Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Authority on Influence Strategy Effectiveness in the Netherlands and in Germany

This study assesses how authority influences the effectiveness of different persuasive strategies in a negotiation situation comparing the Netherlands and Germany. A total of 97 participants were recruited to fill in an online vignette study about a workplace dilemma - 47 participants from the University of Twente and 50 participants from the University of Bielefeld in Germany. A 2 (authority: low; high) by 2 (culture: the Netherlands; Germany) between subjects design is proposed in order to assess the effectiveness of the different persuasive strategies. Three major findings were made. First, the newly derived persuasive strategies were empirically supported by the results. Second, the results show that the power informational, rights normative and interests normative strategies are perceived as more effective when used by a superior than when used by a colleague. Third, the German participants perceived the power normative, power informational, rights normative and interests normative strategies as especially more effective when used by a superior than when used by a colleague, in comparison to their Dutch counterparts. The Dutch participants perceived these four strategies as more effective when used by a colleague than when they were used by a superior.
THE HUMAN MICROBIOTA: THE ROLE OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE

During the last decade, there has been increasing awareness of the massive number of microorganisms, collectively known as the human microbiota, that are associated with humans. This microbiota outnumbers the host cells by approximately a factor of ten and contains a large repertoire of microbial genome-encoded metabolic processes. The diverse human microbiota and its associated metabolic potential can provide the host with novel functions that can influence host health and disease status in ways that still need to be analyzed. The microbiota varies with age, with features that depend on the body site, host lifestyle and health status. The challenge is therefore to identify and characterize these microbial communities and use this information to learn how they function and how they can influence the host in terms of health and well-being. Here we provide an overview of some of the recent studies involving the human microbiota and about how these communities might affect host health and disease. A special emphasis is given to studies related to tuberculosis, a disease that claims over one million lives each year worldwide and still represents a challenge for control in many countries, including Colombia.
APPLICATION OF SPECTRAL ANALYSIS IN MAPPING HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION OF THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF THE KERMAN CENOZOIC MAGMATIC ARC, IRAN

The northwestern part of the Kerman Cenozoic magmatic arc (KCMA) contains many areas with porphyry copper mineralization. In this research, we used the advanced space-borne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) images of this region to map the distribution of hydrothermally altered rocks, based on their mineral assemblages. The spectral measurements based on the spectra of field samples and on ASTER and ETM+ data, show dominantly Al-OH (sericite and clays) and FeO absorption features in the VNIR/SWIR spectral regions. Directed principal components analysis (DPCA), spectral angle mapper (SAM) and linear spectral unmixing (LSU) were performed on ASTER/ETM+ images to map zones of hydrothermal alteration and iron oxide/hydroxide minerals. The individual principal components (PC) images generated by DPCA reveal the distribution of individual alteration minerals such as sericite, illite, kaolinite, chlorite, and epidote. The best results, in terms of mapping the distribution of alteration, were obtained using the SAM and LSU methods; but the LSU method produced a more accurate map. The altered zones were sampled and then subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD), laboratory spectral and chemical analyses. Microscopic studies of the thin sections were also conducted. Field observations reveal that more than 90% of the known copper mineralized localities occur within the interpreted alteration areas.
User Engagement and Preferences in Information-Giving Chat with Virtual Agents

We have performed a perceptive study that shows the existence of positive correlations between the user's preferences for an art-work (a physical object) and the user's engagement during the discussion of this object with a virtual agent. This finding encourages the development of agent dialogue strategies that personalise the topic of conversation in information-giving chat according to the user's preferences.
Implementation of Evidence-based Maintenance at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to Optimize Biomedical Engineering Department Maintenance Strategies

The healthcare industry is rapidly growing. There is a corresponding increase in the variety and number of medical devices deployed into hospitals and other healthcare institutions. The number of devices present in an institution can range anywhere from 1000 for smaller community hospitals to over 10 000 for larger teaching hospitals [1]. Medical devices require equipment maintenance to ensure they continue to perform their intended function and remain safe to the user and patient. There are two main categories of equipment maintenance: 1) scheduled maintenance, and 2) unscheduled maintenance. Unscheduled maintenance activities are not planned or scheduled, and include corrective maintenance (CM), which involves restoring the equipment back to operational specifications, and replacement, which involves replacing equipment if it cannot be repaired or it is not economical to repair [2]. Scheduled maintenance activities are planned and scheduled, and include preventative maintenance (PM), which involves detecting existing or potential failures, monitoring parameters that are used to predict failures, or performing some act that will prevent future failures [2]. Each medical device may require a methodical approach composed of multiple scheduled maintenance activities, and this collection of activities is referred to as a maintenance strategy [2].
Synchronisation of the superimposed training method for channel estimation in the presence of DC-offset

