Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sparsely-deployed relay node assisted routing algorithm for vehicular ad hoc networks

In this paper, we study the issue of routing in a vehicular ad hoc network with the assistance of sparsely deployed auxiliary relay nodes at some road intersections in a city. In such a network, vehicles keep moving, and relay nodes are static. The purpose of introducing auxiliary relay nodes is to reduce the end-to-end packet delivery delay. We propose a sparsely deployed relay node assisted routing SRR algorithm, which differs from existing routing protocols on how routing decisions are made at road intersections where static relay nodes are available such that relay nodes can temporarily buffer a data packet if the packet is expected to meet a vehicle leading to a better route with high probability in certain time than the current vehicles. We further calculate the joint probability for such a case to happen on the basis of the local vehicle traffic distribution and also the turning probability at an intersection. The detailed procedure of the protocol is presented. The SRR protocol is easy to implement and requires little extra routing information. Simulation results show that SRR can achieve high performance in terms of end-to-end packet delivery latency and delivery ratio when compared with existing protocols. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deep Learning Based Communication Over the Air

End-to-end learning of communications systems is a fascinating novel concept that has so far only been validated by simulations for block-based transmissions. It allows learning of transmitter and receiver implementations as deep neural networks (NNs) that are optimized for an arbitrary differentiable end-to-end performance metric, e.g., block error rate (BLER). In this paper, we demonstrate that over-the-air transmissions are possible: We build, train, and run a complete communications system solely composed of NNs using unsynchronized off-the-shelf software-defined radios and open-source deep learning software libraries. We extend the existing ideas toward continuous data transmission, which eases their current restriction to short block lengths but also entails the issue of receiver synchronization. We overcome this problem by introducing a frame synchronization module based on another NN. A comparison of the BLER performance of the “learned” system with that of a practical baseline shows competitive performance close to $\text{1}$ dB, even without extensive hyperparameter tuning. We identify several practical challenges of training such a system over actual channels, in particular, the missing channel gradient, and propose a two-step learning procedure based on the idea of transfer learning that circumvents this issue.
Circulating tumour cells from patients with colorectal cancer have cancer stem cell hallmarks in ex vivo culture

Objective Although counting of circulating tumour cells (CTC) has attracted a broad interest as potential markers of tumour progression and treatment response, the lack of functional characterisation of these cells had become a bottleneck in taking these observations to the clinic. Our objective was to culture these cells in order to understand them and exploit their therapeutic potential to the full. Design Here, hypothesising that some CTC potentially have cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype, we generated several CTC lines from the blood of patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) based on their self-renewal abilities. Multiple standard tests were then employed to characterise these cells. Results Our CTC lines self-renew, express CSC markers and have multilineage differentiation ability, both in vitro and in vivo. Patient-derived CTC lines are tumorigenic in subcutaneous xenografts and are also able to colonise the liver after intrasplenic injection. RNA sequencing analyses strikingly demonstrate that drug metabolising pathways represent the most upregulated feature among CTC lines in comparison with primary CRC cells grown under similar conditions. This result is corroborated by the high resistance of the CTC lines to conventional cytotoxic compounds. Conclusions Taken together, our results directly demonstrate the existence of patient-derived colorectal CTCs that bear all the functional attributes of CSCs. The CTC culture model described here is simple and takes <1 month from blood collection to drug testing, therefore, routine clinical application could facilitate access to personalised medicine. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrial.gov NCT01577511.
Impaired mobility associated with an increased likelihood of death in children: A systematic review

Improved identification of children with an increased likelihood of death can support appropriate provision of integrated palliative care. This systematic review aims to consider immobility and the associated likelihood of death in children with disabilities, living in high-income countries. Two reviewers independently searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, OpenGrey and Science Citation Index (1990–2016) for studies that reported hazard ratios (HRs) and relative risk for the likelihood of death related to impaired mobility. Nine papers were included. Three studies reported functioning using the Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) and the remaining studies reported measures of functioning unique to the study. The strongest single prognostic factor for the likelihood of death was ‘lack of sitting ability at 24 months’, HR 44.4 (confidence interval (CI) 6.1–320.8) followed by GMFCS V HR 16.3 (CI 5.6–47.2) and 11.4 (CI 3.76–35.57) and ‘not able to cruise by 24 months’, HR 14.4 (CI 3.5–59.2). Immobility is associated with an increased risk of dying over study periods, but different referent groups make clinical interpretation challenging. Overall, the quality of evidence is moderate. The findings suggest that immobility can support identification of children who may benefit from integrated palliative care.
Indoor Optical Wireless Systems: Technology, Trends, and Applications

