Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of social networking sites on immigrants' socialization and political engagement: the role of acculturation

This research examines the extent to which immigrant consumers’ use of social networking sites affect their socialization and political engagement in the Netherlands. The study uses self-administered questionnaires to collect data from 514 Turkish-Dutch respondents of various ages, occupations, levels of education and locations in the Netherlands. The study finds that the propensity to share information, the intensity of use, and privacy concerns positively impact socialization on online social networking sites. In addition, a significant positive relationship between socialization and political involvement positively impacts voting intentions. The study also examines the interaction effects of enculturation and acculturation orientations on the relationship between socialization and political involvement. The study’s findings point to a positive moderating role of acculturation in this relationship but a negative one for enculturation. The study is the first to investigate simultaneously the drivers of socialization on social networking sites in the context of immigrant consumers and the impact of their socialization on political involvement and voting intention. The research further contributes to the scholarly work by exploring the interaction effects of acculturation and enculturation orientation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The relationship between polymorphisms in the endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase gene and the platelet GPIIIa gene with myocardial infarction and venous thromboembolism in African Americans.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine whether the polymorphic dinucleotide repeats found in intron 4 of the endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) gene and the platelet GPIIIa PLA(1)/A(2) polymorphism are associated with myocardial infarction (MI) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) in African Americans. Because these two genes may interact physiologically, the third objective was to determine if there was a relationship between the polymorphisms with respect to MI and VTE. DESIGN A hospital-based case-control study. After informed consent was obtained, blood used for DNA extraction was drawn from the subjects. SETTING The study was conducted in the Anticoagulant Clinic and the Cardiology Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta Georgia. PATIENTS Subjects were recruited from African-American patients with a reported history of MI (n = 110) or VTE (n = 91). Control subjects (n = 185) without a history of cardiovascular or venous disease were recruited from an outpatient clinic. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The 393 ecNOS allele was more common among MI cases (36%; p = 0.01) and VTE cases (35%; p = 0.04) than among control subjects (26%). There was no association between the GPIIIa genotypes and either MI or VTE. However, among the MI subjects, there was a strong association between the ecNOS 393/393 genotype and the Pl(A2) allele. It was also found that the frequency of the 393 allele was higher in African-American persons (0.26) compared with what has been reported for Australian Caucasians (0. 14) and Japanese (0.10). CONCLUSIONS The 393 allele but not the Pl(A2) allele was significantly associated with both MI and VTE in African Americans. Homozygosity for the 393 allele was significantly associated to the diagnosis of MI prior to the age of 45. The combination of the 393 allele and a Pl(A2) allele was also highly associated with MI. The frequency of the 393 allele was significantly higher in African Americans than what has been reported for other populations. This study furthers not only extends the association of the 393 allele to VTE but has demonstrated an interaction with the Pl(A2) allele with respect to MI.
Speaking Pedagogy: Insights from Vietnamese EFL Teachers’ Cognitions and Classroom Practice

i Acknowledgements . iii Certification . iv List of Abbreviations . v Table of content . vi List of Tables. x List of Figures . xi List of Appendix . xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background to the study. 1 1.2 My personal motivation for the study . 2 1.3 Context of the study . 4 1.3. 1 Developing Vietnamese learners’ speaking competence: its importance and challenges . 4 1.3. 2 An overview of current understanding of speaking pedagogy . 9 1.3. 3 Research on language teacher cognition (LTC) . 11 1.4 A summary of the research problem . 12 1.5 Research aim and strategy . 13 1.6 Significance of the study . 15 1.7 Outline of the thesis . 17 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW . 20 2.
A G ] 1 8 M ar 2 00 6 Spaces of quasi-maps into the flag varieties and their applications

Given a projective variety X and a smooth projective curve C one may consider the moduli space of maps C → X. This space admits certain compactification whose points are called quasi-maps. In the last decade it has been discovered that in the case when X is a (partial) flag variety of a semi-simple algebraic group G (or, more generally, of any symmetrizable Kac-Moody Lie algebra) these compactifications play an important role in such fields as geometric representation theory, geometric Langlands correspondence, geometry and topology of moduli spaces of G-bundles on algebraic surfaces, 4-dimensional super-symmetric gauge theory (and probably many others). This paper is a survey of the recent results about quasi-maps as well as their applications in different branches of representation theory and algebraic geometry. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000). Primary 22E46; Secondary 14J60,
Coherence Spectrum Estimation From Nonuniformly Sampled Sequences

