Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improvement of Starch Digestion Using α-Amylase Entrapped in Pectin-Polyvinyl Alcohol Blend

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and pectin blends were used to entrap α-amylase (Termamyl) using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. The effect of glutaraldehyde concentration (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25%) on the activity of the immobilized enzyme and rate of enzyme released was tested during a 24 h period. Characteristics of the material, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile strength (TS), elongation, and rate of dissolution in water (pH 5.7), ruminal buffering solution (pH 7.0), and reactor containing 0.1 mol L−1 sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.5), were also analyzed. SEM results showed that the surfaces of the pectin/PVA/amylase films were highly irregular and rough. TS values increased as a function of glutaraldehyde concentration, whereas percentage of elongation (%E) decreased. Pectin/PVA/amylase films presented similar values of solubility in the tested solvents. The material obtained with 0.25% glutaraldehyde performed best with repeated use (active for 24 h), in a phosphate buffer reactor. By contrast, the material obtained with 1.25% glutaraldehyde presented higher performance during in vitro testing using an artificial rumen. The results suggest that pectin/PVA/amylase is a highly promising material for biotechnological applications.
Destructive transaction: human-oriented cluster system management mechanism

Traditional cluster system management tools seldom consider the relevance between managed objects. Such relevance is the reason of related fault and may also lead to human operation errors. Because of this defect, traditional tools do not have the capability of handling of consistency, atomicity and recovery. This article proposes a transaction-based facility, destructive transaction, to solve the problems at some degree. Destructive transaction is a construct to wire down management rules stored in a system administrator's mind. It provides a method to describe managed objects relationships, atomicity facility and recovery for failed operation. And it significantly reduces human caused error possibility.
Distributed QoS Routing with Bounded Flooding for Real-Time Applications

Quality-of-Service (QoS) routing is indispensable to real-time applications on integrated services packet-switching networks. However, existing QoS-routing schemes based on either request ooding or link-state dissemination are not e cient in terms of their message overhead and/or operational cost. This paper proposes a QoS-routing algorithm with bounded ooding which not only dramatically reduces message overhead and operational cost, but also provides good performance. This signi cant overhead reduction is achieved by limiting the search area within which connection-request messages are ooded. Since our scheme is based on limited ooding, it does not require on-demand path calculation nor link-state dissemination, which are often known to be very expensive. In order to limit the search area, we employ a distance table at each node storing hop counts of the shortest paths to all the nodes reachable via its outgoing links. Unlike link-state routing, the proposed scheme only needs network-topology information that changes much less frequently than link-load states. Extensive simulation results have demonstrated the e ectiveness of the proposed scheme in terms of performance, operational cost, and message overhead. Especially, in an ordinary operating condition in which the network's physical topology doesn't change frequently, it is shown to be much better than all the other existing QoS-routing schemes in terms of message overhead and operational cost, while providing reasonably good performance. Index Terms | QoS routing, real-time communication, multimedia communication, ISPN, request ooding, link-state routing.
Reference Genes Selection for Quantitative Real-Time PCR Using RankAggreg Method in Different Tissues of Capra hircus

Identification of reference genes with stable levels of gene expression is an important prerequisite for obtaining reliable results in analysis of gene expression data using quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR). Since the underlying assumption of reference genes is that expressed at the exact same level in all sample types, in this study, we evaluated the expression stability of nine most commonly used endogenous controls (GAPDH, ACTB, 18S rRNA, RPS18, HSP-90, ALAS, HMBS, ACAC, and B2M) in four different tissues of the domestic goat, Capra hircus, including liver, visceral, subcutaneous fat and longissimus muscles, across different experimental treatments (a standard diet prepared using the NRC computer software as control and the same diet plus one mg chromium/day). We used six different software programs for ranking of reference genes and found that individual rankings of the genes differed among them. Additionally, there was a significant difference in ranking patterns of the studied genes among different tissues. A rank aggregation method was applied to combine the ranking lists of the six programs to a consensus ranking. Our results revealed that HSP-90 was nearly always among the two most stable genes in all studied tissues. Therefore, it is recommended for accurate normalization of RT-qPCR data in goats, while GAPDH, ACTB, and RPS18 showed the most varied expressions and should be avoided as reference genes.
Validating the Predictive Accuracy of the Static Factors Assessment (SFA) Risk Scale for Federally Sentenced Offenders in Canada

