Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Object Classification Task for Children (OCTC): A Measure of Concept Generation and Mental Flexibility in Early Childhood

In this study, the development of concept generation and mental flexibility was investigated in 84 Australian children between 3 and 7 years of age, using the Object Classification Task for Children (OCTC), a newly developed executive function test for use with young children. On this task, which was adapted from the Concept Generation Test (Levine, Stuss, & Milberg, 1995) and the Concept Generation Test for Children (Jacobs, Anderson, & Harvey, 2001), children were asked to categorize 6 plastic toys according to 3 predetermined groupings (i.e., color, size, and function). The test included 3 performance levels, each providing increasing levels of structure for the child. Findings from the OCTC show meaningful age-related changes in performance across age groups, with older children being less dependent on additional structure to complete the task, in comparison to younger children. Furthermore, findings from this study suggest that the ability to generate concepts emerges between 3 and 4 years of age, continuing to develop beyond the age of 7 years. A developmental spurt in cognitive flexibility was observed around 4 to 5 years of age, with refinement of this capacity occurring between 5 and 7 years of age. Results suggest that the OCTC is a useful measure of conceptual reasoning skills in early childhood.
Time to Lane Crossing calculation and Characterization of its associated Uncertainty

This paper presents an algorithm to calculate Time to Lane Crossing (TLC). Several factors which may affect the accuracy of TLC are investigated, among which, the vehicle vibration, road superelevation, external disturbances acting on a vehicle, and vehicle state measurement errors are found to be the most significant. The bandwidth of time to lane crossing for typical highway driving is studied; a bandwidth of 2.5 Hz is identified. Finally, a simple yet accurate algorithm is proposed to characterize the uncertainty in the TLC estimate.
Performance Management of IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Network for Precision Agriculture

The monitoring and control of crops in precision agriculture sometimes requires a high collection frequency of information (e.g., temperature, humidity, and salinity) due to the variability in crops. Data acquisition and transmission are generally achieved thanks to wireless sensor networks. However, sensor nodes have limited resources. Thus, it is necessary to adapt the increase in sampling frequency for different crops, under application constraints (reliability, packet delay, and lifetime duration). In this paper, we propose to properly tune IEEE 802.15. 4 MAC parameters (macMinBE and macMaxCSMABackoffs) and the sampling frequency of deployed sensor nodes. An analytical model of network performance is derived and used to perform the tuning of these tradeoff parameters. Simulation analysis shows that our scheme provides an efficient increase of sampling frequency of sensor nodes while satisfying application requirements.
The incorporation of DL-(3-14C)cysteine during spermatogenesis in Ceratopteris thalictroides.

Radioactive cysteine fed for 6 h to young gametophytes of Ceratopteris actively producing antheridia was incorporated readily into the early stages of spermatogenesis, but hardly at all into differentiating spermatocytes. Spermatocytes contained only little radioactivity even when the gametophytes were grown for a further 18 h before fixation, thus ensuring that the radioactive label was available at or near the time of their formation. There was some evidence that in very young spermatocytes in the latter material the incorporation was more marked at the periphery of the blepharoplast than elsewhere. The results are interpreted as indicating that the differentiation of the spermatocyte involves little if any net protein synthesis. The proteins of the new structures peculiar to the gamete may thus have been synthesized in earlier stages of spermatogenesis, the last phase of visual differentiation being a consequence of their assembly and organization.
A three-port bidirectional DC-DC converter with zero-ripple terminal currents for PV/microgrid applications

A three-port converter (TPC) based on the Ćuk topology is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter interfaces one unidirectional input power port (envisioned to be a DC power source such as PV, or fuel cell) and two bidirectional output ports, representing the grid-tied inverter dc bus and a storage port respectively. This converter utilizes a single integrated magnetic core on which all the inductor and the transformer windings are wound. The proposed structure utilizes only three power switches, and does not require output capacitors on the output ports on account of the zero-ripple property. Depending on utilization state of the battery, three different power operation modes are defined for the converter. The features of the proposed converter are analyzed and then verified by means of simulation results for different operation conditions.
A miniaturized end-coupled tunable bandpass filter with reduced varactors

This study presents a four-pole end-coupled tunable bandpass filter with a proposed size-reduction method. This proposed method can make the resonators shorter and lessen the number of used varactor diode. As a result, the experiment shows that the proposed method has application to reduce the number of varactor diode. In this paper, end-coupled tunable bandpass filters were designed and tested using an existing size-reduction method and the proposed method.
Persica: A Persian corpus for multi-purpose text mining and natural language processing

