Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Pilot Study of the Association of Low Plasma Adiponectin and Barrett's Esophagus

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obesity are associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). We hypothesized that the obesity–EAC relation is mediated by factors secreted from adipocytes. Adiponectin is a peptide secreted by adipocytes, and its plasma levels are inversely associated with obesity. We aimed to estimate the effect of circulating adiponectin on the risk of Barrett's esophagus (BE), an accepted precursor of EAC, controlling for GERD symptoms and other potential confounders.METHODS:We conducted a case–control study in cases of BE compared with controls without BE; most controls had GERD. Odds ratios (OR), corresponding to associations with BE, were estimated from conditional and unconditional logistic regression analyses of 50 matched pairs.RESULTS:BE was inversely associated with plasma adiponectin level (OR for each 10-μg/mL decrement 4.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4–15.0) and positively associated with GERD duration ≥10 yr, male gender, tobacco smoking, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio. Further adjustment for GERD duration, tobacco use, and BMI increased the adiponectin–BE association (OR 6.4, 95% CI 1.1–37.0), but the estimated OR was reduced when adjusting for measures of abdominal obesity (e.g., OR 2.5, 95% CI 0.49–13.00) and further adjusting for gender (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.66–4.70). CONCLUSIONS:Despite methodologic limitations, including the small sample size, our findings suggest that adiponectin may be involved in the etiology of BE. Rather than simply a mechanical effect of obesity promoting GERD, the effects of abdominal obesity on the risk of BE might be mediated by adiponectin and other circulating factors.
Mine Safety System Using Wireless Sensor Network

This paper describes the work carried out on the design and construction of a mine safety system prototype using a wireless sensor network with the objective of building a safety system to monitor the ambient characteristics of the mining environment. A review of the current literature relating to the health and safety of mine workers and mine safety systems is done. The subsystems of the prototype system are then simulated. The hardware consisted of electronic circuitry where a microcontroller is the principal processing unit. A graphical user interface is also implemented. A number of qualification tests are carried out. The temperature, humidity, airflow, and noise sensor measurements have an accuracy of 89.01%, 98.55%, 90.5%, and 89.53%, and a resolution of 0.105 °C, 0.12% RH, 0.05 m/s, and 0.23 dB SPL, respectively. In addition, gas and dust sensors met the specification; however, the accuracy could be improved. Two controlled outputs were implemented in the form of ventilation switching and a noise protection scheme.
Face Detection Using Locally Linear Embedding

ii Abstract Human face detection in gray scale images has been researched extensively over the past decade, due to the recent emergence of applications such as security access control, visual surveillance and content-based information retrieval. However, this problem remains challenging because faces are non-rigid objects that have a high degree of variability in size, shape, color and texture. Indeed, few of the proposed face detection methods have been analyzed for performance under different conditions, such as head rotation, illumination, facial expression, occlusion and aging. Nowadays, most face detection methods are based upon statistical and learning strategies. Many of these appearance-based methods tend to increase data complexity, by mapping it onto a higher-dimensional space in order to extract the predominant features; this, however, often requires much more computational time. A novel technique that is gaining in popularity, known as Locally Linear Embedding (LLE), adopts a different approach to the problem by applying dimensionality-reduction to the data for learning and classification. Proposed by Roweis and Saul, the objective of this method is to determine a locally-linear fit, so that each data point can be represented by a linear combination of its closest neighbors. The first objective of the current research is to apply the LLE algorithm to 2D facial images, so as to obtain their representation in a sub-space under the unfavorable conditions stated above. The low-dimensional data then will be used to train a Support Vector Machine to classify images as being face or non-face. For this research, six different databases of cropped facial images, corresponding to variations in head rotation, illumination, facial expression, occlusion and aging, were built to train and test the classifiers. The second objective is to evaluate the feasibility of using the combined efficacy of the six SVM classifiers in a two-stage face detection approach. Experimental results obtained with image databases demonstrated that the performance of the proposed method was similar to and sometimes better than other face detection methods, introducing a viable and accurate alternative to previously existing techniques. Sommaire iii Sommaire La détection de visages dans une image a été un domaine de recherche très actif au cours des dernières années. Ceci est dû notamment à l'émergence d'applications tel que l'authentification, la reconnaissance et la recherche de visages dans des bases de données. Cependant, peu des méthodes proposées pour la détection de visages ont analysé la performance de leur technique sous des conditions variables tel …
Le développement de la responsabilité sociale de l'entreprise

