Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
rSYBL

Cloud applications can benefit from the on-demand capacity of cloud infrastructures, which offer computing and data resources with diverse capabilities, pricing, and quality models. However, state-of-the-art tools mainly enable the user to specify “if-then-else” policies concerning resource usage and size, resulting in a cumbersome specification process that lacks expressiveness for enabling the control of complex multilevel elasticity requirements. In this article, first we propose SYBL, a novel language for specifying elasticity requirements at multiple levels of abstraction. Second, we design and develop the rSYBL framework for controlling cloud services at multiple levels of abstractions. To enforce user-specified requirements, we develop a multilevel elasticity control mechanism enhanced with conflict resolution. rSYBL supports different cloud providers and is highly extensible, allowing service providers or developers to define their own connectors to the desired infrastructures or tools. We validate it through experiments with two distinct services, evaluating rSYBL over two distinct cloud infrastructures, and showing the importance of multilevel elasticity control.
Multi-Sensor Obstacle Tracking for Safe Human-Robot Interaction

For human-robot interaction in industrial applications, monitoring the robot surroundings is essential in order to guarantee the safety of humans sharing the workspace with robots. This contribution presents an approach for obstacle detection and tracking based on the fusion of multiple heterogeneous depth sensors which are mounted on board a mobile manipulator. The proposed methods can track arbitrary obstacles all around the robot. Furthermore, a novel method for extrinsic calibration of the sensors is proposed, using the manipulator as a sensor calibration target. This approach enables a robust and accurate calibration without the need for a dedicated calibration object. Experimental results validate the real-time performance of the proposed obstacle tracking method.
A Strongly-Local Contextual Logic

A novel contextual logic is presented that combines features of both multi-context systems and logics of context. Broadly, contextual logics are those with a formal notion of context -- knowledge that is true only under specific assumptions. Multicontext systems use discrete logistic systems as individual contexts, related by meta-level rules, whereas logics of context partition a single knowledge base into contexts, related using object-level rules. The contextual logic presented here is strongly-local, in that knowledge and inference is discrete for individual contexts, but which are nevertheless part of a single logistic system that relates contexts at the object-level, so combining advantages of both. A deductive system of contextual inference and a possible-worlds based semantics is given, with formal results including soundness and completeness, and a number of properties are examined.
To what Extent does the Pedagogy adopted by Trainee Teachers affect Children’s Creativity in Primary Design and Technology Activities?

End of module evaluations from Primary Education trainee teachers in an English university indicate that many trainees lack confidence in supervising practical activities within the classroom. This initial study is part of a larger piece of action research exploring the effects of trainee teachers’ interventions and teaching strategies on children’s creativity. This paper presents some initial findings from a small scale study undertaken in June 2011 with students from a first year of a Primary Education undergraduate course based in an English university. The findings from this initial study originated from a design challenge day, when the trainees were asked to work with 60 eleven years old pupils and act as mentors to small groups of pupils. The pupils were asked to adopt a design process inspired by design engineers at Dyson and designed and made design prototypes for a new product using air. The data collection methods used were questionnaires with trainees, photographs of pupil outcomes, observations during the day and trainees’ reflective diaries. The evidence suggests that the trainees encountered a number of creativity inhibitors during the day (Fasciato and Rogers 2005) and these were centred on supporting dynamics of pupil groups, risk taking and collaborative interaction.
Dirac sea for bosons. II - Study of the naive vacuum theory for the toy model world prior to filling the negative energy sea

We use an idea presented in a previous paper “Dirac Sea for Bosons. I”[Prog. Theor. Phys. 113 (2005), 603] in which, for the first time, we perform a naive second quantization with respect to both negative and positive energy for the Klein-Gordon equation analogous to that with respect to the unfilled Dirac sea for fermions, in order to study as a toy model this naive second quantization theory. The model we treat is not physically realistic, because it employs a Fock space whose norm square possesses indefinite signature, but it nevertheless has interesting possibilities: Although the naive (quantization) theory exhibits a spontaneous breakdown of the usual CPT-symmetry, we show that it possesses a different type of symmetry formulated by a CPT-like theorem. We prove this theorem and present the properties of this “CPT-like” symmetry possessed by our theory.
Social Sciences teachers' perceptions of transformatory learnings and the transfer of transformatory learnings from an initial in-service professional development programme at The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, 2013-2014

