Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Linkage Learning into the GeLog Framework

This article introduces modifications that have been applied to GeLog, a genetic logic programming framework, in order to improve its performance. The main emphasis of this work is the structure processing of genetic algorithms. As studies have shown, the linkage of genes plays an important role in the performance of genetic algorithms. Thus, different approaches that take linkage learning into account have been reviewed and the most promising has been implemented and tested with GeLog. It is demonstrated that the modified program solves problems that proved hard for the original system.
Latent Hierarchical Model for Activity Recognition

We present a novel hierarchical model for human activity recognition. In contrast with approaches that successively recognize actions and activities, our approach jointly models actions and activities in a unified framework, and their labels are simultaneously predicted. The model is embedded with a latent layer that is able to capture a richer class of contextual information in both state-state and observation-state pairs. Although loops are present in the model, the model has an overall linear-chain structure, where the exact inference is tractable. Therefore, the model is very efficient in both inference and learning. The parameters of the graphical model are learned with a structured support vector machine. A data-driven approach is used to initialize the latent variables; therefore, no manual labeling for the latent states is required. The experimental results from using two benchmark datasets show that our model outperforms the state-of-the-art approach, and our model is computationally more efficient.
Author ' s personal copy Two-way coupling of an ENSO model to the global climate model CLIMBER-3 a

We present a model study that investigates to what extent it is possible to introduce ENSO variability to an Earth system Model of Intermediate Complexity (EMIC). The Zebiak–Cane ENSO model is dynamically coupled to the EMIC CLIMBER-3a, which by itself exhibits no interannual or multidecadal variability. ENSO variability is introduced to CLIMBER-3a by adding ENSO-related sea surface temperature anomalies to the upper layers of the model ocean. For the other coupling direction, changes in the mean CLIMBER-3a climate on decadal time scales are used to change the background state of the ENSO model, achieving a two-way coupling. We compare typical ENSO-related patterns of a fully coupled pre-industrial model run to reanalysis data and point out the possibilities and limitations of this model configuration. Although introduced ENSO-related SST anomalies and other related variables like the Southern Oscillation Index are well reproduced by the EMIC in the forcing domain, teleconnections to other regions are damped, especially in meridional direction. The reason for this limitation is the atmospheric model, which does not sufficiently resolve the necessary transport mechanisms. Despite this limitation the presented coupling method may still be a useful tool in combination with higher resolution atmospheric models as being in development for the successor model CLIMBER-3 and possibly other EMICs. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A Parallel Median Filter with Pipelined Scheduling for Real-Time 1D and 2D Signal Processing

In this paper, we propose a fast algorithm to realize parallel median filter for processing 1-D and 2-D signal. In the proposed pipelined architecture, m-passes are employed for filtering signal while word resolution is m bits. One pass employs one processing element (PE), and the number of PEs is independent of the number of samples. Therefore, we only need m PEs for real-time operation. With 8-bits resolution, the system gate-count is less than 5 k. Moreover, this median architecture could be easily modified to consist of the programmable feature that may choose the better sampling number to filter signal. It should be also noted that our proposed processing flow has a progressive property, which is very suitable for bandwidth-limited channel application. key words: median lter, processing element, programmable,
Using private information retrieval protocol for an e-commerce application

E-commerce (Electronic Commerce) is a technique which deals with buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet. E-commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of electronic business. It generally deals with the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of business transactions. The main purpose of this paper is to present a scheme to employ database outsourcing protocol like Private Information Retrieval to develop an e-commerce application. Basically Private Information Retrieval (PIR) protocol allows a user to retrieve a record from a database while hiding the identity of the record from a database server. When the customer buys some products online, then customer has to fill the necessary details. These details may include the personal information regarding that customer and it may have the information such as credit card details. If this information is get leaked then there is a trouble created to the customer. To keep the information secret that means it is not going to understand to third party service provider, this system dealing with the PIR protocol. The use of PIR protocol within e-commerce applications would make it possible for a user to keep his preferences private from everybody including the server. In this paper we present a comprehensive discussion on the need to integrate PIR in e-commerce applications. This paper discusses about the implications of PIR protocol in current implementations and proposes a new design for e-commerce application using PIR. Also further extensions to the proposed protocol are discussed and given the suggestions for the same.
Estimation of Rotor Effective Wind Speed: A Comparison

