Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agency and the deunionisation of managers in an Australian telecommunications company

Abstract Discussions about deunionisation usually focus on lower levels of the workforce with managers seen as the initiators of deunionisation strategies. Managers, however, occupy contradictory positions as agents of capital, employees and possibly trade unionists. This can place them in the position of being both recipients and conduits in deunionisation strategies. The focus of the study is on Telstra, the major telecommunications carrier in Australia. Using a range of sources such as interviews and company and union materials, this qualitative research shows how between 1992 and 2000 Telstra's senior management's concerns over middle management agency prompted them to reframe the concept of a manager by using a set of managerial practices from the mining company CRA and the provisions of the Workplace Relations Act (1996) to individualise and deunionise their managerial ranks as a precursor to the deunionisation of the wider workforce.
Links between maternal and paternal support, depressive feelings and social and academic self-efficacy in adolescence

This study focused on the role of paternal and maternal support on various indicators of adolescent adjustment. Similar patterns of support in the parental couple (father and mother both high or both low) and mixed patterns (father high and mother low or vice versa) as perceived by adolescents were considered. The specific purpose was to examine the role of both similar (parental consistency) and mixed (parental inconsistency) patterns of parental support on depressive feelings and social and academic self-efficacy. For parental inconsistency, differences between the maternal and paternal role were investigated. Gender and age differences were also examined. Data were collected from a sample of 1118 Italian students, aged 14 to 18 years, living in intact families, using a self-report questionnaire and ANOVAs were performed. Results indicated that high levels of perceived support from both parents were related to lower levels of depressive feelings and higher levels of social and academic self-efficacy. Mixed patterns of support in the parental couple did not differ from each other for any of the indicators considered. No interactions between typology of support, gender and age were observed. Findings confirmed the importance of studying paternal and maternal support interactions rather than focusing on their independent role.
Unit Selection with Hierarchical Cascaded Long Short Term Memory Bidirectional Recurrent Neural Nets

Bidirectional recurrent neural nets have demonstrated state-ofthe-art performance for parametric speech synthesis. In this paper, we introduce a top-down application of recurrent neural net models to unit-selection synthesis. A hierarchical cascaded network graph predicts context phone duration, speech unit encoding and frame-level logF0 information that serves as targets for the search of units. The new approach is compared with an existing state-of-art hybrid system that uses Hidden Markov Models as basis for the statistical unit search.
Radar Imaging Simulation for Urban Structures

With the recent advent of very high resolution (VHR) spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors such as TerraSAR-X and COSMO-SkyMed, the potential to use SAR simulators is increasing. In this letter, we propose a novel radar imaging simulator that is relatively simple to implement and that finds a balance between accuracy and efficiency. The main goal of the proposed method is to obtain a precise simulation of the geometry of objects in SAR images rather than a detailed radiometric simulation. The simulator is based on an extended ray-tracing procedure to determine which surfaces of a generic object contribute to the backscatter. The backscatter contributions are calculated by means of a Lambertian-specular mixture model. The simulator has already been employed successfully in a methodology for 3-D reconstruction of man-made objects from single detected VHR SAR imagery. Here, we illustrate its work on two rather different structures, a rectangular gable-roof building and an Egyptian pyramid.
Adaptive Threshold Neural Spike Detector Using Stationary Wavelet Transform in CMOS

Spike detection is an essential first step in the analysis of neural recordings. Detection at the frontend eases the bandwidth requirement for wireless data transfer of multichannel recordings to extra-cranial processing units. In this work, a low power digital integrated spike detector based on the lifting stationary wavelet transform is presented and developed. By monitoring the standard deviation of wavelet coefficients, the proposed detector can adaptively set a threshold value online for each channel independently without requiring user intervention. A prototype 16-channel spike detector was designed and tested in an FPGA. The method enables spike detection with nearly 90% accuracy even when the signal-to-noise ratio is as low as 2. The design was mapped to 130 nm CMOS technology and shown to occupy 0.014 mm2 of area and dissipate 1.7 μW of power per channel, making it suitable for implantable multichannel neural recording systems.
Reduced Dose Intensity FOLFOX-4 as First Line Palliative Chemotherapy in Elderly Patients with Advanced Colorectal Cancer

To evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of a reduced dose intensity (mini-) FOLFOX-4 regimen as a first-line palliative chemotherapy in elderly patients (≥70 yr of age) with advanced colorectal cancer, data from prospective databases at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital were analyzed. A total of 20 patients were enrolled between January 2001 and August 2004, and were treated with oxaliplatin 65 mg/m2 on day 1, and with 2-hr infusions of leucovorin 150 mg/m2 followed by a 5-FU bolus (300 mg/m2) and 22-hr continuous infusions (450 mg/m2) for 2 consecutive days every 2 weeks until progression, unacceptable toxicity or patient refusal. Sixteen patients were evaluable for response with an overall response rate of 43.8%. Median progression-free survival was 4.8 months (95% CI: 3.0-6.7) and overall survival was 13.5 months (95% CI: 11.1-16.0). The main side effects were anemia and neutropenia, which were observed in 20.8% and 17.7%, respectively, of the total cycles administered. There were no grade 4 toxicities and only one patient suffered from febrile neutropenia. No grade 3 toxicities occurred except for anemia (5.2%) and vomiting (1.0%). In conclusion, the mini-FOLFOX-4 regimen was found to be well tolerated with acceptable toxicity, and to provide a benefit for elderly patients with colorectal cancer.
Pain additivity, diffuse noxious inhibitory controls, and attention: A functional measurement analysis

This study utilized the methodology of Functional Measurement theory to investigate the additivity of painful and non-painful thermally induced experiences at one body site with those produced by brief noxious and innocuous electrical stimuli at another. Forty healthy young subjects were tested, using a Peltier thermode to induce tonic pain and an electrocutaneous stimulator for presenting phasic pain, under conditions of either full attention or visual/cognitive distraction (counting numerous light signals) in order to evaluate whether the summed effects are attributable to refocused attention. Six levels of intensity were combined in a factorial design for both tonic and phasic pain. Subjects indicated the overall strength of their dual perception on a visual analog scale. Stimuli showed complex patterns of interaction. Two stimuli were generally rated as greater than one, but the summation was far from additive and greatly influenced by the intensity of the stronger stimulus, suggesting inhibitory action. In general, tonic heat pain strongly affected the perception of phasic electrocutaneous pain whereas the reverse was only partly true. Distraction had a very small effect, suggesting that the “pain inhibits pain” phenomenon attributable to diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) is not due to attentional processes. Our data also relate to issues regarding spatial summation across dermatomes and to adaptation level effects in pain, in which a strong painful experience serves as an anchor or comparison point by which others are judged. The psychophysical findings provide a perceptual foundation for clinical phenomena in which patients face with comorbid pain disorders.
Web image annotation by diffusion maps manifold learning algorithm

Automatic image annotation is one of the most challenging problems in machine vision areas. The goal of this task is to predict number of keywords automatically for images captured in real data. Many methods are based on visual features in order to calculate similarities between image samples. But the computation cost of these approaches is very high. These methods require many training samples to be stored in memory. To lessen this burden, a number of techniques have been developed to reduce the number of features in a dataset. Manifold learning is a popular approach to nonlinear dimensionality reduction. In this paper, we investigate Diffusion maps manifold learning method for web image auto-annotation task. Diffusion maps manifold learning method is used to reduce the dimension of some visual features. Extensive experiments and analysis on NUS-WIDE-LITE web image dataset with different visual features show how this manifold learning dimensionality reduction method can be applied effectively to image annotation.
How Streams of Communication Reproduce and Change Institutional Logics: The Role of Categories

We examine how streams of communication enable the reproduction and change of the underlying principles that constitute institutional logics. While past research has shown that communication provides instantiations of institutional logics, the link between specific instances of communication and the emergence of institutional logics has not been explicitly shown. To remedy this gap, we propose that collections of communicative events distributed throughout organizations and institutional fields can converge on systems of categories so as to yield the meaningful and durable principles that constitute institutional logics. We explore how four analytically distinct communicative functions—coordinating, sensegiving, translating, and theorizing—enable this emergent process of reproduction and change.
DC2: A framework for scalable, scope-bounded software verification

Software model checking and static analysis have matured over the last decade, enabling their use in automated software verification. However, lack of scalability makes these tools hard to apply. Furthermore, approximations in the models of program and environment lead to a profusion of false alarms. This paper proposes DC2, a verification framework using scope-bounding to bridge these gaps. DC2 splits the analysis problem into manageable parts, relying on a combination of three automated techniques: (a) techniques to infer useful specifications for functions in the form of pre- and post-conditions; (b) stub inference techniques that infer abstractions to replace function calls beyond the verification scope; and (c) automatic refinement of pre- and post-conditions from false alarms identified by a user. DC2 enables iterative reasoning over the calling environment, to help in finding non-trivial bugs and fewer false alarms. We present an experimental evaluation that demonstrates the effectiveness of DC2 on several open-source and industrial software projects.
Independent Component Analysis Using Convex Divergence

