Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Context-awareness for Mobile Ticketing Systems

One of the most pervasive technological devices that exist is the mobile smartphone. With the emergence and embedding of multiple sensors and connection possibilities found in today’s phone, the boundaries of what we can accomplish are nearing a limitless horizon. This thesis looks at how we can advance an application of a smart device to achieve another degree of functionality. By exploring context-awareness, its approaches and practical uses, we wish to enhance the User Experience (UX) of such an application. To do this, we survey and explore context, context-awareness, the roots of how it came about, and what context is considered to be. We focus on a case-study of mobile ticketing systems, and review the current situation of these in Norway. By providing a foundation of approaches and technology that can benefit context-aware applications, we confirm our research questions with a Proof of Concept (POC) application that take advantage of a certain level of context-awareness. With the help of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, we show how to accomplish validation of tickets in our system to provide a seamless process for users and event organizers. We end by verifying our hypotheses that context-awareness can give a better UX by accomplishing an above average score in a System Usability Scale (SUS) test.
Atypical atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia in a child with polyvalvular dysplasia

Abstract A 10-year-old boy with polyvalvular dysplasia and severe involvement of both atrioventricular valves presented with palpitations. Concern was raised for atrial tachyarrhythmia due to biatrial enlargement; however, ambulatory monitoring discovered a reentrant mechanism. Electrophysiology study revealed atypical atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia involving two components of the slow pathway, with inputs in the posterior septum around his dysplastic tricuspid valve. He underwent successful modification of the slow pathway using cryoablation.
Validation of Antecedents of ERP Success in Indian Higher Educational Institutes

Educational institutes are started adopting Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to manage their resources. Despite such huge amounts being spent on ERPs, recent industry reports and academic studies have indicated that many adopting Higher Educational Institutes (HEI) have come to realize that the deployments of such systems were not as effective as expected. In spite of implementation of ERP in HEI, ERP usage is very limited. The main objective of the study was to identify the factors influencing ERP usage in Indian higher educational institutes. The conceptual framework of this study is based on DeLone & McLean ERP success model. Organizational factors are integrated with the technological factors of the DeLone and McLean ERP Success model for the study and was tested empirically using questionnaire as a survey instrument. Primary data was collected from 205 Indian higher educational institutes of pan India. Total 346 respondents participated in the study. Technological factor “ease of use” and organizational factor “top management support” are found to be most reliable measures for measuring ERP success in higher educational institutes. Other technological and organizational factors are also found to be suitable for measuring ERP success in higher educational institutes. Identification of factors for measuring ERP success in Indian higher educational institutes is the unique contribution of this study.
Spatial Multiplexing in Optical Wireless MIMO Communications Over Indoor Environment

We propose optical wireless multiple-input multiple-output (OMIMO) communications to achieve high speed transmission with a compact transmitter and receiver. In OMIMO, by using zero forcing (ZF), minimum mean square error (MMSE) or other detection techniques, we can eliminate the interference from the other optical transmit antennas. In this paper, we employ ZF as the detection technique. We analyze the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and the bit error rate (BER) of the proposed OMIMO with a linear array and a square array of optical transmit and receive antennas, where we employ subcarrier multiplexing (SCM) for each optical transmit antenna. Note that the proposed OMIMO is applicable to other arrangements of optical transmit and receive antennas. We show that the proposed OMIMO system can realize MIMO multiplexing and achieve high speed transmission by correctly aligning the optical transmit and receive antennas and the transmitter semiangle.
Cancer-Derived Mutations in the Fibronectin III Repeats of PTPRT/PTPρ Inhibit Cell-Cell Aggregation

Abstract The receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase T PTPρ is the most frequently mutated tyrosine phosphatase in human cancer. PTPρ mediates homophilic cell-cell aggregation. In its extracellular region, PTPρ has cell adhesion molecule–like motifs, including a MAM domain, an immunoglobulin domain, and four fibronectin type III (FNIII) repeats. Tumor-derived mutations have been identified in all of these extracellular domains. Previously, the authors determined that tumor-derived mutations in the MAM and immunoglobulin domains of PTPρ reduce homophilic cell-cell aggregation. In this paper, the authors describe experiments in which the contribution of the FNIII repeats to PTPρ-mediated cell-cell adhesion was evaluated. The results demonstrate that deletion of the FNIII repeats of PTPρ result in defective cell-cell aggregation. Furthermore, all of the tumor-derived mutations in the FNIII repeats of PTPρ also disrupt cell-cell aggregation. These results further support the hypothesis that mutational inactivation of PTPρ may lead to cancer progression by disrupting cell-cell adhesion.
Formal Approaches for Automatic Deobfuscation and Reverse-engineering of Protected Codes. (Approches formelles de désobfuscation automatique et de rétro-ingénierie de codes protégés)

