Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pediatric Anklebot: Pilot clinical trial

We are currently examining the therapeutic efficacy of the pediAnklebot, an impedance-controlled low-friction, back-drivable robotic device that trains the ankle of neurologically impaired children of ages 6-10 years old. In this paper, we present the first clinical results from a small feasibility study involving 4 children with Cerebral Palsy. The children used the pediAnklebot in seated position to train their ankle twice per week for a total of 6 weeks (12 sessions). The initial results indicate an improvement of the ankle's functions including its pointing abilities and gait speed. The observed clinical outcome reinforces our confidence that the pediAnklebot, driven by our adaptive, assist-as-needed, robotic therapy can harness plasticity to guide habilitation during childhood.
Adaptive Energy Optimization in Multimedia-Centric Wireless Devices: A Survey

Over the last couple of years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of applications accessible from various mobile handsets, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. In particular, rich media service distribution among smart-phones and other handheld devices is becoming increasingly popular among users. In fact, the next generation wireless technologies have put significant emphasis on supporting distribution of rich media content and video-on-demand services. However, energy consumption in the handheld wireless devices is a major bottleneck that hinders the growth of mobile device based rich media services. The biggest problem today in the mobile world is that the mobile devices are battery driven and the battery technologies are not matching the required energy demand. This paper outlines the major energy-consuming components in handheld devices like smart-phones, PDAs and other multimedia-centric wireless devices. Further, this paper surveys different research works on how the energy consumption could be optimized and provides detailed discussions on the latest energy saving techniques in the major components of the mobile devices. In addition, the paper surveys other systemic energy optimization techniques so that the overall battery life of the device is increased. Major global research projects and their research focus are then surveyed. Finally, a brief summary is provided along with some open research problems and different possible future research directions.
Plasma Sheet Pressure Variations in the Near‐Earth Magnetotail During Substorm Growth Phase: THEMIS Observations

We investigate the plasma sheet pressure variations in the near‐Earth magnetotail (radius distance, R, from 7.5 RE to 12 RE and magnetic local time, MLT, from 18:00 to 06:00) during substorm growth phase with Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) observations. It is found that, during the substorm growth phase, about 39.4% (76/193) of the selected events display a phenomenon of equatorial plasma pressure (Peq) decrease. The occurrence rates of Peq decrease cases are higher in the dawn (04:00 to 06:00) and dusk (18:00 to 20:00) flanks (> 50%) than in the midnight region (20:00 to 04:00, < 40%). The mean values of the maximum percentages of Peq decrease during the substorm growth phases are larger in the dawn and dusk flanks (~ −20%) than in the midnight region (~ > −16%). The mean value of Peq increase percentages at the end of substorm growth phase is the highest (~ 40%) in the premidnight MLT bin (22:00 to 00:00) and is almost unchanged in the dawn and dusk flanks. Further investigations show that 13.0% of the events have more than 10% of Peq decrease at the end of substorm growth phase comparing to the value before the growth phase, and ~ 28.0% of the events have small changes (< 10%), and ~ 59.0% events have a more than 10% increase. This study also reveals the importance of electron pressure (Pe) in the variation of Peq in the substorm growth phase. The Pe variations often account for more than 50% of the Peq changes, and the ratios of Pe to ion pressure often display large variations (~ 50%). Among the investigated events, during the growth phase, an enhanced equatorial plasma convection flow is observed, which diverges in the midnight tail region and propagates azimuthally toward the dayside magnetosphere with velocity of ~ 20 km/s. It is proposed that the Peq decreases in the near‐Earth plasma sheet during the substorm growth phase may be due to the transport of closed magnetic flux toward the dayside magnetosphere driven by dayside magnetopause reconnection. Both solar wind and ionospheric conductivity effects may influence the distributions of occurrence rates for Peq decrease events and the Peq increase percentages in the investigated region.
On the behaviour of tropical depressions and their interaction with the Indian Monsoon Trough Region

