Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
'NEETS' : perceptions and aspirations of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training

The increasing emphasis on the relationship between participation in education and social inclusion through employment views non-participating young people negatively by what they are not, exemplified in the label Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). The UK’s strategy to reduce the numbers of NEET young people includes the provision of government training courses resulting in their increased attendance at further education colleges. This study was motivated by a need to understand these young people in order to work with them and to inform my professional practice. By engaging in purposeful conversation with a group of 14 young people, aspects of their lives, their experiences and perceptions of education, and their aspirations for the future are unfolded through the stories they chose to share. A consideration of the impact of forces of globalisation on opportunities for employment along with a recent history of youth training schemes sets the scene here for the analysis and discussion of these stories. Providing a fair account of stories in a way that allows the teller’s voice to be heard follows an uncharted course employing methods drawn from ethnographic, phenomenographic and narrative inquiry and resulting in a dissertation that blends theory, research and policy with the stories heard. Hearing such stories and considering their implications for working with these young people had a significant personal impact whilst confirming my conviction that in order to work successfully with such young people it is necessary to go beyond the label of NEET to understand something of their lives. Reflective and reflexive discussion around the methods adopted in this study consequently forms a major part of this dissertation as does explicit attention to the research journey travelled. The analysis of the stories of the young people centres here on notions of wellbeing and flourishing using a capabilities approach as a framework. By mapping themes identified in the conversations recorded in this study onto Martha Nussbaum’s list of central capabilities a re-framed version of her capabilities list, contextualised to NEET young lives is presented. It emerges that the perceptions of education and training and aspirations for future employment and wellbeing amongst this particular group do not justify the frequently negative connotations of the NEET label. Individual’s expressed anxieties around contemporary youth culture, their attitudes towards schooling and education and their hopes for their lives lead, in the final chapter of this study, to suggestions for ways forward for schools and colleges working with such young people. Here I emphasise the need for teachers to make space to understand the people behind the labels, to see them as individuals who may flourish more successfully if we are able to construct more compassionate institutions that allow young people to do and to be, to develop the capacities to lead the meaningful lives they desire and will have reason to value.
A General Framework for Multi-Human Tracking

The task of reliable detection and tracking of multiple objects becomes highly complex for crowded scenarios. In this paper, a robust framework is presented for multi-Human tracking. The key contribution of the work is to use fast calculation for mean shift algorithm to perform tracking for the cases when Kalman filter fails due to measurement error. Local density maxima in the difference image - usually representing moving objects - are outlined by a fast non-parametric mean shift clustering procedure. The proposed approach has the robust ability to track moving objects, both separately and in groups, in consecutive frames under some kinds of difficulties such as rapid appearance changes caused by image noise and occlusion.
Efficient maximum likelihood estimation for Lévy-driven Ornstein–Uhlenbeck processes

We consider the problem of efficient estimation of the drift parameter of an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck type process driven by a L\'{e}vy process when high-frequency observations are given. The estimator is constructed from the time-continuous likelihood function that leads to an explicit maximum likelihood estimator and requires knowledge of the continuous martingale part. We use a thresholding technique to approximate the continuous part of the process. Under suitable conditions, we prove asymptotic normality and efficiency in the H\'{a}jek-Le Cam sense for the resulting drift estimator. Finally, we investigate the finite sample behavior of the method and compare our approach to least squares estimation.
Hepatic stellate cells contain the functional estrogen receptor beta but not the estrogen receptor alpha in male and female rats.

