Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Topicality of Agent-Based Modeling/Multi Agent Systems in Human Computer Interaction Research: An African Perspective

Motivated by the uniqueness of the African culture we took an intellectual trip through some topical HCI discourses in order to highlight areas amenable to flexible abstractions using Agent-based modeling/Multi agent systems (ABM/MAS). We identified issues arising from "Social computing" in Embodied Interaction and "Reassessing culture difference" in Postcolonial Computing; these underpinned the framework of our analyses. Above all, we highlight the relationship between agent technology and HCI areas; and present a summary of how it has been applied and where it can be applied in African contexts as well as the benefits of its application. The usefulness of this study is depicted in its ability to illuminate the relationship between HCI and ABM/MAS and to explicitly show what can be possibly achieved using the agent modeling approach. It is our hope that the application of ABM/MAS would stimulate rich theoretical (and intellectual) discussions that further HCI development in Africa.
Analysis on credit card fraud identification techniques based on KNN and outlier detection

Popular payment mode accepted both offline and online is credit card that provides cashless transaction. It is easy, convenient and trendy to make payments and other transactions. Credit card fraud is also growing along with the development in technology. It can also be said that economic fraud is drastically increasing in the global communication improvement. It is being recorded every year that the loss due to these fraudulent acts is billions of dollars. These activities are carried out so elegantly so it is similar to genuine transactions. Hence simple pattern related techniques and other less complex methods are really not going to work. Having an efficient method of fraud detection has become a need for all banks in order to minimize chaos and bring order in place. There are several techniques like Machine learning, Genetic Programming, fuzzy logic, sequence alignment, etc are used for detecting credit card fraudulent transactions. Along with these techniques, KNN algorithm and outlier detection methods are implemented to optimize the best solution for the fraud detection problem. These approaches are proved to minimize the false alarm rates and increase the fraud detection rate. Any of these methods can be implemented on bank credit card fraud detection system, to detect and prevent the fraudulent transaction.
Probabilistic Gabor and Markov Random Fields Segmentation of B rain Tumours in MRI Volumes

In this paper, we present a fully automated technique two stage technique for segmenting brain tumours from multispectral human brain magnetic resonance images (MRIs). From the training volumes, we model the brain tumour, oedema and the other healthy brain tissues using their combined space characteristics. Our segmentation technique works on a combination of Bayesian classification of the Gabor decom- position of the brain MRI volumes to produce an initial classification of brain tumours, along with the other classes. We follow our initial classification with a Markov Random Field (MRF) classification of the Bayesian output to resolve local inhomogeneities, and impose a smooth- ing constraint. Our results show a Dice similarity coefficient of 0.668 for the brain tumours and 0.56 for the oedema. Brain tumours are a serious health problem, and it is estimated that roughly 100,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumours every years. One of the pri- mary diagnostic and treatment evaluation tools for brain tumours is the mag- netic resonance image (MRI) of the brain. A reliable method for segmenting brain tumours would be very useful. However, brain tumours, owing to their ex- treme diversity of shape, size, type of tumour, etc., present a serious challenge to segmentation techniques. Given the importance of the problem, over the years, there have been a large number of techniques attempted to segment brain tu- mours automatically. Some of the more important techniques include multilevel segmentation by Bayesian weighted aggregation (1), knowledge based fuzzy tech- niques (2), and atlas based classification (3). Wavelet based decompositions are attractive since they are good at capturing large textures of the kind found in brain tumours effectively, and it is unsurprising that there are a few attempts to employ wavelets. One of the more prominent is the wavelet decomposition used in conjunction with support vector machines (4). In this paper, however, we build on this technique by constructing models not for just the tumours and the oedema, but also for the healthy tissues. We, then, utilise the natural ability of the combined space features to capture the existing patterns to train the ma- chine to recognise the patterns of the tumours, and distinguish it from the other healthy tissues, and provide us with an initial classification. From this initial classification, we then use Markov Random Fields (MRFs) to capture the local label homogeneities and also eliminate false positives that occur due to spurious tumour textures that may arise in other parts of the brain. Proc MICCAI-BRATS 2012
Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain

