Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical Neighborhood Topology for Privacy Enhanced Collaborative Filtering

Privacy is an important challenge facing the growth of the Web and the propagation of various transaction models supported by it. Decentralized distributed models of computing are used to mitigate privacy breaches by eliminating a single point of failure. However, end-users can still be attacked in order to discover their private information. This work proposes using distributed hierarchical neighborhood formation in the CF algorithm to reduce this privacy hazard. It enables accurate CF recommendations, while allowing an attacker to learn at most the cumulative statistics of a large set of users. Our approach is evaluated on a number of widely-used CF datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that relatively large parts of the user profile can be obfuscated while a reasonable accuracy of the generated recommendations is still retained. Furthermore, only a small subset of users may be required for generating accurate recommendations, suggesting that the proposed approach is scalable. Author
Incorporating DNA Sequencing into Current Prenatal Screening Practice for Down's Syndrome

Background Prenatal screening for Down's syndrome is performed using biochemical and ultrasound markers measured in early pregnancy such as the Integrated test using first and second trimester markers. Recently, DNA sequencing methods have been introduced on free DNA in maternal plasma, yielding a high screening performance. These methods are expensive and there is a test failure rate. We determined the screening performance of merging the Integrated test with the newer DNA techniques in a protocol that substantially reduces the cost compared with universal DNA testing and still achieves high screening performance with no test failures. Methods Published data were used to model screening performance of a protocol in which all women receive the first stage of the Integrated test at about 11 weeks of pregnancy. On the basis of this higher risk women have reflex DNA testing and lower risk women as well as those with a failed DNA test complete the Integrated test at about 15 weeks. Results The overall detection rate was 95% with a 0.1% false-positive rate if 20% of women were selected to receive DNA testing. If all women had DNA testing the detection rate would be 3 to 4 percentage points higher with a false-positive rate 30 times greater if women with failed tests were treated as positive and offered a diagnostic amniocentesis, or 3 times greater if they had a second trimester screening test (Quadruple test) and treated as positive only if this were positive. The cost per women screened would be about one-fifth, compared with universal DNA testing, if the DNA test were 20 times the cost of the Integrated test. Conclusion The proposed screening protocol achieves a high screening performance without programme test failures and at a substantially lower cost than offering all women DNA testing.
Heterozygosity for Fibrinogen Results in Efficient Resolution of Kidney Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

Fibrinogen (Fg) has been recognized to play a central role in coagulation, inflammation and tissue regeneration. Several studies have used Fg deficient mice (Fg−/−) in comparison with heterozygous mice (Fg+/−) to point the proinflammatory role of Fg in diverse pathological conditions and disease states. Although Fg+/− mice are considered ‘normal’, plasma Fg is reduced to ∼75% of the normal circulating levels present in wild type mice (Fg+/+). We report that this reduction in Fg protein production in the Fg+/− mice is enough to protect them from kidney ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) as assessed by tubular injury, kidney dysfunction, necrosis, apoptosis and inflammatory immune cell infiltration. Mechanistically, we observed binding of Fg to ICAM-1 in kidney tissues of Fg+/+ mice at 24 h following IRI as compared to a complete absence of binding observed in the Fg+/− and Fg−/− mice. Raf-1 and ERK were highly activated as evident by significantly higher phosphorylation in the Fg+/+ kidneys at 24 h following IRI as compared to Fg+/− and Fg−/− mice kidneys. On the other hand Cyclin D1 and pRb, indicating higher cell proliferation, were significantly increased in the Fg+/− and Fg−/− as compared to Fg+/+ kidneys. These data suggest that Fg heterozygosity allows maintenance of a critical balance of Fg that enables regression of initial injury and promotes faster resolution of kidney damage.
Development of theophylline floating microballoons using cellulose acetate butyrate and/or Eudragit RL 100 polymers with different permeability characteristics

The objective of the present investigation was to design a sustained release floating microcapsules of theophylline using two polymers of different permeability characteristics; Eudragit RL 100 (Eu RL) and cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) using the oil-in-oil emulsion solvent evaporation method. Polymers were used separately and in combination to prepare different microcapsules. The effect of drug-polymer interaction was studied for each of the polymers and for their combination. Encapsulation efficiency, the yield, particle size, floating capability, morphology of microspheres, powder X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were evaluated. The in vitro release studies were performed in PH 1.2 and 7.4. The optimized drug to polymer ratios was found to be 4:1 (F2) and 0.75:1 (F'2) with Eu RL and CAB, respectively. The best drug to polymer ratio in mix formulation was 4:1:1 (theophylline: Eu RL: CAB ratio). Production yield, loading efficiencies, and particle size of F2 and F’2 were found to be 59.14% and 45.39%, 73.93% and 95.87%, 372 and 273 micron, respectively. Microsphere prepared with CAB showed the best floating ability (80.3 ± 4.02% buoyancy) in 0.1 M HCl for over 12 h. The XRD and DSC showed that theophylline in the drug loaded microspheres was stable and in crystaline form. Microparticles prepared using blend of Eu RL and CAB polymers indicated more sustained pattern than the commercial tablet (P<0.05). Drug loaded floating microballoons prepared of combination of Eu RL and CAB with 1:1 ratio were found to be a suitable delivery system for sustained release delivery of theophylline which contained lower amount of polymer contents in the microspheres.
An Efficient Algorithm for Decomposing a Polygon into Star-Shaped Polygons

