Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Context-based Message Expansion for Disentanglement of Interleaved Text Conversations

Computational processing of text exchanged in interactive venues in which participants engage in simultaneous conversations can benefit from techniques for automatically grouping overlapping sequences of messages into separate conversations, a problem known as "disentanglement. " While previous methods exploit both lexical and non-lexical information that exists in conversations for this task, the inter-dependency between the meaning of a message and its temporal and social contexts is largely ignored. Our approach exploits contextual properties (both explicit and hidden) to probabilistically expand each message to provide a more accurate message representation. Extensive experimental evaluations show our approach outperforms the best previously known technique.
Trust Ontology Based on Access Control Parameters in Multi-organization Environments

One of the main security concerns related to a distributed system is the lack of trust. In this paper, we present a trust ontology methodology based on access control concepts for Multi-Organization Environments (MOE). This ontology will be used to share the trust beliefs between participants and to make equivalence between their trust objectives. How to define this trust relationship, how to understand the trust objective of a requester, and how to evaluate the recommendation value will be presented in detail. In order to make easy to understand this process, an implementation and a case study with two ontologies are presented and discussed.
The Steubenville Comprehensive Air Monitoring Program (SCAMP): Concentrations and Solubilities of PM2.5 Trace Elements and Their Implications for Source Apportionment and Health Research

Abstract The elemental compositions of the water-soluble and acid-digestible fractions of 24-hr integrated fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples collected in Steubenville, OH, from 2000 to 2002 were determined using dynamic reaction cell inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The water-soluble elemental compositions of PM2.5 samples collected at four satellite monitoring sites in the surrounding region were also determined. Fe was the most abundant but least water soluble of the elements determined at the Steubenville site, having a mean ambient concentration of 272 µg/m3 and a median fractional solubility of 6%. Fe solubility and its correlations with SO4 2− and temperature varied significantly by season, consistent with the hypothesis that secondary sulfates may help to mobilize soluble Fe under suitable summertime photochemical conditions. Significantly higher ambient concentrations were observed at Steubenville than at each of the four satellite sites for 10 of the 18 elements (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, and Zn) determined in the water-soluble PM2.5 fraction. Concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Zn at Steubenville were substantially higher than concentrations reported recently for larger U.S. cities. Receptor modeling identified seven sources affecting the Steubenville site. An (NH4)2SO4-dominated source, likely representing secondary PM2.5 from coal-fired plants to the west and southwest of Steubenville, accounted for 42% of the PM2.5 mass, and two sources likely dominated by emissions from motor vehicles and from iron and steel facilities in the immediate Steubenville vicinity accounted for 20% and 10%, respectively. Other sources included an NH4NO3 source (15%), a crustal source (6%), a mixed nonferrous metals and industrial source (3%), and a primary coal combustion source (3%). Results suggest the importance of very different regional and local source mechanisms in contributing to PM2.5 mass at Steubenville and reinforce the need for further research to elucidate whether metals such as Fe, Mn, and Zn play a role in the PM2.5 health effects observed previously there.
Breed-Specific Vertebral Heart Scale for the Dachshund.

The objectives of this study were to determine a breed-specific vertebral heart scale (VHS) range for the dachshund and compare results to the established reference range of 9.7 ± 0.5, calculate inter-observer variability, and correlate VHS with echocardiography. Fifty-one normal dachshunds had radiographs and an echocardiogram performed. Five observers measured VHS to the nearest 0.25 vertebra. The data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, Wilcoxon Rank Sum test, Mann-Whitney rank sum test, calculation of reference and confidence intervals, Spearman rank-order correlations, and generation of intra-class correlations and confidence intervals. P < . 05 was considered significant. The median for right lateral VHS was significantly larger than left (10.3 [range 9.25-11.55] versus 10.1 [range, 8.7-11.31], p < .0001). VHS for females was significantly larger than for males (left: 10.56 [9.2-11.31] versus 9.74 [8.7-10.88] and right: 10.8 [9.5-11.55] versus 9.99 [9.25-10.8], p = .0002). Observer consistency was high with an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.95. No significant correlation was found between left atrial echocardiographic parameters and VHS. Results indicate normal dachshunds have a median VHS above the published generic canine reference range, and VHS can be reliably performed by observers with varying degrees of clinical experience.
Green chromatography determination of fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel

This work proposes a green, simple and rapid chromatographic methodology for separation and determination of a group of 13 fatty acids methyl esters (FAMEs) by using a capillary gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The method was successfully applied for the determination of FAMEs in biodiesel samples from commercial and waste cooking oils, synthesized by homogeneous catalysis. Detection and quantification limits were in the μg L−1 level. Direct injection of sample solution was compared with solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction procedures, giving similar results. The lower analysis time represent considerable improvement compared with other papers. The described methodology is especially suitable for process control applications. The samples analysed showed total contents of FAMEs higher than 96.5%, which verifies the European regulations.
Continuing bonds after bereavement: a cross-cultural perspective