L’évaluation des facteurs statiques (EFS) est utilisée par le Service correctionnel du Canada pour évaluer les risques criminels. Elle comprend 137 éléments répartis entre trois sous-échelles : le Dossier des antécédents criminels (DAC), le Dossier sur la gravité des infractions (DGI) et la Liste de contrôle des antécédents de délinquance sexuelle (LCADS). Les deux premières sous-échelles sont étudiées dans cet examen (109 éléments). Bien que l’EFS ait été utilisée pour tous les délinquants sous responsabilité fédérale, et ce, pendant près de 20 ans, aucune étude n’examine sa capacité à prédire les résultats dans la collectivité. Cette étude, effectuée dans le cadre d’une période de suivi de cinq ans, comprend 8 767 délinquants sous responsabilité fédérale. Elle a examiné les révocations sans infraction, les réincarcérations pour infraction (de quelque nature que ce soit) et les réincarcérations pour infraction avec violence. L’EFS, le DAC et le DGI globaux étaient liés aux taux de récidive, quoique la somme des éléments du DAC prédit beaucoup mieux l’EFS global. La plupart des éléments du DAC avaient un niveau d’exactitude prédictive important, tandis qu’environ la moitié des éléments du DGI étaient prédictifs. Quoi qu’il en soit, le DGI a ajouté à la validité du DAC. L’EFS global ainsi que les souséchelles DAC et DGI sont valides pour l’évaluation des risques criminels auprès des délinquants sous responsabilité fédérale, bien que les résultats actuels suggèrent que des améliorations à l’EFS devraient être apportées. The Static Factors Assessment (SFA) is used by the Correctional Service of Canada to assess criminal risk. It includes 137 items in three sub-components: the Criminal History Record (CHR), Offence Severity Record (OSR), and Sex Offence History Checklist; the first two sub-components are examined in this study (109 items). Although the SFA has been used for all federal offenders for nearly 20 years, there are no studies examining its ability to predict community outcomes. This study included 8,767 federal offenders within a five-year follow-up period, and it examined revocations without an offence, readmissions for any offence, and readmissions for a violent offence. The overall SFA, CHR, and OSR were related to recidivism outcomes, although the sum of the items in the CHR significantly out-predicted the overall SFA rating. Most items in the CHR had significant predictive accuracy, whereas roughly half the OSR items were predictive; nonetheless, the OSR added positive incremental validity to the CHR. The SFA overall rating and the CHR and OSR sub-components are valid for offender risk assessment with Canadian federal offenders, although the current results suggest that improvements to the SFA should be undertaken.
A Detection Technique for Degraded Face Images

This paper describes a face detection technique that enables detection of extremely small faces such as 6 × 6 pixel. This is the first approach to detect very low-resolution faces in the field of face detection. First, we use a conventional AdaBoost-based face detector to show that the face detection rate falls to 39% from 88% as face resolution decreases from 24 × 24 pixels to 6 × 6 pixels. Second, we propose a new face detection method comprising four techniques. It improves the face detection rate from 39% to 73% for 6 × 6 pixel faces of the MIT+CMU frontal face test set. Finally, we applied our method to real world data. By merging results of some frames and judging using a threshold, we show that our method is effective for processing real world data.
Using Progressive Filtering to Deal with Information Overload

In the age of Web 2.0 people organize large collections of web pages, articles, or emails in hierarchies of topics, or arrange a large body of knowledge in ontologies. This scenario requires automatic text categorization systems able to cope with underlying taxonomies in an effective and efficient way, so that information overload and input imbalance can be suitably dealt with. In this work, we propose a hierarchical text categorization approach that decomposes a given rooted taxonomy into pipelines, one for each path that exists between the root and each node of the taxonomy, so that each pipeline can be tuned in isolation. Experimental results, performed on Reuters and DMOZ data collections, show that the proposed approach performs better than a flat approach in presence of input imbalance.
Word Similarity Perception: an Explorative Analysis

Natural language is a medium for expressing things belonging to conceptual and cognitive levels, made of words and grammar rules used to carry semantics. However, its natural ambiguity is the main critical issue that computational systems are generally asked to solve. In this paper, we propose to go beyond the current conceptualization of word similarity, i.e., the building block of disambiguation at computational level. First, we analyze the origin of the perceived similarity, studying how conceptual, functional, and syntactic aspects influence its strength. We report the results of a two-stages experiment showing clear similarity perception patterns. Then, based on the insights gained in the cognitive tests, we developed a computational system that automatically predicts word similarity reaching high levels of accuracy.
Policy Alteration: Rethinking Diffusion Processes When Policies Have Alternatives

