Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dirac structures in nonequilibrium thermodynamics for simple open systems

Dirac structures are geometric objects that generalize Poisson structures and presymplectic structures on manifolds. They naturally appear in the formulation of constrained mechanical systems and play an essential role in structuring a dynamical system through the energy flow between its subsystems and elements. In this paper, we show that the evolution equations for open thermodynamic systems, i.e., systems exchanging heat and matter with the exterior, admit an intrinsic formulation in terms of Dirac structures. We focus on simple systems, in which the thermodynamic state is described by a single entropy variable. A main difficulty compared to the case of closed systems lies in the explicit time dependence of the constraint associated to the entropy production. We overcome this issue by working with the geometric setting of time-dependent nonholonomic mechanics. We define three type of Dirac dynamical systems for the nonequilibrium thermodynamics of open systems, based either on the generalized energy, the Lagrangian, or the Hamiltonian. The variational formulations associated to the Dirac systems formulations are also presented.
Kernel density estimation for undirected dyadic data

We study nonparametric estimation of density functions for undirected dyadic random variables (i.e., random variables defined for all n\overset{def}{\equiv}\tbinom{N}{2} unordered pairs of agents/nodes in a weighted network of order N). These random variables satisfy a local dependence property: any random variables in the network that share one or two indices may be dependent, while those sharing no indices in common are independent. In this setting, we show that density functions may be estimated by an application of the kernel estimation method of Rosenblatt (1956) and Parzen (1962). We suggest an estimate of their asymptotic variances inspired by a combination of (i) Newey's (1994) method of variance estimation for kernel estimators in the "monadic" setting and (ii) a variance estimator for the (estimated) density of a simple network first suggested by Holland and Leinhardt (1976). More unusual are the rates of convergence and asymptotic (normal) distributions of our dyadic density estimates. Specifically, we show that they converge at the same rate as the (unconditional) dyadic sample mean: the square root of the number, N, of nodes. This differs from the results for nonparametric estimation of densities and regression functions for monadic data, which generally have a slower rate of convergence than their corresponding sample mean.
Comparing novice programing environments for use in secondary education: App Inventor for Android vs. Alice

Coding is part of logical thinking and is one of the basic skills which are known as '21st-century skills'. Coding acquisition is necessary as it is used in a wide range of occupations. However, computer programing is difficult to learn and programing courses often have high drop-out rates. Novice programmers suffer from a wide range of difficulties and deficits. Research in teaching and learning programing across different countries and educational contexts reveal that novice programmers face the same challenges in their efficiency of writing, debugging and running programs. These difficulties have led those involved in the teaching of programing to further consider the most effective ways that can facilitate novice programmers in learning the basic programing concepts. Visual programing environments which support the construction of programs through a drag-and-drop interface are among the most popular coding tools for teaching novice programmers. In this paper, we investigate the use of Alice and App Inventor for Android, with regard to their effectiveness for teaching and learning programing in secondary education students.
Effect of Ease of Use and Fallibility of Biometric Fingerprint Technology in Criminal Identification in Kenya

The aim of this study was to assess the factors influencing the use of Biometric Fingerprint Technology in criminal identification in Kenya. The specific objectives for the study were toassess the effect of Ease of use and fallibility of biometric fingerprint technology on Criminal Identification in Kenya. The study was grounded on probability theory and technology acceptance model. The study used a census. The study targeted140 fingerprint officers working at the National Registration Bureau at the Huduma Centers, National Registration Bureau headquarters, and Langata, Kariakor, Pumwani and Makadara stations. Primary data was collected using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. SPSS software version 22 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive and regression analysis were used. Multiplelinear regressions were used to examine the effect of the variables on criminal identification. All the statistical tests were carried out at 5% level of significance.Correlation results revealed that Ease of useand fallibility of BFTpositively and significantly influence criminal identification. Regression results showed that Ease of use of BFT positively and significantly influencesCriminal Identification (β = 0.296, Sig = 0.000). Moreover, regression results revealed that Fallibility of biometric fingerprint technology had a positive and significant influence on Criminal Identification (β = 0.226, Sig = 0.000). The study recommends the management of National Registration Bureau to ensure that their fingerprint officers capture quality level fingerprint International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences Vol. 9 , No. 3, March, 2019, E-ISSN: 2 22 2 -6990 © 2019 HRMARS 844 impressions during the registration process using BFT in order to ensure that individuals are accurately authenticated thereby preventing and detecting criminal activities.Othermeans identification such as DNA should be incorporated as a change in environmental conditions causes fingerprints to be unrecognizable and in cases of cuts or burns or extreme weight gain or loss, higher level of deformity of fingers.
MUSICAL APTITUDE , LANGUAGE APTITUDE AND L 2 PRONUNCIATION ACCURACY – A LITERATURE

