Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
‘I felt closed in and like I couldn’t breathe’: A qualitative study exploring the mainstream educational experiences of autistic young people

Background and aim More autistic young people are being educated in mainstream schools. While existing research suggests that the outcomes of mainstream inclusion are mixed for autistic young people, few studies have examined their views and experiences directly. This article discusses the educational experiences of 12 autistic young people (aged 11–17 years) from their perspectives and how education could be improved to better support the others with autism. Methods A flexible qualitative participatory approach was used which incorporated a range of methods, including individual semi-structured interviews, diamond ranking activities and draw-and-tell activities. A Children’s Research Advisory Group (CRAG) advised on the methods used and matters to be explored. Results The young people offered insights into how education has been for them in mainstream school, mostly negative, but with islets of positive experience. Several described themselves as being socially, emotionally and physically isolated from peers, with loneliness and bullying experienced by some. Participants felt unsupported and misunderstood by teachers within a social and sensory environment that was antithetical to their needs. Some spoke of the dread they felt before and during school and the negative impact their experiences in mainstream has had on their wellbeing. Many participants suggested simple strategies and curriculum adaptations that they felt would have helped make their time at mainstream more successful. These include having more breaks, smaller class sizes, less homework, instructions broken down, safe places to use when anxious and teachers who listen to their concerns and take account of their needs. In short they want to be understood, supported and included. Conclusions There exists scope to better support autistic young people in mainstream education, as evidenced by the literature and the participants in this paper. The participants demonstrate that mainstream is not working for all and that changes, such as smaller class sizes, flexible pedagogy and understanding could improve education for autistic learners. Implications Autistic young people can and should be central to the discussion on school improvement. They also show that being academically able for mainstream school should not be the only aspect when deciding on the suitability of mainstream school for meeting their needs. The young person’s social and emotional wellbeing must be considered to ensure they can flourish, and not flounder.
Diaspora and mapping methodologies : tracing transnational digital connections with ‘mattering maps’

There is a methodological tendency in work on diaspora and digital media for quantitative investigations to approach diaspora in static ways that contrast with theories of diaspora as a dynamic cultural formation. On the other hand, qualitative, ethnographic work tends not to engage with digital methods and quantitative data‐driven investigation. In this article, we sketch this methodological and disciplinary disconnect and address it by proposing a model for understanding digitally mediated formations of diaspora that combines digital methods techniques with a sensitivity to ethical and theoretical discussions of migration and diaspora. Drawing on interpretive epistemologies and feminist research ethics, we present a case study analysis of a locally informed, Turkish–Dutch issue. We argue for a method that produces ‘mattering maps’. This involves tracking and visualizing digital traces of an issue across web platforms (Google Search results, Facebook pages, and Instagram posts) and integrating this with an analysis of the face‐to‐face interview responses of a key issue actor.
Banking on Remittances? How opening a bank account in the United States affects Mexican migrants sending money back to Mexico

Abstract:Data from 154 different Mexican communities, housed within the Mexican Migration Project (mmp), is used to explore the influence of U.S. assimilation on a Mexican migrant's propensity to remit money back to Mexico. A migrant opening a U.S. bank account is employed as a proxy for assimilation. Sociodemographic, U.S. migration, and Mexican community control variables are included. It is found that a migrant opening a bank account during the last U.S. migration is associated with a reduced probability of remitting money back to Mexico, suggesting a shift in social and economic activity from Mexico to the U.S. for migrants abroad.Abstract:Los datos de 154 comunidades mexicanas, agrupados en el Mexican Migration Project (mmp), se utilizan para explorar la influencia de la asimilación a Estados Unidos sobre los migrantes mexicanos, tomando en cuenta su propensión a enviar remesas de vuelta a México. La apertura de una cuenta bancaria en Estados Unidos por parte de un migrante se emplea como una forma subsidiaria de asimilación. Se incluyen variables sociodemográficas, de migración a Estados Unidos y de control de las comunidades mexicanas. Los hallazgos dicen que la apertura de una cuenta bancaria por parte de un migrante durante la última ola de migración a Estados Unidos se asocia a una menor probabilidad de enviar remesas de vuelta a México, lo cual sugiere un cambio en la actividad social y económica de México hacia Estados Unidos por parte de los migrantes en el extranjero.
Hydrogen-passivated graphene antidot structures for thermoelectric applications

