Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
VANET Routing Protocols and Architectures: An Overview

VAVETs have become an interesting area of research since vehicles can be equipped with sensors, processing and communication devices. As a result, various life changing application emerged in different areas such as safety and public services. VANETs are considered as a subclass of Ad hoc networks. However, they have special characteristics that differentiates them such as QoS requirements, privacy, safety and high mobility of nodes. This paper discusses VANET’s special characteristics and explain why VANETs are considered a subcategory of ad hoc networks. Also, a categorization of VANETs architectures is presented in this study. Additionally, the importance and needs of VANETs along with their applications are presented in this study. Furthermore various routing protocols proposed for VANETs are studied and a categorization for these protocols is proposed in this study.
Overview of the DSL Shared Task 2015

We present the results of the 2 nd edition of the Discriminating between Similar Languages (DSL) shared task, which was organized as part of the LT4VarDial’2015 workshop and focused on the identification of very similar languages and language varieties. Unlike in the 2014 edition, in 2015 we had an Others category with languages that were not seen on training. Moreover, we had two test datasets: one using the original texts (test set A), and one with named entities replaced by placeholders (test set B). Ten teams participated in the task, and the best-performing system achieved 95.54% average accuracy on test set A, and 94.01% on test set B.
Discrimination of Possible and Impossible Objects in Infancy

Adults can use pictorial depth cues to infer three-dimensional structure in two-dimensional depictions of objects. The age at which infants respond to the same kinds of visual information has not been determined, and theories about the underlying developmental mechanisms remain controversial. In this study, we used a visual habituation/novelty-preference procedure to assess the ability of 4-month-old infants to discriminate between two-dimensional depictions of structurally possible and impossible objects. Results indicate that young infants are sensitive to junction structures and interposition cues associated with pictorial depth and can detect inconsistent relationships among these cues that render an object impossible. Our results provide important insights into the development of mechanisms for processing pictorial depth cues that allow adults to extract three-dimensional structure from pictures of objects.
Direct Generation of Vortex Laser by Rotating Induced Off-Axis Pumping

We propose a simple method for direct generation of vortex laser based on all-solid-state laser technology. Diagonal HG<sub>01</sub> mode is first achieved by rotating the Nd:YVO<sub>4</sub> gain medium in <italic>xz</italic> plane. Further rotating the gain medium (in <italic>yz</italic> plane) leads to mode conversion from diagonal HG <sub>01</sub> to LG<sub>01</sub>. A simple home-made interference device has been used to verify the vortical property of the LG<sub>01</sub> mode with well-determined handedness. The generated LG<sub>01</sub> mode has a maximum output power of 2.85 W and slope efficiency of about 41.1%, which indicate that the present method is very efficient. Moreover, this method has good universality and can be used for the generation of other solid state vortex lasers, which paves the way toward simple, reliable, and efficient generation of vortex lasers for various applications.
Chloride Ion Adsorption Capacity of Anion Exchange Resin in Cement Mortar

This paper presents the effect of anion exchange resin (AER) on the adsorption of chloride ions in cement mortar. The kinetic and equilibrium behaviors of AER were investigated in distilled water and Ca(OH)2 saturated solutions, and then the adsorption of chloride ions by the AER in the mortar specimen was determined. The AER was used as a partial replacement for sand in the mortar specimen. The mortar specimen was coated with epoxy, except for an exposed surface, and then immersed in a NaCl solution for 140 days. The chloride content in the mortar specimen was characterized by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis and electron probe microanalysis. The results showed that the AER could adsorb the chloride ions from the solution rapidly but had a relatively low performance when the pH of its surrounding environment increased. When the AER was mixed in the cement mortar, its chloride content was higher than that of the cement matrix around it, which confirms the chloride ion adsorption capacity of the AER.
Exponential natural evolution strategies

The family of natural evolution strategies (NES) offers a principled approach to real-valued evolutionary optimization by following the natural gradient of the expected fitness. Like the well-known CMA-ES, the most competitive algorithm in the field, NES comes with important invariance properties. In this paper, we introduce a number of elegant and efficient improvements of the basic NES algorithm. First, we propose to parameterize the positive definite covariance matrix using the exponential map, which allows the covariance matrix to be updated in a vector space. This new technique makes the algorithm completely invariant under linear transformations of the underlying search space, which was previously achieved only in the limit of small step sizes. Second, we compute all updates in the natural coordinate system, such that the natural gradient coincides with the vanilla gradient. This way we avoid the computation of the inverse Fisher information matrix, which is the main computational bottleneck of the original NES algorithm. Our new algorithm, exponential NES (xNES), is significantly simpler than its predecessors. We show that the various update rules in CMA-ES are closely related to the natural gradient updates of xNES. However, xNES is more principled than CMA-ES, as all the update rules needed for covariance matrix adaptation are derived from a single principle. We empirically assess the performance of the new algorithm on standard benchmark functions
Stress, Self-Efficacy, Social Support, and Coping Strategies in University Students

