Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gamified Mobile/Online Learning for Personal Care Givers for People with Disabilities and Older People

The paper examines how a gamification approach can enhance and enrich the learning experience of personal care givers (PCGs) for people with disabilities and older people (potential or in active employment). Using game elements that pervade the M-Care mobile PCG training application, users are given the opportunity to self-assess their newly acquired knowledge and through a rewards system they are motivated to follow further training courses. The gamified experience is embedded in a broader educational logic including an extensive training curriculum and innovative online and mobile training platforms.
Financial Crisis, Inclusion and Economic Development in the US and OIC Countries

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High quality adaptive rendering of complex photometry virtual environments. (Rendu adaptatif haute-qualité d'environnements virtuels à photométrie complexe)

Image synthesis for movie production never stopped evolving over the last decades. It seems it has reached a level of realism that cannot be outperformed. However, the software tools available for visual effects (VFX) artists still need to progress. Indeed, too much time is still wasted waiting for results of long computations, especially when previewing VFX. The delays or poor quality of previsualization software poses a real problem for artists. However, the evolution of graphics processing units (GPUs) in recent years suggests a potential improvement of these tools. In particular, by implementing hybrid rasterization/ray tracing algorithms, taking advantage of the computing power of these processors and their massively parallel architecture. This thesis explores the different software bricks needed to set up a complex rendering pipeline on the GPU, that enables a better previsualization of VFX. Several contributions have been brought during this thesis. First, a hybrid rendering pipeline was developed (cf. Chapter 2). Subsequently, various implementation schemes of the Path Tracing algorithm have been tested (cf. Chapter 3), in order to increase the performance of the rendering pipeline on the GPU. A spatial acceleration structure has been implemented (cf. Chapter 4), and an improvement of the traversal algorithm of this structure on GPU has been proposed (cf. Section 4.3.2). Then, a new sample decorrelation method, in the context of random number generation was proposed (cf. Section 5.4) and resulted in a publication [Dufay et al., 2016]. Finally, we combined the Path Tracing algorithm with the Many Lights solution, always with the aim of improving the preview of global illumination. This thesis also led to the submission of three patents and allowed the development of two software tools presented in Appendix A.
Three previously undescribed viruses from the honey bee.

Summary Arkansas bee virus, bee virus X and slow paralysis virus, isolated from adult honey bees, have isometric particles, contain RNA and are serologically unrelated to each other or to the other known bee viruses. Arkansas bee virus particles are 30 nm in diam. sediment at 128S, have a buoyant density in CsCl of 1.37 g/ml and kill bees injected with them in about 3 weeks. Bee virus X particles are 35 nm in diam. , sediment at 187S, have a buoyant density of 1.36 g/ml, multiply when fed to young bees kept at 30 °C but not at 35 °C nor when injected, and have not by themselves been associated with symptoms or mortality, although they killed bees when injected in combination with sacbrood virus. Slow paralysis virus particles are 30 nm in diam. , sediment at about 176S, have a buoyant density of 1.35 g/ml and kill bees injected with them in about 12 days.
Participation Index Analysis for CRDP at Muyexe in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract The present study investigated the level of stakeholders’ participation to find out how relationships are maintained among the beneficiaries of Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP). A simplepurposive random sampling technique was used to select 300 respondents from the various CRDP projects forsemi-structured questionnaires. The stakeholders’ participation index was developed that displays the participationis high in benefit sharing (PI= 0.6) but low in other key areas of study. Participation in council of stakeholdersinteraction was the least (PI= 0.1). The mean age was 35.5 years and the mean income level was R1000. Thebeneficiaries were food secured since they reported an increased food production change 45.5% and increased foodconsumption change 45.9%. Policy makers should involve the stakeholders in project designing and implementationas early as possible to give equal attention to perspectives.
Activation of the RcsC/YojN/RcsB phosphorelay system attenuates Salmonella virulence

Bacterial pathogens have the ability to sense their presence in host tissues and to promote expression of their virulence factors in a time‐ and location‐dependent manner. However, little is known about those genes whose expression is detrimental and thus suppressed during infection. Here we report that constitutive activation of the RcsC/YojN/RcsB system resulting from a mutation in the rcsC sensor gene dramatically attenuates Salmonella virulence. Mutation of the cognate response regulator gene rcsB restored full virulence to the rcsC constitutive mutant, indicating that virulence attenuation results from aberrant expression of RcsB‐regulated genes. The virulence attenuation phenotype was partially dependent on the regulatory gene rcsA, which is necessary for transcription of certain RcsB‐regulated genes, and on the RcsB‐ and RcsA‐dependent colanic acid capsule synthesis cps operon. The rcsC constitutive mutant was phagocytized less efficiently by macrophages and it was defective for invasion of non‐phagocytic cells and survival within macrophages; but it could protect mice upon challenge with wild‐type Salmonella. Our results suggest that a successful infection demands that pathogens turn off expression of products that might interfere with virulence functions.
Design of a coplanar graphene-based nano-patch antenna for microwave application