Les etudes empiriques montrent que depuis la fin des annees 1990, la Responsabilite Sociale de l’Entreprise (RSE) s’implante rapidement dans les societes cotees. Or, les arguments traditionnels evoques dans la litterature comme favorables a la RSE sont insuffisants pour expliquer cette soudaine expansion. L’article formule alors l’hypothese complementaire de la mise en place d’un isomorphisme institutionnel, developpe dans un champ organisationnel deja structure par le gouvernement d’entreprise et qui conduit les firmes a adopter une demarche de responsabilite sociale, independamment de la question de son efficience.
Fast Crown Scheduling Heuristics for Energy-Efficient Mapping and Scaling of Moldable Streaming Tasks on Manycore Systems

Exploiting effectively massively parallel architectures is a major challenge that stream programming can help facilitate. We investigate the problem of generating energy-optimal code for a collection of streaming tasks that include parallelizable or moldable tasks on a generic manycore processor with dynamic discrete frequency scaling. Streaming task collections differ from classical task sets in that all tasks are running concurrently, so that cores typically run several tasks that are scheduled round-robin at user level in a data-driven way. A stream of data flows through the tasks and intermediate results may be forwarded to other tasks, as in a pipelined task graph. In this article, we consider crown scheduling, a novel technique for the combined optimization of resource allocation, mapping, and discrete voltage/frequency scaling for moldable streaming task collections in order to optimize energy efficiency given a throughput constraint. We first present optimal offline algorithms for separate and integrated crown scheduling based on integer linear programming (ILP). We make no restricting assumption about speedup behavior. We introduce the fast heuristic Longest Task, Lowest Group (LTLG) as a generalization of the Longest Processing Time (LPT) algorithm to achieve a load-balanced mapping of parallel tasks, and the Height heuristic for crown frequency scaling. We use them in feedback loop heuristics based on binary search and simulated annealing to optimize crown allocation. Our experimental evaluation of the ILP models for a generic manycore architecture shows that at least for small and medium-sized streaming task collections even the integrated variant of crown scheduling can be solved to optimality by a state-of-the-art ILP solver within a few seconds. Our heuristics produce makespan and energy consumption close to optimality within the limits of the phase-separated crown scheduling technique and the crown structure. Their optimization time is longer than the one of other algorithms we test, but our heuristics consistently produce better solutions.
The Heart of Intimate Abuse: New Interventions in Child Welfare, Criminal Justice, and Health Settings

This startling analysis of violence within intimate relationships contends that every abusive relationship has, paradoxically, a heart of its own. Practitioners must acknowledge and engage this dynamic emotional center in order for interventions to succeed. "The Heart of Intimate Abuse" takes a broad, critical view of standard responses to abuse by today's criminal justice, social work, and medical systems--especially those that respond to violence with coercive interventions such as mandatory arrest, prosecution, and reporting laws. Here is a bold vision of the core dynamics of abuse in families--a vision that professionals can use to realize new policies and implement effective interventions that reach the heart of intimate abuse.
Research into Behaviors at Initial Stage of IT and Courses Integration Project Based on Innovative Diffusion

Based on innovation diffusion theory, social cognitive theory, the UTAUT model and empirical researches at home and abroad, and on investigation of the actual situation of China's higher education Informationaization, this paper put forward the ISCIP model. Meanwhile aimed at the early development and management practices, behaviors of the management is analyzed, according to the three factors, the realization of IT value, the diffusion of the points of the innovative views and the innovative technologies in the light of innovative diffusion theory, The UAIS model is given for the initial stage of the project and the IS adoption for teachers is also studied in four aspects in a background of the actual conditions. The research shows that the proposed model and the law are fully capable of interpreting the issue of IT and Courses Integration, one of the key issues of China's higher education Informationaization, and is of practical significance in guiding how to promote IS project and China's higher education Informationaization.
Multipath Diversity Reception of Spread-Spectrum Multiple-Access Communications

The analysis of a multipath-combining receiver for directsequence spread-spectrum communications through a specular multipath channel is developed. The analysis applies to systems that use quadriphase-shift-keyed, offset quadriphase-shift-keyed, minimum-shiftkeyed, or binary phase-shift-keyed modulation. The measures of performance are the signal-to-noise ratio and approximations to the error probability involving the signal-to-noise ratio. The performance of a multipath-combining receiver is determined not only for the case of a single transmitter, but also for the case of multiple interfering transmit, ters. Furthermore, the performance of the system is determined in terms of parameters of the signature sequences. These parameters can be used as guides in selecting signature sequences for the system. Results are also given for the case of randomly generated signature sequences.
Selecting an optimal combination of storage & transmission assets with a non-dispatchable electricity supply

