Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Les pratiques participatives sur le lieu de travail : Apprentissage et remaniement de pratiques culturelles

This discusses learning through work and throughout working life as workplace participatory practices (Billett 2002). These practices comprise a relational duality between what the workplace affords individuals and how they engage with what is afforded them. It is relational, because the social suggestion exercised through workplace activities is of greater or lesser intensity and comprehensiveness. Even if individuals wanted to faithfully reproduce the practices suggested through the workplace, they are still required to construe their intent and process. Yet their construal and construction of these is mediated by their understanding and capacities. Indeed, rather than uncritically and faithfully reproducing what they encounter through their workplace experiences, individuals engage in an active process of construing and constructing meaning that has a cognitive legacy (i.e. learning). Moreover, beyond individuals' learning, this active process of construal and construction also constitutes the active remaking of the cultural practices that comprises their paid work. So both individuals' vocational practice and their work practices
Experimental evaluation of Active Vibration Control of a flexible plate using proportional gain controller

Active Vibration Control (AVC) is well known nowadays as an optimum technique in vibration suppression of flexible structures. Due to the complexity of the dynamics system of flexible structures, vibration control process is quite a challenge. In this paper, the vibration control of flexible plate using classical proportional feedback gain controller method is studied, experimentally. The AVC-P controller design is implemented to a full clamped flexible plate system to evaluate its vibration attenuation performance. The system's dynamic model considering the collocated placement of the sensor and actuator is derived within the LabVIEW environment. The first five frequencies of vibration mode were obtained. The result indicated that the AVC-P controller propose possessed the ability to attenuate vibration of the flexible structure.
SIRUS: A mobile robot for Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) ship hull inspection

This paper describes the current development status of a mobile robot designed to inspect the outer surface of large oil ship hulls and floating production storage offloading (FPSO) platforms. These are usually former oil tanker ships, especially adapted to work as an oil offshore platform. Several mechanisms of corrosion are present in such structures, worsen by the abnormal static operation regime of the vessel and other causes. This situation requires a detailed program of inspection, using several non destructive detection (NDT) techniques, operated manually. Here, a robotic crawler designed to perform such inspections is presented. Locomotion over the hull is provided trough a pair or DC-motor propelled magnetic tracks, while the system is controlled by two networked PCs and a set of custom hardware to drive the motors, video cameras, ultrasound (US), inertial platform and other devices. Navigation is provided by a extended Kalman filter sensor fusion formulation, integrating hodometry and inertial sensors. The current version of the prototype is able to perform ultrasound thickness measurements in the dry part of the hull.
Functional Diversity of P-Type and R-Type Calcium Channels in Rat Cerebellar Neurons

By combining single-channel and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we have established the sensitivity to ω-agatoxin IVA and ω-conotoxin MVIIC (SNX-230) of G1, G2, and G3, the three novel non-L-, non-N-type Ca2+ channels characterized previously in rat cerebellar granule cells. G1 channels were blocked irreversibly by both ω-conotoxin MVIIC and low doses of ω-agatoxin IVA (saturation at 50 nm). Thus, according to pharmacological criteria, G1 channels must be classified as P-type Ca2+channels. Being slowly inactivating during depolarizing pulses and completely inactivated at voltages in which steady-state inactivation of P-type channels in Purkinje cells is negligible, G1 represents a novel P subtype. Neither G2 nor G3 was blocked irreversibly by ω-conotoxin MVIIC, and therefore both are R-type Ca2+channels. G2 and G3 have some biophysical properties similar to those of low-voltage-activated (LVA) Ca2+ channels (e.g., voltage range for steady-state inactivation, V1/2 = −90 mV), some properties similar to those of high-voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ channels (e.g., high sensitivity to Cd2+ block), and other properties intermediate between those of LVA and HVA Ca2+ channels, with LVA properties prevailing in G2 and HVA properties prevailing in G3. The R-type whole-cell current was inhibited by Ni2+with a biphasic dose–response curve (IC50: 4 and 153 μm), suggesting that G2 and G3 may have a different sensitivity to Ni2+ block. Our results uncover functional diversity of both native P-type and R-type Ca2+ channels and show that R subtypes with distinct biophysical properties are coexpressed in rat cerebellar granule cells.
A Discrete Channel Model for Capturing Memory and Soft-Decision Information: A Capacity Study

