Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Characteristics of Vascular Growth in VX2 Tumor Measured by MRI and Micro-CT

Blood supply is crucial for rapid growth of a malignant tumor; medical imaging can play an important role in evaluating the vascular characterstics of tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and micro-computed tomography (CT) are able to detect tumors and measure blood volumes of microcirculation in tissue. In this study, we used MR imaging and micro-CT to assess the microcirculation in a VX2 tumor model in rabbits. MRI characterization was performed using the intravascular contrast agent Clariscan (NC100150-Injection); micro-CT with Microfil was used to directly depict blood vessels with diameters as low as 17 um in tissue. Relative blood volume fraction (rBVF) in the tumor rim and blood vessel density (rBVD) over the whole tumor was calculated using the two imaging methods. Our study indicates that rBVF is negatively related to the volume of the tumor measured by ultrasound (R = 0.90). rBVF in the tissue of a VX2 tumor measured by MRI in vivo was qualitatively consistent with the rBVD demonstrated by micro-CT in vitro (R = 0.97). The good correlation between the two methods indicates that MRI studies are potentially valuable for assessing characteristics or tumor vascularity and for assessing response to therapy noninvasively.
Do High-Growth Entrepreneurial Firms Have a Specific System of Governance?

From a meta-model linking a firm’s corporate governance system to managerial discretion (Charreaux, 2008), this article presents a specific corporate governance model for the high growth entrepreneurial firm. A survey of the empirical literature on the governance of entrepreneurial firms confirms the plausibility of this theoretical framework, especially with respect to the cognitive dimension of corporate governance.
Multimoving Human Sperm Tracking Using CGM-CS Approach and Comparative Analysis for Proper Diagnosis in Infertility

In this paper, we introduced an algorithm for tracking and detecting multi moving human sperm using Course Grained Multi Threading Cam Shift (CGM-CS) approach in a microscopic human sperm moving video. This method is fully based on adaptive Cam Shift algorithm using color model. This algorithm is design to track and detect the sperms by using multi threading concept. The multi threading concept is compared continuously to its mean value in the successive frame in the appropriate video. The result obtained by the proposed method is also compared with the Maximum Intensity Region (MIR) algorithm, Lukas-Kanade (LK) algorithm and Kernel Based (KB) algorithm. Experimental results demonstrate that the CGM-CS algorithm is capable of tracking the sperm with high detection rate with minimum time taken as compared to existing approaches.
DRX and QoS-aware energy-efficient uplink scheduling for long term evolution

Discontinuous reception (DRX) is supported in 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) to reduce power consumption of user equipments (UEs). Power conservation achieved via DRX can be further increased with a packet scheduler that takes DRX states into consideration. Thus, in addition to quality of service (QoS) and fairness factors, which have been the main focus so far in scheduler design, energy efficiency must also be considered in scheduling. In this paper, we introduce a DRX and QoS-aware uplink packet scheduling algorithm (DQEPS) for LTE networks. One of the main reasons of poor DRX utilization is the continuous uplink packet traffic generated by applications working in the background. Accordingly, we first layout the cumulative distribution functions (CDF) of inter-packet arrival durations constructed by inspecting uplink packet transmission for various applications. Then, we form metrics for each bearer using these CDFs along with the DRX states, QoS parameters, channel conditions, and the buffer status of the bearers. Using these metrics, we develop a scheduling algorithm for the uplink, which aims to maximize power conservation of DRX mechanism by scheduling packets in a way that tries to minimize ON duration, while meeting the QoS requirements. Performance evaluations indicate that DQEPS reduces power consumption significantly compared to the previously proposed methods for LTE.
An automatic data mining authority control system: A first approach

In this paper we present an automatic authority control system for raw noisy web data based on Data Mining. We use a hierarchical clustering approach with a special distance measure combination of three parameters: author name similarity, token similarity and co-authors similarity, each one defined in a specific way. A preliminary experimental study has been performed with real data obtained from CiteSeerX.
Translational Studies in Neurorehabilitation: From Bench to Bedside

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in the western world. Consensus has built over the last few years regarding the usefulness of training to improve motor disability resulting from stroke. Until recently, there were no accepted strategies to enhance the beneficial effects of training. However, the combination of basic and clinical science data over the last few years is changing this picture, and is highly relevant to the field of neurorehabiliation. Human studies in both healthy individuals and patients after brain damage demonstrate as a proof of principle that somatosensory input, cortical stimulation, interhemispheric interactions, and pharmacologic interventions can modulate cortical plasticity in neurorehabilitation after stroke. These findings strongly suggest directions in the development of novel strategies to enhance training effects on motor recovery. The intent of this review is to describe these strategies, the basic science principles on which they are based, and the clinical applications that have emerged so far.
Removing depth map coding distortion by using post filter set

