Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A model predictive control approach to attitude stabilization and trajectory tracking control of a 3D universal joint space robot with an initial angular momentum

In this paper, we deal with two types of control problems for a 3D space robot of two rigid bodies with an initial angular momentum. In our previous work, we studied a near-optimal control approach to the state transition control problem for the 3D space robots with initial angular momenta. However, for the approach, we need huge computation amount and other control purposes cannot be treated. In order to overcome these disadvantages, in this paper we apply model predictive control to the attitude stabilization control problem and the trajectory tracking control problem for a 3D universal joint space robot with an initial angular momentum. As a results of simulations, we can see that both attitude stabilization control and trajectory tracking control for the 3D space robot are accomplished by the model predictive control approach. Moreover, it can be also confirmed that this approach considerably reduces computation amount and achieves real-time control of the 3D space robot.
Leadership for self-organisation: complexity theory and communicative action

Complexity theory suggests that leaders must create the conditions for self-organised emergence and emergent order, both of which value bottom-up development and move an organisation away from excessive or inhibiting bureaucracy and hierarchy. Communication, as a central feature of complexity theory, can facilitate the creation of the conditions for self organised emergence and order. Communication in complexity-theory-based leadership to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and hierarchy and to foster openness to unpredictable futures is argued to be illocutionary rather than perlocutionary. The nature of such communication is found in Habermas's 'ideal speech situation' and his theory of communicative action. Self-organisation, emergence and emergent order have to be considered in terms of desirability, morality and ethics. The illocutionary force of Habermas's 'ideal speech situation' addresses these in relation to communication, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and hierarchy in an organisation. The paper argues that leaders can embrace the tenets of Habermas's ideal speech situation and theory of communicative action in order to create the conditions for desired, morally and ethically defensible emergent, self-organised, feedback-informed order.
Is Job Satisfaction an Antecedent or a Consequence of Psychological Burnout?

A modified version of a process model of psychological burnout proposed by Cherniss (1980) was used to study the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout. The research involved a secondary analysis of longitudinal data collected from 245 school-based educators from a single Board of Education. The results showed that negative work setting characteristics and marital dissatisfaction were associated with greater work stressors, which in turn were associated with increased burnout, which in turn resulted in decreased job satisfaction. When the longitudinal design was employed, psychological burnout appeared to have a causal relationship to job satisfaction, not vice versa.
Muddling through and policy analysis

In a variety of books and articles, both published and in process, I've been out pushing the idea of the “economics of muddling through “ as the description of the approach to policy that will become standard in economics over the next 20 or 30 years. The argument is both prescriptive ‐ I argue muddling through is what should be done ‐ and descriptive ‐ I argue that muddling through is what is currently being done, although, like Monsieur Jourdain speaking prose in Molière ‘s Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, many economists don't recognize that that's what they are doing.1 If we've been muddlers for so long, why should we be willing to admit it now? I think there are three reasons. • First, there is a change occurring in formal theorizing in which the holy trinity ‐rationality, greed, and equilibrium ‐ is being abandoned as required aspects of any model, and being replaced by a slightly broader trinity‐purposeful behavior, enlightened self‐interest, and sustainability.2 • Second, the work in the formal general equilibrium model built upon the foundation of the holy trinity has been thoroughly explored; all the low hanging fruit has been picked, and young theoretical researchers are naturally gravitating to less explored areas. • Third, today's muddling through is not your father's muddling through; it involves the use of a whole range of applied mathematics that is difficult to use unless we admit we are muddling. Today's muddling is technically impressive muddling and is afar cry from the armchair heuristics that characterized early muddling. The paper is organized as follows: First I consider the history of welfare economics, providing a narrative of how we got to where we are. Second, I briefly outline some important changes that are currently occurring in economics. Third, I expand on my reasons for believing that we are now ready to accept a “muddling through” characterization of applied policy, something we have not previously been willing to embrace.
Culture and Imperialism

From Jane Austen to Salman Rushdie, from Yeats to the media coverage of the Gulf War, this is an account of the roots of imperialism in European culture. While many historians and commentators have analyzed the phenomenon of the imperial power wielded by Britain (and France) in the 19th century, this book analyzes its impact on the culture of the period. The author focusses on the way this cultural legacy has embedded itself in the Western view of the East, and affects our relationship with the formerly colonized world at every level, both social and political. The author also wrote "Orientalism".
Bayesian analysis of longitudinal multitrait–multimethod data with ordinal response variables

