Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Digital Signal Processing by Virtual Instrumentation of a MEMS Magnetic Field Sensor for Biomedical Applications

We present a signal processing system with virtual instrumentation of a MEMS sensor to detect magnetic flux density for biomedical applications. This system consists of a magnetic field sensor, electronic components implemented on a printed circuit board (PCB), a data acquisition (DAQ) card, and a virtual instrument. It allows the development of a semi-portable prototype with the capacity to filter small electromagnetic interference signals through digital signal processing. The virtual instrument includes an algorithm to implement different configurations of infinite impulse response (IIR) filters. The PCB contains a precision instrumentation amplifier, a demodulator, a low-pass filter (LPF) and a buffer with operational amplifier. The proposed prototype is used for real-time non-invasive monitoring of magnetic flux density in the thoracic cage of rats. The response of the rat respiratory magnetogram displays a similar behavior as the rat electromyogram (EMG).
Evaluation of the parameterization‐simulation‐optimization approach for the control of reservoir systems

Most common methods used in optimal control of reservoir systems require a large number of control variables, which are typically the sequences of releases from all reservoirs and for all time steps of the control period. In contrast, the less widespread parameterization‐simulation‐optimization (PSO) method is a low‐dimensional method. It uses a handful of control variables, which are parameters of a simple rule that is valid through the entire control period and determines the releases from different reservoirs at each time step. The parameterization of the rule is linked to simulation of the reservoir system, which enables the calculation of a performance measure of the system for given parameter values, and nonlinear optimization, which enables determination of the optimal parameter values. To evaluate the PSO method and, particularly, to investigate whether the radical reduction of the number of control variables might lead to inferior solutions or not, we compare it to two alternative methods. These methods, namely, the high‐dimensional perfect foresight method and the simplified “equivalent reservoir” method that merges the reservoir system into a single hypothetical reservoir, determine “benchmark” performance measures for the comparison. The comparison is done both theoretically and by investigation of the results of the PSO against the benchmark methods in a large variety of test problems. Forty‐one test problems for a hypothetical system of two reservoirs are constructed and solved for comparison. These refer to different objectives (maximization of reliable yield, minimization of cost, maximization of energy production), water uses (irrigation, water supply, energy production), characteristics of the reservoir system and hydrological scenarios. The investigation shows that PSO yields solutions that are not inferior to those of the benchmark methods and, simultaneously, it has several theoretical, computational, and practical advantages.
Automatic View Recognition for Cardiac Ultrasound Images

Ultrasound images of the heart can be taken from many differe nt angles. Diagnostic analysis of these images requires recog nizin the pose of the heart so that important cardiac structures can be identified . We are concerned with the problem of automatically classifying cardiac ultr asound images with respect to what view of the heart they contain. Our solution t o this problem has two novel aspects: first, a hierarchical classifier is con structed to classify an unknown view into corresponding windows, and then furthe r classify it into one of the respective subclasses in the window; second, a sim ple dimension reduction approach is used to compress the information of ma ny image features and to enhance the classification accuracy. Experiments on r ecognizing apical two-chamber, apical four-chamber, parasternal long axis a nd parasternal short axis views demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Emotion recognition from speech signal using epoch parameters

This paper proposes epoch parameters extracted from LP (Linear Prediction) residual and zero frequency filtered speech signal for recognising the emotions present in speech. Instant of glottal closure within pitch period of LP residual is known as an 'epoch'. The significant excitation of vocal tract usually takes place at the instant of glottal closure. In this paper the epoch parameters namely strength of epoch, instantaneous frequency, sharpness of epochs, slope of strength of epochs are used as features for classification of emotions. These features are extracted from the glottal closure region of LP residual. For analysing emotion recognition, using the proposed epoch parameters, actor recorded Telugu database (IITKGP-Simulated Emotion Speech Corpus) and Berlin emotional database are used. In the study we have considered six emotions namely anger, disgust, fear, happy, neutral and sadness. Gaussian mixture models and support vector machines are used for developing the models. Average emotion recognition of 61% and 58% is observed respectively for the above models.
The Effect of Self-Assessment on Achievement in Writing in English

The “learning autonomy,” which is believed to have positive effects on learning processes, is achieved when learners have the responsibility to make decisions in their own learning process. In order for individuals to have learner autonomy, the individual must be able to decide which methods and techniques to use in the learning process, to follow their own learning process, and to arrive at realistic assessments for their own learning situation. In the literature, the evaluation of one’s own learning process and products is called “self-assessment. ” Self-assessment is expressed as having a positive contribution to one’s own learning processes. The main aim of this study is to investigate the effects of self-assessment on the English writing skills of non-native students. The research was conducted at a state university in Ankara in B1 level, beginning at the second semester of the academic year 2014-2015 and lasted for eight weeks. The study used a pretest - posttest control group design. The required data for the research were collected by pretest and posttest English Writing Tasks, a scoring rubric, and an interview form developed by the researcher. Analysis of the data obtained from the pretest and posttest was carried out by two-way ANOVA for mixed measures, while content analysis method was conducted in order to analyze the data obtained from the interviews. As a result of the research, it has been concluded that writing lessons in which students practice self-assessment are more effective in improving the writing skills of students than writing lessons conducted by traditional means
LexStat: Automatic Detection of Cognates in Multilingual Wordlists

