Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF A PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC GAME FOR FACIAL EXPRESSION RECOGNITION IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA: A PILOT STUDY

This work presents the design and development process of ‘Feeling Master’, a new psychotherapeutic interactive game for facial emotion recognition. Feeling Master is conceived as a tool to measure facial emotion recognition in schizophrenic patients. A unique feature of this new psychotherapeutic interactive game is the use of cartoon stimuli. It is widely recognized that utilizing stimuli with relatively reduced complexity, like cartoons, to teach emotion recognition to children and adolescents is a beneficial therapeutic option. Designed as a modular game, the patient is asked to correctly answer the questions posed or, depending on the activity, simply match an emotion with the corresponding face. Feeling Master was fully designed with an iterative user-centered approach, which places an emphasis on users’ needs and stresses the importance of designing products that are functional, applicable, and usable for a broad range of people. The goal of this study is to describe the design and development process of Feeling Master and to demonstrate the benefits of using user-centered design (UCD) as the framework for a psychotherapeutic interactive game design process.
The multiphase circumgalactic medium traced by low metal ions in EAGLE zoom simulations

We explore the circumgalactic metal content traced by commonly observed low ion absorbers, including C II, SiII, SiIII, SiIV, and MgII. We use a set of cosmological hydrodynamical zoom simulations run with the EAGLE model and including a non-equilibrium ionization and cooling module that follows 136 ions. The simulations of z ≈ 0.2 L* (M200= 1011.7- 1012.3M⊙) haloes hosting star-forming galaxies and group-sized (M200= 1012.7- 1013.3M⊙) haloes hosting mainly passive galaxies reproduce key trends observed by the COS-Halos survey - low ion column densities show 1) little dependence on galaxy-specific star formation rate, 2) a patchy covering fraction indicative of 104K clumps with a small volume filling factor, and 3) a declining covering fraction as impact parameter increases from 20-160kpc. Simulated Si II, Si III, Si IV, CII, and C III column densities show good (mostly within 0.3 dex) agreement with observations, while MgII is under-predicted. Low ions trace a significant metal reservoir, ≈108M⊙, residing primarily at 10-100kpc from star-forming and passive central galaxies. These clumps preferentially flow inwards and most will accrete onto the central galaxy within the next several Gyr, while a small fraction are entrained in strong outflows. A multiphase structure describes the inner CGM ( 0.5R200) tracing virial temperature gas around L* galaxies. Our simulations support previous ionization models indicating that cloud covering factors decline while densities and pressures show little decline with increasing impact parameter (typically < 0.3 dex from 40 to 160 kpc). We find the cool clumps have lower pressures than the ambient medium they are embedded in, and discuss that numerical effects within the hydrodynamic solver likely play a role. © 2018 The Author(s).
Amelioration of Lead-induced Toxicity in Blood, Liver and Kidney Tissues of Male Wistar Rats by Fermented Ofada Rice

The protective effects of ‘ofada’ rice koji (ORK, fermented ofada rice) and ascorbic acid (AA) against lead (Pb)-induced toxicity in the blood, liver and kidney tissues of male Wistar rats was investigated. The animals were divided into four treatment groups (A – D, n = 5). Groups B, C and D were intoxified by intra-peritoneal injection of 75 mg lead acetate/kg body weight. Groups C and D only had their feed mixed with ORK and AA, respectively. The results showed no significant difference in % packed cell volume (PCV) and Pb concentrations. Feeding with ORK and AA significantly decreased alanine aminotransferase activities (36.50 ± 3.54 and 34.02 ± 0.05 UL-1 respectively) compared to Pb-only treated group (85.50 ± 3.25 UL-1). The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) for organs increased significantly following intake of feeds mixed with ORK and AA; increases in FRAP was higher for ORK-treated group possibly due to increased total flavonoids concentration following fermentation. Furthermore, Pb-induced high plasma creatinine levels decreased upon treatment with feeds mixed with ORK and ascorbic acid. These findings strongly indicated that feed supplementation with ORK by 45% may be more effective at ameliorating the effects of Pb-induced toxicity in tissues compared to supplementation with AA by 2%.
On the stratigraphic integrity of leaf-wax biomarkers in loess paleosols

Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate reconstruc- tions based on molecular proxies, such as those derived from leaf-wax biomarkers, in loess-paleosol sequences represent a promising line of investigation in Quaternary research. The main premise of such reconstructions is the synsedimentary deposition of biomarkers and dust, which has become a de- bated subject in recent years. This study uses two indepen- dent approaches to test the stratigraphic integrity of leaf- wax biomarkers: (i) long-chain n-alkanes and fatty acids are quantified in two sediment-depth profiles in glacial till on the Swiss Plateau, consisting of a Holocene topsoil and the underlying B and C horizons. Since glacial sediments are initially very poor in organic matter, significant amounts of leaf-wax biomarkers in the B and C horizons of those pro- files would reflect postsedimentary root-derived or micro- bial contributions. (ii) Compound-specific radiocarbon mea- surements are conducted on n-alkanes and n-alkanoic (fatty) acids from several depth intervals in the loess section "Cr- venka", Serbia, and the results are compared to independent estimates of sediment age. We find extremely low concentrations of plant-wax n- alkanes and fatty acids in the B and C horizons below the topsoils in the sediment profiles. Moreover, compound- specific radiocarbon analysis yields plant-wax 14 C ages that agree well with published luminescence ages and stratigra- phy of the Serbian loess deposit. Both approaches confirm that postsedimentary, root-derived or microbial contributions are negligible in the two investigated systems. The good agreement between the ages of odd and even homologues also indicates that reworking and incorporation of fossil leaf waxes is not particularly relevant either.
Characterization and Use of a Cuban Mineral in Elimination of Crystal Violet from Aqueous Solution

A Cuban mineral was used to evaluate its adsorption capacity in the removal of crystal violet (CV) from aqueous solutions. The mineral was characterized by several physicochemical techniques. Both N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm at 77K, fitted with the Brunnauer–Emmet–Teller model, and the results of the average pore distribution revealed that the Cuban mineral used in this study is a mesoporous material. The FTIR spectrum indicated a high content of carbonate species; however, the XPS spectrum also revealed the presence of silicon species on the surface of the adsorbent, which suggests the coexistence both carbonate and silicate species in the raw material. The efficiency for CV removal, the role of the contact time and of the initial concentrations of the adsorbate was evaluated in this study. The adsorption kinetic was fitted with the pseudo second order model. This result indicated that the adsorption mechanism was through chemisorption process between CV and Cuban mineral. The results showed that CV adsorption isotherm was best described by the Langmuir model. The adsorption capacity for CV was 55.63 mg/g. The abundant deposits, low cost and easy access make of mineral SAN1 a good natural adsorbent to treat large volumes of dye polluted waters.
Evaluation of Elastic-Plastic Crack Tip Parameters using Partition of Unity Finite Element Method and Pseudo Elastic Analysis

This paper presents a methodology based on Partition of Unity Finite Element Method (PUFEM) and Pseudo Elastic Analysis for solving material non-linear fracture problems within the scope of total deformation theory of plasticity. Local enrichment base functions are used to represent the asymptotic field near the crack tip and discontinuous field across the crack faces. An iterative linear elastic analysis using PUFEM is carried out for the determination of elasticplastic crack tip stress fields by treating effective material properties as spatial field variables. The effective material parameters are defined using deformation theory and are updated in an iterative manner based on strain controlled projection method using experimental uniaxial tensile test curve. Discrete system of linear equations for the elastic-plastic analysis is obtained from the weak form of the equilibrium equation using the enriched trial function. Application of the present methodology has been illustrated considering non-linear fracture problems for the evaluation of elastic-plastic crack-tip parameters using boundary layer analysis. Ramberg-Osgood model with different hardening exponents is used to characterize the material behavior. Results of the present study for J-dominant HRR field and K dominant elastic field are compared with both the analytical and non-linear finite element solutions and found to be in very good agreement.
Morphometric differences in a single wing cell can discriminate Apis mellifera racial types