This thesis examines the behaviour of Indian monsoon depressions (MDs), synopticscale systems that frequent the monsoon trough throughout the boreal summer. The original contribution to knowledge is a substantial advancement of our understanding on the structure, variability, and dynamics of MDs. A feature-tracking algorithm is developed to emulate the subjective methods used by the India Meteorological Department, based on surface wind speed and surface pressure. This is applied to reanalysis data spanning from 1979 to the present day (2016), extracting 106 events. These are used to build a statistical composite, with which we interrogate the structure and variability subject to external forcings. It is found, for example, that MDs significantly intensify during La Ni˜na and active monsoon spells, and have different spatial structure over ocean than land. These events are also examined in satellite data, where we discover and characterise a bimodal, diurnal cycle in surface precipitation; the structure of cloud type with dominating deep convection south of the centre; and present the first composite picture of vertical hydrometeor structure in MDs. A propagation mechanism whereby the MD behaves as a vortex in the presence of a wall (i.e. the Himalayan massif) is presented and shown to perform better than competing theories at predicting the velocity and heading of MDs. It is also shown, using a case study in the Met Office Unified Model (MetUM), that varying antecedent soil moisture conditions can significantly change the length of a MD track but not its direction. The sensitivity of MDs to changes in horizontal resolution in the MetUM are also explored across seven case studies at eight resolutions. It is found that the intensity is typically slightly overpredicted, correlating with too great a latent heat release in the mid-troposphere. Spatial structure is shown to improve with resolution but improvement saturates beyond N512 (40 km) resolution.
ETAPP: a framework of agent collaboration under conditions of uncertainty regarding team members

In this thesis, we define a framework for agent collaboration, and offer various guidelines for agent collaboration supported by empirical studies. Central to our research is the issue that agents may have incomplete and incorrect models of the real capabilities of team members, and use these models to assess which agents should perform a task. We address the problems of modelling agents' capabilities and coping with decisions made in an unreliable manner.
Komparasi Kinerja Perbankan Syariah Di ASIA Dengan Pendekatan Maqasid Syariah

The purpose of this research was to analyze whether there are differences the performance of Islamic banking in Asia, based on the concept of Maqasid al-Shari’ah, using MI (Maqasid Index) value. This research was using data from financial report and annual report which were provided by each Islamic bank sample. This research was using 3 samples of Islamic banks for each country (Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar), so the total sample of Islamic banks were 21 Islamic banks. The total observation were 63 during three years period (2013-2015). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were used to test the normality of data and the hypothesis testing was using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The result of this research showed that MI value, second sharia objectives called establishing justice, and third sharia objectives called public interest in Islamic banking in Indonesia showed no significant difference with Islamic banking in Malaysia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar
A neuro-based method for detecting context-dependent erroneous robot action

Validating appropriateness and naturalness of human-robot interaction (HRI) is commonly performed by taking subjective measures from human interaction partners, e.g. questionnaire ratings. Although these measures can be of high value for robot designers, they are very sensitive and can be inaccurate and/or biased. In this paper we propose and validate a neuro-based method for objectively validating robot behavior in HRI. We propose to detect from the electronencephalo-gram (EEG) of a human interaction partner, the perception of inappropriate / unexpected / erroneous robot behavior. To validate this method, we conducted an EEG experiment with a simplified HRI protocol in which a humanoid robot displayed context-dependent erroneous behavior from time to time. The EEG data taken from 13 participants revealed biologically plausible error-related potentials (ErrP) whose spatio-temporal distributions match well with related neuroscientific research. We further demonstrate that perceived erroneous robot action can reliably be modeled and detected from human EEG signals with classification accuracies on avg. 69.7±9.1%. These findings confirm principal feasibility of the proposed method and suggest that EEG-based ErrP detection can be used for quantitative evaluation and thus improvement of robot behavior.
Validating an Architectural Simulator