In an earlier study, we showed that estradiol (E2) inhibits proliferation and transformation in cultured rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and that the actions of E2 are mediated through estrogen receptors (ERs). This study reports on an investigation of the cellular localization of ER subtypes ERalpha and ERbeta using immunohistochemistry in experimental fibrotic liver rats and of each ER subtype expression in cultured rat HSCs by evaluating the produced mRNA and protein. The results indicate that high levels of ERbeta expression and low or no levels of ERalpha expression were observed in normal and fibrotic livers and in quiescent and activated HSCs from both males and females. The specificity of E2-mediated antiapoptotic induction through the ERbeta was shown by dose-dependent inhibition by the pure ER antagonist ICI 182,780 in HSCs which were undergoing early apoptosis. These findings demonstrate for the first time that rat HSCs possess functional Erbeta, but not Eralpha, to respond directly to E2 exposure.
A Comparison of Distance Measures for Clustering Video Sequences

Matching video segments in order to detect their similarity is a necessary task in retrieval and summarization applications. In order to determine nearly identical content, such as repeated takes of the same scene, very precise matching of sequences of features extracted from the video segments needs to be performed. In this paper we compare the performance of three distance measures for the task of clustering multiple takes of the same scene: dynamic time warping (DTW) and two variants of longest common subsequence (LCSS). We also evaluate the influence of the quality of the input segmentation on the performance of the algorithms.
A Study of Public Key Encryption with Keyword Search

Public Key Encryption with Keyword Search (PEKS) scheme enable one to search the encrypted data with a keyword without revealing any information. The concept of a PEKS scheme was proposed by Boneh et al. in 2004 and Baek et al. who extended PEKS scheme into a secure channel free PEKS scheme (SCF-PEKS) which removes the assumption, a secure channel between users and a server. In this paper, we show an overview of six existing security models of PEKS/SCF-PEKS scheme and conclude flve security requirements that must satisfy to construct a secure PEKS/SCF-PEKS scheme. Then we compare the security and e‐ciency of the security models and discuss the future researches of PEKS/SCF-PEKS.
Energy minimization using nanoMAC protocols in multihop wireless sensor network

Sensor networks consist of large number of distributed nodes, which have ad hoc topology and high traffic rates. Since the traffic offered in the network is highly dynamic and sensor devices are battery operated, the medium access control (MAC) protocol designed for the network must be stable and should consume less energy. Conventional non-persistent carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) based MAC protocol is not suitable for wireless sensor network (WSN) because of higher probability of frame collisions and larger energy consumption at variable traffic rates. Hence this paper considers a carrier sense multiple access protocol with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) called nanoMAC, which is more suitable for WSN to achieve high data and energy efficiency. Analysis of the nanoMAC protocol is carried out to evaluate the throughput, delay and energy consumption to maximize the lifetime of the multihop network. Simulation results show that using nanoMAC protocol for multihop forwarding is more energy efficient than single hop communication when the feasible transmission distance is out of the characteristic distance range.
Social collaboration technologies in organisations: a qualitative approach

This thesis aims to explain why employees utilise social collaborative technologies (SCTs) within organisations. The findings contribute to an understanding of how this type of collaboration technology can be used as a platform to enhance communication, collaboration and streamline dialogue across an organisation. A number of different terms have been used to describe SCTs, such as enterprise 2.0, Facebook for the organisation, microblogging, social enterprise software, and tweeting. This thesis broadly covers three different types of SCT: a social network web-based platform (Yammer), an instant messaging collaborative platform (Microsoft Lync), and user forums. The research is informed by information sharing theory, self-determination theory, and the concepts of affordances of SCTs and social connectedness. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with managers and users of SCTs. Data was collected and analysed via thematic analysis revealing emergent themes that framed the discussion of this thesis. Overall, four emergent themes were discovered. They were: design of SCT that encourages certain practices, expected SCT practices, risks to utilising SCTs, and motivations that drive
Dissipation of Magnetohydrodynamic Waves on Energetic Particles: Impact on Interstellar Turbulence and Cosmic-Ray Transport

