Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Underwater 3-D Spatial Attenuation Characteristics of Electromagnetic Waves With Omnidirectional Antenna

In this paper, an underwater 3-D spatial attenuation model of electromagnetic waves is proposed to establish a position recognition system in underwater 3-D space using distance estimation. The distance estimation is based on signal attenuation characteristics of electromagnetic waves radiated through several omnidirectional antennas. Positions in underwater environments have been predominantly estimated by an ultrasonic position recognition system using travel time and phase difference. However, such a system provides inaccurate estimation on account of the multipath effect in a structured environment or complex environment with many obstacles. A position estimation method that uses signal attenuation of electromagnetic waves has been proposed to overcome this limitation. That method can precisely estimate position on a structured 2-D plane. In this paper, an existing underwater position estimation system based on electromagnetic waves is expanded into 3-D space using the Friis formula and plane wave equation, thereby classifying attenuation characteristics of electromagnetic waves into the effects of medium, radiation, and antenna. These effects are summarized to deduce the signal attenuation characteristics of electromagnetic waves in 3-D space. In addition, the relative position (R, Θ, Φ) and attitude (φ,θ, ψ) of transceiver antennas are used to define a coordinate system for 3-D estimation; moreover, an attenuation model is defined for individual factors in the coordinate system. A generalized attenuation model of an omnidirectional antenna in 3-D space is presented, and the validity of the proposed model is demonstrated through experiments. Based on the results, the proposed model demonstrates the potential application to an omnidirectional antenna and expansion into an attenuation model based on the 3-D position between random antennas.
C5a peptidase alters clearance and trafficking of group A streptococci by infected mice

Group A streptococcal C5a peptidase (SCPA) specifically cleaves the human serum chemotaxin C5a at the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) binding site. This study tested the proposal that SCPA contributes to virulence by retarding the influx of inflammatory cells and clearance of streptococci during the first few hours after infection. To investigate the specific contribution of SCPA to the virulence of group A streptococci, scpA insertion and deletion mutants were created by directed plasmid insertion into scpA and gene replacement. The precise locations of insertion and deletion mutations were confirmed by PCR and DNA sequence analysis. The impact of mutation on virulence was investigated with a mouse air sac model of inflammation. Experiments evaluated clearance of streptococci from the air sac within 4 h after infection. SCPA- streptococci were cleared more efficiently than wild-type bacteria. Localization of streptococci in lymph nodes and spleens of infected mice revealed a significant difference between mutant and wild-type streptococci. PMNLs and other granulocytes that infiltrated the air sac were quantitated by single-color flow cytometry. The total cellular infiltrate was greater and PMNLs dominated the granulocytic infiltrates of air sacs inoculated with SCPA- mutant bacteria. The data obtained are consistent with the possibility that SCPA- streptococci are initially cleared from the site of infection primarily by PMNLs. Moreover, mutant and wild-type streptococci followed different paths of dissemination. SCPA- bacteria were transported to lymph nodes, whereas wild-type streptococci avoided transport to the lymph nodes and rapidly spread to the spleen.
First Surface-resolved Results with the IOTA Imaging Interferometer: Detection of Asymmetries in AGB stars

We have measured non-zero closure phases for about 29% of our sample of 56 nearby Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars, using the 3-telescope Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) interferometer at near-infrared wavelengths (H-band) and with angular resolutions in the range 5-10 milliarcseconds. These non-zero closure phases can only be generated by asymmetric brightness distributions of the target stars or their surroundings. We discuss how these results were obtained, and how they might be interpreted in terms of structures on or near the target stars. We also report measured angular sizes and hypothesize that most Mira stars would show detectable asymmetry if observed with adequate angular resolution.
A Role of Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 2 in the Regulation of Ecdysteroid Signaling Pathway in Procambarus clarkii.

A suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS-2) homolog was identified from the red crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Phylogenic analysis showed that P. clarkii SOCS-2 (Pc-SOCS-2) was very similar to that of invertebrates. The sequence contains a central SH2 domain, a conserved SOCS box, and a variable N-terminal domain. Real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that Pc-SOCS-2 mRNA level was higher in muscle and heart than in the other tissues examined. A 40-kDa recombinant protein was successfully expressed and purified from Escherichia coli cells as confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting. Pc-SOCS-2 was significantly downregulated in the hepatopancreas after 20-hydroxyecdysone injection. Knockdown of Pc-SOCS-2 gene by small interfering RNA transfection in the hepatopancreas increased the expression levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone-responsive genes at 48 hr. Taken together, these results suggest that Pc-SOCS-2 is a negative regulator of ecdysteroid signaling transduction.
Combining traditional dietary assessment methods with novel metabolomics techniques: present efforts by the Food Biomarker Alliance