We propose a fast post filter set for removing coding distortions of depth maps. Lossy coding generates various distortions, such as mosquito and block noises, edge blurs, and over quantization. These distortions seriously deteriorate image quality of synthesized views in free viewpoint image rendering. Thus, we propose the post filter set which includes median filter, Gaussian filter, min-max blur remove filer, and binary weighted range filter to remove these noises. In experiments, we use various codecs, which are JPEG, JPEG-LS, JPEG2000, and H.264/AVC, for depth map coding, and synthesize views with the coded depth maps. Experimental results show that our post filter set can improves every codecs performance. Improvement of PSNR is larger than the conventional post filter, and especially JPEG is large. The computational time of the filter set, which is implemented by C++ with SIMD optimization, is within 5.2 ms at high bit rate cases, and within 15.3 ms at low bit rate cases.
Effectiveness of an exercise program on postural control in frail older adults

Background Exercise programs have proved to be helpful for frail older adults. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an exercise program with a focus on postural control exercises in frail older adults. Method Twenty-six older adults (76.7 ± 4.9 years) deemed clinically stable, chosen from the Falls Unit, University Hospital Mútua Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain, participated in this single-group study. Volunteers’ postural control was evaluated using the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and the Guralnik test battery, and their static and dynamic posturography were evaluated using the Synapsys Posturography System®. These evaluations were performed before and after the intervention program, which included an educational session and two weekly 1-hour sessions over an 8-week period of stretching exercises, proprioception, balance, and motor coordination. Data were analyzed using the Student’s t-test or the Wilcoxon test, with a significance level of 5%. Results The TUG and Guralnik tests did not show significant differences. Concerning static posturography, there was improvement in the base of support (P = 0.006), anteroposterior displacement with eyes open (P = 0.02) and closed (P = 0.03), and the total amplitude of the center of pressure with eyes closed (P = 0.02). Regarding dynamic posturography, a decrease of the oscillation speed in the anteroposterior direction (P = 0.01) was observed in individuals with their eyes open. Conclusion The program used in this study was safe and was able to promote some improvement in postural control, especially in the anteroposterior direction and in the base of support. However, it is noteworthy that further improvements could be obtained from a program of longer duration and greater frequency.
Advances in 3D cell culture technologies enabling tissue‐like structures to be created in vitro

Research in mammalian cell biology often relies on developing in vitro models to enable the growth of cells in the laboratory to investigate a specific biological mechanism or process under different test conditions. The quality of such models and how they represent the behavior of cells in real tissues plays a critical role in the value of the data produced and how it is used. It is particularly important to recognize how the structure of a cell influences its function and how co‐culture models can be used to more closely represent the structure of real tissue. In recent years, technologies have been developed to enhance the way in which researchers can grow cells and more readily create tissue‐like structures. Here we identify the limitations of culturing mammalian cells by conventional methods on two‐dimensional (2D) substrates and review the popular approaches currently available that enable the development of three‐dimensional (3D) tissue models in vitro. There are now many ways in which the growth environment for cultured cells can be altered to encourage 3D cell growth. Approaches to 3D culture can be broadly categorized into scaffold‐free or scaffold‐based culture systems, with scaffolds made from either natural or synthetic materials. There is no one particular solution that currently satisfies all requirements and researchers must select the appropriate method in line with their needs. Using such technology in conjunction with other modern resources in cell biology (e.g. human stem cells) will provide new opportunities to create robust human tissue mimetics for use in basic research and drug discovery. Application of such models will contribute to advancing basic research, increasing the predictive accuracy of compounds, and reducing animal usage in biomedical science.
Effects of microclimate and oviposition timing on prediapause larval survival of the Bay checkerspot butterfly, Euphydryas editha bayensis (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

We tested empirically whether microclimate and relative timing of oviposition affected prediapause larval survival and development rates in the federally threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly, Euphydryas editha bayensis (Nymphalidae). Most mortality in Bay checkerspot butterflies occurs among prediapause larvae. Because phenology of the butterfly's larval hostplant, Plantago erecta, has been thought to drive prediapause larval survival patterns, we also tested whether P. erecta senescence and density over time varied among microclimatic zones. We found that microclimate had a significant effect on P. erecta phenology. Changes in density of edible P. erecta among microclimatic zones were out of phase temporally, but otherwise were similar. In the year of our study, neither microclimate nor oviposition date tended to affect prediapause larval survival, but both variables had significant effects on prediapause larval development rates. Because temperature and precipitation patterns in the butterfly's environment vary from year to year, whether microclimate and oviposition date significantly affect prediapause larval survival and devel- opment also may vary annually. At least in some years, however, senescence of P. erecta may not cause prediapause larval mortality. Our results support the hypothesis that topographic heterogeneity is critical to the long-term viability of the Bay checkerspot butterfly as well as other species that inhabit temporally variable environments.
Recognizing Unordered Depth-First Search Trees of an Undirected Graph in Parallel

