Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sexual Desire and Relationship Duration in Young Men and Women

Sexual desire is often present at the beginning of a romantic relationship. However, research is divided regarding whether, and how, desire is experienced as a relationship progresses. The authors examined relationship duration and its effect on sexual desire in a sample of 170 undergraduate men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 years. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that women's sexual desire was significantly and negatively predicted by relationship duration after controlling for age, relationship satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction. Men's sexual desire, however, was not significantly affected by the duration of their romantic relationships. These findings suggest that men and women may have different experiences with sexual desire as relationships progress and that sexual desire might be affected by different factors depending on one's gender. Possible reasons for these results are suggested and therapeutic implications are discussed.
Mannose-induced dysmorphogenesis of metanephric kidney. Role of proteoglycans and adenosine triphosphate.

Because various fetal anomalies are seen in diabetic offspring, we examined the effects of sugars on proteoglycans (PGs): extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules modulating morphogenesis. 13-d-old mouse metanephric kidney explants were exposed to mannose for 7 d and labeled with [35S]sulfate, [35S]-methionine, or [3H]thymidine. Mannose exposure caused reduction in kidney size and disorganization of ureteric bud branches with inhibition of glomerulogenesis. Tissue autoradiographic and immunofluorescence studies indicated decreased expression of sulfated PGs in ECMs. Helix pomatia lectin binding to D-GalNAc residues of glomerular epithelial cells was also reduced. Biochemical studies revealed decreased synthesis of sulfated PGs. PGs were of lower molecular weight with reduced charge density and increased chondroitin/heparan sulfate ratio. Immunoprecipitation of [35S]methionine-labeled proteins confirmed the reduction of PG core peptides. Intracellular ATP levels were reduced. The addition of 0.1 mM ATP to culture media restored kidney size, the population of glomeruli, and the synthesis and characteristics of PGs to almost normal, with no detectable effect on the replication of cells as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation. The effect of ATP could be partially blocked by the P2y-purinoreceptor, i.e., reactive blue-2. Data suggest that mannose causes energy depletion by cellular ATP consumption and thus selectively alters the synthesis of heavily glycosylated proteins with rapid turnover, such as PGs, resulting in renal dysmorphogenesis.
Application of structural analysis to the mechanical behaviour of the cornea

Structural engineering analysis tools have been used to improve the understanding of the biomechanical behaviour of the cornea. The research is a multi-disciplinary collaboration between structural engineers, mathematical and numerical analysts, ophthalmologists and clinicians. Mathematical shell analysis and nonlinear finite-element modelling have been used in conjunction with laboratory experiments to study the behaviour of the cornea under different loading states and to provide improved predictions of the mechanical response to disease and injury. The initial study involved laboratory tests and mathematical back analysis to determine the corneal material properties and topography. These data were then used to facilitate the construction of accurate finite-element models that are able to reliably trace the performance of cornea upon exposure to disease, injury or elevated intra-ocular pressure. The models are being adapted to study the response to keratoconus (a disease causing loss of corneal tissue) and to tonometry procedures, which are used to measure the intra-ocular pressure. This paper introduces these efforts as examples of the application of structural engineering analysis tools and shows their potential in the field of corneal biomechanics.
Control systems analysis of industrial plants with synchronous generators during islanded operation

This work presents a methodology that permits to show, in a graph, the maximum allowable time for changing the distributed synchronous generator excitation system and speed governor control modes after the occurrence of an islanding, for a wide range of values of power unbalances between load and generation. The visualization of this parameter becomes interesting when the conflict between the synchronous generator control modes for grid connection operation (parallel) and for islanding operation is taken into account. At the point of view of practical implementation, this time is desirable to be sufficiently high, so that the decision of altering the control mode does not result in a false detection of an islanding situation. From another perspective, changing the generator control mode needs to be sufficiently fast in order to avoid the operation of voltage and frequency relays used in the generator protection.
Contrast at high field: Relaxation times, magnetization transfer and phase in the rat brain at 16.4 T

As field strength increases, the magnetic resonance imaging contrast parameters like relaxation times, magnetization transfer or image phase change, causing variations in contrast and signal‐to‐noise ratio. To obtain reliable data for these parameters at 16.4 T, high‐resolution measurements of the relaxation times T1, T2 and T2*, as well as of the magnetization transfer ratio and the local frequency in the rat brain were performed. Tissue‐specific values were obtained for up to 17 brain structures to assess image contrast. The measured parameters were compared to those found at different field strengths to estimate contrast and signal behavior at increasing field. T1 values were relatively long with (2272 ± 113) ms in cortex and (2073 ± 97) ms in white matter, but did not show a tendency to converge, leading to an almost linear increase in signal‐to‐noise ratio and still growing contrast‐to‐noise ratio. T2 was short with (25 ± 2) ms in cortex and (20 ± 1) ms in white matter. Magnetization transfer effects increase by around 25% compared to published 4.7 T data, which leads to improved contrast. The image phase, as novel and high‐field specific contrast mechanism, is shown to obtain good contrast in deep brain regions with increasing signal‐to‐noise ratio up to high field strengths. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cannabinoid Type 1 Receptor: Another Arrow in the Adipocytes’ Bow

