Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Spread of Physical Activity Through Social Networks

Many behaviors that lead to worsened health outcomes are modifiable, social, and visible. Social influence has thus the potential to foster adoption of habits that promote health and improve disease management. In this study, we consider the evolution of the physical activity of 44.5 thousand Fitbit users as they interact on the Fitbit social network, in relation to their health status. The users collectively recorded 9.3 million days of steps over the period of a year through a Fitbit device. 7,515 of the users also self-reported whether they were diagnosed with a major chronic condition. A time-aggregated analysis shows that ego net size, average alter physical activity, gender, and body mass index (BMI) are significantly predictive of ego physical activity. For users who self-reported chronic conditions, the direction and effect size of associations varied depending on the condition, with diabetic users specifically showing almost a 6-fold increase in additional daily steps for each additional social tie. Subsequently, we consider the co-evolution of activity and friendship longitudinally on a month by month basis. We show that the fluctuations in average alter activity significantly predict fluctuations in ego activity. By leveraging a class of novel non-parametric statistical tests we investigate the causal factors in these fluctuations. We find that under certain stationarity assumptions, non-null causal dependence exists between ego and alter's activity, even in the presence of unobserved stationary individual traits. We believe that our findings provide evidence that the study of online social networks have the potential to improve our understanding of factors affecting adoption of positive habits, especially in the context of chronic condition management.
A Deep ROSAT Survey — X. X-ray-luminous narrow-emission-line galaxies

X-ray luminous narrow emision-line galaxies (NELG) have been previously identified and proposed as an important class of extragalactic X-ray sources, with a potentially significant contribution to the total extragalactic X-ray flux at energies below $\sim$ 10 keV. In order to investigate and clarify this possibility, we have used a sample of NELG found in 5 deep ROSAT fields and similar samples belonging to the Cambridge-Cambridge ROSAT Serendipity Survey and to the {\it Einstein} Observatory Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey sample. The principal results of this investigation are as follows: a) for a given optical luminosity, the typical X-ray luminosity of NELGs is about one or two orders of magnitude higher than that of normal galaxies; b) the ratio of the surface density of NELGs compared with BLAGN increases from about 0.04 at fx >= 6 x 10^{-13} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1} to about 0.1 at fx >= 10^{-14} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1}, suggesting that the surface density of NL galaxies might be very close to that of BLAGN at fx ~ 10^{-15} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1}; c) we find that these objects are described by a cosmological evolution rate similar to that of soft X-ray selected BLAGN; d) the de-evolved (z=0) XLF of NELGs in the luminosity range 10^{41} - 5 x 10^{43} erg s^{-1} is steeper than the BLAGN (z=0) XLF in the same luminosity interval. Their spatial density is significantly lower than the spatial density of X-ray selected BLAGN at Lx(z=0) ~ 5 x 10^{43} erg s^{-1}, but this difference decreases at lower luminosities such that at Lx(z=0) < 10^{42} erg s^{-1} the spatial density of NELGs is very close to that of BLAGN. The implications of these results for the contribution of this class of objects to the cosmic X-ray background are discussed.
Global monitoring of air pollution over land from the Earth Observing System-Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

[1] Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements (7 channels: 0.47-2.1 μm, 250-500 m resolutions) provide us with new insights into the characteristics of global aerosols. MODIS retrieves not only aerosol loading but also the fraction of fine mode particle. In this paper we demonstrate MODIS capability for use in monitoring global, regional, and local air pollution. Three case studies in northern Italy, Los Angeles, and Beijing showed the conclusive results of applying MODIS-derived aerosol optical depths (T a ) to regional and local air pollution in terms of accuracy (ΔT a = ±0.05 ± 0.2τ a ) and spatial sensitivity of the retrievals. Under stagnant condition, accumulated aerosol abundance can reach T a > 1 (at 0.55 μm) before being removed by wind or precipitation. The correlation found between Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) daily averaged T a and 24-hour PM 10 (particulate matter with diameter <10 μm) concentration (μg/m 3 ) in northern Italy is encouraging with correlation coefficient ∼0.82. The derivation of PM concentration from satellite measurements may be possible once we know the detailed aerosol vertical distribution. To compare aerosol loading in different regions of the globe, we choose the two most populated regions (eastern China and India) and the two most industrialized regions (the eastern United States/Canada and western Europe). The time series of MODIS monthly mean T a from July 2000 to May 2001 depicts a strong seasonal variation with maxima in the spring/ summer and minima in the winter. The clear separation between (1) the eastern United States/Canada and western Europe and (2) eastern China and India shows that the T a values in (2) are 50% to 2-3 times higher compared to those in (1). The enhancements of aerosol loading were due to smoke as originated from Montana/Idaho forest fires transported to the eastern United States in late August 2000 and dust outbreaks from Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts to eastern China as well as smoke from Southeast Asia to southern China in February-April 2001.
Designing and Weaving Aspect-Oriented Executable UML Models

