Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensitive topics in social research involving children

Abstract While there is broad consensus that involving children in research is critically important for understanding their lives, there is considerable caution around their participation in social research on ‘sensitive’ issues. Such caution is further amplified by a lack of agreement about what constitutes a ‘sensitive topic’. This article draws on data from interviews with a range of Australian stakeholders, including children, parents, researchers, ethics committee members, government and non-government organisation representatives, and other decision-makers, specifically related to the question of ‘what is a sensitive topic? ’. While participants identified a range of sensitive topics, findings point to sensitivities being closely linked with the contexts of children’s lives and experiences. This requires researchers to approach research in ways that reflect more nuanced understandings of these sensitivities, help address potential concerns and facilitate the development of research relationships that promote ethical conduct of research with children.
A switching feature extraction system for ECG heartbeat classification

This study compared two methods for extracting ECG waveshape features useful for heartbeat classification. The first method (segmented waveshape features) sampled the ECG waveshape between the P and T waveform boundaries, calculated QRS and T wave durations, and used RR-interval features. The second method (fixed interval waveshape features) used a fixed window to capture the ECG waveshape and RR-interval features. Data were obtained from the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. We investigated the problem of discriminating between normal, supraventricular (SVEB), ventricular (VEB), fusion and unknown beat classes. When the P, QRS and T wave boundaries could be found reliably, the segmented waveshape features resulted in more balanced performance for discriminating SVEB and VEB beats than the fixed interval waveshape features. A hybrid approach using segmented and fixed interval features when waveform boundaries could be reliably found, and fixed interval features otherwise was the most robust solution. Using the AAMI recommendations for cardiac rhythm disturbances the hybrid approach resulted in a sensitivity of 69%, a positive predictivity of 31% and a false positive ratio (FPR) of 6.6% for SVEB class. For the VEB class the sensitivity was 80%, the positivity predictivity was 85% and the FPR was 1.0%.
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In the following we describe the system KoHDaS1 which is an automatic help desk system in a call center that basically leaves the dialogue initiative with the user as far as (s)he wants. The user’s turn circumscribing the problem as a whole is handed to a hierarchy of recurrent plausibility networks which classify the according problem. In the next step the system extracts even only implicitly mentioned task parameters of this problem class from the turn by a graph-matching technique. Remaining or unidentified task parameters required to solve the problem are asked by the system in an ordinary question-answering manner. The whole concept can easily be adapted to new domains.
Embedded Systems Start-Up under Timing Constraints on Modern FPGAs

In this paper we present novel techniques, methods and tool flows that enable embedded systems implemented on FPGAs to start-up under tight timing constraints (i.e., hard deadlines). Meeting the application deadline is achieved by exploiting the FPGA programmability in order to implement a two-stage system start-up approach, as well as a suitable memory hierarchy. This reduces the FPGA configuration time as well as the startup time of the embedded software. Thereby the start-up time for timing-critical parts of a design neither dependent on the complexity nor on the start-up time of the complete system. An automotive case study is used to demonstrate the feasibility and quantify the benefits of the proposed approach.
Education for a sustainable future? Students’ experiences of workshops on ethical dilemmas

ABSTRACT The goal of education for sustainable development (ESD) is to promote the values, behaviors, and lifestyles that are needed to find solutions to global economic, social, and environmental challenges. Social work and social work education have an important role to play in ESD, and poverty reduction, health, and well-being are important issues for social work as well. UNESCO, as well as the provisions of the Sweden’s Higher Education Ordinance, emphasizes the importance of higher education in meeting the future challenges to creating a sustainable society. Social work education at Örebro University has a long tradition of collaboration with service user organizations, for example by holding workshops on ethical dilemmas. This article describes these workshops and explores the students’ experiences of them. Four themes were identified: the perspective of ‘the other’ (and my own role), the importance of a nonjudgmental approach, the complexity of ethical dilemmas, and awareness of the complexity of social work. The workshops give the students a platform where they can gain practical knowledge and experience. Through the workshops, the students began to reflect on their own inner ethical compass, as well as on their own role and the challenging nature of social work.
Screening for depression in older adults on an acute medical ward: the validity of NICE guidance in using two questions.