The paper offers a review of the studies concerning the relationships between musical aptitude and pronunciation accuracy, be− tween language aptitude and pronunciation accuracy, and between musical aptitude and language aptitude. Several studies (Thompson 1991, Flege et al. 1995) indicate that musical aptitude does not influence pronunciation accuracy. However, musical ability is self−rated in most of these studies, which affects their reliability in this aspect. On the other hand, Slevc and Miyake (2006) or Nardo and Reiterer (2009), among others, advocate the existence of a relationship between musical aptitude and pro− nunciation accuracy, their conclusions being based on empirical research and more methodologically reliable elicitation tools. While language aptitude affects pronunciation accuracy in theory, in practice, the study by Baker Smemoe and Haslam (2013) indicates that the relationship between them is very weak. It appears significant only after additional, non−standard compo− nents of motivation and auditory aptitude are considered to be constituents of language aptitude. Several studies (Tucker 2000, Gilleece 2006, Nardo and Reiterer 2009) suggest that a weak relationship exists between musical aptitude and language aptitude. However, while Tucker (2000) maintains that language aptitude correlates with only certain components of musical aptitude, Nardo and Reiterer (2009) claim that musical aptitude correlates with only certain components of language aptitude. Finally, a proposition for future research into the three relationships is given, in which the correlations will be calculated from the results of reliable tests taken by the subjects from a musically proficient group and a control group. Each of the tests will measure an individual component of musical aptitude, language aptitude or pronunciation.
Fundamental Limits of Cache-Aided Private Information Retrieval With Unknown and Uncoded Prefetching

We consider the problem of private information retrieval (PIR) from <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula> non-colluding and replicated databases when the user is equipped with a cache that holds an uncoded fraction <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> from each of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula> stored messages in the databases. We assume that the databases are unaware of the cache content. We investigate <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$D^{*}(r)$ </tex-math></inline-formula> the optimal download cost normalized with the message size as a function of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. For a fixed <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, we develop an inner bound (converse bound) for the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$D^{*}(r)$ </tex-math></inline-formula> curve. The inner bound is a piece-wise linear function in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> that consists of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula> line segments. For the achievability, we develop explicit schemes that exploit the cached bits as side information to achieve <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K-1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> non-degenerate corner points. These corner points differ in the number of cached bits that are used to generate the one-side information equation. We obtain an outer bound (achievability) for any caching ratio by memory sharing between these corner points. Thus, the outer bound is also a piece-wise linear function in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> that consists of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula> line segments. The inner and the outer bounds match in general for the cases of very low-caching ratio and very high-caching ratio. As a corollary, we fully characterize the optimal download cost caching ratio tradeoff for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K=3$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. For general <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, we show that the largest gap between the achievability and the converse bounds is 1/6. Our results show that the download cost can be reduced beyond memory sharing if the databases are unaware of the cached content.
Efficient Private Information Retrieval

