Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Electro-Mechanical Characterization of Conductive Fabrics

When we use a conductive fabric as a pressure sensor, it is necessary to quantitatively understand its electromechanical property related with the applied pressure. We investigated electromechanical properties of three different conductive fabrics using the electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We found that their electrical impedance spectra depend not only on the electrical properties of the conductive yarns, but also on their weaving structures. When we apply a mechanical tension or compression, there occur structural deformations in the conductive fabrics altering their apparent electrical impedance spectra. For a stretchable conductive fabric, the impedance magnitude increased or decreased under tension or compression, respectively. For an almost non-stretchable conductive fabric, both tension and compression resulted in decreased impedance values since the applied tension failed to elongate the fabric. To measure both tension and compression separately, it is desirable to use a stretchable conductive fabric. For any conductive fabric chosen as a pressure-sensing material, its resistivity under no loading conditions must be carefully chosen since it determines a measurable range of the impedance values subject to different amounts of loadings. We suggest the EIS method to characterize the electromechanical property of a conductive fabric in designing a thin and flexible fabric pressure sensor.
Motoneuron Resistance to Apoptotic Cell Death In Vivo Correlates with the Ratio between X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (XIAPs) and Its Inhibitor, XIAP-Associated Factor 1

Apoptotic cell death occurs in motoneurons in the neonate but not in the adult after a lesion of a peripheral nerve. To investigate the molecular basis for this difference, we have analyzed the expression and localization of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) and their inhibitors X-linked IAP (XIAP)-associated factor 1 (XAF1), Smac/DIABLO, and Omi/HtrA2 in motoneurons at both ages. Quantitative immunohistochemical and immunoblotting analysis of these proteins in motoneurons revealed an increase in IAP expression [XIAP, neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein, human IAP1 (HIAP1), and HIAP2] during postnatal development as opposed to XAF1, which decreased during the same period; there was no significant alteration in either Smac/DIABO or Omi/HtrA2. The regulation of IAPs and XAF1 varied after axotomy of the sciatic nerve; in the neonate, there was a significant loss of IAP in the injured motoneurons as opposed to the adult, in which there was only a moderate decrease. By overexpressing exogenous IAPs in neonatal axotomized motoneurons, it was possible to delay motoneuron cell death (Perrelet et al., 2000, 2002). In opposition, the overexpression of exogenous XAF1 in adult motoneurons totally abrogated the natural resistance of these cells to axotomy. The degradation in the adult, induced by XAF1, could be overcome by simultaneously expressing high levels of exogenous XIAP in adult motoneurons. These experiments suggest that it may be the ratio between XAF1 and XIAP that confers the resistance of adult motoneurons to axotomy. In addition, the regulation in the levels of IAPs and XAF1 may be essential in the cell death mechanism of injured motoneurons.
Design of a rotary passive viscoelastic joint for wearable robots

In the design of wearable robots that strictly interact with the human body and, in general, in any robotics application that involves the human component, the possibility of having modular joints able to produce a viscoelastic behaviour is very useful to achieve an efficient and safe human-robot interaction and to give rise to emergent dynamical behaviors. In this paper we propose the design of a compact, passive, rotary viscoelastic joint for assistive wearable robotics applications. The system integrates two functionally distinct sub-modules: one to render a desired torsional stiffness profile and the other to provide a desired torsional damping. Concepts and design choices regarding the overall architecture and the single components are presented and discussed. A viscoelastic model of the system has been developed and the design of the joint is presented.
Web Graph Parameters and the Pagerank Distribution

Originally created for Web ranking, PageRank has become a major method for evaluating popularity of nodes in information networks. Besides its primary application in search engines, PageRank is successfully used for solving other important problems such as graph partitioning [3], spam detection [8], and finding gems in scientific citations [6], just to name a few. The PageRank [5] is defined as a stationary distribution of a random walk on the Web graph. At each step, with probability c, the random walk follows a randomly chosen outgoing link, and with probability 1− c, the walk starts afresh from a page chosen at random according to some distribution f . Such random jump also occurs if a page is dangling, i.e. it does not have outgoing links. In the original definition, the teleportation distribution f is uniform over all Web pages. Then the PageRank values satisfy the equation
Effects of proficiency differences and patterns of pair interaction on second language learning: collaborative dialogue between adult ESL learners

