Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REFLECTIONS ON THE PRACTICE OF ORAL HISTORY RETRIEVING WHAT WE CAN FROM AN EARLIER CRITIQUE

Oral history research as an academic disciphne emerged in the 1940s and 1950s; this article explores its development and continuing challenges. During its first decades, the main focus was on the production of documents and new information, especially on the lives of people previously ignored by historians. A new perspective emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, when the oral history interview was reconceptualized as a dialogically constructed text, rather than a factual document. The interview is also discussed as a public and performative event, and as a blending and negotiation of individual and collective remembering. The author emphasizes the complex and creative relationship between history and collective memory. Oral history is defined as a conversational narrative created by the interaction of the interviewer and the interviewee and determined by linguistic, social and ideological structures. Finally, the contemporary challenges of oral history are discussed. The practice of oral history is moving to the stage of Internet and digitalization, while oral historians are participating in the actual debate on colonization and "social
Gradient Descent Meets Shift-and-Invert Preconditioning for Eigenvector Computation

Shift-and-invert preconditioning, as a classic acceleration technique for the leading eigenvector computation, has received much attention again recently, owing to fast least-squares solvers for efficiently approximating matrix inversions in power iterations. In this work, we adopt an inexact Riemannian gradient descent perspective to investigate this technique on the effect of the step-size scheme. The shift-and-inverted power method is included as a special case with adaptive step-sizes. Particularly, two other step-size settings, i.e., constant step-sizes and Barzilai-Borwein (BB) step-sizes, are examined theoretically and/or empirically. We present a novel convergence analysis for the constant step-size setting that achieves a rate at $\tilde{O}(\sqrt{\frac{\lambda_{1}}{\lambda_{1}-\lambda_{p+1}}})$, where $\lambda_{i}$ represents the $i$-th largest eigenvalue of the given real symmetric matrix and $p$ is the multiplicity of $\lambda_{1}$. Our experimental studies show that the proposed algorithm can be significantly faster than the shift-and-inverted power method in practice.
Greenhouse gas measurements from a UK network of tall towers: technical description and first results

Abstract. A network of three tall tower measurement stations was set up in 2012 across the United Kingdom to expand measurements made at the long-term background northern hemispheric site, Mace Head, Ireland. Reliable and precise in situ greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis systems were developed and deployed at three sites in the UK with automated instrumentation measuring a suite of GHGs. The UK Deriving Emissions linked to Climate Change (UK DECC) network uses tall (165–230 m) open-lattice telecommunications towers, which provide a convenient platform for boundary layer trace gas sampling. In this paper we describe the automated measurement system and first results from the UK DECC network for CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, CO and H2. CO2 and CH4 are measured at all of the UK DECC sites by cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) with multiple inlet heights at two of the three tall tower sites to assess for boundary layer stratification. The short-term precisions (1σ on 1 min means) of CRDS measurements at background mole fractions for January 2012 to September 2015 is Instrumentation in the network is fully automated and includes sensors for measuring a variety of instrumental parameters such as flow, pressures, and sampling temperatures. Automated alerts are generated and emailed to site operators when instrumental parameters are not within defined set ranges. Automated instrument shutdowns occur for critical errors such as carrier gas flow rate deviations. Results from the network give good spatial and temporal coverage of atmospheric mixing ratios within the UK since early 2012. Results also show that all measured GHGs are increasing in mole fraction over the selected reporting period and, except for SF6, exhibit a seasonal trend. CO2 and CH4 also show strong diurnal cycles, with night-time maxima and daytime minima in mole fractions.
An Investigation of the Effect of Irrelevant Sounds on Serial Order Recall in Children and Adults

