Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Efficacy of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies on Improving Physical Function.

Abstract Objective: To summarize the physical benefits of therapeutic horseback riding and hippotherapy and suggest directions for future research. Methods: Review of databases for peer-reviewed articles related to equine-assisted activities and therapies. Databases included MEDLINE via EBSCO, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Academic Search Complete. Articles were limited to those with full-text access published in English since 1987. Results: Acute and residual improvements in physical benefits, such as gross motor function (e.g., walking, running, jumping), spasticity, muscle symmetry, posture, balance, and gait occur in adults and children with varying disabilities. The benefits appear to be greatest following multiweek interventions with one or more sessions per week. Modest acute cardiovascular responses are observed during equine-assisted activities and therapies with little or no evidence for training improvements in heart rate or blood pressure at rest or during riding. Conclusion: The.
Total Resource Requirements‐Based Priority Queuing Scheme for DS/CDMA Cellular Networks

We propose and analyze a priority queuing scheme that gives priority in the same class of calls according to their total resource requirements (TRRs). The proposed scheme gives a higher priority to the calls that have a lower TRR over the calls that have a higher TRR. The numerical results show that the proposed priority queuing scheme provides better performance than the traditional queuing schemes in call blocking probability.
Neural network model for the efficient calculation of Green's functions in layered media

In this article, neural networks are employed for fast and efficient calculation of Green's functions in a layered medium. Radial basis function networks (RBFNs) are effectively trained to estimate the coefficients and the exponents that represent a Green's function in the discrete complex image method (DCIM). Results show very good agreement with the DCIM, and the trained RBFNs are very fast compared with the corresponding DCIM. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 13: 128–135, 2003.
Consumo de edulcorantes no nutritivos en bebidas carbonatadas en estudiantes universitarios de algunos países de Latinoamérica

Introduction: Consumption of carbonated beverages with nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) is increasingly common in order to maintain a healthy weight, but the effect of NNS on body weight is controversial. Materials and methods: University students (n=1,229) of both sexes aged 18 to 26, of which 472 were from Chile, 300 of Panama, 253 from Guatemala and 204 of Peru. Each student was applied a frequency survey of weekly food consumption supported by photographs of beverages with NNS from each country to determine the intake of them. Also they underwent anthropometric measurements. Results: 80% of these students consumed carbonated beverages with NNS, none of them exceeded the acceptable daily intake for sucralose, potassium acesulfame and aspartame. Increased consumption in both men and women was observed in chilean students (p<0.05). For men of all countries the consumption of aspartame listed as a protective factor OR= 0.3 (IC=0.1-0.9). However in women of all countries, sucralose consumption shows a tendency to increase the risk of overweight/obesity OR=2.1 (0.9-4.5). Conclusions: Aspartame appears as a protective factor in men. Whereas in women, consumption of sucralose has a tendency to increase the risk of overweight/obesity.
False Type An in Secretory Otitis Media (SOM): Some Case Reports

Secretory Otitis Media (SOM) appears as various types in tympanometry test including Type C1, Type C2, Type B, Type As. As we expect Type As in otosclerosis but we encounter Type An in many occasions, this is also the case in SOM. In this study, we will deal with case report of the patients with SOM, in which Type An is seen before and after treatment.
SiC and GaN transistors - is there one winner for microwave power applications?

Wide bandgap semiconductors show promise for high-power microwave electronic devices. Primarily due to low breakdown voltage, it has not been possible to design and fabricate solid-state transistors that can yield radio-frequency (RF) output power on the order of hundreds to thousands of watts. This has severely limited their use in power applications. Recent improvements in the growth of wide bandgap semiconductor materials, such as SiC and the GaN-based alloys, provide the opportunity to now design and fabricate microwave transistors that demonstrate performance previously available only from microwave tubes. The most promising electronic devices for fabrication in wide bandgap semiconductors for these applications are metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs) fabricated from the 4H-SiC polytype and heterojunction field-effect transistors (HFETs) fabricated using the AlGaN/GaN heterojunction. These devices can provide RF output power on the order of 5-6 W/mm and 10-12 W/mm of gate periphery, respectively. 4H-SiC MESFETs should produce useful performance at least through X band and AlGaN/GaN HFETs should produce useful performance well into the millimeter-wave region, and potentially as high as 100 GHz.
Input saturation and global stabilization by output feedback for affine systems

