Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Classification of Flower Images using Clustering Algorithms

This paper presents a flower classification and identification system that takes a flower image as input and identifies it to be belonging to a particular category present in the database. It begins by performing pre-processing operations on the input image. A set of digital images are segmented using k-means clustering algorithm from which texture and color features are extracted. Texture features are extracted using Log Gabor filters and Color features are extracted by calculating Mean and Standard deviation of color distribution from R, G, and B color channels. Texture and color features are concatenated to form a feature matrix. Features are clustered using K-Means clustering algorithm and Prim's minimum spanning tree algorithm to obtain classes. Test image will undergo the same segmentation and feature extraction process. Finally test image is identified as belonging to particular class based on similarity measure. The algorithms are implemented in MATLAB using Image Processing toolbox.
Thermal Performance of a Three-Phase Induction Motor Under Fault Tolerant Operating Strategies

This paper presents the thermal behavior of a three-phase induction motor under direct torque control, when supplied by a three-phase voltage source inverter with fault tolerant capabilities. For this purpose, a fault tolerant operating strategy based on the connection of the faulty inverter leg to the dc link middle point was considered. The motor thermal profile is obtained through the use of nine thermocouples positioned in both stator and rotor circuits. The experimental results obtained under fault compensated operation show that, as far as the motor thermal characteristics are concerned, it is not necessary to reinforce the motor insulation properties since it is already prepared for such an operation.
Activated Platelet-Derived Growth Factor β Receptor Expression, P13K-AKT Pathway Molecular Analysis, and Transforming Signals in Equine Sarcoids

The equine sarcoid is the most common dermatologic neoplasm reported in horses. Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 are associated with sarcoids, in which the expression of the major transforming oncoprotein (E5) is often recorded. The transformation activity of the virus is due to the binding of the E5 to the platelet-derived growth factor β receptor (PDGFβ-r). In the present study, we show by Western blot in 4 sarcoid samples and 3 normal equine skin samples that the PDGFβ-r is more phosphorylated in sarcoid tissue than in normal skin (P < .001). Furthermore, the physical interaction between the activated receptor and the 85-kDa regulatory subunit (p85) of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) is shown by coimmunoprecipitation. The PI3K-AKT-cyclin D3 molecular pathway downstream to the activation of the PDGFβ-r is shown to be expressed, and the amount of the investigated molecules is higher than normal (P < .001), suggesting an activation of these effectors in sarcoids. Further, we demonstrate that phospho-JNK and phospho-JUN are more expressed in sarcoids than in normal skin. Our results provide new insights into the pathogenesis of equine sarcoids and support the validity of this in-vivo model to further characterize the molecular pathways underlying BPV E5-induced carcinogenesis.
Simulation and control integrated framework for modular snake robots locomotion research

Executing challenging tasks in field robotics, commonly depends on the locomotive capabilities of the robot. Particularly, modular snake robots have shown an increasing ability to perform mobility and manipulation tasks in different environments. However, its locomotion strategies are not trivial and the modeling of such type of motion is still an important research goal. Consequently, robust controlling software to command motion and retrieve data is needed. Since the execution of experiments with these robots is expensive and time consuming, computer aided dynamics simulation becomes an indispensable tool to reduce the gap between modeling and real experiments validations. In this paper, a framework architecture to control and simultaneously simulate the modular snake robot locomotion behavior is presented. Using this integrated tool, experiments with real robots can be carried out, simulations of a virtual robot in a user-defined environment can be run and the retrieval of useful data from real or virtual outputs can be performed in a log file.
Amino Acids and Glucose in Human Blood Plasma after Beef and Nonprotein Meals 1

Summary Amino acid analysis of human blood plasma showed considerable intra- and terindividual variation in fasting as well as in the postprandial state. The mean maximal postprandial rise of all amino acids usually occurred in the first or second hour after test meal ingestion but in any individual it could be delayed as long as 4 hr. The plasma amino acid molar ratios were quite different from those calculated for beef muscle protein and we conclude that the amino acid pattern of the test meal was not reflected in the plasma. Ingestion of a nonprotein meal resulted in reduced plasma amino acid concentrations that persisted for 8 hr. Ingestion of beef resulted in a significant drop in plasma glucose concentration in the first 2 hr and the expected rise in amino N and urea N.
HLA and pregnancy: the paradox of the fetal allograft.