The physical processes involved in diffusion of Galactic cosmic rays in the interstellar medium are addressed. We study the possibility that the nonlinear MHD cascade sets the power-law spectrum of turbulence that scatters charged energetic particles. We find that the dissipation of waves due to the resonant interaction with cosmic-ray particles may terminate the Kraichnan-type cascade below wavelengths 1013 cm. The effect of this wave dissipation has been incorporated in the GALPROP numerical propagation code in order to asses the impact on measurable astrophysical data. The energy dependence of the cosmic-ray diffusion coefficient found in the resulting self-consistent model may explain the peaks in the secondary to primary nuclei ratios observed at about 1 GeV nucleon-1.
Right Ventricular Myocardial Responses to Chronic Pulmonary Regurgitation in Lambs: Disturbances of Activation and Conduction

Patients after repair of tetralogy of Fallot are at increased risk of arrhythmic death. Clinical data suggest that pulmonary regurgitation predisposes to these arrhythmias, although the cellular electrophysiologic effects of pulmonary regurgitation are unknown. We induced pulmonary regurgitation in lambs, and 3 mo later, having quantified the pulmonary regurgitant (PR) fraction, studied right ventricular mechanical and electrophysiologic properties in vivo and in vitro. The PR fraction was greater in PR (75 ± 10%) than in sham-operated animals (8 ± 4%; p < 0.01). In vivo, monophasic action potential duration and activation time, at rest and during acute right ventricular stretch, were similar in both groups. However, the dispersion of activation time was greater in PR animals at rest (13 ± 1.1 versus 8 ± 1.1 ms; p < 0.05). Furthermore, the dispersion of activation increased during right ventricular stretch in PR, but not in sham-operated animals. In vitro, myocardial force-frequency responses were similar in both groups, indicating preserved systolic performance, but mechanical restitution studies showed a prolonged refractory period (447 ± 22 versus 370 ± 26 ms; p < 0.05) and a decreased recovery time constant (184 ± 19 versus 265 ± 20 ms; p < 0.001) in PR animals, indicating altered calcium cycling. Furthermore, the myocardial conduction velocity was reduced in PR animals (31 ± 3.58 versus 47.9 ± 5.1 cm/s; p < 0.01), resulting from a 2-fold increase in intracellular resistance (437.25 ± 125.93 versus 194 ± 43.27 Ω · cm; p = 0.025). Chronic PR leads to inhomogeneity of right ventricular activation, alters myocardial calcium cycling, reduces conduction velocity, and increases intracellular resistivity. These may contribute to the development of arrhythmias associated with PR, including those in patients after tetralogy repair.
Tolerance to chronic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC) in rhesus macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus.

Although Δ⁹-THC has been approved to treat anorexia and weight loss associated with AIDS, it may also reduce well-being by disrupting complex behavioral processes or enhancing HIV replication. To investigate these possibilities, four groups of male rhesus macaques were trained to respond under an operant acquisition and performance procedure, and administered vehicle or Δ⁹-THC before and after inoculation with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV(mac251), 100 TCID₅₀/ml, i.v. ). Prior to chronic Δ⁹-THC and SIV inoculation, 0.032-0.32 mg/kg of Δ⁹-THC produced dose-dependent rate-decreasing effects and small, sporadic error-increasing effects in the acquisition and performance components in each subject. Following 28 days of chronic Δ⁹-THC (0.32 mg/kg, i.m.) or vehicle twice daily, delta-9-THC-treated subjects developed tolerance to the rate-decreasing effects, and this tolerance was maintained during the initial 7-12 months irrespective of SIV infection (i.e., +THC/-SIV, +THC/+SIV). Full necropsy was performed on all SIV subjects an average of 329 days post-SIV inoculation, with postmortem histopathology suggestive of a reduced frequency of CNS pathology as well as opportunistic infections in delta-9-THC-treated subjects. Chronic Δ⁹-THC also significantly reduced CB-1 and CB-2 receptor levels in the hippocampus, attenuated the expression of a proinflammatory cytokine (MCP-1), and did not increase viral load in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, or brain tissue compared to vehicle-treated subjects with SIV. Together, these data indicate that chronic Δ⁹-THC produces tolerance to its behaviorally disruptive effects on complex tasks while not adversely affecting viral load or other markers of disease progression during the early stages of infection.
Specifying Usage Control Model with Object Constraint Language