In this paper, a new method for automatic cognate detection in multilingual wordlists will be presented. The main idea behind the method is to combine different approaches to sequence comparison in historical linguistics and evolutionary biology into a new framework which closely models the most important aspects of the comparative method. The method is implemented as a Python program and provides a convenient tool which is publicly available, easily applicable, and open for further testing and improvement. Testing the method on a large gold standard of IPA-encoded wordlists showed that its results are highly consistent and outperform previous methods.
Qsr 1 p , a 60 S Ribosomal Subunit Protein , is Required for Joining of 40 S and 60 S Subunits

QSR1 is a recently discovered, essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene, which encodes a 60S ribosomal subunit protein. Thirty-one unique temperature-sensitive alleles of QSR1 were generated by regional codon randomization within a conserved 20-amino-acid sequence of the QSR1-encoded protein. The temperaturesensitive mutants arrest as viable, large, unbudded cells 24 to 48 h after a shift to 37°C. Polysome and ribosomal subunit analysis by velocity gradient centrifugation of lysates from temperature-sensitive qsr1 mutants and from cells in which Qsr1p was depleted by down regulation of an inducible promoter revealed the presence of half-mer polysomes and a large pool of free 60S subunits that lack Qsr1p. In vitro subunit-joining assays and analysis of a mutant conditional for the synthesis of Qsr1p demonstrate that 60S subunits devoid of Qsr1p are unable to join with 40S subunits whereas 60S subunits that contain either wild-type or mutant forms of the protein are capable of subunit joining. The defective 60S subunits result from a reduced association of mutant Qsr1p with 60S subunits. These results indicate that Qsr1p is required for ribosomal subunit joining.
Threshold Certificate-Based Encryption: Definition and Concrete Construction

Certificate-based encryption (CBE) is a new paradigm which overcomes the shortcomings of traditional public-key encryption and identity based encryption. CBE provides an efficient implicit certificate mechanism to eliminate third-party queries for the certificate status and to simplify the certificate revocation problem. Therefore, CBE can be used to construct an efficient PKI requiring fewer infrastructures. In addition, it also solves the key escrow and key distribution problem inherent in IBE. In this paper, we introduce a new notion called Threshold Certificate-Based Encryption (TCBE) to overcome the limitations of CBE due to the using of sole master key in the system. It preserves the advantages of CBE such as implicit certificate and no private key escrow. At the same time it also inherits the properties of threshold encryption. We first formalize the definition and security model for TCBE. Then we construct a concrete TCBE scheme which is CCA-secure in the standard model.
Limiting Home Visiting Effects: Maternal Depression as a Moderator of Child Maltreatment

OBJECTIVE: To test, with a sample of adolescent mothers (16–20 at childbirth) and their first-born infants/toddlers (average age 1 year), whether the impact of a home visiting (HV) child maltreatment prevention program was moderated by maternal depression. METHODS: The study design was a randomized controlled trial of Healthy Families Massachusetts, a statewide child maltreatment prevention program. A total of 707 first-time mothers were randomly assigned to the HV or control group. The HV group received visits from paraprofessional home visitors. Mothers in the control group were referred to other service providers. The outcome variable consisted of state Child Protective Services reports of child abuse and neglect (mother or other person as perpetrator). Maternal depression was assessed by maternal report (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression questionnaire). RESULTS: A considerable proportion of families had child maltreatment reports (30% of sample) and maternal depression (38% had clinically significant symptoms). Most maltreatment was neglect. Among control group mothers, reports of maltreatment did not vary according to depressive symptoms. For HV mothers, probability of reports varied with levels of depressive symptoms. Nonsymptomatic HV mothers were less likely to have a child who was reported for maltreatment compared with HV mothers who endorsed clinical levels of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of maternal depressive symptoms in this sample, and the link between depression and child maltreatment prevention program effectiveness, suggest that home visitors be alert to maternal depression. Programs also should be aware of possible surveillance effects related to maternal depression.
Investigation: Use of electrocardiogram as a biometric over longer time period

