Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cloud computing data protection aspects under Croatian and European union law

In the introduction authors explain recent developments with regard to regulation of personal data protection aspects of cloud computing services at European Union level. This is followed by analysis of the relevant EU legal framework and interpretations on its application to data processing in the context of cloud computing, and of the data protection legal framework of the Republic of Croatia and guidance on data protection in cloud computing issued by the relevant regulatory authority, i.e. Personal Data Protection Agency. Authors next examine proposed new EU general data protection framework that is currently in legislative process (Proposal for General Data Protection Regulation). This research focuses on selected provisions of the most recent draft text adopted by the European Parliament (amending the 2012 Commission's original proposal) that are likely to significantly impact the EU cloud computing market. Authors conclude overall analysis in the paper with assessment of likely impacts of analyzed solutions for cloud computing clients and providers, and in relation to legislation that is currently in force. While estimating that relevant legislation and practice in Croatia will further develop in line with the EU framework, research in this paper aims to more generally contribute to development of domestic legal writing in the area and to the raising of public awareness on legal data protection issues that need to be considered when switching to domesticthe cloud.
Architecture-Aware Optimization on a 1600-core Graphics Processor

The graphics processing unit (GPU) continues to make significant strides as an accelerator in commodity cluster computing for high-performance computing (HPC). For example, three of the top five fastest supercomputers in the world, as ranked by the TOP500, employ GPUs as accelerators. Despite this increasing interest in GPUs, however, optimizing the performance of a GPU-accelerated compute node requires deep technical knowledge of the underlying architecture. Although significant literature exists on how to optimize GPU performance on the more mature NVIDIA CUDA architecture, the converse is true for OpenCL on the AMD GPU. Consequently, we present and evaluate architecture-aware optimizations for the AMD GPU. The most prominent optimizations include (i) explicit use of registers, (ii) use of vector types, (iii) removal of branches, and (iv) use of image memory for global data. We demonstrate the efficacy of our AMD GPU optimizations by applying each optimization in isolation as well as in concert to a large-scale, molecular modeling application called GEM. Via these AMD-specific GPU optimizations, the AMD Radeon HD 5870 GPU delivers 65% better performance than with the wellknown NVIDIA-specific optimizations.
Feature-Based Assessment of Text Readability

Accurately-predicting the readability of text documentation is important for educators, writers and learners. In perspective of linguistics, many researchers study text readability by analyzing semantics, vocabulary, syntax, expression, stylish, and cultural. The considerations of these facts are combined together to generate a common text readability predictor. In this paper, we first review the status field with conventional methods being used to assess and evaluate text readability. Our emphasis is on text feature selection, since the features commonly effects the understanding of text content. The text features for L2 (second language) readers are utilized for the present analysis using Coh-Metrix. We found that the effects of text features to L2 learners are different to native language readers.
Consumers’ Perceived Value of Sport Team Games—A Multidimensional Approach

Consumers’ evaluations of their favorite sport team’s contests are influenced by the value that the team provides to them. The current research contributes to the sport management literature through conceptualizing and measuring the dimensions that influence the perceived value consumers link with their favorite sport team’s games and testing the explanatory ability of this perceived value on their satisfaction with, and commitment toward, the team. Five semistructured expert interviews were conducted to conceptualize perceived value dimensions and measurement items. Next, a multidimensional Consumers’ Perceived Value of Sport Games scale (CPVSG) was developed and tested across two studies with football (soccer) consumers (N1 = 225; N2 = 382) in Germany. Results from confirmatory factor and structural equation modeling analyses indicate that five dimensions—functional, social, emotional, epistemic, and economic value—reflect perceived value dimensions that consumers associate with sport team games. Result.
Transformer for an N-port isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter

In this paper, a transformer for an N-port isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter is presented. This converter can be used in hybrid renewable energy systems where many of energy sources and storage devices and load are required. The final model allows simple calculation of the exchanged power between ports. The example of three-winding transformer for a three-port DC-DC converter is realized. The proposed method was verified experimentally. Finally, this transformer was used in a hybrid energy source where the main energy source was a fuel cell coupled with a storage device (a bank of supercapacitor).
Link prediction in social network : a fuzzy approach

Link prediction in Social Network is an open and challenging problem which has been studied intensively in recent years. There are lots of algorithms available for link prediction. In this paper we applied fuzzy soft concept to predict link in a given social network. Effective methods for link prediction could be used to analyze such a social network to suggest promising interactions or collaborations that have not yet been identified within organization. Molodstov proposed soft set theory; it is a mathematical tool for dealing with uncertainty. We proposed a new method of link prediction using soft sets.
Representing Collections as Compositions to support distributed creative cognition and situated creative learning

