Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solving Multi-Objective and Fuzzy Multi-Attributive Integrated Technique for QoS-Aware Web Service Selection

The paper focuses on developing a new multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology for global web services selection based on QoS criteria, which integrates the multi-objective optimization with a fuzzy multi-attributive group decision-making (FMAGDM) technique. The study concentrates on the task of finding and then evaluating (or ranking) the finite number of pareto-optimal design alternatives (PODAs). A genetic algorithm based multi-objective optimization technique is employed for optimization purpose in terms of experts' opinions. Subjective attribute based aggregation technique for homogeneous and heterogeneous groups of experts is employed and used for dealing with the fuzzy opinion aggregation. Finally, we will discuss the integrated technique for Web services selection on global QoS optimization.
Improved method of cell placement with symmetry constraints for analog IC layout design

Recently, it is often required in high performance analog IC design that some cells are placed symmetrically to horizontal or vertical axis. Balasa et al. proposed a method of obtaining the closest placement satisfying the given symmetry constraints and the topology constraints imposed by a sequence-pair, but this method has the following defects: (1) Some cells overlap each other. (2) The closest cell placement satisfying both the symmetry and topology constraints may not be obtained. (3) How to place cells symmetrically is mentioned only for one axis and there is no explanation for plural axes. In this paper, we propose an efficient method to obtain the closest cell placement satisfying the given symmetry constraints and the topology constraints imposed by a sequence-pair using linear programming. The proposed method obtains a simple constraint graph from a sequence-pair and derives a set of linear constraint expressions from the graph. The number of linear expressions decreases by substituting the expressions for dependent variables. Then the solutions are obtained by linear programming. The effectiveness of the proposed method was shown by computational experiments.
GROK-INT: Generating Real On-Chip Knowledge for Interconnect Delays Using Timing Extraction

With continued scaling, all transistors are no longer created equal. The delay of a length 4 horizontal routing segment at coordinates (23,17) will differ from one at (12,14) in the same FPGA and from the same segment in another FPGA. The vendor tools give conservative values for these delays, but knowing exactly what these delays are can be invaluable. In this paper, we show how to obtain this information, inexpensively, using only components that already exist on the FPGA (configurable PLLs, registers, logic, and interconnect). The techniques we present are general and can be used to measure the delays of any resource on any FPGA with these components. We provide general algorithms for identifying the set of useful delay components, the set of measurements necessary to compute these delay components, and the calculations necessary to perform the computation. We demonstrate our techniques on the interconnect for an Altera Cyclone III (65nm). As a result, we are able to quantify over a 100 ps spread in delays for nominally identical routing segments on a single FPGA.
A Computational Analysis of the Dynamic Roles of Talin, Dok1, and PIPKI for Integrin Activation

Integrin signaling regulates cell migration and plays a pivotal role in developmental processes and cancer metastasis. Integrin signaling has been studied extensively and much data is available on pathway components and interactions. Yet the data is fragmented and an integrated model is missing. We use a rule-based modeling approach to integrate available data and test biological hypotheses regarding the role of talin, Dok1 and PIPKI in integrin activation. The detailed biochemical characterization of integrin signaling provides us with measured values for most of the kinetics parameters. However, measurements are not fully accurate and the cellular concentrations of signaling proteins are largely unknown and expected to vary substantially across different cellular conditions. By sampling model behaviors over the physiologically realistic parameter range we find that the model exhibits only two different qualitative behaviors and these depend mainly on the relative protein concentrations, which offers a powerful point of control to the cell. Our study highlights the necessity to characterize model behavior not for a single parameter optimum, but to identify parameter sets that characterize different signaling modes.
An Enhanced Genetic Algorithm for Server Placement in Distributed Interactive Applications

Recent years have witnessed the enormous popularity of distributed interactive applications (DIAs), which allow participants that are distributed in the network to interact with each other concurrently. The rapid growth of DIAs has raised stringent requirements on providing realistic sense of interaction between participants, whose quality is heavily influenced by network latencies. Although network latencies cannot be eliminated due to geographical spreads of participants, it is possible to reduce them by a smart selection of the locations where the servers of the DIAs are placed. The locations of servers affect not only the inter-server latencies but also the latencies from participants to servers, both of which are involved in the interactions among participants. Thus, the placement of servers is an important factor to the interactivity performance of DIAs. We formulate the server placement problem, and propose to solve it by an enhanced genetic algorithm, whose genetic operators are specially designed based on the nature of the problem. Experimental results using various datasets show that our algorithm leads to appreciable improvement of the interaction quality in DIAs.
The Equilibrium Tide Model for Tidal Friction