For multi-input multi-output nonlinear systems whose free dynamics are Lyapunov stable, we show how the problem of global stabilization via dynamic output feedback can be solved by using the technique of input saturation. The power of this technique is also illustrated by solving the problem of global stabilization via bounded state feedback, for affine nonlinear systems with stable unforced dynamics. Analogous results are established for discrete-time nonlinear systems. <<ETX>>
Making benchmarks uncheatable

The industry is full of anecdotes of benchmark "cheating" of various degrees ranging from innocent mistakes to flagrant misuse. Based on the tremendous progress made in recent years in theoretical computer science, it becomes possible to make a wide variety of existing benchmarks more accurate, resistant to tampering and more trustworthy. We propose two methods, the Secret Key method and the result verification method, to take computational advantage in judging performance claims. A realtime measurement method is also proposed to prevent cheating on performance reporting. The design and implementation of uncheatable benchmarks are presented in this paper.
Experiences with system level design for consumer ICs

The continuing trend towards higher integration densities of ICs makes systems-on-a-chip possible. For well defined application domains "silicon platforms" must be defined which combine efficient implementations with programmability. Platforms are heterogeneous reconfigurable multiprocessor architectures supporting a variety of communication and computation models. As a consequence designers are facing a large architecture space with new possibilities for new architectures. To exploit these opportunities a better understanding of system level architectures is necessary. A first step in this direction is to learn from design exercises. Eventually this may lead towards a system level design method.
Reading Ability: Lexical Quality to Comprehension

The lexical quality hypothesis (LQH) claims that variation in the quality of word representations has consequences for reading skill, including comprehension. High lexical quality includes well-specified and partly redundant representations of form (orthography and phonology) and flexible representations of meaning, allowing for rapid and reliable meaning retrieval. Low-quality representations lead to specific word-related problems in comprehension. Six lines of research on adult readers demonstrate some of the implications of the LQH. First, large-scale correlational results show the general interdependence of comprehension and lexical skill while identifying disassociations that allow focus on comprehension-specific skill. Second, word-level semantic processing studies show comprehension skill differences in the time course of form-meaning confusions. Studies of rare vocabulary learning using event-related potentials (ERPs) show that, third, skilled comprehenders learn new words more effectively and show stronger ERP indicators for memory of the word learning event and, fourth, suggest skill differences in the stability of orthographic representations. Fifth, ERP markers show comprehension skill differences in meaning processing of ordinary words. Finally, in text reading, ERP results demonstrate momentary difficulties for low-skill comprehenders in integrating a word with the prior text. The studies provide evidence that word-level knowledge has consequences for word meaning processes in comprehension.
Architects' Cognitive Behaviour in Parametric Design

This paper presents the results of a protocol study of professional architects' cognitive behaviour in a parametric design environment. A design experiment was conducted in which eight professional architects completed an architectural conceptual design task in a typical parametric design environment –Rhino and Grasshopper. Protocol analysis was then applied to analyse the cognitive behaviour of the architects. In analysing the protocol data, the FBS ontology adopted for developing the coding scheme was sub-divided into design knowledge and rule algorithm classes as the means to capture designers' cognitive behaviour. Applying the method of cumulative analysis, results of the relative cognitive effort expended on design knowledge and rule algorithm classes have been compared and are discussed in the paper.
Skull and Soft Tissue Metastasis of an Occult Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report

Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is the second most common cancer of the thyroid after papillary carcinoma. Skull metastasis of thyroid carcinoma is rare and only about 1.7% of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma present bone metastasis. We present a very rare case of skull and soft tissue metastasis from an occult FTC in a 60-year-old female with 4 years follow-up.
Service Learning in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Integrative Project Course: An Experience in China

Service learning is a teaching method used by business faculty to link the learning goals and objectives of an academic course with meaningful community service. Although service learning has been advanced in business education in the United States and other Western countries, little has been reported on its use outside the Western context. In this article, the authors describe an experience with the introduction and implementation of a service-learning project in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in south China. Preliminary feedback shows that students, faculty, and community partners have reported numerous benefits from the service-learning experience similar to those reported in the Western context.
Performance aspects of mapping neural networks onto a massively parallel SIMD computer

