Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interference Measurements in IEEE 802.11 Communication Links Due to Different Types of Interference Sources

The number of wireless devices (smartphones, laptops, sensors) that use the 2.4 GHz ISM band is rapidly increasing. The most common communication system in this band is Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n). For that reason coexistence between Wi-Fi and other systems becomes more and more important. In this paper we have investigated the influence on Wi-Fi communication for different interference sources, i.e., wireless Audio/Video (A/V) transmitter, microwave and Bluetooth. A measurement tool has been developed to measure this influence both at the Physical (PHY) Layer and at the link layer to assess the overall Quality of Service (QoS). At link layer the tool allows to analyze the received packets types and sub fields; a sophisticated approach to analyze interference mechanisms compared to traditional packet sniffers that focus on throughput and packet error rate only. In addition, this tool allows to identify the type of interference source based on the occurring interference mechanisms at these lower two layers of the OSI protocol stack. The experimental results show severe impact of A/V transmitters which causes significant overall QoS degradation of WiFi communication in contrast to microwave and Bluetooth interference.
Design of air blast pressure sensors based on miniature silicon membrane and piezoresistive gauges

Available commercial piezoelectric pressure sensors are not able to accurately reproduce the ultra-fast transient pressure occurring during an air blast experiment. In this communication a new pressure sensor prototype based on a miniature silicon membrane and piezoresistive gauges is reported for significantly improving the performances in terms of time response. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of a pressure transducer having a fundamental resonant frequency almost ten times greater than the commercial piezoelectric sensors one. The sensor uses a 5μm-thick SOI membrane and four P-type silicon gauges (doping level ≅ 1019 at/cm3) in Wheatstone bridge configuration. To obtain a good trade-off between the fundamental mechanical resonant frequency and pressure sensitivity values, the typical dimension of the rectangular membrane is fixed to 30μm x 90μm with gauge dimension of 1μm x 5μm. The achieved simulated mechanical resonant frequency of these configuration is greater than 40MHz with a sensitivity of 0.04% per bar.
Trunk muscles strength and endurance in chronic low back pain patients with and without clinical instability.

OBJECTIVES Previous research has shown inconsistent findings regarding muscle endurance in chronic low back pain (CLBP). Questions also remain about muscle endurance in patients with clinical instability. The aim of this study was to investigate trunk muscles strength and endurance in CLBP patients with and without clinical instability. METHODS 32 CLBP patients (15 with and 17 without clinical instability) and 39 matched healthy subjects participated in this study. The standing extension test was performed to assess the strength and endurance of the lumbar extensors while recording their electromyographic activity. The patients' disability was evaluated using the Oswestry and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaires. RESULTS Patients with clinical instability showed lower maximal voluntary exertion (MVE) and higher time to fatigue (TTF) compared to healthy subjects (P=0.000 and P=0.008, respectively) and patients without instability (P=0.002 and P=0.02, respectively). There was no difference in these variables between patients without instability and healthy controls. A negative relationship between MVE and TTF and a positive correlation between disability and pain intensity were seen. CONCLUSION Strength training of trunk extensor muscles can be considered as part of the treatment protocol for CLBP patients with clinical instability. Although patients without instability suffered from pain or disability, they showed more similarity to healthy subjects in terms of trunk muscles strength and endurance.
Scheduling a steel plant with timed automata

Scheduling in an environment with constraints of many different types is known to be a hard problem. We tackle this problem for an integrated steel plant in Ghent, Belgium, using UPPAAL, a model checker for networks of timed automata. We show how to translate schedulability to reachability, enabling us to use UPPAAL's model checking algorithms.
Opportunistic Piggyback Marking for IP Traceback

