Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The production of peer-to-peer video-streaming networks

We introduce the notions of production and saturation time for peer-to-peer real-time video-streaming networks. Due to the fact that video-streaming is divided into small blocks to transmit, production, adopted from economics, is defined as the number of users that have obtained video block m by time t. Saturation time refers to the time when the system leaves the state where there have been more users requesting block m than the number of users that the system could have supplied. Based on those two notions, we provide a lower bound on the achievable production functions. Simulation results are provided for a heuristic protocol which appears to confirm the lower bound in terms of production and saturation time. The analysis results have also been confirmed by simulation using a stochastic model.
Children's television viewing and cognitive outcomes: a longitudinal analysis of national data.

OBJECTIVE To test the independent effects of television viewing in children before age 3 years and at ages 3 to 5 years on several measures of cognitive outcomes at ages 6 and 7 years. DESIGN Using data from a nationally representative data set, we regressed 4 measures of cognitive development at ages 6 and 7 years on television viewing before age 3 years and at ages 3 to 5 years, controlling for parental cognitive stimulation throughout early childhood, maternal education, and IQ. RESULTS Before age 3 years, the children in this study watched an average of 2.2 hours per day; at ages 3 to 5 years, the daily average was 3.3 hours. Adjusted for the covariates mentioned earlier, each hour of average daily television viewing before age 3 years was associated with deleterious effects on the Peabody Individual Achievement Test Reading Recognition Scale of 0.31 points (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.61 to -0.01 points), on the Peabody Individual Achievement Test Reading Comprehension Scale of 0.58 points (95% CI, -0.94 to -0.21 points), and on the Memory for Digit Span assessment from the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children of -0.10 points (95% CI, -0.20 to 0 points). For the Reading Recognition Scale score only, a beneficial effect of television at ages 3 to 5 years was identified, with each hour associated with a 0.51-point improvement in the score (95% CI, 0.17 to 0.85 points). CONCLUSIONS There are modest adverse effects of television viewing before age 3 years on the subsequent cognitive development of children. These results suggest that greater adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines that children younger than 2 years not watch television is warranted.
Glycaemic Control and Associated Self-Management Behaviours in Diabetic Outpatients: A Hospital Based Observation Study in Lusaka, Zambia

Background. The control of diabetes mellitus depends on several factors that also include individual lifestyles. We assessed glycaemic control status and self-management behaviours that may influence glycaemic control among diabetic outpatients. Methods. This cross-sectional study among 198 consenting randomly selected patients was conducted at the University Teaching Hospital diabetic clinic between September and December 2013 in Lusaka, Zambia. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data on demographic characteristics, self-management behaviours, and laboratory measurements. Binary logistic regression analysis using IBM SPSS for Windows version 20.0 was carried out to predict behaviours that were associated with glycaemic control status. Results. The proportion of patients that had good glycaemic control status (HbA1c≤ 48 mmol/mol) was 38.7% compared to 61.3% that had poor glycaemic control status (HbA1c≥ 49 mmol/mol). Adherence to antidiabetic treatment and fasting plasma glucose predicted glycaemic control status of the patients. However, self-blood glucose monitoring, self-blood glucose monitoring means and exercise did not predict glycaemic control status of the patients. Conclusion. We find evidence of poor glycaemic control status among most diabetic patients suggesting that health promotion messages need to take into account both individual and community factors to promote behaviours likely to reduce nonadherence.
Is there a correlation between degree of viremia and liver histology in chronic hepatitis C?

OBJECTIVE To determine the correlation between degree of histological liver damage and serum HCV RNA level in patients of chronic hepatitis C, in order to evaluate the usefulness of HCV RNA estimation as an alternate to liver biopsy. METHODS This non-interventional descriptive study, was carried out at the department of Pathology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan between April and September 2002. Core needle liver biopsies of fifty five patients of chronic hepatitis C were evaluated according to Knodell's histological activity index system. The patients were categorized into four subgroups depending upon the grade and stage of disease according to Desmet's classification, and into three groups according to degree of viremia. RESULTS Five patients had mild viremia, 43 moderate and 7 had severe viremia. Seven patients had minimal disease, 9 mild, 22 moderate and 17 had severe chronic hepatitis. Eight patients had no fibrosis, 20 had fibrous portal expansion, 19 bridging fibrosis, and 8 patients had cirrhosis. No significant correlation was found between serum HCV RNA levels and grade or stage of the disease, with correlation coefficients of rs = -. 054 and rs = . 034 respectively. Moreover, no individual component of the HAI correlated with serum HCV RNA levels. CONCLUSION Serum HCV RNA level does not determine the degree of hepatic injury precisely and liver biopsy is necessary to accurately evaluate the extent of liver damage.
New technologies in cultural institutions: theory, evidence and policy implications

