Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Haemodynamic effects and the visibility of the surgical field after lidocaine infiltration during septoplasty under general anaesthesia

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of local infiltration of adrenaline- containing lidocaine solution during septoplasty under general anaesthesia on systemic haemodynamics and the visibility of the operative field, and to compare it to the topical application of ephedrine. A retrospective, comparative, non-randomised, open study on 72 ASA physical status I and II patients, aged 20 to 73 years, scheduled for septoplasty was performed. Lidocaine/adrenaline-ephedrine group (group LA-E ; n=18) received four cotton pledgets soaked with 1 % ephedrine, and then the submucosal infiltration of 2% lidocaine containing adrenaline solution (2ml) plus plain 2% lidocaine solution (5ml). Lidocaine/adrenaline group (LA group ; n=25) received the submucosal infiltration of 2% lidocaine containing adrenaline solution (2ml) plus plain 2% lidocaine solution (5ml). Ephedrine group (E group ; n=29) received four cotton pledgets soaked with 1% ephedrine. Heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded at predetermined time intervals. Bleeding in the surgical field was rated according to a 6-point scale. LA and LA-E groups showed significant lower HR and MAP compared to E-group. LA group showed only slight oscillations in HR. Average bleeding score was 2.28±0.83 in LA-E, 2.08±0.81 in LA and 3.14±0.74 in E group (p<0.001). We demonstrated that infiltration of lidocaine with adrenaline has statistically and clinically better impact on systemic haemodynamics and visibility of the surgical field than that achieved by topical application of ephedrine alone.
The effects of attribute non-attendance, simple validation questions, and their interactions on willingness to pay estimates for meat choice experiments

Abstract During an online survey, respondents were randomly assigned to a choice experiment for either pork chops or chicken breasts and were then explicitly asked which attributes they did not consider while making their choices. A simple validation question, which directed respondents to choose a specific answer, was also included. Accounting for either stated or inferred attribute non-attendance alone had no statistically significant effect on willingness-to-Pay (WTP) estimates. Those who passed the validation question had statistically significant and higher WTP for some attributes of pork chops and chicken breasts when the variable was interacted with inferred or stated attribute non-attendance (ANA). While use of a validation question appears promising, more research is needed on this point before it can be concluded that ANA alone has no impact on the WTP estimates for food choice experiments.
Points-to analysis with efficient strong updates

This paper explores a sweet spot between flow-insensitive and flow-sensitive subset-based points-to analysis. Flow-insensitive analysis is efficient: it has been applied to million-line programs and even its worst-case requirements are quadratic space and cubic time. Flow-sensitive analysis is precise because it allows strong updates, so that points-to relationships holding in one program location can be removed from the analysis when they no longer hold in other locations. We propose a "Strong Update" analysis combining both features: it is efficient like flow-insensitive analysis, with the same worst-case bounds, yet its precision benefits from strong updates like flow-sensitive analysis. The key enabling insight is that strong updates are applicable when the dereferenced points-to set is a singleton, and a singleton set is cheap to analyze. The analysis therefore focuses flow sensitivity on singleton sets. Larger sets, which will not lead to strong updates, are modelled flow insensitively to maintain efficiency. We have implemented and evaluated the analysis as an extension of the standard flow-insensitive points-to analysis in the LLVM compiler infrastructure.
From mobilization to improvisation: the lessons from Taiwan’s 2014 sunflower movement§

Abstract The recent global eruption of large protests calls for a rethinking of the question of movement participation. The conventional model of movement as organized mobilization led by pre-existing organizations and top–down leadership clearly fails as an adequate portrait. As an alternative, horizontality with its emphasis on direct democracy, decentralized decision-making, and prefigurative politics (the rejection of instrumental view of participation) emerges in the global justice movement. This article explores an intermediate pattern of movement participation between these two extremes. Analyzing the protest occupation of Taiwan’s national legislature in 2014, the so-called Sunflower Movement, I theorize the mechanism of improvisation, defined as ‘strategic responses without prior planning,’ as a vital process that facilitates coordination in a large-scale protest. Improvisation involves decentralized decision-making, but it proceeds as a means to a clearly defined and consensual movement goal. The creative collaboration by dispersed, but experienced activists plays a critical yet often neglected role during contentious confrontations against the government. Improvisation is capable of orchestrating large-scale protests because movement leadership is oft constrained by the lack of real-time information and their command is more effective when it provides room for improvisation from below.
Two-Tone Intermodulation in Diode Mixers