We derive from first principles the equations governing (a) the quadrupole tensor of a star distorted both by rotation and by the presence of a companion in a possibly eccentric orbit; (b) a functional form for the dissipative force of tidal friction, based on the concept that the rate of energy loss from a time-dependent tide should be a positive-definite function of the rate of change of the quadrupole tensor as seen in the frame that rotates with the star; and (c) the equations governing the rates of change of the magnitude and the direction of the stellar rotation, the orbital period and eccentricity, based on the concept of the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector. Our analysis leads relatively simply to a closed set of equations, valid for arbitrary inclination of the stellar spin to the orbit. The results are equivalent to classical results based on the rather less clear principle that the tidal bulge lags behind the line of centers by some time determined by the rate of dissipation. Our analysis gives the effective lag time as a function of the dissipation rate and the quadrupole moment. We discuss briefly some possible applications of the formulation.
Parikh Images of Grammars: Complexity and Applications

Parikh’s Theorem states that semilinear sets are effectively equivalent with the Parikh images of regular languages and those of context-free languages. In this paper, we study the complexity of Parikh’s Theorem over any fixed alphabet size d. We prove various normal form the oremsin the case of NFAs and CFGs. In particular, the normalform theorems ensure that a union of linear sets with dgenerators suffice to express such Parikh images, which in the case of NFAs can further be computed in polynomial time. We then apply apply our results to derive: (1) optimal complexity for decision problems concerning Parikh images(e.g. membership, universality, equivalence, and disjointness), (2) a new polynomial fragment of integer programming, (3) an answer to an open question about PAC-learnability of semilinear sets, and (4) an optimal algorithm for verifying LTL over discrete-timed reversal-bounded counter systems.
Women Who Kill in Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Content Analysis of Media Reports

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the biographical background and nature of the murder of women who have killed in post-apartheid South Africa. Archival newspaper data were examined and analysed for incidence of murders, the relationships between the women and the victims, sourcing of a third party to carry out the murder, the weapons used in the murder and motivations for the murder. The results suggest that most women who murder do so in the context of filicide or mariticide, the victims are typically someone well-known to the women, sourcing of a third party to commit the murder is relatively common, a knife and gun are the most frequently used weapon to commit the murder and that the primary motivations are financial difficulties or gain. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
User Scheduling for Heterogeneous Multiuser MIMO Systems: A Subspace Viewpoint

In downlink multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems, users are practically heterogeneous. However, many existing user-scheduling algorithms are designed with an implicit assumption that users are homogeneous. In this paper, we revisit the problem by exploring the characteristics of heterogeneous users from a subspace viewpoint. With an objective of minimizing interference nonorthogonality among users, three new angular-based user-scheduling criteria are proposed. While the first criterion is heuristically determined by identifying the incapability of the largest principal angle to characterize subspace correlation and, hence, interference nonorthogonality between users, the second and third criteria are derived by using the sum rate capacity bounds with block diagonalization and the change in capacity by adding a new user into an existing user subset, respectively. Aiming to capture fairness among heterogeneous users while maintaining multiuser diversity gain, two new hybrid user-scheduling algorithms, whose computational complexities are only linearly proportional to the number of users, are proposed. We show by simulations the effectiveness of our proposed user-scheduling criteria and algorithms with respect to those commonly used in a homogeneous environment.
Diabetes Mellitus na infância e adolescência: repercussões no cotidiano dos familiares / Diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents: repercussions in daily life of families

Pesquisa exploratorio-descritiva de abordagem qualitativa que objetivou-se compreender as repercussoes cotidianas expressas pela familia de crianca e adolescentes com diagnostico de diabetes mellitus tipo 1. Participaram desse estudo onze familiares de criancas e adolescentes portadoras de diabetes mellitus , sendo todas cadastradas em uma Associacao de Diabeticos de Maringa. Os criterios de inclusao foram: ser familiar de crianca/adolescente com diabetes mellitus ; ter idade igual ou superior a 18 anos; estar consciente e orientado no tempo e espaco; independente das funcoes que exerca; do nivel social; da escolaridade e que aceitaram livre e espontaneamente a participar da pesquisa. Os dados foram coletados em setembro de 2012, por meio de entrevista utilizando um questionario semiestruturado. Da analise tematica dos dados emergiram duas categorias tematicas: Convivendo com a doenca do filho e; compreendendo a necessidade de cuidado expressa pela familia: o abandono e o descaso. Esse estudo possibilitou a compreensao do enfrentamento dos familiares de criancas e adolescentes diabeticos frente as diversas modificacoes de vida e sentimentos envolvidas no processo do adoecer, demostrando a necessidade do profissional de saude, principalmente o enfermeiro, em realizar os cuidados a esses familiares.
Improving hallway navigation in mobile robots with sensor habituation

