Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applying CIAM mobile methodology: a case study for smartphones

CIAM Mobile (m-CIAM) is a methodology for the development and modeling of m-Learning applications. It integrates CIAM (Collaborative Interactive Application Methodology) methodology modeling stages with MoLEF (Mobile Learning Evaluation Framework) usability framework factors and dimensions. CIAM gives support to modeling of collaborative and interactive aspects of this kind of systems, while MoLEF incorporates evaluation of characteristics of pedagogical and user interface usability. In this paper, we describe the process to apply m-CIAM in order to generate the Android OS Smartphone version of the desktop application called GreedEx (Greedy algorithms Experimentation). GreedEx was previously developed by the LITE (Laboratory of Information Technologies in Education) research group from the University Rey Juan Carlos of Madrid (Spain) to facilitate the learning of greedy algorithms. It is intended to demonstrate that m-CIAM allows for the creation of user interfaces with better pedagogical and technological usability.
Complement System Part II: Role in Immunity

The complement system has been considered for a long time as a simple lytic cascade, aimed to kill bacteria infecting the host organism. Nowadays, this vision has changed and it is well accepted that complement is a complex innate immune surveillance system, playing a key role in host homeostasis, inflammation, and in the defense against pathogens. This review discusses recent advances in the understanding of the role of complement in physiology and pathology. It starts with a description of complement contribution to the normal physiology (homeostasis) of a healthy organism, including the silent clearance of apoptotic cells and maintenance of cell survival. In pathology, complement can be a friend or a foe. It acts as a friend in the defense against pathogens, by inducing opsonization and a direct killing by C5b–9 membrane attack complex and by triggering inflammatory responses with the anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a. Opsonization plays also a major role in the mounting of an adaptive immune response, involving antigen presenting cells, T-, and B-lymphocytes. Nevertheless, it can be also an enemy, when pathogens hijack complement regulators to protect themselves from the immune system. Inadequate complement activation becomes a disease cause, as in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, C3 glomerulopathies, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Age-related macular degeneration and cancer will be described as examples showing that complement contributes to a large variety of conditions, far exceeding the classical examples of diseases associated with complement deficiencies. Finally, we discuss complement as a therapeutic target.
Circularly Polarized Crossed Dipole Antenna With Phase Delay Lines for RFID Handheld Reader

To produce circularly polarized (CP) radiation, a small, double-sided, crossed dipole antenna with two metal strips loaded for phase delay is proposed. The proposed antenna uses two orthogonal, unequal length dipoles, connected in parallel to a coaxial probe feed. It requires no matching network. The required power and phase relationships are obtained by proper choice of dipole lengths and the metal strips attached to them. The antenna also operates at its half wavelength orthogonal modes, for the UHF band. The phase delay metal strip generates the two resonant modes for CP radiation. Simulated and measured results indicate that the crossed dipole structure can produce CP radiation. An impedance bandwidth (VSWR ≤ 2) of about 11.8% and a 3-dB axial-ratio (AR) bandwidth of about 3.3% around the center frequency of 925 MHz were measured.
An Enriched Rearing Environment Calms Adult Male Rat Sexual Activity: Implication for Distinct Serotonergic and Hormonal Responses to Females

Early life events induce alterations in neural function in adulthood. Although rearing in an enriched environment (EE) has a great impact on behavioral development, the effects of enriched rearing on sociosexual behavior remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of rearing in an EE on male copulatory behavior and its underlying neurobiological mechanisms in Wistar-Imamichi rats. Three-week-old, recently weaned rats were continuously subjected to a standard environment (SE) or an EE comprised of a large cage with several objects, such as toys, tunnels, ladders, and a running wheel. After 6 weeks, rats reared in an EE (EE rats) showed decreased sexual activity compared with rats reared in a SE (SE rats). This included a lower number of ejaculations and longer latencies in three consecutive copulatory tests. In addition, EE rats showed decreased emotional responsiveness and less locomotor behavior in an open field. In a runway test, on the other hand, sexual motivation toward receptive females in EE males was comparable to that of SE males. Furthermore, following exposure to a female, increases in serotonin levels in the nucleus accumbens and the striatum were significantly suppressed in EE males, whereas dopaminergic responses were similar between the groups. Female-exposure-induced increases in the levels of plasma corticosterone and testosterone were also suppressed in EE rats compared to SE rats. These data suggest that rearing in an EE decreases male copulatory behavior, and serotonin and hormonal regulating systems may regulate the differences in sociosexual interactions that result from distinct rearing environments.
Delamination Threshold Load of Composite Laminates under Low-Velocity Impact