The superimposed training method estimates the channel from the induced first-order cyclostationary statistics exhibited by the received signal. In this paper, using vector space decomposition, we show that the information needed for training sequence synchronisation, and for DC-offset estimation, can be extracted from the first-order cyclostationary statistics as well. Necessary and sufficient conditions for channel computation and equalisation are derived, when training sequence synchronisation and DC-offset removal are required. The computational burden of the practical implementation of the method presented here is much lighter than for existing algorithms. At the same time, simulation results show that the performance, in terms of the MSE of the channel estimates and BER, is not diminishedwhen compared to these existing algorithms.
Replacement of Serine 363 and Serine 375 Codons by Alanine in Rat μ-Opioid Receptor cDNA

The aim of this study was to use site directed mutagenesis technique to construct a vector in which serine363 and serine375 residues of the COOH-terminal portion of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) were substituted by alanine. These constructs are essential in studying G-protein coupled receptor kinase-mediated MOR desensitization. The nested PCR carried out for conversion of serine363 and serine375 to alanine resulted in the production of a band comparable to the expected size of 1400 bp. Restriction analysis of these bands confirmed the integrity of the PCR products. Ligation of the mutated PCR product into pcDNA3 and its digestion with appropriate restriction enzymes further confirmed the integrity of the PCR product and its orientation into the vector.
Moral face and social face: Contingent self‐esteem in Confucian society

Three empirical studies related to the Chinese concept of face are reviewed to provide examples of the indigenous approach of Chinese psychology. Using the technique of paired comparison, the first study indicated that college students (who are preparing to enter the job market) feel that they “have face” most when they do well in their academic performance, followed by being morally upright. Retirees (who have withdrawn from the workplace) feel that they “have face” most when their children are morally upright and successful in their careers. The second study (on patterns of emotional reactions of related others to an agent's social and moral incidents) showed, first, that incidents of positive achievement were generally evaluated by college students as being experienced with a more intense feeling of having face than were incidents of positive morality, while incidents of negative morality were experienced with a more intense feeling of “having no face” than were incidents of negative achievement. Secon.
Methods that Emerge from Designers' Discourse

This paper presents partial results of a research conducted with product designers in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) aiming to understand their methodological approach. Based on designers discourse we aim to verify if and how practitioners adopt formalized methods available in design literature. Our approach is qualitative and it is based on in-depth interviews and content analysis. Eighteen product designers who work in different environments, with different academic backgrounds and levels of experience, have been interviewed. We found different approaches to design processes which are related to their field of activity and experience level. Some of them use formal or quasi-structured processes, especially those who work as internal designers, but most of them adopt a flexible and, in some cases, an intuitive approach. We suggest that the nature of business and the type of experience with product development have a stronger influence in these designers’ discourses, than their academic background.
‘Slow Science’: Building scientific concepts in physics in high school

In this study, a progressive-learning approach to physics, based on knowledge-building pedagogy, was compared to a content-centered approach in which explanations, experiments, and discussions are centered on the transmission of knowledge. Forty-six students attending the first year of high school participated in this study over a whole school year. Students’ knowledge and mastery of physics concepts were assessed through questionnaires containing both open-ended and multiple-choice questions. Overall, the ‘progressive-learning' group outperformed the content-centered group. Results are discussed in relation to the theoretical background and the experimental teacher's diary of classroom activities. The main conclusion achieved by this study is that the teaching of physics should be slow, cyclic, and developmentally appropriate for the context.
Transfer and accumulation of lead, zinc, cadmium and copper in plants growing in abandoned mining-district area.

The analysis of the Jebel Hallouf-Sidi Bouaouane mining-district soil has shown that the surface horizons are strongly contaminated by heavy metals, especially during floods or in lee-side areas. The contents of metallic-trace elements (MTE), in the soil and two cultivated plant species, have been determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The results show that the concentration of metals in the soil are up to 39 g. kg -1 , 6.3 g. kg -1 , 56 mg. kg -1 and 131 mg. kg -1 , for lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu), respectively. The chemical analysis of plants: broad beans [Vicia faba (L.)] and barley [Hordeum vulgare (L.)], sampled inside the mining district, show that the roots and the upper part (leaves and stem) are enriched for Pb (up to 508 and 220 mg.kg -1
Analyses on First Packet Drops of LISP in End-to-End Bidirectional Communications

