Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extending to Soft and Preference Constraints a Framework for Solving Efficiently Structured Problems

This paper deals with the problem of solving efficiently structured COPs (constraints optimization problems). The formalism based on COPs allows to represent numerous real-life problems defined using constraints and to manage preferences and soft constraints. In spite of theoretical results, has discarded (hyper)tree-decompositions for the benefit of coverings by acyclic hypergraphs in the CSP area. We extend here this work to constraint optimization. We first study these coverings from a theoretical viewpoint. Then we exploit them in a framework aiming not to define a new decomposition, but to make easier a dynamic management of the structure during the search (unlike most of structural methods which usually exploit the structure statically), and so the use of dynamic variable ordering heuristics. Thus, we provide a new complexity result which outperforms significantly the previous one given in the literature. Finally, we assess the practical interest of these notions.
A Decision Support System Using Two-Level Classifier for Smart Grid

Today, big data is not only the data scenario with large volume, but also high-speed and changing all the time. Such data streams commonly exist in Smart Grid facilities. Decision tree as one of the most widely-used analysis methods, has been applied in the decision support system for smart grid. This paper proposes a two-level classifier combining cache-based classifier and incremental decision tree learning, instead of the tree inductions using Hoeffding bound. The simulation result shows that the proposed approach has better accuracy. The combined method can handle high-speed data streams collected from power grid units.
A mapping study on physical activity in stroke rehabilitation: establishing the baseline.

OBJECTIVE To establish physical activity level, environment and social interaction in routine stroke rehabilitation practice. DESIGN Prospective observational study using behavioural mapping. METHODS Patients at 4 hospital stroke rehabilitation units in Sweden at least 7 days post-stroke were observed over 1 week-day at 10 min intervals between 08.00 h and 17.00 h. At each observation, physical activity, location and people present were ascertained. RESULTS Patients (n = 104) had a mean age of 70.3 (standard deviation (SD) 14.4) years. Median time since stroke was 19 (range 7-142) days. Patients were alone for 52% of the day, during this time 7% was spent in standing/walking activities. While with a physiotherapist patients were standing/walking for 43% of the time. Using median regression it was found that the median percentage of time spent in standing/walking was associated with gait independence and age. Gait independence increased the median percentage of time spent in standing/walking by 16.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 12.1-20.9, p < 0.001), while an increase of 1 year of age reduced the median percentage of time spent in standing/walking by 0.16% (95% CI -0.31 to -0.01, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Patients had low levels of physical activity and social interaction. This study suggests that there is a huge potential to increase patients' activity level and augment social interaction above current levels.
Morphology of Pyramidal Neurons in the Rat Prefrontal Cortex: Lateralized Dendritic Remodeling by Chronic Stress

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in the stress response. We filled pyramidal neurons in PFC layer III with neurobiotin and analyzed dendrites in rats submitted to chronic restraint stress and in controls. In the right prelimbic cortex (PL) of controls, apical and distal dendrites were longer than in the left PL. Stress reduced the total length of apical dendrites in right PL and abolished the hemispheric difference. In right infralimbic cortex (IL) of controls, proximal apical dendrites were longer than in left IL, and stress eliminated this hemispheric difference. No hemispheric difference was detected in anterior cingulate cortex (ACx) of controls, but stress reduced apical dendritic length in left ACx. These data demonstrate interhemispheric differences in the morphology of pyramidal neurons in PL and IL of control rats and selective effects of stress on the right hemisphere. In contrast, stress reduced dendritic length in the left ACx.
Effects of cold water immersion on lower extremity joint biomechanics during running

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of cryotherapy on lower extremity running biomechanics. Twenty-six healthy male volunteers were randomised into two intervention groups: cold water (cold water at ~11°C) or tepid water (tepid water at ~26°C). They were required to run at 4.0 ± 0.2 m · s−1 before and after they underwent water immersion for 20 min. Differences between pre- and post-intervention were used to compare the influence of water intervention during running. Peak joint angles, peak joint moments, peak ground reaction forces (GRF) and contact time (CT) were calculated using three-dimensional gait analysis. Independent t-tests were applied with a significant alpha level set at 0.05. Decreased peak propulsive and vertical GRF, decreased plantarflexion moments, increased hip flexion angle and longer CT were observed following cold water immersion. Although cold water immersion (cryotherapy) affected the running movement, none of the alterations have been related to running biomechanical patterns associated with injuries. Therefore, our results indicated that cold water immersion appears safe prior to running activities.
Heterosexual Gender Relations In and Around Childhood Risk and Safety

