Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of the 'Iterative Closest Point' Algorithm for Determination of Rotation Axis of a Turntable

Reverse engineering [ is a field of technology which has been under rapid development for several recent years. Optic scanners are basic devices used as reverse engineering tools. Point cloud describes the shape of a scanned object. Automatic turntable is a device which enables a scanning process from different viewing angles. In the paper, the algorithm is described which has been used for determination of rotation axis of a turntable. The obtained axis constitutes the base for an aggregation of particular point clouds into single resultant common cloud describing the shape of the scanned object. Usability of this algorithm for precise scanning of mechanical parts was validated, precision of shape replication was also evaluated.
Changes in Cerebral Hemodynamics during Complex Motor Learning by Character Entry into Touch-Screen Terminals

Introduction Studies of cerebral hemodynamics during motor learning have mostly focused on neurorehabilitation interventions and their effectiveness. However, only a few imaging studies of motor learning and the underlying complex cognitive processes have been performed. Methods We measured cerebral hemodynamics using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in relation to acquisition patterns of motor skills in healthy subjects using character entry into a touch-screen terminal. Twenty healthy, right-handed subjects who had no previous experience with character entry using a touch-screen terminal participated in this study. They were asked to enter the characters of a randomly formed Japanese syllabary into the touch-screen terminal. All subjects performed the task with their right thumb for 15 s alternating with 25 s of rest for 30 repetitions. Performance was calculated by subtracting the number of incorrect answers from the number of correct answers, and gains in motor skills were evaluated according to the changes in performance across cycles. Behavioral and oxygenated hemoglobin concentration changes across task cycles were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlations. Results Performance correlated positively with task cycle, thus confirming motor learning. Hemodynamic activation over the left sensorimotor cortex (SMC) showed a positive correlation with task cycle, whereas activations over the right prefrontal cortex (PFC) and supplementary motor area (SMA) showed negative correlations. Conclusions We suggest that increases in finger momentum with motor learning are reflected in the activity of the left SMC. We further speculate that the right PFC and SMA were activated during the early phases of motor learning, and that this activity was attenuated with learning progress.
Electromagnetic Techniques and Design Strategies for FSS Structure Applications [Antenna Applications Corner]

Frequency-selective surfaces (FSSs) have a wide spectrum of applications in airborne platforms, wireless communication systems, medical imaging instruments, and high-power microwave systems. To employ finite, electrically large, and conformal FSSs for such applications, the development of an efficient electromagnetic (EM) design and analysis technique is essential, which is a challenging task in terms of computational complexity and requirements of highend computing platforms. In view of assessing the efficacies of various EM techniques for the design and analysis of FSS structures employed for planar and conformal surfaces, a brief review is presented here. Furthermore, the design strategies of novel FSS structures including metamaterial (MTM)-element FSSs are discussed for specific applications such as highperformance radomes, radar absorbing structures (RASs), and antennas. The complex issues associated with the EM design and analysis of FSS structures are also outlined for radomes, RAS, and antennas.
Empirical Comparison of Approximate Inference Algorithms for Networked Data

Over the past few years, a number of approximate inference algorithms for networked data have been put forth. We empirically compare the performance of three of the popular algorithms: loopy belief propagation, mean ﬁeld relaxation labeling and iterative classiﬁcation. We rate each algorithm in terms of its robustness to noise, both in attribute values and correlations across links. A novel observation from our experiments is that loopy belief propagation faces difﬁculty when inferring over data with homophily , a common type of link correlation observed in relational data.
Quick collision detection of polytopes in virtual environments

The problem of collision detection is fundamental to inter-active applications such as computer animation and virtual environments. In these fields, prompt recognition of possible impacts is important for computing real-time response. We present a simple exact collision detection algorithm for convex polytopes. The algorithm finds quickly a separating plane between two polytopes if they are non-colliding, or else reports collision if it cannot possibly find a separating plane. In the case of non-collision, the separating plane found for one time frame is cached as a witness for the next time frame, an idea borrowed from [10]; this use of time coherence further speeds up the algorithm in dynamic applications. Both temporal and geometric coherences are exploited to make this algorithm run in expected constant time empirically.
Marijuana. Does it have a possible therapeutic use?

