Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wireless Sensor Networks—Node Localization for Various Industry Problems

Fast and effective monitoring following airborne releases of toxic substances is critical to mitigate risks to threatened population areas. Electrically powered systems in industrial settings require monitoring of emitted electromagnetic fields to determine the status of the equipment and ensure their safe operation. In situations such as these, wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) at fixed predetermined locations provide monitoring to ensure safety. A challenging algorithmic problem is determining the locations to place these WSNs while meeting several criteria: (1) to provide complete coverage of the domain; (2) to create a topology with problem-dependent node densities; and (3) to minimize the number of WSNs. This paper presents a novel approach, advancing front mesh generation with constrained Delaunay triangulation and smoothing (AFECETS) that addresses these criteria. A unique aspect of AFECETS is the ability to determine WSN locations for areas of high interest (hospitals, schools, and high population density areas) that require higher density of nodes for monitoring environmental conditions, a feature that is difficult to find in other research work. The AFECETS algorithm was tested on several arbitrary shaped domains. AFECETS simulation results show that the algorithm provides significant reduction in the number of nodes, in some cases over 40%, compared with an advancing front mesh generation algorithm; maintains and improves optimal spacing between nodes; and produces simulation run times suitable for real-time applications.
Kikuchi-like reflection patterns obtained with the scanning electron microscope

Abstract Orientation-dependant patterns, very similar in appearance to Kikuchi patterns, have been obtained using thick single-crystal specimens in a scanning electron microscope. The patterns are superimposed on the normal topographical image and are obtained with both the back-scattered-electron and specimen current modes of operation. The width of the Kikuchi-like bands is proportional to the wavelength of the incident electrons, and depends also on the angle through which the electron beam is scanned.
Significance for a recurrence based transition analysis

The recurrence of states is a fundamental behaviour of dynamical systems. As a modern technique of nonlinear data analysis, the recurrence plot visualises and analyses the recurrence structure. Its quantification (recurrence quantification analysis, RQA) allows us to detect transitions in the system’s dynamics. In the last decade, RPs and RQA have become popular in many scientific fields. However, a sufficient significance test was not yet developed. We propose a statistical test for the RQA which is based on bootstrapping of the characteristic small scale structures in the recurrence plot. Using this test we can present confidence bounds for the detected transitions and, hence, get a more reliable result. We demonstrate the new technique on marine dust records from the Atlantic which were used to infer climate changes in Africa for the last 4 millennia.
Online path planner for mobile robots using particle swarm optimization

An algorithm to find a collision free path, for an autonomous mobile robot, is proposed in this paper. The path between the starting point and the destination point, a priori established, is calculated for two methods: the local and the global path planner. The computation of this path, for both methods, is based on an evolutionary approach: Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO). This approach uses a new fitness function for both path planning methods. The result of this algorithm would be a path planning control of the mobile robot in an environment with both fixed and mobile obstacles. The computational efficiency of this online path planning algorithm using PSO with the proposed fitness function is proved in simulation and real time implementation. Real time experiments using a mobile robot validate the local path planning method of the proposed algorithm. The mobile robot used in real time experiments is equipped with a laser scanner module to communicate accurate information about the fixed and mobile surroundings to the robot.
Real-Time Recognition of Signaling Lights in Road Traffic

A method for recognizing signal lights in traffic scenes in real time has been developed. It consists of a set of different feature extraction operations acting as sequential filters. In order to be classified as part of the image of an active signaling light, a set of pixels must pass each one of these filters. This multif ilter approach is model-based, and it comprises much of the available knowledge about signaling lights. In addition to color, this includes characteristics like the locations of the lights relative to the vehicle, their size, symmetry, and blinking frequencies. The individual filters, and the way how they c ooperate, have been designed in such a way that the system recognizes active signaling lights reliably, while false alarms are largely avoided. We have implemented the approach on a real-time vision system and tested it both in simulations under approximately real conditions and in real highway scenes by using a robot-car.
A Cdc42 Activation Cycle Coordinated by PI 3-Kinase during Fc Receptor-mediated Phagocytosis

During Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis in macrophages, PI 3-kinase mediates transitions in the signaling by Rho-family GTPases. Receptor-activated Cdc42 increases PI 3-kinase activity. Increased 3′ phosphoinositide concentrations in phagocytic cups then deactivate Cdc42.
In vitro experimental system for analysis of transcription–translation coupling

