Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Redesign of the production system: A hard decision-making process

Lean production is an organizational methodology that has been successfully adopted by many companies aiming to improve their performance. Nevertheless, the implementation of lean involves challenges and problems that many companies are not prepared for. The main challenge is the need for a cultural change (mindset). A very common problem is the decision-making process on the need to redefine the production system. In fact, the production systems of many companies are obsolete and therefore not suited to the current market needs, but, even though, the decision to proceed to the indispensable redesign is not easy. This paper presents and analyzes eight industrial projects involving the redesign of production systems, providing a discussion on the main enablers and inhibitors of the referred decision-making process. Each project was developed by a student, in the ambit of his/her Master Thesis on Industrial Engineering and Management, under supervision of one of the authors.
Is an Intuitive Convergence Definition of Molecular Dynamics Simulations Solely Based on the Root Mean Square Deviation Possible?

Molecular dynamics is a commonly used technique in computational biology. One key issue of each molecular dynamics simulation is: When does this simulation reach equilibrium state? A widely used way to determine this is the visual and intuitive inspection of root mean square deviation (RMSD) plots of the simulation. Although this technique has been criticized several times, it is still often used. Therefore, we present a study proving that this method is not reliable at all. We conducted a survey with participants from the field in which we illustrated different RMSD plots to scientists in the field of molecular dynamics. These plots were randomized and repeated, using a statistical model and different variants of the plots. We show that there is no mutual consent about the point of equilibrium. The decisions are severely biased by different parameters. Therefore, we conclude that scientists should not discuss the equilibration of a molecular dynamics simulation on the basis of a RMSD plot.
Explaining Society, Critical Realism in the Social Sciences

he revised English edition of this book tlie T original Swcdisli cdition. without tlie subtitle. is froni 1997 should be considered :is i111 important contribution to sociology and social science in general to tlie extent tliat it is a clear and wcll-structured introduction to critical i-disrri, one of the most rccent and vigorous theoretical streams in the field of thc social scicnces. if we take into coiisidcration tlic influential work of hlargaret t\rclier (1995: Realist Socinl Tlicory: Tlic I\loriJlio! gciicti(’
The Maximum B-Mode Polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background from Inhomogeneous Reionization

We compute the B-mode polarization power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background from an epoch of inhomogeneous reionization, using a simple model in which H II regions are represented by ionized spherical bubbles with a lognormal distribution of sizes whose clustering properties are determined by large-scale structure. Both the global ionization fraction and the characteristic radius of H II regions are allowed to be free functions of redshift. Models that would produce substantial contamination in degree-scale gravitational wave B-mode measurements have power that is dominated by the shot noise of the bubbles. Rare bubbles of radius ≳100 Mpc at z > 20 can produce signals that in fact exceed the B-modes from gravitational lensing and are comparable to the maximal allowed signal of gravitational waves (~0.1 μK) while still being consistent with global constraints on the total optical depth. Even bubbles down to 20 Mpc at z ~ 15, or 40 Mpc at z ~ 10, can be relevant (0.01 μK) once the lensing signal is removed, either statistically or directly. However, currently favored theoretical models that have ionization bubbles that only grow to such sizes at the very end of a fairly prompt and late reionization produce signals that are at most at these levels.
Programming modular robots with the TOTA middleware

Modular robots represent a perfect application scenario for multiagent coordination. The autonomous modules composing the robot must coordinate their respective activities to enforce a specific global shape or a coherent motion gait. Here we show how the TOTA ("Tuples On The Air") middleware can be effectively exploited to support agents' coordination in this context. The key idea in TOTA is to rely on spatially distributed tuples, spread across the robot, to guide the agents' activities in moving and reshaping the robot. Three simulated examples are presented to support our claims.
An Unusual Cause of Recurrent Chylothorax: Gorham Syndrome

Gorham syndrome, which is also called diffuse lymphangiomatosis, is characterised by excessive osteolysis due to uncontrolled lymphatic or vascular proliferation involving bones, of unknown etiology. Chylothorax may accompany Gorham syndrome in case of invasion of lymphatic vessels, or thoracic duct due to neighboring affected ribs, scapula or vertebrae. Chylothorax and vertebral invasion is seen in 1720% of patients. Even though there are many different suggested treatment modalities; Gorham syndrome with chylothorax has a very high morbidity and mortality. [1-3] This case report presents a patient with Gorham syndrome and chylothorax who was treated successfully with interferon alpha-2b.
Determining factors related to success in parent-implemented emergent language and literacy intervention

