Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uncovering Meaningful Correlation between Student Academic Performance and Library Material Usage

Academic libraries must demonstrate empirically that library usage does contribute positively to student academic performance and, thereby, to the university’s effectiveness. While customary academic library assessment practices may not be sufficient for this purpose, the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) Library undertook an experimental project, which intended to establish a mathematical correlation between student library material usage and their cumulative grade point average (GPA). Taking 2007 to 2009 graduates as samples, with 8,701 pairs of data, the HKBU Library was able to demonstrate its impact on student learning outcomes.
Chronic fatigue syndrome: a review.

OBJECTIVE Chronic fatigue syndrome is an illness characterized by disabling fatigue of at least 6 months, accompanied by several other symptoms. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about chronic fatigue syndrome. METHOD The case definition, prevalence, clinical presentation, evaluation, and prognosis of chronic fatigue syndrome are discussed. Research on the pathophysiology and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome is reviewed. RESULTS Chronic fatigue syndrome is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome experience significant functional impairment. Pathophysiological abnormalities exist across many domains, suggesting that chronic fatigue syndrome is a heterogeneous condition of complex and multifactorial etiology. Evidence also is beginning to emerge that chronic fatigue syndrome may be familial. Although chronic fatigue syndrome has significant symptom overlap and comorbidity with psychiatric disorders, several lines of research suggest that the illness may be distinct from psychiatric disorders. Patients' perceptions, attributions, and coping skills, however, may help perpetuate the illness. Treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome is symptom-based and includes pharmacological and behavioral strategies. Cognitive behavior therapy and graded exercise can be effective in treating the fatigue and associated symptoms and disability. CONCLUSIONS Chronic fatigue syndrome is unlikely to be caused or maintained by a single agent. Findings to date suggest that physiological and psychological factors work together to predispose an individual to the illness and to precipitate and perpetuate the illness. The assessment and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome should be multidimensional and tailored to the needs of the individual patient.
Interacting Multiple Model Particle-type Filtering Approaches to Ground Target Tracking

Ground maneuvering target tracking is a class of nonlinear and/or no-Gaussian filtering problem. A new interacting multiple model unscented particle filter (IMMUPF) is presented to deal with the problem. A bank of unscented particle filters is used in the interacting multiple model (IMM) framework for updating the state of moving target. To validate the algorithm, two groups of multiple model filters: IMM-type filters and particle-type multiple model filters, are compared for their capability in dealing with ground maneuvering target tracking problem. Simulation shows that particle-type filters outperform IMM-type filters in the estimate accuracy and the IMMUPF method relatively has much better performance than the IMMPF method.
What is Hermeneutics

The etymological origin of the word ‘hermeneutics’ is identified with ‘Hermes’, the mythological Greek deity whose role was that of a messenger of the gods or mediator between gods (Henry Virkler, 2007, p.15). Besides being mediator between the goods themselves and goods and humanity, Hermes led souls to the underworld upon death, is the inventor of language and speech, is an interpreter, a liar, a thief and a trickster (Grondin, Jean, 1994, p. 2). These multiple roles make Hermes an ideal representative of Hermeneutics, for, as Socrates noted, words have the power to reveal or conceal, thus promoting the message either in an ambiguous way or in a clear way (Couzens-Hoy, David 1981, p.10-20). The Greek view of language as consisting of signs that could lead to truth or falsehood defines the very essence of Hermes, who is said to relish the uneasiness of the messaged.
Act Like a Lady: The Impact of Gender Identity on American Sign Language – English Interpreters

In this study, trends in gender-related traits among practitioners of American Sign Language – English interpreting are investigated. The impact of gender identity on practitioners’ perceptions of their role and professional experiences is also explored. Limited research exists to address issues of gender within the American Sign Language – English interpreting field but is largely focused on differences in discourse among male and female practitioners. Data for this study was collected through quantitative and qualitative means: an online survey incorporating the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and interviews with five practitioners of American Sign Language – English interpreting. A review of related literature supported the notion that while societal views of gender have shifted over time, certain qualities and characteristics remain valued for men and women. Research on female-dominated professions shows men experience gender identity privilege in the workplace. While this study shows that male and female practitioners may value or possess similar traits and characteristics, female practitioners experience gender identity oppression in a manner that male practitioners do not, especially related to their bodies and expressions of femininity. The experiences of female practitioners creates an additional layer of consideration that must be addressed prior to focusing on the myriad considerations inherent in the work of American Sign Language – English interpreters. Educators are advised to take current classroom practices into consideration for supporting all students, regardless of gender identity, and practitioners are encouraged to seek diverse communities of practice. These communities may provide the forum during which practitioners can engage in discussions of identity oppression and potential mitigating strategies.
Sesame seed oil and flaxseed oil affect plasma lipid levels and biomarkers of bone metabolism in ovariectomized Wistar rats

