Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Vulnerability

It is well established that victimization is associated with increased risk of future victimization. According to state dependence arguments, this occurs because the victimization event changes either the individual or the social environment in ways that elevate risk. In contrast, the population heterogeneity perspective argues that the association between victimization events is spurious. Empirical research finds that state dependence and population heterogeneity jointly contribute to risk of repeat victimization, but research has not been able to specify the nature of the relationship between state dependence, population heterogeneity, and repeat victimization risk. Here, we propose that state dependence processes vary across levels of underlying propensity for victimization. Using propensity score matching with longitudinal data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, we find that state dependence effects operate differently depending upon one’s underlying risk of victimization and that the pattern of these effects differ for property and violent victimization.
Reinforcement Learning Based on On-Line EM Algorithm

In this article, we propose a new reinforcement learning (RL) method based on an actor-critic architecture. The actor and the critic are approximated by Normalized Gaussian Networks (NGnet), which are networks of local linear regression units. The NGnet is trained by the on-line EM algorithm proposed in our previous paper. We apply our RL method to the task of swinging-up and stabilizing a single pendulum and the task of balancing a double pendulum near the upright position. The experimental results show that our RL method can be applied to optimal control problems having continuous state/action spaces and that the method achieves good control with a small number of trial-and-errors.
Motivadores da Participação do Consumidor no Desenvolvimento de Novos Serviços e o Efeito Moderador da Autoeficácia Motivators Consumer Participation in Development of New Services and the Effect of Self-efficacy Moderator

The process of developing new services is an important asset for innovative companies focused on customer value delivery. In the evolution of innovation surveys understood the importance of some characteristics, especially regarding the client's participation in the innovation process assisting in the production of goods and services. However, not all clients are willing to work collaboratively with companies, emphasizing a great interest of motivational studies to understand how the motivations influence this participation. Thus, the study evaluated quantitatively the motivations related to the client's participation and assessed the moderating effect of self-efficacy on performance. As a result, 359 clients of companies with innovation processes answered the survey and showed that the direct effect of motivation on participation is significant. However, as moderator, self-efficacy had no significant result.
Collaborative filtering under a sybil attack: analysis of a privacy threat

Recommenders have become a fundamental tool to navigate the huge amount of information available on the web. However, their ubiquitous presence comes with the risk of exposing sensitive user information. This paper explores this problem in the context of user-based collaborative filtering. We consider an active attacker equipped with externally available knowledge about the interests of users. The attacker creates fake identities based on this external knowledge and exploits the recommendations it receives to identify the items appreciated by a user. Our experiment on a real data trace shows that while the attack is effective, the inherent similarity between real users may be enough to protect at least part of their interests.
Noise-Averse Combination Method

This paper proposes a new method for combining information in recommender systems based on Dempster-Shafer theory. Within this method, focal elements whose probabilities are less than or equal to an infinitesimal threshold are considered as noise that may be caused by the process of fusing information, and then eliminated. Comparing with two baselines, known as 2-points focused and 2-probabilities focused combination methods, the new method is more effective because it does not eliminate focal elements whose probabilities are not very small. Moreover, the new method is tested in a wide range of experiments on MovieLens data set, and the experimental results indicate that the proposed method is much better than the baselines in accuracy of recommendations.
Chronic Tempol Prevents Hypertension, Proteinuria, and Poor Feto-Placental Outcomes in BPH/5 Mouse Model of Preeclampsia

