Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
2-DOF synchronous electrostatic actuator with transparent electrodes arranged in checkerboard patterns

This paper reports a 2-DOF electrostatic actuator with all electrodes made with transparent materials. The actuator is composed of two plastic films, a stator film and a slider film. The two films are sectioned into four-by-four checkerboard patterns, whose squares include fine-pitched strip electrodes arranged in orthogonal directions. A pair of three-phase voltages drives the slider in open-loop, along any preset paths in the 2-D plane. A prototype was fabricated with etched indium tin oxides and screenprinted conductive polymers. With 500 V excitation, the prototype exerted 60 to 100 mN forces in eight directions, and the slider traveled along straight and circular paths within its operating range of 132 mm by 132 mm, at maximum speed of 240 mm/s. With the transparency, the actuator realizes collaboration of an actuated physical object and animated images, on surfaces of flat panel displays.
A Novel Multimodal Approach for Studying the Dynamics of Curiosity in Group Learning

Curiosity is a vital metacognitive skill in educational contexts. Yet, little is known about how social factors influence curiosity in group work. We argue that curiosity is evoked not only through individual, but also interpersonal activities, and present what we believe to be the first theoretical framework that articulates an integrated socio-cognitive account of curiosity based on literature spanning psychology, learning sciences and group dynamics, along with empirical observation of small-group science activity across three formal and informal learning contexts. We make a bipartite distinction between individual and interpersonal functions that contribute to curiosity, and multimodal behaviors that fulfill these functions. We validate the proposed framework by leveraging a longitudinal latent variable modeling approach. Findings confirm positive predictive relationship of the latent variables of individual and interpersonal functions on curiosity, with the interpersonal functions exercising a comparatively stronger influence. Prominent behavioral realizations of these functions are also discovered in a data-driven way. We further extend the proposed theoretical framework by outlining a comprehensive set of strategies and tactics that can be incorporated in learning technologies to support putative functions of curiosity. Overall, this work is a step towards designing learning technologies that can recognize and evoke moment-by-moment curiosity during learning in social contexts. The underlying rationale is applicable more generally for modeling and developing computer support for other metacognitive and socio-emotional skills as well.
Smart PIN: Utility-based replication and delivery of multimedia content to mobile users in wireless networks

Next generation wireless networks rely on heterogeneous connectivity technologies to support various rich media services such as personal information storage, file sharing and multimedia streaming. Due to users' mobility and dynamic characteristics of wireless networks, data availability in collaborating devices is a critical issue. In this context Smart PIN was proposed as a personal information network which focuses on performance of delivery and cost efficiency. Smart PIN uses a novel data replication scheme based on individual and overall system utility to best balance the requirements for static data and multimedia content delivery with variable device availability due to user mobility. Simulations show improved results in comparison with other general purpose data replication schemes in terms of data availability.
Do Ar tificial Ants March in Step ? Ordered Asynchronous Processes and Modular ity in Biological Systems

Processes that occur in many biological systems are not synchronous, but are governed by asynchronous updating. Although some previous models of multi agent systems have incorporated asynchronous updating in an informal or implicit way, the importance of asynchronous behaviour has been largely overlooked. However, the update scheme chosen is very important in determining the overall system behaviour. We illustrate this point using several updating schemes in simple models. The implication is that care should be given to selecting an update scheme that is appropriate for the modelling application. We also observe that certain ordered asynchronous processes play a role in emergent modularity, an important process in the evolution of complexity in living
Retinal vascular diameters in relation to physical activity in Danish children — The CHAMPS Eye Study

Our objective was to determine associations between retinal vascular caliber and physical activity (PA) in a school‐based child cohort. In a prospective study, we created a childhood cumulative average PA‐index using objectively measured PA (accelerometry) assessed at four periods between 2009 and 2015. Cumulative exposure to PA intensities was estimated. Cross‐sectional examinations on biomarkers, anthropometry, and ophthalmological data including retinal fundus photographs were performed in 2015. Semi‐automated measurements of retinal vascular diameters were performed and summarized into central retinal arteriolar and venular equivalents (CRAE, CRVE). We included 307 participants. Mean age in 2015 was 15.4 years (0.7). The mean CRAE and CRVE were 156.5 μm (2.8) and 217.6 μm (7.7), respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, and axial length, more time in PA was independently related to thinner retinal venules (β‐coefficient = −1.25 μm/%, 95% confidence interval = −2.20, −0.30, P < .01). Sedentary time was associated with wider venules (P < .01). Furthermore, birthweight (β‐coefficient = 0.56 μm/%, 95% confidence interval = 0.18, 0.95, P < .01) was associated with CRVE. Blood pressure was associated with thinner retinal arterioles (β‐coefficient = −0.19 μm/mmHg, 95% confidence interval = −0.36, −0.01, P = .04). We concluded that children with higher PA in childhood had thinner retinal venular caliber. Our results suggest that PA during childhood positively impacts the retinal microcirculation and that retinal vascular analysis may be a possible assessment to detect microvascular impairments in children with an increased risk of future cardiovascular disease.
Simulated Annealing with Levy Distribution for Fast Matrix Factorization-Based Collaborative Filtering

