Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Firefly Inspired Improved Distributed Proximity Algorithm for D2D Communication

Device-to-Device (i.e. D2D) communication under-laying cellular technology not only increases system capacity but also utilizes the advantage of physical proximity of communicating devices to support services like proximity services, offload traffic from Base Station (i.e. BS) etc. But proximity discovery and synchronization among devices efficiently poses new research challenges for cellular networks. Inspired by the synchronization behaviour of fire fly found in nature, the reported algorithms based on bio-inspired firefly heuristics for synchronization among devices as well as service interest among them having drawback of large convergence time and large message exchanges. Therefore, we propose an improved O (n log n) distributed firefly algorithm for D2D large scale networks using tree based topological mechanism using RSSI based ranging scheme.
Reduction of motion artefacts in on-board cone beam CT by warping of projection images.

OBJECTIVE We describe the development and testing of a motion correction method for flat panel imager-based cone beam CT (CBCT) based on warping of projection images. METHODS Markers within or on the surface of the patient were tracked and their mean three-dimensional (3D) position calculated. The two-dimensional (2D) cone beam projection images were then warped before reconstruction to place each marker at the projection from its mean 3D position. The motion correction method was tested using simulated cone beam projection images of a deforming virtual phantom, real CBCT images of a moving breast phantom and clinical CBCT images of a patient with breast cancer and another with pancreatic cancer undergoing radiotherapy. RESULTS In phantom studies, the method was shown to greatly reduce motion artefacts in the locality of the radiotherapy target and allowed the true surface shape to be accurately recovered. The breast phantom motion-compensated surface was within 1 mm of the true surface shape for 90% of surface points and greater than 2 mm from the true surface at only 2% of points. Clinical CBCT images showed improved image quality in the locality of the radiotherapy target after motion correction. CONCLUSION The proposed method is effective in reducing motion artefacts in CBCT images.
Distributed Game-Theoretic Optimization and Management of Multichannel ALOHA Networks

The problem of distributed rate maximization in multichannel ALOHA networks is considered. First, we study the problem of constrained distributed rate maximization, where user rates are subject to total transmission probability constraints. We propose a best-response algorithm, where each user updates its strategy to increase its rate according to the channel state information and the current channel utilization. We prove the convergence of the algorithm to a Nash equilibrium in both homogeneous and heterogeneous networks using the theory of potential games. The performance of the best-response dynamic is analyzed and compared to a simple transmission scheme, where users transmit over the channel with the highest collision-free utility. Then, we consider the case where users are not restricted by transmission probability constraints. Distributed rate maximization under uncertainty is considered to achieve both efficiency and fairness among users. We propose a distributed scheme where users adjust their transmission probability to maximize their rates according to the current network state, while maintaining the desired load on the channels. We show that our approach plays an important role in achieving the Nash bargaining solution among users. Sequential and parallel algorithms are proposed to achieve the target solution in a distributed manner. The efficiencies of the algorithms are demonstrated through both theoretical and simulation results.
Precoding Design for Cyclic Prefix Overhead Reduction in a MISO-OFDM System

Very low latency is one of the key requirements of 5G wireless access. To reduce latency in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems while not increasing the overhead, it is of primary importance to reduce the effective delay spread of the channel and thus the length of the cyclic prefix. In this letter, we propose a precoding approach to reduce the root mean square (RMS) delay spread of the precoded channel in an OFDM system. We formulate an optimization problem with an upper bound of the RMS delay spread as the objective function and a signal-to-noise ratio for each subcarrier as constraints. A semi-definite relaxation technique is used to convert the problem into a convex problem so as to find the optimal precoding vector. Numerical results confirm that the proposed precoding design provides a significant reduction in the RMS delay spread, especially, when there are a large number of antennas at the base station.
Unsustainable use of groundwater resources in agricultural and urban areas: a persistent scatterer study of land subsidence at the basin scale

Multi-temporal analysis of space-borne radar images through Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) is exploited for mapping subsidence at basin scale in the Gioia Tauro plain (Italy), a densely urbanized coastal area whose land deformation are controlled by aquifer overexploitation. Both historical (1992– 2001; ERS1/2 images) and present (2002-2006; ENVISAT images) scenarios are analyzed to solve the spatial variability and temporal evolution of ground displacements affecting the plain. Average deformation rates as high as 10– 15 mm/yr are observed from 1992 to 2006, with highest velocities (i.e. 22.8 mm/yr) occurred between 1992 and 2000 within the central part of the basin, in the area of Rizziconi (5 km ESE of Gioia Tauro). The outcomes of this PSI study will support the future improvement of groundwater management and the implementation of best strategies for risk mitigation, land use planning, sustainable use of groundwater resources, and consequent reduction of economic and social impacts.
Changes in Recruitment of the Abdominal Muscles in People With Low Back Pain: Ultrasound Measurement of Muscle Activity