In this paper we present and compare three different massively parallel implementations of multilayer feedforward neural networks on a MasPar MP-1216, a parallel SIMD computer with 16,384 processors. For multilayer feedforward networks we have obtained sustained rates of up to 348 MCPS and 129 MCUPS with backpropagation, a high mark for general purpose SIMD computers. After a brief introduction to SNNS, the paper first focuses on the problems of mapping neural networks to parallel hardware. Different aspects of parallelism are presented. Two combinations of unit and training pattern parallelism were implemented as well as link and training pattern parallelism. We describe the implementation problems in obtaining high propagation rates on a SIMD machine and problems with the resulting learning algorithms in general.
A TRAJETÓRIA DA ESCOLA FAMÍLIA AGRÍCOLA DE PORTO NACIONAL

A Escola Familia Agricola de Porto Nacional existe no municipio desde 1994 e sua clientela e constituida basicamente por filhos de pequenos agricultores e assentados, agentes que ha tempo estao envolvidos na luta pela terra. A implantacao da EFA na regiao aconteceu de forma diferente daquela que normalmente acontece em todo o pais, ou seja, a escola surgiu desvinculada da Igreja e impulsionada por uma organizacao nao-governamental tendo, ainda, como caracteristica diferencial a utilizacao do metodo Paulo Freire (pedagogia da libertacao) associado a pedagogia da alternância. Os proponentes da EFA buscam oferecer na regiao uma educacao rural diferente, voltada para a realidade do campo, comprometida com o trabalho e as lutas cotidianas dos camponeses, uma educacao libertadora, por isso, a opcao por uma escola desvinculada da Igreja, instituicao reconhecidamente comprometida com o Estado, com a burguesia e seus interesses.
A Pyogenic Thalamic Abscess Treated Using CT Guided Free Hand Aspiration of Abscess at a Centre in Rural India

Very few cases of pyogenic thalamic abscess have been reported in literature. Deep seated brain abscess like the one in basal ganglia are rare and pose clinical, imaging and surgical challenge. CT guided stereotactic aspiration is recommended modality of treatment. In rural centers without stereo toxic apparatus, aspiration of such lesion becomes technically difficult using conventional burrhole-aspiration methods. We present a unique technique of free hand aspiration of thalamic abscess under CT guidance. This technique is the first of its kind to be reported in literature.
Technique of Javascript Code Obfuscation Based on Control Flow Tansformations

With the rapid development of scripting language, javascript has been widely used in the application and web development industry.One of the main disadvantages of javascript for developers of commercial applications is the ease by which customers and competitors can study, analyze, and reuse the source code . Therefore, this paper proposes a technique of javascript code obfuscation based on control flow tansformations. The experimental results prove that,its effective protect javascript source code.
Software process and early project planning: issues, insights and lessons learned

A matured software process is important, particularly for large or long-lived systems. It can help to ensure quality and reduce maintenance cost. Software processes based upon software engineering institute capability maturity model will head off many problems and lead to efficient, steady-state development. However, the business acquisition phase omits many important process considerations. When this happens, it is hard to reverse and virtually impossible to optimize the eventual contract and process. Several categories of breakdown can occur in such areas as communication, coordination, timely execution, training, capital planning and procurement, and roles and role transitions. These can be considered as management challenges, and are solvable. This paper contains examples of problems arising, and presents some ideas on an enlightened business acquisition model that avoids process problems during program execution.
A Local Overlapping Community Detection Method in Complex Networks

Community structure detection has great importance in finding the relationships of elements in complex networks. This paper presents a method of simultaneously taking into account the weak community structure definition and community subgraph density, based on the greedy strategy for community expansion. The results are compared with several previous methods on artificial networks and real world networks. And experimental results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of our approach.
Quantizing the 9/7 Daubechies filter coefficients for 2D DWT VLSI implementations

In this paper, two basic approaches for implementing the 9/7 filtering unit, used in the discrete wavelet transform, are addressed. The first is the lifting scheme approach and the second is the convolutional filter approach. both used in the JPEG2000 standard. Two architectures are examined for each approach, a simple straightforward one and an improved one, substituting the multipliers used for scaling with shift add operations. The quantization of the constants used in the calculations is thoroughly explored and the selection of the data-path bit-width is addressed. Experimental results based on hardware implementation, for several quantizations and for the different hardware architectures of the 9/7 filtering units are given.
An Efficient Web Service Composition Method Based on the Price-Time Petri Net

