Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reflections about grasshoppers and inchworms in the Information and Communication Technologies Era

This article presents a multifaceted reflection on the different prevailing strategies to obtain knowledge in the educational system. In an effort to illustrate this complex process, the paradox of the grasshoppers and caterpillars are brought in their applications to the education system. This paradox has great relevance in the contemporary educational system because it points to a process that will alter the foundations of teaching and learning particularly in this age where ICT have achieved highly sophisticated levels. Grasshoppers’ dispositions —intuitive oriented, non-lineal and proactive— and those from the caterpillars —structured, predictive and reactive— have a profound and permanent impact on the dynamics of the relationship between teacher and student. This brief reflection concludes with recommendations as pointing out strategies to stimulate the academic potential of grasshoppers and caterpillars in the educational system.
YaoTalk : A Conversational System for the IIIS Domain

Information about the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (IIIS) is typically acquired through the web pages, which is limited in its static nature. In this course project, we develop a conversational system, named YaoTalk, to allow for voice-in/out information acquisition through natural dialogues. Unlike commercial form-based dialogue systems, we propose to exploit hierarchical knowledge structure by adopting a tag-based dialogue management module. This module is further coherently combined with an efficient database unit and a domain-specific ASR to meet our purpose. Through extensive testing, we evaluate the quality and efficiency of our developed system, and discuss its limitations. The results show our system is properly responsive, and leads to several potential directions of future work.
Upgrading the Low Skilled: Is Public Provision of Formal Education a Sensible Policy?

At various political levels, including the OECD and the EU, it is repeatedly emphasized that upgrading the low skilled is an important area for the economic and social development of modern societies. Employers are typically reluctant to train low skilled, who in their turn are unwilling to participate due to financial constraints or a perception of low quality and/or returns to training. If this is a market imperfection, a possible remedy is suggested by public provision of formal education where enrollees are eligible for financial support. However, the costs may be large and the economic returns to formal adult education (AE) for low skilled, a crucial measure to assess if expenses should be increased or decreased, is a virtually unexplored issue. This study uses Swedish register data 1990-2004 of low skilled siblings aged 24-43 in 1994 to estimate difference-indifference- in-differences models which include family fixed effects. It is found that a year of AE improves earnings by 4.4 per cent, but calculations indicate that the private returns alone only roughly cover the costs incurred by society, implying that social returns to AE are needed to justify the expenses.
O ct 2 00 7 On the Fluctuation Relation for Nose-Hoover Locally Thermostated Systems

We discuss the transient and steady-state fluctuation relation for a mechanical system in contact with two deterministic thermostats at different temperatures. The system is a modified Lorentz gas in which, the fixed scatterers exchange energy with the gas of particles, and the thermostats are modelled by two NoséHoover thermostats applied at the boundaries of the system. The transient fluctuation relation, which holds for a precise ensemble of systems, is verified at all times, as expected. If a different ensemble is considered, this relation is found to hold for times longer than the mesoscopic time scale for which a local thermal equilibrium is established. This shows how the transient fluctuation relation asymptotically leads to the steady state relation, in our systems. For the steadystate fluctuations of the phase space contraction rate and of the dissipation function, a similar relaxation regime at shorter averaging times is found. At later times, both quantities satisfy the corresponding steady state fluctuation relation. However, while the dissipation function satisfies the fluctuation relation for times larger than the mesoscopic time scale, the phase space contraction rate begins to converge only after such times.
Non-targeted Plasma Metabolome of Early and Late Lactation Gilts