This paper investigates how Social Sciences teachers, upon completion, perceive their capability to transfer transformatory learnings gained on an initial in-service Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme (2013-2014) at the School of Education, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Using a phenomenological approach, experiences of 14 teachers from various disciplines within the social sciences were investigated through semi-structured interviews in two concurrent focus group sessions. The research questions investigated what learnings on the programme they perceived as transformatory and what were their perceptions on transferring transformatory learnings in their schools. Findings revealed that the main transformatory learnings on the programme occurred through an expansion of pedagogical content knowledge, becoming a reflective practitioner, sharing a community of practice, and sharpening their professional identity. In the transfer of transformatory learnings,, participants declared an enhanced pedagogical practice, a piquing of interest, a feeling of empowerment and other factors that facilitated the learnings. They mentioned certain barriers to implementation such as the emphasis their schools placed on teaching to the test and the challenge of access to educational technology.
Yeast Mating and Image-Based Quantification of Spatial Pattern Formation

Communication between cells is a ubiquitous feature of cell populations and is frequently realized by secretion and detection of signaling molecules. Direct visualization of the resulting complex gradients between secreting and receiving cells is often impossible due to the small size of diffusing molecules and because such visualization requires experimental perturbations such as attachment of fluorescent markers, which can change diffusion properties. We designed a method to estimate such extracellular concentration profiles in vivo by using spatiotemporal mathematical models derived from microscopic analysis. This method is applied to populations of thousands of haploid yeast cells during mating in order to quantify the extracellular distributions of the pheromone α-factor and the activity of the aspartyl protease Bar1. We demonstrate that Bar1 limits the range of the extracellular pheromone signal and is critical in establishing α-factor concentration gradients, which is crucial for effective mating. Moreover, haploid populations of wild type yeast cells, but not BAR1 deletion strains, create a pheromone pattern in which cells differentially grow and mate, with low pheromone regions where cells continue to bud and regions with higher pheromone levels and gradients where cells conjugate to form diploids. However, this effect seems to be exclusive to high-density cultures. Our results show a new role of Bar1 protease regulating the pheromone distribution within larger populations and not only locally inside an ascus or among few cells. As a consequence, wild type populations have not only higher mating efficiency, but also higher growth rates than mixed MAT a bar1Δ/MAT α cultures. We provide an explanation of how a rapidly diffusing molecule can be exploited by cells to provide spatial information that divides the population into different transcriptional programs and phenotypes.
The Incremental Validity of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

abstract A criticism leveled against the conceptualization of emotional intelligence (EI) as a personality trait is that it overlaps considerably with the higher order personality dimensions and, therefore, has weak utility. To investigate this criticism, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to synthesize the literature examining the incremental validity of the 2 adult self-report forms of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). Twenty-four articles reporting 114 incremental validity analyses of the TEIQue were reviewed according to the studies' methodological features. Additionally, data from 18 studies (providing 105 effect sizes) were pooled in a meta-analysis. Results suggest that the TEIQue consistently explains incremental variance in criteria pertaining to different areas of functioning, beyond higher order personality dimensions and other emotion-related variables. The pooled effect size was relatively small, but statistically and practically significant (ΔR2 = .06, SE = .0116; 95% CI [.03, .08]). The number of covariates controlled for, the form of the TEIQue, and the focus on higher order personality dimensions versus other individual-difference constructs as baseline predictors did not affect the effect size. Analyses conducted at the factor level indicated that the incremental contribution is mainly due to the well-being and self-control factors of trait EI. Methodological issues and directions for future research are discussed.
Real world implementation of belief function theory to detect dislocation of materials in construction

Dislocations of construction materials on large sites represent critical state changes. The ability to detect dislocations automatically for tens of thousands of items can ultimately improve project performance significantly. A Belief_function -based data fusion algorithm was developed to estimate materials locations and detect dislocations. Dislocation is defined as the change between discrete sequential locations of critical materials such as special valves or fabricated items, on a large construction project. Detecting these dislocations in a noisy information environment where low cost Radio Frequency Identification tags are attached to each piece of material, and the material is moved sometimes only a few meters, is the main focus of this study. This work is a continuation of previous research, in which we tackled the location estimation problem by fusing the data from a simulation model. The results indicate the potential of the Belief_function based algorithm to detect object dislocation.
Overview of the Research Work done by Sudhir Agarwal at AIFB , University of Karlsruhe

We have developed a formalism for describing distributed multi-agent processes semantically. The formalism is a novel combination of π-calculus [14] and SHIQ(D) description logic [11] with DL-safe rules [15] and allows describing functional properties (schema, data and behaviour) and non-functional properties (QoS attributes and credentials) of processes in a unifying way [2, 4, 7]. In particular, the formalism supports variables to model relationships between inputs and outputs, mobility of processes, multiple communication protocols, typed names, updates and credential based access control. Such process descriptions are directly executable and during the execution actors prove their credentials by showing semantic SPKI certificates [6, 7].
TREK-1 Regulates Cytokine Secretion from Cultured Human Alveolar Epithelial Cells Independently of Cytoskeletal Rearrangements

