Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel Microfluidic Structures for Wireless Passive Temperature Telemetry Medical Systems Using Radar Interrogation Techniques in Ka-Band

We present a new miniaturized (below 1 mm3) temperature sensor based on microfluidic technology and radar passive interrogation principles, which can be easily applied for temperature telemetry for medical applications. The chipless microsystem is made up of a planar-gap capacitor with a microchannel located in between its plates. The temperature-dependent expansion/shrinkage of the water inside the microchannel modifies in a monotonic way the liquid level across the capacitor. The resulting change in the effective permittivity modifies the capacitance value in a temperature-dependent way. The first prototypes of the temperature microsensor were micromachined and integrated with an antenna, while the ambient temperature was remotely measured using frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar interrogation principles at 29.75 GHz. Preliminary measurement results demonstrated a 0.4 dBm/°C sensitivity over a 9°C temperature range (24°C-33°C).
Evaluating Cryptanalytical Strength of Lightweight Cipher PRESENT on Reconfigurable Hardware

The PRESENT cipher is a symmetric block cipher with 64 bits of data block and 80 (or 128) bits of key. It is based on Substitution-permutation network and consists of 31 rounds. PRESENT is intended to be implemented in small embedded and contactless systems, thus its design needs only small amount of chip area and consumes low power. In this work we evaluate the resistance of PRESENT against time-memory trade-off attack. Specifically Rainbow Tables method is used. We determine the computational demand of this type of attack conducted on special parallel reconfigurable hardware COPACOBANA consisting of array of FPGA chips with custom design.
Reference model for hybrid adaptive control of pneumatic muscle actuator

Pneumatic muscle actuator exhibits strong nonlinear behavior and it requires use advanced control algorithms based also on computational intelligence techniques as for example hybrid fuzzy adaptive control. These sophisticated control methods could be capable of handling the system's nonlinear properties. In the paper there is presented nonlinear dynamic model of one-DOF pneumatic muscle actuator for use as reference model in adaptation mechanism of hybrid adaptive fuzzy controller. This dynamic model was designed using different muscle models and some simulation results are presented in the paper.
Analysis of Cell Load Coupling for LTE Network Planning and Optimization

System-centric modeling and analysis are of key significance in planning and optimizing cellular networks. In this paper, we provide a mathematical analysis of performance modeling for LTE networks. The system model characterizes the coupling relation between the cell load factors, taking into account non-uniform traffic demand and interference between the cells with arbitrary network topology. Solving the model enables a network-wide performance evaluation in resource consumption. We develop and prove both sufficient and necessary conditions for the feasibility of the load-coupling system, and provide results related to computational aspects for numerically approaching the solution. The theoretical findings are accompanied with experimental results to instructively illustrate the application in optimizing LTE network configuration.
A New High-Level Methodology for Programming FPGA-Based Smart Camera

Due to the various devices composing a smart camera system, various languages have to be known by the designer (like HDL and C/C++). Most of vision applications designers are software programmers and do not have a good knowledge of HDLs (VHDL). This paper presents a new high-level methodology for implementing vision applications on smart camera platforms. This methodology is based on a soft-core approach to manage the whole system and a dataflow (actor-oriented) language to design the processing elements. We discuss in particular interfacing constraints.
Sympathetic Neural Contribution to Salt‐Induced Hypertension in Dahl Rats

The Dahl strain provides a model for examining mechanisms involved in the genetic sensitivity or resistance to salt-induced hypertension. Dahl salt-sensitive rats develop hypertension when fed a high salt diet; Dahl salt-resistant rats remain normotensive. Based on early experiments, it was thought that hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats epitomized the overriding importance of renal and humoral mechanisms in salt-induced hypertension, but studies in the past 15 years have demonstrated that alterations in sympathetic neural mechanisms also participate critically in the genetic predisposition to salt-induced hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. This article briefly reviews sympathetic neural mechanisms in Dahl rats, including evidence for a role of afferent baroreceptor as well as central neural and peripheral adrenergic mechanisms in salt-induced hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.
Essays in International Economics

