Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Vision-Based Automated Guided Vehicle System with Marker Recognition for Indoor Use

We propose an intelligent vision-based Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) system using fiduciary markers. In this paper, we explore a low-cost, efficient vehicle guiding method using a consumer grade web camera and fiduciary markers. In the proposed method, the system uses fiduciary markers with a capital letter or triangle indicating direction in it. The markers are very easy to produce, manipulate, and maintain. The marker information is used to guide a vehicle. We use hue and saturation values in the image to extract marker candidates. When the known size fiduciary marker is detected by using a bird's eye view and Hough transform, the positional relation between the marker and the vehicle can be calculated. To recognize the character in the marker, a distance transform is used. The probability of feature matching was calculated by using a distance transform, and a feature having high probability is selected as a captured marker. Four directional signals and 10 alphabet features are defined and used as markers. A 98.87% recognition rate was achieved in the testing phase. The experimental results with the fiduciary marker show that the proposed method is a solution for an indoor AGV system.
Spatial Visualization Training Using Interactive Animation

In two experiments, we investigated the benefits of using interactive animation and virtual geometric solids for spatial visualization training. Individuals with low spatial ability were trained to recognize the cross section of a threedimensional (3D) object using interactive animations in which they passed a plane through a 3D object, observed, and drew the resulting cross section. In both experiments, trained participants showed significantly greater pre-posttest improvement compared to controls on a test of inferring cross sections. Effects of training transferred to untrained stimuli. We propose mechanisms of learning and transfer and suggest how these results can be further developed and applied to spatial visualization training in science education.
The activation of inositol phospholipid metabolism as a signal- transducing system for excitatory amino acids in primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells

L-Glutamic, L-aspartic acids and a number of their structural analogs, including quisqualic, kainic, ibotenic, quinolinic, and N-methyl-D- aspartic (NMDA) acids, increase inositol phospholipid hydrolysis when added to primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells, as is reflected by an enhanced formation of 3H-inositolmonophosphate (3H-IP1) in the presence of Li+. L-Glutamic acid also enhances the formation of the initial products of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis, 3H-inositol di- (3H-IP2) and triphosphate (3H-IP3). In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, L-glutamic acid fails to enhance 3H-IP1 formation, but still increases 3H-IP2 and 3H-IP3 formation. The stimulation of 3H-IP1 formation elicited by L-glutamic acid is reduced by DL-2-amino-5- phosphonovaleric acid (APV) and gamma-glutamylglycine and, to a lesser extent, by 2,3-cis-piperidindicarboxylic acid (PDA). The stimulation of 3H-IP1 formation by kainic acid is antagonized by PDA and gamma- glutamylglycine, but it is almost unaffected by APV. The increase in 3H- IP1 formation elicited by quisqualic acid is not reduced by any of the dicarboxylic amino acid receptor antagonists that we have tested. We conclude that different subtypes of excitatory amino acid recognition sites are associated with inositol phospholipid metabolism in primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells.
Establishing a positional information assay for brain ventricle mutants and investigating the choroid plexuses in zebrafish

Investigating the Choroid Plexuses in Zebrafish by Catherine D. Wolf B.S. Biology Cornell University, 2002 SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SEPTEMBER 2004 C2004 Catherine D. Wolf. All rights reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part.
A novel approach for accurately and quickly localizing a tag from a mass of passive RFID tags

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest within the Supply Chain Management (SCM) in localizing passive RFID tags. Identification information combined with target's location can hugely optimize the usage of RFID technology. In this paper, we present a novel localization algorithm which can be utilized for accurately and quickly localizing a tag from a mass of passive RFID tags. The proposed approach characterizes the tag detection events to estimate the detection probabilities of landmarks and, furthermore, generates a probabilistic RFID map. Aided by this map, the locations of tags can be localized accurately and quickly. In particular, we focus on reducing the time cost of the localization computing while remaining high accuracy and designed an automatic transmission power regulating algorithm. Real-world experiments demonstrate the efficiency of our approach to estimate the targets' locations with high accuracy and low time cost.
HyDRA: gene prioritization via hybrid distance-score rank aggregation

