Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new fiber optic accelerometer with push-pull structure using 3×3 coupler

In this paper, we propose a new type of push-pull structure fiber optic accelerometer based on 3×3 coupler for the first time and carried out measurements of its responsivity and cross-axis sensitivity. With specific algorithm, the phase signal of the sensor can be extracted without complicated modulation and demodulation. Experiments show that the responsivity of the accelerometer is larger than 40dB (0dB ref 1rad/g) within the frequency band from 10Hz to 800Hz, which agrees well with the theoretical analysis. In addition, the cross-axis sensitivity can be optimized as low as about −30dB due to the push-pull structure. The results reported here indicate that this type of fiber optic accelerometer can be applied in vibration sensing such as micro seismic monitoring.
A Music Retrieval System Using Melody and Lyric

Using melody and/or lyric to query a music retrieval system is convenient for users but challenging for developers. This paper proposes efficient schemes for realizing key algorithms in such a kind of system. Specifically, we characterize our system by adding lyric to query as follows: A Support Vector Machine (SVM) is employed to distinguish humming queries from singing queries, For a singing query, lyrics of candidates, which are pre-selected by the commonly used melody matching method, are used to dynamically build up the recognition network, A novel fusion strategy, which is based on the classification confidence, is proposed to combine the lyric and melody scores. The experimental results show that error reduction rates as much as 22.9%, 25.0%, 28.7% and 33.5% for mean reciprocal rank (MRR) are achieved by using the proposed method, respectively for four existing query by singing/humming (QBSH) systems.
Adaptive neural prescribed performance control for a class of strict-feedback stochastic nonlinear systems under arbitrary switchings

ABSTRACT This paper presents an adaptive neural tracking control scheme for strict-feedback stochastic nonlinear systems with guaranteed transient and steady-state performance under arbitrary switchings. First, by utilising the prescribed performance control, the prescribed tracking control performance can be ensured, while the requirement for the initial error is removed. Second, radial basis function neural networks approximation are used to handle unknown nonlinear functions and stochastic disturbances. At last, by using the common Lyapunov function method and the backstepping technique, a common adaptive neural controller is constructed. The designed controller overcomes the problem of the over-parameterisation, and further alleviates the computational burden. Under the proposed common adaptive controller, all the signals in the closed-loop system are 4-Moment (or 2 Moment) semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded, and the prescribed tracking control performance are guaranteed under arbitrary switchings. Three examples are presented to further illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Somatostatin controls Kaposi's sarcoma tumor growth through inhibition of angiogenesis

Somatostatin and its analogs are active in the inhibition of SST receptor‐positive endocrine neoplasms, but their activity and mechanism in nonendocrine tumors is not clear. Somatostatin potently inhibited growth of a Kaposi's sarcoma xenograft in nude mice, yet in vitro the tumor cells did not express any known somatostatin receptors and were not growth inhibited by somatostatin. Histological examination revealed limited vascularization in the somatostatin‐treated tumors as compared with the controls. Somatostatin was a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis in an in vivo assay. In vitro, somatostatin inhibited endothelial cell growth and invasion. Migration of monocytes, important mediators of the angiogenic cascade, was also inhibited by somatostatin. Both cells types expressed somatostatin receptor mRNAs. These data demonstrate that somatostatin is a potent antitumor angiogenesis compound directly affecting both endothelial and monocytic cells. The debated function of somatostatin in tumor treatment and the design of therapeutic protocols should be reexamined considering these data. —Albini, A. , Florio, T. , Giunciuglio, D. , Masiello, L. , Carlone, S. , Corsaro, A. , Thellung, S. , Cai, T. , Noonan, D. M. , Schettini, G. Somatostatin controls Kaposi's sarcoma tumor growth through inhibition of angiogenesis. FASEB J. 13, 647–655 (1999)
Permeation of cytotoxic formulations through swatches from selected medical gloves.

The permeability of selected medical glove materials to various cytotoxic agents is described. Fifteen cytotoxic agents were prepared at the highest concentrations normally encountered by hospital personnel. Four single-layer and two double-layer glove systems made of two materials--latex and neoprene--were exposed to the drugs for 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes. Circular sections of the glove material were cut from the cuff and evaluated without any pretreatment. Permeability tests were conducted in an apparatus consisting of a donor chamber containing the cytotoxic solution and a collection chamber filled with water (the acceptor medium). The two sections were separated by the glove material. Permeating portions, collected in water as the acceptor medium, were analyzed by either ultraviolet-visible light spectrophotometry or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Permeation rates were calculated on the basis of the concentration of the cytotoxic agent in the acceptor medium. Spectrophotometric measurements were taken every 30 minutes, and HPLC analysis was performed at the end of the three-hour period. Average permeation rates for 14 drugs were low (< 0.2 nmol/[min.cm2]) or no permeation was detected in all glove materials. All glove materials tested were impermeable to most of the cytotoxic agents over a period of three hours. Carmustine was the only agent that substantially permeated single-layer latex glove materials. Permeation of most tested cytotoxic formulations was low through swatches of material from various medical gloves.
Pattern Recognition Systems under Attack: Design Issues and Research Challenges

