Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parasite resistance and avoidance behaviour in preventing eye fluke infections in fish

This paper examines the efficiency of acquired resistance in protecting the fish host, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), against the trematode parasite Diplostomum spathaceum, and the hypothesis that fish recognize areas where infective stages are aggregated and show avoidance behaviour. We found that when fish with a low level of infection were held in restricted cages in natural conditions they became infected and developed cataracts as a result of this infection. This suggests that acquired resistance is insufficient in protecting fish against the parasite or the deleterious effects of infection in conditions where fish could not avoid the parasite. Behavioural experiments in the laboratory showed that fish reacted to the parasite cercariae by avoiding the infection source, which decreased the rate of parasite establishment. We conclude that by using a combination of behavioural avoidance and physiological resistance, fish could defend against the parasite more effectively.
Biometric access control using Near Field Communication and smart phones

Near Field Communication or NFC is a short-range communication channel that is one of the most promising technologies around. One of the purposes for this technology is to simplify first-time connections to other wireless technologies, like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. In this article we will show how Near Field Communication in a Samsung Nexus S smartphone can be used as part of a two-factor access control system for unlocking a door. Biometric Fingerprint recognition is used for authentication and NFC will be used to transmit authentication information to computer controlling the door. We will define some requirements for the system to increase security and propose some solutions for implementation to improve protection of biometric assets.
Modeling and analysis of doubly-curved frequency selective surface

As a spatial filter, frequency selective surface (FSS) has been intensively investigated for many years. The applications of FSS are always needed to be conformal. So modeling and analysis conformal FSS (CFSS) is particularly important. In this paper, three projection methods for modeling the doubly-curved frequency selective surfaces (DCFSS) are investigated. We compare the different effects of these methods on the performance of FSS. Then, a hyperboloid, as a sub-reflector in 93GHz Cassegrain system, is designed as an example. We find that the projection methods all could be successfully applied in the design if the curved surface within electrically large size and small curvature.
Real-Time Action Model Learning with Online Algorithm 3SG

An action model, as a logic-based representation of action’s effects and preconditions, constitutes an essential requirement for planning and intelligent behavior. Writing these models by hand, especially in complex domains, is often a time-consuming and error-prone task. An alternative approach is to let the agents learn action models from their own observations. We introduce a novel action learning algorithm called 3SG (Simultaneous Specification, Simplification, and Generalization), analyze and prove some of its properties, and present the first experimental results (using real-world robots of the SyRoTek platform and simulated agents in action computer game Unreal Tournament 2004). Unlike the majority of available alternatives, 3SG produces probabilistic action models with conditional effects and deals with action failures, sensoric noise, and incomplete observations. The main difference, however, is that 3SG is an online algorithm, which means it is rather fast (polynomial in the size of the input) but potentially less precise.
Compressed sampling based on circulant matrix for analog signals

In order to implement the high-speed data transmission in wireless communication system, the signal bandwidth becomes wider. However this results in high Nyquist sampling rate which will beyond the capacity of the hardware device. The analog-to-information conversion (AIC) based on compressed sensing (CS) is proposed to sample signals at a sub-Nyquist rate. The circulant matrix (CM) instead of the random Bernoulli matrix is used as the measurement matrix in this paper. Compared with the structure based on random Bernoulli matrix, this CM based architecture, in a certain extent, can reduce system complexity. Simulations which show the efficiency of the proposed approach are also presented.
Blind Moment Estimation Techniques for I/Q Imbalance Compensation in Quadrature Receivers

When targeting receiver integrability and flexibility, the choice of the front-end architecture is in key position. Instead of the traditional superheterodyne architecture, more recent I/Q or quadrature receiver front-ends are receiving increasingly more interest. One crucial aspect in quadrature receiver front-ends is the amplitude and phase matching of the analog I and Q signal branches. I/Q mismatches result in incomplete image signal or mirror frequency attenuation which must be enhanced using additional analog or digital signal processing. This paper presents and analyzes a novel DSP-based blind (non-data-aided) technique for I/Q imbalance compensation, utilizing a property of the ideal baseband equivalent called circularity. The weights of the compensator are computed directly from the estimates of the second-order moments of the mismatched baseband equivalent received signal. This algorithm is further simplified, with minimal loss in performance, yielding an extraordinarily simple yet effective compensation technique which ideally triples the dB value of the analog front-end image rejection ratio. The algorithms are applicable to any I/Q receiver structure, whether single-channel or multi-channel, and are in fact totally independent of any specific structure or characteristic (other than circularity) of the ideal baseband equivalent signal
Lucene4IR