Injuries are a leading cause of child death, and safety interventions frequently target mothers. Fathers are largely ignored despite their increasing childcare involvement. In our qualitative study with 18 Canadian heterosexual couples parenting children 2 to 7 years old, we examined dyadic decision making and negotiations related to child safety and risk engagement in recreational activities. Parents viewed recreation as an important component of men’s childcare, but women remained burdened with mundane tasks. Most couples perceived men as being more comfortable with risk than women, and three negotiation patterns emerged: fathers as risk experts; mothers countering fathers’ risk; and fathers acknowledging mothers’ safety concerns but persisting in risk activities. Our findings suggest that contemporary involved fathering practices privilege men in the outdoors and can erode women’s control for protecting children from unintentional injury. We recommend promoting involved fathering that empowers both parents and developing injury-prevention strategies incorporating both fathers’ and mothers’ perspectives.
The Convergence of Player Experience Questionnaires

Player experience is an important field of digital games research to understand how games influence players. A common way to directly measure players' reported experiences is through questionnaires. However, the large number of questionnaires currently in use introduces several challenges both in terms of selecting suitable measures and comparing results across studies. In this paper, we review some of the most widely known and used questionnaires and focus on the immersive experience questionnaire (IEQ), the game engagement questionnaire (GEQ), and the player experience of need satisfaction (PENS), with the aim to position each of them in relation to each other. This was done through an online survey, in which we gathered 270 responses from players about their most recent experience of a digital game. Our findings show considerable convergence between these three questionnaires and that there is room to refine them into a more widely applicable measure of general game engagement.
Simplified Capacity-Based User Scheduling Algorithm for Multiuser MIMO Systems with Block Diagonalization

In multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, the multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO) systems have the potential to provide higher channel capacity owing to multiuser and spatial diversity. Block diagonalization (BD) is one of the techniques to realize MU-MIMO systems, where multiuser interference can be completely cancelled and therefore several users can be supported simultaneously. When the number of multiantenna users is larger than the number of simultaneously receiving users, it is necessary to select the users that maximize the system capacity. However, computation complexity becomes prohibitive, especially when the number of multiantenna users is large. Thus simplified user scheduling algorithms are necessary for reducing the complexity of computation. This paper proposes a simplified capacity-based user scheduling algorithm, based on analysis of the capacity-based user selection criterion. We find a new criterion that is simplified by using the properties of Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization (GSO). In simulation results, the proposed algorithm provides higher sum rate capacity than the conventional simplified norm-based algorithm; and when signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR) is high, it provides performance similar to that of the conventional simplified capacity-based algorithm, which still requires high complexity. Fairness of the users is also taken into account. With the proportionally fair (PF) criterion, the proposed algorithm provides better performance (sum rate capacity or fairness of the users) than the conventional algorithms. Simulation results also shows that the proposed algorithm has lower complexity of computation than the conventional algorithms.
Multiple Reference Frames for Motion in the Primate Cerebellum

Knowledge of body motion through space is necessary for spatial orientation, self-motion perception, and postural control. Yet, sensory afferent signals may not directly provide such information to the brain. Because motion detected by the vestibular end organs is encoded in a head-fixed frame of reference, a coordinate transformation is thus required to encode body motion. In this study, we investigated whether cerebellar motion-sensitive neurons encode the translation of the body through space. We systematically changed both the direction of motion relative to the body and the static orientation of the head relative to the trunk. The activities of motion-sensitive neurons in the most medial of the deep cerebellar nuclei, the rostral fastigial nucleus, were compared with those in the brainstem vestibular nuclei. We found a distributed representation of reference frames for motion in the rostral fastigial nucleus, in contrast to cells in the vestibular nuclei, which primarily encoded motion in a head-fixed reference frame. This differential representation of motion-related information implies potential differences in the functional roles of these areas.
Extração de relações hiponímicas em um corpus de língua portuguesa

As relacoes hiponimicas sao importantes na construcao de estruturas de conhecimento, tais como ontologias ou taxonomias, para melhorar o processo de busca. O presente trabalho estuda em detalhe padroes para extracao de relacoes hiponimicas com base em um corpus de lingua portuguesa. Para tanto, toma como base os padroes especificos propostos por Hearst (1992), Freitas e Quental (2007) e Taba e Caseli (2014). Constroi, a partir desses padroes, regras que alimentam um prototipo, o qual as aplica a um corpus e extrai, como resultado, relacoes hiponimicas. Avaliadores humanos avaliam as relacoes extraidas, utilizando a escala proposta por Freitas e Quental. A precisao das extracoes e compativel com as da literatura. O trabalho ainda apresenta um minucioso estudo quanto a produtividade dos padroes e quanto a avaliacao das extracoes.
Secreted hepatitis B surface antigen polypeptides are derived from a transmembrane precursor

