Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptual Learning, Categorical Perception, and Cognitive Permeation

Proponents of cognitive penetration often argue for the thesis on the basis of combined intuitions about categorical perception and perceptual learning. The claim is that beliefs penetrate perceptions in the course of learning to perceive categories. I argue that this "diachronic" penetration thesis is false. In order to substantiate a robust notion of penetration, the beliefs that enable learning must describe the particular ability that subjects learn. However, they cannot do so, since in order to help with learning they must instruct learners to employ previously existing abilities. I argue that a better approach recognizes that we can have sophisticated causal precursors to perceptual learning, but that the learning process itself must operate outside of cognitive influence.
Preservice Teachers’ TPACK Growth After Technology Integration Courses in Early Childhood Education

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This mixed-methods study utilized the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to examine surveys, reflections, focus groups, and lesson plans from 22 pre-service teachers (PSTs) participating in two technology-rich courses. Following the completion of these courses, the results indicated a notable improvement in PSTs’ attitude towards educational technology and technology pedagogy. The pre-post paired t-test also demonstrated significant increases in PSTs’ pedagogical knowledge, technological content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and overall TPACK scores. Practice or Policy: The Covid−19 pandemic has heightened the interest in effectively integrating technology into early childhood education (ECE) classrooms. Early childhood teacher preparation programs must actively promote and exemplify technology integration practices for PSTs to facilitate such practices in their future classrooms. Teacher educators and teachers should recognize the significance of technology integration and pedagogy to dispel any misconceptions surrounding technology use in ECE. This study proposes various transformations and adaptations in PSTs’ education, including innovative student-teacher placements, as one way to help address the widening digital divide.
The role of brand experience and E-Wom on purchase decisions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of E-Wom and Brand Experience on MS Glow Skincare Product Purchase Decisions in Samarinda City. The sample for this study consisted of 95 people who had used and purchased MS Glow products at least twice and lived in Samarinda City. This study employs a quantitative descriptive approach. The collected data is then processed using the SmartPLS software. The findings of this study demonstrate that E-WOM has a positive and significant effect on purchase decisions and that Brand Experience also has a significant positive effect on purchase decisions for MS Glow Skincare Products in Samarinda City.
Marginal Gentrification and Racial Capitalism in a Post-chocolate City

Researchers have found that gentrification is less likely in Black neighborhoods than in White or Latinx neighborhoods, and that gentrification looks different in Black neighborhoods. For example, researchers have found that Black neighborhoods experience marginal gentrification—changes in the educational level but not the income of residents. This study uses Census and National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) data to explore the relationship between gentrification and racial change in Washington, DC between 2000 and 2019. We measure gentrification using four distinct but related measures: change in home value, rent, average educational level, and household income. The results show a positive association between changes in the percentage of residents with college degrees and the percentage of White residents in neighborhoods that were majority Black in 2000. We also find a positive association between changes in the percentage of Latinx residents and the average rent. We do not find a significant relationship between racial change and changes in home value and average income. Our findings point to the importance of including race in models of gentrification as well as using different measures of gentrification to capture it more fully.
Wave aberration tolerance for the optical design of a laser Fizeau interferometer

This paper concerns a numerical technique for evaluating effect of wave aberration on the frequency response of a laser Fizeau interferometer. The frequency response is described by Coherent Phase Transfer Function, which is defined as the Fourier transform of the phase of the complex image of a phase object formed by the interferometer normalized to the Fourier transform of the phase object itself. Based on the results of the study an aberration tolerance criterion of 1/8-wave P-V is proposed for the optical design of a laser Fizeau interferometer.
The Impact of Credit Rating Announcements on the Efficiency of the Stock Market

Taking the data of China's listed banks from 2015 to 2021 as a sample, this paper uses the event study method to analyze the impact of credit rating announcements on the effectiveness of the stock market. The results indicate that credit rating announcements have no significant impact on stock returns, and the market is in a semi strong form efficient state. By observing the excess returns of stocks after credit rating downgrades and upgrades, it is found that the excess returns after rating downgrades are not significantly negative, and the market is in a semi strong form efficient state; The rating upgrade has a significant positive impact on stock returns, indicating that the market is in a weakly efficient state.
Image Synthesis in Magnetic Resonance Neuroimaging

