Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Communication and Efficiency in Competitive Coordination Games

Costless pre-play communication has been found to effectively facilitate coordination and enhance efficiency in games with Pareto-ranked equilibria. We report an experiment in which two groups compete in a weakest-link contest by expending costly efforts. Allowing intra-group communication leads to more aggressive competition and greater coordination than control treatments without any communication. On the other hand, allowing inter-group communication leads to less destructive competition. As a result, intra-group communication decreases while inter-group communication increases payoffs. Our experiment thus provides an example of an environment where communication can either enhance or damage efficiency. This contrasts sharply with experimental findings from public goods and other coordination games, where communication always enhances efficiency and often leads to socially optimal outcomes.
Lay and Professional Constructions of Time: Implications for Illness Behaviour and Management of a Chronic Condition

Time permeates all aspects of our everyday lives but its very centrality often renders it invisible. This article examines how temporal understandings and priorities shape and inform lay and professional constructions of illness, understandings of symptoms and help-seeking behaviour, based on semi-structured interviews with 20 GPs and 16 parents of children with asthma. This identifies the significance of a temporal perspective for beliefs about the nature of asthma as episodic or linear, the appropriate sequences and timing of symptoms and treatment, patterns of help-seeking, and perceptions of speed and treatment choices. Comparing GPs' and parents' accounts highlights both the concordance and divergences in temporal perspectives.We argue that understanding the complexity of illness behaviours requires engagement with the ways in which temporal understandings shape and inform behaviours throughout the illness trajectory and may vary among different social and cultural groups.
A multichannel affine projection algorithm with applications to multichannel acoustic echo cancellation

A straightforward generalization of the so-called affine projection algorithm (APA) to the multichannel (MC) case is easily obtained. However, due to the strong correlation between the input signals of the various channels, the resulting algorithm converges very slowly. The article describes the way to overcome this problem and derives an efficient algorithm that makes use of additional orthogonal projections.
Identification and Characterization of Ambroxol as an Enzyme Enhancement Agent for Gaucher Disease*

Gaucher disease (GD), the most prevalent lysosomal storage disease, is caused by a deficiency of glucocerebrosidase (GCase). The identification of small molecules acting as agents for enzyme enhancement therapy is an attractive approach for treating different forms of GD. A thermal denaturation assay utilizing wild type GCase was developed to screen a library of 1,040 Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. Ambroxol (ABX), a drug used to treat airway mucus hypersecretion and hyaline membrane disease in newborns, was identified and found to be a pH-dependent, mixed-type inhibitor of GCase. Its inhibitory activity was maximal at neutral pH, found in the endoplasmic reticulum, and undetectable at the acidic pH of lysosomes. The pH dependence of ABX to bind and stabilize the enzyme was confirmed by monitoring the rate of hydrogen/deuterium exchange at increasing guanidine hydrochloride concentrations. ABX treatment significantly increased N370S and F213I mutant GCase activity and protein levels in GD fibroblasts. These increases were primarily confined to the lysosome-enriched fraction of treated cells, a finding confirmed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Additionally, enhancement of GCase activity and a reduction in glucosylceramide storage was verified in ABX-treated GD lymphoblasts (N370S/N370S). Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry revealed that upon binding of ABX, amino acid segments 243–249, 310–312, and 386–400 near the active site of GCase are stabilized. Consistent with its mixed-type inhibition of GCase, modeling studies indicated that ABX interacts with both active and non-active site residues. Thus, ABX has the biochemical characteristics of a safe and effective enzyme enhancement therapy agent for the treatment of patients with the most common GD genotypes.
Integrated flood analysis system (IFAS) for Kelantan river basin

Flood disasters are among the world's most frequent, damaging types of disaster and uncontrollable natural events causing misfortune of lives and harm to public property. Floods have become the most significant natural disaster in the country in terms of the population affected, frequency, financial cost and the disruption to socio-economic activities. Flood forecasting and warning system is one of the examples of the non-structural measures which can give early warning to the affected people to reduce flood loss, damage and loss of human lives. Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS) model is a runoff analysis model converting rainfall into runoff for a given river basin. The simulation can be done using either ground or satellite-based rainfall to produce calculated discharge within the river. The calculated discharge is used to generate the flood inundation map within the catchment area for the selected flood event. This study is to apply the IFAS model to Kelantan river basin which have been chosen as the study area because the catchments have range of flood and relevant data that can be used to develop the model.
Vocal Performance and Sensorimotor Learning in Songbirds

