Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toward task-dependent evaluation of web-QoE: Free exploration vs. “Who Ate What?”

Quality of experience of web services is negatively influenced by system delays. To quantify delay and resulting user satisfaction quality evaluation experiments are used, but they typically disregards users' tasks and content of the website as a part of the assessment procedure. The goal of this study is to explore impact of a user's task, information presentation such as per-element load durations and page load strategies on Quality of Experience. We conducted an experimental study with 25 participants. The results underline the importance of designing task-aware and content-aware solutions for improving Quality of Experience for delay sensitive web services.
Bayesian estimation of pulsar parameters from gravitational wave data

We present a method of searching for, and parametrizing, signals from known radio pulsars in data from interferometric gravitational wave detectors. This method has been applied to data from the LIGO and GEO 600 detectors to set upper limits on the gravitational wave emission from several radio pulsars. Here we discuss the nature of the signal and the performance of the technique on simulated data. We show how to perform a coherent multiple detector analysis and give some insight into the covariance between the signal parameters.
Rapsyn mediates subsynaptic anchoring of PKA type I and stabilisation of acetylcholine receptor in vivo

The stabilisation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the neuromuscular junction depends on muscle activity and the cooperative action of myosin Va and protein kinase A (PKA) type I. To execute its function, PKA has to be present in a subsynaptic microdomain where it is enriched by anchoring proteins. Here, we show that the AChR-associated protein, rapsyn, interacts with PKA type I in C2C12 and T-REx293 cells as well as in live mouse muscle beneath the neuromuscular junction. Molecular modelling, immunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation approaches identify an α-helical stretch of rapsyn to be crucial for binding to the dimerisation and docking domain of PKA type I. When expressed in live mouse muscle, a peptide encompassing the rapsyn α-helical sequence efficiently delocalises PKA type I from the neuromuscular junction. The same peptide, as well as a rapsyn construct lacking the α-helical domain, induces severe alteration of acetylcholine receptor turnover as well as fragmentation of synapses. This shows that rapsyn anchors PKA type I in close proximity to the postsynaptic membrane and suggests that this function is essential for synapse maintenance.
Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters in Supernova Remnants

Important constraints on the properties of the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) can be provided by their associations with supernova remnants (SNRs). We have made a radio search for SNRs toward the AXPs RX J170849-400910 and 4U 0142+61. We find that the former lies near a possible new SNR with which it is unlikely to be physically associated, but we see no SNR in the vicinity of the latter. We review all claimed pairings between AXPs and SNRs; the three convincing associations imply that AXPs are young (<10 000 yr) neutron stars with low projected space velocities (<500 km s-1). Contrary to previous claims, we find no evidence that the density of the ambient medium around AXPs is higher than that in the vicinity of radio pulsars. Furthermore, the nondetection of radio emission from AXPs does not imply that these sources are radio-silent. We also review claimed associations between SGRs and SNRs. We find none of these associations to be convincing, consistent with a scenario in which SGRs and AXPs are both populations of high-field neutron stars ("magnetars") but the SGRs are an older or longer-lived group of objects than are the AXPs. If the SGR-SNR associations are shown to be valid, then SGRs must be high-velocity objects and most likely represent a different class of source to the AXPs.
Fusion products, cohomology of GLN flag manifolds, and Kostka polynomials

We explain the relation between the fusion product of symmetric power sln evaluation modules, as defined by Feigin and Loktev, and the graded coordinate ring R μ which describes the cohomology ring of the flag variety ℱlμ' of GL N . The graded multiplicity spaces appearing in the decomposition of the fusion product into irreducible sln-modules are identified with the multiplicity spaces of the Specht modules in R μ . This proves that Kostka polynomials give the character of the fusion product in this case. In the case of the product of fundamental evaluation modules, we give the precise correspondence with the reduced wedge product, and thus the usual wedge space construction of irreducible level-1 sl^n-modules in the limit N → ∞. The multiplicity spaces are W(sln)-algebra modules in this limit.
Trends V : Universities shaping the European Higher Education Area AN EUA REPORT

For the first time in the series, this Trends report is based on both quantitative and qualitative research, while previous Trends reports relied on one or other of these two methodologies. Trends V analyses the nature and extent of implementation of the Bologna reforms, and attempts to assess the impact that changes are having on a wider range of institutional development processes. Through comparison with the outcomes of earlier Trends projects, and in particular the Trends III results (2003) that to a large degree addressed the same questions, the report is able to measure the progress that has taken place in implementing higher education reforms. It also points to the challenges that institutions face at a time when they are being asked to respond to multiple societal demands. Bologna can increasingly be seen as a reform of structures that allows a wide range of other institutional development challenges to be addressed.
The Effects of University English Writing Classes Focusing on Self and Peer Review on Learner Autonomy

