Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pervasive Computing in Play-based Occupational Therapy for Young Children

Pervasive computing technologies can assist parents and occupational therapists in modifying behaviors in young children. In occupational therapy, an effective mean to motivate child behavior change is by designing playful activities which leverages the desire of children to play to induce their behavioral change. By embedding digital technology into playful activity, pervasive computing technologies can enhance the effectiveness of play-based occupational therapy. This study proposes to play-based activities targeted at eating and tooth brushing behaviors in young children.
Image Watermark using Visual Model Based Discrete Wavelet Transform

In this paper, a novel blind image watermark scheme is developed based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT). In order to make the watermark robust and transparent, the watermark is embedded in the average of wavelet blocks using the visual model based on the human visual system. Low-pass wavelet coefficients n least significant bits (LSBs) are adjusted in concert with the average. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme is transparent and robust against many attacks such as JPEG compression, adding noise, rescaling, cropping, rotation, filtering, etc.
Towards low-power embedded vector processor

In the low-end mobile processor market, power, energy and area budgets are significantly lower than in the server/desktop/laptop/high-end mobile markets. It has been shown that vector processors are a highly energy-efficient way to increase performance but adding support for them incurs area and power overheads that could not be acceptable for low-end mobile processors. In this work, we propose an integrated vector-scalar design that mostly reuses scalar hardware to support the execution of vector instructions. The key element of the design is our proposed block-based model of execution that groups vector computational instructions to execute them coordinately.
Exploration of Network Alternatives for Middleware-centric Embedded System Design

The paper addresses the design-space exploration of network alternatives for complex distributed systems of embedded devices, e.g., for smart power grid or telecommunication services. While past research mainly provided efficient programming abstractions and HW/SW simulation tools, this work introduces the network perspective in the verification of different design solutions (e.g., different task decomposition and assignment to network nodes). To do that, network simulation capability has been added to the so-called Abstract Middleware Environment and its effectiveness has been shown experimentally through the design of a wireless sensor network application taken from a real-world case study.
Deciphering the genetic and modular connections between coronary heart disease, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD), idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and pulmonary heart disease (PHD) are circulatory system diseases that may simultaneously emerge in a patient and they are often treated together in clinical practice. However, the molecular mechanisms connecting these three diseases remain unclear. In order to determine the multidimensional characteristic correlations between these three diseases based on genomic networks to aid in medical decision-making, genes from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database were obtained, and applied network construction and modularized analysis were conducted. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the associations between overlapping genes, modules and pathways. A total of 29 overlapping genes and 3 common modules were identifed for the 3 diseases. Glycosphingolipid biosynthesis and the arachidonic acid metabolism are common pathways, and the biosynthetic process is suggested to be the major function involved in the three diseases. The current study reported, to the best of our knowledge for the first time, the role of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis in IPAH and PHD. The present study provided an improved understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying CHD, IPAH and PHD. The overlapping genes, modules and pathways suggest novel areas for further research, and drug targets. The observations of the current study additionally suggest that drug indications can be broadened because of the presence of common targets.
Caloric restriction and its mimetics

Caloric restriction is the most reliable intervention to prevent age-related disorders and extend lifespan. The reduction of calories by 10-30% compared to an ad libitum diet is known to extend the longevity of various species from yeast to rodents. The underlying mechanisms by which the benefits of caloric restriction occur have not yet been clearly defined. However, many studies are being conducted in an attempt to elucidate these mechanisms, and there are indications that the benefits of caloric restriction are related to alteration of the metabolic rate and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. During molecular signaling, insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling, target of rapamycin pathway, adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase signaling, and Sirtuin are focused as underlying pathways that mediate the benefits of caloric restriction. Here, we will review the current status of caloric restriction. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(4): 181-187]
Dimension vs. Genus: A surface realization of the little k-cubes and an E_{\infty}-operad

We define a new $E_{\infty}$ operad based on surfaces with foliations which contains $E_k$ sub-operads. We construct CW models for these operads and provide applications of these models by giving actions on Hochschild complexes -thus making contact with string topology-, by giving explicit cell representatives for the Dyer-Lashof-Cohen operations for the 2-cubes and by constructing new $\Omega$ spectra. The underlying novel principle is that we can trade genus in the surface representation vs. the dimension $k$ of the little $k$-cubes.
GAKG-RGEKG an Epitope That Provokes Immune Cross-Reactivity between Prevotella sp. and Human Collagen: Evidence of Molecular Mimicry in Chronic Periodontitis

