Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Image Filtering Techniques Used for Monitoring Driver Fatigue : A Survey

Driver fatigue is one of the important factors that cause traffic accidents, and the increasing number of accidents due to lessened driver’s acuity and diligence level has become a problem of serious concern. Therefore, how to avoid this problem has become a topic of discussion. In order to detect and remove this cause of road accident many driver fatigue detection methods have been proposed which can detect the mind state of driver such as drowsiness or inattention, for generating some warning alarms to alert the driver. In this paper we have discussed some of the method that can be used to detect the driver’s fatigue. And on the basis of our study, we have proposed a new technique that can improve the results of the earlier discussed methods.
Why State Constitutions Differ in their Treatment of Same-Sex Marriage

Some states treat a same-sex marriage as legally equal to a marriage between a man and a woman. Other states prohibit legal recognition of same-sex marriages in their constitutions. In every state that has a constitutional restriction against same-sex marriage, the amendment was passed by a popular vote. The conventional wisdom about allowing voter participation in such decisions is that they yield constitutional outcomes that reflect attitude differences across states. We reexamine the attitude-amendment relationship and find it to be weaker than expected. In particular, we show that states vary in the costs they impose on constituencies that desire constitutional change. Some states impose very low costs (i.e., a simple majority of voters is sufficient for change). Other states impose very high costs (i.e., substantial legislative and voter supermajoriries are requires). We find that variations in the legal status of same-sex marriage across US states is better explained by these variations in costs than they are by differences in public opinion. Our method yields an improved explanation of why states differ in their constitutional treatment of same-sex marriage today. Our findings have distinct implications for people who wish to understand and/or change the future status of same-sex couples in state constitutions.
Review of 'Queueing Systems, Vol. I: Theory and Vol. II: Computer Applications' (Kleinrock, L.; 1976)

Figs. 1,2, and 3 show the pdf for the monopulse ratio plotted against 6 (r i) for x = -3 dB, 3 dB, 9 dB and i = 0,0.4,0.8, 1.2. These figures have been calculated using (64) with N = I, a = b, p = 0, and D/S real. Since the curves are not symmetric about their modes, the displacement of the modes from a normalized monopulse ratio of zero indicates the existence of a bias. Also, for fixed P, the height of the curves at the mode is greater than that for the equivalent Gaussian approximation; thus c < 0~. Since also the height decreases (with increasing signal-to-noise ratio) towards that of the equivalent Gaussian, the approximation to the spread by UC becomes better, i.e., less conservative, as the signal-to-noise ratio increases. Fig. 4 depicts this behavior.
Activity-aware heart sensing in mobile healthcare

This work designs, implements, and evaluates an activity-aware heart sensing framework based on mobile devices, called AA-Heart, which consists of two major components: the front-end mobile platform collecting user's heart and context data, and the back-end web server where the data can be visually displayed, screened and analyzed, and shared with user's permission. Using the mobile devices, AA-Heart can monitor heart continuously and send the heart data to medical staff in a real-time way. Specially, AA-Heart enables doctor to make a positive diagnosis of user's heart conditions. Since mobile devices are very constrained in energy resource, we design a semantics-based model to achieve balance of energy efficiency and application fidelity.
Evaluating driving fatigue detection algorithms using eye tracking glasses

Fatigue is a status of human brain activities, and driving fatigue detection is a topic of great interest all over the world. In this paper, we propose a measure of fatigue produced by eye tracking glasses, and use it as the ground truth to evaluate driving fatigue detection algorithms. Particularly, PERCLOS, which is the percentage of eye closure over the pupil over time, was calculated from eyelid movement data provided by eye tracking glasses. Experiments of a vigilance task were carried out in which both EOG signals and eyelid movement were recorded. The evaluation results of an effective EOG-based fatigue detection algorithm convinced us that our proposed measure is an appropriate candidate for evaluating driving fatigue detection algorithms.
Overexpression of the Dynamitin (p50) Subunit of the Dynactin Complex Disrupts Dynein-dependent Maintenance of Membrane Organelle Distribution

