Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Communication in Intelligent Distributed Fault Tolerant Systems

Intelligent Agents have originated a lot of discussion about what they are, and how they are different from general programs. We describe in this paper a new paradigm for intelligent agents. This paradigm helped us deal with failures in an independent and efficient way. We proposed three types of agents to treat the system in a hierarchical way. A new method to visualize fault tolerant systems (FTS) is proposed, in this paper with the incorporation of intelligent agents, which as they grow and specialized create the Multi-Agent System (MAS). The MAS contains a diversified range of agents, which depending on the perspective will be specialized or will be evolutionary (from our initially proposal they will be specialized for the detection and possible solution of errors that appear in an FTS). The initial structure of the agent is proposed in (1) and it is called a reflected agent with an internal state and in the Method MeCSMA (2).
Aspiring principal development programme evaluation in New Zealand

Purpose – The New Zealand Ministry of Education has constructed a wide‐ranging “Professional Development Plan” providing a four‐stage national pathway for progression to principalship; the first stage has been the conduction of the National Aspiring Principals Pilot (NAPP) programme in five regional locations. The purpose of this paper is to outline the evaluation of the programme.Design/methodology/approach – A mixed method approach for evaluation was employed where qualitative and quantitative data were collected almost simultaneously, and compared and contrasted.Findings – Key findings indicated overall sound programme delivery, curriculum coherence, high relevancy to stakeholders and good rates of principal appointments. Greater emphasis is placed on distinctive findings that have not been reported elsewhere. These included: primary‐sector participants rating course facilitation, online learning, and “relevancy of the course for principal development” more positively than their secondary counterparts;.
A Critical Analysis of Empirical Research in Software Testing

In the foreseeable future, software testing will remain one of the best tools we have at our disposal to ensure software dependability. Empirical studies are crucial to software testing research in order to compare and improve software testing techniques and practices. In fact, there is no other way to assess the cost-effectiveness of testing techniques, since all of them are, to various extents, based on heuristics and simplifying assumptions. However, when empirically studying the cost and fault- detection rates of a testing technique, a number of validity issues arise. Further, there are many ways in which empirical studies can be performed, ranging from simulations to controlled experiments with human subjects. What are the strengths and drawbacks of the various approaches? What is the best option under which circumstances? This paper presents a critical analysis of empirical research in software testing and will attempt to highlight and clarify the issues above in a structured and practical manner.
RNA Structures Required for Production of Subgenomic Flavivirus RNA