BACKGROUND depression is common in older people in general hospital settings and associated with poor outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of two screening questions recommended by the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). METHODS one hundred and eighteen patients aged over 65 years, admitted to acute medical wards at a teaching hospital, were interviewed in a standardised manner using relevant sections of the Present State Examination-Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry to identify depression according to ICD-10 criteria. Subsequently, participants completed the two depression screening questions and the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). RESULTS a threshold of one or more positive responses to the two NICE depression screening questions gave a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 71%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 49% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 100%. The GDS-15 optimal cut-off was 6/7 with a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 86%, PPV of 62% and NPV of 94%. A two-stage screening process utilising the NICE two questions followed by the GDS-15 with these cut-offs gave a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 91%, PPV of 71% and NPV of 94%. CONCLUSION the two depression questions perform well as an initial screening process for non-cognitively impaired older people in the acute medical setting. A positive response to either question would indicate that further assessment is required by a clinician competent in diagnosing depression in this population, or the possible use of a more detailed instrument such as the GDS-15 to reduce the number of false-positive cases.
Harmonic colorization using proportion contrast

We present a proportion colour harmony model enhancing image aesthetics in terms of human colour perception. Given an arbitrary image, colours are modified to improve their proportion harmony. The proportion relationship between colours has been described in theories of colours but never proposed in computer graphics. Our model detects proportion harmony or the lack thereof harmony, proposes improvements verifying constraints defined by the user as well as different possibilities to recolor the image by shifting hues. Our technique is well-adapted to adjust the colour in an image, in a part of an image, image composition or a subset of colours depending on the user choices. Results show that our colour harmonization model allows the user to handle classical images such as photographs or drawings and paintings.
Behavioral Dynamics from the SERP's Perspective: What are Failed SERPs and How to Fix Them?

Web search is always in a state of flux: queries, their intent, and the most relevant content are changing over time, in predictable and unpredictable ways. Modern search technology has made great strides in keeping up to pace with these changes, but there remain cases of failure where the organic search results on the search engine result page (SERP) are outdated, and no relevant result is displayed. Failing SERPs due to temporal drift are one of the greatest frustrations of web searchers, leading to search abandonment or even search engine switch. Detecting failed SERPs timely and providing access to the desired out-of-SERP results has huge potential to improve user satisfaction. Our main findings are threefold: First, we refine the conceptual model of behavioral dynamics on the web by including the SERP and defining (un)successful SERPs in terms of observable behavior. Second, we analyse typical patterns of temporal change and propose models to predict query drift beyond the current SERP, and ways to adapt the SERP to include the desired results. Third, we conduct extensive experiments on real world search engine traffic demonstrating the viability of our approach. Our analysis of behavioral dynamics at the SERP level gives new insight in one of the primary causes of search failure due to temporal query intent drifts. Our overall conclusion is that the most detrimental cases in terms of (lack of) user satisfaction lead to the largest changes in information seeking behavior, and hence to observable changes in behavior we can exploit to detect failure, and moreover not only detect them but also resolve them.
Qualitative and quantitative stability analysis of penta-rhythmic circuits

Inhibitory circuits of relaxation oscillators are often-used models for dynamics of biological networks. We present a qualitative and quantitative stability analysis of such a circuit constituted by three generic oscillators (of a Fitzhugh–Nagumo type) as its nodes coupled reciprocally. Depending on inhibitory strengths, and parameters of individual oscillators, the circuit exhibits polyrhythmicity of up to five simultaneously stable rhythms. With methods of bifurcation analysis and phase reduction, we investigate qualitative changes in stability of these circuit rhythms for a wide range of parameters. Furthermore, we quantify robustness of the rhythms maintained under random perturbations by monitoring phase diffusion in the circuit. Our findings allow us to describe how circuit dynamics relate to dynamics of individual nodes. We also find that quantitative and qualitative stability properties of polyrhythmicity do not always align.
Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels and AnkyrinG Occupy a Different Postsynaptic Domain from Acetylcholine Receptors from an Early Stage of Neuromuscular Junction Maturation in Rats

Spatial segregation of membrane proteins is a feature of many excitable cells. In skeletal muscle, clusters of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV1s) occupy distinct domains at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). We used quantitative immunolabeling of developing rat soleus muscles to study the mechanism of ion channel segregation and NaV1 clustering at NMJs. When NaV1s can first be detected, at birth, they already occupy a postsynaptic domain that is distinct from that occupied by AChRs. At this time, NaV1s are expressed only in a diffuse area that extends 50–100 μm from the immature NMJ. However, in the region of the high-density AChR cluster at NMJ itself, NaV1s are actually present in lower density than in the immediately surrounding membrane. These distinctive features of the NaV1 distribution at birth are closely correlated with the distribution of ankyrinG immunolabeling. This suggests that an interaction with ankyrinG plays a role in the initial segregation of NaV1s from AChRs. Both NaV1 and ankyrinG become clustered at the NMJ itself 1–2 weeks after birth, coincident with the formation of postsynaptic folds. Syntrophin immunolabeling codistributes with AChRs and never resembles that for NaV1 or ankyrinG. Therefore, syntrophin is unlikely to play an important part in the initial accumulation of NaV1 at the NMJ. These findings suggest that the segregation of NaV1 from AChRs begins early in NMJ formation and occurs as a result of the physical exclusion of NaV1 and ankyrinG from the region of nerve–muscle contact rather than by a process of active clustering.
Simplification of Large , Closed Triangulated Surfaces Using Atomic Envelopes

