Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review and Metaanalysis Exacerbations of COPD: A Systematic Contemporary Management of Acute

Summary of Clinical Trials for Systemic Corticosteroids Compared With Placebo * Source No. Drug RouteDose, mg FrequencyFull Dose Days, No.Taper Duration, dAge, yr FEV 1 ,LRR of Treatment Failure (CI) LOS, dChange in Day 3 FEV 1 (CI), LChange in Day 10 to 14FEV 1 (CI), LAlbert et al, 1980 11 44 MP IV 0.5/kg q6h 3 NA 62 0.72 NR NR 0.22 (0.05, 0.39) NREmerman et al, 1989 14 96 MP IV 100 q24h 1 NA 64 NR NR§ NR NR NRRostom et al, 1994 17 30 MP IV 40 q6h 3 16 NR NR NR NR NR NRBullard et al, 1996 12 113 HC IV 100 q4h 4 4 66 0.55 0.32 (0.12, 0.82) NR NR NRThompson et al, 1996 18 27 Pred PO 60 q24h 3 6 68 0.90 0.13 (0.02, 0.93) NR 0.19 (0.00, 0.38) 0.37 (0.11, 0.63)Wood-Baker et al, 1998 19 47† Pred PO 0.6/kg, 2.5/kg q24h, q24h 3, 7 NA, 7 NR 0.60 NR 0.50 (2.30, 3.30) NR NRDavies et al, 1999 13 56 MP PO 30 q24h 14 NA 67 NR 0.19 (0.02, 1.49)2.00 (3.77,0.23) NR NRNiewoehner et al, 1999 16 271‡ MP IV 125, 125 q6h, q6h 3, 3 12, 54 68 0.75 0.69 (0.47, 1.02)1.20 (2.28,0.12) 0.06 (0.05, 0.17) 0.02 (0.11, 0.15)Maltais et al, 2002
SLIDING MODE CONTROL OF HYSTERETIC STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS

Sliding mode control systems have been recognized to be robust in the presence of exogenous perturbations. For a sliding mode control design, a known upper bound of the perturbation is usually assumed. In this paper, we present an adaptive algorithm for the estimation of this upper bound, and consequently there is no need for the exact knowledge of this quantity. Moreover, we have applied the proposed controller for the perturbation rejection of seismically excited hysteretic structural systems. A key contribution presented in this work is that, although the hysteretic structural system considered is a nonlinear third-order model, the sliding mode control has been designed using a reduced second-order dynamic system. The performance and robustness of the controller are then analyzed by means of numerical simulations.
Olfactory eavesdropping by a competitively foraging stingless bee, Trigona spinipes

Signals that are perceived over long distances or leave extended spatial traces are subject to eavesdropping. Eavesdropping has therefore acted as a selective pressure in the evolution of diverse animal communication systems, perhaps even in the evolution of functionally referential communication. Early work suggested that some species of stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) may use interceptive olfactory eavesdropping to discover food sources being exploited by competitors, but it is not clear if any stingless bee can be attracted to the odour marks deposited by an interspecific competitor. We show that foragers of the aggressive meliponine bee, Trigona spinipes, can detect and orient towards odour marks deposited by a competitor, Melipona rufiventris, and then rapidly take over the food source, driving away or killing their competitors. When searching for food sources at new locations that they are not already exploiting, T. spinipes foragers strongly prefer M. rufiventris odour marks to odour marks deposited by their own nest–mates, whereas they prefer nest–mate odour marks over M. rufiventris odour marks at a location already occupied by T. spinipes nest–mates. Melipona rufiventris foragers flee from T. spinipes odour marks. This olfactory eavesdropping may have played a role in the evolution of potentially cryptic communication mechanisms such as shortened odour trails, point–source only odour marking and functionally referential communication concealed at the nest.
Research Challenges of Cognitive Radio Ashfaque

A cognitive radio is an adaptive, multidimensionally aware, autonomous radio system that learns from its experiences to reason, plan, and decide future actions to meet user needs. Due to the technological advancement in last few decades, we have a magnificent communication setup now-a-days. Cognitive radio is considered to be one of the key issues to give such break -through in communication process. In this paper, we are providing a simple yet efficient overview on cognitive radio and the existing research challenges, which will help the researchers around the globe to grab the concept of cognitive radio fast enough and work on it.
Quality attributes and design decisions in Service-Oriented Computing

