Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic Models for Assessing the Impact of Salinization and Chemical Pollutants

Development and rapid population growth have impacted Oman’s water resources significantly. Increasing the degradation of groundwater quality by salinization and chemical contaminants threaten pri mary sources of drinking water, especiall y in the coastal agricultura l areas. Hence, there is a substantial demand in the country for water conservation technology. This work elaborates the quality deterioration of groundwater due to chemical contaminants, which are the pri me environmental issue of the Salalah region to the south of Oman. First, we describe the develop ment and application of Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBNs) combine with a preprocessing Bayesian technique to deter mine the impact of these contaminants on groundwater quality. These paradigm address the probabilisti c and dynamic characteristics that are significant in the understanding of pollution generation from various information sources, but in a fashion which manages the uncertainties in these sources. Second, we discuss and compare the results produced by these methods with that produced by the application of classical ti me series models.
Integrating EWOD with Surface Ratchets for Active Droplet Transport and Sorting

Combining surface ratchets and electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) produces novel microfluidic systems that achieve passive droplet transport by vibration along microscopically-rough surfaces and active droplet sorting by electric signals. The super-hydrophobic surface ratchet and EWOD plate sandwich a droplet; when vibrated the device adopts passive droplet transportation via the surface ratchet. The EWOD technology is utilized at particular junctions to produce several droplet specific control functions, including the combination of a new ratchet design with an EWOD plate to develop a switch (serving the same purpose as a switch in train tracks) that sorts 10 ¿l droplets at a junction.
A hybrid EMG model for the estimation of multijoint movement in activities of daily living

Accurately identifying human's intent of motion from electromyography (EMG) signals is the key to implement EMG-based HRI (Human-Robot Interface) systems. Human's intent of motion includes motion modes and continuous movement variables. In this paper, a hybrid EMG-to-motion model is constructed by combining a classification model and a regression model. Based on a proper division for joints, the classification model is utilized to recognize the motion modes of `small' joints; meanwhile, the regression model is utilized to estimate the continuous movement variables of `big' joints. Furthermore, a Bayesian network (BN) model, which sufficiently employs context information of a task, is also involved into the hybrid model to improve its performances for motion estimation. Experiments have been conducted with three subjects to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methods. In these experiments, the motion modes of hand and wrist, and the continuous elbow angles are estimated with sEMG signals considering a `drinking' task. Finally, an upper limb prosthetic is controlled to simulate human's movement in a `drinking' task.
Effects of cold exposure on behavioral and electrophysiological parameters related with hippocampal function in rats

Aim: Behavioral and mental changes may occur in people exposed to cold stress by decreasing their work efficiency and their mental capacity while increasing the number of accidents on the job site. The goal of this study was to explore the effect of cold stress in spatial learning performance excitability and LTP. Materials and Methods: Three to four month old rats were randomly divided into four groups to form a control group and a cold stress group for each sex. The groups of cold stressed animals were placed in a cold room ambient temperature of 4°C for 2 h day. Adrenal glands and body weight (g) were recorded in control and stressed rats during the cold exposure. Spatial learning (acquisition phase) and memory (probe trial) were tested in the Morris water maze (MWM) immediately after daily exposure. Latency to locate the hidden platform, distance moved (DM), mean distance to platform, swim speed (SS) and time spent in the platform quadrant were compared between genders and treatments. Field potential recordings were made, under urethane anesthesia, from the dentate gyrus (DG) granule-cell layer, with stimulation of the medial perforant pathway 2 h after the probe trial. This study examined spatial memory as measured by MWM performance and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in the DG after exposure to cold in a repeated stress condition for 2 h/day for 5 days. Results: The cold-exposed female rats needed less time to find the hidden platform on day 1 (43.0 ± 13.9 s vs. 63.2 ± 13.2 s), day 2 (18.2 ± 8.4 s vs. 40.9 ± 12.2 s) and on day 4 (8.0 ± 2.1 s vs. 17.2 ± 7.0 s) while cold-exposed male rats showed a decreased escape latency (EL) on day 1 only (37.3 ± 12.5 s vs. 75.4 ± 13.1 s). Cold-exposed male rats spent less time in the target quadrant (30.08 ± 6.11%) than the control male rats (37.33 ± 8.89%). Two hour cold exposure decreased population spike (PS) potentiation during both induction (218.3 ± 21.6 vs. 304.5 ± 18.8%) and maintenance intervals (193.9 ± 24.5 vs. 276.6 ± 25.4%) in male rats. Meanwhile cold exposure did not affect the body weight (C: 221 ± 2.5 vs. S: 222 ± 1.7) but it impacts the adrenal gland relative weight (S: 27.1 ± 1.8 mg vs. C: 26.2 ± 1.4 mg). Conclusion: Overall, the results show that repeated cold exposure can selectively improve spatial learning in adult female rats, but impaired retention memory for platform location in male rats. It is possible that impaired LTP underlies some of the impaired retention memory caused by cold exposure in the male rats.
Cooperative social robots to accompany groups of people