A discrete (binary-input 2q-ary output) communication channel with memory is introduced with the objective to judiciously capture both the statistical memory and the soft-decision information of time-correlated fading channels modulated via binary phase-shift keying and coherently demodulated with an output quantizer of resolution q. It is shown that the discrete channel can be explicitly described in terms of its binary input process and a 2q-ary noise process. It is also shown that the channel is symmetric and admits a simple expression for its capacity when its noise is stationary ergodic. The 2q-ary noise process is next modeled via a generalized version of the recently studied binary queue-based channel (2007) to produce a mathematically tractable stationary ergodic M'th order Markovian noise source with 2q + 2 parameters. Numerical results indicate that the capacity of the discrete channel with q = 2, 3 is substantially improved over the cases of perfect channel interleaving (which yields an equivalent memoryless channel) and of hard-decision demodulation (q = 1). These results point to potentially large performance gains achievable by designing coding schemes for this discrete channel that exploit both its memory and soft-decision information, as opposed to ignoring either of them.
Coenzyme Q10 Reduces Ethanol-Induced Apoptosis in Corneal Fibroblasts

Dilute ethanol (EtOH) is a widely used agent to remove the corneal epithelium during the modern refractive surgery. The application of EtOH may cause the underlying corneal fibroblasts to undergo apoptosis. This study was designed to investigate the protective effect and potential mechanism of the respiratory chain coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an electron transporter of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and a ubiquitous free radical scavenger, against EtOH-induced apoptosis of corneal fibroblasts. Corneal fibroblasts were pretreated with CoQ10 (10 µM) for 2 h, followed by exposure to different concentrations of EtOH (0.4, 2, 4, and 20%) for 20 s. After indicated incubation period (2–12 h), MTT assay was used to examine cell viability. Treated cells were further assessed by flow cytometry to identify apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the change in mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed using dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate/2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCFH-DA/DCF) assays and flow-cytometric analysis of JC-1 staining, respectively. The activity and expression of caspases 2, 3, 8, and 9 were evaluated with a colorimetric assay and western blot analysis. We found that EtOH treatment significantly decreased the viability of corneal fibroblasts characterized by a higher percentage of apoptotic cells. CoQ10 could antagonize the apoptosis inducing effect of EtOH. The inhibition of cell apoptosis by CoQ10 was significant at 8 and 12 h after EtOH exposure. In EtOH-exposed corneal fibroblasts, CoQ10 pretreatment significantly reduced mitochondrial depolarization and ROS production at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min and inhibited the activation and expression of caspases 2 and 3 at 2 h after EtOH exposure. In summary, pretreatment with CoQ10 can inhibit mitochondrial depolarization, caspase activation, and cell apoptosis. These findings support the proposition that CoQ10 plays an antiapoptotic role in corneal fibroblasts after ethanol exposure.
Socialization into Skilled Identities: An Analysis of a Neglected Phenomenon

This paper examines a neglected aspect of the debate about skill in contemporary economic sociology. It focuses on the processes of socialization whereby skilled workers acquire their social identities. It is suggested that apprenticeship relations between older and younger workers are of prime importance. It is also argued that skilled workers acquire a multiple set of identities—occupational, craft and class—which can be ranked hierarchically. These multiple identities act as resources for the interpretation of events. It is also argued that socialization into skilled identities is linked with forms of meaning acquired by apprentices prior to entry into paid employment.
A comprehensive empirical comparison of modern supervised classification and feature selection methods for text categorization

An important aspect to performing text categorization is selecting appropriate supervised classification and feature selection methods. A comprehensive benchmark is needed to inform best practices in this broad application field. Previous benchmarks have evaluated performance for a few supervised classification and feature selection methods and limited ways to optimize them. The present work updates prior benchmarks by increasing the number of classifiers and feature selection methods order of magnitude, including adding recently developed, state‐of‐the‐art methods. Specifically, this study used 229 text categorization data sets/tasks, and evaluated 28 classification methods (both well‐established and proprietary/commercial) and 19 feature selection methods according to 4 classification performance metrics. We report several key findings that will be helpful in establishing best methodological practices for text categorization.
New peer-to-peer overlay network for content-based publish/subscribe systems

Publish/subscribe has become a prevalent model for distributed content delivery due to its ability to decouple communication between participants. It has remained a challenge to design a scalable overlay supporting the complexity of content-based publish/subscribe systems, while satisfying the desirable properties large distributed systems should have. This paper presents the design of Mirinae, a new structured peer-to-peer overlay mesh based on the interests of peers. To fulfil the gap between the rich subscription language of publish/subscribe and the logical address of overlay network, we devise a bloom-filter based mapping scheme. Given an event, Mirinae provides a flexible and efficient dissemination tree minimizing the participation of non-matching nodes. Our evaluation demonstrates that Mirinae is able to achieve its goals of scalability, efficiency, and adaptiveness.
Nonoperative Treatment of Patellar Instability