Publicly-funded cultural institutions such as theatre companies, symphony orchestras, museums, libraries and so on are increasingly engaging with new technologies as a means of improving their operational efficiency and extending the range of ways in which they pursue their cultural missions. For example, opera companies are broadcasting performances by satellite to cinemas, and art museums are using the Internet to show virtual exhibitions. These developments have implications for funding authorities who need to update their policy approaches to encompass a range of new technological phenomena. This paper provides a framework for assessing technological innovation in cultural institutions, and discusses the ramifications of such a framework for cultural policy. The paper is illustrated using the results of a recent research project that evaluated the UK National Theatre’s NT Live experiment and the Tate Gallery’s use of a web-based exhibition as strategies to expand their audience reach.
Nucleotide sequence homologies in nuclear and cytoplasmic ribonucleic acid from rat liver and hepatomas.

The RNA popoulations of rat liver and three rat hepatomas were compared by DNA-RNA hybridization studies in the presence and absence of competing RNA. The hepatoma nuclei were found to lack hybridizable RNA species present in normal liver nuclei, while the latter appeared to contain all the hepatoma RNA species. In normal liver, the cytoplasmic RNA could compete with nuclear RNA only to the extent of 20–30 %. This indicates that a large number of nuclear RNA species are not transferred to the cytoplasm. In the case of the hepatomas nearly all the nuclear RNA species were detected in the cytoplasmic RNA preparations. A more extensive homology between nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA was also observed in regerenating liver. It is suggested that a selective mechanism governs the transfer of RNA species from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and that this mechanism is altered in the hepatomas.
Neurobiological Alterations Induced by Exercise and Their Impact on Depressive Disorders

Background: The impact of physical activity on brain metabolic functions has been investigated in different studies and there is growing evidence that exercise can be used as a preventive and rehabilitative intervention in the treatment of depressive disorders. However, the exact neuronal mechanisms underlying the latter phenomenon have not been clearly elucidated. The present article summarises key results derived from studies that focussed on the neurobiological impact of exercise on brain metabolic functions associated with depressive disorders. Since major depressive disorder (MDD) is a life threatening disease it is of great significance to find reliable strategies to prevent or to cure this illness. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to review (1) the physiological relationship between physical activity and depressive disorders and (2) the potential neurobiological alterations induced by exercise that might lead to the relief of mental disorders like depression. Methods: We searched electronic databases for literature concerning the relationship between exercise and depression from 1963 until 2009. Results: The data suggests an association between physical inactivity and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Properly designed studies could show that exercise training can be as effective as antidepressive medications. Conclusion: The exact mechanisms how exercise affects the brain are not fully understood and the literature lacks of well designed studies concerning the effects of exercise training on depressive disorders. But the observed antidepressant actions of exercise are strong enough that it already can be used as an alternative to current medications in the treatment of depressive disorders.
Cappell-Shaneson’s 4-dimensional s-cobordism, Geometry and Topology 6

Let Q = S/Q8 be the quaternionic 3-manifold, obtained as the quotient of the 3-sphere by the free action of the quaternionic group Q8 of order eight, which can be presented by Q8 =< i, j, k | i 2 = j = k = −1, ij = k, jk = i, ki = j >. Also Q is the 2-fold branched covering space of S branched over the three Hopf circles; combining this with the Hopf map S → S one sees that Q is a Seifert Fibered space with three singular fibers. Q can also be identified with the boundaries of the 4-manifolds of Figure 1 (one can easily check that the above two definition are equivalent to this one by drawing framed link pictures). The second manifold W of Figure 1, consisting of a 1 and 2 -handle pair, is a Stein surface by [G1]. It is easily seen that W is a disk bundle over RP obtained as the tubular neighborhood of an imbedded RP in S. The complement of this imbedding is also a copy of W , decomposing S = W ⌣∂ W
A study of manual gesture-based selection for the PEMMI multimodal transport management interface

Operators of traffic control rooms are often required to quickly respond to critical incidents using a complex array of multiple keyboards, mice, very large screen monitors and other peripheral equipment. To support the aim of finding more natural interfaces for this challenging application, this paper presents PEMMI (Perceptually Effective Multimodal Interface), a transport management system control prototype taking video-based manual gesture and speech recognition as inputs. A specific theme within this research is determining the optimum strategy for gesture input in terms of both single-point input selection and suitable multimodal feedback for selection. It has been found that users tend to prefer larger selection areas for targets in gesture interfaces, and tend to select within 44% of this selection radius. The minimum effective size for targets when using 'device-free' gesture interfaces was found to be 80 pixels (on a 1280x1024 screen). This paper also shows that feedback on gesture input via large screens is enhanced by the use of both audio and visual cues to guide the user's multimodal input. Audio feedback in particular was found to improve user response time by an average of 20% over existing gesture selection strategies for multimodal tasks.
Comparative Genomics of the Conjugation Region of F-like Plasmids: Five Shades of F

