Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CONSIDERATIONS OF TEXTURE

THE TITLE of this study implies a diffuse enquiry, which will offer ideas for historical, conceptual and musical examination rather than pursue a single argument or even a single set of arguments. ' The 'considerations' nevertheless cohere into two themes, a largely theoretical investigation of our understanding of the domain of musical texture, and a more empirical survey founded on a single though not simple idea about the qualities which render textural effect a potent force of musical structure. Both themes are pursued continually, if not continuously, so that the following narrative must be understood not as a plain exposition but as an interplay between the theoretical and the empirical. If such an approach can be justified, it is on the plea of prematurity, since to consider texture as a paradigm of musical enquiry at all appears to be rather new.2 Nor can even a preliminary philological account of 'texture' as a musical term be presented: that important musicological work remains and deserves to be done. Nevertheless, an overview is possible which will aim to avoid the more obvious pitfalls of historical distortion. 'Texture', a familiar and easy term among modern English-speaking musicians, is more or less language-specific. There is no direct equivalent in French, nor in German (though the post-Ligeti German of today does of course recognize the term Klangstruktur), nor in Italian, from which we have borrowed the word 'tessitura' with its precise meaning-the particular range of a vocal or instrumental part. It might therefore be asked what it is that English-speaking musicians have concerned themselves with while others have not. Some of these 'considerations' will form a partial reply to that question, as well as indicating that the question is based to some extent on false premisses. In fact texture as a musical term belongs principally to the modern age. It does not appear as a separate entry in the 1954 edition of Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and even its treatment in The New Grove (1980) is innocent of much information or indeed the conviction that the term has any important meaning. Dictionaries of the English language tell the same story. No musical reference is supplied for the word 'texture' in the 1933 Oxford English Dictionary, in which, however, its long-standing use as a term in the fine arts is in evidence. 'Texture' does appear in the 1986 supplement to the OED, the earliest musical reference being recorded from 1934 in Constant Lambert's Music Ho! The next reference offered in the supplement dates from 1959, long after the publication of Donald
A Ray-Based Haptic Rendering Technique for Displaying Shape and Texture of 3D Objects in Virtual Environments

In this paper, we propose a new ray-based haptic rendering method for displaying 3D objects in virtual environments. We have developed a set of software algorithms that work with a force reflecting haptic interface and enable the user to touch and feel arbitrary 3D polyhedral virtual objects. Using the interface device and the suggested model, the user feels as if exploring the shape and surface details of objects such as textures. The components of the model include a hierarchical database for storing geometrical and material properties of objects, collision detection algorithms, a simple mechanistic model for computing the forces of interaction between the 3D virtual objects and the force-reflecting device, and a haptic filtering technique for simulating surface details of objects such as smoothness and texture. The developed algorithms together with a haptic interface device have several applications in areas such as medicine, education, computer animation, teleoperation, entertainment, and rehabilitation.
Dietary Patterns Related to Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008–2011

Abstract Objective: Muscle mass plays an important role in healthy aging among elderly adults. We investigated the association between dietary patterns and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) among 3,488 adults ages 60 years or older. Methods: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data for 2008–2011 were analyzed. Dietary information from a food frequency questionnaire was utilized. To identify dietary patterns, factor analysis was performed. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to ascertain ASM. To examine the association between dietary patterns and ASM, a multivariable regression model was used after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Results: Two dietary patterns were identified: Healthy and Western dietary patterns. The Healthy dietary pattern was characterized as high frequencies of intake in vegetables, fish, fruits, seaweeds, legumes, mushrooms, whole grains, potatoes, eggs, dairy products, and red meat. In contrast, the Western dietary pattern was characterized by high intake of red meat, bread, noodles, fast food, rice cake, poultry, and soft drinks. Men showed a significant association between the Healthy dietary pattern and higher ASM, even after adjusting for covariates (p value =0.034). Conclusion: In this cross-sectional study, we observed that men ages 60 years and older with the Healthy dietary pattern had higher muscle mass.
A Comparative Study of Print Book and DDA Ebook Acquisition and Use

In January 2012, Kent State University Libraries implemented a six-month pilot project for a Demand-Driven Acquisitions (DDA) ebook purchasing model that uses a combination of the acquisition services provided by the primary book jobber (YBP) and the access services provided by a well-known ebook distributer (eBrary). Using the book jobber mediated DDA model provided the library with selected discovery records that closely matched specifications of the library's print approval plan. This report provides an assessment of the DDA acquisition model as compared to that of the print books approval model in terms of budget, costs, workflow, subjects, publishers, and publication dates. Because DDA empowers library users to choose which ebooks are purchased based on actual use, this assessment also compares ebook usage from a DDA discovery pool with print book circulation of an equivalent amount of recent print acquisitions. The results of this study will help answer some of the key questions about the DDA acquisition model: (1) How does DDA align the library's collection with current user requirements? (2) Does DDA lead to more active use of library book collection? (3) Is DDA cost effective as an acquisition model? (4) What issues are associated with DDA, and how may these issues be addressed?
RFID Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks

Received signal strength (RSS)-based localization of people and assets through RFID has significant benefits for logistics, security and safety. However, the accuracy of RFID localization in wireless sensor networks suffers from unrealistic antenna gain pattern assumption, and the human body has a major effect on the gain pattern of the RFID badge that the person is wearing. In this book chapter, the gain pattern due to the effect of the human body is experimentally measured and modeled. A method is presented to estimate the model parameters from multiple RSS measurements. Two joint orientation and position estimators, four-dimensional (4D) maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) algorithm and alternating gain and position estimation (AGAPE) algorithm, are proposed to estimate the orientation and the position of the badge using RSS measurements from anchor nodes. A Bayesian lower bound on the mean squared error of the joint estimation is derived and comparedwith the Cramer-Rao boundwith an isotropic gain pattern. Both theoretical and experimental results show that the accuracy of position estimates can be improved with orientation estimates included in the localization system.
Ontology-based Clustering Algorithm with Feature Weights

Multidimensional data has multiple features. Different features can't be treated equivalently because they have different impacts on clustering results. To solve this problem, ontology-based clustering algorithm with feature weights (OFW-Clustering) is proposed to reflect the different importantce of different features in this paper. Prior knowledge described with ontology is introduced into clustering. Ontology-based domain feature graph is built to calculate feature weights in clustering. One feature is viewed as one ontology semantic node. Feature weight in the ontology tree is calculated according to the feature's overall relevancy. Under the guidance of the prior knowledge, parameter values of optimal clustering results can be gotten through continuous change of α, β. Experiments show that ontology-based clustering algorithm with feature weights do a better job in getting domain knowledge and a more accurate result.
Concept of the Diagnostic Tool for Balance Telerehabilitation of Subjects with Stroke

The number of virtual reality applications in rehabilitation and telerehabilitation medicine is increasing. Unfortunately, without telediagnostics, telerehabilitation requires frequent outpatient clinical testing. This study thus proposes a diagnostic tool for virtual-reality-supported balance training for estimating functional balance progress during telerehabilitation using objective parameters. Four weeks of physiotherapy with assessment before and after the therapy and a follow up 2 weeks after therapy were carried out with 10 sub-acute stroke subjects. Goal-based tasks for standing-frame-supported balance training were designed in a virtual environment. An accelerometer-based tilt sensor not mounted on the subjects was used. The telediagnostics apply the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to movement data and the task time and number of errors committed are analyzed. Additionally the functional progress was estimated with clinical tests (Berg Balance Scale, 10-m walk test, Timed Up & Go test) and correlations with objective data were examined. The area under the FFT curve demonstrated balance improvement and had a moderate correlation with clinical tests, considering that all parameters showed improvement for each individual patient. The proposed tool enables the remote evaluation of the effects of virtual-reality-supported balance training. The tool may decrease the number of outpatient visits and enable the continuation of the rehabilitation process at home. However, to confirm the clinical reliability and practical value of the proposed tool, a further study with a large stroke population and healthcare business models are needed.
Daily Hazelnut Intake Exerts Multiple Reversible Effects on Plasma Profile of Healthy Subjects

Life sciences such as medical, nutritional, and those related to agrarian biotechnologies are experiencing a constant increase. Therefore, food consumption is today related to health state. Aiming to create an innovative spinneret system that defines the tight correlation between high nutritional and nutraceutical value of foods and their beneficial effects on consumer’s health state, we tested the effects related to the administration of 40 g of the Tonda Gentile Romana Italian hazelnut cultivar (Viterbo, Italy). To this end, we enrolled 24 subjects for a period of 14 weeks, based on a crossover design. Although several papers and reviews on hazelnut intake benefits are available, few studies have investigated the effects of hazelnut-enriched diet on plasma key parameters commonly used to ascertain the individual’s well-being status. The primary endpoint of the trial was to assess LDL change related to hazelnut administration, which resulted in significant beneficial effects on cholesterol parameters (LDL dropped from 133.09 mg/dl to 119.18 mg/dl). Interestingly, despite within the normal ranges, uric acid and serum creatinine mean values significantly decreased after hazelnut intake. A significant increment was also observed for ALT (from 30.9 U/L to 35.22 U/L, P = 0.01), while GGT significantly decreased from 38.04 mg/dl at T0 to 35.27 mg/dl at T1 (P = 0.001). No significant changes were also observed in azotemia, serum iron, glycemia, AST, total bilirubin, Hb, WBCs, RBCs, platelet count, and total plasma proteins. All the blood parameters analyzed appeared to be reversible after 6 weeks from the end of the treatment. Mann-Whitney U test did not show any significant differences in T0 - T1 Δ% LDL considering gender, age and baseline LDL. These findings may be of help in the development of strategies for personalized nutrition and diseases management.
Integrating Engineering Design With Humanities, Sciences And Social Sciences Using Integrative Learning Blocks

