Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design principle based on maximum output force profile for a musculoskeletal robot

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on an engineering application of the vertebrate musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system has unique mechanisms such as bi‐articular muscle, antagonistic muscle pairs and muscle‐tendon elasticity. The “artificial musculoskeletal system” is achieved through the use of the pneumatic artificial muscles. The study provides a novel method to describe the force property of the articulated mechanism driven by muscle actuator and a transmission.Design/methodology/approach – A musculoskeletal system consists of multiple bodies connected together with rotational joints and driven by mono‐ and bi‐articular actuators. The paper analyzes properties of the musculoskeletal system with statically calculated omni‐directional output forces. A set of experiments has been performed to demonstrate the physical ability of the musculoskeletal robot.Findings – A method to design a musculoskeletal system is proposed based on an analysis of the profile of convex polygon of m.
Hardware/software approaches for reducing the process variation impact on instruction fetches

As technology moves towards finer process geometries, it is becoming extremely difficult to control critical physical parameters such as channel length, gate oxide thickness, and dopant ion concentration. Variations in these parameters lead to dramatic variations in access latencies in Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) devices. This means that different lines of the same cache may have different access latencies. A simple solution to this problem is to adopt the worst-case latency paradigm. While this egalitarian cache management is simple, it may introduce significant performance overhead during instruction fetches when both address translation (instruction Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB) access) and instruction cache access take place, making this solution infeasible for future high-performance processors. In this study, we first propose some hardware and software enhancements and then, based on those, investigate several techniques to mitigate the effect of process variation on the instruction fetch pipeline stage in modern processors. For address translation, we study an approach that performs the virtual-to-physical page translation once, then stores it in a special register, reusing it as long as the execution remains on the same instruction page. To handle varying access latencies across different instruction cache lines, we annotate the cache access latency of instructions within themselves to give the circuitry a hint about how long to wait for the next instruction to become available.
A Survey of Correlation Between Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) Levels and Severity of Liver Cirrhosis

Background Insulin-like growth factor is a polypeptide with endocrine, autocrine and paracrine effects which its structure is similar to the insulin molecule. While various tissues secrete IGF-1, 90% of the circulating IGF-1 is secreted by liver. Cirrhosis of liver is a condition accompanied by decreased level of IGF-1, in which the level of IGF-1 may be further decreased thorough the progression of the disease. Objectives The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the relation between the IGF-1 levels and severity of liver disease according to Child- Pugh and Model for end stage liver diseases (MELD) Scores. Patients and Method This was a descriptive-analytic cross sectional study performed on patients with cirrhosis admitted to gastroenterology clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran during the years 2007-2008. The diagnosis was based on liver biopsy. Initially for all patients, laboratory investigations including IGF-1, CBC, liver Enzymes, Alkaline phosphates, serum Albumin, Creatinine, direct and total Bilirubin were conducted. Also ultrasound and endoscopy were performed for evaluation of ascites and varices. Results 100 patients with cirrhosis with a male to Female ratio of 63:37 and a mean age of 44.4 ± 15 years were enrolled in the study. Median IGF-1 was 92.95 ± 91.51 ng/mL. 14 patients (14%) had IGF-1 within normal limits while 86 patients (86%) had abnormal IGF-1 levels. In all patients the correlation coefficient between IGF-1 and MELD was -0.317 (P = 0.001) and 0.478 between IGF-1 and Child- Pugh (P < 0.001). Conclusions Our findings showed that IGF-1 can be used as an index for evaluating the severity of cirrhosis; also it can be used for determining the severity of the disease, when liver biopsy is not possible.
Comparative Analysis on the Research Characteristics of Knowledge Management Between China and Abroad

This paper aims to review research in knowledge management (KM) to identify the similarities and the differences between Chinese and abroad KM research from four perspectives: research topics, reference disciplines, research methods, and units of analysis. 467 research papers published in 21 leading academic journals in China from 1999 to 2006, and 361 research papers published in 20 leading academic journals abroad from 1990 to 2006 were identified and reviewed. The diversity on KM research between China and abroad were discussed and the future development were suggested.
Generating patient specific pseudo-CT of the head from MR using atlas-based regression

