Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The significance of being first: A consideration of cultural capital in relation to "first in family" student's choices of university and program. A Practice Report

This presentation explored the differences between expectations of first in family students and students who have immediate family members (parents, care givers, or siblings) who have attended university before them. The authors draw on Bourdieu’s notion of cultural capital to examine how being first in family influences student expectations. Data from a large survey of over 3,000 first year students conducted in 2010 across the three South Australian universities is used to explore the demographic make-up of first in family students, and the choices they make as to what type of university and program they enroll in. Based on qualitative and quantitative data, the authors compare choices of first in family students with those made by non-first in family students. Determining these differences provides opportunities for staff at universities to consider how they may better support students who have the ability, drive and determination to succeed at university but lack the cultural capital and may therefore be thwarted by unforeseen hurdles. Please cite this practice report as: Luzeckyj, A. , King, S. , Scutter, S. , & Brinkworth, R. (2011). The significance of being first: A consideration of cultural capital in relation to “first in family” student’s choices of university and program. A Practice Report. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 2(2), 91-96. doi: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v2i2. 89 This practice report has been accepted for publication in Int J FYHE. Please see the Editorial Policies under the ‘About’ section of the Journal website for further information. © Copyright of practice reports is retained by authors. As an open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings. ISSN: 1838-2959
nepDroid: an intelligent mobile music player

Mobile music consumption has been spiraling during the past couple of years. The interaction techniques provided to sift through the ever increasing amounts of music available on smart devices unfortunately have not. In this paper, we address this issue and present an intelligent mobile user interface that enables the user to browse her mobile music collection in a joyful and informed way.
Digital Baseband IC Design of OFDM PHY for a 60GHz Proximity Communication System

This paper presents a digital baseband IC design based on OFDM PHY for a 60GHz proximity communication system. We propose a low computational complexity OFDM demodulator with a carrier frequency offset estimation method in polar coordinates suitable for high-speed parallel architecture. The proposed architecture is implemented in 65nm CMOS technology, and is experimentally verified to achieve the PHY data rate above 2.2Gbps. The digital baseband IC includes a complete functionality of OFDM transceiver with error correcting codecs and MAC.
Exploring Embedded Haptics for Social Networking and Interactions

Haptic feedback is frequently used for user interactions with mobile devices, wearables, and handheld controllers in virtual reality and entertainment settings. We explore the use of vibrotactile (VT) feedback for social and interpersonal communication on embedded systems, particularly in a mobile context. We propose an architecture that supports compact packet communication between devices and triggers expressive VT patterns in a typical messenger application. We present a communication API, haptic vocabularies, and an interface for receiving and authoring haptic messages. Finally, we conclude with an informal survey for using haptics in a social setting.
Simulating Computer Networks Using Clusters of PCs

Simulation has become the dominant technique for evaluating the performance of many products before real hardware is produced. In computer networks, this is particularly true, and can avoid expensive hardware and software development. Using simulation it is possible to explore different protocols and design options, under different loads, long before the design is frozen. However, such simulations can be time consuming, especiall y if a large number of scenarios are to be considered. In this paper, we show how it is possible to perform distributed execution of a network simulation written for the OpNet package. This is performed using a distributed computing tool called Clustor. Very high efficiency has been experienced on a variety of workstation clusters. A case study is presented in which a real network protocol is evaluated using OpNet and Clustor.
Health Benefits for Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers: Comparison of Access Rates With Workers in the General Population

Access to health insurance is one of the critical aspects of securing employment for people with disabilities. This study investigated whether vocational rehabilitation consumers secured employment with an employer who offered health insurance at similar rates to workers in the general population. In general, the results show that vocational rehabilitation consumers had significantly lower health insurance access rates than workers in the general population. Implications for rehabilitation counselors are discussed.
The MYD88-Independent Pathway Is Not Mobilized in Human Neutrophils Stimulated via TLR41