La morphometrie a joue depuis longtemps un role important dans les etudes de taxonomie. Lorsqu'elle est couplee aux statistiques multivariees, c'est un outil tres puissant pour les analyses discriminantes et donc-pour l'identification des especes. Chez Apis mellifera de nombreuses differences entre sous-especes sont quantitatives et les diverses etudes menees jusqu'a present ont toujours utilise les mesures de diverses parties du corps de l'abeille. Afin de simplifier et d'accelerer les analyses, nous avons mesure 11 caracteristiques d'une seule cellule de l'aile anterieure pour savoir si les differences dans cette cellule permettaient de discriminer les trois sous-especes A. mellifera ligustica, A. m. camica et les abeilles africanisees du Bresil. Une analyse en composantes principales a ete effectuee sur les mesures afin de determiner si notre corpus de donnees formait trois groupements distincts (Fig. 3). Ceux-ci ont ete verifies par une analyse discriminante (Fig. 4). Les caracteristiques retenues forment bien trois groupes significativement differents (P < 0,00001) et la fonction discriminative lineaire a pu classer correctement 98,7 % des echantillons. Ces resultats montrent que des mesures d'une petite partie du corps de l'abeille sont suffisantes pour discriminer les sous-especes.
Determining relationship between fingerprint and gender using 10 finger attributes

This study investigates the relationship among fingerprint and gender for all 10 fingerprints. 410 fingerprints taken from 19 females and 22 males aged between 18 and 25 years old were considered for this investigation. This is the first comprehensive study in literature that investigates 10 fingerprints for Turkish citizens. Ridge density, ridge thickness to valley thickness ratio and total ridge breadth values gained from our fingerprint database were used to determine gender. The results have shown that gender determination is successful for Turkish citizens with any of ten fingerprints. The average values for ridge density-ridge breadth-RTVTR are 13.09-36.56-0.46 for men and 14.43-37.44-0.47 for women, respectively. The gender difference of ridge density is determined as 1.34, which is the lowest value among the other studies in the literature.
Smart sensor for wrist movements

The aim of this thesis was to develop a way to evaluate the mobility of the wrist or hand after an injury. To do this a prototype of a compression glove with added conductive silicone was made. A tensile test was done first to test linearity between resistance and elongation. Thereafter this was implemented on the prototype. The silicone, Elastosil LR3162 showed good proprieties for the purpose when stretching the fabric. The results showed linear behavior and also a large indication when changing the resistance . Wearing the prototype glove and bending the hand will stretch the silicone. When bending it is thus possible to measure the change in resistance. The readings can thereafter be converted to angular displacement from a given starting position. The final goal is to further develop this idea and send the readings with a bluetooth device to an application in the patients mobile phone. This project is delimited to evaluate Elastosil as a suitable material, to develop a simple prototype, and to suggest how to proceed.
Conditions for a crustal block to be sheared off from the subducted continental lithosphere: What is an essential factor to cause features associated with collision?

[1] Crustal blocks are detached from the subducting lithosphere at various depths. I call such phenomena shearing-off and investigate the mechanical conditions for shearing-off to occur in the continental lithosphere. The buoyancy of the crustal block does not work selectively as a driving force until it has been sheared off and I suppose that shearing-off occurs when the shear traction at the thrust, whose maximum value is calculated from the strength along the thrust, overcomes the strength of the boundary faults of the block, and determine the depth of the leading edge of the subducted crustal block when shearing-off occurs. The temperatures of the slab and at its surface are calculated by the steady state formula of Molnar and England (1990) as a function of the surface heat flow, dip angle, and convergence velocity of the subducted continental plate, as the shear stress and temperature at the ductile part of the thrust zone are consistent with the flow law. The shear stress at the brittle part is a strong function of the pore fluid pressure ratio λ. I show that shearing-off of an upper crustal block is possible only for a small value of λ such as <∼0.4 when the surface heat flow value is <∼70 mW/m2. I suggest that the essential factor to cause shallow offscraping of crustal blocks in collision zones, is not a buoyancy of the continental crust, but a low value of λ, which would result from a little amount of dehydration from the subducted continental plate.
A GENERAL APPROACH TO VALUING COMMODITY-LINKED BONDS

