Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The good, the bad, the ugly: positive and negative effects of pornography in Irish males

This quantitative study investigated the effect of pornography in the perpetuation of sexism towards women on a sample of Irish heterosexual males (N=157). It examined three variables relating to pornographic consumption: age of first exposure; frequency of usage; and type of pornography viewed by the sample. An online questionnaire was disseminated which included the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), used to measure levels of hostile and benevolent sexism. The respondent’s self-perceived effects, both positive and negative, of pornography were analysed through implementation of the Pornography Consumption Effect Scale (PCES). Results showed that while overall sexism scores did not differ significantly, higher hostile sexism scores were obtained from those who viewed pornography more frequently and those who viewed more atypical pornography over traditional pornography. Despite this, participants reported higher positive than negative effects of consumption. Results verify the impact that pornography can have on a social and on an individual level.
Fast learning rates with heavy-tailed losses

We study fast learning rates when the losses are not necessarily bounded and may have a distribution with heavy tails. To enable such analyses, we introduce two new conditions: (i) the envelope function $\sup_{f \in \mathcal{F}}|\ell \circ f|$, where $\ell$ is the loss function and $\mathcal{F}$ is the hypothesis class, exists and is $L^r$-integrable, and (ii) $\ell$ satisfies the multi-scale Bernstein's condition on $\mathcal{F}$. Under these assumptions, we prove that learning rate faster than $O(n^{-1/2})$ can be obtained and, depending on $r$ and the multi-scale Bernstein's powers, can be arbitrarily close to $O(n^{-1})$. We then verify these assumptions and derive fast learning rates for the problem of vector quantization by $k$-means clustering with heavy-tailed distributions. The analyses enable us to obtain novel learning rates that extend and complement existing results in the literature from both theoretical and practical viewpoints.
The Effects Of Long-Term Treadmill Exercise Training On Amyloid-Beta Plaque Levels and Behavioral Profile in 15-Month Tg2576 Mice

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive function. The causative factors of this disease include modifications in neuronal cell metabolism, such as the progression of neurotic injury by amyloid beta (Aβ), and tau tangle deposition in the brain. Recent studies show that brain atrophy and other pathologic conditions are responsible for dementia in older individuals (80 years of age or older). Nonpharmacological interventions may have a role in both the prevention and slowing disease progression in AD. The role of exercise training in disease prevention has been evaluated in large epidemiological studies even though much less is known about the potential benefit of exercise training in patients already diagnosed with AD. Several studies in transgenic mouse models of AD suggest exercise training reduces soluble and insoluble Aβ levels in the brain. This study assessed the effectiveness of long-term exercise training (12-months) in an AD transgenic mouse model, Tg2576. Amyloid plaque levels and behavioral profile of mice were evaluated after 12 months of training. Mice that received daily exercise training demonstrated beneficial behavioral profile and reduced plaque counts in a dose-dependent manner.
Byte me: a case for byte accuracy in traffic classification

Numerous network traffic classification approaches have recently been proposed. In general, these approaches have focused on correctly identifying a high percentage of total flows. However, on the Internet a small number of "elephant" flows contribute a significant amount of the traffic volume. In addition, some application types like Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and FTP contribute more elephant flows than other applications types like Chat. In this opinion piece, we discuss how evaluating a classifier on flow accuracy alone can bias the classification results. By not giving special attention to these traffic classes and their elephant flows in the evaluation of traffic classification approaches we might obtain significantly different performance when these approaches are deployed in operational networks for typical traffic classification tasks such as traffic shaping. We argue that byte accuracy must also be used when evaluating the accuracy of traffic classification algorithms.
Prior elicitation in the classification problem

Results are developed concerning the asymptotic behaviour of the Bayes classification rule as the number of unclassified observations grows without bound. It is shown that unclassified observations serve only to estimate the individual population parameters in an unlabeled sense and do not provide information about the labels that are attached to the populations. Prior construction is approached through investigation of prior odds over regions of the joint parameter space (across all populations) deemed likely to contain the true joint parameter vector. It is shown that consideration of these prior odds can lead to more robust a posteriori classification of individual observations.
Approaching Coordination in Distributed Embedded Applications with the Peer Model DSL