IP traceback is a solution for attributing cyber attacks, and it is also useful for accounting user traffic and network diagnosis. Marking-based traceback (MBT) has been considered a promising traceback approach, and has received considerable attention. However, we find that the traceback message delivery problem in MBT, which is important to the successful completion of a traceback, has not been adequately studied in the literature. To address this issue, we present the design, analysis, and evaluation of opportunistic piggyback marking (OPM) for IP traceback in this paper. The OPM distinguishes itself from the existing works by decoupling the traceback message content encoding and delivery functions in MBT, and efficiently achieves expedited and robust traceback message delivery by exploiting piggyback marking opportunities. Based on the proposed OPM scheme, we then present the flexible marking-based traceback framework, which is a novel design paradigm for IP traceback and has several favorable features for practical deployment of IP traceback. Through the numerical analysis and the comprehensive simulation evaluations, we demonstrate that our design effectively reduces the traceback completion delay and router processing overhead, and increases the message delivery ratio compared with other baseline approaches.
A study on multi-objective particle swarm optimization with weighted scalarizing functions

In literature, multi-objective particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms are shown to have great potential in solving simulation optimization problems with real number decision variables and objectives. This paper develops a multi-objective PSO algorithm based on weighted scalarization (MPSOws) in which objectives are scalarized by different sets of weights at individual particles while evaluation results are shared among the swarm. Various scalarizing functions, such as simple weighted aggregation (SWA), weighted compromise programming (WCP), and penalized boundary intersection (PBI) can be applied in the algorithm. To improve the diversity and uniformity of the Pareto set, a hybrid external archiving technique consisting of both KNN and ε-dominance methods is proposed. Numerical experiments on noise-free problems are conducted to show that MPSOws outperforms the benchmark algorithm and WCP is the most preferable strategy for the scalarization. In addition, simulation allocation rules (SARs) can be further applied with MPSOws when evaluation error is considered.
Flow setup time aware minimum cost switch-controller association in Software-Defined Networks

Software Defined Networks (SDN) emerged as a new network paradigm to address the customization and flexibility problems in traditional computer networks. In SDNs, a logical centralized programmable controller manages the whole networks by installing rules onto switches. It is widely regarded that one controller is restricted on both performance and scalability. To address these limitations, pioneering researchers advocate deploying multiple controllers in SDNs where each controller is in charge of a set of switches. This raises the switch-controller association problem on one switch shall be managed by which controller. In this paper, we specially investigate minimum cost switch-controller association (MC-SCA) problem on how to minimize the number of controllers needed in an SDN while guaranteeing the flow setup time. A quadratic integer programming model is first proposed and then transformed into an equivalent integer linear programming model to describe the MC-SCA problem, which is then proved as NP-Hard. We further propose a heuristic algorithm and extensively prove its high efficiency via simulations.
Characterization of Sodium Channel α- and β-Subunits in Rat and Mouse Cardiac Myocytes

Background—Sodium channels isolated from mammalian brain are composed of α-, β1-, and β2-subunits. The composition of sodium channels in cardiac muscle, however, has not been defined, and disagreement exists over which β-subunits are expressed in the myocytes. Some investigators have demonstrated β1 expression in heart. Others have not detected any auxiliary subunits. On the basis of Northern blot analysis of total RNA, β2 expression has been thought to be exclusive to neurons and absent from cardiac muscle. Methods and Results—The goal of this study was to define the subunit composition of cardiac sodium channels in myocytes. We show that cardiac sodium channels are composed of α-, β1-, and β2-subunits. Nav1.5 and Nav1.1 are expressed in myocytes and are associated with β1- and β2-subunits. Immunocytochemical localization of Nav1.1, β1, and β2 in adult heart sections showed that these subunits are expressed at the Z lines, as shown previously for Nav1.5. Coexpression of Nav1.5 with β2 in transfected cell.
Comparative In Vitro Activities of ABT-773 against 362 Clinical Isolates of Anaerobic Bacteria

