Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectral Element Methods for

We describe the development and implementation of an eecient spectral element code for simulating transitional ows in complex three-dimensional domains. Critical to this eeort is the use of geometrically nonconforming elements that allow localized reenement in regions of interest, coupled with a stabilized high-order time-split formulation of the semi-discrete Navier-Stokes equations. Simulations of transition in a model of an arteriovenous graft illustrate the potential of this approach in biomechanical applications.
Using functional and organizational information to improve genome-wide computational prediction of transcription units on pathway-genome databases

MOTIVATION The prediction of transcription units (TUs, which are similar to operons) is an important problem that has been tackled using many different approaches. The availability of complete microbial genomes has made genome-wide TU predictions possible. Pathway-genome databases (PGDBs) add metabolic and other organizational (i.e. protein complexes) information to the annotated genome, and are able to capture TU organization information. These characteristics of PGDBs make them a suitable framework for the development and implementation of TU predictors. RESULTS We implemented a TU predictor that uses only intergenic distance and functional classification of genes to predict TU boundaries, and applied it to EcoCyc, our PGDB of Escherichia coli. To this original predictor, we added information on metabolic pathways, protein complexes and transporters, all readily available in EcoCyc, in order to generate an enhanced predictor. The enhanced predictor correctly predicted 80% of the known E.coli TUs (69% of the known operons), a moderate improvement over the original predictor's performance (75% of TUs and 65% of operons correctly predicted), demonstrating that the extra information available in the PGDB does indeed improve prediction performance. Performance of this E.coli-based predictor on a genome other than that of E.coli was tested on BsubCyc, our computationally generated PGDB for Bacillus subtilis, for which a set of 100 known operons is available. Prediction accuracy decreased substantially (46% of the known operons correctly predicted). This was due in part to missing information in BsubCyc, which prevented full use of the predictor's features. The augmented predictor has been implemented as part of our Pathway Tools software suite, and can be used to populate a PGDB with predicted TUs. AVAILABILITY The TU predictor is included in version 7.0 of the Pathway Tools software suite. Pathway Tools 7.0 is available free of charge to academic institutions and for a fee to commercial enterprises. It runs on Sun Solaris 8, Linux and Windows. TUs predicted on the Caulobacter crescentus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv) genomes are available in our CauloCyc and MtbrvCyc databases, available at the BioCyc web site (http://biocyc.org). To obtain version 7.0 of Pathway Tools, follow the directions in our web site, http://biocyc.org/download.shtml.
THE ROLE OF IRRATIONAL BELIEFS, BROODING AND REFLECTIVE PONDERING IN PREDICTING DISTRESS

The present study investigated the relationships between two forms of ruminative thoughts, brooding, and reflective processing, in relation with irrational beliefs and their impact on distress. While significant amount of data support the role of irrational beliefs and depressive rumination as vulnerability factors in distress, no attempts have been made so far to study the relationships between these individual characteristics. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires including measures of the above constructs. Results show that irrational beliefs, brooding and reflective pondering are related to distress, and that the impact of irrational beliefs on distress is completely mediated by brooding. The role of irrational beliefs and different types of ruminative processing, their effects on distress, potential mechanisms and implications are discussed.
A New Thin-Film Permeameter for Measuring All Components of a Permeability Tensor

We describe a new permeameter to evaluate all components of a permeability tensor. The permeameter consists of a shorted microstrip line and a revolving coil, which can operate well up to 300 MHz. All muij r (i, j = x, y, and z) of a relative permeability tensor of a magnetic thin film were evaluated by the permeameter. The measurements show that the sample has large off-diagonal components compared with diagonal ones, indicating that the examination of such off-diagonal components by the permeameter can be used to design new devices with high accuracy.
The magnetic fields of large Virgo Cluster spirals

Because of its proximity the Virgo Cluster is an excellent target for studying interactions of galaxies with the cluster environment. Both the high-velocity tidal interactions and effects of ram pressure stripping by the intracluster gas can be investigated. Optical and/or \ion{H}{i} observations do not always show effects of weak interactions between galaxies and their encounters with the cluster medium. For this reason we searched for possible anomalies in the magnetic field structure in Virgo Cluster spirals which could be attributed to perturbations in their gas distribution and kinematics. Five angularly large Virgo Cluster spiral galaxies (NGC 4501, NGC 4438, NGC 4535, NGC 4548 and NGC 4654) were the targets for a sensitive total power and polarization study using the 100-m radio telescope in Effelsberg at 4.85 GHz. For two objects polarization data at higher frequencies have been obtained allowing Faraday rotation analysis. Distorted magnetic field structures were identified in all galaxies. Interaction-induced magnetized outflows were found in NGC 4438 (due to nuclear activity) and NGC 4654 (a combination of tidal tails and ram pressure effects). Almost all objects (except the anaemic NGC 4548) exhibit distortions in polarized radio continuum attributable to influence of the ambient gas. For some galaxies they agree with observations of other species, but sometimes (NGC 4535) the magnetic field is the only tracer of the interaction with the cluster environment. The cluster environment clearly affects the evolution of the galaxies due to ram pressure and tidal effects. Magnetic fields provide a very long-lasting memory of past interactions. Therefore, they are a good tracer of weak interactions which are difficult to detect by other observations.
Genital inflammation and the risk of HIV acquisition in women.

