Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lessons for Life: Roma Children, Communal Practices, and the Global Marketplace.

The Roma, also known as gypsies or tsinganoi, are amongst the oldest ethnic minorities in Europe. Nonetheless, they have been one of the most universally marginalized groups across all of the European nations. Their marginalization is evident in how Roma children have been treated in schools. Until recently, most nations have only offered them a segregated education. Those allowed into integrated settings have attended schools whose goal has been cultural assimilation (Lesar, Cuk, & Pecek, 2006). Since curricula do not reflect their lives, customs, or personal experiences and school officials make little effort to communicate with families (Kale dor Kayiko, n.d.), many Roma opt not to send their children to school. There are over 3.5 million school age Roma children, but over 1.5 million have never attended public school because of the cultural assimilation practices (Cozma, Cucos, & Momanu, 2000). Through rejection of assimilative institutions, Roma people distance themselves from the non-Roma, referred to as balamos by Greek Roma. Some would argue that such distancing from mainstream society and its institutions limits Roma children’s access to the cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1984) which may lift them out of poverty. In this article, I report on preliminary data from an ethnographic study of how and what Roma children in Greece learn outside of schooling via the practice of familial economic participation to show how the Roma leverage their own cultural capital as a marginalized people to participate in the informal economy. I provide brief notes, stories, and snapshots from the two months I spent traveling with a migrant Roma troupe to illustrate how the Roma in Greece, 80-90% of whom cannot read or write in Greek as result of their marginalization, prepare their children to work on the fringes of Greece’s local economies. Before discussing the research findings, I provide a brief history of the challenges the Roma have faced in Europe and then detail the research methods, providing a description of the migrant troupe I joined for two months.
Business Process Adaptations via Protocols

Business process management in service-oriented computing (SOC) environments poses special challenges. In particular, SOC environments are dynamic, thereby requiring frequent changes in business processes. Current business process modeling approaches handle such changes in an ad hoc manner, and lack a principled means of determining what needs to be changed and where. This paper addresses process adaptability through a novel application of business protocols, especially of protocol composition, introduced in our previous work. Through a real business scenario of auto-insurance claim processing, this paper demonstrates how a wide range of adaptations can be handled naturally and systematically via protocol composition. The illustrated adaptations have been evaluated via a prototype
CB-Power: a hierarchical cell-based power characterization and estimation environment for static CMOS circuits

In this paper, we present CB-Power, a hierarchical cell-based power characterization and estimation environment for static CMOS circuits. The environment is based on a cell characterization system for timing, power and input capacitance and on a cell-based power estimator. The characterization system can characterize basic, complex and transmission gates. During the characterization, input slew rate, output loading, capacitive feedthrough effect and the logic state dependence of nodes in a cell are all taken into account. The characterization methodology separates the power consumption of a cell into three components, e.g., capacitive feedthrough power, short-circuit power, and dynamic power. With the characterization data, a cell-based power estimator (CBPE) embedded in Verilog-XL is used for estimating the power consumption of a circuit. CB-Power is also a hierarchical power estimator. Macrocells such as flip-flops and adders are partitioned into primitive gates during power estimation. Experimental results on a set of MCNC benchmark circuits show that CB-Power provides within 6% error of SPICE simulation on average while the CPU time consumed is more than two orders of magnitude less.
Critique des méthodes de l’évaluation contingente et de l’analyse conjointe : application au cas du test de prix d’un concept de service innovant dans le secteur du logement social

Le taux d’échec des lancements de biens et services innovants appelle une réflexion sur les méthodes utilisables dès le stade du concept pour mesurer le consentement à payer (CAP) des consommateurs. Cet article vise à comparer deux méthodes qui peuvent être utilisées à cette fin : l’évaluation contingente et l’analyse conjointe. Il présente les résultats de deux études visant à mesurer le CAP de locataires de logements sociaux pour une offre groupée de services d’information et multimédia. Les résultats montrent une divergence des résultats issus des méthodes étudiées et appellent à un développement des recherches dans ce champ.
Racial Differences in Genetic and Environmental Risk to Preterm Birth