ABSTRACT The activity of ABT-773, a novel ketolide antibiotic, against clinical isolates of anaerobic bacteria was determined and compared to the activities of other antimicrobial agents. MICs at which 90% of isolates were inhibited (MIC90s) were ≤0.06 μg/ml for Actinomyces spp. , Clostridium perfringens, Peptostreptococcus spp. ,Propionibacterium spp. , and Porphyromonasspp. The MIC50s and MIC90s were ≤0.06 and >32 μg/ml, respectively, for Eubacterium spp. ,Lactobacillus spp. , Clostridium difficile, and Clostridium ramosum. The MIC90 for Bilophila wadsworthia,Bacteroides ureolyticus, and Campylobacter gracilis was 1 μg/ml, and that for Prevotella bivia and other Prevotella spp. was 0.5 μg/ml. The MIC90 for Fusobacterium nucleatum was 8 μg/ml, and that for Fusobacterium mortiferum and Fusobacterium varium was >32 μg/ml. The MIC90s for theBacteroides fragilis group were as follows: forB. fragilis, 8 μg/ml; for Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides ovatus,Bacteroides distasonis, and Bacteroides uniformis, >32 μg/ml; and for Bacteroides vulgatus, 4 μg/ml. Telithromycin MICs for the B. fragilis group were usually 1 to 2 dilutions higher than ABT-773 MICs. For all strains, ABT-773 was more active than erythromycin by 4 or more dilutions, and for some strains this drug was more active than clindamycin.
A <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\pm }\text{5}$</tex-math></inline-formula> A Integrated Current-Sensing System With <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\pm}\text{0.3} $</tex-math></inline-formula>% Gain Error and 16 μA Offset From <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-

This paper presents an integrated current-sensing system (CSS) that is intended for the use in battery-powered devices. It consists of a 10 mΩ on-chip metal shunt resistor, a switched-capacitor (SC) ΔΣ ADC, and a dynamic bandgap reference (BGR) that provides the ADC's reference voltage and also senses the shunt's temperature. The CSS is realized in a standard 0.13 μm CMOS process, occupies 1.15 mm2 and draws 55 μA from a 1.5 V supply. Extensive measurements were made on 24 devices, 12 of which were directly bonded to a printed-circuit board (PCB) and 12 of which were packaged in a standard HVQFN plastic package. For currents ranging from -5 to +5 A and over a temperature range of -55 °C to + 85 °C, they exhibit a maximum offset of 16μA and a maximum gain error of ±0.3%. This level of accuracy represents a significant improvement on the state of the art, and was achieved by the use of an accurate shunt temperature compensation scheme, a low-leakage sampling scheme, and several dynamic error correction techniques.
Modelling and optimisation of bistable composite laminates

Asymmetric composite laminates can have a bistable response to loading. The potentially large structural deformations which can be achieved during snap-through from one stable state to another with small and removable energy input make them of interest for a wide range of engineering applications. After 30 years of research effort the shapes and response to applied loads of laminates of general layup can be quantitatively predicted. With attention switching to the incorporation of bistable laminates for practical applications, tools for the design and optimisation of actuated bistable devices are desirable. This thesis describes the analytical and experimental studies undertaken to develop novel modelling and optimisation techniques for the design of actuated asymmetric bistable laminates. These structures are investigated for practical application to morphing structures and the developing technology of piezoelectric energy harvesting. Existing analytical models are limited by the need for a numerical solver to determine stable laminate shapes. As the problem has multiple equilibria, convergence to the desired solution cannot be guaranteed and multiple initial guesses are required to identify all possible solutions. The approach developed in this work allows the efficient and reliable prediction of the stable shapes of laminates with off-axis ply orientations in a closed form manner. This model is validated against experimental data and finite element predictions, with an extensive sensitivity study presented to demonstrate the effect of uncertainty and imperfections in the laminate composition. This closed-form solution enables detailed optimisation studies to tailor the design of bistable devices for a range of applications. The first study considers tailoring of the directional stiffness properties of bistable laminates to provide resistance to externally applied loads while allowing low energy actuation. The optimisation formulation is constrained to guarantee bistability and to ensure a useful level of deformation. It is demonstrated that ‘cross-symmetric’ layups can provide stiffness in an arbitrary loading direction which is five times greater than in a chosen actuation direction.
The 2005–2016 Trends of Formaldehyde Columns Over China Observed by Satellites: Increasing Anthropogenic Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds and Decreasing Agricultural Fire Emissions

