Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Oil-Based Antigen Delivery Formulation for both Oral and Parenteral Vaccination

The ability of an oil-based carrier vehicle to act as an antigen delivery system via the oral and/or parenteral routes was investigated. The formulation consists of hydrophilic macromolecules (antigens) solubilised in oil phase, in the absence of water, by virtue of being wrapped in a sheath of phospholipid amphiphile. Results obtained demonstrate that the level of mucosal IgA antibodies detected in the stools of mice immunised orally with cholera toxin B fragment (CTB) or E. coli heat-labile toxin (LT) in oil is much higher than the level of IgA produced by mice immunised with CTB or LT alone. In addition, mice immunised orally with Y. pestis antigens (F1 and V) and CTB as immunostimulant in oil produce a significantly increased (p<0.02) systemic IgG response against both antigens (F1 and V) than mice orally immunised with F1, V and CTB without oil. Six out of ten mice immunised with F1 and V antigens in oil survived an aerosol chal- lenge of 100 LD50 doses of virulent Y. pestis. Furthermore, animals immunised sub-cutaneously with the HIV antigen (HGP-30) in oil induced much stronger humoral and cellular responses against the antigen than mice immunised with the antigen alone. Taken together, these findings indicate that oil can be used successfully as an antigen delivery system in vaccine formulations without the necessity of an aqueous phase or an emulsification process. This greatly enhances the stability and ease of production of a formulation manufactured for commercial use.
The Contribution of the Transition Zone to the Strength of High Quality Silica Fume Concretes

The strength of high strength silica fume concretes is usually attributed to the reduction in w/c ratio and the refinement of the pore structure. A study of concretes and pastes, with and without silica fume, suggests that the contribution of the silica fume to strength is also the result of the densification of the transition zone. It is argued here that this influence is as important as the one due to the reduction in w/c ratio. It is suggested that the densification of the transition zone is the result of the effect of the silica fume on the nature of the fresh concrete.
A practice theory approach to understanding poly-tobacco use in the United States

ABSTRACT This paper uses practice theory to explore a poorly understood phenomenon with important health implications: How and why an increasing number of young Americans regularly use multiple tobacco products. Practice theory is a promising alternative to traditional public health frameworks for understanding everyday activities related to health. It broadens the analytic focus from characteristics of individuals to viewing practices as having lives of their own in competing for, winning, and losing practitioners. We drew from in-depth interviews with 21 young adults (ages 18–29; California) who regularly use cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and/or smokeless tobacco. Participants described their everyday routines. We examined the characterizing elements of each tobacco product use practice and the roles of each within participants’ routines. We found that each product comprises a distinct substance use practice with different roles to play in different situations and contexts. Notably, many participants rotated between or modulated use of different products as a strategy for reducing perceived tobacco-related harms. Cigarettes are uniquely capable of aiding in the space-time organization of everyday activities and coping with crisis, while ENDS and smokeless tobacco open up times and spaces for nicotine consumption. This kind of approach aids our understanding and anticipation of the evolution of tobacco use practices as new products and regulations are introduced.
Comparación de las percepciones de los estudiantes de magisterio sobre los riesgos de internet para personas con y sin discapacidad intelectual y del desarrollo

A pesar de que Internet tiene multiples beneficios para la sociedad, tambien implica algunos riesgos que deben ser identificados. Estos riesgos se pueden percibir como mayores para algunos grupos mas vulnerables como son los ninos y las personas con discapacidad. No obstante, dichos riesgos no deben limitar el acceso a Internet, especialmente de las personas con discapacidad intelectual y del desarrollo (IDD). Por el contrario, se deberia tener un mayor conocimiento sobre los peligros y como gestionarlos. El proposito de este estudio es explorar y comparar las percepciones que tienen los estudiantes de Magisterio sobre los riesgos del uso de Internet por personas con y sin IDD. Participo una muestra de conveniencia de 121 estudiantes de Magisterio de los cuales el 77% eran mujeres (n = 93) y la edad media de 21.79 anos (DT = 4.23). Los participantes debian responder a un cuestionario que incluia algunas cuestiones sociodemograficas y 30 riesgos potenciales de Internet que se presentaron en una escala tipo Likert de cinco puntos (1 = Totalmente en desacuerdo; 5 = Totalmente de acuerdo). Los estudiantes debian valorar cada item dos veces, una para cada uno de los colectivos estudiados (personas con y sin IDD). A pesar de que los participantes perciben un alto riesgo en el uso de Internet, se encontraron diferencias estadisticamente significativas entre los grupos. Los estudiantes de Magisterio perciben mayores riesgos en Internet para las personas con IDD que para el resto de la poblacion en cuestiones como el ciberacoso, ser expuesto a contenido inapropiado, comunicarse con desconocidos, pasar demasiado tiempo en las redes sociales o gastar dinero online.
Synchronous gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and other primary neoplasms of gastrointestinal tract: report of two cases