ECG based biometric is a recent topic of research. Many researchers have proved that ECG can be used as a biometric for person identification. ECG is time variant signal. This paper presents an analysis on the possibility to use electrocardiogram as a biometric over a longer time period. Data used during the experimentation is recorded from two different subjects, within thirty six months. Lead II signal is used for the analysis purpose. One sample from the recording of each of the two subjects is considered as an enrolled database and the remaining samples are used for the testing purpose. Analysis is made using discrete wavelet transform, which showed the accuracy of more than 91% to conclude that the ECG signals are sufficiently distinct for an individual. ECG as a biometric has an advantage as it checks the aliveness of an individual and the possibility of falsification can be removed.
Photobox: on the design of a slow technology

We describe the design and implementation of Photobox, a device intended to be used over many years, which occasionally prints a randomly selected photo from the owner's Flickr collection inside of a wooden chest. We describe and reflect on how engaging in the design of this slow technology [5] led to some unexpected challenges and provoked us to re-think approaches to making technologies that are intended to be used over long time scales and which might act infrequently. We also reflect on how living with the device during the implementation phase led to unexpected insights. We conclude with implications for research and practice in the slow technology design space.
TRO equivalent algebras

In this work we study a new equivalence relation between w* closed algebras of operators on Hilbert spaces. The algebras A and B are called TRO equivalent if there exists a ternary ring of operators M (i.e. MM*M\subset M) such that A is the w*-closed span of M*BM and B is the w*-closed span of MAM*. We prove that two reflexive algebras are TRO equivalent if and only if there exists a * isomorphism between the commutants of their diagonals mapping the invariant projection lattice of the first algebra onto the lattice of the second one. We explore some consequences of TRO equivalence for CSL algebras. We also prove that TRO equivalence is stronger than "spatial Morita equivalence". Two CSL algebras are "spatially Morita equivalent" if and only if their lattices are isomorphic. In this case if one of them is synthetic then so is the other.
Design and evaluation of gesture interface of an immersive walk-through application for exploring cyberspace

The authors have developed an application of a full-body, noncontact gesture interface for exploring cyberspace that provides immersive walk-through and information accessing capabilities. The VisTA-walk system is designed for use at museum exhibitions where easy, durable, and pleasurable user interface is preferable. It uses a large projection screen for immersive cyberspace presentation. VisTA-walk allows the user to walk through "virtual villages" by taking physical steps and to retrieve information on objects displayed in the scene by pointing at them. They carefully designed the interface of VisTA-walk with a simple video-based gesture recognition module, providing it with a minimal but comprehensive set of gestures as its vocabulary. The mouse and gesture-based interfaces are compared through subjective experimentation on walk through capability for ease of use and degree of immersiveness. The immersiveness achieved by the combined use of the large screen and gesture interaction is comprehensively evaluated.
Fostering language learner autonomy via adaptive conversation tutors

CALL can be a route to learner autonomy, allowing students to use PC-based software to learn individually, without need of class or teacher. However, language is above all a medium for communication, implying a dialogue of two or more participants: although CALL can provide exercises and lessons in grammar, vocabulary, writing skills etc, it might seem that conversation practice still calls for a teacher, or at least fellow students.
Herbalism Helps Headache

References Anand KJ, Hickey PR. Pain and its effects in the human neonate and fetus. Chronic back pain is associated with decreased prefrontal and thalamic gray matter density. adult pain responses by neonatal pain experience: maintenance by central neuroimmune activity. processing of pain in school-aged children with neonatal nociceptive input: an exploratory fMRI study.ceptive neuronal circuits after neonatal peripheral inflammation. The nature and course of sensory changes following spinal cord injury: predictive properties and implications on the mechanism of central pain. Migraine is a common, complex and certainly fascinating disorder of the brain (Lipton et al., 2001; Goadsby et al., 2002), which most active clinicians would agree needs more treatments (Goadsby and Sprenger, 2010). Over the last two decades we have seen substantial advances in migraine therapeutics with the development of triptans, serotonin 5-HT 1B/1D receptor agonists (Ferrari et al., 2001), gepants, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists (Ho et al., 2010), and most recently ditans, serotonin 5-HT 1F receptor agonists (Ferrari et al., 2010). Each targets, among other sites the trigeminovascular system, the trigeminal afferent innervation of the pain-producing meninges (Feindel et al., 1960; McNaughton and Feindel, 1977) that projects to second order afferents in the trigeminocervical complex (Akerman et al., 2011). This issue of Brain illustrates yet another target, weaving a very engaging tale of biology, herbalism and therapeutics (Nassini et al., 2012). Nassini and colleagues (2012) studied a candidate compound, the monoterpene ketone umbellulone, a volatile component of the leaves of the California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica). The tree is said by the authors to be a 'headache tree' since inhalation of its vapours can cause headache, a story reminiscent of the origins (Laws, 1898) of the now well established concepts on the role of nitric oxide in migraine (Thomsen and Olesen, 2001). It is remarkable that the tree is said to be both headache provoking , and used to relieve headache by binding the leaves and twigs around the head (Barrett and Gifford, 1933). The latter fact is cited by Wikipedia on the same page that already cites Nassini and colleagues (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbellularia), a sobering thought concerning the modern dissemination of knowledge. The authors then set out to study what umbellulone may target to produce headache. They hypothesized, based on its rapid binding of thiols, an action on the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel located on peptidergic, nociceptive trigeminovascular neurons. TRPA1 is part of the …
4 Calculating Edge Execution Counts from Block Execution Counts

