Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disorder Development Onset Prediction Based on Spatiotemporal Statistical Shape Model

During the early developmental stage, the brain undergoes more changes in size, shape, and appearance than at any other stage in life. A better understanding of brain development can decrease the symptom of development disorder through very early detection and application of remedial education. In this paper, we present a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system, which estimates onset probability of brain development disorder using neonatal brain MR images. The CAD system first constructs spatiotemporal statistical shape model (stSSM) of neonatal brain, extracts static and dynamic morphological features, and estimates the probability using machine learning techniques. This paper proposes the stSSM construction method which produces temporally continuous Eigenvectors by extending previous EM-based-stSSM construction method. The method has been validated by applying it to 12 neonatal brains whose revised ages are between - 5 to 730 days.
SVM-Based DOA Estimation with Classification Optimization

Direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is an important issue in many applications such as radars, wireless communications, objects detection and imaging. The knowledge of DOAs allows the use of control algorithms to enhance systems performances namely capacity growing in wireless communication. Improving DOA estimation methods and reducing computational time are thus of most interest. We present an optimization of a Support Vector Machine (SVM) based approach for DOA estimation. Correlation matrix analysis leads to predictors selection, training dataset reduction, and improvement of generalization capability up to 80% of the SVM system. The approach is successfully tested on a two-dimensional Direction of Arrivals (DOA) estimation.
A Novel Method Based on Nanotechnology to Replace Traditional Brazing Methods Used to Weld Electrical Contacts

Nanotechnology entails the application of fields of science as diverse as surface science, micro- and nano-fabrication, material science, etc. This paper shows the application of this new technology to explore electrical contact joining methods that are traditionally welded by filler material knowing as Sil-Fos. This work presents how silver nanoparticle were synthesized and used to replace the traditional methods for joining electrical contacts with copper line terminals. Moreover the joint obtained shown good mechanical strength, thermal and electrical conductivity. To validate the joint interface a characterization of the microstructure was analyzed by SEM and the strength and quality of the joint was analyzed by mechanical testing techniques and the electrical resistance of the assembly was measure. This work opens the doors for the use of materials in nano size that can be used to perform mechanical joint of electrical components.
Residual Module and Multi-scale Feature Attention Module for Exudate Segmentation

Exudates are primary signals of diabetic retinopathy (DR) which has become the leading cause of blindness in diabetic patients. Therefore, exudate segmentation is of great significance for disease screening and clinical diagnosis. The paper proposes an end-to-end method for the detection and segmentation of exudates in fundus images utilizing deep convolutional neural network (DCNN). Firstly, residual module is designed to extract more abundant exudate features. Besides, we consider fusing multi-scale feature through an improved feature pyramid attention module called Multi-scale Feature Attention module. The proposed method has been evaluated on publicly available DIARETDB1 v2, HEI-MED and Messidor datasets. It achieves better results than many existing methods in terms of AUC metrics, which make it befitting for practical clinical applications.
Implementing Feedback for Programming by Demonstration

Agent-based modeling is a paradigm of modeling dynamic systems of interacting agents that are individually governed by specified behavioral rules. Training a model of such agents to produce an emergent behavior by specification of the emergent (as opposed to agent) behavior is easier from a demonstration perspective. Without the involvement of manual behavior specification via code or reliance on a defined taxonomy of possible behaviors, the demonstrator specifies spatial motion of the agents over time, and retrieves agent-level parameters required to execute that motion. A framework for reproducing emergent behavior, given an abstract demonstration, is discussed in existing work. Each query to the framework is independent of previous queries. Our work addresses this information communication deficit and incorporates a feedback mechanism to iteratively improve the quality of the reproduced behavior. This is explored by variation of regression parameters and data points used. Using data point selection to improve demonstration replication is established as a means of iterative optimization. Using optimization also shows potential for improved demonstration replication capability for the framework.
State-dependent Data Queuing in Shared-resource Networked Control Systems

