Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meanwhile Backstage

This article, based on observational research, provides a microsociological analysis of the behavior that routinely occurs in public bathrooms. Our findings indicate that occupants of public bathrooms routinely perform a number of interpersonal rituals and engage in a variety of backstage behaviors. Analysis of these routine bathroom behaviors reveals the degree to which members of this society are oriented to certain shared values and behavioral standards. These shared values and behavioral standards are identified, and some suggestions regarding their broader sociological significance are advanced.
3-Dimensional Modeling and Simulation of the Cloud Based on Cellular Automata and Particle System

The authors combine the cellular automata with particle system to realize the three-dimensional modeling and visualization of the cloud in the paper. First, we use the principle of particle systems to simulate the outline of the cloud; generate uniform particles in the bounding volumes of the cloud through random function; build the cloud particle system; and initialize the particle number, size, location and related properties. Then the principle of cellular automata system is adopted to deal with uniform particles simulated by the particle system to make it conform to the rules set by the user, and calculate its continuous field density. We render the final cloud particles with a texture map and simulate the more realistic three-dimensional cloud. This method not only obtains the real effect in the simulation, but also improves the rendering performance.
A Study of an Infant With a Gastric Fistula: I. Behavior and the Rate of Total Hydrochloric Acid Secretion

Summary Gastric secretory, psychological, and behavioral observations were carried out in 59 experiments in an infant (with a gastric fistula) from the age of 15 to 20 months. Of a number of observed physiological variables, only the total hydrochloric acid secretion rate is considered in this paper. The total hydrochloric acid secretion rate was intimately integrated with the total behavioral activity of the infant. Outgoing affective states, be they libidinal or aggressive, were associated with rising rates of hydrochloric acid secretion. During the Depression‐Withdrawal reaction, characterized by sad facies, muscular flaccidity, inactivity, and withdrawal from the outside world, progressing into sleep in the more severe instances, there was a marked decrease in or even cessation of hydrochloric acid secretion. The more active transactions with the environment were associated with rising hydrochloric acid secretion rates. Histamine effect on gastric secretion during the Depression‐Withdrawal state was slight or absent, whereas during outgoing states histamine proved to be a potent stimulant of hydrochloric acid secretion. This suggests the possibility of an altered organization at the cellular level under these two conditions. These results support the psychoanalytic concept that, at this level of development, the establishment of object representations involves an oral, intaking model. Our study lends support to the concept of an oral stage of development: as the infant related out‐goingly to an experimenter, be it aggressively or libidinally, her gastric glands reacted as if introjection of the cathected object was to take place. We want to emphasize that our conclusions apply to this particular infant at this particular stage of development and that generalizations should be made only with caution. The Depression‐Withdrawal reaction appeared to be a particular mode of the infant to object loss, the pattern for which had been established by her previous depressions as observed on two admissions to the hospital. The genetic dynamic background of this reaction, which may represent a regression to a preoral stage of development, will be considered extensively in a separate communication.4
The relationship between communication apprehension and linguistic fluency: an analysis of North African and Russian immigrants in France

North African and Russian immigrants in France were recruited (334) to complete a survey investigating the relationships between communication apprehension (CA) and linguistic fluency. Correlation analysis revealed a negative relationship between linguistic fluency in the dominant language and CA, meaning individuals who are fluent in the dominant language tend to be less apprehensive. Moreover, independent samples t-tests revealed Russian immigrants score higher on CA than do North African immigrants. Theoretical implications regarding the importance of studying Islam, linguistic fluency, and cultural adaptation are presented.
On absence and abundance: biography as method in archival research

Geographical scholarship has rightly problematised the act of archival research, showing how the practice of archiving is not only concerned with how a society collectively remembers, but also forgets. As such, the dominant motif for discussing historical methods in geography has been through the lens of absence: the archive is a space of ‘traces’, ‘fragments’ and ‘ghosts’. In this paper I suggest that the focus on incompleteness and partiality, while true, may also belie what many geographers working in archives find their greatest difficulty: an overwhelming volume of source materials. I reflect on my own research experiences in the pacifist archive to suggest that the growing scale and scope of many collections, along with the taxing research demands of transnational perspectives, pose immediate practical challenges for geographers characterised as much by abundance as by absence. In the second half of the paper, drawing on recent scholarship in history and geography, I argue that the method of biography offers one possible strategy for navigating archival abundance, allowing geographers to tell stories that are wider, deeper and more revealingly complex within the existing time and financial constraints of humanities research.
A Real-Time State Predictor in Motor Control: Study of Saccadic Eye Movements during Unseen Reaching Movements