Matrix factorization is one of the best approaches for collaborative filtering, because of its high accuracy in presenting users and items latent factors. The main disadvantages of matrix factorization are its complexity, and being very hard to be parallelized, specially with very large matrices. In this paper, we introduce a new method for collaborative filtering based on Matrix Factorization by combining simulated annealing with levy distribution. By using this method, good solutions are achieved in acceptable time with low computations, compared to other methods like stochastic gradient descent, alternating least squares, and weighted non-negative matrix factorization.
Mutations in the α-Tubulin 67C Gene Specifically Impair Achiasmate Segregation in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster oocytes heterozygous for mutations in the α-tubulin 67C gene (αtub67C) display defects in centromere positioning during prometaphase of meiosis I. The centromeres do not migrate to the poleward edges of the chromatin mass, and the chromatin fails to stretch during spindle lengthening. These results suggest that the poleward forces acting at the kinetochore are compromised in the αtub67C mutants. Genetic studies demonstrate that these mutations also strongly and specifically decrease the fidelity of achiasmate chromosome segregation. Proper centromere orientation, chromatin elongation, and faithful segregation can all be restored by a decrease in the amount of the Nod chromokinesin. These results suggest that the accurate segregation of achiasmate chromosomes requires the proper balancing of forces acting on the chromosomes during prometaphase.
Outlier detection by sampling with accuracy guarantees

An effective approach to detecting anomalous points in a data setis distance-based outlier detection. This paper describes a simplesampling algorithm to effciently detect distance-based outliers indomains where each and every distance computation is veryexpensive. Unlike any existing algorithms, the sampling algorithmrequires a xed number of distance computations and can return goodresults with accuracy guarantees. The most computationallyexpensive aspect of estimating the accuracy of the result issorting all of the distances computed by the sampling algorithm.The experimental study on two expensive domains as well as tenadditional real-life datasets demonstrates both the effciency andeffectiveness of the sampling algorithm in comparison with thestate-of-the-art algorithm and there liability of the accuracyguarantees.
Cloudy

This demonstration presents Cloudy, a modular cloud storage system. Cloudy provides a highly flexible architecture for distributed data storage and is designed to operate with multiple workloads. Based on a generic data model, Cloudy can be customized to meet application requirements. The goal of this demonstration is to show the ability of Cloudy to efficiently process different query languages, and to automatically adapt to varying load scenarios.
Neuromodulated Control of Bipedal Locomotion Using a Polymorphic CPG Circuit

To date, various methods using the concept of neural circuit or so-called central pattern generators (CPGs) have been proposed to create agile locomotion for legged robots. In contrast to these approaches, in this article we propose a polymorphic neural circuit that allows the dynamic change of its properties according to the current situation in real time to be employed instead. To this end, the concept of neuromodulation is introduced. To verify the feasibility of this approach, this concept is applied to the control of a three-dimensional biped robot that is intrinsically unstable. The importance of an adaptive controller is illustrated with the simulations of biped walking on uneven terrain, and the results show that the biped robot successfully copes with environmental perturbation by dynamically changing the torque outputs applied to the joints. Furthermore, the proposed approach outperforms a monolithic CPG model with sensory feedback.
Immersive 3-D teleoperation of a search and rescue robot using a head-mounted display

This paper proposes an alternative approach to common teleoperation methods found in search and rescue (SAR) robots. Using a head mounted display (HMD) the operator is capable of perceiving rectified images of the robot world in 3-D, as transmitted by a pair of stereo cameras onboard the robot. The HMD is also equipped with an integrated head-tracker, which permits controlling the robot motion in such a way that the cameras follow the operator's head movements, thus providing an immersive sensation to him. We claim that this approach is a more intuitive and less error prone teleoperation of the robot. The proposed system was evaluated by a group of subjects, and the results suggest that it may yield significant benefits to the effectiveness of the SAR mission. In particular, the user's depth perception and situational awareness improved significantly when using the HMD, and their performance during a simulated SAR operation was also enhanced, both in terms of operation time and on successful identification of objects of interest.
Limitations of nonlinear PCA as performed with generic neural networks

