Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Optics Technology for High-Resolution Retinal Imaging

Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of optical aberrations. The direct visualization of the photoreceptor cells, capillaries and nerve fiber bundles represents the major benefit of adding AO to retinal imaging. Adaptive optics is opening a new frontier for clinical research in ophthalmology, providing new information on the early pathological changes of the retinal microstructures in various retinal diseases. We have reviewed AO technology for retinal imaging, providing information on the core components of an AO retinal camera. The most commonly used wavefront sensing and correcting elements are discussed. Furthermore, we discuss current applications of AO imaging to a population of healthy adults and to the most frequent causes of blindness, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. We conclude our work with a discussion on future clinical prospects for AO retinal imaging.
Studying the Mouse for CAD Systems

Four experiments were conducted to test the suitability of the mouse as a pointing device for CAD systems. The experimental tasks included simultaneously pressing more than one button (chording), repeated clicking of a single button, and moving the mouse while one or more buttons are held down. Although subjects did prefer some styles of interaction over others, quantitative measures (completion time and error counts) indicate that people can successfully perform all requested actions. Use of the nonpreferred methods therefore may be appropriate in systems where it is desirable to provide the user with several alternate inputs. Designers who make this decision should be aware, however, that substantial system overhead is required to test for multiple clicking and chording.
Sustaining interdisciplinary education: developing boundary crossing governance

ABSTRACT Interdisciplinarity has become part of contemporary university discourses on knowledge in both research and curriculum. The move to break down traditional disciplinary boundaries reflects emerging forms of enquiry into knowledge that are less hegemonic and more distributed, and more tuned to its production, practices and the needs of its practitioners. A focus on complex problems that draws on multiple knowledge domains and an emphasis on professional knowledge have engendered a loosening of discipline boundaries in the development of curriculum and degree programmes. In this case study, we investigated teaching practices across discipline boundaries: how interdisciplinary curriculum and teaching are understood, practiced and supported within an Australian university that typifies a discipline-based organisational structure. Through interviews with relevant academics, managers and professionals, we explored the challenges and strategies in sustaining interdisciplinary curricula that were managed between several disciplinary Schools. Our findings were two-fold: engagement with interdisciplinary knowledge had profound effects on academic culture and identities among participating students and teaching staff; and significant challenges arose in the coordination and administration of interdisciplinary education, with institutional structures highlighted as a contributing factor. While the literature on interdisciplinary education emphasises academic collaborations and leadership, there has been less attention to the role of institutional processes – mediated by procedures, artefacts and routines – in supporting and sustaining interdisciplinary education. Aspects of the case study are used to analyse the conflicting practices arising with interdisciplinary education, and to develop the potential for boundary crossing modes of interdisciplinary governance to counter the legacy of discipline-based structures.
Fully implicit ADI schemes for solving the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation

Abstract The Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) model is an effective approach for the electrostatics analysis of solvated biomolecules. The nonlinearity associated with the PB equation is critical when the underlying electrostatic potential is strong, but is extremely difficult to solve numerically. In this paper, we construct two operator splitting alternating direction implicit (ADI) schemes to efficiently and stably solve the nonlinear PB equation in a pseudo-transient continuation approach. The operator splitting framework enables an analytical integration of the nonlinear term that suppresses the nonlinear instability. A standard finite difference scheme weighted by piecewise dielectric constants varying across the molecular surface is employed to discretize the nonhomogeneous diffusion term of the nonlinear PB equation, and yields tridiagonal matrices in the Douglas and Douglas-Rachford type ADI schemes. The proposed time splitting ADI schemes are different from all existing pseudo-transient continuation approaches for solving the classical nonlinear PB equation in the sense that they are fully implicit. In a numerical benchmark example, the steady state solutions of the fully-implicit ADI schemes based on different initial values all converge to the time invariant analytical solution, while those of the explicit Euler and semi-implicit ADI schemes blow up when the magnitude of the initial solution is large. For the solvation analysis in applications to real biomolecules with various sizes, the time stability of the proposed ADI schemes can be maintained even using very large time increments, demonstrating the efficiency and stability of the present methods for biomolecular simulation.
A hybrid fault tolerance scheme for EasyGrid MPI applications

