Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic user-centric mobile context model

Context-aware systems can dynamically adapt to specific dynamic user situations to provide smarter mobile services. In general, context refers to the information that can be used to characterize these situations, and context models are employed to specify contextual information described in context-aware systems. However, even though user context is highly dynamic, existing context models either focus on modeling static views of context or lack appropriate design abstractions to deal with dynamic aspects and interactions involving contextual elements such location, time, user roles, social relationships, changing preferences and virtual environments. In this paper, we present a dynamic user-centric mobile context model that can be used to model the aspects of context-aware systems that are subject to frequent changes. We illustrate the applicability of our approach by describing a case study on mobile e-healthcare. Benefits of these models include avoiding the development of context-aware systems from scratch, enabling future use of model-driven approaches, and reducing implementation effort.
Effects of CCN3 on rat cartilage endplate chondrocytes cultured under serum deprivation in vitro

The presence of apoptotic cells and loss of extracellular matrix (ECM) are common characteristics of degenerated cartilage endplates (CEPs). In addition, therapeutic efficacy is hampered by an incomplete understanding regarding the mechanisms underlying CEP homeostasis and degeneration. The CCN proteins have recently emerged as important regulators of cell-ECM interactions, and have been identified as key mediators of nucleus pulposus ECM composition and tissue homeostasis. However, whether CCN3 is associated with CEP homeostasis has yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of CCN3 on the apoptosis and ECM synthesis of CEP cells cultured under serum deprivation. Rat CEP cells were confirmed to be of the chondrocytic phenotype by toluidine blue staining. The mRNA expression levels of CCN3 were markedly increased, and a dose-dependent increase of apoptotic rate was detected under serum deprivation conditions following treatment with recombinant CCN3, whereas CCN3 did not exert a proapoptotic effect on cells cultured under normal conditions. Furthermore, CCN3-treated cells exhibited a decrease in the expression levels of aggrecan and collagen II in both groups. These results suggested that CCN3 may act as a regulator, rather than an initiator, of serum deprivation-induced cellular apoptosis, and that CCN3 has a catabolic effect on the mediation of ECM synthesis under both normal and serum deprivation conditions. Therefore, CCN3 may represent a novel therapeutic target for the prevention of CEP degeneration.
Workload and user experience-aware Dynamic Reliability Management in multicore processors

Reliability is a major concern for nanoscale CMOS circuits. Degradation phenomena such as Electromigration, Negative Bias Temperature Instability, Time Dependent Dielectric Breakdown worsen with transistor scaling. Dynamic Reliability Management (DRM) techniques reduce reliability loss at runtime by constraining operating points, but they face the challenge of reducing user experience degradation while meeting a lifetime target. In this work we propose a sensor based hierarchical controller for multicore processor DRM, exploiting the major gap between the time scales of workload variations and reliability loss. We improve performance and user experience by locally relaxing reliability-induced operating point constraints, while meeting them over the large time windows relevant for reliability. With respect to the state-of-the-art, our solution guarantees timely execution of 100% of latency-critical applications, and have a 4% performance improvement over the whole lifetime.
A General Feed-Forward Algorithm for Gradient Descent in Connectionist Networks

An extended feed-forward algorithm for recurrent connectionist networks is presented. This algorithm, which works locally in time, is derived both for discrete-in-time networks and for continuous networks. Several standard gradient descent algorithms for connectionist networks (e.g. [48], [30], [28] [15], [34]), especially the backpropagation algorithm [36], are mathematically derived as a special case of this general algorithm. The learning algorithm presented in this paper is a superset of gradient descent learning algorithms for multilayer networks, recurrent networks and time-delay networks that allows any combinations of their components. In addition, the paper presents feed-forward approximation procedures for initial activations and external input values. The former one is used for optimizing starting values of the so-called context nodes, the latter one turned out to be very useful for nding spurious input attractors of a trained connectionist network. Finally, we compare time, processor and space complexities of this algorithm with backpropagation for an unfolded-in-time network and present some simulation results.
Parental and Community Engagement in First Nations Education

Parental engagement is a growing field in educational research and is recognized as central to educational success. The earliest engagement research focused on parental presence within schools, mostly with parent-teacher interviews. Canadian schools are often unresponsive to the needs of Indigenous students: streaming them into non-academic courses, disregarding Indigenous ways of knowing, and implicitly defining Indigenous youth as not
Intellectual, narcissistic, or Machiavellian? How Twitter users differ from Facebook-only users, why they use Twitter, and what they tweet about.

