Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A first-order model for computation of laser-induced breakdown thresholds in ocular and aqueous media. II. Comparison to experiment

For pt. I see ibid., vol.31, no.12, p.2241-9 (1995). An analytic, first-order model has been developed to calculate irradiance thresholds for laser-induced breakdown (LIB) in condensed media, including ocular and aqueous media. A complete derivation and description of the model was given in a previous paper (Part I). The model has been incorporated into a computer code and code results have been compared to experimentally measured irradiance thresholds for breakdown of ocular media, saline, and water by nanosecond, picosecond, and femtosecond laser pulses in the visible and near-infrared. The comparison included both breakdown data from the literature and from our own measurements. Theoretical values match experiment to within a factor of 2 or better, over a range of pulsewidths spanning five orders of magnitude.
Up-regulation of TLR2 and TLR4 in high mobility group Box1-stimulated macrophages in pulpitis patients

Objective(s): High Mobility Group Box1 (HMGB1) is a nonhistone, DNA-binding protein that serves a crucial role in regulating gene transcription and is involved in a variety of proinflammatory, extracellular activities. The aim of this study was to explore whether HMGB1 stimulation can up-regulate the expression of Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2) and Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) on macrophages from pulpitis and to clarify the subsequent events involving Th17 cells and Th17 cell-associated cytokine changes. Materials and Methods: Having prepared dental pulp tissues of pulpitis and healthy controls, macrophage were isolated and cultured. Macrophages were thereafter stimulated by HMGB1 time course. RT-QPCR, flowcytometer, immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and ELISA techniques were used in the present research. Results: Our results showed that the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 on macrophages stimulated with HMGB1 increased in pulpitis compared with controls (macrophages without HMGB1 stimulation) with a statistical significance (P<0.001). In addition, the levels of IL-17, IL-23, and IL-6 in supernatants from cultured macrophages stimulated with HMGB1 from pulpitis increased, and NF-kB, the downstream target of TLR2 and TLR4, also showed a marked elevation after macrophages’ stimulation by HMGB1. Conclusion: The evidence from the present study suggests that the enhanced TLR2 and TLR4 pathways and Th17 cell polarization may be due to HMGB1 stimulation in pulpitis.
An open approach towards the benchmarking of table structure recognition systems

Table spotting and structural analysis are just a small fraction of tasks relevant when speaking of table analysis. Today, quite a large number of different approaches facing these tasks have been described in literature or are available as part of commercial OCR systems that claim to deal with tables on the scanned documents and to treat them accordingly. However, the problem of detecting tables is not yet solved at all. Different approaches have different strengths and weak points. Some fail in certain situations or layouts where others perform better. How shall one know, which approach or system is the best for his specific job? The answer to this question raises the demand for an objective comparison of different approaches which address the same task of spotting tables and recognizing their structure. This paper describes our approach towards establishing a complete and publicly available, hence open environment for the benchmarking of table spotting and structural analysis. We provide free access to the ground truthing tool and evaluation mechanism described in this paper, describe the ideas behind and we also provide ground truth for the 547 documents of the UNLV and UW-3 datasets that contain tables. In addition, we applied the quality measures to the results that were generated by the T-Recs system which we developed some years ago and which we started to further advance since a few months.
Impact of peripheral myeloid cells on amyloid-β pathology in Alzheimer’s disease–like mice

Prokop et al. demonstrate that conditional ablation of resident microglia in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) results in no significant change in amyloid-β burden, despite nearly complete replacement with peripheral myeloid cells. The findings suggest that additional triggers appear to be required to exploit the full potential of myeloid cell–based therapies for AD.
On common profile matching among multiparty users in mobile D2D social networks

Recently, mobile social networks (MSNs) have been widely discussed due to the rapid growth of smart mobile devices. This work focuses on mobile D2D social networks (MDSNs), where users in an MSN are physical neighbors. An important social application of MDSNs is common profile matching (CPM), which refers to the scenario where a group of smartphone users meet in a small region (such as a ball room) and these users are interested in identifying the common attributes among them from their personal profiles efficiently via short-range (such as D2D) communications. For example, a group of strangers may want to find common hobbies, friends, or countries they visited before, and a group of students may want to know the common courses they have ever taken. Assuming that users in an MDSN form a fully connected network, we formulate three versions, namely all-common, β-common, and top-γ-popular, of the CPM problem. The first problem is an extension of an earlier work, while the latter two problems are newly defined. We present solutions based on the basic and the iterative Bloom filters. Evaluation results show that our mechanisms are quite communication-efficient.
SWIMMING EXERCISE STIMULATES NEURO-GENESIS IN THE SUBVENTRICULAR ZONE VIA INCREASE IN SYNAPSIN I AND NERVE GROWTH FACTOR LEVELS

