Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peer reviews in real life - motivators and demotivators

Peer reviews are an efficient quality assurance method in software development. Several reviewing methods exist to match the needs of different organizations and situations. Still, peer reviews are not practiced as commonly as one would suppose. This study aims at finding out what types of reviewing methods are in use in software companies, surveying the most important benefits of peer reviews and investigating reasons for not utilizing reviews. The study is carried out in companies locating in the Oulu region, but the results can be generalized to all small software companies. The results show that companies that use reviews have adjusted the process for their own needs. The main motivator for arranging reviews is the decreased amount of defects in products while the other aspects of reviews, such as process improvement or knowledge sharing are not considered as important. The main demotivator for reviews is lack of time and people resources.
Reversible jump MCMC

Statistical problems where ‘the number of things you don’t know is one of the things you don’t know’ are ubiquitous in statistical modelling. They arise both in traditional modelling situations such as variable selection in regression, and in more novel methodologies such as object recognition, signal processing, and Bayesian nonparametrics. All such ‘trans-dimensional’ problems can be formulated generically, sometimes with a little ingenuity, as a matter of joint inference about a model indicator k and a parameter vector θk, where the model indicator determines the dimension nk of the parameter, but this dimension varies from model to model. Almost invariably in a frequentist setting, inference about these two kinds of unknown is based on different logical principles, but, at least formally, the Bayes paradigm offers the opportunity of a single logical framework – it is the joint posterior π(k, θk|Y ) of model indicator and parameter given data Y that is the basis for inference. Reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (Green, 1995) is a method for computing this posterior distribution by simulation, or more generally, for simulating from a Markov chain whose state is a vector whose dimension is not fixed. It has many applications other than in Bayesian statistics. Much of what follows will apply equally to them all; however, for simplicity, we will use the Bayesian motivation and terminology throughout. The joint inference problem can be set naturally in the form of a simple Bayesian hierarchical model. We suppose that a prior p(k) is specified over models k in a countable set K, and for each k we are given a prior distribution p(θk|k), along with a likelihood L(Y |k, θk) for the data Y . For simplicity of exposition, we suppose that p(θk|k) is a probability density, and that there are no other parameters, so that where there are parameters common to all models these are subsumed into each θk ∈ Xk ⊂ Rnk . Additional parameters, perhaps in additional layers of a hierarchy, are easily dealt with. Note that in this chapter, all probability distributions are proper. In some settings, p(k) and p(θk|k) are not separately available, even up to multiplicative constants; this applies for example in many point process models. However it will be clear that what follows requires specification only of the product p(k, θk) = p(k)×p(θk|k) of these factors, up to a multiplicative constant. In many models there are discrete unknowns as well as continuously distributed ones. Such unknowns, whether fixed or variable in number, cause no additional difficulties; only discrete-state Markov chain notions are needed to
System architectures for persuasive technology with multiple entry points

In a multi-device service system a user can interact through various devices with a service. Inter-usability requires that users can easily move from one device and context to another device and continue the interaction. Here we consider three different existing platforms for such service systems. We introduce the concept of “user representation” a model of the user for user migration. The updated user representation is handed over from one device to another. We discuss consequences of centralized, decentralized and hybrid architectures for the migration of the user representation.
Behavioral study of whisker-mediated vibration sensation in rats

Rats use their vibrissal sensory system to collect information about the nearby environment. They can accurately and rapidly identify object location, shape, and surface texture. Which features of whisker motion does the sensory system extract to construct sensations? We addressed this question by training rats to make discriminations between sinusoidal vibrations simultaneously presented to the left and right whiskers. One set of rats learned to reliably identify which of two vibrations had higher frequency (f1 vs. f2) when amplitudes were equal. Another set of rats learned to reliably identify which of two vibrations had higher amplitude (A1 vs. A2) when frequencies were equal. Although these results indicate that both elemental features contribute to the rats’ sensation, a further test found that the capacity to discriminate A and f was reduced to chance when the difference in one feature was counterbalanced by the difference in the other feature: Rats could not discriminate amplitude or frequency whenever A1f1 = A2f2. Thus, vibrations were sensed as the product Af rather than as separable elemental features, A and f. The product Af is proportional to a physical entity, the mean speed. Analysis of performance revealed that rats extracted more information about differences in Af than predicted by the sum of the information in elemental differences. These behavioral experiments support the predictions of earlier physiological studies by demonstrating that rats are “blind” to the elemental features present in a sinusoidal whisker vibration; instead, they perceive a composite feature, the speed of whisker motion.
Comparison between the Traditional and a Rapid Screening Test for Cryoimmunoglobulins Detection

