Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Vulnerabilities Of Critical Infrastructures Using Flows And Critical Vertices In And/Or Graphs

AND/OR graphs and minimum-cost solution graphs have been studied extensively in artificial intelligence (see, e.g., Nilsson [14]). Generally, the AND/OR graphs are used to model problem solving processes. The minimum-cost solution graph can be used to attack the problem with the least resource. However, in many cases we want to solve the problem within the shortest time period and we assume that we have as many concurrent resources as we need to run all concurrent processes. In this paper, we will study this problem and present an algorithm for finding the minimum-time-cost solution graph in an AND/OR graph. We will also study the following problems which often appear in industry when using AND/OR graphs to model manufacturing processes or to model problem solving processes: finding maximum (additive and non-additive) flows and critical vertices in an AND/OR graph. A detailed study of these problems provide insight into the vulnerability of complex systems such as cyber-infrastructures and energy infrastructures (these infrastructures could be modeled with AND/OR graphs). For an infrastructure modeled by an AND/OR graph, the protection of critical vertices should have highest priority since terrorists could defeat the whole infrastructure with the least effort by destroying these critical points. Though there are well known polynomial time algorithms for the corresponding problems in the traditional graph theory, we will show that generally it is NP-hard to find a non-additive maximum flow in an AND/OR graph, and it is both NP-hard and coNP-hard to find a set of critical vertices in an AND/OR graph. We will also present a polynomial time algorithm for finding a maximum additive flow in an AND/OR graph, and discuss the relative complexity of these problems.
Full Waveform Analysis for Long-Range 3D Imaging Laser Radar

The new generation of 3D imaging systems based on laser radar (ladar) offers significant advantages in defense and security applications. In particular, it is possible to retrieve 3D shape information directly from the scene and separate a target from background or foreground clutter by extracting a narrow depth range from the field of view by range gating, either in the sensor or by postprocessing. We discuss and demonstrate the applicability of full-waveform ladar to produce multilayer 3D imagery, in which each pixel produces a complex temporal response that describes the scene structure. Such complexity caused by multiple and distributed reflection arises in many relevant scenarios, for example in viewing partially occluded targets, through semitransparent materials (e.g., windows) and through distributed reflective media such as foliage. We demonstrate our methodology on 3D image data acquired by a scanning time-of-flight system, developed in our own laboratories, which uses the time-correlated single-photon counting technique.
A Collocated 3-D HIE-FDTD Scheme With PML

This letter proposes a novel hybrid implicit-explicit finite-difference time-domain method with collocation in the direction of implicitization. In this direction, the method features increased accuracy, the reason being twofold: 1) the applied combination of interpolations and differentiations preserves second-order accuracy upon nonuniform discretization and 2) material boundaries are more accurately approximated by the grid. The method’s stability and accuracy are verified by a microstrip line example. An appropriate PML is included.
FURTHER ON THE THEORY OF STAKEHOLDER SALIENCE : DEFINING WHY AND WHEN DOES THE WHO REALLY

Ever since Freeman (1984) made a persuasive case for attention to stakeholder interests as critical to firm success overriding the erstwhile dominant shareholder model, a debate has raged consistently about which aspect is central to the stakeholder theory, and more importantly, what might be the process of stakeholder identification (Berman et al., 1999). The recent increase in awareness of corporate governance issues led the proponents of stakeholder theory to focus primarily on the normative model which is concerned with how should the managers of firms deal with corporate stakeholders (Collins & Porras, 1994; Freeman, 1994; Paine 1994, Donaldson & Preston, 1995), neglecting the instrumental and descriptive realms which address the why and when the managers deal with such issues. The normative stakeholder model is widely accepted by researchers, however some questions remains as to how do firms identify their stakeholders, and what factors determine the institutional structure they adopt to reflect their interests in these stakeholders. Furthermore, once adopted, is this structure immutable or is there a convergence amongst the different institutional structures; and finally what factors cause this modification and what actions predict this process.
Occupational Burnout Among Employees in Some Service Occupations in Nigeria: Are Health Workers Different?