In this work, we present a theoretical investigation of the thermal conductivity of hydrogen-passivated graphene antidot lattices. Using a fourth nearest-neighbor force constant method, we evaluate the phonon dispersion of hydrogen-passivated graphene antidot lattices with circular, hexagonal, rectangular and triangular shapes. Ballistic transport models are used to evaluate the thermal conductivity. The calculations indicate that the thermal conductivity of hydrogen-passivated graphene antidot lattices can be one fourth of that of a pristine graphene sheet. This reduction is stronger for right-triangular and iso-triangular antidots among others, all with the same area, due to longer boundaries and the smallest distance between the neighboring dots.
Output Remapping Technique for Soft-Error Rate Reduction in Critical Paths

It is expected that the soft error rate (SER) of combinational logic will increase significantly. Previous solutions to mitigate soft errors in combinational logic suffer from delay penalty or area/power overhead. In this paper, we proposed an output remapping technique to reduce SER of critical paths. Experimental results show up to about 20X increase in Qcritical. So the SER is reduced significantly. This method does not introduce any delay penalty. The area/power overhead is limited as well. The output remapping method is based on our novel glitch width model. The analysis shows that output remapping technique works well along with technology scaling.
Validation of the COPD severity score for use in primary care: the NEREA study

Spirometry is underused for the assessment of severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care (PC). Therefore, simple assessment tools are required in this setting. The aim of the present study was to validate the COPD severity score (COPDSS) for use in PC. A multicentric study was carried out in stable COPD patients in PC. The concurrent validity of the COPDSS was evaluated by examining the association between COPDSS, COPD clinical indicators and the London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL) scale, European quality of life (EuroQOL) questionnaires and Charlson comorbidity index. A total of 837 patients with COPD were analysed (males 84.3%; mean±sd age 68±11 yrs; forced expiratory volume in one second 54.6±17.7% of the predicted value). A strong correlation was found between COPDSS and dyspnoea level and a moderate correlation between COPDSS and exacerbation number. The COPDSS discriminated between patients with varying degrees of dyspnoea (area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve 0.837), and according to number of exacerbations in the last year (area under ROC curve 0.773). Higher COPDSS scores were significantly associated with lower EuroQOL scores, lower EuroQOL visual analogue scale scores and higher LCADL scores. The present results indicate that the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity score is a useful and reliable tool for assessing the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care.
An Alternative Way to Model Population Ability Distributions in Large-Scale Educational Surveys

In large-scale educational surveys, a latent regression model is used to compensate for the shortage of cognitive information. Conventionally, the covariates in the latent regression model are principal components extracted from background data. This operational method has several important disadvantages, such as the handling of missing data and the high model complexity. The approach introduced here to identify multiple groups that can account for the variation among students is to conduct a latent class analysis (LCA). In the LCA, one or more latent nominal variables are identified that can be used to classify respondents with respect to their background characteristics. These classifications are then introduced as predictors in the latent regression. The primary goal of this study was to explore whether this approach yields similar estimates of group means and standard deviations compared with the operational procedure. The alternative approaches based on LCA differed regarding the number of classes, the items used for the LCA, and whether manifest class membership information or class membership probabilities were used as independent variables in the latent regression. Overall, recovery of the operational approach’s group means and standard deviations was very satisfactory for all LCA approaches. Furthermore, the posterior means and standard deviations used to generate plausible values derived from the operational approach and the LCA approaches correlated highly. Thus, incorporating independent variables based on an LCA of background data into the latent regression model appears to be a viable alternative to the operational approach.
An Algorithmic Approach to the Verification of Intransitive Noninterference in Security Policies

We propose an algorithmic approach to the problem of verification of the property of intransitive noninterference (INI), using tools and concepts of discrete event systems (DES). INI can be used to characterize and solve several important security problems in multilevel security systems. In a previous work, we have established the notion of -observability, which precisely captures the property of INI. We have also developed an algorithm for checking -observability by indirectly checking -observability for systems with at most three security levels. In this paper, we generalize the results for systems with any finite number of security levels by developing a direct method for checking -observability, based on an insightful observation that the function is a left congruence in terms of relations on formal languages. To demonstrate the applicability of our approach, we propose a formal method to detect denial of service vulnerabilities in security protocols based on INI. This method is illustrated using the TCP/IP protocol. The work extends the theory of supervisory control of DES to a new application domain.
The Cosmic Crystallinity Conundrum: Clues from IRAS 17495–2534

