Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A QoS Routing protocol in wireless mesh networks

While more and more real-time applications are expected in wireless mesh networks (WMNs), Quality of Service (QoS) provision is of foremost importance in order to support such real-time applications. In this paper, we proposed QRBC (QoS Routing protocol with Bandwidth Consideration), a protocol using a bandwidth guaranteed routing metric towards enhancing QoS support for the real-time applications in WMNs. The routing metric accurately reflects the available bandwidth of a route with the consideration of the interference caused by the hidden terminals in WMNs. During the route discovery process of QRBC, the routing metric is updated and used with the cooperation of admission control decision to find a bandwidth guaranteed routing path. Simulation results demonstrate that QRBC can find a less interfering and bandwidth guaranteed routing path for real-time applications by avoiding “hot-spots” with severe interference, which enhances the performance of such applications significantly.
Reliability of NAND flash memories induced by anode hole generation in floating-gate

We have developed a prediction model of program/erase endurance for NAND flash memory cell. Program/erase simulations of the life-time of the tunnel oxide based on the anode hole injection model are carried out for the NAND flash memory cell structure with various floating gate lengths. The anode hole-generation model is implemented in our device simulation and the simulation in consistent with actual circuit operation has been carried out. It is revealed that the concentration of holes at the edges of the floating gate has an impact on the life time of the tunneling oxide. The present simulation scheme has capable of estimating the dependence of the program/erase cycles to breakdown on the effect of the gate edge current in conjunction with the storage density.
Machine Learning Methods and 'Real-Time' Economics

In the paper some machine-learning method for synthesis an on-fly event acceptor is proposed. Such an acceptor has become necessary for the technique of the on-fly event processing. This technique is increasingly being used in the design of information systems of economic destination. In the paper the synthesis problem for such an acceptor is considered in a rigorous mathematical formulation. The method for solution of the problem and the computer experiment to study the method are described. The directions for the further research are proposed.
Modeling Diabetes to Achieve Closed-loop Control of Glucose Levels: A Literature Review

With diabetes affecting 7% of the United States population, and 180 million people worldwide, there is a lot of interest in the development of more advanced and effective diabetes treatment methods. This paper presents a literature review of recently-published research that is working toward the development of a wearable closed-loop controller for glucose regulation. A variety of approaches to modeling diabetes and applying closed-loop control to this problem are presented and analyzed with respect to some of the major challenges that are involved. The major challenges discussed are the complexity of the glucose-insulin dynamics in the human body, the site-specific insulin dynamics, and the accuracy and precision of the technology involved. The approaches that are discussed include traditional PID controllers, an innovative neural network modeling technique, model reference adaptive control, robust parameter estimation, and a PID switching control strategy.
A versatile cluster-based real-time digital simulator for power engineering research

This paper presents the development of a unique parallel and distributed real-time digital simulator for power engineering research at the University of Alberta. The simulator is built entirely from commodity-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software components, making it very flexible and scalable. In parallel multi-tasking operations, a combination of real-time Linux operating system and an ultra-fast network forms the backbone for the internal communication between the 16 powerful processors of the Xeon-Cluster. Field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based multi-channel digital and analog I/O ports are interfaced to communicate with the external hardware components. The model development software utilized for power applications is based on the highly customizable industry-standard MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. A detailed case study of the real-time simulation of a three-level 12-pulse vector-controlled ac drive is presented to illustrate the precision capabilities of the simulator. Multiple integration algorithms and multirate computation have been applied for the simulation of the system, with slow (machine) and fast (converter) dynamic components. Real-time simulation of the entire system has been achieved with a maximum computation time of 5.35 /spl mu/s on a step-size of 10 /spl mu/s for the first time. Results obtained from the real-time simulation have been validated with an offline simulation using PSCAD/EMTDC.
First Responders after Disasters: A Review of Stress Reactions, At-Risk, Vulnerability, and Resilience Factors

Abstract Disasters are widely reported, commonplace events that characteristically leave an enormous legacy of human suffering through death, injury, extensive infrastructural damage, and disorganization to systems and communities.The economic costs may be almost incalculable. Professional and civilian first responders play a vital role in mitigating these effects. However, to maximize their potential with the minimum health and welfare costs to first responders, is important to have a good understanding of the demands of such work on them, how they cope, and what enables them to fulfi ll their roles.This review will explore these themes by highlighting important findings and areas of uncertainty.
A review of ecogeochemistry approaches to estimating movements of marine animals