Modern wind turbine controllers use wind speed information to improve power production and reduce loads on the turbine components. The turbine top wind speed measurement is unfortunately imprecise and not a good representative of the rotor effective wind speed. Consequently, many different model-based algorithms have been proposed that are able to estimate the wind speed using common turbine measurements. In this paper, we present a concise yet comprehensive analysis and comparison of these techniques, reviewing their advantages and drawbacks. We implement these techniques and compare the results on both aero-servo-elastic turbine simulations and real turbine field experiments in different wind scenarios.
An LTR Retrotransposon-Derived Gene Displays Lineage-Specific Structural and Putative Species-Specific Functional Variations in Eutherians

Amongst the 11 eutherian-specific genes acquired from a sushi-ichi retrotransposon is the CCHC type zinc-finger protein-encoding gene SIRH11/ZCCHC16. Its contribution to eutherian brain evolution is implied because of its involvement in cognitive function in mice, possibly via the noradrenergic system. Although, the possibility that Sirh11/Zcchc16 functions as a non-coding RNA still remains, dN/dS ratios in pairwise comparisons between its orthologs have provided supportive evidence that it acts as a protein. It became a pseudogene in armadillos (Cingulata) and sloths (Pilosa), the only two extant orders of xenarthra, which prompted us to examine the lineage-specific variations of SIRH11/ZCCHC16 in eutherians. We examined the predicted SIRH11/ZCCHC16 open reading frame (ORF) in 95 eutherian species based on the genomic DNA information in GenBank. A large variation in the SIRH11/ZCCHC16 ORF was detected in several lineages. These include a lack of a CCHC RNA-binding domain in its C-terminus, observed in gibbons (Hylobatidae: Primates) and megabats (Megachiroptera: Chiroptera). A lack of the N-terminal half, on the other hand, was observed in New World monkeys (Platyrrhini: Primates) and species belonging to New World and African Hystricognaths (Caviomorpha and Bathyergidae: Rodents) along with Cetacea and Ruminantia (Cetartiodactyla). Among the hominoids, interestingly, three out of four genera of gibbons have lost normal SIRH11/ZCCHC16 function by deletion or the lack of the CCHC RNA-binding domain. Our extensive dN/dS analysis suggests that such truncated SIRH11/ZCCHC16 ORFs are functionally diversified even within lineages. Combined, our results show that SIRH11/ZCCHC16 may contribute to the diversification of eutherians by lineage-specific structural changes after its domestication in the common eutherian ancestor, followed by putative species-specific functional changes that enhanced fitness and occurred as a consequence of complex natural selection events.
Private agreements in residential development disputes

Traditionally, private citizens have had few opportunities to alter proposals for residential developments. Adversarial procedures (litigation, arbitration, or public protest) are options but are expensive, lengthy, and complex. Since the early 1970s, environmental disputes concerning local development projects have increasingly been settled by more cooperative procedures that allow environmental advocates and developers to reach voluntary compromises. This article presents the history of two residential development disputes, the processes used to address the issues of concern, and the agreements concluded between the developers and local environmental advocates. These agreements did not effectively resolve the environmental disputes. As a way to strengthen the mediation process, ten criteria are proposed to evaluate agreements like these.
Assessing the Costs of Behavioral and Psychological Withdrawal: A New Model and an Empirical Illustration

Ce travail sur la desimplication des salaries propose un modele qui integre les dimensions financiere et comportementale et fait appel a des formules mathematiques qui fournissent une estimation du cout global de la desimplication pour l’entreprise. Pour nous differencier des tentatives anterieures de calcul d’un tel cout, nous avons essaye d’englober toute une serie de comportements et d’attitudes de retrait, incluant le retrait psychologique, le freinage, les retards, absences et demissions. L’estimation du cout prend en compte des elements directs et indirects, certains d’entre eux etant meme traditionnellement consideres comme ne relevant pas de l’economie. Les equations reposent sur le fond theorique empruntea la litterature sur le comportement comprenant l’etablissement des normes, les interactions a l’interieur de l’equipe de travail et l’eventuelle derive d’attitudes et de comportements de retrait relativement discrets vers des formes plus accentuees. On utilise dans les equations des correlations (corrigees empiriquement) entre les differentes formes de retrait. Ce modele a ete exploite pour evaluer les couts de la desimplication pour l’annee fiscale 1997 dans une societe israelienne de dimension moyenne leader dans le domaine de la haute technologic. Il est apparu que le cout de la desimplication etait approximativement de 2,8 millions de dollars americains, ou encore de 16,5% du benefice avant impots de l’entreprise. On discute aussi des consequences theoriques et pratiques de ces resultats. The present study proposes an integrative behavioral-financial model of employee withdrawal combined with mathematical formulas, allowing the estimation of the overall cost of withdrawal to the firm. In contrast to previous attempts to calculate such a cost, we aimed to cover an entire range of withdrawal attitudes and behaviors, including psychological withdrawal, withholding effort at work, lateness, absence, and turnover. Cost calculation involves direct and indirect components, including those that were traditionally considered non-economic. The equations are based on theoretical grounds of the behavioral literature, including norm determination, mutual interpersonal influences within the work teams, and the possible progression of relatively mild withdrawal attitudes and behaviors into more severe forms. Empirical mean corrected correlations between withdrawal forms are used in the equations. We applied the model by assessing the withdrawal costs for the fiscal year 1997 in a leading, medium-sized, Israeli high-tech company. It was found that the withdrawal cost was approximately 2.8 million US dollars, or 16.5 per cent of the company’s before-tax income. Theoretical and applied implications of the results are discussed.
An Intermediate State of the γ-Aminobutyric Acid Transporter Gat1 Revealed by Simultaneous Voltage Clamp and Fluorescence