LPS activates both MyD88-dependent and -independent signaling via TLR4, but the extent to which each cascade is operative in different cell types remains unclear. This prompted us to revisit the intriguing issue of CXCL10 production, which we previously showed to be inducible in neutrophils stimulated with LPS and IFN-γ but not with either stimulus alone, contrary to other myeloid cells. We now report that in neutrophils the MyD88-independent pathway is not activated by LPS. Indeed, microarray and real-time PCR experiments showed that neither IFNβ nor IFNβ-dependent genes (including CXCL10) are inducible in LPS-treated neutrophils, in contrast to monocytes. Further investigation into the inability of LPS to promote IFNβ expression in neutrophils revealed that the transcription factors regulating the IFNβ enhanceosome, such as IFN-regulatory factor-3 and AP-1, are not activated in LPS-treated neutrophils as revealed by lack of dimerization, nuclear translocation, confocal microscopy, and inducible binding to DNA. Moreover, we show that the upstream TANK-binding kinase-1 is not activated by LPS in neutrophils. A lack of IFNβ/CXCL10 mRNA expression and IFN-regulatory factor 3 activation was also observed in myeloid leukemia HL60 cells differentiated to granulocytes and then stimulated with LPS, indicating that the inability of neutrophils to activate the MyD88-independent pathway represents a feature of their terminal maturation. These results identify a disconnected activation of the two signaling pathways downstream of TLR4 in key cellular components of the inflammatory and immune responses and help us to better understand the primordial role of neutrophils in host defense against nonviral infections.
Switching sources: A study of people's exploratory search behavior on social media and the web

Searching the Web for information via search engines is a ubiquitous phenomenon and a well‐established field of study in Information Science. Social media sites also continue to evolve and by now have gained enough popularity and momentum to be used as not just vessels for communication with others, but also as important repositories of information. However, it is not clear if the information behavior of users of traditional search engines differ from those performing information searches strictly on social media sites. To address this, we examined data from two user studies on people's exploratory searching behavior: one group only used Web search engines, while the other exclusively used social media sites to search for information. Information search behaviors of both groups regarding exploratory tasks were observed and analyzed through search log and surveys. The results indicate that, while people using social media sites for exploratory search tasks find a smaller quantity and a less diverse set of documents than what they might discover when utilizing traditional Web search engines, they do perceive to end up with more relevant documents. They also report doing less work and feeling less challenged.
The General Variation Models of Additive and Multiplicative Noise Removal of Color Images and Their Split Bregman Algorithms

The general variation diffusion models for additive and multiplicative noise removal of color images are proposed and their Split Bregman algorithms are designed via introducing auxiliary variables and Bregman iterative parameters, which lead to simple Poisson equations and analytical soft threshold formulas of the original minimization problems. The MTV (Multichannel Total Variation) and MPM (Multichannel Perona Malik) regularizations are considered as two examples of the proposed general regularizer and used for additive and multiplicative noise removal of color images with different kinds of noise. Finally, some numerical experiments are provided to validate the models and algorithms proposed in this paper.
The Role of Dialogue in Human Robot Interaction

This paper reports on our research on developing the ability for robots to engage with humans in a collaborative conversation. Engagement is the process by which two (or more) participants establish, maintain and end their perceived connection during interactions they jointly undertake. The paper reports on the architecture for human-robot collaborative conversation with engagement, and the significance of the dialogue model in that architecture for decisions about engagement during the interaction.
A specificity enhancer for polymerase chain reaction.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the most rapid and versatile methods of producing large quantities of DNA for molecular analysis (1). Because of the powerful amplification potential of the PCR technique, undesirable multiple satellite bands, in addition to the single expected band, are often present on the gel when complex cDNA or genomic DNA is used as the PCR template (Lanes 2 and 4, Figure 1). These multiple bands, frequently attributed to non-specific priming, often cannot be eliminated even when all experimental parameters are optimized. The use of DMSO (2) and non-ionic detergents (3) has been reported to improve the DNA sequencing reaction, perhaps due to decreased inter- and intra-strand reannealing. Recently, the inclusion of 10% DMSO in the PCR mixture was found to be essential for amplification of the retinoblastoma gene; little or no PCR fragment was produced without DMSO However, DMSO was also found to inhibit DNA synthesis by Taq polymerase by 50% in the PCR assay (5). Tetramethylammonium chloride M.W. 109.6) has used successfully reduce potential DNA/RNA mismatch and to improve the stringency in hybridization reactions
Racial bias in sport medical staff’s perceptions of others’ pain

ABSTRACT Unequal treatment based on race is well documented in higher education and healthcare settings. In the present work, we examine racial bias at the intersection of these domains: racial bias in pain-related perceptions among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 sport medical staff. Using experimental vignettes about a student-athlete who injured his/her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), we find, like prior work, that respondents perceived Black (vs. White) targets as having higher initial pain tolerance. Moreover, this bias was mediated by perceptions of social class. We extend prior work by showing racial bias was not evident on other outcome measures, including perception of recovery process pain, likelihood of over-reporting pain, and over-use of drugs to combat pain. This suggests stricter boundary conditions on bias in pain perceptions than had been previously recognized.
The complementary assets and appropriability affect patent commercialization on the moderate effect of marketing sensing capability: The case of bio-patents in Taiwan