The recent usage control model (UCON) is a foundation for next-generation access control models with distinguishing properties of decision continuity and attribute mutability. Constraints in UCON are one of the most important components that have involved in the principle motivations of usage analysis and design. The importance of constraints associated with authorizations, obligations, and conditions in UCON has been recognized but modeling these constraints has not been received much attention. In this paper we use a de facto constraints specification language in software engineering to analyze the constraints in UCON model. We show how to represent constraints with object constraint language (OCL) and give out a formalized specification of UCON model which is built from basic constraints, such as authorization predicates, obligation actions and condition requirements. Further, we show the flexibility and expressive capability of this specified UCON model with extensive examples.
Low-complexity bit-allocation algorithm for MPEG AAC audio coders

This letter presents a method for estimating the quantization noise introduced by a nonuniform quantizer, like those used in the family of MPEG-2/4 AAC audio coders. The method is generalized for the case of estimating the mean squared or the maximum value of the quantization noise. Its use will allow the bit-allocation algorithm to be adapted to different coding scenarios, depending on the available number of bits. Using the proposed method, it is possible to implement a loopless bit-allocation algorithm, without the need for using any kind of iteration loops. This helps to dramatically reduce the computational complexity of the bit-allocation algorithm, making it easier to implement in real-time applications where computational power is limited.
Automated Breast Lesion Segmentation in Ultrasound Images

The main objective of this project is to segment different breast ultrasound images to find out lesion area by discarding the low contrast regions as well as the inherent speckle noise. The proposed method consists of three stages (removing noise, segmentation, classification) in order to extract the correct lesion. We used normalized cuts approach to segment ultrasound images into regions of interest where we can possibly finds the lesion, and then K-means classifier is applied to decide finally the location of the lesion. For every original image, an annotated ground-truth image is given to perform comparison with the obtained experimental results, providing accurate evaluation measures.
Safety Management: A Qualitative Systems Approach

Safety, Risk and Responsibility Science and Subjectivity The Need to be Safe Risk and Responsibility Voluntary and Involuntary Action Safety and Trust in Organizations Better Value from Safety Data in a World of Diminishing Returns Where is Risk Situated? Safety, Subjectivity and Imagination Knowledge: Objective or Subjective? What Kind of Science? Relativity, Quantum Mechanics and Chaos Causality: a Property of the World, or All in the Mind? Safety and Imagination Justifying Proactive Safety Predictive Validity of Near Misses Introduction The Background to the Common Sense Hypothesis Arguments against the Common Cause Hypothesis Testing the Hypothesis Collecting and Analyzing Minor Event Reports is a Useful Thing to Do Confidential Reporting as an Approach to Collecting Near Miss Data Why Confidential Reporting? Management Support Incentives for Reporting Preparation and Planning The CIRAS Reporting System Conclusions Numbers and Words in Safety Management Introduction Triangulation The Epistemology of Incident Frequency Data Case Study: Validatory Triangulation in a Safety Management Context Dealing with Discourse Summary Hermeneutics and Accident Reports Background Hermeneutics An Organizational Model of Human Factors The CIRAS Project Kinds of Data From Hermeneutics to Action Causal Attribution and Safety Management Traditional Attribution Theory Functional Discourse and Attribution Causal Investigation of Accidents Viewed as a Functional Act Attribution and Safety Climate/Culture An Attributional Analysis of Train Drivers' Explanations Attributions and Implications Inter-Rater Consensus in Safety Management Introduction Definitions of Reliability Problem Areas in Testing Consensus Statistical Measurements of Inter-Rater Consensus Procedures for Establishing Inter-Rater Consensus (IRC) and Within- Rater Consensus (WRC) Summary Error Taxonomies and 'Cognitivism' Origins Cognitivism Connectionism Information Arousal Theory (IAT) and Train Driver Behavior People: Controllers of Arousal Further Implications Conclusions Numbers from Words Reliability Taxonomies Human Error, Strategic Decision or Adaptive Action? It Makes Economic Sense Science: Induction versus Intuition Catalog no. TF1634, May 2003, 240 pp., ISBN: 0-4153-0370-2, $109.95 / GBP72.99 Short TOC
An unsupervised approach to interpreting noun compounds

