Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture for patients with Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review protocol

Introduction The aim of this protocol is to provide the methods used to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Methods and analysis We will search the following electronic databases: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Medical Current Contents and China National Knowledge Infrastructure without restriction of language and publication status. Other sources such as Chinese acupuncture journals and the reference list of selected studies will also be searched. After screening the studies, a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials will be conducted, if possible. Results expressed as risk ratios for dichotomous data and standardised or weighted mean differences for continuous data, will be used for data synthesis. Dissemination The protocol of this systematic review will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at a relevant conference. Trial registration number PROSPERO CRD42014009619
Dealing with Discontinuities in the Qualitative Simulation of Genetic Regulatory Networks

Methods developed for the qualitative simulation of dynamical systems have turned out to be powerful tools for studying genetic regulatory networks. We present a generalization of a simulation method based on piecewise-linear differential equation models that is able to deal with discontinuities. The method is sound and has been implemented in a computer tool called GNA.
Under Consideration for Publication in J. Functional Programming Oracle-guided Scheduling for Controlling Granularity in Implicitly Parallel Languages

A classic problem in parallel computing is determining whether to execute a thread in parallel or sequentially. If small threads are executed in parallel, the overheads due to thread creation can overwhelm the benefits of parallelism, resulting in suboptimal efficiency and performance. If large threads are executed sequentially, processors may spin idle, resulting again in suboptimal efficiency and performance. This " granularity problem " is especially important in implicitly parallel languages, where the programmer expresses all potential for parallelism, leaving it to the system to exploit par-allelism by creating threads as necessary. Although this problem has been identified as an important problem, it is not well understood—broadly applicable solutions remain elusive. In this paper, we propose techniques for automatically controlling granularity in implicitly parallel programming languages to achieve parallel efficiency and performance. To this end, we first extend a classic result, Brent's theorem (a.k.a. the work-time principle) to include thread-creation overheads. Using a cost semantics for a general-purpose language in the style of lambda calculus with parallel tuples, we then present a precise accounting of thread-creation overheads and bound their impact on efficiency and performance. To reduce such overheads, we propose an oracle-guided semantics by using estimates of the sizes of parallel threads. We show that, if the oracle provides accurate estimates in constant time, then the oracle-guided semantics reduces the thread-creation overheads for a reasonably large class of parallel computations. We describe how to approximate the oracle-guided semantics in practice by combining static and dynamic techniques. We require the programmer to provide the asymptotic complexity cost for each parallel thread and use runtime profiling to determine hardware-specific constant factors. We present an implementation the proposed approach as an extension of the Manticore compiler for Parallel ML. Our empirical evaluation shows that our techniques can reduce thread-creation overheads, leading to good efficiency and performance.
Coordination numbers as reaction coordinates in constrained molecular dynamics

Reaction coordinates for chemical reactions in solution are often of a collective nature involving solvent degrees of freedom. A recent generalization of the blue-moon ensemble technique has enabled us to determine the free energy required to change these variables, using them as constraints in a molecular dynamics simulation. We discuss a first application to the free energy of coordination fluctuations of an argon atom in liquid argon.
Cognitive Fatigue and the Wellbeing and Academic Attainment of University Students

Background: Effects of cognitive fatigue have been widely studied in operational settings and in working populations. Less is known about the effects of cognitive fatigue on the well-being and academic attainment of university students and the present study aimed to provide information on this topic. Methodology: The study was carried out with the approval of the Ethics Committee, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, and with the informed consent of the volunteers. It was carried out in December and January and participants completed an online survey presented using the Qualtrics package and gave consent for access to their coursework and examination marks. Students completed an online version of the Student Well-being Process Questionnaire. This measured both positive aspects of well-being (happiness, life satisfaction and positive affect) and negative aspects (stress, anxiety, depression and negative affect). It also measured established predictors of wellbeing (personality, social support, stressors and coping) which were controlled for in the analyses. Grade Point Average scores were also available for the participants and again established predictors of these (previous academic attainment; conscientiousness) were also recorded. Mental fatigue was measured using a single question with a 10-point rating scale. Three hundred and thirteen students completed the study. Results: The results showed that higher mental fatigue was associated with reduced well-being and lower academic performance. These results remained significant when the established predictors were included in the analyses. Conclusion: Mental fatigue is associated with reduced wellbeing and lower academic attainment in university students. Further research is now required to identify the causes of cognitive fatigue and to evaluate methods of prevention and management.
Modeling of heterogeneous electrophysiology in the human heart with respect to ECG genesis

