Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Force control of a flexible arm

In this paper, robust force control of a flexible arm is considered. We derive the dynamic equations of the joint angle and vibration of the flexible arm and its contact force. On the basis of a finite-dimensional model of distributed-parameter systems, an LQ controller, an optimal controller with low-pass property and a robust N/sub /spl infin// controller are constructed. A set of simulations has been carried out and responses for three controllers are compared. <<ETX>>
Expectation maximization based channel estimation for uplink STBC-MC-CDMA systems

In this work, maximum likelihood (ML) channel estimation for uplink space time block coded multi carrier code-division multiple-access (STBC-MC-COMA) systems is considered in the presence of frequency fading channeL The expectation-maximization (EM) is introduced to avoid matrix inversion for the ML channel estimation problem, We compare this algorithm in terms of the number of used iteration and show that the proposed algorithm converge the same performance of the ML estimator as the increasing number of iterations.
Linking E-Commerce to Social Networks for Product Recommendation

: From past many years to now-a-days we are seeing e-commerce and social networking sites have gradually blurred. Normally, while we are seeing products in social networking sites and we have to buy them, and then we have to transfer to e-commerce sites. That process is cross-site. But, by using our project we need not to transfer to other sites. We can buy the products in social networking sites itself. But while buying products in social networking sites, we have a problem that is “cross-site cold start product recommendation problem”. That is without having historical purchase records. By using our project, we provide a user reviews. By those user reviews we can get new recommendations. In this project we are presenting a novel solution to cross-site and cold start problems. Cold-start means a user who does not have any historical purchase record.
From Medical Images to Finite Grids System

The development techniques of implementation of converting the medical slice images to 3-D finite element grids are discussed, and an integrated system based on ITK and VTK is built. The system can provide a series of functions including image reading, reduction, segmentation, reconstruction and finite element grids generation with flexible user's graphics interface. At same time, this system can also provide a powerful tool for the design, choice or assessment of image segmentation and reconstruction algorithm
Public Values in the Social

Ever since the 1980s, public service broadcasters, particularly in Western European countries, have increasingly seen the need to legitimize their existence. An added challenge for these now-called public service media is how to behave on commercially-orientated social media platforms. On the one hand, these commercial platforms can be considered a threat to the public service mission of these public service media, but on the other hand social media platforms have been heralded as providing opportunities to put long-cherished public values into practice, such as reaching demographics that are hard to reach with traditional broadcasting and engaging audiences. This research explores the ways in which people working for the Dutch public broadcaster the NPO create social media content for one or multiple television programs to explore in which ways this is influenced by the fact that they work for a public broadcaster rather than a commercial one. The research question of this research therefore is In which ways do public service broadcasting programs employ social media in light of their adherence to a public service orientation? In order to answer this research question, eleven in-depth interviews with fifteen people creating social media content for the Dutch public broadcaster have been conducted. A thematic analysis on the interview data revealed that generally speaking, specific public values were not at the foreground of the interviewees’ minds when creating social media content and that instead practical considerations such as wanting to be successful with posting content were regarded as more important. However, interviewees all believed that the television program(s) they did social media activities for did adhere to a public service orientation to such an extent, that reaching people and getting them to engage with content related to the television program(s) on social media is so valuable that this outweighs the importance of the fact that social media platforms are commercial in nature. In addition, many interviewees expressed a dissatisfaction regarding the social media strategy of the overarching Dutch public broadcasting organization, hereby revealing that within the same public broadcaster, wide differences can exist regarding attitudes towards how to utilize new digital technologies. This in turn has implications for the way in which strategies for adapting to social media platforms can evolve in the future.
Characterization of the Earliest KnownStaphylococcus aureus Plasmid Encoding a Multidrug Efflux System

ABSTRACT The staphylococcal qacB-encoding multidrug resistance plasmid pSK156, isolated from a clinical strain dating from 1951, was characterized. Comparison of the regions flanking qacB with other qacA- and qacB-encoding plasmids provided insights into the evolution and dissemination of these multidrug efflux genes and led to the detection of the earliest known copy of the insertion sequence IS257.
Clinical Presentation and Microbial Analyses of Contact Lens Keratitis; an Epidemiologic Study

