Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outdoor haptic teleoperation of a hexarotor UAV

This paper considers the design and control of a Remotely Operated Aerial System Remotely Operated (ROAS) with force feedback to pilot in order to increase the perception level. The force experienced by the pilot through a Human Machine Interface (HMI) considers and it is proportional to the translational speed and proximity to objects located in the environment where the UAV evolves. In order to test the performance and feasibility of the developed platform and control strategy, experimental tests have been carried out indoor and outdoor which represent a contribution in the current literature on the subject. Experimental results obtained show an acceptable performance for both flight conditions.
Mechanisms of the prevention and inhibition of the progression and development of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis by genetic and pharmacological decoy receptor 3 supplementation

Treatment of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is difficult due to the absence of a proven treatment and its comprehensive mechanisms. In the NASH animal model, upregulated hepatic inflammation and oxidative stress, with the resultant M1 polarization of macrophages as well as imbalanced adipocytokines, all accelerate NASH progression. As a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) not only neutralizes the death ligands, but also performs immune modulations. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possible non‐decoy effects of DcR3 on diet‐induced NASH mice.
Time-Delay Neural Network for Continuous Emotional Dimension Prediction From Facial Expression Sequences

Automatic continuous affective state prediction from naturalistic facial expression is a very challenging research topic but very important in human-computer interaction. One of the main challenges is modeling the dynamics that characterize naturalistic expressions. In this paper, a novel two-stage automatic system is proposed to continuously predict affective dimension values from facial expression videos. In the first stage, traditional regression methods are used to classify each individual video frame, while in the second stage, a time-delay neural network (TDNN) is proposed to model the temporal relationships between consecutive predictions. The two-stage approach separates the emotional state dynamics modeling from an individual emotional state prediction step based on input features. In doing so, the temporal information used by the TDNN is not biased by the high variability between features of consecutive frames and allows the network to more easily exploit the slow changing dynamics between emotional states. The system was fully tested and evaluated on three different facial expression video datasets. Our experimental results demonstrate that the use of a two-stage approach combined with the TDNN to take into account previously classified frames significantly improves the overall performance of continuous emotional state estimation in naturalistic facial expressions. The proposed approach has won the affect recognition sub-challenge of the Third International Audio/Visual Emotion Recognition Challenge1.
Crowdsourced Employer Reviews and Stock Returns

Abstract We find that firms experiencing improvements in crowdsourced employer ratings significantly outperform firms with declines. The return effect is concentrated among reviews from current employees, stronger among early firm reviews, and also stronger when the employee works in the headquarters state. Decomposing employer ratings, we find the return effect is related to changing employee assessments of Career Opportunities and views of senior management. It is unrelated to work-life balance. Employer rating changes are associated with growth in sales and profitability and help forecast one-quarter-ahead earnings announcement surprises. The evidence is consistent with employee reviews revealing fundamental information about the firm.
Teachers' and Roma students' experiences of the ESOL classroom in Yorkshire.

This research is concerned with exploring teachers' and Roma students' experiences of the ESOL classroom within a further education institute in Yorkshire. Since teaching ESOL to teenagers, I began to realise that what influenced students' language development and learning the most was the practice and conduct of the teacher, a finding that was initially surprising. This, I noticed, was pertinent amongst the Roma students, therefore, what I did not notice then, but have come to recognise as increasingly problematic, is the extent to which the teacher's attitudes, interactions and communication with these students impacts on their attainment in class. I soon began searching for signs, clues and indications that would lead me to uncover the gap that evidently existed between the teacher and the students and how, if possible, this could be closed. This paper draws upon literature and various sources that focus on teachers' attitudes, experiences, interactions and relationships as well as students' barriers to learning, both in and out of the ESOL classroom. This study adopts a qualitative inquiry that focuses on inductive rather than deductive analytical approaches, utilising observations and focus groups to explore both teachers' and students' views. It is hoped that this study will provide a broad insight into the role and relationships of teachers and students in the ESOL classroom, and contribute to the relatively new discussion about the ways in which Roma students can be best supported, and to raise the awareness and skills of teachers working with these students. The results reveal that a greater understanding of students' backgrounds and their individual barriers to learning has a more positive effect on the outcome of the relationships and interactions that exist, not solely between Roma students and the teacher, but also between ESOL students in general.
Time–Motion Analysis of Nurses Utilizing Insulin Pen Devices Compared to Vial and Syringe in an Inpatient Setting

