Dyssynchrony with Activity in Patients with Low Ejection Fraction and Narrow QRS at Rest

Introduction: Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) improves hemodynamics, symptoms, and overall mortality in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) and ventricular electrical dyssynchrony (QRS duration >120 msec). Previous studies have shown that mechanical dyssynchrony (MD) may be present in up to 45% of patients with advanced HF and QRS duration <120 ms at rest. We determined whether activity induces MD in patients with QRS duration <120 msec. Methods: A total of 47 consecutive patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 30%, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-IV HF, and a QRS complex 65 msec from peak systolic activation of the septal wall to the lateral wall of the left ventricle. Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire (MLWHFq), EF and NYHA class were assessed to determine risk factors for exercise induced MD. Results: Of the 47 patients, MD occurred in 11 patients (23%) at rest and 5 patients (13%) at exercise. The mean time to peak systolic velocity in the rest and exercise dyssynchrony groups was 105 ± 32 msec and 124 ± 29 msec respectively, compared with 45 +/- 15 msec in patients not experiencing dyssynchrony. No patients experienced electrical dyssynchrony with activity. EF, NYHA class or MLWHF questionnaire were not predictive. Conclusion: MD with activity is not uncommon in patients with HF and a narrow QRS. MD should consider including patients with exercise induced MD as this population otherwise may go ignored. Additionally, patients with pre-existing electrical dyssynchrony who develop MD with exercise may benefit from optimization of their device settings to meet the potential hemodynamic challenge rendered by increased physical activity and heart rate.
2-D shape blending: an intrinsic solution to the vertex path problem

Thispaperpresentsanalgorithmfordeterminingthepathsalongwhichcorrespondingverticestravelina2–Dshapeblending.Ratherthanconsideringthevertexpathsexplicitly,thealgorithmdeﬁnestheinter-mediate shapes by interpolating the intrinsic deﬁnitions of the initial and ﬁnal shapes. The algorithm producesshape blends which generally are more satisfactory than those produced using linear or cubic curve paths. Particularly, the algorithm can avoid the shrinkage that normallyoccurs when rotating rigid bodies are linearly blended, and avoidskinksin the blendwhen therewere nonein the keypolygons.
Transforming Growth Factor-β Induces Endothelin-1 Expression Through Activation of the Smad Signaling Pathway

Expression of the endothelin-1 gene is subject to complex regulation by different factors, among which transforming growth factor-β is one of the most important. We have analyzed the mechanism by which transforming growth factor-β increases endothelin-1 expression in vascular endothelial cells. Transcriptional activation of the endothelin-1 promoter accounted for the transforming growth factor-β-induced increase in endothelin-1 mRNA levels. Two DNA elements within the promoter are responsible for this effect: a Smad binding element and a proximal activator protein-1 site. Mutation of both elements abolished transforming growth factor-β responsiveness. Overexpression of the Smad3 isoform strongly potentiates transforming growth factor-β- induced endothelin-1 promoter activity in a phosphorylationdependent manner. These results demonstrate that transforming growth factor-β induces endothelin-1 expression by a functional cooperation between Smads and activator protein-1 through activation of the Smad signaling pathway.
Comparison between anthropometry, ultrasonography and under water weighing for prediction of body fat and metabolic syndrome in adult Indians

Introduction: Obesity is a major public health problem. We evaluated the accuracy of various anthropometric variables among waist circumference (WC), waist: hip ratio (W:H), waist: height ratio (W:Ht), skin fold thickness (STs) that are used to predict body fat in obese middle age Indians. Methodology: A cross sectional study was undertaken on 51 individuals aged (30-55 years), with body mass index (BMI) of 23 or above (22 males and 29 females). Waist, hip circumference were measured by tape at specific levels. Biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac and abdominal STs were measured by Harpenden calipers. Total body fat (TBF) was calculated using underwater weighing machine and intraabdominal fat (IAF) and subcutaneous body fat (SC) were estimated using ultrasonography. The status of metabolic syndrome was also determined in each subject. Result: WC showed significant association (p<0.01) with SC in both males and females. W:H ratio showed significant correlation with ultrasound measures of IAF and metabolic syndrome (p<0.01) in men. W: Ht ratio also showed significant correlation (p<0.01) with SC in both males and females and TBF in females. Conclusions: The ultrasonography measurements of IAF estimate visceral obesity and metabolic syndrome better than other anthropometric measurements and the effectiveness of other anthropometry indices requires reference to gender, TBF, IAF and SC.
Improving IPC by kernel design

