Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sampled-data models and zero dynamics for nonlinear systems

For sampled-data controller design of nonlinear continuous-time systems, it is important to derive a good approximate sampled-data model because the exact sampled-data model for nonlinear systems is often unavailable to the controller designers. Recently, Yuz and Goodwin have proposed an accurate approximate model which includes extra zero dynamics corresponding to the relative degree of the continuous-time nonlinear system. Such extra zero dynamics are called sampling zero dynamics. A more accurate sampled-data model is, however, required when the relative degree of a continuous-time nonlinear plant is two. The reason is that the closed-loop system becomes unstable when the more accurate sampled-data model has unstable sampling zero dynamics and a controller design method based on the assumption of the stability of the zero dynamics is applied. This paper derives the sampling zero dynamics of the more accurate sampled-data model and shows a condition which assures the stability of the sampling zero dynamics of the model.
Novel method for studying postoperative ileus in mice.

INTRODUCTION Postoperative ileus (POI) is characterized by a transient inhibition of coordinated motility of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract after abdominal surgery and leads to increased morbidity and prolonged hospitalization. Currently, intestinal manipulation of the intestine is widely used as a preclinical model of POI. The technique used to manipulate the intestine is however highly variable and difficult to standardize, leading to large variations and inconsistent findings between different investigators. Therefore, we developed a device by which a fixed and adjustable pressure can be applied during intestinal manipulation. METHODS The standardized pressure manipulation method was developed using the purpose-designed device. First, the effect of graded manipulation was examined on postoperative GI transit. Next, this new technique was compared to the conventional manipulation technique used in previous studies. GI transit was measured by evaluating the intestinal distribution of orally gavaged fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled dextran. Infiltration of myeloperoxidase positive cells and cytokine production (ELISA) in the muscularis externa of the intestine were assessed. RESULTS Increasing pressures resulted in a graded reduction of intestinal transit and was associated with intestinal inflammation as demonstrated by influx of leukocytes and increased levels of IL-6, IL-1β and MCP-1 compared to control mice. With an applied pressure of 9 grams a similar delay in intestinal transit could be obtained with a smaller standard deviation, leading to a reduced intra-individual variation. CONCLUSIONS This method provides a reproducible model with small variation to study the pathophysiology of POI and to evaluate new anti-inflammatory strategies.
Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and adverse pregnancy outcomes among Chinese women: Results from the C-ABCS

The aim of this study was to investigate associations between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and adverse pregnancy outcomes among Chinese pregnant women. A prospective population-based cohort study was performed using data collected as part of the China-Anhui Birth Cohort Study or C-ABCS. A total of 13,121 pregnant women who received the ﬁrst prenatal visit were enrolled from November 2008 to October 2010. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate associations between pre-pregnancy BMI and pregnancy outcomes. Results indicated that the increased pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as hypertensive disorder (adjusted relative risk (ARR) 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5–3.6), gestational diabetes (ARR 3.5, 95% CI 2.3–5.2), caesarean delivery (ARR 2.0, 95% CI 1.6–2.4), and medically indicated preterm delivery (ARR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–2.9). Women with pre-pregnancy BMI above the normal range pose an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Advancing agricultural monitoring for improved yield estimations using SPOT-VGT and PROBA-V type remote sensing data

According to Monteith’s theory, crop biomass is linearly correlated with the amount of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and a constant radiation use efficiency (RUE) down-regulated by stress factors such as CO2 fertilization, temperature and water stress. The objective is to investigate the relative importance of these stress factors in relation to regional biomass production and yield. The production efficiency model Copernicus Global Land Service-Dry Matter Productivity (CGLS-DMP), which follows Monteith’s theory, is modified and evaluated for common wheat and silage maize in France, Belgium and Morocco using SPOT-VGT for the period 1999–2012. For each study site the stress factor that has the highest correlation with crop yield is retained. The correlation between crop yield data and cumulative modified DMP, CGLS-DMP, fAPAR (Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation), and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values are analyzed for different crop growth stages. A leave-one-year-out cross validation is used to test the robustness of the model. On average, R2 values increase from 0.49 for CGLS-DMP to 0.68 for modified DMP, RMSE (t/ha) values decrease from 0.84–0.61, RRMSE (%) values reduce from 13.1–8.9, MBE (t/ha) values decrease from 0.05–0.03 and the index of model performance (E1) increases from 0.08–0.28 for the selected sites and crops. The best results are obtained when combinations of the most appropriate stress factors are included for each selected region and the modified DMP during part of the growing season that includes the reproductive stage are cumulated. Though no single solution to an improvement of a global product can be demonstrated, the findings support an extension of the methodology to other regions of the world.
The MMPI-2 Profile of Adults with Learning Disabilities in University and Rehabilitation Settings

