Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of bacterial silage inoculants on whole-crop maize silage fermentation and silage digestibility in rams

This study evaluated the effects of ensiling whole-crop maize with bacterial inoculants, Lactococcus lactis (LL) and Lactobacillus buchneri (LB), on the fermentation and nutrient digestibility in rams. Whole-crop maize (265 DM g/kg) was ensiled for 90 days in 210 L drums with no additive, or with LL or LB. After three months, the drums were opened and the silage was sampled for fermentation characteristics. Diets were produced by mixing the whole-crop maize silage with lucerne hay (90 : 10) on an “as fed” basis, and a digestibility study was conducted using five South African Mutton Merino rams (37.2 ± 2.2 kg live weight) per treatment. Inoculating maize silage with LL and LB reduced ammonia nitrogen concentration, but did not affect silage pH. The concentration of lactic acid was increased with LL compared to the other treatments. A higher concentration of acetic acid was obtained with LB inoculation compared to the other treatments. The aerobic stability of the silage was improved with LB while it was reduced with LL inoculation, as indicated by a higher CO 2 production than the latter. The intake and digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and fibre were improved by inoculation. Furthermore, inoculations resulted in improved nitrogen retention. It was concluded that the inoculants improved silage fermentation and diet digestibility. Inoculation with LB improved aerobic stability and LL inoculation reduced it. Keywords: Alfalfa, lucerne, aerobic stability, Lactococcus lactis , Lactobacillus buchneri
Do Simulator Measures Improve Identification of Older Drivers with MCI

This study considered the extent to which differences between drivers with mild cognitive impairment and controls on a sign recall task in a fixed-base driving simulator could better predict whether a driver will be diagnosed with MCI, compared to self-reports of a decrease in driving proficiency or of avoidance of driving, or age alone. The dependent measure in the simulator examined test conditions where working memory was subject to interference due to varying levels of demand for operational and tactical level driving tasks. Reliable between-groups differences in sign recall accuracy were demonstrated; sign recall similarly declined under higher task demand level. However, neither recall scores, nor self-reported frequency of avoiding driving, nor driver age predicted a clinical diagnosis of MCI; only self-reported decline in global driving ability was significant in this regard. Practical implications of these findings are discussed, while it is noted that this work must be viewed as exploratory due to its limited sample size.
Smooth Primal-Dual Coordinate Descent Algorithms for Nonsmooth Convex Optimization

We propose a new randomized coordinate descent method for a convex optimization template with broad applications. Our analysis relies on a novel combination of four ideas applied to the primal-dual gap function: smoothing, acceleration, homotopy, and coordinate descent with non-uniform sampling. As a result, our method features the first convergence rate guarantees among the coordinate descent methods, that are the best-known under a variety of common structure assumptions on the template. We provide numerical evidence to support the theoretical results with a comparison to state-of-the-art algorithms.
Selecting a meta-module to shape-change the ATRON self-reconfigurable robot

The ATRON self-reconfigurable robot consists of simple one degree of freedom ATRON modules. The motion capabilities of an individual module are therefore quite limited. To compensate for this, meta-modules composed of more than one module are used to shape-change the system. Meta-modules emerge from the environment created by other modules, move on the surface of other modules and stop at a new position. The flow of meta-modules, from one place to another on the structure of modules, realizes the desired self-reconfiguration. In this paper we compare six different meta-module types composed of ATRON modules. Variations of meta-module morphology and meta-actions are investigated for its ability to shape-change the robot. We conclude that two of the investigated meta-module types are able to shape-change the robot to an acceptable extent
Developing student assessment related to a work- placement: A bridge between practice and improvement

This paper explores the ways in which student assessment can be developed in higher education and work-related contexts to form a strong bridge between practice and improvement. Our aim is to provide a starting point for evaluation and improvement of assessment practices, which benefits the learners, instructors, and designers of the curricula, as well as developers of educational organisations. Empirical explorations in the article draw on interview data gathered from physiotherapy students, teachers, and workplace supervisors, on their experiences of student assessment, in two higher education and work-related contexts. Although the actual empirical study is not the focus of this paper, short descriptions of the participants' lived-through experiences are used to illustrate the explicit theoretical purpose of the discussion. In particular, we outline a theoretical model of ‘zones and mirrors' that provides a compelling link between student assessment and learning, by exploring the stages and elements that can join the two, in dialogue with the empirical data.
On the Teachability of Randomized Learners

