Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality Requirements in Industrial Practice&#x2014;An Extended Interview Study at Eleven Companies

In order to create a successful software product and assure its quality, it is not enough to fulfill the functional requirements, it is also crucial to find the right balance among competing quality requirements (QR). An extended, previously piloted, interview study was performed to identify specific challenges associated with the selection, tradeoff, and management of QR in industrial practice. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 11 product managers and 11 project leaders from 11 software companies. The contribution of this study is fourfold: First, it compares how QR are handled in two cases, companies working in business-to-business markets and companies that are working in business-to-consumer markets. These two are also compared in terms of impact on the handling of QR. Second, it compares the perceptions and priorities of QR by product and project management, respectively. Third, it includes an examination of the interdependencies among quality requirements perceived as most important by the practitioners. Fourth, it characterizes the selection and management of QR in downstream development activities.
Diversity combining in antenna array base station receiver for DS/CDMA system

We evaluate using simulation studies the performance of several schemes for combining base station antenna array signals in wireless direct sequence code-division multiple access (DS/CDMA). The results indicate that under certain assumptions, on multiple access interference statistics, the probability of error of modified rank test (MRT) is lower than that of equal gain combining (EGG), if a few high power interfering users are present along with a low power user of interest. If there are a moderately large number of users, and if the received power of all the users are nearly the same, then EGC out performs MRT. In fact, under this condition, the performance of EGC is close to that of the optimal likelihood ratio test (LRT).
A Global Navigation Management Architecture Applied to Autonomous Robots in Urban Environments

This paper presents a global behavioral architecture used as a coordinator for the global navigation of an autonomous vehicle in an urban context including traffic laws and other features. As an extension to our previous work, the approach presented here focuses on how this manager uses perceived information (from low cost cameras and laser scanners) combined with digital road-map data to take decisions. This decision consists in retrieving the car's state regarding the global navigation goal, selecting which local navigation task should be executed (either lane following or intersection maneuvers), providing some round constraints and further defining the reference trajectory to be met by the selected local task. This system was experimented in a real autonomous car and provided satisfactory results.
A pr 2 00 3 Asymmetric Cosets

The aim of this work is to present a general theory of coset models G/H in which different left and right actions of H on G are gauged. Our main results include a formula for their modular invariant partition function, the construction of a large set of boundary states and a general description of the corresponding brane geometries. The paper concludes with some explicit applications to the base of the conifold and to the time-dependent Nappi-Witten background.
The Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth. Policy Brief #153.

Economists have long believed that investments in education, or “human capital,” are an important source of economic growth. Over the last 40 years output has grown about 3.5 percent a year and the productivity of labor has grown about 2.4 percent per year. The contribution of education to labor productivity growth is estimated to be between 13 and 30 percent of the total. Further, many people believe that investments in human capital will become even more important in the future as we become a postindustrial, knowledge-based economy, and they worry that we are giving insufficient policy attention to the development of an educated workforce.
The Short-Run and Long-Run Effects of Behavioral Interventions: Experimental Evidence from Energy Conservation

We document three remarkable features of the Opower program, in which social comparison-based home energy reports are repeatedly mailed to more than six million households nationwide. First, initial reports cause high-frequency “action and backsliding,” but these cycles attenuate over time. Second, if reports are discontinued after two years, effects are relatively persistent, decaying at 10–20 percent per year. Third, consumers are slow to habituate: they continue to respond to repeated treatment even after two years. We show that the previous conservative assumptions about post-intervention persistence had dramatically understated cost effectiveness and illustrate how empirical estimates can optimize program design. (JEL D12, D83, L94, Q41)
Roadmap-Based Pursuit-Evasion in 3 D Structures ⋆

We present an approach to the pursuit-evasion problem which is applicable to complex, multi-level environments. Studying each aspect of this problem in 3D structured environments is a distinct extension over many previous approaches. We also utilize our roadmap-based approach to multi-agent behavior when tracking agents of interest. Results are presented in three multi-level environments to highlight the search, pursuit and evasion components of the problem.
A concept of dietary dipeptides: a step to resolve the problem of amino acid availability in the early life of vertebrates

