Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REDUCING HANDOFF DELAY IN WLAN USING SELECTIVE PROACTIVE CONTEXT CACHING

In IEEE 802.11 wireless networks, continuous connectivity which allows user mobility and maintains network utilization is one of the most important requirements. In order to establish and keep service state information during the handoff process, the context transfer protocol is used to transfer service state from the originally associated base station to another base station. These base stations exchange messages to establish a secure channel between the APs for transmitting the STA context information. The entire process, however, inevitably increases the overall handoff latency. To resolve the predicament, we propose the Selective Proactive Context Caching (SPCC) technique to proactively propagate security context of the mobile client to a selected set of neighboring base stations before re-association occurs. Unlike the conventional 802.11 handoff mechanism in which cooperation among neighboring base stations does not exist, a selected neighboring base stations in SPCC exchange link quality information of the mobile client through LAN and this information is stored into cache memory. Based on the link quality information, the originally associated AP selects a set of neighboring APs and forwards the security context of mobile station through the LAN. Simulation results show an improvement of 62% in reducing the re-association handoff delay. Specifically, the re-association delay is reduced from 3.2 ms in the 802.11 handoff mechanism to 1.2 ms when SPCC is applied.
HMG Proteins and DNA Flexibility in Transcription Activation

ABSTRACT The relative stiffness of naked DNA is evident from measured values of longitudinal persistence length (∼150 bp) and torsional persistence length (∼180 bp). These parameters predict that certain arrangements of eukaryotic transcription activator proteins in gene promoters should be much more effective than others in fostering protein-protein interactions with the basal RNA polymerase II transcription apparatus. Thus, if such interactions require some kind of DNA looping, DNA loop energies should depend sensitively on helical phasing of protein binding sites, loop size, and intrinsic DNA curvature within the loop. Using families of artificial transcription templates where these parameters were varied, we were surprised to find that the degree of transcription activation by arrays of Gal4-VP1 transcription activators in HeLa cell nuclear extract was sensitive only to the linear distance separating a basal promoter from an array of bound activators on DNA templates. We now examine the hypothesis that this unexpected result is due to factors in the extract that act to enhance apparent DNA flexibility. We demonstrate that HeLa cell nuclear extract is rich in a heat-resistant activity that dramatically enhances apparent DNA longitudinal and torsional flexibility. Recombinant mammalian high-mobility group 2 (HMG-2) protein can substitute for this activity. We propose that the abundance of HMG proteins in eukaryotic nuclei provides an environment in which DNA is made sufficiently flexible to remove many constraints on protein binding site arrangements that would otherwise limit efficient transcription activation to certain promoter geometries.
A critique of the deep and surface approaches to learning model

This paper is a critical analysis of Biggs's deep and surface approaches to learning model, which is prominent in the higher education and tertiary learning fields. The paper reflects on the model's origins and the contextual pressures of the educational landscape extant at that time. It is argued that these pressures have led to a demonstrable lack of serious critique of the model, which has truncated the model's development, leaving it underdeveloped. There are significant problems with the model in the areas of supporting evidence, imprecise conceptualisation, ambiguous language, circularity, and a lack of definition of the underlying structure of deep and surface approaches to learning.
Here, there, and everywhere: correlated online behaviors can lead to overestimates of the effects of advertising

Measuring the causal effects of online advertising (adfx) on user behavior is important to the health of the WWW publishing industry. In this paper, using three controlled experiments, we show that observational data frequently lead to incorrect estimates of adfx. The reason, which we label "activity bias," comes from the surprising amount of time-based correlation between the myriad activities that users undertake online. In Experiment 1, users who are exposed to an ad on a given day are much more likely to engage in brand-relevant search queries as compared to their recent history for reasons that had nothing do with the advertisement. In Experiment 2, we show that activity bias occurs for page views across diverse websites. In Experiment 3, we track account sign-ups at a competitor's (of the advertiser) website and find that many more people sign-up on the day they saw an advertisement than on other days, but that the true "competitive effect" was minimal. In all three experiments, exposure to a campaign signals doing "more of everything" in given period of time, making it difficult to find a suitable "matched control" using prior behavior. In such cases, the "match" is fundamentally different from the exposed group, and we show how and why observational methods lead to a massive overestimate of adfx in such circumstances.
SWIF-IT : A Tool for Memory Fault Injection and Protection

