Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An adaptive brain-machine interface algorithm for control of burst suppression in medical coma

Burst suppression is an electroencephalogram (EEG) indicator of profound brain inactivation in which bursts of electrical activity alternate with periods of isoelectricity termed suppression. Specified time-varying levels of burst suppression are targeted in medical coma, a drug-induced brain state used for example to treat uncontrollable seizures. A brain-machine interface (BMI) that observes the EEG could automate the control of drug infusion rate to track a desired target burst suppression trajectory. Such a BMI needs to use models of drug dynamics and burst suppression observations, whose parameters could change with the burst suppression level and the environment over time. Currently, these parameters are fit prior to real-time control, requiring a separate system identification session. Moreover, this approach cannot track parameter variations over time. In addition, small variations in drug infusion rate may be desired at steady state. Here we develop a novel adaptive algorithm for robust control of medical coma in face of unknown and time-varying system parameters. We design an adaptive recursive Bayesian estimator to jointly estimate drug concentrations and system parameters in real time. We construct a controller using the linear-quadratic-regulator strategy that explicitly penalizes large infusion rate variations at steady state and uses the estimates as feedback to generate robust control. Using simulations, we show that the adaptive algorithm achieves precise control of time-varying target levels of burst suppression even when model parameters are initialized randomly, and reduces the infusion rate variation at steady state.
Region-based visual attention analysis with its application in image browsing on small displays

Visual attention has been a hot research point for many years and many new applications are emerging especially for wireless multimedia services. In this paper a novel region-based visual attention is proposed to detect the Regions of Interest (ROI) of images. In the proposed method, density based image segmentation is first performed by regarding region as the perceptive unit, which makes the model robust to the scale of ROIs and contains more perceptive information. To generate region saliency map to detect ROI, global effect and contextual difference are covered in the form of distance factor and adjacency factor respectively. Since different ROIs may have different importance for different purposes, a ROI ranking algorithm is designed for browsing large images on small displays. Experimental results and evaluation reveal that our method works effectively to detect ROIs from images and the users are satisfied with the browsing sequence on small displays.
A National Analysis of Endowed Chairs and Distinguished Professors in the Field of Education

Noting a gap in the literature, this study examines how race, gender, and prestige are related to endowed and distinguished faculty of education. Specifically, this study seeks to ascertain the makeup of higher education with regard to faculty diversity: what processes are at work that serve to recreate the status quo in terms of faculty of higher education? Or, are higher education faculty members becoming more diverse as homogeneous cohorts retire and heterogeneous cohorts replace them? Using social network theory as a theoretical framework, several hypotheses were set forth. Original data (n = 517) were collected and later analyzed using descriptive as well as inferential non-parametric statistics. The findings of this study are discussed as they relate to the research questions and hypotheses, informed by social network theory. Implications for higher education policy and practice are shared, and directions for future research are considered.
Hamiltonian path embedding and pancyclicity on the Mobius cube with faulty nodes and faulty edges

A graph G=(V, E) is said to be pancyclic if it contains fault-free cycles of all lengths from 4 to |V| in G. Let F/sub v/ and F/sub e/ be the sets of faulty nodes and faulty edges of an n-dimensional Mobius cube MQ/sub n/, respectively, and let F=F/sub v//spl cup/F/sub e/. A faulty graph is pancyclic if it contains fault-free cycles of all lengths from 4 to |V-F/sub v/|. In this paper, we show that MQ/sub n/-F contains a fault-free Hamiltonian path when |F|/spl les/n-1 and n/spl ges/1. We also show that MQ/sub n/-F is pancyclic when |F|/spl les/n-2 and n/spl ges/2. Since MQ/sub n/ is regular of degree n, both results are optimal in the worst case.
Filter object categories: employing visual consistency and semisupervised approach

We describe a method for filtering object category from a large number of noisy images. This problem is particularly difficult due to the greater variation within object categories and only a few labeled object images available. Our method deals with it by using visual consistency and semisupervised approach. The images of one category often share some visual consistency so that the most irrelevant images can be first removed. Among the left images, a voting method is used to obtain more object exemplars with the initial object exemplars manually selected by users. Finally with all the obtained exemplars and those unlabeled images, we create a semi-supervised classifier to rank all the images. We evaluate our method on Berg dataset and demonstrate the precision comparative to the state-of-the-art. Besides, we collect five more categories from Google Images to show the effectiveness of the method.
A feasibility study of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for foreign nationals living in Japan

