Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Operation of robotic science boats using the telesupervised adaptive ocean sensor fleet system

This paper describes a multi-robot science exploration software architecture and system called the telesupervised adaptive ocean sensor fleet (TAOSF). TAOSF supervises and coordinates a group of robotic boats, the OASIS platforms, to enable in situ study of phenomena in the ocean/atmosphere interface, as well as on the ocean surface and sub-surface. The OASIS platforms are extended-deployment autonomous ocean surface vessels, whose development is funded separately by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). TAOSF allows a human operator to effectively supervise and coordinate multiple robotic assets using a multi-level autonomy control architecture, where the operating mode of the vehicles ranges from autonomous control to teleoperated human control. TAOSF increases data-gathering effectiveness and science return while reducing demands on scientists for robotic asset tasking, control, and monitoring. The first field application chosen for TAOSF is the characterization of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). We discuss the overall TAOSF architecture, describe field tests conducted under controlled conditions using rhodamine dye as a HAB simulant, present initial results from these tests, and outline the next steps in the development of TAOSF.
Bedside‐to‐Bench Conference: Research Agenda for Idiopathic Fatigue and Aging

The American Geriatrics Society, with support from the National Institute on Aging and the John A. Hartford Foundation, held its fifth Bedside‐to‐Bench research conference, “Idiopathic Fatigue and Aging,” to provide participants with opportunities to learn about cutting‐edge research developments, draft recommendations for future research, and network with colleagues and leaders in the field.
Influence of annealing time on structural and electrical properties of Sb doped SnO2 films

Nanocrystalline 14 at % Sb-doped SnO2 films have been synthesized by a sol-gel method, to use them as solar cells electrodes. In this paper, we present a study of the annealing time of the films versus the increase of the particle size (varying from 6 nm to 19 nm) established by Scherer’s equation. We have also followed electrical resistance evolution with annealing temperature and time. An optimum value of 222 ; was measured on a sample annealed at 500 °C for 2 h. The crystalline structure of the films was characterized and phases identified by X ray diffraction in grazing incidence. Their thickness has been measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry around 200 nm.
Rising air temperatures will increase intertidal mussel abundance in the Arctic

: Knowledge about the consequences of Arctic warming for marine biogeography re-mains limited. Mytilus mussels play a key ecological role in the littoral zone, and they are expected to be sensitive to climate change. Here we used a space-for-time approach as a first attempt to infer the coupling between climate warming and population structure and abundance of intertidal mussels along a latitudinal climate gradient in west Greenland. We analysed trends in air temperatures, collected seasonal temperature data from intertidal microhabitats, and quantified abundance, growth and age structure at 73 sites in 5 fjords. We also compared tolerance to sub-zero temperatures between seasons and latitudes. Since 1958, atmospheric temperatures have increased significantly in all fjords. Consequently, the number of days with temperatures below the lower lethal temperature, LT 50 (−13°C), has decreased by up to 57%, suggesting that constraint by low temperature is weakening. Abundance declined >95% with increasing latitude from an average of 23.67 to 0.71 ind. 0.0625 m −2 in mid-intertidal habitats. However, no latitudinal differences in growth, average size (6.3−9 cm), age (1.5−2.5 yr) and mortality (55.9−62.5 yr −1 ) were found. The abundance of 1 yr old recruits declined with latitude, indicating that geographical patterns are controlled at the earliest life stages. Air temperatures and exposure time were important drivers for latitudinal patterns in abundance, with adults being increasingly limited to favourable microhabitats in the lower intertidal to the North. Combined, the data suggest that increased warming will facilitate an increase in intertidal mussel abundance in Greenland, and potentially, across the Arctic.
Cardiovascular Dysfunction and Frailty Among Older Adults in the Community: The ARIC Study

Background The contribution of cardiovascular dysfunction to frailty in older adults is uncertain. This study aimed to define the relationship between frailty and cardiovascular structure and function, and determine whether these associations are independent of coexisting abnormalities in other organ systems. Methods We studied 3,991 older adults (mean age 75.6±5.0 years; 59% female) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study in whom the following six organ systems were uniformly assessed: cardiac (by echocardiography), vascular (by ankle-brachial-index and pulse-wave-velocity), pulmonary (by spirometry), renal (by estimated glomerular filtration rate), hematologic (by hemoglobin), and adipose (by body mass index and bioimpedance). Frailty was defined by the presence of ≥3 of the following: low strength, low energy, slowed motor performance, low physical activity, or unintentional weight loss. Results Two hundred eleven (5.3%) participants were frail. In multivariable analyses adjusted for demographics, diabetes, hypertension, and measures of other organ system function, frailty was independently and additively associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30-2.40), reduced global longitudinal strain (reflecting systolic function; OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.16-2.44), and greater left atrial volume index (reflecting diastolic function; OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.13-2.27), which together demonstrated the greatest association with frailty (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.57-2.82) of the systems studied. Lower magnitude associations were observed for vascular and pulmonary abnormalities, anemia, and impaired renal function. Cardiovascular abnormalities remained associated with frailty after excluding participants with prevalent cardiovascular disease. Conclusions Abnormalities of cardiac structure and function are independently associated with frailty, and together show the greatest association with frailty among the organ systems studied.
Optimum Pulse Shaping for OFDM/BFDM Systems Operating in Time Varying Multi-Path Channels