Memory corruption is a common reality in today’s society where using cheap commodity parts are the norm. Such corruption can be detrimental to the stability of the Linux operating system. Our goal for Project SWIF-IT (Software-Implemented Fault Inject & Tolerance) is to understand how resilient Linux is to random corruption of its data structures. Through software fault injection, we have found that in general, Linux crashes immediately when we corrupt an address data member, but that it is more tolerant to corruption of other data member types. We also introduce a solution called the Redundancy Repository that offers a service to detect and recover from corrupted data. Finally, we show that our solution does not introduce any significant performance overhead.
Cataract surgery in camp patients: a study on visual outcomes.

AIM To assess the complications and visual outcomes associated with cataract surgery in camp patients operated at a tertiary centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a retrospective study, 206 outreach camp patients had undergone cataract surgeries with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation under peribulbar anesthesia over a period of 6 months. Post-operative complications on Day 1 were graded as per Oxford Cataract Treatment and Evaluation Team (OCTET) definitions. One month postoperative complications, best corrected visual acuity and refractive errors were assessed. RESULTS 206 eyes underwent cataract extraction with PCIOL implantation. Small incision cataract surgery (SICS) was the commonest method (78.6%) used. The most common first post-operative day complication was mild iridocyclitis (26.2%). The complications were based on OCTET definitions, and showed that 33 % had Grade I and 3.4 % had Grade II complications. The major post-operative complication after 4 weeks of surgery was posterior capsular opacity. 89.8 % of the eyes had a 4 week-post-operative best corrected visual acuity of e± 6/24. The commonest refractive error was myopia with against the rule astigmatism, seen in 86 out of 150 cases. CONCLUSION High quality cataract surgery with a low rate of intra-operative complications and good visual outcome can be attained in camp patients operated in the base hospitals, thus justifying more similar screening camps to clear the vast cataract backlog.
Improving ASR performance on non-native speech using multilingual and crosslingual information

This paper presents our latest investigation of automatic speech recognition (ASR) on non-native speech. We first report on a non-native speech corpus an extension of the GlobalPhone database which contains English with Bulgarian, Chinese, German and Indian accent and German with Chinese accent. In this case, English is the spoken language (L2) and Bulgarian, Chinese, German and Indian are the mother tongues (L1) of the speakers. Afterwards, we investigate the effect of multilingual acoustic modeling on non-native speech. Our results reveal that a bilingual L1-L2 acoustic model significantly improves the ASR performance on non-native speech. For the case that L1 is unknown or L1 data is not available, a multilingual ASR system trained without L1 speech data consistently outperforms the monolingual L2 ASR system. Finally, we propose a method called crosslingual accent adaptation, which allows using English with Chinese accent to improve the German ASR on German with Chinese accent and vice versa. Without using any intra lingual adaptation data, we achieve 15.8% relative improvement in average over the baseline system.
The Treatment of Autism: a Human Protest

MIKE MURRAY is a native Texan who recently completed his PhD m climcal psychology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas. He is currently chief psychologist at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Clinic m the center’s Department of Pediatncs. Mike feels that he has learned a great deal from his patients, having come to realize the importance of the mind and that man is more than the sum total of his environment. His immediate household consists of himself, a loving wife, and a haughty cat. Havmg just completed the doctorate, his main task at the moment is to cease to be a student and to become a person again. This is a gradual process. In the meantime, Mike enjoys tennis, reading, and taking long walks.
Comparison of Three Commercial Molecular Assays for Detection of Rifampin and Isoniazid Resistance among Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in a High-HIV-Prevalence Setting

