Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decentralized coordination control for mas with workload learning

In this work we deal with a decentralized coordination control (DCC) problem for Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). The system output, which is the control goal of MAS, is defined as the summation of the output of all agents. The objective of this study is to derive an effective control law for each agent such that the system output can asymptotically track a reference trajectory. Individual agent can only access its own state information, the system output, and the reference. Hence each controller has to be designed in a decentralized manner without using the information of other agents, even the total number of agents is unknown to individual agent. When the actual total workload is exactly unity, the proposed DCC law ensures the asymptotic error convergence. Otherwise, algebraic or adaptive identification algorithms are applied to estimate the workload mismatching. Two learning algorithms are proposed to rescale the workload assignment for each agent after estimating the workload mismatching. One iterative learning algorithm achieves asymptotic learning convergence, while the other achieves a deadbeat learning convergence.
Persepsi pesakit mental terhadap stigma masyarakat

Gangguan mental berlaku apabila individu berhadapan dengan gangguan dalam hubungan interaksi sama ada dalam diri sendiri mahupun persekitaran kumpulan sosialnya dan gangguan tersebut menyebabkan perubahan daripada aspek kognitif, emosi mahupun sosial. Individu yang mengalami gangguan mental sering dilabel dan dikenakan stigma oleh masyarakat disebabkan kelakuan dan penampilan mereka yang dianggap menyimpang dari norma masyarakat. Tinjauan awal ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti persepsi individu yang mengalami gangguan mental terhadap reaksi masyarakat. Seramai 31 orang individu yang mengalami masalah gangguan mental kategori neurosis dan sedang menjalani rawatan susulan di Klinik Psikiatri Hospital Pulau Pinang telah dipilih sebagai responden kajian berdasarkan teknik pensampelan mudah. Gangguan mental neurosis merujuk pada kelakuan atau pemikiran yang tidak normal sehingga mengakibatkan penderitaan pada pesakit. Gejala-gejala neurosis meliputi keadaan emosi yang teruk secara patologikal, seperti dalam keadaan keresahan atau murung, kelakuan dan fikiran yang menyedihkan seperti fobia, obsesif atau juga penyakit-penyakit fizikal seperti histeria atau hipokondria. Walau bagaimanapun, individu yang mengalami gangguan neurosis masih sedar akan persekitaran sosialnya. Maklumat dikumpul melalui temu bual berstruktur menggunakan borang soal selidik. Stigma masyarakat diteliti berdasarkan pandangan individu yang mengalami gangguan mental tentang reaksi masyarakat menerusi tindakan dan tingkah laku masyarakat terhadap mereka. Maklumat yang diperoleh dianalisis menggunakan program SPSS 21 dan dibentangkan dalam bentuk taburan dan peratusan. Penemuan kajian menunjukkan sebilangan besar individu yang mengalami masalah gangguan mental menyatakan reaksi masyarakat terhadap mereka adalah positif. Penemuan ini menggambarkan bahawa tidak semua individu yang mengalami gangguan mental berhadapan dengan stigma negatif dari anggota masyarakat.
Scanline Edge-flag Algorithm for Antialiasing

In this paper, a novel algorithm for rendering antialiased 2D polygons is presented. Although such algorithms do exist, they are inefficient when comparing to non-antialiased alternatives. This has lead to a situation where the developers — and the end users of the applications — need to make a choice between high speed and high quality. The algorithm presented here however equals the performance of an industry standard non-antialiased polygon filling algorithm, while providing good antialiasing quality. Furthermore, the algorithm addresses the requirements of a modern 2D rendering API by supporting features such as various fill rules. Most of the research in antialiased 2D rendering has been proprietary work, and there is very little documentation about the algorithms in the literature. This paper brings an update to the situation by providing a thorough explanation of one such algorithm.
Simulation of signal transduction pathways

