Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Customer Churn Prediction Based on the Decision Tree in Personal Handyphone System Service

Nowadays, churn prediction and management is critical for more and more companies in the fast changing and strongly competitive telecommunication market. In order to improve customer retention, telecommunication companies must be able to predict customers at risk who are prone to switch service provider. In this study, to overcome the limitations of lack of information of customers of Personal Handyphone System Service (PHSS) and to build an effective and accurate customer churn model, three research experimentations (changing sub-periods for training data sets, changing misclassification cost in churn model, changing sample methods for training data sets) are put forward to improve the prediction performance of churn model by using decision tree which is used widely, some optimal parameters (the time of sub-period being 10 days, misclassification cost being 1:5, and random sample method for train set) of models are found under the help of three research experimentations. The empirical evaluation results suggest that customer churn models built have a good performance through the course of model optical selecting, and show that the methods and techniques proposed are effective and feasible under the condition that information of customers is very little and class distribution is skewed. This study benefits not only churn prediction research and practice but also other data mining applications with similar characteristics.
Levels of mast-cell growth factors in plasma and in suction skin blister fluid in adults with mastocytosis: correlation with dermal mast-cell numbers and mast-cell tryptase.

BACKGROUND Mast-cell accumulation has been observed in the skin and other organs of patients with systemic indolent mastocytosis (SM). The basis for this pathologic increase is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine levels of mast-cell growth factors in the skin and plasma of patients with SM, patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and healthy individuals and to correlate these levels to dermal mast-cell numbers and levels of mast-cell tryptase. METHODS Skin suction blister fluid and plasma levels of stem-cell factor, IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, vascular endothelial growth factor, and total mast-cell tryptase were analyzed by means of ELISA. The number of mast cells was determined in a biopsy section taken from adjacent skin. RESULTS Mast-cell numbers in the dermis were higher in patients with SM compared with numbers in patients with AD (P <.001) or in healthy control subjects (P <.0001) and correlated with tryptase levels in both skin blister fluid (P <.0001) and plasma (P <.0001). Stem-cell factor and vascular endothelial growth factor levels in the skin blister fluid and plasma of patients with SM were not significantly different from those in patients with AD or healthy control subjects. IL-3 and IL-4 levels were below the limit of detection. IL-6 levels were significantly increased in the plasma of patients with SM compared with in plasma of patients with AD (P <.002) and healthy control subjects (P <.0001) and correlated with plasma tryptase levels (P <.05) and dermal mast-cell numbers (P <.02). CONCLUSION Because elevated levels of IL-6 could contribute to the fever, fatigue, and osteoporosis observed in patients with SM and because IL-6 is antiapoptotic for mast cells, IL-6 could potentiate the biologic consequences of this disease.
Improvement of Adjustable Speed Drives (ASD's) Performance During Sag Conditions Using Ultracapacitors

Input voltage unbalance and sag conditions because of the power system line faults may lead to mal-operation of adjustable-speed drive (ASD's). In this paper, the effect of balanced and unbalanced sags on the performance of ASD's has been discussed. The improved performance of ASD's with ultracapacitors is demonstrated using MATLAB simulation.
Intrathecal IgM synthesis predicts the onset of new relapses and a worse disease course in MS

BackgroundThe authors have recently described that intrathecal IgM synthesis (ITMS) correlates with a higher disability in patients with clinically definite MS (CDMS). ObjectiveTo follow-up a group of patients with MS in the initial stages of the disease to evaluate if the presence of ITMS correlates with a worse evolution. Methods Oligoclonal IgM bands were performed in 22 patients with MS with a mean of 1.14 months of evolution. Patients were followed for a period ranging from 6 to 36 months (mean, 21.4 months). During follow-up, time to conversion to CDMS, number of relapses, and changes in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score were evaluated. ResultsPatients were divided into two groups according to the presence (Group 1, 10 patients) or absence (Group 2, 12 patients) of ITMS. No clinical differences were observed between the groups at inclusion in the study. During the follow-up, the probability of conversion to CDMS was greater in Group 1 (90% of the patients had converted to CDMS after 8 months of follow-up) than in Group 2 (51% of patients had converted to CDMS after 36 months of follow-up) (p = 0.0001). Patients from Group 1 had more relapses (mean, 2.0) than those from Group 2 (mean, 0.58) (p = 0.02). At the end of the study, patients from Group 1 had higher EDSS scores (mean, 1.70) than those from Group 2 (mean, 0.79) (p = 0.02). ConclusionThe presence of oligoclonal IgM bands in CSF can be a prognostic marker in the early phases of MS.
Effectiveness versus convenience: patient preferences for an erythropoietic agent to treat cancer-related anemia*