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of flaxseed oil (FO) and sesame seed oil (SO) on lowering cholesterol and biomarkers of bone metabolism in Wistar rats as an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. Thirty-two 90-day-old female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham-operated (sham) +control diet, ovx + control diet, ovx + 10% (FO), and ovx + 10% (SO). After 4 weeks of feeding, rats were euthanized and tissues and blood were collected for analyses. The total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glucose concentration, alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase activity (TRAP) were measured. Results showed that ovariectomy significantly increased serum total – and LDL-cholesterol, these two parameters decreased significantly upon treatment with FO and SO. Serum HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations, and liver total cholesterol concentrations were unaffected by either of the treatments. The TRAP and ALP activities increased significantly in OVX rats compared with the sham group. A significant decrease in ALP and TRAP activities was observed in both treated groups supplemented with FO and SO at 10% of fat (p < 0.05). The ovariectomy, FO, and SO diets did not affect glucose levels. The findings of this study showed that FO and SO are beneficial in reducing plasma cholesterol, LDL- (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, and bone biomarkers induced by ovarian hormone deficiency.
Place Classification With a Graph Regularized Deep Neural Network

Place classification is a fundamental ability that a robot should possess to carry out effective human-robot interactions. In recent years, there is a high exploitation of artificial intelligence algorithms in robotics applications. Inspired by the recent successes of deep learning methods, we propose an end-to-end learning approach for the place classification problem. With deep architectures, this methodology automatically discovers features and contributes in general to higher classification accuracies. The pipeline of our approach is composed of three parts. First, we construct multiple layers of laser range data to represent the environment information in different levels of granularity. Second, each layer of data are fed into a deep neural network for classification, where a graph regularization is imposed to the deep architecture for keeping local consistency between adjacent samples. Finally, the predicted labels obtained from all layers are fused based on confidence trees to maximize the overall confidence. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of our end-to-end place classification framework in which both the multilayer structure and the graph regularization promote the classification performance. Furthermore, results show that the features automatically learned from the raw input range data can achieve competitive results to the features constructed based on statistical and geometrical information.
EDITORIAL In this Issue : Transplant Immunology and Transplant Biology

Transplantation faces an unprecedented shortage of organs available for transplantation, resulting in longer waiting times and transplant candidates on the waiting list dying before getting a transplant. This dramatic situation triggered the search for new approaches and innovations to increase the donor pool, such as extending the acceptance criteria concerning donor age or organ transplantation across blood group barriers. Herein, leading experts detailed the immunological and molecular concepts behind the successful clinical translation of these strategies. Organ rejection remains a constant challenge and transplantation tolerance is still elusive as the current paradigm aims for immunosuppression rather than immune modulation. Two contributions in this issue review two different molecular paradigms in harnessing the immunologic response after transplantation. The interplay between the intestinal innate and adaptive immunity is particularly intricate and the intestine remains the organ with the highest rate of acute rejection after transplantation. Experts in the field summarized both time-honored and recent knowledge in intestinal preservation and tolerance in intestinal transplantation with potential for further basic and translational research.
Verification of DNSsec Delegation Signatures

In this paper, we present a formal model for the verification of the DNSsec Protocol in the interactive theorem prover Isabelle/HOL. Relying on the inductive approach to security protocol verification, this formal analysis provides a more expressive representation than the widely accepted model checking analysis. Our mechanized model allows to represent the protocol, all its possible traces and the attacker and his knowledge. The fine grained model allows to show origin authentication, and replay attack prevention. Most prominently, we succeed in expressing Delegation Signatures and proving their authenticity formally.
Automated Enhancement of 3D Models

The acquisition of a 3D model of a real environment can be accomplished using range sensors. In practice, suitable sensors to densely cover a large environment are often impractical. This paper presents ongoing work on the synthesis of 3D environment models from as little as one intensity image and sparse range data. Our method is based on interpolating the available range data using statistical inferences learned from the available intensity image and from those (sparse) regions where both range and intensity images are available. Since we compute the relationship between extisting range data and the images we start with, we do not need to make any strong assumptions about the kind of surfaces in the world (for example we do not need to assume the world exhibits only diffuse reflectance). Experimental results show the feasibility of our method.
A Unified Proof-Theoretic Framework for Classical , Intuitionistic and Linear Logics

