Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Service-Oriented Software in the Humanities: A Software Engineering Perspective

Software Engineering, as a sub-discipline of the broader field of computer science, is concerned with the production, use, and maintenance of large, complex software systems. On first inspection, the set of managerial and technical activities involved in software engineering appears to be somewhat orthogonal to core research activity in the humanities, being concerned more with the production of research-enabling software systems than the research itself. However, as the scale of software used in digital humanities has increased, it is becoming clear that there are ways in which software engineering can inform, inspire, and aid in the management of the larger-scale software systems now being constructed in these disciplines. In particular, the development of service technology to aid in the production of flexible software systems for business now offers opportunities, not only for collaborative data sharing, but also the modelling, capture, provenancing, and replay of the research (and possibly creative) process itself. This paper examines, from the perspective of a software engineer relatively new to the digital humanities, how the recent developments in service-oriented architectures could be used to enable new approaches to digital enquiry in the arts and humanities. The first part of the paper presents a brief history of software engineering, with particular reference to the aspects that have led to service-oriented architectures. In the second part, the paper offers some thoughts on how certain aspects of service-oriented architectures could be used to enable new kinds of computer-based research and practice in the arts and humanities. It also introduces important national initiatives in this area, such as the JISC e-Framework programme for Higher Education.
The optimal performance of cooperative communication systems as a function of location information quality

In this work we investigate the use of location information in the context of emerging 4G wireless communication systems, in which cooperative communication among mobile nodes is utilized. We first determine the optimal throughput achievable in such systems under the assumption of perfect knowledge on the locations of the mobile nodes. We then investigate how the system throughput is significantly affected by the introduction of realistic errors on the reported locations of the nodes. The analytical framework, and the supporting simulations, we provide allow 4G cooperative communication systems to be properly designed for realistic working conditions. Our work also provides key insight into the critical trade-off between the lifetime and performance of wireless cooperative communication systems. Knowledge of this trade-off in the context of cross-layer design is discussed.
Head and neck cancer and dysphagia; caring for carers

A diagnosis of head and neck cancer (HNC) is a profound event for patients and family members who play a crucial role in their care. Eating and drinking difficulties affect patients' quality of life (QOL), but the impact on the carers' QOL has not been explored. This preliminary mixed method study reports on carer QOL over time and investigates the relationship with dysphagia.
Intelligent micro grid management using a multi-agent approach

Recent changes in electricity markets (EMs) have been potentiating the globalization of distributed generation. With distributed generation the number of players acting in the EMs and connected to the main grid has grown, increasing the market complexity. Multi-agent simulation arises as an interesting way of analysing players' behaviour and interactions, namely coalitions of players, as well as their effects on the market. MASCEM was developed to allow studying the market operation of several different players and MASGriP is being developed to allow the simulation of the micro and smart grid concepts in very different scenarios This paper presents a methodology based on artificial intelligence techniques (AI) for the management of a micro grid. The use of fuzzy logic is proposed for the analysis of the agent consumption elasticity, while a case based reasoning, used to predict agents' reaction to price changes, is an interesting tool for the micro grid operator.
A control architecture for arm/hand manipulating system

The arm/hand manipulating system considered in this paper consists of a large robot (the arm) carrying a small mechanism (the hand) which through its coordinated motion is able to perform tasks in a manufacturing work-cell. In general, the arm subsystem is used to locate its end-point where the hand is connected at a specific location or to move it along a given trajectory. The hand can then be used to pick up an object or a tool, for placing the object or performing a machining task. This paper presents a control architecture for an arm/hand manipulating system. In particular, contributions of the paper are a method for controlling the fingers of the hand mechanism and classification of the forces which can act on the arm/hand system. <<ETX>>
Topography of microglial activation in sensory‐ and affect‐related brain regions in chronic pain

Microglial activation in the spinal cord plays a central role in the development and maintenance of chronic pain after a peripheral nerve injury (PNI). There has not yet been a thorough assessment of microglial activation in brain regions associated with pain and reward. To this end, this study uses a mouse model of neuropathic pain in which the left sciatic nerve of male C57Bl/6J mice is loosely constricted (chronic constriction injury) to assess microglial activation in several brain regions 2 weeks after injury, a time point at which pain hypersensitivity is well established. We found significant microglial activation in brain regions associated with sensory pain transmission and affect, including the thalamus, sensory cortex, and amygdala. Activation was consistently most robust in brain regions contralateral to the side of injury. Brain regions not directly involved in either sensory or affective dimensions of pain, such as the motor cortex, did not display microglial activation. This study confirms that PNI induces microglial activation in regions involved with both sensory and affective components of pain. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Online impedance matrix estimation of interconnected power systems