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess patient preferences across two attributes – effectiveness and convenience – in the selection of an erythropoietic agent to treat chemotherapy-related anemia. Methods: During 2004, 500 adults with solid tumors and anemia were recruited through 50 oncologists’ offices across the USA. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires, divided into two parts. The first, completed by the provider, captured clinical information and providers’ perceptions of patient preferences. The second, completed by the patient, recorded knowledge, experiences, and preferences regarding anemia and its treatments. Patient preferences, the relative importance of effectiveness (time to noticeable relief of fatigue) and convenience (number of provider visits required in an 8-week period), were measured using a choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis. Each attribute was assessed at three levels (4, 6, or 8 weeks/visits). Results: 467 providers (93%) and 438 patients (88%) completed the preference sections. When choosing a medication to treat anemia, 77% of providers viewed effectiveness as more important to patients than convenience. Similarly, patients had a greater preference for effectiveness than convenience. Relative preference weights were significantly higher for 4- versus 6-week effectiveness (0.61 vs. 0.09, p < 0.001) and 6- versus 8-week effectiveness (0.09 vs. –0.70, p = 0.004). Overall, time to effectiveness was twice as important to patients as the number of visits. Limitations: Only two attributes were included in the CBC, which did not control for bias from respondent characteristics or experiences. Conclusion: When evaluating an erythropoietic agent to treat chemotherapy-related anemia, both providers and patients view effectiveness as more important than convenience.
Incidence and outcome of procedural distal emboli using the Penumbra thrombectomy for acute stroke

Background The Penumbra system is effective for recanalization of the primary arterial occlusion (PAO) in acute stroke. However, clinical outcomes are not as promising. The authors hypothesized that the formation of procedural distal emboli (PDE) during mechanical thrombectomy may lead to poorer patient outcomes. Design/methods A retrospective review of patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with the Penumbra system was undertaken. Patients' outcome was evaluated by comparing discharge National Institute of Health stroke scale and modified Rankin score (mRS) of patients with and without PDE. Results Out of 20 patients reviewed, recanalization of PAO was 100%. Six patients (30%) were confirmed to have PDE, of which two died (33.3%) and one (16.7%) had mRS of 2 or less. Of the 14 patients without PDE, three died (21.4%) and six (42.9%) had mRS of 2 or less. In the patient group who survived, mean National Institute of Health stroke scale decrease was only 2.3 in patients with PDE versus a decrease of 10.6 in patients without PDE. Conclusions In spite of PAO recanalization, distal emboli formed subsequent to Penumbra thrombectomy may contribute to poorer clinical outcome in acute stroke patients.
Differential Diagnosis of CNS Lesions in AIDS Patients by FDG‐PET

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of FDG-PET in the differential diagnosis of CNS lesions in patients with AIDS, particularly to differentiate between toxoplasmosis and lymphoma. Materials and Methods We examined 11 AIDS patients, 6 with toxoplasmosis, I with a tuberculoma, and 4 with a primary CNS lymphoma. The FDG uptake within the lesion was compared with the uptake in a contralateral brain area [standardized uptake value (SUV)]. Results In all subjects with cerebral infections (toxoplasmosis, tuberculoma), the SUV ratio was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than the SUV ratio in patients with lymphoma (range of 0.3–0.7 vs. 1.7–3.1) with no overlap of the uptake values. Conclusion In conclusion, FDG-PET may help to characterize these lesions metabotically and play an important role in the clinical management of AIDS patients with CNS involvement.
Open-source embedded framework for unmanned ground vehicle control using CIAA