Twitter is one of the world’s most popular social networking sites, yet gaps remain in our knowledge about the psychology of its users. The current studies sought to fill these gaps by examining whether the Big Five and Dark Triad personality traits predicted differences between Twitter users and Facebook-only users, motives for using Twitter, the frequency of tweeting about 4 topics—intellectual pursuits, personal achievements, diet/exercise, and social activities—and how much they liked to read tweets about these topics. Study 1 found that Twitter users (N = 346) were higher in openness (i.e., intellect and creativity) than Facebook-only users (N = 268). In Study 2, a preregistered replication, Twitter users (N = 255) were not only higher in openness than Facebook-only users (N = 248), but they were also more Machiavellian. In both studies, Twitter users who were higher in openness were more strongly motivated to use Twitter for career promotion, and in turn, they tweeted more frequently and most liked to read tweets about intellectual pursuits. Narcissists were more strongly motivated to use Twitter for career promotion, social connection, and attention-seeking, and in turn, they tweeted more frequently and most liked to read tweets about personal achievements and diet/exercise. On average, participants most liked to read tweets about intellectual pursuits and least liked tweets about diet/exercise. We discuss the implications of these findings for tailoring one’s tweets to retain followers and for drawing the boundary conditions when extrapolating from Twitter-based “big data” to larger populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
Macrophagic myofasciitis: characterization and pathophysiology

Aluminium oxyhydroxide (alum), a nanocrystalline compound forming agglomerates, has been used in vaccines for its immunological adjuvant effect since 1927. Alum is the most commonly used adjuvant in human and veterinary vaccines, but the mechanisms by which it stimulates immune responses remain incompletely understood. Although generally well tolerated, alum may occasionally cause disabling health problems in presumably susceptible individuals. A small proportion of vaccinated people present with delayed onset of diffuse myalgia, chronic fatigue and cognitive dysfunction, and exhibit very long-term persistence of alum-loaded macrophages at the site of previous intramuscular (i.m.) immunization, forming a granulomatous lesion called macrophagic myofasciitis (MMF). Clinical symptoms associated with MMF are paradigmatic of the recently delineated ‘autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants’ (ASIA). The stereotyped cognitive dysfunction is reminiscent of cognitive deficits described in foundry workers exposed to inhaled Al particles. Alum safety concerns will largely depend on whether the compound remains localized at the site of injection or diffuses and accumulates in distant organs. Animal experiments indicate that biopersistent nanomaterials taken up by monocyte-lineage cells in tissues, such as fluorescent alum surrogates, can first translocate to draining lymph nodes, and thereafter circulate in blood within phagocytes and reach the spleen, and, eventually, slowly accumulate in the brain.
How people explain their own and others’ behavior: a theory of lay causal explanations

A theoretical model is proposed that specifies lay causal theories of behavior; and supporting experimental evidence is presented. The model’s basic assumption is that different types of behavior trigger different hypotheses concerning the types of causes that may have brought about the behavior. Seven categories are distinguished that are assumed to serve as both behavior types and explanation types: goals, dispositions, temporary states such as emotions, intentional actions, outcomes, events, and stimulus attributes. The model specifies inference rules that lay people use when explaining behavior (actions are caused by goals; goals are caused by higher order goals or temporary states; temporary states are caused by dispositions, stimulus attributes, or events; outcomes are caused by actions, temporary states, dispositions, stimulus attributes, or events; events are caused by dispositions or preceding events). Two experiments are reported. Experiment 1 showed that free-response explanations followed the assumed inference rules. Experiment 2 demonstrated that explanations which match the inference rules are generated faster and more frequently than non-matching explanations. Together, the findings support models that incorporate knowledge-based aspects into the process of causal explanation. The results are discussed with respect to their implications for different stages of this process, such as the activation of causal hypotheses and their subsequent selection, as well as with respect to social influences on this process.
Metric Dichotomies