Abstract The ways in which eastern and western cultures grieve for their dead are often contrasted. Eastern cultures are seen to place greater value on traditional ritual and ceremony that, it is argued, serve to create a lasting, and comforting, bond with the deceased. By contrast, western societies are seen to be much more materialist and individualistic. This article takes a cross-cultural look at responses to death and loss in the UK and Japan, both post-industrial societies but with very different cultural heritages. Based on interviews with bereaved people in both countries, it finds some surprising similarities, as well as differences, between and within each culture, challenging notions of a typically British or Japanese way of grieving.
Individualized matching based on logo density for scalable logo recognition

Although many systems based on global or local descriptors have shown promising results for logo recognition, they have handled all logos with the same structure and not considered their diversities. Therefore, with the logo scale increasing, the general way cannot recognize each logo perfectly. To overcome this limitation, we propose a novel strategy to match query and each logo individually using these features. First, a new conception named logo density is introduced as important semantic information for logos. Second, matching density is given according to the logo density and by utilizing it in logistic function an individualized matching strategy is developed to obtain accurate similarity for query and a logo. Finally, we present a fast recognition algorithm based upon bag-of-words model to realize scalable logo recognition. Our method is evaluated on two challenging datasets (our 10,000-class logo dataset and FlickrLogos-27). Experiments demonstrate its superior performance comparing to previous methods.
Recombination Difference between Sexes: A Role for Haploid Selection

Why the autosomal recombination rate differs between female and male meiosis in most species has been a genetic enigma since the early study of meiosis. Some hypotheses have been put forward to explain this widespread phenomenon and, up to now, only one fact has emerged clearly: In species in which meiosis is achiasmate in one sex, it is the heterogametic one. This pattern, known as the Haldane-Huxley rule, is thought to be a side effect, on autosomes, of the suppression of recombination between the sex chromosomes. However, this rule does not hold for heterochiasmate species (i.e., species in which recombination is present in both sexes but varies quantitatively between sexes) and does not apply to species lacking sex chromosomes, such as hermaphroditic plants. In this paper, we show that in plants, heterochiasmy is due to a male-female difference in gametic selection and is not influenced by the presence of heteromorphic sex chromosomes. This finding provides strong empirical support in favour of a population genetic explanation for the evolution of heterochiasmy and, more broadly, for the evolution of sex and recombination.
Emerging interdisciplinary practice: making nanoreactors

Purpose – The paper aims to gain a better understanding of how different disciplines work together to develop new technologies.Design/methodology/approach – The study employs qualitative methods in the form of semi‐structured interviews and observations. A socio‐cultural approach is taken and the concept of the activity system is used to examine emerging practices.Findings – In the process of creating common practices the community overcomes some of the challenges normally associated with disciplinary diversity. What develops cannot really be described as a convergence of knowledge, more as an intertwining of work practices.Research limitations/implications – Although only tentative conclusions can be drawn from a single case study, the findings may have implications for the organisation of multidisciplinary tasks.Originality/value – The paper suggests a conceptualisation of emerging interdisciplinary practice and provides a descriptive account of knowledge creation in a new field within nanosciences and .
Evaluation of sunlight-exposed pyrethroid-treated netting for the control of face fly and housefly (Diptera: Muscidae).

BACKGROUND Face flies, Musca autumnalis De Geer (Diptera: Muscidae), and houseflies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), have a significant impact on livestock and dairy production throughout North America. Pyrethroid insecticide efficacy can be affected by exposure to direct sunlight, and the rate of photodegradation is substrate and formulation dependent. Insecticide-treated netting (ITN) is finding new applications in crop and livestock production systems. A baseline study using long-duration no-choice assays has been carried out to gauge the effectiveness of ITN treated with β-cyfluthrin, λ-cyhalothrin and bifenthrin on face flies and houseflies. RESULTS After 12 weeks in direct sunlight, ITN treated with β-cyfluthrin was still highly insecticidal to face flies and houseflies, producing 100% mortality in petri dish assays. However, sunlight reduced the insecticidal activity of λ-cyhalothrin, with 3% of face flies and 50% of houseflies surviving after exposure to ITN that had been deployed for 10 weeks. Insecticidal activity was greatly reduced on bifenthrin-treated netting, with 20% of face flies and 50% of houseflies surviving in assays with netting deployed for only 3 weeks. CONCLUSION With careful choice of the pyrethroid applied, treated netting could be an important component of livestock integrated pest management programs focused on sustainable practices.
Polarization-modulated second harmonic generation imaging: method for quantitative assessment of disorganization in anulus

