Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simulation of photon transport in a three‐dimensional leaf: implications for photosynthesis

A model to evaluate photon transport within leaves and the implications for photosynthesis are investigated. A ray tracing model, Raytran, was used to produce absorption profiles within a virtual dorsiventral plant leaf oriented in two positions (horizontal/vertical) and illuminated on one of its two faces (adaxial/abaxial). Together with chlorophyll profiles, these absorption profiles feed a simple photosynthesis model that calculates the gross photosynthetic rate as a function of the incident irradiance. The differences observed between the four conditions are consistent with the literature: horizontal-adaxial leaves, which are commonly found in natural conditions, have the greatest light use efficiency. The absorption profile obtained with horizontal-abaxial leaves lies below this, but above those obtained for vertical leaves. The latter present similar gross photosynthetic rates when irradiated on either the adaxial or abaxial surfaces. Vertical profiles of photosynthetic rates across the leaf confirm that carbon fixation occurs mainly in the palisade parenchyma, that the leaf anatomy is integral to its function and that leaves cannot be considered as a single homogeneous unit. Finally, the relationships between leaf structure, orientation and photosynthesis are discussed.
Ebselen Treatment Prevents Islet Apoptosis, Maintains Intranuclear Pdx-1 and MafA Levels, and Preserves β-Cell Mass and Function in ZDF Rats

We reported earlier that β-cell–specific overexpression of glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-1 significantly ameliorated hyperglycemia in diabetic db/db mice and prevented glucotoxicity-induced deterioration of β-cell mass and function. We have now ascertained whether early treatment of Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats with ebselen, an oral GPx mimetic, will prevent β-cell deterioration. No other antihyperglycemic treatment was given. Ebselen ameliorated fasting hyperglycemia, sustained nonfasting insulin levels, lowered nonfasting glucose levels, and lowered HbA1c levels with no effects on body weight. Ebselen doubled β-cell mass, prevented apoptosis, prevented expression of oxidative stress markers, and enhanced intranuclear localization of pancreatic and duodenal homeobox (Pdx)-1 and v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene family, protein A (MafA), two critical insulin transcription factors. Minimal β-cell replication was observed in both groups. These findings indicate that prevention of oxidative stress is the mechanism whereby ebselen prevents apoptosis and preserves intranuclear Pdx-1 and MafA, which, in turn, is a likely explanation for the beneficial effects of ebselen on β-cell mass and function. Since ebselen is an oral antioxidant currently used in clinical trials, it is a novel therapeutic candidate to ameliorate fasting hyperglycemia and further deterioration of β-cell mass and function in humans undergoing the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Open Hardware: A Role to Play in Wireless Sensor Networks?

The concept of the Internet of Things is rapidly becoming a reality, with many applications being deployed within industrial and consumer sectors. At the ‘thing’ level—devices and inter-device network communication—the core technical building blocks are generally the same as those found in wireless sensor network implementations. For the Internet of Things to continue growing, we need more plentiful resources for building intelligent devices and sensor networks. Unfortunately, current commercial devices, e.g., sensor nodes and network gateways, tend to be expensive and proprietary, which presents a barrier to entry and arguably slows down further development. There are, however, an increasing number of open embedded platforms available and also a wide selection of off-the-shelf components that can quickly and easily be built into device and network gateway solutions. The question is whether these solutions measure up to built-for-purpose devices. In the paper, we provide a comparison of existing built-for-purpose devices against open source devices. For comparison, we have also designed and rapidly prototyped a sensor node based on off-the-shelf components. We show that these devices compare favorably to built-for-purpose devices in terms of performance, power and cost. Using open platforms and off-the-shelf components would allow more developers to build intelligent devices and sensor networks, which could result in a better overall development ecosystem, lower barriers to entry and rapid growth in the number of IoT applications.
Application of a neuro fuzzy network in prediction of absenteeism at work

Competitiveness, market share, professional development and personal support to community action, health, culture, education and sport, are linked to a promising new market. Coupled with the development of organizations, the pressure to achieve goals more audacious, employees increasingly overwhelmed, they end up buying some disturbance in the health-related type of labor activity. The objective of this paper is to apply a neuro fuzzy network in the prediction of absenteeism at work. To make the database were collected records of absenteeism from work during the period of July/07 to July/2010 in a Courier company. Absences certified with the International Classification of Diseases were stratified into 21 categories, the data were tabulated and filtered in MS Excel software. A neuro fuzzy network was developed using an artificial neural network architecture multilayer perceptron with the error backpropagation algorithm. This paper presents partial results of the use of neuro fuzzy network to predict absenteeism at work.
Spatiotemporal Fusion of MODIS and Landsat-7 Reflectance Images via Compressed Sensing

