Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Test-Retest Repeatability of Surface Electromyography Measurement for Hand Gesture

This study explores the test-retest repeatability of surface EMG measurements during hand gesture tasks across days and across subjects. Subjects took part in the data collection experiments on five separate days in a four-week time period. Surface EMG (sEMG) data was collected from the forearm. Intrasubject and intersubject test-retest repeatability of mean absolute values (MAV) and four-order AR model coefficients derived from 8-channel sEMG measurements were investigated using the coefficients of multiple correlation (CMCs) and coefficients of variation (CVs). Experimental results indicate moderate to high test-retest reliability for MAV and AR coefficients of sEMG measurements for nine of the ten studied hand gestures. The differences in test-retest repeatability among the hand gesture tasks also provide some insight into the effects of individual differences, electrode placement and gesture-specific characteristic of sEMG measurement.
An Evolutionary Algorithm in Grid Scheduling by multi-objective Optimization using variants of NSGA

With the rapid development of network technology, Grid Computing has emerged for satisfying the increasing demand of the computing power of scientific computing community. Grid facilitates global computing infrastructure for user to consume the services over the network. To optimize the workflow grid execution, a robust multi-objective scheduling algorithm is needed. In this paper, we considered three conflicting objectives like execution time (makespan), total cost and reliability. We propose a multi-objective scheduling algorithm, using R-NSGA-II approach based on evolutionary computing paradigm. Simulation results shows that the proposed algorithm generates multiple scheduling solutions near the Pareto optimal front with small computation overhead. In this work, we proposed the use of epsilon dominance based MOEA approach for the purpose of solving workflow scheduling problems in Grid. In one scheduling problem, we addressed two major conflicting objectives called make span and cost.
Effects of Resveratrol Supplementation on Methotrexate Chemotherapy-Induced Bone Loss

Intensive cancer chemotherapy is known to cause bone defects, which currently lack treatments. This study investigated the effects of polyphenol resveratrol (RES) in preventing bone defects in rats caused by methotrexate (MTX), a commonly used antimetabolite in childhood oncology. Young rats received five daily MTX injections at 0.75 mg/kg/day. RES was orally gavaged daily for seven days prior to, and during, five-day MTX administration. MTX reduced growth plate thickness, primary spongiosa height, trabecular bone volume, increased marrow adipocyte density, and increased mRNA expression of the osteogenic, adipogenic, and osteoclastogenic factors in the tibial bone. RES at 10 mg/kg was found not to affect bone health in normal rats, but to aggravate the bone damage in MTX-treated rats. However, RES supplementation at 1 mg/kg preserved the growth plate, primary spongiosa, bone volume, and lowered the adipocyte density. It maintained expression of genes involved in osteogenesis and decreased expression of adipogenic and osteoclastogenic factors. RES suppressed osteoclast formation ex vivo of bone marrow cells from the treated rats. These data suggest that MTX can enhance osteoclast and adipocyte formation and cause bone loss, and that RES supplementation at 1 mg/kg may potentially prevent these bone defects.
Design and Analysis of Asynchronous Incoherent Optical-CDMA Systems Using a New Code-Shifting Technique

In this paper, a novel code-shifting technique, which can be added atop asynchronous incoherent optical code-division multiple-access systems without complex modifications, is proposed and studied. The new technique divides the time-slot (or chips), in which the optical pulses of codewords are located, into g equal-width sub-chips; every pulse is randomly and independently shifted to start at one of the g sub-chips of its own chip, where g > 1 is a positive integer. The effects of this random g-shift to the cross-correlation property and performance of asynchronous optical codes (of periodic cross-correlation functions of at most one) are formulated. Although it is found that the periodic crosscorrelation functions are worsened to 3 - 2/g, our theoretical and computer-simulation results show an unconventional finding that code performance improves as g increases.
The effects of fruit juices and fruits on the absorption of iron from a rice meal

