Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Class XI Myosins Contribute to Auxin Response and Senescence-Induced Cell Death in Arabidopsis

The integrity and dynamics of actin cytoskeleton is necessary not only for plant cell architecture but also for membrane trafficking-mediated processes such as polar auxin transport, senescence, and cell death. In Arabidopsis, the inactivation of actin-based molecular motors, class XI myosins, affects the membrane trafficking and integrity of actin cytoskeleton, and thus causes defective plant growth and morphology, altered lifespan and reduced fertility. To evaluate the potential contribution of class XI myosins to the auxin response, senescence and cell death, we followed the flower and leaf development in the triple gene knockout mutant xi1 xi2 xik (3KO) and in rescued line stably expressing myosin XI-K:YFP (3KOR). Assessing the development of primary inflorescence shoots we found that the 3KO plants produced more axillary branches. Exploiting the auxin-dependent reporters DR5::GUS and IAA2::GUS, a significant reduction in auxin responsiveness was found throughout the development of the 3KO plants. Examination of the flower development of the plants stably expressing the auxin transporter PIN1::PIN1-GFP revealed partial loss of PIN1 polarization in developing 3KO pistils. Surprisingly, the stable expression of PIN1::PIN1-GFP significantly enhanced the semi-sterile phenotype of the 3KO plants. Further we investigated the localization of myosin XI-K:YFP in the 3KOR floral organs and revealed its expression pattern in floral primordia, developing pistils, and anther filaments. Interestingly, the XI-K:YFP and PIN1::PIN1-GFP shared partially overlapping but distinct expression patterns throughout floral development. Assessing the foliar development of the 3KO plants revealed increased rosette leaf production with signs of premature yellowing. Symptoms of the premature senescence correlated with massive loss of chlorophyll, increased cell death, early plasmolysis of epidermal cells, and strong up-regulation of the stress-inducible senescence-associated gene SAG13 in 3KO plants. Simultaneously, the reduced auxin responsiveness and premature leaf senescence were accompanied by significant anthocyanin accumulation in 3KO tissues. Collectively, our results provide genetic evidences that Arabidopsis class XI myosins arrange the flower morphogenesis and leaf longevity via contributing to auxin responses, leaf senescence, and cell death.
Image Segmentation And Edge Detection Based On Watershed Techniques

Abstract K-means and watershed segmentation techniques are presented to perform image segmentation and edge detection tasks. We first used the K-means technique to obtain a primary segmented image. We then employed a watershed technique that works on that image; this process includes gradient of the segmented input image, divides the image into markers, completes the watershed line by using the markers, and stores the image in the format of region adjacency graph (RAG). The initial segmentation result was obtained by the watershed algorithm. We then used merging techniques based on mean gray values and two edge strengths (Ti, T2) to obtain edge maps. In this article we solved the problem of undesirable oversegmentation results produced by the watershed algorithm, when used directly with raw data images. Also, the edge maps have no broken lines on the entire image, and the final edge detection result is one closed boundary per actual region in the image.
Fault-Tolerant Mechanisms for Relocation-Aware Dynamic On-Chip Communication on FPGAs

Fault tolerance has become more important in modern chips. This is because of the increasing use of smaller process nodes. Though there has been a tremendous increase in the integrating density of transistors, the miniaturized size has made them more vulnerable to ageing- and radiation-induced hard errors. In this paper, we present mechanisms for tackling soft and hard errors in CERANoC, a Clock-Enabled RelocationAware Network-on-Chip. It has been developed as a communication network that facilitates the online relocation of circuits in response to hard errors. This highlights why it is important that the network itself is resilient to errors.
Simulation-based understanding of texts about equipment

This thesis presents a natural language understanding system, operating in the domain of equipment consisting of mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical elements. The task of the system is to analyze reports regarding the failure, diagnosis and repair of equipment. We argue that a general knowledge of equipment is not sufficient for a full understanding of such reports. As an alternative, we propose a system which relies on a detailed simulation model to support language understanding. We describe the structure of the model and emphasize features specifically required for language understanding. We show how this model can be used in analyzing and determining the referents for complex noun phrases describing equipment parts. We outline the data structures used for concepts which are mentioned in the text but which have no permanent representation in the model, and explain how they are created during the text analysis. Similarly, we discuss the data structures for representing the facts conveyed by the text, and provide algorithms for translating text expressing facts into their representations. We point out the importance of identifying the implicit temporal and causal relations in the text and show how the simulation capabilities of the model support this task. We present a dynamic graphical interface which gives the user insight into the way the input has been understood by the system. Finally, we indicate how our system may be extended to facilitate dynamic (i.e. during the analysis of text) extensions to its data base, and to assist the user in entering new equipment models. Most aspects of the discussed system were implemented on a Symbolics Lisp machine.
Mobbingerfahrungen: Subjektive Beschreibung und Bewertung der Arbeitssituation

