Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decentralized Adaptive Fuzzy Iterative Learning Control for Repeatable Nonlinear Interconnected Systems

In this paper, we investigate the iterative learning control of interconnected nonlinear systems with repeatable control tasks. For each subsystem, the main structure of the local learning controller is constructed by a fuzzy learning component and a robust learning component. The learning control algorithm employs fuzzy system and sliding-mode like technique to adaptively compensate for the plant nonlinearities and interconnections. The interaction between each subsystem can be a general type of unknown nonlinear functions. Under a bounding condition on the nonlinear interconnections, we show that all the internal signals are bounded during the learning process and the state tracking errors of each subsystem converge asymptotically along the iteration axis to a tunable residual set.
Student Perspectives on Legal Education: A Longitudinal Empirical Evaluation

Few empirical evaluations of the student experience in legal education have been undertaken, which limits the data available to inform law school decision-making. An empirical evaluation and literature review was conducted to measure students' perspectives on their law school experience at the University of Toronto. Both a quantitative and qualitative analysis was undertaken. Findings suggested that students were overall satisfied with their overall academic experience, quality of teaching, quality of student life, and transition to law school. Multiple linear regressions highlighted significant predictors of happiness in attending the University of Toronto such as the year of study, parental income, quality of life etc. and the sense of community, and satisfaction with the transition to law school. While much of the literature in this area suggests that gender plays a huge role in the student experience, this study suggests it only has a noticeable impact on students’ transition to law school. This study highlights the potential value of empirical research for improving legal education globally, and provides interesting data that can be adapted to inform reform efforts at other law schools.
Estimating active carbon for soil quality assessment: A simplified method for laboratory and field use

A simple method of estimating changes in biologically active soil carbon (C) could help evaluate soil quality impacts of alternative management practices. Most reports of permanganate for active C determination use highly concentrated solutions (0.333 M) that are difficult to work with and tend to react with a large fraction of soil C that is not well distinguished from total organic C. We report on a highly simplified method in which dilute, slightly alkaline KMnO4 reacts with the most readily oxidizable (active) forms of soil C, converting Mn(VII) to Mn(II), and proportionally lowering absorbance of 550 nm light. The amount of soil C that reacted increased with concentration of KMnO4 used (0.01 to 0.1 M), degree of soil drying (moist fresh soil to air-dried for 24 hour) and time of shaking (1-15 minutes). Shaking of air-dry soil in a 0.02 M KMnO4 solution for 2 minutes produced consistent and management- sensitive results, both in the laboratory and with a field kit that used a hand-held colorimeter. Addition of 0.1 M CaCl2 to the permanganate reagent enhanced settling of the soil after shaking, eliminating the need for centrifugation in the field kit. Results from the laboratory and field-kit protocols were nearly identical (R 2 = 0.98), as were those from an inter-laboratory sample exchange (R 2 = 0.91). The active soil C measured by the new procedure was more sensitive to management effects than total organic C, and more closely related to biologically mediated soil properties, such as respiration, microbial biomass and aggregation, than several other measures of soil organic C.
A study of the growth changes in facial configuration.

In order to explore the growth changes in facial configuration, 160 subjects (80 young adults and 80 children aged 11-12) with normal occlusion were selected for roentgenocephalometric analysis. The present study led to the following conclusions: (a) The ratios of anterior upper to anterior total facial heights, anterior lower to anterior total facial heights, and anterior upper to anterior lower facial heights in both sexes stayed constant around 45, 55, and 81 per cent, respectively. (b) The change in the ratio of the posterior total to anterior total facial heights was mainly due to the greater potentiality of the posterior part of the lower face. (c) The increases of the lower anterior and posterior dental heights were larger than that of the upper anterior and posterior dental heights, respectively. The increases of the upper and lower posterior dental heights were larger than that of the upper and lower anterior dental heights, respectively. (d) On average, the mandibular plane and the occlusal plane tended to rotate forwards with age while the cant of the sella-nasion plane, the Frankfort horizontal plane, and the palatal plane remained fairly unchanged. (e) The saddle angle, the articular angle, and the FNA angle remained relatively stable with age, while the gonial angle and the FNB angle seemed to be age-related. The decrease in the size of the gonial angle might contribute mainly to the flattening tendency of the mandibular growth coincident with general growth. (f) Both the inclination of upper incisor to palatal plane and lower incisor to mandibular plane remained reasonably constant throughout maturation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Age and the Development of Trust and Reciprocity

We examine the degree of trust and reciprocity in an experimental trust game with 662 participants from six different age groups, ranging from 8 year old primary school children to retired persons in their late sixties. Although both trust and reciprocity have been identified as fundamental pillars for smooth and efficient economic interactions, economic research has devoted surprisingly little attention to their development with age. Our results provide clear evidence that trust in anonymous partners increases almost linearly from early childhood to early adulthood, but stays constant afterwards. Reciprocity prevails in all age groups, although its degree also seems to increase with age.
The femoral distal epiphysis of ovariectomized rats as a site for studies on osteoporosis: structural and mechanical evaluations.

