Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Executive Functions of Adults with Binge-Eating Disorder: The Role of Weight Status and Psychopathology

Findings on executive functions (EFs) in binge-eating disorder (BED) are inconsistent and possibly biased by associated comorbidities. This study aimed to identify whether distinct levels of physical and mental comorbidity are related to EFs in BED. General and food-specific EFs in n = 77 adults with BED were compared to population-based norms and associations with weight status, depressive symptoms, and eating disorder psychopathology were analyzed. To detect within-sample patterns of EF performance, k-means clustering was applied. The results indicated that participants’ general EFs were within the average range with slight deficits in alertness. While depression and eating disorder psychopathology were unrelated to EFs, weight status was associated with food-specific attentional bias that was significantly higher in obesity class 2 than in overweight/obesity class 1 and obesity class 3. Four meaningful clusters with distinct strengths and impairments in general and food-specific EFs but without differences in clinical variables were identified. Altogether, adults with BED showed few specific deficits compared to normative data. Performance was unrelated to depression and eating disorder psychopathology, while weight status was associated with food-specific EFs only. The results highlight the need for longitudinal studies to evaluate the relevance of EFs in BED development and maintenance in neurologically healthy adults.
VALIDATION OF THE SERVICEABILITY OF THE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM USING SIMULATION

This article discusses the creation and use of known algorithms in production that uses a flow-shop system to monitor and verify its operability. It also describes the input data, which must be further opportunities for decision entered into the system. In the next section are described in detail the different parts of this procedure. Than it describes the sequential problems that are not yet at a practical level, few addressed, but thus methods shorten the processing time. The conclusion focuses on the validation of the serviceability of the manufacturing system using knowledge mentioned and their embedding and verification by simulation.
The Effect of Downsizing Packages of Energy-Dense, Nutrient-Poor Snacks and Drinks on Consumption, Intentions, and Perceptions—A Scoping Review

The single-serve packaging of discretionary foods is becoming increasingly popular, but evidence is limited on whether smaller package sizes can reduce food intake. The aim of this scoping review is to assess the effect of reducing the package size of energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) snacks and drinks on consumption, intentions, and perception, and to examine the effects of potential moderators or mediators. The search was conducted in six selected databases and grey literature sources, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for the scoping review process (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. After screening 5562 articles, 30 articles comprising 47 intervention studies were included. Twelve of 15 studies found a significant effect in lowering the actual or intended consumption when a single smaller package was offered compared with a single larger package. When the total serving size was held constant between varying package conditions, such as a multipack, single package, or unpackaged, the results on the actual and intended consumption were inconsistent and varied according to the presence of moderators. Overall, these findings suggest that an overall reduction in the size of a single package is a more promising strategy than providing multipacks to reduce consumption. Changes to the current food environment to promote single smaller packages of EDNP snacks and drinks are necessary to support the better selection of appropriate portion sizes and reduce consumption.
Perspectives on the Role of Cognition in Cyber Security

The cyber security task is an intensely cognitive task that is embedded in a large multi-layered sociotechnical system of analysts, computers, and networks. Effective performance in this world is hampered by enormous size and complexity of the network data, the adaptive nature of intelligent adversaries, the lack of ground truth to assess performance, the high number of false alarms presented by automated alerting systems, by organizational stove pipes thwarting collaboration, and by technology that is thrown at the problem without an adequate understanding of the human needs. Further, the consequences of effective system performance in the cyber security domain are unparalleled because our world is so dependent on its cyber infrastructure. We have assembled a panel of six experts in cognitive engineering to provide perspectives on the cyber security problem and promising solutions.
Understanding size and boundary effectsin scaled model blasts – plane problems

This contribution addresses model blasting and focuses on size and boundary effects on wave propagation, fracture pattern development and fragmentation in small scale laboratory size specimen. Small cylindrical specimens are centre-line loaded by linear high velocity of detonation explosive charges and detonated. Using elastic wave propagation theory and fracture mechanics it is shown that the type of boundary conditions which prevail at the outer boundary of the cylinder control the extension of bore-hole cracking and fragmentation within the body of the cylinder. In the case of a composite cylinder with dissimilar mantel and core materials, the level of fracturing and fragmentation is controlled by the delamination of the interface. This, in turn, depends on the relative diameters of the core and the mantel. The most important parameter though is the ratio between the length of the pulse (space-wise or time-wise) and the characteristic dimensions of the models, i.e. in this case the diameters of the cor.
Are canid pest ejectors an effective control tool for wild dogs in an arid rangeland environment?