We investigate how the creativity support tool combinFormation supports the creativity-oriented course, The Design Process, by representing collections as compositions. Undergraduate students in The Design Process are charged with working in interdisciplinary teams to develop new inventions. combinFormation is a mixed-initiative system that integrates browsing, searching, representing, manipulating, and collecting digital information resources, using the form of the visual composition space. Students use the composition space to develop collections of prior work that support their creative processes of developing new inventions. A quantitative study shows the overall effect of mixed-initiative composition on the performance of student groups on creative projects. To understand the mechanisms of situated creativity support, we follow-up with case-study interviews of two project teams. We develop the frameworks of distributed creative cognition and situated creative learning to analyse the interview data. We find that the mixed-initiative capabilities of procedural generation and human manipulability of visual information representations in the composition space support distributed creative cognition and situated creative learning.
Cellular Determinants of Hepatitis C Virus Assembly, Maturation, Degradation, and Secretion

ABSTRACT Intracellular infectious hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles display a distinctly higher buoyant density than do secreted virus particles, suggesting that the characteristic low density of extracellular HCV particles is acquired during viral egress. We took advantage of this difference to examine the determinants of assembly, maturation, degradation, and egress of infectious HCV particles. The results demonstrate that HCV assembly and maturation occur in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and post-ER compartments, respectively, and that both depend on microsomal transfer protein and apolipoprotein B, in a manner that parallels the formation of very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). In addition, they illustrate that only low-density particles are efficiently secreted and that immature particles are actively degraded, in a proteasome-independent manner, in a post-ER compartment of the cell. These results suggest that by coopting the VLDL assembly, maturation, degradation, and secretory machinery of the cell, HCV acquires its hepatocyte tropism and, by mimicry, its tendency to persist.
Limits on the mass of the lightest Higgs in supersymmetric models

In supersymmetric models extended with a gauge singlet the mass of the lightest Higgs boson has contributions proportional to the adimen-sional coupling λ . In minimal scenarios, the requirement that this coupling remains perturbative up to the uniﬁcation scale constrains λ to be smaller than ≈ 0 . 7. We study the maximum value of λ consistent with a perturbative uniﬁcation of the gauge couplings in models containing nonstandard ﬁelds at intermediate scales. These ﬁelds appear in scenarios with gauge mediation of supersymmetry breaking. We ﬁnd that the presence of extra ﬁelds can raise the maximum value of λ up to a 19%, increasing the limits on the mass of the lightest Higgs from 135 GeV to 155 GeV.
Structured and Spontaneous : Informal and Formal Influences on Traffic Safety in

This paper proposes a new paradigm for looking at traffic safety that could be used to evaluate safety impacts and systems in developing country cities with high conflict levels. It addresses street level tactics of traffic safety by positing four components to tell a more complete story about traffic safety from a community level, a story that is currently not used in the professional field of transportation planning. These components include: street design, historic use, perception, and space use. This paper explores theoretical foundations of urban transportation planning in developing cities, specifically on how the tension between structure and spontaneity of traffic safety rules and norms plays out on city streets. Respected transportation planning institutions such as enforcement, engineering and education are commissioned by the government or internationally to use tools and techniques from an engineering framework to improve road safety. However, these typical top-down approaches employed by governments and traffic safety experts ignore informal norms that guide, in Henri Lefebvre’s words, the “spatial practice” and “representations of space” from local users of the sidewalk and streetscape. Ha Noi, Vietnam will serve as a model in which to explain the applied methodology for evaluating traffic safety impacts under this new paradigm. The Context for New Paradigm and the Case of Ha Noi, Viet Nam With an estimated population of 3.1 million in 2004, Ha Noi is Viet Nam’s capital and second largest city (GSO, 2004). Ha Noi’s official population grew at an annual average of 3.1 percent from 1994 to 2003, reaching 3.02 million in 2003 (HSO, 2003). High rates of economic growth (see Figure 1) have been accompanied by a burgeoning demand for transportation, much of which has been met by growth in motorcycle use. From just over 195,000 in 1990, the number of registered motorcycles in Ha Noi increased six fold to 1.2 million in 2003 (PSUTA, 2005). Motorcycle ownership grew at an annual average of 15 percent from 1990 to 2003, with per capita ownership nearly doubling from 205 to 398 motorcycles per 1,000 people in 2003 and per household ownership more than doubling to an estimated 1.66 (PSUTA). Figure 1: Motorcycle Ownership and GDP Per Capita, Ha Noi, 1990-2003 0 200 400 600 80
Vocabulary Games For Teaching And Learning Arabic