Automatic processing of magnetic resonance images (MRI) is a vital part of neuroscience research. Yet even the best and most widely used medical image processing methods will not produce consistent results when their input images are acquired with different pulse sequences. The lack of consistency is a result of multiple sources of variation in the acquired MRI data. MRI, unlike computed tomography (CT), does not produce images where the magnitude of the intensity is standardized across scanners. In a typical scanning session, different MRI pulse sequences are acquired at different resolutions for various reasons. Certain pulse sequences are prone to artifacts that cause corrupted data. Medical image analysts have developed preprocessing algorithms such as intensity standardization and image synthesis methods to address this problem. However, their performance remains dependent on knowledge and consistency of the pulse sequences used to acquire the images. In this thesis three different approaches— REPLICA, Ψ-CLONE, and SynthCRAFT—to perform image synthesis in MRI are presented. REPLICA is a multi-resolution framework that performs random forest regression with carefully designed features that capture anatomical variability in MRI.
Advancements in the Clinical Outcomes of Functional Neurosurgery With Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders: A Literature Review

This literature review explores recent advancements in deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for movement disorders. It highlights notable improvements, including closed-loop stimulation techniques, optogenetics, and improved surgical targeting. Positive clinical outcomes with low complication rates and improved motor symptoms are consistently reported. The review emphasizes the importance of minimizing risks through meticulous surgical practices and discusses potential complications associated with DBS surgery. Future prospects focus on enhancing technology, refining surgical techniques, and conducting further research. Closed-loop stimulation optimizes DBS efficacy by tailoring stimulation parameters to individual patient needs. Optogenetics offers precise modulation of neural activity with light-sensitive proteins, enabling more targeted treatments. Cybersecurity measures are essential due to the integration of wireless and digital technologies in DBS systems. DBS surgery has significantly improved the management of movement disorders with its safety and effectiveness. Ongoing research in closed-loop stimulation, optogenetics, and cybersecurity is expected to further enhance DBS technology and outcomes, benefiting patients with treatment-resistant movement disorders.
Ampliando a vitalidade dos termos do ALiB através da Extração de Informação Geolocalizada nas mídias sociais

O Projeto ALiB (Atlas Linguístico do Brasil) descreve a geolinguística contemporânea, priorizando a variação diatópica na análise do português brasileiro. Seus termos foram coletados entre 1996 e 2013. Com o advento das redes sociais surgiu a necessidade de analisar a vitalidade destes termos. Dentre os diversos desafios inerentes às redes sociais, tem-se a não-obrigatoriedade da marcação de geolocalização no momento da postagem e a ampla utilização da Internet slang. Assim, o presente trabalho apresenta uma nova abordagem para extrair as informações de geolocalização diretamente de tweets, com o intuito de ampliar a cobertura da localização. Neste trabalho, o BERTimbau, foi treinado para realizar tarefas de Reconhecimento de Entidades Nomeadas e utilizado para extrair conteúdo de geolocalização do usuário. Essa abordagem foi comparada com a vitalidade dos termos ALiB analisados manualmente. Os resultados dão indícios de que a extração de localização é uma possibilidade de ampliar e aprimorar a análise da vitalidade dos termos do ALiB.
Nonlinear silicon photonics

Silicon photonics is a technology based on fabricating integrated optical circuits by using the same paradigms as the dominant electronics industry. After twenty years of fervid development, silicon photonics is entering the market with low cost, high performance and mass-manufacturable optical devices. Until now, most silicon photonic devices have been based on linear optical effects, despite the many phenomenologies associated with nonlinear optics in both bulk materials and integrated waveguides. Silicon and silicon-based materials have strong optical nonlinearities which are enhanced in integrated devices by the small cross-section of the high-index contrast silicon waveguides or photonic crystals. Here the photons are made to strongly interact with the medium where they propagate. This is the central argument of nonlinear silicon photonics. It is the aim of this review to describe the state-of-the-art in the field. Starting from the basic nonlinearities in a silicon waveguide or in optical resonator geometries, many phenomena and applications are described—including frequency generation, frequency conversion, frequency-comb generation, supercontinuum generation, soliton formation, temporal imaging and time lensing, Raman lasing, and comb spectroscopy. Emerging quantum photonics applications, such as entangled photon sources, heralded single-photon sources and integrated quantum photonic circuits are also addressed at the end of this review.
Hologram stability evaluation for Microsoft HoloLens

Augmented reality (AR) has an increasing presence in the world of image-guided interventions which is amplified by the availability of consumer-grade head-mounted display (HMD) technology. The Microsoft® HoloLensTM optical passthrough device is at the forefront of consumer technology, as it is the first un-tethered head mounted computer (HMC). It shows promise of effectiveness in guiding clinical interventions, however its accuracy and stability must still be evaluated for the clinical environment. We have developed an evaluative protocol for the HoloLensTM using an optical measurement device to digitize the perceived pose of the rendered hologram. This evaluates the ability of the HoloLensTM to maintain the hologram in its intended pose. The stability is measured when actions are performed that may cause a shift in the holograms’ pose due to errors in its simultaneous localization and mapping. An emphasis is placed on actions that are more likely to be performed in a clinical setting. This will be used to determine the most applicable use cases for this technology in the future and how to minimize errors when in use. Our results show promise of this device’s potential for intraoperative clinical use. Further analysis must be performed to evaluate other potential sources of hologram disruption.
Response of Cup Anemometer in Turbulence