The endocannabinoid system has recently emerged as an important modulator of several functions of adipose tissue, including cell proliferation, differentiation and secretion. Here, we will review the effects of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor activation/blockade in adipocytes by summarising the data in the literature since the discovery of the presence of this receptor in adipose tissue. We will also discuss our original data obtained in mouse 3T3‐L1 adipocyte cells using WIN55 212, a CB1/CB2 receptor agonist and SR141716 (rimonabant), a specific CB1 receptor antagonist, respectively, in different experimental settings.
Wireless Sensor Network Security in Military Application using Unmanned Vehicle

Wireless Sensor Network is widely used in Military Applications like Tracking the enemy movements and force protection. Security is the major concern and very difficult to achieve due to the unattended nature, limited memory, and limited power of network. This paper is mainly intended to describe the implementation of the secure unmanned Vehicle Navigation system controlled by wireless sensor network. We used a cluster based approach to prevent the various types of attacks in military field. We propose armed and sealed mote to prevent the physical attacks. In order to avoid a single key compromise lead to the entire network compromise we have proposed a modified version of LEAP for key management. The vehicle navigation was implemented using a toy car controlled by a micaz mote inside it. The GPS unit is connected with the vehicle to determine the position and in the absence of GPS range we can use the relative position. The vehicle can directly send the messages to the nearest sink node. The vehicle is used for making the application more secure and all the costly devices needed for the application can be incorporated with the vehicle. This paper shows how we can use the unmanned vehicle navigation system in Military applications and how it is used to detect the intruders and prevents various kinds of security attacks in the military field.
Recursive local kinematic inversion with dynamic task-priority allocation

A general method for local kinematic inversion of non-redundant and kinematically redundant robotic mechanisms is proposed. The mathematical background is a recursive scheme based on gradient projection through pseudoinverses. The additional task (in case of a kinematically redundant robotic mechanism) and/or the end-effector tasks are decomposed into single task components. Priority among these components is allocated dynamically rather than keeping it fixed, as in other schemes. This approach yields the advantage of "sacrificing" only the worst-conditioned task components. Further on, it is shown how the notation can be modified to damp single solution components in the neighbourhood of task and/or algorithmic singularities, in order to guarantee some bounded solution norm. <<ETX>>
A Route Choice Model with Context-Dependent Value of Time

This paper proposes a route choice model that incorporates the various behavioral mechanisms in route choice proposed in the literature including the shortest path, bounded rationality, asymmetric preference, and the time surplus maximization. In the proposed model, travelers are assumed to compare travel cost to their status quo (travel cost of the currently used path) in deciding whether to switch to another alternative, and the underlying value of time is adaptive in the sense that it varies across different route choice contexts. We find that the status quo-dependent route choice model can handle the route choice inertia resulting from different sources (e.g., travelers’ misperceptions, satisficing behavior, asymmetric preference). Moreover, the inertia is path-specific and can incorporate the scaling effect of travel cost on travelers’ route choices. Examples are provided to illustrate the proposed status quo-dependent route choice model as well as its connection with various existing route choice mo.
Managing Investment in Information Technology: Mini Case Examples and Implications

While businesses are investing enormous resources in information technology (IT), there little evidence linking IT investment to organizational performance. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to increase understanding of the basis for IT investment in firms. Six mini case studies of companies in five different industries address questions of how they define IT for the purpose of determining the level of investment, how they track IT investments, and what other factors influence IT investment decisions. Each organization uses a different definition of IT, but there appears to be an overall trend to broaden the definition. Although companies track IT investment with varying degrees of rigor, they appear to be generally moving toward centralized tracking of all IT investment. Political considerations are important and significantly impact investment decisions. In all cases, the effectiveness with which IT investment is converted to useful output is acknowledged to be affected by the implementation process, the culture of the organization, and the skill of management. Three ma/or implications for practi~bners responsible for IT investment are: the need to adopt a broad definition of IT and track it over time against a convenient base; the need to separate different types of investment and match them to appropriate organizational performance measures; and the need to take into account factors such as management commitment and previous experience with IT. The latter impacts the effectiveness with which the firm converts it investment into. useful outputs.
Activité collective et personnages autonomes : moteur décisionnel reposant sur des relations de confiance