1. The effects of the chemical composition of fruit juices and fruit on the absorption of iron from a rice (Oryza sativa) meal were measured in 234 parous Indian women, using the erythrocyte utilization of radioactive Fe method. 2. The corrected geometric mean Fe absorptions with different juices varied between 0.040 and 0.129, with the variation correlating closely with the ascorbic acid contents of the juices (rs 0.838, P < 0.01). 3. Ascorbic acid was not the only organic acid responsible for the promoting effects of citrus fruit juices on Fe absorption. Fe absorption from laboratory ‘orange juice’ (100 ml water, 33 mg ascorbic acid and 750 mg citric acid) was significantly better than that from 100 ml water and 33 mg ascorbic acid alone (0.097 and 0.059 respectively), while Fe absorption from 100 ml orange juice (28 mg ascorbic acid) was better than that from 100 ml water containing the same amount of ascorbic acid (0.139 and 0.098 respectively). Finally, Fe absorption from laboratory ‘lemon juice’ (100 ml orange juice and 4 g citric acid) was significantly better than that from 100 ml orange juice (0.226 and 0,166 respectively). 4. The corrected geometric mean Fe absorption from the rice meal was 0.025. Several fruits had little or no effect on Fe absorption from the meal (0.013–0.024). These included grape (Vitis vinifera), peach (Prunuspersica), apple (Malus sylvestris) and avocado pear (Persea americana). Fruit with a mild to moderate enhancing effect on Fe absorption (0.03 1–0.088) included strawberry (Fragaria sp.) (uncorrected values), plum (Prunus domestica), rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum), banana (Musa cavendishii), mango (Mangifera indica), pear (Pyrus cornmunis), cantaloup (Cucumis melo) and pineapple (Ananas comosus) (uncorrected values). Guava (Psidium guajava) and pawpaw (Carica papaya) markedly increased Fe absorption (0.126–0.293). 5. There was a close correlation between Fe absorption and the ascorbic acid content of the fruits tested (rs 0.738, P < 0.0001). There was also a weaker but significant correlation with the citric acid content (rs 0.55, P < 0.03). Although this may have reflected a direct effect of citric acid on Fe absorption, it should be noted that fruits containing citric acid also contained ascorbic acid (rs 0.70, P < 0.002). Similarly, the negative correlation (rs –0.62, P < 0,008) between Fe absorption and the malic acid content of fruits may have been due to the fact that fruits with a high malic acid content tended to have low levels of ascorbic acid (rs–0.45, P < 0.06). 6. These various results suggested that most fruits have only a limited effect on overall Fe nutrition. However, the presence of citrus fruit, guava or pawpaw would be expected to increase Fe absorption markedly from diets of low Fe availability.
The Organization of LH2 Complexes in Membranes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides*

The mapping of the photosynthetic membrane of Rhodobacter sphaeroides by atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed a unique organization of arrays of dimeric reaction center-light harvesting I-PufX (RC-LH1-PufX) core complexes surrounded and interconnected by light-harvesting LH2 complexes (Bahatyrova, S., Frese, R. N., Siebert, C. A., Olsen, J. D., van der Werf, K. O., van Grondelle, R., Niederman, R. A., Bullough, P. A., Otto, C., and Hunter, C. N. (2004) Nature 430, 1058–1062). However, membrane regions consisting solely of LH2 complexes were under-represented in these images because these small, highly curved areas of membrane rendered them difficult to image even using gentle tapping mode AFM and impossible with contact mode AFM. We report AFM imaging of membranes prepared from a mutant of R. sphaeroides, DPF2G, that synthesizes only the LH2 complexes, which assembles spherical intracytoplasmic membrane vesicles of ∼53 nm diameter in vivo. By opening these vesicles and adsorbing them onto mica to form small, ≤120 nm, largely flat sheets we have been able to visualize the organization of these LH2-only membranes for the first time. The transition from highly curved vesicle to the planar sheet is accompanied by a change in the packing of the LH2 complexes such that approximately half of the complexes are raised off the mica surface by ∼1 nm relative to the rest. This vertical displacement produces a very regular corrugated appearance of the planar membrane sheets. Analysis of the topographs was used to measure the distances and angles between the complexes. These data are used to model the organization of LH2 complexes in the original, curved membrane. The implications of this architecture for the light harvesting function and diffusion of quinones in native membranes of R. sphaeroides are discussed.
Time preference and decision rules in a price search experiment

