Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Individualism and Collectivism

Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 1996, Vol 41(6), 540–542. To truly follow cross-cultural psychology one must know how the terms, individualism and collectivism, are used by an ever-growing legion of users. According to the reviewer, no one is better equipped to
A trace semantics for positive core XPath

We provide a novel trace semantics for positive core XPath that exposes all intermediate nodes visited by the query engine. This enables a detailed analysis of all information relevant to the query. We give two examples of such analyses in the form of access control policies. We translate positive core XPath into linear temporal logic, showing that branching structures can be linearised effectively. We use the SPIN model checker in a proof of concept implementation to resolve the queries, and to perform access control. The performance of the implementation is competitive.
Communication-Efficient Distributed Online Prediction using Dynamic Model Synchronizations

We present the first protocol for distributed online prediction that aims to minimize online prediction loss and network communication at the same time. Applications include social content recommendation, algorithmic trading, and other scenarios where a configuration of local prediction models of high-frequency streams is used to provide a realtime service. For stationary data, the proposed protocol retains the asymptotic optimal regret of previous algorithms. At the same time, it allows to substantially reduce network communication, and, in contrast to previous approaches, it remains applicable when the data is non-stationary and shows rapid concept drift. The protocol is based on controlling the divergence of the local models in a decentralized way. Its beneficial properties are also confirmed empirically.
Knowledge discovery in temporal databases

Knowledge discovery in databases is the process of applying statistical, machine learning and other techniques to conventional database systems. Our survey in knowledge discovery systems has indicated that up to date there is no knowledge discovery system to deal with temporal databases. In this paper, we first give a brief description of temporal database systems and then we present some examples to show how the ORES temporal database management system could provide the necessary functionality to infer accurate and valuable knowledge from temporal databases. In particular, we discuss three common classes of database mining problems involving classifications, associations and sequences. We give a short description of our overall framework for knowledge discovery under research. The work focuses on two areas and their integration: on one side, data mining as a technique to increase the quality of data, and on the other side, temporal databases as a technique to keep the history of data. We believe that their integration will lead to even higher quality data.
Efficient RT-level fault diagnosis methodology

Increasing IC densities necessitate diagnosis methodologies with enhanced defect locating capabilities. Yet the computational effort expended in extracting diagnostic information and the stringent storage requirements constitute major concerns due to the tremendous number of faults in typical ICs. We propose an RT-level diagnosis methodology capable of responding to these challenges. In the proposed scheme, diagnostic information is computed on a grouped fault effect basis, enhancing both the storage and the computational aspects. The fault effect grouping criteria are identified based on a module structure analysis, improving the propagation ability of the diagnostic information through RT modules. Experimental results show that the proposed methodology provides superior speed-ups and significant diagnostic information compression at no sacrifice in diagnostic resolution, compared to the existing gate-level diagnosis approaches.
EKF Monocular SLAM 3 D Modeling , Measuring and Augmented Reality from Endoscope Image Sequences

In recent years monocular SLAM has produced algorithms for robust real-time 3D scene modeling and camera motion estimation which have been validated experimentally using low cost hand-held cameras and standard laptops. Our contribution is to extend monocular SLAM methods to deal with images coming from a hand-held standard monocular endoscope. With the endoscope image sequence as the only input to the algorithm, a sparse abdominal cavity 3D model –a 3D map– and the endoscope motion are computed in real-time. A second contribution is to exploit the recovered sparse 3D map and the endoscope motion to: 1) produce real-time photorealistic 3D models that ease cavity visualization; 2) measure distances in 3D between two points of the cavity; and 3) support augmented reality (AR) annotations. All this information can provide useful support for surgery and diagnose based on endoscope sequences. The results are validated with real handheld endoscope sequences of the abdominal cavity.
Functional Metagenomic Investigations of Microbial Communities in a Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal System

Little is known about the functional capability of microbial communities in shallow-sea hydrothermal systems (water depth of <200 m). This study analyzed two high-throughput pyrosequencing metagenomic datasets from the vent and the surface water in the shallow-sea hydrothermal system offshore NE Taiwan. This system exhibited distinct geochemical parameters. Metagenomic data revealed that the vent and the surface water were predominated by Epsilonproteobacteria (Nautiliales-like organisms) and Gammaproteobacteria ( Thiomicrospira -like organisms), respectively. A significant difference in microbial carbon fixation and sulfur metabolism was found between the vent and the surface water. The chemoautotrophic microorganisms in the vent and in the surface water might possess the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle and the Calvin−Bassham−Benson cycle for carbon fixation in response to carbon dioxide highly enriched in the environment, which is possibly fueled by geochemical energy with sulfur and hydrogen. Comparative analyses of metagenomes showed that the shallow-sea metagenomes contained some genes similar to those present in other extreme environments. This study may serve as a basis for deeply understanding the genetic network and functional capability of the microbial members of shallow-sea hydrothermal systems.
Recovery of Renal Function after One-Year of Dialysis Treatment: Case Report and Registry Data