Signal transduction is about how molecular mechanisms in cells are used to receive, process and respond to signals from outside and inside of the cell. The term signal is defined in a dual way in this context: being the molecular state of a molecule, e.g. a protein, and at the same time an abstract logical state (active/inactive). This thesis focuses on intracellular signalling: i.e. receiving some kind of stimuli (e.g. hormones) from outside, integrating this information with the state of the cell, and passing this information into the nucleus to regulate gene expression by transcription factors as the response to the stimulus. In recent years a huge amount of data has been accumulated in various biological databases. These data are used for quantitative analysis of small, well-defined signal networks. The dissertation follows the new approach of qualitative simulation of signal transduction on whole-cell scale. In collaboration with the company Biobase/Wolfenbüttel, Germany the signal transduction database TRANSPATH Professional is used to gain access to qualitative, manually annotated textual information from the scientific literature. For qualitative simulation of signal transduction pathways a model of interacting signal molecules is established, similar to the information structure of TRANSPATH . Signalling behaviour is modelled in a process-oriented, as well as in an object-oriented way. Signal molecules are represented as entities that have variables to keep their conformation status or biochemical alterations, and as parameterised procedures to communicate with each other. In a first approach the established symbolic signal model was implemented in the π-calculus. A simulation software, based on this theory and called PsiFCP, is used to simulate the well characterised Egf-Mapk signal pathway. As intermediate result of the simulation with the PsiFCP system, software requirements for simulation of signal transduction networks are formulated. In a second attempt the object-oriented signal model was implemented in an agentbased simulation environment, called Swarm system. An extended Egf-Mapk signal pathway is reimplemented in the programming language Objective C to feed the Swarm simulation system with local, binary interaction data of TRANSPATH 4.2. Swarm then dynamically processes the signal flow using a stochastic scheduling mechanism, which was developed to this end. Simulated models can be analysed by inspecting signal flow and scheduling traces, and the shortest path between two signal molecules can be computed. As final result, shortest paths are computed between varying molecules of the manually imported Egf-Mapk pathway.
HIGH RESOLUTION AUTORADIOGRAPHY WITH STRIPPING FILM

A simple method is described for the preparation and use of stripping film of high quality for electron microscopic applications of autoradiography. The advantages of the method are: (a) uniform monolayers of emulsion are easily prepared with an inexpensive mechanical device and applied to thin sections on conventional grids; (b) both sides of grids can be coated with emulsion, permitting a potential doubling of sensitivity with, theoretically, no loss of resolution; and (c) large numbers of grids can be processed simultaneously, assuring identical conditions of development.
Prevalence of the Epilepsies in Children and Adolescents

Summary: The prevalence of epilepsy in children and adolescents from birth through age 19 years was determined for residents of two counties in central Oklahoma. Cases, identified from hospitals, clinics, private physicians' offices, and EEG laboratory and emergency room records, numbered 1,159, yielding a prevalence rate of 4.71 per 1,000. The prevalence was highest in children aged 1–4 years. Overall, males had a slightly higher prevalence rate than females (M:F = 1.1). However, the male/female ratio varied by age, with the group aged <1 year having the highest ratio (M:F = 1.5), and by type of epilepsy, with males having higher rates of simple partial epilepsy (M:F = 1.8) and infantile spasms (M:F = 1.5). The prevalence of epilepsy was higher in blacks than in whites. Differences in prevalence by race were confined primarily to generalized epilepsies (B:W = 1.8). The most common types of epilepsy were tonic, clonic, and tonic‐clonic (1.14 per 1,000), complex partial (0.39 per 1,000), and partial seizures secondarily generalized (0.33 per 1,000). Approximately 70% of cases were considered idiopathic. Among the presumed causes were perinatal factors (7%), trauma (4%), central nervous system (CNS) infection (3%), and congenital/developmental factors (3%). Sixty‐five percent of cases had at least one additional medical problem. The most common types of comorbidity were motor handicap (13%) and developmental delay (24%).
Integration and evaluation of social competences such as humor in an artificial interactive agent

