Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maximising return on investment in I.T. training-an African perspective

For too long, training spend has been seen by many organizations as a necessary evil and as an expense rather than an investment. This is in large measure due to the inability of training and development practitioners to demonstrate the true impact of training to their management. This research demonstrates what ROI (Return On Investment) in Training is being achieved and proposes a model for proactively determining the best ‘training mix’ for particular trainee profiles, with a view to assisting corporate Africa to maximise the returns on their training investment. The research identifies significant linkages between trainer and trainee profile matches (e.g. in terms of ethnicity and home language) and the quality of results achieved (i.e. ROI). The tools produced as part of this research provide useful insights to industry in terms of how training decisions can be made in future with a view to maximising ROI in Training.
Reinforcement Learning for Controlling a Coupled Tank System Based on the Scheduling of Different Controllers

Reinforcement Learning has been an approach successfully applied for solving several problems available in literature. It is usually employed for solving complex problems, such as the ones involving systems with incomplete knowledge, time variant systems, non-linear systems, etc., but it does not mean that it cannot be applied for solving simple problems. Therefore, this paper proposes an alternative application, where RL could be applied to switch among controllers with a fixed tuning, in a system with a known non-linear dynamics, aiming to optimize its time response. It was shown, after the online training and test of the RL agent that it could take advantage of the best characteristics of the available controllers to improve the response of the coupled tank system.
Malware Detection Techniques for Mobile Devices

Mobile devices have become very popular nowadays, due to its portability and high performance, a mobile device became a must device for persons using information and communication technologies. In addition to hardware rapid evolution, mobile applications are also increasing in their complexity and performance to cover most needs of their users. Both software and hardware design focused on increasing performance and the working hours of a mobile device. Different mobile operating systems are being used today with different platforms and different market shares. Like all information systems, mobile systems are prone to malware attacks. Due to the personality feature of mobile devices, malware detection is very important and is a must tool in each device to protect private data and mitigate attacks. In this paper, analysis of different malware detection techniques used for mobile operating systems is provides. The focus of the analysis will be on the to two competing mobile operating systems - Android and iOS. Finally, an assessment of each technique and a summary of its advantages and disadvantages is provided. The aim of the work is to establish a basis for developing a mobile malware detection tool based on user profiling.
Osteoblast Integrin Adhesion and Signaling Regulate Mineralization

Integrin adhesion and signaling events may contribute to the progressive differentiation of the osteoblast and to the initiation of a mineralized matrix. The purpose of our study was to begin to analyze the role of integrin receptors, in particular α2β1, α5β1, and αVβ3, regarding mediation of the initiation of a mineralized matrix. Integrin-perturbation assays were conducted in microdot cultures of UMR-106-01 Bone Sialoprotein (BSP) osteoblast cells. For phenotypic analysis, we performed bright-field microscopy and Aliziran Red S staining to analyze effects on mineralization initiation. Mineralization was reduced significantly (P < 0.001) following the addition of a5- or β1-integrin subunit antibody by approximately 20% and 45%, respectively—αVβ3 integrin by nearly 65%, and α2β1 integrin by nearly 95%. This effect was reversible following the removal of the anti-integrin antibody. These results suggest that integrin adhesion and signaling events may contribute to the ability of this cell line to mediate the initiation of the mineralization phenotype biologically.
Institutions of Youth Development

Abstract Youth development organizations are key institutions that contribute to healthy outcomes for youths. The development of caring staff-youth relationships is one key youth development program strategy. Using structural equation modeling, the present study examined the importance of these relationships on impacting school-related attitudes and behaviors among 149 youth participants in a Boys & Girls Club program. Results indicate that staff-youth relationships are positively related to the development of pro-social school behaviors, and negatively associated with the display of anti-social school behaviors. Findings point to the importance of supportive staff-youth relationships within institutions serving youths.
Statistical analysis of domains in interacting protein pairs

