Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimenting with the future of journalism: Social capital as a desideratum for networked journalism research

The aim of this article is to position social capital as a theoretical framework for investigating online communities, specifically pro-am operations. It will review pertinent literature on social capital and the future of journalism in this context, and detail how the broader field of Sociology and this dynamic field of Journalism converge to produce a unique opportunity for pro-am research. Currently, much concern has been expressed regarding the future of journalism institutions in society, and while journalism itself is seen as a cornerstone of democracy, the form of structures that facilitate such practice has been questioned. Compounding this problem is a lack of research that produces data suitable for meta-analysis. For example, case-study data of start-up operations in this volatile field do not provide sufficient grounds for conclusions that could result in evidence-based policy. In response to these dynamics, this article will propose experimentation as a method of research for pro-am start-ups.
Tracery: Approachable Story Grammar Authoring for Casual Users

We present Tracery, an authoring tool for casual users to build grammars to generate interesting stories. While many modern story generation systems work to maintain narrative causality, generative systems like Racter show that non-causal and even nonsensical systems also have expressive power. Using design principles of direct manipulation and flow, Tracery is designed to allow users to author more stories with greater ease, and fully explore the affordances of grammar-based story generation. A small pilot test of users were able to quickly author engaging stories, and praised the system for its fun and usability.
Two routes to aesthetic preference, one route to aesthetic inference.

Aesthetic preferences vary strongly between people. Yet, it can be essential to infer what other people aesthetically prefer. Therefore, we investigated lay people’s ability to infer aesthetic preferences and the involved processes. Because aesthetic preference depends on affective as well as cognitive processes, we asked 40 participants to rate 24 artworks on the dimensions Positive Attraction, Cognitive Stimulation, and Emotionality. Additionally, participants had to infer other people’s judgments concerning the same stimuli and dimensions. In the self-assessment, Positive Attraction correlated strongly with Emotionality as well as with Cognitive Stimulation, whereas in the other-assessment, Positive Attraction correlated only with Emotionality. An interassessment correlation revealed that about half of the participants produced a significant medium to high correlation between their other assessments and the mean others = self-assessment, depending on the respective dimension. Thus, our results indicate that many individuals are able to infer aesthetic preferences, and that preferences for artworks are inferred primarily via affective stimulus appraisal.
Finite choice, convex choice and finding roots

We investigate choice principles in the Weihrauch lattice for finite sets on the one hand, and convex sets on the other hand. Increasing cardinality and increasing dimension both correspond to increasing Weihrauch degrees. Moreover, we demonstrate that the dimension of convex sets can be characterized by the cardinality of finite sets encodable into them. Precisely, choice from an n + 1 point set is reducible to choice from a convex set of dimension n, but not reducible to choice from a convex set of dimension n–1. Furthermore we consider searching for zeros of continuous functions. We provide an algorithm producing 3n real numbers containing all zeros of a continuous function with up to n local minima. This demonstrates that having finitely many zeros is a strictly weaker condition than having finitely many local extrema. We can prove 3n to be optimal.
The Focus of Entrepreneurial Research: Contextual and Process Issues

Low and MacMillan (1988) suggested that research into entrepreneurial behavior should consider contextual issues and identify the processes that explain rather than merely describe the entrepreneurial phenomenon. Recent studies focusing upon entrepreneurial behavior, especially heuristics, and differences between ‘types’ of entrepreneurs are discussed in this review. The literature focusing upon opportunity recognition and information search is examined. Further, the literature relating to the organizational forms selected by entrepreneurs is discussed. Studies examining the relationship between external environmental conditions and the nature of entrepreneurial activity are reviewed. We conclude that additional research attention should be directed towards gaining a greater understanding of the behavior of different types of entrepreneur (i.e., nascent, novice, serial, and portfolio entrepreneurs) and the different organizational forms selected (I.e., corporate venturing, management buy-outs and buy-ins, franchising, and the inheritance of a family firm) by entrepreneurs.
Crosstalk between Platelets and the Immune System: Old Systems with New Discoveries

