Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Memristive switching in planar devices based on vanadium dioxide thin films using near IR laser pulses

By utilizing a 966 nm near infrared laser as an excitation light for resistance switching, we demonstrated memristive states in a two-terminal planar device based on a vanadium dioxide thin film. Before stimulating the device with 966 nm laser pulses, the device was thermally biased at ~71.5 °C. Six multi-states of the device resistance could be obtained in the fabricated device by five consecutive laser pulses with 10 ms duration and increasing power, and the resistance fluctuation level was within 2.2% of the stabilized resistance and decreased down to less than 0.9% of the stabilized resistance 5 s after the illumination.
FIRST REPORT OF GYRODACTYLUS SPP. (PLATYHELMINTHES: MONOGENEA) IN THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA: MOLECULAR AND MORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS

The Gyrodactylus spp. fauna on species of gobies, Pomatoschistus, Gobiusculus, and Knipowitschia (Gobiidae: Teleostei), from the western Mediterranean and Adriatic seas is strikingly similar to that found in the Baltic Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean, both in morphology and in internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA. The fauna consisted of Gyrodactylus branchialis, G. ostendicus, G. gondae, G. rugiensis, G. rugiensoides, and G. arcuatus. No new species have been found. A morphometric comparison between G. branchialis from the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas and its type locality in Ostend (Belgium) showed significant differences in ventral bar and marginal hook features. The morphometric variation was lower in G. rugiensis, whereas no significant differences were found in G. ostendicus. Gyrodactylus branchialis and G. ostendicus collected on P. microps were slightly different in the ITS rDNA (∼0,6%) compared with specimens on the closely related P. marmoratus, probably reflecting ongoing speciation. A hybrid zone was identified in the Vaccarès lagoon complex (France) where both host species are sympatric. There was no clear geographic or host-related pattern in the variation found in the ITS2 rDNA in G. arcuatus sampled from P. microps, G. flavescens, Pungitius pungitius, K. panizzae, and its original host Gasterosteus aculeatus (2 polymorphic sites). Of all studied species, only G. arcuatus, G. rugiensis, and G. rugiensoides showed minor intraspecific variation in the ITS rDNA. Hence, the physical separation by a shoreline of more than 10,000 km is hardly reflected in the parasite ITS rDNA.
Classical Models of the Interface between an Electrode and an Electrolyte

An electrical double layer (EDL) plays a major role in understanding the interface between a charged surface (e.g. an implant) and ionic liquids (e.g. body fluids). The three classical models of the EDL (Helmholtz, Gouy – Chapman and Stern Model) are numerically solved for a flat surface electrode in the 3D Electrostatics mode of Comsol Multiphysics 3.5a Software. The values of the electric potential drop near the electrode’s surface are compared and it is shown their area of validity. The double layer capacitance is computed analytically, numerically and measured by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and it has been shown that the classical models do not agree with the experimental measurements.
Photoassociation of cold atoms with chirped laser pulses: Time-dependent calculations and analysis of the adiabatic transfer within a two-state model

This theoretical paper presents numerical calculations for the photoassociation of ultracold cesium atoms with a chirped laser pulse and a detailed analysis of the results. In contrast with earlier work, the initial state is represented by a stationary continuum wave function. In the chosen example, it is shown that an important population transfer is achieved to {approx_equal}15 vibrational levels in the vicinity of the v=98 bound level in the external well of the 0{sub g}{sup -}(6s+6p{sub 3/2}) potential. Such levels lie in the energy range swept by the instantaneous frequency of the pulse, thus defining a 'photoassociation window'. Levels outside this window may be significantly excited during the pulse, but no population remains there after the pulse. Finally, the population transfer to the last vibrational levels of the ground a {sup 3}{sigma}{sub u}{sup +}(6s+6s) state is significant, making stable molecules. The results are interpreted in the framework of a two-state model as an adiabatic inversion mechanism, efficient only within the photoassociation window. The large value found for the photoassociation rate suggests promising applications. The present chirp has been designed in view of creating in the excited state a vibrational wave packet that is focusing at the barrier of the double-wellmore » potential. « less
A multi-agent system architecture for statistics managing and soccer forecasting