Heterogeneity of ion channel properties within human ventricular tissue determines the sequence of repolarization under healthy conditions. In this computational study, the impact of different extend of electrophysiological heterogeneity in both human ventricles on the ECG was investigated by a forward calculation of the cardiac electrical signals on the body surface. The gradients ranged from solely transmural, interventricular and apico-basal up to full combination of these variations. As long interventricular heterogeneities were neglected, the transmural gradient generated a positive T wave that was increased when apico-basal variations were considered. Inclusion of interventricular changes necessitated the incorporation of both transmural and apico-basal heterogeneities to reproduce the positive T wave.
A Suitability Measure Approach of Domain Models Based on Semantic Association

Domain models can provide a helpful assistance to analyze and construct domain applications. So the quality of domain models is vital for reuse. But the domain models established by domain experts may be out of date for technology promotion, environment change and so on, which will hinder the reuse of them unavoidably. So keep an eye on the quality of domain models is important. The focus of this research is how to measure the suitability of domain models based on the semantic association established during the using stage. Through different metric, it can provide the measurement of deficiency risk, failure risk and usage frequency. The measurement result can also be used as criteria of domain evolution which can promote the objectiveness of evolution.
School Absenteeism through the Transition to Kindergarten

ABSTRACT Using nationally representative data from the Family and Child Experiences Survey 2009 Cohort (n = 2,798), this study examined patterns of absenteeism and their consequences through the transition to kindergarten. Overall, children were less likely to be absent in kindergarten than from Head Start at ages 3 and 4. Absenteeism was fairly stable across these early years, but children who experienced two years of Head Start were less likely to be absent in kindergarten than their classmates who only attended the program for one year. Ultimately, absenteeism at both ages 3 and 4 was associated with lower math and literacy achievement. However, children who experienced two years of Head Start and were more frequently absent demonstrated greater language development through the end of kindergarten as compared with children who only attended the program for one year. Policy implications are discussed in light of the complexity of early childhood education attendance in the United States.
On the Duality of Wireless Systems with Multiple Cooperating Transmitters and Wireless Systems with Correlated Antennas

We analyze the error performance of distributed space-time codes in a wireless system with multiple cooperating transmitters and a single receiver. Due to the distributed nature of the system, the transmitted signals are subject to different average path losses. As our analysis shows, this effect leads to reduced diversity gains. We explain this result on the basis of an interesting duality between systems with distributed transmitters and systems with densely-packed transmitters: For the case of Rayleigh fading, we prove that any system with distributed transmitters can be transformed into an equivalent co-located multiple-antenna system with correlated antennas. Specifically, the case of equal average path losses corresponds to an uncorrelated system. In order to quantify the performance loss resulting from distributed transmitters, we propose a simple performance measure between zero and one, which is equivalent to a certain correlation measure recently proposed for co-located multiple-antenna systems.
FACTORIAL EXPERIMENT WITH FUZZY AND STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES

Where fuzzy regression can be applied and, in which conditions fuzzy regression method more appropriate tool for the investigations are identified in this paper. The contrast between fuzzy regression and ordinary regression analysis and three approach of fuzzy regression are summarized. In this paper, we estimated the values of the parameters in the factorial experiment in the textile industry by applying possibilistic regression analysis. When the data are made to approach a crisp state in fuzzy regression analysis, the results of fuzzy regression should approach the results of ordinary regression. Using linear programming, we constructed fuzzy regression model that is equal to the statistical least-square regression model. Key-Words: fuzzy regression, vagueness, fuzziness, randomness, insufficient data, assumptions, factorial design.
Don't words come easy? A psychophysical exploration of word superiority

Words are made of letters, and yet sometimes it is easier to identify a word than a single letter. This word superiority effect (WSE) has been observed when written stimuli are presented very briefly or degraded by visual noise. We compare performance with letters and words in three experiments, to explore the extents and limits of the WSE. Using a carefully controlled list of three letter words, we show that a WSE can be revealed in vocal reaction times even to undegraded stimuli. With a novel combination of psychophysics and mathematical modeling, we further show that the typical WSE is specifically reflected in perceptual processing speed: single words are simply processed faster than single letters. Intriguingly, when multiple stimuli are presented simultaneously, letters are perceived more easily than words, and this is reflected both in perceptual processing speed and visual short term memory (VSTM) capacity. So, even if single words come easy, there is a limit to the WSE.
Atrial Fibrillation and Death After Myocardial Infarction: A Community Study