BACKGROUND Women in Africa, especially young women, have very high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence rates that cannot be fully explained by behavioral risks. We investigated whether genital inflammation influenced HIV acquisition in this group. METHODS Twelve selected cytokines, including 9 inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (interleukin [IL]-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-8, interferon-γ inducible protein-10 [IP-10], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein [MIP]-1α, MIP-1β), hematopoietic IL-7, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and regulatory IL-10 were measured prior to HIV infection in cervicovaginal lavages from 58 HIV seroconverters and 58 matched uninfected controls and in plasma from a subset of 107 of these women from the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa 004 tenofovir gel trial. RESULTS HIV seroconversion was associated with raised genital inflammatory cytokines (including chemokines MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and IP-10). The risk of HIV acquisition was significantly higher in women with evidence of genital inflammation, defined by at least 5 of 9 inflammatory cytokines being raised (odds ratio, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-7.9; P = .014). Genital cytokine concentrations were persistently raised (for about 1 year before infection), with no readily identifiable cause despite extensive investigation of several potential factors, including sexually transmitted infections and systemic cytokines. CONCLUSIONS Elevated genital concentrations of HIV target cell-recruiting chemokines and a genital inflammatory profile contributes to the high risk of HIV acquisition in these African women.
Vibrate-to-unlock: Mobile phone assisted user authentication to multiple personal RFID tags

Personal RFID tags store valuable information private to their users that can easily be subject to eavesdropping, unauthorized reading, owner tracking, and cloning. RFID tags are also susceptible to relay attacks and likely to get lost and stolen. In this paper, we introduce the problem of user authentication to RFID tags. This allows users to control when and where their RFID tags can be accessed. We present a novel approach for user authentication to multiple RFID tags called “Vibrate-to-Unlock” (VtU). This technique uses a mobile phone as an authentication token, forming an unidirectional tactile communication channel between users and their RFID tags. Authenticating to an RFID tag involves touching a vibrating phone to the tag or an object carrying the tag, such as a wallet. We discuss the design and implementation of this new method on Intel's WISP tags. We also report on a preliminary usability evaluation of our VtU prototype.
The DrosDel Deletion Collection: A Drosophila Genomewide Chromosomal Deficiency Resource

We describe a second-generation deficiency kit for Drosophila melanogaster composed of molecularly mapped deletions on an isogenic background, covering ∼77% of the Release 5.1 genome. Using a previously reported collection of FRT-bearing P-element insertions, we have generated 655 new deletions and verified a set of 209 deletion-bearing fly stocks. In addition to deletions, we demonstrate how the P elements may also be used to generate a set of custom inversions and duplications, particularly useful for balancing difficult regions of the genome carrying haplo-insufficient loci. We describe a simple computational resource that facilitates selection of appropriate elements for generating custom deletions. Finally, we provide a computational resource that facilitates selection of other mapped FRT-bearing elements that, when combined with the DrosDel collection, can theoretically generate over half a million precisely mapped deletions.
Bedside Teaching: general and discipline-specific teacher characteristics, criteria for patient selection and difficulties

Objective: With regard to bedside teaching (BST), which has an important function in medical education for practicing history taking and clinical examination, only few studies can be found which define recommendations for its realization. However, difficulties with this teaching method are often reported in evaluations. Hence, the goal of this study is to collect important general requirements for bedside teaching and to identify important aspects of patient selection. Methods: A newly designed questionnaire with closed and open questions concerning the organisation, the execution and the design of BST as well as patient selection was sent to a total of 134 teachers from the departments of surgery, internal medicine and psychiatry. The collected data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: Teachers from internal medicine were significantly older than teachers from both other disciplines. In surgery, a significantly higher number of hours was taught by younger residents. Patient consent and the match of their diseases to the learning objectives were stated to be the most important factors for patient selection across disciplines. Psychiatrists put significantly more emphasis on patients’ German language skills according to their own declaration. By trend, an acute deterioration of the state of health was mentioned more often in surgery to lead to an exclusion from BST. Conclusion: With regard to planning of content, organisation and patient selection for BST, aspects mentioned by teachers as well as discipline specific characteristics should be considered for and addressed during teacher trainings.
Image Steganography Using LSB and Edge - Detection Technique