The issues of technology commercialization is continued to be concerned when Teece demonstrated the Profit From Innovation model (PFI model). From invention to commercialization, it's a complex process that is high-costs and uncertainties. There are many factors affect the patent commercialization, including appropriability, complementary assets, technical quality and lead time of new technology, etc. However, previous studies have often overlooked that sensing capability of firm strengthens the effect of patent commercialization on complementary assets and appropriability. Therefore, this study takes the PFI model to be the principal theory to construct the research framework to know the impacts about patent of biotech commercialization. Through reviewing literatures, this study, which on the condition of PFI model, not only proposes the effect of patent commercialization on complementary assets and appropriability but also consider the moderating influence of sensing capability. This study collected samples from firms who hold patent of biotech in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO). Of the 354 questionnaires sent to firms, 22 valid questionnaires were returned. The result of the study, the complementary assets and appropriability are significant positively affect patent commercialization, also the sensing capability moderate this positively influence.
Optimal SNR Exponent for Discrete-Input MIMO ARQ Block-Fading Channels

In this paper, we consider an automatic-repeat- request (ARQ) retransmission protocol signaling over a block-fading multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) channel. In particular, we consider fixed rate codes constructed over discrete complex signal constellations. We show that the optimal signal- to-noise ratio (SNR) exponent is given by a modified singleton bound, relating all the system parameters. To demonstrate the practical significance of the theoretical analysis, we present numerical results showing that practical singleton-bound-achieving maximum distance separable codes achieve the optimal SNR exponent.
Training and Transitions: The Lived Experiences of Adult Learners of English as a Second (or Other) Language

This study endeavoured to explore and examine the lived experience of adults learning and using English as a second language within the context of an international charitable and humanitarian organization, and the significance of this for English language teaching pedagogy. The study has at its foundation principles of hermeneutic phenomenology and as such sought to understand what these experiences were like for the respondents. Two clusters of participants contributed responses in different formats from different contexts within the international organization. At level one the 16 participants were working in multicultural teams with an international charitable and humanitarian organization in various locations around the world and contributed one off written responses to guiding questions. The 18 respondents at level two were studying English at an organizational training college in order to fulfil requirements for a standardised level of English proficiency, and took part in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis and interpretation utilised a combination of grounded theory and thematic analysis methods so as to discern themes arising from the data. Findings from the study suggest that significant personal transformation is possible when adults learn English in a country and culture other than their own. Attitudes and approaches to English language learning undergo change as adults endeavour to participate in the target language community. Intercultural awareness and an increased understanding of the host culture develop as adults relate to those from other cultures in the new context. In their everyday routine experiences, English language learners and users experience changes to the self, particularly growth in self confidence and a sense of empowerment. The changes brought about by the ESL experience also necessitate negotiation within existing relationships as families deal with separation from family members and establish routines in the host culture. The role of English within the family also requires ongoing negotiation as contexts change. The role of the English language teacher can be regarded as crucial both in affecting good language learning experiences but also in facilitating learning that is transformative. Within the international organization experiences of learning and using English have a temporal nature that is context dependent. For non-native speakers within the organization the role of English develops as proficiency develops however, fulfilling roles of additional responsibility creates additional pressure from the expectations both of the English language users themselves and from others. The findings suggest that the participants in this study were motivated to learn English by a sense of vocation that also assisted them to maintain their English language learning and to persist in using English to fulfil their vocation through working with the international organization.
RECRUITING MANAGING DIRECTORS - DOING HOMOSOCIALITY

This article examines homosociality in the context of top management recruitment in Sweden, drawing on interviews with chairmen of the board and three recruitments of managing directors. The analysis suggests that homosociality is done through two main practices: (re)defining competence and doing hierarchy, resulting in a preference for certain men and the exclusion of women. It is argued that the preference of men can be understood as an unreflexive practice, which can explain why many Swedish male managers are aware of the adverse conditions women face and claim to be pro-equality but continue to recruit men for management positions. In light of this, it is also argued that homosociality and gender discrimination can be seen as two sides of the same coin.
Learn to Evaluate Image Perceptual Quality Blindly from Statistics of Self-similarity