Objective: To compare the time taken and steps completed by nurses in the process of insulin preparation and administration using the pen device compared to the vial and syringe method. Methods: Observational and exploratory study utilizing a time–motion analysis of nurses’ administration of insulin using the pen versus vial and syringe delivery methods. Nurses were observed, video-recorded, and timed during insulin preparation and administration using each delivery method. The steps performed by nurses were observed against recommended processes for preparing and administering insulin, and the percentage of nurses completing each step was noted. Results: A total of 137 (94%) nurses participated. Nurses took less time preparing and administering insulin with the pen device compared with the vial and syringe method (79 ± 18 seconds vs 88 ± 20 seconds, respectively, P < .001). The overall average completion rate of steps with the pen device was 90% ± 7% compared to 88% ± 7% with the vial and syringe method. Conclusion: The time taken by nurses to prepare and administer insulin was lower with the pen device compared with vial and syringe. Furthermore, areas were identified for potential nursing education to enhance safe and appropriate use of insulin with both delivery methods.
Non‐pharmacological factors in drug treatment of anxiety states

Forty‐six outpatients with anxiety tension states took part in a study on the effects of anxiolytic drugs. After the first interview the subjects also filled in a questionnaire as to their expectations of treatment outcome (n = 41) and their experience of the first consultation (n= 42), and the doctors made a prognostic evaluation (n = 46). The relations between these three factors and background variables as well as initial ratings and outcome as rated by the doctors at follow‐up examinations after 2, 4, and 8 weeks were investigated.
Explaining the Policy Process Underpinning Public Sector Reform: The Role of Ideas, Institutions, and Timing

This article provides theoretical elaboration of the policy process underpinning the emergence of public sector reform. It reviews the three predominant models for understanding, namely the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), Institutional Theory Approaches (ITA), and the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF). Rather than treating these frameworks as competing, the article identifies their complementary and interdependent contributions to explaining the policy process underpinning public sector reform, specifically the central driving role of ideas, institutions and timing. The article provides a case for combining the three frameworks - and their identified drivers - to inform an integrated and elaborated model of public sector reform processes. The utility of the model is evidenced via an ex-post analysis of the ten-year ‘NHS Plan’, which operated in the UK from 2000 to 2010. Discussion considers implications for key theoretical issues in researching and explaining the policy process underpinning public sector reform.
A theoretical study of the active sites of papain and S195C rat trypsin: Implications for the low reactivity of mutant serine proteinases

The serine and cysteine proteinases represent two important classes of enzymes that use a catalytic triad to hydrolyze peptides and esters. The active site of the serine proteinases consists of three key residues, Asp … His … Ser. The hydroxyl group of serine functions as a nucleophile and the imidazole ring of histidine functions as a general acid/general base during catalysis. Similarly, the active site of the cysteine proteinases also involves three key residues: Asn, His, and Cys. The active site of the cysteine proteinases is generally believed to exist as a zwitterion (Asn … His+ … Cys−) with the thiolate anion of the cysteine functioning as a nucleophile during the initial stages of catalysis. Curiously, the mutant serine proteinases, thiol subtilisin and thiol trypsin, which have the hybrid Asp … His … Cys triad, are almost catalytically inert. In this study, ab initio Hartree‐Fock calculations have been performed on the active sites of papain and the mutant serine proteinase S195C rat trypsin. These calculations predict that the active site of papain exists predominately as a zwitterion (Cys− … His+ … Asn). However, similar calculations on S195C rat trypsin demonstrate that the thiol mutant is unable to form a reactive thiolate anion prior to catalysis. Furthermore, structural comparisons between native papain and S195C rat trypsin have demonstrated that the spatial juxtapositions of the triad residues have been inverted in the serine and cysteine proteinases and, on this basis, I argue that it is impossible to convert a serine proteinase to a cysteine proteinase by site‐directed mutagenesis.
Simple Analytical Model of On Operation of Amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O Thin-Film Transistors

The on operation of an amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistor (a-IGZO TFT) was studied employing a gated-four-probe (GFP) structure TFT to build a simple analytical model based on bias-dependent field-effect mobility (μFE). The electrical characteristics of the a-IGZO GFP TFT revealed that the contact resistances were negligible compared with the channel resistance. The bias-dependent μFE was derived from the transfer characteristics at low drain voltages (VD) , and approximately represented by a power function of the bias voltage, like that for hydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si:H) TFTs. The mobility model reproduced both the current-voltage characteristics and the potential distribution in the channel, including the high VD region. Si TFTs exhibit non-negligible variation of drain current (ID) in the saturation region and their models require extra parameters to describe it. In contrast, the a-IGZO TFTs exhibit flat ID-VD characteristics in the saturation region, and their model does not require an extra parameter. Due to these features, the model of the a-IGZO TFTs is simpler than those of a-Si:H TFTs. The temperature dependence of the TFT characteristics indicated that the bias dependence of μFE cannot be explained just by the exponential subgap traps. The dependence should be understood by introducing the carrier-density dependent mobility of a-IGZO films.
Sentence Object Notation: Multilingual sentence notation based on Wordnet

