Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A macro–micro motion servopneumatic device

Micro motion tasks can be found in a wide set of applications, ranging from the assembly of small parts in the semiconductor industry to assisted surgery in medicine. Conventional actuation systems for these types of task are based on the existence of electromagnetic fields (servomotors) or on the existence of some kind of material shape alteration (piezoelectric actuators). Driven by the intrinsic advantages presented by pneumatic systems, such as low cost, the absence of heat or magnetic field generation and a wide range of operation, this article presents a different approach, based on the use of commonly available industrial servopneumatic components. Experimental results show that it is possible to correctly follow 5 µm step references within a 280 mm stroke, without any controller retuning and with mass load changes from 2.69 to 13.1 kg.
Hypokinesia in Huntington's disease

Motor activity was quantitatively assessed over a period of 5 days using a wrist‐worn activity monitor in 14 patients with Huntington's disease (of whom 4 used neuroleptic drugs) and 14 age and sex‐matched healthy controls. Additionally, patients were rated for dementia, depression, clinical impairment of motor tasks, chorea, and disability. A significant decrease in daytime motor activity was observed in patients compared with controls, suggesting hypokinesia rather than hyperkinesia. Hypokinesia tended to be more severe in patients using neuroleptic drugs. Lower activity levels were significantly related to lower scores of functional disability, but not to other clinical measures. We conclude that hypokinesia is a prominent manifestation in Huntington's disease that is worsened by the use of neuroleptics.
Spam filtering using Kolmogorov complexity analysis

One of the most irrelevant side effects of e-commerce technology is the development of spamming as an e-marketing technique. Spam e-mails (or unsolicited commercial e-mails) induce a burden for everybody having an electronic mailbox: detecting and filtering spam is then a challenging task and a lot of approaches have been developed to identify spam before it is posted in the end user's mailbox. In this paper, we focus on a relatively new approach whose foundations rely on the works of A. Kolmogorov. The main idea is to give a formal meaning to the notion of 'information content' and to provide a measure of this content. Using such a quantitative approach, it becomes possible to define a distance, which is a major tool for classification purposes. To validate our approach, we proceed in two steps: first, we use the classical compression distance over a mix of spam and legitimate e-mails to check out if they can be properly clustered without any supervision. It has been the case to highlight a kind of underlying structure for spam e-mails. In the second step, we have implemented a k-nearest neighbours algorithm providing 85% as accuracy rate. Coupled with other anti-spam techniques, compression-based methods could bring a great help in the spam filtering challenge.
A unified fault model and test generation procedure for interconnect opens and bridges

A unified gate-level fault model for interconnect opens and bridges is proposed. Defects are modeled as constrained multiple line stuck-at faults. A novel feature of the proposed fault model is its flexibility to accommodate increasing levels of accuracy. Additionally the model does not require accurate device level circuit models to achieve desired accuracy. Efficient methods for fault simulation and test generation are discussed and experimental results on benchmark circuits and industrial designs are presented. The experimental results presented show that the tests generated using simpler versions of the proposed fault model achieve higher defect coverage than the tests using two currently popular methods to derive high defect coverage tests.
Mitotic accumulations of PML protein contribute to the re-establishment of PML nuclear bodies in G1

Although the mechanism of chromosomal segregation is well known, it is unclear how other nuclear compartments such as promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies partition during mitosis and re-form in G1. We demonstrate that PML nuclear bodies partition via mitotic accumulations of PML protein (MAPPs), which are distinct from PML nuclear bodies in their dynamics, biochemistry and structure. During mitosis PML nuclear bodies lose biochemical components such as SUMO-1 and Sp100. We demonstrate that MAPPs are also devoid of Daxx and these biochemical changes occur prior to chromatin condensation and coincide with the loss of nuclear membrane integrity. MAPPs are highly mobile, yet do not readily exchange PML protein as demonstrated by fluorescence recovery after photo-bleaching (FRAP). A subset of MAPPs remains associated with mitotic chromosomes, providing a possible nucleation site for PML nuclear body formation in G1. As the nuclear envelope reforms in late anaphase, these nascent PML nuclear bodies accumulate components sequentially, for example Sp100 and SUMO-1 before Daxx. After cytokinesis, MAPPs remain in the cytoplasm long after the reincorporation of splicing components and their disappearance coincides with new PML nuclear body formation even in the absence of new protein synthesis. The PML protein within MAPPs is not degraded during mitosis but is recycled to contribute to the formation of new PML nuclear bodies in daughter nuclei. The recycling of PML protein from one cell cycle to the next via mitotic accumulations may represent a common mechanism for the partitioning of other nuclear bodies during mitosis.
Hip and Wrist Accelerometer Algorithms for Free-Living Behavior Classification.

