Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of Planktonic Prokaryotes and Dissolved Carbon in a Subtropical Coastal Lake

To understand the dynamics of planktonic prokaryotes in a subtropical lake and its relationship with carbon, we conducted water sampling through four 48-h periods in Peri Lake for 1 year. Planktonic prokaryotes were characterized by the abundance and biomass of heterotrophic bacteria (HB) and of cyanobacteria (coccoid and filamentous cells). During all samplings, we measured wind speed, water temperature (WT), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), precipitation, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and carbon dioxide (CO2). DOC was higher in the summer (average = 465 μM – WT = 27°C) and lower in the winter (average = 235 μM – WT = 17°C), with no significant variability throughout the daily cycles. CO2 concentrations presented a different pattern, with a minimum in the warm waters of the summer period (8.31 μM) and a maximum in the spring (37.13 μM). Daily trends were observed for pH, DO, WT, and CO2. At an annual scale, both biological and physical-chemical controls were important regulators of CO2. HB abundance and biomass were higher in the winter sampling (5.60 × 109 cells L−1 and 20.83 μmol C L−1) and lower in the summer (1.87 × 109 cells L−1 and 3.95 μmol C L−1). Filamentous cyanobacteria (0.23 × 108–0.68 × 108 filaments L−1) produced up to 167.16 μmol C L−1 as biomass (during the warmer period), whereas coccoid cyanobacteria contributed only 0.38 μmol C L−1. Precipitation, temperature, and the biomass of HB were the main regulators of CO2 concentrations. Temperature had a negative effect on the concentration of CO2, which may be indirectly attributed to high heterotroph activity in the autumn and winter periods. DOC was positively correlated with the abundance of total cyanobacteria and negatively with HB. Thus, planktonic prokaryotes have played an important role in the dynamics of both dissolved inorganic and organic carbon in the lake.
MODEL SELECTION VIA GENETIC ALGORITHMS

We provide a new simple procedure for selecting econometric models. It is based on a heuristic approach called genetic algorithms which are used to explore the universe of models made available by a general unrestricted model. This search process of the correct model is only guided by the Schwarz information criterion, which acts as the lost function of the genetic algorithm in order to rank the models. Our procedure shows good performance relative to other alternative methodologies.
Student Teaching: Reflections of a Relentless Journey

This action research article shares the story of a student teacher and the arduous, but rewarding process of self-reflection. The authors integrate real life examples of the implementation of self-reflective strategies of a student teacher with self-efficacy, teacher life cycle, and effectiveness literature to analyze the student teacher's perspective. Strategies that encouraged positive changes during the student teaching semester are examined and discussed along with implications.
To Tell a Tale: The Structure of Narrated Stories in Mam, A Mayan Language1

This article explores the structure of narrative tales (myth/history, folktales) in Mam. Linguistic and stylistic features that are characteristic of tales include the use of an anchoring adverb within the first few clauses, patterns of the use of aspect markers that are typical of all narrative, the extensive and obligatory use of quoted dialogue, the optional use of ideophones as a part of narrative performance, and codas that locate the tale within local tradition and traditional transmission. None of these features is restricted to tales, but together they define the genre and enable it to be instantly recognizable. It is the particular combination of linguistic and stylistic features that sets the genre apart.
Q-learning Based Random Access with Collision free RACH Interactions for Cellular M2M

This paper investigates the coexistence of M2M and H2H based traffic sharing the RACH of an existing cellular network. Q-learning is applied to control the RACH access of the M2M devices which enables collision free access amongst the M2M user group. Frame ALOHA for a Q-learning RACH access (FA-QL-RACH) is proposed to realise a collision free RACH access between the H2H and M2M user groups. The scheme introduces a separate frame for H2H and M2M to use in the RACH access. Simulation results show that applying Q-learning to realise the proposed FA-QL-RACH scheme resolves the RACH overload problem and improves the RACH-throughput. Finally the improved RACH-throughput performance indicates that the FA-QL-RACH scheme has eliminated the collision between the H2H and M2M user groups.
A multi-service MAC protocol in a multi-channel CSMA/CA for IEEE 802.11 networks

