Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exemplar-based framework for 3D point cloud hole filling

Holes can arise in 3D point clouds due to a number of reasons such as incomplete scans, occlusions, and packet loss. We present an exemplar-based framework for hole filling in 3D point clouds, which exploits non-local self similarity to provide plausible reconstruction even for large holes and complex surfaces. Points along the hole boundary are given priority that determines the order in which they are processed. Hole filling is performed iteratively and uses templates near the hole boundary to find the best matching regions elsewhere in the cloud, from where existing points are transferred to the hole. The proposed method has been compared with several existing methods and has shown superior results, both visually and in terms of the Hausdorff distance.
Keep it Fair: Equivalences

For models of concurrent and distributed systems, it is important and also challenging to establish correctness in terms of safety and/or liveness properties. Theories of distributed systems consider equivalences fundamental, since they (1) preserve desirable correctness characteristics and (2) often allow for component substitution making compositional reasoning feasible. Modeling distributed systems often requires abstraction utilizing nondeterminism which induces unintended behaviors in terms of infinite executions with one nondeterministic choice being recurrently resolved, each time neglecting a single alternative. These situations are considered unrealistic or highly improbable. Fairness assumptions are commonly used to filter system behaviors, thereby distinguishing between realistic and unrealistic executions. This allows for key arguments in correctness proofs of distributed systems, which would not be possible otherwise. Our contribution is an equivalence spectrum in which fairness assumptions are preserved. The identified equivalences allow for (compositional) reasoning about correctness incorporating fairness assumptions.
Patterns of distant metastasis in Chinese women according to breast cancer subtypes

To access possible relationships between breast cancer subtypes (BCS) and patterns of distant metastasis in advanced breast cancer. Breast cancer patients with distant metastasis at two academic centers from 2000-2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The breast cancer was classified into four subtypes: hormone receptor (HR) +/ human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) − (i.e., estrogen receptor [ER] + and/or progesterone receptor [PR] +, HER2−); HR+/HER2+ (ER+ and/or PR+, HER2+), HR−/HER2+ (ER− and PR−, and HER2+); and HR−/HER2− (ER− and PR−, and HER2−). A total of 679 patients were identified. The distribution of the BCS was 39.9% (271/679), 23.7% (161/679), 16.8% (114/679), and 19.6% (133/679) in HR+/HER2−, HR+/HER2+, HR−/HER2+, and HR−/HER2−, respectively. Patients with HR+/HER2+ and HR−/HER2+ subtypes were prone to abdominal and pelvic metastasis, those with HR+/HER2− and HR+/HER2+ subtypes were prone to bone metastasis, while patients with the HR−/HER2− subtype were prone to lung/mediastinal and brain metastases. In patients with pleural, axillary and/or neck lymph node, and other distant soft tissue metastases, there was no significant difference in metastatic patterns among the BCS. There are different patterns of distant metastasis associated with different BCS. There should be a different focus in the postoperative follow-up and monitoring of breast cancer patients with different BCS.
On the origin of Lake Malawi cichlid species: A population genetic analysis of divergence

The cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi are famously diverse. However, phylogenetic and population genetic studies of their history have been difficult because of the great amount of genetic variation that is shared between species. We apply a recently developed method for fitting the “isolation with migration” divergence model to a data set of specially designed compound loci to develop portraits of cichlid species divergence. Outgroup sequences from a cichlid from Lake Tanganyika permit model parameter estimates in units of years and effective population sizes. Estimated speciation times range from 1,000 to 17,000 years for species in the genus Tropheops. These exceptionally recent dates suggest that Malawi cichlids as a group experience a very active and dynamic diversification process. Current effective population size estimates range form 2,000 to near 40,000, and to >120,000 for estimates of ancestral population sizes. It appears that very recent speciation and gene flow are among the reasons why it has been difficult to discern the phylogenetic history of Malawi cichlids.
Lack of Genomic Heterogeneity at High-Resolution aCGH between Primary Breast Cancers and Their Paired Lymph Node Metastases

