Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A mathematical study of some biomechanical factors affecting the oscillometric blood pressure measurement

A mathematical lumped parameter model of the oscillometric technique for indirect blood pressure measurement is presented. The model includes cuff compliance, pressure transmission from the cuff to the brachial artery through the soft tissue of the arm, and the biomechanics of the brachial artery both at positive and negative transmural pressure values. The main aspects of oscillometry are simulated i.e., the increase in cuff pressure pulsatility during cuff deflation manoeuvres, the existence of a point of maximum pulsations (about 1.5 mmHg) at a cuff pressure close to mean arterial pressure, and the characteristic ratios for cuff pressure pulsatility at systole and diastole (0.52 and 0.70, respectively, with this model, using basal parameters and an individual set of data for the arterial pressure waveform). Subsequently, the model is used to examine how alterations in some biomechanical factors may prejudice the accuracy of pressure measurement. Numerical simulations indicate that alterations in wall viscoelastic properties and in arterial pressure pulse amplitude may significantly affect the accuracy of pressure estimates, leading to errors as great as 15-20% in the computation of diastolic and systolic arterial pressure. By contrast, changes in arterial pressure mean value and cuff compliance do not seem to have significant influence on the measurement. Evaluation of mean arterial pressure through a characteristic ratio is not robust and may lead to misleading results. Mean arterial pressure may be better evaluated as the lowest pressure at which cuff pulse amplitude reaches a plateau. The obtained results may help to explain the nature of errors which usually limit the reliability of arterial pressure measurement (for instance in the elderly).
High-Performance Adaptive Perturb and Observe MPPT Technique for Photovoltaic-Based Microgrids

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy has witnessed double-digit growth in the past decade. The penetration of PV systems as distributed generators in low-voltage grids has also seen significant attention. In addition, the need for higher overall grid efficiency and reliability has boosted the interest in the microgrid concept. High-efficiency PV-based microgrids require maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers to maximize the harvested energy due to the nonlinearity in PV module characteristics. Perturb and observe (P&O) techniques, although thoroughly investigated in previous research, still suffer from several disadvantages, such as sustained oscillation around the MPP, fast tracking versus oscillation tradeoffs, and user predefined constants. In this paper, a modified P&O MPPT technique, applicable for PV systems, is presented. The proposed technique achieves: first, adaptive tracking; second, no steady-state oscillations around the MPP; and lastly, no need for predefined system-dependent constants, hence provides a generic design core. A design example is presented by experimental implementation of the proposed technique. Practical results for the implemented setup at different irradiance levels are illustrated to validate the proposed technique.
Persistent array access using server-directed I/O

Large multidimensional arrays are a common data type in high-performance scientific applications. Without special techniques for handling access to these arrays, I/O can easily become a large fraction of execution time for applications using these arrays, especially on parallel platforms. We show how to reduce the parallel I/O bottleneck for array data in closely-synchronized SPMD applications on distributed-memory platforms, through the use of server-directed I/O. This method allows array data requests on parallel platforms to be translated into long sequential disk reads and writes, while also minimizing the cost of rearranging data as they move between on-disk and in-memory schemas. We present experimental results from the implementation of server-directed I/O in Panda, showing that for I/O of large arrays, Panda utilizes nearly the maximum throughput of the underlying AIX file system on an IBM SP2. We also discuss Panda's user interface, an essential factor in Panda's high performance.
A comparative high-resolution spectroscopic study of the Hyades giants Tauri and Tauri

Spectra of the Hyades K0 giants Tau and Tau in the regions 5852-5864 ˚ A and 6145-6176 ˚ A have been recorded at high resolution and with signal/noise in the range 150-250. A critical comparison reveals that, although nearly all lines in the observed regions have a similar depth, lines of Tau are broader by about 10% than those of Tau. An LTE analysis indicates that slightly higher turbulent broadening in Tau can account for the observed differences in line-width. Study of two particularly temperature sensitive features confirms earlier observations that the effective temperature of Tau is less than that of Tau and determines the temperature difference to be 80 20 K.
Gradient angle histograms for efficient linear hough transform

