Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Provable Infinite-Horizon Real-Time Planning for Repetitive Tasks

In manufacturing and automation settings, robots often have to perform highly-repetitive manipulation tasks in structured environments. In this work we are interested in settings where tasks are similar, yet not identical (e.g., due to uncertain orientation of objects) and motion planning needs to be extremely fast. Preprocessing-based approaches prove to be very beneficial in these settings; they analyze the configuration-space offline to generate some auxiliary information which can then be used in the query phase to speedup planning times. Typically, the tighter the requirement is on query times the larger the memory footprint will be. In particular, for high-dimensional spaces, providing real-time planning capabilities is extremely challenging. While there are planners that guarantee real-time performance by limiting the planning horizon, we are not aware of general-purpose planners capable of doing it for infinite horizon (i.e., planning to the goal). To this end, we propose a preprocessing-based method that provides provable bounds on the query time while incurring only a small amount of memory overhead in the query phase. We evaluate our method on a 7-DOF robot arm and show a speedup of over tenfold in query time when compared to the PRM algorithm, while provably guaranteeing a maximum query time of less than 3 milliseconds.
Key Factors of Online Customer Satisfaction

The development of e-business and intensified competition in online environment made e-marketing activities and especially customer satisfaction an important part of these businesses. Previous research took the online customer satisfaction from marketing or from technical perspective. Although these approaches helped improve our understanding, a framework to integrate them is missing from the current literature. In this study, the customer satisfaction is taken into account using an integrative view of these multiple perspectives. A survey is conducted with 1312 customers of 5 online stores. Marketing and technical constructs were incorporated into a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to understand the effect of each variable on customer satisfaction. The analysis results show that although these constructs do have a significant influence on customer satisfaction, not all the variables of each construct have the same effect. Thus it is important to take an integrative approach and improve key marketing and technical factors.
Contextual Effects on Online Pragmatic Inferences of Deception

ABSTRACT Where the veracity of a statement is in question, listeners tend to interpret disfluency as signaling dishonesty. Previous research in deception suggests that this results from a speaker model, linking lying to cognitive effort and effort to disfluency. However, the disfluency–lying bias occurs very quickly: Might listeners instead simply heuristically associate disfluency with lying? To investigate this, we look at whether listeners’ disfluency–lying biases are sensitive to context. Participants listened to a potentially dishonest speaker describe treasure as being behind a named object while viewing scenes comprising the referent (the named object) and a distractor. Their task was to click on the treasure’s suspected true location. In line with previous work, participants clicked on the distractor more following disfluent descriptions, and this effect corresponded to an early fixation bias, demonstrating the online nature of the pragmatic judgment. The present study, however, also manipulated the presence of an alternative, local cause of speaker disfluency: the speaker momentarily distracted by a car horn. When disfluency could be attributed to speaker distraction, participants initially fixated more on the referent, only later fixating on and selecting the distractor. These findings support the speaker modeling view, showing that listeners can take momentary contextual causes of disfluency into account.
Managing Human Factor at the Fuzzy Front-End of Innovation

The fuzzy front end of innovation (FFE) is attributed to the early phase of the innovation process. Selecting the best ideas for further development is critical for business success. However, the existing FFE literature has mainly focused on the idea generation processes, whereas studies regarding idea selection processes are significantly less representative. By following cross-disciplinary research strategy, this theoretical and methodological concept development study identifies factors from psychology, behavioural sciences and neuroscience which can influence individual person’s decision-making process during the FFE idea selection stage. Moreover, we discuss the impact of the identified factors in incremental vs. radical idea selection processes in order to evaluate the possible differences between these two very different idea types. As a result it is concluded that radical idea selection process appears to be more systematically negatively influenced by choice biases whereas choice biases have more scattered influence on successful selection of incremental ideas.
NUTRIENTS CONTENT AND TEXTURE CHANGES AS EFFECT OF HARVEST TIME, POSTHARVEST TREATMENTS AND STORAGE CONDITION OF CARROT