Let G be an undirected graph and T be a spanning tree of G. In this paper, an efficient parallel algorithm is proposed for determining whether T is an unordered depth-first search tree of G. The proposed algorithm runs in O(m/p+log m) time using p processors on the EREW PRAM, where m is the number of edges contained in G. It is cost-optimal and achieves linear speedup.
Time Delay Estimation in Room Acoustic Environments: An Overview

Time delay estimation has been a research topic of significant practical importance in many fields (radar, sonar, seismology, geophysics, ultrasonics, hands-free communications, etc.). It is a first stage that feeds into subsequent processing blocks for identifying, localizing, and tracking radiating sources. This area has made remarkable advances in the past few decades, and is continuing to progress, with an aim to create processors that are tolerant to both noise and reverberation. This paper presents a systematic overview of the state-of-the-art of time-delay-estimation algorithms ranging from the simple cross-correlation method to the advanced blind channel identification based techniques. We discuss the pros and cons of each individual algorithm, and outline their inherent relationships. We also provide experimental results to illustrate their performance differences in room acoustic environments where reverberation and noise are commonly encountered.
A robust method for automatic emotion detection from face characteristics active shape model meets Support Vector Machines

This research is about development of an intelligent system that can detect human emotions by observing the facial characteristics. The problem is addressed employing Active Shape Models (ASM) structured with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. We define 4 ratios from features in the human face, using FACS Action Units to classify emotions.
Performance Simulation of Runtime Reconfigurable Software Architectures

Resource efficient computing of software systems is increasing in importance in software development. While resource efficiency is mainly an internal quality attribute, the system performance is an external quality attribute, visible to system users. In order to provide an adequate system performance, i.e., assure short response times to user requests, the necessary hardware capacity is commonly provided in a static and pessimistic way. This thesis is the context of a self-adaptive approach for online capacity management for component-based software systems, called SLAstic. SLAstic proposes a set of reconfiguration operations to adapt the system capacity to the current workload of the system, thus optimizing the resource efficiency while satisfying the system's performance objectives. In this work we present SLAstic.SIM, a simulator for runtime reconfigurable, component based software architectures, supporting the reconfiguration operations proposed by the SLAstic framework. SLAstic.SIM is able to simulate Palladio Component Models (PCM) extended by information on a system's reconfiguration capabilities. Our evaluation yields that SLAstic.SIM is a suitable simulator for performance evaluation of runtime reconfigurable component based software architectures model with PCM and can thus be used to evaluate the SLAstic approach for online capacity management in a simulative environment.
Discrete Cleavage Motifs of Constitutive and Immunoproteasomes Revealed by Quantitative Analysis of Cleavage Products

Proteasomes are the main proteases responsible for cytosolic protein degradation and the production of major histocompatibility complex class I ligands. Incorporation of the interferon γ–inducible subunits low molecular weight protein (LMP)-2, LMP-7, and multicatalytic endopeptidase complex–like (MECL)-1 leads to the formation of immunoproteasomes which have been associated with more efficient class I antigen processing. Although differences in cleavage specificities of constitutive and immunoproteasomes have been observed frequently, cleavage motifs have not been described previously. We now report that cells expressing immunoproteasomes display a different peptide repertoire changing the overall cytotoxic T cell–specificity as indicated by the observation that LMP-7−/− mice react against cells of LMP-7 wild-type mice. Moreover, using the 436 amino acid protein enolase-1 as an unmodified model substrate in combination with a quantitative approach, we analyzed a large collection of peptides generated by either set of proteasomes. Inspection of the amino acids flanking proteasomal cleavage sites allowed the description of two different cleavage motifs. These motifs finally explain recent findings describing differential processing of epitopes by constitutive and immunoproteasomes and are important to the understanding of peripheral T cell tolerization/activation as well as for effective vaccine development.
The Role of Monetary Policy in the New Keynesian Model: Evidence from Vietnam