We analyze a coplanar graphene-based nano-patch antenna. Besides the fact that graphene is a moderate conductor at those frequencies, the antenna can still exhibit sharp resonances. Although the poor graphene conductivity implies in general low-performance, a remarkable change of the scattering parameters, radiation pattern and antenna efficiency can be observed as the graphene surface impedance is changed by means of an external Bias.
Falsification-Based Robust Adversarial Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning (RL) has achieved enormous progress in solving various sequential decision-making problems, such as control tasks in robotics. Since policies are overfitted to training environments, RL methods have often failed to be generalized to safety-critical test scenarios. Robust adversarial RL (RARL) was previously proposed to train an adversarial network that applies disturbances to a system, which improves the robustness in test scenarios. However, an issue of neural network-based adversaries is that integrating system requirements without handcrafting sophisticated reward signals are difficult. Safety falsification methods allow one to find a set of initial conditions and an input sequence, such that the system violates a given property formulated in temporal logic. In this paper, we propose falsification-based RARL (FRARL): this is the first generic framework for integrating temporal logic falsification in adversarial learning to improve policy robustness. By applying our falsification method, we do not need to construct an extra reward function for the adversary. Moreover, we evaluate our approach on a braking assistance system and an adaptive cruise control system of autonomous vehicles. Our experimental results demonstrate that policies trained with a falsification-based adversary generalize better and show less violation of the safety specification in test scenarios than those trained without an adversary or with an adversarial network.
Utilizing WAMMI Components to Evaluate the Usability of E-commerce Website

With the advance and the spread of communication devices, users are increasingly interacting with the applications on the Internet. This modern technology has been widespread and many industries are utilizing it, such as ecommerce. The literature stated that, any technology/products that are developed, it should be first accepted by its users. Broadly, user’s positive or negative attitude will affect the acceptance of new technology/products. Usability of the website is a strong predictor of the user satisfaction and intention to use. However, in recent years, the number of online stores has grown exponentially and it creates a strong rivalry between those stores. Therefore, poor website design can drive away potential customers. This study undertakes the ABC (not real name) commercial website as a case study. Unfortunately, until recently, the number of visitors who are visiting the ABC website has been a steep declined compared to other marketing websites. Consequently, the current empirical study strives to assess the usability of the ABC website based on the WAMMI components and the participants viewpoint. The results indicate that, attractiveness is satisfactory for the visitors of the website. In turn, each of controllability, efficiency, helpfulness and learnability are not satisfactory for the visitors.
Pulse Train control technique for flyback converter

Pulse Train/spl trade/ control technique is introduced and applied to flyback converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). In contrast to the conventional pulse width modulation (PWM) control scheme, the principal idea of Pulse Train is to achieve output voltage regulation using high and low power pulses. The proposed technique is applicable to any converter operating in DCM. However, this work mainly focuses on flyback topology. In this paper, the main mathematical concept of the new control algorithm is introduced and simulations as well as experimental results are presented.
New Public Governance and New Public Management in the Funding and Contractual Steering of the Finnish Higher Education System

UNIVERSITY OF TAMPERE, Faculty of Management, administrative sciences, Thesis seminar and Pro gradu -thesis, 40 ECTS KANNIAINEN, JARI-PEKKA: New Public Governance and New Public Management in the Funding and Contractual Steering of the Finnish Higher Education System Pro gradu, 111 pages, 6 attachments (13 pages) Supervisor: Anu Lyytinen
The association of Pro12Ala polymorphism in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 gene with the metabolic characteristics in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND The Pro12Ala polymorphism in the peroxisome Proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 PPARγ2) gene that account for metabolic dysfunction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remain elusive. AIM To explore the association between PPARγ2 gene pro12ala polymorphism and the metabolic characteristics in Chinese women with PCOS. METHODS PPARγ2 gene Pro12Ala polymorphism was assayed by PCR/RFLP methods in 120 Chinese women with PCOS and 118 normal subjects. All subjects were examined by anthropometry, lipid profile, sex hormone, oral glucose tolerance tests and insulin tolerance tests. RESULTS In PCOS patients, women with the non-Pro/Pro genotypes of the PPARγ2 gene Pro12Ala polymorphism showed statistically significantly higher fasting triglycerides (TG) levels and WHR value than those with the Pro/Pro genotype (P=.006 for both). There was no significant difference with PPARγ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism distributions between Chinese Han women with PCOS and controls. CONCLUSION PPARγ2 gene Pro12Ala polymorphism was not supposed to be susceptible genes in PCOS. However, in PCOS patients, the PPAR-gamma Pro12Ala polymorphism may modulate the concentrations of serum fasting TG levels and fat-deposition in abdomen, respectively.
Unsupervised Learning Using Charge-Trap Transistors

