Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a general ontology of configuration

This article presents a generalized ontology of product configuration as a step towards a general ontology of configuration, which is needed to reuse and share configuration knowledge. The ontology presented consists of a set of concepts for representing the knowledge on a configuration and the restrictions on possible configurations. The ontology is based on a synthesis of the main approaches to configuration. Earlier approaches are extended with new concepts arising from our practical experience on configurable products. The concepts include components, attributes, resources, ports, contexts, functions, constraints, and relations between these. The main contributions of this work are in the detailed conceptualization of knowledge on product structures and in extending the resource concept with contexts for limiting the availability and use of resources. In addition, constraint sets representing different views on the product are introduced. The ontology is compared with the previous work on configuration. It covers all the principal approaches, that is, connection-based, structure-based, resource-based, and function-based approaches to configuration. The dependencies between the concepts arising from different conceptualizations are briefly analyzed. Several ways in which the ontology could be extended are pointed out.
Effect of intensive handwashing promotion on childhood diarrhea in high-risk communities in Pakistan: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Washing hands with soap prevents diarrhea, but children at the highest risk of death from diarrhea are younger than 1 year, too young to wash their own hands. Previous studies lacked sufficient power to assess the impact of household handwashing on diarrhea in infants. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of promoting household handwashing with soap among children at the highest risk of death from diarrhea. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cluster randomized controlled trial of 36 low-income neighborhoods in urban squatter settlements in Karachi, Pakistan. Field workers visited participating households at least weekly from April 15, 2002, to April 5, 2003. Eligible households located in the study area had at least 2 children younger than 15 years, at least 1 of whom was younger than 5 years. INTERVENTIONS Weekly visits in 25 neighborhoods to promote handwashing with soap after defecation and before preparing food, eating, and feeding a child. Within intervention neighborhoods, 300 households (1523 children) received a regular supply of antibacterial soap and 300 households (1640 children) received plain soap. Eleven neighborhoods (306 households and 1528 children) comprised the control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Incidence density of diarrhea among children, defined as the number of diarrheal episodes per 100 person-weeks of observation. RESULTS Children younger than 15 years living in households that received handwashing promotion and plain soap had a 53% lower incidence of diarrhea (95% confidence interval [CI], -65% to -41%) compared with children living in control neighborhoods. Infants living in households that received handwashing promotion and plain soap had 39% fewer days with diarrhea (95% CI, -61% to -16%) vs infants living in control neighborhoods. Severely malnourished children (weight for age z score, <-3.0) younger than 5 years living in households that received handwashing promotion and plain soap had 42% fewer days with diarrhea (95% CI, -69% to -16%) vs severely malnourished children in the control group. Similar reductions in diarrhea were observed among children living in households receiving antibacterial soap. CONCLUSION In a setting in which diarrhea is a leading cause of child death, improvement in handwashing in the household reduced the incidence of diarrhea among children at high risk of death from diarrhea.
Problem Oriented Analysis and Decision Expert System with large capacity knowledge-base

The more knowledge the expert system possesses, the more competent the system becomes. However the possibility of the occurrence of knowledge conflicts will become greater, and the efficiency of inference will become lower at the same time, which restricts capacity of the knowledge system. The problem oriented analysis and decision expert system(POADES) refers to the human thinking processes and methods, organizes the knowledge revolving around problems, infers according to the human dominating manner, is navigated by hierarchical query tree and all kinds of filters. So it avoids the knowledge conflicts and can be used to construct large capacity knowledge system.
Design of an UHF RFID transponder for secure authentication

RFID technology increases rapidly its applicability in new areas of interest without guaranteeing security and privacy issues. This paper presents a new architecture of an RFID transponder with cryptographic capabilities. Other than being compatible with the EPC Class-1 Gen-2 communication protocol, our tag implements an asymmetric ciphering module that proved useful in authentication and anti-counterfeit schemes, particularly critical in many application fields. Experimental results concerning area requirements and power consumption indicate its feasibility.
Image denoising using hyper-Laplacian priors and gradient histogram preservation model

Image noise is difficult to avoid during the image acquisition and communication, and thus we need to suppress noise in the low level vision. Among all of the existing image denoising methods, image priors, such as hyper-Laplacian priors of the heavy-tailed distribution of image gradient, play an important role. However, many denoising methods tend to smooth the fine textures while suppressing noise, degrading the image visual quality. In order to solve this problem, we introduce a gradient histogram preservation (GHP) model. Combining the GHP model with the hyper-Laplacian priors, we can improve the denoising performance. We use the alternating minimization scheme, among the two phases is a non-convex Lp - minimization problem. The problem can be solved by two methods, the lookup table (LUT) and the generalized iterative shrinkage algorithm (GISA). Furthermore, the experimental results demonstrate that with the gradient histogram preservation model, we can preserve the image textures while removing noise, leading to a much more natural denoising result.
An Investigation into the Expressive Power of PDDL2.1