Non-collinear edge pixels are equivalent to noise for the linear Hough transform (LHT). Existing methods that reduce the number of points for Hough voting are based on random and/or probabilistic selection. Such methods select both collinear and noisy pixels, thereby incurring unwanted computational costs. In this paper, we propose a novel gradient angle histogram based technique to generate modified straight line edge map (SLEM), which largely retains the straight line edges and eliminates noisy edge pixels. A block-based SLEM generation is proposed to increase the robustness of straight line extraction and validated on test images. Further, effect of varying block sizes on accuracy of straight line detection is studied and appropriate block settings are derived. The proposed gradient angle histogram based method reduces the number of edge pixels by as much as 85%.
A visual analytics approach for understanding egocentric intimacy network evolution and impact propagation in MMORPGs

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games (MMORPGs) feature a large number of players socially interacting with one another in an immersive gaming environment. A successful MMORPG should engage players and meet their needs to achieve different categories of gratifications. Research on the evolution of player social interaction network and the dynamics of inter-player intimacy could provide insights into players' gratification-oriented behaviors in MMORPGs. Such understanding could in turn guide game designs for better engaging existing players and marketing strategies for attracting newcomers. Conventional dynamic network analysis may help investigate game-based social interactions at the macroscopic level. However, current dynamic network visualization techniques mainly focus on illustrating topological changes of the entire network, which are unsuitable for analyzing player-specific social interactions in the virtual world from an egocentric perspective. In general, game designers and operators find it difficult to analyze the way players with different gratification needs may interact with one another and the consequences on their relationships with direct ties, using a decentralized social graph with complicated time-varying structures. In this paper, we present MMOSeer, a visual analytics system for exploring the evolution of egocentric player intimacy network. MMOSeer focuses on the relationship between a player (ego) and his/her directly-linked friends (alters). We follow a user-centered design process to develop the system with game analysts and apply novel visualization techniques in conjunction with well-established algorithms to depict the evolution of intimacy egocentric network. We also derive a centrality change metric to infer how the impact of changes in an ego's interactive behaviors may propagate through the intimacy network, reshaping the structure of the alters' social circles at both micro and macro levels. Finally, we validate the usability of MMOSeer by discovering different user interaction patterns and the corresponding ego-network structural changes in a real-world gameplay dataset from a commercial MMORPG.
Médias et nouvelles technologies : pour une socio-politique des usages (Sous la direction d'André Vitalis)

Carmagnat Fanny. Medias et nouvelles technologies : pour une socio-politique des usages (Sous la direction d'Andre Vitalis). In: Reseaux, volume 13, n°72-73, 1995. L'economie des telecommunications. pp. 250-252.
Comparison of Shack-Hartmann sensor and point diffraction interferometer for wavefront aberration analysis

Two methods for assessing the image quality of optical systems based on the analysis of wavefront aberration (WA) are presented together. The methods and the experimental setups are broadly described. A comparative study between those two techniques on the analysis of a meniscus lens has been carried out and an equivalence between both techniques has been tested and demonstrated, by comparing the RMS associated to their measured Zernike coefficients.
Full search content independent block matching based on the fast Fourier transform

We present a new algorithm for solving the block matching problem which is independent of image content and is faster than other full-search methods. The method employs a novel data structure called the windowed-sum-squared-table, and uses the fast Fourier transform (FFT) in its computation of the sum squared difference (SSD) metric. Use of the SSD metric allows for higher peak signal to noise ratios than other fast block matching algorithms which require the sum of absolute difference (SAD) metric. However, because of the complex floating point and integer math used in our computation of the SSD metric, our method is aimed at software implementations only. Test results show that our method has a running time 13%-29% of that for the exhaustive search, depending on the size of the search range.
Proactive Detection of Computer Worms Using Model Checking

Although recent estimates are speaking of 200,000 different viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, the majority of them are variants of previously existing malware. As these variants mostly differ in their binary representation rather than their functionality, they can be recognized by analyzing the program behavior, even though they are not covered by the signature databases of current antivirus tools. Proactive malware detectors mitigate this risk by detection procedures that use a single signature to detect whole classes of functionally related malware without signature updates. It is evident that the quality of proactive detection procedures depends on their ability to analyze the semantics of the binary. In this paper, we propose the use of model checking-a well-established software verification technique-for proactive malware detection. We describe a tool that extracts an annotated control flow graph from the binary and automatically verifies it against a formal malware specification. To this end, we introduce the new specification language CTPL, which balances the high expressive power needed for malware signatures with efficient model checking algorithms. Our experiments demonstrate that our technique indeed is able to recognize variants of existing malware with a low risk of false positives.
Ultra-Low-Voltage, Low-Power, High-Speed Operational Amplifiers Using Body-Driven Gain-Boosting Technique