Studies on occupational burnout among health workers, especially in Nigeria have been at best isolated. No adequate inter-occupational comparative study on burnout among health workers, police personnel, and teachers has been conducted. This study, therefore, investigated the extent to which health workers were different from police personnel, and teachers in the manifestations of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishment, and overall occupational burnout. Participants were 455 employees (203 males; 252 females) sampled from 3 service occupations (police = 139; health = 159; teaching = 157), whose ages averaged 35.94 years (SD = 7.93). Health workers reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and overall occupational burnout than either police personnel or teachers. Although health workers reported a higher level of reduced personal accomplishment than police personnel, results indicated that teachers felt as underachieving as health workers. The findings were discussed in terms of the perceived imbalance in the job demands-rewards ratio in the job situations.
Clinical impact of human papillomavirus in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study

Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and clinical impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) related laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Methods A total of 106 LSCC patients who underwent primary surgical resection with or without adjuvant radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy were enrolled retrospectively. Tumors collected from paraffin-embedded samples were used for HPV detection by polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization technique. Clinicopathological parameters were recorded for analysis. Results The prevalence of HPV in patients with LSCC was 13.2% in our series and 12 out of 14 (85.7%) HPV-positive tumors were HPV-16. The patients with HPV-positive tumors were older (p = 0.042), less local/regional recurrence (p = 0.037) and non-smoker (p = 0.068). There was no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival (OS) (p = 0.8056) between HPV-positive and -negative tumors. The patients with HPV-positive tumors had a better 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) (100% vs. 84.8%, p = 0.1485), although the difference did not reach statistical significance. However, the local/regional control rate was significantly better in HPV-positive tumors than in HPV-negative tumors (100% vs. 75%, p = 0.0494). Conclusions A low prevalence of HPV infection in our series suggests that HPV is not a major cause of LSCC. However, a 100% local/regional control rate and DSS were observed in HPV-positive tumors. This finding suggests a different tumor behavior between HPV-positive and HPV-negative LSCC. Further research with a larger sample size is necessary to confirm our observations.
Frontiers in Neuromorphic Engineering

Neurobiological processing systems are remarkable computational devices. They use slow, stochastic, and inhomogeneous computing elements and yet they outperform today's most powerful computers at tasks such as vision, audition, and motor control, tasks that we perform nearly every moment that we are awake without much conscious thought or concern. Despite the vast amount of resources dedicated to the research and development of computing, information, and communication technologies, today's fastest and largest computers are still not able to match biological systems at robustly accomplishing real-world tasks. While the specific algorithms and representations that biological brains use are still largely unknown, it is clear that instead of Boolean logic, precise digital representations, and synchronous operations, nervous systems use hybrid analog/digital components, distributed representations, massively parallel mechanisms, combine communications with memory and computation, and make extensive use of adaptation, self-organization, and learning. On the other hand, as with many successful man-made systems, it is clear that biological brains have been co-designed with the body to operate under a specific range of conditions and assumptions about the world. Understanding the computational principles used by the brain and how they are physically embodied is crucial for developing novel computing paradigms and guiding a new generation of technologies that can combine the strengths of industrial-scale electronics with the computational performance of brains.
Localizing Sites of Activation in Primary Visual Cortex Using Visual-Evoked Potentials and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Summary: This study compared retinotopic map identification in primary visual cortex (V1) using: (i) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and (ii) visual evoked potentials (VEPs) coupled with dipole source localization (DSL). A multielectrode array was used to record VEPs while subjects viewed a flickering dartboard pattern modulated by a 16-bit m-sequence. The stimulus preferentially activates V1. Using a common time function DSL algorithm, the primary source of each stimulus patch was found independent of the fMRI. The VEP/DSL and fMRI localization data for each subject were aligned by a rigid translation and rotation. The average distance between VEP and corresponding fMRI sources was 10.8 mm ± 3.8 mm. To assess the significance of the results, fMRI and DSL solutions were scrambled so the comparisons were no longer for corresponding patches. The average distance between the noncorresponding data sets was 17.2 mm for 50 million scrambles. The probability of the scrambled data yielding a better fit than the real data was p < 10−7. The combination of multielectrode recording, multiinput visual stimulation and common time function DSL analysis can provide a detailed retinotopic map of visual cortex that has high correspondence with independent fMRI localization analysis on the same subject.
Dynamic gesture recognition based on multiple sensors fusion technology

This paper investigates the roles of a three-axis accelerometer, surface electromyography sensors and a webcam for dynamic gesture recognition. A decision-level multiple sensor fusion method based on action elements is proposed to distinguish a set of 20 kinds of dynamic hand gestures. Experiments are designed and conducted to collect three kinds of sensor data stream simultaneously during gesture implementation and compare the performance of different subsets in gesture recognition. Experimental results from three subjects show that the combination of three kinds of sensor achieves recognition accuracies at 87.5%-91.8%, which are higher largely than that of the single sensor conditions. This study is valuable to realize continuous and dynamic gesture recognition based on multiple sensor fusion technology for multi-model interaction.
Dialoguing written reflections to promote self-efficacy in student teachers