Malware analysis is a growing research field due to the criticity and variety of assets targeted as well as the increasing implied costs. These softwares frequently use evasion tricks aiming at hindering detection and analysis techniques. Among these, obfuscation intent to hide the program behavior. This thesis studies the potential of Dynamic Symbolic Execution (DSE) for reverse-engineering. First, we propose two variants of DSE algorithms adapted and designed to fit on protected codes. The first is a flexible definition of the DSE path predicate computation based on concretization and symbolization. The second is based on the definition of a backward-bounded symbolic execution algorithm. Then, we show how to combine these techniques with static analysis in order to get the best of them. Finally, these algorithms have been implemented in different tools Binsec/se, Pinsec and Idasec interacting alltogether and tested on several malicious codes and commercial packers. Especially, they have been successfully used to circumvent and remove the obfuscation targeted in real-world malwares like X-Tunnel from the famous APT28/Sednit group.
To access is not to know: A critical reflection on A2K and the role of libraries with special reference to sub-Saharan Africa

This paper critically examines the notions of the ‘knowledge society’ and ‘access to knowledge’ to uncover some underlying assumptions, with special reference to sub-Saharan Africa. We borrow from constructivist learning theory and argue that it is helpful to see knowledge as a process rather than as an outcome or state. In discussions of access to knowledge, much emphasis has been placed on the physical dimension of access (connectivity, bandwidth and the digital divide) and on the legal, economic and political dimensions that form the embattled terrain of the ‘Access to Knowledge’ movement. However, if knowledge is conceptualized as a process, the concept of ‘access’ has to be extended to the epistemological dimension, which takes into account the construction of knowledge in the mind of the individual while interacting with the community. This has important implications for libraries. We suggest the deployment of re-skilled and re-motivated information intermediaries working in and around libraries to motivate, teach, interpret and facilitate ‘access’ to knowledge.
Access and Utilization of Government Health Facilities by Rural Farm Households: Evidence from Kogi State, Nigeria.

The study analyzed farm households’ access and utilization of government health facilities in Kogi State, Nigeria. Specifically, it described the socioeconomic characteristics of farm households, determined the level of accessibility to health facilities by farm households, and determined the factors that drive farm households’ utilization of government health facilities. A two staged random sampling technique was used to select one hundred (100) farm households and twenty (20) government-owned health care facilities from four Local Government Areas in the State. Data obtained through structured questionnaire and spot assessments were analyzed using descriptive statistics, indices of accessibility and binary logit regression model. The indices of accessibility revealed that there is unequal access to government health facilities (medical personnel and infrastructure) in the area. The binary logit model indicated that farming experience (p<0.01), distance to health centre (p<0.05), and cost of treatment (p<0.001) negatively influenced the utilization of government health facilities, while gender (p<0.05), education (p<0.05), and numbers of dependants (p<0.05) directly influenced government health care facilities utilization among farm households. It was suggested based on findings from the study that government needs to urgently engage and deploy more medical personnel and facilities to rural areas. Also, intervention programmes such as construction of good access will reduce travelling distance to health facilities.
Estimation and compensation of sensor fault for perturbed PWA systems

In this work, we suggest a new approach which enables the localization and the compensation of sensor fault for perturbed piecewise affine hybrid systems. In fact, we used the additive fault tolerant control to ensure the compensation of this fault. The application of this method involves two important steps. The first step, is to generate the estimated fault by using Data-based Projection Method. This method is exclusively based on measures of outputs and inputs at any moment which is considered an advantage in comparison with other diagnosis methods. The second step, is to find the additive control and subsequently added it to the nominal control. The efficiency of this method to locate and to compensate the fault has been presented by an example.
Predominance of the ac variant in K88-positive Escherichia coli isolates from swine

Monoclonal antibodies to K88ac and K88ab were used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays on Escherichia coli cultures known to produce K88 pili. A total of 415 K88-positive E. coli isolates from nine states were all found to be the K88ac variant. The cultures tested were isolated during the years 1976 to 1985.
Investor Reliance on the Crowd

Using Yahoo Finance search data, we document that when investors search for investment information they by far and large rely on the information of crowds. The results indicate that this reliance significantly varies across industries, and is most pronounced in firms with greater uncertainty and weaker information environments. Moreover, significant increases in the reliance on message boards consistently predict future negative stock returns and increases in information asymmetry, suggesting that investors’ increasing reliance on crowds provides insights into their expectations of firm performance and future sell-offs.
Particle filter based moving object tracking in dynamic scene

