Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COMMUNITY-AWARE SITUATED MULTI-AGENT SYSTEMS An Agent-Based Support for Modulated Participation in Cooperative Applications

This paper proposes CASMAS: an agent-based model to design an environment of collaborative applications by taking into account the notion of community. Within this model, communities are characterized by declarative rules that express and shape the participative behavior of the community members. The degree of participation of each member can dynamically change according to her physical location and her position in the logical space of the applications used within the community. The paper shows how this approach can facilitate the design of collaborative applications that are community-aware, that is augmented with mechanisms by which to manage different levels of participation of the community members. 1. Background and Motivations The utility of (multi) agent-based approaches has been widely recognized in different application areas of computer science and technology [1]. This is especially true from a software engineering point of view where the metaphor of agent has been successfully used to conceive those systems that can be designed in terms of different elements (the agents) which interact through clearly specified protocols. This approach makes easier to define a clear separation between the units of computation and the interactions among them in order to achieve some application goals through “separation of concern” and modularity [2]. Another perspective of the agent-based approach conceives of agents as useful tools to describe (complex) systems from a systemic point of view. Because of the complexity of systems to design, it is impossible to predict (and design) in advance all the possible behaviors of the running system: hence agents are provided with simple behaviors and interaction capabilities and let interact within some computational environment so that the system is able to cope with unpredictable patterns of conditions by exhibiting an overall behavior that is an emerging property of the system itself [3]. The relevance of these approaches is also due to some important characteristics that they provide to designers: distributedness, openness, scalability, incremental design. In fact, agents are inherently distributed, and this makes the system more easily open, in terms of the possibility to add new elements given that they behave according to the established protocol; and robust, in terms of easy substitution of malfunctioning agents and of modification of incrementally designed agents. More recently the characteristics of agent-based approaches have been also considered in the light of the design of applications that support collaboration among people [4]. In the area of computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) cooperative applications pose strong requirements in terms of flexibility, adaptability, openness to environment in order to reflect the complexities of real work settings, that is of environments (or workplaces) where people work distributed in space, and can freely join and leave dynamically collaboration spaces, where collaborative behaviors can change according to the context.
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mcm6/2 and Mcm5/3 ATPase active sites contribute to the function of the putative Mcm2-7 ‘gate’

The Mcm2-7 complex is the eukaryotic replicative helicase, a toroidal AAA+ molecular motor that uses adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding and hydrolysis to separate duplex DNA strands during replication. This heterohexameric helicase contains six different and essential subunits (Mcm2 through Mcm7), with the corresponding dimer interfaces forming ATPase active sites from conserved motifs of adjacent subunits. As all other known hexameric helicases are formed from six identical subunits, the function of the unique heterohexameric organization of Mcm2-7 is of particular interest. Indeed, prior work using mutations in the conserved Walker A box ATPase structural motif strongly suggests that individual ATPase active sites contribute differentially to Mcm2-7 activity. Although only a specific subset of active sites is required for helicase activity, another ATPase active site (Mcm2/5) may serve as a reversible ATP-dependent discontinuity (‘gate’) within the hexameric ring structure. This study analyzes the contribution that two other structural motifs, the Walker B box and arginine finger, make to each Mcm2-7 ATPase active site. Mutational analysis of these motifs not only confirms that Mcm ATPase active sites contribute unequally to activity but implicates the involvement of at least two additional active sites (Mcm5/3 and 6/2) in modulating the activity of the putative Mcm2/5 gate.
Weak Genetic Structure in Northern African Dromedary Camels Reflects Their Unique Evolutionary History

Knowledge on genetic diversity and structure of camel populations is fundamental for sustainable herd management and breeding program implementation in this species. Here we characterized a total of 331 camels from Northern Africa, representative of six populations and thirteen Algerian and Egyptian geographic regions, using 20 STR markers. The nineteen polymorphic loci displayed an average of 9.79 ± 5.31 alleles, ranging from 2 (CVRL8) to 24 (CVRL1D). Average He was 0.647 ± 0.173. Eleven loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg proportions (P<0.05), due to excess of homozygous genotypes in all cases except one (CMS18). Distribution of genetic diversity along a weak geographic gradient as suggested by network analysis was not supported by either unsupervised and supervised Bayesian clustering. Traditional extensive/nomadic herding practices, together with the historical use as a long-range beast of burden and its peculiar evolutionary history, with domestication likely occurring from a bottlenecked and geographically confined wild progenitor, may explain the observed genetic patterns.
TRON: Process-Specific File Protection for the UNIX Operating System

