Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Empathy in Experiential Learning: A Case Study of Empathy as an Interior Design Learning Tool

Empathy definitions do not adequately reflect the realities of empathy in the context of interior design for the elderly or disabled. This mixed research methods study explored the role that empathy as a design learning tool may have on the design process and learning experiences of interior design students, whom ultimately will design spaces for the elderly and disabled. To explore the use of empathy as a learning tool prior to commencing a renovation design project for three disabled farmers and their families in the southeast area of the United States, interior design students participated in class exercises that simulated various physical disabilities. After completing the exercises students reported high levels of emphatic concern for physically disabled older adults that made them more in tuned with the program needs of their clients, the farmers. Additionally, the students acknowledged that they had gained a greater understanding of inclusive design, whereby all end users of spaces regardless of physical and mental capabilities are to be considered when designing interior environments. Lastly, students enhanced their problem-solving skills by gaining insights into the importance of considering all details in design, ranging from the addition of coat hooks to door hardware selection and floor finish materials to furniture placements. This study is significant because two of the fastest growing sectors for interior design is healthcare and aging in place.
Metasearch Via the Co-Citation Graph

In spite of numerous search engines available on the web, no single engine is capable of performing “better” under all circumstances. This being the case, metasearch engines have appeared. One major issue in metasearch engine design is the merging problem: given the ranked lists of pages returned by multiple search engines in response to a given query, what is the best way to combine these lists into a single list? In this paper, we present an algorithm based on the co-citation graph constructed from search engines and returned lists of pages to handle this issue. Our algorithm can be implemented in a simple and naive manner while based on a rigorous and intuitive treatment of the problem. Unlike those techniques that rely on the relevant scores of pages, our algorithm can be implemented using only the rank information. Terms Algorithms, performance, experimentation
Visual code widgets for marker-based interaction

We present a set of graphical user interface elements, called widgets, for 2 dimensional visual codes. The proposed widgets are suitable for printing on paper as well as showing on electronic displays. Visual code markers and their orientation parameters are recognizable by camera-equipped mobile devices in real time in the live camera image. The associated widgets are specifically designed for marker-based interaction. They define basic building blocks for creating applications that incorporate mobile devices as well as resources in the user's environment, such as paper documents, posters, and public electronic displays. In particular, we present visual code menus (vertical menus and pie menus), check boxes, radio buttons, sliders, dials, and free-form input widgets. We describe the associated interaction idioms and outline potential application areas.
An FeLoBAL Binary Quasar

In an ongoing infrared imaging survey of quasars at the Keck Observatory, we have discovered that the z = 1.285 quasar SDSS J233646.2-010732.6 comprises two point sources with a separation of 1. ″67. Resolved spectra show that one component is a standard quasar with a blue continuum and broad emission lines; the other is a broad absorption line (BAL) quasar, specifically, a BAL QSO with prominent absorption from Mg II and metastable Fe II, making it a member of the "FeLoBAL" class. The number of known FeLoBALs has recently grown dramatically from a single example to more than a dozen, including a gravitationally lensed example and the binary member presented here, suggesting that this formerly rare object may be fairly common. Additionally, the presence of this BAL quasar in a relatively small separation binary adds to the growing evidence that the BAL phenomenon is not due to viewing a normal quasar at a specific orientation but rather that it is an evolutionary phase in the life of many, if not all, quasars and is particularly associated with conditions found in interacting systems.
Extraction and Credibility Evaluation of Web-based Competitive Intelligence

Web has been one of major information sources for enterprises to acquire competitive intelligence. However, traditional approaches focus on collecting Web pages and fail to generate practical competitive intelligence from Web pages. Another problem in the research on Web-based competitive intelligence is that Web pages may contain a lot of incredible information which will have big influence on the effectiveness of competitive intelligence. Aiming at solving these problems, we propose a framework in this paper for the extraction and credibility evaluation of Web competitive intelligence. We present an entity-based approach to extracting Web competitive intelligence, and a social-network-based method to evaluate the credibility of acquired competitive intelligence. The entity-based extracting approach is based on an ontology of Web competitive intelligence, which represents competitive intelligence as a set of competitor intelligence and competition environment intelligence. Some critical issues about the entity-based approach and the social-network-based method are analyzed in detail. The results show that our system is useful to improve the effectiveness of the extraction and credibility evaluation of Web competitive intelligence.
Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce

Abstract The main purpose of this paper is to study the future prospects of online banking in Morocco, based on the technology acceptance model, by examining the intention of the Moroccan customers to adopt online banking and the factors that influence it. The questionnaire used in this study was distributed to 300 Moroccan banks’ customers, and the data gathered were then analysed using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that perceived ease of use has a significant positive influence on the perceived usefulness of online banking, and both the variables have a significant positive influence on the attitude towards online banking. The latter further has a significant positive influence on the intention to adopt online banking services in Morocco. Furthermore, the invariance analysis showed that the influence is different for male and female customers. It is noteworthy that this is the first study to be conducted on online banking services in Morocco.
Computational Modeling and Molecular Physiology Experiments Reveal New Insights into Shoot Branching in Pea[C][W]

Bud outgrowth is regulated by the interplay of multiple hormones, including auxin, cytokinin, strigolactones, and an unidentified long-distance feedback signal that moves from shoot to root. The model of bud outgrowth regulation in pea (Pisum sativum) includes these signals and a network of five RAMOSUS (RMS) genes that operate in a shoot-root-shoot loop to regulate the synthesis of, and response to, strigolactones. The number of components in this network renders the integration of new and existing hypotheses both complex and cumbersome. A hypothesis-driven computational model was therefore developed to help understand regulation of shoot branching. The model evolved in parallel with stepwise laboratory research, helping to define and test key hypotheses. The computational model was used to verify new mechanisms involved in the regulation of shoot branching by confirming that the new hypotheses captured all relevant biological data sets. Based on cytokinin and RMS1 expression analyses, this model is extended to include subtle but important differences in the function of RMS3 and RMS4 genes in the shoot and rootstock. Additionally, this research indicates that a branch-derived signal upregulates RMS1 expression independent of the other feedback signal. Furthermore, we propose xylem-sap cytokinin promotes sustained bud outgrowth, rather than acting at the earlier stage of bud release.
Genotoxicity evaluation of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts of Dorema aucheri by the comet assay

Background: Dorema aucheri is a plant of Apiaceae family which is used widely in some states of Iran. Different extracts and essential oil of Dorema species contain flavonoids and cumarin compounds which have anti-hypertensive, cholesterol- and triglycerides-lowering properties. This study was undertaken to evaluate the genotoxic properties of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts of D. aucheri on human hepatoma cells using the comet assay method for safety evaluation. Materials and Methods: In this method, after incubation of cells with different concentrations of extracts, cell suspensions were added to pre-coated normal agarose slides. After lysis, electrophoresis and neutralization process, staining was done by ethidium bromide and comets were observed using a fluorescence microscope. Tail length, percentage of DNA in tail and tail moment parameters were measured. Results: Statistical analysis of the results demonstrated that concentrations more than 500 μg/ml of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extract of D. aucheri were genotoxic. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the results that taking the concentrations less than these dosages of extracts are safe but more studies are required to determine genotoxic mechanisms of this plant.
Bayesian posterior classification of planetary nebulae according to the Peimbert types

Context. Galactic planetary nebulae are observed with a wide variety of kinematic properties, spatial distribution, chemical composition and morphologies, comprising members of the dominant stellar populations of our Galaxy. Due to their broad astrophysical interest, a proper characterization of these populations is of major importance. Aims. In this paper we present a re-analysis of the criteria used to characterize the Peimbert classes I, IIa, IIb, III and IV, through a statistical study of a large sample of planetary nebulae previously classified according to these groups. In the original classification, it is usual to find planetary nebulae that cannot be associated with a single type; these most likely have dubious classifications into two or three types. Statistical methods can greatly contribute in providing a better characterization of planetary nebulae groups. Methods. We use the Bayes Theorem to calculate the posterior probabilities for an object to be member of each of the types I, IIa, IIb, III and IV. This calculation is particularly important for planetary nebulae that are ambiguously classified in the traditional method. The posterior probabilities are defined from the probability density function of classificatory parameters of a well-defined sample, composed only by planetary nebulae unambiguously fitted into the Peimbert types. Because the probabilities depend on the available observational data, they are conditional probabilities, and, as new observational data are added to the sample, the classification of the nebula can be improved, to take into account this new information. Results. This method differs from the original classificatory scheme, because it provides a quantitative result of the representativity of the object within its group. Also, through the use of marginal distributions it is possible to extend the Peimbert classification even to those objects for which only a few classificatory parameters are known. Conclusions. We found that ambiguities in the classification of planetary nebulae into the Peimbert types, should be associated to difficulties in defining sharp boundaries for the progenitor star mass for each of these types. Those can be at least partially explained by real overlaps of some of the parameters that characterize the different stellar populations. Those results suggest the need of a larger number of classificatory parameters for a reliable physical classification of planetary nebulae.
Patterns of transgender microaggressions in friendship: the role of gender identity

