Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular precursor derived SiBCN/CNT and SiOC/CNT composite nanowires for energy based applications

Molecular precursor derived ceramics (also known as polymer-derived ceramics or PDCs) are high temperature glasses that have been studied for applications involving operation at elevated temperatures. Prepared from controlled thermal degradation of liquid-phase organosilicon precursors, these ceramics offer remarkable engineering properties such as resistance to crystallization up to 1400 °C, semiconductor behavior at high temperatures and intense photoluminescence. These properties are a direct result of their covalent bonded amorphous network and free (-sp2) carbon along with mixed Si/B/C/N/O bonds, which otherwise can not be obtained through conventional ceramic processing techniques. This thesis demonstrates synthesis of a unique core/shell type nanowire structure involving either siliconboroncarbonitride (SiBCN) or siliconoxycarbide (SiOC) as the shell with carbon nanotube (CNT) acting as the core. This was made possible by liquid phase functionalization of CNT surfaces with respective polymeric precursor (e.g., home-made boron-modified polyureamethylvinylsilazane for SiBCN/CNT and commercially obtained polysiloxane for SiOC/CNT), followed by controlled pyrolysis in inert conditions. This unique architecture has several benefits such as high temperature oxidation resistance (provided by the ceramic shell), improved electrical conductivity and mechanical toughness (attributed to the CNT core) that allowed us to explore its use in energy conversion and storage devices. The first application involved use of SiBCN/CNT composite as a high temperature radiation absorbant material for laser thermal calorimeter. SiBCN/CNT spray coatings on copper substrate were exposed to high energy laser beams (continuous wave at 10.6 μm, 2.5 kW CO2 laser, 10 seconds) and resulting change in its microstructure was studied ex-situ. With the aid of multiple techniques we ascertained the thermal damage resistance to be 15 kW/cm2 with optical absorbance exceeding 97 %. This represents one order of magnitude improvement over bare CNTs (1.4 kW/cm2) coatings and two orders of magnitude over the conventional carbon paint (0.1 kW/cm2) currently in use. The second application involved use of SiBCN/CNT and SiOC/CNT composite coatings as energy storage (anode) material in a Li-ion rechargeable battery. Anode coatings (~1mg/cm2) prepared using SiBCN/CNT synthesized at 1100 °C exhibited high reversible (useable) capacity of 412 mAh/g even after 30 cycles. Further improvement in reversible capacity was obtained for SiOC/CNT coatings with 686 mAh/g at 40 cycles and approximately 99.6 % cyclic efficiency. Further, post cycling imaging of dissembled cells indicated good mechanical stability of these anodes and formation of a stable passivating layer necessary for long term cycling of the cell. This improved performance was collectively attributed to the amorphous ceramic shell that offered Li storage sites and the CNT core that provided the required mechanical strength against volume changes associated with repeated Li-cycling. This novel…
Second-order asymptotics for the gaussian MAC with degraded message sets

This paper studies the second-order asymptotics of the Gaussian multiple-access channel with degraded message sets. For a fixed average error probability ε ∈ (0,1) and an arbitrary point on the boundary of the capacity region, we characterize the speed of convergence of rate pairs that converge to that point for codes that have asymptotic error probability no larger than ε. We do so by elucidating the relationship between global and local notions of second-order asymptotics.
Host Immune Status and Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma among Subjects Infected with Hepatitis C Virus: A Nested Case-Control Study in Japan

