Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The artificial-social-agent questionnaire: establishing the long and short questionnaire versions

We present the ASA Questionnaire, an instrument for evaluating human interaction with an artificial social agent (ASA), resulting from multi-year efforts involving more than 100 Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) researchers worldwide. It has 19 measurement constructs constituted by 90 items, which capture more than 80% of the constructs identified in empirical studies published in the IVA conference 2013--2018. This paper reports on construct validity analysis, specifically convergent and discriminant validity of initial 131 instrument items that involved 532 crowd-workers who were asked to rate human interaction with 14 different ASAs. The analysis included several factor analysis models and resulted in the selection of 90 items for inclusion in the long version of the ASA questionnaire. In addition, a representative item of each construct or dimension was selected to create a 24-item short version of the ASA questionnaire. Whereas the long version is suitable for a comprehensive evaluation of human-ASA interaction, the short version allows quick analysis and description of the interaction with the ASA. To support reporting ASA questionnaire results, we also put forward an ASA chart. The chart provides a quick overview of the agent profile.
Evaluation of the Intel thread director technology on an Alder Lake processor

Asymmetric multicore processors (AMPs) combine high-performance big cores with more energy-efficient small cores, all exposing a shared instruction-set architecture but different features, such as clock frequency or microarchitecture. In the last decade, most commercial AMP products have mainly targetted the embedded and mobile domains. Today, major hardware players are releasing new AMP-based products that aim to move beyond the mobile niche, towards the desktop/server segments. The Apple M1 SoC or the recent Intel Alder Lake processor family are clear examples of these new AMP systems. Despite their energy-efficiency benefits, AMPs pose significant challenges to the operating system scheduler. In this paper, we assess the effectiveness of the Thread Director (TD) technology, a set of hardware facillities - first introduced in Alder Lake processors - that provide the OS with hints on the performance and energy efficiency that a thread delivers when running on the various core types. The main focus of our analysis is to evaluate how effectively the OS can drive scheduling decisions with TD's performance hints. To this end, we incorporated support in Linux to conveniently access TD facillites from the OS kernel. Motivated by various TD's limitations identified with our analysis, we opted to build hardware-counter based prediction models (generated via machine-learning methods) to better aid the OS in making throughput-oriented and fairness-aware scheduling decisions. The effectiveness of both TD and the hardware-counter based models for performance prediction is evaluated both via offline monitoring, and also online, by utilizing our implementation of various asymmetry-aware schedulers in the Linux kernel.
"I have an idea!": enhancing children's verbal creativity through repeated interactions with a virtual robot

In the context of child development, practice is recognised as one of the essential activities to stimulate creativity. Here we aimed to explore whether repeated interactions with a virtual social robot could help build up children's creative performance over time. To this end, we developed an interactive storytelling game with the virtual robot Furhat. Twenty-five children between 9- and 12- years old played the online game two times with seven days of zero exposure in between. Our results revealed that repeated encounters have mixed effects on verbal creativity: while children were more creative in terms of flexibility, fluency, and elaboration in the second interaction, the level of originality remained stagnant. Moreover, the second encounter positively affected children's collaboration with and social behaviour toward the virtual robot. These results provide valuable evidence supporting the potential of multiple interactions with artificial agents to foster children's creativity over time. This paper, thus, provides readers with (1) a novel approach to stimulating verbal creativity through practice with artificial agents, (2) an assessment of the creative process in repeated interactions, and (3) evidence of how the behaviour of the robot influences children's creativity and their behaviour over time.
Exploring humanlikeness and the uncanny valley with furhat

In this paper we explore gender, perceived humanlikeness, animacy, intelligence and likeability of a female and male Furhat robot, and test for uncanny valley effects. We found no gender differences for neither user nor Furhats in perceived humanlikness or likeability, but female users rated the Furhats higher on animacy and intelligence. The study showed a tendency to an uncanny valley effect, but somewhat surprisingly the Furhat robots were overall not perceived as humanlike.
Numerical solution of the two-dimensional time-dependent incompressible Euler equations

A numerical method is presented for solving the artificial compressibility form of the 2D time-dependent incompressible Euler equations. The approach is based on using an approximate Riemann solver for the cell face numerical flux of a finite volume discretization. Characteristic variable boundary conditions are developed and presented for all boundaries and in-flow out-flow situations. The system of algebraic equations is solved using the discretized Newton-relaxation (DNR) implicit method. Numerical results are presented for both steady and unsteady flow.
M-Theory Solutions and Intersecting D-Brane Systems