In this study, we investigated the effects of 8-weeks of swimming exercise on neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and on the levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and synapsin I protein in the olfactory bulb (OB) of adult rats at a series of relevant time points (2 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months). Ninety-six male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 2 groups: (1) a control group (COG; n = 48, n = 8 for each time point) and (2) a swimming exercise group (SEG; total n = 48; n = 8 for each time point). SEG performed swimming exercise for 5 days per week over a period of 8 weeks. We found that the number of 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine-5’-monophosphate (BrdU)- and doublecortin (DCX)-positive cells was significantly higher in SEG than in COG at all time points (Day 2, Week 1, Week 2, Week 4, Month 3, and Month 6; p < 0.001). Furthermore, NGF and synapsin I protein levels were significantly higher in SEG on Day 2, and Weeks 1, 2, and 4 than in COG (p < 0.05 for each time point). Our findings suggest that regular swimming exercise in adult rats increases neurogenesis, neuronal survival, and neuronal maintenance in the SVZ; furthermore, swimming exercise increases the levels of NGF and synapsin I in the OB.
Triggering DTH and CTL Activity by fd Filamentous Bacteriophages: Role of CD4+ T Cells in Memory Responses

The ability of fd bacteriophage particles to trigger different arms of the immune system has been previously shown by us with particular emphasis on the ability of phages to raise CTL responses in vitro and in vivo. Here we show that fd virions in the absence of adjuvants are able to evoke a DTH reaction mediated by antigen specific CD8+ T cells. In addition, we analyzed the induction of CTL responses in mice depleted of CD4+ T cells, and we observed that short-term secondary CTL responses were induced in the absence of CD4+ T cells while induction of long-term memory CTLs required the presence of CD4+ T lymphocytes. These results examine the cellular mechanism at the basis of fd efficiency and provide new elements to further validate the use of fd particles for eliciting and monitoring antigen-specific CTLs.
An Analysis of the Reasons for Choosing the Teaching Profession and Life Satisfaction of Education Faculty Students against Some Variables

This study aimed to investigate education faculty freshmen's life satisfaction and reasons for selecting the teaching profession in relation with certain variables. It was carried out as a quantitative research in survey model. The study group consists of 407 freshmen attending education faculty in a Turkish state university during the 2016-2017 academic year. It was investigated whether preservice teachers' reasons for choosing teaching profession vary by gender, major, high school type, parental education level, and parental income level. In addition, the participants' profiles and general life satisfaction levels were researched. It was found out that gender, socioeconomic level, parental educational status, or type of high school graduated do not have a significant effect on their preference for choosing teaching. On the other hand, a significant relevance was found between the reasons for choosing the profession and program of study. As a result of the study, interesting results were obtained about profiles of teacher candidates. Most of the participants have families with low and middle socioeconomic status, 83% of the mothers are housewives, and the fathers are mostly retired, self-employed, tradesmen and workers. Besides, it was found out that the candidate teachers have life satisfaction levels above average. Also a moderate positive relationship was found between the sub dimension consciousness as a reason for choosing the profession and life satisfaction. Finally, the study results were discussed in reference to the literature and recommendations were presented. Key Words: Teaching Profession, Preservice Teacher, Education Faculty
A digital correction technique for channel mismatch in TI ΣΔ ADCs

Time interleaved sigma-delta analog to digital converter seems to be a potential solution for wide bandwidth analog to digital converter with the lowest hardware complexity compared to other solutions using parallel sigma-delta modulators. Its performance depends on the digital filter and is very sensitive to the channel mismatch. This paper summarizes our work on the digital signal processing for this kind of converter, including filtering, decimation and channel mismatch correction in order to reduce the implementation complexity while minimizing the channel mismatch effect.
Zinc is essential for high-affinity DNA binding and recombinase activity of φC31 integrase

