Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Waiting time and queue length distributions for go-back-N and selective-repeat ARQ protocols

The paper provides a performance analysis of automatic-repeat-request (ARQ) protocols in connection-oriented transmission. Each message arriving at a transmitter is divided into several packets, which are continuously transmitted to a receiver according to go-back-N ARQ or selective-repeat ARQ protocols. Because of connection-oriented transmission, messages are served on a first come first served basis, i.e., transmission of a message is commenced after all packets in the previous message are successfully transmitted. For the two ARQ protocols, the authors derive the probability generating functions of message waiting time and queue length at an arbitrary instant, from which the average performance measures are explicitly obtained. >
Scene Reconstruction from a Light Field

This thesis addresses novel methods to reconstruct the scene from a light field. Light fields are sampled radiances at all points along all directions in the scene. We propose to reconstruct the scene by analyzing the structures of rays in the light field without any geometric assumption about the scene. We first explore the general characteristics of light fields, and important operations such as digital refocusing and synthetic aperture. Using those operations, we derive a representation called a focal stack to describe the scene, and the mapping between the light field and the focal stack. We then devise tools to measure the existence of surfaces in the focal stack. Being equipped with these tools, we propose to reconstruct the depth of the scene, and then to reconstruct the whole 3D volume of the scene. We also discuss the effects of the occlusion, and seek to reduce its influence on the synthetic aperture imaging to make our methods more robust. Our methods are tested using captured and synthetic data sets, and the experimental results are presented and discussed.
Age Differences in the Pronunciation of Foreign Sounds

The hypothesis that the years up to the age of puberty constitute a critical period for language acquisition was tested. Two kinds of data are presented which suggest that younger children are not better than older children and adults in learning a foreign language. In a laboratory study, it was found that the ability to imitate foreign words under controlled input conditions increased linearly with age. In a study of naturalistic second language acquisition, it was found that the older subjects had an initial advantage in pronunciation, and that age differences in pronunciation ability disappeared by 4-5 months after starting to learn the second language. By 10-11 months after starting to speak the second language, the younger children excelled in pronouncing some sounds, though there was still no overall age difference. These results are impossible to reconcile with the predictions of the critical period hypothesis for language acquisition.
Role of viability imaging in the post-STICH era

Purpose of review Recent results from prospective randomized controlled trials examining the management of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) have questioned both the added value of revascularization over contemporary optimal medical therapy (OMT) and the use of viability testing as a gate-keeper to revascularization. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent trial evidence before discussing future perspectives in the field. Recent findings The Surgical Treatment of Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial, PPAR-2 trial and Heart Failure Revascularisation Trial have all reported their results within the past 5 years. None of these trials found revascularization superior to OMT in improving survival of ICM patients. Additionally, the STICH trial's viability substudy suggested that pretreatment viability testing was not beneficial. Summary ICM patients remain a clinical conundrum. The numerous limitations of the recent RCTs have led to uncertainty about optimal management. Revascularization continues to be offered to patients with evidence of myocardial viability. Further studies are required to answer the outstanding questions in the management of patients with ICM.
State of art on load monitoring methods

This paper deals with a state of art about the most non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) methods. These methods allow identifying consumption of the electrical loads. In the context of sustainable development, this is of growing interest and rapid evolution subject in recent years. The objective is to manage energy consumption by the determination of the operating schedule of individual appliances. These approaches have been developed to simplify the collection of energy consumption data. This technique for gathering appliance load information doesnpsilat require placing sensors on individual appliances, and hence an intrusion into the energy consumerpsilas property. This paper proposes an overview of the most popular methods and describes their advantages and disadvantages. It opens new perspectives which are under development in our laboratory. Our goal is to reduce the complexity of monitoring appliances and to find the most efficient method for identification.
PET/CT with 18F-FDG– and 18F-FBEM–Labeled Leukocytes for Metabolic Activity and Leukocyte Recruitment Monitoring in a Mouse Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by a progressive and irreversible respiratory failure. Validated noninvasive methods able to assess disease activity are essential for prognostic purposes as well as for the evaluation of emerging antifibrotic treatments. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were used in a murine model of pulmonary fibrosis induced by an intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (control mice were instilled with a saline solution). At different times after instillation, PET/CT with 18F-FDG– or 18F-4-fluorobenzamido-N-ethylamino-maleimide (18F-FBEM)–labeled leukocytes was performed to assess metabolic activity and leukocyte recruitment, respectively. Results: In bleomycin-treated mice, a higher metabolic activity was measured on 18F-FDG PET/CT scans from day 7 to day 24 after instillation, with a peak of activity measured at day 14. Of note, lung mean standardized uptake values correlated with bleomycin doses, histologic score of fibrosis, lung hydroxyproline content, and weight loss. Moreover, during the inflammatory phase of the model (day 7), but not the fibrotic phase (day 23), bleomycin-treated mice presented with an enhanced leukocyte recruitment as assessed by 18F-FBEM–labeled leukocyte PET/CT. Autoradiographic analysis of lung sections and CD45 immunostaining confirm the higher and early recruitment of leukocytes in bleomycin-treated mice, compared with control mice. Conclusion: 18F-FDG– and 18F-FBEM–labeled leukocyte PET/CT enable monitoring of metabolic activity and leukocyte recruitment in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis. Implications for preclinical evaluation of antifibrotic therapy are expected.
Dual Fatty Acyl Modification Determines the Localization and Plasma Membrane Targeting of CBL/CIPK Ca2+ Signaling Complexes in Arabidopsis[W]

