Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using iterated local search for solving the flow-shop problem: Parallelization, parametrization, and randomization issues

Iterated local search (ILS) is a powerful framework for developing efficient algorithms for the permutation flow-shop problem (PFSP). These algorithms are relatively simple to implement and use very few parameters, which facilitates the associated fine-tuning process. Therefore, they constitute an attractive solution for real- life applications. In this paper, we discuss some parallelization, parametrization, and randomization issues related to ILS-based algorithms for solving the PFSP. In particular, the following research questions are analyzed: (a) Is it possible to simplify even more the parameter setting in an ILS framework without affecting performance? (b) How do parallelized versions of these algorithms behave as we simultaneously vary the number of different runs and the computation time? (c) For a parallelized version of these algorithms, is it worthwhile to randomize the initial solution so that different starting points are considered? (d) Are these algorithms affected by the use of a “good-quality” pseudorandom number generator? In this paper, we introduce the new ILS-ESP (where ESP is efficient, simple, and parallelizable) algorithm that is specifically designed to take advantage of parallel computing, allowing us to obtain competitive results in “real time” for all tested instances. The ILS-ESP also uses “natural” parameters, which simplifies the calibration process. An extensive set of computational experiments has been carried out in order to answer the aforementioned research questions
Mother-Ready Jobs: Employment That Works for Mothers of Children With Disabilities

Feminist researchers focus on work–family conflict and the impact on maternal employment. They find jobs are not structured to allow for work–family fit. Using qualitative data, I examine those unusual circumstances in which work does work in the challenging case of mothers of children with disabilities. Their experiences make clear the problem for all caregivers when employment is based on a male model, and the importance of workplace norms that diminish work–family conflict. I find that with flexibility, paid leave, job security, and health insurance, that is, with jobs that policy analysts refer to as “good jobs,” and Randy Albelda calls “mother-ready” jobs, caregivers can manage work and family. I argue that through a combination of mandatory workplace restructuring and social supports, the state could facilitate the reorganization of jobs so that they are mother-ready and therefore make possible the performance of daily required tasks as care givers and employees.
Single parameter optimization approach to the optimal power allocation of OFDM relaying system

In this paper, we investigate the power allocation optimization problem for dual-hop nonregenerative OFDM relaying networks, where an aggregate power constraint is imposed on all relays. We first formulate the model into a single-parameter optimization problem, in which we found the related functions are monotonically decreasing. Then based on the monotonicity, we propose a bisection algorithm to solve the problem. We further illustrate that pairing of OFDM subcarriers will not provide performance gain when the aggregate power constraint is very large.
A Low-Power Enhanced Bitmask-Dictionary Scheme for Test Data Compression

Long test application time for a System on Chip (SoC) is a major problem in digital design testing. This problem mostly originates from large test data. High volume test data not only increases required ATE memory and bandwidth, but also increases test time. Test compression reduces test data volume without any impact on its coverage. This work proposes two novel efficient test data compression schemes. These schemes suggest a slice partitioning along with a multiple dictionaries bitmask approach, and also a slice bit reordering method. These approaches are combined with low power method to decrease power consumption without sacrificing compression efficiency. Experimental results show improvements in compression efficiency and power consumption when compared with the existing works.
Impaired in vivo binding of MeCP2 to chromatin in the absence of its DNA methyl-binding domain

MeCP2 is a methyl-CpG-binding protein that is a main component of brain chromatin in vertebrates. In vitro studies have determined that in addition to its specific methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) MeCP2 also has several chromatin association domains. However, the specific interactions of MeCP2 with methylated or non-methylated chromatin regions and the structural characteristics of the resulting DNA associations in vivo remain poorly understood. We analysed the role of the MBD in MeCP2–chromatin associations in vivo using an MeCP2 mutant Rett syndrome mouse model (Mecp2tm1.1Jae) in which exon 3 deletion results in an N-terminal truncation of the protein, including most of the MBD. Our results show that in mutant mice, the truncated form of MeCP2 (ΔMeCP2) is expressed in different regions of the brain and liver, albeit at 50% of its wild-type (wt) counterpart. In contrast to the punctate nuclear distribution characteristic of wt MeCP2, ΔMeCP2 exhibits both diffuse nuclear localization and a substantial retention in the cytoplasm, suggesting a dysfunction of nuclear transport. In mutant brain tissue, neuronal nuclei are smaller, and ΔMeCP2 chromatin is digested faster by nucleases, producing a characteristic nuclease-resistant dinucleosome. Although a fraction of ΔMeCP2 is found associated with nucleosomes, its interaction with chromatin is transient and weak. Thus, our results unequivocally demonstrate that in vivo the MBD of MeCP2 together with its adjacent region in the N-terminal domain are critical for the proper interaction of the protein with chromatin, which cannot be replaced by any other of its protein domains.
Coordinated Multicell Multiuser Precoding for Maximizing Weighted Sum Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency optimization of wireless systems has become urgently important due to its impact on the global carbon footprint. In this paper we investigate energy efficient multicell multiuser precoding design and consider a new criterion of weighted sum energy efficiency, which is defined as the weighted sum of the energy efficiencies of multiple cells. This objective is more general than the existing methods and can satisfy heterogeneous requirements from different kinds of cells, but it is hard to tackle due to its sum-of-ratio form. In order to address this non-convex problem, the user rate is first formulated as a polynomial optimization problem with the test conditional probabilities to be optimized. Based on that, the sum-of-ratio form of the energy efficient precoding problem is transformed into a parameterized polynomial form optimization problem, by which a solution in closed form is achieved through a two-layer optimization. We also show that the proposed iterative algorithm is guaranteed to converge. Numerical results are finally provided to confirm the effectiveness of our energy efficient beamforming algorithm. It is observed that in the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) region, the optimal energy efficiency and the optimal sum rate are simultaneously achieved by our algorithm; while in the middle-high SNR region, a certain performance loss in terms of the sum rate is suffered to guarantee the weighed sum energy efficiency.
Neuroprotective Effects of a Novel Single Compound 1-Methoxyoctadecan-1-ol Isolated from Uncaria sinensis in Primary Cortical Neurons and a Photothrombotic Ischemia Model