The IEEE 802.11 wireless standard uses the carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) as its MAC protocol (during the distributed coordination function period). This protocol is an adaptation of the CSMA/CD of the wired networks. CSMA/CA mechanism cannot guarantee quality of service (QoS) required by the application because of its random access method. In this study, we propose a new MAC protocol that considers different types of traffic (e.g., voice and data) and for each traffic type different priority levels are assigned. To improve the QoS of IEEE 802.11 MAC protocols over a multi-channel CSMA/CA, we have developed a new admission policy for both voice and data traffics. This protocol can be performed in direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) or frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS). For voice traffic we reserve a channel, while for data traffic the access is random using a CSMA/CA mechanism, and in this case a selective reject and push-out mechanism is added to meet the quality of service required by data traffic. To study the performance of the proposed protocol and to show the benefits of our design, a mathematical model is built based on Markov chains. The system could be represented by a Markov chain which is difficult to solve as the state-space is too large. This is due to the resource management and user mobility. Thus, we propose to build an aggregated Markov chain with a smaller state-space that allows performance measures to be computed easily. We have used stochastic comparisons of Markov chains to prove that the proposed access protocol (with selective reject and push-out mechanisms) gives less loss rates of high priority connections (data and voices) than the traditional one (without admission policy and selective reject and push-out mechanisms). We give numerical results to confirm mathematical proofs.
The Self-Report Psychopathy Scale SRP-III and Its Correlation with the Five Factor Model

The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale SRP-III with expectation for four factors (Callous Affect, Erratic Lifestyle, Antisocial Behaviour and Interpersonal Manipulation) and to verify if it is possible to predict results on the "psychopathy" factor of SRP-III based on the results of dimensions of the Five Factor Model (Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Emotional Stability and Intellect). The sample comprised 190 psychology students from Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb (173 females and 17 males) with an average age of 21. For the purpose of this research, the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale SRP-III was used for the first time. Research results confirmed the factor structure of the original instrument and satisfactory reliability of four dimensions (Callous Affect, Erratic Lifestyle, Antisocial Behaviour and Impulsiveness and Manipulation). Also, the results showed that IPIP 50 Inventory can predict 49.5% of the variance for the psychopathy dimension of SRP-III. The most significant predictors were low agreeableness and conscientiousness, as it was theoretically expected, and extraversion, which has an undefined relationship to psychopathy, and intellect.
Cognitive Appraisals of Life Stress and Depression in the Elderly: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Asians and Caucasians

Abstract Cognitive models of depression have not been adequately tested in different cultural settings involving personally relevant events that affect the lives of the elderly. A cross-sectional comparison was made of cognitions obtained from Asian and Caucasian subjects, residing in Canada and the United States. The objective was to determine whether cognitive appraisals of stressful events would differentiate the elderly in the two cultural groups. Results supported the hypotheses that cognitive appraisals of locus of control, uncertainty, self-responsibility, self-confidence in future coping and fear about future recurrence of negative events are strongly associated with the depressive responses of the elderly in general. A comparison of the cognitive appraisals of the elderly in the two cultural groups showed depressed Asians more significantly than depressed Caucasians, reporting more external locus of control and self-blaming attributions. The results have implications for community workers, psycho.
Program search with simulated annealing

Mitsunori Miki Department of Knowledge Engineering and Computer Sciences Doshisha University 610-0394 Kyoto, Japan mmiki@mail.doshisha.ac.jp Masafumi Hashimoto Department of Information Systems Design Doshisha University 610-0394 Kyoto, Japan mhashimo@mail . doshisha.ac.jp Yoshihisa Fujita Graduate School, Department of Knowledge Engineering and Computer Sciences Doshisha University 610-0394 Kyoto, Japan yoshihisa@mikilab . doshisha.ac.jp
Contribution à la commande de robots marcheurs bipèdes. (Walking control of biped robots)

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Contribution à la commande de robots marcheurs bipèdes Ting Wang
Psychometric Properties of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS–7) in Spanish Adolescents

Abstract The purpose of this study was to validate the Spanish version of Motl and Conroy’s model of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS–7). To achieve this goal, a sample of 398 secondary school students was used, and the psychometric properties of the SPAS–7 were examined through different analyses. The results supported the seven-item model, although the item 5 did not show any significant correlation with two items from this model and had a lower factor loading than the rest of items. The structure of the model was invariant across gender and Body Mass Index (BMI). Alpha value over . 70 and suitable levels of temporal stability were obtained. Girls and students classified according to the BMI as overweight and obese had higher scores in social physique anxiety than boys and the group classified as underweight and normal range. The findings of this study provided reliability and validity for the SPAS–7 in a Spanish adolescent sample.
Financial Reporting Quality and Corporate Innovation

This paper examines the relationship of financial reporting to corporate innovation. Given the importance of a high‐quality information system and coordination to innovation, I predict a positive association between financial reporting quality and future innovation. My empirical evidence is consistent with this prediction. I also find some evidence that the positive association between financial reporting quality and innovation is more pronounced for firms with intensive internal research and development activities and for firms in competitive industries. The main findings are robust to using an instrumental variable approach as well as controlling for alternative explanations. I find that firms with high‐quality financial reporting transform investment inputs into greater innovation outcomes and firm value. This study provides additional insight into the role of financial reporting quality and its relation to the real economy.
Molecular findings in familial Parkinson disease in Spain.