The file protection mechanism provided in UNIX is insufficient for current computing environments. While the UNIX file protection system attempts to protect users from attacks by other users, it does not directly address the agents of destruction-executing processes. As computing environments become more interconnected and interdependent, there is increasing pressure and opportunity for users to acquire and test non-secure, and possibly malicious, software. We introduce TRON, a process-level discretionary access control system for UNIX. TRON allows users to specify capabilities for a process' access to individual files, directories, and directory trees. These capabilities are enforced by system call wrappers compiled into the operating system kernel. No privileged system calls, special files, system administrator intervention, or changes to the file system are required. Existing UNIX programs can be run without recompilation under TRON-enhanced UNIX. Thus, TRON improves UNIX security while maintaining current standards of flexibility and openness.
‘Knowing Your Students’ in the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classroom

The population movement of globalization brings greater cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) to communities and education systems. To address the growing diversity in school classrooms, beginning teachers need an expanded set of skills and attitudes to support effective learning. It is an expectation today that teachers know their students and how the students learn. It follows that lecturers and tutors should also know something of the cultural and linguistic profile of their pre-service teacher education students. This article reports a study in a university which examined its teacher education practice in this light. It assessed the curriculum provision of material related to cultural and linguistic diversity, the profile of the CALD characteristics of the undergraduate cohort, and attitudes and perceptions of the students, to teaching in a CALD classroom. The article considers initiatives that the teacher education program could introduce, to expand pre-service teacher capacities.
Attitude determination of a spinning object using dual imaging sensors and a star catalog

A bootstrap filter algorithm, which uses a sequence of the number of stars to estimate the attitude of a spinning object, is presented. This choice of measurement makes the algorithm practicable to apply to the spinning object without any initial acquisition lock. The statistical model of measurement is derived and incorporated to make a star-density map. The conic fitting method is used to obtain measurements in the star sensor images. The simulation result is presented which demonstrates the ability of attitude estimation and the fast convergence property of the proposed algorithm.
Nopal Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) as a Source of Bioactive Compounds for Nutrition, Health and Disease

Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly referred to as prickly pear or nopal cactus, is a dicotyledonous angiosperm plant. It belongs to the Cactaceae family and is characterized by its remarkable adaptation to arid and semi-arid climates in tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. In the last decade, compelling evidence for the nutritional and health benefit potential of this cactus has been provided by academic scientists and private companies. Notably, its rich composition in polyphenols, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and amino acids has been highlighted through the use of a large panel of extraction methods. The identified natural cactus compounds and derivatives were shown to be endowed with biologically relevant activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial and neuroprotective properties. The present review is aimed at stressing the major classes of cactus components and their medical interest through emphasis on some of their biological effects, particularly those having the most promising expected health benefit and therapeutic impacts.
DNA damage-induced replication arrest in Xenopus egg extracts

Chromosomal replication is sensitive to the presence of DNA-damaging alkylating agents, such as methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). MMS is known to inhibit replication though activation of the DNA damage checkpoint and through checkpoint-independent slowing of replication fork progression. Using Xenopus egg extracts, we now report an additional pathway that is stimulated by MMS-induced damage. We show that, upon incubation in egg extracts, MMS-treated DNA activates a diffusible inhibitor that blocks, in trans, chromosomal replication. The downstream effect of the inhibitor is a failure to recruit proliferating cell nuclear antigen, but not DNA polymerase α, to the nascent replication fork. Thus, alkylation damage activates an inhibitor that intercepts the replication pathway at a point between the polymerase α and proliferating cell nuclear antigen execution steps. We also show that activation of the inhibitor does not require the DNA damage checkpoint; rather, stimulation of the pathway described here results in checkpoint activation. These data describe a novel replication arrest pathway, and they also provide an example of how subpathways within the DNA damage response network are integrated to promote efficient cell cycle arrest in response to damaged DNA.
Knowledge in multiagent systems: initial configurations and broadcast

The semantic framework for the modal logic of knowledge due to Halpern and Moses provides a way to ascribe knowlegde to agents in distributed and multiagent systems. In this paper we study two special cases of this framework: full systems and hypercubes. Both model static situtations in which no agents has any information about another agent's state. Full systems and hypercubes are an appropriate model for the initial configurations of many systems of interest. We establish a correspondence between full systems and hypercube systems and certain classes of Kripke frames. We show that these classes of systems correspond to the same logic. Moreover, this logic is also the same as that generated by the larger class of weakly directed frames. We provide a sound and complete axiomatization, S5WDn of this logic, and study its computational complexity. Finally, we show that under certain natural assumptions, in a model where knowledge evolves over time, S5WDn characteristics the properties of knowledge not just at the initial configuration, but also at all later configurations. In this particular, this holds for homogeneous broadcast systems, which capture settings in which agents are intially ignorant of each others local states, operate synchronously, have perfect recall, and can communicate only by broadcasting.
Comparison and analysis of cascaded and Quadratic Boost Converter

