Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Infinite 3D Modelling Volumes

Modern research in mobile robotics proposes to combine localization and perception in order to recognize previously visited locations and thus to improve localization as well as the object recognition processes recursively. A crucial issue is to perform updates of the scene geometry when novel observations become available. The reason is that a practical application often requires a system to model large 3D environments at high resolution which exceeds the storage of the local memory. The underlying work presents an optimized volume data structure for infinite 3D environments which facilitates i) successive world model updates without the need to recompute the full dataset, ii) very fast in-memory data access scheme enabling the integration of high resolution 3D sensors in real-time, iii) efficient level-of-detail for visualization and coarse geometry updates. The technique is finally demonstrated on real world application scenarios which underpin the feasibility of the research outcomes.
SiGe on SOI nanowire array TFETs with homo- and heterostructure tunnel junctions

This paper presents experimental results on tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) based on SiGe on SOI nanowire arrays. A SiGe-Si heterostructure TFET with a vertical tunneling junction consisting of an in situ doped SiGe source and a Si channel is demonstrated. The device shows switching behavior over a drain current range of up to 8 orders of magnitude with a minimum slope of 90 mV/dec. A larger tunneling area results in an increase of on-current. The heterojunction TFET shows great improvement compared to a homojunction SiGe on SOI nanowire design with implanted junctions. Temperature dependent measurements and device simulations are performed in order to analyze the tunnel transport mechanism in the devices.
Magnesium Therapy in a Hypocalcemic African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus)

Abstract Hypocalcemic-induced seizure activity is a clinical entity that is commonly diagnosed in neurologic African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). Plasma calcium levels are typically less than 6.0 mg/dL at the time of seizure activity, and although the underlying cause of the hypocalcemia has not yet been determined, many theories have been proposed. An African grey parrot that had been fed a seed diet for 8 years was presented with hypocalcemia and seizures and exhibited precipitously declining plasma calcium levels, despite aggressive calcium and vitamin A, D, and E supplementation for 4 days. Baseline magnesium levels in this parrot were determined to be 1.9 mg/dL; therefore, magnesium sulfate was administered at a dose of 20 mg/kg IM once. Twenty-four hours after supplementation, the plasma magnesium level was 3.3 mg/dL, and no further seizure activity was observed. We believe that a primary dietary magnesium deficiency may have been present in this African grey parrot, similar to a syndrome in leghorn chicks, which is frequently characterized by progressive hypocalcemia that is unable to be corrected by calcium supplementation alone.
Three DOF wrist joint - control of joint stiffness and angle-

A mechanism of three DOF joint similar to human wrist joint is introduced in this paper. It fundamentally mimics the human muscro-skeletal system to control not only its joint angle but also its joint stiffness. The key mechanism is the originally developed ANLES (Actuator with Non-Linear Elasticity System) that can be used as a voluntary muscle. The proposed mechanism is controlled by four ANLESes and one more actuator. This paper first presents the mechanism of ANLES and the wrist joint. Next it shows the second machine that succeeded dramatically downsizing of its volume and weight compared to the first machine. It follows the experimental results of controlling the joint angle and stiffness‥
An exploration of the impact of principal leadership behaviour on school culture

Thailand is entering into a new phase of educational administration under the new National Education Act of 1999 which requires all educational institutions to have internal and external quality assurance in order to ensure improvement of educational quality and standards at all levels (Section 47). This means that all educational institutions, especially in the private sector, have to undergo many changes, including changes in administration, teaching and learning processes, methods of evaluation and professional development programs. The current study focused specifically on the transformational leadership behaviour of principals on school culture. Culture is considered to be a key factor in determining whether school improvement is possible (Deal & Peterson, 1999). The study was conducted in two phases: quantitative and a qualitative, and carried out in the secondary schools of the Brothers of St. Gabriel, in Thailand. In the quantitative phase, the researcher used two instruments, namely the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ, Short form) developed by Bass (2000) to measure the leadership behaviour of principals, and the School Culture Survey developed by Gruenert (1998) to measure school culture. The results from the quantitative study were used to select a school for the second phase of the study that was carried out using a qualitative approach. The quantitative findings provided descriptive evidence that transformational leadership existed in the schools of the Brothers of St. Gabriel, in Thailand and the dominant culture of the Gabrieltie schools was Professional Development. In addition, the findings also revealed that there was a significant relationship between leadership behaviour and school culture. In the second phase, the leadership behaviour of the selected principal was interpreted based on transformational leadership applied in a school setting. This process was outlined by Leithwood (1996) as frame of reference to identify a pattern of leadership behaviour of the selected principal. The findings revealed that the selected principal exercised the qualities of transformational leadership to some extent. Some qualities were missing and some were practised to a moderate degree. The study helps provide guidance and direction to principals who wish to exercise their leadership in a more appropriate and relevant way particularly in a context of change.
Effects of sources of variability on sample sizes required for RCTs, applied to trials of lipid-altering therapies on carotid artery intima-media thickness