OBJECTIVE To investigate in detail the mechanical and structural characteristics of cancellous bone from the femoral distal epiphysis of normal and ovariectomized rats, and to provide reference values in order to improve experimental research on osteoporosis by characterising an alternative and complementary anatomic site. METHODS 40 female Sprague-Dawley rats (10 months old) were randomly divided into 4 groups of 10 each: baseline, ovariectomized (Ovx), sham-operated (Sham-Ovx) and sham-aged (Sham-Aged). Baseline animals were sacrificed at the beginning of the study. Ovx and Sham-Ovx animals were sacrificed 16 weeks after surgery, whereas Shamaged rats were killed when aged 14 months. Femurs were excised and densitometric, ultrasonographic, mechanical and histomorphometric analyses were performed. RESULTS When comparing the Ovx group with the others, ultrasonographic and densitometric measurements showed significant decreases (p < 0.0005) amounting to 3-5% in the amplitude dependent speed of sound (AD-SOS) and 13-20% in the BMD, respectively. Significant decreases were also seen in the femoral condyle Max. Load (28-31%; p < 0.0005) and Elastic Modulus (19-25%; p < 0.005) in the Ovx group in comparison with the Sham-Ovx and Sham-Aged groups. Histomorphometric analysis showed a significant cancellous bone loss (p < 0.0005). Densitometric (p < 0.01), histomorphometric (p < 0.01) and mechanical (p < 0.05) parameters were correlated with AD-SOS. Among the histomorphometric parameters, stepwise regression analysis showed that the trabecular bone volume (BV/TV) and Max. Load correctly predicted AD-SOS (p < 0.0005) and BMD (p < 0.0005). CONCLUSION The data from this study characterize osteopenia occurring in the rat distalfemur 16 weeks after ovariectomy and provide methodology and reference values forfurther investigations on osteoporosis and bone-implant osteointegration in osteopenic bone.
Eko Sugeng Pribadi, Hadi Putra Rihansyah, Huda Shalahudin Darusman; In vitro Growth Inhibition of Candida albicans Caused by Antifungal Properties of Miswak (Salvadora persica Linn.) Ethanolic Extract and Commercial Mouthwash.

Aim: To investigate the in vitro antifungal activity of ethanolic extract of Miswak wood (Salvadora persica) to C. albicans growth compared with three commercial mouthwashes that contain alcohol, fluoride and povidine iodine. Methods: Miswak wood was extracted by using sterilized distilled water and ethanol 96%. Before being used for testing, each crude extract was added with 0.5% Tween 80 to serve two ready-made solutions, each containing 300 mg/mL and 200 mg/mL. Miswak wood extracts and commercial mouthwashes were prepared at an initial concentration of 10% and were then diluted serially before being tested for antifungal properties to C. albicans growth. Result: The Miswak wood extract antifungal properties were performed on C. albicans isolated from gargling water of volunteers. Miswak wood extract inhibited C. albicans growth compared to the control solution (significantly different at 5% level test). Antifungal properties of Miswak wood extracts were not seen on subsequent dilution concentrations. Conclusion: The ability of Miswak wood extracts inhibiting C. albicans growth was lower than the three commercial mouthwashes tested. The commercial mouthwash with povidine iodine ingredient inhibited C. albicans growth better than the other two.
Adaptive estimation of HMM transition probabilities

This paper presents new schemes for recursive estimation of the state transition probabilities for hidden Markov models (HMMs) via recursive prediction error (RPE) methods. These new schemes are designed to be consistent and well conditioned, compared to the previous RPE schemes which are known to be ill-conditioned in low noise environments. The RPE algorithms proposed in this paper, although requiring less computational effort than the previous algorithms are still of order N/sup 4/, each time instant, where N is the number of Markov states. Extended least squares algorithms are also presented which less computational effort (order N/sup 2/ per time instant) but for which no convergence results are presented. A consistent algorithm for simultaneous estimation of the state output levels and the state transition probabilities is also presented and discussed. Implementation aspects of all proposed algorithms are discussed, and simulation studies are presented to illustrate convergence and convergence rates.
A hybrid indoor navigation system

We describe a hybrid building navigation system consisting of stationary information booths and a mobile communication infrastructure feeding small portable devices. The graphical presentations for both the booths and the mobile devices are generated from a common source and for the common task of way finding, but they use different techniques to convey possibly different subsets of the relevant information. The form of the presentations is depending on technical limitations of the output media, accuracy of location information, and cognitive restrictions of the user. We analyze what information needs to be conveyed, how limited resources influence the presentation of this information, and argue, that by generating all different presentations in a common framework, a consistent appearance across devices can be achieved and that the different device classes can complement each other in facilitating the navigation task.
Long-term increases in dentate granule cell responsivity accompany operant conditioning

