Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-Objective Search-based Requirements Selection and Optimisation

Most software product developments are iterative and incremental processes that are seldom completed in a single release. It is critical but challenging to select the requirements from a large number of candidates for the achievement of overall busi- ness goal and the goals of multiple stakeholders, each of whom may have competing and often conflicting priorities. This thesis argues that search-based techniques can be applied to the optimisation problem during the requirements selection and analysis phase for release planning problem. Search-based techniques offer significant advantages; they can be used to seek robust, scalable solutions, to investigate trade-offs, to yield insight and to provide feedback explaining choices to the decision maker. In the thesis, a Search-based Requirements Selection and Optimisation Framework is proposed that includes search spaces, representations, solution processes and em- pirical studies. This framework formulates the requirements selection problem as an optimisation problem and allows multi-objective search-based techniques to be used in order to provide optimal or near optimal solutions and to find a suitable balance between priorities in different contexts. The thesis reports the results of experiments using different multi-objective evo- lutionary optimisation algorithms with real world data sets as well as synthetic data sets in three studies of the applications of this framework: Value/Cost Trade- off in Requirements Selection, Requirements Interaction Management and Multi- Stakeholder Requirements Analysis and Optimisation. Empirical validation includes a statistical analysis of the performance of the algorithms as well as simple graph- ical methods to visualise the discovered solutions in the multi-dimensional solution space. Though these visualisations are not novel in themselves, the thesis is the first to use them for visualisation of requirements optimisation spaces.
AM Rates of Autoimmune Disease Increasing in Women

Autoimmune disorders (AD) are a group of highly disabling pathological conditions that are growing at an alarming rate affecting approximately 8% of the population. These disorders occur more frequently in women, as 78% of those diagnosed are women. Little conclusive research has been conducted as to determine why there is a tremendous sex disparity when looking at the rates. Due to the overall poor health that results from these disorders, there is an increase in the societal burden in terms of health care costs, loss of work productivity and reduced quality of life. The aim of this integrative literature review was to determine the reason for the sex disparity in autoimmune disorders and to determine the collective disease burden of these disorders on women. From this review, a determination will be made as to what education and preventative measure are being directed towards women in an attempt to decrease autoimmune rates. The literature search for the presented topic was found in the databases of CINAHL, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Sources and PubMed. The terms searched while researching this topic included: women, autoimmune, prevalence, and sex disparity. Results revealed that the sex disparity in autoimmunes are due to immunity interaction with female hormones, the presence of a double X chromosome, and immune response variation between males and females making their predisposition complex. With alteration of ICD codes to include contributing autoimmune disorders in death, the true burden of mortality that women face was revealed highlighting the need for further emphasis and research on this topic. Due to the limited research and knowledge, nurses need to be advocates for their female patients as they play a vital role in educating women on their risk and reducing their disease progression.
Intelligent Embedded System-30 . 0 credits DECISION-MAKING FOR AUTONOMOUS CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES

Autonomous driving requires tactical decision-making while navigating in a dynamic shared space environment. The complexity and uncertainty in this process arise due to unknown and tightlycoupled interaction among traffic users. This thesis work formulates an unknown navigation problem as a Markov decision process (MDP), supported by models of traffic participants and userspace. Instead of modeling a traditional MDP, this work formulates a Multi-policy decision making (MPDM) [1] in a shared space scenario with pedestrians and vehicles. The employed model enables a unified and robust self-driving of the ego vehicle by selecting a desired policy along the pre-planned path. Obstacle avoidance is coupled within the navigation module performing a detour off the planned path and obtaining a reward on task completion and penalizing for collision with others. In addition to this, the thesis work is further extended by analyzing the real-time constraints of the proposed model. The performance of the implemented framework is evaluated in a simulation environment on a typical construction (quarry) scenario. The effectiveness and efficiency of the elected policy verify the desired behavior of the autonomous vehicle.
What matters between CEO duality and firm performance ? Moderating roles of CEO informal power and board involvements

This research linked the CEO duality and firm performance relationship and analyzed the moderating role of the resource dependence theory, in terms of CEO informal power and board involvement. Integrating agency, stewardship, and resource dependence theories, we tested hypotheses using corporate governance data collected from 216 listed companies, encompassing 20 industries in Sri Lanka. Findings supported in favor of the agency theory determine that CEO duality has a negative impact on firm performance when the CEO is equipped with additional informal powers while duality exists. On the other hand, CEO duality reveals a positive impact on firm performance in circumstances where board involvement is considerably high, in terms of collaboration and control of agency, stewardship, and resource dependence theories. Further, given special reference to emerging economies, recent corporate governance implications on CEO dualityfirm performance relationship are also addressed.
Development of an impedance spectrometer for tissue ischemia monitoring: instrument realization and performance

