Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Artificial dielectrics : characteristics at low and microwave frequencies

Artificial Dielectrics have been characterized using transmission line and s- parameter measurements. The complex dielectric constant and loss of graphite filled and non-poled piezoelectric-aggregate (Polyvinylidene Fluoride, PVDF) filled plastic (PMMA) has been characterized at low (1kHz-10kHz range, i.e., the VLF, very low frequency, range) and microwave frequencies. The average diameter diameter of graphite particles used was thirty microns. Measurements were performed on very fine graphite (one micron diameter grains) and 30 micron sized grains for comparison purposes. Fine grain graphite particles exhibited a, larger real dielectric constant, probably owing to a larger dipole effect. The dielectric constant characterization has also been done for PVDF-graphite-PMMA aggregates. Dissipation factors have been calculated in all cases. The very low frequency measurements have been done using lossy capacitance principles. The very low frequency behavior of graphite-PMMA. samples showed an anomaly at percolation point (about 15 % of graphite). PVDF-PMMA samples showed no anomaly within the range of concentration measured, probably owing to the fact that PVDF is a dielectric material. At microwave frequencies, it is found that both real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant experience an increase with the increase in graphite/PVDF loading.
Unveiling the nature of INTEGRAL objects through optical spectroscopy. V. Identification and properties of 21 southern hard X-ray sources

Optical spectroscopic identification of the nature of 21 unidentified southern hard X-ray objects is reported here in the framework of our campaign aimed at determining the nature of newly-discovered and/or unidentified sources detected by INTEGRAL . Our results show that 5 of these objects are magnetic Cataclysmic Variables (CVs), 4 are High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs; one of which is in the Large Magellanic Cloud) and 12 are Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). When feasible, the main physical parameters for these hard X-ray sources are also computed using the multiwavelength information available in the literature. These identifications further underscore the importance of INTEGRAL in the study of the hard X-ray spectrum of AGNs, HMXBs and CVs, and the usefulness of a strategy of catalogues cross-correlation plus optical spectroscopy to securely pinpoint the actual nature of the X-ray sources detected with INTEGRAL .
Reallocation in the Great Recession: Cleansing or Not?

The high pace of reallocation across producers is pervasive in the US economy. Evidence shows that this high pace of reallocation is closely linked to productivity. While these patterns hold on average, the extent to which the reallocation dynamics in recessions are “cleansing” is an open question. We find that downturns prior to the Great Recession are periods of accelerated reallocation even more productivity enhancing than reallocation in normal times. In the Great Recession, we find that the intensity of reallocation fell rather than rose and that the reallocation that did occur was less productivity enhancing than in prior recessions.
Assignment of protein sequence to functional family using neural network & Dempster-Shafer theory

Protein classification prediction is an important problem in molecular biology, and one that has attracted a lot of attention. This paper describes an approach to data-driven discovery of sequence motif-based models using neural network classifier based on Dempster-Shafer Theory for assigning protein sequences to functional families. A training set of sequences with unknown functional family is used to capture regularities that are sufficient to assign the sequences to their respective families. A new adaptive pattern classifier based on neural network and Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence developed by Thierry Denoux, 2001, [2] is presented. This method uses reference patterns as items of evidence regarding the class membership of each input pattern under consideration. This evidence is represented by basic belief assignments (BBA's) and pooled using the Dempster's rule of combination. This procedure can be implemented in a multilayer neural network with specific architecture consisting of one input layer, two hidden layers and one output layer. The weight vector, the receptive field and the class membership of each prototype are determined by minimizing the mean squared differences between the classifier outputs and target values.
Computer modeling of laser induced injury of the skin