At present, developers can rapidly generate applications through Web service composition, the quality of service (QoS) of web service composition is important, but most of the existing composition methods are difficult to balance the QoS indexes (Such as time and price). In this paper, a web service composition method based on the price-time Petri net is proposed, the minimum cost can be obtained by modeling based on price time Petri net, and presents a method of priced state class to analyze the cost of web service composition model. Theoretical analysis and case analysis show that the price-time Petri net method is feasible to study Web service composition with the minimum cost.
A Microblog Classification Algorithm for Real-Time Search

As a social network, microblog has obtained great attention and gotten wide application. Applications of microblog need to retrieve quickly information with the support of real-time search technology in order to implement information sharing. A query classification algorithm of microblog for real-time search was put forward. Based on question classification mechanism, the algorithm divides queries into two categories: the candidate queries and the popular queries, and takes separate storage strategy. Test results show that the classification algorithm can reduce real-time search time and improve the efficiency of retrieval.
Docencia y cultura bibliotecaria americana frente a la española: una experiencia

My experience working at Davis Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and my course-work at the School of Information and Library Science have let me learn the reality of American university libraries and academic programs. All of this insight allows me to contrast this to the Spanish context and to reflect and evaluate both from the perspective of a Spanish librarian. The collection development departments, the Triangle Research Library Network, the use of chat reference and the instruction in the School of Library and information science allow us to understand a different world and culture that enriches us and broadens our vision from which we can all learn.
Please Scroll down for Article Connection Science Neural Nets with Markers and Gaussian-distributed Connectivities Neural Nets with Markers and Gaussian-distributed Connectivities

This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. We investigate probabilistic neural nets with the inclusion of chemical markers and Gaussian distribution of the connectivities of the constituent neurons. We stun from the studied case of Poisson distributions and extend it to an analogous formalism for the acrivity of a netlet with Gaussian characteristics. The analytical formulae are somewhat more complicated due to the presence of markers. The results show that the change from a Poisson to a Gaussian distribution may cause a net to change class if it belongs to class A, making it class B. This trend is similar to the one observed in the absence of markers. We also observe interesting trends in the variation of the sizes of the markers by isolating the contribution of each subnet to the overall activity. Finally, the general repercussions of the present work to our understanding of the dynamics of the brain network are discussed.
Evidence for cigarette smoke-induced oxidative stress in the rat pancreas

Background/aims: Recent findings with a rodent model of cigarette smoke inhalation revealed a causal relationship between chronic exposure to cigarette smoke and the development of pancreatitis. The present study was conducted to ascertain whether cigarette smoke induces oxidative stress in the rat pancreas concurrently with inflammation. Methodology: Rats (six per treatment group) were treated for 0, 3, 6, 9, or 12 weeks with cigarette smoke (0.7 mg/L). Pancreatic tissues were examined for histological and pathological alterations and serum for changes in interleukin-6 concentration. Pancreatic expression and localization of α-smooth muscle actin, transforming growth factor-β1, and collagen-1 were determined as measures of progressive inflammation/fibrosis. Pancreatic superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and malondialdehyde content were measured as indices of oxidative stress. Results: Inflammatory cell infiltration and ductal hyperplasia were detected in pancreata after 12 weeks of treatment with cigarette smoke. The serum interleukin-6 concentration increased significantly and pancreatic glutathione peroxidase activity declined significantly after 12 weeks of treatment. No other significant changes were observed. Conclusions: Pancreata of rats exposed chronically to cigarette smoke exhibit inflammation concurrently with suppression of glutathione peroxidase activity. These observations favor a role for oxidative stress in the induction of pancreatitis associated with chronic cigarette smoke inhalation.
Improvement Of CCD Camera Resolution Using A Jittering Technique

Many machine vision systems use cameras as measuring devices, for example to determine the geometry of an ob-ject, and hence the resolution of the camera and any dis-tortions in the image are very important. In this paper, the factors creating distortion and limiting resolution in a typical CCD imaging system are listed, and a method of calibration for some of these factors is outlined. Two techniques for increasing camera resolution by jittering', (taking multiple images displaced by a known sub-pixel amount) are described and some initial results are presented.