Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient Estimation of a Semiparametric Characteristic-Based Factor Model of Security Returns

This paper develops a new estimation procedure for characteristic-based factor models of security returns. We treat the factor model as a weighted additive nonparametric regression model, with the factor returns serving as time-varying weights, and a set of univariate non-parametric functions relating security characteristic to the associated factor betas. We use a time-series and cross-sectional pooled weighted additive nonparametric regression methodology to simultaneously estimate the factor returns and characteristic-beta functions. By avoiding the curse of dimensionality our methodology allows for a larger number of factors than existing semiparametric methods. We apply the technique to the three-factor Fama-French model, Carhart's four-factor extension of it adding a momentum factor, and a five-factor extension adding an own-volatility factor. We found that momentum and own-volatility factors are at least as important if not more important than size and value in explaining equity return comovements. We test the multifactor beta pricing theory against the Capital Asset Pricing model using a standard test, and against a general alternative using a new nonparametric test.
L'appropriation du dispositif de contractualisation interne à l'hôpital de V.: évolution conjointe de la stratégie et du contrôle de gestion

This research is aimed to understand the dynamic relation between strategy and organizational control tools.This case study is an exploratory analysis of the implementation process of a management control system in a public hospital in France. The results of this research shed light over the top managers' strategic intentions and its instrumental translation. First, the findings put in perspective the dynamic relation between strategy and organizational control organizational tools. Second, this case characterizes that relation as a process of mutual construction within a management control system in constant evolution. Third, the results also show the limits and imperfections of the management control systems.
Randomized controlled trial comparing oral doxifluridine plus oral cyclophosphamide with doxifluridine alone in women with node-positive breast cancer after primary surgery.

PURPOSE We compared the therapeutic usefulness of doxifluridine (5'-DFUR) alone and a combination of 5'-DFUR plus cyclophosphamide (CPM), both of which are considered effective against advanced and recurrent breast cancer, to determine which treatment is more beneficial as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 1,131 women with node-positive primary breast cancer were randomly assigned after primary surgery to receive 5'-DFUR alone or 5'-DFUR plus CPM. All patients initially received 5'-DFUR in an oral dose of 1,200 mg/d for 4 weeks, starting 4 weeks after surgery. Chemotherapy was then not given for 2 weeks. Patients in the 5'-DFUR group subsequently received five 4-week cycles of treatment consisting of oral 5'-DFUR (1,200 mg/d) for the first 2 weeks and no chemotherapy for the next 2 weeks. Those assigned to the 5'-DFUR plus CPM group also received oral CPM 100 mg/d for the first 2 weeks and no chemotherapy for the next 2 weeks. Women 50 years or older concurrently received 20 mg/d of tamoxifen for 2 years in both groups. RESULTS Of the 1,088 eligible women, 546 were assigned to receive 5'-DFUR alone and 542 were assigned to receive 5'-DFUR plus CPM. Overall disease-free survival was significantly better in women who received 5'-DFUR plus CPM than in those who received 5'-DFUR alone (log-rank test, P =.021). Toxic effects occurred in 20.0% of patients (109 of 546) in the 5'-DFUR group and 32.3% of patients (175 of 542) in the 5'-DFUR plus CPM group (chi(2) test, P <. 001). CONCLUSION Combination therapy with 5'-DFUR plus CPM is more effective in preventing recurrence than 5'-DFUR alone.
A biologically inspired CMOS image sensor for polarization and fast motion detection

A CMOS image sensor replicating the perception of vision in insects is presented for machine vision applications. The image sensor can sense polarization information in real time using a metallic wire grid micro polarizer. The embedded polarizer uses the inherent property of materials to partially polarize the reflected light to classify among conductive materials. The sensor is also equipped with in-pixel analog and digital memories which allow in-pixel binarization in real time. The binary output of the pixel tries to replicate the “flickering effect” of the insect's eye to detect the smallest possible motion based on the change in state of each pixel. A built-in counter counts the changes in states for each row to estimate the direction of the motion. The image sensor consists of an array of 128×128 pixels, occupies an area of 5×4mm2 and it has been designed and fabricated in a 180nm CMOS process.
Epidemiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic fibrotic lung disease of unknown cause that occurs in adults and has a poor prognosis. Its epidemiology has been difficult to study because of its rarity and evolution in diagnostic and coding practices. Though uncommon, it is likely underappreciated both in terms of its occurrence (ie, incidence, prevalence) and public health impact (ie, health care costs and resource utilization). Incidence and mortality appear to be on the rise, and prevalence is expected to increase with the aging population. Potential risk factors include occupational and environmental exposures, tobacco smoking, gastroesophageal reflux, and genetic factors. An accurate understanding of its epidemiology is important, especially as novel therapies are emerging.
Characterization of a porin from Mycobacterium smegmatis

