Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Language comprehension and cerebral specialization from 13 to 20 months

The purpose of this study was to examine developmental changes in the organization of brain activity linked to comprehension of single words in 13‐ to 20‐month‐old infants. Event‐related potentials (ERPs) were recorded as children listened to a series of words whose meanings were understood by the child, words whose meanings the child did not understand, and backward words. The results were consistent with a previous study suggesting that ERPs differed as a function of word meaning within 200 ms after word onset. At 13 to 17 months, ERP differences between comprehended and unknown words were bilateral and broadly distributed over anterior and posterior regions. In contrast, at 20 months of age these effects were limited to temporal and parietal regions of the left hemisphere. The results are discussed in relation to the general effects of maturation, the maturation of language‐relevant brain systems, and the development of brain systems linked to level of ability independent of chronological age. We offer.
Closed-form solution for absolute scale velocity determination combining inertial measurements and a single feature correspondence

This paper presents a closed-form solution for metric velocity estimation of a single camera using inertial measurements. It combines accelerometer and attitude measurements with feature observations in order to compute both the distance to the feature and the speed of the camera inside the camera frame. Notably, we show that this is possible by just using three consecutive camera positions and a single feature correspondence. Our approach represents a compact linear and multirate solution for estimating complementary information to regular essential matrix computation, namely the scale of the problem. The algorithm is thoroughly validated on simulated and real data and conditions for good quality of the results are identified.
A constraints-induced model of park choice

Conjoint choice models have been used widely in the consumer-choice literature as an approach to measure and predict consumer-choice behavior. These models typically assume that consumer preferences and choice rules are independent from any constraints that might impact the behavior of interest. Previous research has indicated that such constraints may be important in understanding park-choice behavior. The objective of the present article, therefore, is to develop a strategy for integrating the levels of constraints into an experimental choice model. The design strategy and model specification are discussed. The model is applied to the case of amusement-park choice. The results of this study suggest that constraints do influence preferences underlying park-choice behavior. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Chapter 2 Integrated Project DEPLOY

This chapter introduces the four-year DEPLOY (Industrial Deployment of Advanced System Engineering Methods for High Productivity and Dependability) project to overview the context in which industrial deployment was conducted and explain how it was organised and managed. 2.1 DEPLOY Objectives, Consortium and Outcomes The overall aim of the FP7 (EC Seventh Framework Programme) Integrated Project DEPLOY, run between February 2008 and April 2012 [6], was to make major advances in engineering methods for dependable systems through the deployment of formal engineering methods. The work was driven by the tasks of achieving and evaluating the industrial take-up of the DEPLOY methods and tools, initially in the four sectors which are key to European industry and society. Four leading European companies representing four major sectors: transportation (Siemens Transportation Systems), automotive (Bosch), space (Space Systems Finland) and business information (SAP AG) worked in DEPLOY on deploying advanced engineering approaches to further strengthen their development processes and thus improve competitiveness. The overall aim of DEPLOY was achieved with a coherent integration of scientific research, technology development and industrial deployment of the technology. The complementary expertise and technological bases of the industrial deployment partners and the technology provider partners were combined to achieve a set of challenging scientific and technological objectives. DEPLOY offered a balanced interplay between industrial deployment, scientific research and tool development, where companies in four sectors joined their forces with ten technology providers to meet the goal. The industrial sectors (transportation, automotive, space and business information) comprised a palette of important European base industries of today. Before entering the project the companies possessed different maturity levels when it came to deploying formal approaches. A. Romanovsky (B) Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK e-mail: alexander.romanovsky@ncl.ac. uk A. Romanovsky, M. Thomas (eds.), Industrial Deployment of System Engineering Methods, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-33170-1_2, © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 5
On heterogeneity in mobile sensing applications aiming at representative data collection

Gathering representative data using mobile sensing to answer research questions is becoming increasingly popular, driven by growing ubiquity and sensing capabilities of mobile devices. However, there are pitfalls along this path, which introduce heterogeneity in the gathered data, and which are rooted in the diversity of the involved device platforms, hardware, software versions and participants. Thus, we, as a research community, need to establish good practices and methodologies for addressing this issue in order to help ensure that, e.g., scientific results and policy changes based on collective, mobile sensed data are valid. In this paper, we aim to inform researchers and developers about mobile sensing data heterogeneity and ways to combat it. We do so via distilling a vocabulary of underlying causes, and via describing their effects on mobile sensing---building on experiences from three projects within citizen science, crowd awareness and trajectory tracking.
Climate variation alters the synchrony of host–parasitoid interactions

