Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flexibility of Boolean Network Reservoir Computers in Approximating Arbitrary Recursive and Non-Recursive Binary Filters

Reservoir computers (RCs) are biology-inspired computational frameworks for signal processing that are typically implemented using recurrent neural networks. Recent work has shown that Boolean networks (BN) can also be used as reservoirs. We analyze the performance of BN RCs, measuring their flexibility and identifying the factors that determine the effective approximation of Boolean functions applied in a sliding-window fashion over a binary signal, both non-recursively and recursively. We train and test BN RCs of different sizes, signal connectivity, and in-degree to approximate three-bit, five-bit, and three-bit recursive binary functions, respectively. We analyze how BN RC parameters and function average sensitivity, which is a measure of function smoothness, affect approximation accuracy as well as the spread of accuracies for a single reservoir. We found that approximation accuracy and reservoir flexibility are highly dependent on RC parameters. Overall, our results indicate that not all reservoirs are equally flexible, and RC instantiation and training can be more efficient if this is taken into account. The optimum range of RC parameters opens up an angle of exploration for understanding how biological systems might be tuned to balance system restraints with processing capacity.
The Forest Lion and the Bull: Morphosyntactic Annotation of the Panchatantra

We present the first freely available dependency treebank of Sanskrit. It is based on text from Panchatantra, an ancient Indian collection of fables. The annotation scheme we chose is that of Universal Dependencies, a current de-facto standard for cross-linguistically comparable morphological and syntactic annotation. In the present paper, we discuss word segmentation issues, morphological inventory and certain interesting syntactic constructions in the light of the Universal Dependencies guidelines. We also present an initial parsing experiment.
SCREENING OF NITROGEN FIXERS FROM RHIZOSPHERIC BACTERIAL ISOLATES ASSOCIATED WITH IMPORTANT DESERT PLANTS

Free living nitrogen fixers represent a range of microorganisms including bacteria living on plant residues (saprophytes), bacteria which live entirely within plants (endophytes) and bacteria living in close association with the plant roots (rhizobacteria). We have isolated a number of rhizosphere associated bacteria from two of the hot arid zone plants and explored these in terms of nitrogen fixing ability both in solid and liquid culture conditions. The maximum coloring zone was developed in T-1 (22 mm) whereas minimum was in T-3 (4 mm) in case of the C. polygonoides associated bacterial community. The coloring zone was found maximum in TS-2 (27 mm) and minimum in TS-1 (11 mm), in case of isolates associated with rhizosphere of L. sindicus. The highest and lowest acetylene reduction activity (ARA) was detected in TS-13 (8303 n moles / 24 h) and T-10 (1658 n moles / 24 h), respectively.
Endothelialization of the Coronary Vasculature in Decellularized Heart Scaffolds

ii Dedication . iv Acknowledgement . v List of Tables . ix List of Figures . x Chapter One Introduction . 1 1.1 Etiology & Pathology . 1 1.2 Current Post-MI Therapies . 4 1.2. 1 Whole Organ Transplant . 4 1.2. 2 Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) . 5 1.2. 3 Coronary Artery Bypass Procedure (CABG) . 6 1.2. 4 Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) . 8 1.3 Introduction to Tissue Engineering . 9 1.4 Introduction to Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering . 11 1.5 Overview of Current Strategies in Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering . 12 1.5. 1 Cellular cardiomyoplasty . 12 1.5. 2 Injection of cells using a Biomaterial Delivery System . 12 1.5. 3 Natural and Synthetic Scaffolds . 13 1.5. 4 Cell Sheet Approach (Scaffold-Free) . 15 1.5. 5 Stem Cell Approach . 16 1.5. 6 Decellularization & Recellularization Approach . 17 1.6 Current Strategies for Vascularization of Tissue Engineered Constructs . 21 1.6. 1 Cell Based Approach . 21 1.6. 2 Scaffold Based Approach . 22 1.6. 3 Bioreactor Approach . 23 1.7 Strategies for Endothelialization of Decellularized Scaffolds . 25 1.7. 1 Kidneys . 26 1.7. 2 Liver . 26 Title Page.i
Title Selection of Temporal Aligned Video Frames for Video

