Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sappinia sp. (Amoebozoa: Thecamoebida) and Rosculus sp. (SAR: Cercozoa) Isolated From King Penguin Guano Collected in the Subantarctic (South Georgia, Salisbury Plain) and their Coexistence in Culture

Two amoeboid organisms of the genera Sappinia Dangeard, 1896 and Rosculus Hawes, 1963 were identified in a sample containing king penguin guano. This sample, collected in the Subantarctic, enlarges the list of fecal habitats known for the presence of coprophilic amoebae. The two organisms were co‐isolated and subcultured for over 6 mo, with continuous efforts being invested to separate each one from the mixed culture. In the mixed culture, Rosculus cells were fast growing, tolerated changes in culturing conditions, formed cysts, and evidently were attracted by Sappinia trophozoites. The separation of the Rosculus strain was accomplished, whereas the Sappinia strain remained intermixed with inseparable Rosculus cells. Sappinia cell populations were sensitive to changes in culturing conditions; they improved with reduction of Rosculus cells in the mixed culture. Thick‐walled cysts, reportedly formed by Sappinia species, were not seen. The ultrastructure of both organisms was congruent with the currently accepted generic characteristics; however, some details were remarkable at the species level. Combined with the results of phylogenetic analyses, our findings indicate that the ultrastructure of the glycocalyx and the presence/absence of the Golgi apparatus in differential diagnoses of Sappinia species require a critical re‐evaluation.
Towards a Theory of Balancing Exploration and Exploitation in Probabilistic Environments

Learning to make good choices in a probabilistic environment requires that the Decision Maker resolves the tension between exploration (learning about all available options) and exploitation (consistently choosing the best option in order to maximize rewards). We present a mathematical learning model that makes selections in a repeated-choice probabilistic task based on the expected payoff associated with each option and the information gain that will result from choosing that option. This model can be used to analyze the relative impact of exploration and exploitation over time and under different conditions. It predicts the aggregated and individual learning trajectories of participants in various versions of the task sufficiently well to support our basic argument: Information gain is a valid and rational criterion underlying human decision making. Future modeling work will be addressing the exact nature of the interaction between exploration and exploitation.
A Framework for Prolog Debugging

This paper extends the scope and optimality of previous algorithmic debugging techniques (i.e., diagnosis) of Prolog programs, amenable to realistic implementation. A new framework is set forth, the “Select&Query” algorithm schema. It provides a uniform treatment for more error types and a larger Prolog subset, including programs with comitments (“cuts”) and meta-logical predicates, though not side-effects. It can incorporate standard and also user-provided heuristics that profit from domain information. Integration with conventional execution browsers is easily accomplished.
Ask and You Shall be Given: Request Size and Donations to a Good Cause1

In an attempt to replicate the findings reported in this Journal by Weyant and Smith (1987), members or recent donors to a Canadian civil liberties organization were asked to donate money under one of three conditions: (a) In the control condition, they were simply asked for a donation; (b) in the “smaller request” condition, they were asked to make a donation, but amounts of Canadian $30 to $100 were suggested; and (c) in the “larger request” condition, amounts of $50 to $250 were suggested. Unlike the Weyant and Smith studies, we found no difference in the proportion of respondents making a donation, but significant differences in the size of the donations made by those making donations. In our study, the most effective way of getting large donations was to ask for a large amount. It was suggested that the most likely explanations for the differences in the results of the two studies were the following: First, our target population were previous donors to the organization, whereas those in the Weyant and Smith studies were not likely to have been. Previous research suggests that those who had been donors previously are influenced, positively, by requests for a specific large donation, whereas those not previously approached are, if anything, negatively influenced. Second, our “larger request” appears to be within a plausible range for donations, whereas the larger request in the Weyant and Smith study may have been seen as being outside of the plausible range. In any case, however, we would recommend caution in drawing a conclusion about the most effective request size to encourage people to donate money to charity.
UML-Based Modeling of Robustness Testing

The aim of robustness testing is to characterize the behavior of a system in the presence of erroneous or stressful input conditions. It is a well-established approach in the dependability community, which has a long tradition of testing based on fault injection. However, a recurring problem is the insufficient documentation of experiments, which may prevent their replication. Our work investigates whether UML-based documentation could be used. It proposes an extension of the UML Testing Profile that accounts for the specificities of robustness testing experiments. The extension also reuses some elements of the QoSFT profile targeting measurements. Its ability to model realistic experiments is demonstrated on a case study from dependability research.
Transparent offloading of computational hotspots from binary code to Xeon Phi

