Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
OSSS methodology - system-level design and synthesis of embedded HW/SW systems in C++

The OSSS methodology defines a seamless design flow for embedded HW/SW systems. It enables the effective use of high-level SystemCTM and C++ features like classes (object-oriented design paradigm), templates and method based communication for the description of SW and HW. Furthermore, it supports the OSCI SystemC Synthesis Subset for low-level HW description and HW IP integration. With Fossy we provide a tool for the automatic transformation of a system description in OSSS to an implementation. In this paper we present a top-down design flow using the OSSS methodology for the implementation of an adaptive video filter. The last step of the proposed design flow has been performed automatically by Fossy. We have targeted a Xilinx FPGA to proof the usability of a physical implementation for future SoC designs.
News Framing of Autism

This study explores agenda setting, framing, and the concepts of media advocacy and mobilizing information through content analysis of The New York Times and The Washington Post news coverage of autism from 1996 to 2006, the year the Combating Autism Act was passed. Findings revealed that science frames decreased over time, while policy frames increased. Medical, government, family, and nonprofit sources were most common in news coverage. Solutions were mentioned more frequently than causes; however, mobilizing information was limited. Theoretical implications and practical applications are discussed.
Interactive Whiteboard for Primary Schools in Mauritius: An Effective Tool or Just Another Trend?.

Mauritius is among the few African countries where the interactive whiteboard has been implemented in all primary schools. The interactive whiteboard is an important tool in the classroom as it changes the mode of instruction. Many researches have been carried out in many countries to investigate the effectiveness of the interactive whiteboard. This research is based on a feasibility study to determine teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of the potential benefits and drawbacks of using interactive whiteboards in their teaching and learning environments. In this research project, an educational resource was designed and mounted using XERTE which is an Open Source Authoring tool, to test whether interactive whiteboard can improve learning in schools. Additionally, a survey was carried out among primary school teachers to gather feedbacks on the interactive whiteboard. The outcome showed that using the interactive whiteboard does not necessarily mean getting better results in learners’ assessments. Yet learners showed better engagement and enjoyment during the lessons. The survey revealed that few teachers were actually using the digital board. It is still unclear whether these teachers are making effective use of the interactive whiteboard or not. The survey also concluded that most teachers agreed that the interactive whiteboard was an effective tool as it benefited to all types of learners.
Minimising attrition: strategies for assisting students who are at risk of withdrawal

This paper explores strategies aimed at minimising attrition by encouraging persistence among online graduate students who are considering withdrawal. It builds upon earlier studies conducted by a team of researchers who teach online graduate students in health care at Athabasca University. First, in 2008–2009, Park, Boman, Care, Edwards, and Perry reviewed assumptions held related to attrition of online learners and defined key terms such as persistence and attrition. Next, Perry, Boman, Care, Edwards, and Park explored factors that influenced online students’ decisions to withdraw. Reported in this paper are strategies related to course design, course delivery, and programme organisation that could reduce attrition rates. An additional section of the paper focuses on strategies to ease the re‐integration of students who have withdrawn and subsequently want to return to their studies. Rovai’s Composite Persistence Model and Harter and Szurminski’s Project Assuring Student Success (PASS) programme are used as a framework for analysis and for generation of recommended strategies.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.net Can Mdma Play a Role in the Treatment of Substance Abuse?

A wider array of treatments are needed for people with substance abuse disorders. Some psychedelic compounds have been assessed as potential substance abuse treatments with promising results. MDMA may also help treat substance abuse based on shared features with psychedelic compounds and recent reports indicating that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can reduce symptoms of PTSD. Narrative reports and data from early investigations found that some people reduced or eliminated their substance use after receiving MDMA, especially in a therapeutic setting. MDMA is a potent monoamine releaser with sympathomimetic effects that may indirectly activate 5-HT 2A receptors. It increases interpersonal closeness and prosocial feelings, potentially through oxytocin release. Findings suggest that ecstasy, material represented as containing MDMA, is associated with deleterious long-term effects after heavy lifetime use, including fewer serotonin transporter sites and impaired verbal memory. Animal and human studies demonstrate moderate abuse liability for MDMA, and this effect may be of most concern to those treating substance abuse disorders. However, subjects who received MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in two recent clinical studies were not motivated to seek out ecstasy, and tested negative in random drug tests during follow-up in one study. MDMA could either directly treat neuropharmacological abnormalities associated with addiction, or it could indirectly assist with the therapeutic process or reduce symptoms of comorbid psychiatric conditions, providing a greater opportunity to address problematic substance use. Studies directly testing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in people with active substance abuse disorder may be warranted.
Automatic service selection in dynamic wireless networks