Female pigs nursing their first litter (first-parity gilts) have increased energy requirements not only to support their piglets, but they themselves are still maturing. Non-targeted plasma metabolomics were used to investigate the differences between (1) post-farrowing and weaning (early or late lactation), (2) degree of body condition loss after lactation (extreme or minimal), and (3) interactions; to potentially identify compounds or pathways that could aide in alleviating energetic demands of lactation in gilts. Twenty first-parity gilts were selected with similar (P ≥ 0.4475) number of piglets born and nursed, and similar (P ≥ 0.3141) body condition traits (e.g., body weight and backfat thickness) post-farrowing, yet exhibited minimal or extreme loss (P ≤ 0.0094) in body weight (8.6 ± 1.48 kg and 26.1 ± 1.90 kg, respectively) and backfat thickness (1.3 ± 0.67 mm and 4.7 ± 0.86 mm, respectively) following lactation (weaning). Plasma samples from first-parity gilts at post-farrowing and weaning were investigated using UPLC-MS and GC-MS to generate a comprehensive metabolic profile. Each approach yielded approximately 700 detected features. An ANOVA was performed on each detected compound in R for time of collection, body condition change, and the interaction, followed by a false discovery correction. Two unknown features were different (P ≤ 0.05) for extreme vs. minimal body condition change. Several compound differences (P ≤ 0.05) were identified between post-farrowing and weaning. Thirty-two features detected by UPLC-MS had at least a log2 fold-change of ±1.0 while only 18 features had a log2 fold-change of ±0.6 or more for the significant GC-MS features. Annotation implicated various metabolic pathways. Creatinine was greater at weaning (P = 0.0224) and others have reported increased serum concentrations of creatinine in response to body weight loss. Hippurate and caprolactam, associated with protein catabolism, were also greater (P ≤ 0.0166) at weaning. Phospholipid features (P ≤ 0.0347) and inositol-related features (P ≤ 0.0236) were also greater at weaning. Inositol features may exert insulin-like effects. The energetic demands of lactation in gilts nursing their first litter indicated a greater difference exists between early and late lactation regardless of body condition loss.
The Strength of Indigenous Australian Evaluators and Indigenous Evaluation: A Snapshot of “Ways of Knowing and Doing” Reflecting on the 2014 Darwin Conference of the Australasian Evaluation Society

The strong presence of Indigenous Australians at the 2014 Australasian Evaluation Society (AES) conference highlights expansion in the ways Indigenous people are working as evaluation practitioners and collaborating in evaluation. This may reflect changing practice, moving from the involvement of Indigenous Australians solely as the users of programs to their more diverse and active engagement in the conduct of evaluations. However, it is not clear how far this shift extends to Indigenous‐led shaping of evaluation questions or framing the interpretation of findings. In this chapter, Indigenous Australian coauthors who are practicing evaluators explore dimensions of Indigenous participation. Themes covering knowledge and engagement processes and principles emerged from the conference, demonstrating how “ways of knowing and doing” make Indigenous evaluation much more than about method. The concept of an “adaptive shared space” is presented as a venue for growing respectful collaboration. Developing deliberative learning among Indigenous and non‐indigenous people, commissioners, and practitioners, offers a way to bring deeper meaning to evaluation practice.
Why Social Media Matters: The Use of Twitter in Portfolio Strategies

In previous works ([8], [12]), it has already been showed that Twitter and social media in general give an interesting additional predictive power to the models that take them into account. However, the contribution of social media is relatively small on a daily basis, because of the speed and the increasing efficiency of the stock markets. It has been decided then to deal with intraday prices to test whether microblogging data may actually be used to implement highfrequency forecasting models. It has been constructed an indicator to earn some insights on the Nasdaq-100’s future movements. Once again, the results are very encouraging: the use of social media data increases the predictive power for general stock market index such as the Nasdaq, and becomes thus an essential building block for any pricing model.
Postinduction serum infliximab trough level and decrease of C-reactive protein level are associated with durable sustained response to infliximab: a retrospective analysis of the ACCENT I trial

