Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High resolution imaging of few-layer graphene by Near-Field Scanning Microwave Microscopy

In this work, we describe the application of an in-house system performing simultaneously Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and wide-band Near Field Scanning Microwave Microscopy (wide-band SMM) to a few-layer graphene sample. This sample is produced by mechanical exfoliation of bulk highly oriented graphite and deposited on a substrate of conductive glass. By introducing the time-domain conversion of frequency domain data, we show that it is possible to achieve nanometric resolution.
SISTEM PENJADWALAN OTOMATIS TEMPAT KHUTBAH JUM’AT MUBALIGH

Penjadwalan tempat khutbah jum’at untuk para mubaligh merupakan kegiatan rutin yang dilakukan oleh Ikatan Mesjid Indonesia (IKMI) Pekanbaru. Selama ini, penyusunan jadwal memerlukan waktu satu bulan dan sering terjadi kesalahan. Studi ini membuat sistem yang bisa menyusun jadwal tempat khutbah jum’at secara otomatis untuk mengatasi permasalahan tersebut. Studi ini menerapkan metode c onstrain s atisfaction p roblem (CSP) dan m ost c onstraint v ariable (MCV) untuk mengembangkan algoritma penjadwalan. Setelah itu, algoritma tersebut diterapkan pada sistem berbasis web. Hasil uji black box menunjukkan semua fitur sistem yang dibuat berjalan 100%. Hasil user a cceptence t est menunjukkan tingkat penerimaan pengguna adalah sangat baik, yaitu 92%. Hasil uji akurasi dan waktu pembuatan jadwal dengan menggunakan 50 data mubaligh dan 50 data masjid secara berturut-turut adalah 95,59% dan 34.50 detik.
Principales Causantes de la Actitud de los Residentes: Comparativa entre Dos Destinos de Playa

Desde los noventa, se han propuesto modelos causales que buscan explicar las actitudes de los residentes a partir de los beneficios y costes percibidos. El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar si existen diferencias significativas entre dos destinos parecidos. La comparativa fue realizada entre Ibiza (418 residentes) y Maldonado-Punta del Este (360 residentes). Para el análisis del modelo causal propuesto el método estadístico utilizado fue la regresión de Mínimos Cuadrados Parciales (PLS). El análisis multigrupo encontró diferencias significativas en uno de los efectos causales analizados. En dos relaciones causales la diferencia era importante, aunque no lo suficientemente significativa para concluir que existían diferencias entre ambos destinos. La principal conclusión es que los modelos causales no son generales y las prioridades de los residentes varían de un destino a otro.
Natural Language Generation in Dialogue using Lexicalized and Delexicalized Data

Natural language generation plays a critical role in spoken dialogue systems. We present a new approach to natural language generation for task-oriented dialogue using recurrent neural networks in an encoder-decoder framework. In contrast to previous work, our model uses both lexicalized and delexicalized components i.e. slot-value pairs for dialogue acts, with slots and corresponding values aligned together. This allows our model to learn from all available data including the slot-value pairing, rather than being restricted to delexicalized slots. We show that this helps our model generate more natural sentences with better grammar. We further improve our model's performance by transferring weights learnt from a pretrained sentence auto-encoder. Human evaluation of our best-performing model indicates that it generates sentences which users find more appealing.
Agent-based Model of a Simple Prehistoric Exchange System Computer Simulation in Social Sciences

We describe an agent-based model inspired by the prehistoric Hohokam pottery exchange system from central Arizona, circa A.D. 500 – 1400. A conceptual model informed by archaeological research in the region and influenced by a small body of theory specifically focused on the economics of small and middle-range societies is outlined. Details of our formalization and implementation of that conceptual model using the Netlogo platform are described. Finally, the results of our sensitivity and model dynamics experiments are presented. The results show that simulations of our agent-based model generated ceramic distribution patterns quite similar to those predicted by theorists, and may prove to be a useful starting point for future modeling efforts involving more concrete archaeological datasets.
Immune Related Genes Underpin the Evolution of Adaptive Immunity in Jawless Vertebrates

The study of immune related genes in lampreys and hagfish provides a unique perspective on the evolutionary genetic underpinnings of adaptive immunity and the evolution of vertebrate genomes. Separated from their jawed cousins at the stem of the vertebrate lineage, these jawless vertebrates have many of the gene families and gene regulatory networks associated with the defining morphological and physiological features of vertebrates. These include genes vital for innate immunity, inflammation, wound healing, protein degradation, and the development, signaling and trafficking of lymphocytes. Jawless vertebrates recognize antigen by using leucine-rich repeat (LRR) based variable lymphocyte receptors (VLRs), which are very different from the immunoglobulin (Ig) based T cell receptor (TCR) and B cell receptor (BCR) used for antigen recognition by jawed vertebrates. The somatically constructed VLR genes are expressed in monoallelic fashion by T-like and B-like lymphocytes. Jawless and jawed vertebrates thus share many of the genes that provide the molecular infrastructure and physiological context for adaptive immune responses, yet use entirely different genes and mechanisms of combinatorial assembly to generate diverse repertoires of antigen recognition receptors.
Using aid to address governance constraints in public service delivery Unblocking resUlts