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship of self-efficacy, social support, and coping strategies with stress levels of university students. Seventy-five Education students completed four questionnaires assessing these variables. Significant correlations were found for stress with total number of coping strategies and the use of avoidance-focused coping strategies. As well, there was a significant correlation between social support from friends and emotion-focused coping strategies. Gender differences were found, with women reporting more social support from friends than men. Implications of these results for counselling university students are discussed.
Upregulation of T-cadherin suppresses cell proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer in vitro

As a unique member of the cadherin superfamily, T-cadherin (T-cad) has been demonstrated to be associated with gastric cancer (GC) prognosis. To elucidate the function of T-cad in GC in vitro, the present study firstly examined T-cad protein expression in normal and gastric cancer tissues and cell lines, and it was demonstrated to be significantly downregulated in gastric cancer samples compared with normal samples. Control and T-cad expression vectors were then transfected into the MGC8-03 and AGS GC cell lines. Utilizing MTT, clonogenic, flow cytometry, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays in addition to Western blotting, the present study demonstrated that the overexpression of T-cad suppressed GC cell growth and colony formation via cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase via downregulating the expression of cyclin dependent kinase 4 and Cyclin D1. In addition, overexpression of T-cad significantly inhibited GC cell migration and invasion by increasing E-cadherin and decreasing Vimentin expression. These findings suggest T-cad may be important in GC cell proliferation and metastasis and serve as a promising target for the treatment of GC in the future.
Towards the network of the future: from enabling technologies to 5G concepts

There is a wide consensus by the research community and the industry that it will not be possible to satisfy future mobile trafﬁc demand and applications’ requirements by simply evolving the current 4G architecture. Instead, there is the need for a considerable revision of the mobile network system: such an effort is commonly referred to as the future “5G architecture”, and large-scale initiatives all around the globe have been launched world-wide to address this challenge. While these initiatives have not yet deﬁned the future 5G architecture, the research community has already invested a very substantial effort on the deﬁnition of new individual technologies. The fact that all new proposals are tagged as 5G has created a lot of confusion on what 5G really is. The aim of this article is to shed some light on the current status of the 5G architecture deﬁnition and the trends on the required technologies. Our key contributions are the following: ( i ) we review the requirements for 5G identiﬁed by the different world-wide initiatives, highlighting similarities and differences; ( ii ) we discuss current trends in technologies, showing that there is a wide consensus on the key enablers for 5G; and ( iii ) we make an effort to understand the new concepts that need to be devised, building on the enablers, to satisfy the desired requirements. Copyright c (cid:13) 0000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ∗ Correspondence
A systematic review of the influence of the retail food environment around schools on obesity‐related outcomes

The high prevalence of childhood obesity has led to questions about the influence of ‘obesogenic’ environments on children's health. Public health interventions targeting the retail food environment around schools have been proposed, but it is unclear if they are evidence based. This systematic review investigates associations between food outlets near schools and children's food purchases, consumption and body weight. We conducted a keyword search in 10 databases. Inclusion criteria required papers to be peer reviewed, to measure retailing around schools and to measure obesity‐related outcomes among schoolchildren. Thirty papers were included. This review found very little evidence for an effect of the retail food environment surrounding schools on food purchases and consumption, but some evidence of an effect on body weight. Given the general lack of evidence for association with the mediating variables of food purchases and consumption, and the observational nature of the included studies, it is possible that the effect on body weight is a result of residual confounding. Most of the included studies did not consider individual children's journeys through the food environment, suggesting that predominant exposure measures may not account for what individual children actually experience. These findings suggest that future interventions targeting the food environment around schools need careful evaluation.
Functional Redundancy of DICER Cofactors TARBP2 and PRKRA During Murine Embryogenesis Does Not Involve miRNA Biogenesis

