Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Infrared Spectroscopy of Synovial Fluid Shows Accuracy as an Early Biomarker in an Equine Model of Traumatic Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of lameness and joint disease in horses. A simple, economical, and accurate diagnostic test is required for routine screening for OA. This study aimed to evaluate infrared (IR)-based synovial fluid biomarker profiling to detect early changes associated with a traumatically induced model of equine carpal osteoarthritis (OA). Unilateral carpal OA was induced arthroscopically in 9 of 17 healthy thoroughbred fillies; the remainder served as Sham-operated controls. The median age of both groups was 2 years. Synovial fluid (SF) was obtained before surgical induction of OA (Day 0) and weekly until Day 63. IR absorbance spectra were acquired from dried SF films. Following spectral pre-processing, predictive models using random forests were used to differentiate OA, Sham, and Control samples. The accuracy for distinguishing between OA and any other joint group was 80%. The classification accuracy by sampling day was 87%. For paired classification tasks, the accuracies by joint were 75% for OA vs. OA Control and 70% for OA vs. Sham. The accuracy for separating horses by group (OA vs. Sham) was 68%. In conclusion, SF IR spectroscopy accurately discriminates traumatically induced OA joints from controls.
Influence Maximization in Undirected Networks

We consider the problem of finding a set of k vertices of maximum total influence in a given undirected network, under the independent cascade (IC) model of influence spread. It is known that influence is monotone and submodular in the IC model, and hence a greedy algorithm achieves a (1--1/e) approximation to this problem. Moreover, it is known to be NP-hard to achieve a better approximation factor in directed networks. We show that for undirected networks, this approximation barrier can be overcome: the greedy algorithm obtains an (1--1/e + c) approximation to the set of optimal influence, for some constant c > 0. Our proof proceeds via probabilistic analysis of bond percolation in arbitrary finite networks. We also show that the influence maximization problems remains APX-hard in undirected networks.
High‐Resolution, Ground‐Based Observations of the Lunar Sodium Exosphere During the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission

We present the first comprehensive set of lunar exospheric line width and line width derived effective temperatures as a function of lunar phase (66° waxing phase to 79° waning phase). Data were collected between November 2013 and May 2014 during six observing runs at the National Solar Observatory McMath‐Pierce Solar Telescope by applying high‐resolution Fabry‐Perot spectroscopy (R ~ 180,000) to observe emission from exospheric sodium (5,889.9509 Å, D2 line). The 3‐arc min field of view of the instrument, corresponding to ~336 km at the mean lunar distance (384,400 km), was positioned at several locations off the lunar limb; only equatorial observations taken out to 950 km are presented here. We find the sodium effective temperature distribution to be approximately a symmetric function of lunar phase with respect to full Moon. Within magnetotail passage we find temperatures in the range of 2500–9000 K. For phase angles greater than 40° we find that temperatures flatten out to ~1700 K.
Defining spatial and temporal patterns of phylogeographic structure in Madagascar’s iguanid lizards (genus Oplurus)

Understanding the remarkably high species diversity and levels of endemism found among Madagascar’s flora and fauna has been the focus of many studies. One hypothesis that has received much attention proposes that Quaternary climate fluctuations spurred diversification. While spatial patterns of distribution and phylogenetic relationships can provide support for biogeographic predictions, temporal estimates of divergence are required to determine the fit of these geospatial patterns to climatic or biogeographic mechanisms. We use multilocus DNA sequence data to test whether divergence times among Malagasy iguanid lizards of the subfamily Oplurinae are compatible with a hypotheses of Pliocene–Pleistocene diversification. We estimate the oplurine species tree and associated divergence times under a relaxed‐clock model. In addition, we examine the phylogeographic structure and population divergence times within two sister species of Oplurus primarily distributed in the north‐west and south‐west of Madagascar (Oplurus cuvieri and Oplurus cyclurus, respectively). We find that divergence events among oplurine lineages occurred in the Oligocene and Miocene and are thus far older and incompatible with the hypothesis that recent climate fluctuations are related to current species diversity. However, the timing of intraspecific divergences and spatial patterns of population genetic structure within O. cuvieri and O. cyclurus suggest a role for both intrinsic barriers and recent climate fluctuations at population‐level divergences. Integrating information across spatial and temporal scales allows us to identify and better understand the mechanisms generating patterns diversity.
Early Exercise Protects against Cerebral Ischemic Injury through Inhibiting Neuron Apoptosis in Cortex in Rats