In this paper, we present a brief overview of our ongoing work about artificial interactive agents and their adaptation to users. Several possibilities to introduce humorous productions in a spoken dialog system are investigated in order to enhance naturalness during social interactions between the agent and the user. We finally describe our plan on how neuroscience will help to better evaluate the proposed systems, both objectively and subjectively.
Mapping of Elements Involved in Regulating Normal Temporal period and timeless RNA Expression Patterns in Drosophila melanogaster

Although transcriptional regulation is a major force in generating circadian oscillations of clock molecules, posttranscriptional mechanisms also contribute to molecular rhythms. Applying novel transgenic period-luciferase constructs in transgenic Drosophila, the authors show that sequences within per's 5[. minute]-untranslated region mediate posttranscriptional regulation at the RNA level. Further mapping suggests that the relevant sequences for the correct phasing of period mRNAexpression are located within the first intron. The results are consistent with a clock-regulated temporal stabilization of period mRNA during its daily upswing in the morning. This process is inferred to depend on a function of the PERIOD and TIMELESS proteins, and could further contribute to the observed delay between RNA and protein accumulation. Similarly, applying timeless-luciferase constructs led to the demonstration that regulatory elements for proper temporal timeless expression are present ina4kbpromoter fragment and in sequences within the first intron. The results establish that, for normal rhythmicity, expression of clock genes requires regulation at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels.
Freeze Shoe Sampler for the Collection of Hyporheic Zone Sediments and Porewater

The Starr and Ingleton (1992) drive point piston sampler (DPPS) design was modified by fitting it with a Murphy and Herkelrath (1996) type sample‐freezing drive shoe (SFDS), which uses liquid carbon dioxide as a cryogen. Liquid carbon dioxide was used to freeze sediments in the lower 0.1 m of the core and the drive‐point piston sealed the core at the top preserving the reductive‐oxidation (redox) sensitive sediments from the atmosphere and maintaining natural stratigraphy. The use of nitrogen gas to provide positive pressure on the gas system blocked the ingress of water which froze on contact with the cryogen thus blocking the gas lines with ice. With this adaptation to the gas system cores could be collected at greater depths beneath the static water level. This tool was used to collect intact saturated sediment cores from the hyporheic zone of the tidally influenced Fraser River in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where steep geochemical and microbial gradients develop within the interface between discharging anaerobic groundwater and recharging aerobic river water. In total, 25 cores driven through a 1.5 m sampling interval were collected from the river bed with a mean core recovery of 75%. The ability to deploy this method from a fishing vessel makes the tool more cost effective than traditional marine‐based drilling operations which often use barges, tug boats, and drilling rigs.
Plasma-Mediated Vascular Dysfunction in the Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure Model of Preeclampsia: A Microvascular Characterization

Preeclampsia is associated with widespread maternal vascular dysfunction, which is thought to be mediated by circulating factor(s). The aim of the study was to characterize vascular function in the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat model of preeclampsia and to investigate the role of plasma factors in mediating any observed changes in vascular reactivity. Mean arterial blood pressure and vascular function were measured in RUPP and control rats. Mesenteric vessels from both virgin and pregnant rats were exposed for 1 hour or overnight to plasma from both RUPP and control rats and their vascular function assessed. RUPP rats were characterized by severe hypertension, restricted fetal growth, and reduced placental weight (P<0.001). Vasorelaxation was impaired in resistance vessels from RUPP compared with control rats (acetylcholine: Rmax 70±3 versus 92±1 [NP] and 93±3% [sham], P<0.01; bradykinin: 40±2 versus 62±2 [NP] and 59±4% [sham], P<0.001). Incubation of vessels from pregnant (but not virgin) animals with RUPP plasma overnight resulted in an attenuation of vasorelaxant responses (acetylcholine: 63±7 versus 86±2%, P<0.05; bradykinin: 35±5 versus 55±6%, P<0.001). The residual relaxant response in RUPP plasma-treated vessels was not further attenuated after treatment with N&ohgr;-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (acetylcholine: 57±7 versus 63±7%, ns; bradykinin: 37±5 versus 35±5%, ns). The RUPP rat model is characterized by an impaired response to vasodilators which may be attributable to one or more circulating factors. This plasma-mediated endothelial dysfunction appears to be a pregnancy-dependent effect. Furthermore, nitric oxide–mediated vasorelaxation appears to be absent in RUPP plasma-treated vessels.
Stimulatory effect of caffeine on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in the rat.