We consider the use of machine learning agents to autonomously and continually select among wireless access services available to a user. The work in this thesis is part of the Personal Router project; a technical research program aimed at reshaping the wireless network access market towards greater competition and diversity [11]. A critical function within the PR vision is that of service selection. The Personal Router, acting on behalf of its user, must intelligently, intuitively, and autonomously select from among the available services the one that best meets its user's needs. It must do this transparently, without involving, bothering, or distracting its user. Previous approaches to wireless service selection, including static policies and manual selection, do not adequately address individual user preferences. Instead, we explore a machine learning approach, in which an intelligent agent learns user preferences and makes selections automatically on behalf of the user with minimal user involvement. We developed an agent model based on a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) abstractly describing the challenges and goals of service selection. Next we devised a service selection architecture providing the framework for an agent that can learn from user feedback and accurately select services even when the set of available services changes. Our approach uses ideas from reinforcement learning to estimate the quality and cost of services, and neural networks to predict the value of new services. We implemented a software prototype of the PR using this architecture and evaluated it with user experiments. Our experimental results show that our approach can effectively estimate the user perceived quality and cost of services even when the set of available services changes for high bandwidth web browsing. They suggest that compared to manual selection, the PR requires less interaction to select a good service and can provide more consistent performance. Thesis Supervisor: John Wroclawski Title: Research Scientist
Invasion of Flukes of the Echinostomatidae Family in Racing Pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica) Lofts

SUMMARY Over 4 years, only two known cases of fluke invasions were diagnosed in racing pigeons (Columba livia) originating from different regions of Poland. In both cases, the invasion was characterized by a very high mortality (approximately 70%), and the source of the infestation was snails of the Lymnaeidae family eaten by pigeons. Fluke invasions in pigeons are extremely rare and to date have not been described in Poland. Therefore, the occurrence of the symptoms of hemorrhagic diarrhea and sudden deaths of either adult pigeons or nestlings were suspected to be associated with poisoning. Autopsy revealed an invasion of flukes causing hemorrhagic enteritis. Renal failure and spleen atrophy were also found in the birds. Using molecular biology techniques, infestation with the fluke Echinostoma revolutum was determined in the second case.
Integrated Model-Based and Data-Driven Diagnosis of Automotive Antilock Braking Systems

Model-based fault diagnosis, using statistical hypothesis testing, residual generation (by analytical redundancy), and parameter estimation, has been an active area of research for the past four decades. However, these techniques are developed in isolation, and generally, a single technique cannot address the diagnostic problems in complex systems. In this paper, we investigate a hybrid approach, which combines model-based and data-driven techniques to obtain better diagnostic performance than the use of a single technique alone, and demonstrate it on an antilock braking system. In this approach, we first combine the parity equations and a nonlinear observer to generate the residuals. Statistical tests, particularly the generalized likelihood ratio tests, are used to detect and isolate a subset of faults that are easier to detect. Support vector machines are used for fault isolation of less-sensitive parametric faults. Finally, subset selection (via fault detection and isolation) is used to accurately estimate fault severity.
Counselling psychology and the integration of theory, research and practice: A personal account

This paper aims to explore the factors that have contributed to the development of my understanding of integrating theory, research and practice. I will attempt to demonstrate how factors such as relevant psychotherapeutic models, psychological research, use of supervision, personal therapy and multicultural issues have impacted upon my ongoing practice as an integrative practitioner. My growing capacity to think reflectively will be illustrated by the use of clinical examples from my work as a trainee counselling psychologist. Furthermore, I will also explore how the development of reflective thinking has assisted in my ability to grow as an integrative practitioner. However, this paper will not suggest that I have become a fully integrated therapist or that my style of practice is fixed and thus not open to future development; it rather aims to demonstrate the ways in which the foundations towards this aim have been set.
Interactive Object Recognition System for a Helper Robot Using Photometric Invariance

