LiveRank: How to Refresh Old Datasets

This paper considers the problem of refreshing a dataset. More precisely , given a collection of nodes gathered at some time (Web pages, users from an online social network) along with some structure (hyperlinks, social relationships), we want to identify a significant fraction of the nodes that still exist at present time. The liveness of an old node can be tested through an online query at present time. We call LiveRank a ranking of the old pages so that active nodes are more likely to appear first. The quality of a LiveRank is measured by the number of queries necessary to identify a given fraction of the active nodes when using the LiveRank order. We study different scenarios from a static setting where the Liv-eRank is computed before any query is made, to dynamic settings where the LiveRank can be updated as queries are processed. Our results show that building on the PageRank can lead to efficient LiveRanks, for Web graphs as well as for online social networks

Enzyme-Assisted Aqueous Extraction Of Cashew Nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) Oil

Enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction method was applied to extract oil from cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.). The commercial enzyme (Viscozyme cassava C) was tested for effectiveness in releasing oil during the aqueous extraction. The effect of several parameters such as material/water ratio, enzyme concentration and duration for enzyme incubation on the oil yield was investigated. The conditions for maximum oil release were found with the material/water ratio of 1:9, enzyme concentration of 1% (v/w E/S), and in 3 h of enzyme incubation at 50oC with constant shaking. The maximum oil yield obtained at those conditions (38.88 % raw material) was significantly (p <0.05) higher than that of the control (without enzyme) (35.92 %), and it represented 86.28 % recovery of the total oil in seed. No hexane and other organic solvents were needed for this process. The cashew nut oil by enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction was relatively stable. Both peroxide value and free fatty acid value were lower than those in the oil obtained by Soxhlet method. Total un-saturated fatty acid in the cashew nut oil was about 84.43 %, in which the most abundant was oleic acid (65.0 %), followed by linoleic acid (18.53%). Cashew nut oil is a good dietary source of un-saturated fatty acids

Two-dimensional bar charts

Bar charts have been among the most commonly used types of visualizations throughout the years. They usually visualize a set of scalar data points by encoding the values into the length of the bars. The perception of differences of visual elements in length usually works well preattentively in human. Problems emerge when visual similarities present, due to small value differences or in the presence of big emtrema, causing the domain to stretch. Comparison of similar lengths has been proven to be more difficult when the distance between them increases. This thesis proposes a new approach to the problems. The concept is to turn the area limited by two side edges of a bar and the two auxiliary lines closest to its value into a grid. The cells of this grid are shaded basing on the ratio of value difference of the bar and the auxiliary lines. The cells can be divided into sub-grids to express finer values. The stacking of cells forms different shapes for different values, which human are good at detecting. The comparision task is thus performed better with this new technique. Further more, by counting and calculating the total value these cells represent, the value estimation process also achieves higher precision

FOSTER YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

This study explores the achievement gap of foster youth at a community college with one of the largest populations of foster students in a western state of the United States. This author used a mixed-methods design to identify the most salient factors that could contribute to the achievement of foster youth in context. The study included 109 foster students. The results showed that on average, 58% of foster youth experienced economic hardships. Eighty percent of them lacked social support. Most only accessed the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office and the Counseling Center, while the community college had at least 16 campus services. Unexpectedly, 76% of foster youth indicated they did not access the Guardian Scholars Foster Youth program when this service was designed for them. The qualitative data reflected similar findings. The lack of social support among foster youth was the most common challenge that foster students faced when they pursued their educational goals at the community college. To address this barrier, this author proposed a faculty learning community (FLC) to create a more supportive learning environment for all learners. The FLC focuses on the brain-targeted teaching model while including aspects of multicultural education and the universal design for learning in the emotional climate

Modeling quality of life of Ho Chi Minh City dwellers

Quality of life (QoL) has received more and more attention from scholars and researchers from various fields such as healthcare, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and especially economics after many decades of focusing on income. However, researchers have faced many challenges to gain the proper measurement of QoL due to the contextually based concept. This study employs the primary data conducted in Ho Chi Minh City including 500 observations in 2022, with the application of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to construct a hierarchical model to measure the QoL of the dwellers in Ho Chi Minh City. The empirical model supports the multi-level hierarchical structure of the QoL. The statistically significant contribution of economic, social, and environmental dimensions in the integrated index has been confirmed. The environmental component shares the highest weight, followed by the economic factor. The social aspect contributes the least share in the quality- of-life index. Further analysis of the sub-criteria in each dimension has been made. The findings implicitly suggest the policy concentration on sustainable factors enhancement to raise the QoL. It was a milestone for policy makers to switch the focus from material to non-material factors in the life quality model in Vietnam

Localization method for device-to-device through user movement

International audienceIndoor positioning system is a key component for developing various location based services such as indoor navigation in large complex buildings (e.g., commercial center and hospital). Meanwhile, it is challenging to design a cost effective solution which is able to provide high accuracy. A new method, namely Two-Step Movement (2SM), was proposed in [1] to demonstrate how to build a positioning system which requires only one Reference Point (RP) by exploiting user movement. The method can offer good precision and minimize the number of RPs required so as to reduce system implementation cost. Built on 2SM, here we first improve the positioning performance through multi-sampling technique to combat measurement noise. Secondly, we propose the Generalized Two-Step Movement (G2SM) method for device-to-device (D2D) systems in which both the mobile terminal (MT) and RP can be mobile device. The mobile user's position can be derived analytically and given in simple closed-form expression. Its effectiveness in the presence of noise is shown in simulation results

Mosaic Atlas: Interview with Trami Cron

Interview with Trami Nguyen Cron, Executive Artistic Director of Chopsticks Alley Art. She identifies as Vietnamese American. She is an author and directs the hub, Chopsticks Alley Art, promoting Southeast Asian art and culture. Topics discussed inclue the work of the organization, the move to Downtown San Jose, her books, including VietnamEAZY: A Novel about Mothers, Daughters, and Food, the importance of representation in the arts for the Vietnamese communities, Tet, and extension to broader Southeast Asian audiences. As part of the Mosaic Atlas project, SJSU students and faculty from the Anthropology and Geography Departments interviewed people who support and produce art throughout the Bay Area