Taking account of the force arising from the relative wind velocity between the cup and the wind, the differential equation of rotation of cup assembly was formulated. Dynamic responses of cup anemometers to the stepwise and sinusoidal wind changes and to turbulent fluctuations of wind speed were numerically examined. And the damping rate of amplitude and the phase lag in measuring fluctuating wind, and the over-estimation factor in measuring mean wind speed were estimated. These characteristics of the cup anemometer may be expressed according to two constants, which are the calibration constant and the response distance of anemometer. The errors in measured mean wind speed are presented for typical turbulent winds of "wind over sea" and "wind over land" .
Sum-Product estimates and expanding polynomials over matrix rings

We prove some strong results on sum-product estimates, and expanding polynomials over matrix rings $M_2(\mathbb{F}_q)$ over finite fields . We also provide similar results in the special linear group $SL_2(\mathbb{F}_q)$. \textit{Sum-product graphs} over both $M_2(\mathbb{F}_q)$ and $SL_2(\mathbb{F}_q)$, and the \textit{special unit-graph} over $M_2(\mathbb{F}_q)$ play a crucial role in deriving our results.
Étude par simulations numériques de la plasticité dans les métaux

Les activites de recherche, presentees dans le cadre de cette HDR, portent sur l'etude du comportement plastique des metaux a travers un travail de modelisation des proprietes des dislocations. Differents outils de simulation ont ete utilises et developpes pour etudier la plasticite dans les metaux servant de materiaux de structure, et plus particulierement les metaux d'interet pour l'industrie nucleaire. Dans les alliages a base de fer ou a base de zirconium, la plasticite est controlee a basse temperature par le glissement des dislocations vis. Les simulations atomiques permettent d'etudier les proprietes de cœur de ces dislocations et ainsi de mieux comprendre et quantifier les mecanismes mis en jeu au cours de leur glissement. Neanmoins, la modelisation des dislocations a cette echelle necessite des techniques particulieres a cause du champ elastique cree a longue distance qu'il est imperatif de prendre en compte. Une approche reposant a la fois sur les simulations atomiques (simulations en potentiels empiriques ou calculs ab initio) et la theorie elastique a donc ete developpee afin de pouvoir simuler a une echelle atomique les dislocations et extraire de ces simulations des donnees quantitatives transposables aux echelles superieures. Cette approche a ete appliquee au fer, pour decrire la variation des proprietes de cœur des dislocations en fonction de leur caractere, ainsi qu'au zirconium, pour identifier l'origine de la forte friction de reseau observee dans les alliages de zirconium et mieux comprendre la competition entre les differents systemes de glissement. A haute temperature, les mouvements des dislocations autres que le glissement simple deviennent importants pour comprendre le developpement de la deformation plastique. La montee, correspondant a un deplacement des dislocations a composante coin dans une direction perpendiculaire a leur plan de glissement, est, avec le glissement devie, un de ces mecanismes operant a haute temperature. Une etude a differentes echelles de la montee des dislocations a ete realisee, permettant d'implementer ce mouvement de montee dans des codes de dynamique des dislocations, et par consequent de mieux modeliser la deformation a chaud a l'aide de ces codes.
Do Post-harvest Losses Affect the Farmers’ Income? - Post-Harvest Loss Estimation for Major Vegetables in South India

Over the last two decades, India’s food system with population surge has been undergoing a transformation with increase in demand for high value fruits and vegetables. However, farmers are not benefitted from these transitions as the post-harvest losses are fairly high due to poorly developed post-harvest management practices. The present study aims to estimate the nature and extent of losses and also analysed the determinants of post-harvest losses for major vegetables (gourds) in South India. Palakkad district of Kerala was chosen for the study as it contributes the most, for the state’s vegetable area and production. Multi-stage random sampling techniques were adopted and the vegetables selected were based on their annual production in the study area. The total loss observed in bitter gourd at farm level was about 12.46 percent (34.53 qtl/ha). At trader level, the physiological loss contributed to almost 45 percent of the total losses. Hence, the total loss in bitter gourd was observed to be 21.88 per cent. Likewise in snake gourd, the extent of losses at farm level was found to be 9 percent (26.1 qtl/ha), where the highest losses (4.74 percent) were due to biotic factors like pests and diseases prevailing in the study area. Therefore, the total loss estimated in snake gourd was 13.89 percent which included 4.89 percent loss at trader level. Regression analyses delineated that in bitter gourd, area under cultivation, unfavourable weather conditions, pests and diseases and use of packing materials like jute sacks and wooden baskets were found as major determinants for losses. Whereas, area under cultivation, experience in farming and prevailing pests and diseases in snake gourd were found to affect the volume of post-harvest losses at farm level. The study found that adoption of proper post-harvest handling practices by farmers would help minimizing the losses to a remarkable extent. Besides, analysis of farmers’ perception, brought out the fact that the farmers aware of losses incurred only to a limited extent.
Thermal transients excite neurons through universal intramembrane mechano-electrical effects