Writing applications capable of executing efficiently in distributed systems is extremely difficult and tedious for inexperienced users. The resources may be heterogeneous, non-dedicated, and offered without any performance or availability guarantees. Systems capable of adapting the execution of an application to these characteristics are essential. The EasyGrid Application Management System (AMS) transforms cluster-based MPI applications into autonomic ones capable executing robustly and efficiently in distributed environments. This work describes a strategy to endow these autonomic MPI applications with the property of self-healing and thus be capable of withstanding multiple simultaneous crash faults of processes and/or processors. The extremely low intrusion cost of the proposed hybrid solution might now facilitate acceptance of fault tolerance techniques in large scale high performance applications.
Addressing Dichotomous Data for Participants Excluded from Trial Analysis: A Guide for Systematic Reviewers

Introduction Systematic reviewer authors intending to include all randomized participants in their meta-analyses need to make assumptions about the outcomes of participants with missing data. Objective The objective of this paper is to provide systematic reviewer authors with a relatively simple guidance for addressing dichotomous data for participants excluded from analyses of randomized trials. Methods This guide is based on a review of the Cochrane handbook and published methodological research. The guide deals with participants excluded from the analysis who were considered ‘non-adherent to the protocol’ but for whom data are available, and participants with missing data. Results Systematic reviewer authors should include data from ‘non-adherent’ participants excluded from the primary study authors' analysis but for whom data are available. For missing, unavailable participant data, authors may conduct a complete case analysis (excluding those with missing data) as the primary analysis. Alternatively, they may conduct a primary analysis that makes plausible assumptions about the outcomes of participants with missing data. When the primary analysis suggests important benefit, sensitivity meta-analyses using relatively extreme assumptions that may vary in plausibility can inform the extent to which risk of bias impacts the confidence in the results of the primary analysis. The more plausible assumptions draw on the outcome event rates within the trial or in all trials included in the meta-analysis. The proposed guide does not take into account the uncertainty associated with assumed events. Conclusions This guide proposes methods for handling participants excluded from analyses of randomized trials. These methods can help in establishing the extent to which risk of bias impacts meta-analysis results.
Visual information seeking in multiple electronic health records: design recommendations and a process model

Current electronic health record (EHR) systems facilitate the storage, retrieval, persistence, and sharing of patient data. However, the way physicians interact with EHRs has not changed much. More specifically, support for temporal analysis of a large number of EHRs has been lacking. A number of information visualization techniques have been proposed to alleviate this problem. Unfortunately, due to their limited application to a single case study, the results are often difficult to generalize across medical scenarios. We present the usage data of Lifelines2,[22] our information visualization system, and user comments, both collected over eight different medical case studies. We generalize our experience into an information-seeking process model for multiple EHRs. Based on our analysis, we make recommendations to future information visualization designers for EHRs on design requirements and future research directions.
A Graph Combination With Edge Pruning‐Based Approach for Author Name Disambiguation

Author name disambiguation (AND) is a challenging problem due to several issues such as missing key identifiers, same name corresponding to multiple authors, along with inconsistent representation. Several techniques have been proposed but maintaining consistent accuracy levels over all data sets is still a major challenge. We identify two major issues associated with the AND problem. First, the namesake problem in which two or more authors with the same name publishes in a similar domain. Second, the diverse topic problem in which one author publishes in diverse topical domains with a different set of coauthors. In this work, we initially propose a method named ATGEP for AND that addresses the namesake issue. We evaluate the performance of ATGEP using various ambiguous name references collected from the Arnetminer Citation (AC) and Web of Science (WoS) data set. We empirically show that the two aforementioned problems are crucial to address the AND problem that are difficult to handle using state‐of‐the‐art techniques. To handle the diverse topic issue, we extend ATGEP to a new variant named ATGEP‐web that considers external web information of the authors. Experiments show that with enough information available from external web sources ATGEP‐web can significantly improve the results further compared with ATGEP.
Current Understanding of the Formation and Adaptation of Metabolic Systems Based on Network Theory