BACKGROUND Several genetic errors in alpha-synuclein (Park1) and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal-hydrolase L1(Park5) genes cause autosomal dominant familial Parkinson disease. Mutations in the parkin gene (Park2) are the major cause of autosomal recessive Parkinson disease. OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical and molecular data of 19 Spanish kindreds (13 with recessive, 4 with dominant, and 2 with uncertain inheritance) who have familial Parkinson disease. METHODS We searched for the previously described mutations in Park1 and Park5 genes and for new or described mutations in Park2. We used single-strand conformation polymorphism, direct sequencing, and restriction digestion of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified genomic DNA for this study. RESULTS None of these families have either Park1 or Park5 mutations. We found 5 different mutations in Park2 gene in 5 of the families with recessive inheritance. To our knowledge, 2 of these mutations, V56E and C212Y, have not been previously reported. The other mutations found (deletion of exons 3 and 5 and 225delA) have been described in other ethnic groups. Heterozygous carriers of a single Park2 mutation either were asymptomatic or developed clinical symptoms in late adulthood or after brief exposure to haloperidol therapy. CONCLUSIONS Mutations in Park2 gene account for 38% of the families with recessive parkinsonism in Spain. We found 2 cases of simple heterozygous Park2 mutation carriers that developed clinical symptoms, either in late adulthood or after brief exposure to parkinsonizing agents. Thus, hereditary Parkinson disease has more variable clinical phenotype and molecular defects than previously thought since heterozygous mutations could be a risk factor for parkinsonism.
The role of the head of department in managing performance in UK universities

The increasing scrutiny of universities has led to increasing pressure on heads of department to deliver increased performance. This paper presents 14 case studies from UK institutions examining in detail and in context how heads of department manage performance. It establishes that heads of department have often struggled due to a lack of options and possibilities to influence performance and a lack of management training to help them achieve it. The paper concludes that the real problem facing universities in this area arises from the fact that the change in role of head of department has not been thought through but has been a reaction to external pressure, leading to ambiguity and confusion.
Modified Multiple-Choice Items for Alternate Assessments: Reliability, Difficulty, and Differential Boost

Federal policy on alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS) inspired this research. Specifically, an experimental study was conducted to determine whether tests composed of modified items would have the same level of reliability as tests composed of original items, and whether these modified items helped reduce the performance gap between AA-MAS eligible and ineligible students. Three groups of eighth-grade students (N = 755) defined by eligibility and disability status took original and modified versions of reading and mathematics tests. In a third condition, the students were provided limited reading support along with the modified items. Changes in reliability across groups and conditions for both the reading and mathematics tests were determined to be minimal. Mean item difficulties within the Rasch model were shown to decrease more for students who would be eligible for the AA-MAS than for non-eligible groups, revealing evidence of differential boost. Exploratory analyses indicated that shortening the question stem may be a highly effective modification, and that adding graphics to reading items may be a poor modification.
Active control of nonlinear noise processes in a linear duct

This paper investigates two scenarios in active noise control (ANC) that lead to performance degradation with conventional linear control techniques. The first scenario addresses the noise itself. The low-frequency noise, traveling as plane waves in a duct, is usually assumed to be broadband random or periodic tonal noise. Linear techniques applied to actively control this noise have been shown to be successful. However, in many practical applications, the noise often arises from dynamical systems, which cause the noise to be nonlinear and deterministic or stochastic, colored, and non-Gaussian. Linear techniques cannot fully exploit the coherence in the noise and, therefore, perform suboptimally. The other scenario is that the actuator in an ANC system has been shown to be nonminimum phase. One of the tasks of the controller, in ANC systems, is to model the inverse of the actuator. Obviously, a linear controller is not able to perform that task. To combat the problems, as mentioned above, a nonlinear controller has been implemented in the ANC system. It is shown in this paper that the nonlinear controller consists of two parts: a linear system identification part and a nonlinear prediction part. The standard filtered-x algorithms cannot be used with a nonlinear controller, and therefore, the control scheme was reconfigured. Computer simulations have been carried out and confirm the theoretical derivations for the combined nonlinear and linear controller.
The mutual information of a stochastic binary channel: validity of the replica symmetry ansatz