Abstract Context. Wild dogs are a significant pest species of livestock production and native wildlife in Australia. A suite of control tools is used to mitigate predation impacts. Baiting with sodium fluoroacetate is the most commonly used control tool in Australia; however, its effectiveness can be reduced by interference by non-target species, and in some contexts by microbial degradation of the toxin. Canid pest ejectors (CPEs) are a mechanical device with an attractant ‘lure head’ designed to eject a lethal toxin into the mouth of canids pulling on the lure head. A range of lure heads can be used to attract canids to pull, and trigger CPEs. Aims. We aimed to determine whether uptake of CPEs by wild dogs in an arid rangeland environment could cause a decline in a wild dog population. We also aimed to determine whether there are particular lure heads that increase the rate of CPEs being triggered by wild dogs. Methods. We deployed one hundred CPEs over four sessions of control across three properties in the southern rangelands of Western Australia from 2018 to 2020. Each session consisted of 2 months of CPE deployment with two different lure heads, totalling eight lure head types over the entire study. All CPEs were monitored using camera traps. Key results. Wild dog density varied over the study period. In all four control sessions, a decrease in wild dog density was recorded (–46%, –5%, –13%, –38%). Wild dog activity events on camera and their interest in CPEs differed between sessions and lures (i.e. higher with scent-based lures). Non-target species did not interfere with CPEs significantly, despite a higher number of activity events by non-target species than wild dogs. Conclusions. CPEs caused a reduction of 5–46% of wild dog density when deployed in the southern rangelands of Western Australia. Non-target interference was minimal when using CPEs for wild dog control. Implications. Use of scent-based lures on felt lure heads is recommended for successful use of CPEs for wild dog control in arid rangeland environments. Future on-ground wild dog control should include CPEs as a complementary tool for the reduction of wild dog density.
Smooth Approximation of Lipschitz Maps and Their Subgradients

We derive new representations for the generalised Jacobian of a locally Lipschitz map between finite dimensional real Euclidean spaces as the lower limit (i.e., limit inferior) of the classical derivative of the map where it exists. The new representations lead to significantly shorter proofs for the basic properties of the subgradient and the generalised Jacobian including the chain rule. We establish that a sequence of locally Lipschitz maps between finite dimensional Euclidean spaces converges to a given locally Lipschitz map in the L-topology—that is, the weakest refinement of the sup norm topology on the space of locally Lipschitz maps that makes the generalised Jacobian a continuous functional—if and only if the limit superior of the sequence of directional derivatives of the maps in a given vector direction coincides with the generalised directional derivative of the given map in that direction, with the convergence to the limit superior being uniform for all unit vectors. We then prove our main result that the subspace of Lipschitz C∞ maps between finite dimensional Euclidean spaces is dense in the space of Lipschitz maps equipped with the L-topology, and, for a given Lipschitz map, we explicitly construct a sequence of Lipschitz C∞ maps converging to it in the L-topology, allowing global smooth approximation of a Lipschitz map and its differential properties. As an application, we obtain a short proof of the extension of Green’s theorem to interval-valued vector fields. For infinite dimensions, we show that the subgradient of a Lipschitz map on a Banach space is upper continuous, and, for a given real-valued Lipschitz map on a separable Banach space, we construct a sequence of Gateaux differentiable functions that converges to the map in the sup norm topology such that the limit superior of the directional derivatives in any direction coincides with the generalised directional derivative of the Lipschitz map in that direction.
The Cytoplasmic Dynein Associated Protein NDE1 Regulates Osteoclastogenesis by Modulating M-CSF and RANKL Signaling Pathways

Cytoskeleton organization and lysosome secretion play an essential role in osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. The cytoplasmic dynein is a molecular motor complex that regulates microtubule dynamics and transportation of cargos/organelles, including lysosomes along the microtubules. LIS1, NDE1, and NDEL1 belong to an evolutionary conserved pathway that regulates dynein functions. Disruption of the cytoplasmic dynein complex and deletion of LIS1 in osteoclast precursors arrest osteoclastogenesis. Nonetheless, the role of NDE1 and NDEL1 in osteoclast biology remains elusive. In this study, we found that knocking-down Nde1 expression by lentiviral transduction of specific shRNAs markedly inhibited osteoclastogenesis in vitro by attenuating the proliferation, survival, and differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells via suppression of signaling pathways downstream of M-CSF and RANKL as well as osteoclast differentiation transcription factor NFATc1. To dissect how NDEL1 regulates osteoclasts and bone homeostasis, we generated Ndel1 conditional knockout mice in myeloid osteoclast precursors (Ndel1ΔlysM) by crossing Ndel1-floxed mice with LysM-Cre mice on C57BL/6J background. The Ndel1ΔlysM mice developed normally. The µCT analysis of distal femurs and in vitro osteoclast differentiation and functional assays in cultures unveiled the similar bone mass in both trabecular and cortical bone compartments as well as intact osteoclastogenesis, cytoskeleton organization, and bone resorption in Ndel1ΔlysM mice and cultures. Therefore, our results reveal a novel role of NDE1 in regulation of osteoclastogenesis and demonstrate that NDEL1 is dispensable for osteoclast differentiation and function.
Rheological characterization of solder pastes for surface mount applications

