Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Vibration Intervention on Leg-press Exercise

Many studies have emphasized the importance of resistive exercise to maintain a healthy human body, particular in prevention of weakening of physical strength. Recently, some studies advocated that an application of vibration as a supplementary means in a regular training was effective in encouraging physical strength. Aim of the current study was, therefore, to identify if an application of vibration in a resistive exercise was effective in encouraging physical strength as that in a regular training. A 3-dimensional virtual lower extremity model for a healthy male and virtual leg-press model were generated and synchronized. Dynamic leg-press exercises on a slide machine with/without extra load and on a footboard with vibration as well as on a slide machine with extra load were analyzed. The results of the current indicated that the application of the vibration on the dynamic leg-press exercise might be not greatly effective in encouraging physical strength, compared with the dynamic leg press exercise with extra load. It was, however, thought that the application of the vibration might be helpful to elderly individuals because the reduced maximum muscle strength appeared by the effect of the vibration may avoid a muscular spasm, which can be driven from a high muscle strength sometimes produced during the leg-press exercise with extra load.
Defined spatial structure stabilizes a synthetic multispecies bacterial community

This paper shows that for microbial communities, “fences make good neighbors. ” Communities of soil microorganisms perform critical functions: controlling climate, enhancing crop production, and remediation of environmental contamination. Microbial communities in the oral cavity and the gut are of high biomedical interest. Understanding and harnessing the function of these communities is difficult: artificial microbial communities in the laboratory become unstable because of “winner-takes-all” competition among species. We constructed a community of three different species of wild-type soil bacteria with syntrophic interactions using a microfluidic device to control spatial structure and chemical communication. We found that defined microscale spatial structure is both necessary and sufficient for the stable coexistence of interacting bacterial species in the synthetic community. A mathematical model describes how spatial structure can balance the competition and positive interactions within the community, even when the rates of production and consumption of nutrients by species are mismatched, by exploiting nonlinearities of these processes. These findings provide experimental and modeling evidence for a class of communities that require microscale spatial structure for stability, and these results predict that controlling spatial structure may enable harnessing the function of natural and synthetic multispecies communities in the laboratory.
A 0.1–3GHz cell-based fractional-N all digital phase-locked loop using ΔΣ noise-shaped phase detector

A 0.1-3 GHz, cell-based, fractional-N ADPLL with ΔΣ noise-shaped phase detector is presented. By dithering the reference phase and quantization phase error through an additional feedback path, linear phase detection and zero stabilization are accomplished without resort to sophisticated time to digital converter (TDC). The measured rms jitter from a 3GHz carrier is 1.9 ps with a multiplication factor of 60. Implemented in TSMC 40nm general purpose superb CMOS technology, the chip size is 280um × 240um.
An analytical comparison of partial power-feedback designs for MIMO block fading channels

It has been shown that with perfect feedback (CSIT), the optimal multiple input/multiple output (MIMO) transmission strategy is a cascade of channel encoder banks, power control matrix, and eigen-beamforming matrix. However, the feedback capacity requirement for perfect CSIT is 2n/sub T//spl times/n/sub R/, which is not scalable with respect to n/sub T/ or n/sub R/. In this letter, we shall compare the performance of two levels of partial power-feedback strategies, namely, the scalar symmetric feedback and the vector feedback, for MIMO block fading channels. Unlike quasi-static fading, variable rate encoding is not needed for block fading channels to achieve the optimal channel capacity.
Research framework for decentralized multi-project scheduling problem

Multi-project environment is quite common in modern day, and the decentralized multi-project scheduling problem has been a hot research direction since last decade. Compared with centralized multi-project problem, decentralized multi-project problem has new characteristics in these fields such as decision maker, decision mode, and decision objective. Existing research works most focus on one particular issue of the problem, and has not formed a generally accepted definition and classification for the problem. In this paper, we propose the definition of decentralized multi-project scheduling problem and analyze the characteristics, and then propose the research framework based on the analysis. We map and locate some existing works in this research framework. At last give a short conclusion.
A Two Level TDMA Scheduling Protocol with Intra-cluster Coverage for Large Scale Wireless Sensor Network

Summary One of the key problem for Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is the design of Medium Access Control(MAC) protocol, which medium access is the major consumer of sensor energy. TDMAbased MAC protocol is inherently collision free, and can rule out idle listening since nodes know when to transmit. Cluster-based TDMA protocol is more scalable than traditional TDMA protocol, but it introduces inter-cluster interference for which FDMA and CDMA are not good solutions due to their hardware complexity and high cost. In this paper, we present TLTS, a Two Lever TDMA Scheduling protocol, in which the first scheduling ensures that neighboring clusters collecting their member’s data during different frames in order to avoid inter-cluster interference and the second scheduling schedules members of cluster sending their data to their respectively cluster heads during different slots to avoid intra-cluster interference. Simulation results show that TLTS performs better than HEED when node density turns higher. TLTS is more practical than HEED which uses CDMA code to avoid inter-cluster interference for deploying large scale WSN.
Solid phase extraction technique-trends, opportunities and applications

