Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduced associative memory for negative information: impact of confidence and interactive imagery during study

ABSTRACT Although item-memory for emotional information is enhanced, memory for associations between items is often impaired for negative, emotionally arousing compared to neutral information. We tested two possible mechanisms underlying this impairment, using picture pairs: 1) higher confidence in one’s own ability to memorise negative information may cause participants to under-study negative pairs; 2) better interactive imagery for neutral pairs could facilitate associative memory for neutral pairs more than for negative pairs. Tested with associative recognition, we replicated the impairment of associative memory for negative pairs. We also replicated the result that confidence in future memory (judgments of learning) was higher for negative than neutral pairs. Inflated confidence could not explain the impairment of associative recognition memory: Judgements of learning were positively correlated with associative memory success for both negative and neutral pairs. However, neutral pairs were rated higher in their conduciveness to interactive imagery than negative pairs, and this difference in interactive imagery showed a robust relationship to the associative memory difference. Thus, associative memory reductions for negative information are not due to differences in encoding effort. Instead, interactive imagery may be less effective for encoding of negative than neutral pairs.
FOTOGENOTOKSYCZNOŚĆ W BADANIACH IN VITRO ORAZ TESTACH BAKTERYJNYCH W LATACH 2013-2018 W PORÓWNANIU DO LAT WCZEŚNIEJSZYCH W ŚWIETLE ZMIAN PRZEPISÓW PRAWNYCH

Fotogenotoksyczność, określana też jako fotomutagenność lub genotoksyczność fotochemiczna, jest zjawiskiem polegającym na powstawaniu uszkodzeń DNA w wyniku narażenia organizmów żywych na światło oraz na substancje, które pod wpływem promieniowania przekształcają się w związki działające negatywnie na materiał genetyczny. Oznaczanie fotogenotoksyczności związków chemicznych było tematem licznych prac naukowych na przestrzeni ostatnich lat. Jednak w 2012 roku ukazała się nowelizacja dotychczasowych wytycznych Europejskiej Agencji Leków, w której obowiązek oznaczania fotogenotoksyczności in vitro w badaniach przedklinicznych uznano za nieuzasadniony. Zmiany te wpłynęły znacząco na kierunek badań nad oceną fotogenotoksyczności, publikowanych w międzynarodowej literaturze naukowej. Zdecydowanie zmniejszyła się intensywność poszukiwań nowych technik in vitro do przesiewowej oceny tego zjawiska. Tematyka poruszana najczęściej w publikacjach z tej dziedziny w ciągu ostatnich lat to próby określenia mechanizmów genotoksyczności fotochemicznej wybranych związków, a także fotogenotoksyczność metabolitów leków, nanocząstek, nowych formulacji leków oraz wyciągów roślinnych. Ważną grupę prac stanowią też doniesienia na temat poszukiwania nowych fotosensybilizatorów w terapii fotodynamicznej, które ukazują korzystne medyczne aspekty zjawiska fotogenotoksyczności.
Static multi-sourced data retrieval in elastic optical networks

Extreme-scale science applications are highly innovative and constantly evolving. They are expected to generate data in the petabyte and exabyte ranges. Erasure coding has been widely adopted for data storage in data center networks, where the data are encoded and stored in multiple locations. Therefore, an efficient data retrieval service is needed to transfer encoded data from selected multiple stored nodes to a single destination. Elastic optical networks are a promising backbone technology for data center communication due to their capability to efficiently and flexibly allocate the huge optical bandwidth to heterogeneous traffic demands. In this paper, the erasure-coded multi-sourced data retrieval routing and scheduling problem is studied for static traffic in elastic optical networks, and the objective is to minimize the total transmission completion time of all the requests. An integer linear programming formulation and low-complexity heuristic are proposed. Furthermore, analytical lower bounds are derived and a meta-heuristic, Tabu Search, is adopted to solve the problem. Numerical results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Effectiveness of Fish Oil-DHA Supplementation for Cognitive Function in Thai Children: A Randomized, Doubled-Blind, Two-Dose, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

