Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plant Self-Incompatibility: Or, Self-Induction of Population Genetic Diversity

The purpose of pollination is fertilization and seed production. Charles Darwin initiated studies on the phenomenon of plants “. which are completely sterile with their own pollen, but are fertile with that of any other individual of the same species” (Darwin, 1878). This inability for self-pollination is defined as self-incompatibility (SI). Self-incompatible plants have genetic systems that prevent self-fertilization through the recognition and rejection of pollen expressing the same allelic specificity as that expressed in the pistils. The mechanisms of SI, by promoting the outcrossing, would have an important influence on diversification and speciation of angiosperms because effective genetic mechanism preventing inbreeding allowed flowering plants to adapt to different environmental conditions and to accelerate the pace of evolution. Currently, SI systems are distributed widely throughout angiosperm lineages and are present in approximately 19 orders, 71 families and 250 genera comprising approximately 60% of angiosperm species (Allen & Hiscock, 2008). However, selfincompatibility systems are greatly heterogeneous and it is difficult to establish their evolutionary relationships or to determine the ancestral SI state.
An EM approach to carrier phase recovery in AWGN channel

In this paper, the problem of carrier phase recovery of linearly modulated signals in the presence of unknown data symbols is studied within the expectation-maximization (EM) framework using two different approaches. First, an iterative joint maximum likelihood (ML) phase estimator and data detector is derived using conditional maximization steps. Secondly, an iterative joint ML nondata-aided (NDA) phase and power spectral density estimator is derived for uncoded and coded transmitted signals. The main difference between the approaches is that the first estimator uses hard decisions whereas the second estimator uses soft decisions about the data symbols at each iteration. Furthermore, the mean-squared performance of the second estimator is approximated by the inverse of the empirical observed Fisher information. Finally, it is shown that the recursive approximations of both estimators lead to the Costas type of loops introduced earlier in the literature.
Program Evaluation in the Absence of Goals: A Comprehensive Approach to the Evaluation of a Population-Based Breast Cancer Screening Program

Abstract: The aim of the province-wide Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) is to reduce breast cancer mortality through providing screening for breast cancer to all Ontario women 50 and over. The authors identify the components of the OBSP and the organizational, political, and financial challenges and biases affecting its evaluation. They then argue that because key players have not yet established program goals from which process and outcome indicators can be identified, a goal-directed evaluation is not currently possible. They therefore develop a framework to permit the identification, categorization, and prioritization of all factors that need to be addressed in a comprehensive evaluation of the OBSP. This evaluation approach may be of assistance to evaluators of other complex programs about which consensus on program goals has not yet been attained.
A movement control on indoor blimp robots

This paper introduces a three dimensional movement control on indoor blimp robots. There are advantages that blimps do not need driving force to float and they can move in three dimensional spaces. However, it is not easy to control them. Furthermore they are kinds of under-actuated systems with non-holonomic constraints. Therefore, we try to design a controller of blimps using non-linear control theory.
Intrauterine infection and the development of cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a serious motor disorder that appears in early life. The expectation that improved obstetrical and neonatal care would decrease the rate of this condition has not been realised. Recent evidence indicates that white matter brain lesions, often termed periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), are the most important identifiable risk factors for the development of cerebral palsy. The hypothesis under examination is that inflammatory cytokines released during the course of intrauterine infection play a central role in the genesis of preterm parturition, fetal PVL, and cerebral palsy. We examined the relationship between umbilical cord plasma concentrations of cytokines at birth and the occurrence of PVL in preterm gestation and demonstrated that umbilical cord plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)‐6 was a significant independent predictor of PVL‐associated lesions. We also demonstrated that preterm neonates born to mothers with elevated amniotic fluid concentrations of pro‐inflammatory cytokines were at increased risk for the subsequent development of PVL and cerebral palsy. Histological chorioamnionitis and congenital neonatal infection‐related morbidity were more common in neonates with PVL than those without PVL in this study. We have also been able to induce PVL‐like brain white matter lesions in the fetal rabbit after experimental ascending intrauterine infection. In support of this hypothesis, we were able to demonstrate overexpression of tumour necrosis factor‐alpha and IL‐6 in histological sections of neonatal brains with PVL. Moreover, the presence of funisitis, a histological counterpart of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome, and elevated concentrations of amniotic fluid IL‐6 and IL‐8 were strong and independent risk factors for the subsequent development of cerebral palsy at the age of 3 years in our recent study. Therefore, clinical and experimental data provide strong support for the hypothesis. There are significant implications of our findings. First, cytokine determinations in amniotic fluid provide information about the risk of PVL and cerebral palsy before birth. Second, the process responsible for some cases of PVL and cerebral palsy begins during intrauterine life, implying that effective strategies for the prevention of cerebral palsy associated with PVL must begin in utero.
Synaptic Amplification in Motoneurons: Computational and Mechanistic Implications