Readers are encouraged to quote or reproduce material from ODI Working Papers for their own publications, as long as they are not being sold commercially. For online use, we ask readers to link to the original resource on the ODI website. As copyright holder, ODI requests due acknowledgement and a copy of the publication. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Philipp Krause and Mick Foster for their thoughtful contributions to the framing of this research and their comments on a previous draft of the paper. This study was commissioned by the Overseas Development Institute's (ODI) Budget Strengthening Initiative, as well as the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The Budget Strengthening Initiative is a multi-donor-funded project, primarily funded by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, with support from the Australian Agency for International Development and others. The views expressed in this paper and all responsibility for the content of the study rests with the authors. Executive Summary 6 1 Introduction 14 1.1 Background 15 1.2 Common governance constraints 16 1.3 Approach 17 1.4 Case studies 18 2 Extent of the constraints prior to the aid package 21 2.1 Policy and institutional coherence 22 2.2 Top-down performance disciplines and bottom-up accountability mechanisms 23 2.3 Scope for problem solving and local collective action 23 3 Aid-funded activities 26 3.1 Policy and institutional coherence 27 3.2 Top-down performance disciplines and bottom-up accountability mechanisms 28 3.3 Scope for problem solving and local collective action 29 4 Enabling factors 31 4.1 Identifying and seizing windows of opportunity 32 4.2 Focusing on reforms with tangible political payoffs 34 4.3 Building on what exists to implement legal mandates 35 4.4 Moving beyond reliance on policy dialogue 36 4.5 Facilitating problem solving and local collective action solutions by bearing the transaction costs 37 4.6 Facilitating adaptation by learning 39
Mobile Cloud Computing Techniques for Extending Computation and Resources in Mobile Devices

This paper addresses whether Mobile Cloud Computing models can be used to extend the capabilities of resource constrained mobile devices to provide the illusion of infinite, elastic resources on demand. We identify five key limited resources as being CPU, memory, battery, data usage and time. Existing solutions for these limitations are explored, and we identify offloading computation and storage from the device as a possible solution. Offloading techniques mainly support two types of offloading, offloading to a remote cloud and to a peer device. Four different modes of execution are analysed, local SQL database, local NoSQL database, cloud NoSQL database and NoSQL peer-to-peer database. We develop a prototype which showcases these execution scenarios. Healthcare is identified as an ideal use case for our prototype due to the varied purposes it provides (e.g. in a hospital, in a clinic, on site etc.). An open dataset of anonymised healthcare data is used as test data on which a set of experiments are run. Data generated via monitoring and logging of the prototype is collected and evaluated in terms of different execution scenarios. Using existing research we determine that Mobile Cloud Computing is a useful model for extending computation and resources in mobile devices. We identify that the discrepancy between our test results and existing research is due to the research approach, which evaluates results on a limited set of criteria and does not expand to other factors. Industries that would benefit from Mobile Cloud Computing include e-commerce, healthcare and e-learning, as well as education, finance, point-of-sale and transportation.
The interplay of (semiotic) technologies and genre: the case of the selfie

ABSTRACT The selfie is one of the most widely publicized, criticized, and debated visual phenomena of our time. However, formulating a definition of the selfie is not straightforward, as visual clues – be they representational or compositional – alone are not sufficient for identification. Recognizing an image as a selfie, rather than a portrait, often requires viewers to interpret the image in relation to the technological and sociocutural context in which the photo was taken and shared. In this paper, we consider the technological conditions that have shaped the evolution of the selfie as a visual genre. Central to our discussion is the premise that the selfie is not simply a genre for self-representation, but means of generating various perspectives: that of the selfie maker, the represented visual participant, and the viewer identification. This unique perspective-generating affordance of the selfie is both facilitated and constrained by the various technologies involved in selfie practices. On the one hand, the technological and physical constraints of the smart phone camera give rise to a specific form of “distorted” look which makes certain types of selfie possible. On the other hand, social media platforms facilitate the sharing of selfies, which results in increasingly stylized and creative ways in which perspectives of the self can be represented, negotiated, and, in the case of selfies manipulated via apps, augmented.
“Behind every woman in prison is a man”: Incarcerated Women’s Perceptions of How We Can Better Help Them in the Context of Interpersonal Victimization

