Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applications of a Graph Theoretic Based Clustering Framework in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Recently, several clustering algorithms have been used to solve variety of problems from different discipline. This dissertation aims to address different challenging tasks in computer vision and pattern recognition by casting the problems as a clustering problem. We proposed novel approaches to solve multi-target tracking, visual geo-localization and outlier detection problems using a unified underlining clustering framework, i.e., dominant set clustering and its extensions, and presented a superior result over several state-of-the-art approaches.
Mechanisms of Transfer: Modeling Motivational and Self-Regulatory Processes that Promote Transfer of Learning

A critical goal of many school and training interventions is to provide learners with the strategies and foundational knowledge that will allow them to tackle novel problems encountered under circumstances different than the learning situations. This is also quite often referred to as the ability to transfer learning. Theories of transfer posit that providing learners with ways to make connections between learning experiences and possible transfer tasks, accumulating domain and strategic and knowledge, and encouraging diverse abstractions of concepts might help promote transfer to new situations. Notably missing among these theories is the role various motivational tendencies play in helping promote transfer. This dissertation describes the development of a new theoretical model linking transfer, self-regulation, motivation, and prior knowledge. Based on extensive empirical and theoretical evidence, the model posits that motivation plays an indirect role in promoting transfer of learning exerting its effect through increased self-regulation. This effect, along with a strong direct effect exerted by prior knowledge, describes the major motivational mechanism by which transfer occurs. The theory also proposes an underlying latent variable structure that groups interest, self-efficacy, and goal orientation as major indicators that measure motivation. Similarly, domain and strategic knowledge are posited as dimensions that encompass prior knowledge. Self-regulated learning is made up of a motivational and cognitive component. The cognitive components model key processes of the cognitive architecture that explains the general learning process. An effort to validate this theory through structural equation modeling (SEM) is described. This includes comparisons to alternative models and discussions about methodological issues related to model fit. The dissertation also features in-depth discussions about the appropriateness of the proposed latent structure as well as a comprehensive exposition of the validity of estimated parameters under conditions where model fit is considered unacceptable. The dissertation concludes with a set of derived conclusions and recommendations that advance the theoretical model towards a more encompassing and rigorous methodology calling for the development of more sensitive and adaptive measurement instruments.
Amblyopia : a multidisciplinary approach

Animal studies of amblyopia Sensory processing of human amblyopia Functional neuroimaging in amblyopia Taxonomy and epidemiology of amblyopia Treatment and evaluation of amblyopia Amblyopia and disability Appendix: Transcript of the Novartis Foundation Discussion Meeting "Amblyopia: from Taxonomy to Treatment"
Série Scientifique Scientific Series What Is Happening in the Youth Labour Market in Canada?

CIRANO Le CIRANO est un organisme sans but lucratif constitué en vertu de la Loi des compagnies du Québec. Le financement de son infrastructure et de ses activités de recherche provient des cotisations de ses organisations-membres, d=une subvention d=infrastructure du ministère de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie, de même que des subventions et mandats obtenus par ses équipes de recherche. CIRANO is a private non-profit organization incorporated under the Québec Companies Act. Its infrastructure and research activities are funded through fees paid by member organizations, an infrastructure grant from the Ministère de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie, and grants and research mandates obtained by its research teams.
Adherence to oral anti-diabetic drugs among patients attending a Ghanaian teaching hospital

Background: The burden of diabetes mellitus, especially Type-2, continues to increase across the world. Medication adherence is considered an integral component in its management. Poor glycemic controls due to medication nonadherence accelerates the development of long-term complications which consequently leads to increased hospitalization and mortality. Objective: This study examined the level of adherence to oral antidiabetic drugs among patients who visited the teaching hospital and explored the probable contributory factors to non-adherence. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study using systematic sampling to collect quantitative data was undertaken. Questionnaires were administered to outpatients of the medical department of a teaching hospital in Ghana. Logistic regression was performed with statistical significance determined at p<0.05. Results: A total of 200 diabetic patients participated in the study. Using the Morisky Medication Adherence scale, the level of adherence determined was 38.5%. There were significant correlations between level of adherence and educational level [(OR)=1.508; (CI 0.805-2.825), P=0.019), and mode of payment [(OR)=1.631; (CI 0.997-2.669), P=0.05). Conclusion: Adherence in diabetic patients was low among respondents and this can be improved through education, counseling and reinforcement of self-care. There were several possible factors that contributed to the low adherence rate which could benefit from further studies.
Visualization of Dynamics of Single Endogenous mRNA Labeled in Live Mouse

