Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ROBUSTNESS TESTING : EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE BALLISTA PROJECT

When the Ballista project started in 1996 as a 3-year DARPA-funded research project, the original goal was to create a Web-based testing service to identify robustness faults in software running on client computers via the Internet. Previous experience suggested that such tests would find interesting problems but it was unclear how to make robustness testing scalable to large interfaces. A major challenge was finding a way to test something as large and complex as an operating system (OS) application programming interface (API) without having to resort to labor-intensive manual test construction for each API function to be tested. In the end, a scalable approach was found and was successfully applied not only to operating system APIs but several other nonoperating system APIs as well. The robustness testing methodology Ballista is based upon using combinational tests of valid and invalid parameter values for system calls and functions. In each test case, a single software module under test (or MuT) is called once. An MuT can be a stand-alone program, function, system call, method, or any other software that can be invoked with a procedure call. (The term MuT is similar in meaning to the more recent term dependability benchmark target [DBench 2004].) In most cases, MuTs are calling points into an API. Each invocation of a test case determines whether a particular MuT provides robust exception handling when called with a particular set of parameter values. These parameter values, or test values, are drawn from a pool of normal and exceptional values based on the data type of each argument passed to the MuT. Each test value has an associated test object, which holds code to create and clean up the related system state for a test (for example, a file handle test object has code to create a file, return a file handle test value, and subsequently delete the file after the test case has been executed). A test case, therefore, consists of the name of the MuT and a tuple of test values that are passed as parameters
Usage of input shaping for crane load oscillation reduction

Many various mechanical systems such as robotic arms, conveyer drives, multimass systems contain flexible joints. Because of described feature these objects are vulnerable for oscillations. To reduce its occurrence input shaping method might be used. The algorithm of input shaping is very simple to use, provides good effects and doesn't require the changes in control loop. The algorithm's work is presented on crane load oscillation reduction example, but might be used for every robotic tool, that is vulnerable for oscillations.
Learning non-cooperative dialogue behaviours

Non-cooperative dialogue behaviour has been identified as important in a variety of application areas, including education, military operations, video games and healthcare. However, it has not been addressed using statistical approaches to dialogue management, which have always been trained for co-operative dialogue. We develop and evaluate a statistical dialogue agent which learns to perform noncooperative dialogue moves in order to complete its own objectives in a stochastic trading game. We show that, when given the ability to perform both cooperative and non-cooperative dialogue moves, such an agent can learn to bluff and to lie so as to win games more often ‐ against a variety of adversaries, and under various conditions such as risking penalties for being caught in deception. For example, we show that a non-cooperative dialogue agent can learn to win an additional 15.47% of games against a strong rulebased adversary, when compared to an optimised agent which cannot perform noncooperative moves. This work is the first to show how an agent can learn to use noncooperative dialogue to effectively meet its own goals.
Self-reported and performance-based measures of executive functions in interned youth

ABSTRACT This study address three questions: (a) Do interned adolescents exhibit general or specific deficits in the core executive functions, as compared to an age-matched control group? (b) Do interned adolescents report more executive problems in everyday life, as compared to an age-matched control group? And (c) are performance-based measures of executive functions related to self-reported executive problems? Thirty-one interned youths and 40 non-interned controls participated in the study. To this end, we measured the three constituents (inhibition, shifting, and updating) of the Unity/Diversity model of executive functioning, as well as the participants’ self-reported everyday executive functioning using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions scale. The interned group performed less well compared to the control group on the majority of performance-based tasks but did not show more pronounced deficits in any one executive function, reflective of a more general deficit. Compared to the controls, the interned adolescents also reported more dysfunction in executive behaviors related to the ability to inhibit action, behavioral flexibility, working memory, and the ability to follow through with tasks. Overall, correlations between self-report and performance-based measures were weak. These findings suggest that performance-based and self-report measures may assess different, albeit important, aspects of executive functioning.
The Association of Psychosocial Factors With Leisure-Time Physical Activity Intention Among Latinas

The purpose of our study was to identify contributors underlying the intention to engage in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among Latinas. A sample of Latinas was recruited from North Texas (N = 405). Sequential multiple regression analysis was used to assess the association between sociodemographics, the role of Latino culture (i.e., fatalism, a cultural belief that may be related to LTPA intention), and theoretical constructs drawn from the Integrative Model (i.e., self-efficacy, attitude, and subjective norm) in relation to LTPA intention in Latinas. Self-efficacy (β = .29, p < .001), attitude (β = .26, p < .001), and subjective norm (β = .17, p < .001), but not fatalism, significantly predicted intention to engage in LTPA. To increase LTPA intention among Latinas, it is recommended that physical activity interventions consider enhancing self-efficacy, fostering favorable attitudes toward LTPA, and modifying participant norms on LTPA.
Tidal Tails around Globular Clusters: Are They a Good Tracer of Cluster Orbits?