ii CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION . 1 Auditory Distraction Effects in Adults . 2 Auditory Distraction Effects in Children . 7 The Present Study . 9 CHAPTER 2 – EXPERIMENT 1 . 12 Participants . 12 Materials . 12 Procedure . 16 Results . 20 Discussion . 27 CHAPTER 3 – EXPERIMENT 2 . 33 Participants . 34 Materials . 35 Procedure . 37 Results . 39 Discussion . 45 CHAPTER 4 – GENERAL DISCUSSION . 49 REFERENCES . 54 APPENDIX A – IRB EXEMPTION APPROVAL (ADULTS) . 59 APPENDIX B – IRB EXEMPTION APPROVAL (CHILDREN) . 60 APPENDIX C – RAW CORRELATIONS IN EXPERIMENT 2 WITHOUT REMOVING OUTLIERS . 61 VITA . 62
Transforming two-dimensional guided light using nonmagnetic metamaterial waveguides

Almost a decade ago, transformation optics established a geometrical perspective to describe the interaction of light with structured matter, enhancing our understanding and control of light. However, despite their huge technological relevance in applications such as optical circuitry, optical detection, and actuation, guided electromagnetic waves along dielectric waveguides have not yet benefited from the flexibility and conceptual simplicity of transformation optics. Indeed, transformation optics inherently imposes metamaterials not only inside the waveguide's core but also in the surrounding substrate and cladding. Here we restore the two-dimensional nature of guided electromagnetic waves by introducing a thickness variation on an anisotropic dielectric core according to alternative two-dimensional equivalence relations. Our waveguides require metamaterials only inside the core with the additional advantage that the metamaterials need not be magnetic and, hence, our purely dielectric waveguides are low loss. We verify the versatility of our theory with full wave simulations of three crucial functionalities: beam bending, beam splitting, and lensing. Our method opens up the toolbox of transformation optics to a plethora of waveguide-based devices.
Seagrass structural complexity and landscape configuration as determinants of tropical fish assemblage composition

Seagrass meadows are regularly used by fish as resident, transient, or nursery habitat. However, there is a long-standing debate on how spatial variability of seagrass fish assemblages is determined. We examined the influence of seagrass structural complexity, physical water conditions, and proximity of neighboring shallow-water habitats on tropical fish assemblage composition in a shallow seagrass-dominated embayment at Zanzibar Island in the western Indian Ocean. Sampling of fish assemblages was carried out in seagrass meadows dominated by Enhalus acoroides or Thalas- sia hemprichii (3 localities each), 1 mixed meadow, and 1 unvegetated area. Overall, the density and biomass of fish were dominated by juvenile and subadult herbivores, either stationary seagrass resi- dents or fish associated with coral reef and seagrass habitats. In terms of number of fish species, the majority were either carnivorous or omnivorous, and mainly coral-seagrass-associated. Multiple regression analysis indicated that canopy height was the foremost predictor for density, biomass, and species richness of juvenile fish, whereas adult and subadult fish densities were predicted by water depth. Moreover, distance-based correlation analyses revealed that fish assemblage structure was significantly correlated with the distance to neighboring mangrove and coral-reef habitats, shoot density, and (although weaker) canopy height. Based on these findings, attributes of seagrass struc- ture and the location of a seagrass habitat within the seascape context appear to be important deter- minants of spatial patterns and variability of seagrass fish assemblages. This kind of information is important for spatial coastal management and for the selection of marine protected areas.
Hawai'i Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Spatial Patterns and Temporal Dynamics in Reef Coral Communities

