Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Iterative Learning Control for Singularly Perturbed Systems

The singularly perturbed systems are described by differential equations with a small parameter near higher derivatives. It turns out that most of known iterative learning control algorithms diverge in the presence of singular perturbations. The aim of the present paper is to construct learning control algorithms that are able to overcome this problem. Our approach is based on weak convergence conditions that take into account the whole range of frequency response characteristic in contrast to traditional convergence conditions based on the rough H 1 norm. The rst two proposed methods employ the analog and digital ltering. Whereas the learning operator of the third method approximates the inverse of the regular part of the system and at the same time appears to be a low-pass lter. The simulation of the algorithms for a benchmark model connrms all theoretical considerations.
Measuring the capacity of image fusion

Multisource image fusion is usually achieved by repeatedly fusing source images in pairs. However, there is no guarantee on the delivered quality considering the amount of information to be squeezed into the same spatial dimension. This paper presents a fusion capacity measure and examines the limits at which fusing more images will not add further information. The fusion capacity index employs Mutual Information (MI) to measure how far the histogram of the examined image is from a uniformly distributed histogram of a saturated image.
Stress and glucose oxidation Effect of acute and repeated restraint stress on glucose oxidation to CO 2 in hippocampal and cerebral cortex slices

It has been suggested that glucocorticoids released during stress might impair neuronal function by decreasing glucose uptake by hippocampal neurons. Previous work has demonstrated that glucose uptake is reduced in hippocampal and cerebral cortex slices 24 h after exposure to acute stress, while no effect was observed after repeated stress. Here, we report the effect of acute and repeated restraint stress on glucose oxidation to CO2 in hippocampal and cerebral cortex slices and on plasma glucose and corticosterone levels. Male adult Wistar rats were exposed to restraint 1 h/day for 50 days in the chronic model. In the acute model there was a single exposure. Immediately or 24 h after stress, the animals were sacrificed and the hippocampus and cerebral cortex were dissected, sliced, and incubated with Krebs buffer, pH 7.4, containing 5 mM glucose and 0.2 μCi D-[U-14C] glucose. CO2 production from glucose was estimated. Trunk blood was also collected, and both corticosterone and glucose were measured. The results showed that corticosterone levels after exposure to acute restraint were increased, but the increase was smaller when the animals were submitted to repeated stress. Blood glucose levels increased after both acute and repeated stress. However, glucose utilization, measured as CO2 production in hippocampal and cerebral cortex slices, was the same in stressed and control groups under conditions of both acute and chronic stress. We conclude that, although stress may induce a decrease in glucose uptake, this effect is not sufficient to affect the energy metabolism of these cells. Correspondence
On Theory of Compressive Sensing via L_1-Minimization: Simple Derivations and Extensions

Compressive (or compressed) sensing (CS) is an emerging methodology in computational signal processing that has recently attracted intensive research activities. At present, the basic CS theory includes recoverability and stability: the former quanties the central fact that a sparse signal of length n can be exactly recovered from far fewer than n measurements via ‘1minimization or other recovery techniques, while the latter species the stability of a recovery technique in the presence of measurement errors and inexact sparsity. So far, most analyses in CS rely heavily on the Restricted Isometry Property (RIP) for matrices. In this paper, we present an alternative, non-RIP analysis for CS via ‘1-minimization. Our purpose is three-fold: (a) to introduce an elementary treatment of the CS theory free of RIP and easily accessible to a broad audience; (b) to extend the current recoverability and stability results so that prior knowledge can be utilized to enhance recovery via ‘1-minimization; and (c) to substantiate a property called uniform recoverability of ‘1-minimization; that is, for almost all random measurement matrices recoverability is asymptotically identical. With the aid of two classic results, the non-RIP approach enables us to quickly derive from scratch all basic results for the extended theory.
Cytochrome P-450 Enzymes as Targets for Chemoprevention against Chemical Carcinogenesis and Toxicity : Opportunities and Limitations 1 ' 2

It is well established that most chemical carcinogens require met abolic activation before exerting their carcinogenic effects. The acti vated carcinogens are usually electrophilic agents and are highly reactive toward DNA molecules. DNA modifications, especially those on oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, are generally major driving forces for cancer development. In theory, chemical carcinogenesis can be prevented, in most cases, by blocking the metabolic activation process. Since cytochrome P450 enzymes play key roles in the acti vation of most carcinogens (1, 2), the inhibition of P4504-dependent
A Complete Axiomatization of Strict Equality over Infinite Trees ( Extended Version ) ? Technical Report SIC-03-2009 , UCM