Background Serum infliximab trough levels correlate with efficacy; dose escalation is often beneficial in patients with Crohn's disease who stop responding to infliximab treatment. Objective To carry out a post hoc analysis of A Crohn's Disease Clinical Trial Evaluating Infliximab in a New Long-term Treatment Regimen I (ACCENT I) to evaluate the association between serum infliximab trough levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) after 14 weeks of induction treatment with durable sustained long-term response (Crohn's Disease Activity Index decrease ≥70 points and reduction ≥25% from baseline). Design ACCENT I was a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled study. Week 14 trough levels and CRP percentage decrease from baseline to week 14 were compared between patients with and without durable sustained response through week 54. Sensitivity and specificity were determined to predict durable sustained response. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves identified optimal cut-off points; logistic regression determined ORs. Results After induction with 5 mg/kg infliximab, 25% (37/147) and 33% (47/144) of patients sustained week 14 response to infliximab 5 or 10 mg/kg, respectively, administered every 8 weeks without dose escalation, through week 54. Median week 14 trough levels of patients with and without durable sustained response to infliximab 5 mg/kg were 4.0 and 1.9 μg/mL, respectively (p=0.0331). Optimal predictors of durable sustained response to maintenance infliximab 5 mg/kg were week 14 trough level ≥3.5 µg/mL and ≥60% CRP decrease (ORs (95% CI), 3.5 (1.1 to 11.4) and 7.3 (1.4 to 36.7)), respectively, in patients with raised baseline CRP (>8.0 mg/L); area under the ROC curve was 0.75 for both predictors. A ≥3.5 µg/mL week 14 infliximab serum level did not predict durable sustained response to 10 mg/kg maintenance infliximab. Conclusions Patients with durable sustained response to maintenance infliximab 5 mg/kg had higher postinduction trough levels than patients without durable sustained response. Serum infliximab trough levels ≥3.5 µg/mL and ≥60% CRP decrease were significantly associated with durable sustained response.
Foot ulcers in the diabetic patient, prevention and treatment

Lower extremity complications in persons with diabetes have become an increasingly significant public health concern in both the developed and developing world. These complications, beginning with neuropathy and subsequent diabetic foot wounds frequently lead to infection and lower extremity amputation even in the absence of critical limb ischemia. In order to diminish the detrimental consequences associated with diabetic foot ulcers, a com-mon-sense-based treatment approach must be implemented. Many of the etiological factors contributing to the formation of diabetic foot ulceration may be identified using simple, inexpensive equipment in a clinical setting. Prevention of diabetic foot ulcers can be accomplished in a primary care setting with a brief history and screening for loss of protective sensation via the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament. Specialist clinics may quantify neuropathy, plantar foot pressure, and assess vascular status with Doppler ultrasound and ankle-brachial blood pressure indices. These measurements, in conjunction with other findings from the history and physical examination, may enable clinicians to stratify patients based on risk and help determine the type of intervention. Other effective clinical interventions may include patient education, optimizing glycemic control, smoking cessation, and diligent foot care. Recent technological advanced combined with better understanding of the wound healing process have resulted in a myriad of advanced wound healing modalities in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. However, it is imperative to remember the fundamental basics in the healing of diabetic foot ulcers: adequate perfusion, debridement, infection control, and pressure mitigation. Early recognition of the etiological factors along with prompt management of diabetic foot ulcers is essential for successful outcome.
A NEW LUMINOSITY FUNCTION FOR GALAXIES AS GIVEN BY THE MASS–LUMINOSITY RELATIONSHIP

The search for a luminosity function for galaxies both alternative or companion to a Schechter function is a key problem in the reduction of data from catalogs of galaxies. Two luminosity functions for galaxies can be built starting from two distributions of mass as given by the fragmentation. A first overall distribution function is the Kiang function, which represents a useful description of the area and volume distribution of the Poisson Voronoi diagrams. The second distribution, which covers the case of low-mass galaxies, is the truncated Pareto distribution: in this model we have a natural bound due to the minimum mass/luminosity observed and an upper bound (function of the considered environment) represented by the boundary with the observed mass/luminosity overall behavior. The mass distribution is then converted into a luminosity distribution through a standard mass–luminosity relationship. The mathematical rules to convert the probability density function are used and the two new functions are normalized to the total number of galaxies per unit volume. The test of the two new luminosity functions for galaxies that cover different ranges in magnitude was made on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) in five different bands; the results are comparable to those of the Schechter function. A new parameter, which indicates the stellar content, is derived. The joint distribution in redshift and flux, the mean redshift and the number density connected with the first luminosity function for galaxies are obtained by analogy with the Schechter function. A new formula, which allows us to express the mass as a function of the absolute magnitude, is derived.
Optimizing error correction of RNAseq reads