Abstract Observed changes in mean temperature and increased frequency of extreme climate events have already impacted the distributions and phenologies of various organisms, including insects. Although some research has examined how parasitoids will respond to colder temperatures or experimental warming, we know relatively little about how increased variation in temperature and humidity could affect interactions between parasitoids and their hosts. Using a study system consisting of emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, and its egg parasitoid Oobius agrili, we conducted environmentally controlled laboratory experiments to investigate how increased seasonal climate variation affected the synchrony of host–parasitoid interactions. We hypothesized that increased climate variation would lead to decreases in host and parasitoid survival, host fecundity, and percent parasitism (independent of host density), while also influencing percent diapause in parasitoids. EAB was reared in environmental chambers under four climate variation treatments (standard deviations in temperature of 1.24, 3.00, 3.60, and 4.79°C), while O. agrili experiments were conducted in the same environmental chambers using a 4 × 3 design (four climate variation treatments × 3 EAB egg densities). We found that EAB fecundity was negatively associated with temperature variation and that temperature variation altered the temporal egg laying distribution of EAB. Additionally, even moderate increases in temperature variation affected parasitoid emergence times, while decreasing percent parasitism and survival. Furthermore, percent diapause in parasitoids was positively associated with humidity variation. Our findings indicate that relatively small changes in the frequency and severity of extreme climate events have the potential to phenologically isolate emerging parasitoids from host eggs, which in the absence of alternative hosts could lead to localized extinctions. More broadly, these results indicate how climate change could affect various life history parameters in insects, and have implications for consumer–resource stability and biological control.
A framework for analyzing and interpreting differential aging patterns: Application to three measures of implicit learning

At least four distinct explanations can be proposed to account for patterns of spared and impaired performance in which the age-related effects on some variables are weaker than those on other variables. These are: (a) some variables lack sufficient reliability to exhibit relations with other variables; (b) the variables differ in their dependence on what many of the variables have in common; (c) variables with little or no age differences reflect a qualitatively different form of cognition than variables with moderate to large age differences; and (d) variables with little or no age differences have independent positive age-related influences that offset the negative age-related effects shared with other cognitive variables. These interpretations were examined with three different variables hypothesized to reflect implicit learning obtained from a sample of 183 adults ranging from 18 to 87 years of age. Only an implicit learning measure derived from a sequential reaction time task had acceptable reliabil.
Local polynomial variance-function estimation

The conditional variance function in a heteroscedastic, nonparametric regression model is estimated by linear smoothing of squared residuals. Attention is focused on local polynomial smoothers. Both the mean and variance functions are assumed to be smooth, but neither is assumed to be in a parametric family. The biasing effect of preliminary estimation of the mean is studied, and a degrees-of-freedom correction of bias is proposed. The corrected method is shown to be adaptive in the sense that the variance function can be estimated with the same asymptotic mean and variance as if the mean function were known. A proposal is made for using standard bandwidth selectors for estimating both the mean and variance functions. The proposal is illustrated with data from the LIDAR method of measuring atmospheric pollutants and from turbulence-model computations.
Dow Corning corporation: reengineering global processes

The Dow Corning case examines the role of information technology and the information technology function in enabling large international organizations to transform a functionally-oriented, regionally-organized business into a customer-oriented, global firm. Specifically, the case explores the dilemma posed by enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, which would appear to offer a useful tool for integrating global processes but have proved to be extremely difficult to implement. The case is divided into two parts. Part A describes the history of information technology at Dow Corning and presents management’s rationale for designating IT a strategic resource in late 1994. Part B presents Dow Corning’s plans for global implementation of SAP and reviews its progress immediately following the pilot implementations. Designed for discussion (as opposed to problem-solving), the case asks students to assess Dow Corning’s objectives for, and approach to, SAP implementation and to consider the efficacy of using an ERP as a catalyst for organizational change.
A Type Discipline for Authorization in Distributed Systems

We consider the problem of statically verifying the conformance of the code of a system to an explicit authorization policy. In a distributed setting, some part of the system may be compromised, that is, some nodes of the system and their security credentials may be under the control of an attacker. To help predict and bound the impact of such partial compromise, we advocate logic-based policies that explicitly record dependencies between principals. We propose a conformance criterion, safety despite compromised principals, such that an invalid authorization decision at an uncompromised node can arise only when nodes on which the decision logically depends are compromised. We formalize this criterion in the setting of a process calculus, and present a verification technique based on a type system. Hence, we can verify policy conformance of code that uses a wide range of the security mechanisms found in distributed systems, ranging from secure channels down to cryptographic primitives, including encryption and public-key signatures.
Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass and Insulin Resistance in an Elderly Korean Population: The Korean Social Life, Health and Aging Project-Health Examination Cohort

