Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temperature monitoring in fat with MRI

The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that fast spin echo T1‐weighted images can be used to quantify the temperature in fat during thermal therapy in vivo. An MR compatible positioning device was used to manipulate focused ultrasound transducers in an MRI scanner. This system was used to sonicate fat tissue around the kidneys of 12 rabbits at various power levels for 10 to 20 sec. The scan parameters of T1‐weighted fast spin echo (FSE) sequence were varied to optimize signal intensity characteristics while maintaining short scan times. An invasive optical probe was used to calibrate the temperature related signal intensity changes. For the T1‐weighted FSE sequence, the signal intensity decreased with the temperature elevation at the rate of 0.97 ± 0.02%/oC. The single focused transducer produced a contrast‐to‐noise ratio more than 10 at power levels below the tissue damage threshold. The signal intensity was linearly dependent on the power, despite the measured temperatures being well above the coagulation threshold. This study demonstrates that T1‐weighted FSE MRI sequences can be used to quantify the temperature elevation in fat in vivo during short focused ultrasound exposures. This can be very important for breast tumor surgery, fat ablation, and for treating deep seated tumors through superficial fat layers. Magn Reson Med 43:901–904, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Space-time coding for distributed antenna arrays

Recently, there has been significant interest in employing space-time codes in a distributed fashion, where a codeword is spread across antennas at large geographical separations. In such situations, the differences in path delays between disparate transmit antennas and the receiver often requires the consideration of space-time codes that are robust to such offsets. In this paper, this problem is motivated from the application of public safety radio. The optimal receiver is derived, and a number of codes are obtained. Finally, a matched filter bound analysis and numerical results are presented to demonstrate the performance gains of the derived codes relative to other approaches.
Planar Array Synthesis for Optimal Microwave Power Transmission With Multiple Constraints

This letter describes a synthesis method of uniformly excited, unequally spaced planar array with maximum beam collection efficiency based on the chaotic particle swarm optimization algorithm. Here, the multiple optimization constrains include the number of array elements, the aperture, the minimum element spacing, and the maximum sidelobe level outside the receiving region. Through this method, feeding network of the array becomes simple and compact. Effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by comparing the simulation results obtained in this letter to those reported in the state-of-the-art literature.
Design and Analysis of Opaque Signatures

Zusammenfassung) Digital signatures were introduced to guarantee the authenticity and integrity of the underlying messages. A digital signature scheme comprises the key generation, the signature, and the verification algorithms. The key generation algorithm creates the signing and the verifying keys, called also the signer’s private and public keys respectively. The signature algorithm, which is run by the signer, produces a signature on the input message. Finally, the verification algorithm, run by anyone who knows the signer’s public key, checks whether a purported signature on some message is valid or not. The last property, namely the universal verification of digital signatures is undesirable in situations where the signed data is commercially or personally sensitive. Therefore, mechanisms which share most properties with digital signatures except for the universal verification were invented to respond to the aforementioned need; we call such mechanisms “opaque signatures”. In this thesis, we study the signatures where the verification cannot be achieved without the cooperation of a specific entity, namely the signer in case of undeniable signatures, or the confirmer in case of confirmer signatures; we make three main contributions. We first study the relationship between two security properties important for public key encryption, namely data privacy and key privacy. Our study is motivated by the fact that opaque signatures involve always an encryption layer that ensures their opacity. The properties required for this encryption vary according to whether we want to protect the identity (i.e. the key) of the signer or hide the validity of the signature. Therefore, it would be convenient to use existing work about the encryption scheme in order to derive one notion from the other. Next, we delve into the generic constructions of confirmer signatures from basic cryptographic primitives, e.g. digital signatures, encryption, or commitment schemes. In fact, generic constructions give easy-to-understand and easy-to-prove schemes, however, this convenience is often achieved at the expense of efficiency. In this contribution, which constitutes the core of this thesis, we first analyze the already existing constructions; our study concludes that the popular generic constructions of confirmer signatures necessitate strong security assumptions on the building blocks, which impacts negatively the efficiency of the resulting signatures. Next, we show that a small change in these constructions makes these assumptions drop drastically, allowing as a result constructions with instantiations that compete with the dedicated realizations of these signatures. Finally, we revisit two early undeniable signatures which were proposed with a conjectural security. We disprove the claimed security of the first scheme, and we provide a fix to it in order to achieve strong security properties. Next, we upgrade the second scheme so that it supports a
Pro‐ and non‐coagulant forms of non‐cell‐bound tissue factor in vivo

