Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toward a more biologically accurate model of diffusion: adhesion and collisions

In single-file dynamics, Brownian particles (referred to as tracer or tagged particles) diffuse and collide with each other in one-dimensional domains. If the average particle density is kept fixed during the diffusion, the collisions between the tracer particles result in their famous anomalous sub-diffusion behavior with time to the one half dependence. Many systems in nature are found to obey single-file dynamics, such as ion transport processes, and inter-particle adhesion plays a crucial role, either structurally or functionally, in the diffusion of such systems; however, the exact effect of adhesion on the diffusion has not been studied so far. We have examined the effect of adhesion on the collective diffusion of single-file systems. Here, we extend previous work where we perform large-scale numerical simulations that utilize Monte Carlo techniques and high-performance computing resources to examine the effect of adhesion on the diffusion of the tracer particles in systems that obey single-file dynamics. We show that if all the tracer particles experience the same adhesion coefficient, adhesion only slows down the diffusion by reducing the magnitude of the tracer diffusion coefficient; however, both the anomalous sub-diffusion behavior and time to the one half dependence of the tracer particles remain almost intact, independent of the adhesion.
Supervisory Interval Type-2 TSK Neural Fuzzy Network Control for Linear Microstepping Motor Drives With Uncertainty Observer

This paper proposes a supervisory interval type-2 Tagaki-Sugeno-Kang neural fuzzy network (IT2TSKNFN) control system for precision motion control of linear microstepping motor (LMSM) drives. The IT2TSKNFN incorporates interval type-2 fuzzy sets and TSK fuzzy reasoning into an NFN to handle uncertainties in LMSM drives, including payload variation, external disturbance, and sense noise. Based on the IT2TSKNFN, an uncertainty observer is first introduced to watch compound system uncertainties. Subsequently, an IT2TSKNFN-based controller is developed with robust hybrid control scheme, in which H∞ approach and a supervisory controller are embedded to overcome the effects of unstructured uncertainties and reconstruction errors. The supervisory controller combines variable structure control and adaptive IT2TSKNFN control with different weights based on the tracking error. Moreover, projection-type adaptive algorithms that can tune parameters of the IT2TSKNFN online are derived from the Lyapunov synthesis approach; thus, the stability and robustness of the overall control system are guaranteed. Finally, the proposed control algorithms are realized within a TMS320VC33 DSP-based control computer. Simulated and experimental results of an LMSM drive are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed IT2TSKNFN control system.
Tuning optimal PID controller

In this paper, a novel design method for determining the optimal proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller parameters for nonlinear multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system using the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm is presented. Firstly, a nonlinear system was described based on Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy models. Assuming that the antecedent parameters of T-S models were kept, the consequent parameters were identified online by using the weighted recursive least square (WRLS) method. Secondly, the identified parameters of fuzzy model were used to directly receive the model predicted output with direct iterative for the T-S model. The fast tuning of optimum PID controller parameters yields high-quality solution. In order to assist estimating the performance of the proposed PSO-PID controller, a new time-domain performance criterion function was also defined. Finally, the application results for continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) process show that the proposed algorithm is an effective control strategy with excellent tracing ability.
Design and Development of English Instructional Material Based on CAI Model at Economics Faculty

The method used in this study is Research and Development (R&D) with five design phases. The research objective is designing English material and developing English instructional material to increase students’ English proficiency at Economics faculty through Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) model. The result of study shows that students' English proficiency in accounting and management departments can be significantly increased by applying CAI based material design with 86% of accounting students obtained 84%of the total 95 students who took the test obtained a complete score with mean 80.92 or B+. The total accounting department students were 28 who obtained score 75 was 27 students in which 8 of them obtained equal and higher than score 86. The management students were 32 students who obtained score 75 was 29 students in which 11 of them obtained equal and higher than score 86. Meanwhile, the development study students were 35 students who obtained score 75 was 31 students in which 5 of them obtained equal and higher than score 86. This result of analysis is in line with the results of the students’ needs (wants) in English learning by analyzing the students’ response on questionnaire, there were 79% of accounting department students responded positively to the material application, 69% of management students, and 71% of development study students. All categories are good to very good. It isconcluded that CAI model based English instructional material could increase the students’ English proficiency at economics faculty.
Anxiety about electronic data hacking: Predictors and relations with digital privacy protection behavior