Arabidopsis thaliana calcineurin B–like proteins (CBLs) interact specifically with a group of CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). CBL/CIPK complexes phosphorylate target proteins at the plasma membrane. Here, we report that dual lipid modification is required for CBL1 function and for localization of this calcium sensor at the plasma membrane. First, myristoylation targets CBL1 to the endoplasmic reticulum. Second, S-acylation is crucial for endoplasmic reticulum-to-plasma membrane trafficking via a novel cellular targeting pathway that is insensitive to brefeldin A. We found that a 12–amino acid peptide of CBL1 is sufficient to mediate dual lipid modification and to confer plasma membrane targeting. Moreover, the lipid modification status of the calcium sensor moiety determines the cellular localization of preassembled CBL/CIPK complexes. Our findings demonstrate the importance of S-acylation for regulating the spatial accuracy of Ca2+-decoding proteins and suggest a novel mechanism that enables the functional specificity of calcium sensor/kinase complexes.
PATH COEFFICIENT AND PATH ANALYSIS OF BODY WEIGHT AND BIOMETRIC TRAITS IN YANKASA LAMBS

Direct and indirect effects of seven predictor variables (withers height, body length, heart girth, shoulder width, head width, rump width and rump length) on body weight of 92 extensively managed Yankasa lambs aged 11.8±3.02 (females) and 12.5±2.56 (males) months were investigated using path analysis. Sex-associated difference was significant (P<0.05) only for withers height, with higher value recorded for male lambs. Pairwise correlations between body weight and zoometrical traits ranged from 0.59-0.95 and 0.61-0.92 for male and female lambs, respectively. The direct effect of heart girth on body weight was the strongest in both sexes (path coefficient of 0.81 and 0.87 in males and females, respectively). Head width (males) and body length (females) also positively (P<0.05) influenced body weight. The direct effects of other linear type traits on body weight in both sexes were non-significant as revealed by t-test. These traits were indirectly realized mostly via heart girth. Thus, they were expunged from the final regression equations to obtain much more simplified prediction models. The optimum multiple regression equation for male lambs included heart girth and head width, with a determination coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.919 and determination coefficient of error of 0.081. In fe male lambs, however, the variables included in the final prediction model were heart girth and body length, with a determination coefficient of 0.893 and determination coefficient of error of 0.107. The forecast indices obtained in this study could aid in weight estimation, selection and breeding programmes.
The functional demands on the intact limb during walking for active transfemoral and transtibial amputees

The aim of this study was to investigate the loading demands placed on the intact limb in terms of joint moments and power for active transfemoral and transtibial amputees in comparison to a group of ablebodied subjects. Four (4) transtibial, 4 transfemoral amputees and 10 ablebodied subjects walked at 1.2m. s1 along a walkway whilst kinematic data from both the intact and prosthetic limbs, and kinetic data from the intact limb only were collected. A Panasonic VHS video camera was used to film subjects walking in the sagittal plane with simultaneous force data collected from a Kistler force platform. The amputees were found to compensate for the functional loss of one or more joints by increasing net joint moments and power output on their intact limb compared to ablebodied subjects. At the intact limb ankle, the range of motion, peak dorsiflexor moment and power generation at toeoff increased. At the intact limb knee, power generation during stance and extensor moments and power absorption at toeoff increased. At the intact limb hip, extensor moment and power absorption during stance, and hip flexor moment and power generation at toeoff increased. These findings were partly attributed to the prostheses used but mainly to adaptation mechanisms displayed by transfemoral and transtibial amputees. They have implications for the mobility of amputees and the long term health of their joints. It was recommended that prosthesis design, prosthesis fitting and training in the use of the prosthesis were all factors which could be investigated with a view to minimising intact limb loading.
Review on photoacoustic imaging of the brain using nanoprobes

