Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Working Memory in Junior High School Students With Reading Difficulties : Results From an N-Back Task

Working memory characteristics of students with reading difficulties were investigated using 4 types of n-back tasks with different stimuli. The participants, 14 ninth-grade students with reading diMculties and pervasive developmental disorders and 40 students with typical development, were required to judge whether a stimulus was identical to the one that had been shown n before. The results indicated that the students with reading di'fficulties did not have difliculty at n-0. However, they had difliculty at n=1, if both of the stimuli were numbers or hiragana and kabji characters that required linguistic processing, and with random figures that did not need linguistic processing. The present results suggest that students with reading difficulties may have problems with memory representations that are operated internally, Moreover, it is possible that these students have more fundamental problems, such as attention deficits, which may influence multiple modalities.
Using VR for Human Development in Africa

Most VR practitioners probably don't think of Africa as being at the forefront of technology innovation. Some might even regard Africa as an exotic holiday destination; to others, it's a continent characterized by poverty and hunger, to be avoided. Within this context, what role, if any, can VR play in human development in Africa?
Diagonally Loaded Normalised Sample Matrix Inversion (LNSMI) for Outlier-Resistant Adaptive Filtering

Instead of a "hard" decision on ignoring "outlier" training samples in constructing the covariance matrix estimate, we propose a "softer" method that reduces the impact of such abnormal data samples on adaptive filter performance. Specifically, we introduce a diagonally loaded covariance matrix estimate that is normalised by a generalised inner product (GIP), which is more robust against outliers. We demonstrate the efficiency of this technique on high-frequency (HF) over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) data.
RTS: A prototype for rules-based ticket search

In this paper, we propose a novel system RTS which can search airline tickets information in Internet. The object of RTS is the set of dynamic data pages distributed in 35 airlinespsila websites. Our prototype will acquire these pages and locate the feature regions where we can extract real time information of tickets. In decision layer, we filter and sort these data to supply our end-users with all the potential tickets information they need and allow them to book tickets by our agent. The process relies on a series of rules of structure, logic and business applications. Experiment results show that the proposed prototype is robust and feasible.
Correlation between Speed Perception and Neural Activity in the Middle Temporal Visual Area

We conducted electrophysiological recording and microstimulation experiments to test the hypothesis that the middle temporal visual area (MT) plays a direct role in perception of the speed of moving visual stimuli. We trained rhesus monkeys on a speed discrimination task in which monkeys chose the faster speed of two moving random dot patterns presented simultaneously in spatially segregated apertures. In electrophysiological experiments, we analyzed the activity of speed-tuned MT neurons and multiunit clusters during the discrimination task. Neural activity was correlated with the monkeys' behavioral choices on a trial-to-trial basis (choice probability), and the correlation was predicted by the speed-tuning properties of each unit. In microstimulation experiments, we activated clusters of MT neurons with homogeneous speed-tuning properties during the same speed discrimination task. In one monkey, microstimulation biased speed judgments toward the preferred speed of the stimulated neurons. Together, evidence from these two experiments suggests that MT neurons play a direct role in the perception of visual speed. Comparison of psychometric and neurometric thresholds revealed that single and multineuronal signals were, on average, considerably less sensitive than were the monkeys perceptually, suggesting that signals must be pooled across neurons to account for performance.
Human tracking in the complicated background by Particle Filter using color-histogram and HOG

Human tracking [1] based on computer vision, is a challenging and crucial problem in intelligent video surveillance [2] system. As is known to all, human motion [3] is usually non-linear and non-Gaussian, many prevalent frameworks are not appropriate, such as Kalman Filter [4], etc. Nevertheless, the Particle Filter [5][6][7][8] could still have good performance even when the system is nonlinear and non-Gaussian. This paper is based on Particle Filter, too. In many cases, the Particle Filter always uses single-human-feature (such as color-histogram, edge gradient, Histogram of Oriented Gradients [14] (HOG), etc) to track human objects. But using single-human-feature will lose a lot of information in the process of tracking human objects. In order to avoid this drawback, this paper proposes to fuse the information of color-histogram and HOG to track. This method keeps both color and shape information, consequently, it is more robust and steady. Experiment results demonstrate that this method is effective to improve the performance of tracking.
Aperture coupled microstrip patch antenna array for high gain at millimeter waves

Four-element microstrip patch antenna array is proposed at millimeter wave frequency. The proposed antenna achieves the impedance bandwidth of 4.6% at 28 GHz as well as a flat gain of 13.5 dB over an operating frequency band. It uses the aperture coupling along with air cavities to feed the patch elements. It achieves the side lobe level of -23 dB in the H Plane and -14.5 dB in the E plane. In addition, the proposed structure also achieves the wide beamwidth of 70° in H plane.
Fractional Order Correlation Algorithm's Accuracy Analysis