Introduction: Microbial keratitis is an infective process of the cornea with a potentially and serious visual impairments. Contact lenses are a major cause of microbial keratitis in the developed countries especially among young people. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the frequency and microbiological characteristic of CLK in patients referred to the emergency department (ED) of teaching hospitals, Babol, Iran. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of all patients with contact lens induced corneal ulcers admitted to the teaching hospitals of Babol, Iran, from 2011- 2013. An ophthalmologist examined patients with the slit-lamp and clinical features of them were noted (including pain, redness, foreign body sensation, chemosis, epiphora, blurred vision, discomfort, photophobia, discharge, ocular redness and swelling). All suspected infectious corneal ulcers were scraped for microbial culture and two slides were prepared. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 18.0. Results: A total of 14 patients (17 eyes) were recruited into the study (100% female). The patients’ age ranged from 16-37 years old (mean age 21.58±7.23 years). The most prevalent observed clinical signs were pain and redness. Three samples reported as sterile. The most common isolated causative organism was pseudomonas aeroginosa (78.6%), Staphylococcus aureus 14.3%, and enterobacter 7.1%, respectively. Treatment outcome was excellent in 23.5%, good in 47.1%, and poor in 29.4% of cases. Conclusion: Improper lens wear and care as well as the lack of awareness about the importance of aftercare visits have been identified as potential risk factors for the corneal ulcer among contact lens wearers. Training and increasing the awareness of adequate lens care and disinfection practices, consulting with an ophthalmologist, and frequent replacement of contact lens storage cases would greatly help reducing the risk of microbial keratitis.
Ligand-linked structural changes in the Escherichia coli biotin repressor: the significance of surface loops for binding and allostery.

The Escherichia coli repressor of biotin biosynthesis (BirA) is an allosteric site-specific DNA-binding protein. BirA catalyzes synthesis of biotinyl-5'-AMP from substrates biotin and ATP and the adenylate serves as the positive allosteric effector in binding of the repressor to the biotin operator sequence. Although a three-dimensional structure of the apo-repressor has been determined by X-ray crystallographic techniques, no structures of any ligand-bound forms of the repressor are yet available. Results of previously published solution studies are consistent with the occurrence of conformational changes in the protein concomitant with ligand binding. In this work the hydroxyl radical footprinting technique has been used to probe changes in reactivity of the peptide backbone of BirA that accompany ligand binding. Results of these studies indicate that binding of biotin to the protein results in protection of regions of the central domain in the vicinity of the active site and the C-terminal domain from chemical cleavage. Biotin-linked changes in reactivity constitute a subset of those linked to adenylate binding. Binding of both bio-5'-AMP and biotin operator DNA suppresses cleavage at additional sites in the amino and carboxy-terminal domains of the protein. Varying degrees of protection of the five surface loops on BirA from hydroxyl radical-mediated cleavage are observed in all complexes. These results implicate the C-terminal domain of BirA, for which no function has previously been known, in small ligand and site-specific DNA binding and highlight the significance of surface loops, some of which are disordered in the apoBirA structure, for ligand binding and transmission of allosteric information in the protein.
Developing third-party purchase (3PP) services: New Zealand third-party logistics providers’ perspectives

Purpose This paper aims to examine the opportunity for third-party logistics providers (3PLs) to develop further value-added services for their clients, focused on purchasing. The provider perspectives on third-party purchase (3PP) services are examined in conjunction with their business environment, with a survey informed by transaction cost economics. Design/methodology/approach New Zealand 3PL providers were surveyed, and 166 responses were received. Structural equation modeling was used to test the conceptual model. Findings From the perspective of 3PL providers, uncertainty, frequency and transaction size, but not asset specificity, are significantly associated with client value from a 3PP service. While asset specificity in investments is not required by 3PLs, they need a high frequency of orders, sufficient order size and low levels of uncertainty as supporting conditions for the development of 3PP services. Research limitations/implications The sample focuses on 3PL providers and therefore does not address the behavioral characteristics of users or customers of the services. Originality/value This study shows that 3PP services may be further developed by 3PL providers to improve the value offered to their clients.
A network-based global mobility management architecture