UNLABELLED Gene prioritization refers to a family of computational techniques for inferring disease genes through a set of training genes and carefully chosen similarity criteria. Test genes are scored based on their average similarity to the training set, and the rankings of genes under various similarity criteria are aggregated via statistical methods. The contributions of our work are threefold: (i) first, based on the realization that there is no unique way to define an optimal aggregate for rankings, we investigate the predictive quality of a number of new aggregation methods and known fusion techniques from machine learning and social choice theory. Within this context, we quantify the influence of the number of training genes and similarity criteria on the diagnostic quality of the aggregate and perform in-depth cross-validation studies; (ii) second, we propose a new approach to genomic data aggregation, termed HyDRA (Hybrid Distance-score Rank Aggregation), which combines the advantages of score-based and combinatorial aggregation techniques. We also propose incorporating a new top-versus-bottom (TvB) weighting feature into the hybrid schemes. The TvB feature ensures that aggregates are more reliable at the top of the list, rather than at the bottom, since only top candidates are tested experimentally; (iii) third, we propose an iterative procedure for gene discovery that operates via successful augmentation of the set of training genes by genes discovered in previous rounds, checked for consistency. MOTIVATION Fundamental results from social choice theory, political and computer sciences, and statistics have shown that there exists no consistent, fair and unique way to aggregate rankings. Instead, one has to decide on an aggregation approach using predefined set of desirable properties for the aggregate. The aggregation methods fall into two categories, score- and distance-based approaches, each of which has its own drawbacks and advantages. This work is motivated by the observation that merging these two techniques in a computationally efficient manner, and by incorporating additional constraints, one can ensure that the predictive quality of the resulting aggregation algorithm is very high. RESULTS We tested HyDRA on a number of gene sets, including autism, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometriosis, ischaemic stroke, leukemia, lymphoma and osteoarthritis. Furthermore, we performed iterative gene discovery for glioblastoma, meningioma and breast cancer, using a sequentially augmented list of training genes related to the Turcot syndrome, Li-Fraumeni condition and other diseases. The methods outperform state-of-the-art software tools such as ToppGene and Endeavour. Despite this finding, we recommend as best practice to take the union of top-ranked items produced by different methods for the final aggregated list. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The HyDRA software may be downloaded from: http://web.engr. illinois.edu/∼mkim158/HyDRA.zip. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Universality Class of Bak-Sneppen Model on Scale-Free Network

We study the critical properties of the Bak-Sneppen coevolution model on scale-free networks by Monte Carlo method. We report the distribution of the avalanche size and fractal activity through the branching process. We observe that the critical fitness $f_c (N)$ depends on the number of the node such as $f_c (N) \sim 1/ \log (N)$ for both the scale-free network and the directed scale-free network. Near the critical fitness many physical quantities show power-law behaviors. The probability distribution $P(s)$ of the avalanche size at the critical fitness shows a power-law like $P(s) \sim s^{-\tau}$ with $\tau=1.80(3)$ regardless of the scale-free network and the directed scale free network. The probability distribution $P_f (t)$ of the first return time also shows a power-law such as $P_f (t) \sim t^{-\tau_f}$. The probability distribution of the first return time has two scaling regimes. The critical exponents $\tau_f$ are equivalent for both the scale-free network and the directed scale-free network. We obtain the critical exponents as $\tau_{f1} =2.7(1)$ at $t t_c$ where the crossover time $t_c \sim 100$. The Bak-Sneppen model on the scale-free network and directed scale-free network shows a unique universality class. The critical exponents are different from the mean-field results. The directionality of the network does not change the universality on the network.
Visual context identification for privacy-respecting video analytics

With the growing need for privacy-aware and privacy-respecting CCTV systems, it becomes crucial to develop workflows and architectures that can support and enhance privacy protection. Recent advances in image processing enable the automation of many surveillance tasks, increasing the risks of privacy infringements. Fortunately, image processing and pattern recognition techniques can also be used for automatically evaluating the context in which video surveillance takes place, and can therefore be employed for applying context-specific privacy rules. This paper describes how Bag-of-Visual-Words algorithms as well as human tracking and gait analysis cane used for recognizing specific sub-contexts that necessitate the application of particular privacy protection rules in usage contexts such as ambient assisted living, public or workspace surveillance We explain how the data of a multi-modal surveillance system should be handled in order to avoid unnecessary processing of sensitive information through Image Quality Descriptors that will support visual classifications by computing reliability measures relating to the image quality such as noise or problems with respect to ambient conditions.
Angular Momentum Losses and the Orbital Period Distribution of Cataclysmic Variables below the Period Gap: Effects of Circumbinary Disks