The rat γ-aminobutyric acid transporter GAT1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes was labeled at Cys74, and at one or more other sites, by tetramethylrhodamine-5-maleimide, without significantly altering GAT1 function. Voltage-jump relaxation analysis showed that fluorescence increased slightly and monotonically with hyperpolarization; the fluorescence at −140 mV was ∼0.8% greater than at +60 mV. The time course of the fluorescence relaxations was mostly described by a single exponential with voltage-dependent but history-independent time constants ranging from ∼20 ms at +60 mV to ∼150 ms at −140 mV. The fluorescence did not saturate at the most negative potentials tested, and the midpoint of the fluorescence–voltage relation was at least 50 mV more negative than the midpoint of the charge–voltage relation previously identified with Na+ binding to GAT1. The presence of γ-aminobutyric acid did not noticeably affect the fluorescence waveforms. The fluorescence signal depended on Na+ concentration with a Hill coefficient approaching 2. Increasing Cl− concentration modestly increased and accelerated the fluorescence relaxations for hyperpolarizing jumps. The fluorescence change was blocked by the GAT1 inhibitor, NO-711. For the W68L mutant of GAT1, the fluorescence relaxations occurred only during jumps to high positive potentials, in agreement with previous suggestions that this mutant is trapped in one conformational state except at these potentials. These observations suggest that the fluorescence signals monitor a novel state of GAT1, intermediate between the E*out and E out states of Hilgemann, D.W. , and C. -C. Lu (1999. J. Gen. Physiol. 114:459–476). Therefore, the study provides verification that conformational changes occur during GAT1 function.
Learner corpus and its application to automatic level checking using machine learning algorithms

A learner corpus is a computerized textual database of the language produced by foreign language learners. Annotated learner corpora contain invaluable meta-information about learners and the errors they make. With proper feature extractions and machine learning techniques, it is possible to extract implicit and explicit knowledge from learner corpora and develop useful applications to support effective foreign language teaching and learning, such as automatic proficiency level checking, error-driven and personalized learning etc. In this paper, we use a learner corpus and experiment with feature extraction and machine learning techniques to explore such applications. In particular, we reported our experimental results in automatic proficiency checking with ID3 and C4.5 decision tree algorithms, Bayesian Net and SVM. We also briefly outline other potential applications of learner corpora such as in error-driven learning by using implicit and explicit features along with machine learning.
MAC: Conceptual data modeling for OLAP

In this paper we address the issue of conceptual modeling of data used in multidimensional analysis. We view the problem from the end-user point of view and we describe a set of requirements for the conceptual modeling of realworld OLAP scenarios. Based on those requirements we then define a new conceptual model that intends to capture the static properties of the involved information. In its definition we use a minimal set of well-understood OLAP concepts like dimensions, levels, hierarchies, measures and cubes. The central concept of the model is the Multidimensional Aggregation Cube (MAC), which gives a broad and flexible definition to the notion of a multidimensional cube. We evaluate our model against other existing multidimensional models and show that MAC offers a unique combination of modeling skills. Our main contribution is the definition of the basic concepts of our model; although the set of requirements and the evaluation of all related models against those requirements represent an additional result.
The Personal Meaning of Values in a Rapidly Changing Society

Abstract A self-confrontation method is presented as a procedure to investigate personal and subjective interpretations of general values. Fifty-three psychology students from the Catholic University of Lublin in Poland were asked to interpret their personal experience of Spranger's values. Social, religious, and theoretical values had a stronger capacity to evoke personal valuations than did political, economic, and aesthetic values. Positive valuations were mainly connected with aesthetic, theoretical, social, and religious values, whereas many negative valuations concerned economic and, most strikingly, political areas. As hypothesized, political and theoretical values had higher levels of self-enhancement than of contact and union. Aesthetic, religious, and social values, on the other hand, typically evoked a coincidence of self-enhancement and contact and union.
Conceptions and awareness concerning environmental education: a Zimbabwean case‐study in three secondary teacher education colleges