This paper specifies a network-based global mobility management architecture, named NetGMM. NetGMM supports network-based mobility management and non-Mobile IP mobile environment. There are two design considerations. The first is that a future mobile network requires network-based mobility management, shifting the mobility management function from Mobile Nodes (MN) to Access Network (AN) nodes. The second is that future mobile networks will support IP multi-services, introducing a separation between network address and identity of a mobile node entity, allowing heterogeneous networks to work together without loss of functionality.
Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness, Brain Atrophy, and Disability in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Objective: To study the relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and brain atrophy using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with bicaudate ratio (BCR) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with different levels of disease severity. We also assessed whether RNFL thickness correlated with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. Methods: The participants consisted of 88 patients with MS and 59 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Eleven patients had clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), 68 patients had relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS), and 9 patients had secondary progressive MS. Patients and controls were evaluated using optical coherence tomography (OCT, Cirrus) and scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (GDx VCC). Patients underwent the same brain MRI scanning protocol. Disability was evaluated according to the EDSS. The BCR was calculated by dividing the minimum intercaudate distance by brain width along the same level. Results: The BCR was higher in patients with MS (0.12 ± 0.03) than in controls (0.08 ± 0.009) (P < 0.001). OCT average RNFL thickness in patients with MS was significantly lower (84.51 ± 14.27 &mgr;m) than in control subjects (98.44 ± 6.83 &mgr;m). BCR was correlated with OCT average RNFL thickness (r = −0.48, P = 0.002) in patients with MS without optic neuritis. Significant correlations were found between average RNFL thickness and EDSS (r = −0.43, P = 0.003). Additionally, there were correlations between BCR with GDx parameters in patients with MS without optic neuritis. Conclusions: This study shows that RNFL thickness correlates with BCR and with MS subtypes. Additionally, our study indicates that OCT is better suited for MS assessment than GDx. We conclude that the damage of retinal axons appears related to brain damage in patients with MS.
On Beam Squint in Offset-Fed Reflectarrays

A full-wave receive-mode analysis is used to show that it is the shift in the location of the focal point with frequency (caused by nonconstant path delays over the surface of the reflectarray) that is principally responsible for the beam squint that occurs in offset-fed reflectarray antennas, and not the element type used or the lattice size. A similar transmit-mode analysis confirms that it is this focal point shift that implies noncoincidence of the focal point and the feed phase center at off-center frequencies, which results in a phase distribution over the reflectarray aperture with a slope other than that required to have the main beam in the desired direction. We further demonstrate this fact (computationally and experimentally) by showing that if the feed is physically moved to the shifted focal point at some off-center frequency, the main beam pointing direction at this frequency is restored.
Circadian rhythms and photoperiodic time measurement in mammals.

Many mammalian species display seasonal breeding patterns correlated with annual cycles of change in the physiology and morphology of the reproductive system. Such annual reproductive cycles are often photoperiodically controlled (i.e, the annual change in day length determines when reproductive activity begins and when it ends within the annual cycle). Photoperiodic control of seasonally appropriate changes in reproductive activity is dependent on an endogenous time measuring process. Among mammals the physiological basis of photoperiodic time measurement has been studied most extensively in the golden hamster. Studies with this species indicate that photoperiodic time measurement is executed by the circadian system. The time measuring process depends on a circadian oscillation of responsiveness to light with properties similar to those of the hypothetical rhythm originally proposed by Bünning to explain photoperiodic phenomena in plants. The available evidence strongly suggests the participation of the pineal gland and the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the photoperiodic regulation of mammalian reproductive cycles. However, little is known regarding concrete physiological mechanisms, and the extent to which the SCN and the pineal gland may participate in the time measuring process per se remains to be determined.
Factors affecting the absolute and relative long-term performance of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on the Johannesburg Security Exchange (JSE)

Nowadays, investors are progressively espousing an absolute returns approach for their long-term investments as global markets are unceasingly faced with economic uncertainty and market volatility (Foster, Jones and Nichols, 2014). However, prior research has primarily focused on identifying factors that can be used to predict long run relative returns. As such, it is important for the research and practitioner communities to identify factors that can help investors in predicting long-term absolute returns. The aim of this study is to determine if the same factors that have been noted to predict the relative returns of IPOs are also able to predict the absolute returns of the IPOs on the JSE. Using 290 companies listed on the JSE between 1996 and 2009, this study finds that mean IPO returns for the first three years post IPO are 3.19%, -9.60%, and -25.06% respectively for absolute returns and -7.67%, -34.6%, and -65.4% respectively for relative returns. It is also established that after three years, 109 companies have a positive absolute return while only 43 companies outperform the market benchmark. Furthermore, the results indicate that the market period is the only factor that can significantly predict both the absolute and relative returns with IPOs issued in the cold market periods having a higher probability of producing positive returns and outperforming the market benchmark than IPOs listed in the hot market periods.
The interplay between strain and size effects on the thermal conductance of grain boundaries in graphene

