Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding mobile information needs on a large-scale: tools, experiences and challenges

It is well known that the types of information needs that arise while mobile differ significantly from the types of information needs that arise in desktop environments. Limited devices and interactions as well as dynamically changing contexts all have a role to play. However, to date, studies exploring mobile information needs have be relatively small in terms of scale and duration. The goal of this work is to understand more about mobile information needs on a larger-scale. In this paper we outline a study that employs intelligent experience sampling, an online diary and SMS technology as a means to gather insights into the types of needs that occur while mobile. Rather than reporting results, we discuss our experiences, the lessons learned and the challenges faced in terms of deployment, interacting with our participants as well as in analyzing the dataset we generated.
Psychological Counseling To Reduce Adolescent Stress In Child Development Agency

Adolescent is transition phase from childhood to adulthood. Recently, teenagers undergo significant change and development in all aspects, either physical, social, or psychological. One of the developments is on their sexual and hormonal organs, where they would be interested with their sexual counterparts, have desire to date, and yearn for sexual experience. Unlimited sexual activity result in unwanted pregnancy, early marriage, and abortion. If sexual intercourse or teenage pregnancy occurs and the girl’s side did not willing to accept this occurrence, they could press charges and convict the boy’s side through legal processes. The convicted teenagers will be rehabilitated and placed in Child Development Agency (CDA). In Child Development Agency, they suffer from psychological issues such as stress indicated by difficulty to sleep, anxiety, loneliness, short-tempered and easily offended, daydreaming, blaming others, inability to concentrate and so on. These conditions should be intervened by giving psychological counseling—as one of the interventions. The study aims to examine the effects of psychological counseling to reduce stress among teenagers in CDA.The subjects are 10 male and female teenagers who undergo rehabilitation in CDA. The counseling is conducted four times to each subject individually. The analysis is conducted quantitatively by Wilcoxon Ranks Test and qualitatively. The results show significant decrease of stress after counseling. Subjects feel happy because they are understood, given attention, and being listened to thus reducing their loneliness, and it also decrease their duration of daydreaming by doing many activities given by the counselor. Relaxation given in counseling process also help them to sleep, reduce anxiety and increase their concentration. 60% subjects could understand the meaning behind the occurrence they suffer from and are willing to try to be someone better and would not repeat the same mistake.
Using Crowdsourcing to Provide Prosodic Annotations for Non-Native Speech

We present the results of an experiment in which 2 expert and 11 naive annotators provided prosodic annotations for stress and boundary tones on a corpus of spontaneous speech produced by non-native speakers of English. The results show that agreement rates were higher for boundary tones than for stress. In addition, a crowdsourcing approach was implemented to combine the naive annotations to increase accuracy. The crowdsourcing approach was able to match expert agreement for stress (62.1%) with 3 naive annotators, and come within 7.2% of expert agreement for boundary tones (82.4%) with 11 naive annotators. This experiment also demonstrates that noticeable improvements in naive annotations can be obtained with a small amount of additional training.
A new diversity technique: Rotation and space diversity

In this work, we propose a new transmit diversity technique which we call rotation and space diversity. In this technique, in-phase and quadrature components of the rotated symbols are transmitted by two transmitter antennas such that they are affected by different fading coefficients and received by single receiver antenna. Error performance of the proposed technique is studied over frequency non-selective slowly Nakagami-m fading channels. Analytical results are validated by the simulations. According to the results, diversity order of the proposed technique is the sum of diversity orders of channels from the transmit antennas to the receive antenna and with this technique error performance of the system is improved significantly.
Multidimensional dynamic quantile hashing is very efficient for non-uniform record distributions

Previous multidimensional dynamic hashing schemes exhibit two obvious shortcomings. First, even for uniform record distribution, the retrieval performance of these schemes suffers from several disadvantages. In a recent paper we have suggested a multidimensional dynamic hashing scheme which exhibits better retrieval performance than its competitors for uniform distribution. The even more severe second disadvantage of all known multidimensional dynamic hashing schemes is the very poor performance for non-uniform record distributions. In this paper we present the quantile method as a scheme which exhibits for non-uniform distributions practically the same performance as for uniform distributions. This is underlined by experimental runs with an implementation of our scheme. In addition to its excellent performance, our scheme fulfills all the necessary requirements to be used in an engineering database system: it is dynamic, is suitable for secondary storage devices, supports point data and spatial data objects and supports spatial clustering (proximity queries).
Uniting Jimmy and Jackie: Foundation for a Research Program in Developmental Ecological Psychology