Abstract. Photoacoustic (PA) tomography (PAT) is a hybrid imaging modality that integrates rich optical contrasts with a high-ultrasonic spatial resolution in deep tissue. Among various imaging applications, PA neuroimaging is becoming increasingly important as it nicely complements the limitations of conventional neuroimaging modalities, such as the low-temporal resolution in magnetic resonance imaging and the low depth-to-resolution ratio in optical microscopy/tomography. In addition, the intrinsic hemoglobin contrast PA neuroimaging has also been greatly improved by recent developments in nanoparticles (NPs). For instance, near-infrared absorbing NPs greatly enhanced the vascular contrast in deep-brain PAT; tumor-targeting NPs allowed highly sensitive and highly specific delineation of brain tumors; and multifunctional NPs enabled comprehensive examination of the brain through multimodal imaging. We aim to give an overview of NPs used in PA neuroimaging. Classifications of various NPs used in PAT will be introduced at the beginning, followed by an overview of PA neuroimaging systems, and finally we will discuss major applications of NPs in PA neuroimaging and highlight representative studies.
Be Wise: Implementing a Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Stroke Risk in Low-Income Midlife Women

ABSTRACT Stroke is a leading cause of death for women, and midlife, low-income women are unlikely to appreciate their risk for stroke. The Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation program, administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, was developed for this population. The program offers screenings, referrals, and evidence-based lifestyle interventions targeting poor nutrition and physical inactivity. The goal of “Be Wise,” the evidence-based lifestyle intervention developed for the Illinois Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation program, is for midlife women to develop healthier diet and physical-activity-related behaviors and, as a result, reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke. The goal of this project was to implement “Be Wise” at a federally funded community health center serving a primarily Hispanic population. The project’s director, a stroke program coordinator and clinical nurse specialist, for the area’s advanced primary stroke center collaborated with the community health center’s medical staff and registered dietitian in delivering the program.
Microphone placement evaluation for acoustic detection of coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in the United States yet no screening tool exists. The acoustic approach detects CAD noninvasively with microphones placed at the chest. Identifying ideal microphone placement on the body may improve accuracy. Here we examine measurements from acoustic recordings taken on the chest at three positions: the base, middle and apex level of the heart. Eight CAD positive and 13 negative subjects were used. Approximate entropy (ApEn) and largest Lyapunov exponents (LLE) were used to analyze measurements. Using these features the apex recording produced 88%–54% sensitivity-specificity while the middle and base positions produced 63%–77% and 0%–92% sensitivity-specificity respectively. These results show LLE and ApEn to be sensitive to CAD related signals and suggest that the best location for analysis is above the apex of the heart.
THE EVOLUTION OF COSTLY MATE PREFERENCES I. FISHER AND BIASED MUTATION

Fisher's runaway process is the standard explanation of the evolution of exaggerated female preferences. But mathematical formulations of Fisher's process (haploid and additive diploid) show it cannot cause stable exaggeration if female preference carries a cost. At equilibrium female fitness must be maximized. Our analysis shows that evolutionary stable exaggeration of female preference can be achieved if mutation pressure on the male character is biased, that is, mutation has a directional effect. At this equilibrium female fitness is not maximized. We discuss the reasons and evidence for believing that mutation pressure is typically biased. Our analysis highlights the previously unacknowledged importance of biased mutation for sexual selection.
Role of Bilayer Tilt Difference in Equilibrium Membrane Shapes.

Lipid bilayer membranes below their main transition have two tilt order parameters, corresponding to the two monolayers. These two tilts may be strongly coupled to membrane shape but only weakly coupled to each other. We discuss some implications of this observation for rippled and saddle phases, bilayer tubules, and bicontinuous phases. Tilt difference introduces a length scale into the elastic theory of tilted fluid membranes. It can drive an instability of the flat phase; it also provides a simple mechanism for the spontaneous breaking of inversion symmetry seen in some recent experiments.
Hybrid Power Combining Rectenna Array for Wide Incident Angle Coverage in RF Energy Transfer

This paper discusses a new design approach that uses hybrid power combining rectenna array in radio frequency (RF) energy transfer systems to receive more energy in a wide incident angle range. A beam-forming matrix and a dc power management network (PMN) are introduced to the hybrid power combining. The normalized dc output power of the proposed hybrid power combining array is compared to the conventional power combining methods with regard to the incident wave angle, and the average received dc power is also calculated and compared. To experimentally verify the proposed hybrid combining array performance, four suspended patch antennas are attached to RF energy receiving architecture. A $4 \times 4$ Butler matrix and quadrature hybrids are used for the beam-forming matrix in a hybrid power combining rectenna array. A reconfigurable voltage doubler rectifier with a dc PMN is used to convert RF energy to dc energy and delivers proper voltage to the load. The measured results of each component are presented. Moreover, an experimental verification using fabricated components for RF energy transfer is presented and the measured received dc output power of conventional and proposed structures is presented and compared.
Indoor Mobile Localization in Mixed Environment with RSS Measurements

