Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Living Kidney Donors' Experiences with the Health Care System

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore living kidney donors' perceived experiences with the health care system from the period prior to being tested as a potential donor, through to post donation discharge and follow-up. Qualitative methodology, using a phenomenological approach, explored the experiences, feelings, and ideas of 12 purposefully selected living kidney donors' interface with the health care system. Eight men and four women were interviewed four to 29 years post donation. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. An iterative and interpretive analysis was conducted. Themes emerging from the data included factors influencing living kidney donors' decision to be tested as potential donors, the importance of emotional support, and humanistic care. This in turn impacted on their experience of: (1) the role of information in the decision-making process; (2) their tolerance of issues related to hospitalization and; (3) their perception of the quality of care. The findings of this study provide suggestions for the role of social work and improvement in the health care system to better address the needs of living kidney donors.
Adapting the Sample Size in Particle Filters Through KLD-Sampling

Over the past few years, particle filters have been applied with great success to a variety of state estimation problems. In this paper we present a statistical approach to increasing the efficiency of particle filters by adapting the size of sample sets during the estimation process. The key idea of the KLD-sampling method is to bound the approximation error introduced by the sample-based representation of the particle filter. The name KLD-sampling is due to the fact that we measure the approximation error using the Kullback-Leibler distance. Our adaptation approach chooses a small number of samples if the density is focused on a small part of the state space, and it chooses a large number of samples if the state uncertainty is high. Both the implementation and computation overhead of this approach are small. Extensive experiments using mobile robot localization as a test application show that our approach yields drastic improvements over particle filters with fixed sample set sizes and over a previously introduced adaptation technique.
Neural network classification of aggregates by means of line laser based 3D acquisition

This study focuses on the development of a new module for a more accurate determination of geometrical properties of aggregates. A laser‐based imaging system has been developed for the shape characterization of aggregates by using various digital image analysis techniques. By using this system it is possible to create a three‐dimensional (3D) image form of aggregate particles. The system has been optimized to minimize the possible errors during image capturing and processing. The aggregates were classified according to their shape properties as; round, flat, elongated, angular, sphere, and irregular during test procedures. Geometrical properties of each aggregate group were analysed in 3D spatial domain. 3D shape reconstruction and characterization of the aggregates were realized by using digital image processing and analysis techniques based on the laser imaging system. MatLab® Image Processing Toolbox and Neural Network Toolbox were used to extract typical features of the aggregates and classify them according to their geometrical properties. Among the classifier types, multi‐layered perceptron that has two hidden layers revealed the best performance (95.83%). The selection and production of appropriate shaped aggregate for various construction purposes seems to be possible by this developed method.
Mechanism of PHERES1 imprinting in Arabidopsis

Genomic imprinting is a phenomenon where only one of the two alleles of a gene is expressed – either the maternally or the paternally inherited allele. Imprinting of the plant gene PHERES1 requires the function of the FERTILIZATION INDEPENDENT SEED (FIS) Polycomb group (PcG) complex for repression of the maternal PHERES1 allele. In this study we investigated the mechanism of PHERES1 imprinting and found that PcG silencing is necessary but not sufficient for imprinting establishment of PHERES1. We provide evidence that silencing of the maternal PHERES1 allele depends on a distantly located region downstream of the PHERES1 locus. This region needs to be methylated to ensure PHERES1 expression but must not be methylated for PHERES1 repression. This mechanism is analogous to the regulation of several imprinted genes in mammals, suggesting the employment of similar evolutionary mechanisms for the regulation of imprinted genes in mammals and flowering plants.
Discrete event simulation for integrated design in the production and commissioning of manufacturing systems

This paper presents a hybrid environment for testing and training in control systems in manufacturing. The hybrid environment uses a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model integrated to didactic stations of manufacturing processes used in the training of students. The control logic of the automated system can operate in real-time and integrate to the process, both in the simulation model as in the manufacturing real system. During the testing, it was clear for the control system, and also for the student, the part of the process represented by the simulation model and the real part of the system. The proposed hybrid approach allowed, somehow, expanding the use of the systems simulated in the training of students in control logic. Several simulation models could be developed and engaged to manufacturing stations, in order to provide to the student more alternatives of tests at the training environment.
Searching for Sequential Plans Using Tabled Logic Programming

