Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in water samples from the Yamuna River

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative long-range atmospheric transport pollutants. These are transported worldwide affecting remote regions far from their original sources, and can transfer into food webs with a wide range of acute and chronic health effects. India ratified the Stockholm Convention with the intention of reducing and eliminating persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and encouraged the support of research on POPs. Despite the ban and restriction on the use of these chemicals in India, their contamination of air, water, sediment, biota and humans has been reported. In this study, surface water samples were collected during January 2012 from the Yamuna River in Delhi, India, and analyzed for PCBs and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The concentrations of ΣPCBs and ΣOCPs ranged between 2-779 ng L –1 and from less than 0.1 to 618 ng L –1 (mean 99±38 ng L –1 and 221±50 ng L –1 , respectively). The PCB homolog was dominated by 3-4 chlorinated biphenyls. In calculating the toxicity equivalent of dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs)using World Health Organization toxic equivalency factors, dl-PCBs accounted for 10% of a total of 27 PCBs. The concentration of ΣHCH ranged between less than 0.1 and 285 ng L –1 (mean 151±32 ng L –1 ). However, ΣDDTs concentrations varied between less than 0.1 and 354 ng L –1 (mean 83±26 ng L –1 ). The concentrations were lower than the US guideline values; however, levels of lindane exceeded those recommended in guidelines. Further in-depth study is proposed to determine the bioaccumulation of these pollutants through aquatic biota to assess the risk of contaminants to human health.
Flow, Sedimentation, and Biomass Production on a Vegetated Salt Marsh in South Carolina: Toward a Predictive Model of Marsh Morphologic and Ecologic Evolution

A 1-D model for exploring the interaction between hydrodynamics, sedimentation, and plant community evolution on a salt marsh populated by Spartina alterniflora is developed. In general macrophyte characteristics are determined by a wide range of processes; here, based on field studies at North Inlet estuary, South Carolina, the biomass of the S. alterniflora on the marsh platform is simply related to the time of submergence under tidally induced flows. Additionally, field data collected at North Inlet are used to relate biomass to plant area per unit volume, stem diameter, and an empirical drag coefficient. Sedimentation is also related to biomass, through either organogenic deposition or trapping of suspended sediment particles, whereas tidally induced flows over marsh platforms are affected by S. alterniflora through drag forces. The morphologic evolution of simulated marshes is explored by varying the sedimentation process and the rate of sea level rise. Different sedimentation processes result in marshes with different morphologies. An organogenic marsh is predicted to evolve under a regime of steady sea level rise into a platform with a relatively flat surface, whereas a marsh developed primarily through a trapping mechanism is predicted to have a surface that slopes gently away from the salt marsh creek. Marshes that accrete through sediment trapping adjust to changes in sea level more rapidly than marshes that accrete through organogenic deposition. Further research needs are discussed.
Three-Dimensional Design of Error Correcting Output Codes

Error-correcting output codes (ECOC) represent a powerful framework to deal with multi-class classification problems based on the combination of binary classifiers. The key factor affecting the performance of ECOC methods is the independence of binary classifiers, without which the ECOC method would be ineffective. In this paper, we propose an efficient new approach to the classical ECOC design in order to improve independency among classifiers. The underlying rationale for our work is that we design three-dimensional codematrix, where the third dimension is the feature space of the problem domain. In addition to creating more independent classifiers, ECOC matrices with longer codes can be built. This paper provides a set of experimental results on 12 datasets using three base learners: Neural Networks, Decision Tree, and AdaBoost. The results show that the proposed technique increases the classification accuracy in comparison with the state of the art ECOC
Mixed Embodied Presence through the lens of embodiment and social presence

An analysis of interactive environments in which the body acts as a primary medium between physical and digital space was carried out in the context of previous research in order to identify the parameters and methods that can be applied in the process of designing interactive mixed environments. This analysis was performed in the light of the concept of mixed embodied presence, the primary elements of which were related to the notions of embodied interaction and participation. This paper describes on-going research that attempts to extend and enrich previous work on the subject by measuring how different types of embodied interaction, in conjunction with the presence (or absence) of other entities in the environment and changes in the environment’s morphology, are able to effect the sense of mixed embodied presence. A number of sensory-motor and kinaesthetic skills, interactivity properties, as well as various social and spatial conditions are considered with respect to designing an immersive interactive environment.
The Theragnostic Relevance of DNA Methylation Analysis in Cancer