Purpose Despite concerns about digital privacy, little is known about emotional distress about data hacking and surveillance incidents. The purpose of this paper is to examine variables predicting anxiety about data hacking, and the role that such anxiety and other potentially important variables have in explaining the use of digital privacy protection behavior. Design/methodology/approach In total, 305 participants from an online labor market were sampled who frequently use the internet, surveyed about recent anxiety (using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7)), anxiety about data hacking (GAD-7, in reference to data hacking), and issues of digital privacy: news exposure, perceived importance, self-efficacy, protection behavior, and previous hacking victimization. Findings Profession (information technology-related) moderated the symptom structure for recent anxiety, but not data hacking anxiety. Using structural equation modeling, prior hacking victimization predicted anxiety about hacking. Digital privacy protection behavior was related to hacking anxiety and privacy self-efficacy. Data hacking anxiety mediated relations between hacking victimization and privacy protection. Privacy self-efficacy mediated relations between news exposure to hacking incidents and privacy protection. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the self-report nature of the instruments, and use of a selective, non-random sample. Practical implications Results highlight knowledge, self-efficacy, and threat appraisal among IT managers in motivating better digital security practices. Originality/value This is the first study using a standardized instrument of anxiety to examine distress about hacking and predictors of digital privacy protection behavior.
History of breastfeeding and Helicobacter pylori infection in pre-school children: results of a population-based study from Germany.

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori infection is predominantly acquired in early childhood. Therefore, childhood nutrition may be related to acquisition of infection. However, there are few current data from developed countries to elucidate this association. We investigated the relation between history of breastfeeding and H. pylori infection in a large population-based sample. METHODS Study subjects were all pre-school children in the city of Ulm, located in southern Germany and two nearby communities who were screened for school fitness between January and July 1997. The infection status of the children and of the accompanying mother was determined by the 13C-urea breath test. The parents provided additional information through a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS In all, 946 children (mean age 5.9 years) and their mothers were included in the final analysis (response in study population 80.2%). Overall, H. pylori prevalence was 9.8% in children and 34.7% in their mothers; there was a strong association between children's and mother's infection. Of the children, 82.5% had ever been breastfed. Prevalence of H. pylori infection was higher in children breastfed compared to never breastfed children (10.1% versus 8.4%) and showed a positive relationship with duration of breastfeeding. After controlling for covariates, including mother's H. pylori status, by means of multivariable analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for children's H. pylori infection was 1.56 (95% CI: 0.79-3.11) for any versus never breastfeeding and 2.57 (95% CI: 1.19-5.55) given the child was breastfed > or =6 months. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that breastfeeding in infancy does not protect against H. pylori infection among pre-school children in industrialized countries.
Regulation of Apoptosis and Differentiation by p53 in Human Embryonic Stem Cells*

The essentially infinite expansion potential and pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) makes them attractive for cell-based therapeutics. In contrast to mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), hESCs normally undergo high rates of spontaneous apoptosis and differentiation, making them difficult to maintain in culture. Here we demonstrate that p53 protein accumulates in apoptotic hESCs induced by agents that damage DNA. However, despite the accumulation of p53, it nevertheless fails to activate the transcription of its target genes. This inability of p53 to activate its target genes has not been observed in other cell types, including mESCs. We further demonstrate that p53 induces apoptosis of hESCs through a mitochondrial pathway. Reducing p53 expression in hESCs in turn reduces both DNA damage-induced apoptosis as well as spontaneous apoptosis. Reducing p53 expression also reduces spontaneous differentiation and slows the differentiation rate of hESCs. Our studies reveal the important roles of p53 as a critical mediator of human embryonic stem cells survival and differentiation.
Robust initialisation for single-plane 3D CT to 2D fluoroscopy image registration

Gradient descent-based automatic image registration algorithms typically fail when the initial misalignment between objects is large. This is a major limitation for routine clinical applications. The registration task is even more difficult for multi-modal images because of the nonlinear relationship between the pixel intensities in the images to be aligned. In this paper, we present a fast and accurate multi-modal image registration algorithm which successfully registers three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography to two-dimensional single-plane fluoroscopy data for large initial displacements between the images. Our experimental results show that the proposed approach can increase the range of initial displacements up to ± 20 mm for all translations and up to ± 20° for rotation while maintaining high precision and small bias in all six 3D rigid body transform parameters.
Two-Volt Josephson Arbitrary Waveform Synthesizer Using Wilkinson Dividers

The root-mean-square (rms) output voltage of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizer (JAWS) has been doubled from 1 V to a record 2 V by combining two new 1 V chips on a cryocooler. This higher voltage will improve calibrations of ac thermal voltage converters and precision voltage measurements that require state-of-the-art quantum accuracy, stability, and signal-to-noise ratio. We achieved this increase in output voltage by using four on-chip Wilkinson dividers and eight inner/outer dc blocks, which enable biasing of eight Josephson junction (JJ) arrays with high-speed inputs from only four high-speed pulse generator channels. This approach halves the number of pulse generator channels required in future JAWS systems. We also implemented on-chip superconducting interconnects between JJ arrays, which reduces systematic errors and enables a new modular chip package. Finally, we demonstrate a new technique for measuring and visualizing the operating current range that reduces the measurement time by almost two orders of magnitude and reveals the relationship between distortion in the output spectrum and output pulse sequence errors.
Multimodal efferent and recurrent neurons in the medial lobes of cockroach mushroom bodies