A nested case-control study was conducted to examine the association between host immune status, as characterized by serum immune marker levels, and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) up to 8 years later in persons with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Cases (n = 39) and matched controls (n = 117) were selected from participants of the Town C HCV Study in Japan between 1996 and 2004 and matched on age at first available sample (±1 year), gender, and length of follow-up. Separate analyses were done for each of three serum immune markers: soluble tumor necrosis factor-receptor II (sTNF-R2) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), as indicators of type 1, cell-mediated immune response, and soluble CD30 (sCD30), as an indicator of type 2, humoral immune response. The median concentrations of sTNF-R2, sICAM-1, and sCD30 among controls were 3,170 pg/mL, 305 ng/mL, and 3.0 units/mL, respectively, and were higher among cases (3,870 pg/mL, 372 ng/mL, and 3.3 units/mL, respectively). The risk of developing HCC among subjects with immune marker concentrations above the median levels of the controls was >2-fold greater than among subjects with lower concentrations for all three markers [sTNF-R2: odds ratio (OR), 6.9; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 2.4-20.5; sICAM-1: OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 0.9-4.1; and sCD30: OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.0-4.7]. Simultaneous adjustment for all three markers revealed only sTNF-R2 to be associated with HCC risk (OR, 6.4; 95% CI, 2.0-20.6). Adjustment for alcohol consumption and HCV serotype did not materially alter these associations. Results from this prospective, community-based study suggest that a dysregulation in both type 1–related and type 2–related host immunity contributes to the development of HCV-associated HCC. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(12):2521–5)
Robustly Estimating Changes in Image Appearance

We propose a generalized model of image “appearance change” in which brightness variation over time is represented as a probabilistic mixture of different causes. We define four generative models of appearance change due to (1) object or camera motion; (2) illumination phenomena; (3) specular reflections; and (4) “iconic changes” which are specific to the objects being viewed. These iconic changes include complex occlusion events and changes in the material properties of the objects. We develop a robust statistical framework for recovering these appearance changes in image sequences. This approach generalizes previous work on optical flow to provide a richer description of image events and more reliable estimates of image motion in the presense of shadows and specular reflections.
Effect of Increased Body Mass Index on Complication Rates during Laryngotracheal Surgery Utilizing Jet Ventilation

Objective Jet ventilation has been used for >30 years as an anesthetic modality for laryngotracheal surgery. Concerns exist over increased risk with elevated body mass index (BMI). We reviewed our experience using jet ventilation for laryngotracheal stenosis to assess for complication rates with substratification by BMI. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary care center. Subjects and Methods A total of 126 procedures with jet ventilation were identified from October 2006 to December 2014. Complications were recorded, including intubation, unplanned admission, readmission, dysphonia, oral trauma, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and tracheostomy. Lowest intraoperative oxygen saturation and maximum end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) levels were recorded. Results Among 126 patients, 43, 77, and 6 had BMIs of <25, 25-35, and 36-45, respectively. In the BMI <25 group, there was 1 unplanned intubation. Mean maximum ETCO2 was 36.51 with no hypoxemia observed. In the BMI 25-35 group, 2 patients required intubation, and 1 sustained minor oral trauma. The mean maximum ETCO2 was 38.85, with 4 patients having oxygen saturation <90%. In the BMI 36-45 group, 2 patients required intubation. The mean maximum ETCO2 was 41 with no hypoxemia observed. BMI and length of stenosis were statistically significant variables associated with incidence of intraoperative intubation. Conclusion Increased BMI was associated with an increase in highest ETCO2 intraoperatively. However, this was not associated with an increase in major complications. Jet ventilation was performed without significant adverse events in this sample, and it is a viable option if used with an experienced team in the management of laryngotracheal stenosis.
CENP-meta, an Essential Kinetochore Kinesin Required for the Maintenance of Metaphase Chromosome Alignment in Drosophila