Recently we described a mouse model, BPH/5, that spontaneously develops the hallmark clinical features of preeclampsia. BPH/5 exhibit impaired placentation before the onset of hypertension and proteinuria, supporting a causal role for the placenta in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Here we tested the hypothesis that an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) early in pregnancy results in placental abnormalities leading to the maternal symptoms of preeclampsia. We further hypothesized that chronic antioxidant therapy would ameliorate both feto-placental abnormalities and maternal symptoms. ROS levels measured by dihydroethidium revealed significant increases in oxidative stress in BPH/5 placentas at midgestation compared with C57 controls. This increase in ROS was correlated with reduced expression and activity of cytoplasmic superoxide dismutase in early and midgestation BPH/5 placentas. These abnormalities in placental oxidant factors occurred before the onset of maternal symptoms, suggesting a possible causal link between increased ROS and maternal and feto-placental pathology in this model. In support of this, chronic treatment of BPH/5 with the superoxide dismutase-mimetic Tempol throughout gestation significantly improved fetal growth and survival. Furthermore, Tempol ameliorated pregnancy-induced increases in blood pressure and proteinuria in BPH/5 mothers. We confirmed that Tempol radical was present in plasma, and it normalized ROS levels in all placental zones in BPH/5. These data for the first time demonstrate an important causative role for increased ROS in the placenta in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia in a model that spontaneously develops the disease. The results also strongly suggest the potential utility of antioxidant therapy in treating preeclampsia.
A PSO-Based Method for Traffic Stop-Sign Detection

This paper developed a new technology for the detection of traffic stop-sign from a motion picture captured by a CCD camera in a car. Firstly original image was segmented in YCbCr color model by the threshold of characteristic color of traffic stop-sign. Then a new fitness function was presented, which considering of the symmetry of traffic stop-sign. In the process of template matching, a modified particle swarm optimizers (PSO) and the proposed fitness function were employed to detect the position and size of traffic stop-sign in real-time. The results of experiments show a superior performance compared to the previous approach either in detection speed or the detection rate
Title Stata.com Streg — Parametric Survival Models

Syntax Menu Description Options Remarks and examples Stored results Methods and formulas References Also see Syntax streg varlist if in , options options Description Model noconstant suppress constant term distribution(exponential) exponential survival distribution distribution(gompertz) Gompertz survival distribution distribution(loglogistic) loglogistic survival distribution distribution(llogistic) synonym for distribution(loglogistic) distribution(weibull) Weibull survival distribution distribution(lognormal) lognormal survival distribution distribution(lnormal) synonym for distribution(lognormal) distribution(gamma) generalized gamma survival distribution frailty(gamma) gamma frailty distribution frailty(invgaussian) inverse-Gaussian distribution time use accelerated failure-time metric Model 2 strata(varname) strata ID variable offset(varname) include varname in model with coefficient constrained to 1 shared(varname) shared frailty ID variable ancillary(varlist) use varlist to model the first ancillary parameter anc2(varlist) use varlist to model the second ancillary parameter constraints(constraints) apply specified linear constraints collinear keep collinear variables SE/Robust 1 2 streg — Parametric survival models Reporting level(#) set confidence level; default is level(95) nohr do not report hazard ratios tr report time ratios noshow do not show st setting information noheader suppress header from coefficient table nolrtest do not perform likelihood-ratio test nocnsreport do not display constraints display options control column formats, row spacing, line width, display of omitted variables and base and empty cells, and factor-variable labeling
Design and Implementation of a 1.2-to-17-GHz UWB SiGe LNA with a Peaking Inductor

In this paper, we demonstrate a 1.2-to-17-GHz ultra-wideband (UWB) low-noise amplifier (LNA) with multiple feedback loops implemented in a 0.35 mum SiGe BiCMOS technology. A method named inductive peaking, which adds an inductor in series with the base terminal of the second stage BJT to enhance the frequency of the dominant pole, was adopted to improve gain and bandwidth of the LNA. The measurement results show very flat gain (S21) of 8plusmn0.5 dB was achieved for frequencies lower than 15 GHz. In addition, reverse isolation (S12 ) lower than -27 dB, input return loss (S11) and output return loss (S22) lower than -9 dB, and noise figure (NF) lower than 5.7 dB was achieved in the 3.1-10.6 GHz UWB band. The chip area was 775 mum times 710 mum, excluding the test pads. This LNA drains 7 mA current at supply voltage of 3 V, i.e. it only consumes 21 mW power
Detection of Bladder Cancer in Urine by a Tumor Suppressor Gene Hypermethylation Panel