Ecogeochemistry—the application of geochemical techniques to fundamental questions in population and community ecology—has been used in animal migration studies in terrestrial environments for several decades; however, the approach has received far less attention in marine systems. This review includes comprehensive meta‐analyses of organic zooplankton δ13C and δ15N values at the base of the food web, dissolved inorganic carbon δ13C values, and seawater δ18O values to create, for the first time, robust isoscapes for the Atlantic Ocean. These isoscapes present far greater geographic variability in multiple geochemical tracers than was previously thought, thus forming the foundation for reconstructions of habitat use and migration patterns of marine organisms. We review several additional tracers, including trace‐element‐to‐calcium ratios and heavy element stable isotopes, to examine anadromous migrations. We highlight the value of the ecogeochemistry approach by examining case studies on three components of connectivity: dispersal and natal homing, functional connectivity, and migratory connectivity. We also discuss recent advances in compound‐specific stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses for tracking animal movement. A better understanding of isotopic routing and fractionation factors, particularly of individual compound classes, is necessary to realize the full potential of ecogeochemistry.
Gender and Language Theory and Practice

Introduction Part I Theorizations of gender and language 1. Putting gender and language on the map 2. The 'language of women': lacking, powerless, different 3. The shift to discourse: the discursive construction of gendered identities Part II Gender in context 4. Gender and language in education 5. Gender and language in the media 6. Gender and language in the workplace Part III Researching gender and language 7. Starting points for researchers, teachers and students
A photonic crystal technology compatible with integrated circuit technologies

Amorphous silicon oxy-nitride (a-SixOyN1-x-y) films with refractive indices in a wide range of 1.43-1.75 were obtained by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition of silane, nitrous oxide, and ammonia gases at 30°C. Photonic crystal slabs based on a-SixOyN1-x-y material systems were simulated and fabricated. Low-contrast photonic crystal structures for which the refractive index difference between the cladding and the core is small are implemented using this technology. It is shown that even low-contrast photonic crystals can provide fairly wide bandgap. The films were patterned by electron-beam lithography and etched by reactive ion etching. The device fabrication is carried out at low temperature and is independent of the substrate type. Therefore, this technology can be used to integrate photonic crystal-based optical integrated circuits within silicon- and GaAs-based integrated circuits.
An Investigation of Motorists' Perceptions of Trucks on the Highways

The logistic activity most visible to the general population is the presence of trucks transporting goods across the nation's highways. Transportation also represents the largest portion of total logistics costs and a large percentage of the problems. At times, these problems arise in the form of accidents, even tragedies, as trucks collide with automobiles. Car-truck accidents, though expensive, are an unfortunate cost of doing business and motorists' behaviors are out of the control of the transportation manager. Recently, the federal government and private industry have attempted to educate motorists concerning dangerous spots around trucks. Programs such as the Share the Road campaign, though mildly successful at directing behaviors of motorists near trucks, do not address motorists' perceptions of trucks—which may determine how they behave around the larger vehicles. This article is one of the first that directly examines motorists' perceptions of trucks on the highway and the effect these perceptions have on support for stricter safety regulation of the trucking industry. Based on a national random sample of U.S. motorists, these results suggest that the general U.S. driving population's perception of trucks is predominately negative, and these perceptions are significant predictors of support for stricter truck speed regulation.
Births after vitrification at morula and blastocyst stages: effect of artificial reduction of the blastocoelic cavity before vitrification.

BACKGROUND In 1996, with the introduction of sequential media, we set up a programme of cryopreservation of supernumerary morulae (day 4) and blastocysts (day 5) using a vitrification procedure. Our results showed that the efficiency of the vitrification method was dependent on the stage of embryo development and was negatively correlated with the expansion of the blastocoele. We postulated that a large blastocoele might disturb cryopreservative potential due to ice crystal formation during the cooling step. We analysed therefore the effectiveness of reducing before vitrification the volume of the blastocoelic cavity. METHOD Day 4 and day 5 embryos were vitrified in 40% ethylene glycol-18% Ficoll and 0.3 mol/l sucrose before plunging the straws directly into liquid nitrogen. Artificial shrinkage of the blastocyst was achieved after pushing a needle into the blastocoele cavity until it contracted. RESULTS The survival rate post-thawing of day 4 and intact day 5 embryos was correlated with the volume of the blastocoele. In the control group only 20.3% blastocysts or expanded blastocysts survived as compared with 54.5 and 58.5% with morulae and early blastocyst respectively. After puncturing the blastocoelic cavity, an increase in the survival rate of up to 70.6% was noted. The pregnancy rates were improved after the artificial shrinkage procedure (20.5%) compared with the control intact blastocyst group (4.5%) (not significant). After reduction of the blastocoelic cavity, a significant increase in the implantation rate per vitrified blastocyst was observed (12.0 versus 1.4% P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that survival rates in cryopreserved expanded blastocysts could be improved by reducing the fluid content. This was presumably because mechanical damage caused by ice crystal formation was avoided. These observations should be considered when establishing a strategy and a protocol for cryopreservation of day 5 embryos.
A filter at the entrance of the Golgi that selects vesicles according to size and bulk lipid composition