We analyze the problem of designing pattern recognition systems in adversarial settings, under an engineering viewpoint, motivated by their increasing exploitation in security-sensitive applications like spam and malware detection, despite their vulnerability to potential attacks has not yet been deeply understood. We first review previous work and report examples of how a complex system may be evaded either by leveraging on trivial vulnerabilities of its untrained components, e.g. parsing errors in the pre-processing steps, or by exploiting more subtle vulnerabilities of learning algorithms. We then discuss the need of exploiting both reactive and proactive security paradigms complementarily to improve the security by design. Our ultimate goal is to provide some useful guidelines for improving the security of pattern recognition in adversarial settings, and to suggest related open issues to foster research in this area.
Repercussions of self-construal for self-relevant and other-relevant choice

In the present investigation, we build on prior research by examining perceptions of choices and their outcomes as a factor of independent and interdependent self–construals, the identity of the chooser, and the recipient of the choice. Results from two experiments suggest that independent selves prefer to be both chooser and choice recipient, whereas interdependent selves are more amenable to choosing for others and having others choose on their behalf. Particularly, results from Study 2 show that participants high in independence are more attentive to their options when choosing for themselves, whereas participants high in interdependence are more attentive when choosing for someone else. Results from both studies further show that independents like choices they make for themselves more than interdependents, but like choices they make for others and choices others make on their behalf less than interdependents. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Exposure to Unsolvable Anagrams Impairs Performance on the Iowa Gambling Task

Recent research indicates that external manipulations, such as stress or mood induction, can affect decision-making abilities. In the current study, we investigated whether the exposure to an unsolvable task affected subsequent performance on the Iowa Gambling Task. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition in which they were exposed to unsolvable anagrams (n = 20), or a condition in which they worked on solvable anagrams (n = 22). Afterwards, all participants played the Iowa Gambling Task, a prominent task that measures decision making under uncertain conditions with no explicit rules for gains and losses. In this task, it is essential to process feedback from previous decisions. The results demonstrated that participants who worked on unsolvable anagrams made more disadvantageous decisions on the Iowa Gambling Task than the other participants. In addition, a significant gender effect was observed: Males who worked on unsolvable anagrams made a more disadvantageous decisions than the other male participants. Females who worked on unsolvable anagrams also made more disadvantageous decision than the other female participants, but differences were small and not significant. We conclude that the exposure to unsolvable anagrams induced the experience of uncontrollability which can elicit stress and learned helplessness. Stress and learned helplessness might have reduced the ability to learn from the given feedback, particularly in male participants. We assume that in real life, uncontrollable challenges that last longer than a single experimental manipulation can affect decision making severely, at least in males.
Personalized reading support for second-language web documents

A novel intelligent interface eases the browsing of Web documents written in the second languages of users. It automatically predicts words unfamiliar to the user by a collective intelligence method and glosses them with their meaning in advance. If the prediction succeeds, the user does not need to consult a dictionary; even if it fails, the user can correct the prediction. The correction data are collected and used to improve the accuracy of further predictions. The prediction is personalized in that every user's language ability is estimated by a state-of-the-art language testing model, which is trained in a practical response time with only a small sacrifice of prediction accuracy. The system was evaluated in terms of prediction accuracy and reading simulation. The reading simulation results show that this system can reduce the number of clicks for most readers with insufficient vocabulary to read documents and can significantly reduce the remaining number of unfamiliar words after the prediction and glossing for all users.
Achilles tendinopathy in diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND Plantar forefoot ulcers in individuals with diabetes often lead to deep infection and lower extremity amputation. Increasing evidence suggests that the process is initiated by increased passive stiffness within the gastrocnemius-soleus musculotendinous unit. The goal of this investigation was to perform ultrasound examination of the Achilles tendon in a consecutive group of asymptomatic diabetic individuals to identify any inherent structural pathology that might be associated with the increased stiffness that appears to be associated with the development of diabetic forefoot ulcers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy consecutive diabetic individuals with no past history of diabetic foot morbidity underwent ultrasonography of their Achilles tendons. Each patient was also tested for fasting glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin as a measure of diabetes control. Ten similarly aged non-diabetics with no history of Achilles tendinopathy served as controls. RESULTS The ultrasonography revealed disorganized tendon fibers in 62 of 70 (89%) patients, and calcification within the Achilles tendon in 53 (76%) patients. The Achilles tendon thickness averaged 5.0 (range, 4 to 8) mm. There was no correlation between patient age and Achilles tendon thickness (r = 0.292, p = 0.014); however, there was a trend for duration of disease and Achilles tendon disorganization (p = 0.073). The oldest patients also appeared to demonstrate a trend for more ultrasound-measured Achilles tendinopathy. There was no correlation between fasting glucose or glycosylated hemoglobin and Achilles tendon alterations. CONCLUSION This investigation confirms structural abnormalities within the Achilles tendon of diabetic individuals that might represent biologic changes affecting the inherent stiffness that leads to increased forefoot pressure and the development of plantar forefoot ulcers. This process appears to worsen with advanced age and does not appear to be related to diabetes control.
Robot-Assisted Shopping for the Blind : Haptic and Locomotor Spaces in Supermarkets

