Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A concurrent learning adaptive-optimal control architecture for nonlinear systems

A concurrent learning adaptive-optimal control architecture is presented that combines learning-focused direct adaptive controllers with model predictive control for guaranteeing safety during adaptation for nonlinear systems. Exponential parameter convergence properties of concurrent learning adaptive controllers are leveraged to learn a feedback linearization signal that reduces a nonlinear system to an approximation of a linear system for which an optimal solution is known or can be easily computed online. Stability of the overall architecture is analyzed, and numerical simulations on a wing-rock dynamics model are presented in presence of significant system uncertainty, parameter variation, and measurement noise.
Spinodal Decomposition in Binary Gases

We carried out three-dimensional simulations, with about 1.4 million particles, of phase segregation in a low density binary fluid mixture, described mesoscopically by energy and momentum conserving Boltzmann-Vlasov equations. Using a combination of Direct Simulation Monte Carlo(DSMC) for the short range collisions and a version of Particle-In-Cell(PIC) evolution for the smooth long range interaction, we found dynamical scaling after the ratio of the interface thickness(whose shape is described approximately by a hyperbolic tangent profile) to the domain size is less than ~0.1. The scaling length R(t) grows at late times like t^alpha, with alpha=1 for critical quenches and alpha=1/3 for off-critical ones. We also measured the variation of temperature, total particle density and hydrodynamic velocity during the segregation process.
A critical account of DSM-5 criteria for internet gaming disorder

Abstract The inclusion of assessment criteria for internet gaming disorder in the DSM-5 appendix means that research in this area is likely to increase. However, a standardized assessment instrument is contingent on identifying criteria that adequately captures the phenomenon. I argue in this article that issues with the proposed criteria are consistently overlooked. First, there has been a tendency to adhere to DSM-4 criteria for substance use disorders or pathological gambling when defining the assessment criteria, rather than aiming to capture the unique determinants of internet gaming disorder. Furthermore, a diagnostic instrument for gaming in particular needs to account for cultural and social divides that are a non-issue when assessing substance use. Finally, some of the proposed criteria make little sense within the context of gaming and seem to be included as residuals from existing disorders. In this article, I discuss critically each proposed criterion. I conclude that deception is socially or culturally subjective and depends on people close to the player, rather than the player himself. Symptoms like preoccupation, withdrawal, tolerance and a loss of interest in other activities may all be preceded by legitimate explanations for excessive use following widespread popularity of online gaming, which makes them unreliable in an assessment instrument. Finally, I argue that tolerance does not make sense within a gaming context and is a residual criterion from substance use disorders. A reappraisal of these criteria would benefit the development of a standardized assessment instrument for internet gaming disorder.
Optimization of Fast Dissolving Etoricoxib Tablets Prepared by Sublimation Technique

The purpose of this investigation was to develop fast dissolving tablets of etoricoxib. Granules containing etoricoxib, menthol, crospovidone, aspartame and mannitol were prepared by wet granulation technique. Menthol was sublimed from the granules by exposing the granules to vacuum. The porous granules were then compressed in to tablets. Alternatively, tablets were first prepared and later exposed to vacuum. The tablets were evaluated for percentage friability and disintegration time. A 32 full factorial design was applied to investigate the combined effect of 2 formulation variables: amount of menthol and crospovidone. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that for obtaining fast dissolving tablets; optimum amount of menthol and higher percentage of crospovidone should be used. A surface response plots are also presented to graphically represent the effect of the independent variables on the percentage friability and disintegration time. The validity of a generated mathematical model was tested by preparing a checkpoint batch. Sublimation of menthol from tablets resulted in rapid disintegration as compared with the tablets prepared from granules that were exposed to vacuum. The optimized tablet formulation was compared with conventional marketed tablets for percentage drug dissolved in 30 min (Q30) and dissolution efficiency after 30 min (DE30). From the results, it was concluded that fast dissolving tablets with improved etoricoxib dissolution could be prepared by sublimation of tablets containing suitable subliming agent.
Transfer Report Wildcards , Variance and Virtual Classes

Wildcards are used in Java to soften the mismatch between parametric polymorphism (generics) and subtype polymorphism (inheritance). Java with wildcards has not been proven type sound (unlike generics) and so may include security holes that could affect nearly every program written in Java in the last few years (since wildcards are used extensively throughout the Java libraries). The bulk of this report describes formalising wildcards with the intent of proving type soundness. The remainder of this report deals with ongoing research into virtual classes. Virtual classes are an object-oriented mechanism for improving re-use and extensibility. Virtual classes are closely related to virtual types, which are an alternative mechanism for providing parametric polymorphism in object-oriented languages. Unlike generics, some measure of subtype variance comes ‘as standard’ with virtual types. However, combining parametric types with virtual classes has not been well studied. This is an important step towards the use of virtual classes in a mainstream programming language. I will describe how I have begun to investigate this and some other, similar research directions.
The Legitimacy of Book Critics in the Age of the Internet and Omnivorousness: Expert Critics, Internet Critics and Peer Critics in Flanders and the Netherlands