MENTION marijuana and you will evoke a range of reactions to match every color of the spectrum. Still, such impassioned arguments are no reason to ignore possible therapeutic uses; I address the current status of these studies. Humans and Cannabis sativa have coexisted for millenniums. The stems of the plant served as a source of hemp fiber for rope, canvas, clothing, and paper. The seeds provided oil for food and are still found in packages of mixed birdseed (sterilized, of course). The leaves and flowering tops have been used by many primitive societies as a folk medicine for a wide variety of ailments. Every human complaint has been treated with Indian hemp at one time or another, and certain uses were clearly inappropriate. On the other hand, recent careful investigations have substantiated the effectiveness of a few ancient therapeutic applications of the plant. Pain, whether from toothache, dysmenorrhea, or rheumatism,
FP-growth based method for mining infrequent and frequent itemsets with 2-level minimum support

Infrequent itemsets are very important because many valued information can be mined from them. 2L-XMMMS model, which has been mentioned in previous studies, can mine infrequent and frequent itemsets by assigning two different minimum supports to every item. But it is based on Apriori algorithm and its efficiency is not high. To improve its efficiency, we use the FP-Growth algorithm instead of Apriori to achieve 2L-XMMS model and propose an efficient algorithm 2LMS_FP. Experimental results show that 2LMS_FP are tens to thousands faster than 2L-XMMS.
Do children take the same number of steps every day?

The purpose of this study was to examine the day‐to‐day variability in pedometer‐assessed physical activity (steps/day). A total of 1,443 children aged 6–12 years from the United States (195 boys, 254 girls), Sweden (257 boys, 252 girls), and Australia (229 boys, 256 girls) wore a pedometer for 4 consecutive weekdays. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine daily differences in steps/day and the coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated for each individual to describe the day‐to‐day variability. Overall, mean steps/day were higher among boys (14,698 ± 3,373 steps/day) than girls (12,086 ± 2,929 steps/day). Significant differences were found between the 4 monitoring days for the entire sample; however, the absolute mean differences were small (55–958 steps) with an overall effect size of 0.01. This trend was apparent regardless of age, gender, and country. Individual CVs ranged from ∼2 to 88% and the overall mean CV approximated 22%. An age‐related increase in the mean CV was observed between 6‐ and 12‐year‐old children. The age × gender × country interaction was not significant (P > 0.05). These findings have implications toward the proper design, analysis, and interpretation of studies regarding physical activity among children. Beyond this aspect, our results lend insight into potential age‐related biological mechanisms that may also influence daily levels and patterns of physical activity. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 19:537–543, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Liquid impact resistance of CVD diamond and other infrared materials

The high velocity environment endured by infrared (IR) domes often results in strength and transmission loss due, in part, to rain erosion. The multiple impact jet apparatus (MIJA) has proven, over a number of years, to be an accurate and rapid means of simulating this erosion phenomenon on many conventional IR materials in the laboratory and obtaining quantitative data on damage threshold velocities and transmission loss. Recent years have seen a rapid development of good optical grade CVD diamond with the eventual achievement of full hemispherical IR domes. Samples of CVD diamond from different sources and of differing thicknesses have been rigorously investigated on MIJA. Due to the low shock wave attenuation and the high shock wave velocity (approximately equals 18 mm microsecond(s) -1) a number of damaging mechanisms are additional to other than the typical liquid impact pattern, with the relative importance of the damage mechanisms depending upon the thickness of the sample, the surface (i.e. growth or nucleation) and location of the impact. The results in this paper include initial tests on full hemispherical diamond domes, comparison with natural diamond and high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) diamond and discussion of the minimum thickness of a proposed CVD diamond dome. These data are compared with those obtained on other IR transmitting materials.
Relative power and coherence of EEG series are related to amnestic mild cognitive impairment in diabetes

Objective: Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia and mild cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether some features of resting-state EEG (rsEEG) could be applied as a biomarker to distinguish the subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from normal cognitive function in type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: In this study, 28 patients with type 2 diabetes (16 aMCI patients and 12 controls) were investigated. Recording of the rsEEG series and neuropsychological assessments were performed. The rsEEG signal was first decomposed into delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma frequency bands. The relative power of each given band/sum of power and the coherence of waves from different brain areas were calculated. The extracted features from rsEEG and neuropsychological assessments were analyzed as well. Results: The main findings of this study were that: (1) compared with the control group, the ratios of power in theta band [P(theta)] vs. power in alpha band [P(alpha)] [P(theta)/P(alpha)] in the frontal region and left temporal region were significantly higher for aMCI, and (2) for aMCI, the alpha coherences in posterior, fronto-right temporal, fronto-posterior, right temporo-posterior were decreased; the theta coherences in left central-right central (LC-RC) and left posterior-right posterior (LP-RP) regions were also decreased; but the delta coherences in left temporal-right temporal (LT-RT) region were increased. Conclusion: The proposed indexes from rsEEG recordings could be employed to track cognitive function of diabetic patients and also to help in the diagnosis of those who develop aMCI.
Improving Video Segmentation by Fusing Depth Cues and the Visual Background Extractor (ViBe) Algorithm

