Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the propagation of ultrasonic waves along isotropic and anisotropic materials using PAMELA portable SHM system

The size and weight of the SHM systems might turn to be a key issue and it must be considered in some applications, as aeronautics or wind turbines. As a prelimina ry step to develop new SHM portable systems, the analysis of the propagation of ultrasonic waves is introduced in this paper. The analysis was conducted with an embedded, small, portable, and lightweight wireless electronic unit, named PAMELA . The research was focused on studying the main features of the propagation of Lamb waves through both isotropic and anisotropic materials, as many structures used in the aforementioned applications are made of both materials. The influence of many variables on the propagation of Lamb waves was considered. The paper includes both parts of the research. On the one hand, it includes the methodology to address the analysis of the wave propagation along many materials. On the other hand, it also adds the discussion of the results obtained in the tests, as well as the conclusions and future work of the research.
Cross-Project Change-Proneness Prediction

Software change-proneness prediction (whether or not class files in a project will be changed in the next release) can help software developers to focus on preventive actions to reduce maintenance costs, and managers to allocate resources more effectively. Prior studies found that change-proneness prediction works well if there is sufficient amount of training data to build a model. However, it is not feasible for projects with limited historical data especially for new projects. To address this issue, cross-project change-proneness prediction, which builds a prediction model by using data in another project (i.e., source project), and predicts the change-proneness in a target project, is proposed. Considering there are a large number of source projects, one challenge for cross-project change-proneness prediction is that given a target project, how to automatically select a source project which could show good prediction accuracy on it. In this paper, we propose a selective cross-project (SCP) model for change-proneness prediction. SCP automatically finds the source project which has the similar data distribution with the target project by measuring distribution similarity between source and target projects. We evaluate SCP by conducting an empirical study on 14 open source projects. We compare it with 2 most related change-proneness models, including RCP (Random Cross-Project prediction) proposed by Malhotra and Bansal, and CLAMI+ developed by Yan et al. Experiment results show that SCP improves RCP and CLAMI+ by 25.34% and 4.30% in terms of AUC respectively; and by 171.42% and 172.31% in terms of cost-effectiveness, respectively.
Minimising the limitations of using dietary analysis to assess foodweb changes by combining multiple techniques

Dietary studies of marine predators o ﬀ er an immediate signal of foodweb changes occurring at lower trophic levels, and therefore are often used to assess the ecosystem status of marine systems. Conventionally, these studies are based on morphological analysis of prey remains in stomach contents, involving invasive and de- structive techniques to collect samples. More recently, the number of dietary studies based on less invasive biochemical and molecular approaches has dramatically increased. However, all three methods, morphological, biochemical and molecular, have well-documented limitations for resolving taxonomy, temporal variation or biomass composition. In this study, we minimise these limitations by considering multiple techniques in com- bination. As a case study, we report the target prey species and diet composition of a marine predator that has been used to assess annual change in managed ﬁ shing areas for several decades, the macaroni penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus . We use biochemical (stable isotope) and molecular (DNA) analysis of faecal samples collected across the di ﬀ erent phases of a single breeding season, and compare the resolved diet to a 26-year dataset of stomach contents collected from a closely located colony (0.25km apart) that exploits identical foraging grounds. Molecular analysis increased the known target prey species for this highly monitored population by 31%, including a ﬁ sh species of commercial importance. Biochemical analysis detected subtle changes in the proportion of ﬁ sh and krill in the diet, demonstrating promising opportunities for using a combined molecular and biochemical method to assess inter-annual foodweb changes at lower trophic levels. The combined approach o ﬀ ers a less invasive sampling methodology, compared to morphological analysis, and provides more in- formation regarding prey species diversity and the overall trophic signature of the diet. Further studies are required to examine the feasibility of using this approach for long-term dietary studies of di ﬀ erent marine predator species.
PAIN THRESHOLD CHANms FOLLOwING AaJPuIQcTuRE , luEAmRmwITEcuT ~ uss ~ LA ( pERAND ELEcTRIcALTOOTH PULP STIMULATION , A COMPARATIVE & TUDY

5. The present study compared the argon laser technique for pain threshold measurements with the previously often used threshold measurem ems with electrical tooth pulp (TP) stimulation. Conditioning stimuli with acupuncture was given since it previously has been shown to induce pain threshold changes. Acupuncture needles were inserted in the hands and arms and electrically stimulated. The experiments were performed in a single blind fashion comparing pain threshold effects after either acupuncture or placebo. Pain threshold measurements with a method of limits were used with both electrical TP and the argon laser method. In comparison to placebo the pain thresholds increased a&r acupuncture, both on the face and on the hand, with the argon laser method, while the TP thresholds were not intlucnced. No significant pain threshold change was detected with either the argon laser or the TP method following placebo treatment. The results indicate that the argon laser used for sensory testing with a method of limits is a useful method for pain threshold measurements. The difference in pain threshold etTects induced by acupuncture measured with the argon laser and the TP stimulation, are discussed and related to mechanisms that may differ between the two types of pain threshold measurements.
BAT 3 Guides Misfolded Glycoproteins Out of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Citation Claessen

