Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling User Knowledge with Dynamic Bayesian Networks in Interactive Narrative Environments

Recent years have seen a growing interest in interactive narrative systems that dynamically adapt story experiences in response to users’ actions, preferences, and goals. However, relatively little empirical work has investigated runtime models of user knowledge for informing interactive narrative adaptations. User knowledge about plot scenarios, story environments, and interaction strategies is critical in a range of interactive narrative contexts, such as mystery and detective genre stories, as well as narrative scenarios for education and training. This paper proposes a dynamic Bayesian network approach for modeling user knowledge in interactive narrative environments. A preliminary version of the model has been implemented for the Crystal Island interactive narrative-centered learning environment. Results from an initial empirical evaluation suggest several future directions for the design and evaluation of user knowledge models for guiding interactive narrative generation and adaptation.
The Talin Head Domain Reinforces Integrin-Mediated Adhesion by Promoting Adhesion Complex Stability and Clustering

Talin serves an essential function during integrin-mediated adhesion in linking integrins to actin via the intracellular adhesion complex. In addition, the N-terminal head domain of talin regulates the affinity of integrins for their ECM-ligands, a process known as inside-out activation. We previously showed that in Drosophila, mutating the integrin binding site in the talin head domain resulted in weakened adhesion to the ECM. Intriguingly, subsequent studies showed that canonical inside-out activation of integrin might not take place in flies. Consistent with this, a mutation in talin that specifically blocks its ability to activate mammalian integrins does not significantly impinge on talin function during fly development. Here, we describe results suggesting that the talin head domain reinforces and stabilizes the integrin adhesion complex by promoting integrin clustering distinct from its ability to support inside-out activation. Specifically, we show that an allele of talin containing a mutation that disrupts intramolecular interactions within the talin head attenuates the assembly and reinforcement of the integrin adhesion complex. Importantly, we provide evidence that this mutation blocks integrin clustering in vivo. We propose that the talin head domain is essential for regulating integrin avidity in Drosophila and that this is crucial for integrin-mediated adhesion during animal development.
High Temperature Oxidation of Advanced High Strength Steel: HT-XRD Method for Quantitative Evaluation

Thermal barrier coating (TBC) is a need for automotive components to avoid high temperature oxidation during hot forming. The formation of thick and flaky iron (Fe) oxide layers at high temperature on the high strength steel (HSS) is not acceptable because that can damage & pollute the pressing tool surface and interfere with the welding process. A TBC is evaluated on the HSS using HT-XRD (high temperature x-ray diffraction) technique to understand quantitative evolution of oxidation at high temperature. The characterisation results of the present coating system have shown significant reduction in oxidation of the substrate and inhibit the formation of flaky oxide layers at elevated temperature.
Application of mathematical algorithm on equation of GPS satellite navigation and positioning

In order to improve the precision of navigation positioning, a more accurate solution of GPS positioning equations is required. A new algorithm is developed and improvement of existing algorithms has been made in this paper to improve the precision. For each algorithm, simulation is made respectively. Simulation results show that compared to old ones, the new algorithm can improve the solution precision by 29.41%. The improvement of existing algorithms can increase the solution precision by 34.55% and 6.72%. As a result, the precision of navigation positioning can be improved correspondingly. In the end, the direction of future research is discussed.
Text-dependent speaker recognition for vietnamese

This paper presents a new method for Vietnamese text-dependent speaker recognition. The system is modeled for each speaker using mixture model Gaussian GMM (Gaussian Mixture Model). The phonemes in the keywords are represented by hidden Markov models HMM. The prior and posterior probabilities for keywords and speakers have been combined together to identify speakers. The results showed that in the case the speaker did not say a long enough phrase, this approach has increased performance of speaker identification.
MaxWeight scheduling in a generalized switch: State space collapse and workload minimization in heavy traffic

In this work we consider a problem related to the equilibrium Statistical Mechanics of Spin Glasses, namely the study of the Gibbs measure of the Random Energy Model. For solving this problem new results of independent interest on sums of spacings for i.i. d. Gaussian random variables are presented. Then we give a precise description of the support of the Gibbs measure below the critical temperature.
On the Control of a Dielectric Elastomer Artificial Muscle With Variable Impedance

