Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Silicon-Based Electrochemical Treatment to Improve Osteointegration of Titanium Implants

Background Titanium and its alloy represent the most commonly used biomaterials worldwide designed for bone-contact under-load applications, which often require specific mechanical properties. In particular, a large number of different biomimetic surface treatments have been developed to speed up the osteointegration process, which facilitates a reduction in recovery time. Purpose The aim of this work is to investigate the physical-chemical, mechanical and bioactivity properties of an innovative biomimetic treatment on titanium performed using Anodic Spark Deposition (ASD) electrochemical treatment. Methods The proposed Asd treatment was obtained in an electrochemical solution containing silicon, calcium, phosphorous and sodium followed by an alkali etching. Surface morphology was characterized using SEM and laser profilometry. Chemical and structural composition was assessed by EDS, ICP/OES and XRD analysis. Vickers micro hardness and static contact angle measurements were performed to assess the surface mechanical properties and wettability. Results The proposed anodization treatment was capable of providing a chemical and morphologic modified titanium oxide layer, adherent and characterized by superhydrophilic properties. The microporous morphology was enriched by calcium, silicon, sodium and phosphorous. After incubation in Kokubo's simulated Body Fluid (sBF) the treatment showed very high mineralization potential compared to the reference surfaces, accounting for a deposited hydroxyapatite layer as thick as 12 μm after 14 days of SBF incubation. Conclusions on the basis of the results obtained in this study, we believe that the novel silicon-based ASD biomimetic treatment represents a promising treatment capable of enhancing the osteointegration of titanium for dental and orthopedic applications.
Role of attP in Integrase-Mediated Integration of the Shigella Resistance Locus Pathogenicity Island of Shigella flexneri

ABSTRACT The Shigella resistance locus (SRL) pathogenicity island (PAI) in Shigella spp. mediates resistance to streptomycin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. It can be excised from the chromosome via site-specific recombination mediated by the P4-related int gene. Here, we show that SRL PAI attP is capable of RecA-independent, site-specific, int-mediated integration into two bacterial tRNA attB sites.
Shape-based multi-region segmentation framework: application to 3D infants MRI data

This paper presents a novel shape-guided multi-region variational region growing framework for extract- ing simultaneously thoracic and abdominal organs on 3D infants whole body MRI. Due to the inherent low quality of these data, classical segmentation methods tend to fail at the multi-segmentation task. To compensate for the low resolution and the lack of contrast and to enable the simultaneous segmentation of multiple organs, we introduce a segmentation framework on a graph of supervoxels that combines supervoxels intensity distribution weighted by gradient vector ow value and a shape prior per tissue. The intensity-based homogeneity criteria and the shape prior, encoded using Legendre moments, are added as energy terms in the functional to be optimized. The intensity-based energy is computed using both local (voxel value) and global (neighboring regions mean values, adjacent voxels values and distance to the neighboring regions) criteria. Inter-region con ict resolution is handled using a weighted Voronoi decomposition method, the weights being determined using tissues densities. The energy terms of the global energy equation are weighted using an information on growth direction and on gradient vector flow value. This allows us to either guide the segmentation toward the image natural edges if it is consistent with image and shape prior terms, or enforce the shape prior term otherwise. Results on 3D infants MRI data are presented and compared to a set of manual segmentations. Both visual comparison and quantitative measurements show good results.
Secure Networking in the Sun Environment

Conclusion Recall that our goal was a system that is as secure as time–sharing. We feel we have met this goal. The way you are authenticated in a time–sharing system is by knowing your password. In our system, the same is true. In time–sharing the person you trust is your system administrater, who does not do anything dirty such as change your passwd entry so they can impersonate you. In our system, you instead trust your network administrater who does not change your entry in the public key database. In one sense, our system is even more secure than time–sharing. In our system, it is unfruitful to place a tap on the network in the hopes of catching a password or encryption key, because we encrypt them. Most time–sharing environments do not encrypt the data emanating from the terminal; users must trust that nobody is tapping their terminal lines. DES authentication is not the end–all authentication system for Sun. It is likely that in the future there will be sufficient advances in algorithms and hardware to render the public key system as we have defined it useless. The nice thing about DES authentication is that there is a smooth migration path for it in the future. Syntactically speaking, nothing in the protocol requires the encryption of the conversation key to be Diffie–Hellman, or even public key encryption in general. To make the authentication stronger in the future, all that needs to be done is to strengthen the way the conversation key is encrypted. Semantically though, this will be a different protocol, but the beauty of RPC is that it can be plugged in and live peacefully with the older authentication systems. But for the present at least, DES authentication satisfies our requirements for a secure networking environment. From it, we are able to build a system secure enough for use in unfriendly networks, such as for example a student–run university workstation environment. The price for this security is not high. Nobody has to carry around a magnetic card or remember any hundred digit numbers. You use your login password to authenticate yourself, just as you did before. There is a small impact on performance, but if this worries you and you have a friendly net, you can merely turn the authentication off.
A Passive Heat Maintenance Strategy Implemented during a Simulated Half-Time Improves Lower Body Power Output and Repeated Sprint Ability in Professional Rugby Union Players

