Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Weld defect identification in friction stir welding using power spectral density

Power spectral density estimates are powerful in extraction of useful information retained in signal. In the current research work classical periodogram and Welch periodogram algorithms are used for the estimation of power spectral density for vertical force signal and transverse force signal acquired during friction stir welding process. The estimated spectral densities reveal notable insight in identification of defects in friction stir welded samples. It was observed that higher spectral density against each process signals is a key indication in identifying the presence of possible internal defects in the welded samples. The developed methodology can offer preliminary information regarding presence of internal defects in friction stir welded samples can be best accepted as first level of safeguard in monitoring the friction stir welding process.
Decreasing the homodimer interaction: a common mechanism shared by the ΔG91 mutation and deamidation in βA3-crystallin

Purpose Cataracts can be broadly divided into two types: congenital cataracts and age-related cataracts. ΔG91 is a previously discovered congenital mutation in βA3-crystallin that impairs protein solubility. On the other hand, the deamidation of β-crystallin is a significant feature in aged and cataractous lenses. Several deamidation sites were also identified in βA3-crystallin. The present study is to compare the functional consequence of ΔG91 mutation and the deamidation of βA3-crystallin in terms of folding properties and protein–protein interaction. Methods Protein secondary structure and hydrophobic properties were investigated by in silica analysis of the wild type and mutants sequences. Full-length βA3-crystallin was cloned into a mammalian two-hybrid system in order to investigate protein–protein interactions. Deletion and deamidation were introduced by site-directed mutagenesis protocols. Both the Q85 and Q180 deamidation sites were substituted with glutamic acid residues to mimic deamidation. Different combinations of plasmid constructs were transfected in HeLa cells, and changes of protein–protein interactions were analyzed by the luciferase assay. Results Bioinformatics prediction suggested that ΔG91 mutation alters both the predicted secondary structure and hydrophobic character of βA3-crystallin, while deamidation only exhibits minimal effects. Mammalian two-hybrid results indicated that both ΔG91 mutation and Q85/Q180 deamidation could significantly decrease the interaction of the βA3-crystallin homodimer. Conclusion Our results provided evidence that both mutations involved in congenital cataracts and deamidation in aged lenses commonly altered protein–protein interaction between human lens βA3-crystallins, which may lead to protein insolubilization and contribute to cataracts.
Analysis of free form surface registration

Registration of a rigid body is an essential step in many machine vision tasks. This paper presents performance analysis of the iterative closest point method implemented for dimensional inspection of free form surfaces where the set of measured points is registered to a NURBS model. The results were obtained through Monte Carlo simulation. A large number of experiments were performed on an example precision engineering component. Influences of shape, number of measured points and measurement noise on registration accuracy are identified through statistical analysis.
Refinement of Ontology-Constrained Human Pose Classification

In this paper, we propose an image classification method that recognizes several poses of idol photographs. The proposed method takes unannotated idol photos as input, and classifies them according to their poses based on spatial layouts of the idol in the photos. Our method has two phases, the first one is to estimate the spatial layout of ten body parts (head, torso, upper and lower arms and legs) using Eichner's Stickman Pose Estimation. The second one is to classify the poses of the idols using Bayesian Network classifiers. In order to improve accuracy of the classification, we introduce Pose Guide Ontology (PGO). PGO contains useful background knowledge, such as semantic hierarchies and constraints related to the positional relationship between the body parts. The location information of body parts is amended by PGO. We also propose iterative procedures for making further refinements of PGO. Finally, we evaluated our method on a dataset consisting of 400 images in 8 poses, and the final results indicated that F-measure of the classification has become 15% higher than non-amended results.
Postprandial hypoglycemic effect of mulberry leaf in Goto-Kakizaki rats and counterpart control Wistar rats

Postprandial hypoglycemic effect of mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) was compared in two animal models: Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, a spontaneous non-obese animal model for type II diabetes, and their counterpart control Wistar rats. First, the effect of a single oral administration of mulberry leaf aqueous extract (MLE) on postprandial glucose responses was determined using maltose or glucose as substrate. With maltose-loading, MLE reduced peak responses of blood glucose significantly in both GK and Wistar rats (P < 0.05), supporting the inhibition of α-glucosidase by MLE in the small intestine. With glucose-loading, MLE also significantly reduced blood glucose concentrations, measured at 30 min, in both animal models (P < 0.01), proposing the inhibition of glucose transport by MLE. Next, dried mulberry leaf powder (MLP) was administered for 8 weeks by inclusion in the diet. By MLP administration, fasting blood glucose was significantly reduced at weeks 4 and 5 (P < 0.05), but then returned to values that were similar to those of the control at the end of experimental period in GK rats. Insulin, HOMA-IR, C-reactive protein, and triglycerides tended to be decreased by MLP treatment in GK rats. All other biochemical parameters were not changed by MLP administration in GK rats. Collectively, these findings support that MLE has significant postprandial hypoglycemic effect in both non-obese diabetic and healthy animals, which may be beneficial as food supplement to manage postprandial blood glucose. Inhibitions of glucose transport as well as α-glucosidase in the small intestine were suggested as possible mechanisms related with the postprandial hypoglycemic effect of MLE.
Comparison of basis selection methods