Dynactin is a multisubunit complex that plays an accessory role in cytoplasmic dynein function. Overexpression in mammalian cells of one dynactin subunit, dynamitin, disrupts the complex, resulting in dissociation of cytoplasmic dynein from prometaphase kinetochores, with consequent perturbation of mitosis (Echeverri, C.J., B.M. Paschal, K.T. Vaughan, and R.B. Vallee. 1996. J. Cell Biol. 132:617–634). Based on these results, dynactin was proposed to play a role in linking cytoplasmic dynein to kinetochores and, potentially, to membrane organelles. The current study reports on the dynamitin interphase phenotype. In dynamitin-overexpressing cells, early endosomes (labeled with antitransferrin receptor), as well as late endosomes and lysosomes (labeled with anti–lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 [LAMP-1]), were redistributed to the cell periphery. This redistribution was disrupted by nocodazole, implicating an underlying plus end–directed microtubule motor activity. The Golgi stack, monitored using sialyltransferase, galactosyltransferase, and N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I, was dramatically disrupted into scattered structures that colocalized with components of the intermediate compartment (ERGIC-53 and ERD-2). The disrupted Golgi elements were revealed by EM to represent short stacks similar to those formed by microtubule-depolymerizing agents. Golgi-to-ER traffic of stack markers induced by brefeldin A was not inhibited by dynamitin overexpression. Time-lapse observations of dynamitin-overexpressing cells recovering from brefeldin A treatment revealed that the scattered Golgi elements do not undergo microtubule-based transport as seen in control cells, but rather, remain stationary at or near their ER exit sites. These results indicate that dynactin is specifically required for ongoing centripetal movement of endocytic organelles and components of the intermediate compartment. Results similar to those of dynamitin overexpression were obtained by microinjection with antidynein intermediate chain antibody, consistent with a role for dynactin in mediating interactions of cytoplasmic dynein with specific membrane organelles. These results suggest that dynamitin plays a pivotal role in regulating organelle movement at the level of motor–cargo binding.
Speech-based cognitive load monitoring system

Monitoring cognitive load is important for the prevention of faulty errors in task-critical operations, and the development of adaptive user interfaces, to maintain productivity and efficiency in work performance. Speech, as an objective and non-intrusive measure, is a suitable method for monitoring cognitive load. Existing approaches for cognitive load monitoring are limited in speaker-dependent recognition and need manually labeled data. We propose a novel automatic, speaker-independent classification approach to monitor, in real-time, the person's cognitive load level by using speech features. In this approach, a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) based classifier is created with unsupervised training. Channel and speaker normalization are deployed for improving robustness. Different delta techniques are investigated for capturing temporal information. And a background model is introduced to reduce the impact of insufficient training data. The final system achieves 71.1% and 77.5% accuracy on two different tasks, each of which has three discrete cognitive load levels. This performance shows a great potential in real-world applications.
LOCALIZATION OF ANTIGEN IN TISSUE CELLS

The fate of the capsular polysaccharide of Friedländer B bacillus in the mouse after its intravenous administration was studied by means of homologous antibody labelled with fluorescein. The results indicate that this acid polysaccharide, like pneumococcal polysaccharide, types II and III, was rapidly taken up by phagocytic cells throughout the body, where it persisted in decreasing concentration for more than 33 days. It was widely distributed in the capillary endothelium and on collagenous fibres in all organs. It made a transient appearance in or on lymphocytes in the spleen and lymph nodes. It was found in the hepatic epithelium and in the bile; in the juxtaglomerular segment of the distal renal tubule and in an occasional cast in the lumens of collecting tubules; in the epithelium of some uterine glands; and in cells in the steroid-secreting tissues of the ovary, suprarenal cortex, and perhaps of the testis. In joints the synovial membranes contained large amounts of antigen, and some also penetrated into cartilage cells adjacent to the joint cavity. Osteoblasts and a few osteocytes also took up the polysaccharide. When administered by inhalation, the polysaccharide was found in high concentration in the pulmonary macrophages but could not be found constantly in other lung elements.
Physical activity and survival after prostate cancer diagnosis in the health professionals follow-up study.

PURPOSE To determine whether higher physical activity after prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis decreases risk of overall and PCa-specific death. PATIENTS AND METHODS We evaluated physical activity in relation to overall and PCa mortality among 2,705 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study diagnosed with nonmetastatic PCa observed from 1990 to 2008. Proportional hazards models were used to evaluate physical activity and time to overall and PCa-specific death. RESULTS Among men who lived at least 4 years after their postdiagnosis physical activity assessment, we documented 548 deaths, 20% of which were a result of PCa. In multivariable analysis, men who were physically active had lower risk of all-cause mortality (P(trend) < . 001) and PCa mortality (P(trend) = . 04). Both nonvigorous activity and vigorous activity were associated with significantly lower overall mortality. Those who walked ≥ 90 minutes per week at a normal to very brisk pace had a 46% lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.54; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.71) compared with shorter durations at an easy walking pace. Men with ≥ 3 hours per week of vigorous activity had a 49% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.72). For PCa-specific mortality, brisk walking at longer durations was suggestively inverse but not statistically significant. Men with ≥ 3 hours per week of vigorous activity had a 61% lower risk of PCa death (HR, 0.39, 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.84; P = .03) compared with men with less than 1 hour per week of vigorous activity. Men exercising vigorously before and after diagnosis had the lowest risk. CONCLUSION In men with PCa, physical activity was associated with lower overall mortality and PCa mortality. A modest amount of vigorous activity such as biking, tennis, jogging, or swimming for ≥ 3 hours a week may substantially improve PCa-specific survival.
Compartmentalized Platforms for Neuro-pharmacological Research

