Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Game Sound Technology and Player Interaction : Concepts and Developments

Computer game sound is particularly dependent upon the use of both sound artefacts and music. Sound and music are media rich in information. Audio and music processing can be approached from a range of perspectives which may or may not consider the meaning and purpose of this information. Computer music and digital audio are being advanced through investigations into emotion, content analysis, and context, and this chapter attempts to highlight the value of considering the information content present in sound, the context of the user being exposed to the sound, and the emotional reactions and interactions that are possible between the user and game sound. We demonstrate that by analysing the information present within media and considering the applications and purpose of a particular type of information, developers can improve user experiences and reduce overheads while creating more suitable, efficient applications. Some illustrated examples of our research projects that employ these theories are provided. Although the examples of research and development applications are not always examples from computer game sound, they can be related back to computer games. We aim to stimulate the reader’s imagination and thought in these areas, rather than attempt to drive the reader down one particular path.
Rapid Ant based clustering-genetic algorithm (RAC-GA) with local search for clustering problem

Article history: Received 28 October 2011 Accepted December, 5 2011 Available online 14 December 2011 Clustering is a critical data analysis and it is a popular data mining technique. This paper presents a rapid Ant based clustering-genetic algorithm (RAC-GA) with local search to solve clustering problem. GA and local search are used as a global and local search to obtain better results. The proposed algorithm is evaluated by testing on some of the well-known real-world datasets, and the results are compared with other popular heuristics in clustering, such as GA, SA, TS, ACO and RAC. The results show strong improvement both in quality solution and process time area, especially in process time which is much less than previous algorithms. © 2012 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved
An Image-Based Navigation Support System for Neuroendoscopic Surgery

We develop a navigation support system for endoscopic interventions which allows to extract 3D-information from the endoscopic video data and to superimpose 3D-information onto such live video sequences. The endoscope is coupled to a position measurement system and a video camera as components of a calibrated system. We show that the radial distortions of the wide-angle endoscopic lens system can be successfully corrected and that an overall accuracy of about 0.7mm is achieved. Tracking on endoscopic live video sequences allows to obtain accurate 3D-depth data from multiple camera views.
Sol-Gel Derived LiNbO3: Its Crystallization Behavior Analyzed by High-Temperature X-Ray Diffraction Method

Here, we have examined the crystallization behavior of a sol-gel derived LiNbO3 precursor using a high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) method. LiOC2H5 and Nb (OC2H5)5 were used as starting alkoxides. High-temperature reaction behavior was analyzed by HT-XRD up to 1000°C in air on a Pt stage, as well as by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis up to 1100°C in air. HT-XRD, DTA-TG and SEM observation revealed that ~700°C was a favorable temperature to obtain fine and well-crystallized LiNbO3 crystals.
PRELIMINARY BIOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SIDDHA FORMULATION SIVANAR VEMBU CHOORANAM

Sivanar vembu Chooranam (SVC) is a single herbal formulation which is being used clinically for the treatment of several types of skin diseases and it is exclusively used for the effective management of Kalanchaga padai (Psoriasis). Although this disease may not affect the survival of the patients, the chronic stable plaques may also progress rapidly with symptoms such as intense pruritis and burning and can affect the quality of life. The present study was conducted in-vivo using experimental animal models of albino rats with water extract of SVC for evaluating the analgesic, acute and chronic anti inflammatory activity and the results were compared with standard drugs paracetamol and ibuprofen respectively. In-vitro model of guinea pig ileum was used as to evaluate the antihistaminic activity in which the study drug SVC was given to observe the inhibitory effect of histamine induced contractions. Preliminary qualitative analysis of biochemical constituents was also performed to have a basic knowledge of the phytoconstituents responsible for the pharmacological action of Sivanar vembu Chooranam (SVC). Upon comparing the pharmacological action of SVC with standard drugs, the results showed that the single herbal formulation SVC had good analgesic, moderate anti-inflammatory and significant anti histaminic effect.
Professor Blodwen Lloyd Binns MSc, PhD, DSc, FLS (1901 - 1991): an updated appreciation, a quarter century after her death

The contributions from the income generated to the development of the GNHS in general and in respect of her particular wishes during the first twenty years of its establishment have been documented by Downie et al. (2012). At that time there was only one item on her list outstanding, namely to research and complete her biography of Professor John Scouler. This has now been ably accomplished by Dr Charles Nelson (2014) so that the GNHS Council has considered that it is therefore time to publish an appreciation of her life and work, to fill out the account provided in her obituary (Macpherson, 1992).
Flexible foundations of abstract thought: A review and a theory

