Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A VARIANCE MINIMIZATION MODEL FOR FUZZY RANDOM MINIMUM SPANNING TREE PROBLEMS

In this paper, we deal with a minimum spanning tree programming prob- lem involving fuzzy random weights and propose a fuzzy random programming model using possibility and necessity measures. First, we focus on the degree of possibil- ity or necessity that the objective function satisfies a fuzzy goal. Next, we formulate the problem to minimize the variance of the degree that the objective function value satisfies a fuzzy goal. It is shown that the problem is transformed into a determinis- tic equivalent one, which is a nonlinear minimum ratio spanning tree problem with a constraint. In order to solve the problem, a Tabu Search (TS) algorithm is developed. 1 Introduction The Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) problem is to find a least cost spanning tree in an edge weighted graph. The efficient polynomial-time algorithms to solve MST problems have been developed by Kruskal (13) and Prim (17). In the real world, MST problems are usually seen in network optimization. For instance, when designing a layout for telecommunication system, if a decision maker wish to minimize the cost for connection between cities, it is formulated as an MST problem. As other examples, the objective is to minimize the time for construction or to maximize the reliability. Most research papers with respect to MST problems dealt with the case where each weight is constant. However, in order to investigate more realistic cases, it is necessary to consider the situation that one makes a decision on the basis of data involving randomness and fuzziness simultaneously. For instance, the cost for connection or construction often depends on the economical environment which varies randomly, and experts often estimate the cost not as a constant but as an ambiguous value. In order to take account of such situations, we deal with a minimum spanning tree problem where each edge weight is a fuzzy random variable. We call it a Fuzzy Random Minimum Spanning Tree (FRMST) problem, which is a generalized problem of fuzzy random bottleneck spanning tree problems (11). A fuzzy random variable was first defined by Kwakernaak (14) , and its mathematical basis was developed by Puri and Ralescu (19). Recently, some researchers considered fuzzy random linear programming problems, see (8, 15, 20, 23). We could take various approaches to an FRMST problem according to the interpretations of the problem. In this paper, we take a possibilistic and stochastic programming approach to fuzzy random programming problems, which is based on the idea provided by Katagiri et al. (8, 10, 12). First we consider a degree of possibility or necessity that the total edge cost is substantially smaller than or equal to some value. Since the degree varies randomly, we formulate the problem to minimize the variance of the degree. We will show that the formulated problem is equivalent to a deterministic constrained nonlinear minimum ratio spanning tree problem, where the constraint is that the expected degree is larger or equal to a constant. This problem is generally an NP-hard problem.
Nonparametric Estimation of Information-Based Measures of Statistical Dispersion

We address the problem of non-parametric estimation of the recently proposed measures of statistical dispersion of positive continuous random variables. The measures are based on the concepts of differential entropy and Fisher information and describe the “spread” or “variability” of the random variable from a different point of view than the ubiquitously used concept of standard deviation. The maximum penalized likelihood estimation of the probability density function proposed by Good and Gaskins is applied and a complete methodology of how to estimate the dispersion measures with a single algorithm is presented. We illustrate the approach on three standard statistical models describing neuronal activity.
Intercultural Learning as Identity Negotiation

This is a volume on problems and new solutions in the field of intercultural learning and development. Although it seems to be intuitively quite clear what is meant by intercultural learning and development, it quickly becomes vague and hard to grasp. Many isolated and diverse studies have been conducted, but demonstrate only minor effectiveness. A more promising framework, based on socio-cultural and historical activity theory and mindful identity negotiation, is presented here. It is tested for intervention purposes and empirically evaluated by means of a design experiment. This volume is addressed to professors, students, and professional practitioners, whether working in educational research or in practical course design and implementation in different fields, such as general education, business studies, management training, workplace learning, or in studies on diversity and modern language teaching.
Temporary Call-Back Telephone Number Service

Conventional temporary telephone number (TTN) service provides a secondary telephone number to a service subscriber. The subscribers can protect privacy by sharing their TTNs without revealing their private numbers. However, TTN service is rarely provided because it requires a large amount of temporary telephone numbers. In this paper, we present a restricted form of TTN service - temporary call-back telephone number (TCN) service -- to reduce the amount of telephone numbers needed. A TCN is assigned only for the communications between a subscriber and the correspondent parties specified by the subscriber. Other users, except for the specified correspondent parties, cannot reach the subscriber through the assigned TCN. A TCN assignment can be specified by a telephone number mapping record that consists of a subscriber's number, a TCN, and a correspondent party's number. A TCN can be assigned to more than one subscriber, as long as the subscribers' specified correspondent parties are different. Analytic models using Markov chains have been developed to show that the TCN service significantly reduces the amount of temporary numbers required. The TCN service can be implemented using the Intelligent Network (IN) service architecture as a value-added service. TCN Subscribers can initiate calls to and receive calls from the specified correspondent parties without revealing their private telephone numbers. However, the TCN service is not a replacement of the conventional TTN service because only the specified correspondent parties can reach the subscriber by the assigned TCN.
14-3-3- and II/3-10-gene expression as molecular markers to address viability and growth activity of Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes

The present study aimed to search for and characterize parasite molecules, whose expression levels correlate with the viability and growth activity of Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes. We focused on the expression profiles of 2 parasite-derived genes, 14-3-3 and II/3-10, as putative molecular markers for viability and growth activity of the larval parasite. In experiments in vivo, gene expression levels of 14-3-3 and II/3-10 were relatively quantified by real-time reverse transcription-PCR using a housekeeping gene, beta-actin, as a reference reaction. All three reactions were compared with growth activity of the parasite developing in permissive nu/nu and in non-permissive wild type BALB/c mice. At 2 months p.i. , the transcription level of 14-3-3 was significantly higher in parasites actively proliferating in nu/nu mice compared to parasites moderately growing in wild type mice. Immunoblotting experiments confirmed at the protein level that 14-3-3 was over-expressed in parasites derived from nu/nu mice at 2 months p.i. In vitro treatment of E. multilocularis with an anti-echinococcal drug nitazoxanide resulted in a significant decrease of both 14-3-3 and II/3-10 transcription levels found after 8 days of treatment, which correlated with the kinetics of a housekeeping gene, beta-actin. The conclusion is that 14-3-3, combined with II/3-10, exhibits good potential as a molecular marker to assess viability and growth activity of the parasite.
Enhancing Scheduling Performance for a Wafer Fabrication Factory: The Biobjective Slack-Diversifying Nonlinear Fluctuation-Smoothing Rule

A biobjective slack-diversifying nonlinear fluctuation-smoothing rule (biSDNFS) is proposed in the present work to improve the scheduling performance of a wafer fabrication factory. This rule was derived from a one-factor bi-objective nonlinear fluctuation-smoothing rule (1f-biNFS) by dynamically maximizing the standard deviation of the slack, which has been shown to benefit scheduling performance by several previous studies. The efficacy of the biSDNFS was validated with a simulated case; evidence was found to support its effectiveness. We also suggested several directions in which it can be exploited in the future.
Using learning styles to affect the training of recreational sports paraprofessionals

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine if recreational sports paraprofessionals can affect the learning and development of college students by incorporating learning styles into student staff training and (b) determine if considering learning styles in the staff training process will improve job knowledge. One particular paraprofessional staff of a Department of Recreational Sports at a doctoral extensive institution in the Southeastern United States served as this study’s participants. The learning style of each participant was determined through the use of the revised Learning Style Inventory (Kolb, 1984). Also the participants were pre and post tested about knowledge of the job. Sixty of the 72 (96.8%) available paraprofessionals chose to participate. Additionally, 8 participants were interviewed following a protocol intended to illicit information about the value of staff training and what was learned. Pre and post test results indicate an improvement in learning and an improvement in job knowledge. However there was not a clearly defined link between learning style and the section of training pertaining to a particular way of learning. Four themes emerged through the interview process: reaction to learning style category; confidence instilled through training about the job; need for continual training; and impact of exposure to other ways of learning.
Draft Genome Sequence of DLB, a Dyella-Like Bacterium from the Planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus

ABSTRACT We report here the draft genome sequence of a Dyella-like bacterium (DLB) isolated from Hyalesthes obsoletus, the insect vector of the uncultivable mollicute bacterium “Candidatus Phytoplasma. ” This isolate inhibits Spiroplasma melliferum, a cultivable mollicute. The draft genome of DLB consists of 4,196,214 bp, with a 68.6% G+C content, and 3,757 genes were predicted.
A Low Overhead Application/Device-driver Interface for User-level Networking

Recent user-level network interfaces have placed an increasing proportion of their functionality in hardware, in order to provide an efficient user-level interface. The performance of such systems is significantly better than that of traditional network architectures, but comes at a cost; namely increasing complexity of the hardware, reduced flexibility and limited scalability. In this paper we present a technique that reduces the overhead of the application/device-driver interface, hence shifting the tradeoff towards a soft implementation. We show how this technique is used to improve the performance of the CLAN user-level network interface. Results given show that the performance of this interface exceeds that of other technologies that provide a direct user-level interface to the hardware, whilst retaining the flexibility and simplicity of a software interface.
A Survey on Workflow Annotation & Composition Approaches

