Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Survey of Math Accessibility For Blind Persons and An Investigation on Text / Math Separation

Despite recent advances, blind students, researchers, and professionals lack easy access to mathematical resources. This lack of access is a barrier to higher education for many blind students and puts them at an unfair disadvantage in school, academia, and industry. A survey of current mathematical accessibility technologies for blind persons is covered in this paper, encompassing reading, writing, and editing mathematical equations and graphics. The current research problems in this field are studied, concentrating on mathematical OCR (optical character recognition). It can be useful to separate math from plain text in documents because math OCR systems do not perform as well as regular OCR systems on text, and regular OCR systems do not perform as well on math. Improved recognition results could help the Tactile Graphics Project (TGP) at the University of Washington as well. The TGP develops techniques to automate the production of tactile images in math and science books for blind persons. Using the TGP’s current workflow, a human translator spends a significant amount of time hand-editing the text recognized by the OCR system, so improving recognition results by dealing more intelligently with math versus text could help speed up the process. The results of InftyReader, a mathematical OCR system, are merged with those of a regular commercial OCR system, Omnipage, in a pilot study with over 1000 expressions from images in 3 high school and college math books, for more accurate text and Braille output and therefore less human editing. With less editing needed, more translation can be done in the same amount of time, leading to quicker access to resources. This combined approach has the advantage of being at least as good as both recognition engines for each book so that the user does not have to worry about figuring out which recognition engine to use on a perbook or paper basis. Preliminary pilot study results show up to a 15% recognition improvement compared to InftyReader and Omnipage performing on their own, warranting further study on more textbooks.
Dielectric Resonator Antenna Loaded with Metamaterial Polarizer for Circular Polarization

A transmission mode metamaterial (MM) surface is designed and optimized to convert linearly polarized (LP) antennas to circularly polarized (CP) counterpart for wireless applications in Ku band. The proposed MM polarizer unit-cell consists of back-to-back metallic arcs shaped on a 9.6 × 9.6 × 0.508 mm3 substrate. The polarization characteristics of the MM polarizer are investigated using the Floquet mode simulator. It introduces a CP bandwidth of 17.5% with polarization sensitivity up to 40° deflection angle from the illumination direction. The radiation characteristics of a LP- wideband hollow dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) are investigated. The directivity of the DRA is improved to 8.8 dBi by loading it with 57.6 × 57.6 mm2 diagonally arranged MM polarizer unit-cell elements. The separation distance between the DRA and the MM polarizer is optimized to convert the LP radiated wave to CP one. The MM-polarizer produces a right-hand or a left-hand CP according to the rotation angle relative to the DRA axis. The proposed MM polarizer and the DRA structures are examined utilizing a full-wave simulator.
Optimal Scheduling for Charging and Discharging of Electric Vehicles

The vehicle electrification will have a significant impact on the power grid due to the increase in electricity consumption. It is important to perform intelligent scheduling for charging and discharging of electric vehicles (EVs). However, there are two major challenges in the scheduling problem. First, it is challenging to find the globally optimal scheduling solution which can minimize the total cost. Second, it is difficult to find a distributed scheduling scheme which can handle a large population and the random arrivals of the EVs. In this paper, we propose a globally optimal scheduling scheme and a locally optimal scheduling scheme for EV charging and discharging. We first formulate a global scheduling optimization problem, in which the charging powers are optimized to minimize the total cost of all EVs which perform charging and discharging during the day. The globally optimal solution provides the globally minimal total cost. However, the globally optimal scheduling scheme is impractical since it requires the information on the future base loads and the arrival times and the charging periods of the EVs that will arrive in the future time of the day. To develop a practical scheduling scheme, we then formulate a local scheduling optimization problem, which aims to minimize the total cost of the EVs in the current ongoing EV set in the local group. The locally optimal scheduling scheme is not only scalable to a large EV population but also resilient to the dynamic EV arrivals. Through simulations, we demonstrate that the locally optimal scheduling scheme can achieve a close performance compared to the globally optimal scheduling scheme.
Towards efficient deep neural network training by FPGA-based batch-level parallelism

Training deep neural networks (DNNs) requires a significant amount of time and resources to obtain acceptable results, which severely limits its deployment in resource-limited platforms. This paper proposes DarkFPGA, a novel customizable framework to efficiently accelerate the entire DNN training on a single FPGA platform. First, we explore batch-level parallelism to enable efficient FPGA-based DNN training. Second, we devise a novel hardware architecture optimised by a batch-oriented data pattern and tiling techniques to effectively exploit parallelism. Moreover, an analytical model is developed to determine the optimal design parameters for the DarkFPGA accelerator with respect to a specific network specification and FPGA resource constraints. Our results show that the accelerator is able to perform about 10 times faster than CPU training and about a third of the energy consumption than GPU training using 8-bit integers for training VGG-like networks on the CIFAR dataset for the Maxeler MAX5 platform.
Altered Expression Patterns of Inflammation-Associated and Trophic Molecules in Substantia Nigra and Striatum Brain Samples from Parkinson's Disease, Incidental Lewy Body Disease and Normal Control Cases