In the design of shared resource networked control systems (NCSs), resource managers play an important role to appropriately allocate limited resources across the distributed system. They are often used to fairly distribute the limited bandwidth among the medium-sharing entities at the expense of delaying or discarding unnecessary data samples. Considering the rapidly growing volume of information being exchanged, a relevant scenario for efficient resource management is state-dependent data buffering via network queues. In this paper, we propose state-dependent data buffering for shared-resource NCSs, such that the buffer state, i.e. queue length, can be controlled depending on the real-time conditions of both the control systems and the communication network. We consider that the transmission decisions at the sensor sides are taken by event-based schedulers, and those data eventually sent for transmission are queued and processed depending on the available communication resource. We derive sufficient conditions under which the NCS with the proposed cross-layer transmission scheme is stable in almost sure mean-square sense. Moreover, we show performance improvements resulting from our proposed design in comparison with its state-independent counterpart.
Performance Evaluation of Open Source IoT Platforms

IoT platforms play a central role in IoT architecture; as they enable the development of services and applications by end users. More than 300 IoT platforms were reported in the literature. IoT platforms vary in their capabilities and features. Accordingly, Selecting between the various platforms can be troublesome. This is particularly true given the fact that no benchmark or systematic evaluation criteria currently exist to evaluate and compare various platforms. To this end, this paper attempts to develop a performance evaluation for open source IoT platforms to reduce the complexity of the selection process. In particular, the paper evaluates the scalability (in terms of throughput and average response time) and stability (in terms of resource utilization and robustness) of the ThingsBoard and SiteWhere platforms. The two platforms are evaluated under heavy load of sensor data readings.
Optimization Based Mono-Visual Inertial Odometry

Visual-inertial odometry has exerted a variety of promising applications in the robotics and computer vision society due to their complementary nature in terms of both accuracy and quick response. This paper presents a novel odometry approach using monocular camera measurements and inertial cues. It is formulated within a probabilistic framework that considers both visual landmark reprojection errors and inertial statistical properties. Unlike the traditional optimization based methods, ours takes the inertial cues in the propagation step, rather than incorporates them in the cost function, with the aim of reducing the system computational burdens. The inertial estimates are then fed into the cost function pose part and visual feature matching part. Additionally, to bootstrap the camera sparsity and shorten the computational time, merely the keyframe lankmarks are selected and the less informative states are marginalized in the objective function. The experiments show that our approach presents competitive outcomes in terms of both accuracy and robustness
Evolutionary genomics of the immune response against parasitoids in Drosophila

Parasieten vormen een sterke selectiekracht in de natuur en organismen evolueren mechanismen om zich daartegen te verdedigen. De vragen die centraal staan in dit proefschrift hebben betrekking op hoe deze mechanismen evolueren, hoe ze gecodeerd zijn in het genoom en hoe ze gedurende het evolutionaire proces kunnen verdwijnen. Mijn onderzoek richtte zich op het verdedigingsmechanisme dat Drosophila fruitvliegen bezitten om een aanval van parasitaire sluipwespen te overleven. Deze sluipwespen leggen hun eieren in de larven van de fruitvliegen, en voeden zich hiermee gedurende hun ontwikkeling. Dit leidt tot de dood van de gastheer, tenzij deze zich met een immuunreactie, genaamd gemelaniseerde inkapseling, kan verdedigen. Er zijn grote verschillen tussen Drosophila populaties en Drosophila soorten in hoe goed ze zich kunnen verdedigen tegen een aanval van de parasitaire sluipwesp, waarbij sommige soorten helemaal geen resistentie vertonen. Mijn onderzoek geeft aan dat dit mechanisme recent is geevolueerd, in dezelfde subgroep van het Drosophila geslacht als waarin D. melanogaster voorkomt. De evolutie van dit mechanisme is geassocieerd met verkrijgen van nieuwe genen en van een nieuw type bloedcel. Sommige van deze genen laten ook grote variatie zien tussen populaties van D. melanogaster. Binnen de groep van soorten die in staat is zich te verdedigen tegen de sluipwesp, heeft D. sechellia het vermogen om zich te verweren verloren. Dit is een endemische soort, alleen voorkomend op een specifieke eilandengroep, en gespecialiseerd op de noni fruit die giftig kan zijn voor andere insecten. Mijn experimenten en veldonderzoek lieten zien dat er op noni een verminderd risico bestaat om aangevallen te worden door een sluip-wesp. In conclusie, door evolutionaire genomica te combineren met ecologische informatie, hebben wij de componenten kunnen karakteriseren die het voor sommige Drosophila soorten mogelijk maakt om zich succesvol verweren tegen een anderszins dodelijke aanval van een sluip-wesp. Bovendien hebben we kunnen laten zien hoe deze immuunreactie gemoduleerd is tussen verschillende populaties en verschillende soorten, en hoe deze reactie verloren is gegaan in een specifieke ecologische omgeving.
An algorithm for dynamic object manipulation by a flexible link robot