PURPOSE Accelerometers are a valuable tool for objective measurement of physical activity (PA). Wrist-worn devices may improve compliance over standard hip placement, but more research is needed to evaluate their validity for measuring PA in free-living settings. Traditional cut-point methods for accelerometers can be inaccurate and need testing in free living with wrist-worn devices. In this study, we developed and tested the performance of machine learning (ML) algorithms for classifying PA types from both hip and wrist accelerometer data. METHODS Forty overweight or obese women (mean age = 55.2 ± 15.3 yr; BMI = 32.0 ± 3.7) wore two ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers (right hip, nondominant wrist; ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL) for seven free-living days. Wearable cameras captured ground truth activity labels. A classifier consisting of a random forest and hidden Markov model classified the accelerometer data into four activities (sitting, standing, walking/running, and riding in a vehicle). Free-living wrist and hip ML classifiers were compared with each other, with traditional accelerometer cut points, and with an algorithm developed in a laboratory setting. RESULTS The ML classifier obtained average values of 89.4% and 84.6% balanced accuracy over the four activities using the hip and wrist accelerometer, respectively. In our data set with average values of 28.4 min of walking or running per day, the ML classifier predicted average values of 28.5 and 24.5 min of walking or running using the hip and wrist accelerometer, respectively. Intensity-based cut points and the laboratory algorithm significantly underestimated walking minutes. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate the superior performance of our PA-type classification algorithm, particularly in comparison with traditional cut points. Although the hip algorithm performed better, additional compliance achieved with wrist devices might justify using a slightly lower performing algorithm.
Visual Object Representations Can Be Formed outside the Focus of Voluntary Attention: Evidence from Event-related Brain Potentials

There is an ongoing debate whether visual object representations can be formed outside the focus of voluntary attention. Recently, implicit behavioral measures suggested that grouping processes can occur for task-irrelevant visual stimuli, thus supporting theories of preattentive object formation (e.g., Lamy, D., Segal, H., & Ruderman, L. Grouping does not require attention. Perception and Psychophysics, 68, 17–31, 2006; Russell, C., & Driver, J. New indirect measures of “inattentive” visual grouping in a change-detection task. Perception and Psychophysics, 67, 606–623, 2005). We developed an ERP paradigm that allows testing for visual grouping when neither the objects nor its constituents are related to the participant's task. Our paradigm is based on the visual mismatch negativity ERP component, which is elicited by stimuli deviating from a regular stimulus sequence even when the stimuli are ignored. Our stimuli consisted of four pairs of colored discs that served as objects. These objects were presented isochronously while participants were engaged in a task related to the continuously presented fixation cross. Occasionally, two color deviances occurred simultaneously either within the same object or across two different objects. We found significant ERP differences for same- versus different-object deviances, supporting the notion that forming visual object representations by grouping can occur outside the focus of voluntary attention. Also our behavioral experiment, in which participants responded to color deviances—thus, this time the discs but, again, not the objects were task relevant—showed that the object status matters. Our results stress the importance of early grouping processes for structuring the perceptual world.
Working Papers in Trade and Development Institutions and Trade: Competitors or Complements in Economic Development?

In this paper we contribute to the debate over the empirical relationship between trade openness and economic development. Unlike previous studies which treat trade openness and institutions as competitors in economic development, we find evidence that they are in fact complements. We also find that in order for a country to benefit from trade, its institutional quality has to be above a threshold level. These results are suggestive of a very important complementary role of both trade openness and institutions in economic development. JEL Classification: F1; O1
Post-Lumbar Puncture Headache: Experiences With Sprotte's Atraumatic Needle