We have developed a facility for run-time optimization of a commodity operating system kernel. Our infrastructure, currently implemented on UltraSPARC Solaris 7, includes the ability to do a detailed analysis of the running kernel's binary code, dynamically insert and remove code patches, and dynamically install new versions of kernel functions. As a first use of this technology, we have implemented a runtime kernel version of the code positioning I-cache optimizations. We performed run-time code positioning on the kernel’s TCP read-side processing routine while running a Web client benchmark, reducing the I-cache miss stall time of this function by 35.4% and improved the function’s overall performance by 21.3%. The primary contributions of this paper are the first run-time kernel implementation of code positioning, and an infrastructure for run-time kernel optimizations. A further contribution is made in performance measurement. We provide a simple and effective algorithm for deriving control flow edge execution counts from basic block execution counts, which contradicts the widely held belief that edge counts cannot be derived from block counts.
Multilocus Sequence Typing Analysis of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a Chinese Burns Institute

Acinetobacter baumannii is a leading pathogen responsible for nosocomial infections. The emergence of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) has left few effective antibiotics for clinicians to use. To investigate the temporal evolutionary relationships among CRAB strains, we collected 248 CRAB isolates from a Chinese burns institute over 3 years. The prevalence of the OXA-23 gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction. Multilocus sequence typing was used to type the CRAB strains and eBURST was used to analyze their evolutionary relationships. Wound surfaces (41%), sputa (24%), catheters (15%), and bloods (14%) were the four dominant isolation sources. Except for minocycline (33.5%) and sulbactam/cefoperazone (74.6%), these CRAB strains showed high resistance rates (>90%) to 16 tested antibiotics. The 248 isolates fall into 26 sequence types (STs), including nine known STs and 17 unknown STs. The majority (230/248) of these isolates belong to clonal complex 92 (CC92), including eight isolates belonging to seven unreported STs. A new CC containing 11 isolates grouped into four new STs was identified. The OXA-23 gene was detected at high prevalence among the CRAB isolates and the prevalence rate among the various STs differed. The majority of the isolates displayed a close evolutionary relationship, suggesting that serious nosocomial spreading and nosocomial infections of CRAB have occurred in the burn unit. In conclusion, the main CC for CRAB in this Chinese burn unit remained unchanged during the 3-year study period, and a new CC was identified. CC92 was the dominant complex, and more attention should be directed toward monitoring the new CC we have identified herein.
Connecting the Big Five Taxonomies: Understanding how Individual Traits Contribute to Team Adaptability under Workload Transitions

Dynamic and data-rich domains, like those found in the military, rely heavily on teamwork for their operations. Previous work has attempted to understand how the personality of individuals contributes to overall team performance, but specific links between individual traits and team dimensions are needed. This study aims to link the dimensions from the original Big Five Trait Taxonomy to the Big Five in teamwork. Specifically, the focus was identifying which dimensions in the Big Five Trait Taxonomy influenced the Big Five in teamwork’s core component of adaptability. Ten pairs of participants completed a simulated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle control task. The best and worst performing pairs were identified and further analyzed to assess how pairs enabled adaptability when workload transitioned. The findings showed the best performing pairs enabled team adaptability effectively and had high levels of extraversion, lower levels of diversity across all dimensions, and adopted collaborative strategies to complete all the tasks. These findings suggest operational standards, technology, and training programs should be developed to foster these personality traits and collaborative-base strategies.
Hierarchical Dictionary Constructing Method for the Parametric Eigenspace Method

The parametric eigenspace method is an object recognition method based on visual learning approach with image coding technique. In this paper, to improve matching efficiency, a novel approach to construct hierarchical dictionary for the parametric eigenspace method is proposed. In the proposed constructing method, learning image set is classified hierarchically, and tree-structured dictionary is constructed from the classification results. For the learning image set obtained by varying one parameter value, the proposed method determines the class boundaries that are optimal in the sense of discrimination and least squares. Experimental results show that the tree-structured dictionaries made by the proposed method improve matching efficiency without a decrease in recognition accuracy.