Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using a Recursive Neural Network to Learn an Agent's Decision Model for Plan Recognition

Plan recognition, the problem of inferring the goals or plans of an observed agent, is a key element of situation awareness in human-machine and machine-machine interactions for many applications. Some plan recognition algorithms require knowledge about the potential behaviours of the observed agent in the form of a plan library, together with a decision model about how the observed agent uses the plan library to make decisions. It is however difficult to elicit and specify the decision model a priori. In this paper, we present a recursive neural network model that learns such a decision model automatically. We discuss promising experimental results of the approach with comparisons to selected state-of-the-art plan recognition algorithms on three benchmark domains.
Visualizing dimensionally-reduced data: interviews with analysts and a characterization of task sequences

We characterize five task sequences related to visualizing dimensionally-reduced data, drawing from data collected from interviews with ten data analysts spanning six application domains, and from our understanding of the technique literature. Our characterization of visualization task sequences for dimensionally-reduced data fills a gap created by the abundance of proposed techniques and tools that combine high-dimensional data analysis, dimensionality reduction, and visualization, and is intended to be used in the design and evaluation of future techniques and tools. We discuss implications for the evaluation of existing work practices, for the design of controlled experiments, and for the analysis of post-deployment field observations.
The impossibility of a universal public service perspective

The international accrediting organization for public service pedagogy, the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, has established and adopted “universal competencies” that Master of Public Administration degree programs are expected to develop to establish a “global standard in public service education” (http://www.naspaa.org/). This lofty goal suggests that there is one best way to prepare public administration students to: (a) lead and manage in public governance; (b) participate in and contribute to the policy process; (c) analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems, and make decisions; (d) articulate and apply a public service perspective; and (e) communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry. While the universality of these competencies is not disputed, there are definitely competing ways to approach these various tasks. There are many different theories of leadership and management. Differing roles for public administrators in the policy process are each considered legitimate. Based on these differences, what can be articulated and successfully applied as a public service perspective will also differ situationally, particularly when considering the dynamic and diverse global context. This article explores this challenge and the implications it represents for instructors seeking to socialize students into the profession of public service and build their capacity “to articulate and apply a public service perspective” in consideration of “a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry. ” Successful pedagogical approaches to this conundrum are explored and the article concludes with discussion of the potential usefulness of this approach in the global context, given the diversity of public service contexts in which graduates may find themselves.
Neural correlates of the numerical distance effect in children

In number comparison tasks, the performance is better when the distance between the numbers to compare increases. It has been shown that this so-called numerical distance effect (NDE) decreases with age but the neuroanatomical correlates of these age-related changes are poorly known. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we recorded the brain activity changes in children aged from 8 to 14 years while they performed a number comparison task on pairs of Arabic digits and a control color comparison task on non-numerical symbols. On the one hand, we observed developmental changes in the recruitment of frontal regions and the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS), with lower activation as age increased. On the other hand, we found that a behavioral index of selective sensitivity to the NDE was positively correlated with higher brain activity in a right lateralized occipito-temporo-parietal network including the IPS. This leads us to propose that the left IPS would be engaged in the refinement of cognitive processes involved in number comparison during development, while the right IPS would underlie the semantic representation of numbers and its activation would be mainly affected by the numerical proximity between them.
Making automated testing of cloud applications an integral component of PaaS

Traditional testing is inadequate for the complexity of modern cloud application software stacks. While the platform-as-a-service (PaaS) model has streamlined application development and deployment, its multiple abstraction layers and dependencies have made testing more difficult. We argue that a modern PaaS offering should include a facility to thoroughly and automatically test a deployed cloud application with only little developer effort. To support this vision, we propose layered parameterized tests (LPTs)---generalized integration tests suitable for cloud applications with multiple processing layers. From LPTs, a testing facility automatically generates concrete tests using layered symbolic execution, which focuses on exercising developer-written application logic instead of PaaS library code. We present our design of an automated testing system built on these concepts and demonstrate its use for a modern PaaS.
Skip-links: A dynamically reconfiguring topology for energy-efficient NoCs