ABSTRACT Flaviviruses are a group of single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses causing ∼100 million infections per year. We have recently shown that flaviviruses produce a unique, small, noncoding RNA (∼0.5 kb) derived from the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of the genomic RNA (gRNA), which is required for flavivirus-induced cytopathicity and pathogenicity (G. P. Pijlman et al., Cell Host Microbe, 4: 579-591, 2008). This RNA (subgenomic flavivirus RNA [sfRNA]) is a product of incomplete degradation of gRNA presumably by the cellular 5′-3′ exoribonuclease XRN1, which stalls on the rigid secondary structure stem-loop II (SL-II) located at the beginning of the 3′ UTR. Mutations or deletions of various secondary structures in the 3′ UTR resulted in the loss of full-length sfRNA (sfRNA1) and production of smaller and less abundant sfRNAs (sfRNA2 and sfRNA3). Here, we investigated in detail the importance of West Nile virus Kunjin (WNVKUN) 3′ UTR secondary structures as well as tertiary interactions for sfRNA formation. We show that secondary structures SL-IV and dumbbell 1 (DB1) downstream of SL-II are able to prevent further degradation of gRNA when the SL-II structure is deleted, leading to production of sfRNA2 and sfRNA3, respectively. We also show that a number of pseudoknot (PK) interactions, in particular PK1 stabilizing SL-II and PK3 stabilizing DB1, are required for protection of gRNA from nuclease degradation and production of sfRNA. Our results show that PK interactions play a vital role in the production of nuclease-resistant sfRNA, which is essential for viral cytopathicity in cells and pathogenicity in mice.
Effects of exenatide (exendin-4) on glycemic control over 30 weeks in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin and a sulfonylurea.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effects of exenatide, a novel incretin mimetic, in hyperglycemic patients with type 2 diabetes unable to achieve glycemic control with metformin-sulfonylurea combination therapy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A 30-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed in 733 subjects (aged 55 +/- 10 years, BMI 33.6 +/- 5.7 kg/m(2), A1C 8.5 +/- 1.0%; means +/- SD) randomized to 5 microg subcutaneous exenatide b.i. d. (arms A and B) or placebo for 4 weeks. Thereafter, arm A remained at 5 microg b.i. d. and arm B escalated to 10 microg b.i. d. Subjects continued taking their dose of metformin and were randomized to either maximally effective (MAX) or minimum recommended (MIN) doses of sulfonylurea. RESULTS Week 30 A1C changes from baseline (+/-SE) were -0.8 +/- 0.1% (10 microg), -0.6 +/- 0.1% (5 microg), and +0.2 +/- 0.1% (placebo; adjusted P < 0.0001 vs. placebo), yielding placebo-adjusted reductions of -1.0% (10 microg) and -0.8% (5 microg). In the evaluable population, exenatide-treated subjects were more likely to achieve A1C < or =7% than placebo-treated subjects (34% [10 microg], 27% [5 microg], and 9% [placebo]; P < 0.0001). Both exenatide arms demonstrated significant weight loss (-1.6 +/- 0.2 kg from baseline each exenatide arm, -0.9 +/- 0.2 kg placebo; P < or = 0.01 vs. placebo). Mild or moderate nausea was the most frequent adverse event. The incidence of mild/moderate hypoglycemia was 28% (10 microg), 19% (5 microg), and 13% (placebo) and appeared lower with MIN than with MAX sulfonylurea treatment. CONCLUSIONS Exenatide significantly reduced A1C in patients with type 2 diabetes unable to achieve adequate glycemic control with maximally effective doses of combined metformin-sulfonylurea therapy. This improvement in glycemic control was associated with no weight gain and was generally well tolerated.
Grouping instances in kNN for classification based on computer mouse features

Computer mouse usage features could be used to distinguish web page visitors. Particular data instances representing user's navigation actions are insufficient when used separately to perform classification with basic k-nearest neighbors (kNN) classifier. We propose a modification of kNN method in which instances of the same class form groups. Finding the nearest neighbors is based on measuring distance between histograms representing distributions of values for the corresponding groups. The paper provides a series of experiments on dataset from 100 web visitors. It describes comparison of several distance metrics as well as different levels of grouping. Combination of non-parametric tests statistics for measuring distance and suitable size of groups improves classification success rate significantly.
Evaluation of the microbial population in ruminal fluid using real time PCR in steers treated with virginiamycin

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of virginiamycin (VM ) supple - mentation on ruminal fermentation and microbial populations in steers. Four ruminally cannulated Chinese Luxi steers (BW 559.4 ± 30.1 kg) were used in a crossover design experiment with an experimental period of 28 days. The forage to concentrate ratio of the basal diet was 35:65 on dry matter basis. The experiment consisted of control treatment and treatment with control diet plus VM at a dose of 30 mg/kg concentrate (DM basis). Rumen fluid was collected at 07:30 prefeeding, at 11:30 and 17:30 postfeeding on day 27 and 28. A part of the pooled sample from rumen fluid was transferred to anaerobic culture by a roll-tube tech - nique and analysed for species-specific real-time PCR quantification. The remaining pooled rumen fluid sample was analyzed for pH, VFA, ammonia N and l-lactic acid. The results showed that VM increased the ruminal pH (6.70 vs. 6.63; P < 0.05), but it decreased ammonia nitrogen (4.94 vs. 6.19 mg/100 ml; P < 0.01) and mean counts of amylolytic bacteria and proteolytic bacteria ( P < 0.01) as compared to the control. The additive VM did not affect the l-lactic acid concentration (1.39 vs. 1.26 mmol/l) in rumen fluid. Compared to the control, the steers receiving VM have altered a trend of quantification of Selenomonas ruminantium, Anaerovibrio lipolytica, Ruminococcus albus and Streptococcus bovis in rumen fluid (0.05< p<0.1) as com- pared to the control. However, VM had no significant effect on Lactobacillus spp. (P = 0.41), Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens (P = 0.35), on the genus Ruminococcus (P = 0.25), Ruminococcus flavefaciens (P = 0.52), Prevo- tella ruminicola (P = 0.54), on the genus Prevotella (P = 0.67) and Megasphaera elsdenii (P = 0.97). In this study, we found that VM had selective effects on ruminal bacteria and influenced ruminal fermentation by changing a part of the specific ruminal bacteria populations.
Multifunctional Inorganic Nanoparticles: Recent Progress in Thermal Therapy and Imaging