Efficient business processes are key to economic success. With the need to frequently adapt or restructure business processes and workflows in a dynamic market, agile processes and (semi-)automatic workflow and process composition would be useful. Currently, this is a manual and time-consuming task. Automating and optimizing this task is of high interest in research communities. Nevertheless, the orientation differs: Some focus on semantic web services, others on Grid workflows or concentrate on business process management. In this paper we present a survey of available workflow annotation and composition approaches in all of these areas. We additionally categorize and compare them and describe future work.
Empathic neural reactivity to noxious stimuli delivered to body parts and non‐corporeal objects

Neuroimaging studies report that the experience of observing or imagining the pain of others is mapped on a set of neural structures that largely overlap those called into play during the personal experience of pain (the so‐called pain matrix). Empathy for pain is a multifaceted process that may be triggered by higher‐order variables (such as imagination of others’ suffering) or by the direct vision of painful situations. Most functional magnetic resonance imaging studies indicate that the empathic mapping of others’ pain may rely on the affective and not on the sensorimotor division of the pain matrix. However, as empathy for pain is a complex, multifarious process, it is possible that different brain regions, even beyond the classic pain matrix, may be called into action in different circumstances. By using functional magnetic resonance imaging we explored the neural activity induced by needles deeply penetrating a hand or a non‐corporeal object. We found that observation of pain in others brought about activation in the middle cingulate, left premotor and left and right supramarginal regions. This pattern of neural activity indicates that the direct vision of strong painful stimuli delivered to others activates neural regions in the onlooker’s brain specifically concerned with the resonant, interindividual sharing of basic sensorimotor reactivity to pain. We also found that bilateral posterior parietal and temporo‐occipital regions were activated during observation of painful stimuli delivered to the body of others as well as to non‐body stimuli. Therefore, our study expands current knowledge on the neural reactivity to potentially dangerous stimuli delivered in the peripersonal space.
Dynamic Role-Based Access Control Model

Abstract -With the rapid development of network and the coming of information age, access control is particularly important, role-based access control (RBAC) is an access control which is popular. RBAC authorizes and controls the roles corresponding to the users to operate the object. It solves problems of least privilege, separation of duties and so on. However, limited permissions are required to be executed by a certain sequence, that is, the permission owned by a user is controlled by other users’. To solve this problem, this paper proposed an improved model on the base of the original RBAC, not only to retain the original characteristics of RBAC but also solve a specific problem of some permissions which are needed to executed by sequential order, and the analysis shows that this scheme has better security, better flexibility, and can be well applied to the workflow system.
External Urethral Sphincter Pressure Measurement: An Accurate Method for the Diagnosis of Detrusor External Sphincter Dyssynergia?

Background Combined pelvic floor electromyography (EMG) and videocystourethrography (VCUG) during urodynamic investigation are the most acceptable and widely agreed methods for diagnosing detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia (DESD). Theoretically, external urethral sphincter pressure (EUSP) measurement would provide enough information for the diagnosis of DESD and could simplify the urodynamic investigation replacing combined pelvic floor EMG and VCUG. Thus, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of EUSP measurement for DESD. Patients & Methods A consecutive series of 72 patients (36 women, 36 men) with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction able to void spontaneously was prospectively evaluated at a single university spinal cord injury center. Diagnosis of DESD using EUSP measurement (index test) versus combined pelvic floor EMG and VCUG (reference standard) was assessed according to the recommendations of the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Initiative. Results Using EUSP measurement (index test) and combined pelvic floor EMG and VCUR (reference standard), DESD was diagnosed in 10 (14%) and in 41 (57%) patients, respectively. More than half of the patients presented discordant diagnosis between the index test and the reference standard. Among 41 patients with DESD diagnosed by combined pelvic floor EMG and VCUR, EUSP measurement identified only 6 patients. EUSP measurement had a sensitivity of 15% (95% CI 5%–25%), specificity of 87% (95% CI 76%–98%), positive predictive value of 60% (95% CI 30%–90%), and negative predictive value of 56% (95% CI 44%–68%) for the diagnosis of DESD. Conclusions For diagnosis of DESD, EUSP measurement is inaccurate and cannot replace combined pelvic floor EMG and VCUR.
A Technology Gender Divide: Perceived Skill and Frustration Levels among Female Preservice Teachers.

