Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discovering Traffic Bottlenecks in an Urban Network by Spatiotemporal Data Mining on Location-Based Services

Discovering traffic bottlenecks and taking action to alleviate congestion to enhance the performance of a traffic network are the most important tasks for the advanced traffic management system in the intelligent transportation system. However, traffic bottlenecks are affected by several factors and vary with spatial and temporal environments, which makes them difficult to define and discover. This paper proposes a three-phase spatiotemporal traffic bottleneck mining (STBM) model, including several spatiotemporal traffic patterns and STBM algorithms that use the raw data of location-based services to discover urban network spatiotemporal traffic bottlenecks. This paper implements an STBM prototype system based on a taxi dispatching system in a Taipei, Taiwan, urban network. The experimental results show that the congestion prediction capability of the proposed heuristic methods (congestion-propagation heuristic) is up to 79.6% during workdays and 72.1% on weekends, which outperforms other methods (e.g., the congestion-converge heuristic, the congestion-drop heuristic, and congested object item), and the discovered spatiotemporal bottlenecks match the travelers' experience.
Suspicion scoring based on guilt-by-association, colle ctive inference, and focused data access 1

We describe a guilt-by-association system that can be use d to rank entities by their suspiciousness. We demonstra te the algorithm on a suite of data sets generated by a terror istworld simulator developed under a DoD program. The data sets consist of thousands of people and some known links between them. We show that the system ranks truly malicious individuals highly, even if only relatively few are known to be malicious ex ante. When used as a tool for identifying promising data-gathering opportunities, the system focuses on gathering more information about the most suspicious people and thereby increases the density of link age in appropriate parts of the network. We assess performance under conditions of noisy prior knowledge (score quality varies by data set under moderate noise), and whether augmenting the network with prior scores based on profiling information improves the scoring (it doesn’t). Al though the level of performance reported here would not support direct action on all data sets, it does recommend th e consideration of network-scoring techniques as a new source of evidence in decision making. For example, the system can operate on networks far larger and more complex than could be processed by a human analyst .
Bayesian decision theory as a model of human visual perception: Testing Bayesian transfer

Abstract Bayesian decision theory (BDT) is a mathematical framework that allows the experimenter to model ideal performance in a wide variety of visuomotor tasks. The experimenter can use BDT to compute benchmarks for ideal performance in such tasks and compare human performance to ideal. Recently, researchers have asked whether BDT can also be treated as a process model of visuomotor processing. It is unclear what sorts of experiments are appropriate to testing such claims and whether such claims are even meaningful. Any such claim presupposes that observers’ performance is close to ideal, and typical experimental tests involve comparison of human performance to ideal. We argue that this experimental criterion, while necessary, is weak. We illustrate how to achieve near-optimal performance in combining perceptual cues with a process model bearing little resemblance to BDT. We then propose experimental criteria termed transfer criteria that constitute more powerful tests of BDT as a model of perception and action. We describe how recent work in motor control can be viewed as tests of transfer properties of BDT. The transfer properties discussed here comprise the beginning of an operationalization (Bridgman, 1927) of what it means to claim that perception is or is not Bayesian inference (Knill & Richards, 1996). They are particularly relevant to research concerning natural scenes since they assess the ability of the organism to rapidly adapt to novel tasks in familiar environments or carry out familiar tasks in novel environments without learning.
How Children and Their Families Construct and Negotiate Risk, Safety and Danger

This article presents an analysis of the family context and everyday negotiations around risk, safety and danger between children and parents in four families drawn from a larger qualitative study. The challenges of analysing accounts from several family members are highlighted. Case study families are described; and fragments of their interwoven individual and shared biographies, on which respondents regularly drew to legitimate risk-related beliefs and practices, are outlined. The dynamic, fluid and contingent nature of risk construction and reconstruction in everyday family life is discussed and three main themes explored: establishing ‘the bottom line’; assumptions, collusions and contradictions around age, siblinghood and time; and contextualizing risk in the conduct of others. The authors conclude that, just as with childhood itself, it is important also to contextualize ‘risk’ within socioeconomic, cultural and institutional frameworks; and that, for most children, their families both constitute one such context and mediate wider social structures.
Dealing with missing software project data

Whilst there is a general consensus that quantitative approaches are an important part of successful software project management, there has been relatively little research into many of the obstacles to data collection and analysis in the real world. One feature that characterises many of the data sets we deal with is missing or highly questionable values. Naturally this problem is not unique to software engineering, so we explore the application of two existing data imputation techniques that have been used to good effect elsewhere. In order to assess the potential value of imputation we use two industrial data sets. Both are quite problematic from an effort modelling perspective because they contain few cases, have a significant number of missing values and the projects are quite heterogeneous. We examine the quality of fit of effort models derived by stepwise regression on the raw data and data sets with values imputed by various techniques is compared. In both data sets we find that k-nearest neighbour (k-NN) and sample mean imputation (SMI) significantly improve the model fit, with k-NN giving the best results. These results are consistent with other recently published results, consequently we conclude that imputation can assist empirical software engineering.
Effect of Dim and Bright Light Exposure on Some Immunological Parameters Measured under Thermal Neutral Conditions