The Hawai'i Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (CRAMP) was established to describe the spatial and temporal variation in Hawaiian coral reef communities in relation to natural and anthropogenic factors. Sixty permanent reef sites stratified by depth have been monitored in the main Hawaiian Islands since 1999 and formed the basis for analysis of temporal change over the initial 3-yr period. A rapid assessment technique (RAT) was developed to supplement the monitoring site data and provide much wider geographic coverage, but with a focus on spatial patterns rather than temporal change. Analysis of these data supports and amplifies the results of many other ecological studies on Hawaiian reefs. The data revealed that the major natural factors influencing reef coral community structure in Hawai'i include depth, wave height, wave direction, island age, rugosity, and sediment grain size. Possible anthropogenic influences and trends also appeared in the data. Areas of decline appear to be concentrated on islands with high human population or in areas suffering from extensive sedimentation. Reefs receiving high terrigenous runoff contain sediments with high organic content. Spatial analysis showed an inverse relationship between percentage organics and coral species richness and diversity. Reef coral communities can undergo natural oscillations over a period of years, so continuation of the CRAMP longer-term monitoring is required to establish long-term (decadal) environmental trends.
Bioinformatic analysis: Retroposon sequences containing multiple putative endonucleases

Bioinformatic Analysis: Retroposon Sequences Containing Multiple Putative Endonucleases By Seanna Kathleen Corro Or. Steven deBelle, Examination Committee Chair Assistant Professor of Biology University of Nevada, Las Vegas Dr. Marcella McClure, Research and Thesis Advisor Associate Professor of Microbiology Montana State University. Bozeman Among the retroposons, the source of the endonuclease activity is known to be variable. We investigated whether any retroposon genomes encode potential multiple endonuclease functions. Amino add alignments were generated to reveal the presence of the characterized ordered-series-of-motifs (OSM) that define four different endonudease functions. These endonuclease functions indude a retroviral-like integrase (IN), an apurinic-apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE), the FDD endonudease recently identified in the R2BM retroposon and an HNH endonudease signature conserved by the group II intron sequences. The results indicate that the spliced leader assodated conserved sequences (SLACS) of T. brucei, cruzi-associated retrotransposon (CZAR) of Trypanosoma cruzi, two crithidia retrotransposable elements (CRE); CRE1 and CRE2 of Crithidia fasciculata and certain INGI retroposon sequences of Trypanosoma brucei contain multiple putative endonuclease functions.
Evolutionary Algorithms with Neural Networks to optimize Big Data Cache

With this project I want to develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) for smart data cache orchestrator. This AI will be used to optimize the access to scientific experiment data. These Big Data will be stored in a data-lake environment and they have to be available for different type of tasks. I want to explore the use of Neural Networks (NNs) to optimize the cache, also using the Evolutionary Algorithms. The NNs with memory such as Long Short-Term Memory Networks are the best technique to approach these kinds of data (time series). Another possibility is a Generative Adversarial Network, that could benefit from the features of evolutionary strategies during the learning phase. Reinforcement learning could be exploited to have a real-time agent for the smart cache management. Furthermore, I want to use Coevolution approach on these networks, including the possibility to deploy the algorithm in a distributed system. These techniques will be disclosed and analyzed to improve the performance both in computational time and in the accuracy of the model.
Point Me In The Right Direction : Evaluating Active Pointing Strategies for Gimbal-Stabilized Visual Localization on UAVs

Robust autonomous navigation of multirotor UAVs in GPS-denied environments is critical to enable their safe operation in many applications such as surveillance and reconnaissance, inspection, and delivery services. In this paper, we evaluate the localization performance improvement and robustness that gimbal pointing strategies add to a visual autonomous route-following system for UAVs. Multiple gimbal pointing strategies are compared: off-the-shelf passive stabilization, active stabilization, minimization of viewpoint orientation error, and a novel strategy to point at the centroid of previously observed landmarks. We demonstrate improved localization performance using an active gimbal-stabilized camera in multiple outdoor flight experiments on routes up to 315m, and with 6-25m altitude variations. Scenarios are shown where a static camera frequently fails to localize while a gimballed camera attenuates perspective errors to retain localization. We demonstrate that orientation matching and centroid pointing strategies provide the best performance; capable of localizing with increasing velocity discrepancies between outbound and return flights from 3-9m/s and 8m path offsets.
Interactive Voice Response: A highly tailored mobile health method to promote behavior change