In this paper, we empirically present impacts of first packet drop of Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP) on initiating end-to-end bidirectional communications. In actual LISP networks, we measure delays that several types of existing end nodes initiate communications including DNS resolutions and establishments of TCP connections. The results of these measurements show that delays caused by LISP first packet drop mainly comprise behaviors of retransmitting DNS queries and TCP SYNs. It also appears that delays to establish TCP connection increase when a DNS entry for a corresponding node is cached. In addition, the results show that some existing nodes cannot even establish TCP connections where first packets from an initiating and a corresponding node are dropped. We then present that these existing nodes can establish TCP connections and delays caused by first packet drop can be reduced by half when piggyback resolution is employed. We also discuss other possible solutions to overcome the delays.
Variación genética en cerdo doméstico (Sus scrofa domestica) de Córdoba-Colombia basada en marcadores microsatélites

Genetic variation in three populations of pigs in Cordoba, Colombia was evaluated by 20 microsatellite. All loci studiedwere polymorphic, with an observed heterozygosis ranging from 0.2 to 84.2 % (mean 68.6 %) and expectedheterozygosis ranged from 5.6 to 83.8 % (mean 70.2 %). The polymorphic information content (PIC) value for allmarkers analyzed ranged from 0.17 (least informative) and 0.83 (the most informative). The level of geneticdifferentiation FST between pairs of populations varied in the range from 0.07 to 0.11, being statistically significantin all analyzed pairs. In conclusion, the levels of expected heterozygosis found in the present paper show that thedomestic pig in Cordoba, exhibits a high degree of genetic variability. Similarly, the genetic identity of Nei andstatistical FST indicate genetic closeness between populations Momil and Cerete, which binds Tierralta, indicatingmigration between these three populations but keeping each its genetic identity.
The Impact of Cash Flow Volatility on Cash-Cash Flow Sensitivity

This study was conducted to learn the impact of cash flow volatility on firm’s cash holdings. The result indicated a positive significant coefficient for cash flow and cash flow volatility while leverage had negative and significant coefficient. The study concludes that firms facing risk tends to hold more cash out of there cash flow. All the results obtained by us are in line with the literature available on cash to cash flow sensitivity.
Credit Card Fraud Detection and False Alarms Reduction using Support Vector Machines

In day to day life credit cards are used for purchasing goods and services with the help of virtual card for online transaction or physical card for offline transaction. In a physical-card based purchase, the cardholder presents his card physically to a merchant for making a payment. To carry out fraudulent transactions in this kind of purchase; an attacker has to steal the credit card. To commit fraud in these types of purchases, a fraudster simply needs to know the card details. Most of the time, the genuine cardholder is not aware that someone else has seen or stolen his card information. The only way to detect this kind of fraud is to analyze the spending patterns on every card and to figure out any inconsistency with respect to the “usual” spending patterns. To commit fraud in these types of purchases, a fraudster simply needs to know the card details. Most of the time, the genuine cardholder is not aware that someone else has seen or stolen his card information. The only way to detect this kind of fraud is to analyze the spending patterns on every card and to figure out any inconsistency with respect to the “usual” spending patterns. Fraud detection based on the analysis of existing purchase data of cardholder is a promising way to reduce the rate of successful credit card frauds. As manually processing credit card transactions is a time-consuming and resource-demanding task, credit card issuers search for high-performing and efficient algorithms that automatically look for anomalies in the set of incoming transactions. Data mining is a well-known and often suitable solution to big data problems involving risk such as credit risk modelling, churn prediction and survival analysis. Nevertheless, fraud detection in general is an atypical prediction task which requires a tailored approach to address and predict future fraud. Though most of the fraud detection systems show good results in detecting fraudulent transactions, they also lead to the generation of too many false alarms. This assumes significance especially in the domain of credit card fraud detection where a credit card company needs to minimize its losses but, at the same time, does not wish the cardholder to feel restricted too often. In this work, we propose a novel credit card fraud detection system based on the integration support vector machines.
A combinatorial construction of sets with good quotients by an action of a reductive group

