Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Posterior EEG Theta Band to Assess the Effects of Architectural Designs on Landmark Recognition in an Urban Setting

The process of urban landmark-based navigation has proven to be difficult to study in a rigorous fashion, primarily due to confounding variables and the problem of obtaining reliable data in real-world contexts. The development of high-resolution, immersive virtual reality technologies has opened exciting new possibilities for gathering data on human wayfinding that could not otherwise be readily obtained. We developed a research platform using a virtual environment and electroencephalography (EEG) to better understand the neural processes associated with landmark usage and recognition during urban navigation tasks. By adjusting the architectural parameters of different buildings in this virtual environment, we isolated and tested specific design features to determine whether or not they served as a target for landmarking. EEG theta band (4–7 Hz) event-related synchronization/desynchronization over posterior scalp areas was evaluated at the time when participants observed each target building along a predetermined self-paced route. A multi-level linear model was used to investigate the effects of salient architectural features on posterior scalp areas. Our results support the conclusion that highly salient architectural features—those that contrast sharply with the surrounding environment—are more likely to attract visual attention, remain in short-term memory, and activate brain regions associated with wayfinding compared with non-salient buildings. After establishing this main aggregate effect, we evaluated specific salient architectural features and neural correlates of navigation processing. The buildings that most strongly associated extended gaze time, location recall accuracy, and changes in theta-band neural patterns with landmarking in our study were those that incorporated rotational twist designs and natural elements such as trees and gardens. Other building features, such as unusual façade patterns or building heights, were to a lesser extent also associated with landmarking.
Exploring the Neural Structures Underlying the Procedural Memory Network as Predictors of Language Ability in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Introduction: There is significant overlap in the type of structural language impairments exhibited by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This similarity suggests that the cognitive impairment(s) contributing to the structural language deficits in ASD and ADHD may be shared. Previous studies have speculated that procedural memory deficits may be the shared cognitive impairment. The procedural deficit hypothesis (PDH) argues that language deficits can be explained by differences in the neural structures underlying the procedural memory network. This hypothesis is based on the premise that the neural structures comprising the procedural network support language learning. In this study, we aimed to test the PDH in children with ASD, ADHD, and typical development (TD). Methods: One hundred and sixty-three participants (ages 10–21): 91 with ASD, 26 with ADHD, and 46 with TD, completed standardized measures of cognitive and language ability as well as structural magnetic resonance imaging. We compared the structural language abilities, the neural structures underlying the procedural memory network, and the relationship between structural language and neural structure across diagnostic groups. Results: Our analyses revealed that while the structural language abilities differed across ASD, ADHD, and TD groups, the thickness, area, and volume of the structures supporting the procedural memory network were not significantly different between diagnostic groups. Also, several neural structures were associated with structural language abilities across diagnostic groups. Only two of these structures, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the left superior parietal gyrus, are known to be linked to the procedural memory network. Conclusions: The inferior frontal gyrus and the left superior parietal gyrus, have well-established roles in language learning independent of their role as part of the procedural memory system. Other structures such as the caudate and cerebellum, with critical roles in the procedural memory network, were not associated with structural language abilities across diagnostic groups. It is unclear whether the procedural memory network plays a fundamental role in language learning in ASD, ADHD, and TD.
Using the BORM Methods in the Protection of Historical Artifacts against Floods

This paper deals with the use of Business Objects Relation Modelling (BORM) methods in crisis management. Restoring the damage caused by natural disasters is not only expensive but in the case of cultural values, losses are incalculable. An example of this was the damage caused by the flooding of the National Library in Prague in 2002. For this reason, it is crucial to have an accurate roadmap that is feasible and understandable to those who have not been involved in its development. The paper demonstrates the use of BORM methods as a successful solution to an individual crisis. The flood plan of the Czech Republic is based on a sketch diagram created with individual consultations. This diagram demonstrates the Business processes, i.e., scenarios of BORM methods. The plan highlights steps to be taken in the implementation of BORM methods in future crisis management.
Icaritin Enhancing Bone Formation Initiated by Sub-Microstructured Calcium Phosphate Ceramic for Critical Size Defect Repair