In dieser Arbeit werden subjektive Beschreibungen und Bewertungen der Arbeitssituation seitens gemobbter und nicht-gemobbter Personen untersucht. Insgesamt 45 Mobbingopfer und 45 nicht-gemobbte Personen beantworteten Fragebögen über Mobbingerfahrungen, ihre Arbeitszufriedenheit und assoziierten frei zu fünf Arbeitsaspekten. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, daß Gemobbte sowohl ihre KollegInnen und Vorgesetzten als auch ihre Arbeitstätigkeit, die Arbeitsbedingungen und die Organisation und Leitung ihres Betriebes oder der Verwaltung, in welcher sie tätig sind, negativ bewerten und damit unzufrieden sind. Während die Unzufriedenheit mit den sozialen Aspekten am Arbeitsplatz auf physischsachliche Aspekte generalisiert, weisen die Beschreibungen geringere Generalisierungseffekte auf. Gemobbte beschreiben ihre ArbeitskollegInnen und Vorgesetzten und auch die Organisation und Leitung anders als nicht-Gemobbte. Die Arbeitstätigkeit und die Arbeitsbedingungen scheinen aufgrund der Beschreibungsergebnisse nicht unterschiedlich wahrgenommen zu werden.
Spatial variations in crop growing seasons pivotal to reproduce global fluctuations in maize and wheat yields

Timing matters: Global crop models need better growing season information to reproduce the impacts of extreme events. Testing our understanding of crop yield responses to weather fluctuations at global scale is notoriously hampered by limited information about underlying management conditions, such as cultivar selection or fertilizer application. Here, we demonstrate that accounting for observed spatial variations in growing seasons increases the variance in reported national maize and wheat yield anomalies that can be explained by process-based model simulations from 34 to 58% and 47 to 54% across the 10 most weather-sensitive main producers, respectively. For maize, the increase in explanatory power is similar to the increase achieved by accounting for water stress, as compared to simulations assuming perfect water supply in both rainfed and irrigated agriculture. Representing water availability constraints in irrigation is of second-order importance. We improve the model’s explanatory power by better representing crops’ exposure to observed weather conditions, without modifying the weather response itself. This growing season adjustment now allows for a close reproduction of heat wave and drought impacts on crop yields.
Auditory P300 as a Neurophysiological Correlate of Symptomatic Improvement by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study

Background. The reduced amplitude, prolonged latency, and increased intertrial variability of auditory P300 have been consistently reported in relation to the symptomatic severity of schizophrenia. This study investigated whether auditory P300 event-related potentials can be used as an objective indicator of symptomatic improvement by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with schizophrenia. Methods. Ten patients with schizophrenia received 20 minutes of 2-mA tDCS twice a day for 5 consecutive weekdays. The anode was placed over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the cathode was placed over the left temporo-parietal cortex. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the auditory P300 were measured for each participant at baseline and after the completion of the tDCS applications. Results. The participants showed significant improvement in the positive and negative symptoms as indexed by change in the PANSS scores by the tDCS. The P300 amplitude, latency, and intertrial variability did not statistically significantly differ after the tDCS application. However, a significant association was observed between the reduced P300 intertrial variability and improvement in the positive symptoms by tDCS. In addition, the changes in both the P300 latency and intertrial variability were significantly correlated with reduced negative symptoms after the tDCS application. Conclusions. Although this pilot study is limited by the small sample size and lack of a sham control, the results suggest that auditory P300 may be a putative marker reflecting the effect of tDCS on the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Socio-demographic correlates of satisfaction level of primary health care personnel in Gjilan, Kosovo

Abstract Our survey conducted in 2011 aimed to assess the socio-economic correlates of primary health care personnel satisfaction in Kosovo, the newest country in Europe which is undergoing a difficult socioeconomic transition. In a sample of 142 primary health care professionals in Gjilan region, a significantly lower satisfaction level was reported among nurses compared with physicians. Overall, satisfaction level was positively related to work experience and work conditions.
Effective F-Score Feature Selection (KFFS) and Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) to Classify Congestive Heart Failure Patients