SUMMARY The premise that a dietary dipeptide approach will improve the understanding of amino acid utilization in the fastest-growing vertebrate, the teleost fish, was tested by examining the muscle free amino acid (FAA) pool and enzyme activities, in concert with growth response, when dietary amino acids were provided in free, dipeptide or protein molecular forms. We present the first evidence in fish that, in response to a synthetic dipeptide diet, muscle FAA varies as a result of both growth rate and amino acid availability of specific peptides. We demonstrate significantly diminished muscle indispensable FAA (3–10-fold) in rainbow trout alevins fed a dipeptide-based diet compared with a protein-based diet. The dipeptide-based diet did not contain proline, resulting in 10–27-fold less muscle free proline and hydroxyproline in alevins. The response of alevins fed FAA-based or peptide-based diets can be indicative of collagen turnover (Hyp/Pro ratio) and showed significant differences between dietary treatments. Pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) reductase activity was detected, suggesting that P5C may ameliorate proline deficiency, but synthesis from glutamate could not maintain free proline levels in muscle. This finding will provide an impetus to test whether proline is conditionally indispensable in young fish, as in mammals and birds. This study shows that amino acids given entirely as dipeptides can sustain fish growth, result in muscle FAA and enzyme responses in line with dietary levels and identify growth-limiting amino acids. The understanding of these factors necessitates a diet formulation that will improve the accuracy of determining amino acid requirements in the early life stages of vertebrates.
Cognitive Outcomes following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Systematic Review

Severe aortic stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease in the elderly in the Western world and contributes to a large proportion of all deaths over the age of 70. Severe aortic stenosis is conventionally treated with surgical aortic valve replacement; however, the less invasive transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is suggested for those at high surgical risk. While TAVI has been associated with improved survival and favourable outcomes, there is a higher incidence of cerebral microembolisms in TAVI patients. This finding is of concern given mechanistic links with cognitive decline, a symptom highly prevalent in those with cardiovascular disease. This paper reviews the literature assessing the possible link between TAVI and cognitive changes. Studies to date have shown that global cognition improves or remains unchanged over 3 months following TAVI while individual cognitive domains remain preserved over time. However, the association between TAVI and cognition remains unclear due to methodological limitations. Furthermore, while these studies have largely focused on memory, cognitive impairment in this population may be predominantly of vascular origin. Therefore, cognitive assessment focusing on domains important in vascular cognitive impairment, such as executive dysfunction, may be more helpful in elucidating the association between TAVI and cognition in the long term.
The cuspidal torsion packet on hyperelliptic Fermat quotients

Soit l ≥ 7 un nombre premier, soit C la courbe projective lisse definie sur Q par le modele affine y(1 -y) = x l , soit oo le point a l'infini de ce modele de C, soit J la jacobienne de C et soit O: C→J le morphisme d'Abel-Jacobi associe a oo. Soit Q une cloture algebrique de Q. Nous traitons ici un cas non couvert dans [12], en montrant que O(C) ∩ J tors (Q) est compose de l'image par O des points de Weierstrass de C ainsi que les points (x, y) = (0,0) et (0,1) de C. Ici, J tors designe les points de torsion de J.
Effect of Infliximab Dose Increase in Rheumatoid Arthritis at Different Trough Concentrations: A Cohort Study in Clinical Practice Conditions

Background Evidence supporting treatment intensification in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is limited and controversial. We explored outcomes of infliximab dose increases and accounted for pre-existing trough levels in patients with active RA. Methods This study was a retrospective study of 42 RA patients who received increased infliximab following an insufficient response (DAS28 >3.2). Serum concentrations of infliximab and antibodies to infliximab (ATI) and DAS28 and EULAR clinical response parameters were recorded for 1 year. Analyses were performed in three patient groups that were defined by infliximab serum concentration prior to treatment enhancement: no detectable, low (<1.1 μg/mL) or high (≥1.1 μg/mL) drug levels. Results No circulating infliximab was detected in 20 patients (47.6%), but 13 (31%) and 9 (21.4%) patients exhibited low and high levels, respectively. ATI was only detected in patients with no detectable drug levels because the drug interferes with ELISA. DAS28 disease activity globally showed a modest improvement after dose escalation, but this improvement did not persist after 6 and 12 months. Infliximab serum levels increased significantly in the high group (p = 0.016), but no increase was achieved in the low and no detectable groups. The three study groups exhibited similar disease activity over time, and no improvement was observed in the non-responder EULAR rates. Conclusion These results suggest that the efficacy of an infliximab dose increase is limited, and the response is independent of the infliximab trough serum concentration that is achieved prior to escalation.
A 1.4 GHz Arecibo Survey for Pulsars in Globular Clusters

We have surveyed all 22 known Galactic globular clusters observable with the Arecibo radio telescope and within 70 kpc of the Sun for radio pulsations at ~1.4 GHz. Data were taken with the Wideband Arecibo Pulsar Processor, which provided the large bandwidth and high time and frequency resolution needed to detect fast-spinning, faint pulsars. We have also employed advanced search techniques to maintain sensitivity to short orbital period binaries. These searches have discovered 11 new millisecond pulsars and two promising candidates in five clusters, almost doubling the population of pulsars in the Arecibo-visible globular clusters. Ten of these new pulsars are in binary systems, and three are eclipsing. This survey has discovered significantly more very fast spinning pulsars (Pspin ≲ 4 ms) and short orbital period systems (Porb ≲ 6 hr) than previous surveys of the same clusters. We discuss some properties of these systems, as well as some characteristics of the globular cluster pulsar population in general, particularly its luminosity distribution.
Low-complexity transmission mode selection in MU-MIMO systems