The aim of this article is to increase the understanding of how cultural consumers - in this era of increasing Internet usage and more omnivorous cultural taste patterns - use and rate different types of cultural mediators in informing themselves on cultural matters. We focus on how book readers in the Netherlands and Flanders consult critics of varying degrees of institutionalization (experts, Internet reviewers and peers). This research contributes to the overarching question of whether systems of value attribution are becoming less hierarchical in Western societies. The findings suggest that Internet-related information-retrieval practices have a limited effect on the perceived legitimacy of critics. Omnivorous taste patterns do lead to less belief in expert critics, but only if they concern patterns within one genre - the specific domain of book reading. Omnivorousness that implies combining several genres and topics is associated with higher ratings of all types of critics. Therefore, having broader informational needs and broader general taste repertoires leads to the inclusion of critics coming from outside the traditional literary institutions, but, at the same time, does not lead to the exclusion of expert critics.
Discovery of novel src homology region 2 domain‐containing phosphatase 1 agonists from sorafenib for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Sorafenib is the first approved targeted therapeutic reagent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we report that Src homology region 2 (SH2) domain‐containing phosphatase 1 (SHP‐1) is a major target of sorafenib and generates a series of sorafenib derivatives to search for potent SHP‐1 agonists that may act as better anti‐HCC agents than sorafenib. Sorafenib increases SHP‐1 activity by direct interaction and impairs the association between the N‐SH2 domain and the catalytic protein tyrosine phosphatase domain of SHP‐1. Deletion of the N‐SH2 domain (dN1) or point mutation (D61A) of SHP‐1 abolished the effect of sorafenib on SHP‐1, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p‐STAT3), and apoptosis, suggesting that sorafenib may affect SHP‐1 by triggering a conformational switch relieving its autoinhibition. Molecular docking of SHP‐1/sorafenib complex confirmed our findings in HCC cells. Furthermore, novel sorafenib derivatives SC‐43 and SC‐40 displayed more potent anti‐HCC activity than sorafenib, as measured by enhanced SHP‐1 activity, inhibition of p‐STAT3, and induction of apoptosis. SC‐43 induced substantial apoptosis in sorafenib‐resistant cells and showed better survival benefits than sorafenib in orthotopic HCC tumors. Conclusion: In this study, we identified SHP‐1 as a major target of sorafenib. SC‐43 and SC‐40, potent SHP‐1 agonists, showed better anti‐HCC effects than sorafenib in vitro and in vivo. Further clinical investigation is warranted. (Hepatology 2014;58:190–201)
Probing the Natural Scene by Echolocation in Bats

Bats echolocating in the natural environment face the formidable task of sorting signals from multiple auditory objects, echoes from obstacles, prey, and the calls of conspecifics. Successful orientation in a complex environment depends on auditory information processing, along with adaptive vocal-motor behaviors and flight path control, which draw upon 3-D spatial perception, attention, and memory. This article reviews field and laboratory studies that document adaptive sonar behaviors of echolocating bats, and point to the fundamental signal parameters they use to track and sort auditory objects in a dynamic environment. We suggest that adaptive sonar behavior provides a window to bats’ perception of complex auditory scenes.
Theories of staff development: Progress and power

Abstract This is the second of two papers which together consider a range of theoretical frames for the interpretation of educational and staff development. The first paper (Webb, 1996c) considered origins of the word ‘development’ and some of the problems caused by its association with ideas of growth and evolution. An alternative approach was presented from the tradition of hermeneutics and human understanding. However, the possibilities for human understanding in staff development and teacher‐student relationships are put at risk by power inequalities. In the present paper this point is developed in terms of a critical theory of society, education and staff development and the associated methods of action research. Claims that critical theory and action research offer a progressive path for staff development are discussed. The question of power is then revisited in terms of post‐modernism, and some consequences for educational and staff development when viewed from this standpoint are outlined.
Timing verification of sequential dynamic circuits

Two methods are presented for static timing verification of sequential circuits implemented as a mix of static and domino logic. Constraints for proper operation of domino gates are derived. An important observation is that input signals to domino gates may start changing near the end of the evaluate phase. The first method models domino gates explicitly, similar to latches. The second method treats domino gates only during pre- and post-processing steps. This method is shown to be more conservative, but easier to compute.
Islet Isolation from Juvenile Porcine Pancreas after 24-h Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Preservation