Lymph-node metastasis (LNM) predict high recurrence rates in breast cancer patients. Systemic treatment aims to eliminate (micro)metastatic cells. However decisions regarding systemic treatment depend largely on clinical and molecular characteristics of primary tumours. It remains, however, unclear to what extent metastases resemble the cognate primary breast tumours, especially on a genomic level, and as such will be eradicated by the systemic therapy chosen. In this study we used high-resolution aCGH to investigate DNA copy number differences between primary breast cancers and their paired LNMs. To date, no recurrent LNM-specific genomic aberrations have been identified using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis. In our study we employ a high-resolution platform and we stratify on different breast cancer subtypes, both aspects that might have underpowered previously performed studies.To test the possibility that genomic instability in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) might cause increased random and potentially also recurrent copy number aberrations (CNAs) in their LNMs, we studied 10 primary TNBC–LNM pairs and 10 ER-positive (ER+) pairs and verified our findings adding additionally 5 TNBC-LNM and 22 ER+-LNM pairs. We found that all LNMs clustered nearest to their matched tumour except for two cases, of which one was due to the presence of two distinct histological components in one tumour. We found no significantly altered CNAs between tumour and their LNMs in the entire group or in the subgroups. Within the TNBC subgroup, no absolute increase in CNAs was found in the LNMs compared to their primary tumours, suggesting that increased genomic instability does not lead to more CNAs in LNMs. Our findings suggest a high clonal relationship between primary breast tumours and its LNMs, at least prior to treatment, and support the use of primary tumour characteristics to guide adjuvant systemic chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.
Safety and convenience of once-weekly somapacitan in adult GH deficiency: a 26-week randomized, controlled trial

Objective Somapacitan is a reversible albumin-binding growth hormone (GH) derivative, developed for once-weekly administration. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of once-weekly somapacitan vs once-daily Norditropin®. Local tolerability and treatment satisfaction were also assessed. Design 26-week randomized, controlled phase 3 safety and tolerability trial in six countries (Nbib2382939). Methods Male or female patients aged 18–79 years with adult GH deficiency (AGHD), treated with once-daily GH for ≥6 months, were randomized to once-weekly somapacitan (n = 61) or once-daily Norditropin (n = 31) administered subcutaneously by pen. Both treatments were dose titrated for 8 weeks to achieve insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) standard deviation score (SDS) levels within the normal range, and then administered at a fixed dose. Outcome measures were adverse events (AEs), including injection site reactions; occurrence of anti-somapacitan/anti-GH antibodies and change in treatment satisfaction, assessed using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication-9 (TSQM-9). Results Mean IGF-I SDS remained between 0 and 2 SDS throughout the trial in both groups. AEs were mostly mild or moderate and transient in nature. The most common AEs were nasopharyngitis, headache and fatigue in both groups. More than 1500 somapacitan injections were administered and no clinically significant injection site reactions were reported. No anti-somapacitan or anti-GH antibodies were detected. The TSQM-9 score for convenience increased significantly more with somapacitan vs Norditropin (P = 0.0171). Conclusions In this 26-week trial in patients with AGHD, somapacitan was well tolerated and no safety issues were identified. Once-weekly somapacitan was reported to be more convenient than once-daily Norditropin.
A qualitative study of patient and professional perspectives of healthcare services for multiple sclerosis: implications for service development and policy

