Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tuning Constraint-Based Communication in Distributed Problem Solving

@xerox.frAbstract Distributed Problem Solving (DPS) decomposes problems into subproblems to besolved by interacting, cooperative software agents. Thus, DPS is suitable for modeling, in thecontext of parallel and distributedarchitectures, the solvingof problems characterized by manyinter-dependencies among subproblems. Concurrent Constraint Programming (CCP) providesa powerful execution framework for DPS, where constraints can declaratively implement bothlocal problem solving as well as exchange of information, and hence DPS, among agents. Tooptimize DPS, the protocol for constraint communication must be tuned to the speciﬁc kindof DPS problem and the characteristics of the underlying system architecture. In this paper,we provide a formal framework for modeling different options and we show how it applies toconcrete, generalizable examples.Key words: constraintpropagation,distributedartiﬁcial intelligence,distributedproblemsolv-ing, constraint-based knowledge brokers, cooperative agents, protocols.
Toward order-of-magnitude cascade prediction

When a piece of information (microblog, photograph, video, link, etc.) starts to spread in a social network, an important question arises: will it spread to "viral" proportions - where "viral" is defined as an order-of-magnitude increase. However, several previous studies have established that cascade size and frequency are related through a power-law - which leads to a severe imbalance in this classification problem. In this paper, we devise a suite of measurements based on "structural diversity" - the variety of social contexts (communities) in which individuals partaking in a given cascade engage. We demonstrate these measures are able to distinguish viral from non-viral cascades, despite the severe imbalance of the data for this problem. Further, we leverage these measurements as features in a classification approach, successfully predicting microblogs that grow from 50 to 500 reposts with precision of 0.69 and recall of 0.52 for the viral class - despite this class comprising under 2% of samples. This significantly outperforms our baseline approach as well as the current state-of-the-art. Our work also demonstrates how we can tradeoff between precision and recall.
Opportunities and Challenges Applying Functional Data Analysis to the Study of Open Source Software Evolution

This paper explores the application of functional data analy sis (FDA) as a means to study the dynamics of software evolution in the open source context. Several challenges in analyzing the data from software projects are discussed, an approach to overcoming those challenges is de scribed, and preliminary results from the analysis of a sample of open source software (OSS) projects are provided. The results demonstrate the utility of FDA for uncovering and categorizing multiple distinct patterns of evolution in the complexity of OSS projects. These results are promising in that they demonstrate some patterns in which the complexity of software decreased as the software grew in size, a particularly novel result. The paper reports pre liminary explorations of factors that may be associated with decreasing com plexity patterns in these projects. The paper concludes by describing several next steps for this research project as well as some questions for which more sophisticated analytical techniques may be needed.
Your Former Employees Matter: Private Equity Firms and Their Financial Advisors

This article shows that former investment bankers become important clients for their previous employers and also provide access to profitable business opportunities to their new private equity employers through their previous employment networks. I observe 1,326 individuals directly involved in 1,285 transactions, of whom a large majority have changed their occupation from financial advisor to private equity professional. The social networks arising from these labor market movements affect private equity firms’ choices of financial advisors, as well as the sourcing, pricing, and performance of deals.
Health Effects of Patients Given Methoxyflurane in the Pre-Hospital Setting: A Data Linkage Study

Background: Methoxyflurane administered via an inhaler is a common analgesic agent used by ambulance services in Australia; however little published data exists as to its efficacy or effectiveness in this setting. There have been several reports that have suggested that the use of Methoxyflurane may be associated with the occurrence of hepatitis and renal disease. Such concerns have led to an increasing reluctance to use Methoxyflurane as an analgesic agent in the pre- hospital setting. The aim of this study was to determine whether the event rates of heart disease, renal disease, hepatic dis- ease, diabetes or cancer in patients who received Methoxyflurane compared with those not receiving Methoxyflurane pre- hospital. Methods: Routinely collected administrative data for ambulance, emergency department, hospital morbidity and mortality were linked by using probabilistic matching to establish a cohort of patients managed by the ambulance service in West- ern Australia. The cohort covered a period of 10 years (1990 - 2000) with follow-up until 2004 allowing for a minimum of four and maximum of 14 years follow-up. Primary outcome was defined as a composite end point of any record indi- cating either hospital admission or death for the diseases under investigation. Event rates were age standardised and odd ratios plus 95% confidence intervals were to determine risk estimates. Results: Total 135,770 patients were entered into the study of which 17, 629 (13%) had received Methoxyflurane. There were 14, 410 (81.7%) patients, where Methoxyflurane was administered only once with one patient receiving Methoxyflu- rane on 27 occasions. Trauma was the most common indication for Methoxyflurane being administered to 9, 755 (55.3%) patients. The odd ratios for each of the five disease groups under investigation ranged from 0.87 to 1.06 with the 95% confidence interval for each estimate including 1.0. Conclusion: There was no difference observed in event rates for heart disease, renal disease, hepatic disease, diabetes or cancer in patients who received Methoxyflurane in the pre-hospital setting as compared with those not receiving Methoxyflurane.
Where are the stars of the bar of NGC 1530 forming