When small phosphatidylcholine liposomes are added to perforated cells, they bind preferentially to the Golgi suggesting an exceptional avidity of this organelle for curved membranes without stereospecific interactions. We show that the cis golgin GMAP-210 accounts for this property. First, the liposome tethering properties of the Golgi resembles that of the amphipathic lipid-packing sensor (ALPS) motif of GMAP-210: both preferred small (radius < 40 nm) liposomes made of monounsaturated but not saturated lipids. Second, reducing GMAP-210 levels or redirecting its ALPS motif to mitochondria decreased liposome capture by the Golgi. Extensive mutagenesis analysis suggests that GMAP-210 tethers authentic transport vesicles via the same mechanism whereby the ALPS motif senses lipid-packing defects at the vesicle surface through its regularly spaced hydrophobic residues. We conclude that the Golgi uses GMAP-210 as a filter to select transport vesicles according to their size and bulk lipid composition. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.16988. 001
Smells in block-based programming languages

Code smells were originally designed for object-oriented code, but in recent years, have been applied to end-user languages, including spreadsheets and Yahoo! Pipes. In this paper, we explore code smells in block-based end-user programming languages aimed at education. Specifically, we explore the occurrence of smells in two educational languages not previously targeted by smell detection and refactoring research: LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 and Microsoft's Kodu. The results of this exploration show that object-oriented-inspired smells indeed occur in educational end-user languages and are present in 88% and 93% of the EV3 and Kodu programs, respectively. Most commonly we find that programs are plagued with lazy class, duplication, and dead code smells, with duplication smells being present in nearly two-thirds of programs in both languages.
Users, narcissism and control – tracking the impact of scholarly publications in the 21 st century

st century She had a magic looking-glass, and she used to stand before it, and look in it, and say, 'Looking-glass upon the wall, Who is fairest of us all? ' And the looking-glass would answer, 'You are fairest of them all. ' About this publication Users, narcissism and control – tracking the impact of scholarly publications in the 21 st century
A STUDY OF THE ORIENTATION OF THE SENSORY HAIRS OF THE RECEPTOR CELLS IN THE LATERAL LINE ORGAN OF FISH, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE FUNCTION OF THE RECEPTORS

The morphology of the hair bundles on top of the receptor cells in the lateral line organ of the teleost fish Lota vulgaris is described. Each receptor cell shows a distinct morphological polarization. Two groups of receptor cells can be distingiushed, one consisting of cells polarized towards the head, the other consisting of cells polarized towards the tail. In the crista ampullaris all cells are polarized in the same direction. An hypothesis is proposed for the function of the receptor cells in the lateral line organ and the labyrinth based on a correlation of morphological and functional polarization.
Deficits in Subprocesses of Visual Feature Search after Frontal, Parietal, and Temporal Brain Lesions—A Modeling Approach

Deficits in visuospatial attention are commonly observed after different kinds of brain lesions. However, the structure–function relationships are not well understood. We investigated whether our response time (RT) model, strategies of visual search (STRAVIS), combined with a linear model of brain lesions, enables us to relate specific impairments in cognitive processes to specific sites of focal brain lesions. In STRAVIS, RTs in overt visual feature search with graded target-distractor similarity are decomposed into the durations of successive search steps. Fitting the model to an observer's RTs yields individual estimates of the parameters “attentional focus size,” “attentional dwell time,” and “movement time of attention or the eyes. ” In 28 patients with various focal lesions to the frontal, parietal, and/or temporal cortex and 28 matched controls, we determined with the help of linear models which lesions were most predictive for each parameter. Predictions were validated with a second sample of 12 patients and 12 controls. Critical lesion areas for the STRAVIS focus size were the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the temporal lobe, with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex lesions reducing the focus and temporal lesions enlarging it. The STRAVIS dwell time was reduced in patients with lesions to the anterior insula and the superior parietal lobe. Lesions to the frontal eye fields, the superior parietal lobe, and the parieto-occipital cortex were most detrimental to the STRAVIS movement time. Applying linear models to a patient sample with heterogeneous lesions may be a promising new method for investigating how different brain areas interplay in a complex task.
Capacity analysis of MIMO channel with line-of-sight and reflected paths for millimeter-wave communication

