Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inquiry on usability of two software process modeling systems using ISO/IEC 9241

One of the most common limitations of software is poor usability. Usability refers to the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with which users achieve their particular goals in a particular context. This paper reports an experiment which evaluates the usability factors between two software process modeling systems, EPF-Composer and DSL4SPM. Based on the standard ISO/IEC 9241, a method has been designed for both subjective and objective evaluation of systems' usability. The method allows gathering the metrics that make up the usability scale. Our experiment, involving 14 teams, provides insights on how to enhance the design of software products. The results shows that a combination of objective and subjective evaluations provide a more complete view of usability.
Towards Recognizing Abstract Activities: An Unsupervised Approach

The recognition of abstract high-level activities using wearable sensors is an important prerequisite for context aware mobile assistance, especially in AAL and medical care applications. A major difficulty in detecting this type of activities is that different activities often share similar motion patterns. One possible solution is to aggregate these activities from shorter, easier to detect base level actions, but the explicit annotation of these is not trivial and very time consuming. In this paper we introduce a simple clustering based method for the recognition of compound activities at a high level of abstraction using k-Means as an unsupervised learning algorithm. A general problem of these methods is that the resulting cluster affiliations are typically not human readable and some kind of interpretation is needed. To achieve this, we developed a hybrid approach using a generative probabilistic model built on top of the clusterer. We adapted a Hidden Markov Model for mapping the cluster memberships onto high-level activities and sucessfully evaluated the feasibility of this technique using experimental data from two test runs of a home care scenario showing a higher accuracy and robustness than conventional discriminative methods.
SU(2) WZNW Model at Higher Genera from Gauge Field Functional Integral

We compute the gauge field functional integral giving the scalar product of the SU(2) Chern-Simons theory states on a Riemann surface of genus > 1. The result allows to express the higher genera partition functions of the SU(2) WZNW conformal field theory by explicit finite dimensional integrals. Our calculation may also shed new light on the functional integral of the Liouville theory.
Raymond Williams’ communicative materialism

Raymond Williams is one of the most important and influential cultural theorists. Although he wrote on communication(s), the main reception of his works is today predominantly focused on his works on literature and culture. This article therefore presents an overview of his notion of communication and asks: How does Raymond Williams conceive of communication? How can we use his communicative materialism today for understanding digital communication? Williams advanced a materialist understanding of communication. His elements of a materialist communication theory help us to illuminate communication in the context of the base/superstructure problem, and ideology as a peculiar form of instrumental communication. He provides concepts that we need for a materialist understanding of digital media. The article concludes that we need the approach of communicative materialism for grounding a Marxist theory of communication that is relevant to the analysis of digital media. This article forms part of ‘On the Move’, a special issue that marks the twentieth anniversary of the European Journal of Cultural Studies.
Radical-Mediated Enzymatic Polymerizations

Polymerization reactions are commonly effected by exposing monomer formulations to some initiation stimulus such as elevated temperature, light, or a chemical reactant. Increasingly, these polymerization reactions are mediated by enzymes―catalytic proteins―owing to their reaction efficiency under mild conditions as well as their environmental friendliness. The utilization of enzymes, particularly oxidases and peroxidases, for generating radicals via reduction-oxidation mechanisms is especially common for initiating radical-mediated polymerization reactions, including vinyl chain-growth polymerization, atom transfer radical polymerization, thiol–ene step-growth polymerization, and polymerization via oxidative coupling. While enzyme-mediated polymerization is useful for the production of materials intended for subsequent use, it is especially well-suited for in situ polymerizations, where the polymer is formed in the place where it will be utilized. Such polymerizations are especially useful for biomedical adhesives and for sensing applications.
T-cell-mediated cytotoxic immune responses to F9 teratocarcinoma cells: cytolytic effector T cells lyse H-2-negative F9 cells and syngeneic spermatogonia