The present paper introduces a new model for teaching {em randomized learners}. Our new model, though based on the classical teaching dimension model, allows to study the influence of various parameters such as the learner's memory size, its ability to provide or to not provide feedback, and the influence of the order in which examples are presented. Furthermore, within the new model it is possible to investigate new aspects of teaching like teaching from positive data only or teaching with inconsistent teachers. Furthermore, we provide characterization theorems for teachability from positive data for both ordinary teachers and inconsistent teachers with and without feedback.
Fatty acid biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Lateral gene transfer, adaptive evolution, and gene duplication

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a high GC Gram-positive member of the actinobacteria. The mycobacterial cell wall is composed of a complex assortment of lipids and is the interface between the bacterium and its environment. The biosynthesis of fatty acids plays an essential role in the formation of cell wall components, in particular mycolic acids, which have been targeted by many of the drugs used to treat M. tuberculosis infection. M. tuberculosis has ≈250 genes involved in fatty acid metabolism, a much higher proportion than in any other organism. In silico methods have been used to compare the genome of M. tuberculosis CDC1551 to a database of 58 complete bacterial genomes. The resulting alignments were scanned for genes specifically involved in fatty acid biosynthetic pathway I. Phylogenetic analysis of these alignments was used to investigate horizontal gene transfer, gene duplication, and adaptive evolution. It was found that of the eight gene families examined, five of the phylogenies reconstructed suggest that the actinobacteria have a closer relationship with the α-proteobacteria than expected. This is either due to either an ancient transfer of genes or deep paralogy and subsequent retention of the genes in unrelated lineages. Additionally, adaptive evolution and gene duplication have been an influence in the evolution of the pathway. This study provides a key insight into how M. tuberculosis has developed its unique fatty acid synthetic abilities.
Zero Crossings

In this essay, we presuppose basic knowledge of stochastic processes [1]. Let {Xt : t ≥ 0} be a zero mean, unit variance, stationary Gaussian process with twice differentiable correlation function r(|s − t|) = Cov(Xs,Xt). We wish to study the distribution of lengths of intervals between zeroes of Xt. There are two cases: the first in which r(τ) is analytic (implying differentiability up to all orders) and the second in which the third derivative of r(τ) possesses a jump discontinuity at τ = 0. Define fm(τ) to be the probability density associated with the interval length τ between an arbitrary zero t0 and the (m + 1) st later zero tm+1. In particular, f0(τ) is the probability density of differences between successive zeroes t0 and t1. We will focus on the limiting behavior of fm(τ) as τ → 0. When r(τ) is analytic, it is clear that
Self-initialization and recovery for uninterrupted tracking in vision-guided micromanipulation

In this paper, we propose a workflow algorithm for timely tracking of the tool tip during cell manipulation using a template-based approach augmented with low level feature detection. Doing so addresses the problem of adverse influences on template-based tracking during tool-cell interaction while maintaining an efficient track-servo framework. This consideration is important in developing autonomous robotic vision-guided micromanipulators. Our method facilitates vision-guided micromanipulation autonomously without manual interventions even during tool-cell interaction. This is done by decomposing the process to four scenarios that operate on their respective mode. The self-initializing mode is first used to localize and focus a region of interest (ROI) which the tip lies in. Once in focus, the tip is manipulated using a unified visual track-servo template-based approach. A reinitialization mechanism will be triggered to prevent tracking from being interrupted by partial cell occlusion of the tracking ROI. This mechanism uses the self-initializing concept combining motion cue and low-level feature detection to localize the needle tip. Following the reinitialization, we further recover tracking of the needle tip using a mechanism that updates the base template. This adaptive approach ensures uninterrupted tracking even when the cell is interacting with the tool and under deformation. Results demonstrated that with the newly incorporated mechanisms, the localized position improved from an error of more than 50% to less than 10% of the specimen size. When there is no specimen in the scene the new workflow shows no adverse effect on the localization through 270 tracked frames. By incorporating reinitialization and recovery to this workflow algorithm, we hope to initiate the first step towards uncalibrated autonomous vision-guided micromanipulation process.
Tutorial: Mobile BI