This study proposes a new model for guiding people in urban settings using multiple robots that work cooperatively. More specifically, this investigation describes the circumstances in which people might stray from the formation when following different robots’ instructions. To this end, we introduce a ‘prediction and anticipation model’ that predicts the position of the group using a particle filter, while determining the optimal robot behavior to help people stay in the group in areas where they may become distracted. As a result, this article presents a novel approach to locally optimizing the work performed by robots and people using the minimum robots’ work criterion and determining human-friendly types of movements. The guidance missions were carried out in urban areas that included multiple conflict areas and obstacles. This study also provides an analysis of robots’ behavioral reactions to people by simulating different situations in the locations that were used for the investigation. The method was tested through simulations that took into account the difficulties and technological constraints derived from real-life situations. Despite these problematic issues, we were able to demonstrate the robots’ effect on people in real-life situations in terms of pushing and dragging forces.
Interpersonal dependency and academic performance

Forty-eight first-year college students (25 women and 23 men) completed self-report measures of level of interpersonal dependency and then provided information regarding their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and overall high school grade point averages (GPAs). Dependent men had significantly higher high school GPAs than did nondependent men, even when scholastic aptitude was controlled for statistically. However, a parallel relationship between dependency and academic performance was not found in women. These results are discussed in the context of previous research on the dependency-academic performance relationship. The implications of these findings for studies of gender differences in dependency and for studies examining the positive, adaptive qualities of dependent personality traits are discussed.
Controller for plants with the asymmetric dynamics

The controller for plants that are characterized by the different dynamics during the rise and decay of the plant output parameter has been suggested and analyzed. The control algorithm used in the proposed controller is modification of the PI control method. The characteristic property of the algorithm is that parameters of the controller are changed when the sign of the plant output parameter time derivative changes. This feature enables achieving good response of the control system even in case of plants with the highly asymmetric dynamics. The results of the investigation of the concrete control systems based on the proposed controller with the plants that are characterized by the asymmetric dynamics are presented. The investigation was performed using the electronic circuit simulation program Spice
Competing conceptual representations trigger co-speech representational gestures

Various interconnections between the processing of speech and gesture have been demonstrated in the literature. However, it is not well understood what cognitive factors influence intra-speaker variation of the gesture frequency. This study investigates the hypothesis that provides a unifying explanation for the previous findings on this issue; namely, competing representations in the conceptualisation process for speaking trigger representational gestures. Twenty adult participants described complex geometric figures. In the easy condition, the organisation of the lines necessary for conceptualisation were highlighted by making some lines darker, but in the hard condition, unnecessary competitor conceptualisations were highlighted. The descriptions in the two conditions were lexically comparable. However, the rate of representational gestures (but not that of beat gestures) was higher in the hard condition than in the easy condition. This finding is compatible with the idea that gestures may play a role in the conceptualisation process for speaking.
Long-term adaptive changes in primate vestibuloocular reflex. I. Behavioral observations.

1. Experiments were concerned with the long-term adaptive changes that occur in the primate vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) when the visual input associated with head movements is disturbed by various optical devices, including telescopic spectacles (magnification 2.0 and OS), fixed-field spectacles (field of view fixed with respect to the head; hence, equivalent here to “zero power” lenses), and dove prism spectacles (providing left-right reversal of vision). 2. Assessed with sinusoidal oscillations (0. l- 1.0 Hz), the VOR of the normal rhesus monkey measured in the dark was close to ‘ ‘ideal’ ’ for maintaining ocular stability during had turns: 180’ out of phase with the head and gain (slow-phase eye velocity/head velocity) close to one. 3. Telescopic and fixed-field spectacles induced adaptive changes in the gain of the reflex, which proceeded roughly exponentially, eventually achieving up to 75% compensation. No phase changes were observed. Caloric responses in the high-gain state were elevated above normal by an amount corresponding to the increase in VOR gain indicated by passive oscillation. The compensatory eye movements coupled to voluntary head turns in the dark were only slightly greater than would have been predicted solely from the passively assessed VOR gain in both normal and highgain animals; nonvestibular factors continued to play, at best, a minor role in the stabilization of retinal images during head turns in the adapted animals. Recovery after removal of the spectacles also followed a
Miniature forward‐imaging B‐scan optical coherence tomography probe to guide real‐time laser ablation

Investigations have shown that pulsed lasers tuned to 6.1 µm in wavelength are capable of ablating ocular and neural tissue with minimal collateral damage. This study investigated whether a miniature B‐scan forward‐imaging optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe can be combined with the laser to provide real‐time visual feedback during laser incisions.
Gradient methods for the optimization of dynamical systems containing neural networks