This article reports on a baseline survey, designed to collect information on students' and teachers' conceptions on environmental issues and their involvement in three Zimbabwean colleges of secondary teacher training. The survey was the first step of a research programme designed to evaluate the Secondary Teacher Training Environmental Education Programme (St2eep). It was found that students perceive the environment mainly in terms of biophysical issues whereas teachers also relate the environment to social, economic and political issues. Both students and teachers of environment‐related subjects are significantly more concerned about the environment and are more involved than their fellow students and colleagues of other subjects. Environment‐related subjects are seen as most suitable for inclusion of environmental education by the respondents.
Lewis Acid Induced Toggle from Ir(II) to Ir(IV) Pathways in Photocatalytic Reactions: Synthesis of Thiomorpholines and Thiazepanes from Aldehydes and SLAP Reagents

Redox neutral photocatalytic transformations often require careful pairing of the substrates and photoredox catalysts in order to achieve a catalytic cycle. This can limit the range of viable transformations, as we recently observed in attempting to extend the scope of the photocatalytic synthesis of N-heterocycles using silicon amine protocol (SLAP) reagents to include starting materials that require higher oxidation potentials. We now report that the inclusion of Lewis acids in photocatalytic reactions of organosilanes allows access to a distinct reaction pathway featuring an Ir(III)*/Ir(IV) couple instead of the previously employed Ir(III)*/Ir(II) pathway, enabling the transformation of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes to thiomorpholines and thiazepanes. The role of the Lewis acid in accepting an electron—either directly or via coordination to an imine—can be extended to other classes of photocatalysts and transformations, including oxidative cyclizations. The combination of light induced reactions and Lewis acids therefore promises access to new pathways and transformations that are not viable using the photocatalysts alone.
User-Independent Motion State Recognition Using Smartphone Sensors

The recognition of locomotion activities (e.g., walking, running, still) is important for a wide range of applications like indoor positioning, navigation, location-based services, and health monitoring. Recently, there has been a growing interest in activity recognition using accelerometer data. However, when utilizing only acceleration-based features, it is difficult to differentiate varying vertical motion states from horizontal motion states especially when conducting user-independent classification. In this paper, we also make use of the newly emerging barometer built in modern smartphones, and propose a novel feature called pressure derivative from the barometer readings for user motion state recognition, which is proven to be effective for distinguishing vertical motion states and does not depend on specific users’ data. Seven types of motion states are defined and six commonly-used classifiers are compared. In addition, we utilize the motion state history and the characteristics of people’s motion to improve the classification accuracies of those classifiers. Experimental results show that by using the historical information and human’s motion characteristics, we can achieve user-independent motion state classification with an accuracy of up to 90.7%. In addition, we analyze the influence of the window size and smartphone pose on the accuracy.
Prevalence of food insecurity and utilization of food assistance program: an exploratory survey of a Vermont middle school.

BACKGROUND Access to sufficient food--in terms of both quality and quantity--is especially critical for children. Undernourishment during childhood and adolescence can have health implications, both short and long term. The prevalence of food insecurity was assessed in a sample of Vermont school children, as well as the relationship between food insecurity, participation in school breakfast or lunch, exercise and body mass index (BMI), all with a goal to identify needs to improve effectiveness of current programs. METHODS A cross-sectional, 23-item self-administered survey of students attending a public middle school in Vermont. RESULTS Twenty percent of the children were residing in a food insecure household. No statistically significant differences were observed in terms of age, sex or BMI percentile and food security status. Food insecure (with or without hunger) participants were less likely to eat breakfast at home compared to food secure participants (67.1% vs 81.4%, p = .007). However, such differences were not observed between eating school breakfast or lunch. Sixty-two percent of food insecure (with or without hunger) participants engaged in daily exercise compared to 75.9% food secure participants (p = .014). CONCLUSION Children in food insecure households were less likely to be physically active and to eat breakfast at home. However, the school breakfast program is negating any difference between the 2 groups in terms of eating breakfast at all. We consider this a success given the short- and long-term implications of food insecurity in children. We believe these findings have important implications for schools, policy makers, and programs to reduce food insecurity.
The Discretionary Behavior of Principals in Large-City Schbols

Decisions and the day to day behavior of school principals are explored within the framework of Michael Lipsky's theory of "street-level bureau cracy. "Areas of analysis involve principalship accommodations with prob lems of inadequate resources, with challenges to the principals' authority. and with ambiguities in the principals' role. The paper reports upon an ethnographic study of principals in one large-city school system.