A pore-forming protein with an Mr of 40,000 has been extracted from the cell wall of Mycobacterium smegmatis with buffer containing the detergent Zwittergent 3-12 and 0.5 M NaCl and purified on an anion-exchange column. Although the pore diameter was large (2 nm), the specific activity was much lower than those of nonspecific porin channels of enteric bacteria. The channel allowed the permeation of small hydrophilic molecules such as sugars and amino acids. Its N-terminal sequence did not show any similarity to those of other porins sequenced so far.
On T Logic Programming

T -resolution parametrically generalizes standard resolution with respect to a first-order theory T (the parameter). The inherent power of its derivation rule, however, makes it difficult to develop efficient unrestricted T -resolution based systems. CLP (X ) parametrically extends Horn clause logic programming with respect to a domain of computation X . The theory T underlying the domain X is fixed a-priori and can not be modified (extended) by the user. In this paper we present the parametric logic programming language T logic programming (TLP) which extends the CLP -scheme by giving the possibility of acting on the theory T . The scheme is embedded into (linear) T -resolution; however, its syntax ensures that three rules (simple instances of the general T -resolution rule) are sufficient to implement the derivation process.
In Vivo Emergence of Colistin Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae Producing KPC-Type Carbapenemases Mediated by Insertional Inactivation of the PhoQ/PhoP mgrB Regulator

ABSTRACT Colistin is one of the few agents that retain activity against extensively drug-resistant strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing KPC-type carbapenemases (KPC-KP). However, resistance to colistin is increasingly reported among KPC-KP. Comparative genomic analysis of a pair of sequential KPC-KP isolates from the same patient including a colistin-susceptible isolate (KKBO-1) and a colistin-resistant isolate (KKBO-4) selected after colistin exposure revealed that insertional inactivation of the mgrB gene, encoding a negative regulator of the PhoQ/PhoP signaling system, is a genetic mechanism for acquired colistin resistance. The role of mgrB inactivation in acquired colistin resistance was confirmed by complementation experiments with wild-type mgrB, which restored colistin susceptibility in KKBO-4, and by construction of an mgrB deletion mutant from KKBO-1, which exhibited a colistin-resistant phenotype. Insertional mgrB inactivation was also detected in 60% of colistin-resistant mutants selected from KKBO-1 in vitro, following plating on colistin-containing medium, confirming the role (although not unique) of this mechanism in the emergence of acquired colistin resistance. In colistin-resistant mutants carrying insertional inactivation or deletion of the mgrB gene, upregulated transcription of phoP, phoQ, and pmrK (which is part of the pmrHFIJKLM operon) was detected. These findings confirmed the MgrB regulatory role in K. pneumoniae and were in agreement with the known association between upregulation of the PhoQ/PhoP system and activation of the pmrHFIJKLM operon, which eventually leads to resistance to polymyxins by modification of the lipopolysaccharide target.
A Qualitative Test of Journal Discrimination Against Women

acceptance are higher for female and female/male authors than for male authors in economics journals employing a double-blind reviewing process, while the reverse holds true for non-blind economics journals. The fact that female-authored manuscripts enjoy a higher acceptance rate when they receive "even-handed treatment" is interpreted by F-T as evidence that women tend to submit higher quality manuscripts than men; lower acceptance rates at non-blind journals thus reveal discrimination against women. As Lott pointed out in his (1983) critique of F-T's methodology, interpretation of differential rates of manuscript acceptance between female and male authors across doubleblind and non double-blind journals as discrimination against female authors may be incorrect if submission strategies differ by sex of author and type of review process. To avoid this problem, one would need to control for quality of manuscript submissions - an admittedly difficult task. A more general criticism of the editorial process is that editors decide to whom to send a manuscript for initial review; judicious choice can effectively guarantee a decision that justifies the editor's publishing proclivities vis-a-vis sex of author, topic of concern, personal identity of the author, etc. One can test, after-the-fact, for discrimination in the editorial process, although it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact source of any discrimination that is found. An examination of differences in quality of articles published by male versus female authors cuts to the heart of any analysis of potential editorial discrimination by sex. To the extent that journal editors accept demonstrably lower quality manuscripts for publication from men than they require from women, differential rates of publication success are an inevitable result, with consequent implications for career development of members of each sex. Equation (1) models the general determinants of measurable quality of articles:
Efectos de una sesión de actividad física sobre el estado de ánimo