Objective Studies measuring progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) have been used to estimate the effect of lipid-modifying therapies cardiovascular event risk. The likelihood that future cIMT clinical trials will detect a true treatment effect is estimated by leveraging results from prior studies. The present analyses assess the impact of between- and within-study variability based on currently published data from prior clinical studies on the likelihood that ongoing or future cIMT trials will detect the true treatment effect of lipid-modifying therapies. Methods Published data from six contemporary cIMT studies (ASAP, ARBITER 2, RADIANCE 1, RADIANCE 2, ENHANCE, and METEOR) including data from a total of 3563 patients were examined. Bayesian and frequentist methods were used to assess the impact of between study variability on the likelihood of detecting true treatment effects on 1-year cIMT progression/regression and to provide a sample size estimate that would specifically compensate for the effect of between-study variability. Results In addition to the well-described within-study variability, there is considerable between-study variability associated with the measurement of annualized change in cIMT. Accounting for the additional between-study variability decreases the power for existing study designs. In order to account for the added between-study variability, it is likely that future cIMT studies would require a large increase in sample size in order to provide substantial probability (≥90%) to have 90% power of detecting a true treatment effect. Limitation Analyses are based on study level data. Future meta-analyses incorporating patient-level data would be useful for confirmation. Conclusion Due to substantial within- and between-study variability in the measure of 1-year change of cIMT, as well as uncertainty about progression rates in contemporary populations, future study designs evaluating the effect of new lipid-modifying therapies on atherosclerotic disease progression are likely to be challenged by large sample sizes in order to demonstrate a true treatment effect.
Sticky Trap and Stem—Tap Sampling Protocols for the Asian Citrus Psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

ABSTRACT Sampling statistics were obtained to develop a sampling protocol for estimating numbers of adult Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in citrus by using two different sampling methods: yellow sticky traps and stem—tap samples, A 4.0-ha block of mature orange trees was stratified into 10 0.4-ha strata and sampled using each method seven times over a 7-mo period. One sticky trap was deployed per tree on each of 16 trees randomly selected in each stratum, and numbers of adults on the traps were counted 1 wk later. One stem—tap sample in which the number of adults falling into a pan after three rapid taps to a branch was taken per tree on each of 16 trees randomly selected in each stratum. A sampling protocol of one yellow sticky trap on each of 20 trees, or of one stem—tap sample on each of 30 trees, distributed uniformly across an area up to 4.0 ha (excluding block edges) was projected to provide an average sampling precision rate of ≤25% (SEM/mean × 100) at means of one or more adults per trap or stem—tap sample. Validation sampling indicated 20 sticky trap samples consistently provided the desired precision level at means of approximately two or more adults per trap but not at means of 1.0–1.5 per trap. A sample size of 30 stem—tap samples consistently provided the desired average precision level, but the precision of some individual estimates was >25% at means of around one adult per tap sample.
A Novel Fold Revealed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis NAD Kinase, a Key Allosteric Enzyme in NADP Biosynthesis*

NAD kinase catalyzes the magnesium-dependent phosphorylation of NAD, representing the sole source of freshly synthesized NADP in all organisms. The enzyme is essential for the growth of the deadly multidrug-resistant pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is an attractive target for novel antitubercular agents. The crystal structure of NAD kinase has been solved by multiwavelength anomalous dispersion at a resolution of 2.3 Å in its T state. Two crystal forms have been obtained revealing either a dimer or a tetramer. The enzyme architecture discloses a novel molecular arrangement, with each subunit consisting of an α/β N-terminal domain and a C-terminal 12-stranded β sandwich domain, connected by swapped β strands. The C-terminal domain shows a striking internal approximate 222 symmetry and an unprecedented topology, revealing a novel fold within the family of all β structures. The catalytic site is located in the long crevice that defines the interface between the domains. The conserved GGDG structural fingerprint of the catalytic site is reminiscent of the related region in 6-phosphofructokinase, supporting the hypothesis that NAD kinase belongs to a newly reported superfamily of kinases.
Interleukin‐7 promotes human regulatory T cell development at the CD4+CD8+ double‐positive thymocyte stage