In this paper, we study how binary applications can be transparently accelerated with novel heterogeneous computing resources without requiring any manual porting or developer-provided hints. Our work is based on Binary Acceleration At Runtime (BAAR), our previously introduced binary acceleration mechanism that uses the LLVM Compiler Infrastructure. BAAR is designed as a client-server architecture. The client runs the program to be accelerated in an environment, which allows program analysis and profiling and identifies and extracts suitable program parts to be off-loaded. The server compiles and optimizes these off-loaded program parts for the accelerator and offers access to these functions to the client with a remote procedure call (RPC) interface. Our previous work proved the feasibility of our approach, but also showed that communication time and overheads limit the granularity of functions that can be meaningfully off-loaded. In this work, we motivate the importance of a lightweight, high-performance communication between server and client and present a communication mechanism based on the Message Passing Interface (MPI). We evaluate our approach by using an Intel Xeon Phi 5110P as the acceleration target and show that the communication overhead can be reduced from 40% to 10%, thus enabling even small hotspots to benefit from off-loading to an accelerator.
From Event-B to Verified C via HLL

This work addresses the correct translation of an Event-B model to C code via an intermediate formal language, HLL. The proof of correctness follows two main steps. First, the final refinement of the Event-B model, including in-variants, is translated to HLL. At that point, additional properties (e.g., deadlock-freeness, liveness properties, etc.) are added to the HLL model. The proof of the invariants and additional properties at the HLL level guarantees the correctness of the translation. Second, the C code is automatically generated from the HLL model for most of the system functions and manually for the remaining ones; in this case, the HLL model provides formal contracts to the software developer. An equivalence proof between the C code and the HLL model guarantees the correctness of the code.
Cardiovascular responses to microinjection of noradrenaline into the medial amygdaloid nucleus of conscious rats result from α2‐receptor activation and vasopressin release

The medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) is involved in the modulation of physiological and behavioral processes, as well as regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Moreover, MeA electrical stimulation evokes cardiovascular responses. Thus, as noradrenergic receptors are present in this structure, the present study tested the effects of local noradrenaline (NA) microinjection into the MeA on cardiovascular responses in conscious rats. Moreover, we describe the types of adrenoceptor involved and the peripheral mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular responses. Increasing doses of NA (3, 9, 27 or 45 nmol/100 nL) microinjected into the MeA of conscious rats caused dose‐related pressor and bradycardic responses. The NA cardiovascular effects were abolished by local pretreatment of the MeA with 10 nmol/100 nL of the specific α2‐receptor antagonist RX821002, but were not affected by local pretreatment with 10 nmol/100 nL of the specific α1‐receptor antagonist WB4101. The magnitude of pressor response evoked by NA microinjected into the MeA was potentiated by intravenous pretreatment with the ganglion blocker pentolinium (5 mg/kg), and blocked by intravenous pretreatment with the selective V1‐vasopressin antagonist dTyr(CH2)5(Me)AVP (50 μg/kg). In conclusion, our results show that microinjection of NA into the MeA of conscious rats activates local α2‐adrenoceptors, evoking pressor and bradycardic responses, which are mediated by vasopressin release.
Comparing the Publication Process in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, Psychology, and the Natural Sciences

SYNOPSIS: I present two types of data about the publication and review process in the accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, psychology, and natural science disciplines. First, I collect all articles published in 2012 in top-tier journals of these disciplines and compare the articles based on word counts, figures, and tables included in each article, the time it took to be published, citations, the number of co-authors, and submission fees. I then survey academics in each discipline. Survey questions were designed to evaluate overall perceptions of the review process, changes in the review process in the last five years, opinions about appropriate acceptance rates, assessment of reviewers and editors, and general assessments of reviewers and the review process, faculty evaluation, and journals. While there are many results, key results for the accounting discipline include very low citation patterns relative to other disciplines, a belief that reviewers have not improved in the last five y.
Comportamento locomotor na doença de Parkinson: tarefas de subir e descer degraus