Accurate rheological measurements are needed in order to correlate the rheological behavior of solder pastes to their performance in the surface mount technology (SMT) process. In this paper, we summarize our efforts to measure the rheological properties of solder pastes, and outline the difficulties in obtaining their true rheological properties. In particular, we show that the rheological measurements of solder pastes are affected by "slip" at the test-apparatus surfaces and by shear fracture within the sample which have not been taken into consideration heretofore.
Design and experiments of 4CJ-1200 self-propelled tea plucking machine

As agricultural labor is decreasing, famous tea production is nearly hard to sustain and is getting more and more expensive in China. To improve the mechanization of tea plucking, this paper designs a self-propelled track-type tea plucking machine that integrates mechanic, hydraulic and electronics. The main parameters of chassis were optimized based on conditions of tea garden. And, three different kinds of cutter blades were designed and analyzed about vibration performance with finite element software. Also, a rigid-flex mixed motion model was established. Based on the model and plots, it is explicit that: 1) the blades move in a sine law; 2) the blades take a symmetrical deform from middle to end while moving; 3) the deformation increases along the blade from the center to sides. The single factor experiment revealed that both travel speed and speed ratio of cutting and travelling had a significant effect on quality indexes (integrity rate, unpicking rate, stubble unevenness) of plucked tea leaf. By universal rotary combination experiment of quadratic regression, the regression equations of three indexes about two experimental factors were established. And, the comprehensive optimization of three indexes was conducted with software Design expert. The optimal operating parameters of machine are as follow: travel speed is 0.41 m/s, speed ratio of cutting and travelling is 1.06; prediction of three indexes are that integrity rate could be reach to 78.26%, unpicking rate reduced to 0.82%, stubble unevenness reduced to 1.30 mm. The results of verification experiment are that: integrity rate could be reach to 77.41%, unpicking rate reduced to 0.87%, stubble unevenness reduced to 1.23 mm. These test indexes that are very close to the predicted values, all surpass the requests specified in the standard of tea plucking with machine. In all, the optimized parameter set is indeed synthetically optimal one that enables the wide use of this tea plucking machine, which can be used in the tea garden that has a lengthways slope less than 18°, a crosswise slope less than 20°, and a height of tea trees between 50-120 cm. From above, the tea plucking machine investigated in this paper provides an effective solution to present tea picking problem that is the bottleneck of tea industry. Further studies need to do for making this machine more automated and intelligent.
Accelerated testing of IGBT power modules to determine time to failure

Reliability of IGBT power modules is crucial to their use in failure critical systems and with the advent of all electric and hybrid vehicles the need for good reliability data for IGBT modules is essential. IGBT power modules are constructed of layers and power dies, all of which are interconnected with solder or bond wires. These materials have dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion and during its life, the IGBT module experiences temperature changes which cause stresses to build up in the various materials eventually resulting in the failure of the module. Because of the high robustness of these modules, testing in service for time to failure can be a very lengthy process. This paper describes a procedure and test rig which can automatically temperature cycle IGBT power modules in a very short time and determine their life expectancy. The paper also shows test results from a number of modules and correlates this data to provide a time to failure for the modules.
Output feedback controller design for discrete LTI systems with polytopic uncertainty via direct searching of the design space

This paper concerns static output feedback stabilization of polytopic discrete linear time‐invariant (LTI) systems. The previous related studies were mainly based on linear matrix inequality (LMI) approaches which are naturally conservative. In this paper, a novel design algorithm is presented that iteratively partitions a primary design space to subspaces. Then, by assessing stabilizability status of each generated subspace, the algorithm determines the total stabilizable parts and removes the undesired parts of the design space. Mathematical theories are developed to determine the total de‐stabilizability or stabilizability of a given subspace. These subspaces' properties are detected through checking the existence of critical polynomials (which have roots on the unit circle of the complex plane) on their exposed edges. By omitting the undesired parts of the design space, the algorithm just searches the desired parts which are far smaller than the primary design space. This strategy improves the feasibility performance of the algorithm. Some illustrating examples are provided to show the steps of the design algorithm. Furthermore, 100 random models are generated to evaluate the feasibility performance of the proposed algorithm as compared to some existing methods. The results reveal the superiority of the proposed algorithm.
Transition and comparison between directional couplers and multimode interferometer based on ridge waveguides