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic degenerative condition, with heterogeneous symptoms, and an unpredictable prognosis. Previous literature suggests patients' experiences of healthcare are unsatisfactory. Primary care may play a key role in the management of people with MS (PwMS); however, provision of services for PwMS has received little focus in the primary care literature. This study aimed to explore perspectives and experiences of PwMS and healthcare professionals of UK healthcare services for MS. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 PwMS, 13 Practice Nurses, 12 General Practitioners and 9 MS Specialist Nurses in northern England, between October 2012 and April 2014. Participants were purposively selected. Data were analysed thematically using constant comparative analysis. The theoretical framework of candidacy was used to interrogate data, with themes mapping onto the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline for MS. How PwMS interpreted symptoms as leading to candidacy for care dictated help-seeking. PwMS required additional support in identifying symptoms due to MS. Participants reported poor experiences of care including poor access to services, poor continuity of care and poor interpersonal interactions with perceptions of limited person-centredness. PwMS and professionals identified that MS-related disability and progression of symptoms required responsive care. Relational continuity enabled PwMS to feel understood, and professionals to holistically appraise symptoms and progression. In conclusion, continuity and patient-centredness of care are central to positive healthcare experiences for PwMS and professionals. Services need to be more accessible to ensure responsive and effective MS management. This study provides unique findings on the role of primary care for PwMS, and the relationship between findings and MS NICE guideline recommendations with implications for service delivery in the community.
LIM domain–binding 1 maintains the terminally differentiated state of pancreatic &bgr; cells

The recognition of &bgr; cell dedifferentiation in type 2 diabetes raises the translational relevance of mechanisms that direct and maintain &bgr; cell identity. LIM domain–binding protein 1 (LDB1) nucleates multimeric transcriptional complexes and establishes promoter-enhancer looping, thereby directing fate assignment and maturation of progenitor populations. Many terminally differentiated endocrine cell types, however, remain enriched for LDB1, but its role is unknown. Here, we have demonstrated a requirement for LDB1 in maintaining the terminally differentiated status of pancreatic &bgr; cells. Inducible ablation of LDB1 in mature &bgr; cells impaired insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. Transcriptomic analysis of LDB1-depleted &bgr; cells revealed the collapse of the terminally differentiated gene program, indicated by a loss of &bgr; cell identity genes and induction of the endocrine progenitor factor neurogenin 3 (NEUROG3). Lineage tracing confirmed that LDB1-depleted, insulin-negative &bgr; cells express NEUROG3 but do not adopt alternate endocrine cell fates. In primary mouse islets, LDB1 and its LIM homeodomain–binding partner islet 1 (ISL1) were coenriched at chromatin sites occupied by pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1), NK6 homeobox 1 (NKX6.1), forkhead box A2 (FOXA2), and NK2 homeobox 2 (NKX2.2) — factors that co-occupy active enhancers in 3D chromatin domains in human islets. Indeed, LDB1 was enriched at active enhancers in human islets. Thus, LDB1 maintains the terminally differentiated state of &bgr; cells and is a component of active enhancers in both murine and human islets.
Leukoaraiosis, Cerebral Hemorrhage, and Outcome After Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

Background and Purpose— We performed a meta-analysis to assess whether leukoaraiosis on brain computed tomographic scans of acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis is associated with an increased risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) or poor functional outcome at 3 to 6 months after stroke, or both. Methods— We searched PubMed and pooled relevant data in meta-analyses using random effects models. Using odds ratios (OR), we quantified the strength of association between the presence and severity of leukoaraiosis and post-thrombolysis sICH or 3- to 6-month modified Rankin Score >2. Results— Eleven eligible studies (n=7194) were pooled in meta-analysis. The risk of sICH was higher in patients with leukoaraiosis (OR, 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–2.06; P=0.002) and severe leukoaraiosis (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.92–3.34; P<0.0001) compared with patients without leukoaraiosis. Leukoaraiosis was an independent predictor of sICH in 6 included studies (n=4976; adjusted OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.35–2.27; P<0.0001). OR for leukoaraiosis and poor 3- to 6-month outcome was 2.02 (95% CI, 1.54–2.65; P<0.0001), with significant statistical heterogeneity (I2, 75.7%; P=0.002). In adjusted analyses, leukoaraiosis was an independent predictor of poor outcome (n=3688; adjusted OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.44–1.79; P<0.0001). In post hoc analyses, including only leukoaraiosis patients in randomized controlled trials (IST-3 [third International Stroke Trial], NINDS [National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke], ECASS-1–2 [European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study]; n=2234), tissue-type plasminogen activator versus control was associated with higher sICH risk (OR, 5.50; 95% CI, 2.49–12.13), but lower poor outcome risk (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60–0.95). Conclusions— Leukoaraiosis might increase post-intravenous thrombolysis sICH risk and poor outcome poststroke. Despite increased sICH risk, intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator treatment has net clinical benefit in patients with leukoaraiosis. Given the risk of bias/confounding, these results should be considered hypothesis-generating and do not justify withholding intravenous thrombolysis.
Modelling microscale fuel cells