Although mature human FOXP3+ regulatory T cells are CD127 (IL‐7Rα) negative, CD4+CD8+ FOXP3+ thymocytes express relatively high levels of CD127 and are responsive to IL‐7. However, the role of IL‐7 in human regulatory T cell development is poorly known. We show that at the CD4+CD8+ stage, FOXP3+ thymocytes are highly susceptible to apoptosis, and IL‐7 selectively rescues them from death, leading to an increased frequency of FOXP3+ cells. IL‐7 also promotes the development of regulatory T cell phenotype by inducing up‐regulation of FOXP3+ and CTLA‐4 expression. In contrast, IL‐7 does not enhance proliferation of FOXP3+thymocytes or induce demethylation of FOXP3+ regulatory T cell‐specific demethylated region. After the CD4+CD8+ stage, the FOXP3+ thymocytes down‐regulate CD127 expression but despite very low levels of CD127, remain responsive to IL‐7. These results suggest that IL‐7 affects human regulatory T cell development in the thymus by at least 2 distinct mechanisms: suppression of apoptosis and up‐regulation of FOXP3+ expression.
Frequency, Radiation Pattern and Polarization Reconfigurable Antenna Using a Parasitic Pixel Layer

This communication presents a reconfigurable antenna capable of independently reconfiguring the operating frequency, radiation pattern and polarization. A switched grid of small metallic patches, known as pixel surface, is used as a parasitic layer to provide reconfiguration capabilities to existing antennas acting as driven element. The parasitic pixel layer presents advantages such as low profile, integrability and cost-effective fabrication. A fully operational prototype has been designed, fabricated and its compound reconfiguration capabilities have been characterized. The prototype combines a patch antenna and a parasitic pixel surface consisting of 6 × 6 pixels, with an overall size of 0.6 λ×0.6 λ and 60 PIN-diode switches. The antenna simultaneously tunes its operation frequency over a 25% frequency range, steers the radiation beam over ±30° in E and H-planes, and switches between four different polarizations (x̂, ŷ, LHCP, RHCP). The average antenna gain among the different parameter combinations is 4 dB, reaching 6-7 dB for the most advantageous combinations. The distance between the driven and the parasitic layers determines the tradeoff between frequency tuning range (12% to 25%) and radiation efficiency (45% to 55%).
A Prospective Controlled Trial Comparing Weekly Self-testing and Self-dosing with the Standard Management of Patients on Stable Oral Anticoagulation

Summary Oral anticoagulant therapy requires frequent laboratory controls of its intensity to assure therapeutic efficacy and to prevent potentially life threatening adverse events. It is generally assumed, that increasing the frequency of testing would lead to a better control of anticoagulation. We tested this hypothesis in a prospective controlled trial comparing weekly self-testing and self-dosing (self management) with the standard-management of these patients in an anticoagulation clinic. Only patients with stable anticoagulation were included into the study. We recorded 2733 weekly determinations of the intensity of anticoagulation (INR) in 49 patients on self-testing and self-dosing and 539 determinations of the INR in 53 patients on standard-management. Two intensities of anticoagulation were used in each group: a target INR of 3.5 for patients with artificial heart valves (target range: 2.5–4.5) and a target INR 2.5 (target range: 2.0–3.0) for patients with atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism. The deviation from the target INR, the fraction of INR determinations within the preset therapeutic range and the difference between the target INR and the actually achieved mean INR were the three major endpoints of the study. The mean deviation from the target INR was smaller in the groups of patients on self–management compared to the patients on standard-management. Individual deviations were significantly (p <0.0001) dependent on the type of management in interaction with the treatment intensity in a general linear model. Patients on weekly self-testing and self-dosing had more INR values within the therapeutic range than patients on standard-management (86.2% vs. 80.1% at INR range 2.5–4.5; 82.2 vs. 68.9 at INR range 2.0–3.0). The achieved mean INR was almost identical with the target INR in the patients on self-management but was significantly (p <0.005) below the target INR in the high intensity anticoagulation group on standard-management (target INR:3.5; achieved mean INR: 3.19; CI 0.95: 3.05–3.34). Our data show, that weekly self-testing and self-dosing leads to a better control of anticoagulation than standard treatment in an anticoagulation clinic. The technical equipment used for self testing in this study was provided by Roche Diagnostics, Austria
A cross-cultural study of acceptance and use of robotics by future psychology practitioners

Research in robotics has made available numerous possibilities and tools for further innovation in the psychological practice. For instance, recent research provided many examples of possible applications of robots in the education and rehabilitation of people with learning difficulties and/or intellectual disabilities. In this paper, we present a study on how cultural backgrounds can influence the perception and intention to use a robot as an instrument in the future practice. The study involved 37 Italian students and 37 UK students, as future professionals in the field of psychology, which experienced the actual capabilities of a humanoid robot through a live demo. In this work, we explored the main factors of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) with the aim to reveal cultural differences. The instrument used was the UTAUT questionnaire, which was designed and validated to investigate the robot acceptance and use. A significant difference on the intention to use the robot is reported in our results. The discriminant analysis produced a very high degree of separation between the two groups, confirming that there is a different approach toward the use of robotics between the two cultures.
Homo- and Heterotypic Association Regulates Signaling by the SgK269/PEAK1 and SgK223 Pseudokinases*