A computer model to calculate the injury threshold of the skin following laser exposure was developed. It is based on calculation of the laser induced temperature profile and subsequent integration with the Arrhenius integral. The model was optimized and validated against 93 experimentally determined threshold data (ED50) in pigs and humans with various skin colors. The maximum deviation of the model w.r. t. experimental data is 1.9, which is small considering that the model was validated for a wide range of exposures encompassing wavelengths between 500 nm and 10.6 μm, exposure durations between 350 μs and 70 s and spot sizes between 240 μm and 20 mm. Finally, model predietions for heavily pigmented human skin are compared to current exposure limits.A computer model to calculate the injury threshold of the skin following laser exposure was developed. It is based on calculation of the laser induced temperature profile and subsequent integration with the Arrhenius integral. The model was optimized and validated against 93 experimentally determined threshold data (ED50) in pigs and humans with various skin colors. The maximum deviation of the model w.r. t. experimental data is 1.9, which is small considering that the model was validated for a wide range of exposures encompassing wavelengths between 500 nm and 10.6 μm, exposure durations between 350 μs and 70 s and spot sizes between 240 μm and 20 mm. Finally, model predietions for heavily pigmented human skin are compared to current exposure limits.
Variation in Fat, Lactose, and Protein Composition in Breast Milk over 24 Hours

Background: Data regarding the association between breast milk composition and infant feeding patterns (frequency and amount of breast milk taken) would help in understanding the regulation of food intake in breastfed infants. Objective: This study examined the relationship between breast milk macronutrient concentration and patterns of milk intake in breastfeeding infants over a 24-hour breastfeeding period. Methods: Mothers of healthy term infants (n = 15) collected pre- and postfeed breast milk samples from each feed at each breast over a 24-hour period. Breast milk samples were analyzed for fat, lactose, total protein, casein, and whey protein content. The energy content for each feed was calculated. Results: Breastfeeding patterns and milk composition varied greatly between individuals. The fat content of milk significantly differed over 24 hours (P = .01), whereas the concentration of lactose and protein content remained the same. The mean 24-hour total protein, whey, and casein intake was inversely (P < .01), whereas lactose concentration was positively (P = .03) related to the number of breast feeds per day. No relationship was seen either between fat or energy content and feeding patterns. The mean (SD) concentration of fat, lactose, and total protein over the 24-hour period was 43 (12) g/L, 68 (7) g/L, and 13 (2) g/L, respectively. Conclusion: The association between milk protein intake and the breastfeeding frequency suggests that the protein intake may play a role in infant appetite control.
B cells assist allograft rejection in the deficiency of protein kinase c‐theta

We have previously shown that mice deficient in protein kinase C theta (PKCθ) have the ability to reject cardiac allografts, but are susceptible to tolerance induction. Here we tested role of B cells in assisting alloimmune responses in the absence of PKCθ. Mouse cardiac allograft transplantations were performed from Balb/c (H‐2d) to PKCθ knockout (PKCθ−/−), PKCθ and B cell double‐knockout (PBDK, H‐2b) mice and wild‐type (WT) C57BL/6 (H‐2b) mice. PBDK mice spontaneously accepted the allografts with the inhibition of NF‐κB activation in the donor cardiac allograft. Anti‐B cell antibody (rituximab) significantly delayed allograft rejection in PKCθ−/−, but not in WT mice. Co‐transfer of PKCθ−/− T plus PKCθ−/− B cells or primed sera triggered allograft rejection in Rag1−/− mice, and only major histocompatibility complex class II‐enriched B cells, but not class I‐enriched B cells, were able to promote rejection. This, together with the inability of PKCθ−/− and CD28−/− double‐deficient (PCDK) mice to acutely reject allografts, suggested that an effective cognate interaction between PKCθ−/− T and B cells for acute rejection is CD28 molecule dependent. We conclude that T–B cell interactions synergize with PKCθ−/− T cells to mediate acute allograft rejection.
Building Up Conceptual Spaces: An ESOM Supported Strategy

