Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationships between three major stream assemblages and their environmental factors in multiple spatial scales

This study investigated the relationships of three major aquatic assemblages (diatom, macro- invertebrate, and fish) and environmental variables, including sub-basin, hydrology, land cover, and water quality variables on multiple scales. Samples were collected at 720 sampling sites on the Korean nationwide scale. Geological variables, including altitude and slope, showed a strong positive correlation with propor- tions of forest in land cover types and cobbles in substrates, while they were negatively correlated with water quality variables, including conductivity and total phosphorus. Considering the concordance of the different assemblages, species richness of fish and macroinvertebrates displayed significant correlation, and diatoms were significantly correlated with fish. However, diatoms did not show significant correlation with macro- invertebrates. Altitude and slope showed significant correlation with all biological variables of the three as- semblages. Macroinvertebrates and fish showed positive relations with large substrate sizes. Indices of diatoms and macroinvertebrates well reflected the perturbation of water quality variables. However, fish indices showed a relatively low association with water quality variables, compared with those of diatoms and macro- invertebrates. These patterns were also confirmed by the ordination and prediction of biological indices with environmental variables through the learning process of a self-organizing map as well as random forest. Overall, our study supports the concept of multi-scale habitat filters and functional organization in streams, and is consistent with the recommended use of multiple biological indices with more than one assemblage for the assessment of the biotic integrity of aquatic ecosystems.
A LOG-LINEAR MODEL APPROACH TO ESTIMATION OF POPULATION SIZE USING THE LINE-TRANSECT SAMPLING METHOD'

The technique of estimating wildlife population size and density using the belt or line-transect sampling method has been used in many past projects, such as the estimation of density of waterfowl nesting sites in marshes, and is being used currently in such areas as the assessment of Pacific porpoise stocks in regions of tuna fishing activity. A mathematical framework for linetransect methodology has only emerged in the last 5 yr. In the present article, we extend this mathematical framework to a line-transect estimator based upon a log-linear model approach.
A structural modeling approach to the solid-solution materials

Alloying is one of the most important ways to improve the structural and functional properties of materials. It may result in a single solid-solution phase or a mixture of multiple phases. In this work we propose a solid-solution modeling approach via the standard deviation of the pair distribution function and three-body correlation function to mimic the similar local atomic environment (SLAE) of the alloying elements. We represent the solid-solution modeling as an optimization problem and employ the Basin Hopping algorithm to solve it. The cross validation between the SLAE method and the special quasi-random structure (SQS) method indicated that our approach can efficiently generate the solid-solution structure with the fully disorder and partial disorder. Further we describe the short-range order by the coordination number as a constraint condition in the process of optimization. Taking the typical quinary CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy, continued solid-solution binary TaW alloy and ternary CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy with the short range order as prototypes, we apply our method in combination with ab initio calculations to investigate the phase stabilities of these alloys and compare the calculated results with experiments.
Optical spatial-frequency correlation system for fingerprint recognition

Individual recognition systems with high-speed and high-accuracy have been recently demanded in the automatic logging into a PC, the immigration at the airport, the access control and diligence & indolence management in an office, and so on. Biometric authentication is now being regarded as the most valid method because of the receptivity, individuality and invariability of biometric identifiers. Various types of the individual recognition systems based on biometrics have been studied and partially realized. Fingerprints, faces, hand geometry, irises, vein patterns, gait, signatures, etc., are known as biometric identifiers. In particular, the fingerprint recognition system has been widely used because of its high reliability and reasonable price (Maltoni et al., 2003a; Jain et al., 2010). The fingerprint recognition methods can be classified into the following three types: (i) the minutiae-based, (ii) the frequency-based and (iii) the image-based methods. The minutiae-based method is mainly being used in the practical fingerprint recognition system. For example, a memetic fingerprint matching algorithm has been recently proposed to identify the optimal or near optimal global matching between two minutiae sets (Sheng et al., 2007). A matching technique for fingerprint recognition using the Minutia CylinderCode (MCC), which is based on 3D data structures built from minutiae distances and angles, has also been made a proposal (Cappelli et al., 2010) to exclude the drawbacks in the fingerprint authentication using local minutiae structures. Moreover, a fingerprint verification using spectral minutiae representations has been suggested to overcome translation, rotation and scaling which are the drawbacks of minutiae-based algorithms (Xu et al., 2009a, 2009b). The frequency-based method, such as the frequency analysis method, is also being used in the practical fingerprint recognition system in order to secretly hide the original fingerprint information (Takeuchi et al., 2007). Recently, a fingerprint recognition method based on melfrequency cepstral coefficients and polynomial shape coefficients has been proposed because of the robustness to noise and the insensivity to translation (Hashad et al., 2010). The image-based method has been being studied to improve the accuracy in the fingerprint recognition. For example, an enhanced image-based algorithm for fingerprint verification based on invariant moment features has been recently proposed to improve matching accuracy and processing speed (Yang & Park, 2008a, 2008b). A novel image-based fingerprint matcher based on the minutiae alignment has also been made a proposal to improve the verification performance (Nanni & Lumini, 2009).
Application of treat-to-target principles in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis in routine clinical practice in Central-EasternEurope