Dissociated primary neuronal cell culture remains an indispensable approach for neurobiology research in order to investigate basic mechanisms underlying diverse neuronal functions, drug screening and pharmacological investigation. Compartmentalization, a widely adopted technique since its emergence in 1970s enables spatial segregation of neuronal segments and detailed investigation that is otherwise limited with traditional culture methods. Although these compartmental chambers (e.g. Campenot chamber) have been proven valuable for the investigation of Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) neurons and to some extent within Central Nervous System (CNS) neurons, their utility has remained limited given the arduous manufacturing process, incompatibility with high-resolution optical imaging and limited throughput. The development in the area of microfabrication and microfluidics has enabled creation of next generation compartmentalized devices that are cheap, easy to manufacture, require reduced sample volumes, enable precise control over the cellular microenvironment both spatially as well as temporally, and permit highthroughput testing. In this review we briefly evaluate the various compartmentalization tools used for neurobiological research, and highlight application of the emerging microfluidic platforms towards in vitro single cell neurobiology.
A Post Keynesian view of the Washington consensus and how to improve it

The evidence of the past 15 years has demonstrated that attempting to implement the 10 reforms of the Washington Consensus has ultimately proven to be a disaster for developing nations. If the empirical evidence is of the failure of the Washington Consensus, then why does the G-7, the World Bank, and the IMF seek to tie aid for Latin American nations' economic problems to a demand for the nation to move toward full adoption of the 10 consensus reforms? This paper provides an explanation and suggests alternative policies to achieve success.
Structural Basis of Enzymatic Activity for the Ferulic Acid Decarboxylase (FADase) from Enterobacter sp. Px6-4

Microbial ferulic acid decarboxylase (FADase) catalyzes the transformation of ferulic acid to 4-hydroxy-3-methoxystyrene (4-vinylguaiacol) via non-oxidative decarboxylation. Here we report the crystal structures of the Enterobacter sp. Px6-4 FADase and the enzyme in complex with substrate analogues. Our analyses revealed that FADase possessed a half-opened bottom β-barrel with the catalytic pocket located between the middle of the core β-barrel and the helical bottom. Its structure shared a high degree of similarity with members of the phenolic acid decarboxylase (PAD) superfamily. Structural analysis revealed that FADase catalyzed reactions by an “open-closed” mechanism involving a pocket of 8×8×15 Å dimension on the surface of the enzyme. The active pocket could directly contact the solvent and allow the substrate to enter when induced by substrate analogues. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the E134A mutation decreased the enzyme activity by more than 60%, and Y21A and Y27A mutations abolished the enzyme activity completely. The combined structural and mutagenesis results suggest that during decarboxylation of ferulic acid by FADase, Trp25 and Tyr27 are required for the entering and proper orientation of the substrate while Glu134 and Asn23 participate in proton transfer.
Texture classification based on DCT and soft computing

We present a classification method based on the discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of texture image. Since the DCT works on gray level images, the color scheme of each image is transformed into gray levels. For classifying the images with DCT, we used two popular soft computing techniques, namely neurocomputing and neuro-fuzzy computing. We used a feedforward neural network trained by backpropagation algorithm and an evolving fuzzy neural network to classify the textures. The soft computing models were trained using 80% of the texture data and remaining was used for testing and validation purposes. A performance comparison was made among the soft computing models for the texture classification problem. We also analyzed the effects of prolonged training of neural networks. It was observed that the proposed neuro-fuzzy model performed better than neural network.
Cognitive Modeling: Research Logic in Cognitive Science

Cognitive modeling is the characteristic research methodology of cognitive science (see Cognitive Science ), resulting in theories that are formulated as computer programs. A cognitive model is based on a theoretically grounded and empirically guided specification of the mental representations and processes involved in a given cognitive function. Since a cognitive model is implemented as a computer program
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE RESPONSE OF NEURAL STEM CELLS AND THEIR MICROENVIRONMENT TO IONIZING RADIATION