The practice of written reflections as a source for creating awareness, evaluating and decision making for classroom instructional and managerial decisions is synonymous with student teachers, especially during the practicum. However, there is the reality of these written entries being denigrated to detached descriptive pieces of journal entries, especially if the practicum stretches over a period of time. How then does the student teacher move beyond the level of personal recounts and achieve a higher level of awareness of self-efficacy? This paper proposes the reflection model which considers three elements: reflective writing, reflective dialoguing and self-efficacy to be necessary for critical reflection. As a preliminary report, the paper concentrates on one element – reflective dialoguing. Excerpts from the sessions show that when provided with opportunities to critically evaluate and talk about these reflections with their peers and lecturers on a regular basis, the student teachers are able to sharpen and target their observations to build local funds of knowledge bases, e.g. on the students, the school, the community, and at the same time to critically reflect on their own beliefs and practices, which in turn helped inform them of their own pedagogic choices and practices in the classroom.
Psychopharmacology in a Globalizing World: The Use of Antidepressants in Japan

Despite the great popularity of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants in North America and Europe, most of these medications have not yet been introduced in Japan. This reflects the difficulty in obtaining government approval for new drugs in Japan, as well as specific social and cultural issues. The majority of patients with depression or dysphoric mood in Japan are seen in specialty medical care, complain of physical symptoms, and are treated with anxiolytic medications. Sadness and depression may be given positive social meanings as yielding enhanced awareness of the transient nature of the world. This article explores the relevance for bioethics of cultural variations in the use of antidepressants at three different levels of analysis: (i) the varieties of depressive experience as they unfold in specific cultural worlds and value systems; (ii) the narrative construction of the self; and (iii) the political economic context of the pharmacological treatment of depression. The strong interconnections of values framed at one level with those at other levels means that there are likely to be unavoidable tradeoffs between different values or desirable short and long-term outcomes such as energy, efficiency, happiness, maturation, depth of personality, and responsiveness to social and moral predicaments. These tradeoffs challenge the assumption of universalism in biomedicine and raise questions about the consequences of our willingness to use medications to treat the myriad forms of distress that may signal fundamental problems with our way of life.
A new paradigm to induce mental stress: the Sing-a-Song Stress Test (SSST)

We here introduce a new experimental paradigm to induce mental stress in a quick and easy way while adhering to ethical standards and controlling for potential confounds resulting from sensory input and body movements. In our Sing-a-Song Stress Test, participants are presented with neutral messages on a screen, interleaved with 1-min time intervals. The final message is that the participant should sing a song aloud after the interval has elapsed. Participants sit still during the whole procedure. We found that heart rate and skin conductance during the 1-min intervals following the sing-a-song stress message are substantially higher than during intervals following neutral messages. The order of magnitude of the rise is comparable to that achieved by the Trier Social Stress Test. Skin conductance increase correlates positively with experienced stress level as reported by participants. We also simulated stress detection in real time. When using both skin conductance and heart rate, stress is detected for 18 out of 20 participants, approximately 10 s after onset of the sing-a-song message. In conclusion, the Sing-a-Song Stress Test provides a quick, easy, controlled and potent way to induce mental stress and could be helpful in studies ranging from examining physiological effects of mental stress to evaluating interventions to reduce stress.
Choosing the scientific journal for publishing research work: perceptions of medical and dental researchers

Background and aim With the increasing demand to publish due to ‘publish or perish’ culture among research and academic institutions, the choice of a journal for publishing scientific articles becomes very important. A publication with many citations and high impact factor can propel researchers in their academic careers. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of medical and dental researchers in India about the important criteria to consider while selecting scientific journals for publishing their research. Methods 206 faculty staff members from three medical and five dental institutions were selected through convenience sampling. The study participants completed a questionnaire with 24 closed ended questions on various factors related to journal selection for publication. Factors such as publication frequency, journal citation, indexing, peer-review, impact factor, publication fees, acceptance or rejection rate, publishing house, previous submission and online submission process were considered. The responses were recorded using a Likert scale. Cronbach’s alpha as a measure of internal consistency or homogeneity was 0.909. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U test were employed for comparison of responses among study participants. Results The mean weight of 24 criteria on a scale of 0 to 4 varied between 2.13 and 3.45. The results showed that indexing of journal (3.45±0.74), online submission (3.24±0.83), impact factor (3.11±0.91), peer-review process (3.0±1.02) and publication fees (2.99±1.11) were among the most important criteria to consider in journal selection. Conclusions Of the 24 factors considered by health researchers for journal selection, the most important were Journal indexing, online submission, impact factor, peer-review and publication fees. Compared to dental researchers, medical researchers perceived open access and peer-review process as significantly more important criteria.
Identity, Citizenship and Moral Education