In this paper we sho w how a theorem in plane geometry can be con verted into an O(n log n) algorithm for decomposing a polygon into star -sh ped subsets. The computational ef ficiency or this new decomposition contrasts with the heavy computational b urden of existing methods. 1.0 Introduction The decomposition of a simple planar polygon into simpler components plays an important role in syntactic pattern recognition. Some e xamples of possible decompositions are decompositions into con vex polygons [1], [2], decompositions into spiral polygons [3] and decompositions into monotone polygons [4]. A surv ey of these methods and man y other additional references are contained in P avlidis [5]. A star-shaped polygon is one in which the entire polygon is visible from at least one fix ed point of the polygon. In this note we consider decompositions into star -shaped polygons and gi ve an ef ficient algorithm for this problem. A similar decomposition has pre viously been suggested by Maruyama [6] in his thesis. His solution in v lves the creation of ne w Steiner points, yields o verlapping star -shaped components and requires a complicated and expensi ve computation. The main part of this paper describes an O(n log n) algorithm for decomposing a polygon with n vertices into disjoint star -shaped polygons. This decomposition does not in v lve the creation of an y new vertices and can al ways yield a decomposition with at most [n/3] star-shaped polygons ([x] here denotes the greatest inte ger l ss than or equal to x). It does not, however, normally gi ve a decomposition into the minimum number of star haped polygons. On the other hand, our procedure is e xtremely flexible and can easily be modified to gi ve a set of radically dif ferent decompositions.
Comparison of Oil-Seed Shell Biomass-Based Biochar for the Removal of Anionic Dyes—Characterization and Adsorption Efficiency Studies

This research investigated the synthesis of biochar through the direct pyrolysis of pre-roasted sunflower seed shells (SFS) and peanut shells (PNS) and compared their application for the effective removal of textile dyes from wastewater. Biochar prepared at 900 °C (SFS900 and PNS900) showed the highest adsorption capacity, which can be attributed to the presence of higher nitrogen content and graphite-like structures. CHNS analysis revealed that PNS900 exhibited an 11.4% higher carbon content than SFS900, which enhanced the environmental stability of PNS biochar. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of the produced biochar indicated the degradation of cellulosic and lignin moieties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed a 13.8% and 22.6% increase in C-C/C=C mass concentrations in the SFS900 and PNS900, respectively, and could be attributed to the condensation of polyaromatic structures. Batch experiments for dye removal demonstrated that irrespective of dye species, PNS900 exhibited superior dye removal efficiency compared to SFS900 at similar dosages. In addition to H-bonding and electrostatic interactions, the presence of pyridinic-N and graphitic-N can play a vital role in enhancing Lewis acid-base and π-π EDA interactions. The results can provide valuable insights into the biochar–dye interaction mechanisms.
ANTAGONISTIC COEVOLUTION MEDIATED BY PHENOTYPIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE TRAITS

Abstract Many well-studied coevolutionary interactions between predators and prey or hosts and parasites are mediated by quantitative traits. In some interactions, such as those between cuckoos and their hosts, interactions are mediated by the degree of phenotype matching among species, and a significant body of theory has been developed to predict the coevolutionary dynamics and outcomes of such interactions. In a large number of other cases, however, interactions are mediated by the extent to which the phenotype of one species exceeds that of the other. For these cases—which are arguably more numerous—few theoretical predictions exist for coevolutionary dynamics and outcomes. Here we develop and analyze mathematical models of interspecific interactions mediated by the extent to which the quantitative trait of one species exceeds that of the other. Our results identify important differences from previously studied models based on trait matching. First, our results show that cyclical dynamics are possible only if the strength of coevolutionary selection exceeds a threshold and stabilizing selection acts on the interacting traits. Second, our results demonstrate that significant levels of genetic polymorphism can be maintained only when cyclical dynamics occur. This result leads to the unexpected prediction that maintenance of genetic polymorphism is enhanced by strong selection. Finally, our results demonstrate that there is no a priori reason to expect the traits of interacting species should match in any literal sense, even in the absence of gene flow among populations.
The Current Status of the Akari Mid-Infrared All-Sky Diffuse Maps

