Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Noise-Resistant Wavelet-Based Bayesian Fusion of Multispectral and Hyperspectral Images

In this paper, a technique is presented for the fusion of multispectral (MS) and hyperspectral (HS) images to enhance the spatial resolution of the latter. The technique works in the wavelet domain and is based on a Bayesian estimation of the HS image, assuming a joint normal model for the images and an additive noise imaging model for the HS image. In the complete model, an operator is defined, describing the spatial degradation of the HS image. Since this operator is, in general, not exactly known and in order to alleviate the burden of solving the inverse operation (a deconvolution problem), an interpolation is performed a priori . Furthermore, the knowledge of the spatial degradation is restricted to an approximation based on the resolution difference between the images. The technique is compared to its counterpart in the image domain and validated for noisy conditions. Furthermore, its performance is compared to several state-of-the-art pansharpening techniques, in the case where the MS image becomes a panchromatic image, and to MS and HS image fusion techniques from the literature.
Equilibrium water exchange between the intra‐ and extracellular spaces of mammalian brain

This report describes the measurement of water preexchange lifetimes and intra/extracellular content in intact, functioning mammalian brain. Intra‐ and extracellular water magnetic resonance (MR) signals from rat brain in vivo were quantitatively resolved in the longitudinal relaxation domain following administration of an MR relaxation agent into the extracellular space. The estimated intracellular water content fraction was 81% ± 8%, and the intra‐ to extracellular exchange rate constant was 1.81 ± 0.89 s–1 (mean ± SD, N = 9), corresponding to an intracellular water preexchange lifetime of ∼550 ms. These results provide a temporal framework for anticipating the water exchange regime (fast, intermediate, or slow) underlying a variety of compartment‐sensitive measurements. The method also supplies a means by which to evaluate membrane water permeability and intra/extracellular water content serially in intact tissue. The data are obtained in an imaging mode that permits detection of regional variations in these parameters. Magn Reson Med 50:493–499, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Motion of Gold Atoms on Carbon in the Aberration-Corrected STEM

The movement of heavy atoms on a thin carbon substrate is readily observed using a sub-Ångstrom electron probe. The observed movement is consistent with an electron beam activation mechanism whereby atoms are occasionally detached from bonding sites, allowing rapid diffusion to new sites that may be quite far from the original. The bonding sites are most often observed to lie at defects, steps, and other asperities in the substrate. Formation of three-dimensional clusters can occur during diffusion of several isolated atoms. Coalescence and dissolution of larger clusters and islands both occur under varying observation conditions, but island coalescence appears most probable for islands that are greater than 2 nm in size.
Dynamic manipulation with a one joint robot

We are interested in using low degree-of-freedom robots to perform complex manipulation task without grasping. The robot can use rolling, slipping, and free flight to control more degrees-of-freedom of the part. To demonstrate this we study the controllability properties of planar dynamic nonprehensile manipulation. We show that almost any planar object is small-time locally controllable by point contact, and the controlling robot requires only two degrees-of-freedom (a point translating in the plane). We then focus on a one joint manipulator (with a two-dimensional state space) and show that even this simplest of robots, by using slipping and rolling, can control an object to a full-dimensional subset of its six-dimensional state space. We have developed a one joint robot to perform a variety of dynamic tasks, including snatching an object from a table, rolling an object on the surface of the arm, and throwing and catching.
Evidence for Stellar Substructure in the Halo and Outer Disk of M31

We report the discovery of significant stellar substructure in the halo and outer disk of our nearest large galactic neighbor, M31. Our deep panoramic survey with the Isaac Newton Telescope Wide Field Camera currently maps out an area of ≈25 deg2 around M31, extending along the semimajor axis to 55 kpc and is the first to allow an uninterrupted study of the density and color distribution of individual red giant branch stars across a large fraction of the halo of an external spiral galaxy. We find evidence for both spatial density and metallicity (as inferred from color information) variations, which are often, but not always, correlated. In addition to the previously reported giant stellar stream, the data reveal the presence of significant stellar overdensities at large radii close to the southwestern major axis, in the proximity of the very luminous globular cluster G1, and near the northeastern major axis, coinciding with and extending beyond the previously known northern spur. The most prominent metallicity variations are found in the southern half of the halo, where two large structures with above average metallicites are apparent; one of these coincides with the giant stellar stream while the other corresponds to a much lower level stellar enhancement. Our findings contrast with, but do not conflict with, past studies of the M31 halo and outer disk that have suggested a rather homogeneous stellar population at large radius: the bulk of our newly detected substructure lies in the previously uncharted far outer regions of the galaxy. We discuss the possible origin of the substructure observed and the implications it has for constraining the galaxy assembly process.
Role of the parahippocampal cortex in memory for the configuration but not the identity of objects: converging evidence from patients with selective thermal lesions and fMRI