A key factor affecting the use of carbon fibre reinforced composite laminates is the low velocity impact damage which may be introduced accidentally during manufacture, operation or maintenance of the component. Among the several barely visible impact damages, interlaminar delamination is the dominant failure mode and may reduce the post-impact compressive strength of the component significantly. This paper focuses on the study of the delamination threshold load (DTL) above which significant increase of delamination and thus large reduction of the residual compressive strength of the component may occur. Instrumented drop weight tests were carried out under various impact energy levels to determine the delamination threshold load. Efforts are directed to the study of the laminate thickness effect on the reliability of the detection of the DTL. The validity of the concept of DTL has been investigated and possible implications on the measurement of the DTL has been discussed. It is demonstrated that DTL exists but its detection requires proper testing conditions.
T‐loop assembly in vitro involves binding of TRF2 near the 3′ telomeric overhang

Mammalian telomeres contain a duplex TTAGGG‐repeat tract terminating in a 3′ single‐stranded overhang. TRF2 protein has been implicated in remodeling telomeres into duplex lariats, termed t‐loops, in vitro and t‐loops have been isolated from cells in vivo. To examine the features of the telomeric DNA essential for TRF2‐promoted looping, model templates containing a 500 bp double‐stranded TTAGGG tract and ending in different single‐stranded overhangs were constructed. As assayed by electron microscopy, looped molecules containing most of the telomeric tract are observed with TRF2 at the loop junction. A TTAGGG‐3′ overhang of at least six nucleotides is required for loop formation. Termini with 5′ overhangs, blunt ends or 3′ termini with non‐telomeric sequences at the junction are deficient in loop formation. Addition of non‐telomeric sequences to the distal portion of a 3′ overhang beginning with TTAGGG repeats only modestly diminishes looping. TRF2 preferentially localizes to the junction between the duplex repeats and the single‐stranded overhang. Based on these findings we suggest a model for the mechanism by which TRF2 remodels telomeres into t‐loops.
Towards verifying compliance in agent-based web service compositions

We explore the problem of specification and verification of compliance in agent based Web service compositions. We use the formalism of temporal-epistemic logic suitably extended to deal with compliance/violations of contracts. We illustrate these concepts using a motivating example where the behaviours of participating agents are governed by contracts. The composition is specified in OWL-S and mapped to our chosen formalism. Finally we use an existing symbolic model checker to verify the example specification whose state space is approximately 221 and discuss experimental results.
The Use of Sodium Bicarbonate in the Treatment of Acidosis in Sepsis: A Literature Update on a Long Term Debate

Introduction. Sepsis and its consequences such as metabolic acidosis are resulting in increased mortality. Although correction of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate seems a reasonable approach, there is ongoing debate regarding the role of bicarbonates as a therapeutic option. Methods. We conducted a PubMed literature search in order to identify published literature related to the effects of sodium bicarbonate treatment on metabolic acidosis due to sepsis. The search included all articles published in English in the last 35 years. Results. There is ongoing debate regarding the use of bicarbonates for the treatment of acidosis in sepsis, but there is a trend towards not using bicarbonate in sepsis patients with arterial blood gas pH > 7.15. Conclusions. Routine use of bicarbonate for treatment of severe acidemia and lactic acidosis due to sepsis is subject of controversy, and current opinion does not favor routine use of bicarbonates. However, available evidence is inconclusive, and more studies are required to determine the potential benefit, if any, of bicarbonate therapy in the sepsis patient with acidosis.
Characterizing calibration standards using one airline as a transfer standard

This paper introduces methods to characterize coaxial calibration standards using one airline as transfer standard. The methods discussed lend themselves to computer optimization techniques to arrive at optimal polynomial coefficients and S-parameter model representations of calibration standards. The calibration standards characterized and data presented were from a random sample of K (2.92 mm), V (1.85 mm) and W (1.00 mm) Vector Network Analyzer calibration kits manufactured over the past decade. The focus of this paper is Open, Short and Load (OSL) characterization but can be expanded to other 1-port calibration standards or kits such as multiple offset shorts (or opens) as examples. Electrical performance comparison of characterized fixed terminations to sliding terminations is also presented.
Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance: A prevalence estimate based on the Busselton 1981 survey

We have estimated the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance from the Busselton 1981 Population Survey using the 1980 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Standardized to the Australian non‐Aboriginal population aged 25 years and over, the prevalence rates in this white community were 2.5% for known diabetes; 0.9% for newly discovered diabetes; 2.9% for impaired glucose tolerance; and 6.3% for all categories of abnormal glucose tolerance. There appears to have been a real increase in the frequency of diabetes since 1966. Using fasting serum C‐peptide values and clinical criteria, 14% of all diabetic subjects were insulin‐dependent. The male:female ratio for all categories of abnormal glucose tolerance was 1.4:1. Data from the United States indicate spectacularly higher rates for diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in the white population. A national study of the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in Australia is recommended. For epidemiological purposes, a single blood glucose value two hours after a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test is sufficient to categorize glucose tolerance as defined by WHO.
Semiconductor Nanocrystals as Light Harvesters in Solar Cells

