Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linearly constrained estimation via state space decomposition

This paper considers the estimation problem of the linearly constrained state. By combining the auxiliary dynamics and the constraint, the evolution of the constrained state is depicted via state space decomposition techniques. The effects of the incorporated constraints on the observability of the system model are also discussed. Based on different deterministic sampling methods, two algorithms for the linearly constrained state are presented. Finally, the effectiveness of the two algorithms is measured by a numerical simulation.
Performance Modelling of Finite Capacity Queues with Complete Buffer Partitioning Scheme for Bursty Traffic

Finite buffer queues under complex management schemes are of great importance towards effective congestion control and quality of service (QoS) provision in the telecommunication networks. This paper analyses a single server G/G/1/N censored queue with R (R ges 2) traffic classes under complete buffer partitioning scheme and first come first served (FCFS) service discipline. A finite capacity vector, N, represents the capacity of partitions for each class (N1, N2, ., NR). The forms of the state probabilities, as well as basic performance measures such as blocking probability are analytically established at equilibrium via appropriate mean value constraints based on the principle of maximum entropy (ME). Typical numerical experiments are included to illustrate the credibility of the proposed analysis in the context of generalised exponential (GE)-type queues
A Method for Activity Recognition Partially Resilient on Mobile Device Orientation

This paper demonstrates a method for activity recognition partially resilient on mobile device orientation, by using data from a mobile phone embedded accelerometer. This method is partially resilient on mobile device orientation, in such a way that a mobile device can be rotated around only one axis for an arbitrary angle. The classifier for activity recognition is built using data from one default orientation. This method introduces a calibration phase in which the phone’s orientation is determined. After that, accelerometer data is transformed into the default coordinate system and further processed. The solution is compared with the method that built a classifier using data from multiple orientations. Three classifiers were tested and a high accuracy of around 90% was achieved for all of them.
A service-centric approach to access control and monitoring based on distributed trust

A service-oriented approach to dynamic refinement of security enforcement is described in this paper. This is based on a closed loop feedback system where live distributed trust measures are used to adapt access control settings in a changing threat environment. A general trust overlay architecture and model are presented. Some specific application scenarios are discussed, in particular spam filtering and distributed intrusion detection in mobile ad hoc networks. It is shown using simulations of some specific scenarios that this dynamic system is robust and has the potential to enhance security and access control efficiency.
Cavernous carotid aneurysm presenting with epistaxis

Carotid artery aneurysms are a rare cause of epistaxis. The most common presentation for nontraumatic cavernous internal carotid artery aneurysms is mass effect, with only 3% presenting with hemorrhage. We present a case of epistaxis caused by a nontraumatic cavernous internal carotid artery aneurysm.
The actions of some general anaesthetics on the potassium current of the squid giant axon.

A number of small organic molecules with general anaesthetic action have been examined for their effects on the voltage‐dependent potassium current of the squid giant axon. They include representatives of the three classes of anaesthetics examined in previous studies on the sodium current (Haydon & Urban, 1983a, b, c), i.e. the non‐polar molecules n‐pentane, cyclopentane and CCl4, several n‐alkanols and the inhalation anaesthetics chloroform, halothane, diethyl ether and methoxyflurane. Potassium currents under voltage clamp were recorded in intact and in intracellularly perfused axons before, during and after exposure to the test substances, and the records were fitted with equations similar to those proposed by Hodgkin & Huxley (1952). Shifts in the curves of the steady‐state activation against membrane potential and reductions in the potassium conductance at 60 or 70 mV membrane potential have been tabulated. On the same intact axons, all the anaesthetics with the exception of methoxyflurane reduced potassium currents less than sodium currents by about a factor of two or more. For the n‐alkanols, butanol to decanol, the concentrations required to reduce the potassium current at 60 mV membrane potential by 50% were determined. For n‐butanol to n‐heptanol, the standard free energy per CH2 for adsorption to the site of action was estimated to be ‐2.91 kJ mol‐1 as compared with ‐3.04 kJ mol‐1 for reduction of the sodium current. The magnitude of the free energy decreased for alkanols with longer chain lengths. At anaesthetic concentrations that reduce the sodium current by 50%, the hydrophobic substances n‐pentane and cyclopentane reduced the maximal sodium conductance, gNa, and the potassium conductance at 70 mV, gK70, equally by about a third, while the n‐alkanols reduced both parameters by less than 10%. By contrast, diethyl ether and methoxyflurane were more effective in reducing the maximal potassium conductance. All of the test substances examined, except n‐pentane and n‐hexane, shifted the voltage dependence of the potassium steady‐state activation in the depolarizing direction. A broad qualitative correlation was found between the shifts in the activation curves for sodium and potassium currents but, quantitatively, the agreement between the two shifts was poor. In n‐decanol and methoxyflurane solutions, the voltage‐clamped potassium currents exhibited pronounced inactivation‐like behaviour. These currents can be fitted by the Hodgkin‐Huxley formalism if an inactivation term analogous to the sodium current inactivation is added. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Averaged Probabilistic Relational Models