In order to improve the correlation accuracy of correlation algorithm, the fractional order correlation algorithm of uncertain time sequences is proposed in this paper. By taking advantage of the memory property of fractional order, the algorithm introduces the measurement of fractional order differential for the local trend of time sequence into the correlation algorithm and also analyzes the influences of differential order and noise upon correlation accuracy, provides selection relations between noise level and order. It has been proven with examples that the correlation accuracy of fractional order correlation algorithm has increased by two orders of magnitude as compared with relative and C-type correlation, and increased by one orders of magnitude as compared with slope and T-type correlation.
Segregation of parallel inputs to the anteromedial and anteroventral thalamic nuclei of the rat

Many brain structures project to both the anteroventral thalamic nucleus and the anteromedial thalamic nucleus. In the present study, pairs of different tracers were placed into these two thalamic sites in the same rats to determine the extent to which these nuclei receive segregated inputs. Only inputs from the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus, the principal extrinsic cholinergic source for these thalamic nuclei, showed a marked degree of collateralization, with approximately 13% of all cells labeled in this tegmental area projecting to both nuclei. Elsewhere, double‐labeled cells were very scarce, making up ∼1% of all labeled cells. Three general patterns of anterior thalamic innervation were detected in these other areas. In some sites, e.g., prelimbic cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and secondary motor area, cells projecting to the anteromedial and anteroventral thalamic nuclei were closely intermingled, with often only subtle distribution differences. These same projections were also often intermingled with inputs to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus, but again there was little or no collateralization. In other sites, e.g., the subiculum and retrosplenial cortex, there was often less overlap of cells projecting to the two anterior thalamic nuclei. A third pattern related to the dense inputs from the medial mammillary nucleus, where well‐defined topographies ensured little intermingling of the neurons that innervate the two thalamic nuclei. The finding that a very small minority of cortical and limbic inputs bifurcates to innervate both anterior thalamic nuclei highlights the potential for parallel information streams to control their functions, despite arising from common regions. J. Comp. Neurol. 521: 2966–2986, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The decline and fall of GRS 1915+105: the end is nigh?

The Galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105 has been in a continuous state of outburst since 1992, over 20 times longer than any other black hole X-ray transient. Assuming that the outburst is powered via accretion of an irradiated gaseous disc, we calculate how the predicted outburst duration varies according to the efficiency of the self-irradiation mechanism. At least one current model leads to the conclusion that the end of the outburst is imminent. The timing of the decline of GRS 1915+105, whenever it arrives, will be an excellent discriminator of the self-irradiation mechanism in X-ray transients, allowing us to infer the fraction of the disc that is heated by the incident X-rays and the magnitude of the mass loss rate in the form of a wind.
U.S. Business Cycles, Monetary Policy and the External Finance Premium

I investigate a model of the U.S. economy with nominal rigidities and a financial accelerator mechanism a la Bernanke et al. (Handbook of Macroeconomics, Vol. 1, Elsevier Sci., Chap. 21, pp. 1341–1393, 1999). I calculate total factor productivity (TFP) and monetary policy deviations for the U.S. and quantitatively explore the ability of the model to account for the cyclical patterns of U.S. per capita real private GDP (excluding government), U.S. per capita real private investment, U.S. per capita real private consumption, the share of hours worked per capita, (year-over-year) inflation and the quarterly interest rate spread between the Baa corporate bond yield and the 20-year Treasury bill rate during the Great Moderation. I show that the magnitude and cyclicality of the external finance premium depend nonlinearly on the degree of price stickiness (or lack thereof) in the Bernanke et al. (Handbook of Macroeconomics, Vol. 1, Elsevier Sci., Chap. 21, pp. 1341–1393, 1999) model and on the specification of both the target Taylor (Carnegie-Rochester Conf. Ser. Pub. Policy 39:195–214, 1993) rate for policy and the exogenous monetary shock process. The strong countercyclicality of the external finance premium (the interest rate spread) induces substitution away from consumption and into investment in periods where output grows above its long-run trend as the premium tends to fall below its steady state and financing investment becomes temporarily “cheaper”. The less frequently prices change in this environment, the more accentuated the fluctuations of the external finance premium are and the more dominant they become on the dynamics of investment, hours worked and output. However, these features—the countercyclicality and large volatility of the spread—are counterfactual and appear to be a key impediment limiting the ability of the model to account for the U.S. data over the Great Moderation period.
TRENDS IN VARIANCE COMPONENTS AND OPTIMUM REPLICATIONS AND CROP-YEARS FOR VARIETY TRIALS AT DWANGWA SUGAR ESTATE IN MALAWI