Lack of multi-application text corpus despite of the surging text data is a serious bottleneck in the text mining and natural language processing especially in Persian language. This paper presents a new corpus for NEWS articles analysis in Persian called Persica. NEWS analysis includes NEWS classification, topic discovery and classification, trend discovery, category classification and many more procedures. Dealing with NEWS has special requirements. First of all it needs a valid and NEWS-content-enriched corpus to perform the experiments. Our Approach is based on a modified category classification and data normalization over Persian NEWS articles which has led to creation of a multipurpose Persian corpus which shows reasonable results in text mining outcomes. In the literature, regarding to our knowledge there are few Persian corpuses but none of them have Persian NEWS time trend characteristics. Empirical results on our benchmark indicate that in addition to reducing the problem dimensions and useless content, Persica keeps admissible validity and reliability in comparison with standard corpuses in the literature.
Speed Sensorless Vector Control of Induction Motor Based on Full-Order Flux Observer

This paper presents a DSP-based speed sensorless field oriented vector control system for induction motor. A full-order adaptive observer with stator current and rotor flux as its state variables is used here to estimate the rotor speed. Moreover, the stator resistance is also identified to update the stator resistance value used in the observer so that the rotor speed can be estimated accurately at low speeds. By using the proposed full-order flux observer, the drive system can operate well in a wide range of speed. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed by numerical simulations. Then a prototype is setup and experiments based on a DSP TMS320F2812 prove the excellent performances of the presented control algorithm
Participation of Residue F552 in Domain III of the Protective Antigen in the Biological Activity of Anthrax Lethal Toxin

Abstract The protective antigen (PA) component of anthrax toxin translocates the catalytic moieties lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF) into the cytosol. The proteolytically activated 63 kDa form of PA (PA63) has the ability to oligomerize and bind LF/EF. PA has four distinct domains performing specialized functions; whereas the function of domains I, II and IV has been well characterized, domain III has no known role in the biological activity of PA. Here we report the role of amino acid residues lining an exposed hydrophobic patch of domain III in the biological activity of PA. The residues Phe[552], Phe[554], Ile[562], Leu[566] and Ile[574] were individually substituted with alanine and the effect was studied. All mutant PA proteins except Phe552Ala were equally active as wildtype PA in exhibiting a toxic phenotype to J774A.1 cells in the presence of LF. Substitution of Ala for Phe[552] reduced the ability of PA to intoxicate cells by more than 250-fold. However, Phe552Ala was equally active in receptor binding and susceptibility to trypsin and chymotrypsin as wildtype PA, the activities that have been shown to be essential for the biological activity of PA. This mutated PA protein had a decreased ability to bind LF, oligomerize on cells and to induce release of [86]Rb+ from Chinese hamster ovary cells. These results suggest that the residue Phe[552] in PA plays an important role in LF binding and oligomerization. Our study provides a basis for further exploration of the biological significance of domain III of PA.
Executive functions in adolescents with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

UNLABELLED Disorders of executive functioning have recently been reported in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME); however, data on other syndromes of generalized idiopathic epilepsy (IGE) other than JME, especially in adolescence, are scarce. The aim of this study was to explore specific executive functions in a group of adolescents with IGE of short duration and to evaluate the possible factors that might influence these functions. MATERIAL AND METHODS Neuropsychological investigation of executive functions (the Verbal Fluency Test, the Five-Point Test, the Trail-Making Test, and the Stroop test) was performed in 59 patients aged 14-17 years and meeting the diagnostic criteria for IGE, and in the group of 59 age-matched controls without any history of epilepsy. RESULTS The IGE group subjects scored worse than the controls in most of the executive function tests: phonemic (P=0.008) and semantic (P=0.001) word fluency, figural fluency (P=0.008), visual search and sequencing of numbers (P=0.001), and alternate number-letter sequencing (P=0.018). None of the test scores differed between the new-onset and the established IGE groups, or between the groups of cases with and without myoclonias. No relationship between executive functioning and gender, age, duration or activity of epilepsy, chronic use of treatment, or epileptiform discharges on electroencephalography was found. CONCLUSIONS Executive dysfunction was present in adolescents with JME and other syndromes of IGE, manifesting with generalized tonic-clonic seizures without myoclonias, despite short duration and benign course of epilepsy.
Delay statistics of cooperative automatic repeat request over wireless networks with link adaptation

