Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emergent case-based reasoning applications

The basic principle underpinning case-based reasoning (CBR) is that new problems can be solved by reusing solutions to past problems. The generality of this idea means that CBR is finding application in a wide variety of areas. The special advantage of CBR is that a case can be a very convenient means of capturing knowledge, especially in weak theory domains where the relationship between causes and effects may not be well understood. Cases may embody more than problem-solving knowledge; the knowledge in a case may be a creative structure or a complex behavior pattern. The widespread applicability of this idea means that it has been exploited in a diverse range of areas across the arts and sciences. This article provides a brief summary of some of these applications.
DNA vaccine encoding human immunodeficiency virus‐1 Gag, targeted to the major histocompatibility complex II compartment by lysosomal‐associated membrane protein, elicits enhanced long‐term memory response

Antigen presentation by major histocompatibility complex type II (MHC II) molecules and activation of CD4+ helper T cells are critical for the generation of immunological memory. We previously described a DNA vaccine encoding human immunodeficiency virus‐1 p55Gag as a chimera with the lysosome‐associated membrane protein (LAMP/gag). The LAMP/gag chimera protein traffics to the MHC II compartment of transfected cells and elicits enhanced immune responses as compared to a DNA vaccine encoding native gag not targeted to the MHC II compartment. We have now investigated the long‐term responses of immunized mice and show that the LAMP/gag DNA vaccine promotes long‐lasting B cell‐ and CD4+ and CD8+ T‐cell memory responses and elicits a potent Gag‐specific CD8+ recall response to challenge with vaccinia virus encoding gag, even 11 months after immunization. In contrast, the immune responses induced by DNA encoding non‐targeted Gag decay rapidly and elicit very low or undetectable levels of Gag‐specific CD4+ and CD8+ memory cells. A single priming immunization with LAMP/gag DNA is sufficient to generate T‐cell memory. Following this initial priming immunization with LAMP/gag DNA, booster immunizations with native gag DNA or the LAMP/gag chimera are equally efficient in eliciting B‐ and T‐cell secondary responses, results in accordance with observations that secondary expansion of CD8+ cells in the boost phase does not require additional CD4+ help. These findings underscore the significance of targeting DNA‐encoded vaccine antigens to the MHC II processing compartments for induction of long‐term immunological memory.
Role-Identity Salience, Purpose and Meaning in Life, and Well-Being among Volunteers

Theoretically, the more important a role-identity is to a person, the more it should provide a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Believing one’s life to be purposeful and meaningful should yield greater mental and physical well-being. These hypotheses are tested with respect to the volunteer role, specifically, Mended Hearts visitor, in which former heart patients visit current heart patients and their families in the hospital. Analyses of survey data from Mended Hearts visitors (N = 458) confirm that a sense of meaningful, purposeful life mediates the positive influences of role-identity salience on mental and physical health. The results hint at an unfolding process: the more time spent in volunteer activities, the more important the volunteer identity. The greater the identity importance, the more one perceives one matters to other people, which in turn enhances purpose and meaning. The more life seems purposeful and meaningful, the better one’s well-being.
A Code Level Based Programmer Assessment and Selection Criterion Using Metric Tools

this study presents a code level measurement of computer programs developed by computer programmers using a Chidamber and Kemerer Java metric (CKJM) tool and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) tool. The identification of potential computer programmers using personality trait factors does not seem to be the best approach without a code level measurement of the quality of programs. Hence the need to evolve a metric tool which measures both personality traits of programmers and code level quality of programs developed by programmers. This is the focus of this study. In this experiment, a set of Java based programming tasks were given to 33 student programmers who could confidently use the Java programming language. The codes developed by these students were analyzed for quality using a CKJM tool. Cohesion, coupling and number of public methods (NPM) metrics were used in the study. The choice of these three metrics from the CKJM suite was because they are useful in measuring well designed codes. By examining the cohesion values of classes, high cohesion ranges [0,1] and low coupling imply well designed code. Also number of methods (NPM) in a well-designed class is always less than 5 when cohesion range is [0,1]. Results from this study show that 19 of the 33 programmers developed good and cohesive programs while 14 did not. Further analysis revealed the personality traits of programmers and the number of good programs written by them. Programmers with Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging (ISTJ) traits produced the highest number of good programs, followed by Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving (INTP), Introverted iNtuitive Feelingng Perceiving (INTP), and Extroverted Sensing Thinking Judging (ESTJ)
Set-Based Concurrent Engineering Model for Automotive Electronic/Software Systems Development

This paper is presenting a proposal of a novel approach to automotive electronic/software systems development. It is based on the combination of Set-Based Concurrent Engineering, a Toyota approach to product development, with the standard V-Model of software development. Automotive industry currently faces the problem of growing complexity of electronic/software systems. This issue is especially visible at the level of integration of these systems which is difficult and error-prone. The presented conceptual proposal is to establish better processes that could handle the electronic/software systems design and development in a more integrated and consistent manner.
Elevated albumin in retinas of monkeys with experimental glaucoma.