Among the various image quality assessment (IQA) tasks, blind IQA (BIQA) is particularly challenging due to the absence of knowledge about the reference image and distortion type. Features based on natural scene statistics (NSS) have been successfully used in BIQA, while the quality relevance of the feature plays an essential role to the quality prediction performance. Motivated by the fact that the early processing stage in human visual system aims to remove the signal redundancies for efficient visual coding, we propose a simple but very effective BIQA method by computing the statistics of self-similarity (SOS) in an image. Specifically, we calculate the inter-scale similarity and intra-scale similarity of the distorted image, extract the SOS features from these similarities, and learn a regression model to map the SOS features to the subjective quality score. Extensive experiments demonstrate very competitive quality prediction performance and generalization ability of the proposed SOS based BIQA method.
Teaching Rounds in Cardiac Electrophysiology Three-Dimensional Delayed-Enhanced Cardiac MRI Reconstructions to Guide Ventricular Tachycardia Ablations and Assess Ablation Lesions

Voltage mapping is the primary tool for identifying sites for substrate-guided ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation, but there are limitations in its application. Delayed-enhanced cardiac MRI (DE-CMRI) can facilitate VT ablations by providing complementary detail about myocardial scar location and geometry. We present the case of a patient with recurrent VT with left bundle branch block (LBBB)-right-side inferior axis morphology and a challenging voltage map.
The Impact of Nathan Mantel's "The Detection of Disease Clustering and a Generalized Regression Approach".

Visit the Cancer Research 75th Anniversary [timeline][1]. See related article by Mantel, [Cancer Res 1967;27:209–20][2] . World War II was raging in Europe and it would be 11 months until the United States entered the war, when Cancer Research published its first issue in January 1941. As we
TICRec: A Probabilistic Framework to Utilize Temporal Influence Correlations for Time-Aware Location Recommendations

In location-based social networks (LBSNs), time significantly affects users' check-in behaviors, for example, people usually visit different places at different times of weekdays and weekends, e.g., restaurants at noon on weekdays and bars at midnight on weekends. Current studies use the temporal influence to recommend locations through dividing users' check-in locations into time slots based on their check-in time and learning their preferences to locations in each time slot separately. Unfortunately, these studies generally suffer from two major limitations: (1) the loss of time information because of dividing a day into time slots and (2) the lack of temporal influence correlations due to modeling users' preferences to locations for each time slot separately. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic framework called TICRec that utilizes temporal influence correlations (TIC) of both weekdays and weekends for time-aware location recommendations. TICRec not only recommends locations to users, but it also suggests when a user should visit a recommended location. In TICRec, we estimate a time probability density of a user visiting a new location without splitting the continuous time into discrete time slots to avoid the time information loss. To leverage the TIC, TICRec considers both user-based TIC (i.e., different users' check-in behaviors to the same location at different times) and location-based TIC (i.e., the same user's check-in behaviors to different locations at different times). Finally, we conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation for TICRec using two real data sets collected from Foursquare and Gowalla. Experimental results show that TICRec achieves significantly superior location recommendations compared to other state-of-the-art recommendation techniques with temporal influence.
Supervisory control of families of linear set-point controllers

This paper describes a simple, 'high-level' controller called a 'supervisor' which is capable of switching into feedback with a SISO process, a sequence of linear positioning or set-point controllers from a family /spl Fscr//sub C/ of candidate controllers, so as to cause the output of the process to approach and track a constant reference input. The process is assumed to be modeled by a SISO linear system whose transfer function is in the union of a number of subclasses, each subclass being small enough so that one of the controllers in /spl Fscr//sub C/ would solve the positioning problem, were the process's transfer function to be one of the subclasses members. The supervisor decides which controller to put in feedback with the process, not by an exhaustive search-i.e., by experimentally evaluating each and every candidate controller's performance by briefly applying it to the process-but rather by continuously comparing in real time suitably defined 'output estimation errors' generated by the candidate controllers, whether or not they are in feedback with the process. It is shown that under reasonably mild conditions, the supervisor can successfully perform its function in spite of modeling errors, provided the errors are sufficiently small. It is also shown that the supervisor will invariably correctly classify the process in finite time, so long as the reference input is nonzero and the "dc gains" of the "nominal" candidate process model transfer functions are distinct. <<ETX>>