Intelligent agents need robust knowledge representation schemes to model and solve complex real-world problems. A historical approach is the symbolic representation proposed in classic AI. Although symbolic representations have their appeal, the use of abstract symbols, representing general knowledge about the world, brings limitations to the way agents develop certain cognitive functions, as in the case of language. In the standard symbolic approach, there is no ground for the symbols used internally by the agents, creating a situation known as the symbol grounding problem, as explained by Harnad (1990). To deal with this problem, Gardenfors (2004) introduced a semantic theory named conceptual spaces, which attribute meaning to linguistic symbols. The geometry of such spaces forms a robust structure to conceptualize information. In this paper, we use an unsupervised classifier named Evolving Self-Organizing Maps (ESOM) to act as the computational implementation of conceptual spaces. Our results confirmed ESOM's capability to create concepts, aiding agents in reaching a linguistic consensus about different words exchanged during an objects naming game. Besides providing a way for symbols to get meaning on a biologically realistic way, these results also open possibilities for other characteristics of conceptual spaces to be applied on the study of artificial language, as e.g. Grammatical language.
A Method for Generation of Panoramic View based on Images Acquired by a Moving Camera

Panoramic photo stitching is the process of combining multiple photographic images with overlapping fields of view to produce a panorama. The process to generate a panoramic view can be divided into three main components image acquisition, image registration, and blending. In this paper, a robust algorithm called Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) used to extract the features from the images and matching them which is a part of image registration. SIFT features are invariant to rotation, translation, image scaling and partially invariant to 3D viewpoint, illumination changes and image noise. Image transformation is estimated using homography. Image blending technique is used to blend the images together to get a panoramic view. Main applications of panoramic view include creating virtual environment for virtual reality, modeling the 3D environment using images acquired from the real world.
Implanting an Artificial Skeletal Muscle into the Human Body: Towards an Ionic-Strength based Prototype

To implant an active artificial muscle inside the human body is still a dream due to the extreme difficulty of replicating natural muscular tissue. Present-day development of chemo-mechanical artificial muscles for robots could help to specify first prototypes of such active implants. Based on recent experiments made by the present authors on a “pH-muscle” functioning in an admissible physiologically pH-range, a global analysis is developed for a future “artificial muscle implant” both safe and efficient. A scheme of a possible future artificial muscle implant is shown associating our current prototype, whose skeletal muscle-like behaviour is provided by McKibben artificial muscle technology, with the use of a bio-compatible micro-organism, to be specified, which would be able to generate the necessary ionic-strength change to the swelling-deswelling of the ion-sensitive agent placed inside the McKibben structure. Preliminary experimental results are reported of a 10 cm long artificial muscle and 8 mm external diameter filled with a RCOOH commercial Amberlite resin generating a maximum force of 80 N with buffer solutions of pH between 4.5 and 8.4 in some tens of minutes with the hope of obtaining quicker responses by use of more specific ion-sensitive polymers.
High-powered microwave ablation of t1a renal cell carcinoma: safety and initial clinical evaluation.

PURPOSE Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation are accepted alternative treatments for small renal cell carcinomas (RCC) in high-risk patients. The recent development of high-powered microwave (MW) ablation offers theoretical advantages over existing ablation systems, including higher tissue temperatures, more reproducible ablation zones, and shorter procedural times. The purpose of this study is to review the feasibility, safety, and early efficacy of a novel high-powered percutaneous MW ablation system to treat RCC. METHODS An institutional database identified 53 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven RCC ≤4 cm (55 tumors) who were treated with percutaneous MW ablation using a novel MW ablation system. All patients had percutaneous renal mass biopsy, which identified RCC before ablation. Postprocedure follow-up imaging was performed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Mean patient age was 66 years and 81% of patients were male. RCC subtypes included clear cell (n=25), papillary (n=12), and unspecified (n=18) and Fuhrman grades 1, 2, 3, and ungraded in 15, 25, 1, and 14 patients, respectively. The mean tumor diameter was 2.6 cm (range 0.8-4.0 cm). Six low-grade complications were recorded during 53 (11.3%) procedures: five Clavien Grade 1 (urine retention, fluid overload, and atrial fibrillation) and one Grade 2 (hemorrhage requiring transfusion). The postprocedure estimated glomerular filtration rate was not significantly changed from preprocedure levels (median: -1.1%, p=0.10). Median follow-up was 8 months (interquartile range [IQR] 5-18.25) with 0/38 (0%) patients demonstrating evidence of local recurrence or metastasis during surveillance imaging. CONCLUSIONS Use of a high-powered MW ablation system for the treatment of T1a RCC is feasible, safe, and efficacious with short-term follow-up. A longer follow-up is warranted to evaluate oncologic outcomes.
The Neural Path to Dialogue Acts