We introduce the Skip-link architecture that dynamically reconfigures Network-on-Chip (NoC) topologies, in order to reduce the overall switching activity in many-core systems. The proposed architecture allows the creation of long-range Skip-links at runtime to reduce the logical distance between frequently communicating nodes. This offers a number of advantages over existing methods of creating optimised topologies already present in the literature such as the Reconfigurable NoC (ReNoC) architecture and static Long-Range Link (LRL) insertion. Our architecture monitors traffic behaviour and optimises the mesh topology without prior analysis of communications behaviour, and is thus applicable to all applications. Our technique does not utilise a master node, and each router acts independently. The architecture is thus scalable to future many-core networks. We evaluate the performance using a cycle-accurate simulation with synthetic traffic patterns and compare the results to a mesh architecture, demonstrating hop count and energy reductions of around 10%.
How do neighbourhood perceptions interact with moving desires and intentions?

Abstract Research on residential mobility in the last two decades has increased our understanding about moving in general and how neighbourhoods play a role in actual residential choices. At the same time the way in which the neighbourhood interacts with deciding to move is less well understood. In this paper, we explore the interaction between the neighbourhood and the expression of intentions and desires to move. The present study uses multinomial logistic regression models to explore residential desires and intentions in the southern European city of Granada (Spain), with special attention to the differences due to context. The most important difference with international studies are in the respondents with ‘no desires but intentions’ to move, a combination frequently found in young adults before they leave the parental home. The results show that our set of neighbourhood measures (social interaction, satisfaction, perceived problems, and the socio-economic status of the area) work differently over desires and intentions. Satisfaction alone does not explain the effect of the neighbourhood over residential desires and intentions, and the addition of other variables increases the explanatory power of the models.
An Experience with the Use of Systems Engineer Case Tool

Systems Engineer is a client/server CASE tool for supporting software system development on PC machines under Windows. It compares fairly satisfactorily with other similar tools of the same category. Systems Engineer offers various supporting techniques which address the full software life cycle, from planning and design to code generation, reengineering and maintenance. It supports system engineers working in a team.
Efficient Collaborative Technique using Intrusion Detection System for Preserving Privacy in Location-based Services

The ubiquitous nature of smartphones and GPSenabled devices, coupled with the increasingly popular usage of location-based services, has effectively created an environment where data access truly is anywhere at any time. While said environment is indeed convenient and quite useful, the unfortunate reality is that users are exposed to a variety of privacy and security threats. User location information can be tracked and then used in malicious ways by non-trusted applications and adversaries. We address this problem by proposing an efficient, collaborative technique that is integrated with an intrusion detection system and rekeying techniques. The algorithm is parameterized by defining performance and security metrics, which can then be used to find optimal settings, both in terms of privacy and quality of service. Based on the proposed performance-security metrics, the tradeoff between privacy and quality of service can be quantified.
A Generation Method for Virtual Hypermedia Maps by Applying Co-existence Rules

In this paper, we will discuss a map synthesis system which handles static information (geographic objects) as well as dynamic information (traffic conditions, weather, etc.). In addition to geographic thesauruses used in the previous systems, we will use co-existence relationships to improve the quality of maps generation. The system is considered to be general purpose (not restricted to car navigation nor travel maps) and can generate arbitrary maps according to the user’s specification. It is very difficult for a user to specify a query which corresponds to the required map, because map description is not easy. The system should automatically generate missing information or find errors in the user specification. For the purpose we use geographic domain thesauruses which contain aggregation and other geographic relationships as well as conventional thesaurus hierarchy. In this paper, we will discuss to use co-existence relationships to enhance ability to select geographic objects automatically. Co-existence specifies relationships among geographic objects which should appear in a map together although they may not have geographic relationship by thesauruses. By utilizing co-existence relationships, a user can acquire much more understandable maps. key words: geographic databases, thesauruses, co-existence, dynamic map synthesis
Training-based channel estimation for multiple-antenna broadband transmissions