Since their discovery, cosmic crystalline silicates have presented several challenges to understanding dust formation and evolution. The mid-infrared spectrum of IRAS 17495–2534, a highly obscured oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, is the only source observed to date which exhibits a clear crystalline silicate absorption feature. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to test competing hypotheses for dust formation. Observed spectral features suggest that both amorphous and crystalline dust is dominated by forsterite (Mg2SiO4) rather than enstatite (MgSiO3) or other silicate compositions. We confirm that high mass-loss rates should produce more crystalline material, and show why this should be dominated by forsterite. The presence of Mg2SiO4 glass suggests that another factor (possibly C/O) is critical in determining astromineralogy. Correlation between crystallinity, mass-loss rate, and initial stellar mass suggests that only the most massive AGB stars contribute significant quantities of crystalline material to the interstellar medium, resolving the conundrum of its low crystallinity.
BDNF Regulates the Translation of a Select Group of mRNAs by a Mammalian Target of Rapamycin-Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Dependent Pathway during Neuronal Development

Local regulation of mRNA translation plays an important role in axon guidance, synaptic development, and neuronal plasticity. Little is known, however, regarding the mechanisms that control translation in neurons, and only a few mRNAs have been identified that are locally translated within axon and dendrites. Using Affymetrix gene arrays to identify mRNAs that are newly associated with polysomes after exposure to BDNF, we identified subsets of mRNAs for which translation is enhanced in neurons at different developmental stages. In mature neurons, many of these mRNAs encode proteins that are known to function at synapses, including CamKIIα, NMDA receptor subunits, and the postsynaptic density (PSD) scaffolding protein Homer2. BDNF regulates the translation of Homer2 locally in the synaptodendritic compartment by activating translational initiation via a mammalian target of rapamycin-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent pathway. These findings suggest that BDNF likely regulates synaptic function by inducing the local synthesis of numerous synaptic proteins. The local translation of the cytoskeleton-associated protein Homer2 in particular might have important implications for growth cone dynamics and dendritic spine development.
Characterizing the adult and larval transcriptome of the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis

The reasons for the evolution and maintenance of striking visual phenotypes are as widespread as the species that display these phenotypes. While study systems such as Heliconius and Dendrobatidae have been well characterized and provide critical information about the evolution of these traits, a breadth of new study systems, in which the phenotype of interest can be easily manipulated and quantified, are essential for gaining a more general understanding of these specific evolutionary processes. One such model is the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, which displays significant elytral spot and color polymorphism. Using transcriptome data from two life stages, adult and larva, we characterize the transcriptome, thereby laying a foundation for further analysis and identification of the genes responsible for the continual maintenance of spot variation in H. axyridis.
Privacy Butler: A personal privacy rights manager for online presence

The online presence projected by a person is comprised of all the information about them available on the Internet. In online communities and social networking services, it is often possible for third-parties to modify this content by, for example, commenting on existing content or uploading new content. This has the potential to negatively impact the privacy of a presence owner (the person referred to by the on-line content) by disclosing information about them without consent. In this paper we propose a Privacy Butler, an automated service that can monitor a person's online presence and attempt to make corrections based on policies specified by the owner of the online presence.
Density Functional Theory (DFT) Study of Triphenylamine-Based Dyes for Their Use as Sensitizers in Molecular Photovoltaics

In this work we studied three dyes which are proposed for potential photovoltaic applications and named Dye7, Dye7-2t and Dye7-3t. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) was utilized, using the M05-2X hybrid meta-GGA functional and the 6–31+G(d,p) basis set. This level of calculation was used to find the optimized molecular structure and to predict the main molecular vibrations, the absorption and emission spectra, the molecular orbitals energies, dipole moment, isotropic polarizability and the chemical reactivity parameters that arise from Conceptual DFT. Also, the pKa values were calculated with the semi-empirical PM6 method.
Executive Function and Academic Achievement: Longitudinal Relations From Early Childhood to Adolescence