Recently, Service-Oriented Computing is growing rapidly. With new emergences of technologies, software engineers have been facing more and more challenges in this area. Particularly, quality attributes and design decisions in Service-Oriented Computing are seldom discussed. According to the problems, our paper focuses on how to examine the design decisions based on quality attributes and how design decisions impact on the architecture of service in SOA-based system. In order to resolve these design issues, we develop an approach to SOA-based system in high level design based on functional requirements and quality attributes. Finally, a case study is shown by using our approach.
Power quality disturbance recognition using stransforms and FCM-based decision tree

This paper presents a new approach for recognizing nonstationary signals in power quality (PQ) disturbances. Meanwhile the new approach includes the most types of PQ disturbance, such as voltage sags, swells, interruptions, transients and harmonics. The new model mainly includes two steps. Firstly, S-transform is used to analyze power system disturbance signals, and two most distinguishing features are extracted. In this process based on these two features, 2D feature vectors are clustered using hierarchical Fuzzy C-means algorithm (FCM). Secondly, a binary decision tree is constructed from FCM cluster centers to automatic recognize disturbance patterns. Finally the simulation results show the validity and efficiency of the proposed model.
Ultrasonic vocalizations in mouse models for speech and socio-cognitive disorders: insights into the evolution of vocal communication

Comparative analyses used to reconstruct the evolution of traits associated with the human language faculty, including its socio‐cognitive underpinnings, highlight the importance of evolutionary constraints limiting vocal learning in non‐human primates. After a brief overview of this field of research and the neural basis of primate vocalizations, we review studies that have addressed the genetic basis of usage and structure of ultrasonic communication in mice, with a focus on the gene FOXP2 involved in specific language impairments and neuroligin genes (NL‐3 and NL‐4) involved in autism spectrum disorders. Knockout of FoxP2 leads to reduced vocal behavior and eventually premature death. Introducing the human variant of FoxP2 protein into mice, in contrast, results in shifts in frequency and modulation of pup ultrasonic vocalizations. Knockout of NL‐3 and NL‐4 in mice diminishes social behavior and vocalizations. Although such studies may provide insights into the molecular and neural basis of social and communicative behavior, the structure of mouse vocalizations is largely innate, limiting the suitability of the mouse model to study human speech, a learned mode of production. Although knockout or replacement of single genes has perceptible effects on behavior, these genes are part of larger networks whose functions remain poorly understood. In humans, for instance, deficiencies in NL‐4 can lead to a broad spectrum of disorders, suggesting that further factors (experiential and/or genetic) contribute to the variation in clinical symptoms. The precise nature as well as the interaction of these factors is yet to be determined.
Eye Tracking and Spoken Language Comprehension

Constructing a more precise and deeper understanding of how listeners, and particularly young children, comprehend spoken language is a primary focus for both psycholinguists and educators alike. This chapter highlights how, over the course of the past 20 years, eye tracking has become a crucial and widely used methodology to gain insight into online spoken language comprehension. We address how various eye-tracking paradigms have informed current theories of language comprehension across the processing stream, focusing on lexical discrimination, syntactic analysis, and pragmatic inferences. Additionally, this chapter aims to bridge the gap between psycholinguistic research and educational topics, such as how early linguistic experiences influence later educational outcomes and ways in which eye-tracking methods can provide additional insight into the language processing of children with developmental disorders.
Meditation, Improvisation, and Paradigmatic Change: Integrity of Practice as Key to Individual and Collective Transformation

Both contemplation and improvisation were central in previous eras of their respective knowledge traditions—contemplation in the Western intellectual tradition, improvisation in the Western musical tradition—yet in more recent times have been viewed as anomalous. This essay explores parallels between the two epistemologies, arguing that integrity of practice is key to progress in accepting and integrating them in higher education formats. I draw upon my experience as long-time practitioner and educational innovator in both areas, viewing the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz and Contemplative Studies curriculum at the University of Michigan, the first curriculum of its kind at a mainstream academic institution, as a prominent site where systematic approaches to both meditation and improvisation come together. Examining the processes as part of a synergistic framework highlights the potential for optimal discipline, rigor, theory-practice balance, and personal creative latitude—keys to progressive contemplative inroads in the 21st century academy—to be upheld in both.
Title: Low-threshold Ca 2+ -associated Bursts Are Rare Events in the Lgn of the Awake Behaving Monkey