The fusion of remote sensing images with different spatial and temporal resolutions is needed for diverse Earth observation applications. A small number of spatiotemporal fusion methods that use sparse representation appear to be more promising than weighted- and unmixing-based methods in reflecting abruptly changing terrestrial content. However, none of the existing dictionary-based fusion methods consider the downsampling process explicitly, which is the degradation and sparse observation from high-resolution images to the corresponding low-resolution images. In this paper, the downsampling process is described explicitly under the framework of compressed sensing for reconstruction. With the coupled dictionary to constrain the similarity of sparse coefficients, a new dictionary-based spatiotemporal fusion method is built and named compressed sensing for spatiotemporal fusion, for the spatiotemporal fusion of remote sensing images. To deal with images with a high-resolution difference, typically Landsat-7 and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS), the proposed model is performed twice to shorten the gap between the small block size and the large resolution rate. In the experimental procedure, the near-infrared, red, and green bands of Landsat-7 and MODIS are fused with root mean square errors to check the prediction accuracy. It can be concluded from the experiment that the proposed methods can produce higher quality than five state-of-the-art methods, which prove the feasibility of incorporating the downsampling process in the spatiotemporal model under the framework of compressed sensing.
Adherence to feeding guidelines among HIV-infected and HIV uninfected mothers in a rural district in Uganda.

OBJECTIVE To describe the infant feeding behaviour of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected mothers, and identify factors influencing adherence to infant feeding guidelines. DESIGN Analytical cross-sectional study. SETTING Bushenyi, rural district in South-western Uganda PARTICIPANTS One hundred and ninety four mothers who had a child less than 12 months of age. About half, 94 (48.5%), of these were HIV-infected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Proportion of mothers who exclusively breastfed, complementary fed, replacement fed, and adhered to feeding guidelines. RESULTS Most (84.5%, 164/194) of the mothers had ever breastfed their infants, the rest had exclusively replacement fed since birth. Among children less than six months who were breastfeeding, 31.5% (34/108) were exclusively breastfeeding and the rest were mixed feeding. HIV-infected mothers were more likely than HIV-uninfected mothers to exclusively breastfeed (Crude Odds Ratio [COR], 3.61, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.42-9.21). For infants older than six months, complementary feeding was more common among HIV-uninfected (100%) than HIV-infected mothers (41.7%; P < 0.001). Among infants of all ages, none of the HIV-uninfected and 45% of HIV-infected mothers were replacement feeding (p < 0.001). More than a half (59.8%) of the mothers adhered to infant feeding guidelines. The only independent predictor of adherence after multivariate analysis was mother ever attending infant feeding counselling (AOR 9.03; 95% CI 4.03-20.25). Only 35% of mothers reported ever attending infant feeding counselling. CONCLUSIONS Infant feeding counselling was associated with improved adherence to feeding guidelines. Since infant feeding counselling is low in this population there is need for scale-up of this essential service.
Rule Based Fragment Allocation in Distributed Database Systems

Allocating data fragments in distributed database systems is an important issue in distributed database (DDB) systems. In this research work, we will show how rule based policy languages can be used to represent different data fragment allocation techniques. Results indicate that, using rule based languages like prolog can significantly simplify the representation of such algorithms for any further developments and optimizations. Our examples show that our approach can be extended to be used in different areas of distributed systems.
A health impact assessment model for environmental changes attributable to development projects

Study objective: European Union legislation requires large industrial and civil development projects to undergo environmental impact assessment. The study objective was to identify environmental health risk estimates for these developments from the epidemiological literature and to develop, and apply these within, a mathematical health impact assessment model. Design and results: In the UK, good practice guidelines have set out environmental issues to be considered in development projects, but little attention is given to direct health effects. Broad quantifiable risks were identified for four—air, chemicals, noise, and road traffic—of 14 standard environmental effects. A mathematical model was constructed that is based on people moving between different health states over their lifetime. Age related hazard functions are applied to cause specific measures of mortality and morbidity. A hypothetical example for a development creating air and chemical pollutants is given. Conclusions: A mathematical model applying epidemiological risks to an exposed population can provide quantification of environmental health effects. The approach may in future find application during project development, and by public health regulatory authorities for environmental health impact assessment.
Functional adaptation of tendon and skeletal muscle to resistance training in three patients with genetically verified classic Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