This paper addresses the problem of training sequence design for multiple-antenna transmissions over quasi-static frequency-selective channels. To achieve the channel estimation minimum mean square error, the training sequences transmitted from the multiple antennas must have impulse-like auto correlation and zero cross correlation. We reduce the problem of designing multiple training sequences to the much easier and well-understood problem of designing a single training sequence with impulse-like auto correlation. To this end, we propose to encode the training symbols with a space-time code, that may be the same or different from the space-time code that encodes the information symbols. Optimal sequences do not exist for all training sequence lengths and constellation alphabets. We also propose a method to easily identify training sequences that belong to a standard 2/sup m/-PSK constellation for an arbitrary training sequence length and an arbitrary number of unknown channel taps. Performance bounds derived indicate that these sequences achieve near-optimum performance.
A Multi‐RNAi Microsponge Platform for Simultaneous Controlled Delivery of Multiple Small Interfering RNAs

Abstract Packaging multiple small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules into nanostructures at precisely defined ratios is a powerful delivery strategy for effective RNA interference (RNAi) therapy. We present a novel RNA nanotechnology based approach to produce multiple components of polymerized siRNA molecules that are simultaneously self‐assembled and densely packaged into composite sponge‐like porous microstructures (Multi‐RNAi‐MSs) by rolling circle transcription. The Multi‐RNAi‐MSs were designed to contain a combination of multiple polymeric siRNA molecules with precisely controlled stoichiometry within a singular microstructure by manipulating the types and ratios of the circular DNA templates. The Multi‐RNAi‐MSs were converted into nanosized complexes by polyelectrolyte condensation to manipulate their physicochemical properties (size, shape, and surface charge) for favorable delivery, while maintaining the multifunctional properties of the siRNAs for combined therapeutic effects. These Multi‐RNAi‐MS systems have great potential in RNAi‐mediated biomedical applications, for example, for the treatment of cancer, genetic disorders, and viral infections.
MySong: automatic accompaniment generation for vocal melodies

We introduce MySong, a system that automatically chooses chords to accompany a vocal melody. A user with no musical experience can create a song with instrumental accompaniment just by singing into a microphone, and can experiment with different styles and chord patterns using interactions designed to be intuitive to non-musicians. We describe the implementation of MySong, which trains a Hidden Markov Model using a music database and uses that model to select chords for new melodies. Model parameters are intuitively exposed to the user. We present results from a study demonstrating that chords assigned to melodies using MySong and chords assigned manually by musicians receive similar subjective ratings. We then present results from a second study showing that thirteen users with no background in music theory are able to rapidly create musical accompaniments using MySong, and that these accompaniments are rated positively by evaluators.
Comparative Efficacy of Recombinant Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Expressing Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) Gag-Pol and/or Env in Macaques Challenged with Pathogenic SIV

ABSTRACT Prior studies demonstrated that immunization of macaques with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag-Pol and Env recombinants of the attenuated poxvirus modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) provided protection from high levels of viremia and AIDS following challenge with a pathogenic strain of SIV (V. M. Hirsch et al., J. Virol. 70:3741–3752, 1996). This MVA-SIV recombinant expressed relatively low levels of the Gag-Pol portion of the vaccine. To optimize protection, second-generation recombinant MVAs that expressed high levels of either Gag-Pol (MVA-gag-pol) or Env (MVA-env), alone or in combination (MVA-gag-pol-env), were generated. A cohort of 24 macaques was immunized with recombinant or nonrecombinant MVA (four groups of six animals) and was challenged with 50 times the dose at which 50% of macaques are infected with uncloned pathogenic SIVsmE660. Although all animals became infected postchallenge, plasma viremia was significantly reduced in animals that received the MVA-SIV recombinant vaccines as compared with animals that received nonrecombinant MVA (P = 0.0011 by repeated-measures analysis of variance). The differences in the degree of virus suppression achieved by the three MVA-SIV vaccines were not significant. Most importantly, the reduction in levels of viremia resulted in a significant increase in median (P < 0.05 by Student's t test) and cumulative (P = 0.010 by log rank test) survival. These results suggest that recombinant MVA has considerable potential as a vaccine vector for human AIDS.
Mass-spectrometric identification of primary biological particle markers and application to pristine submicron aerosol measurements in Amazonia