These are notes from talks given at ICMS, Edinburgh, 4/2007 (“Geometry and Algorithms workshop”) and at Bernoulli Center, Lausanne 5/2007 (“Limits of graphs in group theory and computer science”). We survey the following type of dichotomies exhibited by certain classes X of finite metric spaces: For every host space H, either all metrics in X embed almost isometrically in H, or the distortion of embedding some metrics of X in H is unbounded. 1. Problem statement and motivation In these notes we examine dichotomy phenomena exhibited by certain classes X of finite metric spaces. When attempting to embed the metrics in X in any given host spaces H , either all of them embed almost isometrically, or there are some metrics in X which are very poorly embedded in H . To make this statement precise we define the distortion of metric embeddings. Given a mapping between metric spaces f : X → H , define the Lipschitz norm of f to be ‖f‖Lip = supx 6=y dH(f(x), f(y))/dX(x, y). The distortion of injective mapping f is defined as dist(f) = ‖f‖Lip · ‖f‖Lip, where f is defined on f(X). The “least distortion” in which X can be embedded in H is defined as cH(X) = inf{dist(f)| f : X → H}. This is a measure of the faithfulness possible when representing X using a subset of H . We formalize the discussion above as follows: Definition 1 (Qualitative Dichotomy). A class of finite metric spaces X has the qualitative dichotomy property if for any host space H , either • supX∈X cH(X) = 1; or • supX∈X cH(X) = ∞. Remark 1. As defined in Def. 1, the dichotomy is with respect to all metric spaces as hosts. It is possible to extend the definition to be with respect to all sets of metric spaces as hosts. That is, for a set of metric spaces H, define cH(X) = infH∈H cH(X), and replace the use of “cH(X)” in Def. 1 with “cH(X)”. This extension, however, is inconsequential and the two definitions are equivalent. This follows from the proof of Theorem 1.6 in [33], which implies that for any set of metric spaces H, there exists a metric Ĥ, such that for any finite metric space X , cĤ(X) = cH(X). A dichotomy theorem for X can be interpreted as a form of rigidity of X : Small deformations of all the spaces in X is impossible. We will also be interested in stronger dichotomies — of a quantitative nature — in which the unboundedness condition of the distortion is replaced with quantitative estimates on the rate in which it tends to infinity as a function of the size of the 1
Stochastic traffic engineering, with applications to network revenue management

A stochastic traffic engineering framework for optimizing bandwidth provisioning and path selection in networks is presented. The objective is to maximize revenue from serving demands, which are uncertain and specified by probability distributions. We consider a two-tier market structure, where demands in the two markets are associated with different unit revenues and uncertainties. Based on mean-risk analysis, the optimization model enables a carrier to maximize mean revenue and contain the risk that the revenue falls below an acceptable level. Our framework is intended for off-line traffic engineering design, which takes a centralized view of network topology, link capacity, and demand. We obtain conditions under which the optimization problem is an instance of convex programming and therefore efficiently solvable. We derive properties of the optimal solution for the special case of Gaussian distributions of demands. We focus on the impact of demand variability on various aspects of traffic engineering, such as link utilization, routing, capacity provisioning, and total revenue.
Human 5-HT Transporter Availability Predicts Amygdala Reactivity In Vivo

The amygdala plays a central role in fear conditioning, emotional processing, and memory modulation. A postulated key component of the neurochemical regulation of amygdala function is the neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and synaptic levels of 5-HT in the amygdala and elsewhere are critically regulated by the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT). The aim of this study was to directly examine the relationship between 5-HTT availability and amygdala activity using multimodal [positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)] imaging measures in the same individuals. Healthy male volunteers who had previously undergone an [11C]-3-amino-4-(2-dimethylaminomethylphenylsulfanyl)-benzonitrile ([11C]-DASB) PET scan to determine 5-HTT availability completed an fMRI emotion recognition task. [11C]-DASB binding potential values were calculated for the amygdala using arterial input function and linear graphical (Logan) analysis. fMRI was performed on a 3T Philips Intera scanner, and data were analyzed using SPM2 (Wellcome Department Imaging Neuroscience, University College London). Percentage signal change during the task was extracted from the amygdala using MarsBaR (Brett et al., 2002). fMRI analysis revealed significant amygdala activation during the emotion recognition task. Region of interest analyses demonstrated a significant negative correlation between fMRI signal change in the left amygdala and 5-HTT availability in the left amygdala, with 5-HTT availability accounting for ∼42% of the variability in left amygdala activity. Our novel in vivo data highlight the central importance of the serotonergic system in the responsiveness of the human amygdala during emotional processing.
Interleukin-1β Level Is Increased in Vitreous of Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) and Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy (PCV)

Purpose To examine the expression of pro-interleukin-1β (pro-IL-1β) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the vitreous body of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration(nAMD), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), retinal vein occlusion (RVO) or Eales’ disease to further elucidate the role of IL-1β and inflammation in the pathogenesis of neovascular retinal disease. Design Prospective clinical laboratory investigation study. Methods All patients enrolled had vitreous hemorrhage due to nAMD, PCV, PDR, RVO or Eales’ disease that required vitrectomy. Patients were excluded for any history of active intraocular inflammation, or other ophthalmic surgery besides vitrectomy. Control samples were obtained from patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane. A total of fifty vitreous samples were collected from patient during vitrectomy. Pro-IL-1β and IL-1β expression were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results were analyzed statistically using nonparametric tests. Results Expression of pro-IL-1β protein was increased by 2.83-fold and 9.19-fold in PCV and nAMD vitreous samples relative to control, respectively. Expression of IL-β protein was increased by 10-fold and 4.83-fold in PCV and nAMD vitreous samples relative to control, respectively. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that expression of pro-IL-1β and IL-1β proteins is higher in PCV and nAMD. The roles of pro-IL-1β and IL-1β as inflammatory mediators in the development of PCV and nAMD may be associated with photoreceptor degeneration and neovascularization which necessitates further study.
Carotenoids in evolutionary ecology: re‐evaluating the antioxidant role

