Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What has project characteristics got to do with the empowerment of individuals, teams and organisations?

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of project settings on empowerment experiences of individuals and teams by examining the effects of specific project characteristics on facets of the empowerment concept (i.e. the structural and psychological perspectives). ,A parallel questionnaire survey of client, consultant and contractor organisations was conducted in Hong Kong to test hypotheses relating three facets of the empowerment concept and five project-level antecedents. Hierarchical linear modelling and ordinary least square regression were employed to test the hypotheses. ,The analyses show that dynamic project environments, high project team integration and high interdependence of project tasks lead to high individual psychological empowerment, while public-client projects (compared with private-client projects), a hostile project environment and high client integration lead to a low individual psychological empowerment. Uncertainty in project technology also leads to high team psychological empowerment, while hostile project environments lead to low team psychological empowerment. Further, dynamic project environments lead to more empowering work climate, while hostile project environments lead to less empowering work climate. However, project team integration, project complexity, project lifecycle and quasi-public-client projects (compared with private-client projects) have no significant association with the empowerment of individuals and teams. ,This study examined task-related factors (i.e. project in this case) which traditionally have not been the focus of studies examining the antecedents of empowerment. Further, project-level antecedents and their link to an integrated perspective of empowerment comprising a sociostructural perspective, a psychological perspective and a team-based perspective are examined, which is a significant departure from the unitary perspective of empowerment taken in most previous studies.
DroidEagle: seamless detection of visually similar Android apps

Repackaged malware and phishing malware consist 86% [35] of all Android malware, and they significantly affect the Android ecosystem. Previous work use disassembled Dalvik bytecode and hashing approaches to detect repackaged malware, but these approaches are vulnerable to obfuscation attacks and they demand large computational resources on mobile devices. In this work, we propose a novel methodology which uses the layout resources within an app to detect apps which are "visually similar", a common characteristic in repackaged apps and phishing malware. To detect visually similar apps, we design and implement DroidEagle which consists of two sub-systems: RepoEagle and HostEagle. RepoEagle is to perform large scale detection on apps repositories (e.g., apps markets), and HostEagle is a lightweight mobile app which can help users to quickly detect visually similar Android app upon download. We demonstrate the high accuracy and efficiency of DroidEagle: Within 3 hours RepoEagle can detect 1298 visually similar apps from 99 626 apps in a repository. In less than one second, HostEagle can help an Android user to determine whether a downloaded mobile app is a repackaged apps or a phishing malware. This is the first work which provides both speed and scalability in discovering repackaged apps and phishing malware in Android system.
Using Top Trees For Easy Programming of Tree Algorithms

Top trees are a dynamic self-adjusting data structure that can be used by any tree algorithm. Actually, an arbitrary number of dif- ferent tree algorithms can use a single structure. In our previous work, we have implemented top trees, but the usage still requires a detail knowl- edge of the structure which is quite complex. In this paper, we intro- duce Top Tree Friendly Language (TFL) and Top Tree Query Language (TQL). The TFL is a special programming language which combines declarative and procedural approaches that results in simpler and faster algorithm designing. The query language TQL provides an easy top trees administration. The implementation of top trees, the programming lan- guage TFL and the query language TQL together form a complex solu- tion for using top trees.
Modified EZW and SPIHT algorithms for perceptually audio and high quality speech coding

This paper evaluates the problems of implementing two well-known zero-tree-based re-encoding schemes of Embedded Zero-tree Wavelet (EZW) and the set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) for perceptually audio and high quality speech coding. Since the original EZW and SPIHT algorithms are designed for image compression, some new modifications have been implemented in these schemes for their better matching with audio signals. The performances of these two re-encoders are compared in terms of average output bit rate and computation time of a same codec. It is concluded that the proposed modifications can improve the performance of both algorithms by about 20–30%. Furthermore, it is shown that the modified EZW algorithm achieves relatively better average bit rates although it has lower speed in comparison to the modified SPIHT algorithm.
HorA web server to infer homology between proteins using sequence and structural similarity

The biological properties of proteins are often gleaned through comparative analysis of evolutionary relatives. Although protein structure similarity search methods detect more distant homologs than purely sequence-based methods, structural resemblance can result from either homology (common ancestry) or analogy (similarity without common ancestry). While many existing web servers detect structural neighbors, they do not explicitly address the question of homology versus analogy. Here, we present a web server named HorA (Homology or Analogy) that identifies likely homologs for a query protein structure. Unlike other servers, HorA combines sequence information from state-of-the-art profile methods with structure information from spatial similarity measures using an advanced computational technique. HorA aims to identify biologically meaningful connections rather than purely 3D-geometric similarities. The HorA method finds ∼90% of remote homologs defined in the manually curated database SCOP. HorA will be especially useful for finding remote homologs that might be overlooked by other sequence or structural similarity search servers. The HorA server is available at http://prodata.swmed. edu/horaserver.
Monocentric City Redux