espanolEste trabajo analiza los efectos de una sesion de actividad fisica sobre el estado de animo en un grupo adolescentes de la ciudad de Malaga (Espana). Participaron en este estudio 67 personas con edades entre los 14 y 17 anos (M=14,93; DT= 0,99). Para evaluar el estado animo de la muestra se utilizo el cuestionario POMS (Profile of Mood States - McNair, Lorr y Droppleman, 1971), analizandose los siguientes factores: tension-ansiedad, depresion-melancolia, angustia-hostilidad-colera, vigor-actividad, fatiga-inercia y confusion-orientacion. Los resultados indicaron que, tras la sesion de actividad fisica, disminuyeron las puntuaciones en depresion, angustia y confusion, aumentando en vigor. En funcion del sexo, los cambios fueron similares, aunque el estado de tension mejoro unicamente en chicos y el vigor tuvo un aumento mayor en chicas. EnglishThis article analyses the effects of a physical activity session on mood states in a group of adolescents from the city of Malaga (Spain). Participants of this study were 67 individuals aged between 14 and 17 years (M=14.93; SD= .99). Mood states in the sample were evaluated using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire (McNair, Lorr, & Droppleman, 1971) and analysing the following factors: tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, vigour-activity, fatigue-inertia, and confusion-bewilderment. Results indicated that, after the physical activity session, there was a significant decrease in the depression, anxiety and confusion scores, and an increase in vigour. The changes were similar for both sexes, although the state of tension improved only for boys, and vigour increased to a greater extent in girls.
Proposal of a new efficient public key system for encryption and digital signatures

In this paper a new efficient public key cryptosystem usable for both encryption and digital signatures is presented. Due to its simple structure this public key cipher can be implemented easily in every software or hardware device, making the cryptosystem available for circumstances where the implementation of an alternative like RSA, El Gamal / Diffie Hellmann, etc. is too complicated. Furthermore the construction on the closest and shortest vector problem using a new homomorph ”almost” linear one-way function gives not only strong evidence of the ciphers security, but may be also the base for a new class of cryptographic primitives based on lattice problems. Therefore this cipher and its construction is a good alternative to cryptosystems based on the integer factoriziation problem or the discrete logarithm.
Big Data and The Phantom Public: Walter Lippmann and the fallacy of data privacy self-management

In 1927, Walter Lippmann published The Phantom Public, denouncing the ‘mystical fallacy of democracy. ’ Decrying romantic democratic models that privilege self-governance, he writes: “I have not happened to meet anybody, from a President of the United States to a professor of political science, who came anywhere near to embodying the accepted ideal of the sovereign and omnicompetent citizen. ” Almost 90 years later, Lippmann’s pragmatism is as relevant as ever, and should be applied in new contexts where similar self-governance concerns persist. This paper does just that, repurposing Lippmann’s argument in the context of the ongoing debate over the role of the digital citizen in Big Data management. It is argued that proposals by the Federal Trade Commission, the White House and the US Congress, championing failed notice and choice privacy policy, perpetuate a self-governance fallacy comparable to Lippmann’s, referred to here as the fallacy of data privacy self-management. Even if the digital citizen had the faculties and the system for data privacy self-management, the digital citizen has little time for data governance. We desire the freedom to pursue the ends of digital production, without being inhibited by the means. We want privacy, and safety, but cannot complete all that is required for its protection. If it is true that the fallacy of democracy is similar to the fallacy of data privacy self-management, then perhaps the pragmatic solution is representative data management: a combination of non/for-profit digital dossier management via infomediaries that can ensure the protection of personal data, while freeing individuals from what Lippmann referred to as an ‘unattainable ideal. ’
Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy of Mycobacterial Adhesin-Adhesin Interactions

ABSTRACT The heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) is one of the few virulence factors identified for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is a surface-associated adhesin that expresses a number of different activities, including mycobacterial adhesion to nonphagocytic cells and microbial aggregation. Previous evidence indicated that HBHA is likely to form homodimers or homopolymers via a predicted coiled-coil region located within the N-terminal portion of the molecule. Here, we used single-molecule atomic-force microscopy to measure individual homophilic HBHA-HBHA interaction forces. Force curves recorded between tips and supports derivatized with HBHA proteins exposing their N-terminal domains showed a bimodal distribution of binding forces reflecting the formation of dimers or multimers. Moreover, the binding peaks showed elongation forces that were consistent with the unfolding of α-helical coiled-coil structures. By contrast, force curves obtained for proteins exposing their lysine-rich C-terminal domains showed a broader distribution of binding events, suggesting that they originate primarily from intermolecular electrostatic bridges between cationic and anionic residues rather than from specific coiled-coil interactions. Notably, similar homophilic HBHA-HBHA interactions were demonstrated on live mycobacteria producing HBHA, while they were not observed on an HBHA-deficient mutant. Together with the fact that HBHA mediates bacterial aggregation, these observations suggest that the single homophilic HBHA interactions measured here reflect the formation of multimers that may promote mycobacterial aggregation.
Analysis of biofluids and chemical mixtures in non‐deuterated solvents with 1H diffusion‐weighted PFG phase‐sensitive double‐quantum NMR spectroscopy