SgK269/PEAK1 is a pseudokinase and scaffolding protein that plays a critical role in regulating growth factor receptor signal output and is implicated in the progression of several cancers, including those of the breast, colon, and pancreas. SgK269 is structurally related to SgK223, a human pseudokinase that also functions as a scaffold but recruits a distinct repertoire of signaling proteins compared with SgK269. Structural similarities between SgK269 and SgK223 include a predicted α-helical region (designated CH) immediately preceding the conserved C-terminal pseudokinase (PK) domain. Structure-function analyses of SgK269 in MCF-10A mammary epithelial cells demonstrated a critical role for the CH and PK regions in promoting cell migration and Stat3 activation. Characterization of the SgK269 “interactome” by mass spectrometry-based proteomics identified SgK223 as a novel binding partner, and association of SgK269 with SgK223 in cells was dependent on the presence of the CH and PK domains of both pseudokinases. Homotypic association of SgK269 and SgK223 was also demonstrated and exhibited the same structural requirements. Further analysis using pulldowns and size-exclusion chromatography underscored the critical role of the CH region in SgK269/SgK223 association. Importantly, although SgK269 bridged SgK223 to Grb2, it was unable to activate Stat3 or efficiently enhance migration in SgK223 knock-out cells generated by CRISPR/Cas9. These results reveal previously unrecognized interplay between two oncogenic scaffolds and demonstrate a novel signaling mechanism for pseudokinases whereby homotypic and heterotypic association is used to assemble scaffolding complexes with distinct binding properties and hence qualitatively regulate signal output.
Epidermal growth factor and thrombin induced proliferation of immortalized human keratinocytes is coupled to the synthesis of Egr‐1, a zinc finger transcriptional regulator

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is highly expressed in HaCaT keratinocytes as shown by Western blotting. Stimulation of HaCaT cells with EGF, and also with the serine protease thrombin, induced DNA synthesis, measured by incorporation of 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine into the DNA of proliferating cells. Using antibodies directed against the active form of the EGF receptor, we show that in HaCaT cells EGF and thrombin triggered a rapid activation of the EGF receptor, followed by the phosphorylation and activation of the extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase (ERK). Moreover, EGF and thrombin induced a transient synthesis of the zinc finger transcriptional regulator Egr‐1. Proliferation, activation of ERK, and biosynthesis of Egr‐1 was completely inhibited in EGF or thrombin‐treated HaCaT cells by the MAP kinase kinase inhibitor PD98059 and by AG1487, an EGF receptor‐specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor. These data indicate that phosphorylation and activation of both the EGF receptor and ERK are essential for mitogenic signaling via EGF and thrombin. The synthesis of Egr‐1 in HaCaT cells as a result of EGF or thrombin stimulation suggests that Egr‐1 may be an important “late” part of the EGF and thrombin‐initiated signaling cascades. We postulate that Egr‐1 may function as a “third messenger” in keratinocytes connecting mitogenic stimulation with changes in gene transcription. J. Cell. Biochem. 85: 381–391, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
High speed drive using a slotless PM motor

In high speed applications, slotless permanent magnet (PM) motors appear an attractive solution, being almost insensitive to magneto-motive force harmonics and to pulsewidth modulation (PWM) current ripple and exhibiting lower stator iron losses and rotor losses (significant with squarewave current control). This paper illustrates advantages and drawbacks of a high speed drive using a slotlessPMmotor. The difficulties found during the realization of a 30-krpm 1-kW PM motor prototype are also highlighted. A low-cost commercial sensorless brushless dc motor controller has been used to force squarewave currents without a significant PWM ripple. In order to recognize a possible unexpected rotor arrest, that is not detected by the integrated circuit, an additional control circuit has been designed to detect that anomalous condition and to restart the motor when it occurs.
Residual compensation based on articulatory feature-based phone clustering for hybrid Mandarin speech synthesis

While speech synthesis based on Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) has been developed to successfully synthesize stable and intelligible speech with flexibility and small footprints in recent years, HMM-based method is still incapable to generate the speech with good quality and high naturalness. In this study, a hybrid method combining the unit-selection and HMMbased methods is proposed to compensate the residuals between the feature vectors of the natural phone units and the HMMsynthesized phone units to select better units and improve the naturalness of the synthesized speech. Articulatory features are adopted to cluster the phone units with similar articulation to construct the residual models of phone clusters. One residual model is characterized for each phone cluster using state-level linear regression. The candidate phone units of the natural corpus are selected by considering the compensated synthesized phone units of the same phone cluster, and then an optimal phone sequence is decided by the spectral features, contextual articulatory features, and pitch values to generate the synthesized speech with better naturalness. Objective and subjective evaluations were conducted and the comparison results to the HMM-based method and the conventional hybrid-based method confirm the improved performance of the proposed method.