The majority of renewable energy sources are non-dispatchable, meaning that it is not possible to control when and how much power they produce. For non-dispatchable renewable energy sources to meet a greater proportion of global electricity demand, the industry must develop and implement strategies that directly address the intermittency challenge. This paper considers electrical storage and transmission assets as alternative means of matching non-dispatchable generation with non-deferrable demand. It seeks an optimal combination of storage and transmission assets for a simplified representation of Australian population centres, assuming that demand is met entirely with solar PV generation. This problem is solved using a Mixed Integer Linear Program. Under the baseline assumptions it is found that the optimal (lowest cost) solution has significant quantities of storage in all load centres, as well as transmission assets installed over large distances. The storage selected was 10-15% Li-ion batteries by energy; with the remainder being pumped hydro storage.
The Expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 in Respiratory Viral Infection in Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Viral infection is a common trigger for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of cytokines in AECOPD. Patients with AECOPD requiring hospitalization were recruited. Meanwhile healthy volunteers of similar age that accepted routine check-ups and showed no clinical symptoms of inflammatory diseases were also recruited. Induced sputum and serum were collected. Induced sputum of participants was processed and tested for thirteen viruses and bacteria. Forty cytokines were assayed in serum using the Quantibody Human Inflammation Array 3 (Ray Biotech, Inc.). The most common virus detected in virus positive AECOPD (VP) was influenza A (16%). No virus was found in controls. Circulating levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 were elevated in VP and coinfection subjects (p < 0.05), while the levels of 37 other cytokines showed no difference, compared with virus negative groups and controls (p > 0.05). Additionally, VP patients were less likely to have received influenza vaccination. VP patients had a systemic inflammation response involving IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 which may be due to virus-induced activation of macrophages. There are important opportunities for further investigating AECOPD mechanisms and for the development of better strategies in the management and prevention of virus-related AECOPD.
Tourisme et spécialisation internationale

Le tourisme fait partie des secteurs qui ont connu le developpement le plus rapide depuis la seconde Guerre Mondiale. La quasi totalite des pays est concernee par les echanges internationaux de tourisme. Ces pays aspirent a mieux comprendre la complexite de ces flux dont l'impact economique et social est actuellement indeniable. A l'aide des outils de la theorie du commerce international, une des approches de cette complexite consiste a rechercher les causes des echanges touristiques susceptibles de conduire a la specialisation internationale des pays. Le tourisme releve des activites de services, or les theories de la specialisation internationale et leurs verifications empiriques ont, des l'origine, concerne davantage les bien que les services. Ces theories se sont toutefois revelees aptes a expliquer les echanges internationaux de tourisme, malgre les specificites relatives a ces derniers. Cependant, la complexite croissante de ces echanges amene a considerer non plus seulement la notion d'avantage comparatif national comme le proposaient ces theories, mais aussi celle d'avantage comparatif de niveau mondial comme determinant des flux touristiques internationaux. Precisement, il apparait, dans le domaine du tourisme international, que cette nouvelle notion permet davantage une extension au niveau mondial des theories de l'economie internationale qu'une remise en cause de ces dernieres. L'etude empirique porte sur une vingtaine de pays de la zone Ameriques. Elle s'appuie sur le calcul d'indicateurs et l'estimation de modeles econometriques permettant respectivement une analyse economique des flux touristiques internationaux ainsi qu'une explication des echanges bilateraux de tourisme par les determinants de la specialisation internationale.
Comparative Assessment of the Inhibition of Recombinant Human CYP19 (Aromatase) by Azoles Used in Agriculture and as Drugs for Humans

Azoles (imidazoles and triazoles) are used as antifungal agents in agriculture and in medicine, and also for antiestrogen therapy, e.g., for breast cancer treatment. Antifungal activity is based on inhibition of fungal CYP51 (lanosterol 14α‐demethylase), and estrogen biosynthesis reduction is due to azole inhibition of CYP19 (aromatase). Inhibition of aromatase by antifungal agents is usually an unwanted side effect and may cause endocrine disruption. A fluorimetric assay based on human recombinant CYP19 enzyme with dibenzylfluorescein as a substrate was used to compare the inhibitory potency of 22 azole compounds. Dose responses were established and duplicate datasets were analyzed with a nonlinear mixed‐effects model with cumulative normal distribution for the logarithm of concentration. IC50 values (50% inhibitory concentration) of 13 fungicides used in agriculture ranged more than 700‐fold, starting from 0.047 µM. The potency of seven human drugs spanned more than 7000‐fold, starting from 0.019 µM. Most potent fungicides included prochloraz, flusilazole, and imazalil, and most potent medicinal antifungals were bifonazole, miconazole, and clotrimazole. These in vitro data indicate that the top‐ranking azoles used as antifungal agents or drugs are as potent inhibitors of aromatase as are antiestrogen therapeutics used to treat breast cancer. These putative effects of azole agents and drugs on steroid biosynthesis and sex hormone balance should be considered when used in human subjects and also in wildlife exposed to azole fungicides used in agriculture.
Realization of speech processing and recognition system based on digital signal processor

