Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Migrating Three Dimensional Interaction Techniques

Multiplatform virtual environment (VE) development is fast-becoming a realization for today’s developers. 3D user interfaces (3DUIs) can easily be ported to a variety of VE systems. However, few researchers have addressed the need to intelligently migrate 3DUIs across VE systems. We claim that the naïve migration of 3D interaction techniques (3DITs) to other VE systems could result in decreases in usability. We also claim that device specificity can be used to increase usability on these other VE systems. In this thesis, we have chosen three manipulation 3DITs to naively migrate across a set of four VE systems. We use an exploratory usability study to identify any usability issues stemming from our naïve migrations. After finding decreases in usability in select migrations, we redesigned two of the 3DITs for device specificity. We investigated the benefits of our redesigns with usability studies on the original, naïve, and redesigned implementations of both 3DITs. Results from our studies are mixed. In one case we demonstrate that device specificity can be used effectively to increase 3DIT migratability. As a result from our experience in this work, we have learned several lessons in device-specific design as well as 3DIT migration.
Method for Removing Tree Shadow from Building Shadow in Remote Sensing Images

Building shadows in high-resolution and multi-spectrum remote sensing images are important.The detected building shadows are always influenced by big trees shadows.Aiming at this problem,this paper models the colors of trees in the intensity detachable Lab color space and detects the trees exactly by look-up table method in the remote sensing images.A tree shadow removal method for building shadows based on the detected tree regions and the orientation of the sun light is proposed and is proved effectively by experiment.
Residual Susceptibility of the Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to Four Agricultural Insecticides

Abstract The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is an abundant predator in cropping systems throughout its range. It has been documented to be an important predator of numerous crop pests, as well as being an agricultural pest itself. Information on the impact of insecticides on natural enemies such as fire ants is necessary for the integration of biological and chemical control tactics in an effective pest management program. Therefore, a residual vial bioassay was developed to determine the concentration-mortality responses of S. invicta workers to four commonly used insecticides: acephate, chlorpyrifos, methomyl, and lambda-cyhalothrin. Fire ant workers showed a mortality response to serial dilutions to all four chemicals. Methomyl (LC50 0.04 μg/vial, fiducial limits 0.03–0.06) was the most toxic, followed by chlorpyrifos (LC50 0.11 μg/vial, fiducial limits 0.07–0.17) and acephate (LC50 0.76 μg/vial, fiducial limits 0.50–1.04). Of the chemicals assayed, it took a much higher concentration of lambda-cyhalothrin (LC50 2.30 μg/vial, fiducial limits 1.57–3.59) to kill 50% of the workers compared with the other three chemicals. The results of this study demonstrate the wide range in responses of fire ants to four insecticides that are labeled and commonly used on numerous agricultural crops throughout the United States. These results further suggest the possibility of using a discriminating dose of lambda-cyhalothrin to control the target pest species while conserving fire ants in the agricultural systems in which their predatory behavior is beneficial to the integrated pest management program.
Introduction to the Virtual Issue: Recent Innovations in Text Analysis for Social Science

In 2008, Political Analysis published a groundbreaking special issue on the analysis of political text, examining some of the initial efforts in political science to consider text as a data source and to develop methods for analyzing text data.1 In their introduction to the special issue, Monroe and Schrodt (2008) note that text – one of the most common mediums through which political phenomenon are documented – is underutilized in the social sciences and they argue for further research. They suggest the research discussed in the special issue should be a jumping-off point, or “departure lounge” for future text as data research. Answering their call, in the last eight years, the field of “text as data” in social science has grown dramatically. As the number of sources and types of textual data documenting social science phenomenon has exploded, so too have methods for, and the use of, text analysis in social science research. The articles included in this virtual issue of Political Analysis showcase how the study of text analysis in political science has built on these initial political science approaches. This virtual issue includes:
The Impact of Pectin Supplementation on Intestinal Barrier Function in Healthy Young Adults and Healthy Elderly