Objective: Understanding the extent to which treat-to-target (T2T) recommendations are applied by rheumatologists in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may identify gaps or issues in disease management. This study evaluated application of key T2T principles in routine management of RA patients in selected Central-Eastern European countries. Methods: This prospective, single-arm, observational study was conducted in seven countries. Patients with early RA (<1 year since diagnosis) were observed for 12 months. Primary endpoint was the percentage of patients who had a treatment target set at any time between RA diagnosis and last study visit. Disease activity (Disease Activity Score 28-joint count [DAS28]), functional status (Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index [HAQ-DI]), target attainment, work productivity/activity impairment (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment-Specific Health Problem [WPAI–SHP] questionnaire), and work-related outcomes were also assessed. Results: At least one treatment target was set in 507 of 514 patients (98.6%). Disease activity targets were set for 507 patients (100%) and functional targets for 335 patients (66.1%). Mean number of treatment targets per patient was 4.3 (standard deviation [SD] 2.4). At last attended visit, 218 patients (43.5%) had achieved their treatment target. Proportions of patients in remission (DAS28 <2.6) or low disease activity (DAS28 <3.2) increased from baseline to last attended visit (0.8% to 54.2% and 2.7% to 78.0%, respectively). Mean HAQ-DI scores improved from 1.3 (SD 0.6) at baseline to 0.7 (SD 0.6) at last attended visit. In patients with available data, all WPAI–SHP parameters improved from baseline to last attended visit. Outcomes for presenteeism, total activity impairment, and days with impairment were significantly (p<0.05) better in patients with remission versus low disease activity. Conclusion: Treatment targets were commonly set for early RA patients in rheumatology centers in Central-Eastern Europe. Clinical, functional, and work-related outcomes improved during 1 year’s follow-up, suggesting benefit from a T2T approach.
Plasmonically enhanced absorption in colloidal metal/semiconductor nanocomposites

Colloidal Quantum Dots (CQDs) are the route for low cost high eficiency photodetectors. Photoconductors are limited by the noise arising from high dark current densities, what is typically overcome reducing device's active area. However, this technique also reduces their photoresponse, and their optical absorption must be maintained as the volume is reduced. We study the use of plasmonics for that purpose, and present simulation results for solution-processed structures compatible with these techniques, showing up to a 13-fold enhancement in absorption. We present experimental results of a PbS CQDs photoconductor, fabricated using a novel CQDs functionalization, and venture the potential of these devices complemented with the shown promising techniques.
Ultrasonograpic Evaluation for the Normal Disk Position of the Temporomandibular Joint

Background: Temporomandibular(TMJ) disorders is consider one of the most popular problems hence, a proper examination for the disc position is required. The purpose of this study was to assess the normal values oftemporomandibular joints disc position by ultrasonography. Material and method: Out of the total 34 TMJs from Seventeenth patients (13) were females and (4) were males requested for ultrasonographic scanning longitudinally (parallel to the ramus of the mandible) and transversally (parallel to the zygomatic arch) in both the closedand open-mouth positions measuring the lateral capsule-condyle (LCC)distance and anterior capsule-condyle (ACC)distance. Results: for lateral capsule-condyle(LCC) distance the longitudinal scan with open mouth position mean distance was 1.479(±SD.495) compared to 1.359 (±SD.503) in closed mouth position, while in transverse scan the mean distance(LCC) in open mouth position was 1.929 (±SD.327) compared to 1.621 (±SD.471) in closed mouth position. Conclusion: ultrasonography isconsider as an alternative imaging technique tomonitor patients with TMJ disorders, particularly in assessing the normal values of (LCC) and (ACC) distances for temporomandibular joints disc position.
Extraction of Optic Cup in Retinal Fundus images: A Compartitive Approach

Glaucoma which is a leading cause of blindness in the world is not a single disease but a group of disorders with diverse clinical manifestations. If not controlled at an early stage, it causes irreversible damage to vision. Careful evaluation of Optic nerve head structure and its documentation is extremely important for diagnosis of the disease and to monitor its progression. The optic nerve head comprises of the optic disc and the optic cup. ‘Optic cup’ is one of the imperative and crucial factors in disease diagnosis and monitoring. The aim of the research is to compare various existing optic cup segmentation methods and report their comparative performance. A modification in calculating threshold has been suggested which improves the accuracy.
Characterization of Plasmodium falciparum Proteome at Asexual Blood Stages for Screening of Effective Vaccine Candidates: An Immunoinformatics Approach