Background Increasing evidence supports an association between age-related loss of muscle mass and insulin resistance. However, the association has not been fully investigated in the general population. Thus, we investigated the association between appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and insulin resistance in an elderly Korean population. Methods This cross-sectional study included 158 men (mean age, 71.8) and 241 women (mean age, 70.6) from the Korean Social Life, Health and Aging Project, which started in 2011. In this study, ASM was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis and was analyzed in three forms: ASM (kg), ASM/height2 (kg/m2), and ASM/weight (%). The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used as a measure of insulin resistance. The relationships between the ASM values and the HOMA-IR were investigated by multiple linear regression models. Results The HOMA-IR was positively associated with ASM (β=0.43, P<0.0001) and ASM/height2 (β=0.36, P<0.0001) when adjusted for sex and age. However, after additional adjustment for body weight, HOMA-IR was inversely associated with ASM (β=-0.43, P<0.001) and ASM/height2 (β=-0.30, P=0.001). Adjustment for other potential confounders did not change these associations. Conversely, HOMA-IR was consistently and inversely associated with ASM/weight before and after adjustment for other potential confounders. Conclusion Our results support the idea that lower skeletal muscle mass is independently associated with insulin resistance in older adults. When evaluating sarcopenia or muscle-related conditions in older adults, their whole body sizes also need to be considered.
CAPABILITIES AS FUNDAMENTAL ENTITLEMENTS: SEN AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Amartya Sen has made a major contribution to the theory of social justice, and of gender justice, by arguing that capabilities are the relevant space of comparison when justice-related issues are considered. This article supports Sen's idea, arguing that capabilities supply guidance superior to that of utility and resources (the view's familiar opponents), but also to that of the social contract tradition, and at least some accounts of human rights. But I argue that capabilities can help us to construct a normative conception of social justice, with critical potential for gender issues, only if we specify a definite set of capabilities as the most important ones to protect. Sen's "perspective of freedom" is too vague. Some freedoms limit others; some freedoms are important, some trivial, some good, and some positively bad. Before the approach can offer a valuable normative gender perspective, we must make commitments about substance.
Impact of In-Stent Minimal Lumen Area at 9 Months Poststent Implantation on 3-Year Target Lesion Revascularization–Free Survival: A Serial Intravascular Ultrasound Analysis From the TAXUS IV, V, and VI Trials

Background—Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is used to assess intermediate lesions in native coronary arteries; minimum lumen area (MLA) <4.0 mm2 is accepted as a cutoff for a significant stenosis. We evaluated the IVUS in-stent MLA at 9-month follow-up that best predicted subsequent target lesion revascularization (TLR)–free survival in patients from the TAXUS IV, V, and VI studies. Methods and Results—In the combined TAXUS IV, V, and VI randomized trials, 9-month IVUS was available in 635 patients (331 treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents [PES] and 304 treated with bare-metal stents [BMS]) who did not require TLR in the first 9 months postintervention and who were followed for 3 years. The in-stent MLA that best predicted 3-year TLR-free survival was determined. At 9-months follow-up, IVUS-measured in-stent MLA was 5.7±2.3 mm2 in the PES group and 4.8±2.3 mm2 in the BMS group. Between 9 months and 3 years, TLR was required in 4.9% of patients who were treated with PES and 6.7% of patients who were treated with BMS. Multivariate analysis identified MLA at 9 months as a significant predictor of late TLR (hazard ratio, 0.63 [0.43–0.93]; P=0.02). The ability of MLA to predict late TLR was further assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis. MLA was found to be an acceptable discriminator for both PES (c=0.7448) and BMS (c=0.7329). Finally, the optimal thresholds of MLA that best predicted subsequent TLR-free survival were determined to be 4.2 mm2 for PES and 4.0 mm2 for BMS. Conclusion—In the combined IVUS analysis of TAXUS IV, V, and VI, patients who did not require TLR within the first 9 months had a high subsequent TLR-free survival rate whether treated with PES or BMS. MLA measured by IVUS at 9 months predicted subsequent TLR with a cutoff similar to intermediate, de novo lesions in native coronary arteries.
Role of interstitial cells and gap junctions in the transmission of spontaneous Ca2+ signals in detrusor smooth muscles of the guinea‐pig urinary bladder