The population synthesis of cataclysmic variable binary systems at short orbital periods (<2.75 hr) is investigated. A grid of detailed binary evolutionary sequences has been calculated and included in the simulations to take account of additional angular momentum losses beyond that associated with gravitational radiation and mass loss, due to nova outbursts, from the system. As a specific example, we consider the effect of a circumbinary disk to gain insight into the ingredients necessary to reproduce the observed orbital period distribution. The resulting distributions show that the period minimum lies at about 80 minutes, with the number of systems monotonically increasing with increasing orbital period to a maximum near 90 minutes. There is no evidence for an accumulation of systems at the period minimum, which is a common feature of simulations in which only gravitational radiation losses are considered. The shift of the peak to about 90 minutes is a direct result of the inclusion of systems formed within the period gap. The period distribution is found to be fairly flat for orbital periods ranging from about 85 to 120 minutes. The steepness of the lower edge of the period gap can be reproduced, for example, by an input of systems at periods near 2.25 hr due to a flow of cataclysmic variable binary systems from orbital periods longer than 2.75 hr. The good agreement with the cumulated distribution function of observed systems within the framework of our model indicates that the angular momentum loss by a circumbinary disk or a mechanism that mimics its features, coupled with a weighting factor to account for selection effects in the discovery of such systems and a flow of systems from above the period gap to below the period gap, is an important ingredient for understanding the overall period distribution of cataclysmic variable binary systems.
Microfluidic converging/diverging channels optimised for homogeneous extensional deformation

In this work, we optimise microfluidic converging/diverging geometries in order to produce constant strain-rates along the centreline of the flow, for performing studies under homogeneous extension. The design is examined for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional flows where the effects of aspect ratio and dimensionless contraction length are investigated. Initially, pressure driven flows of Newtonian fluids under creeping flow conditions are considered, which is a reasonable approximation in microfluidics, and the limits of the applicability of the design in terms of Reynolds numbers are investigated. The optimised geometry is then used for studying the flow of viscoelastic fluids and the practical limitations in terms of Weissenberg number are reported. Furthermore, the optimisation strategy is also applied for electro-osmotic driven flows, where the development of a plug-like velocity profile allows for a wider region of homogeneous extensional deformation in the flow field.
Finite-Time Stabilizability and Instabilizability of Delayed Memristive Neural Networks With Nonlinear Discontinuous Controller

This paper is concerned about the finite-time stabilizability and instabilizability for a class of delayed memristive neural networks (DMNNs). Through the design of a new nonlinear controller, algebraic criteria based on M-matrix are established for the finite-time stabilizability of DMNNs, and the upper bound of the settling time for stabilization is estimated. In addition, finite-time instabilizability algebraic criteria are also established by choosing different parameters of the same nonlinear controller. The effectiveness and the superiority of the obtained results are supported by numerical simulations.
Organizational Collaboration in the Public Sector: Do Chief Executives Make a Difference?

Upper echelons theory suggests that the characteristics of chief executives affect the strategic choices of their organizations. In this article, we examine whether the characteristics of top managers make a difference to the extent of interorganizational collaboration in the public sector. Using survey data from 228 chief executives from Catalonia, we test upper echelons theory and control for top managers’ institutional settings such as the size and the sector of the organization, as well as the socioeconomic context. The empirical results suggest that collaboration is influenced by the characteristics of chief executives; in particular, the extent of collaboration is affected positively by their educational qualifications and concern for self-development and negatively by their age.
Transcriptomics of Maternal and Fetal Membranes Can Discriminate between Gestational-Age Matched Preterm Neonates with and without Cognitive Impairment Diagnosed at 18–24 Months

Background Neurocognitive impairment among children born preterm may arise from complex interactions between genes and the intra-uterine environment. Objectives (1) To characterize the transcriptomic profiles of chorioamniotic membranes in preterm neonates with and without neurocognitive impairment via microarrays and (2) to determine if neonates with neurocognitive impairment can be identified at birth. Materials/Methods A retrospective case-control study was conducted to examine the chorioamniotic transcriptome of gestational-age matched very preterm neonates with and without neurocognitive impairment at 18–24 months’ corrected-age defined by a Bayley-III Cognitive Composite Score <80 (n = 14 each). Pathway analysis with down-weighting of overlapping genes (PADOG) was performed to identify KEGG pathways relevant to the phenotype. Select differentially expressed genes were profiled using qRT-PCR and a multi-gene disease prediction model was developed using linear discriminant analysis. The model’s predictive performance was tested on a new set of cases and controls (n = 19 each). Results 1) 117 genes were differentially expressed among neonates with and without subsequent neurocognitive impairment (p<0.05 and fold change >1.5); 2) Gene ontology analysis indicated enrichment of 19 biological processes and 3 molecular functions; 3)PADOG identified 4 significantly perturbed KEGG pathways: oxidative phosphorylation, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease (q-value <0.1); 4) 48 of 90 selected differentially expressed genes were confirmed by qRT-PCR, including genes implicated in energy metabolism, neuronal signaling, vascular permeability and response to injury (e.g., up-regulation of SEPP1, APOE, DAB2, CD163, CXCL12, VWF; down-regulation of HAND1, OSR1)(p<0.05); and 5) a multi-gene model predicted 18–24 month neurocognitive impairment (using the ratios of OSR1/VWF and HAND1/VWF at birth) in a larger, independent set (sensitivity = 74%, at specificity = 83%). Conclusions Gene expression patterns in the chorioamniotic membranes link neurocognitive impairment in preterm infants to neurodegenerative disease pathways and might be used to predict neurocognitive impairment. Further prospective studies are needed.
Taxes , Transfers , and the Labor Supply of Single Mothers

