Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neural trust model for multi-agent systems

Introducing trust and reputation into multi-agent systems can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of the systems. The computational trust and reputation also creates an environment of survival of the fittest to help agents recognize and eliminate malevolent agents in the virtual society. The thesis redefines the computational trust and analyzes its features from different aspects. A systematic model called Neural Trust Model for Multi-agent Systems is proposed to support trust learning, trust estimating, reputation generation, and reputation propagation. In this model, the thesis innovates the traditional Self Organizing Map (SOM) and creates a SOM based Trust Learning (STL) algorithm and SOM based Trust Estimation (STE algorithm. The STL algorithm solves the problem of learning trust from agents' past interactions and the STE solve the problem of estimating the trustworthiness with the help of the previous patterns. The thesis also proposes a multi-agent reputation mechanism for generating and propagating the reputations. The mechanism exploits the patterns learned from STL algorithm and generates the reputation of the specific agent. Three propagation methods are also designed as part of the mechanism to guide path selection of the reputation. For evaluation, the thesis designs and implements a test bed to evaluate the model in a simulated electronic commerce scenario. The proposed model is compared with a traditional arithmetic based trust model and it is also compared to itself in situations where there is no reputation mechanism. The results state that the model can significantly improve the quality and efficacy of the test bed based scenario. Some design considerations and rationale behind the algorithms are also discussed based on the results.
Visualization of Tegument-Capsid Interactions and DNA in Intact Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Virions

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus type 1 virions were examined by electron cryomicroscopy, allowing the three-dimensional structure of the infectious particle to be visualized for the first time. The capsid shell is identical to that of B-capsids purified from the host cell nucleus, with the exception of the penton channel, which is closed. The double-stranded DNA genome is organized as regularly spaced (∼26 Å) concentric layers inside the capsid. This pattern suggests a spool model for DNA packaging, similar to that for some bacteriophages. The bulk of the tegument is not icosahedrally ordered. However, a small portion appears as filamentous structures around the pentons, interacting extensively with the capsid. Their locations and interactions suggest possible roles for the tegument proteins in regulating DNA transport through the penton channel and binding to cellular transport proteins during viral infection.
Attention Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Formerly Depressed Patients

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a group intervention designed to prevent relapse in recurrently depressed patients. It is not clear which cognitive processes accompany MBCT's clinical effects. This study examined effects of MBCT on attentional processes in remitted depressed patients in order to further identify the mechanisms of change in MBCT. Remitted depressed patients (N = 28) completed both subjective and objective measures of attention before and after participation in MBCT. The MBCT group was compared to a control group of remitted depressed patients not participating in MBCT (N = 26). While MBCT did not show effects on subjective measures of attention control or on sustained attention, the intervention did appear to be associated with less distraction by task-irrelevant stimuli, particularly negative stimuli. Our findings suggest that MBCT may decrease vulnerability to depression-related environmental cues and thereby decrease the risk of a relapse or recurrence of depression.
Spontaneous hybridization between maize and teosinte.

The closest wild relatives of maize, Zea mays ssp. mays are various Zea taxa known as "teosinte. " Hybrids between maize and the teosinte taxon, Zea mays ssp. mexicana, often occur when the 2 are sympatric in Mexico. Measuring the spontaneous hybridization rate of the 2 taxa would shed light on the mechanisms contributing to the evolution and persistence of these hybrid swarms. We conducted a series of field experiments in Riverside, CA, to measure the natural hybridization rates between maize and 2 teosinte taxa, Z. m. ssp. mexicana and Zea mays ssp. parviglumis. We planted teosinte within and near maize plantations. Hybrids were identified by progeny testing for a maize-specific herbicide resistance allele and a teosinte-specific allozyme allele. Hybridity was confirmed by growing putative hybrid progeny to maturity to evaluate whether they had the characteristic morphology of maize x teosinte hybrids. We found that maize and Z. m. ssp. mexicana naturally hybridize at a low rate (<1%), whereas Z. m. ssp. parviglumis hybridizes with the crop at a high rate (>>50%).
Expression of Antioxidant Genes in the Mouse Cochlea and Brain in Salicylate-Induced Tinnitus and Effect of Treatment with Spirulina platensis Water Extract