Photovoltaic cells use semiconductors to convert sunlight into electrical current and are regarded as a key technology for a sustainable energy supply. Quantum dot-based solar cells have shown great potential as next generation, high performance, low-cost photovoltaics due to the outstanding optoelectronic properties of quantum dots and their multiple exciton generation (MEG) capability. This review focuses on QDs as light harvesters in solar cells, including different structures of QD-based solar cells, such as QD heterojunction solar cells, QD-Schottky solar cells, QD-sensitized solar cells and the recent development in organic-inorganic perovskite heterojunction solar cells. Mechanisms, procedures, advantages, disadvantages and the latest results obtained in the field are described. To summarize, a future perspective is offered.
Ultrathin and Wearable Microtubular Epidermal Sensor for Real‐Time Physiological Pulse Monitoring

A flexible, stretchable, soft, and ultrathin wearable microtubular sensor that is highly sensitive to mechanical perturbations is developed. The sensor comprises a unique architecture consisting of a liquid‐state conductive element core within a soft silicone elastomer microtube. The microtubular sensor can distinguish forces as small as 5 mN and possesses a high force sensitivity of 68 N−1. The microtubular sensor occupies a tiny footprint of 120 µm in diameter, approximately the cross‐section of a strand of hair. Superior sensing capabilities of the sensor are reported to detect perturbations from pulsatile air flows and demonstrate its applicability in continuous and imperceptible real‐time monitoring of arterial pulse waves.
Two-dimensional codes for low power

Coding was previously proposed for reducing power consumption in CMOS. The original formulations use extra redundancy in space (number of bus lines) for reducing the bus transition activity (and consequently the dynamic power and simultaneous switching noise). This paper proposes several new coding techniques for low power. First it looks at codes in which redundancy in time is used for reduced bus activity. Two-dimensional codes with redundancy in both time and space can then be developed for extra power reduction. Interestingly, these two-dimensional codes can be unrolled in either space or time in order to obtain new one-dimensional codes in the other dimension. More powerful codes using Run-Length Limited (RLL), phase-modulation and amplitude-modulation techniques are finally proposed.
Extending Conceptual Definitions with Default Knowledge

In description logics, default knowledge is exclusively treated as incidental rules. However, as few concepts are definable using only strict knowledge, imposing strict definitions leads to terminological knowledge bases that mostly contain partially defined concepts. This is a real problem because such concepts can only be inserted as leaves of the terminology. Moreover, instance recognition is biased as these concepts must be explicitly mentioned as properties of these instances. It follows that partially defined concepts are described with necessary but not sufficient conditions. As a solution to these problems, we propose to integrate defaults in concept definitions and we argue that this is essential for our diagnosis application. We introduce a description language ALεδ with default(δ) and exception(ε) connectives. The cornerstone of our approach is the introduction of a definitional point of view where a default can be part of a concept definition, whereas in the classical inheritance one it is only viewed as a weak implication. We go on to describe a map between the definition of a concept and its inherited properties, and we show that the combination of these definitional and inheritance levels considerably improves the capabilities of classification processes. In particular this allows us to distinguish sure from probable instances and typical from exceptional instances. Finally we provide a specific operation, object refinement, which consists in enlarging object descriptions with exceptions in order to find additional concepts the object is an instance of. This operation is useful for our diagnosis application.
Mechanical and electrical reliability of copper interconnections for 3DIC

The mechanical and electrical properties of electroplated copper thin films were found to vary drastically depending on their electroplating conditions and thermal history after electroplating. The change of their microstructure was the main reason for the variation. The crystallinity of the micro texture was evaluated quantitatively by applying an electron back-scattering diffraction method.
Rotavirus Vaccines: a story of success with challenges ahead

Approximately 40 years have passed since the discovery of the rotavirus and 10 years since the introduction and progressive dissemination of rotavirus vaccines worldwide. Currently, 92 countries have introduced rotavirus vaccines into national or subnational programs with evident impact in disease reduction. Two vaccines have been widely used, and four additional vaccines have been licensed and are being used in defined regions. In this context, one main issue that remains unsolved is the lower vaccine efficacy/effectiveness in low-income countries. An additional partially answered issue relates to rotavirus strain circulation in vaccinated populations. These issues are discussed in this review. The most imperative challenge ahead is to fulfill the WHO’s recommendation to introduce rotavirus vaccines in all countries.
The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model: A New Approach for Improving Educational Attainment and Healthy Development for Students*