In this paper, we consider a pulse shaping OFDM/BFDM system operating over a doubly dispersive channel. We propose to search the optimal pulse maximizing the signal to interference ratio (SIR). We show that the impact of interference, composed by both inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-carrier interference (ICI), occurring in such a system, depends crucially on time frequency localization of transmit and receive pulses. We propose to maximize the SIR, written as a ratio of two quaternary forms, by altering between transmit and receive pulse spaces both generated by Hermite Waveforms. Numerical results show that optimized BFDM systems can outperform conventional OFDM systems with respect to SIR. In fact, biorthogonality offers more freedom to design pulses improving robustness of the multi-carrier system against channel dispersion.
Searching for the golden model of education: cross-national analysis of math achievement

Abstract We utilised four waves of TIMSS data in addition to the information we have collected on countries’ educational systems to examine whether different degrees of standardisation, differentiation, proportion of students in private schools and governmental spending on education influence students’ math achievement, its variation and socioeconomic status (SES) gaps in math achievement. A higher level of standardisation of educational systems was associated with higher average math achievement. Greater expenditure on education (as a percentage of total government expenditure) was associated with a lower level of dispersion of math achievement and smaller SES gaps in math achievement. Wealthier countries exhibited higher average math achievement and a narrower variation. Higher income inequality (measured by the Gini index) was associated with a lower average math achievement and larger SES gaps. Further, we found that a higher level of standardisation alleviates the negative effects of differentiation in the systems with more rigid tracking.
Use of a Modified Canadian Occupational Performance Measure for Assistive Technology Outcomes in Postsecondary Education

ABSTRACT The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) has been used to assess the effectiveness of assistive technology (AT). We explored whether a modified COPM was sensitive to change in perceived performance and satisfaction, and whether frequency of AT use resulted in greater change in the domains measured (reading, writing, note-taking, test-taking, and study skills). Significant interactions were found between time and use frequency with greater change in perceived performance in the daily-use group in several domains. In addition, the intra-class correlation showed moderate to strong equivalent forms reliability between two assessment formats. Based on these preliminary results, the ATRC-mCOPM was found to be a sensitive measure of perceived performance and satisfaction utilizing AT services in a postsecondary education setting.
Pulmonary vascular disease in bronchopulmonary dysplasia: pulmonary hypertension and beyond

Purpose of review Pulmonary hypertension contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality of chronic lung disease of infancy, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Advances in pulmonary vascular biology over the past few decades have led to new insights into the pathogenesis of BPD; however, many unique issues persist regarding our understanding of pulmonary vascular development and disease in preterm infants at risk for chronic lung disease. Recent findings Recent studies have highlighted the important contribution of the developing pulmonary circulation to lung growth in the setting of preterm birth. These studies suggest that there is a spectrum of pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) in BPD rather than a simple question of whether or not pulmonary hypertension is present. Epidemiological studies underscore gaps in our understanding of PVD in the context of BPD, including universally accepted definitions, approaches to diagnosis and treatment, and patient outcomes. Unfortunately, therapeutic strategies for pulmonary hypertension in BPD are based on small observational studies with poorly defined endpoints and rely on results from older children and adult studies. Yet, unique characteristics of this population create other potential risks for the adoption of these strategies. Summary Despite many recent advances, PVD remains an important contributor to poor outcomes in preterm infants with BPD. Substantial challenges persist, especially with regard to understanding mechanisms and the clinical approach to PVD. Future studies are needed to develop evidence-based definitions and clinical endpoints through which the pathophysiology can be investigated and potential therapeutic interventions evaluated.
Adrenalectomy Lowers Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Primary Aldosteronism Patients at Long Term

