Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Creating a User Satisfaction Index from a Parsimonious Survey Instrument

In this paper we present a comprehensive method for creating a user satisfaction index using a survey instrument. First we construct a parsimonious survey instrument, using the PageRank Centrality, to measure attributes of user satisfaction. Then confirmatory factor analysis is applied to extract “weights” on the questions that are used in a linear model of computing the user satisfaction index. Throughout the paper an analysis of an existing data set is implemented to illustrate the proposed method. In addition the validity of the confirmatory factor model is tested using bootstrap sampling.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

After toiling away in the emerging field of computer sciences for some twenty years, Ed eventually succeeded in accomplishing his life's goal: to make the first, full-length animated feature film. After successful completion of his life's goal, he came up with a new goal: to create a viable, sustainable creative business that could last without the input of himself or the other creative powers that be at Pixar. This book essentially encapsulates the lessons he's learned that have not only made Pixar "work" but will hopefully continue to do so for years to come.
PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL JAMUR TIRAM PUTIH PADA BEBERAPA BAHAN MEDIA PEMBIBITAN

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui jenis media pembibitan yang mampu mendukung peningkatan kualitas bibit jamur tiram putih lebih baik, dan mengetahui pengaruh macam media bibit terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil jamur tiram putih. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Ngemplak, Nanggulan, Kulon Progo, Daerah Istimewa Jogjakarta dengan ketinggian tempat 300 m dpl. Rancangan yang digunakan adalah faktor tunggal macam media pembibitan, dalam Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL), terdiri atas 4 perlakuan, yaitu : media bibit dengan serbuk kayu sengon, biji sorghum, biji jagung, dan biji padi dengan 3 ulangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa media bibit biji sorghum dan biji jagung mampu mendukung peningkatan kualitas bibit jamur tiram putih yang lebih baik dibandingkan dari media biji padi dan serbuk gergaji sengon. Bibit pada media substrat biji sorghum, jagung, padi dan serbuk gergaji sengon memberikan pertumbuhan jamur tiram putih yang sama. Hasil jamur tiram putih lebih baik pada bibit dengan media substrat biji sorghum, jagung, padi berturut – turut.
The construction and evaluation of statistical models of melodic structure in music perception and composition

The prevalent approach to developing cognitive models of music perception and composition is to construct systems of symbolic rules and constraints on the basis of extensive music-theoretic and music-analytic knowledge. The thesis proposed in this dissertation is that statistical models which acquire knowledge through the induction of regularities in corpora of existing music can, if examined with appropriate methodologies, provide significant insights into the cognitive processing involved in music perception and composition. This claim is examined in three stages. First, a number of statistical modelling techniques drawn from the fields of data compression, statistical language modelling and machine learning are subjected to empirical evaluation in the context of sequential prediction of pitch structure in unseen melodies. This investigation results in a collection of modelling strategies which together yield significant performance improvements over existing methods. In the second stage, these statistical systems are used to examine observed patterns of expectation collected in previous psychological research on melody perception. In contrast to previous accounts of this data, the results demonstrate that these patterns of expectation can be accounted for in terms of the induction of statistical regularities acquired through exposure to music. In the final stage of the present research, the statistical systems developed in the first stage are used to examine the intrinsic computational demands of the task of composing a stylistically successful melody The results suggest that the systems lack the degree of expressive power needed to consistently meet the demands of the task. In contrast to previous research, however, the methodological framework developed for the evaluation of computational models of composition enables a detailed empirical examination and comparison of such models which facilitates the identification and resolution of their weaknesses.
RECURRENT SEQUENCES IN A LEARNER CORPUS OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION

The present dissertation contributes to studies of phraseology in learner English. It is an analysis of recurrent sequences of words in a corpus of learner Computer-mediated Communication. English, collected by means of asynchronous chats in an Italian university context. Previous research has argued that the use of recurrent word sequences plays a major role in learner English fluency both in writing and in speech, and is one of the factors behind learner English register failures. Using a corpus-driven approach, the study analyses the most frequent word sequences extracted from the specially compiled Learner Chat Corpus (LCC). To determine the level of adaptation of learner English to different registers, data regarding 3-word sequences from LCC is compared with the Italian subcomponents of a well-known corpus of learner writing (ICLE, Granger et al. 2002) and a corpus of learner speech (LINDSEI, Gilquin et al. 2010 ). The cross-corpus comparisons provide evidence that learners employ combinations which make their English suitable to the mode they are using for communication. Quantitative and qualitative findings from the present research support only in part previous studies of learner English in terms of recurrent sequences. This is probably due both to the informality and spoken-like quality of CMC, and to its motivational advantages and processing differences connected to the fact that learners can monitor their output while communicating because learner language production is distanced by the electronic means.
Level of Intake, Depth of Processing, and Type of Linguistic Item in L2 Development