ABSTRACT The research program described here is based on an approach to doing developmental research that has at its foundation principles of Ecological Psychology set forth by James Gibson and which has its beginnings in the mentorship provided by Eleanor Gibson. The research summarized covers decades of laboratory studies with infants and young children with a focus on three topics: (a) perceiving and responding to an affordance of nontraversability, (b) perceiving affordances provided by covers used in object permanence research and perceiving hidden affordances, and (c) picking up metamodal information in speech-gesture synchrony for word learning in typically as well as atypically developing children. Findings from this research show the importance of attending to the information-specifying aspects of the environment as well as the nature of the action studied when designing developmental research. It is hoped that this research review will provide insights for Ecological Psychology that come from understanding the beginnings of organism-environment relationships and how these relationships vary and change for different individuals and across the life span.
The Regional Centralization of Electronic Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring and Its Impact on Neonatal Acidemia and the Cesarean Birth Rate

Objective. The improvement of the accuracy of fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern interpretation to improve perinatal outcomes remains an elusive challenge. We examined the impact of an FHR centralization system on the incidence of neonatal acidemia and cesarean births. Methods. We performed a regional, population-based, before-and-after study of 9,139 deliveries over a 3-year period. The chi-squared test was used for the statistical analysis. Results. The before-and-after study showed no difference in the rates of acidemia, cesarean births, or perinatal death in the whole population. A subgroup analysis using the 4 hospitals in which an FHR centralization system was continuously connected (compliant group) and 3 hospitals in which the FHR centralization system was connected on demand (noncompliant group) showed that the incidence acidemia was significantly decreased (from 0.47% to 0.11%) without a corresponding increase in the cesarean birth rate due to nonreassuring FHR patterns in the compliant group. Although there was no difference in the incidence of nonreassuring FHR patterns in the noncompliant group, the total cesarean birth rate was significantly higher than that in the compliant group. Conclusion. The continuous FHR centralization system, in which specialists help to interpret results and decide clinical actions, was beneficial in reducing the incidence of neonatal acidemia (pH < 7.1) without increasing the cesarean birth rate due to nonreassuring FHR patterns.
Molecular Dissection of the Semaphorin 4D Receptor Plexin-B1-Stimulated R-Ras GTPase-Activating Protein Activity and Neurite Remodeling in Hippocampal Neurons

Plexins serve as receptors for repulsive axonal guidance molecules semaphorins. The cytoplasmic domain of the semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) receptor, Plexin-B1 has two separated Ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP)-homologous domains, C1 and C2. Recently, we reported that the Rho family small GTPase Rnd1 associates with Plexin-B1, and the Plexin-B1-Rnd1 complex stimulates GTPase activity of R-Ras, inducing growth cone collapse in hippocampal neurons in response to Sema4D. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Plexin-B1 exhibits the GAP activity remain unclear. In this report, critical roles of Rnd1 and Sema4D in Plexin-B1-stimulated R-Ras GAP activity and neurite remodeling were examined. The N-terminal region of the cytoplasmic domain of Plexin-B1 containing the C1 domain interacts with the C-terminal region containing the C2 domain, and Rnd1 disrupts this interaction. On the other hand, Sema4D induces clustering of Rnd1-bound Plexin-B1, in parallel with inactivation of R-Ras in cells. Antibody clustering of the recombinant cytoplasmic domain of Plexin-B1 in the presence of Rnd1 triggers the R-Ras GAP activity. Deletion of the extracellular domain of Plexin-B1 causes ligand-independent clustering of the receptor, rendering the receptor constitutively active in the presence of Rnd1, and induces contraction of COS-7 cells and inhibition of neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons. These results indicate that Rnd1 opens the two R-Ras GAP domains of Plexin-B1, and Sema4D-induced receptor clustering stimulates R-Ras GAP activity and neurite remodeling in hippocampal neurons.
Dark Matter Candidates

It is now widely accepted that most of mass-energy in the universe is unobserved except by its gravitational effects. Baryons make only about 4% of the total, with ''dark matter'' making up about 23% and the ''dark energy'' responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe making up the remainder. We focus on the dark matter, which is the primary constituent of galaxies. We outline the observed properties of this material, enumerating some candidates covering 90 orders of magnitude in mass. Finally, we argue that the weak scale (100 GeV) is relevant to new physics, including the dark matter problem.
Online Submission ID : 0399 Selective ray tracing for interactive high-quality shadows

We present novel algorithms to achieve interactive high-quality illumination with hard and soft shadows in complex models. Our approach combines the efficiency of rasterization-based approaches with the accuracy of a ray tracer. We use conservative image-space bounds to identify only a small subset of the pixels in the rasterized image and perform selective ray tracing on those pixels. The algorithm can handle moving light sources as well as dynamic scenes. In practice, our approach is able to generate high quality hard and soft shadows on complex models with millions of triangles at almost interactive rates on current high-end GPUs.
Calmodulin Binding to the 3614–3643 Region of RyR1 Is Not Essential for Excitation–Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Myotubes