Artificial Muscles based on Dielectric Elastomers (DE) can potentially enable the realization of bio-inspired actuation systems whose intrinsic compliance and damping can be varied according to the task requirements. Nonetheless, the control of DE-based Variable Impedance Actuators (VIA) is not trivial owing to the non-linear viscoelastic response which characterizes the acrylic dielectrics commonly employed in practical devices.In this context, the purpose of the present paper is to outline a novel strategy for the control of DE-based VIA. Although the proposed methodology is applicable to generic DE morphologies, the considered system is composed of a couple of conically-shaped DE films in agonistic-antagonistic configuration. Following previously published results, the system dynamic model is firstly recalled. Then, a DE viscoelasticity compensation technique is outlined together with a control law able to shape the DE actuator impedance as desired. The operative limits of the system are explicitly considered and managed in the controller by increasing the operating DE actuator stiffness if required. In addition, the problem of model uncertainties compensation is also addressed. Finally, as a preliminary step towards the realization of a practical DE-based VIA, the proposed control approach is validated by means of simulations. © 2013 ASME
Efficient Estimation of Influence Functions for SIS Model on Social Networks

We address the problem of efficiently estimating the influence function of initially activated nodes in a social network under the susceptible/ infected/susceptible (SIS) model, a diffusion model where nodes are allowed to be activated multiple times. The computational complexity drastically increases because of this multiple activation property. We solve this problem by constructing a layered graph from the original social network with each layer added on top as the time proceeds, and applying the bond percolation with a pruning strategy. We show that the computational complexity of the proposed method is much smaller than the conventional naive probabilistic simulation method by a theoretical analysis and confirm this by applying the proposed method to two real world networks.
Cross-Organizational Service Evolution Management

Many organizations have started to outsource non-core information processing tasks to service providers. By doing this, organizations abandon their authority on the life cycle of their processes and depend instead on external services. A change in a service's semantics or interface implies that the organizations consuming that service must adapt their dependent applications. To mitigate the risks related to the availability of a service version, organizations establish formal contracts with their service providers. Since service providers are un-coordinated, there is a risk that many services consumed by an organization evolve simultaneously. The adaptation work that is generated by these simultaneous evolutions can be greater than what an organization can handle within the contractual time frames of the evolving services. In this paper, we detail a model and a range of indicators that permit to quantify the capacity of an organization to manage the evolution of the external services it depends on.
Slope based discard: a buffer management scheme for 3G links supporting TCP traffic

This paper introduces Slope Based Discard (SBD), a novel Active Queue Management (AQM) scheme that improves TCP performance over 3G wireless links. Its main objective is to prevent buffer overflow at the downlink buffer in the Radio Network Controller, where the flows of a single user are multiplexed. In contrast to Random Early Detection (RED), SBD is a deterministic algorithm, and its discarding policy is based on the observation of the filling rate of the buffer. By means of extensive simulation experiments, we disclose the influence of each SBD parameter on TCP goodput and latency. Compared to RED, which parameter configuration is also addresed, SBD shows similar goodput figures but lower delays. We describe other characteristics that make SBD a better choice than RED for 3G links, like its greater capability to prevent buffer overflow, and its easier implementation.
Modeling and evaluation of a terrestrial solar panel in space environment

Development and evaluation of a simulated model for predicting the performance of a terrestrial solar panel under space conditions will be described in this paper. The developed model takes into account the variation of temperature, irradiance and radiations which degrade the solar arraypsilas efficiency in low earth orbits (LEO) and geostationary orbits (GEO). Simulations under the space operating and environmental conditions are accomplished using results obtained from web based ESApsilas software; Space Environment Information System (SPENVIS). It has been shown that the terrestrial solar panel could be used as a space one. The specific kind of solar panel which has been used in our research could be useful in a LEO orbit for 2 month period. In the other hand, the life time will be increased with increasing the thickness of cover glass.
On applying the set covering model to reseeding

The Functional BIST approach is a rather new BIST technique based on exploiting embedded system functionality to generate deterministic test patterns during BIST. The approach takes advantages of two well-known testing techniques, the arithmetic BIST approach and the reseeding method. The main contribution of the present paper consists in formulating the problem of an optimal reseeding computation as an instance of the set covering problem. The proposed approach guarantees high flexibility, is applicable to different functional modules, and, in general, provides a more efficient test set encoding then previous techniques. In addition, the approach shorts the computation time and allows to better exploiting the tradeoff between area overhead and global test length as well as to deal with larger circuits.
Landspotting - Games for improving global land cover

Current satellite-derived land cover products, which are very important for answering many crucial questions, show huge disagreements. In this paper, we introduce four serious game prototypes – a Facebook strategy game played on Google Maps, a Facebook tagging game, a tower-defense game, and an aesthetic tile game for the iPad – with the purpose of improving global land cover data. We describe the games in detail and discuss the design decisions we made and challenges we faced while developing the games. We evaluate how much the players have already been able to improve global land cover data and provide evidence that games can be a useful way to increase the quality of this data. Finally, we discuss how the main game is being perceived by the players and what has to be further improved to attract a bigger audience.
A Design Model for Glass Elements Based on the Statistical Distribution of Crack Sizes

