Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Device independent activity monitoring using smart handhelds

Sensors embedded in smartphones, tabs can be extremely useful in providing reliable information on people's activities and behaviors, thereby ensuring a safe and sound living environment. Activity monitoring through posture identification is increasingly used for medical, surveillance and entertainment (gaming) applications. Major challenges for this task include making the task device independent, use of minimal number of sensors, position of the device, efficient feature extraction etc. Existing works mostly uses one or m ore specific devices for activity monitoring and does not focus on device independence. Ensuring energy efficiency through inexpensive feature extraction technique is another motivation. Consequently, in this paper, a machine learning based activity monitoring framework is proposed that provides device independence using inexpensive time domain features. Implementation of the framework with real devices indicates 96% accuracy with logistic regression when time domain features are used.
Unexpected Hepatotoxicity of Rifampin and Saquinavir/Ritonavir in Healthy Male Volunteers

Objectives Rifampin is a potent inducer of the cytochrome P450 3A4 isoenzyme (CYP3A4) that metabolizes most protease inhibitor (PI) antiretrovirals. This study was designed to evaluate the steady-state pharmacokinetics and tolerability of the coadministration of the PIs saquinavir and ritonavir (a CYP3A4 inhibitor used as a pharmacoenhancer of other PIs) and rifampin when coadministered in healthy HIV-negative volunteers. Methods In an open-label, randomized, one sequence, two-period crossover study involving 28 healthy HIV-negative volunteers, arm 1 was randomized to receive saquinavir/ritonavir 1000/100 mg twice daily while arm 2 received rifampin 600 mg once daily for 14 days. Both arms were then to receive concomitant saquinavir/ritonavir and rifampin for 2 additional weeks. Vital signs, electrocardiography, laboratory analyses, and blood levels of total saquinavir, ritonavir, rifampin, and desacetyl-rifampin, the primary metabolite of rifampin, were measured. Results In arm 1, 10/14 (71%) and, in arm 2, 11/14 (79%) participants completed the first study phase; eight participants in arm 1 and nine in arm 2 went on to receive both saquinavir/ritonavir and rifampin. Following substantial elevations (≥ grade 2) in hepatic transaminases in participants receiving the coadministered agents, the study was discontinued prematurely. Two participants in arm 1 displayed moderate elevations after five and four doses of rifampin, respectively. In arm 2, all participants experienced severe elevations within 4 days of initiating saquinavir/ritonavir. Clinical symptoms (e.g., nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and headache) were more common and severe in arm 2. Clinical symptoms abated and transaminases normalized following drug discontinuation. Limited pharmacokinetic data suggest a possible relationship between transaminase elevation and elevated rifampin and desacetyl-rifampin concentrations. Conclusions Although not confirmed in HIV-infected patients, the data indicate that rifampin should not be coadministered with saquinavir/ritonavir.
Effects of Self-Monitoring on Technical, Contextual, and Assignment-Specific Performance

This study investigates the relationship between self-monitoring and multidimensional performance ratings of global assignees. It was hypothesized that supervisors’ performance ratings of expatriate subordinates would depend on three factors: (a) individual differences in self-monitoring, (b) supervisor-subordinate national similarity, and (c) the dimension of performance being rated (technical, contextual, or expatriate-specific). Analysis of variance results from 78 supervisor/subordinate dyads indicated significant interactions among these three factors. The significant interaction for the contextual performance dimension suggests that high self-monitors were rated more favorably by supervisors of the same nationality. Low self-monitors’ ratings were somewhat less affected by rater-ratee national similarity. Self-monitoring also had a significant main effect on ratings of assignment-specific performance. These results suggest self-monitoring personality has differential effects across performance dimensions and rater context. Future research implications are provided for examining the relationship between personality and job performance dimensions. Practical recommendations for the performance management of global assignees are provided.
Fast Detection of Local Scanners Using Adaptive Methods

Network attacks often employ scanning to locate vulnerable hosts and services. Unimpeded scanning can lead to the subversion of an entire vulnerable population in a matter of minutes. Fast and accurate detection of local scanners is key to contain a spreading epidemic in its early stage. Existing scan detection schemes can detect fast scanners whose behavior can be clearly delineated from that of legitimate traffic. Detecting slow scanners, however, is more difficult. The difficulty arises partially from the fact that these detection schemes use statically determined detection criteria, and as a result do not respond well to traffic perturbations. In this paper, we present two adaptive scan detection schemes, Success Based (SB) and Failure Based (FB), both of which change detection criteria dynamically based on traffic statistics. FB is designed for fast detection and is particularly well suited for controlled computing environments with well-understood traffic characteristics. SB is more versatile and able to perform well in a wide range of traffic scenarios. We evaluate the proposed schemes analytically as well as empirically using real traffic and attack traces. Our results show that against fast scanners, the adaptive schemes are able to render similar detection precision as the traditional static schemes. For slow scanners, however, the adaptive schemes are much more effective, both in terms of detection precision and speed. Specifically, both SB and FB have non-linear properties not present in other schemes. These properties permit a lower Sustained Scanning Threshold and a robustness against perturbations in the background traffic.
REVIEW OF THEORY OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT TRAINING (LEARNING) PARTICIPATION.