Motoneurons are known to possess the latent ability to amplify their inputs in a voltage-dependent manner. Additionally, this synaptic amplification is known to be under neuromodulatory control. This paper presents results from a computer modeling study for one possible mechanism, termed electrotonic compression, which could underlie this behavior
Dispatch of generation and demand side response in regional grids

Demand response (DR) is now recognized by utilities as an effective way to increase operating reserves and improve network congestion. To enhance system operation flexibility, a novel model of generation dispatch in regional grids with integrated demand side response is proposed. In the optimal power problem, the semi-definite programming method is used to find the global optimal value. The concept of the dissatisfaction degree for customers and the utility is introduced into the problem formulation to determine a proper compensation to be paid to customers participating in DR. The test results of an IEEE test system are presented to verify the performance of the proposed method as well as to demonstrate the benefit of incorporating demand response into generation dispatch.
Persistent atrial fibrillation as a prognostic factor of outcome in patients with advanced heart failure.

INTRODUCTION Chronic heart failure (CHF) is associated with high morbidity and mortality and is diagnosed more and more frequently. Fifteen to 30% of patients with systolic CHF develop atrial fibrillation (AF). AIM To establish whether persistent AF was an independent predictor of mortality, and had a predictive value with respect to late clinical outcomes in patients with systolic CHF. METHODS Analysis comprised 120 men with systolic CHF. In 35 (58%) patients CHF was the result of ischaemic heart disease and in 25 (42%)--idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Presence or absence of AF was a criterion of patients' subsequent division into two subgroups. Sixty patients with AF were assigned to the AF group. The control group involved 60 individuals with CHF and sinus rhythm (SR) on enrollment. Mean follow-up time was 36 months. RESULTS Overall 59 (49%) patients died during 3-year follow-up, including 33 (56%) in the AF group. Deaths were noted more often in CHF patients with underlying ischaemic heart disease than DCM (66% vs 34%). This difference reached statistical significance in the AF group (72% vs 28%, p<0.001). Moreover, patients with AF more often complained of palpitations (p<0.01), had worse exercise capacity (p<0.01) as well as more frequently presented complex ventricular arrhythmia (p<0.01). The rate of hospital readmission was also higher (p<0.02). In univariate as well as multivariate analysis, AF was not found to be an independent predictor of mortality. Factors with a potential impact on adverse prognosis were concomitant complex ventricular arrhythmias (p=0.01), diabetes (0.04) and reduced exercise capacity (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Persistent AF is not an independent risk factor of death in patients with advanced systolic CHF. However, it has an unfavourable impact on functional status. Concomitant complex ventricular arrhythmias and reduced exercise capacity worsen prognosis in this group of patients.
Force and pressure distribution using Macintosh and GlideScope laryngoscopes in normal airway: an in vivo study.

BACKGROUND Forces applied on oropharyngeal soft tissues by direct laryngoscopy may cause damage to the patients. The aim of this study was to measure the forces applied during the manoeuvres to achieve glottis visualization and tracheal intubation, comparing direct laryngoscopy and videolaryngoscopy in vivo. METHODS Thirty adult patients (ASA physical status 1 or 2, BMI between 18 and 30 kg/m2, no difficulty to intubate) were randomly and blindly assigned to one of two groups. Forces and pressure distribution applied during glottis visualization and intubation were measured using film pressure transducers, comparing Macintosh direct laryngoscope and GlideScope videolaryngoscope. RESULTS Fifteen patients from each group, all with Cormack-Lehane grade 1 view, were analyzed. Forces applied during the intubation with the GlideScope were significantly lower than forces applied with the Macintosh (8+4 N vs. 40+14 N, respectively, P<0.001). Considering the Macintosh laryngoscope, the minimal force applied for glottis visualization was significantly lower than the one applied for intubation (16+6 N vs. 40+14 N, respectively, P<0.005). When using the Macintosh laryngoscope, forces were concentrated mostly on the tip, whereas with the GlideScope forces' concentration in a particular area was not observed. CONCLUSION Our study shows that in patients with normal airways the GlideScope allows a view of glottis and permits a successful tracheal intubation applying lower force (significantly in intubation) as compared to the Macintosh laryngoscope. Also, the GlideScope probe distributes the forces more homogeneously to the tissue thus further reducing the potential for tissue damage.
Robust facial landmark detection in the wild