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was developed as a therapeutic intervention for patients at risk of depression relapse. In recent years it has evolved as an effective therapy for a range of mental health concerns. The present study investigated the potential benefits of MBCT for English-speaking foreigners living in Japan. Participants (n = 18) completed the Five Factors Mindfulness Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21-item version and the positive and negative affect schedule before and after the eight-week MBCT programme. Participants reported a significant increase in mindfulness, reductions in depression, anxiety and stress levels as well as decreased negative affect. However a trend increase in average positive affect scores failed to reach statistical significance. Acceptability of MBCT for foreign nationals living in Japan was demonstrated in participant feedback. While this small pilot study lacked a comparison control group it still lends initial support for delivering MBCT as a preventative intervention for foreigners experiencing emotional distress in Japan.
First molecular evidence of Mus musculus bactrianus in Nepal inferred from the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome B gene sequences

Abstract To identify the house mice collected in Pokhara and Lumbini of Nepal at the subspecies level, morphological and molecular analyses were carried out. Morphologically, two populations collected in Pokhara and Lumbini were distinguished by fur colour, but there was no significant difference in external measurements (p > .05). The phylogenetic analysis results revealed that the haplotypes sequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Cytochrome B (CytB) gene distinguished into two distinct clades on a phylogenetic tree representing two subspecies, Mus musculus bactrianus and M. m. castaneus in Pokhara and Lumbini, respectively. In Nepal, the subspecies M. m. bactrianus was not reported before this study. These findings concluded that at least two subspecies, M. m. bactrianus and M. m. castaneus currently exist in Nepal. We estimated that these two subspecies could have introduced together with human migration, while further study is required to understand their evolutionary history and current distribution.
Analysis of a local search heuristic for facility location problems

In this paper, we study approximation algorithms for several NP-hard facility location problems. We prove that a simple local search heuristic yields polynomial-time constant-factor approximation bounds for the metric versions of the uncapacitated k-median problem and the uncapacitated facility location problem. (For the k-median problem, our algorithms require a constant-factor blowup in the parameter k.) This local search heuristic was first proposed several decades ago, and has been shown to exhibit good practical performance in empirical studies. We also extend the above results to obtain constant-factor approximation bounds for the metric versions of capacitated k-median and facility location problems.
An efficient filtering technique for super-graph query processing

Recently, a lot of applications depend on data modeled by graphs. Efficient query processing over graph databases serves these applications. Having a graph query q, super-graph query processing finds all the graphs g in a database of graphs D where g is contained in q (gsubeq). Because graph databases contain a lot of graphs and because sub-graph isomorphic tests are NP-complete, an indexing-based technique should be adopted. In this paper we propose an efficient technique for processing supergraph queries. The technique consists of an index called eIndex and a query processing algorithm. Given a query graph, the database is filtered to generate candidate graphs. While filtering, the proposed technique takes into consideration the full structure of the database graphs besides considering the frequent fragments. Through polynomial time algorithms, the proposed technique reduces the subgraph isomorphism tests required for query processing and hence the total processing time is reduced. The results show that building eIndex takes much less time and space than other methods.
Peer discovery for device-to-device (D2D) communication in LTE-A networks

Device-to-device (D2D) communication is one of the key technologies in Long Term Evolution - Advanced (LTE-A) for improving network capacity and resource utilization. D2D communication can not only effectively reduce traffic loads to the core network but also reduce power consumption of user equipments (UEs), thus making it a desirable candidate for machine-to-machine communication in cellular networks. Among all functionalities required to enable D2D communication, peer discovery is arguably the most critical one. In this paper, we propose a distributed peer discovery protocol for LTE-A networks. The proposed protocol requires UEs to advertise their presence based on random access. In order to minimize resource consumption on discovery, an adaptive resource allocation algorithm based on the number of requesting D2D UEs is also proposed. Our numerical analysis shows that a very high discovery probability (e.g., 0.99) can be achieved using only 1% of the evolved Node B's (eNB's) uplink resource.
A Simulation Model of Intraherd Transmission of Foot and Mouth Disease with Reference to Disease Spread before and after Clinical Diagnosis