Lumbar puncture (LP) remains a necessary diagnostic technique. Nevertheless, the method is not without side effects since post-lumbar puncture headache (PLPH) can occur in up to 40% of cases (1). The PLPH presumably is caused by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage secondary to dural injury by the sharp tip of the Quincke needle. An option which may avoid PLPH is to use an atraumatic needle. A modified version of Whitacre's needle was developed by Sprotte for the purpose of regional anaesthesia (2). The tip of the needle is shaped as a closed circular cone with rounded profile. In spite of the small diameter of the needle, the CSF flow is sufficient due to a long, oval sideward aperture which is larger than the inner diameter of the needle (Fig. 1). Additionally, the wall of the atraumatic needle is thinner than the needles of Quincke and Whitacre. Since 1986, we have used this needle with good result (3, 4).
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients who have excessive joint laxity.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the present study was to compare the clinical results of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with use of different grafts in patients with or without excessive joint laxity. METHODS We retrospectively studied eighty-three patients (forty-eight men and thirty-five women) who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction between June 2002 and August 2004. Of the thirty-one patients who had generalized joint laxity, twenty were managed with an autologous bone-patellar tendon-bone graft and eleven were managed with a four-bundle hamstring (semitendinosus-gracilis tendon) graft. Of the fifty-two patients who had normal joint laxity, thirty-three were managed with a bone-patellar tendon-bone graft and nineteen were managed with a hamstring graft. Clinical results were evaluated by means of an examination at a minimum of twenty-four months after surgery. RESULTS Among the patients who had normal joint laxity, the mean side-to-side difference in anterior tibial translation on testing with the KT-2000 arthrometer at a minimum of twenty-four months postoperatively was 2.7 +/- 1.9 mm in the bone-patellar tendon-bone graft group and 3.5 +/- 1.7 mm in the hamstring graft group. This difference was not significant. The mean Lysholm score was 91 +/- 7 points in the bone-patellar tendon-bone graft group and 85 +/- 10 points in the hamstring graft group (p = 0.492). The side-to-side difference in anterior translation had an inverse correlation with the Lysholm score (beta = -0.604, p < 0.001). Among the patients who had excessive joint laxity, the mean side-to-side difference in anterior tibial translation was 3.4 +/- 1.5 mm in the bone-patellar tendon-bone graft group and 4.5 +/- 2.0 mm in the hamstring graft group (p = 0.036). The mean Lysholm score was 89 +/- 7 points in the bone-patellar tendon-bone group and 79 +/- 12 points in the hamstring group (p = 0.015). The side-to-side difference in anterior translation had an inverse correlation with the Lysholm score (beta = -0.708, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In patients who have excessive joint laxity, the two-year outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts are better than those with four-bundle hamstring grafts in terms of both side-to-side anterior laxity and clinical results.
Serum selenium and risk of prostate cancer in U.S. blacks and whites

Prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men worldwide and the most common cancer in men in the United States, with reported incidence rates for U.S. blacks being the highest in the world. The etiology of prostate cancer and an explanation for the racial disparity in incidence in the United States remain elusive. Epidemiologic studies suggest that selenium, an essential trace element, may protect against the disease. To further explore this hypothesis, we measured serum selenium in 212 cases and 233 controls participating in a multicenter, population‐based case‐control study that included comparable numbers of U.S. black and white men aged 40–79 years. Serum selenium was inversely associated with risk of prostate cancer (comparing highest to lowest quartiles, OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.39–1.28; p for trend = 0.11), with similar patterns seen in both blacks and whites. Cubic regression spline analysis of continuous serum selenium indicated a reduced risk of prostate cancer above concentrations of 0.135 μg/ml (median among controls) compared to a reference value set at the median of the lowest selenium quartile. Because both the selenoenzyme GPX and vitamin E can function as antioxidants, we also explored their joint effect. Consistent with other studies, the inverse association with selenium was strongest among men with low serum α‐tocopherol concentrations. In conclusion, our results suggest a moderately reduced risk of prostate cancer at higher serum selenium concentrations, a finding that can now be extended to include U.S. blacks. Since selenium exposure varies widely throughout the world, further research on optimal concentrations for cancer prevention is justified. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An investigation into the design of energy-efficient session negotiation protocols for wireless networks

Security protocols use session negotiation protocols for establishing and managing secure sessions and secure data exchange protocols for secure data communications. Deployment of resource-intensive security protocols in battery-powered mobile devices has elevated energy characteristics to an important design metric. In this paper we study the energy consumption characteristics of secure session negotiation protocols within the framework of Internet security protocol (IPSec). Based on the observations made we present techniques to optimize the energy consumed by session negotiation protocols. Proposed techniques achieve 5x to 11x energy savings without compromising the session security. We show that the proposed techniques are platform independent and discuss the impact of platform specific characteristics, such as available system resources, on the energy characteristics of the system.
Nucleocytoplasmic interaction in the eggs of Pteridium aquilinum maturing in the presence of thiouracil.