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract with a malignant potential. However, uncommonly they can be associated with synchronous tumors of different histogenesis. We herein report two cases of gastric GIST with synchronous tumors. The first case is of a 50-year-old male patient who was suspected with GIST of stomach and was incidentally found to have an associated duodenal neuroendo-crine neoplasm. The second case is of a 62-year-old male who, while undergoing surgery for a primary colon adenocarcinoma, was incidentally detected to have a coexistent gastric GIST initially suspected to be a metastatic nodule. Coexistence of gastric GIST with neuroendocrine tumor is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge this is the second case of gastric GIST coexisting with duodenal neuroendocrine tumor to be reported in the literature. Similarly, association of GIST with adenocarcinoma is uncommon. We herein analyze the pathological findings of two such cases, and we review the malignant potential of these synchronous tumors.
A RESEARCH ON THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHLOGICAL RESILENCE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB SATISFACTION AND INTENTION TO LEAVE WORK

The aim of this study is to measure the mediating impact of psychological resilence on job satisfaction and intention to leave work. A total of 113 subjects were included in the sample by means of easy sampling method. A questionnaire form consisting of four parts was used as the data collection tool. In the first part, personal information form with demographic information, psychological resilience in the second section, job satisfaction scale in the third part and the measure of intention to leave in the fourth section were used. As a result of the study, a positive and significant relationship between job satisfaction and psychological resilience (β = 0.48; p <0.05), negative and significant relationship between psychological resilience and intention to quit (β = -0.23; p <0 , 05), there was a negative and significant relationship between job satisfaction and intention to leave (β = -0.57; p <0.05). There is no mediating effect of psychological resilience in the relationship between job satisfaction and job intention. The indirect effect of job satisfaction on the intention to leave from work (through psychological resilience) was -0.10 and this effect was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). Psychological resilience variable causes 7% change in the relationship between job satisfaction and intention to leave.
Four-sector cross-shaped urban microcellular systems with intelligent switched-beam antennas

A four-sector cross-shaped urban microcellular system with intelligent switched-beam antennas is proposed. Each sector covers a street block with a base station located at an intersection, and an intelligent beam-switching scheme is used to locate mobile users in the most suitable beam coverage. Due to directional narrow-beam patterns and waveguide effects of tall buildings, radio signals along vertical and horizontal streets do not interfere with each other. Therefore, a channel can be reused simultaneously in multiple neighboring cells as long as cochannels do not encounter each other along the line of sight. The proposed scheme has a channel reuse efficiency of 0.95 for a traffic load of 0.02 [new-call arrivals/s/cell]. The system also increases system capacity more than three times with a blocking probability of 1% and considerably reduces handoff traffic when compared with a conventional cross-shaped microcellular system with an omnidirectional beam pattern.
Optical Flow Approach Followed by SVM Classification Model to Recognize Abnormal Behavior of a Crowd

A many of researches have been carried out in the field of the crowd behavior recognition system. Recognizing crowd behavior in videos is most challenging and occlusions because of irregular human movement. This paper gives an overview of optical flow model along with the SVM (Support Vector Machine) classification model. This proposed approach evaluates sudden changes in motion of an event and classifies that event to a category: Normal and Abnormal. Geometric means of location, direction, and displacement of the feature points of each frame are estimated. Harris corner Detector is used in each frame for tracking a set of feature points. Proposed approach is very effective in real time scenario like public places where security is most important. After analyzing result ROC curve (receiver operating characteristics) is plotted which gives classification accuracy. We also presented frame level comparison with Ground truth and social force model (SFM) techniques. Our proposed approach is giving a promising result compare to all state of art methods.
Design & Implementation of Parallel Linear GP for the IBM Cell Processor

We present two different single-core parallel SIMD linear genetic programming (LGP) systems for the IBM Cell Processor on the Playstation3. Our algorithms harness their computational power from the parallel capabilities of the Cell Processor. We implement two evolutionary algorithms and look at the classical problem of symbolic regression of functions. The first LGP generates a single offspring and selection from the population occurs randomly. The second algorithm generates two offspring and selection from the population is performed using k-tournament with k = 2. Mutation occurs at macro and micro levels. Both SIMD instructions and register operands are subject to mutation. We use a static population of 648 individuals due to memory and data transfer restrictions and, experiments are constrained to 300 seconds of computational time. Our results indicate that both EAs perform equally well though the first algorithm is faster and outperforms the 2nd algorithm in some cases. We speculate that the speed at which generations are iterated through is significantly greater than that of a typical tree-based GP and sequential linear GP.
Factors Affecting Mouse-Based 3D Selection in Desktop VR Systems