We are developing a helper robot that carries out tasks ordered by the user through speech. The robot needs a vision system to recognize the objects appearing in the orders. It is, however, difficult to realize vision systems that can work in various conditions. Thus, we have proposed to use the human user's assistance through speech. When the vision system cannot achieve a task, the robot makes a speech to the user so that the natural response by the user can give helpful information for its vision system. Our previous system assumes that it can segment images without failure. However, if there are occluded objects and/or objects composed of multicolor parts, segmentation failures cannot be avoided. This paper presents an extended system that tries to recover from segmentation failures using photometric invariance. If the system is not sure about segmentation results, the system asks the user by appropriate expressions depending on the invariant values. Experimental results show the usefulness of the system.
The Binding of Histone Deacetylases and the Integrity of Zinc Finger-Like Motifs of the E7 Protein Are Essential for the Life Cycle of Human Papillomavirus Type 31

ABSTRACT The E7 oncoprotein of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) binds to and alters the action of cell cycle regulatory proteins such as members of the retinoblastoma (Rb) family of proteins as well as the histone deacetylases (HDACs). To examine the significance of the binding of E7 to HDACs in the viral life cycle, a mutational analysis of the E7 open reading frame was performed in the context of the complete HPV type 31 (HPV-31) genome. Human foreskin keratinocytes were transfected with wild-type HPV-31 genomes or HPV-31 genomes containing mutations in HDAC binding sequences as well as in the C-terminal zinc finger-like domain, and stable cell lines were isolated. All mutant genomes, except those with E7 mutations in the HDAC binding site, were found to be stably maintained extrachromosomally at an early passage following transfection. Upon further passage in culture, genomes containing mutations to the Rb binding domain as well as the zinc finger-like region quickly lost the ability to maintain episomal genomes. Genomes containing mutations abolishing E7 binding to HDACs or to Rb or mutations to the zinc finger-like motifs failed to extend the life span of transfected keratinocytes and caused cells to arrest at the same time as the untransfected keratinocytes. When induced to differentiate by suspension in methylcellulose, cells maintaining genomes with mutations in the Rb binding domain or the zinc finger-like motifs were impaired in their abilities to activate late viral functions. This study demonstrates that the interaction of E7 with HDACs and the integrity of the zinc finger-like motifs are essential for extending the life span of keratinocytes and for stable maintenance of viral genomes.
Educational Psychology's Healthy Growing Pains

This article outlines the historical development of educational psychology as a discipline, its current issues and tensions, and new directions that might flow from both its history and current state. In providing this synopsis for students of educational psychology, the article examines how the discipline was originally conceptualized, how current debates are elaborations of previous debates, and how these pressures sustain the field. In an effort to understand what has changed in educational psychology since its formal inception, the article reviews the contents of the first volume of the Journal of Educational Psychology for each decade from 1910 to 1990, as well as the 1999 volume. An interesting pattern that emerges from this inspection of topics is the focus on developing adequate measurement tools before the study of new topics can be fully embraced and pursued. The article concludes that the current debates about methods, purposes, and intended contributions of the field of educational psychology generally reflect a healthy state of its being.
Automated generation of programming language quizzes

Formation of quizzes is a vital problem as they are an important part of learning. To create a quiz on a particular topic, its related terms need to be identified for further use in extraction of questions on the topic. These terms are referred to as entities for the topic and the task of distinguishing entities from general purpose terms is termed entity discovery. We know that discussion forums and question-answer sites on software contain questions using programming terms in their posts. In this work, we mine patterns in user queries from such a forum and then automatically discover entities for programming languages using these patterns. We use these entities to extract questions related to the programming language and form automated quizzes using them.
Lrig1 Is an Endogenous Inhibitor of Ret Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Activation, Downstream Signaling, and Biological Responses to GDNF

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)/Ret signaling has potent trophic effects on ventral midbrain dopaminergic, motor, sensory, and sympathetic neurons. The molecular mechanisms that restrict Ret receptor tyrosine kinase activation are not well understood. Here, we show that Lrig1, a transmembrane protein containing leucine-rich repeats and Ig-like domains in its extracellular region, acts in a negative feedback loop to regulate the activity of Ret receptor tyrosine kinase. In particular, we demonstrate that Lrig1 is capable of physically interacting with Ret and that Lrig1/Ret association inhibits GDNF binding, recruitment of Ret to lipid rafts, receptor autophosphorylation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in response to GDNF. In neuronal cells, Lrig1 overexpression also inhibits GDNF/Ret-induced neurite outgrowth in a cell-autonomous manner. Downregulation of Lrig1 using small interference RNA knock-down experiments potentiates both neuronal differentiation and MAPK activation in response to GDNF. Together, these results provide an insight into Lrig1 function and establish a new physiological mechanism to restrict signaling and biological responses induced by GDNF and Ret in neuronal cells.
WELCOME — Innovative integrated care platform using wearable sensing and smart cloud computing for COPD patients with Comorbidities