We use 2005–2016 observations of formaldehyde (HCHO) columns over China from the OMI, GOME‐2, and SCIAMACHY satellite instruments to evaluate long‐term trends in emission inventories of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that affect air quality. The observations show large increases over 2005–2016 in the North China Plain (+1.1 ± 0.5% a−1 relative to 2005) and the Yangtze River Delta region (+1.5 ± 0.4% a−1 relative to 2005), consistent with the trend of anthropogenic VOC emissions in the Multi‐resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC). Unlike other pollutants, VOC emissions have not been decreasing in recent years. An exception is the Huai River Basin in rural eastern China where the satellite data show rapidly decreasing VOC emissions since the early 2010s that appear to reflect bans on agricultural fires.
Systemic and Periocular Deliveries of Plasminogen Kringle 5 Reduce Vascular Leakage in Rat Models of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy and Diabetes

Purpose: Increased retinal vascular permeability is a common complication of diabetes and a major cause of vision loss in diabetic patients. The current study is to determine the effect of plasminogen kringle 5 (K5) on vascular leakage via systemic and periocular deliveries. Methods: Oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) was generated by exposing newborn rats to 75% oxygen. Diabetes was induced in adult rats by injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Retinal vascular permeability was measured by the Evans blue–albumin leakage method. Results: Subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, subconjunctival, and retrobulbar injections and topical eyedrop application of K5 significantly reduced retinal vascular permeability in both the OIR and STZ-diabetic rat models. Compared with the periocular deliveries, systemic administration requires higher doses of K5. K5 deliveries downregulated VEGF expression in the retina. Conclusions: K5 can reduce retinal vascular permeability through systemic and periocular deliveries. These delivery routes of K5 have therapeutic potential in the treatment of vascular leakage.
Thymic egress: S1P of 1000

Recent studies have begun to illuminate the mechanism of T-cell export from the thymus, with the identification of a required lysophospholipid receptor, two upstream transcription factors, and several downstream regulators of cytoskeleton dynamics. This work has generated immediate translational impact, aiding the design of immunosuppressant drugs and the identification of a novel form of human immunodeficiency.
Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Protects Pancreatic β-Cells From Death by Increasing Autophagic Flux and Restoring Lysosomal Function

Studies in animal models of type 2 diabetes have shown that glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists prevent β-cell loss. Whether GLP-1 mediates β-cell survival via the key lysosomal-mediated process of autophagy is unknown. In this study, we report that treatment of INS-1E β-cells and primary islets with glucolipotoxicity (0.5 mmol/L palmitate and 25 mmol/L glucose) increases LC3 II, a marker of autophagy. Further analysis indicates a blockage in autophagic flux associated with lysosomal dysfunction. Accumulation of defective lysosomes leads to lysosomal membrane permeabilization and release of cathepsin D, which contributes to cell death. Our data further demonstrated defects in autophagic flux and lysosomal staining in human samples of type 2 diabetes. Cotreatment with the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 reversed the lysosomal dysfunction, relieving the impairment in autophagic flux and further stimulated autophagy. Small interfering RNA knockdown showed the restoration of autophagic flux is also essential for the protective effects of exendin-4. Collectively, our data highlight lysosomal dysfunction as a critical mediator of β-cell loss and shows that exendin-4 improves cell survival via restoration of lysosomal function and autophagic flux. Modulation of autophagy/lysosomal homeostasis may thus define a novel therapeutic strategy for type 2 diabetes, with the GLP-1 signaling pathway as a potential focus.
Navigation patterns and usability of zoomable user interfaces with and without an overview