Objectives. A new rapid, automatic, and sensitive screening test useful to detect cryoglobulins in serum samples is proposed. Design and Methods. The increase of turbidity during the cryoglobulin aggregation was monitored spectrophotometrically in sera from 400 patients with clinical evidence of cryoglobulinemia related disorders and 100 controls. Results were correlated to those obtained by the traditional method. Results. Kinetics of the aggregation curves were described by their maximum turbidity increase, lag time, and slope. Despite a partial correspondence between the traditional and the rapid test, patients with symptomatic cryoglobulinemia showed turbidity values significantly higher than the determined cutoff. Moreover, a functional classification of cryoglobulins is proposed. Conclusions. Due to its high reproducibility, operator independence, low cost, and results obtained within 2 hours, the rapid test can be used as a “real time” monitoring of cryoglobulinemia related diseases and for the evaluation of plasmapheresis efficacy.
Data schema does matter, even in NoSQL systems!

A Schema-less NoSQL system refers to solutions where users do not declare a database schema and, in fact, its management is moved to the application code. This paper presents a study that allows us to evaluate, to some extent, the data structuring impact. The decision of how to structure data in semi-structured databases has an enormous impact on data size, query performance and readability of the code, which influences software debugging and maintainability. This paper presents an experiment performed using MongoDB along with several alternatives of data structuring and a set of queries having increasing complexity. This paper introduces an analysis regarding the findings of such an experiment.
Bisphosphonates: mechanisms of action

The geminal bisphosphonates are a class of drug, developed in the last 30 years, characterised by a P-C-P bond. Consequently, they are analogues of pyrophosphate but are resistant to chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis. The bisphosphonates bind strongly to hydroxyapatite crystals and inhibit their formation and dissolution. This physicochemical effect on crystal growth is the cause, in vivo, of the prevention of soft tissue calcification and, in some instances when given in large amounts, the inhibition of normal calcification. However, the main effect is to inhibit bone resorption, the mechanism involved in which is cellular and not physicochemical. The action is mediated by a direct effect on the osteoclasts, which become inhibited after engulfing the compounds during the process of dissolution of drug-containing mineral, and possibly by an inhibitory effect on the recruitment of osteoclasts. The inhibition of bone resorption is useful for the treatment of diseases characterised by an elevated bone destruction, such as Paget’s disease, tumour bone disease, as well as osteoporosis. This review will describe today’s preclinical knowledge on these compounds, with special emphasis on the patent claims, and on the latest developments in the field. In view of the orientation of this series, the clinical part was not reviewed, with the exception of the areas related to the patents. For more information about the bisphosphonates, their mechanism of action, and their therapeutic use, the reader can consult a recent book [1] and various reviews [2-4].
Design and Implementation of Distributed Resource Management Mechanisms for Wireless Mesh Networks

In this paper we design and implement a resource management scheme based on cooperative association, where the STAs can share useful information in order to improve the performance of the association/handoff procedures. The cooperative association mechanism is inspired by the rapidly designed cooperative protocols in the field of wireless networks. Furthermore, we introduce a load balancing mechanism that operates in a cross-layer manner taking into account uplink and downlink channel conditions, routing performance and congestion control. The iterative heuristic algorithms that we propose, control the communication load of each mesh AP in a distributed manner. We evaluate the performance of our mechanisms through OPNET simulations and testbed experiments.
Peer support and reminiscence therapy for people with dementia and their family carers: a factorial pragmatic randomised trial

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate peer support and reminiscence therapy, separately and together, in comparison with usual care for people with dementia and their family carers. Design Factorial pragmatic randomised trial, analysed by treatment allocated, was used for this study. Setting The trial ran in Community settings in England. Participants People with dementia and their family carers were the participants. Interventions Treatment as usual (TAU) plus one of the following: one-to-one peer support to family carers from experienced carers (Carer Supporter Programme; CSP), group reminiscence therapy (Remembering Yesterday, Caring Today; RYCT) for people with dementia and carers, both or neither. Main outcome measures Primary outcomes included health-related quality of life (SF-12) for carers and quality of life (QoL-AD) for people with dementia; secondary outcomes included quality of relationship for carers and people with dementia; both were collected by blinded assessors at baseline, 5 and 12 months (primary end point). Results Of 291 pairs recruited, we randomised 145 (50%) to CSP (71% uptake) and 194 (67%) to RYCT (61% uptake). CSP and RYCT, separately or together, were not effective in improving primary outcomes or most secondary outcomes. For CSP versus ‘no CSP’, adjusted difference in means was 0.52 points on the SF-12 (95% CI −1.28 to 2.32) and −0.08 points on the QoL-AD (95% CI −1.70 to 1.56). For RYCT versus ‘no RYCT’, the difference was 0.10 points on the SF-12 (95% CI −1.72 to 1.93) and 0.51 points on the QoL-AD (95% CI −1.17 to 2.08). However, carers reported better relationships with the people with dementia (difference 1.11, 95% CI 0.00 to 2.21, p=0.05). Comparison of combined intervention with TAU, and of intervention received, suggested differential impacts for carers and persons with dementia. Conclusions There is no evidence from the trial that either peer support or reminiscence is effective in improving the quality of life. Trial registration number ISRCTN37956201; Results.
Estimating the Population Size of Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States to Obtain HIV and Syphilis Rates