Several in vitro studies have suggested that canonical microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis requires the DICER cofactors TARBP2 and PRKRA for processing of pre-miRNAs to mature miRNAs. To investigate the roles of TARBP2 and PRKRA in miRNA biogenesis in vivo, and to determine possible functional redundancy, we first compared the phenotypes of Tarbp2 and Prkra single and double mutants. In contrast to Dicer −/− embryos, which die by embryonic day 7.5 (E7.5), single Tarbp2 −/− and Prkra −/− mice survive beyond E7.5 and either die perinatally or survive and exhibit cranial/facial abnormalities, respectively. In contrast, only a few Tarbp2 −/−; Prkra −/− double mutants survived beyond E12.5, suggesting genetic redundancy between Tarbp2 and Prkra during embryonic development. Sequencing of miRNAs from single-mutant embryos at E15.5 revealed changes in abundance and isomiR type in Tarbp2 −/−, but not Prkra −/−, embryos, demonstrating that TARBP2, but not PRKRA, functions in miRNA biogenesis of a subclass of miRNAs, and suggesting that functional redundancy between TARBP2 and PRKRA does not involve miRNA biogenesis.
DYNAMIC INTEREST PROFILES Tracking User

When building applications it is usually the case that developers are forced to focus on “one size fits all” solutions. Customization is often burdensome for the user, or so complex that it would be unrealistic to ask an end user to undertake this task. In the areas of personal information management and collaboration there is no reason to accept this limitation, as there is a body of information about the user that reflects their interests: namely their personal documents. The Dynamic Interest Profile (DIP) is a system intended to track user interests, allowing for the creation of more intelligent applications. In this paper we discuss our approach to implementing the DIP, challenges that this implementation presents, as well as the security and privacy concerns that the existence of such an application raises.
CATaLog Online: A Web-based CAT Tool for Distributed Translation with Data Capture for APE and Translation Process Research

We present a free web-based CAT tool called CATaLog Online which provides a novel and user-friendly online CAT environment for post-editors/translators. The goal is to support distributed translation, reduce post-editing time and effort, improve the post-editing experience and capture data for incremental MT/APE (automatic post-editing) and translation process research. The tool supports individual as well as batch mode file translation and provides translations from three engines – translation memory (TM), MT and APE. TM suggestions are color coded to accelerate the post-editing task. The users can integrate their personal TM/MT outputs. The tool remotely monitors and records post-editing activities generating an extensive range of post-editing logs.
Shape-based word spotting in handwritten document images

In this paper, we address the problem of word spotting using a shape-based matching scheme between segmented word images represented by local contour features. As in a typical query-by-example (QBE) paradigm, a user selects an instance of the query word from the collection of interest and a ranked list of images is returned, based on their similarity with the query. This is accomplished in two steps. The query image is firstly aligned with the test image according to a similarity measure defined on their descriptors and then the aligned images are matched through a deformable non-rigid point matching algorithm. Experiments are carried out on historical handwritten text, written in Greek and English, respectively. Moreover, comparisons with other QBE methods show the efficiency of our system as well as its flexibility in adapting to different scripts.
Intestinal helminth infection drives carcinogenesis in colitis-associated colon cancer

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, strongly associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer development. Parasitic infections caused by helminths have been shown to modulate the host’s immune response by releasing immunomodulatory molecules and inducing regulatory T cells (Tregs). This immunosuppressive state provoked in the host has been considered as a novel and promising approach to treat IBD patients and alleviate acute intestinal inflammation. On the contrary, specific parasite infections are well known to be directly linked to carcinogenesis. Whether a helminth infection interferes with the development of colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC) is not yet known. In the present study, we demonstrate that the treatment of mice with the intestinal helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus at the onset of tumor progression in a mouse model of CAC does not alter tumor growth and distribution. In contrast, H. polygyrus infection in the early inflammatory phase of CAC strengthens the inflammatory response and significantly boosts tumor development. Here, H. polygyrus infection was accompanied by long-lasting alterations in the colonic immune cell compartment, with reduced frequencies of colonic CD8+ effector T cells. Moreover, H. polygyrus infection in the course of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) mediated colitis significantly exacerbates intestinal inflammation by amplifying the release of colonic IL-6 and CXCL1. Thus, our findings indicate that the therapeutic application of helminths during CAC might have tumor-promoting effects and therefore should be well-considered.
Atrial electro-anatomic mapping with a novel noncontact approach