Aspect-Oriented technologies, including Aspect-Oriented Modelling, provide a set of new constructs (e.g., advices or pointcuts), that help to improve the modularisation of crosscutting concerns. However, these new constructions can make it more difficult to understand how a system works as a whole, once all design modules are composed together, because: (1) designers may not be familiar with the new aspect-oriented constructions; and/or (2) aspect-orientation may cause new problems, such as the handling of aspect interactions. A straightforward and simple solution to check how a system works is to execute it. UML and its Action Semantics provide the foundations for modelling and executing object-oriented software systems. This paper presents a UML 2.0 Profile which extends the UML and its Action Semantics for the construction of aspect-oriented executable models and also a model weaver which makes the execution of such models possible. Our approach is illustrated using an Online Book Store system taken from the literature.
Personality traits and individual differences predict changes in postural control under conditions of height-induced postural threat

This thesis explored whether individual characteristics could predict changes in postural control in young adults under conditions of height-induced postural threat. Eighty-two young adults completed questionnaires to assess trait anxiety, trait movement reinvestment, physical risk-taking, and previous experience with height-related activities. Tests of static (quiet standing) and anticipatory (rise to toes) postural control were completed under conditions of low and high postural threat manipulated through changes in surface height. Individual characteristics were able to significantly predict changes in static, but not anticipatory postural control. Trait movement reinvestment and physical risk-taking were the most influential predictors. Evidence was provided that changes in fear and physiological arousal mediated the relationship between physical risk-taking and changes in static postural control. These results suggest that individual characteristics shape the postural strategy employed under threatening conditions and may be important for clinicians to consider during balance assessment and treatment protocols.
Change Impact Analysis in Agile Development

Any change that will influence the system’s safety requirements after we have finished the safety analysis and safety planning for development of safety-critical software will require a change impact analysis. One of the reasons for using Scrum is its declarations to “embrace change”. Using agile development we may add new requirements, change existing requirements and make current requirements more detailed both in the product backlog and in the sprint backlogs. Problems, methods and necessary reports related to the consequences of such changes have been discussed and analysed in the SUSS (Agile Development of Safety Critical Software) project. We have come up with an extended Scrum model which includes the change impact analysis for all potential changes to the Scrum backlog. In addition, we have designed a change impact analysis process plus a template for a change impact analysis report. Before we entered the software development part of the project, which is Scrum’s domain, we have already performed a HazOp or FMEA and a risk analysis. Changes to the requirement or the introduction of new requirements may, however, invalidate these analyses. We may thus need to perform a change impact analysis for the whole system which again may force us to repeat all or part of the first safety analyses. One big challenge when performing a change impact analysis is to identify which parts of the system under development that is affected by a certain change. Manually this is rather costly process. One of the authors has developed a prototype tool that will help in the process. This tool was, however, not specifically built to be used in agile development and we will discuss how this prototype tool can work in or be adapted to an agile development process.
The best of respiratory infections from the 2015 European Respiratory Society International Congress

The breadth and quality of scientific presentations on clinical and translational research into respiratory infections at the 2015 European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, establishes this area as one of the leadings fields in pulmonology. The host–pathogen relationship in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the impact of comorbidities and chronic treatment on clinical outcomes in patients with pneumonia were studied. Various communications were dedicated to bronchiectasis and, in particular, to different prognostic and clinical aspects of this disease, including chronic infection with Pseudomonas and inhaled antibiotic therapy. Recent data from the World Health Organization showed that Europe has the highest number of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases and the poorest countries have the least access to suitable treatments. Latent tuberculosis and different screening programmes were also discussed with particular attention to risk factors such as HIV infection and diabetes. Several biomarkers were proposed to distinguish between active tuberculosis and latent infection. Major treatment trials were discussed (REMOX, RIFQUIN and STREAM). The possibility of once-weekly treatment in the continuation phase (RIAQUIN) was especially exciting. The continuing rise of Mycobacterium abscessus as a significant pathogen was noted. This article reviews some of the best contributions from the Respiratory Infections Assembly to the 2015 ERS International Congress. Members of @ERStalk Assembly 10 discuss the best presentations on respiratory infections at #ERS2015 http://ow.ly/BVqM3018veM
The Submillimeter Properties of Extremely Red Objects