Study Design. Ultrasound and electromyographic (EMG) measures of trunk muscle activity were compared between low back pain (LBP) and control subjects in a cross-sectional study. Objectives. To compare the recruitment of the abdominal muscles (measured as a change in thickness with ultrasound imaging) between people with and without low back pain and to compare these measurements with EMG recordings made with intramuscular electrodes. Summary of Background Data. Although ultrasonography has been advocated as a noninvasive measure of abdominal muscle activity, it is not known whether it can provide a valid measure of changes in motor control of the abdominal muscles in LBP. Methods. Ten subjects with recurrent LBP and 10 matched controls were tested during isometric low load tasks with their limbs suspended. Changes in thickness from resting baseline values were obtained for transversus abdominis (TrA), obliquus internus (OI), and obliquus externus (OE) using ultrasonography. Fine wire EMG was measured concurrently. Results. Study participants with LBP had a significantly smaller increase in TrA thickness with isometric leg tasks compared with controls. No difference was found between groups for OI or OE. Similar results were found for EMG. People with LBP had less TrA EMG activity with leg tasks, and there was no difference between groups for EMG activity for OI or OE. Conclusions. This study reinforces evidence for changes in automatic control of TrA in people with LBP. Furthermore, the data establish a new test of recruitment of the abdominal muscles in people with LBP. This test presents a feasible noninvasive test of automatic recruitment of the abdominal muscles.
New method of beclomethasone aerosol administration to children under 4 years of age.

Steroids present a great problem in the treatment of asthma in children because of their limiting effect on growth as well as other side effects seen in adults. In a large proportion of children with severe perennial asthma the condition can now be adequately controlled by administration of disodium cromoglycate without steroid therapy. However, in about 25% of such children disodium cromoglycate has little or no effect, so steroid therapy is required. Growth suppression and adrenal suppression can be avoided if a double dose of steroids is given every other morning, but the condition is poorly controlled on the days no medication is given. Beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol has been used with good results since 1972 in the prevention of asthma in adults and children. The drug enables
Urinary Uric Acid/Creatinine Ratio - A Marker For Perinatal Asphyxia.

BACKGROUND Perinatal hypoxia is one of the leading causes of perinatal mortality in developing countries. Both apgar score and arterial blood pH predict the neonatal mortality in asphyxia. Apgar score alone does not predict neurologic outcome and as it is influenced by various factors. This study was conducted to evaluate the utility and sensitivity of urinary uric acid to creatinine ratio (UA/Cr ratio) in asphyxia diagnosis, compared to invasive Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) analysis. AIM To assess the urinary uric acid/creatinine ratio as an additional marker for perinatal asphyxia compared with ABG analysis in apgar score monitoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present case control study was conducted at a teaching hospital in Central Gujarat. Data of 40 healthy newborns and 40 asphyxiated newborns were collected. In absence of regional estimates, a sample of size 39 was required to attain a power of 80% at 5% alpha (type I error) considering a moderate effect size of 0.65. (UA/Cr) ratio was measured from the spot urine sample collected during 24-72 hours of birth. Statistical analysis was performed by Independent t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) plots. RESULTS The mean (UA/Cr ratio) (2.75±0.18 vs 1.78±0.23) is significantly higher in asphyxiated group than in the control group (p<0.0001). Urinary UA/Cr ratio had negative correlation with blood pH (r= -0.27, p=0.18), which was not significant (p>0.05). Urinary UA/Cr ratio with criterion of >2.3 had 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity with AUC of 1 (p<0.0001) had a better predictive value. CONCLUSIONS Apgar score is usually reduced in neonates with congenital anomalies and premature neonates. Hence, it is preferable that the clinical diagnosis of asphyxia by apgar scores be supported by other investigations so that early decision can be taken about the level of care the baby needs. pH, lactates and base deficits change with establishment of respiration following resuscitation. However, pH, lactate, base deficit estimations are invasive and need rapid estimations. Non-invasive urinary UA/Cr ratio may be an answer to these issues as it easy, economical and equally efficient.
Vertical‐axis block rotations in southwestern China since the Cretaceous: New Paleomagnetic results from Hainan Island

