Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forgetting Bad Behavior: Memory Management for Case-Based Navigation

Abstract : In this paper, the authors present successful strategies for forgetting cases in a Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) system applied to autonomous robot navigation. This extends previous work that involved a CBR architecture that indexes cases by the spatio-temporal characteristics of the sensor data, and outputs or selects parameters of behaviors in a behavior-based robot architecture. In such a system, the removal of cases can be applied when a new situation unlike any current case in the library is encountered, but the library is full. Various strategies of determining which cases to remove are proposed, including metrics such as how frequently a case is used and a novel spreading activation mechanism. Experimental results show that such mechanisms can increase the performance of the system significantly and allow it to essentially forget old environments in which it was trained in favor of new environments it is currently encountering. The performance of this new system is better than both a purely reactive behavior-based system and the CBR module that did not forget cases. Furthermore, such forgetting mechanisms can be useful even when there is no major environmental shift during training, since some cases can potentially be harmful or rarely used. The relationship between the forgetting mechanism and the case library size also is discussed.
Using the Interactive White Board in Teaching and Learning – An Evaluation of the SMART CLASSROOM Pilot Project

In 2008, an educational organization that works in 60 countries across the world, established a pilot project whereby smart classrooms were installed for use in six middle and senior high schools in Israel. In this project, each school received 10 Interactive White Boards (IWBs) (25% of the total number of classrooms in the school), 32 laptops, internet connection, communication software and teacher training. Formative evaluation accompanied the pilot project for two years in order to examine the effects of integrating technology into instruction on teachers, students, and the school community. The findings indicated the following: a) student motivation and engagement in the learning process increased when studying with the IWB; b) teachers reported on their professional development and enhanced technology skills. The findings also showed that the integration of technology into instruction posed some difficulties and challenges, such as a sense of over-burdening among teachers. The main conclusions were the following: a) there is a need to focus on the pedagogical training of the teachers, with an emphasis on the ways that technology can assist interactive teaching; b) in order to help relieve the over-burdening of teachers, a database of instructional tools should be established providing suggestions for lesson plans and instructional materials; c) accessibility to the technology should be extended to more teachers and students by adding smart classrooms to every school in the project.
Off‐resonance spin locking for MR imaging

Off‐resonance spin locking is investigated as a low power method for achieving low field spin‐lattice relaxation contrast using high field clinical MR imaging systems (e.g., 1.5 tesla). Spin‐lattice relaxation times and equilibrium magnetizations in the off‐resonance rotating frame (T 1ρoff β) were measured for tissue‐mimicking phantom materials as a function of the ratio of the amplitude to the resonance offset of the spin‐locking pulse (f1/Δ). The phantom materials consisted of vegetable oil to simulate fat and two different gels containing 2% and 4% agar to simulate nonfatty tissues with different macromolecular compositions. These measurements were used to verify a signal strength equation for a multislice off‐resonance spin‐locking technique implemented on a clinical MR imaging system operating at 1.5 tesla. Although the oil showed little change in image contrast with increasing f1/Δ, the two gels demonstrated a strong variation which provided improved discrimination compared to T1‐weighted imaging. Off‐resonance spin locking is suggested as a method for improving delineation of breast lesions and a preliminary clinical example from a patient volunteer is presented.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and methionine synthase reductase gene polymorphisms and protection from microvascular complications in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Abstract: Folate status has been associated with endothelial dysfunction in adolescents with type 1 diabetes, and elevated total plasma homoocyst(e)ine (tHcy) is a risk for vascular disease in the non‐diabetic population. Polymorphisms in genes involved in folate and homocysteine metabolism are implicated in vascular disease. We aimed to determine whether polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) genes are risk factors for early microvascular disease in a large group of adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Four hundred and eighty adolescents were screened annually for retinopathy and microalbuminuria for a median of 4 yr. Molecular analysis for the polymorphisms 677C→T, 1298A→C in MTHFR, and 66A→G in MTRR was performed. The MTRR 66GG genotype reduced the risk for elevated albumin excretion rate (AER) (OR 0.47, CI 0.25, 0.88, p = 0.018) and showed a trend to reduced risk for microalbuminuria (OR 0.27, CI 0.06–1.21, p = 0.09). Survival without elevated AER was increased with the MTRR 66GG genotype (12.4 vs. 9.7 yr, p = 0.04) and with the MTHFR 1298CC genotype (15.2 vs. 10.2 yr, p = 0.007). Conversely, survival without retinopathy was reduced with the MTHFR 677TT and MTRR 66GG combined genotype (6.2 vs. 10.2 yr, p = 0.015). The MTRR 66GG and MTHFR 1298 CC genotypes may confer protection against early nephropathy, possibly because they are associated with lower tHcy. The MTHFR 677 TT was only related to earlier onset retinopathy in combination with MTRR 66GG.
Analysis of a Frequency Acquisition Technique With a Stochastic Reference Clock Generator