Preterm birth is more prevalent in African Americans than European Americans and contributes to 3.4 times more African American infant deaths. Models of social inequity do not appreciably account for this marked disparity and molecular genetic studies have yet to characterize whether allelic differences that exist between races contribute to this gap. In this study, biometrical genetic models are applied to a large mixed-race sample consisting of 733,339 births to measure the extent that heritable factors and environmental exposures predict the timing of birth and explain differences between racial groups. Although we expected significant differences in mean gestational age between racial groups, we did not anticipate the variance of gestational age in African Americans (σ2 = 7.097) to be nearly twice that of European Americans (σ2 = 3.764). Our results show that this difference in the variance of gestational age can largely be attributed to environmental sources; which were 3.1 times greater in African Americans. Specifically, environmental factors that change between pregnancies, versus exposures that influence all pregnancies within a family, are largely responsible for the increased reproductive heterogeneity observed in African American mothers. Although the contribution of both fetal and maternal genetic factors differed between race categories, genetic studies may best be directed to understanding the differences in the socio-cultural sources of this heterogeneity, and their possible interaction with genetic differences within and between races. This study provides a comprehensive description of the relative genetic and environmental contributions to racial differences in gestational age.
Layered RC circuit with dynamic resistances for background subtraction

Background subtraction is a widely used technique for moving object extraction from video sequences. This technique is a basic component in many surveillance systems. Numerous methods for background subtraction were developed in recent year, and one of them is the Layered RC circuit for background subtraction. This novel method uses a model of RC circuits for background modeling. We have studied this method, and we have developed an improvement of this method using dynamic resistances in the model. This work introduces the reader to background subtraction, discuses related works, describes basic layered LR circuit model, and our improvement to the method. Then, it provides the reader with experiments and a discussion over the results.
Pathophysiologic therapeutic targets in hypertension: a cardiological point of view

Introduction: Treatment of arterial hypertension can be a difficult exercise. Anti-hypertensive treatments need to be administered, keeping in mind the pathophysiological mechanisms and correlates at the base of arterial hypertension in the specific patient. Areas covered: The common pathophysiological mechanisms at the base of hypertension and their undisputed mechanistic relationship with clinical events. Additionally, the mounting evidence showing that, from their changes, it may be possible to predict the clinical outcome of patients. Data was sourced from Medline and the Cochrane library. Which were searched from January 1986 to May 2011 to find relevant papers outlining the relation between hypertension, pathophysiology, medical treatment and side/adverse effects of anti-hypertensive drugs. Expert opinion: It appears that the hypertensive patient in the cardiological context is often a subject with a ‘complex' health status (e.g., glucose intolerant/diabetic carrier of serum lipids disorder) and as such, he/she should be treated in a ‘holistic' pharmacological way. All the ancillary positive and negative effects of the administered drugs should not be dismissed. From a pathophysiological point of view, inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system could be considered as the most appropriate drugs for the treatment of arterial hypertension and its correlates, especially in the high-risk patient.
Summarizing Unconstrained Videos Using Salient Montages

We present a novel method to summarize unconstrained videos using salient montages (i.e., a “melange” of frames in the video as shown in <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1">Fig. 1</xref>, by finding “montageable moments” and identifying the salient people and actions to depict in each montage. Our method aims at addressing the increasing need for generating concise visualizations from the large number of videos being captured from portable devices. Our main contributions are (1) the process of finding salient people and moments to form a montage, and (2) the application of this method to videos taken “in the wild” where the camera moves freely. As such, we demonstrate results on head-mounted cameras, where the camera moves constantly, as well as on videos downloaded from YouTube. In our experiments, we show that our method can reliably detect and track humans under significant action and camera motion. Moreover, the predicted salient people are more accurate than results from state-of-the-art video salieny method <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1">[1]</xref> . Finally, we demonstrate that a novel “montageability” score can be used to retrieve results with relatively high precision which allows us to present high quality montages to users.
Dataflow process networks

We review a model of computation used in industrial practice in signal processing software environments and experimentally and other contexts. We give this model the name "dataflow process networks," and study its formal properties as well as its utility as a basis for programming language design. Variants of this model are used in commercial visual programming systems such as SPW from the Alta Group of Cadence (formerly Comdisco Systems), COSSAP from Synopsys (formerly Cadis), the DSP Station from Mentor Graphics, and Hypersignal from Hyperception. They are also used in research software such as Khoros from the University of New Mexico and Ptolemy from the University of California at Berkeley, among many others. Dataflow process networks are shown to be a special case of Kahn process networks, a model of computation where a number of concurrent processes communicate through unidirectional FIFO channels, where writes to the channel are nonblocking, and reads are blocking. In dataflow process networks, each process consists of repeated "firings" of a dataflow "actor. " An actor defines a (often functional) quantum of computation. By dividing processes into actor firings, the considerable overhead of context switching incurred in most implementations of Kahn process networks is avoided. We relate dataflow process networks to other dataflow models, including those used in dataflow machines, such as static dataflow and the tagged-token model. We also relate dataflow process networks to functional languages such as Haskell, and show that modern language concepts such as higher-order functions and polymorphism can be used effectively in dataflow process networks. A number of programming examples using a visual syntax are given. >
Improved Structure of Solar Tracker with Microcontroller Based Control