Computing with data values that are some kind of trees — finite, infinite, rational— is at the core of declarative programming, either logic, functional or functional-logic. Understanding the logic of trees is therefore a fundamental question with impact in different aspects, like language design, including constraint systems or constructive negation, or obtaining methods for verifying and reasoning about programs. The theory of true equality over finite or infinite trees is quite well known. In particular, a seminal paper by Maher proved its decidability and gave a complete axiomatization of the theory. However, the sensible notion of equality for functional and functional-logic languages with a lazy evaluation regime is strict equality, a computable approximation to true equality for possibly infinite and partial trees. In this paper, we investigate the first-order theory of strict equality, arriving to remarkable and not obvious results: the theory is again decidable and admits a complete axiomatization, not requiring predicate symbols other than strict equality itself. Besides, the results stem from an effective —taking into account the intrinsic complexity of the problem— decision procedure that can be seen as a constraint solver for general strict equality constraints.
Taming the ‘trolls’: How journalists negotiate the boundaries of journalism and online comments

The relationship between online commenters and journalists has been challenged as frustrated journalists pull back on commenting and introduce rules to make it more difficult to participate. As new rules and policies emerge, journalists engage in a public campaign to change how commenting and journalism are perceived. This study seeks to understand how journalists attempt to frame commenting and its role alongside journalism. Boundary work was used to consider how journalists use public statements about commenting to establish appropriate roles for both the journalist and the commenter. But these statements also represent philosophies about strategies, policies, and practices related to commenting. Journalists take three philosophical approaches to online comments based on whether they willingly welcome commenters, see the commenter as a threat, but recognize their role, or take action to keep the audience at a distance. Along with these three roles, strategies and professional responses to commenting are also discussed.
Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine Management of Burn Injuries – Recent Developments in Resuscitation, Infection Control and Outcomes Research

Introduction: Burn injury and its subsequent multisystem effects are commonly encountered by acute care practitioners. Resuscitation is the major component of initial burn care and must be managed to restore and preserve remote organ function. Later complications of burn injury are dominated by infection. Burn centers are often called to manage soft tissue problems outside thermal injury including soft tissue infection and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.
Low-Molecular-Weight and Oligomeric Components in Secondary Organic Aerosol from the Ozonolysis of Cycloalkenes and α-Pinene

The composition of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from the ozonolysis of C5−C8 cycloalkenes and α-pinene, as well as the effects of hydrocarbon precursor structure and particle-phase acidity on SOA formation, have been investigated by a series of controlled laboratory chamber experiments. A liquid chromatography−mass spectrometer and an ion trap mass spectrometer are used concurrently to identify and to quantify SOA components with molecular weights up to 1600 Da. Diacids, carbonyl-containing acids, diacid alkyl esters, and hydroxy diacids are the four major classes of low-molecular-weight (MW 250 Da) are found to be present in all SOA. Using surrogate standards, it is estimated that the mass fraction of oligomers in the total SOA is at least 10% for the cycloalkene systems (with six or more carbons) and well over 50% for the α-pinene system. Higher .
A Study on ECG Signal Classification Techniques

The abnormal condition of the electrical activity in the heart is using electrocardiogram shows a threat to human beings. It is a representative signal containing information about the condition of the heart. The P-QRS-T wave shape, size and their time intervals between its various peaks contain useful information about the nature of disease affecting the heart. This paper presents a technique to examine electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, by taking the features form the heart beats classification. ECG Signals are collected from MIT-BIH database. The heart rate is used as the base signal from which certain parameters are extracted and presented to the network for classification. This survey provides a comprehensive overview for the classification of heart rate.
RAM Complexity is Optimal

We show that the programs of any classical (as opposed to parallel or interactive) computation model or programming language that satisfies natural postulates of effectiveness (which specialize Gurevich’s Sequential Postulates) can be simulated by a random access machine (RAM) with only constant overhead. In essence, the effectiveness postulates assert the following: states can be represented as logical structures; transitions depend on a fixed finite set of terms (those referred to in the algorithm); basic operations can be programmed from constructors; and transitions commute with isomorphisms. Complexity for any domain is measured in terms of constructor operations. It follows that algorithmic lower bounds for the RAM model hold (up to a constant factor) for any and all effective classical models of computation, whatever its control structures and data structures.
On and Off-line Purchase Intention: the Role of Brand Trust as Moderator of Risk Perception