We describe and evaluate three forward sequential basis selection methods: basic matching pursuit (BMP), order recursive matching pursuit (ORMP) and modified matching pursuit (MMP), and a parallel basis selection method: the focal underdetermined system solver (FOCUSS) algorithm. Computer simulations show that the ORMP method is superior to the BMP method in terms of its ability to select a compact basis set. However, it is computationally more complex. The MMP algorithm is developed which is of intermediate computational complexity and has a performance comparable to the ORMP method. All the sequential selection methods are shown to have difficulty in environments where the basis set contains highly correlated vectors. The drawback can be traced to the sequential nature of these methods suggesting the need for a parallel basis selection method like FOCUSS. Simulations demonstrate that the FOCUSS algorithm does indeed perform well in such correlated environments. However, a drawback of FOCUSS is that it is computationally more intense then the sequential selection methods.
Bird or bat: comparing airframe design and flight performance

Birds and bats have evolved powered flight independently, which makes a comparison of evolutionary ‘design’ solutions potentially interesting. In this paper we highlight similarities and differences with respect to flight characteristics, including morphology, flight kinematics, aerodynamics, energetics and flight performance. Birds' size range is 0.002–15 kg and bats' size range is 0.002–1.5 kg. The wingbeat kinematics differ between birds and bats, which is mainly due to the different flexing of the wing during the upstroke and constraints by having a wing of feathers and a skin membrane, respectively. Aerodynamically, bats appear to generate a more complex wake than birds. Bats may be more closely adapted for slow maneuvering flight than birds, as required by their aerial hawking foraging habits. The metabolic rate and power required to fly are similar among birds and bats. Both groups share many characteristics associated with flight, such as for example low amounts of DNA in cells, the ability to accumulate fat as fuel for hibernation and migration, and parallel habitat-related wing shape adaptations.
Sociodemographic variables and social values: relationship with work-attendance problems in Brunei public- and private-sector employees

Objective The study investigated the degree to which selected sociodemographic variables and social values were related to work-attendance problems in a random sample of 860 Brunei public- and private-sector employees and the nature of this relationship. Materials and methods This quantitative study used the field-survey approach to administer research instruments directly to participants. This enabled the researchers to help participants who needed assistance in completing the measures properly, so as to increase the number of usable returns. Results Two sociodemographic variables (seeking help from a counselor/psychologist and marital status) correlated significantly with work attendance. Private-sector employees were more likely to have work-attendance problems than government workers. Both single and married employees and the chief wage earner in the household were more likely to have work-attendance issues to deal with compared to their counterparts. However, employees who sought help from a counselor/psychologist were far less likely to have work-attendance problems compared to those who did not get such help. The most significant social-value correlates with work-attendance problems were interpersonal communication, employer–employee relationship, work-stress problems, self-presentation, self-regulation, self-direction, and interpersonal trust. Self-regulation, self-direction, and satisfaction with work-related achievements significantly predicted work-attendance problems positively, while interpersonal communication problems and work-stress problems predicted work-attendance problems negatively. Low scorers on self-regulation and self-direction, as well as on satisfaction with work-related achievements, were more likely to have work-attendance problems compared to high scorers. However, low scorers on interpersonal communication and work-stress problems were less likely to have work-attendance problems compared to high-scoring peers. Conclusion Ample evidence from this study showed that sociodemographic variables and social values contribute to work-attendance problems in various ways, and need to be incorporated in counseling interventions for affected employees.
Center for Policy Research Working Paper No . 60 How Much More Does a Disadvantaged Student Cost ?

