Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial Ability Improvement by Tangible Interaction: A Case Study with EasySRRobot

Spatial ability is a category of human reasoning skills that plays an important role in affecting a person's development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Spatial ability has been demonstrated to be malleable and can be improved through training. In this paper, we present a training scheme by tangible interaction with a reconfigurable robot called EasySRRobot. A preliminary user study based on behavioral and EEG data analysis shows that via interaction with EasySRRobot, users can significantly improve their performance on a task related to spatial ability.
Anatomical site influences the differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells for Schwann‐cell phenotype and function

Considerable attention has recently been given to adipose‐derived stem cells (ASCs) as an important source for differentiation to Schwann cells in the treatment of peripheral nerve injury, with considerable clinical advantages over the use of mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow or autologous Schwann cells. However, the relationship between adipose donor site and differentiated ASC phenotype and function is presently unknown. This work systematically studied the differentiation of ASCs harvested from three anatomical sites: (i) subcutaneous; (ii) perinephric; and (iii) epididymal adipose tissue. We show that ASC source is a major determining factor of immunophenotype, multilineage differentiation, Schwann‐cell protein expression, and paracrine ability to stimulate neuronal growth. Upregulation of S100β, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and p75NGFR was observed in differentiated ASCs from perinephric fat tissue, while only the expression of S100β or GFAP and p75NGFR was elevated in differentiated ASCs from subcutaneous or epididymal fat tissue. Although the co‐culture of differentiated ASCs with NG108‐15 neuronal cells demonstrated that ASCs from each source could stimulate neurite outgrowth and number, differentiated ASCs from subcutaneous and perinephric fat versus epididymal fat were most effective, which was attributed to high‐brain‐derived neurotropic factor/nerve growth factor and low‐neurotrophin‐3 levels. Thus, ASCs can be obtained from different anatomical locations, and this determines Schwann‐cell phenotype upon differentiation and extent of function. This work is therefore of relevance in local therapeutic delivery of ASCs for the repair of peripheral nerve injury, but also in the broader context of ASC use in related stem‐cell therapies. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effectiveness of a parental school-based intervention to improve young children’s eating patterns: a pilot study

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a pilot study of a parental school-based intervention to promote healthy eating behaviours in young children. Design A quasi-experimental longitudinal design with three conditions (complete intervention (CIG), minimal intervention (MIG), control (CG)), with repeated measures at baseline, immediately after the intervention, 6 months and 1 year after intervention. Setting Fourteen public and state-funded kindergartens near Lisbon, Portugal. Subjects Parents (n 349) of 3- to 6-year-old children assigned to the three conditions completed the baseline protocol. The ‘Red Apple’ intervention included four parental group sessions about young children’s growth, nutritional guidelines and positive parental feeding strategies, which was combined with adult–child activities at home and in the classroom, and newsletters (CIG). MIG included only a single nutritional counselling session, whereas the CG had no intervention. At the end, thirty-eight, twenty-six and fifty-four parents in the CIG, MIG and CG, respectively, had completed all evaluation components. Data regarding parental perception of children’s weight, self-efficacy, nutritional knowledge, feeding strategies, eating behaviours and BMI were collected at the four assessment moments. Results The CIG showed improvements in children’s healthy food intake, compared with the MIG and CG. Parental self-efficacy regarding the regulation of children’s eating behaviours decreased in the CG but not in both intervention groups. Conclusions Considering the low dosage of the intervention, the results obtained were positive. Future studies should offer additional solutions to overcome barriers to parents’ participation.
Cross Language Text Classification by Model Translation and Semi-Supervised Learning

In this paper, we introduce a method that automatically builds text classifiers in a new language by training on already labeled data in another language. Our method transfers the classification knowledge across languages by translating the model features and by using an Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm that naturally takes into account the ambiguity associated with the translation of a word. We further exploit the readily available unlabeled data in the target language via semi-supervised learning, and adapt the translated model to better fit the data distribution of the target language.
Formulation of cilostazol spherical agglomerates by crystallo-co-agglomeration technique and optimization using design of experimentation