This paper argues that centralized employment remains an empirically relevant stylization of midsize U.S. metros. It extends the monocentric model to explicitly include leisure as a source of utility but constrains workers to supply fixed labor hours. Doing so sharpens the marginal disutility from longer commutes. The numerical implementation calibrates traffic congestion to tightly match observed commute times in Portland, Oregon. The implied geographic distribution of CBD workers' residence tightly matches that of Portland. The implied population density, land price, and house price gradients approximately match empirical estimates. Variations to the baseline calibration build intuition on underlying mechanics.
Energy efficient coverage of static sensor nodes deciding on mobile sink movements using game theory

This paper1 deals with the movement pattern of mobile sinks in Wireless Sensor Network for efficient gathering of information by the mobile sensor nodes. We propose a mobility model for the sink to move in the network and cover the whole network area based on a game theoretic approach. A finite game model is generated for all the mobile sink nodes, and the game is played in a cooperative manner. Multiple mobile sinks act as players in the game, and try to achieve an optimal pay-off function by playing coordination game. The common goal is to cover the entire network by minimising the number of moves. The data collection process by the mobile sinks is based on consensus decision making, which in turn is self energy optimised in nature. The performance of our proposed algorithm is studied based on the metric like energy consumption by the static sensor nodes and network life time.
Voiceprints analysis using MFCC and SVM for detecting patients with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of unknown etiology. PD patients suffer from hypokinetic dysarthria, which manifests on all aspects of voice production, respiration, phonation, articulation, nasality and prosody. To evaluate these disorders, clinicians have adopted perceptual methods, based on acoustic cues, to distinguish the different disease states. To develop the assessment of voice disorders for detecting patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), we have used a PD dataset of 34 sustained vowel / a /, from 34 people including 17 PD patients. We then extracted from 1 to 20 coefficients of the Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients from each person. To extract the voiceprint from each voice sample, we compressed the frames by calculating their average value. For classification, we used Leave-One-Subject-Out validation-scheme along with the Support Vector Machines with its different types of kernels. The best classification accuracy achieved was 91.17% using the first 12 coefficients of the MFCC by Linear kernels SVM.
Joint feature-basis subset selection

We treat feature selection and basis selection in a unified framework by introducing the masking matrix. If one considers feature selection as finding a binary mask vector that determines which features participate in the learning process, and similarly, basis selection as finding a binary mask vector that determines which basis vectors are needed for the learning process, then the masking matrix is, in particular, the outer product of the feature masking vector and the basis masking vector. This representation allows for a joint estimation of both features and basis. In addition, it allows one to select features that appear in only part of the basis functions. This joint selection of feature/basis subset is not possible when using feature selection and basis selection algorithms independently, thus, the masking matrix help extend feature and basis selection methods while blurring the lines between them. The problem of searching for an optimal masking matrix is NP-hand and we offer a sub-optimal probabilistic method to find it. In particular we demonstrate our ideas on the problem of feature and basis selection for SVM classification and show results for the problem of image classification on faces and vehicles.
Sequence Unscented Kalman Filtering algorithm

Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) has been proved to be a superior alternative to the extended Kalman filter (EKF) when solving the nonlinear system in recent years. In order to improve the real-time of the UKF, A new kind of UKF called Sequence UKF is proposed in this paper. Like Rao-Blackwellised Unscented Kalman Filter (RBUKF) [4], it also deals with nonlinear stochastic discrete-time system with linear measurement equation, however it can decrease the computational complexity with the same filtering accuracy. This algorithm reduces the measurement vector to scalars in measurement-update of UKF by sequence method, so it can avoid inversing the covariance of measurement and reduce a great mount of computation bound. Special algorithm is deduced in this paper. The high performance of sequence UKF is verified by using Monte Carlo simulations.
A method of weighting adjustment for survey data subject to nonignorable nonresponse

Weighting adjustment is a standard quasi-randomization approach for survey data subject to nonresponse (Little, 1986). The existing methods are typically based on the assumption that nonresponse is independent of the survey variable conditional to the auxiliary variables used to form the adjustment cells. In this paper we consider nonignorable nonresponse which is independent of certain auxiliary information conditional to the variable of interest. We estimate the size of the sample adjustment cells using a method of moment conditional to the sample. The method relies on only the nonresponse mechanism, and is independent of the sample design. In variance estimation, we evaluate the nonresponse effect on estimation and design, analogously to the concept of design effect. By comparing the nonresponse effects under a nonignorable model against those under an ignorable one, we obtain a means of measuring the effect of nonignorability. We motivate and illustrate our approach for estimation of household composition.
High-Speed SiGe BiCMOS Technologies: 120-nm Status and End-of-Roadmap Challenges