This paper provides a guide to statistically based methods for estimating the extra costs of educating disadvantaged students, shows how these methods are related, and compares state aid programs that account for these costs in different ways. We show how pupil weights, which are included in many state aid programs, can be estimated from an education cost equation, which many scholars use to obtain an education cost index. We also devise a method to estimate pupil weights directly. Using data from New York State, we show that the distribution of state aid is similar with either statistically based pupil weights or an educational cost index. Finally, we show that large, urban school districts with a high concentration of disadvantaged students would receive far more aid (and rich suburban districts would receive far less aid) if statistically based pupil weights were used instead of the ad hoc weights in existing state aid programs.
Application of Telemedicine System to Prehospital Medical Control

Objectives Although ambulance-based telemedicine has been reported to be safe and feasible, its clinical usefulness has not been well documented, and different prehospital management systems would yield different results. The authors evaluated the feasibility and usefulness of telemedicine-assisted direct medical control in the Korean emergency medical service system. Methods Twenty ambulances in the Busan area were equipped with a telemedicine system. Three-lead electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and pulse oximetry data from the patient and audiovisual input from the scene were transferred to a server. Consulting physicians used desktop computers and the internet to connect to the server. Both requesting emergency medical service (EMS) providers and consulting physicians were asked to fill out report forms and submit them for analysis. Results In the 41 cases in which telemedicine equipment was used, cellular phones were concomitantly used in 28 cases (68.35%) to compensate for the poor audio quality provided by the equipment. The EMS providers rated the video transmission quality with a 4-point average score (interquartile range [IQR] 2-5) on a 5-point scale, and they rated the biosignal transmission quality as 4 (IQR 3-5). The consulting physicians rated the video quality as 4 (IQR 2.5-4) and the biosignal quality as 4 (IQR 3-4). The physicians' ratings for usefulness for making diagnosis or treatment decisions did not differ significantly in relation to the method of communication used. Conclusions Our study did not find any significant advantage of implementing telemedicine over the use of voice calls in delivering on-line medical control. More user-friendly, smaller devices with clear advantages over voice communication would be required before telemedicine can be successfully implemented in prehospital patient care.
Evaluating the effect of perturbations in reconstructing network topologies

Many different Bayesian network models have been suggested to reconstruct gene expression networks from microarray data. However, little attention has been payed to the effects of small sample size and the stability of the solution. We engage in a systematic investigation of these issues. As a starting point for further research we introduce the κ-network. It is a small Bayesian network model (5 nodes with three states) in which a parameter κ controls the conditional probability distributions of the nodes. With data sampled from this model, we evaluate the effects of different sample sizes and of data being derived from active perturbations on the reconstruction of the origninal network topology.
Frizzled-7 is required for Xenopus heart development

ABSTRACT Wnt signalling regulates cardiogenesis during specification of heart tissue and the morphogenetic movements necessary to form the linear heart. Wnt11-mediated non-canonical signalling promotes early cardiac development whilst Wnt11-R, which is expressed later, also signals through the non-canonical pathway to promote heart development. It is unclear which Frizzled proteins mediate these interactions. Frizzled-7 (fzd7) is expressed during gastrulation in the mesodermal cells fated to become heart, and then in the primary heart field. This expression is complementary to the expression of wnt11 and wnt11-R. We further show co-localisation of fzd7 with other early- and late-heart-specific markers using double in situ hybridisation. We have used loss of function analysis to determine the role of fzd7 during heart development. Morpholino antisense oligonucleotide-mediated knockdown of Fzd7 results in effects on heart development, similar to that caused by Wnt11 loss of function. Surprisingly, overexpression of dominant-negative Fzd7 cysteine rich domain (Fzd7 CRD) results in a cardia bifida phenotype, similar to the loss of wnt11-R phenotype. Overexpression of Fzd7 and activation of non-canonical wnt signalling can rescue the effect of Fzd7 CRD. We propose that Fzd7 has an important role during Xenopus heart development. Summary: Wnt signalling has been shown to be important in heart development. Here, we demonstrate that the wnt receptor fzd7 is required in mediating these Wnt signals.
Exploration technique using potential fields calculated from relaxation methods

The use of relaxation methods for calculation of harmonic potentials has proved to be a powerful technique for path planning in a known environment. We show that this idea can be successfully extended to exploration of unknown environments. The potential is calculated in a partial version of the map, represented on an occupancy grid, and it indicates safe paths towards the unexplored regions. We demonstrate that a complete relaxation of the potential is not necessary to accomplish smooth performances. Furthermore, we discuss the effect of different relaxation methods in the calculation of harmonic potential.
An online self-constructing neural fuzzy inference network and its applications