Background TREK-1 deficient alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) secrete less IL-6, more MCP-1, and contain less F-actin. Whether these alterations in cytokine secretion and F-actin content are related remains unknown. We now hypothesized that cytokine secretion from TREK-1-deficient AECs was regulated by cytoskeletal rearrangements. Methods We determined F-actin and α-tubulin contents of control, TREK-1-deficient and TREK-1-overexpressing human A549 cells by confocal microscopy and western blotting, and measured IL-6 and MCP-1 levels using real-time PCR and ELISA. Results Cytochalasin D decreased the F-actin content of control cells. Jasplakinolide increased the F-actin content of TREK-1 deficient cells, similar to the effect of TREK-1 overexpression in control cells. Treatment of control and TREK-1 deficient cells with TNF-α, a strong stimulus for IL-6 and MCP-1 secretion, had no effect on F-actin structures. The combination of TNF-α+cytochalasin D or TNF-α+jasplakinolide had no additional effect on the F-actin content or architecture when compared to cytochalasin D or jasplakinolide alone. Although TREK-1 deficient AECs contained less F-actin at baseline, quantified biochemically, they contained more α-tubulin. Exposure to nocodazole disrupted α-tubulin filaments in control and TREK-1 deficient cells, but left the overall amount of α-tubulin unchanged. Although TNF-α had no effect on the F-actin or α-tubulin contents, it increased IL-6 and MCP-1 production and secretion from control and TREK-1 deficient cells. IL-6 and MCP-1 secretions from control and TREK-1 deficient cells after TNF-α+jasplakinolide or TNF-α+nocodazole treatment was similar to the effect of TNF-α alone. Interestingly, cytochalasin D decreased TNF-α-induced IL-6 but not MCP-1 secretion from control but not TREK-1 deficient cells. Conclusion Although cytochalasin D, jasplakinolide and nocodazole altered the F-actin and α-tubulin structures of control and TREK-1 deficient AEC, the changes in cytokine secretion from TREK-1 deficient cells cannot be explained by cytoskeletal rearrangements in these cells.
The importance of geographic locality for online information diffusion

The geographic locality of users is frequently ignored as an important element for the spread of information in online social networks. This is because virtual environments cause the impression that affinities of interest are so important that other factors completely lose relevance. Through the analysis of a real network of online recommendations, this paper evidences the importance of geographic localities for information dissemination in online social networks. We analyzed a recommendation network with associated rewards for service usage of a Brazilian Internet provider. We found out that there are intrinsic characteristics of localities that have a stronger influence in the information diffusion. Our geographic localities have different usage and recommendation patterns so that they play different roles in information diffusion. Also, recommendations tend to have a strong geographical scope in our dataset.
Nitric Oxide as a Unique Bioactive Signaling Messenger in Physiology and Pathophysiology

Nitric oxide (NO) is an intra- and extracellular messenger that mediates diverse signaling pathways in target cells and is known to play an important role in many physiological processes including neuronal signaling, immune response, inflammatory response, modulation of ion channels, phagocytic defense mechanism, penile erection, and cardiovascular homeostasis and its decompensation in atherogenesis. Recent studies have also revealed a role for NO as signaling molecule in plant, as it activates various defense genes and acts as developmental regulator. In plants, NO can also be produced by nitrate reductase. NO can operate through posttranslational modification of proteins (nitrosylation). NO is also a causative agent in various pathophysiological abnormalities. One of the very important systems, the cardiovascular system, is affected by NO production, as this bioactive molecule is involved in the regulation of cardiovascular motor tone, modulation of myocardial contractivity, control of cell proliferation, and inhibition of platelet activation, aggregation, and adhesion. The prime source of NO in the cardiovascular system is endothelial NO synthase, which is tightly regulated with respect to activity and localization. The inhibition of chronic NO synthesis leads to neurogenic and arterial hypertensions, which later contribute to development of myocardial fibrosis. Overall, the modulation of NO synthesis is associated with hypertension. This review briefly describes the physiology of NO, its synthesis, catabolism, and targeting, the mechanism of NO action, and the pharmacological role of NO with special reference to its essential role in hypertension.
IKA : Unity in Heterogeneity Extended abstract