A paleomagnetic study of Early Cretaceous redbeds from Hainan Island, South China, reveals a pre-folding remanence from six sites, with a mean direction of D=4.3°, I=41.8°, k=51.5, α95=9.4°. The results suggest that Hainan Island may have been rotated ∼10° counterclockwise about a vertical axis since the Early Cretaceous. This rotation is likely to have occurred during the mid-Tertiary, when large scale left-lateral motion occurred along the Red River Fault as a result of the indentation of the Indian Plate into Eurasia causing extrusion of the Indochina Block, and opening of the South China Sea. A comparison of Early Cretaceous paleomagnetic results from South China indicates that local rotations are widespread in the western part of the South China Block. Such rotations have to be taken into account when examining pre-Cenozoic tectonic kinematics of South China, and constructing apparent polar wander path(s) for the region.
Effect of pfkA chromosomal interruption on growth, sporulation, and production of organic acids in Bacillus subtilis

Phosphofructokinase (Pfk) plays a key role in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism. Its activity can be used as an indicator of glycolytic flux in a microorganism. We have cloned and characterized the pfkA gene from Bacillus subtilis, which encodes the enzyme phosphofructokinase. This gene was insertionally inactivated at the chromosomal level in a wild type strain and in strains lacking the PEP:sugar phosphotranferase system (PTS). Although the pykA gene is immediately downstream of the pfkA gene, forming a constitutive operon in B. subtilis, the pyruvate kinase activity was not altered in the pfkA mutant. The inactivation of the pfkA gene had a strong impact on the growth of the B. subtilis wild type strain and PTS mutants in Spizizen's minimal media and Schaeffer's sporulation media. Pfk inactivation was also reflected by the timing and percentage of sporulation of the wild type and PTS mutants in sporulation media as well as in the production of organic by‐products (pyruvate, lactate, and acetate). (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
AeroDyn Theory Manual

AeroDyn is a set of routines used in conjunction with an aeroelastic simulation code to predict the aerodynamics of horizontal axis wind turbines. These subroutines provide several different models whose theoretical bases are described in this manual. AeroDyn contains two models for calculating the effect of wind turbine wakes: the blade element momentum theory and the generalized dynamic-wake theory. Blade element momentum theory is the classical standard used by many wind turbine designers and generalized dynamic wake theory is a more recent model useful for modeling skewed and unsteady wake dynamics. When using the blade element momentum theory, various corrections are available for the user, such as incorporating the aerodynamic effects of tip losses, hub losses, and skewed wakes. With the generalized dynamic wake, all of these effects are automatically included. Both of these methods are used to calculate the axial induced velocities from the wake in the rotor plane. The user also has the option of calculating the rotational induced velocity. In addition, AeroDyn contains an important model for dynamic stall based on the semi-empirical Beddoes-Leishman model. This model is particularly important for yawed wind turbines. Another aerodynamic model in AeroDyn is a tower shadow model based on potentialmore » flow around a cylinder and an expanding wake. Finally, AeroDyn has the ability to read several different formats of wind input, including single-point hub-height wind files or multiple-point turbulent winds. « less
Uppermost mantle velocities and anisotropy beneath Europe

Pn data collected within southern Europe and the Mediterranean are used to tomographically image variations in both seismic velocity and seismic anisotropy. Seismic anisotropy is an essential part of the inversion, and without it, several low velocity features within the uppermost mantle could not be properly imaged. The technically active mantle of southern Europe has much lower seismic velocities (7.6–8.1 km/s) than the more stable mantle of the sub-African plate of the Adriatic sea (8.3 km/s). However, the most dramatic features within Europe's uppermost mantle relate to the Apennine, Dinaride, and Hellenide arcs. These arcs all have extremely low ( 5%) amounts of arc-parallel anisotropy. The Tyrrhenian and Aegean back arc regions also show low velocities (7.7–7.9 km/s) but less anisotropy. The same may be true for the Pannonian Basin, but the tomography has poorer resolution there. A model explaining these observations focuses on subducted water metasomatizing the mantle wedge. The addition of water causes melting, creates arc volcanism, lowers the seismic velocity, and enhances the formation of anisotropy due to preferential olivine orientation. For collisional arcs of the northern Mediterranean, arc-parallel anisotropy has formed in response to compression across them and extension along them. Within back arc regions, water is no longer a major factor. Instead, convection associated with subduction and back arc extension controls the anisotropy.
Is aspirin associated with diabetic retinopathy? The Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Disease (SEED) study

