Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conceptual Open Hypermedia = The Semantic Web?

The Semantic Web is still a web, a collection of linked nodes. Navigation of links is currently, and will remain for humans if not machines, a key mechanism for exploring the space. The Semantic Web is viewed by many as a knowledge base, a database or an indexed and searchable document collection; in the work discussed here we view it as a hypertext. The aim of the COHSE project is to research into methods to improve significantly the quality, consistency and breadth of linking of Web documents at retrieval time (as readers browse the documents) and authoring time (as authors create the documents). The objective is link creation rather than resource discovery; in contrast, many existing projects are concerned primarily with the discovery of resources (reading), rather than the construction of hypertexts (authoring). The project plans to produce a COHSE (Conceptual Open Hypermedia ServicE) by integrating an ontological reasoning service with a Web-based Open Hypermedia link service. This will form a Conceptual Hypermedia system enabling documents to be linked via metadata describing their contents. The bringing together of Open Hypermedia and Ontology services can be seen as one particular implementation of the Semantic Web. Here we briefly present open and conceptual hypermedia, and introduce the architecture being employed within the COHSE project, and the prototype COHSE platform we have developed. We present the questions that we now plan to address that surround the Semantic Web when viewed from the perspective of a hypertext for people.
Traffic Simulation Framework

In the paper, a software Traffic Simulation Framework is presented. This is an advanced tool for simulating and investigating real vehicular traffic in cities. The software is being developed for few years by the author of the paper and gained recognition and popularity among scientists all over the world. It can be used for conducting advanced experiments related to predicting, managing and optimizing vehicular traffic in cities. The paper introduces cellular automaton-based simulation model, TSF Model, inspired by well-known Nagel-Schreckenberg Model for simulating vehicular traffic on highways. The TSF Model was implemented as a core simulation engine in the TSF software. The paper also presents software's main features, functionalities, recently introduced improvements, plans for the further development and summarizes its previous applications.
Recognizing facial expressions using novel motion based features

This paper introduces two novel motion based features for recognizing human facial expressions. The proposed motion features are applied for recognizing facial expressions from a video sequence. The proposed bag-of-words based scheme represents each frame of a video sequence as a vector depicting local motion patterns during a facial expression. The local motion patterns are captured by an efficient derivation from optical flow. Motion features are clustered and stored as words in a dictionary. We further generate a reduced dictionary by ranking the words based on some ambiguity measure. We prune out the ambiguous words and continue with key words in the reduced dictionary. The ambiguity measure is given by applying a graph-based technique, where each word is represented as a node in the graph. Ambiguity measures are obtained by modelling the frequency of occurrence of the word during the expression. We form expression descriptors for each expression from the reduced dictionary, by applying an efficient kernel. The training of the expression descriptors are made following an adaptive learning technique. We tested the proposed approach with standard dataset. The proposed approach shows better accuracy compared to the state-of-the-art.
Play Behavior in a Discovery-based and a Formal-Education Preschool Program

JOHNSON, JAMES E. ; ERSHLER, JOAN; and BELL, COLLEEN. Play Behavior in a Discovery-based and a Formal-Education Preschool Program. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1980, 51, 271-274. Play behaviors of 17 children enrolled in a discovery-based preschool program and 18 children in a formal program within a university center were observed over 11 weeks for 20 1-min observations. Analyses revealed more constructive play and more transformations during symbolic play occurring within the formal program. Functional play and unoccupied and onlooker activities were more prevalent in the discovery program. However, the social level of play was the same in both programs. Analysis also revealed that girls engaged in more constructive play and boys in more functional play. Age-related findings on symbolic play transformations were consistent with previous laboratory studies, and the finding that parallel but not solitary play was negatively correlated with age supports recent reports that the former may represent the less mature form of play. Results suggest that the theoretical foundation upon which a program is based can influence young children's play behavior in a preschool setting.
Automated generation of curved planar reformations from MR images of the spine

A novel method for automated curved planar reformation (CPR) of magnetic resonance (MR) images of the spine is presented. The CPR images, generated by a transformation from image-based to spine-based coordinate system, follow the structural shape of the spine and allow the whole course of the curved anatomy to be viewed in individual cross-sections. The three-dimensional (3D) spine curve and the axial vertebral rotation, which determine the transformation, are described by polynomial functions. The 3D spine curve passes through the centres of vertebral bodies, while the axial vertebral rotation determines the rotation of vertebrae around the axis of the spinal column. The optimal polynomial parameters are obtained by a robust refinement of the initial estimates of the centres of vertebral bodies and axial vertebral rotation. The optimization framework is based on the automatic image analysis of MR spine images that exploits some basic anatomical properties of the spine. The method was evaluated on 21 MR images from 12 patients and the results provided a good description of spine anatomy, with mean errors of 2.5 mm and 1.7° for the position of the 3D spine curve and axial rotation of vertebrae, respectively. The generated CPR images are independent of the position of the patient in the scanner while comprising both anatomical and geometrical properties of the spine.
On Actively Teaching the Crowd to Classify