The efficacy of synaptic transmission from the perforant path (PP) to the granule cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) of freely moving rats was monitored electrophysiologically over the course of training in an appetitively motivated, discriminated operant paradigm. Every day, 22 hr after behavioral sessions, evoked potentials were recorded from the DG following stimulation of the PP over range of current intensities and the amplitudes of the population spikes were measured. Behavioral conditions involved training in an operant conditioning paradigm or a session of free-feeding. Significant increases in population spike amplitudes were observed over the 8 d of training, but not over the 8 d of free-feeding. This training-induced increase in granule cell responsivity persisted for at least 10 d following the cessation of behavioral trials and was in many ways comparable to long-term potentiation (LTP), subsequently observed in these same rats 24 hr after tetanic stimulation. These data confirm and extend previous reports of synaptic enhancements following conditioning and suggest that such increases in synaptic efficacy may encode some aspect of learning.
‘It’s better than catching frogs’: Understanding the importance of local context in the development of inclusive school self-evaluation in Lao PDR

This article is an account of a project in Laos which aimed to support schools in evaluating and developing responsiveness to diversity in student populations. Teachers, students and members of the community were involved in review, evaluation and leadership of change to improve learning and participation for all school-aged members of the community, including changing school cultures in terms of curriculum and pedagogy and also access to learning for those previously marginalized within communities. The project (in nine primary schools) led to greater shared leadership, participation and voice prompted by self-evaluation. Analysis enabled greater understanding of the challenges and issues in working across cultures to effect sustainable organizational change. Spaces needed to be created at local levels for teachers to construct meaning and develop a sense of agency in making and owning changes in practice. This shifting of responsibility is crucial in order to build sustainable development.
Examining the Pathways Linking Chronic Sleep Restriction to Obesity

A growing number of studies have identified chronic sleep restriction as a potential risk factor for obesity. This could have important implications for how obesity is prevented and managed, but current understanding of the processes linking chronic sleep restriction to obesity is incomplete. In this paper, we examined some of the pathways that could underlie the relationship between chronic sleep restriction and obesity. This involved exploring some of the potential environmental, health, behavioral, and sociodemographic determinants of chronic sleep restriction, which require further investigation in this context. Three pathways that could potentially link chronic sleep restriction to obesity were then examined: (1) altered neuroendocrine and metabolic function, (2) impaired glucose regulation, and (3) waking behavior. The selected pathways linking chronic sleep restriction to obesity reviewed in this paper are presented in a schematic representation; this may be used to guide future research in this area. This area of research is important because it may lead to more effective interventions and strategies to combat the present obesity epidemic.
A high-performance computing toolset for relatedness and principal component analysis of SNP data

Genome-wide association studies are widely used to investigate the genetic basis of diseases and traits, but they pose many computational challenges. We developed gdsfmt and SNPRelate (R packages for multi-core symmetric multiprocessing computer architectures) to accelerate two key computations on SNP data: principal component analysis (PCA) and relatedness analysis using identity-by-descent measures. The kernels of our algorithms are written in C/C++ and highly optimized. Benchmarks show the uniprocessor implementations of PCA and identity-by-descent are ∼8-50 times faster than the implementations provided in the popular EIGENSTRAT (v3.0) and PLINK (v1.07) programs, respectively, and can be sped up to 30-300-fold by using eight cores. SNPRelate can analyse tens of thousands of samples with millions of SNPs. For example, our package was used to perform PCA on 55 324 subjects from the 'Gene-Environment Association Studies' consortium studies.
Successive Relaying Aided Near-Capacity Irregular Distributed Space-Time Coding

In this paper, an Irregular Distributed Space-Time (Ir-DST) coding scheme is studied in the context of a twin-relay aided network in which the successive relaying protocol is employed. A tight upper-bound of the successive relaying aided network's capacity is given. The distributed codes at the source and relays are jointly designed with the aid of EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) charts for the sake of high-integrity operation at Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNRs) close to the corresponding network's capacity. Finally, it is shown that our proposed Ir-DST coding scheme is capable of near-capacity cooperative communications in the successive relaying aided network, which is an explicit benefit of our joint source-and-relay mode design.
The Impact of Winter Heating on Air Pollution in China