Intraperitoneal injection of caffeine (12.5-100 mg/kg) into rats caused a significant, dose-related increase in plasma corticosterone 2 h later, when the greatest response was measured. The corticosterone response to laparotomy stress or i.v. injection of ACTH(1-24) was unaffected by prior injection of caffeine. The response to stress or caffeine was unaffected by adrenal enucleation 28 days previously. In vitro, 10 mmol caffeine/l stimulated basal release of corticosterone from adrenal quarters and potentiated the response to a sub-maximal stimulatory concentration of cyclic AMP (cAMP). The drug had no effect on release stimulated by a sub-maximal concentration of ACTH(1-24). Release of ACTH from pituitary fragments incubated in vitro was stimulated in a dose-related manner by caffeine (0.01-10 mmol/l), and the responses to hypothalamic extract and sub-maximal concentrations of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF-41) or arginine vasopressin (AVP), but not cAMP, were significantly enhanced by 10 mmol caffeine/l. Release of immunoreactive CRF-41 (but not AVP) was significantly increased by caffeine (0.01-10 mmol/l) added to hypothalami incubated in vitro. The response to injection of caffeine in vivo was completely prevented by pharmacological blockade of endogenous CRF release. Taken together, these results show that caffeine at high concentrations can stimulate directly the release of the hormones of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in vitro, but the fact that these concentrations are unlikely to be reached after administration in vivo suggests that the effect of caffeine may be mediated centrally.
A Stochastic Approach to the Detection of Receptive Fields in the Visual System

A statistical approach is developed for the detection of receptive fields of cells in the visual system. A spatiotemporal random pattern of light, composed of successive frame patterns, is used as a stimulation signal. A frame consists of N2 square elements: N rows and N columns. The brightness of each element is independent to one another and takes "light" or "dark" state. Shaped random patterns are defined in the spatiotemporal random pattern, and a list indicating the presence and absence of a defined feature pattern is made from the spatiotemporal random pattern. The receptive field is described in terms of the spatial response function based on a cross correlation between cell's reponse and feature signal (feature list). Consideration is given to feature parameters affecting on results.
Trivia quiz mining using probabilistic knowledge

Recent work suggests that providing unexpected information is an important factor for drawing user traffic. Such examples can be easily found in the “Did you know” section of the Wikipedia main page, the ESPN quiz, the Google Doodles, and the Bing main page. Inspired by these applications, we propose a novel trivia quiz mining asking unexpected questions for a given entity. We solve this problem by linking different types of social media as input and output, and mine unexpected properties based on prototype theory to mediate the input and the output media.
The romance of work: Gender and aspirational labour in the digital culture industries

Despite widespread interest in the changing technologies, economies and politics of creative labour, much of the recent cultural production scholarship overlooks the social positioning of gender. This article draws upon in-depth interviews with 18 participants in highly feminized sites of digital cultural production (e.g. fashion, beauty and retail) to examine how they articulate and derive value from their passionate activities. I argue that the discourses of authenticity, community building and brand devotion that they draw on are symptomatic of a highly gendered, forward-looking and entrepreneurial enactment of creativity that I term ‘aspirational labour’. Aspirational labourers pursue productive activities that hold the promise of social and economic capital; yet the reward system for these aspirants is highly uneven. Indeed, while a select few may realize their professional goals – namely to get paid doing what they love – this worker ideology obscures problematic constructions of gender and class subjectivities.
Excitation of terahertz surface plasmons on graphene surfaces by an elementary dipole and quantum emitter: Strong electrodynamic effect of dielectric support