It is believed that fundamental M-theory in the low-energy limit can be described effectively by D=11 supergravity. Extending our understanding of the different classical brane solutions in M-theory (or string theory) is important, and so there is a lot of interest in finding D=11 M-brane solutions such that after reduction to ten dimensions, they (or some combinations of them) reduce simply to the supersymmetric BPS saturated p-brane solutions. In this thesis, we study and construct M2 and M5-branes solutions in D=11 supergravity. The M-brane solutions are constructed by lifting a D-brane to a four or higher dimensional geometry embedded in M-theory and then placing M-brane solutions in the background geometry. We present new analytic M2 and M5-brane solutions in M-theory based on transverse Gibbons-Hawking and Bianchi spaces. These solutions provide realizations of fully localized type IIA D2/D6 and NS5/D6 brane intersections. One novel feature of these solutions is that the metric functions depend on more than two transverse coordinates, unlike all the other previous known solutions. Moreover since the metric functions in the Gibbons-Hawking geometries depends on more than one physical parameters, their embedding into M-theory yield new M-brane solutions with the M-brane metric functions depend on both compact and non-compact coordinates. We show that all new solutions have eight preserved supersymmetries. Upon reduction to 10 dimensions, we find that the world-volume theories of the NS5-branes decouple from the bulk for these solutions.
Power scaling of 2 µm ytterbium-sensitised thulium-doped silica fibre laser diode-pumped at 975 nm

An ytterbium-sensitised thulium-doped silica fibre laser that generates up to 75 W of output power in the 2 µm wavelength range when cladding-pumped by a 975 nm diode stack is reported. The slope efficiency is 32% with respect to the launched pump power and the beam quality factor (M2) is 1.3.
Expert Systems With Applications

Internet public social media and forums provide a convenient channel for people concerned about public health issues, such as COVID-19, to share and discuss information/misinformation with each other. In this paper, we propose a natural language processing (NLP) method based on Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) technique to perform sentiment classification and uncover various issues related to COVID-19 public opinions. Bi-LSTM is an improved version of conventional LSTMs for generating the output from both left and right contexts at each time step. We experimented with real datasets extracted from Twitter and Reddit social media platforms, and our experimental results showed improved metrics compared with the conventional LSTM model as well as recent studies available in the literature. The proposed model can be used by official institutions to mitigate the effects of negative messages and to understand peoples’ concerns during the pandemic. Furthermore, our findings shed light on the importance of using NLP techniques to analyze public opinion and to combat the spreading of misinformation and to guide health decision-making.
Phase I Study of Intermittent High-Dose Lapatinib Alternating with Capecitabine for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients with Central Nervous System Metastases

Purpose: Lapatinib and capecitabine cross the blood–tumor barrier in breast cancer brain metastasis but have modest clinical efficacy. Administration of high-dose tyrosine kinase inhibitor has been evaluated in brain metastases and primary brain tumors as a strategy to improve drug exposure in the central nervous system (CNS). We derived a rational drug scheduling of intermittent high-dose lapatinib alternating with capecitabine based on our preclinical data and Norton–Simon mathematical modeling. We tested this intermittent, sequential drug schedule in patients with breast cancer with CNS metastasis. Patients and Methods: We conducted a phase I trial using an accelerated dose escalation design in patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer with CNS metastasis. Lapatinib was given on day 1–3 and day 15–17 with capecitabine on day 8–14 and day 22–28 on an every 28-day cycle. Lapatinib dose was escalated, and capecitabine given as a flat dose at 1,500 mg BID. Toxicity and efficacy were evaluated. Results: Eleven patients were enrolled: brain only (4 patients, 36%), leptomeningeal (5 patients, 45%), and intramedullary spinal cord (2 patients, 18%). Grade 3 nausea and vomiting were dose-limiting toxicities. The MTD of lapatinib was 1,500 mg BID. Three patients remained on therapy for greater than 6 months. Conclusions: High-dose lapatinib is tolerable when given intermittently and sequentially with capecitabine. Antitumor activity was noted in both CNS and non-CNS sites of disease. This novel administration regimen is feasible and efficacious in patients with HER2+ breast cancer with CNS metastasis and warrants further investigation.
Managing the challenges associated with decreasing demand for COVID-19 vaccination in Central and West Asia

Since the first administration of COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020, countries have experienced a range of challenges at different phases of their COVID-19 vaccination programmes. Initially, with limited global COVID-19 vaccine supply, the WHO called for vaccine equity to ensure the most vulnerable people in every country globally had access to vaccine, and COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access was established to facilitate equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine. However, the aims of these initiatives were challenged as many countries secured earlier access to COVID-19 vaccine with direct agreements with manufacturers. During the early stages of COVID-19 vaccination programmes, the rate of vaccine uptake was determined by number of COVID-19 vaccines approved for use and the manufacturing capacity of the manufacturers of these vaccines. It is a very different situation in 2022, where COVID-19 vaccination coverage is no longer determined by access to supply and manufacturers are reducing or stopping production of vaccines completely. Uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in 2022 is dependent on complex issues like vaccine hesitancy. This paper focuses on the Central and West Asia region, where the authors have been supporting COVID-19 vaccination programmes across seven countries in this region. In this paper, we outline and describe the different phases of demand for COVID-19 vaccination as well as the risks and strategies to consider in each of these phases.
BARRASIM4P – A Digital Platform for the Structural Design of Cold‐Formed Steel Elements from the Company Barraferros

