Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional efficiency and life events, and intensity of depression-associated symptoms among seniors living in home environment

Introduction. Depression, beside dementia, it is said to be one of the most often psychical problems in elderly age, being crucial clinical and social problem. Among causes of this disease there are negative life events, causing large stress: loneliness after losing partner, “empty nest syndrome”, suffering from chronic diseases restricting often activity and efficiency, financial problems, changing the place or condition of living. Aim. Specifying the influence of functional efficiency and negative life events on the risk of depression among people after 65 years old. Material and methods. Research was done among 120 elderly people living in home environment from March to April in 2015 in Lubelskie and Mazowieckie voivodeships. Assessment of symptoms intensity of depression was done using The Geriatric Depression Scale depending on elementary and instrumental daily activities and 10 experiences that took place in the last year. Level of significance is set on p < 0.05. Results. Most people (83%) was not found symptoms of depressions. Risk of this disease was essentially related to lower level of functional efficiency in terms of ADL and IADL and most analysed experience: partner loss, independence loss, divorce/separation, serious illness/accident, change of place or condition of living, financial problem. Conclusions. Risk of depression among seniors is essentially related to lower functional efficiency and negative events that took place in the last year in the life of elderly people. Keywords
Microbial dynamics in autotrophic and heterotrophic seawater mesocosms. II. Bacterioplankton community structure and hydrolytic enzyme activities

A 20 d seawater mesocosm experiment was conducted to study microbial loop and car- bon cycling dynamics in 3 experimental systems of different trophic status. Two mesocosms were supplemented with phytoplankton (Phaeocystis in one mesocosm and diatoms in another). This report details the variations in bacterial community composition and in carbon utilization potential investigated via assays measuring the hydrolysis of complex polysaccharides and a simple peptide compound. The first half of the study period was dominated by bacterial growth and large shifts in community composition coinciding with utilization of the organic carbon present at the beginning of the experiment, as shown by hydrolysis of specific polysaccharides and drawdown of labile dissolved organic carbon. During the second half of the experiment, bacterioplankton abundance, composition, and enzymatic activities changed in response to the experimental treatments. Multiple correlation analyses implicated co-variation between rRNA gene DGGE phylotypes (e.g. Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes) and specific combinations of environmental parameters and carbon resources, indicating phylotypic specialization to the experimental mesocosm conditions. Similarly, hydrolysis of 3 polysaccharides (xylan, chondroitin, and Isochrysis extract) correlated significantly with particular phylotypes, providing evidence of species-specific influences on carbon utilization that varied temporally over the experiment period. Aminopeptidase activity mirrored biomass accumulation, as indicated by positive correlations (>0.80) with most biomass indicators de- termined. These results illustrate that combined molecular and biochemical analysis of active micro- bial communities can illuminate linkages between specific organisms and important ecosystem processes such as carbon utilization. Additionally, our findings show that trophic status was reflected in community composition and carbon utilization activities.
An Efficient Re-rank and Fuzzy based Color & Edge Feature Extraction for CBIR

: Recently, feature extraction methods are in require today for Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) and object recognition applications. In previous decade, large database of image sets has grown quickly and will continue in future. Querying and Retrieval of these images in efficient way is needed in order to access the visual content from huge database set. Content based image retrieval (CBIR) gives the explanation for competent retrieval of image from these huge image databases the new propose system attribute is called “Edge Directivity Descriptor and Colour” and integrates in a texture information and histogram colour with re-ranking feature. CEDD feature extraction development consists of a HSV colour two-stage fuzzy-linking algorithm. This descriptor is apposite for correctly retrieving images even in deformation cases such as bend, smoothing and noise. Imperative feature of the CEDD is the low computational power needed for its extraction, in association to the requirements of the most MPEG-7 descriptors. The researchers are makes using WANG database which consists of 1500 images from 10 different classes. Experimental result explains that the proposed approach execute better in terms of precision compared to other existing methods.
POISONOUS PLANTS FOR CATTLE IN COLOMBIA : RESEARCH

Even though Colombian cattle-farming makes an important contribution to the national economy it also has great potential for growth; however, this activity is carried out in areas where animals may become naturally exposed to poisonous plants, affecting their health and production. It is recognised that some plants may damage the livestock sector in countries placing an important emphasis on cattle-rearing. Such problem has received scarce attention from academic research in Colombia, and the efforts made to do so date from the 1930s, 1940s, 1970s and 1980s without having had continuity. Many of the studies done in Colombia have been orientated towards establishing nitrate and cyanogenic glycoside content, ignoring other toxic metabolites. Likewise, certain vegetal species which can cause poisoning have not been fully studied, thereby hampering their management and treatment. It is thus important that studies are carried out in greater depth in Colombia concerning poisonous plants affecting livestock. A methodology is thus proposed which includes a search for initial information about suspicious plants, reproducing such poisoning experimentally (selecting the animal species, route, presentation and administration time, and evaluating effects) and searching for the chemical responsible for causing the poisoning. All these aspects are dealt with in the present review.
Economic Growth: A Channel Decomposition Exercise