A probabilistic model for the design of building glazing plates of monolithic glass in buildings is presented here. The model is implemented for practical use in Windesign, a computer program developed by the authors. A novel contribution of the model is the consideration of maximal crack sizes as a reference parameter to predict material fracture instead of the critical strengths of the materials, as is usually the case. A sensitivity analysis is also included to assess the relative influence of the different parameters on the model.
Explicit Control in the Batch-Aware Distributed File System

We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Batch-Aware Distributed File System (BAD-FS), a system designed to orchestrate large, I/O-intensive batch workloads on remote computing clusters distributed across the wide area. BAD-FS consists of two novel components: a storage layer that exposes control of traditionally fixed policies such as caching, consistency, and replication; and a scheduler that exploits this control as necessary for different workloads. By extracting control from the storage layer and placing it within an external scheduler, BAD-FS manages both storage and computation in a coordinated way while gracefully dealing with cache consistency, fault-tolerance, and space management issues in a workload-specific manner. Using both microbenchmarks and real workloads, we demonstrate the performance benefits of explicit control, delivering excellent end-to-end performance across the wide-area.
A HYBRID METAHEURISTIC FOR THE SINGLE-MACHINE TOTAL WEIGHTED TARDINESS PROBLEM

This article presents a new hybrid algorithm for combinatorial optimization that combines differential evolution (DE) with variable neighborhood search (VNS). DE (a population heuristic for optimization over continuous search spaces) is used as global optimizer for solution evolution guiding the search toward the optimal regions of the search space; VNS (a random local search heuristic based on the systematic change of neighborhood) is used as a local optimizer performing a sequence of local changes on individual DE solutions until a local optimum is found. The effectiveness of a DE-VNS approach is demonstrated on the solution of the single-machine total weighted tardiness scheduling problem. The concepts of Lamarckian and Baldwinian learning are also investigated and discussed. Experiments on known benchmark data sets show that DE-VNS with Lamarckian learning can produce high-quality schedules in a rather short computation time. DE-VNS uses a self-adapted mechanism for tuning the required control parameters, a critical feature rendering it applicable to real-life scheduling problems.
Proteomic Analysis of Survival of Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 during Carbon Starvation

ABSTRACT Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, a catabolically diverse soil actinomycete, is highly resistant to long-term nutrient starvation. After 2 years of carbon starvation, 10% of the bacterial culture remained viable. To study the molecular basis of such resistance, we monitored the abundance of about 1,600 cytosolic proteins during a 2-week period of carbon source (benzoate) starvation. Hierarchical cluster analysis elucidated 17 major protein clusters and showed that most changes occurred during transition to stationary phase. We identified 196 proteins. A decrease in benzoate catabolic enzymes correlated with benzoate depletion, as did induction of catabolism of alternative substrates, both endogenous (lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins) and exogenous. Thus, we detected a transient 5-fold abundance increase for phthalate, phthalate ester, biphenyl, and ethyl benzene catabolic enzymes, which coincided with at least 4-fold increases in phthalate and biphenyl catabolic activities. Stationary-phase cells demonstrated an ∼250-fold increase in carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) concurrent with a 130-fold increase in CODH activity, suggesting a switch to CO or CO2 utilization. We observed two phases of stress response: an initial response occurred during the transition to stationary phase, and a second response occurred after the cells had attained stationary phase. Although SigG synthesis was induced during starvation, a ΔsigG deletion mutant showed only minor changes in cell survival. Stationary-phase cells underwent reductive cell division. The extreme capacity of RHA1 to survive starvation does not appear to involve novel mechanisms; rather, it seems to be due to the coordinated combination of earlier-described mechanisms.
A framework for continuous multimodal sign language recognition

We present a multimodal system for the recognition of manual signs and non-manual signals within continuous sign language sentences. In sign language, information is mainly conveyed through hand gestures (Manual Signs). Non-manual signals, such as facial expressions, head movements, body postures and torso movements, are used to express a large part of the grammar and some aspects of the syntax of sign language. In this paper we propose a multichannel HMM based system to recognize manual signs and non-manual signals. We choose a single non-manual signal, head movement, to evaluate our framework when recognizing non-manual signals. Manual signs and non-manual signals are processed independently using continuous multidimensional HMMs and a HMM threshold model. Experiments conducted demonstrate that our system achieved a detection ratio of 0.95 and a reliability measure of 0.93.
OPTIMUM CONDITIONS FOR COPPER EXTRACTION FROM THE FLOTATION WASTE USING FACTORIAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Copper flotation waste, generated as a byproduct of pyrometallurgical copper production, contains a significant amount of Cu together with trace amounts of other toxic elements such as Fe, Sn, Sb, As, and Pb. It is usually disposed in uncovered tailing ponds in the vicinity of a copper smelter plant. Heavy metals released into the water and soil can cause a number of environmental problems. The amount of copper in copper flotation waste is high enough to be extracted economically using appropriate methods. In this study, the leaching characteristics of copper flotation waste from the Bor Copper Mine, Serbia, were investigated to assess the feasibility of copper extraction.
A two-level social mobility model for trace generation