An extension of the backpropagation method, termed dynamic backpropagation, which can be applied in a straightforward manner for the optimization of the weights (parameters) of multilayer neural networks is discussed. The method is based on the fact that gradient methods used in linear dynamical systems can be combined with backpropagation methods for neural networks to obtain the gradient of a performance index of nonlinear dynamical systems. The method can be applied to any complex system which can be expressed as the interconnection of linear dynamical systems and multilayer neural networks. To facilitate the practical implementation of the proposed method, emphasis is placed on the diagrammatic representation of the system which generates the gradient of the performance function.
Relative importance of factors affecting nestling immune response differs between junior and senior nestlings within broods of hoopoes Upupa epops

Martin-Vivaldi, M. , Ruiz-Rodriguez, M. , Mendez, M. and Soler, J. J. 2006. Relative importance of factors affecting nestling immune response differs between junior and senior nestlings within broods of hoopoes Upupa epops. � J. Avian Biol. 37: 467 � 476. Animals should invest in the immune system to protect themselves from parasites, but the cost of immune responses may limit investment depending on resource availability. In birds' broods, senior and junior chicks in size hierarchies face different rearing conditions, and thus we predicted that factors affecting immune response should differ between them. In asynchronously hatched hoopoe Upupa epops broods, we found that the immune response of senior nestlings was not related to their body condition, but positively related to risk of parasitism (which was indirectly estimated by laying date). This suggests that their immunocompetence is not limited by access to resources, and they can differentially invest in immune response with increasing risk of parasitism. On the other hand, immune response of junior nestlings was related to their body condition, but secondarily also to risk of parasitism. Our results agree with previous studies that have found significant influence of nutritional status and risk of parasitism on nestlings immune defence, but show that the effects of these environmental factors on nestling immunocompetence differ between nestlings occupying high and low rank positions in size hierarchies. The possible influence of maternal effects on the results found is also discussed.
A modular mobile exergaming system with an adaptive behavior

Obesity rates in the world, especially in the developed countries are alarming. This has forced scientists to consider obesity as an epidemic due to its huge negative consequences on the societies' physical and mental health. Obese Children constitute a large portion of those affected by this epidemic and researchers are striving to find solutions which can curb its spread. Exergames have emerged as promising tools that can help in the fight against obesity because it promotes physical activity through playing. In this paper, we present a mobile-based exergaming system that targets children of different ages and that aims to encourage them to do running and jumping exercises in an enjoyable manner. It currently incorporates 1 game but its modular structure enables to easily accept even more games. The system uses a novel foot interface and a heart monitor that allow interacting with a special game that can adapt to the user's performance. The preliminary evaluations with two children have shown that the system can be an effective tool that engages users into physical activity.
Error-Correcting Codes in Projective Space

The projective space of order <i>n</i> over the finite field \BBF<i>q</i>, denoted here as <i>Pq</i>(<i>n</i>), is the set of all subspaces of the vector space \BBF<i>qn</i> . The projective space can be endowed with the distance function <i>d</i>(<i>U</i>, <i>V</i>) = dim<i>U</i> + dim<i>V</i> -2 dim(<i>U</i> ∩ <i>V</i>) which turns <i>Pq</i>(<i>n</i>) into a metric space. With this, an (<i>n</i>,<i>M</i>,<i>d</i>) code \BBC in projective space is a subset of <i>Pq</i>(<i>n</i>) of size <i>M</i> such that the distance between any two codewords (subspaces) is at least <i>d</i> . Koetter and Kschischang recently showed that codes in projective space are precisely what is needed for error-correction in networks: an (<i>n</i>,<i>M</i>,<i>d</i>) code can correct <i>t</i> packet errors and ρ packet erasures introduced (adversarially) anywhere in the network as long as 2<i>t</i> + 2ρ <; <i>d</i>. This motivates our interest in such codes. In this paper, we investigate certain basic aspects of “coding theory in projective space. ” First, we present several new bounds on the size of codes in <i>Pq</i>(<i>n</i>), which may be thought of as counterparts of the classical bounds in coding theory due to Johnson, Delsarte, and Gilbert-Varshamov. Some of these are stronger than all the previously known bounds, at least for certain code parameters. We also present several specific constructions of codes and code families in <i>Pq</i>(<i>n</i>). Finally, we prove that nontrivial perfect codes in <i>Pq</i>(<i>n</i>) do not exist.
A high-level synthesis method for simultaneous placement and scheduling considering data communication delay