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), the major coat protein of hepatitis B virus, is also independently secreted from infected cells as a lipoprotein particle. Secretion proceeds without signal sequence removal or cleavage of other segments of the polypeptide. We have examined the synthesis and transport of HBsAg in cultured cells expressing the cloned surface antigen gene. Our results show that HBsAg is initially synthesized as a integral membrane protein. This transmembrane form is slowly converted to a secreted lipoprotein complex in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum via a series of definable intermediates, after which it is secreted from the cell. This unusual export process shares many features with the assembly and budding reactions of conventional enveloped animal viruses. However, it differs importantly in its absence of a requirement for the participation of nucleocapsid or other viral proteins.
Phonological awareness and early reading : A meta-analysis of experimental training studies

In a quantitative meta-analysis, the effects of phonological awareness training on reading were shown. In a homogeneous set of U.S. studies with a randomized or matched design, the combined effect sizes for phonological awareness and reading were d = 0.73 (r = .34, N = 739) and d = 0.70 (r = .33, N = 745), respectively. Thus, experimentally manipulated phonological awareness explains about 12% of the variance in word-identification skills. The combined effect size for long-term studies of the influence of phonological awareness training on reading was much smaller, d = 0.16 (r = .08, N = 1,180). Programs combining a phonological and a letter training were more effective than a purely phonological training. Furthermore, training effects were stronger with posttests assessing simple decoding skills than with real-word-identification tests. In sum, phonological awareness is an important but not a sufficient condition for early reading.
MEDI0639: A Novel Therapeutic Antibody Targeting Dll4 Modulates Endothelial Cell Function and Angiogenesis In Vivo

The Notch signaling pathway has been implicated in cell fate determination and differentiation in many tissues. Accumulating evidence points toward a pivotal role in blood vessel formation, and the importance of the Delta-like ligand (Dll) 4-Notch1 ligand–receptor interaction has been shown in both physiological and tumor angiogenesis. Disruption of this interaction leads to a reduction in tumor growth as a result of an increase in nonfunctional vasculature leading to poor perfusion of the tumor. MEDI0639 is an investigational human therapeutic antibody that targets Dll4 to inhibit the interaction between Dll4 and Notch1. The antibody cross-reacts to cynomolgus monkey but not mouse species orthologues. In vitro MEDI0639 inhibits the binding of Notch1 to Dll4, interacting via a novel epitope that has not been previously described. Binding to this epitope translates into MEDI0639 reversing Notch1-mediated suppression of human umbilical vein endothelial cell growth in vitro. MEDI0639 administration resulted in stimulation of tubule formation in a three-dimensional (3D) endothelial cell outgrowth assay, a phenotype driven by disruption of the Dll4-Notch signaling axis. In contrast, in a two-dimensional endothelial cell–fibroblast coculture model, MEDI0639 is a potent inhibitor of tubule formation. In vivo, MEDI0639 shows activity in a human endothelial cell angiogenesis assay promoting human vessel formation and reducing the number of vessels with smooth muscle actin-positive mural cells coverage. Collectively, the data show that MEDI0639 is a potent modulator of Dll4-Notch signaling pathway. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(8); 1650–60. ©2012 AACR.
Vegetation dynamics in declining eastern hemlock stands: 9 years of forest response to hemlock woolly adelgid infestation

Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae Annand) infestations have resulted in the continuing decline of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere) throughout much of the eastern United States. In 1994 and 2003, we quantified the vegetation composition and structure of two hemlock ravines in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This is the first study to use pre-adelgid disturbance data, annual monitoring of infestation severity, and annual records of hemlock health to assess forest response to HWA infestation. In 2003, 25% of monitored hem- lock trees were either dead or in severe decline. Measures of hemlock decline (crown vigor, transparency, density, and dieback) were correlated with HWA infestation severity and changes in light availability over the study period. Average percent total transmitted radiation more than doubled at these sites from 5.0% in 1994 to 11.7% in 2003. The total per- cent cover of vascular plants increased from 3.1% in 1994 to 11.3% in 2003. Species richness increased significantly, and more species were gained (53) than lost (19) from both ravine floras over the 9-year study period. Though exotic invasive plants were absent from these ravines in 1994, our 2003 resurvey found invasive plants in 35% of the perma- nent vegetation plots.
FUZZY ANN BASED DETECTION AND ANALYSIS OF PATHOLOGICAL AND HEALTHY TISSUES IN FLAIR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES OF BRAIN