We identified a novel neuroprotective compound, 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol, from Uncaria sinensis (Oliv.) Havil and investigated its effects and mechanisms in primary cortical neurons and in a photothrombotic ischemic model. In primary rat cortical neurons against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity, pretreatment with 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol resulted in significantly reduced neuronal death in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, treatment with 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol resulted in decreased neuronal apoptotic death, as assessed by nuclear morphological approaches. To clarify the neuroprotective mechanism of 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol, we explored the downstream signaling pathways of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) with calpain activation. Treatment with glutamate leads to early activation of NMDAR, which in turn leads to calpain-mediated cleavage of striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) and subsequent activation of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK). However, pretreatment with 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol resulted in significantly attenuated activation of GluN2B-NMDAR and a decrease in calpain-mediated STEP cleavage, leading to subsequent attenuation of p38 MAPK activation. We confirmed the critical role of p38 MAPK in neuroprotective effects of 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol using specific inhibitor SB203580. In the photothrombotic ischemic injury in mice, treatment with 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol resulted in significantly reduced infarct volume, edema size, and improved neurological function. 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol effectively prevents cerebral ischemic damage through down-regulation of calpain-mediated STEP cleavage and activation of p38 MAPK. These results suggest that 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol showed neuroprotective effects through down-regulation of calpain-mediated STEP cleavage with activation of GluN2B-NMDAR, and subsequent alleviation of p38 MAPK activation. In addition, 1-methoxyoctadecan-1-ol might be a useful therapeutic agent for brain disorder such as ischemic stroke.
The Influence of Hazard Maps and Trust of Flood Controls on Coastal Flood Spatial Awareness and Risk Perception

Understanding the impact of digital, interactive flood hazard maps and flood control systems on public flood risk perception could enhance risk communication and management. This study analyzed a survey of residents living near California’s Newport Bay Estuary and found that self-rated nonspatial perceptions of dread or concern over future flood impacts were positively associated with spatial awareness of flood-prone areas. Trust in flood control systems was associated with greater spatial flood hazard awareness but weaker nonspatial dread or concern, suggesting residents who witnessed and trust flood control systems developed a confident sense of flood-prone areas and that this confidence reduced the overall nonspatial sense of flood dread and concern. Viewing a flood hazard map eliminated differences in spatial hazard awareness between subgroups that existed prior to viewing a map, and viewing a map with estimated flood depth and greater spatial differentiation was associated with higher levels of postmap spatial awareness.
F2-layer parameters long-term trends at the Argentine Islands and Port Stanley stations

Abstract. The ionospheric sounding data at two southern hemisphere stations, the Argentine Islands and Port Stanley, are analyzed using a method previously developed by the authors. Negative trends of the critical frequency foF2 are found for both stations. The magnitudes of the trends are close to those at the corresponding (close geomagnetic latitude) stations of the northern hemisphere, as considered previously by the authors. The values of the F2 layer height hmF2 absolute trends ΔhmF2 are considered. The effect of ΔhmF2 dependence on hmF2 found by Jarvis et al. (1998) is reproduced. A concept is considered that long-term changes of the geomagnetic activity may be an important (if not the only) cause of all the trends of foF2 and hmF2 derived by several groups of authors. The dependence of both parameters on the geomagnetic index Ap corresponds to a smooth scheme of the ionospheric storm physics and morphology; thus, a principal cause of the foF2 and hmF2 geomagnetic trends is most probably a trend found in several publications in the number and intensity of ionospheric storms. Key words. Ionosphere (ionosphere-atmosphere interaction; ionospheric disturbances)
Parameter-Free Fast Pixelwise Non-Local Means Denoising