Studies on training (learning) participation in human resources development program in the organizations are very sparse despites its importance in human resources development activities. This article tends to focus attention on identifying the factors influencing the training participation in human resources development intervention. This topic is very important in human resources development research because of the increasing concerns on e-learning dropout rate, HRD measurement and evaluation. A comprehensive review of literature is presented to identify research gap in participation and completion of HRD – related intervention program. A conceptual framework of HRD training participation is proposed to describe the pattern, factors, structure and the interrelationship between the variables. Finally, the usefulness and applicability of the theory is discussed. In addition, the implication for future research will be discussed in detail.
Agency mediation and an understanding of the mind

This commentary is an attempt to give a Vygotskian perspective on Carpendale's & Lewis's (C&L's) target article. The article uses ideas that are well familiar to Vygotsky's scholars. However, it develops these ideas further and raises important empirical questions about the role of social interaction in the development of social cognition. The article provides a fresh view on the old problems and frames themes traditional for the English-speaking developmental psychology into a broader international perspective.
Multi-Modality Fusion based on Consensus-Voting and 3D Convolution for Isolated Gesture Recognition

Recently, the popularity of depth-sensors such as Kinect has made depth videos easily available while its advantages have not been fully exploited. This paper investigates, for gesture recognition, to explore the spatial and temporal information complementarily embedded in RGB and depth sequences. We propose a convolutional twostream consensus voting network (2SCVN) which explicitly models both the short-term and long-term structure of the RGB sequences. To alleviate distractions from background, a 3d depth-saliency ConvNet stream (3DDSN) is aggregated in parallel to identify subtle motion characteristics. These two components in an unified framework significantly improve the recognition accuracy. On the challenging Chalearn IsoGD benchmark, our proposed method outperforms the first place on the leader-board by a large margin (10.29%) while also achieving the best result on RGBD-HuDaAct dataset (96.74%). Both quantitative experiments and qualitative analysis shows the effectiveness of our proposed framework and codes will be released to facilitate future research.
An MMSE speech enhancement approach incorporating masking properties

The paper describes a new speech enhancement approach which employs adaptive /spl beta/-order minimum mean square error (MMSE) spectral estimation of the short time spectral amplitude (STSA) of a speech signal. In the proposed approach, the human perceptual auditory masking effect is incorporated into the speech enhancement algorithm. The relationship between the value of /spl beta/ and the noise masking threshold is considered. The algorithm is based on a criterion by which the audible noise may be masked rather than being attenuated, thereby reducing the chance of speech distortion. Performance assessment is given to show that our proposal can achieve a more significant noise reduction and a better spectral estimation of weak speech spectral components from a noisy signal as compared to many existing speech enhancement algorithms.
Characterization of the Heparin Binding Sites in Human Apolipoprotein E*

Apolipoprotein (apo) E mediates lipoprotein remnant clearance via interaction with cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Both the 22-kDa N-terminal domain and 10-kDa C-terminal domain of apoE contain a heparin binding site; the N-terminal site overlaps with the low density lipoprotein receptor binding region and the C-terminal site is undefined. To understand the molecular details of the apoE-heparin interaction, we defined the microenvironments of all 12 lysine residues in intact apoE3 and examined their relative contributions to heparin binding. Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements showed that, in apoE3-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine discs, Lys-143 and -146 in the N-terminal domain and Lys-233 in the C-terminal domain have unusually low pK a values, indicating high positive electrostatic potential around these residues. Binding experiments using heparin-Sepharose gel demonstrated that the lipid-free 10-kDa fragment interacted strongly with heparin and a point mutation K233Q largely abolished the binding, indicating that Lys-233 is involved in heparin binding and that an unusually basic lysine microenvironment is critical for the interaction with heparin. With lipidated apoE3, it is confirmed that the Lys-233 site is completely masked and the N-terminal site mediates heparin binding. In addition, mutations of the two heparin binding sites in intact apoE3 demonstrated the dominant role of the N-terminal site in the heparin binding of apoE even in the lipid-free state. These results suggest that apoE interacts predominately with cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans through the N-terminal binding site. However, Lys-233 may be involved in the binding of apoE to certain cell-surface sites, such as the protein core of biglycan.
Complete mitochondrial genome of the aluminum-tolerant fungus Rhodotorula taiwanensis RS1 and comparative analysis of Basidiomycota mitochondrial genomes

