Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Principal component analysis learning algorithms: a neurobiological analysis

The biological relevance of principal component analysis (PCA) learning algorithms is addressed by: (i) describing a plausible biological mechanism which accounts for the changes in synaptic efficacy implicit in Oja’s ‘Subspace’ algorithm (Int. J. neural Syst. 1, 61 (1989)); and (ii) establishing a potential role for PCA-like mechanisms in the development of functional segregation, PCA learning algorithms comprise an associative Hebbian term and a decay term which interact to find the principal patterns of correlations in the inputs shared by a group of units. We propose that the presynaptic component of this decay could be regulated by retrograde signals that are translocated from the terminal arbors of presynaptic neurons to their cell bodies. This proposal is based on reported studies of structural plasticity in the nervous system. By using simulations we demonstrate that PCA-like mechanisms can eliminate afferent connections whose signals are unrelated to the prevalent pattern of afferent activity. This elimination may be instrumental in refining extrinsic cortico-cortical connections that underlie functional segregation.
Mobile Phone-Based Displacement Estimation for Opportunistic Localisation Systems

The accelerometers integrated in today’s phones can be used to estimate the distance travelled from the accelerations made while walking. The placement of the sensor on the body is important to take into consideration. In this paper, the accelerations recorded with a daily-used phone in the trouser pocket were processed on a mobile device to detect steps and estimate the distance travelled. The outcome of the distance estimates shows an error of 0.05 metres per one metre and can be improved through calibration. This distance was applied in the motion model of a particle filter, and fused with a map of the building. The results establish that the estimates of the algorithm are valuable when fusing with other technologies or environment information, to aid the estimation of the location.
Sensory uncertainty field for mobile robot navigation

The authors introduce an approach to motion planning with uncertainty for mobile robots. Given a model of the robot's environment, a sensory uncertainty field (SUF) is computed over the robot's configuration space. At every configuration q, the SUF is an estimate of the uncertainty in the sensed configuration that would be computed by matching the data given by the robot sensors against the environment model, if the robot was at the configuration q. A planner then makes use of the computed SUF to generate paths that minimize the expected errors. The computation of a SUF is described for a classical line-striping camera/laser range sensor. An implemented SUF-based motion planner for a robot equipped with this sensor is presented. <<ETX>>
Molecular phylogeography of Rosenberg's goanna (Reptilia: Varanidae: Varanus rosen bergi) and its conservation status in New South Wales

Abstract Rosenberg's goanna, Varanus rosenbergi, is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in New South Wales, but it is not currently listed nationally in Australia as large populations exist on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. There are several significant morphological and behavioural differences between populations in NSW and those in the rest of Australia and some researchers believe these differences may be great enough to warrant separate taxonomic status. To investigate the magnitude and nature of these differences with an independent data set, we sequenced a 867 base pair DNA fragment of the mitochondrial genome that includes half of the ND4 gene and three tRNA genes. We obtained sequence data from 30 individuals of V. rosenbergi drawn from across its range in southern Australia, and also included representatives of two other Varanus species, V. gouldii and V. varius. Thirteen mitochondrial haplotypes were found among the 30 V. rosenbergi samples. Phylogenetic signal in the data sets was strong and a variety of phylogenetic analyses of the data all resulted in the same single fully resolved tree. The differences observed between populations of V. rosenbergi are not considered great enough to support the description of new taxa, but are sufficient to clearly define five evolutionary significant units, one of which is comprised of the threatened NSW/ACT populations.
A control algorithm for hexapod walking machine over soft ground

A control algorithm is presented for a hexapod walking machine, with alternating tripod-gait, proceeding over soft ground. The control algorithm is based on a foot-force sensing and is composed of two parts. The first part, which is applied to the leg alternating phase, confirms the support of body weight and generates the ground model using internal sensors. The second, which is applied to the body-propelling phase, compensates for the additional ground-sinkage due to the change of supporting force using the generated ground model. The proposed control algorithm is incorporated into the hexapod walking machine (MELWALK-III) and some basic experiments are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm for three types of ground simulations. >
Assuring Operational Continuity in C4ISR Facilities