This brief presents a theoretical analysis of the stochastic reference clock generator (SRCG), which creates a clock like periodic signal from a random nonreturn-to-zero data sequence. The output of the SRCG can be utilized as a reference clock for frequency acquisition in dual-loop clock-and-data recovery circuits. A frequency-locked loop (FLL) subsequent to the SRCG guides the voltage-controlled oscillator frequency into the pull-in range of the phase-locked loop while suppressing the high-frequency phase noise of the SRCG. The phase noise and frequency offset of the SRCG-FLL pair are analyzed. The validity of the theoretical analysis is supported by results taken from a test chip.
Lessons in “Letting Go”: Exploring Constraints on the Culturally Relevant Teaching of Mathematics in Bermuda

Culturally relevant pedagogy has been highly regarded in its ability to impact the mathematics education outcomes of Black children as it is framed from the “wisdom-of-practice” of exemplary teachers, and recasts teaching as an intellectual, cultural, political, and social endeavor. This study illuminates the challenges in drawing potential by examining the personal and systemic challenges faced by four primary teachers in Bermuda as they endeavored to utilize perspectives of culturally relevant pedagogy to frame mathematics instruction. Through the lens of reconceptualized critical theory and a model for the culturally relevant teaching of mathematics, a collective case study was organized. Two major challenges to instruction emerged: (1) teachers' conceptions concerning the authority of the mathematics text as the “official” curriculum, and the sole legitimate source of mathematical knowledge; and (2) teachers' conceptions regarding institutional authority and assessment demands. The findings are explored and discussed.
Clinical Neuropathology Practice News 2-2013: immunohistochemistry pins IDH in glioma – molecular testing procedures under scrutiny

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene mutations occur in ~ 60 – 90% of diffuse and anaplastic gliomas and secondary glioblastomas. IDH status is strongly associated with patient survival times and IDH testing is relevant for clinical patient management and for stratification in clinical trials. A recent interlaboratory ring trial shows that immunohistochemistry is a highly reliable method to detect the most common IDH mutation (R132H), while IDH gene sequencing is less robust. These results support initial immunohistochemistry and subsequent gene sequencing in cases with negative or inconclusive immunostaining result as valid algorithm for IDH testing. Furthermore, they highlight the need for strict quality control of DNA-based biomarker analyses on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor samples.
Mechanisms for IMPULSE INITIATION IN HUMAN ATRIAL FIBERS