Most real-world data is stored in relational form. In contrast, most statistical learning methods work with “flat” data representations, forcing us to convert our data into a form that loses much of the relational structure. The recently introduced framework of Probabilistic Relational Models (PRMs) allows us to represent probabilistic models over multiple entities that utilize the relations between them. However, for extremely large domains it may be impossible to represent every object and every relation in the domain explicitly. We propose representing the domain as an Averaged PRM using only “schemalevel” statistical information about the objects and relations, and present an approximation algorithm for reasoning about the domain with only this information. We present experimental results showing that interesting inferences can be made about extremely large domains, with a running time that does not depend on the number of objects.
Classification of Different Degrees of Disability Following Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Decision Tree Analysis from VISTA-ICH Collaboration

Background and purpose Prognostication following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has focused on poor outcome at the expense of lumping together mild and moderate disability. We aimed to develop a novel approach at classifying a range of disability following ICH. Methods The Virtual International Stroke Trial Archive collaboration database was searched for patients with ICH and known volume of ICH on baseline CT scans. Disability was partitioned into mild [modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days of 0–2], moderate (mRS = 3–4), and severe disabilities (mRS = 5–6). We used binary and trichotomy decision tree methodology. The data were randomly divided into training (2/3 of data) and validation (1/3 data) datasets. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to calculate the accuracy of the decision tree model. Results We identified 957 patients, age 65.9 ± 12.3 years, 63.7% males, and ICH volume 22.6 ± 22.1 ml. The binary tree showed that lower ICH volume (<13.7 ml), age (<66.5 years), serum glucose (<8.95 mmol/l), and systolic blood pressure (<170 mm Hg) discriminate between mild versus moderate-to-severe disabilities with AUC of 0.79 (95% CI 0.73–0.85). Large ICH volume (>27.9 ml), older age (>69.5 years), and low Glasgow Coma Scale (<15) classify severe disability with AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.75–0.86). The trichotomy tree showed that ICH volume, age, and serum glucose can separate mild, moderate, and severe disability groups with AUC 0.79 (95% CI 0.71–0.87). Conclusion Both the binary and trichotomy methods provide equivalent discrimination of disability outcome after ICH. The trichotomy method can classify three categories at once, whereas this action was not possible with the binary method. The trichotomy method may be of use to clinicians and trialists for classifying a range of disability in ICH.
Gauged motion in general relativity and in Kaluza-Klein theories

In a recent paper [1] a new generalization of Killing motion, the gauged motion, has been introduced for stationary spacetimes where it was shown that the physical symmetries of such spacetimes are well described through this new symmetry. In this article after a more detailed study in the stationary case we present the definition of gauged motion for general spacetimes. The definition is based on the gauged Lie derivative induced by a threading family of observers and the relevant reparametrization invariance. We also extend the gauged motion to the case of Kaluza-Klein theories.
Education and Employment: the influences on young people’s career decision making in Antigua and the UK

The thesis looks at the issue of career choice and decision-making through the eyes of young people in Antigua and in England. It provides an account of their views and attitudes in relation to various jobs and careers and the factors which have influenced these views. It asks young people about the way in which they are making their career choices and the sort of factors which influence them into making these choices. The study begins by first providing a brief overview of education and training in both countries and the way in which education is presented in both countries as being essential for economic growth. At the centre of this study is the realisation that after many years of vocational initiatives young people still appear to be reluctant to enter vocational courses and or careers. Nonetheless, from a socio/economic viewpoint, various governments over the last quarter of a century, at least, have placed much emphasis on the relationship between education and the country’s economic performance. The three specific aims of the study are: • To explore young peoples’ employment aspirations in Antigua and the UK • To investigate young people’s attitudes towards jobs and careers • To evaluate the various influences on their career choices. Since vocational education prepares individuals for gainful employment, the participants were therefore questioned about their career aspirations; particularly in terms of whether they are considering academic or vocational type courses or careers. In order to ascertain if the participants had made informed choices/decisions regarding subjects and career choices it was necessary to look at the types of information with which they are provided as well as the sources of the information. The research also questions whether the information provided is adequate and without bias. Conducted within two schools and two colleges in the North of England and two schools and a college in the Caribbean island of Antigua, the study employs the use of both Questionnaires and interviews so as to obtain a rich texture of data. However, as it seeks to give a voice to the young people themselves, it leans more towards the qualitative side of the interview data. The study reveals that the term vocational is not widely understood and attributes this to the narrow approach of careers education and guidance being provided to young people. Thus, it raises questions of how well young people are being prepared for the world of work. It however has found that young people do not make their choices based upon whether the career is a vocational or academic career. They are more concerned about the money and status which a career or job earns them and they are more likely to take advice from parents, siblings and even friends than from careers advisers.
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD FOR THE PARABOLIC PROBLEM WITH DELTA FUNCTION

