Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patterns in the wild: a field study of the usability of pattern and pin-based authentication on mobile devices

Graphical password systems based upon the recall and reproduction of visual patterns (e.g. as seen on the Google Android platform) are assumed to have desirable usability and memorability properties. However, there are no empirical studies that explore whether this is actually the case on an everyday basis. In this paper, we present the results of a real world user study across 21 days that was conducted to gather such insight; we compared the performance of Android-like patterns to personal identification numbers (PIN), both on smartphones, in a field study. The quantitative results indicate that PIN outperforms the pattern lock when comparing input speed and error rates. However, the qualitative results suggest that users tend to accept this and are still in favor of the pattern lock to a certain extent. For instance, it was rated better in terms of ease-of-use, feedback and likeability. Most interestingly, even though the pattern lock does not provide any undo or cancel functionality, it was rated significantly better than PIN in terms of error recovery; this provides insight into the relationship between error prevention and error recovery in user authentication.
Inclusion Bodies Containing Adenovirus-Like Particles in the Intestine of a Psittacine Bird Affected by Inclusion Body Hepatitis

This paper reports a case of inclusion body hepatitis with intranuclear inclusion bodies in the liver and the intestine of a Yellownaped Amazon parrot (Amazona ochrocephala). Structurally, basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were found in hepatic cells and enterocytes. Ultrastructurally, icosahedral adenovirus-like particles, 60–75 nm in diameter, were found in the same cells.
Advancing MOOC and SPOC development via a learner decision journey analytic framework

Recently, the rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs) have reshaped the scope of education. In these online learning environments, learners have control over their learning process and actively "pull" information that are helpful to them. This makes the educational process primarily learner-driven. Learning analytics and pedagogies have been proposed to actively engage learners, to provide suitable learning environment and to empower learners to learn. However, existing frameworks are not holistic and fail to capture all learner contact points within and outside the course. In this manuscript, a Learner Decision Journey framework is proposed for analyzing MOOC/SPOC development and in particular, for understanding the circular learning process in MOOCs, to generate further insights for course improvements. A case study of analyzing post-learning experiences in a MOOC is used to illustrate how the proposed framework can be used in practice. The proposed framework can be generalized to study activities in all stages of the Learning Decision Journey to provide a holistic analysis of MOOC/SPOC development.
Computing the hyperbolicity constant of a cubic graph

In this paper we obtain information about the hyperbolicity constant of cubic graphs. They are a very interesting class of graphs with many applications; furthermore, they are also very important in the study of Gromov hyperbolicity, since for any graph G with bounded maximum degree there exists a cubic graph G* such that G is hyperbolic if and only if G* is hyperbolic. We find some characterizations for the cubic graphs which have small hyperbolicity constants, i.e. the graphs which are like trees (in the Gromov sense). Besides, we obtain bounds for the hyperbolicity constant of the complement graph of a cubic graph; our main result of this kind says that for any finite cubic graph G which is not isomorphic either to K4 or to K3, 3, the inequalities 5k/4≤δ (Ḡ)≤3k/2 hold, if k is the length of every edge in G.
Improvement of Circadian Rhythm of Heart Rate Variability by Eurythmy Therapy Training

Background. Impairment of circadian rhythm is associated with various clinical problems. It not only has a negative impact on quality of life but can also be associated with a significantly poorer prognosis. Eurythmy therapy (EYT) is an anthroposophic movement therapy aimed at reducing fatigue symptoms and stress levels. Objective. This analysis of healthy subjects was conducted to examine whether the improvement in fatigue symptoms was accompanied by improvements in the circadian rhythm of heart rate variability (HRV). Design. Twenty-three women performed 10 hours of EYT over six weeks. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded before and after the EYT trial. HRV was quantified by parameters of the frequency and time domains and the nonlinear parameters of symbolic dynamics. Results. The day-night contrast with predominance of vagal activity at night becomes more pronounced after the EYT training, and with decreased Ultralow and very low frequencies, the HRV shows evidence of calmer sleep. During the night, the complexity of the HRV is significantly increased indicated by nonlinear parameters. Conclusion. The analysis of the circadian patterns of cardiophysiological parameters before and after EYT shows significant improvements in HRV in terms of greater day-night contrast caused by an increase of vagal activity and calmer and more complex HRV patterns during sleep.
Correlation of Cytokine Gene Expression with Pathology in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Infected with Mycobacterium bovis