Abstract. The detection of primary biological material in submicron aerosol by means of thermal desorption/electron impact ionization aerosol mass spectrometry was investigated. Mass spectra of amino acids, carbohydrates, small peptides, and proteins, all of which are key building blocks of biological particles, were recorded in laboratory experiments. Several characteristic marker fragments were identified. The intensity of the marker signals relative to the total organic mass spectrum allows for an estimation of the content of primary biological material in ambient organic aerosol. The developed method was applied to mass spectra recorded during AMAZE-08, a field campaign conducted in the pristine rainforest of the central Amazon Basin, Brazil, during the wet season of February and March 2008. The low abundance of identified marker fragments places upper limits of 7.5% for amino acids and 5.6% for carbohydrates on the contribution of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) to the submicron organic aerosol mass concentration during this time period. Upper limits for the absolute submicron concentrations for both compound classes range from 0.01 to 0.1 μg m −3 . Carbohydrates and proteins (composed of amino acids) make up for about two thirds of the dry mass of a biological cell. Thus, our findings suggest an upper limit for the PBAP mass fraction of about 20% to the submicron organic aerosol measured in Amazonia during AMAZE-08.
SKETCH: An Interface for Sketching 3D Scenes

Sketching communicates ideas rapidly through approximate visual images with low overhead (pencil and paper), no need for precision or specialized knowledge, and ease of low-level correction and revision. In contrast, most 3D computer modeling systems are good at generating arbitrary views of precise 3D models and support high-level editing and revision. The SKETCH application described in this paper attempts to combine the advantages of each in order to create an environment for rapidly conceptualizing and editing approximate 3D scenes. To achieve this, SKETCH uses simple non-photorealistic rendering and a purely gestural interface based on simplified line drawings of primitives that allows all operations to be specified within the 3D world.
Philosophical Perspectives on Educational Practice - Introduction

In the last few decades a certain kind of critique has become prominent in the ethos of Western philosophy. This newer kind of critique differs in key respects from what we might call ‘landmark’ critiques in the history of that philosophy. While the older kind of critique, such as the critiques of Kant or Descartes, focused on establishing new constructive possibilities for thought and action, the best energies of the newer kind of critique are reserved for investigations that combine an incisive analysis of ethical and political issues with a deep and enduring scepticism, even pessimism. Its gestures are characteristically more deconstructive than constructive and it targets in a particular way the more buoyant currents of thought in the philosophical discourse of modernity. Perhaps the most prominent examples of the newer critique are the writings of Lyotard and Foucault, but permeating this ethos more widely is the influential figure of Nietzsche, whose ‘philosophy of the future’ has finally come of age.
Preschool Children's Negotiation of Intersubjectivity During Rough -And -Tumble Play.

Rough-and-tumble play is one type of social play that emerges during the preschool years. The Developmental Research Sequence (Spradley, 1980) provided a framework for using participant observations and inductive analyses, in the current study, as a means to develop an understanding of how children negotiate a shared understanding within the structure of R&T play. Results from the current study revealed that cooperative R&T episodes included effective and appropriate behavior and knowledge given a particular situation. Children involved in longer R&T episodes attended to the features of the social situation and others' actions. They constructed their behavioral responses, based on their negotiation personal understandings into shared understanding, across sequences of social exchange as a way to maintain R&T play. Additionally, the slight indication of an increase between younger and older children in the interaction length of R&T episodes offers some support for the idea that children's play becomes increasingly shared or cooperative with age. Preschool children followed a particular pattern when they negotiated intersub]ectivity during R&T play. They established intersubj ectivity by responding to extensions with extensions, introductions, building on, and acceptances. This structure was both similar and different across longer and shorter R&T episodes. The structure of longer and shorter episodes was similar in that both contained a beginning, middle, euid end. Shorter R&T episodes, however, were characterized by shorter negotiations between initiation and termination. Longer episodes, on the other hand, were
Native Language Identification using large scale lexical features

This paper describes an effort to perform Native Language Identification (NLI) using machine learning on a large amount of lexical features. The features were collected from sequences and collocations of bare word forms, suffixes and character n-grams amounting to a feature set of several hundred thousand features. These features were used to train a linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for predicting the native language category.