Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-paced Convolutional Neural Networks

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved breakthrough performance in many pattern recognition tasks. In order to distinguish the reliable data from the noisy and confusing data, we improve CNNs with self-paced learning (SPL) for enhancing the learning robustness of CNNs. In the proposed self-paced convolutional network (SPCN), each sample is assigned to a weight to reflect the easiness of the sample. Then a dynamic self-paced function is incorporated into the leaning objective of CNN to jointly learn the parameters of CNN and the latent weight variable. SPCN learns the samples from easy to complex and the sample weights can dynamically control the learning rates for converging to better values. To gain more insights of SPCN, theoretical studies are conducted to show that SPCN converges to a stationary solution and is robust to the noisy and confusing data. Experimental results on MNIST and rectangles datasets demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms baseline methods.
Glycerokinase and its possible role in glycerol metabolism of bull spermatozoa.

Summary. Glycerokinase occurs in ejaculated bull spermatozoa. Characteristics of the spermatozoan glycerokinase are quite similar to those of rat liver glycerokinase, except that the enzyme is firmly bound to the midpieces (mitochondria). The addition of l-glycerol-3-phosphate, as well as of free glycerol, to the washed bull spermatozoa causes both an increase in oxygen uptake and an accumulation of lactic acid. Since bull spermatozoa possess neither NAD+- nor NADP +-linked glycerol dehydrogenase, l-glycerol-3-phosphate would be formed by the action of glycerokinase as the initial step of glycerol metabolism in bull spermatozoa, followed by its oxidation to dihydroxyacetonephosphate by the mitochondrial dehydrogenase, via the glycolytic pathway. Among other animals, fowl and ram spermatozoa show high specific activity of glycerokinase. The enzyme activity is low in boar spermatozoa, and is not detectable in rabbit, human, rainbow trout, starfish and sea-urchin spermatozoa.
Influence of the TonB Energy-Coupling Protein on Efflux-Mediated Multidrug Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT TonB couples the energized state of the cytoplasmic membrane to the operation of outer membrane receptors responsible for Fe(III) siderophore uptake across the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. A tonB mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosadeficient in iron siderophore uptake was shown in the present study to be hypersusceptible to a wide variety of antibiotics, reminiscent of the phenotype of mutants defective in the mexAB-oprMantibiotic efflux operon. This was not related to influences of atonB mutation on the iron status of the cell, and indeed, intrinsic antibiotic susceptibility and mexAB-oprMexpression were unaffected by iron levels in the growth medium. The presence of tonB on a multicopy plasmid increased the level of resistance of a MexAB-OprM+ strain but not that of a MexAB-OprM− strain to a variety of antimicrobial agents.mexAB-oprM expression was not, however, altered in atonB deletion mutant, indicating that any influence of TonB on MexAB-OprM-mediated multidrug resistance was at the level of pump activity. Consistent with this, drug accumulation assays revealed that the tonB deletion mutant exhibited decreased levels of drug efflux. Still, the multidrug resistance of a nalB strain was not wholly abrogated by a tonB mutation, indicating that it is likely not an essential component of the efflux apparatus. Similarly, elimination of tonB from an nfxBstrain only partially compromised MexCD-OprJ-mediated multidrug resistance. Intriguingly, the drug susceptibility of amexAB-oprM deletion strain was increased following deletion of tonB, suggesting that TonB may also influence antibiotic resistance mediated by determinants other than MexAB-OprM (and MexCD-OprJ). Thus, TonB plays an important role in both intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa.
A Decision Support System for locational analysis in paper industry

In this paper, an effective Decision Support System (DSS) concerning the site selection of a new paper mill is reported. The analysis is executed adopting the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. In particular, a specific wide hierarchy structure has been defined considering 49 criteria outlined via questionnaires and interviews with several logistics and production managers of the paper mills located in the district of Lucca (Italy), one of the most important areas for the production and converting of pulpboard and tissue in Europe. A sensitivity analysis based on a particular case study demonstrates the robustness of the proposed decision structure.
Perceived Risk of Mobile Banking in China

Mobile banking provides a convenient and personal financial service beyond time and space. Although there are many studies on the adoption intentions for smartphone-based mobile banking, there is no apparent effect on the popularity of it. This is because the smartphone users have a resistance to innovation on mobile banking, but there are few studies on the resistance to it. Perceived risk is a major factor which influences user’s resistance behavior to smartphone-based mobile banking. So if we want to know the reasons why people don't use smartphone-based mobile banking, we have to know which factors will influence consumer’s perceived risk. Thus, this research focused on investigating the correlation between social influence, perceived security, perceived protection of private information, perceived complexity, trust and perceived risk respectively in China market. And then we investigated the correlation between perceived risk and user resistance.
A Corpus-based Syntactic Lexicon for Adverbs