We calculate the mutual information (MI) of a two-layered neural network with noiseless, continuous inputs and binary, stochastic outputs under several assumptions on the synaptic efficiencies. The interesting regime corresponds to the limit where the number of both input and output units is large but their ratio is kept fixed at a value . We first present a solution for the MI using the replica technique with a replica symmetric (RS) ansatz. Then we find an exact solution for this quantity valid in a neighbourhood of . An analysis of this solution shows that the system must have a phase transition at some finite value of . This transition shows a singularity in the third derivative of the MI. As the RS solution turns out to be infinitely differentiable, it could be regarded as a smooth approximation to the MI. This is checked numerically in the validity domain of the exact solution.
Adjunctive effect of a polylactide/polyglycolide copolymer in the treatment of deep periodontal intra-osseous defects: a randomized clinical trial.

AIM The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of re-constructive surgery in human deep intra-osseous defects with the use of a polylactide/polyglycolide (PLA/PGA) copolymer graft in conjunction with an open flap debridement (OFD) procedure (test group) as compared with OFD procedure alone (control group). MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-two patients, each contributing one defect, were selected and completed the 12-month follow-up period. Sixteen patients (eight males, mean age: 49.9 years) received the test treatment, 16 patients (nine males, mean age: 42.8 years) received the control treatment. Clinical recordings, assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months post-surgery, included defect-specific plaque score, defect-specific bleeding score, probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and recession depth. Surgical procedure aimed to preserve supra-crestal soft tissues at defect site in order to ensure primary closure was used in all cases. RESULTS Test and control treatment produced a significant CAL decrease and PD reduction at both 6 and 12 months with respect to baseline value (p<0.000). At 6 months CAL was significantly greater in test compared with control group (p=0.019). Twelve-month CAL gain was 3.6+/-1.5 and 3.4+/-1.4 mm for the test and control group, respectively. At 12 months no significant differences in any of the clinical parameters were observed between groups. CONCLUSION The results indicate that OFD with and without PLA/PGA graft provide clinically and statistically significant improvements in PD and CAL measurements. However, the additional use of PLA/PGA did not provide an additional benefit in terms of CAL gain and PD reduction compared with OFD procedure.
Numerical integration of nonlinear PDEs using MD passive circuits

Numerical integration of nonlinear (NL) partial differential equations (PDEs) is studied via transformation of the system and then realization of the transformed system to a passive generalized Kirchhoff circuit. The Kirchhoff circuit is appropriately discretized in order to be represented by a discrete multidimensional (MD) system, using principles of wave digital filters (WDFs).
Comparison of induction motor field efficiency evaluation methods

Unlike testing motor efficiency in a laboratory, certain methods given in the IEEE-Std 112 cannot be used for motor efficiency evaluations in the field. For example, it is difficult to load a motor in the field with a dynamometer when the motor is already coupled to driven equipment. The motor efficiency field evaluation faces a different environment from that for which the IEEE-Std 112 is chiefly written. A field evaluation method consists of one or several basic methods. This paper separates and compares the basic methods according to their physical natures. Their intrusivenesses and accuracies are also discussed. This study is useful for field engineers to select or to establish a proper efficiency evaluation method by understanding the theories and error sources of the methods.
Document marking and identification using both line and word shifting

Continues a study of document marking to deter illicit dissemination. An experiment performed reveals that the distortion on the photocopy of a document is very different in the vertical and horizontal directions. This leads to the strategy that marks a text line both vertically using line shifting and horizontally using word shifting. A line that is marked is always accompanied by two unmarked control lines one above and one below. They are used to measure distortions in the vertical and horizontal directions in order to decide whether line or word shift should be detected. Line shifts are detected using a centroid method that bases its decision on the relative distance of line centroids. Word shifts are detected using a correlation method that treats a profile as a waveform and decides whether it originated from a waveform whose middle block has been shifted left or right. The maximum likelihood detectors for both methods are given.
Evaluation of proposed oral disposition index measures in relation to the actual disposition index

Aims While the disposition index provides a useful measure of B‐cell function, its calculation requires the performance of a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIVGTT). Recently, the demonstration of a hyperbolic relationship between indices of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity derived from the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has led to the introduction of two novel OGTT‐based measures of B‐cell function analogous to the disposition index: (i) the insulin secretion‐sensitivity index‐2 (ISSI‐2) (defined as the ratio of the area‐under‐the‐insulin‐curve to the area‐under‐the‐glucose curve, multiplied by the Matsuda index) and (ii) insulinogenic index (IGI)/fasting insulin. However, neither of these two measures has been directly compared with the disposition index.