Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Extended BDI Agent Architecture with Multiple Intention Reconsideration Ability in a Vessel Berthing Application

Belief-Desire-intention (BDI) agent based systems have been implemented in many business application systems and found to have some limitations in obverting environmental changes, adaptation and learning in making rational decisions. Our paper presents a new hybrid BDI agent architecture which compares all the available intentions in the intention reconsideration process and is able to observe all the events which are related to the committed intention, before a decision is being made. Limitation in capturing of one event in the intention reconsideration process is overcome with the introduction of our extended BDI execution cycle. Further, the use of “Knowledge Acquisition Module” (KAM) in our proposed model improves the learning ability of the generic BDI agent. Execution of plans for a committed intention is based on the reinforcement learning techniques and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) is used in deciding the intention reconsideration of the proposed agent model. This enables the agent to interact with the environment more closely and use intelligence in making rational decisions, whose behavior may be not known at the design stage.
Creativity and Goal Modeling for Software Requirements Engineering

In order to be successful, software (applications) must be both useful and innovative. Techniques for determining the requirements (functions and qualities) of software have traditionally focused on utility, with a prominent body of work using graphical goal modeling and analysis to ensure that system functions meet the needs (goals) of users. However, these techniques are not designed to foster creativity, meaning that resulting systems may be functionally useful but not sufficiently innovative. Further work has focused on creativity workshops for finding and developing software requirements. However, creative outputs are not grounded in user goals, are not amenable to decision support techniques, and cannot be easily captured by non-experts. In this work we report initial progress on a project aiming to combine goal modeling and creativity techniques for enhanced software Requirements Engineering (RE). We apply our methods to a historical case in air traffic control, providing example outcomes, illustrating the benefits of a creativity- and goal-oriented approach to early software development.
Packaged HTTP: Reconsidering Web Efficiency

The steadily increasing beautification of the Web causes some unique issues. Web pages following contemporary visual design patterns require several tens of resources in order to be rendered. This poses challenges in terms of data transfer costs and (user-perceived) latency in particular. This paper proposes an approach to address this issue by reducing the amount of required requests per page as a complement and enhancement to existing HTTP caching mechanisms. The basic idea is to bundle all the referenced resources inside a hypertext document residing on the origin server and to send the complete bundle to the requesting user agent. Thus, the number of requests required to fill or refresh the client’s cache is minimized to exactly one request/response pair. This increases the total amount of data to be sent in some cases, but reduces the amount of requests to be generated, send and processed significantly in cache filling or refreshing contexts. This reduction of processing costs at the server side results in lower energy costs which may out-weight, as the case may be, the additional transfer costs.
Center for Neural Communication Technology Iridium Activation

Iridium grows a hydrous oxide layer on its surface when it is electrochemically activated in an electrolyte. The oxide is porous and can assume several oxidation states [6,14,8,10], which gives it a very high charge capacity as well as the ability to deliver large amounts of charge to aqueous solution. This material is also exceptionally resistant to dissolution and corrosion during in vitro and in vivo stimulation [13,1]. Activation can also be used to reduce the impedance of iridium sites for use in recording applications.
Network Flow Algorithms for Structured Sparsity

We consider a class of learning problems that involve a structured sparsity-inducing norm defined as the sum of l∞-norms over groups of variables. Whereas a lot of effort has been put in developing fast optimization methods when the groups are disjoint or embedded in a specific hierarchical structure, we address here the case of general overlapping groups. To this end, we show that the corresponding optimization problem is related to network flow optimization. More precisely, the proximal problem associated with the norm we consider is dual to a quadratic min-cost flow problem. We propose an efficient procedure which computes its solution exactly in polynomial time. Our algorithm scales up to millions of variables, and opens up a whole new range of applications for structured sparse models. We present several experiments on image and video data, demonstrating the applicability and scalability of our approach for various problems.
Thermally Adjustable Dynamic Disulfide Linkages Mediated by Highly Air-Stable 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-sulfanyl (TEMPS) Radicals.