Summary. Background: Concentrations of non‐cell‐bound (NCB; soluble) tissue factor (TF) are elevated in blood collecting in the pericardial cavity of patients during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Previously, we reported microparticles supporting thrombin generation in such blood samples. In this study we investigated the extent of microparticle association of the NCB form of TF in pericardial and systemic blood, and whether this microparticle‐associated form is active in thrombin generation compared with non‐microparticle‐bound, (fluid‐phase) TF. Methods: Systemic and pericardial blood samples were collected before and during CPB from six patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Microparticles were isolated by differential centrifugation and their thrombin‐generating capacity measured in a chromogenic assay. Microparticle‐associated and fluid‐phase forms of NCB TF were measured by ELISA. Microparticle‐associated TF was visualized by flow cytometry. Results: In pericardial samples, 45–77% of NCB TF was microparticle‐associated, and triggered factor VII (FVII)‐mediated thrombin generation in vitro. Microparticles from systemic samples triggered thrombin generation independently of FVII, except at the end of bypass (P = 0.003). The fluid‐phase form of TF did not initiate thrombin generation. Both forms of NCB TF were, at least in part, antigenically cryptic. Conclusions: We demonstrate the occurrence of two forms of NCB TF. One form, which is microparticle‐associated, supports thrombin generation via FVII. The other form, which is fluid‐phase, does not stimulate thrombin formation. We hypothesize that the microparticle‐associated form of NCB TF may be actively involved in postoperative thromboembolic processes when pericardial blood is returned into the patients.
Memory and Dissociative Tendencies

Abstract Con cep tual and meth od olog i cal ap proaches from cog nitive sci ence have in creas ingly been ap plied to re search ex am in ing the rela tion be tween trauma, dis so ci a tion and ba sic cog ni tive func tion ing. The cur rent study rep li cates and ex tends re cent re search that ex am ined perfor mance in a di rected for get ting task us ing PTSD and trauma his tory as the group ing vari ables (McNally, Metzger, Lasko, Clancy, & Pitman, 1998) to col lege stu dents who were clas si fied as high or low dissociators based on their per for mance on the Dissociative Ex pe ri ences Scale (DES: Bernstein & Putnam, 1986). High and low DES par tic i pants' per formance was ex am ined un der two attentional con texts: a se lec tive at ten tion con di tion and two new di vided at ten tion con di tions (based on DePrince & Freyd, 1999). Dif fer ences be tween the groups were re vealed when a di vided at ten tion ver sion of the task was em ployed. Con sis tent with DePrince and Freyd (1999), when di vided at ten tion was re quired, high DES par tic i pants re called fewer trauma and more neu tral w o r d s than did low DES par tic i pants, who showed the op po site pat tern.
Lower Bounded Control-Lyapunov Functions

The well known Brockett condition - a topological obstruction to the existence of smooth stabilizing feedback laws - has engendered a large body of work on discontinuous feedback stabilization. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a class of control-Lyapunov function from which it is possible to specify a (possibly discontinuous) stabilizing feedback law. For control-affine systems with unbounded controls Sontag has described a Lyapunov pair which gives rise to an explicit stabilizing feedback law smooth away from the origin - Sontag's "universal construction" of Artstein's Theorem. In this work we introduce the more general "lower bounded control-Lyapunov function" and a "universal formula" for nonaffine systems. Our "universal formula" is a static state feedback which is measurable and locally bounded but possibly discontinuous. Thus, for the corresponding closed loop system, the classical notion of solution need not apply. To deal with this situation we use the generalized solution due to Filippov.
Bayesian comparison of spatially regularised general linear models

In previous work (Penny et al., [2005]: Neuroimage 24:350–362) we have developed a spatially regularised General Linear Model for the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data that allows for the characterisation of regionally specific effects using Posterior Probability Maps (PPMs). In this paper we show how it also provides an approximation to the model evidence. This is important as it is the basis of Bayesian model comparison and provides a unified framework for Bayesian Analysis of Variance, Cluster of Interest analyses and the principled selection of signal and noise models. We also provide extensions that implement spatial and anatomical regularisation of noise process parameters. Hum Brain Mapp 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Extensions to a score test for genetic linkage with identity by descent data

Genetic analysis aims to determine which underlying genes affect traits, their chromosomal locations and variants, and, ultimately, their modes of action at the biochemical level. Linkage analysis is an initial step in elucidating the genetic mechanisms affecting a trait of interest. This paper reviews genetic linkage analysis, with an emphasis on the score test approach developed by Dudoit and Speed [8, 10]. Two extensions of the test under current investigation are also presented: use of the test with larger sets of relatives than pairs, and generalization to allow for missing DNA identity by descent (IBD) information.
A simple real-time image cloning algorithm based on modified mean-value coordinates