Background— Atrial fibrillation (AF) often coexists with myocardial infarction (MI), yet its prognostic influence is disputed. Prior reports studied the relationship of AF during early hospitalization for acute MI to the risk of death and could not address the timing of AF in relation to the MI (ie, before, during, after). Furthermore, as data come mostly from clinical trials, their applicability to the community is uncertain. The aims of our study were to assess the occurrence of AF among MI patients, determine whether it has changed over time, and quantify its impact and the impact of its timing on mortality after MI. Methods and Results— This was a community-based cohort of 3220 patients hospitalized with incident (first-ever) MI from 1983 to 2007 in Olmsted County, MN. Atrial fibrillation was identified by diagnostic codes and ECG. Outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular death. Atrial fibrillation before MI was identified in 304 patients, and 729 developed AF after MI (218 [30%] within 2 days, 119 [16%] between 3 and 30 days, and 392 [54%] >30 days post-MI). The cumulative incidence of AF after MI at 5 years was 19% and did not change over the calendar year of MI (the incidence of AF was the same regardless of when the MI occurred). During a mean follow-up of 6.6 years, 1638 deaths occurred. AF was associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 3.77 [3.37 to 4.21]), independently of clinical characteristics at the time of MI and heart failure. This risk differed markedly according to the timing of AF, and was the greatest for AF occurring >30 days post MI (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.63 [1.37 to 1.93] for AF within 2 days, 1.81 [0.45 to 2.27] for AF between 3 and 30 days, and 2.58 [2.21 to 3.00] for AF >30 days post MI). Conclusions— In the community, AF is frequent in the setting of MI. Atrial fibrillation carries an excess risk of death, which is the highest for AF developing >30 days after MI.
Distance to Frontier, Selection, and Economic Growth

We analyze an economy where firms undertake both innovation and adoption of technologies from the world technology frontier. The selection of high-skill managers and firms is more important for innovation than for adoption. As the economy approaches the frontier, selection becomes more important. Countries at early stages of development pursue an investment-based strategy, which relies on existing firms and managers to maximize investment but sacrifices selection. Closer to the world technology frontier, economies switch to an innovation-based strategy with short-term relationships, younger firms, less investment, and better selection of firms and managers. We show that relatively backward economies may switch out of the investment-based strategy too soon, so certain policies such as limits on product market competition or investment subsidies, which encourage the investment-based strategy, may be beneficial. However, these policies may have significant long-run costs because they make it more likely that a society will be trapped in the investment-based strategy and fail to converge to the world technology frontier. (JEL: O31, O33, O38, O40, L16)
Expression of Syndecan-4 and Correlation with Metastatic Potential in Testicular Germ Cell Tumours

Although syndecan-4 is implicated in cancer progression, there is no information for its role in testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs). Thus, we examined the expression of syndecan-4 in patients with TGCTs and its correlation with the clinicopathological findings. Immunohistochemical staining in 71 tissue specimens and mRNA analysis revealed significant overexpression of syndecan-4 in TGCTs. In seminomas, high percentage of tumour cells exhibited membranous and/or cytoplasmic staining for syndecan-4 in all cases. Stromal staining for syndecan-4 was found in seminomas and it was associated with nodal metastasis (P = 0.04), vascular/lymphatic invasion (P = 0.01), and disease stage (P = 0.04). Reduced tumour cell associated staining for syndecan-4 was observed in nonseminomatous germ cell tumours (NSGCTs) compared to seminomas. This loss of syndecan-4 was associated with nodal metastasis (P = 0.01), vascular/lymphatic invasion (P = 0.01), and disease stage (P = 0.01). Stromal staining for syndecan-4 in NSGCTs did not correlate with any of the clinicopathological variables. The stromal expression of syndecan-4 in TGCTs was correlated with microvessel density (P = 0.03). Our results indicate that syndecan-4 is differentially expressed in seminomas and NSGCTs and might be a useful marker. Stromal staining in seminomas and reduced levels of syndecan-4 in tumour cells in NSGCTs are related to metastatic potential, whereas stromal staining in TGCTs is associated with neovascularization.
Favoritism of Agents - the Case of Referees' Home Bias

We study the behavior of football (soccer) referees in the German Bundesliga. Referees are requested to act as impartial agents. However, they may allocate benefits and rewards in a biased way. Agency theory has long neglected this possible form of malfeasance of economic agents, but has rather concentrated on agents exerting suboptimal effort levels. Favoritism or biased behavior of referees can be investigated by examining their decisions on awarding penalties or extra time at the end of a football match. We can confirm a systematic home bias of referees.
Loss Distribution Approach in Practice

This paper follows the different steps necessary for implementing a LDA in practice: - Step 1: Severity Estimation - Step 2: Frequency Estimation - Step 3: Capital Charge Computations - Step 4: Confidence Interval - Step 5: Self Assessment and Scenario Analysis For each of these steps, we try to give illustrative examples and we gather all demanding mathematics into subsections named Technical Appendix. We hope it will allow for a more reader-friendly paper.
■ Review : The Mauthner Cell: What Has it Taught us?

