Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resource Optimization Scheme for Multimedia-Enabled Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless mesh networking is a promising technology that can support numerous multimedia applications. Multimedia applications have stringent quality of service (QoS) requirements, i.e., bandwidth, delay, jitter, and packet loss ratio. Enabling such QoS-demanding applications over wireless mesh networks (WMNs) require QoS provisioning routing protocols that lead to the network resource underutilization problem. Moreover, random topology deployment leads to have some unused network resources. Therefore, resource optimization is one of the most critical design issues in multi-hop, multi-radio WMNs enabled with multimedia applications. Resource optimization has been studied extensively in the literature for wireless Ad Hoc and sensor networks, but existing studies have not considered resource underutilization issues caused by QoS provisioning routing and random topology deployment. Finding a QoS-provisioned path in wireless mesh networks is an NP complete problem. In this paper, we propose a novel Integer Linear Programming (ILP) optimization model to reconstruct the optimal connected mesh backbone topology with a minimum number of links and relay nodes which satisfies the given end-to-end QoS demands for multimedia traffic and identification of extra resources, while maintaining redundancy. We further propose a polynomial time heuristic algorithm called Link and Node Removal Considering Residual Capacity and Traffic Demands (LNR-RCTD). Simulation studies prove that our heuristic algorithm provides near-optimal results and saves about 20% of resources from being wasted by QoS provisioning routing and random topology deployment.
Spatial Segregation of BMP/Smad Signaling Affects Osteoblast Differentiation in C2C12 Cells

Background Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are involved in a plethora of cellular processes in embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Signaling specificity is achieved by dynamic processes involving BMP receptor oligomerization and endocytosis. This allows for spatiotemporal control of Smad dependent and non-Smad pathways. In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal regulation within the BMP-induced Smad transcriptional pathway. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we discriminate between Smad signaling events that are dynamin-dependent (i.e., require an intact endocytic pathway) and dynamin-independent. Inhibition of dynamin-dependent endocytosis in fluorescence microscopy and fractionation studies revealed a delay in Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation after BMP-2 stimulation of C2C12 cells. Using whole genome microarray and qPCR analysis, we identified two classes of BMP-2 induced genes that are differentially affected by inhibition of endocytosis. Thus, BMP-2 induced gene expression of Id1, Id3, Dlx2 and Hey1 is endocytosis-dependent, whereas BMP-2 induced expression of Id2, Dlx3, Zbtb2 and Krt16 is endocytosis-independent. Furthermore, we demonstrate that short term inhibition of endocytosis interferes with osteoblast differentiation as measured by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) production and qPCR analysis of osteoblast marker gene expression. Conclusions/Significance Our study demonstrates that dynamin-dependent endocytosis is crucial for the concise spatial activation of the BMP-2 induced signaling cascade. Inhibition of endocytic processes during BMP-2 stimulation leads to altered Smad1/5/8 signaling kinetics and results in differential target gene expression. We show that interfering with the BMP-2 induced transcriptional network by endocytosis inhibition results in an attenuation of osteoblast differentiation. This implies that selective sensitivity of gene expression to endocytosis provides an additional mechanism for the cell to respond to BMP in a context specific manner. Moreover, we suggest a novel Smad dependent signal cascade induced by BMP-2, which does not require endocytosis.
Enterprise pre-sales forums: A preliminary study of metadata and content

Asynchronous discussion forums are one of the artifacts of the internet age. They occur in a wide variety of applications from distance learning to technical support. Technical support forums have also proliferated in enterprises, and today form a salient feature of many technical interactions in large enterprises. Two interconnected example applications where such forums may be employed are the following: customer pre-sales, where sales teams attempt to answer queries of potential customers; and internal forums where technical staff attempt to provide assistance to sales teams on urgent issues that require immediate attention. In this paper, we report a study of an internal technical support forum for pre-sales in a large Fortune-10 global enterprise. The data being generated on such forums is fast evolving, requires quick and intelligent human (assisted by machine) responses, and is of high value to the enterprise since it directly affects sales. Owing to this, it poses unique challenges. We conduct a two-fold study of the forum. First, we study the metadata in the forum messages to understand the temporal, participant, and length profiles of messages. Second, we use text mining to detect trends in forums using clustering and information-theoretic techniques. To our knowledge, this is the first study of an enterprise internal technical support forum. As a focal point in our study, we describe the problem of identifying “hot” or “urgent” issues early, so that management can take requisite steps to deal with emerging problems. Our results are surprising: we show that threads that bring urgent issues to light have temporal, length, and content profiles that resemble that of non-urgent threads. Therefore, the detection of such threads via metadata and content analysis is difficult. We present a solution to this problem based on participant profiles.
Global Asymptotic Stability of FAST TCP Network with Heterogeneous Feedback Delays