Arabic vocabulary learning is in dire need for additional teaching and learning aids, especially with the integration of advanced multimedia application such as digital or online games. This article reports on the findings of a study on the implementation of an online Arabic vocabulary learning games prototype among teenage learners in the Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The evaluation on the usability, practicality and effectiveness of the game's prototype was conducted by various experts of Instructional Designers and Subject Matter Expert, and the different users among learners and lecturers. The formative evaluation is divided into three main phases: pre-formative evaluation, formative evaluation one and formative evaluation two. Findings from the evaluation process show that the online game enhances learner’s perceived perception, concentration, immersion and knowledge improvement. Positive reports are also gathered from qualitative data from the implementation of openended surveys, interview sessions, think-aloud methods, class observations, and testimonials. This study has indicated usability, practicality and effectiveness of online games in its application in Arabic language learning among elementary learners with suggestions and comments for further improvement of the game's prototype. The study indicates that students personally feel that they are able to learn Arabic vocabulary through this online game's application and this data will provide directions for further research.
Border crossing data acquisition, analysis, and use

The centerpiece of the legacy system was the system to capture the identifying information of a traveler and private vehicles, forward to a central processing facility, and obtain the guidance on whether the subject should be admitted. Surveillance cameras, fingerprint scanners, RFID tag readers, and license plate readers did generate additional data but it maintained its own identity. Looking at this operation from an IoT (Internet of Things) lens, and taking account of the latest technology, it seems necessary and desirable to integrate the data sources to make sure that the perspective that decision makers need is based on a complete picture of the situation - not just whether the traveler or a vehicle is on the watch list. This paper looks at some of the issues and opportunities that appear to be worth considering. It is necessarily a cursory look presented in the hope that it will be of use as the thought process for such a project starts. These are strictly personal views of the authors who have no connection with any law-enforcement agency.
Design and Development of an Automated Demodulator Calibration Station

Abstract : This thesis describes the design and development of an automated demodulator calibration station. Many commercial demodulator boards have an inherent problem of DC offset due to their direct down conversion architecture. It is necessary to measure the DC offset and compensate for it when the demodulator is used in a system such as a digital phase array. The proposed automated calibration station uses a combination of COTS hardware and software, such as NI PXI-1044 (PC) and LabVIEW programs, to digitally generate I and Q signals. The LabVIEW program cycles through phase shifts over a range of 00 to 3600. These signals are converted into analog outputs using NI PXI-6704 (DAC). Subsequently, these converted analog signals are fed into the modulator, going through an upconversion modulation process with an RF output. This RF output is adjusted to meet RFIN specification of the quadrature demodulator board before feeding into the board to recover the I and Q control signals, which are sampled by the NI PXI-5112 digitizer. After the full cycling of phase shifting by the modulator is completed, I and Q offsets are computed. This station has improvements over the existing manual calibration station, such as ease of use, shorter calibration time, accuracy and versatility for future modifications and improvements.
An Evolutionary Methodology for the Automated Design of Cellular Automaton-based Complex Systems

Cellular automata (CA) are an important modelling paradigm in the natural sciences and an extremely useful approach in the study of complex systems. Homogeneity, massive parallelism, local cellular interactions and both synchronous and asynchronous models of rule execution are some of their most prominent features, allowing scientists to model and understand a variety of phenomena in, to name but a few, the physical, chemical, biological, social and information sciences. An ubiquitous problem related with the study of complex systems by means of CA is that of parameter identification. In some cases, analytical methods are available but in many others, due to the bottom-up complexity of the underlying processes, the best route for CA identification is through design optimization by means of a metaheuristic, such as an evolutionary algorithm. In this work we report on a systematic methodology we have developed to control the spatio-temporal behavior of a CA in order to obtain a ‘designoid’ target pattern. Four independent CA-based complex systems were used to assess our hypothesis which combines clustering, fitness distance correlation and evolutionary algorithms.
VERTICAL MIXING, ENERGY, AND THE GENERAL CIRCULATION OF THE OCEANS

▪ AbstractThe coexistence in the deep ocean of a finite, stable stratification, a strong meridional overturning circulation, and mesoscale eddies raises complex questions concerning the circulation energetics. In particular, small-scale mixing processes are necessary to resupply the potential energy removed in the interior by the overturning and eddy-generating process. A number of lines of evidence, none complete, suggest that the oceanic general circulation, far from being a heat engine, is almost wholly governed by the forcing of the wind field and secondarily by deep water tides. In detail however, the budget of mechanical energy input into the ocean is poorly constrained. The now inescapable conclusion that over most of the ocean significant “vertical” mixing is confined to topographically complex boundary areas implies a potentially radically different interior circulation than is possible with uniform mixing. Whether ocean circulation models, either simple box or full numerical ones, neither explic.
Deconstructing the debate over evidence-based policy