Multi-view image/video stitching algorithm is an extensive research area in computer vision and image based rendering. Most researches focus on stitching the images from different views with assumption that those images have been already aligned in temporal domain. However it is not the case in real application. If the images from different views are not aligned in temporal domain, or in another words, not time synchronized, the corresponding feature points or regions will not be located correctly among different views, which will result in ghost objects appearing in the final stitching/rendering result. In this paper, we present an epipolar geometry consistency scoring scheme to guide temporal aligned video frame pair selection for multiview video stitching application. Essentially, the proposed scheme allows us to determine whether a given pair of video frames is temporally aligned well for video stitching. Experimental results confirm that better video stitching results can be obtained with the proposed scheme in place.
Atomic-layer deposited Nb 2 O 5 as transparent passivating electron contact for cSi solar cells

Passivating contacts based on metal oxides have proven to enable high energy conversion efficiencies for crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells at low processing complexity. In this work, the potential of atomic-layer deposited (ALD) Nb2O5 as novel electron-selective passivating contact is explored in terms of recombination parameter J0 and contact resistivity ρc. It is shown that after forming gas annealing, ALD Nb2O5 can provide adequate surface passivation with J0 values down to 25–30 fA/cm. On HF-treated c-Si surfaces a minimum film thickness of ~ 3 nm is required to achieve this high level of passivation, whereas on surfaces with a wet-chemical SiO2 interlayer the high passivation level is persistent down to film thicknesses of only 1 nm. Ohmic n-type contacts have been achieved using Al as contacting metal, where annealing the samples after Al contacting proved crucial for obtaining good contact properties. Low contact resistivity values of 70 and 124mΩ cm for 1 and 2 nm Nb2O5 films, respectively, have been achieved on c-Si substrates that received an HF treatment prior to Nb2O5 deposition. Transmission electron microscopy imaging shows that on such surfaces the annealing treatment leads to the formation of a (1.7 ± 0.2) nm interfacial oxide in between the c-Si substrate and the Nb2O5 film. The presented results demonstrate the potential of ALD Nb2O5 as electron-selective passivating contact and directions for future research are outlined.
An Empirical Analysis of Consumers’ Continuance Intention Towards Online Shopping

Electronic commerce has provided opportunities to businesses to enhance their sale at the door steps of consumers. Consumers’ repurchase intention becomes a challenge to businesses most of the times. This study develops a research model based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Task technology Fit (TTF), Perceived Trust, Perceived Enjoyment and Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) to study the factors affecting online shopping continuance. Sample data was collected from Saudi Arabia by conducted a survey. Empirical data from 218 consumers was tested against the proposed model by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results reveal that perceived trust, perceived usefulness and online shopping satisfaction have significant effects on online shopping continuance. Predictors for perceived trust are perceived enjoyment and task technology fit. Perceived ease of use, confirmation and task technology fit are predictors of perceived usefulness. Effects of confirmation and Task technology fit are significant on online shopping satisfaction. The direct effect of perceived enjoyment on online shopping continuance is not significant. Recommendations based on the implications of the findings have been concluded in this paper. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016. v7n5p95
Regularization modeling for large-eddy simulation

