Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurements to assist access network design with fixed WiMAX in urban environment

WiMAX is a wireless MAN technology designed to diminish the broadband gap in rural areas and to provide the last mile solution. Besides, the WiMAX also ensures efficient access method in urban environment due to the good NLOS behavior of the OFDM transmission technology. On the other hand, network design with WiMAX in urban environment is a rather challenging task. Our work is focused on the examination of WiMAX transmissions in urban area. We performed preliminary laboratory tests and extensive field measurements; some of the results are presented in this paper. The measurements were influenced by several factors including the radio environment, device arrangement and configuration and also transmission protocols, among others. Our conclusion is that careful design is required and several parameters should be considered to ensure optimal solution in a given environment.
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey and bee pollen

A total of 3917 honey samples and 119 ‘bee pollen’ samples (pollen collected by honeybees) were analysed for pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Some 0.05 M sulphuric acid was used for extraction followed by a clean-up step by means of solid-phase extraction. Separation and detection was achieved by target analysis using an LC-MS/MS system. PAs were found in 66% of the raw honeys (bulk honey not yet packaged in containers for sale in retail outlets) and in 94% of honeys available in supermarkets (retail honey). A total of 60% of the bee pollen samples were PA positive. The PA pattern was used to identify the potential origin of the PAs in honey, which was verified for the genus Echium by relative pollen analysis. The results give an estimate of the impact of PA-containing plants belonging to the genera Echium, Senecio and, to a certain extent, Eupatorium on PA levels in honey and can serve as a decision basis for beekeepers in order to find the most suitable location for the production of honey and bee pollen low in PAs.
Changes in Nutritional Properties and Bioactive Compounds in Cereals During Extrusion Cooking

Maintaining and improving the nutritional quality of foods during processing are the main market and industry concerns. Thus, research should focus on novel and sustainable ways for selecting the appropriate processing method that either increases or does not affect the nutrient content of foods. Thermal processing techniques such as extrusion cooking are widely used for producing breakfast cereals, snack foods, pasta, pet food, etc. Extrusion cooking is a continuous process that uses a combination of high-temperature, highpressure, and high shear conditions in a short period of time, which results in molecular transformation and chemical reactions within the extruded products. Extrusion cooking brings on many biochemical changes such as denaturation of proteins, gelatinization of starch, lipid modifications, inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes, formation of volatile flavor components, and increase in soluble dietary fiber. Furthermore, extrusion cooking has the potential to improve the nutritional quality of the products by improving starch and protein digestibility and increasing the retention of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties. Also, this highly efficient technology minimizes water pollution and energy consumption. This review aims to discuss the current information regarding changes in nutritional properties and bioactive compounds in cereals processed by extrusion cooking.
Isoflurane with morphine is a suitable anaesthetic regimen for embryo transfer in the production of transgenic rats

During our initial attempts to produce transgenic rats, we found that an anaesthetic combination typically used for embryo transfer (intramuscular injection of ketamine [90 mg/kg] with xylazine [10 mg/kg]) yielded extensive variation in both the depth and length of anaesthesia. In the present prospective study, we compared the reproductive outcomes afforded by using either isoflurane (5% for induction, 2% for maintenance, carried in 2 l/min of oxygen) with morphine (5 mg/kg s.c., given immediately after isoflurane induction) or ketamine/xylazine in adult (250–300 g), pseudopregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. Each animal was anaesthetized with either isoflurane/morphine or ketamine/xylazine, after which 30 microinjected eggs were transferred into the left uterine horn. The mean pregnancy rate for isoflurane/morphine (15%) was 50% greater than that achieved with ketamine/xylazine (10%). The mean number of live pups (just over five per litter) was comparable for both regimens. All rats given isoflurane/morphine quickly achieved a surgical depth of anaesthesia and experienced a rapid postoperative recovery (3–5 min). In contrast, 25% of rats injected with ketamine/xylazine did not reach a depth of anaesthesia within 10 min that was sufficient for laparotomy, and all that were anaesthetized successfully required an extended postoperative recovery period (60–90 min). These data show that isoflurane/morphine is well tolerated by microinjected embryos and suggest that its use during embryo transfer may provide a means for both reducing the number of pseudopregnant females used and increasing the speed with which rat transgenic projects are completed.
Long-term treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis with biological drugs can control platelet activation: targeting the bridge between inflammation and atherothrombosis