This study assesses the effects of ambient light conditions, under a thermoneutral environment, on selected immunological parameters of 7 healthy young women (aged 19 to 22 yrs). Subjects entered the bioclimatic chamber at 11∶00 h, controlled at 26°C and 60% relative humidity, a “neutral climate”. They lead a well‐regulated life in the climatic chamber (pre‐condition) while exposed to dim (200 lux) or, on the next day, bright (5000 lux) light between 06∶00 to 12∶00 h. Just before the end of each period of light exposure, a blood sample was taken for later immunological assay of white blood cell count (WBC), phagocytosis, interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), CD69 T cells (CD69), CD4+CD25+ T cells (CD4+CD25+), and transforming growth factor‐β 1 (TGF‐β1). The results, when compared with the pre‐condition, were as follows: 1) CD69 and IFN‐γ increased during normal conditions without thermal stress under dim light; 2) WBC increased and IL‐4 decreased under bright light; 3) as shown by the highly significant decrease of TGF‐β1, the immune system was activated under bright light; 4) phagocytosis tended to increase under bright light exposure; 5) CD69 and IFN‐γ were significantly higher, and CD4+CD25+ tended to decrease under bright light; 6) phagocytosis tended to be lower and TGF‐β1 significantly higher under dim light, indicating a decline of immune system function. Taken together, this preliminary single time‐point sampling study infers that some parameters are activated (CD69) while others are attenuated (phagocytosis, TGF‐β1) according to the environmental light intensity, dim vs. bright, in women adhering to a standardized routine in the absence of thermal stress. These findings are discussed in terms of inhibition of the sympathetic and excitation of the parasympathetic nervous system under the influence of life‐style regularity and daytime bright light exposure.
Durability of recycled aggregate concrete designed with the Equivalent Mortar Volume ( EMV ) method : Validation under the Spanish context and its adaptation to Bolomey methodology

Some durability properties are analyzed in concretes made with a novel method for recycled aggregates concrete (RAC) proportioning, in order to validate it under the Spanish context. Two types of concrete mixes were elaborated; one following the guidelines of the named method, and other based on an adaptation of the method to Bolomey methodology. Two types of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) were used. RCA replacement for natural aggregates (NA) ranged from 20% to 100%. The 20% was chosen in order to comply with Spanish recommendations. Water penetration under pressure, water absorption and chlorides attack were the studied properties. It is verified that the new method and the developed adaptation results in concrete mixes of better or similar properties to those of the natural aggregates concrete (NAC) and the conventional RAC, saving important amounts of cement.
Extra‐Intestinal Manifestations of Salmonella Infections

While salmonellosis is often considered to affect primarily the gastrointestinal tract, infection at other sites may occur, producing characteristic clinical syndromes. We reviewed cases from our institutions and the literature on focal manifestations of salmonella infections. In the past, most extra-intestinal salmonella infections were caused by S. choleraesuis; however, we found S. typhimurium to be the predominant serotype. The mortality rate for patients in our series was considerably lower than the rate described for focal infections in other reviews. This may in part be due to lower proportion of infections due to S. choleraesuis, improved microbiologic and diagnostic techniques, increased use of ampicillin, and improved surgical techniques. Salmonella endocarditis usually occurs in patients with preexisting heart disease. Unlike other salmonella infections, S. choleraesuis is the most frequent serotype. Salmonella endocarditis is often very destructive, with a fatality rate of 70%. Nonvalvular (mural) endocarditis occurs in one-fourth of patients and survival has not been reported. While antibiotic therapy should be tried initially, if response is not prompt the clinician should look for an associated site of infection (intra- or extra-cardiac abscess), which will often require surgery. Salmonella pericarditis often presents with cardiac or pulmonary symptoms, but typical signs of pericardial disease (pulsus paradoxus, friction rub) or characteristic electrocardiographic changes (low voltage, elevated ST segments) are uncommon. Early diagnosis, before infection involves other areas of the heart, is crucial for survival. In addition to antibiotic therapy, pericardiocentesis or pericardiectomy is required. Salmonella may infect the peripheral or visceral arteries, but the abdominal aorta is the most frequent site of vascular infection. Most patients are men over age 50 with preexisting atherosclerosis of the aorta who do not have a previous history of gastroenteritis. About one-fourth of patients have associated lumbar osteomyelitis. No patients have been reported to survive with medical therapy alone. Specific guidelines for surgical removal of infected aneurysms have been proposed and these (in addition to increased use of ampicillin) may be responsible for higher survival rates in recent years. Due to the high incidence of relapses, postoperative blood cultures should be done routinely. Arterial infection should be considered in any elderly patient with salmonella bacteremia especially with prolonged fever or bacteremia after an "adequate course" of antibiotic therapy. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Knowledge-based Machine-aided System for Chinese Text Abstraction