C4ISR - command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance - a convergence of critical functions that together define a mission-critical facility. Each function is very important, and the loss of any one results in diminished capacity for real-time generation of tactics, strategy, logistics and plan implementation. The loss of the entire mission-critical C4ISR facility affects everyone from warfighter on the ground to commander-in-the-loop. And the removal of command and control functionality is always "TARGET 1" in any conflict. Our enemies try to neutralize our C4ISR functionality through offensive means. Yet the same result can be inadvertently achieved if insufficient attention is paid to ensuring that adequate and uninterrupted electrical power is available to support the facility. Terms such as survivability and vulnerability are well defined in DoD regulations, and they use key words like "avoid and withstand" in reference to C4ISR external threats - yet the threat from within is rarely addressed, even though the impact on C4ISR operational availability could be just as devastating. In this article, we present trends within the mission-critical supply of electrical power to the C4ISR subsystems, including advanced powering topologies and technologies, as well as the implementation of solutions for existing and new facilities
Regional variation of wall shear stress in ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms

The development of an ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm is likely caused by excessive hemodynamic loads exerted on the aneurysmal wall. Computational fluid-dynamic analyses were performed on patient-specific ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms obtained from patients with either bicuspid aortic valve or tricuspid aortic valve to evaluate hemodynamic and wall shear parameters, imparting aneurysm enlargement. Results showed an accelerated flow along the outer aortic wall with helical flow in the aneurysm center for bicuspid aortic valve ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms. In a different way, tricuspid aortic valve ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms exhibited normal systolic flow without substantial secondary pattern. Analysis of wall shear parameters evinced a high and locally varying wall shear stress on the outer aortic wall and high temporal oscillations in wall shear stress (oscillatory shear index) on either left or right side of aneurysmal aorta. These findings may explain the asymmetric dilatation typically observed in ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Simulations of a hypertensive scenario revealed an increase in wall shear stress upon 44% compared to normal systemic pressure models. Computational fluid-dynamics–based analysis may allow identification of wall shear parameters portending aneurysm dilatation and hence guide preventative intervention.
Community mental health and comprehensive health service programs for the poor.

The Neighborhood Health Center is described as a program delivering family-oriented comprehensive health care of high quality to large groups of poor people. Because of the way services are conceived and organized, the center offers an opportunity to explore the impact of an approach to mental health and illness that focuses simultaneously on the neighborhood, the family, and the individual.
Development of a risk index for prediction of abnormal pap test results in Serbia.

BACKGROUND Serbia is one of the countries with highest incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer in Central and South Eastern Europe. Introducing a risk index could provide a powerful means for targeting groups at high likelihood of having an abnormal cervical smear and increase efficiency of screening. The aim of the present study was to create and assess validity ofa index for prediction of an abnormal Pap test result. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study population was drawn from patients attending Departments for Women's Health in two primary health care centers in Serbia. Out of 525 respondents 350 were randomly selected and data obtained from them were used as the index creation dataset. Data obtained from the remaining 175 were used as an index validation data set. RESULTS Age at first intercourse under 18, more than 4 sexual partners, history of STD and multiparity were attributed statistical weights 16, 15, 14 and 13, respectively. The distribution of index scores in index-creation data set showed that most respondents had a score 0 (54.9%). In the index-creation dataset mean index score was 10.3 (SD-13.8), and in the validation dataset the mean was 9.1 (SD=13.2). CONCLUSIONS The advantage of such scoring system is that it is simple, consisting of only four elements, so it could be applied to identify women with high risk for cervical cancer that would be referred for further examination.
Investigating the Enhancing Effect of Music on Autobiographical Memory in Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