Grid impedance estimation is important in monitoring and protection of wide-area power systems. In this paper, a recursive least squares estimation algorithm with a forgetting factor is proposed to identify impedance matrix of electrical power grids. This new approach is based on synchronized phasor measurements and makes it possible to track changing parameters due to grid reconfiguration and load changes. The algorithm is tested on a power system using MATPOWER-generated data; the results show that the proposed estimation method is effective and with high accuracy.
Balanced discharging for serial battery power modules with boost converters

A group of boost-type battery power modules (BPMs) are connected in series to cope with a higher output voltage. The operations of BPMs in series are mutually interactive. However, all batteries in the BPMs can substantially be discharged individually so that they can realize the balanced discharging control strategy, by which the battery currents are scheduled in accordance with their state-of-charges (SOCs). A battery power source formed by 10 boost-type BPMs is built and tested. Each BPM employs an associated micro controller for detecting the load voltage, estimating the SOCs, and controlling the duty ratios of the power converters. Experimental results demonstrate the balanced discharging capability of the serial BPMs.
Keratin 8 and 18 Loss in Epithelial Cancer Cells Increases Collective Cell Migration and Cisplatin Sensitivity through Claudin1 Up-regulation*

Background: Loss of keratins 8 and 18 (K8/18) is a hallmark of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), but its role in tumor progression is unclear. Results: Epithelial cancer cells depleted in K8/18 are more invasive and sensitive to cisplatin through the up-regulation of claudin1. Conclusion: K8/18 loss promotes collective cancer cell migration without inducing EMT. Significance: Cancer cell invasion can arise from K8/18 loss independently of EMT. Keratins 8 and 18 (K8/18) are simple epithelial cell-specific intermediate filament proteins. Keratins are essential for tissue integrity and are involved in intracellular signaling pathways that regulate cell response to injuries, cell growth, and death. K8/18 expression is maintained during tumorigenesis; hence, they are used as a diagnostic marker in tumor pathology. In recent years, studies have provided evidence that keratins should be considered not only as markers but also as regulators of cancer cell signaling. The loss of K8/18 expression during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with metastasis and chemoresistance. In the present study, we investigated whether K8/18 expression plays an active role in EMT. We show that K8/18 stable knockdown using shRNA increased collective migration and invasiveness of epithelial cancer cells without modulating EMT markers. K8/18-depleted cells showed PI3K/Akt/NF-κB hyperactivation and increased MMP2 and MMP9 expression. K8/18 deletion also increased cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Increased Fas receptor membrane targeting suggests that apoptosis is enhanced via the extrinsic pathway. Interestingly, we identified the tight junction protein claudin1 as a regulator of these processes. This is the first indication that modulation of K8/18 expression can influence the phenotype of epithelial cancer cells at a transcriptional level and supports the hypothesis that keratins play an active role in cancer progression.
Descriptive modelling to predict deoxynivalenol in winter wheat in the Netherlands

Predictions of deoxynivalenol (DON) content in wheat at harvest can be useful for decision-making by stakeholders of the wheat feed and food supply chain. The objective of the current research was to develop quantitative predictive models for DON in mature winter wheat in the Netherlands for two specific groups of end-users. One model was developed for use by farmers in underpinning Fusarium spp. disease management, specifically the application of fungicides around wheat flowering (model A). The second model was developed for industry and food safety authorities, and considered the entire wheat cultivation period (model B). Model development was based on observational data collected from 425 fields throughout the Netherlands between 2001 and 2008. For each field, agronomical information, climatic data and DON levels in mature wheat were collected. Using multiple regression analyses, the set of biological relevant variables that provided the highest statistical performance was selected. The two final models include the following variables: region, wheat resistance level, spraying, flowering date, several climatic variables in the different stages of wheat growing, and length of the period between flowering and harvesting (model B only). The percentages of variance accounted for were 64.4% and 65.6% for models A and B, respectively. Model validation showed high correlation between the predicted and observed DON levels. The two models may be applied by various groups of end-users to reduce DON contamination in wheat-derived feed and food products and, ultimately, reduce animal and consumer health risks.
Quality promises. Do companies follow a standard code of conducts model? The case of Spas