Aims. NGC 1530 has one of the strongest bars ever observed and recent star formation sites are distributed across its bar. Our ai m is to study the photometric properties of the bar and its Hii regions, to elucidate the conditions under which Hii regions form and their spatial relation to the principal dynamical features of the bar. Methods. We obtained BVRK s and Hphotometry of the Hii regions of the bar in NGC 1530. Broad-band integrated colours and Hequivalent widths were carefully measured and analysed as a function of position with respect to the main dust-lanes of the bar. Results. We measured differences in the Hequivalent widths of the Hii regions that are located in the trailing and leading sides of the bar dust-lane. The possible factors that could produce this difference, such as (Nii) contamination, Lyman-continuum-photon dust-extinction, escape of ionizing radiation, metallici ty, IMF and age, were carefully analysed. Age differences were confirmed to be the most plausible explanation. This implies that Hii regions that are located further away from the bar dust-lane in its leading side, downstream from the main bar dust-lane, are older than the rest by∼ 1.5− 2.5 Myr. In addition, a clear spatial correlation has been found between: location of Hii regions, dust spurs on the trailing side of the bar dust-lane , and the loci of maximum velocity gradients parallel to the bar major axis (possibly tracing g as flow towards the main bar dust-lane). These results suppor t the hypothesis that massive stars are forming on the trailing side of the bar dust-lane, and age as they cross the bar, on a timescale that i s compatible with the bar dynamics timescale.
Visual Speech Perception in Foveal and Extrafoveal Vision: Further Implications for Divisions in Hemispheric Projections

When observing a talking face, it has often been argued that visual speech to the left and right of fixation may produce differences in performance due to divided projections to the two cerebral hemispheres. However, while it seems likely that such a division in hemispheric projections exists for areas away from fixation, the nature and existence of a functional division in visual speech perception at the foveal midline remains to be determined. We investigated this issue by presenting visual speech in matched hemiface displays to the left and right of a central fixation point, either exactly abutting the foveal midline or else located away from the midline in extrafoveal vision. The location of displays relative to the foveal midline was controlled precisely using an automated, gaze-contingent eye-tracking procedure. Visual speech perception showed a clear right hemifield advantage when presented in extrafoveal locations but no hemifield advantage (left or right) when presented abutting the foveal midline. Thus, while visual speech observed in extrafoveal vision appears to benefit from unilateral projections to left-hemisphere processes, no evidence was obtained to indicate that a functional division exists when visual speech is observed around the point of fixation. Implications of these findings for understanding visual speech perception and the nature of functional divisions in hemispheric projection are discussed.
Modeling and validating self-adaptive service-oriented applications

Self-adaptive and autonomous behaviors are becoming more and more important in the context of service-oriented applications, and formal modeling self-adaptive service-oriented components is highly required to assure quality properties. This paper enhances the formal framework SCA-ASM for modeling and validating distributed self-adaptive service-oriented applications. We explain how modeling an SCA-ASM component able to monitor and react to environmental changes (context-awareness) and to internal changes (self-awareness), and present the operators for expressing and coordinating self-adaptive behaviors in a distributed setting. We also support techniques for validating adaptation scenarios, and getting feedback of the correctness of the adaptation logic as implemented by the managing SCA-ASM components over the managed ones. As a proof-of-concepts, we use self-adaptive SCA-ASMs for modeling and validating a decentralized traffic monitoring system.
Genes Involved in Vasoconstriction and Vasodilation System Affect Salt-Sensitive Hypertension