The excitation of transverse magnetic (TM) surface plasmons by a point dipole in the vicinity of a multilayered graphene/dielectric system is examined. It was previously shown that the surface plasmon (SP) excited by a vertical dipole on an isolated graphene sheet exhibits a strong excitation peak in the THz region; here we show that, in the presence of a finite-thickness dielectric support layer such as SiO2, considerable spectral content is transferred to a second (perturbed dielectric slab) mode, greatly decreasing and redshifting the excitation peak. The presence of a Si half-space also diminishes the excitation strength, but for graphene on top of SiO2-Si the presence of the SiO2 layer creates a spacer restoring the excitation peak. A two-level quantum emitter is also considered, where it is shown that the addition of a thin dielectric support slab and SiO2-Si geometries affects the spontaneous decay rate in a manner similar to the classical dipole SP excitation peak.
Polarization of Macrophages in Metabolic Diseases

Monocytes originate from progenitor cells in the bone marrow and traffic via the bloodstream to peripheral tissues. During both homeostasis and in responses to clear pathogens, circulating monocytes leave the bloodstream and migrate into tissues where they, following exposure to local growth factors, pro-inflammatory cytokines and microbial products, differentiate into macrophage or dendritic cell sub-populations. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disease characterised by the elimination of the insulin producing β-cells in the pancreatic tissue through activation mainly of the adaptive immune system. In metabolic diseases, i.e. obesity, Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and diabetic complications, inflammation is mostly driven by macrophages and has been shown pivotal for disease progression even when blood glucose levels are well controlled. This review describes some current ideas and trends regarding the monocyte and macrophage involvement and their polarization in metabolic diseases that might open up novel therapeutic areas for the growing diabetic population.
Discrete Approaches to Quantum Gravity in Four Dimensions

AbstractThe construction of a consistent theory of quantum gravity is a problem in theoretical physics that has so far defied all attempts at resolution. One ansatz to try to obtain a non-trivial quantum theory proceeds via a discretization of space-time and the Einstein action. I review here three major areas of research: gauge-theoretic approaches, both in a path-integral and a Hamiltonian formulation; quantum Regge calculus; and the method of dynamical triangulations, confining attention to work that is strictly four-dimensional, strictly discrete, and strictly quantum in nature.
Read It Twice! A Mass-Storage-Based TOCTTOU Attack

Consumer electronics and embedded devices often allow the installation of applications and firmware upgrades from user-provided mass-storage devices. To protect the integrity of these devices and the associated electronic markets, the software packages are protected by cryptographic signatures. The software installation code assumes that files on attached mass-storage devices cannot change while the storage device is connected. The software installation is therefore not bound to the file integrity check, thus laying the foundations for a time-of-check-to-time-of-use (TOCTTOU) attack. This work presents a TOCTTOU attack via externally attached mass-storage devices. The attack is based on emulating a mass-storage device to observe and alter file access from the consumer device. The TOCTTOU attack is executed by providing different file content to the check and installation code of the target device, respectively. The presented attack effectively bypasses the file content inspection, resulting in the execution of rogue code on the device.
Investigating lasp-2 in cell adhesion: new binding partners and roles in motility

To further understand the functional role of lasp-2, a focal adhesion protein, a survey identifies two novel binding partners: vinculin and paxillin. The data suggest that lasp-2 has an important role in regulating the composition and dynamics of focal adhesions, as well as significant roles in metastasis, with dual functions in migration and invasion.
Nonlinear identification of the external power system dynamic equivalent for the study system

Based on the concept of the external power system dynamic equivalent for the study system, in this paper a reduced-order artificial neural network is proposed, which is constructed to model the external part. The mastermind behind the proposed method is to identify the external part as a dynamic-algebraic ANN, and this separation between dynamic equations in the state space form and algebraic equations is useful to solve the prediction problem. To obtain this model, the system should be excited by some disturbances, and according to the measured data on the boundary nodes, identification procedure is accomplished. Therefore, the trained network can be used to predict behavior of the external system in a high degree of accuracy.