The ability to detect significant differences betwe en varieties in trials depends on the variance associated with the means. Dwangwa sugar estate, Malawi, imports varieties from the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) for testing before release for commercial use. Currently, trials are planted i n early, mid and late seasons. Each trial is planted to eight replications and harvested in t he plant and four ratoon crops. The objectives of this study were to determine the tren ds in variance components that will optimise number of replications and crop-years, whi le providing adequate discriminating ability for yield and quality. Data for yield (cane and sugar) and quality (sucrose and fibre %) were collected from two series of trials. The da ta were analysed using the mixed procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) to estimate the variance components that were used to calculate broad sense heritabilit ies. The broad sense heritabilities were used to model the optimum number of replications and crop-years. In both series, yield traits produced more significant variance component s for genotype by environment interaction (GxE) than quality traits. Quality trai ts produced larger broad sense heritabilities than yield traits. The changes in br oad sense heritability indicated that four replications and harvesting in the plant and subseq uent three ratoon crops provided adequate discriminating ability among clonal means.
TranslatAR : A Mobile Augmented Reality Translator on the Nokia N 900

Researchers have long been interested in the synergy between portability and computing power but had been limited by unwieldy, uncommonly used devices. The latest generation of mobile phones, i.e. ‘smartphones’, are equipped with hardware powerful enough to develop novel, interesting applications with allow users to directly interact with the world around them. This paper describes a multimodal, augmented reality translator developed using a smartphone’s (Nokia N900) camera and touchscreen combined with OCR (Tesseract) and online translation services (Google Translation API). We describe our methods for tracking, text detection, OCR and translation, and provide results quantifying OCR accuracy on a set of signs collected around the UCSB campus.
The Impact of Multiple Affective Reactions on Decision Making : Combination of Affect and the Mediating Mechanisms of Affective Influence

While there is plenty of research showing how a single affective reaction impacts a decision, there is practically no research which looked at the impact of multiple affective reactions. Moreover, the mediating mechanisms of this impact are still debated, with several mediation models proposed, but never tested and compared at the same time. In this thesis, eight studies were conducted that took a closer look at these two issues. The results show that multiple affective reactions combine in order to impact the decision and that in this combination, feelings are averaged. However, the combination only happens when the affective reactions are related to the same decision source (e.g. two reactions associated with a potential reward). When, on the other hand, the affective reactions are associated with two independent decision sources (e.g. one reaction associated with a task and the other with the potential reward), there is no combination and people only rely on the affectivity associated with the consequential source (i.e. the rewards). Finally, the most consistently obtained mediation model was where only immediate affective reactions mediated between the affective source and the decision. The results extend the literature by demonstrating the phenomenon of affective combination along with the boundary conditions that govern its impact on the decision, they offer new insights into what mediates this impact, and they provide solid ground for future work aimed at looking at multiple affective reactions’ impact on decisions.
Fast estimation of the partitioning rent characteristic using a recursive partitioning model

In the past, a priori interconnect prediction, based on Rent's rule, has been applied mainly for technology evaluation and roadmap applications. These applications do not require extreme accuracy and generally use typical values of the Rent exponent. Recent work has shown that a very high correlation across predictions for individual circuits can be obtained by using the experimentally measured partitioning Rent characteristic for prediction. Using those new prediction techniques, a priori interconnect prediction has become more usable for design space exploration early in the design cycle. However, the measurement of a Rent characteristic, i.e., a full recursive circuit partitioning, can take a lot of time. In this paper, we propose a model for the partitioning Rent characteristic that allows an accurate estimation of the Rent characteristic by performing only three levels of recursive partitioning.
Design criteria for stable friction drive operation of surface acoustic wave motor

Design criteria for the stable and durable operation of a surface acoustic wave motor were discussed. The low electric conductivity coupled with pyroelectricity of lithium niobate stator hindered the stable friction drive operation. We indicated that the conductivity improved lithium niobate, by chemical reduction, would then eliminate the unstable reason i.e. the contact electrification. The severe failure of the stator surface sets the limit to the durability of the surface acoustic wave motor. Owing to the chemical inertness of lithium niobate, the surface failure of the stator was arisen from the mechanical stresses developed by the indentation and sliding of the projections placed at the slider surface. The sharp edge of projections, as fabricated, easily causes the failure. Thereby, wearing off procedure before the operation is proposed as only feasible method, if the projections are necessary. Nevertheless, the optimum geometry to prevent surface failure was deduced as flat plane.
New production in the Sargasso Sea: History and current status