Smartphones and tablets are ubiquitous for personal use and are increasingly employed for business purposes. When paired with business intelligence to create mobile BI, workers are able to access information wherever they are, at any time, and through a variety of devices. This use has the potential to increase employee productivity, enhance customer service and satisfaction, improve decision making, provide a competitive advantage, and improve the bottom line. Mobility can make BI pervasive throughout an organization, but it is most likely to be used by executives, mid-level and operational managers, sales representatives, and field and internal technicians. To be successful with mobile BI, we must address various issues and challenges such as creating a roadmap, getting started right, meeting user expectations, creating an appropriate technology infrastructure, designing for screen size, and providing for security. Case studies of U.S.Xpress, a leading trucking company, and GUESS, a leading retailer of clothing and accessories, provide many real-world examples of the concepts, options, and best practices associated with mobile BI. Following mainframe, client/server, and Web-based approaches, mobile BI is the fourth generation of how information is delivered.
Protection of Ischemic Postconditioning against Neuronal Apoptosis Induced by Transient Focal Ischemia Is Associated with Attenuation of NF-κB/p65 Activation

Background and Purpose Accumulating evidences have demonstrated that nuclear factor κB/p65 plays a protective role in the protection of ischemic preconditioning and detrimental role in lethal ischemia-induced programmed cell death including apoptosis and autophagic death. However, its role in the protection of ischemic postconditioning is still unclear. Methods Rat MCAO model was used to produce transient focal ischemia. The procedure of ischemic postconditioning consisted of three cycles of 30 seconds reperfusion/reocclusion of MCA. The volume of cerebral infarction was measured by TTC staining and neuronal apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining. Western blotting was used to analyze the changes in protein levels of Caspase-3, NF-κB/p65, phosphor- NF-κB/p65, IκBα, phosphor- IκBα, Noxa, Bim and Bax between rats treated with and without ischemic postconditioning. Laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to examine the distribution of NF-κB/p65 and Noxa. Results Ischemic postconditioning made transient focal ischemia-induced infarct volume decrease obviously from 38.6%±5.8% to 23.5%±4.3%, and apoptosis rate reduce significantly from 46.5%±6.2 to 29.6%±5.3% at reperfusion 24 h following 2 h focal cerebral ischemia. Western blotting analysis showed that ischemic postconditioning suppressed markedly the reduction of NF-κB/p65 in cytoplasm, but elevated its content in nucleus either at reperfusion 6 h or 24 h. Moreover, the decrease of IκBα and the increase of phosphorylated IκBα and phosphorylated NF-κB/p65 at indicated reperfusion time were reversed by ischemic postconditioning. Correspondingly, proapoptotic proteins Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-3, Noxa, Bim and Bax were all mitigated significantly by ischemic postconditioning. Confocal microscopy revealed that ischemic postconditioning not only attenuated ischemia-induced translocation of NF-κB/p65 from neuronal cytoplasm to nucleus, but also inhibited the abnormal expression of proapoptotic protein Noxa within neurons. Conclusions We demonstrated in this study that the protection of ischemic postconditioning on neuronal apoptosis caused by transient focal ischemia is associated with attenuation of the activation of NF-κB/p65 in neurons.
The Role of Objects in the Coordination of Knowledge-Intensive Projects: A Study of Computer Games Development

This paper addresses the role of objects in enabling the coordination of highly knowledge-intensive projects. An empirical study of project work in the computer games sector explored the role played by milestone schedules. We found that such objects played a central role in coordination in several related ways which could not be explained in terms of previous theorizing. First, such objects exhibited a capacity to act as a meta-object; i.e. representing and inter-relating other objects. Second, through their narrative quality, these objects were critical to collaborating groups' ability to respond to the emergent features of project work. Third, by representing the practices of different groups temporally, these objects made them more accountable to management control.
SunTM MPI I/O: Efficient I/O for Parallel Applications

Many parallel applications require high-performance I/O to avoid negating some or all of the benefit derived from parallelizing its computation. When these applications are run on a loosely-coupled cluster of SMPs, the limitations of existing hardware and software present even more hurdles to performing high-performance I/O. In this paper, we describe our full implementation of the I/O portion of the MPI-2 specification. In particular, we discuss the limitations inherent in performing high-performance I/O on a cluster of SMPs and demonstrate the benefits of using a cluster-based filesystem over a traditional node-based filesystem.
Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1995: determinants of survival.

