Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multitasking information behavior and information task switching: an exploratory study

Recent studies show that humans engage in multitasking information behaviors, often in libraries, as they seek and search for information on more than one information task. Multitasking information behaviors may consist of library search and use behaviors, or database or Web search sessions on multiple information tasks. However, few human information behavior models of seeking, searching or use, or library use models, include considerations of multitasking information behavior. This paper reports results from a case study exploring multitasking information behavior by an information seeker in a public library using diary, observation and interview data collection techniques. The information seeker sought information on four unrelated personal information tasks during two public library visits. Findings include a taxonomy of information behaviors; a sequential flowchart of the information seeker's complex and iterative processes, including multitasking information behavior, electronic searches, physical library searches, serendipitous browsing, and successive searches; and that the information seeker engaged in a process of 17 information task switches over two library visits. A model of information multitasking and information task switching is presented. Implications for library services and bibliographic instruction are also discussed.
Service-Oriented Computing: Semantics, Processes, Agents

About the Authors.Preface. Note to the Reader.Acknowledgments. Figures.Tables. Listings.I Basics.1. Computing with Services.2. Basic Standards for Web Services.3. Programming Web Services.4. Enterprise Architectures.5. Principles of Service-Oriented Computing.II Description.6. Modeling and Representation.7. Resource Description Framework.8. Web Ontology Language.9. Ontology Management.III Engagement.10. Execution Models.11. Transaction Concepts.12. Coordination Frameworks for Web Services.13. Process Specifications.14. Formal Specification and Enactment.IV Collaboration.15. Agents.16. Multiagent Systems.17. Organizations.18. Communication.V Solutions.19. Semantic Service Solutions.20. Social Service Selection.21. Economic Service Selection.VI Engineering.22. Building SOC Applications.23. Service Management.24. Security.VII Directions.25. Challenge and Extensions.VIII Appendices.Appendix A: XML and XML Schema.Appendix B: URI, URN, URL and UUID.Appendix C: XML Namespace Abbreviations.Glossary. About the Authors.Bibliography. Index.
How not to lie with visualization

How data are represented visually has a powerful effect on how the structure in those data is perceived. For example, in Figure 1, four representations of an MRI scan of a human head are shown. The only difference between these images is the mapping of color to data values, yet, the four representations look very different. Furthermore, the inferences an analyst would draw from these representations would vary considerably. That is, variations in the method of representing the data can significantly influence the user's perception and interpretation of the data. How NOT to Lie with Visualization http://www.research. ibm.com/dx/proceedings/pravda/truevis.htm
Driver Distraction Detection with a Camera Vision System

Driver assistance systems and electronics (e.g. navigators, cell phones, etc.) steal increasing amounts of driver attention. Therefore, the vehicle industry is striving to build a driving environment where input-output devices are smartly scheduled, allowing sufficient time for the driver to focus attention on the surrounding traffic. To enable a smart human-machine interface (HMI), the driver's momentary state needs to be measured. This paper describes a facility for monitoring the distraction of a driver and presents some early evaluation results. The module is able to detect the driver's visual and cognitive workload by fusing stereo vision and lane tracking data, running both rule-based and support-vector machine (SVM) classification methods. The module has been tested with data from a truck and a passenger car. The results show over 80% success in detecting visual distraction and a 68-86 % success in detecting cognitive distraction, which are satisfactory results.
Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Surgical Technique and Results in 24 Patients

OBJECTIVEThe advantage of anterior column support and fusion in addition to pedicle fixation in patients with degenerative spinal disorders has become increasingly clear. With the increase in popularity of this treatment, a variety of techniques have been used to achieve the goal of anterior column support, fusion, and segmental instrumentation. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion has been used since the late 1940s in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spine. We evaluated a modification to posterior lumbar interbody fusion called transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed on 24 patients (9 women, 15 men) who underwent TLIF. The approach involved a unilateral laminectomy and inferior facetectomy at the level of fusion. The interbody fusion was achieved from this unilateral approach by performing discectomy, arthrodesis, and insertion of one or two titanium cages packed with autologous bone. The average age of the patients in this study was 42.6 ± 12.5 years. Five patients were smokers. Five cases were related to workmen’s compensation. Seventeen patients’ original symptoms were a combination of low back pain and radiculopathy. Ten patients had had a previous spine operation. RESULTSEleven patients had L4–S1 TLIFs. The rest of the patients had a single-level TLIF (L2–S1). Average intensive care unit and floor days were 1.1 ± 1.0 and 5.8 ± 2.2 days, respectively. The number of days to ambulation was 2.8 ± 1.6 days. There were a total of six self-limited complications in 24 patients (including one transient neurological complication). The average follow-up time was 16.9 ± 9.1 months. Twenty-two patients had solid fusions. A modified Prolo scale (4 worst, 20 best) was used to evaluate the clinical outcome. The average score was 16.1 ± 4.1. CONCLUSIONTLIF is a reliable and safe technique for interbody support that can be performed with excellent clinical outcome. In the authors’ experience, TLIF offers excellent exposure with minimal risk. This applies particularly in cases of repeat spine surgery, in which the presence of scar tissue makes traditional posterior lumbar interbody fusion techniques difficult or impossible. In addition, TLIF seems to be a viable alternative to anteroposterior circumferential fusion and/or anterior lumbar interbody fusion.
An image-based video copy detection using ordinal bitmap signature