We investigate the convergence of difference schemes for the one-dimensional heat equation with the coefficient of the time derivative containing a Dirac delta distribution. An abstract operator method is applied for analyzing this equation. The convergence rate estimate of the order O(h) in a special discrete W̃ 2,1 2 Sobolev norm, compatible with the smoothness of the solution, is obtained. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 65M12.
Have your cake and eat it too!: preserving privacy while achieving high behavioral targeting performance

Privacy is a major concern for Internet users and Internet policy regulators. Privacy violations usually entail either sharing Personally Identifying Information (PII) or non-PII information such as a site visitor's behavior on a website. On the other hand, Internet advertising through behavioral targeting is an important part of the Internet ecosystem, as it provides users more relevant information and enables content/data providers to provide free services to end users. In order to achieve effective behavioral targeting, it is desirable for the advertisers to access a set of users with the targeted behaviors. A key question is how should data flow from a provider (e.g. publisher) to a third party advertiser to achieve effective behavioral targeting, all while without directly sharing exact user behavior data. This paper attempts to answer this question and proposes a privacy preserving technique for behavioral targeting that does not entail a drastic reduction in advertising effectiveness. When behavioral targeting data is transferred to an advertiser, we use a smart, data mining-based noise injection method that perturbs the results (a set of users meeting specified criteria) by carefully adding noisy data points that maintain a high level of performance. Upon receiving the data, the advertiser cannot distinguish accurate data points adhering to specifications, versus noisy data, which does not meet the specifications. Using data from a major US top Online Travel Agent (OTA), we evaluated the proposed technique for location-based behavioral targeting, whereby advertisers run data campaigns targeting travelers for specific destinations. Our experimental results demonstrate that such data campaigns obtain results that enhance or preserve user privacy while maintaining a high level of targeting performance.
Do redistributive schemes reduce inequality between individuals

Redistribution schemes (taxes or benefits) are generally performed at the household level. The issue is to know whether intra-household inequality magnifies or hampers the redistributive eﬀect of the transfers, when the policy-maker focuses on the inequality at the individual level. Depending on the type of the transfer, three properties capturing the idea that the more wealthy the household is, the more unequally it behaves, have been shown to matter. In the moving away approach, the deviation with the equal split make a diﬀerence, in the star-shaped approach, the average share counts while the marginal share is relevant for concavity. We complete the analysis by showing how these properties of the intra-household allocation may be recovered through a bargaining model of the household. Then, the DARA and DRRA properties of the utility function emerge as the key conditions for the recovery.
AMALAN PENGUPAYAAN DAN AUTONOMI GURU DALAM PEMBELAJARAN DAN PEMUDAHCARAAN ABAD KE 21

This study aims to identify the level of practice and the influence of empowerment on the teacher autonomy in the 21st century teaching and learning (TL) in daily secondary school. The data for this study was gained from a sample of 278 teachers from 13 national daily secondary schools in one of the states in Northern Penisullar Malaysia using simple random sampling techniques. A set of questionnaire comprising three parts has been used to collect data. A modified Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES) questionnaire was used to measure teacher empowerment in TL. Whereas, the Teacher Autonomy Scale (TAS) questionnaire was used to measure teacher autonomy in TL. The findings of this study shows that from the standing points of the teachers, the practice of empowerment and teacher autonomy in TL are at a moderate level. This study also shows that there is a significant influence between decision-making and personal competency dimension of teacher empowerment on the teacher autonomy in general and in the curriculum aspects. As a conclusion, it is hoped that this study can be used by the involved parties as a reference in planning programs to increase the level of empowerment, and autonomy of teachers in implimenting the 21st century TL successfully and further able to bring improvement in school achievement.
Mental Health Ethics : The Human Context