A self-constructing neural fuzzy inference network (SONFIN) with online learning ability is proposed in this paper. The SONFIN is inherently a modified Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK)-type fuzzy rule-based model possessing neural network learning ability. There are no rules initially in the SONFIN. They are created and adapted as online learning proceeds via simultaneous structure and parameter identification. In the structure identification of the precondition part, the input space is partitioned in a flexible way according to an aligned clustering-based algorithm. As to the structure identification of the consequent part, only a singleton value selected by a clustering method is assigned to each rule initially. Afterwards, some additional significant terms selected via a projection-based correlation measure for each rule will be added to the consequent part incrementally as learning proceeds. The combined precondition and consequent structure identification scheme can set up an economic and dynamically growing network, a main feature of the SONFIN. In the parameter identification, the consequent parameters are tuned optimally by either least mean squares or recursive least squares algorithms and the precondition parameters are tuned by a backpropagation algorithm. To enhance the knowledge representation ability of the SONFIN, a linear transformation for each input variable can be incorporated into the network so that much fewer rules are needed or higher accuracy can be achieved.
An UHF Thermal Coagulator for Achieving Hemostasis During Operations on Parenchymatous Organs

1Privolzhsky District Medical Center of Federal Medico-Biological Agency of Russia, 2 Nizhne-Volzhskaya naberezhnaya St., Nizhny Novgorod, 603001, Russia; 2Federal Research Center Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 46 Ulyanova St., Nizhny Novgorod, 603950, Russia; 3Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod, 603005, Russia
An Indoor Obstacle Detection System Using Depth Information and Region Growth

This study proposes an obstacle detection method that uses depth information to allow the visually impaired to avoid obstacles when they move in an unfamiliar environment. The system is composed of three parts: scene detection, obstacle detection and a vocal announcement. This study proposes a new method to remove the ground plane that overcomes the over-segmentation problem. This system addresses the over-segmentation problem by removing the edge and the initial seed position problem for the region growth method using the Connected Component Method (CCM). This system can detect static and dynamic obstacles. The system is simple, robust and efficient. The experimental results show that the proposed system is both robust and convenient.
Evidence for an intrinsic mechanism regulating heart rate variability in the transplanted and the intact heart during submaximal dynamic exercise?

STUDY OBJECTIVE The aim was to assess the changes in sympatho-vagal balance which occur with exercise. DESIGN The power spectrum of RR interval fluctuations (low frequency [LF] and high frequency components [HF]) was determined before, during, and after graded work load exercise on a cycle ergometer. The power spectrum of the respiratory signal, oxygen consumption, and respiratory volumes were also evaluated. In all subjects HF was considered to be an index of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. In normal subjects HF and LF were considered to be indices of relative vagal and sympathetic activity, respectively, whereas in heart transplant subjects HF was considered as a respiratory modulation of the intrinsic heart rate, and not dependent on autonomic tone. Heart rate variability was evaluated as RR interval variance. SUBJECTS 15 normal subjects (six trained cyclists and nine healthy sedentary subjects) and six orthotopic heart transplant recipients took part in the study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS During the first part of exercise, heart rate increased, RR interval variance decreased, HF decreased, and the relative amount of LF increased both in sedentary and athletic subjects, suggesting a relative increase in sympathetic tone. However, when approaching peak exercise, while heart rate further increased and the variance slightly decreased, the relative proportion of LF decreased and HF proportionally increased. At peak exercise HF accounted for 99.9% of heart rate variability in athletic subjects and for 88.9% in sedentary subjects (p less than 0.001 v baseline and v LF in both groups). In heart transplant subjects both the variance and the HF increased from the beginning of exercise (p less than 0.05), and showed a direct correlation with ventilatory variables and an inverse correlation with heart rate (r = 0.794, p less than 0.001, multiple regression analysis). No measurable LF components could be obtained in these subjects. During recovery, while the heart rate decreased and the RR interval variance increased, there was a relative increase in LF and a relative decrease in HF in normal subjects (either sedentary or athletic). Similarly, in heart transplant subjects, there was a decrease in HF during recovery. Thus the increase in HF at peak exercise in normal subjects contrasts with all the other data which suggest a prevalence in sympathetic tone during the entire exercise and the early recovery period, but appears similar to the increase in HF observed in heart transplant subjects due to the effect of increased ventilation during exercise. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that at peak exercise a non-autonomic mechanism, possibly intrinsic to the heart muscle, may determine heart rate fluctuations in synchrony with ventilation in the intact as well as in the denervated human heart.
Engineering Ontologies using Semantic Patterns

Interoperability is one of the major design objectives when building applications for B2B and Semantic Web applications. In this paper, we present a methodology for engineering semantic knowledge such that these semantic structures are easier reusable when switching between several representation languages. For this purpose, we reconsider the commonalities of representation languages and their usage in actual applications. Out of this consideration we derive semantic patterns as a means to communicate knowledge at an epistemological level of representation and as a means for (partial) execution by any particular implementation of any representation language. The underlying method we propose combines the advantages of formal specification methods (where feasible) with informal, natural language explanations such as used in software engineering for design patterns.