Intestinal barrier function is suggested to decrease with aging and may be improved by pectin intake. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of four weeks pectin supplementation on gastrointestinal barrier function in vivo and ex vivo in different age groups. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study, 52 healthy young adults (18–40 years) and 48 healthy elderly (65–75 years) received 15 g/day pectin or placebo for four weeks. Pre- and post-intervention, in vivo gastrointestinal permeability by a multisugar test, and defense capacity in mucosal samples were assessed. Sigmoid biopsies were collected post-intervention from subgroups for Ussing chamber experiments and gene transcription of barrier-related genes. Pectin intervention did not affect in vivo gastroduodenal, small intestinal, colonic, and whole gut permeability in young adults nor in elderly (p ≥ 0.130). Salivary and fecal sIgA and serum IgA were not significantly different between pectin versus placebo in both age groups (p ≥ 0.128). In both young adults and elderly, no differences in transepithelial electrical resistance and fluorescein flux (p ≥ 0.164) and relative expression of genes analyzed (p ≥ 0.222) were found between pectin versus placebo. In conclusion, intestinal barrier function was not affected by four weeks pectin supplementation neither in healthy young adults nor in healthy elderly.
Development of Infrared Prediction Models for Diffusible and Micellar Minerals in Bovine Milk

Simple Summary Minerals are distributed in milk in two main forms: The diffusible (or soluble) fraction, composed of free ions and inorganic salts, and the micellar fraction, composed of mineral elements located on the surface or in the inner part of casein micelles. The ratio between diffusible and micellar minerals strongly affects milk coagulation ability. The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of mid-infrared spectroscopy to predict diffusible and micellar Ca, P, K, Mg and Na in individual milk samples of Holstein Friesian cows. Overall, the accuracy of mid-infrared prediction models was moderate for Ca, P and Mg, and low for micellar K, micellar Na and diffusible Na. Abstract Milk and dairy products are major sources of minerals in human diet. Minerals influence milk technological properties; in particular, micellar and diffusible minerals differentially influence rennet clotting time, curd firmness and curd formation rate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of mid-infrared spectroscopy to predict the content of micellar and diffusible mineral fractions in bovine milk. Spectra of reference milk samples (n = 93) were collected using Milkoscan™ 7 (Foss Electric A/S, Hillerød, Denmark) and total, diffusible and micellar content of minerals were quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Backward interval partial least squares algorithm was applied to exclude uninformative spectral regions and build prediction models for total, diffusible and micellar minerals content. Results showed that backward interval partial least squares analysis improved the predictive ability of the models for the studied traits compared with traditional partial least squares approach. Overall, the predictive ability of mid-infrared prediction models was moderate to low, with a ratio of performance to deviation in cross-validation that ranged from 1.15 for micellar K to 2.73 for total P.
Regional variation of avoidable hospitalisations in a universal health care system: a register-based cohort study from Finland 1996−2013

Objectives A persistent finding in research concerning healthcare and hospital use in Western countries has been regional variation in the medical practices. The aim of the current study was to examine trends in the regional variation of avoidable hospitalisations, that is, hospitalisations due to conditions treatable in ambulatory care in Finland in 1996–2013 and the influence of different healthcare levels on them. Setting Use of hospital inpatient care in 1996–2013 among the total population in Finland. Participants Altogether 1 931 012 hospital inpatient care episodes among all persons residing in Finland identified from administrative registers in Finland in 1996−2013 and alive in 1 January 1996. Outcome measures We examined hospitalisations due to avoidable causes including vaccine-preventable hospitalisations, hospitalisations due to complications of chronic conditions and acute conditions treatable in ambulatory care. We calculated annual age-adjusted rates per 10 000 person-years. Multilevel models were used for studying time trends in regional variation. Results There was a steep decline in avoidable hospitalisation rates during the study period. The decline occurred almost exclusively in hospitalisations due to chronic conditions, which diminished by about 60%. The overall correlation between hospital district intercepts and slopes in time was −0.46 (p<0.05) among men and −0.20 (ns) among women. Statistically highly significant diminishing variation was found in hospitalisations due to chronic conditions among both men (−0.90) and women (−0.91). The variation was mainly distributed to the hospital district level. Conclusions The results suggest that chronic conditions are managed better in primary care in the whole country than before. Further research is needed on whether this is the case or whether this has more to do with supply of hospital care.
Intelligent Learning Automata-based Strategies Applied to Personalized Service Provisioning in Pervasive Environments