All human behaviour is, ultimately, a moral undertaking, in which each situation must be considered on its own merits. As a result ethical conduct is complex. Despite the proliferation of Codes of Conduct and other forms of professional guidance, there are no easy answers to most human problems. Mental Health Ethics encourages readers to heighten their awareness of the key ethical dilemmas found in mainstream contemporary mental health practice.
Gene Expression Signature Predicts Recurrence in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Purpose: Improving outcomes for early-stage lung cancer is a major research focus at present because a significant proportion of stage I patients develop recurrent disease within 5 years of curative-intent lung resection. Within tumor stage groups, conventional prognostic indicators currently fail to predict relapse accurately. Experimental Design: To identify a gene signature predictive of recurrence in primary lung adenocarcinoma, we analyzed gene expression profiles in a training set of 48 node-negative tumors (stage I-II), comparing tumors from cases who remained disease-free for a minimum of 36 months with those from cases whose disease recurred within 18 months of complete resection. Results: Cox proportional hazards modeling with leave-one-out cross-validation identified a 54-gene signature capable of predicting risk of recurrence in two independent validation cohorts of 55 adenocarcinomas [log-rank P = 0.039; hazard ratio (HR), 2.2; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.1-4.7] and 40 adenocarcinomas (log-rank P = 0.044; HR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4-7.9). Kaplan-Meier log-rank analysis found that predicted poor-outcome groups had significantly shorter survival, and furthermore, the signature predicted outcome independently of conventional indicators of tumor stage and node stage. In a subset of earliest stage adenocarcinomas, generally expected to have good outcome, the signature predicted samples with significantly poorer survival. Conclusions: We describe a 54-gene signature that predicts the risk of recurrent disease independently of tumor stage and which therefore has potential to refine clinical prognosis for patients undergoing resection for primary adenocarcinoma of the lung.
Identification of Harpins in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, Which Are Functionally Similar to HrpK1 in Promoting Translocation of Type III Secretion System Effectors

ABSTRACT Harpins are a subset of type III secretion system (T3SS) substrates found in all phytopathogenic bacteria that utilize a T3SS. Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 was previously reported to produce two harpins, HrpZ1 and HrpW1. DC3000 was shown here to deploy two additional proteins, HopAK1 and HopP1, which have the harpin-like properties of lacking cysteine, eliciting the hypersensitive response (HR) when partially purified and infiltrated into tobacco leaves, and possessing a two-domain structure similar to that of the HrpW1 class of harpins. Unlike the single-domain harpin HrpZ1, the two-domain harpins have C-terminal enzyme-like domains: pectate lyase for HopAK1 and lytic transglycosylase for HopP1. Genetic techniques to recycle antibiotic markers were applied to DC3000 to generate a quadruple harpin gene polymutant. The polymutant was moderately reduced in the elicitation of the HR and translocation of the T3SS effector AvrPto1 fused to a Cya translocation reporter, but the mutant was unaffected in the secretion of AvrPto1-Cya. The DC3000 hrpK1 gene encodes a putative translocator in the HrpF/NopX family and was deleted in combination with the four harpin genes. The hrpK1 quadruple harpin gene polymutant was strongly reduced in HR elicitation, virulence, and translocation of AvrPto1-Cya into plant cells but not in the secretion of representative T3SS substrates in culture. HrpK1, HrpZ1, HrpW1, and HopAK1, but not HopP1, were independently capable of restoring some HR elicitation to the hrpK1 quadruple harpin gene polymutant, which suggests that a consortium of semiredundant translocators from three protein classes cooperate to form the P. syringae T3SS translocon.
Role of radiation therapy in the treatment of stage I/II mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

BACKGROUND Few large studies exist on the outcome of patients treated for stage I/II mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of 77 patients consecutively treated for stage I (n = 66) or II (n = 11) MALT lymphoma at our institution. Progression-free survival (PFS), freedom from treatment failure (FFTF), and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS The median follow-up time was 61 months (range 2-177 months). Fifty-two patients (68%) received local radiation therapy (RT) alone, 17 (22%) had surgery followed by adjuvant RT, five (6%) had surgery alone, two (3%) had surgery and chemotherapy, and one patient had chemotherapy alone. The median RT dose was 30 Gy (range 18-40 Gy). The 5-year PFS, FFTF, and OS rates were 76%, 78%, and 91%, respectively. The 5-year PFS (79% versus 50%; P = 0.002) and FFTF (81% versus 50%; P = 0.0004) rates were higher for patients who received RT as compared with patients who did not. CONCLUSIONS The prognosis following treatment of stage I/II MALT lymphoma is excellent. RT improves PFS and FFTF and has an important role in the curative treatment of patients with localized disease.
Industrial Voluntarism in Canada

The term “industrial voluntarism” has been used to describe the norm that dominated union organizing and, more broadly, union-management relations in Canada during most of the first half of the 20th century. In practical terms, the principle defines situations in which unions and employers initiate, develop, and enforce agreements without state assistance or compulsion. This paper investigates the history of voluntarism in Canada with attention to post-war legal accommodations and various manifestations of voluntarism related to union recognition. We show how aspects of the Framework of Fairness Agreement (FFA) negotiated between Magna International and the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) in 2007 is informed by industrial voluntarism. The FFA facilitates voluntary recognition of CAW locals at Magna plants in exchange for a no-strike promise and acceptance of many features of Magna’s existing human resource management system. Overall, the historical and contemporary evidence show that voluntarism continues to manifest in different forms in response to changing labour relations conditions.