The transcription and transport of messenger RNA (mRNA) are critical steps in regulating the spatial and temporal components of gene expression, but it has not been possible to observe the dynamics of endogenous mRNA in primary mammalian tissues. We have developed a transgenic mouse in which all β-actin mRNA is fluorescently labeled. We found that β-actin mRNA in primary fibroblasts localizes predominantly by diffusion and trapping as single mRNAs. In cultured neurons and acute brain slices, we found that multiple β-actin mRNAs can assemble together, travel by active transport, and disassemble upon depolarization by potassium chloride. Imaging of brain slices revealed immediate early induction of β-actin transcription after depolarization. Studying endogenous mRNA in live mouse tissues provides insight into its dynamic regulation within the context of the cellular and tissue microenvironment. A transgenic mouse with fluorescently labeled endogenous β-actin mRNA permits single-molecule analysis in live cells. [Also see Perspective by Akbalik and Schuman] Observing the Messenger In order to elucidate the dynamics of individual components in the cell, single-molecule technologies are being developed (see the Perspective by Akbalik and Schuman). Park et al. (p. 422) used a mouse expressing fluorescent β-actin messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to visualize mRNA movements in living cells and tissues. Buxbaum et al. (p. 419) showed that neurons contain β-actin mRNAs and ribosomes packaged in a dense structure, impenetrable by oligonucleotide probes. This effectively masks the mRNAs until neuronal stimulation exposes the mRNA and ribosomes briefly, presumably reflecting the local stimulation and translation involved, for example, in the generation of memories.
Relative freedoms: women and leisure.

Section 1 Approaching leisure: feminism and leisure studies - opening up new directions historical sources for studying work and leisure in women's lives. section 2 Facing changes: leisure and male partners from playing out to dossing out - young women's leisure mothers meeting "no peace for the wicked" - older married women and leisure. Section 3 Exploring the myths: eyes down - a study of bingo beating them at our own game - women's sports involvement stepping out - the importance of dance for young women. Section 4 The power game: "not tonight dear! " - the social control of women's leisure women in leisure service management "their own worst enemy? " women and leisure provision.
Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is a major public health problem. The treatment of colon cancer is primarily surgical using open and minimally invasive techniques. Minimally invasive surgery approaches for colon cancer include single-port laparoscopy, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, and robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery. The techniques are based on the same principles: complete mesocolic excision, high vascular ligation, and extended lymphadenectomy. Laparoscopic surgery is characterized by short hospital stay, reduced postoperative pain, and less need for painkillers. Laparoscopic resections are less expensive than open surgery, but with similar quality of life outcomes. Robotic surgery is an alternative to open and laparoscopic techniques. This type of surgery results in a lower conversion rate and a shorter learning curve than laparoscopic surgery. When comparing the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic surgery versus open surgery no difference in disease free survival and overall survival were found. This article shows the role of minimally invasive surgery in colon cancer, the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic and open colon being similar.
A Novel Antinociceptive Sulphated Polysaccharide of the Brown Marine Alga Spatoglossum Schroederi

Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) of brown algae (Phaeophyta) are composed mainly of α- L-fucose, being classified as fucans, with recognized role in inflammation but not in nociception, which was already described for SP obtained from red algae. Here the SP of the brown marine alga S. schroederi (named Ss-SP) was isolated and assayed for the antinociceptive effect. Ss-SP was isolated by DEAE-cellulose, analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and evaluated in nociception models (Formalin, Hot plate, Von Frey) using Swiss mice (20-25g). Anion exchange chromatography provided four major fractions being F1 (Ss-SP) that of highest metachromatic activity and sugar content. Ss-SP inhibited both phases of the formalin test. In the first phase the paw licking (55.2±8.07s) was reduced by 45% (30.5±6.51s) and 40% (32.85±8.66s) at 0.1 and 1 μg/kg, respectively. In the second phase, Ss-SP was also inhibitory about 39%, but only at 1 mg/kg (83.0±15.70s) compared to formalin (136.8±10.27s). This inhibitory effect suggests a mixed mechanism similar to morphine, which was not confirmed in the hot plate test, a model of pain associated with central neurotransmission. However, Ss-SP reduced the animal reaction in response to stimulation withVon Frey filament at the 2nd and 3rd h (20.8±6.86% versus carrageenan: 47.9±5.83%; 33.3±7.71% versus carrageenan: 62.5±9.83%). Accordingly, the paw edema induced by carrageenan (0.08±0.01g) was potently reduced in 45.35% by Ss-SP pre-treatment (0.02±0.003g), corroborating the anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated for brown seaweed polysaccharides. In conclusion our data revealed for the first time the antinociceptive effect of Ss-SP which could be used as a new source of analgesic substances.
Clinical Neuropsychology of Alcoholism