The growth of the Internet has not only greatly simplified the access to existing sources of information but also motivated the creation of numerous new sources. Paradoxically, this growth has made difficult the tasks of finding, extracting, and aggregating relevant information. Gateways, protocols like Object Database Connectivity (ODBC), and standards like eXtensible Markup Language (XML) are gaining popularity for they potentially solve the first issues of heterogeneity and connectivity. As a result, we can anticipate for the near future that large numbers of structured sources will be available. The database community has much to offer to enable users to search and query this highly distributed collection of structured data over the web.
Proximate, Total Phenolic, Antioxidant Activity and Amino Acids Profile of Bali Indigenous Chicken, Spent Laying Hen and Broiler Breast Fillet

Fresh chicken breast fillet of Bali indigenous chicken, spent laying hen and broiler were studied for proximate, total phenolic, antioxidant activity and its amino acids profile. Broiler breast fillet contained higher moisture, fat, and ash contents (P<0.05) compared to Bali indigenous chicken as well as spent hen breast fillets, but protein content, total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity were lower (P<0.05). The amino acids profile of broiler showed that only methionine contents were higher (P<0.05) compared to the other chicken breast fillet samples. Whilst Bali indigenous chicken had highest (P<0.05) glutamic acid and arginine compared to the other chicken meat, and essential amino acid like valine, phenylalanine, threonine, leucine and lysine contents of Bali indigenous chicken was no differ (P>0.05) with spent laying hen, and had higher (P<0.05) compared to broiler breast fillet.
Bipolar disorder in late life: Mania

Pharmacologic and psychosocial treatment options for mania have improved substantially as evidenced by the volume of expert opinion, guidelines, meta-analyses and reports from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) study. However, these sources offer little direct evidence from the treatment of older patients. The lack of data is troublesome because bipolar disorder in late life is complicated by both mental and physical comorbid conditions, making both diagnosis and treatment challenging. Given the increase in the aging adult population, the frequency with which primary care physicians (PCPs) encounter late-life mania will increase as well. What follows is a brief review of the character and control of late-life mania as well as expert inferences from the Acute Pharmacotherapy of Late-Life Mania (GERI-BD) and STEP-BD studies.
Design of low-cost elliptic curve cryptographic engines for ubiquitous security

This paper presents Elliptic Curve Cryptographic (ECC) engines for very constrained devices in ubiquitous security such as passive RFID tags. The proposed scheduling of atomic operations optimizes the EC scalar multiplication at a higher level of finite field arithmetic with improved resource arrangement. Our architecture of arithmetic unit (AU) and circular-shift-based register file (RF) realizes the scheduling effectively. Using 65nm process technology, the ECC engine can produce one scalar multiplication in 250ms with 10.5K gates. The area overhead is 1.23× to 1.54× smaller than other designs; the power of 4. 68μW and energy of 1. 17μJ is also the lowest. The comparison shows that our ECC engines outperform others in terms of cycles, area, power and energy.
Using machine learning methods to avoid the pitfall of cognates and false friends in Spanish-Portuguese word pairs

The fact that 85% of the Portuguese lexicon contains Spanish cognates and that the linguistic structures of both languages are highly coincident is believed to be an advantage for the Spanish speaker who learns Portuguese. However, these similarities have some negative aspects in the learning of Portuguese, such as, the pitfall of false friends, since about 20% of cognates are false. The aim of this article is to identify cognates and false friends between Spanish and Portuguese automatically to build dictionaries of these words. One of the uses for these dictionaries is to support scientific writing tools, which can help lower barriers for Spanish speakers when they write in Portuguese.
The Effects of SQ3R on Fifth Grade Students' Comprehension Levels

Dr. Cindy Hendricks, Advisor Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading and affects the understanding of all content areas. Students are successful readers when they are able to pull important information from texts and connect the new information with previously stored schemata. In the science content area, new information is very difficult to acquire because of the difficult concepts and vocabulary. For students to connect previously learned materials with schemata, prior knowledge must be activated. When prior knowledge is activated, students begin to prepare for reading. However, it is equally as important that students have a reading strategy in place when they begin reading science materials. The reading strategy SQ3R is a systematic strategy that can be used to aid students in comprehending expository materials. This research study was conducted with the purpose of determining whether integrating SQ3R into fifth grade students’ science reading strategies would improve their overall comprehension. The study also investigated students’ preexisting reading strategies and their thoughts on whether they would continue to implement SQ3R into their reading habits. The results of the study indicated that SQ3R significantly improved fifth grade students’ overall comprehension scores of expository texts. The study also indicated that 46.9% of the students used in the study had a preexisting reading strategy. The most common preexisting reading strategy was note taking. It was found that 68.7% of the students used in the study would use the reading strategy SQ3R in the future. It is recommended that teachers as well as administrators recognize the importance of reading strategies and educate the students and parents on possible strategies that can be used to improve comprehension.