Unsupervised learning is demonstrated using a device ubiquitously found in today’s technology: a transistor with high-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${k}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-metal gate. Specifically, the charge-trapping phenomenon in the high-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${k}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>gate dielectric is leveraged so that the device can be used as a non-volatile analog memory. Experimental data from 22-nm silicon-on-insulator devices reveal that a charge-trap transistor possesses promising characteristics for implementing synapses in neural networks, such as very fine tunability, weight-dependent plasticity, and low power consumption. A proof-of-concept winner-takes-all neural network is simulated based on experimental data and perfect clustering is achieved within tens of training cycles. This means that the network can be trained for multiple times, and a larger system can be built. The robustness of the procedure to the device variation is also discussed.
Susceptibility‐weighted imaging and quantitative susceptibility mapping in the brain

Susceptibility‐weighted imaging (SWI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that enhances image contrast by using the susceptibility differences between tissues. It is created by combining both magnitude and phase in the gradient echo data. SWI is sensitive to both paramagnetic and diamagnetic substances which generate different phase shift in MRI data. SWI images can be displayed as a minimum intensity projection that provides high resolution delineation of the cerebral venous architecture, a feature that is not available in other MRI techniques. As such, SWI has been widely applied to diagnose various venous abnormalities. SWI is especially sensitive to deoxygenated blood and intracranial mineral deposition and, for that reason, has been applied to image various pathologies including intracranial hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, stroke, neoplasm, and multiple sclerosis. SWI, however, does not provide quantitative measures of magnetic susceptibility. This limitation is currently being addressed with the development of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and susceptibility tensor imaging (STI). While QSM treats susceptibility as isotropic, STI treats susceptibility as generally anisotropic characterized by a tensor quantity. This article reviews the basic principles of SWI, its clinical and research applications, the mechanisms governing brain susceptibility properties, and its practical implementation, with a focus on brain imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;42:23–41. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Utilization of Information Resources for Business Success: The Knowledge Sharing Model

This article works out a method on how information resources in organizations can be turned into a knowledge sharing KS information culture, which can further feed business success. This process is complicated, and the value chain can be broken in many places. In this study this process is viewed in the light of resource-based theory. A KS-model is developed where the hard information resources of time, people and computers are defined. When wisely used, these make communication a core competence for the company. As the soft information resources are added, that is, the intellectual capital, KS and willingness to learn, a knowledge sharing culture is developed, which feeds business success. This model is empirically discussed through a case study of 15 Finnish insurance companies. The overall KS capability of a company corresponds positively to the different dimensions applied in the model. KS is an interactive process where organizations must work on both hard information resources, the basic cornerstones of any knowledge sharing, and make constant investment into soft information resources, learning, intellectual capital and process design in order to manage their information resources effectively.
Probing the high-z IGM with the hyperfine transition of 3He+

The hyperfine transition of 3He+ at 3.5 cm has been thought as a probe of the high-z IGM, since it offers a unique insight into the evolution of the helium component of the gas, as well as potentially give an independent constraint on the 21 cm signal from neutral hydrogen. In this paper, we use radiative transfer simulations of reionization driven by sources such as stars, X-ray binaries, accreting black holes and shock heated interstellar medium, and simulations of a high-z quasar to characterize the signal and analyse its prospects of detection. We find that the peak of the signal lies in the range ∼1–50 μK for both environments, but while around the quasar it is always in emission, in the case of cosmic reionization a brief period of absorption is expected. As the evolution of He ii is determined by stars, we find that it is not possible to distinguish reionization histories driven by more energetic sources. On the other hand, while a bright QSO produces a signal in 21 cm that is very similar to the one from a large collection of galaxies, its signature in 3.5 cm is very peculiar and could be a powerful probe to identify the presence of the QSO. We analyse the prospects of the signal’s detectability using SKA1-mid as our reference telescope. We find that the noise power spectrum dominates over the power spectrum of the signal, although a modest signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained when the wavenumber bin width and the survey volume are sufficiently large.
The Effect of National Inspection Regimes on Audit Quality