A new multilevel latent state graded response model for longitudinal multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) measurement designs combining structurally different and interchangeable methods is proposed. The model allows researchers to examine construct validity over time and to study the change and stability of constructs and method effects based on ordinal response variables. We show how Bayesian estimation techniques can address a number of important issues that typically arise in longitudinal multilevel MTMM studies and facilitates the estimation of the model presented. Estimation accuracy and the impact of between- and within-level sample sizes as well as different prior specifications on parameter recovery were investigated in a Monte Carlo simulation study. Findings indicate that the parameters of the model presented can be accurately estimated with Bayesian estimation methods in the case of low convergent validity with as few as 250 clusters and more than two observations within each cluster. The model was applied to well-being data from a longitudinal MTMM study, assessing the change and stability of life satisfaction and subjective happiness in young adults after high-school graduation. Guidelines for empirical applications are provided and advantages and limitations of a Bayesian approach to estimating longitudinal multilevel MTMM models are discussed.
Inhibitory processes in young and older adults in a picture-word task

Abstract The present study examines changes in healthy young and healthy older adults in the ability to inhibit partially activated information in a picture/word interference paradigm. On each trial, subjects received a cue (i.e., the word PICTURE or WORD) indicating which of two stimuli the subject should attend to in an upcoming picture/word display. the display always contained a superimposed picture and word (e.g., a picture of a DEER with the word TEA printed on it). Following display offset, and depending upon the initial precue, either a test picture (e.g., KETTLE) or a test word (e.g., MOOSE) was presented. the subject's task was to determine as quickly and as accurately as possible whether the test stimulus was related to the cued dimension of the earlier picture/word display. the speed to reject an unrelated test item (e.g., picture of a KETTLE when the precue was PICTURE) that was related to the ignored dimension of the picture/word display (e.g., the word TEA in the picture/word display) was u.
Autonomic Predictors of Hospitalization Due to Heart Failure Decompensation in Patients with Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

Introduction Autonomic nervous system balance can be significantly deteriorated during heart failure exacerbation. However, it is still unknown whether these changes are only the consequence of heart failure decompensation or can also predict development thereof. Objectives were to verify if simple, non-invasive autonomic parameters, such as baroreflex sensitivity and short-term heart rate variability can provide independent of other well-known clinical parameters information on the risk of heart failure decompensation in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Methods In 142 stable patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40%, baroreflex sensitivity and short-term heart rate variability, as well as other well-known clinical parameters, were analyzed. During 23 ± 9 months of follow-up 19 patients were hospitalized due to the heart failure decompensation (EVENT). Results Pre-specified cut-off values of baroreflex sensitivity (≤2.4 ms/mmHg) and low frequency power index of heart rate variability (≤19 ms2) were significantly associated with the EVENTs (hazard ratio 4.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–14.54 and 5.41, 95% CI 1.87–15.65 respectively). EVENTs were also associated with other parameters, such as left ventricular ejection fraction, NYHA class, diuretic use, renal function, brain natriuretic peptide and hemoglobin level, left atrial size, left and right ventricular heart failure signs. After adjusting baroreflex sensitivity and low frequency power index for each of the abovementioned parameters, autonomic parameters were still significant predictors of hospitalization due to the heart failure decompensation. Conclusion Simple, noninvasive autonomic indices can be helpful in identifying individuals with increased risk of hospitalization due to the heart failure decompensation among clinically stable patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, even when adjusted for other well-known clinical parameters.
Early Gnathostome Phylogeny Revisited: Multiple Method Consensus

A series of recent studies recovered consistent phylogenetic scenarios of jawed vertebrates, such as the paraphyly of placoderms with respect to crown gnathostomes, and antiarchs as the sister group of all other jawed vertebrates. However, some of the phylogenetic relationships within the group have remained controversial, such as the positions of Entelognathus, ptyctodontids, and the Guiyu-lineage that comprises Guiyu, Psarolepis and Achoania. The revision of the dataset in a recent study reveals a modified phylogenetic hypothesis, which shows that some of these phylogenetic conflicts were sourced from a few inadvertent miscodings. The interrelationships of early gnathostomes are addressed based on a combined new dataset with 103 taxa and 335 characters, which is the most comprehensive morphological dataset constructed to date. This dataset is investigated in a phylogenetic context using maximum parsimony (MP), Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) approaches in an attempt to explore the consensus and incongruence between the hypotheses of early gnathostome interrelationships recovered from different methods. Our findings consistently corroborate the paraphyly of placoderms, all ‘acanthodians’ as a paraphyletic stem group of chondrichthyans, Entelognathus as a stem gnathostome, and the Guiyu-lineage as stem sarcopterygians. The incongruence using different methods is less significant than the consensus, and mainly relates to the positions of the placoderm Wuttagoonaspis, the stem chondrichthyan Ramirosuarezia, and the stem osteichthyan Lophosteus—the taxa that are either poorly known or highly specialized in character complement. Given that the different performances of each phylogenetic approach, our study provides an empirical case that the multiple phylogenetic analyses of morphological data are mutually complementary rather than redundant.
Cognitive Distortions in Depressed Children and Adolescents: Are They State Dependent or Traitlike?