The treatment of patellar instability is challenging and typically begins with nonoperative methods. Clinical decisions are made on an individual basis and may vary according to a number of factors. First-time patellar dislocations most commonly occur during sports participation. Initial evaluation, including patient history, physical examination, and appropriate imaging, determines care. Although nonoperative treatment consists primarily of regressive immobilization and physical therapy, there is little evidence to support particular protocols for either. Factors that may contraindicate nonoperative treatment include osteochondral lesions and recurrent instability. In these cases, surgery is considered. Reported recurrence rates after nonoperative treatment of acute patellar dislocation are 15% to 44%. Well-designed studies are needed to determine not only the outcomes of nonoperative versus surgical treatment of patellar instability but also the risk factors that may predict poor outcomes in either group.
Outage-optimal relay selection in wireless sensor networks using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation

This paper focuses on the problem of selecting the optimal common node (CN) in a wireless sensor network to serve as the relay to aid the data transmission between the cluster head (CH) and the data fusion center (DFC). Optimal relay selection with the objective of minimizing the outage probability is a difficult problem which depends on multiple factors. In this paper, an outage-optimal relay selection algorithm using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is proposed. The algorithm takes into consideration both the channel state information and the cooperation power information of the nodes, and uses fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to select the optimal relay. The optimum fuzzy weight, which guarantees the optimality of the proposed relay selection algorithm in terms of the outage probability, is specified using general-purpose iterative methods. Simulation results show that the proposed relay selection algorithm evidently outperforms the algorithm based only on the channel state information in terms of the outage probability.
Merging Observation and Access in Dynamic Logic

Rational agents base their actions on information from observation, inference, introspection, or other sources. But this information comes in different kinds, and it is usually handled by different logical mechanisms. We discuss how to integrate external ‘updating information’ and internal ‘elucidating information’ into one system of dynamic epistemic logic, by distinguishing two basic informational actions: ‘bare seeing’ versus ‘conscious realization’. 1 Rational agency, logic, and the problem of information diversity Logical dynamics in rational agency Was Gödel’s diary kept in German or in English? I can fly to Princeton and check (if Google Earth does not zoom in that close these days), or try to infer the answer in comfort at home from the facts in John Dawson’s biography, or failing all that, I might call some East Coast friend who knows the answer. Rational agents have a great variety of ways for getting new information, and they use it for a great variety of purposes. Observation, inference, and communication all seem equally respectable ways for agents to obtain information, and in the program of ‘logical dynamics’ (van Benthem 1996), they should indeed all be handled on a par. In my paper ‘Tell it Like It Is’ (Journal of Peking University, Humanities and Social Science Edition, No. 1, 2008, pp. 80 – 90), I describe the logical challenges which arise in this way, sketching how current dynamic logics of information update, belief revision, preference change, and strategic interaction all address aspects of this total behaviour of rational agents, which then need to be integrated. 1 In particular, since all these activities are information-driven, our logical systems need to be able to integrate the various kinds of information that are relevant to the above picture. But then, we have a problem of compatibility – and it is of long standing by now: 1 The further paper ‘Logic, Rational Agency, and Intelligent Interaction’, an invited lecture at the 13 International Congress of Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Beijing 2007, Proceedings to appear with College Publications, London, lays out the program in greater detail.
Modeling Indivisible Demand

Disaggregate demand in the marketplace exists on a grid determined by the package sizes offered by manufacturers and retailers. Although consumers may want to purchase a continuous-valued amount of a product, realized purchases are constrained by available packages. This constraint might not be problematic for high-volume demand, but it is potentially troubling when demand is small. Despite the prevalence of packaging constraints on choice, economic models of choice have been slow to deal with their effects on parameter estimates and policy implications. In this paper we propose a general framework for dealing with indivisible demand in economic models of choice, and we show how to estimate model parameters using Bayesian methods. Analyses of simulated data and a scanner-panel data set of yogurt purchases indicate that ignoring packaging constraints can bias parameter estimates and measures of model fit, which results in the inaccurate measures of metrics such as price elasticity and compensating value. We also show that a portion of nonpurchase in the data e.g., 2.27% for Yoplait Original reflects the restriction of indivisibility, not the lack of preference. The importance of demand indivisibility is also highlighted by the counterfactual study where the removal of the smallest package size i.e., 4 oz mainly results in nonpurchase in the yogurt category instead of switching to larger package sizes.
The pathway to enriching teaching and assessment with technology

Embedding learning technologies into teaching requires a range of new skills and knowledge for academics in higher education. While teaching programmes are designed for learners to achieve diff erent learning outcomes, academics can adopt alternative teaching strategies and assessment methods to provide a conducive learning environment through learning technologies. Th ere is a need to collaborate with technical experts to design and develop interactive materials, while academics need to acquire skills in the daily operation of networked learning environments. To implement and manage these new practices, academics need to set clear expectations as they take on diff erent roles to guide and support students to exceed their potential. Finally, academics can review eff ects on student learning and teaching practice to see if changes in practice can provide further evidence of achieving the intended outcomes.
Efficient Image Classification using Data Mining