CENP-meta has been identified as an essential, kinesin-like motor protein in Drosophila. The 257-kD CENP-meta protein is most similar to the vertebrate kinetochore-associated kinesin-like protein CENP-E, and like CENP-E, is shown to be a component of centromeric/kinetochore regions of Drosophila chromosomes. However, unlike CENP-E, which leaves the centromere/kinetochore region at the end of anaphase A, the CENP-meta protein remains associated with the centromeric/kinetochore region of the chromosome during all stages of the Drosophila cell cycle. P-element–mediated disruption of the CENP-meta gene leads to late larval/pupal stage lethality with incomplete chromosome alignment at metaphase. Complete removal of CENP-meta from the female germline leads to lethality in early embryos resulting from defects in metaphase chromosome alignment. Real-time imaging of these mutants with GFP-labeled chromosomes demonstrates that CENP-meta is required for the maintenance of chromosomes at the metaphase plate, demonstrating that the functions required to establish and maintain chromosome congression have distinguishable requirements.
Molecular Pathways Molecular Pathways : Vasculogenic Mimicry in Tumor Cells : Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications

Tumor cell vasculogenic mimicry (VM) describes the functional plasticity of aggressive cancer cells forming de novo vascular networks, thereby providing a perfusion pathway for rapidly growing tumors, transporting fluid from leaky vessels, and/or connecting with endothelial-lined vasculature. The underlying induction of VM seems to be related to hypoxia, which may also promote the plastic, transendothelial phenotype of tumor cells capable of VM. Since its introduction in 1999 as a novel paradigm for melanoma tumor perfusion, many studies have contributed new insights into the underlying molecular pathways supporting VM in a variety of tumors, including melanoma, glioblastoma, carcinomas, and sarcomas. In particular, critical VM-modulating genes are associated with vascular (VE-cadherin, EphA2, VEGF receptor 1), embryonic and/or stem cell (Nodal, Notch4), and hypoxia-related (hypoxia-inducible factor, Twist1) signaling pathways. Each of these pathways warrants serious scrutiny as potential therapeutic, vascular targets, and diagnostic indicators of plasticity, drug resistance, and the aggressive metastatic phenotype. Clin Cancer Res; 18(10); 1–7. 2012 AACR.
Theoretical Analysis of Pre-Receptor Image Conditioning in Weakly Electric Fish

Electroreceptive fish detect nearby objects by processing the information contained in the pattern of electric currents through the skin. The distribution of local transepidermal voltage or current density on the sensory surface of the fish's skin is the electric image of the surrounding environment. This article reports a model study of the quantitative effect of the conductance of the internal tissues and the skin on electric image generation in Gnathonemus petersii (Günther 1862). Using realistic modelling, we calculated the electric image of a metal object on a simulated fish having different combinations of internal tissues and skin conductances. An object perturbs an electric field as if it were a distribution of electric sources. The equivalent distribution of electric sources is referred to as an object's imprimence. The high conductivity of the fish body lowers the load resistance of a given object's imprimence, increasing the electric image. It also funnels the current generated by the electric organ in such a way that the field and the imprimence of objects in the vicinity of the rostral electric fovea are enhanced. Regarding skin conductance, our results show that the actual value is in the optimal range for transcutaneous voltage modulation by nearby objects. This result suggests that “voltage” is the answer to the long-standing question as to whether current or voltage is the effective stimulus for electroreceptors. Our analysis shows that the fish body should be conceived as an object that interacts with nearby objects, conditioning the electric image. The concept of imprimence can be extended to other sensory systems, facilitating the identification of features common to different perceptual systems.
Joint source-channel coding using structured oversampled filters banks applied to image transmission

This paper proposes a new joint source and channel coder based on real-valued BCH codes, in which the signal protection (analogous to a signal interpolation) is performed before compression. This allows a better tradeoff in high accuracy compression, since part of the distortion introduced by the compression can be corrected by the "channel decoder". Furthermore, we propose an optimal code allocation procedure, which also allows a good robustness to be obtained when the errors introduced by the channel increase. The resulting rate/distortion curves outperform those obtained by a separate system on the whole range of operation. Although presented in the context of image transmission through a binary symmetric channel, the resulting codes may be employed on a wide range of transmission schemes with significant performance benefits.
Use of biomolecular templates for the fabrication of metal nanowires