Introduction: Spherical agglomeration is one of the novel techniques for improvement of flow and dissolution properties of drugs. Cilostazol is a biopharmaceutics classification system Class II drug with poor solubility resulting in limited bioavailability. The present study aims at improving the solubility and dissolution of cilostazol by crystallo-co-agglomeration technique. Materials and Methods: Cilostazol agglomerates were prepared using various polymers with varying concentration of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E 50 (HPMC E50), polyvinyl pyrrolidone K30 (PVP K30), and polyethylene glycol 6000. The influence of polymer concentration on spherical agglomerate formation was studied by 32 factorial design. Cilostazol agglomerates were evaluated for percent yield, mean particle size, drug content, aqueous solubility, and in vitro dissolution and further characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results: The agglomeration process resulted in optimized formulation, F3 with mean agglomerate size of 210.0 ± 0.56 μm, excellent flow properties, approximately 15-fold increase in solubility than pure cilostazol and complete drug release in 60 min. Process yield, agglomerate size, and drug release were affected by amount of PVP K 30 and HPMC E50. The presence of drug microcrystal was confirmed by SEM, whereas FTIR study indicated no chemical change. Increase in drug solubility was attributed to change of crystalline drug to amorphous form that is evident in DSC and XRD. Conclusion: Crystallo-co-agglomeration can be adopted as an important approach for increasing the solubility and dissolution of poorly soluble drug.
Phytoplankton and Bacterial Communities in South Harbour, Manila Bay, Philippines

In line with the ASEAN-India project “Extent of Transfer of Alien Invasive Organisms in South/Southeast Asia via Shipping”, phytoplankton and bacterial communities in the waters off South Harbour, Manila Bay were investigated. Sampling was done in July and August 2012 and in April and May 2013. A total of 67 phytoplankton species including 29 diatoms and 38 dinoflagellates were identified. Potentially toxic Pseudo-nitzschia spp. were among the diatoms found as well as dinoflagellates Alexandrium spp. , and Gymnodinium spp. The diatom Skeletonema costatum appeared to be the dominant species in July and August 2012, whereas Chaetoceros spp. constituted over 85% of the total phytoplankton assemblage in April and May 2013. Mean bacterialabundance ranged from 9.53 x 102–3.18 x 105 cells/mL in July 2012. In addition, 93 bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rDNA, several of which belonged to the following phyla: Actinobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria; whereas, others were determined as uncultured bacterial clones. These results will serve as a valuable baseline for future studies on phytoplankton and bacterial community structure in Manila Bay.
Improving the Yield and Nutritional Quality of Forage Crops

Despite being some of the most important crops globally, there has been limited research on forages when compared with cereals, fruits, and vegetables. This review summarizes the literature highlighting the significance of forage crops, the current improvements and some of future directions for improving yield and nutritional quality. We make the point that the knowledge obtained from model plant and grain crops can be applied to forage crops. The timely development of genomics and bioinformatics together with genome editing techniques offer great scope to improve forage crops. Given the social, environmental and economic importance of forage across the globe and especially in poorer countries, this opportunity has enormous potential to improve food security and political stability.
Differences in iNOS and Arginase Expression and Activity in the Macrophages of Rats Are Responsible for the Resistance against T. gondii Infection

Toxoplasma gondii infects humans and warm blooded animals causing devastating disease worldwide. It has long been a mystery as to why the peritoneal macrophages of rats are naturally resistant to T. gondii infection while those of mice are not. Here, we report that high expression levels and activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and low levels of arginase-1 (Arg 1) activity in the peritoneal macrophages of rats are responsible for their resistance against T. gondii infection, due to high nitric oxide and low polyamines within these cells. The opposite situation was observed in the peritoneal macrophages of mice. This discovery of the opposing functions of iNOS and Arg 1 in rodent peritoneal macrophages may lead to a better understanding of the resistance mechanisms of mammals, particularly humans and livestock, against T. gondii and other intracellular pathogens.
Colloidal photonic crystals: from lasing to microfluidics

Colloidal photonic crystals are photonic crystals made by bottom-up physical chemistry strategies from monodisperse colloidal particles. The self-assembly process is automatically leading to inherently three-dimensional structures with their optical properties determined by the periodicity, induced by this ordering process, in the dielectric properties of the colloidal material. The best-known optical effect is the photonic band gap, the range of energies, or wavelengths, that is forbidden for photons to exist in the structure. This photonic band gap is similar to the electronic band gap of electronic semiconductor crystals. We have previously shown how with the proper photonic band gap engineering, we can insert allowed pass band defect modes and use the suppressing band gap in combination with the transmitting pass band to induce spectral narrowing of emission. We show now how with a high-quality narrow pass band in a broad stop band, it is possible to achieve photonic crystal lasing in self-assembled colloidal photonic crystals with a planar defect. In addition, with proper surface treatment in combination with patterning, we prepare for addressable integrated photonics. Finally, by incorporating a water in- and outlet, we can create optomicrofluidic structures on a photonic crystal allowing the optical probing of microreactors or micro-stopped-flow in the lab-on-an-optical-chip.
Cognition for enhanced biometrie authentication