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of harvest time (November or January) and postharves t treatments (hot water (50°C), H 2O2 (1%), NaOCl (175 ppm)) and nonwashed-control of carrot s (Daucus carrota L. cv. ‘Maestro F1’) on the changes in nutrient composition and textu re under different storage conditions (S-1: 0°C, 98% RH; S-2: 0–2°C, 85–92% RH). We ight loss and quality changes in carrot roots were evaluated after 120 and 180 days of storage period (SP). After SP weight loss ranged from 3.20% (carrots from the first harvest in S-1 with H 2O2 treatment) to 34.51% (carrots from the first harves t in S-2 with hot water treatment). Dry matter (DM) content in carrot ro ots varied in dependence of the harvest time (9.57– 12.22%) and increased after the SP exept in carrot from first harvest with hot water and H 2O2 treatments in S-1. Total sugar content (TSC) increased after SP, more in S-2 cooling room. Vitamin C content in carro t roots decreased more in S-2 (20.7–52.3%) in compari son to S-1 storage conditions (2.0–18.2%). The hardness and flexibility of carrot roots increased afte r SP for all treatments. Prestorage washing treatmen ts (H2O2 or NaOCl) and storage in S-1 storage regime at tempe ratur (0°C) with a high relative humidity 98% maintained quality of carrot root.
Coupling sequential restoration of balanced cross sections and low-temperature thermochronometry: The case study of the Western Carpathians

In this paper, a new approach is applied to test a proposed scenario for the tectonic evolution of the Western Carpathian fold-and-thrust belt–foreland system. A N-S balanced section was constructed across the fold-and-thrust belt, from the Polish foreland to the Slovakia hinterland domain. Its sequential restoration allows us to delineate the tectonic evolution and to predict the cooling history along the section. In addition, the response of low-temperature thermochronometers (apatite fission-track and apatite [U-Th]/He) to the changes in the fold-and-thrust belt geometry produced by fault activity and topography evolution are tested. The effective integration of structural and thermochronometric methods provides, for the first time, a high-resolution thermo-kinematic model of the Western Carpathians from the Early Cretaceous onset of shortening to the present day. The interplay between thick- and thin-skinned thrusting exerts a discernible effect on the distribution of cooling ages along the profile. Our analysis unravels cooling of the Outer Carpathians since ca. 22 Ma. The combination of thrust-related hanging-wall uplift and erosion is interpreted as the dominant exhumation mechanism for the outer portion of the orogen. Younger cooling ages (13–4 Ma) obtained for the Inner Carpathian domain are mainly associated with a later, localized uplift, partly controlled by extensional faulting. These results, which help unravel the response of low-temperature thermochronometers to the sequence of tectonic events and topographic changes, allow us to constrain the tectonic scenario that best honors all available data.
Attitudes of Nurses Toward Children With Disabilities: The Attitudes of Nursing Students Toward Children With Disabilities: An Experimental Design

The attitudes of U. S. nurses toward children with disabilities have not been adequately measured over time and after an educational intervention. Disability content has not been a priority in nursing education and, if present, the focus has been on adults with disabilities. The attitudes of nurses play a significant role in the provision of quality healthcare services they provide for children with disabilities. This quantitative, experimental research measured the attitudes of graduating nursing students (N=88) toward children with disabilities utilizing the Attitudes Towards Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP-B) before and after disability education. The control group consisted of 44 nurses while a group of 44 nurses received the treatment. The differences between the groups was measured at pretest (time 1), immediate posttest (time 2) after an educational module, and delayed posttest (time 3) one month follow up, utilizing repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multivariate tests for within subject effect of the ATDP-B demonstrated that the dependent variable of attitudes as measured by the ATDP-B scale changes over time and after an educational module based on children with disabilities were (F=[2,85]=28.59, p<0.01). It was discovered that the ATDP-B level changes over time, dependent on the group (F=[2,85]=51.15, p<0.01). Also, the between subjects main effect of group was significant across ATDP-B measurements (F=[1,86]=32.53, p<0.01) (Table 6 and 7). The results of this research suggest that there is a significant difference in means of ATDP-B measurements between groups which indicates that the graduating nurses who received disability education performed significantly better on an assessment of attitudes toward children with disabilities than those who did not receive the education. The findings of this research should compel nursing faculty to reevaluate curriculum content, provide specific attitude measurements of nursing students at various levels of education, and develop protocols that can assist students in learning to care for children with disabilities. Future research on the attitudes of nurses toward children with disabilities can also be designed to measure attitudes of nurses in several nursing education programs across the U. S, or evaluate the attitudes of numerous other healthcare professionals caring for children with disabilities.
Osteoporosis and People with Down Syndrome: A Preliminary Descriptive Examination of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing Wave 1 Results