This paper proposes a method to analyze the delay distribution at the transmitter side for cooperative diversity wireless networks with link adaptation, which uses decode‐and‐forward as a relay strategy. The equivalent end‐to‐end channel model is captured by a finite state Markov channel model representing the multiple states of the Nakagami fading channel, and the delay statistics are obtained by using matrix geometry method. Cooperative diversity wireless network has a better delay performance compared with noncooperation wireless network. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A topology-based object representation for clasping, latching and hooking

We present a loop-based topological object representation for objects with holes. The representation is used to model object parts suitable for grasping, e.g. handles, and it incorporates local volume information about these. Furthermore, we present a grasp synthesis framework that utilizes this representation for synthesizing caging grasps that are robust under measurement noise. The approach is complementary to a local contact-based force-closure analysis as it depends on global topological features of the object. We perform an extensive evaluation with four robotic hands on synthetic data. Additionally, we provide real world experiments using a Kinect sensor on two robotic platforms: a Schunk dexterous hand attached to a Kuka robot arm as well as a Nao humanoid robot. In the case of the Nao platform, we provide initial experiments showing that our approach can be used to plan whole arm hooking as well as caging grasps involving only one hand.
The Effect of Measured School Inputs on Academic Achievement: Evidence from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s Birth Cohorts

The study presented here uses data from the NORC General Social Surveys to explore the effects of measurable school characteristics on student achievement. What separates this study from many others is the use of aggregate data on older cohorts, usually associated with research on the influence of school inputs on earnings. Earnings studies have tended to find substantial effects, while much of the research on achievement using contemporary, cross-sectional data has not. We find substantively large effects, similar in size to those found in many earnings-focused studies. In this way, our results point to the importance of aggregation and cohort effects in modeling the relationship between school inputs and student outcomes. The level of data aggregation, in particular, appears important, bringing into question causal interpretations of the results of studies using aggregate data to assess school input effects.
Self-Aligned Coplanar Top Gate In–Ga–ZnO Thin-Film Transistors Exposed to Various DUV Irradiation Energies

Self-aligned coplanar top gate indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs), with source/drain (S/D) regions that were heavily doped by various deep-ultraviolet (DUV) irradiation energies at dual wavelengths of 185 and 254 nm, were investigated. The electrical performances of TFTs improved as the DUV irradiation energy increased. The proposed TFTs, with DUV irradiation of 20 J/cm2, have a field-effect mobility of 22.0 cm2/V · s, a threshold voltage of 2.2 V, a subthreshold swing value of 0.24 V/decade, and an on/off current ratio of 1.34 × 106. In addition, the channel length modulation (AL) and the width-normalized contact resistance (RSDW) were 1.04 μm and 60.5 Ω · cm, respectively. Such short AL and low RSDW values indicate that the S/D regions were properly formed by the DUV irradiation. This simple and cost-effective doping technique can be useful for the fabrication of self-aligned TFTs.
Detection of increasing profusion of opacities from a sequence of personal chest radiographs

An effective method for an automated detection of long-term interval changes from a sequence of time-varying medical images is presented. We combine the pattern histogram method with an autoregressive model and novel classification algorithm to distinguish real abnormality variations from chaotic behaviors of background patterns without using an image registration technique. We conducted an experiment using 16 personal chest radiographs of pneumoconiosis acquired at the time span of 33 years. It is confirmed that the proposed method is able to detect suspicious regions and it is advantageous to conventional image comparison techniques particularly when the precise image registration is not available prior to subtraction.
Key factors driving the success of technology adoption: Case examples of ERP adoption

This paper addresses the issues that impact technology adoption within an organization. Several factors influencing technology adoption process are identified from the literature review. Case examples of the adoption of a new management technology, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), are presented to illustrate the situations of technology adoption in organizations. From the case examples, the factors influencing technology adoption in organizations are consistent with the factors identified from the literatures. The further discussion also reveals the additional determinants including the clarification of project scope, individual commitment, and communication which should be taken into consideration when an organization adopts a new technology.
Cochlear Implantation in Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media

Objective To evaluate management options for cochlear implantation in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media. Study Design Retrospective case review. Setting Tertiary referral center with a large cochlear implant program. Patients Ten patients with chronic suppurative otitis media who received cochlear implants were identified. Case history, etiology of hearing loss, and management of the ear with the implant were evaluated. Interventions Cochlear implantation and subsequent rehabilitation. Main Outcome Measures Early and late complications were evaluated. Results No early or late complications were identified in this group of patients after an average follow-up period of about 4 years. Conclusion Cochlear implantation can be safely achieved in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media. There are several options for the management of these patients, and the approach chosen should be individualized on the basis of clinical findings.
A Bound on the Number of Spanning Trees in Bipartite Graphs