This article proposes a fast and open-source implementation of the well-known Non-Local Means (NLM) denoising algorithm, in its original pixelwise formulation. The fast implementation is based on the computation of patch distances using sums of lines that are invariant under a patch shift. The optimal parameters of NLM (in the average peak signal to noise ratio - PSNR - sense) are computed from an image database, thereby leading to a parameter-free NLM implementation. Comparison is performed with the parameter-free blockwise NLM implementation already proposed in IPOL journal by Buades, Coll and Morel. As expected the blockwise implementation oers better PSNR, at least when the noise standard deviation is large enough, but there is no signicant dierence in quality when performing visual inspection. The highlight is that the proposed parameter-free pixelwise NLM implementation is faster than the patchwise one by a factor of 6 to 49. Source Code The reviewed source code and documentation for the parameter-free fast pixelwise NLM algorithm are available from the web page of this article 1 . Compilation and usage instructions are included in the README.txt le of the archive.
Trust and mistrust in organizations: An exploration using an organizational justice framework

This article commences with an overview of trust and mistrust, focusing on the debate about whether these are two ends of a continuum or distinct but interrelated concepts. Building on this review, the relationship between employees' perceptions of organizational justice and their self-categorized feelings of trust and mistrust is considered. It is suggested that organizational justice offers a useful means through which to explain and understand employees' feelings of trust and mistrust. Using case study data drawn from a UK public sector organization, the relationship between employees' feelings of trust and mistrust is explored within a change context. The data suggest that, whereas some employees perceive trust and mistrust as two ends of a continuum, others see them as distinct concepts. These findings are conceptualized as a trust - mistrust - absence triangle. Drawing on organizational justice as an explanatory theory, reasons for these findings are offered. The article concludes with a discussion regarding the coexistence of trust and mistrust and the explanatory value of organizational justice theory in understanding this.
Effects of Aging and Cardiac Denervation on Heart Rate Variability During Sleep

Background—Cardiac vagal predominance increases the RR interval and RR high-frequency (HF) variability during non–rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep (stages I through IV) in young subjects. Aging suppresses deep sleep, but effects of age-related changes in sleep architecture on RR are unknown. Whether mechanical effects of changes in the breathing pattern on the sinus node during sleep affect RR variability is unclear. Methods and Results—Polygraphic sleep recordings and RR and RR spectral profiles were determined in 8 young (22.5±3.3 years) and 8 older (55.0±7.3 years) healthy volunteers. HF oscillations in RR of 8 cardiac-denervated heart transplant recipients determined mechanical effects of respiration on the sinoatrial node during sleep. Transition from wakefulness to non-REM sleep increased the RR interval in young and older subjects and increased the HF variability of RR in the young (P <0.05) but not in the older subjects. Older subjects disclosed a faster RR (P <0.01) and a lower HF variability (P <0.05) during non-REM sleep than the young subjects. Aging did not affect light and REM sleep but decreased deep sleep (stage IV) from 39±23 to 6±6 minutes (P <0.001). Reduction in sleep stage IV with aging blunted the increase in RR and in RR HF variability during non-REM sleep (r >0.55, P <0.05). Transition from wakefulness to non-REM sleep doubled the markedly reduced HF variability of RR in the heart transplant recipients (P <0.05). Conclusions—Disappearance of deep sleep with aging impairs nocturnal increase in cardiac vagal activity. Mechanical effects of changes in breathing pattern during sleep favor increases in HF oscillations of the RR interval during non-REM sleep.
Reducing the convergence loss of 3-dimensional turbo codes

This paper deals with the convergence loss reduction of a 3-dimensional turbo code combining both parallel and serial concatenation. This code is derived from the classical turbo code by concatenating a rate-1 post-encoder at its output. In order to reduce the observable loss of convergence at high error rates, we propose first a time varying construction of the post-encoded parity. Then, we analyse the association of the 3-dimensional turbo code with high order modulations, where both the systematic bits and the post-encoded parity bits are more protected than the other parity bits. Performance comparisons are made between the 3GPP2 standardized turbo code and the 3-dimensional 3GPP2 turbo code. The different stages are illustrated with simulation results, asymptotical bounds and EXIT charts.
Traditional and mediatized soccer fanship: the case of Indonesian Juventus’ supporters