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the personality profiles of adults with learning disabilities attending a large state university (8 females, 8 males) to those participating in training programs in a rehabilitation setting (8 females, 18 males), in an attempt to identify affective variables that should be considered in transitional and postsecondary program planning. A secondary purpose of the study was to compare the performance of two groups of adults with learning disabilities (i.e., university and rehabilitation) to a normative group of college students. The mean age for all subjects was between 20 and 23 years. Findings from the study indicated that the personality profiles of individuals with learning disabilities in either a rehabilitation setting or seeking a university degree are significantly different from those of the normative population of normally achieving college students. The rehabilitation group in this study demonstrated feelings of social isolation, poor self-concept, self-doubt, and extreme restlessness. Somewhat different profiles were seen with the university group as they indicated feelings of fear, obsessive thoughts, lack of self-confidence, self-doubt, and extreme self-criticism. Both groups demonstrated profiles of individuals under extreme short-and long-term stress leading to anxiety. The study also reviewed the relevance and appropriateness of using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) that will have direct application for the assessment and intervention of adults with learning disabilities either in a rehabilitation setting or seeking a university degree.
Extracting Hierarchical Structure of Web Video Groups Based on Sentiment-Aware Signed Network Analysis

Sentiment in multimedia contents has an influence on their topics, since multimedia contents are tools for social media users to convey their sentiment. Performance of applications such as retrieval and recommendation will be improved if sentiment in multimedia contents can be estimated; however, there have been few works in which such applications were realized by utilizing sentiment analysis. In this paper, a novel method for extracting the hierarchical structure of Web video groups based on sentiment-aware signed network analysis is presented to realize Web video retrieval. First, the proposed method estimates latent links between Web videos by using multimodal features of contents and sentiment features obtained from texts attached to Web videos. Thus, our method enables construction of a signed network that reflects not only similarities but also positive and negative relations between topics of Web videos. Moreover, an algorithm to optimize a modularity-based measure, which can adaptively adjust the balance between positive and negative edges, was newly developed. This algorithm detects Web video groups with similar topics at multiple abstraction levels; thus, successful extraction of the hierarchical structure becomes feasible. By providing the hierarchical structure, users can obtain an overview of many Web videos and it becomes feasible to successfully retrieve the desired Web videos. Results of experiments using a new benchmark dataset, YouTube-8M, validate the contributions of this paper, i.e., 1) the first attempt to utilize sentiment analysis for Web video grouping and 2) a novel algorithm for analyzing a weighted signed network derived from sentiment and multimodal features.
Distributed Computing Column 39 Byzantine Generals : The Next Generation

The relevance of Byzantine fault tolerance in the context of cloud computing has been questioned [3]. While arguments against Byzantine fault tolerance seemingly makes sense in the context of a single cloud, i.e., a large-scale cloud infrastructure that resides under control of a single, typically commercial provider, these arguments are less obvious in a broader context of the Intercloud, i.e., a cloud of multiple, independent clouds. In this paper, we start from commonly acknowledged issues that impede the adoption of Byzantine fault tolerance within a single cloud, and argue that many of these issues fade when Byzantine fault tolerance in the Intercloud is considered.
Midterm clinical outcomes following arthroscopic transosseous rotator cuff repair