Periodontal disease afflicts 20% of world population. This process usually occurs in the form of being lethargic and chronic, and consequently this disease is known as chronic process. All chronic diseases constantly cause activation of the immune system, and therefore the presentation of microbial peptides which are presented to lymphocytes by professional antigen presenting cells can present microbial peptides very similar to important structures of human economy causing autoimmune diseases, process known as molecular mimicry. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify the presence of molecular mimicry phenomenon between periodontopathogens and human proteins. Blasting microbes of Socransky periodontal complexes against human collagen were performed and then the proteins with similarities were modelled and were screened in the MHI binding virtual methods. The epitopes selected were produced and plasma of chronic periodontal volunteers was obtained and a dot immunobinding assay was performed. Hypothetical protein of Prevotella sp. and human collagen epitopes with high similarities were positive for dot immunobinding assay. With this result it can be suggested that the mimicry phenomena can occur on periodontal disease.
The Approach of Adaptive Spectral Clustering Analyze on High Dimensional Data

Data mining is an important tool in knowledge discovery. It aims at discovering the valuable patterns hidden in large volume of data. In a distributed environment, the main problem we need to consider for data mining is how to transfer the minimal amount of data and provide maximum sharing of information with the continued expansion of business scale and constant update of services content. For high-dimensional scientific data, an adaptive spectral clustering method has been proposed. The experimental results on numerical simulation of scientific data have shown the improvement of proposed method.
3d Sign Language Mathematics in Immersive Environment

In this paper we describe the development of a new immersive 3D learning environment to increase mathematical skills of deaf children. The application teaches mathematical concepts and ASL (American Sign Language) math terminology through user interaction with fantasy 3D virtual signers and environments. The program can be displayed in immersive devices and includes a gesture control system comprised of a pair of pinch gloves and a 6-degrees-of-freedom wrist tracker. Our application improves on existing examples of virtual learning environments for the hearing impaired in terms of: (1) high realism/fluidity of the 3D characters’ signing motion; (2) complexity of real time interaction between student and 3D avatars and environments; and (3) natural communication between user and application via a simple glove-based gesture control system.
A Method for Interval Multiple Attribute Decision Making with Loss Aversion

This paper proposes a method for solving interval multiple attribute decision-making problems with loss aversion. In this method, the behavioral and cognitive factors of decision makers in reality are considered. Firstly, each alternative is chosen as the reference point of another alternative in the process of pair comparisons, and the gains or losses of consequence for each alternative with respect to each attribute relative to the reference point are calculated according to prospect theory. Then, based on loss aversion, the dominance measurement of one alternative over another alternative and the global measurement of each alternative can be calculated by TODIM method, and the ranking result of the alternatives is obtained on the basis of the global measurement of each alternative. Finally, a numerical example is used to illustrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed method.
Effective global searching method based on radial basis function

A new global searching method based on radial basis function interpolation is presented to solve the global optimization problems of continuous black-box functions. We embed radial basis function interpolation method into the genetic algorithm. Radial Basis function interpolation method can almost approximate any function. Therefore, the hybridized algorithm which can not only simplify optimization problems of the continuous black-box functions but also be expert in global search.
Filtered and Setwise Gibbs Samplers for Teletraffic Analysis

The Gibbs sampler is a very simple yet efficient method for the performance evaluation of product form loss networks. This paper introduces the setwise Gibbs sampler as a flexible technique for analysing closed BCMP networks, which model telecommunication networks using window flow control. The efficiency of another variant, the filtered Gibbs sampler (FGS), is also investigated. It is shown that the FGS is considerably more efficient than the standard Gibbs sampler. It is also shown that traditional estimates of the accuracy of FGS can be excessively optimistic, and a more conservative estimator is presented. Keywords— Product form; Queueing networks; Gibbs Sampler; Markov chain Monte Carlo
Keystone effects of an alien top-predator stem extinctions of native mammals