The immunologic challenges posed by the evolution of viviparity were described nearly 50 years ago in the classic paper by Medawar (1953), in which he posed the question “how does the pregnant mother contrive to nourish within itself, for many weeks or months, a foetus that is an antigenically foreign body? ” (p. 324). At the time this paper was written, the deleterious effects of maternal-fetal Rh incompatibility were well known, but antigens responsible for the rapid and violent rejection of foreign tissues were undiscovered.
Algebra with indefinite involution and its representation in Krein space

It is often inevitable to introduce an indefinite-metric space in quantum field theory, for example, which is explained for the sake of the manifestly covariant quantization of the electromagnetic field. We show two more evident mathematical reasons why such indefinite metric appears. The first idea is the replacement of involution on an algebra. For an algebra ${\cal A}$ with an involution $\sdag$ such that a representation of the involutive algebra $({\cal A},\sdag)$ brings an indefinite-metric space, we replace the involution $\sdag$ with a new one * on ${\cal A}$ such that $({\cal A},*)$ is a well-known involutive algebra acting on a representation space with positive definite metric. This explains that non-isomorphic two involutive algebras are transformed each other by the replacement of involution. The second is that a covariant (Hilbert space) representation $({\cal H},\pi,U)$ of an involutive dynamical system $(({\cal A},*),{\bf Z}_{2},\alpha)$ brings a Krein space representation of the algebra ${\cal A}$ with the replaced involution. For example, we show representations of abnormal CCRs, CARs and pseudo-Cuntz algebras arising from those of standard CCRs, CARs and Cuntz algebras.
Analytical sociology is a research strategy

Analytical sociology is a methodological strategy aimed at refining theoretically informed empirical social research. Given the central assumption that the role of sociology is to explain macro level phenomena, analytical sociology makes pragmatic use of abstract models of social action and interaction, such as the DBO-model. The realization that it is not a philosophy or a psychology, nor a universal theory of the social, implies that it is by actually explaining social phenomena that analytical sociology will make a name for itself.
The Mobius execution policy

Mobius is an extensible framework and tool for performance and dependability modeling, and supports multiple modeling formalisms and solvers. As a framework, Mobius must be sufficiently general to capture the various formalism behaviors. Specifically, the Mobius execution policy must be flexible enough to accommodate the execution policies of all formalisms implemented in the framework. We know of no existing execution policy which is capable of doing this and meeting the many other goals of the framework. We present the Mobius execution policy that addresses these needs. In developing the policy, we have generalized the various preemption policies and made all aspects of the execution policy state-dependent, which has never before been considered. Because all aspects may be state-dependent, we also had to relax the assumption that work proceeds at a constant rate; this is also novel. Finally, we show that within the context of Mobius, the extra structure and overhead needed to implement a particular behavior can largely be avoided except when that behavior is present in a model.
Fault diagnosis of an induction motor based on differential algebra reconstructors

Recently the differential algebraic approach for fault diagnosis has been established. The main idea of this approach is to put the diagnosis problem solution in terms of the algebraic observability of the variables describing the faults behavior. Then, the diagnosis problem solution is interpreted as the ability to deduce a differential-algebraic relation with coefficients in a differential field for each component of the fault variable. In this paper, the algebraic approach is used for fault detection and fault estimation of a wound-rotor induction motor (WRIM).
Spezifische Psychotherapie der chronischen Depression mit dem Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy

Zusammenfassung Depressive Erkrankungen machen 36% aller psychiatrischen Störungen aus und münden in einem Drittel der Fälle in einen chronischen Verlauf, der schwierig zu therapieren ist. Einen Schlüssel zur Optimierung der Behandlung stellt die Veränderung der aufrechterhaltenen psychosozialen Faktoren durch spezifische Verhaltenstherapie dar. Das “Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy” – CBASP – nach James P. McCullough ist eine empirisch evaluierte Weiterentwicklung kognitiv-behavioraler und interpersoneller verhaltenstherapeutischer Strategien zur ambulanten Behandlung der chronischen Depression. Der Artikel fasst wichtige Informationen über die theoretische Basis, den entwicklungsbezogenen Einfluss von gelerntem und regelgeleitetem Verhalten auf die emotional kognitive Organisation, den interpersonellen Fokus der Therapie, die Behandlungsstrategien nach “Bottom-Up” und “TopDown” wirksamen Interventionen, die Behandlungsphasen und die wichtigsten Therapieziele zusammen.
Four Models of HIV Counseling and Testing: Utilization and Test Results in South Africa