Introduction Platelet activation is elevated in moderate to severe psoriasis, and the reduction in platelet activation during short-term treatment has already been demonstrated. Soluble P-selectin is a well-established marker of platelet activation. Aim To show whether the long-term treatment of psoriasis with biological drugs can reduce elevated platelet activation. Material and methods An observational study of 27 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis, treated with infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept, or ustekinumab for up to 12 months was conducted. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), serum P-selectin and interleukin (IL)-6 were monitored throughout the treatment. Results There was no significant correlation between PASI and platelet activation in our patients. After 3 months of treatment, a significant reduction in PASI and IL-6 was found, while P-selectin was not significantly reduced. When a cohort of patients who had shown elevated P-selectin prior to the treatment was evaluated, a significant reduction in P-selectin was observed in all 8 patients following 3 months; a reduction that was sustained after 6 and 12 months of therapy. Conclusions We conclude that PASI is not a good predictor of platelet activity in patients with PASI near to 10. Biological drugs reduce platelet activation in patients who have increased platelet activation prior to treatment, and this effect is stable during chronic therapy.
Diverse Behaviors of Outer Radial Glia in Developing Ferret and Human Cortex

The dramatic increase in neocortical size and folding during mammalian brain evolution has been attributed to the elaboration of the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the associated increase in neural progenitors. However, recent studies have shown that SVZ size and the abundance of resident progenitors do not directly predict cortical topography, suggesting that complex behaviors of the progenitors themselves may contribute to the overall size and shape of the adult cortex. Using time-lapse imaging, we examined the dynamic behaviors of SVZ progenitors in the ferret, a gyrencephalic carnivore, focusing our analysis on outer radial glial cells (oRGs). We identified a substantial population of oRGs by marker expression and their unique mode of division, termed mitotic somal translocation (MST). Ferret oRGs exhibited diverse behaviors in terms of division location, cleavage angle, and MST distance, as well as fiber orientation and dynamics. We then examined the human fetal cortex and found that a subset of human oRGs displayed similar characteristics, suggesting that diversity in oRG behavior may be a general feature. Similar to the human, ferret oRGs underwent multiple rounds of self-renewing divisions but were more likely to undergo symmetric divisions that expanded the oRG population, as opposed to producing intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs). Differences in oRG behaviors, including proliferative potential and daughter cell fates, may contribute to variations in cortical structure between mammalian species.
A Bird’s Eye View of Discard Reforms: Bird-Borne Cameras Reveal Seabird/Fishery Interactions

Commercial capture fisheries produce huge quantities of offal, as well as undersized and unwanted catch in the form of discards. Declines in global catches and legislation to ban discarding will significantly reduce discards, but this subsidy supports a large scavenger community. Understanding the potential impact of declining discards for scavengers should feature in an eco-system based approach to fisheries management, but requires greater knowledge of scavenger/fishery interactions. Here we use bird-borne cameras, in tandem with GPS loggers, to provide a unique view of seabird/fishery interactions. 20,643 digital images (one min−1) from ten bird-borne cameras deployed on central place northern gannets Morus bassanus revealed that all birds photographed fishing vessels. These were large (>15 m) boats, with no small-scale vessels. Virtually all vessels were trawlers, and gannets were almost always accompanied by other scavenging birds. All individuals exhibited an Area-Restricted Search (ARS) during foraging, but only 42% of ARS were associated with fishing vessels, indicating much ‘natural’ foraging. The proportion of ARS behaviours associated with fishing boats were higher for males (81%) than females (30%), although the reasons for this are currently unclear. Our study illustrates that fisheries form a very important component of the prey-landscape for foraging gannets and that a discard ban, such as that proposed under reforms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, may have a significant impact on gannet behaviour, particularly males. However, a continued reliance on ‘natural’ foraging suggests the ability to switch away from scavenging, but only if there is sufficient food to meet their needs in the absence of a discard subsidy.
Role of ER Stress in Ventricular Contractile Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease and of adverse outcomes following myocardial infarction (MI). Here we assessed the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in ventricular dysfunction and outcomes after MI in type 2 DM (T2DM). Methodology and Principal Findings In hearts of OLETF, a rat model of T2DM, at 25∼30 weeks of age, GRP78 and GRP94, markers of ER stress, were increased and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA)2a protein was reduced by 35% compared with those in LETO, a non-diabetic control. SERCA2a mRNA levels were similar, but SERCA2a protein was more ubiquitinated in OLETF than in LETO. Left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic elastance (Eed) was higher in OLETF than in LETO (53.9±5.2 vs. 20.2±5.6 mmHg/µl), whereas LV end-systolic elastance and positive inotropic responses to β-adrenergic stimulation were similar in OLETF and LETO. 4-Phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA), an ER stress modulator, suppressed both GRP up-regulation and SERCA2a ubiquitination and normalized SERCA2a protein level and Eed in OLETF. Sodium tauroursodeoxycholic acid, a structurally different ER stress modulator, also restored SERCA2a protein level in OLETF. Though LV dysfunction was modest, mortality within 48 h after coronary occlusion was markedly higher in OLETF than in LETO (61.3% vs. 7.7%). Telemetric recording showed that rapid progression of heart failure was responsible for the high mortality rate in OLETF. ER stress modulators failed to reduce the mortality rate after MI in OLETF. Conclusions ER stress reduces SERCA2a protein via its augmented ubiquitination and degradation, leading to LV diastolic dysfunction in T2DM. Even at a stage without systolic LV dysfunction, susceptibility to lethal heart failure after infarction is markedly increased, which cannot be explained by ER stress or change in myocardial response to sympathetic nerve activation.
A Fragmentation Criterion for the Interface of a Hydrostatic Extruded Al-Mg-Compound