ABSTRACT Although women’s rates of incarceration have increased dramatically, the criminal justice system does not meet women’s unique needs. This article used qualitative methods to describe the responses of 113 incarcerated women to the following question: How can we better help women like you? Analyses focused on women’s experiences of victimization and highlighted how to address trauma in prison reform and abolition efforts. Women suggested how victimization fueled their criminal offending behavior, detailed re-victimization in the prison milieu, and identified program gaps during custody and after release. Opportunities for immediate action include policy advocacy, mitigation, and shifting to a trauma-informed correctional approach.
Toward Optimal Active Learning through Sampling Estimation of Error Reduction

This paper presents an active learning method that directly optimizes expected future error. This is in contrast to many other popular techniques that instead aim to reduce version space size. These other meth-ods are popular because for many learning models, closed form calculation of the expected future error is intractable. Our approach is made feasible by taking a sampling approach to estimating the expected reduction in error due to the labeling of a query. In experimental results on two real-world data sets we reach high accuracy very quickly, sometimes with four times fewer labeled examples than competing methods.
The effect on respiratory mechanics when using a Jackson surgical table in the prone position during spinal surgery

Background Respiratory dynamics may be monitored and evaluated indirectly by measuring the peak inspiratory pressure and plateau pressure. In this study, the respiratory dynamics of patients undergoing spinal surgery using a Jackson surgical table were observed with a device after converting their position from supine to prone. The effects of the dynamic compliance and airway resistance were observed from the changes in peak inspiratory pressure and plateau. Methods Twenty five patients were selected as subjects scheduled to undergo lumbar spine surgery. After intubation, the patients were ventilated mechanically with a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg and a respiration rate of 10/min. Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane 1.5%, nitrous oxide 2 L/min and oxygen 2 L/min. The peak inspiratory pressure, plateau pressure, resistance, compliance, arterial oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, heart rate and arterial blood pressure were measured at 10 minutes after the induction of anesthesia. These parameters were measured again 10 minutes after placing the patient in the prone position. Results The prone position did not significantly affect the arterial oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, blood pressure and heart rate, but significantly increased the peak inspiratory pressure and resistance and decreased the dynamic compliance. Conclusions The peak inspiratory pressure was increased using a Jackson surgical table to minimize the abdominal pressure when converting from the supine to prone position. This might be due to a decrease in lung and chest compliance as well as an increase in airway resistance.
German Aortic Valve Score: a new scoring system for prediction of mortality related to aortic valve procedures in adults.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to establish a scoring system to predict mortality in aortic valve procedures in adults [German Aortic Valve Score (German AV Score)] based upon the comprehensive data pool mandatory by law in Germany. METHODS In 2008, 11 794 cases were documented who had either open aortic valve surgery or transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). In-hospital mortality was chosen as a binary outcome measure. Potential risk factors were identified on the basis of published scoring systems and clinical knowledge. First, each of these risk factors was tested in an univariate manner by Fisher's exact test for significant influence on mortality. Then, a multiple logistic regression model with backward and forward selection was used. Calibration was ascertained by the Hosmer-Lemeshow method. In order to define the quality of discrimination, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated. RESULTS In 11 147 of 11 794 cases (94.5%), a complete data set was available. In-hospital mortality was 3.7% for all patients, 3.4% in the surgical group (95% confidence interval 3.0-3.7%, n = 10 574) and 10.6% in the TAVI group (95% confidence interval 8.2-13.5%, n = 573). Based on multiple logistic regression, 15 risk factors with an influence on mortality were identified. Among them, age, body mass index and left ventricular function were categorized in three (body mass index, left ventricular dysfunction) or 6 subgroups (age). The Hosmer-Lemeshow method corroborated a valid concordance of predicted and observed mortality in 10 different risk groups. The area under the ROC curve with a value of 0.808 affirmed the quality of discrimination of the established scoring model. CONCLUSIONS It is well known that a predictive model works best in the setting where it was developed; therefore, the German AV Score fits well to the patient population in Germany. It was designed for fair and reliable outcome evaluation. It allows comparison of predicted and observed mortality for conventional aortic valve surgery and transcatheter aortic valve implantation in low-, moderate- and high-risk groups. Thus, it enables primarily a risk-adjusted benchmark of outcome and fosters the efforts for continuous improvement of quality in aortic valve procedures.
“Stand up, speak out and act”: A critical reading of Australia’s White Ribbon campaign