Murine thymus derived (T) lymphocytes primed in vivo to mouse 129 (H- 2bc) derived H-2-negative F9 embryonal carcinoma cells and rechallenged in vitro with X-irradiated F9 stimulator cells differentiated into anti- F9 cell immune cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Using CBA mouse derived splenic responder T cells, F9 stimulator cells triggered a primary cytotoxic anti-F9 response. The CTL generated lysed the F9 antigen- positive target cells F9. PCC3 and PCC4, but not the F9 antigen- negative mouse 129 derived PYS tumor cells, nor LPS induced H-2bc blast cells. Mouse 129 anti-F9 cell antisera but not H-2k anti-H-2bc antisera blocked the lytic interaction with F9 target cells. Similarily unlabeled F9 cells but not H-2bc blast cells inhibited the anti-F9 cell cytotoxicity H-2k anti-F9 cell immune CTL were found to be cytotoxic for syngeneic spermatogonia, known to express the F9 antigen. The results suggest not only that CTL can recognize and lyse H-2-negative target cells, but also that CTL precursors can be sensitized against H- 2-negative stimulator cells. From the data available it may be inferred that anti-F9 Cell immune CTL recognize the F9 antigen, known to be linked with the T/t locus. Since anti-F9 cell immune CTL lyse syngeneic spermatogonia, the system may be useful to analyze in vitro the induction and effector phase of a T-cell-mediated cytotoxic autoimmune orchitis.
TLR-Activated B Cells Suppress T Cell-Mediated Autoimmunity1

TLR sense microbial infections, and control activation of immune responses. Dendritic cells, macrophages, and B lymphocytes express TLR and the TLR-signaling adaptor protein MyD88. The impact of TLR-activated B cells on T cell-mediated inflammation is unknown. In this study, we have used mice carrying B cell-restricted deficiencies in MyD88 or in distinct TLR to examine the impact of TLR-activated B cells on a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We demonstrate that TLR-signaling in B cells suppresses inflammatory T cell responses (both Th1 and Th17), and stimulates recovery from EAE. Only certain TLR are required on B cells for resolution of EAE, and these are dispensable for disease initiation, indicating that a category of TLR agonists preferentially triggers a suppressive function in B cells and thereby limits autoimmune disease. The TLR agonists controlling the regulatory function of B cells are provided by components of Mycobacterium tuberculosis present in the adjuvant. Thus, MyD88 signaling in B cells antagonizes MyD88 signaling in other cells, which drives differentiation of Th17 cells and is required for induction of EAE. Altogether, our data indicate that B cells link recognition of microbial products via TLR to suppression of a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease.
Mobile Enhancement of Care Work

This paper describes the organizational implementation of a mobile system in social home care. By recording the times, places and tasks carried out, the new mobile system was planned to enhance managing and planning of home care services to become more efficient in the future. Home care workers view the system as a device for controlling working time. There is an apparent tension between independence and control as well as between technical and care rationalities of the work. This longitudinal ethnographical study aims to describe how the new mobile technology was appropriated to be a meaningful feature in the care context. The technology-led change is assessed from the perspectives of use, control, technical problems and disappointment.
Significant association of a M129V independent polymorphism in the 5′ UTR of the PRNP gene with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a large German case-control study

Background: A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the coding region of the prion protein gene (PRNP) at codon 129 has been repeatedly shown to be an associated factor to sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), but additional major predisposing DNA variants for sCJD are still unknown. Several previous studies focused on the characterisation of polymorphisms in PRNP and the prion-like doppel gene (PRND), generating contradictory results on relatively small sample sets. Thus, extensive studies are required for validation of the polymorphisms in PRNP and PRND. Methods: We evaluated a set of nine SNPs of PRNP and one SNP of PRND in 593 German sCJD patients and 748 German healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Results: In addition to PRNP 129, we detected a significant association between sCJD and allele frequencies of six further PRNP SNPs. No significant association of PRND T174M with sCJD was shown. We observed strong linkage disequilibrium within eight adjacent PRNP SNPs, including PRNP 129. However, the association of sCJD with PRNP 1368 and PRNP 34296 appeared to be independent on the genotype of PRNP 129. We additionally identified the most common haplotypes of PRNP to be over-represented or under-represented in our cohort of patients with sCJD. Conclusion: Our study evaluated previous findings of the association of SNPs in the PRNP and PRND genes in the largest cohorts for association study in sCJD to date, and extends previous findings by defining for the first time the haplotypes associated with sCJD in a large population of the German CJD surveillance study.
Interleaving Planning and Execution in a Multiagent Team Planning Environment

Agents in a multiagent system may need to share information and services. For this, they need to be able to interleave deliberative planning with execution of actions. The deliberative planning is needed to decide which actions to perform to achieve an objective, whereas execution of some of the actions is needed to make a more informed decision on the other actions and to access services provided by other agents. HITaP is a planner that interleaves planning and execution: using HITaP an agent can, during planning, gather information by either direct inspection of the domain or by ring queries to other agents and recording their answers. Interleaving planning and execution, as provided by HITaP, plays a crucial role in an agent's ability to construct shared plans with other agents and to manage the negotiation process that leads to agreement with the agent's teammates on these plans. HITaP is implemented and currently used as planning module for agents in the RETSINA multiagent system. These agents cooperate to solve problems in di erent domains that range from portfolio management to command and control decision support systems.1
Mining Answers for Causation Questions