Formation and adaptation of metabolic networks has been a long-standing question in biology. With recent developments in biotechnology and bioinformatics, the understanding of metabolism is progressively becoming clearer from a network perspective. This review introduces the comprehensive metabolic world that has been revealed by a wide range of data analyses and theoretical studies; in particular, it illustrates the role of evolutionary events, such as gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer, and environmental factors, such as nutrient availability and growth conditions, in evolution of the metabolic network. Furthermore, the mathematical models for the formation and adaptation of metabolic networks have also been described, according to the current understanding from a perspective of metabolic networks. These recent findings are helpful in not only understanding the formation of metabolic networks and their adaptation, but also metabolic engineering.
Performance analysis of induction motor under non-sinusoidal supply voltages

Three-phase induction motors fed by frequency inverters have become an increasingly used solution for applications that require torque and speed control. The harmonic content of inverter output voltage generates harmonics in the motor current. Both harmonics produce harmful effects on motor performance. To estimate accurately these effects in the design stage of electric motors is not a simple task. Not all the phenomena that occur in electrical machines are fully modeled, especially when considering the harmonic voltage of non-sinusoidal supply. The numerical methods that currently have satisfactory results penalize the project with expensive computational cost and time. Analytical models are very common and useful for analyzing small changes in current projects, but they have limitations to deal with new project evaluation. To determine the influence of voltage harmonics three approaches were tested and compared with experimental results.
On the reversibility of transitions between closed and open cellular convection

Abstract. The two-way transition between closed and open cellular convection is addressed in an idealized cloud-resolving modeling framework. A series of cloud-resolving simulations shows that the transition between closed and open cellular states is asymmetrical and characterized by a rapid ("runaway") transition from the closed- to the open-cell state but slower recovery to the closed-cell state. Given that precipitation initiates the closed–open cell transition and that the recovery requires a suppression of the precipitation, we apply an ad hoc time-varying drop concentration to initiate and suppress precipitation. We show that the asymmetry in the two-way transition occurs even for very rapid drop concentration replenishment. The primary barrier to recovery is the loss in turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) associated with the loss in cloud water (and associated radiative cooling) and the vertical stratification of the boundary layer during the open-cell period. In transitioning from the open to the closed state, the system faces the task of replenishing cloud water fast enough to counter precipitation losses, such that it can generate radiative cooling and TKE. It is hampered by a stable layer below cloud base that has to be overcome before water vapor can be transported more efficiently into the cloud layer. Recovery to the closed-cell state is slower when radiative cooling is inefficient such as in the presence of free tropospheric clouds or after sunrise, when it is hampered by the absorption of shortwave radiation. Tests suggest that recovery to the closed-cell state is faster when the drizzle is smaller in amount and of shorter duration, i.e., when the precipitation causes less boundary layer stratification. Cloud-resolving model results on recovery rates are supported by simulations with a simple predator–prey dynamical system analogue. It is suggested that the observed closing of open cells by ship effluent likely occurs when aerosol intrusions are large, when contact comes prior to the heaviest drizzle in the early morning hours, and when the free troposphere is cloud free.
Novel Approach of Neural Collaborative Filter by Pairwise Objective Function with Matrix Factorization

The concept of deep learning is used in the various fields like text, speech and vision. The proposed work deep neural network is used for recommender system. In this work pair wise objective function is used for emphasis of non-linearity and latent features. The GMF (Gaussian matrix factorization) and MLP techniques are used in this work. The proposed framework is named as NCF which is basically neural network based collaborative filtering. The NCF gives the latent features by reducing the non-linearity and generalizing the matrix. In the proposed work combination of pair-wise and point wise objective function is used and tune by using the concept of cross entropy with Adam optimization. This optimization approach optimizes the gradient descent function. The work is done on 1K and 1M movies lens dataset and it is compared with deep matrix factorization (DMF).
Optimal power masking in soft frequency reuse based OFDMA networks

Soft frequency reuse is a strong tool for co-channel interference mitigation in cellular OFDMA/LTE networks. The performance of such networks significantly depends on the configuration of the power masks that implement the soft frequency reuse patterns. In this paper, we investigate the performance of different power mask configurations against the optimal case, in which a central entity optimally distributes power and resource blocks among the users of the network. It is shown that large differences exist between the performance of different mask types and the optimal case in both, the overall cell throughput, as well as the cell-edge user performance.1
A Study of Deadlock Avoidance Strategy in Knowledgeable Manufacturing Systems