FFQ, food diaries and 24 h recall methods represent the most commonly used dietary assessment tools in human studies on nutrition and health, but food intake biomarkers are assumed to provide a more objective reflection of intake. Unfortunately, very few of these biomarkers are sufficiently validated. This review provides an overview of food intake biomarker research and highlights present research efforts of the Joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’ (JPI-HDHL) Food Biomarkers Alliance (FoodBAll). In order to identify novel food intake biomarkers, the focus is on new food metabolomics techniques that allow the quantification of up to thousands of metabolites simultaneously, which may be applied in intervention and observational studies. As biomarkers are often influenced by various other factors than the food under investigation, FoodBAll developed a food intake biomarker quality and validity score aiming to assist the systematic evaluation of novel biomarkers. Moreover, to evaluate the applicability of nutritional biomarkers, studies are presently also focusing on associations between food intake biomarkers and diet-related disease risk. In order to be successful in these metabolomics studies, knowledge about available electronic metabolomics resources is necessary and further developments of these resources are essential. Ultimately, present efforts in this research area aim to advance quality control of traditional dietary assessment methods, advance compliance evaluation in nutritional intervention studies, and increase the significance of observational studies by investigating associations between nutrition and health.
Alcohol intake and Helicobacter pylori infection: a dose–response meta-analysis of observational studies

Abstract Background Alcohol intake has been suggested to have an impact on the development of many chronic diseases. How alcohol intake may modulate risk of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, however, remains a subject open for investigation. A dose–response meta-analysis was performed of epidemiological studies to better quantify this relationship. Materials and methods Twelve observational articles were identified. The summary odds ratio (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for alcohol drinkers vs non-drinkers. The summary OR estimates were obtained using the random-effects model and dose–response meta-analysis. Sub-group and sensitivity analysis were also conducted. Results The summary OR was 0.78 (95% CI = 0.69–0.89). The dose–response analysis demonstrated that for drinkers of 10, 15, 30, 60 and 96 g/day alcohol intake, the estimated ORs were 0.80 (95% CI = 0.76–0.85), 0.79 (95% CI = 0.75–0.84), 0.83 (95% CI = 0.78–0.87), 0.85 (95% CI = 0.78–0.93) and 0.87 (95% CI = 0.70–1.06), respectively, compared to non-drinkers. The inverse relationship between alcohol intake and H. pylori infection was consistent, regardless of sex, age, geographic areas, detection methods or beverage types. Conclusion: Evidence from these observational studies suggests that moderate alcohol intake is associated with a reduction in H. pylori infection of ∼ 22% and may facilitate elimination of H. pylori.
Nobel Lecture: Controlling photons in a box and exploring the quantum to classical boundary

Microwave photons trapped in a superconducting cavity constitute an ideal system to realize some of the thought experiments imagined by the founding fathers of quantum physics. The interaction of these trapped photons with Rydberg atoms crossing the cavity illustrates fundamental aspects of measurement theory. The experiments performed with this ``photon box'' at Ecole Normale Sup\'erieure (ENS) belong to the domain of quantum optics called ``cavity quantum electrodynamics. '' We have realized the nondestructive counting of photons, the recording of field quantum jumps, the preparation and reconstruction of ``Schr\"odinger cat'' states of radiation and the study of their decoherence, which provides a striking illustration of the transition from the quantum to the classical world. These experiments have also led to the demonstration of basic steps in quantum information processing, including the deterministic entanglement of atoms and the realization of quantum gates using atoms and photons as quantum bits. This lecture starts by an introduction stressing the connection between the ENS photon box and the ion-trap experiments of David Wineland, whose accompanying lecture recalls his own contribution to the field of single particle control. I give then a personal account of the early days of cavity quantum electrodynamics before describing the main experiments performed at ENS during the last 20 years and concluding by a discussion comparing our work to other researches dealing with the control of single quantum particles.
Evidence of EIT and Moreton Waves in Numerical Simulations

Solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are associated with many dynamical phenomena, among which EIT waves have always been a puzzle. In this Letter MHD processes of CME-induced wave phenomena are numerically simulated. It is shown that as the flux rope rises, a piston-driven shock is formed along the envelope of the expanding CME, which sweeps the solar surface as it propagates. We propose that the legs of the shock produce Moreton waves. Simultaneously, a slower moving wavelike structure, with an enhanced plasma region ahead, is discerned, which we propose corresponds to the observed EIT waves. The mechanism for EIT waves is therefore suggested, and their relation with Moreton waves and radio bursts is discussed.
IFRS and Accounting Information Quality: The Case of Jordan