We propose WELCOME, an innovative integrated care platform using wearable sensors and smart cloud computing for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients with co-morbidities. WELCOME aims to bring about a change in the reactive nature of the management of chronic diseases and its comorbidities, in particular through the development of a patient centred and proactive approach to COPD management. The aim of WELCOME is to support healthcare services to give early detection of complications (potentially reducing hospitalisations) and the prevention and mitigation of comorbidities (Heart Failure, Diabetes, Anxiety and Depression). The system incorporates patient hub, where it interacts with the patient via a light vest including a large number of non-invasive chest sensors for monitoring various relevant parameters. In addition, interactive applications to monitor and manage diabetes, anxiety and lifestyle issues will be provided to the patient. Informal carers will also be supported in dealing with their patients. On the other hand, welcome smart cloud platform is the heart of the proposed system where all the medical records and the monitoring data are managed and processed via the decision support system. Healthcare professionals will be able to securely access the WELCOME applications to monitor and manage the patient's conditions and respond to alerts on personalized level.
Children's understanding of emotion in dance

This study investigated children's understanding of emotion in dance movements. Professional dancers were instructed to improvise on the emotions of joy, anger, fear, and sadness and to transform these improvisations into short solo dances, which were recorded on video. Eight performances were selected for use as stimuli. Children, aged 4, 5, and 8 years, and adults watched these performances and indicated which of the four emotions they perceived in the respective performance. All age groups achieved recognition scores well above chance level. As a rule, 4-year-olds' recognition was inferior to that of the other age groups, but in some cases either girls or boys of this age achieved as good a recognition as one or more of the other age groups. The 5-year-old children achieved recognition levels close to those obtained for 8-year-olds and adults. A cue analysis based on the Laban movement analysis suggested that force and tempo in movement were the key factors for emotion recognition.
A practical guide to a radical transition: framing the sustainable learning community

It was more than a decade ago that I first explored the notion of a ‘learning community’. Whilst the overall goal remains the same, there are now important new ecological insights that can be added to our earlier understanding, which heighten the urgency for a more radical consideration of learning community to ensure that practice is both educationally sound and ecologically sustainable within such a community. This paper serves as reference to some of this new thinking. To provide a context, it will refer to the earlier work and indicate the limitations and breakthroughs of the earlier work which, with the benefit of retrospect, have become apparent. The paper is structured around four themes that I continue to draw upon as the basis of my own learning – themes of practicalities, guidance, radicalism and transition. The paper concludes with the first formulation of a framework for sustainable learning community based upon these and earlier observations and insights.
Short‐term responses and resistance of soil microbial community structure to elevated CO2 and N addition in grassland mesocosms

Abstract Nitrogen (N) addition is known to affect soil microbial communities, but the interactive effects of N addition with other drivers of global change remain unclear. The impacts of multiple global changes on the structure of microbial communities may be mediated by specific microbial groups with different life‐history strategies. Here, we investigated the combined effects of elevated CO2 and N addition on soil microbial communities using PLFA profiling in a short‐term grassland mesocosm experiment. We also examined the linkages between the relative abundance of r‐ and K‐strategist microorganisms and resistance of the microbial community structure to experimental treatments. N addition had a significant effect on microbial community structure, likely driven by concurrent increases in plant biomass and in soil labile C and N. In contrast, microbial community structure did not change under elevated CO2 or show significant CO2 × N interactions. Resistance of soil microbial community structure decreased with increasing fungal/bacterial ratio, but showed a positive relationship with the Gram‐positive/Gram‐negative bacterial ratio. Our findings suggest that the Gram‐positive/Gram‐negative bacteria ratio may be a useful indicator of microbial community resistance and that K‐strategist abundance may play a role in the short‐term stability of microbial communities under global change.