Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing a gold nanoparticle‐based nanocarrier for microRNA transfection into the prostate and breast cancer cells

Cancer is one of the most common causes of human deaths worldwide. Nanotechnology has the potential to facilitate the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer cases. Successful delivery of nucleic acids into cancer cells with the use of nanoparticles would be a significant improvement for medical and cellular biology. The use of nanoparticle‐based vehicles in clinical treatment is considerably important for treating genetic disorders. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been suggested as therapeutic delivery tools for cancer. Because microRNAs (miRNAs), which induce post‐transcriptional gene silencing, are deregulated in cancer cells, they are also considered as strong candidates for cancer therapy applications. In prostate and breast cancer, miR‐145, a well‐known tumor suppressor miRNA, is strongly downregulated in tumor tissues compared to their corresponding normal tissues.
Eye fixation–related potentials (EFRPs) during object identification

Abstract Eye fixation–related potential (EFRP) measures electrical brain activity in response to eye fixations. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether the EFRPs vary during consecutive eye fixations while subjects were performing an object identification task. Eye fixations evoked P1 and N1 components at the occipital and parietal recording sites. The latency of P1 component increased during consecutive fixations. The amplitude of P1 increased and the amplitude of N1 decreased during consecutive fixations. The results indicate that EFRPs are modulated during consecutive fixations, suggesting that the current technique may provide a useful tool to study temporal dynamics of visual perception and processes underlying object identification.
MCL-3D: A Database for Stereoscopic Image Quality Assessment using 2D-Image-Plus-Depth Source

A new stereoscopic image quality assessment database rendered using the 2D-image- plus-depth source, called MCL-3D, is described and the performance benchmarking of several known 2D and 3D image quality metrics using the MCL-3D database is presented in this work. Nine image-plus-depth sources are first selected, and a depth image- based rendering (DIBR) technique is used to render stereoscopic image pairs. Distortions applied to either the texture image or the depth image before stereoscopic image rendering include: Gaussian blur, additive white noise, down-sampling blur, JPEG and JPEG-2000 (JP2K) compression and transmission error. Furthermore, the distortion caused by imperfect rendering is also examined. The MCL-3D database contains 693 stereoscopic image pairs, where one third of them are of resolution 1024*768 and two thirds are of resolution 1920*1080. The pair-wise comparison was adopted in the subjective test for user friendliness, and the Mean Opinion Score (MOS) were computed accordingly. Finally, we evaluate the performance of several 2D and 3D image quality metrics applied to MCL-3D. All texture images, depth images, rendered image pairs in MCL- 3D and their MOS values obtained in the subjective test are available to the public (http: //mcl.usc.edu/mcl-3d-database/) for future research and development.
Earthquake Hazard Analysis Methods: A Review

One of natural disasters that have significantly impacted on risks and damage is an earthquake. World countries such as China, Japan, and Indonesia are countries located on the active movement of continental plates with more frequent earthquake occurrence compared to other countries. Several methods of earthquake hazard analysis have been done, for example by analyzing seismic zone and earthquake hazard micro-zonation, by using Neo-Deterministic Seismic Hazard Analysis (N-DSHA) method, and by using Remote Sensing. In its application, it is necessary to review the effectiveness of each technique in advance. Considering the efficiency of time and the accuracy of data, remote sensing is used as a reference to the assess earthquake hazard accurately and quickly as it only takes a limited time required in the right decision-making shortly after the disaster. Exposed areas and possibly vulnerable areas due to earthquake hazards can be easily analyzed using remote sensing. Technological developments in remote sensing such as GeoEye-1 provide added value and excellence in the use of remote sensing as one of the methods in the assessment of earthquake risk and damage. Furthermore, the use of this technique is expected to be considered in designing policies for disaster management in particular and can reduce the risk of natural disasters such as earthquakes in Indonesia.
Temperature and Freshwater Fluxes by Individual Eddies in the North Atlantic Ocean