Introduction. Part I: Diagnostic and Measurement Issues. Adverse Effects of Alcohol Consumption. Assessment of Cognition and Drinking Practices. Part II: Alcohol and the Nervous System. Neuroradiological Studies. Neuropathological Research. Neurophysiological Research. Part III: Neuropsychological Research. Alcohol Intoxication. Cognition in Social Drinkers. Cognitive Impairment in Alcoholics. Neuropsychology of the Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. Part IV: Implications for Practice. Implications for the Treatment of Alcoholic Patients. Rehabilitation of Patients with Alcohol-related Cognitive Impairment. Concluding Comments. References. Glossary. Author Index. Subject Index.
How Developers Use Exception Handling in Java?

Exception handling is a technique that addresses exceptional conditions in applications, allowing the normal flow of execution to continue in the event of an exception and/or to report on such events. Although exception handling techniques, features and bad coding practices have been discussed both in developer communities and in the literature, there is a marked lack of empirical evidence on how developers use exception handling in practice. In this paper we use the Boa language and infrastructure to analyze 274k open source Java projects in GitHub to discover how developers use exception handling. We not only consider various exception handling features but also explore bad coding practices and their relation to the experience of developers. Our results provide some interesting insights. For example, we found that bad exception handling coding practices are common in open source Java projects and regardless of experience all developers use bad exception handling coding practices.
Reconstructing Minkowski Space-Time

Minkowski space is a physically important space-time for which the finding an adequate holographic description is an urgent problem. In this paper we develop further the proposal made in hep-th/0303006 for the description as a duality between Minkowski space-time and a Conformal Field Theory defined on the boundary of the light-cone. We focus on the gravitational aspects of the duality. Specifically, we identify the gravitational holographic data and provide the way Minkowski space-time (understood in more general context as a Ricci-flat space) is reconstructed from the data. In order to avoid the complexity of non-linear Einstein equations we consider linear perturbations and do the analysis for the perturbations. The analysis proceeds in two steps. We first reduce the problem in Minkowski space to an infinite set of field equations on de Sitter space one dimension lower. These equations are quite remarkable: they describe massless and massive gravitons in de Sitter space. In particular, the partially massless graviton appears naturally in this reduction. In the second step we solve the graviton field equations and identify the holographic boundary data. Finally, we consider the asymptotic form of the black hole space-time and identify the way the information about the mass of the static gravitational configuration is encoded in the holographic data.
Data-Driven Design of Intelligent Wireless Networks: An Overview and Tutorial

Data science or “data-driven research” is a research approach that uses real-life data to gain insight about the behavior of systems. It enables the analysis of small, simple as well as large and more complex systems in order to assess whether they function according to the intended design and as seen in simulation. Data science approaches have been successfully applied to analyze networked interactions in several research areas such as large-scale social networks, advanced business and healthcare processes. Wireless networks can exhibit unpredictable interactions between algorithms from multiple protocol layers, interactions between multiple devices, and hardware specific influences. These interactions can lead to a difference between real-world functioning and design time functioning. Data science methods can help to detect the actual behavior and possibly help to correct it. Data science is increasingly used in wireless research. To support data-driven research in wireless networks, this paper illustrates the step-by-step methodology that has to be applied to extract knowledge from raw data traces. To this end, the paper (i) clarifies when, why and how to use data science in wireless network research; (ii) provides a generic framework for applying data science in wireless networks; (iii) gives an overview of existing research papers that utilized data science approaches in wireless networks; (iv) illustrates the overall knowledge discovery process through an extensive example in which device types are identified based on their traffic patterns; (v) provides the reader the necessary datasets and scripts to go through the tutorial steps themselves.
Development and survival of the free-living stages of Trichostrongylus tenuis, a caecal parasite of red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus

SUMMARY In the laboratory, yields of infective 3rd-stage larvae of Trichostrongylus tenuis were determined by temperature when moisture was adequate. On the moor, eggs in caecal faeces did not develop to infective larvae during the winter. In summer, development did occur and yields of infective larvae were related to temperature: greatest yields were obtained when mean monthly soil surface temperatures ranged between 76 and 103°C. Rainfall was unimportant, as was desiccation. During summer the mean monthly mortality of infective larvae was 44% but over winter survival was negligible.
Violence and Memory: One Hundred Years in the 'Dark Forests' of Matabeleland, Zimbabwe

Part 1 Conquest, eviction and nationalism: life in the "dark forests" - violence and images of the land, 1893-1930 the violence of the state - forced migration and its consequences the violence of the state - the second colonial occupation the rise of nationalist violence the transition to guerilla war, 1962-76. Part 2 Wars and their legacies: the liberation war in the Shangani guerillas and civilians independence and the dissidents civilian perspectives on the 1980s conflict the politics of development after unity resolving the legacies of war? accountability, commemoration and cleansing.
Ethics and professionalism in medical physics: a survey of AAPM members.