This paper presents the status of high-speed SiGe BiCMOS technologies at STMicroelectronics. Process and electrical characteristics of two 120-nm platforms, qualified or under development, are presented together with results demonstrated on optical and millimeter-wave circuits. Advanced developments addressing end-of-roadmap BiCMOS are also presented and discussed
Analysis of cytokine profile and growth factors in platelet-rich plasma obtained by open systems and commercial columns

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate growth factors and cytokines in samples of platelet-rich plasma obtained by three different centrifugation methods. Methods: Peripheral blood of six individuals with no hematological diseases, aged 18 to 68 years, was drawn to obtain platelet-rich plasma, using the open method and commercial columns by Medtronic and Biomet. The products obtained with the different types of centrifugation were submitted to laboratory analysis, including pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by flow cytometry assays, the concentration of fibroblast growth factors-2 (FGF-2) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1). Results: The diverse separation methods generated systematically different profiles regarding number of platelets and leukocytes. The Medtronic system yielded a product with the highest concentration of platelets, and the open method, with the lowest concentration of platelets. The results of cytokine analysis showed that the different types of centrifugation yielded products with high concentrations of interleukin 8, interleukin 1β. The open system resulted in a product with high levels of interleukin 6. Other cytokines and chemokines measured were similar between systems. The product obtained with the open method showed higher levels of TGF-β1 in relation to other systems and low FGF-2 levels. Conclusion: The formed elements, growth factors and cytokines in samples of platelet-rich plasma varied according to the centrifugation technique used.
Graphical simulation using chain models

This paper presents an extension of a previously described framework for the speci cation and manipulation of models of systems. This extension is particularly useful in the context of graphical simulation. The original framework and its extension include a convenient Application Programming Interface (API), and this paper provides examples of the use of this API in the context of graphical simulation. These examples illustrate the simulation of air and smoke by means of a model involving particles moving in uid, and the simulation of objects whose de nition involves torques. Relationship amongst documents. The paper is published here as a technical report. Section 1 is an introduction, while Section 2 gives a brief review of [1], which is based on the rst three chapters of Egli's thesis [2]. Sections 3 and 4 of this paper follow Chapters 4 and 5 of Egli's thesis [2] very closely. The research of the second author was supported in part by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Full address: D epartement IRO, Universit e de Montr eal, C.P. 6128, Succ. CentreVille, Montr eal, Qu ebec, Canada H3C 3J7. Electronic mail: stewart@iro.umontreal. ca FAX (514)-343-5834.
The Body of Pope Formosus

The posthumous trial of Pope Formosus in 897 is a sad moment in the history of the papacy, seeming to epitomize a dark period of ecclesiastical history. In Europe of the post-Carolingian era, ca. 888–900, many traditional sources of unity and cooperation had collapsed, presenting an unsettling picture of the world as viewed from Rome. Within Rome, events were equally strange and lacking restraint. As a late revival of the Roman practice of damnatio memoriae, the trial helps us to understand the sphere of law, as well as the religious and political mentality of Europe during a period of crisis in postCarolingian Europe. The trial reveals the rise of political extremism and fanatical hatreds during a period when traditional sources of political order were in decline or disappearing. Carolingian social doctrine had insisted on politicoreligious unity and used the image of the body, corpus, to express the character of Christian society. As the Carolingian Empire fell apart, social unity was no longer possible, and the ensuing crisis affected concepts of law, and the social 113 Jaff (s. Anm. 21), 1:441. 114 “Nec multo post Theodoro papa iubente clerus ac populus cum psalmis et ymnis, cereis et thimiamatibus” Auxilius (s. Anm. 62), p.72. 115 “Sanctorum quaedam imagines hunc in loculo positum venerabiliter salutarunt” Liutprand of Cremona, Antapadosis (I.31), in: Liuprandi Cremonensis, Antapodosis, Homelia paschalis, Historia Ottonis, Relatio de legatione constantinopolitana, ed. P. Chiesi, CCCM 156 (Turnhout, 1998), p.24. Michael Edward Moore 296
François Rousset : Genetic Structure and Selection in Subdivided Populations

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Bilateral control for omnidirectional bending motion of the DSD forceps teleoperation system with time varying delay