Radiotherapy planning and attenuation correction of PET images require simulation of radiation transport. The necessary physical properties are typically derived from computed tomography (CT) images, but in some cases, including stereotactic neurosurgery and combined PET/MR imaging, only magnetic resonance (MR) images are available. With these applications in mind, we describe how a realistic, patient-specific, pseudo-CT of the head can be derived from anatomical MR images. We refer to the method as atlas-based regression, because of its similarity to atlas-based segmentation. Given a target MR and an atlas database comprising MR and CT pairs, atlas-based regression works by registering each atlas MR to the target MR, applying the resulting displacement fields to the corresponding atlas CTs and, finally, fusing the deformed atlas CTs into a single pseudo-CT. We use a deformable registration algorithm known as the Morphon and augment it with a certainty mask that allows a tailoring of the influence certain regions are allowed to have on the registration. Moreover, we propose a novel method of fusion, wherein the collection of deformed CTs is iteratively registered to their joint mean and find that the resulting mean CT becomes more similar to the target CT. However, the voxelwise median provided even better results; at least as good as earlier work that required special MR imaging techniques. This makes atlas-based regression a good candidate for clinical use.
Universal Agent Sensor for Counterproliferation Applications

echnologies to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by rogue governments and international terrorist organizations are a top national priority. One of the top development requirements is for highly sensitive and specific detection technologies for biological warfare agents. This article describes the development of sensors for field detection of weapons of mass destruction using an advanced time-offlight mass spectrometer system. This sensor system has the potential to provide high speed, sensitivity, and specificity across a wide range of biological agents, chemical agents, explosives, and contraband materials. In addition, the system is being engineered to be rugged, small, lightweight, and low power so that it can be deployable in the field. (
Development of communicative gestures in French infants from 8 to 16 months

This paper presents the development of communicative gestures in French-speaking children aged from 8 to 16 months. The study is based on the French adaptation of the well-known MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories. Data show how many gestures are acquired, of what kind, contribute to the gender effect debate, and finally, show the link between gestual and verbal communications. Introduction The study we present is part of a larger project focusing on the communicative development of French children from 8 to 16 months. The CNRS and the Rhône-Alpes region have financially supported these research. This larger project is based on the adaptation and the norming of a questionnaire for parent report known as the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (Fenson et al., 1993). The goal of this study is twofold: to analyze first words understood and/or produced by children, the number as well as semantic and grammatical nature of these words, and also to examine the gestures children are able to perform. In this present paper we will focus on the latter. This article is composed of 3 main parts. In the first part, we will give some theoretical background. Secondly, we will explain the methodology used in this project. Finally, in the third part, the results will be presented and discussed from a crosslinguistic perspective.
1950 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields do not aggravate memory deficits in 5xFAD mice

The increased use of mobile phones has generated public concern about the impact of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF‐EMF) on health. In the present study, we investigated whether RF‐EMFs induce molecular changes in amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and amyloid beta (Aβ)‐related memory impairment in the 5xFAD mouse, which is a widely used amyloid animal model. The 5xFAD mice at the age of 1.5 months were assigned to two groups (RF‐EMF‐ and sham‐exposed groups, eight mice per group). The RF‐EMF group was placed in a reverberation chamber and exposed to 1950 MHz electromagnetic fields for 3 months (SAR 5 W/kg, 2 h/day, 5 days/week). The Y‐maze, Morris water maze, and novel object recognition memory test were used to evaluate spatial and non‐spatial memory following 3‐month RF‐EMF exposure. Furthermore, Aβ deposition and APP and carboxyl‐terminal fragment β (CTFβ) levels were evaluated in the hippocampus and cortex of 5xFAD mice, and plasma levels of Aβ peptides were also investigated. In behavioral tests, mice that were exposed to RF‐EMF for 3 months did not exhibit differences in spatial and non‐spatial memory compared to the sham‐exposed group, and no apparent change was evident in locomotor activity. Consistent with behavioral data, RF‐EMF did not alter APP and CTFβ levels or Aβ deposition in the brains of the 5xFAD mice. These findings indicate that 3‐month RF‐EMF exposure did not affect Aβ‐related memory impairment or Aβ accumulation in the 5xFAD Alzheimer's disease model. Bioelectromagnetics. 37:391–399, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Bioelectromagnetics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Bioelectromagnetics Society.
First-principles calculations for defects and impurities: Applications to III-nitrides

First-principles calculations have evolved from mere aids in explaining and supporting experiments to powerful tools for predicting new materials and their properties. In the first part of this review we describe the state-of-the-art computational methodology for calculating the structure and energetics of point defects and impurities in semiconductors. We will pay particular attention to computational aspects which are unique to defects or impurities, such as how to deal with charge states and how to describe and interpret transition levels. In the second part of the review we will illustrate these capabilities with examples for defects and impurities in nitride semiconductors. Point defects have traditionally been considered to play a major role in wide-band-gap semiconductors, and first-principles calculations have been particularly helpful in elucidating the issues. Specifically, calculations have shown that the unintentional n-type conductivity that has often been observed in as-grown GaN cannot be a.
Costs and disability among stroke patients.