A new modeling approach for large-eddy simulation (LES) is obtained by combining a "regularization principle" with an explicit filter and its inversion. This regularization approach allows a systematic derivation of the implied subgrid model, which resolves the closure problem. The central role of the filter in LES is fully restored, i.e., both the interpretation of LES predictions in terms of direct simulation results as well as the corresponding subgrid closure are specified by the filter. The regularization approach is illustrated with "Leray-smoothing" of the nonlinear convective terms. In turbulent mixing the new, implied subgrid model performs favorably compared to the dynamic eddy-viscosity procedure. The model is robust at arbitrarily high Reynolds numbers and correctly predicts self-similar turbulent flow development.
Competencies for 2020: Revalidation of the Curricular Competencies of the Emory University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Background: Transformation in the healthcare environment prompted Emory University's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT) to revalidate its competency-based education program. The goal was to revalidate the essentialness of its curricular competencies: Provision of Patient Care, Interpersonal Relationships, Teaching and Learning, Research, Administration, and Consultation. Purpose: The purpose was to revalidate the essentialness and exhaustiveness of the curricular competencies of the Emory University DPT Program. Methods: The methods involved descriptive research, using a single observation design. Analysis of an electronic survey, comprised of forced choice and open ended questions, determined the essentialness and exhaustiveness of the competencies. The final sample consisted of 1,135 potential participants. A modified Dillman approach was used to encourage participation. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the frequencies for each competency. A chi-square test determined any statistically significant differences between DCE/ACCE and CCCE/CI ratings of the Administration, Research, and Consultation competencies. Results: The response rate was 56% and the majority of participants rated Provision of Patient Care (98.6%), Interpersonal Communication (97.1%), and Teaching and Learning (89.3%) as essential. Administration (96.7%), Consultation (96%), and Research (94.2%) were rated either essential, or useful, but not essential by most participants. Results from the chi-square test indicated statistically significant differences between DCE/ACCE and CCCE/CI ratings of the essentialness of the Administration, Research, and Consultation competencies (p <0.05). Discussion/Conclusions: Overall, participants rated the Emory DPT Program's curricular competencies as essential. Results suggested these competencies accurately reflect physical therapy practice expectations for the entry-level DPT graduate.
Improved Language Skills by Children with Low Reading Performance who used Fast ForWord Language 1 MAPS for Learning : Product Report 3 ( 1 ) 1 : 13

452 children in classrooms at 9 U.S. elementary school districts were identified by their teachers as being “at-risk” for failure in reading and language arts. Standardized testing revealed that these children scored well below ageexpected levels of performance and lower in language comprehension and phonological awareness than in word reading ability. An intensive, adaptive, computer-based training program designed to improve the accurate aural reception of the spectrotemporal structure of speech was administered to 288 of them; 164 children served as controls. Children worked at training exercises for 100 minutes/day for an average of about 30 school days. Complex acoustic signal (speech) reception training resulted in gains in: a) speech reception and comprehension, b) phonological awareness important for successful reading initiation, and c) in other language and behavioral measures. More than 70% of the group receiving speech reception training showed a significant improvement in language comprehension, with an average 1.8 years in language-age advancement over their pre-training performance. These studies indicate that early, intensive computer-based skills training in speech recognition and language comprehension can significantly reduce measures of risk for later academic failure in reading and language arts for the majority of young, less skilled school-age children including children learning English as a second language.
THE PROBLEM OF OFFSET IN ACOUSTIC PULSE REFLECTOMETRY

Acoustic pulse reflectometry has become established as a useful noninvasive technique for measuring a variety of duct properties. A sound pulse is injected into the duct under investigation and the resultant reflections are recorded. Suitable analysis of the reflections yields the input impulse response of the duct, from which both its input impedance and its internal dimensions can be calculated. However, an input impulse response measurement made using acoustic pulse reflectometry generally contains an offset. Unless this offset is removed, the application of a bore reconstruction algorithm results in a calculated duct profile which expands or contracts spuriously. In this paper, the offset in an input impulse response measurement is shown to consist of both constant and time-varying components. Methods of preventing or removing these DC and timevarying offsets are proposed and subsequent improvements to the bore reconstruction accuracy are demonstrated.
Historical summer distribution of the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis): a hypothesis based on environmental preferences of a congeneric species