Background: People with Down syndrome (DS) are a high “at risk” group to develop osteoporosis. Increased morbidity associated with older age, higher prevalence of Alzheimer dementia, hypotonia, hypogonadism, and thyroid disease, are all features of DS and predispose this cohort to musculoskeletal complications. Methods: The Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA) is a representative study of the aging of adults with intellectual disability in Ireland. The sample (N = 753) included 147 people with DS. Data was gathered on participants’ health status, behavioural health, health screenings and activities of daily living. The prevalence of osteoporosis and related risk factors among people with DS was specifically examined. Findings: Of the 147 participants with DS, 9.4% reported a doctor’s diagnosis of osteoporosis; a much lower figure than prevalence of risk factors would suggest. Predisposing factors identified included higher than general population rates of thyroid disease (37.4%), epilepsy (19.3%), sedentary lifestyle (51.7%) and the majority of the females reporting having experienced menopause (61%). Bone health screening was low at (8%) despite the presence of such high levels of risk factors in this population. Conclusion: Given the risk factor findings and the hidden nature of osteoporosis, underreported incidence among people with Down syndrome seems probable. Further investigations and systematic screening are required.
Financial development and economic growth in Fiji: New empirical evidence

This paper examines whether financial development promotes economic growth in Fiji over the period 1970 to 2005. The methods applied are cointegration and the error correction model to test the long run equilibrium and short run relationship among the key variables relevant for this study. Cointegration test results support the existence of a long run relationship. The short term dynamic behaviour of the relationship between financial development and growth show that financial development has made a modest contribution to output.
Urban development and transport disadvantage: Methodology to evaluate social transport needs in Latin American cities

This article examines the theoretical framework for accessibility, social exclusion and provision of public transport. The socio-economic and urban characteristics of Latin American cities require the creation of specific indices to determine social needs for public transport. In the article an index of social transport needs is drawn up. It can be used to highlight a problem which is severely affecting wide groups in Latin America who suffer social exclusion aggravated by a deficient provision of public transport, and that the planning of public transport systems must take into account mechanisms which include social needs in the decision making process.
Building the Ecological Behavior of Romanian Consumers: A Case Study of Social Organizations' Involvement in Society

The paper emphasizes the importance of social organizations in creating ecological awareness of consumers, highlighting issues related to consumer's role in protecting the environment, the responsible use of natural resources and the need to involve consumers in social activities with ecological character. Starting from this study, the paper aimed to provide social organizations both an overview on how the environment issue was perceived in the society as well as a means of assessing the ecological activities carried out so far among the population of Romania. Results showed that there is a strong relationship between consumers’ willingness to adopt a responsible ecological behavior and social organizations who initiated campaigns to address this issue. Practical implications of the research have also discussed.
Randomized control trial to compare the effectiveness of mifepristone followed by misoprostol at 12 hours interval versus misoprostol alone in second trimester medical termination of pregnancy

Background: Mifepristone priming in second trimester abortions not only decreases the induction-abortion interval (IAI) but also lessens the total misoprostol dose required and hence reduces adverse effects. The present study aims to compare the role of mifepristone priming 12 hours before misoprostol administration so as to increase patient compliance and shorten the duration of hospital stay.Methods: This prospective study was conducted over a period of one year, on 50 patients requiring second trimester abortion, at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Government Medical College, Amritsar. The patients were divided into two groups with 1:1 randomization. In Group A, 25 women were given tablet mifepristone 200 mg orally followed 12 hours later by tablet misoprostol 400 µg per vaginum followed by the same dose 3 hourly for a maximum of five doses per 24 hours. In group B, 25 women received only tablet misoprostol 400 µg vaginally in the posterior fornix followed by the same dose 3 hourly for a maximum of five doses per 24 hours. Primary outcome was to compare the completeness of expulsion of products of conception by pelvic ultrasound after 48 hours of the last dose administered. Secondary outcome was to compare the Induction abortion interval (IAI), mean dose of misoprostol required, side effects, effect of parity, gestational age and cervical dilatation on IAI with both the regimens used.Results: The success rate was 76% in group A and 64% in group B. The mean induction abortion interval in group A was 8.9±4.70 hours whereas in group B, it was 13.14±6.03 hours and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.008). A statistically significant difference was also observed in mean dose of misoprostol required in group A and B being 1232.00±398.60 µg and 1584.00±423.94 µg respectively (p=0.004). The side effects were less in group A. Parity and cervical dilatation hold an inverse relation with the mean IAI whereas it has a direct relation with the gestational age.Conclusions: Regimen involving mifepristone priming 12 hours before misoprostol is better than misoprostol alone regimen with significant reduction in IAI, mean dose of misoprostol and less side effects.
A behavioral model of information seeking on the web: preliminary results of a study of how managers and IT specialists use the web