Assessed cognitive patterns in inpatient children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) and compared them to nondepressed psychiatric inpatient controls with other affective disorders and nonreferred control children and adolescents using cross-sectional and short-term longitudinal designs. Depressed children showed more cognitive errors, endorsed more negative attributions, and had lower self-esteem than did the control groups when first hospitalized. Following treatment, there were no longer significant differences between the three groups on any cognitive variables. The results of this study suggest that episodes of MDD affect cognition; however, with symptomatic improvement, distorted cognitions normalize.
Prevalence and distribution of foot lesions in finishing pigs in south-west England

This paper gives the first estimate of the prevalence and distribution of foot lesions in finishing pigs in the south-west of England for 33 years. It was based on the examination of 4038 finishing pigs from 21 units. There were 3727 out of 3974 (93.8 per cent) pigs with at least one foot lesion. The prevalence of different lesions was: toe erosion (33.0 per cent), sole erosion (62.1 per cent), heel erosion (13.0 per cent), heel flaps (14.4 per cent), white line lesions (55.4 per cent), false sand cracks (23.9 per cent) and wall separation (11.5 per cent). The hind feet were more commonly affected than the front feet, and on each foot the lateral digits were significantly more frequently affected than the medial digits. Sole erosions, heel flaps, wall separation and false sand cracks were more frequently observed on the lateral than the medial digit. Digits with sole erosions were significantly more likely to have heel flaps, white line lesions or false sand cracks than those without sole erosions. Furthermore, there was a within digit association between overgrown hooves and toe erosion. The effects of weightbearing, gait and environment on the development of foot lesions is discussed.
Trypanosomiasis in an Australian little red flying fox (Pteropus scapulatus)

Case report An adult female Australian little red flying fox (Pteropus scapulatus) presented with icterus and anaemia. Examination of a blood smear revealed numerous trypanosomes 20.4–30.8 µm long with tapered ends. Necropsy and histological findings were consistent with trypanosome infection of lymphoid tissue and intravascular haemolysis. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated this trypanosome species to be genetically distinct and most similar to Trypanosoma minasense and Trypanosoma rangeli (with a genetic distance of 1% at the 18S rRNA locus for both). Conclusion To the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of a trypanosome infection associated with clinical disease in bats.
Why do some resource-abundant countries succeed while others do not?

On average, resource-abundant countries have experienced lower growth over the last four decades than their resource-poor counterparts. But the most interesting aspect of the paradox of plenty is not the average effect of natural resources, but its variation. For every Nigeria or Venezuela there is a Norway or a Botswana. Why do natural resources induce prosperity in some countries but stagnation in others? This paper gives an overview of the dimensions along which resource-abundant winners and losers differ. In light of this, it then discusses different theory models of the resource curse, with a particular emphasis on recent developments in political economy. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
Family bonding and delinquency : racial and ethnic influences among U.S. youth

Research investigating racially and cultural varied influences on delinquency has been rather sparse. In this study, we investigate the cultural sensitivity of Hirschi's social bonding theory across a racially/ethnically diverse sample (i.e., Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics). The study also is unique due to the young age of its respondents (i.e., sixth graders and eighth graders). In this article, we compare the reliability and validity of social bonding constructs across racial/ethnic groupings, and then assess the influence of the elements of the social bond upon delinquency for the sample of Whites, African Americans and Hispanics. The results of this study indicate the possibility of building social bonding indicators that are equally applicable to diverse groups. In our study, these indicators are male caretaker attachment, female caretaker supervision, female caretaker communication, and family pride. Family involvement and family belief did not comprise a discrete factor that could be used.
Penetration of the outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by synergistic combinations of beta-lactam and aminoglycoside antibiotics

The mechanism of the synergistic action of carbenicillin-gentamicin and moxalactam-tobramycin combinations against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 was investigated. Disruption of the outer membrane penetration barrier by EDTA treatment enhanced the activity of both combinations against the cells during growth for 100 min in exponential phase. However, there was no loss of the synergistic activity of the antibiotics as a result of this treatment. A procedure involving minimal inhibitory concentration testing in the presence of rifampin did not detect any destabilization of the outer membrane barrier by any of the four drugs over an 18-h period. The combined evidence indicates that beta-lactamaminoglycoside synergy is not mediated by the outer membrane of this organism.
Neurons of the lateral spinal nucleus in the rat spinal cord – A Golgi study

