Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of network density on data aggregation in wireless sensor networks

In-network data aggregation is essential for wireless sensor networks where energy resources are limited. In a previously proposed data dissemination scheme (directed diffusion with opportunistic aggregation), data is opportunistically aggregated at intermediate nodes on a low-latency tree. In this paper, we explore and evaluate greedy aggregation, a novel approach that adjusts aggregation points to increase the amount of path sharing, reducing energy consumption. Our preliminary results suggest that, under investigated scenarios, greedy aggregation can achieve up to 45% energy savings over opportunistic aggregation in high-density networks without adversely impacting latency or robustness.
Adaptive Transition of Aquaporin 5 Expression and Localization during Preimplantation Embryo Development by In Vitro Culture

Adaptive development of early stage embryo is well established and recently it is explored that the mammalian embryos also have adaptive ability to the stressful environment. However, the mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, to evaluate the possible role of aquaporin in early embryo developmental adaptation, the expression of aquaporin (AQP) 5 gene which is detected during early development were examined by the environmental condition. To compare expression patterns between in vivo and in vitro, we conducted quantitative RT-PCR and analyzed localization of the AQP5 by whole mount immunofluorescence. At in vivo condition, Aqp5 expressed in oocyte and in all the stages of preimplantation embryo. It showed peak at 2-cell stage and decreased continuously until morula stage. At in vitro condition, Aqp5 expression pattern was similar with in vivo embryos. It expressed both at embryonic genome activation phase and second midpreimplantation gene activation phase, but the fold changes were modified between in vivo embryos and in vitro embryos. During in vivo development, AQP5 was mainly localized in apical membrane of blastomeres of 4-cell and 8-cell stage embryos, and then it was localized in cytoplasm. However, the main localization area of AQP5 was dramatically shifted after 8-cell stage from cytoplasm to nucleus by in vitro development. Those results explore the modification of Aqp5 expression levels and location of its final products by in vitro culture. It suggests that expression of Aqp5 and the roles of AQP5 in homeostasis can be modulated by in vitro culture, and that early stage embryos can develop successfully by themselves adapting to their condition through modulation of the specific gene expression and localization.
Transparenz haptischer Telepräsenzsysteme mit konstanter Zeitverzögerung (Transparency of Haptic Telepresence Systems with Constant Time Delay)

Abstract In diesem Artikel wird untersucht, wie sich Kommunikationslatenzen zusammen mit einer passivitätsbasierten Regelungsstrategie auf die Performanz, gemessen als Transparenz, eines haptischen Telepräsenzsystems auswirken. Die gefühlte mechanische Impedanz, im Speziellen deren physikalische Parameter Masse, Steifigkeit und Dämpfung, werden als Funktion der Kommunikationslatenz und der Regelungsparameter hergeleitet und mit der Umgebungs-Impedanz verglichen. Die Ergebnisse werden unter Aspekten der menschlichen Wahrnehmung diskutiert. Darauf basierend wird eine transparente Auslegung der Regelungsstrategie vorgeschlagen, wobei die Eigenschaften von realen Telepräsenzsystemen berücksichtigt werden. Abschließend erfolgt die Validierung der Resulate in einem Telepräsenz-Experiment mit einem Freiheitsgrad.
Feasibility study of ECC with self-healing capacity applied on the long-span steel bridge deck overlay

ABSTRACT Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) with high ductility has been recognised to be a high performance and durable alternative to the construction material in civil engineering field. In this paper, ECC material was proposed to be applied on the long-span steel bridge deck overlay. Herein we studied the feasibility of this application via integration of ECC’s material performances and stress response of structure using finite element analysis. The results show that ECC material could overcome the brittleness of normal concrete, featuring high tensile strain/deformability capacity under tension/flexural load, as well as higher flexural strength and fatigue life, compared with normal asphalt/concrete materials. Furthermore, the self-healing capacity in ECC helps the crack seal itself, as a result, recovers its water permeability coefficient and resistance to chloride ion penetration to nearly the same level as undamaged ones. By integrating ECC’s flexural fatigue behaviour and finite element analysis, it can be concluded that ECC is feasible to be a candidate material for the steel bridge overlay. The application of ECC is expected to greatly extend the service life of steel bridge overlay meanwhile be with thinner thickness compared with normal bridge deck overlay structure, resulting in a more sustainable overlay.
Comparison of two intraoperative assessment methods for injuries to the ankle syndesmosis. A cadaveric study.