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on an online closed-loop (CL) approach for performing dynamic object manipulation (DOM) by a flexible link manipulator. Design/methodology/approach – Toward above goal, a neural network and optimal control are integrated in a closed-loop structure, to achieve a robust control for online DOM applications. Additionally, an elegant novel numerical solution method will be developed which can handle the split boundary value problem resulted from DOM mission requirements for a wide range of boundary conditions. Findings – The obtained simulation results reveal the effectiveness of both proposed innovative numerical solution technique and control structure for online object manipulation purposes using flexible manipulators. Originality/value – The object manipulation problem has previously been studied, however, for the first time its accomplishment by flexible link manipulators was addressed just in offline form considering an open-loop control structure (Tarvirdi.
Identification of neuroblastoma and its prognostic markers using Raman spectroscopy

IDENTIFICATION OF NEUROBLASTOMA AND ITS PROGNOSTIC MARKERS USING RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY by RACHEL KAST May 2010 Advisors: Dr. Gregory Auner and Dr. Abhilash Pandya Major: Biomedical Engineering Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Introduction: Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer of infancy. It is one of several peripheral nervous system tumors, including ganglioneuroma, peripheral nerve sheath tumor, and pheochromocytoma. It is commonly situated on the adrenal gland. It displays similar histology to other small round blue cell tumors, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and Ewing sarcoma. One method of judging neuroblastoma aggressiveness uses tumor histology factors, including mitosiskaryorrhexis index, Schwannian stromal development, degree of differentiation, and patient age. Tumor aggressiveness can also be judged based on the amplification of certain genes, including MYCN. Raman spectroscopy is a physics-based method which identifies the biochemical fingerprint of a sample. It has recently been applied to disease classification, specifically in adult cancers. Methods: To identify neuroblastoma from adrenal gland, peripheral nervous system tumors, and small round blue cell tumors, and to identify tumor histology, fresh and frozen samples were collected from the operating room and tested with Raman spectroscopy. Tissues were assigned a ‘gold standard’ diagnosis by experienced
School-Based Intervention in Ongoing Crisis: Lessons from a Psychosocial and Trauma-Focused Approach in Gaza Schools

School-Based Intervention in Ongoing Crisis: Lessons from a Psychosocial and TraumaFocused Approach in Gaza Schools Author(s): Jon-Håkon Schultz, Laura Marshall, Helen Norheim, and Karam Al-Shanti Source: Journal on Education in Emergencies ̧ Vol 2, No 1 (December 2016), pp 142156 Published by: Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies Stable URL: http://hdl.handle. net/2451/39659 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17609/N80T03
The Object Constraint Language: Getting Your Models Ready for MDA