This study investigated the effects of second language (L2) proficiency differences in pairs and patterns of interaction on L2 learning, making use of both qualitative and quantitative data. We designed the study in such a way that four different core participants interacted with higher and lower proficiency non-core participants. These learners engaged in a three-stage task involving pair writing, pair comparison (between their original text and a reformulated version of it) and individual writing. The core participants also engaged in a stimulated recall after the task. We analysed each pair's collaborative dialogue in terms of language-related episodes and patterns of pair interaction (Storch, 2002a) as well as each learner's individual post-test score. The findings suggested that the patterns of pair interaction greatly influenced the frequency of LREs and post-test performance. When the learners engaged in collaborative patterns of interaction, they were more likely to achieve higher posttest scores regardless of their partner's proficiency level. It seems that proficiency differences do not necessarily affect the nature of peer assistance and L2 learning.
The design and analysis of language experiments in communication

The traditional design for the study of language variables is a controlled message design in which one kernel message is manipulated to produce message variations that represent the language variable contrasts. Thus message content is the same across treatment conditions and hence crossed with the treatment factors. Jackson and Jacobs (1983) criticized this design on three grounds. They argued that messages should be natural rather than contrived, that messages should be nested within treatment conditions rather than crossed with treatment factors, and that each study should use as many messages as possible. Their paper has been used by reviewers as the basis for rejecting studies done using the traditional design. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the arguments presented in Jackson and Jacobs (1983) as well as subsequent papers by Jackson (1984) and Jackson and Jacobs (1987). The arguments are shown to contain both methodological and substantive errors. When the arguments are corrected, it is sh.
Pore mutations alter closing and opening kinetics in Shaker K+ channels

1 We have studied the effects of mutations of amino acids in the pore (positions 447 and 449) and the elevation of extracellular [K+] on the closing and opening kinetics of Shaker B K+ channels transiently expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. 2 Mutant D447E had closing and C‐type inactivation kinetics which were faster than the wild‐type channel. These processes were slowed by increasing extracellular [K+] and in these conditions the channels exhibited linear instantaneous current‐voltage relationships. Thus, the mutation seems to produce uniform decrease of occupancy by K+ in sites along the channel pore where the cation competes with closing and C‐type inactivation. 3 In other mutants also showing K+‐dependent fast C‐type inactivation, closing was found to be slower than in the wild‐type channel and insensitive to variations in external [K+]. These characteristics were particularly apparent in mutant T449K which even in high [K+] has a non‐linear instantaneous current‐voltage relationship with marked saturation of the inward current recorded at negative membrane potentials. Hence, in this channel type occupation by K+ of the pore appears to be non‐uniform with low occupancy of sites near the outer entrance and saturation of the sites accessible from the internal solution. 4 The results show that channel closing is influenced by changes in the pore structure leading to alterations in the occupation of the channels by permeant cations. The differential effects of pore mutations and high external [K+] on closing and C‐type inactivation indicate that the respective gates are associated with separate domains of the molecule. 5 Point mutations in the pore sequence can also lead to modifications in channel opening. In general, channels with fast C‐type inactivation also show a fast rising phase of activation. However, these effects appear not to be due to primary modifications of the activation process but to arise from the coupling of activation and C‐type inactivation. 6 These data, demonstrating that the pore structure influences most of the gating parameters of K+ channels, give further insight into the mechanisms underlying the modulation of K+ channel function by changes in the ionic composition in the extracellular milieu.
The Effect of Involvement, Arousal, and Pace on Claim and Non-claim Components of Attitude toward the Ad

This study examined whether structural features of television advertisements (pace and content arousal) have different effects on attitudes toward the ad, depending upon viewers' level of involvement with the ad message. Results provide some, though limited, support for involvement's moderating influence on the effect that pace and arousal have on the claim-related component of attitude toward the ad (Aad-c). As expected, involvement did not influence these relationships for the non-claim-related component of Aad (Aad-nc). Practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed.
Runtime adaptation on dataflow HPC platforms

We are facing an ever growing quest for performance in High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. The growing concerns for the power budgets and overall deployment costs required to run these systems are opening new ways to novel high performance computing platforms. New paradigms and architectures are being developed to tackle these challenges. In this context, FPGA-based HPC platforms employed to accelerate algorithms expressed as data flow programs are a promising paradigm. One traditional limiting factor of FPGA technology is that the ever increasing complexity of the applications might require the designer to switch to a bigger device or, conversely, the same device might be underutilized due to difficulties at sharing the available logic. Partial Reconfiguration is the standard technique to overcome such limitations. This paper presents the research work done during the technology transfer to extend the Maxeler design flow to efficiently support Partial Reconfiguration (PR). In this work we focus on the design and development of a methodology to support the PR feature in the Maxeler design flow, a commercially successful FPGA-based HPC platform, showing the advantages of such an approach on the resulting platform.
Sociologists, Training and Research