Salicylate increased manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) gene expression, but decreased catalase (CAT) gene expression in the cochlea and various brain regions of mice with tinnitus. Spirulinaplatensis water extract reduced salicylate-induced overexpression of the Mn-SOD gene, but increased salicylate-induced downregulation of the CAT gene. With the exception of significantly increased SOD activity in the brainstem and inferior colliculus of the Spirulina group, SOD and CAT enzyme activities did not differ among the three groups. The tinnitus group had higher malondialdehyde (MDA) levels than the control group in the temporal and the frontal lobes. S.platensis water extract reduced salicylate-induced elevations of MDA levels in many brain areas. We proposed that altered expression of antioxidant genes may reflect states of oxidative stress associated with tinnitus.
Landmark localisation in brain MR images using feature point descriptors based on 3D local self-similarities

The identification of anatomical landmarks in the brain is an important task in registration and morphometry. The manual identification and labelling of these landmarks is very time consuming and prone to observer errors, especially when large datasets must be analysed. In this paper we present an approach that describes landmarks based on their intrinsic geometry, rather than their intensity patterns. As the proposed approach moves away from the traditional way to describe landmarks (based on intensities), we show that using this kind of descriptors are well suited for the landmark localisation problem in MR brain images since the intensity information in these images is not quantitative (and intensity normalization is not straight forward). Our results show that for localizing 20 anatomical landmarks in brain MR images, the proposed descriptor performs better in 75% of cases when compared with a Haar feature based classifier and 100% of cases when compared to non-rigid registration.
The Study of Psychological Suggestion in English Teaching in Universities and Colleges

Psychological suggestion is a kind of special way influencing interpersonal communications, and psychological suggestion refers to psychological characteristics of people to accept the influence of wishes, concepts, emotions, judgments as well as attitudes from the outside or other people. According to previous studies it can be seen psychological suggestion can have influence on various fields of people’s life in modern society, thus this paper mainly makes an analysis of psychological suggestion in English teaching in universities and colleges based on the current situation of English teaching and learning in universities and colleges in China. The purpose of this paper is to make full use of the characteristics and advantages of psychological so as to improve English teaching and learning in universities and colleges effect. This paper is mainly a qualitative as well as documentary research. It can be resulted from this analysis that positive psychological suggestion can promote English teaching and learning in universities and colleges. In conclusion, positive emotions as well as attitudes can indirectly or directly affect English learning in universities and colleges, so English teachers should make full use of positive psychological suggestion to arouse students’ interest of English learning in universities
It’s the Quality Not the Quantity of Ties That Matters

This study explores the role of knowledge access and peer influence as mechanisms by which networks may shape teacher self-efficacy. The basic premise is twofold: (a) that peer interaction provides opportunities to access teaching relevant knowledge and thus may reduce uncertainty and (b) that self-efficacy beliefs may be shaped by the efficacy beliefs of the peers one is directly connected to in the advice network. The results suggest that both mechanisms may shape teacher self-efficacy and that the quality of ties, rather than the quantity, may have a stronger influence on self-efficacy. These findings offer new insight into the potential ways in which social networks and collegial interaction influence teacher beliefs.
Transformation of the Finnish employee ideal in job advertisements from 1944 to 2009

In this article we examine transformation of the Finnish employee ideal since the Second World War. Our qualitative analysis is based on the data of 490 job advertisements from 1944 to 2009, and follows the change in employee requirements during this period. Our results show that requirements for transferable, particularly interpersonal, skills increased considerably during the research period. While workmanship, diligence, competence and work experience were the most common employee requirements in the job advertisements of the 1940s and 1950s, employees today are required to possess qualities such as stress resilience, flexibility, productivity, inventiveness and the desire to learn new things. The qualities required of white-collar employees have increased in particular. We conclude that, unlike the post-war period, today the ideal employee is characterized by flexibility and interpersonal skills reflecting changes in the organization of work, work organizations and work culture.
Evaluation of upper airway patency during Cheyne–Stokes breathing in heart failure patients