Background: CDC has not previously calculated disease rates for men who have sex with men (MSM) because there is no single comprehensive source of data on population size. To inform prevention planning, CDC developed a national population size estimate for MSM to calculate disease metrics for HIV and syphilis. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search and identified seven surveys that provided data on same-sex behavior in nationally representative samples. Data were pooled by three recall periods and combined using meta-analytic procedures. We applied the proportion of men reporting same-sex behavior in the past 5 years to U.S. census data to produce a population size estimate. We then calculated three disease metrics using CDC HIV and STD surveillance data and rate ratios comparing MSM to other men and to women. Results: Estimates of the proportion of men who engaged in same-sex behavior differed by recall period: past year = 2.9% (95%CI, 2.6–3.2); past five years = 3.9% (3.5–4.4); ever = 6.9% (5.1–8.6). Rates on all 3 disease metrics were much higher among MSM than among either other men or women (38 to 109 times as high). Conclusions: Estimating the population size for MSM allowed us to calculate rates for disease metrics and to develop rate ratios showing dramatically higher rates among MSM than among other men or women. These data greatly improve our understanding of the disproportionate impact of these diseases among MSM in the U.S. and help with prevention planning.
Social Relationships in Recommender Systems

The current industry standard for recommender system uses variants of collaborative filtering (CF), where recipient-source relationships are determined by the extent to which the recipient and source share interests. This research attempts to improve the performance of these CF recommender systems by identifying additional measures of relationship indicators based on theories from communication and marketing. We developed a social filtering model that incorporates these various social measures (e.g. Trust, Reputation, Interaction Frequency, and Relationship Duration), and conducted an empirical study to test the model. The results from the study show small, but significant, improvements for various social relationships. We plan to build on these preliminary results to further consolidate our research on using social relationship in recommender systems.
Infant Acute Leukemia and Maternal Exposures during Pregnancy

Infant acute leukemia (IAL) has a unique profile characterized by the high incidence of translocations involving the MLL gene located at the 11q23 region. To test the potential role of intrauterine and perinatal factors linked to the risk of IAL development, a hospital-based case-control study was conducted in different cities of Brazil. A total of 202 children (ages 0-21 months) with newly diagnosed IAL was enrolled (1999-2005), and 440 age-matched controls were selected from the same hospitals wherein IAL cases were treated. A statistically significant association between maternal use of hormones during pregnancy and IAL was observed [odds ratio (OR), 8.76; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 2.85-26.93] in a multivariable analysis. The association of certain exposures during pregnancy (hormones, dipyrone, metronidazole, and misoprostol) and MLL gene rearrangements was tested using a case-case approach. Despite the lack of statistical significance, the magnitude of the OR for maternal exposure to dipyrone (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 0.75-2.86), metronidazole (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 0.64-4.58), quinolones (OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 0.70-25.70), and hormones (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 0.50-7.01) may suggest the occurrence of interactions between such maternal exposures during pregnancy and MLL rearrangements, yielding into IAL development. The strong and statistically significant association between IAL and estrogen exposure during pregnancy observed in this study deserves further investigation to investigate its role in intrauterine leukemogenesis. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(12):2336–41)
Trip-Mine: An Efficient Trip Planning Approach with Travel Time Constraints

With the rapid development of wireless telecommunication technologies, a number of studies have been done on the Location-Based Services (LBSs) due to wide applications. Among them, one of the active topics is travel recommendation. Most of previous studies focused on recommendations of attractions or trips based on the user¡¦s location. However, such recommendation results may not satisfy the travel time constraints of users. Besides, the efficiency of trip planning is sensitive to the scalability of travel regions. In this paper, we propose a novel data mining-based approach, namely Trip-Mine, to efficiently find the optimal trip which satisfies the user¡¦s travel time constraint based on the user¡¦s location. Furthermore, we propose three optimization mechanisms based on Trip-Mine to further enhance the mining efficiency and memory storage requirement for optimal trip finding. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that takes efficient trip planning and travel time constraints into account simultaneously. Finally, we performed extensive experimental evaluations and show that our proposals deliver excellent results.
Optimizations for item-based Collaborative Filtering algorithm