Since the proposal of conceptual metaphors as the representational means for grounding abstract concepts in concrete sensorio-motor experiences, experimental research about this issue is on the rise. The present paper identifies the problem of flexibility as one of the key questions that remains to receive a satisfactory answer, and proposes a psycho logically plausible model that offers such an answer. The model is grounded on basic spatial cognition principles, working memory representations and attentional processes. This framework integrates prior results and licenses several new predictions. Direct test of some of these predictions is provided by two recent studies from our lab. Finally, we discuss the implications of this framework for the issues of the manifestation of conceptual metaphors in behaviour, the acquisition of conceptual metaphors, their cross-cultural variation, and the Symbol Grounding Problem.
The effect of Maneb on implantation, fecundity rate and the thyroid activity in the rabbit

The fungicide Maneb is a member of the family of dithiocarbamates that is used in the control of the fungal diseases of plants. The purpose of this work is to examine the effect of Maneb on implantation and thyroid activity at doses of 5, 10 and 50 mg/kg/day by gavage for 10 days in the domestic female rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus. The rabbits were sacrificed on the 11th day of pregnancy. The results indicate an increase in the body weight in the treated female. An increase is also observed in the weight of liver in the treated females with a darker color. There is 50% of inhibition of implantation in the group treated with the higher dose (50 mg/kg/day) when compared with control rabbit. The inhibition of implantation by Maneb may be to due to hormonal imbalance.
Application of active contours with expert knowledge to heart ventricle segmentation

Automatic heart ventricle segmentation in CT heart images can be an element of system supporting pulmonary embolism diagnosis. To solve that problem in this paper an application of two classical active contour models, snakes and geometric active contours, is proposed. The prepared implementation uses the unified model of those techniques which allows to define forces acting upon a contour only once. The nature of the images causes that the process of force construction requires additional expert knowledge since using only the information visible in the image satisfactory results cannot be obtained.
FOOD SUPPLEMENT BASED ON CHITIN WITH ENHANCED LIPID-LOWERING AND SORPTION PROPERTIES

Method for evaluating lipid-binding qualities of enterosorbent was described. Mathod takes into account peculiarities of food digestion. A number of lipid binding agents was tested. The researches showed that biologically active additive to food "Chizitel" extracted via electrochemical method has the highest sorption properties towards triglycerides and fatty acids in comparison with well-known enterosorbents such as chitosan and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in the investigated PH-range.
Density functional theory calculations using the finite element method

We propose a method to solve Kohn-Sham equations and to calculate electronic states, total energy, and material properties of non-crystalline, non-periodic structures with l-dependent fully non-local real-space ab initio pseudopotentials using finite elements. Contrary to the variety of well established k-space methods, which are based on Bloch's theorem and applicable to periodic structures, we do not assume periodicity in any respect. Precise ab initio environment-reflecting pseudopotentials that have been applied in the k-space, plane wave approach so far, are connected with real space finite-element basis in this work. The main expected asset of the present approach is the combination of efficiency and high precision of ab initio pseudopotentials with applicability not restricted to periodic environment.
Geology, geochronology, and geochemistry of the Miocene–Pliocene Ancestral Cascades arc, northern Sierra Nevada, California and Nevada: The roles of the upper mantle, subducting slab, and the Sierra Nevada lithosphere

The assemblage of ca. 28–3 Ma volcanic rocks exposed in the Lake Tahoe–Reno region of the northern Sierra Nevada, United States, is interpreted to be part of the Ancestral Cascades volcanic arc. The volcanic rocks are commonly highly porphyritic, including abundant plagioclase with clinopyroxene, amphibole, and rare biotite, and range from basaltic andesite to dacite in composition. Less common are poorly phyric, olivine- and clinopyroxene-bearing basalts and basaltic andesites. Porphyritic lavas dominate composite volcanic centers, whereas the poorly phyric lavas form isolated cinder cone and lava flow complexes. Tahoe-Reno arc lavas are calc-alkaline, enriched in the large ion lithophile elements but depleted in Nb and Ta relative to the light rare earth elements, and have highly variable radiogenic isotopic compositions. Compared to the modern south Cascade arc, Tahoe-Reno region basalts are enriched in the light rare earth and large ion lithophile elements and have higher 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and lower 143 Nd/ 144 Nd that are consistent with an old, subduction-modified lithospheric mantle source, such as that proposed for lavas of the Western Great Basin. Melting of the lithospheric mantle may be enhanced by fluid flux from the subducting slab if the Juan de Fuca slab dip is shallow. Andesites and dacites evolved from basaltic magmas by a combination of fractional crystallization and assimilation of lower crustal melts. Available geochronological data indicate that the westward sweep of Cenozoic volcanism through Nevada was associated with steepening of the slab dip, but the dip angle was lower during Miocene–Pliocene arc volcanism than it is today beneath the modern south Cascades.
Error propagation analysis of multithreaded programs using likely invariants

