Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling Influence in a Social Network: Metrics and Evaluation

Social recommender systems are a recently introduced type of decision support system. One of the issues to be resolved in social recommender systems is the identification of opinion leaders in a network. The focus of this paper is the analysis of a network based on the interactions between users called behavioral analysis. The hypothesis explored in this paper is that Influence Rank can be quantified based on the interaction between users and their behavior. The Influence Rank for a node is defined as the average Influence Rank of its neighborhoods combined with another index called Magnitude of Influence. The correlation between the proposed indices is analyzed in this paper. This combined measure is calculated by a recursive algorithm whose calculation complexity is non-polynomial. However, this measure can be estimated by using the Page Rank algorithm. Results supporting the utility of the measure and the accuracy of its estimation using the Page Rank approximation are presented.
Phonotactic spoken language identification with limited training data

We investigate the addition of a new language, for which limited resources are available, to a phonotactic language identification system. Two classes of approaches are studied: in the first class, only existing phonetic recognizers are employed, whereas an additional phonetic recognizer in the new language is created for the second class. It is found that the number of acoustic recognizers employed plays a crucial role in determining the recognition accuracy for the new language. We study different approaches to incorporating a language for which audio-only data is available (no pronunciation dictionaries or transcriptions) and find that if more than about 2 000 training utterances are available, a bootstrapped acoustic model for the new language can improve accuracy substantially.
Role of Nicotine Dependence in the Association between the Dopamine Receptor Gene DRD3 and Major Depressive Disorder

Background The aims of this study were to analyze associations of dopamine receptor genes (DRD1-5) with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and nicotine dependence (ND), and to investigate whether ND moderates genetic influences on MDD. Methods The sample was ascertained from the Finnish Twin Cohort. Twin pairs concordant for smoking history were recruited along with their family members, as part of the multisite Nicotine Addiction Genetics consortium. Genetic association analyses were based on 1428 adults. Total of 70 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms within the dopamine receptor genes were genotyped and analyzed for association with MDD, ND, and MD-ND co-morbidity. Individual level logistic regression analyses were based on 1296 adults with data on ND and MDD diagnoses, as well as on dopamine receptor genotypes adjusted for sex, age, and alcohol use. Four independent samples, such as population-based and case-control samples, were used for replication. Results Rs2399496, located 1.5 kb downstream of DRD3, showed suggestive association for MDD (p = 0.00076) and significant association for MDD-ND co-morbidity (p = 0.000079). Suggestive gene-(rs2399496) by-ND-interaction justified analyses by genetic risk variant and ND status. Individuals with ND and two minor alleles (AA) of rs2399496 had almost six-fold risk for MDD (OR 5.74, 95%CI 3.12–10.5, p = 9.010e-09) compared to individuals without ND and with two major alleles (TT). Conclusions Significant association between a variant downstream of DRD3 and a co-morbid MDD-ND phenotype was detected. Our results further suggest that nicotine dependence may potentiate the influence of the DRD3 genetic variant on MDD.
Satellite and Aerial Image Mosaicing - A Comparative Insight

Image registration or image stitching is a central operation in many useful and important tasks in image processing like maps construction, scanning large documents and panoramic photos creation. In particular image mosaicing is used to assemble several overlapping images in order to constitute the global frame. We will focus on a feature-point matching method to perform the mosaicing. The SIFT algorithm is used to extract the feature points in both images. The mosaicing result is obtained after transforming the sensed or target image to align to the reference image. Performing a mosaicing operation is not sufficient to claim reaching the goal. Objective metrics must be used to evaluate the resulting mosaic. In this paper we present a complete mosaicing system named EsiReg and give a brief comparative insight on results of stitching satellite and aerial images using well known performance metrics.
Learning the Role and Behavior of Users in Group Decision Making

Group decisions arise in various settings, from mundane everyday tasks such as picking a movie to watch at home, to more involved processes such as that of a hiring committee, and require the interplay among group members, which often leads to compromises. Recommender systems, although primarily designed to cater for individuals, have been extended to support group decision making. However, they are hampered by the lack of models that describe the dynamics in group decisions. In this paper, we present ideas about how to extract more appropriate models for explaining and predicting group decisions, by observing decision outcomes.
Comparing the psychometric properties of checklists and global rating scales for assessing performance on an OSCE‐format examination