Steganography is the technique of hiding the fact that communication is taking place, by hiding data in other data. Many different carrier file formats can be used, but digital images are the most popular because of their frequency on the Internet. For hiding secret information in images, there exist a large variety of steganographic techniques some are more complex than others and all of them have respective strong and weak points. Steganalysis, the detection of this hidden information, is an inherently difficult problem and requires a thorough investigation so we are using "Edge detection Filter". In this paper search how the edges of the images can be used to hiding text message in Steganography . It give the depth view of image steganography and Edge detection Filter techniques. Method: In this paper search how the edges of the images can be used to hiding text message in Steganography. For that gray image has been presented. In this method tried to find binary value of each character of text message and then in the next stage, tried to find dark places of gray image (black) by converting the original image to binary image for labeling each object of image by considering on 8 pixel connectivity. Then these images have been converted to RGB image in order to find dark places. Because in this way each sequence of gray color turns into RGB color and dark level of grey image is found by this way if the Gary image is very light the histogram must be changed manually to find just dark places. In the final stage each 8 pixels of dark places has been considered as a byte and binary value of each character has been put in low bit of each byte that was created manually by dark places pixels for increasing security of the main way of least Significant bit steganography. Steganalysis then used to evaluate the hiding process to ensure the data can be hidden in best possible way.
Exploring scalar fields using critical isovalues

Isosurfaces are commonly used to visualize scalar fields. Critical isovalues indicate isosurface topology changes: the creation of new surface components, merging of surface components or the formation of holes in a surface component. Therefore, they highlight interesting isosurface behavior and are helpful in exploration of large trivariate data sets. We present a method that detects critical isovalues in a scalar field defined by piecewise trilinear interpolation over a rectilinear grid and describe how to use them when examining volume data. We further review varieties of the marching cubes (MC) algorithm, with the intention of preserving topology of the trilinear interpolant when extracting an isosurface. We combine and extend two approaches in such a way that it is possible to extract meaningful isosurfaces even when a critical value is chosen as the isovalue.
An approach to design of time-aware recommender system based on changes in group user's preferences

Traditional recommender systems use collaborative filtering or content-based methods to recommend new items for users. New users and items are continuously updated to the system bringing changes in user's preferences, as well as the additional context in form of temporal information. The continuous system updates change not just individual user's preferences, but also group user's preferences affecting prediction of ratings for individual users. In this work is presented improved user-based collaborative filtering algorithm using temporal contextual information. With difference to other approaches, we propose using weight function based on changes in the group user's preferences over time that increases prediction accuracy of collaborative filtering prediction algorithm.
Random Pattern Testable Logic Synthesis

Previous procedures for synthesis of testable logic guarantee that all faults in the synthesized circuits are detectable. However, the detectability of many faults in these circuits can be very low leading to poor random pattern testability. A new procedure to perform logic synthesis that synthesizes random pattern testable multilevel circuits is proposed. Experimental results show that the circuits synthesized by the proposed procedure tstfx are significantly more random pattern testable and smaller than those synthesized using its counterpart fast_extract (fx) in SIS. The proposed synthesis procedure design circuits that require only simple random pattern generators in built-in self-test, thereby obviating the need for complex BIST circuitry.
Local Z-Buffering Rendering in Large Complex Scenes

A novel output sensitive real-time rendering algorithm local Z-buffering for the large complex scenes is presented in this paper. A naïve algorithm is proposed at first based on decomposing a large complex scene into a low-depth complexity scene and a large depth complexity by computing a partition plane in the view space. The low and high depth complexity scenes are visualized by Zbuffering and ray casting respectively. This naïve algorithm works well for densely occluded scenes. The naïve algorithm is refined by a series of acceleration algorithms from different point of views. The acceleration algorithms include the selectively lazy ray casting, objectoriented ray casting and a coherence based octree traverse algorithm . The final local Z-buffering algorithm requir es the least preprocessing time and can achieve satisfactory speed-up averagely in the real-time rendering of large complex. Its performance can grow up with the improvements of the CPU and GPU capacities.
Pricing Death: Frameworks for the Valuation and Securitization of Mortality Risk*