Objective. Uncertainty has arisen as to whether renal function can be recovered from after long-term regular dialysis treatment. We therefore conducted an analysis and scrutinized one patient report. Material and Methods. Swedish registry of patients with kidney disease and one patient case. Results. 39 patients (0.2%) from the Swedish registry comprising 17590 patients who commenced RRT (renal replacement therapy) between 1991 and 2008 had recovered from renal function after more than 365 days of regular dialysis treatment. The most common diagnosis was renovascular disease with hypertension but a large group had uremia of unknown cause. HUS, cortical/tubular necrosis, and autoimmune diseases were also found. The mean treatment time before withdrawal was 2 years. Conclusions. A small number of patients recover after a long period of regular dialysis treatment. One could discuss whether it is difficult to identify patients who have recovered while undergoing regular dialysis treatment. Regular monitoring of renal function may be important.
Car-Like Mobile Robot Reverse Parking: Using Fuzzy Logic Control Approach

This study proposes a "pure skill-based" fuzzy logic control (FLC) approach to reverse a car-like mobile robot(CLMR) into an empty parking bay automatically. The FLC approach was expressed in the form of fuzzy rules based on the knowledge of skilled human drivers. Range measurements were provided to help the CLMR avoid collisions during the parking. Simulations proved the effectiveness of the proposed FLC.
Tuberculosis 2015: Burden, Challenges and Strategy for Control and Elimination

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for about 9.6 million new cases and 1.5 million deaths annually. The poorest and socially excluded groups carry the largest burden of disease, which makes it essential to properly address the social determinants of health through poverty reduction measures and targeted interventions on high-risk populations. The spread of multidrug-resistance TB requires special attention and highlights the need to foster research on TB diagnostics, new drugs and vaccines. Although many advances have been made in the fight against TB over the last twenty years, a lot is still needed to achieve global elimination. The new end-TB strategy that was first launched in 2014 by the World Health Organization, is fully in line with the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals that came into effect since January 2016 and sets ambitious goals for the post-2015 agenda. A 90% reduction in TB-related mortality and an 80% decline in TB incidence within 2030 as well as the abolition of catastrophic expenditures for TB-affected people are the main targets of this strategy. Strong government commitment and adequate financing from all countries together with community engagement and appropriate investments in research are necessary in order to reach these objectives.
The Education of Individuals With Disabilities in Guyana: An Overview

Over the past 20 years, the education system in Guyana has significantly improved. Despite this improvement, students with disabilities in Guyana still face higher rates of poverty, lack of access to schools, and a lack of teachers who are trained in how to best meet their needs. Guyana has tried to address these problems with the drafting of legislation and policies such as the Persons With Disabilities Act of 2010 and the SEN Inclusion Policy. While progress has been made, there is still a need for additional efforts related to the education of individuals with disabilities in Guyana before their full potential is realized. This column presents a brief historical background and summary of current practices related to the identification, educational placements, and provision of educational services and supports for students with disabilities in Guyana. Additional needs and future recommendations are also included.
Modeling the consequences of thermal trait variation for the cane toad invasion of Australia.

Mechanistic species distribution models (SDMs) are ideally suited for predicting the nonnative distributions of invasive species, but require accurate parameterization of key functional traits. Importantly, any ability of the invader to acclimate or adapt rapidly to local conditions must be incorporated. Our field and laboratory studies measured phenotypic variation and tested for plasticity in the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance and low-temperature tolerance of adult cane toads Bufo marinus in eastern Australia. We used a biophysical model to explore the adaptive significance of this variation and how it affected distribution predictions. Laboratory trials showed that geographic differences in low-temperature tolerance (i.e., the critical thermal minimum; CTMin) of field-caught toads reflect thermal acclimation, whereas populations differed in the thermal dependence of locomotor performance even after acclimation. Incorporating low-temperature tolerance as a dimension of the fundamental niche reduced the predicted southern distribution. To test whether these factors predicted to be range limiting were consistent with reduced performance for individuals, we used the biophysical model and daily climate data to conduct "virtual transplants. " These models predicted that acclimation reduced cold stress by 32-100% for toads sheltering near the ground surface; toads inside burrows could remain above their CTMin, but the required burrow depth increased with latitude. Low-temperature tolerance of the adult phase may constrain the southern range limit of the cane toad in Australia, and plasticity in this trait may have facilitated the southward range expansion.
Urban structure classification using the 3D normal distribution transform for practical robot applications