Intrinsically exchangeable dynamic covalent bonds that can be triggered by readily usable stimuli offer easy incorporation of their dynamic properties in various molecular systems, but the library of such bonds is still being developed. Herein, we report the dynamic covalent chemistry of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-sulfanyl (TEMPS) dimers derived from thermally reversible homolytic dissociation of disulfide linkages. High air stability of TEMPS was observed even at 100 °C, affording facile employment of thermal dissociation-association equilibria and adjustable bond exchange properties under atmospheric conditions. We also established an efficient synthetic route for a modifiable derivative of the dimer that enabled incorporation of dynamic properties into linear and network polymer structures. The obtained polymers showed controllable molecular weights, temperature-dependent swelling properties, healing ability, and recyclability, reflecting the thermally tunable dynamics of the dimer.
Smart meter privacy using a rechargeable battery: Minimizing the rate of information leakage

A rechargeable battery may be used to partially protect the privacy of information contained in a household's electrical load profile. We represent the system as a finite state model to make tractable the computation of the rate of information leakage. Specifically, we use a trellis algorithm to estimate the mutual information rate between the battery's input and output loads. We show that stochastic battery policies can leak 26% less information than a so-called best-effort algorithm (that holds the output load constant whenever possible). We finally describe the extension of the technique to more realistic models of the battery system.
Spatio-Temporal Optical Flow Analysis for People Counting

In this paper, we present a new approach to count thenumber of people that cross a counting line from monocularvideo images. The proposed approach accumulates imageslices and estimates the optical flow on them. Then, it performsan online blob detection on these slices in order toextract the crossing persons. The number of persons associatedto each blob is determined using a linear regressionmodel applied to blob features which are the position, velocity,orientation and size. The proposed approach is validatedon several datasets captured using either a verticaloverhead or an oblique mounted camera. The real-time performanceand the high counting accuracy of this approachin indoor and outdoor environments are also demonstrated.
A new ARQ protocol for wireless ATM networks

This paper describes the design and performance of a new ARQ protocol for wireless ATM networks. The wireless channel is characterized by a higher and variable error rate in comparison with fiber-based networks for which ATM was designed. The purpose of the protocol is to provide a capability to dynamically support ATM-based communications in a fluctuating transmission environment by using selective retransmission. The key ideas in the protocol design consist of variable packet size and periodic status message. The packet size is changed adaptively with the optimal size according to the time-varying conditions of the wireless channel, as a result maximizing the throughput efficiency. The proposed protocol has been validated using a software emulator which incorporates a wireless channel model. Experimental performance results based on the implementation are presented.
Breaking the clock face HIP

Web services designed for human users are being abused by computer programs (bots). The bots steal thousands of free email accounts in a minute, participate in online polls to skew results, and irritate people in chat rooms. These real-world issues have recently generated a new research area called Human Interactive Proofs (HIP), whose goal is to defend web services from malicious attacks by differentiating bots from human users. For a HIP challenge to be effective, it needs to be both easy for human and robust against bots attacks. Recently, there is a new HIP design which is based on telling time from a clock face. This is a very innovative idea and quite easy for human to pass. However, its robustness to attacks needs verification. In this paper, we present an algorithm that can break the clock face HIP at 87.4%.
Research on the Concept of Using Calcium Carbide as a Source of Energy for Transport from the Seabed

Abstract The growing interest in the exploitation of marine deposits has resulted in the development of research on deposits and technologies for their exploitation. For several years, the authors have been dealing with one of the most important problems in the deep sea mining of mineral deposits, namely transport from great depths. This publication presents theoretical considerations regarding the use of calcium carbide as a source of energy for transport from the seabed. The authors proposed three lines of the course of the decomposition reaction of calcium carbide and then analyzed the possibility of their use. From the obtained results it can be concluded that the maximum depth of use of a simple CaC2 distribution is about 1 km, while using the method proposed by the authors based on the “balance of forces” (using an additional medium) it is possible to apply this method to any depth occurring on Earth.
A new family of spline-based biorthogonal wavelet transforms and their application to image compression

In this paper. we design a new family of biorthogonal wavelet transforms and describe their applications to still image compression. The wavelet transforms are constructed from various types of interpolatory and quasiinterpolatory splines. The transforms use finite impulse response and infinite impulse response filters that are implemented in a fast lifting mode.
Growth defect in Grg5 null mice is associated with reduced Ihh signaling in growth plates

Gene‐targeted disruption of Grg5, a mouse homologue of Drosophila groucho (gro), results in postnatal growth retardation in mice. The growth defect, most striking in approximately half of the Grg5 null mice, occurs during the first 4–5 weeks of age, but most mice recover retarded growth later. We used the nonlinear mixed‐effects model to fit the growth data of wild‐type, heterozygous, and Grg5 null mice. On the basis of preliminary evidence suggesting an interaction between Grg5 and the transcription factor Cbfa1/Runx2, critical for skeletal development, we further investigated the skeleton in the mice. A long bone growth plate defect was identified, which included shorter zones of proliferative and hypertrophic chondrocytes and decreased trabecular bone formation. This decreased trabecular bone formation is likely caused by a reduced recruitment of osteoblasts into the growth plate region of Grg5 null mice. Like the growth defect, the growth plate and trabecular bone abnormality improved as the mice grew older. The growth plate defect was associated with reduced Indian hedgehog expression and signaling. We suggest that Grg5, a transcriptional coregulator, modulates the activities of transcription factors, such as Cbfa1/Runx2 in vivo to affect Ihh expression and the function of long bone growth plates. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Enhancing Query Expansion through Folksonomies and Semantic Classes

