Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Energy Modulated Watermarking Algorithm Based on Watson Perceptual Model

In this paper, a robust algorithm with large data payload and high computational efficiency is proposed, which is suitable for real-time watermarking of JPEG or MPEG streams because it operates directly on DCT (discrete cosine transform) blocks. The proposed method is based on modifying the low-mid frequency DCT coefficients imperceptibly to modulate block energy. During the modulation, a theorem deduced from the Watson's perceptual model is employed to restrict the modified magnitude of coefficients. This system is capable of embedding 2048 bits of information in images with dimensions 512×512 pixels. Experimental results indicate that the presented scheme is transparent and robust to significant valumetric distortions (including additive noise, low-pass filtering, lossy compression and valumetric scaling) and a part of geometric distortions.
Counseling Psychology's Positive Psychological Agenda: A Model for Integration and Inspiration

Each of the Major Contribution's articles has traced counseling psychology's rich positive heritage. This reaction assesses this heritage in relation to positive psychology and considers the fundamental question of “To whose agenda are we working? ” as psychological practitioners, locating the answer within the impact it has on our practice. The reaction then raises some questions prompted in part by counseling psychology's heritage of strength-based approaches and in part by the positive psychological initiative for developing a classification of strengths and virtues. It suggests that a deeper and fuller understanding of a strengths psychology is a key foundation for effective strength-based practice and calls for closer collaboration among counseling psychology, vocational psychology, and positive psychology in bringing to fruition a psychology of strengths and optimal human functioning.
Learning To Cooperate in a Social Dilemma: A Satisficing Approach to Bargaining

Learning in many multi-agent settings is inherently repeated play. This calls into question the naive application of single play Nash equilibria in multi-agent learning and suggests, instead, the application of give-and-take principles of bargaining. We modify and analyze a satisficing algorithm based on (Karandikar et al., 1998) that is compatible with the bargaining perspective. This algorithm is a form of relaxation search that converges to a satisficing equilibrium without knowledge of game payoffs or other agents' actions. We then develop an M action, N player social dilemma that encodes the key elements of the Prisoner's Dilemma. This game is instructive because it characterizes social dilemmas with more than two agents and more than two choices. We show how several different multi-agent learning algorithms behave in this social dilemma, and demonstrate that the satisficing algorithm converges, with high probability, to a Pareto efficient solution in self play and to the single play Nash equilibrium against selfish agents. Finally, we present theoretical results that characterize the behavior of the algorithm.
Parallel classes : Differences and similarities. Teacher effects and school effects in secondary schools

ABSTRACT Results from school effectiveness studies that took into account differences among teachers or departments within schools indicate that these teacher or department differences outweigh the differences between schools. The present study shows that differences in student achievement between parallel classes taught by different teachers may be very small. Coordination efforts among teachers relate primarily to the content and goals of instruction. With respect to classroom instruction large differences between teachers may still be detected. School effectiveness differences usually found across grades and subjects may be due only in part to loose internal coordination. The fact that it is extremely difficult for teachers to compare the results of teaching across grades and subjects may be equally important.
Robust Recognition of Degraded Documents Using Character N-Grams

In this paper we present a novel recognition approach that results in a 15% decrease in word error rate on heavily degraded Indian language document images. OCRs have considerably good performance on good quality documents, but fail easily in presence of degradations. Also, classical OCR approaches perform poorly over complex scripts such as those for Indian languages. We address these issues by proposing to recognize character n-gram images, which are basically groupings of consecutive character/component segments. Our approach is unique, since we use the character n-grams as a primitive for recognition rather than for post processing. By exploiting the additional context present in the character n-gram images, we enable better disambiguation between confusing characters in the recognition phase. The labels obtained from recognizing the constituent n-grams are then fused to obtain a label for the word that emitted them. Our method is inherently robust to degradations such as cuts and merges which are common in digital libraries of scanned documents. We also present a reliable and scalable scheme for recognizing character n-gram images. Tests on English and Malayalam document images show considerable improvement in recognition in the case of heavily degraded documents.
A Review on Implementation of RSA Cryptosystem Using Ancient Indian Vedic Mathematics

RSA is one of the most safest standard algorithm based on public key, for providing security in network. The hierarchical overlay multiplier is used in RSA circuitry for multiplication operation. The most significant aspect is the development of division architecture based on Ancient Indian Vedic Mathematics and embedding it in RSA encryption/decryption circuitry for improved efficiency. Typically, modularmultiplication algorithm is used since no trial division is necessary, and the carry-save addition (CSA) is employed to reduce the critical path. The implementation of RSA encryption/decryption algorithm using the algorithm of Ancient Indian Vedic Mathematics that have been modified to improve performance. RSA circuitry implemented using vedic multiplication is efficient in terms of area, speed compared to its implementation using conventional multiplication. Keywords— RSA Cryptosystem, Modular Multiplication,, Modular exponentiation, Vedic Mathematics, FPGA, VHDL. __________________________________________________*****_________________________________________________
Genetic Variants of LRRK2 in Taiwanese Parkinson’s Disease