We used standard microelectrode techniques to study Tyrode's-superfused human atrial fibers obtained at cardiac surgery. Two types of sustained rhythmic activity occurred. One resulted from slow phase 4 depolarization and had a spontaneous rate = 20-26 beats/min. Epinephrine increased and the slow channel blockers, AHR-2666 (AHR) and verapamil decreased both phase 4 slope and spontaneous rate. Acetylcholine (ACh) and lidocaine decreased the slope of phase 4, but the slowing of rate was less than that induced by AHR and verapamil. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) also decreased the slope of phase 4 and spontaneous rate, to an extent that was intermediate between the actions of AHR-verapamil and ACh-lidocaine. A second type of sustained rhythmic activity was triggered by delayed afterdepolarizations (DAD). DAD amplitude increased as stimulus cycle length decreased and, at critical cycle lengths, DAD initiated trains of spontaneous action potentials at rates > 70 beats/min. Spontaneously occurring DAD were suppressed by AHR and were transiently diminished by ACh. This effect of ACh was accompanied by hyperpolarization of the fibers. DAD also were induced by epineph-rine. These DAD were unaffected by TTX, lidocaine, or ACh and were suppressed by AHR and verapamil. In summary, the slow inward current contributes to the sustained rhythmic activity that occurs with automaticity or DAD in human atrium. A TTX-sensitive current also contributes to automaticity. DAD that occur spontaneously are largely insensitive to the effects of agents that increase K conductance (although ACh has a transient effect) and those that are induced in the presence of epinephrine do not respond to agents which increase K conductance (ACh, lidocaine) or TTX. Circ Res 47: 267-277, 1980
Novel use of UV broad-band excitation and stretched exponential function in the analysis of fluorescent dissolved organic matter: study of interaction between protein and humic-like components

A combination of broad-band UV radiation (UV A and UV B; 250–400 nm) and a stretched exponential function (StrEF) has been utilised in efforts towards convenient and sensitive detection of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM). This approach enables accessing the gross fluorescence spectral signature of both protein-like and humic-like components in a single measurement. Commercial FDOM components are excited with the broad-band UV excitation; the variation of spectral profile as a function of varying component ratio is analysed. The underlying fluorescence dynamics and non-linear quenching of amino acid moieties are studied with the StrEF (exp(-V[Q]β)). The complex quenching pattern reflects the inner filter effect (IFE) as well as inter-component interactions. The inter-component interactions are essentially captured through the ‘sphere of action’ and ‘dark complex’ models. The broad-band UV excitation ascertains increased excitation energy, resulting in increased population density in the excited state and thereby resulting in enhanced sensitivity.
A Novel Class of Gibberellin 2-Oxidases Control Semidwarfism, Tillering, and Root Development in Rice[W]

Gibberellin 2-oxidases (GA2oxs) regulate plant growth by inactivating endogenous bioactive gibberellins (GAs). Two classes of GA2oxs inactivate GAs through 2β-hydroxylation: a larger class of C19 GA2oxs and a smaller class of C20 GA2oxs. In this study, we show that members of the rice (Oryza sativa) GA2ox family are differentially regulated and act in concert or individually to control GA levels during flowering, tillering, and seed germination. Using mutant and transgenic analysis, C20 GA2oxs were shown to play pleiotropic roles regulating rice growth and architecture. In particular, rice overexpressing these GA2oxs exhibited early and increased tillering and adventitious root growth. GA negatively regulated expression of two transcription factors, O. sativa homeobox 1 and TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, which control meristem initiation and axillary bud outgrowth, respectively, and that in turn inhibited tillering. One of three conserved motifs unique to the C20 GA2oxs (motif III) was found to be important for activity of these GA2oxs. Moreover, C20 GA2oxs were found to cause less severe GA-defective phenotypes than C19 GA2oxs. Our studies demonstrate that improvements in plant architecture, such as semidwarfism, increased root systems and higher tiller numbers, could be induced by overexpression of wild-type or modified C20 GA2oxs.
Precompressed and Stranded Aluminum Motor Windings for Traction Motors

There are benefits if copper windings are replaced with aluminum in applications that are cost- and mass-sensitive, such as automotive traction; these include the low cost of aluminum, low mass of aluminum, and the ease of motor recycling at the end of life. However, the relatively low electrical conductivity of aluminum compared to copper needs to be overcome. Precompressed motor coils have been shown to produce very high fill factors (> 75%), reducing dc-winding losses, therefore enabling the use of aluminum conductors. However, the single-stranded conductors used can be prone to high ac losses due to skin and proximity effects. Therefore, a method of manufacture of precompressed coils made from stranded/Litz wire is needed, allowing ac losses to be reduced to low levels. This paper describes the development and test of stranded, precompressed aluminum coils, which have been developed for use in an automotive traction application.
Morbidity and mortality of chronic GVHD after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from HLA-identical siblings for patients with aplastic or refractory anemias.