Logic programming provides a declarative framework for modeling and solving many combinatorial problems. Until recently, it was not competitive with state of the art planning techniques partly due to search capabilities limited to backtracking. Recent development brought more advanced search techniques to logic programming such as tabling that simplifies implementation and exploitation of more sophisticated search algorithms. Together with rich modeling capabilities this progress brings tabled logic programing on a par with current best planners. The paper brings an initial experimental study comparing various approaches to search for sequential plans in the Picat planning module.
Blind separation of instantaneous mixtures of nonstationary sources

Most source separation algorithms are based on a model of stationary sources. However, it is a simple matter to take advantage of possible nonstationarities of the sources to achieve separation. This paper develops novel approaches in this direction based on the principles of maximum likelihood and minimum mutual information. These principles are exploited by efficient algorithms in both the off-line case (via a new joint diagonalization procedure) and in the on-line case (via a Newton-like procedure). Some experiments showing the good performance of our algorithms and evidencing an interesting feature of our methods are presented: their ability to achieve a kind of super-efficiency. The paper concludes with a discussion contrasting separating methods for non-Gaussian and nonstationary models and emphasizing that, as a matter of fact, "what makes the algorithms work" is-strictly speaking-not the nonstationarity itself but rather the property that each realization of the source signals has a time-varying envelope.
Laser-assisted dielectronic recombination.

The effects of a laser beam on the dielectronic recombination (DR) of H-like ions with continuum electrons was investigated for a single-mode, circularly polarized laser with irradiance 10/sup 12/--10/sup 17/ W/cm/sup 2/ and photon energy 0.1--5.0 eV. Laser-induced increases in the value of the DR rate coefficient, up to approx.100 x , were found for recombinations via the lowest-lying intermediate states, over a narrow range of the ionic charge Z, centered near Z = 5. Within this range of Z, the DR rate coefficient summed over all accessible intermediate states was increased by a factor of approx.10 over its zero-field value.
On the Variation of Clamping Force in Bolted Double Lap Joints Subjected to Longitudinal Loading: A Numerical and Experimental Investigation

Abstract: This study investigates the variation of clamping force and its concomitant effects on the performance of bolted double lap joints subjected to longitudinal loading. Two different amounts of clamping force were applied to bolted double lap joints made of Aluminium 2024‐T3, and variations of clamping force were measured under the application of longitudinal loading. Finite element modelling was also performed to compare with experiments. The results unanimously revealed a gradual initial reduction of clamping force followed by a significant increase as the longitudinal load was increased. Also affected, was the load transfer mechanism in the joint resulting in variation of friction force between the plates, but in a different trend compared to clamping force. Finally, the key parameters have been discussed and highlighted pertaining to the performance of the joint.
Is there a syllabary containing stored articulatory plans for speech production in English

Three experiments with undergraduate student participants investigated whether high frequency nonword syllables of English and non-existing English syllables showed differential effects on response latency, accuracy, onset and rime duration or spectral measures of coarticulation in syllable naming tasks. Only the coarticulation data provided any support for the hypothesis that speakers store articulatory plans for high frequency syllables.
Global exponential stability results for delayed neural networks of neutral type

In this paper, by utilizing the Lyapunov–Krasovkii functional and combining with the linear-matrix inequality (LMI) approach, we analyse the global exponential stability of delayed neural networks of neutral type. In addition, the examples are provided to illustrate the applicability of the result using LMI control toolbox in MATLAB.
Generation of microstructures in novel supramolecular ionic materials based on azobenzene

Light-induced mass transport in azobenzene functionalized polymers has been used for generation of surface relief gratings (SRG) for different optical applications. The effect of grating formation has been ascribed to the light-induced motion of the azobenzene chromophores involving the covalently bound polymer chains. We propose a concept of supramolecular materials for the effective all-optical generation of surface relief structures and optical anisotropy. The materials are based on the non-covalent interactions between charged photochromic azobenzene units and oppositely charged polymer matrix, for example polyelectrolytes including charged alkoxysilanes. This new supramolecular approach opens a new way for the simple, cost effective and environment friendly preparation from building blocks of a variety of materials for the effective formation of SRG. Up to 1.65 μm deep relief gratings were inscribed onto a few micrometers thick films of these materials. The high thermal stability of the induced structures has been explained in terms of the network of oppositely charged ions inherent to the materials. Also 2D-structures, for example square and hexagonal gratings, were inscribed by the successive recordings. The latter possibility was also used to generate gratings with non-sinusoidal profiles by Fourier transform technique. A new technique to control the grating profile has been developed based on the real-time process of grating formation in these materials. The gratings with sow-tooth like profiles were induced by this method. The diffraction efficiencies up to 60 % in one diffraction order were achieved.
Methodology to assess the reliability behavior of RF-MEMS