Mobile localization is a significant issue for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). However, it is a problem for the indoor localization using received signal strength (RSS) measurements that the signal is contaminated by the anisotropy fading and interference due to walls and furniture. Standard schemes such as Kalman filter are inadequate as the random transition of line-of-sight (LOS)/non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions occurs frequently. This paper proposes an indoor mobile localization scheme with RSS measurements in a mixed LOS and NLOS environment. First, a new efficient composite measurement model is induced and validated, which approximates the complex effects of LOS and NLOS channels. Second, a greedy anchor sensor selection strategy is adopted to break through the constraints of hardware consistency and the multipath interference. Third, for the Markov transition between LOS and NLOS conditions, an effective unscented Kalman filter (UKF) based interactive multiple model (IMM) is proposed to estimate not only the posterior model probabilities but also a weighted-sum position estimation with the aid of likelihood function. To evaluate the proposed algorithm, a complete hardware and software platform for mobile localization has been constructed. The numerical study, relying on the actual experiments, illustrates that the proposed UKF based IMM achieves a substantial gain in precision and robustness, compared with other works.
On Case Shifting

In this article I will show how the device of case shifting simplifies the processes of case assignment involving complex verbs in Korean. I will show that such complex verbs as passives and causatives are derived at the lexical or phrasal level, not at the sentential or clausal level. I will also show that the assignment of cases to noun phrases is not configurationally dependent. For the present treatment, I will adopt a grammar system RPTQ, a revised version of Montague's(1974) PTQ, that I proposed in my earlier papers (1981a, b) .
Screening of Bacterial Recombinants: Strategies and Preventing False Positives

Complete decoding of complex eukaryotic genomes is a prerequisite for understanding varied gene functions. Gene silencing (point mutations, gene deletions, etc), sub cellular localization of proteins, gene expression pattern analysis by promoter activity assay, structure-function analysis, and in vitro or in vivo biochemical assays (Hartley et al., 2000; Curtis & Grossniklaus, 2003; Earley et al., 2006) are some of the approaches followed for understanding gene functions. Typically, all the above approaches require the cloning of target genes with or without selective mutations, or cloning their promoter fragments into specialized vectors for further characterization. While the traditional approach for constructing expression cassettes that is based on the restriction enzyme/ligase cloning method is laborious and time consuming, the process is often hampered by length of the gene of interest, GC content of the gene, toxicity of the gene product to the expressing host and lack of relevant restriction sites for cloning purposes. All these factors render the production of expression constructs a significant technical obstacle for large-scale functional gene analysis. After generating successful cloning/expression constructs, several steps followed are screening high number of colonies, avoiding false positive recombinants and requirement of dephosphorylation of vectors in case of single site cloning to ensure the generation of recombinants with rightly oriented gene of interest and to minimize vector background (non-recombinants). Screening for recombinants is one of the most crucial and time-consuming steps in molecular cloning and several approaches available for this purpose include colony PCR screening, blue white screening, screening of recombinants, which have the gene of interest in the MCS region of the cloning vehicle, in such a way that the toxic gene reading frame is interrupted making the toxic gene inactivated upon insertion of any foreign gene; GFP fluorescence vectors wherein upon cloning, the GFP fluorescence disappears, etc. The method for screening of bacterial transformants that carry recombinant plasmid with the gene of interest, has become more rapid and simple by the use of vectors with visually detectable reporter genes.
Generation and Analysis of an Artificial Gene Dosage Series in Tomato to Study the Mechanisms by Which the Cloned Quantitative Trait Locus fw2.2 Controls Fruit Size1

It has been proposed that fw2.2 encodes a negative fruit-growth regulator that underlies natural fruit-size variation in tomato (Lycopersicon spp.) via heterochronic allelic variation of fw2.2 expression, rather than by variation in the structural protein itself. To further test the negative regulator and the transcriptional control hypotheses, a gene dosage series was constructed, which produced a wider range offw2.2 transcript accumulation than can be found in natural tomato populations. Fruit developmental analyses revealed thatfw2.2 transcript levels were highly correlated (negatively) with fruit mass, supporting the negative regulator and transcriptional regulation hypotheses. Further, the effect offw2.2 on fruit mass was mediated by repressing three- and two-dimensional cell division in placental and pericarp tissues, respectively. Finally, fw2.2 had little effect on fertility and seed size/number, indicating that fruit size effects offw2.2 are due largely to expression in the maternal tissues of developing fruit and not mediated through fertility or seed-setting-related processes.