Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optical character recognition (OCR) system for Roman script & English language using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) classifier

Character recognition from scanned images is a very complex task. But as for record keeping we require all the data in digital format to perform various manipulation operations. The main issue in case of character recognition is the different styles and fonts in which the text is written. We proposed a new approach by using the concept of Artificial Neural Network and Nearest Neighbour approach for character recognition from scanned images. Three layers are used for classification purpose. First is the input layer consist the input given by the segmented characters, then hidden layer consist the neurons trained by the training network and the output layer consist output neurons to generate unicode.
Design of Dye Acceptors for Photovoltaics from First-Principles Calculations

We investigate a set of donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) dyes with new acceptor groups for dye-sensitized solar cells, using time-dependent density-functional-theory calculations of the electronic structure and optical absorption. We considered three types of modifications on existing dye structures: (i) replacement of the side cyano group (CN) on the molecular anchor, (ii) insertion and alteration of the intermediate spacer groups, and (iii) modification of the number and positions of cyano CN groups on a phenyl-ring spacer. We find that with these modifications, the dye electronic levels and corresponding optical absorption properties can be gradually tuned, rendering possible the identification of dyes with desirable structural, electronic, and optical properties. For example, dyes with phenyl and CN-substituted phenyl groups are promising candidates for red light absorption and high molar extinction coefficients.
Analysis to optimize sensitivity of RF energy harvester with voltage boost circuit

Analytical theory and simulation-based analysis for optimizing sensitivity of RF energy harvester are discussed. A target harvester is a widely-used MOSFET Dickson charge-pump harvester from a small-signal RF power with a voltage booster at the front end. Charging time is also analyzed. Derived expressions show good match with simulation results. The results provide an insight for design optimization based on circuit and device parameters.
Model-driven and domain-specific architectural knowledge view for compliance meta-data in process-driven SOAs

Architectural knowledge tends to get lost as the architecture evolves. In many cases, the main reason is that there are no incentives for stakeholders to invest enough time into recording the architectural knowledge. This is in part due to the generic nature of architectural knowledge recording and sharing means, such as architectural decision templates and meta-models. In this paper, we investigate on the feasibility of a domain-specific architectural knowledge view in the context of a model-driven project. The domain-specific approach helps us to make architectural knowledge (AK) recording more useful for a project apart from the goal of AK sharing and reuse. Model-driven development helps us to ensure the consistency of the architectural knowledge as it is part of the generation process. Finally, depicting architectural knowledge as a architectural view supports separation of concerns with regard to the various models in the system. We demonstrate our approach for a compliance meta-data view for process-driven SOA systems that records compliance requirements and rationales of an architecture.
Performance and energy consumption analysis of java code utilizing embedded GPU

GPUs and multicore CPUs are becoming common in today's embedded world of tablets and smartphones. With CPUs and GPUs getting more complex, maximizing hardware utilization and minimizing energy consumption are becoming problematic. The challenges faced in GPGPU computing on embedded platforms are different from their desktop counterparts due to the memory and computational limitations. This study evaluates the advantages of offloading Java applications to an embedded GPU. By employing two approaches namely, Java Native Interface (JNI-OpenCL) and Java bindings for OpenCL (JOCL) we allowed programmers to program an embedded GPU from Java. Experiments were conducted on a Freescale i.MX6Q SabreLite board which contains a quad-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU and a Vivante GC 2000 GPU that supports the OpenCL 1.1 Embedded Profile. The results show up to an eight times increase in performance efficiency by consuming only one-third the energy compared to the CPU-only version of the Java program. This paper demonstrates the performance and energy benefits achieved by offloading Java programs onto an embedded GPU. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work involving Java acceleration on embedded GPUs.
Priming overgeneralizations in two- and four-year-old children

Overgeneralization occurs when a child uses the wrong word to name an object and is often observed in the early stages of word learning. We develop a method to elicit overgeneralizations in the laboratory by priming children to say the names of objects perceptually similar to known and unknown target objects. Experiment 1 examined 18 two-year-old children's labelling of familiar and unfamiliar objects, using a name that was previously produced. Experiment 2 compared the labelling of 30 two-year-olds and 39 four-year-olds when presented with completely novel objects. The findings suggest that the retrieved word is a blend of previous activation from the prior retrieval and activation engendered by the similarity of the test object to instances of the target category. We put forward a theoretical account of overgeneralization based on current models of adult language processing. The account suggests a common mechanism of activation and retrieval, which may explain not only momentary lapses in the correct selection of words, but other types of naming errors traditionally thought to reflect differences in children's underlying category representations or, perhaps, gaps in their knowledge of words.
An Adaptive Control Method for Resource Provisioning with Resource Utilization Constraints in Cloud Computing