The parahippocampal cortex and hippocampus are brain structures known to be involved in memory. However, the unique contribution of the parahippocampal cortex remains unclear. The current study investigates memory for object identity and memory of the configuration of objects in patients with small thermo-coagulation lesions to the hippocampus or the parahippocampal cortex. Results showed that in contrast to control participants and patients with damage to the hippocampus leaving the parahippocampal cortex intact, patients with lesions that included the right parahippocampal cortex (RPH) were severely impaired on a task that required learning the spatial configuration of objects on a computer screen; these patients, however, were not impaired at learning the identity of objects. Conversely, we found that patients with lesions to the right hippocampus (RH) or left hippocampus (LH), sparing the parahippocampal cortex, performed just as well as the control participants. Furthermore, they were not impaired on the object identity task. In the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) experiment, healthy young adults performed the same tasks. Consistent with the findings of the lesion study, the fMRI results showed significant activity in the RPH in the memory for the spatial configuration condition, but not memory for object identity. Furthermore, the pattern of fMRI activity measured in the baseline control conditions decreased specifically in the parahippocampal cortex as a result of the experimental task, providing evidence for task specific repetition suppression. In summary, while our previous studies demonstrated that the hippocampus is critical to the construction of a cognitive map, both the lesion and fMRI studies have shown an involvement of the RPH for learning spatial configurations of objects but not object identity, and that this takes place independent of the hippocampus.
Modeling, identification, and compensation of pulsating torque in permanent magnet AC motors

Permanent magnet AC motors generate parasitic torque pulsations, owing to several electromagnetic phenomena, such as imperfections in the motor and in the associated power inverter. Excitation of the mechanical resonances on the load side is generally the worst consequence of such disturbances; speed oscillations arise which may dramatically limit the performance in high-precision applications. A compact model of the pulsating torque in sinusoidal permanent magnet motors is presented in this paper, based on a combination of theoretical analysis and experimental identification. Online identification algorithms and a compensation scheme are also outlined. The control scheme autonomously identifies the parameters of the disturbance model through simple closed-loop motion experiments. The compensation is then applied as a modification of the output of the position controller. Experiments carried out on an industrial robot demonstrate the effectiveness of the control scheme in suppressing oscillations, both on the motor and on the load sides.
Adaptive Timeout Policies for Fast Fine-Grained Power Management

Power management techniques for mobile appliances put the components of the systems into low power states to maximize battery life while minimizing the impact on the perceived performance of the devices. Static timeout policies are the state-of-the-art approach for solving power management problems. In this work, we propose adaptive timeout policies as a simple and efficient solution for fine-grained power management. As discussed in the paper, the policies reduce the latency of static timeout policies by nearly one half at the same power savings. This result can be also viewed as increasing the power savings of static timeout policies at the same latency target. The main objective of our work is to propose practical adaptive policies. Therefore, our adaptive solution is fast enough to be executed within less than one millisecond, and sufficiently simple to be deployed directly on a microcontroller. We validate our ideas on two recorded CPU activity traces, which involve more than 10 million entries each.
Risperidone Use in Children with Down Syndrome, Severe Intellectual Disability, and Comorbid Autistic Spectrum Disorders: A Naturalistic Study

Objective: We report on an open-label, naturalistic study using risperidone to treat disruptive behaviors and self-injury in children with Down syndrome, severe intellectual disability, and comorbid autism spectrum disorders (DS+ASDs). We hypothesized that hyperactivity and disruptive behaviors would improve in response to risperidone treatment consistent with previous studies of children with ASD. Methods: Subjects were children (mean age, 7.8 ± 2.6 years), consisting of 20 males and three females identified through our outpatient Down Syndrome Clinic between 2000 and 2004. Results: Using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist as the primary outcome measure, all five subscales showed significant improvement following risperidone treatment. The mean duration of treatment was 95.8 ± 16.8 days, and mean total daily dose was 0.66 ± 0.28 mg/day. The Hyperactivity, Stereotypy, and Lethargy subscale scores showed the most significant reduction (p < .001), followed by Irritability (p < .02), and Inappropriate Speech (p < .04). Children with disruptive behavior and self-injury showed the greatest improvement. Sleep quality improved for 88% of subjects with preexisting sleep disturbance. Subjects for whom a follow-up weight was available showed a mean weight increase of 2.8 ± 1.5 kg during the treatment period. Conclusions: These findings support our clinical impression of improvement on important target behaviors such as aggression, disruptiveness, self-injury, stereotypy, and social withdrawal. Low-dose risperidone appears to be well tolerated in children with DS+ASD, although concerns about weight gain and metabolic alterations may limit its usefulness over the long term in some children.
Changes in fluoroquinolone use for gonorrhea following publication of revised treatment guidelines.