We propose a synthetic trace generator that, although based on a simple mobility model, generates traces with statistical properties (like inter-contact time and contact duration) resembling those of well-known real traces. The proposed model is based on a waypoint scheme, with some modifications: the introduction of two categories of nodes, steady and nomadic, with different mobility rates; the grouping of nodes in communities sharing the same location preferences, and the definition of a micro-mobility model inside each location. The statistical properties of the traces generated with this model are compared to those obtained from publicly available real traces.
The Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Protein Kinase B Signaling Pathway Is Activated by Lipoteichoic Acid and Plays a Role in Kupffer Cell Production of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10

ABSTRACT Sepsis caused by gram-positive bacteria lacking lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has become a major and increasing cause of mortality in intensive-care units. We have recently demonstrated that the gram-positive-specific bacterial cell wall component lipoteichoic acid (LTA) stimulates the release of the proinflammatory cytokines in Kupffer cells in culture. In the present study, we have started to assess the signal transduction events by which LTA induces the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in rat Kupffer cells. LTA was found to trigger phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) (p38 MAPK and ERK 1/2) and protein kinase B (PKB). Compared to LPS, LTA was more potent in inducing PKB phosphorylation after 40 min, although we found that the cytokine responses were similar. For both bacterial molecules, blocking phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K; Ly294002) or Janus kinase 2 (JAK-2; AG490) particularly affected the induction of IL-6 and IL-10 release, whereas TNF-α levels were strongly reduced by inhibition of Src family tyrosine kinases (PP2). All three cytokines were reduced by inhibition of p38 MAPK (SB202190) or the broad-range tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, whereas IL-6 release was particularly blocked by inhibition of ERK 1/2 (PD98059). Divergences in the regulatory pathways controlling TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-6 production in Kupffer cells following LPS or LTA stimulation may create a basis for understanding how the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines is regulated in the liver following infections by gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria.
"Man-Computer Symbiosis" Revisited: Achieving Natural Communication and Collaboration with Computers

In 1960, the famous computer pioneer J.C. R. Licklider described a vision for human-computer interaction that he called ”man-computer symbiosis. ” Licklider predicted the development of computer software that would allow people ”to think in interaction with a computer in the same way that you think with a colleague whose competence supplements your own. ” More than 40 years later, one rarely encounters any computer application that comes close to capturing Licklider’s notion of human-like communication and collaboration. We echo Licklider by arguing that true symbiotic interaction requires at least the following three elements: a complementary and effective division of labor between human and machine; an explicit representation in the computer of the user’s abilities, intentions, and beliefs; and the utilization of nonverbal communication modalities. We illustrate this argument with various research prototypes currently under development at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (USA).
The red queen coupled with directional selection favours the evolution of sex

Why sexual reproduction has evolved to be such a widespread mode of reproduction remains a major question in evolutionary biology. Although previous studies have shown that increased sex and recombination can evolve in the presence of host–parasite interactions (the ‘Red Queen hypothesis’ for sex), many of these studies have assumed that multiple loci mediate infection vs. resistance. Data suggest, however, that a major locus is typically involved in antigen presentation and recognition. Here, we explore a model where only one locus mediates host–parasite interactions, but a second locus is subject to directional selection. Even though the effects of these genes on fitness are independent, we show that increased rates of sex and recombination are favoured at a modifier gene that alters the rate of genetic mixing. This result occurs because of selective interference in finite populations (the ‘Hill–Robertson effect’), which also favours sex. These results suggest that the Red Queen hypothesis may help to explain the evolution of sex by contributing a form of persistent selection, which interferes with directional selection at other loci and thereby favours sex and recombination.
SemEval-2007 Task 08: Metonymy Resolution at SemEval-2007

We provide an overview of the metonymy resolution shared task organised within SemEval-2007. We describe the problem, the data provided to participants, and the evaluation measures we used to assess performance. We also give an overview of the systems that have taken part in the task, and discuss possible directions for future work.