In this paper, we present a comparison analysis between directional couplers (DC) and multi-mode interferometers (MMI) based on high-index contrast ridge waveguides. It is found that the two devices are intimately related as the MMI is structurally derived from the DC. For the first time, the continuous evolution from the two-mode coupling characteristic of DC to the two-mode interference and multi-mode interference of MMI is demonstrated. The resulting MMIs are compared with the DC in terms of coupling length, polarization dependence, excess loss, and fabrication tolerances. We show that practical directional couplers with reasonable gap size can also be quite compact and have the same coupling length for both TE and TM polarizations. Consequently, the DC can be just as polarization insensitive as the MMI. These features, however, require careful design control involving a large set of design parameters. By comparison, the MMI design is more robust and involves fewer design variables.
Evolution of the Viola-Jones Object Detection Method: A Survey

The Viola and Jones algorithm is one of the most well-known methods of object detection in digital images. Over the past 20 years since the ﬁrst publication, the method has been extensively studied, and many modiﬁcations of the original algorithm and its individual parts have been proposed by researchers and engineers. Some ideas popularized by Paul Viola and Michael Jones became the basis for many other algorithms of object localization in images. This paper presents a description of Viola and Jones algorithm, the history of its development and modiﬁcations in the context of various problems of object localization in images, as well as a description of the current state of aﬀairs: the method’s place in the era of convolutional neural networks extensive application.
Solving a fixture configuration design problem using genetic algorithm with learning automata approach

Proper fixture design is crucial to workpiece quality assurance in manufacturing. Incorrect fixture design may lead to workpiece deformation during machining. The fixture configuration design is one of the important aspects of fixture design. This paper deals with fixture layout optimization problem. The objective is to minimize the norm of all the passive contact forces satisfying Coulomb friction constraint, work-piece static equilibrium constraint and contact constraint, for the entire cutting operation. To solve this problem, the paper proposes Genetic Algorithm with Learning Automata (GALA) algorithm, which is a population based interconnected learning automata algorithm incorporating genetic operators. The algorithm enjoys the good characteristics of both GA and LA. It is validated with an example of face milling operation. The optimal layout is found to be in tune with empirical facts. Also, for the further investigation of the algorithm, it has been tested on a different problem sets and a comparative study is carried out.
Water is a preservative of microbes

Water is the cellular milieu, drives all biochemistry within Earth’s biosphere and facilitates microbe‐mediated decay processes. Instead of reviewing these topics, the current article focuses on the activities of water as a preservative—its capacity to maintain the long‐term integrity and viability of microbial cells—and identifies the mechanisms by which this occurs. Water provides for, and maintains, cellular structures; buffers against thermodynamic extremes, at various scales; can mitigate events that are traumatic to the cell membrane, such as desiccation–rehydration, freeze–thawing and thermal shock; prevents microbial dehydration that can otherwise exacerbate oxidative damage; mitigates against biocidal factors (in some circumstances reducing ultraviolet radiation and diluting solute stressors or toxic substances); and is effective at electrostatic screening so prevents damage to the cell by the intense electrostatic fields of some ions. In addition, the water retained in desiccated cells (historically referred to as ‘bound’ water) plays key roles in biomacromolecular structures and their interactions even for fully hydrated cells. Assuming that the components of the cell membrane are chemically stable or at least repairable, and the environment is fairly constant, water molecules can apparently maintain membrane geometries over very long periods provided these configurations represent thermodynamically stable states. The spores and vegetative cells of many microbes survive longer in the presence of vapour‐phase water (at moderate‐to‐high relative humidities) than under more‐arid conditions. There are several mechanisms by which large bodies of water, when cooled during subzero weather conditions remain in a liquid state thus preventing potentially dangerous (freeze–thaw) transitions for their microbiome. Microbial life can be preserved in pure water, freshwater systems, seawater, brines, ice/permafrost, sugar‐rich aqueous milieux and vapour‐phase water according to laboratory‐based studies carried out over periods of years to decades and some natural environments that have yielded cells that are apparently thousands, or even (for hypersaline fluid inclusions of mineralized NaCl) hundreds of millions, of years old. The term preservative has often been restricted to those substances used to extend the shelf life of foods (e.g. sodium benzoate, nitrites and sulphites) or those used to conserve dead organisms, such as ethanol or formaldehyde. For living microorganisms however, the ultimate preservative may actually be water. Implications of this role are discussed with reference to the ecology of halophiles, human pathogens and other microbes; food science; biotechnology; biosignatures for life and other aspects of astrobiology; and the large‐scale release/reactivation of preserved microbes caused by global climate change.