Adaptive query expansion (QE) allows users to better define their search domain by supplementing the original query with additional terms related to their preferences and information needs. The system we present is an extension of the traditional QE techniques, which rely on the computation of two-dimensional co-occurrence matrices. Our system makes use of three-dimensional co-occurrence matrices, where the added dimension is represented by semantic classes (i.e., categories comprising all the terms that share a semantic property) related to the folksonomy extracted from social book marking services such as delicious, Digg, and Stumble Upon. The results of an indepth experimental evaluation on artificial datasets and real users show that our system outperforms some well-known approaches in the literature, as well as a state-of-the-art search engine.
Jiahuai Han and Tushar Patel mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway α IL-6 activates serum and glucocorticoid kinase via p 38

mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway α IL-6 activates serum and glucocorticoid kinase via p38 You might find this additional info useful. molecular physiology. It is published 12 times a year (monthly) by the American Physiological Society, 9650 is dedicated to innovative approaches to the study of cell and
Effect of statin treatment on short term mortality after pneumonia episode: cohort study

Objective To determine whether statins protect against all cause mortality after a diagnosis of pneumonia. Design Cohort study using propensity score based method to control for differences between people prescribed and not prescribed statins. Setting United Kingdom Health Improvement Network database, which contains electronic primary care medical records of more than six million patients. Participants Every patient starting a statin between 1995 and 2006 (129 288) matched with up to five non-statin users (n=600 241); 9073 patients had a recorded diagnosis of pneumonia, of whom 1398 were using a statin. Main outcome measure All cause mortality within six months of diagnosis of pneumonia. Results Among users and non-users of statins with comparable propensity scores, 95/942 users and 686/3615 non-users died on the day that pneumonia was diagnosed. In the following six month period, 109/847 statin users died compared with 578/2927 non-users, giving an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.67 (0.49 to 0.91). If these observed benefits translated into clinical practice, 15 patients would need to be treated with a statin for six months after pneumonia to prevent one death. Conclusions Compared with people who were not taking statins, the risk of dying in the six month period after pneumonia was substantially lower among people who were already established on long term statin treatment when the pneumonia occurred. Whether some or all of this protective effect would be obtained if statin treatment begins when a patient first develops pneumonia is not known. However, given that statins are cheap, safe, and well tolerated, a clinical trial in which people with pneumonia are randomised to a short period of statin treatment is warranted.
Association between stress, sleep quality and temporomandibular joint dysfunction: simulated Mars mission.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to test the association between quality of sleep and stress in individuals with TMD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) in simulated Mars mission. METHODS The 24 healthy crew members were recruited. The physiological measures of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded. The Symptom Checklist-90-revised was used which was based on nine dimensions of psychological functioning. The Multidimensional Pain Inventory was pain severity, social and physical activities, affective distress, social support, and feelings of life control. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to measure the number of hours spent in bed and during asleep, frequency and reasons for awakening, and difficulty returning to sleep after awakening. The orofacial pain questionnaire was applied to measure pain experience using descriptors from the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Salivary cortisol and melatonin were measured. RESULTS The 15 crew members reported temporomandibular joint pain after 6 days of mission. On dental examination, 5 crew members reported simple muscle pain (SM) and other 10 crew members with TMD. The TMD group endorsed more affective descriptors of their pain experience. Compared to the TMD group, the SM group also reported significantly poorer sleep duration. The TMD group reported nonsignificantly more daytime dysfunction than the control. Higher levels of salivary cortisol and salivary melatonin were reported in the TMD group as compared to other group. CONCLUSION This study concludes that both quality of sleep and stress levels due to extreme condition (simulated Mars mission) were associated with TMD in simulated Mars mission.
Dutch Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Broiler Welfare

ABSTRACT This article analyzes Dutch consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the welfare of broiler chickens and the consequences for nonhuman animal welfare policies. Using data from a discrete-choice experiment and a random parameter logit model, this study showed that consumers particularly value opportunities for outdoor access and the method used for anesthesia before slaughter. The WTP was also positively related to the number of consumers buying the same product, indicating that they experience the public-good dilemma. Moreover, the WTP was higher if consumers knew that animal welfare practices were subject to public or collective supervision. Women, people with more education, those with higher income, and nonreligious people had relatively high WTP values. For 87.5% of the respondents, the WTP exceeded the price difference between a broiler with a higher level of animal welfare and a regular chicken. The findings suggest that the Dutch market for broiler chickens can be improved by raising consumer confidence in the labeling system.
Molecular Characterization of Poxviruses Associated with Tattoo Skin Lesions in UK Cetaceans