It has been proposed that low-threshold Ca (LT) associated bursts in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of awake animals communicate significant or unexpected visual events to cortex (Sherman 2001). The present study investigated this hypothesis by examining the incidence of LT bursts in 146 cells recorded from the LGN of three macaque monkeys. Bursts were defined as clusters of two or more action potentials separated by not more than 4 ms and preceded by a 100 ms or longer quiescent interval (Lu et al. 1992; Ramcharan et al. 2000). The incidence of bursts was examined in several intensive-training Go-NoGo and target selection tasks, as well as in training-free tasks where natural scenes with both familiar and novel contents were shown. Our chief findings are: (1) bursts occur in the majority of cells under every condition tested, (2) burst incidence is very low (less than one burst every ten seconds), (3) bursts occur in association with a receptive field stimulus on average only once every 23 times in 65% of cells tested, (4) cells responding with bursts to the stimulus also tended to exhibit higher levels of spontaneous bursting, (5) the presence of bursts did not depend on the novelty of the stimulus or its behavioral relevance. When the monkeys explored static natural scenes (6) bursts were not correlated with short term changes in the image sampled by the cell’s receptive field during saccades. Burst incidence (7) did not increase when images were novel or when they evoked an emotional reaction, and (8) bursts did not decrease when images were familiar. (9) Bursts were not correlated with saccades in the dark, but Ruiz, Royal, et al. LT bursts in awake macaque LGN. 2 (10) more spikes participated in bursts in the dark. Although these results confirm the occurrence of LT bursts in LGN cells of awake monkeys, they do not support the hypothesis that these bursts are a privileged means of transferring sensory information, that they signal unexpected or significant visual events, or that they are involved uniquely in the coding of natural scenes. Ruiz, Royal, et al. LT bursts in awake macaque LGN. 3
Exploring the Haptic Crayola Effect

Haptic icons are short sequences of vibrations designed to provide meaningful information and feedback to the user. In order for the icons to be useful, strategies to help users to identify, distinguish, and recall them need to be developed. In this paper, we investigate the effect that naming haptic icons has on the accuracy with which users are able to identify, distinguish, and recall the icons. We have conducted a between-subjects experiment using 60 participants equally divided in three naming conditions: no names, pre-selected non-descriptive names, and self-selected names. The experiment examined the impact that different naming strategies had on the ability of participants to accurately match the icons to given stimuli as well as their ability to remember the names. Our results suggest that while many participants felt that the names were useful, naming did not actually have any significant impact on the accuracy with which users were able to match icons to targets. Additionally, participants reported that allowing them to choose the names for the icons enabled them to better remember and distinguish the icons than participants who were presented with icons given non-descriptive names. Despite this finding, the groups did not differ significantly in their ability to remember the icons.
Is "Learning-by-Exporting" Important? Micro-Dynamic Evidence from Colombia, Mexico and Morocco

Is there any empirical evidence that firms become more efficient after becoming exporters? Do firms that become exporters generate positive spillovers for domestically-oriented producers in their industry or region? In this paper we analyze the causal links between exporting and productivity using firm-level panel data from three semi-industrialized economies. Representing export market participation and production costs as jointly dependent autoregressive processes, we look for evidence that firms' stochastic cost process shifts when they break into foreign markets. We find that relatively more efficient firms become exporters, and that their costs are not affected by previous export market participation. This implies that self-selection of the more efficient firms into the export market, and not learning-by-exporting, explains the efficiency gap between exporter and non-exporters previously documented in the literature. Further, we find some evidence that exporters reduce the costs of breaking into foreign markets for domestically oriented producers, but do not appear to help these producers become more efficient.
Multimedia Content Elements Supply

The work presented in this paper provides an assessment of how deep the content-based recommendation algorithm described domain movies and TV shows metadata information can influence. The method used in order to verify the results, and to ensure that they are not affected, used data set metadata itself, rather than by the different data sets and indicators. The combination of different metadata elements provides usually better results when compared with metadata used separately.
Information Theory and Predictability. Lecture 3: Stochastic Processes

The major focus later in this course will be on statistical predictability of dynamical systems. In that context the primary issue we will consider is the evolution of uncertainty within a system. One of the biggest issues in practical prediction concerns proper definition of the initial conditions for a deterministic prediction using a (usually very complex) dynamical model. For obvious practical reasons such conditions are imperfectly known mainly because the system under consideration can only be measured at a particular time to within a certain precision. Consequently it makes conceptual sense to regard the dynamical variables of such systems as random variables and to study in detail the temporal evolution of such variables. The generic name for such an evolution is a “stochastic process”. There exists a large and extensive literature in applied mathematics on such processes which we (briefly) review here from the perspective of information theory.
Asynchronous Decentralized Real-Time Computer Systems