Motivation: The correction of sequencing errors contained in Illumina reads derived from genomic DNA is a common pre-processing step in many de novo genome assembly pipelines, and has been shown to improved the quality of resultant assemblies. In contrast, the correction of errors in transcriptome sequence data is much less common, but can potentially yield similar improvements in mapping and assembly quality. This manuscript evaluates several popular read-correction tool’s ability to correct sequence errors commonplace to transcriptome derived Illumina reads. Results: I evaluated the efficacy of correction of transcriptome derived sequencing reads using using several metrics across a variety of sequencing depths. This evaluation demonstrates a complex relationship between the quality of the correction, depth of sequencing, and hardware availability which results in variable recommendations depending on the goals of the experiment, tolerance for false positives, and depth of coverage. Overall, read error correction is an important step in read quality control, and should become a standard part of analytical pipelines. Availability: Results are non-deterministically repeatable using AMI:ami-3dae4956 (MacManes_EC_2015) and the Makefile available here: https://goo.gl/oVIuE0 Contact: matthew.macmanes@unh.edu and @PeroMHC
CREATING VALUE IN ONLINE COLLABORATION IN ECOMMERCE

As ecommerce continues to grow, the need for effective collaborative learning environments will continue to grow. Collaborative communities can be leveraged for things such as distance education, business innovation, etc. but in order for these things to be leveraged to their maximum potential, value has to be created so that the costs participants give up, e.g., time, are acceptable given the potential benefits received. This paper begins to look at how value can be created in communities, and how it can foster a collaborative environment where innovation can occur.
A characterization methodology for distribution system abnormalities using wavelet packets and self-organizing map neural networks

Automatic data processing and information retrieval is a desirable approach in dealing with the curse of the large volume of data recorded for the condition assessment of equipment in power systems. This approach involves developing a methodology that utilizes the inherent relationships of the data to automate the characterization of system behavior. This paper discusses a practical approach to process incipient abnormality data in an underground distribution system to detect failing equipment. The core components of the proposed approach consist of feature extraction, data mapping, clustering, and rule extraction. Wavelet packet analysis was used to extract the informative features from high frequency current signals and the self-organizing map was utilized to model the data and produce prototype vectors. Descriptive rules for the identified patterns were extracted from the k-means clustering results. The results can be employed in rule-based classifiers to automatically characterize the data in an unsupervised fashion
Reclaiming the Game

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Estimation of atmospheric PSF parameters for hyperspectral imaging

We present an iterative approach to solve separable nonlinear least squares problems arising in the estimation of wavelength‐dependent point spread function parameters for hyperspectral imaging. A variable projection Gauss–Newton method is used to solve the nonlinear least squares problem. An analysis shows that the Jacobian can be potentially very ill conditioned. To deal with this ill conditioning, we use a combination of subset selection and other regularization techniques. Experimental results related to hyperspectral point spread function parameter identification and star spectrum reconstruction illustrate the effectiveness of the resulting numerical scheme. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamics of Convectively Driven Banded Jets in the Laboratory