PURPOSE To establish the identity of a prominent protein, approximately 70 kDa, that is markedly increased in the retina of monkeys with experimental glaucoma compared with the fellow control retina, the relationship to glaucoma severity, and its localization in the retina. METHODS Retinal extracts were subjected to 2-D gel electrophoresis to identify differentially expressed proteins. Purified peptides from the abundant 70 kDa protein were analyzed and identified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) separation, and collision-induced dissociation sequencing. Protein identity was performed on MASCOT (Matrix Science, Boston, MA) and confirmed by Western blot. The relationship between the increase in this protein and glaucoma severity was investigated by regression analyses. Protein localization in retina was evaluated by immunohistochemistry with confocal imaging. RESULTS The abundant protein was identified as Macaca mulatta serum albumin precursor (67 kDa) from eight non-overlapping proteolytic fragments, and the identity was confirmed by Western blot. The average increase in retinal albumin content was 2.3 fold (P = 0.015). In glaucoma eyes, albumin was localized to some neurons of the inner nuclear layer, in the inner plexiform layer, and along the vitreal surface, but it was only found in blood vessels in control retinas. CONCLUSIONS Albumin is the abundant protein found in the glaucomatous monkey retinas. The increased albumin is primarily localized to the inner retina where oxidative damage associated with experimental glaucoma is known to be prominent. Since albumin is a major antioxidant, the increase of albumin in the retinas of eyes with experimental glaucoma may serve to protect the retina against oxidative damage.
Approximate computing: An emerging paradigm for energy-efficient design

Approximate computing has recently emerged as a promising approach to energy-efficient design of digital systems. Approximate computing relies on the ability of many systems and applications to tolerate some loss of quality or optimality in the computed result. By relaxing the need for fully precise or completely deterministic operations, approximate computing techniques allow substantially improved energy efficiency. This paper reviews recent progress in the area, including design of approximate arithmetic blocks, pertinent error and quality measures, and algorithm-level techniques for approximate computing.
Not so Above Average After All: When People Believe They are Worse than Average and its Implications for Theories of Bias in Social Comparison

Recent research calls into question the generally accepted conclusion that people believe themselves to be above average on desirable behaviors and abilities. This paper reviews the new theories that have been proposed to explain the fact that better-than-average effects are isolated to common behaviors and abilities, and that people believe themselves to be below average with respect to rare behaviors and uncommon abilities. These new theories are then used to revisit prior findings of better-than-average effects. When viewed in light of recent work, the evidence suggests that prior findings overstated the degree to which people engage in self-enhancement by believing that they are better than others when in fact they are not. Prior studies have often confounded desirability with commonness and have used subjective measures of comparative judgment that capitalize on people's tendency to conflate relative with absolute self-evaluation.
Epistemic Objects, Artefacts and Organizational Change

One of the key concepts of the neo-institutional studies of organizations has been routine—an established, rule-governed pattern of action. The concept of routine creates difficulties when used for making sense of the emergence of new practices or change in organizations and institutions. There are two reasons for this. First, routine was introduced originally to account for the continuity of organizational life. Second, it is based on theories of action and behaviour that focus exclusively on the pre-reflective and embodied aspects of human practice. This paper seeks an alternative approach by using the concepts of epistemic object and artefact mediation of human activity. It argues that representational artefacts, such as concepts and models, are instrumental in inducing change in human practices. Using the work of occupational health and safety inspectors as an example, it is shown how a practice or set of routines is made into an object of enquiry in order to generate a working hypothesis for an alternative practice. The hypothesis is further objectified by designing a set of informational tools and procedures that carry on the new practice.
Player and athlete attitudes to drugs in Australian sport: implications for policy development