BACKGROUND The high costs of health and social care support for stroke survivors, and the development of new service arrangements, have concentrated growing attention on economic issues. However, there are few data on costs and their association with levels of disability. METHODS Secondary analyses of data from the OPCS (Office of Population Censuses and Surveys) Surveys of Disability conducted in the mid-1980s were used to examine service utilization and costs for more than 1000 people who have had a stroke. Costs were estimated for all health and social care services. Regression analyses examined the cost-disability association in the context of other covariates for people living in private households. RESULTS Disability problems were common among stroke survivors, particularly in relation to locomotion, self-care and holding. Among people living alone, the major contributors to costs were in-patient care (Pound Sterling 27 per week) and home help (Pound Sterling 30 per week). Among people living with others, in-patient hospital care was also a major cost (Pound Sterling 28 per week). Other services costing more than Pound Sterling 5 per week were general practitioner consultations, hospital out-patient care and day centre attendances. Resource use patterns varied considerably. Costs were associated with severity of disability, time since stroke and whether the person was living alone. Looking at the overall balance of care, a greater proportion of stroke survivors with severe disability were resident in communal establishments. CONCLUSION The analyses provide a baseline from which more recent local studies and evaluations can be compared. Key issues for economic studies of stroke are the inclusion of a broad range of services, a reasonable duration of follow-up and consideration of the impact of the substitution of informal for formal services.
A Survey of Recent Advances in Face Detection

Face detection has been one of the most studied topics in the computer vision literature. In this technical report, we survey the recent advances in face detection for the past decade. The seminal Viola-Jones face detector is first reviewed. We then survey the various techniques according to how they extract features and what learning algorithms are adopted. It is our hope that by reviewing the many existing algorithms, we will see even better algorithms developed to solve this fundamental computer vision problem. 1
Improved Glycaemia Correlates with Liver Fat Reduction in Obese, Type 2 Diabetes, Patients Given Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) are effective for obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) because they concomitantly target obesity and dysglycaemia. Considering the high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with T2DM, we determined the impact of 6 months’ GLP-1 RA therapy on intrahepatic lipid (IHL) in obese, T2DM patients with hepatic steatosis, and evaluated the inter-relationship between changes in IHL with those in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight, and volume of abdominal visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT). We prospectively studied 25 (12 male) patients, age 50±10 years, BMI 38.4±5.6 kg/m2 (mean ± SD) with baseline IHL of 28.2% (16.5 to 43.1%) and HbA1c of 9.6% (7.9 to 10.7%) (median and interquartile range). Patients treated with metformin and sulphonylureas/DPP-IV inhibitors were given 6 months GLP-1 RA (exenatide, n = 19; liraglutide, n = 6). IHL was quantified by liver proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) and VAT and SAT by whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Treatment was associated with mean weight loss of 5.0 kg (95% CI 3.5,6.5 kg), mean HbA1c reduction of 1·6% (17 mmol/mol) (0·8,2·4%) and a 42% relative reduction in IHL (−59.3, −16.5%). The relative reduction in IHL correlated with that in HbA1c (ρ = 0.49; p = 0.01) but was not significantly correlated with that in total body weight, VAT or SAT. The greatest IHL reduction occurred in individuals with highest pre-treatment levels. Mechanistic studies are needed to determine potential direct effects of GLP-1 RA on human liver lipid metabolism.
Genetic algorithm for Traveling Salesman Problem: Using modified Partially-Mapped Crossover operator

This paper addresses an attempt to evolve Genetic Algorithm by a particular modified Partially Mapped Crossover method to make it able to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem. Which is type of NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems. The main objective is to look a better GA such that solves TSP with shortest tour. First we solve the TSP by using PMX (Goldberg [1]) and then a modified PMX to evolve a GA.
Core Assets Development in Software Product Lines - Towards a Pratical Approach for the Mobile Game Domain

Software Product Lines (SPL) approaches are gradually being adopted as a powerful strategy for achieving high productivity and increasing quality in software engineering. A particular domain where the adoption of such approach may bring relevant benefits is the mobile game domain given the big diversity of handsets and the large number of commonalities among these games. However, applying SPL approaches in such domain is not trivial because of some restrictions, such as reduced memory and application size. In this context, this work presents a practical approach to implement core assets in a SPL in the mobile game domain combining good practices from previous work and briefly describing a case study performed with three mobile games.
Survey on Information Hiding Techniques and Analysis of Quality Assessment Parameters

