Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Magic Quadrant for Master Data Management of Customer Data Solutions

Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Master Data Management (see Note 1) of Customer Data Solutions provides insight into the portion of the packaged master data management (MDM) solution market that focuses on how organizations master and share a "single version" of customer data with multiple views of it across the organization. Achieving a "single version" of master data is a key initiative for many organizations, while "customer" data here includes other parties such as consumers, business customers and channel/trading partners, prospects and citizens. This analysis positions MDM of customer data solution vendors (and their products) on the basis of their Completeness of Vision relative to the market, and their Ability to Execute on that vision.
Modeling Bill's Gait: Analysis and Parametric Synthesis of Walking Sounds

This paper presents algorithms and systems for automatic analysis and parametric synthesis of walking and other (gesture-rate) periodically modulated noisy sounds. A recording of walking is analyzed, extracting the gait (tempo and left/right asymmetries), heel-toe events, etc. Linear prediction is used to extract the basic resonances. Wavelet decomposition is performed, and a high frequency-subband is used to calculate statistics for a particle resynthesis model. Control envelopes are extracted from the original sound. A real-time synthesis program allows flexible resynthesis of walking sounds, controlled by a score extracted from a sound file, a graphical user interface, or parameters from game/animation/VR data. Results for the analysis algorithm are presented for synthesisized data, and for hand-crafted real experimental sounds of gravel.
GFR estimation: from physiology to public health.

Estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is essential for clinical practice, research, and public health. Appropriate interpretation of estimated GFR (eGFR) requires understanding the principles of physiology, laboratory medicine, epidemiology, and biostatistics used in the development and validation of GFR estimating equations. Equations developed in diverse populations are less biased at higher GFRs than equations developed in chronic kidney disease (CKD) populations and are more appropriate for general use. Equations that include multiple endogenous filtration markers are more precise than equations including a single filtration marker. The CKD-EPI (CKD Epidemiology Collaboration) equations are the most accurate GFR estimating equations that have been evaluated in large diverse populations and are applicable for general clinical use. The 2009 CKD-EPI creatinine equation is more accurate in estimating GFR and prognosis than the 2006 MDRD (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease) Study equation and provides lower estimates of prevalence of decreased eGFR. It is useful as a "first test" for decreased eGFR and should replace the MDRD Study equation for routine reporting of serum creatinine-based eGFR by clinical laboratories. The 2012 CKD-EPI cystatin C equation is as accurate as the 2009 CKD-EPI creatinine equation in estimating GFR, does not require specification of race, and may be more accurate in patients with decreased muscle mass. The 2012 CKD-EPI creatinine-cystatin C equation is more accurate than the 2009 CKD-EPI creatinine and 2012 CKD-EPI cystatin C equations and is useful as a confirmatory test for decreased eGFR as determined by serum creatinine-based eGFR. Further improvement in GFR estimating equations will require development in more broadly representative populations, including diverse racial and ethnic groups, use of multiple filtration markers, and evaluation using statistical techniques to compare eGFR to "true GFR. "
Test Case Selection Method for Emergency Changes

Software testing is an expensive task that significantly contributes to the total cost of a software development project. Among the many strategies available to test a software project, the creation of automated test cases that can be enacted after building a release or resolving a defect is increasingly used in the industry. However, certain defects found in the system operation may block major business operations. These critical defects are sometimes resolved directly in the production environment under such a restricted deadline that there is not enough time to run the complete set of automated test cases upon the patched version of the software. Declining to run the test case suite allows a quicker release of the software to production, but also allows other defects to be introduced into the system. This paper presents a heuristic approach to select test cases that might support emergency changes aiming to maximize the coverage and diversity of the testing activity under a strict time constraint and given the priority of the features that were changed.
Intersexual allometry differences and ontogenetic shifts of coloration patterns in two aquatic turtles, Graptemys oculifera and Graptemys flavimaculata

Coloration can play critical roles in a species' biology. The allometry of color patterns may be useful for elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for shaping the traits. We measured characteristics relating to eight aspects of color patterns from Graptemys oculifera and G. flavimaculata to investigate the allometric differences among male, female, and unsexed juvenile specimens. Additionally, we investigated ontogenetic shifts by incorporating the unsexed juveniles into the male and female datasets. In general, male color traits were isometric (i.e., color scaled with body size), while females and juvenile color traits were hypoallometric, growing in size more slowly than the increase in body size. When we included unsexed juveniles in our male and female datasets, our linear regression analyses found all relationships to be hypoallometric and our model selection analysis found support for nonlinear models describing the relationship between body size and color patterns, suggestive of an ontogenetic shift in coloration traits for both sexes at maturity. Although color is critical for many species' biology and therefore under strong selective pressure in many other species, our results are likely explained by an epiphenomenon related to the different selection pressures on body size and growth rates between juveniles and adults and less attributable to the evolution of color patterns themselves.
Sustained Responses as Neurophysiological Parameter for the Assessment of Processing of Tonal Languages