Due to the higher demand for energy efficient products, light-weight constructions have become more important in recent years. An innovative, hydrostatic extruded Al-Mg-compound used here combines the corrosion resistance of aluminium with the outstanding lightweight properties of magnesium. During the production process, a thin boundary layer is built between the two basic materials. Investigations on further hot forming processing revealed a good formability of these compounds despite the fact that the boundary layer splits into fragments during forging and a new secondary boundary layer is built when the basic materials between the fragments come into contact again during the continuous deformation. The aim of the research is now to investigate fragmentation depending on the deformation rate and boundary layer thickness, which increases during the heat-up process in preparation of forging. For this purpose, a channel compression test is used in conjunction with a special newly developed specimen shape. The metallographic evaluation of the boundary layer reveals a strong dependency of fragmentation on the deformation rate and the boundary layer thickness. With the aid of a numerical simulation, an individual critical stretch could be determined at which fragmentation starts, and provide guidance for an optimal forging process design.
How Exposure to Markets Can Favor Inequity-Averse Preferences

This paper shows how market exposure can support the evolution of non-individualistic preferences. In a group, one agent is randomly selected to divide an exogenous endowment. Endowment shares are used for either consumption or market exchange with external merchants. As a more equal endowment distribution attenuates the scope of merchants’ price discrimination, we argue that inequity-averse preferences may lead to a higher utility of consumption and so survive evolutionary pressures. This effect arises from an opportunity to create and extract information rents. We offer a new explanation to the empirical finding that a society's exposure to markets has a positive effect on its members’ sociality.
A Millimeter-Wave CMOS Triple-Band Phase-Locked Loop With A Multimode LC-Based ILFD

A millimeter-wave multiband phase-locked loop (PLL) is presented for the first time, which covers 40-, 60-, and 80-GHz bands. Three voltage-controlled oscillators corresponding to different frequencies are input to a multiband injection-locked frequency divider and switched on one at a time by a multiplexer as a band selector. The feedback loop embraces the following components: a chain of dividers with a fixed division-modulus of 256, a phase-frequency detector, a charge-pump, and a second-order loop filter. The PLL is clocked by a reference frequency of 78 MHz and its output power is higher than -9.5 dBm. The phase noise is -103 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 10 MHz. With a supply voltage of 1.5 V, the entire PLL consumes 114 mW. The chip is implemented in a 90-nm CMOS technology and measures 1.12 mm2.
Fast Incremental and Personalized PageRank

In this paper, we analyze the efficiency of Monte Carlo methods for incremental computation of PageRank, personalized PageRank, and similar random walk based methods (with focus on SALSA), on large-scale dynamically evolving social networks. We assume that the graph of friendships is stored in distributed shared memory, as is the case for large social networks such as Twitter. For global PageRank, we assume that the social network has n nodes, and m adversarially chosen edges arrive in a random order. We show that with a reset probability of e, the expected total work needed to maintain an accurate estimate (using the Monte Carlo method) of the PageRank of every node at all times is [EQUATION]. This is significantly better than all known bounds for incremental PageRank. For instance, if we naively recompute the PageRanks as each edge arrives, the simple power iteration method needs [EQUATION] total time and the Monte Carlo method needs O(mn/e) total time; both are prohibitively expensive. We also show that we can handle deletions equally efficiently. We then study the computation of the top k personalized PageRanks starting from a seed node, assuming that personalized PageRanks follow a power-law with exponent α q ln n random walks starting from every node for large enough constant q (using the approach outlined for global PageRank), then the expected number of calls made to the distributed social network database is O(k/(R(1-α)/α)). We also present experimental results from the social networking site, Twitter, verifying our assumptions and analyses. The overall result is that this algorithm is fast enough for real-time queries over a dynamic social network.
The perceived impact of the National Health Service on personalised nutrition service delivery among the UK public