Early exercise is an effective strategy for stroke treatment, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Apoptosis plays a critical role after stroke. However, it is unclear whether early exercise inhibits apoptosis after stroke. The present study investigated the effect of early exercise on apoptosis induced by ischemia. Adult SD rats were subjected to transient focal cerebral ischemia by middle cerebral artery occlusion model (MCAO) and were randomly divided into early exercise group, non-exercise group and sham group. Early exercise group received forced treadmill training initiated at 24 h after operation. Fourteen days later, the cell apoptosis were detected by TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and Fluoro-Jade-B staining (F-J-B). Caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were determined by western blotting. Cerebral infarct volume and motor function were evaluated by cresyl violet staining and foot fault test respectively. The results showed that early exercise decreased the number of apoptotic cells (118.74 ± 6.15 vs. 169.65 ± 8.47, p < 0.05, n = 5), inhibited the expression of caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 (p < 0.05, n = 5), and increased the expression of Bcl-2 (p < 0.05, n = 5). These data were consistent with reduced infarct volume and improved motor function. These results suggested that early exercise could provide neuroprotection through inhibiting neuron apoptosis.
Regulation of milk fat synthesis by dietary fatty acids.

Title of Document: REGULATION OF MILK FAT SYNTHESIS BY DIETARY FATTY ACIDS ANIL KUMAR G. KADEGOWDA PhD. 2008 Directed By: Professor, Dr. RICHARD ERDMAN, Dept. of Animal and AvianSciences, UMCP. The objectives of this thesis research were to determine the molecular mechanisms by which dietary fatty acids (FA) regulate lipogenic gene expression and milk fat synthesis. Principal component and multivariate analyses were conducted to establish the relationship between milk fat and FA concentrations in lactating cows fed milk fat depressing (MFD) diets. This analysis showed that in addition to the established inhibitory effect of t10c12 CLA, t7-18:1 and t7c9-CLA isomers might be involved in MFD. Lactating mice were used to test the effects of several individual trans-18:1 isomers and t10c12-CLA on milk fat synthesis, lipogenic genes in liver and mammary tissues. Both MFD and extensive conversion of t7-18:1 to t7c9-CLA in mammary and liver tissues were shown in mice fed the t7-18:1. As expected, t10c12-CLA feeding caused MFD and reduced the expression of lipogenic transcription factor (TF) SREBP-1C. Potential roles of the TF ChREBP, PPARG, and INSIG1 were also established. A subsequent study aimed to establish whether these mechanisms operated in lactating dairy cows. Compared with uninfused controls and a t10c12 CLA negative control, post-ruminal infusion of butterfat which contains all fatty acids in the same proportion to those found in milk fat to a mixture of fats containing only the long chain fatty acids were examined. Milk fat content, milk yield and mammary lipogenic gene expression were increased by butterfat but not by the long chain fatty acid mixture. This suggested that rates of short and medium chain fatty acid synthesis might be limiting for milk fat production. Unlike the results from the mouse study, SREPB-1C expression was not altered by FA treatments including t10c12-CLA. The effects of individual FA effects and a PPARγ-specific agonist (Rosiglitazone) on mRNA expression via qPCR of 19 genes with roles in de novo synthesis, FA uptake and transport, desaturation, triacylglycerol synthesis, transcriptional regulation, and nuclear receptor signaling in a MACT cell culture system were examined. The FA regulated mammary lipogenic gene expression to different extents. PPAR-γ activation of de novo lipogenesis coupled with exogenous FA availability might play a role in regulating milk fat synthesis. These experiments demonstrate the role of FA in regulating mammary lipogenic pathways, highlighting the complexity and multiple transcriptional factor involvement in milk fat synthesis. REGULATION OF MILK FAT SYNTHESIS BY DIETARY FATTY ACIDS
Full‐fit, palinspastic reconstruction of the conjugate Australian‐Antarctic margins

