Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New cooperative strategy for cognitive radios with wireless powered primary users

Conventional strategy for cognitive radios does not assume any energy harvesting capability at the primary users. However, this is not the case when primary users are wirelessly powered, especially in wireless sensor works that are widely used in the Internet of Things. In this paper, we propose a new cooperative strategy where the secondary user transmits data if the primary users are detected to be idle or harvest energy, in contrast to conventional strategy where the secondary user only transmits data if the primary users are detected idle. The performances of this new strategy are analysed. Numerical results show that primary user can achieve energy gain from the transmission of secondary user and that secondary user can also achieve throughput gain by transmitting data when primary user performs energy harvesting. On the other hand, secondary user harvests less energy on average using the new strategy as it has to transmit data when primary user harvests energy.
N-terminal Pro-brain Natriuretic Peptide as a Prognostic Predictor in Critical Care Patients with Acute Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema

Background: This study evaluated plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as a potential prognostic predictor in critical care patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema within 24 hours after admission. Methods: Fifty patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) were enrolled. They were divided into two groups: a nonsystolic heart failure (NS-CHF) group with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF≥50%, n = 24) and a systolic heart failure (S-CHF) group with reduced LVEF (＜ 50%, n = 26). Plasma NT-proBNP levels and LVEF by bedside echocardiography were measured within 24 hours of admission. Combined adverse cardiac events (death or heart failure) and all-cause mortality were monitored. Results: The levels of plasma NT-proBNP in NS-CHF and S-CHF groups were 6055.7 ± 5039.5 pg/mL and 20343.8 ± 11968.4 pg/mL, respectively (p＜0.001). Patients with lower body mass index (BMI), anemia, and impaired renal function were more frequently found in the high plasma NT-proBNP group (NT-proBNP levels ≥9215 pg/mL). During the follow-up period, the group of patients with higher plasma NT-proBNP levels (≥ 9215 pg/mL) had more adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio 4.967, p = 0.011) and a higher mortality rate (hazard ratio 58.94, p = 0.004). The plasma NT-proBNP level was the only significant independent predictor of combined adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality. The use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB) and beta-blocker was also associated with a lower hazard ratio of all-cause mortality (0.030 and 0.064 respectively, p=0.002 and 0.046). Conclusions: In critical care patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema, plasma NT-proBNP level within 24 hours after admission is an independent predictor of combined adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality. The use of ACEI/ARB and beta-blocker also predicts a lower rate of all-cause mortality in these patients.
IP 3 R and RyR calcium channels are involved in neonatal rat cardiac myocyte hypertrophy induced by tumor necrosis factor-α

To investigate which calcium channels are involved in cardiac myocyte hypertrophy induced by TNF-α, cultured cardiomyocytes were treated with 100 μg/L TNF-α. In addition, three different calcium channel blockers (2APB, ryanodine and nifedipine) were used, and the effects of each calcium channel blocker on cardiac hypertrophy induced by TNF-α were carefully observed. Measurements included cytosolic calcium transients ([Ca2+]i), the level of intracellular calcium in individual cells, cell protein content, cell protein synthesis and cell volume. We found that the IP3R inhibitor (2-APB) and RyR inhibitor (ryanodine) both had significant suppressive effects on the level of [Ca2+] i, calcium concentration, cell protein content, cell protein synthesis and cell volume of cardiomyocytes treated with TNF-α (P<0.01). Moreover, their combined effects were significantly enhanced compared with their single effects (P<0.01). However, the inhibitor of the L type Ca2+ channel nifedipine exhibited no significant suppressive effects on the increase in [Ca2+]i, calcium concentration, cell protein content, cell protein synthesis and cell volume of cardiomyocytes induced by TNF-α (P>0.05). Our results suggest that TNF-α probably induces cardiac myocyte hypertrophy by activating IP3R and RyR calcium channels, which control the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in cardiomyocytes. On the other hand, extracellular calcium influx, which is mainly regulated by the L type Ca2+ channel, may not be involved in cardiac myocyte hypertrophy induced by TNF-α.
Recurrence quantification analysis of heart rate variability and respiratory flow series in patients on weaning trials

Autonomic nervous system regulates the behavior of cardiac and respiratory systems. Its assessment during the ventilator weaning can provide information about physio-pathological imbalances. This work proposes a non linear analysis of the complexity of the heart rate variability (HRV) and breathing duration (TTot) applying recurrence plot (RP) and their interaction joint recurrence plot (JRP). A total of 131 patients on weaning trials from mechanical ventilation were analyzed: 92 patients with successful weaning (group S) and 39 patients that failed to maintain spontaneous breathing (group F). The results show that parameters as determinism (DET), average diagonal line length (L), and entropy (ENTR), are statistically significant with RP for TTot series, but not with HRV. When comparing the groups with JRP, all parameters have been relevant. In all cases, mean values of recurrence quantification analysis are higher in the group S than in the group F. The main differences between groups were found on the diagonal and vertical structures of the joint recurrence plot.
Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Shows the Structural Basis of Functional Cerebellar Circuits in the Human Cerebellum In Vivo