Previous electrophysiological studies of cockroach mushroom bodies demonstrated the sensitivity of efferent neurons to multimodal stimuli. The present account describes the morphology and physiology of several types of efferent neurons with dendrites in the medial lobes. In general, efferent neurons respond to a variety of modalities in a context‐specific manner, responding to specific combinations or specific sequences of multimodal stimuli. Efferent neurons that show endogenous activity have dendritic specializations that extend to laminae of Kenyon cell axons equipped with many synaptic vesicles, termed “dark” laminae. Efferent neurons that are active only during stimulation have dendritic specializations that branch mainly among Kenyon cell axons having few vesicles and forming the “pale” laminae. A new category of “recurrent” efferent neuron has been identified that provides feedback or feedforward connections between different parts of the mushroom body. Some of these neurons are immunopositive to antibodies raised against the inhibitory transmitter gamma‐aminobutyric acid. Feedback pathways to the calyces arise from satellite neuropils adjacent to the medial lobes, which receive axon collaterals of efferent neurons. Efferent neurons are uniquely identifiable. Each morphological type occurs at the same location in the mushroom bodies of different individuals. Medial lobe efferent neurons terminate in the lateral protocerebrum among the endings of antennal lobe projection neurons. It is suggested that information about the sensory context of olfactory (or other) stimuli is relayed by efferent neurons to the lateral protocerebrum where it is integrated with information about odors relayed by antennal lobe projection neurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 409:647–663, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Situated dialogue systems: agency & spatial meaning in task-oriented dialogue

This thesis argues that task-oriented conversation between humans and spatially situated dialogue systems requires a systematic understanding of spatial language, models of spatial representation and reasoning, and theories of intentional action and agency – and that all of these models be made accessible within a dialogue processing framework that, while modularizing these issues, pulls them together within a tightly coupled architecture. While such issues pose research questions which are significant, particularly when considered in the light of the many other challenges in language processing and spatial theory, the benefits of competence in situated spatial language to the fields of robotics, geographic information systems, game design, and applied artificial intelligence cannot be underestimated. To progress us towards such overall goals, this thesis develops a modularized agent-oriented language processing framework for spatially situated agents. Existing theories of dialogue modelling and management are reviewed in detail in order to establish a background in the state of the art in language processing, and to determine where boundaries should or should not be drawn between theories of language competence and those of spatial reasoning and agency. This review concludes that, while existing dialogue models are well developed and highly sophisticated, the particular field of situated spatial language processing requires: (a) greater clarity in the relationship between language representation and domain reasoning; (b) a more systematic approach to situational contextualization to account for the dynamic nature of interpretation in spatial dialogue; and (c) that we look back to issues of agency in dialogue systems to enable a tighter coupling between dialogue processes and the agent’s domain-specific capabilities. A set of desiderata for situated dialogue systems is thereafter developed, and used to motivate a tiered architecture for dialogue processing that pulls apart layers of language and knowledge representation so as to facilitate reusable and hopefully more scalable communication about space and action. The three tiers of this architecture are subsequently presented in detail. The first tier of the architecture, i.e., the Language Interface, provides the processes and resources which link surface language to the agent’s own conceptual models through a spatially rich linguistic semantics that is optimised for the syntax/semantics interface. The second architecture tier, the Agent-Oriented Dialogue Management model,
Analysis of Arabidopsis glucose insensitive growth Mutants Reveals the Involvement of the Plastidial Copper Transporter PAA1 in Glucose-Induced Intracellular Signaling1[W][OA]

Sugars play important roles in many aspects of plant growth and development, acting as both energy sources and signaling molecules. With the successful use of genetic approaches, the molecular components involved in sugar signaling have been identified and their regulatory roles in the pathways have been elucidated. Here, we describe novel mutants of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), named glucose insensitive growth (gig), identified by their insensitivity to high-glucose (Glc)-induced growth inhibition. The gig mutant displayed retarded growth under normal growth conditions and also showed alterations in the expression of Glc-responsive genes under high-Glc conditions. Our molecular identification reveals that GIG encodes the plastidial copper (Cu) transporter PAA1 (for P1B-type ATPase 1). Interestingly, double mutant analysis indicated that in high Glc, gig is epistatic to both hexokinase1 (hxk1) and aba insensitive4 (abi4), major regulators in sugar and retrograde signaling. Under high-Glc conditions, the addition of Cu had no effect on the recovery of gig/paa1 to the wild type, whereas exogenous Cu feeding could suppress its phenotype under normal growth conditions. The expression of GIG/PAA1 was also altered by mutations in the nuclear factors HXK1, ABI3, and ABI4 in high Glc. Furthermore, a transient expression assay revealed the interaction between ABI4 and the GIG/PAA1 promoter, suggesting that ABI4 actively regulates the transcription of GIG/PAA1, likely binding to the CCAC/ACGT core element of the GIG/PAA1 promoter. Our findings indicate that the plastidial Cu transporter PAA1, which is essential for plastid function and/or activity, plays an important role in bidirectional communication between the plastid and the nucleus in high Glc.
Ectopic germline cells in embryos of Xenopus laevis

