Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A "Low-Tech" design experiment improving student work

Following Collins' work (1992, 1996), a design experiment had graduate music students create an on-line journal of peer-reviewed articles to introduce them to the professional process. The students reported learning a great deal and the professor found that most produced work that greatly exceeded his expectations. Positive results were independent of previous computing or subject matter experience, and improvement was noted in all but the lowest performing student.
The effect of diet on aerobic bacterial flora associated with intestine of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.)

In order to extend the knowledge on the possible effect of diet on the gastrointestinal microbial community of fish, Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) were fed diets containing high (23·7%) and low (6·4%) levels of carbohydrate. The number of viable aerobic and facultative aerobic bacteria associated with the digestive tract were not influenced by dietary regimen. A wide range of bacterial species was isolated, and the predominant bacterial species of both rearing groups were identified as Staphylococcus. There were, however, some differences in bacterial composition between the rearing groups, as well as inter‐individual variations. For example, atypical Aeromonas salmonicida were isolated from the small and large intestine of two fish fed low dietary carbohydrate, while Aer. caviae‐like isolates were found in the small intestine of four fish fed high carbohydrate. Non‐motile Aeromonas spp. were found in the rearing group fed high dietary carbohydrate, but at low frequencies. Dietary manipulation seemed to influence the species composition of carnobacteria, Gram‐positive rods, oxidase and catalase‐negative and fermentative metabolism. Carnobacterium piscicola‐like bacteria were only found in the small intestine, while C. mobile‐like and Carnobacterium spp. were isolated from the large intestine of fish fed high carbohydrate. On the contrary, C. divergens‐like isolates were found associated with the small and large intestine of fish fed low dietary carbohydrate.
Effects of Linear Disturbances and Fire Severity on Velvet Leaf Blueberry Abundance, Vigor, and Berry Production in Recently Burned Jack Pine Forests

There is limited information on how velvet leaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx.) responds to fires and existing small forest gaps associated with narrow linear disturbances. We measured the effects of narrow forest linear gaps from seismic lines used for oil and gas exploration versus adjacent (control) forests across a fire severity (% tree mortality) gradient on the presence, abundance (cover), vigor (height), and berry production of Vaccinium myrtilloides in recently (five-year) burned jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) forests near Fort McMurray, Alberta. Presence was greatest in forests that experienced low to moderately-high fire severities with declines at high fire severity. Abundance did not differ among seismic lines or adjacent forest, nor did it differ along a fire severity gradient. In contrast, vigor and berry production were greater on seismic lines compared to adjacent forests with fire severity positively affecting berry production, but not plant vigor. After controlling for changes in plant cover and vigor, berry production still increased with fire severity and within seismic lines compared with adjacent forests. Our findings suggest that narrow gaps from linear disturbances and fire severity interact to affect the fecundity (berry production) and growth (height) of Vaccinium myrtilloides. This has important implications for assessing the ecological effects of fire on linear disturbances associated with energy exploration in the western boreal forest.
Effect of Icodextrin on Heart Rate Variability in Diabetic Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

♦ Introduction: Spectral analysis of heart rate variability is a noninvasive method for evaluating autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction under various clinical conditions, such as in dialysis patients, in whom an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system appears to be an important risk factor for sudden cardiovascular death and arrhythmia. ♦ Objective: We compared the effect of icodextrin-based dialysis solution, an option that allows for better metabolic and fluid overload control, with that of glucose-based dialysis fluid on sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in the heart, as assessed by heart rate variability, in diabetic patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). ♦ Methods: This secondary analysis uses data from a randomized controlled trial in diabetic PD patients with high or high-average peritoneal transport using icodextrin-based (ICO group, n = 30) or glucose-based (GLU group, n = 29) solutions for the long dwell. All patients underwent 24-hour electrocardiographic Holter monitoring at baseline, and at 6 and 12 months of follow-up. ♦ Results: We observed no significant differences between the groups in most of the variables analyzed, although values were, in general, below reference values. In the ICO group, total power and both low- and high-frequency power in normalized units increased, but the percentage of RR intervals with variation of more than 50 ms declined over time; in the GLU group, all those values declined. Plasma catecholamine levels were higher at baseline and declined over time. ♦ Conclusions: These results indicate a partial recovery of sympathetic activity in the ICO group, probably because of better extracellular fluid control and lower exposure to glucose with the use of icodextrin-based dialysis solutions.
Force transducer‐based movement detection in fear conditioning in mice: A comparative analysis