Adequate bone tissue regeneration has been challenging to achieve at critical-sized bone defects caused by disease. Bone tissue engineering using a combination of scaffolds and bioactive factors provides new hope for the treatment of this extreme condition. Icaritin, a herb-derived chemical, has shown its ability to enhance bone formation both in vitro and in vivo, and it has been found that sub-micron surface structure instructs bone formation in calcium phosphate ceramics (CaPs). Here, we evaluated the possibility of using a submicron surface structured CaP ceramic as the carrier of icaritin for bone tissue regeneration in critical-sized bone defects. Icaritin, an herb-derived chemical, was loaded into a submicron surface structured porous calcium phosphate ceramic (Ø12.8 × 3 mm) to get samples with 0, 10, 50, 250, and 1,250 µg icaritin per CaP disc (M0, M10, M50, M250, M1250 groups, respectively). In vitro evaluation with the certain dosages correlated to those released from the samples showed a dose-dependent enhancement of osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of human bone marrow stromal cells with the presence of osteogenic factors in the culture medium, indicating icaritin is an osteopromotive factor. After intramuscular implantation of the samples in dogs for 8 weeks, a dose-dependent of bone formation was seen with enhanced bone formation at the dosage of 50 and 250 µg. To evaluate the in vivo osteogenic potentials of icaritin-containing CaP ceramic scaffolds in the orthopedic site, a 12.8 mm calvarial defect model in rabbits was established. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology results at weeks 4, 8 and 12 post-surgery showed more newly formed bone in M250 group, with correspondingly more new vessel ingrowth. The results presented herein suggested that being osteopromotive, icaritin could enhance bone formation initiated by sub-microstructured CaP ceramics and the CaP ceramics scaffold incorporating icaritin is a promising biomaterial for the treatment of critical-sized defect.
In ovo Administration of Nucleosides Improved the Performance, Apparent Metabolizable Energy and Gut Development in Broiler Chickens

An in ovo study on the effect of the administration of a combination of nucleosides (25, 50, and 100 mg/egg) on hatchability, growth performance, energy metabolizability, and intestinal morphology in broilers was carried out. Four hundred eighty (480) fertile eggs were divided into four groups (in four replicates each having 30 eggs). On the 18th days of incubation of the eggs, candling was carried out and the fertile eggs were selected and given one of the four in ovo administrations. Group one served as control and was injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The other groups were given in ovo administration of nucleosides (25, 50, and 100 mg/egg) at 100 μl through the yolk sac route, and chicks of respective groups were hatched out. Among the experimental groups, the hatchability was comparable; however, the hatchability was affected in the group injected with a higher level of nucleosides at 100 mg/egg. The hatched out chicks from higher doses of nucleosides (50 and 100 mg) had higher body weight (BW) (P < 0.05) than the control. Higher energy metabolizability (%) was observed in nucleoside-injected groups. Plasma protein concentration was higher in groups administered with nucleosides (50 and 100 mg). Histologically, the intestinal villi length was maximum in 100 mg-injected group followed by 50 and 25 mg. Relative expression of homeobox (Cdx) in the jejunum was significantly (P < 0.05) upregulated in all the injected groups at 3, 7, and 14 days of age. Nucleoside-administered groups had better performance, energy metabolizability, and intestinal morphology. Among the experimental groups, the administration of nucleosides at 50 mg/egg resulted in higher growth performance, plasma protein, intestinal surface, and villi development in broiler chickens.
Knowledge Representation of Software Design Patterns: A Model Transformations Perspective

Software design patterns help software developers to design robust and easy to maintain systems as they could be used to solve already identified problems in less time. These software design patterns are mostly textual descriptions which are introduced from books as catalogues. While senior developers tend to know about these patterns by experience, the novice developers need to refer necessary books to get knowledge about them. Therefore, it will be a great help for software development if there are tools to detect and recommend design patterns in software designs. The ultimate advantage will be to automatically apply a design pattern over an initial design to improve it. This will be a model transformation task under model driven architecture. As an initial step towards this goal, in this paper a survey has been done to study the existing knowledge representation techniques used for software design patterns. These representations help automatic reading and processing of software design patterns in order to build necessary CASE 1 tools. Finally, the best design pattern specification techniques are recommended for pattern-based model transformation.
What Is Digital Journalism? Defining the Practice and Role of the Digital Journalist

Abstract Through the lens of theories of field and normalization process, this research seeks to understand technology’s current role in how self-identifying digital journalists define the field. The definitions of digital journalism/journalists and what constitutes digital journalism practices are essential–they shape a range of crucial activities including how journalists prioritize sources to how journalists shape their content for audience consumption. Built on long-form interviews with 68 U.S.-based self-identifying digital journalists, this article argues that the digital turn in the industry has emboldened new entrants to the field and required dominantly placed legacy media journalists to reconsider their definition of journalism as well as their practices. Rather than seeing digital journalism as a sub-field within journalism, participants saw digital journalism as business-as-usual throughout the journalistic field.
STUDIES ON IONIC REGULATION IN CARCINUS MAENAS (L.)