Error Propagation Analysis (EPA) is a technique for understanding how errors affect a program’s execution and result in program failures. For this purpose, EPA usually compares the traces of a fault-free (golden) run with those from a faulty run of the program. This makes existing EPA approaches brittle for multithreaded programs, which do not typically have a deterministic golden run. In this thesis, we study the use of likely invariants generated by automated approaches as alternatives for golden run based EPA in multithreaded programs. We present Invariant Propagation Analysis (IPA), an approach and a framework for automatically deriving invariants for multithreaded programs, and using the invariants for EPA. We evaluate the invariants derived by IPA in terms of their coverage for different fault types across six representative programs through fault injection experiments. We find that stable invariants can be inferred in all six programs, although their coverage of faults depends on the application and the fault type.
Probing Marine with Ribosomal Systems RNAs

T H E ADDITION of molecular genetic tools to oceanographic toolboxes began with a pronounced emphasis on ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). Already these molecules have been used to detect and examine the abundance of novel bacterioplankton species, to study host specificity and diversity among zooxanthellae, to identify the chemolithotrophic symbionts of hydrothermal vent metazoans, and to study evolutionary relationships among a myriad of species, including the most primitive metazoans. Here we review some present and projected applications of this molecule to oceanographic science and attempt to explain its preeminence in the emerging field of molecular oceanography.
Effects of the applications of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers at different growth stages on the root growth and bioactive compounds of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge

Dried roots of 'Salvia miltiorrhiza' Bungehave been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years for treating cardiovascular disease and improving immunity. The products are favored in Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, and Russia. Consequently, increasing the yield and quality of 'S. miltiorrhiza' has become a major concern worldwide. Here, we conducted a 2-year greenhouse experiment to investigate the effects of applying phosphorus (P)and potassium (K)fertilizers at different growth stages on root growth and production of bioactive compounds in 'S. miltiorrhiza'. The experiment comprised 8 treatments, including 4 each of P and K fertilizers. The P2 treatment greatly enhanced root growth (root length [RL], 43.6 cm; root diameter [RD], 14.4 mm; number of roots [RN], 15.5;shoot dry weight [SDW], 13.82 g per plant; root dry weight [RDW], 15.77 g per plant; and total plant dry weight [TPDW], 29.59 g per plant) and accumulation of bioactive compounds (danshensu [DSS], 0.055%;salvianolic acid B [SAB], 4.50%;cryptotanshione [CTS], 0.056%; tanshinone II A[TSIIA], 0.127%;and total tanshinone [TTS], 0.226%) compared to the other P treatments. The K4 treatment showed improved root growth (RL,45.9 cm;RD,11.2 mm;RN,17.8;SDW,14.96 g per plant; RDW, 16.80 g per plant; and TPDW, 31.76 g per plant)and bioactive compound accumulation(DSS,0.52% and SAB, 4.13%) compared to the other K treatments. Conversely, a negative effect was observed in the accumulation of CTS (0.039%), TSIIA (0.055%), and TTS (0.139%). Significantly increased concentrations of CTS (0.052%), TSIIA (0.114%), and TTS (0.213%) were observed in the K1treatment compared to the other K treatments. The total DSS, SAB, CTS, TSIIA, and TTS yields were, respectively, the highest in the P2 treatment at 8.61, 709.3, 8.87, 19.98, 35.68 mg per plant, and the K4 treatment at 8.41, 693.2, 6.49, 9.18,and 23.42 mg per plant. Further, they were, respectively, the lowest in the P4 treatment at 2.78, 169.7, 1.96, 3.59, and 7.48 mg per plant, and the K3 treatment at 2.95, 194.5, 2.61, 5.08,and 10.17 mg per plant.
The role of personality traits and demographic factors in occupational stress

Received: August 2015, Accepted: October 2015 Background: The use of psychology in the workplace and accurate scientific findings in this field, in addition to reducing work-related diseases, can promote the performance of employees. Nursing is a stressful job and can be the cause of physical and mental disorders. This study investigates the relationship of personality traits and demographic factors with occupational stress. Materials and Methods: This investigation was a descriptive-correlational study conducted on 95 nurses of hospitals affiliated to Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2014. The data collection tools used in this study included the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and Osipow Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (OSI-R). Data were analyzed using spearman correlation coefficient, simultaneous multiple regressions and independent t tests in SPSS software. Results: No significant difference was observed between the mean score of occupational stress of men and women undergraduate and master’s graduates, and different age groups. The regression model showed that the predictor variables of agreeableness and gender had a significant association with the response variable of occupational stress (P = 0.005). Results showed that the two predictive variables of agreeableness and gender had a negative effect on occupational stress. Nonstandard regression coefficient showed that with 1 unit increase in agreeableness score, the score of occupational stress decreased 1.335 units. Conclusions: There is an association between the agreeableness personality trait and occupational stress. Thus, we recommend that more attention be paid to this feature as a predictor of occupational
IMPACT OF OSMOSIS ON MICRO-DROPLETS - A NEW ROUTE TO NOVEL SENSORS