A word class often neglected in the field of NLP resources, namely adverbs, has lately been described in a computational lexicon produced at CST as one of the results of a Ph.D.-project. The adverb lexicon, which is integrated in the Danish STO lexicon, gives detailed syntactic information on the type of modification and position, as well as on other syntactic properties of approx 800 Danish adverbs. One of the aims of the lexicon has been to establish a clear distinction between syntactic and semantic information - where other lexicons often generalize over the syntactic behavior of semantic classes of adverbs, every adverb is described with respect to its proper syntactic behavior in a text corpus, revealing very individual syntactic properties. Syntactic information on adverbs is needed in NLP systems generating text to ensure correct placing in the phrase they modify. Also in systems analyzing text, this information is needed in order to attach the adverbs to the right node in the syntactic parse trees. Within the field of linguistic research, several results can be deduced from the lexicon, e.g. knowledge of syntactic classes of Danish adverbs.
Credit Default Swap Spreads and Implied Cost of Equity

I examine the relationship between credit default swap spreads and implied cost of equity. These two empirically observable measures are surrogates for the larger concepts cost of debt and cost of equity. Using a sample of quarterly observations from 2004-2012 for 93 firms contained in the Markit CDX index, I find that the relationship between CDS spreads and implied cost of equity is overall positive. The relationship is, however, less positive in situations in which incentives for asset substitution are more likely to exist, or if CDS spreads are at a high level. These findings are consistent with theoretical predictions.
Notes High‐efficiency transformation system for the biocontrol agents, Trichoderma spp.

We have developed an efficient transformation system based on the use of polyethylene glycol and CaCl2 for the biocontrol agents, Trichoderma spp. Trans formation was obtained with the plasmid pAN7‐1, carrying a bacterial hygromycin‐resistance gene as a selectable marker, under the control of Aspergillus nidulans heterologous expression signals. The system described here yielded 200‐800 transformants per μg of DNA. Transformants contained several copies of the plasmid integrated into their genome, apparently at the same site in the different transformants analysed. Stability of the transformants was achieved by inserting a 2.4kb homologous DNA fragment into pAN7‐1. Southern blot analysis indicated that integration in the stable transformants occurs through non‐homologous recombination.
Service Delegating Log Management-For Secure Logging In Cloud Environment .

Securely maintaining log details over extended periods of time is very significant for the proper operations of any organization. The information about the log files often contains trustworthy information, secrecy and privacy of log records are constantly imperative. However, building a secure logging infrastructure involves more capital expenses that many organizations may find exhausted. Providing log management to the cloud appears to be a great cost saving measure. In this paper, we identify the goals for a secured cloud-based log management service and propose an infrastructure for doing the same.
Estimating customer defection in personal retail banking

Using Juster’s probability scale, this study examines a sample of 881 customers’ self‐reported estimates of probable defection from their main bank. One year later these customers’ statuses with their main bank were reviewed, allowing comparison of intended with actual defection. This methodology allows not only investigation of the Juster scale’s performance in a “subscription” type market but also identification of those customers with a predisposition to switch banks. Bank management can then decide if and how they might address their switch‐prone customers. Respondents were asked to allocate their probability of closing all accounts at their main bank in the next 12 months. The sample estimate was 10 percent while the actual defection result was 5 percent. While this may seem somewhat inaccurate, similar studies in the literature report the tendency of the Juster scale to over‐estimate switching behaviour, but its estimates have consistently proved superior previously to those derived from attitudinally based intention‐to‐buy scales and at least the equal of the Conversion Model.
A case of acute renal failure.

Ronald Falk, MD, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Nephrology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: My name is Ronald Falk, and I come from the University of North Carolina. I have been selected to arbitrate the annual ASN ClinicoPathologic Conference (CPC), a spectacle matching an outstanding clinician who is trying to figure out the diagnosis with an extremely eminent pathologist who, of course, knows the diagnosis. I’m going to share with you that I’ve done this CPC twice. I did it last year, so that’s why I get the pleasure of being the moderator. The Renal Pathology Society and Bob Narins take incredible pleasure in writing these cases, providing as few data as possible and in fact adding as many extra bits of extraneous information as they possibly can. So, please for all of you who are clinicians, have empathy for the clinician who gets to do this; and now we will begin these proceedings. Sharon Adler, MD, Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Associate Chief, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center: First, let me thank the organizers for giving me this great opportunity to appear foolish before a large audience. The patient is a 42-yr-old man with oliguria, 10 d of weakness, hyperventilation, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and intermittent back and flank pain. We are not told about any medicines he is taking, so I assume there are none. We are not given any past medical history, so I assume there is none. On physical examination, he is a little hypertensive, a little tachycardic, tachypneic, and afebrile. He appears acutely ill but not chronically ill. He has bibasilar rales and jugular venous distention. He has a pericardial friction rub and 2+ edema. He has no skin manifestations, or at …
The management of epilepsy at work