BACKGROUND tendon and skeletal muscle function adapts to physical training of resistive nature, but it is unknown to what extent persons with genetically altered connective tissue - who have a higher than normal tendon extensibility - will obtain any effect upon their tendon and muscle when undergoing muscle strength training. We investigated patients with classical Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) (collagen type V defect) who display articular hypermobility, skin extensibility and tissue fragility. METHODS subjects underwent strength training 3 times a week for 4 months and were tested before and after intervention in regards to muscle strength, tendon mechanical properties, and muscle function. RESULTS three subjects completed the scheduled 48 sessions and had no major adverse events. Mean isometric leg extension force and leg extensor power both increased by 8 and 11% respectively (358 to 397 N, and 117 to 123 W). The tendon stiffness was tested and an average increase in response to physical training, from 1795 to 2519 N/mm was found. On average, the training loads both in upper and lower body exercises increased by around 30% over the training period. When testing balance, the average sway-area of the participants decreased by 26% (0.144 to 0.108 m(2)). On the subscale of CIS20 the participants lowered their average subjective fatigue score from 33 to 25. CONCLUSION in this small pilot study, heavy resistance training was both feasible and effective in classic Ehlers Danlos patients, and the results indicated that both tendon and skeletal muscle properties can be improved also in this patient group when they are subjected to resistance training.
Evaluation of the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of Rubus parvifolius L.

The hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of the n-butanol extract of Rubus parvifolius L. (RPL), a widely used medicinal plant, were evaluated. Results demonstrated that RPL extract possessed pronounced hepatoprotective effects against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic injury in mice, which was at least partially attributed to its strong antioxidant capacity. Treatment with RPL extract markedly attenuated the increases in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels caused by CCl4 intoxication. It also significantly prevented the decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content of liver tissue. Meanwhile, histopathological changes of hepatic damage were also remarkably ameliorated. Phytochemical analysis based on high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) revealed the presence of various phenolic compounds, including caffeic acid conjugates, ellagic acid glycosides, and flavonol glycosides, which might be responsible for the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of RPL.
Development of a robotic arm suitable for demonstration of advanced control methods

Our article deals with the development of a robotic arm with “open control system” (for this particular application — with two degrees of freedom and possibility to add). The open control system allows, together with the known parameters of our robotic arm, to use advanced control methods. The robotic arm is controlled by a PLC and automatically generated code via tools — BR Target for Simulink. This tool allows us to convert Simulink models into an automatically generated code in C/C++ and its direct implementation on PLCs. This method of a design allows an easy implementation for sophisticated simulation models and control structures. The article focuses on the preparation and evaluation of the properties of a robotic arm for implementation possibilities of advanced control methods. At first, we found the physical limitations of the individual actuators. Then we dealt with the problems of generating the trajectory with respect to the physical limitations of the individual actuators. For the dynamics of the robotic arm spline functions for trajectory generation and performed measurements of lag errors are used. In conclusion, we evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of this method of control and outlined possible applications for which we can apply this kind of control.
Noise and Nonlinearity Modeling of Active Mixers for Fast and Accurate Estimation

This paper presents a model of active mixers for a fast and accurate estimation of noise and nonlinearity. Based on closed-form expressions, this model estimates the noise figure, IIP3, and IIP2 of the time-varying mixer by a limited number of time-invariant circuit calculations. The model shows that the decreasing transistor output resistance, together with the low supply voltage in deep-submicrometer technologies, significantly contributes to the flicker-noise leakage. Design insights for low flicker noise are then presented. The model also shows that the slope of the LO signal has a significant effect on IIP2, while it has a little effect on IIP3. A new IP2 calibration technique using slope tuning is presented.
Understanding Coteaching Components

ments for special education, an increasing reliance on Section 504 (of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) accommodations to serve students with disabilities, and inclusive schooling practices have increased the diversity of general education classrooms and highlight the need for all professionals in the schools to work together in collaborative partnerships (Wood, 1998). Coteaching between general and special educators has become a common method of service delivery (Reinhiller, 1996). In this article, we describe the components of coteaching and give examples of what the teacher interactions of that component may resemble at each of the developmental stages of coteaching: the beginning stage, the compromise stage, and the collaborative stage. We also present the Coteaching Rating Scale (CtRS) and describe how teachers and administrators can use it to develop appropriate objectives and directions for coteachers.
Some Social and Physical Correlates of Intergenerational Social Mobility: Evidence from the West of Scotland Collaborative Study