This paper empirically decomposes the channels through which the determinants of growth operate. Methodologically, channel decomposition combines growth accounting with regression analysis. Under channel decomposition, the determinants could affect aggregate productivity growth through physical capital accumulation, through human capital acquisition, or through growth in total factor productivity (TFP). The results from channel decomposition show that TFP growth is the main channel of operation for most of the determinants. Specifically, TFP growth, not factor accumulation, is what accounts for conditional convergence. This finding is extremely robust. There is also no evidence that rich and poor countries converge through different channels.
Design of a supervised flight control system for aircraft relative guidance

In this paper, the automation of the relative guidance is performed thanks to the recursive non-linear control technique, namely backstepping according to M. Krstic et al. (1995). This is quite new design methodology for construction of both feedback control laws and associated Lyapunov functions in a systematic manner. In order to tackle safety and passenger comfort aspects, which are crucial points for commercial aircraft, the controller is supervised: the purpose of this device is to handle on-line the gain of the controller, taking into account the current value of the state in order to satisfy some limitations in commercial aircraft maneuvering capabilities.
Recomendação de estratégias pedagógicas através de emoções, perfis de personalidade e inteligências múltiplas utilizando raciocínio baseado em casos

This paper presents a system for recommending pedagogical strategies in virtual learning environments. For this, individual characteristics of the student were considered, such as personality profile and basic emotions detected during the cognitive process. In addition, a Case-Based Reasoning system was developed to develop new cases through the information stored in the student model, as well as the relation of these characteristics to the Multiple Intelligences of each student. Thus, through the initial set of pedagogical strategies stored in the student model, we have as results a database composed of 91 new cases retained from 9 initial cases. Resumo. Este trabalho apresenta um sistema para recomendação de estratégias pedagógicas em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem. Para isto, foram consideradas caracterı́sticas individuais do estudante, tais como perfil de personalidade e emoções básicas detectados durante o processo cognitivo. Além disso, foi desenvolvido um sistema de Raciocı́nio Baseado em Casos a fim de desenvolver novos casos, por meio das informações armazenadas no modelo do estudante, bem como a relação dessas caracterı́sticas com as Inteligências Múltiplas de cada estudante. Assim, por meio do conjunto inicial de estratégias pedagógicas armazenados no modelo do estudante, têm-se como resultados uma base de dados composta por 91 novos casos retidos a partir de 9 casos iniciais.
PPAR Gamma at the Crossroads of Health and Disease: A Masterchef in Metabolic Homeostasis

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved conferring the role of an active gland to the adipose tissue. This nuclear receptor is actively involved, mainly through its regulation to the physiology and the endocrine activity of the adipose tissue, in the regulation of a variety of processes governing the metabolic homeostasis. PPARγ, activated by a wide variety of fatty acids molecule or their metabolite, governs metabolic processes implicated in glucose and lipid metabolism and adipose mass control by modulating the expression of a large number of target genes. Furthermore, PPARγ is a molecular target for antidiabetic thiazolidinedione molecules that selectively bind this nuclear receptor to improve systemic insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Accordingly, the specific position of PPARγ in systemic metabolic control is resumed in its pivotal role in the regulation of glucose and lipid homeostasis, lipid storage and adipogenesis. Here, we present an overview of the involvement of PPARγ in metabolic control leading to health improvement. The emphasis is on adipose tissue mass regulation by PPARγ and its implication in glucose homeostasis and cardiovascular modulation.
Dynamic Invariance in Goal-Directed Aiming

One of the most robust empirical observations in the domain of movement behavior is that the time necessary to successfully complete a goal-directed action varies as a function of the relative precision requirements. Fitts’s (1954) aimed movement paradigm elegantly captures the essence of goal directedness, defining the gap between the desired situation and the current situation by a target distance (D) and the goal tolerance by a target width (W). With these two independent variables measured along a single dimension, it allows experimental control of the task difficulty operationalized through an index of difficulty most commonly defined as ID = log2(2D/W). Within this framework, the robust empirical observation alluded to previously takes the form of a monotonic relation between movement time (MT) and task difficulty known as Fitts’s Law. Because the kinematics of movement offer a window into the processes underlying behavioral organization, we set out to explore the changes in movement pattern that underlie the changes in movement duration brought about by increasing task difficulty. The results of the first phase of the research program developed, summarized in this contribution, revealed the existence of an invariant behavioral dynamics, providing intriguing new perspectives on the mechanisms underlying perceptuomotor control. ECOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY, 16(1), 55–60 Copyright © 2004, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Mapping the Structure of Human Values through Conceptual Representations