BACKGROUND Intraoperative stress testing is required for the detection of syndesmosis instability following an ankle fracture. The present study compared two stress tests for the detection of syndesmotic injury. METHODS A true mortise radiograph of the ankle was made for fourteen cadaver joints. Specimens were randomized into two groups to simulate ligament and syndesmosis injury on the basis of the Danis-Weber classification system. In the first group, the anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament was divided first (Weber B(r)), followed sequentially by division of the interosseous membrane (Weber C) and the deltoid ligament. In the second group, the deltoid ligament was divided first, followed by the anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament. Radiographs were made at each stage with use of two methods of stressing the ankle mortise: (1) external rotation of the foot with an external moment of 7.5 Nm, and (2) application of a lateral force of 100 N. Tibiofibular overlap, tibiofibular clear space, and medial clear space were measured. RESULTS Lateral stress produced a significantly greater increase in the tibiofibular clear space than did the external rotation test for Weber C injuries and Weber C plus deltoid ligament injuries. A greater increase in the tibiofibular clear space was noted during the lateral stress test when both the deltoid and the anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament had been sectioned (p < 0.05). The external rotation stress test produced a significant increase in the medial clear space in the presence of isolated anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament and deltoid ligament injuries (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS For the detection of syndesmotic instability at the site of ankle fractures on stress radiographs, the lateral stress test appeared to be superior to the external rotation stress test in this cadaver model.
Preoperative serum vascular endothelial growth factor can predict stage in colorectal cancer.

Neovascularization has been shown to be essential for the growth of solid tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most important mediators of angiogenesis. This study was conducted to determine the significance of this cytokine as a tumor marker for staging colorectal cancer. Preoperative serum VEGF was measured in 108 colorectal cancer patients and in 136 normal healthy controls. The results of this study showed a significant difference between the four T classes, Union International Contre Cancer (UICC) stages, and Dukes' stages. In comparison to serum levels in controls (median, 173.8 pg/ml), VEGF levels were significantly elevated in T2 (P = 0.003), T3, and T4 (P < 0.0005); UICC I (P = 0.001), UICC II, UICC III, and UICC IV (P < 0.0005); and Dukes' A (P = 0.001), Dukes' B, and Dukes' C (P < 0.0005). Serum VEGF showed a significant elevation over control in node-negative (P < 0.0005) and in node-positive colorectal cancer (P < 0.0005) patients. Node-positive cancer had a significant elevation of serum VEGF compared to node-negative cancer (P = 0.008). This study reveals that preoperative serum VEGF can detect all but very early colorectal cancer i.e., T1 (P = 0.06).
Near End Listening Enhancement: Speech Intelligibility Improvement in Noisy Environments

In contrast to common noise reduction systems, this contribution presents a digital signal processing algorithm to improve intelligibility of clean far end speech for the near end listener who is located in an environment with background noise. Since the noise reaches the ears of the near end listener directly and therefore can hardly be influenced, a sensible option is to manipulate the far end speech. The proposed algorithm raises the average speech spectrum over the average noise spectrum and takes precautions to prevent hearing damage. Informal listening tests and the speech intelligibility index indicate an improved speech intelligibility
Oxygen induces electromechanical coupling in arteriolar smooth muscle cells: a role for L-type Ca2+ channels.

