Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visibility-related problems on parallel computational models

VISIBILITY-RELATED PROBLEMS ON PARALLEL COMPUTATIONAL MODELS. Himabindu Gurla Old Dominion University, 1996 Advisors: Drs. Stephan Olariu and Janies L. Schwing Visibility-related problems find applications in seemingly unrelated and diverse fields such as computer graphics, scene analysis, robotics and VLSI design. While there axe common threads running through these problems, most existing solutions do not exploit these commonalities. With this in mind, this thesis identifies these com­ mon threads and provides a unified approach to solve these problems and develops solutions that can be viewed as template algorithms for an abstract computational model. A template algorithm provides an architecture independent solution for a problem, from which solutions can be generated for diverse computational models. In particular, the template algorithms presented in this work lead to optimal solu­ tions to various visibility-related problems on fine-grain mesh connected computers such as meshes with multiple broadcasting and reconfigurable meshes, and also on coarse-grain multicomputers. Visibility-related problems studied in this thesis can be broadly classified into Object Visibility and Triangulation problems. To demonstrate the practical relevance of these algorithms, two of the fundamental template algorithms identified as powerful tools in almost every algorithm designed in this work were implemented on an IBM-SP2. The code was developed in the C language, using MPI, and can easily be ported to many commercially available parallel computers. R eproduced with perm ission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission.
Effects of whole-body vibration combined with action observation on gross motor function, balance, and gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy: a preliminary study

This study evaluated the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) com-bined with action observation on gross motor function, balance, and gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy. The participants were randomized into the WBV combined with action observation (WBVAO) group (n=7) and the WBV group (n=7). The WBVAO group received WBV combined with action observation training, and the WBV group received WBV training for 4 weeks. Both groups received 30 min of training a day, 3 times a week. All participants completed the 5 times sit to stand (FTSTS) test, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, pediatric reach test, 10-m walk test, 6-min walk test (6MWT), and timed up and down stair (TUDS) test before and after the training intervention. Moreover, the participant’s Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) scores were assessed. Both the WBVAO and WBV groups demonstrated significant increases in the scores of FTSTS test, GMFM (D and E dimensions), PBS, TUG test, 6MWT, and TUDS test. The WBVAO group improved more significantly compared to the WBV group based on the scores of the FTSTS test, GMFM (D dimension), PBS, 6MWT, and TUDS test. WBV combined with action observation improved lower extremity functional strength, gross motor function, and balance and gait in children with cerebral palsy. These results suggest that WBV combined with action observation is both feasible and suitable for individuals with cerebral palsy.
M2-Like Tumor-Associated Macrophage-Targeted Codelivery of STAT6 Inhibitor and IKKβ siRNA Induces M2-to-M1 Repolarization for Cancer Immunotherapy with Low Immune Side Effects

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) usually display the tumor-promoting M2 phenotype rather than the tumoricidal M1 phenotype. Thus, M2-to-M1 repolarization of TAMs has emerged as a promising strategy for tumor immunotherapy nowadays. However, immune side effects remain a great challenge, because phenotypic conversion of macrophages into the proinflammatory M1 phenotype may also be induced in normal tissue. Here, aiming at repolarizing TAMs without altering the M1/M2 polarization balance in healthy organs, we develop a micellar nanodrug with M2-targeting peptides (M2peptide) hidden in the pH-sheddable PEG corona so that an active targeting of M2-like macrophages is triggered only in the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). The smart nanodrug effectively functions M2-to-M1 repolarization via M2-targeted codelivery of IKKβ siRNA and STAT6 inhibitor AS1517499 (AS), which suppresses the tumor growth and metastasis. Moreover, immune side effects are reduced because the neutral-pH environment in healthy organs does not trigger a “stealth-to-nonstealth” conversion of the nanodrug essential for M2-targeted drug delivery.
Serum phytosterols associate with T helper 1 cytokine concentration in pregnant women