We analyzed effects of successive changes in prevention and treatment of chronic GVHD in 405 patients with aplastic anemia and refractory anemia given HLA-matched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from 1970-1997. For analysis, patients were divided into group I, transplantations from 1970-1976; group II, 1977-1983; group III, 1984-1990; and group IV, 1991-1997. The overall incidence of chronic GVHD was 28%. Incidences of chronic GVHD for groups I through IV were 20%, 46%, 41%, and 22%, respectively, reflecting added buffy coat infusions in groups II and III. Five-year survival rates of patients with chronic GVHD for groups I through IV were 58%, 74%, 82%, and 76%, respectively (NS). Among group I patients, 50% were alive off immunosuppression, none were alive on immunosuppression, and 50% died. These figures were 76%, 0%, and 24% in group II; 80%, 10%, and 10% in group III; and 64%, 21%, and 14% in group IV patients. More serious infections and skin contractures were seen in group I than in groups II, III, and IV (P = .0001, .02, .01 and P =.0003, .001, .05, respectively). Lung complications, aseptic necroses, depression, and Karnofsky scores were comparable among groups. Gastrointestinal complications seemed less frequent among groups II through IV. Diabetes mellitus was more frequent in group IV than in groups I through III (P = .008). Secondary malignancies occurred in 33%, 6%, 3%, and 0% of patients in the 4 groups, respectively. In conclusion, over 28 years, chronic GVHD has remained challenging, with only slight improvements in quality of life. Decisive improvements in therapy and survival will have to await both a better understanding of the immunological events underlying chronic GVHD and better infection prevention and control.
Psychology in Organizations: The Social-Identity Approach

Alex Haslam has thoroughly revised and updated his ground-breaking original text with this new edition. While still retaining the highly readable and engaging style of the best-selling First Edition, the author presents extensive reviews and critiques of major topics in organizational psychology - including leadership, motivation, communication, decision making, negotiation, power, productivity and collective action - in this thoroughly revised edition. New to the Second Edition: An entirely new chapter on organizational stress which deals with highly topical issues of stress appraisal, social support, coping and burnout. ; New, wider textbook format and design making the entire book much more accessible for students. ; A wide range of pedagogical features are included - suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter and comprehensive glossaries of social identity, social psychological and organizational terms
The Effect of Classroom Diversity on Tolerance and Participation in England, Sweden and Germany

The belief is widespread in educational circles that ethnically mixed schools contribute to inter-ethnic tolerance and community cohesion. Some political science studies, however, have found that trust and participation are lower in ethnically diverse neighbourhoods. This paper explores the relation between classroom ethno-racial diversity, ethnic tolerance and participation in England, Sweden and Germany using data from the IEA Civic Education Study among 14-year-olds. Controlling for various conditions at the individual and classroom levels, it finds a positive effect of classroom diversity on ethnic tolerance in Sweden and Germany, which is in agreement with the contact perspective on inter-ethnic relations. However, it does not find an effect on tolerance in England. Moreover, classroom diversity only shows a positive relation with participation in Sweden. The effect of diversity thus varies substantially across the two outcomes of interest and the three countries examined. It is therefore tentatively concluded that country-specific factors shape this effect to a significant degree.
Differences in expression patterns of the tight junction proteins,claudin 1, 3, 4 and 5, in human ovarian surface epithelium as compared to epithelia in inclusion cysts and epithelial ovarian tumours