Epigenetics has become a focus of interest in tumour research, also because it has theragnostic implications. DNA methylation is frequently observed epigenetic alteration in cancer. Impaired transcription of genes caused by DNA methylation is associated with tumorigenesis and malignant transformation. To date numerous methylated genes were identified as candidate biomarkers by means of high-throughput molecular techniques in glioblastoma, lung, breast, and colon cancer. We review and assess the current DNA methylation analysis methods with emphasis on their relevance to biomarker research and clinical utilization. Although not yet in the routine diagnostic protocols, further research and technical advance may render DNA methylation analysis an integral diagnostic tool to further the cause of personalized medicine. Tibor Hortobágyi*, Renáta Szabó, Balázs Murnyák Division of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Tibor Hortobágyi, et al., Clinics in Oncology Central Nervous Systems Tumours Remedy Publications LLC. , | http://clinicsinoncology.com/ 2017 | Volume 2 | Article 1289 2 pattern can be studied also on longer, so called Differentially Methylated Regions (DMR). EWAS can reveal methylation profile of loci associated with complex diseases [11]. Similarly to the abovementioned methods, mass spectrometrybased platforms also require bisulfite-treated DNA. This highthroughput method utilizes Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The data acquired are (semi-) quantitative regarding the PCR product following a base-specific cleavage. This information uncover the methylation status of specific region-of-interests [12]. Bisulfited pyrosequencing is a next generation sequencing-bysynthesis method. It uses bisulfite-treated DNA as input material. Due to its high throughput approach, it generates high amount of data which may result in data storage capacity problems [6]. An unquestionable advantage of high throughput methods is the ‘parallelization’. It means that millions of tests can be run simultaneously in a timeand cost-effective way. The Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RBSS) procedure includes restrictive enzymatic digestion of input DNA, library preparation, selection by size, adapter ligation, bisulfite conversion, PCR amplification and bisulfite sequencing steps. Finally, alignment and mapping of reference genome is required [13]. Contrary to the above-mentioned methods, EpiTect Methyl II PCR Assays do not require bisulfite conversion. This real-time PCR based method quickly detects DNA methylation status of CpG islands within individual genes. Currently this is used only for research purposes [14].
Tools for User-Centred Design

User-Centred Design aims to involve users at all stages of the design of products. Some of the basic principles are briefly considered together with their relationship to ergonomics. Tools for the application of User-Centred Design are discussed including specific tools such as digital human modelling, personas, manikin characters, inclusive design and human behavioural modelling.
Neural network controller for active demand side management with PV energy in the residential sector

In this paper, we describe the development of a control system for Demand-Side Management in the residential sector with Distributed Generation. The electrical system under study incorporates local PV energy generation, an electricity storage system, connection to the grid and a home automation system. The distributed control system is composed of two modules: a scheduler and a coordinator, both implemented with neural networks. The control system enhances the local energy performance, scheduling the tasks demanded by the user and maximizing the use of local generation.
Epigenetics: Integrating Genetic Programs, Brain Development and Emergent Phenotypes

Adaptation to environmental changes is based on the perpetual generation of new phenotypes. Modern biology has focused on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in facilitating the adaptation of organisms to changing environments through alterations in gene expression. Inherited and/or acquired epigenetic factors are relatively stable and have regulatory roles in numerous genomic activities that translate into phenotypic outcomes. Evidence that dietary and pharmacological interventions have the potential to reverse environment-induced modification of epigenetic states (e.g., early life experience, nutrition, medication, infection etc.) has provided an additional stimulus for understanding the biological basis of individual differences in cognitive abilities and disorders of the brain. It has been suggested that the accurate quantification of the relative contribution of heritable genetic and epigenetic variation is essential for understanding phenotypic divergence and adaptation in changing environments, a process requiring stable modulation of gene expression. The main challenge for epigenetics in psychology and psychiatry is to determine how experiences and environmental cues influence the expression of neuronal genes to produce long-term individual differences in behavior, cognition, personality and mental health. To this end, focusing on DNA and histone modifications and their initiators, mediators and readers may provide new inroads for understanding the molecular basis phenotypic plasticity and disorders of the brain. In this review, we survey recent developments revealing epigenetic aspects of mental illness, as well as review some of the challenges of current approaches and some future directions in the field of behavioral epigenetics.
Orientation and external morphology of burrows of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Ucididae)