Magnitude squared coherence (MSC) is a useful bivariate spectral measure that finds application in a wide variety of fields. In this paper, we develop a nonparametric Capon-based MSC estimator that utilizes a segmented reformulation of the recently introduced iterative adaptive approach (IAA) to provide high resolution MSC spectrum estimates. The proposed estimator, termed segmented-IAA-MSC (or SIAA-MSC, for short), allows for unevenly sampled data as well as for sequences with arbitrarily missing samples. The estimator first uses segmented-IAA to find accurate estimates of the auto- and cross-covariance matrices of the given sequences. These estimates are then used in a Capon-based MSC estimator reformulated to allow for nonuniformly sampled sequences. To achieve higher statistical accuracy, the estimation problem is formulated so as to allow for overlapped segmentation of the available data. The proposed SIAA-MSC estimator is found to yield improved estimates as compared to the more commonly used least squares Fourier transform (LSFT) based MSC estimator.
An effective algorithm for dynamic pedometer calculation

The linear accelerometer is called G-Sensor. It supplies the information of accelerating change when some motion happens. The current G-Sensor products in the market are supported by 3-dimension information. The G-Sensor becomes the one of consumer components in this trend of MEMS technology development. The applications using G-Sensor components are working in the current market, for example, to be a way to control the game working, to control user interface, to drive some application programs or change slides by knocking the side of a device, to detect the falling event, and let hard disk inside the notebook have enough time to shutdown. And, G-Sensor can be implemented inside a pedometer. For wearable device, G-Sensor is used to the fitness application. The aim of this paper was to validate step counts and cadence calculations from acceleration data during dynamic activity. The proposed algorithm to calculate the accurate rate of dynamic step detection is 95%.
Successful Treatment of Intracranial Hemorrhage with Recombinant Activated Factor VII in a Patient with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a common complication in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with an incidence rate of 6.3% (1). Bleeding disorders related to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) are common complications in AML cases (2). Recombinant activated Factor VII [rFVIIa (NovoSeven®)] is approved for the treatment of bleeding complications with FVIII or FIX inhibitors in patients with congenital FVII deficiency. Use of rFVIIa for the treatment of acute hemorrhage in patients without hemophilia has been successful (3, 4). Herein, we describe the successful use of rFVIIa in a patient with acute ICH in the setting of newly diagnosed AML.
Exertion in the small: improving differentiation and expressiveness in sports games with physical controls

Many sports video games contain elements such as running or throwing that are based on real-world physical activities, but the translation of these activities to game controllers means that the original physicality is lost. This results in games where players have limited opportunity to improve their physical skills, where there is little differentiation in people's physical abilities, and where skills do not change over the course of a game. To explore ways of adding these elements back into sports games, we developed two games with small-scale physical controls for running and throwing -- one game was a simple running race, and one was a team-based handball-style game called Jelly Polo. In two studies (three track-and-field tournaments for the running game, and a four-week league for Jelly Polo), we observed the effects of physical controls on gameplay. Our studies showed that the physical controls enabled substantial individual differences in running and passing skill, allowed people to increase their expertise over time, and led to fatigue-based changes in performance during a game. Physical controls increased the games' challenge, complexity, and unpredictability, and dramatically improved player interest, expressiveness, and enjoyment. Our work shows that game designers should consider the idea of "exertion in the small" as a way to improve play experience in games based on physical activities.
Fault-tolerant method with distributed monitoring and management technique for 3D stacked meshes

In this paper, we present a fully adaptive routing algorithm for 3D stacked mesh, called 3D-FAR. This algorithm utilizes two, two, and four virtual channels along the X, Y, and Z dimensions, respectively. It allows packets to take any shortest paths between the source and destination routers. 3D-FAR divides the network into four disjoint subnetworks. To improve the fault-tolerant capability of the network, packets are able to switch between subnetworks in an ascending order. In this paper, we also propose a fault-tolerant algorithm for 3D mesh network, called 3D-FT. This method is discussed both for tolerating faulty routers and links in the network. For tolerating faulty routers, only the shortest paths are taken while for tolerating faulty links, the non-minimal paths are used only when the source and destination routers are located in the same dimension with a faulty link between them. 3D-FT utilizes a distributed monitoring and management technique to distribute the fault statuses among the surrounding routers.
Selection on codon usage and base composition in Drosophila americana

We have used a polymorphism dataset on introns and coding sequences of X-linked loci in Drosophila americana to estimate the strength of selection on codon usage and/or biased gene conversion (BGC), taking into account a recent population expansion detected by a maximum-likelihood method. Drosophila americana was previously thought to have a stable demographic history, so that this evidence for a recent population expansion means that previous estimates of selection need revision. There was evidence for natural selection or BGC favouring GC over AT variants in introns, which is stronger for GC-rich than GC-poor introns. By comparing introns and coding sequences, we found evidence for selection on codon usage bias, which is much stronger than the forces acting on GC versus AT basepairs in introns.
How does the efficacy and safety of Oralair® compare to other products on the market?