Platelets are small anucleate cells circulating in the blood. It has been recognized for more than 100 years that platelet adhesion and aggregation at the site of vascular injury are critical events in hemostasis and thrombosis; however, recent studies demonstrated that, in addition to these classic roles, platelets also have important functions in inflammation and the immune response. Platelets contain many proinflammatory molecules and cytokines (e.g., P-selectin, CD40L, IL-1β, etc.), which support leukocyte trafficking, modulate immunoglobulin class switch, and germinal center formation. Platelets express several functional Toll-like receptors (TLRs), such as TLR-2, TLR-4, and TLR-9, which may potentially link innate immunity with thrombosis. Interestingly, platelets also contain multiple anti-inflammatory molecules and cytokines (e.g., transforming growth factor-β and thrombospondin-1). Emerging evidence also suggests that platelets are involved in lymphatic vessel development by directly interacting with lymphatic endothelial cells through C-type lectin-like receptor 2. Besides the active contributions of platelets to the immune system, platelets are passively targeted in several immune-mediated diseases, such as autoimmune thrombocytopenia, infection-associated thrombocytopenia, and fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. These data suggest that platelets are important immune cells and may contribute to innate and adaptive immunity under both physiological and pathological conditions.
Functional Activities and Immunohistochemical Cellular Distribution of Glutathione S-Transferases in Normal, Dysplastic, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Human Oral Tissues

Clinical data show a strong correlation between tobacco and alcohol use and the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). While this association implies that the oral mucosa actively metabolizes carcinogens, there is little information which depicts the carcinogen metabolizing enzymes within the oral cavity. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) primary function is to detoxify carcinogens by increasing their water solubility, GSTs represent key carcinogen metabolizing enzymes. Notably, individuals with a null phenotype for certain GST isoforms are at an increased risk to develop cancer. This study investigated the function and distribution of GSTs in human oral tissues. Our results from this pilot study showed a trend towards higher GST activities in SCC tissues relative to normal mucosa. Also, relative to normal tissues, the SCC and epithelial dysplasia samples showed a more intense and uniform GST intracellular distribution. GST activities are increased in many high grade cancers. Similarly, our data suggest that GST upregulation occurs in at least a subset of precancerous and malignant oral lesions.
Biocompatibility Assessment of PLCL-Sericin Copolymer Membranes Using Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Stem cells based tissue engineering requires biocompatible materials, which allow the cells to adhere, expand, and differentiate in a large scale. An ideal biomaterial for clinical application should be free from mammalian products which cause immune reactivities and pathogen infections. We invented a novel biodegradable poly(L-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)-sericin (PLCL-SC) copolymer membrane which was fabricated by electrospinning. Membranes with concentrations of 2.5 or 5% (w/v) SC exhibited qualified texture characteristics with a noncytotoxic release profile. The hydrophilic properties of the membranes were 35–40% higher than those of a standard PLCL and commercial polystyrene (PS). The improved characteristics of the membranes were due to an addition of new functional amide groups, C=O, N–H, and C–N, onto their surfaces. Degradation of the membranes was controllable, depending on the content proportion of SC. Results of thermogram indicated the superior stability and crystallinity of the membranes. These membranes enhanced human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJMSC) proliferation by increasing cyclin A and also promoted cell adhesion by upregulating focal adhesion kinase (FAK). On the membranes, hWJMSC differentiated into a neuronal lineage with the occurrence of nestin. These data suggest that PLCL-SC electrospun membrane represents some properties which will be useful for tissue engineering and medical applications.
Parallel Appearance of Compulsive Behaviors and Artistic Creativity in Parkinson's Disease

A 55-year-old male with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease developed three behavioral changes under combination therapy with selegiline, cabergoline and levodopa. Co-existent behaviors included severe pathological gambling, punding and novel skills in writing poetry (published poetry books). Brain [18F]fluorodopa PET imaging showed decreased tracer uptake in the striatum contralateral to the predominant motor symptoms, consistent with the clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Uptake in the ventral striatum was markedly high. Brain MRI before and after behavioral changes showed no pathological findings. The patient was diagnosed as having Parkinson’s disease together with DSM-IV criteria-fulfilling pathological gambling and punding-like stereotyped behavior. There are no established criteria for the classification of emerged artistic creativity, although there are descriptions of the phenomenon in the literature. Inspired by the case, we conducted a preliminary survey – including 290 patients with Parkinson’s disease – exploring the possible relationship between creativity and impulsive-compulsive behaviors. The case, supported by the results of the survey, adds to the cumulative evidence of the association between dopaminergic medication and enhanced creativity, and suggests a possible linkage between increased artistic creativity and impulsive-compulsive behaviors in Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, it could be speculated that the high mesolimbic dopamine function might relate to the behavioral changes observed in this patient, and is suggestive of the overlapping neurobiological mechanisms of compulsive behaviors and artistic creativity.
Visual Indexes and Nonconceptual Reference