Purpose: Arthroscopic transosseous (TO) rotator cuff repair has recently emerged as a new option for surgical treatment of symptomatic rotator cuff tears. Limited data is available regarding outcomes using this technique. This study evaluated midterm clinical outcomes following a novel arthroscopic TO (anchorless) rotator cuff repair technique. Materials and Methods: A consecutive series of 107 patients and 109 shoulders underwent arthroscopic TO (anchorless) rotator cuff repair for a symptomatic full-thickness tear. Pre and postoperative range of motion (ROM) was compared at an average of 11.8 months. Postoperative outcome scores were obtained at an average of 38.0 months. Statistical analysis was performed to compare pre and postoperative ROM data. Univariate analysis was performed using Student's t-test to compare the effect of other clinical characteristics on final outcome. Results: Statistically significant improvements were noted in forward flexion, external rotation and internal rotation (P < 0.0001). Average postoperative subjective shoulder value was 93.7, simple shoulder test 11.6, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score 94.6. According to ASES scores, results for the 109 shoulders available for final follow-up were excellent in 95 (87.1%), good in 8 (7.3%), fair in 3 (2.8%), and poor in 3 (2.8%). There was no difference in ROM or outcome scores in patients who underwent a concomitant biceps procedure (tenodesis or tenotomy) compared with those who did not. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in outcome between patients who underwent either biceps tenodesis or tenotomy. Age, history of injury preceding the onset of pain, tear size, number of TO tunnels required to perform the repair, and presence of fatty infiltration did not correlate with postoperative ROM or subjective outcome measures at final follow-up. Two complications and four failures were noted. Conclusions: Arthroscopic TO rotator cuff repair technique leads to statistically significant midterm improvement in ROM and satisfactory midterm subjective outcome scores with low complication/failure rates in patients with average medium-sized rotator cuff tears with minimal fatty infiltration. Further work is required to evaluate radiographic healing rates with this technique and to compare outcomes following suture anchor repair. Level of Evidence: Level IV
PAPR reduction for random interleaved uplink OFDMA system

To overcome the PAPR problem of conventional orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system, a significant amount of methods have been proposed. However, there are few literatures considering the PAPR reduction for uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system. In this paper, we focus on the PAPR reduction for random interleaved uplink OFDMA system. Firstly, the conventional clipping and filtering technique is investigated. Then a simplified system is proposed. Finally, an interference cancellation method is proposed so as to mitigate the BER performance degradation caused by the proposed system. Simulation results show that the proposed technique can make a better tradeoff between PAPR reduction and computational complexity.
Modeling of strain effect on thermal and electrical transport properties of Si/Ge nanocomposites and its applications

Nanocomposites are composite materials which incorporate nanosized particles, platelets or fibers. The addition of nanosized phases into the bulk matrix can lead to significantly improved material properties compared to their macrocomposite counterparts. Due to their extraordinary properties, nanocomposites promise new applications in many fields such as ultra-high strength and ultra-light automotive parts, nonlinear optics, biomedical applications, sensors and actuators, and thermoelectric devices. The design and fabrication of nanocomposite structures, devices and systems can be accelerated by developing accurate and efficient computational tools that can describe the properties and behavior of the nanocomposites. However, the development of such tools is challenging due to the multi-scale nature of the materials. In addition, many devices where nanocomposites are employed are multi-physics systems with interactions of the mechanical, thermal and electrical energy domains. In such systems, while mechanical deformation is dependent on the temperature change, the thermal and electrical transport properties are functions of mechanical strain. In this work, we develop theoretical and computational models to address these issues and investigate the strain effect on the thermal and electrical transport properties in Si/Ge nanocomposites.
Links between microstructural properties of cancellous bone and its mechanical response to different strain rates

Automobile accidents and sporting injuries may lead to osseous fractures. To reduce the number of road accidents and their societal costs, governments have partnered with car manufacturers to develop an overall road safety. To achieve this, researchers are working on improving the design of automotive structures. However, researchers must first quantify the risk of injury incurred during an impact. Indeed, in France, osteoporosis is responsible of approximately 150,000 fractures per year. A better understanding of this fracture mechanism will aid in the design of protective features that will guard against fracture under these loading conditions. Bone is generally divided into two micro-structural types: cortical bone and cancellous bone. Cortical bone is a compact bone, denser than cancellous bone, and accounts for 80% of the skeletal mass in the human body. Cancellous bone, also called trabecular or spongy bone, has a porous structure that protects the bone marrow, acts as a core material to support the shape of thin layers of cortical bone and assists in transferring joint forces to the thick load bearing cortical bone layers. Several studies have been able to make great progress on characterising and modelling the behaviour of cortical bone. Regarding the cancellous bone, studies are mainly focused on quasi-static loading cases (Follet 2002). In order to analyse and understand the mechanism of cancellous bone for speed ranges above the quasi-static regime, experimental work using Split Hopkinson Bar Technique (SHPB) has been undertaken. However, no modelling, including the different parameters of cancellous bone, has yet been developed to analyse and understand the mechanism of rupture of the cancellous bone. This issue raises a keen interest in the scientific community, and this comes through in the work presented here. Indeed, the aim of this study was to characterise the mechanical properties of cancellous bovine bone for compression loading under different strain rates and to identify links with the microstructural description.
Encoding Source Language with Convolutional Neural Network for Machine Translation