In this paper, we propose a novel solution to the problem of identifying services of high quality. The reported solutions to this problem have, in one way or the other, resorted to using so-called “Reputation Systems” (RSs). Although these systems can offer generic recommendations by aggregating user-provided opinions about the quality of the services under consideration, they are, understandably, prone to “ballot stuffing” and “badmouthing” in a competitive marketplace. In general, unfair ratings may degrade the trustworthiness of RSs, and additionally, changes in the quality of service, over time, can render previous ratings unreliable. As opposed to the reported solutions, in this paper, we propose to solve the problem using tools provided by Learning Automata (LA), which have proven properties capable of learning the optimal action when operating in unknown stochastic environments. Furthermore, they combine rapid and accurate convergence with low computational The first author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ericsson Research, Aachen, Germany, and the third author is grateful for the partial support provided by NSERC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. A preliminary version of this paper was presented at IEA/AIE’10, the 2010 International Conference on Industrial and Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems, Cordoba, Spain, in June 2010. A. Yazidi · O. -C. Granmo · B.J. Oommen ( ) Department of ICT, University of Agder, Grimstad, Norway e-mail: oommen@scs.carleton. ca A. Yazidi e-mail: anis.yazidi@uia.no O. -C. Granmo e-mail: ole.granmo@uia.no B.J. Oommen School of Computer Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada K1S 5B6 complexity. In addition to its computational simplicity, unlike most reported approaches, our scheme does not require prior knowledge of the degree of any of the above mentioned problems associated with RSs. Instead, it gradually learns the identity and characteristics of the users which provide fair ratings, and of those who provide unfair ratings, even when these are a consequence of them making unintentional mistakes. Comprehensive empirical results show that our LA-based scheme efficiently handles any degree of unfair ratings (as long as these ratings are binary—the extension to non-binary ratings is “trivial”, if we use the S-model of LA computations instead of the P -model). Furthermore, if the quality of services and/or the trustworthiness of the users change, our scheme is able to robustly track such changes over time. Finally, the scheme is ideal for decentralized processing. Accordingly, we believe that our LA-based scheme forms a promising basis for improving the performance of RSs in general.
Impact of methodological choices on a meta-analysis of real-world evidence comparing non-vitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants with vitamin K antagonists for the treatment of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of methodological choices in a meta-analysis of real-world evidence (RWE) comparing three non-vitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for the treatment of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods: The meta-analysis was based on a systematic review of RWE studies enrolling incident and prevalent patients aged ≥18 years with NVAF and receiving either rivaroxaban, dabigatran, apixaban or a VKA. Five different scenarios were considered to explore the impact of the initial meta-analysis assumptions: (1) using studies that involved only incident patients; (2) excluding studies that only reported crude values and did not consider any adjustment; (3) including all studies independently of possible database overlap; (4) using studies with data on different dosages for rivaroxaban and dabigatran; and (5) assigning quality weights to studies to assess quality of reporting. These scenarios were run on three outcomes: ischemic stroke (IS), myocardial infarction (MI) and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Results: Across all scenarios, rivaroxaban was associated with significantly lower risks of IS and ICH than VKAs. In most scenarios, dabigatran was associated with significantly lower risks of IS and ICH. In all scenarios, apixaban was associated with a significantly lower risk of ICH. Conclusions: Sensitivity analyses showed the impact of similar assumptions was different depending on the outcome and the drug considered. The development of recommendations and guidelines for the inclusion of RWE in meta-analyses could prove useful in evaluating the effectiveness of health care interventions.
Automatic proofreading techniques for texts digitization

Aiming at improving the performance of texts digitization system,with the characteristics of errors analyzed,an automatic proofreading method based on rules and statistics was proposed,making use of frequency statistical tree for error check model,segmentation information for interpunctions correction,Biao-Xing code and cache for correcting suggestions.The experiment results indicate that this method gets an 84.65% recall,a 78.89% precision,a 9.07% false correction ratio and can meet the digitization system requirements.
EGF Receptor Stalls upon Activation as Evidenced by Complementary Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy and Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching Measurements

To elucidate the molecular details of the activation-associated clustering of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs), the time course of the mobility and aggregation states of eGFP tagged EGFR in the membranes of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was assessed by in situ mobility assays. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) was used to probe molecular movements of small ensembles of molecules over short distances and time scales, and to report on the state of aggregation. The diffusion of larger ensembles of molecules over longer distances (and time scales) was investigated by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Autocorrelation functions could be best fitted by a two-component diffusion model corrected for triplet formation and blinking. The slow, 100–1000 ms component was attributed to membrane localized receptors moving with free Brownian diffusion, whereas the fast, ms component was assigned to cytosolic receptors or their fragments. Upon stimulation with 50 nM EGF, a significant decrease from 0.11 to 0.07 μm2/s in the diffusion coefficient of membrane-localized receptors was observed, followed by recovery to the original value in ~20 min. In contrast, the apparent brightness of diffusing species remained the same. Stripe FRAP experiments yielded a decrease in long-range molecular mobility directly after stimulation, evidenced by an increase in the recovery time of the slow component from 13 to 21.9 s. Our observations are best explained by the transient attachment of ligand-bound EGFRs to immobile or slowly moving structures such as the cytoskeleton or large, previously photobleached receptor aggregates.
Improved Split-Merge segmentation used for locust image