Inter-process communication (ipc) has to be fast and effective, otherwise programmers will not use remote procedure calls (RPC), multithreading and multitasking adequately. Thus ipc performance is vital for modern operating systems, especially &mu;-kernel based ones. Surprisingly, most &mu;-kernels exhibit poor ipc performance, typically requiring 100 &mu;s for a short message transfer on a modern processor, running with 50 MHz clock rate.In contrast, we achieve 5 &mu;s; a twentyfold improvement.This paper describes the methods and principles used, starting from the architectural design and going down to the coding level. There is no single trick to obtaining this high performance; rather, a synergetic approach in design and implementation on all levels is needed. The methods and their synergy are illustrated by applying them to a concrete example, the L3 &mu;-kernel (an industrial-quality operating system in daily use at several hundred sites). The main ideas are to guide the complete kernel design by the ipc requirements, and to make heavy use of the concept of virtual address space inside the &mu;-kernel itself.As the L3 experiment shows, significant performance gains are possible: compared with Mach, they range from a factor of 22 (8-byte messages) to 3 (4-Kbyte messages). Although hardware specific details influence both the design and implementation, these techniques are applicable to the whole class of conventional general purpose von Neumann processors supporting virtual addresses. Furthermore, the effort required is reasonably small, for example the dedicated parts of the &mu;-kernel can be concentrated in a single medium sized module.
Security against hardware Trojan through a novel application of design obfuscation

Malicious hardware Trojan circuitry inserted in safety-critical applications is a major threat to national security. In this work, we propose a novel application of a key-based obfuscation technique to achieve security against hardware Trojans. The obfuscation scheme is based on modifying the state transition function of a given circuit by expanding its reachable state space and enabling it to operate in two distinct modes - the normal mode and the obfuscated mode. Such a modification obfuscates the rareness of the internal circuit nodes, thus making it difficult for an adversary to insert hard-to-detect Trojans. It also makes some inserted Trojans benign by making them activate only in the obfuscated mode. The combined effect leads to higher Trojan detectability and higher level of protection against such attack. Simulation results for a set of benchmark circuits show that the scheme is capable of achieving high levels of security at modest design overhead.
An amateur's introduction to recursive query processing strategies

This paper surveys and compares various strategies for processing logic queries in relational databases. The survey and comparison is limited to the case of Horn Clauses with evaluable predicates but without function symbols. The paper is organized in three parts. In the first part, we introduce the main concepts and definitions. In the second, we describe the various strategies. For each strategy, we give its main characteristics, its application range and a detailed description. We also give an example of a query evaluation. The third part of the paper compares the strategies on performance grounds. We first present a set of sample rules and queries which are used for the performance comparisons, and then we characterize the data. Finally, we give an analytical solution for each query/rule system. Cost curves are plotted for specific configurations of the data.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Thalidomide in HIV Patients Treated for Oral Aphthous Ulcers: ACTG Protocol 251