L2 learners must employ selective attention minimally to isolate linguistic features in input to be able to take them in. Based on previous theoretical postulations and empirical research, Leow (forthcoming) postulates in his Model of the L2 learning process three levels of intake, namely, noticed intake, detected intake, and attended intake while underscoring the important role for depth of processing. This study sought to test the tenets of his Model’s early stages of the L2 learning process by addressing the potential existence of different levels of intake and the role of depth of processing during these early stages. The study also addressed whether type of linguistic item (grammatical versus lexical) plays a role. To explicate the roles of level of intake, depth of processing, type of linguistic item, and reactivity in adult L2 learner’s subsequent intake, the present study employed eye-tracking and concurrent verbal reports: 96 beginning learners of Spanish read a text and then completed production, recognition, and comprehension assessments in a pretest/posttest design. Results revealed no reactivity and that different levels of intake do appear to exist, that depth of processing not only may play a role in subsequent processing of intake but also appears to facilitate the deeper processing needed for incorporation of intake into the developing system, as postulated by Leow’s Model of the L2 learning process (forthcoming). Finally, the results also revealed differences in processing type of linguistic item.
Behind Family Trees: Secondary Connections in Uralic Language Networks

Although it has long been recognized that the family tree model is too simplistic to account for historical connections between languages, most computational studies of language history have concentrated on tree-building methods. Here, we employ computational network methods to assess the utility of network models in comparison with tree models in studying the subgrouping of Uralic languages. We also compare basic vocabulary data with words that are more easily borrowed and replaced cross-linguistically (less basic vocabulary) in order to find out how secondary connections affect computational analyses of this language family. In general, the networks support a treelike pattern of diversification, but also provide information about conflicting connections underlying some of the ambiguous divergences in the trees. These are seen as reflections of unclear divergence patterns (either in ancestral protolanguages or between languages closely related at present), which pose problems for a tree model. The networks also show that the relationships of closely related present-day languages are more complex than what the tree models suggest. When comparing less basic with basic vocabulary, we can detect the effect of borrowing between different branches (horizontal transfer) mostly between and within the Finnic and Saami subgroups. We argue that the trees obtained with basic vocabulary provide the primary pattern of the divergence of a language family, whereas networks, especially those constructed with less basic vocabulary, add reality to the picture by showing the effect of more complicated developments affecting the connections between the languages.
The Development of the Grammatical System in Early Second Language Acquisition: The Multiple Constraints Hypothesis

Shortlisted for the Christopher Brumfit Award in Applied Linguistics. The Development of the Grammatical System in Early Second Language Acquisition focuses on the acquisition process of early L2 learners. It is based on the following key hypothesis: the initial mental grammatical system of L2 learners is constrained semantically, syntactically and mnemonically. This hypothesis is formalised as the Multiple Constraints Hypothesis . The empirical test of the Multiple Constraints Hypothesis is based on a large database including cross-sectional and longitudinal data from square-one ESL beginners. The study demonstrates that the postulated constraints are relaxed successively as learning progresses. The book is intended for postgraduate students as well as SLA researchers.
Towards the development of a standard for emergency planning.

Purpose – Given the widespread lack of homogeneity, consistency and quality control in emergency planning, this paper sets out to offer some suggestions, guidelines and models for the processes of drawing up, testing, revising and utilising an emergency plan.Design/methodology/approach – The paper considers some definitions of the term “standard” and discussing the utility of the concept with respect to emergency planning. The subsequent analysis is based on the application of logical and observational criteria to the process of systematically building a framework on which to base a planning standard.Findings – The paper enumerates 18 principles that can be used to judge the quality of emergency plans. The principles are treated as basic criteria to be used when formulating a standard. Next, the paper reviews existing standards in civil protection, risk management, emergency preparedness and humanitarian relief. After a brief discussion of the consultative process used in preparing an instrument for measu.
Scaling in the immune system