Reduced physical performance has been observed following the half-time period in team sports players, likely due to a decrease in muscle temperature during this period. We examined the effects of a passive heat maintenance strategy employed between successive exercise bouts on core temperature (Tcore) and subsequent exercise performance. Eighteen professional Rugby Union players completed this randomised and counter-balanced study. After a standardised warm-up (WU) and 15 min of rest, players completed a repeated sprint test (RSSA 1) and countermovement jumps (CMJ). Thereafter, in normal training attire (Control) or a survival jacket (Passive), players rested for a further 15 min (simulating a typical half-time) before performing a second RSSA (RSSA 2) and CMJ’s. Measurements of Tcore were taken at baseline, post-WU, pre-RSSA 1, post-RSSA 1 and pre-RSSA 2. Peak power output (PPO) and repeated sprint ability was assessed before and after the simulated half-time. Similar Tcore responses were observed between conditions at baseline (Control: 37.06±0.05°C; Passive: 37.03±0.05°C) and for all other Tcore measurements taken before half-time. After the simulated half-time, the decline in Tcore was lower (-0.74±0.08% vs. -1.54±0.06%, p<0.001) and PPO was higher (5610±105 W vs. 5440±105 W, p<0.001) in the Passive versus Control condition. The decline in PPO over half-time was related to the decline in Tcore (r = 0.632, p = 0.005). In RSSA 2, best, mean and total sprint times were 1.39±0.17% (p<0.001), 0.55±0.06% (p<0.001) and 0.55±0.06% (p<0.001) faster for Passive versus Control. Passive heat maintenance reduced declines in Tcore that were observed during a simulated half-time period and improved subsequent PPO and repeated sprint ability in professional Rugby Union players.
A Bayesian Data Fusion Approach to Spatio-Temporal Fusion of Remotely Sensed Images

Remote sensing provides rich sources of data for the monitoring of land surface dynamics. However, single-sensor systems are constrained from providing spatially high-resolution images with high revisit frequency due to the inherent sensor design limitation. To obtain images high in both spatial and temporal resolutions, a number of image fusion algorithms, such as spatial and temporal adaptive reflectance fusion model (STARFM) and enhanced STARFM (ESTARFM), have been recently developed. To capitalize on information available in a fusion process, we propose a Bayesian data fusion approach that incorporates the temporal correlation information in the image time series and casts the fusion problem as an estimation problem in which the fused image is obtained by the Maximum A Posterior (MAP) estimator. The proposed approach provides a formal framework for the fusion of remotely sensed images with a rigorous statistical basis; it imposes no requirements on the number of input image pairs; and it is suitable for heterogeneous landscapes. The approach is empirically tested with both simulated and real-life acquired Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms STARFM and ESTARFM, especially for heterogeneous landscapes. It produces surface reflectances highly correlated with those of the reference Landsat images. It gives spatio-temporal fusion of remotely sensed images a solid theoretical and empirical foundation that may be extended to solve more complicated image fusion problems.
MITOGENIC EFFECT BY LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE AND POKEWEED LECTIN ON DENSITY-INHIBITED CHICK EMBRYO FIBROBLASTS

The B lymphocyte mitogens, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), pokeweed lectin, and tuberculin, induced proliferation in density-inhibited monolayer cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts. The stimulation was seen both as an early increase in sugar uptake and cell volume and later as an increase in thymidine incorporation and cell number. The concentration of LPS maximally stimulating fibroblasts was remarkably low, about 0.1–1 ng/ml. LPS preparation with very different sugar chains gave quite similar results indicating that the architecture of the hydrophilic carbohydrate part is not critical for the mitogenic effect.
A multicontext architecture for formalizing complex reasoning

We propose multicontext systems (MC systems) as a formal framework for the specification of complex reasoning. MC systems provide the ability to structure the specification of “global” reasoning in terms of “local” reasoning subpatterns. Each subpattern is modeled as a deduction in a context, formally defined as an axiomatic formal system. the global reasoning pattern is modeled as a concatenation of contextual deductions via bridge rules, i.e., inference rules that infer a fact in one context from facts asserted in other contexts. Besides the formal framework, in this article we propose a three‐layer architecture designed to specify and automatize complex reasoning. At the first level we have object‐level contexts (called s‐contexts) for domain specifications. Problem‐solving principles and, more in general, meta‐level knowledge about the application domain is specified in a distinct context, called Problem‐Solving Context (PSC). On top of s‐contexts and PSC, we have a further context, called MT, where it is possible to specify strategies to control multicontext reasoning spanning through s‐contexts and PSC. We show how GETFOL can be used as a computer tool for the implementation of MC systems and for the automatization of multicontext deductions. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Material Roughness Modulation via Electrotactile Augmentation