Interpersonal trust is considered a risk moderator in choice under uncertainty (Einhorn, Hogarth, 1988) so it can help people to make decisions otherwise considered too risky (Galli, Nardin, 1997). Specifically, trust has been defined as a multi-dimensional construct, with cognitive and affective dimensions playing a different role to reduce perceived risk in low or high complexity tasks. In marketing field, trust has received increasing interest and research on brand trust scale validation has restated the multi-dimensionality of the construct, with a first detection of two crucial dimensions -competence and benevolence- (Delgado, 2003, 2004). Further research has enclosed other two dimensions, honesty and empathy (Martini, Galli, Arseni, 2016), and has hypothesised an evolutionary pattern, with cognitive dimensions preceding emotional ones in brand trust strengthening. With these premises, the research is aimed to evaluate the role of brand trust as moderator of risk perception in different buying contexts, characterized by increasing perceived complexity of the task. More specifically, the hypotheses are: purchase intention decreases when perceived complexity of the task increases; decreasing purchase intention is due to increasing risk perception; brand trust, with its cognitive and affective dimensions, is able to reduce risk perception and to moderate its impact on purchase intention. To test hypotheses, 432 Italian respondents to a structured online questionnaire had to declare their intention to buy a pair of Nike shoes, facing three different buying contexts: a traditional off-line store, the official online brand store and a famous on-line retailer. The results confirm that buying online is more complex than buying offline, with a corresponding increasing of risk perception and decreasing of purchase intention. Brand trust can reduce risk perception in both off and online contexts, with cognitive dimension playing a crucial role in offline context and emotional dimension in online one.
The multi-threaded optimization of dynamic binary translation

Dynamic binary translation which offers a solution for making an executable compiled on a platform to run on another platform automatically resolves the problem of code migration. The current single-threaded dynamic binary translation systems don't have enough scope to improve the performance. Therefore, the multi-core processors and the multi-threaded program are fully used for getting the high performance.
An Algorithm for Multi-robot Planning: SGInfiniteVI

In this paper we introduce an efficient path planning algorithm called SGInfiniteVI so the resulting path solution facilitates for robots the accomplishment of their tasks. The algorithm is based on the dynamic programming and deals with the problem of distributed equilibrium computation and selection in general-sum stochastic games with infinite horizon. Our approach proposes three Nash selection functions (in case of multiplicity of Nash equilibria) and obtains its benefits by pointing out experimentally which function is the most suitable to favor better interaction between robots. Experiments were conducted on the classical box-pushing problem, with several mobile robots moving objects in dynamic environments.
The quest for resilient (static) forwarding tables

Fast Reroute (FRR) and other forms of immediate failover have long been used to recover from certain classes of failures without invoking the network control plane. While the set of such techniques is growing, the level of resiliency to failures that this approach can provide is not adequately understood. We embark upon a systematic algorithmic study of the resiliency of immediate failover in a variety of models (with/without packet marking/duplication, etc.). We leverage our findings to devise new schemes for immediate failover and show, both theoretically and experimentally, that these outperform existing approaches.
A MVC-based collaborative framework support for test suite

Test design is the key of software testing. In order to improve utilization of test suite effectively, a reasonable and flexible architecture should be introduced to collaborate, manage and utilize the abundant test suite library in software test practice. This paper puts forward a novel software test suite, which uses a formal language definition. In the paper, a test suite design framework, which is based on model-view-controller pattern, is introduced. The framework can be used to separate test suite design, analysis and presentation. Also, the framework uses user-interface and filter method based on test suite library. The test suite library platform is a reliable and extensible web-based test suite collaborative application.
Discussion of Detecting Earnings Management: A New Approach

Dechow, Hutton, Kim, and Sloan (2012) propose a novel approach to identify accruals-based earnings management. Their approach is based on the concept that accruals-based earnings management made in one period must reverse in a subsequent period. By attempting to model the dynamic nature of accruals-based earnings management, they make a significant contribution to the literature on identifying earnings management. There are, however, several concerns that limit the effectiveness of their approach. First, it relies on the traditional methods of estimating discretionary accruals. Their approach is therefore subject to the estimation problems of these traditional methods. Second, their approach does not take advantage of dynamic features of the firm’s accounting numbers arising from the reversal of manipulated accruals. It instead tests whether there are group differences in the levels of discretionary accruals based on whether firms engaged in earnings management. Third, their approach assumes that the researcher already knows the periods in which earnings management occurred and reversed. It provides no guidance in identifying these periods.
The Design and Development of the "Self-Regulated Learning Inventory": A Status Report.