Primary aldosteronism (PA) causes cardiovascular damage in excess to the blood pressure elevation, but there are no prospective studies proving a worse long-term prognosis in adrenalectomized and medically treated patients. We have, therefore, assessed the outcome of PA patients according to treatment mode in the PAPY study (Primary Aldosteronism Prevalence in Hypertension) patients, 88.8% of whom were optimally treated patients with primary (essential) hypertension (PH), and the rest had PA and were assigned to medical therapy (6.4%) or adrenalectomy (4.8%). Total mortality was the primary end point; secondary end points were cardiovascular death, major adverse cardiovascular events, including atrial fibrillation, and total cardiovascular events. Kaplan–Meier and Cox analysis were used to compare survival between PA and its subtypes and PH patients. After a median of 11.8 years, complete follow-up data were obtained in 89% of the 1125 patients in the original cohort. Only a trend (P=0.07) toward a worse death-free survival in PA than in PH patients was observed. However, at both univariate (90.0% versus 97.8%; P=0.002) and multivariate analyses (hazard ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–3.08; P=0.025), medically treated PA patients showed a lower atrial fibrillation–free survival than PH patients. By showing that during a long-term follow-up adrenalectomized aldosterone-producing adenoma patients have a similar long-term outcome of optimally treated PH patients, whereas, at variance, medically treated PA patients remain at a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, this large prospective study emphasizes the importance of an early identification of PA patients who need adrenalectomy as a key measure to prevent incident atrial fibrillation.
Noncystoscopic removal of retained ureteral stents in children

Abstract Cystoscopic technique is the current common method of retrieving double J ureteral stent in most pediatric urological centers. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of a novel noncystoscopic method to remove retained ureteral stents in pediatric patients. We reviewed all medical records from a total of 102 patients who were treated in our hospital between January 2013 and December 2016 to remove the double J ureteral stent retained into the ureter. The pediatric patients were divided into 2 groups based on different surgical options: cystoscopic group and noncystoscopic group. The surgery time (including time for instrument preparation), operation time, expenses, postoperative urination discomfort, and hospitalization were compared between the 2 groups. The noncystoscopic group took significantly less time for surgery and operation than the cystoscopic group (surgery time:7.40 ± 3.75 vs 18.42 ± 2.77 min, P <.05; operation time: 3.54 ± 2.03 vs 4.48 ± 2.04 min, P <.05). The mean spending for patients in the noncystoscopic group were less than that in the cystoscopic group ($736.70 ± 105.96 vs $618.23 ± 110.31, P <.05). There were less children with postoperative urination discomforts in the noncystoscopic group than that in the cystoscopic group (8 vs 20 cases, &khgr;2 = 4.241, P <.05). The mean hospitalization of the noncystoscopic group was shorter than that of the cystoscopic group (3.20 ± 1.25 vs 4.13 ± 1.63 d, P <.05). The differences in all comparison projects were significant. The noncystoscopic procedure is a safe and viable technique that may be used successfully in pediatric urology. This novel procedure which is much safer and more affordable provides an alternative solution to remove retained ureteral stents in child patients.
Senescence Is More Important in the Natural Lives of Long- Than Short-Lived Mammals

Background Senescence has been widely detected among mammals, but its importance to fitness in wild populations remains controversial. According to evolutionary theories, senescence occurs at an age when selection is relatively weak, which in mammals can be predicted by adult survival rates. However, a recent analysis of senescence rates found more age-dependent mortalities in natural populations of longer lived mammal species. This has important implications to ageing research and for understanding the ecological relevance of senescence, yet so far these have not been widely appreciated. We re-address this question by comparing the mean and maximum life span of 125 mammal species. Specifically, we test the hypothesis that senescence occurs at a younger age relative to the mean natural life span in longer lived species. Methodology/Principal Findings We show, using phylogenetically-informed generalised least squares models, a significant log-log relationship between mean life span, as calculated from estimates of adult survival for natural populations, and maximum recorded life span among mammals (R2 = 0.57, p<0.0001). This provides further support for a key prediction of evolutionary theories of ageing. The slope of this relationship (0.353±0.052 s.e.m.), however, indicated that mammals with higher survival rates have a mean life span representing a greater fraction of their potential maximum life span: the ratio of maximum to mean life span decreased significantly from >10 in short-lived to ∼1.5 in long-lived mammal species. Conclusions/Significance We interpret the ratio of maximum to mean life span to be an index of the likelihood an individual will experience senescence, which largely determines maximum life span. Our results suggest that senescence occurs at an earlier age relative to the mean life span, and therefore is experienced by more individuals and remains under selection pressure, in long- compared to short-lived mammals. A minimum rate of somatic degradation may ultimately limit the natural life span of mammals. Our results also indicate that senescence and modulating factors like oxidative stress are increasingly important to the fitness of longer lived mammals (and vice versa).
Surrogate-Based Artifact Removal From Single-Channel EEG