We are creating all-sky diﬀuse maps from the AKARI mid-infrared survey data with the two photometric bands centered at wavelengths of 9 and 18 (cid:22) m. The AKARI mid-infrared diﬀuse maps achieve higher spatial resolution and higher sensitivity than the IRAS maps. In particular, the 9 (cid:22) m data are unique resources as an all-sky tracer of the emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, the original data suﬀer many artifacts. Thus, we have been developing correction methods. Among them, we have recently improved correction methods for the non-linearity and the reset anomaly of the detector response. These corrections successfully reduce the artifact level down to 0.1 MJy sr (cid:0) 1 on average, which is essential for discussion on faint extended emission (e.g., the Galactic PAH emission). We have also made progress in the subtraction of the scattered light caused in the camera optics. We plan to release the improved diﬀuse maps to the public within a year.
EVOLUTIONARY LEARNING IN IDENTIFICATION OF FUZZY MODELS : APPLICATION TO DAMADICS BENCHMARK

Evolutionary learning and especially genetic optimisation algorithms have recently received a lot of research attention as tools for identifying fuzzy models of the systems. Most often fuzzy modelling employ the fuzzy IF–THEN rules. In this paper, besides AND–operator the OR–operator is also considered in constructing the premise rule base. A genetic algorithm is utilised to find the premise structure of the rules, also to optimise fuzzy set membership functions and the consequent model structure of the rules at the same time. The performance of the approach is demonstrated on the DAMADICS benchmark problem.
Regulation by transcription factors in bacteria: beyond description

Transcription is an essential step in gene expression and its understanding has been one of the major interests in molecular and cellular biology. By precisely tuning gene expression, transcriptional regulation determines the molecular machinery for developmental plasticity, homeostasis and adaptation. In this review, we transmit the main ideas or concepts behind regulation by transcription factors and give just enough examples to sustain these main ideas, thus avoiding a classical ennumeration of facts. We review recent concepts and developments: cis elements and trans regulatory factors, chromosome organization and structure, transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) and transcriptomics. We also summarize new important discoveries that will probably affect the direction of research in gene regulation: epigenetics and stochasticity in transcriptional regulation, synthetic circuits and plasticity and evolution of TRNs. Many of the new discoveries in gene regulation are not extensively tested with wetlab approaches. Consequently, we review this broad area in Inference of TRNs and Dynamical Models of TRNs. Finally, we have stepped backwards to trace the origins of these modern concepts, synthesizing their history in a timeline schema.
Traffic Modelling and Simulation Techniques for Evaluating ACL Implementation

This paper presents a modelling and simulation framework for analysing Access Control List (ACL) implementation on Internet devices. It uses the established modelling/simulation techniques of abstraction and simplification to isolate the essential components of the system from peripheral issues. As a case study, the viability of a simple real-time optimisation technique is demonstrated.
Towards the improvement of compliance: the significance of psycho‐education and new antipsychotic drugs

Effective pharmacological, psychosocial and other kinds of treatment are now available for schizophrenia. Often, however, neither acute nor Song-lei in treatment can be properly applied because of insufficient compliance by both patients and doctors. Patient non-compliance is as high as 50% under outpatient conditions; potential reasons may be either illness-related (e.g. lack of insight or idiosyncratic concepts of the illness or its treatment), drug-related (e.g. intolerable side-effects) or related to inadequate treatment management (e.g. insufficient information or lack of environmental support). Non-compliance by doctors is partly sine to limited adherence to treatment guidelines. To improve both patient and doctor compliance, the use of educational tools for professional health-care providers, patients and families should be generally enforced. New antipsychotics with a better risk-benefit profile with respect to clinical efficacy and side effects will probably help to overcome drug-related non-compliance.
Oscillation Criteria For Second-order Impulsive Dynamic Equations On Time Scales

Some oscillation criteria are established for second-order neutral impulsive dynamic equation with or without forcing term. 4 (tk + h); which represent right limits of y(t); y 4 (t) at t = tk in the sense of time scales, and in addition, if tk is right scattered, then y(t + ) = y(tk); y 4 (t + ) = y 4 (tk). We can de…ne y(t k ); y 4 (t k ) similar to the above de…nitions. We assume that 0 � p 0, q(t) 2 Crd(T;R + ); a > 0; b > 0; ak > 0; bk > 0; e(t) 2 Crd(T;R), R + = fxjx > 0g:
Image processing and behavior planning for intelligent vehicles

Since the potential of soft computing for driver assistance systems has been recognized, much effort has been spent in the development of appropriate techniques for robust lane detection, object classification, tracking, and representation of task relevant objects. For such systems in order to be able to perform their tasks the environment must be sensed by one or more sensors. Usually a complex processing, fusion, and interpretation of the sensor data is required and imposes a modular architecture for the overall system. In this paper, we present specific approaches considering the main components of such systems. We concentrate on image processing as the main source of relevant object information, representation and fusion of data that might arise from different sensors, and behavior planning and generation as a basis for autonomous driving. Within our system components most paradigms of soft computing are employed; in this article we focus on Kalman filtering for sensor fusion, neural field dynamics for behavior generation, and evolutionary algorithms for optimization of parts of the system.
The prospective association between psychological distress and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a multilevel regression analysis