This paper reports on the investigation of the main phenomenon which limits the lifetime of capacitive RF MEMS : dielectric charging. To understand this effect, we have developed specific test set which measures the electrical (at both low and microwave frequencies) and electromechanical performances of RF MEMS to investigate their reliability. Several experiments have thus been performed such as DC bias stress and cycling under different actuation waveforms and environment conditions. These tests have shown that the dielectric charging creates a drift of the threshold voltages and we propose an appropriate figure of merit regarding the lifetime of capacitive RF-MEMS and a key parameter to determine the type of the failure which occurs.
Towards a Unified Declarative and Imperative XQuery Processor

Since the birth of XML, the processing of XML query languages like XQuery/XQueryP has been widely researched in the academic and industrial communities. Most of the approaches consider XQuery as a declarative query language similar to SQL, for which the iterator-based (stream-based), lazy evaluation processing strategy can be applied. The processing is combined with XML indexing, materialized view, XML view query rewrite over source data. An alternative approach views XQuery as a procedural programming language associated with eager, step-based evaluation, where each expression is fully evaluated by the end of the corresponding expression execution step. Usually, this approach uses a virtual machine running byte-code for compiled programs. In this paper, we share our experience of building a unified XQuery engine for the Oracle XML DB integrating both approaches. The key contribution of our approach is that the unified XQuery processor integrates both declarative and imperati ve XQuery/XQueryP processing paradigms. Furthermore, the processor is designed with a clean separation between the logical XML data model and the physical representation so that it can be optimized with various physical XML storages and data index and view models. We also discuss the challenges in our approach and our overall vision of the evolution of XQuery/XQueryP processors.
Perceived Positions Determine Crowding

Crowding is a fundamental bottleneck in object recognition. In crowding, an object in the periphery becomes unrecognizable when surrounded by clutter or distractor objects. Crowding depends on the positions of target and distractors, both their eccentricity and their relative spacing. In all previous studies, position has been expressed in terms of retinal position. However, in a number of situations retinal and perceived positions can be dissociated. Does retinal or perceived position determine the magnitude of crowding? Here observers performed an orientation judgment on a target Gabor patch surrounded by distractors that drifted toward or away from the target, causing an illusory motion-induced position shift. Distractors in identical physical positions led to worse performance when they drifted towards the target (appearing closer) versus away from the target (appearing further). This difference in crowding corresponded to the difference in perceived positions. Further, the perceptual mislocalization was necessary for the change in crowding, and both the mislocalization and crowding scaled with drift speed. The results show that crowding occurs after perceived positions have been assigned by the visual system. Crowding does not operate in a purely retinal coordinate system; perceived positions need to be taken into account.
Cell cycle arrest in node cells governs ciliogenesis at the node to break left-right symmetry

Cilia at the node generate a leftward fluid flow that breaks left-right symmetry. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate ciliogenesis at the node are largely unknown. Here, we show that the epiblast-specific deletion of the gene encoding the BMP type 1 receptor (Acvr1) compromised development of nodal cilia, which results in defects in leftward fluid flow and, thus, abnormalities in left-right patterning. Acvr1 deficiency in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in severe defects in their quiescence-induced primary cilia. Although the induction of quiescence in wild-type MEFs leads to an increase in the level of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1 and to rapid p27Kip1 phosphorylation on Ser10, MEFs deficient in Acvr1 show a reduction in both p27Kip1 protein levels and in p27Kip1 Ser10 phosphorylation. The observed defects in cilium development were rescued by the introduction of p27Kip1 into Acvr1-deficient MEFs, implying that BMP signaling positively controls p27Kip1 stability in the G0 phase via p27Kip1 Ser10 phosphorylation, which is a prerequisite for induction of primary cilia. Importantly, in control embryos, p27Kip1 protein is clearly present and strongly phosphorylated on Ser10 in cells on the quiescent ventral surface of the node. By contrast, the corresponding cells in the node of Acvr1 mutant embryos were proliferative and showed a dramatic attenuation in both p27Kip1 protein levels and phosphorylation on Ser10. Our data suggest that cell quiescence controlled by BMP signaling via ACVR1 is required for transient formation of nodal cilia, and provide insight into the fundamental question of how the node represents the mechanistic `node' that regulates the development of left-right symmetry in vertebrates.
SURFACE BEHAVIOR OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS IS RELATED TO SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT OF PREY