Image cloning which could copy the source image and “paste“ it into the target image seamlessly is one of an important digital image manipulation technique. Traditional methods to cope with this problem were to analyze image information in gradient domain according to solving Poisson equations. As a result, existing methods need high computational cost and memory usage which hinder them from real-time applications with high-resolution images. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to cope with image cloning problem based on modified mean-value coordinates technique so that we transform the problem into an image interpolation procedure which is very simple and easy to implement without diminishing the performances. Furthermore, we use GPGPU (General Purpose Computing on Graphics Processing Unit) technique to accelerate the proposed algorithm and achieve real-time performances with the cloned region whose size is about 1 mega pixels.
Comparing elicited gestures to designer-created gestures for selection above a multitouch surface

Many new technologies are emerging that make it possible to extend interaction into the three-dimensional space directly above or in front of a multitouch surface. Such techniques allow people to control these devices by performing hand gestures in the air. In this paper, we present a method of extending interactions into the space above a multitouch surface using only a standard diffused surface illumination (DSI) device, without any additional sensors. Then we focus on interaction techniques for activating graphical widgets located in this above-surface space. We have conducted a study to elicit gestures for above-table widget activation. A follow-up study was conducted to evaluate and compare these gestures based on their performance. Our results showed that there was no clear agreement on what gestures should be used to select objects in mid-air, and that performance was better when using gestures that were chosen less frequently, but predicted to be better by the designers, as opposed to those most frequently suggested by participants.
Network-Harmonized Scheduling for multi-application sensor networks

Support for multiple concurrent applications is an important enabler for promoting the use of sensor networks as an infrastructure technology, where multiple users can deploy their applications independently. In such a scenario, different applications on a node may transmit packets at distinct periods, causing the node to change from sleep to active state more often, which negatively impacts the energy consumption of the whole network. In this paper, we propose to batch the transmissions together by defining a harmonizing period to align the transmissions from multiple applications at periodic boundaries. This harmonizing period is then leveraged to design a protocol that coordinates the transmissions across nodes and provides real-time guarantees in a multi-hop network. This protocol, which we call Network- Harmonized Scheduling (NHS), takes advantage of the periodicity introduced to assign offsets to nodes at different hop-levels such that collisions are always avoided, and deterministic behavior is enforced. NHS is a light-weight and distributed protocol that does not require any global state-keeping mechanism. We implemented NHS on the Contiki operating system and show how it can achieve a duty-cycle comparable to an ideal TDMA approach.
Adverse Acculturation Conditions and Well-Being of Mine Employees in the North-West Province

The frequency of intercultural contact in the South African workplace has increased after 1994. We investigated relations between adverse acculturation conditions, separation and well-being in Black and White miners. We utilized a cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 241 Black and White miners. We then considered the effect of race in the experiences of miners and also used multigroup path analysis to determine whether identical relations between multiculturalism, work success, and wellbeing were could be found for Blacks and Whites. Mainstream segregation demands, discrimination, subtle racism and separation were strongly related to ill-health symptoms, but not to work success. In addition, these relationships were identical for Blacks and Whites. Separation fully mediated the relation between segregation and subtle racism and ill-health. Adverse conditions matters for ill-health and well-being and therefore warrant the attention of supervisors in the workplace. Future studies should consider the role of multiculturalism in well-being.
The Relationship Between the Mid-Point and Most-Prominent Point on the Labial Curve of Upper Anterior Teeth

Objectives: This study investigates coincidence of the most-prominent point and the mid-point on upper anterior teeth in relation to the use of straight-wire appliances. Materials and Methods: Alginate impressions of the upper jaw were obtained from forty Caucasian patients. Impressions were cast using hard dental stone. The teeth on each upper study model (canine to canine) were marked along the facial axis of the clinical crown (FACC line) then separated using a very thin diamond disc. Each tooth was mounted on a glass slide using sticky wax and cut into two halves down this FACC line. Images were acquired of the sections and a straight line connecting the gingival margin and the incisal edge was drawn on the flat cut surfaces (now the proximal crosssectional view). From this line, perpendicular lines were drawn at the mid-point and most prominent point to the labial curve. Coincidence rate was calculated or whether the most prominent point was gingival or incisal to the mid-point. Results: Approximately 80% of upper central incisors had coincident mid- and most-prominent points. Upper lateral incisors and canine teeth had approximately 50% coincidence. The vast majority of cases without coincidence showed the most-prominent point incisal to the mid-point for all tooth kinds with just 5% or less gingival. Conclusions: The high proportions of non-coincident examples found suggest that clinicians should be aware of individual variation and that this may possibly effect 3rd order alignment.
Primacy of Affect Over Cognition in Determining Adult Men's Condom-Use Behavior