Little is known about the changes in upper airway calibre in Cheyne–Stokes respiration (CSR) during sleep in patients with congestive heart failure. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that upper airway closure occurs during central CSR events, by assessing upper airway calibre during sleep using the forced oscillation technique (FOT). Nine males with compensated heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction mean±sem 27.9±5.1%) and predominant central CSR (apnoea/hypopnoea index 43.9±4.2 events·h−1) were studied during overnight polysomnography, which included pneumotachography, inductance plethysmography or oesophageal pressure and FOT-derived impedance signal (|Z|). Baseline |Z| values during stable breathing in stage 2 sleep were 11.0±1.3 cmH2O·s·L−1. Mean |Z| increased to 31.9±6.7 cmH2O·s·L−1 during obstructive apnoeas (7% of events, n=46). Increases in |Z| consistent with upper airway narrowing (more than two-fold baseline) were common during central apnoeas (50±12% of events) occurring in the middle or end of apnoeas and occurred during some central hypopnoeas (16±10% of events), typically in the expiratory phase. These findings indicate that in heart failure patients, reductions in upper airway calibre are common during CSR apnoeas, and may also occur during central hypopnoeas.
Impact d'un traumatisme crânio-cérébral léger sur l’architecture du sommeil et letranscriptome dans un modèle murin

6 Liste de tableaux . 7 Liste des figures . 8 Liste des abréviations . 12 Chapitre 1: Introduction . 14 1.1 Mise en contexte : . 15 1. 2. Le sommeil . 16 1.2.1 Définitions . 16 1.2.1.1 Électroencéphalographie . 16 1.2.1.2 Architecture du sommeil . 17 1.2.2 Processus de régulation du sommeil . 19 1.2.2.1 Processus circadien . 19 1.2.2.2 Processus homéostatique . 20 1.2.3 Effets de la privation de sommeil (PS) sur la cognition . 21 1.2.4 Les mécanismes moléculaires impliqués dans l’homéostasie du sommeil . 23 1.3 Le traumatisme crânien . 28 1.3. 1 Définition . 28 1.3. 2 Le traumatisme crânien léger (TCL) . 28 1.3. 3 Dommages dus aux TCL . 30 1.3. 4 Trouble de sommeil chez les TCL : . 31 1.3. 5 Implication de la génétique suite aux traumatismes crâniens . 33 1.3. 6 Réponses cellulaires, facteurs moléculaires et excitoxicité . 34 Chapitre 2 : Objectifs, hypothèses et contribution spécifique . 39 2.1 Objectifs . 40 2.2 Hypothèses . 40 2.3 Contribution spécifique de l’étudiante . 40 2.4 Contribution spécifique des co-auteurs de l’article . 40 Chapitre 3. Méthodologies et résultats Article de recherche . 43 Article publié dans Brain, Behavior and immunity . 43 Chapitre 4 : Discussion . 83 4.1 Rappel des principaux résultats . 84 4 4.2 Effet du TCL sur le sommeil . 85 4.2.1 Sommeil chez rongeurs TCL. Similarités et différences . 85 4.2.2 Sommeil des patients TCL. Similarités et différences . 87 4.2.3 Des plaintes de sommeil chez les patients trauma . 90 4.2.4 La neurophysiologie des circuits régulateurs du sommeil. 90 4.2. 5 Changements secondaires pouvant induire des changements neurophysiologiques : . 91 4.3 Effet de la privation de sommeil après TCL . 92 4.3. 1 La privation de sommeil affecte l’expression des gènes de plasticité dans le cortex . 93 4.3. 2 La privation de sommeil affecte les gènes de l’horloge . 95 4.3. 3 TCL pourrait affecter l’homéostasie du calcium . 96 4.3. 4 Changement de l’expression des chimiokines et gènes gliaux après TCL . 97 4.4 Limites de l’étude et perspectives . 98 4.4.1 Limites de l’étude . 99 4.4.2 Perspectives à venir . 99 4.5 Conclusion . 101 5 Références . 102 Annexe 1: Article de recherche . 118
Cognitive Critique Volume 4 TIME , OBSERVATION , MOVEMENT