Personalised nutrition (PN) has the potential to reduce disease risk and optimise health and performance. Although previous research has shown good acceptance of the concept of PN in the UK, preferences regarding the delivery of a PN service (e.g. online v. face-to-face) are not fully understood. It is anticipated that the presence of a free at point of delivery healthcare system, the National Health Service (NHS), in the UK may have an impact on end-user preferences for deliverances. To determine this, supplementary analysis of qualitative data obtained from focus group discussions on PN service delivery, collected as part of the Food4Me project in the UK and Ireland, was undertaken. Irish data provided comparative analysis of a healthcare system that is not provided free of charge at the point of delivery to the entire population. Analyses were conducted using the ‘framework approach’ described by Rabiee (Focus-group interview and data analysis. Proc Nutr Soc 63, 655-660). There was a preference for services to be led by the government and delivered face-to-face, which was perceived to increase trust and transparency, and add value. Both countries associated paying for nutritional advice with increased commitment and motivation to follow guidelines. Contrary to Ireland, however, and despite the perceived benefit of paying, UK discussants still expected PN services to be delivered free of charge by the NHS. Consideration of this unique challenge of free healthcare that is embedded in the NHS culture will be crucial when introducing PN to the UK.
Lateral line diversity among ecologically divergent threespine stickleback populations

SUMMARY The lateral line is a mechanoreceptive sensory system that allows fish to sense objects and motion in their local environment. Variation in lateral line morphology may allow fish in different habitats to differentially sense and respond to salient cues. Threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) occupy a diverse range of aquatic habitats; we therefore hypothesized that populations within the G. aculeatus species complex might show variation in the morphology of the lateral line sensory system. We sampled 16 threespine stickleback populations from marine, stream and lake (including benthic and limnetic) habitats and examined the distribution, type and number of neuromasts on different regions of the body. We found that the threespine stickleback has a reduced lateral line canal system, completely lacking canal neuromasts. Although the arrangement of lines of superficial neuromasts on the body was largely the same in all populations, the number of neuromasts within these lines varied across individuals, populations and habitats. In pairwise comparisons between threespine sticklebacks adapted to divergent habitats, we found significant differences in neuromast number. Stream residents had more neuromasts than marine sticklebacks living downstream in the same watershed. In two independent lakes, benthic sticklebacks had more trunk neuromasts than sympatric limnetic sticklebacks, providing evidence for parallel evolution of the lateral line system. Our data provide the first demonstration that the lateral line sensory system can vary significantly between individuals and among populations within a single species, and suggest that this sensory system may experience different selection regimes in alternative habitats.
Effective Level Set Image Segmentation With a Kernel Induced Data Term

This study investigates level set multiphase image segmentation by kernel mapping and piecewise constant modeling of the image data thereof. A kernel function maps implicitly the original data into data of a higher dimension so that the piecewise constant model becomes applicable. This leads to a flexible and effective alternative to complex modeling of the image data. The method uses an active curve objective functional with two terms: an original term which evaluates the deviation of the mapped image data within each segmentation region from the piecewise constant model and a classic length regularization term for smooth region boundaries. Functional minimization is carried out by iterations of two consecutive steps: 1) minimization with respect to the segmentation by curve evolution via Euler-Lagrange descent equations and 2) minimization with respect to the regions parameters via fixed point iterations. Using a common kernel function, this step amounts to a mean shift parameter update. We verified the effectiveness of the method by a quantitative and comparative performance evaluation over a large number of experiments on synthetic images, as well as experiments with a variety of real images such as medical, satellite, and natural images, as well as motion maps.
Hydrogen annealing effect on DC and low-frequency noise characteristics in CMOS FinFETs

The hydrogen annealing process has been used to improve surface roughness of the Si-fin in CMOS FinFETs for the first time. Hydrogen annealing was performed after Si-fin etch and before gate oxidation. As a result, increased saturation current with a lowered threshold voltage and a decreased low-frequency noise level over the entire range of drain current have been attained. The low-frequency noise characteristics indicate that the oxide trap density is reduced by a factor of 3 due to annealing. These results suggest that hydrogen annealing is very effective for improving device performance and for attaining a high-quality surface of the etched Si-fin.
Image annotation by large-scale content-based image retrieval

Image annotation has been an active research topic in recent years due to its potentially large impact on both image understanding and Web image search. In this paper, we target at solving the automatic image annotation problem in a novel search and mining framework. Given an uncaptioned image, first in the search stage, we perform content-based image retrieval (CBIR) facilitated by high-dimensional indexing to find a set of visually similar images from a large-scale image database. The database consists of images crawled from the World Wide Web with rich annotations, e.g. titles and surrounding text. Then in the mining stage, a search result clustering technique is utilized to find most representative keywords from the annotations of the retrieved image subset. These keywords, after salience ranking, are finally used to annotate the uncaptioned image. Based on search technologies, this framework does not impose an explicit training stage, but efficiently leverages large-scale and well-annotated images, and is potentially capable of dealing with unlimited vocabulary. Based on 2.4 million real Web images, comprehensive evaluation of image annotation on Corel and U. Washington image databases show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.