Secretory and membrane proteins that fail to acquire their native conformation within the lumen of the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) are usually targeted for ubiquitin-dependent degradation by the proteasome. How partially folded polypeptides are kept from aggregation once ejected from the ER into the cytosol is not known. We show that BAT3, a cytosolic chaperone, is recruited to the site of dislocation through its interaction with Derlin2. Furthermore, we observe cytoplasmic BAT3 in a complex with a polypeptide that originates in the ER as a glycoprotein, an interaction that depends on the cytosolic disposition of both, visualized even in the absence of proteasomal inhibition. Cells depleted of BAT3 fail to degrade an established dislocation substrate. We thus implicate a cytosolic chaperone as an active participant in the dislocation of ER glycoproteins. Citation: Claessen JHL, Ploegh HL (2011) BAT3 Guides Misfolded Glycoproteins Out of the Endoplasmic Reticulum. PLoS ONE 6(12): e28542. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone. 0028542 Editor: Emanuele Buratti, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Italy Received July 21, 2011; Accepted November 10, 2011; Published December 8, 2011 Copyright: 2011 Claessen, Ploegh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This work was supported by a research grant from the National Institutes of Health and a fellowship from the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds to JHLC. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: ploegh@wi.mit. edu
Challenges in the Development of Effective Systems for Professional Legal Search

The key objective of an information retrieval (IR) system is to identify and return to the user content relevant or useful in addressing the information need which required them to use the system. The development and evaluation of IR systems relies on the availability of suitable datasets or test collections. These typically consist of a target document collection, example search queries representative of those that users of the system to be developed, are expected to enter, and relevance data indicating which documents in the collection are relevant to the information needed as expressed in each query. Public research in IR has focused on popular content, e.g. news corpora or web content, for which average users can pose queries expressing information needs and judge the relevance of retrieved documents. This is not the case for professional search applications, for example legal, medical, financial search where domain experts are required for these tasks. We describe our experiences from the development of a professional legal IR application employing semantic search technologies. Our activities indicate the vital need for close interaction between the professionals for which the application is being developed and the IR researchers throughout the development life cycle of the search system. Such engagement is vital in order for the IR researchers to understand the working practices of the professional searchers, the specifications of their information needs and the domain in which they are searching, and to study how they engage and interact with information. A key reason to seek to understand these topics so deeply is to facilitate meaningful evaluation of the effectiveness of IR technologies as components in the system being developed.
Realizing Smiles : Options Pricing with Realized Volatility Fulvio

We develop a discrete-time stochastic volatility option pricing model, which exploits the information contained in high-frequency data. The Realized Volatility (RV) is used as a proxy of the unobservable log-returns volatility. We model its dynamics by a simple but effective (pseudo) long memory process, the Heterogeneous Auto-Regressive Gamma with Leverage (HARGL) process. Both the discrete-time specification and the use of the RV allow us to easily estimate the model using observed historical data. Assuming a standard, exponentially affine stochastic discount factor, we obtain a fully analytic change of measure. An extensive empirical analysis of S&P 500 index options illustrates that our approach significantly outperforms competing time-varying (i.e. GARCH-type) and stochastic volatility pricing models. The pricing improvement can be ascribed to: (i) the direct use of the RV, which provides a precise and fast-adapting measure of the unobserved underlying volatility; and (ii) the specification of our model, which, on the one hand, is able to accurately reproduce the volatility persistence and, on the other hand, [. ] LA VECCHIA, Davide, CORSI, Fulvio, FUSARI, Nicola. Realizing smiles: options pricing with realized volatility. Journal of Financial Economics, 2011, vol. 11, p. 1-46 DOI : 10.2139/ssrn.1547032
Comparative study of deep learning methods for one-shot image classification (abstract)

Training deep learning models for images classification requires large amount of labeled data to overcome the challenges of overfitting and underfitting. Usually, in many practical applications, these labeled data are not available. In an attempt to solve this problem, the one-shot learning paradigm tries to create machine learning models capable to learn well from one or (maximum) few labeled examples per class. To understand better the behavior of various deep learning models and approaches for one-shot learning, in this abstract, we perform a comparative study of the most used ones, on a challenging real-world dataset, i.e Fashion-MNIST.
A case for revisiting peer review: Implications for professional self-regulation and quality improvement