The enhancing effect of music on autobiographical memory recall in mild Alzheimer’s disease individuals (n = 10; Mini-Mental State Examination score >17/30) and healthy elderly matched individuals (n = 10; Mini-Mental State Examination score 25–30) was investigated. Using a repeated-measures design, each participant was seen on two occasions: once in music condition (Vivaldi’s ‘Spring’ movement from ‘The Four Seasons’) and once in silence condition, with order counterbalanced. Considerable improvement was found for Alzheimer individuals’ recall on the Autobiographical Memory Interview in the music condition, with an interaction for condition by group (p < 0.005). There were no differences in terms of overall arousal using galvanic skin response recordings or attentional errors during the Sustained Attention to Response Task. A significant reduction in state anxiety was found on the State Trait Anxiety Inventory in the music condition (p < 0.001), suggesting anxiety reduction as a potential mechanism underlying the enhancing effect of music on autobiographical memory recall.
A surfactant-free recipe for shape-controlled synthesis of CdSe nanocrystals

We described surfactant-free recipes for the synthesis of CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) with well-controlled morphologies at a relatively low temperature. Dot-, rod-, tetrapod-and sphere-shaped CdSe NCs were prepared with trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as a non-equilibrium solvent and trioctylphosphine selenide (TOPSe) and cadmium carboxylates as Se and Cd precursors, respectively. It was found that the morphology and stacking pattern of the CdSe NCs were related to the preparation conditions such as the concentration of the injected TOPSe(monomer concentration), reaction temperature and chain length of the cadmium carboxylate precursors. At a reaction temperature of 240 °C, CdSe NCs with a tetrapod selectivity of up to 85% were obtained in the presence of cadmium myristate under high concentrated TOPSe injection, and the in situ-formed myristic acid supplied the best acidic ligand with optimal amount to stabilize the anisotropic growth of the tetrapods. The intentional addition of more myristic acid in the reaction system would block the growth pathway of the tetrapods. Using cadmium laurate, cadmium palmitate and cadmium stearate as the cadmium precursors would reduce the formation of the tetrapods, showing the very low selectivity of the tetrapods.
7D-5 Detection and Sizing of Delaminations in Composites Using Modally-Selective Lamb-Wave Transducers

This work addresses several aspects of damage detection and evaluation in composite laminates, in the general context of structural health monitoring. A group delay measurement technique is proposed using modally-selective Lamb-wave transducers for the detection and sizing of delaminations in woven quasi-isotropic and carbon-epoxy cross- ply composites. Unlike amplitude or energy based Lamb-wave methods, this method is insensitive to transducer coupling. The first asymmetric Lamb mode was used in the investigation because of its extended low-dispersion zone and its relatively short wavelength, at any given frequency. The transducers used to excite and detect the Lamb waves are array-type transducers able to select a specific mode. First, inserts of different sizes and different types introduced in the mid-plane during fabrication in a carbon-epoxy plain-weave quasi-isotropic composite panel were investigated. A simple "ray" analysis taking into account the observed change in group velocity and the measured time delay induced geometrically by the defect accounts accurately for the size of the defects. The same technique was applied to the detection of impact damage in cross-ply carbon-epoxy laminates. The naturally produced defects are more complex as an impact produces delaminations distributed at multiple lamina interfaces throughout the thickness of the panel, as well as matrix damage and fiber cracking. The cumulative effect of the complex damage upon the propagating wave is, again, to lower its group velocity. The time-delay measured vs. the accumulation of impact damage is significant and it correlates with the damage extent. The results are repeatable and consistent, suggesting time-delay as a reliable damage parameter for quantitative monitoring of delaminations and impact damage in composites.
Development of an aerobic capacity prediction model from one-mile run/walk performance in adolescents aged 13–16 years