MOTIVATION Several methods have recently been developed to analyse large-scale sets of physical interactions between proteins in terms of physical contacts between the constituent domains, often with a view to predicting new pairwise interactions. Our aim is to combine genomic interaction data, in which domain-domain contacts are not explicitly reported, with the domain-level structure of individual proteins, in order to learn about the structure of interacting protein pairs. Our approach is driven by the need to assess the evidence for physical contacts between domains in a statistically rigorous way. RESULTS We develop a statistical approach that assigns p-values to pairs of domain superfamilies, measuring the strength of evidence within a set of protein interactions that domains from these superfamilies form contacts. A set of p-values is calculated for SCOP superfamily pairs, based on a pooled data set of interactions from yeast. These p-values can be used to predict which domains come into contact in an interacting protein pair. This predictive scheme is tested against protein complexes in the Protein Quaternary Structure (PQS) database, and is used to predict domain-domain contacts within 705 interacting protein pairs taken from our pooled data set.
Development of Hybrid Intelligent Systems and their Applications from Engineering Systems to Complex Systems

In this study, we introduce general frame of MAny Connected Intelligent Particles Systems (MACIPS). Connections and interconnections between particles get a complex behavior of such merely simple system (system in system). Contribution of natural computing, under information granulation theory, are the main topic of this spacious skeleton. Upon this clue, we organize different algorithms involved a few prominent intelligent computing and approximate reasoning methods such as self organizing feature map (SOM)[9], Neuro- Fuzzy Inference System[10], Rough Set Theory (RST)[11], collaborative clustering, Genetic Algorithm and Ant Colony System. Upon this, we have employed our algorithms on the several engineering systems, especially emerged systems in Civil and Mineral processing. In other process, we investigated how our algorithms can be taken as a linkage of government-society interaction, where government catches various fashions of behavior: solid (absolute) or flexible. So, transition of such society, by changing of connectivity parameters (noise) from order to disorder is inferred. Add to this, one may find an indirect mapping among finical systems and eventual market fluctuations with MACIPS. In the following sections, we will mention the main topics of the suggested proposal, briefly Details of the proposed algorithms can be found in the references.
Microgel Modified UV-Cured Methacrylic-Silica Hybrid: Synthesis and Characterization

An innovative photopolymerizable microgel modified UV-cured acrylic-silica hybrid formulation was developed and characterized for possible use as protective coating for different substrates. A deep investigation, aiming at providing a strong scientific basis for the production of organic-inorganic (O-I) hybrids exhibiting phase co-continuity, was firstly carried out. The O-I hybrid first proposed in this study was obtained from organic precursors with a high siloxane content, which are mixed with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in such a way to produce co-continuous silica nanodomains dispersed within the crosslinked organic phase, as a result of the sol-gel process. The first part of the research deals with the selection and optimization of suitable systems through appropriate chemical modifications, in order to ensure that curing reactions can be carried out at room temperature and in the presence of UV radiation. Firstly, the silica domains are formed, followed by crosslinking reactions of the acrylic groups in the oligomer via a free radical polymerization. The crosslinking reaction was controlled with the use of a suitable photoinitiator. Most of the experimental work was devoted to understanding the morphology of the hybrid system, both in uncured and cured states, and to assess its final thermal and optical properties, using different experiential techniques.
Internet-based educational control systems lab using NetMeeting

The purpose of the paper is to illustrate the remote control of hardware in the laboratory for educational purposes, using commercial off-the-shelf equipment and available freeware. The goal is to eliminate extensive programming using high-level languages, such as Java programming to achieve remote connectivity and focus on the primary task of implementing control algorithms. The use of MS NetMeeting for Internet-based control is described. Control experiments were easily carried out by a remote user, using Matlab-based real-time tools and MS NetMeeting.
Graph Kernels for Task 1 and 2 of the Linked Data Data Mining Challenge 2013

