Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tele-existence in real world and virtual world

Tele-existence is a concept named for the technology which enables a human being to have a real time sensation of being at the place other than the place where he or she actually is, and is able to interact with the remote and/or virtual environment. He or she can tele-exist in a real world where the robot exists or in a virtual world which a computer generates. It is possible to tele-exist in a combined environment of real and virtual. According to the concept, an experimental tele-existence system in real and/or virtual environment is designed and developed, and an evaluation experiment of a tele-existence system is conducted and efficacy of the tele-existence system is verified and the superiority of the tele-existence method is demonstrated through several experimental tasks. <<ETX>>
A Unified Framework for Stochastic Matrix Factorization via Variance Reduction

We propose a unified framework to speed up the existing stochastic matrix factorization (SMF) algorithms via variance reduction. Our framework is general and it subsumes several well-known SMF formulations in the literature. We perform a non-asymptotic convergence analysis of our framework and derive computational and sample complexities for our algorithm to converge to an $\epsilon$-stationary point in expectation. In addition, extensive experiments for a wide class of SMF formulations demonstrate that our framework consistently yields faster convergence and a more accurate output dictionary vis-a-vis state-of-the-art frameworks.
Effect of addition of 2% chlorhexidine or 10% doxycycline on antimicrobial activity of biodentine

Aim: The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine whether the addition of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate or 10% doxycycline would enhance the antimicrobial activity of Biodentine against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-25923), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC-29212), Candida albicans (ATCC-90028), and Streptococcus mutans (MTCC-497). Materials and Methods: Three wells of 4 mm diameter and 4 mm depth on each plate were prepared on the agar medium with standardized suspensions of each microorganism. Biodentine powder mixed with 2% chlorhexidine (0.06 g) or 10% doxycycline (0.30 g) in its liquid or liquid alone was placed to fill each well. Plates were incubated at 37°C as required for microbial growth. A blinded, independent observer measured zones of inhibition. The data were analyzed using independent “t” test to compare the differences among the three cement preparations for different micro-organisms. Results: All Biodentine samples inhibited microbial growth. The highest mean diameters of zone of inhibition for all the micro-organisms were found around Biodentine/chlorhexidine (13.417) followed by Biodentine alone (12.236) and Biodentine/doxycycline (11.25). Conclusion: In conclusion, adding 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in liquid of Biodentine enhanced the antimicrobial activity of Biodentine against all the tested micro-organisms except Candida albicans, while addition of 10% doxycycline decreased the antimicrobial activity of Biodentine. The differences were significant statistically (P < 0.05).
Macroeconomic variables and stock prices in emerging economies: A panel analysis

This study aim to explore the role of the macroeconomic variables and stock prices for emerging economies perspective. Further, the study examines the association between the macroeconomic variable and stock prices across the panel of India and Brazil. The study utilizes monthly data from 2000M1-2016M08. We employ various panel econometric techniques. The findings confirm that the long run relationship between variables and unidirectional causality. The results also reveal that GDP, inflation, exchange rate, interest rate and stock prices play an important role in economic development.
Arbovirus high fidelity variant loses fitness in mosquitoes and mice

The error rate of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) affects the mutation frequency in a population of viral RNAs. Using chikungunya virus (CHIKV), we describe a unique arbovirus fidelity variant with a single C483Y amino acid change in the nsP4 RdRp that increases replication fidelity and generates populations with reduced genetic diversity. In mosquitoes, high fidelity CHIKV presents lower infection and dissemination titers than wild type. In newborn mice, high fidelity CHIKV produces truncated viremias and lower organ titers. These results indicate that increased replication fidelity and reduced genetic diversity negatively impact arbovirus fitness in invertebrate and vertebrate hosts.
Fermentação de Petit Suisse obtido com retenção de soro e adição de lactase e redução da adição de açúcares versus à formulação tradicional