Regular gate-driven regulated-cascode structure fails to operate with very-low supply voltages. On the other hand, body-driven configuration suffers from limited speed due to limited effective transconductance. In this letter, body-driven gain-boosting amplifier has been employed for a regular gate-driven folded-cascode amplifier to enhance its voltage gain without any limitation on its minimum required supply voltage and voltage swing in ultra-low-voltage applications. The gain/speed/swing performance of the proposed low-voltage op-amp would be therefore good enough not to require another amplifying stage in many high-speed low-power applications. Using the proposed architecture, three different sub-l-V single-stage operational amplifiers have been designed and simulated in 0.18-mum CMOS technology that confirm the suitable operation of the circuit in very-low supply voltages and different speeds.
A Robust Multigrid Method for the Time-Dependent Stokes Problem

In the present paper we propose a coupled multigrid method for generalized Stokes flow problems. Such problems occur as subproblems in implicit time-stepping approaches for time-dependent Stokes problems. The discretized Stokes system is a large-scale linear system whose condition number depends on the grid size of the spatial discretization and of the length of the time step. Recently, for this problem a coupled multigrid method has been proposed, where in each smoothing step a Poisson problem has to be solved (approximately) for the pressure field. In the present paper, we propose a coupled multigrid method where the solution of such sub-problems is not needed. We prove that the proposed method shows robust convergence behavior in the grid size of the spatial discretization and of the length of the time-step.
Expectations, Perceptions and Experiences of First Year Students Enrolled in Nursing and/or Midwifery Courses at Three NSW Universities

Students face many challenges in transition to university life, a significant proportion either withdraw from their studies or fail in assessments. This study investigates the expectations, perceptions, experiences and learning strategies of first year nursing and midwifery students. Students at three NSW universities were surveyed, using a questionnaire that was developed to gather information on demographic details, course satisfaction, transition to university, learning experiences, and the development and use of learning strategies. In addition, student volunteers in one location were engaged in focus group interviews. Combined questionnaire data from students at the three universities (59.5% response rate) showed a strong correlation between the development of effective study techniques, course satisfaction and academic performance. Most students (83.9%) stated they were happy with their choice of course, 57.8% felt that they had adjusted well to university life and expectations, 48.3% developed effective study techniques, 54.2% mostly understood the teaching of the academic staff, and 46.4% found it easy to keep up with other students. However, many students had problems developing effective study techniques: 37% reported that they did preliminary reading before a learning session, 34.2% admitted that they hesitated to ask questions in class, and 18.1% reported that they did not make supplementary notes. A proportion of students (9.2%) also reported fear of learning science subjects. Focus interviews revealed that while some students had difficulty learning science they were aware that knowledge of science would benefit them in nursing practice. An awareness of students' expectations, perceptions and experiences may lead to better understanding of relevant issues and foster the development of programs that would cater to students' areas of concern.
Equine athletes and interspecies sport

This article draws on a range of sociological literature including studies of sport, subculture, interspecies relationships and animal advocacy to understand the social processes that have contributed to the horse being defined as an athlete in equestrian sports. Using a combination of qualitative interviews and archival analysis, we identify trends in the equine industry that have provided the foundation for the emergence of a new type of equine athlete – the sport pony – in the context of late modern societies. We conclude by arguing that the popularity of the sport pony is a reflection of a general trend within the equine industry placing value on athleticism and esthetics.
FlyLimbTracker: An active contour based approach for leg segment tracking in unmarked, freely behaving Drosophila

Understanding the biological underpinnings of movement and action requires the development of tools for precise, quantitative, and high-throughput measurements of animal behavior. Drosophila melanogaster provides an ideal model for developing such tools: the fly has unparalleled genetic accessibility and depends on a relatively compact nervous system to generate sophisticated limbed behaviors including walking, reaching, grooming, courtship, and boxing. Here we describe a method that uses active contours to semi-automatically track body and leg segments from video image sequences of unmarked, freely behaving Drosophila. We show that this approach is robust to wide variations in video spatial and temporal resolution and that it can be used to measure leg segment motions during a variety of locomotor and grooming behaviors. FlyLimbTracker, the software implementation of this method, is open-source and our approach is generalizable. This opens up the possibility of tracking leg movements in other species by modifications of underlying active contour models. Author Summary In terrestrial animals, including humans, fundamental actions like locomotion and grooming emerge from the displacement of multiple limbs through space. Therefore, precise measurements of limb movements are critical for investigating and, ultimately, understanding the neural basis for behavior. The vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an attractive animal model for uncovering general principles about limb control since its genome and nervous system are easy to manipulate. However, existing methods for measuring leg movements in freely behaving Drosophila have significant drawbacks: they require complicated experimental setups and provide limited information about each leg. Here we report a new method - and provide its open-source software implementation, FlyLimbTracker - for tracking the body and leg segments of freely behaving flies using only computational image processing approaches. We illustrate the power of this method by tracking fly limbs during five distinct walking and grooming behaviors and from videos across a wide range of spatial and temporal resolutions. Our approach is generalizable, allowing researchers to use and customize our software for limb tracking in Drosophila and in other species.
Toll-Like Receptor 8 Agonist Strengthens the Protective Efficacy of ESAT-6 Immunization to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