Based on the finite automata theory, a thinking of distributed deadlock supervisor is proposed to avoid deadlock in Knowledgeable Manufacturing Systems, which is insensitive to system size and improves the efficiency of automata modeling and operating. The conception of the auto-correlation operation is presented, then the corresponding distributed deadlock supervisors are constructed, and thus the deadlock-free strategy of the knowledgeable manufacturing cell is obtained, which can be used to monitor status of the knowledge manufacturing cell in real-time and guarantees safe running of the system. Finally, a case study is presented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
How do "imagined farmers" negotiate actual risks? Biosafety trade-offs in Bt cotton production in Andhra Pradesh, India

India's encounter with genetically engineered Bt cotton has been a contested one, and one that has rarely conformed to expectations. I argue that two primary vantage points on the question of agricultural biotechnology – those advocating the "biosafe use" of Bt cotton or those who insist it involves "inherent problems" - frequently anticipate an "imagined farmer" in incomplete and sometimes plainly incorrect ways. Thus, there is more to the Bt cotton debate than has been considered to date. Drawing from qualitative interviews with cotton farmers in two regions of Andhra Pradesh, I call attention to the unintended effects of widespread Bt cotton cultivation and debates missing from this controversy. Misconstrual of the "imagined farmer" has edged out civil society's acknowledgement of farmers' negotiation of the (immediate and physical) risks of pesticide use as contrasted with those (more abstracted and unknown) of genetically engineered seed. Bt cotton's advocates, on the other hand, seldom address the unintended effects of its widespread use, including potentially reduced labor opportunities for the most marginal rural laborers. In conclusion, I urge a more expansive assessment of the trade-offs between risks and benefits that farmers make regarding Bt cotton, alongside a closer look at the nuances of their decision-making. Framing agribiotech risk as a matter of manageable (or inherently problematic) "biosafety" does not resonate with farmers using a broader concept of health and environmental safety threatened by heavy pesticide usage. Keywords: Bt cotton, political ecology, genetic engineering risk, pesticides, India
A Compositional Semantics for Stochastic Reo Connectors

In this paper we present a compositional semantics for the channel-based coordination language Reo which enables the analysis of quality of service (QoS) properties of service compositions. For this purpose, we annotate Reo channels with stochastic delay rates and explicitly model data-arrival rates at the boundary of a connector, to capture its interaction with the services that comprise its environment. We propose Stochastic Reo automata as an extension of Reo automata, in order to compositionally derive a QoS-aware semantics for Reo. We further present a translation of Stochastic Reo automata to Continuous-Time Markov Chains (CTMCs). This translation enables us to use third-party CTMC verification tools to do an end-to-end performance analysis of service compositions.
The impact of bilingualism on executive function in adolescents

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: In early childhood and older adulthood, bilinguals generally demonstrate better performance on executive function tasks than their monolingual counterparts, but in the young adult population, these differences are infrequently observed. However, few studies have examined these effects in the adolescent population, so the trajectory of these changes is unclear. The objective of the study was to compare performance on a modified flanker task for monolingual and bilingual adolescents, a time when the executive functions are still developing. Design/methodology/approach: The flanker task was adapted by including a rule-switching component and contained three blocks: (1) rule; (2) flanker; and (3) mixed. In the rule block, a single red or blue arrow (indicated by light grey or medium grey in Figure 1) denoted a response rule; for example, a blue arrow signaled pressing the button indicating the direction the arrow was pointing but a red arrow signaled pressing the button indicating the opposite direction. The flanker block was a standard flanker task consisting of congruent and incongruent trials. The mixed block manipulated both congruency and rule conditions. Data and analysis: Mean reaction times and accuracy from 33 monolingual and 32 bilingual adolescents were analyzed using a repeated-measures analysis of variance with language group as the between-subjects variable and congruency and/or rule-type as the within-subjects variable depending on the block. Findings/conclusions: Bilingual adolescents outperformed monolingual adolescents but only on the block that was most similar to the standard flanker task. The blocks with the rule-switching component yielded equivalent performance. Originality: Unlike previous studies, the current study adapted a simple executive control task to require greater attentional resources by manipulating task demands. Significance/implications: Our findings add to the growing body of literature examining bilingualism and executive control in the adolescent population and fill in the gap in our understanding of the lifespan trajectory of these effects.