Introduction Research on spatial cognition and navigation of the visually impaired distinguishes two spatial categories: locomotor and haptic (Ungar 2000). The haptic space is defined as the immediate space around the individual that can be sensed by touch or limb motion without any bodily translation. The locomotor space is defined as a space whose exploration requires locomotion. In the absence of vision, the frames align best in the haptic space. In the locomotor space, as the haptic space translates with the body, lack of vision causes the frames to misalign, which negatively affects action reliability. Giving the visually impaired equal access to environments that the sighted take for granted entails designing interfaces to the haptic and locomotor spaces in those environments that either eliminate the necessity of alignment or enable the visually impaired to align the frames when necessary. What environments should be targeted first? In cataloguing the most functionally difficult environments for the visually impaired, Passini and Proulx (Passini & Proulx 2000) top their list with shopping complexes. Grocery shopping is an activity that presents a barrier to independence for many visually impaired people who either do not go grocery shopping at all or depend on sighted guides, e.g., store staffers, spouses, and friends. Can robots function as effective interfaces to the haptic and locomotor spaces in the supermarket? Yes, they can! Traditional navigation aids, such as guide dogs and white canes, can act as interfaces to the haptic space in the environment by enhancing the blind individual’s perception around the body. However, neither guide dogs nor white canes can effectively interface to locomotor spaces, because they cannot help their users with macronavigation,which requires topological knowledge of the environment. It is true that sighted guides ensure the reliable maneuvering of the haptic space, but only at the expense of independence. Loss of independence translates into loss of privacy. Our experience with visually impaired individuals in our previous robot-assisted shopping experiments convinced us that quite a few of them are not willing to use store staffers when shopping for personal hygiene items, medicine, and other products that require discretion (Ku-
An Exploratory Study of Contextual and Situational Factors Related to Methamphetamine Use among Gay and Bisexual Men in New York City

This exploratory investigation describes methamphetamine use among a convenience sample of gay and bisexual men in New York City. A total of 49 participants reported using methamphetamine, on average, 12 days over the past three months, and 63.1% of the participants reported use with the majority of their sexual encounters. Poly-substance use was high in this sample of methamphetamine users. Methamphetamine use was more frequent among those men who reported using the drug in bathhouses and bars, and frequency of use was associated with a need to escape unpleasant emotions and physical discomfort, avoid social conflict, and enjoy pleasant times with others. The data suggest a contextual understanding of methamphetamine use in New York City that is similar to that of gay communities of the western United States.
An Antibody Directed against the Fusion Peptide of Junín Virus Envelope Glycoprotein GPC Inhibits pH-Induced Membrane Fusion