Calmodulin is a ubiquitous Ca2+ binding protein that modulates the in vitro activity of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor (RyR1). Residues 3614–3643 of RyR1 comprise the CaM binding domain and mutations within this region result in a loss of both high-affinity Ca2+-bound calmodulin (CaCaM) and Ca2+-free CaM (apoCaM) binding (L3624D) or only CaCaM binding (W3620A). To investigate the functional role of CaM binding to this region of RyR1 in intact skeletal muscle, we compared the ability of RyR1, L3624D, and W3620A to restore excitation–contraction (EC) coupling after expression in RyR1-deficient (dyspedic) myotubes. W3620A-expressing cells responded normally to 10 mM caffeine and 500 μM 4-chloro-m-cresol (4-cmc). Interestingly, L3624D-expressing cells displayed a bimodal response to caffeine, with a large proportion of cells (∼44%) showing a greatly attenuated response to caffeine. However, high and low caffeine-responsive L3624D-expressing myotubes exhibited Ca2+ transients of similar magnitude after activation by 4-cmc (500 μM) and electrical stimulation. Expression of either L3624D or W3620A in dyspedic myotubes restored both L-type Ca2+ currents (retrograde coupling) and voltage-gated SR Ca2+ release (orthograde coupling) to a similar degree as that observed for wild-type RyR1, although L-current density was somewhat larger and activated at more hyperpolarized potentials in W3620A-expressing myotubes. The results indicate that CaM binding to the 3614–3643 region of RyR1 is not essential for voltage sensor activation of RyR1.
Underwater Sensor Networking : Research Challenges and Potential Applications

This report summarizes our research directions in underwater sensor networks. We highlight potential applications to off-shore oilfields for seismic monitoring, equipment monitoring, and underwater robotics. We identify research directions in short-range acoustic communications, MAC, time synchronization, and localization protocols for highlatency acoustic networks, long-duration network sleeping, and application-level data scheduling.
Improving understandability of architecture design through visualization of architectural design decision

Concentrating on components and connectors in traditional approaches to document software architecture causes the problems, such as high costs for architecture change and erode during architecture evolution. These problems result in a tendency to record architectural design decisions and their rationale made throughout architecting process. This tendency encourages practitioners and researchers to develop various models and related tools to model, capture, manage, share, and (re)use architectural design decisions. But there still remains a need to visualize and explore architectural design decisions due to the huge number of decisions and relationships among them in large and complex systems development. In this paper, we first make a survey on tools that support visualization of architectural design decisions, their features and deficiencies. Second we investigate how Compendium tool can be employed as a general tool to visualize architectural design decisions and their rationale. Last we present how the visualization by Compendium can improve the understandability and support the communication of architectural design in architecting process.
Identification key to scarabaeid beetle larvae attacking sugarcane in South Africa using DNA barcoding and integrative taxonomy.

Scarabaeid pests in South Africa and especially KwaZulu-Natal are characterised by a very long larval life cycle and short pupal and adult periods. However, it has nearly always been the adults of the species that have been identified, with very little attention paid to larval identification. This is unfortunate, as it is mainly the larval stage that is found to be associated with crop damage. Inadequate keys for the taxonomy of larvae of these groups, as well as the lack of taxonomists working on these groups have been identified as constraints. Using mitochondrial DNA data variation in the base pair sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase sub unit I (cox 1) gene, sequences of cox 1 from scarabaeid larvae collected from sugarcane fields were compared with sequences from scarabaeid adults of known species in order to identify the species attacking sugarcane. The major groupings delimited specimens belonging to the subfamilies Dynastinae, Melolonthinae and Rutelinae. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of larval specimens was linked with mtDNA of identified adult specimens through phylogenetic analysis. This allowed the identification of those larvae through morphological characteristics unique to certain species. Keys were produced during this study which will allow workers to identify larvae, in many cases to species. Obtaining species identifications for larvae will allow the application of species-specific control measures and also will facilitate analysis of interactions among species. These taxonomic advances are a start to the improvement of knowledge of the species composition of scarabaeid larvae in sugarcane fields, thus making management and biological control of these pests a greater possibility.
Visfatin/Nampt: An Adipokine with Cardiovascular Impact