The effects of fish oil (FO) or omega-3 supplementation on cognition has been the subject of several previous clinical trials. However, the effect of different doses taken chronically on cognition in children has not been well studied. In order to address this gap in our knowledge, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of one hundred and twenty healthy, cognitively normal Thai children aged 6–12 years old consumed daily low dose FO (260 mg Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), high dose FO (520 mg DHA), or placebo (Soybean oil) for 12 weeks. Cognitive function was assessed using a computerized cognitive battery, including the Go/NoGo, N-Back, and Digit Span tests as well as concurrent event-related potentials (ERPs), which together measured attention, processing speed, inhibition, and memory at baseline and 12 weeks. We hypothesized that compared to placebo, the two FO groups would show improved cognitive performance and shorter ERP latencies. In total, 42, 39, and 39 participants completed each of the test (FO-A, FO-B) and placebo groups (P) allocations, respectively, and were analyzed (120 in total across the three groups). No significant differences were observed between reaction times (RTs), accuracy, or error rates for all three of the cognitive tests. The ERP measurement and analysis of brain activity during the cognitive tests showed an increase in ERP amplitude. For all cognitive tests, there was a dose-response effect of FO on ERP amplitudes. These findings indicate that fish oil intake leads to a consistent improvement in attention and cognitive processing ability measured by changes in brain activity during working and long-term memory processes. This is the first study to directly quantify such an effect through simultaneous measurement of manual and mental activity during cognitive tasks following chronic FO use in children.
Upside-Down Brachiation Robot Using Elastic Energy Stored Through Soft Body Deformation

Storing elastic energy in a soft body and releasing it instantly enables ultrafast movement beyond muscle capability, which small animals (mainly arthropods) realize. We applied this mechanism to a soft robot to achieve locomotion on top of a tubular surface such as a branch (i.e., upside-down brachiation). To achieve arboreal locomotion, the robot must have strong grippers to support its body and minimize the duration of time when one gripper is off the branch. By using a simulation model and prototype, we demonstrated that storing and releasing elastic energy in a soft body satisfies these requirements, allowing us to fabricate a lightweight robot. The prototype completed one step of the locomotion process in 0.22 secs, making it 2.3 times faster than the original speed of the mounted motor. In addition, we confirmed that the robot climbs 0- to 90-degree branches.
Studies on the Mechanical Models and Behaviors for the Stamp/Film Interface in Microtransfer Printing

The adhesion/delamination characteristics at the stamp/film interface are critical for the efficiency of film microtransfer printing technology. To predict and regulate the interface mechanical behaviors, finite element models based on the J-integral, Virtual Crack Closure Technology (VCCT), and the cohesive zone method (CZM) were established and compared. Then, the effects of pulling speed and interface parameters on the pull-off force, which is used to characterize the interface adhesion strength, were investigated. Comparisons between the simulation results and previous experimental results demonstrated that the model based on the CZM was more applicable than the models based on the J-integral and VCCT in analyzing the adhesion/delamination behaviors of the stamp/film interface. Furthermore, the increase in pulling speed could enlarge the pull-off force for the viscoelastic stamp/film interface, while it had no influence on the pull-off force for the elastic stamp/film interface. In addition, a larger normal strength and normal fracture energy resulted in a larger pull-off force, which was beneficial to the realization of the picking-up process in microtransfer printing.
Local field effects and multimode stimulated light scattering in a two-level medium

Scattering of a short (much shorter then the spontaneous lifetime) laser pulse has been considered in a dense resonant medium subject to local field effects. The system was studied in the limit of Hartree-Fock approximation for Bogolubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood-Yvon (BBGKY) hierarchy of equations for reduced density operators. A closed set of equations for atomic and field density operators was derived to describe stimulated scattering of radiation. Numerically as well as theoretically the capability of multicomponent spectrum with maximums multiple to Rabi frequency has been demonstrated. Relative line intensities in the spectrum were found in the limit of low density.
Status and Challenges for Vaccination against Avian H9N2 Influenza Virus in China