Indoor wireless traffic is evolving at a staggering pace, and is quickly depleting radio spectrum resources. Optical wireless communication (OWC) offers powerful solutions for resolving this imminent capacity crunch of radio-based wireless networks. OWC is not intended to fully replace radio wireless techniques such as WiFi, but to complement these and offload their high traffic loads. After discussing OWC's application domains, this paper gives a tutorial overview of two major directions in OWC: wide-coverage visible light communication which builds on LED illumination techniques and shares capacity among multiple devices, and communication with narrow 2-D steered infrared beams which offers unshared high capacity to devices individually. In addition, supporting techniques for wide field-of-view receivers, device localization, bidirectional hybrid optical/radio networks, and bidirectional all-optical wireless networks are discussed.
Core Loss Analysis of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator With Slotless Stator

This paper proposes an analysis method of the core loss for a slotless type permanent magnet linear synchronous generator. Core loss is usually calculated using the Steinmetz equation, but this cannot be interpreted correctly. Consequently, several researchers have proposed modified versions of this equation. In this study, we calculate core loss coefficients from the Epstein test data using a curve fitting method for accurate core loss analysis. Moreover, owing to the time harmonics observed with changes in the magnetic flux density, we separate the rotating magnetic field and alternating magnetic field in our calculations. In addition, we consider the magnetic flux leakage as a parameter. Finally, core loss of the slotless type linear generator is calculated using a modified Steinmetz equation that considers the flux leakage.
Strength Prediction of Adhesively Bonded Single Lap Joints Under Salt Spray Environment Using a Cohesive Zone Model

The aim of this research was to develop an experimental–numerical approach to characterize the effect of salt spray environment on adhesively bonded joints and predict the degradation in joint strength. Experiments were conducted on bulk adhesive specimens and single lap joints (SLJs) under salt spray condition and the corresponding experimental results were reported. The environment degradation factor, Deg, was incorporated into a bilinear cohesive zone model (CZM) to simulate the degradation process of the joints. The degraded CZM parameters, determined from static tests on bulk adhesive, were imported into the CZM using an approximate moisture concentration gradient approach. The reduction in residual strength of SLJ under salt spray environment was successfully predicted through comparing the experimental and numerical results.
Association between metformin use after surgery for colorectal cancer and oncological outcomes: A nationwide register‐based study

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the Western world, and even after surgical removal, there is a high recurrence rate. Metformin treatment has been associated with a reduced risk of developing cancer, but whether metformin influences the risk of recurrence is unknown. The aim of our study was to examine the association between treatment with metformin and recurrence‐free, disease‐free survival and all‐cause mortality after surgery for colorectal cancer. The study was an observational register‐based study and included 25,785 patients, of which 1,116 had medically treated diabetes and 966 started metformin treatment at some point postoperatively. Diabetes was not associated with neither disease‐free (HRadjusted = 1.09, 95% CI 0.97–1.21, p = 0.15) nor recurrence‐free survival (HRadjusted = 1.13, 95% CI 0.95–1.35, p = 0.17). The study found no difference in regards to disease‐free or recurrence‐free survival between the metformin treated group (HRRFS = 1.06, 95% CI 0.87–1.15, p = 0.57, HRDFS = 1.01, 95% CI 0.89–1.15, p = 0.85) and non‐diabetic patients. Patients with diabetes had increased all‐cause mortality (HRadjusted = 1.29, 95% CI 1.16–1.45, p < 0.0001). Metformin treatment did not affect all‐cause mortality (HR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.94–1.22, p = 0.33) compared to non‐diabetic patients. In conclusion, our study did not find an association between diabetes or metformin treatment and recurrence‐free or disease‐free survival after surgery for colorectal cancer. However, diagnosis of diabetes is associated with increased all‐cause mortality.
Structural similarities and differences in H‐NS family proteins revealed by the N‐terminal structure of TurB in Pseudomonas putida KT2440

H‐NS family proteins play key roles in bacterial nucleoid compaction and global transcription. MvaT homologues in Pseudomonas have almost negligible amino acid sequence identity with H‐NS, but can complement an hns‐related phenotype of Escherichia coli. Here, we report the crystal structure of the N‐terminal dimerization/oligomerization domain of TurB, an MvaT homologue in Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Our data identify two dimerization sites; the structure of the central dimerization site is almost the same as the corresponding region of H‐NS, whereas the terminal dimerization sites are different. Our results reveal similarities and differences in dimerization and oligomerization mechanisms between H‐NS and TurB.
Psychometric analysis of the pediatric quality of life inventory 3.0 neuromuscular module administered to patients with duchenne muscular dystrophy: A rasch analysis