Theoretical motor control predicts that because of delays in sensorimotor pathways, a neural system should exist in the brain that uses efferent copy of commands to the arm, sensory feedback, and an internal model of the dynamics of the arm to predict the future state of the hand (i.e., a forward model). We tested this theory under the hypothesis that saccadic eye movements, tracking an unseen reaching movement, would reflect the output of this state predictor. We found that in unperturbed reaching movements, saccade occurrence at any timet consistently provided an unbiased estimate of hand position at t + 196 msec. To investigate the behavior of this predictor during feedback error control, we applied 50 msec random-force perturbations to the moving hand. Saccades showed a sharp inhibition at 100 msec after perturbation. At ∼170 msec, there was a sharp increase in saccade probabilities. These postperturbation saccades were an unbiased estimator of hand position at saccade timet + 150 msec. The ability of the brain to guide saccades to the future position of the hand failed when a force field unexpectedly changed the dynamics of the hand immediately after perturbation. The behavior of the eyes suggested that during reaching movements, the brain computes an estimate of future hand position based on an internal model that relies on real-time proprioceptive feedback. When an error occurs in reaching movements, the estimate of future hand position is recomputed. The saccade inhibition period that follows the hand perturbation may indicate the length of time it takes for this computation to take place.
Timing of entry of meiosis depends on a mark generated by DNA methyltransferase 3a in testis

Reprogramming of DNA methylation is an essential part of gametogenesis, and a role of two members of the DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) family, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3L, has been recognized. In an attempt to elucidate the role of Dnmt3a, we analyzed the progression of spermatogenesis in Dnmt3a −/− homozygotes during the first 3 weeks of post‐natal development. The emerging picture was markedly different from that recently reported for the Dnmt3L protein. In the Dnmt3a −/− testis, at the expected time of entry into meiosis (11–13 dpp), the number of spermatocytes was greatly reduced. They progressively accumulated during the following days, but at a slower rate than in the wild type. Once started, however, the pachytene stage was apparently completed with normal chromosome pairing and formation of the sex vesicle, and spermatogenesis further progressed with the appearance and the expression of round spermatid specific markers. Interestingly and unlike Dnmt3L −/− spermatocytes, Dnmt3a −/− germ cells showed only a minor reduction in the methylation of interspersed repetitive elements and retroposons. The Dnmt3a might thus generate a mark important for the initiation of male meiosis that is distinct from that created by Dnmt3L. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sexual and Reproductive Rights from Qur'anic Perspective: A Quantitative Content Analysis

The Qur'an, as the primary and main source of Islamic rules, provides a rich variety of human rights includingwomen’s rights. These rules are not static; they are dynamic and flexible in character. The flexibility of the rulesin Islam is intentional, as Islam was revealed for all people and for all millennia. It is an essential aspect ofQur'anic philosophy. Consequently, its jurisprudence must be capable of responding to widely diverse needs andproblems. To understand the Islamic stance on sexual and reproductive health rights, it is necessary to search theverses of the Qur'an more carefully. This study has provided an understanding of women’s sexual andreproductive rights in Qur'an from a human rights perspective.This study was conducted using quantitative content analysis of all verses of the Qur'an. After creating a codingscheme of Qur'an's verses, four categories related to the main areas of women’s sexual and reproductive rightsincluding sexual relationships, reproductive choice, prohibition of violence against women, and gender equitywere determined and their presence and frequency were identified. The MAXqda software, version 2007, wasused for organizing and managing the data. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize and describe data.More than 30 surahs and 93 verses of the Qur'an had various concepts in relation to sexual and reproductiverights. In general, concepts related to the women’s sexual and reproductive rights have been appeared 98 times inthe Qur’an. The most frequently reported categories were related to sexual relationships (31 times) andreproductive choice (27 times) and the least reported one was prohibition of violence against women (16 times). This study showed that the concepts related to sexual and reproductive rights have extensively appeared in theQur'an. Based on Qur'anic perspective, women in addition to autonomy have reproductive and sexual rights inorder to actualize of their human capacity.
Vision based autonomous gap-flying-through using the micro unmanned aerial vehicle

A vision-based enhanced PID control algorithm for the gap-flying-through problem using a low-cost multirotor platform is the main topic of this paper. We designed an image processing program to detect the target rectangle gap in each video frame captured by onboard camera of the drone. During the process, some manipulation such as dilate and erode are implemented to reduce the noise. To control the motion of the drone, we applied a PID control algorithm with several enhancement like segmented coefficients, restricted integral saturation and integral separation. The current version of our system is based on an AR. Drone quadrotor. Our program is executed on a laptop, which cooperates with the drone through Wi-Fi connection and Robot Operation System (ROS). Our system have been evaluated with a series of indoor experiments under a relatively harsh circumstances, with success rate of 81.67%, the effectiveness of our system has been demonstrated.
Coseismic Surface GPS Displacement and Ground Shaking Associated with the 2006 Pingtung Earthquake Doublet, Offshore Southern Taiwan