Richard Ehrenborg conjectured that in a bipartite graph G with parts X and Y, the number of spanning trees is at most ∏ v∈V(G) deg(v) divided by |X | · |Y |. We make two main contributions. First, using techniques from spectral graph theory, we show that the conjecture holds for sufficiently dense graphs containing a cut vertex of degree 2. Second, using electrical network analysis, we show that the conjecture holds under the operation of removing an edge whose endpoints have sufficiently large degrees. Our other results are combinatorial proofs that the conjecture holds for graphs having |X | ≤ 2, for even cycles, and under the operation of connecting two graphs by a new edge. We also make two new conjectures based on empirical data, each of which is stronger than Ehrenborg’s conjecture.
A comparison of pubertal maturity and growth

Abstract Background: Growth and pubertal development have each been studied in detail, but rarely in conjunction. Aim: The study aim was to determine what somatic and pubertal development have in common and how they differ and to quantify the association between milestones for growth and for pubertal development (in terms of pubic hair and genitalia/breast, Age of Peak Testes Velocity, APTV and menarche) in relation both to chronological (CA) and bone age (RUS). Subjects and methods: The data analysed are from the 1st Zurich Longitudinal Growth Study, with 120 boys and 112 girls with almost complete data from birth to adulthood. Results: Variability of pubertal milestones was somewhat reduced in terms of RUS, in particular in later phases. Pubic hair phase PH2 appeared ∼1 year after the onset of the pubertal spurt. Around the age of maximal deceleration (T9) an adult-like appearance of pubic hair, genitalia and breasts was reached in most cases. APTV occurred close to T8. Correlations were large between milestones for growth and PH stages and also with menarche or APTV. Conclusions: A successful modelling of testis growth led to a new pubertal milestone, APTV. The high correlations between the phenomenologically different domains “linear growth” and “pubertal development”, and the high correlations between RUS and linear growth previously established allow the conclusion that these different domains develop along similar biological mechanisms, which are steered mainly by genetic factors.
Beyond clinical phenotype: The biologic integratome

Current classification of medical diagnosis derives from observational correlation between clinical syndromes and pathologic analysis. Limited understanding of the molecular determinants of diseases encountered in the critically ill remains a major obstacle to the rationale selection of therapeutic targets. Indeed, many human diseases reflect a disorder in physiologic processes that are known to involve the interaction of many complex control loops and to respond to a variety of pharmacologic agents and environmental factors. The advent of whole-genome sequencing and other high-throughput technologies have changed biomedical research into a data-rich discipline. “Omics” data sets that describe virtually all biomolecules in the cell are now publicly available. One of the challenges faced by investigators now lies in the interpretation of vast amounts of biological data sets to derive fundamental and applied biological information about whole systems. As mechanistic understanding of disease requires more than an agglomeration of information on the expression and activities of disease-associated molecules, network analysis has been applied to biological problems. Network analysis of the biological integratome promises to identify factors that influence disease phenotype, providing unique insight into disease mechanism. Network analysis also provides a mechanistic basis for defining phenotypic differences through consideration of unique genetic and environmental factors that govern intermediate phenotypes contributing to disease expression. Lastly, network analysis offers a unique method for identifying therapeutic targets that can alter disease expression.
Preparation and evaluation of waxes/fat microspheres loaded with lithium carbonate for controlled release

To minimize the unwanted toxic effects of anti maniac drug lithium carbonate by kinetic control of drug release, it was entrapped into gastro resistant, biodegradable, waxes and fat such as beeswax, cetostearyl alcohol, spermaceti and cetylalcohol microspheres using meltable emulsified dispersion cooling induced solidification technique utilizing a wetting agent. Solid, discrete, reproducible free flowing microspheres were obtained. The yield of the microspheres was up to 90.0%. More than 98.0% of the isolated microspheres were of particle size range 115 to 855 mm. The microspheres had smooth surfaces, with free flowing and good packing properties. Scanning electron microscope confirmed their spherical structures within a size range of 339-355 mm. The drug loaded in waxes and fat microspheres was stable and compatible, as confirmed by DSC and FTIR studies. The release of drug was controlled for more than 8 hours. Intestinal drug release from waxes/ fat microspheres was studied and compared with the releases behavior of commercially available formulation Intalith CR®-450. The release kinetics followed different transport mechanisms. The drug release performance was greatly affected by the materials used in microsphere preparations, which allows absorption in the intestinal tract.