Pancreas procurement for islet isolation and transplantation is limited by concerns for the detrimental effects of postmortem ischemia. Hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) preservation technology has had a major impact in circumventing ischemic injury in clinical kidney transplantation and is applied here to the preservation and procurement of viable islets after hypothermic perfusion preservation of porcine pancreata because pigs are now considered the donor species of choice for xenogeneic islet transplantation. Pancreases were surgically removed from young (<6 months) domestic Yorkshire pigs (25–32 kg), either before or after 30 min of warm ischemia time (WIT), and cannulated for perfusion. Each pancreas was assigned to one of six preservation treatment groups: fresh controls—processed immediately (cold ischemia <1 h) (G1, n = 7); static cold storage—flushed with cold UW-Viaspan and stored in UW-Viaspan at 2–4°C for 24 h with no prior WIT (G2, n = 9); HMP perfused on a LifePort® machine at 4–6°C and low pressure (10 mmHg) for 24 h with either KPS1 solution (G3, n = 7) or Unisol-UHK (G4, n = 7). Additional treatment groups to evaluate the effects of prior warm ischemia examined islet isolation after 30 min WIT in situ without (G5, n = 6) or with subsequent 24-h HMP with KPS1 (G6, n = 7). The pancreas was intraductally distended with Liberase PI enzyme and normothermically digested. The isolated islets were purified by a continuous density-gradient centrifugation. Perfusion-induced glandular edema was G3 = 138 ± 19%, G4 = 160 ± 16%, and G6 = 127 ± 22%. Islet yield (IEQ/g of pancreas) varied between the groups: G1 = 1,425 ± 610, G2 = 1,002 ± 262, G3 = 2,242 ± 449 (p < 0.05 vs. G2), G4 = 1,901 ± 420 (p < 0.05 vs. G2), G5 = 1,756 ± 329, and G6 = 1,396 ± 243. Islet stimulation indices were equivalent between the groups and similar to controls (G1). Insulin content (ng/IE) was different between the treatment groups with the highest insulin content in islets harvested from HMP pancreata. Dithizone staining for islets consistently showed more uniform digestion of the perfused organs, with greater separation of the tissue, less entrapped islets, and higher islet yield and purity. The salutary effects of HMP for 24 h were also manifest after 30-min prior warm ischemia. We conclude that 24 h of HMP is well tolerated, leading to moderate edema but no loss of function of the harvested islets. The edema appears to aid in enzymatic digestion, producing a greater yield and purity of islets compared with pancreas subjected to 24 h of static cold storage.
Design of adaptive laws for discrete-time systems based on Particle Swarm Optimization

A wide variety of linear/nonlinear adaptive systems in continuous/discrete time can be represented by error models, thus facilitating their analysis. The solution obtained for a given error model can be applied to different systems represented by the error model. This paper presents a methodology for adjusting the parameters of a discrete-time adaptive system represented by a Type 1 Error Model, which is based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and that allows using it in on-line applications. The performance of the proposed methodology is compared with the traditional gradient and least squares methods through simulations.
Morphological based moving object detection with background subtraction method

Moving object detection is an active research area in the field of video processing and computer vision forming the base of many video analytic applications. The typical impediments in detection of moving objects including dynamic scenes, sudden illumination variations, complex background, effects of shadows, bootstrapping, video noise and camouflage receive the attention of researchers around the globe. This study proposes a morphological based approach for moving object detection. Morphological operations are combined with background subtraction technique and thresholding for experimental purpose. Furthermore, this paper outlines the methods of moving object detection and summarizes the recent research trends in this direction. The goal of this research is to explore the effects of morphological changes on the detection of moving objects. The preliminary results indicate that the proposed approach can generate accurate and complete moving object keeping the required details intact for meaningful object detection.
Astronomy Education Review 2012 , AER , 11 , 010111-1 , 10 . 3847 / AER 2012016 Non-Scientific Beliefs Among Undergraduate Students

A survey of over 11 000 undergraduate students’ knowledge and attitudes related to science and technology over a 22-year period included statements that probed faith-based beliefs and various aspects of pseudoscience belief and superstition. The results reveal that nonscientific ways of thinking are resistant to formal instruction, changing surprisingly little over the course of a college career that typically includes three science courses. The level of basic science knowledge among undergraduates is only weakly coupled to attitudes towards pseudoscience, and it coexists with attitudes and beliefs that are faith-based. These results provide a challenge for educators who seek to improve the generally low level of science literacy among college graduates and members of the general public.
Quantitative levels of Deficiens and Globosa during late petal development show a complex transcriptional network topology of B function.