We consider a single-link multi-source network with FAST TCP sources. We adopt a continuous-time dynamic model for FAST TCP sources, and propose a static model to adequately describe the queuing delay dynamics at the link. The proposed model turns out to have a structure that reveals the time-varying network feedback delay, which allows us to analyze FAST TCP with due consideration of the time-varying network feedback delay. Based on the proposed model, we establish sufficient conditions for the boundedness of congestion window of each source and for the global asymptotic stability. The asymptotic stability condition shows that the stability property of each source is affected by all other sources sharing the link. Simulation results illustrate the validity of the sufficient condition for the global asymptotic stability.
A fully pipelined memoryless 17.8 Gbps AES-128 encryptor

A fully pipelined implementation of the Advanced Encryption Standard encryption algorithm with 128-bit input and key length (AES-128) was implemented on Xilinx' Virtex-E and Virtex-II devices. The design is called SIG-AES-E and it implements the S-boxes combinatorially and thus requires no internal memory. It is concluded, that SIG-AES-E is faster than other published FPGA-based implementations of the AES-128 encryption algorithm.
Single Image Reconstruction of Human Heart Surface with Specular Reflection Remover

3D reconstruction with specular reflection remover is one of the vital and robust tools that provide aid in many fields, especially medical filed. This article presents a novel method for reconstruction a real human heart surface from a single view image with a remover specular reflection while keeping the image structure. Reconstruct a heart model from numbers of real images is difficult task and time consuming especially involve reflections, resulted from moisten of the human heart surface. In this paper, we propose a novel method for reconstruct a human heart from a single image while detecting and correcting the specular reflection. The process start with acquired the real heart image by a digital camera in cardiac surgery. Second, processed the image to extract the x, y, and z axes for each pixel and automatic detect the specularities using the difference of the maximum blue color channel and standard deviation of the RGB color channels. Later proceeded with the correction process by the L-shape inverse (Γ) to recover losing information saturated by lights in the operation theater. Finally, the reconstructed of the 3D model for the heart. Experimental results on the heart images show the efficiency of the proposed method comparing to the existing methods.
Myotonic Dystrophy: Linkage with Apolipoprotein E and Estimation of the Gene Carrier Status with Genetic Markers

ABSTRACT: The genes for myotonic dystrophy (MD) and for apolipoprotein E (ApoE) belong to a chromosome 19 synthenic group of markers. A familial linkage analysis between MD and ApoE was performed using the J Ott LIPED program (IBM PC/XT, April 1984) to estimate the genetic distance between these 2 genes. Of a total of 136 individuals in 11 MD families, 81 were confirmed to be affected by the disease and 41 were asymptomatic. ApoE phenotypes were determined in 115 of these 122 individuals. No recombinant was observed out of 74 meioses which were informatives for both MD and the ApoE isoproteins. A global maximal lod score Z of 19.00 was obtained at the recombination fraction Θ = Θ. The upper 0 value at the confidence interval corresponding to the peak lod score (Z max) - 1 was 0.03. This suggests that the loci for MD and ApoE are at a distance of 0 to 0.03 Morgan. Since ApoE and apolipoprotein C2 (ApoC2) have been shown by others to be about 40 kb apart, our data are therefore consistent with the distance estimate of 0.02 Morgan reported between MD and ApoC2. The D19S19 (LDR152) polymorphic DNA sequence is also tightly linked to MD on chromosome 19. The segregation of ApoE isoproteins and of ApoC2 and D19S19 DNA polymorphism was utilized for evaluating the probability for individuals at risk of inheriting the disease gene in MD families. Data are presented on 3 families to emphasize the usefulness of genetic markers to estimate the MD gene carrier status of asymptomatic individuals and also for those presenting a partial syndrome. The limitations of such approach are also discussed.
One dark night with the sole: examining spiritual sport experiences amongst recreational endurance runners