In China, H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) has become widely prevalent in poultry, causing huge economic losses after secondary infection with other pathogens. Importantly, H9N2 AIV continuously infects humans, and its six internal genes frequently reassort with other influenza viruses to generate novel influenza viruses that infect humans, threatening public health. Inactivated whole-virus vaccines have been used to control H9N2 AIV in China for more than 20 years, and they can alleviate clinical symptoms after immunization, greatly reducing economic losses. However, H9N2 AIVs can still be isolated from immunized chickens and have recently become the main epidemic subtype. A more effective vaccine prevention strategy might be able to address the current situation. Herein, we analyze the current status and vaccination strategy against H9N2 AIV and summarize the progress in vaccine development to provide insight for better H9N2 prevention and control.
Recursive Compositional Reinforcement Learning for Continuous Control

Compositional and temporal abstraction is the key to improving learning and planning in reinforcement learning. Modern real-world control problems call for continuous control domains and robust, sample efficient and explainable control frameworks. We are presenting a framework for recursively composing control skills to solve compositional and progressively complex tasks. The framework promotes reuse of skills, and as a result quickly adaptable to new tasks. The decision-tree can be observed, providing insight to the agents’ behavior. Furthermore, the skills can be transferred, modified or trained independently, which can simplify reward shaping and increase training speeds considerably.
The Externality and Sustainable Development Priority of Cross Border Tourism

This study aims to (1) analyze the externality of Cross Border Tourism on sustainable development in Wini Indonesia, (2) analyze priorities recommendations for sustainable cross border tourism development in Wini Indonesia. The study used survey methods and data collections by means of observations and in-depth interviews with 20 respondents. Data analysis used the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with three dimensions of development sustainability. This study found the externalities of developing cross-border tourism are economic (53.20%), social (31.20%) and ecological (15.60%). The economic externalities are positive, social externalities are divided into positive and negative, while environmental externalities are generally negative. The results of the analysis also recommend the development of the creative economy and investment in cross border tourism (52.20%), more professional and integrated tourism management between cross border tourism objects in Indonesia and Timor Leste (30.20%), and tourism development based on ecotourism (17.60%).
An Immunochromatographic Assay for the Rapid and Qualitative Detection of Mercury in Rice

Mercury is a major pollutant in food crops. In this study, we synthesized an anti-mercury monoclonal antibody (mAb; IC50 was 0.606 ng mL−1) with high sensitivity and specificity and different immunogens and coating antigens and developed an immuno-chromatographic assay (ICA) for the detection of mercury in rice. The ICA strip had a visible detection limit of 20 ng g−1 and a cut-off value of 500 ng g−1 in rice. The performance of the ICA strip was consistent with that of ICP-MS and ic-ELISA. The recoveries of mercury in rice ranged from 94.5% to 113.7% with ic-ELISA and from 93.6% to 116.45% with ICP-MS. Qualitative analysis by ICA can be obtained with the naked eye. The ICA strip is an effective and practical method for the rapid and high-throughput determination of mercury in rice.
Mulberry Anthocyanins Ameliorate DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis by Improving Intestinal Barrier Function and Modulating Gut Microbiota