How different is the immune system in a human from that of a mouse? Do pathogens replicate at the same rate in different species? Answers to these questions have impact on human health since multi-host pathogens that jump from animals to humans affect millions worldwide. It is not known how rates of immune response and viral dynamics vary from species to species and how they depend on species body size. Metabolic scaling theory predicts that intracellular processes will be slower in larger animals since cellular metabolic rates are slower. We test how rates of pathogenesis and immune system response rates depend on species body size. We hypothesize that immune response rates are invariant with body size. Our work suggests how the physical architecture of the immune system and chemical signals within it may lead to nearly scale-invariant immune search and response. We fit mathematical models to experimental West Nile Virus (WNV, a multi-host pathogen) infection data and investigate how model parameters characterizing the pathogen and the immune response change with respect to animal mass.
Narrative Storytelling: Putting the Story Back in Hard News to Engage Young Audiences

Why are fewer young adults reading the print newspaper? Oftencited reasons include: lack of time, use of another news medium, cost and lack of interest. 1But another reason not often reported is that almost 40 percent of young adults in the U.S. (ages 18 to 29) just don't enjoy keeping up with the news. " This study examines young adults' reading expectations of hard news topics prior to reading these stories and how narrative storytelling could positively affect their reported reading experiences.
Composing in Two Languages: A Bilingual Child's Response.

ABSTRACT A study of code-switching in a group of 35 Spanish-English bilingual third-graders is reported. The students' diary journal entries and writing assignments based on previous classwork are examined. Retelling of stories previously told by the teacher and the journal entries helped identify the kind of language used by students, the code-switching differences in oral versus written language, and the relationship of code-switching to the type or purpose of the writing. The study found evidence of language variation in the form of language interference and code-switching. Samples of interference clearly demonstrate the students' occasional need to fall back on first-language competence to communicate a message. Code-switching instances suggest a difference between previously reported language mixing in speech and code-switching in writing. Written code-switching was limited to single lexical items or very short phrases. In addition, the purpose of the writing appeared to affect code-switching tendencies, with more code-switching appearing in free-writing journal entries than in assigned work. Implications of the findings for the classroom writing environment are discussed. (MSE)
ELECTRON BEAM SENSITIVITY STUDIES ON Knema attenuata (HOOK. F. AND THOMSON) WARB. SEEDS - GERMINATION AND BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES

The present study deals with the effect of electron beam irradiation (EBI) on germination and biochemical parameters of Knema attenuata (Hook. F. and Thomson) Warb. seeds. Seeds were exposed to 0.5kGy, 1kG, 2kGy, and 3kGy of EBI (8.0 MeV beam energy) at Microtron Center, Mangalore University, India. The study revealed that the germination and seedling growth were severely affected by EBI. There was no germination in the seeds treated with higher doses (1kG, 2kGy, and 3kGy). Although, seeds irradiated with 0.5kGy showed 10% germination, seedlings could not survive even for a month. The soluble protein decreased from first week to fourth week both in control and irradiated seeds. An initial rise followed by a decrease in soluble sugar was observed in the irradiated seeds compared to control. A steady increase in phenolic content in seed exudates was recorded during the course of storage. Decreased seed viability, germination potential and seedling growth of Knema attenuata was attributed to the damaging effect of electron beam irradiation.
Comparación de algoritmos evolutivos multi-objetivos en un ambiente multicast

Como han sido publicados numerosos Algoritmos Evolutivos Multiobjetivos o MOEAs, no queda aun claro cual es el que presenta mejor desempeno para el problema considerado. Por esta razon, en este trabajo hacemos una comparacion experimental entre 5 alternativas: NSGA, NSGA2, SPEA, SPEA2 y cNSGA2, con el fin de determinar cual es la mas apropiada para resolver problemas de enrutamiento multicast. Resultados experimentales demuestran que algoritmos como el SPEA y SPEA2 logran un excelente desempeno en este tipo de problemas.
Generalized Approach to Signal Processing in CollaborativeWireless Sensor Systems for Target Detection

: Collaboration in wireless sensor systems must be fault-tolerant due to the harsh environmental conditions at which such systems can be deployed. This paper focuses on finding the signal processing algorithms for collaborative target detection based on the generalized approach to signal processing (GASP) in the presence of noise. The signal processing algorithms are efficient in terms of communication cost, precision, accuracy, and number of faulty sensors tolerable in the wireless sensor systems. Two types of generalized signal processing algorithms, namely, value fusion and decision fusion constructed according to GASP in the presence of noise, are identified first. When comparing their performance and communication overhead, the decision fusion algorithm is found to become superior to the value fusion algorithm as the ratio of faulty sensors to fault free sensors increases. The use of GASP under designing the value and decision fusion algorithms in wireless sensor systems allows us to obtain the same performance, but at low values of signal energy, as well as under employment of the universally adopted signal processing algorithms widely used in practice.
Developing aspects of distribution in response to a media-based statistical literacy task