Ischemia induces a series of biochemical changes in a tissue. Some of these changes also cause variations in tissue resistivity. To non-invasively measure tissue ischemia, the correlation between ischemia levels and tissue resistivity is investigated. A specially designed impedance spectrometer is necessary for this project. The objective of this research is the realization of such an instrument which will work in a wide frequency range and with variable current and voltage amplitudes. The system uses the four electrode impedance measurement method, and is based on synchronous sampling demodulation with one analog channel. Preliminary testing of the instrument produced a voltage measurement accuracy of /spl les//spl plusmn/0.4% for amplitude and /spl les//spl plusmn/0.2/spl deg/ for phase.
Resource allocation for the broadcast control channel in UTRA TDD

The UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) air interface consists of two modes, a frequency division duplex (FDD) mode and a time division duplex (TDD) mode. The different modes operate in the paired and in the unpaired frequency band respectively. This paper analyses different radio resource allocation schemes for the broadcast control channel (BCCH) in the TDD mode of UTRA. The investigations concern the performance of the BCCH as well as the performance of the served downlink speech connections. Simulations show that one of the 15 time slots in the TDMA frame should be allocated entirely for the BCCH. Compared to a resource allocation scheme where traffic channels (TCHs) and the BCCH are mixed in the same time slot, this is advantageous both for the BCCH and the TCHs. However, the measure excludes 1/15 of the available resources for traffic utilization.
Clinical practice and research on child violent behavior : interest of integrative psychopathology

Violent behavior in child and adolescent question acutely the limits of normality and pathology. In this article, we will approach these behaviors around three axes. The first theoretical axis will be based on an updated knowledge of violent behaviors psychopathology. The second methodological axis will be based on the importance of multisource, multimodal and multidisciplinary psychological assessment. The third axis will stress the importance of collaborating work between researchers and clinical praticians, especially in the fields of personality, attachment and parenting. In the discussion, we will underline the interest of an integrative approach for better comprehension of antisocial behavior and better therapeutic practices. © 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés. Mots clés : Violence ; Enfant ; Trouble des conduites ; Personnalité ; Approche intégrative
The role of post-surgery radiotherapy in the treatment of prostate gland cancer

One of the basic methods of treatment of patients suffering from early forms of prostate cancer is radical prostatectomy. Despite applying modern methods of pre-surgery diagnostics and advanced surgery techniques, still in many patients it is not possible to carry out a radical procedure, the consequence of which is in some of them is the relapse of neoplasmic process. The optimal treatment of these patients is still under discussion. The effectiveness of post-surgery radiotherapy of patients after non-radical prostatectomy has been lately evaluated in three big randomized tests: EORTC, SWOG and German Cancer Society ARO 96-02 and AUO AP 09/95. The results of these tests display that the application of postsurgery radiotherapy among patients suffering from prostate cancer in the level of severity T3 or with the presence of neoplasmic cells in post-surgery margins (R1) decreases the risk of biochemical and clinical renewal and extends the time to the commencement of the hormone therapy. It is a well-tolerated method. As the outcomes of the test showed, it does not influence the prolongation of the total survival time of patients.
The Effects of Mobile Phone Usage on the Academic Performance of Ghanaian Students , a Case of Presbyterian University College Asante-Akyem Campus

In modern classrooms, instructors face many challenges as they compete for students‟ attention among a variety of communication stimuli. Rapid growth of mobile computing, including smart phones and tablets presents a double-edged problem, along with unimaginable access to information come with unforeseen distractions. A major concern for many instructors is the potential distraction caused by students using their mobile devices to text, play games, check Facebook, tweet, or engage in other activities available to them in a rapidly evolving digital terrain. That concern has potential merit; recent statistics from the Pew Foundation show that the median number of daily texts for older teens rose from 60 in 2009 to 100 in 2011 (Lenhart, 2012). Moreover, 64% of teens who own cell phones have texted during class, even in schools where cell phones are technically banned (Lenhart, Ling, Campbell, & Purcell, 2010). Some critics argue that texting and other digital communication behavior potentially diminish key social skills like effective listening. As one commentator noted, „„we think of phones as a communication tool, but the truth is they may be just the opposite‟‟ (Skenazy, 2009, np). Other views suggest that people are adapting to new communication norms in an increasingly digital world, learning to quickly attend to process and respond to multiple and sometimes simultaneous messages (Davidson,2011).
Time-domain elastic Gauss-Newton full-waveform inversion via matrix-free adjoint-state method