This paper presents a neural network approach to the problem ofnding the dialogue act for a given utterance. So far only symbolic, decision tree and statistical approaches were utilized to deal with a corpus as large as the VERBMOBIL corpus. We propose solutions to the questions of representing speech, network architec- ture and training in this context. We argue that, when using neural networks, a task like this can only be solved in a modular approach where training data is split and processed by different components of a larger network. Special care must be taken in constructing a feed- ing mechanism that avoids oscillatory behaviour due to the heteroge- neous data. We were successful in constructing a modular neural network that yielded interesting time-sensitive properties as well as recognition rates superior to most other methods. Arst attempt at devising a hybrid system got very close to the best results of thiseld which suggests further enhancement in future architectures.
Macdonald formula for curves with planar singularities

We generalize Macdonald's formula for the cohomology of Hilbert schemes of points on a curve from smooth curves to curves with planar singularities: we relate the cohomology of the Hilbert schemes to the cohomology of the compactified Jacobian of the curve. The new formula is a consequence of a stronger identity between certain perverse sheaves defined by a family of curves satisfying mild conditions. The proof makes an essential use of Ngo's support theorem for compactified Jacobians and generalizes this theorem to the relative Hilbert scheme of such families. As a consequence, we generalize part of the Weil conjectures to the Hilbert-zeta function of curves with planar singularities.
Querying Ontology Based Databases - The OntoQL Proposal

Several approaches for storing ontologies and their instances in databases have been proposed. As a consequence, the need of defining languages to query such ontology based databases (OBDB) appeared. In this paper, we present OntoQL, an ontology query language designed for OBDB databases. This paper particulary emphasizes on the language constructs. Several query examples showing the interest of this language compared to traditional database query languages are given. Finally, we overview the proposed OntoQL implementation on a prototype of OBDB.
Prompt-Gamma Activation Analysis

A permanent, full-time instrument for prompt-gamma activation analysis is nearing completion as part of the Cold Neutron Research Facility (CNRF). The design of the analytical system has been optimized for high gamma detection efficiency and low background, particularly for hydrogen. Because of the purity of the neutron beam, shielding requirements are modest and the scatter-capture background is low. As a result of a compact sample-detector geometry, the sensitivity (counting rate per gram of analyte) is a factor of four better than the existing Maryland-NIST thermal-neutron instrument at this reactor. Hydrogen backgrounds of a few micrograms have already been achieved, which promises to be of value in numerous applications where quantitative nondestructive analysis of small quantities of hydrogen in materials is necessary.
Toward a quizmaster robot for speech-based multiparty interaction

This paper presents an interactive quizmaster robot that can manage a multiparty speech-based quiz game. The basic flow of the quiz game is that (1) the robot reads a question, (2) one or more players answer it, and (3) the robot judges the correctness of the answers. We categorize such speech-based quiz games into school-type interaction and auction-type interaction. The former asks players to say ‘Yes’ to get the right to answer before answering a question and the latter allows players to directly answer a question without any advance notice. To realize such interaction, the robot needs the capability of recognizing utterances from multiple people using its own microphones (i.e. ears), even if those utterances are made simultaneously. To cope with such situations, the robot estimates which player made the fastest utterance and recognizes it by localizing and separating a mixture of audio signals. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the success rates of the fastest player identification and speech recognition. The results showed that the robot could identify the fastest speakers with a success rate of 90.0% more accurately than humans when only one speaker slightly preceded the other speakers. We found that although the success rate of speech recognition for the fastest speakers did not reach that of humans, the robot attains amusing quiz game interaction. Graphical Abstract
Testing of Novel Dengue Virus 2 Vaccines in African Green Monkeys: Safety, Immunogenicity, and Efficacy