Human ovarian surface epithelium (OSE), regarded as the precursor cell of epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma, is not a fully developed epithelium when situated on the ovarian surface. It lacks epithelial characteristics such as the cell–cell adhesion factor epithelial (E)‐cadherin, but as we have shown earlier, this OSE can form functional tight junctions (TJs) in culture. Recent gene‐expression data on ovarian adenocarcinoma has pointed out a family of TJ proteins, the claudins, to be highly expressed in malignant compared to benign ovarian tumours. The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution of claudin 1–5 proteins in cultured OSE (n = 4), normal ovarian (n = 11), benign (n = 8), borderline (n = 7) and ovarian cancer (n = 22) tissues. We found that a weak or absence of expression of claudin 3 and claudin 4 in surface OSE changed to typical cell‐border localisation in OSE of inclusion cysts in the normal ovarian stroma. Semiquantitative estimations of immunoblots showed that claudin 3 was significantly increased in ovarian adenocarcinomas compared to benign and borderline‐type tumours. Claudin 4 was significantly increased in both borderline‐type and ovarian adenocarcinomas compared to benign tumours, whereas no changes were found for claudin 1 or 5. Concerning relation to Federation for International Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) grade, claudin 3, but not claudin 4, was significantly increased in moderately, poorly and undifferentiated adenocarcinomas compared to well‐differentiated and borderline‐type tumours. No significant changes were noticed for any claudin with regard to FIGO stages. We conclude that both claudin 3 and 4, even though they differ in expression during ovarian malignant transformation, might be used as novel markers for ovarian tumours. The observations of lack of claudin 4 and low expression of claudin 3 in OSE strengthen our current knowledge about the biological nature of these cells as an undeveloped epithelium. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Improved Gene Delivery to Intestinal Mucosa by Adenoviral Vectors Bearing Subgroup B and D Fibers

ABSTRACT A major obstacle to successful oral vaccination is the lack of antigen delivery systems that are both safe and highly efficient. Conventional replication-incompetent adenoviral vectors, derived from human adenoviruses of subgroup C, are poorly efficient in delivering genetic material to differentiated intestinal epithelia. To date, 51 human adenovirus serotypes have been identified and shown to recognize different cellular receptors with different tissue distributions. This natural diversity was exploited in the present study to identify suitable adenoviral vectors for efficient gene delivery to the human intestinal epithelium. In particular, we compared the capacities of a library of adenovirus type 5-based vectors pseudotyped with fibers of several human serotypes for transduction, binding, and translocation toward the basolateral pole in human and murine tissue culture models of differentiated intestinal epithelia. In addition, antibody-based inhibition was used to gain insight into the molecular interactions needed for efficient attachment. We found that vectors differing merely in their fiber proteins displayed vastly different capacities for gene transfer to differentiated human intestinal epithelium. Notably, vectors bearing fibers derived from subgroup B and subgroup D serotypes transduced the apical pole of human epithelium with considerably greater efficiency than a subgroup C vector. Such efficiency was correlated with the capacity to use CD46 or sialic acid-containing glycoconjugates as opposed to CAR as attachment receptors. These results suggest that substantial gains could be made in gene transfer to digestive epithelium by exploiting the tropism of existing serotypes of human adenoviruses.
Design of wireless optical access system using LED based android mobile

This report develops a prototype to demonstrate a directional wireless visible light communication (VLC) system based on Android Mobile. In this system, Two android mobiles can transmit local data to each other simultaneously. The system consists of two parts, the hardware and the software. The design of hardware is based on the USB port integrated in the Android Mobile. The development of software utilizes the protocol of AOA (Android Open Accessory) which is a new feature in Android 3.1 or more advanced version whereby a USB host device can connect to the Android device, allowing data transmission between Android devices over USB interfaces. Thus, the driver of the hardware needn't be added into the kernel of android. Combing with a USB port on one board, it can achieve up to 2Mbps bit rates error free, which is mainly limited to the USB bridge circuit between two mobiles for data transmission such as text, audio and video. The software is used to set the transmission data rate, control bits, check bits so as to achieve real-time and directional transmission between two mobile devices with a USB port. This paper also shows the experimental results of the Q-factor of the eye diagram and bit rate during system transmission. The range and the angle of communication are also discussed in the paper.