Kramer's nonlinear principal components analysis (NLPCA) neural networks are feedforward autoassociative networks with five layers. The third layer has fewer nodes than the input or output layers. This paper proposes a geometric interpretation for Kramer's method by showing that NLPCA fits a lower-dimensional curve or surface through the training data. The first three layers project observations onto the curve or surface giving scores. The last three layers define the curve or surface. The first three layers are a continuous function, which we show has several implications: NLPCA "projections" are suboptimal producing larger approximation error, NLPCA is unable to model curves and surfaces that intersect themselves, and NLPCA cannot parameterize curves with parameterizations having discontinuous jumps. We establish results on the identification of score values and discuss their implications on interpreting score values. We discuss the relationship between NLPCA and principal curves and surfaces, another nonlinear feature extraction method.
Hotspots during Leukemic Transformation of B Cell Precursors Graphical

In Brief B lineage-specific genes are frequently altered in B lymphoid leukemia. Boulianne et al. show that transformed B cell precursors exhibit transcriptioncoupled DNA damage at B lineage genes. Likewise, lymphoid-to-myeloid conversion of transformed B cells induces DNA damage at myeloid loci, suggesting that lineage-specific transcription predisposes lineagespecific genes to subsequent alterations as observed in human leukemia.
BIOFRAG – a new database for analyzing BIOdiversity responses to forest FRAGmentation

Habitat fragmentation studies have produced complex results that are challenging to synthesize. Inconsistencies among studies may result from variation in the choice of landscape metrics and response variables, which is often compounded by a lack of key statistical or methodological information. Collating primary datasets on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in a consistent and flexible database permits simple data retrieval for subsequent analyses. We present a relational database that links such field data to taxonomic nomenclature, spatial and temporal plot attributes, and environmental characteristics. Field assessments include measurements of the response(s) (e.g., presence, abundance, ground cover) of one or more species linked to plots in fragments within a partially forested landscape. The database currently holds 9830 unique species recorded in plots of 58 unique landscapes in six of eight realms: mammals 315, birds 1286, herptiles 460, insects 4521, spiders 204, other arthropods 85, gastropods 70, annelids 8, platyhelminthes 4, Onychophora 2, vascular plants 2112, nonvascular plants and lichens 320, and fungi 449. Three landscapes were sampled as long-term time series (>10 years). Seven hundred and eleven species are found in two or more landscapes. Consolidating the substantial amount of primary data available on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in the context of land-use change and natural disturbances is an essential part of understanding the effects of increasing anthropogenic pressures on land. The consistent format of this database facilitates testing of generalizations concerning biologic responses to fragmentation across diverse systems and taxa. It also allows the re-examination of existing datasets with alternative landscape metrics and robust statistical methods, for example, helping to address pseudo-replication problems. The database can thus help researchers in producing broad syntheses of the effects of land use. The database is dynamic and inclusive, and contributions from individual and large-scale data-collection efforts are welcome.
The reaction of dechlorinating agents with some non‐volatile halogenated organics

Abstract Chlorination of various waste‐waters as well as drinking water produces an abundance of nonvolatile halogenated organics. Many of these compounds are unsaturated and contain chlorine and oxygen atoms. Dechlorination with sodium sulfite prior to extraction changes the concentration of the halogenated organics. Certain types of halogenated compounds are reduced more than others. This observation implies that laboratory dechlorination should only be practiced if the compounds of interest (e.g., THM's) are unreactive with the added reducing agents. The potential use of dechlorination as a treatment for halogenated byproducts is explored.
Are older Australians with chronic diseases online?

ISSUE ADDRESSED Health information can be easily and cheaply provided through the Internet. However, we do not know whether older adults, those people most likely to be living with a chronic disease, are online or whether they use the Internet to find health information. METHODS In order to establish the proportion of older Australians online, the impact of their current health status and chronic disease diagnosis on Internet usage and whether they use the Internet to search for health information, a paper-based survey was developed and mailed to 9000 older adults, resident in New South Wales, Australia (response rate = 46.8% ). RESULTS Results showed that many older Australians are online (52.3%) and that the majority who are use the Internet to find health information (68.5%). Respondents were more likely to use the Internet if they reported good health. The presence of most chronic diseases reduced use of the Internet; however, this was not the case for those reporting asthma, anxiety or sleep apnoea. Internet use decreased as the number of reported co-morbidities increased. However, once online, self-perceived overall health and number of chronic diseases did not affect use of the Internet to find health information. CONCLUSIONS This study is important as there is currently little information available about Internet use for health information by older Australians. Findings show that the provision of health information online has the potential to reinforce existing barriers created by the social determinants of health. SO WHAT? : There is a role for the Internet in providing preventative, health promotion information, to older adults, who are already online and younger, computer literate audiences. However, practitioners need to consider the fact that this mode of delivery reinforces existing social divides; requires people to have Internet access and be both literate and e-literate.
Hydrological Impacts of Urbanization of Two Catchments in Harare, Zimbabwe