We tested the hypothesis that spatial arrangement and movements of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are related to the spatial arrangement of their prey. From 65 groups we: (1) classified feeding behavior of dolphins according to spatial arrangement and movements of individuals; (2) assessed spatial arrangement and location of prey from direct observations, numbers of associated seabirds, and echosounder recordings; and (3) related feeding behavior of dolphins to spatial arrangement and location of prey. Four feeding categories were defined from cluster and principal component analyses: (1) moving rapidly with no diving, (2) milling with no diving, (3) diving in several locations, and (4) diving in one location. These feeding categories were related to spatial arrangement and location of prey.
Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Airflow and Mixed Convection in a General Ward of Hospital

In the present investigation the airflow and heat transfer for mixed convection have been simulated for a model general ward of hospital with six beds and partitions using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM). Three different Reynolds numbers 100, 250, and 350 have been considered. Bounce-back condition has been applied at the wall. Results have been represented in three different case studies and the changes have been discussed in terms of streamlines and isotherms. Code validation has also been included before going through the simulation process and it shows good agreement with previously published papers when the comparison is made on average Nusselt number. Results show that the pattern of indoor airflow is varied in each and every case study due to the effect of mixed convection flow and placement of partition. In addition, the changes in average rate of heat transfer indicate that patients closer to inlet get the most air and feel better and if any patient does not need much air, he or she should be kept near the outlet to avoid temperature related complications.
An optimized microchip electrophoresis system for mutation detection by tandem SSCP and heteroduplex analysis for p53 gene exons 5–9

With the complete sequencing of the human genome, there is a growing need for rapid, highly sensitive genetic mutation detection methods suitable for clinical implementation. DNA‐based diagnostics such as single‐strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and heteroduplex analysis (HA) are commonly used in research laboratories to screen for mutations, but the slab gel electrophoresis (SGE) format is ill‐suited for routine clinical use. The translation of these assays from SGE to microfluidic chips offers significant speed, cost, and sensitivity advantages; however, numerous parameters must be optimized to provide highly sensitive mutation detection. Here we present a methodical study of system parameters including polymer matrix, wall coating, analysis temperature, and electric field strengths on the effectiveness of mutation detection by tandem SSCP/HA for DNA samples from exons 5–9 of the p53 gene. The effects of polymer matrix concentration and average molar mass were studied for linear polyacrylamide (LPA) solutions. We determined that a matrix of 8% w/v 600 kDa LPA provides the most reliable SSCP/HA mutation detection on chips. The inclusion of a small amount of the dynamic wall‐coating polymer poly‐N‐hydroxyethylacrylamide in the matrix substantially improves the resolution of SSCP conformers and extends the coating lifetime. We investigated electrophoresis temperatures between 17 and 35°C and found that the lowest temperature accessible on our chip electrophoresis system gives the best condition for high sensitivity of the tandem SSCP/HA method, especially for the SSCP conformers. Finally, the use of electrical fields between 350 and 450 V/cm provided rapid separations (<10 min) with well‐resolved DNA peaks for both SSCP and HA.
Anisotropic Wetting of Liquids on Finely Grooved Surfaces

Abstract A photolithographically-prepared, parallel-grooved surface on silica has been employed as a model to study the influence of roughness on the spreading equilibrium of liquid drops. The equations generated by Oliver, Huh and Mason for cylindrically shaped drops were extended to account for wetting by liquid crystals. The observed drop shapes were dependent upon surface roughness. The equilibrium contact angles on a smooth surface can be calculated from the roughness, contact angles both parallel and perpendicular to the grooves, and the drop shape. Reasonably good agreement with experimental contact angles was obtained.