An experimental method for quantifying disorder within the anulus fibrosus is described based on polarization-modulated second harmonic generation imaging (PM-SHG-I). This method is demonstrated by imaging the anular lamellar architecture of a mouse model of compressive loading. Results were consistent with those obtained in an earlier study where organization was quantified directed secants image analysis on photomicrographs. In this study the orientation within individual lamellia is quantified by average orientation of the collagen molecules within a defined volume of a single lamellar as measured by the PM-SHG-I. Lamellar boundaries can be identified through the SHG intensity images, and confirmed through co-registration with photomicrographs of the same region. The orientation within the lamellar is quantified by the polarization angle of the maximum second harmonic intensity. PM-SHG-I offers several advantages as compared with the method of directed secants: first, it is nondestructive, allowing repeated measurements of the same tissue; second, images are captured on the order of seconds and capable of obtaining information up to a depth of 200-300 microns, thus allowing for real-time assessment of load damage; third, organization is measured at a much higher resolution, as it is based on disorder within the molecular arrays of a single lamella.
Comparison of experts and non-experts in throwing darts based on optimization criteria

Acquiring skillful movements of experts is a difficult task in many fields. Since non-experts often fail to find out how to improve their skill, it is desirable to find quantitative indices of skillful movements that clarify the difference between experts and non-experts. If we find quantitative indices, we can develop an adaptive training system using the indices. In this study, we quantitatively compare dart-throwing movements between experts and non-experts based on their scores, motions, and EMG signals. First, we show that the variance of upper-limb motion trajectories of the experts is significantly smaller than that of the non-experts. Then, we show that the displacement and the variance of the shoulder of the experts are also significantly smaller than those of the non-experts. The final result is the highlight of this study. We investigated their upper-limb motions from the viewpoint of trajectory optimization. In this study, we focus on two popular optimization criteria, i.e., sum of squared jerk over a trajectory and sum of squared joint-torque change over a trajectory. We present that the sum of squared joint torques of the subjects was negatively correlated with their scores (p < 0.05), whereas the other criteria were not.
An ECA expressing appreciations

In this paper, we propose a computational model that provides an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) with the ability to generate verbal other-repetition (repetitions of some of the words uttered in the previous user speaker turn) when interacting with a user in a museum setting. We focus on the generation of other-repetitions expressing emotional stances in appreciation sentences. Emotional stances and their semantic features are selected according to the user's verbal input, and ECA's utterance is generated according to these features. We present an evaluation of this model through users' subjective reports. Results indicate that the expression of emotional stances by the ECA has a positive effect oIn this paper, we propose a computational model that provides an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) with the ability to generate verbal other-repetition (repetitions of some of the words uttered in the previous user speaker turn) when interacting with a user in a museum setting. We focus on the generation of other-repetitions expressing emotional stances in appreciation sentences. Emotional stances and their semantic features are selected according to the user's verbal input, and ECA's utterance is generated according to these features. We present an evaluation of this model through users' subjective reports. Results indicate that the expression of emotional stances by the ECA has a positive effect on user engagement, and that ECA's behaviours are rated as more believable by users when the ECA utters other-repetitions.n user engagement, and that ECA's behaviours are rated as more believable by users when the ECA utters other-repetitions.
An alternative use of the NetLogo modeling environment, where the student thinks and acts like an Agent, in order to teach concepts of Ecology

The Multi-Agent-Based programming, modeling and simulation environment of NetLogo (Wilensky, 1999) has been used extensively during the last fifteen years for educational – among other – purposes. The learning subject, upon interacting with the User’s Interface of NetLogo, can easily study properties of the simulated natural systems, as well as observe the latter’s response, when altering their parameters. In this research, NetLogo was used under the perspective that the learning subject (student or prospective teacher) interacts with the model in a deeper way, obtaining the “role” of an “agent”. This is not achieved by obliging the learner to program (write NetLogo code) but by interviewing them, together with “applying” the choices that he/she makes on the model. The scheme was carried out, as part of a broader research, with interviews, and web-page-like interface menu selections, in a sample of 17 University students in Athens (prospective Primary School teachers) and the results were judged as encouraging. At a further stage, the computers were set as a network, where all the agents performed together. In this way the learners could watch onscreen the overall outcome of their choices and actions on the modeled ecosystem. This seems to open a new – small – area of research in NetLogo educational applications.
Variability Induced by Line Edge Roughness in Double-Gate Dopant-Segregated Schottky MOSFETs