The aim of this paper is to construct open sets with good quotients by an action of a reductive group starting with a given family of sets with good quotients. In particular, in the case of a smooth projective variety X with Pic(X) = Z, we show that all open sets with good quotients that embed in a toric variety can be obtained from the family of open sets with projective good quotients. Our method applies in particular to the case of Grassmannians. Introduction. Let X be an algebraic variety with an action of a reductive group G. One of the main problems of geometric invariant theory is to describe all open G-invariant subsets U ⊂ X such that there exists a good quotient U → U/G. In the case of X = P this problem was solved in [5]. We give in 1.10 and 2.5 a new formulation of the results obtained in [5] for G = T a torus and show that open T -invariant sets with good quotients are unions of collections of intersections of subsets with projective quotients. Moreover, we emphasize the fact that, for any T -maximal subset of P, the quotient space embeds in a toric variety. In the present paper we investigate two possible ways of generalizing the results of [5]. First we assume that we are given a set of G-invariant open subvarieties of X with good quotients by the action of G, and we describe a procedure for constructing a larger class of G-invariant subsets of X that admit good quotients (Theorem 2.6). The new sets obtained by our method are unions of “good collections” of intersections of old ones. In this way we generalize the results of [5] concerning existence of good quotients to the case of an arbitrary reductive group G and any variety X. Then we consider the action of a reductive group G on a projective smooth variety with Pic(X) = Z and we study the problem of describing all open G-invariant subsets of X admitting quotients that embed in a toric 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary 14L24, 14L30.
A battery hardware–in–the–loop setup for concurrent design and evaluation of real–time optimal HEV power management controllers

Razavian, R. S. , Azad, N. L. , & McPhee, J. (2013). A battery hardware-in-the-loop setup for concurrent design and evaluation of real-time optimal HEV power management controllers. International Journal of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, 5(3), 177. Final version published by Inderscience Publishers, and available at: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJEHV.2013. 057604
Chapter 4 MRI Morphometry of the Brain and Neurological Diseases

The diagnosis of diseases of the brain is based on additional methods, confirming the clinical diagnosis. One of the most objective methods is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A detailed quantitative evaluation became possible after the introduction of MRI voxel‐morphometry–statistical analysis of structural MRI images using a computerized segmentation matter of the brain gray and white matter. The decrease in the volume of the brain, as a manifestation of cerebral atrophy, is a common feature of many neurologi‐ cal diseases. We performed a study of brain structures in multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and cerebrovascular diseases. In patients with multiple sclerosis the correla‐ tion was found between the score on a scale of Expanded Disability Status Scale and the total thickness of the cerebral cortex. In our study of the brain in Parkinson’s disease, the amount of the substantia nigra was slightly lower than in the control. In patients with long‐following Parkinson’s disease, the volume of substantia nigra was significantly higher than in patients with early stage. The increased volume was determined by the accumulation of organic iron compounds as a sign of neurodegeneration.
Voltammetric Determination of Dicyclomine Hydrochloride by Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with Iron (III) Oxide Nanoparticles and Activated Glassy Carbon Electrode in Pharmaceutical Dosage Form, Human Plasma and Urine

A carbon paste electrode modified with iron (III) oxide nanoparticles (MCPE) and an activated glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were constructed for quantitative voltammetric determination of dicyclomine hydrochloride (DH). The voltammetric response of DH was compared at both constructed electrodes. The electrochemical oxidation of the drug was established using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). For analytical purposes, a well-resolved irreversible diffusive controlled voltammetric peak was obtained at approximately 833 mV using Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffer solution of pH 8.00 using GCE. However, in the case of MCPE, a well-resolved irreversible adsorptive controlled voltammetric peak was obtained at approximately 821 mV at pH 6.00 using the same buffer. A linear relationship was attained between the peak current and DH concentration in the concentration range at 0.92-6.18 µg/mL and 0.13 ×10 -6 -1.93 ×10 -6 µg/mL using GCE and MCPE, respectively. DPV and SWV techniques were developed for the quantitative voltammetric determination of DH in its pure form, in its pharmaceutical dosage form and in biological fluids. The method showed a minimum detectability (LOD) of 0.19 µg/mL and 0.39 ×10 -6 µg/mL and a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.59 µg/mL and 1.20 ×10 -6 µg/mL with both GCE and MCPE, respectively. The proposed method was validated and compared with the reference method. It revealed good accuracy, precision and reproducible results.
What Strategies do Learners Use to Remember the Spelling of Newly Learned Words

Many studies suggest that a native language (L1) may influence the second language acquisition (L2). This study is interested in the possible impact of L1 orthography on the choice of spelling strategies of Chinese, Arabic, and French speaking learners. Data was collected through a short test in which participants were asked to memorize new English words. Afterwards, they reported strategies which were used in order to learn the spelling. After calculating individual and group average of employed strategies, the most commonly used among them were determined for the members of the same language group, and for all participants as a group. I also wanted to identify which language group would be the most successful in spelling orthographically challenging English words. This empirical study provides evidence that regardless of a native language, the same strategies were used most of the time by all participants. The findings related to accuracy of each language group support the influence of L1 on the spelling process in L2. Implications for ESL teachers are discussed.