To investigate mechanisms underlying the transmission of spontaneous Ca2+ signals in the bladder, changes in intracellular concentrations of Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) were visualized in isolated detrusor smooth muscle bundles of the guinea‐pig urinary bladder loaded with a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, fura‐PE3 or fluo‐4. Spontaneous increases in [Ca2+]i (Ca2+ transients) preferentially originated along the boundary of muscle bundles and then spread to the other boundary (Ca2+ waves). The synchronicity of Ca2+ waves across the bundles was disrupted by 18β‐glycyrrhetinic acid (18β‐GA, 40 μm), carbenoxolone (30 μm) or 2‐aminoethoxydiphenylborate (2‐APB, 50–100 μm), while CPA (10 μm), ryanodine (100 μm), xestospongin C (3 μm) and U‐73122 (10 μm) had no effect. Intracellular recordings using two independent microelectrodes demonstrated that 2‐APB (100 μm) blocked electrical coupling between detrusor smooth muscle cells. Nifedipine (10 μm) but not nominal Ca2+‐free solution diminished the synchronicity of Ca2+ waves before preventing their generation. Staining for c‐kit identified interstitial cells (IC) located along both boundaries of muscle bundles. IC were also scattered amongst smooth muscle cells and were more dominantly distributed in connective tissue between muscle bundles. IC generated nifedipine‐resistant spontaneous Ca2+ transients, which occurred independently of those of smooth muscles. In conclusion, the propagation of Ca2+ transients in the bladder appears to be exclusively mediated by the spread of action potentials through gap junctions being facilitated by the regenerative nature of L‐type Ca2+ channels, without significant contribution of intracellular Ca2+ stores. IC in the bladder may modulate the transmission of Ca2+ transients originating from smooth muscle cells rather than being the pacemaker of spontaneous activity.
A Rapid PCR Method for the Detection of Slime-producing Strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus in Periprosthesis Infections

In periprosthesis tissues, Staphylococcus epidermidis produces extracellular polysaccharide slime. Recently it has been shown that S. aureus also produces slime and that both S. epidermidis and S. aureus contain the ica operon responsible for slime production. In the operon, icaA encodes for N-acetylglutaminyltransferase, the enzyme for polysaccharide synthesis. However, co-expression of icaA and icaD is required for full slime synthesis. The slime-producing strains of both S. epidermidis and S. aureus are more virulent and are responsible for severe postsurgical or periprosthesis infections. The authors describe a simple, rapid, and reliable polymerase chain reaction method to detect icaA and icaD. The method was applied to the detection of ica genes on two reference strains, 15 strains each of S. epidermidis and S. aureus from periprosthesis infections and 10 strains from the skin and mucosa of healthy volunteers. icaA and icaD were detectable only in slime-producing strains (tested for slime production on Congo Red agar), and never in nonslime-producing ones. This method is a straightforward way of detecting the slime-producing ability by S. epidermidis and S. aureus. In clinical specimens this polymerase chain reaction method enables rapid diagnosis of virulent slime-producing strains with respect to the traditional culture method on Congo Red agar, which requires much more time. Rapid identification of the virulent properties of the bacterial strain responsible for a staphylococcal infection is crucial for deciding treatment.
Community development and the politics of community

In a context in which community empowerment is virtually government policy, it is hardly surprising that there is almost no area of social policy that is immune from the community treatment. Of course, this is not new, despite the zeal with which each new initiative is rolled out . In fact, sometimes it seems that policy development needs to reinvent the wheel of community every decade or so. The question, therefore, is what this ideological recycling of community tells us: first, about the meaning of the term itself; second, about its contemporary significance within the wider politics of the state. This article argues that we need to draw on those historical and theoretical resources which help us to think our way through to the contemporary context. Only an active and engaged recognition of the politics of community will enable us to get to the root of the problematic yet promising nature of community development.
Application of the Modified 2-opt and Jumping Gene Operators in Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm to solve MOTSP

Evolutionary Multi-Objective Optimization is becoming a hot research area and quite a few papers regarding these algorithms have been published. However the role of local search techniques has not been expanded adequately. This paper studies the role of a local search technique called 2-opt for the Multi-Objective Travelling Salesman Problem (MOTSP). A new mutation operator called Jumping Gene (JG) is also used. Since 2-opt operator was intended for the single objective TSP, its domain has been expanded to MOTSP in this paper. This new technique is applied to the list of KroAB100 cities.
Real-Time Detection of Fast Flux Service Networks

Here we present the first empirical study of detecting and classifying fast flux service networks (FFSNs) in real time. FFSNs exploit a network of compromised machines (zombies) for illegal activities such as spam, phishing and malware delivery using DNS record manipulation techniques. Previous studies have focused on actively monitoring these activities over a large window (days, months) to detect such FFSNs and measure their footprint. In this paper, we present a Fast Flux Monitor (FFM) that can detect and classify a FFSN in the order of minutes using both active and passive DNS monitoring, which complements long term surveillance of FFSNs.