The first chapter of this dissertation investigates the impact of globalization on inflation in the context of a two-country New Keynesian model. Three questions have been raised in the recent literature: Has globalization lowered long-run inflation? Has globalization affected short-run dynamics of inflation? Has globalization been a source of shocks for the inflation process? Here, these questions are framed in terms of the effects of increased openness on different aspects of open-economy Phillips curves, considering different scenarios for the measure of inflation, and for the assumed export-pricing behavior of firms. The main qualitative prediction of the model is that globalization makes Phillips curves flatter. Quantitatively, the effects of globalization on inflation are modest: increased openness only slightly decreases the slope of Phillips curves, domestic factors are still the main determinants of inflation, and globalization does not lead to a substantial increase in the volatility of shocks to the inflation process. The second chapter explores another angle for the impact of openness. Many studies have estimated the so-called New Keynesian Phillips curve (NKPC), with mixed results. This chapter thus investigates whether several dimensions of openness to international trade, in particular the distinction between traded and nontraded goods, affect the specification of the NKPC that can be brought to the data. More specifically, which additional control variables should be included in estimating the NKPC, relative to its closed-economy counterpart? We ask this question for both domestically produced goods’ and consumption expenditure’s inflation, considering different scenarios for nontradability, in final goods and intermediate inputs, and for the assumed export-pricing behavior of firms, namely Producer Currency Pricing iii and Local Currency Pricing. We find that nontradability matters: estimation of the NKPC not accounting for these aspects is likely to produce biased results. The third and last chapter, co-authored with Alexis Antoniades, studies exchange rate pass-through and its determinants using scanner data on about 85% of the fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) sold by 1,041 outlets in the United Arab Emirates between January of 2005 and December of 2010. The data, reported at the barcode level at each outlet, are augmented with Country-of-Origin (COO) information that was collected from the products’ labels. At the aggregate level, we find exchange rate pass-through on imported consumer goods to be 3% in the short-run and 20% in the long-run. We then show that exchange rate pass-through is correlated positively with retailer market share, negatively with product quality, and negatively with the elasticity of substitution of the products within specific FMCGs categories.
Chaos Based Nonlinear Analysis of Epileptic Seizure

Feature extraction and classification of electro-physiological signals is an important issue in development of disease diagnostic expert system (DDES). In this paper we propose a method based on chaos methodology for EEG signal classification. The nonlinear dynamics of original EEGs are quantified in the form of entropy, largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE), correlation dimension (CD), capacity dimension (CAD) and were considered for discrimination of various categories of EEG signals. After calculating the above mentioned parameters for signals, we found that without going for rigorous time-frequency domain analysis, only chaos based parameters is also suitable to classify various EEG signals.
New detector based on patch segmentation for high resolution SAR image

This paper proposes a new detector for interested object detection in high resolution SAR image. To obtain higher performance, four parameters are required to describe features of the interested object. Specifically, the parameters of segmentation scale and average expected object size are used for SAR image segmentation to get patches, which are small image parts to capture fine scale information such as gray variance and shape. In this step, adjacent map is adopted to recode the information and the relationship of all the patches; The third parameter is false alarm rate, which is used to retrieve the intensity threshold for finding out all the potential targets in SAR image; The parameter of object packing density is finally used to reduce the false alarm, which is calculated according to their occurrence frequency. To evaluate the proposed detection methodology, air-born SAR image with one-meter resolution is tested. The scene context of this image is complex, since it includes building, road, vegetation and trucks. If the trucks are taken as the interested objects, this methodology can detect all of them with lower false alarm rate.
Risk factors for non-union in the non-operative management of type II dens fractures.

BACKGROUND Despite the publication of numerous studies, there remains controversy regarding the non-operative treatment of type II dens fractures. The halo-thoracic vest (HTV) and rigid cervical collar are the most commonly used. We sought to compare the outcomes of patients managed with these devices in terms of risk factors for non-union and complication rates. METHODS This study was a retrospective review of adult patients with type II dens fractures treated non-operatively at a Level 1 Trauma Centre between 2001 and 2007. Patient medical records and imaging studies were reviewed. Union was defined as stable fibrous union or bony union at 3 months. RESULTS Sixty-seven patients were included – 35 treated using a HTV and 32 with a collar. Non-union was associated with increased time in HTV or collar (P = 0.011), a mechanism of injury involving a low fall (P = 0.008), or low velocity injuries (P = 0.04). The proportion of patients with stable union at 3 months was 60% for the HTV group versus 35% for the cervical collar group (P = 0.10). There were trends to support increased risk of non-union with age ≥65 years (P = 0.13) or with fracture displacement ≥2 mm (P = 0.17) at the time of presentation. Clinically significant complications of the HTV were more common than those experienced with collar. Of HTV patients, 60% suffered one or more complications compared with 6% for collar. CONCLUSIONS We were unable to demonstrate any statistically significant advantage or disadvantage of either device. Further investigation of mortality and morbidity would be beneficial.
The Arctic Alzheimer mutation favors intracellular amyloid‐β production by making amyloid precursor protein less available to α‐secretase