Since the pioneering studies of William Thorpe and Peter Marler, songbirds and their songs have served continuously as an inspirational muse to behavioral biologists (Catchpole and Slater, 2008; Marler and Slabbekoorn, 2004; Marler, 1957; Thorpe, 1958a). This is due not only to songbirds’ improbably rich diversity in song form and function, but also to the fascinating intricacy and complexity of the mechanisms that guide vocal production and development. Of particular interest in recent years has been the interplay between evolutionary and proximate realms. Representative questions raised in recent literature reviews well-illustrate this point: How is song diversity and function enriched by varying programs for song learning (Beecher and Brenowitz, 2005; Nelson et al., 1995)? How does variation in mechanisms underlying vocal learning and production contribute to vocal diversity and evolution (Jarvis, 2004; ten Cate, 2004)? How do mechanisms of song learning contribute to the reliability of information encoded in song (Buchanan, 2000; Nowicki et al., 1998)? This chapter focuses on the interface of vocal performance and song development. Evidence is mounting that birds’ vocal performance capacities can limit or bias aspects of the song phenotype (reviewed by Lambrechts, 1996; Podos and Nowicki, 2004; Suthers, 2004; Suthers and Goller, 1997). Less clear is the nature of the relationship between vocal performance and the processes that guide song development. As we review below, songs of many bird species develop through imitative learning, a two-step process in which young birds first memorize the structure of adult models (the ‘‘memorization’’ phase), and then match memorized models by
Modified Scaled Min Sum LDPC Decoder for DVB-S2/S2X/T2

Min sum algorithm (MSA) is widely used for decoding Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes in many modern Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) as a simplification for Sum Product Algorithm (SPA) which greatly reduce the implementation complexity. This paper presents a design of modified variable scaling min sum LDPC decoding algorithm for DVB-S2/S2X/T2. The proposed design is a combination between the variable Normalized Min Sum Algorithm (NMSA) and the Offset Min Sum Algorithm (OMSA) which provides a trade-off between decoding complexity and error correcting performance. It improves the use of the Min Sum Algorithm (MSA) by 39%. A proposal for how to implement the proposed algorithm using FPGA is also introduced. The structure used is partially parallel layered decoder architecture.
ID-based One-pass Authenticated Key Establishment

One-pass authenticated key establishment (AKE) protocols are arguably better suited to the ID-based environment than their two-pass counterparts. However, there is no ID-based one-pass AKE protocol proposed in the literature with a proof of security in an appropriate model. This paper addresses the current gap by proposing a new ID-based one-pass AKE protocol and proving it secure in a formal model. The security of the new protocol is treated under a model adapted from a formal security model for traditional certificate based AKE protocols. The proof of security is in the random oracle model and is based on the hardness of the bilinear Diffie-Hellman problem. The protocol also turns out to be the most efficient of all the previously known protocols. It can work over a class of asymmetric pairings for better efficiency at higher bit security levels.
Because she's always on my side: identity, friendships, and parental support within a whole school pastoral care program for adolescent girls

Research on adolescent intervention programs reveal many personal, social, and academic benefits to students, yet there remains a lack of detailed knowledge regarding the subjective experience of girls who take part. This study used interpretative phenomenological methodology to explore the meanings that thirty adolescent female school students give to their identity within a 10-week program in Western Australia. The primary discourses of the girls were friendship and family, and community resilience by seeking social support from family, friends, and peers. These reflections are discussed in context of including the topic of parental supports as a way of changing purposes of education for shaping new kinds of citizen and personal identities, and the changing shape of educational institutions in showing effective leadership in a changing society.
Shapelet based classification of customer consumption patterns

Energy consumption time series show similarities among clients which can be further used to classify consumption based on common patterns. The recently introduced shapelet algorithm enables us to perform such classification out of reach for clustering algorithms (e.g., k-means) usually used in smart grid analysis. In this paper we analyze the efficiency of the shapelet algorithm in classifying various weekend consumption patterns extracted from real-life data. We test both the accuracy of the classification and the scalability in comparison with other algorithms such as KNN, DBSCAN, and OPTICS. Results show that while the shapelet algorithm achieves the highest accuracy (« 89%) training time takes about 5.8 hours. However, once the algorithm is trained classification is as fast as KNN. KNN is second best with « 82% accuracy but results depend highly on the value for k and the distance metric. Finally, DBSCAN and OPTICS show poor classification success mainly due to their unsupervised approach. Overall, this analysis demonstrates the efficiency of supervised clustering based on shapelets to identify meaningful information in consumption time series, representing a further step in the area of smart grid data analysis which is currently dominated by unsupervised clustering.
Inclusive design in schools