This paper was originally delivered as a British Sociological Association Presidential Address at the end of the Annual Conference at the University of Surrey in April 1990. In the style of Presidential Addresses it was written as a lecture that would cover a range of issues and themes. In revising it for publication I have tried to keep much of the style of the lecture as well as the range of contemporary themes that were covered: training for `practising' sociologists, employment questions, and the role of the British Sociological Association in debates about research training. It is intended to illustrate some of the major concerns of British sociologists at the start of the 1990s.
Biological Information as Set-Based Complexity

The significant and meaningful fraction of all the potential information residing in the molecules and structures of living systems is unknown. Sets of random molecular sequences or identically repeated sequences, for example, would be expected to contribute little or no useful information to a cell. This issue of quantitation of information is important since the ebb and flow of biologically significant information is essential to our quantitative understanding of biological function and evolution. Motivated specifically by these problems of biological information, a class of measures is proposed to quantify the contextual nature of the information in sets of objects, based on Kolmogorov's intrinsic complexity. Such measures discount both random and redundant information and are inherent in that they do not require a defined state space to quantify the information. The maximization of this new measure, which can be formulated in terms of the universal information distance, appears to have several useful and interesting properties, some of which we illustrate with examples.
A Vygotskian approach to promote and formatively assess academic concept learning

Promoting students’ conceptual understanding and academic language development is a primary goal of instructors in all subject areas. These goals, however, are sometimes hindered by the way students’ learning is assessed. In many college-level courses, knowledge-level tests that assess concrete thinking associated with superficial approaches to teaching are frequently used. Rubrics used to grade short open-ended responses often have vague criteria subjectively applied to a rating scale. To address these issues, this paper uses a new lens, shaped from the ideas of Vygotsky, a cultural-historical theorist, for understanding the development of academic language use (in Vygotskian terms, thinking that demonstrates conceptual understanding) and its assessment. Vygotsky’s stages of concept learning are applied to form criteria on a short-answer response rubric. Examples of students’ academic language use according to developmental level are provided. Recommendations for the adaptation of this type of classroom assessment for use in other courses are made, along with suggestions for future research.
Effective Seed Dispersal Across a Fragmented Landscape

The role of seed dispersal in maintaining genetic connectivity among forest fragments has largely been ignored because gene flow by pollen is expected to predominate. By using genealogical reconstruction, we investigated gene flow after establishment of seeds in a wind-pollinated, wind-dispersed tree. Our data show that seed dispersal is the main vector of gene flow among remnants and that long-distance dispersal is common across a chronically fragmented landscape. The relative importance of seed-mediated gene flow may have been underemphasized in other fragmented systems, and diagnosing the response of forest trees to current anthropogenic disturbances requires the assessment of phenomena after establishment.
Bottom-Up Driven Speechreading in a Speechreading Expert: The Case of AA (JK023)

Objective: This case study tested the threshold hypothesis (Rönnberg et al., 1998), which states that superior speechreading skill is possible only if high-order cognitive functions, such as capacious verbal working memory, enable efficient strategies. Design: In a case study, a speechreading expert (AA) was tested on a number of speechreading and cognitive tasks and compared with control groups (z scores). Sentence-based speechreading tests, a word-decoding test, and a phoneme identification task were used to assess speechreading skill at different analytical levels. The cognitive test battery used included tasks of working memory (e.g., reading span), inference-making, phonological processing (e.g., rhyme-judgment), and central-executive functions (verbal fluency, Stroop task). Results: Contrary to previous cases of extreme speechreading skill, AA excels on both low-order (phoneme identification: z = +2.83) and high-order (sentence-based: z = +8.12 and word-decoding: z = +4.21) speechreading tasks. AA does not display superior verbal inference-making ability (sentence-completion task: z = −0.36). Neither does he possess a superior working memory (reading span: z = +0.80). However, AA outperforms the controls on two measures of executive retrieval functions, the semantic (z = +3.77) and phonological verbal fluency tasks (z = +3.55). Conclusions: The performance profile is inconsistent with the threshold hypothesis. Extreme speechreading accuracy can be obtained in ways other than via well-developed high-order cognitive functions. It is suggested that AA’s extreme speechreading skill, which capitalizes on low-order functions in combination with efficient central executive functions, is due to early onset of hearing impairment.
MODULAR SYNTAX DEMANDS VERIFICATION