Background HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) is the point-of-entry for pathways of HIV care and prevention. However, HCT is not reaching many who are HIV infected and this may be related to the HCT provision model. We describe HCT utilization and HIV diagnosis using four models of HCT delivery: clinic-based, urban mobile, rural mobile, and stand-alone. Methods Using cross-sectional data from routine HCT provided in South Africa, we described client characteristics and HIV test results from information collected during service delivery between January 2009 and June 2012. Results 118,358 clients received services at clinic-based units, 18,597; stand-alone, 28,937; urban mobile, 38,840; and rural mobile, 31,984. By unit, clients were similar in terms of median age (range 28–31), but differed in sex distribution, employment status, prior testing, and perceived HIV risk. Urban mobile units had the highest proportion of male clients (52%). Rural mobile units reached the highest proportion of clients with no prior HCT (61%) and reporting no perceived HIV risk (64%). Overall, 10,862 clients (9.3%) tested HIV-positive. Conclusions Client characteristics varied by HCT model. Importantly, rural and urban mobile units reached more men, first-time testers, and clients who considered themselves to be at low risk for HIV.
The ideal victims? Women with intellectual disability as victims of prostitution-related crime

In Sweden several recent prostitution-related offences where the victims were women with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have created problems for criminal investigators and prosecutors. Based on court documents and interviews with police, prosecutors and social workers, and drawing upon Christie's notion of the ‘ideal victim’, four legal cases were analysed. Obtaining solid witness accounts from the victims was usually difficult. Several had a personal relationship with the defendant and were initially reluctant to provide a proper witness statement. Different types of psychological, social, and cognitive support had to be arranged to facilitate the process. As the analysis shows, there is a clear need to improve the skills and methods of professionals working within the legal system to ensure that the rights of individuals with IDs are properly met within the justice system, and that the quality of the police's work with them can stand up to scrutiny.
Vitamin A Deficiency and Alterations in the Extracellular Matrix

Vitamin A or retinol which is the natural precursor of several biologically active metabolites can be considered the most multifunctional vitamin in mammals. Its deficiency is currently, along with protein malnutrition, the most serious and common nutritional disorder worldwide. It is necessary for normal embryonic development and postnatal tissue homeostasis, and exerts important effects on cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. These actions are produced mainly by regulating the expression of a variety of proteins through transcriptional and non-transcriptional mechanisms. Extracellular matrix proteins are among those whose synthesis is known to be modulated by vitamin A. Retinoic acid, the main biologically active form of vitamin A, influences the expression of collagens, laminins, entactin, fibronectin, elastin and proteoglycans, which are the major components of the extracellular matrix. Consequently, the structure and macromolecular composition of this extracellular compartment is profoundly altered as a result of vitamin A deficiency. As cell behavior, differentiation and apoptosis, and tissue mechanics are influenced by the extracellular matrix, its modifications potentially compromise organ function and may lead to disease. This review focuses on the effects of lack of vitamin A in the extracellular matrix of several organs and discusses possible molecular mechanisms and pathologic implications.
Discovered Preferences for Risky and Non-Risky Goods

We develop an axiomatic theory that integrates the discovered preference hypothesis into neoclassical microeconomic choice theory. A theory in which preferences must be discovered through experience can explain patterns observed in choice data, including preference reversals, evolution of or instability in risky choice, and errors that decline with repetition as seen in contingent valuation data. With reasonable assumptions, we show that preferences for common, high-ranked, and non-stochastic choice items are learned quickly and thus should appear stable. However, initially low-ranked choice items may remain persistently mis-ranked. Preferences for choice items with stochastic outcomes are difficult to learn, so choice under uncertainty is subject to error. At finite time, a choice item is more likely to be mis-ranked if it has stochastic outcomes, if it is initially low-ranked, or if it appears rarely in choice sets. The existence of a default option may or may not render correct ranking more difficult. Undiscovered preferences can lead to real welfare loss as agents make choices not congruent with their true preferences. This theory is amenable to tests using laboratory experiments. Preference discovery has implications for policy, and the process of discovery may contaminate choice data in a variety of contexts.
Distribution and mobility of lectin receptors on synaptic membranes of identified neurons in the central nervous system

The distribution and mobility of concanavalin A (Con A) and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA) receptors (binding sites) on the external surfaces of Purkinje, hippocampal pyramidal, and granule cells and their attached boutons were studied using ferritin-lectin conjugates. Dendritic fields of these cells were isolated by microdissection and gently homogenized. Cell fragments and pre- and postsynaptic membranes were labeled with the ferritin-lectin conjugates at a variety of temperatures, and the distribution of lectin receptors was determined by electron microscopy. Both classes of these lectin receptors were concentrated at nearly all open and partially open postsynaptic junctional membranes of asymmetric-type synapses on all three neuron types. Con A receptors were most concentrated at the junctional membrane region, indicating that the mature neuron has a specialized nonrandom organization of carbohydrates on its outer surface. Lectin receptors located on postsynaptic junctional membranes appeared to be restricted in their mobility compared to similar classes of receptors on extrajunctional membrane regions. Labeling with ferritin-RCA and - Con A at 37 degrees C produced clustering of lectin receptors on nonjunctional surfaces; however, Con A and RCA receptors retained their nonrandom topographic distribution on the postsynaptic junctional surface. The restricted mobility of lectin receptors was an inherent property of the postsynaptic membrane since the presynaptic membrane was absent. It is proposed that structures in the postsynaptic density may be transmembrane-linked to postsynaptic receptors and thereby determine topographic distribution and limit diffusion of specialized synaptic molecules. Speicalized receptor displays may play an important role in the formation and maintenance of specific synaptic contacts.
Polarized Signal Classification by Complex and quaternionic Multi-Layer Perceptrons