The transcriptional network topology of B function in Antirrhinum, required for petal and stamen development, is thought to rely on initial activation of transcription of DEFICIENS (DEF) and GLOBOSA (GLO), followed by a positive autoregulatory loop maintaining gene expression levels. Here, we show that the mutant compacta (co), whose vegetative growth and petal size are affected, plays a role in B function. Late events in petal morphogenesis such as development of conical cell area and scent emissions were reduced in co and def (nicotianoides) (def (nic) ), and absent in co def (nic) double mutants, suggesting a role for CO in petal identity. Expression of DEF was down-regulated in co but surprisingly GLO was not affected. We investigated the levels of DEF and GLO at late stages of petal development in the co, def (nic) and glo-1 mutants, and established a reliable transformation protocol that yielded RNAi-DEF lines. We show that the threshold levels of DEF or GLO required to obtain petal tissue are approximately 11% of wild-type. The relationship between DEF and GLO transcripts is not equal or constant and changes during development. Furthermore, down-regulation of DEF or GLO does not cause parallel down-regulation of the partner. Our results demonstrate that, at late stages of petal development, the B function transcriptional network topology is not based on positive autoregulation, and has additional components of transcriptional maintenance. Our results suggest changes in network topology that may allow changes in protein complexes that would explain the fact that not all petal traits appear early in development.
Dual delivery of an antibiotic and a growth factor addresses both the microbiological and biological challenges of contaminated bone fractures

Introduction: Open fractures are plagued by high complication rates, among which infection and nonunion are the most common, leading to higher morbidity and poor patient outcomes. Despite meticulous surgical care and employment of adjunctive therapies, infection rates remain at 20%, due to the limitations of conventional therapies. Areas covered: Persistent bacteria often survive initial debridement and treatment with antibiotics. Thus, the bone graft subsequently implanted to promote healing can be the nidus for infection. The principles of biofilm theory and the “race to the surface” have been applied to develop dual-purpose bone grafts that are protected by a sustained release of an antibiotic, thereby preventing bacterial colonization. A simultaneous sustained release of a recombinant human growth factor allows the defect to become vascularized and heal. Expert opinion: Current therapies fail to meet the challenges of open fractures. Tissue engineering and drug delivery approaches can address the challenges of healing large bone defects while protecting the implant from infection. When combined as an adjunctive therapy with existing clinical practices for management of open fractures, dual-purpose bone grafts that release both an antibiotic and a growth factor at biologically relevant time scales can potentially reduce infection rates and improve patient outcomes.
Human Milk Protein Production in Xenografts of Genetically Engineered Bovine Mammary Epithelial Stem Cells

Background In the bovine species milk production is well known to correlate with mammary tissue mass. However, most advances in optimizing milk production relied on improvements of breeding and husbandry practices. A better understanding of the cells that generate bovine mammary tissue could facilitate important advances in milk production and have global economic impact. With this possibility in mind, we show that a mammary stem cell population can be functionally identified and isolated from the bovine mammary gland. We also demonstrate that this stem cell population may be a promising target for manipulating the composition of cow's milk using gene transfer. Methods and Findings We show that the in vitro colony-forming cell assay for detecting normal primitive bipotent and lineage-restricted human mammary clonogenic progenitors are applicable to bovine mammary cells. Similarly, the ability of normal human mammary stem cells to regenerate functional bilayered structures in collagen gels placed under the kidney capsule of immunodeficient mice is shared by a subset of bovine mammary cells that lack aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. We also find that this activity is a distinguishing feature of luminal-restricted bovine progenitors. The regenerated structures recapitulate the organization of bovine mammary tissue, and milk could be readily detected in these structures when they were assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. Transplantation of the bovine cells transduced with a lentivirus encoding human β-CASEIN led to expression of the transgene and secretion of the product by their progeny regenerated in vivo. Conclusions These findings point to a common developmental hierarchy shared by human and bovine mammary glands, providing strong evidence of common mechanisms regulating the maintenance and differentiation of mammary stem cells from both species. These results highlight the potential of novel engineering and transplant strategies for a variety of commercial applications including the production of modified milk components for human consumption.
Learning based automatic face annotation for arbitrary poses and expressions from frontal images only

Statistical approaches for building non-rigid deformable models, such as the active appearance model (AAM), have enjoyed great popularity in recent years, but typically require tedious manual annotation of training images. In this paper, a learning based approach for the automatic annotation of visually deformable objects from a single annotated frontal image is presented and demonstrated on the example of automatically annotating face images that can be used for building AAMs for fitting and tracking. This approach employs the idea of initially learning the correspondences between landmarks in a frontal image and a set of training images with a face in arbitrary poses. Using this learner, virtual images of unseen faces at any arbitrary pose for which the learner was trained can be reconstructed by predicting the new landmark locations and warping the texture from the frontal image. View-based AAMs are then built from the virtual images and used for automatically annotating unseen images, including images of different facial expressions, at any random pose within the maximum range spanned by the virtually reconstructed images. The approach is experimentally validated by automatically annotating face images from three different databases.