Coordination in distributed embedded systems requires complex synchronization of many concurrent activities. This task becomes especially difficult when network and system failures have to be assumed. The Peer Model is a novel programming model for the design of coordination strategies among multiple nodes, aiming to bridge design and implementation. A major advantage is that designs based on the Peer Model are very flexible regarding changing requirements and policies. The motivating use case is an application in the railway domain where embedded nodes detect approaching trains and route this information over several forwarder nodes to the level crossing. In this paper, we present a Domain Specific Language for the Peer Model which allows to automatically generate a graphical documentation and source code for different embedded platforms. It lays the foundations for an embedded system software development tool chain. We prove the feasibility by implementing an event notification strategy for the level crossing use case.
Routability Prediction of Network Topologies in FPGAs

A fundamental difference between ASICs and FPGAs is that the wires in ASICs are designed to match the requirements of a particular design. Conversely, in an FPGA, area is fixed and routing resources exist whether or not they are used. Modern FPGAs have the logic and routing resources to implement networks of multiprocessor systems, and system-level interconnection becomes a key element of the design process. In this paper we investigate how the resource usage affects the mapping of various network topologies to a modern FPGA routing structure. By exploring the routability of different multiprocessor network topologies between 8 and 64 nodes on a single FPGA, we illustrate that the resource utilization increases linearly for different topologies. Furthermore, the difference in logic resources and routing overhead for these topologies is not significant up to 60 nodes. We also show that ring topologies do not incur in congestion and they are limited in size by the available area of the die, whereas the size of fully-connected networks is limited by the available routing resources. Finally, we identify factors that impact the routability of multiprocessor systems on FPGAs and predict whether a particular multiprocessor system is routable and to approximate the operating frequency.
A Dual-Antenna and Mobile Relay Station Based Handover in Distributed Antenna System for High-Speed Railway

When a train speeds up to 350km/h, it is challenging for continuous wireless coverage due to a number of critical issues, e.g. frequent handover and drop-offs. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel handover scheme based on the dual antennas and Mobile Relay Station (MRS) for High Speed Railway (HSR) Distributed Antenna System (DAS). The scheme enables the dual antennas controlled by the MRS to receive signals from multiple Remote Antenna Units (RAUs), thus obtaining diversity gain when the train moves within one logic cell. While the train runs through the edge of a logic cell, a dual-antenna handover scheme is adopted to enhance the handover performance. Thereby, the proposal improves the quality of the received signal and provides reliable communication for train-tog round network. The numerical analysis and simulation results show the proposed handover scheme can reduce handover frequency dramatically and provide the seamless access for HSR compared to the standard LTE handover scheme.
Performance Enhancement of Wireless Body Area Network System Combined with Cognitive Radio

In the design and application of wireless body area network (WBAN) system, one main requirement is to improve the performance of the system under low signal to noise ratio scenario and more emphasis is put on the improvement in data link layer and network layer rather than physical layer. In this paper, the idea of applying cognitive radio (CR) technology, one promising technology in recent wireless research, in body area network system will be proposed and demonstration of how CR can enhance the capacity of WBAN system will be showed through simulation. The comparison of performance between whether using CR based on a specific WBAN protocol shows that CR provides large room for the improvement of BAN system.
Time to pregnancy as a correlate of fecundity: differential persistence in trying to become pregnant as a source of bias.

BACKGROUND Subfecundity is a frequent and often serious problem and it is important to identify its preventable determinants and to monitor fecundity over time. Since follow-up studies are difficult and expensive to conduct, time to pregnancy (TTP) in pregnant women is often used as a surrogate measure of fecundity. TTP data can be retrieved at low costs and they need no valid population registry as a source for sampling. While TTP may serve as a valid surrogate measure in many situations, its validity rests upon a number of assumptions. We have analysed one of these overlooked assumptions, the importance of persistence in trying to become pregnant. METHODS By means of computer simulations we estimated bias caused by differences in persistence in pregnancy attempts. We investigated whether the assumptions made in the simulation were realistic by using empirical data from a European study. RESULTS The mean waiting time to pregnancy and other estimates of subfecundity (or infertility) strongly depend upon the persistence of couples in pursuing a pregnancy. We show that even moderate changes in the planning behaviour considerably modify the waiting time distribution. Empirical data confirm that persistence in trying to become pregnant is age-related. CONCLUSIONS Persistence in pregnancy attempts affects outcome measures of subfecundity in studies based upon TTP in pregnant women. It is likely that the length of time during which couples keep trying to become pregnant is influenced by a number of factors which would probably change over time or be different between populations to be compared.
Temperature and measurement changes over time for F-Scan sensors