This paper reports on our experiences in building an execution-driven architectural simulator that is meant to accurately capture performance costs of a machine for a particular class of software, namely, network protocol stacks such as TCP/IP. The simulator models a single processor of our Silicon Graphics Challenge shared-memory multiprocessor, which has 100 MHz MIPS R4400 chips and two levels of cache memory. We describe our validation approach, show accuracy results averaging within 5 percent, and present the lessons learned in validating an architectural simulator.
A CMOS low-power widely frequency tunable pre-conditioning stage for PSD sensor applications

This paper presents a CMOS digitally programmable band-pass filter with independently controlled parameters, to be employed as a highly reconfigurable preconditioning stage in a general purpose phase sensitive detection (PSD) on-chip instrument to support CMOS impedance and MEM p-resonator-based sensors. Frequency tuning range with a linear dependence over four decades up to 1 MHz is achieved, with reduced area and power consumption lower than 0.4 mW, while preserving stable band-pass response with a quality factor Q of 10 and a 20 dB gain.
MRM‐based multiplexed quantitation of 67 putative cardiovascular disease biomarkers in human plasma

A highly‐multiplexed MRM‐based assay for determination of cardiovascular disease (CVD) status and disease classification has been developed for clinical research. A high‐flow system using ultra‐high performance LC and an Agilent 6490 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, equipped with an ion funnel, provided ease of use and increased the robustness of the assay. The assay uses 135 stable isotope‐labeled peptide standards for the quantitation of 67 putative biomarkers of CVD in tryptic digests of whole plasma in a 30‐min assay. Eighty‐five analyses of the same sample showed no loss of sensitivity (<20% CV for 134/135 peptides) and no loss of retention time accuracy (<0.5% CV for all peptides). The maximum linear dynamic range of the MRM assays ranged from 103–105 for 106 of the assays. Excellent linear responses (r >0.98) were obtained for 117 of the 135 peptide targets with attomole level limits of quantitation (<20% CV and accuracy 80–120%) for 81 of the 135 peptides. The assay presented in this study is easy to use, robust, sensitive, and has high‐throughput capabilities through short analysis time and complete automated sample preparation. It is therefore well suited for CVD biomarker validation and discovery in plasma.
Learning Ensembles of Structured Prediction Rules

We present a series of algorithms with theoretical guarantees for learning accurate ensembles of several structured prediction rules for which no prior knowledge is assumed. This includes a number of randomized and deterministic algorithms devised by converting on-line learning algorithms to batch ones, and a boostingstyle algorithm applicable in the context of structured prediction with a large number of labels. We also report the results of extensive experiments with these algorithms.
Comparison of Endogenous TP53 Genomic Status with Clonogenicity and Different Modes of Cell Death after X Irradiation

Abstract Lu-Hesselmann, J., Abend, M. and van Beuningen, D. Comparison of Endogenous TP53 Genomic Status with Clonogenicity and Different Modes of Cell Death after X Irradiation. Radiat. Res. 161, 39–47 (2004). Although extensive data indicate that the tumor suppressor TP53 modifies the radiation responses of human and rodent cells, the exact relationship between TP53 and radiation responsiveness remains controversial. To elucidate the relevance of endogenous TP53 genomic status to radiosensitivity in a cell-type-independent manner, different cells of 10 human tumor cell lines with different tissues of origin were examined for TP53 status. The TP53 status was compared with radiation-related cell survival parameters (Dq, D0, SF2) and with the mode of cell death. Different modes of cell death were examined by measuring radiation-induced micronucleation, apoptosis and abnormal cells. Alterations of the TP53 gene were detected in eight cell lines. No splicing mutation was found. Five cell lines showed codon 68 polymorphism. Codon 72 alterations were found in four cell lines. “Hot spot” alterations were detected in only two of 10 cell lines. Although the cells differed widely in survival parameters (Dq, D0, SF2) and modes of cell death (micronucleation/apoptosis/abnormal cells) after irradiation, significant cell-type-independent correlations were obtained between the multiple cell death parameter micronucleation/apoptosis/abnormal cells and SF2 (P < 0.001) and Dq (P = 0.003). Moreover, cells with a wild-type TP53 gene were more resistant to X rays than cells with a mutated TP53 gene or cells that were TP53-deficient. The alterations within exons 5–10 of the TP53 correlated with a enhanced radiosensitivity. For the first time, we demonstrated a correlation between endogenous genetic alterations within exons 5–10 of TP53 and radiation-related cell survival and cell death. This indicates a new molecular relevance of TP53 status to intrinsic cellular radiosensitivity.
Cryptic speciation in two widespread subterranean amphipod genera reflects historical drainage patterns in an ancient landscape