Abstract Examinations of spiritual experiences and holistic approaches towards athletes and sport experiences often identify catharsis and flow as important theoretical constructs. However, empirical data supporting these theoretical discussions is sparse. This is partly due to the difficulty of defining, or identifying ‘spiritual experiences’. Our study examined recreational endurance runners competing in a 120-mile team relay race. Through post-race interviews and open-ended surveys, participants reported that the race was a deeply meaningful and personally powerful experience, experienced inward reflections, and acknowledged their connections to larger external realities. We identified three themes related to these experiences: the impact of a one-time race experience; the organic development of the spiritual experience; and feeling completely alone and yet fully connected. This study informs the growing understanding of how physically strenuous endurance athletic events can positively influence an athlete’s mental and spiritual well-being and provide a more holistic understanding of such experiences.
Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures as a manifestation of psychological distress associated with undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are observable changes in behavior or consciousness that are similar to epileptic seizures but are not associated with electrophysiologic changes. PNES occur in children with underlying psychological distress and are especially frequent in those with epilepsy. Because PNES are heterogeneous, comprehensive treatment tailored to each patient is required to reduce psychosocial stress. Currently, reports regarding children with PNES concomitant with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not exist, and effective treatment strategies for these children are lacking. In this case report, we describe a 10-year-old Japanese girl with undiagnosed ASD who developed PNES while undergoing treatment for benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. She exhibited hypersensitivity to sound and interpersonal conflicts caused by social communication deficits. The PNES symptoms improved shortly after our intervention, which was designed to reduce her distress caused by auditory hypersensitivity and impaired social communication, both characteristics of ASD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing PNES in a child with ASD. Our findings suggest that PNES can result from psychological distress in children with undiagnosed ASD and highlight the importance of examining ASD traits in patients with PNES.
COMPUTATIONAL AND COGNITIVE STUDIES IN SIMILARITY Evaluating a Neural Network Model of Visuospatial Similarity in Design

In this paper the cognitive plausibility of utilising selforganising maps in similarity assessments of 2D design diagrams is analysed using human-subject experiments which focus on designers. The experiments reported here are designed to address the validity of the computational approach to similarity and investigate feature types, feature salience and the role of context in cognitive assessments.
An experimental study of fault detection in user requirements documents

This paper describes a software engineering experiment designed to confirm results from an earlier project which measured fault detection rates in user requirements documents (URD). The experiment described in this paper involves the creation of a standardized URD with a known number of injected faults of specific type. Nine independent inspection teams were given this URD with instructions to locate as many faults as possible using the N-fold requirements inspection technique developed by the authors. Results obtained from this experiment confirm earlier conclusions about the low rate of fault detection in requirements documents using formal inspections and the advantages to be gained using the N-fold inspection method. The experiment also provides new results concerning variability in inspection team performance and the relative difficulty of locating different classes of URD faults.
A Walk in the Woods: Changing Student Attitudes toward Amphibians and Reptiles

In an attempt to develop an appreciation for amphibians and reptiles among non-science majors, we integrated field work and hands-on herpetology into our instruction of a non-laboratory lecture course. We used a pre-test/post-test survey and paired t-tests to evaluate student empathy for a variety of organisms, including salamanders and snakes. We likewise used reflective journals to monitor student attitudes toward amphibians and reptiles throughout the field experience and structured interviews to more fully explore emerging themes. Quantitatively, student empathy towards salamanders, the one organism to which they were routinely exposed, was greater after completion of the field experience. Likewise, several students expressed a greater appreciation for and comfort with amphibians and reptiles, as measured through reflective journaling and qualitative interviews. These findings suggest that actively engaging students in the field and exposing them to amphibian and reptile conservation may enhance the appreciation of these species, alleviate or lessen herpetophobia, and promote environmental protection. The broader impacts of these findings have clear ties to the management of non-game biodiversity and conservation implications for the global environment. Furthermore, natural resource managers and teachers in higher education should carefully integrate experiential education and reflective practice into their programs to enhance environmental awareness among their students, along with a desire to conserve non-game biodiversity, including amphibians and reptiles.
Design and Implementation of Low-Power Digital Baseband Transceivers for IEEE802.15.6 Standard

The main objective of this paper aims at designing and implementation of low-power digital base band transceivers for narrowband (NB) and human body communication (HBC) physical layers of IEEE802.15. 6 standard. Both proposed NB and HBC digital base band transceivers are implemented in 90nm CMOS technology nodes with a data rate of 455 kbps and 1.325 Mbps respectively. An efficient and low-complexity BCH decoder is implemented for NB receiver and showing 32% lower area and 15% low power improvement over a conventional decoder. The energy efficiencies obtained for NB and HBC are 87 pJ/bit, 200 pJ/bit in transmitter mode and 285 pJ/bit, 461 pJ/bit in receiver mode respectively.
A Modal Language for Effects

Building on a judgmental formulation of lax logic, we propose a modal language which can be used as a framework for practical programming languages with effects. Its characteristic feature is a syntactic distinction between terms and expressions, where terms denote values and expressions denote computations. We distinguish between control effects and world effects, and allow control effects only in terms and world effects only in expressions. Therefore the distinction between values and computations is made only with respect to world effects. We give an explanation of the type system and the operational semantics from a modal logic perspective. We also introduce a term construct similar to Haskell’s runST construct and augment the type system to ensure its safety.
ARTiFICe - Augmented Reality Framework for Distributed Collaboration