In order to segment locust images more effectively,an improved Split-Merge algorithm is proposed.It gives split on images via PCNN,and meantime merges areas via a simplified Mumford-Shah model.Its advantages are as follows:At split stage,it can reduce the number of invalid split,be immune of block-effect,and locate edges more accurately;at merge stage,it can merge areas into interesting foregrounds and uninteresting backgrounds perfectly,and reduce the chance of incorrect and insufficient merge.Experiments with imago and larva locust images is segmented.It can conclude that this proposed method performs best after comprehensive comparison.
Stimulated grip strength measurement: Validation of a novel method for functional assessment

Reliable measurement of functional recovery is critical in translational peripheral nerve regeneration research. Behavioral functional assessments such as volitional grip strength testing (vGST) are limited by inherent behavioral variability. Isometric tetanic force testing (ITFT) is highly reliable but precludes serial measurements. Combining elements of vGST and ITFT, stimulated grip strength testing (sGST) involves percutaneous median nerve stimulation to elicit maximal tetanic contraction of digital flexors, thereby allowing for consistent measurement of maximal grip strength.
Evidence synthesis for constructing directed acyclic graphs (ESC-DAGs): a novel and systematic method for building directed acyclic graphs

Abstract Background Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) are popular tools for identifying appropriate adjustment strategies for epidemiological analysis. However, a lack of direction on how to build them is problematic. As a solution, we propose using a combination of evidence synthesis strategies and causal inference principles to integrate the DAG-building exercise within the review stages of research projects. We demonstrate this idea by introducing a novel protocol: ‘Evidence Synthesis for Constructing Directed Acyclic Graphs’ (ESC-DAGs)’. Methods ESC-DAGs operates on empirical studies identified by a literature search, ideally a novel systematic review or review of systematic reviews. It involves three key stages: (i) the conclusions of each study are ‘mapped’ into a DAG; (ii) the causal structures in these DAGs are systematically assessed using several causal inference principles and are corrected accordingly; (iii) the resulting DAGs are then synthesised into one or more ‘integrated DAGs’. This demonstration article didactically applies ESC-DAGs to the literature on parental influences on offspring alcohol use during adolescence. Conclusions ESC-DAGs is a practical, systematic and transparent approach for developing DAGs from background knowledge. These DAGs can then direct primary data analysis and DAG-based sensitivity analysis. ESC-DAGs has a modular design to allow researchers who are experienced DAG users to both use and improve upon the approach. It is also accessible to researchers with limited experience of DAGs or evidence synthesis.
Nitrogen mineralization assessment using PRS™ probes (ion-exchange membranes) and soil extractions in fertilized and unfertilized pine and spruce soils

Harrison, D. J. and Maynard, D. G. 2014. Nitrogen mineralization assessment using PRS™ probes (ion-exchange membranes) and soil extractions in fertilized and unfertilized pine and spruce soils. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 21-34. Several assay approaches that measure mineralizable nitrogen (N) have been used, with varying success, to assess the N supply power of soil. We compared Plant Root Simulators (PRS™ probes, Western Ag Innovations, Inc., Saskatoon, SK) with chemical extractions in an incubation to evaluate how these methods quantify N-mineralization activity of forest soils. Nitrogen mineralization was compared in spruce- and pine-forest soils that had varying N status and had been subjected to 14 yr of N-based fertilization. We paired the assays to determine how the measures co-varied after 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 wk of incubation. Significant correlations existed between PRS probes and extractable ammonium ( ) in the spruce (r=0.567, P<0.001) and pine (r=0.730, P<0.001) soils, although trendlines differed by soil type. Nitrate ( )- PRS relationships were evident only in the spruce soils (r=0.916, P<0.001), as the pine soils produced minimal . Both assays provide opportunities for assessing N-mineralization processes in forest soils and differences between assays appear to be related to soil N availability. The PRS probes responded primarily to factors affecting ion mobility because of the cumulative nature of the PRS probes; whereas the static soil extractions were more sensitive to variations in mineralization and immobilization fluxes.