Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microtubule polymer assembly and transport during axonal elongation

As axons elongate, tubulin, which is synthesized in the cell body, must be transported and assembled into new structures in the axon. The mechanism of transport and the location of assembly are presently unknown. We report here on the use of tubulin tagged with a photoactivatable fluorescent group to investigate these issues. Photoactivatable tubulin, microinjected into frog embryos at the two- cell stage, is incorporated into microtubules in neurons obtained from explants of the neural tube. When activated by light, a fluorescent mark is made on the microtubules in the axon, and transport and turnover can be visualized directly. We find that microtubules are generated in or near the cell body and continually transported distally as a coherent phase of polymer during axon elongation. This vectorial polymer movement was observed at all levels on the axon, even in the absence of axonal elongation. Measurements of the rate of polymer translocation at various places in the axon suggest that new polymer is formed by intercalary assembly along the axon and assembly at the growth cone in addition to transport of polymer from the cell body. Finally, polymer movement near the growth cone appeared to respond in a characteristic manner to growth cone behavior, while polymer proximally in the axon moved more consistently. These results suggest that microtubule translocation is the principal means of tubulin transport and that translocation plays an important role in generating new axon structure at the growth cone.
Single-Motor Robotic Gripper With Multi-Surface Fingers for Variable Grasping Configurations

This study proposes a novel robotic gripper with variable grasping configurations for grasping various objects. The fingers of the developed gripper incorporate multiple different surfaces. The gripper possesses the function of altering the finger surfaces facing a target object by rotating the fingers in its longitudinal direction. In the proposed design equipped with two fingers, the two fingers incorporate three and four surfaces, respectively, resulting in the nine available grasping configurations by the combination of these finger surfaces. The developed gripper is equipped with the functions of opening/closing its fingers for grasping and rotating its fingers to alter the grasping configuration— all achieved with a single motor. To enable the two motions using a single motor, this study introduces a self-motion switching mechanism utilizing magnets. This mechanism automatically transitions between gripper motions based on the direction of the motor rotation when the gripper is fully opened. In this state, rotating the motor towards closing initiates the finger closing action, while further opening the fingers from the fully opened state activates the finger rotation. This letter presents the gripper design, the mechanics of the self-motion switching mechanism, the control method, and the grasping configuration selection strategy. The performance of the gripper is experimentally demonstrated.
SMART - IWRM : Integrated Water Resources Management in the Lower Jordan Rift Valley; Project Report Phase I (KIT Scientific Reports ; 7597)

This book provides an overview of the large scale Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) research program SMART at the Lower Jordan River Basin which aims at local implementation, knowledge & capacity building. The focus of the first phase is placed on decentralised wastewater treatment and reuse, water quality including emerging pollutants, management and modelling of groundwater systems, artificial recharge, socio-economic frameworks, a transboundary database and decision support tools.
Kinetic theory of virus capsid assembly

A phenomenological theory is presented for the kinetics of the in vitro assembly and disassembly of icosahedral virus capsids in solutions of coat proteins. The focus is on conditions where nucleation-type processes can be ignored. We find that the kinetics of assembly is strongly concentration dependent and that the late-stage relaxation time varies as the inverse of the square of the concentration. These findings are corroborated by experimental observations on a number of viruses. Further, our theory shows that hysteresis observed in some experiments could be a direct effect of the kinetics of a high-order mass action law, not necessarily the result of a free energy barrier between assembled and disassembled states.
Classical equivalent circuit parameters for a double-layer capacitor