Previous urban structure classification methods are intractable for practical robots in two viewpoints: storing point clouds and complex computation for using conditional random fields. This paper presents a classification method based on normal distribution transform (NDT) grids for practical robots. NDT grids store point clouds in the form of the mean and covariance, instead of directly dealing with huge point clouds. By taking the advantage of NDT grids, we design geometric-featured voxel (GFV) based on NDT grids to represent urban structures as a voxel model. The proposed method consists of three steps: GFV generation, segmentation, and classification. In the segmentation, GFVs are clustered according to units of urban structures by spectral clustering. For the classification, the clustered GFVs are classified as one kind of urban structures by supervised learning. Geometric characteristics of urban structures are expressed by a histogram of geometric words. Experimental results prove that the proposed method based on NDT grids is suitable for practical robots in terms of memory requirement, computation time, and even classification accuracy.
Two regulatory elements required for enhancing ospA expression in Borrelia burgdorferi grown in vitro but repressing its expression during mammalian infection

During cycling between the tick vector and a mammal, the Lyme disease spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi must coordinate expression of outer-surface proteins (Osps) A and B to quickly respond to environmental changes. The pathogen abundantly produces OspA/B in the tick, but represses their expression during mammalian infection. This paper reports a regulatory structure, consisting of two sequences flanking the ospAB promoter, that is required for enhancing ospA expression in B. burgdorferi grown in vitro, but repressing its expression during murine infection. Deletion or replacement of either the upstream or downstream sequence of the ospAB promoter caused a significant decrease in ospA expression in vitro, but a dramatic increase during murine infection. Fusion of either sequence with the flaB reporter promoter led to increased expression of an ospA reporter gene in vitro, but a decrease in the murine host. Furthermore, simultaneous fusion of both sequences with the reporter promoter showed a synergistic effect in enhancing expression of the ospA reporter in vitro, but repressing its expression during murine infection. Taken together, the results demonstrate that the regulatory structure functions oppositely in the two different environments and potentially provides B. burgdorferi with a molecular mechanism to quickly adapt to the distinct environments during its enzootic life cycle.
Circumstance and choice: the role of initial conditions and policies in transition economies

The experience of countries in transition from a planned to a market-oriented economy has varied greatly. The clearest differences are between the East Asian countries, China and Vietnam, and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU). China and Vietnam have contained inflation and benefited from continued high growth in GDP since the beginning of their reforms, while all CEE and FSU countries have experienced large declines in output, and most have experienced hyperinflation. But even in CEE and the FSU, differences are marked. Some countries have lost over half of their GDP, and growth performance in a number of countries is still poor, while others are growing strongly. Some are still suffering from high inflation while others have successfully reduced annual inflation. What determines this divergence of outcomes across transition countries? No study so far has analyzed the interaction of all factors, including initial conditions, political change, and reforms, in a unified framework including CEE, the FSU, China, and Vietnam. The authors examine these broader interactions, but focus first on the role of initial conditions, such as initial macroeconomic distortions and differences in economic structure and institutions, which have been emphasized less in the literature. They find that initial conditions and economic policy jointly determine the large differences in economic performance among the 28 transition economies in the sample. Initial conditions dominate in explaining inflation, but economic liberalization is the most important factor determining differences in growth. But reform policy choices are not exogenous. They depend, in turn, on both initial conditions and political reform, with political reform the most important determinant of the speed and comprehensiveness of economic liberalization. Other findings provide additional insight into these relationships. Results show that liberalization has a negative contemporaneous impact, but a stronger positive effect on performance over time. The results also show that macroeconomic and structural distortions are negatively related to both policy and performance. Regarding the former, unfavorable initial conditions discourage policy reforms but do not diminish their effectiveness once they are implemented. The authors find some evidence that the influence of initial conditions diminishes over time. This is in part because many of the initial conditions are themselves modified in the course of transition. Monetary overhangs are dissipated through inflation, industrial overhang is eroded as plants shut down, and market memory returns through experience.
N ov 2 00 0 Classical Capacity of A Quantum Multiple Access Channel 1

In quantum information theory, a basic question often presented is how efficiently can one transmit classical information over a quantum channel. [1, 2, 3] Because of the non-orthogonality of quantum states, the channel capacity is different from that of the classical channel discussed in [4, 5] . Recently, this question has attracted new attention due to the rapid progress in quantum information theory. In particular, a theorem is established that the maximum attainable rate of asymptotically error free transmission of classical information over a quantum channel is precisely the Holevo bound. [6, 7, 8, 11]
THERMAL PROPERTIES AND ESTIMATED GLYCEMIC INDEX OF DIFFERENT COMPOSITE FLOURS AND THEIR GLUTEN-FREE BREAD MAKING PERFORMANCES