Despite decades of study the prerift configuration and early rifting history between Australia and Antarctica is not well established. The plate boundary system during the Cretaceous includes the evolving Kerguelen–Broken Ridge Large Igneous Province in the west as well as the conjugate passive and transform margin segments of the Australian and Antarctic continents. Previous rigid plate reconstruction models have highlighted the difficulty in satisfying all the available observations within a single coherent reconstruction history. We investigate a range of scenarios for the early rifting history of these plates by developing a deforming plate model for this conjugate margin pair. Potential field data are used to define the boundaries of stretched continental crust on a regional scale. Integrating crustal thickness along tectonic flow lines provides an estimate of the prerift location of the continental plate boundary. We then use the prerift plate boundary positions, along with additional constraints from geological structures and large igneous provinces within the same Australian and Antarctic plate system, to compute “full‐fit” poles of rotation for Australia relative to Antarctica. Our preferred model implies that the Leeuwin and Vincennes Fracture Zones are conjugate features within Gondwana, but that the direction of initial opening between Australia and Antarctica does not follow the orientation of these features; rather, the geometry of these features is likely related to the earlier rifting of India away from Australia‐Antarctica. Previous full‐fit reconstructions, based on qualitative estimates of continental margin overlaps, generally yield a tighter fit than our preferred reconstruction based on palinspastic margin restoration.
x Antenna Array Design in Aperture Synthesis Radiometers

During the past few decades, there has been growing interest in the use of microwave and millimeter wave radiometers for remote sensing of the Earth. Due to the need of large antennas and scanning mechanism, the conventional real aperture radiometer becomes infeasible for high spatial resolution application. Interferometric aperture synthesis was suggested as an alternative to real aperture radiometry for earth observation [Ruf et al., 1988]. Aperture synthesis radiometers (ASR) can synthesize a large aperture by sparsely arranging a number of small aperture antennas to achieve high spatial resolution without requiring very large and massive mechanical scanning antenna. The fundamental theory behind aperture synthesis technique is the same as the one used for decades in radio astronomy [Thompson et al., 2001], in which the product of pairs of small antennas and signal processing is used in place of a single large aperture. In aperture synthesis, the coherent product (correlation) of the signal from pairs of antennas is measured at different antenna-pair spacings (also called baselines). The product at each baseline yields a sample point in the Fourier transform of the brightness temperature map of the scene, and the scene itself is reconstructed by inverting the sampled transform. This chapter addresses the subject of antenna array design in ASR, which plays an important role in radiometric imaging of ASR. The chapter is organized as follows. In section 2, the basic principle of synthetic aperture radiometers is briefly formulated. In section 3, the topology optimization of the antenna array is concerned, aiming at minimum redundancy arrays (MRAs) for high spatial resolution. For one-dimensional case, different optimization methods for finding out minimum redundancy linear arrays (MRLAs) such as numerical algorithms and combinatorial methods are summarized, including their advantages and disadvantages. We also propose an effective restricted search method by exploiting the general structure of MRLAs. For two-dimensional case, different antenna array configurations as well as their spatial sampling patterns are compared, including rectangular sampling arrays, hexagonal sampling arrays, and nonuniform sampling arrays. Some original work on the design of thinned circular arrays is also described. In section 4, a novel antenna array for our HUST-ASR prototype is presented, which is a sparse antenna array with an offset parabolic cylinder reflector at millimeter wave band. 9
Improving Ambulatory Saliva-Sampling Compliance in Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Study