RÉSUMÉ. Lorsqu’ils travaillent en équipe, les humains font des erreurs. Pour entraîner un ap-prenant en environnement virtuel collaboratif à s’adapter à des coéquipiers ayant des com-portements non optimaux, nous proposons (1) une augmentation du langage de description de l’activité A CTIVITY -DL ainsi que des mécanismes de propagation de contraintes qui fa-ciliteront le raisonnement des agents ; et (2) un modèle d’agent dans lequel chaque agent est décrit par trois dimensions (intégrité, bienveillance, compétences) correspondant au modèle de conﬁance MDS. De plus chaque agent a des buts collectifs et personnels et des croyances sur l’intégrité, la bienveillance et les compétences de chaque autre. Ce modèle d’agent est associé à un moteur décisionnel permettant de générer des comportements proches de ceux des humains. En particulier, les agents prennent les autres en compte et sont capables de raisonner sur leurs croyances sur les autres, à la fois lorsqu’ils choisissent quel but privilégier (collectif ou indi-viduel) et lorsqu’ils sélectionnent une tâche. Nous avons conduit une évaluation préliminaire dans laquelle les participants ont évalué les comportements générés avec notre système. ABSTRACT. When working in teams, people make mistakes. To train someone in a collaborative virtual environment to adapt to teammates that bahave non optimally, we propose (1) an augmentation of the A CTIVITY -Description Language as well as mechanisms of propagation of constraints that will facilitate agents’ reasoning; and (2) an agent model in which each agent is described through three dimensions (integrity, benevolence, abilities) corresponding to the MDS trust model. Besides each agent has different personal and collective goals and has beliefs about others’ integrity, benevolence and abilities. This agent model is associated to a decision-making system that allows agents to adopt human-like behaviors. In particular, agents take others into account and are able to reason on their beliefs about others both when choosing which goal (collective or individual) to focus on and when selecting a task. We conducted a preliminary evaluation in which participants evaluated the behaviors produced with our system.
Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Relation to Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis, and Atopic Dermatitis in Chinese Children

Objective. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive biomarker of airway inflammation. Our aim was to analyze the interrelationship and differentiate the predicting effects of asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and atopic dermatitis (AD) on the FeNO levels in children from mainland China. Methods. A case–control study with age- and gender matched 1:1 was designed based on a larger cross-sectional survey on asthma, AR, and AD in Shanghai. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on children’s health information. Children with positive reports on physician-diagnosed asthma and/or AR and/or AD were recruited as cases, and children with no report of any of the diseases were designated as controls. The FeNO measurement was performed online, using the NIOX MINO® instrument (Aerocrine AB, Solna, Sweden) at 50 ml/min. Results. A total of 130 subjects (65 cases and 65 controls, average age = 10 years) were recruited in this study. The average FeNO level was significantly higher in the cases (29.8 ± 1.9 ppb) than that in the controls (13.3 ± 1.7 ppb) (p < .001). Using multiple linear regression analysis controlling for confounding factors, including parental asthma/allergic diseases and home exposure, asthma (β = 0.330, p < .001) and AR (β = 0.157, p = .006) showed significant predicting effects for high FeNO levels, whereas AD was not related to the FeNO levels. Conclusions. Both asthma and AR could independently increase the FeNO levels in Chinese schoolchildren. Other diseases besides asthma should be considered when applying FeNO as a screening tool for asthma in Chinese children.
Feedback en Jueces Online

Los jueces online son sistemas que surgieron inicialmente con el objetivo de actuar como repositorios de problemas que habian formado parte de concursos de programacion. Con el tiempo, se han ido popularizando y ahora se utilizan tambien como herramientas didacticas, y permiten practicar y aprender algoritmia y metodos de programacion de forma entretenida, llegando incluso a utilizarse en las aulas. Asi, una situacion comun es que el profesor explique un tema e indique a sus alumnos que ejercicios del juez pueden usar para practicar lo que ha contado. Sin embargo, la mayoria de jueces existentes no estan adaptados completamente a las necesidades de esos usuarios. Cuando los alumnos envian una solucion a un problema, pueden recibir un veredicto positivo (solucion correcta) o un veredicto negativo (incorrecta). Al recibir un veredicto negativo, el alumno tiende a sentirse perdido y desmotivado, y no sabe como continuar, ya que el feedback que da el juez ante los errores cometidos es inexistente. En este trabajo se estudian las diferentes formas de incluir pistas en los jueces online, que ayudaran a los usuarios en su camino hacia el exito, dandoles informacion sobre los errores que estan cometiendo para que intenten corregirlos. Para ello, se ha realizado una implementacion para el juez iAcepta el Reto! , desarrollado por los directores de este trabajo. Dicha implementacion utiliza las salidas generadas por las soluciones que envian los usuarios para agruparlos en funcion del error que han cometido y posteriormente darles una pista personalizada. Ademas, se proporciona una herramienta de visualizacion del grafo de envios, asi como una herramienta de comparacion de soluciones, bajo la conviccion de que ambas resultaran muy utiles a la hora de ayudar al autor o a los propios alumnos a proponer pistas para futuros usuarios.
Tree Stem Diameter Estimation From Volumetric TLS Image Data