The Sargasso Sea has been, and continues to be, the focus for research on new production in the open ocean. The history of the concept and the evolution of understanding of the mechanisms is reviewed from its inception in the early 1960s through a controversial period in the 1980s to the current status of a plethora of sources of new nitrogen. Rather than viewing all processes supplying new nutrients as uniformly distributed over the Sargasso Sea, it is now clear that new production in the northern or subtropical area is primarily sustained by nitrogen injection via mesoscale eddies and winter convection. In the tropical area, where permanent stratification precludes deep winter mixing and eddy kinetic energy is low, nitrogen fixation is potentially the dominant source along with diapycnal mixing and atmospheric deposition. The timescale of new production measurements has lengthened to an annual basis using time series measurements and satellite imagery but, in the context of climate change, should be lengthened further to greater than decadal scales.
Enabling Access to Irish Traditional Music Archives on a PDA

This paper describes TunePal, a tool which facilitates convenient audio access to archive transcriptions of traditional tunes on a PDA. The main feature of TunePal is its ability to locate a tune by name or musical phrase from thousands stored on a PDA. TunePal enhances not only the recall of a musician using TunePal in a traditional music session, but also the acquisition of new repertoire. In this paper we briefly describe the sources of music that TunePal works on, present its main features, give a technical description and present efforts at disseminating TunePal to the wider traditional music community.
In-Vivo Real-Time Control of Protein Expression from Endogenous and Synthetic Gene Networks

We describe an innovative experimental and computational approach to control the expression of a protein in a population of yeast cells. We designed a simple control algorithm to automatically regulate the administration of inducer molecules to the cells by comparing the actual protein expression level in the cell population with the desired expression level. We then built an automated platform based on a microfluidic device, a time-lapse microscopy apparatus, and a set of motorized syringes, all controlled by a computer. We tested the platform to force yeast cells to express a desired fixed, or time-varying, amount of a reporter protein over thousands of minutes. The computer automatically switched the type of sugar administered to the cells, its concentration and its duration, according to the control algorithm. Our approach can be used to control expression of any protein, fused to a fluorescent reporter, provided that an external molecule known to (indirectly) affect its promoter activity is available.
A Novel Wind Turbine Concept Based on an Electromagnetic Coupler and the Study of Its Fault Ride-through Capability

This paper presents a novel type of variable speed wind turbine with a new drive train different from the variable speed wind turbine commonly used nowadays. In this concept, a synchronous generator is directly coupled with the grid, therefore, the wind turbine transient overload capability and grid voltage support capability can be significantly improved. An electromagnetic coupling speed regulating device (EMCD) is used to connect the gearbox high speed shaft and synchronous generator rotor shaft, transmitting torque to the synchronous generator, while decoupling the gearbox side and the synchronous generator, so the synchronous generator torque oscillations during a grid fault are not transmitted to the gearbox. The EMCD is composed of an electromagnetic coupler and a one quadrant operation converter with reduced capability and low cost. A control strategy for the new wind turbine is proposed and a 2 MW wind turbine model is built to study the wind turbine fault ride-through capability. An integrated simulation environment based on the aeroelastic code HAWC2 and software Matlab/Simulink is used to study its fault ride-through capability and the impact on the structural loads during grid three phase and two phase short circuit faults.
Adaptive control of a time delay bioeletrochemical process using neural networks

This paper studies the design and the analysis of a nonlinear and neural adaptive control strategy for a complex nonlinear and time varying wastewater treatment bioprocess. In fact a direct adaptive controller based on a radial basis function neural network used as an on-line approximator to learn the time-varying characteristics of process parameters is developed and then is compared with a classical linearizing controller. The controller design is achieved by using an input-output feedback linearization technique. A realistic case study, which consists of a complex bioprocess resulting from the association of a recycling bioreactor with an electrochemical reactor, is fully analyzed. Computer simulations are included to demonstrate the behaviour and the performance of the proposed controllers.
Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences Gait Based Personal Identification System Using Rotation Sensor

Every individual has a unique walking pattern which may be used as a signature for identification. This paper describes the construction of a feasible human identification device using human gaits (Walking pattern). We have built a very low cost wearable suit mounted with eight rotation sensors, controller, software and power unit for measuring eight major joints of human body which are involved in locomotion. Different person's walking patterns can be captured with this suit which has been named IGOD (Intelligent Gait Oscillation Detector). IGOD meets an excellent standard of accuracy for capturing movements of major joint's oscillation during locomotion. A gait classifier has been designed using ANN (Artificial Neural Network) and LDA (Linear Discriminant Analysis) combined with a bottom up binary tree approach. The designed system is free from environment and projection uncertainties, which normally plague any vision based systems. The device has been tested with 30 subjects (Persons). We have achieved a high recognition accuracy of up to 100% over this limited sample of 30 persons.