We propose a low-complexity transmission strategy in multi-user multiple-input multiple-output downlink systems. The adaptive strategy adjusts the precoding methods, denoted as the transmission mode, to improve the system sum rates while maintaining the number of simultaneously served users. Three linear precoding transmission modes are discussed, i.e., the block diagonalization zero-forcing, the cooperative zero-forcing (CZF), and the cooperative matched-filter (CMF). Considering both the number of data streams and the multiple-antenna configuration of users, we modify the common CZF and CMF modes by allocating data streams. Then, the transmission mode is selected between the modified ones according to the asymptotic sum rate analyses. As instantaneous channel state information is not needed for the mode selection, the computational complexity is significantly reduced. Numerical simulations confirm our analyses and demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves substantial performance gains with very low computational complexity.
Renal medullary electrolyte and urea gradient in chickens and turkeys.

SKADHAUGE, ERIK, AND BODIL SCHMIDT-NIELSEN. Renal medullary electrolyte and urea gradient in chickens and turkeys. Am. J. Physiol. 2 I 2 (6) : I 3 I 3-13 I 8. I g67. -Roosters were exposed to dehydration, and to water and salt loading. Samples of kidney tissue from cortex and from medullary cones were obtained by microdissection of the frozen kidney. The concentration of Nat, Cl-, and K+ ions and urea-14C and the osmolality were determined. A cortex-medullary cone gradient was found for Na+ and Cl-. The increased concentration of ions accounted generally for the increase in osmolality in the medullary cone; urea contributed less than 0.57~. In a few experiments in turkeys, an intramedullary gradient for NaCl was found. The experiments confirm the presence of a countercurrent multiplier system in the kidney of the bird. It was found that the variability of the amount of filtered urea which is excreted in the urine is much larger than in mammals, ranging from I-I oo yO (from dehydration to hydration).
The HDO/H2O relationship in tropospheric water vapor in an idealized "last-saturation" model

Previous model studies have shown that the isotopic composition of tropospheric water vapor is sensitive to atmospheric water transport processes, but compositional information is difficult to interpret due to the complexity of the models. Here an attempt is made to clarify the sensitivity by computing the relationship between tropospheric HDO (via dD) and H2O (via specific humidity q) in an idealized model atmosphere based on a "last-saturation" framework that includes convection coupled to a steady large-scale circulation with prescribed horizontal mixing. Multiple physical representations of convection and mixing allow key structural as well as parametric uncertainties to be explored. This model has previously been shown to reproduce the essential aspects of the humidity distribution. Variations of dD or q individually are dominated by local dynamics, but their relationship is preserved advectively, thus revealing conditions in regions of convection. The model qualitatively agrees with satellite observations, and reproduces some parametric sensitivities seen in previous GCM experiments. Sensitivity to model assumptions is greatest in the upper troposphere, apparently because in-situ evaporation and condensation processes in convective regions are more dominant in the budget there. In general, vapor recycling analogous to that in continental interiors emerges as the crucial element in explaining why dD exceeds that predicted by a simple Rayleigh process; such recycling involves coexistent condensation sinks and convective moisture sources, induced respectively by (for example) waves and small-scale convective mixing. The relative humidity distribution is much less sensitive to such recycling. © 2012 American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
A comparison of tau and 14-3-3 protein in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Objective: To compare the respective efficiency of CSF tau (quantitative) and CSF 14-3-3 protein (qualitative) in the diagnosis of prion disease. Methods: We made measurements on 420 live subjects, who subsequently underwent a postmortem neuropathology examination, including protein chemistry, immunohistochemistry, and histology. We performed tau by ELISA. We detected 14-3-3 protein by Western blot. Both assays were optimized for maximum efficiency (accuracy). Results: We found tau and 14-3-3 proteins to be closely correlated, but tau had a significantly better ability to predict disease status than 14-3-3 protein. Also, tau distinguished disease status at least as well as when both assays' results are combined in a variety of ways. Importantly, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for tau (0.82) was significantly larger than that for 14-3-3 protein (0.68) (p < 0.001). Diagnostic test statistics are provided for the study subjects with 58.3% prevalence, and for a more typical, nonselected, 7.5% prevalence as received by our center. Conclusion: In this study, tau is superior to 14-3-3 protein as a marker in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and is as efficient singly compared to a variety of combinations with 14-3-3 protein. This is the first study of this magnitude to examine prion disease diagnostic tests in a carefully characterized patient population with detailed statistical evaluation.
X Chromosome Inactivation during Drosophila Spermatogenesis