Prediction markets have substantially grown during the last years. In particular, sports forecasting is an important field of application. In this paper we present a new forecasting system oriented to sports. This proposal is a multi-agent system conformed by several intelligent and independent agents. The agents perform different complementary tasks. This heterogeneous approach provides a powerful collaboration environment that increases the accuracy of the predictions. We present the results of our experiments and show the promising preliminary results.
The importance of the disulfide bond in prion protein conversion

THE conversion of normal, protease sensitive prion protein (PrP-sen) to the abnormal protease-resistant form (PrP-res) is of central importance in the pathogenesis of scrapie and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. In the present study, the effects of reduction of the disulfide bond on the PrP-sen to PrP-res conversion in a cell-free system were examined. The addition of the disulfide reducing agent dithiothreitol inhibited the cell-free conversion reaction with an IC50of 2–2.5 mM. Separate pretreatment of either PrP-sen or PrP-res with dithiothreitol and an alkylating agent also inhibited the conversion reaction. Results of this study show that preservation of the disulfide bond is important in the conversion of PrP-sen to PrP-res.
Differentiation between hepatic cyst and hemangioma: Additive value of breath‐hold, multisection fluid‐attenuated inversion‐recovery magnetic resonance imaging using half‐Fourier acquisition single‐shot turbo‐spin‐echo sequence

To evaluate the additive value of breath‐hold, multisection fluid‐attenuated inversion‐recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using half‐Fourier acquisition single‐shot turbo‐spin‐echo (HASTE) sequence as supplements to moderately and heavily T2‐weighted fast‐spin‐echo (FSE) sequences in differentiating hepatic cyst from hemangioma.
Reliability analysis of hybrid energy systems: Case study of Davutpasa Campus

In recent years, sustainable and clean renewable energy resources are widely used instead of fossil fuel energy resources in electrical energy generation systems. Especially, wind and solar energy conversion systems are utilized together in stand-alone systems. In this study, reliability analysis of a hybrid system installed in Davutpasa Campus of Yildiz Technical University is investigated. The system includes a wind turbine, PV panels, a hybrid charge regulator, a MPPT charge controller, an inverter, battery group and loads. Reliability indexes are calculated for analyzed system. The obtained results are examined and presented in this paper.
An Expert View on the Role of Complementary Assets for the Adoption of Smart Home Platforms

Smart home (SH) products and services aim to enhance the comfort, convenience, security, entertainment, health, education and communication of tenants and their guests enabled by information technology platforms. Despite ongoing waves of enthusiasm, the SH market has remained a niche for more than three decades. At the same time, recent forecast expect the market to grow at high rates in the upcoming years as various global players, like Google, Apple, AT&T, Cisco and Samsung, are lining up with own SH platform initiatives. Accounting for the multi-sidedness of the market, we employ a platform ecosystem perspective to investigate the role of complementary assets for SH adoption by consumers and firms. Based on interviews with 25 experts from 22 companies, our qualitative content analysis reveals and prioritizes complementary goods, sales channels, brand image, expertise, support infrastructure, operational footprint and financial resources as critical complementary assets. Further, we provide managerial implications for platform sponsors regarding the affiliation with complementary suppliers, the legitimacy of sponsorship, platform openness as well as on platform envelopment.
An investigation into the clinical utility of ipsilateral/ contralateral asymmetries in bone-conduction auditory steady-state responses