Depth-sensing technology has led to broad applications of inexpensive depth cameras that can capture human motion and scenes in three-dimensional space. Background subtraction algorithms can be improved by fusing color and depth cues, thereby allowing many issues encountered in classical color segmentation to be solved. In this paper, we propose a new fusion method that combines depth and color information for foreground segmentation based on an advanced color-based algorithm. First, a background model and a depth model are developed. Then, based on these models, we propose a new updating strategy that can eliminate ghosting and black shadows almost completely. Extensive experiments have been performed to compare the proposed algorithm with other, conventional RGB-D (Red-Green-Blue and Depth) algorithms. The experimental results suggest that our method extracts foregrounds with higher effectiveness and efficiency.
Corrosion resistance of alternatively deposited layers of electroless Ni–P and electroplated Zn–Ni on cast steel substrate in neutral 5 wt-%NaCl solution

Abstract Alternate layers of electroless Ni–P and electroplated Zn–Ni were deposited onto a cast steel substrate to obtain a multiple layer system in order to provide enhanced corrosion resistance while retaining some wear resistance. The coatings were characterised in terms of their surface appearance and both surface and cross-sectional morphologies. Corrosion resistance was measured by means of immersion testing in neutral 5 wt-%NaCl solution for 1 year, and the results were compared with those of single-layer Zn–Ni and Ni–P coatings. It was found that the corrosion resistance of all multiple layer coatings was better than that of a single-layer Ni–P coating. It was also found that the corrosion resistance of multiple layer coatings with individual layer thicknesses of 1 or 2 μm was better than that of a single-layer Zn–Ni coating. Provided that the thickness of individual Ni–P layers was greater than 0·5 μm, corrosion resistance during immersion testing increased as the number of individual layers increased. The results could be explained in terms of the effects of multiple layers in coatings and the corrosion cells that form between adjacent layers.
Epigenetic silencing of DACH1 induces loss of transforming growth factor‐β1 antiproliferative response in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Human dachshund homolog 1 (DACH1) is a major component of the Retinal Determination Gene Network (RDGN) and functions as a tumor suppressor. However, the regulation of DACH1 expression and its function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. In this study, epigenetic changes of DACH1 were analyzed in HCC cell lines and primary cancers. We found that promoter region hypermethylation was correlated with loss or reduction of DACH1 expression, and restoration of DACH1 expression was induced by 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine (5‐AZA) in HCC cell lines. Promoter region methylation was found in 42% of primary HCC. Reduced expression of DACH1 was associated with poor differentiation of HCC nodules and higher serum aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio. DACH1 suppressed cellular growth by reactivating transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) signaling. Ectopic expression of DACH1 enhanced chemosensitivity to 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) by inducing p21 expression in HCC cells. Conclusion: DACH1 is frequently methylated in HCC and DACH1 expression is regulated by promoter hypermethylation. Down‐regulation of DACH1 is a novel mechanism for gaining resistance to the antiproliferative signaling of TGF‐β1 and 5‐FU resistance. (Hepatology 2013; 58:2012–2022)
Perspectives on Sexual Health and Function of Recent Male Combat Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan

Background U.S. veterans of recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be at greater risk for sexual dysfunction due to injuries, mental health conditions, medications used to treat those conditions, and psychosocial factors. Objective To explore the perceptions of recent Veterans about sexual health and dysfunction, contributing factors, its impact and solutions. Design Qualitative study. Participants Eight men who screened positive for sexual dysfunction at initial presentation to a postdeployment clinic at a Veterans Affairs medical center Approach Patients who screened positive for sexual dysfunction and indicated an interest in participating were contacted and scheduled for an in-person private interview with a researcher. Interviews were semistructured, utilizing open-ended and follow-up probe questions to elicit the individual's perspective about sexual dysfunction and its cause, impact and solutions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed for themes. Key Results These heterosexual men discussed a range of sexual dysfunction in their activities including lack of desire, erectile dysfunction, delayed orgasm, premature ejaculation, and distraction. They also discussed the importance of setting or context and changes over time to their sexual health and function. The men shared their ideas about contributory factors, including normal aging, medication side effects, injury and a possible role for combat deployment more generally. Reported solutions for sexual dysfunction included medications, herbal remedies, and new positions and approaches to sexual activity. Participants reported discussing sexual dysfunction with their health-care providers and what was helpful. Finally, the men expressed in their own words the significant impact of sexual dysfunction on their self-perception, their partners, and their relationships. Conclusions Sexual dysfunction in recent combat veterans can have important negative effects on their health and relationships. Our findings elucidate perceived contributory factors and preferred solutions, which can be applied by health-care providers to improve the management of sexual dysfunction in these patients.
Aligned Nafion® Nanocomposites: Preparation and Morphological Characterization

