Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Fiber Optic Fabry–Perot Cavity Sensor for the Probing of Oily Samples

A micro-optical Fabry–Perot cavity fabricated by non-linear laser lithography on the endface of a standard telecom fiber is tested here as a microsensor for identifying oily liquids. The device operates within the 1550 nm spectral region, while the spectra recorded in reflection mode correlate to the refractive index of the oily liquids used, as well as, to the diffusion dynamics in the time domain of the oily samples inside the porous photo-polymerized sensing head. The operation of the microresonator sensing probe is explained by using a three-layer Fabry–Perot model and basic diffusion physics to estimate diffusivities for three series of refractive index matching oils with different chemical compositions that had been used in those experiments. The distinct spectro-temporal response of this sensing probe to the different oil samples is demonstrated and discussed.
Fast approximate visible set determination for point sample clouds

We present a fast, efficient method to determine approximate visible sets for vegetation rendered as point sample clouds. A hardware accelerated preprocessing step is used to determine exact visibility for a selected set of views; at runtime the current view is rendered using an approximate visible set constructed from the three closest precalculated views. We will further demonstrate how this method leads to a significant per-frame reduction of the original data size.
SEAL: a logic programming framework for specifying and verifying access control models

We present SEAL, a language for specification and analysis of safety properties for label-based access control systems. A SEAL program represents a possibly infinite-state non-deterministic transition system describing the dynamic behavior of entities and their relevant access control operations. The features of our language are derived directly from the need to model new access control features arising from state-of-the art models in Windows 7, Asbestos, HiStar and others. We show that the reachability problem for this class of models is undecidable even for simple SEAL programs, but a bounded model-checking algorithm is able to validate interesting properties and discover relevant attacks.
Robust nonlinear estimation of varying optical phase

This work presents a robust approach to estimate the continuously varying phase of an optical system. Here we extend the adaptive homodyne estimator scheme by using a nonlinear guaranteed cost robust filter in the feedback loop to improve the estimator performance. The nonlinear robust filter is designed by using a copy of the sector bounded nonlinear uncertainty present in the measurement of the adaptive homodyne estimator. Finally, closed loop simulations considering both linear and nonlinear uncertainty are performed and the results are compared with the standard Kalman filter results. Simulation results show a significant improvement using the nonlinear filter which provides a better choice for the time varying phase estimation problem.
Does Sleep Promote False Memories?

Memory is constructive in nature so that it may sometimes lead to the retrieval of distorted or illusory information. Sleep facilitates accurate declarative memory consolidation but might also promote such memory distortions. We examined the influence of sleep and lack of sleep on the cerebral correlates of accurate and false recollections using fMRI. After encoding lists of semantically related word associates, half of the participants were allowed to sleep, whereas the others were totally sleep deprived on the first postencoding night. During a subsequent retest fMRI session taking place 3 days later, participants made recognition memory judgments about the previously studied associates, critical theme words (which had not been previously presented during encoding), and new words unrelated to the studied items. Sleep, relative to sleep deprivation, enhanced accurate and false recollections. No significant difference was observed in brain responses to false or illusory recollection between sleep and sleep deprivation conditions. However, after sleep but not after sleep deprivation (exclusive masking), accurate and illusory recollections were both associated with responses in the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex. The data suggest that sleep does not selectively enhance illusory memories but rather tends to promote systems-level consolidation in hippocampo-neocortical circuits of memories subsequently associated with both accurate and illusory recollections. We further observed that during encoding, hippocampal responses were selectively larger for items subsequently accurately retrieved than for material leading to illusory memories. The data indicate that the early organization of memory during encoding is a major factor influencing subsequent production of accurate or false memories.
An improved provably secure three-party key exchange protocol

Recently, Chung and Ku showed that the S-3PAKE (simple three-party password-based authenticated key exchange) protocol proposed by Lu and Cao is vulnerable to an impersonation-of-initiator attack, an impersonation-of-responder attack, and a man-in-the-middle attack, and then proposed an enhanced version. Unfortunately, Phan et al. showed that Chung-Ku's protocol still cannot resist two password guessing attacks. In this paper, we propose an improved protocol that can resist password guessing attacks. Furthermore, we offer a formally provable security theorem to evaluate the AKE security of the improved protocol.
Modelling control in generation

In this paper we present a view of natural language generation in which the control structure of the generator is clearly separated from the content decisions made during generation, allowing us to explore and compare different control strategies in a systematic way. Our approach factors control into two components, a 'generation tree' which maps out the relationships between different decisions, and an algorithm for traversing such a tree which determines which choices are actually made. We illustrate the approach with examples of stylistic control and automatic text revision using both generative and empirical techniques. We argue that this approach provides a useful basis for the theoretical study of control in generation, and a framework for implementing generators with a range of control strategies. We also suggest that this approach can be developed into tool for analysing and adapting control aspects of other advanced wide-coverage generation systems.
Kiel Call Pattern Analysis for Functional Logic Programs