Is it possible to teach workers while crowdsourcing classification tasks? Amongst the challenges: (a) workers have different (unknown) skills, competence, and learning rate to which the teaching must be adapted, (b) feedback on the workers’ progress is limited, (c) we may not have informative features for our data (otherwise crowdsourcing may be unnecessary). We propose a natural Bayesian model of the workers, modeling them as a learning entity with an initial skill, competence, and dynamics. We then show how a teaching system can exploit this model to interactively teach the workers. Our model uses feedback to adapt the teaching process to each worker, based on priors over hypotheses elicited from the crowd. Our experiments carried out on both simulated workers and real image annotation tasks on Amazon Mechanical Turk show the effectiveness of crowd-teaching systems.
A Fast Phase Tracking ADPLL for Video Pixel Clock Generation in 65 nm CMOS Technology

A phase-locked loop (PLL) for analog video RGB signal acquisition interface requires precise clock generation from a very noisy and low-frequency horizontal synchronization signal (HSYNC). In such applications, the frequency multiplication ratio is always larger than 800 and can be up to over 2600. The output pixel clock has to be phase aligned to the HSYNC. Otherwise, the displayed image will become blurry. A fast phase tracking all-digital PLL (ADPLL) for video pixel clock generation in a 65 nm CMOS technology is presented in this paper. In the proposed ADPLL, the digital loop filter eliminates the reference clock jitter effects and then the period jitter of the output pixel clock can be reduced. A time-to-digital converter (TDC) and a delta-sigma modulator (DSM) are used to perform the fast phase tracking, and the tracking jitter is controlled at less than one-third of the output pixel clock period. As compared to prior studies, the proposed ADPLL does not require an extra external oscillator to overcome the reference clock jitter effects. Thus, it has a small chip area and low power consumption, and is well-suited to video pixel clock generation applications in 65 nm CMOS process.
False‐positive prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18 by interphase FISH: hybridization of chromosome 18 alpha‐satellite probe (D18Z1) to chromosome 2

Amniocentesis was done on a 39-year-old woman at 16 weeks of gestation for rapid prenatal screen (chromosomes 13, 18, 21) and chromosome analysis. The indication was an increased risk of trisomy based on a first trimester combined fetal ultrasound biometry and maternal blood serum screening. Spreads for interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were directly prepared from uncultured amniocytes. Spreads for conventional cytogenetic analysis and metaphase FISH analysis were prepared from in situ cultured amniocytes and from parental blood lymphocytes. For interphase FISH analysis, a selection of DNA probes included in the AneuVysion Multicolor Probe Panel (Abbott Molecular, Downers Grove, IL, USA) was used: locus-specific probes for chromosomes 13 (RB1 gene) and 21 (microsatellites D21S259, D21S341 and D21S342), and alpha-satellite-specific probe for chromosome 18 (D18Z1). For metaphase FISH analysis, the D18Z1 probe, a probe specific for the BCL2 gene on 18q21 (LSI IGH/BCL2 Dual Color Dual Fusion Translocation Probe Set, Abbott Molecular) and whole chromosome painting (WCP) probes for chromosomes 2 and 18 (Applied Spectral Imaging, Migdal Haemek, Israel) were used. Hybridizations and post-hybridization washes were done according to the manufacturers’ recommendations. A minimum of 50 interphases or 11 metaphases were analyzed for each probe mixture. At interphase FISH analysis of uncultured amniocytes, a normal signal pattern was observed for chromosomes 13 and 21. An abnormal pattern corresponding to three signals, of which one was smaller/weaker than the other two signals, was observed for the D18Z1 probe (Figure 1A). A diagnosis of trisomy 18 was reported based on these findings. The parents chose to continue the pregnancy and a healthy boy was born at 39 weeks, 4 days with Apgar 9-10-10.
Transition-mode dimmable LED driver for illumination applications

A transition-mode (TM) dimmable high brightness light-emitting-diode (LED) driver for general and residential illumination applications is presented. An improved pulse-width modulation dimming technique utilizing a low cost micro-controller is studied and implemented with a current-regulated LED drive. Under universal input voltage operation, high power factor and high efficiency can be achieved by a coupled inductor flyback converter, regulated by a TM power-factor-correction controller. The operation principles of the proposed LED driver will be discussed and evaluated. A laboratory prototype is also designed and tested for verification.
miRseqViewer: multi-panel visualization of sequence, structure and expression for analysis of microRNA sequencing data