Background Quality improvement in healthcare has often been promoted as different from and more valuable than peer review and other professional self-regulation processes. In spite of attempts to harmonize these two approaches, the perception of dichotomous opposition has persisted. A sequence of events in the troubled California prison system fortuitously isolated workforce interventions from more typical quality improvement interventions. Our objectives were to (1) evaluate the relative contributions of professional accountability and quality improvement interventions to an observed decrease in population mortality and (2) explore the organizational dynamics that potentiated positive outcomes. Methods Our retrospective mixed-methods case study correlated time-series analysis of mortality with the timing of reform interventions. Quantitative and qualitative evidence was drawn from court documents, public use files, internal databases, and other archival documents. Results Change point analysis reveals with 98% confidence that a significant improvement in age-adjusted natural mortality occurred in 2007, decreasing from 138.7 per 100,000 in the 1998–2006 period to 106.4 in the 2007–2009 period. The improvement in mortality occurred after implementation of accountability processes, prior to implementation of quality improvement interventions. Archival evidence supports the positive impact of physician competency assessments, robust peer review, and replacement of problem physicians. Conclusions Our analysis suggests that workforce accountability provides a critical quality safeguard, and its neglect in scholarship and practice is unjustified. As with quality improvement, effective professional self-regulation requires systemic implementation of enabling policies, processes, and staff resources. The study adds to evidence that the distribution of physician performance contains a heterogeneous left skew of dyscompetence that is associated with significant harm and suggests that professional self-regulation processes such as peer review can reduce that harm. Beyond their responsibility for direct harm, dyscompetent professionals can have negative impacts on group performance. The optimal integration of professional accountability and quality improvement systems merits further investigation.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Gene Signature Is Absent in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Granulomatosis Polyangiitis

Objective. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), formally known as Wegener’s granulomatosis, is a systemic vasculitis with necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. As treatment directed against tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α failed in GPA, we investigated whether “TNF-α signature” (i.e. gene expression profile of TNF-α activation) was present in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with GPA. Methods. Gene expression profiling was performed using total RNA from PBMCs of 41 patients with GPA and 23 healthy control subjects using the Illumina microarray technique. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to detect the presence of TNF-α signature using the curated list C2-V3.0 by the Broad Institute. False discovery rate＜0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. GSEA did not show significant enrichment of any TNF-α associated gene sets in GPA. Expression levels of genes up-regulated by TNF-α did not differ between healthy control subjects, patients in remission (Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score [BVAS]=0), and those with active disease (BVAS≥1). In addition, an unsupervised hierarchical clustering of those genes failed to cluster the samples into healthy control subjects and GPA in remission or with active disease. B cell activation signature was enriched in GPA patients. Conclusion. Absence of a TNF-α signature in PBMCs may suggest that TNF-α plays a less important role in the pathogenesis of GPA than previously accepted. (J Rheum Dis 2015;22:293-297)
A new biomarker for the early diagnosis of ovarian torsion: SCUBE-1

Objective Prompt diagnosis and management are essential for saving the adnexal organs from infarction in cases of ovarian torsion (OT). This study aimed to determine the diagnostic significance of signal peptide, complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, and Bmp1 (CUB), and epidermal growth factor-like domain-containing protein-1 (SCUBE-1) levels in cases of OT, an emergent ischemic condition, and the relationship of SCUBE-1 with oxidative stress parameters. Methods This prospective study was conducted among 15 OT patients and 20 age- and gravidity-matched healthy women. SCUBE-1 serum concentrations were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In addition, oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring the serum levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), and glutathione (GSH). Results The SCUBE-1 titers were significantly higher in the patients with OT than in the controls (p=0.008). In addition, serum FRAP and GSH levels were significantly lower in the OT patients than in the controls (p<0.001 for both). Serum AOPP levels were higher in the OT patients, but this trend was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Furthermore, there were no correlations between SCUBE-1 levels and age, gravidity, parity, cyst size, and AOPP, FRAP, or GSH levels (p>0.05). Conclusion We believe that SCUBE-1 may be a promising biomarker for the early diagnosis of OT.
Bit Centering : A Technical Report

The motivation for this work is the rise of accelerators for analytics, in which a host machine with large memory but limited compute uses a high-performance accelerator that is capable of performing many low-precision operations cheaply. This technical report describes techniques to cope with low-precision inference and learning based on a novel bit centering technique. The key idea is to gracefully tradeoff representation using host-memory and an accelerator. Applications to learning are described including novel convergence rates. This allows one to train high-precision models by off-loading as much as possible to the low-precision accelerator. Please note this draft is a working draft and may be revised without notice.
Canine distemper virus infection in a lesser grison ( Galictis cuja ) : first report and virus phylogeny 1