This paper explores, experimentally and theoretically, the problem of minimizing second- and third-order intermodulation distortion in diode mixers. A numerical technique is presented which can be used to calulate internrodulation levels with unprecedented accuracy, and it is used to identify circuit and diode parameters which maximize dynamic range. It is shown that intermorhdation distortion is minimized by using low diode junction capacitance and series resistance, short-circuit embedding impedances, and high local-oscillator level. It is also shown that certain conditions which may optimize conversion loss, such as image enhancement, may severely exacerbate intermodulation.
BLOCK FSAI PERFORMANCE WITH GRAPH PARTITIONING IN LARGE SIZE SUBSURFACE PROBLEMS

Adaptive Block FSAI (ABF) is a novel and promising preconditioner for the efficient parallel solution of linear systems and eigenproblems arising from subsurface applications. However, one of its main drawbacks stems from the reduced scalability, as the iteration count to converge tends to grow increasing the number of processors. Graph partitioning techniques can help improve both the preconditioner performance and scalability. Different algorithms are experimented with in a test problem arising from a groundwater flow application. The results show that coupling graph partitioning with ABF appears to be an important factor to increase significantly the preconditioner efficiency, allowing for its effective use also on massively parallel simulations.
We Need New Scientific Languages to Harness the Complexity of Cognitive Development

To study the behavioral and cognitive structures that form in the childhood of animals, cognitive science has for a long time organized theories by trying to identify what is innate and what is learned, and how nature and nurture interact to influence each other. However, recent advances in developmental sciences are strongly questioning the relevance of this scientific framing based on the nature/nurture divide, including arguments that rely on their interaction, as they are putting the focus on states and causal explanations while key dimensions of development are processes of change and pattern formation. However, as John Spencer, Mark Blumberg and David Shenk argue in the dialogue featured in this newsletter, the nativist/ empiricist perspective, and its associated concepts , are still playing a central role both in cognitive science and in the way it is explained and understood by the larger public. Responding to this dialog, several key researchers from cognitive and developmental sciences, as well as biology, propose their responses and views.
An Adaptive Control System for a DC Microgrid for Data Centers

In this paper, an adaptive control system for a dc microgrid for data centers is proposed. Data centers call for electric power with high availability, and a possibility to reduce the electric losses and, consequently, the need for cooling. High reliability can be achieved by using local energy sources, and by using a dc power system, the number of conversion steps, and therefore also the losses, can be reduced. The dc microgrid can also supply closely located sensitive ac loads during outages in the ac grid. The proposed dc microgrid can be operated in eight different operation modes described here, resulting in 23 transitions. The control system coordinates the operation of converters, sources, and switches used in the dc microgrid. The control system is tested in the simulation software package PSCAD/EMTDC, and the results of the most interesting transitions are presented. The results show that it is possible to use the proposed dc microgrid to supply sensitive electronic loads and also, during ac-grid outages, supply closely located sensitive ac loads. To reduce the current transients experienced by grid-connected ac/dc converters, fast grid-outage detection and fast switches are required.
Case-Based Instruction in STEM: Analysis of Student Confidence

The use of case-based instruction in professional fields, such as law has been around since the late 1800s; however, the use of cases in engineering has only been around since the 1950s with their earliest implementation in Civil and Chemical engineering. Research on the implementation of case studies in engineering has mainly focused on student perception at the end of a course. There is limited research on students' perceptions of case studies as compared to traditional lecture approach. This paper presents results from a study that examined this relationship between students' perceptions and actual learning performance for lecture and case-based instruction. Specifically, we addressed the following research question: To what extent do students differ in their perceptions of their learning confidence and engagement connections across lecture and case-based instruction? We found that overall students found cases to be more engaging as compared to traditional lecture; however, in one case students found lecture to increase their learning more than cases.
A Comparative Analysis of the Chemical Composition, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antinociceptive Effects of the Essential Oils from Three Species of Mentha Cultivated in Romania

This work was aimed at correlating the chemotype of three Mentha species cultivated in Romania with an in vivo study of the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of essential oils. The selected species were Mentha piperita L. var. pallescens (white peppermint), Mentha spicata L. subsp. crispata (spearmint), and Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. (pineapple mint). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the essential oils isolated from the selected Mentha species was performed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oils was determined by the rat paw edema test induced by λ-carrageenan. The antinociceptive effect of the essential oils was evaluated by the writhing test in mice, using 1% (v/v) acetic acid solution administered intraperitonealy and by the hot plate test in mice. The results showed a menthol chemotype for M. piperita pallescens, a carvone chemotype for M. spicata, and a piperitenone oxide chemotype for M. suaveolens. The essential oil from M. spicata L. (EOMSP) produced statistically significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects.
Assessing Personality–Situation Interplay in Personnel Selection: Toward More Integration into Personality Research