1. The mechanism of sodium balance in Carcinus maenas has been investigated. 2. Measurements of sodium outflux showed no evidence of a decrease in surface permeability to sodium in dilute sea water. 3. The rate of urine production in normal sea water was 3.6% body weight per day and the sodium loss through the urine was insignificant compared with the total sodium loss. In 40% sea water the urine rate was increased to 30% body weight per day and the loss in the urine accounted for 20% of the total loss. 4. Measurements of sodium influx and calculation of the active component showed that the active uptake mechanism was fully saturated at all external concentrations in which the animals could survive. 5. Regulation of the blood sodium concentration is effected largely by the activation of the sodium uptake mechanism. This prevents the blood concentration falling below a critical level as long as the external concentration itself is not too low.
Microbial Diversity of Pinnacle and Conical Microbial Mats in the Perennially Ice-Covered Lake Untersee, East Antarctica

Antarctic perennially ice-covered lakes provide a stable low-disturbance environment where complex microbially mediated structures can grow. Lake Untersee, an ultra-oligotrophic lake in East Antarctica, has the lake floor covered in benthic microbial mat communities, where laminated organo-sedimentary structures form with three distinct, sympatric morphologies: small, elongated cuspate pinnacles, large complex cones and flat mats. We examined the diversity of prokaryotes and eukaryotes in pinnacles, cones and flat microbial mats using high-throughput sequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA genes and assessed how microbial composition may underpin the formation of these distinct macroscopic mat morphologies under the same environmental conditions. Our analysis identified distinct clustering of microbial communities according to mat morphology. The prokaryotic communities were dominated by Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, and Actinobacteria. While filamentous Tychonema cyanobacteria were common in all mat types, Leptolyngbya showed an increased relative abundance in the pinnacle structures only. Our study provides the first report of the eukaryotic community structure of Lake Untersee benthic mats, which was dominated by Ciliophora, Chlorophyta, Fungi, Cercozoa, and Discicristata. The eukaryote richness was lower than for prokaryote assemblages and no distinct clustering was observed between mat morphologies. These findings suggest that cyanobacterial assemblages and potentially other bacteria and eukaryotes may influence structure morphogenesis, allowing distinct structures to form across a small spatial scale.
Olfactory Dysfunction and Its Association With Neuropathologic Proteins in Cerebrospinal Fluid From Patients With Parkinson Disease

Background and Purpose: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson disease (PD). However, the relationship between OD and neuropathologic proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from PD patients remains unclear. Methods: 166 PD patients were included in the study. Overall olfactory function was assessed by summing up the scores of olfactory threshold, discrimination, and identification by a Sniffin' Sticks test, based on which, patients were divided into PD with OD (PD-OD) and PD with no OD (PD-NOD) groups. CSF samples were obtained from 76 PD patients. The levels of neuropathologic proteins, including α-Synuclein, Aβ1-42, total tau (T-tau), and multiple forms of phosphorylated tau (P-tau) in CSF were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: out of the 166 PD patients, 103 cases (62.0%) had OD. The scores of overall olfactory functions, and olfactory threshold, discrimination, and identification in the PD-OD group were all significantly lower than that in the PD-NOD group (P < 0.001). α-Synuclein level in CSF was significantly higher in the PD-OD group than the PD-NOD group (P < 0.05), and was significantly and negatively correlated with the scores of overall olfactory function, and olfactory discrimination and identification (P < 0.05). Aβ1-42 level in CSF was higher in the PD-OD group than the PD-NOD group, and was significantly and negatively correlated with the olfactory identification score (P < 0.05). T-tau level in CSF was significantly lower in the PD-OD group than the PD-NOD group (P < 0.05), and was significantly and positively correlated with the olfactory discrimination score (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in P-tau level in CSF between the PD-OD and PD-NOD groups and no correlation between OD score and P-tau level in CSF. Conclusions: PD-OD includes the impairments of olfactory threshold, discrimination, and identification, and is associated with the significant elevation of α-Synuclein and the decrease of the T-tau level in CSF.
Microbiological and Physicochemical Parameters of Beef and Lamb Meat Produced in Slaughterhouses in Northern Greece. Preliminary Results