The mechanism through which the large serine recombinases bind DNA is poorly understood. Alignments of ϕC31 integrase (Int) and its relatives indicate the presence of a conserved motif containing four cysteines resembling a zinc finger. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) confirmed that an Int monomer contains one atom of zinc. Pre-incubation of Int with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was detrimental for both recombination activity and DNA binding affinities but full activity could be restored by adding back Zn2+. Mutations in the cysteines and other highly conserved residues yielded proteins that were hypersensitive to proteases, suggesting that without zinc the domain is unfolded. Substitutions in the highly charged region between the conserved cysteines led to lowered DNA binding affinities while circular dichroism revealed that these variant Ints were not greatly affected in overall folding. Int was protected from inhibition by EDTA when DNA containing an attachment site was present suggesting that the zinc finger and the DNA are in close proximity. A truncated mutant of Int, hInt V371SUGA, lacking the putative zinc finger could bind DNA with low affinity. The data are consistent with there being at least two DNA binding motifs in Int one of which is the zinc finger-like motif.
Robot aided object segmentation based on kinect without prior knowledge

As a significant step in artificial intelligence, robot aided object segmentation has drawn increasing attention in past decades. In this paper, a new object segmentation method is proposed based on 3-D information and robot manipulation. We use the Kinect to get the depth information of the object directly as well as the detected contours of it, with which both the primary object segmentation and the 3-D localization of the object can be formed. The usage of Kinect will not only simplify the segmentation process but also improve the performance. Next, the robot arm WAM (Whole Arm Manipulator) with a larger payload is chosen as the manipulator to make further judgment, making it possible to deal with a heavier object. After the manipulation, object segmentation can be accomplished according to the different occasions. Experiments are conducted to prove the effectiveness of this approach.
‘Shotgun DNA synthesis’ for the high-throughput construction of large DNA molecules

We developed a highly scalable ‘shotgun’ DNA synthesis technology by utilizing microchip oligonucleotides, shotgun assembly and next-generation sequencing technology. A pool of microchip oligonucleotides targeting a penicillin biosynthetic gene cluster were assembled into numerous random fragments, and tagged with 20 bp degenerate barcode primer pairs. An optimal set of error-free fragments were identified by high-throughput DNA sequencing, selectively amplified using the barcode sequences, and successfully assembled into the target gene cluster.
Evaluation of a Mixed-Reality and High Interaction Media Project in the Classroom: Strategies and Methods

The procurement of media literacy is an educational challenge that has to be met in order to cope successfully with the prevailing complex technological social reality. Pedagogical approaches concerning the implementation of digital technologies in the classroom require careful and continuous evaluation. The present paper introduces the "Kids in Media and Motion" (KiMM) Initiative, an ongoing research and knowledge transfer project at the University of Luebeck, Germany. It promotes an innovative approach concerning the use of digital technologies in an action-based and body-based form of instruction. One of its goals is to implement a streamlined evaluation process that focuses on effects on different aspects of cognition, behaviour and emotion. We describe the combination of various observation methods, which we will continually use over a two year period of time. This process procures data from multiple target groups (e.g., teachers, students, parents, and the KiMM project members).
Software for a cascade/parallel formant synthesizer

A software formant synthesizer is described that can generate synthetic speech using a laboratory digital computer. A flexible synthesizer configuration permits the synthesis of sonorants by either a cascade or parallel connection of digital resonators, but frication spectra must be synthesized by a set of resonators connected in parallel. A control program lets the user specify variable control parameter data, such as formant frequencies as a function of time, as a sequence of 〈time, value〉 points. The synthesizer design is described and motivated in Secs. I–III, and fortran listings for the synthesizer and control program are provided in an appendix. Computer requirements and necessary support software are described in Sec. IV. Strategies for the imitation of any speech utterance are described in Sec. V, and suggested values of control parameters for the synthesis of many English sounds are presented in tabular form.
On-line learning of a Persian spoken dialogue system using real training data