Background The cerebellum is a complex structure that can be affected by several congenital and acquired diseases leading to alteration of its function and neuronal circuits. Identifying the structural bases of cerebellar neuronal networks in humans in vivo may provide biomarkers for diagnosis and management of cerebellar diseases. Objectives To define the anatomy of intrinsic and extrinsic cerebellar circuits using high-angular resolution diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI). Methods We acquired high-resolution structural MRI and DSI of the cerebellum in four healthy female subjects at 3T. DSI tractography based on a streamline algorithm was performed to identify the circuits connecting the cerebellar cortex with the deep cerebellar nuclei, selected brainstem nuclei, and the thalamus. Results Using in-vivo DSI in humans we were able to demonstrate the structure of the following cerebellar neuronal circuits: (1) connections of the inferior olivary nucleus with the cerebellar cortex, and with the deep cerebellar nuclei (2) connections between the cerebellar cortex and the deep cerebellar nuclei, (3) connections of the deep cerebellar nuclei conveyed in the superior (SCP), middle (MCP) and inferior (ICP) cerebellar peduncles, (4) complex intersections of fibers in the SCP, MCP and ICP, and (5) connections between the deep cerebellar nuclei and the red nucleus and the thalamus. Conclusion For the first time, we show that DSI tractography in humans in vivo is capable of revealing the structural bases of complex cerebellar networks. DSI thus appears to be a promising imaging method for characterizing anatomical disruptions that occur in cerebellar diseases, and for monitoring response to therapeutic interventions.
Inhibition of Stat3 by a Small Molecule Inhibitor Slows Vision Loss in a Rat Model of Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss. Previous studies have shown signaling pathways mediated by Stat3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) play a primary role in diabetic retinopathy progression. This study tested CLT-005, a small molecule inhibitor of Stat3, for its dose-dependent therapeutic effects on vision loss in a rat model of diabetic retinopathy. Methods Brown Norway rats were administered streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. CLT-005 was administered daily by oral gavage for 16 weeks at concentrations of 125, 250, or 500 mg/kg, respectively, beginning 4 days post streptozotocin administration. Systemic and ocular drug concentration was quantified with mass spectrometry. Visual function was monitored at 2-week intervals from 6 to 16 weeks using optokinetic tracking to measure visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. The presence and severity of cataracts was visually monitored and correlated to visual acuity. The transcription and translation of multiple angiogenic factors and inflammatory cytokines were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Multiplex immunoassay. Results Streptozotocin-diabetic rats sustain progressive vision loss over 16 weeks, and this loss in visual function is rescued in a dose-dependent manner by CLT-005. This positive therapeutic effect correlates to the positive effects of CLT-005 on vascular leakage and the presence of inflammatory cytokines in the retina. Conclusions The present study indicates that Stat3 inhibition has strong therapeutic potential for the treatment of vision loss in diabetic retinopathy.
Unraveling the EUV photoresist reactions: which, how much, and how do they relate to printing performance

The interaction of 91.6eV EUV photons with photoresist is very different than in optical lithography at DUV wavelength. The latter is understood well, and it is known that photons interact with the resist on molecular level: e.g. for chemically amplified resist (CAR) the photon interacts with the photo acid generator (PAG), which leads to a deprotection reaction on a polymer. At EUV however, the high energy photons interact with the matter on the atomic scale, resulting in the generation of secondary electrons, which in turn induce chemical modification at lower energies. Although the complex detailed EUV mechanisms that lead to a chemical reaction in CAR are still not fully understood, we have developed and optimized an alternative technique to measure the reactions. The technique is based on Residual Gas Analysis (RGA) and enables to reveal the chemical identity of outgassed reaction products, therefore it can give information on the ongoing reactions during EUV exposure. In this work, we used this technique in a feasibility study to investigate how the balance of CAR resist reactions related to solubility and insolubility can impact the resist stochastic failure. This has first been applied on a model resist to characterize what the relevant reactions are for the solubility of the CAR. The method enabled to quantify the CAR acid yield and the (EUV specific) reactions that can lead to insolubility as function of dose. Based on the understanding of the ongoing reactions, the methodology has been applied on a family of resists – centered on a commercial resist – formulated on one polymer type but with different PAG/quencher. All these materials have been tested towards the balance of solubility reactions as function of dose and towards stochastic failures. A tentative correlation was found between the measurement of the stochastic failures and a semi-empirical equation of the RGA based resist parameters related to solubility.
3D force control for robotic-assisted beating heart surgery based on viscoelastic tissue model