The aim of the present study was to characterize the external morphology and the orientation of burrows constructed by the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus. Data were obtained from two mangrove forests of similar vegetation dominance (Laguncularia racemosa) but differing in flooding heights. These mangroves were located near Barra de Icapara, Iguape City (SP), Brazil, (24°50′36″S–47°59′53′W). A total of 221 burrows were examined (120 on the high mangrove and 101 on the low mangrove). External morphology of the burrows was recorded by photographs for categorization and description. The directions of the burrow openings were recorded using a geological compass and the declivities of the ducts were measured with a clinometer. Females constructed 70.8% at Site A and 69.4% at Site B of the occupied burrows with the opening facing the margin of the river (P < 0.001), whilst males showed no significant difference in the burrow orientation (P > 0.05) at either site. In females, the tendency for burrow orientation possibly has a reproductive connotation as larval dispersal may be favoured and enhanced by the tides. Four groups of distinct tracks related to the morphotypes and developmental stages of U. cordatus were observed. No sediment constructions associated with the burrows were recorded for this species. Declivity of the burrows from juveniles was lower than from adults (P < 0.05), probably caused by the differential growth of the chelipeds in this species.
A Model of Vertical Crawler using Hidden Markov Chain

The large size and the dynamic nature of the Web make it necessary to continually maintain Web based information retrieval systems. In order to get more objects by visiting few irrelevant web pages, the web crawler usually takes the heuristic searching strategy that ranks urls by their importance and preferentially visits the more important web pages. While some systems rely on crawlers that exhaustively crawl the Web, others incorporate “focus” within their crawlers to harvest application or topic-specific collections. However, very limited work has addressed the urgent issue of how to measure the crawled page’s importance. In order to deal with this issue, this paper has presented a new model taking advantages of the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) to enhance the crawler performance. In this new model the improved HMM learning ability is employed to solve the problem of the theme of the crawler drift and thus improve the data acquisition accuracy. Numerical simulation tests have been carried out to verify the performance of the proposed approach. The analysis results have shown that the new model was very efficient and was superior to the existing Bayesian probabilistic model, Naïve Bayes model, and K-Nearest Neighbor Approach. Thus, the proposed improved HMM based approach can be used in practice.
Method for studying laser-induced damage from sparse defects

Laser damage testing is widely utilized by laser and laser system builders to ensure the reliability of their products. When damage is due primarily to sparse defects, the relatively limited data sets acquired under typical testing protocols tend to imply that laser damage probabilities go to zero below some reported damage threshold. However, this is rarely an accurate picture of the actual damage characteristics of the sample set. This study attempts to establish a correlation between observed coating defects and laser damage (from a 1064 nm laser in the nanosecond regime), utilizing a large sample size from a single coating run, together with the actual fluence levels present at the defect sites. This correlation is then used to predict damage for optics coated under different circumstances. Results indicate that it might be possible to develop an alternate methodology for determining damage characteristics, based on observed defects, which is both more reliable and less time-consuming than traditional laser damage testing.
Manifestación de las diferencias individuales en Extraversión y Sensibilidad a la Recompensa en el volumen cerebral

La medicion de los rasgos de personalidad ha sido definida desde diferentes perspectivas teoricas, entre las cuales la Teoria de los Cinco Factores (Costa y McCrae, 1989) y la Teoria de la Sensibilidad a la Recompensa (Gray, 1970; 1987; Gray y McNaughton, 2000) tienen actualmente una particular relevancia. El modelo de los Cinco Factores describe la personalidad en base a las dimensiones de Extraversion (E), Neuroticismo (N), Responsabilidad (C), Amabilidad (A) y Apertura a la experiencia (O), que a su vez estan compuestas por varias facetas, seis por cada dimension, referidas a diferentes aspectos que concretan el contenido de las mismas. Cada una de estas dimensiones se conceptualiza como un continuo bipolar. Por ejemplo, la dimension Extraversion esta definida en un polo por la extraversion y en el polo opuesto por la introversion (Wright y cols, 2006). La dimension de Extraversion resulta de particular interes, ya que muchas de las aproximaciones taxonomicas actuales a la personalidad y gran parte de los inventarios de personalidad mas conocidos incluyen alguna definicion de un rasgo similar que podemos identificar con la extraversion (Watson & Clark, 1997).
Spectral-based Features Ranking for Gamelan Instruments Identification using Filter Techniques

In this paper, we describe an approach of spectral-based features ranking for Javanese gamelan instruments identification using filter techniques. The model extracted spectral-based features set of the signal using Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT). The rank of the features was determined using the five algorithms; namely ReliefF, Chi-Squared, Information Gain, Gain Ratio, and Symmetric Uncertainty. Then, we tested the ranked features by cross validation using Support Vector Machine (SVM). The experiment showed that Gain Ratio algorithm gave the best result, it yielded accuracy of 98.93%.
Bilateral Typical Femoral Fractures in a Patient with Metastatic Breast Cancer on Long-Term Bisphosphonate Therapy: A Case Report