Genetic variants of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) were reported to alter the risk for Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the genetic spectrum of LRRK2 variants has not been clearly disclosed yet in Taiwanese population. Herein, we sequenced LRRK2 coding region in 70 Taiwanese early onset PD patients (age at onset ≤ 50), and found six amino acid-changing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, N551K, R1398H, R1628P, S1647T, G2385R and M2397T), one reported (R1441H) and 2 novel missense (R767H and S885N) mutations. We examined the frequency of identified LRRK2 variants by genotyping 573 Taiwanese patients with PD and 503 age-matched control subjects. The results showed that PD patients demonstrated a higher frequency of G2385R A allele (4.6%) than control subjects (2.1%; odds ratio = 2.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.38–3.88, P = 0.0017). Fewer PD patients (27.7%) carried the 1647T-2397T haplotype as compared with the control subjects (33.0%; odds ratio = 0.80, 95% confidence interval: 0.65–0.97, P = 0.0215). However, the frequency of 1647T-2385R-2397T haplotype (4.3%) in PD patients was still higher than in control subjects (1.9%, odds ratio: 2.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.27–3.78, P = 0.0058). While no additional subject was found to carry R767H and R1441H, one more patient was observed to carry the S885N variant. Our results indicate a robust risk association regarding G2385R and a new possible protective haplotype (1647T-2397T). Gene-environmental interaction and a larger cohort study are warranted to validate our findings. Additionally, two new missense mutations (R767H and S885N) regarding LRRK2 in PD patients were identified. Functional studies are needed to elucidate the effects of these LRRK2 variants on protein function.
Early Identification of At-Risk Youth in Latin America: An Application of Cluster Analysis

A new literature on the nature of and policies for youth in Latin America is emerging, but there is still very little known about who are the most vulnerable young people. This paper aims to characterize the heterogeneity in the youth population and identify ex ante the youth that are at-risk and should be targeted with prevention programs. Using non-parametric methodologies and specialized youth surveys from Mexico and Chile, the authors quantify and characterize the different sub-groups of youth, according to the amount of risk in their lives, and find that approximately 20 percent of 18 to 24 year old Chileans and 40 percent of the same age cohort in Mexico are suffering the consequences of a range of negative behaviors. Another 8 to 20 percent demonstrate factors in their lives that pre-dispose them to becoming at-risk youth - they are the candidates for prevention programs. The analysis finds two observable variables that can be used to identify which children have a higher probability of becoming troubled youth: poverty and residing in rural areas. The analysis also finds that risky behaviors increase with age and differ by gender, thereby highlighting the need for program and policy differentiation along these two demographic dimensions.
Deformable Template Tracking in 1ms

We address the problem of real-time deformable template tracking. Our approach relies on linear predictors which establish a linear relation between the image intensity differences of a template and the corresponding template transformation parameters. Up to this work, linear predictors have only been used to handle linear transformations such as homographies to track planar surfaces. In this paper, we introduce a method to learn non-linear template transformations that allows us to track surfaces that undergo nonrigid deformations. These deformations are mathematically modelled using 2D Free Form Deformations. Moreover, the simplicity of our approach allows us to track deformable surfaces at extremely high speed of approximately 1 ms per frame that has never been shown before. To evaluate our algorithm, we perform an extensive analysis of our method’s performance on synthetic and real sequences with different types of surface deformations. In addition, we compare our results from the real sequences to the feature-based trackingby-detection method [20], and show that the tracking precisions are similar but our method performs 100 times faster.
Do Angels Have Bodies? Two Stories About Subjectivity in Science:

How can we characterize an individual creator `in vivo' - or, to use a more traditional category in philosophy, a knowing subject `in the making'? While informed by philosophical modes of questioning, this paper addresses this problem using tools developed by anthropologists and sociologists of science. Based on two case studies - William X, a researcher working at France's largest petroleum company (Elf Aquitaine), and Stephen Hawking - the paper examines how these scientists came to distinguish themselves as creative geniuses. By breaking down the narrative representation of the creative process as a simple mental operation, the paper shows how creation is materially `distributed' in specific tools, practices and social networks. Conversely, it demonstrates how and why the distribution of competences into heterogeneous practices provides an explanation of how a person becomes a singular, inventive individual. In conclusion, it proposes a new conceptualization of the knowing subject as the distributed-centred subject.
Glucosamine-chondroitin sulphate accelerates tendon-to-bone healing in rabbits.

OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate the contribution of glucosamine-chondroitin sulphate (GlcN-CS) to the healing of tendons within the bone tunnel. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tendon-to-bone healing was investigated in 28 New Zealand rabbits by re-attaching the extensor digitorum longus tendon into bone tunnel which was created in the proximal tibia. Rabbits were separated into two groups as treatment and control groups. Treatment group (n=14) received 210-250 mg/kg/day glucosamine sulphate and 170-200 mg/kg/day chondroitin sulphate, whereas control group (n=14) received equivalent dose of vehicle. Treatment and control groups were compared at sixth and 12th week after the procedure according to histological and biomechanical analysis. Yamakado scoring system was used to evaluate the histological changes. RESULTS According to histological analysis, scores were significantly higher at both sixth and 12th week evaluations in the treatment group (p=0.029). Although not statistically significant, the ultimate pullout strength was higher in the treatment group at the 12th week evaluation (35.3 N/mm2 vs. 24.3 N/mm2) (p>0.05). However, stripping occurred at the muscle-tendon junction in the treatment group whereas tendons stripped from the bone tunnels in the control group. While no tendons in the treatment group stripped from the bone tunnels, we observed at sixth and 12th week evaluations that tendons in the control group stripped from the tunnels. CONCLUSION Glucosamine-chondroitin sulphate treatment enhances tendon-to-bone healing by increasing hyaline cartilage formation and decreasing formation of capillary vessels.
LA RELACIÓN ENTRE EL APRENDIZAJE COOPERATIVO Y LA ADQUISICIÓN DE COMPETENCIAS INTERPERSONALES EN UNA CLASE DE LENGUA INGLESA

Cooperative learning allows students to show what they know and what they are able to do in the teaching-learning process, i.e., it makes obvious the result of their learning. This article shows some of the cooperative activities used in the subject English Language IV in the degree English Studies at the University of Alicante. Those activities have as their main aim that students learn in an active and cooperative way and that they acquire interpersonal competences, in which emotional competences are especially relevant due to their importance in the labor market. A survey was prepared in order to know students’ opinions on the methodology used. Positive results were obtained because the majority of the students would recommend this type of learning to other classmates and there are more positive than negative aspects pointed out.
Noncompliant Children

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parent behavioral training on child noncompliant behavior and on parent behavior and attitude change. Eleven children, who had been referred for treatment of noncompliance, and their mothers served as subjects. A short-term laboratory behavioral training program was used to produce significant changes in both parental and child behaviors when assessed in the laboratory setting. These changes were maintained at a three-month follow-up. In addition, after treatment and at the three-month follow-up, the children were perceived by their mothers as being better adjusted than prior to treatment. Comparison of the treatment group to a nonclinic "normal" sample suggested that the behavioral training produced parent perceptions regarding their children's adjustment that did not differ significantly from those that the parents of the nonclinic sample had toward their children.
Gender and educational leadership in England: a comparison of secondary headteachers’ views over time

In the context of gender being a barrier to accessing leadership, this paper presents a comparison of the views of men and women headteachers (principals) of secondary schools in England in the 1990s and in 2004. The same survey instrument was used on both occasions. The perceptions of the headteachers show change in some areas and no change in others. Overall, women are more likely to become headteachers and are now less likely to be categorised into pastoral roles, but in some cases women still meet prejudice from governors and others in the wider community. Women headteachers are more likely to have partners and children than in the 1990s, sharing equally or carrying most of the domestic responsibilities, whereas male colleagues are most likely to have partners who take the majority of responsibility in the home. Essentialist stereotypes of women and men as leaders still prevail, although both the women and men headteachers see themselves as adopting a traditionally ‘feminine’ style of leadership. Women headteachers are likely to see some benefits in being a woman in a role stereotypically associated with men. However, there has been an increase in the proportion of women who feel that they have to prove their worth as a leader, and this may be linked with increased levels of accountability in schools.
Task Cohesion as a Facilitator of Team Decision Making Under Temporal Urgency

In this study, we examined whether task cohesion facilitated team decision making under conditions of high temporal urgency. Subjects were 138 undergraduates assigned to 46 mixed-gender, three-person teams. Two levels of task cohesion and temporal urgency were manipulated. Team members completed a task in which they were required to identify on a matrix the best sites for oil drilling based on distributed information. Member interactions during a plan- ning period were recorded by using Bales' encoding system. Team performance was the number of correct sites selected by members. Analyses indicated that high task-cohesive teams (a) devoted more time to planning and information exchange during the planning period and (b) communicated task-relevant infor- mation more frequently during the performance period than low task-cohesive teams. Also, planned comparisons indicated that low task-cohesive, high tem- porally urgent teams performed significantly worse than teams in the other three conditions. High task-c.
Clinicopathologic Significance and Prognostic Value of B7 Homolog 1 in Gastric Cancer