Enhanced authentication of biometrie images is presented, with additional improved quality of the image in sense of improved error correction. The algorithm is based on the idea on synergic effect of channel coding and cryptographic mechanisms used for authentication, e.g. Message Authentication Codes. The algorithm is not limited on image processing, but used for biometrie authentication as a study case. Simulation results show the measure of a gained image quality.
Laser-plasma generation of tunable ultrashort pulses in terahertz and mid-infrared ranges

The generation of tunable ultrashort pulses in the terahertz (THz) and mid-infrared (mid-IR) ranges is an important problem of both fundamental interest and for many applications. In particular, such sources are required for the observation of ultrafast electronic and vibrational dynamics in a wide class of materials [1]. Such sources are also of interest because of the possibilities of spectroscopy and diagnostics of various media [2]. Apart from this, the use of intense ultrashort pulses in the mid-IR range with controlled phase for the generation of high harmonics makes it possible to reach the short-wave region of the soft Xray range and to obtain ultrashort attosecond pulses [3]. In this paper we report on analytical and numerical investigation of generation of tunable ultrashort pulses in THz and mid-IR ranges based on the ionization-induced multiwave mixing of fields of intense two-color femtosecond pulses. If the ratio of the frequencies 2 , 1  of quasi-monochromatic
DEBTS (PUBLIC AND EXTERNAL) AND GROWTH – LINK OR NO LINK?

Throughout history the world has been faced by high debts, with the recent global financial crisis intensifying the issue of increasing indebtedness (with respect to both public and external debts), especially in the light of sovereign debt crisis that some countries have been subject to recently. This paper explores the debt levels in Central, East and Southeast Europe and investigates their relation with growth. We use annual data on debts and growth from the WIIW database (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies) and World Development Indicators (World Bank) on 18 countries. By employing econometric analysis in the form of dynamic panel data analysis our investigation contributes to the literature by covering the recently very hot issue of the dangers of high indebtedness in the region of Central, East and Southeast Europe. Our findings send a strong warning about the need to keep the debts under control.
Pubertal stage and measures of adiposity in British schoolchildren

Background: Puberty is a critical period in the development of obesity. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and skin-fold thickness are used generally as estimates of body fat in children and adults. Aim: To identify a marker of adiposity that is independent of pubertal status and determine its relationship to physical fitness in adolescence. Subjects and methods: Girls (n = 147) and boys (n = 100) from year 8 in three Welsh schools self-reported Tanner stages. Anthropometric measurements of adiposity were made and aerobic fitness estimated with a 20-metre shuttle-run test. Results: Children in early and late puberty were of similar chronological age. BMI strongly correlated with height in early puberty in girls (r = 0.366, p < 0.001) and boys (r = 0.594, p < 0.001), but not in late puberty. Waist-to-height ratio adjusted for the effect of height on waist measurements; and correlated with percentage fat mass in early and late puberty in girls (r = 0.865 and r = 0.772, both p < 0.001) and boys (r = 0.868 and r = 0.877, both p < 0.001). Physical fitness score was inversely related to waist-to-height ratio, with similar regression lines in early and late puberty, in girls (r = − 0.545, p < 0.001 and r = − 0.362, p = 0.005) and boys (r = − 0.490, p < 0.001 and r = − 0.400, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Pubertal status should be taken into account in adjusting weight for height in adolescents. Waist-to-height ratio is a convenient and appropriate measure of adiposity during puberty.
Isolation of Candida dubliniensis in a French hospital mycology laboratory.

Candida dubliniensis was first described as a novel species in 1995. The close phenotypic similarities between Candida albicans and C. dubliniensis have led to the misidentification of these species, which have to be distinguished genotypically (Sullivan et al., 2005). C. dubliniensis differs from C. albicans with respect to epidemiology, certain virulence characteristics and the ability to develop fluconazole resistance in vitro (Pinjon et al., 2005). The increasing number of reports of the recovery of C. dubliniensis from normal and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients suggests that it may be a constituent of the normal oral flora (Sullivan et al., 1997). Epidemiological studies have been performed elsewhere but, in France, information on the occurrence of C. dubliniensis versus C. albicans is still lacking.
Moving Target Selection: A Cue Integration Model

This paper investigates a common task requiring temporal precision: the selection of a rapidly moving target on display by invoking an input event when it is within some selection window. Previous work has explored the relationship between accuracy and precision in this task, but the role of visual cues available to users has remained unexplained. To expand modeling of timing performance to multimodal settings, common in gaming and music, our model builds on the principle of probabilistic cue integration. Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is used to model how different types of cues are integrated into a reliable estimate of the temporal task. The model deals with temporal structure (repetition, rhythm) and the perceivable movement of the target on display. It accurately predicts error rate in a range of realistic tasks. Applications include the optimization of difficulty in game-level design.
A Face Recognition Application for People with Visual Impairments: Understanding Use Beyond the Lab