We tested whether O2-induced vasomotor responses of arterioles correspond to changes in membrane potential ( E m) of cells in the arteriolar wall. The cheek pouches of anesthetized male hamsters were prepared for intravital microscopy and intracellular recording. Microelectrodes containing Lucifer yellow dye were used to label smooth muscle cells (SMC) or endothelial cells (EC) during arteriolar responses to O2. During low-[Formula: see text] superfusion (∼20 Torr; arteriolar diameter 55 ± 2 μm), E m of SMC and EC averaged -37 and -36 mV, respectively. High-[Formula: see text] superfusion (∼150 Torr) depolarized SMC (to -15 ± 1 mV) with vasoconstriction (to 24 ± 2 μm) and diameter cycled with E m of SMC during vasomotion. In contrast, the E m of EC did not change with [Formula: see text] nor during vasomotion, yet E m depolarized by 21 ± 2 mV when the extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o) was raised to 55 mM. Superfusion with diltiazem (10 μM) or nifedipine (1 μM) abolished vasomotor and electrical responses to[Formula: see text] in SMC but did not eliminate depolarizations to elevated [K+]o. We conclude that, under physiological conditions, electrical and mechanical responses of arteriolar SMC to changes in[Formula: see text] are mediated through L-type Ca2+ channels without corresponding electrical activity in EC.
Predisposing Factors Associated With Development of Persistent Compared With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Background Once atrial fibrillation (AF) progresses to sustained forms, adverse outcomes increase and treatment success rates decrease. Therefore, identification of risk factors predisposing to persistence of AF may have a significant impact on AF morbidity. Methods and Results We prospectively examined the differential associations between traditional, lifestyle, and biomarker AF risk factors and development of paroxysmal versus nonparoxysmal AF (persistent/permanent) among 34 720 women enrolled in the Women's Health Study who were free of cardiovascular disease and AF at baseline. AF patterns were defined based on current guidelines and classified according to the most sustained form of AF within 2 years of diagnosis. During a median follow‐up of 16.4 years, 690 women developed paroxysmal AF and 349 women developed nonparoxysmal AF. In multivariable time‐varying competing risk models, increasing age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.11, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.13, versus HR 1.08, 1.07 to 1.09, per year), body mass index (HR 1.07, 1.05 to 1.09, versus HR 1.03, 1.02 to 1.05, per kg/m2), and weight (HR 1.30, 1.22 to 1.39, versus HR 1.14, 1.08 to 1.20, per 10 kg) were more strongly associated with the development of nonparoxysmal AF compared with paroxysmal AF. Hemoglobin A1c levels at baseline were directly related to the development of nonparoxysmal AF but inversely associated with paroxysmal AF in multivariable competing risk models (P for nonequal association=0.01). Conclusions In women without AF or CVD at baseline, increasing age, adiposity, and higher hemoglobin A1c levels were preferentially associated with the early development of nonparoxysmal AF. These data raise the hypothesis that efforts aimed at weight reduction or glycemic control may affect the proportion of the population with sustained AF.
Coexistence of macroparasites without direct interactions.

Coexistence of macroparasites is studied by extending the infinite-dimensional model considered by Anderson and May (1978, J. Anim. Ecol. 47, 219-247, 249-267) to several species of parasites that are assumed to interact only by causing the death of a common host. An exact invadability condition is found for this model. By studying when mutual invasibility is possible, the region where two parasite species can coexist is found. The result is that, if there is a trade-off between virulence and transmissibility, then coexistence of two species of parasites is possible, but only when the parameters of the model fall into a very narrow parameter region. If, on the other hand, one parasite is more virulent and less transmissible, then it will be competitively excluded. This latter result, though expected in terms of competition theory, is in contrast with what found in the approximate models so far used for studying interacting macroparasites. The effect of parasite aggregation on coexistence is studied by considering two modifications of the basic model (clumped infections and host population heterogeneity in predisposition to infections) that allow for higher aggregation. It appears that the width of the coexistence region is insensitive to these modifications.
Uniformly bounded regret in the multi-secretary problem