One of the key reforms aimed at improving audit quality has been the introduction of public oversight over the auditing profession by national public oversight bodies (POBs). The foundation of their strategy is inspections of audit firms. However, little is known about the impact of inspections on audit quality from an international perspective. We examine the effect of audit firm inspections by POBs on audit quality, and explore the association of inspection characteristics and audit quality. Applying a difference-in-difference design exploiting the commencement of inspections at different points in time for different countries to a large international sample over the period 2003 to 2012, we find that audit quality increases after inspections commence, and that this effect is stronger for Big 4 auditors. Further, the effect of inspections on audit quality is found to vary with inspection characteristics. Overall, our study contributes to our knowledge of the impact of inspections on audit quality.
A Fully Performance Compatible 45 nm 4-Gigabit Three Dimensional Double-Stacked Multi-Level NAND Flash Memory With Shared Bit-Line Structure

A 3-dimensional double stacked 4 gigabit multilevel cell NAND flash memory device with shared bitline structure have successfully developed. The device is fabricated by 45 nm floating-gate CMOS and single-crystal Si layer stacking technologies. To support fully compatible device performance and characteristics with conventional planar device, shared bitline architecture including Si layer-dedicated decoder and Si layer-compensated control schemes are also developed. By using the architecture and the design techniques, a memory cell size of 0.0021 mum2/bit per unit feature area which is smallest cell size and 2.5 MB/s program throughput with 2 kB page size which is almost equivalent performance compared to conventional planar device are realized.
Nordic Management and Sustainable Business

The Nordics have been since a longer time a role model for a social and reliable management style. However, this statement was in the last just proven by doing few case studies with top executives. This study wants to describe the corporate culture and management style in the biggest companies of the Nordics and from that wants to answer if this management approach fosters a sustainable business culture. For defining the management and cultural approach applied in Nordic companies, the method of text mining in relation with machine learning will be used. Among European companies, the Nordic companies show a higher focus on sustainability. The cultural dimensions which describe the uniqueness of the Nordic business culture are to a high degree predictors of a more sustainable business.
Exploring the Social Networks of Online Investors

Online trading has now become the prevalent form of stock market investing. With a large percentage of investors now online, understanding how they make use of social media to share and gather information is of major interest to service providers, regulators, researchers and to investors themselves. Previous studies have explored public online investor networks such as stock forums, but few studies have investigated investors' private online social networks. This paper reports on a qualitative study that interviewed 26 online investors about the various forms of social networks they participate in. Some online investors continue to rely on their private, offline networks of family and friends for information and advice. Other investors have taken their social networks online, but these online networks are still private. While investors do participate in public stock forums, it was also found that private social networks exist within these public virtual communities. Forum members get to know other members outside of the forums and form personal relationships. Such private social networks are not visible to outsiders.
Millisecond Timescale Disinhibition Mediates Fast Information Transmission through an Avian Basal Ganglia Loop

Avian song learning shares striking similarities with human speech acquisition and requires a basal ganglia (BG)–thalamo-cortical circuit. Information processing and transmission speed in the BG is thought to be limited by synaptic architecture of two serial inhibitory connections. Propagation speed may be critical in the avian BG circuit given the temporally precise control of musculature during vocalization. We used electrical stimulation of the cortical inputs to the BG to study, with fine time resolution, the functional connectivity within this network. We found that neurons in thalamic and cortical nuclei that are not directly connected with the stimulated area can respond to the stimulation with extremely short latencies. Through pharmacological manipulations, we trace this property back to the BG and show that the cortical stimulation triggers fast disinhibition of the thalamic neurons. Surprisingly, feedforward inhibition mediated by striatal inhibitory neurons onto BG output neurons sometimes precedes the monosynaptic excitatory drive from cortical afferents. The fast feedforward inhibition lengthens a single interspike interval in BG output neurons by just a few milliseconds. This short delay is sufficient to drive a strong, brief increase in firing probability in the target thalamic neurons, evoking short-latency responses. By blocking glutamate receptors in vivo, we show that thalamic responses do not appear to rely on excitatory drive, and we show in a theoretical model that they could be mediated by postinhibitory rebound properties. Such fast signaling through disinhibition and rebound may be a crucial specialization for learning of rapid and temporally precise motor acts such as vocal communication.