Fear conditioning (FC) allows the dissociation of hippocampal and nonhippocampal behavioral function in rodents, and has become a diagnostic tool in transgenic mouse research employed to investigate mutation‐induced changes in brain function. Although the procedural details of the paradigm have been established, quantification of the behavioral output, freezing, remains problematic in mice. Observation‐based techniques are time‐consuming and may be subject to bias, while movement detection with photocells is imprecise. Here we describe an alternative method for movement detection, based on an electronic force transducer system that allows the quantification of acceleration forces generated by a moving subject. We compare the behavior of two inbred strains of mice (C57BL/6 and DBA/2) whose performance is known to differ in hippocampal tasks, including FC. The comparison is made using multiple techniques: the force transducer approach, and three observation‐based methods, a computer‐aided event‐recording approach, a traditional time‐sampling paper/pencil method, and a subjective impression‐based scoring system. In addition, we investigate the correlation structures of behavioral elements quantified by event recording, using principal component analyses; we conclude that fear may manifest in multiple forms and in a stimulus‐ and genotype‐dependent manner. We suggest that the force transducer system provides precise quantification of movements in an automated manner and will allow high‐throughput screening for mutation and drug effects in mice. However, we also argue that fear responses can be complex, and freezing behavior may not be the only measure of fear or fear‐associated memory. Hippocampus 2002;12:4–17. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Determination of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid in biological samples by high-performance liquid chromatography using subtraction methods: reliable reduction with tris[2-carboxyethyl]phosphine hydrochloride.

Determination of dehydroascorbic acid in biological samples most commonly involves indirect measurement. The concentration is calculated by subtraction of the measured ascorbic acid concentration from that of total ascorbic acid analyzed after reduction of the dehydroascorbic acid present; a methodology also referred to as subtraction methods. Consequently, successful determination of dehydroascorbic acid is dependent on proper sample handling, quantitative reduction of the compound, and accurate quantification of both ascorbic acid and total ascorbic acid. In this paper, the recently introduced reductant tris[2-carboxyethyl]phosphine (TCEP) is evaluated as a reliable alternative to the commonly used reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT). The results show that TCEP offers a more efficient reduction of dehydroascorbic acid at low pH compared to that of DTT. Moreover, while DTT maintains a reducing sample environment for less than 24 h, TCEP show complete protection from oxidation of ascorbic acid for at least 96 h following sample preparation. Removal of TCEP prior to analysis is unnecessary. A revised HPLC-EC method incorporating TCEP as reductant as well as the coanalysis of isoascorbic acid and uric acid is presented. The within- and between-day coefficients of variation for the complete assay are less than 1.5 and 3.5% for all analytes. As a whole, the method presented here is simpler and more reliable than existing methods.
Functional MRI reveals different response inhibition between adults and children with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been recognized as a disorder of executive function, and a number of functional MRI (fMRI) studies have been conducted to investigate the altered brain activation patterns between ADHD patients and healthy controls. However, the findings across different studies have been inconsistent, and the different neural mechanisms between adults and children with ADHD remain unclear. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of fMRI studies to further investigate and compare the abnormalities in adults and children with ADHD during motor response inhibition. METHOD Activation likelihood estimation (ALE) was used to investigate brain activation differences between ADHD patients and controls, and a subtraction meta-analysis was performed to compare adult and child patients. RESULTS Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis using ALE detected significantly decreased activation during response inhibition in ADHD in the supplementary motor area, insula, caudate, and precentral gyrus, as well as increased activation in the postcentral gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and precuneus. The activation decreases in the right caudate were greater in child ADHD patients than adult ADHD patients. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis identified dysfunction in several areas of the motor inhibition network that may play a role in the abnormal neural mechanisms of response inhibition in ADHD. The comparison of child and adult subgroups raises the possibility that the persistence of functional abnormalities of the caudate may be an important factor in whether ADHD persists.
A Hierarchical Approach for the Association Problem with Misleading Partial Channel State Information