This paper presents a new program analysis framework to approximate call patterns and their results in functional logic computations. We consider programs containing non-strict, nondeterministic operations in order to make the analysis applicable to modern functional logic languages like Curry or TOY. For this purpose, we present a new fixpoint characterization of functional logic computations w.r. t. a set of initial calls. We show how programs can be analyzed by approximating this fixpoint. The results of such an approximation have various applications, e.g., program optimization as well as verifying safety properties of programs.
Clustering of Gephyrin at GABAergic but Not Glutamatergic Synapses in Cultured Rat Hippocampal Neurons

The molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment of a postsynaptic receptor mosaic on CNS neurons are poorly understood. One protein thought to be involved is gephyrin, a peripheral membrane protein that binds to the inhibitory glycine receptor and functions in clustering this receptor at synapses in cultured rat spinal cord neurons. We investigated the possible association of gephyrin with synapses in cultured rat hippocampal neurons, where glutamate and GABA but not glycine are the principal transmitters. Gephyrin immunoreactivity was detected in axons as well as dendrites, changing from a predominantly axonal to a more dendritic distribution with time in culture. Gephyrin staining was not distributed uniformly, but always took the form of clusters. Small clusters of gephyrin (0.2 μm2), present throughout development, were distributed widely and not restricted to synaptic sites. Larger clusters of gephyrin (0.4–10.0 μm2, sometimes composed of groups of small clusters), which developed in older cells, were localized to a subset of contacts between axons and dendrites. These large clusters were not present at glutamatergic synapses (marked by immunostaining for GluR1), but were closely associated with GABAergic synapses (marked by immunostaining for GABA and glutamic acid decarboxylase). These results, together with previous findings, suggest that gephyrin may function to anchor GABA and glycine receptors, but not glutamate receptors, at postsynaptic sites on central neurons. They also raise the possibility that gephyrin has additional functions, independent of its role at synapses.
Psychometric evaluation of the Serbian adaptation of the individual entrepreneurial orientation scale

Purpose Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) at the organizational level refers to the process which includes methods, practices and decision-making styles which enhance the company’s approaches to business. At the individual level, EO is assessed using the individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO: Bolton and Lane, 2012) scale, comprising three dimensions: risk-taking, innovativeness and proactiveness. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and further validate the Serbian adaptation of the IEO scale among students. Design/methodology/approach Two independent studies were conducted on total of 685 students from Serbia. In Study 1, participants completed the IEO scale, proactive personality scales, reinforcement sensitivity questionnaire and academic performance questionnaire. In Study 2, participants completed the IEO scale, proactive personality scales, HEXACO-60 and risky-choice decision tasks. Findings Results supported the three-factor structure and satisfactory reliability of the IEO scale and its subscales. Omitting one item from the innovativeness scale led to better model fit, thus resulting in a nine-item solution. Convergent validity correlations were confirmed, showing that each IEO subscale obtained the expected correlations with similar constructs. Research limitations/implications A potential problem with divergent validity is discussed from the aspect of the adequacy of the constructs chosen for its testing. Overall findings indicate that the Serbian adaptation of the IEO scale is a brief instrument with adequate psychometric properties, which makes it suitable for both research and practical purposes. The limitations of the study and the instrument are also highlighted and discussed. Originality/value The study contributes to better understanding of the nature of EO and helps its accurate assessment.
Cosmic mass functions from Gaussian stochastic diffusion processes

Gaussian stochastic diffusion processes are used to derive cosmic mass functions. To get analytic relations previous studies exploited the sharp $k$-space filter assumption yielding zero drift terms in the corresponding Fokker-Planck (Kolmogorov's forward) equation and thus simplifying analytic treatments significantly (excursion set formalism). In the present paper methods are described to derive for given diffusion processes and Gaussian random fields the corresponding mass and filter functions by solving the Kolmogorov's forward and backward equations including nonzero drift terms. This formalism can also be used in cases with non-sharp $k$-space filters and for diffusion processes exhibiting correlations between different mass scales.
ISCoDe: A framework for interest similarity-based community detection in social networks