The landscape of the Pilbara region of Western Australia has been relatively unchanged for 100 million years. The ancient river systems of this region might be expected to be sources of isolation and divergence for aquatic species. Hence, the occurrence of widespread groundwater taxa in this landscape offers the opportunity to examine associations between genetic diversity and drainage patterns. Pilbarus and Chydaekata are two widespread genera of subterranean amphipods endemic to the Pilbara, each occupying multiple tributaries. We used molecular data to examine the roles of drainage patterns in structuring genetic diversity. Gene flow within a tributary may be facilitated by the occasional occurrence of these amphipods in springs, which results in their downstream dispersal during episodic flooding. However, tributary boundaries may form hydrological barriers to gene flow, resulting in localised isolation of populations and divergence. Samples of both genera, collected throughout three river basins, were examined for sequence divergence in the cytochrome c oxidase I mitochondrial gene. There was no evidence of contemporary gene flow among populations of either genus, and each tributary contained highly divergent lineages, which were not associated with similar morphological differentiation. This suggests cryptic speciation has occurred, and similar phylogenetic signals in both taxa imply similar evolutionary histories. Surface populations may have been driven into subterranean refugia by the cessation of flow in the rivers, associated with Tertiary climate change, while morphological evolution may have been constrained by stabilising selection. The lack of congruence between molecular diversity and morphology raises important practical issues for conservation.
Complete maturation of the plastid protein translocation channel requires a type I signal peptidase

The protein translocation channel at the plastid outer envelope membrane, Toc75, is essential for the viability of plants from the embryonic stage. It is encoded in the nucleus and is synthesized with a bipartite transit peptide that is cleaved during maturation. Despite its important function, the molecular mechanism and the biological significance of the full maturation of Toc75 remain unclear. In this study, we show that a type I signal peptidase (SPase I) is responsible for this process. First, we demonstrate that a bacterial SPase I converted Toc75 precursor to its mature form in vitro. Next, we show that disruption of a gene encoding plastidic SPase I (Plsp1) resulted in the accumulation of immature forms of Toc75, severe reduction of plastid internal membrane development, and a seedling lethal phenotype. These phenotypes were rescued by the overexpression of Plsp1 complementary DNA. Plsp1 appeared to be targeted both to the envelope and to the thylakoidal membranes; thus, it may have multiple functions.
Performance analysis of a periodic data reorganization algorithm for concurrent Blink-trees in database systems

Tainan, Taiwan This paper develops a periodic data reorganization algorithm for the B ‘ink-tree data structure in concurrent environments, and identifies conditions under which the data reorganization should be performed in order to minimize the response time per access operation. Index Terms B*-trees, B”“k-tress, performance analysis, database, concurrent maintenance, periodic maintenance. algorithm analysis, deadlocks.
WIND FARM DESIGN AND A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED REGIONS IN JORDAN

Five sits were selected in different regions of Jordan (north -Hofa , north - Ibrahimya . middle Tafila , middle - Fujaij and south-Aqaba) Measurements by the National Energy Research Centre (NERC) where collected for many years these measurements were evaluated in order to have an overiew about the potential of wind resources in Jordan and to compare the different potentials for these sites
Towards evaluating learners' behaviour in a Web-based distance learning environment