Accumulating evidence suggests important functions for human Toll-like receptor 8 in vivo in tuberculosis and autoimmune diseases. However, these studies are limited by the lack of specific agonists and by the fact that the homology of TLR8 in human and mice is not sufficient to rely on mouse models. In this study, we examined the role of human TLR8 in the disease progression of experimental Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, as well as the benefits provided by a TLR8 agonist against Mtb challenge in a human TLR8 transgenic mouse. We found that the expression of human TLR8 in C57BL/6 mice permits higher bacilli load in tissues. A vaccine formulated with ESAT-6, aluminum hydroxide, and TLR8 agonist provided protection against Mtb challenge, with a high percentage of CD44hiCD62Lhi TCM. Using ovalbumin as a model antigen, we demonstrated that the activation of TLR8 enhanced the innate and adaptive immune response, and provided a sustained TCM formation and Th1 type humoral response, which were mainly mediated by type I IFN signaling. Further research is required to optimize the vaccine formulation and seek optimal combinations of different TLR agonists, such as TLR4, for better adjuvanticity in this animal model.
Holographic phase transitions at finite chemical potential

Recent Holographic studies have shown that N=4 super Yang-Mills theory coupled to fundamental matter with finite chemical potential undergoes a first order phase transition. In this paper, we study Nf D6 probe branes with or without electric field on it in the black D4 brane background compactified on a circle with supersymmetry breaking boundary condition. At energy scales much lower than the compactification scale, the dual gauge theory is effectively four dimensional non-supersymmetric SU(Nc) Yang-Mills theory coupled to fundamental matter with or without baryon number charge. Within the supergravity approximation, the decoupling of the Kaluza-Klein modes is not fully realized. For chemical potential μb NcMq there is no phase transition and mesons are unstable. A peculiar and interesting property of this system is that for a certain range of chemical potential μb<NcMq, a new phase transition appears in the unstable meson phase. This phase transition is characterized by a discontinuous change of unstable meson lifetime.
R 2 Information Sampling , Belief Synchronization and Collective Illusions

We demonstrate that a sampling-based mechanism can offer an alternative explanation for belief synchronization in social groups and the persistence of collective illusions. Our model assumes that people are more likely to sample popular alternatives than unpopular alternatives. We show that this mechanism is sufficient to explain belief synchronization: a strong majority of opinions will likely emerge in favor of one alternative. The reason is that the group is unlikely to move away from a state in which one alternative is very unpopular. If by chance most people come to dislike alternative A, they are all unlikely to sample it again and their opinions of A remain the same. When A is in fact the best alternative, a collective illusion has emerged because people mistakenly believe that a suboptimal alternative is the best. Our model implies that such a collective illusion is persistent. The model thus offers an existence proof that a collective illusion can occur even in settings where people do not infer that popular alternatives are better. The model also casts new light on the effect of online recommendation systems on attitude homogenization and the effect of majority voting on beliefs and attitudes.
Heat exchanger and method for manufacturing the same

Provided are a heat exchanger and a method of manufacturing the same. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a tube is inserted into a through-hole formed in a fin coated with a filler material, the tube is attached to a collar of the fin through the filler material by brazing process, wherein no flange is formed at an upper end of the collar vertically protruding from a planar surface of the through-hole that forms the fin. The tube is formed of an aluminum material and a gap between the outer circumference of the tube and an inner circumference of the collar may be 0.1 mm or less. Accordingly, a contact resistance generated when a fin-tube type heat exchanger is manufactured through a mechanical tube expansion method can be reduced, and no deformation of a groove formed in the tube is generated, heat transfer performance of the heat exchanger is improved.