Recently, robotic surgical support systems are in clinical use for minimally invasive surgery. We have developed a multi-DOF robotic forceps manipulator using a novel omnidirectional bending mechanism, and for the developed robotic forceps manipulator, we proposed a passivity based bilateral control that enables motion scaling in both position tracking and force tracking, and guarantees the stability of the teleoperation system in the presence of constant time delay, so far. In this paper, the passivity based bilateral control is improved so as to guarantee the stability of the teleoperation system not only in the presence of the constant time delay but also in the presence of the time varying delay. However, the proposed bilateral control law is applicable only to the one DOF bending motion of the robotic forceps. Therefore, using the change of coordinates, the proposed bilateral control scheme is extended so that it may become applicable to the omnidirectional bending motion of the robotic forceps. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme, experimental works were carried out for the developed robotic forceps.
Metalevel building blocks for modular systems

The formal definition of any namespace device found in a programming language can be given in terms of transformations on a semantic environment. It is worthwhile, therefore, to consider the implications of incorporating environments as bona fide data objects in a programming system. In this article, we propose a treatment of environments and the mechanism by which they are reified and manipulated, that addresses these concerns. The language described below (Rascal) permits environments to be reified into data structures, and data structures to be reflected into environments, but gives users great flexibility to constrain the extent and scope of these processes. We argue that the techniques and operators developed define a cohesive basis for building large-scale modular systems using reflective programming techniques.
Discriminative learning based visual servoing across object instances

Classical visual servoing approaches use visual features based on geometry of the object such as points, lines, region, etc. to attain the desired camera pose. However, geometrical features are not suited for visual servoing across different object instances due to large variations in appearance and shape. In this paper, we present a new framework for visual servoing across object instances. Our approach is based on a discriminative learning framework where the desired pose is estimated using previously seen examples. Specifically, we learn a binary classifier that separates the desired pose from all other poses for that object category. The classification error is then used to control the end-effector so that the desired pose is attained. We present controllers for linear, kernel and exemplar Support Vector Machine (SVM) and empirically discuss their performance in the visual servoing context. To address large intra-category variation in appearance, we propose a modified version of Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) features for visual servoing. We show effective servoing across diverse instances over 3 object categories with zero terminal velocity and acceptable camera pose error at termination.
A diffusion model decomposition of orientation discrimination in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

ABSTRACT Children with and without ASD performed an orientation discrimination task, in which the difficulty of the discrimination was equated across individuals. Behavioural results showed that subjects with ASD were slower in making a decision. A computational decomposition of data was performed and modelled parameters indicated that: (i) participants with ASD adopted a more conservative response criterion and (ii) motor response did not differ between groups. Our results confirm that differences in reaction times (RTs) and/or accuracy between participants with and without ASD in orientation discrimination may be related to differences in response conservativeness rather than in stimulus discriminability, in line with data previously reported from adults. This result has important implications for studies that have claimed impairments/enhancements in ASD on the basis of differences in RTs and/or accuracy alone.
Inactivation of DNA Mismatch Repair by Increased Expression of Yeast MLH1

ABSTRACT Inactivation of DNA mismatch repair by mutation or by transcriptional silencing of the MLH1 gene results in genome instability and cancer predisposition. We recently found (P. V. Shcherbakova and T. A. Kunkel, Mol. Cell. Biol. 19:3177–3183, 1999) that an elevated spontaneous mutation rate can also result from increased expression of yeast MLH1. Here we investigate the mechanism of this mutator effect. Hybridization of poly(A)+ mRNA to DNA microarrays containing 96.4% of yeast open reading frames revealed that MLH1overexpression did not induce changes in expression of other genes involved in DNA replication or repair. MLH1overexpression strongly enhanced spontaneous mutagenesis in yeast strains with defects in the 3′→5′ exonuclease activity of replicative DNA polymerases δ and ɛ but did not enhance the mutation rate in strains with deletions of MSH2, MLH1, orPMS1. This suggests that overexpression ofMLH1 inactivates mismatch repair of replication errors. Overexpression of the PMS1 gene alone caused a moderate increase in the mutation rate and strongly suppressed the mutator effect caused by MLH1 overexpression. The mutator effect was also reduced by a missense mutation in the MLH1 gene that disrupted Mlh1p-Pms1p interaction. Analytical ultracentrifugation experiments showed that purified Mlh1p forms a homodimer in solution, albeit with a K d of 3.14 μM, 36-fold higher than that for Mlh1p-Pms1p heterodimerization. These observations suggest that the mismatch repair defect in cells overexpressingMLH1 results from an imbalance in the levels of Mlh1p and Pms1p and that this imbalance might lead to formation of nonfunctional mismatch repair complexes containing Mlh1p homodimers.