Tactile exploration of a material's texture using a bare finger pad is a daily human activity. However, modern tactile displays do not allow users to experience the natural sensations of a material when artificial sensations are presented. We propose an electrotactile augmentation technique capable of superimposing vibrotactile sensations in a finger pad, thereby allowing the texture modulation of real materials. Users attach two stimulus electrodes to the middle phalanx of a finger and a grounded electrode at the base of the finger in order to evoke nerve activity. This paper evaluates the proposed electrotactile augmentation for roughness modulation of real materials. First, we introduce the principle of the electrotactile display, which presents artificial sensations at the finger pad. We then confirm that the perceived frequency of mechanical vibration at the finger pad can be shifted using electrotactile augmentation. Finally, we discuss a user study, wherein participants rated the roughness of real materials explored using the proposed system. Experimental results indicate that fine- and macro-roughness perceptions of real materials can be altered using electrotactile augmentation.
Chapter 10 Tradeoff s and Negative Correlations in Evolutionary Ecology

Hairless dogs have imperfect teeth; long-haired and coarse-haired animals are apt to have, as is asserted, long or many horns; pigeons with feathered feet have skin between their outer toes; pigeons with short beaks have small feet, and those with long beaks large feet. Hence, if man goes on selecting, and thus augmenting, any peculiarity, he will almost certainly unconsciously modify other parts of the structure, owing to the mysterious laws of the correlation of growth (Darwin 1859: 11–12).
RLS-based initialization for per tone equalizers in DMT-receivers

Per tone equalization has been proposed in [6] [7] as an alternative to time domain equalization for DMT-based systems. In this paper, an iterative initialization scheme based on so-called RLS with inverse updating is presented for these equalizers. Simulation results show convergence with an acceptably small number of training symbols. Complexity calculations are made for per tone equalization and for the case where tones are grouped. It is demonstrated with an example that in the latter case, initialization complexity becomes sufficiently low and comparable to complexity during data transmission.
Leveraging Heterogeneity Make Resource Location Efficient in Peer-to-Peer Networks

Although the original intent of the peer-to-peer (P2P) concept is to treat each participant equally, the heterogeneity is an inherent characteristic of P2P systems. In this paper, according to the previous researches in P2P resource sharing networks, we first conclude and classify the heterogeneity in P2P networks, and then analyze each type of P2P systems that utilize heterogeneity in P2P network. The above analysis and conclusion will become a good guidance to design new resource locating algorithm which takes advantage of heterogeneity in P2P networks.
WLAN location determination in e-home via support vector classification

Because of the advanced development in computer technology, home automation system could provide a variety of convenient and novel services to people. But only providing many kinds of services is not enough; instead, upgrading the quality of services is also a very important issue. One way to upgrade the service quality is to customize the service according to the inhabitant's personal situation, and the user location is the key information for the home automation system to customize the services. Another impact of the advanced computer technology is to make the personal digital device to commonly have the capability to communicate through the wireless networks, and the popularity of wireless networks in home has increased in recent years. As a result, home automation system can bring services to personal digital devices held by people through any wireless network, and customize the services according to the location of personal digital device in home. In this paper, we present a location determination system for the home automation system to provide location aware services. This location determination system uses support vector machine to classify the location of a wireless client from its signal strength measures, and we describe its architecture and discuss its performance.
Inhibition of Hyaluronic Acid Synthesis Suppresses Angiogenesis in Developing Endometriotic Lesions