The immunogenicity and safety of three novel host-range vaccines containing deletions in the transmembrane domain of dengue virus serotype 2 (DV2) E glycoprotein were evaluated in African green monkeys. The shorter transmembrane domains are capable of functionally spanning an insect but not a mammalian cell membrane, resulting in production of viral mutants that have reduced infectivity in mammalian hosts but efficient growth in insect cells. Groups of four monkeys received one dose each of test vaccine candidate with no booster immunization. After immunization, levels of viremia produced by each vaccine were determined by infectious center assay. Vaccine recipient immune response to wild-type DV2 challenge was measured on Day 57 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and plaque reduction neutralization test. Two vaccines, DV2ΔGVII and DV2G460P, generated neutralizing antibody in the range of 700–900 50% plaque reduction neutralization test units. All three vaccine strains decreased the length of viremia by at least two days. No safety concerns were identified.
Photoacoustic Tomography: In Vivo Imaging from Organelles to Organs

Lights, Sound, Images Optical microscopy can readily image thin samples such as cells, but thicker samples, such as tissue, are more difficult to image directly, because of the multiple scattering of light. Wang and Hu (p. 1458) review methods for imaging biological samples on length scales ranging from organelles to whole organs that rely on the photoacoustic effect—the excitation of ultrasonic pressure waves when light is absorbed by molecules in solution. The incident light can be focused and scanned across a sample in a microscopy mode to create ultrasound images, or the entire region of interest can be illuminated and the ultrasound waves analyzed with a computer algorithm in a tomography mode. Imaging studies can reveal changes in oxygen metabolism and gene expression and in image biomarkers and vasculature. Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) can create multiscale multicontrast images of living biological structures ranging from organelles to organs. This emerging technology overcomes the high degree of scattering of optical photons in biological tissue by making use of the photoacoustic effect. Light absorption by molecules creates a thermally induced pressure jump that launches ultrasonic waves, which are received by acoustic detectors to form images. Different implementations of PAT allow the spatial resolution to be scaled with the desired imaging depth in tissue while a high depth-to-resolution ratio is maintained. As a rule of thumb, the achievable spatial resolution is on the order of 1/200 of the desired imaging depth, which can reach up to 7 centimeters. PAT provides anatomical, functional, metabolic, molecular, and genetic contrasts of vasculature, hemodynamics, oxygen metabolism, biomarkers, and gene expression. We review the state of the art of PAT for both biological and clinical studies and discuss future prospects.
Moving Swarm Formations through Obstacle Fields

In prior work we established how artificial physics can be used to self-organize swarms of mobile robots into hexagonal formations that move toward a goal. In this paper we extend the framework to moving formations through obstacle fields. We provide important metrics of performance that allow us to (a) compare the utility of different generalized force laws in artificial physics, (b) examine trade-offs between different metrics, and (c) provide a detailed method of comparison for future researchers in this area.
Ferrofluid Convection in a Lid-Driven Cavity

This study numerically investigates the mixed convection of ferrofluids in a partially heated lid driven square enclosure. The heater is located to the left vertical wall and the right vertical wall is kept at constant lower temperature while other walls of the cavity are assumed to be adiabatic. The governing equations are solved with Galerkin weighted residual finite element method. The influence of the Richardson number (between 0.01 and 100), heater location (between 0.25 H and 0.75H), strength of the magnetic dipole (between 0 and 4), and horizontal location of the magnetic dipole source (between-2H and-0.5H) on the fluid flow and heat transfer are numerically investigated. It is found that local and averaged heat transfer deteriorates with increasing values of Richardson number and magnetic dipole strength. The flow field and thermal characteristics are sensitive to the magnetic dipole source strength and its position and heater location.