For many readers, Building Bulletins will be relatively unfamiliar texts. As a member of the research team compiling Building Bulletin 94: Inclusive School Design, Flora Gathorne-Hardy's personal account of the process of producing this lively document should greatly encourage the rest of us to read it and use it, as a working document, in our schools
The Experience and Management of Temporality in Five Cases of Dementia

How persons with dementia may experience time, temporal problems and temporal adaptations in their everyday lives is explored. The clinical implementation process and outcome of time aid interventions in five cases are also described. Data were collected through initial interviews with five participants, diagnosed with dementia, and with three spouses. Thereafter, time aids were chosen for intervention in each case. During the intervention, data were collected through fieldnotes and interviews, including evaluative interviews closing the interventions. The participants described experiences of temporal rhythms and extensions. Their temporal problems mainly concerned temporal relationships and coherence, and "knowing when" and "how long". They individually met the problems with strategies that aimed to overall decrease the effects of the temporal problems in general, as well as with direct and conscious attempts to address problems mainly concerning temporal orientation. When time aids were used, difficulty "knowing when" seemed to be most responsive to aids. However, the success of the time aid interventions was limited, as was the success of the spontaneously used strategies. Motivation and insight seemed to be important, as well as the participants' present and former attitudes to temporality. Possible implications for occupational therapy interventions are discussed, considering the clinical and piloting nature of the study.
Expectancy‐effects without expectancies: Illusory correlations based on cue‐overlap

Expectancy-based illusory correlations have been observed in numerous experiments. Simulations using the connectionist computer model BIAS (Fiedler, 1996) show that such illusory correlations may not always reflect expectancy biases but influences of similarity via cue-overlap. Cue-overlap means that some of the probabilistic cues that indicate the presence of one variable are also indicative of another variable. In an experiment, participants learned two novel concepts pertaining to a fictitious painter and a fictitious artistic style in separate runs. Both concepts were defined by multiple probabilistic cues observable in paintings. For half the participants, the cue systems underlying the perception of the two concepts overlapped, whereas for the other half they did not. In addition, we manipulated whether or not participants expected a positive contingency between artist and artistic style. In the second part of the experiment, a series of paintings was presented that constituted an objective zero correlation between artist and artistic style. Participants subsequent contingency judgments were assessed by direct and indirect measures. Data analyses revealed main effects for expectancy induction and cue-overlap but no interaction on the direct measure and nearly identical results on the indirect measure. Thus, cue-overlap and expectancy induction independently triggered the development of illusory correlations.
The development of English for specific purposes syllabus for first year students of special education and rehabilitation

This paper describes the development of the appropriate English for Specific Purposes (ESP) syllabus and course book for first year students of Special Education and Rehabilitation at the University of Belgrade. The syllabus was designed with regard to the students' needs, their former knowledge of general English, and the available learning conditions. It focuses on professional vocabulary relevant to all 6 different departments of Special Education and Rehabilitation at the University of Belgrade. The grammar practiced corresponds to the B1 level as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, since the entry level of most Special Education first year students is between A2 and B1. The developed syllabus fulfils the main aims of this ESP course - it repeats and practices appropriate general English structures, and familiarizes the students with key professional vocabulary they will need in further education.
A Comparison of Statistical Technique and Neural Networks Forecasting Techniques for Container Throughput in Thailand

Containerization is the one of the important factors for Thailand’s economy. Forecasting is an important tool for predicting container throughput growth. Bangkok Port, private wharves along the Chao Phraya River, Laem Chabang Port and Songkhla Port are the significant ports of Thailand. Moreover, the existing literature emphasizes only the statistical technique. The purpose of this paper is to explore the statistical technique and artificial neural network (ANN) for predicting future container throughput at four main ports in Thailand: Bangkok Port, private wharves along the Chao Phraya River, Laem Chabang Port, and Songkhla Port. Bangkok Port and private wharves are located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River that connects marine transport to Bangkok. Laem Chabang Port is a deep-sea port in the Eastern region, while Songkhla Port is a port in the Southern Area. Research methodology starts with identifying factors affecting cargo throughput for all four ports and then collecting data from several sources such as the Bank of Thailand, Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, World Bank, Ministry of Interior, and Energy Policy and Planning Office. These factors are entered into the statistical technique and multilayer perceptron (MLP) forecasting models that generate a projection of cargo throughput. Subsequently, the results are measured by the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and the Mean Absolute Error (MAE).
The protective effect of aqueous extract of Typha capensis rhizomes on cadmium-induced infertility in rats