Over the past two decades, data visualization has become increasingly important in several fields, including medical, fluid flow and geographical data. The speed of visualization algorithms has unfortunately not kept up with the speed of developing new technology producing high-resolution data. Every year, the quality of imaging and computational simulation technology — including laser scanners, digital cameras and radar systems — improves substantially. This results in such an increase in the amount of data that even state-of-the-art computers are stretched beyond their capacities. However, it has become apparent that, for many applications large parts of data sets are often not necessary for generating a good picture. The goal was and still is to reduce data sets in such a way that the pictures generated from a reduced data set are highly similar to those produced from the original one. We are concerned with polygonal surfaces and their compression. Examples for polygonal surfaces are discretized height fields, parametric surfaces, and manifold surfaces. We focus on triangulated two-dimensional (2D) manifolds with no boundaries. For an extensive overview of the field of polygonal surface simplification, we refer to Heckbert and Garland [2] and Rossignac [6]. We present a randomized algorithm that approximates triangulated, orientable 2D manifolds without boundaries, using a ”min-#” approach, see x2. The algorithm preserves a specified error bound.
Performance Analysis of Oracle Database in Virtual Environments

The prevalence of server consolidation to capitalize on performance gains has seen various vendors presenting their virtual solution as the best option. This therefore highlights the importance of an independent and unbiased academic research in facilitating informed decisions. In this paper we examine the correctness of the marketing claim currently available at the Oracle's website that the Oracle VM server virtualization is four times more scalable than the VMware' virtualization solution. Therefore, we present results of tests and quantitative analysis of the effects of workload and configuration options on the Oracle database performance. The scalability tests were conducted in a non virtualized environment and compared with results of the tests in two virtualized server environments on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.6 platform: (1) VMware ESXi 4.1 and (2) Oracle VM 2.2. The results of our tests confirm that the Oracle VM offers more scalability for Oracle 11g database applications than the VMware ESXi on a number of performance benchmarks. However, the experimental results for Oracle database applications do not show a clearly superior scalability of the Oracle VM server virtualization compared to the VMware ESXi virtualization solution. It is expected that the presented results will contribute to the awareness on the importance of an independent research for server virtualization informed decisions.
Micro electret power generator

We present the first micromachined rotational electret power generator, linearized theoretical model of electret power generation, and novel method to produce uniformly charged electret. We also improved our previously developed (1996, 1999) thin film Teflon AF 1601-S electret technology with respect to dielectric thickness, charge uniformity, and processability. In demonstration, our prototype power generator successfully generated > 25/spl mu/W with electret thickness of 9/spl mu/m, effective charge density of -2.8/spl times/10/sup -4/C/m/sup 2/, and rotational speed of 4170RPM.
Two Topics in Computer Assisted Proofs for the Problems in Fluid Dynamics

We have been devoted for years to studying the numerical verifications of solutions to elliptic partial differential equations. Our approach is based on the combination of fixed point theorems in functional spaces and the constractive error estimations of finite element (or spectral) method. In our verification process, the interval method for finite-dimensional linear equations plays an essential role. In this talk, we first briefly describe the basic idea of our verification method for nonlinear elliptic problems. Next, we apply the method to two important problems appeared in fluid dynamics, i.e., Rayleigh-Bénard and Kolmogorov problems. In both cases, the existence of exact solutions is verified and the usefulness of our approach have been shown.
Timing mirror structures observed by Cluster with a magnetosheath flow model

Abstract. The evolution of structures associated with mirror modes during their flow in the Earth's magnetosheath is studied. The fact that the related magnetic fluctuations can take distinct shapes, from deep holes to high peaks, has been assessed in previous works on the observational, modeling and numerical points of view. In this paper we present an analytical model for the flow lines and velocity magnitude inside the magnetosheath. This model is used to interpret almost 10 years of Cluster observations of mirror structures: by back tracking each isolated observation to the shock, the "age", or flow time, of these structures is determined together with the geometry of the shock. Using this flow time the evolutionary path of the structures may be studied with respect to different quantities: the distance to mirror threshold, the amplitude of mirror fluctuations and the skewness of the magnetic amplitude distribution as a marker of the shape of the structures. These behaviours are confronted to numerical simulations which confirm the dynamical perspective gained from the association of the statistical analysis and the analytical model: magnetic peaks are mostly formed just behind the shock and are quickly overwhelmed by magnetic holes as the plasma conditions get more mirror stable. The amplitude of the fluctuations are found to saturate before the skewness vanishes, i.e. when both structures quantitatively balance each other, which typically occurs after a flow time of 100–200 s in the Earth's magnetosheath. Comparison with other astrophysical contexts is discussed.
Ground and aerial robots as an aid to alpine search and rescue: Initial SHERPA outcomes