Background The development and long-term survival of endometriotic lesions is crucially dependent on an adequate vascularization. Hyaluronic acid (HA) through its receptor CD44 has been described to be involved in the process of angiogenesis. Objective To study the effect of HA synthesis inhibition using non-toxic doses of 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) on endometriosis-related angiogenesis. Materials and Methods The cytotoxicity of different in vitro doses of 4-MU on endothelial cells was firstly tested by means of a lactate dehydrogenase assay. The anti-angiogenic action of non-cytotoxic doses of 4-MU was then assessed by a rat aortic ring assay. In addition, endometriotic lesions were induced in dorsal skinfold chambers of female BALB/c mice, which were daily treated with an intraperitoneal injection of 0.9% NaCl (vehicle group; n = 6), 20mg/kg 4-MU (n = 8) or 80mg/kg 4-MU (n = 7) throughout an observation period of 14 days. The effect of 4-MU on their vascularization, survival and growth were studied by intravital fluorescence microscopy, histology and immunohistochemistry. Main Results Non-cytotoxic doses of 4-MU effectively inhibited vascular sprout formation in the rat aortic ring assay. Endometriotic lesions in dorsal skinfold chambers of 4-MU-treated mice dose-dependently exhibited a significantly smaller vascularized area and lower functional microvessel density when compared to vehicle-treated controls. Histological analyses revealed a downregulation of HA expression in 4-MU-treated lesions. This was associated with a reduced density of CD31-positive microvessels within the lesions. In contrast, numbers of PCNA-positive proliferating and cleaved caspase-3-positive apoptotic cells did not differ between 4-MU-treated and control lesions. Conclusions The present study demonstrates for the first time that targeting the synthesis of HA suppresses angiogenesis in developing endometriotic lesions. Further studies have to clarify now whether in the future this anti-angiogenic effect can be used beneficially for the treatment of endometriosis.
FocusStack: Orchestrating Edge Clouds Using Location-Based Focus of Attention

Allocating and managing resources in the Internet of Things (IoT) presents many new challenges, including massive scale, new security issues, and new resource types that become critical in making orchestration decisions. In this paper, we investigate whether clouds of edge devices can be managed as Infrastructure-as-a-Service clouds. We describe our approach, FocusStack, that uses location based situational awareness, implemented over a multi-tier geographic addressing network, to solve the problems of inefficient awareness messaging and mixed initiative control that IoT device clouds raise for traditional cloud management tools. We provide an extended case study of a shared video application as initial demonstration and evaluation of the work and show that we effectively solve the two key problems above.
In Vitro Determination of Prebiotic Properties of Oligosaccharides Derived from an Orange Juice Manufacturing By-Product Stream

ABSTRACT Fermentation properties of oligosaccharides derived from orange peel pectin were assessed in mixed fecal bacterial culture. The orange peel oligosaccharide fraction contained glucose in addition to rhamnogalacturonan and xylogalacturonan pectic oligosaccharides. Twenty-four-hour, temperature- and pH-controlled, stirred anaerobic fecal batch cultures were used to determine the effects that oligosaccharides derived from orange products had on the composition of the fecal microbiota. The effects were measured through fluorescent in situ hybridization to determine changes in bacterial populations, fermentation end products were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography to assess short-chain fatty acid concentrations, and subsequently, a prebiotic index (PI) was determined. Pectic oligosaccharides (POS) were able to increase the bifidobacterial and Eubacterium rectale numbers, albeit resulting in a lower prebiotic index than that from fructo-oligosaccharide metabolism. Orange albedo maintained the growth of most bacterial populations and gave a PI similar to that of soluble starch. Fermentation of POS resulted in an increase in the Eubacterium rectale numbers and concomitantly increased butyrate production. In conclusion, this study has shown that POS can have a beneficial effect on the fecal microflora; however, a classical prebiotic effect was not found. An increase in the Eubacterium rectale population was found, and butyrate levels increased, which is of potential benefit to the host.
Resources for speech research: present and future infrastructure needs

This paper introduces the EU-FP7 project CLARIN, a joint effort of over 150 institutions in Europe, aimed at the creation of a sustainable language resources and technology infrastructure for the humanities and social sciences research community. The paper briefly introduces the vision behind the project and how it relates to speech research with a focus on the contributions that CLARIN can and will make to research in spoken language processing.
An Effective Approach to Preventing TCP Incast Throughput Collapse for Data Center Networks

This paper presents an effective solution to the known TCP incast problem in data center networks. The incast problem refers to a drastic TCP throughput drop when the number of servers synchronically sending data to the same receiver is too large. Our proposed approach utilizes the link bandwidth as fully as possible but without significant packet losses by limiting the number of concurrent senders to a reasonable value. Based on the concept of bandwidth delay product, our approach conservatively estimates the reasonable number of concurrent senders. Our approach does not modify TCP protocol itself and can thus be applied to any TCP variant, and works regardless of the type of data center network topology and throughput limitation. Analysis and simulation results show that our approach eliminates the incast problem and noticeably improves TCP throughput.
Solution to lossy short-term hydrothermal coordination problem with limited energy supply thermal units by using first order gradient method

A solution technique for a lossy hydrothermal coordination problem with limited-energy-supply thermal units is given. The technique is based on first order gradient method. The transmission losses are incorporated into the solution process via the reference bus penalty factors. These reference bus penalty factors are obtained from Jacobian matrix that is calculated at the end of Newton-Raphson iterations of the load flow calculations.