This thesis studies robust facial landmark detection (FLD) algorithms for faces in the wild. In general, a facial landmark detector is applied to a face bounding box, generated by a face detector, to obtain accurate geometric positions of a set of predefined landmarks for a face image. The landmarks are usually needed to extract accurate facial texture features in subsequent stages in an automatic face analysis system. Unfortunately, in uncontrolled scenarios, the variations in appearance caused by pose, expression, illumination and occlusion pose obstacles and difficulties in FLD. Classical algorithms often fail for faces in the wild in the presence of these variations. To meet the requirements for robust FLD in the wild, the thesis presents three main contributions to the field: Firstly, to achieve variation-invariant FLD, we study the tensor-based active appearance model. One of the difficulties of using a tensor model is that it requires a complete training dataset that includes training samples of all modes of variation for each subject, but in practice we often encounter the problem of missing training samples. To deal with this issue, we propose the use of tensor completion methods to reconstruct missing shape and global texture in tensor-based active appearance model. Secondly, in recent years, discriminative cascaded regression has received extensive attention in FLD. We consider the problem of scale variation in shape update and local feature extraction when using a regression-based model, and develop an adaptive scheme for scale-invariant FLD. In addition, a new random cascaded regression copse structure has been designed to improve the generalization capability of the cascaded regression method. Lastly, since cascaded regression is supervised, a large amount of training data is crucial. However, the task of providing training samples is often time-consuming, involving a considerable amount of tedious manual work. As an alternative, we propose the use of a 3D morphable face model to generate synthesised faces for regression-based detector training. To adapt the model trained on the synthetic data to real face images, we propose a cascaded collaborative regression algorithm. The training is based on a mix of synthetic and real image data with the mixing controlled by a dynamic mixture weighting schedule.
Spontaneous Regression of a Conjunctival Malignant Melanoma

Abstract Introduction: Conjunctival malignant melanoma (MM) is a rare malignancy and accounts for 2% of all ocular malignancies. We describe what we believe to be the first reported case of complete spontaneous regression of a conjunctival malignant melanoma. Methods: A 75-year-old female presented with a large, pigmented lesion in her left lower fornix. Histopathology revealed a mixed cell type MM. The tumour regressed spontaneously. Now, 6 years after she first presented, she remains well and there is no sign of recurrence or metastasis. Conclusion: Spontaneous regression is not always synonymous with complete cure from the underlying disease but may represent a temporary regression due to host protective mechanisms. In our patient regression and cure were complete.
Intensity Dependent Nonlinear Absorption in Direct and Indirect Band Gap Crystals under Nano and Picosecond Z-Scan

The nonlinear absorption properties of direct (GaN) and indirect (CdI2) band gap crystals have been studied by using an open aperture Z-scan technique under fundamental (1064 nm) and frequency doubled (532 nm) wavelength respectively with 10 ns or 60 ps pulse durations. Direct band gap crystal exhibits two and three photon absorption at all input irradiances. On the other hand, at low input irradiance the indirect band gap crystal exhibits saturable absorption (SA). At higher input irradiances two and three photon absorption becomes dominant. A monotonic increase of the nonlinear absorption coefficients with increasing laser pulse duration from 60 ps to 10 ns is observed for GaN and CdI2 crystals.
Stabilizing effects of extracellular ATP on synaptic efficacy and plasticity in hippocampal pyramidal neurons

The role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a neurotransmitter and extracellular diffusible messenger has recently received considerable attention because of its possible participation in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. However, the possible contribution of extracellular ATP in maintaining and regulating synaptic efficacy during intracellular ATP depletion is understudied. We tested the effects of extracellular ATP on excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) evoked in CA1 pyramidal neurons by Schaffer collateral stimulation. In the absence of intracellular ATP, EPSC rundown was neutralized when a low concentration of ATP (1 µm) was added to the extracellular solution. Adenosine and ATP analogues did not prevent the EPSC rundown. The P2 antagonists piridoxal‐5′‐phosphate‐azophenyl 2′,4′‐disulphonate (PPADS) and reactive blue‐2, and the P1 adenosine receptor antagonist 8‐cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT) had no detectable effects in cells depleted of ATP. However, the protective action of extracellular ATP on synaptic efficacy was blocked by extracellular application of the protein kinase inhibitors K252b and staurosporine. In contrast, K252b and staurosporine per se did not interfere with synaptic transmission in ATP loaded cells. Without intracellular ATP, bath‐applied caffeine induced a transient (< 35 min) EPSC potentiation that was transformed into a persistent long‐term potentiation (> 80 min) when 1 µm ATP was added extracellularly. An increased probability of transmitter release paralleled the long‐term potentiation induced by caffeine, suggesting that it originated presynaptically. Therefore, we conclude that extracellular ATP may operate to maintain and regulate synaptic efficacy and plasticity in conditions of abnormal intracellular ATP depletion by phosphorylation of a surface protein substrate via activation of ecto‐protein kinases.
Optimization of a chip-scale Rb plasma discharge light source: Effects of RF drive frequency and cell impedance

We report on the performance improvements achieved on our previously demonstrated proof-of-concept chip-scale dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) Rb lamp [1], (1) with change in the plasma regime of operation by changing RF drive frequency and (2) with an improved electrode design, for optical pumping in a chip-scale Double-Resonance (DR) atomic clock. Our realized microfabricated planar DBD Rb lamp now has externally deposited Al electrodes, allowing for efficient power coupling to the discharge volume and was tested at different RF drive frequencies ranging from 2 MHz to 500 MHz. Currently the light source can emit up to 380 µW of optical power on the Rb D2 line depending on input conditions.
Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of guanfacine in man: a review.