As atuais tendências de mercado apontam para produtos livres ou com baixo teor de lactose. Além disso, questões econômicas e ecológicas levam a adaptação das tradicionais tecnologias por outras que permitam modificações nos processos que atendam à nova realidade sem, contudo, perder em qualidade. Entretanto, o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias exigem estudos que possam otimizá-las de modo a atender às necessidades da indústria e do consumidor. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os impactos do uso de lactase e da redução dos teores de sacarose adicionado na fermentação de Petit Suisse pelo método da retenção de soro. A utilização de lactase na produção do queijo petitsuisse reduziu em duas horas o tempo de fermentação em relação à formulação tradicional nas condições experimentais empregadas neste trabalho. O perfil da fermentação diferiu entre as formulações estudadas e foram estabelecidas relações matemáticas entre a variação do pH e o tempo.
Opportunistic Forwarding Using Rateless Codes in OFDMA Multihop Networks

A major challenge for data transmission in wireless multihop networks is to efficiently utilize the present channel capacity provided by the variety of links within the network. To achieve this, we combine the concept of opportunistic routing with rateless coding and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). Opportunistic routing exploits the broadcast nature of wireless transmissions by considering multiple nodes as potential next forwarder of a certain data packet and by selecting the next forwarder after transmission instead of prior to it. Rateless coding enables mutual information accumulation at subsequent nodes of a multihop transmission path which overhear the transmissions. Using a predefined selection of nodes as a support structure, consisting of stages of fully connected transmitters and receivers, allows for a local cooperation among the nodes. Thereby, an unnecessary and wasteful forwarding of data duplicates can be avoided. Furthermore, based on OFDMA, the nodes can exploit the diversity of links within each stage by an adaptive local resource allocation. For the operation of this concept, we propose suitable algorithms for scheduling of data packets and resource allocation and show that the proposed scheme provides significant throughput gains compared to forwarding without overhearing at subsequent nodes and forwarding along a unipath.
Functional Evaluation in Distal Femoral Endoprosthetic Replacement for Bone Sarcoma

A multicenter study of successfully treated patients (mean age, 36.7 years) with a minimum 1-year followup (average, 35.4 months) after distal femoral endoprosthetic replacement for bone sarcoma was done using the 1987 and 1993 versions of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, the Short Form-36, and the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score functional evaluation criteria. Fifty-six patients (28 women and 28 men) fulfilled the criteria. Thirty-one Kotz prostheses (fixed hinge, uncemented) and 25 Modular Replacement System Prostheses (rotating hinge, cemented) were used. Thirty-five patients walked without aids, 19 used a cane, and two used crutches or a walker. The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1987 mean score was 28.1. The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 mean score was 80.4. The Toronto Extremity Salvage Score mean was 81.6. The Short Form-36 Physical Component Score had a mean of 43.2 and Mental Component Score mean of 54.2. The two groups of implants were comparable, except for the length of bone resection. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that patient age, existence of a pathologic fracture, and type of prosthesis all significantly accounted for differences in functional outcome as measured by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993, the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score, and the Short Form-36 Physical Component Score scales. Although both implants provided satisfactory function, the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 and the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score results were significantly better with the Modular Replacement System prosthesis. The effect of possible differences among surgeons or institutions was not addressed.
PAH-metabolizing enzymes in whole mussels as biochemical tests for chemical pollution monitoring

Enzyme activities related to PAH metabolism, benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase (B(a)PH), epoxide hydrolase (EH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), in subcellular preparations from whole mussels Mytilus edulis, were assayed during the GEEP Workshop as possible biochemical tests for pollution monitoring. No response was observed along a field pollution gradient in Langesundfjord, owing to the variability within each biochemical measurement and to the limted number of samples/ animals assayed per site. In mesocosm exposures to a diesel oil and copper mixture, inductions of B(a)PH and EH activities were related to some extent to the PAH gradent. These specific biochemical variables were more sensitive than a general biochemical variable related to the physiological state of the animal, the cytosolic glutathione content.
Forecasting evolution of bacteria in a specialization context : a functionnal approach combining modeling, in vitro experiments and genomic analysis