It is now widely accepted that stochastic mortality – the risk that aggregate mortality might differ from that anticipated – is an important risk factor in both life insurance and pensions. As such it affects how fair values, premium rates, and risk reserves are calculated. This paper makes use of the similarities between the force of mortality and interest rates to examine how we might model mortality risks and price mortality-related instruments using adaptations of the arbitrage-free pricing frameworks that have been developed for interest-rate derivatives. In so doing, the paper pulls together a range of arbitrage-free (or risk-neutral) frameworks for pricing and hedging mortality risk that allow for both interest and mortality factors to be stochastic. The different frameworks that we describe – short-rate models, forward-mortality models, positive-mortality models and mortality market models – are all based on positive-interest-rate modelling frameworks since the force of mortality can be treated in a similar way to the short-term risk-free rate of interest. While much of this paper is a review of the possible frameworks, the key new development is the introduction of mortality market models equivalent to the LIBOR and swap market models in the interest-rate literature. These frameworks can be applied to a great variety of mortality-related instruments, from vanilla longevity bonds to exotic mortality derivatives.
Virtual reality based intervention in rehabilitation: relationship between motor and cognitive abilities and performance within virtual environments for patients with stroke

The objective of this study was to provide experimental data to support a proposed model of VRbased intervention. More specifically our goal was to examine the relationships between cognitive and motor ability and performance within virtual environments. Thirteen participants who have had a stroke participated in the study. They each experienced three virtual environments (Birds & Balls, Soccer and Snowboard) delivered by the GX- video capture system. After each environment they complete a scenario specific questionnaire and Borg’s scale for perceived exertion. Their cognitive, motor and sensory abilities were measured as well. The participants’ responses to the VR environments showed that they enjoyed the experience and felt high levels of presence. The results also revealed some moderate relationships between several cognitive abilities and VR performance. In contrast, the motor abilities and VR performance were inversely correlated. In addition, there was a relationship between presence and performance within the Soccer environment. Although these results support some components of the proposed model it appears that the dynamic nature of the virtual experiences would be more suited to comparisons with different measures of motor ability than those used in the current study.
GENETIC TRANSFORMATION AND HYBRIDIZATION

We have developed a simple genetic engineering strategy for conferring resistance against parasitic weeds on host plants. Transgenic tomato plants expressing the sarcotoxin IA gene were grown either in polyethylene bags (PE) or in pots inoculated with Orobanche aegyptiaca seeds. The results indicate that transgenic plants exhibited strong inhibition of parasite growth and significantly increased yield as compared with non-transgenic ones. In both PE and pot systems most of the parasite tubercles attached to the transgenic root plants turned necrotic and developed abnormally. Integration and expression of the gene were confirmed by Southern blot, RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Our results indicate that the insect gene produced in the plant cells was selectively toxic to the parasite and non-toxic to the host plant.
Progesterone Injection and Egg Production in Turkey Hens1

Abstract An arrest in laying associated with either a polyovarian follicle (POF) or a polycystic ovarian follicle (PCOF) syndrome has been reported in turkey hens photostimulated at an early age with a constant-light photoperiod. Hens expressing the POF or PCOF syndrome had stopped laying for several weeks, but the ovary contained an increased number of mature-size and larger follicles (POF hens), which were cystic (PCOF) in some of the hens. Hens with the POF or PCOF syndrome had plasma progesterone (P4) concentrations that were relatively high and without surges. We hypothesized that high plasma P4 concentrations may block ovulatory surges of LH but not the growth or maintenance of hierarchical follicles leading to development of the POF or PCOF syndrome in turkey hens. In the first six studies, hens were photostimulated with either a 14L:10D or a 24L:0D photoperiod and, after laying for 1–38 wk, were then injected daily for up to 14 days with P4 (up to 1.50 mg kg−1 day−1) and necropsied. At all ages, the oviposition rate was reduced at a P4 dosage of 0.17 mg kg−1 day−1. With dosages of 0.33 mg kg−1 day−1 or greater, however, ovipositions stopped in most hens within approximately 2 days. For hens laying for less than 15 wk, oviductal weight and number of hierarchical follicles of P4-injected hens were not different from control vehicle-injected hens, but the numbers of mature, cystic, and atretic follicles were increased. For hens laying for 38 wk, when treated with P4, oviductal weight and number of hierarchical follicles decreased, but number of atretic follicles increased. No effect of photoperiod was found on egg production, oviductal weight, or follicle number, and none of the hens developed POF or PCOF syndrome in these experiments. Two additional experiments were conducted with hens early in the reproductive period that had been photostimulated with 14L:10D or 24L:0D and injected with P4 (0.33 mg kg−1 day−1) for 10 or 12 days but not necropsied until 3 wk after the last injection. Most of the hens photostimulated with the 24L:0D photoperiod and injected with P4, and a few of the hens photostimulated with the 14L:10D photoperiod and injected with P4, had developed the PCOF syndrome when necropsied. The hens with the PCOF syndrome had high levels of P4 when necropsied. From these studies, we concluded that the PCOF syndrome can be induced early in the reproduction period by photostimulating turkey hens with a 24L: 0D photoperiod, injecting them for 10 to 12 days with P4 at a dosage of 0.33 mg kg−1 day−1, and then waiting 3 wk for the PCOF syndrome to develop.