As an emerging technology in the area of energy storage, the double-layer capacitor is a promising device for certain niche applications. The double-layer capacitor is a low voltage device exhibiting an extremely high capacitance value in comparison with other capacitor technologies of a similar physical size. Capacitors with values in excess of 1500 F are now available. In slow discharge applications on the order of a few seconds, the classical equivalent circuit for a double-layer capacitor, composed of a capacitance (C), an equivalent parallel resistance (EPR), and an equivalent series resistance (ESR), can adequately describe capacitor performance. The focus of this work is the determination of these parameters for four different capacitors from discharge data using standard laboratory equipment such as an oscilloscope. Capacitance values are calculated using a change in stored energy approach which allows determination of an initial capacitance, a discharge capacitance, and variations in capacitance with voltage. The sensitivity of ESR and capacitance to charge rate and initial charge voltage is also reported.
Quantitative trading models based on Sufficient Dimension Reduction and Ensemble Learning

With the continuous development of the securities market, constructing quantitative trading strategies with strong generalization ability the adaption to dynamic and changeable market environment is becoming more and more momentous in the field of quantitative finance. Under such circumstances, this paper proposes a stock prediction model based on sufficient dimension reduction theory and ensemble learning, which can be deployed on quantitative trading strategy. The proposed model on the one hand alleviates the curse of dimension by using the sufficient dimension reduction method and maximally retains variation of stock factors, on the other hand employs ensemble learning technique which can weigh model bias and variance to address the overfitting or underfitting problems. Furthermore, since ensemble learning are model free, different sub-models can be applied to improve the generalization ability of the algorithm on predicting occasions. In the section of accuracy comparison and quantitative trading strategy experiments based on real stock datasets, the proposed model demonstrates the best prediction results and adequate robustness compared to other existed methods.
ON BI-SHADOWING OF SUBCLASSES OF ALMOST CONTRACTIVE TYPE MAPPINGS

A result on bi-shadowing for continuous single-valued contractions satisfying certain conditions has been given by AlBadarneh (2015). In this paper, we continue the discussion of asymptotic properties of trajectories for mappings belonging to more subclasses of almost contractions. In particular, we prove that Zamfirescu Mappings, QuasiContractions, Generalised Contractions, and Hardy-Rogers Contractions are bi-shadowing.
A UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DO OESTE DO PARANÁ E SEU CONTEXTO SÓCIO-HISTÓRICO

This article presents a brief history of the State University of the West of Parana (Brazil) - Unioeste -, passing for its location and historical and social contextualization, going by its trajectory, for the challenges of its consolidation, for the articulation among the teaching, the research and the extension, as well as for the importance of the research groups in front of these three dimensions of the university. Keywords: Unioeste; Brazilian universities; History of the education.
Diagnostic Efficacy of Cell Block Immunohistochemistry, Smear Cytology, and Liquid-Based Cytology in Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration of Pancreatic Lesions: A Single-Institution Experience

Background The diagnostic efficiency of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) cytology varies widely depending on the treatment method of the specimens. The present study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of cell block (CB) immunohistochemistry, smear cytology (SC), and liquid-based cytology (LBC) in patients with pancreatic lesions without consulting an on-site cytopathologist. Methods This study prospectively enrolled 72 patients with pancreatic lesions. The EUS-FNA specimens were examined by SC, LBC, and CB immunohistochemistry. The diagnostic efficacy of the 3 methods was then compared. Patients’ final diagnosis was confirmed by surgical resection specimens, diagnostic imaging, and clinical follow-up. Results Our results included 60 malignant and 12 benign pancreatic lesions. The diagnostic sensitivity (90%), negative predictive value (66.7%), and accuracy (91.7%) of CB immunohistochemistry were significantly higher than those of SC (70.0%, 30.0%, and 75.0%, respectively) and LBC (73.3%, 31.6%, and 77.8%, respectively) (all P<0.05). The combination of CB and SC, or CB and LBC, did not significantly increase the efficacy compared to CB immunohistochemistry alone. Conclusion Our findings suggest that in the absence of an on-site cytopathologist, CB immunohistochemistry on EUS-FNA specimens offers a higher diagnostic efficacy in patients with pancreatic lesions than does SC and LBC.
Stochastic Structured Prediction under Bandit Feedback