The F plasmid is the foremost representative of a large group of conjugative plasmids, prevalent in Escherichia coli, and widely distributed among the Enterobacteriaceae. These plasmids are of clinical relevance, given their frequent association with virulence determinants, colicins, and antibiotic resistance genes. Originally defined by their sensitivity to certain male-specific phages, IncF plasmids share a conserved conjugative system and regulatory circuits. In order to determine whether the genetic architecture and regulation circuits are preserved among these plasmids, we analyzed the natural diversity of F-like plasmids. Using the relaxase as a phylogenetic marker, we identified 256 plasmids belonging to the IncF/ MOBF12group, present as complete DNA sequences in the NCBI database. By comparative genomics, we identified five major groups of F-like plasmids. Each shows a particular operon structure and alternate regulatory systems. Results show that the IncF/MOBF12 conjugation gene cluster conforms a diverse and ancient group, which evolved alternative regulatory schemes in its adaptation to different environments and bacterial hosts.
Effects of Blends of Low-Protein Winter Wheat Flour and Barley Byproducts on Quality Changes in Noodles

The physicochemical characteristics of fresh noodles made with blends of low-protein wheat flour and barley byproduct (BBP, 250 μm) were investigated. The crude protein contents (PC) of flour from Goso and Backjoong cultivars were 7.91% and 7.67%, respectively. PC and β-glucan contents from the BBP were 14.10% and 3.11%, respectively, which were higher than those in wheat flour. The water-holding capacity (WHC) of various blends was increased as a function of BBP but not gluten contents. Goso flour had the highest starch content (78.68%), with peak and final viscosities of 3,099 and 3,563 cp, respectively. Peak and final viscosities, trough, breakdown, and setback of the blends were decreased with the addition of BBP. Noodles made with Backjoong had the highest thickness score, while the hardness of noodles made with blends of Goso or Backjoong and 20% BBP were similar to those made from wheat flour only. The WHC of the samples was strongly correlated with PC, crude fiber, and β-glucan. The PC was not correlated with final viscosity, setback, thickness, hardness, gumminess, or chewiness.
Morals, Ethics and practice — in search of social justice

Abstract This paper reports a study of sources of influence on moral and ethical decision-making in social work practice. Practitioners from ten government and five non government agencies kept journals about the main moral issues they faced over a one-month period and were then interviewed about the nature of those issues, their resolution and the influences that shaped those resolutions. Practitioners' personal moral perspectives were found to be the main sources of influence on resolutions to a wide range of dilemmas and most of those resolutions did not conform to accepted social wok ethical practice principles. Even though the results of this study are drawn from a small sample, some implications are suggested for practitioner development, professional ethics and social work education.
C-Band VSAT Data Communication System and RF Impairments

This paper is concerned with modelling and simulation of VSAT (very small aperture terminal) data messaging network operating in India at Karnataka with extended C-band. VSATs in Karnataka of KPTCL use VSATS 6.875-6.9465G Hz uplinks and 4.650- 4.7215 GHz downlinks. These frequencies are dedicated to fix services. The Satellite is Intelsat -3A, the hub has a 7.2 m diameter antenna and uses 350W or 600W TWTA (Travelling wave Tube Amplifier). The VSAT’s are 1.2 m with RF power of 1W or 2W depending on their position in the uplink beam with data rate of 64 or 128 K bit/s. The performance of the system is analysed by the error probability called BER (Bit Error Rate) and results are derived from Earth station to hub and hub to Earth station using satellite Transponder as the media of communication channel. The Link budgets are developed for a single one-way satellite link.
Enhancing Construction Processes Using Building Information Modelling on Mobile Devices

This paper reviews existing construction processes of a Leading International Engineering Contracting firm in the Middle East and investigates the potential of improving existing processes using mobile Building Information Technology and processes. Qualitative data was captured through detailed interviews with key personnel, site observations and existing site processes that are mapped from site mobilisation to practical completion stage. Industry practitioners whom were involved in the project have validated the to-be process maps. The paper identifies non-adding value activities in the existing processes and highlights the potential of using mobile technologies in addressing limitations of the as-is processes. The paper also highlights the potential of enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of existing processes using readily available technologies.
User acceptance of hedonic versus utilitarian social networking web sites