Solid phase extraction (SPE) is an extraction method that uses a solid phase and a liquid phase to isolate one, or one type, of analyte from a solution. it is usually used to clean up a sample before using a chromatographic or other analytical method to quantify the amount of analyte(s) in the sample. The general procedure is to load a solution onto the SPE phase, wash away undesired components, and then wash off the desired analytes with another solvent into a collection tube. Solid-phase extractions use the same type of stationary phases as are used in liquid chromatography columns. The stationary phase is contained in a glass or plastic column above a frit or glass wool. The column might have a frit on top of the stationary phase and might also have a stopcock to control the flow of solvent through the column. Commercial SPE cartridges have 1-10 ml capacities and are discarded after use. it is usually used to clean up a sample before using a chromatographic or other analytical method to quantify the amount of analyte(s) in the sample. Solid phase extraction procedures are used not only to extract traces of organic compounds from environmental samples but also to remove the interfering components of the complex matrices in order to obtain a cleaner extract containing the analytes of interest. The SPE technique is widely applied for isolation of analytes from a liquid matrix and purified extracts. This paper is a review of the literature regarding general information about SPE technique, new trends in SPE technique and its application.
Preparedness and training needs of an Australian public mental health workforce in intellectual disability mental health

ABSTRACT Background: Australian publicly funded mental health services play a significant role in the assessment and management of mental illness for people with intellectual disability. However, there is limited knowledge on their preparedness to meet the needs of this population. Method: Public mental health professionals (n=566) completed an online survey that explored their attitudes, confidence, and training needs in the area of intellectual disability mental health. Descriptive analyses were undertaken. Results: Participants agreed that people with intellectual disability have the right to receive good mental health care, and have the same access to their service. They viewed treating them as part of their role, but given the resources available it was not possible to provide comprehensive care. Participants reported low confidence in key clinical areas and insufficient training. Conclusions: A comprehensive workforce development strategy is required to facilitate the engagement and capacity of public mental health professionals in this area.
Autonomous hovering of a vision/IMU guided quadrotor

We describe a multi-sensory control architecture for hovering of a mini four-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over specified markers as an external reference for pose estimation utilizing two on-board sensors: a tiny single camera and Inertial Measurement Units. A high-speed pose estimation approach based on visual information is presented. A closed-loop system is implemented using PID pose-controllers. The control performance is improved by integration of IMU measurement. Results of a real-time experiment are presented.
Hardware synthesis for systems of recurrence equations with multidimensional schedule

This paper introduces methods for extending the classical systolic synthesis methodology to multi-dimensional time which implies the use of memories in the resulting architecture. Memory functions are used to define where the data are stored during execution, the targeted architecture is a distributed memory VLSI circuit. We describe a structural VHDL program for the matrix multiplication algorithm synthesised for a FPGA platform using these design principles. Our results show that the complexity added in each processor by the memories and the control is moderate and justifies in practice the use of such architectures.
Driver fatigue detection system

The research aims to detect the onset of drowsiness in drivers, while the vehicle is in motion. Detection is done by continuously looking out for symptoms of drowsiness, while considering both physiological and physical signs. Physiological factors include core body temperature and pulse rate. Both of these parameters will decrease during the onset of drowsiness. These are monitored by using somatic sensors. Physical cues including yawning, drooping eyelids, closed eyes and increased blink durations. Once the system detects that the driver is drowsy by using a combination of these factors, it alerts the driver across multiple stages depending on the severity of the symptoms. The system also becomes attuned to the driver's unique characteristics over time, thus reducing the margin of false positives.
The Roots of Reciprocity: Gratitude and Reputation in Generalized Exchange Systems

Social scientists often study the flow of material and social support as generalized exchange systems. These systems are associated with an array of benefits to groups and communities, but their existence is problematic, because individuals may be motivated to take from the system without giving back to it. Researchers have identified two broad processes governing prosociality in generalized exchange systems: generalized reciprocity (a person who receives help from someone pays it forward by helping a third person) and indirect reciprocity (a person who helps another establishes a prosocial reputation and, as a consequence, later receives help from a third person). Although generalized exchange systems can be based on either process, generalized and indirect reciprocity are based on different mechanisms and, with few exceptions, have been investigated independently. Here we present an integrated approach to generalized exchange that (1) specifies when each process is most likely to promote prosocial behavior, (2) details the implications for resource inequalities in generalized exchange systems, and (3) describes how generalized and indirect reciprocity jointly influence prosocial behavior. Results from four new experiments strongly support the theoretical arguments.
Shape Based Automatic Annotation and Fuzzy Indexing of Video Sequences