Title: Locomotor behavior and Parkinson’s disease: the tasks of going up and down stairs The aim of this study was to analyze the locomotor behavior of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in the task of going up and down stairs. Two studies were conducted to achieve this purpose. Study 1 aimed to verify, through qualitative analysis, the subjective perception of facility/difficulty to go up and down stairs, the frequency of stairs utilization, the stairs features the patients used every day, the falls frequency in this environment and the relationship among the perceived facility/difficulty to go up and down stairs, the physical activity level and the PD stage and impairment. Fifty people with PD (mild and moderate levels in the Hohen and Yahr rating scale) participated in Study 1. After clinic assessment, participants answered two questionnaires: (1) An assessment questionnaire with open and closed questions to investigate the everyday stairs utilization and the falls incidence (FI), and (2) the modified Baecke questionnaire for older people to assess the physical activity level (PAL). The data were treated by the occurrence percentage, Spearman correlation test and multiple regression analyses. The results revealed that people with PD perceived more challenging going down stairs than up stairs and the physical activity level and the falls incidence affected the perception of facility/difficulty to go up (R= 0.260; p=0.001; NAF/β= -0.313; p=0.016; NQ/β= 0.393; p=0.003) and down (R= 0.233; p=0.002; NAF/β= -0.386; p=0.004; NQ/β= 0.279; p=0.034) stairs. Study 2 aimed to analyze the locomotor features using kinematic and kinetic tools while going up and down stairs, to indicate the major differences in the behavior of the ground reaction external forces, verticals and anterior-posteriors, between the two tasks; to identify the strategy of handrail use and the perceived facility/difficulty in going up and down stairs, and to observe the relationship among the locomotor parameters, the physical activity level and the PD stage and impairment, and between the perceived facility/difficulty to go up and down stairs with the handrail use. Sixteen idiopathic PD patients (mild and moderate levels in the Hohen and Yahr rating scale) participated in this study. A four steps stair with double handrails was used. Kinematic locomotor parameters were obtained by the motion analyses system OPTOTRAK while a force plate registered the kinetic data. The
A discrete-time multiple-model MRAC scheme for adaptive actuator failure compensation

A new discrete-time actuator failure compensation control scheme is developed, using a multiple-model adaptive control approach which has the capacity to achieve faster and more accurate compensation of failure uncertainties. An individual adaptive system, for each possible failure pattern in a failure pattern set of interest for compensation, is designed using an indirect model reference adaptive control (MRAC) scheme for actuator failure compensation. A multiple-model control switching mechanism for discrete-time systems is set up by finding the minimal performance index to select the most appropriate control law. The performance index is based on the adaptive estimation errors of individual parametrized systems with actuator failures. Simulation results from an aircraft flight control system example are presented to show the desired closed-loop system stability and tracking performance despite the presence of uncertain actuator failures.
Relationship Between School Suspension and Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract. Although the association between school suspension and deleterious outcomes is widely acknowledged, policy and practice need to be informed by an evidence base derived from multiple studies revealing consistent trends. This meta-analysis aims to address this void by examining the degree to which different types of school suspensions (in-school versus out-of-school) are associated with both academic achievement and school dropout, while concurrently examining study or participant characteristics that moderate these relationships. Data sources included peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies from 1986–2012 obtained via bibliographic databases. A meta-analysis was conducted on 53 cases from 34 studies. The results revealed a significant inverse relationship between suspensions and achievement, along with a significant positive relationship between suspensions and dropout. Furthermore, study or participant characteristics and type of suspension significantly affected the relationship between suspensions and the outcome variables. Implications for policy, practice, and research are emphasized.
A meta-analysis on the treatment effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for primary insomnia

Previous meta-analyses have shown the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). However, conclusive information about therapeutic effects (especially during follow-up), effect sizes of objective sleep parameters and self-rating scales, and the problem of publication bias has not been obtained. We conducted a meta-analysis focusing on these issues. We identified 14 randomized controlled studies published between 1990 and 2009 that fulfilled our selection criteria. Intra-group comparison of CBT-I and comparison between CBT-I and control groups were performed on these studies. The intra-group comparison revealed that the effect sizes of CBT-I for subjective sleep variables from sleep diaries were medium to large at the end point of treatment, and these effect sizes were favorably maintained on follow-up. A between-group comparison revealed that CBT-I was more effective than the control for subjective sleep variables at the end of treatment and that its effectiveness was also recognized on follow-up. With regard to self-rating scales, as compared to the control group, the effect sizes in the CBT-I group were medium to large both at the end of treatment and on follow-up. However, there were problems of publication bias in some of the subjective or objective sleep variables. The abovementioned results support the effectiveness of CBT-I for the treatment and prevention of relapse of primary insomnia despite the existence of a certain publication bias.
A Framework for Consumer-Centric SLA Management of Cloud-Hosted Databases

Service Level Agreements (SLA) represent the contract which captures the agreed upon guarantees between a service provider and its customers. The specifications of existing service level agreements (SLA) for cloud services are not designed to flexibly handle even relatively straightforward performance and technical requirements of consumer applications. In this article, we present a novel approach for SLA-based management of cloud-hosted databases from the consumer perspective. We present an end-to-end framework for consumer-centric SLA management of cloud-hosted databases. The framework facilitates adaptive and dynamic provisioning of the database tier of the software applications based on application-defined policies for satisfying their own SLA performance requirements, avoiding the cost of any SLA violation and controlling the monetary cost of the allocated computing resources. In this framework, the SLA of the consumer applications are declaratively defined in terms of goals which are subjected to a number of constraints that are specific to the application requirements. The framework continuously monitors the application-defined SLA and automatically triggers the execution of necessary corrective actions (scaling out/in the database tier) when required. The framework is database platform-agnostic, uses virtualization-based database replication mechanisms, and requires zero source code changes of the cloud-hosted software applications. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our SLA-based framework in providing the consumer applications with the required flexibility for achieving their SLA requirements.
The Grief of Caregivers