There is increasing concern for the well-being of cetacean populations around the UK. Tattoo skin disease (characterised by irregular, grey, black or yellowish, stippled cutaneous lesions) caused by poxvirus infection is a potential health indicatora potential health indicator for cetaceans. Limited sequence data indicates that cetacean poxviruses (CPVs) belong to an unassigned genus of the Chordopoxvirinae. To obtain further insight into the phylogenetic relationships between CPV and other Chordopoxvirinae members we partially characterized viral DNA originating from tattoo lesions collected in Delphinidae and Phocoenidae stranded along the UK coastline in 1998–2008. We also evaluated the presence of CPV in skin lesions other than tattoos to examine specificity and sensitivity of visual diagnosis. After DNA extraction, regions of the DNA polymerase and DNA topoisomerase I genes were amplified by PCR, sequenced and compared with other isolates. The presence of CPV DNA was demonstrated in tattoos from one striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), eight harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and one short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and in one ‘dubious tattoo’ lesion detected in one other porpoise. Seventeen of the 18 PCR positive skin lesions had been visually identified as tattoos and one as a dubious tattoo. None of the other skin lesions were PCR positive. Thus, visual identification had a 94.4% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The DNA polymerase PCR was most effective in detecting CPV DNA. Limited sequence phylogeny grouped the UK samples within the odontocete poxviruses (CPV group 1) and indicated that two different poxvirus lineages infect the Phocoenidae and the Delphinidae. The phylogenetic tree had three major branches: one with the UK Phocoenidae viruses, one with the Delphinidae isolates and one for the mysticete poxvirus (CPV group 2). This implies a radiation of poxviruses according to the host suborder and the families within these suborders.
Der 3 p / Hrd 1 p Is Required for Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation of Misfolded Lumenal and Integral Membrane Proteins

We have studied components of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proofreading and degradation system in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using a der3–1 mutant defective in the degradation of a mutated lumenal protein, carboxypeptidase yscY (CPY*), a gene was cloned which encodes a 64-kDa protein of the ER membrane. Der3p was found to be identical with Hrd1p, a protein identified to be necessary for degradation of HMG-CoA reductase. Der3p contains five putative transmembrane domains and a long hydrophilic C-terminal tail containing a RING-H2 finger domain which is oriented to the ER lumen. Deletion of DER3 leads to an accumulation of CPY* inside the ER due to a complete block of its degradation. In addition, a DER3 null mutant allele suppresses the temperaturedependent growth phenotype of a mutant carrying the sec61–2 allele. This is accompanied by the stabilization of the Sec61–2 mutant protein. In contrast, overproduction of Der3p is lethal in a sec61–2 strain at the permissive temperature of 25°C. A mutant Der3p lacking 114 amino acids of the lumenal tail including the RING-H2 finger domain is unable to mediate degradation of CPY* and Sec61–2p. We propose that Der3p acts prior to retrograde transport of ER membrane and lumenal proteins to the cytoplasm where they are subject to degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Interestingly, in ubc6-ubc7 double mutants, CPY* accumulates in the ER, indicating the necessity of an intact cytoplasmic proteolysis machinery for retrograde transport of CPY*. Der3p might serve as a component programming the translocon for retrograde transport of ER proteins, or it might be involved in recognition through its lumenal RING-H2 motif of proteins of the ER that are destined for degradation.
Strength and Water Stability of a Fiber-reinforced Cemented Loess

This article discusses the strength and water stability of fiber-reinforced cemented loess (FRCL). The unconfined compressive tests, the anti-erosion tests and the Cantabro tests were performed for soaked and non-soaked specimens. The aforementioned specimens were made by mixing of loess with different cement and fiber ratios. Results indicate that the mixing of cement and fiber significantly improve the strength and the water stability of samples. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of samples increases with the increase of cement content. The UCS first increases and thereafter decreases with the increase of fiber content; the optimum content of fiber ranges between 0.3% and 0.45%. The total erosion mass and the erosion rate of samples were decreased by increasing the cement and fiber contents. It is pertinent to note that: (1) the anti-erosion performance of the fiber-reinforced soil was approximately 26–75% higher than that of the cemented soil, and (2) the improvement of UCS was beneficial to the anti-erosion performance. The scattering process of samples can be divided into three stages, i.e., initial stage, rapid-scattering stage and stable stage.