This study investigates the temperature and freshwater fluxes by individual eddies in the North Atlantic between 40°-55°N and 60°-10°W for the period January 1993 to April 2014. Focus is on a zonal section along 47°N, roughly at the boundary between the subpolar and the subtropical gyres. The main question is to what extent eddies are responsible for the variability and mixing in the region and how the anomalies of temperature and freshwater carried by eddies contribute to the overall fluxes across 47°N. Almost 37000 eddies with a lifetime longer than one week are detected from surface geostrophic velocity fields derived from satellite-altimetry. First, only surface temperature fluxes based on collocating detected eddies with sea surface temperature observations from satellites are analyzed. The results are compared to two model simulations spanning the period from 2002 to 2013 with different horizontal resolution (1/4° and 1/12°), allowing to assess the impact of different resolution on the results. The analysis is then extended to three dimensional temperature and freshwater fluxes. The temperature and salinity fields used for the calculation of the fluxes stem from a new product that was derived from dynamic height using the Gravest Empirical Mode (GEM) technique. Using this new product allows for the first time to relate every detected eddy to profiles of temperature and freshwater and to analyze the respective fluxes across 47°N. Since the 1/12° model configuration shows the more realistic results for the surface temperature fluxes, the comparison of the observed temperature and freshwater fluxes is confined to this configuration. The highest number of eddies is found along the pathway of the North Atlantic Current (NAC), roughly following the 4000 m isobath, and on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. The typical vertical extent is around 1400 m, with anti-cyclonic eddies on average 200 m deeper than cyclonic eddies. Relating the observed eddies to the top-to-bottom velocity distribution from ship observations shows that the highest fluxes are linked to the fastest and most pronounced current branches in the western Newfoundland Basin.
Parallel Layer-Aware Partitioning for 3 D Designs

As compared to two-dimensional (2D) ICs, 3D integration is a breakthrough technology of growing importance that has the potential to offer significant performance and functional benefits. This emerging technology allows stacking multiple layers of dies and resolves the vertical connection issue by through-silicon vias (TSVs). However, though a TSV is considered a good solution for vertical connection, it also occupies significant silicon estate and incurs reliability problem. Because of these challenges, minimizing the number of TSVs becomes an important design issue. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a two-phased parallel layer-aware partitioning algorithm for TSV minimization in 3D structures. In the first phase, we employ OpenMP to parallelize the 2-way min-cut partitioning and get the initial solution. In the second phase, we further improve the result using a parallel simulated annealing approach on GPU. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce the number of TSVs by about 39% as compared to several existing methods.
Mapping frames with DNN-HMM recognizer for non-parallel voice conversion

To convert one speaker's voice to another's, the mapping of the corresponding speech segments from source speaker to target speaker must be obtained first. In parallel voice conversion, normally dynamic time warping (DTW) method is used to align signals of source and target voices. However, for conversion between non-parallel speech data, the DTW based mapping method does not work. In this paper, we propose to use a DNN-HMM recognizer to recognize each frame for both source and target speech signals. The vector of pseudo likelihood is then used to represent the frame. Similarity between two frames is measured with the distance between the vectors. A clustering method is used to group both source and target frames. Frame mapping from source to target is then established based on the clustering result. The experiments show that the proposed method can generate similar conversion results compared to parallel voice conversion.
O jejum intermitente como estratégia de controle de citocinas pró – inflamatórias

O jejum intermitente, caracterizado por períodos de jejum intercalados com uma janela de alimentação, tem se apresentado como uma estratégia alimentar cada vez mais utilizada, seja por seus benefícios no controle e manutenção do peso corporal, como também no controle efetivo da patogênese de diversas doenças, principalmente nas doenças de cunho inflamatório. Nesse contexto, uma ampla gama de estudos tem surgido afim de comprovar tais benefícios, bem como analisar marcadores inflamatórios em indivíduos que praticam o jejum. A partir disso, foi realizada uma revisão com estudos datados nos últimos dez anos, com o intuito de analisar e revisar as evidências científicas disponíveis relativas ao impacto do Jejum intermitente em marcadores pró inflamatórios em humanos, de modo a contribuir para estimativas mais estáveis dos efeitos do Jejum Intermitente.
Hot versus Cold Processing in Moral Judgment and the Role of Cognitive Capacity

In this study I first examined whether the cognitive processes (hot versus cold cognition) under‐ lying judgments to traditional moral situations is universal to situations that are morally neutral, and whether individual differences in cognitive ability moderate these judgments. Second, I tested whether it was possible to modify the impact of hot versus cold processing systems on judgment deliberation by shifting the focus of attention during the decision‐making process. I conclude that moral judgment is not simply the product of cognitive ability and is not sufficiently motivated by hot cognitive experiences alone. The role of cognitive abilities on moral valuation requires further examination. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge my academic adviser, Dr. Heather Kleider, for her patience and guidance in the development of this research idea. This document and my academic career is a reflec‐ tion of her dedication to the science of Psychology. I would also like to acknowledge my entire thesis committee for their feedback and support throughout this process.
Model free adaptive robust control based on GIMC structure for nonlinear discrete-time system