The current paper highlights the impact of the National Science Foundation sponsored curriculum project, which has helped the curriculum innovation by design integration throughout the curriculum. This has been achieved by (i) Redesign of the Freshman Engineering course sequence by incorporating Integrative Learning Blocks by involvement of faculty from engineering, mathematics, physics, humanities and social sciences. (ii) Creation of a new Engineering Design course at Sophomore Year and the development of Integrative Learning with a course on Ethics in the Profession (iii) Redesign of a Junior Year Design course with Integrated Learning with Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering. (iv) Partnership with industry in the creation of real-life engineering projects for all Senior Capstone projects. The paper narrates the interdisciplinary focus taken by the project, involving faculty from engineering, mathematics, humanities, etc. It has promoted new teaching and learning paradigms and has emphasized team-building and collaborative learning in engineering, mathematics, sciences and humanities. In addition, it has already influenced the complete reshaping of the 4year curriculum in the College of Engineering. Various parts of the project have addressed engineering curriculum reform from the freshman to the senior year based on a problem based collaborative learning approach. The clustering arrangement experimented in the courses could serve as a models for others to follow and could be transferable to most other institutions. By working on projects, the benefits of students taking greater responsibility for their own learning has resulted in a cultural change. The students have opportunity to work on well-rounded projects sponsored by outside agencies and industries. The project has a significant chance of sustained impact on engineering education.
Synthetic Datasets for Statistical Disclosure Control: Theory and Implementation

Introduction. - Background on Multiply Imputed Synthetic Datasets. - Background on Multiple Imputation. - The IAB Establishment Panel. - Multiple Imputation for Nonresponse. - Fully Synthetic Datasets. - Partially Synthetic Datasets. - Multiple Imputation for Nonresponse and Statistical Disclosure Control. - A Two-Stage Imputation Procedure to Balance the Risk-Utility Trade-Off. - Chances and Obstacles for Multiply Imputed Synthetic Datasets.
Neural Networks for Modeling Source Code Edits

Programming languages are emerging as a challenging and interesting domain for machine learning. A core task, which has received significant attention in recent years, is building generative models of source code. However, to our knowledge, previous generative models have always been framed in terms of generating static snapshots of code. In this work, we instead treat source code as a dynamic object and tackle the problem of modeling the edits that software developers make to source code files. This requires extracting intent from previous edits and leveraging it to generate subsequent edits. We develop several neural networks and use synthetic data to test their ability to learn challenging edit patterns that require strong generalization. We then collect and train our models on a large-scale dataset of Google source code, consisting of millions of fine-grained edits from thousands of Python developers. From the modeling perspective, our main conclusion is that a new composition of attentional and pointer network components provides the best overall performance and scalability. From the application perspective, our results provide preliminary evidence of the feasibility of developing tools that learn to predict future edits.
Analysis and design of UHF and millimetre wave radio frequency identification

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is an asymmetric radio protocol, where uplink communication (from transponder to reader) is implemented with backscattering modulation. The idea was first demonstrated in the 1940’s. One of the first consumer applications of RFID was access control, and key cards based on an inductive near field coupling are widely used even today. The introduction of Schottky diodes to CMOS processes enabled passive RFID, i.e. transponders without a battery, at ultra high frequencies (UHF) with reasonable cost and read range in the end of 1990’s. This has opened up new applications and inspired new research on RFID. This thesis studies the radio frequency (RF) components and general RF phenomena in RFID at UHF and millimetre waves. The theoretical analysis of the radio path reveals that the read range of a passive UHF system is ideally limited by the downlink, i.e. the power transfer from reader to the transponder. However, the architecture of the reader RF front end is critical, because the transmitted signal may couple a significant amount of noise to the receiver, overpowering the faint reflection from the transponder. In the thesis, two adaptive RF front ends are introduced to eliminate the noise coupling from the transmitter. One of the most critical problems with UHF RFID has been the detuning of transponder antennas on different mounting platforms. The detuning may significantly diminish the read range of the transponder, especially on metal surfaces. In this thesis, two backscattering-based measurement techniques for the transponder antennas are presented. The detuning effect has been studied using these measurement techniques, and a platform tolerantantenna is introduced. RFID at millimetre waves enables miniaturisation of the reader antenna, and widening the data bandwidth over short distances. This could be used to access wirelessly mass memories with wide data bandwidth. A semipassive or active transponder could communicate, e.g., with automotive radars. The millimetre wave identification (MMID) has been theoretically studied and experimentally verified at 60 GHz.
A practical approach to diagnosing pleural effusion in Southern Africa