To understand speech processing is one of the ultimate goals of investigations of sound processing in the auditory cortex. Chinese tones are the perfect object for this kind of investigation because they are very short but still contain complex linguistic information. In tonal languages such as Mandarin Chinese, pitch contours discriminate lexical meaning at a systematic level, which is not the case in non-tonal languages such as German. It is still unclear how such differences in phonological systems are reflected at the cortical level. Using magnetoencephalography I investigated the sustained field (SF) evoked in native Chinese and native German speakers. Natural speech stimuli evoked significantly larger SF for the Chinese than for the German group, whereas for a musical tone there was no significant difference between both group. The SF for Chinese subjects were larger when evoked by meaningful syllables as compared to meaningless ones, but there was no significant difference in the SF evoked when vowels were part of the Chinese phonological system or not. These findings suggest that the SF generated in the auditory cortex represents a relevant neurophysiological parameter for the assessment of language-related processes.
Applicant Perceptions of Selection Procedures: The Role of Selection Information, Belief in Tests, and Comparative Anxiety

This study addresses the effects of the provision of information on the reliability and validity of selection procedures and the effects of test-taker attitudes (i.e., belief in tests and comparative anxiety) on fairness perceptions. Prior to an actual selection process, applicants (Na 118) were given either information about the reliability and validity of various selection procedures or no information. Next, they evaluated the fairness of eight selection procedures. No significant effect of selection information was found. Belief in tests had significant effects, with applicants high on test belief giving higher fairness ratings than applicants low on test belief. In addition, an interaction effect between test belief and selection procedure was found. For example, test belief had larger effects on fairness for structured interviews, personality inventories, and cognitive ability tests. No significant effect of comparative anxiety on fairness was found.
Balancing Requirements for Stability and Maneuverability in Cetaceans1

Abstract The morphological designs of animals represent a balance between stability for efficient locomotion and instability associated with maneuverability. Morphologies that deviate from designs associated with stability are highly maneuverable. Major features affecting maneuverability are positions of control surfaces and flexibility of the body. Within odontocete cetaceans (i.e., toothed whales), variation in body design affects stability and turning performance. Position of control surfaces (i.e., flippers, fin, flukes, peduncle) provides a generally stable design with respect to an arrow model. Destabilizing forces generated during swimming are balanced by dynamic stabilization due to the phase relationships of various body components. Cetaceans with flexible bodies and mobile flippers are able to turn tightly at low turning rates, whereas fast-swimming cetaceans with less flexibility and relatively immobile flippers sacrifice small turn radii for higher turning rates. In cetaceans, body and control surface mobility and placement appear to be associated with prey type and habitat. Flexibility and slow, precise maneuvering are found in cetaceans that inhabit more complex habitats, whereas high-speed maneuvers are used by cetaceans in the pelagic environment.
2 3 Ju l 2 00 1 A Logical Framework for Convergent Infinite Computations

Classical computations can not capture the essence of infinite computations very well. We will focus on a class of infinite computations called convergent infinite computations and, based on the study of the sequences of first order theories and their limits (Li, 1992), establish a logical framework for describing and analyzing how an infinite computation interacts and evolves in changing environments and what the limit of the evolution might be. In this paper, a logic for convergent infinite computations is proposed by extending first order theories using Cauchy sequences, which has stronger expression power than the first order logic. A class of fixed points characterizing the logical properties of the limits can be represented by means of infinite-length terms defined by Cauchy sequences. We will show that the limit of sequence of first order theories can be defined in terms of distance, similar to the ǫ − N style definition of limits in real analysis. In addition, a computation model, called procedure scheme, for convergent infinite computations is proposed, on the basis of classical Turing machine and formal theory sequences and their limits. As two examples of application of the above study, (1) logic programs and their semantic interpretations are extended by introducing sequences of logic programs and sequences of least models and their limits, (2) the limit behavior of data mining is discussed by means of limits of theory sequences.
Epstein-Barr Virus–Infected Resting Memory B Cells, Not Proliferating Lymphoblasts, Accumulate in the Peripheral Blood of Immunosuppressed Patients

When Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects B cells in vitro, the result is a proliferating lymphoblast that expresses at least nine latent proteins. It is generally believed that these cells are rigorously controlled in vivo by cytotoxic T cells. Consistent with this, the latently infected cells in the peripheral blood of healthy carriers are not lymphoblasts. Rather, they are resting memory B cells that are probably not subject to direct immunosurveillance by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). When patients become immunosuppressed, the viral load increases in the peripheral blood. The expansion of proliferating lymphoblasts due to the suppressed CTL response is believed to account for this increase and is considered to be a major risk factor for posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) and AIDS-associated B cell lymphoma. Here we show that there is an increase in the numbers of latently infected cells in the peripheral blood of immunosuppressed patients. However, the cells are not proliferating lymphoblasts. They are all latently infected, resting, memory B cells—the same population of infected cells found in the blood of healthy carriers. These results are discussed in the context of a model for EBV persistence that explains why PTLD is usually limited to the lymph nodes.
The Moderating Effects of Teacher Self-Efficacy on the Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Intent to Turnover.

HESS, CLARA EILEEN. The Moderating Effects of Teacher Self-Efficacy on the Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Intent to Turnover. (Under the direction of Samuel B. Pond.) Teachers quit their jobs at twice the rate of other professions. Annually, 8% of teachers quit teaching and another 8% transfer to another school. This study investigates why some dissatisfied teachers quit teaching altogether while others leave their job at one school for a teaching job at another school. This study attempts to ascertain how teaching self-efficacy moderated the relationship between job satisfaction withdrawal intentions; both turnover and transfer intentions. A sample of 150 teachers filled out self-report questionnaires regarding their job satisfaction, teaching self-efficacy, and their withdrawal intentions. Hierarchical moderated multiple regression analyses revealed that self-efficacy did not moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intentions, but did significantly moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and transfer intentions. However this relationship was found in the opposite direction as originally proposed. Explanations of this unexpected finding as well as the implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed. The Moderating Effects of Teacher Self-Efficacy on the Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Intent to Turnover by Clara E. Hess A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science PSYCHOLOGY Raleigh, North Carolina March 2007 APPROVED BY ___________________________ ___________________________ S. Bartholomew Craig Rupert W. Nacoste ____________________________ Samuel B. Pond, III Chair of Advisory Committee
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology towards a Structural Model Connecting Hard Skills, Soft Skills and Job Conditions and the Is Professional: the Student Perspective

The IS professional is a person endowed with certain professional skills and attributes usually formally obtained through an education process. The IS professional may also have formal skills in peripheral, non technical areas that may too be obtained through a formal education process. This is typical now in the education of IS students who are aspiring IS professional. In addition they come with a range of soft skills that may be attitudinal and influenced by life and work experiences. This paper suggests that these skills, attributes and work environment do not sit in isolation from each other, but interact in an as yet unmeasured way. How this happens with students studying towards an IS qualification is discussed here and a structural model is developed to explain the interactions. The value of this research is that a picture is presented that shows the interactions between these important elements in a quantitative way.
Norepinephrine Precursor Therapy in Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension

Background—In patients with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH), the availability of the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) in the synaptic cleft is insufficient to maintain blood pressure while in the standing posture. Methods and Results—We determined the effect of oral administration of the synthetic amino acid L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS), which is decarboxylated to NE by the enzyme L–aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (L-AADC) in neural and nonneural tissue, on blood pressure and orthostatic tolerance in 19 patients with severe NOH (8 with pure autonomic failure and 11 with multiple-system atrophy). A single-blind dose-titration study determined the most appropriate dose for each patient. Patients were then enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. L-DOPS significantly raised mean blood pressure both supine (from 101±4 to 141±5 mm Hg) and standing (from 60±4 to 100±6 mm Hg) for several hours and improved orthostatic tolerance in all patients. After L-DOPS, blood pressure increases were closely associated with increases in plasma NE levels. Oral administration of carbidopa, which inhibits L-AADC outside the blood-brain barrier, blunted both the increase in plasma NE and the pressor response to L-DOPS in all patients Conclusions—Acute administration of L-DOPS increases blood pressure and improves orthostatic tolerance in patients with NOH. The pressor effect results from conversion of L-DOPS to NE outside the central nervous system.
Design and Analysis of a Resonant Reactive Shield for a Wireless Power Electric Vehicle