The focus of this work is to investigate transport phenomena in recently developed microscale fuel cell designs using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Two microscale fuel cell systems are considered in this work: the membraneless microfluidic fuel cell and a planar array of integrated fuel cells. A concise electrochemical model of the key reactions and appropriate boundary conditions are presented in conjunction with the development of a threedimensional CFD model of a membraneless microfluidic fuel cell that accounts for the coupled flow, species transport and reaction kinetics. Numerical simulations show that the fuel cell is diffusion limited, and the system performances of several microchannel and electrode geometries are compared. A tapered-electrode design is proposed, which results in a fuel utilization of over 50 %. A computational heat transfer analysis of an array of distributed fuel cells on the bottom wall of a horizontal enclosure is also presented. The fuel cells are modelled as flush-mounted sources with prescribed heat flux boundary conditions. The optimum heat transfer rates and the onset of thermal instability are found to be governed by the length and spacing of the sources and the width-to-height aspect ratio of the enclosure. The transition from a conduction-dominated to a convectiondominated regime occurs over a range of Rayleigh numbers. Smaller source lengths result in higher heat transfer rates due to dramatic changes in Rayleigh-Benard cell structures following transition. iii Table of
Design for low test pattern counts

This paper presents a new method to design digital circuits for low pattern counts, one of the key factors shaping cost-effective VLSI test schemes. The method identifies the largest conflicts between internal signals that prevent efficient test compaction in ATPG. These locations are modified by inserting conflict-reducing test points (CRTP) to significantly reduce the ATPG-produced pattern counts. Experimental results obtained for large industrial designs with on-chip test compression demonstrate, on average, 3x - 4x reduction in stuck-at and transition patterns and 3x shorter ATPG times.
Using Attribute Amnesia to Test the Limits of Hyper-Binding and Associative Deficits in Working Memory

Previous work has shown mixed evidence regarding age-related deficits for binding in working memory. The current study used the newly developed attribute amnesia effect (H. Chen & Wyble, 2015a) to test the associative-deficit hypothesis during working memory and to probe whether hyper-binding extends to include binding of de-selected information. In studies of attribute amnesia, participants use target attributes (e.g., identity, color) to demonstrate near ceiling levels of reporting of a second target attribute (e.g., location) across a series of trials (H. Chen & Wyble, 2015a, 2016). Yet, despite having just processed the target-defining attribute, they have difficulty reporting it on a surprise trial. This effect provides several predictions for associative binding in aging. The associative-deficit hypothesis predicts age-related decline on the surprise trial, whereas an extension of hyper-binding predicts age-related increase in performance in older adults. In Experiment 1, when working memory load was low, older adults demonstrated attribute amnesia equal to that found in younger adults. When load increased in Experiment 2, older adults again demonstrated attribute amnesia as well as an age deficit for reporting target attributes. In lieu of spontaneous binding, results suggest that expectancy plays a critical role in older adults’ propensity to encode and bind target attributes in working memory. Results further suggest that expectancy alone is not enough for older adults to form bound representations when task demands are high. Taken together results revealed a boundary condition of hyper-binding and further provided conditional support for the associative-deficit hypothesis in working memory.
Postdispersal Removal and Germination of Seed Dispersed by Cercopithecus nictitans in a West African Montane Forest