In the UK, adults report spending 226 billion minutes per year in voice calls (OfCam, 2015), which highlights the huge potential of phone platforms to reach people and generate large amount of data. Automated phone-based tools, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR), can enable health behaviour change and generate novel data on the underline factors of behaviour change and maintenance in a limited time. However, to date the vast majority of such interventions have been developed and tested in the USA. This article is an overview of the development and pre-test of the first IVR intervention within the UK to support medication adherence.
: An Emancipatory Narrative

This paper is about Said’s normative engagement through the narrative praxis of Liberation in post-colonial condition. Said's political views are here brought to the fore through their juxtaposition with some contemporary European thinkers. At first, four of Said’s works are presented as they relate to the question of power. Then, in the second section, his views on literary theory are compared with Paul Ricoeur and Michel Foucault. In next four sections the normative dimension of Said’s thought are presented via comparative approach. It is finally concluded that Said can be regarded as a contemporary example of normative thinking.
Interventions for Violence Against Women

SINCE THE 1970S, INTIMATE PARTner violence increasingly has been recognized as associated with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly among women. While some surveys suggest that similar proportions of men and women report intimate partner violence (IPV), abused women experience more physical and emotional impairment than men. It is not surprising, therefore, that the great majority of interventions aimed at prevention and treatment of IPV focus on violence by men against women. Although violence against men by women and between same-sex partners are important issues, presently there are too few original research articles with this focus to warrant a systematic review of these topics. Violence surveys generally place lifetime prevalence of IPV against women at between 25% and 30% and annual prevalence at between approximately 2% and 12%. A recent Canadian population-based survey found 5-year rates of 8%, a decrease from 12% found in an earlier survey. In Canada, 1-year rates in 1999 were reported at 3%. The variability in these estimates has been attributed to a variety of factors, such as the definition of abuse used in the survey (ie, whether emotional and verbal abuse, stalking, and rape are considered); whether the samples are drawn from community or health care settings; and whether the respondents are asked to restrict their responses to abuse in the current relationship. Author Affiliations: The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care and Faculty of Information and Media Studies, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario (Ms Wathen); and McMaster University, Canadian Centre for Studies of Children at Risk, Chedoke Site, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario (Dr MacMillan). CorrespondingAuthorandReprints: C.NadineWathen, MA, Coordinator, Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, 100 Collip Circle, Suite 117, London, Ontario, Canada N6G 4X8 (e-mail: cwathen@uwo.ca). Scientific Review and Clinical Applications Section Editor: Wendy Levinson, MD, Contributing Editor. We encourage authors to submit papers to “Scientific Review and Clinical Applications. ” Please contact Wendy Levinson, MD, Contributing Editor, JAMA; phone: 312-464-5204; fax: 312-464-5824; e-mail: wendy.levinson@utoronto.ca. Context Intimate partner violence is prevalent and is associated with significant impairment, yet it remains unclear which interventions, if any, reduce rates of abuse and reabuse.
Two Kinds of Classifications Based on Improved Gravitational Search Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA) is a widely used metaheuristic algorithm. Although fewer parameters in GSA were adjusted, GSA has a slow convergence rate. In this paper, we change the constant acceleration coefficients to be the exponential function on the basis of combination of GSA and PSO (PSO-GSA) and propose an improved PSO-GSA algorithm (written as I-PSO-GSA) for solving two kinds of classifications: surface water quality and the moving direction of robots. I-PSO-GSA is employed to optimize weights and biases of backpropagation (BP) neural network. The experimental results show that, being compared with combination of PSO and GSA (PSO-GSA), single PSO, and single GSA for optimizing the parameters of BP neural network, I-PSO-GSA outperforms PSO-GSA, PSO, and GSA and has better classification accuracy for these two actual problems.
Effect of different levels of salinity on germination and early seedling growth of sunflower