Abstract Objective: To determine whether ipsilateral/contralateral asymmetries in the bone-conduction (BC) ASSR are robust enough in infants to be used clinically to isolate the test ear. Design: Retrospective investigation of three two-channel BC ASSR datasets. Subjects: Forty-eight adults (mean age 26.7 years), 49 infants (mean age 29.6 weeks). Methods: BC ASSR stimuli were presented as amplitude/frequency modulated sinusoidal tones with carrier frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz (−10 to 45 dB HL). Results: Infants showed greater differences in ipsilateral/contralateral mean amplitudes and phase delays for all experimental conditions compared to adults. Ninety percent of infants had ipsilateral/contralateral asymmetries at 500 and 4000 Hz (20–35 dB HL) using an “amplitude or phase delay” criterion, and at 4000 Hz (20–25 dB HL) using an “amplitude and phase delay” criterion. Conclusions: As ipsilateral/contralateral asymmetries are not consistently present for 1000- and 2000-Hz BC ASSRs in infants, clinical masking would be needed at these frequencies to isolate the test ear. For 500- and 4000-Hz BC ASSRs, the accuracy of using these asymmetries requires clinical confirmation in a group of infants with hearing loss.
Effect of surface BRDF of various land cover types on geostationary observations of tropospheric NO2

Abstract. We investigated the effect of surface reflectance anisotropy, bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), on satellite retrievals of tropospheric NO2. We assume the geometry of geostationary measurements over Tokyo, which is one of the worst air-polluted regions in East Asia. We calculated air mass factors (AMF) and box AMFs (BAMF) for tropospheric NO2 to evaluate the effect of BRDF by using the radiative transfer model SCIATRAN. To model the BRDF effect, we utilized the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products (MOD43B1 and MOD43B2), which provide three coefficients to express the RossThick–LiSparse reciprocal model, a semi-empirical and kernel-based model of BRDF. Because BRDF depends on the land cover type, we also utilized the High Resolution Land-Use and Land-Cover Map of the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS)/Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer type 2 (AVNIR-2), which classifies the ground pixels over Tokyo into six main types: water, urban, paddy, crop, deciduous forest, and evergreen forest. We first develop an empirical model of the three BRDF coefficients for each land cover type over Tokyo and then apply the model to the calculation of land-cover-type-dependent AMFs and BAMFs. Results show that the variability of AMF among the land types is up to several tens of percent, and if we neglect the reflectance anisotropy, the difference with AMFs based on BRDF reaches 10% or more. The evaluation of the BAMFs calculated shows that not considering BRDF will cause large errors if the concentration of NO2 is high close to the surface, although the importance of BRDF for AMFs decreases for large aerosol optical depth (AOD).
Determination of lead in capillary blood using a paper punched disc atomic absorption technique: Application to the supervision of lead workers

Cernik, A. A. , and Sayers, M. H. P. (1971). Brit. J. industr. Med.,28, 392-398. Determination of lead in capillary blood using a paper punched disc atomic absorption technique. Application to the supervision of lead workers. The presence of lead in blood is the most incontrovertible evidence of absorption but hitherto the need for venepuncture has limited its determination in the supervision of industrial workers. Micro-methods using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) have, however, made possible the development of a sufficiently reliable test using a drop of blood obtainable by ear prick for use in the field for screening purposes. A micro-sampling method by AAS is compared with a routine polarographic procedure (POL) using venous blood (corr. coeff. = 0·990). The pipetting of microlitres of blood can be eliminated by spotting the blood onto filter paper, allowing it to dry in air, and then using a punched-out standard disc of dried blood for analysis instead. Correlation of this method (PD) with the micro-sampling technique (AAS) is good (r=0·981). The PD method using capillary blood also correlates acceptably with the micromethod using venous blood (r = 0·913). A pilot field study using capillary blood estimated by the PD technique showed that with this method blood can be collected by ear prick in factories for monitoring workers in the lead industry, thus eliminating the need for routine venepuncture.
Task Variability in Autonomous Robots: Offline Learning for Online Performance