The capacity of a millimeter wave propagation channel with multiple antennas is investigated focusing on the minimum antenna spacing required for taking a full advantage of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems. Especially, the effect of reflected paths is studied on the required minimum antenna spacing. A signal following a reflected path is assumed not to experience scattering which accompanies a random phase change. It is presented that MIMO channels with both line-of-sight and reflected paths enable a much smaller antenna spacing than those with only line-of-sight path. The required minimum antenna spacing for the former channels is seen to be an order of the wavelength or sometimes a fraction of the wavelength, while it should be at least a few tens of the wavelength for the latter.
Control of coffee grinding with Artificial Neural Networks

Quality assessment and standardization of the property of the final product is fundamental in food industry. Coffee particle granulometry and density are continuously monitored during coffee beans grinding and grinders are controlled by operators in order to keep coffee particle granulometry within specific thresholds. In this work, a neural system is used to learn how to control two grinders used for coffee production at LAVAZZA factory, obtaining average control error of the order of a few μm. The results appear promising for the future development of an automatic decision support system.
Cross-modal elicitation of affective experience

In the field of Affective Computing the affective experience (AX) of the user during the interaction with computers is of great interest. Physiological and neurophysiological sensors assess the state of the peripheral and central nervous system. Their analysis can provide information about the state of a user. We introduce an approach to elicit emotions by audiovisual stimuli for the exploration of (neuro-)physiological correlates of affective experience. Thereby we are able to control for the affect-eliciting modality, enabling the study of general and modality-specific correlates of affective responses. We present evidence from self-reports, physiological, and neu-rophysiological data for the successful induction of the affective experiences aimed for, and thus for the validity of the elicitation approach.
Integrating trust measures in multiagent systems

Several models have been proposed in the past for representing both reliability and reputation. However, we remark that a crucial point in the practical use of these two measures is represented by the possibility of suitably combining them to support the agent's decision. In the past, we proposed a reliability–reputation model, called RRAF, that allows the user to choose how much importance to give to the reliability with respect to the reputation. However, RRAF shows some limitations, namely: (i) The weight to assign to the reliability versus reputation is arbitrarily set by the user, without considering the system evolution; (ii) the trust measure that an agent a perceives about an agent b is completely independent of the trust measure perceived by each other agent c, while in the reality the trust measures are mutually dependent. In this paper, we propose an extension of RRAF, aiming at facing the limitations above. In particular, we introduce a new trust reputation model, called TRR, that considers, from a mathematical viewpoint, the interdependence among all the trust measures computed in the systems. Moreover, this model dynamically computes a parameter measuring the importance of the reliability with respect to the reputation. Some experiments performed on the well‐known ART(Agent Reputation and Trust) platform show the significant advantages in terms of effectiveness introduced by TRR with respect to RRAF. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluating Informal STEM Education: Issues and Challenges in Context

We define “informal STEM education” and explain some of the reasons its outcomes are so inherently challenging to evaluate, including the critical need for ecological validity and the fact that many informal learning experiences are low‐visibility and opportunistic. We go on to highlight significant advances in the field, starting with the fundamental embracing of learning outcomes that go well beyond narrow measures of knowledge and skills, to include interest, engagement, and identity‐building. Within that framework, we note the development of shared constructs and shared instruments emerging in multiple sectors of informal STEM education. We also highlight advances in unobtrusive instrumentation and powerful analytic techniques that make it possible to evaluate learners’ unfolding experiences more directly than ever before. Finally, we point to underlying factors that support a growing and maturing professional community of informal STEM learning evaluators, and some of the “learning ecosystem” metaphors that frame their thinking.
Predicting Mitochondrial tRNA Modification

M itochondria are integral to proper cell function, and mutations in its small genome (mtDNA) are associated with many diseases, along with the progression of normal aging [9]. While mtDNA has been extensively studied, not much is known about transcriptional variations of mitochondrial genes [3]. Recently, tRNA modifications have been the focus of intense study owing to their putative role in diseases [4]. Identifying genes responsible for mitochondrial tRNA modification is an important step towards a better understanding of transcriptional variation. To the best of my knowledge, a machine learning approach has never been utilized in order to identify such genes. Here, I used penalized linear regression to predict tRNA modification activity using gene expression as features. After controlling for confounding factors, I was able to predict modification activity at several putative modified tRNA positions. These models explained between 19% and 51% of the variance. Most notably, I used preconditioned lasso [7] which yielded four promising gene candidates that affect tRNA modification: ALKBH8 (an E. coli homolog DNA repair enzyme), MAD2L1 Binding Protein, C1orf103 (an open reading frame gene with unknown function), and TRMT5 (tRNA methyltransferase 5).