Objective Noncompliance with scheduled ambulatory saliva sampling is common and has been associated with biased cortisol estimates in nonpregnant subjects. This study is the first to investigate in pregnant women strategies to improve ambulatory saliva-sampling compliance, and the association between sampling noncompliance and saliva cortisol estimates. Methods We instructed 64 pregnant women to collect eight scheduled saliva samples on two consecutive days each. Objective compliance with scheduled sampling times was assessed with a Medication Event Monitoring System and self-reported compliance with a paper-and-pencil diary. In a randomized controlled study, we estimated whether a disclosure intervention (informing women about objective compliance monitoring) and a reminder intervention (use of acoustical reminders) improved compliance. A mixed model analysis was used to estimate associations between women's objective compliance and their diurnal cortisol profiles, and between deviation from scheduled sampling and the cortisol concentration measured in the related sample. Results Self-reported compliance with a saliva-sampling protocol was 91%, and objective compliance was 70%. The disclosure intervention was associated with improved objective compliance (informed: 81%, noninformed: 60%), F(1,60) = 17.64, p<0.001, but not the reminder intervention (reminders: 68%, without reminders: 72%), F(1,60) = 0.78, p = 0.379. Furthermore, a woman's increased objective compliance was associated with a higher diurnal cortisol profile, F(2,64) = 8.22, p<0.001. Altered cortisol levels were observed in less objective compliant samples, F(1,705) = 7.38, p = 0.007, with delayed sampling associated with lower cortisol levels. Conclusions The results suggest that in pregnant women, objective noncompliance with scheduled ambulatory saliva sampling is common and is associated with biased cortisol estimates. To improve sampling compliance, results suggest informing women about objective compliance monitoring but discourage use of acoustical reminders.
Negation - An Overview of Typological Research

This article is an overview of the current state of typological research on negation. Structures expressing standard negation – the negation of declarative verbal main clauses – can be classified on the basis of the status of the negative marker, or on the basis of the structure of the negative clause as a whole. Structural similarities and differences (symmetry and asymmetry) between negatives and affirmatives can be observed and classified into different types which can then be offered functional explanations. Negative strategies used in imperatives, existentials and nonverbal clauses often differ from standard negation; these differences are exemplified and discussed. The interaction between negative indefinite pronouns and standard negation shows interesting cross-linguistic variation in terms of whether the latter co-occurs with the indefinite and whether the indefinite is inherently negative. Some cross-linguistic observations on diachronic developments and on the interaction between negation and modality and negation and focus are also briefly discussed.
A lecture transcription system combining neural network acoustic and language models

This paper presents a new system for automatic transcription of lectures. The system combines a number of novel features, including deep neural network acoustic models using multi-level adaptive networks to incorporate out-of-domain information, and factored recurrent neural network language models. We demonstrate that the system achieves large improvements on the TED lecture transcription task from the 2012 IWSLT evaluation ‐ our results are currently the best reported on this task, showing an relative WER reduction of more than 16% compared to the closest competing system from the evaluation.
Rapid detection of rotaviruses--are laboratories underestimating infection in infants?

Table I shows the results obtained after screening these specimens with the LAA, ICT and ELISA. We noted that of the 90 specimens tested, 83% (75/90) were rotavirus-positive when using the ELISA. The Diarlex LAA showed a very poor sensitivity of 57% (43/75) and a specificity of 93%, while the Coris ICT indicated an improved sensitivity of 88% (66/75) and a specificity of 100% compared with the ELISA.
Valved dataflow for FPGA memory hierarchy synthesis

For modern FPGA, implementation of memory intensive processing applications such as high end image and video processing systems necessitates manual design of complex multilevel memory hierarchies incorporating off-chip DDR and on-chip BRAM and LUT RAM. In fact, automated synthesis of multi-level memory hierarchies is an open problem facing high level synthesis technologies for FPGA devices. In this paper we describe the first automated solution to this problem. By exploiting a novel dataflow application modelling dialect, known as Valved Dataflow, we show for the first time how, not only can such architectures be automatically derived, but also that the resulting implementations support real-time processing for current image processing application standards such as H.264. We demonstrate the viability of this approach by reporting the performance and cost of hierarchies automatically generated for Motion Estimation, Matrix Multiplication and Sobel Edge Detection applications on Virtex-5 FPGA.
A Survey on Security and Privacy in Emerging Sensor Networks: From Viewpoint of Close-Loop