Habituation is a form of non-associative learning observed in a variety of species of animals. Arguably, it is the simplest form of learning. Nonetheless, the ability to habituate to certain stimuli implies plastic neural systems and adaptive behaviors. This article describes how computational models of habituation can be applied to real robots. In particular, we discuss the problem of the oscillatory movements observed when a Khepera robot navigates through narrow hallways. Results show that habituation to the proximity of the walls can lead to smoother navigation. Habituation to sensory stimulation to the sides of the robot does not interfere with the robot's ability to turn at dead ends and to avoid obstacles outside the hallway. This work shows that simple biological mechanisms of learning can be adapted to achieve better performance in real mobile robots.
Protein Secondary Structure Prediction based on Neural Network Models and Support Vector Machines

The prediction of protein secondary structure is an important step in the prediction of protein tertiary structure. Protein tertiary structure prediction is of great interest to biologists because proteins are able to perform their functions by coiling their amino acid sequences into specific three-dimensional shapes (tertiary structure). Therefore, this subject is of high importance in medicine (e.g. drug design) and biotechnology. Instead of costly and time-consuming experimental approaches, effective methods have been developed continuously. The secondary-structure prediction approaches in use today can be categorized into three groups: neighbor-based, model-based, and metapredictor-based approaches. The model-based approaches employ sophisticated machine learning techniques such as neural networks, hidden markov models, and support vector machines to learn a predictive model trained on sequences of known structure. With the help of growing databases and the evolutionary information available from multiple-sequence alignments, resources for secondary structure prediction became abundant. However, this paper focused on single- sequence prediction in order to compare algorithmic efficiency and to save computational-time. In this paper, the neural network and the support vector machine based algorithms will be compared.
Bifurcation based nonlinear feedback control for rotating stall in axial flow compressors

Classical bifurcation analysis for nonlinear dynamics is used to derive a nonlinear feedback control law that eliminates the hysteresis loop associated with rotating stall and extends the stable operating range in axial flow compressors. The proposed control system employs pressure rise as output measurement and throttle position as actuating signal for which both sensor and actuator exist in the current configuration of axial flow compressors. Thus, our results provide a practical solution for rotating stall control in axial flow compressors.
Evidence-based social service in Sweden: a long and winding road from policy to local practice

It is possible to discern a new trend replacing New Public Management (NPM) in human service organisations. This trend comprises a discussion about evidence and governance with the goal of establishing a knowledge-based practice within Swedish social service. Efforts aimed at promoting an evidence-based practice have been an explicit part of Swedish social policy for more than 15 years. As a public venture aimed at changing local municipality social work practice, the initiative described in this article has few predecessors in terms of personnel, finance, or political support. The purpose of this article is twofold: first, to describe the intervention and its implementation, and second, to analyse the intervention and its implementation and some implications of them. The article uses translation and institutional theory. The overall aim is to analyse the intervention and its implementation from the perspectives of power and governance. The empirical data include documents, interviews, and a survey of professionals. Data were collected between 2009 and 2016. This article shows that the intervention has been interpreted and reinterpreted during its implementation, and that the intervention has not yet created any radical change or knowledge development in social work practice. The article argues that evidence-based governance and other forms of governance constitute a successor of NPM, though far from a complete replacement. It is also obvious that actors such as researchers, professionals, and clients seem to have limited influence over future knowledge development within social services.
Virus-Templated Plasmonic Nanoclusters with Icosahedral Symmetry via Directed Self-Assembly

The assembly of plasmonic nanoparticles with precise spatial and orientational order may lead to structures with new electromagnetic properties at optical frequencies. The directed self-assembly method presented controls the interparticle-spacing and symmetry of the resulting nanometer-sized elements in solution. The self-assembly of three-dimensional (3D), icosahedral plasmonic nanosclusters (NCs) with resonances at visible wavelengths is demonstrated experimentally. The ideal NCs consist of twelve gold (Au) nanospheres (NSs) attached to thiol groups at predefined locations on the surface of a genetically engineered cowpea mosaic virus with icosahedral symmetry. In situ dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements confirm the NSs assembly on the virus. Transmission electron micrographs (TEM) demonstrate the ability of the self-assembly method to control the nanoscopic symmetry of the bound NSs, which reflects the icosahedral symmetry of the virus. Both, TEM and DLS show that the NCs comprise of a distribution of capsids mostly covered (i.e., 6–12 NS/capsid) with NSs. 3D finite-element simulations of aqueous suspensions of NCs reproduce the experimental bulk absorbance measurements and major features of the spectra. Simulations results show that the fully assembled NCs give rise to a 10-fold surface-averaged enhancement of the local electromagnetic field.
The Parameterization of Joint Rotation with the Unit Quaternion