Intraherd transmission of foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) was examined using a simulation model for a hypothetical 1,000-cow dairy, assuming clinical diagnosis was made when at least 1% (10 cows) or 5% (50 cows) had clinical signs of FMD, 1 index case cow, and transition state distributions for the latent, subclinically infectious, and clinically infectious periods of FMD calculated from published data. Estimates assumed for the number of animal-to-animal contacts (k) adequate for transmission ranged from 0.6 to 9.0 per hour (13.7–216.0 per day). A total of 40,000 iterations (5,000 for each scenario, assessing 4 adequate contact rates and 2 detection criteria) were run. The model predicted that FMD would not be diagnosed in the herd until 10.0–13.5 days after the index case cow had become infected, at which time between 65% and 97% of the cows (646–967 cows) to nearly 100% (978–996 cows) would already have become infected with the virus, if the number of cows showing clinical signs of FMD at the time of diagnosis were 10 or 50, respectively. At the time of diagnosis, the simulated number of infectious cattle varied substantially from 82–472 to 476–537 cows, depending on adequate contact rate and whether the diagnosis was made when 10 or 50 animals were showing clinical signs, respectively. The simulated number of infectious cows increased rapidly during the first few days after diagnosis. In the scenario where at least 10 cows showing clinical signs was necessary before a clinical diagnosis was made, each day after diagnosis, the number of infectious animals increased by nearly 100 to more than 200 cases per day up to day 5, assuming 0.57–9.0 animal-to-animal contacts per hour, respectively. Results obtained when it was assumed that at least 50 clinical cases were present at the time of diagnosis showed smaller relative increases because nearly one-half of the herd was projected to be infected at the time of diagnosis. From these results, it is clear that once an individual in a herd becomes infected with FMDV, herd infectivity is not static, rather it accelerates as would be expected as long as there are sufficient susceptible animals to sustain the increasing transmission rate, after which time the rate at which new infections occurs will diminish. Results indicate that biosecurity strategies aimed at minimizing both intraherd and interherd contact will be critical in minimizing the spread of FMD before the initial diagnosis is made. In addition, simulations suggest that very early clinical diagnosis of FMD and effective isolation or depopulation and disposal will be critical in limiting the number of infectious animals capable of transmitting the virus to other herds and thus in timely control of an epidemic. Early diagnosis will rely on early virus detection from animals in the preclinical phase of infection, rather than waiting for clinical signs to manifest in sufficient numbers to be noticed and to warrant investigation.
Use of graph metrics to classify motor imagery based BCI

The major aim of this work was to propose a novel method to perform a motor imagery (MI) based brain control interfacing system (BCI) classification using a single feature derived from the graph theory applied to connectivity measures. In particular, the characterization of small world coefficient is studied along different scenarios. Two connectivity measures as phase locking value (PLV) and coherence, two different frequency bands and two different time slots division (static and 3 different time windows). The second objective of this work was to study the viability of a novel stimuli for using on MI based BCIs, emotional schematic faces. Two emotions were showed to the participants: happiness and sadness to perform their MI tasks. Accuracy rates of up to 91.1% suggest that this is a promising strategy for BCI classifiers.
Reliability of a novel serious game using dual-task gait profiles to early characterize aMCI

Background: As the population of older adults is growing, the interest in a simple way to detect characterize amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is becoming increasingly important. Serious game (SG) -based cognitive and motor performance profiles while performing everyday activities and dual-task walking (DTW) “motor signatures” are two very promising markers that can be detected in predementia states. We aim to compare the consistency, or conformity, of measurements made by a custom SG with DTW (NAV), a SG without DTW (DOT), neuropsychological measures and genotyping as markers for early detection of aMCI. Methods: The study population included three groups: early AD (n = 86), aMCI (n = 65), and healthy control subjects (n = 76), who completed the custom SG tasks in three separate sessions over a 3-month period. Outcome measures were neuropsychological data across-domain and within-domain intra-individual variability (IIV) and DOT and NAV latency-based and accuracy-based IIV. IIV reflects a transient, within-person change in behavioral performance, either during different cognitive domains (across-domain) or within the same domain (within-domain). Test–retest reliability of the DOT and NAV markers were assessed using an intraclass correlation (ICC) analysis. Results: Results indicated that performance data, such as the NAV latency-based and accuracy-based IIV, during the task displayed greater reliability across sessions compared to DOT. During the NAV task-engagement, the executive function, planning, and motor performance profiles exhibited moderate to good reliability (ICC = 0.6–0.8), while during DOT, executive function and spatial memory accuracy profiles exhibited fair to moderate reliability (ICC = 0.3–0.6). Additionally, reliability across tasks was more stable when three sessions were used in the ICC calculation relative to two sessions. Discussion: Our findings suggest that “motor signature” data during the NAV tasks were a more reliable marker for early diagnosis of aMCI than DOT. This result accentuates the importance of utilizing motor performance data as a metric for aMCI populations where memory decline is often the behavioral outcome of interest. In conclusion, custom SG with DTW performance data provide an ecological and reliable approach for cognitive assessment across multiple sessions and thus can be used as a useful tool for tracking longitudinal change in observational and interventional studies on aMCI.
How can adherence to asthma medication be enhanced? Triangulation of key asthma stakeholders' perspectives