Cloud computing enables users to purchase virtual resources on demand; therefore, the service requests change over time. Dynamic resource provisioning for cloud computing has become a key challenge. To reduce the associated costs, resource utilization must be improved, and ensure the Quality of Service (QoS) to meet the service-level agreements (SLAs). However, it is difficult to improve the resource utilization level and maintain a high QoS with fluctuating workloads in shared cloud computing systems. In this paper, we propose an adaptive control method for resource provisioning in cloud computing systems to simultaneously improve the resource utilization, achieve a satisfactory QoS, and react to the dynamic workload. We proposed an approach integrating adaptive multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) control and radial basis function (RBF) neural network to react to the highly dynamic workloads, and precisely control the resource allocation to improve resource utilization based on the maximum allowable QoS requirements. Experiments based on real-world workloads show that the proposed approach jointly improves resource utilization, maintains a satisfactory QoS, and handles workload fluctuations in a coordinated manner.
Sporulation and Enterotoxin Production by Mutants of Clostridium perfringens

The ability of Clostridium perfringens type A to produce an enterotoxin active in human food poisoning has been shown to be directly related to the ability of the organism to sporulate. Enterotoxin was produced only in a sporulation medium and not in a growth medium in which sporulation was repressed. Mutants with an altered ability to sporulate were isolated from an sp+ ent+ strain either as spontaneous mutants or after mutagenesis with acridine orange or nitrosoguanidine. All sp0− mutants were ent−. Except for one isolate, these mutants were not disturbed in other toxic functions characteristic of the wild type and unrelated to sporulation. A total of four of seven osp0 mutants retained the ability to produce detectable levels of enterotoxin. None of the ent− mutants produced gene products serologically homologous to enterotoxin. A total of three sp− mutants, blocked at intermediate stages of sporulation, produced enterotoxin. Of these mutants, one was blocked at stage III, one probably at late stage IV, and one probably at stage V. A total of three sp+ revertants isolated from an sp− ent− mutant regained not only the ability to sporulate but also the ability to produce enterotoxin. The enterotoxin appears to be a sporulation-specific gene product; however, the function of the enterotoxin in sporulation is unknown.
Integration of domain analysis and analogical approach for software reuse

Reusability has the ~tial to impove the productivity ~ an order of magnitude os more. Reusability can also improve the software quality aml reliability. Techniques and concepts in domain analysis end analogy can facilitate software reuse. Domain analysis is a process of identifying, capturing, representing, cless@ing and organiaii the informatkm and knowledge used in developing a mftwara system in order to make the information and knowledge reusable when developing new systems in the same application domain. Analogy is ● mapping from the base domain to the terget domain. Through analogy, software reuse is possible even for different domains. In this paper, the integration of domain analysis and the analogical appro~h is presented. The integrated epproach will fiist investigate the requirements and features of analogical reasoning. Object behaviors and system dynamics are incorporated into the analogy approach as addkionel mapping constraints. After the identification of requirements and demands of analogy, steps end products of the domain rudysismethod are &f* to meet these needs. The integrated method can not only support better understanding of a particular application domai~ but also csn promote the mapping aaoas different domains.
A Comparative Study of Expert Search Strategies in Online Social Networks

Expert Seeking is a social network application that requires certain search strategies in the form of expert candidate-selection process. Assuming that no one in the network has the global knowledge, a query for expertise must be forwarded to, and between, candidates in order to reach the right person. During this candidate-selection process, a person determines whom to forward the query based only on the local information s/he knows. Two types of local information, actor profiles and structural attributes, may be used in devising search strategies. In this paper we conduct a comprehensive comparative study on search strategies using these types of information, as well as on search strategies using both types simultaneously to see if there is a synergy between them.
Experimental Manipulation of NEO-PI-R Items

Research assessing the relationship of the Five-factor model (FFM) of personality to personality disorder symptomatology has generally been consistent with theoretical expectations. Three exceptions, however, have been failures to confirm predicted associations of the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992b) Conscientiousness scale with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder symptomatology, the NEO-PI-R Agreeableness scale with dependent symptomatology, and the NEO-PI-R Openness scale with schizotypal symptomatology. It was the hypothesis of this study that these findings might be due in part to a relative emphasis on adaptive rather than maladaptive variants of these domains of personality functioning within the NEO-PI-R. This hypothesis was tested by experimentally altering NEO-PI-R items to reverse their implications for maladaptiveness. The predicted correlations of the FFM were confirmed with the experimentally altered items in a sample of 86 adult psychiatric outpatients.
Remineralization ability of two hydraulic calcium-silicate based dental pulp capping materials: Cell-independent model