BACKGROUND Mechanical neck pain is a common condition that affects an estimated 70% of persons at some point in their lives. Little research exists to guide the choice of therapy for acute and subacute neck pain. OBJECTIVE To determine the relative efficacy of spinal manipulation therapy (SMT), medication, and home exercise with advice (HEA) for acute and subacute neck pain in both the short and long term. DESIGN Randomized, controlled trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00029770) SETTING 1 university research center and 1 pain management clinic in Minnesota. PARTICIPANTS 272 persons aged 18 to 65 years who had nonspecific neck pain for 2 to 12 weeks. INTERVENTION 12 weeks of SMT, medication, or HEA. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was participant-rated pain, measured at 2, 4, 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks after randomization. Secondary measures were self-reported disability, global improvement, medication use, satisfaction, general health status (Short Form-36 Health Survey physical and mental health scales), and adverse events. Blinded evaluation of neck motion was performed at 4 and 12 weeks. RESULTS For pain, SMT had a statistically significant advantage over medication after 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks (P ≤ 0.010), and HEA was superior to medication at 26 weeks (P = 0.02). No important differences in pain were found between SMT and HEA at any time point. Results for most of the secondary outcomes were similar to those of the primary outcome. LIMITATIONS Participants and providers could not be blinded. No specific criteria for defining clinically important group differences were prespecified or available from the literature. CONCLUSION For participants with acute and subacute neck pain, SMT was more effective than medication in both the short and long term. However, a few instructional sessions of HEA resulted in similar outcomes at most time points. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
The FDA NIH Biomarkers, EndpointS, and other Tools (BEST) resource in neuro-oncology

In early 2016, the FDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published the first version of the glossary included in the Biomarkers, EndpointS, and other Tools (BEST) resource.1 The BEST glossary was constructed to harmonize and clarify terms used in translational science and medical product development and to provide a common language used for communication by those agencies. It is considered a "living" document that will be updated in the future. This review will discuss the main biomarker and clinical outcome categories contained in the BEST glossary as they apply to neuro-oncology, as well as the overlapping and hierarchical relationships among them.
Possible Non-Thermal Microwave Effects on the Growth Rate of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Staphylococcus Aureus

The present work reports the effects of low power microwaves in the frequency range of 2.20-2.50 GHz with an incident power range of 0-400 mW on the growth rate of the bacterial species Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Since culture temperatures were maintained constant (37°C) during irradiation, these effects can be considered as non-thermal. A continuous recirculating experimental structure was used for the purpose. It is very difficult to find a mathematical correlation between the observed effects and radiation power or frequency. Copyright © 2012 Praise Worthy Prize S.r. l. All rights reserved.
Guidelines for effort and cost allocation in medium to large software development projects

The proper allocation of financial and human resources to the various software development activities is a very important and critical task. To provide a realistic allocation, the project manager of a software development project should account for the various activities needed to ensure the completion of the project with the required quality and on-time and within-budget. In this paper, we provide guideline for cost and effort allocation based on typical software development activities and using existing requirements-based estimation techniques.
Development of an integrated model for RFID extension

– In the literature, a number of models have been developed that explain the adoption behavior of a technological innovation. Similarly, most research explaining the continuance behavior of an information system (IS) ignores the adoption processes. It is observed that researchers seem uninterested in explaining the extension of an IS. The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model that explains the adoption, continuance, and extension of a technological innovation – taking radio frequency identification (RFID) as the case. , – Motivated by the exploratory nature of the current research, a qualitative field-study approach is adopted. , – Technology-organization-environment (TOE) factors influence RFID adoption while continuance is dependent on confirmation from the initial adoption. Finally, the extension decision is influenced by the TOE factors, self-efficacy, and situational factors. , – The research was conducted in eight livestock farms in Western Australia and hence the factors explored can be location specific. This is the first methodological initiative explaining the extension behavior of a technological innovation. , – IS researchers may gain insight toward understanding the diffusion of innovation in the agricultural sector while agricultural agencies and farms can use the findings for their extension plan. , – This study is a single initiative developing an integrated model that explains the adoption diffusion of a technological innovation.
Odometry error estimation for a differential drive robot snowplow

This paper presents a velocity-augmented Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) which can estimate both systematic and non-systematic odometry errors for a differential drive mobile robot. The proposed EKF is validated both within simulation and using postprocessed robot snowplow data from the Institute of Navigation's 2013 Autonomous Snowplow Competition. Potential sensor configurations are explored using EKF Monte-Carlo simulations with Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors or multilateration ranging sensors.
A fortran language system for mutation‐based software testing

Mutation analysis is a powerful technique for testing software systems. The Mothra software testing project uses mutation analysis as the basis for an integrated software testing environment. Mutation analysis requires executing many slightly differing versions of the same program to evaluate the quality of the data used to test the program. The current version of Mothra includes a complete language system that translates a program to be tested into intermediate code so that it and its mutated versions can be executed by an interpreter.
Experiences from interaction design for NFC applications