Stochastic structured prediction under bandit feedback follows a learning protocol where on each of a sequence of iterations, the learner receives an input, predicts an output structure, and receives partial feedback in form of a task loss evaluation of the predicted structure. We present applications of this learning scenario to convex and non-convex objectives for structured prediction and analyze them as stochastic first-order methods. We present an experimental evaluation on problems of natural language processing over exponential output spaces, and compare convergence speed across different objectives under the practical criterion of optimal task performance on development data and the optimization-theoretic criterion of minimal squared gradient norm. Best results under both criteria are obtained for a non-convex objective for pairwise preference learning under bandit feedback.
Compact silica arrayed-waveguide grating with small bend radius utilizing trenches filled with low-refractive index material

We present details of a local high-index contrast silica waveguide that uses trenches filled with a low-refractive index material enabling bends with small radius to be used. The lateral relative refractive index difference was 8.34% and the minimum bend radius was 300μm. An 8-channel, 100GHz spacing compact arrayed-waveguide grating using waveguides with small bend radius was successfully fabricated.
A New Nonhuman Primate Model of Severe Dry Eye

Purpose: The aim of this study was to establish a new rhesus monkey model of severe dry eye. Methods: A total of 8 rhesus monkeys were used for the study. Four monkeys had their main lacrimal gland and nictitating membrane surgically removed (group 1). Another 4 monkeys had a similar surgery with further application of 50% trichloroacetic acid on the bulbar conjunctiva (group 2). The ocular surface was evaluated before and after the surgery (1, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks) using Schirmer-1 test, corneal fluorescein staining, and the lissamine green test. Conjunctival impression cytology was also performed before and 24 weeks after the surgery. Finally, the cornea and the conjunctiva were evaluated using light microscopy. Results: A significant decrease in tear secretion was observed in all operated eyes. Schirmer test data measured were ⩽4 mm in all the operated eyes. Slit-lamp examination also revealed abnormal staining in all the operated eyes that remained stable until the end of the experiment. In group 2, corneal fluorescein staining and lissamine green test values were always ≥5 (max 12) and ≥4 (max 9), respectively. Impression cytology specimens of both the treated groups showed conjunctival squamous metaplasia and a decreased number of goblet cells. Under light microscopy, the corneal epithelium appeared irregular with edematous basal epithelial cells. The conjunctiva showed a decreased goblet cell density with infiltration of inflammatory cells. Conclusions: Complete removal of the principal lacrimal gland and nictitating membrane associated with the application of 50% trichloroacetic acid on the conjunctiva could induce severe dry eye in rhesus monkeys.
Authoring 3D hypermedia for wearable augmented and virtual reality

Most existing authoring systems for wearable augmentedand virtual reality experiences concentrate oncreating separate media objects and embedding themwithin the user's surroundings. In contrast, designingnarrative multimedia experiences for such environmentsis still largely a tedious manual task. We present an authoringtool for creating and editing 3D hypermedia narrativesthat are interwoven with a wearable computeruser's surrounding environment. Our system is designedfor use by authors who are not programmers, and allowsthem to preview their results on a desktop workstation, aswell as with an augmented or virtual reality system.
Stochasticks: augmenting the billiards experience with probabilistic vision and wearable computers

We propose a practical application of wearable computing and augmented reality which enhances the game of billiards. A vision algorithm is implemented which operates in interactive-time with the user to assist planning and aiming. Probabilistic color models and symmetry operations are used to localize the table, pockets and balls through a video camera near the user's eye. Classification of the objects of interest is performed and each possible shot is ranked in order to determine its relative usefulness. The system allows the user to proceed through a regular pool game while it automatically determines strategic shots. The resulting trajectories are rendered as graphical overlays on a head mounted live video display. The wearable video output and the computer vision system provide an integration of real and virtual environments which enhances the experience of playing and learning the game of billiards without encumbering the player.
Computer Facial Animation: A Review