AbstractImmunologic checkpoint marker B7 homolog 1 (B7-H1) plays a fundamental role in the initiation and progression of gastric cancer (GC); however, the clinicopathologic significance and prognostic value of B7-H1 in GC remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to assess their relationship through a meta-analysis.Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library databases, and Grey literature were searched up to August 10, 2015, for eligible studies of the association between B7-H1 expression and overall survival in GC. The hazard ratio and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated from the included studies. Moreover, the odds ratio (OR) was also extracted to evaluate the association between the clinicopathologic parameters of participants and B7-H1 expression.Five studies involving 481 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that positive B7-H1 expression was a negative predictor for overall survival with hazard ratio of 1.74 (95% CI: 1.40–2.17; Pheterogeneity = 0.146) in GC. Additionally, increased B7-H1 was found to be significantly associated with positive lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.78–3.84; Pheterogeneity = 0.004) and poorer tumor stage (OR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.39–3.74; Pheterogeneity = 0.006); however, higher B7-H1 expression was not significantly correlated with poorer tumor differentiation (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.90–1.86; Pheterogeneity = 0.013) and bigger tumor size (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.81–1.73; Pheterogeneity = 0.104). The meta-analysis suggested that B7-H1 could act as a significant biomarker in the poor prognosis of gastric carcinoma.
MTV and the Globalization of Popular Culture

MTV: Music Television, the US music channel, has expanded its operations globally, launching derivative services in other regions, including MTV Europe, MTV Asia and MTV Latino. This expansion raises concerns about US cultural influence abroad since MTV's programs mostly play American and British artists or local acts that mimic US music styles. The history, operations and programming of MTV's various international services are surveyed. MTV seeks to foster and exploit an international youth culture. The part cooperative, part contentious relationship between MTV and transnational record companies is explored. Finally, alternatives to MTV like Canada's Much Music are considered.
Organizational Failure and the Disbanding of Local Police Agencies

Police organizations are a ubiquitous aspect of the landscape of criminal justice in the United States. Yet, little attention has been paid to the failure of police agencies and the consequences of such failure. This article uses structural contingency theory and organizational institutional theory to explore why 31 police agencies were disbanded during the 1990s. The findings indicate that agencies disband because they face significant environmental changes in their contingency and institutional environments. Contingency reasons for disbanding are mostly related to budgetary constraints. Institutional reasons usually involve agencies that engage in behaviors that violate the expectations of powerful sovereigns. Overall, police agencies disband because they cannot adapt to changes in their contingency and institutional environments or they change in inappropriate ways, and their small organizational size does not provide a sufficient buffer against external intrusion from the institutional environment, which results in disbanding.
Training Dependency Parsers from Partially Annotated Corpora

We introduce a maximum spanning tree (MST) dependency parser that can be trained from partially annotated corpora, allowing for effective use of available linguistic resources and reduction of the costs of preparing new training data. This is especially important for domain adaptation in a real-world situation. We use a pointwise approach where each edge in the dependency tree for a sentence is estimated independently. Experiments on Japanese dependency parsing show that this approach allows for rapid training and achieves accuracy comparable to state-ofthe-art dependency parsers trained on fully annotated data.
Prevalence and risk of migraine headaches in adult fragile X premutation carriers

FMR1 premutation carriers are common in the general population (1/130–260 females and 1/250–810 males) and can be affected by fragile X‐associated tremor ataxia syndrome, fragile X‐associated primary ovarian insufficiency, anxiety, depression, hypertension, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, and hypothyroidism. Here we report the results of a pilot study to assess the prevalence and risk of migraine in FMR1 premutation carriers. Three hundred fifteen carriers (203 females; 112 males) and 154 controls (83 females; 71 males) were seen sequentially as part of a family study. A standardized medical history, physical examination and confirmation of diagnosis of migraine headaches were performed by a physician. The prevalence of migraine was 54.2% in female carriers (mean age/SD: 49.60/13.73) and 26.79% in male carriers (mean age/SD: 59.94/14.27). This prevalence was higher compared to female (25.3%; mean age/SD: 47.60/15.21; p = 0.0001) and male controls (15.5%; mean age/SD; 53.88/13.31; p = 0.0406) who underwent the same protocol and were confirmed to be negative for the FMR1 mutation by DNA testing. We hypothesize that the increased prevalence of migraine headaches in FMR1 premutation carriers is likely related to the mitochondrial abnormalities that have recently been reported. Screening for migraine should be considered when evaluating FMR1 premutation carriers in the future.