This paper examines the way in which health problems, resulting from epilepsy, are managed in one large organisation, the British Civil Service. The part played by stress in precipitating epileptic seizures is first of all considered. This leads on to a discussion of the problems of finding a medical regime that, on the one hand, prevents epileptic attacks at work and, on the other, does not result in side effects that adversely affect work performance. The importance of social support is also stressed. The paper concludes by highlighting the need to improve the process whereby information on the requirements of a job are related to information on an individual's epilepsy, in order to determine the risk of their having, or causing, an accident at work.
Hepatic iron deposition in patients with liver disease: preliminary experience with breath-hold multiecho T2*-weighted sequence.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to conduct, using histopathologic examination as the reference standard, a preliminary evaluation of the use of a breath-hold multiecho T2(*)-weighted MRI sequence in the detection and quantification of hepatic iron deposition in patients with liver disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS The images of 43 patients with liver disease who underwent 1.5-T MRI of the liver that included a multiecho T2(*)-weighted sequence who also underwent concomitant liver biopsy or liver transplantation were assessed. Two independent observers measured hepatic T2(*) by placing regions of interest in the hepatic parenchyma. Hepatic T2(*) values were compared between patients stratified by hepatic iron grade and were correlated with histopathologic iron grade. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed to assess the accuracy of images obtained with the hepatic T2(*)-weighted sequence in the diagnosis of iron deposition. RESULTS Patients with iron deposition had shorter hepatic T2(*) values than did patients without iron deposition (mean T2(*), 17.7 vs 32.3 milliseconds with pooled data from both observers; p < 0.0001). Patients with iron grade 3 or greater had shorter T2(*) values than those with iron grade 2 or less (10.1 vs 20.8 milliseconds; p < 0.0001). There was a strong negative correlation between hepatic T2(*) and histopathologic iron grade (r = -0.849; p < 0.0001). For the prediction of iron grades 1 or greater and 3 or greater, area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.968-0.982, 90.5-100%, and 100-97.3% at T2(*) cutoffs of less than 24 and less than 14 milliseconds, respectively. CONCLUSION Hepatic iron overload in patients with liver disease can be assessed rapidly and accurately with MRI performed with a breath-hold T2(*)-weighted sequence.
A Cyc-Based Multi-agent System

Multi-agent systems (MAS) are systems in which many intelligent agents interact with each other to accomplish a common goal, e.g. solving a complicated problem in a distributed environment. Domain specific knowledge can no longer solely support reasoning in MAS, whereas common sense knowledge becomes more critical to the reasoning quality, especially when e-commerce has become more popular and more merchants are getting excited to the worldwide market. Incorporating common sense knowledge to the MAS is on edge. However, the use of common sense knowledge induces implementation dilemmas. For example, OpenCyc is not only a common sense knowledge base, but also has its own inference engine. Developers have to determine whether to use the existing inference engine or to use the one that OpenCyc provided. In this paper, four approaches to incorporate common sense knowledge to MAS are proposed and evaluated, and we finally advocate our favorite.
Development of a Risk Culture Intensity Index to Evaluate the Financial Market in Germany

Banks have been seriously impacted by the financial crisis. The financial crisis causes an immense discussion about the soundness of the risk culture of the financial institutions. Corresponding to the results of diverse research studies, senior risk management observed a weak risk culture in the financial market as a trigger of the crisis. In accordance with the prevailing literature, I designed a risk culture model, which is used as the foundation for the autonomous development of a risk culture intensity index (R.C.I.I.). In the next step, I applied this index for the analysis of the risk culture of the 30 top financial institutions in Germany in a timeframe of four years from 2008 to 2011. The evaluation is based on a content analysis of the published financial statements of the organizations. The study examines whether a change in the risk culture can be considered or not. The result of the analysis is that there is a clear trend towards a more risk-aware and adequate risk culture in the financial market in Germany.
Dimission reasons of contract nurses in the public hospitals from the perspective of labor relations