The purpose of this paper is to develop a general approach to valuing commodity-linked bonds (CLBs) based on the Heath-Jarrow-Morton (HJM) framework. The model deals with four dimensions of uncertainty: prices of the underlying commodity, the value of firm that issues bonds, interest rates, and convenience yields. A mathematical formula for the price of a commodity-linked bond is derived. The previous results in Black and Scholes (1973), Merton (1973), Schwartz (1982), and Atta-Mensah (1992) can be obtained by specifying appropriate restrictions in the general model. Using similar assumptions, as found in Miura and Yamauchi (1998) and Carr (1987), more reasonable results can be obtained through the application of the present model.
Elucidating the Importance of Numeracy Skills for Undergraduate Students in Life Sciences Using the Oxygen Requirement in Yeast as an Example

Current education in biology is devoid of mathematics in many countries, probably because many relevant biological processes are explained from a qualitative point of view rather than addressing the quantitative aspects of these phenomena. Here, we employ a case study from the yeast physiology to illustrate the importance of numeracy skills for a deeper understanding of relevant biological problems. Yeast anaerobic growth on sugars is a widespread process as it is the basis for beer, bread, and winemaking and it is much akin to lactic acid fermentation in muscle cells in response to an increased energy demand. To study the physiology of yeasts under controlled conditions and being able to compare the results quantitatively, one ought to perform measurements and calculations involving concentrations of oxygen, biomass, and organic compounds. To set-up an “anaerobic” culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a defined medium, one needs to calculate how much oxygen must enter the cultivation system, to meet the requirements for ergosterol and oleic acid biosyntheses, both of which require oxygen. Using basic physicochemical principles and simple mathematical skills, students will be able to compute the oxygen requirement for yeast growth under such “anaerobic” conditions.
PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND IN-VITRO CORNEAL WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY OF THE LEAVES OF MANILKARA ZAPOTA (L) VAN ROYEN Var. PKM1 IN NEWER HERBAL DRUG DEVELOPMENT

Research on wound healing is a developing area in modern biomedical science. A large number of plant / plant extract / decoctions or paste are equally used by tribal and folklore traditions in India for treatment of cuts, wounds and burns. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out with solvents of different polarities reveals the presence of carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and phytosterols. Ethanolic extract of leaves indicates the presence of flavonoids while in other extract it seems to be negative. Developing in vitro bovine model, a new avenue for the exploration of newer drug development in ophthalmic diseases has been furnished. This system seems to be very rapid, economic and reliable. Study aims to reveal the significant wound healing dose dependent corneal wound healing effect of ethanolic extract of the leaves of Manilkara zapota (L). The mechanism of action may be due to the presence of bioflavonoid by its antioxidant property. In cornea, EGF epidermal growth factor is thought to be the main chemical mediator but in the skin no single factor has been identified as the major regulator. It is not clear whether upregulation of miotic activator (or) down regulation of a miotic inhibitor was responsible for the high level of cell division post wounding. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research SJIF Impact Factor 7.523 Volume 6, Issue 9, 639-647. Research Article ISSN 2277– 7105 *Corresponding Author Swarnakumari S. Department of Pharmacognosy, Karpagam College of Pharmacy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Article Received on 21 June 2017, Revised on 18 July 2017, Accepted on 07 Aug. 2017 DOI: 10.20959/wjpr20179-9224
Cyclically Deformed Defects and Topological Mass Constraints