Multimedia content available on the web is increasing at a rapid rate. At this rate, indexing video content manually for search and retrieval is getting increasingly difficult due to the high cost and time that it demands. In this paper, we propose a scheme for automatic annotation and indexing of video content with a goal of supporting efficient retrieval. The framework performs the annotation and indexing by operating on the key representative frames of a video sequence. The proposed framework broadly involves three major steps. The first step involves pre-processing, segmenting a video frame into objects and obtaining the boundary coordinates. In the second step, shape descriptors are computed by applying discrete Fourier transform on the centroid distance function. In the third and the last step, template based matching and fuzzy indexing of the video is performed. Simulations were carried out for evaluating the performance of both pre-processing and annotation using the database-MPEG7 CE Shape-1 Part B. The results show that the framework could effectively perform annotation.
A Quick Self-Adaptive Background Updating Algorithm Based on Moving Region

Background subtraction is a common way of real-time motion detection. Owing to lacking the right approach to update the background, it was confined in certain aspects. In this paper, we will present a quick selfadaptive background updating algorithm based on moving region, and use label method to de-noise the moving objects. The algorithm can reduce the calculation and accelerate the background subtraction. It also can update the background exactly along with the variance of illumination, and meet the real-time processing. While the label method can de-noise all the noises in the moving objects, the moving objects can be segmented from the background perfectly. The images in our experiment are obtained from the traffic scenes, and the experimental results show that this builds a good foundation for further shadow elimination and object recognition.
Using Multilingual Resources for Building SloWNet Faster

This project report presents the results of an approach in which synsets for Slovene wordnet were induced automatically from parallel corpora and already existing wordnets. First, multilingual lexicons were obtained from word-aligned corpora and compared to the wordnets in various languages in order to disambiguate lexicon entries. Then appropriate synset ids were attached to Slovene entries from the lexicon. In the end, Slovene lexicon entries sharing the same synset id were organized into a synset. The results were evaluated against a goldstandard and checked by hand.
Is There Really Relationship between Androgenetic Alopecia and Metabolic Syndrome?

Background. There are several studies investigating the relationship between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and metabolic syndrome (MS) with conflicting results. Objective. We sought to investigate whether there is a relationship between AGA and MS. Methods. A case-control study including 74 male patients with AGA and 42 male controls was conducted. Age, duration of AGA, AGA onset age, anthropometric measures, body mass index, lipid parameters, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, and presence of MS were recorded. Results. Of the 74 male AGA patients (age range 20–50 years, mean 32.14), 24 were in stage 2, 26 were in stage 3, 17 were in stage 3V, 1 was in stage 5, and 6 were in stage 7. There was no significant difference in the rate of MS between AGA and control groups (P = 0.135). Among the evaluated parameters, only systolic blood pressure in AGA group was significantly higher than control group. Conclusion. In contrast to the most of the previous studies, our study does not support the link between AGA and MS. To exclude confounding factors such as advanced age and therefore metabolic disturbances, further studies are needed with large group of AGA patients including different age groups and varying severity.
Results of Chilean water markets: Empirical research since 1990

Chile's free‐market Water Code turned 20 years old in October 2001. This anniversary was an important milestone for both Chilean and international debates about water policy because Chile has become the world's leading example of the free‐market approach to water law and water resources management, the textbook case of treating water rights not merely as private property but also as a fully marketable commodity. The predominant view outside of Chile is that Chilean water markets and the Chilean model of water management have been a success, and this perception has encouraged other countries to follow Chile's lead in water law reform. Much of the debate about Chilean water markets, however, has been based more on theoretical or political beliefs than on empirical study. This paper reverses that emphasis by reviewing the evolution of empirical research about these markets since 1990, when Chile returned to democratic government after 16 years of military rule. During the period since 1990, understanding of how Chilean water markets have worked in practice has gradually improved. There have been two major trends in this research: first, a gradual shift from exaggerated claims of the markets' success toward more balanced assessments of mixed results and, second, a heavy emphasis on the economics of water rights trading with very little attention given to the Water Code's impacts on social equity, river basin management, environmental protection, or resolution of water conflicts. The analysis in this study is qualitative and interdisciplinary, combining law, economics, and institutions.
Effect of general anesthetics on IOP in rats with experimental aqueous outflow obstruction.