Radiation therapy is one of the most effective tools for treating malignant tumors; however, cranial irradiation often results in intellectual impairment and cognitive deficits, such as impaired learning and memory. Ionizing radiation generates DNA damage, causing proliferative cells to undergo apoptosis. In most brain regions, the generation of neurons is complete at birth. However, in two discrete regions, the granule cell layer of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle, stem cell continuously proliferate and generate new neurons throughout life. Due to their high proliferative capacity, these cells are particularly vulnerable to ionizing radiation. We found that a single dose of 6 Gy at postnatal day 9 leads to long-lasting decreases in both stem cell proliferation, as well as neurogenesis, in the adult rat. Even though the two stem cell regions were equally affected by the initial radiation, there was a differential response in stem cell recovery. While hippocampal stem cells were long-term affected; SVZ stem cells seemed to recover with time. In addition, the radiation injury caused an immediate inflammatory response in the postnatal brain, which was not sustained into adulthood. Interestingly, irradiated microglia in the SVZ, but not hippocampus, upregulated several genes coding for growth factors known to promote stem cell maintenance, proliferation and survival. The specific upregulation of these stem cell-related genes in irradiated SVZ microglia could potentially contribute to the recovery of the stem cell population seen in the SVZ, which was lacking in the hippocampus. Taken together, these data demonstrate the pronounced susceptibility of hippocampal stem cells to ionizing radiation, and highlight the importance of shielding this structure from irradiation to minimize functional consequences.
Autonomous Parameter Adjustment for SSVEP-Based BCIs with a Novel BCI Wizard

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) transfer human brain activities into computer commands and enable a communication channel without requiring movement. Among other BCI approaches, steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based BCIs have the potential to become accurate, assistive technologies for persons with severe disabilities. Those systems require customization of different kinds of parameters (e.g., stimulation frequencies). Calibration usually requires selecting predefined parameters by experienced/trained personnel, though in real-life scenarios an interface allowing people with no experience in programming to set up the BCI would be desirable. Another occurring problem regarding BCI performance is BCI illiteracy (also called BCI deficiency). Many articles reported that BCI control could not be achieved by a non-negligible number of users. In order to bypass those problems we developed a SSVEP-BCI wizard, a system that automatically determines user-dependent key-parameters to customize SSVEP-based BCI systems. This wizard was tested and evaluated with 61 healthy subjects. All subjects were asked to spell the phrase “RHINE WAAL UNIVERSITY” with a spelling application after key parameters were determined by the wizard. Results show that all subjects were able to control the spelling application. A mean (SD) accuracy of 97.14 (3.73)% was reached (all subjects reached an accuracy above 85% and 25 subjects even reached 100% accuracy).
Tryptophan Cluster Protects Human γD-Crystallin from Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Photoaggregation In Vitro

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a significant risk factor for age‐related cataract, a disease of the human lens and the most prevalent cause of blindness in the world. Cataract pathology involves protein misfolding and aggregation of the primary proteins of the lens, the crystallins. Human γD‐crystallin (HγD‐Crys) is a major γ‐crystallin in the nucleus of the human lens. We report here analysis of UVR‐induced damage to HγD‐Crys in vitro. Irradiation of solutions of recombinant HγD‐Crys with UVA/UVB light produced a rise in solution turbidity due to polymerization of the monomeric crystallins into higher molecular weight aggregates. A significant fraction of this polymerized protein was covalently linked. Photoaggregation of HγD‐Crys required oxygen and its rate was protein concentration and UVR dose dependent. To investigate the potential roles of individual tryptophan residues in photoaggregation, triple W:F mutants of HγD‐Crys were irradiated. Surprisingly, despite reducing UVR absorbing capacity, multiple W:F HγD‐Crys mutant proteins photoaggregated more quickly and extensively than wild type. The results reported here are consistent with previous studies that postulated that an energy transfer mechanism between the highly conserved pairs of tryptophan residues in HγD‐Crys could be protective against UVR‐induced photodamage.
Visualising an Amusement Park - A Case Study

This paper presents a real-time visualisation of an early architectural design for an amusement park. This commercial project, aimed at generating political support and investor interest for the proposed development, was implemented to strict budgets and deadlines and provides the case study to analyse the limitations of current content creation tools and formulate requirements for further research and development. The architectural design of the amusement park was in its early stages at the beginning of the project. The visualisation team received a series of hand drawings from the architect representing the top-down view of the site including its immediate surroundings and a rough CAD model including building outlines. The development covers an area of roughly 1 km square, which is typical for many similar projects, although the team has previously handled real-time urban visualisations for larger regions of approximately 5 by 3 km. The amusement park is a parkland setting including green zones, transportation, pedestrian areas, large artificial ponds and a range of buildings representing different geographic regions and industries. The modelling team was tasked to visually enhance a basic block model provided by the architect to move away from the abstract look towards a "realistic" experience. This required a degree of guess-work and artistic freedom as the details of the architecture had not been specified at that point. This was a rather unusual project brief, as it required the modellers to make decisions usually left to the architect about the look of buildings. At the same time, it allowed the modellers to take a "game development" approach where design decisions were influenced by the polygon budget. Normally, the modellers are presented with fully specified CAD models that may need optimisation for real-time display. A rendering of the resulting model is shown in Figure 1.