Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LMI Approach to Simultaneous Output-Feedback Stabilization for Interval Time-Delay Systems∗

This paper considers the problem of simultaneously stabilizing output feedback controller design for a collection of interval time-delay systems. It is shown that this problem is solvable if a matrix measure assignment problem is solvable. Thus, in this study, we proposed to solve a matrix measure assignment problem to get a solution of the considered problem. We also proved that the admissible solution set of the matrix measure assignment problem is convex. Then, the matrix measure assignment problem is shown to be equivalent to a linear matrix inequality (LMI) feasibility problem. In term of LMIs, a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of static output feedback controllers is obtained. Finally, an example is provided to illustrate the proposed methodology.
When to offer cognitive behavioural or psychoanalytic psychotherapy in an integrated psychotherapy service: Are everyday allocation decisions theoretically congruent?

Abstract Different modes of psychotherapy can be an effective form of treatment for a range of mental health problems. Psychotherapy provision in the NHS is organised in a variety of ways, with patient entry to various modes of therapy determined by a range of factors including evidence-based guidelines and patient or referrer preference. The methods by which patients arrive at a particular mode of psychotherapy are largely unreported. This paper aims to describe this process in one UK NHS psychotherapy service offering cognitive behavioural and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and provides data to inform a discussion on the theoretical congruence of these allocation decisions.
Temperature Control of Terahertz Metamaterials With Liquid Crystals

We design and experimentally characterize terahertz (THz) electric split-ring-resonator metamaterials infiltrated with nematic liquid crystals (LCs). We demonstrate that the resonant response of such metamaterials can be tuned by temperature due to the change of the LC arrangement from nematic to isotropic phase. In particular, we show that the frequency tuning is strongly dependent on the initial LC orientation, with resonant frequency shifting towards lower frequencies for LC director perpendicular to the gap and towards higher frequencies for LC director parallel to the gap of the electric split ring resonators. Our results open new opportunities for the design of tunable THz filters based on LCs.
OWL1: An Arabidopsis J-Domain Protein Involved in Perception of Very Low Light Fluences[W]

To sense ambient light conditions in order to optimize their growth and development, plants employ a battery of photoreceptors responsive to light quality and quantity. Essential for the sensing of red and far-red (FR) light is the phytochrome family of photoreceptors. Among them, phytochrome A is special because it mediates responses to different light conditions, including both very low fluences (very low fluence response [VLFR]) and high irradiances (high irradiance response [HIR]). In contrast with the FR-HIR signaling pathway, in which several intermediates of the signaling pathway have been identified, specific components of the VLFR pathway remain unknown. Here, we describe owl1 (for orientation under very low fluences of light), a mutant that is specific for the VLFR, suggesting that VLFR and HIR pathways are genetically distinct, although some common mechanisms can be observed. OWL1 codes for a ubiquitous J-domain protein essential for germination, cotyledon opening, hypocotyl elongation, and deviation of the direction of hypocotyl growth from the vertical under very low light conditions. Additionally, we observed a flowering phenotype suggesting a role for the VLFR during the whole life cycle of a plant. OWL1 interacts with the basic helix-loop-helix HFR1 (LONG HYPOCOTYL IN FAR-RED) transcription factor, previously characterized as a component of the FR-HIR pathway. Both proteins are involved in the agravitropic response under FR light. We propose a central function of OWL1 in the VLFR pathway, which is essential for plant survival under unfavorable light conditions.
The Role of Vertical Disparity in Distance and Depth Perception as Revealed by Different Stereo-Camera Configurations

Vertical binocular disparity is a source of distance information allowing the portrayal of the layout and 3D metrics of the visual space. The role of vertical disparity in the perception of depth, size, curvature, or slant of surfaces was revealed in several previous studies using cue conflict paradigms. In this study, we varied the configuration of stereo-cameras to investigate how changes in the horizontal and vertical disparity fields, conflicting with the vergence cue, affect perceived distance and depth. In four experiments, observers judged the distance of a cylinder displayed in front of a large fronto-parallel surface. Experiment 1 revealed that the presence of a background surface decreases the uncertainty in judgments of distance, suggesting that observers use the relative horizontal disparity between the target and the background as a cue to distance. Two other experiments showed that manipulating the pattern of vertical disparity affected both distance and depth perception. When vertical disparity specified a nearer distance than vergence (convergent cameras), perceived distance and depth were underestimated as compared with the condition where vertical disparity was congruent with vergence cues (parallel cameras). When vertical disparity specified a further distance than vergence, namely an infinite distance, distance and depth were overestimated. The removal of the vertical distortion lessened the effect on perceived distance. Overall, the results suggest that the vertical disparity introduced by the specific camera configuration is mainly responsible for the effect. These findings outline the role of vertical disparity in distance and depth perception and support the use of parallel cameras for designing stereograms.
Involvement of Free Calcium in Action of Cryptogein, a Proteinaceous Elicitor of Hypersensitive Reaction in Tobacco Cells