Abstract The dietary phytosterols have been demonstrated to modulate CD4+ T‐cell polarization in cells, animals, and humans. However, T helper (Th)1/Th2 dichotomy has rarely been correlated with phytosterols during pregnancy. The present study investigated associations between the serum cytokines and serum phytosterols in 100 pregnant women at 34‐ to 37‐week gestation and their offspring. The results showed that serum concentrations of interferon (IFN)‐γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, and total Th1 cytokines were positively associated with serum β‐sitosterol level, adjusting for age, BMI, and serum cholesterol. Serum IFN‐γ and total Th1 cytokine concentrations positively correlated with total phytosterol concentration, controlling age, BMI, and serum cholesterol. Moreover, none of the cytokines measured correlated with phytosterol concentration in the newborns. Our results show that serum Th1 cytokine concentrations, but not Th2 levels, are positively associated with serum phytosterols in pregnant women. These findings implicate that phytosterols modulate Th1/Th2 balance by inducing Th1 secretions in pregnant women.
Chromosome 4 controls potential water use efficiency (δ13C) in barley

By combining the approaches of whole-shoot carbon discrimination and genetic analysis, we found that chromosome 4 controls potential water use efficiency (δ 13 C) in barley. In a simultaneous experiment, δ 13 C of 19 wild barley populations from Israel were grown under well-watered conditions in Scotland. Populations originating at the most arid sites had the most negative δ 13 C, hence the lowest potential water use efficiency
Honey bees and wild pollinators differ in their preference for and use of introduced floral resources

Abstract Introduced plants may be important foraging resources for honey bees and wild pollinators, but how often and why pollinators visit introduced plants across an entire plant community is not well understood. Understanding the importance of introduced plants for pollinators could help guide management of these plants and conservation of pollinator habitat. We assessed how floral abundance and pollinator preference influence pollinator visitation rate and diversity on 30 introduced versus 24 native plants in central New York. Honey bees visited introduced and native plants at similar rates regardless of floral abundance. In contrast, as floral abundance increased, wild pollinator visitation rate decreased more strongly for introduced plants than native plants. Introduced plants as a group and native plants as a group did not differ in bee diversity or preference, but honey bees and wild pollinators preferred different plant species. As a case study, we then focused on knapweed (Centaurea spp.), an introduced plant that was the most preferred plant by honey bees, and that beekeepers value as a late‐summer foraging resource. We compared the extent to which honey bees versus wild pollinators visited knapweed relative to coflowering plants, and we quantified knapweed pollen and nectar collection by honey bees across 22 New York apiaries. Honey bees visited knapweed more frequently than coflowering plants and at a similar rate as all wild pollinators combined. All apiaries contained knapweed pollen in nectar, 86% of apiaries contained knapweed pollen in bee bread, and knapweed was sometimes a main pollen or nectar source for honey bees in late summer. Our results suggest that because of diverging responses to floral abundance and preferences for different plants, honey bees and wild pollinators differ in their use of introduced plants. Depending on the plant and its abundance, removing an introduced plant may impact honey bees more than wild pollinators.
Predictors of Outcome in Clinically Diagnosed Viral Encephalitis Patients: A 5-Year Prospective Study

Background Viral encephalitis is the most common infectious disease of the central nervous system and is associated with high morbidity, mortality, and disability. The objective of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics, auxiliary examinations, therapeutic management, and outcomes of patients clinically diagnosed with viral encephalitis and identify the outcome predictors. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study by collecting information from patients clinically diagnosed with viral encephalitis at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2013 to December 2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors that influenced good patient outcomes (mRS < 3) and poor patient outcomes (mRS ≥ 3) at discharge. Results In total, 216 patients were enrolled in the study. The multivariate analysis suggested that the following factors were associated with a poor outcome: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (OR 0.154, 95% CI (0.078-0.302), and P < 0.001), focal neurological deficits (OR 9.403, 95% CI (1.581-55.928), and P = 0.014), and total length of hospital stay (OR 1.119, 95% CI (1.002-1.250), and P = 0.045). However, neurological intensive care unit (NICU) treatment, status epilepticus, and abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) findings did not influence the prognosis of patients. Conclusion Our study suggests that low GCS scores at admission, focal neurological deficits at admission, and a prolonged total hospital stay are predictors of a poor outcome at discharge in clinically diagnosed viral encephalitis patients. Whether early and effective neurological rehabilitation can improve the prognosis of viral encephalitis patients with focal neurological deficits remains to be confirmed in further studies.
Optimal timing of the production of sexuals in bumblebee colonies

Colonies of annual eusocial insects often produce only workers until they switch to the production of sexuals (queens and males). This switch from the ergonomic phase to the reproductive phase has been modelled by Macevicz & Oster (1976). Their model predicts that the production of sexuals should take place approximately one generation (one brood developmental period) before resources are depleted in order to maximise the number of sexuals. Bumblebees, however, produce sexuals early (relative to colony lifetime) when resources are still abundant and thus the model of Macevicz & Oster does not hold for these insects.
Within-island differentiation and between-island homogeneity: non-equilibrium population structure in the seaweed Cladophoropsis membranacea (Chlorophyta) in the Canary Islands

The seaweed Cladophoropsis membranacea forms extensive mats of coalesced thalli on coral reefs and along rocky coastlines throughout the tropics and subtropics. In a previous study on Gran Canaria, small-scale dispersal distances were found to be limited to < 5 m and significant differentiation (F ST) was detectable at distances as small as 5 km. Such strong, small- scale differentiation led to the prediction that strong isolation by distance (IBD) would be found under a stepping stone model at larger spatial scales. In the present survey, 23 sites were sampled in the Canary Islands and one in the Cape Verde Islands. Using eight microsatellite loci analysed in an AMOVA framework, we determined that approximately 75% of the variation occurred within sites and approximately 25% between sites separated by 1–125 km. In a three-level AMOVA, only 6% of the variation was accounted for between islands (≈100–300 km). Moderately strong IBD was found within islands and Mantel tests revealed significant correlation for Gran Canaria and Tenerife but not for Fuerteventura. In contrast, there was no detectable IBD among the Canary Islands regardless of how geographic distances were computed. Only when the Canary Islands were compared with the Cape Verde Islands was strong IBD detected. Our seemingly paradoxical results of strong differentiation and IBD at small distances and weak to absent IBD at large distances reflect non-equilibrium conditions. In addition, the wide scatter of points we observed over all degrees of geographic separation is consistent with isolation in which drift dominates over gene flow. The lack of equilibrium in present-day populations of C. membranacea is probably mainly due to the fact that they are only thousands or even hundreds of years old. Therefore, population structure should be interpreted in terms of history rather than gene flow.
MEASUREMENT OF FROST HARDINESS IN TWO-YEAR-OLD DOUGLAS FIR SEEDLINGS

Seasonal changes in electrical conductivity, impedance, cambial activity and apical growth were investigated during three winters in relation to frost hardiness of two-year-old Douglas fir seedlings. Conductivity of stem diffusate and stem impedance, following freezing at −9.5 °C for 16 hours, were well correlated with hardiness of potted plants to the same treatment. Cessation and commencement of cambial activity coincided quite closely with development and loss of hardiness, but terminal bud formation was a poor indicator of hardiness. Seasonal changes in conductivity were associated with concentration changes of potassium in the diffusate. Hardiness of both nonhardy and hardy seedlings was unchanged by storage at 0–2 °C in plastic-lined bags in darkness.
Machine‐learning‐based detection of adaptive divergence of the stream mayfly Ephemera strigata populations

Abstract Adaptive divergence is a key mechanism shaping the genetic variation of natural populations. A central question linking ecology with evolutionary biology is how spatial environmental heterogeneity can lead to adaptive divergence among local populations within a species. In this study, using a genome scan approach to detect candidate loci under selection, we examined adaptive divergence of the stream mayfly Ephemera strigata in the Natori River Basin in northeastern Japan. We applied a new machine‐learning method (i.e., random forest) besides traditional distance‐based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) to examine relationships between environmental factors and adaptive divergence at non‐neutral loci. Spatial autocorrelation analysis based on neutral loci was employed to examine the dispersal ability of this species. We conclude the following: (a) E. strigata show altitudinal adaptive divergence among the populations in the Natori River Basin; (b) random forest showed higher resolution for detecting adaptive divergence than traditional statistical analysis; and (c) separating all markers into neutral and non‐neutral loci could provide full insight into parameters such as genetic diversity, local adaptation, and dispersal ability.
An Innovative Way of Developing an Improved Variety Utilizing Both Gamma-ray-induced and Recombinational Variability in Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.(Hepper))

An attempt was made to compare variability generated through different mating schemes and combination of mating and irradiation in Vigna mungo L. (Hepper) to improve productivity of recommended varieties. Two locally adapted varieties and two selected complimentary donor lines for high pod number and for seed mass were crossed to generate four single crosses, two three way and one double crosses. Four single crosses were further irradiated with 20 Kr Gamma-rays and advanced to F 2 M 2 and F 2 generations for evaluation based on seven agronomic traits. Variability generated by irradiation was more compared to recombination variability for clusters per plant and pod length traits. Irradiated single cross (F 2 M 2 ) progenies produced higher frequency of superior progenies compared to other hybridized progenies involving two or more than two parents. The nature of association between pod length and number of pods per plant under irradiation improved favorably. Selected superior progenies isolated in F 2 and F 2 M 2 (112) and in F 3 M 3 and F 3 generations (135) were advanced to the F 5 generation and evaluated in progeny row trial with two replications. We found that 29 advance breeding lines were superior. Out of 29 lines, 18 originated from irradiated single crosses and five lines from single crosses without irradiation, and six lines from hybridized progenies involving more than two parents revealing the importance of irradiation in creation of desirable variability. The stability analysis involving 29 advanced breeding lines revealed the stable performance of DBS-14, DBS-16, DBS-24 and DBS-26 genotypes over environments with better mean performance for seed yield. Genotype DBS-15 had highest seed protein content (27.20%), which was followed by DBS-12 (26%) compared to high yielding check TAU-1 (19.68%). The large scale trials in different agro climatic conditions, genotype DBS-14 (DU-1) was the most promising genotype with superior seed yield (22.0%) and seed mass apart from its tolerance to stem fly damage compared to adapted cultivar TAU-1 and the genotype is identified for commercial cultivation in the name of DU-1 in Karnataka state and also registered with NBPGR New Delhi for its novel agronomic traits.
Avaliação morfológica e morfométrica de ovários, tubas uterinas e útero de fêmeas suínas pré-púberes em diferentes fases do ciclo estral

Studies are performed in developing techniques/procedures that provide greater reproductive performance in farm animals, including pigs. In this sense, the study of gilts reproductive organs at different oestrus cycle stages for assessing the presence of abnormalities and/or other parameters that may affect the future animal fertility is important. In order to evaluate the morphological, morphometric and histomorphometric features of ovaries, uterus and uterine tubes (UTs) characteristics of prepubertal gilts at different oestrus cycle stages, reproductive tracts from 48 animals immediately after slaughter were obtained. After, the structures were dissected and removed, and the ovaries were used for classification of oestrus cycle stage of each gilt in follicular phase (FP) and luteal phase (FL). Then, morphometric evaluations of ovaries, UTs, uterine horns and uterine body were performed. Besides that, medial segments of UTs and uterus were fixed in Bouin solution, processed and included in paraffin, when histological sections of 5.0 micrometers (µm) were obtained and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin. Histomorphometric analyzes using image capture system and specific software were performed. Afterwards, data were submitted to Student's t test for assessment the statistical differences (P 0.05) between morphometric parameters of ovaries, UTs and uterus of gilts in FP and LP. Likewise, in respect to the placement of reproductive structures, both in the oestrus cycle stages, as in the general average, there was no difference (P>0.05). Regarding the histomorphometric variables, gilts classified in FP presented a higher (P<0.05) height of glandular and UT epithelium compared to animals in LP. On the other hand, the diameter of endometrial glands was higher (P<0.05) in gilts at LP compared to FP. Furthermore, gilts in LP presented a higher (P<0.05) proportion of endometrium occupied by glands, whereas animals in FP had a higher (P<0.05) proportion of connective tissue and blood vessels. In conclusion, in prepubertal gilts, the histomorphometric parameters as endometrial glands diameter, the height of glandular epithelium and of UT epithelium and the proportion of endometrium occupied by connective tissue, besides the glands and blood vessels varies through the oestrus cycle, possibly under the influence of ovarian steroids.
Spurious learning in networks with Spike Driven Synaptic Plasticity

Biologically plausible learning is of interest not only to neuroscientists but also to the neuromorphic community due to local learning rules, and the promise of efficient hardware implementations. Spike timing dependent plasticity is the conventional biologically plausible learning rule that has been used to train SNNs. However, due to its advantages, spike driven synaptic plasticity (SDSP) rule has begun to be used in some implementations. Unlike STDP, however, under some parameter settings, we note that learning is not proportional to the incoming input received by an output neuron. This phenomenon leads to false positive learning, or otherwise spurious learning. In this paper, we first present a simple 5-class network that gets 99.97% accuracy on simple patterns. Then we present a detailed examination of spurious learning in SDSP networks.
Reduction of the Weight-Decay Rate of Volatile Memory Synapses in an Analog Hardware Neural Network for Accurate and Scalable On-Chip Learning

Volatile Memory (VM) synapse, based on a conventional silicon transistor, has been proposed earlier for on-chip learning in a crossbar array based analog hardware Neural Network (NN). This is because VM synapse has more linear and symmetric synaptic characteristic compared to Non Volatile Memory (NVM) synapse, leading to higher speed and lower power consumption for on-chip learning. However, rapid weight-decay in such charge-based VM synapse can degrade the learning accuracy. In this paper, we have carried out the design and simulation of a VM-synapse-based crossbar array for a non-spiking NN such that the weight-decay rate is low. The extra transistors, associated with each VM synapse at the junction of two crossbars to form the Volatile Memory Synapse Cell (VMSC), are optimized for this purpose. To do so, we have modified the standard Gradient Descent algorithm, used for non-spiking NN, by incorporating thresholding functions in it. Through our optimized design and simulations, we show that even with a capacitance of VM synapse as low as 1.6 fF, the weight-decay rate of the VM synapse can be low enough (time constant ≈ 16 μs) such that the Fisher’s Iris and MNIST data-sets can be classified with high accuracy with such VM synapse based crossbar array, even in the presence of device-level variations. This reduction in capacitance value by three orders of magnitude compared to previous report, which needs 1–10 pF per VM synapse, also reduces the area-footprint per VM synapse. This makes VM-synapse-based on-chip learning scalable.
Antecedents of Mobile Payment Adoption: A Customer Group-Specific Analysis in Mass-Attended Hospitality

Previous studies on mobile payment solutions neglected potential users’ heterogeneity regarding individual characteristics and the time-critical context of mass event hospitality. This study identifies three potential user clusters – namely Early Adopters, Undecided Majority and Laggards in consistence with innovation diffusion theory. Moreover, we employ cluster-specific CB-SEMs to identify determinants of mobile payment adoption and extend the UTAUT model with contextual factors. Results highlight that the relevance of drivers for creating adoption intention differ across customer clusters. We contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms, through which technology adoption can be achieved depending on individuals’ characteristics and highlight that a “one size fits all” approach is not suitable.