Recommended Citation Alper, Rebecca Mae. "Determining factors related to success in parent-implemented emergent language and literacy intervention. " PhD ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my co-chairs Dr. for their unwavering support, feedback, and encouragement during this process and throughout my doctoral training. I would also like to thank Dr. Justice, and Dr. Patricia Zebrowski for participating as members of my thesis committee and for their roles in my graduate education overall. Additionally, I am extremely grateful for the funding I received for this project through the thanks to Toni Becker and Rex Hadden for their help with fidelity, reliability, and language sample analysis. ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal perceived locus of control (PLOC), perceived self-efficacy (PSE), and mother and child gains during a mother-implemented early language and print awareness program. Thirty mother-child dyads (with typically-developing, preschool-aged children) were randomly assigned to either an immediate-training group (ITG) or a delayed-training control group (DTCG). The mothers in the ITG participated in 4 training sessions over the course of a month. Data about mothers' use of target strategies, mothers' responsivity, children's knowledge of print concepts, and child language samples were collected at baseline, 1-month, and 2-months for both groups. The training program was efficacious, as evidenced by greater gains in the ITG mothers' target strategy use, responsivity, and children's knowledge of print concepts as compared to DTCG mothers and children respectively. The ITG children significantly increased the number of different words they produced during their language samples from baseline to follow-up. Mothers with a more external PLOC and/or a lower PSE score tended to use fewer strategies at baseline and make greater gains in strategy use over the course of training. Similarly, children whose mothers had a more external PLOC tended to identify fewer print concepts at baseline and make greater gains during training. Conversely, children whose mothers had a lower sense of PSE tended to use a greater variety of words and have a higher number of different words/number of total words ratio at baseline. The results of this study support the incorporation of maternal PLOC and PSE into evidence-based clinical decision-making and provide avenues for future research. iv PUBLIC ABSTRACT Primary caregivers, in this case mothers, are often asked to participate in their preschool-aged children's speech-language treatment as agents of early language and literacy intervention. There are a variety of factors, both …
Univariate time series prediction of solar power using a hybrid wavelet-ARMA-NARX prediction method

This paper proposes a new hybrid method for super short-term solar power prediction. Solar output power usually has a complex, nonstationary, and nonlinear characteristic due to intermittent and time varying behavior of solar radiance. In addition, solar power dynamics is fast and is inertia less. An accurate super short-time prediction is required to compensate for the fluctuations and reduce the impact of solar power penetration on the power system. The objective is to predict one step-ahead solar power generation based only on historical solar power time series data. The proposed method incorporates discrete wavelet transform (DWT), Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) models, and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), while the RNN architecture is based on Nonlinear Auto-Regressive models with eXogenous inputs (NARX). The wavelet transform is utilized to decompose the solar power time series into a set of richer-behaved forming series for prediction. ARMA model is employed as a linear predictor while NARX is used as a nonlinear pattern recognition tool to estimate and compensate the error of wavelet-ARMA prediction. The proposed method is applied to the data captured from UCLA solar PV panels and the results are compared with some of the common and most recent solar power prediction methods. The results validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and show a considerable improvement in the prediction precision.
Patients' Views on Residual Blood Use for Research Purposes

In order to document patients' views on residual blood use for research purposes, a questionnaire survey was conducted at Aichi Cancer Center Hospital in October 1997. Subjects were patients who had undergone blood tests at a central blood sampling room in the morning during the week of the study enrollment. The questionnaire was handed out and collected at a waiting area in front of the blood sampling room. Of the 583 patients to whom we tried to hand out the questionnaire, 558 participated (258 males, 294 females, and 6 of sex unknown) and 25 refused. Those who regarded research to improve health care as important were 76.7% of those sampled. Only 28 patients (5.0%) answered that they would not permit the use of their residual blood for research purposes. Although logistic analysis did not detect significant factors influencing the giving of permission, the percentage who would not permit the use of their residual blood for research purposes was significantly higher in cancer outpatients (6.7%) than in inpatients (1.0%). It seems desirable for hospitals to establish an open policy concerning residual blood use for research purposes.
Soft-Output Two-Stage Parallel MMSE MIMO Detector under Imperfect Channel Estimation

For any practical wireless multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems, the channel estimation can never be perfect, i.e., it is always imperfect. Unfortunately, the channel estimation errors have not been taken into account by existing soft-output two-stage parallel minimum mean square error (MMSE) detector when calculating the log-likelihood of each coded bit, i.e., the soft information. As a result, the system performance can be drastically degraded. In this paper, we propose a novel soft-output two-stage MMSE MIMO detector based on random vector theorem, which takes the channel estimation error into account in the computation of the MMSE filter and LLR of each coded bit. When compared with existing two-stage MMSE MIMO detector, our simulation results show that the proposed novel detector can remarkably reduce the residual error floor and obtain significant performance gain at the cost of negligible increase of complexity. Furthermore, it is observed from our simulation results that the proposed detector is not sensitive to the inaccuracy of variance of the channel estimation error. Therefore, it can be a promising candidate to be applied in practical systems.
miR-199a-5p Is Upregulated during Fibrogenic Response to Tissue Injury and Mediates TGFbeta-Induced Lung Fibroblast Activation by Targeting Caveolin-1