Traditionally, a sharp distinction was made between conscious perception of elapsed time, considered a key attribute of cognition, and automatic time processes involving basic sensory and motor functions. Recently, however, this dichotomous view has been challenged on the ground that time perception and timed actions share very similar features, at least for events lasting less than a second. For both perception and action, time estimates require internally generated and/or externally triggered signals, because there is no specific sensory receptor for time in the nervous system. We argue that time can be estimated by synchronizing a neural time base either to sensory stimuli reflecting external events or to an internal simulation of the corresponding events. We review evidence in favor of the existence of distributed, specialized mechanisms, possibly related to brain mechanisms which simulate the behavior of different categories of objects by means of distinct internal models. A critical specialization is related to the animate-inanimate distinction which hinges on different kinematic and kinetic properties of these two different categories. Thus, the time base used by the brain to process visual motion can be calibrated against the specific predictions regarding the motion of biological characters in the case of animate motion, whereas it can be calibrated against the predictions of motion of passive objects in the case of inanimate motion.
Development of a contemporary bleeding risk model for elderly warfarin recipients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Develop and validate a contemporary bleeding risk model to guide the clinical use of warfarin in the elderly atrial fibrillation (AF) population. METHODS Chart-abstracted data from the National Registry of Atrial Fibrillation was combined with Medicare part A claims to identify major bleeding events requiring hospitalization. Using a split-sample technique, candidate variables that provided statistically stable relationships with major bleeding events were selected for model development. Three risk categories were created and validated. The new model was compared to existing bleeding risk models using c-statistics and Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS Model development and validation was conducted on 26,345 AF patients who were > 65 years of age and had been discharged from the hospital while receiving warfarin therapy. The following eight variables were included in the final risk score model: age > or = 70 years; gender; remote bleeding; recent (ie, during index hospitalization) bleeding; alcohol/drug abuse; diabetes; anemia; and antiplatelet use. Bleeding rates were 0.9%, 2.0%, and 5.4%, respectively, for the groups with low, moderate, and high risk, compared to the bleeding rates for groups with moderate risk (1.5% and 1.0%) and high risk (1.8% and 2.5%) from other models. CONCLUSIONS Using a nationally derived data set, we developed a model based on contemporary practice standards for determining major bleeding risk among AF patients receiving warfarin therapy. The larger sample size afforded the opportunity to incorporate additional risk factors. In addition, since the majority of our population was > 65 years of age, we had greater ability to stratify risk among the elderly.
Apoptosis Initiated by Granulysin A Distinct Pathway of Cell-Mediated

Granulysin is an antimicrobial and tumoricidal molecule expressed in granules of CTL and NK cells. In this study, we show that granulysin damages cell membranes based upon negative charge, disrupts the transmembrane potential ( Dc ) in mitochondria, and causes release of cytochrome c . Granulysin-induced apoptosis is blocked in cells overexpressing Bcl-2. Despite the release of cytochrome c , procaspase 9 is not processed. Nevertheless, activation of caspase 3 is observed in granulysin-treated cells, suggesting that granulysin activates a novel pathway of CTL- and NK cell-mediated death distinct from granzyme- and death receptor-induced apoptosis. The Journal of Immunology, 2001, 167: 350–356. homology of granulysin to saposins suggests that it may exert its cytolytic function and antibacterial activity via interaction with lipids. In this study, we demonstrate that granulysin disrupts negatively charged synthetic liposomes and cell membranes. Cells expressing the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 are protected against granulysin-induced cell death. The interaction of granulysin with cells causes a change in mitochondrial potential ( D c ) and release of cytochrome c . Surprisingly, however, procaspase 9 is not processed to its active form, although an early caspase 3 activation is observed. Thus, granulysin is a CTL- and NK cell-speciﬁc product that activates a death pathway distinct from those induced by Fas or granzymes.
Metabolic Computing