Transcription and translation are coupled in bacteria, meaning that translation takes place co-transcriptionally. During transcription–translation, both machineries mutually affect each others’ functions, which is important for regulation of gene expression. Analysis of interactions between RNA polymerase (RNAP) and the ribosome, however, are limited due to the lack of an in vitro experimental system. Here, we report the development of an in vitro transcription coupled to translation system assembled from purified components. The system allows controlled stepwise transcription and simultaneous stepwise translation of the nascent RNA, and permits investigation of the interactions of RNAP with the ribosome, as well as the effects of translation on transcription and transcription on translation. As an example of usage of this experimental system, we uncover complex effects of transcription–translation coupling on pausing of transcription.
Biological activity of various extracts and phenolic content of Micromeria persica and M. hedgei

Background and objectives: Lamiaceae members have long been used in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) for their various medicinal properties. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity as well as the total phenolic content (TPC) of the various extracts and fractions of two Iranian endemic Micromeria (M. persica and M. hedgei). Methods: Plant materials were extracted with methanol by maceration for 24 h. Then, the methanol extract (ME) was further fractionated to obtain the chloroform (M-C) and water (M-W) fractions. The antimicrobial activity was investigated against seven Gram-positive and -negative bacteria and three fungi. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH method and the data were compared with their total phenolic contents. Results: The nonpolar sub fractions (M-C) of both plants were active against pathogens especially Staphylococcus epidermidis and Bacillus subtilis with equal MIC values of 3.75 and 7.5 mg/mL, respectively. Antioxidant activity evaluation showed that the polar fractions of both Micromeria species were stronger than nonpolar fractions, while the more considerable effect was observed for the water soluble fraction of the extract for M. hedgei with IC50 value of 59.1 µg/mL in comparison to M. persica (IC50 = 76.3 µg/mL). The highest gallic acid equivalent (GAE) total phenolic contents was found to be 263.5 ± 1.5 and 256.3 ± 3.1 mg/g dry weight for M-W extracts of M. hedgei and M. persica, respectively. Conclusion: The results indicated that the two species might be suggested as new potential sources of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.
Simultaneous Isolation of Three Different Stem Cell Populations from Murine Skin

The skin is a rich source of readily accessible stem cells. The level of plasticity afforded by these cells is becoming increasingly important as the potential of stem cells in Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine continues to be explored. Several protocols described single type stem cell isolation from skin; however, none of them afforded simultaneous isolation of more than one population. Herein, we describe the simultaneous isolation and characterization of three stem cell populations from the dermis and epidermis of murine skin, namely Epidermal Stem Cells (EpiSCs), Skin-derived Precursors (SKPs) and Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). The simultaneous isolation was possible through a simple protocol based on culture selection techniques. These cell populations are shown to be capable of generating chondrocytes, adipocytes, osteocytes, terminally differentiated keratinocytes, neurons and glia, rendering this protocol suitable for the isolation of cells for tissue replenishment and cell based therapies. The advantages of this procedure are far-reaching since the skin is not only the largest organ in the body, but also provides an easily accessible source of stem cells for autologous graft.
Structure and Corrosion Resistance of Iron Coatings Containing Silicon Powders

Fe + Si coatings were prepared by iron deposition from a bath containing a suspension of silicon powders. These coatings were obtained at galvanostatic conditions, at the current density of jdep=−0.020 A cm−2 and at the temperature of 338 K. For determination of the influence of phase composition and surface morphology of these coatings on changes in the corrosion resistance, these coatings were modified in an argon atmosphere by thermal treatment at 873 K for 2h. A scanning electron microscope was used for surface morphology characterization of the coatings. The chemical composition of the coatings was determined by EDS and phase composition investigations were conducted by X-ray diffraction. It was found that the as-deposited coatings consist of a two-phase structure, i.e., iron and silicon. The phase composition for the Fe + Si coatings after thermal treatment is markedly different. The main peaks corresponding to Fe and Si coexist with the new phases: FeSi. Electrochemical corrosion resistance investigations were carried out in 3.5wt% NaCl, using potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. On the basis of these investigations it was found that the Fe + Si coatings after thermal treatment are more corrosion resistant in 3.5wt% NaCl solution than the as-deposited coatings. The reasons for this are a reduction in the amount of free iron and silicon, the presence of new phases (in particular silicides), and a decrease of the active surface area of the coatings after thermal treatment.
BIAS MINIMIZATION IN GAUSSIAN PROCESS SURROGATE MODELING FOR UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION

Uncertainty quantification analyses often employ surrogate models as computationally efficient approximations of computer codes simulating the physical phenomena. The accuracy and economy in the construction of surrogate models depends on the quality and quantity of data collected from the computationally expensive system models. Computationally efficient methods for accurate surrogate model training are thus required. This paper develops a novel approach to surrogate model construction based on the hierarchical decomposition of the approximation error. The proposed algorithm employs sparse Gaussian processes on a hierarchical grid to achieve a sparse nonlinear approximation of the underlying function. In contrast to existing methods, which are based on minimizing prediction variance, the proposed approach focuses on model bias and aims to improve the quality of reconstruction represented by the model. The performance of the algorithm is compared to existing methods using several numerical examples. In the examples considered, the proposed method demonstrates significant improvement in the quality of reconstruction for the same sample size.
Minimum Bayes risk training of CTC acoustic models in maximum a posteriori based decoding framework

When using connectionist temporal classification (CTC) based acoustic models (AMs) for large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR), most previous studies have used a naive interpolation of the CTC-AM score and an additional language model score, although there is no theoretical justification for such an approach. On the other hand, we recently proposed a theoretically more sound decoding framework for CTC-AM called maximum a posteriori (MAP)-based decoding. Although the superiority of the MAP-based decoding framework with CTC-AM has been demonstrated, the effect of additional minimum Bayes risk (MBR) training in the MAP-based decoding framework has not been investigated. In this paper, we report the results of various experiments that examine the effect of MBR training on CTC-AM by comparing two decoding frameworks. Our experiments with English and Japanese LVCSR tasks reveal that the MAP-based decoding framework is superior to the interpolation-based framework, even after the MBR training. In addition, by using about 600 h of training data, we show that the size of the training dataset is a critical factor in achieving good results under CTC-AM.
Low-dose estradiol and the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine for vasomotor symptoms: a randomized clinical trial.

IMPORTANCE Estrogen therapy is the gold standard treatment for hot flashes and night sweats, but some women are unable or unwilling to use it because of associated risks. The serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine hydrochloride is used widely as a nonhormonal treatment. While the clinical impression is that serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are less effective than estrogen, these medications have not been simultaneously evaluated in one clinical trial to date. OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy and tolerability of low-dose oral 17β-estradiol and low-dose venlafaxine extended release in alleviating vasomotor symptoms (VMS). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In total, 339 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with at least 2 bothersome VMS per day (mean, 8.1 per day) were recruited from the community to MsFLASH (Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health) clinical network sites between December 5, 2011, and October 15, 2012. INTERVENTIONS Participants were randomized to double-blind treatment with low-dose oral 17β-estradiol (0.5 mg/d) (n = 97), low-dose venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release (75 mg/d) (n = 96), or placebo (n = 146) for 8 weeks. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was the mean daily frequency of VMS after 8 weeks of treatment. Secondary outcomes were VMS severity, bother, and interference with daily life. Intent-to-treat analyses compared the change in VMS frequency between each active intervention and placebo and between the 2 active treatments. RESULTS Compared with baseline, the mean VMS frequency at week 8 decreased to 3.9 (95% CI, 2.9-4.9) VMS per day (52.9% reduction) in the estradiol group, to 4.4 (95% CI, 3.5-5.3) VMS per day (47.6% reduction) in the venlafaxine group, and to 5.5 (95% CI, 4.7-6.3) VMS per day (28.6% reduction) in the placebo group. Estradiol reduced the frequency of symptoms by 2.3 more per day than placebo (P < .001), and venlafaxine reduced the frequency of symptoms by 1.8 more per day than placebo (P = .005). The results were consistent for VMS severity, bother, and interference. Low-dose estradiol reduced the frequency of symptoms by 0.6 more per day than venlafaxine (P = .09). Treatment satisfaction was highest (70.3%) for estradiol (P < .001 vs placebo), lowest (38.4%) for placebo, and intermediate (51.1%) for venlafaxine (P = .06 vs placebo). Both interventions were well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Low-dose oral estradiol and venlafaxine are effective treatments for VMS in women during midlife. While the efficacy of low-dose estradiol may be slightly superior to that of venlafaxine, the difference is small and of uncertain clinical relevance. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01418209.
Evaluation of a virtual gaming environment designed to access emotional reactions while playing

A virtual environment was designed and implemented in order to examine emotional responses while playing in a virtual reality. A game based design approach was used to create a convincing narrative and meaningful tasks that are simultaneously used to access the users' emotional state. Self-reported ratings on emotions and game experience were incorporated into a background story and conducted while playing. An exploratory study was conducted to evaluate the concept regarding game experience, level of immersion and persuasiveness of the environment. Additionally, differences in emotional state and game experience while playing using the head-mounted display versus using the monitor were assessed. The outcome of individually gathered qualitative data was analyzed. The environment proved suitable for detecting emotional states and game experience and was generally highly accepted by the players. Users reported a high level of presence while engaging with the environment and did not feel a break of immersion in the game as they rated their experience. Further applications, current limitations and possible improvements are discussed.
Approximating the value of two power proof systems, with applications to MAX 2SAT and MAX DICUT