The convex divergence is used as a surrogate function for obtaining a class of ICA algorithms (Independent Component Analysis) called the f-ICA. The convex divergence is a super class of α-divergence, which is a further upper family of Kullback-Leibler divergence or mutual information. Therefore, the f-ICA contains the α-ICA and the minimum mutual information ICA. In addition to theoretical interest of generalization, the f-ICA contains a subset faster than the minimum mutual information ICA. It is found that this speed control is equivalent to the α-ICA. Finally, applications to brain fMRI map’s distillation is presented.
A robust fingerprint matching algorithm using local alignment

This paper describes a minutiae-based fingerprint matching algorithm. Generally, a fingerprint image is nonlinearly deformed by torsion and traction when a finger is pressed on the sensor. This nonlinear deformation changes both position and orientation of minutiae and decreases the reliability of minutiae. Therefore, in matching algorithm using one reference minutiae pair, the reliability of a minutia decreases as the distance from the minutia to the minutia used for alignment increases. The proposed algorithm overcomes this problem by normalizing the distance between minutiae and using local alignment. Experimental results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is superior to that of using one reference minutiae pair.
The presence of interleukin 4 during in vitro priming determines the lymphokine-producing potential of CD4+ T cells from T cell receptor transgenic mice

To study the factors that determine whether CD4+ T cells produce interleukin 4 (IL-4) or interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) upon stimulation we used a system allowing naive T cells to be primed in vitro by specific antigen. Dense CD4+ T cells were purified from mice that expressed transgenes encoding a T cell receptor specific for pigeon cytochrome C peptide 88-104 in association with I-Ek. These T cells produced very limited amounts of IL-4 and IFN-gamma upon immediate challenge with 88-104 and antigen-presenting cells (APC). However, after an initial "priming" culture in which they were incubated for 4 d in the presence of 88-104, APC, and 1,000 U/ml IL-4, the T cells acquired the capacity to produce substantial amounts of IL-4 upon rechallenge but made very little IFN-gamma. Cells primed in the absence of IL-4 produced IFN-gamma upon rechallenge but virtually no IL-4. The inhibitory effect of IL-4 on IFN-gamma production did not appear to be mediated by the induction of IL-10 production since IL-10 addition to initial cultures did not suppress priming for IFN-gamma production, nor did anti-IL-10 block the inhibitory effect of IL-4. IFN-gamma itself did not increase priming for IFN-gamma production, nor did anti-IFN- gamma reduce such priming. IFN-gamma did, however, diminish priming for IL-4 production when limiting amounts of IL-4 (100 U/ml) were used in the initial culture. The dominant effect of IL-4 in determining the lymphokine-producing phenotype of primed cells was observed with dendritic cells (DC), activated B cells, and I-Ek-transfected fibroblasts as APC. However, the different APC did vary in their potency, with DC being superior to activated B cells, which were superior to transfected fibroblasts.
The role of segment 32–47 of cholecystokinin receptor type A in CCK8 binding: synthesis, nuclear magnetic resonance, circular dichroism and fluorescence studies

The segment 32–47 of the N‐terminal extracellular domain of the type A cholecystokinin receptor, CCKA‐R(32–47), was synthesized and structurally characterized in a membrane mimicking environment by CD, NMR and molecular dynamics calculations. The region of CCKA‐R(32–47) encompassing residues 39–46 adopted a well‐defined secondary structure in the presence of DPC micelles, whereas the conformation of the N‐terminal region (segment 32–37) could not be uniquely defined by the NOE derived distance constraints because of local flexibility. The conformation of the binding domain of CCKA‐R(32–47) was different from that found for the intact N‐terminal receptor tail, CCKA‐R(1–47). To assess whether CCKA‐R(32–47) was still able to bind the nonsulfated cholecystokinin C‐terminal octapeptide, CCK8, a series of titrations was carried out in SDS and DPC micelles, and the binding interaction was followed by fluorescence spectroscopy. These titrations gave no evidence for complex formation, whereas a high binding affinity was found between CCKA‐R(1–47) and CCK8. The different affinities for the ligand shown by CCKA‐R(32–47) and CCKA‐R(1–47) were paralleled by different interaction modes between the receptor segments and the micelles. The interaction of CCKA‐R(32–47) with DPC micelles was much weaker than that of CCKA‐R(1–47), because the former receptor segment lacks proper stabilizing contacts with the micelle surface. In the case of SDS micelles CCKA‐R(32–47) was found to form non‐micellar adducts with the detergent that prevented the onset of a functionally significant interaction between the receptor segment and the micelle. It is concluded that tertiary structure interactions brought about by the 1–31 segment play a key role in the stabilization of the membrane bound, biologically active conformation of the N‐terminal extracellular tail of the CCKA receptor. Copyright © 2003 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kainic acid‐induced recurrent mossy fiber innervation of dentate gyrus inhibitory interneurons: Possible anatomical substrate of granule cell hyperinhibition in chronically epileptic rats