The present research provides the first direct examination of human values through concept categorization tasks that entail judging the meaning of values. Seven studies containing data from nine samples (N = 1086) in two countries (the UK and Brazil) asked participants to compare the meaning of different values found within influential quasi–circumplex model of values. Different methods were used across experiments, including direct similarity judgment tasks, pile sorting, and spatial arrangement. The results of these diverse conceptual assessments corresponded to spatial configurations that are broadly convergent with Schwartz's model, both between and within participants. © 2018 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology
Recursive Approach to the Design of a Parallel Self-Timed Adder V

Many pipelined adaptive signal processing systems are subject to a trade-off between throughput and signal processing performance incurred by the pipelined adaptation feedback loops. In the conventional synchronous design regime, such throughput/performance trade-off is typically fixed since the pipeline depth is usually determined in the design phase and remains unchanged in the run time. Nevertheless, in many real life scenarios, the overall system performance can be potentially improved if we can run dynamically configure this tradeoff. With this motivation, we propose to apply self-timed pipeline, an alternative to synchronous pipeline, to implement the pipelined adaptive signal processing systems, in which the pipeline depth can be dynamically changed to realize run-time configurable throughput/performance trade-offs. Based on a well-known high speed self-timed pipeline style, we developed architecture and circuit level design techniques to implement the self-timed pipelined adaptation feedback loop with configurable pipeline depth. We demonstrate the proposed design approach using a delayed least mean square (DLMS) adaptive equalizer for magnetic recording read channel. The data transfer rate in hard disk varies as the read head moves among tracks with different distance from the center of the disk platter. By adjusting the pipeline depth on-the-fly, the DLMS equalizer can dynamically track the best equalization performance allowed by the varying data transfer rates. Simulation result shows a significant performance improvement compared with its synchronous counterpart.
Analysis of CMOS circuits having multiple DC operating points

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the circuits containing short-channel MOS transistors, having multiple DC solutions (operating points). The transistors are characterized by the PSP model, the most advanced surface-potential-based compact MOSFET model, selected (since December 2005) as standard for the new generation of integrated circuits. This paper offers an algorithm enabling us to find multiple DC solutions and trace multivalued input-output characteristics of integrated circuits using the latest PSP 103.1. 1 MOSFET model. The main idea of the algorithm is based on a single-valued driving point characteristic, called a test characteristic and the section-wise piecewise-linear approximations. The approach proposed in this paper is illustrated via a numerical example. Streszczenie. Praca dotyczy analizy układów zawierających tranzystory MOS z krótkim kanałem, mających wiele rozwiązań DC. Tranzystory są opisane za pomocą modelu PSP, najbardziej zaawansowanego, opartego na koncepcji potencjału powierzchniowego modelu MOSFET, uznanego w 2005 roku za standardowy w zastosowaniu do nowej generacji układów scalonych. W pracy zaproponowano algorytm obliczania wielokrotnych rozwiązań DC oraz wyznaczania wielowartościowych charakterystyk typu wejście-wyjście układów scalonych, z użyciem najnowszej wersji PSP 103.1. 1 modelu MOSFET. W algorytmie wykorzystano pewne jedno-wartościowe charakterystyki wejściowe, zwane charakterystykami testowymi oraz uogólnioną odcinkowo-liniową aproksymację. Dla ilustracji podano przykład liczbowy. (Analiza układów CMOS o wielu rozwiązaniach DC)
Examining the Effect OF Pharmaceutical Personal Selling on the Physicians ’ Prescribing Choice of Medicine in Jordan

Pharmaceutical personal selling is the act of pharmaceutical sales representatives through face to face visits to promote products to potential physicians. This research is exploratory in nature to examine the relationship between the promotion effort through pharmaceutical personal selling and the physicians prescribing practice and choice of medicine. A comprehensive structured questionnaire using Big Five Index; a self-report inventory brief for a multidimensional personality inventory (44 items) was distributed to (362) physicians located in four main cities in Jordan; it was found that 44% of changing physicians prescribing choice results from pharmaceutical personal selling. Among several factors affecting the act of pharmaceutical sales representatives, the most influential in changing physicians prescribing choice is the commercial information provided by PSRs and next is the scientific information and their skills. On the other hand, it was also found that physicians personality moderate the relationship between pharmaceutical personal selling and physicians prescribing choice. Additionally, that extraversion and agreeableness personalities enhance the effect of pharmaceutical personal selling in changing the physicians’ prescribing choice, while neuroticism and openness personalities impair that effect. However, conscientiousness personality does not affect that relationship.
Under-ice microbial dimethylsulfoniopropionate metabolism during the melt period in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