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium bovis-infected white-tailed deer (WTD) in northeast Michigan are a reservoir of mycobacteria that pose a threat to both domestic animals and humans. Relatively little work has been done to characterize the immune response of WTD to M. bovis infection; however, an understanding of the immune response to infection and pathogenesis may be critical to the development of an effective vaccine. Immunological responses to infection were characterized by monitoring cytokine gene expression in M. bovis-infected and uninfected deer. Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) from infected WTD expressed more gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-12p40 (IL-12p40), granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor, and IL-4 mRNA than did PBL from uninfected deer; however, differences were not detected in expression of IL-10 and transforming growth factor-β mRNA. Infected animals could be divided into two groups based on pathology. Lesions were confined primarily to the lymph nodes of the head in animals with less severe pathology. Animals with more severe pathology had lesions in the lung and associated lymph nodes as well as the lymph nodes of the head. More robust IFN-γ mRNA expression correlated with pathology early in infection. These findings indicate that IFN-γ expression likely plays a role in both protection and pathogenesis.
A Low-Power Analog Adder and Driver Using a-IGZO TFTs

This paper presents a novel low-power analog circuit, with n-type IGZO TFTs that can function as an adder operator or be designed to operate as a driver. Experiments were set to show summation of up to four signals. However, the design can easily be expanded to add higher number of signals, by appending a single TFT at the input per each additional signal. The circuit is simple, uses a single power supply irrespective to the number of input voltage signals, and shows good accuracy over a reasonable range of input values. By choosing proper TFT dimensions, the topology can replace the typical output drivers of TFT amplifiers, namely the common-drain with current source biasing, or the common-source with diode connected load. The circuit was fabricated with a temperature that does not exceeds 200 °C. Its performance is characterized from measurements at room temperature and normal ambient, with a power supply voltage of 12 V and a load of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\approx ~4$ </tex-math></inline-formula> pF. The proposed circuit has shown a linearity error less than 3.2% (up to an input signal peak-to-peak value of 2 V), a power consumption of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$78~ {\mu }\text {W}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and a bandwidth of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\approx 115$ </tex-math></inline-formula> kHz, under worst case condition (when it is adding four signals with the same frequency). It has shown superior performance in terms of linearity when compared to the typical drivers considered in this study. In addition, it has shown almost the same behavior when measurements were repeated after one year. Therefore, the proposed circuit is a robust viable alternative to conventional approaches, being more compact, and contributes to increase the functionality of large-area flexible electronics.
A retrospective examination of mean relative telomere length in the Tasmanian Familial Hematological Malignancies Study

Telomere length has a biological link to cancer, with excessive telomere shortening leading to genetic instability and resultant malignant transformation. Telomere length is heritable and genetic variants determining telomere length have been identified. Telomere biology has been implicated in the development of hematological malignancies (HMs), therefore, closer examination of telomere length in HMs may provide further insight into genetic etiology of disease development and support for telomere length as a prognostic factor in HMs. We retrospectively examined mean relative telomere length in the Tasmanian Familial Hematological Malignancies Study using a quantitative PCR method on genomic DNA from peripheral blood samples. Fifty-five familial HM cases, 191 unaffected relatives of familial HM cases and 75 non-familial HM cases were compared with 758 population controls. Variance components modeling was employed to identify factors influencing variation in telomere length. Overall, HM cases had shorter mean relative telomere length (P=2.9×10−6) and this was observed across both familial and non-familial HM cases (P=2.2×10−4 and 2.2×10−5, respectively) as well as additional subgroupings of HM cases according to broad subtypes. Mean relative telomere length was also significantly heritable (62.6%; P=4.7×10−5) in the HM families in the present study. We present new evidence of significantly shorter mean relative telomere length in both familial and non-familial HM cases from the same population adding further support to the potential use of telomere length as a prognostic factor in HMs. Whether telomere shortening is the cause of or the result of HMs is yet to be determined, but as telomere length was found to be highly heritable in our HM families this suggests that genetics driving the variation in telomere length is related to HM disease risk.
Redirecting the growth pattern with rapid maxillary expander and chin cup treatment: changing breathing pattern from oral to nasal.

AIM This study was undertaken to assess the possibility of redirecting the growth pattern by using rapid maxillary expansion and a light-force chin cup for a short period of time, with limited patient cooperation, during the pre-growth and growth-spurt stages. METHODS The study included a series of 60 patients, 24 males and 36 females from 7 to 14 years of age, with crossbite or midfacial deficiencies. Treatment involved wearing a chin cup 24 hours a day to force mouth closure during rapid maxillary expansion activation, which was 2 turns per day to rapidly expand the midpalatal suture and enhance nasal breathing. Lateral cephalograms and intraoral and facial photographs were taken 2 years before treatment, at the time of rapid maxillary expansion, 3 weeks following rapid maxillary expansion activation, 3 months after the cessation of rapid maxillary expansion activation, and 1 to 3 years post-rapid maxillary expansion activation. RESULTS Despite the severity, the crossbite would always improve within 21 days following rapid maxillary expansion activation. The cephalograms and photographs demonstrated forward movement of the nasal bridge and maxilla, with backward rotation of the mandible. The bite depth remained nearly the same as pretreatment. CONCLUSION The results suggested that 24 hours of light-force chin cup wear, while expanding the midpalatal suture, is the major factor to force mouth closure and enhance nasal breathing. As a result, there is advancement of the maxilla, avoidance of tongue encroachment upon the mandible, and deceleration of horizontal mandibular growth.
Liver transplantation with deceased ABO‐incompatible donors is life‐saving but associated with increased risk of rejection and post‐transplant complications