The aim of this paper is to analyze the ways of dev eloping and fulfilling of quality promises as well as to explore whether these actions are for mally constituted. Two European countries were chosen for the research in order to compare or ganizations from countries with different experiences with the implementation of quality mana gement systems. Spain is an old EU country where QMS systems are widely implemented. A ccording to the ISO survey Spain is on the 4th place in Europe in a number of organizat ions with ISO 9001 certificates. Poland is one of the countries with the average number of reg ist red QMS, ranking 11 place in Europe with ISO 9001 certificates. For this purpose there has been researched seven case studies of spa organizations within the leisure industry from Poland and Spain (three and four respectively). The case studies illustrate the organizati ons’ approach to manage quality promises. The case study method has been chosen due the speci ficity of the analyzed subject and the way of the business they run. The results show that all seven organizations have some mechanisms implemented to handle quality promises. The results also suggest that quality promises are widely used by organizations, but form alization of the promises through their recording in leaflets, on website or in other docum ents that are available for customers is not as common. Also, the analysis indicated that fulfil lment of guiding principles from ISO 10001 are on a medium level and there are possibilities t o improve them.
A Game Theory approach to Airbnb and hotels competition

The rapid growth of Airbnb listings has represented a challenge for hotels. While most of the existent literature has focused on empirically measuring the impact of Airbnb listings on hotels’ revenues and profitability, the present research is one of the first attempts to develop a theoretical framework based on game theory to model a hotel’s best response in terms of investment to improve the quality of service and pricing strategy. The model results suggest that hotel location, the average value of long-term rental contracts and the density of available apartments influence the hotel strategy.
A Matched Field Processing Framework for Coherent Detection Over Local and Regional Networks (Postprint)

Abstract : The objective of this study has been to develop a data-adaptive matched field procedure to detect coherently and incoherently across networks of stations at local and regional distances. The detector extends the single-phase matched field processing approach to detection using the entire waveform. The procedure is based upon a narrowband signal representation that exposes the invariant spatial and temporal correlation structure of network signals from repeating sources. The matched field detector is referred to as an incoherent detector (spatially coherent over a receiver aperture, but temporally incoherent due to the incoherent summation over the narrow frequency bands) and is optimal for sources displaying significant variation in the source time function from event to event. The framework is designed to adapt to the statistics of source time histories for any given target and employs an exponential age-weighting approach to effectively monitor evolving sources, such as open-cast mines. For a given source of interest, an initial detector is formed. If only a single observation is available, the detector can be either a rank-1 coherent detector (a correlator) or an incoherent detector. If multiple observations are available, an event ensemble can be formed, allowing higher rank subspace detectors.
Surface modification of biodegradable electrospun nanofiber scaffolds and their interaction with fibroblasts

Biodegradable polymers, such as poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), were dissolved individually in the proper solvents and then subjected to electrospinning process to make nanofibrous scaffolds. Their surfaces were then chemically modified using oxygen plasma treatment and in situ grafting of hydrophilic acrylic acid (AA). The fiber thickness, pore size and porosity were estimated to 200–800 nm, 2–30 μm and 94–96%, respectively, and these properties were insignificant in the PGA, PLLA and PLGA nanofibrous scaffolds. The ultimate tensile strength of PGA was about 2.5 MPa on average and that of PLGA and PLLA was less than 2 MPa. The elongation-at-break was 100–130% for the three nanofibrous scaffolds. When the surface properties of AA-grafted scaffolds were examined, higher ratios of oxygen to carbon, lower contact angles and the presence of carboxylic (–COOH) groups were identified. The properties were significantly different from those of the unmodified nanofibrous scaffolds. Fibroblasts once seeded on the scaffolds were spreading over large surface area on the AA-grafted surface as compared to the unmodified PGA, PLLA and PLGA nanofibrous scaffolds. Cultured for up to 6 days, the fibroblast proliferation was found to be much better on the surface-modified nanofibrous scaffolds. The present study showed that, with the use of plasma treatment and AA grafting, the hydrophilic functional groups could be successfully adapted on the surface of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds. Those surface-modified scaffolds made significant improvement on cell attachment and proliferation in vitro.
A New Approach for the Detection of Carbon‐centered Radicals in Enzymatic Processes Using Prefluorescent Probes ¶

In this communication we propose a novel application for prefluorescent probes in the detection of free carbon‐centered radicals in enzymatic processes. Prefluorescent probes combine a fluorescent moiety tethered to a paramagnetic nitroxide that acts as a fluorescence quencher. Trapping of a radical by the nitroxide group restores the fluorescence properties. The increase in fluorescence intensity with time reflects the formation and quenching of carbon‐centered radicals and can be used for the quantitative evaluation of yields and kinetics. As a test system we used horseradish peroxidase, an oxidoreductase that is widely accepted to operate by a radical‐mediated mechanism. We used the prefluorescent probe (quinoline‐TEMPO), where a quinoline moiety has been tethered to 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐oxyl.
Topographic processing in developmental prosopagnosia: Preserved perception but impaired memory of scenes