In this paper we present the application of two RDF graph kernels to task 1 and 2 of the linked data data-mining challenge. Both graph kernels use term vectors to handle RDF literals. Based on experiments with the task data, we use the Weisfeiler-Lehman RDF graph kernel for task 1 and the intersection path tree kernel for task 2 in our final classifiers for the challenge. Applying these graph kernels is very straightforward and requires (almost) no preprocessing of the data.
PCR-Based Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Real-Time Determination of Clarithromycin Resistance Directly from Human Gastric Biopsy Samples

ABSTRACT A novel PCR detection assay that amplifies the Helicobacter pylori-specific vacuolating cytotoxin gene (vacA) and thus enables rapid diagnosis of infection is described. Additionally, a real-time probe hybridization melting point analysis assay to detect all three mutations in the 23S rRNA gene associated with clarithromycin resistance was applied directly to antral gastric biopsy samples. Comparison with culture and an alternative PCR assay targeting the 16Srrn gene showed that the vacA assay was sensitive and specific when tested on biopsy samples from 121 patients. Clarithromycin susceptibilities could be determined in the majority (92.3%) of culture-positive gastric biopsy samples analyzed, four of which generated melting peaks indicative of clarithromycin resistance by either an A→G or A→C mutation. The presence of the mutations correlated with the clarithromycin disk diffusion sensitivities of matched cultures. This PCR-based system was simple to perform and could be completed in 3 to 4 h, thereby overcoming the delays associated with conventional culture methods for H. pyloriidentification and susceptibility testing.
OFDM Communicationsover Time-Varying Channels

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), also known as multicarrier modulation (Bingham, 1990; Cimini Jr, 1985; Keller & Hanzo, 2000; Le Floch, Alard, & Berrou, 1995; Sari, Karam, & Jeanclaude, 1995; Wang & Giannakis, 2000; Zou & Wu, 1995), relies on the concept of parallel data transmission in the frequency domain and mainly owes its success to the easy equalization for linear time-invariant (LTI) frequency-selective channels. In OFDM systems, the data symbol stream is split into L parallel flows, which are transmitted on equispaced frequencies called subcarriers, each one characterized by a transmission rate that is 1/L times lower than the original data rate. This is obtained by splitting the original data stream into multiple blocks, which are transmitted in consecutive time intervals, where each symbol of a block is associated to a specific subcarrier. This frequency-domain multiplexing can be efficiently performed by means of fast Fourier transform algorithms. Due to the use of orthogonal (equispaced) subcarriers, OFDM systems with LTI frequency-selective channels avoid the so-called intercarrier interference (ICI) among the data symbols of the same OFDM block. Differently from conventional frequency-division multiplexing, a frequency overlapping among the spectra associated to different substreams is permitted, resulting in a significant reduction of the bandwidth requirements. Moreover, for LTI frequency-selective channels, the absence of ICI allows an easy channel equalization, which can be performed on a per-subcarrier basis by means of scalar divisions. The intersymbol interference (ISI)1 among data symbols of different OFDM blocks, induced by multipath propagation, is avoided by a suitable cyclic extension of each OFDM block, usually referred to as cyclic prefix (CP) (Sari et al., 1995; Wang & Giannakis, 2000; Zou & Wu, 1995). However, when the channel experiences a nonnegligible time variation, each subcarrier undergoes a Doppler spreading effect that destroys the subcarrier orthogonality, producing significant ICI (Robertson & Kaiser, 1999; Russell & Stüber, 1995; Stantchev & Fettweis, 2000). Dually to the ISI in single-carrier systems, the ICI power reduces the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and, when left uncompensated, impairs the performance of OFDM systems. A simple method that reduces the ICI is the shortening of the OFDM block duration. This way the channel becomes (almost) constant
Argument Revisited; Argument Redefined: Negotiating Meaning in the Composition Classroom