Background This study aimed to evaluate remineralizing ability of two hydraulic calcium-silicate cements (Biodentine and TheraCal LC). Material and Methods Artificial carious lesions were introduced into the pulpal floors (1-1.5 mm) and axial walls of occlusal prepared cavity halves through pH cycling. Cycling was made through demineralizing solution (pH 3), for 8 hours and remineralizing solution (pH 7) for 16 hours. The total period of pH cycling was 14 days. Prepared cavities with the tested materials seated directly on the pulpal floor and in contact with the axial walls were stored in phosphate buffer solutions (PBS) (pH 7.2–7.4). The changes in the weight percentages (wt%) of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) were detected using SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy with reference to sound dentin after three intervals (one week, 3 and 6 months). Data were statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test. Results Demineralized dentin, next to Biodentine, showed statistically higher intensities of Ca and P wt% after the three periods of incubation (p< 0.05). Surface mapping of both tested cements and their adjacent demineralized dentin showed increase in overall distribution of previous ions. SEM of subsurface layer under both materials showed filling of most intra-tubular areas with rod-like mineralized structure without significant difference. Conclusions Biodentine has a higher ability to enrich the artificial carious dentin with significantly higher mineral contents available for remineralization. Both pulp-capping materials have significantly induced remineralization of demineralized dentin beneath them after total period of incubation. Key words:Artificial Caries, Hydraulic Cements, pH Cycling, Remineralization.
Differential Histogram of Normal Vectors for Object Recognition with Depth Sensors

In this work, we address the problem of 3D object recognition with depth sensors such as Kinect or Structure sensor. Compared with traditional approaches based on local descriptors, which depends on local information around the object keypoints, we propose a novel global features based descriptor. Proposed descriptor, which we name as Differential Histogram of Normal Vectors (DHONV), is designed particularly to capture the surface geometric characteristics of the 3D objects represented by depth images. We describe the 3D surface of an object in each depth image using a 1D histogram capturing the distribution of deferential angles of the surface normal vectors. The object recognition experiments on the benchmark RGB-D object dataset and a self-collected dataset show that our proposed descriptor outperforms two others descriptors based on spin-images and histogram of normal vectors with linear-SVM classifier.
Effect of fatty acid content in the diet on lipid profile in HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral drugs

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome has become an important issue affecting the long-term prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients in the context of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to determine whether the amount and quality of dietary fats consumed had an effect on total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides (TG), the glycemic load had an effect on TG concentration, and quality of consumed fats had an impact on cardiovascular risk. Material and methods: 80 HIV(+) patients treated with protease inhibitors (PIs) and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) were involved in the study. Information on the diet and eating habits was collected by 24-hour dietary recall and a questionnaire prepared by the researchers. The analysis of nutritional value of the diet was made using the Food Processor diet program. Results: A statistically significant correlation between saturated fatty acids (SFA) diet content and a negative correlation between the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and LDL cholesterol levels was observed. A positive correlation between omega 6 (n6)/omega 3 (n3) fatty acid ratio, and negative between glycemic load of diet and total cholesterol levels were found. The 10-year risk of CD was: high 3.75%, medium 12.5%, low 83.75%. Smoking was the most potent risk factor. Conclusions: The diets of the study group of HIV(+) patients should be properly balanced and require modifications of many nutritional habits. The effectiveness of treatment of HIV-infected patients may be strongly influenced by dietary intervention. Therefore it seems advisable to include a dietitian in the group of specialists who take care of these patients. HIV AIDS Rev 2019; 18, 1: 25-32 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/hivar.2019. 84124
Electrogenic characterization and optimization of the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. and construction of a Photovoltaic Microbial Fuel Cell

Recent advances in electrogenic capabilities of autotrophic microorganisms have given an optimistic alternative for future renewable energy sources[1]. Cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. is currently used as a fertilizer due to its nitrogen fixing ability. However, its application as an electricity generator is not exploited because of the low throughput that is obtained. A better understanding of the relation cells-electrode was intended in this project and optimization of the current signal provided by the bacteria was also studied. The presence of an electro-active natural mediator has been demonstrated and stress induction has appeared as an interesting factor to increase the obtained current. Finally, in order to study the application of Anabaena sp. in the anode of a fuel cell, a Photovoltaic Microbial Fuel Cell was constructed.
Contribution of Soft Substrates to Malignancy and Tumor Suppression during Colon Cancer Cell Division