Just as Moliere's Monsieur Jourdain discovered that he had been speaking prose all his life without realizing it, so I discovered not too long ago that what I had been doing without realizing it occupied a position in the philosophical landscape. It turns out that coming from a very different perspective I had taken a position on a set of questions that philosophers had been worrying about for much of the past 30 or more years. My clandestine involvement in philosophical issues began when a computer science colleague and I were trying to build a model of geometrical reasoning that would draw a diagram and notice things in the diagram as it drew it [1]. One problem we found we had to face was that if the system discovered a right angle it had no way to tell whether this was the intersection of certain lines it had drawn earlier, and if so which particular lines. Moreover, the model had no way of telling whether this particular right angle was identical to some bit of drawing it had earlier encountered and represented as, say, the base of a particular triangle. There was, in other words, no way to determined the identity of an element (I will use this neutral term until I discuss what qualifies as an element) at two different times if it was represented differently at those times. This led to some speculation about the need for what we called a “finger” that could be placed at a particular element of interest and that could be used to identify it as particular token thing (the way you might identify a particular feature on paper by labeling it). In general we needed something like a finger that would stay attached to a particular element and could be used to maintain a correspondence between the individual element that was just noticed now and one that had been represented in some fashion at an earlier time. The idea of such fingers (which came to be called “Fingers of INSTatiation” or FINSTs) then suggested some empirical studies to see if humans had anything like this capability. Thus began a series of experimental investigations of FINSTs that occupied me and my students for much of the past 20 years.
Linguistic features of the therapeutic alliance in the first session: a psychotherapy process study

Critical aspects of the therapeutic alliance appear to be established as early as the first session. Specifically, the affective bond between the therapeutic dyad appears to develop early in treatment and tends to remain stable over time, while agreements on goals and tasks tend to fluctuate over the course of treatment. Are there distinguishable early signs of a strong therapeutic alliance? In this study, we examined how some linguistic measures indicative of joint emotional elaboration correlated with a measure of the therapeutic alliance assessed within a single session. Initial intake sessions with 40 patients with varying diagnoses were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using linguistic measures of referential process and then scored with the Segmented Working Alliance Inventory-Observer form. Results showed that patients who were rated as more emotionally engaged in relating their experiences and then reflecting on them by mid-session also had higher scores in the therapeutic alliance by the final part of that same session. An implication of this study is that the interpersonal factors facilitating elaboration of inner experience, including elements of warmth, safety, and analytic trust, are related to the development of early therapeutic alliance. These findings did not appear to be dependent on the patient’s psychopathology. This study is one in a growing line of research exploring how patients speak rather than just the content of what they say.
A study on the physicochemical parameters for Penicillium expansum growth and patulin production: effect of temperature, pH, and water activity

Abstract Penicillium expansum is among the most ubiquitous fungi disseminated worldwide, that could threaten the fruit sector by secreting patulin, a toxic secondary metabolite. Nevertheless, we lack sufficient data regarding the growth and the toxigenesis conditions of this species. This work enables a clear differentiation between the favorable conditions to the P. expansum growth and those promising for patulin production. A mathematical model allowing the estimation of the P. expansum growth rate according to temperature, a W, and pH, was also developed. An optimal growth rate of 0.92 cm/day was predicted at 24°C with pH level of 5.1 and high a W level of 0.99. The model's predictive capability was tested successfully on artificial contaminated apples. This model could be exploited by apple growers and the industrialists of fruit juices in order to predict the development of P. expansum during storage and apple processing.
Risk and safety of probiotics.

Probiotics have been used safely for years. Safety outcomes are inconsistently reported in published clinical trials. In 2011, a report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality concluded that, although the existing probiotic clinical trials reveal no evidence of increased risk, "the current literature is not well equipped to answer questions on the safety of probiotics in intervention studies with confidence. " Critics point out that the preponderance of evidence, including the long history of safe probiotic use as well as data from clinical trials, and animal and in vitro studies all support the assumption that probiotics are generally safe for most populations. Theoretical risks have been described in case reports, clinical trial results and experimental models, include systemic infections, deleterious metabolic activities, excessive immune stimulation in susceptible individuals, gene transfer and gastrointestinal side effects. More research is needed to properly describe the incidence and severity of adverse events related to probiotics.
Nonlinear Laplacian for Digraphs and its Applications to Network Analysis

In this work, we introduce a new Markov operator associated with a digraph, which we refer to as a nonlinear Laplacian. Unlike previous Laplacians for digraphs, the nonlinear Laplacian does not rely on the stationary distribution of the random walk process and is well defined on digraphs that are not strongly connected. We show that the nonlinear Laplacian has nontrivial eigenvalues and give a Cheeger-like inequality, which relates the conductance of a digraph and the smallest non-zero eigenvalue of its nonlinear Laplacian. Finally, we apply the nonlinear Laplacian to the analysis of real-world networks and obtain encouraging results.
Mechanics, Planning, and Control for Tapping Mechanics, Planning, and Control for Tapping