The workshop and hackathon on developing Information Retrieval Evaluation Resources using Lucene (L4IR) was held on the 8th and 9th of September, 2016 at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK and funded by the ESF Elias Network. The event featured three main elements: (i) a series of keynote and invited talks on industry, teaching and evaluation; (ii) planning, coding and hacking where a number of groups created modules and infrastructure to use Lucene to undertake TREC based evaluations; and (iii) a number of breakout groups discussing challenges, opportunities and problems in bridging the divide between academia and industry, and how we can use Lucene for teaching and learning Information Retrieval (IR). The event was composed of a mix and blend of academics, experts and students wanting to learn, share and create evaluation resources for the community. The hacking was intense and the discussions lively creating the basis of many useful tools but also raising numerous issues. It was clear that by adopting and contributing to most widely used and supported Open Source IR toolkit, there were many benefits for academics, students, researchers, developers and practitioners - providing a basis for stronger evaluation practices, increased reproducibility, more efficient knowledge transfer, greater collaboration between academia and industry, and shared teaching and training resources.
Effect of salbutamol, a beta‐2‐adrenergic agonist, on erythropoietin concentration in healthy males

Fifteen healthy males, aged 20–30 years, participated in a double‐blind cross‐over study on the effect of the beta‐2 stimulator salbutamol on erythropoietin concentration and hemoglobin concentration. The treatment period comprised inhalation of salbutamol, 0.8 mg four times daily for 2 weeks. Serum‐erythropoietin was essentially unaltered after treatment with salbutamol, 9.5±4.94 IU · l−1 (mean±SD), as compared to both control situation, 9.2±4.50 IU · l−1(mean±SD), and placebo treatment (9.7±4.07 IU · l−1) (mean±SD). The same pattern, no significant changes between control situation and treatment with salbutamol or placebo, also applied to hemoglobin concentration. In conclusion, it is not possible to increase erythropoietin concentration and thereby erytropoiesis by inhalation of high doses of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved beta‐2 stimulator salbutamol for 2 weeks in healthy young males.
Molecular association of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid and surface phospholipids in the development of colitis in rats.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Mucosal hydrophobicity contributes to the barrier property of the stomach. This study examined the effect of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) on colonic mucosal hydrophobicity and its relationship with developing inflammation. METHODS After the initial study, which suggested that TNBS can chemically react with zwitterionic phospholipids, contact-angle analysis of the colonic mucosa was performed after the luminal exposure of everted sacs of rat colon to TNBS. In vivo, rats were given TNBS, TNBS in ethanol, or TNBS coupled with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine by enema. On the 11th day, mucosal hydrophobicity damage score, colon weight, and myeloperoxidase activity were measured. RESULTS TNBS acutely (5 minutes) reduced the contact angle of the rat colonic mucosa in vitro as well as in vivo when administered in 50% ethanol. Surface mucosal hydrophobicity was significantly reduced 11 days after intracolonic inoculation with TNBS in ethanol and appeared to be associated with colonic inflammation. The ability of TNBS to decrease mucosal hydrophobicity and induce colitis was attenuated if the hapten was coupled with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. CONCLUSIONS TNBS may reduce mucosal hydrophobicity by reacting with the surface-active phospholipids of the colonic mucosa. Reduced hydrophobic integrity of the colonic mucosa may contribute to TNBS-induced colonic inflammation.
Queue-based priority MAC for WLANs Technical Report , September 2015

Recent studies have shown that it is possible to approximate throughput optimal scheduling using distributed Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA). These studies build on the idea of maximal-weight scheduling, where the set of links scheduled in each slot are the non-conflicting links with maximum sum of their queue lengths. However, conditions imposed by real environments including imperfect carrier sensing, collisions and the distributed nature of the protocol make it challenging to develop throughput optimal schemes for CSMA. In this paper we propose an implementation of queue-based scheduling that addresses these challenges and is suitable for implementation in 802.11 networks with minimal modifications. We evaluate the proposed protocol and have shown significant performance improvements of up to 98% in TCP flows in a typical WLAN setting, without negatively impacting fairness.
Analysis of microspike movements on the neuronal growth cone

Growth cones of chick sensory ganglion neurons in tissue culture were photographed at 60-sec intervals as they advanced over the substratum. Numbers of microspikes (or “filopodia”) were recorded together with the time and position of their appearance, their rate of elongation, their lateral movements, their lifespan, and the position and manner of their disappearance. All microspikes go through cycles of extension, lateral movement, and shortening. These are irregular and unpredictable but show systematic differences depending on where on the growth cone they occur. At the leading edge of the growth cone microspike extension occurs at highest frequency and microspike shortening occurs at the lowest frequency; when the latter occurs in this region it often involves the advance of the margin of the cell in the form of a lamellipodium. Microspike loss occurs most often at the base of the growth cone, usually by the retraction of the microspike into the cell. Calculations of the gain and loss of microspikes at different regions of the growth cone show that they undergo a net retrograde flow, the rate of which is correlated with the forward advance of the growth cone. Individual microspikes can also move backward from the growth cone onto the axon (or “neurite”), an event that occurs most often on adhesive substrata. Our observations support a direct role of microspike movement in the advance of the growth cone. The primary force for axonal elongation appears to be the contraction of microspikes pulling the leading margin of the growth cone forward. At more proximal and peripheral regions of the growth cone, microspikes undergo a retrograde sweeping motion, followed by retraction into the cell, which may also contribute to the forward movement of the growth cone. We interpret these movements as arising from a flow of actin filaments and associated proteins which are incorporated into microspikes and lamellipodia at the leading edge of the growth cone, passing backward, and being deposited into the actin-rich membrane- associated cortex of the axonal cylinder.
The non-self-adjointness of the radial momentum operator in n dimensions