Unit quaternion is an ideal parameterization for joint rota- tions. However, due to the complexity of the geometry of S 3 group, it's hard to specify meaningful joint constraints with unit quaternion. In this paper, we have proposed an effective and accurate method to specify the rotation limits for joints parameterized with the unit quaternion. Joint constrains constructed with our method are adequate for most applica- tions.
Underwater sound propagation characteristics at mini underwater test tank with varied salinity and temperature

In this paper, we report the development of water tank for underwater acoustic communication. Compared to most of underwater test tank, the tank may be considered as mini in term of its size. However, the test tank is intended to serve as controlled environment to develop a theoretical model and its validation experimentally before full-scale test at sea. We present on how to analyze the physical characteristics of the test tank with respect to salinity and temperature affected to speed and pattern of propagation waves. We designed the test tank made of 12mm thick of glass with dimension 2 × 1 × 1 in meter, then we placed corrugated sponges inside the walls to reduce the echo from signal that we generated. The measurements were conducted by placing array of hydrophones and analyze the propagating waves in fresh water with variation temperature 15°C, 20°C, 25°C and 30°C to simulate depth. In term of salinity we fixed at room temperature 30°C and varied the salinity of 3.1%, 3.2% 3.3%, 3.4% and 3.5%, respectively. The results showed that the sound propagation characteristics are in agreement with previous studies. This may suggest that the test tank may serve as small scale underwater acoustic experiment with controlled environment.
The role of emotional intelligence and a functional polymorphism in the MAO-A gene on aggression in humans

Aggression is a complex trait, with both genetic and environmental factors important in its aetiology. It is a universal problem, for which better solutions are needed. This study will focus mainly on the influence of genetic and environmental factors on two subtypes of aggression, namely reactiveand proactive aggression. The moderate heritability values of these subtypes make them ideal candidates for such a study. The genetic components of aggression include the upper-limit heritability estimates for the subtypes by means of correlations between first-degree relatives. Thereafter the role of variants of one specific gene, the MAO-A gene will be examined. The role of emotional intelligence as a specific environmental factor influencing aggression is discussed. Very few studies have been done on the possible influence of emotional intelligence on aggression. Traumatic event exposure will also be studied as a possible secondary influencing factor. Since self-report measures are used, the effect of social desirability bias will be determined. In this chapter each of the variables under study is briefly described, followed by the most salient motivations why these specific variables were seen as the most suitable for this investigation. In addition, the specific aims of the dissertation are briefly outlined.
Vlogging on YouTube: the online, political engagement of young Canadians advocating for social change

ABSTRACT Youth are often perceived as passive and disengaged from civic and political life. However, many researchers have countered such discourses of youth passivity and isolation, highlighting young people's active and interactive political engagement through less traditional outlets, especially online. In this article, we are influenced by a poststructural orientation to agency to identify themes across the social change-oriented YouTube channels of eighteen young Canadians. The themes we have identified counter a dominant focus on youth civic disengagement, political apathy, and isolation, instead highlighting the diverse political issues young Canadian vloggers address, the strategies they use, their multiple subjectivities, the interaction and support of their online community, and the relevance of inequality. We show how YouTube has become an important venue for the production and dissemination of youth perspectives.
Accuracy and reproducibility of biplane two-dimensional echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular dimensions and function.

OBJECTIVE To investigate sources of variability in serial echocardiographic recordings in a core laboratory we assessed the impact of repeated echo recordings, repeated video measurements and measurements made by different investigators. PATIENTS, METHODS Two investigators each recorded and analysed two-dimensional echos in 12 individuals (n = 24 in total) three times at one week intervals. Left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes were measured using the biplane modified Simpson's rule. Ejection fraction was derived from these volumes and left ventricular mass estimated using the area-length method. The left ventricular spherity index was expressed as the ratio of the short axis area and the long axis area at end-diastole. A video recording from each examination was reexamined twice by both investigators. RESULTS Deviations between repeated echo recordings and repeated video measurements ranged from -5 to +5% between investigators. A three-way repeated analysis of variance indicated a small, but systematic difference between investigators. Reproducibility, measured by coefficients of variation, ranged from 3-9% for different investigators, 3-6% for repeated video measurements and 7-19% for repeated echo recordings across the different variables. The total variability of all three factors should be considered when the smallest detectable significant change in a variable is assessed. These ranged from 16-28% across the five variables studied, when a 10% error of classification was accepted for a one-sided change in a variable. CONCLUSION Repeated echo recordings were the dominant component of variation. Two-dimensional echo measurements are reproducible and accurate, but the same investigator should follow the same patients.