Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A human robot interaction system "RoJi"

A human-friendly interactive system, based on the harmonious symbiotic coexistence of humans and robots, is explored. Based on this interactive technology paradigm, a robotic cane is proposed for blind or visually impaired travelers to navigate safely and quickly among obstacles and other hazards faced by blind pedestrians. Robotic aids, such as robotic canes, require cooperation between humans and robots. Various methods for implementing the appropriate cooperative recognition, planning, and acting have been investigated.
Occurrence and Relevance of Mycoplasma spp. in Racing and Ornamental Pigeons in Poland

SUMMARY. This report is one of the first studies describing the relationship between the occurrence of Mycoplasma spp. as regards the type of breed and health status of pigeons. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae, Mycoplasma columbinum, Mycoplasma columborale, and Mycoplasma columbinasale in Polish populations of racing and ornamental pigeons in the context of their correlation with type of breed and health status. The study was conducted on 179 samples (100 racing and 79 ornamental pigeons) collected from pigeons in different regions of Poland. Tracheal swabs were examined for Mycoplasma spp. using genus-specific PCR. If Mycoplasma spp. were detected, the species were identified by species-specific PCR developed on the 16–23S rRNA intergenic spacer region. Ninety-two of 100 (92%) racing pigeons and 67 of 79 (85%) ornamental pigeons were Mycoplasma spp. positive. None of the tested pigeons were positive for M. gallisetpticum or M. synoviae. The average prevalence of M. columbinum was determined at 49%, M. columborale at 79%, and M. columbinasale at 23% in all birds tested. A single mycoplasma infection was found in 40% of pigeons whereas multiple infections were found in 49% of tested birds. Differences were found in the occurrence of mycoplasmas between racing and ornamental pigeons. Our results have shown a high prevalence of Mycoplasma species both as a single and as multiple infections.
The Potential Effect of Circadian Rhythms and Lighting Duration on Behavior and Growth Performance of Quails under Egyptian Condition

The aim of this study was to observe and record the changes in behaviors and performance of Japanese quails "Coturnix japonica" due to circadian rhythms and different light duration. A total of 220 Japanese quail chicks were used and distributed to two experiments (the circadian rhythms (100 birds) and the lighting duration study (120 birds). The behaviors were recorded by direct observation and video recording. The results showed significant differences in the most recorded behaviors among the different day times, especially in video recording. The ingestive and kinetic behaviors were significantly higher at morning, while the resting behavior was the highest in mid-day. Comfort behavior was significantly lower at morning than other times. The light duration had significant effects on ingestive and kinetic behaviors. It was highest in 24 hours of light duration. While, the dust-bathing was significantly higher in 14 (2.9) than 24 hours of light duration (1.74). Quails growth performance did not reveal significant differences between quails kept in 14 and 24 hours of light duration. It was concluded that, the quails on different day times and lighting duration showed significant difference on the normal behavior.
Hand Knob Area of Motor Cortex in People with Tetraplegia Represents the Whole Body in a Modular Way

Decades after the motor homunculus was first proposed, it is still unknown how different body parts are intermixed and interrelated in human motor cortex at single-neuron resolution. Using microelectrode arrays, we studied how face, head, arm and leg movements on both sides of the body are represented in hand knob area of precentral gyrus in people with tetraplegia. Contrary to the traditional somatotopy, we found strong representation of all movements. Probing further, we found that ipsilateral and contralateral movements, and homologous arm and leg movements (e.g. wrist and ankle), had a correlated representation. Additionally, there were neural dimensions where the limb was represented independently of the movement. Together, these patterns formed a “modular” code that might facilitate skill transfer across limbs. We also investigated dual-effector movement, finding that more strongly represented effectors suppressed the activity of weaker effectors. Finally, we leveraged these results to improve discrete brain-computer interfaces by spreading targets across all limbs.
Optimal flow control and capacity allocation in multi-service networks

The optimal flow control of noncooperative users in multiservice networks is investigated in a game-theoretic way. We adopt a model that differs from previously considered ones in that a user's strategy (viz., flow or average rate) is constrained between two numbers: those are specified by the user's quality of service requirements or by the user's technology. Each user tries to maximize its own performance measure, defined by a utility function in a more or less standard fashion. We prove existence and uniqueness of the Nash equilibrium. There is a simple algorithm that determines this Nash equilibrium point (NEP). We also comment on the convergence properties of distributed algorithms towards this NEP. Finally, we give a suggestion on how noncooperative users may distribute their flows among several links, by imposing an appropriate pricing scheme that encourages load balancing.
On the Test-Retest Reliability of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use Scales