Two successive large earthquakes (ML = 6.96 and 6.99) occurred in southern Taiwan offshore of the Hengchun town, Pingtung county, with the two main shocks separated by an interval of only 8 minutes. Based on a dense network of continuously recording GPS stations (CORS) in Taiwan and adopting two different post-processing methods, we estimate the coseismic displacements and characterize their ground motions. Daily solution algorithm is used to determine the total coseismic displacements of the dual main shocks from 30-second sampling rate data; however the coseismic displacement for the individual main shock cannot be resolved. We thus adopt the kinematic positioning technique using 1-second sampling rate (1 Hz) data to determine the individual coseismic displacements for each main shock as well as the evolution of the ground shaking. The results show only three stations near the epicenters with significant total coseismic displacements of 3 - 5 centimeters. We find that the stations farther north of the epicenters area indeed reveal significant coseismic displacements but moving in the opposite direction between the two main shocks. The coseismic displacement of the first main shock is consistent with a NNE-trending normal faulting in the lower crust offshore of southern Taiwan, while that of the second main shock likely agrees with an ENE-trending right-lateral strike-slip faulting, although the possibility of a NNW-trending left-lateral strike-slip faulting cannot be ruled out. The 1 Hz GPS data can record the coseismic ground shaking in great detail, including the first motion direction and the amplitude and arrival time, which are comparable to the seismometer data. By applying an exponential attenuation behavior with hypocenter distance we observe that four stations in the coastal plain exhibit relatively larger amplitudes of the ground shaking, implying a significant influence of thick unconsolidated deposits in that area.
Photonic technologies for a pupil remapping interferometer

Interest in pupil-remapping interferometry, in which a single telescope pupil is fragmented and recombined using fiber optic technologies, has been growing among a number of groups. As a logical extrapolation from several highly successful aperture masking programs underway worldwide, pupil remapping offers the advantage of spatial filtering (with single-mode fibers) and in principle can avoid the penalty of low throughput inherent to an aperture mask. However in practice, pupil remapping presents a number of difficult technological challenges including injection into the fibers, pathlength matching of the device, and stability and reproducibility of the results. Here we present new approaches based on recently-available photonic technologies in which coherent threedimensional waveguide structures can be sculpted into bulk substrate. These advances allow us to miniaturize the photonic processing into a single, robust, thermally stable element; ideal for demanding observatory or spacecraft environments. Ultimately, a wide range of optical functionality could be routinely fabricated into such structures, including beam combiners and dispersive or wavelength selective elements, bringing us closer to the vision of an interferometer on a chip.
Parallel Complementary Strategies for Implementing Biological Principles into Mobile Robots

Our goal is to use intelligent biological inspiration to develop robots that capture the capacity of animals to traverse complex terrain. We follow two distinct but complementary strategies to meet this goal. In one, we have produced a series of robots that have mechanical and control designs increasingly more similar to those of a cockroach. The leg designs of these robots ensure that they can generate movements used by the cockroach to walk and climb over a range of objects. However, in order to take advantage of these complex designs, we must first solve difficult problems in actuation, proprioception and control. The second parallel strategy seeks to capture the principles of biological movement, but in an abstract form that does not require complex platforms. Following the second strategy, we designed and built two new robots that each use only one propulsion motor to generate a nominal tripod gait. Gait changes similar to those used by the animal are accomplished through passive mechanisms. Rearing movements in anticipation of climbing are accomplished by way of a body flexion joint, which also allows the robot to avoid high-centering. The parallel development of these robotic lines provides the best of both worlds. The multi-segmented leg designs will ultimately be more versatile and agile than the abstracted line, but will take more effort to perfect. The simplified line provides short-term solutions that can be deployed immediately and confirm, in principle, the value of biological properties for complex locomotion.
F-ratio Based Weighted Feature Extraction for Similar Shape Character Recognition

Recognition of handwritten similar shaped character is a difficult problem and in character recognition system most of the errors occur from similar shaped characters. In this paper we proposed a novel feature extraction technique to improve the recognition results of two similar shaped characters. The technique is based on F-ratio (Fisher Ratio), a statistical measure defined by the ratio to the between-class variance and within-class variance. F-ratio modifies the feature vector of two similar shape characters by weighting the feature elements. This weighting scheme enhances the feature elements that belongs to the distinguishable portions of the similar shaped characters and reduces the feature elements of the common portion of the characters, so that similar shaped characters can be identified easily. We considered pair of handwritten similar shape characters of different scripts like Arabic/Persian, Devnagari English, Bangla, Oriya, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu etc. and we noted that f-ratio based feature weighting shows better recognition results.
Small RNA profiling of Xenopus embryos reveals novel miRNAs and a new class of small RNAs derived from intronic transposable elements