We present two experiments on mouse-based point selection in a desktop virtual reality system using stereo display and head-tracking. To address potential issues of using a mouse cursor with stereo display, we also evaluate the impact of using a one-eyed (mono) cursor. While a one-eyed cursor visualization eliminates depth conflicts, recent work suggests it offers worse performance than stereo cursors, possibly due to eye discomfort. Our results indicate that presenting the cursor in stereo significantly reduces performance for targets at different depths. The one-eyed cursor eliminates this effect, offering better performance than both screen-plane and geometry-sliding cursors visualized in stereo. However, it also performed slightly worse than stereo cursors in situations without depth conflicts. Our study suggests that this difference is not due exclusively to the relative transparency of such a cursor, hence eye fatigue or similar may be responsible.
Change Detection of Mobile LIDAR Data Using Cloud Computing

Change detection has long been a challenging problem although a lot of research has been conducted in different fields such as remote sensing and photogrammetry, computer vision, and robotics. In this paper, we blend voxel grid and Apache Spark together to propose an efficient method to address the problem in the context of big data. Voxel grid is a regular geometry representation consisting of the voxels with the same size, which fairly suites parallel computation. Apache Spark is a popular distributed parallel computing platform which allows fault tolerance and memory cache. These features can significantly enhance the performance of Apache Spark and results in an efficient and robust implementation. In our experiments, both synthetic and real point cloud data are employed to demonstrate the quality of our method.
Household Location and Race: A 20‐Year Retrospective

In research conducted some 20 years ago, we elucidated the starkly lower suburbanization propensities of black households in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The paper showed that simulated closure of large socio-economic gaps between blacks and whites did little to diminish prevailing high levels of residential segregation or otherwise enhance moves by black households to areas of educational, employment, and housing opportunity. Some two decades later and in the wake of significant urban evolution, this paper assesses anew racial variations in residential location choice. Results of the multinomial logit (MNL) analysis indicate large, persistent racial differentials in intrametropolitan residential location choice. While black location choice in 2000 was relatively more dispersed than in 1980, it remained remarkably concentrated in D.C. and Prince George's County. As in our prior analysis, results showed that large simulated gains in black economic and educational status had little effect on prevailing racial segregation. These findings underscore the ongoing, limited access of black households to schooling, employment, and homeownership opportunities available outside traditional areas of settlement. In marked contrast, the locational choices of Latino and immigrant households bore greater similarity to those of whites and were more sensitive to improvements in socio-economic status.
Determinism Is Ontic, Determinability is Epistemic

Philosophical discourse traditionally distinguishes between ontology and epistemology and generally enforces this distinction by keeping the two subject areas separated. However, the relationship between the two areas is of central importance to physics and philosophy of physics. For instance, many measurement-related problems force us to consider both our knowledge of the states and observables of a system (epistemic perspective) and its states and observables independent of such knowledge (ontic perspective). This applies to quantum systems in particular. This contribution presents an example showing the importance of distinguishing between ontic and epistemic levels of description even for classical systems. Corresponding conceptions of ontic and epistemic states and their evolution are introduced and discussed with respect to aspects of stability and information flow. These aspects show why the ontic/epistemic distinction is particularly important for systems exhibiting deterministic chaos. Moreover, this distinction provides some understanding of the relationships between determinism, causation, predictability, randomness, and stochasticity.
Development of a virtual cluster

VCNet is a non-invasive technology which enhances student learning opportunities by allowing each student individual access to their own virtual cluster without the need for specialised hardware. This paper chronicles the development of a virtual cluster in a university teaching lab to supplement the main cluster activities providing students and developers with essential resources without compromise to the main cluster. Each VCNet is constructed (within a single PC) to the same basic design as the University's main cluster to ensure that programs developed on VCNet will run unaltered on the main cluster. As well as examining how such a system was constructed, the authors assess its performance and review other possible alternatives.
Impact of memory hierarchy on program partitioning and scheduling

Presents a method for determining the cache performance of the loop nests in a program. The cache-miss data are produced by simulating the loop nest execution on an architecturally parameterized cache simulator. We show that the cache-miss rates are highly non-linear with respect to the ranges of the loops, and correlate well with the performance of the loop nests on actual target machines. The cache-miss ratio is used to guide program optimizations such as loop interchange and iteration-space blocking. It can also be used to provide an estimate for the runtime of a program. Both applications are important in scheduling programs for parallel execution. We present examples of program optimization for several popular processors, such as the IBM 9076 SP1, the SuperSPARC and the Intel i860. <<ETX>>
Semantic Enterprise Search (but no Web 2.0)