The SHERPA project funded by the European Community's 7th Framework Program (ICT 600958), addresses the development of a team of ground and aerial robots to act as an aid to alpine search-and-rescue missions. Following the kickoff of the project on February 1st 2013 and the thorough research on the conditions under which such missions are currently conducted, we study the applicability of existing technologies, while envisioning the next steps up to the 4-year horizon of this project and beyond. Here, we present a briefly account of the outcomes of our study, mainly concentrated on setting up meaningful operative scenarios and relevant benchmarks, which will be used throughout the project in order to test the robotic platforms and the software frameworks developed, as well as relevant measures of success for these. This phase of the research activity has been carried out in cooperation with the SHERPA end-users, the Club Alpino Italiano [2], as well as the Swiss Air Rescue [3] and the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research [4], who are members of the Advisory Board of SHERPA. The complete study summarized in this report can be found in [5].
Consciousness and its Place in Nature

Consciousness fits uneasily into our conception of the natural world. On the most common conception of nature, the natural world is the physical world. But on the most common conception of consciousness, it is not easy to see how it could be part of the physical world. So it seems that to find a place for consciousness within the natural order, we must either revise our conception of consciousness, or revise our conception of nature. In twentieth-century philosophy, this dilemma is posed most acutely in C. D. Broad’s The Mind and its Place in Nature (Broad 1925). The phenomena of mind, for Broad, are the phenomena of consciousness. The central problem is that of locating mind with respect to the physical world. Broad’s exhaustive discussion of the problem culminates in a taxonomy of seventeen different views of the mental-physical relation.2 On Broad’s taxonomy, a view might see the mental as nonexistent (“delusive”), as reducible, as emergent, or as a basic property of a substance (a “differentiating” attribute). The physical might be seen in one of the same four ways. So a fourby-four matrix of views results. (The seventeenth entry arises from Broad’s division of the substance/substance view according to whether one substance or two is involved.) At the end, three views are left standing: those on which mentality is an emergent characteristic of either a physical substance or a neutral substance, where in the latter case, the physical might be either emergent or delusive. 1Published in S. Stich & T. Warfield, eds, Blackwell Guide to Philosophy of Mind (Blackwell, 2003). This paper is an overview of issues concerning the metaphysics of consciousness. Much of the discussion in this paper (especially the first part) recapitulates discussion in Chalmers (1995; 1996; 1997), although it often takes a different form, and sometimes goes beyond the discussion there. I give a more detailed treatment of many of the issues discussed here in the works cited in the bibliography. 2The taxonomy is in the final chapter, Chapter 14, of Broad’s book (set out on pp. 607-11, and discussed until p. 650). The dramatization of Broad’s taxonomy as a 4x4 matrix is illustrated on Andrew Chrucky’s website devoted to Broad, at http://www.ditext. com/broad/mpn14.html#t.
ISCOVERING FUZZY CENSORED CLASSIFICATION RULES ( FCCRS ) : A GENETIC ALGORITHM APPROACH

Classification Rules (CRs) are often discovered in the form of ‘If-Then’ Production Rules (PRs). PRs, being high level symbolic rules, are comprehensible and easy to implement. However, they are not capable of dealing with cognitive uncertainties like vagueness and ambiguity imperative to real word decision making situations. Fuzzy Classification Rules (FCRs) based on fuzzy logic provide a framework for a flexible human like reasoning involving linguistic variables. Moreover, a classification system consisting of simple ‘If-Then’ rules is not competent in handling exceptional circumstances. In this paper, we propose a Genetic Algorithm approach to discover Fuzzy Censored Classification Rules (FCCRs). A FCCR is a Fuzzy Classification Rule (FCRs) augmented with censors. Here, censors are exceptional conditions in which the behaviour of a rule gets modified. The proposed algorithm works in two phases. In the first phase, the Genetic Algorithm discovers Fuzzy Classification Rules. Subsequently, these Fuzzy Classification Rules are mutated to produce FCCRs in the second phase. The appropriate encoding scheme, fitness function and genetic operators are designed for the discovery of FCCRs. The proposed approach for discovering FCCRs is then illustrated on a synthetic dataset.