In this paper, a novel model free adaptive robust control (MFARC) algorithm is proposed to adaptive and robust control for a class of complex and uncertain nonlinear systems, which are considered to have random noise and disturbances in the input and output data. It is shown that general inner model control (GIMC) structure can be used to overcome the trade-off that performance and robustness of controller are both taking into account. Meanwhile, model free adaptive control is employed to guarantee the performance of nominal controller with disturbance or uncertainty, where the detailed analytical models are difficult to obtain. The unique feature of this paper is that we explicitly combine data driven control technique and GIMC structure to design controller directly to omit the drawback of model linearization with dynamical uncertainties and disturbances. Simulation results show the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed control law.
Measuring the Motion of the Black Hole in GRO J1655–40

We report optical spectroscopic observations of the low-mass X-ray binary GRO J1655-40 during outbursts in 1994 August-September and in 1996 June. The spectra show emission and absorption lines from the accretion disk surrounding the X-ray source, which have enabled us to measure the motion of the black hole candidate in this system. It is the first time among black hole candidates that an emission-line radial velocity curve is seen in phase with the expected motion of the primary. The projected radial velocity semiamplitude determined for the primary (KX = 76.2±7.5 km s-1), combined with estimates of the projected radial velocity semiamplitude of the companion star from previous observations (KC=228.2±3.0 km s-2), yields a 95% confidence limit, derived purely from kinematics, of MX > 5.1 M☉ for the mass of the compact object in GRO J1655-40, confirming its black hole nature.
Multiple windowed spectral features for emotion recognition

MFCC (Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients) and PLP (Perceptual linear prediction coefficients) or RASTA-PLP have demonstrated good results whether when they are used in combination with prosodic features as suprasegmental (long-term) information or when used stand-alone as segmental (short-time) information. MFCC and PLP feature parameterization aims to represent the speech parameters in a way similar to how sound is perceived by humans. However, MFCC and PLP are usually computed from a Hamming-windowed periodogram spectrum estimate that is characterized by large variance. In this paper we study the effect of averaging spectral estimates obtained using a set of orthogonal tapers (windows) on emotion recognition performance. The multitaper MFCC and PLP are examined separately as short-time information vectors modeled using Gaussian mixture models (GMMs). When tested on the FAU AIBO spontaneous emotion corpus, a relative improvement ranging from 2.2% to 3.9% for both MFCC and PLP systems is achieved by multiple windowed spectral features compared to single windowed ones.
Learning, generalisation, and functional entropy in random automata networks

It has been shown \citep{broeck90:physicalreview,patarnello87:europhys} that feedforward Boolean networks can learn to perform specific simple tasks and generalize well if only a subset of the learning examples is provided for learning. Here, we extend this body of work and show experimentally that random Boolean networks (RBNs), where both the interconnections and the Boolean transfer functions are chosen at random initially, can be evolved by using a state-topology evolution to solve simple tasks. We measure the learning and generalization performance, investigate the influence of the average node connectivity $K$, the system size $N$, and introduce a new measure that allows to better describe the network's learning and generalization behavior. We show that the connectivity of the maximum entropy networks scales as a power-law of the system size $N$. Our results show that networks with higher average connectivity $K$ (supercritical) achieve higher memorization and partial generalization. However, near critical connectivity, the networks show a higher perfect generalization on the even-odd task.
Character Association among Cane Yield and their Component Traits in Sugarcane under Waterlogged Condition

A considerable area under sugarcane crop in several parts of India (Assam, Bihar, and West Bengal, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Coastal region of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka) are exposed to stagnant water for two to three months during monsoon season. The short fall in yield potential is mainly due to various biotic and abiotic stresses in Bihar in which waterlogging is the main factor because in Bihar about 35-40 per cent of sugarcane remains waterlogged during monsoon season which coincides with the grand growth period of the crop. To enhance the productivity of this crop in Bihar, there is need to identify such type of sugarcane variety/clone which have ability to tolerate waterlogging condition. For breeding purposes, in order to develop improved waterlogged tolerant varieties, well planed breeding efforts are required. In this crop, varietal improvement requires very specific photothermal period for flowering and viable seed setting.
Growth trend analysis of rice productivity in Nigeria

This study set out to analyses rice total factor productivity in Nigeria ecological zones and the growth trend from 1996 to 2010. Statistical information on domestic and imported quantities of rice was obtained for 15 years (1996 to 2010) from the AGROSTAT system of the statistical division of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Federal Ministry of Agriculture statistical bulletins, Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletins and National Bureau of Statistic. (NBS). The data were analyzed using Malmquist Index, a non-parameter methodology that uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methods. The impact of economic reforms on efficiency and productivity was examined. Evidence suggests total factor productivity registered a negative growth during the reform period in the country as a whole and almost all the ecological zones witnessed higher total factor productivity in the post 2000 period. Decomposition of the Malmquist productivity index shows that improvement in technical efficiency rather than technical progress had contributed to the observed acceleration of the growth rate.
Three Play Effects: Eliza, Tale-Spin, and SimCity