Thalidomide has increasing clinical benefits, including the healing of aphthous ulcers in patients with HIV. Unfortunately, pharmacological information addressing the pharmacokinetics (PK) of this compound in HIV patients is limited. Concern exists as to whether thalidomide may alter its own metabolism owing to in vitro data previously reported. Furthermore, no information is available defining the relationship between drug exposure and clinical response. This study evaluated the PK and pharmacodynamics (PD) of thalidomide in patients enrolled in AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 251. Study patients had HIV infection and oral aphthous ulcers of at least 2 weeks' duration. Pharmacologic studies were completed in those subjects randomized to receive active thalidomide at a dose of 200 mg daily for the 4‐ week study period. PK studies involving serial sampling were carried out in 7 subjects following multiple dosing during study weeks 1 and 4. In addition, trough measurements were done in 20 subjects during each of the 4 study weeks to explore the relationship between time‐averaged trough values and extent of clinical response. All samples were analyzed using a validated HPLC method, and parameters were determined using noncompartmental PK analysis. Thalidomide oral clearance averaged 0.14 ± 0.08 and 0.12 ± 0.05 l/h/kg on weeks 1 and 4 (p = 0.72), while the terminal elimination half‐life averaged 5.7 ± 1.5 and 7.3 ± 1.7hours (p = 0.12). The median time‐averaged trough value for subjects deemed complete responders was 0.60, while the median value for noncomplete responders was 0.54. Adjusting for baseline CD4 count and initial index ulcer area, no significant effects were observed of increased thalidomide levels on response. In summary, this study provides steady‐state PK data in HIV patients managed with thalidomide and suggests negligible effect of chronic dosing on drug clearance (comparing results from weeks 1 and 4). Furthermore, variable trough measurements between patients do not directly influence the effectiveness of thalidomide for oral aphthous ulcers.
Explanation facilities and interactive systems

Our main research aim is to improve the provision of explanation facilities in information systems generally, and to identify what is meant by “explanation”. This paper reports research which identifies both the strengths and weaknesses of current research and shows how to overcome those weaknesses. We are also concerned with both present and future uses of explanation in information systems and the role of explanation in a broad range of interactive applications.
Increasing Awareness of Child Mental Health Issues among Elementary School Staff

Without sufficient education and training on mental illness, school teachers are less likely to have the capacity to recognize related symptoms in students and make appropriate referrals for care. The current pilot study tests the overall effectiveness of a new in-service training designed as the introductory component to a school-based mental health intervention. The training included information on the prevalence of mental health problems in the United States, common youth disorders, and treatment barriers that many families face. Participants’ knowledge before and after the training was measured using a 27-item instrument, and statistical significance was assessed for pre- to posttest changes for individual items. Results are overwhelmingly positive and provide evidence of an increase in accurate knowledge of child mental health issues. Implications for both practice and research are discussed.
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure MANET with group mobility for emergency multimedia communication

We are interested in addressing an emergency scenario where Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) multimedia communications need to be established rapidly, allowing for a mobile Ad Hoc network of vehicles to attach or detach itself fro the infrastructure with least effort while keeping the communication session intact. To evaluate the various possible V2I setups, we consider several approaches to implement V2I for emergency scenario. We conducted experiments on real testbeds with three approaches: flat OLSR MANET with gateways to infrastructures without Network Mobility (NEMO), MANEMO-A where NEMO is enhanced with Tree Discovery and Network In Node Advertisement (TDP-NINA) to remove redundant paths, and MANE O-B with mobile routers running OLSR. The two MANEMO approaches make use of mobile-IP with Home Agents to handle network mobility, while the first approach uses P2P distributed Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to handle multimedia communications running on a structured mesh overlay network (SMON) with OLSR. Our results show that, for multimedia communication purposes, the first approach has the best performance but does not support group mobility. To overcome this shortcoming, we propose to mix the first and third approaches where mobile routers run OLSR but the use of a Home Agent by NEMO is removed. Each mobile router is also a node on an SMON and runs P2P SIP to provide service discovery or emergency multimedia communications. With this proposed scheme, group mobility management, whether nested or not, is handled by a P2P overlay network with decentralized SIP providing service discovery, instead of setting up Home Agents as in MANEMO. We support our proposed scheme with an evaluation based on simulation.
An empirical study of critical mass and online community survival

There is general consensus that critical mass at inception ensures the sustained success of online communities. However, no clear understanding of what constitutes such a 'critical mass' exists and too few quantitative studies have been conducted into the relationship between initial online community interaction and its longer term success to draw any conclusions. In this paper we start to address this gap through a large-scale study of the relationship between IRC chat channel survival and initial chat channel community interactions. A sample 282 chat channel births was used for survival analysis which explored the relationship between the overall user activity in each channel at its inception and the channel's life expectancy. Significant relationships were observed between online community lifespan and critical mass measures: 1) message volume, 2) user population heterogeneity and 3) production functions. The results lend support to the Critical Mass Theory of collective action.
Degradation in FPGAs: measurement and modelling