L'evolution est-elle predictible? Alors que la reponse habituelle est un non presque unanime, un corpus croissant de connaissances suggere qu'il est temps de revoir cette reponse. Meme si les mutations sont toujours considerees comme aleatoires, la detection de patterns genetiques sous-jacents aux evenements evolutifs ouvre la porte sur des strategies potentielles permettant de prevoir les trajectoires evolutives suivies par les organismes lorsqu'ils s'adaptent a des contraintes changeantes. Quand les organismes subissent une specialisation fonctionnelle (a travers la perte de genes et de fonctions) pour s'adapter a des signaux environnementaux donnes, les trajectoires evolutives possibles qu'ils peuvent emprunter sont restreintes et devraient donc etre plus facilement previsibles. Dans ce contexte d'evolution reductive par specialisation, les objectifs de cette these sont de mieux comprendre l'interaction entre contraintes environnementales, metabolisme, evolution genetique et adaptations fonctionnelles, et dans un deuxieme temps de predire, pour des contraintes donnees, les trajectoires evolutives qui seront suivies par les organismes pour s'adapter a ces contraintes. Une premiere approche met l'accent sur l'importance des interactions biotiques en tant que determinants des trajectoires evolutives, et comment, en modelisant une hausse benefique de dependance envers un bien commun, il est possible de predire la dynamique d'une population subissant de tels evenements evolutifs. Une deuxieme approche etudie comment les changements observes au niveau metabolique et fonctionnel et engendres par des modifications de contraintes environnementales pourraient etre prevus et testes. Sur la base d'une vision centree sur le metabolisme, des travaux de modelisation et des travaux d’experimentions ont ete combines pour etudier l'evolution de la specialisation aux niveaux genetiques, metaboliques et fonctionnels. Nous montrons que les trajectoires evolutives suivies peuvent-etre partiellement predites en fonction de conditions environnementales specifiques, mais que ces predictions sont limitees en raison de la complexite du reseau de l'expression genetique. Ce travail exploratoire et interdisciplinaire augmente les connaissances sur les determinants evolutifs et les trajectoires suivies par l'organisme au cours d’un phenomene de specialisation. Il demontre egalement un grand potentiel de prediction, notamment grâce a une perception metabolique des systemes.
The Effects of Corporate Governance on Credit Ratings: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on credit ratings for firms in Taiwan. We examine this causal relationship using ordered logit regressions with two-stage least-squares estimates. We document that CSR performance demonstrates both moderation and partial mediation effects in the relationship between corporate governance and credit rating. Our results indicate that a firm should practice good corporate governance and engage in CSR activities to improve its credit rating. This study further shows that family firms with strong corporate governance and good CSR performance do not benefit from higher credit ratings. However, large firms with good corporate governance practices benefit from higher credit ratings.
Stable Chromosome Aberrations in the Lymphocytes of a Population Living in the Vicinity of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

Abstract Salomaa, S. , Lindholm, C. , Tankimanova, M. K. , Mamyrbaeva, Z. Z. , Koivistoinen, A. , Hulten, M. , Mustonen, R. , Dubrova, Y. E. and Bersimbaev, R. I. Stable Chromosome Aberrations in the Lymphocytes of a Population Living in the Vicinity of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. Radiat. Res. 158, 591–596 (2002). Translocation analysis using FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) chromosome painting was performed to evaluate the magnitude of exposure to ionizing radiation among the human population living close to the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan. We studied two generations of people living in villages that were in the path of the radioactive cloud from the first Soviet surface nuclear test performed in August 1949 and from later tests. The older generation (P0) lived in the area at the time of testing, and the younger generation (F1) was exposed to smaller doses from the residual fallout and later tests. In both P0 and F1 generations, similar translocation frequencies were observed in persons living in either the Semipalatinsk area or a noncontaminated area. Assuming translocation stability in peripheral blood lymphocytes over several decades, these findings suggest that on average, the magnitude of exposure of this cohort in the Semipalatinsk area has been considerably smaller than that reported in the literature. Previously reported doses of the order of 1−4.5 Gy (mean 2.9 Gy in the P0 generation) cannot be confirmed by the present data.
Ist die deutsche Wirtschaft am Limit? Ansätze zur Bestimmung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Kapazitätsbeanspruchung