In this paper a new open-source and open-hardware framework for Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) control is described. The hardware is based on CIAA (Computadora Industrial Abierta Argentina) and Arduino modules while the software is based on NuttX real-time operating system (RTOS). For communication, the MAVlink protocol is used, also enabling interfacing with ROS (Robot Operating System). The framework can be employed for different style UGVs (differential drive, omnidirectional, skid steer) with different number of motorized wheels. It is designed for low-cost and ease of integration and adoption. The proposed framework was employed as the control system of a four-wheel skid-steer rover protoype developed by the authors, which is also described as a part of this work.
Module s 1 , q k s 2 , q k s T , q k Hierarchical

Document-level multi-aspect sentiment classification is an important task for customer relation management. In this paper, we model the task as a machine comprehension problem where pseudo questionanswer pairs are constructed by a small number of aspect-related keywords and aspect ratings. A hierarchical iterative attention model is introduced to build aspectspecific representations by frequent and repeated interactions between documents and aspect questions. We adopt a hierarchical architecture to represent both word level and sentence level information, and use the attention operations for aspect questions and documents alternatively with the multiple hop mechanism. Experimental results on the TripAdvisor and BeerAdvocate datasets show that our model outperforms classical baselines.
Evidence for Targeting of Yop Effectors by the Chromosomally Encoded Ysa Type III Secretion System of Yersinia enterocolitica

ABSTRACT Yersinia enterocolitica O:8 has two contact-dependent type III secretion systems (TTSSs). The Ysa TTSS is encoded by a set of genes located on the chromosome and exports Ysp proteins. The Ysc TTSS and the Yop effector proteins it exports are encoded by genes located on plasmid pYVe8081. In this study, secretion of YspG, YspH, and YspJ by the Ysa TTSS was shown to require pYVe8081. Furthermore, mutations that blocked the function of the Ysc TTSS did not affect YspG, YspH, and YspJ production. This indicated that YspG, YspH, and YspJ are encoded by genes located on pYVe8081 and that they may correspond to Yops. A comparison of Ysps with Yop effectors secreted by Y. enterocolitica indicated that YspG, YspH, and YspJ have apparent molecular masses similar to those of YopN, YopP, and YopE, respectively. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that antibodies directed against YopN, YopP, and YopE recognized YspG, YspH, and YspJ. Furthermore, mutations in yopN, yopP, and yopE specifically blocked YopN, YopP, and YopE secretion by the Ysc TTSS and YspG, YspH, and YspJ secretion by the Ysa TTSS. These results indicate YspG, YspH, and YspJ are actually YopN, YopP, and YopE. Additional analysis demonstrated that YopP and YspH secretion was restored to yopP mutants by complementation in trans with a wild-type copy of the yopP gene. Examination of Y. enterocolitica-infected J774A.1 macrophages revealed that both the Ysc and Ysa TTSSs contribute to YopP-dependent suppression of tumor necrosis factor alpha production. This indicates that both the Ysa and Ysc TTSSs are capable of targeting YopP and that they influence Y. enterocolitica interactions with macrophages. Taken together, these results suggest that the Ysa and Ysc TTSSs contribute to Y. enterocolitica virulence by exporting both unique and common subsets of effectors.
Clinical Evaluation of the Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility Assay for Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Resistance to Isoniazid or Rifampin

ABSTRACT This prospective study evaluated the performance of the microscopic observation drug susceptibility (MODS) assay for the direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance. MODS assay sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 96.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 92.1 to 98.8%), 78.4% (95% CI, 73.5 to 80.6%), 82.4% (95% CI, 78.4 to 84.2%), and 95.8% (95% CI, 89.9 to 98.5%), respectively, for isoniazid resistance and 96.0% (95% CI, 90.3 to 98.6%), 82.9% (95% CI, 78.8 to 84.7%), 80.0% (95% CI, 75.2 to 82.1%), and 96.7% (95% CI, 91.9 to 98.8%), respectively, for rifampin resistance. For both rifampin and isoniazid testing, the likelihood ratio for a negative test was ≤0.05, indicating that the MODS assay may be useful for ruling out drug resistance.
Aspilota-group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae) diversity in Mediterranean Natural Parks of Spain