Evidence of inflammation has been consistently associated with pathology in Parkinson's disease (PD)-affected brains, and has been suggested as a causative factor. Dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) pars compacta, whose loss results in the clinical symptoms associated with PD, are particularly susceptible to inflammatory damage and oxidative stress. Inflammation in the striatum, where SN dopaminergic neurons project, is also a feature of PD brains. It is not known whether inflammatory changes occur first in striatum or SN. Many animal models of PD have implicated certain inflammatory molecules with dopaminergic cell neuronal loss; however, there have been few studies to validate these findings by measuring the levels of these and other inflammatory factors in human PD brain samples. This study also included samples from incidental Lewy body disease (ILBD) cases, since ILBD is considered a non-symptomatic precursor to PD, with subjects having significant loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-producing neurons. We hypothesized that there may be a progressive change in key inflammatory factors in ILBD samples intermediate between neurologically normal and PD. To address this, we used a quantitative antibody-array platform (Raybiotech-Quantibody arrays) to measure the levels of 160 different inflammation-associated cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and related molecules in extracts of SN and striatum from clinically and neuropathologically characterized PD, ILBD, and normal control cases. Patterns of changes in inflammation and related molecules were distinctly different between SN and striatum. Our results showed significantly different levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-15, monokine induced by gamma interferon, and IL-6 soluble receptor in SN between disease groups. A different panel of 13 proteins with significant changes in striatum, with IL-15 as the common feature, was identified. Although the ability to detect some proteins was limited by sensitivity, patterns of expression indicated involvement of certain T-cell cytokines, vascular changes, and loss of certain growth factors, with disease progression. The results demonstrate the feasibility of profiling inflammatory molecules using diseased human brain samples, and have provided additional targets to validate in relation to PD pathology.
Gender differences in perpetuating factors, experience and management of chronic insomnia

ABSTRACT The higher prevalence of insomnia in women has been attributed to biological factors, which are less likely than cognitive and behavioural factors to play a role in perpetuating insomnia. Gender differences in perpetuating factors have not been extensively examined. This study compared men’s and women’s self-reports of factors that perpetuate insomnia; experience of symptoms, perceived severity and impact on daytime functioning; and use of strategies to manage insomnia. Data were collected at baseline, using reliable and valid measures, in a project that evaluated behavioural therapies for insomnia. The sample (N = 739) consisted of women (62.4%) and men (37.6%). Gender differences were found in: (1) perpetuating factors: men took more naps and held more unhelpful beliefs about insomnia, whereas women experienced higher pre-sleep arousal; (2) perception of insomnia severity: higher among women; (3) perceived impact of insomnia: higher fatigue among women; and (4) use of strategies (higher in women) to manage insomnia. Gender differences were of a small size but could be associated with women’s stress, expression of somatic symptoms, and interest in maintaining their own health to meet multiple role demands.
Extending network-virtualization platforms by using a specialized packet header and node plug-ins

A previously developed plug-in architecture for network-virtualization nodes allows network operators to introduce new types of virtual nodes and links and slice developers to use them in slices (i.e., virtual networks). In this paper, a method for extending network-virtualization infrastructures by introducing plug-ins to nodes in the infrastructure and a freely-designed plug-in-specific packet header, which enable sharing part of packet contents among the same type of plug-ins distributed in the infrastructure, is proposed. The header is inserted into every data packet handled by the nodes, but it is hidden from slices in a “clean virtualization” infrastructure. This method was applied to creation of a new type of virtual links with network-delay measurement function using a hidden timestamp in each packet. The timestamps do not affect slices; that is, conventional programs can be used in the slice for the measurement without modification. The method was evaluated by edge-to-edge delay measurements and the evaluation results show that it is suitable for developing new functions, including functions requiring wire-rate p erformance, in shared/public networks.
ABT-888, an Orally Active Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitor that Potentiates DNA-Damaging Agents in Preclinical Tumor Models