We present the results of detailed N-body simulations of clusters moving in a realistic Milky Way (MW) potential. The strong interaction with the bulge and the disk of the Galaxy leads to the formation of tidal tails, emanating from opposite sides of the cluster. Some characteristic features in the morphology and orientation of these streams are recognized and interpreted. The tails have a complex morphology, particularly when the cluster approaches its apogalacticon, showing multiple "arms" in remarkable similarity to the structures observed around NGC 288 and Willman 1. Actually, the tails are generally good tracers of the cluster path quite far from the cluster center (>7-8 tidal radii), while on the smaller scale they are mainly pointing in the direction of the Galaxy center. In particular, the orientation of the inner part of the tails is highly correlated with the cluster orbital phase and the local orbital angular acceleration. This implies that, in general, the orbital path cannot be estimated directly from the orientation of the tails, unless a sufficient large field around the cluster is available.
Gate-efficient discrete simulations of continuous-time quantum query algorithms

We show how to efficiently simulate continuous-time quantum query algorithms that run in time T in a manner that preserves the query complexity (within a polylogarithmic factor) while also incurring a small overhead cost in the total number of gates between queries. By small overhead, we mean T within a factor that is polylogarithmic in terms of T and a cost measure that reflects the cost of computing the driving Hamiltonian. This permits any continuous-time quantum algorithm based on an efficiently computable driving Hamiltonian to be converted into a gate-efficient algorithm with similar running time.
Social Threat and Motor Resonance: When a Menacing Outgroup Delays Motor Response

Motor resonance (MR) involves the activation of matching motor representations while observing others’ actions. Recent research has shown that such a phenomenon is likely to be influenced by higher order variables such as social factors (e.g., ethnic group membership). The present study investigates whether and how the perception of a social threat elicited by an outgroup member and by contextual cues can modulate motor responses while an individual observes others’ movements. In an experimental study based on an action observation paradigm, we asked participants to provide answers through computer mouse movements (MouseTracker). We manipulated the agents’ group membership (ingroup vs. outgroup) and the social valence of the objects present in a context (neutral vs. threatening) to elicit social menace through contextual cues. Response times and computer mouse trajectories were recorded. The results show a higher level of MR (i.e., participants started to respond earlier and were faster at responding) when observing an action performed by the ingroup members rather than by the outgroup members only when threatening objects are present in a given context. Participants seem to resonate better with their ingroup; conversely, the outgroup member movements tend to delay motor responses. Therefore, we extend prior research going beyond the general ingroup bias effect on MR and showing that the interaction between membership and contextual cues is likely to elicit threat-related stereotypes. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Endocytosed beta-VLDL and LDL are delivered to different intracellular vesicles in mouse peritoneal macrophages

Hypercholesterolemic rabbit beta-VLDL and human LDL are both internalized by mouse peritoneal macrophages by receptor-mediated endocytosis. However, only beta-VLDL (which binds to the cells with a much higher affinity than LDL) markedly stimulates acyl-CoA/cholesterol acyl transferase (ACAT) and induces foam cell formation in these cells. As an initial step to test whether the two lipoproteins might be targeted to different organelles (which might differ in their ability to deliver cholesterol to microsomal ACAT), we studied the endocytic pathways of beta-VLDL and LDL. Lipoproteins were labeled with the non- transferable fluorescent label, DiI. When the macrophages were incubated with DiI-LDL for 10 min at 37 degrees C, the fluorescence was concentrated near the center of the cell both in heavily labeled vesicles and in a diffuse pattern. The pattern with DiI-beta-VLDL was quite different: an array of bright vesicles throughout the cytoplasm was the predominant feature. Differences in distribution were seen as early as 2 min of incubation and persisted throughout a 10-min chase period. By using a procedure in which photobleaching of DiI fluorescence converts diaminobenzidine into an electron-dense marker, we were able to identify at the ultrastructural level vesicles containing electron-dense material in cells incubated with DiI-beta- VLDL. Human E2/E2 beta-VLDL (from a patient with familial dysbetalipoproteinemia), which has a binding affinity and ACAT- stimulatory potential similar to LDL, gave a pattern of fluorescence virtually identical to LDL. Pulse-chase studies with 125I-labeled and [3H]cholesteryl ester-labeled lipoproteins disclosed that both protein degradation and cholesteryl ester hydrolysis were markedly retarded in beta-VLDL compared with LDL. Thus, in mouse peritoneal macrophages, endocytosed beta-VLDL appears in a distinct set of widely-distributed vesicles not seen with LDL (or with E2-beta-VLDL) and, compared with LDL, has a markedly diminished rate of protein degradation and cholesteryl ester hydrolysis. The differential routing of LDL and beta- VLDL may provide a mechanism for differences in ACAT-stimulatory potential between the two lipoproteins.
Pitch and Timing Abilities in Inherited Speech and Language Impairment