Computer facial animation is not a new endeavour as it had been introduced since 1970s. However, animating human face still presents interesting challenges because of its familiarity as the face is the part used to recognize individuals.Facial modelling and facial animation are important in developing realistic computer facial animation. Both modelling and animation is dependent to drive the animation.This paper reviews several geometric -based modelling (shape interpolation,parameterization and muscle-based animation)and data-driven animation (image-based techniques speech-driven techniques and performance-driven animation) techniques used in computer graphics and vision for facial animation. The main concept s and problems for each technique are highlighted in the paper.
Karakteristik Massa Air Lapisan Tercampur dan Lapisan Termoklin di Selat Lombok Pada Bulan November 2015

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui karakteristik massa air pada lapisan campuran dan lapisan termoklin. Karakteristik massa air pada penelitian ini adalah suhu, salinitas, kepadatan, stabilitas statis dan jenis air. Penelitian ini menggunakan data suhu, salinitas, kepadatan dan kedalaman yang berasal dari CTD. Data suhu dan Salinitas digunakan untuk menentukan jenis air menggunakan diagram T-S (Temperature-Salinity) menurut klasifikasi Wyrtki sedangkan data kepadatan dan kedalaman digunakan untuk menentukan stabilitas statis. Stratifikasi massa air diklasifikasikan berdasarkan nilai ambang batas >0,125 kg/m3 dari nilai kepadatan permukaan untuk lapisan piknoklin dan >0,5°C dari nilai suhu permukaan untuk lapisan termoklin. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan lapisan massa air terstratifikasi vertikal dan kedalaman lapisan campuran bervariasi antara 0-43 m untuk klasifikasi suhu dan 0-45 m untuk klasifikasi kepadatan, lapisan termoklin terdapat pada kedalaman 3-412 m. Stabilitas statis massa air bervariasi antara -15 sampai 30 siklus/jam dan nilai yang tinggi terdapat pada lapisan termoklin. Diagram T-S menunjukkan empat jenis air yang teridentifikasi: North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) yang bercirikan salinitas minimum, North Pacific Subtropical Water (NPSW), North Indian Subrtopical Water (NISW) yang bercirikan salinitas maksimum, dan Australasian Mediterranean Water (AAMW) yang bercirikan salinitas maksimum. ditandai dengan salinitas maksimum.
Free-Energy and Illusions: The Cornsweet Effect

In this paper, we review the nature of illusions using the free-energy formulation of Bayesian perception. We reiterate the notion that illusory percepts are, in fact, Bayes-optimal and represent the most likely explanation for ambiguous sensory input. This point is illustrated using perhaps the simplest of visual illusions; namely, the Cornsweet effect. By using plausible prior beliefs about the spatial gradients of illuminance and reflectance in visual scenes, we show that the Cornsweet effect emerges as a natural consequence of Bayes-optimal perception. Furthermore, we were able to simulate the appearance of secondary illusory percepts (Mach bands) as a function of stimulus contrast. The contrast-dependent emergence of the Cornsweet effect and subsequent appearance of Mach bands were simulated using a simple but plausible generative model. Because our generative model was inverted using a neurobiologically plausible scheme, we could use the inversion as a simulation of neuronal processing and implicit inference. Finally, we were able to verify the qualitative and quantitative predictions of this Bayes-optimal simulation psychophysically, using stimuli presented briefly to normal subjects at different contrast levels, in the context of a fixed alternative forced choice paradigm.
Autonomic Tuning of Routing for MANETs

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), timers have been widely used to maintain routing (state) information. The use of fixed-interval timers is simple to implement but, in practise, may be difficult to configure in dynamic operational environments, and so may give reduced performance in the presence of frequent topology changes. This paper proposes a self-tuning timer approach within a simple control system for MANET routing protocols with the aim of allowing dynamic, autonomic, re-calibration of routing update frequencies. A novel dynamic timer algorithm is presented to automatically tune routing performance by adapting timer intervals to network conditions. Our simulation results have shown that, compared to the default fixed timer approach, the proposed algorithm could effectively improve routing throughput without manual configuration.
Joint sparsity pattern recovery with 1-bit compressive sensing in sensor networks