Skin region detection plays an important role in a variety of applications such as face detection, adult image filtering and gesture recognition. We present some definitions about digital imaging or numerical imaging and also the several image preprocessing and normalization. In this paper, we will tackle with two sub-problems which is the skin detection and face detection. We will propose skin detection method and some realized works in this area. Thus, we will detail the methods proposed for the face detection and the related studies found in literature. We will finish, by showing and analyzing the results obtained from tests made on a base of colored images with a complex background and make comparison to similar works which demonstrate that our algorithm achieve good accuracy.
Dynamic techniques for yield enhancement of field programmable logic arrays

Two techniques are presented to increase the effective yield of field programmable logic arrays (FPLAs). In the first technique, a reconfiguration scheme is proposed to dynamically alter the product-term allocation of the mask PLA onto the product lines of the raw FPLA once a type-two fault is diagnosed. This technique does not require any extra product lines to obtain a usable destination FPLA. The second technique utilizes the often unused product lines within the FPLA. It is shown that once an error is detected during the programming procedure, a product line can always be desensitized from the rest of the FPLA. The intended product term is then simply reprogrammed onto one of the extra product lines. <<ETX>>
2-D Wavelet-Based Spectra with Application in Analysis of Geophysical Images

We propose a wavelet-based spectral method for estimating the (directional) Hurst parameter in isotropic and anisotropic non-stationary fractional Gaussian fields. The method can be applied to self-similar images and, in general, to ddimensional data that scale. In the application part, we consider denoising of 2-D fractional Brownian fields and the classification of the clouds/temperature satellite images. In the first application, we use Bayesian inference calibrated by information from the wavelet-spectral domain to separate the signal, in this case the 2-D Brownian field, and the noise. For the classification of geophysical images we first estimate directional Hurst exponents and use them as an input to selected machine learning algorithms.
Symmetry and Cauchy completion of quantaloid-enriched categories

We formulate an elementary condition on an involutive quantaloid Q under which there is a distributive law from the Cauchy completion monad over the symmetrisation comonad on the category of Q-enriched categories. For such quantaloids, which we call Cauchy-bilateral quantaloids, it follows that the Cauchy completion of any symmetric Q-enriched category is again symmetric. Examples include Lawvere's quantale of non-negative real numbers and Walters' small quantaloids of closed cribles.
Small rational points on elliptic curves over number fields

Let E/k be an elliptic curve over a number field. We obtain some quantitative refinements of results of Hindry-Silverman, giving an upper bound for the number of k-rational torsion points, and a lower bound for the canonical height of non-torsion k-rational points, in terms of expressions depending explicitly on the degree of k and the Szpiro ratio of E/k. The bounds exhibit only polynomial dependence on both quantities.
Tobramycin administered by the TOBI® Podhaler® for persons with cystic fibrosis: a review

From its introduction, the antibiotic tobramycin has been an important tool in the management of persons with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections. Initially an intravenous rescue treatment for pulmonary exacerbations, tobramycin delivered by inhalation has become a mainstay of chronic suppressive CF infection management. Platforms for tobramycin aerosol delivery have steadily improved, with increased lung deposition complimented by decreased device complexities, loaded tobramycin doses, delivery times, and treatment burdens. Most recently, a unique tobramycin inhalation powder (TIP) formulation with a portable delivery system, the TOBI® Podhaler® (Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland) has been developed and approved in Europe, Canada, and Chile. Four capsules, each containing 28 mg of TIP are successively pierced and inhaled via the T-326 Dry Powder Inhaler Device (Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland). No external power source is required to deliver an efficacious tobramycin dose in minutes. By comparison, tobramycin inhalation solution (TIS) (TOBI®; Novartis), is delivered by LC® Plus (PARI Respiratory Equipment Inc, Midlothian, VA) jet nebulizer powered by an air compressor over 15–20 minutes. Comparative pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy studies of TIS and TIP in CF subjects with P. aeruginosa ≥ 6 years old demonstrate that: tobramycin lung deposition with 112 mg TIP is comparable to that attained with 300 mg TIS, TIP is more effective than placebo and not inferior to TIS with respect to pulmonary function benefit, and TIP has significantly faster treatment times and achieves higher patient satisfaction than TIS. TIP is associated with an increased frequency of mild to moderate local adverse events (cough, dysphonia, and dysgeusia) compared with TIS, however, these become less frequent as subjects gain TIP experience. These results suggest that the TOBI Podhaler may better meet the needs of many CF patients and families by reducing treatment time and complexity and improving patient satisfaction compared with TIS.