This paper proposes a framework for video content copy detection for copyright or online video sharing. It utilizes a well-known ordinal measure and incorporates with a hierarchical bitmap indexing structure. This work improves on our previous work by introducing a few features: a new matching algorithm, black border removal, and selecting a suitable number of blocks. With these new features, the system has shown improvements by reducing the computational time and memory space in video matching process. The proposed system is able to handle several of video transformations including change in color, brightness, resolution, contrast, gamma, as well as the addition of noise, blurred, logo or text caption, flip (this case was failed to detect by our previous system). Moreover, by removing black borders before generating the signatures, the system yields better results in cases of ratio (letter/pillar box), zoom in and little crop/shift.
Can C7 Plumbline and Gravity Line Predict Health Related Quality of Life in Adult Scoliosis?

Study Design. This study prospectively evaluated the health related quality of life (HRQOL) of 73 adults presenting with scoliosis at a single institution, as related to their spinal (C7 plumbline) and global (gravity line) balance. Objective. To assess the influence of sagittal and coronal balance on HRQOL in adult scoliosis. Summary of Background Data. Many surgeons believe that achieving adequate spinal balance is important in the management of adult spinal deformity, but the evidence supporting this concept remains limited. A previous study has found weak correlations between sagittal spinal balance and HRQOL in adult spinal deformity, but this finding has never been confirmed independently. In addition, although the use of the gravity line is gaining interest in the evaluation of global balance, it remains unknown if this parameter is associated with HRQOL. Methods. During a 1-year period, 73 consecutive new patients presenting with unoperated adult scoliosis and requiring full spine standing radiographs were evaluated using a force plate in order to simultaneously assess the gravity line. All patients also completed the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire to assess the HRQOL. Spinal balance was evaluated from the C7 plumbline and global balance from the gravity line, respectively. C7 plumbline and gravity line were both assessed with respect to the posterosuperior corner of the S1 vertebral body and central sacral vertebral line in the sagittal and coronal plane, respectively. C7 plumbline and gravity line, as well as their relative position, were correlated with the ODI, using Spearman coefficients. Results. Sagittal spinal (C7 plumbline) and global (gravity line) balance, as well as their relative position were significantly related to the ODI. A poor ODI (>34) was associated with a sagittal C7 plumbline greater than 6 cm, a sagittal gravity line greater than 6 cm, and a C7 plumbline in front of the gravity line. Correlations between coronal balance and the ODI were not statistically significant. Conclusion. Sagittal spinal and global balance was strongly related to the ODI in adults with scoliosis. The observed correlation coefficients were higher than those reported in the only previous study suggesting the detrimental association of positive sagittal balance on ODI in adult spinal deformity. Coronal spinal and global balance did not influence the ODI in the current study cohort. Thisstudy underlines the relevance of C7 plumbline and gravity line in the evaluation of spinal and global balance, and lends further support to the philosophy of achieving adequate sagittal balance in the management of adult spinal deformity, especially in patients older than 50 years old with degenerative scoliosis.
Thrombin-activated human endothelial cells support monocyte adhesion in vitro following expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1; CD54) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1; CD106).