Purpose – The technology acceptance model (TAM) was developed by Davies et al. to understand the utilitarian benefits of web sites. In recent times, scholars have extended TAM as theoretical underpinning to understand user acceptance of social networking web sites (SNWs) that were hedonic in nature, which seemed inappropriate. The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences in the user acceptance phenomenon of hedonic versus utilitarian SNWs, and highlight that it is essential to provide justice to varying value propositions offered by SNWs.Design/methodology/approach – As the research study was variance based and followed a positivistic paradigm, the authors used survey methodology and collected data through online and offline questionnaires. In total, 181 usable responses were subjected to mediation analysis using structural equation modeling.Findings – The perceived usefulness emerged as a significant mediator in the case of utilitarian SNWs and perceived enjoyment emerged as a significant medi.
Sub-Space Missing Feature Imputation and Environment Sniffing for Robust Speech Recognition

Noise robustness is the most important issue for real-life speech recognition/spoken dialogue system. In this paper, a sub-space missing feature theory (S-MFT) front-end is proposed to alleviate the corruption of the background noise. SMFT incorporates temporal information and applies principle component analysis (PCA) to find a noise-suppressed subspace for more precise missing feature imputation. Moreover, two parameters including signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and divergence-based reliability measure of an input utterance generated by S-MFT are employed to judge whether the utterance can be successfully recognized or not. Experiments on TIDIGIT and three kinds of noises from NOISEX-92 corpora have verified the benefits of the proposed S-MFT approach. The average recognition rate could be improved from 61.6% (cepstral mean and variance normalization, CN) to 77.1% and further to 89.9% while rejecting bad utterances.
Evaluating the Effects of Haptics on Presence while Traveling in a Desktop Virtual Environment

Virtual reality applications seek to fully immerse participants into their virtual world experience. The investigation of how stimuli on the different senses influence the users is therefore crucial. As navigation is one of the most ubiquitous tasks in virtual environments, studying the influence of haptics on user presence is a necessity for future applications. This work presents an empirical study on the role of haptics during travel in a desktop virtual environment. Three techniques were compared in respect to task performance, perceived task performance, perceived presence and mental and physical workload. While our results indicate that haptics has a positive influence on participant’s perceived presence and performance, his total workload remains constant. Furthermore, we show that these findings apply to both experienced and unexperienced virtual environment users.
A Computational Grammar of Discourse-Neutral Prosodic Phrasing in English

We describe an experimental text-to-speech system that uses information about syntactic constituency, adjacency to a verb, and constituent length to determine prosodic phrasing for synthetic speech. A central goal of our work has been to characterize "discourse neutral" phrasing, i.e. sentence-level phrasing patterns that are independent of discourse semantics. Our account builds on Bachenko et al. (1986), but differs in its treatment of clausal structure and predicate-argument relations. Results so far indicate that the current system performs well when measured against a corpus of judgments of prosodic phrasing.
Temporal response of ectopic activity in guinea pig ventricular myocardium in response to isoproterenol and acetylcholine

Both β adrenergic and muscarinic receptor stimulation independently potentiate arrhythmogenesis. However, the effect of simultaneous stimulation on arrhythmogenesis is not well known. The purpose of this study was to determine the temporal response of arrhythmia risk to individual and combined autonomic agonists. Guinea pig hearts were excised and Langendorff-perfused. The β adrenergic receptor and muscarinic receptor agonists were isoproterenol (ISO, 0.6 μM) and acetylcholine (ACh, 10 μM), respectively. All measurements with agonists occurred over 21 min. ISO induced ectopic activity for the first 8 min. ISO also transiently shortened and then prolonged R-R interval over a similar time course. ACh added after ISO transiently induced ectopic activity for 12 min, while R-R interval invariantly prolonged. ACh alone produced few ectopic beats, while invariantly prolonging R-R interval. In contrast to ISO alone, ISO following ACh significantly increased ectopic activity and shortened R-R interval for the duration of the experiment. Animals aged 17–19 months exhibited sustained arrhythmogenesis while those aged 11–14 did not. When ACh was removed in older hearts while ISO perfused, a transient increase in ectopic activity and decreased R-R interval was observed, similar to ISO alone. These data suggest that pre-treating with and maintaining ACh perfusion can sustain ISO sensitivity, in contrast to ISO perfusion alone.
Aspectos do enfoque CTS no Ensino Profissional Técnico de Nível Médio em feira de ciências

O objetivo deste trabalho e analisar e refletir sobre o ensino em uma instituicao publica federal de educacao profissional tecnica de nivel medio no que se refere a abordagem sobre CTS com base na percepcao construida por alunos e professores durante uma feira de ciencias. O estudo e descritivo e de natureza quantitativa. A coleta de dados foi realizada pela aplicacao de um questionario com 25 afirmativas para a escolha de apenas uma opcao da escala Likert. Aqui sao analisadas cinco delas. Os resultados iniciais revelam um cenario favoravel para uma formacao tecnica cidada com enfoque CTS.