A problem faced by autonomous robots is that of achieving quick, efﬁcient operation in unseen variations of their tasks after experiencing a subset of these variations sampled ofﬂine at training time. We model the task variability in terms of a family of MDPs differing in transition dynamics and reward processes. In the case when it is not possible to experiment in the new world, e.g., in real-time situations, a policy for novel instances may be deﬁned by averaging over the policies of the ofﬂine instances. This would be suboptimal in the general case, and for this we propose an alternate model that draws on the methodology of hierarchical reinforcement learning, wherein we learn partial policies for partial goals (subtasks) in the ofﬂine MDPs, in the form of options, and we treat solving a novel MDP as one of sequential composition of partial policies. Our procedure utilises a modiﬁed version of option interruption for control switching where the interruption signal is acquired from ofﬂine experience. We also show that desirable performance advantages can be attained in situations where the task can be decomposed into concurrent subtasks, allowing us to devise an alternate control structure that emphasises ﬂexible switching and concurrent use of policy fragments. We demonstrate the utility of these ideas using example grid-world domains with variability in task.
Diagnosing mycobacterial lymphadenitis in children using fine needle aspiration biopsy: Cytomorphology, ZN staining and autofluorescence—Making more of less

Although the incidence of TB has stabilized or declined in most world regions, it is increasing in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean, fuelled by the HIV pandemic. More than 4,000 people died daily from TB‐related illnesses in 2005. TB is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in these developing countries, and there is an urgent need for rapid and definitive modalities for mycobacterial diagnosis in children. This prospective study in Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, evaluates the ability of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) to diagnose mycobacterial lymphadenitis in children, using cytomorphology, autofluorescence on Papanicolaou stained smears, Ziehl‐Nielsen (ZN) staining and/or culture. FNABs were performed on 200 children, and 25 (12.5%) aspirates were inadequate. Cultures were positive in 79/175 (45%); Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified in 61 and Mycobacterium bovis BCG in 18 cases. Using culture as the gold standard, the concordance of the different techniques was as follows: cytomorphology 70%, ZN staining 73%, and autofluorescence 68%. Using an alternative gold standard (culture positive and/or suggestive cytomorphology plus positive autofluorescence or ZN smear), the “true” diagnostic performance of the various techniques was as follows: cytomorphology—sensitivity 78%, specificity 91%, positive predictive value (PPV) 93%, ZN staining ‐ sensitivity 62%%, specificity 97%, PPV 97%; autofluorescence—sensitivity 67%, specificity 97%, PPV 97%; and culture—sensitivity 75%, specificity 100%, and PPV 100%. FNAB was shown to provide a rapid and definitive diagnosis in the majority of cases of suspected tuberculous lymphadenitis in children, based on cytomorphology and identification of the organism. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:245–251. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reproducibility of EEG‐MEG fusion source analysis of interictal spikes: Relevance in presurgical evaluation of epilepsy

Fusion of electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) data using maximum entropy on the mean method (MEM‐fusion) takes advantage of the complementarities between EEG and MEG to improve localization accuracy. Simulation studies demonstrated MEM‐fusion to be robust especially in noisy conditions such as single spike source localizations (SSSL). Our objective was to assess the reliability of SSSL using MEM‐fusion on clinical data. We proposed to cluster SSSL results to find the most reliable and consistent source map from the reconstructed sources, the so‐called consensus map. Thirty‐four types of interictal epileptic discharges (IEDs) were analyzed from 26 patients with well‐defined epileptogenic focus. SSSLs were performed on EEG, MEG, and fusion data and consensus maps were estimated using hierarchical clustering. Qualitative (spike‐to‐spike reproducibility rate, SSR) and quantitative (localization error and spatial dispersion) assessments were performed using the epileptogenic focus as clinical reference. Fusion SSSL provided significantly better results than EEG or MEG alone. Fusion found at least one cluster concordant with the clinical reference in all cases. This concordant cluster was always the one involving the highest number of spikes. Fusion yielded highest reproducibility (SSR EEG = 55%, MEG = 71%, fusion = 90%) and lowest localization error. Also, using only few channels from either modality (21EEG + 272MEG or 54EEG + 25MEG) was sufficient to reach accurate fusion. MEM‐fusion with consensus map approach provides an objective way of finding the most reliable and concordant generators of IEDs. We, therefore, suggest the pertinence of SSSL using MEM‐fusion as a valuable clinical tool for presurgical evaluation of epilepsy.
Research and Development Trend of Distributed MPC