Alien predators can have catastrophic effects on ecosystems and are thought to be much more harmful to biodiversity than their native counterparts. However, trophic cascade theory and the mesopredator release hypothesis predict that the removal of top predators will result in the reorganization of trophic webs and loss of biodiversity. Using field data collected throughout arid Australia, we provide evidence that removal of an alien top-predator, the dingo, has cascading effects through lower trophic levels. Dingo removal was linked to increased activity of herbivores and an invasive mesopredator, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and to the loss of grass cover and native species of small mammals. Using species distribution data, we predict that reintroducing or maintaining dingo populations would produce a net benefit for the conservation of threatened native mammals across greater than 2.42 × 106 km2 of Australia. Our study provides evidence that an alien top predator can assume a keystone role and be beneficial for biodiversity conservation, and also that mammalian carnivores more generally can generate strong trophic cascades in terrestrial ecosystems.
Centrioles in the cell cycle. I. Epithelial cells

A study was made of the structure of the centrosome in the cell cycle in a nonsynchronous culture of pig kidney embryo (PE) cells. In the spindle pole of the metaphase cell there are two mutually perpendicular centrioles (mother and daughter) which differ in their ultrastructure. An electron-dense halo, which surrounds only the mother centriole and is the site where spindle microtubules converge, disappears at the end of telophase. In metaphase and anaphase, the mother centriole is situated perpendicular to the spindle axis. At the beginning of the G1 period, pericentriolar satellites are formed on the mother centriole with microtubules attached to them; the two centrioles diverge. The structures of the two centrioles differ throughout interphase; the mother centriole has appendages, the daughter does not. Replication of the centrioles occurs approximately in the middle of the S period. The structure of the procentrioles differs sharply from that of the mature centriole. Elongation of procentrioles is completed in prometaphase, and their structure undergoes a number of successive changes. In the G2 period, pericentriolar satellites disappear and some time later a fibrillar halo is formed on both mother centrioles, i.e., spindle poles begin to form. In the cells that have left the mitotic cycle (G0 period), replication of centrioles does not take place; in many cells, a cilium is formed on the mother centriole. In a small number of cells a cilium is formed in the S and G2 periods, but unlike the cilium in the G0 period it does not reach the surface of the cell. In all cases, it locates on the centriole with appendages. At the beginning of the G1 period, during the G2 period, and in nonciliated cells in the G0 period, one of the centrioles is situated perpendicular to the substrate. On the whole, it takes a mature centriole a cycle and a half to form in PE cells.
SVM ensemble classification of nmr spectra based on different configurations of data processing techniques

The early detection of drug-induced organ toxicities is one of the major goals in safety pharmacology. Automating this process by classification of metabolic changes based on the analysis of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra improves this process. In this paper we propose an ensemble classification system based on support vector machines trained on diverse ldquoviewsrdquo on the data. These views are created by variation of preprocessing techniques and the final classification is achieved by voting on an optimized selection of all experts. Results of an experimental evaluation on a challenging data-set from industrial safety pharmacology show the effectiveness of the proposed approach w.r. t. the detection of drug-induced toxicity.
Querying the Web of Data with XSPARQL 1.1

On the Web and in corporate environments there exists a lot of data in various formats. XQuery and XSLT serve as query and transformation languages for XML. But as RDF also becomes a mainstream format for Web of data, transformations languages between these formats are required. XSPARQL is a hybrid language that provides an integration framework for XML, RDF, but also JSON and relational data by partially combining several languages such as XQuery, SPARQL and SQL. In this paper, we present the latest open source release of the XSPARQL engine, which is based on standard software components (Jena and Saxon) and outline possible applications of XSPARQL 1.1 to address Web data integration use cases.
Determinants of primary care service quality in Afghanistan.

OBJECTIVE To identify factors associated with service quality provided by agencies implementing a basic package of health services in Afghanistan. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey of outpatient health facilities, health workers, patients and caretakers. SETTING Primary health care facilities in every province of Afghanistan. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Composite scale measuring the quality of clinical processes in four areas: patient histories, physical examinations, communication and time spent with patient. RESULTS No difference in service quality was observed between male and female providers or between male and female patients, but when both the provider and patient were female quality was much higher. Overall, the quality of care at non-governmental organization and government-managed health facilities did not differ, but the poor received higher quality care at non-governmental facilities than at government facilities. Doctors provided higher quality care than lower level providers. Provision of six or more supervisory visits in the last 6 months was associated with higher service quality. Training doctors in integrated management of childhood illness was not associated with quality, but when lower level health workers received such training the quality of patient-provider communication was higher. Other recurrent inputs and geographic remoteness are not associated with the quality of care provided. CONCLUSIONS The government's strategy to form partnerships with non-governmental organizations has led to higher quality of care provided to the poor. This represents a promising start in the reconstruction of Afghanistan's health system and provides useful evidence to other countries striving to increase access to quality care for the poor.
Data Consistency on Private Cloud Storage System