In this paper, we propose a metabolic computing model for realizing a sustainable information system. We think that this metabolic computing model has both high fault tolerance and sustainability. We also propose a realistic architecture of the metabolic computing model. A metaboloid is a processing unit in this architecture. A set of metaboloids is organized as a mesh-connected NORMA (No Remote Memory Access). However, the network may change because of metabolism. Therefore, metaboloids have to achieve homeostasis to manage running tasks. We propose two new algorithms in this paper, namely bubbling and drifting.
Defective hepatitis B virus DNA is not associated with disease status but is reduced by polymerase mutations associated with drug resistance

Defective hepatitis B virus DNA (dDNA) is reverse‐transcribed from spliced hepatitis B virus (HBV) pregenomic messenger RNA (pgRNA) and has been identified in patients with chronic HBV (CH‐B). The major 2.2‐kb spliced pgRNA encodes a novel HBV gene product, the hepatitis B splice protein (HBSP) via a deletion and frame shift within the polymerase. Although spliced RNA and HBSP expression have been associated with increased HBV DNA levels and liver fibrosis, the role of dDNA in HBV‐associated disease is largely undefined. Our aims were to (1) compare the relative proportions of dDNA (% dDNA) in a range of HBV‐infected serum samples, including patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HBV coinfection and HBV‐monoinfected persons with differing severities of liver disease, and (2) determine the effect of mutations associated with drug resistance on defective DNA production. Defective DNA was detected in 90% of persons with CH‐B. There was no significant difference in the relative abundance of dDNA between the monoinfected and HIV/HBV‐coinfected groups. We also found no association between the % dDNA and alanine aminotransferase, hepatitis B e antigen status, HBV DNA levels, fibrosis levels, compensated or decompensated liver cirrhosis, genotype, or drug treatment. However, the % dDNA was significantly lower in individuals infected with lamivudine‐resistant (LMV‐R) HBV compared with wild‐type HBV (P < 0.0001), indicating that antiviral drug resistance alters the balance between defective and genomic length DNA in circulation. Experiments in vitro using HBV encoding LMV‐R mutations confirmed these results. Conclusion: Our results identified no association between dDNA and parameters associated with disease status and suggested that the relative abundance of dDNA is largely dependent on the integrity of the HBV polymerase and is unrelated to the severity of liver disease. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
On the Security of a Simple Three-Party Key Exchange Protocol without Server's Public Keys

Authenticated key exchange protocols are of fundamental importance in securing communications and are now extensively deployed for use in various real-world network applications. In this work, we reveal major previously unpublished security vulnerabilities in the password-based authenticated three-party key exchange protocol according to Lee and Hwang (2010): (1) the Lee-Hwang protocol is susceptible to a man-in-the-middle attack and thus fails to achieve implicit key authentication; (2) the protocol cannot protect clients' passwords against an offline dictionary attack; and (3) the indistinguishability-based security of the protocol can be easily broken even in the presence of a passive adversary. We also propose an improved password-based authenticated three-party key exchange protocol that addresses the security vulnerabilities identified in the Lee-Hwang protocol.
A Systematic Study of Extreme Programming and Their Implementation in Libyan Software

There are several software development methodologies in use today. Some companies have their own customized methodology for developing their software but the majority speaks about two kinds of methodologies: heavyweight and lightweight. Heavyweight methodologies (traditional method) as: water fall, spiral model, unified process model. Lightweight methodologies (agile method) as: Scrum, Crystal Clear, Extreme Programming, Adaptive Software Development, Feature Driven Development and DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method) (4). In this paper the characteristics of Waterfall and Extreme Programming will be described, also the strengths and weakness of each of the two opposing methodologies will be highlighted and provided the challenges associated with implementing agile processes in the software industry. In support to the dissertation a questionnaire will be conducted, soliciting feedback from software industry practitioners, also we will make a comparison between two methods stage by stage. To compare the two methods and the results we get from the questionnaires, we study the suitability of XP methodology in Libyan software development and define the benefits that we may get by the application of XP and the obstacles that prevent their application.