We present analysis and experimental demonstration of manipulation by tapping. Our problem domain is positioning planar parts on a support surface by a sequence of taps; each tap imparts some initial velocities to the object, which then slides until it comes to rest due to friction. We formulate the mechanics of tapping for circular axisymmetric objects, show how to plan a single tap and a sequence of taps to reach a goal configuration, and present feedback control methods to robustly accomplish positioning tasks. With these methods, we have experimentally demonstrated positioning tasks using tapping, including high-precision positioning tasks in which the object is positioned more precisely than the tapping actuator. We show stability and sensitivity analysis in support of these results. KEY WORDS—impulsive manipulation, impact, robotic manipulation, motion planning, feedback control
Bridgeless boost PFC with fast dynamic response algorithm

In order to improve dynamic performance to load variation of PFC circuit, a digital PFC algorithm with fast dynamic response is proposed in bridgeless Boost PFC. The proposed algorithm improves dynamic response by increasing voltage loop bandwidth, and uses vector rotation scheme to generate compensating harmonic signal which counteracts second order harmonic resulted from increased voltage loop bandwidth. Without adding auxiliary circuit, the fast dynamic response digital algorithm is programmed with graphical approach which corresponds to control chip. Experimental results verify that the system has fast dynamic response when the load power varies in a large-scale, the power factor reaches 0.99 and input current total harmonic distortion (THD) is lower than 10%.
Blind separation of OSTBC signals using ICA neural networks

Space-time block coding (STBC) is a widely studied transmitter diversity scheme able to increase the capacity of the scatter wireless channel. Most of the existing detection techniques at the receiver assume perfect channel knowledge, requiring the use of training sequences. Independent component analysis (ICA) neural networks are a class of non-trained signal processing methods able to separate linearly mixed independent signals. In this paper, we consider the possibility of applying ICA to blindly detect orthogonal STBC without channel knowledge. The recovered signals may also be used to estimate the unknown channel parameters, complementing other classical receiver schemes.
Partitioning in 3D VLSI Physical Design - A Brief Survey

Partitioning plays an increasingly very important role in the physical design process of VLSI circuits and systems. There are partitioning problems to be solved on all levels of abstraction. The available algorithm technology determines how effectively we can address a given partitioning formulation and optimize a given objective. In 3D, the partitioned units are assigned to a particular layer. So, we can say that layer assignment is a part of 3D partitioning. In this paper, we analyze some efficient algorithms for partitioning and layer assignment. Next at the end we discuss the conclusion and future scope of partitioning phase in 3D VLSI physical design.
MULTIPLE GENETIC LINKAGES BETWEEN FEMALE PREFERENCE AND MALE SIGNAL IN RAPIDLY SPECIATING HAWAIIAN CRICKETS

Diverging sexual communication systems can lead to the evolution of new species that no longer recognize each other as potential mates. The coevolution of male and female components of sexual communication is facilitated by physical linkage between genes underlying signals and preferences. By crossing two closely related Hawaiian crickets (Laupala kohalensis and Laupala paranigra) with vastly different song pulse rates and female preferences, and assessing segregation of songs and preferences among second generation backcrosses, we show a strong genetic correlation between song and preference variation. Furthermore, multiple, but not all, quantitative trait loci underlying song variation also predict female preferences. This physical linkage or pleiotropy may have facilitated the striking diversification of pulse rates observed among Laupala species in conjunction with one of the most rapid species radiations so far recorded.
Towards Knowledge-Based Assisted IaaS Selection

Current PaaS platforms enable single or hybrid cloud deployments. However, such deployment types cannot best cover the user application requirements as they do not consider the great variety of services offered by different cloud providers and the effects of vendor lock-in. On the other hand, multi-cloud deployment enables selecting the best possible service among equivalent ones providing the best trade-off between performance and cost. In addition, it avoids cases of service level deterioration due to service under-performance as main effects of vendor lock-in. While many multi-cloud application deployment research prototypes have been proposed, such prototypes do not examine the effect that deployment decisions have on application performance. As such, they blindly attempt to satisfy low-level hardware requirements by neglecting the impact of allocation decisions on higher-level requirements at the component or application level. To this end, this paper proposes a new IaaS selection algorithm which, apart from being able to satisfy both low and high level requirements of different types, it also exploits deployment knowledge offered via reasoning over previous application execution histories to take the best possible allocation decisions. The experimental evaluation clearly shows that by considering this extra knowledge, more optimal deployment solutions are derived, able to maintain the service levels requested by users, in less solving time.