To obtain a plausible hypothesis for the historical distribution of North Atlantic right whales (NARWs) (Eubalaena glacialis) in their summer feeding grounds. Previously widespread in the North Atlantic, after centuries of hunting, these whales survive as a small population off eastern North America. Because their exploitation began before formal records started, information about their historical distribution is fragmentary.
Electro-acupuncture ( EA ) mediated downregulation of microRNA-181 a alleviates spinal cord neuronal apoptosisby inhibition of p 38 MAPK pathway

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a major cause of long-term functional disability and has no clinically accepted treatment. Electro-acupuncture (EA), a traditional Chinese medical method, has been widely used for a range of neurological disorders, including SCI. Here, we sought to evaluate the role of EA to promote functional recoveries after SCI in rats and its molecular mechanisms. We firstly evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of EA in SCI model rats. Then we assessed the impact of EA on spinal cord neuronal apoptosis and examined activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in spinal cord tissues of SCI rats by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Further, the miRNA expression patterns in spinal tissues of SCI rats before and after EA treatment was analyzed by microarray analysis and validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Finally, luciferase reporter assay was used to validate the correlation between miR-181a and MKP-5 in BV-2 cells. We demonstrated that EA significantly improved functional recovery of SCI rats. EA inhibited caspase-3 activation and alleviated cell apoptosis after SCI. We also found that the activation of p38 MAPK/iNOS pathway after SCI was significantly attenuated by EA. In addition, the microarray data revealed that a total of 43 differentially expressed miRNAs were regulated by EA. Among these miRNAs, miR-181a was one of the most dysregulated miRNAs after EA therapy and selected for further study. The anti-apoptotic role of EA-downregulated miR-181a was mediated by direct interaction with MAPK phosphatase-5 (MKP-5), a novel identified player involved in spinal cord cells apoptosis. Our results suggest that the neuroprotection by EA may be partly mediated via inhibition of p38 MAPK activation by regulating miR-181a in SCI rats. Thus, this study reports a novel mechanism for the clinical treatment of SCI using EA and opens up a novel avenue for treatment of SCI, especially by combining with drug therapy.
Estimation of Lexical Complexity using Language Semantics

Word complexity is a quite complex and subjective issue. However, it is also intuitive. Here the topic is explored and an intuitive method is proposed to judge the complexity where the intuition is based on the genesis and development of a language. The proposed technique is analogous to a tree structure where in each word is made up of its child nodes where child nodes signify simpler words. The algorithm hence takes into account the definition of the word and finds the complexity score based on the basic words present in the definition. The method is then judged using Flesch Reading ease and tested on separate sets of simple and difficult words. It is observed that this helps judge the complexity of a text as whole and works fairly well for individual words as well.
Text-based collaborative filtering for cold-start soothing and recommendation enrichment

—The difficulty to deal with new users, items and the poor explainability of predictions are well-known weaknesses of collaborative filtering. Classically, the cold-start issue is tackled either by asking for user interaction or exploiting side information while additional explanations are often extracted afterwards in a standalone process. Here, we propose a text-based collabora-tive filtering recommender system which provides a framework to solve both issues. Our method extends a scalable text embedding technique to build a unified vector space where users and items are mapped. We show how to use this space in a collaborative filtering scheme and demonstrate the interest of our text-based method for cold start soothing and recommendation explanation. The suitability of our approach is backed by competitive results on rating prediction task.
Benthic invertebrates and the habitat structure in an intermittent river of the semi-arid region of Brazil