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the impact of revised national treatment recommendations on fluoroquinolone use for gonorrhea in selected states. METHODS We evaluated gonorrhea cases reported through the Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Network as treated between July 1, 2006 and May 31, 2008, using interrupted time series analysis. Outcomes were fluoroquinolone treatment overall, by area, and by practice setting. RESULTS Of 16,126 cases with treatment dates in this period, 15,669 noted the medication used. After revised recommendations were released, fluoroquinolone use decreased abruptly overall (21.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 15.9%, 27.2%), in most geographic areas evaluated, and in sexually transmitted disease clinics (28.5%; 95% CI = 19.0%, 37.9%). More gradual decreases were seen in primary care (8.6%; 95% CI = 2.6%, 14.6%), and in emergency departments, urgent care, and hospitals (2.7%; 95% CI = 1.7%, 3.7%). CONCLUSIONS Fluoroquinolone use decreased after the publication of revised national guidelines, particularly in sexually transmitted disease clinics. Additional mechanisms are needed to increase the speed and magnitude of changes in prescribing in primary care, emergency departments, urgent care, and hospitals.
Retrocyclins Kill Bacilli and Germinating Spores of Bacillus anthracis and Inactivate Anthrax Lethal Toxin*

θ-defensins are cyclic octadecapeptides encoded by the modified α-defensin genes of certain nonhuman primates. The recent demonstration that human α-defensins could prevent deleterious effects of anthrax lethal toxin in vitro and in vivo led us to examine the effects of θ-defensins on Bacillus anthracis (Sterne). We tested rhesus θ-defensins 1-3, retrocyclins 1-3, and several analogues of RC-1. Low concentrations of θ-defensins not only killed vegetative cells of B. anthracis (Sterne) and rendered their germinating spores nonviable, they also inactivated the enzymatic activity of anthrax lethal factor and protected murine RAW-264.7 cells from lethal toxin, a mixture of lethal factor and protective antigen. Structure-function studies indicated that the cyclic backbone, intramolecular tri-disulfide ladder, and arginine residues of θ-defensins contributed substantially to these protective effects. Surface plasmon resonance studies showed that retrocyclins bound the lethal factor rapidly and with high affinity. Retrocyclin-mediated inhibition of the enzymatic activity of lethal factor increased substantially if the enzyme and peptide were preincubated before substrate was added. The temporal discrepancy between the rapidity of binding and the slowly progressive extent of lethal factor inhibition suggest that post-binding events, perhaps in situ oligomerization, contribute to the antitoxic properties of retrocyclins. Overall, these findings suggest that θ-defensins provide molecular templates that could be used to create novel agents effective against B. anthracis and its toxins.
Knowledge is Power: A Theory of Information, Income and Welfare Spending

No voters cast their votes based on perfect information, but better educated and richer voters are on average better informed than others. We develop a model where the voting mistakes resulting from low political knowledge reduce the weight of poor voters, and cause parties to choose political platforms that are better aligned with the preferences of rich voters. In US election survey data, we nd that income is more important in a ecting voting behavior for more informed voters than for less informed voters, as predicted by the model. Further, in a panel of US states we nd that when there is a strong correlation between income and political information, Congress representatives vote more conservatively, which is also in line with our theory.
Effect of Flaxseed Consumption on Urinary Levels of Estrogen Metabolites in Postmenopausal Women

Flaxseed is a rich source of dietary lignans. It has been hypothesized that lignans may decrease breast cancer risk through modulation of endogenous hormone levels. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of flaxseed supplementation on urinary levels of estrogen metabolites that may be involved in the development of breast cancer. Forty-three postmenopausal women participated in this 12-wk preintervention–postintervention study. Participants consumed 7.5 g/day of ground flaxseed for 6 wk, followed by 15 g/day for an additional 6 wk. The mean urinary level of 16α –hydroxyestrone (16α -OHE1) was higher at the end of 12 wk compared to baseline (change of 1.32 ug/day, P = 0.02). There was no significant change in 2-OHE1 excretion. The mean urinary level of the 2-OHE1/16α -OHE1 ratio was lower at the end of 12 wk compared to baseline (change of −1.1, P = 0.02). Mean urinary excretion of 2-methoxyestradiol was also lower at 12 wk than at baseline ( P = 0.03). Based on the current paradigm of the effects of estrogen metabolism on breast cancer risk, the regimen of dietary flaxseed intake used in this study did not appear to favorably alter breast cancer risk through shifts in estrogen metabolism pathways in postmenopausal women.
Primary and secondary structure of the pore‐forming peptide of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica.