The recently proposed neural network joint model (NNJM) (Devlin et al., 2014) augments the n-gram target language model with a heuristically chosen source context window, achieving state-of-the-art performance in SMT. In this paper, we give a more systematic treatment by summarizing the relevant source information through a convolutional architecture guided by the target information. With different guiding signals during decoding, our specifically designed convolution+gating architectures can pinpoint the parts of a source sentence that are relevant to predicting a target word, and fuse them with the context of entire source sentence to form a unified representation. This representation, together with target language words, are fed to a deep neural network (DNN) to form a stronger NNJM. Experiments on two NIST Chinese-English translation tasks show that the proposed model can achieve significant improvements over the previous NNJM by up to +1.08 BLEU points on average
Interdependence and contributions of sun exposure and vitamin D to MRI measures in multiple sclerosis

Purpose To assess the relationships of sun exposure history, supplementation and environmental factors to vitamin D levels in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to evaluate the associations between sun exposure and MRI measures. Methods This study included 264 MS patients (mean age 46.9±10 years, disease duration 14.6±10 years; 67.8% relapsing–remitting, 28% secondary progressive and 4.2% primary progressive MS) and 69 healthy controls. Subjects underwent neurological and 3 T MRI examinations, provided blood samples and answered questions to a structured questionnaire. Information on race, skin and eye colour, supplement use, body mass index (BMI) and sun exposure was obtained by questionnaire. The vitamin D metabolites (25-hydroxy vitamin D3, 1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 and 24, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3) were measured using mass spectrometry. Results Multivitamin supplementation (partial correlation rp=0.29, p<0.001), BMI (rp=−0.24, p=0.001), summer sun exposure (rp=0.22, p=0.002) and darker eye colour (rp=−0.18, p=0.015) had the strongest associations with vitamin D metabolite levels in the MS group. Increased summer sun exposure was associated with increased grey matter volume (GMV, rp=0.16, p=0.019) and whole brain volume (WBV, rp=0.20, p=0.004) after correcting for Extended Disability Status Scale in the MS group. Inclusion of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 levels did not substantially affect the positive associations of sun exposure with WBV (rp=0.18, p=0.003) and GMV (rp=0.14, p=0.026) in the MS group. Conclusions Sun exposure may have direct effects on MRI measures of neurodegeneration in MS, independently of vitamin D.
PRACTICAL GENETICS In association with Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis, defined as the premature fusion of the cranial sutures, presents many challenges in classification and treatment. At least 20% of cases are caused by specific single gene mutations or chromosome abnormalities. This article maps out approaches to clinical assessment of a child presenting with an unusual head shape, and illustrates how genetic analysis can contribute to diagnosis and management.
Extrafascial excision of the rectum for rectal cancer

The fascia propria of the rectum is an upward capsular projection from the superior fascia of the pelvic floor which surrounds the rectum and its mesorectum posteriorly and the fat, blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics in front and laterally. It is postulated that if rectal cancer is contained within the fascia propria and extrafascial excision of the rectum is performed then it would be exceptional for the cancer to recur locally.
Comparative Outcomes of Induction Chemotherapy Followed By Definitive Chemoradiotherapy versus Chemoradiotherapy Alone In Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: To compare the clinical outcomes of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) versus chemoradiotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Patients and methods: Between 2002 and 2015, 267 ESCC patients who received definitive CRT with docetaxel and cisplatin were enrolled in this study. Through a matched case-control study, 85 patients receiving IC before CRT were matched 1:1 to patients who received CRT alone, according to age, gender, performance status, tumor location, tumor length, and pretreatment TNM stage. Results: The median overall survival (OS) in the IC group was significantly better than that in the CRT group (26.0 vs. 22.0 months), with 3-year OS rates of 30.6% vs. 25.9%, respectively (P = 0.028). However, IC plus CRT was associated with a significantly higher rate of grade 3-4 leukopenia than CRT alone (P = 0.048). The overall clinical response rate was 50.6% after IC in the IC group. The IC responder group showed significantly more favorable OS (P=0.002) and progression-free survival (P=0.001) compared with the IC non-responder group and the CRT group. Multivariate analysis revealed that age ≥ 60 (P = 0.003) and the addition of IC (P=0.016) were independent prognostic factors that affected survival positively. Conclusions: The addition of IC before CRT yielded satisfactory clinical outcomes and manageable toxicities. The combination of IC with CRT might be a promising treatment strategy to further improve systemic control and survival in ESCC. Prospective randomized trials are required to confirm the role of IC.