This paper introduces a flexible and powerful software framework based on an off the shelf game engine which is used to develop distributed and collaborative virtual and augmented reality applications. We describe ARTiFICe's flexible design and implementation and demonstrate its use in research and teaching where 97 students in two lab courses developed AR applications with it. Applications are presented on mobile, desktop and immersive systems using low cost 6-DOF input devices (Microsoft Kinect, Razer Hydra, SpaceNavigator), that we integrated into our framework.
Albumin versus crystalloid for pump priming in cardiac surgery: meta-analysis of controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of pump priming fluid choice on platelets, fluid balance, and clinical outcomes. DESIGN Meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Primary endpoints were platelet counts, colloid oncotic pressure, on-bypass fluid balance, postoperative weight gain, and colloid usage. SETTING Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. PATIENTS Adult and pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery, including coronary artery bypass grafting, valve procedures, and correction of congenital cardiac anomalies. INTERVENTIONS Extracorporeal circuit priming with either albumin or crystalloid. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The meta-analysis included 21 controlled trials with 1,346 total patients. Albumin prime significantly reduced the on-bypass drop in platelet counts. The pooled weighted mean difference in platelet count drop with albumin versus crystalloid prime was -23.8 x 10(9)/L (confidence interval [CI], -42.8 to -4.7 x 10(9)/L). The colloid oncotic pressure decline was also smaller when albumin rather than crystalloid was used for priming, with a pooled weighted mean difference of -3.6 mm Hg (CI, -4.8 to -2.3 mmHg) during bypass and -2.0 mmHg (CI, -2.9 to -1.1 mmHg) after surgery. Albumin prime correspondingly reduced on-bypass positive fluid balance (-584 mL; CI, -819 to -348 mL) and postoperative weight gain (-1.0 kg; CI, -0.6 to -1.3 kg) compared with crystalloid. Postoperative colloid usage was lower with albumin than crystalloid prime (-612 mL; CI, -983 to -241 mL). CONCLUSIONS Albumin prime better preserves platelet counts than crystalloid. Albumin also favorably influences colloid oncotic pressure, on-bypass positive fluid balance, postoperative weight gain, and colloid usage. The clinical significance of these observations merits further investigation.
High Rate Data Synchronization in GALS SoCs

Globally asynchronous, locally synchronous (GALS) systems-on-chip (SoCs) may be prone to synchronization failures if the delay of their locally-generated clock tree is not considered. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the problem and proposes a novel solution. The problem is analyzed considering the magnitude of clock tree delays, the cycle times of the GALS module, and the complexity of the asynchronous interface controllers using a timed signal transition graph (STG) approach. In some cases, the problem can be solved by extracting all the delays and verifying whether the system is susceptible to metastability. In other cases, when high data bandwidth is not required, matched-delay asynchronous ports may be employed. A novel architecture for synchronizing inter-modular communications in GALS, based on locally delayed latching (LDL), is described. LDL synchronization does not require pausable clocking, is insensitive to clock tree delays, and supports high data rates. It replaces complex global timing constraints with simpler localized ones. Three different LDL ports are presented. The risk of metastability in the synchronizer is analyzed in a technology-independent manner
Millimeter-wave tune-all bandpass filters

Distributed microelectromechanical varactors on a coplanar waveguide have been used to design a two- and four-pole bandpass tune-all filters. The two-pole initial bandwidth is 6.4% at 44.05 GHz with a mid-band insertion loss of 3.2 dB and with matching better than 15 dB. The four-pole initial bandwidth is 6.1% at 43.25 GHz with a mid-band insertion loss of 6.5 dB and with matching better than 10 dB. The use of microelectromechanical system bridges allows a continuous tuning for both center frequency and bandwidth. The varactors biasing network has been designed so that the center frequency and bandwidth can be tuned separately. The two-pole filter center frequency can be changed from 44.05 to 41.55 GHz (5.6% tuning range), while the bandwidth can be independently changed from 2.8 to 2.05 GHz. The four-pole filter center frequency can be changed from 43.25 to 40.95 GHz (5.3% tuning range) and the bandwidth can be changed from 2.65 to 1.9 GHz.
On extended Alamouti schemes for space-time coding

The Alamouti space-time code for transmission diversity is extended recursively to 2/sup n/ /spl times/ 2/sup n/ antenna elements as well as to unsymmetrical arrays of size m /spl times/ n. The proposed schemes exhibit two significant advantages: they allow for higher diversity (of degree 2/sup n/ for the symmetrical case) and at the same time can be implemented as zero-forcing or MMSE type at low complexity avoiding any matrix inversion due to the structure in the transmission matrices as well as low complexity ML.