Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of Coplanar Waveguide to Rectangular Waveguide Transition

This paper deals with a transition between CPW and rectangular waveguide suitable in phased array antenna environment. In case of phased array antenna where the scan angles are very large, the sub array size gets reduced. Hence in such cases the feed element size becomes very small and the accommodation of active module comprising phase shifter and amplifier at the back side of the radiator is not possible. Parametric study for different design parameters of transition and its impact on return loss bandwidth is presented. Wideband transition between CPW and rectangular waveguide using fin-line is achieved.
An Efficient Framework for Minimizing Project Complexity using Periodic Software Project Standard based Linear Ranking

Application knowledge, skills, and procedure related to software tools have to be examined in a regular basis to identify the complexity related to project management. An Integrated Framework for Risk Response Planning (IF-RRP) was developed for providing support in decision making during project response risk planning. The method, IF-RRP used sequential forward selection greedy algorithm and genetic algorithm and analyzed risk propagation behavior. However, IF-RRP using Structure Matrix though constructed the representative project risk but did not considered the project management on multiple related projects. Speculative Analysis Technique using Awareness Tools (SAT-AT) diagnosed important types of conflicts and risks in the early stage using a tool, Crystal between collaborating team members and classified the risks for maintaining software. Even though, SAT-AT failed in analyzing the complexity of the project in an earlier stage. To reduce the software project complexity on multiple related projects, Periodic Software Project Standard measure based Linear Ranking (PSPS-LR) framework is proposed in this work. Software project on each module is checked to detect the complexity of the software project at an earlier stage. Initially, Periodic Software Project Standard is measured based on the standard matrix and assigning the weight value to the standard matrix. A Deterministic Periodic Quantitative Model based on weighted mean is developed in PSPS-LR framework for the efficient ranking of software project module periodically. Secondly, PSPS-LR framework performs the effective ranking of software project using linear ranking. Linear ranking is performed using Linear algebra PS-LR framework to assess larger software project with varying module size and therefore to easily measure the complexity ratio. The periodic weight value of the standard matrix together with linear transformation easily computes the project complexity of multiple related projects. Experiment is conducted on factors such as project complexity measure ratio, computational complexity and ranking effectiveness based on the project management level.
Diagnosing glaucoma progression: current practice and promising technologies

Purpose of review An update on recent work is provided that has broadened our understanding of the evaluation of visual function and structure, and their use in evaluating glaucoma progression. Recent findings The challenge of determining visual-field progression and the implications of long-term fluctuation are reviewed and data to support the magnitude of the fluctuaion are cited. The use of confirmatory testing can limit the over diagnosis of glaucoma progression. Focusing visual-field testing on the locations of present scotomas or using frequency doubling technology may provide new approaches to assessing visual function. New standardized techniques to interpret visual fields, including neural networks, unsupervised machine learning and pointwise linear regression, may provide more quantitative means for visual-field interpretation. These techniques, along with structural evaluation of the optic nerve and nerve fiber layer, are essential in glaucoma management. Optic-nerve-head photography is still a mainstay in evaluating glaucoma progression, although many technologies including scanning laser tomography, scanning laser polarimetry and optical coherence tomography offer more quantitative means to follow structural change. These modalities, in different ways, show promise in providing additional information regarding the stability of glaucoma. Summary Identifying the functional visual component as well as structural changes is essential in evaluating glaucoma progression. New techniques of testing and evaluating visual fields, the optic-nerve head, and the retinal nerve fiber layer offer exciting opportunities to more accurately identify glaucoma progression, and are likely to become more central as imaging devices and software support develop further.
Research on impedance control based on force servo for single leg of hydraulic legged robot