A new mechanical structure for solar tracker was designed and presented. The structure implements two stepper motors for free rotation on X and Y axis. The rotation is intelligently controlled by a pre-programmed 2K microcontroller device PIC 18F4560 which provides simple programming strategy through C language. The designed algorithm is based on the measurement of intensity of solar radiation which is captured by an ultra violet sensitive device known as Pyranometer. The system has been tested and the results show very significant impact on the mechanical design, controlling algorithm and also the cost of the development.
Oscilloscope using Arduino interface LabVIEW

Oscilloscopes aie used to observe the change of an electrical signal over time, such that voltage and time describe a shape which is continuously graphed against a calibrated scale. Due to the size, the cost and complex structure of oscilloscope thers is need to alternative solution. This paper is focused on the new technology to use to observe the change of an electrical signal using Arduino interface LabVIEW that provides accurate measurements with small size device (Arduino) that can fit in the pocket which is also cheap device. The paper gives the brief introduction about the LabVIEW and Arduino, also the basic block diagram of the oscilloscope program along with its simulation results. The project has been test it with multiple signal voltages (+15 to −15) V Ac and DC and multiple frequencies (30Hz to 1 kHz) and it can measure more voltage Depends on signal condition circuit (the circuit that changes the voltage from. Any input voltage to Arduino input voltage (0 to 5) V). The results that arduino Interface LabVIEW gave was the approximately same results as the actual results that Oscilloscope gave.
Epigenetic silencing of XAF1 in high-grade gliomas is associated with IDH1 status and improved clinical outcome

XAF1 (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)-associated factor 1) is a tumor suppressor that counteracts the anti-apoptotic effects of XIAP and can sensitize cells to cell death triggering events. XAF1 knockdown abrogated the temozolomide (TMZ)-induced G2-arrest and prevented TMZ-induced apoptosis in the glioblastoma (GB) cell line LN229. Promoter methylation of XAF1 was found to be inversely correlated with mRNA expression in GB cells. We analyzed XAF1 methylation in a panel of 16 GB cell lines and 80 patients with first-diagnosed WHO grade III/IV high-grade gliomas using methylation-sensitive high-resolution melt (MS-HRM) analysis. In those patients, XAF1 promoter methylation was strongly associated with enhanced progression free and overall survival. Interestingly, XAF1 promoter methylation was strictly correlated with the occurrence of IDH1 mutations, indicating a causal link to the IDH1 mutant phenotype. XAF1 methylation was observed in 18 grade III tumors all of which showed heterozygous mutations in the IDH1 gene. 17 harbored a mutation leading to an arginine > histidine (R132H) and one carried a mutation causing an arginine > glycine (R132G) substitution. Furthermore, six out of six recurrent and IDH1 mutated grade III tumors also showed XAF1 promoter methylation. The data demonstrate that XAF1 promoter methylation determined by MS-HRM is a robust and precise indicator of IDH1 mutations in grade III gliomas. It is useful for complementing the immunohistochemistry-based detection of mutant IDH, uncovering rare 2-HG-producing IDH1 and potentially IDH2 mutations. The MS-HRM-based detection of XAF1 methylation could therefore be a reliable tool in assisting the sub-classification of high-grade gliomas.
Information Systems Governance as a System of Rules: Hierarchical and Heterarchical Implementation

Information Systems Governance (ISG) can be defined as a set of rules allowing executives and skateholders to determine how they will decide on the Information System management. The first objective of this paper is to propose a set of meta-rules addressing different aspects of ISG, which are instantiated in each company setting. The second objective is to propose two constrasting models of ISG, which instantiate differently the set of rules. Conventional view of ISG includes hierarchical and centralized control with little flexibility to support rapidly changing organizations. Heterarchical forms are more and more frequently observed in ISG practices (agility, transversality, decentralization…). However, if uncontrolled, heterarchy can lead to the emergence of anarchic phenomena, such as instability, increased conflicts, and waste of resources. Approaching ISG through rules implementation can help controlling heterarchical forms. In the first part of our paper, we describe an ISG as a set of the rules, based on Elinor Ostrom's work and her IAD (Institutional Analysis and Development) framework. In a second part, we develop each type of rule first according to a hierarchical view, then to a heterarchical one. Beyond theoretical contribution, the proposed set of rules can help CIOs involved in improving ISG. It can also be used to make an organizational analysis of heterarchical practices of a company's ISG.
Overcoming Cognitive and Motivational Barriers to Media Literacy: A Dual-Process Approach