By increased rural-urban migration in many African countries, the assessment of changes in catchment hydrologic responses due to urbanization is critical for water resource planning and management. This paper assesses hydrological impacts of urbanization on two medium-sized Zimbabwean catchments (Mukuvisi and Marimba) for which changes in land cover by urbanization were determined through Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images for the years 1986, 1994 and 2008. Impact assessments were done through hydrological modeling by a topographically driven rainfall-runoff model (TOPMODEL). A satellite remote sensing based ASTER 30 metre Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was used to compute the Topographic Index distribution, which is a key input to the model. Results of land cover classification indicated that urban areas increased by more than 600 % in the Mukuvisi catchment and by more than 200 % in the Marimba catchment between 1986 and 2008. Woodlands decreased by more than 40% with a greater decrease in Marimba than Mukuvisi catchment. Simulations using TOPMODEL in Marimba and Mukuvisi catchments indicated streamflow increases of 84.8 % and 73.6 %, respectively, from 1980 to 2010. These increases coincided with decreases in woodlands and increases in urban areas for the same period. The use of satellite remote sensing data to observe urbanization trends in semi-arid catchments and to represent catchment land surface characteristics proved to be effective for rainfall-runoff modeling. Findings of this study are of relevance for many African cities, which are experiencing rapid urbanization but often lack planning and design.
hin-film electrode based droplet detection for microfluidic systems

We report on a droplet-producing microfluidic system with electrical impedance-based detection. The microfluidic devices are made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and glass with thin film electrodes connected to an impedance-monitoring circuit. Immiscible fluids containing the hydrophobic and hydrophilic phases are injected with syringe pumps and spontaneously break into water-in-oil droplet trains. When a droplet passes between a pair of electrodes in a medium having different electrical conductivity, the resulting impedance change signals the presence of the particle for closed-loop feedback roplet microfluidics
The Construction of Pairwise Additive Minimal BIB Designs with Asymptotic Results

An asymptotic existence of balanced incomplete block (BIB) designs and pairwise balanced designs (PBD) has been discussed in [1]-[3]. On the other hand, the existence of additive BIB designs and pairwise additive BIB designs with k = 2 and λ = 1 has been discussed with direct and recursive constructions in [4]-[8]. In this paper, an asymptotic existence of pairwise additive BIB designs is proved by use of Wilson’s theorem on PBD, and also for some l and k the exact existence of l pairwise additive BIB designs with block size k and λ = 1 is discussed.
Using Dendrochronology to Investigate the Historical and Educational Value of two Log Structures at Bear Paw State Natural Area, North Carolina, USA

Abstract During May 2013, the Bear Paw State Natural Area near Boone, North Carolina acquired an 11.5 ha tract of land and two log cabins from David Wray of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Work was soon underway to determine the historical nature of these two buildings and to evaluate them for consideration for the National Register of Historic Places. A historic structure report, completed as a collaboration between Appalachian State University and the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, was unable to discover much about the history of the two log cabins except that they were both likely moved to their current location in the early 20th Century. To determine when the cabins were built, we extracted core samples from logs in both cabins and compared the tree-ring patterns to region-wide, precisely-dated reference chronologies. We dated the tulip poplar tree-ring chronology from the Big Cabin to the period 1675–1859. Cutting dates on several of the logs revealed tree harvest likely occurred between fall 1859 and spring 1860. Some logs had outermost rings that dated to 1857 and 1858. Still, these logs may have been harvested a few years earlier, or some of the outer rings may have been lost during construction or sampling. We were unable to absolutely date an 81-year long American chestnut chronology from the Small Cabin. Our results confirmed that the Big Cabin was an Antebellum Period structure (pre-American Civil War) and therefore has potential historical significance. Because we still cannot tie this cabin to a historical figure or a historical event, the cabin cannot be nominated yet for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, but the identification of an original construction date for the cabin may contribute to further assessment for inclusion on a local or national register. In the meantime, we intend to use this cabin in annual summer workshops for undergraduate students taking courses at Appalachian State University so that more students can be exposed to the hands-on nature of scientific inquiry and can learn the value of dendrochronology for understanding human and environmental history.