A computational technique is proposed for the segmentation, detection and analysis of pathological tissues, healthy tissues and Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of brain with the help of FLAIR brain magnetic resonance images. Composite feature vectors are extracted from the blocks of size 4 × 4 pixels of intra-cranial brain image. Then using fuzzy C mean algorithm, clustering of feature vectors and segmentation of images are done for five regions tumor, edema white matter(WM), gray matter(GM) and CSF. Feature vectors comprise of empirically developed higher order wavelet function using Daubechies wavelet transform and statistical functions. Analysis of pathological regions and healthy tissue regions are done to see the complication of the disease. Segmentation result is validated and tested for 22 brain tumor patients. Training of artificial neural network using fuzzy back propagation algorithm is done for the detection of tumor, edema, WM, GM and CSF. The result using the composite feature vector developed is very satisfactory and mean square error is 2.58952 e-013.
Clustering protocol for sensor networks

In this paper we present clustering protocol (CP) for sensor networks. Clustering techniques are used by different protocols and applications to increase scalability and reduce delays in sensor networks. Examples include routing protocols, and applications requiring efficient data aggregation. Our approach which is based on the covering problem that aims at covering an area with minimum possible circular disks assuming ideal conditions. CP is a lightweight protocol that does not require any neighborhood information and imposes lesser communication overhead. We present simulation results to show the efficiency of CP in both ideal cases and randomly distributed networks. Moreover, CP is scalable with respect to density and network size t.
Design and analysis of a wire-driven flexible manipulator for bronchoscopic interventions

Bronchoscopic interventions are widely performed for the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases. However, for most endobronchial devices, the lack of a bendable tip restricts their access ability to get into distal bronchi with complex bifurcations. This paper presents the design of a new wire-driven continuum manipulator to help guide these devices. The proposed manipulator is built by assembling miniaturized blocks that are featured with interlocking circular joints. It has the capability of maintaining its integrity when the lengths of actuation wires change due to the shaft flex. It allows the existence of a relatively large central cavity to pass through other instruments and enables two rotational degrees of freedom. All these features make it suitable for procedures where tubular anatomies are involved and the flexible shafts have to be considerably bent in usage, just like bronchoscopic interventions. A kinematic model is built to estimate the relationship between the translations of actuation wires and the manipulator tip position. A scale-up model is produced for evaluation experiments and the results validate the performance of the proposed mechanism.
Scalable and Robust Management of Dynamic Graph Data

Most real-world networks evolve over time. This evolution can be modeled as a series of graphs that represent a network at different points in time. Our G* system enables efficient storage and querying of these graph snapshots by taking advantage of the commonalities among them. We are extending G* for highly scalable and robust operation. This paper shows that the classic challenges of data distribution and replication are imbued with renewed significance given continuously generated graph snapshots. Our data distribution technique adjusts the set of worker servers for storing each graph snapshot in a manner optimized for popular queries. Our data replication approach maintains each snapshot replica on a different number of workers, making available the most efficient replica configurations for different types of queries.
A Performance Evaluation of HRAN: A Hybrid Routing Protocol Using Bloom Filters for Wireless Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Non-geographical routing protocols have difficulties to scale to large scale MANETs composed by hundred of nodes. Geographical routing protocols have the drawback of requiring an extra component, normally a GPS device, to gather localisation data. In this work we analyse the performance of a new routing protocol, HRAN, which is scalable to large networks. HRAN is suited for nodes with limited resources (memory, processing power and bandwidth) and do not possess GPS devices. Various simulations are performed to evaluate the performance of HRAN when compared to other non-geographical routing protocols.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity in human acute myelogenous leukemia cells.

The rate of receptor-mediated uptake and degradation of 125l-labeled low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was 3-100-fold higher in blood mononuclear cells from 7 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) as compared with cells from 18 healthy subjects and 21 patients with acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemias, infectious mononucleosis, and nonhematologic malignancies. The rate of cholesterol synthesis from 14C-acetate was also higher (2-30-fold) in the AML cells. The total rate of input of cholesterol (i.e., the sum of LDLderived and endogenously synthesized cholesterol) in the AML cells was nine fold higher on the average than in the mononuclear cells from normal subjects. In both the normal and AML cells, more than 90% of the cholesterol input was derived from receptor-mediated degradation of LDL and less than 10% from cholesterol synthesized within the cell. Despite the higher input of cholesterol in the AML cells, the cellular content of cholesterol, as measured by cholesterol: protein ratio, was 50% lower than in normal mononuclear cells. These data indicate that the turnover of cellular cholesterol is more rapid in AML cells than in normal mononuclear cells. This enhanced turnover might be due to a more rapid rate of utilization of cholesterol for cellular growth or to a more rapid effiux of cellular cholesterol. The resultant depletion of cellular cholesterol elicits both a higher LDL receptor activity and a higher rate of cholesterol synthesis in these leukemic cells.