The production of abstracts from input source texts, using computers, is a subject in natural language processing that has attracted much attention and investigative study. It not only poses interesting theoretical challenges but also promises useful practical applications. At the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, a large-scale research project on automated Chinese text abstraction has entered its third year. The project aims to investigate the issues related to text abstraction through the building of a prototype system. Recognising the impracticality, at this stage, of attempting to construct a fully automatic system for abstracting random free texts, we have adopted a pragmatic approach by defining three design parameters at the outset : (1) The input texts consist of Chinese newspaper editorials. (2) The universe of discourse is on the safety of the nuclear power plant at Daya Bay (which is situated some 50 Km to the east of Hong Kong). (3) The target system will be fully automatic only at the final text generation stage, but will enlist informant input in the text understanding stage. The result of our investigations and efforts is a prototype known as Machine-Aided Chinese Text Abstraction System (MACTAS) [6], To begin the process of text abstraction in MACTAS, an unsophisticated human informant first reads and understands a given Chinese editorial. Based on his understanding of the editorial, he win go through an open-ended question-answering session with the system. At the conclusion of the human-machine dialog, which draws on a previous project [7], MACTAS will generate an abstract of the editorial in Chinese.
An Essay on Archaic Postmodernity: The Case of Portugal

In this paper, some peculiarities of a Southern European country are made explicit, namely, how the attraction of new, “global”, management practices combines with deeply persistent, thus traditional, ways of imagining organization. The dominant Anglo‐Saxon and Protestant models of management may not be fully adequate to characterize management and organization in the Latin Catholic countries of the south, or those postcolonial societies that they inscribed in Latin America. We present an interpretation of why what are glossed by moderns as dysfunctional management practices persist, sometimes despite their recognized inadequacy. The contributions advanced here may thus be relevant to researchers interested in the route of transition from closed to open societies and who are concerned that all models need to be appreciated in context.
Rokumi-jio-gan-Containing Prescriptions Attenuate Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in the Remnant Kidney

Two Rokumi-jio-gan-containing prescriptions (Hachimi-jio-gan and Bakumi-jio-gan) were selected to examine their actions in nephrectomized rats. Each prescription was given orally to rats for 10 weeks after the excision of five-sixths of their kidney volumes, and its effect was compared with non-nephrectomized and normal rats. Rats given Hachimi-jio-gan and Bakumi-jio-gan showed an improvement of renal functional parameters such as serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, creatinine clearance, and urinary protein. The nephrectomized rats exhibited the up-regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase subunits, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphor-JNK, c-Jun, transforming growth factor-β 1, nuclear factor-kappa B, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase-3, and down-regulation of NF-E2-related factor 2, heme oxygenase-1, and survivin; however, Bakumi-jio-gan administration acts as a regulator in inflammatory reactions caused by oxidative stress in renal failure. Moreover, the JNK pathway and apoptosis-related protein expressions, Bax, caspase-3, and survivin, were ameliorated to the normal levels by Hachimi-jio-gan administration. The development of renal lesions, glomerular sclerosis, tubulointerstitial damage, and arteriolar sclerotic lesions, estimated by histopathological evaluation and scoring, was strong in the groups administered Hachimi-jio-gan rather than Bakumi-jio-gan. This study suggests that Rokumi-jio-gan-containing prescriptions play a protective role in the progression of renal failure.
Live theatre: a dynamic medium for engaging with intercultural education research

In this paper, I discuss live theatre as a highly effective and dynamic medium for facilitating meaningful engagement with research on intercultural education. I make the case that ethnographic, or research-based, theatre can productively showcase challenging social issues and the sometimes confusing, poignant and humorous complexities of grappling with culturally unfamiliar and ambiguous situations. The paper features examples from the creation, performance and audience reception of my play ‘Queer as a Second Language’, which was created from classroom, interview and focus-group transcripts of over 100 English language learners and teachers from around the world.
Conceptual modeling through linguistic analysis using LIDA