A time-domain matrix-free elastic Gauss-Newton FWI algorithm is formulated based on elastic least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) algorithm. The proposed algorithm consists of two loops of iterations: the outer Gauss-Newton nonlinear iterations and the inner conjugate gradient least-squares (CGLS) linear iterations. The Gauss-Newton search direction in each outer FWI iteration is computed using the matrix-free CGLS algorithm. This step is equivalent to apply an elastic LSRTM on data residuals. The CGLS algorithm can be safely used for solving the Gauss-Newton search direction because our discretized numerical versions of elastic Born and RTM operators passed the dot-product test. We use the proposed algorithm to simultaneously invert for Pand S-wave velocities. The density is assumed to be known. The proposed elastic Gauss-Newton FWI generates an improvement on the inverted models when compared to the nonlinear conjugate gradient method based elastic FWI.
Toxic effects of glutamine in the CNS are triggered by its accumulation in astrocytic mitochondria

Ammonia is a major neurotoxin implicated in hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Here we discuss evidence that many aspects of ammonia toxicity in HE-affected brain are mediated by glutamine (Gln), synthesized in excess from ammonia and glutamate by glutamine synthetase (GS), an astrocytic enzyme. The degree to which Gln is increased in brains of patients with HE was found to positively correlate with the grade of HE. In animals with HE, a GS inhibitor, methionine sulfoximine (MSO), reversed a spectrum of manifestations of ammonia toxicity, including brain edema and increased intracranial pressure, even though MSO itself increased brain ammonia levels. MSO inhibited, while incubation with Gln reproduced the oxidative stress and cell swelling observed in ammonia-exposed cultured astrocytes. Recent studies have shown that astrocytes swell subsequent to Gln transport into mitochondria and its degradation back to ammonia, which then generates reactive oxygen species and the mitochondrial permeability transition. This sequence of events led to the formulation of the “Trojan Horse” hypothesis. Further verification of the role of Gln in the pathogenesis of HE will have to account for: 1) modification of the effects of Gln by interaction of astrocytes with other CNS cells; and 2) direct effects of Gln on these cells. Recent studies have demonstrated a “Trojan Horse”-like effect of Gln in microglia, as well as an interference by Gln with the activation of the NMDA/NO/cGMP pathway by ammonia as measured in whole brain, a process that likely also involves neurons.
An integrated approach to restoring grassland function to working landscapes

Nearly all of what was historically tallgrass prairie has been lost due to conversion to agriculture and increasing urbanization. This thesis focuses on strategies to restore native species diversity to working (i.e., agricultural) landscapes in the American Midwest. The practicality and efficacy of restoration of prairie function to working lands has been demonstrated for some taxa in the short-term (i.e., years 1-5), but the effects of continuing consistent management in the mediumand long-term are less studied. I focus here on butterflies and floral resources due to (1) the well-known sensitivity of butterflies to habitat changes (2) the likely concordant response between insect pollinators and floral resources due to their tight ecological relationship and (3) the ecosystem services provided by pollinators and the need to manage lands for such a service. Taken together, this body of work seeks to integrate empirical and modeling approaches to create a more holistic understanding of how grassland restoration strategies affect insect pollinators. Management strategies are frequently recommended on the basis of only a few years of field sampling, after which, research often ceases and is replaced by opportunistic sampling by managers without a formal experimental framework. The first chapter of this thesis examines the effect of a continuous decade of consistent management with pyric-herbivory (i.e., various combinations of fire and grazing) on butterfly and floral resource plant communities. The management methods being considered here are burn-only (i.e., no grazing with the whole site burned once every three years) graze and burn (i.e., cattle grazing the entire site with a full-site burn once
Cost Implications of Upstream Activities on the Financial Performance of Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria

This study investigated the cost implications of upstream activities on the financial performance of oil and gas companies in Nigeria: A study of Elf and Addax petroleum exploration. Two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study investigated the relationship between social cost and financial performance of Elf and Chevron petroleum exploration (Nigeria). Survey research design was adopted for the study. Primary and secondary data were used for the study. Data collected was analyzed using Ordinary least square multiple regression. Results of the findings revealed that social cost on education, health agriculture and social donations significantly influence financial performance of the two companies under study. It was recommended that oil companies in our economy should establish a sound social responsibility system and shareholders should not frown or see as a hindrance to the preparation of social responsibility accounts and the compensation to the society by the firm, no matter the degree or magnitude of the financial involvement. After all it helps in protecting the image of the company which also helps in yielding more revenue to the business set up.
The somatosensory link : S 1 functional connectivity is altered by sustained pain and associated with clinical / autonomic dysfunction in fibromyalgia Running Title : Altered S 1 functional connectivity in fibromyalgia