systems is increasingly important (Jarvenpaa, et al., 1985; Straub, 1989). An underlying tenet of IS success is the decision maker's willingness to adopt and utilize these systems. Measures that predict and explain use are important in determining what causes people to accept or reject information technology. This note reports on the test-retest reliability of the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use scales. Davis (1989) developed and validated two scales for assessing user acceptance of information technology-perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Adams, et al. (1992) replicated the work of Davis (1989) to demonstrate the validity and reliability of these scales. While replicating the study, Adams, et al. (1992) also extended it to different settings and found both scales to have the same validity and reliability characteristics as the Davis (1989) study. Using two different samples, they demonstrated the internal consistency and replication reliability of the two scales.
Investigations on the Role of the Immune System In Mammary Development And Maternal Immunity In the Marsupial, Monodelphis domestica

All newborn mammals are highly dependent upon milk for nourishment and immune protection. This is especially true for marsupials, a lineage of mammals with a short gestation, limited placental development, and an increased reliance on an extended lactation period. Most newborn marsupials do not receive passive maternal immunity in utero and therefore are entirely dependent upon factors within the milk for immune protection until capable of mounting their own response. In this project we seek to characterize the complex lactation program utilized by marsupials, and seek greater understanding of the maternal role in the establishment of the developing immune system of a model marsupial, the gray short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica. The ontogeny of opossum immune development has been well established, however investigations into correlations with changes in the mammaries during lactation are lacking in this species. Towards these goals, a combination of histology, immunohistochemistry and quantitative PCR was used to investigate mammary development and immune system presence in the opossum mammaries throughout lactation. These investigations have the potential to impact the understanding of the role the immune system plays in mammary development and function from an evolutionary perspective.
Earth Observation Sensor Web: An Overview

In recent years, one of the major advances in Earth observation has been the development and realization of the concept of the Earth Observation Sensor Web. This concept has emerged from advances in sensor, communication, and information technologies to meet the demands for timely and pertinent data and information for supporting applications in the societal benefit areas of Earth observation. One consensus view of the sensor web is a coordinated observation infrastructure composed of a distributed collection of resources - e.g., sensors, platforms, models, computing facilities, communications infrastructure - that can collectively behave as a single, autonomous, taskable, dynamically adaptive and reconfigurable observing system that provides raw and processed data, along with associated metadata, via a set of standards-based serviceoriented interfaces.
Mobile access to moodle activities: student usage and perceptions

The learning management system (LMS), Moodle, has been adopted by many higher education institutions around the world. To date, more than 1800 Moodle sites in over 120 countries have been registered to use Moodle which is available in more than60 languages (Kennedy, 2004). Despite the increasing use of Moodle, concern has been expressed as to how Moodle is being used (Carvalho, Areal, & Silva, 2011).
Electronic atlas of WOCE hdrographic and tracer data now available

As part of the World Climate Research Programme, the World OceanCirculation Experiment (WOCE) has produced during the last decade aglobal set of hydrographic, nutrient and tracer data that is ofunprecedented quality and quantity. Large parts of this dataset arenow publicly available and are being used for general oceanographicresearch and climate studies. However, wide-spread use of thecombined WOCE dataset is hampered by the fact that the data residein many separate data files and by the complexity of the fileformat.In an effort to facilitate the use of the global WOCE dataset, allcurrently released data of the WOCE Hydrographic Programme (WHP)have been compiled into an integrated dataset. Together with theOcean Data View visualization software for Windows, thisdataset constitutes an ``Electronic Atlas of WOCE Data''(eWOCE) that allows the graphical display and interactive analysisof the data in many different ways. Because of extensiveinteractive controls like, for instance, user-defined plotconfiguration, zooming, auto-scaling, color adjustment andstation/sample selection, this electronic atlas complements and goesbeyond the printed atlases that are being prepared now.More than 200 property distributions along WHP sections are providedwith eWOCE. Starting from these template plots, users can easilyproduce (1) arbitrary property/property plots, (2) distributions ongeneral iso-surfaces, (3) property difference distributions betweenrepeats, (4) time-series plots, (5) geostrophic velocity sectionsand many other plot types. With eWOCE, the data can either bepresented as color-shaded and/or contoured fields or as coloredsymbols or numbers at the measurement locations. In addition to themeasured, basic variables, a large number of derived quantities canbe calculated and analyzed just as the basic variables. The WOCEdata collection can be extended easily: data from the WorldOcean Atlas 1994, the World Ocean Database 1998 and otherpopular data formats can be imported without modification. Asadd-ons, eWOCE comes with a gazetteer of WOCE sections andwith the GEBCO (General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans) gazetteerof undersea features which allow easy identification of sections andtopographic features. In addition to research applications,eWOCE can be useful for teaching and training.For more information on eWOCE visit the Web page http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/GEO/eWOCE.
DEFINING LINGUISTIC ANTIPATTERNS TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT OF SOURCE CODE QUALITY