Treatment of suspension-cultured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum var Xanthi) cells with cryptogein, a proteinaceous elicitor from Phytophthora cryptogea, induced a great stimulation of Ca2+ influx within the first minutes. Ca2+ influx is essential for the initiation of cryptogein-induced responses, since ethyleneglycol-bis([beta]-amino-ethyl ether)-N,N[prime]-tetraacetic acid or La3+, which block Ca2+ entrance, suppress cryptogein-induced responses such as extracellular alkalinization, active oxygen species, and phytoalexin production. Moreover, once initiated, these responses require sustained Ca2+ influx within the 1st h. A Ca2+ ionophore (A23187) was able to trigger an extracellular alkalinization but not the formation of active oxygen species and phytoalexins, even in the presence of cryptogein. Staurosporine, a protein kinase inhibitor that was recently reported to suppress cryptogein-induced responses (M.-P. Viard, F. Martin, A. Pugin, P. Ricci, J.-P. Blein [1994] Plant Physiol 104: 1245–1249), inhibited Ca2+ influx induced by cryptogein in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that protein phosphorylation followed by Ca2+ influx might be involved in the initial steps of cryptogein signal transduction.
Symmetric Primal-Dual Approximate Linear Programming for Factored MDPs

A weakness of classical Markov decision processes is that they scale very poorly due to the flat state-space representation. Factored MDPs address this representational problem by exploiting problem structure to specify the transition and reward functions of an MDP in a compact manner. However, in general, solutions to factored MDPs do not retain the structure and compactness of the problem representation, forcing approximate solutions, with approximate linear programming (ALP) emerging as a very promising MDP-approximation technique. To date, most ALP work has focused on the primal-LP formulation, while the dual LP, which forms the basis for solving constrained Markov problems, has received much less attention. We show that a straightforward linear approximation of the dual optimization variables is problematic, because some of the required computations cannot be carried out efficiently. Nonetheless, we develop a composite approach that symmetrically approximates the primal and dual optimization variables (effectively approximating both the objective function and the feasible region of the LP) that is computationally feasible and suitable for solving constrained MDPs. We empirically show that this new ALP formulation also performs well on unconstrained problems.
Strategic Management of Production Systems – a Longitudinal Analysis on the Evolution of Models : Experiences from a Research Project

Between 1982 and 1999 the University of Stuttgart carried out an extensive interdisciplinary research project dealing with flexible production systems. Within this project the Department of Strategic Management developed several System Dynamics models in co-operation with various companies. The objective was to support strategic decision making in production management. The models were designed to prepare and to evaluate decisions considering the achievement of both long term profitability and sustainable competitive advantage foremost. The paper shows how the different System Dynamics models have been changed over the years. As they were all referring to the same basic issue it is thoroughly possible to compare them in a longitudinal analysis. This study on one hand concentrates on the development of modeling methods, i.e. by combining System Dynamics models with knowledge based tools, or by creating a modular modeling concept. On the other hand it focuses on aspects like model size and aggregation level. Another intention of the paper, however, will be to answer the question if and how the different kinds of models – e.g. in terms of model size and level of aggregation – had influenced decision making and its results. It will be discussed how and to which extent these model features had an impact on making either strategic or rather operative decisions in production systems.
Scattering Analysis for the Modeling of THz Communication Systems

Modeling propagation channels for future pico-cellular indoor THz communication systems requires the knowledge of the reflective properties of building materials. The reflectivity of smooth, optically thick materials can be modeled with Fresnel equations. In case of materials with a rough surface, diffuse scattering reduces the power reflected in the specular direction. Kirchhoff scattering theory can be employed to derive modified Fresnel equations which account for these losses by introducing a Rayleigh roughness factor calculated from the measured surface height distribution of the sample under observation. Using the resulting, analytically derived reflection coefficient based on material parameter and surface measurements in propagation models enables the simulation of arbitrary configurations. We present a set of calculated and measured reflection coefficients for a selection of common indoor building materials which are in good agreement, thus verifying our modeling approach. Furthermore, we illustrate by ray-tracing simulations the effect of wall and ceiling roughness on propagation in future indoor scenarios. Both, absolute power levels and propagation patterns are shown to be strongly influenced by scattering. In some cases, reflected transmissions with longer propagation paths can be more efficient than the shorter ones in terms of incurred losses.
Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in head and neck lesions of paediatric age group.