Collaborative Filtering (CF) is widely used in the Internet for recommender systems to find items that fit users' interest by exploring users' opinion expressed on other items. However there are two challenges for CF algorithm, which are recommendation accuracy and data sparsity. In this paper, we try to address the accuracy problem with an approach of deviation adjustment in item-based CF. Its main idea is to add a constant value to every prediction on each user or each item to modify the uniform error between prediction and actual rating of one user or one item. Our deviation adjustment approach can be also used in other kinds of CF algorithms. For data sparsity, we improve similarity computation by filling some blank rating with a user's average rating to help decrease the sparsity of data. We run experiments with our optimization of similarity computation and deviation adjustment by using MovieLens data set. The result shows these methods can generate better predication compared with the baseline CF algorithm.
‘No one wants to be taught from a textbook!’

Changes to the purpose and scope of health and physical education (HPE) in schools have prompted revisions in teacher education degrees within Australia. Using a qualitative approach, this study explored HPE teachers’ perceptions of these changes. Of particular interest was pre-service HPE teachers’ reflections on the importance of skill acquisition (also referred to as motor learning) content in their university degree, which focuses on the theories and practices involved in learning movement and perceptual skills. Findings were based on the thematic analysis of four semi-structured focus groups with 25 pre-service HPE teachers at one Australian metropolitan university. Analysis suggests that the importance of skill acquisition and the imperative to increase physical activity without a focus on competence are contradictory priorities within pre-service HPE curricula. The goal of promoting enjoyment of physical education sustained this tension, implying that there is a new discourse in HPE and suggesting the need for further research into the self-reflection and emotional dynamics of pre-service HPE teachers’ reflections on curricula.
Tachyon condensation on torus and T-duality

We find an exact solution, with a nonzero net D-brane charge, in the boundary string field theory of brane-anti-brane pairs on a torus. We explicitly take the T-dual of this configuration. The Nahm-transformation of the instantons is derived from the tachyon condensation.
Divide and Conquer Algorithms for Publish/Subscribe Overlay Design

Overlay network design for topic-based publish/subscribe systems is of primary importance because the overlay directly impacts the system's performance. Determining a topic-connected overlay, in which for every topic the graph induced by nodes interested in the topic is connected, is a fundamental problem. Existing algorithms for this problem suffer from three key drawbacks: (1) prohibitively high running time cost, (2) requirement of full system knowledge and centralized operation, and (3) constructing overlay from scratch. From a practical point of view, these are all significant limitations. To address these concerns, in this paper, we develop novel algorithms that efficiently solve the problem of dynamically joining two or more topic-connected overlays. Inspired from the divide-and-conquer character of our approach, we derive an algorithm that solves the original problem at a fraction (up to 1.7\%) of the running time cost of alternative solutions, but at the expense of an empirically insignificant increase in the average node degree.
Digital circuit design for minimum transient energy and a linear programming method

This paper provides a theoretical basis for eliminating or reducing the energy consumption due to transients in a synchronous digital circuit. The transient energy is minimized when every gate has no more than one output transition per clock cycle. This condition is achieved for a gate when the gate delay equals or exceeds the maximum difference between path delays at gate inputs. In practice, path delays are adjusted either by increasing gate delays or by inserting delay buffers. The minimum transient energy design is obtained when no delay buffer is added. This design requires possible increases in gate delays to meet the minimum energy condition at all gates. However, the delay of the critical path may be increased. In an alternative design, where the critical path delay is not allowed to increase, delay buffers may have to be added. The theory in this paper allows trade-offs between minimum transient energy and critical path delay. We formulate the problem as a linear program to obtain the minimum transient energy design with the smallest number of delay buffers for a given overall delay of the circuit. An optimized four-bit ALU circuit is found to consume 53% peak and 73% average power compared to the original circuit.
Anthropomorphic feature extraction algorithm for speech recognition in adverse environments

Speech recognition engines should remain reasonably accurate in adverse environments in order to find their ways from laboratories towards applications. However the human auditory system has been proven to be a versatile tool, which is capable of outperforming the known artificial algorithms in their target environments. Recent advances in psychoacoustics and auditory physiology pointed to the essentially non-linear behaviour of the auditory apparatus. On the basis of the interpretation of the biological information processing it is possible to construct a parametric “human-like” nonlinear algorithm, which exhibit properties similar to those of the live system. Besides the description of the anthropomorphic feature extraction algorithm in this paper we test its performance in accordance with the formulated requirements to the efficient and robust feature extraction and also provide a comparative benchmark of compact ASR system in combination with the proposed algorithm in adverse conditions.