The Mauthner cell (M-cell) is one of the few identifiable neurons in the vertebrate central nervous system. The ability to locate the M-cell, along with its inputs and outputs, has resulted in important findings in diverse areas of neurobiology including the molecular biology of neurons, synaptic and systems physiology, behavior, development, and neuroethology. The review provides a brief overview of the M-cell and then focuses on recent studies applying state-of-the-art techniques to address new issues and revisit old ones. One advantage of this preparation is the ability to conduct multidisciplinary studies from the subcellular to behavioral levels. For example, studies of activity-dependent changes in the strength of mixed electrotonic and chemical synapses on the M-cell's lateral dendrite in vivo have been correlated with changes in the probability of eliciting a fast startle response initiated by the M-cell and its associated circuits. Similarly, it is now possible to image the activity of the M-cell and its homologs while observing motor behavior in zebrafish larvae. These approaches will provide direct tests of the functional properties of complex neural networks. Moreover, molecular mechanisms that underlie neuronal development can be tested directly with this neuron and its segmental homologs, because these cells occur in singular pairs at defined locations. Finally, after spinal cord injury, the M-cell's axon regenerates, but does not follow its original course, and the startle response gradually recovers. The accessibility of the M-cell system offers the promise that strategies employed in restoring the function of a neural network will be revealed. Thus, we anticipate that the M-cell system will become a favored preparation for multidisciplinary studies on the neuronal basis of behavior and the recovery of behavior after injury. NEUROSCIENTIST 6:26-38, 2000
Tonic glutamatergic drive of RVLM vasomotor neurons?

the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) plays a critical role in the maintenance of baseline arterial pressure (AP) in all species in which it has been examined, and it appears to be the primary site responsible for the tonic supraspinal drive of sympathetic vasomotor outflow and AP, at least in
Reduced oxygen due to high‐altitude exposure relates to atrophy in motor‐function brain areas

Background and purpose: At high altitudes barometric pressure is reduced and, thus, less oxygen is inhaled. Reduced oxygen concentration in brain tissue can lead to cerebral damage and neurological and cognitive deficits. The present study was designed to explore the effects of high‐altitude exposure using a quantitative MRI technique, voxel‐based morphometry.
Learning to generate one-sentence biographies from Wikidata

We investigate the generation of one-sentence Wikipedia biographies from facts derived from Wikidata slot-value pairs. We train a recurrent neural network sequence-to-sequence model with attention to select facts and generate textual summaries. Our model incorporates a novel secondary objective that helps ensure it generates sentences that contain the input facts. The model achieves a BLEU score of 41, improving significantly upon the vanilla sequence-to-sequence model and scoring roughly twice that of a simple template baseline. Human preference evaluation suggests the model is nearly as good as the Wikipedia reference. Manual analysis explores content selection, suggesting the model can trade the ability to infer knowledge against the risk of hallucinating incorrect information.
Philosophical methodology and leadership ethics

Many leadership researchers aim to advise organizations about how to select and develop ethical leaders, to tell business educators how to teach people to be ethical, or to describe ethical leadership. Yet for these tasks, empirical approaches that address questions about ethics with surveys, experiments, and case studies are insufficient on their own in answering the question, “what should a leader do? ” I first argue that descriptive approaches to leadership ethics, such as conceptual analysis, case studies, survey research, and lab experiments, cannot on their own tell us what a leader ought to do when he or she faces a morally difficult circumstance. I then show that the question “what should a leader do? ” can be addressed through philosophical analysis. Though philosophers disagree about the nature of morality, most agree that there are truths about morality and that we can make progress in learning about how to live and lead ethically. To close, I consider and respond to the objection that philosophical approaches to leadership ethics are intolerant or authoritarian. I conclude that philosophical approaches to leadership ethics are essential to our evolving understanding of what a leader ought to do.
Uni- and multicast performance evaluation of the proactive link quality based MANET routing protocol WNet

Several proposals have been made to achieve efficient routing of unicast and multicast data in wireless mobile ad hoc networks. This paper evaluates a new approach to use link layer parameters to determine a link quality value for route calculation, especially for multicast data dissemination. Simulation results suggest that a shortest path metric is rarely the best choice. Instead, a signal strength based metric yields better results compared with other common protocols.