In the secretary problem of Cayley (1875) and Moser (1956), $n$ non-negative, independent, random variables with common distribution are sequentially presented to a decision maker who decides when to stop and collect the most recent realization. The goal is to maximize the expected value of the collected element. In the $k$-choice variant, the decision maker is allowed to make $k \leq n$ selections to maximize the expected total value of the selected elements. Assuming that the values are drawn from a known distribution with finite support, we prove that the best regret---the expected gap between the optimal online policy and its offline counterpart in which all $n$ values are made visible at time $0$---is uniformly bounded in the the number of candidates $n$ and the budget $k$. Our proof is constructive: we develop an adaptive Budget-Ratio policy that achieves this performance. The policy selects or skips values depending on where the ratio of the residual budget to the remaining time stands relative to multiple thresholds that correspond to middle points of the distribution. We also prove that being adaptive is crucial: in general, the minimal regret among non-adaptive policies grows like the square root of $n$. The difference is the value of adaptiveness.
A Harmonic Algorithm for the 3D Strip Packing Problem

In the three-dimensional (3D) strip packing problem, we are given a set of 3D rectangular items and a 3D box $B$. The goal is to pack all the items in $B$ such that the height of the packing is minimized. We consider the most basic version of the problem, where the items must be packed with their edges parallel to the edges of $B$ and cannot be rotated. Building upon Caprara's work for the two-dimensional (2D) bin packing problem, we obtain an algorithm that, given any $\epsilon>0$, achieves an approximation of $T_{\infty}+\epsilon\approx1.69103+\epsilon$, where $T_{\infty}$ is the well-known number that occurs naturally in the context of bin packing. Our key idea is to establish a connection between bin packing solutions for an arbitrary instance $I$ and the strip packing solutions for the corresponding instance obtained from $I$ by applying the harmonic transformation to certain dimensions. Based on this connection, we also give a simple alternate proof of the $T_{\infty}+\epsilon$ approximation for 2D .
Rapid genotyping of XbaI and MspI DNA polymorphisms of the human factor VIII gene: estimation of their combined heterozygosity in the Argentinean population

232 Haematologica/journal of hematology vol. 88(02):February 2003 shown that p73 was very frequently methylated in natural killer cell lymphomas.5 In lymphoma cell lines, methylation of p73 correlated with down-regulation of the p73 protein, and promoter demethylation led to re-expression of p73.5,7 Interestingly, our results also showed that p73 was frequently methylated in DLBC lymphoma in the stomach but not the lymph node. The significance of this in gastric lymphomagenesis merits further investigation. Finally, the significance of gene methylation in MALT/MZBC and DLBC lymphomagenesis will need to studied by demonstrating that methylation-induced gene suppression contributes to cellular growth dysregulation or transformation.
Signal characteristics of surface-bonded fiber Bragg grating sensor with elastoplastic metallic coating subjected to residual strain

This study involved predicting the reflected spectrum of a surface-bonded fiber Bragg grating sensor with an elastoplastic metallic coating wherein residual strains are non-uniformly distributed on the sensor. A profile of residual strains was numerically calculated based on the stepwise numerical technique by adopting strain transfer analysis and was validated by finite element analysis. The reflected spectrum of a metal-coated fiber Bragg grating sensor was consequently simulated to obtain the calculated profile of residual strains through the Transfer-matrix (T-matrix) method and coupled mode theory. The results revealed that a non-uniform profile of permanently induced residual strains along the sensor makes the reflected spectrum distorted. Thus, it is necessary for a metal-coated fiber Bragg grating sensor with a 10-mm Bragg grating to be bonded to a minimum length of 16.0 mm to suppress the signal distortion. The study additionally investigated the effect of parameters of an elastoplastic metallic coating (i.e. thicknesses and mechanical properties) on the spectrum characteristics and proposed minimally required bonding lengths by considering these characteristics. The evaluated spectra of the metal-coated fiber Bragg grating sensors that consider various coating parameters will reduce measurement errors and provide directions to determine geometric parameters when the sensor is actually installed on a structure surface.
Influence of human-computer interface elements on performance of teleoperated mobile robot