PURPOSE: To compare the psychometric properties of checklists, global rating scales preceded by a checklist, and global rating scales alone in assessing surgery residents' performances on an OSCE-like technical skills examination. METHOD: In 1996, 53 general surgery residents with one to six years of postgraduate training participated in a performance-based examination of technical skills consisting of eight 15-minute stations (bench-model simulations of operative procedures in general surgery). Two qualified surgeons marked at each station, one using a task-specific checklist (C) and a subsequent global rating scale (Gc), the other using a global rating scale only (G). RESULTS: Interstation reliabilities measured by Cronbach's alpha were . 79 for C, . 89 for Gc, and . 85 for G. A series of multiple regressions predicting level of training from test scores revealed an R2 of . 584 for C alone, which increased to . 711 when Gc was entered after (p < .001), and increased to . 704 when G was entered after C (p < .001). However, R2 for Gc alone was . 711, and for G alone was . 704, neither of which changed when C was entered into the prediction (p > .10). The R2 for Gc and G predicting level of training (.725) was not significantly greater than that of either Gc or G alone. A very similar pattern of results was seen when C, Gc, and G were used to predict independent evaluations of the operative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Global rating scales scored by experts showed higher inter-station reliability, better construct validity, and better concurrent validity than did checklists. Further, the presence of the checklists did not improve the reliability or validity of the global rating scale over that of the global rating scale alone. These results suggest that global rating scales administered by experts are a more appropriate summative measure when assessing candidates on performance-based examinations.
Escala de actitudes hacia la estadística

Hemos tratado de validar la Escala de Actitudes hacia la Estadistica (EAE) con una muestra de estudiantes de la Universidad de La Laguna. Los resultados obtenidos mediante analisis factorial de componentes principales y rotacion varimax ofrecen cuatro factores: Seguridad, Importancia, Utilidad y Deseo de Saber. Estos resultados parecen acercarse mas a los obtenidos por Auzmendi con una muestra de estudiantes de Ensenanzas Medias en la Escala de actitudes hacia las Matematicas y donde parece ser que la Ansiedad es el factor determinante.
Researching online practices

This chapter considers what is entailed in researching activities involving use of the internet from the standpoint of people engaging in social practices like blogging, online shopping, participating in online social networks, and being a fanfiction writer or music video creator. It outlines what we mean by 'practices' as a technical concept, and identifies some key implications for research design and methodology of taking a practice approach to researching social phenomena. We pay particular attention to a concept of 'connective inquiry' that disrupts the online/offline distinction and to the idea of 'affinity spaces' as a useful construct for understanding how people become proficient in certain kinds of internet-related practices. The chapter privileges attempts to gain 'insider' understandings of internet-related practices, as experienced from the perspective of the actors themselves (emic), rather than imposing observer meanings upon these practices (etic) from the outside or on the basis of generalizations presumed to hold across a range of cultural contexts. We live in a period of massive technological and institutional change, where new things to be done and new ways of doing things – increasingly on a global scale – are emerging apace, mediated to a large extent by the internet. Internet-related practices are the 'nuts and bolts' of a great deal of the culture and history being made in this conjuncture. Understanding these nuts and bolts, then, is crucial to understanding our times – locally and globally.
A data synchronization service for ad hoc groups

The emergence of wireless ad hoc networking has opened the way for a new style of distributed computing. Ad hoc networks operate without infrastructure such as routers or access points. Software designed for this environment faces new challenges. In traditional networks, partitioning is typically treated as an exceptional and transient condition. The situation in ad hoc wireless networks is completely reversed. Each ad hoc group is an isolated network, partitioned from all other ad hoc networks. As computers move from one ad hoc group to another, the set of partitions changes. This paper presents the design and implementation of a data synchronization service intended specifically for ad hoc wireless networks. It describes the underlying factors affecting the design, the protocol used to achieve synchronization, and some performance measurements from the actual implementation.
An Empirical Research on Relation Model of Campus Social Networks Based on Centrality Analysis

With the rapid development and popularization of the Smartphone and mobile internet technology, Social Networking Service (SNS) has become extremely in favour over recent years. As we all known, one of the most world famous SNS, which we called Facebook, was once launched by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates in Harvard University. Although all platforms seem to emphasize the relationship properties among their users, Campus Social Networks are still very different. The aim of our present study was to investigate the real relation models. About ten teachers and students joined our study, and the participants were chosen randomly. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a very booming field of network science. It provides us a convenient and fast visualization tool to study different kinds of networks. Basing on the analysis results of architectures, we have discover Campus Social Networks are much closer to the working relations in our daily life.
Speculative Bubbles and the Cross-Sectional Variation in Stock Returns

Evidence suggests that rational, periodically collapsing speculative bubbles may be pervasive in stock markets globally, but there is no research that considers them at the individual stock level. In this study we develop and test an empirical asset pricing model that allows for speculative bubbles to affect stock returns. We show that stocks incorporating larger bubbles yield higher returns. The bubble deviation, at the stock level as opposed to the industry or market level, is a priced source of risk that is separate from the standard market risk, size and value factors. We demonstrate that much of the common variation in stock returns that can be attributable to market risk is due to the co-movement of bubbles rather than being driven by fundamentals.
An Electronically Tunable Single-Layer Reflectarray Antenna Element With Improved Bandwidth