Members of the KE family who suffer from an inherited developmental speech-and-language disorder and normal, age-matched, controls were tested on musical abilities, including perception and production of pitch and rhythm. Affected family members were not deficient in either the perception or production of pitch, whether this involved either single notes or familiar melodies. However, they were deficient in both the perception and production of rhythm in both vocal and manual modalities. It is concluded that intonation abilities are not impaired in the affected family members, whereas their timing abilities are impaired. Neither their linguistic nor oral praxic deficits can be at the root of their impairment in timing; rather, the reverse may be true.
Plant DNA detection from grasshopper guts: A step-by-step protocol, from tissue preparation to obtaining plant DNA sequences1

Premise of the study: A PCR-based method of identifying ingested plant DNA in gut contents of Melanoplus grasshoppers was developed. Although previous investigations have focused on a variety of insects, there are no protocols available for plant DNA detection developed for grasshoppers, agricultural pests that significantly influence plant community composition. Methods and Results: The developed protocol successfully used the noncoding region of the chloroplast trnL (UAA) gene and was tested in several feeding experiments. Plant DNA was obtained at seven time points post-ingestion from whole guts and separate gut sections, and was detectable up to 12 h post-ingestion in nymphs and 22 h post-ingestion in adult grasshoppers. Conclusions: The proposed protocol is an effective, relatively quick, and low-cost method of detecting plant DNA from the grasshopper gut and its different sections. This has important applications, from exploring plant “movement” during food consumption, to detecting plant–insect interactions.
Protection against SHIV-KB9 Infection by Combining rDNA and rFPV Vaccines Based on HIV Multiepitope and p24 Protein in Chinese Rhesus Macaques

Developing an effective vaccine against HIV infection remains an urgent goal. We used a DNA prime/fowlpox virus boost regimen to immunize Chinese rhesus macaques. The animals were challenged intramuscularly with pathogenic molecularly cloned SHIV-KB9. Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of vaccines were investigated by measuring IFN-γ levels, monitoring HIV-specific binding antibodies, examining viral load, and analyzing CD4/CD8 ratio. Results show that, upon challenge, the vaccine group can induce a strong immune response in the body, represented by increased expression of IFN-γ, slow and steady elevated antibody production, reduced peak value of acute viral load, and increase in the average CD4/CD8 ratio. The current research suggests that rapid reaction speed, appropriate response strength, and long-lasting immune response time may be key protection factors for AIDS vaccine. The present study contributes significantly to AIDS vaccine and preclinical research.
2-2009 Abortion and Selection

Abortion legalization in the early 1970s led to dramatic changes in fertility. Some research has suggested that it altered cohort outcomes, but this literature has been limited and controversial. In this paper, we provide a framework for understanding selection mechanisms and use that framework to both address inconsistent past methodological approaches and provide evidence on the long-run impact on cohort characteristics. Our results indicate that lower-cost abortion brought about by legalization altered young adult outcomes through selection. In particular, it increased likelihood of college graduation, lower rates of welfare use, and lower odds of being a single parent.
Promoting mental health awareness in sport clubs

Purpose The World Health Organization estimate that millions of people across the world experience mental health problems, yet traditionally athletes have been poorly supported to manage their mental health. This study applied the Theory of Planned Behaviour to determine the effect of a mental health awareness programme on sports coaches’ knowledge and intentions to offer support to athletes who experience mental health problems. Design/methodology/approach Adult coaches (n=244) were recruited to attend the Mood Matters in Sport Programme (MMSP) mental health awareness intervention or act as a control. A 2 (group) x 2 (time) quasi-experimental design was adopted. All participants completed the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule and Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale at the beginning and end of the programme. Two months post programme delivery focus groups were conducted. Findings A mixed ANOVA showed a significant interaction effect wherein there were improvements in mental health knowledge and intention.
Approximating Steiner Network Activation Problems