Abstract A popular algorithm to predict VO2Peak from the one-mile run/walk test (1MRW) includes body mass index (BMI), which manifests practical issues in school settings. The purpose of this study was to develop an aerobic capacity model from 1MRW in adolescents independent of BMI. Cardiorespiratory endurance data were collected on 90 adolescents aged 13–16 years. The 1MRW was administered on an outside track and a laboratory VO2Peak test was conducted using a maximal treadmill protocol. Multiple linear regression was employed to develop the prediction model. Results yielded the following algorithm: VO2Peak = 7.34 × (1MRW speed in m s−1) + 0.23 × (age × sex) + 17.75. The New Model displayed a multiple correlation and prediction error of R = 0.81, standard error of the estimate = 4.78 ml kg−1·min−1, with measured VO2Peak and good criterion-referenced (CR) agreement into FITNESSGRAM’s Healthy Fitness Zone (Kappa = 0.62; percentage agreement = 84.4%; Φ = 0.62). The New Model was validated using k-fold cross-validation and showed homoscedastic residuals across the range of predicted scores. The omission of BMI did not compromise accuracy of the model. In conclusion, the New Model displayed good predictive accuracy and good CR agreement with measured VO2Peak in adolescents aged 13–16 years.
Mammalian Cell Morphology and Endocytic Membrane Homeostasis Require Enzymatically Active Phosphoinositide 5-Kinase PIKfyve*

The dual specificity mammalian enzyme PIKfyve phosphorylates in vitro position d-5 in phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) and PtdIns 3-P, itself or exogenous protein substrates. Here we have addressed the crucial questions for the identity of the lipid products and the role of PIKfyve enzymatic activity in mammalian cells. CHO, HEK293, and COS cells expressing PIKfyveWT at high levels and >90% efficiencies increased selectively the intracellular PtdIns 3,5-P2 production by 30–55%. In these cell types PtdIns 5-P was undetectable. A kinase-deficient point mutant, PIKfyveK1831E, transiently transfected into these or other cells elicited a dramatic dominant phenotype. Subsequent to a dilation of the PIKfyve-containing vesicles, PIKfyveK1831E-expressing cells progressively accumulated multiple swollen lucent vacuoles of endosomal origin, first in the perinuclear cytoplasm and then toward the cell periphery. Despite their drastically altered morphology, the PIKfyveK1831E-expressing cells were viable and functionally active, evidenced by several criteria. This phenotype was completely reversed by introducing PIKfyveWT into the PIKfyveK1831E-transfected cells. Disruptions of the localization signal in the PIKfyve kinase-deficient mutant yielded a PIKfyveK1831EΔ fyve protein, incompetent to vacuolate cells, implying that an active PIKfyve enzyme at distinct late endocytic membranes is crucial for normal cell morphology. This was further substantiated by examining the vacuolation-induced potency of several pharmacological stimuli in cells expressing high PIKfyveWT levels. Together, the results indicate that PIKfyve enzymatic activity, possibly through the generation of PtdIns 3,5-P2, and/or yet to be identified endogenous phosphoproteins, is critical for cell morphology and endomembrane homeostasis.
The Impact of Advanced Age on Peri-Operative Outcomes in the Surgical Treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Nationwide Study Between 2001 and 2010