Mobile robots are becoming ubiquitous, with applications which usually include a degree of autonomy. However, due to uncertain and dynamic nature of operational environment, algorithms for autonomous operation might fail. In order to assist the robot, the human operator might need to take control over the robot from remote location. In order to efficiently and safely teleoperate the robot, the operator has to have high degree of situational awareness. This can be achieved with appropriate human-computer interface (HCI), so that the remote environment model constructed with sensor data is presented at appropriate time, and that robot commands can be issued intuitively and easily. In the research, influence of HCI elements on performance of teleoperated mobile robot was studied for several tasks and with several HCI setups. The user study was performed, in which accuracy and speed of completion of given tasks were measured on a real robot. Statistical analysis was performed in order to identify possible setup dependencies. It showed that, in majority of analysed cases and based on introduced metrics, there is no significant difference between the setups, and between the visual control and teleoperation. Finally, conclusions were drawn with emphasis on benefits of information technology in particular case.
Meta Consent – A Flexible Solution to the Problem of Secondary Use of Health Data

Abstract In this article we provide an in‐depth description of a new model of informed consent called ‘meta consent’ and consider its practical implementation. We explore justifications for preferring meta consent over alternative models of consent as a solution to the problem of secondary use of health data for research. We finally argue that meta consent strikes an appropriate balance between enabling valuable research and protecting the individual.
HRTEM Microstructure and Segregation Amount of Dopants at WC/Co interfaces in TiC and TaC Mono-doped WC-Co Submicro-grained Hardmetals (特集 硬質材料およびその応用)

HRTEM (high resolution transmission electron microscope) microstructure and the segregation amount of dopants at WC/Co interfaces were investigated on TiC and TaC mono-doped WC-10mass%Co submicro-grained hardmetals, following the previous studies on VC, Cr3C2 and VC+Cr3C2 doped hardmetals. The dopant amounts in the specimen were nearly a half of the solubility limit in Co liquid phase. At WC(0001)/Co interface, Ti segregated in a small amount and Ta hardly segregated. At WC(1010)/Co interface, both Ti and Ta hardly segregated. The order of segregation amounts (at% of metal of carbide or mol% of carbide) of dopants at WC(0001)/Co interface (TaC<TiC<Cr3C2<VC≤VC+Cr3C2) were not necessarily positively correlated with the magnitude of grain growth inhibition effect (TiC<Cr3C2<TaC<VC≤VC+Cr3C2). This suggested that the segregation layers of dopants themselves were not directly related with WC grain growth inhibition mechanism and that the layer was not generated by an equilibrium segregation mechanism during the sintering stage, but by a heterogeneous precipitation mechanism during the cooling stage of sintering.
Early Detection of Widespread Progressive Brain Injury after Cardiac Arrest: A Single Case DTI and Post-Mortem Histology Study

Objective We tested the hypothesis in sense of a proof of principle that white matter (WM) degeneration after cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) can be assessed much earlier by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) than by conventional MRI. Methods We performed DTI and T2-weighted FLAIR imaging over four serial acquisitions of a 76-year-old man with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome at day 41, 75, 173 and 284 after CPA. DTI was also performed in ten healthy control subjects. Fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from DTI was assessed in eleven regions of interest within the cerebral white matter (WM) and compared with post-mortem neuropathological findings. Results In contrast to conventional FLAIR images that revealed only circumscribed WM damage, the first DTI demonstrated significant reduction of FA across the whole WM. The following FLAIR images (MRI 2-4) revealed increasing atrophy and leukoaraiosis paralleled by clinical deterioration with reduction of wakefulness and intractable seizures. Neuropathological findings confirmed the widespread and marked brain injury following CPA. Conclusion DTI may help to evaluate microstructural brain damage following CPA and may have predictive value for further evolution of cerebral degeneration in the chronic phase after CPA.