Intrinsic parameter fluctuations introduced by process variations, such as line edge roughness (LER), create an increasing challenge to the CMOS technology scaling. In this paper, variations in double-gate dopant-segregate Schottky (DSS) MOSFETs, caused by LER of silicon-fin, are systematically investigated using statistical technology computer-aided design simulations. The impact of LER on both Schottky barrier and DSS-MOSFETs are examined contrastively. The results show that DSS-MOSFETs offer a larger and more uniform drive current, but suffer a more serious Vt fluctuation. The cause of such larger Vt flutuation is also analyzed, thus providing a good starting point to propose way to solve this problem.
Modeling robot's world with minimal effort

We propose an efficient Human Robot Interaction approach to efficiently model the appearance of all relevant objects in robot's environment. Given an input video stream recorded while the robot is navigating, the user just needs to annotate a very small number of frames to build specific classifiers for each of the objects of interest. At the core of the method, there are several random ferns classifiers that share the same features and are updated online. The resulting methodology is fast (runs at 8 fps), versatile (it can be applied to unconstrained scenarios), scalable (real experiments show we can model up to 30 different object classes), and minimizes the amount of human intervention by leveraging the uncertainty measures associated to each classifier. We thoroughly validate the approach on synthetic data and on real sequences acquired with a mobile platform in outdoor and challenging scenarios containing a multitude of different objects. We show that the human can, with minimal effort, provide the robot with a detailed model of the objects in the scene.
Measuring energy expenditure in cardiac patients using the Body Media Armband versus indirect calorimetry. A validation study.

AIM The purpose of this study was to compare differences in energy expenditure using the newly developed SenseWear Armband body monitor to indirect calorimetry in cardiac rehabilitation patients. METHODS Twenty-four (62+/-8.1 years) patients completed steady state exercise for 8 minutes on 4 modes of exercise (arm ergometry, treadmill walking, recumbent stepping and rowing ergometry). Total cumulative kilojoules were recorded simultaneously by indirect calorimetry and the SenseWear Armband. Statistical analyses assessed the degree of agreement between the 2 measurement methods and 3 different versions of the SenseWear software. RESULTS The correlations between indirect calorimetry and version 2.2 of the SenseWear armband for arm and rowing ergometry, the treadmill and recumbent stepper were r=0.90, r=0.67, r=0 . 80 and r=0.74, respectively. There were no between method differences during arm ergometry (p<1.000) and the recumbent stepper (p<0.102). Bland and Altman plots revealed the greatest spread of scores for the rower and the treadmill. Between method differences were minimal when using the preliminary cardiac software. The correlations for arm and rowing ergometry, the treadmill and recumbent stepper were r=0.90, r=0.84, r=0.78 and r=0.82, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The accuracy of the BodyMedia SenseWear Armband appears to be exercise modality dependent in those with heart disease when using software developed for the general population. Therefore, the information should be interpreted cautiously, particularly during treadmill walking and rowing. Initial experiments with cardiac-focused software are promising, but preliminary.
A Novelty Search-based Test Data Generator for Object-oriented Programs

In search-based structural testing, meta-heuristic search techniques have been frequently used to automate test data generation. In this paper, we introduce the use of novelty search algorithm to the test data generation problem based on statement-covered criterion. In this approach, we seek to explore the search space by considering diversity as the unique objective function to be optimized. In fact, instead of having a fitness-based selection, we select test cases based on a novelty score showing how different they are compared to all other solutions evaluated so far.
Decreased striatal monoaminergic terminals in multiple system atrophy detected with positron emission tomography

We examined the density of striatal presynaptic monoaminergic terminals, using a ligand for the type 2 vesicular monoamine transporter, (+)‐[11C]dihydrotetrabenazine, with positron emission tomography in 7 normal control subjects, 8 multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients with predominantly parkinsonian features (MSA‐P), 8 MSA patients with principally cerebellar dysfunction (MSA‐C), and 6 sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy (sOPCA) patients. The findings were correlated with the results of neurological evaluations and magnetic resonance imaging studies. Specific binding was significantly reduced in the putamen of all patient groups in the order MSA‐P < MSA‐C < sOPCA, compared with controls. Mean blood‐to‐brain ligand transport (K1) was significantly decreased in the putamen of all patient groups and in the cerebellar hemispheres of MSA‐C and sOPCA but not MSA‐P groups, compared with controls. Significant negative correlations were found between striatal binding and the intensity of parkinsonian features and between cerebellar K1 and the intensity of cerebellar dysfunction. The results suggest fundamental differences between MSA‐P and MSA‐C groups reflecting differential severity of degeneration of nigrostriatal and cerebellar systems in these two forms of MSA. The findings also show that some sOPCA patients have subclinical nigrostriatal dysfunction and are at risk of developing MSA with disease progression. Ann Neurol 1999;45:769–777