A force servo based impedance controller that allows compliant behaviours of the leg of a hydraulic legged robot has been presented in this paper. A novel velocity compensation algorithm which makes for elimination of the redundant forces is also included. Their performance is assessed on a 2-DOF hydraulic leg whose kinematics and transfer functions have been modeled. A double hydraulic cylinders experiment platform is designed for performance testing of the force tracking of the hydraulic actuators. Experimental results have shown a good performance of the impedance controller which allows arbitrary virtual stiffness and damping of the leg.
Modulation of mechanical and muscular load by footwear during catering

The BGN (Berufsgenossenschaft Nahrungsmithl und Gaststätten) reports 70% of job induced days off work to be connected with traumas of the ankle joint or overloading of the leg, knee and lower back, with an increased incidence in service areas outdoors (R. Grieshaber, personal communication). Workspace environments usually contain narrow passages, slopes or stairs and sudden changes between different surfaces. The aim of this study was to investigate the biomechanical load on the lower extremity and the low back during catering service when wearing different types of footwear. Thus, the potential for altering mechanical stress experienced during catering by variations in footwear was explored. Sixteen experienced waiters followed a course typical for a combined indoor – outdoor service area. Three different types of footwear were investigated using pressure distribution measurements, rearfoot goniometry and electromyography. A discriminant analysis revealed that the factors subject, shoe and surface affect rear foot movement or pressure distribution in different ways. A MANOVA demonstrated significant differences in loading parameters between footwear types. In general, these differences increased in magnitude in critical situations, such as climbing stairs or crossing slippery surfaces. The results of this study demonstrate that manipulations to footwear offer a great potential for modulating loads experienced during catering. Based on the results, the effects of constructional features are discussed. The method proposed can be applied to evaluate shoe modifications under realistic workplace conditions.
Mapping two new points on the tennis expertise continuum: Tactical skills of adult advanced beginners and entry-level professionals during competition

Abstract Research examining problem representations of individuals during task performance is advancing our understanding of information processing and expertise in a variety of sports. However, few studies using similar methodology have been conducted on individuals of various competitive standards in one domain in similar contexts. This study examined problem representations of adult advanced beginners and entry-level professionals accessed during singles tennis competition (n = 12). These groups were selected to represent players with performance skills that were different from those studied previously (i.e. adult beginners and varsity players). Immediate recall and planning interviews were conducted between points during singles tennis competition. Players competed within their respective expertise groups. Verbal reports were transcribed verbatim and concepts were scored according to a model of protocol structure. Several multivariate analyses of variance were conducted on rank scores for measures of concept content and structure using the L-statistic. Entry-level professionals exhibited more advanced problem representations than advanced beginners regardless of interview type. These findings together with those of previous research suggest adaptations in long-term memory profiles with increases in performance skills. For example, beginners lacked action plan and current event profiles because they generated goals and reiterated game events during both interviews. Advanced beginners, who had better performance skills than beginners, exhibited rudimentary action plan profiles and deficient current event profiles because they generated and monitored several detailed actions related to the current context during recall interviews and generated only a few goals during planning interviews. In contrast, varsity players and professionals processed tactical information in the current context and beyond denoting the existence of both action plan and current event profiles. Varsity players, with inferior performance skills than professionals, exhibited fewer and less associated tactical concepts than professionals during both interviews.
A Survey and Analysis of Current CAPTCHA Approaches

Computer programs are misusing Internet services designed for humans. A CAPTCHA, Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, is a standard security mechanism to defend against such attacks. Two fundamental issues with CAPTCHAs are usability and robustness. It is important for a CAPTCHA to be both legible for humans and strong against malicious computer programs. Recently, computer vision and pattern recognition algorithms have broken many well-known CAPTCHAs. Lack of security and usability in CAPTCHAs designed to protect popular websites such as Gmail and Yahoo mail, with almost 500 million users in July 2011, would cause huge problems. Therefore, security researchers have become motivated to discover techniques to improve CAPTCHAs. Exploiting the gap in the recognition abilities between humans and computers is a key point to design a CAPTCHA that is hard-to-break for machines but easy-to-solve for humans. In this paper, we introduce current CAPTCHAs and attacks against them; we investigate the robustness and usability of current CAPTCHAs and discuss ideas to develop more robust and usable CAPTCHAs.
Studies on the Bacteriological quality of vegetable crops irrigated with domestic wastewater in Aliero, Kebbi State, Nigeria