Background Cross-sectional associations suggest a mutual impact of disease activity and psychological distress in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but a prospective association has not been established. Objective To examine concurrent and prospective associations between psychological distress and disease activity. Methods Patients with RA (N=545, disease duration ≤1 year, age 18–83 years, 69% female, 64% rheumatoid factor (RF) positive) were monitored for 5 years. The Thompson joint score and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were assessed every 6 months. Depressed mood and anxiety were measured every 12 months. Multilevel regression analysis was used. RF positivity, age and female sex were included as covariates. Results Concurrent levels of psychological distress and disease activity were positively associated (p≤0.04). Prospectively, depressed mood was associated with disease activity levels 6 months later (p≤0.04). The Thompson joint score was associated with psychological distress levels 6 months later (p≤0.03) and also with an increase in depressed mood over the subsequent 6 months (p=0.02). No other significant prospective associations were found (p≥0.07). Conclusions Psychological distress and disease activity are positively associated when measured at the same time as well as when measured 6 months apart. While some support was found for the idea that a higher level of disease activity is a risk factor for an increase in psychological distress, the results do not support the notion that psychological distress is a risk factor for future exacerbation of disease activity.
Propriospinal transmission of part of the corticospinal excitation in humans

In humans a substantial part of corticospinal excitation to upper limb motoneurons is mediated through cervical premotoneurons located rostral to motoneurons, analogous to the feline system of C3–C4 propriospinal neurons. The indirect (disynaptic) component of the corticospinal command passing through the propriospinal relay may be updated by the extensive convergence at this level of afferent inputs (both excitatory and inhibitory) from the moving limb. Propriospinal neurons are potently inhibited by feedback inhibitory interneurons facilitated from the motor cortex, and this explains why artificial volleys delivered to the pyramidal system by itself have failed to demonstrate this indirect corticospinal projection. The strength of this indirect corticospinal projection may be estimated in routine practice by the amount of suppression elicited by a cutaneous volley on the ongoing electromyogram of extensor carpi radialis, and is increased in patients recovering from hemiplegia and in early Parkinson's disease. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 26: 155–172, 2002
Polymorphic Microsatellite Repeat Markers at the Glucokinase Gene Locus Are Positively Associated With NIDDM in Japanese

To assess the possible role of glucokinase defects contributing to a genetic susceptibility to NIDDM in Japanese, allelic frequencies of two microsatellite repeat polymorphisms, one in the 3′-flanking region (GCK1) and the other in the 5′-flanking region (GCK2) of the human glucokinase gene, were analyzed in subjects with NIDDM and in nondiabetic control subjects. After typing 107 diabetic and 74 nondiabetic subjects, we found four GCK1 alleles (Z, Z2, Z4, Z6) and six GCK2 alleles (0, −4, −2, 2, 4, 8). The frequency distribution of GCK1 alleles was different between the two groups (P = 0.005), although not significant after correction for multiple comparisons. The Z4 allele was found more frequently in diabetic than in nondiabetic subjects (23 vs. 10%, P = 0.002). This was still significant after correction for multiple comparisons (P < 0.05). The frequency distribution of GCK2 alleles was not different between the two groups. However, the −2 allele was more common in diabetic than in nondiabetic subjects (P = 0.044), although not significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Clinical characteristics were compared between the diabetic subjects with Z4 and/or −2 allele and those without either of these two alleles. No differences were found in the age of diagnosis, positive family history, mode of therapy, current HbA1c, or daily urinary C-peptide immunoreactivity excretion between the two groups. We demonstrated a significant association between GCK1 and GCK2 alleles and NIDDM. The results indicate that the polymorphic alleles GCK1 and GCK2 could be genetic markers in NIDDM in Japanese, suggesting a relationship between glucokinase defects and the susceptibility to NIDDM in this population.
Economic viability of heritage festivals in Wickenburg, Arizona (USA)

Abstract This study assesses economic impact of two festivals on a rural town (Wickenburg) in the State of Arizona in the USA. It also examines social and environmental impacts of the two festivals to determine if festivals produce viable economic benefits for the town. Limited studies have, to date, taken into account social and environmental perspectives in economic impact analyses. The results of this study show that heritage festivals bring socio-economic benefits to the host community. However, in terms of environmental impacts, mixed views of local residents and stakeholders are noted. Collaborative efforts among stakeholders to design appropriate ecological measures are needed to make the festivals economically viable in the long run.