Small RNA control of gene expression is critical for developmental processes in vertebrate embryos. To determine the dynamics of small RNA expression and to uncover novel small RNAs in the early vertebrate embryo, we performed high-throughput sequencing of all small RNAs in Xenopus tropicalis embryos at three developmental time points and in dissected halves of gastrula embryos. This analysis allowed us to identify novel microRNAs and we show that microRNA expression is highly dynamic and spatially localized in early embryos. In addition, we have developed a microRNA prediction pipeline and demonstrate that it has the power to predict new miRNAs that are experimentally detectable in frogs, mice, and humans. By combining the small RNA sequencing with mRNA profiling at the different developmental stages, we identify a new class of small noncoding RNAs that we name siteRNAs, which align in clusters to introns of protein-coding genes. We show that siteRNAs are derived from remnants of transposable elements present in the introns. We find that genes containing clusters of siteRNAs are transcriptionally repressed as compared with all genes. Furthermore, we show that this is true for individual genes containing siteRNA clusters, and that these genes are enriched in specific repressive histone modifications. Our data thus suggest a new mechanism of siteRNA-mediated gene silencing in vertebrates, and provide an example of how mobile elements can affect gene regulation.
Scientific marketing management and the emergence of the ethical marketing concept

Abstract Our objective in this paper is to recall the linkages between marketing and management thought. At the turn of the twentieth century, the two disciplines were connected via the work of Frederick Taylor and Percival White. As conventionally represented, Taylor was the father of scientific management and, by extension, the management sciences more generally. He is also frequently associated with a focus on production efficiency. However, a close reading of Taylor reveals his appreciation of the connection between production and consumption and thus the importance of the ultimate consumer. Taylor's ideas and the work, published in the Bulletin of the Taylor Society, which provided an outlet for the scholarship of early marketing thinkers, provide the linchpin between the production ethos of Taylor and the emergence of ‘scientific marketing’ exemplified in the work of Percival White. The latter demonstrated the ideological credibility of his scientific marketing system via its association with science and attributes such as objectivity. Importantly, in his work we find the first clear articulation of the marketing concept. Unlike present-day debates, which frequently treat it as a synonym for shareholder value, the early articulations of the marketing concept were underwritten by an explicit ethical orientation that placed limits on corporate behaviour, ideas that were again brought to prominence courtesy of the consumerist movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
Structure of the ball tensegrity robot

A new kind of ball tensegrity robot is researched. Firstly, build up mathematical model of ball tensegrity robot with its node matrix and member matrices. Based on the relationships between the nodes and members, the connectivity matrices are introduced. Then members can be expressed by connectivity matrix and node matrix. Under given external load, system equilibrium functions are set up, and we solve for the internal force density matrix of the tensegrity structure. Consideration yielding failure and buckling failure constraints, minimal mass of total structure is computed. The internal force density of the members is optimized to get the minimal mass. And minimal radii of members are derived. Simulation and physical structure test mode are made.
Effect of topical Ginkgo biloba extract on steroid-induced changes in the trabecular meshwork and intraocular pressure.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on dexamethasone (DEX)-induced ocular hypertension. METHODS Rabbits aged 7 weeks received topical TobraDEX (Alcon Labs, Hünenberg, Switzerland) and/or 5 microg of GBE four times daily for 14 days. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was recorded every 3 days. After enucleation, trabecular meshwork (TM) cellularity and extracellular matrix deposition were graded. The effect of GBE on apoptosis and expression of myocilin and cell stress-related genes in DEX-treated human TM cells were studied by immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Ginkgo biloba extract suppressed DEX-induced IOP elevation in rabbits. It reduced the DEX-associated accumulation of extracellular materials within the cribriform layers of the TM and achieved better TM cellularity. In cultured human TM cells, GBE substantially attenuated anti-Fas ligand-induced apoptosis and reduced DEX-induced myocilin expression. Ginkgo biloba extract modulated the expression of alphaB-crystallin and heat-shock proteins 70 and 90alpha but not other stress-related genes. Furthermore, changes associated with DEX were found less in GBE-treated or GBE-primed TM cells. CONCLUSION We showed that GBE, a nontoxic, antiapoptotic, herbal compound significantly suppressed steroid-induced IOP elevation in rabbits and it seems to prevent the adverse effects of DEX on TM cells. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Ginkgo biloba extract could be a therapeutic agent or dietary supplement to prevent steroid-induced ocular hypertension.