Nanotechnology has enabled the development of many alternative anti-cancer approaches, such as thermal therapies, which cause minimal damage to healthy cells. Current challenges in cancer treatment are the identification of the diseased area and its efficient treatment without generating many side effects. Image-guided therapies can be a useful tool to diagnose and treat the diseased tissue and they offer therapy and imaging using a single nanostructure. The present review mainly focuses on recent advances in the field of thermal therapy and imaging integrated with multifunctional inorganic nanoparticles. The main heating sources for heat-induced therapies are the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in the near infrared region and alternating magnetic fields (AMFs). The different families of inorganic nanoparticles employed for SPR- and AMF-based thermal therapies and imaging are described. Furthermore, inorganic nanomaterials developed for multimodal therapies with different and multi-imaging modalities are presented in detail. Finally, relevant clinical perspectives and the future scope of inorganic nanoparticles in image-guided therapies are discussed.
Prevalence of Congenital Hypothyroidism in Isfahan, Iran: Results of a Survey on 20,000 Neonates

Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in a screening program performed for the first time in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: From May 2002 to December 2002, T4 and TSH serum concentrations of 20,000 3- to 7-day-old newborns, born in all 17 hospitals of the city, were measured by radioimmunoassay and immunoradiometric assay, respectively. The newborns with abnormal screening results (TSH >20 mIU/l, T4 <6.5 µg/dl and based on the weight) were re-examined. Results: Of 531 recalled subjects (recall rate 2.6%), 54 were confirmed to be hypothyroid, showing a prevalence of 1:370 for CH. Conclusion: Considering the high frequency of CH, the necessity of implementing a routine screening program in the healthcare system of Isfahan Province is emphasized.
Effects of deep brain stimulation frequency on bradykinesia of Parkinson's disease

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is frequency‐dependent. Past studies of the effect of DBS frequency, however, involved scrutiny of too few frequencies to eliminate risk of undersampling. Also, these studies presented averaged measures across subjects; high intersubject variability makes these measures problematic. In this study, 6 subjects with PD were tested in a drug‐minimal state. Following 10 minutes of stimulation at the new frequency, all available frequencies were tested. Hand‐opening and hand‐closing amplitude and frequency were measured in 3 epochs of 15 seconds each. Multiple frequencies (low and high) resulted in peaks of increased movement amplitudes. Peaks were specific and varied among individuals. No clear relationship between stimulation frequency and movement frequency was discovered. In light of the findings, a wider range of stimulation frequencies should be examined, particularly lower frequencies. Most current theories of PD pathophysiology and DBS mechanisms of action fail to explain results of the kind demonstrated herein. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Escolha de parceiros sexuais e investimento parental: uma perspectiva desenvolvimental

