Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The ODIN project: Development of food-based approaches for prevention of vitamin D deficiency throughout life

Vitamin D deficiency has significant implications for human health throughout life and impacts on healthy growth and development and successful ageing. Persistent knowledge gaps are barriers to developing and implementing a safe and effective public health strategy to prevent vitamin D deficiency and maintain nutritional adequacy throughout the year. The European Commission-funded ODIN project (Food-based solutions for optimal vitamin D nutrition and health through the life cycle) will provide the evidence base to prevent vitamin D deficiency and improve nutrition and public health through food. ODIN will deliver the first internation- ally comparable dataset of vitamin D status and report the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency across Europe for the first time. In a series of dose-response randomised controlled trials, ODIN will estimate dietary requirements for vitamin D in preg- nant women, children, adolescents and adults of South Asian and East African origin resident in Northern European countries. Using clinically validated, disease- specific cohorts with standardised 25(OH)D data, ODIN will investigate associa- tions between vitamin D status and perinatal outcomes, atopic disease and bone growth in children, and cardiovascular and mortality risk in older adults. We will publish estimates of the distribution of vitamin D intake and serum 25(OH)D concentration resulting from changes in vitamin D in the food supply, accounting for latitude, sun exposure and diet. Utilising advanced food production systems and targeted animal and human feeding studies, ODIN will propose safe, novel and effective food-based strategies to eradicate vitamin D deficiency that are inclusive, sustainable and affordable.
PlayMancer: A European Serious Gaming 3D Environment

Serious games are about to enter the medical sector to give people with behavioural or addictive disorders the ability to use them as part of health promotion and disease prevention. The PlayMancer framework will support physical rehabilitations and psycho-education programs thru a modular multiplayer networked 3D game based on the Universally Accessible Games (UA games) guidelines.
How People Estimate Effect Sizes: The Role of Means and Standard Deviations

Many studies of causal judgments have dealt with the relation between the presence and the absence of a cause and an effect. However, little is known about causal learning with a continuous outcome. The present study adopted Cohen’s d as an objective standard for effect size in situations where a binary cause influenced a continuous effect and investigated how people use means and standard deviations in the estimation of effect sizes. The experimental task was to read a scenario where the performance of two groups was compared and to infer the causal effect. Whereas means were manipulated while holding standard deviations constant in the mean difference group, standard deviations were varied with holding means constant in the standard deviation difference group. The results demonstrate that participants could respond appropriately to the difference in two means, and that they gave a higher estimate of effect size in large standard deviation situations than in small standard deviation situations. Judgments about standard deviations are in contrast to Cohen’s d, indicating disproportionate attention to different kinds of data samples.
An Efficient I/O Architecture for RAM-Based Content-Addressable Memory on FPGA

Despite the impressive search rate of one key per clock cycle, the update stage of a random-access-memory-based content-addressable-memory (RAM-based CAM) always suffers high latency. Two primary causes of such latency include: 1) the compulsory erasing stage along with the writing stage and 2) the major difference in data width between the RAM-based CAM (e.g., 8-bit width) and the modern systems (e.g., 256-bit width). This brief, therefore, proposes an efficient input/output (I/O) architecture of RAM-based binary CAM (RCAM) for low-latency update. To achieve this goal, three techniques, namely centralized erase RAM, bit-sliced, and hierarchical-partitioning, are proposed to eliminate the latency of the erasing stage, as well as to allow RCAM to exploit the bandwidth of modern systems effectively. Several RCAMs, whose data width ranges from 8 bits to 64 bits, were integrated into a 256-bit system for the evaluation. The experimental results in an Intel Arria V 5ASTFD5 field-programmable gate array prove that, at 100 MHz, the proposed designs achieve at least 9.6 times higher I/O efficiency as compared to the traditional RCAM.
Validity and repeatability of a simple index derived from the short physical activity questionnaire used in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Abstract Objective: To assess the validity and repeatability of a simple index designed to rank participants according to their energy expenditure estimated by self-report, by comparison with objectively measured energy expenditure assessed by heart-rate monitoring with individual calibration. Design: Energy expenditure was assessed over one year by four separate episodes of 4-day heart-rate monitoring, a method previously validated against whole-body calorimetry and doubly labelled water. Cardio-respiratory fitness was assessed by four repeated measures of sub-maximum oxygen uptake. At the end of the 12-month period, participants completed a physical activity questionnaire that assessed past-year activity. A simple four-level physical activity index was derived by combining occupational physical activity together with time participating in cycling and other physical exercise (such as keep fit, aerobics, swimming and jogging). Subjects: One hundred and seventy-three randomly selected men and women aged 40 to 65 years. Results: The repeatability of the physical activity index was high (weighted kappa = 0.6, P < 0.0001). There were positive associations between the physical activity index from the questionnaire and the objective measures of the ratio of daytime energy expenditure to resting metabolic rate (P = 0.003) and cardio-respiratory fitness (P = 0.001). As an indirect test of validity, there was a positive association between the physical activity index and the ratio of energy intake, assessed by 7-day food diaries, to predicted basal metabolic rate. Conclusions: The summary index of physical activity derived from the questions used in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study suggest it is useful for ranking participants in terms of their physical activity in large epidemiological studies. The index is simple and easy to comprehend, which may make it suitable for situations that require a concise, global index of activity.
Can a Fuzzy Rule Extraction Find an Extremely Tiny non-Self Region?