Due to differences between allergen immunotherapy (AIT) trials in patient populations, trial design (including primary efficacy variables), the definition of a pollen season, data analysis, and comparisons between AIT products with existing data, is not possible nor valid. The efficacy of two grass pollen AIT tablets, Oralair® and Grazax®/Grastek®, should not be compared by looking at the percentage of score improvement in their respective trials. However, the evidence available concerning the efficacy and safety in trials can be compared by paying close attention to the scientific quality of the trials, details in the administration schedules, and safety issues. It can be concluded due to the high level of evidence available, that Oralair® is effective in a pre (2-months)-coseasonal schedule to reduce symptoms and medication use, and improve a patients’ quality of life during the treatment season. For the long-term, where the quality of efficacy evidence is moderate at 2-year posttreatment due to a high dropout rate, the pre (4-months)-coseasonal schedule should be used. No clinical efficacy data exists for starting treatment in-season, but the clinical onset of action of Oralair® is detectable after only 1 month of treatment. In the pivotal trials in Europe and the USA, no tablet-related epinephrine was needed, though some rare severe local reactions have been reported. Research for Grazax®/Grastek® showed that the long-term efficacy needs a continuous 3-year administration (moderate-low quality evidence available), and in two patients, tablet-related epinephrine was given. Further details on the comparative efficacy of both tablets would only be possible if both were evaluated in the same, adequately powered trial.
The cortical peptidoglycan from spores of Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis is not highly cross-linked

Determination by amino acid analyses of the percentage of diaminopimelic acid in the spore cortex of Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis which is involved in interpeptide cross-links gave values of 31 to 37%. This finding supports the idea that the cortex volume could undergo significant changes in response to changes in pH or ionic strength and could thus play an active role in reducing the water content of the spore protoplast during sporulation.
Bayesian Sequential Detection With Phase-Distributed Change Time and Nonlinear Penalty—A POMDP Lattice Programming Approach

We show that the optimal decision policy for several types of Bayesian sequential detection problems has a threshold switching curve structure on the space of posterior distributions. This is established by using lattice programming and stochastic orders in a partially observed Markov decision process (POMDP) framework. A stochastic gradient algorithm is presented to estimate the optimal linear approximation to this threshold curve. We illustrate these results by first considering quickest time detection with phase-type distributed change time and a variance stopping penalty. Then it is proved that the threshold switching curve also arises in several other Bayesian decision problems such as quickest transient detection, exponential delay (risk-sensitive) penalties, stopping time problems in social learning, and multi-agent scheduling in a changing world. Using Blackwell dominance, it is shown that for dynamic decision making problems, the optimal decision policy is lower bounded by a myopic policy. Finally, it is shown how the achievable cost of the optimal decision policy varies with change time distribution by imposing a partial order on transition matrices.
Evaluating SIP server performance

SIP is a protocol of growing importance, with uses for VoIP, instant messaging, presence, and more. However, its performance is not well-studied or understood. In this extended abstract we overview our experimental evaluation of common SIP server scenarios using open-source SIP software such as OpenSER and SIP prunning on Linux. We show performance varies greatly depending on the server scenario and how the protocol is used. Depending on the configuration, through put can vary from hundreds to thousands of operations per second. For example, we observe that the choice of stateless vs. stateful proxying, using TCP rather than UDP, or including MD5-based authentication can each can affect performance by a factor of 2-4. We also provide kernel and application profiles using Oprofile that help explain and illustrate processing costs. Finally, we provide a simple fix for transaction-stateful proxying that improves performance by a factor of 10. Full details can be found in our accompanying technical report.
Reduction of Rotor Losses in Multilayer Interior Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motors by Introducing Novel Topology of Rotor Flux Barriers