Praise for The Object Constraint Language, Second Edition“MDA promises a revolution in the way we develop software. This book is essential reading for anyone intending to adopt MDA technology. ” i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ -Tony Clark, PhD i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ King's College, London“Through examples, Jos and Anneke demonstrate the power and intuitiveness of OCL, and the key role that this language plays in implementing and promoting MDA. The theme, structure, contents, and, not lastly, the clarity of explanations recommend this book as the best advocate for learning, using, and promoting OCL, UML, and MDA. I am sure that this work will contribute in a significant manner to the development and widespread use of new software technologies. ” i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ -Dan Chiorean i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ Head of the Computer Science Research Laboratory i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ i¾ Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj"In this thoroughly revised edition, Jos and Anneke offer a concise, pragmatic, and pedagogic explanation of the Object Constraint Language (OCL) and its different applications. Their discussion of OCL's potential role in Model Driven Architecture (MDA) is timely and offers great insight into the way that UML can be taken to the next level of automated software development practice. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to get the most out of UML. "-Shane Sendall, PhD, Senior Researcher, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneThe release of Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.0 places renewed emphasis on the Object Constraint Language (OCL). Within UML, OCL is the standard for specifying expressions that add vital information to object-oriented models and other object-modeling artifacts. Model Driven Architecture (MDA) relies on OCL to add the level of programming detail necessary to enable platform-specific models (PSM) to communicate with platform-independent models (PIM). This book is a practical, accessible guide to OCL for software architects, designers, and developers. Much care has been taken during the redesign of OCL to ensure that the syntax remains readable and writable by the average software modeler. The Object Constraint Language, Second Edition, utilizes a case study to show how to exercise these compact but powerful expressions for maximum effect.This newly updated edition Explains why OCL is critical to MDA--and why UML alone is not enough Introduces an SQL-like syntax to OCL Defines the new language constructs of OCL 2.0 Demonstrates how OCL can be incorporated into code Shares tips and tricks for applying OCL to real-world modeling challenges-showing which can be solved with UML and which require OCLUsing a combination of UML and OCL allows developers to realize the effective, consistent, and coherent models that are critical to working with MDA. The authors' pragmatic approach and illustrative use of examples will help application developers come quickly up to speed with this important object-modeling method-and will serve as a ready reference thereafter.
Rivastigmine: An Open-Label Observational Study of Behavioral Symptoms Identified as Most Troubling by Caregivers of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease

BACKGROUND . Behavioral problems exhibited by persons with Alzheimer’s disease are distressing for caregivers and are associated with a number of negative outcomes, including increased risk of long-term care placement. Studies of cholinesterase inhibitor therapy for up to 1 year document modest improvements in behavioral symptoms and functional status. OBJECTIVE . The long-term effects of rivastigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, on behavioral symptoms and functional status in a sample of patients with Alzheimer’s disease were examined. DESIGN . This is an observational study of behavioral data reported by care-givers for 32 initially mild to moderate Alzheimer’s patients participating in an open-label extension of a prospective, randomized study of rivastigmine as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. RESULTS . Patients followed in the open-label phase of this trial experienced a decline in behavioral symptoms in general and a decline in symptoms identified as most troubling by the caregiver. CONCLUSION . This study supports the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors, such as rivastigmine, in the long-term management of behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer’s patients.
Best Practices for Addressing Combat Operational Stress and Other Behavioral Health Conditions in Marine Corps Substance Abuse Counseling Centers

Abstract : The Naval Health Research Center was tasked by Headquarters Marine Corps with assessing the process by which the Marine Corps Substance Abuse Counseling Centers (SACCs) address clients with stress concerns and behavioral health conditions stemming from deployment, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat operational stress. The following report details findings from the scientific literature and SACC site assessments, and provides specific recommendations. It documents the current treatment approach with regard to substance abuse clients with co-occurring mental health concerns at selected Marine Corps SACCs; and it reviews and recommends best practices for screening, referrals, treatment, patient education, and case management. The overall purpose is to provide recommendations that will lead to optimal treatment of SACC clients suffering from PTSD and other military-related behavioral health conditions.
Helmintofauna de la gaviota patiamarilla (" Larus cachinnans ") en Galicia: aspectos descriptivos y ecológicos