Efficient Private Information Retrieval by Konstantinos F. Nikolopoulos Adviser: Professor Spiridon Bakiras A vast amount of today’s Internet users’ on line activities consists of queries to various types of databases. From traditional search engines to modern cloud based services, a person’s everyday queries over a period of time on various data sources, will leave a trail visible to the query processor, which can reveal significant and possibly sensitive information about her. Private Information Retrieval (PIR) algorithms can be leveraged for providing perfect privacy to users’ queries, though at a restrictive computational cost. In this work, we consider today’s highly distributed computing environments, as well as certain secure-hardware devices, for optimizing existing PIR solutions. In particular, we initially employ available secure-hardware in a novel approach with the goal of providing faster and constant private query responses, by sacrificing some degree of privacy. Further on, we utilize the widely used Message Passing Interface (MPI) protocol for designing a library which can be used in third party software for performing private queries.
Comparing Time Series Similarity Perception under Different Color Interpolations

In previous work [1] we compared three time series visualization techniques (colorfields, horizon graphs, and line charts) in small multiples [2], in order to determine if the time series results returned from automatic similarity measures are perceived in a similar manner, irrespective of the visualization technique. Our results indicated that the notion of similarity is visualization dependent. In that first study, our colorfields implementation used a naive RGB color interpolation between red and blue hues. In this research report we describe a follow-up experiment, comparing this simple RGB interpolation to one that is perceptually uniform (CIE L*a*b*), in order to understand if the choice of color interpolation plays a role in the perception of similarity.
Prediction of Airline Delays based on Machine Learning Algorithms

Every year around 20% of all flights are delayed or canceled. The costs of these events to the airline companies and passengers are in billions of dollars each year. According to a report published in 2010 by UC Berkeley, Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), and National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research (NEXTOR), around half of the total cost (direct and indirect) is paid by the passenger. The goal of this study is to predict airline delays using binary supervised and unsupervised machine learning classification algorithms using the US Domestic Flights data from 2015-2017. We use an expanded set of variables some of which are subject to decisional control of the airlines to help improve the predictions. Different performance measures such as prediction accuracy, recall rates, receiver operation characteristics – area under the curve scores were used to evaluate the efficacy of different algorithms.
Guide to traffic management part 6: intersections, interchanges and crossings

Guide to Traffic Management Part 6: Intersections, Interchanges and Crossings is concerned with traffic management at all types of intersections where road users must join or cross another stream of traffic. This Part focuses on traffic management issues and treatments related to intersections, interchanges and crossings. It does not provide information on the geometric design of the treatment as this is provided in the Austroads Guide to Road Design Part 4, 4A, 4B and 4C. Guidance on the management of road sections which are not part of the intersection or interchange is provided in the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management Part 5: Road Management. Part 6 describes the appropriate use of, and design of, the various intersection types and the techniques that need to be applied if efficient and safe intersections are to be provided to the road user. All categories of road use – including cars, trucks, public transport, motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians, including people who have disability or mobility difficulty, are addressed in the Guide.
TransPrise: a novel machine learning approach for eukaryotic promoter prediction

As interest in genetic resequencing increases, so does the need for effective mathematical, computational, and statistical approaches. One of the difficult problems in genome annotation is determination of precise positions of transcription start sites. In this paper we present TransPrise—an efficient deep learning tool for prediction of positions of eukaryotic transcription start sites. Our pipeline consists of two parts: the binary classifier operates the first, and if a sequence is classified as TSS-containing the regression step follows, where the precise location of TSS is being identified. TransPrise offers significant improvement over existing promoter-prediction methods. To illustrate this, we compared predictions of TransPrise classification and regression models with the TSSPlant approach for the well annotated genome of Oryza sativa. Using a computer equipped with a graphics processing unit, the run time of TransPrise is 250 minutes on a genome of 374 Mb long. The Matthews correlation coefficient value for TransPrise is 0.79, more than two times larger than the 0.31 for TSSPlant classification models. This represents a high level of prediction accuracy. Additionally, the mean absolute error for the regression model is 29.19 nt, allowing for accurate prediction of TSS location. TransPrise was also tested in Homo sapiens, where mean absolute error of the regression model was 47.986 nt. We provide the full basis for the comparison and encourage users to freely access a set of our computational tools to facilitate and streamline their own analyses. The ready-to-use Docker image with all necessary packages, models, code as well as the source code of the TransPrise algorithm are available at (http://compubioverne.group/). The source code is ready to use and customizable to predict TSS in any eukaryotic organism.
Family Business Definition: A Matter of Concern or a Matter of Convenience?