The non self-adjointness of the radial momentum operator has been noted before by several authors, but the various proofs are incorrect. We give a rigorous proof that the $n$-dimensional radial momentum operator is not self- adjoint and has no self-adjoint extensions. The main idea of the proof is to show that this operator is unitarily equivalent to the momentum operator on $L^{2}[(0,\infty),dr]$ which is not self-adjoint and has no self-adjoint extensions.
Experimental comparison of rectifiers for Lundell automotive alternators

This paper presents a comparative analysis of rectifiers by experimental approach, to improve output power and efficiency of a Lundell alternator without any geometry modification. Different topologies of rectifiers are considered using PWM or series/parallel reconfigurations of diode rectifier and simple control methods. An interleaving technique is also applied to minimize the output current high-frequency ripple generated by pulse modulation. To improve performances, this method must be associated to special multiple 3-phase winding configuration to minimize magnetic coupling. The proposed solution almost double the peak output power at 8000rpm (from 1602W to 3038W) and keeps alternator losses constant.
Resilience, sense of coherence, purpose in life and self-transcendence in relation to perceived physical and mental health among the oldest old

Different concepts have been presented which denote driving forces and strengths that contribute to a person's ability to meet and handle adversities, and keep or regain health. The aim of this study, which is a part of The Umeå 85+ study, was to describe resilience, sense of coherence, purpose in life and self-transcendence in relation to perceived physical and mental health in a sample of the oldest old. The study sample consisted of 125 participants 85 years of age or older, who ranked themselves on the Resilience Scale, Sense of Coherence Scale, Purpose in Life Scale and Self-Transcendence Scale and answered the SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire. The findings showed significant correlations between scores on the Resilience Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale, the Purpose in Life Test, and the Self-Transcendence Scale. Significant correlations were also found between these scales and the SF-36 Mental Health Summary among women but not among men. There was no significant correlation between perceived physical and mental health. The mean values of the different scales showed that the oldest old have the same or higher scores than younger age groups. Regression analyses also revealed sex differences regarding mental health. The conclusions are that, the correlation between scores on the different scales suggests that the scales measure some dimension of inner strength and that the oldest old have this strength at least in the same extent as younger adults. Another conclusion is that the dimensions that constitute mental health differ between women and men.
Societal and psychological consequences of justice and injustice

I Behavioral and Attitudinal Reactions to (In)Justice. - 1 Coping with Life Stress: Injustice and the Question "Who Is Responsible? ". - 2 Interactions between Law and Everyday Thinking in the Social Categorization of Events. - 3 Social Dilemmas, Shared Resources, and Social Justice. - 4 Procedural Processes and Legal Institutions. - 5 Aspects of Distributive and Procedural Justice in Quality of Working Life. - II Macrojustice. - 6 Social Justice, Income Distribution, and Social Stratification in The Netherlands: A Review. - 7 What Is "Fair" in Japan? - 8 Distributive Justice and Social Welfare Institutions. - 9 Critiera for Distributive Justice in a Productive Context. - 10 Social Distance on the Income DistributionDimension. - 11 Explaining Variation in Attitudes toward Income Equality. - 12 Future Trends in the Study of Social Justice. - Author Index.
Elevated Plasma Concentrations of Protease Inhibitors and Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors in Patients Coinfected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis B or C: Case Series and Literature Review

Study Objective. To evaluate antiretroviral pharmacokinetics in patients who are coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B and/or C virus. Specifically, we sought to determine whether coinfection results in higher than expected concentrations of protease inhibitors and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).
The opacity of tablet film coatings

The opacity of tablet film coatings containing a variety of pigments and fillers has been assessed using a contrast ratio defined as the ratio of the measured reflectance of the incident light when the film is placed on a black substrate to the measured reflectance of the incident light when the film is placed on a white substrate. Films pigmented with calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate or talc had very low contrast ratios and only the inclusion of titanium dioxide imparted opacity. Films pigmented with the coloured lake pigments had contrast ratios dependent on both the parent dye and the dye concentration with the contrast ratios decreasing blue > red > orange > yellow. Films pigmented with the synthetic iron oxides all had very high contrast ratios. The results are consistent with the known theories of light scattering and absorption and illustrate the potential of this accurate, rapid and simple technique in the optimization of film formulations during product development.
La naturaleza del conocimiento práctico y sus implicaciones en la formación de docentes