This study reports on the temporal variations in algal and bacterial metabolism of dissolved dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPd) in Arctic ice-covered waters in response to the release of organic matter (OM) from the sea ice and the onset of under-ice phytoplankton growth. Sampling took place between 21 May and 21 June 2012 at a station located in Resolute Passage. A snow and ice melt event was accompanied by an important release of OM and total DMSP from the bottom ice to the water column. This input of OM coincided with increases in DMSPd and DMSPd loss rate constant at the ice-water interface and, 2 days later, with increases in DMSPd and bacter- ial dimethylsulfide (DMS) yields from DMSPd at 0.5 m under the ice. The different microbial re - sponses suggest that DMSPd-rich brines were released first, followed by the release of sympagic algae due to ice melt. In both cases, the changes in DMSPd metabolism resulted in an increase in gross DMS production from 0.15 to 1.9 nmol l �1 d �1 . The initiation of phytoplankton growth resulted in increases in bacterial abundance, DMSPd loss-rate constant and DMSP-sulfur assimilation. In contrast, DMS yield remained low during the onset of phytoplankton growth, indicating that bac- teria used DMSP as a carbon and sulfur source. These results show that ice DMSPd can be rapidly (<1 d) and efficiently (up to 10%) converted into DMS by bacteria once released in surface water during melt events, a process that could contribute to DMS peaks measured at the ice edge.
Generation of non-Gaussian tensor-valued random fields using an ISDE-based algorithm

: This work is concerned with the construction of a random generator for non-Gaussian tensor-valued random ﬁelds. Speciﬁcally, it focuses on the generation of the class of Prior Algebraic Stochastic Models associated with elliptic operators, for which the family of ﬁrst-order marginal probability distributions is constructed using the MaxEnt principle. The strategy essentially relies on the deﬁnition of a family of diffusion processes, the invariant measures of which coincide with the target system of ﬁrst-order marginal probability distributions. Those processes are classically deﬁned as the unique stationary solutions of a family of It ˆ o stochastic differential equations, the deﬁnition of which involves the construction of a family of normalized Wiener processes. The deﬁnition of the later allows spatial dependencies to be generated and the algorithm turns out to be very efﬁcient for high probabilistic dimensions – it does not suffer from the curse of dimensionnality that is inherently exhibited by Gaussian chaos expansions, for instance. The algorithm is ﬁnally exempliﬁed through the generation of a matrix-valued non-Gaussian random ﬁeld.
Improving Whole-Brain Neural Decoding of fMRI with Domain Adaptation

In neural decoding, there has been a growing interest in machine learning on whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, the size discrepancy between the feature space and the training set poses serious challenges. Simply increasing the number of training examples is infeasible and costly. In this paper, we proposed a domain adaptation framework for whole-brain fMRI (DawfMRI) to improve whole-brain neural decoding on target data leveraging pre-existing source data. DawfMRI consists of three steps: 1) feature extraction from whole-brain fMRI, 2) source and target feature adaptation, and 3) source and target classifier adaptation. We evaluated its eight possible variations, including two non-adaptation and six adaptation algorithms, using a collection of seven task-based fMRI datasets (129 unique subjects and 11 cognitive tasks in total) from the OpenNeuro project. The results demonstrated that appropriate source domain can help improve neural decoding accuracy for challenging classification tasks. The best-case improvement is 8.94% (from 78.64% to 87.58%). Moreover, we discovered a plausible relationship between psychological similarity and adaptation effectiveness. Finally, visualizing and interpreting voxel weights showed that the adaptation can provide additional insights into neural decoding.
A Knowledge Structures Perspective on the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

The application of concept mapping to university teaching has revealed the significance of knowledge structures in the process of student learning. The method highlights the negative influence of linearity in promoting an environment where non-learning is the norm. A possible antidote to non-learning is suggested through the reconsideration of the role of uncertainty in higher education and a reconceptualisation of the notion of the expert teacher.
Chemical Analysis and Antioxidant Activity in vitro of Polysaccharides Extracted from Lower Grade Green Tea

Tea is a well-known and important agricultural product in the world. The Crude Polysaccharides from tea leaves (CP) probably have good antioxidant activities. However, whether or not the antioxidant abilities of CP depend on tea polyphenols in the CP is not understanded. In this study, four CP fractions (TPF30, TPF50, TPF70 and TPF90) were isolated from CP and their antioxidant activities were compared. Meanwhile, Chemical and physical characteristics of CP and four CP fractions were investigated by the combination of chemical and instrumental analysis methods. Their antioxidant activities were investigated in vitro systems, including hydroxyl radical assay, 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) scavenging activity, reducing power and chelating activity. Among CP and these four polysaccharides, TPF90 showed more significant DPPH· scavenging activity and highest reducing power, chelating activity and inhibitory effects on hydroxyl radical. Thus, it can be concluded that polysaccharides extracted from the lower grade green tea might be employed as ingredients in healthy and functional food to alleviate the oxidative stress.