Recently, a new method on tree stem isolation using volumetric image data from terrestrial laser scans (TLS) has been introduced by the same authors. The method transfers TLS data into a voxel grid data structure and isolates the tree stems from the overall forest vegetation. While the stem detection method yields on a three dimensional localisation of the tree stems, the present study introduces a supplemental technique, which accurately estimates the diameter at breast height (DBH) from the stem objects. Often, large pieces of the stems are occluded by other vegetation and are only partially represented in the laser scanning data, not covering the complete circumference. Therefore, it was not possible to measure the diameter at 130 cm height directly on the stem imagery. Instead, a method has been developed, which estimated the diameter from the fragmented stem information at the specific cross sections. The stem information was processed in a way, which allowed applying a Hough transform to the image for fitting circles to the cross sections. In contrast to other studies, Hough transform was applied to single stem images with information from other vegetation parts already being removed. Even in cases where only a single and very small fragment of a stem is available, the diameter could be estimated from the curvature. It also has been demonstrated that the image resolution for DBH measurement can be significantly higher than the resolution used for stem isolation in order to increase the precision. Verification of the computed DBH on nine spatially independent test sites showed that applying the Hough transform to single stem cross section images produced accurate results. When excluding the five strongest individual outliers a bias of −0.02 cm, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.9 cm and a R 2 of 0.98 were achieved.
Analysis and Design Criteria of Three-Section DBR Tunable Lasers

Three-section distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) tunable lasers emitting in the 1.55 mu m region are studied through a theoretical model which takes into account thermal effects and exploits an accurate calculation of the optical parameters. Static modal competition is discussed for transverse and longitudinal modes in operation at and above threshold. The static tuning characteristics are presented; a saturation of the wavelength shift is found for control current densities of approximately=20 kA-cm/sup -2/ due to Auger recombination processes and heating effects. The dependence of the tuning ranges on the section lengths, waveguide thickness results, and some design criteria are derived. >
Stimulation magnétique transcrânienne robotisée : de l’automatisation des protocoles à de nouvelles approches en neuroimagerie fonctionnelle

La stimulation magnetique transcrânienne (TMS) est une technique de stimulation corticale non-invasive.Depuis son apparition au milieu des annees 1980, les evolutions technologiques qu’elle a connues ontconsiderablement ameliore sa fiabilite, sa precision ainsi que sa reproductibilite. Ces progres ont favorisel’emergence d’un grand nombre d’applications, tant dans le domaine de la recherche fondamentale enneurosciences cognitives que dans celui de la recherche clinique. Cette these a pour objectif d’etudierles apports methodologiques et fondamentaux de la TMS robotisee, derniere avancee technologique dudomaine. Grâce a un placement et un suivi automatises de la bobine de stimulation, la TMS robotiseeouvre en effet la voie a l’automatisation des protocoles, ainsi qu’a l’elaboration de nouvelles approchesen neuroimagerie fonctionnelle. Les deux premieres etudes de ce travail abordent ce premier point, enproposant le developpement de deux outils necessaires a l’automatisation du parametrage des protocolesde TMS : CortExTool et AutoHS. CortExTool est une boite a outils qui permet l’analyse automatisee dessignaux electromyographiques evalues durant le parametrage, et AutoHS un modele bayesien assurantune recherche automatique du point chaud moteur, etape essentielle de la procedure. Testee sur donneesvirtuelles et comparee experimentalement a la pratique manuelle d’experts sur 19 volontaires sains, laprocedure automatisee proposee ici apparait au moins aussi fiable, tout en etant plus rapide et repro-ductible. La troisieme et derniere etude de cette these s’attache quant a elle aux apports fondamentauxpossibles de cette technologie. Elle propose un protocole qui permet la cartographie extensive des re-ponses electroencephalographiques evoquees par la TMS sur 18 aires corticales reparties sur l’ensembledu neocortex. Appliquee sur 22 volontaires sains, l’analyse des proprietes dynamiques de ces reponses faitapparaitre des specificites regionales ainsi que des reseaux corticaux partageant des proprietes communes.Celles-ci etant liees aux caracteristiques cytoarchitecturales des aires stimulees, nos resultats apportent lapreuve de concept pour la cytoarchitectonie fonctionnelle, qui pourrait aboutir a une nouvelle methodede parcellisation in vivo du cortex chez l’Homme. L’ensemble des resultats de cette these confirme l’interetde la robotisation de cette technique, qui pourrait a terme faciliter la mise en œuvre des protocoles par lescentres cliniques, et amener de nouveaux outils d’exploration fonctionnelle pour un meilleur diagnosticdes pathologies psychiatriques et neurologiques.