The study aimed to investigate the effects of English writing classes focusing on self and peer review on learner autonomy at a Korean university, leading to finding ways to improve the quality of the English writing classes. An English writing class consisting of 29 students majoring in English language was organized and lessons were provided over a period of seven weeks. An online questionnaire was conducted to identify students’ perceptions of the effects of the English writing class on motivation, responsibility, ability to make choices in learning activities, and engagement in learning activities. An open-ended questionnaire was also conducted with four students, the teacher who implemented the program, and one academic professional in L2 writing instruction. It was found that the English writing class focusing on self and peer review had positive effects on students’ perception of students’ and teachers’ responsibilities and English learning activities outside classrooms while it had moderate effects on their motivation and English learning activities inside the classroom. Secondly, the results of the open-ended questionnaire to the students and the teachers implied that students’ writing competences might improve. In addition, more systematic learner training needs to be provided to increase the effects of the class, particularly the effects of self and peer review. Finally, it was found that the clarity of the responsibility between teachers and students did not lead to the increase of the ability to choose the learning activities. Attention needs to be paid to how to increase the ability.
Regulating Capital Flows to Emerging Markets: An Externality View

We show that capital flows to emerging market economies create externalities that differ by an order of magnitude depending on the state-contingent payoff profile of the flows. Those with pro-cyclical payoffs, such as foreign currency debt, generate substantial negative pecuniary externalities because they lead to large repayments and contractionary exchange rate depreciations during financial crises. Conversely, capital flows with an insurance component, such as FDI or equity, are largely benign. We construct an externality pricing kernel and use sufficient statistics and DSGE model simulations to quantify the externalities that materialized during past financial crises. We find stark differences depending on the payoff profile, justifying taxes of up to 3% for dollar debt but close to zero for FDI. These findings contrast with the existing literature, which has suggested that policymakers should focus on reducing over-borrowing rather than changing the composition of external liabilities.
An analysis of superhydrophobic turbulent drag reduction mechanisms using direct numerical simulation

These surfaces have been shown to provide drag reduction in laminar and turbulent flows. In this work, direct numerical simulation is used to investigate the drag reducing performance of superhydrophobic surfaces in turbulent channel flow. Slip velocities, wall shear stresses, and Reynolds stresses are determined for a variety of superhydrophobic surface microfeature geometry configurations at friction Reynolds numbers of Re180, Re395, and Re590. This work provides evidence that superhydrophobic surfaces are capable of reducing drag in turbulent flow situations by manipulating the laminar sublayer. For the largest microfeature spacing, an average slip velocity over 80% of the bulk velocity is obtained, and the wall shear stress reduction is found to be greater than 50%. The simulation results suggest that the mean velocity profile near the superhydrophobic wall continues to scale with the wall shear stress and the log layer is still present, but both are offset by a slip velocity that is primarily dependent on the microfeature spacing. © 2010 American Institute of Physics. doi:10.1063/1.3432514
Understanding the Success Factors of Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Empirical Evidence from the Electrics and Electronics Industry

Recent studies have reported that organizations are often unable to identify the key success factors of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) and to understand their implications for management practice. For this reason, the implementation of SSCM often does not result in noticeable benefits. So far, research has failed to offer any explanations for this discrepancy. In view of this fact, our study aims at identifying and analyzing the factors that underlie successful SSCM. Success factors are identified by means of a systematic literature review and are then integrated into an explanatory model. Consequently, the proposed success factor model is tested on the basis of an empirical study focusing on recycling networks of the electrics and electronics industry. We found that signaling, information provision and the adoption of standards are crucial preconditions for strategy commitment, mutual learning, the establishment of ecological cycles and hence for the overall success of SSCM. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Inhibin and premature ovarian failure.