The planning domain language PDDL2.1, used in the 3rd International Planning Competition, has sparked off some controversy in the planning community as researchers consider its expressive power and the ease with which interesting domain models can be constructed in the language. In this paper we show that the expressive power of PDDL2.1 is much greater than is commonly believed. We demonstrate that PDDL2.1 can model many of the domain features often claimed to lie beyond its modelling capability. In so doing we provide a means by which powerful domain features and language constructs can be given a semantics in terms of the canonical basis of PDDL2.1.
Baseband processing for PMP-radio systems with reduced complexity

 Carefully designed PMP RLL systems at RF frequencies greater than 10 GHz are characterized by radio cells with a great number of network terminations with very small multipath propagation and only a few radio channels, if ever, with bad conditions. The proposed algorithm allows to equalise all radio channels with the average effort, which may be much less than the usual necessary effort for the worst case channel.
Some Economic Observations Regarding Communication About Policy

Recent theories of strategic communication are relevant to central banks’ communication with the public. Distinct issues pertain to communication about the bank’s past and current actions, intended future actions, assessments of future economic conditions, and overall policy preferences. Regarding assessments of future conditions, there is a time consistency issue regarding truthful reporting. Whether or not truthful, informative reporting is always time consistent is an open question. Some theoretical issues surrounding a central bank’s reports about its policy preferences are not yet resolved.
Physical activity prevents alterations in mitochondrial ultrastructure and glucometabolic parameters in a high-sugar diet model

Endurance exercise is a remarkable intervention for the treatment of many diseases. Mitochondrial changes on skeletal muscle are likely important for many of the benefits provided by exercise. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects that a regular physical activity (swimming without workload) has on mitochondrial morphological alterations and glucometabolic parameters induced by a high-sugar diet (HSD). Weaned male Wistar rats fed with a standard diet or a HSD (68% carbohydrate) were subjected to 60 minutes of regular physical activity by swimming (without workload) for four- (20 sessions) or eight-week (40 sessions) periods. After training, animals were euthanized and the sera, adipose tissues, and skeletal muscles were collected for further analysis. The HSD increased body weight after an 8-week period; it also increased the fat pads and the adipose index, resulting in glucose intolerance and insulin resistance (IR). Transmission electron microscopy showed an increase in alterations of mitochondrial ultrastructure in the gastrocnemius muscle, as well as a decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and an increase in protein carbonylation. Regular physical activity partially reverted these alterations in rats fed a HSD, preventing mitochondrial morphological alterations and IR. Moreover, we observed a decrease in Pgc1α expression (qPCR analysis) in STD-EXE group and a less pronounced reduction in HSD-EXE group after an 8-week period. Thus, regular physical activity (swimming without workload) in rats fed a HSD can prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and IR, highlighting the crucial role for physical activity on metabolic homeostasis.
Implicit Feedback Based Recommendation and Collaboration

Recommendation, collaboration and other tasks play important role on the adaptive web. For such tasks, user feedback is needed. Explicit feedback interrupts user and obtaining quality explicit feedback is problematic. On the other hand, users provide implicit feedback uninterrupted without knowing that they are rating. Traditional implicit feedback on the web – tracking of mouse and keyboard interaction, displayed parts of document, etc. – is problematic, when user passively reads the document and does not provide any inputs. We do not want to force him to provide inputs; therefore we have to track him physically. In our work we proposed a method for identification of important fragments based on implicit interest indicators with included commodity gaze tracking in common settings of the user’s home. We use collected information in recommendation of fragments, adaptive explicit feedback collection and we proposed additional scenarios.
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology Open Access Mitochondrial 3 Beta-hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase (hsd) Is Essential for the Synthesis of Progesterone by Corpora Lutea: an Hypothesis