We introduce a unified proof system LUF based on the concepts of polarization and focusing. Connectives from intuitionistic, classical and linear logic can mix with few restrictions in this system. The strongest form of completeness is achieved in that cut-elimination in the unified system immediately proves cut-elimination in each of these logics. This system is based on an expansion of the concept of focusing by introducing substages of the synchronous and asynchronous phases of proofs.
THE GROUND STATE SOLUTION OF BOSE – EINSTEIN CONDENSATES BY A NORMALIZED GRADIENT FLOW

In this paper, we present a continuous normalized gradient flow (CNGF) and prove its energy diminishing property, which provides a mathematical justification of the imaginary time method used in the physics literature to compute the ground state solution of Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC). We also investigate the energy diminishing property for the discretization of the CNGF. Two numerical methods are proposed for such discretizations: one is the backward Euler centered finite difference (BEFD) method, the other is an explicit time-splitting sine-spectral (TSSP) method. Energy diminishing for BEFD and TSSP for the linear case and monotonicity for BEFD for both linear and nonlinear cases are proven. Comparison between the two methods and existing methods, e.g., Crank–Nicolson finite difference (CNFD) or forward Euler finite difference (FEFD), shows that BEFD and TSSP are much better in terms of preserving the energy diminishing property of the CNGF. Numerical results in one, two, and three dimensions with magnetic trap confinement potential, as well as a potential of a stirrer corresponding to a far-blue detuned Gaussian laser beam, are reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of BEFD and TSSP methods. Furthermore we observe that the CNGF and its BEFD discretization can also be applied directly to compute the first excited state solution in BEC when the initial data is chosen as an odd function.
Current Trends in Glaucoma : What about Neuroprotection ?

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy, considered as the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Glaucoma is characterized by selective death of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and a progressive loss of vision. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is one of the most important risk factors for developing glaucoma, so we mainly focus on lowering IOP to arrest the progression of glaucoma. However, many patients continue to demonstrate a clinically downhill course despite the control of initially raised IOP. In fact, some patients develop what is called Normal Tension Glaucoma, not associated to an increased IOP. This emphasizes that several pressure-independent mechanisms are responsible for the development and progression of glaucomatous neuropathy and that high intraocular pressure (IOP) and vascular insufficiency in the optic nerve head are only risk factors for the development of glaucoma, and are not the only target for the treatment of glaucoma. The reason is that the process of RGC death is thought to be biphasic, and the primary injury is followed by a slower secondary degeneration related to a noxious environment surrounding the apoptotic cells. This environment is characterized by changes in the extra-cellular ionic concentrations, increased amounts of free radicals, neurotrophins depletion and increased glutamate induced excitotoxicity due to high extra-cellular glutamate levels, which binds * Corresponding Author: Elena Vecino, Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Grupo de OftalmoBiología Experimental (GOBE), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del País Vasco, 48940 Leioa, Vizcaya, SPAIN, e.mail: elena.vecino@ehu.es Sergio Pinar and Elena Vecino 2 to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors leading to an abnormally high intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Neuroprotection is a process that attempts to preserve the remaining cells that are still vulnerable to damage, and the main aim of neuroprotective therapy is to employ pharmacologic or other means to attenuate the hostility of the environment surrounding the degenerating cells, or to supply the cells with the tools to deal with this aggression, providing resilience to the insult. Several agents have been reported neuroprotective in glaucoma, both in clinical assays, such as Ca2+ channel blockers, and in experimental studies, such as betaxolol, brimonidine, NMDA antagonists, Nitric Oxide Synthase inhibitors, neurotrophins and ginkgo biloba extract. Most neuroprotective agents for glaucoma have probed beneficial effects over RGC, not showing effects over IOP. However, when analyzing classically used medications for glaucoma, it becomes difficult to understand if its effect over the progression of glaucoma is due to neuroprotective pathways or by means of lowering IOP. The ideal anti-glaucoma drug would be one that when applied topically, reduces IOP, but also probes to reach the retina in appropriate amounts, and activates specific receptors in the retina to attenuate retinal ganglion cell death.
Anti‐proliferative effects of 8‐chloro‐cAMP and other cAMP analogs are unrelated to their effects on protein kinase A regulatory subunit expression