Mulberry has attracted wide attention due to its substantial nutritional values. This work first studied the protective effect of mulberry anthocyanins (MAS) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. The mice experiment was designed as four groups including normal mice (Control), dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-fed mice, and DSS plus 100 mg/kg·bw MAS-fed mice (LMAS-DSS) or DSS plus 200 mg/kg·bw MAS-fed mice (HMAS-DSS). Mice were given MAS by gavage for 1 week, and then DSS was added to the drinking water for 7 days. MAS was administered for a total of 17 days. The results showed that oral gavage of MAS reduced the disease activity index (DAI), prevented colon shortening, attenuated colon tissue damage and inflammatory response, suppressed colonic oxidative stress and restored the protein expression of intestinal tight junction (TJ) protein (ZO-1, occludin and claudin-3) in mice with DSS-induced colitis. In addition, analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon sequences showed that MAS reduced the DSS-induced intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, including a reduction in Escherichia-Shigella, an increase in Akkermansia, Muribaculaceae and Allobaculum. Collectively, MAS alleviates DSS-induced colitis by maintaining the intestinal barrier, modulating inflammatory cytokines, and improving the microbial community.
Wireless Multi-Interface Connectivity with Deep Learning-Enabled User Devices: An Energy Efficiency Perspective

Undoubtedly, future Beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G networks will be empowered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies. However, current Deep Learning methods consume tremendous power, making them unsuitable to be deployed at edge Access Points (AP) or user devices. As energy efficiency will become one of the major Key Performance Indicators in 6G, there is an urge for realizing low-power yet highly efficient Deep Learning at user devices, the most severely battery-limited entities. We analyze this issue through the problem of distributed user-to-multiple APs association optimization in B5G networks that integrate diverse wireless interfaces, such as Sub-6GHz and mmWave bands. In the proposed Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) framework, each device is equipped by a light-weight Deep Q-Network (DQN), which enables it to self-optimize its APs and interfaces association to fulfill the stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of its various applications. We analyze the energy consumption of the device DQN, and investigate key performance trade-offs in terms of sum-rate, user outage, and energy efficiency, while disclosing the major power consuming elements of user DQN. Finally, crucial open research issues are identified for realizing energy-efficient AI at all network levels.
SIXE (Spanish Italian X-ray Experiment)

We present a simple X-ray experiment, named SIXE (Spanish Italian X-ray Experiment). This experiment was born as a subsystem of the experiment MAEX (Mission Astronomica en el Extremo ultravioleta y en rayos X) in order to fly onboard the first platform of the Spanish space program MINISAT, managed by INTA (Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial), within 1995, with an expected operational life-time of two years. Since the experiment MAEX has been withdrawn by INTA on February 1992, SIXE could become the unique payload of the first platform of the Spanish MINISAT program
Safe Landing Zones Detection for UAVs Using Deep Regression

Finding safe landing zones (SLZ) in urban areas and natural scenes is one of the many challenges that must be overcome in automating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) navigation. Using passive vision sensors to achieve this objective is a very promising avenue due to their low cost and the potential they provide for performing simultaneous terrain analysis and 3D reconstruction. In this paper, we propose using a deep learning approach on UAV imagery to assess the SLZ. The model is built on a semantic segmentation architecture whereby thematic classes of the terrain are mapped into safety scores for UAV landing. Contrary to past methods, which use hard classification into safe/unsafe landing zones, our approach provides a continuous safety map that is more practical for an emergency landing. Experiments on public datasets have shown promising results.
A 94GHz FMCW Radar Transceiver with 17dBm Output Power and 6.25dB NF in 65nm CMOS

In this paper, a compact transceiver covering from 93 GHz to 95 GHz in 65-nm CMOS is proposed for frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar application. It consists of a receiver channel (RX), a transmitter channel (TX), and a local oscillator (LO) link. The LO link integrates a six-frequency multiplier to decrease the required input LO frequency and improve the phase-noise performance. To improve both the noise figure (NF) and linearity, a 6-bit RF phase shifter is divided into two parts: the high step-bit phase shifting cells with high loss placed at LO link and a low step-bit phase shifting cells inserted at receiver/transmitter channel. Thanks to the 3-bit phase shifting cells, the LO link is endowed a beamforming capability and can also perform a wide range of the LO phase calibration. Besides, the proposed distribution strategy of the phase-shifter improves the gain and decreases the power the measurement results show that the transmitter achieves 17-dBm output power, and the receiver has a 6.25 dB NF at 94 GHz with a voltage gain of 19.8 dB.
Approximation of the Colebrook Equation for Flow Friction with Immune Plasma Programming