Introduction - Barbara Emmel, Paula Resch, and Deborah Tenney ARGUMENT REVISITED The Reasoned Thesis - John T Gage The E-Word and Argumentative Writing as a Process of Inquiry Evidence as a Creative Act - Barbara Emmel An Epistemology of Argumentative Inquiry The Toulmin Model of Argument and the Teaching of Composition - Richard Fulkerson Rogerian Rhetoric - Doug Brent Ethical Growth through Alternative Forms of Argumentation Classical Rhetoric - Jeanne Fahnestock and Marie Secor The Art of Argumentation ARGUMENT REDEFINED Positioning Oneself - Pamela J Annas and Deborah Tenney A Feminist Approach to Argument Principles for Propagation - Judith Summerfield On Narrative and Argument The 'Argument of Reading' in the Teaching of Composition - Mariolina Salvatori The Argument of Reading - David Bartholomae
Using Lehman's laws to validate the software evolution of agile projects

The main focus in software system engineering involves problems associated with upgrading, migrating and evolving existing software system systems. Software evolution is a continuous process which includes activities like software improvement, adaptation and correction that arise after the operational release of the software. Most of the empirical research on software evolution has been conducted using software developed using traditional development methods. We perform an empirical study to validate the evolution of software systems built with agile development methodology. A set of product and process metrics were evaluated for one open source software application and two industrial agile projects. The metric data was used to validate the evolution of agile projects within the context of Lehman's laws of software evolution. Our study shows that Lehman's laws of software evolution are supported by the agile software systems.
Understanding Learners' General Perception Towards Learning with MOOC Classmates: An Exploratory Study

In this work-in-progress, we present our preliminary findings from an exploratory study on understanding learners' general behavior and perception towards learning with classmates in MOOCs. One-on-one semi-structured interview designed with grounded theory method was conducted with seven MOOC learners. Initial analysis of the interview data revealed several interesting insights on learners' behavior in working with other learners in MOOCs. We intend to expand the findings in future work to derive design implications for incorporating collaborative features into MOOCs.
Using the Discrete Hadamard Transform to Detect Moving Objects in Surveillance Video

In this paper we present an approach to object detection in surveillance video based on detecting moving edges using the Hadamard transform. The proposed method is characterized by robustness to illumination changes and ghosting effects and provides high speed detection, making it particularly suitable for surveillance applications. In addition to presenting an approach to moving edge detection using the Hadamard transform, we introduce two measures to track edge history, Pixel Bit Mask Difference (PBMD) and History Update Value (H UV ) that help reduce the false detections commonly experienced by approaches based on moving edges. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm overcomes the traditional drawbacks of frame differencing and outperforms existing edge-based approaches in terms of both detection results and computational complexity.
Rhythmic Diurnal Gene Expression in Human Adipose Tissue From Individuals Who Are Lean, Overweight, and Type 2 Diabetic

OBJECTIVE Previous animal studies suggest a functional relationship between metabolism, type 2 diabetes, and the amplitude of daily rhythms in white adipose tissue (WAT). However, data interpretation is confounded by differences in genetic background and diet or limited sampling points. We have taken the novel approach of analyzing serial human WAT biopsies across a 24-h cycle in controlled laboratory conditions. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Lean (n = 8), overweight/obese (n = 11), or overweight/obese type 2 diabetic (n = 8) volunteers followed a strict sleep–wake and dietary regimen for 1 week prior to the laboratory study. They were then maintained in controlled light–dark conditions in a semirecumbent posture and fed hourly during wake periods. Subcutaneous WAT biopsies were collected every 6 h over 24 h, and gene expression was measured by quantitative PCR. RESULTS Lean individuals exhibited significant (P < 0.05) temporal changes of core clock (PER1, PER2, PER3, CRY2, BMAL1, and DBP) and metabolic (REVERBα, RIP140, and PGC1α) genes. The BMAL1 rhythm was in approximate antiphase with the other clock genes. It is noteworthy that there was no significant effect (P > 0.05) of increased body weight or type 2 diabetes on rhythmic gene expression. CONCLUSIONS The robust nature of these rhythms and their relative phasing indicate that WAT now can be considered as a peripheral tissue suitable for the study of in vivo human rhythms. Comparison of data between subject groups clearly indicates that obesity and type 2 diabetes are not related to the amplitude of rhythmic WAT gene expression in humans maintained under controlled conditions.
Localization and reactivity of an immunodominant domain in the NS3 region of hepatitis C virus