Purpose: To evaluate the preclinical pharmacokinetics and antitumor efficacy of a novel orally bioavailable poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, ABT-888. Experimental Design:In vitro potency was determined in a PARP-1 and PARP-2 enzyme assay. In vivo efficacy was evaluated in syngeneic and xenograft models in combination with temozolomide, platinums, cyclophosphamide, and ionizing radiation. Results: ABT-888 is a potent inhibitor of both PARP-1 and PARP-2 with Kis of 5.2 and 2.9 nmol/L, respectively. The compound has good oral bioavailability and crosses the blood-brain barrier. ABT-888 strongly potentiated temozolomide in the B16F10 s.c. murine melanoma model. PARP inhibition dramatically increased the efficacy of temozolomide at ABT-888 doses as low as 3.1 mg/kg/d and a maximal efficacy achieved at 25 mg/kg/d. In the 9L orthotopic rat glioma model, temozolomide alone exhibited minimal efficacy, whereas ABT-888, when combined with temozolomide, significantly slowed tumor progression. In the MX-1 breast xenograft model (BRCA1 deletion and BRCA2 mutation), ABT-888 potentiated cisplatin, carboplatin, and cyclophosphamide, causing regression of established tumors, whereas with comparable doses of cytotoxic agents alone, only modest tumor inhibition was exhibited. Finally, ABT-888 potentiated radiation (2 Gy/d × 10) in an HCT-116 colon carcinoma model. In each model, ABT-888 did not display single-agent activity. Conclusions: ABT-888 is a potent inhibitor of PARP, has good oral bioavailability, can cross the blood-brain barrier, and potentiates temozolomide, platinums, cyclophosphamide, and radiation in syngeneic and xenograft tumor models. This broad spectrum of chemopotentiation and radiopotentiation makes this compound an attractive candidate for clinical evaluation.
Analysis of activity structure in the asynchronous education process via mailing list

This paper presents a grafical notation to represent human interaction engaged in an asynchronous learning networks in the processes of continuous formation. This research contemplates a part-time in-class course for mathematics teachers, showing the use of technology in class. This paper presents a framework showing that all human activity is mediated by artifacts and/or by the actions of the other members of the community. It describes one of the activities and presents the structures identified through the interaction between instructors and teachers mediated by a mailing list. The results appoint to features that aid to comprehend an asynchronous activity structure
Understanding and Supporting Directed Content Sharing on the Web

To find interesting, personally relevant web content, we often rely on friends and colleagues to pass links along as they encounter them. In this paper, we study and augment link-sharing via e-mail, the most popular means of sharing web content today. Armed with survey data indicating that active sharers of novel web content are often those that actively seek it out, we present FeedMe, a plug-in for Google Reader that makes directed sharing of content a more salient part of the user experience. Our survey research indicates that sharing is moderated by concern about relevancy to the recipient, a desire to send only novel content to the recipient, and the effort required to share. FeedMe allays these concerns by recommending friends who may be interested in seeing the content, providing information on what the recipient has seen and how many emails they have received recently, and giving recipients the opportunity to provide lightweight feedback when they appreciate shared content. FeedMe introduces a novel design space for mixed-initiative social recommenders: friends who know the user voluntarily vet the material on the user’s behalf. We present a two week field experiment (N=60) demonstrating that FeedMe’s recommendations and social awareness features made it easier and more enjoyable to share content that recipients appreciated and would not have found otherwise. Author
A Psychometric Evaluation of Iranian Version of the Responses to Positive Affect (RPA) Questionnaire

Background: Despite the existence of the large body of studies demonstrating cognitive responses to negative mood, cognitive responses to positive mood have received relatively less attention. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Responses to Positive Affect (RPA) questionnaire in Iranian population. Methods: Using purposive sampling and a cross-sectional design, 499 participants of a community sample of Tehran, Iran during 2016 - 2017 responded to RPA, Ruminative Response Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. Data was analyzed using SPSS 23 and AMOS 23. Results: Exploratory factor analysis yielded 2 factors (positive rumination and dampening) which accounted for 47.84% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis results showed a very good fit to the data as χ2 = 135.51, df = 82, χ2/df = 1.65, P < 0.001, CFI = 0.98, GFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.03. Results of convergent validity showed that there are significant negative correlations between positive rumination and reflection, depression and generalized anxiety symptoms and significant positive correlations between dampening and brooding, reflection, depression, social phobia and generalized anxiety symptoms. Results of incremental validity analyses revealed that RPA subscales accounted for significant variance in depressive symptoms above and beyond brooding and reflection. Test retest reliability of positive rumination and dampening were 0.81 and 0.83, respectively. Conclusions: Responses to Positive Affect questionnaire demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability in Iranian population. Further research is needed to assess RPA in various clinical samples.
Online robot odometry calibration over multiple regions classified by floor colour