Abstract This work analyses the biodiversity of the Aspilota-group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae) in three Mediterranean Natural parks: Natural Park of La Font Roja, Natural Park of Las Lagunas de la Mata-Torrevieja and Natural Park of La Tinença de Benifassà. Samples were carried out from April 2004 to December 2007. In total, 822 specimens, belonging to 52 species, were collected. Alpha, beta and gamma diversities were analysed, and the Tinença Park was proven to have higher diversity than the Font Roja and Torrevieja. Also, the structure of the Aspilota-group community was analysed.
RATE OF DISTRIBUTION OF ETHANOL INTO THE TOTAL BODY WATER

Nonequilibrium distribution of ethanol in the total body water (TBW) has implications for understanding gross intoxication seen after rapid consumption of alcohol and for certain new clinical monitoring methods where ethanol is used as a tracer. We studied the rate of distribution of ethanol into the TBW from the concentration-time profiles in whole blood after 0.4 g kg−1 of ethanol was given by intravenous infusion over 15, 30, 45, and 60 min to six female volunteers. We also gave these females 0.6 gkg−1 over 30 min, and five young males 0.4 gkg−1 over 30 min. The results suggest that the blood ethanol concentration after rapid infusion can be described by a two-compartment model with first-order distribution kinetics and zero-order (saturated Michaelis-Menten) elimination. Distribution of ethanol occurred with a half-time of 6.6 ± 2.6 min (mean ± SD). Alcohol intoxication was more pronounced when ethanol was given rapidly. We conclude that predictable differences in the concentration of ethanol between the blood and the peripheral tissues during rapid supplementation of ethanol causes higher concentrations in blood and a more pronounced intoxication.
Field trapping and shielding measurements within a cylindrical hole in a block of Sm-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductor

Field trapping and shielding experiments were performed using high-T/sub c/ bulk superconductor with a cylindrical hole in it. An array of Hall probes was used to measure the field inside the hole as a function of position and applied field. The trapping of magnetic field in the hole was accomplished by cooling the bulk superconductor in the presence of an applied field and then gradually reducing the applied field to zero. Shielding experiments were carried out by cooling the superconductor in the absence of a magnetic field and then gradually applying an external field. This paper describes the results of these experiments.
Stress-strain relations in nonuniform equilibrium fluids.

The local stress tensor is defined as the field thermodynamically conjugate to the local strain ten ­ sor. Any free­energy change resulting from a strain can then be expressed either in terms of the stresses or in terms of the équivalent single­particle external force field. Using this équivalence, one obtains a well­defined expression for the local stress tensor in terms of this force field. On this basis we obtain unambiguous expressions for the surface tension and for the location of the surface of ten­ sion of a planar
Biaxial Tension Tests with Soft Tissues of Arterial Wall

The paper presents results of mechanical testing of soft tissues (arterial walls) under biaxial stress conditions and analysis of the influence of some factors, such as specimen location, preconditioning, etc. Soft tissues are pseudoelastic materials, modelled mostly as hyperelastic, either isotropic or anisotropic ones. Therefore multiaxial (biaxial) mechanical tests are required for a credible identification of their mechanical parameters. As living tissue proporties change with time after excision and exhibit also viscoelastic behaviour, a much more specialized equipment is needed to perform biaxial tests of soft tissues. A test rig for biaxial tests is presented in the paper and a pronounced influence of stress state character on the specimen behaviour during several first cycles is analyzed.
Justification of the 4-mmol/l Lactate Threshold