: Cloud computing paradigm contains many shared resources such as infrastructures, data storage, various platforms and software. In cloud storage service, consistency not only influences the performance and availability of the systems but also the overall operational cost. This paper is proposed an analytical model using MM1 queuing for data consistency on private cloud storage system to evaluate the discarding probability based on update requests to handle update conflict . Moreover, an approach is also proposed to improve the readability after update and consistency of storage on the cloud environment.
Assessment and management of nutrition in older people and its importance to health

Nutrition is an important element of health in the older population and affects the aging process. The prevalence of malnutrition is increasing in this population and is associated with a decline in: functional status, impaired muscle function, decreased bone mass, immune dysfunction, anemia, reduced cognitive function, poor wound healing, delayed recovery from surgery, higher hospital readmission rates, and mortality. Older people often have reduced appetite and energy expenditure, which, coupled with a decline in biological and physiological functions such as reduced lean body mass, changes in cytokine and hormonal level, and changes in fluid electrolyte regulation, delay gastric emptying and diminish senses of smell and taste. In addition pathologic changes of aging such as chronic diseases and psychological illness all play a role in the complex etiology of malnutrition in older people. Nutritional assessment is important to identify and treat patients at risk, the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool being commonly used in clinical practice. Management requires a holistic approach, and underlying causes such as chronic illness, depression, medication and social isolation must be treated. Patients with physical or cognitive impairment require special care and attention. Oral supplements or enteral feeding should be considered in patients at high risk or in patients unable to meet daily requirements.
NLP and the Humanities: The Revival of an Old Liaison

This paper present an overview of some emerging trends in the application of NLP in the domain of the so-called Digital Humanities and discusses the role and nature of metadata, the annotation layer that is so characteristic of documents that play a role in the scholarly practises of the humanities. It is explained how metadata are the key to the added value of techniques such as text and link mining, and an outline is given of what measures could be taken to increase the chances for a bright future for the old ties between NLP and the humanities. There is no data like metadata!
The Illusion of Doubt

The Illusion of Doubt shows that radical scepticism is an illusion generated by a Cartesian picture of our evidential situation - the view that my epistemic grounds in both the 'good' and the 'bad' cases must be the same, and consists in information about an inner mental realm of experience from which I must try to work my way out to what goes on 'out there' in the external world. It is this picture which issues both a standing invitation to radical scepticism and ensures that there is no way of getting out of it while agreeing to the sceptic's terms. What we therefore need to do is not try to answer the sceptical problem 'directly', but rather to undermine the assumptions that it depends on. These are among the most ingrained in contemporary epistemology. They include the notion that radical scepticism can be motivated by the 'closure' principle for knowledge, that the 'Indistinguishability Argument' renders the Cartesian conception compulsory, that the 'new evil genius thesis' is coherent, and the demand for a 'global validation' of our epistemic practices makes sense. Once these dogmas are undermined, the path is clear for a 'realism without empiricism' that allows us to re-establish unmediated contact with the objects and persons in our environment which an illusion of doubt had threatened to put forever beyond our cognitive grasp.
Cross- vs. within-company cost estimation studies revisited: an extended systematic review

[Objective] The objective of this paper is to extend a previously conducted systematic literature review (SLR) that investigated under what circumstances individual organizations would be able to rely on cross-company based estimation models. [Method] We applied the same methodology used in the SLR we are extending herein (covering the period 2006-2013) based on primary studies that compared predictions from cross-company models with predictions from within-company models constructed from analysis of project data. [Results] We identified 11 additional papers; however two of these did not present independent results and one had inconclusive findings. Two of the remaining eight papers presented both, trials where cross-company predictions were not significantly different from within-company predictions and others where they were significantly different. Four found that cross-company models gave prediction accuracy significantly different from within-company models (one of them in favor of cross-company models), while two found no significant difference. The main pattern when examining the study related factors was that studies where cross-company predictions were significantly different from within-company predictions employed larger within-company data sets. [Conclusions] Overall, half of the analyzed evidence indicated that cross-company estimation models are not significantly worse than within-company estimation models. Moreover, there is some evidence that sample size does not imply in higher estimation accuracy, and that samples for building estimation models should be carefully selected/filtered based on quality control and project similarity aspects. The results need to be combined with the findings from the SLR we are extending to allow further investigating this topic.