The nano‐scale spatial organization of metallic and other inorganic materials into 1D objects is a key task in nanotechnology. Nano‐scale fibers and tubes are very useful templates for such organization because of their inherent 1D organization. Fibrillar biological molecules and biomolecular assemblies are excellent physical supports on which to organize the inorganic material. Furthermore, these biological assemblies can facilitate high‐order organization and specific orientation of inorganic structures by their utilization of highly specific biological recognition properties. In this minireview, I will describe the use of biomolecules and biomolecular assemblies, including DNA, proteins, peptides, and even viral particles, which are excellent templates for 1D organization of inorganic materials into wires. This ranges from simple attempts at electroless deposition on inert biological templates to the advanced use of structural motifs and specific protein–DNA interactions for nano‐bio‐lithography as well as the fabrication of multilayer organic and inorganic composites. The potential technological applications of these hybrid biological–inorganic assemblies will be discussed.
Modified OPLL in Microwave Signal Generation Technique

The modified Optical Phase Lock Loop, as suggested in this paper, considerably improve the performance of the microwave signal generation technique over the earlier technique with the help of commercially available DFB lasers with linewidth of about 4.0 MHz. This modified OPLL seems a realistic approach for generating reference signal for future advanced communication systems with active phased array antennas. This opto-electronic technique provides the advantage of low weight, small size, flexible, immunity to EMI and above low cost because the proposed technique significantly reduces the requirement of narrow linewidth lasers. Moreover, it has been observed that bulk and surface acoustic waves in the power and frequency ranges of a few mW and KHz respectively are capable of modifying both the cavity length and refractive index of the material of semiconductor lasers
Sense and Immunity: Context-Dependent Neuro-Immune Interplay

The sensory nervous and immune systems, historically considered autonomous, actually work in concert to promote host defense and tissue homeostasis. These systems interact with each other through a common language of cell surface G protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases as well as cytokines, growth factors, and neuropeptides. While this bidirectional communication is adaptive in many settings, helping protect from danger, it can also become maladaptive and contribute to disease pathophysiology. The fundamental logic of how, where, and when sensory neurons and immune cells contribute to either health or disease remains, however, unclear. Our lab and others’ have begun to explore how this neuro-immune reciprocal dialog contributes to physiological and pathological immune responses and sensory disorders. The cumulative results collected so far indicate that there is an important role for nociceptors (noxious stimulus detecting sensory neurons) in driving immune responses, but that this is highly context dependent. To illustrate this concept, we present our findings in a model of airway inflammation, in which nociceptors seem to have major involvement in type 2 but not type 1 adaptive immunity.
Living in symbiosis: On achievable rates of an oblivious interference system and a cognitive system

We analyze achievable rates of a setup involving a primary two user interference channel and a secondary cognitive point-to-point-system. The primary nodes are oblivious in the sense that they are un-aware of the existence of the secondary system, and thus do not change their strategy. Given the messages of the primary nodes are available a-priori at the secondary transmitter, we show that the secondary user can communicate with non-zero rate while not deteriorating (at least) the rates of the primary nodes. Thus, they are able to live in symbiosis. For the noisy interference regime, the rates achievable for the cognitive user can even be expressed in analytical form.
A Protein Microarray for the Rapid Screening of Patients Suspected of Infection with Various Food-Borne Helminthiases