Este artigo apresenta duas teorias acerca da escolha de parceiro(a)s sexuais, assim como suas implicacoes para a Psicologia do Desenvolvimento. O campo de investigacao objetiva explicar os mecanismos envolvidos na escolha de parceiro(a)s sexuais - atracao sexual, desenvolvimento de vinculos e estabelecimento de relacoes duradouras. A Teoria da Estrategia Sexual possui como principal premissa o conceito de estrategia, que considera o comportamento humano como direcionado para objetivos especificos e para solucionar problemas de acasalamento, oriundos do ambiente evolucionario de adaptacao da historia humana. A adaptacao decorre do contexto, especialmente da natureza das estrategias de acasalamento - curto ou longo prazo. Essas estrategias utilizariam o investimento parental como mecanismo psicologico de escolha de parceiro(a)s. Uma abordagem desenvolvimental, sobreposta a primeira, prioriza formacao e manutencao de vinculos entre parceiro(a)s sexuais, proveniente de dois fatores: o primeiro constitui-se num mecanismo de escolha exaptado do mecanismo de apego e o segundo baseia-se nas caracteristicas propensao, familiaridade e enamoramento romântico. Atualmente, nao se podem refutar quaisquer dessas visoes. Deve-se aguardar respostas conclusivas pelo teste de hipoteses rivais. Em qualquer caso, a teoria deve explicar, simultaneamente, universalidade, diversidade cultural e trajetorias desenvolvimentais particulares sob a perspectiva evolucionaria. Nesse empreendimento, devem ser elucidadas dimensoes causal, funcional, ontogenetica e filogenetica. Palavras-chave: escolha de parceiro(a)s sexuais; investimento parental; Psicologia Evolucionista.
Detecting moxifloxacin‐induced QTc prolongation in thorough QT and early clinical phase studies using a highly automated ECG analysis approach

Exposure–response (ER) modelling (concentration–QTc analysis) is gaining as much acceptance as the traditional by‐time analysis of the placebo‐adjusted change from baseline in the QTc interval (ΔΔQTcF). It has been postulated that intensive ECG analysis and ER modelling during early‐phase drug development could be a cost‐effective approach of estimating QT liability of a new drug, in a small number of subjects.
The Basis of the Primacy Effect: Some Experiments with Running Memory

Five experiments using the “running memory span” (RMS) technique are reported, in which subjects attempt to recall a specified number of items from the end of long sequences of digits, presented at a rate of 2/s. In Experiments I–III critical lists are included in the series which are exactly equal in length to the specified recall series. Despite the RMS set, these critical lists exhibit (I) marked primacy effects, and (2) an impairment in recall of terminal items (a “rebound effect”), compared to the baseline RMS performance. The rebound effect occurs (Experiments IV and V) even when recall of earlier items is not required. These two phenomena are robust: they occur in different experiments in which, rehearsal patterns, report order, expectancies and retrieval load are controlled. The results suggest an origin for primacy which is of a perceptual (i.e. pre-storage) nature, and that selective rehearsal is not a necessary condition for the effect to occur. A possible role of habituation of the orienting response in this phenomenon is discussed.
Determinants of Human Cyclin B1 Association with Mitotic Chromosomes

Cyclin B1–CDK1 activity is essential for mitotic entry, but questions remain regarding how the activity of this kinase is spatially regulated. Previous studies showed that the cyclin B1 subunit localizes to several compartments of a mitotic cell, including the centrosomes, mitotic spindle, kinetochores and chromosomes via distinct sequence elements. Mitotic chromosome association occurs through the unstructured N-terminal domain of cyclin B1 and is independent of CDK1 binding. Here, we use live cell imaging of human cyclin B1 fused to GFP to precisely define the sequence elements within cyclin B1 that mediate its association with condensed mitotic chromosomes. We find that a short, evolutionarily conserved N-terminal motif is required for cyclin B1 to localize to mitotic chromosomes. We further reveal a role for arginine residues within and near the destruction box sequence in the chromosome association of cyclin B1. Additionally, our data suggest that sequences further downstream in cyclin B1, such as the cytoplasmic retention sequence and the cyclin box, may negatively modulate chromosome association. Because multiple basic residues are required for cyclin B1 association with mitotic chromosomes, electrostatic interactions with DNA may facilitate cyclin B1 localization to chromosomes.
Multidimensional persistence in biomolecular data