Over the years, the personnel selection field has developed methods to assess trait expression in particular situations, but these approaches have evolved mostly outside the field of personality psychology. In this article, I review available personnel selection evidence regarding two such approaches: (i) situational judgement tests that present short scenarios and ask job candidates how they would handle the situations and (ii) assessment centre exercises requiring candidates to display behaviour in specified interactive situations. I describe these approaches and discuss their relations with personality research. I posit that adapting these approaches to personality research creates methodological diversity to address key research themes related to within–person variability, trait–behaviour links, personality disorders, and personality expression and perception. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology
A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Sand Flies in Punjab, Pakistan

Background Recent outbreaks of cutaneous leishmaniasis make the disease a public health concern in Punjab, Pakistan. The knowledge of how the population perceives the disease and its vector is essential in order to design an effective management strategy, but such studies are rare in Pakistan. Methodology/Principal Findings The present study was based on a cross-sectional self-administered survey comprising 250 household samples collected from five localities including Bhawalpur, Multan, Jhang, Faisalabad and Lahore. The results revealed that the respondents had a poor knowledge of the vector and disease. Few of the respondents were aware about the identification of sand flies, their breeding place, biting time, transmission of leishmaniasis and control measures. Skin infection and sandflies as the main disease symptom and vector of the disease, respectively, were known to some of the respondents. Some believed that summer was the main peak incidence of the disease and it could be transmitted from man to man via contact. However, most of the respondents believed that the disease could be cured. Admission to hospitals, cleanliness and use of bed nets were the treatment measures for the disease in suspected patients, whereas some thought that the use of bed nets could be helpful in preventing leishmaniasis infection. Conclusions/Significance Poor knowledge of the disease and its vector in the study population emphasize the need to initiate health education and awareness campaigns to minimize the risks of cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreaks in the future.
Voting and turning out for monetary integration: the case of the French referendum on the Maastricht treaty

This article analyses the voting and abstention patterns in French departments in the 1992 referendum on the Maastricht treaty, in light of the potential impact of monetary union. We observe that departmental characteristics implying either greater benefits or lower costs from monetary union are significantly correlated with the approval rate. This supports the view that the voting behaviour of individual agents depended on their self-interest. The impact of economic characteristics on the abstention rate is less clear. Indeed, the variable that is most significantly correlated with abstention in the referendum is average abstention in other elections.
Quantitative Measures of a Robot's Ability to Balance

This paper shows how to define quantitative measures of a robot’s ability to balance itself actively on a single point of support. These measures are expressed as ratios of velocities, and are called velocity gains. This paper builds on earlier work in this area by showing how these gains can be defined and calculated for the case of a general planar robot balancing on a general rolling-contact point in the plane, and the case of a general spatial robot balancing on a general rolling-contact point in 3D space. The case of balancing on a contact area with compliance is also considered. The paper concludes with two examples showing how to use velocity gains in the design of a triple pendulum and the analysis of a hydraulic quadruped.
The Impact of Multi-group Multi-layer Network Structure on the Performance of Distributed Consensus Building Strategies

We consider a structural approach to the consensus building problem in multi-group multi-layer (MGML) distributed sensor networks (DSNs) common in many natural and engineering applications. From among the possible network structures, we focus on bipartite graph structure as it represents a typical MGML structure and has a wide applicability in the real world. We establish exact conditions for consensus and derive a precise relationship between the consensus value and the degree distribution of nodes in a bipartite MGML DSN. We also demonstrate that for subclasses of connectivity patterns, convergence time and simple characteristics of network topology can be captured by explicit algebra. Direct inference of the convergence behavior of consensus strategies from MGML DSN structure is the main contribution of this paper. The insights gained from our analysis facilitate the design and development of large-scale DSNs that meet specific performance criteria. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FACE RECOGNITION PERFORMANCE UNDER ADVERSARIAL CONDITIONS