Sports fanship in the contemporary era is increasingly emerging in the virtual space represented by social networks, forums and blogs. This aspect, correlated with the globalization of TV sports broadcasting, conveys a rupture of the traditional fanship connotations, often related to the geographic-familiar context and the local identity, as a primary form of sympathy between a club and its supporters. A relevant aspect of the globalized forms of fanship is represented by groups of supporters who are using the technological communication networks to create original forms of support, which are, in the case of Indonesian Juventus’s supporters, an imitation of the local practices, as chants and banners that characterize the stadium terraces. This article analyses the Indonesian fanship for the Italian football club Juventus which is explicative of the dynamics between local and global, traditional and mediatized forms of fanship and their expressions.
Optimisation of gaze movement for multitasking using rewards

Domestic tasks such as grasping or navigation for robotic systems can be supported by vision. However, the environment provides a vast amount of visual information and concentrating on the information related to the task being undertaken is an important job. Active vision is an approach that provides such a filtering mechanism by using camera movements to bring relevant information into the focus of attention. However timing of gaze shifts (i.e. when to look where) is crucial for cognitive tasks to proceed simultaneously (multitasking). We developed a framework that learns task dependent management of gaze control. We adopted a systems approach where individual visual processes were formalised as modules such as a colour saliency module or object recognition module. Modules may generate motor commands for gaze shifts to acquire visual information relevant to their operation. The system learns how to use its modules (i.e. when to give motor control access to which module) for a task in a reward-based concept. The framework was used in a reaching-while-interacting scenario using the humanoid iCub in a simulation environment.
Self-interest: defining and understanding Incubator a human motive

Summary This paper explores the concept of self-interest. Taking a multi-disciplinary perspective, we discuss and critique various definitions of this phenomenon. We argue that self-interest is an important human motive. However, we also emphasize that other human motives exist. These include empathy toward others and adherence to moral duty. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Breakdowns in Implementing Models of Organization Change

Executive Overview Practice theories of implementing change are lagging behind process theories of organizational change and development. To address this gap, this paper examines common breakdowns in implementing four process models of organization change: teleology (planned change), life cycle (regulated change), dialectics (conflictive change), and evolution (competitive change). Change agents typically respond to these breakdowns by taking actions to correct people and organizational processes so they conform to their model of change. Although this strategy commands most of the attention in the literature, we argue that in many situations managers and scholars might do better if they reflected on and revised their mental model to fit the change journey that is unfolding in their organization.
Practical guidelines for measurement-based process improvement

Despite significant progress in the last 15 years, implementing a successful measurement program for software development is still a challenging undertaking. Most problems are not of theoretical but of methodological or practical nature. In this article, we present lessons learned from experiences with goal-oriented measurement. We structure them into practical guidelines for efficient and useful software measurement aimed at process improvement in industry. Issues related to setting measurement goals, defining explicit measurement models, and implementing data collection procedures are addressed from a practical perspective. In addition, guidelines for using measurement in the context of process improvement are provided.
The Phase Coherence of Light from Extragalactic Sources: Direct Evidence against First-Order Planck-Scale Fluctuations in Time and Space

We present a method of directly testing whether time continues to have its usual meaning on scales of ≤tP = (ℏG/c5)1/2 ≈ 5.4 × 10-44 s, the Planck time. According to quantum gravity, the time t of an event cannot be determined more accurately than a standard deviation of the form σt/t = a0(tP/t)α, where a0 and α are positive constants ~1; likewise, distances are subject to an ultimate uncertainty cσt, where c is the speed of light. As a consequence, the period and wavelength of light cannot be specified precisely; rather, they are independently subject to the same intrinsic limitations in our knowledge of time and space, so that even the most monochromatic plane wave must in reality be a superposition of waves with varying ω and , each having a different phase velocity ω/k. For the entire accessible range of the electromagnetic spectrum this effect is extremely small, but it can cumulatively lead to a complete loss of phase information if the emitted radiation propagated a sufficiently large distance. Since, at optical frequencies, the phase coherence of light from a distant point source is a necessary condition for the presence of diffraction patterns when the source is viewed through a telescope, such observations offer by far the most sensitive and uncontroversial test. We show that the Hubble Space Telescope detection of Airy rings from the active galaxy PKS 1413+135, located at a distance of 1.2 Gpc, excludes all first-order (α = 1) quantum gravity fluctuations with an amplitude a0 > 0.003. The same result may be used to deduce that the speed of light in vacuo is exact to a few parts in 1032.
Desargues maps and the Hirota–Miwa equation

We study the Desargues maps , which generate lattices whose points are collinear with all their nearest (in positive directions) neighbours. The multi-dimensional compatibility of the map is equivalent to the Desargues theorem and its higher dimensional generalizations. The nonlinear counterpart of the map is the non-commutative (in general) Hirota–Miwa system. In the commutative case of the complex field we apply the non-local -dressing method to construct Desargues maps and the corresponding solutions of the system. In particular, we identify the Fredholm determinant of the integral equation inverting the non-local -dressing problem with the τ-function. Finally, we establish equivalence between the Desargues maps and quadrilateral lattices provided we take into consideration also their Laplace transforms.