The White Ribbon campaign has come to occupy a central position in Australia’s efforts to address violence against women. This article critically examines key elements of the White Ribbon awareness-raising campaigns, paying particular attention to the conceptualisation of gender, masculinity, and equality. It is argued that White Ribbon’s reliance on a binary view of gender, together with its emphasis on the attitudes and acts of individual men, contributes to the obscuration of men’s collective advantage. Acknowledging the intersectional positionings associated with hierarchies of power and privilege, this article calls for deeper engagement with the complexities of gender and violence; a commitment to both engage with and transcend the interpersonal.
Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled, Pilot Study Comparing Classic Ayurvedic Medicine, Methotrexate, and Their Combination in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective:To compare classic Ayurveda, methotrexate (MTX), and their combination in a double-blind, randomized, double-dummy, pilot trial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for 36 weeks. Methods:Forty-three seropositive RA patients by American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria with disease duration of less than 7 years were assigned to the following treatment groups: MTX plus Ayurvedic placebo (n = 14), Ayurveda plus MTX placebo (n = 12), or Ayurveda plus MTX (n = 17). Outcomes included the Disease Activity Score (DAS28-CRP), ACR20/50/70, and Health Assessment Questionnaire - Disability Index. All measures were obtained every 12 weeks for 36 weeks. Analyses included descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, &khgr;2, or Student t test. The unique features of this study included the development of placebos for each Ayurvedic pharmacological dosage form and individualization of Ayurvedic therapy. Results:All groups were comparable at baseline in demographics and disease characteristics. There were no statistically significant differences among the 3 groups on the efficacy measures. ACR20 results were MTX 86%, Ayurveda 100%, and combination 82%, and DAS28-CRP response were MTX −2.4, Ayurveda −1.7, and combination −2.4. Differences in adverse events among groups were also not statistically significant, although the MTX groups experienced more adverse event (MTX 174, Ayurveda 112, combination 176). No deaths occurred. Conclusions:In this first-ever, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study comparing Ayurveda, MTX, and their combination, all 3 treatments were approximately equivalent in efficacy, within the limits of a pilot study. Adverse events were numerically fewer in the Ayurveda-only group. This study demonstrates that double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized studies are possible when testing individualized classic Ayurvedic versus allopathic treatment in ways acceptable to western standards and to Ayurvedic physicians. It also justifies the need for larger studies.
The Interpersonal Pollution and its Effect on Group Members’ Well-Being, and on Culture of Unity in Organizational Context

Abstract The new concept of “interpersonal pollution” and its antecedents and effects, i.e. on organizational members’ health and well-being and on organizational outcomes are investigated. Building upon this work this presentation proposes a model and tentative definition of a broader construct, i.e. “organizational pollution”, and identifies its potential antecedents and explores its impact on humans’ health and well-being and organizational outcomes. In particular our model explores the roles played by leaders’ and members’ dark personalities and lack of environmental concern, by unethical leadership, by both the characteristics of the community and the organization, including the latter’s physical and ethical environment, and finally their link to organizational pollution. This new model implications for organizational and environmental psychology are discussed.
Finite state testing and analysis of graphical user interfaces

Based on finite-state automata (FSA) and equivalent regular expressions, the paper introduces a holistic view of fault modeling that can be carried out as a complementary step to system modeling, revealing much rationalization potential. Appropriate formal notions will be used to introduce efficient algorithms to systematically generate and select test cases. The completeness of the test can be determined exploiting the link coverage of the state transition diagram of the FSA that models both the desired and undesired behavior of the system under test; this enables a precise scalability of the test and analysis process, leading to a better cost-effectiveness The elements of the approach will be narrated by realistic examples which will be used also to validate the approach.
Double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase Irc3p is directly involved in mitochondrial genome maintenance

Nucleic acid-dependent ATPases are involved in nearly all aspects of DNA and RNA metabolism. Previous studies have described a number of mitochondrial helicases. However, double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPases, including translocases or enzymes remodeling DNA-protein complexes, have not been identified in mitochondria of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae. Here, we demonstrate that Irc3p is a mitochondrial double-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase of the Superfamily II. In contrast to the other mitochondrial Superfamily II enzymes Mss116p, Suv3p and Mrh4p, which are RNA helicases, Irc3p has a direct role in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) maintenance. Specific Irc3p-dependent mtDNA metabolic intermediates can be detected, including high levels of double-stranded DNA breaks that accumulate in irc3Δ mutants. irc3Δ-related topology changes in rho- mtDNA can be reversed by the deletion of mitochondrial RNA polymerase RPO41, suggesting that Irc3p counterbalances adverse effects of transcription on mitochondrial genome stability.
Accelerated Q-Ary Low-Density Parity-Check Codes Decoding with Message Selection

Immediate generalization of Gallager's binary low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes gave birth to the LDPC codes over GF(q), which demonstrated error performance exceeding that of binary codes with compromised complexity. Various methods had been proposed for the decoder with an aim to simplifying the belief propagation algorithm. One of the algorithms was the "extended min-sum (EMS)" decoder which concerned only a limited number of incoming messages at the checks. In this paper, we propose a modification to further simplify the EMS decoder without sacrificing performance.