This paper proposes a framework for node clustering in computerized social networks according to common interests. Communities in such networks are mainly formed by user selection, which may be based on various factors such as acquaintance, social status, educational background. However, such selection may result in groups that have a low degree of similarity. The proposed framework could improve the effectiveness of these social networks by constructing clusters of nodes with higher interest similarity, and thus maximize the benefit that users extract from their participation. The framework is based on methods for detecting communities over weighted graphs, where graph edge weights are defined based on measures of similarity between nodes' interests in certain thematic areas. The capacity of these measures to enhance the sensitivity and resolution of community detection is evaluated with concrete benchmark scenarios over synthetic networks. We also use the framework to assess the level of common interests among sample users of a popular online social application. Our results confirm that clusters formed by user selection have low degrees of similarity; our framework could, hence, be valuable in forming communities with higher coherence of interests.
Vessel Arterial-Venous Plasticity in Adult Neovascularization

Objective Proper arterial and venous specification is a hallmark of functional vascular networks. While arterial-venous identity is genetically pre-determined during embryo development, it is unknown whether an analogous pre-specification occurs in adult neovascularization. Our goal is to determine whether vessel arterial-venous specification in adult neovascularization is pre-determined by the identity of the originating vessels. Methods and Results We assessed identity specification during neovascularization by implanting isolated microvessels of arterial identity from both mice and rats and assessing the identity outcomes of the resulting, newly formed vasculature. These microvessels of arterial identity spontaneously formed a stereotypical, perfused microcirculation comprised of the full complement of microvessel types intrinsic to a mature microvasculature. Changes in microvessel identity occurred during sprouting angiogenesis, with neovessels displaying an ambiguous arterial-venous phenotype associated with reduced EphrinB2 phosphorylation. Conclusions Our findings indicate that microvessel arterial-venous identity in adult neovascularization is not necessarily pre-determined and that adult microvessels display a considerable level of phenotypic plasticity during neovascularization. In addition, we show that vessels of arterial identity also hold the potential to undergo sprouting angiogenesis.
Nitric Oxide Selectively Tunes Inhibitory Synapses to Modulate Vertebrate Locomotion

We have explored the possible modulation by nitric oxide (NO) of inhibitory synaptic transmission mediated by either glycine or GABA during episodes of rhythmic fictive swimming in postembryonicXenopus laevis tadpoles. Extracellular ventral-root recordings suggest a stage-dependent increase in the reliability and extent of the NO donorS-nitroso-n-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP; 0.1–1 mm) to inhibit swimming by reducing the frequency and shortening the duration of swim episodes. These effects of SNAP on the swimming rhythm at both developmental stages are corroborated by intracellular recordings from presumed motor neurons with sharp microelectrodes, which also suggest that NO inhibits swimming by facilitating both glycinergic and GABAergic inhibition. However, we found no evidence for NO modulation of the excitatory drive for swimming. In addition to presynaptic effects on inhibitory transmitter release, a pronounced postsynaptic membrane depolarization (∼5–10 mV) and conductance decrease (∼10–20%) are associated with bath application of SNAP. Hence, NO exerts inhibitory effects on swimming through multiple but selective actions on both the electrical properties of spinal neurons and on particular synaptic interconnections. The presynaptic and postsynaptic effects of NO act in concert to tune inhibitory synapses.
Channel selection and feature extraction for cognitive state estimation with the variation of brain signal

Cognitive state estimation with the variation of physiological signal has drawn extensive attention from disciplines such as psychology, cognitive science and engineering. In this paper, we present a cognitive state classification system to assess the subject's mental states based on EEG measurements. The cognitive state estimator is utilized in the context of an augmented cognition system that aims to enhance the cognitive performance of a human user through computer-mediated assistance based on EEG. This paper focuses on the channel selection of the BIOPAC automated EEG analysis and feature extraction based on spectral analysis. Different frequency components (i) real value; (ii) imaginary value; (iii) magnitude; (iv) phase angle and (v) power spectral density of the EEG data samples in different mental conditions are selected for the estimation of cognitive states. In this approach seven types of cognitive states such as - relax, mental task, memory related task, motor action, pleasant, fear, and enjoying music are selected for feature extraction in the three channels - EEG, Alpha, and Alpha RMS of BIOPAC EEG data acquisition system. After feature extraction the channel efficacy are evaluated by support vector machine (SVM) which is based on the classification rate in different cognitive states. From experimental results and classification accuracy, it can be determined that alpha channel can be selected for cognitive state estimation. The overall accuracy for alpha channel shows much improved result for power spectral density and the classification rate is 69.17% whereas for EEG and alpha RMS channel it is found 47.22% and 32.21% respectively.
A Comparison of the Marginal and Internal Fit of Cobalt- Chromium Copings Fabricated by Two Different CAD/CAM Systems (CAD/ Milling, CAD/ Ceramill Sintron)