Meat quality and hygiene are perquisites for the marketing of meat and meat products. In this research paper the results of the monitoring of meat quality from abattoirs of Northern Greece are reported. Samples of lamb meat and beef were collected in order to examine the physicochemical parameters (pH, moisture, total fat and total proteins) and microbiological quality indicators (total mesophilic count, total psychrophilic counts and coliform count) of meat produced in these plants. Concerning beef, the most contaminated area was the hindquarter, followed by the forequarter and the abdomen. Differences were observed in the microbiological quality of the lamb carcasses prepared at different abattoirs, pointing the importance of personalized hygiene measures. Small deviation was observed in the physicochemical parameters examined, with lamb meat having a pH of 6.17 (SD=0.24), humidity of 63.2% (SD=4.5%), total fat 5.4% (SD=4.1%), and total proteins 20.8% (SD=4.5%).
Mitigating Stragglers in the Decentralized Training on Heterogeneous Clusters

Decentralized algorithms, e.g., AllReduce, have been widely applied as the synchronization strategy for data-parallel distributed deep learning due to its superior performance over centralized ones. The synchronous Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) approach guarantees accuracy for various deep learning models, but its performance suffers from stragglers, i.e., "long-tail effects. " The straggler can be caused by the inherent load imbalance from workloads or system heterogeneity. Despite existing optimizations to support centralized algorithms against stragglers, little effort has been explored in decentralized training algorithms. This paper proposes a Randomized Non-blocking AllReduce (RNA) protocol to mitigate the straggler problem. To avoid "long-tail effects" brought by the strict barrier in the AllReduce, we propose a decentralized, relaxed, and randomized sampling approach to implement partial AllReduce operation. To handle heterogeneity at a large scale, we combine the traditional Parameter Servers (PS) with AllReduce to implement a hierarchical synchronization mechanism. We theoretically demonstrate the convergence analysis and detail the system implementation. The experiment results on representative deep learning models show nearly 1.8× speedup over the state-of-the-art Horovod and 1.3× speedup over AD-PSGD on a heterogeneous cluster.
Xanadu: Mitigating cascading cold starts in serverless function chain deployments

Organization of tasks as workflows are an essential feature to expand the applicability of the serverless computing framework. Existing serverless platforms are either agnostic to function chains (workflows as a composition of functions) or rely on naive provisioning and management mechanisms of the serverless framework---an example is that they provision resources after the trigger to each function in a workflow arrives thereby forcing a setup latency for each function in the workflow. In this work, we focus on mitigating the cascading cold start problem--- the latency overheads in triggering a sequence of serverless functions according to a workflow specification. We first establish the nature and extent of the cascading effects in cold start situations across multiple commercial server platforms and cloud providers. Towards mitigating these cascading overheads, we design and develop several optimizations, that are built into our tool Xanadu. Xanadu offers multiple instantiation options based on the desired runtime isolation requirements and supports function chaining with or without explicit workflow specifications. Xanadu's optimizations to address the cascading cold start problem are built on speculative and just-in-time provisioning of resources. Our evaluation of the Xanadu system reveals almost complete elimination of cascading cold starts at minimal cost overheads, outperforming the available state of the art platforms. For even relatively short workflows, Xanadu reduces platform overheads by almost 18x compared to Knative and 10x compared to Apache Openwhisk.
Mobile Security: Threats and Best Practices

Communicating mobile security threats and best practices has become a central objective due to the ongoing discovery of new vulnerabilities of mobile devices. To cope with this overarching issue, the goal of this paper is to identify and analyze existing threats and best practices in the domain of mobile security. To this extent, we conducted a literature review based on a set of keywords. The obtained results concern recognizable threats and established best practices in the domain of mobile security. Afterwards, this outcome was put forward for consideration by mobile application users (n = 167) via a survey instrument. To this end, the results show high awareness of the threats and their countermeasures in the domain of mobile applications. While recognizing the risks associated with physical and social factors, the majority of respondents declared the use of built-in methods to mitigate the negative impact of malicious software and social-engineering scams. The study results contribute to the theory on mobile security through the identification and exploration of a variety of issues, regarding both threats and best practices. Besides this, this bulk of up-to-date knowledge has practical value which reflects in its applicability at both the individual and enterprise level. Moreover, at this point, we argue that understanding the factors affecting users’ intentions and motivations to accept and use particular technologies is crucial to leverage the security of mobile applications. Therefore, future work will cover identifying and modeling users’ perceptions of the security and usability of mobile applications.