An incubation experiment was conducted at the Department of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University during Rabi season 2015 to investigate the salinity effect on germination and early seedling growth of sunflower. There were ten treatments consisting different concentrations of salinity viz. 0, 20, 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, 240, 280 and 320 mM NaCl. The germination experiment was conducted in petri dish lined with a layer of cotton consisting ten ml of each test solution. Germination percentage gradually decreased with the increase of concentration of salt. Up to 80 mM NaCl was identified as safe for sunflower seed germination. Salinity cause delay in germination. Highest seedling height was found at 40 mM NaCl concentration (13.09 cm) and root length (14.1 cm) in 20 mM NaCl concentration. In 320 mM NaCl concentration roots were abnormal, deformed and twisted. The 0 to 80 mM NaCl concentration gave statistically similar shoot fresh weight. Compared to control treatment 20 and 40 mM NaCl concentration gave 0.57 and 4.65 % higher fresh weight, respectively which indicates that lower concentration of salt favor plant growth. The 80 mM NaCl concentration could be identified as safe for germination and early seedling growth of sunflower.
The construct of control: assessment of shopping environments

Environmental psychology, which studies the interrelationship between human behaviour and environments, is used here to examine shopping environment preference (mall versus online). The desire for control over the environment along with those personality traits related to control, locus of control and uncertainty orientation are examined. The results suggest that consumers who prefer the online environment desire a significantly higher level of control compared to mall shoppers. Online shoppers appear to be uncertainty oriented and have an internal locus of control. Conversely, those who prefer the mall environment are certainty oriented and have an external locus of control. The study indicates that certain personality traits may influence consumers’ approach-avoidance behaviour.
In vitro Antifungal Activity of Various Local Plant Extracts in the Control of Phoma sorghina (Sacc.) Boerema et al. and Colletotrichum graminicola (Ces.) Wilson, as Sorghum Seed Mold Pathogen in Burkina Faso

Summary The use of phytosanitary products is becoming increasingly restricted, due to their high cost, as well as the unavailability of certain products on the local market and their damaging effects on the environment and health. These different reasons motivated the search for alternative solutions to the use of synthetic pesticides. On this basis, we took on the task of evaluating the anti-fungal effectiveness of aqueous plant extracts from Balanites aegyptiaca, Cymbopogon citratus, Cassia occidentalis and Portulaca oleracea. These extracts, at 30% concentration, were obtained after different maceration periods (6, 12, 24 and 48 hours) and tested in vitro against Colletotrichum graminicola and Phoma sorghina. The effect of the extracts on the mycelium growth of various fungi, when evaluated 10 days after incubation (DAI), shows that extracts of C. citratus, B. aegyptiaca, P. oleracea and C. occidentalis inhibit the growth of C. graminicola by 100%, 65%, 43% and 38%, respectively. The extract of C. citratus prevents the development of C. graminicola, regardless of the maceration period. This extract produces a greater inhibitory effect than the fungicide Calthio DS (20% Lindane and 25% Thirame). Compared to P. sorghina, inhibition percentages of 100, 72 and 16 were recorded for extracts of C. citratus, P. oleracea and C. occidentalis. However, extracts of C. citratus (macerated for 24 and 48 hours) and extract of P. oleracea (macerated for 48 hours) were more effective than the other extracts.
Project Proposal : Machine Learning with Large Datasets Team : Nitish Kulkarni ( 10805 ) , Prakruthi Prabhakar ( 10805 ) October 2 , 2017 1 Proposal

Question Answering systems solve the problem of extracting answers to a wide variety of questions pertaining to any domain. Research in this area has traditionally looked at the problem from two perspectives: 1. A reading comprehension task, where given a document and an associated question, the answer is extracted in the context of the document. 2. A collection of knowledge sources and documents are provided and the answers are extracted using the knowledge corpus. The challenges of this problem include syntactic and semantic understanding of the posed question along with efficient parsing of documents and knowledge bases. Some of the recent research focus has been on employing answer extraction using multiple largescale sources of data and knowledge bases [5, 6].