Analysis of the amino acid sequences of the non‐structural region 3 (NS3) of the hepatitis C virus type 1 revealed four points with a high average hydrophilicity (Ah). Two of these potential anti‐genie sites were expressed in E. coli as short fragments. The first fragment of 91 residues (NS3f3: residues 1359–1449) harbors the hexapeptide K‐K‐K‐C‐D‐E with an Ah of 2.33; the second fragment is 73 residues long (NS3f4: residues 1460–1532) and encompasses the hep‐tapeptide R‐S‐N‐R‐R‐G‐R with an Ah of 1.79. Both fragments were expressed with truncated hepatitis B core (tHBc) as a carrier protein. The fusion proteins were purified from the bacterial lysates by affinity chromatography on immobilized monoclonal antibodies against HBc, and evaluated as antigens in an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of HCV antibodies. In a specificity control panel, reactivity with NS3f3 was only found in proven HCV carriers, while reactivity with NS3f4 was weak in HCV carriers but accounted for some of the nonspecific serological reactions. In a group of 48 genotyped HCV‐in‐fected volunteer blood donors, antibodies against NS3f3 were detected in 90% (27/30) of HCV‐type 1 infections and in all HCV‐type 4 infections (5/5). However, in carriers infected with HCV‐types 2, 3, or 5, the response rate was on average only 23% (3/13). With NS3f4 as antigen, weak antibody titers were found in only about half of the carriers, independent of the infectious genotype. In a cohort of hemodialysis patients, all infected with HCV‐type 1b, NS3f3 antibodies were detected in 80% (16/20) of the carriers, while only one patient showed a weak NS3f4 reactivity. It is concluded that NS3f3 harbors an immunodominant domain of the NS3 region showing an apparently HCV‐type‐dependent serological response. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A New Approach to Segment Hemorrhagic Stroke in Computed Tomography via Optimum Path Snakes

This work presents a new approach to segment hemorrhagic stroke based on an active contour method called Optimum Path Snakes (OPS). The Analysis of Human Tissue Densities (AHTD) was introduced as the evolution of the Pulmonary Density Analysis feature extractor. The results of this approach were compared with the Region Growing, Watershed and Level Set based on the coherent propagation methods to segment the stroke region. Accuracy, Matthews Correlation Coefficient, Dice Coefficient, Hausdorff Distance and Harmonic Means metrics were used to verify the efficacy of OPS over the other methods. The OPS method along with the AHTD extractor presented the best results, which demonstrated the potential for this approach to be used in medical diagnosis systems.
Strategies for Cultural Change

Frameworks for thinking about cultural change - Turtles all the way down Thinking culturally Strategies for cultural development Strategies for cultural transformation Tales from the rails: the APT fiasco The Castalian culture Towards an integrated strategy for cultural change Implementing cultural change - The aggressive approach The conciliative approach The corrosive approach The indoctrinative approach Evaluating different approaches to cultural change Designing an effective approach to cultural change Leading cultural change References Index.
A Differential Geometric Approach to the Geometric Mean of Symmetric Positive-Definite Matrices

In this paper we introduce metric-based means for the space of positive-definite matrices. The mean associated with the Euclidean metric of the ambient space is the usual arithmetic mean. The mean associated with the Riemannian metric corresponds to the geometric mean. We discuss some invariance properties of the Riemannian mean and we use differential geometric tools to give a characterization of this mean.