Micro-droplets generated by microfluidic techniques provide a powerful system to monitor chemical reactions and biological systems in picoliter volumes over time. In particular the analysis of reactions inside the droplets is of high importance for various technological applications. Such applications usually require specific labels and detection systems, which are e.g. based on fluorescence labeling. Here we report on a novel approach that exploits the osmosis-driven change of droplet size as a quantitative and label-free detection method. To evaluate the potential of droplets as sensor-systems, we quantify the impact of osmosis on the droplet size in various static and dynamic systems.
********************v************************************************** SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING IN CLASSROOM SETTINGS: THE LEARNING STUDY

ABSTRACT High school students studying French as a second language in Toronto were administered a guestiermaire and a variety of achievement tests in French. Pesults were analyzed to determine the effects of learner characteristics on the development of second language comptence. Four factors in learning success were posited: attitude, strategy, aptitude, and field independence. Aptitude consistently accounted for the largest portion of the variance in achievement. Only certain stratecies were found to he responsible for achievement, the chief of which was functional practice. The most critical component of the atti+ude factor in terms cf its effect on achievement was emotional in4ensi4y. Field independence was not found to be significantly related tc achievement. These findings are taken into account in the revision of a model of language learning processes, which is viewed as having pedagogical implications.
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING USING ZIGBEE BASED WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

Sensor networks are presently an active research area mainly due to the potency of their applications. This paper is proposed to implement wireless sensor networks based Environmental air pollution monitoring. RSPM (Respirable Suspended Participate Matter), carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide Nitrogen Dioxode (NO 2) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2) are monitored because these gases decide the level of pollution. We have used MQ-7, MQ-2 sensors to monitor the Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide levels in the atmosphere. The ARM processor (LPC2148) is used as the prominent platform for interfacing those sensors and processing the sensed data wirelessly through Zigbee modules (Tarang F4). The data received from the sensor device is simultaneously stored in a system for a future reference in the levels of contamination. The information in the system is stored via a . Net application enabling the user to access the data whenever required. With the help of this data, proper precautions can be taken to minimize the pollution levels in the air to make human life sustainable.
Power Transformer Risk-Based Maintenance by Optimization of Transformer Condition and Transformer Importance

Abstract—This paper presents a risk-based maintenance strategy of a power transformer in order to optimize operating and maintenance costs. The methodology involves the study and preparation of a database for the collection the technical data and test data of a power transformer. An evaluation of the overall condition of each transformer is performed by a program developed as a result of the measured results; in addition, the calculation of the main equipment separation to the overall condition of the transformer (% HI) and the criteria for evaluating the importance (% ImI) of each location where the transformer is installed. The condition assessment is performed by analysis test data such as electrical test, insulating oil test and visual inspection. The condition of the power transformer will be classified from very poor to very good condition. The importance is evaluated from load criticality, importance of load and failure consequence. The risk matrix is developed for evaluating the risk of each power transformer. The high risk power transformer will be focused firstly. The computerized program is developed for practical use, and the maintenance strategy of a power transformer can be effectively managed.
Internet Consumer’s Behavior under the cyber ‘lemon’:The Case from the Internet Markets in China

The ‘lemon’ problem means the informational asymmetries resulted from the products quality uncertainty. It was suggested by the American economist George Akerlof (1970), who is one of Nobel Economics Prize laureates in 2001. The purpose of this paper is to analyze Internet consumer’s behaviour under the cyber ‘lemon’. With the view from CAS (complex adaptive system) theory, the paper builds up e-consumer’s behaviors model that based on Akerlof’s ‘lemon’ model and analyzes the issue stemming from the Internet markets in China. The thesis considers that the cyber ‘lemons’ in China is more serious than other developed countries, because there are many special influencing factors. This paper put forward the ideas eliminating or avoid the cyber market. Compared to the physical market, we need some particular approaches to eliminate the cyber ‘lemons’ such as renting reputation, uniting brand and quality-intermediates. Some non-economic approaches such as law, ethics and trust in Internet market are need also.