This study examined female preservice teachers' perceptions of gender differences in the learning and use of computer technology, examining: how they compared themselves to males with regard to computer technology; at what skill levels they rated themselves with regard to various educational technology applications; how levels of self-esteem equated with frustration when they worked with technology; and how they rated the effectiveness of their technology training with their teacher education program. Data from surveys of 45 student teachers and an interview with 1 student teacher related to the survey indicated that there were four overlapping themes: gender bias on the part of females (most thought that men knew more about and were more enthusiastic about computer technology); low self-esteem with computer technology and evidence of frustration; medium enthusiasm and competency levels in various educational technology programs; and an opinion expressing weakness in the technology training received from teacher education classes. The findings suggest that female teachers would be reluctant to embrace computer technology in the classroom and that teacher education programs do not do enough to encourage computer literacy among female students. (Contains 17 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. A Technology Gender Divide: Perceived Skill and Frustration Levels among Female Preservice Teachers
Expression of HMA4 cDNAs of the zinc hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens from endogenous NcHMA4 promoters does not complement the zinc-deficiency phenotype of the Arabidopsis thaliana hma2hma4 double mutant

Noccaea caerulescens (Nc) exhibits a very high constitutive expression of the heavy metal transporting ATPase, HMA4, as compared to the non-hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis thaliana (At), due to copy number expansion and altered cis-regulation. We screened a BAC library for HMA4 and found that HMA4 is triplicated in the genome of a N. caerulescens accession from a former Zn mine near La Calamine (LC), Belgium. We amplified multiple HMA4 promoter sequences from three calamine N. caerulescens accessions, and expressed AtHMA4 and different NcHMA4 cDNAs under At and Nc HMA4 promoters in the A. thaliana (Col) hma2hma4 double mutant. Transgenic lines expressing HMA4 under the At promoter were always fully complemented for root-to-shoot Zn translocation and developed normally at a 2-μM Zn supply, whereas the lines expressing HMA4 under Nc promoters usually showed only slightly enhanced root to shoot Zn translocation rates in comparison with the double mutant, probably owing to ectopic expression in the roots, respectively. When expression of the Zn deficiency responsive marker gene ZIP4 was tested, the transgenic lines expressing AtHMA4 under an NcHMA4-1-LC promoter showed on average a 7-fold higher expression in the leaves, in comparison with the double hma2hma4 mutant, showing that this construct aggravated, rather than alleviated the severity of foliar Zn deficiency in the mutant, possible owing to expression in the leaf mesophyll.
Improvement of digital mammogram images using histogram equalization, histogram stretching and median filter

Breast cancer is one of the most important diseases in females worldwide. According to the Malaysian Oncological Society, about 4% of women who are 40 years old and above are involved have breast cancer. Masses and microcalcifications are two important signs of breast cancer diagnosis on mammography. Enhancement techniques, i.e. histogram equalization, histogram stretching and median filters, were used to provide better visualization for radiologists in order to help early detection of breast abnormalities. In this research 60 digital mammogram images which includes 20 normal and 40 confirmed diagnosed cancerous cases were selected and manipulated using the mentioned techniques. The original and manipulated images were scored by three expert radiologists. Results showed that the selected methods have a positive significant effect on image quality.
The impacts of internal threats towards Routing Protocol for Low power and lossy network performance

Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy network (RPL) is the underlying routing protocol of 6LoWPAN standard to enable the integration of Wireless Sensor Network on the Internet. Security is an essential requirement for the protocol/standard to be public accepted. One major security issue of RPL is the non-tamper resistant nature of the wireless sensor device, which can make it easy to be compromised and leads to cryptography keys exposed. If this happens, the attackers can join the network as the internal legitimate users and can manipulate the network operation based on controlling the compromised nodes. These internal attackers can make severe consequences to the network performance. In this paper, we present a simulation-based study of the impacts of different types of such attacks on RPL. We consider several new internal threats towards RPL, namely Rank attack, Local Repair attack, Neighbour attack and DIS attack. Specifically we study how the network performance can be affected by those attacks through metrics such as end-to-end delay, delivery ratio and control overhead generated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that studies the vulnerability and the performance of RPL under these internal security threats.
Content zooming and exploration for mobile maps

��� In the context of the development of mobile map applications with capabilities for map generalization and abstraction, we propose a methodology for content exploration that uses content zooming as a technique to change the degree of abstraction of map content independently of the map scale. We concentrate on „foreground data‖ (rather than the base map, or map background), and more precisely on POI data and thus on point generalisation. Content zooming provides the user with the capability to change the amount and the granularity of foreground information presented, while keeping the geometric map scale the same. Content zooming allows overriding the effects of ‗standard‘ map generalisation, focusing on optimised content representation to aid the information seeking task of a mobile user. It is thus complementary to map generalisation. Three cases of content zooming operations are distinguished: two cases apply changes to the amount of foreground data presented, while the third case changes the granularity of the foreground data. The paper defines these cases and proposes technical solutions for each of these, illustrating them with examples from a research prototype.