Resumen En el presente artículo se comentan y desarrollan algunas de las principales aportaciones que ofrece el interesante texto de Marc Clarà y Teresa Mauri. Indagando en esta naturaleza compleja del conocimiento práctico se plantean algunas cuestiones y se derivan implicaciones para la formación del docente. Me preocupa destacar no solamente los mecanismos que explican el funcionamiento del conocimiento práctico, sino, de modo especial, la relación indisociable entre las formas de estos mecanismos y el contenido configurador de su orientación. ¿Cuál es el contenido de las imágenes y artefactos que constituyen el conocimiento práctico del docente? ¿Cómo se forma? Por otra parte, se analiza el vínculo entre los diferentes contextos epistémicos escolares que rodean el crecimiento de los aprendices y los repertorios de imágenes, creencias y artefactos que componen el conocimiento práctico del docente.
THE WAY I SEE ITWhen security gets in the way

recently attended two conferences on usability, security, and privacy. The first, SOUPS (Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security), was held on the Google campus in Mountain View, CA, the second at the National Academies building in Washington, DC. Google is a semi-restricted campus. People can freely wander about the campus, but most buildings are locked and accessible only with the proper badge. Security guards were visible, polite, and helpful, but always watching. Our meetings were held in a public auditorium that did not require authorization for entrance. But the room was in a secure building, and the toilets were within the secure space. How did the world's security experts handle the situation? The side door of the auditorium that led to the secure part of the building and the toilets was propped open with a brick. So much for key access, badges, and security guards. Both conferences were attended by experts in usability, security , and privacy. Both conferences emphasized that if we ever are to have systems with adequate security and privacy that people are willing to use, then the three fields must work together as a team. Without usable systems, the security and privacy simply disappear as people defeat the processes in order to get their work done. My experience at Google illustrates the point. The numerous incidents of defeating security measures prompts my cynical slogan: The more secure you make something, the less secure it becomes. Why? Because when security gets in the way, sensible, well-meaning, dedicated people develop hacks and workarounds to defeat it. Hence the prevalence of doors propped open by bricks and wastebaskets; passwords pasted on the fronts of monitors or hidden under the keyboard or in the drawer; house keys under the door mat, above the door frame, or under fake rocks that can be purchased for this purpose. We are getting a mixed message. On the one hand, we are continually forced to use arbitrary security procedures. On the other hand, even the professionals ignore many of them. How is the ordinary person to know which ones matter and which don't? The confusion has unexpected negative side effects. I once discovered a computer system that was missing essential security patches. When I questioned the computer's user, I discovered that the continual warning against clicking on links or agreeing to requests from pop-up windows had been too effective. This user was so frightened …
Analysis of expression of the rII gene function of bacteriophage T4

Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of the T4 phage rII gene were islated and used in temperature shift experiments that revelaed two different expressions for the normal rII (rII+) gene function in vivo: (i) an early expression (0 to 12 min postinfection at 30 C) that prevents restriction of T4 growth in Escherichia coli hosts lysogenic for gamma phage, and (ii) a later expression (12 to 18 min postinfection at 30 C) that results in restriction of T4 growth when the phage DNA ligase (gene 30) is missing. The earlier expression appeared to coincide with the period of synthesis of the protein product of the T4 rIIA cistron, whereas the later expression occurred after rIIA protein synthesis had stopped. The synthesis of the protein product of the rIIB cistron continues for several minutes after rIIA protein synthesis ceases (O'Farrell and Gold, 1973). The two rII+ gene expressions might require different molar ratios of the rIIA and rIIB proteins. It is possible that the separate expressions of rII+ gene function are manifestations of different associations between the two rII proteins and other T4-induced proteins that are synthesized or activated at different times after phage infection.
Voreen: A Rapid-Prototyping Environment for Ray-Casting-Based Volume Visualizations

By splitting a complex ray-casting process into different tasks performed on different processors, Voreen provides a lot of flexibility because users can intervene at different points during ray casting. Voreen's object-oriented design lets users easily create customized processor classes that cooperate seamlessly with existing classes. A user-friendly GUI supports rapid prototyping of visualization ideas. We've implemented several applications based on our library. In the future, we'd like to further extend Voreen's capabilities to make visualization prototyping even easier on all abstraction levels. Thus, we plan to realize a set of dedicated processor skeletons, which are solely configured through shader programs and can thus be modified at runtime.