Floor sensors allow a mobile robot to segment the environment into useful regions with properties associated with the floor, such as odometry calibration, cleaning requirements and semantic map labelling. This paper describes an accurate floor colour sensor and presents experimental results to show its effectiveness at classifying different surfaces using a Support Vector Machine (SVM). The sensor is mounted under the robot with its own light source, thus avoiding extraneous light and classifies only the floor that the robot is currently travelling over. The sensor is applied to the calibration problem of correcting systematic odometry errors of a differential drive robot. This can improve SLAM map quality by segmenting the environment into distinct regions with different odometry calibration parameters. Region based calibration of odometry is achieved using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and correlative laser scan matching. This paper uses an odometry correction cost function derived from graph SLAM to show experimentally that the calibration with multiple classified regions is superior to calibration without floor classification. This paper also provides experimental results confirming that odometry calibration parameters depend on floor surface type.
Mycobacterium marinum: a potential immunotherapy for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Purpose The aim of the present study was to investigate the immune response induced by Mycobacterium marinum infection in vitro and the potential of M. marinum as an immunotherapy for M. tuberculosis infection. Methods The potential human immune response to certain bacillus infections was investigated in an immune cell-bacillus coculture system in vitro. As a potential novel immunotherapy, M. marinum was studied and compared with two other bacilli, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and live attenuated M. tuberculosis. We examined the changes in both the bacilli and immune cells, especially the time course of the viability of mycobacteria in the coculture system and host immune responses including multinuclear giant cell formation by Wright-Giemsa modified staining, macrophage polarization by cell surface antigen expression, and cytokines/chemokine production by both mRNA expression and protein secretion. Results The M. marinum stimulated coculture group showed more expression of CD209, CD68, CD80, and CD86 than the BCG and M. tuberculosis (an attenuated strain, H37Ra) groups, although the differences were not statistically significant. Moreover, the M. marinum group expressed more interleukin (IL)-1B and IL-12p40 on day 3 (IL-1B: P = 0.003 and 0.004, respectively; IL-12p40: P = 0.001 and 0.011, respectively), a higher level of CXCL10 on day 1 (P = 0.006 and 0.026, respectively), and higher levels of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL) 8 and chemokine (C motif) ligand (XCL) 1 on day 3 (CXCL8: P = 0.012 and 0.014, respectively; XCL1: P = 0.000 and 0.000, respectively). The M. marinum stimulated coculture group also secreted more tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1β, and IL-10 on day 1 (TNF-α: P = 0.000 and 0.000, respectively; IL-1β: P = 0.000 and 0.000, respectively; IL-10: P = 0.002 and 0.019, respectively) and day 3 (TNF-α: P = 0.000 and 0.000, respectively; IL-1β: P = 0.000 and 0.001, respectively; IL-10: P = 0.000 and 0.000, respectively). In addition, the colony-forming units (an index of viability) of M. marinum in the M. marinum stimulated coculture group was significantly less than that of BCG and H37Ra in their corresponding bacillus stimulated groups (P = 0.037 and 0.013, respectively). Conclusion Our results indicated that M. marinum could be a potentially safe and effective immunotherapy.
Classroom - Based Interventions for Achieving 'Dyslexia-Friendly' Classrooms in Language Education: Pupils' and Teachers' Perspectives

Classroom - Based Interventions for Achieving 'Dyslexia-Friendly' Classrooms in Language Education: Pupils' and Teachers' PerspectivesMaria Reraki, University of Manchester (United Kingdom)AbstractTeaching English to pupils of other languages is a major area in education. The same applies for teaching children with learning difficulties. Although both language education and dyslexia research have significantly advanced over the past twenty years, there is a limited number of studies specifically relating to the support of pupils with difficulties that learn a second or a foreign language. The aim of the present study was to explore English language teaching and dyslexia with a central interest on the inclusion of dyslexic pupils that learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Dyslexia-friendly practices were introduced in three Greek EFL classrooms with the intention to explore how these affected the performance and motivation of dyslexic learners. Because the context of this study was mainstream education, the impact these practices had on their non-dyslexic classmates was addressed. Apart from the pupils' views, teachers' views were also examined while a personal research diary assisted the researcher in focusing on the process of this intervention. Preliminary findings suggest that EFL (dyslexic and non-dyslexic) learners' motivation and performance improved while teachers gradually felt more confident in supporting dyslexic pupils.
Physically-Realizable Hyperbolic Moment Closures for Predicting Non-Equilibrium Gaseous Flows

A finger guide (2) comprises first and second orthogonally-oriented portions (4,12) each comprising a pair of opposed converging surfaces (6,8;14,16) into which the end and the shank, respectively, of a finger for examination fit. Because of the relative orientation of the surfaces, movement of the finger relative to an examination surface (22) is reproducibly constrained.
Engineering Instructor Use and Interpretation of Rubrics in a Large Scale Undergraduate Independent Research Course

This work extends prior research into the efficacy and validity of rubrics designed for a large scale fourth year capstone course at the University of Toronto.In the context of this required course - in which projectsspan the gamut from industry-partnered design projects to research oriented theses - rubrics serve several important functions for students, supervisors and administrators. In this paper, we describe a set of interviews conducted with project supervisors (faculty) and the key findings based on these interviews. A number of interesting themes emerged, on the perceptions and use of the rubrics, views on thepurpose of the rubric, and on specifics of rubric design.The results of this work will support the development of a survey and, eventually, changes to rubric design anddeploymen