BACKGROUND Elucidation of the causes of premature ovarian failure (POF) is difficult due to the heterogeneity of the condition. Inhibin is a potential candidate gene for POF based on its dual actions on FSH secretion by the pituitary and gametogenesis in the gonads. A missense mutation in the inhibin alpha subunit gene (INHA G769A) is associated with POF in several populations. However, there is phenotypic heterogeneity in INHA G769A mutation carriers. METHODS Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed and mutational frequencies combined for meta-analysis. RESULTS Meta-analysis of published studies revealed a risk difference of 0.04 (-0.030 to 0.11). The occurrence of asymptomatic carriers in populations suggests incomplete penetrance and/or a multi-genetic cause of POF. We propose that a decline in inhibin bioactivity caused by the mutation could increase FSH levels; and in a susceptible individual, the heightened sensitivity to gonadotrophins causes POF. Impaired paracrine effects of inhibin could impact folliculogenesis due to reduced antagonism of activin, bone morphogenetic protein 15 and growth differentiation factor 9. Functional studies of this mutation indicate normal production of dimeric inhibin A and B and impaired bioactivity of inhibin B. CONCLUSIONS The identification of an autosomal mutation in the inhibin alpha subunit gene that is significantly linked to POF in certain ethnic populations highlights the role of inhibin in the regulation of ovarian biology and fertility. Although the reduction of inhibin B bioactivity by the INHA G769A mutation is clearly not the only cause, evidence suggests that this change may serve as a susceptibility factor, increasing the likelihood of POF.
Bridging the Gap: A Phenomenological Study of Interpersonal Relationships to Foster Campus Community Among Nontraditional College Students

ii Dedication . iii Acknowledgements . iv List of Tables . ix List of Figures . x Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Background . 3 Statement of the Problem . 3 Conceptual Framework . 5 Purpose of Study.5 Research Question . 6 Rationale and Relevance . 7 Significance of Study . 8 Definitions of Terms.8 Assumptions . 9 Delimitations . 10 Limitations . 10 Organization of the Study . 10 Summary . 11 Chapter 2: Introduction . 12 Review of Literature . 12 Nontraditional Students . 13 Higher Education in the United States . 13
Cross talk between NKT and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in prostatic tissue of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and NKT cells are two subpopulations of T lymphocytes that independently regulate innate and adaptive immunity, but there is some evidence for cross-talk between Tregs and NKT cells, which allow a new immunoregulatory networks. Activated NKT cells may modulate quantitatively and qualitatively the function of Tregs through IL-2-dependent mechanisms, while Tregs can suppress the proliferation, cytokine release and cytotoxic activity of NKT cells by cell-contact-dependent mechanisms. Tregs may control tumor expansion at the priming, as well as the effector’s phase of T immune responses. Tumor cells provide antigenic stimulation of T cells and interact with the tumor-infiltrated innate immune cells secreting cytokines that are crucial for T-cell differentiation. In this study we examined the prostate tissue infiltrating lymphocytes of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by flow cytometric technique (FACSCalibur) for determine the number of T, B, NK, NKT and Tregs and investigate the local regulatory immunosurveillance which allows the tumor’s immuneescape. Our results have shown the statistically significantly elevated number of Tregs in prostatic tissue and slightly diminished percentage of NKT cells in prostate cancer patients in comparison to patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Although the exact mechanism is still unknown, increased infiltration of prostate tissue with T regulatory cells seems that stimulate the tumor to secrete factors (chemokines) that attract these cells in the tissue of the prostate where they achieve their anti-tumor effect and thus may contribute the tumor progression.
Classification and synthesis of quality approaches in e-government services

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a multi‐faceted summary and classification of the existing literature in the field of quality of service for e‐government and outline the main components of a quality model for e‐government services.Design/methodology/approach – Starting with fundamental quality principles the paper examines and analyzes 36 different quality approaches concerning public sector services, e‐services in general and more specifically e‐government services. Based on the dimensions measured by each approach the paper classifies the approaches and concludes on the basic factors needed for the development of a complete quality model of e‐government services.Findings – Based on the classification of literature approaches, the paper provides information about the main components of a quality model that may be used for the continuous monitoring and measuring of public e‐services' quality. The classification forms the basis for answering questions that must be addressed by the quality.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Core and conal component analysis of pulsar B 1237 + 25-II . Investigation of the segregated modes

Radio pulsar B1237+25 is the prime exemplar of a five-component profile indicating a core/double cone emission-beam structure. Here we conduct a pulse-sequence analysis of its three behaviours based on our earlier partial profile study in Paper I. Focusing on the core region, we find first that its two ‘orthogonal’ polarization modes are far from orthogonal and second that aberration/retardation (A/R) of the secondary orthogonal polarization mode is responsible. As expected this A/R effect is seen both in the retarded core power and the delayed polarization-angle signature. The A/R effect thus seems to reflect a cascade or amplifying process along the magnetic axis extending to a height of some 230 km – indeed, very similar to what was found earlier for pulsar B0329+54. The pulsar’s three ‘states’ reflect different conditions of core activity: in the quiet-normal mode, core emission is barely perceptible, and the two cones exhibit phase-locked modulation in the manner of a carousel beam system. In the flare-normal mode, this modulation persists for short intervals, while the core is more active, exhibiting intensity-dependent A/R associated mainly with a single, apparently X, propagation mode. Finally, in the abnormal mode, the intensity-dependent A/R-associated core emission is continuous – the primary X trailing and secondary O leading – and appears to distort and retard the conal O-mode emission and quench its modulation.
Professionalising teaching in HE: the impact of an institutional fellowship scheme in the UK