An atypical femoral fracture may be one of the devastating side effects of bisphosphonate. We present a patient who obliged to multiple surgeries for atypical femoral fracture of the femur after bisphosphonate therapy. A 63-yearold woman had been on anti-estrogen therapy for skeletal metastasis of the breast cancer. She received 90 mg of pamidronate disodium for 2 years and 4 mg of zoledronic acid for 4 years. Four month after she developed spontaneous left thigh pain, she fell from a standing height. X-ray films showed a subtrochanteric fracture of the left femur. The patient underwent surgery with an intramedullary nail, and radiation therapy was delivered to the fracture site because the possibility of a pathological fracture was unable to be excluded. Radiographs showed some evidence of callus formation, but the fracture line persisted. Two years later, the intramedullary nail broke at a screw hole in radiographs. Bipolar hip arthroplasty was performed and bone chips were grafted at the fracture site. Ten weeks after the operation, callus formation was satisfactory and she was able to walk without pain. One year after the first operation on the left femur, she complained of spontaneous pain in the right thigh and radiographs showed a lateral cortical beak sign with no evident fracture line. The patient underwent intramedullary nailing to prevent subsequent fracture. The radiological fracture sign were improved one year after the operation. The prophylactic intramedullary nailing is effective for the patients with lateral cortical thickening and/or a medial spike on X-ray.
Signal Detection for Analog and Digital TV Signals for Cognitive Radio

Abstract In IEEE 802.22 wireless RAN system, the signal detection mechanism is required for identifying occupied and vacant TV channels. In this paper, we consider the signal detection based on the Neyman-Person approach. With several channel and signal models, the probability of detection and false alarm are studied as functions of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
An Approach to Unknown Input Observation for Non-Input-Affine Nonlinear MIMO Systems

Abstract This paper presents the application of a linear state and input observation approach to a non-input-affine nonlinear MIMO system. To detect and identify disturbances on the system's input, the system is transformed into an input-affine form by dynamic compensation and then linearized. The linearization carried out is not exact due to the unknown disturbance. It is shown that the linearization error can be represented as an equivalent input disturbance to the exact linear system representation and the linear observation approach therefore holds. The usefulness of the proposed method is demonstrated by a practical example. The system under consideration is a car-like mobile platform subject to steering angle errors. A control approach to compensate for the input disturbance based on the observation results is presented.
ring model of self-reproducing vesicles

Important developments have been made recently in the experimental study of self-reproducing supramolecular systems based on micelles and vesicles (or liposomes) ; the processes are related to possible prebiotic transformations involving the forerunners of biological cells. Here we construct and study a kinetic model which describes both the formation and self-reproduction of vesicles. Until now, a detailed mechanistic understanding of vesicle formation has been lacking. Our approach is based on a novel generalisation of the BeckerÈDo ring cluster equations which describe the stepwise growth and fragmentation of vesicular structures. The non-linear kinetic model we present is highly complex and involves many microscopic processes ; however, by means of a systematic contraction of the complete set of kinetic equations to the macroscopic limit, we show that the model correctly captures the experimentally observed behaviour.
Exploiting Causality in Constructing Bayesian Network Graphs from Legal Arguments

In this paper, we propose a structured approach for transforming legal arguments to a Bayesian network (BN) graph. Our approach automatically constructs a fully specified BN graph by exploiting causality information present in legal arguments. Moreover, we demonstrate that causality information in addition provides for constraining some of the probabilities involved. We show that for undercutting attacks it is necessary to distinguish between causal and evidential attacked inferences, which extends on a previously proposed solution to modelling undercutting attacks in BNs. We illustrate our approach by applying it to part of an actual legal case, namely the Sacco and Vanzetti legal case.
RFID Technology: Perspectives and Technical Considerations of Microstrip Antennas for Multi-Band RFID Reader Operation

This chapter presents a comprehensive review of RFID technology concerning the antennas and propagation for multi-band operation. The technical considerations of antenna parameters are also discussed in details in order to provide a complete realization of the parameters in pragmatic approach to the antenna designing process, which primarily includes scattering parameters and radiation characteristics. The antenna literature is also critically overviewed to identify the possible solutions of the multi-band microstrip antennas to utilize in multi-band RFID reader operation. In the literature dual-band antennas are principally discussed since they are ideal to realize and describe multi-band antenna mechanism. However, it has been seen that these techniques can be combined to enhance multi-band antennas with wider bandwidths. Last but not least, the high gain dualband antennas and limitations have been described and it is realized that the conventional feeding technique might limit the performance of multi-band antennas to only one frequency.