Presented Paper in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Conference - Challenges & Opportunities 1st – 2nd May, 2012 Organized by College of Business & Economics, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Abstract. The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of applying IFRS by Jordanian listed companies on the value relevance (quality) of accounting information when setting the value of the firm in the stock market. The sample consists of 11 banks and 34 industrial companies. The analysis is based on sample firms' annual data of 4 individual years within the period 1996-2009. The methodology involved the use a cross-sectional OLS regression model that explains the market value of the firm using IFRS-based accounting information (book value, earnings, operating cash flows and discretional accruals). The individual-year tests' results are mixed and there is no consistent set of accounting variables capable of explaining the market value of a firm over the entire period of the study. One possible explanation of this overall result is that IFRS are still applied lightly in Jordan. However, we may still conclude that, in the IFRS era, operating cash flows and discretional accruals are better predictors of a bank's market value, while book value and earnings are better predictors of an industrial firm's market value. Pooled data test results do not contradict this latter conclusion. Keywords: IFRS adoption, Jordan, banks, industrial companies, Market value
Detecting and mitigating denial of service attacks against the data plane in software defined networks

Software Defined Networking (SDN) introduces a new network architecture offering means of programmability through an externalized centralized control plane. As a result most security research addresses attacks against this central entity. Contrary to that, attacks against the data plane in SDN did not perceive a broad attention in the scientific community so far. In this work we discuss Denial of Service attacks against the data plane and their impact. We propose a tailored statistical detection approach as well as a lightweight countermeasure. We evaluate the detection by simulation and an analytical approach. Throughout this evaluation, we highlight the trade-off between detection speed and adaptability and show a way to tune the solution analytically. Our results show, that we can detect and mitigate attacks against the data plane in a lightweight and dependable way.
Equol-Producing Status, Isoflavone Intake, and Breast Density in a Sample of U.S. Chinese Women

Background: Differences in ability to metabolize daidzein to equol might help explain inconsistent findings about isoflavones and breast cancer. We examined equol-producing status in relation to breast density, a marker of breast cancer risk, and evaluated whether an association of isoflavone intake with breast density differs by equol-producing status in a sample of Chinese immigrant women. Methods: Participants were 224 women, ages 36 to 58 years, enrolled in a study on diet and breast density. All women completed dietary recall interviews, underwent a soy challenge to assess equol-producing status, and received a mammogram assessed for breast density using a computer-assisted method. Results: In our sample, 30% were classified as equol producers. In adjusted linear regression models, equol producers had significantly lower mean dense tissue area (32.8 vs. 37.7 cm2, P = 0.03) and lower mean percent breast density (32% vs. 35%, P = 0.03) than nonproducers. Significant inverse associations of isoflavone intake with dense area and percent density were apparent, but only in equol producers (interaction P = 0.05 for both). Conclusions: These results support the possibility that equol-producing status affects breast density and that effects of isoflavones on breast density depend on ability to metabolize daidzein to equol. Impact: Although these findings warrant confirmation in a larger sample, they offer a possible explanation for the inconsistent findings about soy intake and breast density and possibly breast cancer risk as well. The findings further suggest the importance of identifying factors that influence equol-producing status and exploring appropriate targeting of interventions. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(11); 1975–83. ©2013 AACR.
Modal Synthesis for Arbitrarily Shaped Objects

22 Computer Music Journal This research extends real-time, physics-based sound synthesis in computer music. Using our system, one can synthesize sounds resulting from striking three-dimensional models of objects in an interactive music setting. In computer music, previous software synthesizers have focused on modeling shapes for which there is an analytical solution. Our method allows for the design of atypical object shapes for which finding an analytical solution may be impossible. Creating such object sounds using software synthesizers available today would require an intimate knowledge of the frequency spectrum of that object and precise tuning of a number of digital oscillators. Tuning would require not only frequency adjustment but also precise amplitude envelope settings for each oscillator. Using our system, one would need only a three-dimensional model and a selection of material to generate the object’s frequency spectra. This method also allows for real-time modification to the intensity, direction, and location of the object strike, a feature generic instrument sampling cannot provide. We also provide controls over material parameters and object scale. Such flexibility also allows computer musicians to explore realistic (and even unrealistic) instrument sounds.
Hazard Regression for Interval‐Censored Data with Penalized Spline