We use deep near-infrared and submillimeter observations of three massive lensing cluster fields, A370, A851, and A2390, to determine the average submillimeter properties of a K'-selected sample. The 38 Extremely Red Objects (EROs; I-K'>4) with K'<21.25 have a very significant error-weighted mean 850-micron flux of 1.58 +/- 0.13 mJy. The ERO contribution to the 850-micron background is 1.88 +/- 0.16 x 10^4 mJy per square degree, or about half the background light. The 17 Very Red Objects (VROs; 3.5<I-K'<4) are also significantly detected (1.32 +/- 0.19 mJy), bringing the combined VRO and ERO contribution to 2.59 +/- 0.19 x 10^4 mJy per square degree. There is a substantial systematic uncertainty (about a factor of two) in this value due to field-to-field variation, but even with this uncertainty it is clear that a large fraction of the 850-micron background arises from red objects. An analysis of the VRO and ERO number counts shows that half of the population's 850-micron light arises in objects with demagnified magnitudes K'<20 and half in fainter objects. On the basis of the I-J versus J-K' colors of the galaxies, the bulk of the submillimeter signal appears to arise from the dusty starburst galaxies in the red object population rather than from the high-redshift elliptical galaxies.
Learning to Teach English as a Foreign Language: Pre-Service Teachers’ Teaching Beliefs and Sources of Developmental Change

The evolving nature of teachers’ teaching beliefs and the profound influence of those beliefs on teaching practice are widely recognized phenomena, and the sources of these beliefs continue to be documented. This study investigates pre-service teachers’ beliefs about language teaching and learning, the sources of their beliefs, and changes in these beliefs as determined upon their completion of a two-year TESL master’s program in Taiwan. The study’s sample consists of eight pre-service teachers. Analyzed following the grounded analysis method, the data includes the participants’ stated beliefs about English learning and teaching collected when they began the program and when they completed the program, classroom observations of their practice teaching, and interview responses both when they completed the program and several months after completion. The results show that the participants’ own English-learning experiences contributed significantly to their beliefs about language learning and teaching. By the end of the program confirmed by the participants’ self-reports of their teaching practices several months later, significant changes in their beliefs were found, particularly in relation to the use of communicative approaches in the classroom and the use of English as the medium of instruction in the TESL master’s program. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of how teacher’s teaching beliefs form and develop and the implications of these processes and the resulting beliefs for educating teachers.
Low power link layer security for IoT: Implementation and performance analysis

In this paper, we present the implementation and performance evaluation of security functionalities at the link layer of IEEE 802.15. 4-compliant IoT devices. Specifically, we implement the required encryption and authentication mechanisms entirely in software and as well exploit the hardware ciphers that are made available by our IoT platform. Moreover, we present quantitative results on the memory footprint, the execution time and the energy consumption of selected implementation modes and discuss some relevant tradeoffs. As expected, we find that hardware-based implementations are not only much faster, leading to latencies shorter than two orders of magnitude compared to software-based security suites, but also provide substantial savings in terms of ROM memory occupation, i.e. up to six times, and energy consumption. Furthermore, the addition of hardware-based security support at the link layer only marginally impacts the network lifetime metric, leading to worst-case reductions of just 2% compared to the case where no security is employed. This is due to the fact that energy consumption is dominated by other factors, including the transmission and reception of data packets and the control traffic that is required to maintain the network structures for routing and data collection. On the other hand, entirely software-based implementations are to be avoided as the network lifetime reduction in this case can be as high as 25%.
Fixed-point optimization of deep neural networks with adaptive step size retraining

Fixed-point optimization of deep neural networks plays an important role in hardware based design and low-power implementations. Many deep neural networks show fairly good performance even with 2- or 3-bit precision when quantized weights are fine-tuned by retraining. We propose an improved fixed-point optimization algorithm that estimates the quantization step size dynamically during the retraining. In addition, a gradual quantization scheme is also tested, which sequentially applies fixed-point optimizations from high- to low-precision. The experiments are conducted for feed-forward deep neural networks (FFDNNs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and recurrent neural networks (RNNs).
Making Sense of Student Performance Data