Most analyses of policy interdependence operate under the assumption that international policy networks can be observed by focusing on the diffusion of one policy across countries. Consequently, if a focal policy is not adopted from one country to the next, researchers usually claim that interdependence is weak and diffusion may have not occurred. In this article we take issue with this argument and challenge the notion that diffusion processes and interdependence entail the same policy diffusing. We posit that national governments, which are usually confronted by a bundle of diffusing policies instead of one unique policy, are often pressed to implement the policy adopted in neighboring countries. At the same time, the decision makers? incentive to implement this instrument may rely on whether the domestic government is more or less dependent on foreign resources and, thus, the policy preferences of foreign constituents. We hold that, conditional on a neighbor? s pressure to adopt a policy, choosing an alternative policy is more likely to occur in countries that are relatively less dependent on economic flows, where governments have more political leeway to model policy diffusion into their strategic advantage. We trace this alteration mechanism using two studies of environmental policy diffusion across space and time. Our analyses suggest that considering only one diffusing policy although alternatives are implemented risks underestimating policy interdependence, as well as biasing inference on the scope of policy diffusion.
Can We Rank Emotions? A Brand Love Ranking System for Emotional Terms

In this paper we examine customers' emotional attachment to a brand name utilizing content extracted from social media. More specifically, we consider the emotions associated to brand love appearing in the form of terms in users' Twitter posts. Building on existing work that identifies seven dimensions in brand love, we propose a probabilistic network scheme that employs a topic identification method so as to identify the aspects of the brand name. In order to address these visible key signs, we find a realistic emotional term ranking that integrates different types of information within the inference network considering the emotional dimensions of terms, their synonyms as well as the current (dynamic) aspects of the brand. Moreover, we introduce a Twitter Behavior Metric that depicts user behavior and we associate brand love to user behavior. The effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated by sampling the Twitter graph on a specific brand and examining the inference network output as well as its relationship with users' behavior metric.
Power Electronics Design Choice for Piezoelectric Microrobots

Piezoelectric actuators are advantageous for microrobots due to their light weight, high bandwidth, high force production, low power consumption, and simplicity of integration. However, the main disadvantage of either stack or cantilever piezoelectric actuators are the high drive voltages required for adequate force and displacement. This especially limits the ability for such actuators to be used in autonomous microrobots because of the weight and complexity of necessary power electronics. This paper approaches the design of all the component parts of an autonomous piezoelectric robot as a linear constraint on the weight and efficiency of those components. It then focuses on the choice and optimization of the power electronics section of the robot, specifically exploring three different high voltage generation methods. Finally, one of these power electronics designs is implemented and its behavior is experimentally explored
Constructing ethnicity and identity in the online classroom: Linguistic practices and ritual text acts

In this paper I describe how online learners participate in textually-mediated 'ritual performance' as a means of attesting to their ethnicity and constructing cultural identities in a virtual learning environment. Evidence for this phenomenon emerged from an investigation of cultural identity and learning in a virtual classroom, in which I examined web-based student communications from several iterations of a new international online undergraduate course. I present, here, some of this data, with a focus on ‘ritual text acts’ that participants seem to perform. I draw attention to the ways participants not only ritually perform their affiliations with established national, ethnic or ‘racial’ groups through the use of stylized language, but also how they then ritually challenge these essentialized models of identity. In particular, I explore apparent ritual performances of new hybrid global identities, and moments of ritual resistance to expected learner identities or practices. I argue that that these ritual practices, performed in text, are a significant strategy that virtual learners employ in construction of authentic individual identities a critical first step in development of a new learning community with a shared learning culture.
Sensar...secure/sup TM/ Iris identification system

The Sensar.Secure/sup TM/ M765-R1 Iris Identification System uses real-time stereo and eye finding technologies and the subject's unique iris pattern to unobtrusively verify an individual's identity. This biometric system represents an evolution of Camus et al. (1997). It provides improved performance with glasses and operates under a variety of lighting conditions.
Comparison of Eleven Commercial Tests for Chlamydia pneumoniae-Specific Immunoglobulin G in Asymptomatic Healthy Individuals

ABSTRACT The seroprevalence of anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies is high in the adult population. Experience is required to perform a microimmunofluorescence test (MIF), the current “gold standard” for serological diagnosis, and the assay still lacks standardization. Partially automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), which are more standardized and for which the reading of results is less subjective, have been developed. The different commercially available serological tests differ in their sensitivities and specificities, depending primarily on the antigen used. Therefore, we evaluated 11 different tests (10 were species specific, 1 was genus specific) for IgG antibodies using serum samples of 80 apparently healthy volunteers. The interpretation of the results was based on the results of the gold standard, MIF: a sample was judged positive if it was positive by at least three of the four different MIFs. Based on this internal standard, we found that 71% of the samples were positive, while 8% were false positive by some tests. The correlations between the results of the different MIFs ranged from 83 to 99%, and the correlations between the results of the MIFs and the different ELISAs and EIAs ranged from 78 to 98%. Comparison of the IgG titers measured by MIF showed good agreement (r = 0.76 to 0.91). This analysis revealed that some ELISAs and EIAs fail to detect low IgG titers. The specificities of the species-specific tests varied from 95 to 100%, and the sensitivities varied from 58 to 100%. These results indicate that serological assays for the detection of anti-C. pneumoniae-specific IgG vary greatly in their sensitivities and specificities. MIF must still be considered the best method for the detection of IgG in apparently healthy subjects, but the sensitivities and specificities of new ELISAs approximate those of MIFs.
Software Reliability Engineering for Agile Software Development