Study Design. Retrospective multicenter database review. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate national postoperative outcomes and hospital characteristics trends from 2001 to 2010 for advanced age CSM patients. Summary of Background Data. Recent studies show increases in US cervical spine surgeries and CSM diagnoses. However, few have compared national outcomes for elderly and younger CSM patients. Methods. A Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) analysis from 2001 to 2010, including CSM patients 25+ who underwent anterior and/or posterior cervical fusion or laminoplasty. Fractures, 9+ levels fused, or any cancers were excluded. Measures included demographics, outcomes, and hospital-related data for 25 to 64 versus 65+ and 65 to 75 versus 76+ age groups. Univariate and logistic regression modeling evaluated procedure-related complications risk in 65+ and 76+ age groups (OR[95% CI]). Results. Discharges for 35,319 patients in the age range of 25 to 64 years and 19,097 at the age 65+ years were identified. Average comorbidity indices for patients at 65+ years were higher compared to the 25 to 64 years age group (0.79 vs. 0.0.44, P < 0.0001), as was the total complications rate (11.39% vs. 5.93%, P < 0.0001) and charges ($57,449.94 vs. $49,951.11, P < 0.0001). Hospital course for aged 65+ patients was longer (4.76 vs. 3.26 days, P < 0.0001). Mortality risk was higher in the 65+ cohort (3.38[2.93–3.91]), adjusted for covariates. 65+ patients had increased risk of all complications except device-related, for which they had decreased risk (0.61[0.56–0.67]). Patients 76+ years displayed increased hospital charges ($59,197.60 vs. $56,601.44, P < 0.001) and courses (5.77 vs. 4.28 days, P < 0.001) compared to those in the age group 65 to 75 years. These same patients presented with increased Deyo scores (0.83 vs. 0.77, P < 0.001), had increased total complications rate (13.87% vs. 10.20%, P < 0.001), and displayed increased risk for postoperative shock (6.34 [11.16–3.60], P < 0.001), digestive system (1.92 [2.40–1.54], P < 0.001), and wound dehiscence (1.71 [2.56–1.15], P < 0.001). Conclusion. Patients aged 65+ years undergoing CSM surgical management have a higher mortality risk, more procedure-related complications, higher comorbidity burden, longer hospital course, and higher charges. This study provides clinically useful data for surgeons to educate patients and to improve outcomes.
A Hybrid System by the Integration of Case-Based Reasoning with Support Vector Machine for Prediction of Financial Crisis

The prediction of business crises is an important academic topic of which many have used arti(cid:12)cial intelligence methods to build an early warning system for this purpose. The objective of this study is to enhance the accuracy in predicting business crises by proposing an innovative model that combines (cid:12)nancial variables with a sys-tem that integrates Case Based Reasoning (CBR) model with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) technique. This study is divided into three major steps: First, Stepwise Regression Analysis (SRA) is applied to the input set in selection of the most important factors; second, Case Based Reasoning (CBR), a clustering method, is employed to separate the case library into smaller clusters; and lastly, a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model is established and prediction results are being generated. In comparison with other meth-ods, the proposed CBR-SVM model outperforms other prediction models as the prediction accuracy of business crises are being enhanced while it simultaneously produces valuable information for business owners and investors.
The effect of asymmetry on traveling salesman problems

Distance or cost matrixes between groups of locations are of paramount importance when solving traveling salesman problems (TSP ) as well as other routing settings. Euclidean distances constitute a gross underestimation of reality. Furthermore, reality, especially in urban transportation, is highly asymmetric. This work studies the effect that asymmetry, geographical location and territory have over TSP methods. We conduct comprehensive experiments in order to assess the effects that these factors have over some of the best known algorithms for the TSP . We demonstrate that all these factors have a significant influence in solution time and quality. Furthermore, we show that the solutions obtained with Euclidean matrixes and those obtained with real distance matrixes differ significantly. Moreover, optimal solutions to TSP problems obtained with Euclidean matrixes, when calculated with real distances, are shown to be significantly worse than the optimal solutions initially obtained with real matrixes and vice-versa.
EEG-based target detection during a multi-rapid serial visual presentation

Target image detection based on rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm is a typical brain-computer interface with various applications, such as image retrieval. In an RSVP paradigm, the P300 component is detected to determine the target image, which requires high-precision single-trial P300 detection methods. However, compared to multi-trial P300 detection methods, the performance of single-trial methods are always relatively lower. In this paper, we propose a novel paradigm, triple-RSVP for EEG-based target image detection. In the triple-RSVP, three images appear at the same time, and target image will appear three times, so that multi-trial P300 classification methods can be used to improve the detection accuracy. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the triple-RSVP is superior to standard RSVP (single RSVP) and dual-RSVP (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p<0.05).