ABSTRACT The renewed interest in evidence-based policy has been accompanied by a debate on the nature and desirability of the use of evidence in policy-making. At its core, this debate pits rationalist supporters of increased use of information for reasoned decision-making against constructivist critics who argue that policy-making is not based on evidence and that an appeal to evidence is the first step toward a dangerous elimination of human judgment in the policy process. Although this dialog is framed as a debate, it can be shown that opposing voices rarely engage with each other’s arguments. To improve the relevance of the discourse, scholars of public policy must recognize the positive and normative assumptions behind the most common arguments related to evidence-based policy and acknowledge that the ‘sides of the debate’ are, within limits, mostly intellectually compatible.
Cardiovascular risk management in chronic kidney disease in general practice (the AusHEART study).

BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and increasing in prevalence. Adverse outcomes of CKD can be prevented through early detection and treatment. There is limited data on the awareness of CKD and the quality of care offered to patients with CKD in the primary care setting. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence, general practitioner (GP) awareness and extent of current evidence-practice gaps in the management of CKD in Australian primary care. METHODS The Australian Hypertension and Absolute Risk Study (AusHEART) was a nationally representative, cluster stratified, cross-sectional survey among 322 GPs. Each GP was asked to provide data for 15-20 consecutive patients (age ≥ 55 years) who presented between April and June, 2008. The main outcome measures were CKD prevalence based on proteinuria and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate. Evidence-practice gaps in management of patients with CKD were identified. RESULTS Among a total of 4966 patients with kidney function test data, 1845 (37%) had abnormal kidney function. Of the 1312 patients with abnormal kidney function known to the GP at the time of visit, only 235 were correctly identified as having CKD. GPs under-estimated cardiovascular (CV) risks in patients with CKD when compared with the prevailing guidelines at the time of survey and the recent national guidelines, particularly in later stages of CKD. Among CKD patients not prescribed blood pressure-lowering agents or lipid-lowering agents, treatment was indicated as per relevant guidelines in 51 and 46%, respectively. For CKD patients who were already prescribed blood pressure-lowering and lipid-lowering agents, 61 and 50%, respectively, did not meet the treatment targets recommended by the relevant guidelines. CONCLUSIONS CKD is common, significantly under-recognized and under-treated in primary care. Effort to increase awareness and provide opportunities for improved screening and assessment should improve the management and outcome of these patients at high risk of CV disease.
Distinct Inflammatory Mediator Patterns Characterize Infectious and Sterile Systemic Inflammation in Febrile Neutropenic Hematology Patients

Background Invasive infections and sterile tissue damage can both give rise to systemic inflammation with fever and production of inflammatory mediators. This makes it difficult to diagnose infections in patients who are already inflamed, e.g. due to cell and tissue damage. For example, fever in patients with hematological malignancies may depend on infection, lysis of malignant cells, and/or chemotherapy-induced mucosal damage. We hypothesized that it would be possible to distinguish patterns of inflammatory mediators characterizing infectious and non-infectious causes of inflammation, respectively. Analysis of a broad range of parameters using a multivariate method of pattern recognition was done for this purpose. Methods In this prospective study, febrile (>38°C) neutropenic patients (n = 42) with hematologic malignancies were classified as having or not having a microbiologically defined infection by an infectious disease specialist. In parallel, blood was analyzed for 116 biomarkers, and 23 clinical variables were recorded for each patient. Using O-PLS (orthogonal projection to latent structures), a model was constructed based on these 139 variables that could separate the infected from the non-infected patients. Non-discriminatory variables were discarded until a final model was reached. Finally, the capacity of this model to accurately classify a validation set of febrile neutropenic patients (n = 10) as infected or non-infected was tested. Results A model that could segregate infected from non-infected patients was achieved based on discrete differences in the levels of 40 variables. These variables included acute phase proteins, cytokines, measures of coagulation, metabolism, organ stress and iron turn-over. The model correctly identified the infectious status of nine out of ten subsequently recruited febrile neutropenic hematology patients. Conclusions It is possible to separate patients with infectious inflammation from those with sterile inflammation based on inflammatory mediator patterns. This strategy could be developed into a decision-making tool for diverse clinical applications.