Mutations within the amyloid‐β (Aβ) domain of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) typically generate hemorrhagic strokes and vascular amyloid angiopathy. In contrast, the Arctic mutation (APP E693G) results in Alzheimer’s disease. Little is known about the pathologic mechanisms that result from the Arctic mutation, although increased formation of Aβ protofibrils in vitro and intraneuronal Aβ aggregates in vivo suggest that early steps in the amyloidogenic pathway are facilitated. Here we show that the Arctic mutation favors proamyloidogenic APP processing by increased β‐secretase cleavage, as demonstrated by altered levels of N‐ and C‐terminal APP fragments. Although the Arctic mutation is located close to the α‐secretase site, APP harboring the Arctic mutation is not an inferior substrate to a disintegrin and metalloprotease‐10, a major α‐secretase. Instead, the localization of Arctic APP is altered, with reduced levels at the cell surface making Arctic APP less available for α‐secretase cleavage. As a result, the extent and subcellular location of Aβ formation is changed, as revealed by increased Aβ levels, especially at intracellular locations. Our findings suggest that the unique clinical symptomatology and neuropathology associated with the Arctic mutation, but not with other intra‐Aβ mutations, could relate to altered APP processing with increased steady‐state levels of Arctic Aβ, particularly at intracellular locations.
The Politics of Rage

Through narratives, we reclaim an emotion often regarded as negative, and examine how anger serves as a means of social and personal transformation, serving as a way to heal from oppression and exploitation. Using critical race feminist theory as a framework, we use storytelling to share our experiences in the White academy. We argue that rage is a necessary part of achieving critical consciousness. We have learned to use our anger, as a means to survive everyday racism have learned and grown to cope with it, understanding that this rage partially defines us.
Physics Storyboards

Physical simulation and other procedural methods are increasingly popular tools in interactive applications because they generate complex and reactive behaviors given only a few parameter settings. This automation accelerates initial implementation, but also introduces a need to tune the available parameters until the desired behaviors emerge. These adjustments are typically performed iteratively, with the designer repeatedly running—and interacting with—the procedural animation with different parameter settings. Such a process is inaccurate, time consuming, and requires deep understanding and intuition, as parameters often have complex, nonlinear effects.
Integrating Colon Cancer Microarray Data: Associating Locus-Specific Methylation Groups to Gene Expression-Based Classifications

Recently, considerable attention has been paid to gene expression-based classifications of colorectal cancers (CRC) and their association with patient prognosis. In addition to changes in gene expression, abnormal DNA-methylation is known to play an important role in cancer onset and development, and colon cancer is no exception to this rule. Large-scale technologies, such as methylation microarray assays and specific sequencing of methylated DNA, have been used to determine whole genome profiles of CpG island methylation in tissue samples. In this article, publicly available microarray-based gene expression and methylation data sets are used to characterize expression subtypes with respect to locus-specific methylation. A major objective was to determine whether integration of these data types improves previously characterized subtypes, or provides evidence for additional subtypes. We used unsupervised clustering techniques to determine methylation-based subgroups, which are subsequently annotated with three published expression-based classifications, comprising from three to six subtypes. Our results showed that, while methylation profiles provide a further basis for segregation of certain (Inflammatory and Goblet-like) finer-grained expression-based subtypes, they also suggest that other finer-grained subtypes are not distinctive and can be considered as a single subtype.
A Method for Estimating Number and Mass of Islets Transplanted within a Membrane Device

Immunobarrier devices may prevent the immune destruction of pancreatic islets transplanted into diabetic recipients, but there are concerns about the survival of islets within such devices. In this manuscript we described a method for estimating islet mass and number within a membrane device. Five hundred syngeneic mouse islets were placed in a membrane device, which was then transplanted into the epididymal space of streptozotocin diabetic mouse. After 14 days the device was removed from the recipient, fixed, and embedded in paraffin. Sections were made and then stained with hematoxylin. From a total of 58 sections, 12 sample sections were selected for analysis by computerized planimetry to determine area of the device chamber and the islet area for each of these sections. By making certain assumptions, it was possible to estimate the total volume of the device chamber, the number of islets contained within the chamber, and the mass of islet tissue. Two weeks after implantation of the chamber, into which approximately 500 microencapsulated islets were loaded, the blood glucose level of the recipient fell to 73 mg/dL. The volume of the device chamber, the total volume of islets in the device, and the total islet number within the device were 1.78 μL, 0.57 μL, and 277 islets, respectively. The detailed methodology, assumptions, and calculations for this approach are described in this manuscript. This new method makes it possible to determine islet mass within a membrane device by analyzing a relatively small number of selected sections. This approach should make it possible to carry out comprehensive studies on the fate of transplanted islets contained in such immunobarrier membrane devices.
Loss of Heterozygosity for Chromosomes 16q and Ip in Wilms' Tumors Predicts an Adverse Outcome'