In this paper, we propose the concept and design methodology for a resonant reactive shield for the reduction of magnetic field leakage from a wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. By using LC resonance, the reactive shield can generate a cancelling magnetic field to reduce the incident magnetic field from WPT coils and effectively reduce the total magnetic field without consuming additional power. The shielding effectiveness of the resonant reactive shield and its effect on WPT efficiency are analyzed with simulation and measurements. For practical application to wirelessly charged electric vehicles, an automatic tuning system for the resonant reactive shield is also proposed and implemented. The effectiveness of a resonant reactive shielding is verified by experiments in a wirelessly charged electric bus.
Metabolomics: the apogee of the omics trilogy

are small molecules that are chemically transformed during metabolism and, as such, they provide a functional readout of cellular state. Unlike genes and proteins, the functions of which are subject to epigenetic regulation and post-translational modifications, respectively, metabolites serve as direct signatures of biochemical activity and are therefore easier to correlate with phenotype. In this context, metabolite profiling, or meta-bolomics, has become a powerful approach that has been widely adopted for clinical diagnostics. The metabolome — typically defined as the collection of small molecules produced by cells — offers a window for interrogatin g how mechanistic biochemistry relates to cellular phenotype. With developments in mass spectrometry, it is now possible to rapidly measure thousands of metabolites simultaneously from only minimal amounts of sample 1. In particular, recent innovations in instrumentation, bioinformatic tools and software enable the comprehensive analysi s of cellular metabolites without bias. In many instances, these metabolites can be spatially localized within biological specimen s with imaging mass spectrometry 2,3. The application of these technologies has revealed system-wide alterations of unexpected metabolic pathways related to phenotypic perturbations. Moreover, many of the molecules detected are currently not included in databases and metabo-lite repositories, indicating the extent to which our picture of cellular metabolism is incomplete 4,5. Nonetheless, the field of metabolomics has made remarkable progress within the past decade and has implemented new tools that have offered mechanistic insights by allowing for the correlation of biochemical changes with phenotype. In this Innovation article, we first define and differentiate between the targeted and untargeted approaches to metabolomics. We then highlight the value of untargeted metabolomics in particular and outlin e a guide to performing such studies. Finally, we describe selected applications of un targeted metabolomics and discuss their potential in cell biology. Designing a metabolomic experiment The first step in performing metabolomics is to determine the number of metabolites to be measured. In some instances, it may be of interest to examine a defined set of metabolites by using a targeted approach. In other cases, an untargeted or global approach may be taken in which as many metabolites as possible are measured and compared between samples without bias. Ultimately, the number and chemical composition of metabolites to be studied is a defining attribute of any metabolomic experiment and shapes experimental design with respect to sample preparation and choice of instrumentation. Targeted metabolomics. This approach refers to a method in which …
Heisenberg XXX Model with General Boundaries: Eigenvectors from Algebraic Bethe Ansatz

We propose a generalization of the algebraic Bethe ansatz to obtain the eigenvectors of the Heisenberg spin chain with general boundaries associated to the eigenvalues and the Bethe equations found recently by Cao et al. The ansatz takes the usual form of a product of operators acting on a particular vector except that the number of operators is equal to the length of the chain. We prove this result for the chains with small length. We obtain also an off-shell equation (i.e. satisfied without the Bethe equations) formally similar to the ones obtained in the periodic case or with diagonal boundaries.
Designerly Ways of Knowing: Design Discipline Versus Design Science

Design and Science I would like to begin this paper with a brief review of some of the historical concerns that have emerged with respect to the relationship between design and science. These concerns emerged strongly at two important periods in the modern history of design: in the 1920s, with a search for scientific design products, and in the 1960s, with a concern for scientific design process. The 40-year cycle in these concerns appears to be coming around again, and we might expect to see the reemergence of design-science concerns in the 2000s. A desire to “scientise” design can be traced back to ideas in the twentieth century modern movement of design. For example, in the early 1920s, the De Stijl protagonist, Theo van Doesburg, expressed his perception of a new spirit in art and design: “Our epoch is hostile to every subjective speculation in art, science, technology, etc. The new spirit, which already governs almost all modern life, is opposed to animal spontaneity, to nature’s domination, to artistic flummery. In order to construct a new object we need a method, that is to say, an objective system. ” 1