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus especially suitable for hydraulically releasing from a screen on a circulation-type gravel pack job. The releasing tool of the present invention comprises a tubular case by which the tool is secured to a gravel packer thereabove, and a gravel screen is secured thereto therebelow, the case having disposed within a collet sleeve assembly shouldering on the top of the case and including a plurality of collets extending downwardly into the case, the collets being radially outwardly biased into engagement with the case by the lower end of a releasing mandrel disposed within the collet sleeve. A ball seat at the top of an axial bore extending through the releasing mandrel permits the seating of a ball and downward movement of the releasing mandrel inside the collet sleeve, removing the outward bias against the collets and permitting withdrawal of the collet sleeve and releasing mandrel from the case and attached screen therebelow. Reversing ports may be incorporated in the wall of the upper collet sleeve, to be uncovered when release mandrel moves downward therein, to positively identify release from the screen and to permit displacement of gravel slurry from the tubing string and annulus above the releasing tool with a clean fluid prior to removal of the string from the well bore. A reversing boot may be employed about collet sleeve proximate reversing ports therein, to prevent back flow in the tool. The general method employing the aforesaid tool briefly comprises transmitting pressure down to the ball seat in the releasing tool with a ball disposed above the seat; moving the releasing mandrel down, thus disengaging the collets from the tool case and pulling the collet sleeve and releasing mandrel out of the tool case, leaving the gravel screen and attached tool case in the wellbore.
Energy Consumption of Geared DC Motors in Dynamic Applications: Comparing Modeling Approaches

In recent years, many works have appeared, which present novel mechanical designs, control strategies, or trajectory planning algorithms for improved energy efficiency. The actuator model is an essential part of these works, since the optimization of energy consumption strongly depends of the accuracy of this model. Nevertheless, various authors follow very different approaches, often neglecting speedand load-dependent losses and inertias of components such as the motor and the gearbox. Furthermore, there is no consensus on how negative power affects power consumption. Some authors calculate energy consumption by integrating the electrical power entirely, by integrating its absolute value, or by integrating only positive power. This letter assesses how well commonly used models succeed in predicting the energy consumption of an 80 W geared DC motor performing a dynamic task, by comparing the results they produce to experimental baseline measurements.
Animal Models for Assessment of Infection and Inflammation: Contributions to Elucidating the Pathophysiology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is still not well understood. It is defined as the sudden and unexpected death of an infant without a definitive cause. There are numerous hypotheses about the etiology of SIDS but the exact cause or causes have never been pinpointed. Examination of theoretical pathologies might only be possible in animal models. Development of these models requires consideration of the environmental and/or developmental risk factors often associated with SIDS, as they need to explain how the risk factors could contribute to the cause of death. These models were initially developed in common laboratory animals to test various hypotheses to explain these infant deaths – guinea pig, piglet, mouse, neonatal rabbit, and neonatal rat. Currently, there are growing numbers of researchers using genetically altered animals to examine specific areas of interest. This review describes the different systems and models developed to examine the diverse hypotheses for the cause of SIDS and their potential for defining a causal mechanism or mechanisms.
Ad Blockers: Global Prevalence and Impact

Ad blockers are a formidable threat to the vitality of the online advertising eco-system. Understanding their prevalence and impact is challenging due to the massive scale and diversity of the eco-system. In this paper, we utilize unique data gathering assets to assess the prevalence and impact of ad blockers from an Internet-wide perspective. Our study is based on (i) a 2 million person world-wide user panel that provides ground truth for ad blocker installations and (ii) telemetry from large number of publisher web pages and ads served to publishers. We describe a novel method for assessing the prevalence of ad blocker installations that is based on Mixture Proportion Estimation. We apply this method to nearly 2 trillion web transactions collected over the period of 1 month (February 2016), to derive ad blocker prevalence estimates for desktop systems in diverse geographic areas and for diverse demographic groups. Next, using deployment estimates we consider the impact of ad blockers on users and on publisher sites. Specifically, we report on the reduction of ads shown to users with ad blockers installed and show that even though a user may have an ad blocker installed, they are still exposed to a significant number of ads. We also characterize the impact of ad blockers across different categories of publisher sites including those that may be participating in whitelisting.