Prior research suggests that failure to use condoms can be understood within the context of condom-related attitudes. We reviewed quantitative and qualitative literature on adult men's condom-use attitudes; condom-related attitudinal beliefs were classified as cognitive (e.g., effectiveness) or affective (e.g., pleasure-related), and their relationships to behavior were examined. To determine differences in the effects of cognitive and affective beliefs, we conducted a critical qualitative review, a meta-analysis, and a “vote-count. ” In support of the primacy of affect hypothesis (Zajonc, 1984), cognitive beliefs were weaker predictors of condom use than were affective beliefs. Results suggest that HIV-prevention interventions will have greater success by addressing negative affective reactions to condom use in addition to promoting the protective value of condoms.
Pharmacological Levels of Withaferin A (Withania somnifera) Trigger Clinically Relevant Anticancer Effects Specific to Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Withaferin A (WA) isolated from Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) has recently become an attractive phytochemical under investigation in various preclinical studies for treatment of different cancer types. In the present study, a comparative pathway-based transcriptome analysis was applied in epithelial-like MCF-7 and triple negative mesenchymal MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exposed to different concentrations of WA which can be detected systemically in in vivo experiments. Whereas WA treatment demonstrated attenuation of multiple cancer hallmarks, the withanolide analogue Withanone (WN) did not exert any of the described effects at comparable concentrations. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that WA targets specific cancer processes related to cell death, cell cycle and proliferation, which could be functionally validated by flow cytometry and real-time cell proliferation assays. WA also strongly decreased MDA-MB-231 invasion as determined by single-cell collagen invasion assay. This was further supported by decreased gene expression of extracellular matrix-degrading proteases (uPA, PLAT, ADAM8), cell adhesion molecules (integrins, laminins), pro-inflammatory mediators of the metastasis-promoting tumor microenvironment (TNFSF12, IL6, ANGPTL2, CSF1R) and concomitant increased expression of the validated breast cancer metastasis suppressor gene (BRMS1). In line with the transcriptional changes, nanomolar concentrations of WA significantly decreased protein levels and corresponding activity of uPA in MDA-MB-231 cell supernatant, further supporting its anti-metastatic properties. Finally, hierarchical clustering analysis of 84 chromatin writer-reader-eraser enzymes revealed that WA treatment of invasive mesenchymal MDA-MB-231 cells reprogrammed their transcription levels more similarly towards the pattern observed in non-invasive MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, taking into account that sub-cytotoxic concentrations of WA target multiple metastatic effectors in therapy-resistant triple negative breast cancer, WA-based therapeutic strategies targeting the uPA pathway hold promise for further (pre)clinical development to defeat aggressive metastatic breast cancer.
Metaphor Detection through Term Relevance

Most computational approaches to metaphor detection try to leverage either conceptual metaphor mappings or selectional preferences. Both require extensive knowledge of the mappings/preferences in question, as well as sufficient data for all involved conceptual domains. Creating these resources is expensive and often limits the scope of these systems. We propose a statistical approach to metaphor detection that utilizes the rarity of novel metaphors, marking words that do not match a text’s typical vocabulary as metaphor candidates. No knowledge of semantic concepts or the metaphor’s source domain is required. We analyze the performance of this approach as a stand-alone classifier and as a feature in a machine learning model, reporting improvements in F1 measure over a random baseline of 58% and 68%, respectively. We also observe that, as a feature, it appears to be particularly useful when data is sparse, while its effect diminishes as the amount of training data increases.
Predicting novel protein-protein interactions between the HIV-1 virus and homo sapiens

The HIV-1 virus affects millions of people around the world. Identifying novel protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between HIV and humans would lead to a better understanding of the virus and possibly to new treatment targets. The Proteinprotein Interaction Prediction Engine (PIPE) is a broadly applicable, highly precise, and computationally efficient method of predicting PPIs. Here, PIPE is used to predict new host-virus protein interactions in order to generate new testable hypotheses and to guide future biological experiments. In total, 229 new interactions were predicted at high confidence, with an estimated recall of 22.5% and specificity of 99.95%. Some of these interactions may be verified experimentally in the future.
Feedback control for yaw angle with input nonlinearity via input-state linearization

This paper discusses the yaw control of small-size unmanned helicopter. The yaw dynamics of helicopter involve input nonlinearity, time-varying parameters and the couplings between main and tail rotor. With respect to such a complicated dynamics, the normal PID control is difficult to realize good tracking performance while maintaining stability and robustness simultaneously. In this paper, a valid control is proposed by applying the derivative of the nonlinear function, the original system is to be extended a new system with a pseudostate variable. This approach makes it possible to avoid using the inverse of the nonlinear function and reduces the calculation load. The simulation results further demonstrate the improvements of the proposed algorithm.