PURPOSE To assess current education, practices, attitudes, and perceptions pertaining to ethics and professionalism in medical physics. METHODS A link to a web-based survey was distributed to the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) e-mail membership list, with a follow-up e-mail sent two weeks later. The survey included questions about ethics/professionalism education, direct personal knowledge of ethically questionable practices in clinical care, research, education (teaching and mentoring), and professionalism, respondents' assessment of their ability to address ethical/professional dilemmas, and demographics. For analysis, reports of unethical or ethically questionable practices or behaviors by approximately 40% or more of respondents were classified as "frequent. " RESULTS Partial or complete responses were received from 18% (1394/7708) of AAPM members. Overall, 60% (827/1377) of the respondents stated that they had not received ethics/professionalism education during their medical physics training. Respondents currently in training were more likely to state that they received instruction in ethics/professionalism (80%, 127/159) versus respondents who were post-training (35%, 401/1159). Respondents' preferred method of instruction in ethics/professionalism was structured periodic discussions involving both faculty and students/trainees. More than 90% (1271/1384) supported continuing education in ethics/professionalism and 75% (1043/1386) stated they would attend ethics/professionalism sessions at professional/scientific meetings. In the research setting, reports about ethically questionable authorship assignment were frequent (approximately 40%) whereas incidents of ethically questionable practices about human subjects protections were quite infrequent (5%). In the clinical setting, there was frequent recollection of incidents regarding lack of training, resources and skills, and error/incident reporting. In the educational setting, incidents of unethical or ethically questionable practices were only frequently recollected with respect to mentorship/guidance. With respect to professional conduct, favoritism, hostile work/learning environment, and maltreatment of subordinates and colleagues were frequently reported. A significantly larger proportion of women reported experiences with hostile work/learning environments, favoritism, poor mentorship, unfairness in educational settings, and concerns about student privacy and confidentiality. CONCLUSIONS The survey found broad interest in ethics/professionalism topics and revealed that these topics were being integrated into the curriculum at many institutions. The incorporation of ethics and professionalism instruction into both graduate education and postgraduate training of medical physicists, and into their subsequent lifelong continuing education is important given the nontrivial number of medical physicists who had direct personal knowledge of unethical or ethically questionable incidents in clinical practice, research, education, and professionalism.
Women in the Qur'an, traditions, and interpretation

Islamic ideas about women and their role in society spark considerable debate both in the Western world and in the Islamic world itself. Despite the popular attention surrounding Middle Eastern attitudes toward women, there has been little systematic study of the statements regarding women in the Qur'an. Stowasser fills the void with this study on the women of Islamic sacred history. By telling their stories in Qur'an and interpretation, she introduces Islamic doctrine and its past and present socio-economic and political applications. Stowasser establishes the link between the female figure as cultural symbol, and Islamic self-perceptions from the beginning to the present time.
Do Competitive Workplaces Deter Female Workers? A Large-Scale Natural Field Experiment on Job Entry Decisions

An important line of research using laboratory experiments has provided a new potential reason for gender imbalances in labour markets: men are more competitively inclined than women. Whether, and to what extent, gender differences in attitudes toward competition lead to differences in naturally occurring labour markets remains an open question. To examine this, we run a natural field experiment on job-entry decisions where we randomize almost 9000 job-seekers into different compensation regimes. By varying the role that individual competition plays in setting the wage and the gender composition, we examine whether a competitive compensation regime, by itself, can cause differential job entry. The data highlight the power of the compensation regime in that women disproportionately shy away from competitive work settings. Yet, there are important factors that attenuate the gender differences, including whether the job is performed in teams, whether the position has overt gender associations, and the age of the job-seekers. We also find that the effect is most pronounced in labour markets with attractive alternative employment options. Furthermore, our results suggest that preferences over uncertainty can be just as important as preferences over competition per se in driving job-entry choices.
Gender Equity in the Sciences": Forging a "Third Space"

We’re coming to the end of the college graduation season, and many of us are still thinking about the brilliant and hopeful young women who have passed through our lives and are now moving on. Their life chances have been --and will be --deeply intertwined with our own, and as we think about creating gender equity in the spaces we inhabit, we are also talking about them and all that depends on our success.