The effect of strain on the thermal transport across grain boundaries in graphene is investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The thermal boundary conductance is found to decrease significantly under biaxial tension as expected. In contrast, under biaxial compression, the thermal boundary conductance is strongly affected by the dimensions of the graphene monolayer, increasing with strain for specimen with length-to-width ratio of less than 20 and being insensitive to strain for length-to-width ratio above 20. This rather unexpected size-dependence under biaxial compression is found to be a result of geometric instabilities.
Toxoplasmosis of Spinal Cord in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Patient Presenting as Paraparesis: A Rare Entity

Although brain has been the most common site for toxoplasma infection in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients, involvement of spinal cord by toxoplasma has been rarely found. Spinal cord toxoplasmosis can present as acute onset weakness in both lower limbs associated with sensory and bladder dysfunction. A presumptive diagnosis can be made in patients with CD4 count <100/mm3 based on a positive serum Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies, no recent prophylaxis against toxoplasmosis, intramedullary ring enhancing lesion in spinal cord supported by similar lesions in brain parenchyma. Institutions of antitoxoplasma treatment in such patients result in prompt clinical response and therefore avoiding the need of unnecessary invasive diagnostic tests. Here, we report a case of toxoplasmic myelitis in immunocompromised patient presenting as myelopathy who showed significant clinical improvement after starting antitoxoplasma treatment. Hence toxoplasmic myelitis should be considered in toxoplasma seropositive immunocompromised patients presenting as myelopathy and imaging studies showing ring enhancing intramedullary lesion.
Families working it out: adolescents' views on communicating about donor-assisted conception.

BACKGROUND Prompted by legislation in Victoria, Australia, permitting gamete donors to seek identifying details of people conceived from their gametes, this research investigated the views of adolescents from the general population on how parents can best talk to their donor-conceived adolescent children about their conception. METHODS Qualitative interviews (six group discussions, n = two to six per group, and one individual interview) lasting c. 50 min with 25 secondary school students. RESULTS Naïve adolescents had views largely consistent with those of donor-conceived adults, for example, urging parental honesty, adaptation to individual children, and family cohesion. They identified the social father as the parent while acknowledging the significance of genetic connection to the donor. A minority asserted a preference for non-disclosure; all said that, if disclosed, it should be by parents. CONCLUSIONS This small study contributes to increasing understanding of communication within families about donor-assisted conception.
Comparison of effective work function extraction methods using capacitance and current measurement techniques

The effective work function (EWF) extracted on terraced oxide structures by capacitance-voltage-based techniques was compared with the work function calculated from the barrier height extracted by current-voltage measurements. The results show a reasonable correlation-within /spl plusmn/ 0.1 eV-in the EWF values for various metal gate electrodes, validating both techniques for EWF extraction.
Time and Cost Analysis for Highway Road Construction Project Using Artificial Neural Networks

Success of the construction companies is based on the successful completion of projects within the agreed cost and time limits. Artificial neural networks (ANN) have recently attracted much attention because of their ability to solve the qualitative and quantitative problems faced in the construction industry. For the estimation of cost and duration different ANN models were developed. The database consists of data collected from completed projects. The same data is normalised and used as inputs and targets for developing ANN models. The models are trained, tested and validated using MATLAB R2013a Software. The results obtained are the ANN predicted outputs which are compared with the actual data, from which deviation is calculated. For this purpose, two successfully completed highway road projects are considered. The Nftool (Neural network fitting tool) and Nntool (Neural network/ Data Manager) approaches are used in this study. Using Nftool with trainlm as training function and Nntool with trainbr as the training function, both the Projects A and B have been carried out. Statistical analysis is carried out for the developed models. The application of neural networks when forming a preliminary estimate, would reduce the time and cost of data processing. It helps the contractor to take the decision much easier.
Enhancing Mineral Content in Plant Food Products

Plant foods can serve as dietary sources of all essential minerals required by humans. Unfortunately, mineral concentrations are low in some plants, especially many staple food crops; thus, efforts are underway to increase the mineral content of these foods as a means to ensure adequate attainment of dietary minerals in all individuals. While these efforts have included classical breeding approaches in the past, it is clear that future progress can be made by utilizing the tools of biotechnology to effect directed changes in plant mineral status. Reviewed are the short- and long-distance mineral transport mechanisms responsible for the root acquisition and whole-plant partitioning of mineral ions in crop plants. This background is used to discuss different transgenic strategies with the potential to enhance mineral content in vegetative and/or reproductive tissues. Due to various constraints imposed by plant transport systems on whole-plant mineral movement, it is argued that modifications designed to increase the supply of minerals to edible organs should have the highest chance for success. Examples of previous efforts to manipulate plant mineral nutrition through the introduction of novel transgenes are presented to demonstrate the utility of these approaches.