Introduction: Our objective in this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the English (UK and USA) version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Neuromuscular Module (PedsQL NMM) administered to patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods: Patients with DMD from the UK and the US completed the PedsQL NMM online. The psychometric properties of the instrument were examined using Rasch analysis. Results: A total of 278 patients completed the PedsQL NMM. Model misfit was identified for 6 of 25 items (item fit residual: mean 0.162, standard deviation [SD] 2.333), 22 of 25 items displayed disordered thresholds, and item dependency was high. The mean person fit residual was estimated at −0.183 (SD 1.475). The Person Separation Index and Cronbach's α were estimated at 0.904 and 0.915, respectively. Discussion: The English version of the PedsQL NMM may not be a valid measure of health‐related quality of life in patients with DMD. Muscle Nerve 58: 367–373, 2018
Two-Stage Superposed Transmission for Cooperative NOMA Systems

In this paper, a two-stage superposed transmission scheme for cooperative nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems is proposed. During the first <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula> time slots, the source simultaneously transmits the superposition coded symbols to the relay and destination, both of which, instead of decoding, keep the receptions in reserve. At the last time slot, the relay decodes and forwards a new superposition coded symbol with corresponding power allocation factors to the destination. The destination jointly decodes the received signals during the total <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N + 1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> time slots by employing maximum ratio combining. Assuming Rayleigh fading channels, the ergodic sum rate (SR), outage probability, and outage capacity of the system are investigated considering the high transmit signal-to-noise ratio cases. An approximate expression for the ergodic SR is also derived at the expense of a negligible performance loss. By means of numerical results, it is shown that the transmission rate and ergodic SR of the proposed scheme overwhelm that of the time-division multiple access and conventional NOMA schemes.
Variational grid setting network

We propose a new neural network architecture for automatic generation of missing characters in a Chinese font set. We call the neural network architecture the Variational Grid Setting Network which is based on the variational autoencoder (VAE) with some tweaks. The neural network model is able to generate missing characters relatively large in size (256 × 256 pixels). Moreover, we show that one can use very few samples for training data set, and get a satisfied result.
Evaluation for modulus of elasticity and weight change of lumber by sound analysis.

The natural frequency of longitudinal vibration due to sound emitted by hitting the cross section of lumber with hammer was measured to determine the modulus of elasticity (Et) and weight change. And its application for mechanical grading of lumber and quality control for drying in the mill was discussed.Et was recognized to be highly linear to the modulus of elasticity determined by static bending test (Es). Et was hardly affected by the length and section of lumber as compared with Es, and practically represented the average value of Et of components.Since the change of natural frequency during drying process was associated with Et and weight loss due to desorption of water, it might be used as an effective rough classification method for mechanical grading and quality control in drying. Especially, as the third lowest natural frequency of longitudinal wave was hardly affected by piling, measurements of longitudinal vibration after sawing and weight change during drying process could be considered as a reasonable quality control system.
An Analysis of Random Cache Effects on Real-Time Multi-Core Scheduling Algorithms

The effect of sharing the last-level cache (LLC) among cores in a multi-core system has not been thoroughly investigated especially in the design of efficient scheduling algorithms. And with the growing interest in random caches, which allow for an easier estimation of the worst-case execution time of tasks in critical real-time embedded systems, tools that analyse the sensitivity of workloads to sharing the LLC become necessary. In this paper, we extend a realtime multiprocessor scheduling simulator, SimSo, with a framework that incorporates a random cache model for multi-level caches to evaluate emerging scheduling algorithms under the influence of shared caches. A set of experiments were performed to study the behavior of workloads with respect to worst-case response time, average slack time, and maximum utilization, with varying cache designs under different scheduling algorithms.
Development and validation of the Nancy histological index for UC

Objective We developed a validated index for assessing histological disease activity in UC and established its responsiveness. Methods Two hundred biopsies were scored. The outcome was the Global Visual Evaluation (GVE). Eight histological features were tested. The Nancy index was developed by multiple linear regression and bootstrap process to create an index that best matched the GVE. Goodness of fit was assessed by the adjusted R squared (adjusted R2). The second step was the validation of the index: 100 biopsies were scored for the Nancy index by three pathologists from different centres. Inter-reader reliability was evaluated for each reader. The relationship between the change of the Nancy index and the Geboes index was assessed to assess the responsiveness. Results After backward selection with bootstrap validation, 3/8 items were selected: ulceration (adjusted R2=0.55), acute inflammatory infiltrate (adjusted R2=0.88) and chronic inflammatory infiltrate (adjusted R2=0.79). The Nancy index is defined by a 5-level classification ranging from grade 0 (absence of significant histological disease activity) to grade 4 (severely active disease). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the intrareader reliability was 0.88 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.92) and the index had good inter-reader reliability (ICC=0.86 (0.81 to 0.99)). The correlation between the Nancy index and the Geboes score or the GVE was very good. The index had a good responsiveness with a high correlation between changes in the Geboes score and changes in the Nancy index (0.910 (0.813 to 0.955)). Conclusions A three descriptor histological index has been validated for use in clinical practice and clinical trials.
Development of Simulation Model for Normal Sintering of Al2O3 by Finite Element Method