ABSTRACT In a head-to-head comparison of the MTBDRplus version 2.0 (Hain Lifescience), the Xpert MTB/RIF (Cepheid), and the Anyplex MTB/NTM (Seegene) assays, we demonstrated equal sensitivity (59/61; 96.7%) and specificity (53/54; 98.1%) for detecting rifampin resistance with further analysis of discordances. The Xpert assay does not detect isoniazid resistance while the Anyplex assay showed high false positivity.
Dynamic Measurement of Hemodynamic Parameters and Cardiac Preload in Adults with Dengue: A Prospective Observational Study

Few previous studies have monitored hemodynamic parameters to determine the physiological process of dengue or examined inferior vena cava (IVC) parameters to assess cardiac preload during the clinical phase of dengue. From January 2013 to July 2015, we prospectively studied 162 hospitalized adults with confirmed dengue viral infection using non-invasive cardiac output monitoring and bedside ultrasonography to determine changes in hemodynamic and IVC parameters and identify the types of circulatory shock that occur in patients with dengue. Of 162 patients with dengue, 17 (10.5%) experienced dengue shock and 145 (89.5%) did not. In patients with shock, the mean arterial pressure was significantly lower on day 6 after fever onset (P = 0.045) and the pulse pressure was significantly lower between days 4 and 7 (P<0.05). The stroke volume index and cardiac index were significantly decreased between days 4 and 15 and between days 5 and 8 after fever onset (P<0.05), respectively. A significant proportion of patients with dengue shock had an IVC diameter <1.5 cm and IVC collapsibility index >50% between days 4 and 5 (P<0.05). Hypovolemic shock was observed in 9 (52.9%) patients and cardiogenic shock in 8 (47.1%), with a median (interquartile range) time to shock onset of 6.0 (5.0–6.5) days after fever onset, which was the median day of defervescence. Intravascular hypovolemia occurred before defervescence, whereas myocardial dysfunction occurred on the day of defervescence until 2 weeks after fever onset. Hypovolemic shock and cardiogenic shock each occurred in approximately half of the patients with dengue shock. Therefore, dynamic measures to estimate changes in hemodynamic parameters and preload should be monitored to ensure adequate fluid therapy among patients with dengue, particularly patients with dengue shock.
The Evidence base for Mindfulness based Interventions for Chronic Pain

Teixeira et al. (2008) reviewed peer-reviewed studies in which meditation was the primary intervention with populations experiencing chronic pain, established by medical history. All programmes in the studies reviewed included a didactic/ educational component, relaxation and a small group format. The majority of studies reviewed based their intervention on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme developed by Kabat-Zinn (1982). Teixeira et al. identified ten studies meeting these inclusion criteria: Six studies were randomised controlled trials or quasiexperimental studies and four had no control group.
Deformation texture-based features for classification in Alzheimer's disease

Neurological pathologies are often reflected in brain magnetic resonance images as abnormal global or local anatomical changes. These variations can be computed using non-rigid registration and summarized using Jacobian determinant maps of the resulting deformation field, which characterise local volume changes. We propose a new approach which exploits the information contained in Jacobian determinant maps of the whole brain in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) classification by means of texture analysis. Textural features were derived from whole-brain Jacobian determinant maps based on 3D Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix. The large number of features obtained depicts anatomical variations at different resolution, allowing retaining both global and local information. Principle component analysis was applied for feature reduction such that 95% of the data variance was retained. Classification was performed using a linear support vector machine. We evaluated our approach using a bootstrapping procedure in which 92 subjects were randomly split into separate training and testing sets. For comparison purposes, we implemented two dissimilarity-based classification approaches, one based on pairwise registration and the other based on registration to a single template. Our new approach significantly outperformed the other approaches. The results of this study showed that pairwise registration did not bring added value compared to registration to a single template and textural features were more informative than dissimilarity-based features. This study demonstrates the potential of texture analysis on whole brain Jacobian determinant map for diagnosis of AD subjects.
Engineering multilevel overlay graphs for shortest-path queries