As miRNAs are associated with normal cellular processes, deregulation of miRNAs is thought to play a causative role in many complex diseases. Nevertheless, the precise contribution of miRNAs in fibrotic lung diseases, especially the idiopathic form (IPF), remains poorly understood. Given the poor response rate of IPF patients to current therapy, new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms controlling lung fibroblasts activation, the key cell type driving the fibrogenic process, are essential to develop new therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease. To identify miRNAs with potential roles in lung fibrogenesis, we performed a genome-wide assessment of miRNA expression in lungs from two different mouse strains known for their distinct susceptibility to develop lung fibrosis after bleomycin exposure. This led to the identification of miR-199a-5p as the best miRNA candidate associated with bleomycin response. Importantly, miR-199a-5p pulmonary expression was also significantly increased in IPF patients (94 IPF versus 83 controls). In particular, levels of miR-199a-5p were selectively increased in myofibroblasts from injured mouse lungs and fibroblastic foci, a histologic feature associated with IPF. Therefore, miR-199a-5p profibrotic effects were further investigated in cultured lung fibroblasts: miR-199a-5p expression was induced upon TGFβ exposure, and ectopic expression of miR-199a-5p was sufficient to promote the pathogenic activation of pulmonary fibroblasts including proliferation, migration, invasion, and differentiation into myofibroblasts. In addition, we demonstrated that miR-199a-5p is a key effector of TGFβ signaling in lung fibroblasts by regulating CAV1, a critical mediator of pulmonary fibrosis. Remarkably, aberrant expression of miR-199a-5p was also found in unilateral ureteral obstruction mouse model of kidney fibrosis, as well as in both bile duct ligation and CCl4-induced mouse models of liver fibrosis, suggesting that dysregulation of miR-199a-5p represents a general mechanism contributing to the fibrotic process. MiR-199a-5p thus behaves as a major regulator of tissue fibrosis with therapeutic potency to treat fibroproliferative diseases.
Detection of Spatio-Temporal Gait Parameters by Using Wearable Motion Sensors

This paper presents a method to detect the spatio-temporal parameters of gait by using wearable motion sensors with a gyro, accelerometer, and magnetic sensor. The detected gait parameters are as follows: stance (ST), double support (DS), and gait cycle (GC) time as temporal parameters, and the stride length (SL) as spatial parameter. Four motion sensors are attached on both thighs and shanks of users, and the sensor data are collected in a portable PC. The temporal parameters are estimated by finding walking events, and then the stride length is calculated with two gait models. The estimated parameters are compared to those obtained from a motion capture system (VICON system)
MANET Protocols Efficiency – Comparative Study

MANETs is one of the faster growing newgeneration wireless networks. It is a collection of wireless mobile nodes forming a temporary network without using any centralized access point, infrastructure, or centralized administration. To establish a data transmission between two nodes, typically multiple hops are required due to the limited transmission range. Packet delivery ratio, end to end connection, multicast efficiency and hops count are very challenging in MANET over a dynamic topology. We compare the various protocols and their analyses in earlier works on several parameters for the sake of completion of readability; we insert the investigation in chronological order.
Robust Monte Carlo Sampling using Riemannian Nosé-Poincaré Hamiltonian Dynamics

We present a Monte Carlo sampler using a modified Nose-Poincare Hamiltonian along with Riemannian preconditioning. Hamiltonian Monte Carlo samplers allow better exploration of the state space as opposed to random walk-based methods, but, from a molecular dynamics perspective, may not necessarily provide samples from the canonical ensemble. Nose-Hoover samplers rectify that shortcoming, but the resultant dynamics are not Hamiltonian. Furthermore, usage of these algorithms on large real-life datasets necessitates the use of stochastic gradients, which acts as another potentially destabilizing source of noise. In this work, we propose dynamics based on a modified Nose-Poincare Hamiltonian augmented with Riemannian manifold corrections. The resultant symplectic sampling algorithm samples from the canonical ensemble while using structural cues from the Riemannian preconditioning matrices to efficiently traverse the parameter space. We also propose a stochastic variant using additional terms in the Hamiltonian to correct for the noise from the stochastic gradients. We show strong performance of our algorithms on synthetic datasets and high-dimensional Poisson factor analysis-based topic modeling scenarios.
Parameter compression of recurrent neural networks and degradation of short-term memory