Malaria is a complex parasitic disease that is currently causing great concerns globally owing to the resistance to antimalarial drugs and lack of an effective vaccine. The present study involves the characterization of extracellular secretory proteins as vaccine candidates derived from proteome analysis of Plasmodium falciparum at asexual blood stages of malaria. Among the screened 32 proteins, 31 were predicted as antigens by the VaxiJen program, and 26 proteins had less than two transmembrane spanning regions predicted using the THMMM program. Moreover, 10 and 5 proteins were predicted to contain secretory signals by SignalP and TargetP, respectively. T-cell epitope prediction using MULTIPRED2 and NetCTL programs revealed that most of the predicted antigens are immunogenic and contain more than 10% supertype and 5% promiscuous epitopes of HLA-A, -B, or -DR. We anticipate that T-cell immune responses against asexual blood stages of Plasmodium are dispersed on a relatively large number of parasite antigens. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, offering new insights, at the proteome level, for the putative screening of effective vaccine candidates against the malaria pathogen. The findings also suggest new ways forward for the modern omics-guided vaccine target discovery using reverse vaccinology.
A novel effect of ethyl pyruvate in Schwann cell de-differentiation and proliferation during Wallerian degeneration

Ethyl pyruvate (EP), as a pyruvate derivative, has the protective effect on oxidative-stress-mediated cellular injury. In previous studies, it has been reported that EP provides protection against neuronal injury in brain, for example transient cerebral ischemia. However, the inhibition effect of EP on peripheral nerve injury is still unknown. Here, we investigated the inhibition effect of EP in Schwann cell de-differentiation and proliferation during Wallerian degeneration using ex vivo sciatic nerve explant system. We demonstrated that EP inhibits p-ERK1/2, p75NGFR, and lysosomal associated membrane protein 1 as factors implicated in Schwann cell de-differentiation during Wallerian degeneration. In addition, EP is sufficient to inhibit Schwann cell proliferation during Wallerian degeneration. Together, these findings suggest that EP has a strong protective effect on Wallerain degeneration.
A Novel Design for Fully Printed Flexible AC-driven Powder Electroluminescent Devices on Paper

ACPEL devices were fabricated onto various paper substrates. The dielectric and phosphor layers were mask printed, a PEDOT:PSS/SWCNT ink was inkjet-printed for the cathode and a translucent conductor was applied with a paintbrush for the anode resulting in a maximum luminance of 8.05 cd/m 2 at 300 VAC and 60 Hz. It was found that the conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS/SWCNT ink on the various paper types was affected by the coating and paper thickness. Novel ACPEL devices were also fabricated by incorporating paper as the dielectric layer of the device. The maximum luminance achieved was 7.24 cd/m 2 at 300 VAC and 60 Hz. It is shown that the dielectric constant of the paper and hence the performance of the resulting EL device may be enhanced by filling the sheet with BaTiO3 and by the surface treatment of the sheet.
GPU-Accelerated Next-Best-View Coverage of Articulated Scenes

Next-best-view algorithms are commonly used for covering known scenes, for example in search, maintenance, and mapping tasks. In this paper, we consider the problem of planning a strategy for covering articulated environments where the robot also has to manipulate objects to inspect obstructed areas. This problem is particularly challenging due to the many degrees of freedom resulting from the articulation. We propose to exploit graphics processing units present in many embedded devices to parallelize the computations of a greedy next-best-view approach. We implemented algorithms for costmap computation, path planning, as well as simulation and evaluation of viewpoint candidates in OpenGL for Embedded Systems and benchmarked the implementations on multiple device classes ranging from smartphones to multi-GPU servers. We introduce a heuristic for estimating a utility map from images rendered with strategically placed spherical cameras and show in simulation experiments that robots can successfully explore complex articulated scenes with our system.
Magnetoresistance in ferromagnetically contacted single-wall carbon nanotubes

We present two-terminal magnetotransport measurements on single-wall carbon nanotube devices, where one or two of the terminals are ferromagnetic. Both ferromagnetic semiconductor [(Ga,Mn)As] and metal (Fe) contact materials have been investigated. In both types of devices we have observed strong hysteretic magnetoresistance below 30 K. The magnetoresistance features develop into large peaks and dips at subkelvin temperatures and they are present even with only one ferromagnetic terminal.
Casting a Wide Net for Innovation: Mediating Effect of R&D Human and Social Capital to Unlock the Value from Alliance Portfolio Diversity