It is well known that two prover proof systems are a convenient tool for establishing hardness of approximation results. In this paper, we show that two prover proof systems are also convenient starting points for establishing easiness of approximation results. Our approach combines the Feige-Lovasz (STOC92) semidefinite programming relaxation of one-round two-prover proof systems, together with rounding techniques for the solutions of semidefinite programs, as introduced by Goemans and Williamson (STOC94). As a consequence of our approach, we present improved approximation algorithms for MAX 2SAT and MAX DICUT. The algorithms are guaranteed to deliver solutions within a factor of 0.931 of the optimum for MAX 2SAT and within a factor of 0.859 for MAX DICUT, improving upon the guarantees of 0.878 and 0.796 of Goemans and Williamson (1994). <<ETX>>
Analysing Domain Shift Factors between Videos and Images for Object Detection

Object detection is one of the most important challenges in computer vision. Object detectors are usually trained on bounding-boxes from still images. Recently, video has been used as an alternative source of data. Yet, for a given test domain (image or video), the performance of the detector depends on the domain it was trained on. In this paper, we examine the reasons behind this performance gap. We define and evaluate different domain shift factors: spatial location accuracy, appearance diversity, image quality and aspect distribution. We examine the impact of these factors by comparing performance before and after factoring them out. The results show that all four factors affect the performance of the detectors and their combined effect explains nearly the whole performance gap.
Modeling of heteroduplex formation during PCR from mixtures of DNA templates.

We have investigated the capability of PCR to amplify a specific locus from each template in a mixture of allelic DNAs. Modeling experiments employed a 300-bp HOX2B segment as target and utilized, as distinct template "alleles," genomic DNAs from 1 human and from 2 chimpanzees known to differ in sequence at the target. Two modes were used: (1) mixtures of PCR products that had been previously amplified individually from a single template and (2) PCR amplification en masse from composite human/chimpanzee genomic DNA templates. Products generated by either mode were separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Detection of a "trace" allele mixed with a "dominant" one was possible by simple ethidium bromide staining of the gel up to a sensitivity of 1 part in 20. A balanced mixture was represented by 5:5 and 4:3:3 mixtures of allelic PCR products or genomic templates; an uneven mixture of dominant and trace alleles, by 9:1 and 8:1:1 mixtures. For 5:5, two homoduplex bands and two heteroduplex bands of equal intensity were generated. For 9:1, the trace homoduplex disappears whereas the two heteroduplexes are easily visible. For 8:1:1, four heteroduplexes and one homoduplex were observed; homoduplexes and heteroduplexes formed from the trace alleles were not visible. These experiments demonstrate that PCR can amplify mixed allelic templates in direct proportion to the stoichiometric fraction of each template. Trace species are captured as heteroduplexes with the most abundant species and are clearly displaced on denaturing gradient gels from the dominant homoduplex species. Our analytical studies can be applied to analysis of sequence variants in DNA collected from cancerous or infected tissues. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
CD21/35 Promotes Protective Immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae through a Complement-Independent but CD19-Dependent Pathway That Regulates PD-1 Expression1

Humoral immunity to T cell-independent type 2 Ags (TI-2 Ag) is critical for protection against encapsulated bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. The CD21/35 receptor is thought to promote protective humoral immunity to encapsulated bacteria by enabling complement-decorated capsular polysaccharides to coligate the CD21/35-CD19 signaling complex with the B cell Ag receptor (BCR), thereby enhancing Ag-specific B cell activation. However, Ab responses to S. pneumoniae type 3 capsular polysaccharide (PPS-3) and other strong TI-2 Ags were significantly impaired in CD21/35−/− but not C3−/− or C4−/− mice. B cells from CD21/35−/− mice expressed significantly higher levels of cell surface CD19. CD21/35−/− B cells exhibited enhanced BCR-induced calcium responses and significantly higher expression of the inhibitory programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor following immunization with a TI-2 Ag or BCR crosslinking. Reducing CD19 expression in CD21/35−/− mice normalized BCR-induced calcium responses, PD-1 induction, and PPS-3-specific IgG3 responses and restored protection during S. pneumoniae infection. PD-1 blockade also selectively rescued PPS-3-specific IgG3 responses in CD21/35−/− mice. Thereby, CD21/35 promotes protective humoral immunity to S. pneumoniae and other strong TI-2 Ags through a complement-independent pathway by negatively regulating CD19 expression and PD-1 induction.