This paper attempts to examine the impact of adopting multiple family ownership cut-offs in defining family businesses, family ownership measurements, and conducting different types of analyses. For achieving this goal we have focus on the relationship between family ownership and firm performance (ROA) in the context of emerging market (Saudi Arabia), controlling for firm’s debt, age, size and industry sectors. With three family ownership cut-offs: 5%, 10%, and 20% and two type of analysis (cross-sectional and cross-sectional and time-series data) as well as two types of family ownership measures (ratio and dummy), we fond that the relationship between the two variables is consistent despite of the level of family ownership cut-off, analysis type, and measurement. This indicates that family business definition is not a matter of concern for researchers, but rather a matter of convenience.
A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE TUTORS AND TUTORING WITHIN A BLENDED LEARNING CONTEXT

This paper reports the findings of research that explored the practices of tutors in blended learning contexts. It investigated the skills, qualities and competences, particularly emotional competences, contributing to tutor effectiveness with the exploration including analysis of learners’ perceptions of their quality. A mixed methods approach was adopted to conduct a detailed exploration of eight tutors’ practice with data gathered from three principal sources. Interviews with tutors explored their approaches to delivery and considered factors that impacted on quality; students’ perceptions of their learning experiences were assessed using an attitude survey; an analysis of the content and communications in the virtual learning environment provided insight into tutors’ online practice. The research is based at a ‘post 1992’ university in the north of England and within an education disciplinary area. A conceptual framework is proposed for understanding the data generated in the form of a model of the observed tutor beliefs and practices. This represents an interpretation of effective practice in a particular cultural context and this framework may also be useful in understanding other instances of blended learning. The Model has three dimensions, which include higher order ‘concepts' - constructivism, care/nurture and instrumentality, together with ‘lower level’ factors, which are provided to operationalise the three broad conceptual areas. Further, the model suggests qualities and skills of effective tutors and tutoring in the context under investigation, which could support lecturers, course leaders and managers in delivering successful blended learning programmes.
Examination of car navigation systems and UX designs – suggestion for a new interface

Abstract. The need for car-related navigation and the appearance of the vehicles themselves are much the same age – of course. In the early days, paper maps and personal questioning were solved this problem. Nearly 100 years ago, the first built-in car GPS was released – and this is an innovation that is still an important part of car design. Planning the user interface is a very exciting issue, because only in a few seconds the display needs to provide the user with the right amount of information. In this research our goal was to assess Hungarians driving and built-in GPS using habits and based on this try to suggest the “perfect” interface. A questionnaire was made with 19 or 46 questions and more than 1000 respondents completed it. Because of the high number of questions only selected diagrams are represented. Some answers have also been subjected to different statistical tests.
ASSESS THE RISK LEVEL OF POWER TRANSFORMER DUE SHORT-CIRCUIT FAULTS BASED ON ANFIS

A power transformer is an electrical machine that converts electrical power at different voltage levels. Faults, occur in power transformers, inhibit electrical power distribution to the consumer. Protection, therefore, of the power transformers is essential in power systems reliability. The power system can be reliable if the protection devices work well when there is a fault. A hybrid intelligent technique, which is a combination of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Fuzzy known as Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS), was used in this research. The objective of this paper is the simulation of differential relays as a protection device on power transformers using Matlab/Simulink. Performance of differential relays for power transformers protection is carried out with internal and external fault scenarios. The input data were classified into three different input for ANFIS such as internal and external 1, internal and external 2, internal, external 1, and external 2, respectively. The error results of ANFIS training for the type of fault internal and external 1 is 9.46*10-7, and types of fault internal and external 2 is 1.09*10-6 internal, external 1 and external 2 are 8.59*10-7. The results obtained from the simulation were accurate and shows that the ANFIS technique is an efficient method that gives less error and a great value. Finally, the technique can minimize faults with power transformers. Finally, to prove this method can reduce faults in the power transformer, the assess of this model has been carried out through the RMSE that has been generated which is zero.