Purpose: Bladder cancer is potentially curable in the majority of cases; however, the prognosis for patients with advanced disease at presentation remains poor. Current noninvasive tests such as cytology lack sufficient sensitivity to detect low-grade, low-stage tumors. Silencing of tumor suppressor genes, such as p16INK4a, VHL, and the mismatch repair gene hMLH1, has established promoter hypermethylation as a common mechanism for tumor suppressor inactivation in human cancers. It is also a promising new target for molecular detection in bodily fluids including urine, a readily accessible fluid known to contain bladder cancer cells. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) can determine the presence or absence of methylation of a gene locus at a sensitivity level of up to 1 methylated allele in 1000 unmethylated alleles, appropriate for identifying cancer cell DNA in a bodily fluid. Experimental Design: We first determined the frequency of hypermethylation of the Rb tumor suppressor gene by bisulfite sequencing and of the p16INK4a, p14ARF, APC, and RASSF1A tumor suppressor genes by MSP in 45 bladder cancers. We then designed a panel optimal for diagnostic coverage composed of the APC, RASSF1A, and p14ARF tumor suppressor genes. This panel was tested for detection of hypermethylation in matched sediment DNA from urine specimens obtained before surgery from the same 45 bladder cancer patients (2 Tis, 16 Ta, 10 T1, and 17 T2–4) as well as normal and benign control DNAs. Results: Hypermethylation of at least one of three suppressor genes (APC, RASSF1A, and p14ARF) was found in all 45 tumor DNAs (100% diagnostic coverage). We detected gene hypermethylation in the matched urine DNA from 39 of 45 patients (87% sensitivity), including 16 cases that had negative cytology. No hypermethylation of APC, RASSF1A, or p14ARF was observed in normal transitional cell DNAs or in urine DNAs from normal healthy individuals and patients with inflammatory urinary disease (cystitis). Furthermore, an unmethylated gene in the tumor DNA was always found to be unmethylated in the matched urine DNA (100% specificity). Conclusions: Promoter hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes is common in bladder cancer and was found in all grades and stages of tumors examined. Hypermethylation was detected in the urine DNA from 39 of 45 (87%) patients, including cases of early-stage disease amenable to cure. MSP may enhance early detection of bladder cancer using a noninvasive urine test.
Decentralized suboptimal control via limited capacity channels

In this paper decentralized controllers are designed for mean square stability of large scale systems with linear time-invariant distributed subsystems. The subsystems are subject to Gaussian process and measurement noise. For the stability analysis of the system we also consider the effects of noisy and limited capacity communication channels used for exchanging information between subsystems. Hence, the proposed scheme is suitable for controlling networks of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS).
Power-laws from critical gravitational collapse: The mass distribution of subsolar objects

Critical gravitational collapse and self similarity are used to probe the mass distribution of subsolar objects. We demonstrate that at very low mass the distribution is given by a power law, with an exponent opposite in sign to that observed at high-mass regime. We further show that the value of this low-mass exponent is in principle calculable via dynamical systems theory applied to gravitational collapse. Qualitative agreement between numerical experiments and observational data is good.
Evidence for the Presence of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity in Patients with Functional Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Results from a Multicenter Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Gluten Challenge