The importance of excess salt intake in the pathogenesis of hypertension is widely recognized. Blood pressure is controlled primarily by salt and water balance because of the infinite gain property of the kidney to rapidly eliminate excess fluid and salt. Up to fifty percent of patients with essential hypertension are salt-sensitive, as manifested by a rise in blood pressure with salt loading. We conducted a two-stage genetic analysis in hypertensive patients very accurately phenotyped for their salt-sensitivity. All newly discovered never treated before, essential hypertensives underwent an acute salt load to monitor the simultaneous changes in blood pressure and renal sodium excretion. The first stage consisted in an association analysis of genotyping data derived from genome-wide array on 329 subjects. Principal Component Analysis demonstrated that this population was homogenous. Among the strongest results, we detected a cluster of SNPs located in the first introns of PRKG1 gene (rs7897633, p = 2.34E-05) associated with variation in diastolic blood pressure after acute salt load. We further focused on two genetic loci, SLC24A3 and SLC8A1 (plasma membrane sodium/calcium exchange proteins, NCKX3 and NCX1, respectively) with a functional relationship with the previous gene and associated to variations in systolic blood pressure (the imputed rs3790261, p = 4.55E-06; and rs434082, p = 4.7E-03). In stage 2, we characterized 159 more patients for the SNPs in PRKG1, SLC24A3 and SLC8A1. Combined analysis showed an epistatic interaction of SNPs in SLC24A3 and SLC8A1 on the pressure-natriuresis (p interaction = 1.55E-04, p model = 3.35E-05), supporting their pathophysiological link in cellular calcium homeostasis. In conclusions, these findings point to a clear association between body sodium-blood pressure relations and molecules modulating the contractile state of vascular cells through an increase in cytoplasmic calcium concentration.
Student-Teacher Relationships and Students with Behavior Difficulties in Therapeutic Schools

In Chapter One, a systematic literature review was conducted to analyze intervention studies that measured studentteacher relationships (STR). STR are important for all students (Burchinal, Peisner-Feinberg, Pianta, & Howes, 2002; Hughes, Luo, Kwok, & Loyd, 2008; Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004). Students who have positive relationships that include high levels of closeness with their teachers have better academic, behavioral, and social emotional outcomes (Mihalas, Morse, Allsopp, & McHatton, 2009; Roorda, Koomen, Spilt & Oort, 2011). In addition, students who have relationships with their teacher that are high in conflict are more likely to demonstrate negative behavior, social skills and academic achievement (Murray & Greenberg, 2001; Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004). Fourteen intervention studies were synthesized in this systematic literature review to identify strategies that can be used in the classroom to improve STR. Ten strategies were represented in two or more studies that had a positive impact on STR: (a) specific praise and positive feedback, (b) direct student intervention, (c) deescalation by ignoring or redirecting, (d) increased one-to-one time, (e) helping students change their representational models, (f) adjusting the teachers representational models, (g) tangible reinforcement, (I) parent involvement, and (j) morning meetings. One intervention in Chapter One that improved STR was dialogue journaling (DJ). DJ is an ongoing, personal, and interactive written conversation between the teacher and student. Previous research suggests that DJ has the potential to help students and teachers improve their relationships as they develop a personal connection that is mutually respectful. DJ also has the potential to reduce students’ disruptive behavior, improve their interactions with the teacher, and enhance their writing skills. In Chapter Two, a multiple baseline across participants single-case design study was conducted to examined the relationship between DJ and disruptive behavior, teacher praise, writing length, writing quality, and STR with four middle school students with emotional and behavior disorders in a therapeutic school. Students responded to journal prompts or wrote to a topic of their choosing during baseline and maintenance. During intervention, students and teachers corresponded in writing through the dialogue journals. A functional relation was found between DJ and disruptive behavior, but not between DJ and teacher praise, STR or writing skills. However, there was an effect demonstrated between DJ and writing length for two students. In addition, three of the four students reported an increased perception of teacherstudent relationships. Students and teachers expressed satisfaction with the intervention. Limitations and future directions are discussed. INDEX WORDS: Student-teacher relationships, Emotional and behavior disorders, Therapeutic schools, Dialogue journaling, Writing STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS AND STUDENTS WITH BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES IN THERAPEUTIC SCHOOLS by
Tuberculosis in indigenous children in the Brazilian Amazon.

OBJECTIVE Assess the epidemiological aspects of tuberculosis in Brazilian indigenous children and actions to control it. METHODS An epidemiological study was performed with 356 children from 0 to 14 years of age in Rondônia State, Amazon, Brazil, during the period 1997-2006. Cases of TB reported to the Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System were divided into indigenous and non-indigenous categories and analyzed according to sex, age group, place of residence, clinical form, diagnostic tests and treatment outcome. A descriptive analysis of cases and hypothesis test (χ²) was carried out to verify if there were differences in the proportions of illness between the groups investigated. RESULTS A total of 356 TB cases were identified (125 indigenous, 231 non-indigenous) of which 51.4% of the cases were in males. In the indigenous group, 60.8% of the cases presented in children aged 0-4 years old. The incidence mean was much higher among indigenous; in 2001, 1,047.9 cases/100,000 inhabitants were reported in children aged < 5 years. Pulmonary TB was reported in more than 80% of the cases, and in both groups over 70% of the cases were cured. Cultures and histopathological exams were performed on only 10% of the patients. There were 3 cases of TB/HIV co-infection in the non-indigenous group and none in the indigenous group. The case detection rate was classified as insufficient or fair in more than 80% of the indigenous population notifications, revealing that most of the diagnoses were performed based on chest x-ray. CONCLUSIONS The approach used in this study proved useful in demonstrating inequalities in health between indigenous and non-indigenous populations and was superior to the conventional analyses performed by the surveillance services, drawing attention to the need to improve childhood TB diagnosis among the indigenous population.
A comparison of weak-lensing masses and X-ray properties of galaxy clusters