In software industry there is a common assumption that deployment of software reliability engineering (SRE) contributes to huge overhead in development and its practice does not match the agile software development which puts emphasis on traveling light and generating a minimal amount of project artifacts. However measuring and/or assessing reliability of developed software is nevertheless a very important task and there seems to be a natural fit between SRE and agile in driving certification testing. SRE typically focuses on directing test efforts after software has been created in order to achieve a predetermined failure intensity objective (FIO). It also uses reliability growth models in order to predict when the software will meet the FIO, and therefore can be released. While these ideas may initially seem incompatible with the test-driven emphasis of agile methods, we show that SRE does in fact have value within the agile process context.
Recognition of Eyes-free Handwriting Input for Pen and Touch Interfaces

Continuous handwriting input using the finger on small devices such as PDAs and mobile phones is difficult if not impossible. Also, handwriting input has always required significant attention from the user during the process of writing. In our previous work, we proposed the concept of ‘eyes-free writing’, a novel solution that addresses both the problems. In this paper, we describe the challenges from the perspective of recognizing eyes-free handwriting input and explain the architecture of our recognition system in detail. Recognition is performed using wordlevel Hidden Markov Models (HMM), and empirical evaluation of the recognition accuracy using English and Tamil handwriting datasets has shown promising results.
A Theory of Developmental Architecture

This paper presents a theory of developmental mental architecture primarily for robots. Six types of architecture are presented, starting with the observation-driven Markov decision process as Type-1. From Type-1 to Type-6, the architecture progressively becomes more complete toward the necessary functions of the autonomously developing agent. Properties of each architecture type are presented.
The Role of Mother in Informing Girls About Puberty: A Meta-Analysis Study

Context Family, especially the mother, has the most important role in the education, transformation of information, and health behaviors of girls in order for them to have a healthy transition from the critical stage of puberty, but there are different views in this regard. Objectives Considering the various findings about the source of information about puberty, a meta-analysis study was conducted to investigate the extent of the mother’s role in informing girls about puberty. Data Sources This meta-analysis study was based on English articles published from 2000 to February 2015 in the Scopus, PubMed, and Science direct databases and on Persian articles in the SID, Magiran, and Iran Medex databases with determined key words and their MeSH equivalent. Study Selection Quantitative cross-sectional articles were extracted by two independent researchers and finally 46 articles were selected based on inclusion criteria. STROBE list were used for evaluation of studies. Data Extraction The percent of mothers as the current and preferred source of gaining information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation from the perspective of adolescent girls was extracted from the articles. The results of studies were analyzed using meta-analysis (random effects model) and the studies’ heterogeneity was analyzed using the I2 calculation index. Variance between studies was analyzed using tau squared (Tau2) and review manager 5 software. Results The results showed that, from the perspective of teenage girls in Iran and other countries, in 56% of cases, the mother was the current source of information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation. The preferred source of information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation was the mother in all studies at 60% (Iran 57%, and other countries 66%). Conclusions According to the findings of this study, it is essential that health professionals and officials of the ministry of health train mothers about the time, trends, and factors affecting the start of puberty using a multi-dimensional approach that involves religious organizations, community groups, and peer groups.
Achieving service portability in ICEBERG

There is a growing trend toward service access through heterogeneous devices from diverse networks. It thus becomes crucial to provide support for mobility and portability at the application and service level to enable seamless service access from any end devices and access networks. Such support allows transparent roaming and ubiquitous service access. In the ICEBERG project (Wang et al. 2000), our goal is to develop such a service infrastructure to integrate a variety of telephony and data services spanning diverse access networks reaching heterogeneous end users. In this paper, we discuss our techniques for achieving the goals of personal and service mobility, transparent network- and device-independent service access, as well as highly scalable and fault-tolerant access to composed service entities across a wide area. We evaluate our implementation through applications such as Universal In-box, Interactive Voice Room Control, MP3-Jukebox access using a cell-phone, and realtime video delivery to wireless clients.