Abstract Background Typha capensis is one of the medicinal plants commonly used to manage male fertility problems. The objective of the present study was to assess its fertility-promoting effects in a rat model of cadmium-induced infertility. Methods A total of 30 male Wister rats were randomly divided into five groups of six animals each. Animals of group I, which served as control, were administered with cadmium chloride (CdCl2; 2.5 mg/kg) and normal saline (2 mL/kg). Group II was served with 0.5 mL normal saline only. Animals of groups III–V were treated with CdCl2 (2.5 mg/kg) plus T. capensis extract at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively. Animals were sacrificed under sedation. Testes and epididymal weights and sperm count were determined. Histological assessment of the testes was conducted. Results T. capensis at any dose did not improve (p > 0.05) testicular and epididymal weights compared with those of the CdCl2-exposed control group. Histology revealed moderate necrosis in the same group. T. capensis modestly increased the sperm count by 14%, 31%, and 35%, for groups treated with the extract at doses 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively, when compared with the CdCl2 control group, although the differences were not significant statistically (p > 0.05). Conclusions Results of our study demonstrated that T. capensis can neither offer protective effects against oxidative stress nor promote fertility in an animal model of cadmium-induced infertility.
Efferent Control of the Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Hair Cells in the Bullfrog's Sacculus

Background Hair cells in the auditory, vestibular, and lateral-line systems respond to mechanical stimulation and transmit information to afferent nerve fibers. The sensitivity of mechanoelectrical transduction is modulated by the efferent pathway, whose activity usually reduces the responsiveness of hair cells. The basis of this effect remains unknown. Methodology and Principal Findings We employed immunocytological, electrophysiological, and micromechanical approaches to characterize the anatomy of efferent innervation and the effect of efferent activity on the electrical and mechanical properties of hair cells in the bullfrog's sacculus. We found that efferent fibers form extensive synaptic terminals on all macular and extramacular hair cells. Macular hair cells expressing the Ca2+-buffering protein calretinin contain half as many synaptic ribbons and are innervated by twice as many efferent terminals as calretinin-negative hair cells. Efferent activity elicits inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in hair cells and thus inhibits their electrical resonance. In hair cells that exhibit spiking activity, efferent stimulation suppresses the generation of action potentials. Finally, efferent activity triggers a displacement of the hair bundle's resting position. Conclusions and Significance The hair cells of the bullfrog's sacculus receive a rich efferent innervation with the heaviest projection to calretinin-containing cells. Stimulation of efferent axons desensitizes the hair cells and suppresses their spiking activity. Although efferent activation influences mechanoelectrical transduction, the mechanical effects on hair bundles are inconsistent.
Nods, Nalps and Naip: intracellular regulators of bacterial‐induced inflammation

The innate immune system is the most ancestral and ubiquitous system of defence against microbial infection. The microbial sensing proteins involved in innate immunity recognize conserved and often structural components of microorganisms. One class of these pattern‐recognition molecules, the Toll‐like receptors (TLRs), are involved in detection of microbes in the extracellular compartment whereas a newly discovered family of proteins, the NBS‐LRR proteins (for nucleotide‐binding site and leucine‐rich repeat), are involved in intracellular recognition of microbes and their products. NBS‐LRR proteins are characterized by three structural domains: a C‐terminal leucine‐rich repeat (LRR) domain able to sense a microbial motif, an intermediary nucleotide binding site (NBS) essential for the oligomerization of the molecule that is necessary for the signal transduction induced by different N‐terminal effector motifs, such as a pyrin domain (PYD), a caspase‐activating and recruitment domain (CARD) or a baculovirus inhibitor of apoptosis protein repeat (BIR) domain. Two of these family members, Nod1 and Nod2, play a role in the regulation of pro‐inflammatory pathways through NF‐κB induced by bacterial ligands. Recently, it was shown that Nod2 recognizes a specific peptidoglycan motif from bacteria, muramyl dipeptide (MDP). A surprising number of human genetic disorders have been linked to NBS‐LRR proteins. For example, mutations in Nod2, which render the molecule insensitive to MDP and unable to induce NF‐κB activation when stimulated, are associated with susceptibility to a chronic intestinal inflammatory disorder, Crohn's disease. Conversely, mutations in the NBS region of Nod2 induce a constitutive activation of NF‐κB and are responsible for Blau syndrome, another auto‐inflammatory disease. Nalp3, which is an NBS‐LRR protein with an N‐terminal Pyrin domain, is also implicated in rare auto‐inflammatory disorders. In conclusion, NBS‐LRR molecules appear as a new family of intracellular receptors of innate immunity able to detect specific bacterial compounds and induce inflammatory response; the dysregulation of these processes due to mutations in the genes encoding these proteins is involved in numerous auto‐inflammatory disorders.