This paper reports one snapshot of our on-going experiments in which a common target we call a-tiny-island-in-a-huge-lakeis explored with different methods ranging from a data-mining technique to an artificial immune system. Our implicit interest is a network intrusion detection where we usually do not know what does an illegal transaction pattern look like until it completed intrusion when it was too late. Hence our first interest is (i) if it is possible to train the intrusion detection systemonly using legal patterns. From this context we assume data floating in thelakeare normal while ones found on the island is abnormal. Our second concern is then (ii) to study the limit of the size of the detectable area, that is, until what size can the detector detect it when we decrease the size of the island shrinking to zero, which is sometimes called a-needle-in-a-haystack. In this paper, a fuzzy rule extraction implemented by a neural network architecture is employed for the purpose.
Nutrition attributes and health effects of pistachio nuts

Epidemiological and/or clinical trials have suggested that nut consumption has a beneficial impact on health outcomes such as hypertension, diabetes, CVD, cancer, other inflammatory conditions and total mortality. Nuts are nutrient-dense foods with a healthy fatty acid profile, as well as provide other bioactive compounds with recognised health benefits. Among nuts, pistachios have a lower fat and energy content and the highest levels of K, γ-tocopherol, vitamin K, phytosterols, xanthophyll carotenoids, certain minerals (Cu, Fe and Mg), vitamin B6 and thiamin. Pistachios have a high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. The aforementioned characteristics and nutrient mix probably contribute to the growing body of evidence that consumption of pistachios improves health. The present review examines the potential health effects of nutrients and phytochemicals in pistachios, as well as epidemiological and clinical evidence supporting these health benefits.
An assessment of the carbon balance of Arctic tundra: comparisons among observations, process models, and atmospheric inversions

Although Arctic tundra has been estimated to cover only 8 % of the global land surface, the large and po- tentially labile carbon pools currently stored in tundra soils have the potential for large emissions of carbon (C) under a warming climate. These emissions as radiatively active greenhouse gases in the form of both CO2 and CH4 could amplify global warming. Given the potential sensitivity of these ecosystems to climate change and the expectation that the Arctic will experience appreciable warming over the next century, it is important to assess whether responses of C ex- change in tundra regions are likely to enhance or mitigate warming. In this study we compared analyses of C exchange of Arctic tundra between 1990 and 2006 among observa- tions, regional and global applications of process-based ter- restrial biosphere models, and atmospheric inversion mod- els. Syntheses of flux observations and inversion models in- dicate that the annual exchange of CO2 between Arctic tun- dra and the atmosphere has large uncertainties that cannot be distinguished from neutral balance. The mean estimate from an ensemble of process-based model simulations sug- gests that Arctic tundra has acted as a sink for atmospheric CO2 in recent decades, but based on the uncertainty esti- mates it cannot be determined with confidence whether these ecosystems represent a weak or a strong sink. Tundra was 0.6 C warmer in the 2000s compared to the 1990s. The cen- tral estimates of the observations, process-based models, and inversion models each identify stronger sinks in the 2000s compared with the 1990s. Some of the process models in- dicate that this occurred because net primary production in- creased more in response to warming than heterotrophic res- piration. Similarly, the observations and the applications of regional process-based models suggest that CH4 emissions from Arctic tundra have increased from the 1990s to 2000s because of the sensitivity of CH4 emissions to warmer tem- peratures. Based on our analyses of the estimates from ob- servations, process-based models, and inversion models, we estimate that Arctic tundra was a sink for atmospheric CO2 of 110 Tg C yr 1 (uncertainty between a sink of 291 Tg C yr 1 and a source of 80 Tg C yr 1 ) and a source of CH4 to the atmosphere of 19 Tg C yr 1 (uncertainty between sources of 8 and 29 Tg C yr 1 ). The suite of analyses conducted in this study indicate that it is important to reduce uncertainties in
Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Enhancement of Some Economic Traits and Molecular Changes in Hibiscus Sabdariffa L.

Seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa were irradiated with gamma rays (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 Gy) for determining the effectiveness of different doses of irradiation on growth behaviour, yield and evaluate of roselle calyx extract and quality. Gamma irradiation at 600 Gy was superior in growth criteria enhancement. Maximum mean values for fresh and dry weight of leaves, stems and roots/plant were recorded at 600 Gy in the first season and 500 or 600 in the second one. The application of 600 Gy gave the highest effect on increasing number of fruit per plant and the most significantly effective treatment for increasing anthocyanin. The significantly higher calyx yield per plant recorded by the application of 700 Gy. The variation in DNA of the irradiated seeds in comparison to the control were successfully assessed using random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). (Fadia El Sherif, Salah Khattab, Ezzat Goniam, Nashwa Salem and Khaled Radwan. The Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Enhancement of Some Economic Traits and Molecular Changes in Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. Life Science Journal. 2011;8(3):220-229) (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com.
Algorithms for collision-free navigation of mobile robots in complex cluttered environments: a survey

SUMMARY We review a range of techniques related to navigation of unmanned vehicles through unknown environments with obstacles, especially those that rigorously ensure collision avoidance (given certain assumptions about the system). This topic continues to be an active area of research, and we highlight some directions in which available approaches may be improved. The paper discusses models of the sensors and vehicle kinematics, assumptions about the environment, and performance criteria. Methods applicable to stationary obstacles, moving obstacles and multiple vehicles scenarios are all reviewed. In preference to global approaches based on full knowledge of the environment, particular attention is given to reactive methods based on local sensory data, with a special focus on recently proposed navigation laws based on model predictive and sliding mode control.
On simplifying the primal-dual method of multipliers

Recently, the primal-dual method of multipliers (PDMM) has been proposed to solve a convex optimization problem defined over a general graph. In this paper, we consider simplifying PDMM for a subclass of the convex optimization problems. This subclass includes the consensus problem as a special form. By using algebra, we show that the update expressions of PDMM can be simplified significantly. We then evaluate PDMM for training a support vector machine (SVM). The experimental results indicate that PDMM converges considerably faster than the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM).
A Wheelbarrow Full of Frogs: Understanding Portfolio Management for Agile Projects

Organizations increasingly embrace agile approaches for IT projects, replacing rigid formal stage-gate control by flexible output-orientation. This challenges established program or portfolio management approaches that largely rely on consolidated (stage-gate) project metrics. Based on seven case studies of large Dutch organizations we explore these challenges and the organizational responses towards a new approach to portfolio management for agile projects. Data-collection is guided by four propositions derived from control theory and portfolio management literature. Our findings show that portfolio management adapts to agile projects by performing fewer and less strict process controls, by modifying the budget controls and by shifting from IT project/program control to business outcome control, with an increased focus on business value.
Hand Written Telugu Character Recognition Using Bayesian Classifier

— Identifying handwritten Telugu is difficult way in machine vision systems because of the complex shape of the individual characters and the size of Telugu character set. In this paper, an efficient algorithm is presented to identify individual handwritten Telugu characters based on HOG features and Bayesian classification. The proposed system utilizes features of Telugu scripts for identifying handwritten Telugu text efficiently. The recognition rate for Telugu script is 87.5%.
Vision‐Based Fatigue Crack Detection of Steel Structures Using Video Feature Tracking

Fatigue cracks developed under repetitive loads are one of the major threats to structural integrity of steel bridges. Human inspection is the most commonly applied approach for fatigue crack detection, but is time consuming, labor intensive, and lacks reliability. In this study, we propose a computer vision‐based fatigue crack detection approach using a short video stream taken by a consumer‐grade digital camera. A feature tracking technology is applied to the video for tracking the surface motion of the monitored structure under repetitive load. Then, a crack detection and localization algorithm is established to effectively search differential features at different video frames caused by the crack opening and closing. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through testing two experimental specimens with in‐plane and out‐of‐plane fatigue cracks, respectively. Results indicate that the proposed approach can robustly identify the fatigue crack, even when the crack is under ambient lighting conditions, surrounded by other crack‐like edges, covered by complex surface textures, or invisible to human eyes due to crack closure. Furthermore, our proposed approach enables accurate quantification of the crack opening under fatigue loading with submillimeter accuracy. However, due to the capacity of the camera resolution in this study, accurate detection of crack tip remains challenging.
Preliminary phytochemical investigation and in vitro anthelmintic activities of Maesa lanceolata solvent extracts against Lymnatis nilotica (aquatic leech)