Modular grammatical formalisms provide an essential step towards improved grammar engineering practices. However, as we depart from traditional deterministic models, some intrinsic static checks are lost. The paper shows why grammar verification is necessary for reliable uses of context-free grammars (CFGs) and parsing expression grammars (PEGs) as modular syntax definitions. Simple conservative verification procedures are presented for each formalism.
Transcriptional Reorganization of Drosophila Motor Neurons and Their Muscular Junctions toward a Neuroendocrine Phenotype by the bHLH Protein Dimmed

Neuroendocrine cells store and secrete bulk amounts of neuropeptides, and display morphological and molecular characteristics distinct from neurons signaling with classical neurotransmitters. In Drosophila the transcription factor Dimmed (Dimm), is a prime organizer of neuroendocrine capacity in a majority of the peptidergic neurons. These neurons display large cell bodies and extensive axon terminations that commonly do not form regular synapses. We ask which molecular compartments of a neuron are affected by Dimm to generate these morphological features. Thus, we ectopically expressed Dimm in glutamatergic, Dimm-negative, motor neurons and analyzed their characteristics in the central nervous system and the neuromuscular junction. Ectopic Dimm results in motor neurons with enlarged cell bodies, diminished dendrites, larger axon terminations and boutons, as well as reduced expression of synaptic proteins both pre and post-synaptically. Furthermore, the neurons display diminished vesicular glutamate transporter, and signaling components known to sustain interactions between the developing axon termination and muscle, such as wingless and frizzled are down regulated. Ectopic co-expression of Dimm and the insulin receptor augments most of the above effects on the motor neurons. In summary, ectopic Dimm expression alters the glutamatergic motor neuron phenotype toward a neuroendocrine one, both pre- and post-synaptically. Thus, Dimm is a key organizer of both secretory capacity and morphological features characteristic of neuroendocrine cells, and this transcription factor affects also post-synaptic proteins.
Oxidative Stress in K562 Cells Differentiation Oxidative Stress Involvement in Chemically-induced Differentiation of K562 Cells. Running Title -oxidative Stress in K562 Cells Differentiation

Acknowledgements-The authors wish to thank Dr MJ Richard for her technical assistance. Abstract-The erythroid differentiation of K562 cells could be achieved by exposure to several pharmacological agents including hemin, butyric acid (BA) and anthracycline antitumor drugs such as aclarubicin (ACLA) and doxorubicin (DOX). When used at subtoxic concentration, these drugs induce the overexpression of erythroid genes leading to hemoglobinization of cells. Since anthracyclines are known to generate oxidative damages, we intended to demonstrate the involvement of an oxidative stress in the chemically-induced differentiation process. The addition of antioxidants to anthracycline-and BA-induced cells decreased their growth and dramatically reduced the percentage of differentiated cells at day 3. Northern blot experiments showed that antioxidants also decreased the expression of erythroid genes and related transcription factors in induced cells. Moreover analyses of oxidative stress markers showed that a treatment with BA, ACLA and DOX lead to a decrease in reduced glutathione and antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, CuZn superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase). In addition, DOX increased thiobarbituric acid reactants, and the MnSOD activity was decreased by BA and DOX. Finaly, the production of reactive oxygen species by differentiating agents was demonstrated using the dihydroethidium probe in a microspectrofluorometric assay. Altogether, these results strongly suggested the involvement of an oxidative stress, generated by BA or anthracyclines, as the first step turning on the irreversible differentiation process. Additionally these results also underlined the differences between BA, ACLA and DOX molecular mechanisms.
Diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome: Diagnosis, etiology, and new treatment considerations

Purpose:To provide an overview of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), specifically the efficacy and tolerability of treatment options for diarrhea‐predominant IBS (IBS‐D). Data sources:Research articles available via PubMed were reviewed. Conclusions:IBS is a chronic multifactorial disorder that has a negative impact on patient‐related quality of life. Genetic factors, psychosociologic factors, alterations in the gut microbiota, and changes in immune, motor, and sensory responses to various stimuli all may be involved in the development of IBS. While pharmacologic therapies for IBS‐D have historically been limited (e.g., alosetron), newer therapies (eluxadoline and rifaximin), both approved in the United States in 2015, may be considered for appropriate patients for the management of IBS‐D. Implications for practice:Nurse practitioners play an important role in the diagnosis, care, and management of patients with IBS‐D. The goals of therapy should be to reach a correct diagnosis before initiating therapy, provide reassurance to the patient, educate the patient on potential treatment options, improve IBS‐D symptoms, minimize risk of harm with treatment, and maximize patient‐related quality of life. The authors present a treatment algorithm to guide nurse practitioners on the management of patients with IBS‐D.