ABSTRACT The professionalisation of teaching in higher education has been increasingly prioritised across the globe in response to changes in the scale and nature of higher education brought about by massification, marketisation and managerialism. The UK experience has been characterised by the application of codified professional standards and this is of wider interest as perhaps the most developed attempt to formalise and systematise approaches to teacher development utilising such standards. Increasingly, this has focused on the ongoing development of existing staff in addition to new entrants to the profession. Institutional schemes underpinned by the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework have rapidly spread throughout the sector offering a route for experienced staff to achieve fellowships of the UK Higher Education Academy. However, research into the effects of such schemes on individual participants and institutions has been limited. This article analyses the impact of such a scheme within the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at Leeds Beckett University in the UK, drawing on data derived from in-depth interviews with scheme participants. Practice theories were applied as a frame for analysis of the developmental impact of the scheme through exploration of the practices involved in participation and how these meshed with other practices related to teaching and learning. This suggested that whilst such schemes may be an acceptable form of retrospective benchmarking, the ongoing developmental impact may be limited.
Integrate Variable and Consistent Responses Emotional Behaviors , Emotivational Goals , Emotion Strategies : Multiple Levels of Organization

Researchers have found undeniable variability and irrefutable evidence of consistencies in emotional responses across situations, individuals, and cultures. Both must be acknowledged in constructing adequate, enduring models of emotional phenomena. In this article I outline an empirically-grounded model of the structure of the emotion system, in which relatively variable actions may be used to pursue relatively consistent goals within discrete emotion syndromes; the syndromes form a stable, coherent set of strategies for coping with crises and opportunities. I also discuss a framework that can integrate dimensional and discrete perspectives
Exploiting Two Intelligent Models to Predict Water Level: A field study of Urmia lake, Iran

Water level forecasting using records of past time series is of importance in water resources engineering and management. For example, water level affects groundwater tables in low-lying coastal areas, as well as hydrological regimes of some coastal rivers. Then, a reliable prediction of sea-level variations is required in coastal engineering and hydrologic studies. During the past two decades, the approaches based on the Genetic Programming (GP) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were developed. In the present study, the GP is used to forecast daily water level variations for a set of time intervals using observed water levels. The measurements from a single tide gauge at Urmia Lake, Northwest Iran, were used to train and validate the GP approach for the period from January 1997 to July 2008. Statistics, the root mean square error and correlation coefficient, are used to verify model by comparing with a corresponding outputs from Artificial Neural Network model. The results show that both these artificial intelligence methodologies are satisfactory and can be considered as alternatives to the conventional harmonic analysis.
An Integrated Model of Safer Sex Practices among African-American Gay and Bisexual Men

Models of safer sex enable researchers to identify specific constructs that can be used to promote health behavior and are more effective than interventions without a theoretical base. This study tested basic and modified forms of the Theory of Reasoned Action and Information Motivation Behavioral Skills models among 151 African American gay/bisexual men. Gay socialization was added to an integrated model to see if this minority-specific contextual variable would improve the model. Self-efficacy was tested as an independent variable and a mediating variable. The results suggest that an integrated model of safer sex practices should include benefits/barriers to condom use, social norm perceptions, sexual assertiveness, and self-efficacy (as a mediating variable). Gay socialization did not improve the model statistically but may influence safer sex behavior conceptually and pragmatically.
Temporal Variations of the Solar Rotation Rate at High Latitudes

Frequency splitting coefficients from Global Oscillation Network Group and Michelson Doppler Imager observations covering the period 1995-2001 are used to study temporal variations in the solar rotation rate at high latitudes. The torsional oscillation pattern in the Sun is known to penetrate to a depth of about 0.1 R☉ with alternate bands of faster and slower rotating plasma. At lower latitudes, the bands move toward the equator with time. At higher latitudes, however, the bands appear to move toward the poles. This is similar to the observed poleward movement of large-scale magnetic fields at high latitudes. This also supports theoretical results of poleward-moving bands at high latitudes in some mean field dynamo models. The polar rotation rate is found to decrease between 1995 and 1999, after which it has started increasing.