Objective: To investigate phytochemicals constituents and check the anthelmintic activities of Maesa lanceolata (M. lanceolata) solvent extracts against aquatic leech. Methods: Several phytochemicals were tested and screened from petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of M. lanceolata extracts and their anthelmintic activities were done based on the standard procedure against aquatic leech. Piperazine citrate (20 mg/mL) was used as a reference standard while distilled water was used as a control. Results: Qualitative phytochemical analysis of different solvent (petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol) extracts of M. lanceolata revealed the presence of flavonoids and alkaloids in chloroform extracts and alkaloids in methanol extracts. In addition to the qualitative analysis of the plant extracts, the anthelmintic effects were also evaluated against aquatic leech (Lymnatis nilotica). Accordingly, various concentrations (10, 20, 40 and 60 mg/mL) of each solvent (petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol) extracts and 20 mg/mL of standard drug were prepared and tested against the selected leech. All the tested concentrations showed anthelmintic activities in a dose-dependent manner. From petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts, chloroform extracts with 60 mg/mL concentration was effective with the paralytic time of (29.00 ± 1.06) min and death time of (65.00 ± 2.00) min in gradient extraction method. But in the case of extraction without gradient method, methanol extracts with 60 mg/ mL concentration showed effective paralysis and death time (26.00 ± 1.73) and (56.00 ± 1.56) min, respectively, against the selected aquatic leech. Conclusions: The present study revealed that M. lanceolata extracts have magic anthelmintic activities which are helpful to treat aquatic leeches (Lymnatis nilotica) which are associated with the nasal cavities of animals and human beings.
FABP 2 Ala 54 Thr genotype is associated with glucoregulatory function and lipid oxidation after a high-fat meal in sedentary nondiabetic men and women 1 – 3

Background: A common functional missense mutation [Ala54Thr of the fatty acid–binding protein 2 gene (FABP2)] has previously been studied for associations with glucoregulation, postprandial lipemia, and lipid oxidation rates. However, most of those studies have not accounted for the interactive and potentially confounding effects of habitual physical activity and diet. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that, in sedentary nondiabetic subjects following a low-fat diet, Thr54 FABP2 carriers have lower glucoregulatory function,greaterpostprandial lipemia, andgreater lipid oxidation rates than do their Ala54 FABP2–homozygous counterparts. Design: Men and women (n 122) aged 50–75 y who were following a low-fat diet were genotyped and underwent oral-glucosetolerance tests. A subgroup (n 36) also underwent postprandial lipemia tests with lipid oxidation rate measurements. Results: Thr54 carriers were less likely to have normal glucose tolerance (P 0.05) and had higher fasting glucose concentrations (P 0.003) than did Ala54 homozygotes. In Thr54 carriers, the insulin sensitivity index was lower (P 0.02), and the fasting insulin and the oral-glucose-tolerance test insulin area under the curve were higher (P 0.05 and 0.03, respectively) than in Ala54 homozygotes. FABP2 genotype was not associated with fasting or postprandial lipemia test triacylglycerol or free fatty acids (P 0.22 for all), but postprandial lipid oxidation rates were higher (P 0.01), which suggests that fat absorption is higher in Thr54 carriers than in Ala54
Using OpenMP - portable shared memory parallel programming

"I hope that readers will learn to use the full expressibility and power of OpenMP. This book should provide an excellent introduction to beginners, and the performance section should help those with some experience who want to push OpenMP to its limits. " -- from the foreword by David J. Kuck, Intel Fellow, Software and Solutions Group, and Director, Parallel and Distributed Solutions, Intel Corporation OpenMP, a portable programming interface for shared memory parallel computers, was adopted as an informal standard in 1997 by computer scientists who wanted a unified model on which to base programs for shared memory systems. OpenMP is now used by many software developers; it offers significant advantages over both hand-threading and MPI. Using OpenMP offers a comprehensive introduction to parallel programming concepts and a detailed overview of OpenMP. Using OpenMP discusses hardware developments, describes where OpenMP is applicable, and compares OpenMP to other programming interfaces for shared and distributed memory parallel architectures. It introduces the individual features of OpenMP, provides many source code examples that demonstrate the use and functionality of the language constructs, and offers tips on writing an efficient OpenMP program. It describes how to use OpenMP in full-scale applications to achieve high performance on large-scale architectures, discussing several case studies in detail, and offers in-depth troubleshooting advice. It explains how OpenMP is translated into explicitly multithreaded code, providing a valuable behind-the-scenes account of OpenMP program performance. Finally, Using OpenMP considers trends likely to influence OpenMP development, offering a glimpse of the possibilities of a future OpenMP 3.0 from the vantage point of the current OpenMP 2.5. With multicore computer use increasing, the need for a comprehensive introduction and overview of the standard interface is clear. Using OpenMP provides an essential reference not only for students at both undergraduate and graduate levels but also for professionals who intend to parallelize existing codes or develop new parallel programs for shared memory computer architectures.