The bacteriological quality of vegetable crops irrigated with domestic wastewater in Aliero, Kebbi State, Nigeria was analysed. The vegetable samples were collected during October 2013 and September 2014 in Aliero town in a period of three months across the two seasons (i.e., the dry and rainy seasons). After the analysis, the following bacterial spp were isolated from the vegetable crops irrigated with domestic wastewater water; Salmonella spp (14.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.2%), Klebsiella spp (16.0%), Shigella spp (19.2%), Escherichia coli (41.6%), Citrobacter spp (25.2%), Proteus spp (15.6%) and Campylobacter spp (6.8%). The bacterial spp isolated from vegetables irrigated with tube well water was Staphylococcus aureus (26.8%), Escherichia coli (14.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.8%), Diplococcus spp (12.0%) and Corynebacteria spp (1.2%). Escherichia coli and Citrobacter spp were recorded to have the highest number of occurrence in vegetables irrigated with domestic wastewater, with the percentage of 41.6% and 22.2% respectively. While Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli have the highest occurrence of 26.8% and 14.0% respectively in vegetables irrigated with tube well water. This study highlights the health risk associated with the consumption of these vegetables particularly those consumed raw.
Evaluation and validation of a Crohn's disease inflammatory activity index reflecting pattern of endoscopic severity.

BACKGROUND This study was designed to investigate objective variables assessing the inflammatory activity of Crohn's disease accessible for routine management and their suitability to act as surrogate indicators for endoscopic alterations. METHODS Thirty-six patients were included in a prospective study and underwent endoscopic investigation, 18 with clinically exacerbated disease and 18 after acute-phase conservative therapy. The endoscopic findings were classified to define the dependent variable, yielding two categoric levels: acute active disease and remission. The extent of affected mucosal area was not taken into consideration. The serum variables alpha1-antitrypsin, acid alpha1-glycoprotein (AGP), C-reactive protein (CRP), sialic acids, prealbumin (PAB), and albumin were used as independent variables to predict the dependent variable. To compare the results with common indices, the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and van Hees Index were calculated. RESULTS The following model was calculated by stepwise logistic regression analysis: if AGP (mg/dl) -4.2 x PAB (mg/dl) > or =0.8, then endoscopically active disease will be predicted with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95% (P < 0.001). The predictive values of the single variables, CDAI, and van Hees Index were lower. For validation of results an analogous study was performed including 44 patients, 29 with active disease and 15 controls. The existence of the model was confirmed, again showing high values for sensitivity (86%) and specificity (100%). CONCLUSIONS On a qualitative level focusing on clinical relevance, the endoscopic and biologic findings of Crohn's disease are highly associated. In addition to clinical assessment, usage of the developed index as a rationale contributing to therapeutic decisions in the short- and long-term management might be reasonable.
Steady-state scheduling on heterogeneous clusters: why and how?

Summary form only given. We consider steady-state scheduling techniques for heterogeneous systems, such as clusters and grids. We advocate the use of steady-state scheduling to solve a variety of important problems, which would be too difficult to tackle with the objective of makespan minimization. We give a few successful examples before discussing the main limitations of the approach.
Noradrenaline-induced constriction of large and small coronary arteries in the anaesthetized dog.