We have prospectively analyzed Wilms' tumors from 232 patients registered on the National Wilms' Tumor Study for loss of heterozygosity (LOll) on chromosomes lip, 16q, and ip. These chromosomal aberrations were found in 70 (33%),35 (17%),and 21 (12%) ofthe informativecases, respectively. LOH for two of these regions occurred in only 25 cases, and only one tumor harbored LOll at all three sites There was no statistically significantassociationbetweenLOH at any ofthe three regionsand either the stage or histological classification of the tumor. Patients with tumor specific LOH for chromosome 16q had relapse rates 3.3 times higher (P = 0.01) andmortality rates 12times higher (P<0.01) thanpatients without LOH for chromosome i6q. These differences remained when adjusted for histology or for stage. Patients with LOH for chromosome ip had relapse and mortality rates three times higher than those for patients without LOH for chromosome ip, but these results were not statistically signifi cant. In contrast, LOH for chromosome lip had no effect on measures of outcome. These molecular markers may serve to further stratify Wilms' tumor patients into biologically favorable and unfavorable subgroups, allowing continued use of the clinical trial mechanism in the study of Wilma' tumor.
The Effect of Temporal Perception on Weight Perception

A successful catch of a falling ball requires an accurate estimation of the timing for when the ball hits the hand. In a previous experiment in which participants performed ball-catching task in virtual reality environment, we accidentally found that the weight of a falling ball was perceived differently when the timing of ball load force to the hand was shifted from the timing expected from visual information. Although it is well known that spatial information of an object, such as size, can easily deceive our perception of its heaviness, the relationship between temporal information and perceived heaviness is still not clear. In this study, we investigated the effect of temporal factors on weight perception. We conducted ball-catching experiments in a virtual environment where the timing of load force exertion was shifted away from the visual contact timing (i.e., time when the ball hit the hand in the display). We found that the ball was perceived heavier when force was applied earlier than visual contact and lighter when force was applied after visual contact. We also conducted additional experiments in which participants were conditioned to one of two constant time offsets prior to testing weight perception. After performing ball-catching trials with 60 ms advanced or delayed load force exertion, participants’ subjective judgment on the simultaneity of visual contact and force exertion changed, reflecting a shift in perception of time offset. In addition, timing of catching motion initiation relative to visual contact changed, reflecting a shift in estimation of force timing. We also found that participants began to perceive the ball as lighter after conditioning to 60 ms advanced offset and heavier after the 60 ms delayed offset. These results suggest that perceived heaviness depends not on the actual time offset between force exertion and visual contact but on the subjectively perceived time offset between them and/or estimation error in force timing.
Exposure to Violence and Expressions of Resilience in Central American Women Survivors of War

Abstract This article focuses on expressions of resilience in a sample of 30 women from El Salvador and Guatemala who survived multiple types of violence, including war trauma, before taking refuge in the US. Traumatic impact, recovery, and resilience were assessed using the Multidimensional Trauma Recovery and Resilience Interview (MTRR-I) and rating scale, MTRR-99. Exposure to violence was assessed by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the MTRR-I. The study established that the women had suffered multiple and extreme forms of violence prior to and en route to the United States and yet were highly resilient on multiple MTRR domains when compared with a US sample. Implications for future research for assessment of trauma exposure and resilience among war-afflicted populations are discussed.
Molecular dissection of PapD interaction with PapG reveals two chaperone‐binding sites

P pili are composite adhesive fibres that allow uropathogenic Escherichia coli to gain a foothold in the host by binding to receptors present on the uroepithalium via the adhesin PapG. The assembly of P pili requires a periplasmic chaperone, PapD, that has an immunoglobulin‐like three‐dimensional structure. PapD‐subunit complex formation involves a conserved anchoring mechanism in the chaperone cleft and a‘molecular zippering’to the extreme C‐terminus of pilus subunits. A chaperone‐binding assay was developed using fusions of the C‐terminus of PapG to maltose‐binding protein (MBP/G fusions) to investigate whether chaperone‐subunit complex formation requires additional interactions. PapD bound strongly to an MBP/G fusion containing the C‐terminal 140 amino acids of PapG (MBP/G175‐314) but only weakly to the MBP/G234‐314 fusion containing 81 C‐terminal residues, arguing that the region between residues 175‐234 contains additional information that is required for strong PapD‐PapG interactions. PapD was shown to interact with a PapG C‐terminal truncate containing residues 1‐198 but not a truncate containing residues 1‐145, suggesting the presence of a second, independent PapD interactive site. Four peptides overlapping the second site region were tested for binding to PapD in vitro to further delineate this motif. Only one of the peptides synthesized was recognized by PapD. The MBP/G fusion containing both binding sites formed a tight complex with PapD in vivo and inhibited pilus assembly by preventing chaperone‐subunit complex formation.