Thrombin, a central molecule in coagulation, is also involved in inflammation. Notably, thrombin induces endothelial neutrophil adhesion, P- and E-selectin expression, and chemokine production. We show here that thrombin induces expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1; CD54) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1; CD106) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) associated with increased adhesion of monocytes. Thrombin increased mRNA steady-state levels and expression of ICAM-1 over 24 hours. Thrombin-induced VCAM-1 expression exhibited unusual kinetics, reaching maximum levels after 6 to 12 hours, but decreasing to near baseline after 24 hours. Thrombin activity on HUVECs was mediated through interaction with its specific receptor, because ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression were similarly induced by the 14-amino acid thrombin receptor-activating peptide. Thrombin-induced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression was significantly inhibited by hirudin, but not by interleukin-1 receptor antagonist or anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody (MoAb). Thrombin-activated HUVECs significantly increased greater numbers of adhering THP-1 macrophagic cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or purified monocytes than unstimulated HUVECs. This adhesion was inhibited by anti-CD18 and anti-CD49d MoAb, demonstrating that thrombin-induced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were functional. These results show that, in addition to selectins, thrombin directly induces a cytokine-independent expression of adhesion molecules of the Ig superfamily on HUVECs that may support firm leukocyte attachment during inflammation.
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Wideband receivers are required for many applications including the upcoming software-defined radio (SDR) architectures and ultra-wideband communication standards [1-3]. These standards cover a frequency spectrum from a few hundred MHz up to 6GHz. Co-operability with other communication devices (e.g., cellular and WLAN) operating in the same spectrum is mandatory, setting especially stringent demands on the wideband linearity of such receivers. The use of area-consuming on-chip inductors must be avoided as the cost per area of modern CMOS processes is high. The receiver preferably has a single-ended RF-input, as this avoids the use of an external broadband balun and its accompanying losses. A 65nm CMOS inductor-less wideband LNAmixer topology is presented, merging a current commutating I/Qmixer with a noise canceling balun-LNA.
An effective iris recognition system for identification of humans

In this paper, identification and verification approach based on human iris pattern is presented. The system is based on several steps from capturing the iris pattern, determining and localizing the iris boundaries, transformation of localized iris into rectangular and polar components, extracting the features from the image, based on wavelet transformation and at the end the matching of the iris. Matching is based on calculating the hamming codes of different irises. The algorithms used in this research are computationally effective, reliable, robust, and meet the industry standards in an efficient and effective manner. The accuracy of the presented work shows that our system is ideal for human recognition at high security places.
Design of dual-band amplifier using three-section dual-frequency matching structure

In this paper, we propose a new design method for amplifiers which can operate at two arbitrary frequencies. A novel three-section transformer is presented here, to match the complex frequency-dependent impedances of transistors at two bands. Analytical equations are derived to achieve the exact closed-form solutions of three-section transformers. An amplifier is fabricated as an example, and simulation and measurement results prove the validity of the matching approach.
Comparison of force-related performance indicators between heavyweight and lightweight rowers

The aim of this study was to examine biomechanical variables relating to the force production of men's Lightweight (LW) and Heavyweight (HW) rowing pairs. Seven HW and seven LW coxless pairs were studied under a range of stroke rates, from 20 spm to race rating (average of 33.7 spm for the HWs and 33.9 spm for the LWs). Each crew was equipped with biomechanical apparatus allowing the measurement of gate force, horizontal oar angle, and boat velocity. The HW crews exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) values for all variables examined, at all rates. Peak handle force was 26.2% to 30.2% higher in the HW group. Average handle force ranged from 18.7% to 22.1% higher than the LW group. Work per stroke was found to be 26% to 28% higher for the HW crews, and Power Per Kilogram was also greater for the HW crews, from 24.0% to 29.2%. The LWs were observed to be consistently, but not significantly, slower than the HWs (from 96.9% at the race situation, to 98.7% at 28 spm). These observations are important when considering biomechanical performance indicators in rowing, as significant changes in performance indicators may lead to only minimal alteration in boat velocity.
Jurisdiction in B2C E-Commerce Redress in the European Community

E-commerce jurisdiction always has been an issue, because e-commerce exists in a borderless environment, and this e-environment diminishes the importance of physical location and locality. This imposes a great concern over which country’s jurisdiction to engage when disputes occur between business and consumer in the e-environment. This is crucial when the consumer is seeking redress, as there is always the question where a court action should be brought. The current jurisdictions by the European Commission (EC) within the European Union (EU), the E-Commerce Directive — Country of Origin and Rome II — are still in the drafting process. These legislations are not the total solution. This paper is a review of the issue of current jurisdiction, whether there is a need to call for a single jurisdiction, and what complications arise when seeking redress in this borderless e-environment. This paper also raises important issues that relate to the gaps and loopholes that exist in Country of Origin and Rome II.
Adaptive stabilization of non-linear systems at unknown equilibrium points: An invariant manifold and uniform δ-persistent excitation approach

Abstract The adaptive stabilization of a class of continuous-time non-linear systems (not necessarily chaotic) at the unknown equilibrium points is treated in this paper. The controller is designed based on the invariant manifold theory and on the concept of uniform δ-persistent excitation (Uδ-PE). Firstly, the case when there are no constraints on the parameter estimates is presented and then the case when the parameter estimates are confined to a certain region is discussed. In the last case the proposed alternative does not require knowledge of bounds but new estimates have to be introduced. Finally, the behaviour of the proposed scheme is verified through simulations on the Lorenz system for both chaotic and non-chaotic cases.
Realization of a Novel Reversible SCG Gate and its Application for Designing Parallel Adder/Subtractor and Match Logic