1. In the anaesthetized dog external diameter of the left circumflex coronary artery and blood flow through that artery were measured to allow the effect of noradrenaline to be compared in large arteries and resistance vessels. 2. The injection of noradrenaline (0.5 micrograms kg-1) into the coronary artery, after bilateral vagotomy and antagonism of beta-adrenoreceptors, decreased large coronary artery diameter and coronary blood flow. Calculation of resistance in the large coronary artery and in the total left circumflex coronary vascular bed revealed that noradrenaline induced increases of 66% and 89% respectively. 3. Intra-coronary (i.c.) injection of the alpha 1-adrenoreceptor agonist phenylephrine (0.5-2 micrograms kg-1) decreased large coronary artery diameter and coronary blood flow. The alpha 2-adrenoreceptor agonist B-HT 920 (0.5-2 micrograms kg-1 i.c.) decreased coronary blood flow but did not significantly affect large coronary artery diameter. 4. Antagonism of alpha 1-adrenoreceptors with prazosin (10 micrograms kg-1 i.c.) abolished the noradrenaline-induced constriction of the large coronary artery but only partially attenuated the decrease in blood flow. The alpha 2-adrenoreceptor antagonist idazoxan (50 micrograms kg-1 i.c.) partially attenuated the noradrenaline-induced decrease in coronary blood flow but did not affect the large artery constriction. 5. It is concluded that noradrenaline constricts both large and small coronary arteries. Noradrenaline-induced constriction of the resistance vessels is more powerful than in the large artery. The constriction of large arteries in response to noradrenaline is mediated by alpha 1-adrenoreceptors. Postjunctional alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoreceptors are both involved in the constriction of the resistance vessels.
Rab13 Traffics on Vesicles Independent of Prenylation*

Rab GTPases are critical regulators of membrane trafficking. The canonical view is that Rabs are soluble in their inactive GDP-bound form, and only upon activation and conversion to their GTP-bound state are they anchored to membranes through membrane insertion of a C-terminal prenyl group. Here we demonstrate that C-terminal prenylation is not required for Rab13 to associate with and traffic on vesicles. Instead, inactive Rab13 appears to associate with vesicles via protein-protein interactions. Only following activation does Rab13 associate with the plasma membrane, presumably with insertion of the C-terminal prenyl group into the membrane.
Temporal Auditory Summation in the Black Sea Bottlenose Dolphin

Absolute and masked thresholds for a tone pulse, a broadband click and a double click were measured in the Black Sea bottlenose dolphins as a function of the pulse duration, the pulse or click repetition time, and interval between the first and second clicks of the double click, respectively. Estimates of the auditory integration time in the bottlenose dolphins ranged from around 0.5 to 2 ms for different signal types. The auditory temporal summation was found to be the same at frequencies from 10 to 135 kHz.
Long-Term Effects of Donepezil on P300 Auditory Event-Related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

The P300, one of the cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs) of the cerebral cortex, reflects the functioning of the neurochemical system involved in cognitive processes. We investigated clinical significance of the components of auditory P300 ERPs, in comparison with neuropsychologic tests including the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Japanese version of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-J cog), for evaluating of the effect of donepezil (DPZ) (5 mg daily for 6 months), an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Reduction of P300 latency associated with a parallel improvement of ADAS-J cog scores was observed after administration of 5 mg/day of DPZ in patients with AD. P300 latency gives very useful information on the progression of AD, especially in the longitudinal follow-up of patients with AD during treatment with DPZ acting on cholinergic pathways. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2003;16:39-43)
Reticulated Platelet Percentages in Term and Preterm Neonates