The neurons of the lateral spinal nucleus in the spinal cord of young adult rats were studied in transverse and longitudinal planes using the Golgi-Kopsch method and electron microscope. The perikarya were mainly polygonal or spindle shaped, and measured 20 to 35 μm in the longest diameter. They formed a dense column in the dorsolateral funiculus underneath the pial surface. The dendrites followed three patterns. Several of them turned laterally and approached the surface of the spinal cord. Another group of dendrites ran longitudinally within the column of the perikarya. A third group of dendrites turned medially or ventromedially and coursed towards the reticulated portion of the gray matter. Medium-sized neurons located at the margin of this latter portion of the spinal cord sent some of their straight dendrites into the dorsolateral funiculus. Thus, the dendrites of these two populations of neurons appeared as rungs of a ladder in longitudinally-cut spinal cord specimens. Only the initial portions of the axons of the LSN neurons could be impregnated. They originated with a regular axon hillock from either the perikaryon or from one of the primary dendrites and became unimpregnated after a 20 to 40 μm long course, indicating their myelinated character. Preliminary ultrastructural observations revealed that the laterally directed dendrites of the neurons in the lateral spinal nucleus approached the free surface of the spinal cord and ended immediately underneath the pia mater. Large numbers of fine, unmyelinated fibers were found in the dorsolateral funiculus coursing perpendicular to the laterally and medially oriented dendrites.
Hammerstein System Identification With the Nearest Neighbor Algorithm

The nonlinear characteristic in a Hammerstein system, i.e., a system in which a nonlinear memoryless subsystem and a linear dynamic are connected in a cascade, is recovered with the nonparametric nearest neighbor regression estimate. The a priori information is nonparametric, both the nonlinear characteristic and the impulse response are completely unknown and can be of any form. Local and global properties of the estimate are examined. Whatever the probability density of the input signal, the estimate converges at every continuity point of the characteristic as well as in the global sense. We derive the asymptotic bias and variance of the proposed estimate. As a result, the optimal rate of convergence is established that additionally is independent of the shape of the input density. Results of numerical simulations are also presented.
Blogracy: A Peer-to-Peer Social Network

The current approach to build social networking systems is to create huge centralized systems owned by a single company. However, such strategy has many drawbacks, e.g., lack of privacy, lack of anonymity, risks of censorship and operating costs. In this paper the authors propose a novel P2P system that leverages existing, widespread and stable technologies such as DHTs and BitTorrent. In particular, they introduce a key-based identity system and a model of social relations for distributing content efficiently among interested readers. The system they propose, Blogracy, is a micro-blogging social networking system focused on: i anonymity and resilience to censorship; ii authenticatable content; iii semantic interoperability using activity streams. The authors have implemented the system and conducted various experiments to study its behaviour. The results are presented here, regarding i communication delays for some simulations of node churn, ii delays measured in test operations over PlanetLab, in direct communication, and iii through the I2P anonymizing network.
Effect of fluoxetine on depression-induced changes in the expression of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and corticotrophin releasing factor in rat duodenum.

AIM To investigate changes in vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) in the plasma and duodenum of chronic stress-induced depressed rats and the effects of fluoxetine hydrochloride (fluoxetine) treatment on depression-induced changes in VIP and CRF. METHODS A Sprague-Dawley rat model of chronic stress-induced depression was produced. Thirty experimental rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control group, saline-treated depressed group, and fluoxetine-treated depressed group. Open-field testing was performed to assess the rats' behavior. VIP and CRF levels in plasma were measured by ELISA. Immunofluorescence techniques combined with laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) were used to investigate VIP and CRF expression in the duodenum. RESULTS The open-field behavior, both crossing and rearing, of depression model rats, decreased significantly compared with those of normal control rats over 5 min. Defecation times increased significantly. Compared to the control group, FITC fluorescence of duodenal CRF expression and plasma CRF levels in the depressed rats increased significantly (fluorescence intensity of duodenal CRF: 11.82 +/- 2.54 vs 25.17 +/- 4.63; plasma CRF: 11.82 +/- 2.54 ng/L vs 25.17 +/- 4.63 ng/L, P < 0.01), whereas duodenal VIP expression and plasma VIP levels decreased significantly (fluorescence intensity of duodenal VIP: 67.37 +/- 18.90 vs 44.51 +/- 16.37; plasma VIP: 67.37 +/- 18.90 ng/L vs 44.51 +/- 16.37 ng/L, P < 0.01). Fluoxetine improved depressed behavior, increased VIP expression and decreased CRF expression in plasma and the duodenal tissue of depressed rats. CONCLUSION Chronic stress can induce injury to the duodenum, accompanied by increasing CRF and decreasing VIP in the plasma and duodenum. Treatment with fluoxetine can ameliorate pathological changes in the duodenum of depressed rats, which suggests that antidepressants are an effective therapeutic agent for some duodenal diseases caused by chronic stress. VIP is a potential therapeutic strategy.