In mouse ovaries, the enzyme 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) is distributed between microsomes and mitochondria. Throughout the follicular phase of the estrous cycle, the HSD activity in microsomes is predominant; whereas, after LH stimulation, HSD activity during the luteal phase is highest in the mitochondria. The current study examined whether or not LH stimulation always results in an increase in mitochondrial HSD activity. This was accomplished by measuring the HSD activity in microsomal and mitochondrial fractions from ovaries of pregnant mice. These animals have two peaks of LH during gestation, and one peak of LH after parturition. It was found that mitochondrial HSD activity was highest after each peak of LH. It is proposed that mitochondrial HSD is essential for the synthesis of high levels of progesterone. The increase in HSD activity in mitochondria after LH stimulation occurs because: 1) LH initiates the simultaneous synthesis of HSD and the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc); and, 2) HSD and P450scc bind together to form a complex, which becomes inserted into the inner membrane of the mitochondria. High levels of progesterone are synthesized by mitochondrial HSD because: 1) the requisite NAD+ cofactor for progesterone synthesis is provided directly by the mitochondria, rather than indirectly via the rate limiting malate-aspartate shuttle; and, 2) the end-product inhibition of P450scc by pregnenolone is eliminated because pregnenolone is converted to progesterone.
Simultaneous detection of different Rhizobium strains marked with either the Escherichia coli gusA gene or the Pyrococcus furiosus celB gene

A new marker system for gram-negative bacteria was developed on the basis of the celB gene from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, which encodes a thermostable beta-glucosidase with a high level of beta-galactosidase activity. The celB gene is highly suitable as a marker for studying plant-bacterium interaction because endogenous background beta-glucosidase and beta-galactosidase enzyme activity can readily be inactivated by heat and because inexpensive substrates for detection are commercially available. Two celB-expressing transposons were constructed for use in ecological studies of a variety of gram-negative bacteria. The combined use of the gusA marker gene and celB allowed the simultaneous detection of several Rhizobium strains on a plant, and multiple-strain occupancy of individual modules also could be easily detected.
Income Elasticity of Demand

When incomes rise, the demand for most goods tends to increase, but by how much? Does a 10% increase in income lead to a 2% increase in amount sold or a 20% increase (or perhaps even a decrease)? The income elasticity of demand measures how the amount purchased responds to a change in income; more specifically, the percent change in quantity divided by the percent change in income. Sales of most goods tend to rise as incomes rises. In this case, the income elasticity of demand will be positive and the goods are considered normal goods. Sometimes economists draw a distinction between goods which are less sensitive to income (necessities income elasticity is positive but less than one) and those that are more sensitive to income (luxuries income elasticity is greater than one). As discussed earlier, in some cases, as incomes decline, sales of certain goods increase. Inferior goods are goods with an income elasticity of demand that is negative. Knowing the income elasticity of demand for its product can help a business estimate how it will be affected by changes in income; for example, how it will be affected by declines in income that would occur during a recession.
Repeated sampling reveals differential variability in measures of species richness and community composition in planktonic protists.

Diversity metrics and descriptors of protistan community structure were calculated from 12 samples of 10 l each collected from the Bay of Villefranche in the NW Mediterranean Sea. Variability of the sampling was on scales of minutes and meters. The individual samples were compared with each other and compared with a pooled data set from the total volume of 120 l, considered as the 'true' community. We focused on a single group of planktonic protists, tintinnids, a coherent functional and phylogenetic group in which morpho-species identifications by light microscopy are unambiguous. Tintinnid abundance in the samples ranged from 217 to 321 cells of 16-21 species with the number of rare species in a sample (< 1% of abundance) positively related to species richness of the sample. Rarefaction estimates of total species richness in the 12 samples ranged from 21 ± 3.5 to 37 ± 3.6 compared with the 34 species of the pooled data set. The measures of similarity reflected the differences between samples in both the numbers and identities of the least abundant or rare species. The species abundance distribution using pooled data was best fit by a log-series or geometric distribution; eight species accounted for about 90% of total cells and most species, the remaining 22 out of 34, were 'rare' (concentration < 1% of total cells). Among the samples, 5 were best fit by a geometric model, 1 by a log-series distribution, 2 by a log-normal or log-series model, and 4 could not be clearly assigned a particular distribution. Our results suggest that single sample estimates of species richness are relatively robust compared with measures of taxonomic similarity and species abundance distribution. When measuring differences among populations sample variability should be considered.
Is the Value Premium Predictable in Real Time?