In this paper proposed a kernel F-score feature selection (KFFS) to select the features of the heart Rate Variability (HRV) congestive heart failure patients. In the proposed KEFS methods the input HRV data are transformed into linear kernel functions. If the specific Fscore value of anyone of the feature in CHF is bigger than this mean value of F-score value of the feature that feature will be selected or else it is removed from the patient records. From this point the unimportant feature are removed. Fuzzy neural network (FNN) was employed to classify the HRV with CHF selected features data into low, middle and high risk to assess the risk of the each patient. It shows that the proposed FNN classification has higher classification results in terms of the sensitivity, precision and a specificity rate in discovering elevated risk patients. Finally, the results achieved by the FNN are understandable and reliable through preceding learning with the intention of depressed HRV for evaluation of the risk for patients who have majorly suffered from CHF.
A Region-Scalable Fitting Model Algorithm Combining Gray Level Difference of Sub-image for AMOLED Defect Detection

In this paper, we improve the Region-Scalable Fitting (RSF) model by the gray level difference of sub-image for RSF model's sensitivity to initial contour and slow speed in active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) defect detection. The gray level difference of sub-image algorithm can only locate the approximate defects area. The Region-Scalable Fitting (RSF) model overcomes the detection difficulty caused by the intensity inhomogeneity, but the local characteristic makes it extremely sensitive to the position of the initial contour curve. To solve this problem, we combine the gray level difference of sub-image algorithm with the RSF model. Firstly, the approximate position of the defects area is found by the gray level difference of sub-image algorithm, and the outline of this approximate defects area is taken as the initial contour curve of the RSF model. Then we implement the RSF model to segment the defects accurately. The experimental results show that the use of gray level difference of sub-image algorithm to locate the initial contour overcomes the disadvantage that the RSF model is sensitive to the initial contour, and improves the detection speed.
To construct high level secure communication system: CTMI is not enough

Public key cryptographic (PKC) algorithms, such as the RSA, elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) etc., are widely used in the secure communication systems, such as OpenSSL, and a variety of information security systems. If designer do not securely implement them, the secret key will be easily extracted by side-channel attacks (SCAs) or combinational SCA thus mitigating the security of the entire communication system. Previous countermeasures of PKC implementations focused on the core part of the algorithms and ignored the modular inversion which is widely used in various PKC schemes. Many researchers believe that instead of straightforward implementation, constant time modular inversion (CTMI) is enough to resist the attack of simple power analysis combined with lattice analysis. However, we find that the CTMI security can be reduced to a hidden t-bit multiplier problem. Based on this feature, we firstly obtain Hamming weight of intermediate data through side-channel leakage. Then, we propose a heuristic algorithm to solve the problem by revealing the secret (partial and full) base of CTMI. Comparing previous necessary input message for masking filtering, our procedure need not any information about the secret base of the inversion. To our knowledge, this is the first time for evaluating the practical security of CTMI and experimental results show the fact that CTMI is not enough for high-level secure communication systems.
Osteoporosis and hormone replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis affects almost every other woman after menopause. Fractures due to osteoporosis are a significant cause of disability and death, therefore we try to prevent themwith antiosteoporotic medications.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had been a mainstay of osteoporosis preventionand treatment for a long time, although only with the publication of the breakthroughWomen’s Health Initiative study in 2002 we got consistent data about beneficial effects ofHRT on bone mass and fracture prevention. Paradoxically, the same study provided alsodata on harmful cardiovascular effects of HRT and considerably limited its use in the field.However, more recent data showed that HRT is safe for younger women immediately aftermenopause, so it could be easily prescribed for vasomotor symptoms relief. At the sametime, HRT is beneficial for bones, as well. On the other hand, HRT is mainly not suitable forolder women and long-term treatment. CONCLUSIONS As older women are those who sustain the majority of osteoporotic fractures, HRT isleaving its main role in osteoporosis prevention and treatment to other drugs, first of all tobisphosphonates and strontium ranelate
Computers in Human Behavior

Although studies have explored the gender categorization e ﬀ ect in both face-to-face and mediated communication environments in relation to the use of gender-linked language, whether the e ﬀ ect still holds in the context of human-machine communication (HMC) remains unknown. To examine this question, in this study, we asked 245 participants to assign gender categories to targets after viewing transcripts of the targets' conversations with a chatbot and a human interlocutor. The results showed that the participants had a better-than-chance probability (68.98%) of correctly guessing the gender of the target based on the target-human conversation transcripts. However, the predictive power of the language cues decreased sharply to a less-than-chance level (42.86%) based on target-chatbot conversation transcripts. We also examined the roles that social media use and demographics played in the gender categorization processes in both computer-mediated communication and HMC contexts. Although far from conclusive, our results suggested that there were signi ﬁ cant di ﬀ erences be-tween the styles of conversation in the target-chatbot and target-human interlocutor transcripts. These ﬁ ndings imply that people use di ﬀ erent approaches when communicating with human and non-human interlocutors.
Does Surgical Volume Influence the Need for Second Surgery? A Pilot Study