We present measurements of the masses of 20 X-ray luminous clusters of galaxies at intermediate redshifts, determined from a weak-lensing analysis of deep archival R-band data obtained using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Compared to previous work, our analysis accounts for a number of effects that are typically ignored, but can lead to small biases, or incorrect error estimates. We derive masses that are essentially model-independent and find that they agree well with measurements of the velocity dispersion of cluster galaxies and with the results of X-ray studies. Assuming a power law between the lensing mass and the X-ray temperature, M 2500 oc T α , we find a best-fitting slope of a = 1.34 +0.30 -0.28 . This slope agrees with self-similar cluster models and studies based on X-ray data alone. For a cluster with a temperature of kT = 5 keV we obtain a mass M 2500 = (1.4 ± 0.2) x 10 14 h -1 M⊙ in fair agreement with recent Chandra and XMM studies.
Relationship between Teacher Efficacy and Beliefs about Education among Preservice Teachers.

Evidence suggests that teacher beliefs drive instructional pedagogy. Yet, although antecedents of educational beliefs have been identified (e.g., family influences), these factors tend to be immutable, thereby having only minimal implications for intervention. Teacher efficacy appears to offer a viable avenue for research on the antecedents of educational beliefs. This study examined the relationship between candidates' teacher efficacy and their educational beliefs. Participants were 70 candidates enrolled in introductory-level classes for education majors at a southeastern university. Candidates were administered the Witcher-Travers Survey of Educational Beliefs on the first day of class, which is a 40-item, 5-point Likert-type scale. Low scores indicate proclivity toward transmissivism, and high scores suggest a tendency toward progressivism. Participants were also administered the Teacher Efficacy Scale. Findings revealed no relationship between educational beliefs and personal teacher efficacy. Conversely, transmissive viewpoint was statistically significantly (moderately) associated with lower general teacher efficacy. Implications are discussed. (Contains 86 references.) (Author/SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Posterior parahippocampal place learning in H.M.

In a previous experiment with patients who had undergone unilateral temporal thermocoagulation lesions to alleviate intractable epilepsy, we demonstrated that the right parahippocampal cortex was critical for the performance of a spatial memory task (Bohbot et al. ( 1998 ) Neuropsychologia 36:1217–1238). Based on this evidence, we predicted that H.M. , whose caudal parahippocampal cortex was structurally intact (Corkin et al. ( 1997 ) J Neurosci 17:3964–3979), would be able to learn the spatial memory task. This task was designed to be a human analogue of the Morris water maze in that it measured participants' ability to learn the location of a target, which was an invisible weight sensor placed under a carpet (Bohbot et al. ( 1998 ) Neuropsychologia 36:1217–1238). H.M. was first tested with the sensor under a small carpet (162 cm × 150 cm). Then, interspersed with the first sensor location, he was tested with the sensor in a second location, covered by a larger carpet (250 cm × 210 cm). He found the second target location in a direct path on only 10% of the trials. In contrast, when tested on the first sensor location, he walked directly toward the center of the testing area in 19/35 trials and from there found the sensor in a direct path on 15 of the 19 trials (80%). The number of direct hits at the first target location was significantly greater than chance (P < 0.0005). An analysis of H.M. 's paths showed that they were characteristic of fast learning, and that he did not rely on egocentric, short‐term, or working memory strategies to learn the task. H.M's ability to locate the sensor is remarkable given his severe amnesia and his inability to explicitly recollect the testing episode. These findings underscore the role of the parahippocampal cortex in spatial memory. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Impulse model for temporal response profiles of gene expression

Cellular responses to environmental changes are often characterized by typical temporal response profiles of their gene expression. Modeling these response profiles can help us understand how the transcriptional program of the cell changes in time to cope with environmental perturbations. We describe here a parametric model designed to capture the characteristic temporal profiles. This impulse model, explicitly represents natural temporal properties of the responses such as the onset and the offset time. It is simple enough to be learned from sparse data, and can robustly fit a temporal pattern even to the expression data of a single gene. We evaluate our model on the task of filling missing values in gene expression data, showing that it significantly outperforms all current methods, both at the level of individual genes, and when allowed to use whole genome information. We further show how the functionally relevant representation of the expression time-profiles, has direct biological interpretation, and provides insight about the cell’s response to environmental perturbations, and demostrate it with application to cell memory after heat shock.