In this paper, we propose semantic enterprise search as promising technical methodology for improving on accessibility to institutional knowledge. We briefly discuss the nature of knowledge and ignorance in respect to web-based information retrieval before introducing our particular view on semantic search as tight fusion of search engine and semantic web tech- nologies, based on semantic annotations and the concept of intra- institutionwise distributed extensibility while still maintaining free keyword search functionality. Consequently , our archi- tecture implementation makes strong use of the Aperture and Lucene software frameworks but introduces the novel concept of "RDF documents". Because our prototype system is not yet complete, we are not able to provide performance statistics but instead we present a concise example scenario.
Agile Urban Parking Recommendation Service for Intelligent Vehicular Guiding System

Nowadays, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies are exploring a wide range of services such as freeway management, crash prevention & safety, driver assistance, and infotainment of drivers and/or passengers. In this paper, an agile urban parking recommendation service for vehicular intelligent guiding system is designed to facilitate city citizens with fully efficient, real-time and precise parking lot guiding suggestions for the sustainability of the future green city. The system offers drivers a friendly parking lot recommendation sequence and saves driver's time circling around by the accurate prediction of the successful parking probability in each parking lot. The proposed cost model constructs an optimal recommendation sequence considering successful parking probability and time to reach the parking lot. Through the collection and analysis of realistic records from parking lots in Taipei city, a prediction algorithm is developed to estimate the successful parking probability by using current available space counts. Extensive experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the prediction algorithm.
Broadband LNA MMIC design for W-band passive millimetre-wave imaging (PMWI) application

This paper presents a broadband LNA MMIC design with 0.1um GaAs pHEMT process. The peak power gain of 22dB with 3dB bandwidth of 31GHz from 73GHz to 104GHz, and the minimum noise figure of 3.6dB at 82GHz have been achieved by the 4-stage LNA. The input and output return loss is less than -10dB within full W-band. This well-designed LNA with a compact size of 1.75×0.55mm2 will be utilized for passive millimeter-wave imaging (PMWI) application.
A CONSTRUCTIVIST MODEL FOR THINKING ABOUT LEARNING ONLINE

This paper provides a brief overview of constructivist learning theory and explores its implications for instruction in terms of the design of online learning environments that are learner-centered, knowledgecentered, assessment-centered, and community centered. It then presents a model for organizing thinking about technology-mediated learning within a social constructivist frame. The RCET model distinguishes three interacting domains of knowledge construction -- conceptualization, representation, and use within which the unique affordances and constraints of the online medium and their effects on learning can be scrutinized. It is hoped that so narrowing the focus of inquiry might guide research to pursue findings which can meaningfully inform practice and advance online learning.
Tabu search optimization in translucent network regenerator allocation

This paper introduces the Tabu Search optimization algorithm to solve the regenerator allocation problem in translucent networks. The problem consists of finding the minimum number of regenerator nodes which primarily affects the cost of the translucent network. The problem is first solved with an ILP formulation to find the optimal solution without taking into consideration its time performance. The optical reach limit due to the dispersion compensation module and full (static) traffic demand with a 1+1 protection scheme are considered in the network model. The proposed algorithm is then compared with two other heuristics: the maximum infeasibility reduction (MIR) algorithm and the maximum regeneration demand (MRD) algorithm. Numerical results show that the Tabu Search procedure either outperforms or equals the performance of the reference algorithms, while having a lower implementation complexity and comparable convergence speed.
Dynamic Factor Analysis for Cognitive Trajectories∗

We propose a dynamic factor model appropriate for panel datasets and develop an estimation algorithm which can handle datasets with large number of subjects and short temporal information. The algorithm uses a two cycle iterative approach for model estimation in such a large dataset. Each iteration consists of two distinct cycles, both following an EM algorithm approach. This iterative process will continue until convergence is achieved. We utilized a dataset from the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center (NACC) to estimate underlying measures of cognition based on a battery of observed neuropsychological tests. We assess the goodness of fit and the precision of the dynamic factor model estimators and compare it with a non-dynamic version in which temporal information is not used. The dynamic factor model is superior to a non-dynamic version with respect to fit statistics shown in simulation experiments. Moreover, it has increased power to detect differences in the rate of decline for a given sample size.
LED Projector of Pulse Backlight for Machine Vision System

The paper presents technical description of pulse LED backlight. This system is implemented in machine vision systems designed for high-speed processes control. Pulse projectors managed on the basis of starting time and duration of the pulse. The system provides control of electrical parameters of projectors, such as input voltage and current of the LED array, which are measured during backlight pulse operate time. This information gives an indirect measurement of the LED arrays’ state. The design of the system and implementation example are given.