Background Food-borne helminthiases (FBHs) have become increasingly important due to frequent occurrence and worldwide distribution. There is increasing demand for developing more sensitive, high-throughput techniques for the simultaneous detection of multiple parasitic diseases due to limitations in differential clinical diagnosis of FBHs with similar symptoms. These infections are difficult to diagnose correctly by conventional diagnostic approaches including serological approaches. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, antigens obtained from 5 parasite species, namely Cysticercus cellulosae, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Paragonimus westermani, Trichinella spiralis and Spirometra sp. , were semi-purified after immunoblotting. Sera from 365 human cases of helminthiasis and 80 healthy individuals were assayed with semi-purified antigens by both a protein microarray and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The sensitivity, specificity and simplicity of each test for the end-user were evaluated. The specificity of the tests ranged from 97.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 95.3–98.7%) to 100.0% (95% CI: 100.0%) in the protein microarray and from 97.7% (95% CI: 96.2–99.2%) to 100.0% (95% CI: 100.0%) in ELISA. The sensitivity varied from 85.7% (95% CI: 75.1–96.3%) to 92.1% (95% CI: 83.5–100.0%) in the protein microarray, while the corresponding values for ELISA were 82.0% (95% CI: 71.4–92.6%) to 92.1% (95% CI: 83.5–100.0%). Furthermore, the Youden index spanned from 0.83 to 0.92 in the protein microarray and from 0.80 to 0.92 in ELISA. For each parasite, the Youden index from the protein microarray was often slightly higher than the one from ELISA even though the same antigen was used. Conclusions/Significance The protein microarray platform is a convenient, versatile, high-throughput method that can easily be adapted to massive FBH screening.
Early Exercise Training After Mitral Valve Repair: A Multicentric Prospective French Study.

BACKGROUND Surgical mitral valve (MV) repair is now the best technique to correct mitral regurgitation (MR). However, clinical studies have shown that without exercise training (ET), there is no significant postoperative exercise tolerance improvement. Moreover, healing duration of the MV wound is not well known; thus, the feasibility of an early ET program (ETP) may be discussed. OBJECTIVES To evaluate safety and feasibility of an early ETP after MV repair. METHODS AND RESULTS All patients hospitalized in 13 postoperative centers after MV repair from September 2002 to June 2003 were included in this prospective study. They underwent an ETP during 3 weeks on average. Transthoracic echocardiography and a cardiopulmonary exercise test were performed before and after the ETP. PATIENTS Two hundred fifty-one consecutive patients (male gender, 70%; mean age, 59 +/- 14 years [+/- SD]) were included 16 +/- 10 days after MV repair. There was no MR occurrence or worsening after the ETP. Left ventricular ejection fraction slightly increased (53 +/- 10% vs 55 +/- 9%, p = 0.004). Peak oxygen consumption and anaerobic threshold increased from 16.3 +/- 4.5 to 20.0 +/- 6.0 mL/kg/min (22% increase) and from 12.2 +/- 3.8 to 14.2 +/- 4.3 mL/kg/min (16% increase) respectively, (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION ET after MV repair does not deteriorate the outcome of recent surgery and seems efficient.
A Novel Classification Technique for Accuracy Assessment Applied to Digital Imagery

This study is to classify satellite data based on supervised fuzzy classification technique. Attempts to classify remote sensed data with traditional statistical classification technique faced number of challenges as the traditional per-pixel classifier examine only the spectral variance ignoring the spatial distribution of the pixels, corresponding to the land cover classes and correlation between bands causes problems in classifying the data and its result. Hence in this work, we use fuzzy classification.this makes no assumption about stastical distribution of the data & it provides more complete information for a thorough image analysis.The results show that fuzzy supervised technique algorithm showed an improvement of more than 5% of accuracy at 12 classes on comparison with MLC.
When Users Cannot Verify Digital Signatures: On the Difficulties of Securing Mobile Devices

Mobile devices such as smart phones have become one of the preferred means of accessing digital services, both for consuming and creating content. Unfortunately, securing such mobile devices is inherently difficult for a number of reasons. In this paper, we systematically analyze the technical issues of securing mobile device platforms against different threats and discuss a resulting and currently unsolved problem: how to create an end-to-end secure channel between the digital service (e.g. a secure wallet application on an embedded smart card or an infrastructure service connected over wireless media) and the user. Although the problem has been known for years and technical approaches start appearing in products, the user interaction aspects have remained unsolved. We discuss the reasons for this difficulty and suggest potential approaches to create human-verifiable secure communication with components or services within partially untrusted devices.