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is characterized by the onset of symptoms after eating gluten-containing food. We aimed to single out NCGS subjects among subjects with functional gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients were enrolled in a multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled trial with crossover. Symptoms and quality of life were evaluated by means of 10-cm VAS and SF36. Iron parameters, transaminases and C reactive protein (CRP) were evaluated. After a three-week-long gluten-free diet (GFD), responsive patients were randomly assigned to gluten intake (5.6 g/day) or placebo for seven days, followed by crossover. The primary endpoint was the worsening of symptoms (VAS increase ≥3 cm) during gluten ingestion compared to placebo. One hundred and forty patients were enrolled and 134 (17 males, mean age 39.1 ± 11.7 years, BMI 22.4 ± 3.8) completed the first period. A total of 101 subjects (10 males, mean age 39.3 ± 11.0 years, BMI 22.3 ± 4.0) reported a symptomatic improvement (VAS score 2.3 ± 1.2 vs. 6.5 ± 2.2 before and after GFD, p = 0.001). 98 patients underwent the gluten challenge and 28 (all females, mean age 38.9 ± 12.7 years, BMI 22.0 ± 2.9) reported a symptomatic relapse and deterioration of quality of life. No parameters were found to be statistically associated with positivity to the challenge. However, 14 patients responded to the placebo ingestion. Taking into account this finding, about 14% of patients responding to gluten withdrawal showed a symptomatic relapse during the gluten challenge. This group is suspected to have NCGS.
Interaction of Ipa proteins of Shigella flexneri with alpha5beta1 integrin promotes entry of the bacteria into mammalian cells

Shigella is a genus of highly adapted bacterial pathogens that cause bacillary dysentery in humans. Bacteria reaching the colon invade intestinal epithelial cells by a process of bacterial-directed endocytosis mediated by the Ipa proteins: IpaB, IpaC, and IpaD of Shigella. The invasion of epithelial cells is thought to be a receptor- mediated phenomenon, although the cellular components of the host that interact with the Ipa proteins have not yet been identified. We report here that in a Shigella flexneri invasive system and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell monolayers, the Ipa proteins were capable of interacting directly with alpha5beta1 integrin. The invasive capacity of S. flexneri for CHO cells increased as levels of alpha5beta1 integrin were elevated. When CHO cells were infected with S. flexneri, the tyrosine phosphorylation both of pp 125FAK, an integrin-regulated 125 K focal adhesion kinase, and of paxillin was stimulated. In contrast, an isogenic strain of S. flexneri that was defective in invasion owing to a mutation in its spa32 gene failed to induce such phosphorylation. Under in vitro and in vivo conditions, the released IpaB, IpaC, and IpaD proteins bound to alpha 5 beta 1 integrin in a manner different from that of soluble fibronectin but similar to that of the tissue form of fibronectin. At the site of attachment of S. flexneri to CHO cells, alpha5beta1 integrin converged with polymerization of actin. These data thus suggest that the capacity of Ipa proteins to interact with alpha5beta1 integrin may be an important Shigella factor in triggering the reorganization of actin cytoskeletons.
Threshold-based hybrid relay selection scheme

In this paper, in order to reduce error propagation for cooperative systems, we propose and analyze two new threshold-based hybrid relay selection schemes for the three-node cooperative relaying system, named as hybrid amplify-decode-forward relaying (HADF) and direct-amplify-forward relaying (HDAF). When the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is higher than the specific threshold, which is designed in HDAF, the relay chooses to transmit message in amplify-and-forward (AF) mode, otherwise, the source node deals with message in direct transmission (DT) mode without the relay. Similarly, in HADF scheme, a specific SNR threshold is derived to determine that the relay can choose to transmit message in decode-and-forward (DF) or AF mode. Closed-form expressions of the outage probability of the proposed HDAF and HADF schemes are derived. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the HADF scheme outperforms the AF and DF schemes, and the HDAF relaying scheme outperforms the DT and AF schemes. However, compared with HDAF scheme, the HADF scheme has a better outage probability in special channel condition.
Application Techniques for High Performance ADC

A current-mode technique for the design of algorithmic ADC is presented. The necessary voltage swing is given dynamic range to be reduced at the same time. It uses CMOS op-amp common with a current injection technique. The advantage of op-amp reduces current mismatches due to the device finite output resistance and injection current to increase the speed of current mirrors. In this paper that the advantages and disadvantages of different ADC algorithmic is designed of new algorithmic ADC for the output current of comparator. The objective is the development an increase performance ADC. The 6-bit ADC is implemented in 0.25 mum CMOS technology. It has a conversion rate of 7.3 MHz, a low power 2.5 V, a power dissipation of 0.83 mW with the differential nonlinearity (DNL) of 0.29 LSB and integral nonlinearity (INL) of 0.16 LSB
The Development of Forceps-Type Microwave Tissue Coagulator for Surgical Operation