We survey recent literature on distributed model predictive control (MPC) and discuss some correlative problems about distributed MPC. Firstly we give the principle of distributed control and characterize distributed MPC framework into three classes by different domains of application. Secondly recent research approaches are reviewed, including main methods of modeling subsystem models, the control problem decomposition, controller design and coordination schemes between controllers. Then the evolvements of system analysis approaches relatively are introduced, main problems and insufficiency of them are analyzed. Finally, future research orientations of distributed model predictive control are prospected.
Abnormal Expression of miR-21 and miR-95 in Cancer Stem-Like Cells is Associated with Radioresistance of Lung Cancer

This study demonstrated that miR-21 and miR-95 expression were significantly higher in the ALDH1+CD133+subpopulation than in the ALDH1―CD133― subpopulation of lung cancer cells. Combined delivery of anti-miR-21 and anti-miR-95 by calcium phosphate nanoparticles significantly inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft tumor model and sensitized radiotherapy. The anti-miRNAs significantly reduced miR-21 and miR-95 levels, increased PTEN, SNX1, and SGPP1 protein expression, but reduced Akt Ser473 and Thr308 phosphorylation. ALDH1+CD133+ subpopulation of NSCLC tumor cells confers radioresistance due to high expression of miR-21 and miR-95. Targeting inhibition of miR-21 and miR-95 can inhibit tumor growth through elevating PTEN, SNX1, and SGPP1 expression and inhibiting Akt phosphorylation.
Hybrid Indoor Human Localization System for Addressing the Issue of RSS Variation in Fingerprinting

Indoor localization is used in many applications like security, healthcare, location based services, and social networking. Fingerprinting-based methods are widely used for indoor localization. But received signal strength (RSS) variation due to device diversity and change of conditions in the localization environment (e.g., distribution of furniture, people presence and movement, and opening and closing of doors) induce a significant localization error. To overcome this, we propose a hybrid indoor localization system using radio frequency (RF) and pyroelectric infrared (PIR) sensors. Our localization system has two stages. In the first stage, the zone of the target person is identified by PIR sensors. In the second stage, we apply K-nearest neighbor (K-NN) algorithm to the fingerprints within the zone identified and estimate position. Zone based processing of fingerprints will exclude deviated fingerprints because of RSS variation. We proposed two localization methods: Proposed_1 and Proposed_2 which use signal strength difference (SSD) and RSS, respectively. Simulation results show that the 0.8-meter accuracy of Proposed_1 achieves 84% and Proposed_2 achieves 65%, while traditional fingerprinting and SSD are 46% and 28%, respectively.
The pathogenesis of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in the development of cervical cancer: are HPV vaccines a safe and effective management strategy?

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been linked with cervical cancer. Some medical professionals see it as the determining causal agent and therefore promote vaccination as an effective prevention strategy. However, the biological plausibility of a causal theory requires that the incidence of the causal agent varies with the incidence and mortality of the disease. Yet the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer do not vary with the incidence of infection with HPV strains 16 and 18; the strains covered by the HPV vaccine. Though HPV infection is a necessary precursor to most cervical cancer, most high-risk HPV infections (with one of 15 or more high‐risk strains) do not progress to cervical cancer and HPV infection with any strain is not sufficient on its own to induce cervical cancer. This evidence supports the conclusion that environmental and lifestyle factors are a determining cause in conjunction with HPV in the progression to cervical cancer. Clinical trials for the HPV vaccine did not attempt to observe the vaccine preventing any cervical cancer. Instead the trials looked for pre-cancerous lesions in women 16 ‐ 26 years of age. This was an inadequate surrogate for cervical cancer because studies show that most lesions in this demographic clear quickly without requiring treatment. Preventing infection from HPV strains 16 and 18 also assumes these women will not get cervical cancer from infection with one of the many other high risk strains that are prevalent. Therefore the decision to use an HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer was based upon circumstantial evidence: assumptions. HPV vaccines have been promoted to women on selective information. This vaccine is an HPV vaccine not a cervical cancer vaccine. There is inconclusive evidence it will reduce any cervical cancer and the long ‐term risks of using this vaccine have not been determined.