Current cardiac surgery faces the challenging problem of heart beating motion even with the help of mechanical stabilizer which makes delicate operation on the heart surface difficult. Motion compensation methods for robotic-assisted beating heart surgery have been proposed recently in literature, but research on force control for such kind of surgery has hardly been reported. Moreover, the viscoelasticity property of the interaction between organ tissue and robotic instrument further complicates the force control design which is much easier in other applications by assuming the interaction model to be elastic (industry, stiff object manipulation, etc.). In this work, we present a three-dimensional force control method for robotic-assisted beating heart surgery taking into consideration of the viscoelastic interaction property. Performance studies based on our D2M2 robot and 3D heart beating motion information obtained through Da Vinci™ system are provided.
Patterns of local and nonlocal water resource use across the western U.S. determined via stable isotope intercomparisons

In the western U.S., the mismatch between public water demands and natural water availability necessitates large interbasin transfers of water as well as groundwater mining of fossil aquifers. Here we identify probable situations of nonlocal water use in both space and time based on isotopic comparisons between tap waters and potential water resources within hydrologic basins. Our approach, which considers evaporative enrichment of heavy isotopes during storage and distribution, is used to determine the likelihood of local origin for 612 tap water samples collected from across the western U.S. We find that 64% of samples are isotopically distinct from precipitation falling within the local hydrologic basin, a proxy for groundwater with modern recharge, and 31% of samples are isotopically distinct from estimated surface water found within the local basin. Those samples inconsistent with local water sources, which we suggest are likely derived from water imported from other basins or extracted from fossil aquifers, are primarily clustered in southern California, the San Francisco Bay area, and central Arizona. Our isotope‐based estimates of nonlocal water use are correlated with both hydrogeomorphic and socioeconomic properties of basins, suggesting that these factors exert a predictable influence on the likelihood that nonlocal waters are used to supply tap water. We use these basin properties to develop a regional model of nonlocal water resource use that predicts (r2 = 0.64) isotopically inferred patterns and allows assessment of total interbasin transfer and/or fossil aquifer extraction volumes across the western U.S.
Report ping Array Reveals Patterns of Global and Repeated Species-Pair Divergence in Sticklebacks

Felicity C. Jones,1 Yingguang Frank Chan,1,3 Jeremy Schmutz,4 Jane Grimwood,4 Shannon D. Brady,1 Audrey M. Southwick,1 Devin M. Absher,4 Richard M. Myers,4 Thomas E. Reimchen,5 Bruce E. Deagle,5 Dolph Schluter,6 and David M. Kingsley1,2,* 1Department of Developmental Biology 2Howard Hughes Medical Institute Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA 3Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Strasse 2, 24306 Plön, Germany 4HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA 5Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3NS, Canada 6Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC B6T 1Z4, Canada
A 0.31-pJ/bit 20-Gb/s DFE With 1 Discrete Tap and 2 IIR Filters Feedback in 40-nm-LP CMOS

This brief presents a low-power 20-Gb/s decision feedback equalizer (DFE) with one discrete tap and two infinite impulse response (IIR) filters feedback. The advantage of the IIR-DFE lies in both great energy and area efficiency for large channel attenuations. To further enhance the power efficiency of the IIR-DFE, the charge-steering logic (CSL) is utilized in this brief. Besides, the quarter-rate topology is adopted to alleviate the race condition of the CSL-based DFE. Fabricated in a 40-nm-LP CMOS process, the DFE core circuits only consumes 6.2 mW from the 1-V supply. Moreover, the core entirely occupies an area of 5700 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu {\mathrm{ m}}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Measured with PRBS7, the bit error rates are all less than <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{-12}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> for channel loss from −7.98 to −18.3 dB. Finally, the power efficiency of this IIR-DFE is 0.31 pJ/bit.
A Transistor-Level Placement Tool for Asynchronous Circuits

Although asynchronous circuits are accepted as low-power, low-EMI and high-performance circuits, the roadblock to wide acceptance of asynchronous design methodology is poor CAD support, especially physical design tool. There are few academic design tools for asynchronous circuit design and synthesis, but there is neither a published tool nor a published document on physical design of these circuits. Since there are noncomplementary CMOS circuits in the netlist synthesized using Caltech synthesis method, the commercial cell-based placement tools can’t be used. In this paper we have presented a design flow for placement of asynchronous circuits at transistor-level considering their timing constraints.
Towards the Use of Brain–Computer Interface and Gestural Technologies as a Potential Alternative to PIN Authentication

ABSTRACT This article describes an exploratory study which examined the use of Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) and gestural technologies generated from a BCI headset as a novel potential alternative to a 4-digit PIN code for authentication. Unlike other input modalities, many of these tokens (i.e., “push,” “lift,” “excitement”), can overcome some of the security vulnerabilities associated with PIN authentication (e.g., observations from third parties). Participants engaged in a controlled study where they performed five, 4-token authentication tasks on a simulated authentication screen. The percentage of completed BCI and gestural input tasks, as well as input time and accuracy, was compared to the 4-digit PIN task. The results showed that while authentication using a BCI headset is currently not as complete, fast, or accurate as that of a 4-digit PIN code, users felt that such a system would represent greater security over PIN-based authentication. In addition, mental commands, which might be perceived as the most secure from the standpoint of inconspicuous detection, were found to offer disappointing results both in terms of completion percentage and completion time.
[Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain].