The use of cold‐formed steel sections as secondary structural elements (purlins) and primary elements of light steel framing (LSF) solutions has had a strong increase in recent years, presenting a high degree of specialization, with specific and optimized geometries for different applications, implying an increased effort for the design of steel structures. This article presents BarraSim4P – a digital platform to support structural design based on Eurocode and developed in partnership between Barraferros and Politécnico de Leiria. The platform aims to support the user in choosing sections considering specified design conditions and code actions in the structure. The platform was also validated with several tests on Barraferros sections with known results.
The Effects of Cortical Reorganization and Applications of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Deaf People and Cochlear Implant Users

A cochlear implant (CI) is currently the only FDA-approved biomedical device that can restore hearing for the majority of patients with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). While prelingually and postlingually deaf individuals benefit substantially from CI, the outcomes after implantation vary greatly. Numerous studies have attempted to study the variables that affect CI outcomes, including the personal characteristics of CI candidates, environmental variables, and device-related variables. Up to 80% of the results remained unexplainable because all these variables could only roughly predict auditory performance with a CI. Brain structure/function differences after hearing deprivation, that is, cortical reorganization, has gradually attracted the attention of neuroscientists. The cross-modal reorganization in the auditory cortex following deafness is thought to be a key factor in the success of CI. In recent years, the adaptive and maladaptive effects of this reorganization on CI rehabilitation have been argued because the neural mechanisms of how this reorganization impacts CI learning and rehabilitation have not been revealed. Due to the lack of brain processes describing how this plasticity affects CI learning and rehabilitation, the adaptive and deleterious consequences of this reorganization on CI outcomes have recently been the subject of debate. This review describes the evidence for different roles of cross-modal reorganization in CI performance and attempts to explore the possible reasons. Additionally, understanding the core influencing mechanism requires taking into account the cortical changes from deafness to hearing restoration. However, methodological issues have restricted longitudinal research on cortical function in CI. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has been increasingly used for the study of brain function and language assessment in CI because of its unique advantages, which are considered to have great potential. Here, we review studies on auditory cortex reorganization in deaf patients and CI recipients, and then we try to illustrate the feasibility of fNIRS as a neuroimaging tool in predicting and assessing speech performance in CI recipients. Here, we review research on the cross-modal reorganization of the auditory cortex in deaf patients and CI recipients and seek to demonstrate the viability of using fNIRS as a neuroimaging technique to predict and evaluate speech function in CI recipients.
Extended quotients in the principal series of reductive p-adic groups

The geometric conjecture developed by the authors in [1,2,3,4] applies to the smooth dual Irr(G) of any reductive p-adic group G. It predicts a definite geometric structure -- the structure of an extended quotient -- for each component in the Bernstein decomposition of Irr(G). In this article, we prove the geometric conjecture for the principal series in any split connected reductive p-adic group G. The proof proceeds via Springer parameters and Langlands parameters. As a consequence of this approach, we establish strong links with the local Langlands correspondence. One important feature of our approach is the emphasis on two-sided cells in extended affine Weyl groups.
Nonlinear control of linear parameter varying systems with applications to hypersonic vehicles

of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy NONLINEAR CONTROL OF LINEAR PARAMETER VARYING SYSTEMS WITH APPLICATIONS TO HYPERSONIC VEHICLES By Zachary Donald Wilcox August 2010 Chair: Warren E. Dixon Major: Aerospace Engineering The focus of this dissertation is to design a controller for linear parameter varying (LPV) systems, apply it specifically to air-breathing hypersonic vehicles, and examine the interplay between control performance and the structural dynamics design. Specifically a Lyapunov-based continuous robust controller is developed that yields exponential tracking of a reference model, despite the presence of bounded, nonvanishing disturbances. The hypersonic vehicle has time varying parameters, specifically temperature profiles, and its dynamics can be reduced to an LPV system with additive disturbances. Since the HSV can be modeled as an LPV system the proposed control design is directly applicable. The control performance is directly examined through simulations. A wide variety of applications exist that can be effectively modeled as LPV systems. In particular, flight systems have historically been modeled as LPV systems and associated control tools have been applied such as gain-scheduling, linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), linear fractional transformations (LFT), and μ-types. However, as the type of flight environments and trajectories become more demanding, the traditional LPV controllers may no longer be sufficient. In particular, hypersonic flight vehicles (HSVs) present an inherently difficult problem because of the nonlinear aerothermoelastic coupling effects in the dynamics. HSV flight conditions produce temperature variations that can alter both the structural dynamics and flight dynamics. Starting with the full nonlinear dynamics, the aerothermoelastic effects are modeled by a temperature dependent, parameter varying
An Action Research Study from Implementing Flipped Classroom Model in Professional English Teaching and Learning