This paper examines the performance effects associated with different alliance portfolio configurations in terms of geographical location and partner type. Based on these distinctions, we hypothesise that more diverse alliance portfolios enable firms to gain and exploit innovation opportunities. Additionally, the mediating effects of R&D human and social capital on the R&D alliance portfolio diversity-innovation performance relationship are explored. We reason that the absorptive capacity of R&D intellectual capital determines a firm’s potential gains from highly diverse alliance portfolios. Using panel data of manufacturing firms in Spain for the period 2008-2013, our results confirm the inverted U-shaped relationship between alliance portfolio diversity and firm innovation performance, implying that both insufficient and excessive alliance portfolio diversity may be detrimental to firm innovativeness. Additionally, R&D human and social capital partially mediates the R&D alliance diversity-innovation performance relationship emphasising the importance of internal capabilities to leverage the benefits of highly diverse alliance portfolios. These findings add a dynamic dimension to the conceptualisation of alliance portfolios and how firms create value by balancing explorative and exploitative alliances.
Understanding college student’s motivation for physical activity participation: The role of gender, sport type and activity level

The present study aimed to investigate the motivational factors which has an influence on college students’ participation in recreational physical activities. In this sense, gender, sport type (team or/and individual sport) and level of physical activity (MET scores) differences within motivational dimensions were examined. In the frame of the current study, a convenience sampling strategy was utilized. 383 Middle East Technical University students (Mage= 21.42, SD=3.30) voluntarily participated to this study. Data were gathered with an instrument composing of three sections; a demographic information part, a self-report instrument for measuring physical activity, and Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS). Physical condition was found to be the most important participation motive, On the other hand, others expectations motive was the least important physical activity participation motive for Turkish college students. When physical activity participation motivations were compared with regard to gender, there was not any significant difference except for the appearance motivation. Females rated appearance motive lower than males for engaging in physical activity. However, significant sport type and level of physical activity differences were found. One-way MANOVA results revealed that team sport participants had significantly higher other’s expectations motivation with compared to individual sport participants. With respect to activity level difference, higher physically active participants have higher motivations and there were significant differences in competition, mastery and enjoyment motivations among medium and vigorous level physical activity participants. The knowledge of the most significant motives for physical activity participation according to variations of the individuals can help practitioners to lead individuals to activities that best suit them and that best motivate them which is very important to start and continue to any physical activity. // // // //
Buffer-Aided Model Predictive Controller to Mitigate Model Mismatches and Localization Errors

Any vehicle needs to be aware of its localization, destination, and neighboring vehicles’ state information for collision free navigation. A centralized controller computes controls for cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) vehicles based on the assumed behavior of manually driven vehicles (MDVs) in a mixed vehicle scenario. The assumed behavior of the MDVs may be different from the actual behavior, which gives rise to a model mismatch. The use of erroneous localization information can generate erroneous controls. The presence of a model mismatch and the use of erroneous controls could potentially result into collisions. A controller robust to issues such as localization errors and model mismatches is thus required. This paper proposes a robust model predictive controller, which accounts for localization errors and mitigates model mismatches. Future control values computed by the centralized controller are shared with CACC vehicles and are stored in a buffer. Due to large localization errors or model mismatches when control computations are infeasible, control values from the buffer are used. Simulation results show that the proposed robust controller with buffer can avoid almost the same number of collisions in a scenario impacted by localization errors as that in a scenario with no localization errors despite model mismatch.
A parallel Random Forest implementation for R

We present the results of a project working on SPRINT to implement a parallel version of the random forest classification algorithm for R. We have chosen a task parallel approach which, on typical data sets, shows good strong scaling on the HECToR supercomputing facility to 128 processes with a speedup of 50 over the existing serial code. Our study also indicates where further work could be carried out to improve performance for large datasets.
BAYESIAN INFERENCE FOR SMALL AREA PROPORTIONS

Direct survey estimators for small areas are often unstable due to the small (or nonexistent) samples taken from these areas. Estimators with less variability can be derived by "borrowing strength" from related areas. In this study, a hierarchical Bayes methodology for estimating small area proportions is proposed. The idea consists of incorporating random effects which reflect the structure of the sample design into a logistic regression model. A data example involving the estimation of local labour force participation rates is presented. Comparisons are drawn with an empirical Bayes approach used by Farrell, MacGibbon, and Tomberlin (1997a), and an analogous procedure which incorporates a modification to the Laird and Louis (1987) Type III bootstrap suggested by Carlin and Gelfand (1991).
On the noise reduction mechanism of a flat plate serrated trailing edge at low-to-moderate Reynolds number

<4:2 10 ). Acoustic and aerodynamic measurementshave been taken using a at plate with both sharp and serrated trailing edges in theanechoic wind tunnel at the University of Adelaide. Trailing edge serrations are foundto achieve up to 13 dB of attenuation in the narrowband noise levels without modifyingthe directivity of the radiated noise. The noise reduction achieved with trailing edgeserrations is found to be dependent on their geometrical wavelength and Strouhal number,St