ABSTRACT Microaggressions are brief verbal, behavioural or environmental slights that communicate hostility or offence. Microaggressions that come from an individual’s friends can be seen as more interpersonally aggressive and more upsetting than when coming from someone who the individual does not know. The present study examines transgender microaggressions that occur in friendships and specifically explores how microaggressions are experienced differently for transfeminine, transmasculine, gender nonconforming and agender individuals. Participants included 211 transgender adults who ranged in age from 18 to 65. Participants identified as transfeminine (28.4%), transmasculine (47.4%), gender nonconforming (18.0%) or agender (6.2%). Participants completed an online survey and provided qualitative information regarding their experiences of microaggressions from their friends. Responses were analysed via thematic analysis with a focus on explicating differences in experiences of microaggressions across gender identity. Three broad identity-salient themes emerged: (1) authenticity; (2) visibility and (3) negotiation of identity in social context. Differences were seen between individuals endorsing binary (transfeminine and transmasculine) and non-binary (gender nonconforming and agender) identities, as well as between transmasculine and transfeminine identities. Discussion focuses on the way cisgenderism, sexism and binary assumptions about gender/sex converge to shape the experiences of transgender microaggressions in friendships.
Silicibacter pomeroyi sp. nov. and Roseovarius nubinhibens sp. nov., dimethylsulfoniopropionate-demethylating bacteria from marine environments.

Three Gram-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic bacteria that were capable of degrading dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) were isolated from marine waters. These isolates (DSS-3(T), DSS-10 and ISM(T)) exhibited the ability to demethylate and cleave DMSP, as well as to degrade other sulfur compounds related to DMSP that are cycled in marine environments. Intracellular poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate inclusions, surface blebs and one polar, complex flagellum that rotated exclusively in the clockwise direction were observed for DSS-3(T). The outer membrane of ISM(T) was separated from the cytoplasm at the poles in a toga-like morphology. The primary fatty acid in both strains was C(18 : 1)omega7c. DNA G+C contents for the isolates were 68.0+/-0.1, 68.1+/-0.1 and 66.0+/-0.2 mol% for DSS-3(T), DSS-10 and ISM(T), respectively. 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses placed these organisms within the Roseobacter lineage of the alpha-PROTEOBACTERIA: Closely related species were Silicibacter lacuscaerulensis and Ruegeria atlantica (DSS-3(T) and DSS-10) and Roseovarius tolerans (ISM(T)). Neither DSS-3(T) nor ISM(T) exhibited 16S rRNA similarity >97 % or DNA-DNA hybridization values >45 % to their nearest described relatives. Genotypic and phenotypic analyses support the creation of two novel species: Silicibacter pomeroyi sp. nov. with strain DSS-3(T) (=ATCC 700808(T)=DSM 15171(T)) as the type strain, and Roseovarius nubinhibens sp. nov. with strain ISM(T) (=ATCC BAA-591(T)=DSM 15170(T)) as the type strain.
Video saliency detection by spatio-temporal sampling and sparse matrix decomposition

In this paper, we present a video saliency detection method by spatio-temporal sampling and sparse matrix decomposition. In the method, we sample the input video sequence into three planes: X-T slice plane, YT slice plane, and X-Y slice plane. Then, motion saliency map is extracted from the X-T and Y-T slices, and static saliency map is extracted from the X-Y slices by low-rank matrix decomposition. Finally, these maps are retransformed into the X-Y image domain and combined with central bias prior to obtain the video saliency maps. Extensive results on ASCMN dataset demonstrate that the proposed video saliency model can achieve higher subjective and objective performances. Key-Words: saliency detection, spatio-temporal sampling, sparse matrix decomposition, motion saliency, static saliency
Hand gesture recognition using self organizing map for Human Computer Interaction

Hand gesture based Human Computer Interaction is one of the most intuitive yet innovative ways of communication between people and machines. This paper puts forward a new approach for hand gesture recognition using Self Organizing Maps (SOM). Instead of extracting features from the image and using them for training and recognition, the image itself is transformed into radial enclosed contour and trained using SOM. A dictionary of 18 gestures from the standard American Sign Language is defined and a database is created from ten subjects on which the system is tested and evaluated. The average efficiency of prediction was found to be around 92%. Moreover, this approach was found to work well in uncontrolled environments.
The application of molecular techniques to the study of hospital infection.