This action research project implemented FCM in teaching Professional English to non-English majors, aiming at exploring whether FCM can increase the students' learning interest and develop their critical thinking. The study was conducted on a 16-week-semester basis and the instruments were a questionnaire, two oral tests and the teachers' journals. The result is positive. It seems not so difficult to sustain the students' motivation and engagement in FCM and implementing FCM does foster the students' critical thinking. However, the teachers do find the gap between the high achievers and low achievers is getting larger. The less-achieved students are getting worse at the end of the semester. Another point worthy to be mentioned is that the frequency of using newly learned vocabulary is much higher than that in conventional classroom.
Making Implicit Multivariable Calculus Representations Explicit: A Clinical Study

Abstract Reviewing numerous textbooks, we found that in both differential and integral calculus textbooks the authors commonly assume that: (i) students can generalize associations between representations in two dimensions to associations between representations of the same mathematical concept in three dimensions on their own; and (ii) explicit discussions of these representations are not necessary. For example, in the presentation of partial derivatives, textbook presentations assume that students will understand the slope in a specified direction in without it ever being explicitly presented. Our preliminary interviews indicated that such assumptions may be erroneous, so we created and tested materials that explicitly use representations commonly omitted in textbook presentations of the differential and integral calculus of functions of two and three variables. This paper discusses the classroom activities that were created to include these missing representations, as well as the results when they were implemented in classroom instruction.
Trauma Induces Emergency Hematopoiesis through IL-1/MyD88–Dependent Production of G-CSF

Key Points Traumatic injury alone without infection can induce emergency hematopoiesis. Trauma induces emergency hematopoiesis through IL-1 -dependent production of G-CSF. The inflammatory response to infection or injury dramatically increases the hematopoietic demand on the bone marrow to replace effector leukocytes consumed in the inflammatory response. In the setting of infection, pathogen-associated molecular patterns induce emergency hematopoiesis, activating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to proliferate and produce progeny for accelerated myelopoiesis. Sterile tissue injury due to trauma also increases leukocyte demand; however, the effect of sterile tissue injury on hematopoiesis is not well described. We find that tissue injury alone induces emergency hematopoiesis in mice subjected to polytrauma. This process is driven by IL-1/MyD88–dependent production of G-CSF. G-CSF induces the expansion of hematopoietic progenitors, including hematopoietic stem cells and multipotent progenitors, and increases the frequency of myeloid-skewed progenitors. To our knowledge, these data provide the first comprehensive description of injury-induced emergency hematopoiesis and identify an IL-1/MyD88/G-CSF–dependent pathway as the key regulator of emergency hematopoiesis after injury.
THE INFLUENCE OF DESIRED BODY IMAGE ON THE PATTERN OF FOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS IN SELECTED TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Jelili Akorede Quadri, Zainab Mosunmola Oladunjoye, Bilikisu Tunrayo Edun, Adewunmi Ganiyu Olusanya PhD (Nutrition and Dietetics), MSc (Chemical pathology), MSc (Nutrition and Dietetics), BSc (Nursing) Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Nigeria, Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Nigeria, Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Nigeria
Heartbeat Detection with complicated Noises Using FMCW Radar

Remote heartbeat detection is particular useful for applications in smart home, digital health, and disaster relief (e.g. earthquakes) because of its ability to conduct accurate monitoring of heartbeats at a long distance. The millimeter wave band is of great sig-ni(cid:12)cance for remote heartbeat detection, and the millimeter wave-based frequency modulated continuous radar (FMCW) radar is an excellent device for remote heartbeat detection. In the research of radar-based heartbeat detection, an important problem is the interference of human motion in the signal. Artifacts caused by motion appear across all frequency bands, thereby polluting the true heartbeat waveforms. Therefore, removing random body motion (RBM)’s interference to heartbeat detection has become the most challenging task at present. In this thesis, the heartbeat detection technology based on FMCW radar is studied and contributions to the research of the following two issues is made: For the (cid:12)rst question, we use convolutional sparse coding (CSC) to replace the sparse coding (SC) in the previous work. In order to simulate complex phase noise and motion artifacts, we use gaussian mixture model (GMM) to model the noise. When solving the CSC problem, in order to speed up the entire process, we use (non-convex inexact accelerated proximal gradient )niAPG to achieve rapid decline. Simulations and experiments verify the e(cid:11)ectiveness of our method. For the second question,