1 The fate of guanfacine has been investigated extensively in animals. 2 Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of [14C]-guanfacine were studied in fourteen subjects given 3 mg orally (seven subjects) and 2.3 mg intravenously. Plasma levels and urinary excretion of radioactivity were measured by liquid scintillation counting. Parent drug was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The analytical results were submitted to pharmacokinetic evaluation using the SAAM 26 programme. Metabolites in urine were identified by high pressure liquid chromatography. 3 Guanfacine was rapidly and completely absorbed. Its absolute bioavailability was close to 100%, no evidence of any first-pass effect being found. 4 Its distribution was characterized by low blood levels, low plasma protein binding and a relatively high affinity to the tissues (Vd of 300 l). 5 The elimination half-life of the β-phase was 17 hours. The major route of excretion (80% of the dose) was in the urine. About 1/3 to 1/4 of the total clearance of 11 l/h was renal. 6 The principal metabolite was the 3-hydroxy-derivative of guanfacine conjugated as either O-glucuronide or O-sulphate. The important fraction (30%) of parent drug found in the urine demonstrates a rather moderate biotransformation of guanfacine in man. 7 The results of an additional study after multiple dosing showed that the measured steady-state plasma levels were in agreement with the values predicted from a single dose experiment and proportional to the daily dosage.
Improving Employee Satisfaction on Performance Appraisal: A Case Study on Thai Companies

A company's success often depends on its employees' performance. Performance appraisals on employees need to be conducted regularly in order to improve quality of work. Inappropriately performed appraisal can lead to employee dissatisfaction and decline in work performance. We conducted a survey on performance measurement by sending out 300 questionnaires to some government agencies and some private companies in Thailand and obtained a response rate of 48.5%. The survey was done in order to obtain information regarding the existing appraisal systems in Thailand; the criteria being used in the appraisal systems to evaluate employees; employees' level of satisfaction on job, training systems and feedback methods; and to get a better idea of what kind of appraisal system would be suitable for Thai companies. Certain hypotheses were set and data analyses were performed on the data collected from the survey. The data analysis has helped us to determine the factors which truly affect and are important to improve employee satisfaction on performance appraisal. These factors can be used to construct a computer-based performance measurement system in a quantitative way, which should result in higher satisfaction for both employers and employees
Ultraflexible Tactile Piezoelectric Sensor Based on Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Transistor Technology

In this paper, we present an ultraflexible tactile sensor, in a piezo-eletricoxide-semiconductor FET configuration, composed by a poly[vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene] capacitor with an embedded readout circuitry, based on nMOS polysilicon electronics, integrated directly on polyimide. The ultraflexible device is designed according to an extended gate configuration. The sensor exhibits enhanced piezoelectric properties, thanks to the optimization of the poling procedure (with electric field up to 3 MV/cm), reaching a final piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 47 pC/N. The device has been electromechanically tested by applying perpendicular forces with a minishaker. The tactile sensor, biased in a common-source arrangement, shows a linear response to increasing sinusoidal stimuli (up to 2 N) and increasing operating frequencies (up to 1200 Hz), obtaining a response up to 430 mV/N at 200 Hz for the sensor with the highest value of d33. The sensor performances were also tested after several cycles of controlled bending in different amount of humidity with the intent to investigate the device behavior in real conditions.
User Exploration of Slider Facets in Interactive People Search System

People search is an important search task where the goal is to find people instead of documents. Providing search facets in a people search system can help users better describe their search intents. Some systems provide checkboxes for the discrete values of each facet to assist users filtering search results. Some other systems in recent studies provide sliders to represent the continuous values of facets. Slider facets enable an interactive search system to handle the facets without discrete values. Yet, the ways of how users interact with slider facets are rarely studied, particularly for people search tasks. Based on a user study with 24 participants using an interactive people search interface with three slider facets, we find that users indeed utilize the slider facets consistently in their search processes to fine-tune the search results ranking. We also find that although tuning the slider facets values can bring performance boost but users are lack of abilities to locate the optimal facet-values, which indicates the necessity of providing automatic facet-value suggestion.