Structural econometric methods that assume agents have rational expectations are often criticized. Yet, little is known about the relative costs and benefits of adopting alternative empirical strategies. This paper compares three procedures for inference about a single structural parameter using data from a laboratory price search experiment. Our novel experimental design induces preferences up to the subjective rate of time preference, leaving unrestricted only this parameter and the decision rule that subjects use in solving the search task. We analyze the experimental data under the assumptions of both rational expectations and heuristic behavior, and we also draw inferences using a simple revealed preference analysis that does not require strong behavioral assumptions. We find that the revealed-preference analysis does not provide much information about the discount rate, while the two specifications with stronger behavioral assumptions provide sharper and statistically identical inferences about the population's discount rate distribution. However, substantial differences in inference appear at the individual level. We compare the individual discount-rate estimates to an external measure of forward looking behavior obtained for each subject using an instrument validated in the psychology literature. The estimates obtained under heuristic behavior are statistically significantly positively correlated with our external measure of time preference, while the estimates obtained under rational expectations and the revealed-preference estimates are not.
Optimized passive seismic interferometry for bedrock detection: A Singapore case study

We present a case study of passive seismic interferometry in the city of Singapore to investigate the bedrock depth and to determine the optimal acquisition parameters. The ambient-noise field, dominated by urban traffic noise, is recorded passively for seismic interferometry. We demonstrate that the bedrock depth can be determined from ambient seismic noise within an error of 2 m compared with borehole logs. Both synthetic and field data analysis show that the optimal array size for the passive site investigation can be as short as 30 m with 6 vertical geophones, to resolve a 1-D shear wave velocity profile of 50m in depth. Convergence of the cross-correlograms shows that the minimum acquisition time for ambient-noise acquisition is about 15 mins in a typical working day. Success of this case study demonstrates that accurate nearsurface site investigation can be achieved with faster acquisition, fewer receivers and smaller acquisition footprint, all of which improve the efficiency particularly in a highly developed urban environment.
Association between spoligotype-VNTR types and virulence of Mycobacterium bovis in cattle

Mycobacterium bovis is the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, a disease that affects approximately 5% of Argentine cattle. The aim of this research was to study if it is possible to infer the degree of virulence of different M. bovis genotypes based on scorified observations of tuberculosis lesions in cattle. In this study, we performed association analyses between several parameters with tuberculosis lesions: M. bovis genotype, degree of progression of tuberculosis, and animal age. For this purpose, the genotype was determined by spoligotyping and the degree of bovine tuberculosis gross lesion was quantified with a score based on clinical observations (number, size, and location of granulomas along with histopathologic features). This study was performed with naturally infected cattle of slaughterhouses from three provinces in Argentina. A total of 265 M. bovis isolates were obtained from 378 pathological lesion samples and 192 spoligotyping and VNTR (based on ETR sequences) typing patterns were obtained. SB0140 was the most predominant spoligotype, followed by SB0145. The spoligotype with the highest lesion score was SB0273 (median score of 27 ± 4.46), followed by SB0520 (18 ± 5.8). Furthermore, the most common spoligotype, SB0140, had a median score of 11 ± 0.74. Finally, the spoligotype with the lowest score was SB0145 (8 ± 1.0). ETR typing of SB0140, SB0145, SB0273, and SB0520 did not subdivide the lesion scores in those spoligotypes. In conclusion, SB0273 and SB0520 were the spoligotypes with the strongest association with hypervirulence and both spoligotypes were only found in Río Cuarto at the south of Córdoba province. Interestingly, there is no other report of any of these spoligotyes in Latin America.
LinXGBoost: Extension of XGBoost to Generalized Local Linear Models