In this paper, an overall comparison between the Quadratic Boost Converter (QBC) & Cascaded Converter or Cascaded Boost Converter (CBC) is given in terms of ideal condition, as well as with the consideration of Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) of inductor-capacitor. The differences in the voltage gain due to the individual effect of inductive and capacitive ESR is shown in this paper. The parameters of the converters are found out with a consideration of per unit ripple quantity of inductor current and capacitor voltage. It is seen that in QBC & CBC voltage gain is same but the power stress rating of the switch in prior one is more compared to the later. At the end, the simulation results of both the converters are given for a 20V/98V, 100 W output. The analysis and simulation results are presented in this paper for the verification of the feasibility.
Component-Based Systems: A Classification of Issues

Developing and using various component forms as building blocks can significantly enhance software-based system development and use, which is why both the academic and commercial sectors have shown interest in component-based software development. Indeed, much effort has been devoted to defining and describing the terms and concepts involved. Briefly, we describe software components as units of independent production, acquisition, and deployment that interact to form a functional system. We identify a set of issues organized within an overall framework that software developers must address for component-based systems (CBS) to achieve their full potential.
Scandal 2.0

Previous research shows that one-sided and uncivil reader comments posted below professionally edited online news articles may affect a recipient’s perception of the specific issue at hand. However, it remains largely unclear whether specific comments affect a reader’s perception of an individual actor depicted in an online news article. An online experiment showed substantial effects (e.g., attitudes, perceived responsibility, perceived opinion climate) of valenced reader comments on a recipient’s evaluation of a scandalized financial manager depicted in connection with a mediated financial scandal. Furthermore, recipients’ perceived journalistic quality of the article itself was affected by specific reader comments.
Partial Purification and Characterization of a Thermostable β-Mannanase from Aspergillus foetidus

An extracellular β-mannanase was isolated from samples of crude extract of the mesophilic fungus Aspergillus foetidus grown on soybean husk as a carbon source. The induction profile showed that β-mannanase reached a maximum activity level (2.0 IU/mL) on the 15th day of cultivation. The enzyme was partially purified by ultrafiltration and gel filtration chromatography procedures and was named Man 58. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrilamide electrophoresis and zymogram analysis of Man 58 showed two bands of approximately 43 and 45 kDa with β-mannanase activity. Ultrafiltration showed that β-mannanase activity was only detected in the concentrated sample. Man 58 was most active at 60 °C and at pH 4.0. It was thermostable in the temperature range of 40–60 °C for eleven days, and the half-life at 70 °C was ten days. Man 58 showed Km and Vmax values of 3.29 mg/mL and 1.76 IU/mL respectively, with locust bean gum as a substrate. It was mostly activated by FeSO4 and CoCl2 and inhibited by MgSO4, FeCl3, CuSO4, MgCl2, ZnCl2, ZnSO4, CaCl2, CuCl2, KCl and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Phenolic compounds did not inhibit the enzyme. On the other hand, auto-hydrolysis liquor showed an inhibitory effect on Man 58 activity.
Prevalence and morphological characterizations of Linguatula serrata nymphs in camels in Isfahan Province, Iran

Linguatula serrata, well known as tongue worm; is an aberrant cosmopolitan parasite, which inhabits the canine respiratory system (final host). The discharged eggs infect many plant feeder animals including human causing visceral and nasopharyngeal linguatulosis which is known as “Marrara syndrome”. In current study, the prevalence of infection with L. serrata nymphs in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) of slaughtered camels was investigated in Isfahan Province, Iran. The MLNs of 232 slaughtered camels, including 115 females and 117 males, were examined for L. serrata nymphs. Camels were categorized into four age groups, namely under six months, six months to two years, two to four years and greater than four years. Also, the morphometrics of the nymphs were measured using the classic parasitology methods. Results showed that 21.12% of examined camels were infected with L. serrata. Age and sex had no significant effect on the prevalence of this parasite in camels. The size of the different parts of nymphs’ body were recorded and evaluated. The infection rate to the nymphs of parasite in hemorrhagic and black-colored lymph nodes were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher than the infection rate in normal-colored nodes. Also, results showed that in soft lymph nodes, the infection rate was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) more than those of normal and hard nodes. A high prevalence of infection in camels suggests possibility of similar high rate of infection in other animals, and people in the investigated area. This, in turn, emphasizes the need for more preventive measures to reduce the risk of zoonotic outbreaks.
Sulfur, Chlorine, and Argon Abundances in Planetary Nebulae. IIB. Abundances in a Southern Sample