The development of an inventory to measure self-regulated learning is reported. The first step involved the generation of an item pool based on a literature review. A pool of items was developed based on the five identified factors of metacognition, learning strategies, motivation, contextual sensitivity, and environmental utilization and control. A pilot version with 71 items was tested with 305 undergraduates, and one factor, self-regulated learning, was found to account for the largest portion of the variance. In the second version of the inventory, researchers began to construct a model of self-regulated learning in which to ground the construction of the inventory. This version was tested with 96 graduate students, but technical aspects were not entirely satisfactory. Version 3 represents an attempt to improve the technical properties of the inventory and an effort to clarify and sharpen the model. Version 3, which contained 4 subscales, was tested with 219 undergraduates and 62 graduate students. Reliabilities of this version were higher than those of the other versions, and all subscales and total score correlated with grade point average, with the motivation scale showing the strongest relationship. Results support the model and the potential of the inventory as a means of assessing self-regulated learning. (Contains 2 figures, 12 tables, and 14 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************
Group support interventions for women with breast cancer: who benefits from what?

Research on the benefits of social support groups has been inconclusive. One reason is that individual differences in intervention responses have rarely been examined. The authors determined the extent to which individual difference variables moderated the effects of an information-based educational group and an emotion-focused peer discussion group on the mental and physical functioning of women with breast cancer (n = 230). The authors administered the SF-36 (S.E. Ware, K.K. Snow, M. Kosinski, & B. Gandek, 1993), a multidimensional quality of life instrument, pre- and postintervention. Educational groups showed greater benefits on the physical functioning of women who started the study with more difficulties compared with less difficulties (e.g., lacked support or fewer personal resources). Peer discussion groups were helpful for women who lacked support from their partners or physicians but harmful for women who had high levels of support. Implications of these results for clinical interventions are discussed.
Emotion Regulation, Cognitive Closure and Compliance of Spouses in Relationship Conflict

This study was aimed to examine the relationships between emotion regulation and compliance among spouses in conflict. Furthermore, because compliance in conflict situations has been associated with individual differences in cognitive closure and emotions, we examined how these factors modulate the effect of emotion regulation on compliance. To this end, 70 praticipates, randomly assigned to reappraisal and control groups, reported the influence tactics they would comply, their affective state and their cognitive closure level. Results indicated that as compared to control, reappraisal strengthened the tendency to comply during conflict and that this effect was stronger among participants with low cognitive closure. Moreover, the interaction between emotion regulation and cognitive closure on harsh influence tactics was mediated by inward-directed negative affect, suggesting that the reappraisal instruction promoted better resiliency to negative affect among high cognitive closure participants. We discuss the role of emotion regulation techniques in treatment and in interpersonal relationships.
Optimizing Infrastructures for Testing Using Virtualization

Virtualization technology and cloud computing have brought a paradigm shift in the way we utilize, deploy and manage computer resources. They allow fast deployment of multiple operating system as containers on physical ma- chines which can be either discarded after use or check- pointed for later re-deployment. At European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), we have been using virtualization technology to quickly setup virtual machines for our developers with preconfigured software to enable them to quickly test/deploy a new version of a software patch for a given application. This paper reports both on the techniques that have been used to setup a private cloud on a commodity hardware and also presents the optimization techniques we used to remove deployment specific performance bottlenecks.
NEW NEAR-INFRARED PERIOD–LUMINOSITY–METALLICITY RELATIONS FOR RR LYRAE STARS AND THE OUTLOOK FOR GAIA

We present results of the analysis of 70 RR Lyrae stars located in the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Combining the spectroscopically determined metallicity of these stars from the literature with precise periods from the OGLE III catalog and multi-epoch Ks photometry from the VISTA survey of the Magellanic Clouds system, we derive a new near-infrared period–luminosity–metallicity ( PL K s Z ? > ) relation for RR Lyrae variables. In order to fit the relation we use a fitting method developed specifically for this study. The zero-point of the relation is estimated two different ways: by assuming the value of the distance to the LMC and by using Hubble Space Telescope parallaxes of five RR Lyrae stars in the Milky Way (MW). The difference in distance moduli derived by applying these two approaches is ∼0.2 mag. To investigate this point further we derive the PL K s Z ? > relation based on 23 MW RR Lyrae stars that had been analyzed in Baade–Wesselink studies. We compared the derived PL K s Z ? > relations for RR Lyrae stars in the MW and LMC. Slopes and zero-points are different, but still consistent within the errors. The shallow slope of the metallicity term is confirmed by both LMC and MW variables. The astrometric space mission Gaia is expected to provide a huge contribution to the determination of the RR Lyrae PL K s Z ? > relation; however, calculating an absolute magnitude from the trigonometric parallax of each star and fitting a PL K s Z ? > relation directly to period and absolute magnitude leads to biased results. We present a tool to achieve an unbiased solution by modeling the data and inferring the slope and zero-point of the relation via statistical methods.