CONTEXT Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology [FNAC] of the head and neck region is well accepted as a diagnostic procedure. Various studies in the context of FNAC in the head and neck region are available for the adult population, but only few studies are available for the paediatric age group. AIMS To study the role of fine needle aspiration cytology and its utility in paediatric head and neck lesions. SETTINGS AND DESIGN This was a hospital based, prospective study. METHOD AND MATERIALS Hundred cases of head and neck lesions of the paediatric age group [0-15 years] were studied for cytomorphology through fine needle aspiration cytology and the results were correlated with the histomorphology. RESULTS There was a male predominance in the case distribution among both the sexes in children [55%]. The head and neck lesions were most frequent in the age group of 10-15 years, followed by the age group of 5-10 years than the age group of 0-5 years. Lesions in the cervical lymph nodes constituted 81% of the head and neck lesions and 87% of the adequate smears, followed by those in the skin and subcutaneous tissues [3 cases (3.2%)], the thyroid [4 cases (4.3%)] and the salivary gland [1 case (1%)]. 88.17% cases of head and neck lesions in children were diagnosed as benign on their smears and 11.83% cases were diagnosed as malignant, of which 8 cases of malignant lesions were located in the cervical lymph nodes, 1 case was located in the thyroid and 2 cases of malignant lesions were located in the orbits. CONCLUSIONS FNAC is an important and a non-invasive, investigational tool in children for identifying and planning the medical management of inflammatory and infectious conditions. It helped us in indicating the diagnosis of the lesions in congenital or aquired malformations, cystic lesions and benign neoplastic lesions, in which surgical management were needed and we got confirmations on histological examinations. For the malignant lesions, FNAC was a more important investigation tool than an accurate investigation tool, which suggested about the lesions and guided us to do more advanced specific investigations for obtaining the diagnosis.
Early Life Experience Alters Stress-related Brain Circuits: Effects of Repeated Brief Postnatal Maternal Separation on Central Autonomic Pathways

Early life experience has a powerful influence on later stress reactivity, which is demonstrated by the animal model, repeated brief postnatal maternal separation. In this classic paradigm, rat pups undergo a 15-minute daily separation (MS15) from their dam for approximately one to two postnatal weeks. A substantial literature has demonstrated that adult rats with a developmental history of MS15 are significantly less stress reactive compared to controls, as evidenced by decreased stress-induced hormone release. Conversely, the effects of early life experience on brain circuits that control stress responses are virtually unknown. Descending preautonomic circuits govern the output of the autonomic nervous system, which mediates physiological responses to stress (e.g., increased heart rate and decreased digestion). These circuits begin in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and limbic forebrain and synaptically innervate preganglionic neurons in the brainstem dorsal vagal complex (DVC) and spinal cord that ultimately innervate body organs. A previous study from our laboratory has demonstrated that MS15 alters the developmental assembly of gastric preautonomic circuits (Card et al., 2005). These findings led us to hypothesize that MS15 rats would display altered circuit strength of gastric preautonomic circuits later in development, as assessed in juvenile rats. Indeed, the study described in Chapter 2 demonstrated that MS15 enhances the circuit strength of gastric preautonomic circuits originating within the PVN in juvenile rats. This enhanced circuit strength suggests that the function of preautonomic PVN pathways might also be altered by MS15. Thus, we hypothesized that MS15 rats would display altered stress-induced activation of the PVN to DVC pathway. The study described in Chapter 3 revealed that MS15 rats display decreased stress-induced Fos activation within the PVN and within a specific population of DVC neurons. Therefore, studies within this dissertation revealed that M15 alters the circuit strength of PVN preautonomic pathways and alters stress-induced activation of brainstem preautonomic pathways. These findings suggest that MS15 rats would display attenuated autonomic responses to stress and may provide insights into how early life experience shapes later stress reactivity.
The development of resistance to glycarbylamide and 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzamide in Eimeria tenella in chicks

A twofold increase in resistance to glycarbylamide was induced in a strain of Eimeria tenella in chicks. This strain remained susceptible to amprolium, nicarbazin, nitrofurazone, zoalene, 3,5-dinitrobenzamide, 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzamide (M & B 5921) and spiramycin. At least an eightfold resistance to 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzamide (M & B 5921) was developed in another strain of E. tenella. This strain was also resistant to nitrofurazone, zoalene and 3,5-dinitrobenzamide, but not to glycarbylamide, amprolium, nicarbazin and spiramycin. A single test showed no transfer of drug-resistance when the two resistant strains were given simultaneously to the same birds. When a small number of parasites of a glycarbylamide-resistant strain of E. tenella was introduced into a larger inoculum of the normal parent strain, the resistant individuals appeared to diminish in number during passages through untreated chicks. I wish to thank Mrs B. M. Mitchell, Miss C. A. Hitchcock and Miss J. Watkins for technical assistance at various stages of the work.
Exploiting Semi-Separable and toeplitz structure in distributed control of homogeneous systems with arbitrary boundary conditions