AbstractIn this paper, we develop a hierarchical Bayesian game framework where users compete tomaximize their throughput by picking the best locally serving radio access network (RAN) withrespect to their own measurement, their demand and a partial statistical channel state information(CSI) of other users. In particular, we investigate the properties of a Stackelberg game, in which thebase station is a player on its own. We derive analytically the utilities related to the channel qualityperceived by users to obtain the equilibria. We show by means of a Stackelberg formulation, how theoperator, by sending appropriate information about the state of the channel, can optimize its globalutility while users maximize their individual utilities. The proposed hierarchical decision approachfor wireless networks can reach a good trade-off between the global network performance at theequilibrium and the requested amount of signaling. Typically, it is shown that when the networkgoal is orthogonal to user’s goal, this can lead the users to a misleading association problem.Index TermsWLAN, 3G LTE, association problem, misleading information, channel state information, gametheory, Bayes-Nash equilibrium, Bayes-Stackelberg equilibrium.
The associations of selected technical parameters with discus throwing performance: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to identify associations between discus throwing performance and the technical parameters of: hip–shoulder and shoulder–arm separation, trunk forward–backward tilt, and throwing-arm elevation angles. Video data of male and female discus throwers' competitive performances were captured during major competitions. Real-life three-dimensional coordinates of 21 body landmarks, and the discus's centre, were obtained for 94 trials using the direct linear transformation procedure. Each technical parameter was reduced at six critical instants. The trend of each parameter across four standards of performance was analysed separately for both sexes. For the female throwers, hip–shoulder and shoulder–arm separations after the flight phase, as well as forward–backward trunk tilts at the beginning and end of the throwing procedure were associated with performance. For male throwers, only the hip–shoulder separation immediately before the flight phase was associated with performance. These findings suggest that the relationships between technical parameters and discus throwing performance are different for males and females. Our results suggest that elite female discus throwers are reliant on effective technique throughout the throwing procedure to achieve long distances, whereas male discus throwers may have a relatively homogeneous technique, and a dependence on physical strength to achieve their long throws.
The Human Glucokinase Gene β-Cell-Type Promoter: An Essential Role of Insulin Promoter Factor 1/PDX-1 in Its Activation in HIT-T15 Cells

The glycolytic enzyme glucokinase plays a primary role in the glucose-responsive secretion of insulin, and defects of this enzyme can cause NIDDM. As a step toward understanding the molecular basis of glucokinase (GK) gene regulation, we assessed the structure and regulation of the human GK gene β-cell-type promoter. The results of reporter gene analyses using HIT-T15 cells revealed that the gene promoter was comprised of multiple cis-acting elements, including two primarily important cis-motifs: a palindrome structure, hPal-1, and the insulin gene cis-motif A element-like hUPE3. While both elements were bound specifically by nuclear proteins, it was the homeodomain-containing transcription factor insulin promoter factor 1 (IPF1)/STF-1/PDX-1 that bound to the hUPE3 site: IPF1, when expressed in CHO-K1 cells, became bound to the hUPE3 site and activated transcription. An anti-IPF1 antiserum used in gel-mobility shift analysis supershifted the DNA protein complex formed with the hUPE3 probe and nuclear extracts from HIT-T15 cells, thus supporting the involvement of IPF1 in GK gene activation in HIT-T15 cells. In contrast to the insulin gene, however, neither the synergistic effect of the Pan1 expression on the IPF1-induced promoter activation nor the glucose responsiveness of the activity was observed for the GK gene promoter. These results revealed some conservative but unique features for the transcriptional regulation of the β-cell-specific genes in humans. Being implicated in insulin and GK gene regulations as a common transcription factor, IPF1/STF-1/PDX-1 is likely to play an essential role in maintaining normal β-cell functions.
Propuesta de nuevos modelos dinámicos de cables de elevación para simulación en tiempo real.

RESUMEN La evolucion y abaratamiento de los costes de los equipos informaticos y, en especial, de los procesadores graficos, han potenciado el uso de las herramientas de entrenamiento basadas en simulacion, aplicadas al ambito civil. Sin embargo, a pesar de los avances que se han producido en el modelado dinamico, existen carencias importantes en los modelos de cables y polipastos utilizados para los simuladores de entrenamiento de gruas otras maquinas de elevacion. En primer lugar, no existe ningun trabajo que determine de forma clara como simular un polipasto que considere tanto la oscilacion del cable coo el sistema de poleas. En segundo lugar, diversos autores muestran la aparicion de problemas de inestabilidad numerica en la simulacion de cables de elevacion. En tercer lugar, a pesar de la diversidad de modelos existentes de cables y poleas, resulta dificil encontrar modelos suficientemente flexibles para todo el rango de situaciones que requieren las simulaciones iteractivas en tiempo real. El objetivo principal de esta investigacion es conseguir modelos dinamicos de sistemas de elevacion basados en las propiedades isicas de los cables y las poleas para la simulacion interactiva en tiempo real. Para alcanzar este objetivo se recurrira a una metodologia de modelado consistente en el desarrollo de un modelo abstracto delsistema, que permitira construir modelos dinamicos adecuados para la simulacion interactiva. La principal contribucion de este trabajo es el desarrollo de un modelo de polipasto adecuado para aplicaciones de simulacion pra entrenamiento, que contempla la interaccion entre el cable y las poleas, la oscilacion transversal del cable o la variacion de la longitud de este. El modelo desarrollado permite ademas la interaccion con otros objetos del entorno virtual, por medio de fuerzas y de colisiones. Por medio de la modularizacion del sistema, se definiran diferentes modelos dinamicos para cada subsistema y se combinaran por medio del modelo abstracto. Esto permitira integrar cualquiera de estos modelos en el modelo dinamico de polipasto, e incluso intercambiar los modelos en tiempo de ejecucion, ampliando el rango de validez del modelo obtenido y mejorando la estabilidad numerica en situaciones de tension elevada. Los modelos desarrollados se implementaran, junto con aplicaciones de demostracion, desarrollando aquellas tecnicas que puedan ser necesarias para su incorporacion a un entorno virtual. Las principales propiedades de los modelos se analizaran por medio de experimentos numericos y se validara su comportamiento. ___
Un mecanismo de inferencia aplicado a la búsqueda de respuesta