This paper proposes an unsupervised approach to automatically interpret noun compounds using semantic similarity. Our proposed unsupervised method is based on obtaining a large amount of robust evidence for NC interpretation. In order to obtain evidence sentences for semantic relations (SRs), we first acquired sentences containing both a head noun and its modifier in the form of SR definitions. Then we determined the semantic relations represented in the sentences by looking at the nouns in the test instances (noun mapping) and verbs in the SR definitions (verb mapping). In the noun mapping, we measured the similarity between nouns in test instances and nouns in the collected sentences. In the verb mapping, we mapped the verbs of sentences onto those in the SR definitions. Finally, we built a statistical classifier to interpret noun compounds and evaluated it over 17 SRs defined in.
Enantiomeric separation of new cathinone derivatives designer drugs by capillary electrochromatography using a chiral stationary phase, based on amylose tris(5‐chloro‐2‐methylphenylcarbamate)

In this study, a chiral CEC method for the enantiomeric separation of ten cathinone derivatives, by means of a polysaccharide‐based chiral stationary phase, has been developed. Capillary columns of 100 μm id packed with amylose tris(5‐chloro‐2‐methylphenylcarbamate) coated on silica, also called Sepapak 3 or Lux Amylose‐2, were used to achieve the enantioseparation of the studied designer drugs. Enantioresolution, chromatographic retention, and separation efficiency were evaluated in dependence of mobile‐phase composition in terms of the content of the organic modifier, nature, and pH buffer. To obtain a sensitivity improvement, a field‐amplified sample injection was evaluated optimizing the sample solvent composition and injection time. The LODs and LOQs values were in the range 25–100 and 50–150 ng/mL, respectively, for all the racemic compounds. Good results in terms of resolution (Rs), separation efficiency (N/m), and short analysis times were obtained using a mixture of ACN/methanol/sodium acetate pH 9 (89/10/1, v/v/v). Applying a voltage of 10 kV and a temperature of 20°C, the analyzed cathinone derivatives were separated in their enantiomers in less than 10 min. A study, concerning the method precision, in terms of intra‐ and interday repeatability and column‐to‐column reproducibility was carried out in accordance with the analytical procedures for method validation. Intra‐ and interday repeatability provided RSD values in the ranges 1.1–1.7, 1.3–2.3% for retention time and 1.3–2.6, 2.1–3.4% for peak area, respectively.
Subspace-Sparse Representation

Given an overcomplete dictionary $A$ and a signal $b$ that is a linear combination of a few linearly independent columns of $A$, classical sparse recovery theory deals with the problem of recovering the unique sparse representation $x$ such that $b = A x$. It is known that under certain conditions on $A$, $x$ can be recovered by the Basis Pursuit (BP) and the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) algorithms. In this work, we consider the more general case where $b$ lies in a low-dimensional subspace spanned by some columns of $A$, which are possibly linearly dependent. In this case, the sparsest solution $x$ is generally not unique, and we study the problem that the representation $x$ identifies the subspace, i.e. the nonzero entries of $x$ correspond to dictionary atoms that are in the subspace. Such a representation $x$ is called subspace-sparse. We present sufficient conditions for guaranteeing subspace-sparse recovery, which have clear geometric interpretations and explain properties of subspace-sparse recovery. We also show that the sufficient conditions can be satisfied under a randomized model. Our results are applicable to the traditional sparse recovery problem and we get conditions for sparse recovery that are less restrictive than the canonical mutual coherent condition. We also use the results to analyze the sparse representation based classification (SRC) method, for which we get conditions to show its correctness.