Progress in VLSI technology is driven by increasing circuit density through process scaling, but with shrinking geometry comes an increasing threat to reliability. FPGAs are uniquely placed to tackle degradation and faults due to their regular structure and ability to reconfigure, giving them the potential to implement system-level reliability enhancements. To assess the scale of the challenge, a method for measuring and monitoring degradation in an FPGA was developed and used to conduct an accelerated life test on a modern device. This revealed a clear, gradual degradation in timing performance that matches the expected effects of Negative-Bias Temperature Instability and Hot Carrier Injection, two of the most important VLSI degradation mechanisms. Further insight into ageing phenomena was gained using modelling -- showing how degradation in a typical LUT would be affected by different usage conditions, and predicting in detail the effects on circuit behaviour.
FP02 Beta Training for Drug-Resistant Depression—A New Protocol That Usually Reduces Depression and Keeps It Reduced

One hundred eighty-three patients with drug resistant depression were trained with 6 sessions of neurofeedback to reduce 2–7 Hz and increase 15–18 Hz at FP02 (the right fronto-polar orbital location). Remission or significant improvement (≥50%) occurred in 84% of subjects, as judged by the Rush Quick Self-Rated Depression Inventory. An additional 9% of patients experienced partial improvement. Improvement was maintained for 1 year or longer in all but 3 patients (1% of the entire group). These results indicate good efficacy in reducing drug-resistant depression and maintenance of the reductions in the majority of patients.
Last-mile Supply Network Distribution in Omnichannel Retailing: A Configuration-Based Typology

This monograph develops a configuration-based typology that describes last-mile supply network (LMSN) distribution configurations in omni-channel retailing. The goal is to integrate relevant terms that have been used disjointedly with fragmented bodies of theory to describe the various forms of LMSN. A review of the academic and practice literature was conducted and complemented with secondary observations to identify the key configuration dimensions. Established guidelines for typology and theory building (e.g., Doty and Glick, 1994) were employed to develop the typology. The proposed typology comprises four ideal archetypes: Simple LMSN, Hyperlocal LMSN, One-Stop LMSN, and Protean LMSN. The four are described along the dimensions of: (1) network structure, (2) network flow, (3) relationship governance, and (4) service architecture. Referred to here as the SHOP typology in LMSN, each archetype is associated with one or more core logistics capabilities elaborated upon in a capability profile for each archetype. The typology identifies useful LMSN patterns and enables scholars to develop models and theories based on the four configurations and relate their findings to a specific configuration or across them, rather than expanding efforts on separate and unconnected studies. Notwithstanding, it incorporates elements of the omni-channel context that updates the previous â€œchainâ€ centric typology developed by Boyer and Hult (2005), and serves as a stepping-stone toward improved insights on what drives, facilitates and inhibits â€œfitâ€ potential of LMSN configuration. The research output enhances managersâ€™ understanding of the various forms of LMSN distribution configurations and assists in the identification of possible routes to establish configuration footprints across different LMSN forms to support their omni-channel retailing strategies. Further study can identify the critical contingency factors influencing configuration choices.
Comparison of physical activity in male and female children: does maturation matter?

PURPOSE To investigate whether observed differences in physical activity levels in boys and girls are confounded by biological age differences particularly during the circumpubertal years. METHODS The physical activity questionnaire for children (PAQ-C) was administered biannually or triannually to 138 (70 boys; 68 girls) Canadian children for seven consecutive years from 1991 to 1997. Participants were 9-18 yr of age. Anthropometric measurements were taken biannually and age at peak height velocity (PHV) determined. Biological age was defined as years from PHV. The data were analyzed using t-tests and random effects models. RESULTS Level of physical activity decreased with increasing chronological age in both sexes. When aligned on chronological age bands, boys had statistically significantly higher PAQ-C summary scores than girls from 10 through 16 yr of age (P < 0.05). However, when aligned on biological age, sex differences were not apparent, except at 3 yr before PHV. Random effects models of individual growth patterns confirmed these findings. CONCLUSION Physical activity decreased with increasing chronological age in boys and girls. There were no sex differences in the longitudinal pattern of physical activity when the confounding effects of biological age were controlled except at 3 yr before PHV.