CONTEXT Nosocomial infections represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospital settings, resulting in high health care costs. The roles of an epidemic investigation are to recognize that a problem exists, to compare characteristics of affected persons with those of similar but unaffected persons (case-control study), and to identify risk factors. Integrating typing methods as part of conventional epidemiologic surveillance is cost-effective and results in a reduction in rates of nosocomial infections. During the past 10 years, there has been unprecedented progress in molecular biology and in the application of nucleic acid technology to the study of the epidemiology of human infections. OBJECTIVES To summarize the available molecular tests for determination of the relatedness of microorganisms causing nosocomial infections, emphasizing the most useful applications of the tests to the study of the epidemiology of hospital-acquired infection; and to discuss the appropriate use of these tests in the prevention and control of hospital-associated infection. DATA SOURCE Published English-language literature from 1980 to the present. CONCLUSIONS Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis is the method of choice for strain delineation. The newest techniques include polymerase chain reaction and multilocus sequence typing, in which various housekeeping genes that are stable markers of strain identity are sequenced. Molecular techniques are broadly applicable to the study of diverse pathogens. Typing data obtained by DNA analysis should always be considered together with epidemiologic information, because only this combination will enable the most accurate epidemiologic evaluation.
Thermophilic Lifestyle for an Uncultured Archaeon from Hydrothermal Vents: Evidence from Environmental Genomics

ABSTRACT We present a comparative analysis of two genome fragments isolated from a diverse and widely distributed group of uncultured euryarchaea from deep-sea hydrothermal vents. The optimal activity and thermostability of a DNA polymerase predicted in one fragment were close to that of the thermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum, providing evidence for a thermophilic way of life of this group of uncultured archaea.
Universal Coding for Correlated Sources with Memory

|Universal coding problem for the system of Slepian and Wolf (the SW-system) has rst been investigated by Csisz ar and Korner. They considered the correlated memoryless sources, and established a universally attainable error exponent as a function of rate pair (R1;R2) that is positive whenever (R1; R2) is an inner point of the admissible rate region of the SW-system, which is speci ed depending on what source statistic is given. However, when the sources have their memory, the universal coding problem for the SW-system remains open, in spite of its importance. In this paper we shall deal with such a universal coding problem for the SW-system. Especially, when the sources are ergodic Markov sources, we show that there exists a sequence of universal code such that the probability of decoding error vanishes whenever (R1;R2) is an inner point of the admissible rate region. Keywords|Slepian-Wolf coding system, universal coding, correlated Markov source, information spectrum
Adaptive video watermarking using motion information

This paper presents an adaptive video watermarking using motion information. Because video data have one more dimension than image data, simple adaptation of image watermarking method to video data would reveal some types of visual artifact such as flickering. In the proposed scheme, same watermark information is embedded for same region in each frame to decrease such visual artifact. For higher robustness and invisibility, watermarking strength is adjusted by motion information and region complexity.
Quality Monitoring and Dynamic Pricing in Cold Chain Management

— This paper presents a cold chain monitoring system which focuses on assessment of quality and dynamic pricing information about food in cold chain. Cold chain is composed of many actors and stages; however it can be seen as a single entity since a breakdown in temperature control at any stage can impact the final quality of the product. In a cold chain, the shelf life, quality, and safety of perishable food throughout the supply chain is greatly impacted by environmental factors especially temperature. In this paper, a prototype application is implemented to retrieve time- temperature history, the current quality and the dynamic price setting according to changing quality impacted by temperature fluctuations in real-time.
Race differences in prevalence of chronic kidney disease among young adults using creatinine-based glomerular filtration rate-estimating equations.

BACKGROUND Despite a higher incidence of end-stage renal disease (stage 5), blacks have been shown to have the same or lower prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD stages 3 and 4). Current creatinine-based glomerular filtration rate (GFR)-estimating equations may misclassify young, healthy blacks. METHODS Among 3501 young adults (mean age 45), we compared the prevalence of CKD in blacks and whites using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations. In addition, we used measured creatinine excretion rates to determine the actual excretion ratio for CARDIA (race coefficient 12%) and applied this to the CKD-EPI equation. We also studied the prevalence of CKD risk factors among black and white participants near the CKD threshold cut-off (eGFR CKD-EPI 60-80 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) to estimate the relative likelihood of misclassification in blacks and whites. RESULTS Using the MDRD equation, prevalence of CKD stages 4 and 5 was higher for blacks compared with whites (0.6% vs. 0.1%, P-value 0.05). In contrast, prevalence of eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) was significantly higher for whites (3.6%) compared with blacks (1.9%), due to higher prevalence of stage 3 among whites. Prevalence of CKD was similar for blacks and whites using CKD-EPI equation (1.2%), but was higher among blacks when using the CARDIA-derived race coefficient (1.6% vs.1.2%, P-value = 0.03). Among persons with eGFR by CKD-EPI of 60-80 mL/min/1.73 m(2), blacks had higher levels of albuminuria, uric acid, systolic blood pressure and higher diabetes prevalence. CONCLUSIONS CKD classification among young blacks is very sensitive to the race coefficients. Despite whites having higher rates of CKD stage 3, blacks with eGFRs just above the CKD threshold had higher rates of CKD risk factors. Current equations used to define CKD may systematically miss a high-risk group of blacks at a time in the disease course when interventions are crucial.