The complete mitochondrial genome of Rhodotorula taiwanensis RS1, an aluminum‐tolerant Basidiomycota fungus, was determined and compared with the known mitochondrial genomes of 12 Basidiomycota species. The mitochondrial genome of R. taiwanensis RS1 is a circular DNA molecule of 40,392 bp and encodes the typical 15 mitochondrial proteins, 23 tRNAs, and small and large rRNAs as well as 10 intronic open reading frames. These genes are apparently transcribed in two directions and do not show syntenies in gene order with other investigated Basidiomycota species. The average G+C content (41%) of the mitochondrial genome of R. taiwanensis RS1 is the highest among the Basidiomycota species. Two introns were detected in the sequence of the atp9 gene of R. taiwanensis RS1, but not in that of other Basidiomycota species. Rhodotorula taiwanensis is the first species of the genus Rhodotorula whose full mitochondrial genome has been sequenced; and the data presented here supply valuable information for understanding the evolution of fungal mitochondrial genomes and researching the mechanism of aluminum tolerance in microorganisms.
Survey introductions and data quality

While measurement error arising from the interaction between respondent and interviewer during the survey interview has been the focus of much research, the impact of the interaction during the introductory request for participation on subsequent data quality has received less attention. This article attempts to link these two sets of interactions using data from the 1990 National Election Study. At the end of each contact with a sample person, interviewers completed a series of structured items, providing information on what was said by the sample person and interviewer, and other characteristics of the contact. These data, combined with the substantive data for the interviewed cases, allow us to explore the relationship between respondent statements during the introduction and the content and quality of information provided by them during the interview. We find that the statements made by respondents during the introduction are associated with differences in both data quality and substantive responses. We discuss the implications of these findings for both nonresponse and for response error.
Implementing an application of Data Acquisition System using NIOS –II Soft core Processor

This paper represents an application of data acquisition system. Its design is based on NIOS II soft core processor. The design is proposed to create and manage the interconnected systems of analog signal to digital embedded platform. NIOS II is a versatile embedded processor that presents high performance and has been created on FPGA. Paper provides the creation of ADC managing block with small involvement of processor hence the complexity reduces and speed up the system performances. Also the proposed deign can added to the other system which requires analog signal.
Game List Colouring of Graphs

We consider the two-player game defined as follows. Let $(G,L)$ be a graph $G$ with a list assignment $L$ on its vertices. The two players, Alice and Bob, play alternately on $G$, Alice having the first move. Alice's goal is to provide an $L$-colouring of $G$ and Bob's goal is to prevent her from doing so. A move consists in choosing an uncoloured vertex $v$ and assigning it a colour from the set $L(v)$. Adjacent vertices of the same colour must not occur. This game will be called game list colouring . The game choice number of $G$, denoted by ch$_g(G)$, is defined as the least $k$ such that Alice has a winning strategy for any $k$-list assignment of $G$. We characterize the class of graphs with ch$_g(G)\le 2$ and determine the game choice number for some classes of graphs.
A Simple and Accurate Model for RFID Rectifier

In this paper, a simple model for the UHF low power rectifier circuit is proposed. Using a novel approach to model the rectifier current waveform, simple analytical equations are derived. The output DC voltage and the efficiency of the rectifier are derived analytically. Simulation results of the rectifier using actual models are very close to those predicted by the proposed model. The derived formulas for the output DC voltage and the efficiency are simple and physically meaningful and can be used to optimize the performance of the rectifier.
Resource dependence and measurement technology: international and domestic influences on energy sector development in Armenia and Georgia

The effective measurement of natural gas consumption has become a central component of energy sector development in resource-dependent post-Soviet states such as Armenia and Georgia. Yet, while policy assessments have often emphasized the significance of technology upgrades in increasing the efficiency of gas distribution in Central Eurasia, it is necessary to consider other types of exogenous political and economic influences upon sourcing and adoption of measuring devices by national industries and their resultant impact upon energy sector performance. This study presents empirical data collected in northern Armenia and Tbilisi, Georgia, as well as from secondary sources, in order to examine the effect of both domestic and international factors upon the technology–performance relationship in the natural gas industries, and compares their relative implications for energy sector development in both countries since independence.
On Some Pitfalls in Automatic Evaluation and Significance Testing for MT

We investigate some pitfalls regarding the discriminatory power of MT evaluation metrics and the accuracy of statistical significance tests. In a discriminative reranking experiment for phrase-based SMT we show that the NIST metric is more sensitive than BLEU or F-score despite their incorporation of aspects of fluency or meaning adequacy into MT evaluation. In an experimental comparison of two statistical significance tests we show that p-values are estimated more conservatively by approximate randomization than by bootstrap tests, thus increasing the likelihood of type-I error for the latter. We point out a pitfall of randomly assessing significance in multiple pairwise comparisons, and conclude with a recommendation to combine NIST with approximate randomization, at more stringent rejection levels than is currently standard.
Self-Reported Parental Exposure to Pesticide during Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: The MecoExpo Cohort Study