Plantar pressure measurement is an important tool for understanding foot and gait biomechanics. F-Scan is a popular device for measuring in-shoe plantar pressures; however, the validity of the F-Scan force measurements has been questioned. Therefore, a study was performed to analyze changes in plantar pressure and temperature over time. One participant was fitted with two F-Scan sensors before step calibration. Single leg standing trials were captured for each limb while the subject stood on a force plate, then the subject performed multiple trials of level ground walking. Sensor temperatures were measured immediately after each set of walking trials. This procedure was repeated every 10 minutes for 140 minutes. Total force values decreased over time, with the largest decrease in total force occurring in the first 60 minutes. Sensor temperature increased during the first hour and then leveled off. Centre of pressure trajectories were similar over 140 minutes, indicating that cell pressures change similarly over time. This study showed that F-Scan is appropriate for evaluating pressure profiles and centre of pressure shape but additional considerations are required when using total force as an outcome measure.
Applying web-enabled problem-based learning and self-regulated learning to involve low achieving students in learning application software

This study explored the effects of web-enabled pedagogies on students' involvement in learning. A series of quasi-experiments were conducted to investigate whether students' involvement increases over time if intervened respectively by problem-based learning (PBL), self-regulated learning (SRL), and their combinations. Two classes of 102 freshmen at a vocational school in a one-semester course were chosen for this empirical study. The results were generally supportive. The authors further discuss the implications for schools, scholars and teachers engaged in e-learning.
Modeling of skid-steer mobile manipulators using spatial vector algebra and experimental validation with a compact loader

The present work models the dynamics of general skid-steer mobile manipulators using the formalism and tools of the spatial vectors algebra introduced by Featherstone. The model built is validated using inertial measurements obtained during field tests with a compact skid-steer loader. The paper demonstrates the benefits of using the spatial vector algebra formulation, showing that this modeling approach allows to integrate traction forces and study the arm-vehicle, as well as vehicle-ground interactions in a single model. This feature is not possible with many other of the existing modeling approaches and simulation tools, thus opens the way to research on mechanically more complex robot designs and their controllers. It is to be noted that most of the existing models and simulations of mobile manipulators consider two-wheeled differentially driven bases and avoid accurate models of skid-steering bases because of the complexity of simulating wheels that skid while rolling. However, skid-steer traction is common in most of the industrial construction and mining machinery because of their simpler mechanics, high reliability, and better mobility in rough terrains. Hence, the development of physically accurate models of skid-steer manipulators is fundamental. We chose to validate the model using a Cat® 262C compact-skid steer loader instead of a small mobile manipulator common in robotics research laboratory to highlight the usefulness of the presented model and the spatial vector algebra approach.
Performance evaluation of ipv6 packet classfication with caching

Packet classification can be applied in network security, QoS, routing, network load balancing, bandwidth sharing etc. Algorithms of packet classification are categorized into either hardware-based or software-based solutions. Nowadays packet classification implementations are inefficient in IPv6 network environment because much longer address fields have to be processed. In this paper, we propose schemes that use cache memory to improve the performance of IPv6 packet classification. We evaluate the performance of our schemes through simulation under different cache sizes, architectures, and replacement policies. We use real world IPv6 traffic flows for the experiment, and the numerical results show that our schemes achieve higher than 90% hit rate when cache size is no less than 1024 entries in 4-way associative cache memory architecture, this significantly improves the performance of IPv6 packet classification.
Fitness Effects of Floral Plasticity and Thermoregulation in a Thermally Changing Environment

To better understand the evolution of phenotypic plasticity and thermoregulation and their potential value for ectotherms in the face of global warming, we conducted field experiments to measure their effects on fitness and their association with reproductive phenology in Plantago lanceolata in a thermally variable environment. We measured the reproductive timing and success of genotypes varying in thermoregulation, as mediated by floral-reflectance plasticity. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that thermoregulation is more adaptive when thermally variable reproductive seasons are shorter and cooler. Strong thermoregulation/plasticity increased reproductive success during the cool portion of the reproductive season but not during the warm portion. Directional selection that favored strongly thermoregulating genotypes early in the season shifted to stabilizing selection that favored genotypes with weaker thermoregulation later in the season. Thermoregulation and reproductive phenology were negatively correlated. Although reproductive onset and duration were similar between genotypes, strong thermoregulators produced more and larger spikes (clutches) early; weak thermoregulators produced more spikes late. Results suggest that with atmospheric warming, the benefit of raising body temperature via thermoregulation when it is cool should decline in extant populations. The negative correlation between thermoregulation and phenology should accelerate the evolutionary shift toward thermoconformity, that is, reduced plasticity.
Improved tolerance based selective arithmetic mean filter for detection and removal of impulse noise