Functional magnetic resonance imaging may be considered medically necessary as a complementary test in the preoperative evaluation of patients with refractory epilepsy or brain tumors who are candidates for neurosurgery when the lesion is in close proximity to an eloquent area of the brain (e.g., controlling verbal or motor function) and testing is expected to have an important role in assessing the spatial relation between the lesion and eloquent brain area.
Development of the Russian Version of the Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale

This article describes the creation of a Russian-language version of the Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale (CSWS). We report the process and the three stages of adapting the questionnaire and report the results of the stage three version (N = 422); an internal consistency test (Cronbach's Alpha – from 0.67 to 0.84); item discrimination (0.55 to 0.86); retest reliability (0.54 to 0.79, p
A new LMI method for strong γk-γcl H∞ stabilization

In this paper a new LMI method is proposed for the strong γk-γcl H∞ stabilization problem. Due to the introduction of a new slack variable, it is expected to be less conservative than the authors' previous work. Furthermore, several recently developed methods can be seen as its special cases. Meanwhile the extended bounded real lemma proposed lately can be adopted to improve the LMI design results iteratively. And for the possible order problem, the nested construction method can also be applied. The effectiveness is demonstrated by two numerical examples.
Heritable stress response dynamics revealed by single-cell genealogy

Single yeast cells preserve a memory of their mothers’ dynamic response to stressful conditions. Cells often respond to environmental stimuli by activating specific transcription factors. Upon exposure to glucose limitation stress, it is known that yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells dephosphorylate the general stress response factor Msn2, leading to its nuclear localization, which in turn activates the expression of many genes. However, the precise dynamics of Msn2 nucleocytoplasmic translocations and whether they are inherited over multiple generations in a stress-dependent manner are not well understood. Tracking Msn2 localization events in yeast lineages grown on a microfluidic chip, here we report how cells modulate the amplitude, duration, frequency, and dynamic pattern of the localization events in response to glucose limitation stress. Single yeast cells were found to modulate the amplitude and frequency of Msn2 nuclear localization, but not its duration. Moreover, the Msn2 localization frequency was epigenetically inherited in descendants of mother cells, leading to a decrease in cell-to-cell variation in localization frequency. An analysis of the time dynamic patterns of nuclear localizations between genealogically related cell pairs using an information theory approach found that the magnitude of pattern similarity increased with stress intensity and was strongly inherited by the descendant cells at the highest stress level. By dissecting how general stress response dynamics is contributed by different modulation schemes over long time scales, our work provides insight into which scheme evolution might have acted on to optimize fitness in stressful environments.
A Customized Intervention for Dementia Caregivers: A Quasi-Experimental Design

Objective: The aim of this study is to test the effects of a customized intervention on distress among caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) using a quasi-experimental design. Method: Fifty-one spouse caregivers in the experimental group and 51 in the control group participated in the study. The effects of the intervention were examined by comparing caregivers’ responses with questionnaires at pre-intervention baseline (T0) and immediately after intervention (T1). Differences were quantified using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: The analyses indicated a stabilizing effect of the intervention on caregivers’ perceptions of PWD’s daily functioning, self-esteem related to caregiving, quality of family support, and feeling of distress. Linear increases were observed regarding sense of preparedness and impact on daily routine, while no differences (interaction and linear effects) were observed for degree of self-efficacy, depression, impact on finances, or self-rated health. Conclusion: These findings show a preliminary efficacy of the intervention proposed in this study to prevent the exacerbation of caregivers’ distress.
Instrumentation of Embedded Software , Use Case : Drone

Drones are becoming increasingly popular because of their unique capabilities in transportation and monitoring, however they are not still safe enough to be integrated into the public air space. One way to improve a system’s safety is to develop detective mechanisms to learn from previous (mis)behaviors and increase the accountability of the system. A system can be made more accountable by inclusion of a detective mechanism to log necessary information during the operation and analyze them post-mortem[1]. Such a diagnosis tool can be very beneficial for the drone stakeholders. For example, users can have a better understanding of the root cause of their crash and try to avoid their mistake in the next flights. designers can learn from previous faults and improve the safety of their design. Testers can propose more effective test cases by analyzing the previous failures.