Interactions between the habitat structure and physical and chemical parameters generate environmental conditions that influence the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrate species and their assemblages. This study describes the habitat structure and its effects on macroinvertebrate composition in an intermittent stream in the Brazilian semi-arid. Collections of benthic invertebrates were performed in three reaches along the Ipanema River during the dry and wet seasons using a “D” shaped net (40 cm wide and 250 μm mesh). A total of 23 taxa was recorded, Insecta being the most representative with 12 families and an average density of 168.1 ind/m². Correlations between environmental variables and CCA axes showed that substrate composition (sand and mud), macrophytes, litter and altitude were the main variables explaining benthic macroinvertebrate composition in the study stream. Canonical correlations between macroinvertebrate and physical and chemical variables were not significant. This study shows that the habitat structure contributes to the persistence and stability of macroinvertebrate communities in a Brazilian semi-arid stream, by creating refugia for organisms and contributing to the physical structures available for colonization. Key words: hydrological disturbances, patch dynamics, drylands.
The Definition and Software Performance of Hashstream, a Fast Length-Flexible PRF

Two of the fastest types of cryptographic algorithms are the stream cipher and the almost-universal hash function. There are secure examples of each that process data in software using less than one CPU cycle per byte. Hashstream combines the two types of algorithms in a straightforward manner yielding a PRF that can both consume inputs of and produce pseudorandom outputs of any desired length. The result is an object useful in many contexts: authentication, encryption, authenticated encryption, random generation, mask generation, etc. The HS1-SIV authenticated-encryption algorithm—a CAESAR competition second round selection—was based on Hashstream and showed the promise of such an approach by having provable security and topping the speed charts in several test configurations.
Application of Micro-Fluidic Devices for Biomarker Analysis in Human Biological Fluids

The current interest in microanalysis has heightened over the past years with the development of capillary electrophoresis (CE) followed by the development of commercially available micro-fluidic devices such as micro -mixers, CE chips and micro-reaction vessels or plates. This has made basic micro-fluidic analysis more readily available and has extended their use to biomedical analysis, especially clinically relevant biomarkers and field studies. Here the advantages of such devices are their relative speed of analysis, lower reagent costs, smaller sample requirements, and the potential for high-throughput. These factors become important when special situations arise such as the analysis of precious, archival, or field samples, monitoring surgical procedures, assessing newborns, analyzing specific areas from biopsy materials, measuring the functional aspects of single cells isolated from biological fluids or monitoring contamination of environmental factors. The combination of antibody-mediated isolation techniques with micro and nano-scale electrokinetic separations has great potential for analyzing defined analytes in complex biological matrices. In chip-based formats, such systems can recover and measure up to 25 analytes in a reasonably rapid time frame. Further, such devices require sub-microlitre amounts of sample to perform the analyses. Coupling these devices to laser-induced fluorescence greatly enhances the sensitivity of the analysis allowing certain analytes such as protein, peptides, and toxins to be measured in the sub-picogram/mL range. Further, coupling micro-analysis to mass spectrometry adds in the characterization of many significant biomarkers. The combination of fast binding, bio-engineered antibodies requiring relatively short reaction time with rapid desorption and electrophoretic separation with online detection can make the analysis almost “real-time”. Today, chip-based analyses are performed on a variety of devices ranging from simple microsample plates, to micro-mixers, and chip-based CE, many of which are commercially available. However, more complicated devices such as the “lab-on-a-chip” still require intricate design and specialized facilities. These latter devices hold the potential for automation and involve procedures that utilize both chromatographic and electrophoretic driving mechanisms. Additionally, a lab-on-a-chip can involve the integration of hyphenated techniques in order to achieve the desired analysis, including the integration of a highly sensitive detection system capable of measurement in the femtomolar or attomolar range. The need for such sensitivity often arises from the extremely small sample size obtained for the analysis.
A design theory for collaborative interorganizational knowledge management systems

This paper addresses the design problem of providing IT support to organizational knowledge creation within a geographical cluster. This study is based on a design science approach that serves to successfully introduce and implement a new IT artefact as a tool for interorganizational knowledge management. We draw on a case study of developing a portal for mapping competencies in an IT cluster in France. Abstracting from the experience of building this system, we developed an IS design theory for collaborative interorganizational knowledge management systems.