This paper re-designs the New Keynesian model developed by Ireland (2004) and then uses the Vietnamese data from January 1995 to December 2012 to estimate the model's parameters. The empirical results show that the State Bank of Vietnam had been more aggressive as well as more responsive to aggregate fluctuations in the period before August 2000 than in the latter period. Thus, this change in the policy stance could be a potential reason for the declining importance of monetary policy in generating movements in output growth, inflation, interest rate, and the output gap across the subsamples. Another notable finding is the dominant role of the cost-push shock in explaining fluctuations in inflation, interest rate, and the output gap, leading to a policy implication that more attention should be devoted to developing substitute and complement industries so as to mitigate negative effects of the cost-push shocks by reducing the degree of dependence on imports.
Optimized FIPS 140 statistical tests IP core embedded in flash based actel FPGA

We present the FPGA-optimized implementation of the statistical tests for evaluating sufficient quality of the embedded True Random Number Generator output. Tests are fully compatible the FIPS 140 standard and are implemented in the Actel Fusion FPGA. Hardware can run up to 109 MHz clock frequency and can process one random bit per one clock period. Whole implementation consumes 1345 logic tiles including interface to ARM7TDMI soft-core embedded processor.
Financing Universities In Developing Countries

This book addresses the financing crisis facing universities in most parts of the developing world, and in particular with the role that reform may play in easing these financing pressures. The primary focus of the discussion is on degree granting universities, although most of the messages pertain to other institutions as well. The root of the financial crisis in higher education in many developing countries lies in the combination of a dramatic, and continuing, growth in student numbers - the outcome of often imposed liberal admissions policies to ensure wide access to higher education - unmatched by public expenditures on higher education. While low and middle-income countries experienced rapid student enrollment growth in the 1980s, real public expenditures on higher education fell. This erosion in real resources available to universities has stemmed from conditions of general economic hardship ruling in many developing countries, combined in particular with parsimony in government budgets. Policy environments have not been conducive to the promotion of greater internal efficiency within universities nor have they facilitated in these countries the development of alternative, non-government, sources of funding.
MedicationChecker: Development of a Formally Verified Android Application with EventB2SQL

In this work, we present a case study on the development of a formally verified Android application for checking medication interactions and contraindications. Combining formal methods and Model-View-Controller development methodologies, we created an Event-B model for the application, verified that no patient could be prescribed a medication that had an interaction or contraindication for them, generated code for the model and part of the user interface with the EventB2SQL tool, and then implemented the controller and the rest of the view by hand. We describe our experience in employing this methodology, enhancements to the EventB2SQL tool, and some notes on the performance and usability of the resulting application.
Spindly/CCDC99 Is Required for Efficient Chromosome Congression and Mitotic Checkpoint Regulation

Human Spindly is required for kinetochore localization of cytoplasmic dynein, which is essential for poleward movement of chromosomes and for kinetochore protein streaming. In addition, Spindly controls the activity and kinetochore abundance of the RZZ complex, which contributes to microtubule attachment and mitotic checkpoint activity.
Simplification of a light-based model for estimating final internode length in greenhouse cucumber canopies.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Light quantity and quality affect internode lengths in cucumber (Cucumis sativus), whereby leaf area and the optical properties of the leaves mainly control light quality within a cucumber plant community. This modelling study aimed at providing a simple, non-destructive method to predict final internode lengths (FILs) using light quantity and leaf area data. METHODS Several simplifications of a light quantity and quality sensitive model for estimating FILs in cucumber have been tested. The direct simplifications substitute the term for the red : far-red (R : FR) ratios, by a term for (a) the leaf area index (LAI, m(2) m(-2)) or (b) partial LAI, the cumulative leaf area per m(2) ground, where leaf area per m(2) ground is accumulated from the top of each plant until a number, n, of leaves per plant is reached. The indirect simplifications estimate the input R : FR ratio based on partial leaf area and plant density. KEY RESULTS In all models, simulated FILs were in line with the measured FILs over various canopy architectures and light conditions, but the prediction quality varied. The indirect simplification based on leaf area of ten leaves revealed the best fit with measured data. Its prediction quality was even higher than of the original model. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that for vertically trained cucumber plants, leaf area data can substitute local light quality data for estimating FIL data. In unstressed canopies, leaf area over the upper ten ranks seems to represent the feedback of the growing architecture on internode elongation with respect to light quality. This highlights the role of this domain of leaves as the primary source for the specific R : FR signal controlling the final length of an internode and could therefore guide future research on up-scaling local processes to the crop level.
Implementation with Interdependent Valuations (Second Version)

It is well-known that the ability of the Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) mechanism to implement efficient outcomes for private value choice problems does not extend to interdependent value problems. When an agentâ€™s type affects other agentsâ€™ utilities, it may not be incentive compatible for him to truthfully reveal his type when faced with CGV payments. We show that when agents are informationally small, there exist small modifications to CGV that restore incentive compatibility. We further show that truthful revelation is an approximate ex post equilibrium. Lastly, we show that in replicated settings aggregate payments