XGBoost is often presented as the algorithm that wins every ML competition. Surprisingly, this is true even though predictions are piecewise constant. This might be justified in high dimensional input spaces, but when the number of features is low, a piecewise linear model is likely to perform better. XGBoost was extended into LinXGBoost that stores at each leaf a linear model. This extension, equivalent to piecewise regularized least-squares, is particularly attractive for regression of functions that exhibits jumps or discontinuities. Those functions are notoriously hard to regress. Our extension is compared to the vanilla XGBoost and Random Forest in experiments on both synthetic and real-world data sets.
Coupling similarities between ridged circular apertures and half wavelength dipoles

In this paper, we obtain transmission cross section (TCS) for the multiple resonant apertures using full wave simulation. The equivalent magnetic current element of the structure is put to explain the resonant transmission effectively. Finally we solve the self conductance and mutual conductances for four different structures. The conductances are quite similar to the resistances of multiple dipoles.
Clinical evaluation of radioimmunoassay of nasopharyngeal secretions and serology for diagnosis of viral infections in children hospitalized for respiratory infections

Viral diagnosis was performed using radioimmunoassay (RIA) for virus antigen in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) and complement-fixation (CF) tests of paired sera from specimens of 90 children hospitalized for acute respiratory infection. Major respiratory viruses sought for by both methods (adenoviruses, influenza A and B viruses, parainfluenza virus type 3, respiratory syncytial virus) were detected in 40 (44%) of the patients; 15% of the diagnoses were made by NPS-RIA alone. Serologic diagnosis of other viral infections was confirmed in six additional cases. In the different clinical entities a viral diagnosis was established as follows: pneumonia, 50%; upper or middle respiratory infection with no wheezing, 43%; acute laryngitis, 54%; and wheezing bronchitis, 29%. In each clinical entity the virus-positive and virus-negative patients had similar total leukocyte counts, mean C-reactive protein levels and mean erythrocyte sedimentation rates. There was no difference in the duration of hospitalization between the patients with positive and negative viral studies. It was not possible to divide the patients into clinical subgroups according to the presence or absence of detectable viral infection.
Time synchronization on SP1 and SP2 parallel systems

We describe an experimental time utility for synchronizing the operating system clocks on the SP1 and SP2 parallel system nodes. It synchronizes the node clocks typically, within 5 microseconds of each other utilizing the synchronous feature of the SP1 and SP2 interconnection network. This is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude better than what can be achieved by previous methods. Synchronized clocks are useful for parallel program performance measurement and tuning, parallel program tracing and debugging, and gang scheduling of parallel processes, to name a few. We also measure the performance of a widely used time synchronization utility using the SP1 and SP2 interconnection network. <<ETX>>
An Empirical Study on Design Pattern Usage on Open-Source Software

Currently, open source software communities are thriving and the number of projects that are available through well known code repositories is rapidly increasing over the years. The amount of code that is freely available to developers facilitates high reuse opportunities. One of the major concerns of developers when reusing code is the quality of the code that is going to be reused. Design patterns are well known solutions that are reported to produce substantial benefits with respect to software quality. In this paper, we investigate the extent to which design patterns are employed in open source software. More specifically, this study reports empirical results based on the number and type of design patterns retrieved from open source software projects. Up to now, one hundred and eight (108) open source software projects of various characteristics have been considered. The results of the study suggest that several patterns are more frequently used in open source software than others, that some patterns are more applicable in some categories than others and that program size, number of downloads, days of project activity and the number of developers are crucial factors that influence the use of design patterns in open source software project.
ARHGEF11, a regulator of junction-associated actomyosin in epithelial cells