Adipose tissue is acknowledged as an endocrine organ that releases bioactive factors termed adipokines. Visfatin was initially identified as a novel adipokine with insulin-mimetic properties in mice. This adipokine was identical to two previously described molecules, namely, pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF) and the enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt). Enhanced circulating visfatin/Nampt levels have been reported in metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, visfatin/Nampt circulating levels correlate with markers of systemic inflammation. In cardiovascular diseases, visfatin/Nampt was initially proposed as a clinical marker of atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction, and vascular damage, with a potential prognostic value. Nevertheless, beyond being a surrogate clinical marker, visfatin/Nampt is an active player promoting vascular inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Visfatin/Nampt effects on cytokine and chemokine secretion, macrophage survival, leukocyte recruitment by endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle inflammation and plaque destabilization make of this adipokine an active factor in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Further research is required to fully understand the mechanisms mediating the cellular actions of this adipokine and to better characterize the factors regulating visfatin/Nampt expression and release in all these pathologic scenarios. Only then, we will be able to conclude whether visfatin/Nampt is a therapeutical target in cardiometabolic diseases.
Identifying Regional Variation in the Prevalence of Postpartum Haemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective To provide regional estimates of the prevalence of maternal haemorrhage and explore the effect of methodological differences between studies on any observed regional variation. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the prevalence of maternal haemorrhage, defined as blood loss greater than or equal to 1) 500 ml or 2) 1000 ml in the antepartum, intrapartum or postpartum period. We obtained regional estimates of the prevalence of maternal and severe maternal haemorrhage by conducting meta-analyses and used meta-regression to explore potential sources of between-study heterogeneity. Findings No studies reported the prevalence of antepartum haemorrhage (APH) according to our definitions. The prevalence of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) (blood loss ≥500 ml) ranged from 7.2% in Oceania to 25.7% in Africa. The prevalence of severe PPH (blood loss ≥1000 ml) was highest in Africa at 5.1% and lowest in Asia at 1.9%. There was strong evidence of between-study heterogeneity in the prevalence of PPH and severe PPH in most regions. Meta-regression analyses suggested that region and method of measurement of blood loss influenced prevalence estimates for both PPH and severe PPH. The regional patterns changed after adjusting for the other predictors of PPH indicating that, compared with European women, Asian women have a lower prevalence of PPH. Conclusions We found evidence that Asian women have a very low prevalence of PPH compared with women in Europe. However, more reliable estimates will only be obtained with the standardisation of the measurement of PPH so that the data from different regions are comparable.
Antigens but with Altered Cytokine Secretion Cells To Retain the Capacity To Present New Inflammation Conditions Mature Dendritic

Dendritic cells (DCs) are directly activated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and undergo maturation. Mature DCs express high levels of MHC class II molecules (" signal 1 "), upregulate T cell costimulatory receptors (" signal 2 "), and secrete " signal 3 " cytokines (e.g., IL-12). Mature DCs efficiently present Ags linked to the activating PAMP and prime naive T cells. However, mature DCs downregulate MHC II synthesis, which prevents them from presenting newly encountered Ags. DCs can also be indirectly activated by inflammatory mediators released during infection (e.g., IFN). Indirectly activated DCs mature but do not present pathogen Ags (as they have not encountered the pathogen) and do not provide signal 3. Therefore, although they are probably generated in large numbers upon infection or vaccination, indirectly activated DCs are considered to play little or no role in T cell immunity. In this article, we show that indirectly activated DCs retain their capacity to present Ags encountered after maturation in vivo. They can also respond to PAMPs, but the previous encounter of inflammatory signals alters their cytokine (signal 3) secretion pattern. This implies that the immune response elicited by a PAMP is more complex than predicted by the examination of the immunogenic features of directly activated DCs, and that underlying inflammatory processes can skew the immune response against pathogens. Our observations have important implications for the design of vaccines and for the understanding of the interactions between simultaneous infections, or of infection in the context of ongoing sterile inflammation. D endritic cells (DCs) are found in peripheral tissues and secondary lymphoid organs displaying an immature phenotype characterized by high endocytic function and low expression of surface MHC class II (MHC II) and T cell costimulatory molecules, required for naive T cell priming. Immature DCs constitutively synthesize MHC II molecules, load them with peptides derived from proteins degraded in endosomes, and transiently display the resulting complexes on the plasma membrane (1). These complexes are short-lived because they are endocytosed and degraded in lysosomes, a process accelerated by ubiquitination of the MHC II b-chain by the membrane-associated ubiquitin ligase, MARCH 1 (2, 3). The constant flow of newly generated MHC II–peptide complexes toward the cell surface via the endocytic route, and from the surface back to lysosomes for degradation, is responsible for the steady-state accumulation of MHC II molecules in endosomal compartments of immature DCs. Immature DCs also express receptors for pathogen-associated …
Insider Trading and Prediction Markets

Rules limiting insider trading may encourage investment, but they may also discourage exploration of new less-decentralized corporate information processes, such as prediction and decision markets. I review standard corporate information processes and insider trading rules, outline possible improvements that prediction markets might offer, and consider ways we might change insider trading rules to allow both more flexible innovation of information processes and better-encouraged investment.