16-bit fixed-point high-speed chip TMS320VC5402 and audio interface chip TLV320AIC10 are adopted in this paper, by which collecting, filtering and compressing data are processed. Final data are put into computer through serial port and received by MATLAB to complete playback, coding, recognition and simulation. Floating-point operation is realized on fixed-point digital signal processor, which has higher precision in calculation and wider signal processing dynamic range comparing with fixed-point realization. The experimental results show that rate of continuous word speech recognition is more than 92%. The new system has advantage of small size, low cost and high scalability, which can be applied to many specific occasions, such as the speech controlling toys and access control system.
Correlates of Firesetting in a Community Sample of Young Adolescents

Objective: To investigate relationships between firesetting, antisocial behaviour, individual, family and parenting factors in a large community sample of adolescents. Method: A cross-sectional study of students (n = 2596) aged 13 years on average, from 27 schools in South Australia with a questionnaire on firesetting, antisocial behaviour (adapted 21-item Self Report Delinquency Scale), risk-taking, drug use, suicidality, physical and sexual abuse, depressive symptomatology, hopelessness, anxiety, locus of control, self-esteem, family functioning (McMaster Family Assessment Device) and parenting style (Influential Relationships Questionnaire). Data analysis included χ2, ANOVA and logistic regression. Results: Large significant differences are found between firesetters and non-firesetters on all measures. Among adolescents with serious levels of antisocial behaviour (7++ acts included in diagnostic guidelines for DSM-IV conduct disorder), firesetters differ from nonfiresetters in reporting more extreme antisocial behaviour (10++ acts), extreme drug use, suicidal behaviour, and perceived failure at school. Gender differences are apparent. A study limitation is the single item assessment of firesetting. Conclusions: Self-report firesetting is strongly associated with extreme antisocial behaviour in young community adolescents, in support of existing evidence from incarcerated delinquent and psychiatric populations. Early detection of community firesetters demands further assessment and intervention. Clinicians should consider its coexistence with serious drug use and high risk-taking (especially in girls), and suicidality, sexual and physical abuse (in boys).
A Logic Minimizer for VLSI PLA Design

This paper describes LOGMIN, a new, interactive computer aided logic design tool. LOGMIN automates the increasingly complex problems of VLSI PLA design which has made the specification, manipulation, minimization and generation of PLAs difficult to do by hand. LOGMIN allows the specification of both combinational functions and sequential machines. Combinational functions may be described using a variety of operators, intermediate variables or PLA code. A State Machine Description Language (SMDL) was developed for the specification of sequential machines. This paper describes the background and motivation for LOGMIN, the algorithms used and the grammar for SMDL. Several examples are provided.
Study protocol for a controlled trial of Strengths Model Case Management in mental health services in Hong Kong

Introduction Although strengths-based models are popular within recovery-oriented approaches, there is still a lack of conclusive research to guide how they should be implemented. A recent meta-analysis confirmed the lack of clarity in how this perspective is operationalised and that fidelity monitoring during the implementation process is lacking. Hence, there is a clear need to evaluate the feasibility of delivering and evaluating a clearly operationalised strengths-based intervention that incorporates fidelity checks to inform more definitive research. This protocol therefore describes a controlled trial of Strengths Model Case Management (SMCM), a complex intervention, for people with severe mental illnesses in Hong Kong. This trial follows the guidelines of the Medical Research Council as a phase 2 trial. Hence, it is a pilot study that tests the feasibility and effectiveness of the model. Methods and analysis This is a 9-month controlled trial that uses the Kansas Model. Participants and a matched control group are recruited on a voluntary basis, after screening for eligibility. Effectiveness of the SMCM will be measured through outcome measures taken at baseline, the mid-point and at the end of the trial. Outcomes for service users include personal recovery, hope, subjective well-being, psychiatric symptoms, perceived level of recovery features within the organisation, therapeutic alliance and achievement of recovery goals. Outcomes for care workers will include job burnout, organisational features of recovery and perceived supervisory support. With a 2×3 analysis of variance design and a moderate intervention effect (Cohen's d=0.50), a total of 86 participants will be needed for a statistical power of 0.80. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee for Non-Clinical Faculties at The University of Hong Kong (HRECNCF: EA140913). Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN)12613001120763.
Mixed acoustic events classification using ICA and subspace classifier

Describes a new neural architecture for unsupervised learning of a classification of mixed transient signals. This method is based on neural techniques for blind separation of sources and subspace methods. The feedforward neural network dynamically builds and refreshes an acoustic events classification by detecting novelties, creating and deleting classes. A self-organization process achieves a class prototype rotation in order to minimise the statistical dependence of class activities. Simulated multi-dimensional signals and mixed acoustic signals in a real noisy environment have been used to test our model. The results on classification and detection model properties are encouraging, in spite of structured sound bad modeling.