For polarized signals, which arise in many application fields, a statistical framework in terms of quaternionic random processes is proposed. Based on it, the ability of real-, complex- and quaternionic-valued multi-layer perceptrons (MLPs) of performing classification tasks for such signals is evaluated. For the multi-dimensional neural networks the relevance of class label representations is discussed. For signal to noise separation it is shown that the quaternionic MLP yields an optimal solution. Results on the classification of two different polarized signals are also reported.
Support for Caregivers of Cancer Patients: Transition After Active Treatment

Family caregivers provide uncompensated care and assistance to a family member who has cancer. When patients move through the care trajectory into the survivorship phase, roles and demands of caregivers change and caregivers assume responsibility to assist with coordination of ongoing care. The goal of this article is to describe aspects of caregiver experiences and the roles of caregivers as patients transition from active cancer treatment into the first and early phase of cancer care. Residual problems for patients and caregivers remain for some period of time. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(10); 2015–21. ©2011 AACR.
A cross‐cultural study of motivation for self‐employment : Comparing China, Mexico, and the USA

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relative levels of multiple individual and environmental factors that influence self‐employment motivation in China, Mexico, and the USA and the effect of each factor on motivation for self‐employment in each country.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was administered to 987 students at universities in the USA (n=535), Mexico (n=195), and China (n=257). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assure measurement model fit. Hypotheses were tested using ANOVA tests and regression analyses.Findings – Results indicate that: the USA has the individual and environmental factors most favorable to self‐employment; Mexico has the highest level of motivation for self‐employment; independence and risk taking are the best predictors of motivation for self‐employment in all three countries; the predictive capability of independence, risk taking, and social networks appears similar for China and the USA; and the predictive capability of informal institutio.
Adaptive FAST TCP

FAST TCP is a new transmission control protocol proposed for future high bandwidth-delay product networks. The stability and performance analysis of FAST TCP is an active research area. Researches show that the performance of FAST TCP, such as throughput, packet drop rate, link utilization, is sensitive to the setting of alpha , which is one of the key parameter for FAST TCP. To eliminate the sensitivity, an adaptive FAST TCP algorithm named AFAST TCP is proposed, which can adjust the value of alpha according to the difference between current estimated queuing delay of the buffer in router and the target queuing delay expected by the applications. As a result, the queuing delay can be controlled to a specific value. The analyses and simulation show that AFAST TCP performs better in networks with widely changing conditions and eliminates the dependence of performance on parameter setting effectively.
Deterministic Construction of Artificial Scale-Free Networks with Designated Maximum Degree

In this paper, we consider the problem of constructing scale-free networks in a deterministic manner. Scale-free networks have several favorable properties as the topology of interconnection networks such as the short diameter and the quick message propagation. The proposed algorithm is an extension of the Bulut's algorithm for constructing scale-free networks with designated minimum degree k and maximum degree m, such that: 1) it determines the ideal number of edges derived from the ideal degree distribution; and 2) after connecting each new node to k existing nodes as in the Bulut's algorithm, it adjusts the number of edges to the ideal value by conducting add/removal of edges. The performance of the algorithm is experimentally evaluated.
Exploiting Near Time Forecasting From Social Network To Decongest Traffic

Preventing traffic congestion by forecasting near time traf fic flows is an important problem as it leads to effective use of transport resources. Social network provides information about activities of humans and social events. Thus, with the help of social network, we can extract which humans will attend a par- ticular event (in near time) and can estimate flow of traffic ba sed on it. This opens up a wide area of research which poses need to have a framework for traffic man- agement that can capture essential parameters of real-life behaviour and provide a way to iterate upon and evaluate new ideas. In this paper, we present building blocks of a framework and a system to simulate a city with its transport system, humans and their social network. We emphasize on relevant parameters selected and modular design of the framework. Our framework defines me trics to evalu- ate congestion avoidance strategies. To show utility of the framework, we present experimental studies of few strategies on a public transport system.