Calismanin amaci glutensiz pirinc, kestane, nohut ve fasulye unlarinin termal ozellikleri ile tahmini glisemik indeks degerlerinin belirlenmesidir. Bu kapsamda kestane, nohut ve fasulye unlari pirinc unu ile farkli oranlarda (0/100, 25/75, 50/50) karistirilarak glutensiz ekmekler uretilmistir. Calismada direkt hamur metodu kullanilmistir. Calisma sonuclari, fasulye ununun glisemik indeks degerinin diger unlara gore daha dusuk oldugunu gostermistir. Glutensiz ekmeklerin tekstur analizi sonuclari, 8 gunluk depolamanin sonunda en sert ekmeklerin sirasiyla kestane-pirinc unundan (50:50) elde edilmis ekmekler ve pirinc unundan elde edilmis ekmekler oldugunu gostermistir. Kestane-pirinc unundan (25:75) elde edilmis ekmeklerin hacmi diger glutensiz ekmeklerden daha yuksek bulunmustur. Yapilacak yeni calismalarda, ozellikle glutensiz nohut ve fasulye unlarindan elde edilen ekmeklerin duyusal ozelliklerinin gelistirilmesi uzerine odaklanilmasi uygun olacaktir.
Is visual-perceptual or motor expertise critical for expert anticipation in sport?

A prominent topic is whether visual or motor expertise makes greater contribution to expert visual anticipation in sport. This stems from psychological theories, such as common coding theory, which predicts perception and action can inform each other in a bidirectional manner. This paper reviews the literature that has investigated visual and motor expertise contributions to expert visual anticipation in sport. First, psychological theories are discussed that predict visual and motor contributions to perceptual–motor behaviour. Second, classifications of motor skills and studies are presented to evaluate the literature reviewed. Third, literature is reviewed with reference to performance, learning, and transfer of visual anticipation, which are all vital for successful sports performance. The review aims to stimulate thought about mechanisms underpinning visual and motor expertise relative to performance, learning, and transfer of anticipation skill, which can better guide the practitioner to improve skill.
Dynamic Integral Sliding Mode Control of Nonlinear SISO Systems with States Dependent Matched and Mismatched Uncertainties

Abstract In this paper, the authors propose a novel dynamic integral sliding mode controller for state dependent matched and unmatched uncertainties. An output feedback methodology based designed dynamic controller attenuate the effects of the both matched and unmatched uncertainties along with considerable reduction in chattering phenomena. An integral manifold is used which provides sliding mode without reaching phase and further enhances the robustness of the controller against uncertainties. A Lyapunov candidate is used for the stability analysis against uncertainties. The feasibility of the control law is illustrated via a kinematic car model.
Resolving the Terminological Mishmash in Teaching Link Words in EFL Writing

Abstract One of the characteristics of good writing is appropriate use of cohesive devices, which many learners often find difficult to do. Although there is a substantial body of research on cohesion in writing, little has been documented on how to teach it to EFL students. The present study was an attempt to address this under-researched issue by taking a terminological approach, as the diverse and vague terminology used to describe link words has been found to be more of a hindrance than a facilitator in the teaching/learning process. A total of 16 cohesion-related terms were surveyed to find out about the quality and quantity of their use in a self-built corpus of 14 grammar books of different levels. Furthermore, a test was run to measure students’ familiarity with these terms, and field-notes were taken while scoring the students’ papers in their presence. The findings, in addition to giving insights into the usage points regarding each of the 16 terms, led to drawing a terminological network, which, if used consistently, could help in teaching and learning to use cohesion effectively.
Parameter Optimization Design for Touch Panel Laser Cutting Process

Cutting is an essential process in touch panel manufacturing, which concerns the effectiveness of whole touch panel manufacturing process and reliability of final application products. An alternative is laser cutting technology, which is expected to eclipse conventional cutting method in terms of cost and quality. The laser cutting quality of touch panel is determined by the appropriation of value settings of several parameters/factors involved in the complex laser cutting process. However, the parameter/factor adjusting method applied in practice mainly relies on the engineer's experience and trial-and-error experiment, which are unsystematic and susceptible to inefficiency and ineffectiveness. This study proposes a procedure for parameter/factor optimization of the touch panel laser cutting process to obtain maximum cutting quality. The proposed optimization procedure is successfully applied in a real case of laser cutting for projected capacitive touch panel, a type of touch panels using capacitive technology; it gradually becomes mainstream in the newly emerged information appliance marketplace. Results reveal that defect rate of the laser cutting process decreases from 32.6% to 0.3% once the proposed procedure on this paper is implemented, and this achievement outperforms other optimization strategies.