The significant computational costs of deploying neural networks in large-scale or resource constrained environments, such as data centers and mobile devices, has spurred interest in model compression, which can achieve a reduction in both arithmetic operations and storage memory. Several techniques have been proposed for reducing or compressing the parameters for feed-forward and convolutional neural networks, but less is understood about the effect of parameter compression on recurrent neural networks (RNN). In particular, the extent to which the recurrent parameters can be compressed and the impact on short-term memory performance, is not well understood. In this paper, we study the effect of complexity reduction, through singular value decomposition rank reduction, on RNN and minimal gated recurrent unit (MGRU) networks for several tasks. We show that considerable rank reduction is possible when compressing recurrent weights, even without fine tuning. Furthermore, we propose a perturbation model for the effect of general perturbations, such as a compression, on the recurrent parameters of RNNs. The model is tested against a noiseless memorization experiment that elucidates the short-term memory performance. In this way, we demonstrate that the effect of compression of recurrent parameters is dependent on the degree of temporal coherence present in the data and task. This work can guide on-the-fly RNN compression for novel environments or tasks, and provides insight for applying RNN compression in low-power devices, such as hearing aids.
A compact double-elliptical slot-antenna for medical applications

An on-body matched UWB antenna with relative bandwidth of 155% is presented for medical applications. Based on the differential feed, the antenna features a very stable phase center and radiation pattern from 1 to 8 GHz. The antenna is miniaturized by using an elliptical slot with a size of 25×36 mm2, which allows an array with high number of antenna elements. The antenna is characterized in the simulation and the measurement with a phantom material emulating the dielectric constant of human body in terms of impedance matching, antenna pattern and sensitivity of antenna to dielectric property of human tissues. The high performance of the antenna confirm the applicability of the antenna in the UWB systems operated in frequency domain as well as in pulse-based systems for the detection of breast cancer, urine in human bladder and etc.
Symbolic analysis of nonlinear electronic circuits by PraCAn package in Maple program

This paper presents a special package for Maple program designed for electric and electronic circuit analysis. The package contains functions for analysis of continuous-time linear and nonlinear circuits as well as periodically switched linear circuits. The method of analysis is based on modified nodal voltages method. Results can be obtained in symbolic or semisymbolic form. This contribution introduces possibilities of the package for nonlinear circuit symbolic analyses. Simplification of active element models can be made by special package option to obtain useful results for dominant circuit behavior. This is demonstrated on elementary examples of nonlinear DC analysis and AC analysis of linearized circuit. The package was developed at the Department of Circuit Theory, for research and teaching support.
Passionate thinkers feel better : Self-control capacity as mediator of the relationship between need for cognition and affective adjustment

The present study tested a possible explanation for the positive relationship between the motivation to engage in cognitive endeavors (need for cognition, NFC) and indicators of affective adjustment (e.g., higher self-esteem, lower depression) that has been demonstrated in previous studies. We suggest that dispositional self-control capacity mediates this relationship, since NFC has been found to be related to self-control capacity, and self-control capacity is crucial for adjustment. NFC, dispositional self-control capacity, self-esteem, habitual depressive mood, and tendency to respond in a socially desirable manner were measured among 150 university students via self-report. Regression analyses and Sobel tests revealed that self-control capacity was a potential mediator of the positive relationship between NFC and affective adjustment. The findings were robust in terms of social desirability.
Impaired acuity of the approximate number system in 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome.

A magnitude comparison deficit has been frequently observed in velocardiofacial syndrome (Del22q11.2). We hypothesized that this deficit extends to impairments in the acuity of the approximate number system (ANS). Three groups of children aged 8-14 years were investigated: Del22q11.2 children (n = 12), low cognitive ability children (LCA; n = 12), and matched typically developing children (TD; n = 28). All children were assessed with a simple reaction time task and symbolic and nonsymbolic number comparison tasks. To estimate the acuity of the ANS, the Weber fraction (w) was calculated from the nonsymbolic comparison task. The Del22q11.2 group exhibited a significantly higher w compared with the other groups. Importantly, no significant differences were found in w between the TD and LCA groups. The performance pattern of the Del22q11.2 group was similar to the TD group in the symbolic comparison task, and both of these groups had better performance than the LCA group. The impairment of ANS acuity observed in individuals with Del22q11.2 cannot be explained by deficits in general processing speed because no significant group differences were found in the simple reaction time task. These results suggest that lower acuity of the ANS should be added to the behavioral phenotype of Del22q11.2. The absence of impaired ANS acuity in the LCA group is consistent with the hypothesis that number sense is a relatively specific and autonomous domain. Investigations of low ANS acuity in mathematics learning difficulties and Del22q11.2 should be intensified.