Modern advances in neurotechnology rely on effectively harnessing physical tools and insights towards remote neural control, thereby creating major new scientific and therapeutic opportunities. Specifically, rapid temperature pulses were shown to increase membrane capacitance, causing capacitive currents that explain neural excitation, but the underlying biophysics is not well understood. Here, we show that an intramembrane thermal-mechanical effect wherein the phospholipid bilayer undergoes axial narrowing and lateral expansion accurately predicts a potentially universal thermal capacitance increase rate of ~0.3%/°C. This capacitance increase and concurrent changes in the surface charge related fields lead to predictable exciting ionic displacement currents. The new theory’s predictions provide an excellent agreement with multiple experimental results and indirect estimates of latent biophysical quantities. Our results further highlight the role of electro-mechanics in neural excitation; they may also help illuminate sub-threshold and novel physical cellular effects, and could potentially lead to advanced new methods for neural control.
Bioecology and Management of Major Insect Pests of Rice in West Bengal

West Bengal is considered a large producer state of rice in India with an output of nearly 55.48% of total crop production of Bengal. In West Bengal, rice has grown in three different cropping seasons such as Aus (autumn rice), Aman (winter rice) and Boro (summer rice), contributing about 20.69% to the total net State Domestic Product (SDP). Rice production in West Bengal hampered by many biotic stresses mostly by stem borers [Scirphophaga incertulas (Walker, 1863), Sesamia inference (Walker, 1856), Chilo polychrysus (Meyrick, 1932), Chilo suppressalis(Meyrick, 1863)] leaf folder [Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee, 1854)], plant hoppers [Nilaparvata lugens(Stal, 1854), Sogatella furcifera (Horvath, 1899)], leaf hoppers [Nephotettix virescens (Distant, 1908), Nephotettix nigropictus (Stal, 1870)], rice hispa [Dicladispa armigera (Olivier, 1808)], rice bugs [Leptocorisa acuta (Thunberg, 1783), Leptocorisa oratorius (Fabricius, 1794), Brevennia rehi (Lindinger, 1943)], gall midge [Orseolia oryzae (Wood-Mason, 1889)], etc. Demographic parameter has shown that rice pests are greatly affecting rice host either caused directly by creating dead heart (DH), hopperburn, onion leaf, silver shoot during different stages of harvesting or by indirectly transmitting grassy stunt virus (RGSV), rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV), rice tungro viruses (RTV), rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) etc. resulting 9.5% production loss. For minimize the infestation farmers use different rice varieties which provide resistance effect in pest population. For controlling rice pest population farmers mostly use chemical insecticide [e.g. fipronil, acephate, fipronil, monocrotophos] which exhibit good results against rice pests. Beside those other techniques including using biological and biochemical pesticides [neem oil, karanj oil, mahua oil, conidial suspension of M. anisopliae], pheromones [(Z)-11-hexadecinal, (Z)-9-hexadecenal], allomones [5: 1 mixture of 2-(E)-octenyl acetate and octanol 3-octenal], cultutal methods [synchronized planting, using of trap crop etc.] are effective for controlling rice pests. The population ecology based sustainable management of such pest species will support E 3 strategy [Ecosystem service-based ecological engineering for ecological pest management (ESS-EE-EPM)] of pest management for successful cultivation of rice in the near future.
Improving the Scalability of Distributed Network Emulations: An Algorithmic Perspective

By deploying virtualized network elements (hosts, switches, routers, links, etc.) on clusters of commodity machines, distributed network emulations (DNE) closely mimic the behaviors of network systems and provide real-time interactions and analysis for network service management. However, DNE encounters scalability challenges when faced with large network topologies. These challenges can be boiled down to the assignment problem: to which physical machine each virtualized network element should be assigned so that the largest possible network topology can be emulated? In this paper, we tackle this problem from an algorithmic perspective. We first propose TBR (topology balancing relaxation) as the relaxation of the assignment problem. TBR tries to maintain a balance of the hardware resource consumption, by minimizing the maximum inter-machine bandwidth. We further develop TBS (topology balancing solver), which combines mathematical techniques with multi-level algorithms to solve TBR efficiently. We integrate TBR and TBS into MaxiNet, a famous distributed network emulator. Experimental results show that with the same available physical resources, TBR and TBS can improve emulation scalability by up to $4.7\times $ compared to baselines.