Factors that determine the effectiveness of primates as seed dispersers include (i) the microsite into which they deposit seed, (ii) secondary removal of seed by other taxa and (iii) the effect of gut passage and/or spitting on subsequent seed germination. This contribution evaluated these factors in the little studied putty-nosed monkey, Cercopithecus nictitans, in a Nigerian montane forest. Field experiments showed that C. nictitans has greatly increased in its importance as a disperser of medium-sized seed (>5 mm) because other large primates have been hunted to near extinction. C. nictitans disperses seed across habitats by spitting and defaecation. Rates of secondary seed removal were high for all seed species irrespective of the presence or absence of C. nictitans faecal matter, size or microsite variables. Gut passage enhanced germination relative to hand-cleaned seed, while spitting had either no effect or decreased the germination rate.
Influences of Original Alloy Microstructure on Magnetic Properties of Isotropic HDDR-Treated Nd-Fe-B Powder

We investigated influences of original alloy microstructure on magnetic properties of the isotropic HDDR (hydrogenation-decomposition-desorption-recombination)-treated Nd126Fe79.0Co2. 4B6.0 powder by comparing two types of starting materials, i.e., the strip cast (SC) alloy and the conventional book-mold cast (BMC) alloy. It was found that utilizing the SC alloy can achieve better I-H loop squareness, and consequently higher remanence in the final powder. The powder prepared from the SC alloy exhibits a more uniform grain structure of the recombined Nd2Fe14B phase, which is thought to be closely related to its good loop squareness. The effect of using the SC alloy is supposed to be attributed to the complete elimination of α-Fe particles before the HDDR treatment.
Integrated culture platform based on a human platelet lysate supplement for the isolation and scalable manufacturing of umbilical cord matrix‐derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells

Umbilical cord matrix (UCM)‐derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are promising therapeutic candidates for regenerative medicine settings. UCM MSCs have advantages over adult cells as these can be obtained through a non‐invasive harvesting procedure and display a higher proliferative capacity. However, the high cell doses required in the clinical setting make large‐scale manufacturing of UCM MSCs mandatory. A commercially available human platelet lysate‐based culture supplement (UltraGROTM, AventaCell BioMedical) (5%(v/v)) was tested to effectively isolate UCM MSCs and to expand these cells under (1) static conditions, using planar culture systems and (2) stirred culture using plastic microcarriers in a spinner flask. The MSC‐like cells were isolated from UCM explant cultures after 11 ± 2 days. After five passages in static culture, UCM MSCs retained their immunophenotype and multilineage differentiation potential. The UCM MSCs cultured under static conditions using UltraGROTM‐supplemented medium expanded more rapidly compared with UCM MSCs expanded using a previously established protocol. Importantly, UCM MSCs were successfully expanded under dynamic conditions on plastic microcarriers using UltraGROTM‐supplemented medium in spinner flasks. Upon an initial 54% cell adhesion to the beads, UCM MSCs expanded by >13‐fold after 5–6 days, maintaining their immunophenotype and multilineage differentiation ability. The present paper reports the establishment of an easily scalable integrated culture platform based on a human platelet lysate supplement for the effective isolation and expansion of UCM MSCs in a xenogeneic‐free microcarrier‐based system. This platform represents an important advance in obtaining safer and clinically meaningful MSC numbers for clinical translation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatially Adaptive TV Broadcast System: Hardware in the Loop Operational Analysis

When a digital TV system is operating far in excess of the operational threshold, there is no discernible advantage to either the user or broadcaster due to the hard failure characteristics of digital TV. In a digital network, this threshold can vary due to changes in the propagation medium and user receiving equipment, necessitating a transmit power margin sufficient to cover all propagation and equipment variations. Hence if the system could be adaptively tuned to operate at just above the threshold, then significant energy savings could be made. A spatially adaptive system was evaluated through hardware-in-the-loop analysis; here a channel emulator was used to physically model array gain and fading conditions, and feedback nodes were constructed allowing broadcast powers to be manipulated based on evaluating user feedback. The effects of such a system on the U.K. Digital terrestrial television (DTT) network were evaluated and the advantages highlighted potential power savings of up to 2.1 dB being obtainable. This equates to an electricity reduction of between 33 million and 58 million kWh per year, saving between £3.5 million and £6.1 million ($4.4 million and $7.6 million) and reducing carbon emissions by between 13.7 million and 24 million CO2e. This paper thus illustrates the potential energy savings for a DTT network, using the U.K. as a worked example.