Conflicting reports have attributed 8‐chloro‐cAMP (Cl‐cAMP)‐mediated inhibition of tumor cell growth to either a toxic 8‐chloro‐adenosine (Cl‐AdR) breakdown product or a Cl‐cAMP‐mediated decrease in ratio of Type I to Type II regulatory (R) subunits of protein kinase A (PKA). Using the MCF‐7 human breast cancer and S49 mouse lymphoma cell lines as models, we show that the effects of Cl‐cAMP and other cAMP analogs on growth and R subunit expression are unrelated. MCF‐7 cell growth was insensitive to most analogs and inducers of cAMP, but was potently inhibited by Cl‐cAMP acting through uptake and phosphorylation of its Cl‐AdR breakdown product. Possible roles of adenosine receptors or P2 purinoceptors in these Cl‐cAMP‐mediated growth effects were ruled out by studies with agonists and antagonists. Cholera toxin markedly decreased the ratio of Type I to Type II R subunits in MCF‐7 cells without affecting growth, while growth inhibitory concentrations of Cl‐cAMP or Cl‐AdR had insignificant effects on this ratio. In S49 cells, where PKA activation is known to inhibit cell growth, PKA‐deficient mutants retained sensitivity to both Cl‐cAMP and the related 8‐bromo‐cAMP. Adenosine kinase (AK)‐deficient S49 cells were inhibited only by higher concentrations of these 8‐halogenated cAMP analogs. Of the commonly used cAMP analogs, only 8‐(4‐chlorophenylthio)‐cAMP acted purely as a cyclic nucleotide—having no effect on PKA‐deficient cells, but strongly inhibiting both wild‐type and AK‐deficient cells. Where growth inhibitory concentrations of most cAMP analogs reduced RI expression in the AK‐deficient mutant, a functionally equivalent concentration of (N6, O2′)dibutyryl‐cAMP maintained or increased this expression. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Observer-Based Sliding Mode Control for a Class of Noncommensurate Fractional-Order Systems

This paper investigates an application of fractional theory for control and state estimation for a class of noncommensurate systems. A single-link flexible manipulator is considered as a representative example of this class of second-order underactuated systems. A fractional model is proposed and validated experimentally. The fractional-order sliding mode control is synthesized using a novel stable fractional surface. A fractional sliding mode observer is designed for state estimation necessary for implementing the control. The proposed method is validated through simulation and experimentation both.
Perspectives on development of definitions and values related to old-growth forests

Old-growth forests are those that meet some threshold(s) determined by a scientific and political process. The main issue is what criteria to use to determine these thresholds; they must be practical enough to allow managers to delimit and manage old-growth stands in the field. People value forests with old and (or) big trees and primary forests that have a continuous heritage of natural disturbance and regeneration, even though the latter may include all stages of stand development and succession. We advocate uniting these two and using "primary forest", also called "natural heritage forest", as the criterion for delimiting old growth in regions where primary forest still exists. This criterion recognizes that the stage of development with big, old trees is part of a cycle of development, and it is necessary to have all the parts to continue to produce new examples of the older stages. The best available second-growth stands can be used in regions where primary forests are not available. Alternatively, threshold criteria for delimiting old growth can be based on tree size and age, but arbitrary criteria based on human size and age scales should be avoided in favour of criteria that specify stands dominated by trees relatively large and old for the species and site. Such criteria allow for old growth to occur across a variety of levels of site productivity, with trees of widely varying stature and with varying life-history characteristics, such as longevity, shade tolerance, and successional status. In any case, managers and scientists should work together to make sure that definitions work in the field but also include the ecological processes necessary to maintain the unique biological resources of old growth. The biological resources present in old growth may help to restore the second-growth landscape and allow reconstitution of forests in new places after global warming. Old-growth forests provide a baseline for comparison of effects of logging and natural disturbance, with respect to resilience to climatic change and disturbance, maintenance of species richness, and natural genetic structure of tree populations, which respond to different selective regimes in old growth and harvested forests. The species in old-growth remnants, their interactions and the resilience of the system after disturbance are as important or perhaps more so than the age and size of the trees at a given point in time.
Structured sparse representation appearance model for robust visual tracking

We propose a robust visual tracker based on structured sparse representation appearance model. The appearance of tracking target is modeled as a sparse linear combination of Eigen templates plus a sparse error due to occlusions. We address the structured sparse representation that preferably matches the practical visual tracking problem by taking the contiguous spatial distribution of occlusion into account. The sparsity is achieved by Block Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (BOMP) for solving structured sparse representation problem more efficiently. The model update scheme, based on incremental Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), guarantees the Eigen templates that are able to capture the variations of target appearance online. Then the approximation error is adopted to build a probabilistic observation model that integrates with a stochastic affine motion model to form a particle filter framework for visual tracking. Thanks to the block structure of sparse representation and BOMP, our proposed tracker demonstrates superiority on both efficiency and robustness improvement in comparison experiments with publicly available benchmark video sequences.