An overlay graph of a given graph G = (V, E) on a subset S ⊆ V is a graph with vertex set S and edges corresponding to shortest paths in G. In particular, we consider variations of the multilevel overlay graph used in Schulz et al. [2002] to speed up shortest-path computation. In this work, we follow up and present several vertex selection criteria, along with two general strategies of applying these criteria, to determine a subset S of a graph's vertices. The main contribution is a systematic experimental study where we investigate the impact of selection criteria and strategies on multilevel overlay graphs and the resulting speed-up achieved for shortest-path computation: Depending on selection strategy and graph type, a centrality index criterion, selection based on planar separators, and vertex degree turned out to perform best.
Has massification of higher education led to more equity? Clues to a reflection on Portuguese education arena

Massification is an undeniable phenomenon in the higher education arena. However, there have been questions raised regarding the extent to which a mass system really corresponds to an effective democratisation not only of access, but also of success. With regards to access, this article intends, through a brief analysis of the expansion of higher education in Portugal (contextualised in the European context), to focus on how the political system and higher education institutions (HEIs) have answered the social need for a highly skilled workforce and an increased demand for tertiary education. If access democratisation can be questioned, then it stands to reason that more doubts may arise regarding the democratisation of academic outcomes. The methodology underlying this study involved the collection and analysis of relevant data from official international and national sources. This allowed for a comparison of the diverse realities and building the national panorama in terms of democratisation not only of access, but also of success. The comparison of these different quantitative inputs shows that applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds are proportionally fewer in number, and tend to enrol in less socially prestigious institutions and study programmes. Students' financial support and social support systems are analysed so as to gauge the state of Portuguese higher education. Despite the advances made in Portugal on the system's expansion and on access to higher education, equity of access and outcomes in higher education have not yet been achieved, thus meaning that the democratisation process has not been fully accomplished.
Prediction of long-term functional outcome after stroke rehabilitation

Objective: To ”nd patient characteristics in the early post stroke phase that could predict three years functional outcome. Design: Prospective study. Setting: In-hospital rehabilitation department (admission and discharge). Outpatient department one and three years post stroke. Subjects: One hundred and forty-two stroke patients (56% women), median age 75 years. Main outcome measures: Barthel Index (BI) score; BI score change; accommodation status; Rankin scale score; and Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) score, all registered three years post stroke. Results: The percentages of patients still living at home after one and three years were 88% and 83%, respectively. Twenty per cent of the patients had deteriorated according to the BI after three years, mostly due to recurrent strokes (odds ratio (OR) 10.3; 95% con”dence interval (CI) 3.0–35.5) and co-morbidity with other disabling disorders (OR 3.9; CI 1.1–13.5). Co-morbidity also emerged as an important risk factor for dependency according to BI score (OR 8.8; CI 2.4–32.1) as well as for a poor FAI score (OR 4.9; CI 1.9–13.0). BI in the early phase was the strongest predictor for long-term functional outcome. Urinary incontinence emerged as a risk factor for nursing home placement after three years (OR 3.2; CI 0.9–11.3). Cognitive dysfunction was a risk factor for poor FAI scoring (OR 2.7; CI 1.0–7.0). Conclusions: After stroke rehabilitation, concomitant chronic disabling disorders and recurrent strokes seem to play an important role regarding dependency, handicap and long-term functional decline.
The wrong person for the job? Professional habitus and working cultures in Connexions

A paradigmatic shift has taken place in the underlying principles that have, in the past, informed the provision of careers education and guidance (CEG) in the UK. The root cause has been a policy transition to a new service model that emphasizes the importance of CEG as part of New Labour’s social inclusion agenda. This article reflects on this policy transition and, using the Connexions service as a case study, explores some aspects of its effects on professional identities of Connexions personal advisers (PAs) through a Bourdieusian framework. The article argues that a new, externally imposed context and service discourse can affect the various ‘communities of practice’ that operate under the Connexions service. The article also questions policy attempts to create generic forms of professionals for the delivery of future welfare services.
Simple phenolic composition, flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacities in water-methanol extracts of Tunisian common date cultivars (Phoenixdactylifera L.)