In recent years, Quantum Electronics and Reversible Logic have emerged as a major area of research having applications in low power CMOS circuits, cryptography, optical computing and nanotechnology. The fact that classical logic gates such as AND, OR, XOR etc., barring the NOT gate, cannot predict the input given the output and hence generate heat due to information loss, has given rise to the concept of reversible logic. In this paper, a new reversible 4 * 4 “SCG” gate has been proposed which is being used to realize the classical set of logic gates in the reversible domain. The most promising fact of the proposed gate is that a single SCG gate can be used to realize a reversible Full Adder/Subtractor circuit or a single bit reversible Comparator. It has been shown that the Full Adder/Subtractor and the single bit Comparator using the proposed gate is much better and optimized in terms of number of garbage outputs and the number of reversible gates used in comparison to the existing counterparts in literature. Further efficient Reversible Parallel Adder/Subtractor circuits and Match Logic have been designed using the proposed SCG gate. Also a 4-bit digital comparator has been designed by cascading a series of single bit comparators using SCG gate. General Terms Architecture, Logic Design, Reversible Logic Gate.
Finding Out About Asperger Syndrome, High-Functioning Autism and PDD

Me and you and Asperger Syndrome. What are our difficulties? Thinking differently. It's usually a good idea to ask! Our five senses. But we don't have just difficulties- Learning that you have a disability. Why is it called Asperger Syndrome? When do you get Asperger Syndrome? How do you get Asperger Syndrome? Some final words.
A glucagon-like endocrine pathway in Drosophila modulates both lipid and carbohydrate homeostasis

SUMMARY The regulation of energy homeostasis is fundamental to all organisms. The Drosophila fat body serves as a repository for both triglycerides and glycogen, combining the energy storage functions of mammalian adipose and hepatic tissues, respectively. Here we show that mutation of the Drosophila adipokinetic hormone receptor (AKHR), a functional analog of the mammalian glucagon receptor, leads to abnormal accumulation of both lipid and carbohydrate. As a consequence of their obese phenotypes, AKHR mutants are markedly starvation resistant. We show that AKHR is expressed in the fat body, and, intriguingly, in a subset of gustatory neurons that mediate sweet taste. Genetic rescue experiments establish that the metabolic phenotypes arise exclusively from the fat body AKHR expression. Behavioral experiments demonstrate that AKHR mutants are neither sedentary nor hyperphagic, suggesting the metabolic abnormalities derive from a genetic propensity to retain energy stores. Taken together, our results indicate that a single endocrine pathway contributes to both lipid and carbohydrate catabolism in the Drosophila fat body.
Optimal stream replication for video simulcasting

Video simulcasting enables a sender to generate multiple streams for the same video program but at different rates, targeting receivers of different capacities. Each stream can then be distributed to the target receivers via broadcast or multicast channels. One of the critical issues in video simulcasting is to strike a balance between bandwidth consumption and the user satisfaction. This is because stream replication introduces redundancy which can potentially lead to excessive use of the bandwidth, while on the other hand there usually is a mismatch between a receiver's capacity and the limited choice of the stream bandwidths. We present a formal study on the above issue, which we refer as the optimal stream replication problem. We first formulate the optimal replication problem for a given session bandwidth budget and number of streams, with the objective of minimizing the expected mismatch for all the receivers in the session. A proper choice for the number of the replicated streams is critical in the overall bandwidth provisioning. Though it has been largely assumed that the number of streams is predetermined by service providers, we find that dynamic adjustment of stream number is possible in advanced video stream systems, such as the MPEG-4 Delivery Multimedia Integration Framework (DIMF), and systems employing fast video transcoding algorithms. Therefore, we also study the case of a flexible stream number, with the objective of jointly optimize the stream number and bandwidth allocated to each stream.
Corporate Yield Spreads and Bond Liquidity

We find that liquidity is priced in corporate yield spreads. Using a battery of liquidity measures covering over 4,000 corporate bonds and spanning both investment grade and speculative categories, we find that more illiquid bonds earn higher yield spreads, and an improvement in liquidity causes a significant reduction in yield spreads. These results hold after controlling for common bond‐specific, firm‐specific, and macroeconomic variables, and are robust to issuers' fixed effect and potential endogeneity bias. Our findings justify the concern in the default risk literature that neither the level nor the dynamic of yield spreads can be fully explained by default risk determinants.