Linking things in the physical world with related digital resources and content in the virtual world is one of the visions of ubiquitous computing. Radio frequency identification tags, more specifically NFC tags, attached to the things and places in the physical world and using personal mobile devices equipped with readers to access the services and information associated to the tags, is studied in this paper. Eight trials representing different applications are described and the results of user experiments are reported. The main design findings are as follows: the standard size of the tag may be too limiting, we should allow tags of different visual appearance, form and size; the spatial positioning of tags in the physical interaction space gives a designer a lot of freedom but may also pose the risk of inconsistent and haphazard designs; complexity of the interaction task may be divided between using menus and keys of the personal device or using multiple tags; consistent and prompt feedback is important, feedback should use suitable modalities, including haptic feedback; the service or information provided should ex-ploit location information, i.e. the place of the specific tag, and finally fallback plans for unoperational or broken tags should exist.
On-the-Fly Control Design of Modular Robot Manipulators

We consider the problem of automatically designing model-based controllers of modular robot manipulators in a systematic way. Modular robots are especially useful in flexible manufacturing, where one wishes to quickly assemble robots from a set of modules for temporary tasks. The evaluation of all possible dynamical models is typically impractical, undermining the implementation of model-based control laws. Contrary to most other work that approached this challenge by designing decentralized controllers, we generate on-the-fly model-based centralized controllers after a new robot has been assembled. In this brief, we extend the applicability of our previous work on this subject by considering both link and joint modules, assembly dependent friction effects, and we finally present experiments that validate the overall approach.
Cosmetovigilance: definition, regulation and use “in practice”

Cosmetovigilance is a recent concept. The term itself has just been indexed. It is a form of health public surveillance with a public health objective; it therefore differs from the surveillance carried out by industrialists, who aim at the safety of the product for commercial purposes, and differs from peer surveillance (Revidal-Gerda), whose purpose is medical. Cosmetovigilance concerns cosmetic products. The 2006 European resolution has laid the ground work for a cosmetovigilance system based on case notifications. As of 2013, the new European regulation requires that serious undesirable effects reported to the competent authority should be transmitted to the competent authorities of the other Member States and to the person responsible for the cosmetic product. Two problems are yet to be solved: causality assessment and reporting categories. Cosmetovigilance systems are genuine means of obtaining information on the safety of cosmetic products and their ingredients. They can be used by Europe to check that new directives ensure a high level of safety. Cosmetovigilance makes it possible to rule out or control potentially hazardous ingredients and can thus set our minds at ease about the products placed on the market.
Graying severity score: A useful tool for evaluation of premature canities

Background: There is no uniform grading scale for objective assessment of premature canities that can serve as a reference. The aim of the study was to devise an objective and reproducible scoring system to assess the severity of premature canities. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted from November 2011 to April 2013 in a tertiary care setup with 52 apparently healthy individuals with onset of premature graying of scalp hair before the age of 20 years. A new scoring system (Graying Severity Score, GSS) was devised to evaluate the extent of graying taking into account five representative sites from the scalp by two independent investigators and analysed for agreement. GSS ranged from 0 to 15 that was further graded as mild, moderate, and severe. Results: The highest total GSS attained was 13 and lowest was 4 (mean = 6.6 ± 1.97). Of the 52 patients 17 (32.69%) had mild, 32 (61.54%) moderate, and only 3 (5.77%) had severe GSS. Scores of both investigators were found to have good agreement. The intraclass correlation calculated by the two-way mixed model using the absolute agreement definition for the GSS was 0.967 (CI = 0.944–0.981; P = 0.000) and for GSS grade was 0.962 (P = 0.000). In the study subjects the frontal and the vertex regions were found to be the worst affected. Conclusion: GSS is a novel, numeric, objective, and reproducible tool for evaluation of premature canities that can be used to follow up and assess therapeutic response. Further large scale studies are recommended to optimize its utility.
Role of Endogenous Estrogen on the Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease in Men

Estrogens protect the vascular system in women, but its effect in men is unclear. We evaluated the impact of estrogen on the male cardiovascular system. Of 140 Chinese males, 55 (aged 61.2 ± 3.5) were cases and 60 (aged 59.5 ± 4.6) were controls. Compared with the control group, only serum estradiol ([E2]; P < .01) levels but not testosterone ([T]; P = .21) were significantly lower in the cases. Linear and multiple regression analysis showed that serum T was positively associated with triglycerides ([TG]; r = .439, P < .01) and d-dimer (r = .258, P < .05) but negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (r = −.267, P < .05) and C-reactive protein (CRP; r = −.214, P < .05). Estradiol was highly associated with TG (r = .783, P < .01) and HDL-C (r = .515, P < .01) but was negatively related with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; P < .05), total cholesterol/HDL-C (P < .05), CRP (P < .01), and d-dimer (P < .01). In conclusion, serum E2 and T levels affect coronary heart disease risk factors in males.
Home-Based Behavioral Sleep Training for Shift Workers: A Pilot Study