ABSTRACT The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein (GPC) initiates infection in the host cell through pH-induced fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes. As in other class I viral fusion proteins, this process proceeds through a structural reorganization in GPC in which the ectodomain of the transmembrane fusion subunit (G2) engages the host cell membrane and subsequently refolds to form a highly stable six-helix bundle structure that brings the two membranes into apposition for fusion. Here, we describe a G2-directed monoclonal antibody, F100G5, that prevents membrane fusion by binding to an intermediate form of the protein on the fusion pathway. Inhibition of syncytium formation requires that F100G5 be present concomitant with exposure of GPC to acidic pH. We show that F100G5 recognizes neither the six-helix bundle nor the larger trimer-of-hairpins structure in the postfusion form of G2. Rather, Western blot analysis using recombinant proteins and a panel of alanine-scanning GPC mutants revealed that F100G5 binding is dependent on an invariant lysine residue (K283) near the N terminus of G2, in the so-called fusion peptide that inserts into the host cell membrane during the fusion process. The F100G5 epitope is located in the internal segment of the bipartite GPC fusion peptide, which also contains four conserved cysteine residues, raising the possibility that this fusion peptide may be highly structured. Collectively, our studies indicate that F100G5 identifies an on-path intermediate form of GPC. Binding to the transiently exposed fusion peptide may interfere with G2 insertion into the host cell membrane. Strategies to effectively target fusion peptide function in the endosome may lead to novel classes of antiviral agents.
The Ever-Elusive Endothelial Progenitor Cell: Identities, Functions and Clinical Implications

The concept of an Endothelial Progenitor Cell (EPC) that participates in adult angiogenesis is less than a decade old, yet it has received a great deal of attention due to its potential for cell-based clinical therapies in many pathologies. However, controversy remains as to the identity of this bone marrow-derived cell type and its ability to give rise to new endothelium in the adult. Reports on the contribution of EPCs to new vessels in ischemic tissue or tumors vary widely, ranging from 80–90% to negligible. As researchers hone their ability to identify, isolate, and expand these cells by their markers and functionality, mounting evidence suggests that they might constitute multiple, but related cell types. At least two general phenotypes have emerged from studies of bone marrow-derived cells contributing to angiogenesis: one that incorporates into the endothelial wall directly contributing to vascular expansion and another that is able to home to neovessels, but it locates behind the endothelial wall. Nonetheless, experimental evidence indicates that this second cell type supports the viability of newly formed vessels and thus it is equally relevant to neovascular growth. As our understanding of neovascularization in pathologic states expands, a more clear definition of the multiple cellular components required for the process will shed light into new models of therapeutic intervention. The identification of a cell type that could be isolated, expanded and infused into a patient would be very useful for promoting angiogenesis in ischemia, myocardial infarct and other pathologies.
An accurate estimation algorithm of frequency and phase at low signal-noise ratio levels

A new accurate estimation algorithm of frequency and phase suited for low signal-noise ratio (SNR) environment is proposed here. Coarse estimation of frequency and phase is acquired from the peak frequency of the received signal. New interpolation technique and modified formula are made to get fine and unbiased estimation. Simulations indicate that, accurate results close to the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) within a wide frequency offset range are achieved by using this algorithm.
Avoiding Feature Interactions in the Users' Interface

The causes for feature interactions are many, therefore several remedies will have to be applied together. In this paper, we investigate the architecture of the users' interface of a telephone switching system and tackle a certain kind of feature interactions by employing a more modular structure for the design of the system and its features. We propose to apply results from the research on human-computer interfaces (HCI) to the speciication of requirements of telecommunication systems. After we have connned the feature interactions in question to one information-hiding module, we show what is necessary to detect them by formal validation. We discuss brieey how the general approach can be applied to the existing Intelligent Network (IN) architecture in particular.
Blood viscosity in tube flow: dependence on diameter and hematocrit.

Since the original publications by Martini et al. (Dtsch. Arch. Klin. Med. 169: 212-222, 1930) and Fahraeus and Lindqvist (Am. J. Physiol. 96: 562-568, 1931), it has been known that the relative apparent viscosity of blood in tube flow depends on tube diameter. Quantitative descriptions of this effect and of the dependence of blood viscosity on hematocrit in the different diameter tubes are required for the development of hydrodynamic models of blood flow through the microcirculation. The present study provides a comprehensive data base for the description of relative apparent blood viscosity as a function of tube diameter and hematocrit. Data available from the literature are compiled, and new experimental data obtained in a capillary viscometer are presented. The combined data base comprises measurements at high shear rates (u > or = 50 s-1) in tubes with diameters ranging from 3.3 to 1,978 microns at hematocrits of up to 0.9. If corrected for differences in suspending medium viscosity and temperature, the data show remarkable agreement. Empirical fitting equations predicting relative apparent blood viscosity from tube diameter and hematocrit are presented. A pronounced change in the hematocrit dependence of relative viscosity is observed in a range of tube diameters in which viscosity is minimal. While a linear hematocrit-viscosity relationship is found in tubes of < or = 6 microns, an overproportional increase of viscosity with hematocrit prevails in tubes of > or = 9 microns. This is interpreted to reflect the hematocrit-dependent transition from single- to multifile arrangement of cells in flow.