The Colebrook equation, which calculates the flow friction, is used to calculate pressure loss in ventilation ducts with turbulent flow, pipes with water or oil. The computational complexity of the equation increases when the friction factor occurs on both sides of the equation. In this study, a new Colebrook approach to compute flow friction with lower cost is proposed based on the Immune Plasma Programming (IPP) automatic programming method based on the stages of immune plasma therapy. The success of IPP was compared with Artificial Bee Colony Programming (ABCP), quick ABCP, semantic ABCP, quick semantic ABCP. The simulation results show that IPP can be used to effectively solve real-world problems.
Detecting emotions from human speech: role of gender information

For a human being, emotion is an expressive gesture through which we communicate and understand each other. Emotions constitute a major part in our day-to-day communication and other activities. In this work, we implement speech-based emotion recognition (SER) systems to study the role of gender information and augmentation on system performance. Experiments are conducted on a dataset prepared by combination of four publicly available datasets, Toronto Emotional Speech Set (TESS), Surrey Audio-Visual Expressed Emotion (SAVEE), Ryerson Audio-Visual Database of Emotional Speech and Song (RAVDESS), and Crowd-Sourced Emotional Multimodal Actors Dataset (CREMA-D). Results indicate the efficacy of LSTM based approach specifically on female gender on augmented dataset.
Vino y vajilla en la Grecia antigua: una aproximación

En este trabajo se presenta una visión general sobre el papel del vino en la sociedad griega de la Antigüedad. Para abordar el estudio sobre el inicio de la viticultura y el papel del vino o los tipos más relevantes desde sus inicios hasta el final de la época Clásica se han tenido en cuenta varias fuentes disponibles: textuales, iconográficas, y los resultados de análisis de restos biológicos conservados. El consumo del vino en Grecia constituyó el medio para plasmar las costumbres y valores que representaban el concepto de civilización en Grecia; de ahí la marcación de ciertas pautas o la presencia de una vajilla específica, configurándose como un escenario idóneo para el divertimento, la reflexión filosófica e incluso la conspiración política.
Computational Analysis of PDE-Based Shape Analysis Models by Exploring the Damped Wave Equation

The computation of correspondences between shapes is a principal task in shape analysis. In this work, we consider correspondences constructed by a numerical solution of pde. The underlying model of interest is thereby the classic wave equation, since this may give the most accurate shape matching. As has been observed in previous works, numerical time discretisation has a substantial influence on matching quality. Therefore, it is of interest to understand the underlying mechanisms and to investigate at the same time if there is an analytical model that could best describe the most suitable method for shape matching. To this end, we study here the damped wave equation, which mainly serves as a tool to understand and model properties of time discretisation. At the hand of a detailed study of possible parameters, we illustrate that the method that gives the most reasonable feature descriptors benefits from a damping mechanism which can be introduced numerically or within the pde. This sheds light on some basic mechanisms of underlying computational and analytic models, as one may conjecture by our investigation that an ideal model could be composed of a transport mechanism and a diffusive component that helps to counter grid effects.
A 18–50 GHz Two-Phase Mixer-First Receiver Front-End in 45-nm SOI

An 18–50 GHz mixer-first receiver implemented in 45-nm SOI CMOS is presented. The receiver employs a differential quadrature coupler to split received signal into I/Q and provide broadband input match, a two-phase double balanced passive mixer to downconvert the signal, a low-power inverter based LO driver with series resonance peaking to flatten driver gain across frequency and a baseband LNA with 2nd order Sallen-Key low pass filter. Authors believe this to be the first demonstration of 18–50 GHz reconfigurable, low power (< 50 mW) and linear (5 dBm IIP3) 2-phase mixer-first receiver chip.