Megid J., Teixeira C.R. , Cortez A. , Heinemann M.B. , Antunes J.M.A.P., Fornazari F. , Rassy F.B. & Richtzenhaim L.J. 2013. Canine distemper virus infection in a lesser grison (Galictis cuja): first report and virus phylogeny. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 33(2):247-250. Departamento de Higiene Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Jr s/n, Botucatu, SP 18618-970, Brazil. E-mail: jane@fmvz.unesp. br Infectious diseases in wild animals have been increasing as a result of their habitat alterations and closer contact with domestic animals. Canine distemper virus (CDV) has been reported in several species of wild carnivores, presenting a threat to wildlife conservation. We described the first case of canine distemper virus infection in lesser grison (Galictis cuja). A free-ranging individual, with no visible clinical sigs, presented sudden death after one day in captivity. Molecular diagnosis for CDV infection was performed using whole blood collected by postmortem intracardiac puncture, which resulted positive. The virus phylogeny indicated that domestic dogs were the probable source of infection.
Role of co-expression of estrogen receptor beta and Ki67 in prostate adenocarcinoma

Purpose To evaluate the expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-beta and Ki67 in prostate cancer and study their relationship. Materials and Methods We analyzed 101 cases of prostate adenocarcinoma diagnosed from January 2011 to June 2015 in 100 patients. Immunohistochemical staining of ER-beta and Ki67 was analyzed according to Gleason score categorized into prognostic groups of 1 to 5. Double-immunofluorescent staining of ER-beta and Ki67 was performed in a total of 20 cases to study the co-expression and the relationship between these markers within the same tumor. Results A total of 53 of 101 cases (52.5%) were positive for ER-beta expression. There was a positive correlation whereby a high percentage of ER-beta expression was seen in the higher prognostic groups (groups 4 and 5; p=0.007). High Ki67 expression was observed in the higher prognostic group, whereas low Ki67 or negative expression was found in the lower prognostic group (p<0.001). The majority of cases evaluated with double-immunofluorescent staining (14/20) showed co-expression of ER-beta and Ki67 at the individual cell level. Conclusions ER-beta and Ki67 are independent tumor markers in high prognostic groups. Hence, co-expression of ER-beta and Ki67 indicates a more aggressive tumor with a poorer prognosis.
Diagnosis and clinic-pathological findings of influenza virus infection in Brazilian pigs 1

Rajão D.S. , Couto D.H. , Gasparini M.R. , Costa A.T. R. , Reis J.K. P., Lobato Z.I. P., Guedes R.M. C. & Leite R.C. 2013. Diagnosis and clinic-pathological findings of influenza virus infection in Brazilian pigs. PesquisaVeterináriaBrasileira 33(1):30-36.Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, Cx. Postal 567, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270901, Brazil. E-mail: rajao.ds@gmail.com Influenza A virus (IAV) is a respiratory pathogen of pigs and is associated with the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC), along with other respiratory infectious agents. The aim of this study was to diagnose and to perform a clinic-pathological characterization of influenza virus infection in Brazilian pigs. Lung samples from 86 pigs in 37 farrow-to-finish and two farrow-to-feeder operations located in the States of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Mato Grosso were studied. Virus detection was performed by virus isolation and quantitative real time reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Pathologic examination and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed in 60 lung formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue fragments. Affected animals showed coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, hyperthermia, inactivity, apathy, anorexia, weight loss and growth delay, which lasted for five to 10 days. Influenza virus was isolated from 31 (36.0%) lung samples and 36 (41.9%) were positive for qRT-PCR. Thirty-eight (63.3%) lung samples were positive by IHC and the most frequent microscopic lesion observed was inflammatory infiltrate in the alveoli, bronchiole, or bronchi wall or lumen (76.7%). These results indicate that influenza virus is circulating and causing disease in pigs in several Brazilian states.
On the Equivalence of Two Information Bottleneck-Based Routines Devised for Joint Source-Channel Coding

Consider an extended version of noisy source coding in which the compressed data must be transmitted over an imperfect (forward) channel before being further processed. An interesting criterion for designing the quantizer in such cases is to maximize the end - to-end transmission rate. Since finding the globally optimal solution via the naive brute-force search is practically infeasible, a number of routines have been proposed aiming at providing complexity-wise tractable procedures at the expense of converging to local optima. In this paper, we study the relation between two particular devised heuristics appeared in totally different applications and prove their equivalence through an in-depth analytical investigation of their counterpart algorithmic steps. We further substantiate our presented line of argumentation by means of computer-generated simulations.