This paper develops a new behavioral model of information seeking on the Web by combining theoretical elements from information science and organization science. The model was tested during the first phase of a study of how managers and information technology (IT) specialists use the Web to seek external information as part of their daily work. Participants answered a questionnaire and were interviewed individually in order to understand their information needs and information seeking preferences. A custom-developed tracker application was installed on their workplace computers, or their browsers were redirected through a proxy server set up by the research team. Participants' Web-use activities were then monitored continuously for two work weeks. The tracker application recorded participants' Web browser actions, while the proxy recorded HTTP requests and transfers. In a follow-up round of personal interviews, participants recalled critical incidents of using information from the Web. Data from the questionnaire, interviews, and the tracker and server log files supplied a rich database for study. Results were found to be compatible with the behavioral model proposed. Overall, the study suggests that a behavioral framework which relates motivations (strategies and modes of viewing and searching) and moves (tactics used to find and use information) may be helpful in analyzing Web-based information seeking. Findings also suggest that multiple, complementary methods of collecting qualitative and quantitative data may be used within a single study to compose a richer portrayal of how individuals seek and use Web-based information in their natural work settings. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/AEF) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Attachment disorganization and dissociation in virtual worlds: A study on problematic Internet use among players of online role playing games.

Objective: internet addiction was linked both theoretically and empirically with attachment insecurity and dissociation; however, there is a lack of studies exploring the associations between attachment disorganization, dissociation, and problematic internet use. Method: in this study, an internet-based survey administered by means of the internet Addiction test (iAt) was conducted among the players of an italian multi-user dungeon in order to select a subsample of people who showed above the iAt cut-off for a problematic internet use. these players were contacted for a second phase of the study in which they were administered the Adult Attachment interview and the revised dissociative experience scale. Results and Conclusions of attachment disorganization on the internet addiction scores, thus supporting the idea that people higly involved with the internet role-playing games can use dissociation to protect the self from memories of loss, neglect and abuse experienced in the attachment relationships.
Surprising competitive coexistence in a classic model system

Competing species often coexist, but the mechanisms allowing long-term coexistence are rarely tested via direct experimental manipulation. We experimentally tested the mechanisms of coexistence in a classic model system, laboratory microcosms in which two species of ciliate protists competed for bacteria. Previous work shows that the species used here compete for bacteria, but can coexist despite large differences in grazing ability. We tested three hypotheses that might explain this surprising coexistence: resource partitioning, chemically-mediated interference competition, and differential use of space. To test for resource partitioning, we conducted an experiment testing the effects of bacterial species richness and composition on the long-term outcome of competition. Manipulating bacterial diversity and composition alters the scope for resource partitioning. Despite strong evidence for differential resource use (e.g., the two ciliates shifted bacterial species composition in different ways), initial bacterial richness and composition did not affect the long-term outcome of competition. Remarkably, the competitive outcome was unchanged even when ciliates competed for a single bacterial species, indicating that the observed resource partitioning is irrelevant to the competitive outcome. In further experiments, we ruled out differential space use and chemically-mediated interference competition as explanations for this surprising coexistence. Coexistence of ciliates on a single bacterial species might reflect partitioning of intraspecific bacterial diversity, and/or osmotrophy or consumption of particulate detritus by the weaker competitor. The results show that this classic model system is not as well-understood as had been previously thought. More broadly, the results dramatically illustrate that merely observing “niche differences” between coexisting species is no evidence that those differences are either necessary or sufficient for long-term coexistence.
Evaluation of some upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties for salinity tolerance screening

L. ) (Aleppo118, Aleppo33/1, Aleppo90, Raqqa5, and Deir-Ezzor22) varieties based on physiological indices and genetic variation using AFLP marker. These varieties were evaluated under control and saline conditions (50, 100 & 200 mM NaCl) for 56 days. Various physiological indices were detected in this investigation. In this respect, Deir-Ezzor22 variety differed by showing high salt tolerance relative to the other tested varieties. Otherwise, PCR amplification with 7 AFLP PCs primer combinations revealed that Deir-Ezzor22 variety characterized by 15 unique positive markers compared to the other tested varieties. Based on physiological study and AFLP technique, it can be concluded that genetic variation detected by AFLP marker supported the physiological indices among the tested cotton varieties. These varieties present considerable interest for genetic studies and plant improvement.
Examining Property Tax Value Assessment Error

Accuracy in the value assessment process in ad valorem property tax systems is of paramount importance to equitable treatment of taxpayers, yet several previous studies suggest that assessors’ opinions of value may be systematically biased. This study uses a large sample of properties that were assessed within one year after an arm’s length transaction with observed prices to test whether task complexity affects the accuracy of assessors’ opinions of value. The results provide evidence that property characteristics and location factors impact the magnitude of assessment error.