Recognizing others is a major challenge for people with visual impairments (VIPs) and can hinder engagement in social activities. We present Accessibility Bot, a research prototype bot on Facebook Messenger, that leverages state-of-the-art computer vision and a user's friends' tagged photos on Facebook to help people with visual impairments recognize their friends. Accessibility Bot provides users information about identity and facial expressions and attributes of friends captured by their phone's camera. To guide our design, we interviewed eight VIPs to understand their challenges and needs in social activities. After designing and implementing the bot, we conducted a diary study with six VIPs to study its use in everyday life. While most participants found the Bot helpful, their experience was undermined by perceived low recognition accuracy, difficulty aiming a camera, and lack of knowledge about the phone's status. We discuss these real-world challenges, identify suitable use cases for Accessibility Bot, and distill design implications for future face recognition applications.
Autosomal recessive otofaciocervical syndrome type 2 with novel homozygous small insertion in PAX1 gene

Otofaciocervical syndrome (OTFCS) is described as a single gene disorder of both autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance. The major clinical features of OTFCS include ear malformations (external/middle/inner ear), facial dysmorphism, shoulder girdle abnormalities, vertebral anomalies, and mild intellectual disability. The autosomal recessive form of OTFCS syndrome (OTFCS2) has been recently reported to be caused due to homozygous mutations in PAX1 gene. Here we report a third family of OTFCS2 phenotype wherein whole exome sequencing identified a novel homozygous small insertion in PAX1 as the underlying genetic cause.
Variant responses of mice to Borrelia burgdorferi depending on the site of intradermal inoculation

C3H/He mice inoculated intradermally at one of two sites with Borrelia burgdorferi responded differently to infection. Shoulder-inoculated mice developed spirochetemia, B. burgdorferi-specific antibody, and arthritis earlier than foot-inoculated mice. Lymphocyte populations derived from spleen tissue were elevated in the shoulder- but not the foot-inoculated mice, and those from lymph nodes were increased in both groups. Lymphocytes derived from blood and spleen tissue showed impaired proliferative responses to all mitogens for shoulder-inoculated mice only, whereas proliferation of lymph node cells was not affected, regardless of route. These results demonstrate that the site of initial B. burgdorferi inoculation is an important determinant in the pathogenesis of B. burgdorferi infection.
A learning model for enhancing the student's control in educational process using Web 2.0 personal learning environments

In recent educational literature, it has been observed that improving student's control has the potential of increasing his or her feeling of ownership, personal agency and activeness as means to maximize his or her educational achievement. While the main conceived goal for personal learning environments (PLEs) is to increase student's control by taking advantage of Web 2.0 tools and technologies, there is not a robust learning model available to achieve it. This contribution focuses on proposing a learning model built upon self-regulated learning and student's control theories and concepts, and supported by the learning affordances of Web 2.0 tools and technologies for enhancing student's control by developing and applying Web 2.0 PLEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Design, modeling and control of a pneumatically actuated manipulator inspired by biological continuum structures

Biological tentacles, such as octopus arms, have entirely flexible structures and virtually infinite degrees of freedom (DOF) that allow for elongation, shortening and bending at any point along the arm length. The amazing dexterity of biological tentacles has driven the growing implementation of continuum manipulators in robotic systems. This paper presents a pneumatic manipulator inspired by biological continuum structures in some of their key features and functions, such as continuum morphology, intrinsic compliance and stereotyped motions with hyper redundant DOF. The kinematics and dynamics of the manipulator are formulated and identified, and a hierarchical controller taking inspiration from the structure of an octopus nervous system is used to relate desired stereotyped motions to individual actuator inputs. Simulations and experiments are carried out to validate the model and prototype where good agreement was found between the two.
Understanding Identity Presentation in Medical Crowdfunding

People desire to present themselves favorably to others. However, medical crowdfunding beneficiaries are often expected to present their dire medical conditions and financial straits to solicit financial support. To investigate how beneficiaries convey their situation on medical crowdfunding pages and how contributors perceive the presented information, we interviewed both medical crowdfunding beneficiaries and contributors. While beneficiaries emphasized the serious of their medical situations to signal their deservedness of support, contributor participants gave less attention to that content. Rather, they focused on their impression of the beneficiary's character formed by various features of contributions such as the contributor's names, messages, and shared pictures. These contribution features further signaled common connections between the beneficiary and contributors and each contributor's unique involvement in the beneficiary's medical journey. However, the contribution amount resulted in judgement about other contributors. We suggest design opportunities and challenges that apply these results to the design of medical crowdfunding interfaces.