Statement of the Problem: Marginal fitness is the most important criteria for evaluation of the clinical acceptability of a cast restoration. Marginal gap which is due to cement solubility and plaque retention is potentially detrimental to both tooth and periodontal tissues. Purpose: This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the marginal and internal fit of cobalt- chromium (Co-Cr) copings fabricated by two different CAD/CAM systems: (CAD/ milling and CAD/ Ceramill Sintron). Materials and Method: We prepared one machined standard stainless steel master model with following dimensions: 7 mm height, 5mm diameter, 90˚ shoulder marginal finish line with 1 mm width, 10˚ convergence angle and anti-rotational surface on the buccal aspect of the die. There were 10 copings produced from hard presintered Co-Cr blocks according to CAD/ Milling technique and ten copings from soft non- presintered Co-Cr blocks according to CAD/ Ceramill Sintron technique. Marginal and internal accuracies of copings were documented by the replica technique. Replicas were examined at ten reference points under a digital microscope (230X). The Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. p< 0.001 was considered significant. Results: Statistically significant differences existed between the groups (p< 0.001). The CAD/milling group (hard copings) had a mean marginal discrepancy (MD) of 104 µm, axial discrepancy (AD) of 23 µm and occlusal discrepancy of 130 µm. For CAD/ Ceramill Sintron group, these values were 195 µm (MD), 46 µm (AD), and 232 µm (OD). Internal total discrepancy (ITD) for the CAD/milling group was 77 µm, whereas for the CAD/Ceramill Sintron group was 143 µm. Conclusion: Hard presintered Co-Cr copings had significantly higher marginal and internal accuracies compared to the soft non-presintered copings.
Consumption Smoothing and Household Responses: Evidence from Random Exogenous Health Shocks

Endogeneity in the health-wealth relationship is one of the biggest challenges in studying the causal effect of health on household consumption, wealth and labor responses. Using a novel study design, I present new evidence of causal effects of health shocks on consumption smoothing, household assets and debt. The empirical strategy relies on exogenous health shocks suffered as passengers injured in bus accidents, with "controls" drawn from travelers on the same bus routes, matched on age, gender and residential area. The matching strategy ensures that the exogenous health shocks from the bus accident are random, conditional upon matching. Using data from my household survey conducted one year after the accidents, I find evidence of imperfect consumption smoothing and large effects on household debt. Debt was the principal mechanism used by households to mitigate effects of the shock. The shock related expenses, equal on average to two months of household income, caused exposed households to reduce educational expenditures by roughly 20% and festival expenses by 9%. I find that the odds of having debt among exposed households were five times higher and the average size of debt was almost twice as much compared to the unexposed.
Not-So-Latent Dirichlet Allocation: Collapsed Gibbs Sampling Using Human Judgments

Probabilistic topic models are a popular tool for the unsupervised analysis of text, providing both a predictive model of future text and a latent topic representation of the corpus. Recent studies have found that while there are suggestive connections between topic models and the way humans interpret data, these two often disagree. In this paper, we explore this disagreement from the perspective of the learning process rather than the output. We present a novel task, tag-and-cluster, which asks subjects to simultaneously annotate documents and cluster those annotations. We use these annotations as a novel approach for constructing a topic model, grounded in human interpretations of documents. We demonstrate that these topic models have features which distinguish them from traditional topic models.
A Comparative Analysis of Window Width Selection Technique in Data Envelopment Analysis

The aim of this paper is to develop a methodology for the selection of window width in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Analytical hierarchal process (AHP) is employed to achieve that purpose. Using panel data, the selected width is experimented with factual data, and results show robustness to efficiency assessment. This paper is the first to use AHP approach in the selection of a window width in DEA window analysis.
Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns, In Vitro Production of Virulence Factors, and Evaluation of Diagnostic Modalities for the Speciation of Pathogenic Candida from Blood Stream Infections and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Candida spp. have emerged as successful pathogens in both invasive and mucosal infections. Varied virulence factors and growing resistance to antifungal agents have contributed to their pathogenicity. We studied diagnostic accuracy of HiCrome Candida Differential Agar and Vitek 2 Compact system for identification of Candida spp. in comparison with species-specific PCR on 110 clinical isolates of Candida from blood stream infections (54, 49%) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (56, 51%). C. albicans (61%) was the leading pathogen in VVC, while C. tropicalis (46%) was prominent among BSIs. HiCrome Agar and Vitek 2 Compact had good measures of agreement (κ) 0.826 and 0.895, respectively, in comparison with PCR. We also tested these isolates for in vitro production of proteinase, esterase, phospholipases, and biofilms. Proteinase production was more among invasive isolates (P = 0.017), while phospholipase production was more among noninvasive isolates (P = 0.001). There was an overall increase in the production of virulence factors among non-albicans Candida. Identification of clinical isolates of Candida up to species level either by chromogenic agar or by Vitek 2 Compact system should be routinely done to choose appropriate therapy.