Objective: the recent emergence and success of electroencephalography (EEG) in low-cost portable devices, has opened the door to a new generation of applications processing a small number of EEG channels for health monitoring and brain-computer interfacing. These recordings are, however, contaminated by many sources of noise degrading the signals of interest, thus compromising the interpretation of the underlying brain state. In this paper, we propose a new data-driven algorithm to effectively remove ocular and muscular artifacts from single-channel EEG: the surrogate-based artifact removal (SuBAR). Methods: by means of the time-frequency analysis of surrogate data, our approach is able to identify and filter automatically ocular and muscular artifacts embedded in single-channel EEG. Results: in a comparative study using artificially contaminated EEG signals, the efficacy of the algorithm in terms of noise removal and signal distortion was superior to other traditionally-employed single-channel EEG denoizing techniques: wavelet thresholding and the canonical correlation analysis combined with an advanced version of the empirical mode decomposition. Even in the presence of mild and severe artifacts, our artifact removal method provides a relative error 4 to 5 times lower than traditional techniques. Significance: in view of these results, the SuBAR method is a promising solution for mobile environments, such as ambulatory healthcare systems, sleep stage scoring, or anesthesia monitoring, where very few EEG channels or even a single channel is available.
Decadal Variability of Eddy Kinetic Energy in the South Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent in an Ocean General Circulation Model

AbstractThe eddy kinetic energy (EKE) associated with the Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) in the western subtropical South Pacific is known to exhibit substantial seasonal and decadal variability. Using an eddy-permitting ocean general circulation model, which is able to reproduce the observed, salient features of the seasonal cycles of shear, stratification, baroclinic production, and the associated EKE, the authors investigate the decadal changes of EKE. The authors show that the STCC region exhibits, uniquely among the subtropical gyres of the world’s oceans, significant, atmospherically forced, decadal EKE variability. The decadal variations are driven by changing vertical shear between the STCC in the upper 300 m and the South Equatorial Current below, predominantly caused by variations in STCC strength associated with a changing meridional density gradient. In the 1970s, an increased meridional density gradient results in EKE twice as large as in later decades in the model. Utilizing sensitivity e.
EUS-FNA using 22G nitinol or ProCore needles without on-site cytopathology

Objectives: The project is aimed to compare the tissue sampling rate and the diagnostic accuracy rate of EUS-FNA using 22G nitinol and reverse bevel-tipped needles. Subjects and Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, crossover study in a tertiary academic hospital. All consecutive adult patients undergoing EUS-guided FNA for lesions > 2 cm were recruited. Patients fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria underwent EUS-guided FNA using both needles in sequence. They were randomized on a 1:1 basis to determine whether EUS-FNA would be performed first using the 22G reverse bevel-tipped (ProCore) needle followed by the nitinol needle or vice versa. The patients and the pathologists were blinded to the type of needle used. Results: Forty patients with suspected malignant neoplasms were recruited to the study. No significant differences were found in the diagnostic yield (76.9% vs. 84.6%, P = 0.389), accuracy (71.8% vs. 84.6%, P = 0.170), sensitivity (77.8% vs. 86.1%, P = 0.358), specificity (100% vs. 100%, P = 1), positive predictive value (100% vs. 100%, P = 1), and negative predictive value (20.0% vs. 28.6%, P = 1). The percentage of obtained tissue for histological assessment was also similar (41.0% vs. 46.2%, P = 0.648). In terms of the quantity of tissue obtained with the needles, a larger proportion of patients in the nitinol group obtained more tissue for assessment (P = 0.003). Conclusion: The tissue-sampling rate and the diagnostic accuracy of the new 22G ProCore needle were comparable to the conventional 22G FNA needle in the absence of an on-site cytopathologist.
RippleNet: Propagating User Preferences on the Knowledge Graph for Recommender Systems

To address the sparsity and cold start problem of collaborative filtering, researchers usually make use of side information, such as social networks or item attributes, to improve recommendation performance. This paper considers the knowledge graph as the source of side information. To address the limitations of existing embedding-based and path-based methods for knowledge-graph-aware recommendation, we propose RippleNet, an end-to-end framework that naturally incorporates the knowledge graph into recommender systems. Similar to actual ripples propagating on the water, RippleNet stimulates the propagation of user preferences over the set of knowledge entities by automatically and iteratively extending a user's potential interests along links in the knowledge graph. The multiple "ripples" activated by a user's historically clicked items are thus superposed to form the preference distribution of the user with respect to a candidate item, which could be used for predicting the final clicking probability. Through extensive experiments on real-world datasets, we demonstrate that RippleNet achieves substantial gains in a variety of scenarios, including movie, book and news recommendation, over several state-of-the-art baselines.