ABSTRACT Anecdotal evidence suggests a relation between impaired spatial (navigational) processing and developmental prosopagnosia. To address this formally, we tested two aspects of topographic processing – that is, perception and memory of mountain landscapes shown from different viewpoints. Participants included nine individuals with developmental prosopagnosia and 18 matched controls. The group with developmental prosopagnosia had no difficulty with topographic perception, but was reliably poorer in the retention of topographic information. Additional testing revealed that this did not reflect a general deficit in visual processing or visual short-term memory. Interestingly, a classical dissociation could be demonstrated between impaired face memory and preserved topographic memory in two developmental prosopagnosics. We conclude that impairments in topographic memory tend to co-occur with developmental prosopagnosia, although the underlying functions are likely to be independent.
Effect of Nilvadipine in Weak Acidic Medium by 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) Assay

Summary A new medium (pH 5.6 reached by addition of 0.1 mol/l acetate buffer, 37 °C, 60 min) was established for detecting anti-free radical compounds in the 1,1-di-phenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. DPPH bleaching activities of typical anti-oxidants appeared generally weaker at pH 8.0 (the measured ethanol solution pH by the classical DPPH assay method) than at pH 5.6. Nilvadipine (CAS 75530-68-6), a lipo-philic calcium antagonist, enhanced the bleaching much more at pH 5.6 than at pH 8.0. Nifedipine (CAS 21829-25-4) and amlodipine (amlodipine besilate, CAS 88150-42-9) showed some effect, but the other five calcium antagonists failed to bleach DPPH at any pH tested (pH 4.4-8.0). Probucol and β-carotene (standard antioxidant) showed nearly the same bleaching activity as nilvadipine. Captop-ril, glutathione and bilirubin were weaker anti-free radical compounds at pH 5.6. No intermediating participation of superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals were observed in the DPPH assay, both at pH 8.0 and 5.6. Thus, nilvadipine was shown to be an efficient free-radical scavenger only at around pH 5.6, a weak acidic condition which may occur as a result of inflammation and/or ischemia-re-perfusion.
Using Apertium linguistic data for tokenization to improve Moses SMT performance

This paper describes a new method to tokenize texts, both to train a Moses SMT system and to be used during the translation process. The new method involves reusing the morphological analyser and part-of-speech tagger of the Apertium rule-based machine translation system to enrich the default tokenization used in Moses with part-of-speech-based truecasing, multi-word-unit chunking, number preprocessing and fixed translation patterns. Figures of the experimental results show an improvement of the final quality similar to the improvement attained by using minimumerror-rate training (MERT) as well as an increase of the overall consistency of the output.
Creating a High-Performance Culture

for All Means All “On Wall Street, a world dominated by multibillion-dollar deals, seven-figure bonuses and exotic financial products like weather derivatives, the success of a firm might just rest on the most intangible and least financial element of all: culture. ” So reads the lead paragraph of a recent article in the business section of the New York Times (6/14/2005). One could just as easily say that in public education, a world increasingly dominated by federal and state pressure to raise scores in all subgroups of students on machinegraded standardized tests, the success of a district might just rest on the most intangible and least measurable element of all: culture. Although no one factor—not even one as pervasive and consequential as organizational culture— can account for the success of a system as complex and multifaceted as a public school district, a strong case can be made for culture as the primary factor determining successful improvement of K–12 public education. It seems a no-brainer to say that a politicized, fear-based, top-down, excuse-prone, bureaucratic culture is antithetical to sustainable high performance in public education; whereas a culture of trust, openness, collaboration, and results orientation that is built on shared ownership of a compelling vision of the future is essential for sustaining high performance in public schools. Culture not only matters, it is a sine qua non of educational improvement. OK, but what exactly is organizational culture? In essence, it is the underlying shared beliefs, history, assumptions, norms, and values that manifest themselves in patterns of behavior, or, in other words, “the way we do things around here. ”
Dynamic Monitoring of Erythrocyte Distribution Width (RDW) and Platelet Distribution Width (PDW) in Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background This study investigated the role of erythrocyte distribution width (RDW) and platelet distribution width (PDW) in evaluating the treatment efficacy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Material/Methods A total of 120 AMI patients receiving conventional myocardial infarction treatment were included. The patients were divided into an effective group and an ineffective group based on treatment efficacy. The RDW and PDW were measured before and after treatment. We used the independent samples t test, chi-square test, logistic regression, and ROC curves for analysis. Results The change and change rate of RDW and PDW were significantly improved (p<0.01) and the positive change rate of RDW, PDW, and RDW + PDW were significantly lower in the effective group compared with those in the ineffective group (p<0.01). The change and change rate of RDW and PDW are independent factors for treatment efficacy evaluation (p<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the changes and change rate of RDW and PDW were all significant in evaluating treatment efficacy (p<0.05). Conclusions The change and change rate of RDW and PDW or their combination can be used to evaluate treatment efficacy; however, the absolute value of RDW and PDW are not as significant.