We consider the problem of designing controllers for distributed systems consisting of N subsystems connected in a string. In the past, computationally efficient techniques have been separately developed for finite length completely heterogeneous systems and doubly infinite completely homogeneous systems. In this paper we show how the ordinarily O(N) Sequentially Semi Separable(SSS) controller synthesis techniques can be specialized to an intermediate case: finite length homogeneous systems with boundary conditions, resulting in controller synthesis routines with computational complexity independent of N. As an example, these techniques are used to compute an H2 controller for a heat conduction problem.
An Investigation of the Use of BBNs for Project Management

Dynamic models such as Bayesian Networks are of late becoming increasingly popular among the Software Engineering research community. Such models take into account the causal relationship between the variables of a domain, and therefore may provide better solutions to many of the problems in this area. This paper concerns the use of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) in project management. Creation of a BBN to reflect a software engineering problem is a challenging task. In this paper, we will concentrate on the creation of a BBN by using domain data. There are many semi-automatic approaches available in literature but there are also many open issues in these approaches. We will discuss the step by step construction of a BBN using the dataset from a Web-related academic projects involving 37 Web sites.
Intake and time dependence of blueberry flavonoid-induced improvements in vascular function: a randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover intervention study with mechanistic insights into biological activity.

BACKGROUND There are very limited data regarding the effects of blueberry flavonoid intake on vascular function in healthy humans. OBJECTIVES We investigated the impact of blueberry flavonoid intake on endothelial function in healthy men and assessed potential mechanisms of action by the assessment of circulating metabolites and neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity. DESIGN Two randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover human-intervention trials were conducted with 21 healthy men. Initially, the impact of blueberry flavonoid intake on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and polyphenol absorption and metabolism was assessed at baseline and 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after consumption of blueberry containing 766, 1278, and 1791 mg total blueberry polyphenols or a macronutrient- and micronutrient-matched control drink (0 mg total blueberry polyphenols). Second, an intake-dependence study was conducted (from baseline to 1 h) with 319, 637, 766, 1278, and 1791 mg total blueberry polyphenols and a control. RESULTS We observed a biphasic time-dependent increase in FMD, with significant increases at 1-2 and 6 h after consumption of blueberry polyphenols. No significant intake-dependence was observed between 766 and 1791 mg. However, at 1 h after consumption, FMD increased dose dependently to ≤766 mg total blueberry polyphenol intake, after which FMD plateaued. Increases in FMD were closely linked to increases in circulating metabolites and by decreases in neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity at 1-2 and 6 h. CONCLUSIONS Blueberry intake acutely improves vascular function in healthy men in a time- and intake-dependent manner. These benefits may be mechanistically linked to the actions of circulating phenolic metabolites on neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01292954 and NCT01829542.
“PRO” ANA? SOCIABILITY AND SUPPORT IN EATING DISORDER ONLINE COMMUNITIES

Last June, a group of Italian MPs proposed jail terms and fines for authors of so-called “pro-ana” (anorexia) and “pro-mia” (bulimia) websites. These are self-styled online communities on eating disorders which are viewed as promoting extreme dieting and unhealthy eating practices. France and the United Kingdom preceded Italy’s attempt to pass restrictive legislation as far back as 2008-9, and many internet service providers also endeavoured to ban these contents.
Manifold-constrained regressors in system identification

High-dimensional regression problems are becoming more and more common with emerging technologies. However, in many cases data are constrained to a low dimensional manifold. The information about the output is hence contained in a much lower dimensional space, which can be expressed by an intrinsic description. By first finding the intrinsic description, a low dimensional mapping can be found to give us a two step mapping from regressors to output. In this paper a methodology aimed at manifold-constrained identification problems is proposed. A supervised and a semi-supervised method are presented, where the later makes use of given regressor data lacking associated output values for learning the manifold. As it turns out, the presented methods also carry some interesting properties also when no dimensional reduction is performed.
Exponential behavior of the interlayer exchange coupling across nonmagnetic metallic superlattices

It is shown that the coupling between magnetic layers separated by non-magnetic metallic superlattices can decay exponentially as a function of the spacer thickness $N$, as opposed to the usual $N^{-2}$ decay. This effect is due to the lack of constructive contributions to the coupling from extended states across the spacer. The exponential behavior is obtained by properly choosing the distinct metals and the superlattice unit cell composition.
Intermediate representations in imperative compilers: A survey

Compilers commonly translate an input program into an intermediate representation (IR) before optimizing it and generating code. Over time there have been a number of different approaches to designing and implementing IRs. Different IRs have varying benefits and drawbacks. In this survey, we highlight key developments in the area of IR for imperative compilers, group them by a taxonomy and timeline, and comment on the divide between academic research and real-world compiler technology. We conclude that mainstream compilers, especially in the multicore era, could benefit from further IR innovations.