In the Steiner Networks Activation problem we are given a graph G = (V,E), S ⊆ V , a family {fuv(xu, xv) : uv ∈ E} of monotone non-decreasing activating functions from R2+ to {0, 1} each, and connectivity requirements {r(u, v) : u, v ∈ V }. The goal is to find a weight assignment w = {wv : v ∈ V } of minimum total weight w(V ) = ∑ v∈V wv, such that: for all u, v ∈ V , the activated graph Gw = (V,Ew), where Ew = {uv : f uv(wu, wv) = 1}, contains r(u, v) pairwise edge-disjoint uv-paths such that no two of them have a node in S ∖ {u, v} in common. This problem was suggested recently by Panigrahi [14], generalizing the Node-Weighted Steiner Network and the Minimum-Power Steiner Network problems, as well as several other problems with motivation in wireless networks. We give new approximation algorithms for this problem. For undirected/directed graphs, our ratios are O(k log n) for k-Out/Inconnected Subgraph Activation and k-Connected Subgraph Activation. For directed graphs this solves a question from [14] for k = 1, while for the min-power case and k arbitrary this solves an open question from [11]. For other versions on undirected graphs, our ratios match the best known ones for the Node-Weighted Steiner Network problem [10].
FaSTIP: a new method for detection and description of space-time interest points for human activity classification

This paper presents a new method to detect space time interest point (STIP) from video data. We use three dimensional facet model to detect STIP and call it as facet space-time interest point or FaSTIP. The proposed algorithm detects all the desired interest points efficiently in different scales compared to other existing methods. A video clip is described as a collection of 3D wavelet base features computed at these interest points. Finally, multi-channel SVM with χ2- kernel is used to classify human actions. Our contribution here are two fold: first, we present a new algorithm for interest point detection in video data, and second, we propose a new descriptor for general human activity classification. Experimental results show the accuracy of the detected interest points and the power of descriptor compared to the state-of-the-art.
Trade-Offs in Relative Limb Length among Peruvian Children: Extending the Thrifty Phenotype Hypothesis to Limb Proportions

Background and Methods Both the concept of ‘brain-sparing’ growth and associations between relative lower limb length, childhood environment and adult disease risk are well established. Furthermore, tibia length is suggested to be particularly plastic under conditions of environmental stress. The mechanisms responsible are uncertain, but three hypotheses may be relevant. The ‘thrifty phenotype’ assumes that some components of growth are selectively sacrificed to preserve more critical outcomes, like the brain. The ‘distal blood flow’ hypothesis assumes that blood nutrients decline with distance from the heart, and hence may affect limbs in relation to basic body geometry. Temperature adaptation predicts a gradient of decreased size along the limbs reflecting decreasing tissue temperature/blood flow. We examined these questions by comparing the size of body segments among Peruvian children born and raised in differentially stressful environments. In a cross-sectional sample of children aged 6 months to 14 years (n = 447) we measured head circumference, head-trunk height, total upper and lower limb lengths, and zeugopod (ulna and tibia) and autopod (hand and foot) lengths. Results Highland children (exposed to greater stress) had significantly shorter limbs and zeugopod and autopod elements than lowland children, while differences in head-trunk height were smaller. Zeugopod elements appeared most sensitive to environmental conditions, as they were relatively shorter among highland children than their respective autopod elements. Discussion The results suggest that functional traits (hand, foot, and head) may be partially protected at the expense of the tibia and ulna. The results do not fit the predictions of the distal blood flow and temperature adaptation models as explanations for relative limb segment growth under stress conditions. Rather, our data support the extension of the thrifty phenotype hypothesis to limb growth, and suggest that certain elements of limb growth may be sacrificed under tough conditions to buffer more functional traits.
Reducing translation through eIF4G/IFG‐1 improves survival under ER stress that depends on heat shock factor HSF‐1 in Caenorhabditis elegans

Although certain methods of lowering and/or altering mRNA translation are associated with increased lifespan, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain largely unknown. We previously showed that the increased lifespan conferred by reducing expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (eIF4G/IFG‐1) enhances survival under starvation conditions while shifting protein expression toward factors involved with maintaining ER‐dependent protein and lipid balance. In this study, we investigated changes in ER homeostasis and found that lower eIF4G/IFG‐1 increased survival under conditions of ER stress. Enhanced survival required the ER stress sensor gene ire‐1 and the ER calcium ATPase gene sca‐1 and corresponded with increased translation of chaperones that mediate the ER unfolded protein response (UPRER). Surprisingly, the heat‐shock transcription factor gene hsf‐1 was also required for enhanced survival, despite having little or no influence on the ability of wild‐type animals to survive ER stress. The requirement for hsf‐1 led us to re‐evaluate the role of eIF4G/IFG‐1 on thermotolerance. Results show that lowering expression of this translation factor enhanced thermotolerance, but only after prolonged attenuation, the timing of which corresponded to increased transcription of heat‐shock factor transcriptional targets. Results indicate that restricting overall translation through eIF4G/IFG‐1 enhances ER and cytoplasmic proteostasis through a mechanism that relies heavily on hsf‐1.