Epithelial cells form organized sheets to protect underlying tissues and maintain the physiological environment by the assembly of tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs), which mainly regulate paracellular molecular passage and selective cell-cell adhesion, respectively. At the cytoplasmic surface, TJs and AJs associate with a specific actomyosin cytoskeletal structure called the perijunctional actomyosin ring (PJAR), which encircles cells in a belt-like manner. ZO family proteins play important roles in regulating TJ and PJAR organization. We recently found that ARHGEF11, a member of the RGS-RhoGEF family of proteins, associates with TJs by binding to ZO-1. ARHGEF11 mediates ZO-1-dependent junction assembly and barrier formation in mammary epithelial cells. Another recent study demonstrated that ARHGEF11-dependent apical actomyosin contraction is coupled to planar cell polarity signaling in neuroepithelial cells for the control of neural tube formation. These findings suggest that ARHGEF11 generally regulates apical junctions and junction-associated actomyosin in various epithelial tissues.
Preliminary results from seismic monitoring at Nyiragongo Volcano (Democratic Republic Of Congo) through telemetered seismic network, Goma Volcano Observatory

Following the January 17, 2002 catastrophic eruption of the Nyiragongo Volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo) located in the western branch of the East African Rift, a great effort has been devoted to the seismic surveillance of this volcanic area. The 2002 eruption destroyed one/tenth of the city of Goma, leaving more than 100,000 homeless. In order to correctly monitor the seismic activity at Nyiragongo volcano for both scientific and civil defence purposes, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia in cooperation with GVO (Goma Volcanological Observatory), between November 2003 and May 2004 installed a new telemetered seismic network consisting of seven digital stations. The network is operational and seismic signals are continuously recorded at the GVO. In this study, we focus mainly on two aspects: (1) the deployment, in the field, of this new digital seismic network and the related real-time data acquisition system, and (2) the first results from a preliminary data analysis based on 6-month seismic recordings. Based on the waveforms and spectral analysis, long-period and very long period events (both, tectonic and volcanic-tectonic earthquakes), have been detected. Furthermore, we succeeded in locating more than 100 earthquakes. These results should strongly encourage the use of such a network data for seismotectonic studies of the area.
Recent Advances in Biology and Immunobiology of Eimeria Species and in Diagnosis and Control of Infection with These Coccidian Parasites of Poultry

SUMMARY Avian coccidiosis, an intestinal disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria, occurs worldwide. It is considered to be one of the most economically important diseases of domestic poultry. For many years, prophylactic use of anticoccidial feed additives has been the primary means of controlling coccidiosis in the broiler industry and has played a major role in the growth of this industry, which now can produce about 7.6 billion chickens annually. However, development of anticoccidial resistance has threatened the economic stability of the broiler industry. Although there has been little effort by the pharmaceutical industry to develop new anticoccidials, the mounting problem of drug resistance of Eimeria species has prompted major research efforts to seek alternative means of control through increased knowledge of parasite biology, host response, and nutritional modulation. As a consequence, important advancements have been made, particularly in defining parasite antigens that have potential use in vaccines, defining the Eimeria genome, understanding the immunology of coccidial infections, and the practical applications of live vaccines. This review describes the progress in these areas, most of which has occurred within the past 10 to 15 years.
Molecular Crystallization Directed By Nanoparticles And Nanopatterns

MOLECULAR CRYSTALLIZATION DIRECTED BY NANOPARTICLES AND NANOPATTERNS by LI LI August 2013 Advisor: Dr. Guangzhao Mao Major: Materials Science and Engineering Degree: Doctor of Philosophy This dissertation focuses on nanoparticle/nanopattern-induced molecular self-assembly and crystallization. We propose a universal strategy to synthesize organic/inorganic hybrid nanostructures using inorganic nanoparticles and nanoparticle arrays to induce organic crystalline compound nucleation and crystallization. The nanoconfinement effect will be addressed to study molecular crystallization by changing nanoparticle size, curvature and separation distance. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the main characterization tool to investigate the topography of the hybrid nanostructures and the nucleation and crystallization process. The proposed work will contribute to the understanding of seed mediated nucleation and crystallization, molecular ordering under nanoconfinement and hybrid nanomaterials.