A simulation model was developed to predict the shrinkage of ceramic compacts during sintering by finite element method. For different heating rates or compact sizes, the sintering shrinkage of compacts in the process of raising and holding temperature was calculated using the developed model and compared with the experimental data to examine the validity of the model. Results of simulation agreed well with the experimental phenomenon in which densification proceeds slowly for high rates of heating or large sizes of compacts. Thus, it became clear that the size change of a compact during sintering could be predicted for the unknown sintering conditions or compact size using this simulation model.
Alternative Methods for Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (ECVs) are nano-sized vesicles released by all cells in vitro as well as in vivo. Their role has been implicated mainly in cell–cell communication, but also in disease biomarkers and more recently in gene delivery. They represent a snapshot of the cell status at the moment of release and carry bioreactive macromolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. A major limitation in this emerging new field is the availability/awareness of techniques to isolate and properly characterize ECVs. The lack of gold standards makes comparing different studies very difficult and may potentially hinder some ECVs-specific evidence. Characterization of ECVs has also recently seen many advances with the use of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, flow cytometry, cryo-electron microscopy instruments, and proteomic technologies. In this review, we discuss the latest developments in translational technologies involving characterization methods including the facts in their support and the challenges they face.
Applying Genetic Algorithm and BP Neural Network Model to Predict Cutting Area Temperature Distribution in the Laser-Assisted Milling

Laser assisted milling(LAM) can change the cutting processability of the workpiece, which is evaluated by the temperature of cutting zone. Therefore, the prediction of cutting zone temperature in LAM has an important practical meaning. There is a kind of complicated nonlinear relation between the cutting zone temperature and its adjacent temperature. Meanwhile the BP neural network (BP NN)can truly elaborate the nonlinear relation. In this paper, a new kind of algorithm combined the advantages of genetic algorithm (GA) and BP neural network is introduced to predict the temperature correctly. GA is used to train connection weights and biases of BP neural network. According to the characteristics of cutting area temperature distribution, the adjacent temperature and time are selected as the judging indexes. Then the model of predicting the cutting zone temperature is built. Practical application reveals that the model is a very efficient method.
Maternal Sadness and Adolescents' Responses to Stress in Offspring of Mothers with and Without a History of Depression

This study examined maternal sadness and adolescents' responses to stress in the offspring (n = 72) of mothers with and without a history of depression. Mothers with a history of depression reported higher levels of current depressive symptoms and exhibited greater sadness during interactions with their adolescent children (ages 11–14) than mothers without a history of depression. Similarly, adolescent children of mothers with a history of depression experienced higher rates of internalizing and externalizing symptoms than adolescents of mothers without a history of depression. Regression analyses indicated that adolescents' use of secondary control coping mediated the relationship between observed maternal sadness and adolescents' internalizing and externalizing symptoms, in that higher levels of secondary control coping (e.g., cognitive reframing) were related to fewer symptoms.
Interleaved LLC Converter With Cascaded Voltage-Doubler Rectifiers for Deeply Depleted PEV Battery Charging

This paper proposes an interleaved Inductor-Inductor-Capacitor resonant converter with cascaded voltage-doubler circuits for deeply depleted plug-in electric vehicle battery charging. The use of voltage double circuits extends the operating range of converter by mitigating the effects of transformer’s parasitic capacitors. The converter has two modes of operation: simultaneous and independent. In the former mode both interleaving converters operate together at the same frequency and in the later mode only one converter operates. In the former mode, it yields twofold higher gain compared to the later one. Thus, operation with combined mode changing and frequency control results in wider output voltage range. For confirmation, a laboratory prototype rated at input dc voltage of 400 V and output power of 1.5 kW is designed, and implemented. The results obtained from the prototype show that converter achieves a wide output voltage range of 100–420 V when operated in simultaneous mode with simple frequency control and an output voltage range of 50–100 V in the independent mode. With combined frequency and mode changing control, it achieves an output range of 50–420 V. The peak efficiency of converter was measured to be 95.65% at a peak power of 1.5 kW. Thus, the proposed converter is suitable for the dc–dc stage of on-board PEV battery charger.