Excessive fluid accumulating within the pleural space is a common medical affliction and invariably indicates disease. Under physiological conditions fluid enters and exits the pleural space at the same rate. The rate of production is determined by Starling's forces, i.e. hydrostatic pressure, osmotic pressure and membrane permeability, whereas the exit rate is determined by clearance through lymphatic drainage. Alterations in any of these forces can lead to the formation of a pleural effusion. While the physiological amount of pleural fluid present has various positive effects on respiratory function, e.g. assisting in creating a negative intrathoracic pressure and reducing friction between pleural membranes, excessive fluid can significantly impair normal respiratory function. Once the volume of fluid in the pleural space reaches 200 - 250ml, it is detectable on a standard PA chest radiograph (CXR). The presence of a pleural effusion can be clinically detected only after the fluid volume reaches 300 - 350ml, but in the event of small volumes the sensitivity and specificity in its detection rates remain low. Because the differential diagnosis for intrapleural fluid accumulation encompasses a wide spectrum of conditions, a systematic approach to these effusions is particularly important in their investigation.
Effect of occupation-based interventions in patients with haematopoietic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy: A pilot randomised controlled trial

Background/objective Chemotherapy for cancer negatively affects activities of daily living and quality of life. This study aimed to validate and compare the efficacy of two different interventions in patients with haematopoietic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy: (1) occupation-based interventions, designed using the Aid for Decision-making in Occupation Choice (ADOC) (an iPAD application) and (2) impairment-based interventions. ADOC helps promote decision-making during activities and participation in occupation-based goal setting. The impairment-based intervention group served as the comparison group and underwent impairment-based interventions focusing on dysfunction. Methods In this single-blinded pilot randomised controlled trial, 19 participants received an occupation-based intervention (n = 9) or an impairment-based intervention (n = 10). The treatment period comprised two sessions. Recruitment, compliance and outcome completion rates were calculated for the study. Effect sizes were examined for outcomes regarding physical performance, instrumental activities of daily living and quality of life as evaluated by a blinded assessor. Results In this study, 24.8% (28/113) of the eligible patients with haematopoietic malignancies were enrolled, and 67.9% (19/28) of these were retained up to the post-assessment stage. Recruitment (25%) and compliance (68%) rates were satisfactory. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General emotional well-being and total scores were significantly higher for the occupation-based intervention group than for the impairment-based intervention group (both p < 0.05; d = 0.54, d = 0.51, respectively). Other outcomes showed no significant differences. Conclusion Occupation-based interventions designed using the ADOC application were useful for patients with haematopoietic malignancies.
The Origins of Gritty Realism on British Television: Euston Films and Special Branch

Euston Films was the first film subsidiary of a British television company that sought to film entirely on location. To understand how the ‘televisual imagination’ changed and developed in relationship to the parent institution's (Thames Television) economic and strategic needs after the transatlantic success of its predecessor, ABC Television, it is necessary to consider how the use of film in television drama was regarded by those working at Euston Films. The sources of realism and development of generic verisimilitude found in the British adventure series of the early 1970s were not confined to television, and these very diverse sources both outside and inside television are well worth exploring. Thames Television, which was formed in 1968, did not adopt the slickly produced adventure series style of ABC's The Avengers, for example. Instead, Thames emphasised its other ABC inheritance – naturalistic drama in the form of the studio-based Armchair Theatre – and was to give the adventure series a strong L.
Work tasks as units for analysis in information seeking and retrieval studies

In this article, we analyse the concept of work task in information intensive environments. In these environments information seeking (IS) and information retrieval (IR) are never performed in isolation. First, we discuss some general aspects of task-based information studies. Second, tasks are defined in three levels that are relevant for information studies. These levels are work tasks, information-seeking tasks and information-retrieval tasks. We argue that information intensive work tasks contain one or more information-seeking tasks as sub-tasks to the work tasks, and that information-seeking tasks contain one or more information-retrieval tasks. Finally, we conclude that work task performance provides a common ground for both information seeking and retrieval studies and that this approach is useful for bridging the gap between IS and IR research.