In May 1995, an international team characterized and contained an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo. This study reports the descriptive features of this outbreak along with a statistical analysis of the outbreak data. Proportional hazards analysis was used to examine the effect of age, phase of the outbreak, and sex on the risk of death, and a conditional probability analysis was used to examine the effectiveness of whole blood transfusion from convalescent patients on survival. Two hundred fifty case-patients (80.7%) died. The main predictor of survival in the proportional hazards model was age. No statistical evidence of a survival benefit of transfusion of blood from convalescent patients was evident after adjusting for age, sex, and the days since onset of symptoms (P = .1713).
Norwegian Developments and Perspectives on Violence Risk Assessment

The first Norwegian tools designed to assess the violence risk of the mentally ill were developed in the late 1980s, though the first national guidelines for both violence and suicide risk assessment were not published until two decades later in 2007. This article reviews the history of the field of forensic risk assessment in Norway from its humble beginnings to the present day. First an overview is provided of the history of forensic psychiatry and the criminal justice system. The main scope, however, is to discuss current research on and practice of risk assessment of violence in Norway, with an emphasis on the development and use of Norwegian risk assessment tools and methods. Particular attention is paid to instruments that follow the structured professional judgment model of risk assessment, as actuarial tools are rarely researched and not routinely implemented in clinical practice in Norway. Finally, a brief analysis is provided of some controversies concerning risk assessment in the expert witness reports on Anders Behring Breivik, who murdered 77 persons in 2011.
Image Enhancement for the 3-D Reconstruction in the Uncontrolled Environment using Shape from Silhouette

Among the multiple models for 3-D shape reconstruction, Shape from silhouette (SFS) is one of the fast and simple 3D shape rendering techniques as compare to other approaches. In SFS model multiple images captured from different viewpoints in a controlled environment are used as input data at the front end to extract silhouette and are free of noises. Silhouette extraction from such well-defined input data is easy and accurate, having no loss of information while extracting the silhouette. On the other hand images from uncontrolled environment involve many degradation factors. Common and frequently degradation factors are motion blur and noise addition which effects acquired image quality, illumination and resolution seriously. The proposed work is an effort to extract useful information from such environmentally variant images. The successful reconstruction of the image is main emphasis.
Particles with Age for Data Clustering

This paper proposes a novel particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm using the concept of age of particles. Effective fitness of a particle depends both on its functional value and age. Age of a newly generated particle is taken as zero, and in every iteration age of each individual is increased by one. In this paper, a trapezoidal aging function is considered. The model aims to emulate natural swarm system in a more natural way. The effectiveness of this concept is demonstrated by cluster analysis. Results show that the model provides enhanced performance and maintains more diversity in the swarm and thereby allows the particles to be robust to trace the changing environment.
Dust-acoustic modes in plasmas with dust distributions and charge fluctuations

Charge fluctuations in dusty plasmas are discussed starting from charge, mass, momentum and current equations for the combined dusty plasma. This allows a generic description of low-frequency waves in plasmas with dust distributions, and leads to the damping and other modifications of the dust-acoustic and related modes, like generalized dust-Coulomb modes.
Book Review: The Development of Word Meaning: Progress in Cognitive Development Research

Debates about the origins of word meaning are as old as philosophy itself. This collection of essays concentrates on semantic development in children. In a relatively short period of time the helpless infant grasps that the noises made by crooning relatives and friends convey meaning. Approximately seven months after birth, most infants have begun to acquire the rudiments of 'naming' and to internalize the notion that verbal labels are attached to objects. Later they learn that this extends to ideas as well. This is no mean accomplishment. Despite the 'bow wow', 'grunting' and similar theories of how words originally acquire meaning there is no objective explanation of why 'table' represents the object we dine at, or 'chair' the object we sit on. It may as well have been the other way around. The difficulty, at least for objects, is that an observable, physical item is represented internally in a very abstract fashion. Words represent meaning, and concepts embody meaning. A basic issue in this text is how children develop the ability to use words to represent concepts. They do it easily enough, beginning in the first year of S. -Afr.Tydskr. Siclk. 1988, 18(4)
Sveriges Riksbank Working Paper Series Is the Short-run Phillips Curve Nonlinear? Empirical Evidence for Australia, Sweden and the United States Is the Short-run Phillips Curve Nonlinear? Empirical Evidence for Australia, Sweden and the United States

The Phillips curve has generally been estimated in a linear framework which implies a constant relationship between inflation and unemployment. Lately there have been several studies which claim that the slope of the Phillips curve is a function of macroeconomic conditions and that the relationship is asymmetric. If this is true the assumption of linearity is too restrictive. In this paper linear Phillips curves for Australia, Sweden and the United States is tested for linearity and parameter constancy. The nonlinear alternative is specified as a smooth transition regression model. It turns out that linearity is rejected for both Australia and Sweden while the Phillips curve for the United States appears to be linear. Anders Vredin. The responsibility for any errors or shortcomings remains mine. The views expressed in this paper are solely the responsibility of the author and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of the Executive Board of Sveriges Riksbank