In this paper we develop a trading strategy in which the difference in observed returns of value and growth stocks in the US stock market is exploited. In the literature this return spread is often called the "value premium". In our modeling process we use a procedure similar to the recursive modeling approach as proposed by Pesaran and Timmerman (1995). We first estimate a universe of parsimonious models in an in-sample setting using a base set of technical and economic forecasting variables. Subsequently, we generate out-of-sample forecasts in a rolling window framework for all models and evaluate the performance in a so-called model training period. This adjustment directly relates to the critique of Bossaerts and Hillion (1999), who showed the insufficiency of in-sample criteria to forecast out-of-sample information ratios. Model selection is based on three well-known selection criteria: hit ratio (% correct sign), the mean return of the strategy and the realized information ratio. Finally, we start implementing our investment strategy in a second stage out-of-sample period: the trading period. This model estimation and selection procedure enables us to address the issue whether we could have historically exploited the value/growth rotation strategy in a practical context. In the empirical section we show that it is possible to successfully forecast the time-varying value premium based on this strategy. Moreover, we observe that the set of relevant forecasting variables varies considerably through time.
Colon Preneoplastic Lesions in Animal Models

The animal model is a powerful and fundamental tool in the field of biochemical research including toxicology, carcinogenesis, cancer therapeutics and prevention. In the carcinogenesis animal model system, numerous examples of preneoplastic lesions have been isolated and investigated from various perspectives. This may indicate that several options of endpoints to evaluate carcinogenesis effect or therapeutic outcome are presently available; however, classification of preneoplastic lesions has become complicated. For instance, these lesions include aberrant crypt foci (ACF), dysplastic ACF, flat ACF, β-catenin accumulated crypts, and mucin-depleted foci. These lesions have been induced by commonly used chemical carcinogens such as azoxymethane (AOM), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), methylnitrosourea (MUN), or 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). Investigators can choose any procedures or methods to examine colonic preneoplastic lesions according to their interests and the objectives of their experiments. Based on topographical, histopathological, and biological features of colon cancer preneoplastic lesions in the animal model, we summarize and discuss the character and implications of these lesions.
Face it - photos don't make a web site trustworthy

Use of staff photographs is frequently advocated as a means of increasing customer confidence in an e-shop. However, these claims are not conceptually or empirically grounded. In this paper we describe a qualitative study, which elicited customer reactions towards an e-commerce site that displayed staff photographs and links to richer media. The results suggest that employing social and affective cues, particularly in the form of photos, can be a risky strategy. To be effective they should be combined with functionality and targeted specifically at the user types we identified.
User Assisted Modeling of Buildings

An approach that allows a user to assist an automatic system in modeling buildings is described. The approach is designed to be efficient in user time and effort while preserving the quality of the models created. Currently our system is able to handle the rectangular buildings with flat roof or symmetric gabled roof. Models can be created by only one or two clicks in many cases. Efficient editing of automatically derived models is also possible.
Stability and Performance of Haptic Displays: Theory and Experiments

In haptic simulation, a human operator kinesthetically explores a virtual environment. To achieve a virtual sense of touch, the human interacts with an active mechanical device, called a haptic display. This paper presents an approach to guarantee that this physical man-machine interface remains stable, while maximizing performance. The key element in ensuring stability is the virtual coupling network, an artificial link between the haptic display and the virtual environment. Considerations of structural flexibility in the haptic device are included in the derivation of design criteria for such networks. Solutions for both the impedance and admittance models of haptic interaction are included. Numerical and experimental results for a two degree-of-freedom haptic display demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in achieving performance and stability in haptic simulation.
Research on knowledge-based radar target recognition

Due to the limitless dimension of samples and the complex nature of the application environment in radar target recognition, utilizing knowledge becomes a promising solution. In this paper, we propose a knowledge based (KB) radar target recognition method. Recognition model was given in the first place and then the algorithm is explained in detail. Results of recognizing ground panzer and vehicle demonstrate that KB technique offers the promise of significantly improved performance of radar target recognition.
Institutions and Interest Groups : Economic and Political Performance

Institutions are not necessarily or even usually created to be socially efficient; rather they, or at least the formal rules, are created to serve the interests of those with the bargaining power to create new rules. In a zero transaction cost world, bargaining strength does not affect the efficiency of outcomes; but in a world of positive transaction costs it does-and it thus shapes the direction of long run economic change.
Designing Visual Complexity for Dual-screen Media

So many people are now using handheld second screens whilst watching TV that application developers and broadcasters are designing companion applications Second screen content that accompanies a TV programme. The nature of such dual-screen use cases inherently causes attention to be split, somewhat unpredictably. Dual-screen complexity, a clear factor in this attention split, is largely unexplored by the literature and will have an unknown (and likely negative) impact on user experience (UX). Therefore, we use empirical techniques to investigate the objective and subjective effect of dual-screen visual complexity on attention distribution in a companion content scenario. Our sequence of studies culminates in the deployment of a companion application prototype that supports adjustment of complexity (by either content curator or viewer) to allow convergence on optimum experience. Our findings assist the effective design of dual-screen content, informing content providers how to manage dual second screen complexity for enhanced UX through a more blended, complementary dual-screen experience.