Summary. This article introduces a new approach for estimating the hazard function for possibly interval‐ and right‐censored survival data. We weakly parameterize the log‐hazard function with a piecewise‐linear spline and provide a smoothed estimate of the hazard function by maximizing the penalized likelihood through a mixed model–based approach. We also provide a method to estimate the amount of smoothing from the data. We illustrate our approach with two well‐known interval‐censored data sets. Extensive numerical studies are conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the new procedure.
(2,2′-Bipyridine-κ2 N,N′)bis(nitrato-κ2 O,O′)copper(II)

In the title complex, [Cu(NO3)2(C10H8N2)], the CuII cation is chelated by two nitrate anions and by one 2,2′-bipyridine ligand in a distorted N2O4 octahedral geometry. The dihedral angle between the pyridine rings is 1.92 (11)°. In the crystal, π–π stacking between parallel pyridine rings of adjacent complex molecules is observed, the centroid–centroid distance being 3.6788 (19) Å. Weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds further link the molecules into a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture.
Web-Based Diet Information System with Case-Based Reasoning Capabilities

Encouraging socio‐economic development in developing countries has resulted in many changes in the lifestyle of communities. Changes in dietary patterns are one of the main outcomes from the rapid socio‐economics advancement, for example excessive intake of fat, high‐protein diet (animal protein), salt and preservatives. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension and cancer are mostly related to diet. With the community becoming more nutrition and health conscious, one of the challenges faced is to make sure that the information and knowledge on diet and healthy lifestyle gets across to the community. This paper presents a model of web‐based diet system (WebDIET) that attempts to make diet information and menu plans that are customised to local preference more accessible via the use of Internet. The system is to be used by dieticians who serve as administrators and the public who are the end users. The dietary standard adapted in developing the system is Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Malaysia. The Malaysian Dietary Guidelines was also referred as it emphasises on Malaysian diet. The system consists of six modules namely Authentication Module, Menu Plan Module, Diabetic Menu Plan Module, Food Selection Module, Disease Info Module and Feedback Module. Diabetic menu plan module models the reasoning process employed by dieticians in suggesting menu plans. The planning task is solved using an artificial intelligence technique through the case‐based reasoning (CBR) approach. CBR, generally describes, the process of solving the current problem based on the proposed solution of similar problems in the past. Nearest Neighbour Algorithm was used to compute the similarities in weighted average. Tools used for the development of the system are Microsoft Visual Interdev, Microsoft FrontPage 2000, while HTML, VBScript and JavaScript are the scripting languages used to develop the system.
Standard Measures of Visual Acuity Do Not Predict Drivers’ Recognition Performance Under Day or Night Conditions

Purpose. This study investigated whether visual acuity or contrast sensitivity, measured under a range of luminance conditions, could predict drivers’ recognition performance under real-world day and night road conditions. Methods. Twenty-four participants, comprising three age groups (younger, mean = 21.5 years; middle-aged, mean = 46.6 years; and older, mean = 71.9 years), drove around a 1.8-km closed road circuit under day and nighttime conditions. At night, headlight intensity was varied over 1.5 log-units by ND filters mounted on the headlights. Participants drove around the circuit under five light conditions (daytime and four at night) and were asked to report relevant targets, including road signs, large low-contrast road obstacles, and pedestrians who wore retroreflective markings on either the torso or the limb joints (creating “biological motion”). Real-world recognition performance was measured as percent correct recognition and, in the case of low-contrast road obstacles, avoided. Clinical vision tests included high-contrast visual acuity and Pelli-Robson letter contrast sensitivity measured at four luminance levels. Results. Real-world recognition performance of all age groups was significantly degraded under low light conditions, and this impairment was greater for the older participants. These changes in drivers’ recognition performance were more strongly predicted by contrast sensitivity than visual acuity measured under standard photopic conditions. Interestingly, contrast sensitivity was highly correlated with visual acuity measured under low-luminance conditions. Further analyses showed that recognition performance while driving is better predicted by combinations of two tests: either 1) photopic visual acuity and photopic contrast sensitivity, or 2) photopic and mesopic visual acuity. Conclusions. These findings confirm that visibility is seriously degraded during night driving and that the problem is greater for older drivers. These changes in real-world recognition performance were better predicted by a standard test of contrast sensitivity than by visual acuity. Still better predictions can be obtained by the use of two vision tests. The implications of these findings for driver licensing standards are discussed.