Questions of identity such as ‘Who am I? ’ are often answered by appeals to one or more affiliations with a specific nation (citizenship), culture, ethnicity, religion, etc. Taking as given the idea that identity over time—including identification and re‐identification—for objects of a particular kind requires that there be criteria of identity appropriate to things of that kind, I argue that citizenship, as a ‘collectivist’ concept, does not generate such criteria for individual citizens, but that the concept person—which specifies the kind of entity that I am—does generate such criteria. Confusion on this point has led some writers on citizenship to equivocate between identity for individuals and what is properly called self‐determination in terms of their group affiliations and commitments. In the second part of the paper, I articulate and defend a relational view of personhood, and argue that it provides adequate grounding for morality in general, and moral education in particular. While not denying the value of civics or citizenship education, the link between morality and citizenship is derivative, at best. Finally, I examine the implications of a relational conception of personhood for the specific context of schools and classrooms, arguing that this conception is appropriately represented when the classroom functions as a community of inquiry, in which each member is encouraged to see her/himself as one among others. Drawing on the theory and practice of Philosophy for Children, I conclude with a call to reunite citizenship and moral education with their philosophical roots.
Children's Perceptions of the Social Functions of Verbal Irony

Verbal irony can serve many social functions: Speakers can mute the aggression conveyed by criticism or temper the praise conveyed by a compliment (the Tinge Hypothesis; Dews, Kaplan, & Winner, 1995), and speakers can also bring humor to a situation. A full understanding of ironic language requires one to make complex inferences about speaker intent, a task that can be challenging for children. This study was devised as a developmental test of the Tinge Hypothesis. Two experiments assessed 5- to 6- and 7- to 8-year-old children's abilities to detect and interpret the aggressive and humorous intent of speakers who made ironic criticisms, literal criticisms, ironic compliments, and literal compliments depicted in puppet shows. When children detected the use of irony, their aggression ratings provided support for the Tinge Hypothesis but their humor ratings indicated that the humor function was not recognized.
Cultural science and qualitative educational research: work ‘in the first place’ on the morality of classroom life

The state of qualitative research in education is addressed in this paper in terms of three categories of scientific inquiry (following Heap, 1992) and the varying place and function of qualitative work in each of these categories. The argument is put that one of these categories of inquiry, specifically cultural human sciences, offers the educational enterprise distinctive theoretical and analytic advantages not shared by the others. An illustration is provided concerning an issue that is both central and particular to educational research: the intertwining of intellectual, curricular, social and moral work accomplished routinely in classrooms. The paper concludes that empirically rich, programmatic and explicitly theorized research continues to hold most promise for the confident and sustained progression of qualitative traditions in education.
A pancreatic exocrine cell factor and AP4 bind overlapping sites in the amylase 2A enhancer.

A factor found in pancreatic exocrine cell lines and pancreatic nuclei binds selectively to the alpha-amylase 2A transcriptional enhancer. Pancreatic exocrine cell extracts protect asymmetrically an unusually large, 35 base pair region from DNase I digestion in vitro, suggesting the involvement of a multimeric DNA binding complex. We show that this region of the enhancer contains a major affinity recognition sequence for the HeLa transcription factor AP4. A 4 base pair mutation in the enhancer sequence shown previously to abolish activity in vivo [Boulet, A. M. , Erwin, C. R. , & Rutter, W. J. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 3599-3603] abolishes AP4 binding in vitro and weakens but does not eliminate the binding of adjacent enhancer factors. Further, sequences similar to the AP4 binding site are found within a consensus sequence of most pancreatic exocrine genes (Boulet et al., 1986). We have identified three AP4 binding sites in the pancreatic elastase gene: one occurs in the consensus sequence of the enhancer. Thus, protein(s) with the binding selectivity of AP4 may play a role in the expression of the pancreatic exocrine gene family.