A systematic procedure for obtaining defect structures through cyclic deformation chains is introduced and explored in detail. The procedure outlines a set of rules for analytically constructing constraint equations that involve the finite localized energy of cyclically generated defects. The idea of obtaining cyclically deformed defects concerns the possibility of regenerating a primitive (departing) defect structure through successive, unidirectional, and eventually irreversible, deformation processes. Our technique is applied on kink-like and lump-like solutions in models described by a single real scalar field such that extensions to quantum mechanics follow the usual theory of deformed defects. The preliminary results show that the cyclic device supports simultaneously kink-like and lump-like defects into 3- and 4-cyclic deformation chains with topological mass values closed by trigonometric and hyperbolic deformations. In a straightforward generalization, results concerning the analytical calculation of N-cyclic deformations are obtained, and lessons regarding extensions from more elaborated primitive defects are depicted.
Free Riders and Cooperators in Public Goods Experiments: Can Evolutionary Dynamics Explain their Coexistence?

An oft-cited and robust result from Public Goods Game experiments is that, when subjects start playing, the aggregate level of contributions is significantly different from zero. At the same time, a sizeable proportion of players free ride from the outset. Behavioural economics has persuasively shown that these laboratory findings are compatible with the presence of motivationally heterogeneous agents, displaying both standard, self-centred preferences and non-standard, interdependent preferences. However, at the theoretical level, economists would prefer to account for motivational heterogeneity endogenously, instead of simply assuming it from the outset. Our work provides such endogenisation, by assuming that social evolution is driven by material payoffs only. By separately focusing on different types of ‘experimentally salient’ pro-social players (such as Reciprocators, Strong Reciprocators and Altruists), we are able to shed light – to our knowledge, for the first time, within the public good framework – on the evolutionary stability of two-type populations consisting of positive proportions of both ‘nice’ and ‘mean’ guys.
A Study of Lateral Vehicle Control Under a ‘Virtual’ Force Framework

Future automotive safety functions, such as lanekeeping and collision avoidance, link the vehicle dynamically to its environment. As a result, a combination of the mechanical system dynamics and the virtual link to the roadway or obstacles determines the vehicle motion. This paper looks at the combined influence of decoupling lateral and yaw modes, preview distance, and controller damping on the stability and performance of lateral controllers. The effects of these characteristics are studied using an intuitive ‘virtual’ forces analogy where the control inputs are viewed as a single force acting on the vehicle. With the ability to influence the coupling between lateral and yaw modes, the ‘virtual’ control force can be shifted along the length of the vehicle. For stability, this force must be applied in front of the neutral steer point. In addition, shifting this control force can give satisfactory system behavior with a minimal preview distance. The benefits of lookahead are also explored under this framework, giving well behaved responses without the addition of controller damping. The combination of lookahead and damping on the velocity states allows complete freedom in designing the system response.
Improved performance low-cost incremental conductance PV MPPT technique

Variable-step incremental conductance (Inc.Cond.) technique, for photovoltaic (PV) maximum power point tracking, has merits of good tracking accuracy and fast convergence speed. Yet, it lacks simplicity in its implementation due to the mathematical division computations involved in its algorithm structure. Furthermore, the conventional variable step-size, based on the division of the PV module power change by the PV voltage change, encounters steady-state power oscillations and dynamic problems especially under sudden environmental changes. In this study, an enhancement is introduced to Inc.Cond. algorithm in order to entirely eliminate the division calculations involved in its structure. Hence, algorithm implementation complexity is minimised enabling the utilisation of low-cost microcontrollers to cut down system cost. Moreover, the required real processing time is reduced, thus sampling rate can be improved to fasten system response during sudden changes. Regarding the applied step-size, a modified variable-step size, which depends solely on PV power, is proposed. The latter achieves enhanced transient performance with minimal steady-state power oscillations around the MPP even under partial shading. For proposed technique's validation, simulation work is carried out and an experimental set up is implemented in which ARDUINO Uno board, based on low-cost Atmega328 microcontroller, is employed.