Nowadays, as the next generation sensor networks, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) refer to the complex networked systems that have both physical subsystems and cyber components, and the information flow between different subsystems and components is across a communication network, which forms a closed-loop. New generation sensor networks are found in a growing number of applications and have received increasing attention from many inter-disciplines. Opportunities and challenges in the design, analysis, verification and validation of sensor networks co-exists, among which security and privacy are two important ingredients. This paper presents a survey on some recent results in the security and privacy aspects of emerging sensor networks from the viewpoint of the closed-loop. This paper also discusses several future research directions under these two umbrellas.
Centralized Volt-VAR-Watt Optimization for Real Distribution Grids

—The increasing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into distribution grids can pose challenges to power quality. Specifically, distributed photovoltaic (PV) systems can cause issues, such as voltage fluctuations, due to their intermittent nature. PV inverter control deployment is necessary to minimize these issues. The existing local inverter control methods might not adequately address the broader grid concerns. As such, this work proposes an optimization-based volt-var-watt centralized control method to optimize the output of PV across the grid and solve the voltage issues with high levels of PV integration. The proposed methodology is validated on a medium IEEE 123-bus and a large 3,989-bus distribution network. Simulation results show significant improvement in the overall voltage profiles, and thus, the proposed method proves to be effective in enhancing the overall system performance.
Learned Behaviors of Multiple Autonomous Agents in Smart Grid Markets

One proposed approach to managing a large complex Smart Grid is through Broker Agents who buy electrical power from distributed producers, and also sell power to consumers, via a Tariff Market--a new market mechanism where Broker Agents publish concurrent bid and ask prices. A key challenge is the specification of the market strategy that the Broker Agents should use in order to earn profits while maintaining the market's balance of supply and demand. Interestingly, previous work has shown that a Broker Agent can learn its strategy, using Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) and Q-learning, and outperform other Broker Agents that use predetermined or randomized strategies. In this work, we investigate the more representative scenario in which multiple Broker Agents, instead of a single one, are independently learning their strategies. Using a simulation environment based on real data, we find that Broker Agents who employ periodic increases in exploration achieve higher rewards. We also find that varying levels of market dominance in customer allocation models result in remarkably distinct outcomes in market prices and aggregate Broker Agent rewards. The latter set of results can be explained by established economic principles regarding the emergence of monopolies in market-based competition, further validating our approach.
Multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) reveals abnormal fMRI activity in both the “core” and “extended” face network in congenital prosopagnosia

The ability to identify faces is mediated by a network of cortical and subcortical brain regions in humans. It is still a matter of debate which regions represent the functional substrate of congenital prosopagnosia (CP), a condition characterized by a lifelong impairment in face recognition, and affecting around 2.5% of the general population. Here, we used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to measure neural responses to faces, objects, bodies, and body-parts in a group of seven CPs and ten healthy control participants. Using multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) of the fMRI data we demonstrate that neural activity within the “core” (i.e., occipital face area and fusiform face area) and “extended” (i.e., anterior temporal cortex) face regions in CPs showed reduced discriminability between faces and objects. Reduced differentiation between faces and objects in CP was also seen in the right parahippocampal cortex. In contrast, discriminability between faces and bodies/body-parts and objects and bodies/body-parts across the ventral visual system was typical in CPs. In addition to MVPA analysis, we also ran traditional mass-univariate analysis, which failed to show any group differences in face and object discriminability. In sum, these findings demonstrate (i) face-object representations impairments in CP which encompass both the “core” and “extended” face regions, and (ii) superior power of MVPA in detecting group differences.