The antioxidant role of carotenoids in the living organism was proposed as a possible basis for the honesty of carotenoid‐based signals. However, recent studies have questioned the relevance of carotenoids as powerful antioxidants in vivo. Current evidence does not seem to support the “antioxidant role” hypothesis, but it does not allow us to reject it either. This paper proposes some steps to solve this controversy, such as taking a dynamic approach to antioxidant responses, designing protocols that expose individuals to oxidative challenges, analyzing tissues other than blood, and obtaining measures of antioxidant capacity and oxidative damage simultaneously. However, it should be considered that, irrespective of their antioxidant potential, carotenoids might still give information on oxidative stress levels if they are particularly sensitive to free radicals. Finally, lumping together the immunostimulatory and antioxidant roles of carotenoids should be avoided as these functions are not necessarily associated.
Role of grainyhead-like 2 in the formation of functional tight junctions

Epithelial cells develop intercellular junctions, including tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs). In epithelial tissues, TJs act as barriers that protect bodies from dehydration, infection and toxic substances. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating the establishment of functional TJs during organogenesis remain largely unknown. Recently, we identified grainyhead-like 2 (Grhl2) as a transcription factor that is specifically expressed in cholangiocytes, which are epithelial cells lining the bile duct tubules in the liver. Using our three-dimensional (3D) culture system of hepatic progenitor cells, we demonstrated that Grhl2 enhanced barrier functions of hepatic progenitor cells by upregulating claudin (Cldn) 3 and Cldn4, thereby promoting epithelial morphogenesis. In addition, we identified Rab25 as another target of Grhl2, which promotes the localization of Cldn4 at TJs. Our results indicate that a transcription factor promotes epithelial morphogenesis by establishing functional TJs by not only regulating the transcription of Cldns but also affecting their localization at TJs.
Principles of timing anomalies in superscalar processors

The counter-intuitive timing behavior of certain features in superscalar processors that cause severe problems for existing worst-case execution time analysis (WCET) methods is called timing anomalies. In this paper, we identify structural sources potentially causing timing anomalies in superscalar pipelines. We provide examples for cases where timing anomalies can arise in much simpler hardware architectures than commonly supposed (i.e., even in hardware containing only in-orderfunctional units). We elaborate the general principle behind timing anomalies and propose a general criterion (resource allocation criterion) that provides a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for the occurrence of timing anomalies in a processor. This principle allows to state the absence of timing anomalies for a specific combination of hardware and software and thus forms a solid theoretic foundation for the time-predictable execution of real-time software on complex processor hardware.
Self-Optimizing Citizen-Centric Mobile Urban Sensing Systems

In this paper, we develop a novel networking scheme that supports both real-time and delay-tolerant urban sensing applications. This maintains optimality through self-adapting its communications strategy using either inexpensive short-range opportunistic transmissions or reliable long-range cellular radios. Core to this scheme is the trading of mobile sensor data in a virtual market where we demonstrate that our scheme can incentivize phone users to participate. We show that the scheme can optimise network throughput while minimising total phone costs, in terms of 3G and battery costs.
SMS based natural language interface to yellow pages directory

Yellow Pages are directories that source information about various commercial organizations like their addresses, phone contact and other details. These are very useful and are used by individual and other business houses. Until recently, the only way to access these yellow pages directory information was to physically look into a huge hard-copy directory, which was not only laborious but also time consuming and required the user to be familiar with the organization of the directory. More recently, there have been IVR based contact centers that have been set up which can be used by the users to query information. While it is easier than browsing through the physical directory, it still has several pitfalls. The time spent on trying to get the information is quite long and at the end of enquiry one is not sure if one will get the information that one is looking for. In this paper, we propose a novel interface which enables accessing the yellow pages directory information on the mobile phone by sending a short message service (SMS). The central idea of the proposed method is to avoid any constraint on the way the user can query the yellow pages directory except that it be in natural English. The system, which uses natural language processing (NLP) techniques, understands the intent of the query and intelligently searches the yellow pages directory to retrieve information. This retrieved information is then sent back to the user in the form of a SMS.