Background/Aims To determine the association between aspirin use and diabetic retinopathy (DR) among persons with diabetes, in a population-based, cross-sectional study. Methods Subjects with diabetes aged >40 years from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study were enrolled in this study. Retinal photographs were graded for DR according to the modified Airlie House classification system. Vision threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) was defined as the presence of severe non-proliferative DR, or proliferative DR, or clinically significant macular oedema. The association between aspirin use and the presence of DR or VTDR was assessed using multivariable logistic regression models including age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertension medicine, total cholesterol, anti-cholesterol medicine, BMI, current smoking status, diabetes duration, history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD.). Results A total of 2,061 participants with diabetes and complete record of relevant systemic and DR data were included. Of these, 711 (34.5%) had any stage of DR, and among these 177 (8.6%) had VTDR. After adjusting for co-variables listed, the association between aspirin use and VTDR was significant (OR = 1.69, P = 0.019), while the association between aspirin use and any DR was borderline (OR = 1.31, P = 0.063). Aspirin use was not associated with either DR or VTDR after additional adjustment of CVD and CKD. Further stratification by history of CVD or CKD showed no association between aspirin use and DR/VTDR in either subgroup. Conclusion Aspirin use was not significantly associated with DR but might be an indicator of diabetic complications (CVD, CKD) that were co-present with more severe DR type. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm our findings.
A review of melt migration processes in the adiabatically upwelling mantle beneath oceanic spreading ridges

We review physical and chemical constraints on the mechanisms of melt extraction from the mantle beneath mid–ocean ridges. Compositional constraints from MORB and abyssal peridotite are summarized, followed by observations of melt extraction features in the mantle, and constraints from the physical properties of partially molten peridotite. We address two main issues. (1) To what extent is melting ‘near–fractional’, with low porosities in the source and chemical isolation of ascending melt? To what extent are other processes, loosely termed reactive flow, important in MORB genesis? (2) Where chemically isolated melt extraction is required, does this occur mainly in melt–filled fractures or in conduits of focused porous flow? Reactive flow plays an important role, but somewhere in the upwelling mantle melting must be ‘near fractional’, with intergranular porosities less than 1%, and most melt extraction must be in isolated conduits. Two porosity models provide the best paradigm for this type of process. Field relationships and geochemical data show that replacive dunites mark conduits for focused, chemically isolated, porous flow of mid–ocean ridge basalt (MORB) in the upwelling mantle. By contrast, pyroxenite and gabbro dikes are lithospheric features; they do not represent conduits for melt extraction from the upwelling mantle. Thus, preserved melt extraction features do not require hydrofracture in the melting region. However, field evidence does not rule out hydrofracture. Predicted porous flow velocities satisfy 230Th excess constraints (ca. 1 m yr-1, provided melt extraction occurs in porous conduits rather than by diffuse flow, and melt-free, solid viscosity is less than ca. 1020 Pa s. Melt velocities of ca. 50 m yr-1 are inferred from patterns of post–glacial volcanism in Iceland and from 226Ra excess. If these inferences are correct, minimum conditions for hydrofracture may be reached in the shallowest part of melting region beneath ridges. However, necessary high porosities can only be attained within pre–existing conduits for focused porous flow. Alternatively, the requirement for high melt velocity could be satisfied in melt–filled tubes formed by dissolution or mechanical instabilities. Melt–filled fractures or tubes, if they form, are probably closed at the top and bottom, limited in size by the supply of melt. Therefore, to satisfy the requirements for geochemical isolation from surrounding peridotite, melt–filled conduits may be surrounded by a dunite zone. Furthermore, individual melt–filled voids probably contain too little melt to form sufficient dunite by reaction, suggesting that dunite zones must be present before melt extraction in fractures or tubes.
Chemokine and Fgf signalling act as opposing guidance cues in formation of the lateral line primordium

The directional migration of many cell populations occurs as a coherent group. An amenable model is provided by the posterior lateral line in zebrafish, which is formed by a cohesive primordium that migrates from head to tail and deposits future neuromasts at intervals. We found that prior to the onset of migration, the compact state of the primordium is not fully established, as isolated cells with lateral line identity are present caudal to the main primordium. These isolated cells are retained in position such that they fuse with the migrating primordium as it advances, and later contribute to the leading zone and terminal neuromasts. We found that the isolated lateral line cells are positioned by two antagonistic cues: Fgf signalling attracts them towards the primordium, which counteracts Sdf1α/Cxcr4b-mediated caudal attraction. These findings reveal a novel chemotactic role for Fgf signalling in which it enables the coalescence of the lateral line primordium from an initial fuzzy pattern into a compact group of migrating cells.
Analysis of National Travel Statistics in EuropeOPTIMISM WP2: Harmonisation of national travel statistics in Europe

National travel surveys are collected in a large number of European countries. This data, if harmonised, could provide useful insights into travel patterns of European citizens and help inform infrastructure provision and policy development, particularly in the area of encouraging sustainable mobility and intermodality. Thirty European countries, including the EU27, were surveyed to identify what travel data is collected with which methods. There is a considerable degree of variation between the types of data collected by NTS across European countries. It has, however, been possible to identify some common trends across the collection of national travel surveys in terms of trip purposes and modes. The research, has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under the project OPTIMISM, grant agreement n° 284892.