A adaptive algorithm of tracking moving object using particle filter in dynamic scene is proposed in this paper, which based on the work of reference [17] on object detection. At first, we apply six-parameter affine transformation to building motion parameter model and adopt the detection methods for moving object in [17]. Then, Color and edge features are used to describe object model. An adaptive weighted distribution algorithm is used in fusion of object features. According to the weights distribution, we apply particle filter algorithm combined with two object features to tracking the moving object. Experimental results show that the method presented in this paper improves the accuracy of tracking for moving target in dynamic background.
Identification of a genetic risk factor for systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in the 5'-flanking region of the TNFalpha gene and HLA genes.

OBJECTIVE To study polymorphisms in the 5'-flanking promoter/enhancer region of the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) gene and in the coding regions of HLA class I and class II genes, in order to better understand the genetic background of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). METHODS One hundred eleven Japanese JRA patients (50 with systemic disease, 29 with pauciarticular disease, and 32 with polyarticular disease) and 575 healthy Japanese subjects were examined for the allele frequencies of the TNFalpha, HLA-A, and HLA class II (DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, DRB5, DQA1, DQB1, DPA1, and DPB1) genes, by DNA typing using the polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method. RESULTS The frequencies of the polymorphic allele at positions -1,031 (T to C substitution, termed -1,031C), -863 (C to A, termed -863A), and -857 (C to T, termed -857T) of the TNFalpha gene in patients with systemic JRA, but not in those with polyarticular or pauciarticular JRA, were significantly higher than in the healthy controls. The allele frequencies of DRB1*0405 and DQB1*0401 in systemic JRA, but not in the other JRA types, were significantly higher than in controls. Linkage analysis showed that the presence of both the TNFalpha -857T allele and DRB1*0405 yielded a significantly increased odds ratio (3.84), while the presence of only 1 of them did not yield a high odds ratio (0.87 and 1.58). CONCLUSION The -1,031C/-863A allele and the -857T allele of the TNFalpha gene, both of which are related to high production of tumor necrosis factor alpha, are associated with systemic JRA. The -857T allele may enhance the effect of the DRB1*0405/DQB1*0401 haplotype in predisposing to development of systemic JRA.
Left hemisphere specialization for facial and manual imitation.

The hypothesis that the left cerebral hemisphere is specialized for the production of facial and manual motor imitation was tested. The measure of hemispheric specialization was electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings of alpha rhythm (8–12 Hz) asymmetries from homologous parietal sites taken during spatial, verbal, and motor imitation tasks. It was found that both language and motor imitation tasks were significantly more left-lateralized than spatial tasks. The language and imitation tasks did not differ significantly in terms of the pattern of hemispheric specialization exhibited. Based on these findings, it was concluded that the left hemisphere is more directly involved in the production of facial and manual gestures. The role of motor imitation in the development of left hemisphere specialization for language is discussed.
The Role of Financial Intermediation in International Trade

This paper highlights that substitution between two types of finance represents an additional channel of adjustment to credit shocks and trade liberalization. Combining firm heterogeneity a la Melitz (2003) with credit frictions based on Holmstrom and Tirole (1997), there is selection of the largest firms into exporting and unmonitored finance, such as public debt or corporate bonds. Smaller producers serve only the domestic market and have to rely on more expensive financial intermediation. The model is consistent with empirical evidence that documents the important role of substitution effects between different sources of external credit. Producers respond to financial shocks by switching the type of finance. These selection effects lead to reallocations of market shares across firms and additional adjustments on the margins of international trade. Furthermore, the model highlights a new source of gains from trade: average productivity increases as falling trade costs allow some exporters to select into cheaper unmonitored finance.
Throughput performance of routing protocols based on SNR in wireless mobile ad hoc networks

Routing protocols play important roles in mobile adhoc network performance. The Protocols find and decided the communication path with the routing algorithm to deliver the data along the networks. Channel qualities in wireless communication are an important factor in network performance. Previous research in routing protocol development did not much pay attention in this matter. This paper shows the routing algorithm which not concern with this channel quality cannot adapt well in Mobile Adhoc Networks (MANET). We evaluated reactive routing protocol in deterministic and probabilistic propagation models, which are two-rayground and shadowing. These models are used to predict the received signal power of each packet. The result shows the degradation of routing protocol performance in more realistic environment, which is shadowing propagation model. Then we used mathematical analysis based on throughput performance related to the probability of error and Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Routing protocols face uncertainty in link quality when the topology of the network became dynamic. The routing protocols have to consider channel quality in the link transmission to acquire higher throughput performance.
The Impact of Early Literacy Guidance on Language Skills of 3-Vear-Olds