The representation of sentences is a very important task. It can be used as a way to exchange data inter-applications. One main characteristic, that a notation must have, is a minimal size and a representative form. This can reduce the transfer time, and hopefully the processing time as well. Usually, sentence representation is associated to the processed language. The grammar of this language affects how we represent the sentence. To avoid language-dependent notations, we have to come up with a new representation which don't use words, but their meanings. This can be done using a lexicon like wordnet, instead of words we use their synsets. As for syntactic relations, they have to be universal as much as possible. Our new notation is called STON "\textit{SenTences Object Notation}", which somehow has similarities to JSON. It is meant to be minimal, representative and language-independent syntactic representation. Also, we want it to be readable and easy to be created. This simplifies developing simple automatic generators and creating test banks manually. Its benefit is to be used as a medium between different parts of applications like: text summarization, language translation, etc. The notation is based on 4 languages: Arabic, English, Franch and Japanese; and there are some cases where these languages don't agree on one representation. Also, given the diversity of grammatical structure of different world languages, this annotation may fail for some languages which allows more future improvements.
Impact of Ethnicity, Geography, and Disease on the Microbiota in Health and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background:The gut microbiota is central to health and disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. Differences in microbiota related to geography and ethnicity may hold the key to recent changes in the incidence of microbiota-related disorders. Methods:Gut mucosal microbiota was analyzed in 190 samples from 87 Caucasian and Chinese subjects, from Australia and Hong Kong, comprising 22 patients with Crohn's disease, 30 patients with ulcerative colitis, 29 healthy controls, and 6 healthy relatives of patients with Crohn's disease. Bacterial 16S rRNA microarray and 454 pyrosequencing were performed. Results:The microbiota was diverse in health, regardless of ethnicity or geography (operational taxonomic unit number and Shannon diversity index). Ethnicity and geography, however, did affect microbial composition. Crohn's disease resulted in reduced bacterial diversity, regardless of ethnicity or geography, and was the strongest determinant of composition. In ulcerative colitis, diversity was reduced in Chinese subjects only, suggesting that ethnicity is a determinant of bacterial diversity, whereas composition was determined by disease and ethnicity. Specific phylotypes were different between health and disease. Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease more often than healthy Chinese tended to have had a Western diet in childhood, in the East and West. Conclusion:The healthy microbiota is diverse but compositionally affected by geographical and ethnic factors. The microbiota is substantially altered in inflammatory bowel disease, but ethnicity may also play an important role. This may be key to the changing epidemiology in developing countries, and emigrants to the West.
The influence of water ingestion on postexercise hypotension and standing haemodynamics

In young healthy adults, postexercise hypotension (PEH) occurs after a single bout of dynamic exercise due to peripheral vasodilation. Gravitational stress may further aggravate the magnitude of PEH, thus predisposing to orthostatic intolerance. As water drinking activates sympathetic vasoconstriction, it might offset PEH via enhanced α‐adrenergic vascular responsiveness. We hypothesized that water ingestion before exercise would decrease the magnitude of PEH and improve the haemodynamic reaction to active standing postmaximal exercise. In a randomized fashion, 17 healthy adults (nine men; eight women, 21·2 ± 1·6 years) ingested 50 and 500 ml of water before completing resting, cycle ergometer and recovery protocols on two separate days. After exercise, measurements [arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate and spectral heart rate variability (HRV)] were taken in the seated position followed by 5 min of active standing. Compared to that seen post‐50 ml of water, the 500 ml volume elicited an overall increase in BP (P < 0·05). Nevertheless, the magnitude of PEH was not different after either volume of water. There was an overall bradycardic effect of water, and this was accompanied by increased high‐frequency power (P < 0·05). Finally, no BP, heart rate or HRV differences were found between conditions in response to active standing. These data suggest that, despite being well preserved after maximal exercise, the water pressor response does not affect the magnitude of PEH. They also indicate that drinking 500 ml of water does not impact the BP, heart rate or HRV response to 5 min of active standing during recovery postmaximal exercise.
A novel low cost 25μm thin exfoliated monocrystalline Si solar cell technology