The MecoExpo study was performed in the Picardy region of northern France, in order to investigate the putative relationship between parental exposures to pesticides (as reported by the mother) on one hand and neonatal parameters on the other. The cohort comprised 993 mother-newborn pairs. Each mother completed a questionnaire that probed occupational, domestic, environmental and dietary sources of parental exposure to pesticides during her pregnancy. Multivariate regression analyses were then used to test for associations between the characteristics of parental pesticide exposure during pregnancy and the corresponding birth outcomes. Maternal occupational exposure was associated with an elevated risk of low birth weight (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval]: 4.2 [1.2, 15.4]). Paternal occupational exposure to pesticides was associated with a lower than average gestational age at birth (−0.7 weeks; p = 0.0002) and an elevated risk of prematurity (OR: 3.7 [1.4, 9.7]). Levels of domestic exposure to veterinary antiparasitics and to pesticides for indoor plants were both associated with a low birth weight (−70 g; p = 0.02 and −160 g; p = 0.005, respectively). Babies born to women living in urban areas had a lower birth length and a higher risk of low birth length (−0.4 cm, p = 0.006 and OR: 2.9 [1.5, 5.5], respectively). The present study results mainly demonstrate a negative correlation between fetal development on one hand and parental occupational and domestic exposure to pesticides on the other. Our study highlights the need to perform a global and detailed screening of all potential physiological effects when assessing in utero exposure to pesticides.
Principles of learning and memory

Foreword to the Classic Edition by Henry L. Roediger, III, and James S. Nairne. Background Comments and Three Analytic Concepts. Iconic Memory. Echoic Memory. Recoding by Speech in Short-Term Memory. Nonverbal Memory. Primary Memory. Forgetting in Short-Term Memory. The Interference Theory of Forgetting in Long-Term Memory. The Effects of Repetition on Memory. The Organization of Memory in Free Recall. Retrieval. Serial Organization in Learning and Memory.
New mediation and direct representation: reconceptualizing representation in the digital age

This article explores three responses to the emergence of digitally mediated political representation. The first regards disintermediation as a basis for direct democracy, transcending the traditional arrangements and institutions of political representation. The second model institutionalizes digital information and communication technology (ICT) within the rational-bureacratic framework of existing governance. The third model is based upon a reconceptualization of democratic representation, based upon new notions of accountability, plurality and authentic reality. It is argued that virtual deliberation and indirect representation are under severe political strain and that digitally-mediated direct representation could provide a basis for a more dialogical and deliberative democracy in place of the dialogue of the deaf which tends to characterize contemporary political representation.
Towards a factory-of-things: Channel modeling and deployment assessment in PetroEcuador Esmeraldas oil refinery

Industry 4.0 and industrial Internet of Things (iIoT) trends are pushing towards the transformation of factories to provide more flexible production systems through the use of wireless networks. Technologies enabling the “Factory-of-Things” (FoT) paradigm allow the safe deployment of wireless field devices in industrial plants thanks to their low-battery usage that makes the maintenance cycle quite low, and highly reliable. The widespread adoption of these technologies should be paired with tools for predeployment network design and prediction of the wireless link quality to mimic the planning procedures applied to conventional industrial wired equipment. In factory sites, the strength of the radio signals is impaired by frequency, spatial and time-domain fading that influence the wireless link stability. In this paper, based on an extensive measurement campaign performed inside an active oil refinery, we propose and validate a novel channel model tailored for industrial wireless networks operating over 2.4 GHz and supporting a time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) policy. Post-layout network performance verification has been finally carried out based on a WirelessHART industry standard system deployed in selected sites.
Suicide in Slovenia: lessons for cross-cultural psychiatry

In this paper an overview of cross-cultural differences in suicide rates in Europe is provided and possible factors that may influence these differences are discussed. Some of these factors were tested in a study of completed suicides in Slovenia as an example of a high suicide rate country. Specific suicide rates and/or trends were obtained for the population as a whole, both sexes, different age groups, ethnic nationality, marital status, education attainment, weekly and regional distribution of suicide. It was found that the average suicide rate for the whole population in a decade 1985-1994 was 31 per 100,000 per year.Surprisingly, the suicide rate remained stable throughout the decade, which was characterized by significant political and socio-economic changes.The ratio of the overall male to female rate was about 3:1.This ratio was higher in both widowed and divorced groups, and was the lowest in the highly educated group.Overall, groups at higher suicide risk were older, male, divorced, widowed and.