Overcoming Cognitive and Motivational Barriers to Media Literacy: A Dual-Process Approach by Erica Lynn Rosenthal Claremont Graduate University: 2012 In today’s fast-paced, hyper-mediated society, the ability to balance accuracy and efficiency is essential. Media literacy educational programs have arisen to meet this need and proliferated in recent years. Although the practice of media literacy is thriving, its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood and evidence of effectiveness is mixed (e.g., Bergsma & Carney, 2008). A social psychological perspective has the potential to illuminate previously overlooked variables and inform research and practice in this growing field. In particular, whereas media literacy efforts typically emphasize thorough processing of media messages, dual-process theories of persuasion (e.g., Eagly & Chaiken, 1993; Petty & Cacioppo, 1986) suggest this is not always realistic. When motivation or ability is compromised, individuals default to a low-effort processing mode, relying on peripheral cues or heuristics rather than carefully evaluating message arguments. In this mode, media messages can persuade unconsciously. Using a dual-process approach, the present research investigated how specific barriers to motivation (perceptions of personal invulnerability) and processing ability (emotion-based advertising, environmental distractions) influence the processes of media literacy. Participants (N = 882) were randomly assigned to 16 conditions in a 2 [vulnerability: demonstrated, control] x 2 [distractions: present, absent] x 2(2) [ad type: informational, emotional; two replicates of each type] between-subjects nested design. The vulnerability manipulation increased distrust in the target ads and reduced their persuasiveness, not through the hypothesized mechanism of heightened perceptions of vulnerability, but mediated by increased counterarguing. Relative to informational ads, emotional ads were judged more persuasive, attractive, similar to personal experience, and elicited greater identification. However, they were also rated less trustworthy than informational ads, suggesting emotional advertising largely bypasses logical decisionmaking processes. Distraction reduced counterarguing only among those who found the ad relatively unpersuasive. The results of this research highlight the central role of trust in media literacy processes. Although individuals recognize and distrust emotional forms of advertising, they are nonetheless persuaded by such appeals. Given the sophistication of contemporary advertising techniques and the ubiquity of distractions, the present research suggests new approaches to media literacy are needed, specifically tailored to decision-making under these more realistic media-use conditions.
Stable marriage problems with quantitative preferences

The stable marriage problem is a well-known problem of matching men to women so that no man and woman, who are not married to each other, both prefer each other. Such a problem has a wide variety of practical applications, ranging from matching resident doctors to hospitals, to matching students to schools or more generally to any two-sided market. In the classical stable marriage problem, both men and women express a strict preference order over the members of the other sex, in a qualitative way. Here we consider stable marriage problems with quantitative preferences: each man (resp., woman) provides a score for each woman (resp., man). Such problems are more expressive than the classical stable marriage problems. Moreover, in some real-life situations it is more natural to express scores (to model, for example, profits or costs) rather than a qualitative preference ordering. In this context, we de? fine new notions of stability and optimality, and we provide algorithms to find marriages which are stable and/or optimal according to these notions. While expressivity greatly increases by adopting quantitative preferences, we show that in most cases the desired solutions can be found by adapting existing algorithms for the classical stable marriage problem.
α6 integrin subunit mediates laminin enhancement of cisplatin‐induced apoptosis in testicular tumor germ cells

Our study demonstrates that laminin potentiates cisplatin‐induced apoptosis in NCCIT, a testicular tumor germ cell line. When cultured on laminin, NCCIT cells displayed a significantly higher susceptibility to cisplatin‐induced apoptosis than on plastic or on other ECM components including fibronectin, Type IV collagen and vitronectin. This high cisplatin sensitivity observed on NCCIT cell cultured on laminin was mediated by the α6‐integrin signaling. The knockdown of the α6‐integrin subunit by small interfering RNAs suppressed the higher cisplatin‐sensitivity supporting the existence of a crosstalk between laminin‐α6‐integrin signaling and cisplatin‐induced apoptosis. Our findings indicate that in cisplatin‐treated NCCIT cells, the laminin‐α6‐integrin signaling induces the activation of executioner procaspase‐3 and ‐6 as well as apoptosis‐inducing factor (AIF) transcription and expression. The ability of integrin‐mediated specific stroma–tumor cell interactions to modulate the chemosensitive phenotype of a tumor cell might provide new insights to overcome cisplatin resistance of tumor cells. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Muddying Boundaries: Mixing Genres with Five Paragraphs

Argues that, after students are familiar with the characteristics of the five paragraph essay and the expectations of that genre, they can learn to play with those expectations to create lively writing that reveals more individual voice by mixing in other genres. Argues that such a strategy can teach students to engage in academic writing more personally and inventively.