We address the question of 3D face recognition and expression understanding under adverse conditions like illumination, pose, and accessories. We therefore conduct a campaign to build a 3D face database including systematic variation of poses, different types of occlusions, and a rich set of expressions. The expressions consist of a judiciously selected subset of Action Units as well as the six basic emotions. The database is designed to enable various research paths from face recognition to facial landmarking and to expression estimation. Preliminary results are presented on the outcome of three different landmarking methods as well as one registration method. As expected, observed non-neutral and non-frontal faces demand new robust algorithms to achieve an acceptable performance.
DiMo: distributed node monitoring in wireless sensor networks

Safety-critical wireless sensor networks, such as a distributed fire- or burglar-alarm system, require that all sensor nodes are up and functional. If an event is triggered on a node, this information must be forwarded immediately to the sink, without setting up a route on demand or having to find an alternate route in case of a node or link failure. Therefore, failures of nodes must be known at all times and in case of a detected failure, an immediate notification must be sent to the network operator. There is usually a bounded time limit, e.g., five minutes, for the system to report network or node failure. This paper presents DiMo, a distributed and scalable solution for monitoring the nodes and the topology, along with a redundant topology for increased robustness. Compared to existing solutions, which traditionally assume a continuous data-flow from all nodes in the network, DiMo observes the nodes and the topology locally. DiMo only reports to the sink if a node is potentially failed, which greatly reduces the message overhead and energy consumption. DiMo timely reports failed nodes and % greatly minimizes the false-positive rate and energy consumption compared with other prominent solutions for node monitoring.
Determinism in the one-way model

We introduce a flow condition on open graph states (graph states with inputs and outputs) which guarantees globally deterministic behavior of a class of measurement patterns defined over them. Dependent Pauli corrections are derived for all such patterns, which equalize all computation branches, and only depend on the underlying entanglement graph and its choice of inputs and outputs. The class of patterns having flow is stable under composition and tensorization, and has unitary embeddings as realizations. The restricted class of patterns having both flow and reverse flow supports an operation of adjunction, and has all and only unitaries as realizations.
On the Evaluation of IMT-Advanced Candidates: Methodologies, Current Work and Way Forward

Currently and thereafter, evaluations and consensusbuilding process will be performed for the 4G candidates from ITU-R membership, standards organizations, and other external evaluation groups. Among them, the Chinese Evaluation Group (ChEG) is also responsible for submitting the evaluation report to ITU-R. This paper addresses the evaluation methodology and relevant activities. Descriptions to the basic rules in the evaluation are given, according to the requirements of ITU-R, where the simulation methods are highlighted. Next taking the 3rd Generation Partner Project Long Term Evolution Advanced (3GPP LTE-A) as an example, the calibration steps of simulators are shown for the potential readers to reproduce the evaluation work. Finally the analysis and latest evaluation results for the multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology are presented, which currently is the most effective technology that could already achieve the requirements and still being improved. The improvement might include the methods of precoding and user group selection.
Identifying User Authentication Methods on Connections for SSH Dictionary Attack Detection

A dictionary attack against SSH is a common security threat. Many published ways rely on network traffic to detect SSH dictionary attacks. This is because the connections of remote login, file transfer, and TCP/IP forwarding are visibly distinct from those of the attacks. However these ways incorrectly consider the connections of automated tasks as those of the attacks because of the mutual similarities. In this paper, we propose a new approach to identify user authentication methods on SSH connections and to remove connections that employ non-keystroke based authentication. This approach rests on two perspectives: (1) an SSH dictionary attack targets a host that provides keystroke based authentication, (2) automated tasks through SSH need to support non-keystroke based authentication. Thus, our proposal contributes to improvement in the detection accuracy of SSH dictionary attacks.
Task Partitioning for the Scheduling on Reconfigurable Systems driven by Specification Self-Similarity

A new model for the reconfiguration problem on partially dynamically reconfigurable fpgas and a new graph–theoretic algorithm for the temporal and spatial partitioning of a specification on the same vlsi architectures are proposed. A problem in the field of reconfigurable hardware systems is that there is no clear way to partition a given specification in order to implement it on such an architecture. Many of the existing approaches rely on the designer to carry out the partitioning based on his knowledge of the desired behaviour. However, this is not a desirable assumption if one wants to allow designers to take advantage of reconfigurable architectures in a simple and straightforward way. In this paper we propose a novel approach to the partitioning of a system specification by detecting recurrent structures in the specification itself, with the objective of identifying modules that can be used more than once during the application lifetime, thus saving device resources and reconfiguration time. A comparison with respect to the amount and size of the identified recurrent structures was carried out using widely used algorithms as working examples to support the proposed model.