Objective To examine outcomes of pediatric thyroidectomy in the context of training background, institution, and experience of the surgeon. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting A tertiary academic medical center and a pediatric hospital. Subjects and Methods Eighty-one thyroidectomy patients younger than 18 years. Outcomes were major complications (recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, permanent hypocalcemia, and wound infection), length of stay (LOS), and need for repeat surgery. Results Eighty-one patients, 39 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and 42 from the Children’s Hospital and Medical Center–Omaha, were identified over a 12-year time period. No difference was found in surgeon training (otolaryngology/head and neck surgery vs general/pediatric surgery) for complications (1 vs 1, odds ratio [OR] = 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.05, 13.1]), LOS >1 day (5 vs 13, OR = 0.39, 95% CI = [0.13, 1.24]), or need for second surgery (4 vs 7, OR = 1.47, 95% CI = [0.39, 5.49]). Higher surgeon volume (≥12 surgeries) was found to be significant for decreased need for second surgery (3 vs 8, OR = 6.67, 95% CI = [1.57, 27.17]). Patients of higher-volume surgeons were 4.2 times more likely to stay in the hospital 1 day or less compared with those patients operated on by surgeons with less experience (7 vs 11, 95% CI = [1.59, 15.0]). Conclusions Need for second surgery in pediatric thyroidectomy may be predicted by surgical volume.
Three Factor Authentication using Webcam for securing Online Transaction

There are a continuously growing number of customers who use Online Transaction facility due to its convenience. But the security and privacy of Information may be one of the biggest concerns to the users. In face of the current security issues and the growing number of attacks and consequent frauds, new systems should be designed as to provide better authentication and identification methods. A generic and secure framework is proposed to upgrade two-factor authentication to three-factor authentication. A well designed three-factor authentication protocol authentication system can greatly improve the information assurance at low cost. In three-factor authentication, in addition to furnishing their regular password and an OTP, users will be asked to provide biometric information would irrefutably prove their identity. This fingerprint biometric information can be captured by using low cost sensors such as Web Cam. In this paper, we investigate new technique to suitably process camera images of fingertips in order to produce image which are as similar as possible to the ones coming from dedicated sensors. The proposed technique encompasses a segmentation, enhancement and matching of the fingertip image for the person's identifiaction.
Oxidant/Antioxidant Status, PON1 and ARES Activities, Trace Element Levels, and Histological Alterations in Sheep with Cystic Echinococcosis

Background: Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI), nitric oxide (NO), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) levels, paraoxonase (PON1), arylesterase (ARES) activities, and biochemical changes were studied on sheep with cystic echinococcosis. Methods: The materials were taken from 2–3 yr old sheep slaughtered in Van Province, Turkey in 2017. Before the slaughter, blood samples were collected from the healthy sheep, while various organs of animals were examined for hydatid cysts after the slaughter. Thirty sheep were protoscolex positive, hydatic group, while 30 sheep that did not have any pathological lesions in organ examinations were accepted as the control group. TOS levels, PON1 and ARES activities, and Zn levels were determined by commercial kits, while Cu levels were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The collected data were then statistically analyzed. Results: Serum TOS and OSI levels were significantly higher in sheep with cystic echinococcosis compared to the control group (P<0.001). TAS levels (P<0.01), PON1 and ARES activities, on the other hand, were significantly higher in control group compared to the cystic echinococcosis group (P<0.001). There were no significant differences in Zn, NO and Cu levels between the groups. Conclusion: PON1 and ARES activities increased in sheep infected with cyst hydatid. The decline of antioxidant reserves in the metabolism results in excessive amounts of free radicals, along with alterations of the normal histological structure of the cystic organ and changes in trace element metabolism.
Evaluating risk-adjustment methodologies for patients with mental health and substance abuse disorders in the veterans health administration

Although the difficulties in applying existing risk-adjustment measures to mental health populations are increasingly evident, the need for adequate risk-adjustment methodologies continues to increase due to the ongoing pressures of the need to constrain costs and allocate resources equitably across key population sub-groups. The performance of several risk-adjustment measures in predicting total healthcare costs and Mental Health/Substance abuse (MH/SA) costs was compared with a national sample of patients with MH/SA disorders receiving healthcare services in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Differences in the performances of the models in predicting both total and MH/SA costs were small; mean absolute prediction errors and predictive ratios did not demonstrate any clear ranking of model performance. Inequitable allocation of resources may result when models that have been developed specifically for general patient populations are applied to unique populations with different healthcare needs.