With the development of deep submicron technology, wire delay on an LSI chip is becoming relatively larger than gate delay. In the conventional VLSI design flow, high-level design is usually performed without information about the physical layout design. The estimation of wire delay during the high-level design is not accurate and the final performance, after the physical layout design, might not satisfy requirements. In order to overcome this problem, wire delay determined by placement and routing must be considered even in high-level design. In this paper we propose a method to achieve high speed processing for a given processing algorithm by performing scheduling and placement of operations simultaneously. With this method, wire delay based on the placement is precisely considered and may be minimized during the scheduling of operations.
From phenotype to genotype: an association study of longitudinal phenotypic markers to Alzheimer's disease relevant SNPs

Motivation: Imaging genetic studies typically focus on identifying single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with imaging phenotypes. Few studies perform regression of SNP values on phenotypic measures for examining how the SNP values change when phenotypic measures are varied. This alternative approach may have a potential to help us discover important imaging genetic associations from a different perspective. In addition, the imaging markers are often measured over time, and this longitudinal profile may provide increased power for differentiating genotype groups. How to identify the longitudinal phenotypic markers associated to disease sensitive SNPs is an important and challenging research topic. Results: Taking into account the temporal structure of the longitudinal imaging data and the interrelatedness among the SNPs, we propose a novel ‘task-correlated longitudinal sparse regression’ model to study the association between the phenotypic imaging markers and the genotypes encoded by SNPs. In our new association model, we extend the widely used ℓ2,1-norm for matrices to tensors to jointly select imaging markers that have common effects across all the regression tasks and time points, and meanwhile impose the trace-norm regularization onto the unfolded coefficient tensor to achieve low rank such that the interrelationship among SNPs can be addressed. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated by both clearly improved prediction performance in empirical evaluations and a compact set of selected imaging predictors relevant to disease sensitive SNPs. Availability: Software is publicly available at: http://ranger.uta.edu/%7eheng/Longitudinal/ Contact: heng@uta.edu or shenli@inpui.edu
Pathogenesis of kidney disease in systemic lupus erythematosus

Purpose of reviewA combination of systemic autoimmunity and tissue response to immune injury underlie renal involvement in lupus erythematosus. In this review, we discuss recent literature investigating pathogenetic mechanisms of lupus glomerulonephritis. Recent findingsIn lupus glomerulonephritis, glomerular immune complexes were believed to be the primary mediators of renal disease. Recent studies make it apparent that autoantibodies of multiple specificities participate in the formation of immune complexes, deposited in the kidneys. Renal infiltration by T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells have a dominant role in the progression of lupus glomerulonephritis leading to renal failure. Activation of Toll-like receptors modulates autoantibody production and systemic interferon responses. However, glomerular cell responses to immune injury influence disease outcome. In addition, new insights on the genetics of susceptibility to end-organ damage in lupus glomerulonephritis have been discovered. Differential glomerular responses reflected in gene expression profiles during disease progression provide potential markers for diagnosis of lupus glomerulonephritis progression and flares. In addition, studies of end-organ responses provide new targets for therapeutic interventions. SummaryLupus glomerulonephritis is a prototype of immune complex disease mediated by autoantibodies of multiple specificities, one of which is anti-DNA. Murine models of spontaneous systemic lupus erythematosus have been critical for understanding the underlying disease. Recent studies demonstrate that in addition to systemic autoimmunity, end-organ responses, and end-organ resistance to damage are also critical in determining disease outcome. This understanding should influence design of novel therapeutic approaches in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Survival After Pancreaticoduodenectomy is not Improved by Extending Resections to Achieve Negative Margins

Objective:This study was undertaken to determine the survival benefit of extending resections to obtain microscopically negative margins after positive intraoperative frozen sections. Summary Background Data:The impact of residual microscopic disease after pancreaticoduodenectomy is currently a point of controversy. It is, however, generally believed that microscopically positive margins negatively impact survival and this may be improved by ultimately achieving negative margins. Methods:Since 1995, patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been prospectively followed. Margin status has been codified as macro/microscopically negative (R0) or macroscopically negative/microscopically positive (R1). The impact of margin status on survival was evaluated utilizing survival curve analysis. Data are presented as median, mean ± SD where appropriate. Results:For pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 202 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. R0 resections were achieved in 158 patients, 17 of whom required extended resections to achieve complete tumor extirpation after an initially positive intraoperative frozen section (R1 → R0). R1 resections were undertaken in 44 patients. Median survival for patients undergoing R0 resections was 21 months, 26 ± 23.4 months versus 13 months, 17 ± 21.0 months for patients undergoing R1 resections (P = 0.02). Median survival for patients undergoing R1 → R0 resections was 11 months, 16 ± 17.3, (P = 0.001). Margin status had a significant correlation with “N” stage and AJCC stage but not “T” stage. Conclusion:Survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy is not improved by extending pancreatic resections to achieve negative margins after initially positive intraoperative frozen sections. Tumor-specific factors beyond the presence of disease at a surgical margin are responsible for the abbreviated survival seen in patients undergoing R1 resections.