In the public hospitals in China,the contract nurses have become an important force in the hospitals' nursing work.The high dimission rate of contract nurses has affected the quality of care,patient satisfaction and the hospitals' long-term development seriously.This article analyzed the dimission reasons of the contract nurses from the perspective of labor relations and put forward 3 comments or suggestions,the labor contracts signing contract nurses' salary system formulation and trade unions' collective bargaining work,which could provide a theoretical basis and policy support to strengthen the management of contract nurses for health authorities and hospital managers.
Short term effects of Centella asiatica on methylparathion induced toxicity on different regions of the brain in rat, Rattus norvegicus

In the present study, Methyl parathion an organophosphate compound has been induced to the rats to study the activity of acetylcholinesterase on different regions of the brain for short term effects i.e., for 28 days and then an antidote Centella asiatica was given to the rats which were induced with methylparathion. Keywords: AChE, Brain, Centella asiatica, Methyl parathion, Organophosphate compound,
Taxation and Wage Subsidies in a Search-Equilibrium Labor Market

This paper studies the equilibrium outcomes of levying various types of taxes and subsidies on labor in an equilibrium labor search market. It is shown that despite the existence of labor market frictions, there is tax equivalence between an income tax and a payroll tax, exactly as in a competitive labor market. In addition, it is shown that a proportional subsidy has a non-linear, regressive impact on gross and net wages in equilibrium and hence it increases wage inequality. At the same time, a wage subsidy that guarantees a minimum net income has a dampening effect on wages above the guaranteed minimum since it reduces the degree of competition in the market. Thus, the results indicate that given labor market imperfections, wage subsidies may have some undesirable features.
CLASSIFICATION OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT LOXODONTA AFRICANA RUMBLES USING ACOUSTIC PARAMETERS AND CLUSTER ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT It has been suggested that African savanna elephants Loxodonta africana produce 31 different call types (Langbauer 2000). Various researchers have described these calls by associating them with specific behavioural contexts. More recently Leong et al. (2003) have attempted to classify elephant call types based on their physical properties. They classified 8 acoustically distinct call types from a population of captive elephants. This study focuses on one of these call types, the rumble, in a wild population of elephants in Kruger National Park, South Africa. A single family group of elephants was followed to record group behaviours and vocalizations from January through August 2001. By measuring the physical properties of 663 rumbles and subjecting these to cluster analysis, we present evidence that shows that rumbles can be categorized by their physical properties and that the resulting rumble types are associated with specific group behaviours. We characterize three types of rumbles that differ significantly by ten acoustic parameters. Two rumble types were associated with the elephant group feeding and resting, while the third was associated with socializing and agitation.
Rescue of Multiple Viral Functions by a Second-Site Suppressor of a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Nucleocapsid Mutation

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) bearing the nucleocapsid (NC) mutation R10A/K11A is replication defective. After serial passage of the mutant virus in tissue culture, we isolated a revertant that retained the original mutation. It had acquired, in addition, a new mutation (E21K) that was formally demonstrated to be sufficient for restoration of viral replication. Detailed analysis of the replication defect of R10A/K11A revealed a threefold reduction in virion yield and a fivefold reduction in packaging of viral genomic RNA. Real-time PCR was then used to quantitate viral DNA synthesis following infection of Jurkat T cells. After adjustment for the assembly and packaging defects, a minor (twofold) reduction in synthesis of either strong-stop, full-length linear DNA or 2-LTR circles was observed with R10A/K11A virions, indicating that reverse transcription and nuclear transport of the viral genome were largely intact. However, after adjustment for the amounts of full-length or 2-LTR circles produced, R10A/K11A virions were at least 10-fold less infectious than wild type, indicating that viral DNA produced by the R10A/K11A mutant failed to integrate. Each of the above-mentioned defects was corrected by introduction of the second-site compensatory mutation E21K. These results demonstrate that the replication defect of mutant R10A/K11A can be explained by impairment at multiple steps in the viral life cycle, most important among them being integration and RNA packaging. The E21K mutation is predicted to restore positive charge to the face of the R10A/K11A mutant NC protein that interacts with the HIV-1 SL3 RNA stem-loop, emphasizing the importance of NC basic residues for HIV-1 replication.
Committed to quality: the use of quality schemes in UK public leisure services

Public leisure service providers have become increasingly conscious of the need to improve the quality of their service provision as a result of increasing customer expectations, growing competition and government legislation. This paper presents the findings of a survey carried out in the UK, investigating the role of quality schemes in public leisure services. The study shows that a significant proportion of public leisure service providers are using quality schemes to manage the quality of their facilities. In addition, the findings show that managers are using quality schemes to improve customer satisfaction and improve management effectiveness. Finally, the study provides evidence of the positive effect of quality schemes upon service delivery aspects of these facilities, but little evidence of the financial advantages of such schemes.