ABO‐incompatible (ABOi) liver transplantation (LT) with deceased donor organs is performed occasionally when no ABO‐compatible (ABOc) graft is available. From 1996 to 2011, 61 ABOi LTs were performed in Oslo and Gothenburg. Median patient age was 51 years (range 13–75); 33 patients were transplanted on urgent indications, 13 had malignancy‐related indications, and eight received ABOi grafts for urgent retransplantations. Median donor age was 55 years (range 10–86). Forty‐four patients received standard triple immunosuppression with steroids, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil, and forty‐four patients received induction with IL‐2 antagonist or anti‐CD20 antibody. Median follow‐up time was 29 months (range 0–200). The 1‐, 3‐, 5‐, and 10‐year Kaplan–Meier estimates of patient survival (PS) and graft survival (GS) were 85/71%, 79/57%, 75/55%, and 59/51%, respectively, compared to 90/87%, 84/79%, 79/73%, and 65/60% for all other LT recipients in the same period. The 1‐, 3‐, 5‐, and 10‐year GS for A2 grafts were 81%, 67%, 62%, and 57%, respectively. In conclusion, ABOi LT performed with non‐A2 grafts is associated with inferior graft survival and increased risk of rejection, vascular and biliary complications. ABOi LT with A2 grafts is associated with acceptable graft survival and can be used safely in urgent cases.
From transistors to MEMS: Throughput-aware power gating in CMOS circuits

In this paper we study the effectiveness of two power gating methods - transistor switches and MEMS switches - in reducing the power consumption of a design with a certain target throughput. Transistor switches are simple, but have fundamental limitations in their effectiveness. MEMS switches, with zero leakage in the off state, have achieved much focus over the past decade in the RF field, but have only very recently been explored in the context of power gating. In this paper we study both methods in conjunction with voltage scaling and show that MEMS switches are the superior choice over a wide range of target throughputs, especially low-throughput applications such as wireless sensor networks and biomedical implants. We also show that the architectural choices and operating conditions in a throughput-aware design can be profoundly different when using MEMS switches as opposed to transistor switches. For instance, while transistor switches favor smaller and slower architectures, the MEMS switches favor larger and faster designs when the target throughput is low. Moreover, while the optimal operating voltage of a transistor-switched design resides in the subthreshold region, that of a MEMS-switched design can be above or near the threshold voltage. To prove this, we provide both a mathematical analysis and experimental results from four different FFT architectures.
Inhibition of caspase 1 reduces human myocardial ischemic dysfunction via inhibition of IL-18 and IL-1β

The proinflammatory cytokine IL-18 was investigated for its role in human myocardial function. An ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model of suprafused human atrial myocardium was used to assess myocardial contractile force. Addition of IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP), the constitutive inhibitor of IL-18 activity, to the perifusate during and after I/R resulted in improved contractile function after I/R from 35% of control to 76% with IL-18BP. IL-18BP treatment also preserved intracellular tissue creatine kinase levels (by 420%). Steady-state mRNA levels for IL-18 were elevated after I/R, and the concentration of IL-18 in myocardial homogenates was increased (control, 5.8 pg/mg vs. I/R, 26 pg/mg; P < 0.01). Active IL-18 requires cleavage of its precursor form by the IL-1β-converting enzyme (caspase 1); inhibition of caspase 1 also attenuated the depression in contractile force after I/R (from 35% of control to 75.8% in treated atrial muscle; P < 0.01). Because caspase 1 also cleaves the precursor IL-1β, IL-1 receptor blockade was accomplished by using the IL-1 receptor antagonist. IL-1 receptor antagonist added to the perifusate also resulted in a reduction of ischemia-induced contractile dysfunction. These studies demonstrate that endogenous IL-18 and IL-1β play a significant role in I/R-induced human myocardial injury and that inhibition of caspase 1 reduces the processing of endogenous precursors of IL-18 and IL-1β and thereby prevents ischemia-induced myocardial dysfunction.
Perceptual learning of contrast discrimination and its neural correlates in macaque V4 and V1

vii Abbreviations . viii List of tables . x List of figures . xvi Chapter 1: Contrast discrimination task . 1 Chapter 2: Roving task . 117 Chapter 3: Flanker task . 146 Chapter 4: Control tasks/ analyses . 190 Final discussion and further work . 205 Appendix A: Artifact removal from neuronal data . 213 Appendix B: Cross correlations between PSTH waveforms of channels. 227 Appendix C: Characterisation of neuronal tuning properties . 237 Acknowledgements . 240 References.241
Trends in the educational gradient of mortality among US adults aged 45 to 84 years: bringing regional context into the explanation.