Abstract Background and objectives: Adherence to daily asthma controller medication has been shown to be the most effective component of asthma self-management; however, patient's adherence to asthma medication remains poor. This study aimed to understand how patients' long-term asthma controller medication adherence may be improved and facilitated by comparing key asthma stakeholders' perspectives. Method: Six focus group interviews including 38 asthma stakeholders (n = 13 patients, n = 13 pulmonologist physicians, and n = 12 allied healthcare professionals) were conducted. Interviews were qualitatively analysed. Results: Although similar themes were brought up across different asthma stakeholders, the way in which they were framed differed across stakeholders. The most salient discussion revolved around the content and the moment in which asthma education should be approached to facilitate patients' adherence to asthma medication. Conclusion: Asthma medication adherence is a complex process and successful interventions aimed at its improvement would benefit from: (a) making an effort to understand patients' experiences and negotiate the treatment regimen, rather than imposing recommendations; (b) considering treatment as a shared responsibility involving the patient, the healthcare professional(s), and the patients' social networks; and, (c) taking into account different stakeholders' concerns, needs, perspectives, and knowledge.
Development of a SOPC for PMSM drives

A system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) using an Altera FPGA (Stratix EP1S10) and a Nios embedded processor to develop drive system for permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is presented in this paper. In this SOPC, it has two modules to construct a fully digital drive controller. One module performs the function of the speed/position loop control and motion trajectory control of PMSM drives. The other module performs the function of the current loop control for PMSM drives, which includes vector control, SVPWM generation, coordinate transformation, PI controller and the pulse detection of the quadrature encoder. The former is implemented by software using Nios embedded processor due to the need of complicated control algorithm and low sampling frequency control (motion trajectory control & position control: less than 1kHz). The latter is implemented by hardware due to the need of high sampling frequency control (current loop: 16 kHz, PWM circuit: 4/spl sim/8 MHz) but simple computation. To confirm the effectiveness of the proposed SOPC, an experimental system with a PMSM, a FPGA experimental board, an inverter and a rectifier has been set up and some experimental results have been validated with the theoretical ones.
A Dynamic Continuation-Passing Style for Dynamic Delimited Continuations

We put a preexisting definitional abstract machine for dynamic delimited continuations in defunctionalized form, and we present the consequences of this adjustment. We first prove the correctness of the adjusted abstract machine. Because it is in defunctionalized form, we can refunctionalize it into a higher-order evaluation function. This evaluation function, which is compositional, is in continuation+state-passing style and threads a trail of delimited continuations and a meta-continuation. Since this style accounts for dynamic delimited continuations, we refer to it as “dynamic continuation-passing style” and we present the corresponding dynamic CPS transformation. We show that the notion of computation induced by dynamic CPS takes the form of a continuation monad with a recursive answer type. This continuation monad suggests a new simulation of dynamic delimited continuations in terms of static ones. Finally, we present new applications of dynamic delimited continuations, including a meta-circular evaluator. The significance of the present work is that the computational artifacts surrounding dynamic CPS are not independent designs: they are mechanical consequences of having put the definitional abstract machine in defunctionalized form.
Choosing Your Mother or Your Spouse

People in Western cultures tend to assume that the marriage relationship is the most important relationship in life. Does this assumption apply in other cultural contexts? Three studies compared Taiwanese and European American beliefs about the priority of family relationships, using hypothetical life-or-death and everyday situations. In all three studies and in both situations, Taiwanese participants were more likely than European Americans to choose to help their mothers instead of their spouses. Furthermore, Taiwanese were more likely than European Americans to choose to help their mothers instead of their sibling or their own child. Mediation analyses indicated that obligation and closeness accounted for the association between culture and certainty of saving the mother or the spouse in the life-or-death situation. In the everyday situation, obligation alone accounted for this association. These findings have implications for Western theories of close relationships, such as attachment theory.