We have undertaken a large spectroscopic survey of over 80 planetary nebulae with the goal of providing a homogeneous spectroscopic database between 3600 and 9600 Å, as well as a set of consistently determined abundances, especially for oxygen, sulfur, chlorine, and argon. In the current paper we calculate and report the S/O, Cl/O, and Ar/O abundance ratios for 45 southern planetary nebulae (predominantly type II), using our own recently observed line strengths published in a companion paper. One of the salient features of our work is the use of the near-IR lines of [S III] λλ9069, 9532 coupled with the [S III] temperature, to determine the S+2 ionic abundance. We find the following average abundances for these objects: S/O = 0.011 ± 0.0064, Cl/O = 0.00031 ± 0.00012, and Ar/O = 0.0051 ± 0.0020.
Business-Intelligence Queries with Order Dependencies in DB2

Business-intelligence queries often involve SQL functions and algebraic expressions. There can be clear semantic relationships between a column’s values and the values of a function over that column. A common property is monotonicity: as the column’s values ascend, so do the function’s values. This we call an order dependency (OD). Queries can be evaluated more efficiently when the query optimizer uses order dependencies. They can be run even faster when the optimizer can also reason over known ODs to infer new ones. Order dependencies can be declared as integrity constraints, and they can be detected automatically for many types of SQL functions and algebraic expressions. We present optimization techniques using ODs for queries that involve join, order by, group by, partition by, and distinct. Essentially, ODs can further exploit interesting orders to eliminate or simplify potentially expensive sorts in the query plan. We evaluate these techniques over our implementation in IBM R ° DB2 R ° V10 using the TPC-DS R ° benchmark schema and some IBM customer inspired queries. Our experimental results demonstrate a significant performance gain. We additionally devise an algorithm for testing logical implication for ODs which is polynomial over the size of the set of given ODs. We show that the inference algorithm which we have implemented in DB2 is sound and complete over sets of ODs over natural domains. This enables the optimizer to infer useful ODs from known ODs.
Mental illness and cultural issues in West African films: implications for orthodox psychiatric practice

The portrayal of psychiatry and of the activities of supernatural forces in indigenous films produced in West Africa was critically examined in this study. Most often the content of these films is centred on African culture, African mythical stories, or real life events. Over a three year period, 163 such films were studied. Twenty five (15.3%) of them contained scenes of psychiatric illness. In 24 of these, there were “cases of psychoses”; and the remaining one was that of “deliberate self harm” via overdose with hypno-sedative drug. The causative factors of these “illnesses” were largely attributed to supernatural or preternatural forces. The effective treatment or “healing” of the illnesses was portrayed as arising mostly through magical means or traditional forms of care. In addition, sudden death from “spiritual attack” by these agents was shown in 35 (21.5%) of the films. Scenes of witches and occultists wreaking other forms of havoc on victims at night were shown in eight (4.9%) of the films. The implications of these films’ portrayals of psychiatry and supernatural forces for the public (particularly viewers with mental illness) and for orthodox psychiatric practice in the region were highlighted.
Speech synthesis using articulatory-knowledge based HMM structure

In this paper, a different HMM structure is proposed to model the context-dependent spectral characteristics of a speech unit in order to improve synthetic speech fluency. Instead of using decision trees, we reduce the huge amount of context combinations based on the articulatory knowledge of phonemes. To evaluate the proposed HMM structure, three Mandarin speech synthesis systems using different HMM structures are constructed for comparisons. In these systems, prosodic parameters are generated with the same ANN module developed previously but spectral parameters are generated using HMMs. As to the synthesis of signal waveform, the same HNM (harmonic plus noise model) based synthesis module being developed previously is used. According to results of listening tests, the speech signal synthesized by using the proposed HMM structure is significantly more fluent than those synthesized by using other HMM structures. In addition, the average spectral distances measured between recorded and synthetic sentences show that the proposed HMM structure yields a smaller spectral distance as compared with other HMM structures.
Exploring high-end climate change scenarios for flood protection of the Netherlands

This international scientific assessment has been carried out at the request of the Dutch Delta Committee. The "Deltacommissie" requested that the assessment explore the high-end climate change scenarios for flood protection of the Netherlands. It is a state-of–the art scientific assessment of the upper bound values and longer term projections (for sea level rise up to 2200) of climate induced sea level rise, changing storm surge conditions and peak discharge of river Rhine. It comprises a review of recent studies, model projections and expert opinions of more than 20 leading climate scientists from different countries around the North Sea, Australia and the USA