A novel topology of flux barriers in multilayer interior permanent-magnet motors is proposed in order to reduce the rotor losses, including magnet eddy-current loss for the purpose of preventing thermal demagnetization of permanent magnets. First, the mechanism of rotor loss generation is investigated by using 3-D finite-element analysis that considers inverter carrier. The electromagnetic field is decomposed into time-harmonic components in order to understand the main factors that cause the rotor losses. From the observations, a novel topology of rotor flux barriers, which are jointed between poles, is invented. Finally, prototype motors are manufactured in order to confirm the validity of the calculation. From both results of the experiments and the calculations, it is revealed that the rotor loss of the proposed motor is significantly reduced, whereas the decrease in the peak torque is only a few percent, as compared with the conventional multilayer motors.
Data augmentation for support vector machines

Summary This paper presents a latent variable representation of regularized support vector machines (SVM’s) that enables EM, ECME or MCMC algorithms to provide parameter estimates. We verify our representation by demonstrating that minimizing the SVM optimality criterion together with the parameter regularization penalty is equivalent to finding the mode of a mean-variance mixture of normals pseudo-posterior distribution. The latent variables in the mixture representation lead to EM and ECME point estimates of SVM parameters, as well as MCMC algorithms based on Gibbs sampling that can bring Bayesian tools for Gaussian linear models to bear on SVM’s. We show how to implementing SVM’s with spike-and-slab priors and running them against data from a standard spam filtering data set.
Unsupervised Morphological Disambiguation using Statistical Language Models

In this paper, we present a probabilistic model for the unsupervised morphological disambiguation problem. Our model assigns morphological parses T to the contexts C instead of assigning them to the words W . The target word w ∈ W determines the possible parse set Tw ⊂ T that can be used in w’s context cw ∈ C. To assign the correct morphological parse t ∈ Tw to w, our model finds the parse t ∈ Tw that maximizes P (t|cw). P (t|cw)’s are estimated using a statistical language model and the vocabulary of the corpus. The system performs significantly better than an unsupervised baseline and its performance is close to a supervised baseline.
Local adaptation, evolutionary potential and host–parasite coevolution: interactions between migration, mutation, population size and generation time

Local adaptation of parasites to their sympatric hosts has been investigated on different biological systems through reciprocal transplant experiments. Most of these studies revealed a local adaptation of the parasite. In several cases, however, parasites were found to be locally maladapted or neither adapted nor maladapted. In the present paper, we try to determine the causes of such variability in these results. We analyse a host–parasite metapopulation model and study the effect of several factors on the emergence of local adaptation: population sizes, mutation rates and migration rates for both the host and the parasite, and parasite generation time. We show that all these factors may act on local adaptation through their effects on the evolutionary potential of each species. In particular, we find that higher numbers of mutants or migrants do, in general, promote local adaptation. Interestingly, shorter parasite generation time does not always favour parasite local adaptation. When genetic variability is limiting, shorter generation time, via an increase of the strength of selection, decreases the capacity of the parasite to adapt to an evolving host.
ATP Induces a Rapid and Pronounced Increase in 2-Arachidonoylglycerol Production by Astrocytes, a Response Limited by Monoacylglycerol Lipase

The cytoplasm of neural cells contain millimolar amounts of ATP, which flood the extracellular space after injury, activating purinergic receptors expressed by glial cells and increasing gliotransmitter production. These gliotransmitters, which are thought to orchestrate neuroinflammation, remain widely uncharacterized. Recently, we showed that microglial cells produce 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), an endocannabinoid known to prevent the propagation of harmful neuroinflammation, and that ATP increases this production by threefold at 2.5 min (Witting et al., 2004). Here we show that ATP increases 2-AG production from mouse astrocytes in culture, a response that is more rapid (i.e., significant within 10 sec) and pronounced (i.e., 60-fold increase at 2.5 min) than any stimulus-induced increase in endocannabinoid production reported thus far. Increased 2-AG production from astrocytes requires millimolar amounts of ATP, activation of purinergic P2X7 receptors, sustained rise in intracellular calcium, and diacylglycerol lipase activity. Furthermore, we show that astrocytes express monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL), the main hydrolyzing enzyme of 2-AG, the pharmacological inhibition of which potentiates the ATP-induced 2-AG production (up to 113-fold of basal 2-AG production at 2.5 min). Our results show that ATP greatly increases, and MGL limits, 2-AG production from astrocytes. We propose that 2-AG may function as a gliotransmitter, with MGL inhibitors potentiating this production and possibly restraining the propagation of harmful neuroinflammation.