The first spoken dialogue system is developed for the Persian language is introduced. This is a ticket reservation system with Persian ASR and NLU modules. The focus of the paper is on learning the dialogue management module. In this work, real on-line training data are used during the learning process. For on-line learning, the effect of the variations of discount factor (γ) on the learning speed is investigated as the second contribution of the research. The optimal values for γ were found and the variation pattern of the action-value function (Q) in the learning process was obtained. A probabilistic policy for selecting actions is used in this work for the first time instead of greedy policies employed in previous works.
A new perspective on the development of motor variability during middle childhood

However you look at it, children’s movements are variable. Variability is an inherent characteristic of motor development. This thesis examines motor variability in middle childhood development (5-10 years of age) in typically developing children as well as in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), a movement disorder that is characterized by high levels of variability. Doing so, this thesis puts the spotlight on the developmental period of middle childhood, therewith rejuvenating the ‘forgotten years’ of development. Until now, variability in motor activities in this period has been viewed as something negative, reflecting error of execution and therefore hindering performance of everyday life activities. The results of this thesis indicate that variability in middle childhood may play a different role than previously assumed. It is proposed that variability is a form of exploration to find suitable solutions to perform a particular task. That is, this thesis changes the connotation of variability in middle childhood from negative to positive. This is an exciting finding for research concerning DCD, because broadening the concept of motor variability in DCD may offer new understanding about possible underlying coordination mechanisms of this disorder. This thesis paves the way for a new perspective on variability in middle childhood in typically as well as in atypical developing children.
Modelling situated human-robot interaction using IrisTK

In this demonstration we show how situated multi-party human-robot interaction can be modelled using the open source framework IrisTK. We will demonstrate the capabilities of IrisTK by showing an application where two users are playing a collaborative card sorting game together with the robot head Furhat, where the cards are shown on a touch table between the players. The application is interesting from a research perspective, as it involves both multi-party interaction, as well as joint attention to the objects under discussion.
Use of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis To Identify Medically Important Candida spp., Including C. dubliniensis

ABSTRACT Non-Candida albicans Candida species are increasingly being isolated. These species show differences in levels of resistance to antimycotic agents and mortality. Therefore, it is important to be able to correctly identify the causative organism to the species level. Identification of C. dubliniensis in particular remains problematic due to the high degree of phenotypic similarity between this species and C. albicans. The use of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis as an identification method for medically important Candida species was investigated. Our results show very clear differences among medically important Candida species. Furthermore, when screening a large collection of clinical isolates previously identified on CHROMagar as C. albicans, we found a misidentification rate of 6%. AFLP analysis is universally applicable, and the patterns can easily be stored in a general, accessible database. Therefore, AFLP might prove to be a reliable method for the identification of medically important Candida species.
Identification of Relativistic Effects in X-Ray Astrophysical Sources

Summary. — Precise knowledge of the features of several X-ray sources from com-pact binary sources to galactic nuclei is gradually unveiling the physical parametersof relativistic neutron stars and black holes therein. Recent developments in theory,astrophysical models and experiments are reviewed.PACS 98.70. Q – X-ray Astronomy.PACS 95.30. S – General Relativity.PACS 97.60. Cf – Black Holes. 1. – IntroductionIn the last years appeared several works dealing with interpretations of X-ray sources’observations, mainly made with Rossi XTE satellite [1], and following the main streamsof the debate on the identiﬁcation of Lense-Thirring frequency in QPOs [2] or the clas-siﬁcation of “Z and atoll sources” [3]. 2. – Observational phenomena of “Z” and “atoll” sourcesThe presence of neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) is revealed bythe occurrence of X-ray bursts or pulsations in these systems. The brigthest LMXBs, asCygnus X-2 (observed with BeppoSAX [4]) and Sco X-1, were called “Z sources” becauseof the Z pattern in the X-ray color-color diagram: horizontal branch; top stroke of theZ; normal branch (middle stroke) and ﬂaring branch (end stroke). The “Z Sources”were thought to have a mass accretion rate near the Eddington limit. [5] Thanks to themicrosecond accuracy of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer launched in 1995 it has beenpossible to progress largely in the interpretation of the nature of LMXBs [6] and now theentire catalogue of observations is available online. [7]In ﬁgure 1 there is the explanation about “Z sources” denomination.Hasinger and Van der Klis [8] found in EXOSAT data (time resolution of milliseconds)the evidence of a new class of sources with a diﬀerent pattern of correlated timing andspectral behaviour. Because of their fragmented color-color diagram they called them