A new generation of real-time computer systems performs physically and logically decentralized mission management—such as semi-autonomous entities collaboratively performing manufacturing, maintenance, combat, etc. These entities must robustly accommodate significant run-time uncertainties in their application environment and system resource state, by being dynamically adaptive. In particular, such systems have mission-critical time constraints which must be satisfied acceptably—as specified by the application—given the current application and system circumstances. Thus, they violate the static, deterministic, synchronous premises on which most conventional real-time computing concepts and techniques are founded. We are developing a different and more appropriate paradigm for timeliness in asynchronous (aperiodic), decentralized, real-time mission management computing systems. It is scaleable to encompass a wide spectrum of real-time “hardness” and “softness” in a unified way, and permits the use of best-effort resource management algorithms. The progenitor of this timeliness paradigm was publicly introduced in the Alpha decentralized real-time OS kernel; and its current incarnation is being incorporated into a new real-time version of the Mach 3 kernel.
Analytic center approach to parameter estimation: convergence analysis

The so-called analytic center approach to parameter estimation has been proposed as an alternative to the well-known least squares approach. This new approach offers a parameter estimate that is consistent with the past data observations, has a simple geometric interpretation, and is computable sequentially. We study the asymptotic performance of the analytic center approach and show that the resulting estimate converges to the true parameter asymptotically, provided some mild conditions are satisfied. These conditions involve some weak persistent excitation and independence between noise and regressor, similar to the least squares case. This result is used to derive a new parameter estimation approach which offers both good transient and asymptotic performance.
Automatic Generation of Mini Learning Games based on a Card Game Model

In this paper, we propose automatic generation mechanism of learning games based on a card game model that is a structured representation of a set of concepts within a card game and the relationships between those concepts. An authoring system that generates various types of computer-based learning games based on the card game model is also introduced. We confirmed that the system could generate various learning games and they were playable and useful for learning.
On Japanese Definite NPs : A Reply to Portner and Yabushita

In their paper in Linguistics & Philosophy on the semantics and pragmatics of topic phrases, Portner and Yabushita (1998) propose a theory of Extended File Change Semantics that is able to account for a range of topicalization phenomena in Japanese and English. One particular phenomenon—the one that Portner and Yabushita dwell on the longest—is their observation that, in Japanese, “a discourse entity can be most readily picked out with information that has been attributed to it while it is the topic. ” They formalize this observation into a felicity condition, the Strong Familiarity Condition, on Japanese definite NPs. According to Portner and Yabushita (henceforth, P&Y), this empirical observation about Japanese has the following implication for semantic theory: In order to enforce the Strong Familiarity Condition on Japanese NPs, a semantic theory requires some mechanism like file cards (Heim 1982; Vallduvı́ 1992) for connecting up the information established in a discourse with those individuals that the information is ‘about’. Theories that have such a mechanism (e.g. Vallduvı́’s and P&Y’s) are superior in this respect to theories that lack one (e.g. focus-based approaches like von Fintel’s (1994) or Roberts’ (1996)), because the latter are presumably unable to account for the Japanese data. We believe that this conclusion about competing semantic frameworks is premature, because we see no evidence, either in P&Y’s paper or in our own corpus study, that the Japanese phenomenon in question really exists. We suggest that P&Y’s data can be explained without the use of file cards or similar devices, using well-known linguistic principles of greater robustness and generality than the Strong Familiarity Condition.
Fuzzy PID controller design using synchronous bacterial foraging optimization

In this paper, we propose the synchronous bacterial foraging optimization (SBFO) approach to optimize proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) parameters for estimating the performance of a fuzzy PID controller. In order to reduce or remove the steady state error of conventional controller, so we employ the fuzzy interference structure to adjust the PID controller gains and SBFO algorithm. From the simulated results show that the proposed approach has better performance compared with genetic algorithm (GA) and BFO approaches.
Using a hypertext instructional design methodology in engineering education

Inherent in good engineering is the practice of using a design methodology when constructing complex systems whether they are bridges, circuits or computer programs. The design methodology can help to work out problems before they make their way into the final product. Also, the design methodology can help to make all of the parts of the final product fit together better and thereby achieve a certain coherence in the design. A design methodology can be used to achieve similar coherence in building hypertext instructional systems. The design methodology described in this paper can be easily used by engineering educators and graduate students without special training after reading a description of it and working through an example application. The methodology uses the object-based paradigm, has checks for validity to help the user detect unreachable hypertext nodes and incorporates sound instructional design principles. The value of the methodology is in making it easier for the user to organize instructional material carefully without having to spend a large amount of time in learning a complex design process and to incorporate components already developed that have been used successfully.