A pore‐forming peptide is implicated in the potent cytolytic activity of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica. Using NH2‐terminal sequence information of this peptide, the corresponding cDNA was isolated. The cDNA‐deduced amino acid sequence revealed a putative signal peptide and a mature peptide of 77 amino acids including six cysteine residues. Computer‐aided secondary structure analysis predicted that the peptide would be composed of four adjacent alpha‐helices, and CD spectroscopy indicated an all alpha‐helical conformation. The tertiary structure appears to be stabilized by three disulfide bonds; the pore‐forming activity was not sensitive to heat but was lost in the presence of reducing agents. Sequence homology was found to the saposins and to surfactant‐associated protein B, both mammalian polypeptides of similar size and secondary structure but of non‐lytic function. In particular, the six cysteine residues were found to be conserved, suggesting a common motif for stabilizing a favourable tertiary structure. Compared with previously characterized toxic peptides also containing three disulfide bonds, the amoeba peptide may represent a distinct class of biologically active peptides.
Threaded multiple path execution

This paper presents Threaded Multi-Path Execution (TME), which exploits existing hardware on a Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) processor to speculatively execute multiple paths of execution. When there are fewer threads in an SMT processor than hardware contexts, threaded multi-path execution uses spare contexts to fetch and execute code along the less likely path of hard-to-predict branches. This paper describes the hardware mechanisms needed to enable an SMT processor to efficiently spawn speculative threads for threaded multi-path execution. The Mapping Synchronization Bus is described which enables the spawning of these multiple paths. Policies are examined for deciding which branches to fork, and for managing competition between primary and alternate path threads for critical resources. Our results show that TME increases the single program performance of an SMT with eight thread contexts by 14%-23% on average, depending on the misprediction penalty, for programs with a high misprediction rate.
Denoise-and-Forward Network Coding for Two-Way Relay MIMO Systems

In this paper, we propose a denoise-and-forward network coding (DNF-NC) transmission scheme for its applications in two-way relay multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) systems. We first consider a scenario with a single pair of source nodes, and minimum mean square error (MMSE) receiver is applied at each node. The global optimal precoding design based on the mean square error (MSE) criterion can be achieved by solving two independent convex optimization problems. To achieve a better tradeoff between performance and complexity, an alternative power optimization approach is proposed using a channel diagonalization technique. Then, we proceed to considering a more challenging bidirectional communication scenario with multiple pairs of source nodes. With intrapair coordination at the sources, we modify DNF-NC by employing a signal alignment technique to combat interpair interference. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed DNF-NC schemes can significantly improve bit error rate (BER) performance in both two scenarios, and such performance gains can be achieved with relatively low computational complexity.
Laparoscopic Treatment of Adrenal Tumors: A Single-Center Experience with 58 Patients

Background. The aim of this study is to discuss the laparoscopic approach and assess the immunohistochemical expression profiles of synaptophysin, Ki-67, and inhibin and patient outcomes in adrenal masses through a series of cases treated at our institution. Method. The study was conducted on 58 patients who were diagnosed with adrenal masses. All cases were operated on laparoscopically for adrenal masses. Results. Both inhibin and synaptophysin were found positive in 45 patients (77,6%). Ki-67 was negative in 11 patients, whereas it was found positive in 42 with a rate of 1%. The size of the masses ranged from 1 up to 9 cm (mean 4,3 ± 1,5). Urine hormone excretion was measured within normal ranges in 47 out of 58 patients (81%). Most of the diagnosed patients were harboring Cortical Adenoma (n: 38; 65,5%). All of the masses were successfully resected without complication except 3 patients. Because of complications of bleeding, the operation was converted to open surgery for 2 patients. Conclusion. Morbidity, mortality, and healing were comparable, regardless of tumor size, yet involvement in both laparoscopic and adrenal surgery was required. Our results suggested that laparoscopic adrenalectomy should replace open surgery as the standard treatment for most adrenal masses.
Increase of Plasma Fibrinogen Levels and Variability with Age in a Sample of Middle Aged Healthy Men

According to predictions from the current theoretical models for ageing the heterogeneity of the population is increasing with increasing age. Although the direct observation of such changes in humans is extremely difficult, supporting evidence should be identifiable in key biomarkers associated with health and mortality. Using data from the Northwick Park Heart Study II of 3052 healthy middle‐aged men (mean 56 years of age, range 49–69 years), with 5 annual measures of CHD risk factors, ageing effects were tested for plasma fibrinogen, cholesterol and triglycerides. Fibrinogen levels increased with age (p < 0.0001), while cholesterol showed a decrease, and triglycerides did not show any change with age. There was a significant increase in the variance of fibrinogen with age (p < 0.0007) but not for cholesterol or triglycerides. The raising effect on fibrinogen levels associated with the A allele of the FIBB−455G>A promoter variant also decreased with age (p = 0.005). The age‐associated changes observed in the fibrinogen variability and the association of phenotype to genotype are discussed in light of the evolutionary theory, and their implications are considered.