Whether all descendants of germline founder cells inheriting the germ plasm can migrate correctly to the genital ridges and differentiate into primordial germ cells (PGCs) at tadpole stage has not been elucidated in Xenopus. We investigated precisely the location of descendant cells, presumptive primordial germ cells (pPGCs) and PGCs, in embryos at stages 23–48 by whole‐mount in situ hybridization with the antisense probe for Xpat RNA specific to pPGCs and whole‐mount immunostaining with the 2L‐13 antibody specific to Xenopus Vasa protein in PGCs. Small numbers of pPGCs and PGCs, which were positively stained with the probe and the antibody, respectively, were observed in ectopic locations in a significant number of embryos at those stages. A few of the ectopic PGCs in tadpoles at stages 44–47 were positive in TdT‐mediated dUTP digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. By contrast, pPGCs in the embryos until stage 40, irrespective of their location and PGCs in the genital ridges of the tadpoles at stages 43–48 were negative in TUNEL staining. Therefore, it is evident that a portion of the descendants of germline founder cells cannot migrate correctly to the genital ridges, and that a few ectopic PGCs are eliminated by apoptosis or necrosis at tadpole stages.
Students' Motivational Profiles and Achievement Outcomes in Physical Education: A Self-Determination Perspective

Previous studies in education have inspected the relations between students' autonomous versus controlled motivation and relevant outcomes. In most of those studies a global index of self-determined motivation was created. The purpose of this article was to examine (a) how the different types of motivation proposed by Self-Determination Theory combine into distinct profiles as identified by cluster analysis and (b) the links between those profiles and objective criteria of achievement. In Study 1, motivation toward physical education was assessed at the beginning of a 10-week gymnastics teaching cycle, and performance was assessed at the end of the cycle among a sample of high school students (N=210). Study 2 (N=215) extended Study 1 by controlling students' initial performance, measuring the effort they exerted and recording their grades. Cluster analyses revealed three motivational profiles: self-determined, non-self-determined, and moderate levels of both types of motivation. Path analysis showed that the self-determined profile was related to the highest achievement. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the assessment of students' motivation and the consequences of motivational profiles for educational outcomes.
Behavioral / Systems / Cognitive Amygdala and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Are Inversely Coupled during Regulation of Negative Affect and Predict the Diurnal Pattern of Cortisol Secretion among Older Adults

Urry, H. L. , Van Reekum, C. M. , Johnstone, T. , Kalin, N. H. , Thurow, M. E. , Schaefer, H. S. , Jackson, C. A. , Frye, C. J., Greischar, L. L. , Alexander, A. L. and Davidson, R. J. (2006) Amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex are inversely coupled during regulation of negative affect and predict the diurnal pattern of cortisol secretion among older adults. The Journal of Neuroscience , 26 (16). pp. 4415-4425. ISSN 15292401 doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3215-05.2006 Available at http://centaur.reading. ac.uk/4379/
Fusing the Horizons, or Why Context Matters: The Interdependence of Fieldwork and Museum Study in Mediterranean Archaeology

In a recent JMA article (JMA 28.2, December 2015), Robin Osborne argued that Mediterranean archaeology places too much emphasis on fieldwork and too little on museum study. In doing so he has set up an antithesis between two kinds of archaeological practice: the former ‘in the field’, undertaken chiefly by specialists in prehistory, and the latter in the museum, undertaken principally by Classical archaeologists who are also experts in the traditional subjects of sculpture and vase painting. I argue that this antithesis is at best misleading, and a poor guide to how best to turn material evidence into historical knowledge. These issues are explored in relation to a set of case studies where recent survey and fieldwork have shed light on old ‘museum’ material, and where a reappraisal of that material has in turn affected research design in the field as well as historical interpretation. This study concentrates on the results of a number of fieldwork projects (both excavation and survey) covering Archaic and Classical material in eastern Crete, with a particular focus on first on pithoi (storage jars) found in the excavation of houses and then terracotta plaques from various sanctuary deposits. New fieldwork, conducted to modern standards, when combined with a reappraisal of older ‘museum’ material can, when conducted using a range of both new and traditional methods, yield new insights. This combination can offer a true ‘fusion of horizons’, in Gadamer’s (1975) sense.