The objective of this prospective study was to determine the impact of early literacy anticipatory guidance (AG) with provision of books on language development in 3-year-olds in an early literacy program at a University-affiliated inner-city pediatric clinic. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-III) and the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT-R) were administered to 33-39-month-old children exposed to an early literacy program, which included AG and provision of an age-appropriate book at each well-child visit starting at 2 months old. Children with developmental delays were excluded. Parental surveys on literacy and demographic data were obtained. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Sixty-four children were evaluated; 88% African American, 89% Medicaid recipients. Fifty-eight percent of families reported familycentered literacy orientation. The PPVT-III scores directly correlated with the number of AG visits with book given x number of books purchased (r2 = 0.025, p = 0.0006). Higher scores in EOWPVT-R were predicted by race and the number of visits with books given x number of books purchased (r2 = 0.182, p = 0.0009). All families reported reading together, half reporting positive familycentered literacy. Given the same number of books purchased for each child, the outcome scores were higher the greater the number of clinic visits wherein AG included early literacy and provision of books.
Service Design as an Approach to Implement the Value Cocreation Perspective in New Service Development

Although new service development (NSD) studies have contributed to developing systematic approaches to service innovation, their product-oriented and provider-centric perspectives are limited in embracing a value cocreation concept. We investigate how Service Design, as a human-centered and creative approach to service innovation, can reframe NSD processes to implement value cocreation. Multiple case studies on Service Design projects indicate that design-centric approaches can contribute to the whole NSD process in a way that connects organizations’ managerial practices to value cocreation, in that (1) contextual and holistic understandings of user experiences can inform value propositions that better fit users’ value-in-use, (2) codesign with creative supporting tools can facilitate value cocreation by helping users better apply their own resources, (3) prototyping can optimize firms’ resource and process configuration to facilitate users’ engagement with the service, (4) aligning system actors to the user experience can organize and mobilize them to better support users’ value creation, and (5) user-centered approaches and methods can help organizational staff build long-term capability for supporting users’ value creation. Based on the link between Service Design, NSD, and value cocreation, we propose a conceptual NSD model, geared toward value cocreation.
Aplicación del Costo de Capital en las pymes en Colombia: una revisión

The objective of this paper is to make a review of the existing literature regarding the cost of capital in Colombia and specifically in SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in order to identify the methods used and the use of this information when looking for funding sources and optimizing their financial structure. It is because of this a review of the research papers on this topic during the last 10 years in the country was made, finding proposals from the macroeconomic and financial point of view, subsequently a review of these at the national level and those focused on SMEs to select one of the models that best fit to the conditions of the country and apply it to the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the wholesale and retail trade sector. It is proven that the selected model complies with the financial principle of cost of debt lower than the cost of equity and with adjustments proposed by other authors, it is possible to adjust it to the reality of the national economy, resulting in an average capital cost of 9.09%, which is above the investment in 10-year treasury bonds or the FTD (Fixed Term Deposits).
Comparison of Bayesian methods for flexible modeling of spatial risk surfaces in disease mapping

Bayesian hierarchical models usually model the risk surface on the same arbitrary geographical units for all data sources. Poisson/gamma random field models overcome this restriction as the underlying risk surface can be specified independently to the resolution of the data. Moreover, covariates may be considered as either excess or relative risk factors. We compare the performance of the Poisson/gamma random field model to the Markov random field (MRF)‐based ecologic regression model and the Bayesian Detection of Clusters and Discontinuities (BDCD) model, in both a simulation study and a real data example. We find the BDCD model to have advantages in situations dominated by abruptly changing risk while the Poisson/gamma random field model convinces by its flexibility in the estimation of random field structures and by its flexibility incorporating covariates. The MRF‐based ecologic regression model is inferior. WinBUGS code for Poisson/gamma random field models is provided.
Metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovaries and oligo‐amenorrhoea but normal androgen levels: implications for the management of polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective Application of the newly introduced Rotterdam criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) generates four phenotypic subgroups, defined by the presence/absence of three diagnostic elements: polycystic ovarian (PCO) morphology (P); hyperandrogenism (H); and oligo‐amenorrhoea (O). Whilst PCOS is associated with adverse metabolic features, the strength of the association within individual subgroups is not established. We characterized the metabolic and endocrine profiles of PCOS women who are oligomenorrhoeic but normoandrogenaemic, and compared these to other PCOS women and controls.