How wages and non labor income affect both the decision to work and hours of work among single mothers is critical for understanding the work disincentive effects of tax and welfare policies, and the attendant design of optimal income tax and transfer schemes. I use data from the Current Population Survey and variation induced by fundamental reforms to the U.S. tax and welfare systems over the 1979-2001 period to estimate the labor-supply response of single mothers to changes in their after-tax and transfer wage rate and nonlabor income, conditional on whether or not they also participate in AFDC/TANF, food stamps, or SSI. I find that wage changes have a large effect on the decision to work (the average elasticity of employment is 1.3), but a small effect on hours of work (average compensated wage elasticity of 0.16) unless the wage change also alters the mother's decision to participate in AFDC/TANF, food stamps, or SSI. The estimates are consistent with a recent theoretical model by Saez (2002) that suggests that the optimal transfer policy is one that involves a modest income guarantee for non-workers coupled with subsidies for low-income workers much like the current EITC program.
RNA pol II transcript abundance controls condensin accumulation at mitotically up-regulated and heat-shock-inducible genes in fission yeast

Condensin plays fundamental roles in chromosome dynamics. In this study, we determined the binding sites of condensin on fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) chromosomes at the level of nucleotide sequences using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ChIP sequencing (ChIP‐seq). We found that condensin binds to RNA polymerase I‐, II‐ and III‐transcribed genes during both mitosis and interphase, and we focused on pol II constitutive and inducible genes. Accumulation sites for condensin are distinct from those of cohesin and DNA topoisomerase II. Using cell cycle stage and heat‐shock‐inducible genes, we show that pol II‐mediated transcripts cause condensin accumulation. First, condensin's enrichment on mitotically activated genes was abolished by deleting the sep1+ gene that encodes an M‐phase‐specific forkhead transcription factor. Second, by raising the temperature, condensin accumulation was rapidly induced at heat‐shock protein genes in interphase and even during mid‐mitosis. In interphase, condensin accumulates preferentially during the postreplicative phase. Pol II‐mediated transcription was neither repressed nor activated by condensin, as levels of transcripts per se did not change when mutant condensin failed to associate with chromosomal DNA. However, massive chromosome missegregation occurred, suggesting that abundant pol II transcription may require active condensin before proper chromosome segregation.
"Putting Your Nurse Face On": Nurses Managing Grief in the Workplace

Summary: When nurses lack experience, professional support, have an increase in workload or are exposed to repeated patient deaths, the emotional toll and or burden can be overwhelming and problematic, personally and professionally. Exploring how nurses experience and manage grief reactions is an area that needs further research and educative support. Content Outline: Grief is a unique and active process where we make choices in how to react to loss. How do we know what choices to make at what time when we are grieving personally? There is no definitive answer to this as when we process and cope with loss through the motions of active grieving, we make ongoing choices of how to behave, react, feel, express, involve others and the time it takes to acknowledge the change that has occurred in our lives. For a job related loss, inherently trying to make meaning of the grief process, nurses may fluctuate from “experiencing loss and grief” to “avoiding or suppressing loss and grief” (Papadatou, 2009). As nurses represent the largest proportion of the Australian healthcare workforce working in acute hospital settings, identifying and understanding how to recognise and manage their own grief may present an opportunity for nurses to be more culturally appropriate, emotionally aware and potentially increase their capacity to provide better quality care when a patient has died. First Primary Presenting Author Primary Presenting Author Nikki Meller, MSN Western Sydney University School of Nursing & Midwifery Lecturer, Deputy Director of Engagement Penrith Australia Professional Experience: Clinical experience in coronary care and palliative care since 2010. Currently (2016 onwards) a Lecturer and PhD candidate within the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Author Summary: Currently a Lecturer & PhD candidate, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Western Sydney University, teaching in the undergraduate curriculum. A strong interest in nursing workforce issues, grief and bereavement, vicarious traumatisation of nurses and resilience in the workplace.
Debugging and Testing of Prolog ProgramsGabriella

In this paper the IDTS (Integrated Debugging, Testing and Slicing), method is presented for the algorithmic debugging and functional testing of Prolog programs. This method integrates Shapiro's Interactive Diagnosis Algorithm with the Category-Partition Testing Method and a slicing technique. Shapiro's original method demands a lot of user interactions during the debugging process. The IDTS method can avoid irrelevant questions to the user by categorizing input parameters, and match them against test cases and test database. In addition, a slicing method is used to compute which parts of the program are relevant for the search. The IDTS method has since been used in a large ECG classiier program and in an interactive learner.