Previous studies showed that linguistic aspect of source code is a valuable source of information that can help to improve program comprehension. The proposed research work focuses on supporting quality improvement of source code by identifying, specifying, and studying common negative practices (i.e., linguistic antipatterns) with respect to linguistic information. We expect the definition of linguistic antipatterns to increase the awareness of the existence of such bad practices and to discourage their use. We also propose to study the relation between negative practices in linguistic information (i.e., linguistic antipatterns) and negative practices in structural information (i.e., design antipatterns) with respect to comprehension effort and fault/change proneness. We discuss the proposed methodology and some preliminary results.
A clinical epidemiological study of gallbladder carcinoma: a retrospective study

Background: Incidence of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is high among the north Indian population. It may be due to environmental, dietary and reproductive factors. Evaluation of GBC epidemiology will provide important insights into determining causes and risk factors for gallbladder cancer. The aims and objectives were to study the epidemiology, clinical presentation and etiological factors of GBC.Methods: Fifty-one cases of GBC were studied retrospectively at Cancer Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI) Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India from January to December 1998. All the patients underwent a detailed history taking and physical examination followed by routine laboratory tests and other investigations including ultrasonographic and computed tomography scan of whole abdomen. Histopathological evaluation of gallbladder specimen was also performed after surgical resection of the GB mass.Results: Incidence of GBC at this centre was 1.49%. GBC was more prevalent among old women (mean age 52.62±12.14 years) belonging to low socio-economic status (SES) (52.94%). Most common presenting symptom of GBC was pain in right hypochondrium (70.4%) followed by anorexia (42.8%), pruritus (35.7%), weight loss (31.2), nausea and vomiting (30.4%). Histopathological examination revealed majority of the case to have adenocarcinoma (84.31%). Gallstones were present in 35.29% patients.Conclusions: GBC is more prevalent in older women belonging to low SES. Gallstones remain the chief risk factor for this malignancy. Histopathological examination of all cholecystectomy specimens for early pre cursor lesion could serve as an important means of early detection of this carcinoma.
Application of genetic algorithm to decentralized control of robot manipulators

This paper discusses the genetic algorithm to improve a decentralized adaptive control scheme to reduce tracking errors of robot manipulators. A simple PD conventional controller is used together with a cubic feedback and adaptive controller to ensure its global stability. A genetic algorithm is then proposed to determine the coefficients of the PD, nonlinear and adaptive controller such that the tracking errors of the robot, that is fitness function of genetic algorithm, are minimized. In order to show the performance of the proposed method, computer simulations are implemented on a simple two link robot manipulator.
Self-Rewards and Cash (Dis)Incentives: Consequences for Effort, Integrity, and Habit Formation

Self-Rewards and Cash (Dis)Incentives: Consequences for Effort, Integrity, and Habit Formation Ruoqu (Rachel) Meng Incentives are fundamental and often powerful motivators of human behavior. Considerable research has focused on financial rewards as a tool to encourage “good” decisions. This dissertation examines the psychology and efficacy of monetary incentives—compared to multiple nonmonetary incentives—with respect to individuals’ choices, performance, and habits. I document and explore a variety of interrelated effects that cash, relative to noncash, incentives can incur in four major areas of behavior: habit formation, choice (specifically, tradeoffs involving risk and delay), goal setting, and integrity. In three longitudinal field experiments, I devise and empirically test a novel incentive program based on self-reward, where individuals defined and administered their own rewards for reaching a goal. I find that this system outperforms cash on several consequential metrics, including task engagement and longer-term persistence. I further place these behaviors in the context of a greater focus on compensation when incentivized with cash: People become fixated on attaining the reward over the process of expending effort. Although this mentality fuels efficient goal attainment, it can also lead to—as I show using a series of online studies—distortionary effects on other aspects of goal pursuit, such as the tendency to choose easier effort streams and the willingness to forgo a reward’s magnitude for its certainty or immediacy. Combined, these findings suggest that practitioners seeking to motivate their constituents may do well to reconsider the use of cash incentives.
VA inhibits LPS-induced oxidative stress via modulating Nrf2/NF-κB-signalling pathways in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Abstract The current study was conducted to examine the pre-protection effects of vitamin A (VA) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced oxidative damage in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) and to explore the antioxidant mechanisms of VA via nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)-signalling pathways. The BMECs were divided into 10 treatment groups with six replicates per treatment and were cultured with dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO, vehicle negative control) or 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, or 4 μg/mL of VA for 24 h and then incubated in the absence or presence of LPS (1 μg/mL) and VA for an additional 6 h. The results showed that exposure to LPS alone decreased the cell proliferation compared with the control. The addition of VA (from 0.05 to 4 μg/mL) promoted the proliferation of BMECs, and had positive effect on activities of glutathione peroxidase and its gene or protein expression but decreased NO and IL-1 production in a quadratic manner. Furthermore, VA significantly inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB activation and had a positive effect on Nrf2 activation in a quadratic dose-response manner and VA at a concentration of 1 μg/mL exhibited the strongest effect. The protective effect of VA dose greater than 2 μg/mL was weakened or even had no protective effect. These results suggest that VA pre-treatment protects BMECs from LPS-induced oxidative stress is due to Nrf2-signalling pathway activation and NF-κB-signalling pathway inhibition. Highlights VA protected against LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines IL-1β production on dose dependent manner quadraticlly, and the concentration of 1 μg/mL exhibited the strongest effect. VA significantly inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB activation and had a positive effect on Nrf2 activation in a quadratic dose-response manner. VA might be a valuable agent for the treatment of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Broadband Doherty Power Amplifiers with Enhanced Linearity for Emerging Radio Transmitters

The ever-increasing demand for utilizing wireless spectra has led to development of spectrally efficient radio systems. While these systems offer much higher data throughput, they employ more sophisticated modulation schemes, which result in wideband signals with high peak-to-average power ratios. These signal characteristics significantly complicate the design of RF transmitters, particularly power amplifiers, in terms of power efficiency and linearity requirements. Furthermore, upcoming wireless standards, such as long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) require adoption of carrier aggregation which incorporates multiple component carriers to yield aggregated channels of larger bandwidth (up to 100 MHz). On the other hand, the emerging systems are expected to support legacy standards with minimum area, cost, and power overhead, and thus call for highly-efficient linear broadband power amplifiers capable of efficiently amplifying concurrent modulated signals located over a broad carrier frequency range. This thesis focuses on Doherty power amplifiers (DPAs) with extended high-efficiency range, enhanced bandwidth and improved linearity as a solution for high-efficiency multiband multi-standard transmitters. It addresses three major concerns associated with DPAs, namely, back-off efficiency, bandwidth, and linearity. The Thesis begins with a detailed theoretical analysis of two-way and three-way Doherty configurations from which the governing equations are derived. This is followed by a comprehensive study of bandwidth limitation in DPA variants. As the first contribution, it is shown that the two existing three-way Doherty structures, i.e., conventional and modified DPAs have inherently broadband characteristics and thus are promising solutions for multi-standard base station transmitters. As a proof of concept, a 30-W three-way modified Doherty amplifier was designed and implemented using packaged GaN transistors over 0.73–0.98 GHz. The prototype was successfully linearized under modulated signals with up to 20 MHz modulation bandwidth. To further improve the linearizability of the DPAs under wideband and multi-band modulated signals, this thesis investigates major sources of static and dynamic nonlinearity in two-way DPAs both at device and circuit levels and explores circuit techniques to mitigate them. Furthermore, the challenges of applying the Doherty technique for concurrent transmission of multiple modulated signals are tackled. The most significant contribution of this thesis is to develop a novel waveform engineering approach to designing ultrawideband DPAs. This approach completely reformulates the DPA’s output combiner conditions in order to accommodate complex-valued load modulation. Moreover, it relaxes the harmonic termination requirements of the DPAs
A point matching algorithm based on reference point pair

Outliers and occlusions are important degradation in the real application of point matching. In this paper, a novel point matching algorithm based on the reference point pairs is proposed. In each iteration, it firstly eliminates the dubious matches to obtain the relatively accurate matching points (reference point pairs), and then calculates the shape contexts of the removed points with reference to them. After re-matching the removed points, the reference point pairs are combined to achieve better correspondences. Experiments on synthetic data validate the advantages of our method in comparison with some classical methods.
Implementations of Tests on the Exogeneity of Selected Variables and Their Performance in Practice

In order to consistently estimate a causal economic relationship at least as many exogenous non-explanatory instrumental variables are required as there are endogenous explanatory variables. This thesis studies various techniques that can be used to classify selected variables as either exogenous or endogenous. These techniques are of great importance as they provide guidance regarding avoiding inconsistency and enhancing efficiency of estimators of the causal effects. Various implementations are first examined in the context of models for cross-section data and subsequently for dynamic panel data models. In addition to standard techniques some more refined alternatives are proposed. The results are used to re-examine various popular studies.