The grief of those anticipating the loss of a loved one with a chronic, debilitating illness has received little research attention to date. The present study provides empirical evidence of the intensity, nature and persistence of anticipatory grief among caregivers of persons with dementia. The impact of two stressors of caregiving on the course of anticipatory grief is also examined. Finally, based on the results, practitioners are given guidance in identifying caregivers most at risk for unresolved grief.
PARTICIPATION AND CRITICAL THINKING IN ONLINE UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION

This case study of a university-level course delivered by computer conferencing examined student participation and critical thinking. It was guided by two purposes: (a) to determine whether the students were actively participating, building on each other’s contributions, and thinking critically about the discussion topics; and (b) to determine what factors affected student participation and critical thinking. The results suggest that the emergence of a dynamic and interactive educational process that facilitates critical thinking is contingent on several factors: appropriate course design, instructor interventions, content, and students’ characteristics. The study concludes that computer conferencing should be given serious consideration by distance educators as a way of facilitating interaction and critical thinking in distance education and overcoming some of the limitations of correspondence-style distance education. Cette etude de cas, qui avait pour objet un cours universitaire diffuse par teleconference informatisee, s’est penchee sur la participation et l’esprit critique des etudiants. Son objectif etait double : (a) etablir si les etudiants participaient activement en mettant a profit les contributions de leurs co-apprenants et en montrant un esprit critique face aux sujets de discussion; et (b) identifier quels facteurs influaient sur la participation et l’esprit critique. Les resultats proposent que l’emergence d’un processus educatif dynamique et interactif propice a l’esprit critique depend de plusieurs facteurs : une conception de cours appropriee, les interventions du formateur, le contenu et les caracteristiques des etudiants. L’etude conclut que la teleconference informatisee merite que les formateurs a distance s’y interessent serieusement, car elle peut etre un moyen de promouvoir l’interaction et l’esprit critique, de meme qu’un moyen de vaincre certaines limites qu’impose le modele d’education a distance du type « cours par correspondance ».
The Q’eqchi’, Cattle, and the Commons

sense of what the struggle for kendeye involves, is Jackson’s powerful descriptions of everyday life, and of how the smallest actions comprise part of people’s search for well-being. Even a trip to the Internet café, where Jackson notices a patron checking the Arsenal soccer team’s website, is occasion for comment on the substance of hope and happiness. He arrives in Firawa in the middle of a mourning ritual, and he plunges the reader immediately into a thick, winding, and dense intellectual journey through love and loss. Those unfamiliar with Sierra Leone may struggle to stay with Jackson as he moves through his existential and social landscape, as he never pauses to explain, for example, the complexities of Kuranko kinship and collective work associations before he turns to hunting folklore, which occurs because he has walked past an old hunting shrine. The chapter titles are not a useful guide to their contents—like the narrative, they are evocative fragments of a largely existential journey—thus morphing the ethnographic and the traveler’s monologue. That being said, Jackson weaves effortlessly between the raw details of life in Sierra Leone and the musings of Western writers and philosophers, and he brings to light how, in spite of the immediate differences of detail in humanity’s daily struggles, the underlying themes of dissatisfaction and hope are resonant. African and diaspora philosophers are absent from his otherwise rich body of theory, an omission that has the potential to transform a sensitive ethnography into an alltoo-typical exercise of forcing African experience to conform to Western notions of love, hope, and loss, rather than embedding his subjects in autochthonous theory that “talks back” to European angst. However, in Jackson’s capable hands, this does not emerge as a weakness. He makes adroit use of existential philosophy in his ethnography, and the reader does not miss the author grappling with the challenges issued to Western philosophy by such writers as Frantz Fanon and Achille Mbembe. It is clear that Jackson is aware of his tendency to take simple occurrences and draw out the metaphor too far, positing elaborate existential meaning where others—his interlocutors themselves—would not find it. He reminds himself during his ponderings on the meaning of hunger that “sometimes bread is just bread” (59). And yet, in a succeeding chapter, he focuses on the meaning of a dog being killed by a passing truck and the body putrefying on the side of the road, avoided by passersby until he himself hurls it in the long grass. Perhaps a dead dog is a penetrating metaphor for the war, or farming, “something you threw away, or a life you sought to leave behind” (124), as Jackson asserts. And perhaps it is just a dead dog.