Mainstream sociological studies of intergenerational social mobility have emphasised social factors such as education and the material and cultural resources of the family of origin as the main influences on the chances and direction of social mobility. Medical sociology in contrast has been more interested in its physical correlates such as height and health status. Data from the West of Scotland Collaborative study allow an examination of the relationship between social mobility and both social and physical factors. Height, education and material circumstances in the family of origin, indexed as the number of siblings, were each independently associated with the chances of both upward and downward social mobility in this dataset. In each case the net effect of this social mobility was to constrain the social distribution of these variables. Any role which these factors may play in indirect health selection, it is argued, cannot account for social class differences in adult health.
Paracoccus sulfuroxidans sp. nov., a sulfur oxidizer from activated sludge.

Bacterial strain LW36T was isolated from activated sludge of a wastewater-treatment bioreactor. Cells of strain LW36T were Gram-negative coccoids to short rods, 1.0-1.2x0. 5 microm in size. Colonies were cream-coloured, smooth and circular. Strain LW36T was hetero-organotrophic and chemolithotrophic and was able to use reduced sulfur as an energy resource. Growth was observed at 25-36 degrees C and pH 5-10. The most abundant cellular fatty acid of strain LW36T was C18:1omega7c (64.2%). The sole respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 61.3 mol% (Tm). 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain LW36T was phylogenetically related to members of the genus Paracoccus, with similarities ranging from 92.4 to 94.9%. Based on these results, it is concluded that strain LW36T represents a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus sulfuroxidans is proposed. The type strain is strain LW36T (=CGMCC 1.5364T=JCM 14013T).
Estrés, salud mental y cambios inmunológicos en estudiantes universitarios

The purpose of this research was to assess the relationship among stress, men- tal health and immunological changes in college students. The sample was composed by 20 first year's students from Simon Bolivar University, Venezuela, (12 males, 8 females, mean age =17.20), who were evaluated at the beginning of the term and during the examination period (7 weeks later). Self-reporting questionnaires were used for psychosocial measures, and immunophenotyping was made to obtain their immunological parameters. Comparing the scores, it was found that stress intensity, social dysfunction, somatization and percentage of HLA-DR + cells, increased considerably during the examination period. At the same time, a significant decrease in percentage and total number of lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, NK cells, CD8 +
Postmicrosaccadic Enhancement of Slow Eye Movements

Active sensation poses unique challenges to sensory systems because moving the sensor necessarily alters the input sensory stream. Sensory input quality is additionally compromised if the sensor moves rapidly, as during rapid eye movements, making the period immediately after the movement critical for recovering reliable sensation. Here, we studied this immediate postmovement interval for the case of microsaccades during fixation, which rapidly jitter the “sensor” exactly when it is being voluntarily stabilized to maintain clear vision. We characterized retinal-image slip in monkeys immediately after microsaccades by analyzing postmovement ocular drifts. We observed enhanced ocular drifts by up to ∼28% relative to premicrosaccade levels, and for up to ∼50 ms after movement end. Moreover, we used a technique to trigger full-field image motion contingent on real-time microsaccade detection, and we used the initial ocular following response to this motion as a proxy for changes in early visual motion processing caused by microsaccades. When the full-field image motion started during microsaccades, ocular following was strongly suppressed, consistent with detrimental retinal effects of the movements. However, when the motion started after microsaccades, there was up to ∼73% increase in ocular following speed, suggesting an enhanced motion sensitivity. These results suggest that the interface between even the smallest possible saccades and “fixation” includes a period of faster than usual image slip, as well as an enhanced responsiveness to image motion, and that both of these phenomena need to be considered when interpreting the pervasive neural and perceptual modulations frequently observed around the time of microsaccades.
Research-Based Implications From Extensive Early Reading Interventions

A synthesis of the extant research on extensive early reading interventions for students with reading difficulties and disabilities is provided. Findings from 18 studies published between 1995 and 2005 revealed positive outcomes for students participating in extensive interventions. Results indicated higher effects for studies providing intervention to students in the smallest group sizes as well as providing intervention early (grades K–1). No differences in overall outcomes were revealed between studies implementing highly standardized interventions or interventions with less standardized implementation. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.