SUMMARY Deep sequencing of small RNAs has become a routine process in recent years, but no dedicated viewer is as yet available to explore the sequence features simultaneously along with secondary structure and gene expression of microRNA (miRNA). We present a highly interactive application that visualizes the sequence alignment, secondary structure and normalized read counts in synchronous multipanel windows. This helps users to easily examine the relationships between the structure of precursor and the sequences and abundance of final products and thereby will facilitate the studies on miRNA biogenesis and regulation. The project manager handles multiple samples of multiple groups. The read alignment is imported in BAM file format. Implemented features comprise sorting, zooming, highlighting, editing, filtering, saving, exporting, etc. Currently, miRseqViewer supports 84 organisms whose annotation is available at miRBase. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION miRseqViewer, implemented in Java, is available at https://github.com/insoo078/mirseqviewer or at http://msv.kobic. re.kr. CONTACT sanghyuk@ewha.ac. kr.
Repair for Distributed Storage Systems in Packet Erasure Networks

Reliability is essential for storing files in many applications of distributed storage systems. To maintain reliability, when a storage node fails, a new node should be regenerated by a repair process. Most of the previous results on the repair problem assume perfect (error-free) links in the networks. However, in practice, especially in a wireless network, the transmitted packets (for repair) may be lost due to, e.g., link failure or buffer overflow. We study the repair problem of distributed storage systems in packet erasure networks, where a packet loss is modeled as an erasure. The minimum repair-bandwidth, namely the amount of information sent from the surviving nodes to the new node, is established under the ideal assump- tion of infinite number of packet transmissions. We also study the bandwidth-storage tradeoffs in erasure networks. Then, the use of repairing storage nodes (nodes with smaller storage space) is proposed to reduce the repair- bandwidth. We study the minimal storage of repairing storage nodes. For the case of a finite number of packet transmissions, the probability of successful repairing is investigated. We show that the repair with a finite number of packet transmissions may use much larger bandwidth than the minimum repair-bandwidth. Finally, we propose a combinatorial optimization problem, which results in the optimal repair-bandwidth for the given packet erasure probability and finite packet transmissions.
Self-Transcendence, Time Perspective, and Prosocial Behavior

This study examines the hypothesis that different types of prosocial behaviors are motivated by different ways of fulfilling the need to relate to life beyond one's self. Lifton's (1973, 1976) theory of symbolic immortality is used to generate predictions concerning relations between differences in the ways individuals express this need and differences in the frequency of various types of prosocial behaviors. In the study, 482 adult respondents in the Baton Rouge community filled out a questionnaire measuring their symbolic immortality needs and their time perspective, and estima ting the frequency with which they engage in a variety of prosocial and asocial behaviors. A factor analysis of the social behavior data revealed five prosocial factors (peace activism, nominal donors, proximal donors, family communication, and family security), and two asocial factors (nonconformist pleasure seeking, and illegal behaviors). Multiple regression analyses indicated that the motivational bases of these social behavior factors were quite different. However, the "nature mode" of symbolic immortality (e.g., identification with nature) was related to all five prosocial factors and none of the asocial factors. The results are discussed in terms of current research on prosocial behavior and applications to motivating volunteers in social organizations.
Assessment of phosphamidon‐induced apoptosis in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells: Protective effects of N‐acetylcysteine and curcumin

The molecular mechanism for noncholinergic toxicity of phosphamidon, an extensively used organophosphate pesticide, is still not clear. The aim of the present study is to find the possible molecular mechanism of this pesticide to induce apoptosis and the role of different drugs for attenuation of such effects. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were incubated with increasing concentrations of phosphamidon (0–20 μM) for 6–24 h. The MTT assay reveals that phosphamidon induces cytotoxicity in a dose‐dependent manner. Cellular glutathione (GSH) is depleted in a dose‐dependent manner from 55% to 70% at concentrations between 10 and 20 μM. The percentage of cells that bind to Annexin‐V, which is a representative of cells either undergoing apoptosis or necrosis during 24 h incubation, increases in a dose‐dependent manner. Above 5 μM, significant necrosis of cells was observed. DNA fragmentation assay revealed that at low concentration of phosphamidon (1 μM), no appreciable change in DNA fragmentation was seen; however, distinct fragmentation was observed beyond 2.5 μM. Phosphamidon was found to cause significant depletion of GSH, which correlates well with the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis. An increasing trend in levels of cytochrome c was observed with increasing concentration of phosphamidon, indicating that the apoptotic effect of phosphamidon is mediated through cytochrome c release. Coadministration of the antioxidants N‐acetylcysteine and curcumin attenuated phosphamidon‐induced apoptosis. This further supports our hypothesis that oxidative stress, as indicated by GSH depletion, results in the induction of apoptosis by release of cytochrome c. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 24:286–292, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.20337
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Bone Engineering for Bone Regeneration