The banded organization of clouds and zonal winds in the atmospheres of the outer planets has long fascinated observers. Several recent studies in the theory and idealized modeling of geostrophic turbulence have suggested possible explanations for the emergence of such organized patterns, typically involving highly anisotropic exchanges of kinetic energy and vorticity within the dissipationless inertial ranges of turbulent flows dominated (at least at large scales) by ensembles of propagating Rossby waves. The results from an attempt to reproduce such conditions in the laboratory are presented here. Achievement of a distinct inertial range turns out to require an experiment on the largest feasible scale. Deep, rotating convection on small horizontal scales was induced by gently and continuously spraying dense, salty water onto the free surface of the 13-m-diameter cylindrical tank on the Coriolis platform in Grenoble, France. A “planetary vorticity gradient” or “ effect” was obtained by use of a conically sloping bottom and the whole tank rotated at angular speeds up to 0.15 rad s 1 . Over a period of several hours, a highly barotropic, zonally banded large-scale flow pattern was seen to emerge with up to 5–6 narrow, alternating, zonally aligned jets across the tank, indicating the development of an anisotropic field of geostrophic turbulence. Using particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques, zonal jets are shown to have arisen from nonlinear interactions between barotropic eddies on a scale comparable to either a Rhines or “frictional” wavelength, which scales roughly as (/Urms) 1/2 . This resulted in an anisotropic kinetic energy spectrum with a significantly steeper slope with wavenumber k for the zonal flow than for the nonzonal eddies, which largely follows the classical Kolmogorov k 5/3 inertial range. Potential vorticity fields show evidence of Rossby wave breaking and the presence of a “hyperstaircase” with radius, indicating instantaneous flows that are supercritical with respect to the Rayleigh–Kuo instability criterion and in a state of “barotropic adjustment. ” The implications of these results are discussed in light of zonal jets observed in planetary atmospheres and, most recently, in the terrestrial oceans.
Influence of the microstructure on the stress state of solder joints during thermal cycling

The lifetime of a solder joint is mainly determined by its creep behaviour. Creep arises from the stresses inside the solder joints as a consequence of the thermomechanical mismatch of the board and the substrate. The stress state is heavily influenced by the anisotropy of tin. To understand the damage process in solder joints, the influence of the anisotropic microstructure must be understood. In this paper the influence of different grain sizes, shapes and orientations on the stress state is evaluated, based on numerical experiments.
Inhibition of thalamic excitability by 4,5,6,7‐tetrahydroisoxazolo[4,5‐c]pyridine‐3‐ol: a selective role for δ‐GABAA receptors

The sedative and hypnotic agent 4,5,6,7‐tetrahydroisoxazolo[4,5‐c]pyridine‐3‐ol (THIP) is a GABAA receptor (GABAAR) agonist that preferentially activates δ‐subunit‐containing GABAARs (δ‐GABAARs). To clarify the role of δ‐GABAARs in mediating the sedative actions of THIP, we utilized mice lacking the α1‐ or δ‐subunit in a combined electrophysiological and behavioural analysis. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings were obtained from ventrobasal thalamic nucleus (VB) neurones at a holding potential of −60 mV. Application of bicuculline to wild‐type (WT) VB neurones revealed a GABAAR‐mediated tonic current of 92 ± 19 pA, which was greatly reduced (13 ± 5 pA) for VB neurones of δ0/0 mice. Deletion of the δ‐ but not the α1‐subunit dramatically reduced the THIP (1 μm)‐induced inward current in these neurones (WT, −309 ± 23 pA; δ0/0, −18 ± 3 pA; α10/0, −377 ± 45 pA). Furthermore, THIP selectively decreased the excitability of WT and α10/0 but not δ0/0 VB neurones. THIP did not affect the properties of miniature inhibitory post‐synaptic currents in any of the genotypes. No differences in rotarod performance and locomotor activity were observed across the three genotypes. In WT mice, performance of these behaviours was impaired by THIP in a dose‐dependent manner. The effect of THIP on rotarod performance was blunted for δ0/0 but not α10/0 mice. We previously reported that deletion of the α1‐subunit abolished synaptic GABAA responses of VB neurones. Therefore, collectively, these findings suggest that extrasynaptic δ‐GABAARs vs. synaptic α1‐subunit‐containing GABAARs of thalamocortical neurones represent an important molecular target underpinning the sedative actions of THIP.