A novel nanocomposite based on Nafion® (ionomer) and a layered silicate is studied. An innovative approach of processing a composite under electric field to induce orientation of the inorganic filler was carried out and accomplished in the present work. The morphology of orented composites was analysed by scanning electric potential microscopy (SEPM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Films based on both plain ionomer and composite displayed fine contrsat in SEPM, differentiating the phase, which could not be achieved using conventional atomic force microscopy. The orientation of the silicates in the composites is evident from the SEPM picture.
Optimal Bandwidth Selection in Heteroskedasticity-Autocorrelation Robust Testing

In time series regressions with nonparametrically autocorrelated errors, it is now standard empirical practice to use kernel-based robust standard errors that involve some smoothing function over the sample autocorrelations. The underlying smoothing parameter b, which can be defined as the ratio of the bandwidth (or truncation lag) to the sample size, is a tuning parameter that plays a key role in determining the asymptotic properties of the standard errors and associated semiparametric tests. Small-b asymptotics involve standard limit theory such as standard normal or chi-squared limits, whereas fixed-b asymptotics typically lead to nonstandard limit distributions involving Brownian bridge functionals. The present paper shows that the nonstandard fixed-b limit distributions of such nonparametrically studentized tests provide more accurate approximations to the finite sample distributions than the standard small-b limit distribution. In particular, using asymptotic expansions of both the finite sample distribution and the nonstandard limit distribution, we confirm that the second-order corrected critical value based on the expansion of the nonstandard limiting distribution is also second-order correct under the standard small-b asymptotics. We further show that, for typical economic time series, the optimal bandwidth that minimizes a weighted average of type I and type II errors is larger by an order of magnitude than the bandwidth that minimizes the asymptotic mean squared error of the corresponding long-run variance estimator. A plug-in procedure for implementing this optimal bandwidth is suggested and simulations confirm that the new plug-in procedure works well in finite samples.
Titanium Alloys: An Atlas of Structures and Fracture Features

INTRODUCTION TO FRACTOGRAPHY Dimple Rupture Cleavage Fatigue Intergranular PHYSICAL METALLURGY OF TITANIUM ALLOYS Introduction Application of Titanium Alloys Effect of Alloying Elements Types of Titanium Alloys Alpha (alpha) Alloys Near alpha Alloys alpha + ss Alloys Metastable ss Alloys Beta Alloys Titanium Aluminides The Microstructure of Titanium Alloys Conventional Titanium Alloys Titanium Aluminides CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS ALPHA ALLOYS NEAR-ALPHA ALLOYS ALPHA + BETA ALLOYS BETA ALLOYS TITANIUM ALUMINIDES Ti3Al-Based Alloys TiAl-Based Alloys CASE STUDY: FAILURE INVESTIGATION REPORT OF IMI 550 HIGH-PRESSURE COMPRESSOR (HPC-I) AERO ENGINE BLADE Introduction Investigation Chemical Analysis Microstructure Fractography Stress-Concentration Effects of a Notch Analysis of the Deposits Conclusion References Index
Comparing Several Aspects of Human-Computer and Human-Human Dialogues

While researchers have many intuitions about the differences between human-computer and human-human interactions, most of these have not previously been subject to empirical scrutiny. This work presents some initial experiments in this direction, with the ultimate goal being to use what we learn to improve computer dialogue systems. Working with data from the air travel domain, we identified a number of striking differences between the human-human and human-computer interactions.
ANTI‐OBESITY AND ANTI‐DIABETIC EFFECTS OF CARTEOLOL IN NON‐INSULIN‐DEPENDENT DIABETIC MICE

1. When carteolol, a β‐adrenergic blocker, was administered to KK‐Ay/Ta Jcl mice that are obese and develop spontaneously non‐insulin dependent diabetes, their increase in bodyweight was arrested from the age of 16 weeks. Since their intake of food and water was not influenced by carteolol treatment, compared with the control KK‐Ay/Ta Jcl mice, abolition of the weight gain might be attributed to increased energy metabolism.
A comparative Study of Different System-on-Chip Buses based on Industry standards: AMBA, CoreConnect and Wishbone

The comparative analysis of three popular bus architecture called AMBA, Coreconnect ad Wishbone is given in this article. In this paper a brief introduction to on- chip bus architecture is given. Also covered comparative performance analysis of All On chip Buses based on Industry standards. The main characteristics of the buses and interfaces with respect to topology, arbitration method, bus- width, types of data transfers and applications are also discussed.