This article reports on 12 case histories with a view to 1) uncovering the attitudes of players and athletes to drugs in sport, and 2) exploring the implications of these attitudes for the formulation of effective anti-doping policy. The theoretical approach of the research was informed by Zinberg's (1984) model which assumes that the relationship between the drug, individual characteristics and context are pivotal to choices about drug use. A theoretical sampling frame was derived using two key discriminators based on their empirical prevalence as important variables: i) the level of a sport's commercial involvement, and ii) a sport's masculine values as determined by aggressiveness, contact and propensity for risk-taking. The additional ‘discovered’ sample criterion ‘performance level’ was subsequently included based on emergent data. A narrative-based case-history was utilized as the analytical method employing Gee's (1986) coding approach. Results suggested that attitudes are contingent upon first, the legality of the substance, second, its performance impact, and finally, its social impact. If a substance is not illegal, provides performance support, expedites recovery, or makes the user feel better, then it is considered legitimate. Unlike previous analysis, these results demonstrate that substance use in sport is neither a matter of linear and logical decision-making nor one of fundamental morality for players and athletes. The results suggest that drug-management policies which are underpinned by punitive models of moral certitude and deterrence do not match with prevailing attitudes, and are therefore unlikely to be successful in eradicating drug use from sport in the future.
When it’s “All about the bike”—Intrapersonal conflict in light of passion for cycling and exercise dependence.

A strong inclination to engage in a sport activity may provoke intrapersonal conflict. Yet, few studies have explicitly investigated such activity-related conflict in light of self-regulation of activity engagement. In the present research, we explored intrapersonal conflict measured as discrepant self-guides in relation to obsessive passion, harmonious passion, and exercise dependence. Two separate surveys were conducted including leisure time endurance off-road cyclists, with a total of 990 participants. In Study 1, discrepancies with respect to the participants’ actual and ideal involvement in the activity, as well as their perception of acceptance from significant others, were related to obsessive passion. Such discrepancies were unrelated to harmonious passion. In Study 2, intrapersonal conflict was moderately related to exercise dependence, whereas exercise dependence was strongly related to obsessive passion. Moreover, structural equation analyses supported a mediational role of exercise dependence on the effect from obsessive passion toward intrapersonal conflict. In sum, we believe that the present research adds new knowledge to the self-regulatory dynamics related to intrapersonal conflict in activity engagements.
Prophylactic effect of hot pack on symptoms of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage of the wrist extensors

Abstract This study investigated whether hot pack treatment could provide prophylactic effects on muscle damage induced by eccentric exercise of the wrist extensors. Twenty-eight healthy men (age 21±1 years, weight 65±16 kg, height 171±6 cm) were randomly placed into hot pack (n = 14) and control (n = 14) groups. All participants performed an exercise consisting of 300 maximal eccentric contractions of the wrist extensors of the non-dominant arm using an isokinetic dynamometer. A hot pack was applied for 20 min to the wrist extensors of the exercised arm before the exercise for the hot pack group. The control group received no treatment before the exercise. Measured variables included pain intensity assessed by a visual analogue scale and a modified Likert's scale, cold thermal pain threshold, pressure pain threshold (PPT), range of motion in active wrist flexion (ROM-AF) and extension (ROM-AE), range of motion in passive wrist flexion (ROM-PF) and extension (ROM-PE), grip strength, and wrist extension strength. Changes in these variables before, immediately after, and 1 to 8 days following the exercise were compared between groups by a two-way repeated measures ANOVA. All outcome measures from both groups (except for the cold thermal pain threshold of the hot pack group) demonstrated a significant change within the first 2–3 days following exercise. Significant differences between groups were only found at a single point in time for PPT, ROM-PF, ROM-PE and ROM-AE, and the changes were smaller for the hot pack group in comparison to the control group. These results suggest that the prophylactic effects of hot pack treatment on eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage of the wrist extensors are limited.
A high throughput-rate architecture for 8*8 2D DCT

A new architecture for VLSI implementation of an 8 /spl times/ 8 2D discrete cosine transform (DCT) is proposed. The main merits of this architecture are: (1) the multipliers are replaced by memory look-up tables; (2) no input registers are required to save a column of input data; (3) the chip performance is independent of data width; and (4) the latency (the largest delay path) is short. <<ETX>>
Curriculum Development and "Enterprise" Group Work, Resource-Based Learning and the Incorporation of Transferable Skills into a First Year Practical Course.

Abstract This paper begins by outlining some recent initiatives to encourage the incorporation of ‘enterprise skills’ in British higher education and discusses the response of the academic community. Geographers are at the forefront of these developments. The second part of the paper illustrates how a first year practical course in geography was redesigned into a set of largely resource‐based group projects which incorporate many of the personal transferable skills emphasised in the various enterprise initiatives. It is concluded that the inclusion of enterprise skills is relevant to geography courses, but they are best integrated into mainline courses rather than taught as separate courses.
ON THE DRAFT REGULATION ON GAS SUPPLY SECURITY