The accessibility of the World Wide Web and the ease of use of the tools to browse the resources on the Web have made this technology extremely popular and the means of choice for distance education. Many sophisticated Web-based learning environments have been developed and are in use around the world. Educators using these environments and tools, however, have very little support to evaluate learners' activities and discriminate between different learner's online behaviours. The authors exploit the existence of Web access logs and advanced data mining techniques to extract useful patterns that can help educators and Web masters evaluate and interpret online course activities in order to assess the learning process, track student actions and measure Web course structure effectiveness.
Restoring the Differential Resistance of MD6

These notes present new results to reestablish the differential resistance of MD6. In this paper we introduce a classification system of differential weight patterns that allows us to extend previous analysis to prove that MD6 is resistant to differential cryptanalysis. Our analysis allows us to more than double the security margin of MD6 against differential attacks.
Vegetation Sensing Using GPS-Interferometric Reflectometry: Theoretical Effects of Canopy Parameters on Signal-to-Noise Ratio Data

The potential to use GPS signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data to estimate changes in vegetation surrounding a ground-based antenna is evaluated. A 1-D plane-stratified model that simulates the response of GPS SNR data to changes in both soil moisture and vegetation is presented. The model is validated against observations of SNR data from four field sites with varying vegetation cover. Validation shows that the average correlation between modeled and observed SNR data is higher than the average correlation between concurrent SNR observations from different satellite tracks at a site. The model also reproduces variations in the SNR metrics amplitude, phase, and effective reflector height over a range of vegetation wet weights from 0 to 4 kg · m-2, with r2 values of 0.79, 0.84, and 0.62, respectively. Model simulations indicate that the amplitude of SNR oscillations may be used to estimate vegetation amount when vegetation wet weight is below 1.5 kg · m-2. When vegetation wet weight exceeds 1.5 kg · m-2, the sensitivity of amplitude to changes in vegetation amount decreases. Phase of SNR oscillations also varies consistently with vegetation up to 1.5 kg · m-2. However, phase is also very sensitive to soil moisture variations, thus limiting its utility for estimating vegetation. Effective reflector height is not a consistent indicator of vegetation change. Beyond 1.5 kg · m-2, the constant frequency assumption used to characterize SNR fluctuations does not adequately describe observed data. A more complex approach than the standard SNR metrics used here is required to extend GPS-Interferometric Reflectometry sensing to thicker canopies.
Towards Secure Decoy Routing by Using SDN

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is an emerging architecture, which allows networks to be centralized and programmable, aiding researchers in implementing complex network algorithms and policies. While SDN is widely used in LANs, it has also been deployed in WAN environments [2]. Like Tor, Decoy Routing [3] aids users to circumvent censorship on the Internet. While Tor uses onion routing, Decoy Routing uses some designated routers within the censored network, to divert traffic between the blocked destination and the client. Decoy Routing is faster than Tor as the former does away with multiple cryptographic operations. As the traditional routers are not programmable, Decoy Routers are either servers with router software, or routers with proxy servers connected to them. In either case, such routers slow down traffic, nor is it scalable to manage them. We use SDN-based routers for Decoy Routing. In our work, we propose an SDN-based Decoy Routing protocol, without losing any of its Decoy Routing capabilities [1]. Our protocol is equally secure as the original Decoy Routing protocol. Adversaries have used traffic analysis for attacking Tor and Decoy Routing. These routers have used traffic engineering to defend against these attacks. Thus, programmability of routers eliminates the need for servers or proxies, and the controller-based architecture gives us a consistent and centralized view of the Decoy Routing topology in the WAN. Although centralized, the SDN architecture and its implementation are robust. This central view of the network makes traffic engineering scalable [2]. BODY Against existing censorship circumvention protocols, we propose SDN-based Decoy Routing that is faster and resilient to traffic analysis.