Many people worldwide suffer from bone defects due to trauma or disease. About 5-10% of football injury-related bone fractures, in addition to bone tumor resection and massive traumatic bone loss result in critical–sized bone defects that cannot regenerate autonomously (Cattermole et al., 1996; Low et al., 2004; Reuss et al., 2007 as cited in Porter et al., 2009). Usually small bone defects heal spontaneously but large defects cannot regenerate without intervention. There are several options for the reconstruction of large bone defects that include bone grafts (autograft, allograft and xenograft) as well as bone constructs created by bone tissue engineering principles. Among these different strategies, bone grafts from healthy donors have been used as therapies for decades, but nowadays they are used less due to inherent limitations associated with their application. For example, autografts are usually obtained from the iliac crest (Porter et al., 2009) and have been used in clinics for a long time. However some disadvantages, including supply limitation, risk of donor site morbidity, pain, paresthesia, hematoma and inflammation, as well as the need for prolonged rehabilitation (For review see Heary et al., 2002; Krelow et al., 2007; Maddela et al., 2010; Nakajima et al., 2007) limit their applications. Allografts, on the other hand, are the other option that may be chosen for bone defect regeneration. This type of bone graft can be derived from viable or sterilized non-viable (cadaver) human sources. Orthopedic allografts exhibit certain drawbacks by transmitting donor pathogens to the recipient body and triggering host immune responses (For review see Hou et al., 2005 and Nishida et al., 2008). Xenografts obtained from nonhuman sources may be considered as the other alternative for reconstructing bone defects, but this is a last resort which may be taken because it is not an approved option in transplantation, owing to the obvious risk of viral and disease transmission, infection, toxicity and immunogenicity as well as rejection by the recipient’s body (For review see Laurencin et al., 2008; Yang et al., 2007). Concerns associated with applications of bone graft for critical size bone defects have challenged scientists to search for suitable options. Attempts to replace appropriate substitutes for bone graft have resulted in opening a new window in modern regenerative biomedicine and the emergence of bone constructs elaborated by tissue engineering principles. The term tissue engineering is defined as the application of the principles and
Human gait phase recognition based on thigh movement computed using IMUs

Human gait analysis is a major topic in pedestrian navigation and geriatric care. Identifying gait phases is important in using human gait for pedestrian navigation and tracking. Most of existing gait phase identification techniques use multiple sensor modules attached to each section of the lower body. This paper discusses the feasibility of recognizing gait phases using a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed in a trouser pocket of the subject. The movement of the thigh is computed by fusing accelerometer and the gyroscopic data gathered from the of the IMU. Experimental results indicated that most of the major gait phases such as Initial Contact, Load Response, Mid Stance, Terminal Stance, Pre-Swing and Swing, can be identified by the movement of one thigh tracked by an IMU. It was also noted that the movement of the offside leg can also be estimated from the fused IMU data. This paper presents a method to recognize all major phases of human stride cycle during walking from movement of one thigh.
Why Do Firms Train? Empirical Evidence on the Relationship between Training and Technological and Organizational Change

We explore the relationship between training and innovation using key insights from the resource‐based approach, organizational learning and labour studies. By using data from 304 large enterprises in Italy, the study highlights a twofold role of training in favouring technological and organizational changes. First, training plays a role in allowing the acquisition and the assimilation of new knowledge. Consequently, firms in which the provision of training is part of a bundle of high‐performance management practices are more likely to undertake technological and organizational changes and to develop new competencies internally. Second, training supports firms in the assimilation of technological and organizational changes. Consequently, firms that undertake these changes exhibit a superior participation rate for employees and greater time intensity of their training programmes. Firms' inclination to develop new competencies internally does not affect, however, the intensity of training, thereby suggesting that organizational learning processes do not start by a broad involvement of employees in formalized training programmes.
Hardware Implementation Analysis for Digital Filters

An elaborate analysis for various hardware implementations of digital filters is presented in this paper. A bit-true model of a sample digital filter is extracted from simulation based on the effects of finite word-length arithmetic. According to the extracted implementation parameters, four different hardware implementation methods are explored and compared. The bit-true model is described in Verilog HDL for the four different methods: fully combinational, word-serial, bit-serial and combinational-sequential. The implemented modules are tested with a self-checking test-bench that reads the extracted test cases from MATLAB bit-true model, applies them to the hardware model, and checks the output for equivalence. Also, the developed models are synthesized for 0.35 μm CMOS ASIC library and VirtexII Pro FPGA devices. According to the synthesis results, wordserial and fully-combinational methods bear less implementation area and delay complexities, respectively. The other methods compromise between hardware implementation constraints such as area and delay.