Causal relations of various kinds are a pervasive feature of human language and theorising about the world. Despite this, the specification of a satisfactory general analysis of causal relations has long proved difficult. This paper provides a syntactic and semantic classification of cause-effect lexico-syntactic patterns for automatic detection and extraction of causation relationships in English texts. We also present a semiautomatic method of discovering generally applicable lexico-syntactic patterns that refer to the causation relation. The patterns are found automatically, but their validation is done semi-automatically. Our final purpose is to add a new module to our existing Question Answering (QA) system that will answer complex cause-effect questions.
Low-Income Dynamics in Canadian Society: Debates on Low-Income Measures and New Empirical Evidence

Abstract:In the existing research on poverty/low income, there are emerging initiatives to use multiple thresholds of low income instead of a single threshold and to analyze persistent low income over several years instead of low income in a single year. Although most recent studies have identified low-income incidences for multiple years (at least one year, at least four years, or at least six years) associated with multiple low-income thresholds, they unintentionally bury short-run low-income spells (for one to three years) in longer low-income spells (for four to six years). In this article, we review the debates on measures of low income and attempt to differentiate the short-run low-income spells clearly from their chronic counterparts. We further identify the characteristics of Canadians who are trapped under these two types of low-income spells. Using our approach and the 1999–2007 Canadian Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) data, we have found that approximately 73% of low-income Canadians are in short-run low income, while about 27% are in chronic low income. Short-run low income is generally associated with life cycle transitions, while chronic low income is generally associated with certain high-risk groups. These findings are fairly robust across various thresholds of low income.Abstract:Dans la littérature sur la pauvreté ou le faible revenu, on observe que des chercheurs prennent l’initiative d’employer de multiples seuils de faible revenu au lieu d’un seuil unique, et d’analyser les situations de faible revenu sur une période de plusieurs années plutôt qu’au cours d’une seule. Bien que la plupart des études récentes aient tenu compte des incidences de faible revenu sur plusieurs années (au moins un an, au moins quatre ans ou au moins six ans) et les aient associées à des seuils multiples, elles noient involontairement les courtes périodes de faible revenu (de un à trois ans) dans les périodes plus longues (de quatre à six ans). Dans cet article, nous présentons les arguments du débat sur la mesure du faible revenu et tâchons de distinguer clairement les périodes courtes des situations chroniques. Nous précisons également les caractéristiques des Canadiens dont le revenu peu élevé les fait entrer dans l’une ou l’autre de ces catégories. À partir de notre propre méthode et des données de l’Enquête sur la dynamique du travail et du revenu (EDTR, 1999–2007), nous avons trouvé qu’environ 73 % des Canadiens disposant d’un faible revenu sont dans cette situation pour une courte période, et que 27 % environ le sont chroniquement. Une courte période de faible revenu est généralement associée à une transition dans le cycle de vie, tandis qu’un faible revenu chronique est généralement associé à certains groupes à risques élevés. Ces résultats sont relativement constants, quel que soit le seuil de faible revenu considéré.
Entrepreneurial Personality Traits That Affect Venture Development and Growth

iv DEDICATION. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS . vii LIST OF FIGURES . ix LIST OF TABLES . x CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION.1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 4 1.3 Purpose of the Study . 5 1.4 Research Questions . 5 1.5 Significance of the Study . 5 1.6 Scope of the Study . 5 1.7 Definition of Terms.6 1.8 Chapter Summary . 6 CHAPTER TWO . 7 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 7 2.
Variations and Fluctuations of the Number of Individuals in Animal Species living together

§ 1. Preliminary Considerations. 1. Many applications of mathematics have been made to biology. In the first place come the researches on physiological questions relative to the senses, to the circulation of the blood, to the movement of animals, which can be viewed as subjects of optics, of acoustics, of hydrodynamics or of the mechanics of solid bodies and hence have not called for new methods outside the scope of the classical mathematical physics. Biometry, on the other hand, with its own modes of procedure, has recourse to the use of calculus of probability and has created a mass of new and original studies). And too the recent geometrical researches on the form and growth of organized existence have a particular character. In them geometry has been used to describe the forms themselves and their development just as for a long time it has been employed in astronomy to describe the orbits and the motions of the celestial bodies). Moreover it is to be hoped that the methods allied to the analysis used for heredity may be advantageously employed in questions concerning biology). Putting aside other applications of mathematics, these points, of
Human Simulations of Vocabulary Learning* Part I: the Power and Scope of Observational Learning Experiment 1: Cross-situational Observational Learning Experiment 2: Imageability and Contextual Learning Linguistic Supports for Verb Learning Condition 3: Obervation and Nominal Context (sequential Sema