This letter presents a varactor diode-tuned reflectarray element that achieves an improved element phase bandwidth relative to designs that employ a single resonance for phase tuning. This is accomplished by introducing two resonances in the element while maintaining a single-layer structure. Simulation results based on full-wave simulations compare favorably to experimental measurements inside a waveguide. The unit cell exhibits over 380° of phase agility, 3.5 dB of peak cell loss, and a 2.4% phase bandwidth at 5.4 GHz. In addition, it has the attractive features of using only a single control voltage as well as having a quasi-linear phase versus voltage characteristic.
Caveolin 3, Flotillin 1 and Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Reside in Distinct Domains on the Sarcolemma of Skeletal Myofibers

We examined the distribution of selected raft proteins on the sarcolemma of skeletal myofibers and the role of cholesterol environment in the distribution. Immunofluorescence staining showed that flotillin-1 and influenza hemagglutinin exhibited rafts that located in the domains deficient of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex, but the distribution patterns of the two proteins were different. Cholesterol depletion from the sarcolemma by means of methyl-β-cyclodextrin resulted in distorted caveolar morphology and redistribution of the caveolin 3 protein. Concomitantly, the water permeability of the sarcolemma increased significantly. However, cholesterol depletion did not reshuffle flotillin 1 or hemagglutinin. Furthermore, a hemagglutinin variant that lacked a raft-targeting signals exhibited a similar distribution pattern as the native raft protein. These findings indicate that each raft protein exhibits a strictly defined distribution in the sarcolemma. Only the distribution of caveolin 3 that binds cholesterol was exclusively dependent on cholesterol environment.
Integer Frequency Offset Estimation for Dynamic Lattice Multicarrier Transmission System over Time-Varying Rayleigh Fading Channel

In this paper, we study the integer carrier frequency offset (ICFO) estimation problem for dynamic lattice multicarrier transmission (DLMT) system over time-varying rayleigh fading channel. Firstly, a novel preamble structure based on two constant amplitude zero auto-correlation (CAZAC) sequences is designed for DLMT system. The proposed preamble structure is named as dual-CAZAC preamble. Then, by using the designed dual-CAZAC preamble, a weighted cross ambiguity function (WCAF) based ICFO estimation algorithm is proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed WCAF based ICFO estimation algorithm can mitigate the impact of time-varying multipath rayleigh fading channel and outperforms traditional ICFO estimator on the correct estimation probability performance.
Conflict and insecurity: A sociological perspective on perceptions of insecurity in conflict-affected Democratic Republic of Congo

This article focuses on insecurity perceptions in conflict-affected areas. The authors apply sociological theories on the determinants of perceived security risks and test hypotheses concerning theories on social and physical vulnerability, social disorder and social integration in the area where the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has operated. The study uses data from a survey conducted in 2013 in the territory of Faradje (Haut-Uele) and applies multilevel models to 443 individuals living within 21 different villages and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. The results indicate that insecurity perceptions and fear of attacks are still widespread, causing individuals to adapt their behaviour and IDPs to refrain from returning home. These concerns are unaffected by social and physical vulnerabilities. The study finds a positive significant effect of the presence of IDPs in the villages and IDP camps on insecurity perceptions. This suggests possible effects of social disorder and a lack of social integration due to the arrival of IDPs in the area. Although improving the security situation itself is an important factor, this article shows that addressing insecurity perceptions might be an important factor as well.
An automatic approach to identify word sense changes in text media across timescales

Abstract In this paper, we propose an unsupervised and automated method to identify noun sense changes based on rigorous analysis of time-varying text data available in the form of millions of digitized books and millions of tweets posted per day. We construct distributional-thesauri-based networks from data at different time points and cluster each of them separately to obtain word-centric sense clusters corresponding to the different time points. Subsequently, we propose a split/join based approach to compare the sense clusters at two different time points to find if there is ‘birth’ of a new sense. The approach also helps us to find if an older sense was ‘split’ into more than one sense or a newer sense has been formed from the ‘join’ of older senses or a particular sense has undergone ‘death’. We use this completely unsupervised approach (a) within the Google books data to identify word sense differences within a media, and (b) across Google books and Twitter data to identify differences in word sense distribution across different media. We conduct a thorough evaluation of the proposed methodology both manually as well as through comparison with WordNet.
Assessing the Common Core Standards