Two different types of one‐ and two‐dimensional diffusion‐weighted 1H phase‐sensitive pulsed field gradient double‐quantum experiments (DWDQ) are presented and their applicaton to a biological plasma sample is shown. The remarkable solvent suppression achieved with these pulse sequences and the high sensitivity of these experiments allows the determination of the diffusion coefficients of molecules at low concentration dissolved in non‐deuterated solvents. Biofluids and complex chemical mixtures from combinatorial chemistry and from natural sources can be analysed with these experiments, and the different molecular species of the mixtures can be identified and assigned, based on their different diffusion coefficients. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The application of force-sensing resistor sensors for measuring forces developed by the human hand

Abstract Most attempts to measure forces developed by the human hand have been implemented by placing force sensors on the object of interaction. Other researchers have placed sensors just on the subject's fingertips. In this paper, a system is described that measures forces over the entire hand using thin-film sensors and associated electronics. This system was developed by the authors and is able to obtain force readings from up to 60 thin-film sensors at rates of up to 400 samples/s per sensor. The sensors can be placed anywhere on the palm and/or fingers of the hand. The sensor readings, together with a video stream containing information about hand posture, are logged into a portable computer using a multiplexer, analogue-to-digital converter and software developed for the purpose. The system has been successfully used to measure forces involved in a range of everyday tasks such as driving a vehicle, lifting saucepans and hitting a golf ball. In the latter case, results are compared with those from an instrumented golf club. Future applications include the assessment of hand strength following disease, trauma or surgery, and to enable quantitative ergonomic investigations.
Privacy and security issues in social networks: an evaluation of Facebook

Social networking websites have grown rapidly in recent years. Many people are involved in several virtual networking websites. However, many users are not aware of the potential risk that may occur as a result of improper actions when using social networking websites. Although a lot of benefits can be received by using virtual communities, privacy and security problems may occur. The aim of this paper is to enhance the protection of users' personal and sensitive information that exist in social networking websites. In particular, this paper discusses privacy settings, security questions, and third party applications involved in using Facebook website. The results of this paper highlights the need for a regular review of privacy settings as well as a clear policy to control the interaction between users and applications.
Use of vancomycin-containing lock or flush solutions for prevention of bloodstream infection associated with central venous access devices: a meta-analysis of prospective, randomized trials.

BACKGROUND Prolonged exposure to central venous access devices carries significant risk of device-associated bloodstream infection (BSI), which is associated with morbidity, added health care costs, and attributable mortality. We aimed to determine the efficacy of vancomycin-heparin lock or flush solution in preventing BSI in patients being treated with long-term central venous intravascular devices (IVDs). METHODS We collected data from January 1966 to January 2006 from multiple computerized databases and compiled reference lists of identified articles. We identified prospective, randomized controlled trials comparing a vancomycin-heparin lock or flush solution with heparin alone for prevention of BSI associated with long-term central venous IVDs. Using a standardized form, we abstracted data regarding study quality, patient characteristics, and incidence of BSI. RESULTS Seven randomized, controlled trials involving a total of 463 patients being treated with IVDs met the inclusion criteria; 5 studies were conducted among patients with cancer, 1 among a critically ill neonatal population, and 1 among patients with cancer or who required parenteral nutrition. We could not detect publication bias. The summary risk ratio with a vancomycin heparin-lock solution for IVD-associated BSI was 0.49 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26-0.95; P = .03). Results of the test for heterogeneity were statistically significant; however, when a single study was removed from the analysis, heterogeneity was no longer present. Use of vancomycin as a true lock solution--instilling it for a defined period, rather than simply flushing it directly through the device--conferred a much greater benefit, with a risk ratio of 0.34 (95% CI, 0.12-0.98; P = .04). The 2 studies that performed prospective surveillance cultures to identify colonization or infection by vancomycin-resistant organisms did not find an increased risk. CONCLUSIONS Use of a vancomycin lock solution in high-risk patient populations being treated with long-term central IVDs reduces the risk of BSI. The use of an anti-infective lock solution warrants consideration for patients who require central access but who are at high risk of BSI, such as patients with malignancy or low-birthweight neonates.
Rigorous Result for the CHKNS Random Graph Model

We study the phase transition in a random graph in which vertices and edges are added at constant rates. Two recent papers in Physical Review E by Callaway, Hopcroft, Kleinberg, Newman, and Strogatz, and Dorogovstev, Mendes, and Samukhin have computed the critical value of this model, shown that the fraction of vertices in finite clusters is infinitely differentiable at the critical value, and that in the subcritical phase the cluster size distribution has a polynomial decay rate with a continuously varying power. Here we sketch rigorous proofs for the first and third results and a new estimates about connectivity probabilities at the critical value.