In the eggs of Pteridium aquilinum maturing in the presence of a small quantity of thiouracil (0.6 x 10-3 M in the medium), known to reduce the rate of maturation by a half or more, the nuclear evaginations are particularly conspicuous. On the grounds of their structural features, their regularly narrow connexion with the nucleus, and the absence of nuclear pores from their envelopes, the evaginations are regarded as specialized formations, and not merely extensions of an amoeboid nucleus. An aggregate of electron-opaque material, probably of nucleolar origin, and believed on the basis of enzyme extractions to be largely protein, but with some ribonucleic acid, is a characteristic feature of the evaginations. The fate of the evaginations, which disappear shortly after fertilization, remains obscure. Refined methods of fixation and staining have, however, revealed striking resemblances between the evaginations, bodies which may be detached evaginations, and mitochondria. The hypothesis that the evaginations become detached, and that some at least differentiate into mitochondria, the simplest interpretation of the events observed, has not been invalidated by this investigation.
PHOTOCHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN SALICYLANILIDE PHOTOALLERGY

Abstract— The photochemical transformations of 3,3′,4′,5‐tetrachlorosalicylanilide, have been characterized by isolation and spectroscopic determination of the primary and secondary photoproducts. The photoreactivity cleanly involves photochemical dechlorination; three chlorines are ultimately lost in an efficient stepwise fashion. A radical mechanism was implicated by formation of a dimer and hydrogen atom abstraction from cysteine when present during photolysis. In the presence of HSA or BSA, the initial dehalogenation leads to a photoadduct with the protein, but dehalogenation of the primary photoproduct, a trichloro compound, does not lead to an efficient photobinding to protein.
Diminished Production of Proinflammatory Cytokines in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Cerebral inflammation as well as systemic immunological alterations have been reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We examined the production of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6, interleukin-12, interferon-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α in whole blood cell cultures of AD patients and age-matched controls. The production of all measured cytokines after mitogen stimulation is significantly decreased in the AD group compared to controls. The results reflect an attenuated secretory activity of monocytes/macrophages, but also of T-helper cells. The data sustain the assumption that a systemic, possibly age-related alteration of immune mechanisms may play a pathogenetic role in the development of AD.
Automated fluorometric procedure for measurement of creatine phosphokinase activity.

An automated procedure is described for measuring creatine phosphokinase activity (in serum, although the technique is adaptable) with the Technicon AutoAnalyzer. Creatine, formed by the action of the enzyme on phosphocreatine and adenosine diphosphate, is measured by the fluorescence of its reaction product with alkaline ninhydrin solution. Thirty determinations can be made per hour, and only 0.2 ml of sample is required.
Real-Time Properties of Indirect Recursive Procedures

The purpose of this paper is to show that indirect recursive procedures can be used for implementing real-time applications without harm, if a few conditions are met. These conditions ensure that upper bounds for space and time requirements can be derived at compile time. Moreover they are simple enough such that many important recursive algorithms can be implemented. In addition, our approach allows for concentrating on essential properties of the parameter space during space and time analysis. This is done by morphisms that transfer important properties from the original parameter space to simpler ones, which results in simpler formulas of space and time estimates. 2001 Elsevier Science
Liveness and Reachability Analysis of BPMN Process Models

Business processes are usually defined by business experts who require intuitive and informal graphical notations such as BPMN (Business Process Management Notation) for documenting and communicating their organization activities and behavior. However, BPMN has not been provided with a formal semantics, which limits the analysis of BPMN models to using solely informal techniques such as simulation. In order to address this limitation and use formal verification, it is necessary to define a certain “mapping” between BPMN and a formal language such as Concurrent Sequential Processes (CSP) and Petri Nets (PN). This paper proposes a method for the verification of BPMN models by defining formal semantics of BPMN in terms of a mapping to Time Petri Nets (TPN), which are equipped with very efficient analytical techniques. After the translation of BPMN models to TPN, verification is done to ensure that some functional properties are satisfied by the model under investigation, namely liveness and reachability properties. The main advantage of our approach over existing ones is that it takes into account the time components in modeling Business process models. An example is used throughout the paper to illustrate the proposed method. ACM CCS (2012) Classification : Applied computing → Enterprise computing → Business process management → Business process modeling *To cite this article: A. Rachdi et al . , "Liveness and Reachability Analysis of BPMN Process Models", CIT. Journal of Computing and Information Technology , vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 195–207, 2016.
Smartphone Security and Contact Synchronization

People from across the world are switching from traditional cell phones to more complex and connected smart phones. The invasion of smart phone has revolutionized the way we live. The smart phone technology has become like a phantom limb for its worldwide users. But the problems regarding smart phone security and contact synchronization are yet to be solved. In case, you lost your smart phone or changed your SIM Card number, then all your friends lose connection with you. There is no way left to connect to your friends or automatically notify them about your SIM Card number change. Moreover, the theft of smart phone is turning out to be the fastest growing undetectable crime in leading metro cities. The manufacturers of these smart gadgets have shown least interest in solving this problem as they have been in designing devices that have reshaped how we live. In present scenario, it is highly difficult to identify and catch the thief. Thus, most of the smart phone theft cases remain closed or unsolved.