Data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care (N = 1273) were analyzed to assess the longitudinal relations among executive function (EF) components in early childhood (54 months) and adolescence (15 years) and their prediction of academic achievement. We found that after controlling for early achievement, demographic, and home environment variables, only working memory at 54 months significantly predicted working memory at 15 years and that working memory was the only significant EF predictor of achievement at age 15. In contrast, all early achievement measures were significant predictors of later achievement. Furthermore, no demographic or home environment variables at 54 months significantly predicted EF at 15, and only maternal education significantly explained variance in adolescent math and literacy achievement. These findings demonstrate the predictability of working memory and highlight its importance for academic outcomes across development. However, the lack of associations of preschool inhibition and attention measures, after controlling for early achievement, demographic, and home environment variables, to corresponding measures in adolescence suggests the need for more developmentally sensitive measures of EF. Given that the EF measures used in this study are commonly used in educational and psychological research, more care should go into understanding the psychometric properties across development.
Analysis of Fingerprint Pores for Vitality Detection

Spoofing is an open-issue for fingerprint recognition systems. It consists in submitting an artificial fingerprint replica from a genuine user. Current sensors provide an image which is then processed as a “true” fingerprint. Recently, the so-called 3rd-level features, namely, pores, which are visible in high-definition fingerprint images, have been used for matching. In this paper, we propose to analyse pores location for characterizing the “liveness” of fingerprints. Experimental results on a large dataset of spoofed and live fingerprints show the benefits of the proposed approach.
FRBR: enriching and integrating digital libraries

FRBR (functional requirements for bibliographic records) is a promising framework for supporting rich indexation, and therefore rich interaction, in digital libraries. However, it is poorly reported in the digital library research literature and practical examples of its use are seldom discussed. In this paper, we introduce an implemented architecture for FRBR support that can supplement existing digital library systems. We also demonstrate the benefits gained by the user when FRBR data is used to enrich the user's interaction with the digital library
Revealing the True Incidence of Pandemic A(H1N1)pdm09 Influenza in Finland during the First Two Seasons — An Analysis Based on a Dynamic Transmission Model

The threat of the new pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 imposed a heavy burden on the public health system in Finland in 2009-2010. An extensive vaccination campaign was set up in the middle of the first pandemic season. However, the true number of infected individuals remains uncertain as the surveillance missed a large portion of mild infections. We constructed a transmission model to simulate the spread of influenza in the Finnish population. We used the model to analyse the two first years (2009-2011) of A(H1N1)pdm09 in Finland. Using data from the national surveillance of influenza and data on close person-to-person (social) contacts in the population, we estimated that 6% (90% credible interval 5.1 – 6.7%) of the population was infected with A(H1N1)pdm09 in the first pandemic season (2009/2010) and an additional 3% (2.5 – 3.5%) in the second season (2010/2011). Vaccination had a substantial impact in mitigating the second season. The dynamic approach allowed us to discover how the proportion of detected cases changed over the course of the epidemic. The role of time-varying reproduction number, capturing the effects of weather and changes in behaviour, was important in shaping the epidemic.
SmoothCache 2.0: CDN-quality adaptive HTTP live streaming on peer-to-peer overlays

In recent years, adaptive HTTP streaming protocols have become the de-facto standard in the industry for the distribution of live and video-on-demand content over the Internet. This paper presents SmoothCache 2.0, a distributed cache platform for adaptive HTTP live streaming content based on peer-to-peer (P2P) overlays. The contribution of this work is twofold. From a systems perspective, to the best of our knowledge, it is the only P2P platform which supports recent live streaming protocols based on HTTP as a transport and the concept of adaptive bitrate switching. From an algorithmic perspective, the system describes a novel set of overlay construction and prefetching techniques that realize: i) substantial savings in terms of the bandwidth load on the source of the stream, and ii) CDN-quality user experience in terms of playback latency and the watched bitrate. In order to support our claims, we conduct a methodical evaluation on thousands of real consumer machines.
Tracking an unknown number of targets using multiple sensors: A belief propagation method

We propose a multisensor method for tracking an unknown number of targets. Low computational complexity and very good scalability in the number of targets, number of sensors, and number of measurements per sensor are achieved by running a belief propagation (BP) message passing scheme on a suitably devised factor graph. Using a redundant formulation of data association uncertainty and “augmented target states” including target indicators allows the proposed BP method to leverage statistical independencies for a drastic reduction of complexity. The proposed method is shown to outperform previously proposed multisensor methods for multitarget tracking, including methods with a less favorable scaling behavior.