OBJECTIVES We investigated trends in the educational gradient of US adult mortality, which has increased at the national level since the mid-1980s, within US regions. METHODS We used data from the 1986-2006 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality File on non-Hispanic White and Black adults aged 45 to 84 years (n = 498,517). We examined trends in the gradient within 4 US regions by race-gender subgroup by using age-standardized death rates. RESULTS Trends in the gradient exhibited a few subtle regional differences. Among women, the gradient was often narrowest in the Northeast. The region's distinction grew over time mainly because low-educated women in the Northeast did not experience a significant increase in mortality like their counterparts in other regions (particularly for White women). Among White men, the gradient narrowed to a small degree in the West. CONCLUSIONS The subtle regional differences indicate that geographic context can accentuate or suppress trends in the gradient. Studies of smaller areas may provide insights into the specific contextual characteristics (e.g., state tax policies) that have shaped the trends, and thus help explain and reverse the widening mortality disparities among US adults.
Evaluation of a 2-Pyridone, KRQ-10018, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis In Vitro and In Vivo

ABSTRACT A novel subclass of quinolones, 2-pyridones, showed potent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with KRQ-10018 being an early lead. KRQ-10018 showed better activity in vitro against M. tuberculosis versus moxifloxacin. In vivo efficacy of KRQ-10018 at 300 mg/kg of body weight was similar to that of isoniazid at 25 mg/kg, but showed less activity than moxifloxacin at 300 mg/kg.
Computational auditory scene recognition

In this paper, we address the problem of computational auditory scene recognition and describe methods to classify auditory scenes into predefined classes. By auditory scene recognition we mean recognition of an environment using audio information only. The auditory scenes comprised tens of everyday outside and inside environments, such as streets, restaurants, offices, family homes, and cars. Two completely different but almost equally effective classification systems were used: band-energy ratio features with 1-NN classifier and Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients with Gaussian mixture models. The best obtained recognition rate for 17 different scenes out of 26 and for an analysis duration of 30 seconds was 68.4%. For comparison, the recognition accuracy of humans was 70% for 25 different scenes and the average response time was around 20 seconds. The efficiency of different acoustic features and the effect of test sequence length were studied.
Relationship between Occlusion and Lisping in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate

Introduction The literature suggests that individuals with history of cleft lip and palate who present with midfacial growth deficiency are at higher risk of presenting lisping. The relationship between distortions during production of linguoalveolar fricative sounds and the severity of malocclusion, however, has not been established for the population with cleft. Objective To study the association between lisping and dental arch relationship. Methodology Speech samples and dental arch casts were obtained from 106 children with operated unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) during the stage of mixed dentition and before orthodontic treatment. Videotaped productions of the phrase lu saci saiw sedul were rated by speech-language pathologists for the identification of lisping during [s]. Dental arch casts were rated by orthodontists using the Goslon Yardstick and the Five-Year Index to establish dental arch relationship. Results Multiple logistic regression showed no significant association between lisping and dento-occlusal index (p = .802) and age (p = .662). Substantial interjudge agreement during auditory-perceptual ratings was found (kappa = .63). Almost perfect agreement was found between orthodontists while establishing the dental arch relationship (kappa = .81). Discussion This study failed to reveal an association between lisping and dental arch relationship in children with operated UCLP. Multiple variables may play a role in determining occurrence of lisping, warranting further investigation.
Robust context-adaptive residual rate model for frame-level bitrate estimation of HEVC

In High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), a rate control module usually relies on a bitrate model (representing the bitrate as a function of video content statistics and control parameters of the codec) to control the encoder to achieve the target bitrate. Existing bitrate models are not accurate due to their sensitivity to dynamic change of video content. To address this limitation, this paper proposes a new bitrate model, which represents the bit rate of motion-compensated residual as a function of the statistics of Mean Absolute Partial Transformed Difference (MAPTD) of video content and Lagrange multiplier λ specifically, we observe that at the coefficient group level, the relationship between the bitrate and MAPT-D is stable against the variation of coding unit (CU) size, transform unit (TU) size, image resolution and content. Experimental results show that our model can achieve superior performance in frame-level residue-bit-rate estimation, compared with state-of-the-art bitrate models.