University of Pennsylvania Running head: vocabulary learning _________ *We owe a great debt to the members of the CHEESE seminar who offered continuing theoretical insights and experimental suggestions as this work evolved, and we offer our heartfelt thanks to that group. We also had the benefit of informative discussions with Abstract 2 The work reported here experimentally investigates a striking generalization about vocabulary acquisition: Noun learning is superior to verb learning in the earliest moments of child language development. The dominant explanation of this phenomenon in the literature invokes differing conceptual requirements for items in these lexical categories: Verbs are cognitively more complex than nouns and so their acquisition must await certain mental developments in the infant. In the present work, we investigate an alternative hypothesis; namely, that it is the information requirements of verb learning, not the conceptual requirements, that crucially determine the acquisition order. Efficient verb learning requires access to structural features of the exposure language and thus cannot take place until a scaffolding of noun knowledge enables the acquisition of clause-level syntax. More generally, we experimentally investigate the hypothesis that vocabulary acquisition takes place via an incremental constraint-satisfaction procedure that bootstraps itself into successively more sophisticated linguistic representations which, in turn, enable new kinds of vocabulary learning. If the experimental subjects were young children, it would be difficult to distinguish between this information-centered hypothesis and the conceptual change hypothesis. Therefore the experimental learners are adults. The items to be " acquired " in the experiments were the 24 most frequent nouns and 24 most frequent verbs from a sample of maternal speech to 18-24-month old infants. The various experiments ask about the kinds of information that will support identification of these words as they occur in mother-to-child discourse. In Experiment 1, subjects were required to identify the words from observing several extralinguistic contexts for their use (silent videos in which mothers are seen uttering the " mystery word " several times to the infants, with each such use cued by a beep or a nonsense word). The findings under these conditions mimicked the known learning trajectory for infants at the inception of speech and comprehension: Nouns are learned far more efficiently than verbs. Experiment 2 showed that the Experiment 1 results are best understood as concreteness differences that are correlated with lexical class membership in the common useage of mothers to young children. Experiment 3 presented (different) …
Discovery of variable length time series motif

One significant task in time series mining research area is motif discovery which is the first step needed to be done in finding interesting patterns in time series sequence. Recently, many motif discovery algorithms have been proposed in place of the untenable brute-force algorithm, to improve its time complexity. However, those motif discovery algorithms still need a predefined sliding window length that must be known a priori. In this paper, we present a novel motif discovery algorithm that requires no window length parameter. This sliding window length is sensitive in that a small difference in the value can lead to huge difference of motif results. The proposed algorithm automatically returns suitable motif lengths from all possible sliding window lengths; in other words, our algorithm efficiently reduces a large set of possibilities of the sliding window lengths down to a few truly-interesting variable-length motifs.
Experimental practices in economics: A challenge for psychologists?

We discuss four key variables of experimental design that tend to be realized quite differently in economics and in areas of psychology relevant to both economists and psychologists, such as judgment and decision making. On theoretical and empirical grounds, we argue that these different realizations, which concern enactment of scripts, repetition of trials, performancebased monetary payments, and the use of deception, are bound to produce divergent experimental results. Furthermore, we argue that the wider range of experimental practices in psychology reflects a lack of procedural regularity that may contribute to the variability of empirical findings. We call for more research on the consequences of particular methodological preferences and to further this goal propose a “do-it-both-ways” rule. Experimental Practices 3
Functional Modeling in Conceptual Die Design

The use of function has been recognized as an important part of the design process over last two decades, especially at the conceptual design stage, due to its critical role in determining the final product’s functionality. Although there are now some general methodologies dealing with functions or reasoning about functions, virtually no commercial CAD system can support conceptual design process due to their focus on geometrical modeling but not functional modeling. This paper presents a functional modeling approach to guide conceptual die design through functional reasoning steps including functional decomposition, functional supportive synthesis and functionstructure mapping. The formed functional model provides a good basis to generate various die structures at the conceptual design stage, because function is a higher level of abstraction than structure, and helps to capture the designer’s intent. The functional modeling process has been implemented in a computerized design environment to expedite the conceptual die
Southern Political Science Association Polarization in the American Public : Misconceptions and Misreadings

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