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the phenolic acid composition, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of fruits from common date cultivars. The simple phenolic content ranged from 15.73 (Mermella variety) to 54.66 mg/100 g fresh weight (Korkobbi variety). Korkobbi had also the highest content of total flavonoids (54.46 quercetin equivalents/100 g fresh weight). The percentage of inhibition can reach 83% in the lipoperoxyl radical of the Korkobbi variety, while it was about 95% with the Rotbi variety for OH·. The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity value provided a ranking in decreasing order at 6 min: Korkobbi > Bouhattam > Baht = Smiti > Bekreri = Garn ghzal > Mermilla = Kenta > Nefzaoui = Rotbi. It seems that the highest level of flavonoids in the Korkobbi variety was principally responsible for the highest antiradical efficiency of this cultivar.
HORMONAL CONTROL OF REVERSIBLE DEGENERATION OF FLIGHT MUSCLE IN THE COLORADO POTATO BEETLE, LEPTINOTARSA DECEMLINEATA SAY (COLEOPTERA)

In the hibernating (diapausing) Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, the flight muscles show pronounced degeneration. The muscle fibrils are greatly reduced in diameter and the sarcosomes are virtually absent. Similar signs of degeneration could be produced by extirpation of the postcerebral complex of endocrine glands, the corpora cardiaca and corpora allata. Reimplantation of active postcerebral complexes resulted in a very rapid regeneration of the muscle fibrils and new formation of sarcosomes.
Relay selection for two‐way opportunistic relaying with outdated Nakagami‐m estimates

Opportunistic relay selection (RS) is an efficient method to obtain diversity gain in two‐way relaying protocol with multiple relays. However, in practical wireless networks, the channel state information (CSI) used in the RS procedure becomes outdated because of the feedback delay, which severely deteriorates the system performance. In this paper, we study the RS strategies that aim to optimise the system outage performance of two‐phase two‐way opportunistic relaying protocol in Nakagami‐m channels. RS schemes for two different cases are designed, that is, (i) the scheme with only the outdated CSI during the RS procedure and (ii) the scheme with both the outdated CSI and the statistical knowledge of channels during the RS procedure. The system outage performance and the achievable diversity for the proposed schemes are analysed theoretically. It is shown that the RS schemes that use the statistical knowledge of channels can not only provide improvement in outage probability but also harvest diversity gain. Simulation results are presented to evaluate the performances while validating the theoretical analyses for the proposed schemes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Autogenic massacre as a maladaptive response to status threat

Autogenic massacres are killings of two or more individuals in a single spree, motivated by personal problems or psychopathology (Mullen, Behavioral Sciences and the Law 2004, 22(3), 311–323). No attempts known to us have been made to explain autogenic massacres from an evolutionary psychological perspective. We sought to determine whether these massacres were likely committed by males who experienced status threats, as throughout human evolution threats to status and barriers to ascent would have had profound reproductive consequences for males due to female selectivity (Buss & Schmitt, Psychological Review 1993, 100, 204–232). We gathered available information about occupational, economic, and relationship statuses of perpetrators of autogenic massacres and the triggers of such murders. As predicted, typical perpetrators were low- or mid-status males with relatively low educational attainment and a history of relationship problems, and the trigger in most cases was a status loss or threat. Our evidence suggests that autogenic murderous rampages, though clearly psychopathological, may be rooted in part in male genetic preprogramming to defend status.