For a long time maximal oxygen uptake was considered to be the best means of determining endurance capacity. This is, however, only a valid measurement for short-term endurance work loads, i.e., work loads leading to exhaustion within 3—10 mm. For middle-term (10—30 mm) and long-term (more than 30 mm) work loads, the maximal oxygen uptake is an insufficient criterion for assessment of performance capacity. Astrand and Rodahl (1) proved that during stagnation of the maximal oxygen uptake in a training process lasting several months, the long-term endurance capacity continued to improve. Similar results were also found by Liesen et al. (17) and Hollmann et al. (13). They indicated that the work load intensity in long-term endurance exercise, expressed as a percent of the maximal oxygen uptake, varies considerably and is higher in athletes participating in sports with expressed long-term endurance characteristics, such as long-distance running and road racing cyclists, than in nonendurance-trained persons.
Differential induction of JE/MCP-1 in subclones from a murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7: role of kappaB-3 binding protein.

The JE/MCP-1 gene is an immediate-early gene, and its product is a CC chemokine that attracts monocytes, basophils and T lymphocytes. JE/MCP-1 gene expression is induced by various inflammatory stimuli, but its transcriptional mechanism is not fully understood. To address this question, we obtained two subclones from a parental RAW264.7 cell line, one subline with low JE/MCP-1-producing capacity (named RAW.c11) and the other with high JE/MCP-1-producing capacity (named RAW.c25), in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These subclones have no significant differences in CD14 expression, nitric oxide production, or production of other cytokines, including TNF-alpha or IL-1alpha/beta. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), there were no significant differences in DNA binding to the NF-kappaB-consensus sequence and interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-1,2 binding sequences. However, significantly higher binding activity to the NF-kappaB-like sequence (kappaB-3), which is located in the promoter region of the JE/MCP-1 gene, was shown by a high producer subclone than by a low producer subclone. Transient transfection analysis using deletion mutants of a 0.5-kb region from -467 to +59 identified an LPS-responsive region in a kappaB-3 site (from -169 to -132) in the high producer subclone. Mutation of this site markedly reduced sensitivity to LPS in the high producer subclone. These data suggest that a yet undefined nuclear factor may be involved in differential JE/MCP-1 gene transcription.
The Primed In Situ (PRINS) technique: an alternative approach for preimplantation chromosomal diagnosis

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a novel approach for the prevention of genetic disorders in couples at risk of having offspring with genetic disease. Although the original idea dates back to early 1960s when sexing of rabbit blastocysts was attempted, the first clinical application of PGD was reported about three decades later, describing the use of PCR for sexing embryos from couples at risk of X-linked disease. The development of PCR-based tests led to PGD for screening well known monogenic diseases such as thalassaemia and cystic fibrosis. The introduction of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) quickly replaced PCR-based methods which had led to misdiagnoses for sexing embryos. FISH can be used for aneuploidy screening of up to seven clinically significant chromosomes and translocation detection. The advent of molecular genetic techniques has brought forth new procedures for in situ chromosomal analysis. One of these techniques is the primed in situ labeling (PRINS) procedure which constitutes a fast and efficient alternative to conventional fluorescence in situ hybridization for nucleic acid detection. This technique has the potential to become a powerful tool for cytogenetic investigations. The recent achievements reported show that PRINS can constitute an efficient complement to PCR and FISH. Adaptation of this technique to preimplantation embryo screening both at chromosomal level and gene localization opens a promising perspective for being used in the
Automatic Marker-Free Registration of Terrestrial Laser Scans using Reflectance Features

In our paper we explore the application of the SIFT method on terrestrial laser scan data. The energy of the backscattered laser light is represented in a reflectance image. This representation of the data can be directly used with standard SIFT implementations. We show that the extracted features are good candidates for registration. Furthermore, we show that feature matching based on the feature descriptor gives a sufficient initial configuration for registration of terrestrial laser scans. From the resulting set of matches, we compute the rigid body transform for a pair-wise registration. We show that the approach can be extended to not only automatically register terrestrial laser scans, but also automatically register intensity images taken with a separate camera to the laser data.