I. There are two conflicting approaches in the draft Regulation: (1) a supply security rule that all member states have to comply with irrespective of their national situation (ensuring gas supplies to ‘protected customers’ for 60 days in N-1 situation); (2) ‘national preventive action plans’ based on an assessment of the risks faced by each member state. We think that the Commission should abandon the ‘N-1 for 60 days’ rule; it should mandate independently carried out and peer-reviewed national risk assessments, on the basis of which the Commission would negotiate legally binding national gas security action plans.
Test and error correction in a dependable wireless communication system

Wireless communication technologies became the key integral part of modern systems, experiencing an explosive development during the last two decades and penetrating to enormous number of application areas, based especially on the concept of cellular phones. More recently, short-distance wireless communication has also been discussed as a way to connect embedded electronic systems in industrial applications, including. industrial robots and other real-time and safety-critical systems. As approaching into new areas, all such dependable systems, and in combination with advanced test- and error-correction technologies, have to meet new challenges. Existing technologies for error correction are either not capable of managing multiple faults, or they are too slow in terms of encoding and decoding to satisfy industrial timing constraints. The paper introduces a new concept of error detection and- correction as well as baseband path testing, which promises a combination of reasonable overhead and relatively fast encoding and decoding.
Parenting Capacity Evaluation in Poland: A Descriptive Analysis

High rates of child maltreatment and neglect by parents continue to be a significant problem worldwide, underscoring the importance of adequate systemic assessment of substantiated cases of parental incapacity. Given the complexity of determining a parent's ability to meet a child's needs, psychological evaluations of the family are being increasingly requested by courts in numerous jurisdictions, despite receiving considerable criticism about a lack of standardized procedures. This descriptive study sought to examine the content of forensic mental health assessments conducted in child protection cases in Poland. Given that there is very little extant research on forensic mental health assessment practices in child welfare cases in general, and virtually no research on such evaluation practices outside of the United States, this study sought to examine such practices in Poland in comparison to existing U.S. forensic mental health assessment guidelines. The content of Polish parenting capacity evaluation reports was examined and compared to aggregated relevant professional guidelines. Results indicated that evaluators in Poland appeared to utilize many practices consistent with those recommended in the United States, as reflected in professional guidelines. Study findings and their implications are discussed in light of cultural, philosophical, and global differences in forensic assessment and child protection.
Gender, age and dose effects of neonatally administered aspartate on the sexually dimorphic plasma growth hormone profiles regulating expression of the rat sex-dependent hepatic CYP isoforms.

Newborn male and female rat pups were injected with either 2 mg or 4 mg monosodium aspartate (MSA)/g body weight or diluent on alternate days for the first 9 days of life. Both doses of the amino acid had profound effects on the sexually dimorphic growth hormone secretory profiles in adulthood. There were no measurable levels of growth hormone in any of the plasma samples obtained during 8 continuous hr of serial blood collections from the adult males and females treated neonatally with 4 mg of MSA. Male rats treated with half the dose of the amino acid (i.e., 2 mg MSA/g) exhibited typical masculine profiles of growth hormone release, except that the amplitudes of the ultradian pulses were reduced to 10-20% of normal male levels. Otherwise, like normal males, the peaks occurred about every 3-4 hr and the intervening 2.5-hr troughs had undetectable levels of growth hormone. In a similar sense, females treated with 2 mg of MSA maintained their sexually dimorphic pattern of plasma growth hormone, i.e., frequent pulses of hormone followed by short-lived troughs. However, the peaks rarely exceeded 20 ng/ml and the troughs usually fell to a measurable 8 to 10 ng/ml resulting in an approximate 75% reduction in the mean plasma concentration. Growth hormone- and gender-dependent expression of CYP2C7, 2C11, 2C12, 2C13, 2A1, 2A2, and 3A2 (mRNAs, proteins, and catalytic activities) were generally unaffected by neonatal exposure to 2 mg of MSA. In contrast, the higher 4-mg dose of the amino acid completely or near completely suppressed male-specific CYP2C11, 2C13, 2A2, and 3A2 expression while inducing small increases in female-specific CYP2C12 and female-predominant CYP2A1 in the treated males. Females exposed to the 4 mg MSA dose exhibited less severe isoform changes characterized by small reductions in CYP2C12 and 2C7 levels. Whereas expression levels of most of the CYP isoforms in both sexes were lowest in the pubertal (47-day-old) rats, and occasionally higher in the adults (207-day-old) as compared with the early postpubertal (70-day-old) rats, the effects of neonatal MSA were the same at all ages studied. Since each of the CYP isoforms are regulated by different "signaling elements" in the sexually dimorphic plasma growth hormone profiles, it is possible to correlate MSA-induced alterations in CYP expression levels to specific changes in the gender-dependent growth hormone profiles.