We study the problem of joint sparsity pattern recovery with 1-bit compressive measurements in a sensor network. Sensors are assumed to observe sparse signals having the same but unknown sparsity pattern. Each sensor quantizes its measurement vector element-wise to 1-bit and transmits the quantized observations to a fusion center. We develop a computationally tractable support recovery algorithm which minimizes a cost function defined in terms of the likelihood function and the ℓ1,∞ norm. We observe that even with noisy 1-bit measurements, joint sparsity pattern can be recovered accurately with multiple sensors each collecting only a small number of measurements.
Heat Exchanger Surrogates for a Vapor Compression System

Given the computationally intensive nature of heat exchanger simulators, utilizing a data-driven surrogate model for efficiently computing the heat exchanger outputs is desirable. This study focuses on developing integrated surrogate models of heat exchangers for a vapor compression system in Modelica. The surrogate models are designed to serve as steady-state equivalents based on an efficient physics-based model which was calibrated using reference data obtained from a more advanced simulation model. Subsequently, the calibrated model was employed to generate the training and testing data for the development of Gaussian Process (GP) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) surrogates. The obtained findings indicate that GPs exhibit high accuracy when applied to the heat exchanger's outputs with smooth behavior. GPs also demonstrate excellent data efficiency compared to MLPs. In cases where the GP struggles to model specific outputs effectively, MLPs are able to capture the more complex behavior. Moreover, hyperparameter optimization is employed to identify optimal MLP topologies. Finally, the fast and compact surrogate model was integrated into the Modelica/Dymola environment. This adaptation allowed the surrogate models to be directly combined with the physical model of the heat exchanger.
Diode Laser Trans-Scleral Cycloablation as Surgical Treatment for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma after Maximum Tolerated Medical Therapy

Material and Methods: It is a quasi-experimental study which was conducted at Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust Free Eye Care and Cancer Hospital, Lahore (LRBT). The duration of study was 1 year (29-03-2013 to 29-03-2014). Sixty patients meeting the inclusion criteria (Inclusion Criteria were Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Maximum tolerated oral / topical medication) Were selected from the Glaucoma unit of LRBT for this study. Twenty five to 30 burns of Diode Laser were applied to 270 degrees avoiding 3 and 9 o clock positions, 1.5 mm posterior to the limbus. Laser was set at duration of 1.5 seconds and power between 1500 and 2000 mw. The power was attuned till a popping sound was heard and then reduced to just below that level. Patients were followed up for a period of one year.
The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology: A Kuwaiti Experience - A Cytohistopathological Study of 374 Cases

Introduction: The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) identifies 6 diagnostic categories in which the risk of malignancy increases respectively. The aim of our study was to assess TBSRTC reporting in our hospital and to evaluate its specificity based on cytohistological correlation. Methods: A histological diagnosis was available in 374 (110 males and 264 females) out of 7,809 thyroid aspirates examined at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Kuwait, from 2004 to 2012. The aspirates were classified in accordance with TBSRTC. Results: Thyroid aspirates were classified as nondiagnostic (n = 18; 4.8%), benign (n = 114; 30.5%); atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS; n = 59; 15.8%), follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN; n = 17; 4.5%), suspicious for malignancy (SM; n = 80; 21.4%), or malignant (n = 86; 23.0%). In 75 of 86 malignant cases, a papillary carcinoma was detected. There were 3 (1.6%) false-positive aspirates and the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value were 91.0, 61.9, 84.2, and 75.3%, respectively. Conclusions: Our results are fairly comparable to those of various previous studies in the SM, AUS/FLUS, and SFN categories. The higher rates observed in the nondiagnostic and benign categories were possibly due to limited guided aspirations and a lack of on-site evaluation for all cases.