Objectives: The authors aimed to determine whether their reticulated platelet percentage (RP%) analysis technique was suitable for use in term and preterm neonates and to characterize RP% values among nonthrombocytopenic neonates. Methods: The authors modified a whole blood method that uses dual-color CD41 staining for platelet gating and thiazole orange for RNA content, combined with RNase treatment of half the sample to subtract non-RNA fluorescence. The RP% was measured in samples from 10 healthy adults and then a longitudinal study was performed in 15 nonthrombocytopenic preterm neonates on days of life 0 to 1, 2 to 5, 6 to 10, and then weekly until day 28. The authors also performed a cross-sectional study of RP% in 22 nonthrombocytopenic neonates of different gestational age (GA) and postconceptional age (PCA). Results: Overall, neonates had a higher RP% (2.7 ± 1.6%) than adults (1.1 ± 0.5%; P < 0.01). In preterm neonates, an increase in the RP% occurred between days 0 and 1 (3.3 ± 1.3%) and days 2 and 5 (5.1 ± 1.8%; P = 0.003). By days 6 to 10, the RP% decreased to 3.2 ± 1.1% and remained unchanged throughout the rest of the study period. In neonates less than 7 days old, an inverse relationship was observed between RP% and GA (n = 20, r = −0.70; P = 0.0005). A correlation between RP% and PCA was not seen in neonates 7 days of age or older. Conclusions: This method for determining RP% is suitable for use in term and preterm neonates. In preterm infants, the RP% significantly increases over the first 2 to 5 days of life and then decreases to a stable level over the first 28 days. RP% is generally higher in neonates than in adults. Among preterm infants in the first week of life, the RP% is inversely related to GA.
Auditory foot: A novel auditory feedback system regarding kinesthesia

In this study, we proposed a novel biofeedback system for rehabilitation that transforms weak or deficient kinesthetic feedback into an alternative sensor modality using “model-based rehabilitation. ” As the first example, we focused on an auditory feedback system for walking rehabilitation, whereby plantar sensation is transformed into auditory signals. We developed an auditory feedback device for multipoint cutaneous plantar sensations, and plan to apply the device in rehabilitation, e.g., stroke patients with hemiplegia.
Grid analysis of MISO image super resolution techniques

The selection of an appropriate super resolution technique for a specific application is a hard task in real scenario. This is true because of the availability of several super resolution approaches in both frequency and spatial processing domains. To make the task easier, we performed and present the well-known grid analysis for multi input single output (MISO) super resolution techniques by considering various valuable factors against several existing approaches. To further support our position, we also provide the quantitative as well as qualitative assessment for our performed work in this paper. It can be seen easily that the Projection Onto Convex Sets (POCS) based super resolution techniques provide potentially better choice for most of the real scenarios.
Interventional Procedures for Chronic Pain in Children and Adolescents: A Review of the Current Evidence

This review discusses the role of interventional procedures in the treatment of chronic pain in children and adolescents. Due to lack of scientific evidence, significant controversy surrounds the utility of invasive techniques for managing pediatric chronic pain states. Interventional procedures are a widely accepted modality for pain management in adults. The use of such techniques in children is supported only by case reports, case series, and very few randomized controlled studies. In addition, the potential for severe complications leaves open a debate on the safety of these invasive procedures, which must be confirmed by more extensive and accurate prospective studies.
Complete mitochondrial DNA replacement in a Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish

We used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from specimens collected throughout Lake Tanganyika to clarify the evolutionary relationship between Lamprologus callipterus and Neolamprologus fasciatus. The nuclear data support the reciprocal monophyly of these two shell‐breeding lamprologine cichlids. However, mtDNA sequences show that (i) L. callipterus includes two divergent and geographically disjunct (North–South) mtDNA lineages; and that (ii) N. fasciatus individuals cluster in a lineage sister group to the northern lineage of L. callipterus. The two mtDNA lineages of L. callipterus diverged c. 684 kya to 1.2 Ma, coinciding with a major water level low stand in Lake Tanganyika, which divided the lake into isolated sub‐lakes. This suggests that the two mtDNA lineages originated as the result of the separation of L. callipterus populations in different sub‐basins. The incongruent phylogenetic position of N. fasciatus can best be explained by an ancient unidirectional introgression from L. callipterus into N. fasciatus. Remarkably, our data indicate that this event resulted in the complete mtDNA replacement in N. fasciatus. Our data suggest that hybridization occurred soon after the divergence of the two L. callipterus mtDNA lineages, probably still during the water level low stand, and that subsequently the invading mtDNA lineage spread throughout the lake.