In this paper, a new type of surgical device for the coagulation and scission of biological tissues, such as blood vessels, using microwave energy is proposed. In addition, the effectiveness of the device for tissue coagulation is evaluated using a numerical analysis and an ex vivo experiment with swine liver tissue. In the numerical analysis, the coagulating capability of the device is evaluated by calculating the temperature distribution inside of the tissue grasped with the device. Microwave energy absorbed by the grasped tissue is used as a heat source for the bioheat transfer equation. In the ex vivo experiment, a prototype of the proposed device is used. The results of these investigations indicate that the proposed device has sufficient coagulating capability of the biological tissue. Moreover, for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed device in a more realistic condition, an in vivo experiment with the swine tissue has been conducted. In this experiment, venous hemorrhage at the surgical site is stopped using the prototype. As a result, the effectiveness of the proposed device has been confirmed by a surgeon.
The revised Ghent nosology for the Marfan syndrome

The diagnosis of Marfan syndrome (MFS) relies on defined clinical criteria (Ghent nosology), outlined by international expert opinion to facilitate accurate recognition of this genetic aneurysm syndrome and to improve patient management and counselling. These Ghent criteria, comprising a set of major and minor manifestations in different body systems, have proven to work well since with improving molecular techniques, confirmation of the diagnosis is possible in over 95% of patients. However, concerns with the current nosology are that some of the diagnostic criteria have not been sufficiently validated, are not applicable in children or necessitate expensive and specialised investigations. The recognition of variable clinical expression and the recently extended differential diagnosis further confound accurate diagnostic decision making. Moreover, the diagnosis of MFS—whether or not established correctly—can be stigmatising, hamper career aspirations, restrict life insurance opportunities, and cause psychosocial burden. An international expert panel has established a revised Ghent nosology, which puts more weight on the cardiovascular manifestations and in which aortic root aneurysm and ectopia lentis are the cardinal clinical features. In the absence of any family history, the presence of these two manifestations is sufficient for the unequivocal diagnosis of MFS. In absence of either of these two, the presence of a bonafide FBN1 mutation or a combination of systemic manifestations is required. For the latter a new scoring system has been designed. In this revised nosology, FBN1 testing, although not mandatory, has greater weight in the diagnostic assessment. Special considerations are given to the diagnosis of MFS in children and alternative diagnoses in adults. We anticipate that these new guidelines may delay a definitive diagnosis of MFS but will decrease the risk of premature or misdiagnosis and facilitate worldwide discussion of risk and follow-up/management guidelines.
OntoDLV: An ASP-based System for Enterprise Ontologies

Enterprise/Corporate ontologies are widely adopted to conceptualize business enterprise information. In this area, the semantic peculiarities of Answer Set Programming (ASP), like the Closed World Assumption (CWA) and the Unique Name Assumption (UNA), are more appropriate than the Ontology Web Language (OWL) assumptions, also because such ontologies frequently stem from relational databases, where both CWA and UNA are adopted. This article presents OntoDLV, a system based on ASP for the specification and reasoning on enterprise ontologies. OntoDLV implements a powerful ontology representation language, called OntoDLP, extending (disjunctive) ASP with all the main ontology features including classes, inheritance, relations and axioms. OntoDLP is strongly typed, and includes also complex type constructors, like lists and sets. Importantly, OntoDLV supports a powerful interoperability mechanism with OWL, allowing the user to retrieve information from OWL ontologies, and build rule-based reasoning on top of OWL ontologies. The system is already used in a number of real-world applications including agent-based systems, information extraction, and text classification.