1. Background Research into students' beginning intuitions about distribution has generally been associated with variation in single variable settings (e.g., Ben-Zvi & Sharett-Amir, 2005; Watson & Kelly, 2005) and has often focused on graphing attributes of students' created representations. Kelly and Watson (2002) for example found that students' graphs to represent the imagined outcomes of repeated sampling trials in a probability setting ranged from idiosyncratic drawings of the physical scenario, to time-series type graphs inconsistently justified by " more " of a certain characteristic, to informal graphing based on " middle, " to a conventional distribution recognizing variation and center. In sampling or measurement investigations focusing mainly on single variable distributions, Shaughnessy (2006) described six aspects of variation as (i) extremes or outliers, (ii) change over time, (iii) the whole range, (iv) the likely range, (v) distance or difference from some fixed point, or (vi) sums of residuals. These descriptors are not seen as hierarchical and inform this study to assist in characterizing the story that students attempt to tell with the graphs they produce to represent a verbal description of covariation. This paper, in moving from the consideration of the distribution associated with a single variable to that associated with two variables, builds on earlier research on correlational reasoning and its representation (e.g., Ross and Cousins, 1993a, 1993b). Shaughnessy's (2006) aspects of variation also apply when two variables are involved, seen as the trend in the relationship between the two variables, and seen as deviations from the trend. Various researchers asked students to create graphical distributions from data values. Brasell and Rowe (1993), for example, asked physics students to construct a graph of five paired values representing the heights from which a ball was dropped and the height to which it rebounded; they found students drew pictures, produced poorly labeled graphs, or plotted points, but rarely gave evidence of graphing to show a trend. Rather than starting with data values, Mevarech and Kramarsky (1997) asked grade 8 students to graph four different verbal claims about trend relationships of time spent studying and the marks received at school. Whereas slightly over half of students appropriately graphed a positive, negative, or no association, fewer than half graphed a curvilinear association. The most common errors observed related to graphing only a single point, to graphing only a single variable, or to graphing an increasing function regardless of the conditions set in the …
Efficient algorithms for passive network measurement

Network monitoring has become a necessity to aid in the management and operation of large networks. Passive network monitoring consists of extracting metrics (or any information of interest) by analyzing the traffic that traverses one or more network links. Extracting information from a high-speed network link is challenging, given the great data volumes and short packet inter-arrival times. These difficulties can be alleviated by using extremely efficient algorithms or by sampling the incoming traffic. This work improves the state of the art in both these approaches. For one-way packet delay measurement, we propose a series of improvements over a recently appeared technique called Lossy Difference Aggregator. A main limitation of this technique is that it does not provide per-flow measurements. We propose a data structure called Lossy Difference Sketch that is capable of providing such per-flow delay measurements, and, unlike recent related works, does not rely on any model of packet delays. In the problem of collecting measurements under the sliding window model, we focus on the estimation of the number of active flows and in traffic filtering. Using a common approach, we propose one algorithm for each problem that obtains great accuracy with significant resource savings. In the traffic sampling area, the selection of the sampling rate is a crucial aspect. The most sensible approach involves dynamically adjusting sampling rates according to network traffic conditions, which is known as adaptive sampling. We propose an algorithm called Cuckoo Sampling that can operate with a fixed memory budget and perform adaptive flow-wise packet sampling. It is based on a very simple data structure and is computationally extremely lightweight. The techniques presented in this work are thoroughly evaluated through a combination of theoretical and experimental analysis.
Malay women readings of Korean drama

Korean drama has a stronghold position in the global entertainment scene. In Malaysia, the craving for Korean drama started about a decade ago when the hit-drama 'Winter Sonata' made its debut. Korean drama become household favorites, especially among women. This study reports some findings on the audience reception study of Korean drama among avid Korean drama fans. Four focus group interviews using semi-structured protocols were conducted of which two groups were comprised of adolescents and another two groups were adults. The main research question was, "How do Malay women read Korean drama media text? " The analysis of the verbatim transcriptions yielded eight salient themes: 1)Male centric; 2) Family-oriented; 3) Female-centric; 4) Cultural values; 5) Storyline; 6)Cosmopolitan lifestyle; 7)Realism (Fantasy Love; 8) Parasocial relationship. The findings are discussed from Stuart Hall's dominant, preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings,