Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acousto-optic devices and components for biomedical applications

Modern acousto-optic devices are often elaborated specially for application in biomedical areas, especially for fast and reliable medical diagnostics. Among all the diversity of acousto-optic devices and components, the acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTF) look the most suitable to be used in this application area. The traditional spectrometers which could be applied for biomedical analyses, contain a light source providing light of wide spectrum, and a set of selective filters (for example, interference filters) which are usually involved in a turret. Hence, the mechanically moving parts must take place in such a device which makes the rate of measurements rather small. Also the diffraction gratings can be used in order to divide the total white light into the spectral components, however, these components are propagated into different directions, and the mechanically moving parts look to be necessary again. Only AOTF application provides the possibility to guide the different spectral components of light into the same direction. We also have proposed a new kind of light source for the spectrometer based on the set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) which allows to control the spectral composition of output light in real time. The device allows to solve the problem of fast and reliable performance of biochemical liquids analyses. Moreover, we consider the possibility to perform some non-invasive methods of analyses using the light reflected from human skin. Another way to use the acousto-optic spectrometer with controlled light source based on LEDs is multispectral processing of the biological objects color images. These problems are considered in details, and the possibility to use the Mancill's theory of color vectors in order to maximize amount of information obtained from the color images, is also discussed.
Trust and Reputation Models for Multiagent Systems

Finding reliable partners to interact with in open environments is a challenging task for software agents, and trust and reputation mechanisms are used to handle this issue. From this viewpoint, we can observe the growing body of research on this subject, which indicates that these mechanisms can be considered key elements to design multiagent systems (MASs). Based on that, this article presents an extensive but not exhaustive review about the most significant trust and reputation models published over the past two decades, and hundreds of models were analyzed using two perspectives. The first one is a combination of trust dimensions and principles proposed by some relevant authors in the field, and the models are discussed using an MAS perspective. The second one is the discussion of these dimensions taking into account some types of interaction found in MASs, such as coalition, argumentation, negotiation, and recommendation. By these analyses, we aim to find significant relations between trust dimensions and types of interaction so it would be possible to construct MASs using the most relevant dimensions according to the types of interaction, which may help developers in the design of MASs.
Migratory applications

We introduce a new genre of user interface applications that can migrate from one machine to another, taking their user interface and application contexts with them, and continue from where they left off. Such applications are not tied to one user or one machine, and can roam freely over the network, rendering service to a community of users, gathering human input and interacting with people. We envisage that this will support many new agent-based collaboration metaphors. The ability to migrate executing programs has applicability to mobile computing as well. Users can have their applications travel with them, as they move from one computing environment to another. We present an elegant programming model for creating migratory applications and describe an implementation. The biggest strength of our implementation is that the details of migration are completely hidden from the application programmer; arbitrary user interface applications can be migrated by a single ÒmigrationÓ command. We address system issues such as robustness, persistence and memory usage, and also human factors relating to application design, the interaction metaphor and safety.
Improved depth-image-based rendering algorithm

The present work analyses a layered depth-image-based-rendering algorithm based on possible errors occurring with perspective 3D warping. The outcome is improvements to the algorithm that treats depth reliably for scenes containing several levels of foreground objects. The filling of holes of different kinds is addressed so that results have better visual quality. The analysis compares the results of the algorithm with a reference algorithm for the potential error types, and visual examples exhibit the consequences of the improvements. Different objective metrics give ambiguous results, which may be explained by the reduction of structure caused by the reference algorithm.
NANOSTRUCTURED ANTI-BIOFOULING SURFACES: PHYSICAL DEPOSITION OF PS- b-PAA LANGMUIR-BLODGETT FILMS

Biofouling, the accumulation and proliferation of microorganisms, plants, and fouling animals on surfaces in an aqueous environment, poses a significant challenge. For example, the effects of fouling of ship hauls include hydrodynamic drag, increase in fuel consumption by ships whose hulls have been fouled, and increase in frequency of dry-dock cleaning. In the history of marine navigation, varieties of anti-biofouling control measures have been suggested but tributyltin self-polishing copolymer (TBT-SPC) paints have been the most effective and commercially viable option in curbing biofouling. However, leaching of tri-organotin biocides from TBT-SPC paints through self-polishing activity constitute pollution which led to the ban of biocidebase paints. We explored bio-inspired nature of lubricin and fabricated polyelectrolyte polymer brushes from commercially available polymer materials by Langmuir-Blodgett deposition technique (LB fabrication) in order to control grafting density and by ATRP. Interfacial tension results indicate that PS60-b-PAA29, based on steric and electrostatic interaction within the block copolymer, is very stable over ranges of pHand temperatures similar to that of the marine ecosystem. Fluorescence microscope and atomic force microscope imaging, as well as, advancing contact angle measurements on the physically fabricated samples shows that there was successful fabrication of PS60-b-PAA29brushes on glass surfacevia LangmuirBlodgett deposition. While biofouling test is underway on the brushes fabricated by LB deposition technique, preliminary biofouling testing by M. Callow‘s laboratory at the University of Birmingham on ATRP samples indicates that grafting duration (hence, thickness) of polyelectrolyte polymer brush has a direct impact on the film efficiency against biofouling.
Single molecules and nanocrystals : molecular recognition forces and optomechanical switching

Changes in the elastic properties of single deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules in the presence of different DNA-binding agents are identified using atomic force microscope single molecule force spectroscopy. We investigated the binding of poly(dG-dC) dsDNA with the minor groove binder distamycin A, two supposed major groove binders, an a-helical and a 310-helical peptide, the intercalants daunomycin, ethidium bromide and YO, and the bis-intercalant YOYO. Characteristic mechanical fingerprints in the overstretching behavior of the studied single DNA-ligand complexes were observed allowing the distinction between different binding modes. Docking of ligands to the minor or major groove of DNA has the effect that the intramolecular B-S transition remains visible as a distinct plateau in the force-extension trace. By contrast, intercalation of small molecules into the double helix is characterized by the vanishing of the B-S plateau. These findings lead to the conclusion that atomic force microscope force spectroscopy can be regarded as a single molecule biosensor and is a potent tool for the characterization of binding motives of small ligands to DNA.
Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems ( PACIS ) 6-18-2013 Self-Efficacy and Engagement as Predictors of Student Programming Performance

Programming is a core subject introduced in the first year of an Undergraduate Computer Science programme. Since programming is a core subject, it is a major concern that high attrition and failure rates continue to be reported in such courses. Evidence from the literature suggests that programming is cognitively demanding, and the solutions proposed have had minimal impact on students in introductory programming courses. However, in the literature on learning theory, there is evidence suggesting that the self-efficacy beliefs of students affect their engagement, and that their engagement affects their performance. In the literature on introductory programming courses, there is a lack of research examining the effect of self-efficacy on engagement, and the effect of engagement on the programming performance of students. This leaves a gap in programming research that this research seeks to fill. Based on student engagement frameworks in the literature on learning theory, a conceptual model was developed. To operationalise and validate the conceptual model within the context of learning programming, a study consisting of focus group interviews and a survey on students in introductory programming courses is proposed. The results of the survey will be analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques.
Laser nanostructuring of Au/Ag and Au/Ni films for application in SERS

In this paper results on laser nanostructuring of Au/Ag and Au/Ni thin films are presented. The nanostructuring leads to formation of arrays of bimetallic nanoparticles. The fabrication of the these structures is made using a two step procedure. Initially, thin films are deposited on quartz substrates by classical pulsed laser deposition method. In order to produce Au/Ag or Au/Ni thin films, targets with two sections consist the different metals are used. Thin films with different concentrations of the two metals are obtained by changing the area of the different sections in the target. The as prepared films are then annealed by nanosecond laser pulses delivered by Nd:YAG laser system operated at λ = 355 nm. It is found that the laser annealing may lead to nanostructuring of the deposited films as at certain conditions decomposition into monolayers of nanoparticles with narrow size distribution is obtained. The performed EDX analyses indicate that the fabricated particles are composed by a bimetallic system of the basic metals used. The transmission spectra of the obtained structures show evidences of plasmon excitations. The bimetal nanostructures are covered with Rhodamine 6G and then tested as active substrates for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS).
Modelling dielectric heterogeneity in electrophotography

We introduce a continuum model of electrophotographic printing of paper and other disordered composite films. The model allows simulation of any dielectric distribution within a toner transfer gap. It is used to elucidate the role of mass density and paper thickness variations on toner transfer efficiency in Xerographic printing. Our simulations show that spatial variations in inorganic filler distribution within paper as well as paper thickness variations will strongly affect toner transfer uniformity by controlling the point-to-point variation of the local dielectric constant of paper. This variation will manifest itself as a mottle in toned images. It is specifically shown that paper thickness variations in paper lead to toner density variation on the scale of 1 mm, similar to those found in Xerographic printing of commercial papers.
Interleukin-27 (IL-27) Mediates Susceptibility to Visceral Leishmaniasis by Suppressing the IL-17–Neutrophil Response

ABSTRACT The relationship established between Leishmania infantum and the vertebrate host can lead to a self-healing infection or to the manifestation of visceral leishmaniasis, a chronic systemic infection associated with high rates of mortality. We hypothesized that regulatory cytokines, such as interleukin-27 (IL-27), play a role in susceptibility to L. infantum infection. IL-27 is a heterodimeric cytokine composed of IL-27p28 and EBi3 subunits which, when combined, bind to IL-27R, leading to STAT-1 and -3 activation, playing a role in the regulation of the immune response. We observed in this work that IL-27 regulates the Th1/Th17 profiles in a mouse model of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by L. infantum. We showed here that the pathogen recognition by endosomal Toll-like receptors triggers a type I interferon (IFN) response, which acts through the type I IFN receptor and interferon regulatory factor 1 to induce IL-27 production by macrophages. Furthermore, IL-27 plays a major regulatory role in vivo, because Ebi3 −/− mice can efficiently control parasite replication despite reduced levels of IFN-γ compared to wild-type mice. On the other hand, the absence of Ebi3 leads to exacerbated IL-17A production in the infected organs as well as in a coculture system, suggesting a direct regulatory action of IL-27 during L. infantum infection. As a consequence of exacerbated IL-17A in Ebi3 −/− mice, a greater neutrophil influx was observed in the target organs, playing a role in parasite control. Thus, this work unveiled the molecular steps of IL-27 production after L. infantum infection and demonstrated its regulatory role in the IL-17A–neutrophil axis.
HiPER: A Compact Narrow Channel Router with Hop-by-Hop Error Correction

Multiprocessor architectures demand efficient interprocessor communication to maximize system utilization and performance. To meet future demands, these interconnects must communicate at significantly higher speeds while operating more efficiently to meet system size, weight, power, and energy requirements. As high-performance parallel computing architectures make their way into portable systems, compact, efficient, and error-tolerant computing and communication mechanisms will be required. This paper presents the High-Performance Efficient Router (HiPER), an efficient multidimensional router supporting high-throughput error-corrected communication channels. HiPER is a proof-of-concept vehicle for efficient implementations of routing, switching, and error control mechanisms. It combines mad postman (bit-pipelined) switching with dimension-order routing, producing a low-latency routing router that is less sensitive to message distance than a word parallel crossbar router. To maintain robust communication as link speeds increase and link power budgets decrease, HiPER employs flit-level hop-by-hop retransmission of erroneous flits, which provides builtin error control at the network level. Data presented on the implemented bit serial version of HiPER offer insight into future router designs with channel sizes between bit-serial and word-wide.
Variable length signal detection framework for cognitive radio systems

The cognitive radio (CR) system opportunistically utilizes the frequency bands temporally unoccupied by the primary user. In the CR system, the energy or cyclostationary detector is used to detect the primary user signal. For protecting the primary user tightly, the signal detection time can be very long, which leads to inefficiency in the CR system. Thus, we propose a novel signal detector that greatly reduces the average detection time. The proposed detector periodically decides whether it terminates the detection process or receives more input signal for more information. Therefore, the proposed detector has variable detection time. We will call the proposed detector the variable length signal detector (VLSD). The VLSD is designed by using a partially observable Markov decision process framework for optimal performance. We present the numerical results showing that the VLSD requires much smaller average detection time compared with the traditional fixed length signal detector to achieve a given detection error probability. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maximizing Quality of Coverage under Connectivity Constraints in Solar-Powered Active Wireless Sensor Networks

Energy harvesting is a promising solution for reducing network maintenance and the overhead of replacing chemical batteries in sensor networks. In this article, problems related to controlling an active wireless sensor network comprised of nodes powered by both rechargeable batteries and solar energy are investigated. The objective of this control is to maximize the network's Quality of Coverage (QoC), defined as the minimum number of targets that can be covered by the network over a 24-hour period. Assuming a time-varying solar profile, the underlying problem is to optimally control the sensing range of each sensor so as to maximize the QoC. The problem is further constrained by requiring all active sensors to report any sensed data to a centralized base station, making connectivity a key factor in sensor management. Implicit in the solution is the allocation of solar energy during the day to sensing tasks and recharging of the battery so that a minimum coverage is guaranteed at all times. The problem turns out to be a nonlinear optimal control problem of high complexity. By exploiting the particular structure of the problem, we present a novel method for determining near-optimal sensing radii and routing paths as a series of quasiconvex (unimodal) optimization problems. The runtime of the proposed solution is 60X less than the standard optimal control method based on dynamic programming, while the worst-case error is less than 8%. The proposed method is scalable to large networks consisting of hundreds of sensors and targets. Several insights in the design of energy-harvesting networks are provided.
A randomized placebo-controlled trial on the antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression

Recent open label trials show that psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, hold promise as fast-onset antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression. In order to further test the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca, we conducted a parallel-arm, double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in 29 patients with treatment-resistant depression. Patients received a single dose of either ayahuasca or placebo. Changes in depression severity were assessed with the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HAM-D). Assessments were made at baseline, and at one (D1), two (D2) and seven (D7) days after dosing. We observed significant antidepressant effects of ayahuasca when compared to placebo at all timepoints. MADRS scores were significantly lower in the ayahuasca group compared to placebo (at D1 and D2: p=0.04; and at D7: p<0.0001). Between-group effect sizes increased from D1 to D7 (D1: Cohen’ s d=0.84; D2: Cohen’ s d=0.84; D7: Cohen’ s d=1.49). Response rates were high for both groups at D1 and D2, and significantly higher in the ayahuasca group at D7 (64% vs. 27%; p=0.04), while remission rate was marginally significant at D7 (36% vs. 7%, p=0.054). To our knowledge, this is the first controlled trial to test a psychedelic substance in treatment-resistant depression. Overall, this study brings new evidence supporting the safety and therapeutic value of ayahuasca, dosed within an appropriate setting, to help treat depression.
Characterization of the Chaotic or Regular Nature of Dynamical Orbits: A New, Fast Method

A new method of characterization of the regular or chaotic nature of dynamical orbits has been discovered. It takes advantage of both morphological and dynamical properties of orbits, and can be applied to systems of all degrees of freedom. The new technique has been designed to analyze time-independent, time-dependent, and N-body systems. It can provide straightforward information about the transition of orbits from regular into chaotic and vice versa, which can happen in time-dependent regimes. Equally important is the distinction it can make between sticky and wildly chaotic epochs during the evolution of chaotic orbits in time-independent regimes. Its most important advantage over the existing methods is that, it characterizes an orbit using information from a very small number of orbital periods. For these reasons the new method is extremely promising to be useful and effective in a broad spectrum of disciplines.
Information-Spectrum Characterization of Broadcast Channel with General Source

This paper clarifies a necessary condition and a sufficient condition for transmissibility for a given set of general sources and a given general broadcast channel. The approach is based on the information-spectrum methods introduced by Han and Verdu. Moreover, we consider the capacity region of the general broadcast channel with arbitrarily fixed error probabilities if we send independent private and common messages over the channel. Furthermore, we treat the capacity region for mixed broadcast channel.
CMOS programmable time control circuit design for phased array UWB ground penetrating radar antenna beamforming

In this paper, a programmable precise time delay generator suitable for a beam forming impulse ground penetrating radar (GPR) is presented. The design is based on a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit that is implemented utilizing Global Foundries 7HV 0. 18μm CMOS process. The precise time control realizes the true time delay, which allows for developing an ultrawide band (UWB) phased array GPR system with beam steering capabilities. The simulation results show that the system is capable of generating delays from 100ps to 500ps in 25ps increments, and the corresponding beam angle ranges from 9.6° to 56.4° with a resolution of 2.75°.
Auto-teaching: networks that develop their own teaching input

Disclosed are selected thiolcarbamate derivatives of 3-trihalomethyl-1,2,4-thiadiazole compounds of the formula: wherein R1 is a CCl3 or CF3 group; R2 is hydrogen or a lower alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and R3 is a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. These compounds are shown to have post-emergence herbicidal properties.
An eye-tracking approach to the analysis of relevance judgments on the Web: The case of Google search engine

Eye movement data can provide an in-depth view of human reasoning and the decision-making process, and modern information retrieval (IR) research can benefit from the analysis of this type of data. The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between relevance criteria use and visual behavior in the context of predictive relevance judgments. To address this objective, a multimethod research design was employed that involved observation of participants’ eye movements, talk-aloud protocols, and postsearch interviews. Specifically, the results reported in this article came from the analysis of 281 predictive relevance judgments made by 24 participants using the Google search engine. We present a novel stepwise methodological framework for the analysis of relevance judgments and eye movements on the Web and show new patterns of relevance criteria use during predictive relevance judgment. For example, the findings showed an effect of ranking order and surrogate components (Title, Summary, and URL) on the use of relevance criteria. Also, differences were observed in the cognitive effort spent between very relevant and not relevant judgments. We conclude with the implications of this study for IR research. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Computing Connecting Orbits via an Improved Algorithm for Continuing Invariant Subspaces

A successive continuation method for locating connecting orbits in parametrized systems of autonomous ODEs was considered in [Numer. Algorithms, 14 (1997), pp. 103--124]. In this paper we present an improved algorithm for locating and continuing connecting orbits, which includes a new algorithm for the continuation of invariant subspaces. The latter algorithm is of independent interest and can be used in contexts different than the present one.