To achieve grid parity, photovoltaic (PV) technologies must reduce the production cost of PV modules to well below $1/Wp. In crystalline Si (c-Si) solar cells the cost of raw Si wafers is over 40% of the module cost. There is an industry wide push to reduce the active Si content of the cell through a combination of thinner wafers and increased cell efficiency. However, cell manufacturers are struggling to reduce the wafer thickness below 150μm as there are no economically viable technologies for manufacturing very thin Si wafers and such thin silicon wafers impose stringent handling requirements as wafer breakage and yield loss impact final module cost. In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time, a novel exfoliation technology capable of producing large area (6-in diameter) 25μm thin flexible mono c-Si foils that will dramatically change the cost structure and form factor of high efficiency-Si solar cells without the yield losses and handling issues that are a major problem for traditional thin Si wafers. An un-optimized single side heterojunction cell has been formed with a 25μm exfoliated c-Si foil, which shows an efficiency of 12.5%. The cell characteristics of a 25μm thin c-Si cell with intrinsic a-Si passivation will be presented in the paper. Simulations show that with optimized texturing of the foil and passivation, higher efficiencies (20%) can be attained. Depending on the starting wafer or ingot thickness a final cell cost of between $0.46/Wp to $0.50/Wp can be achieved compared to $1.1/Wp for today's commercial thick crystalline Si cells.
'Aargh! This Essay Makes Me Want to Poke Sticks in My Eyes!' Developing a Reader Engagement Framework to Help Emerging Writers Understand Why Readers Might (Not) Want to Read Texts

This paper outlines the development of the “Reader Engagement framework”, a tool for helping emerging writers understand what might keep readers reading – or stop readers from reading – a text. The Reader Engagement framework has been under development for the past five years, primarily in the context of undergraduate English proficiency classes at a large university in Flanders. Using the principles of constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz 2014), a preliminary framework was sketched using as data the margin comments of one reader who noted points of engagement or disengagement while reading student texts. Additional rounds of data collection included the engagement perceptions of student-readers, as well as those of teacher-readers from various disciplines. Thus far 1087 readers have been consulted, and the categories in the framework seem to be largely saturated. Though further refinement is necessary, the framework has been found successful as a teaching tool, and as an assessment and feedback tool. It also seems to have potential for offering writers a new way of conceptualising writing.
A Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Three Continuous Glucose Monitors

Background: The effectiveness and safety of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) is dependent on their accuracy and reliability. The objective of this study was to compare 3 CGMs in adult and pediatric subjects with type 1 diabetes under closed-loop blood-glucose (BG) control. Twenty-four subjects (12 adults) with type 1 diabetes each participated in one 48-hour closed-loop BG control experiment. Methods: Venous plasma glucose (PG) measurements obtained every 15 minutes (4657 values) were paired in time with corresponding CGM glucose (CGMG) measurements obtained from 3 CGMs (FreeStyle Navigator, Abbott Diabetes Care; G4 Platinum, Dexcom; Enlite, Medtronic) worn simultaneously by each subject. Results: The Navigator and G4 Platinum (G4) had the best overall accuracy, with an aggregate mean absolute relative difference (MARD) of all paired points of 12.3 ± 12.1% and 10.8 ± 9.9%, respectively. Both had lower MARDs of all paired points than Enlite (17.9 ± 15.8%, P < .005). Very large errors (MARD > 50%) were less common with the G4 (0.5%) than with the Enlite (4.3%, P = .0001) while the number of very large errors with the Navigator (1.4%) was intermediate between the G4 and Enlite (P = .1 and P = .06, respectively). The average MARD for experiments in adolescent subjects were lower than in adult subjects for the Navigator and G4, while there was no difference for Enlite. All 3 devices had similar reliability. Conclusions: A comprehensive head-to-head-to-head comparison of 3 CGMs revealed marked differences in both accuracy and precision. The Navigator and G4 were found to outperform the Enlite in these areas.
Establishment Size and Wage Inequality: The Roles of Performance Pay and Rent Sharing

This study provides new evidence on the large contribution of performance pay to wage inequality among employers via heterogeneous rent-sharing behaviors, focusing on industry affiliation and employer size. Using comprehensive Korean worker-level data, I first show that wage betweeninequality at the industry-size level has substantially contributed to a growing wage inequality trend since 1994 even after controlling for observed andunobserved worker characteristics and factoring in sorting effects; this phenomenon is dominated by the employer size-wage effect. The size-wage effect is mainly due to the differences in performance pay between employer sizes, while the effects of performance pay on within-inequality are limited. I then show the sources of the rising wage between-inequality in terms of firm-side factors using firm-level balance sheet data merged with worker-level data at the industry-size-year level. I find that changes in the estimated rentsharing parameters and the prices of capital-to-labor ratio are the main factors in the increasing dispersal of between-inequality and that they became more positively correlated with wages between 2009 and 2015 than they were before 2009. This positive correlation is observed even more clearly when performance pay is included in wages. These findings show that employers exhibit rent-sharing behavior and compensate for capital dependency using performance pay, and differentials of performance pay among employers are translated into increased between-inequality of wages.