This article responds to comments on the authors’ Educational Researcher article “Common Core Standards: The New U.S. Intended Curriculum” (April 2011). The authors note points of agreement and difference with the commentators. They observe that Cobb and Jackson, in their response, and Beach, in his, appear to accept the authors’ methods and findings, although these commentators suggest additional perspectives that should be brought to bear when addressing quality and change. The authors agree with Beach, Cobb, and Jackson that quality is difficult to define and assess, and they state that additional conceptualizations of mathematics and English language arts content and additional conceptualizations of how to define and measure alignment among content standards, materials, assessments, and instruction should be explored. They look forward to renewed efforts in this research area.
Effects of low-dose metformin and rosiglitazone on biochemical, clinical, metabolic and biophysical outcomes in polycystic ovary syndrome

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of low-dose metformin and rosiglitazone on clinical, biochemical, ultrasound features and endothelial function in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). After randomisation, a group of 17 women received metformin 500 mg b.d. (MG) and a group of 18 received rosiglitazone 4 mg o.d. (RG) for 3 months. Serum FSH, LH, testosterone, fasting glucose, insulin, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, CRP were measured at baseline and follow-up. Ovarian scan and microcirculation studies were also performed. It was found that there was a reduction in hyperandrogenaemia, insulin resistance, lipidaemia, CRP levels, ovarian volume and number of follicles in both groups. No improvement in endothelial- dependent function was noted but a significant improvement in endothelial-independent function in rosiglitazone group. It was concluded that low-dose therapeutic regimen with rosiglitazone and metformin, has comparable beneficial impacts on metabolic, hormonal and morphological features of PCOS but no obvious effect on vascular parameters in a population of predominantly mild PCOS.
Mom feels what her child feels: thermal signatures of vicarious autonomic response while watching children in a stressful situation

Maternal attunement with an infant's emotional states is thought to represent a distinctive feature of the human primary bond. It implies the mother's ability of empathizing with her child in order to fulfil the child's needs in an immediate and appropriate manner. Thus, it is particularly involved in stressful situations. By assuming that maternal attunement embodies a direct sharing of physiological responses with the child, we compared the autonomic response of mothers observing their own distressed child with those of other women observing an unknown child involved in an ecological distressful condition (mishap paradigm). The hypothesis was that the adult's response was more attuned with the child's response in the former group than in the latter group. The autonomic response was non-invasively evaluated through the recording of the thermal facial imprints by means of thermal infrared (IR) imaging. Nine mother-child dyads and 9 woman-unknown child dyads were studied. We found marked similarities between the facial temperature dynamics of women and children along the experimental procedure, thus providing evidence for a direct emotional sharing within the adult-child dyad. The evidence for common dynamics in the time course of the temperatures was assessed through correlation analysis and, nevertheless, resulted stronger in the mother-child dyads than in the other women-child dyads. In addition, temporal analysis showed a faster response in mothers than in other women, thus confirming our study hypothesis. Besides confirming the extraordinary capability of IR imaging to preserve ecological context in the study of social or non-verbal interactions, these results suggest that maternity appears to potentiate the emotional attunement with the child. Although based on preliminary results, this study opens new perspectives in the study of the factors modulating vicarious socio-emotional processes.
A human endogenous retrovirus-derived gene that can contribute to oncogenesis by activating the ERK pathway and inducing migration and invasion

Endogenous retroviruses are cellular genes of retroviral origin captured by their host during the course of evolution and represent around 8% of the human genome. Although most are defective and transcriptionally silenced, some are still able to generate retroviral-like particles and proteins. Among these, the HERV-K(HML2) family is remarkable since its members have amplified relatively recently and many of them still have full length coding genes. Furthermore, they are induced in cancers, especially in melanoma, breast cancer and germ cell tumours, where viral particles, as well as the envelope protein (Env), can be detected. Here we show that HERV-K(HML2) Env per se has oncogenic properties. Its expression in a non-tumourigenic human breast epithelial cell line induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), often associated with tumour aggressiveness and metastasis. In our model, this is typified by key modifications in a set of molecular markers, changes in cell morphology and enhanced cell motility. Remarkably, microarrays performed in 293T cells reveal that HERV-K(HML2) Env is a strong inducer of several transcription factors, namely ETV4, ETV5 and EGR1, which are downstream effectors of the MAPK ERK1/2 and are associated with cellular transformation. We demonstrate that HERV-K(HML2) Env effectively activates the ERK1/2 pathway in our experimental setting and that this activation depends on the Env cytoplasmic tail. In addition, this phenomenon is very specific, being absent with every other retroviral Env tested, except for Jaagsiekte Sheep Retrovirus (JSRV) Env, which is already known to have transforming properties in vivo. Though HERV-K Env is not directly transforming by itself, the newly discovered properties of this protein may contribute to oncogenesis.