En este trabajo se lleva a cabo el estudio de los helmintos parasitos de la gaviota patiamarilla (Larus cachinnans) y de distintos aspectros relativos a su ecologia parasitaria. Hemos examinado 324 ejemplares de estas aves, capturadas en distintas zonas de Galicia, desde Junio de 1994 a Febrero de 1996. Se han encontrado 37 especies de helmintos, entre los cuales 25 son de trematodos (Brachylaima sp. Brachylecithum microtesticulatum, Cardiocephaloides longicollis, Cryptocotyle lingua, Cryptocotyle concavum, Diplostomum spathaceum, Echinostephilla virgula, Galactosomum phalacrocoracis, Gigantobilharzia acotyla, Gymnophallus deliciosus, Gynaecotyla longiinstesinata, Himasthla elongata, Himsthla quissetensis, Knipowitschiatrema nicolai, Levinseniella (L.) propinqua, Maritrema gratiosum, Maritrema linguilla, Microphaullus primas, Microphallus similis, Ornithobilharzia canaliculata, Parochis acanthus, Phagicola minuta, Psilostomum brevicolle, Renicola sp. , Stephanoprora denticulata), 5 son de cestodos (Alcataenia micracantha, Microsomacanthus ductilis, Tetrabothrius (O.) erostris, Wardium cirrosa, Cestoda sp. ), 6 son de nematodos (Anisakis simplex, Contracaecum rudolphii, Cosmocephalus obvelatus, Eucoleus contortus, Pracuaria adunca, Tetrameres (T.) skrjabini) y 1 de acantocefalos (Arhythmorhynchus longicollis). 22 especies son citadas por primera vez en Espana (C.concavum, E.virgula, G.phalacrocoracis, G.acotylea, G.delociosus, G.longiintestinata, H.elongata, H.quissetensis, L.propinqua, M.gratiosum, M.linguilla, M.similis, P.acanthus, P.minuta, P.brevicolle, S.denticulata, A.micracantha, M.ductilis, W.cirrosa, C.rudolphii, T.skrjabini y A.longicollis). Tetrabothrius erostris fue la especie mas prevalente, con un 79,6% de parasitacion, seguida por Cosmocephalus obvelatus (47,8%), Cryptocotyle lingua (37,4%), Gymnophallus deliciosus (30,9%), Gynaecotyla longiintestinata (22,8%), Paracuaria adunca (21,9%), Brachylecithum microtes
MILD HEMOPHILIA A DETECTED BY DELAYED BLEEDING: A CASE REPORT

Hemophilia A is an X-linked disorder resulting from a deficiency in factor VIII. Hemophilia A is classified into severe, moderate, and mild forms. A 12-month old boy visited for uncontrolled bleeding on the upper labial frenum area. Spontaneous bleeding occurred about 13 days ago. We sutured the wound. However, the patient returned after 6 days with large hematoma formation. Consultation to the hematologist and laboratory examination were carried out. Activated PTT was elongated and factor VIII was only 6%. He was diagnosed as mild hemophilia A. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was provided and hemostasis was achieved. At 5-day check-up, no more bleeding was observed. For the management of prolonged bleeding in hemophilia A patient, not only local hemostatic measures, but factor VIII replacement therapy, antifibrinolytics, and Desmopressin are also available. Mild hemophilia A often occurs without either familial or medical history. It is often first detected by dental trauma.
Switched-capacitor-based DC-to-DC converter with improved input current waveform

A new type of DC-to-DC converter is proposed by using dual basic quasi-switched-capacitor (QSC) converter cells. The prominent feature of this converter is its improved input current waveform, which can reduce the electromagnetic interference due to the conducted emissions as compared to the classical PWM-type and SC-based converters. The concept of energy transfer is realized by two symmetrical converter cells, operating in two cyclical phases. The d.c. voltage conversion ratio is determined by the voltage applied to the quasi-switch in each cell for controlling the charging trajectory of the capacitors in order to maintain a constant output voltage for a wide range of load and supply voltage. As the converter does not contain any inductive element, it makes the converter of small size, light weight, high power density and possible in IC form. The small-signal frequency response shows that the designed converter has good operation stability. A prototype of 36 W, 12 V/9 V, step-down DC-to-DC converter has been built, giving an overall efficiency of 73% with power density of 20 W/in/sup 3/.