Due to the increasing demand of various internet applications such as voice over IP (VOIP), audio conferencing etc. it is required that the data is transmitted in a more secure and robust manner. Direct transmission of data over the communication channel is not secure as it can be easily manipulated and is prone to interception by eavesdroppers. So as an attractive solution to these issues, various approaches like steganography, cryptography and watermarking are highlighted. Efficient secrecy can be achieved by using various novel steganographic approaches. In this paper, the primary focus is on the basics of steganography and a detailed evaluation scheme to test the robustness of the steganographic data on various grounds like subjective, objective and comparison criteria. The performance of the steganographic data is done on the basis of robustness, secrecy and the amount of data to be hided. At the end the focus is on the objectives and applications of the steganographic system.
A Test of Time : a temporal and dynamic approach to power and ethics

textabstractBoth behavior and cognitive processes are ongoing, dynamic, and temporal. They vary not only between individuals as a function of differences in personality and stable contextual characteristics, but also within. That is, the same person might engage in unethical behavior one day but not the next day. Apart from a few exceptions, research in organizational science has either ignored or treated within-individual fluctuations in behavior as measurement error. Yet, in order to gain a deeper understanding of why individuals behave the way they do we ought to zoom-in on their daily experiences and behaviors and tackle the issue of when and for how long things happen. The first part of this dissertation aims to achieve precisely this by zooming in on two crucial organizational behaviors that vary from one day to another: decision-making and unethical behavior. The other part zooms-in even further on an underlying cognitive process that drives unethical behavior, moral reasoning, and aims to show that even a stable developmental cognitive process might be susceptible to momentary influences. Taken together, the work presented in this dissertation contributes to various streams of research from power to moral psychology. It illustrates the importance of addressing the dynamic and temporal variations in behavior as well as in the underlying cognitive processes that drive behavior.
International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering Secure on Demand Route Routing Protocol (sodrrp) for Manet

— Ad-hoc networks, due to their improvised nature, are frequently established insecure environments, which makes them susceptible to attacks. These attacks are launched by participating malicious nodes against different network services. Routing protocols, which act as the binding force in these networks, are a common target of these nodes. On Demand Route Routing Protocol (ODRRP) is a Broadcast Reply network routing protocol for Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET). Black hole attack is one of the severe security threats in ad-hoc networks which can be easily employed by exploiting vulnerability of on-demand routing protocols such as ODRRP. In this paper we proposed a solution for identifying the malicious node in ODRRP protocol suffering from black hole attack. I. INTRODUCTION An ad-hoc network has a certain characteristics, which imposes new demands on the routing protocol. The most important characteristics are the dynamic topology, which is a consequence of node mobility. Nodes can change position quite frequently, which means that we need a routing protocol that quickly adapts to topology changes. The node in an ad-hoc network can consist of laptops and personal digital assistants and are often very limited in resources such as CPU capacity, storage capacity, battery power and bandwidth, so the routing protocol should try to minimize control traffic, such as periodic update messages. Instead the routing protocol should be reactive, thus only calculate routes upon receiving a specific request. To be effective, the routing protocols have to
Access in Community College Policy: An Examination of the Social and Political Space Afforded Disabled Students in California Community College Policies

ABSTRACT Access to education has long been seen as a fundamental element of a developed country. Specifically, the relative availability and access to education by various constituent groups has been identified as an essential metric in educational evaluation. Yet, individuals with disabilities have been identified as being underrepresented within institutions of higher education, including the United States (U.S.) community college. Furthermore, scholars have also argued that discussion of disability remains on the margins of scholarship within academia. Therefore, this investigation employed qualitative methods by conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis of California Title 5 policies specific to disabled students. This was done in order to examine the sociopolitical space afforded to disabled students to navigate the institutional environment of the community college. Titchkosky’s (2011) 4 W Access framework provided the analytical frameworks for this investigation. Findings indicate that ideological constructs, inflexible funding models, and lack of integration shape access and opportunity negatively for disabled students in California community colleges.
Nonlocal Language Modeling based on Context Co-occurrence Vectors

This paper presents a novel nonlocal language model which utilizes contextual information. A reduced vector space model calculated from co-occurrences of word pairs provides word co-occurrence vectors. The sum of word co-occurrence vectors represents the context of a document, and the cosine similarity between the context vector and the word co-occurrence vectors represents the long-distance lexical dependencies. Experiments on the Mainichi Newspaper corpus show significant improvement in perplexity (5.0% overall and 27.2% on target vocabulary)