Genes with male- and testis-enriched expression are under-represented on the Drosophila melanogaster X chromosome. There is also an excess of retrotransposed genes, many of which are expressed in testis, that have “escaped” the X chromosome and moved to the autosomes. It has been proposed that inactivation of the X chromosome during spermatogenesis contributes to these patterns: genes with a beneficial function late in spermatogenesis should be selectively favored to be autosomal in order to avoid inactivation. However, conclusive evidence for X inactivation in the male germline has been lacking. To test for such inactivation, we used a transgenic construct in which expression of a lacZ reporter gene was driven by the promoter sequence of the autosomal, testis-specific ocnus gene. Autosomal insertions of this transgene showed the expected pattern of male- and testis-specific expression. X-linked insertions, in contrast, showed only very low levels of reporter gene expression. Thus, we find that X linkage inhibits the activity of a testis-specific promoter. We obtained the same result using a vector in which the transgene was flanked by chromosomal insulator sequences. These results are consistent with global inactivation of the X chromosome in the male germline and support a selective explanation for X chromosome avoidance of genes with beneficial effects late in spermatogenesis.
A Role for Transcription Factor GTF2IRD2 in Executive Function in Williams-Beuren Syndrome

Executive functions are amongst the most heritable cognitive traits with twin studies indicating a strong genetic origin. However genes associated with this domain are unknown. Our research into the neurodevelopmental disorder Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) has identified a gene within the causative recurrent 1.5/1.6 Mb heterozygous microdeletion on chromosome 7q11.23, which may be involved in executive functioning. Comparative genome array screening of 55 WBS patients revealed a larger ∼1.8 Mb microdeletion in 18% of cases, which results in the loss of an additional gene, the transcription factor GTF2IRD2. The GTF gene family of transcription factors (GTF2I, GTF2IRD1 and GTF2IRD2) are all highly expressed in the brain, and GTF2I and GTF2IRD1 are involved in the pathogenesis of the cognitive and behavioural phenotypes associated with WBS. A multi-level analysis of cognitive, behavioural and psychological functioning in WBS patients showed that those with slightly larger deletions encompassing GTF2IRD2 were significantly more cognitively impaired in the areas of spatial functioning, social reasoning, and cognitive flexibility (a form of executive functioning). They also displayed significantly more obsessions and externalizing behaviours, a likely manifestation of poor cognitive flexibility and executive dysfunction. We provide the first evidence for a role for GTF2IRD2 in higher-level (executive functioning) abilities and highlight the importance of integrating detailed molecular characterisation of patients with comprehensive neuropsychological profiling to uncover additional genotype-phenotype correlations. The identification of specific genes which contribute to executive function has important neuropsychological implications in the treatment of patients with conditions like WBS, and will allow further studies into their mechanism of action.
Unfocussed Language Acquisition? The Presentation of Linguistic Situations in Biographical Narration

Vor dem Hintergrund der konstruktivistischen Wende, die weite Teile der Methodendiskussion bestimmt, wird die spezifische, als interaktiv zu bezeichnende Plausibilisierung der autobiographischen Erzahlung rekonstruiert. Der Fokus wird dabei auf jene Sequenzen gesetzt, in denen die Erzahlerin ihre Spracherwerbsprozesse darstellt. Verhaltensdaten (ihre gut ausgebauten Deutschkenntnisse, die im Interview offensichtlich sind) werden mit der Schilderung ihrer Schlussererlebnisse kontrastiert, bei der sie angibt, Deutsch v.a. uber das Fernsehen erworben zu haben. Die spezifische Rolle des Leidens wird hervorgehoben und mit Erkenntnissen aus der Spracherwerbsforschung in Beziehung gesetzt, wo immer deutlicher wird, wie erfolgreicher Erwerb und Emotion in enger Beziehung zueinander stehen. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0303192
How Do Different Faces of Paternalistic Leaders Facilitate or Impair Task and Innovative Performance? Opening the Black Box

There is a growing amount of research integrating leadership and positive organizational behavior literatures in order to understand the processes through which leadership contributes to performance. One such mechanism through which leaders influence performance is psychological capital (PsyCap). Particularly, paternalistic leadership, which is a leadership style that combines discipline, authority, and power with fatherly benevolence, may be a critical antecedent to the development of followers’ PsyCap. Yet no studies to date have investigated how paternalistic leaders affect followers’ PsyCap, which, in turn, influences their task and innovative performance. To this end, based on a sample of 409 Turkish employees and their 72 leaders, the current study investigates the effects of three dimensions of paternalistic leadership (i.e., benevolent, authoritarian, and authoritative) on followers’ leader-rated task and innovative performance. While there were no significant mediation effects for task performance, the results revealed that both benevolent and authoritative leadership positively influenced innovative performance through enhancing followers’ PsyCap. Authoritarian leadership, however, has negative effects on PsyCap, which, in turn, mediates the effect on innovative performance of followers. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings, along with suggestions for future research, are discussed.