Persistent homology has emerged as a popular technique for the topological simplification of big data, including biomolecular data. Multidimensional persistence bears considerable promise to bridge the gap between geometry and topology. However, its practical and robust construction has been a challenge. We introduce two families of multidimensional persistence, namely pseudomultidimensional persistence and multiscale multidimensional persistence. The former is generated via the repeated applications of persistent homology filtration to high‐dimensional data, such as results from molecular dynamics or partial differential equations. The latter is constructed via isotropic and anisotropic scales that create new simiplicial complexes and associated topological spaces. The utility, robustness, and efficiency of the proposed topological methods are demonstrated via protein folding, protein flexibility analysis, the topological denoising of cryoelectron microscopy data, and the scale dependence of nanoparticles. Topological transition between partial folded and unfolded proteins has been observed in multidimensional persistence. The separation between noise topological signatures and molecular topological fingerprints is achieved by the Laplace–Beltrami flow. The multiscale multidimensional persistent homology reveals relative local features in Betti‐0 invariants and the relatively global characteristics of Betti‐1 and Betti‐2 invariants. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intelligent Intrusion Detection System (In2DS) using Wireless Sensor Networks

The continuous search for endurance has transformed the world into a place filled with electronic and digital security systems. Emerging technologies have metamorphosed the nature of surveillance and monitoring applications, but the sensory data collected using these gadgets still remains unreliable and poorly synchronized. In this paper, we detail a research project named Intelligent Intrusion Detection System (In2DS) for remote surveillance and monitoring applications which can greatly improve the existing systems in terms of energy, cost and performance. The motivation for developing In2DS stems from the fact that Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) can provide wider sensing coverage, night & harsh weather surveillance, multi-sensor data fusion and in-network data processing thereby enhancing existing intrusion detection capabilities and improving alarm functionalities. We present preliminary results based on the field experiments conducted as part of the project and provide an in-depth analysis of Passive InfraRed (PIR) sensor detection performance.
Childhood's Garden: Memory and Meaning of Gardens.

This article probes some of the conceptual meanings people attach to gardens, based on memories and meanings of childhood gardens. The role of gardens in child development and place attachment is briefly suggested. The results of interviews with gardeners in California and Norway are used to illustrate different meanings people attach to childhood gardens. Descriptions of favorite places in remembered childhood gardens are used to identify common qualities. Loss and grieving for childhood memories of gardens is discussed as an issue in adulthood. The article concludes with some of the design, planning and management issues facing the future gardens of childhood, including how to restore wildness in backyards.
CX3CR1 Deficiency Confers Protection From Intimal Hyperplasia After Arterial Injury

Objective—A functional polymorphism in the chemokine receptor CX3CR1 is associated with protection from vascular diseases including coronary artery disease and internal carotid artery occlusive disease. We investigated the mechanisms by which CX3CR1 may be involved by evaluating the inflammatory response to arterial injury in CX3CR1-deficient animals. Methods and Results—Femoral arteries of CX3CR1−/− and wild-type (WT) mice were injured with an angioplasty guide wire. After 1, 5, 14, and 28 days, arteries were harvested and evaluated by histology, morphometry, and immunohistochemistry. Arterial injury upregulated the CX3CR1 ligand CX3CL1. In CX3CR1−/− compared with WT animals, the incidence of neointima formation was 58% lower (P=0.0017), accompanied by no difference in the area of platelet accumulation at day 1 (P=0.48) but a significant decrease in intimal monocyte infiltration at day 5 (P=0.006), vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation at days 5 and 14, and intimal area at day 28 (P=0.009). Conclusions—In an endothelial denudation injury model, CX3CR1 deficiency protects animals from developing intimal hyperplasia as a result of decreased monocyte trafficking to the lesion. CX3CR1 deficiency decreases VSMC proliferation and intimal accumulation either directly or indirectly as a result of defective monocyte infiltration.
Wisdom-related knowledge: Age/cohort differences in response to life-planning problems.

A research framework and method are presented in which wisdom is conceived as experts knowledge about fundamental life matters. As illustration, discourse about normative and nonnormative life-planning problems associated with different life phases were examined. Verbal think-aloud protocols, collected from 60 Ss (25-35, 40-50, and 60-81 years of age) were scored on the wisdom criteria by trained raters.