PURPOSE To determine the effect of several common general anesthetics on intraocular pressure (IOP) after experimental aqueous outflow obstruction in the rat. METHODS A single episcleral vein injection of hypertonic saline was used to sclerose aqueous humor outflow pathways and produce elevated IOP in Brown Norway rats. Animals were housed in either standard lighting or a constant low-level light environment. Awake IOPs were determined using a TonoPen (Mentor, Norwell, MA) immediately before induction of anesthesia by either isoflurane, ketamine, or a mixture of injectable anesthetics (xylazine, ketamine, and acepromazine). For each anesthetic, IOPs were measured immediately after adequate sedation (time 0) and at 5-minute intervals, up to 20 minutes. RESULTS; Awake IOPs ranged from 18 to 52 mm Hg. All anesthetics resulted in a statistically significant (P: < 0.01) reduction in measured IOP at every duration of anesthesia when compared with the corresponding awake IOP. With increasing duration of anesthesia, measured IOP decreased approximately linearly for both the anesthetic mixture and isoflurane. However, with ketamine, IOP declined to 48% +/- 11% (standard lighting) and 60% +/- 7% (constant light) of awake levels at 5 minutes of anesthesia, where it remained stable. In fellow eyes, the SD of the mean IOP in animals under anesthesia was always greater than the corresponding SD of the awake mean. Anesthesia's effects in normal eyes and eyes with elevated IOP were indistinguishable. CONCLUSIONS All anesthetics resulted in rapid and substantial decreases in IOP in all eyes and increased the interanimal variability in IOPs. Measurement of IOP in awake animals provides the most accurate documentation of pressure histories for rat glaucoma model studies.
The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris

Marine debris, mostly consisting of plastic, is a global problem, negatively impacting wildlife, tourism and shipping. However, despite the durability of plastic, and the exponential increase in its production, monitoring data show limited evidence of concomitant increasing concentrations in marine habitats. There appears to be a considerable proportion of the manufactured plastic that is unaccounted for in surveys tracking the fate of environmental plastics. Even the discovery of widespread accumulation of microscopic fragments (microplastics) in oceanic gyres and shallow water sediments is unable to explain the missing fraction. Here, we show that deep-sea sediments are a likely sink for microplastics. Microplastic, in the form of fibres, was up to four orders of magnitude more abundant (per unit volume) in deep-sea sediments from the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean than in contaminated sea-surface waters. Our results show evidence for a large and hitherto unknown repository of microplastics. The dominance of microfibres points to a previously underreported and unsampled plastic fraction. Given the vastness of the deep sea and the prevalence of microplastics at all sites we investigated, the deep-sea floor appears to provide an answer to the question—where is all the plastic?
Response Time Differences Between Computers and Tablets

ABSTRACT Item response time data were used in investigating the differences in student test-taking behavior between two device conditions: computer and tablet. Analyses were conducted to address the questions of whether or not the device condition had a differential impact on rapid guessing and solution behaviors (with response time effort used as an indicator) as well as on the time that students spent on the test (reading, mathematics, and science) or a given item type (such as drag-and-drop and fill in blank). Further analyses were conducted to examine if the potential impact of device conditions varied by gender and ethnicity groups. Overall there were no significant differences in response time effort related to device, although some differences related to item type and test sequence were noted. Students tended to spend slightly more time when taking the tests and certain types of items on the tablet than on the computer. No interactions of device with gender or ethnicity were observed. Follow-up research on the item time thresholds is discussed.
Semantics of value recursion for Monadic Input/Output

Monads have been employed in programming languages for modeling various language features, most importantly those that involve side effects. In particular, Haskell's IO monad provides access to I/O operations and mutable variables, without compromising referential transparency. Cyclic definitions that involve monadic computations give rise to the concept of value-recursion, where the fixed-point computation takes place only over the values, without repeating or losing effects. In this paper, we describe a semantics for a lazy language based on Haskell, supporting monadic I/O, mutable variables, usual recursive definitions, and value recursion. Our semantics is composed of two layers: a natural semantics for the functional layer, and a labeled transition semantics for the IO layer.
An Algebraic Proof of a Robust Social Choice Impossibility Theorem

An important element of social choice theory are impossibility theorems, such as Arrow's theorem and Gibbard-Satterthwaite's theorem, which state that under certain natural constraints, social choice mechanisms are impossible to construct. In recent years, beginning in Kalai'01, much work has been done in finding \text it{robust} versions of these theorems, showing that impossibility remains even when the constraints are \text it{almost} always satisfied. In this work we present an Algebraic scheme for producing such results. We demonstrate it for a variant of Arrow's theorem, found in Dokow and Holzman [5].