Kainic acid‐induced neuron loss in the hippocampal dentate gyrus may cause epileptogenic hyperexcitability by triggering the formation of recurrent excitatory connections among normally unconnected granule cells. We tested this hypothesis by assessing granule cell excitability repeatedly within the same awake rats at different stages of the synaptic reorganization process initiated by kainate‐induced status epilepticus (SE). Granule cells were maximally hyperexcitable to afferent stimulation immediately after SE and became gradually less excitable during the first month post‐SE. The chronic epileptic state was characterized by granule cell hyperinhibition, i.e., abnormally increased paired‐pulse suppression and an abnormally high resistance to generating epileptiform discharges in response to afferent stimulation. Focal application of the γ‐aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide within the dentate gyrus abolished the abnormally increased paired‐pulse suppression recorded in chronically hyperinhibited rats. Combined Timm staining and parvalbumin immunocytochemistry revealed dense innervation of dentate inhibitory interneurons by newly formed, Timm‐positive, mossy fiber terminals. Ultrastructural analysis by conventional and postembedding GABA immunocytochemical electron microscopy confirmed that abnormal mossy fiber terminals of the dentate inner molecular layer formed frequent asymmetrical synapses with inhibitory interneurons and with GABA‐immunopositive dendrites as well as with GABA‐immunonegative dendrites of presumed granule cells. These results in chronically epileptic rats demonstrate that dentate granule cells are maximally hyperexcitable immediately after SE, prior to mossy fiber sprouting, and that synaptic reorganization following kainate‐induced injury is temporally associated with GABAA receptor‐dependent granule cell hyperinhibition rather than a hypothesized progressive hyperexcitability. The anatomical data provide evidence of a possible anatomical substrate for the chronically hyperinhibited state. J. Comp. Neurol. 494:944–960, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Student Perceptions of Hawaiian Values in Business Communication

Students attending a Native Hawaiian–serving institution read statements from two hypothetical job candidates. The passages had equivalent meaning, but one incorporated Hawaiian leadership values (HLV) without identifying them as such. Participants judged the HLV candidate to have lower credibility, rationality, and effectiveness, and preferred the non-HLV candidate for a leadership role. Participants’ ancestry, gender, and collectivism were unrelated to candidate preference. Business majors showed the strongest preference for the non-HLV candidate. Within majors, higher grade point average predicted preference for the non-HLV candidate. The results have implications for how educators may confront implicit assumptions about leadership.
Automatic Classification of PubMed Abstracts with Latent Semantic Indexing: Working Notes

The 2014 BioASQ challenge 2a tasks participants with assigning semantic tags to biomedical journal abstracts. We present a system that uses Latent Semantic Analysis to identify semantically similar documents in MEDLINE to an unlabeled abstract, and then uses a novel ranking scheme to select a list of MeSH headers from candidates drawn from the most similar documents. Our approach achieved good precision, but suffered in terms of recall. We describe several possible strategies to improve our system’s performance.
Active learning with model selection for optimal generalization

Abstract: In supervised learning, the selection of sample points and models is crucial for acquiring a higher level of generalization capability. So far, the problems of active learning and model selection have been independently studied. If sample points and models are simultaneously optimized, then a higher level of generalization capability is expected. We call this problem active learning with model selection. However, this problem can not be generally solved by simply combining existing active learning and model selection techniques because of the active learning / model selection dilemma: the model should be fixed for selecting sample points and conversely the sample points should be fixed for selecting models. In spite of the dilemma, the problem of active learning with model selection can be straightforwardly solved if there is a set of sample points being optimal for all models in consideration. In this paper, we show that such an optimal set of sample points actually exists, and give a procedure for active learning with model selection.
Swarms for chemical plume tracing

This paper presents a physics-based framework for managing distributed sensor networks of autonomous vehicles, e.g., robots, which self-organize into structured lattice arrangements using only local information. The vehicles remain in formation during obstacle avoidance and search for a chemical emitter that is actively ejecting a toxic chemical into the air. We discuss a new plume tracing algorithm, based on the principles of fluid physics, that outperforms the leading biomimetic competitors for this task.
Individual emotional profiles in Wizard-of-Oz-experiments

One of the most important and difficult fields in research of assistive environment technology is the recognition of emotional and motivational user's states. Emotion studies in the past show, that there are only a few universal interindividual valid psychobiological profiles states, which are stable associated with a user's emotional state. In this approach we look for intraindividual valid psychobiological patterns of emotions and motivations. In order to predict such states separate for different subjects we introduced a calibration procedure for each of the 20 subjects. We expect higher emotion recognition rates than preceding studies focusing on universal patterns on sample data. First results will be presented at the conference.