Die gegenwartige konjunkturelle Robustheit der deutschen Wirtschaft hat auch eine Diskussion uber eine potenzielle Uberhitzungsgefahr ausgelost. Eine hohe Auslastung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Produktionskapazitaten stellt nicht notwendigerweise eine Uberhitzung dar. Um dies zu diagnostizieren, muss die Kapazitatsauslastung mittels einer Projektion des Bruttoinlandsprodukts und des Produktionspotenzials gemessen werden. Im folgenden Beitrag werden einige Ansatze skizziert, mit denen versucht wird, die gesamtwirtschaftliche Potenzialnutzung zu schatzen. Schatzungen von Potenzialwachstum und Output-Lucke uber einen Hodrick-Prescott-Filter deuten nicht auf eine zunehmende konjunkturelle Uberhitzung der deutschen Wirtschaft hin, sondern vielmehr auf ein sich beschleunigendes Potenzialwachstum in den letzten Jahren. Schatzungen auf Basis eines Growth Accounting zeigen hingegen eine hohe Beanspruchung der Produktionskapazitaten. Auch die Prognose von Oxford Economics mit dem Oxford Global Economic Model weist auf eine recht hohe Kapazitatsauslastung hin. Schlieslich liefert auch die Konjunkturumfrage des Instituts der deutschen Wirtschaft originare Unternehmensevidenz zur Auslastung der Produktionskapazitaten. Demnach spricht gut ein Drittel der deutschen Firmen von einer Uberauslastung. Dies ist besonders auf angebotsseitige Grunde im Sinne von fehlenden Fachkraften zuruckzufuhren und stellt ein strukturelles und kein konjunkturelles Problem dar. Die Wirtschaftspolitik darf deshalb die konjunkturelle Dynamik nicht durch eine expansive Nachfragepolitik weiter befordern, sondern sie muss die zukunftigen Wachstumschancen durch eine potenzialorientierte Wirtschaftspolitik starken.
Characteristics and perspectives of night‐eating behaviour in a severely obese population

What is already known about this subject Night‐eating syndrome (NES) can be a feature of severe obesity. NES is a dysfunction of circadian rhythm and is associated with impaired sleep. What this study adds Night eaters with severe obesity are more likely to be low in mood and unemployed compared with non‐night eaters. Night eaters with severe obesity describe compulsive and uncontrolled eating.
Cytosolic Localization of Listeria monocytogenes Triggers an Early IFN-γ Response by CD8+ T Cells That Correlates with Innate Resistance to Infection1

IFN-γ is critical for innate immunity against Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), and it has long been thought that NK cells are the major source of IFN-γ during the first few days of infection. However, it was recently shown that a significant number of CD44highCD8+ T cells also secrete IFN-γ in an Ag-independent fashion within 16 h of infection with L. monocytogenes. In this report, we showed that infection with other intracellular pathogens did not trigger this early IFN-γ response and that cytosolic localization of Listeria was required to induce rapid IFN-γ production by CD44highCD8+ T cells. Infection of C57BL/6 mice with an Escherichia coli strain expressing listeriolysin O (LLO), a pore-forming toxin from L. monocytogenes, also resulted in rapid IFN-γ expression by CD8+ T cells. These results suggest that LLO expression is essential for induction of the early IFN-γ response, although it is not yet clear whether LLO plays a direct role in triggering a signal cascade that leads to cytokine production or whether it is required simply to release other bacterial product(s) into the host cell cytosol. Interestingly, mouse strains that displayed a rapid CD8+ T cell IFN-γ response (C57BL/6, 129, and NZB) all had lower bacterial burdens in the liver 3 days postinfection compared with mouse strains that did not have an early CD8+ T cell IFN-γ response (BALB/c, A/J, and SJL). These data suggest that participation of memory CD8+ T cells in the early immune response against L. monocytogenes correlates with innate host resistance to infection.
Performance of the Focus and Kalon Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for Antibodies to Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Glycoprotein G in Culture-Documented Cases of Genital Herpes