In the accountability era, educators are pressed to use evidence-based practice. In this comparative case study, we examine the learning opportunities afforded by teachers’ data use conversations. Using situated discourse analysis, we compare two middle school mathematics teacher workgroups interpreting data from the same district assessment. Despite similarities in their contexts, the workgroups invoked different data use logics that shaped teachers’ learning opportunities. The first workgroup’s instructional management logic linked increasing student achievement to individualization. The second workgroup’s instructional improvement logic focused on students’ thinking and linked it to instructional changes but was limited by broader instructional management logics. Evidence-based practice cannot be understood apart from the data use logics in teachers’ communities, which are shaped by policy constraints.
Order Estimates in Time of Splitting Methods for the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation

In this paper, we consider the nonlinear Schrodinger equation $u_t+i\Delta u -F(u)=0$ in two dimensions. We show, by an operator-theoretic proof, that the well-known Lie and Strang formulae (which are splitting methods) are approximations of the exact solution of order 1 and 2 in time.
Lay theories of passion in the academic domain

Abstract Our aim was to study students’ beliefs about passion and its influence on academic performance and experiences, and determine whether these beliefs depend on harmonious or obsessive passion. In Study 1, participants estimated passion scores for the most successful, average and least successful students in university. In Study 2, participants viewed completed questionnaires that depicted students as having varying levels of passion, and then predicted the students’ performance and experiences in university. Across both studies, students expected that having passion for academics, regardless of predominant passion type, was related to substantially higher levels of performance compared to those who were not passionate. Participants also believed that students with strong levels of harmonious passion experienced more positive academic experiences than those without any harmonious passion. Although students likely overestimate the role that passion plays in determining academic performance, they distinguish between passion types when estimating one’s academic experiences.
Do Student Evaluations of University Reflect Inaccurate Beliefs or Actual Experience? A Relative Rank Model

It was shown that student satisfaction ratings are influenced by context in ways that have important theoretical and practical implications. Using questions from the UK's National Student Survey, the study examined whether and how students' expressed satisfaction with issues such as feedback promptness and instructor enthusiasm depends on the context of comparison (such as possibly inaccurate beliefs about the feedback promptness or enthusiasm experienced at other universities) that is evoked. Experiment 1 found strong effects of experimentally provided comparison context—for example, satisfaction with a given feedback time depended on the time's relative position within a context. Experiment 2 used a novel distribution-elicitation methodology to determine the prior beliefs of individual students about what happens in universities other than their own. It found that these beliefs vary widely and that students' satisfaction was predicted by how they believed their experience ranked within the distribution of others' experiences. A third study found that relative judgement principles also predicted students' intention to complain. An extended model was developed to show that purely rank-based principles of judgement can account for findings previously attributed to range effects. It was concluded that satisfaction ratings and quality of provision are different quantities, particularly when the implicit context of comparison includes beliefs about provision at other universities. Quality and satisfaction should be assessed separately, with objective measures (such as actual times to feedback), rather than subjective ratings (such as satisfaction with feedback promptness), being used to measure quality wherever practicable. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Topology Optimization of Piezoelectric Force Sensor

Piezoelectric sensor generates analog voltage signal in response to the applied force. The larger the output analog voltage under the same loading condition, the better the piezoelectric force sensor design because of its higher sensitivity. In this paper, topology optimization method is applied to design PZT plate force sensor. Problem formulation for this problem is given, in which a stiffness constraint is considered. The sensitivity analyses of objective function and constraint are derived from adjoint method. Finally, two optimal design results for piezoelectric force sensor are shown and discussed.
The Interaction of Exaggerated and Blunted Reactivity With Music on Responses to Unpleasant Pictures

Our goal was to assess whether affective features of music and negatively provocative images could modulate physiological and emotional reactivity of individuals with blunted or exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity. We hypothesized that differences in reactivity to music and images would emerge from data when analyzed as a 2 × 2 × 2 (Reactivity: low, high × Audio: tone, music × Visual: fixation cross, unpleasant pictures) mixed-subjects design with reactivity determined from changes in pulse wave amplitude. A 2 × 2 (MusicArousal: high, low × MusicPleasantness: pleasant, unpleasant) within-subjects design was nested within Music. University students (N = 34) were presented with audio and visual stimuli for which students rated their level of arousal and pleasantness, whereas changes in pulse wave amplitude were continuously recorded. Reactivity interacted with images to direct physiological responses to affective images. Furthermore, individuals with low physiological reactions to the affective stimuli were found to be sensitive to differences between low and high-arousal music. Differences in neurological and peripheral activity may explain differences in cardiovascular responses to visual and auditory stimuli.