Despite the advantages that object technology can provide to the software development community and its customers, the fundamental problems associated with identifying objects, their attributes, and methods remain: it is a largely manual process driven by heuristics that analysts acquire through experience. While a number of methods exist for requirements development and specification, very few tools exist to assist analysts in making the transition from textual descriptions to other notations for object-oriented analysis and other conceptual models. We describe a methodology and a prototype tool. Linguistic Assistant for Domain Analysis (LIDA), which provide linguistic assistance in the model development process. We first present our methodology to conceptual modeling through linguistic analysis. We give an overview of LIDA's functionality and present its technical design and the functionality of its components. We also provide a comparison of LIDA's functionality with that of other research prototypes. Finally, we present an example of how LIDA is used in a conceptual modeling task.
Supporting Multiple Persistence Models for PaaS Applications using MDE - Issues on Cloud Portability

In cloud computing, lock-in refers to the difficulty of porting an application from one platform to another. An example of such difficulty can be witnessed when porting an application from Platform-as-a-Service Google App Engine to Microsoft Azure. Differences in their implementations are substantial, yielding non-portable applications. Standardization could address this problem, but existing initiatives are still to be accepted. This paper addresses lock-in by proposing a model-driven engineering design approach that decouples platform specific code from the application logic. The resulting platform-independent models, as well as corresponding model transformations, can be reused to generate distinct platform-specific implementations, hence reducing the programming effort spent coding repetitive tasks. Such transformations can be made available for reuse on a repository for cloud providers. We have implemented transformations to handle persistence for Google App Engine and Azure, and discuss how model-driven engineering can reconcile the differences between features of the persistence models of GAE and Azure.
Alignement automatique de textes parallèles Français-Japonais

L'alignement automatique consiste a trouver une correspondance entre des unites de textes paralleles. Nous nous interessons plus particulierement a la realisation d'un systeme qui procede a l'alignement au niveau des propositions, unites profitables dans beaucoup d'applications. La presente these est constituee de deux types de travaux : les travaux introducteurs et ceux constituant le noyau central. Ce dernier s'articule autour de la notion de proposition syntaxique. Les travaux introducteurs comprennent l'etude des generalites sur l'alignement ainsi que des travaux consacres a l'alignement des phrases. Ces travaux ont conduit a la realisation d'un systeme d'alignement des phrases adapte au traitement des textes francais et japonais. Le noyau de la these est compose de deux types de travaux, etudes linguistiques et realisations informatiques. Les etudes linguistiques se divisent elles-memes en deux sujets : la proposition en francais et la proposition en japonais. Le but de nos etudes sur la proposition francaise est de definir une grammaire pour la detection des propositions. Pour cet effet, nous avons cherche a definir une typologie des propositions, basee sur des criteres uniquement formels. Dans les etudes sur le japonais, nous definissons d'abord la phrase japonaise sur la base de l'opposition theme-rheme. Nous tentons ensuite d'elucider la notion de proposition. Les realisations informatiques comportent trois tâches composant ensemble au final l'operation d'alignement des propositions, incarnees par trois systemes informatiques distincts : deux detecteurs de propositions (un pour le francais et un pour le japonais), ainsi qu'un systeme d'alignement des propositions.
KAP1 is a Novel Substrate for the Arginine Methyltransferase PRMT5

KRAB-associated protein 1 (KAP1), the transcriptional corepressor of Kruppel-associated box zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs), is subjected to multiple post-translational modifications that are involved in fine-tuning of the multiple biological functions of KAP1. In previous papers, we analyzed the KAP1-dependent molecular mechanism of transcriptional repression mediated by ZNF224, a member of the KRAB-ZFP family, and identified the protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 as a component of the ZNF224 repression complex. We demonstrated that PRMT5-mediated histone arginine methylation is required to elicit ZNF224 transcriptional repression. In this study, we show that KAP1 interacts with PRMT5 and is a novel substrate for PRMT5 methylation. Also, we present evidence that the methylation of KAP1 arginine residues regulate the KAP1-ZNF224 interaction, thus suggesting that this KAP1 post-translational modification could actively contribute to the regulation of ZNF224-mediated repression.
Social-emotional adjustment and attachment in children adopted from China: Processes and predictors of change

This study examined the processes and predictors of change in maternal ratings of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and attachment security in 70 infant girls adopted from China at a mean age of 13.5 months. These children’s mental and language development were also directly assessed. The adopted children were assessed within the first month of adoption and again six, 12 and 24 months later. Comparisons were made with 43 girls of similar age and family background. Results indicated that from six months postadoption onward, adopted children exhibited a rapid increase in internalizing symptoms, especially in emotion reactivity. Adopted children initially formed attachment rapidly. Growth in attachment gradually slowed down over time. Individual differences that emerged in the rate of attachment growth from six months postadoption were related to mental ability in both groups. The results point to the effects of potential risk factors on the processes of change, at least in the two years following adoption.