ABSTRACT Glycoprotein G-based herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays from Focus and Kalon were performed with specimens from 118 patients with culture-documented genital herpes episodes, and their results were compared. Sensitivity was 52% by Kalon and 86% by Focus for first HSV-2 episodes and 100% (for each of the two tests) for recurrent HSV-2. Median times to seroconversion were 120 days by the Kalon assay, 21 days by the Focus assay, and 68 days by Western blotting assay. Values for specificity were 100% (Kalon) and 93% (Focus).
Early phonological and sociocognitive skills as predictors of later language and social communication outcomes.

BACKGROUND Previous studies of outcome for children with early language delay have focused on measures of early language as predictors of language outcome. This study investigates whether very early processing skills (VEPS) known to underpin language development will be better predictors of specific language and social communication outcomes than measures of language itself. METHOD Participants were 163 children referred to clinical services with concerns about language at 2;6-3;6 years and followed up at 4-5 years. Novel assessments of phonological and sociocognitive processing were administered at Time 1 (T1), together with a standardised test of receptive and expressive language, and parental report of expressive vocabulary. The language test was re-administered at Time 2 (T2), together with assessments of morphosyntax and parental reports of social communication. RESULTS Intercorrelations at and between T1 and T2 were high, and dissociations were rare. Ordinal regressions were run, entering predictors singly and simultaneously. With the exception of the phonological task, every early measure on its own was significantly predictive of most outcomes, and receptive language was the strongest all-round predictor. Results of simultaneous entry, controlling for the effect of other predictors, showed that early language was the strongest predictor of general language outcome, but early phonology was the strongest predictor of a measure of morphosyntax, and early sociocognition the strongest predictor of social communication. CONCLUSIONS Language measures which draw on a wide range of skills were the strongest overall predictors of general language outcomes. However, our VEPS measures were stronger predictors of specific outcomes. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
A Rapid Fault Injection Approach for Measuring SEU Sensitivity in Complex Processors

Processors are very common components in current digital systems and to assess their reliability is an essential task during the design process. In this paper a new fault injection solution to measure SEU sensitivity in processors is presented. It consists in a hardware-implemented module that performs fault injection through the available JTAG-based On-Chip Debugger (OCD). It can be widely applicable to different processors since JTAG standard is an extended interface and OCDs are usually available in current processors. The hardware implementation avoids the communication between the target system and the software debugging tool. The method has been applied to a complex processor, the ARM7TDMI. Results illustrate the approach is a fast, efficient and cost-effective solution.
Differences in genotype and allele frequency distributions of polymorphic drug metabolizing enzymes CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 in mainland Chinese Mongolian, Hui and Han populations

What is known and Objective: Cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) and CYP2D6 are important xenobiotic metabolic enzymes and both show considerable genetic variability between Orientals and Caucasians. There are known marked heterogeneity in susceptibility to various cancers and hypertension among Chinese Mongolian, Hui and Han ethnic groups, but the molecular mechanisms are unknown. Our objective was to investigate the patterns of distribution of CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 polymorphisms among healthy Chinese subjects to determine whether any observed inter‐ethnic variability might be worth further investigation as possible contributors to the known differences in disease prevalence.