A superior methodology based on Improved tolerance based selective arithmetic mean filtering technique for the detection and removal of Salt and Pepper Noise on corrupted images is presented in this paper. The function of the proposed filtering technique is to detect and remove the noisy pixels and restore the noise free information. Many linear and non linear filtering techniques have been proposed earlier to remove impulse noise; however the removal of impulse noise is often accomplished at the expense of blurred and distorted features of edges. Therefore it is necessary to preserve the edges and fine details during filtering. Computer simulation is carried out to demonstrate the performance of the proposed techniques and the results show that the proposed Level-2 Improved tolerance based selective arithmetic mean filtering technique (Level-2 ITSAMFT) is superior over the Tolerance based selective arithmetic mean filtering technique (TSAMFT) in maintaining high signal to noise ratio (PSNR), and correlation (COR).
Neurogenic Role of the Depolarizing Chloride Gradient Revealed by Global Overexpression of KCC2 from the Onset of Development

GABA- and glycine-induced depolarization is thought to provide important developmental signals, but the role of the underlying chloride gradient has not been examined from the onset of development. We therefore overexpressed globally the potassium–chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC2) in newly fertilized zebrafish embryos to reverse the chloride gradient. This rendered glycine hyperpolarizing in all neurons, tested at the time that motor behaviors (but not native KCC2) first appear. KCC2 overexpression resulted in fewer mature spontaneously active spinal neurons, more immature silent neurons, and disrupted motor activity. We observed fewer motoneurons and interneurons, a reduction in the elaboration of axonal tracts, and smaller brains and spinal cords. However, we observed no increased apoptosis and a normal complement of sensory neurons, glia, and progenitors. These results suggest that chloride-mediated excitation plays a crucial role in promoting neurogenesis from the earliest stages of embryonic development.
Adaptive Software Development for developing safety critical software

Developers of safety critical software are becoming increasingly interested in using the agile methods. If an agile approach successfully applied in safety critical applications, it must show that the resulting software system is sufficiently safe to operate. This paper describes an approach which tries to address such needs. It identifies a need for a systematic, iterative method. The proposed approach uses the concept of safety modular decomposition to carry out the safety process in the system and safety backlog to manage the safety requirements. An analysis process, which can be used to generate better solution through the iterations, is described. The use of this approach to construct a safety argument is demonstrated. The approach has promised results and could lead to an acceptably safe system developed by using the Adaptive Software Development model (ASD).
A 33% tuning range high output power V-band superharmonic coupled quadrature VCO in SiGe technology

This paper presents a wide tuning range superharmonic coupled quadrature Colpitts VCO with high output power. The circuit was fabricated using a low-cost SiGe technology with an ft/fmax of 200/250 GHz. The quadrature VCO employs a novel area efficient coupling technique that uses second harmonic coupling. Downcoversion mixers are implemented to provide an intermediate frequency signal, enabling easier measurement. A phase imbalance below ±2° is measured between the quadrature outputs, over a 6 GHz tuning range. The quadrature VCO can be tuned between 55 and 76.5 GHz having a record tuning range of approx. 33%. Moreover, the quadrature VCO has a maximum measured output power of +10.5 dBm, and a minimum phase noise of -97 dBc/Hz. The overall chip draws 303mA from a 3.3V supply, where the quadrature VCO draws 140mA of the total current.
Enhancement of fundus imagery

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is usually diagnosed and graded based on the incidence and severity of micro-aneurysms, hemorrhages, macular/retinal edema andexudates on the fundus images. Similarly, optical Cup to Disc Ratio (CDR) is another feature based on which the progression of glaucoma is evaluated. To enable easy identification of these clinical indications from the fundus images, their contrast has to be improved to appreciable level. Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) is one of the widely accepted contrast enhancement scheme for fundus images. But, in CLAHE, the contrast and quality of the enhanced image heavily relies on the colour model used to represent the contextual image, the channel/component subjected to equalization and the shape of the specified histogram. This article investigate the colour model, adequate channel to be equalized and the histogram specification which offer maximum grey level contrast and image quality in fundus images, when enhanced with CLAHE. It has been observed that RGB model outperforms HSV model, the adequate channel to be equalized is the green and exponential histogram is the apt choice for fundus imagery. The experimental analysis is performed in Matlab®.