BACKGROUND The Whole Child approach and the coordinated school health (CSH) approach both address the physical and emotional needs of students. However, a unified approach acceptable to both the health and education communities is needed to assure that students are healthy and ready to learn. METHODS During spring 2013, the ASCD (formerly known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened experts from the field of education and health to discuss lessons learned from implementation of the CSH and Whole Child approaches and to explore the development of a new model that would incorporate the knowledge gained through implementation to date. RESULTS As a result of multiple discussions and review, the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) approach was developed. The WSCC approach builds upon the traditional CSH model and ASCD's Whole Child approach to learning and promotes greater alignment between health and educational outcomes. CONCLUSION By focusing on children and youth as students, addressing critical education and health outcomes, organizing collaborative actions and initiatives that support students, and strongly engaging community resources, the WSCC approach offers important opportunities that will improve educational attainment and healthy development for students.
COUNTING ZEROS OF ZETA FUNCTIONS IN TERMS OF FRACTAL DIMENSIONS

The purpose of these notes is to • motivate the study of fractal Weyl laws for resonances • review existing mathematical and numerical results in the subject • outline the proof of the most recent semiclassical result [41] • present a complete proof of a fractal upper bound in the case of dynamical zeta functions for hyperbolic rational maps in C [6]. Acknowledgments. MZ is grateful to his collaborators, Stéphane Nonnenmacher and Johannes Sjöstrand for the permission to use parts of [20] and [41] in the preparation of these notes. Generous support of both authors by the National Science Foundation under the grant DMS-0200732 is also gratefully acknowledged.
Journal of Graph Algorithms and Applications Experiments with the Fixed-parameter Approach for Two-layer Planarization

We present computational results of an implementation based on the fixed parameter tractability (FPT) approach for biplanarizing graphs. These results show that the implementation can efficiently find minimum biplanarizing sets containing up to about 18 edges, thus making it comparable to previous integer linear programming approaches. We show how our implementation slightly improves the theoretical running time to O(6 bpr(G) + |G|) for any input graph G. Finally, we explain how our experimental work predicts how performance on sparse graphs may be improved. Research supported by an NSERC operating grant and an FQRNT scholarship.
CAMPways: constrained alignment framework for the comparative analysis of a pair of metabolic pathways

Motivation: Given a pair of metabolic pathways, an alignment of the pathways corresponds to a mapping between similar substructures of the pair. Successful alignments may provide useful applications in phylogenetic tree reconstruction, drug design and overall may enhance our understanding of cellular metabolism. Results: We consider the problem of providing one-to-many alignments of reactions in a pair of metabolic pathways. We first provide a constrained alignment framework applicable to the problem. We show that the constrained alignment problem even in a primitive setting is computationally intractable, which justifies efforts for designing efficient heuristics. We present our Constrained Alignment of Metabolic Pathways (CAMPways) algorithm designed for this purpose. Through extensive experiments involving a large pathway database, we demonstrate that when compared with a state-of-the-art alternative, the CAMPways algorithm provides better alignment results on metabolic networks as far as measures based on same-pathway inclusion and biochemical significance are concerned. The execution speed of our algorithm constitutes yet another important improvement over alternative algorithms. Availability: Open source codes, executable binary, useful scripts, all the experimental data and the results are freely available as part of the Supplementary Material at http://code.google. com/p/campways/. Contact: cesim@khas.edu. tr Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Sleep apnea syndrome in chronic spinal cord injury: associated factors and treatment.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of sleep apnea in a sample of persons with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) of varying injury levels and degrees of impairment. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Inpatient SCI rehabilitation unit. PARTICIPANTS Twenty men with SCI (motor complete and incomplete; American Spinal Injury Association classes A-D) of at least 1 year's duration, randomly selected from patients with SCI undergoing elective hospitalization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Apnea index, determined by sleep study (including chest wall movement, airflow, oxygen saturation), and daytime sleepiness, determined by Epworth sleepiness score. RESULTS Eight subjects (40%) had sleep apnea, manifested by elevated apnea index (mean +/- SD, 17.1 +/- 6.9) and excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep apnea was commonly diagnosed in motor-incomplete injuries. A trend (p = .07) existed toward a greater prevalence of sleep apnea with tetraplegia. Age and body mass index were not associated with sleep apnea. CONCLUSION The prevalence of sleep apnea in men with chronic SCI admitted for nonrespiratory elective hospitalization is high relative to the general population.