Fossil-fuel combustion related winter heating has become a major air quality and public health concern in northern China recently. We analyzed the impact of winter heating on aerosol loadings over China using the MODIS-Aqua Collection 6 aerosol product from 2004–2012. Absolute humidity (AH) and planetary boundary layer height (PBL) -adjusted aerosol optical depth (AOD*) was constructed to reflect ground-level PM2.5 concentrations. GIS analysis, standard statistical tests, and statistical modeling indicate that winter heating is an important factor causing increased PM2.5 levels in more than three-quarters of central and eastern China. The heating season AOD* was more than five times higher as the non-heating season AOD*, and the increase in AOD* in the heating areas was greater than in the non-heating areas. Finally, central heating tend to contribute less to air pollution relative to other means of household heating.
Ownership in the education reform process in Uganda

The education sector in Uganda is considered to be a leading example of the implementation of new aid practices. This article explores the concept of ownership in the education sector in Uganda. It questions whether too great a preoccupation with world timescales, review deadlines, quantitative targets and the need for accountability to donors can serve to undermine development processes and local ownership. The article calls for more concerted attention to the strengthening of local partnerships, creativity and cooperation and for the facilitation of greater integration between different levels of the education system.
Relationship between Length of Time and Contamination in Open Intravenous Solutions

This study investigated rate of contamination in simulated in-use intravenous solutions to obtain data from which to recommend a standard time period for the administration of intravenous solutions. Although the Center for Disease Control and many medical institutions have recommended that all bottles of in-use intravenous solutions be changed every 24 hours, there are no published data to support the 24-hour standard. In this study, samples were drawn from 80 bottles of Ringer's Lactale solution at predetermined time intervals over 48 hours and cultured on blood agar plates to determine rate of contamination. A low incidence of intravenous solution contamination was found at all time periods. Of 430 total samples, only 12 (2.8 percent) were contaminated. Results of this study did not indicate a significant relationship between time and contamination of simulated in-use intravenous solutions. Therefore, contamination that does occur within 48 hours in intravenous solutions must be introduced from some exogenous source. Further research is required to elucidate exogenous sources of contamination. In the meantime, it can be concluded, the 24-hour standard is adequate to protect against contamination that would occur solely from preparation of the intravenous solution for administration.
Mitogen‐ and stress‐activated protein kinase 1 modulates photic entrainment of the suprachiasmatic circadian clock

The master circadian clock in mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), is under the entraining influence of the external light cycle. At a mechanistic level, intracellular signaling via the p42/44 mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway appears to play a central role in light‐evoked clock entrainment; however, the precise downstream mechanisms by which this pathway influences clock timing are not known. Within this context, we have previously reported that light stimulates activation of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase effector mitogen‐stress‐activated kinase 1 (MSK1) in the SCN. In this study, we utilised MSK1−/− mice to further investigate the potential role of MSK1 in circadian clock timing and entrainment. Locomotor activity analysis revealed that MSK1 null mice entrained to a 12 h light/dark cycle and exhibited circadian free‐running rhythms in constant darkness. Interestingly, the free‐running period in MSK1 null mice was significantly longer than in wild‐type control animals, and MSK1 null mice exhibited a significantly greater variance in activity onset. Further, MSK1 null mice exhibited a significant reduction in the phase‐delaying response to an early night light pulse (100 lux, 15 min), and, using an 8 h phase‐advancing ‘jet‐lag’ experimental paradigm, MSK1 knockout animals exhibited a significantly delayed rate of re‐entrainment. At the molecular level, early night light‐evoked cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation, histone phosphorylation and Period1 gene expression were markedly attenuated in MSK1−/− animals relative to wild‐type mice. Together, these data provide key new insights into the molecular mechanisms by which MSK1 affects the SCN clock.
Stressful life events, perceived stress, and 12-month course of geriatric depression: Direct effects and moderation by the 5-HTTLPR and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms

Although the relation between stressful life events (SLEs) and risk of major depressive disorder is well established, important questions remain about the effects of stress on the course of geriatric depression. Our objectives were (1) to examine how baseline stress and change in stress is associated with course of geriatric depression and (2) to test whether polymorphisms of serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val158Met) genes moderate this relation. Two-hundred and sixteen depressed subjects aged 60 years or older were categorized by remission status (Montgomery–Asberg depression rating scale ≤ 6) at 6 and 12 months. At 6 months, greater baseline numbers of self-reported negative and total SLEs and greater baseline perceived stress severity were associated with lower odds of remission. At 12 months, only baseline perceived stress predicted remission. When we examined change in stress, 12-month decrease in negative SLEs and level of perceived stress were associated with improved odds of 12-month remission. When genotype data were included, COMT Val158Met genotype did not influence these relations. However, when compared with 5-HTTLPR L/L homozygotes, S allele carriers with greater baseline numbers of negative SLEs and with greater decrease in negative SLEs were more likely to remit at 12 months. This study demonstrates that baseline SLEs and perceived stress severity may influence the 12-month course of geriatric depression. Moreover, changes in these stress measures over time correlate with depression outcomes. 5-HTTLPR S carriers appear to be more susceptible to both the effects of enduring stress and the benefit of interval stress reduction.