MGH/MIT/HMS Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MADepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School (HMS), Chestnut Hill, MA, USA Department of Anesthesiology, Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, University of Michigan Health Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Somatosensory and Autonomic Therapy Research, Institute for Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany Division of Medical Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Korea Departments of Anesthesiology and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, HMS, Boston, MA, USA Masira Research Institute, School of Medicine, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Electronics and Information, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Korea
Application of wave concept iterative process to analyse microwave planar circuits

In the present work, the modeling of high frequencies planar circuits is proposed with an original iterative method based on the concept of waves. It consists in the development of simulation software based on an iterative method. The iterative method is developed from the fast modal transform on a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform algorithm. The method has been applied to the characterization and the modeling of patch antennas with notches in microstrip and coplanar technology and the quarter wavelength directive coupler. The obtained results are very satisfactory particularly in the reduction of the simulation time and the precision of the results in comparison with the literature.
Environmental performance as a fifth balanced scorecard perspective : The judgemental effects of environmental concern , perception of ecological risk and perception of financial risk 1

Despite normative arguments for presenting environmental performance as a separate, fifth perspective in the balanced scorecard (BSC), empirical results have been mixed. Experimental studies that have focussed on cognitive explanations suggest that an environmental perspective, alone, may be insufficient to convey the importance of environmental performance. In addition to cognitive influences, environmental responsibility is an emotive issue and personal beliefs are also likely to affect the importance that is ascribed to measures included in an additional, environmental perspective. Personal values and beliefs have not been considered in previous research. This study contributes to our understanding by demonstrating that concern for the environment, perception of ecological risk, and assessment of financial risk, interact with scorecard classification to determine the weighting placed on environmental performance measures. Introduction and Motivation An important decision for organisations that recognise the strategic importance of their environmental impact is how to incorporate those goals into their strategic performance measurement systems (SPMS). Various authors have recommended a balanced scorecard (BSC) format (e.g., Figge, et al., 2002; Hubbard, 2009). The question remains, however, whether environmental performance should be presented as a separate perspective, or integrated into the traditional four BSC perspectives (Alewine and Stone, 2009; Kaplan and Wisner, 2009). In addition to being an important issue for performance evaluation and reward, the presentation of performance measures is also important in communicating strategic priorities (Kaplan and Norton, 2004; Malina and Selto, 2001). Various studies have demonstrated that 1 This research was gratefully supported by a grant from the University of the Sunshine Coast under the Open Learning and Teaching Grants Scheme. This is a first draft, please contact the author before quoting.
Profi ciency of Nucleic Acid Tests for Avian Infl uenza Viruses , Australasia

H pathogenic avian infl uenza (HPAI) virus (H5N1) is endemic among the world’s wild bird populations and continued to spread during 2006 to poultry across Asia, Africa, and mainland Europe (1,2). Sensitive, specifi c diagnostic methods are essential for early accurate detection of HPAI virus in the prepandemic and early pandemic phases in countries where no cases have been recorded, such as Australia (3). Several sublineages of HPAI (H5N1) exist (4,5). Virus mutation requires that nucleic acid testing (NAT) methods such as reverse transcription–PCR (RT-PCR) be continually improved to remain sensitive for emerging strains (6–12). Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an RT-PCR based on primers published in 1998 (www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/ RecAIlabtestsAug07.pdf).
A 1-V high-speed MTCMOS circuit scheme for power-down application circuits

This paper proposes a new multithreshold-voltage CMOS circuit (MTCMOS) concept aimed at achieving high-speed, ultralow-power large-scale integrators (LSI's) for battery-driven portable equipment. The "balloon" circuit scheme based on this concept preserves data during the power-down period in which the power supply to the circuit is cut off in order to reduce the standby power. Low-power, high-speed performance is achieved by the small preserving circuit which can be separated from the critical path of the logic circuit. This preserving circuit is not only three times faster than a conventional MTCMOS one, but it consumes half the power and takes up half the area. Using this scheme for an LSI chip, 20-MHz operation at 1.0 V and only a few nA standby current was achieved with 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. Moreover, this scheme is effective for high speed and low-power operation in quarter-micrometer and finer devices.
A high-frequency single-side PWM multiple bus distributed power system

The design consideration and implementation of a high frequency (HF) PWM-wave bus distributed power system (DPS) is presented. The system utilizes a 100 kHz, 48 V peak PWM bus for AC voltage distribution. The load converter consists of different level output magamps post-regulators. Bus regulation is accomplished through a simplified front-end design consisting of a boost PFC converter cascaded with a two-switch forward converter. Experimental results are presented for operation at 5 V DC and 3.3 V DC with 200 W output.