Este trabajo describe un mecanismo de inferencia aplicado al Sistema de Busqueda de Respuestas AliQAn para el idioma espanol y en dominio abierto. AliQAn esta basado fundamentalmente en el uso de patrones sintacticos para identificar las posibles respuestas. Un mecanismo de inferencia es aplicado al conjunto de preguntas de tipo economico. De esta manera, nuestro sistema mejora la precision de este tipo de preguntas de un 33 % a un 57 %. This work describe an inference mechanism apply to AliQAn Question Answering System for Spanish in open domain. AliQAn is based in use of syntactic pattern to identify the answers. Our approach apply an inference mechanism to questions set of economic type. Thus, our system enhance the accuracy of this question type of 33 % to 57 %.
Entity Summarization Based on Entity Grouping in Multilingual Projected Entity Space

Entity descriptions have been exponentially growing in community-generated knowledge databases, such as DBpedia. However, many of those descriptions are not useful for identifying the underlying characteristics of their corresponding entities because semantically redundant facts or triples are included in the descriptions that represent the connections between entities without any semantic properties. Entity summarization is applied to filter out such non-informative triples and meaningredundant triples and rank the remaining informative facts within the size of the triples for summarization. This study proposes an entity summarization approach based on pre-grouping the entities that share a set of attributes that can be used to characterize the entities we want to summarize. Entities are first grouped according to projected multilingual categories that provide the multi-angled semantics of each entity into a single entity space. Key facts about the entity are then determined through in-group-based rankings. As a result, our proposed approach produced summary information of significantly better quality (p-value = 1.52 × 10−3 and 2.01 × 10−3 for the top-10 and -5 summaries, respectively) than the state-of-the-art method that requires additional external resources. key words: entity summarization, DBpedia, ranking, multilingual joint space, entity grouping
The altered promoter methylation of oxytocin receptor gene in autism

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the lifelong existing disorders. Abnormal methylation status of gene promoters of oxytonergic system has been implicated as among the etiologic factors of ASDs. We, therefore, investigated the methylation frequency of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) promoter from peripheral blood samples of children with autistic features. Our sample includes 66 children in total (22–94 months); 27 children with ASDs according to the DSM-IV-TR and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and 39 children who do not have any autistic like symptoms as the healthy control group. We investigated the DNA methylation status of OXTR promoter by methylation specific enzymatic digestion of genomic DNA and polymerase chain reaction. A significant relationship has been found between ASDs and healthy controls for the reduction of methylation frequency of the regions MT1 and MT3 of OXTR. We could not find any association in the methylation frequency of MT2 and MT4 regions of OXTR. Although our findings indicate high frequency of OXTR promoter hypomethylation in ASDs, there is need for independent replication of the results for a bigger sample set. We expect that future studies with the inclusion of larger, more homogeneous samples will attempt to disentangle the causes of ASDs.
Anisotropic diffusion with monotonic edge-sharpening

Through its evolution with time, anisotropic diffusion provides multi-scale edge-sensitive smoothing of noisy images. Depending on the type of equation used, such a procedure may also have the ability to sharpen the edges. This paper characterizes the edge-sharpening abilities of a well-known diffusion equation based on the characteristics of the second eigenvalue of the Hessian of a function related to the diffusivity function. It then proposes a new way of diffusivity function design based on the natural requirement of the degree of edge sharpening monotonically related to the strength of edges. A comparative example based on the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) is also presented.