This pilot study evaluated a home-based cognitive-behavioral intervention—the Sleep Enhancement Training System for Shift Workers (SETS-SW)—in a sample of 21 nurses working night shifts. Participants (20 women and 1 man) received 2 home-based cognitive-behavioral interventions: a 4-week active control intervention, followed by the 4-week SETS-SW intervention. Sleep and circadian rhythms were assessed at baseline and after each intervention using questionnaires and 1 week of wrist actigraphy. After the SETS-SW intervention, participants reported better sleep quality, although no change in actigraphy outcomes was observed. Over the course of the study, participants also reported improved wellbeing and less appetite disturbance. A home-based cognitive-behavioral intervention may be useful for managing effects of shift work, but needs further evaluation in larger samples.
A methodology for trustworthy file systems

The main contribution of this thesis is a methodology for designing, implementing and verifying realistic file systems with evidence of its effectiveness by application to a non-trivial flash file system. The goal of this research is to demonstrate that an implementation level machine-checked proof of correctness of a file system can be done at reasonable cost. Our approach leverages Cogent, a purely functional, memoryand typesafe language we helped design, that bridges the gap between verifiable formal model and low-level code. Cogent takes a modular file system implementation as input and generates a C implementation and a formal proof that links it to its corresponding generated Cogent specification. Cogent specifications inherit the purely functional aspect of the input source code, and thus they proved much easier to reason about than the C code directly. In order to prove the correctness of complex file system components at reasonable cost, we decompose the functionality into a set of components such that the correctness of each can be proven in isolation. The component proofs are mechanically composed into a theorem that holds on the C implementation by refinement. To validate our approach, we designed and implemented BilbyFs, a modular flash file system. We formally specified BilbyFs’ file system operations in Isabelle/HOL, and proved the functional correctness of two key operations: sync() and iget(). BilbyFs’ design demonstrates the practicality of aggressive modular decomposition, and its Cogent implementation highlights the benefits and feasibility of using a linearly-typed language to implement a realistic file system. Our verification results show that we can exploit our modular design to reason about implementation components in isolation, and that overall our methodology drastically reduces the effort of verifying file system code.
Effects of adaptation to carvacrol on Staphylococcus aureus in the planktonic and biofilm phases

Abstract The effect of exposure to sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations of carvacrol, for either 3–10 days, on direct (carvacrol) or cross-protection (cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, antibiotics) and the influence on planktonic and biofilm growth of four Staphylococcus aureus strains were reported. The sequential exposure to carvacrol resulted in a direct protection that was more evident in two of the four strains after 10 days. No significant cross-protection against cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and antibiotics was detected. An adaptive response was associated with a prolonged lag phase, a lower yield of bacteria, a colony phenotype likely to be associated to small colony variants and an increase in biofilm production. Generally, the biofilm of the adapted strains was less susceptible to subMICs of carvacrol compared to the biofilms of non-adapted strains. In contrast, it was demonstrated that in the case of mature biofilms the susceptibility was similar. The exposure of S. aureus to carvacrol at concentrations above the MIC resulted in a very low mutation frequency.
Predicting survival in fulminant hepatic failure using serum gc protein concentrations

Plasma Gc protein sequesters actin released into the circulation after massive hepatocyte necrosis, but is greatly depleted in the process. In fulminant hepatic failure (FHF), Gc is present in serum both as a complex with actin and as unbound protein, the latter becoming completely exhausted in those patients with the most severe FHF. In the present study, 47 consecutive patients with FHF, 39 of whom were the result of acetaminophen (AC) overdose, were evaluated to determine whether measurement of Gc protein levels could be used to predict survival. Using serum samples obtained shortly after admission as well as later samples, levels for total Gc protein, percentage of Gc complexed with actin, and calculated unbound Gc remaining in serum were compared for survivors and those who died of their illness. The most marked changes were present in unbound Gc levels in nonsurvivors, the mean of which for follow‐up samples was 10% of normal mean values, as compared with 23% of normal mean values in those who survived (P<.01). Using a cutoff value for unbound Gc protein of ±34 μg/mL to predict survival, outcome was correctly predicted in 32 of 47 (68%) patients using early samples, and in 24 of 27 (89%) patients using later sera. No differences were observed between values and/or outcome in AC and non‐AC cases. Measurement of Gc protein level correctly predicted all patients dying of hepatic failure. This single measurement compares favorably with multifactorial predictive models, such as the King's College model, and might be a useful test for patients being considered for transplantation. (Hepathology 1995;21:101‐105).