In colon cancer, a highly aggressive disease, progression through the malignant sequence is accompanied by increasingly numerous chromosomal rearrangements. To colonize target organs, invasive cells cross several tissues of various elastic moduli. Whether soft tissue increases malignancy or in contrast limits invasive colon cell spreading remains an open question. Using polyelectrolyte multilayer films mimicking microenvironments of various elastic moduli, we revealed that human SW480 colon cancer cells displayed increasing frequency in chromosomal segregation abnormalities when cultured on substrates with decreasing stiffness. Our results show that, although decreasing stiffness correlates with increased cell lethality, a significant proportion of SW480 cancer cells did escape from the very soft substrates, even when bearing abnormal chromosome segregation, achieve mitosis and undergo a new cycle of replication in contrast to human colonic HCoEpiC cells which died on soft substrates. This observation opens the possibility that the ability of cancer cells to overcome defects in chromosome segregation on very soft substrates could contribute to increasing chromosomal rearrangements and tumor cell aggressiveness.
A Secure Authentication Protocol for IP-Based Wireless Sensor Communications Using the Location/ID Split Protocol (LISP)

The future of the Internet of Things (IoT) involves a huge number of node devices such as wireless sensors that can communicate in a machine-to-machine pattern, where devices will be globally addressed and identified. As the number of connected devices increased, the burden on the network infrastructure and the size of the routing tables and the efficiency of the current routing protocols in the Internet backbone increased as well. Recently, an IETF working group, along with the research group at Cisco, are working on a Locator/ID Separation Protocol as a routing architecture that provides new semantics for IP addressing, in order to simplify routing operations and improve scalability in the future of the Internet such as the IoT. In the light of the previous issue; this paper proposes an efficient security authentication and a key exchange scheme that is suited for Internet of things based on Locator/ID Separation protocol. The proposed protocol method meets practicability, simplicity, and strong notions of security. The protocol is verified using Automated Validation Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) which is a push button tool for the automated validation of security protocols and the achieved results showed that they do not have any security flaws.
Allelotypic Characteristics of Thorotrast-Induced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Comparison to Liver Cancers not Associated with Thorotrast

Abstract Liu, D. , Wada, I. , Tateno, H. , Ogino, D. , Suzuki, M. , Li, L. , Lu, W. , Kojiro, M. , Fukayama, M. , Okabe, H. and Fukumoto, M. Allelotypic Characteristics of Thorotrast-Induced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Comparison to Liver Cancers not Associated with Thorotrast. Radiat. Res. 161, 235–243 (2004). To elucidate the genetic alterations that are specific to Thorotrast-induced liver cancers and their possible roles in tumorigenesis, we analyzed loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 37 loci. Our previous study of liver cancers that were not associated with Thorotrast found LOH at 9 of these loci to be characteristic of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), at 19 to be characteristic of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and at 9 to be common to both ICC and HCC. LOH analysis was also performed in tissues of cholangiolocellular carcinoma, which is thought to originate from a common stem cell progenitor of hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells. We found frequent LOH at D4S1538, D16S2624 and D17S1303 to be common to all the subtypes of liver cancers, independent of the specific carcinogenic agent. In contrast, LOH at D4S1652 generally was not observed in Thorotrast-induced ICC. LOH analysis revealed that Thorotrast-induced ICC shares some LOH features with both ICC and HCC that were not induced by Thorotrast; however, it is more similar to ICC than to HCC in terms of genetic changes. This study could narrow down the crucial chromosomal loci whose deletions are relevant to hepatobiliary carcinogenesis irrespective of the carcinogenic agent. The study of LOH at loci other the those crucial ones may help us understand how the phenotype of liver cancers is determined.
Active mammalian replication origins are associated with a high-density cluster of mCpG dinucleotides

ori-beta is a well-characterized origin of bidirectional replication (OBR) located approximately 17 kb downstream of the dihydrofolate reductase gene in hamster cell chromosomes. The approximately 2-kb region of ori-beta that exhibits greatest replication initiation activity also contains 12 potential methylation sites in the form of CpG dinucleotides. To ascertain whether DNA methylation might play a role at mammalian replication origins, the methylation status of these sites was examined with bisulfite to chemically distinguish cytosine (C) from 5-methylcytosine (mC). All of the CpGs were methylated, and nine of them were located within 356 bp flanking the minimal OBR, creating a high-density cluster of mCpGs that was approximately 10 times greater than average for human DNA. However, the previously reported densely methylated island in which all cytosines were methylated regardless of their dinucleotide composition was not detected and appeared to be an experimental artifact. A second OBR, located at the 5' end of the RPS14 gene, exhibited a strikingly similar methylation pattern, and the organization of CpG dinucleotides at other mammalian origins revealed the potential for high-density CpG methylation. Moreover, analysis of bromodeoxyuridine-labeled nascent DNA confirmed that active replication origins were methylated. These results suggest that a high-density cluster of mCpG dinucleotides may play a role in either the establishment or the regulation of mammalian replication origins.