The literature on information visualization establishes the usability of interfaces with an overview of the information space, but for zoomable user interfaces, results are mixed. We compare zoomable user interfaces with and without an overview to understand the navigation patterns and usability of these interfaces. Thirty-two subjects solved navigation and browsing tasks on two maps. We found no difference between interfaces in subjects' ability to solve tasks correctly. Eighty percent of the subjects preferred the interface with an overview, stating that it supported navigation and helped keep track of their position on the map. However, subjects were faster with the interface without an overview when using one of the two maps. We conjecture that this difference was due to the organization of that map in multiple levels, which rendered the overview unnecessary by providing richer navigation cues through semantic zooming. The combination of that map and the interface without an overview also improved subjects' recall of objects on the map. Subjects who switched between the overview and the detail windows used more time, suggesting that integration of overview and detail windows adds complexity and requires additional mental and motor effort.
Display size does not affect egocentric distance perception of naturalistic stimuli

Although people are quite accurate in visually perceiving absolute egocentric distances in real environments up to 20m, they usually underestimate distances in virtual environments presented through head-mounted displays (HMDs). Several previous studies examined different potential factors, but none of these factors could convincingly explain the observed distance compressionin HMDs. In this study, we investigated the potential influence of naturalistic stimulus presentation and display size -- a factor largely overlooked in previous studies. To this end, we used an indirect blindfolded walking task to previously-seen targets. Participants viewed photos of targets located at various distances on the ground through different-sized displays (HMD, 24" monitor, and 50" screen) and walked without vision to where they thought the location of the target was. Real-world photographs were used to avoid potential artifacts of computer-graphics stimuli. Displays were positioned to provide identical fields of view (32° x 24°). Distance judgments were unexpectedly highly accurate and showed no signs of distance compression for any of the displays. Moreover, display size did not affect distance perception, and performance was virtually identical to a real world baseline, where real-world targets were viewed through 32° x 24° field of view restrictors. A careful analysis of potential underlying factors suggests that the typically-observed distance compression for HMDs might be overcome by using naturalistic real-world stimuli. This might also explain why display size did not affect distance judgments.
Long-Term Upregulation of Inflammation and Suppression of Cell Proliferation in the Brain of Adult Rats Exposed to Traumatic Brain Injury Using the Controlled Cortical Impact Model

The long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI), specifically the detrimental effects of inflammation on the neurogenic niches, are not very well understood. In the present in vivo study, we examined the prolonged pathological outcomes of experimental TBI in different parts of the rat brain with special emphasis on inflammation and neurogenesis. Sixty days after moderate controlled cortical impact injury, adult Sprague-Dawley male rats were euthanized and brain tissues harvested. Antibodies against the activated microglial marker, OX6, the cell cycle-regulating protein marker, Ki67, and the immature neuronal marker, doublecortin, DCX, were used to estimate microglial activation, cell proliferation, and neuronal differentiation, respectively, in the subventricular zone (SVZ), subgranular zone (SGZ), striatum, thalamus, and cerebral peduncle. Stereology-based analyses revealed significant exacerbation of OX6-positive activated microglial cells in the striatum, thalamus, and cerebral peduncle. In parallel, significant decrements in Ki67-positive proliferating cells in SVZ and SGZ, but only trends of reduced DCX-positive immature neuronal cells in SVZ and SGZ were detected relative to sham control group. These results indicate a progressive deterioration of the TBI brain over time characterized by elevated inflammation and suppressed neurogenesis. Therapeutic intervention at the chronic stage of TBI may confer abrogation of these deleterious cell death processes.
A phd Filter for Tracking Multiple Extended Targets Using Random Matrices

This paper presents a random set based approach to tracking of an unknown number of extended targets, in the presence of clutter measurements and missed detections, where the targets' extensions are modeled as random matrices. For this purpose, the random matrix framework developed recently by Koch is adapted into the extended target phd framework, resulting in the Gaussian inverse Wishart phd (giw-phd) filter. A suitable multiple target likelihood is derived, and the main filter recursion is presented along with the necessary assumptions and approximations. The particularly challenging case of close extended targets is addressed with practical measurement clustering algorithms. The capabilities and limitations of the resulting extended target tracking framework are illustrated both in simulations and in experiments based on laser scans.