Multi-electrode basket catheters are used for 3D mapping of complex focal arrhythmias in real-time, but full contact is hard to achieve for all electrodes in the atria. We have developed a novel inverse mapping approach, which enables endocardial potentials to be recovered from noncontact recordings and report on its efficacy. Intra-atrial electrograms were acquired with 64 channel Constellation™ catheters in 4 anesthetized sheep in sinus rhythm (SR), atrial pacing (AP) and atrial fibrillation (AF), with catheters of different dimension at various locations in right and/or left atria (RA, LA). Atrial endocardial potentials were recovered from noncontact recordings using finite-element and meshless inverse methods. Inverse mapping reproduced contact electrograms, recorded separately at distributed sites, with excellent accuracy in SR and AP [CC 0.8+0.18, time delay 1+3 ms, relative RMS error 0.53+0.17, n=96]. Moreover, repeatable activation time maps were obtained in SR and AP. Focal activity was identified in AF and precise noncontact region-of-interest mapping was also demonstrated.
The effect of bandsaw stresses of blade stiffness and cutting accuracy

This thesis consists of an experimentally based study of the effect of bandsaw stresses on blade stiffness and cutting accuracy for the bandmills used for primary breakdown in North American sawmills. The effect of bandsaw roll-tensioning and bandmill axial forces on the stresses in the blade, on the interaction of the blade with the bandmill and on the stiffness and cutting accuracy of the sawblade are examined. The stresses due to roll-tensioning are measured and empirical relationships developed that relate the rolling load to the stresses induced. Investigations into effect of roll-tensioning on the torsional frequency and lateral stiffness of the sawblade show that rolling in the centre 60% of the sawblade will increase blade stiffness while rolling outside this region will decrease it. The optimum rolling location was shown to be the sawblade centre-line. The stresses in the blade due to the interaction of the blade and wheel were analyzed and a model was developed that successfully predicted the effects of roll-tensioning and overhang on the tracking stability of the sawblade. Experiments were conducted to determine how the stresses, frequency and stiffness of the sawblade relate to its cutting accuracy. The experiments indicate that cutting accuracy is strongly related to the lateral edge stiffness of the sawblade and that improved cutting.accuracy can be obtained by confining the roll-tensioning to be close to the blade centre-line.
Transitory microbial habitat in the hyperarid Atacama Desert

Significance It has remained an unresolved question whether microorganisms recovered from the most arid environments on Earth are thriving under such extreme conditions or are just dead or dying vestiges of viable cells fortuitously deposited by atmospheric processes. Based on multiple lines of evidence, we show that indigenous microbial communities are present and temporally active even in the hyperarid soils of the Atacama Desert (Chile). Following extremely rare precipitation events in the driest parts of this desert, where rainfall often occurs only once per decade, we were able to detect episodic incidences of biological activity. Our findings expand the range of hyperarid environments temporarily habitable for terrestrial life, which by extension also applies to other planetary bodies like Mars. Traces of life are nearly ubiquitous on Earth. However, a central unresolved question is whether these traces always indicate an active microbial community or whether, in extreme environments, such as hyperarid deserts, they instead reflect just dormant or dead cells. Although microbial biomass and diversity decrease with increasing aridity in the Atacama Desert, we provide multiple lines of evidence for the presence of an at times metabolically active, microbial community in one of the driest places on Earth. We base this observation on four major lines of evidence: (i) a physico-chemical characterization of the soil habitability after an exceptional rain event, (ii) identified biomolecules indicative of potentially active cells [e.g., presence of ATP, phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), metabolites, and enzymatic activity], (iii) measurements of in situ replication rates of genomes of uncultivated bacteria reconstructed from selected samples, and (iv) microbial community patterns specific to soil parameters and depths. We infer that the microbial populations have undergone selection and adaptation in response to their specific soil microenvironment and in particular to the degree of aridity. Collectively, our results highlight that even the hyperarid Atacama Desert can provide a habitable environment for microorganisms that allows them to become metabolically active following an episodic increase in moisture and that once it decreases, so does the activity of the microbiota. These results have implications for the prospect of life on other planets such as Mars, which has transitioned from an earlier wetter environment to today’s extreme hyperaridity.
What Are the Health Benefits of Active Travel? A Systematic Review of Trials and Cohort Studies

Background Increasing active travel (primarily walking and cycling) has been widely advocated for reducing obesity levels and achieving other population health benefits. However, the strength of evidence underpinning this strategy is unclear. This study aimed to assess the evidence that active travel has significant health benefits. Methods The study design was a systematic review of (i) non-randomised and randomised controlled trials, and (ii) prospective observational studies examining either (a) the effects of interventions to promote active travel or (b) the association between active travel and health outcomes. Reports of studies were identified by searching 11 electronic databases, websites, reference lists and papers identified by experts in the field. Prospective observational and intervention studies measuring any health outcome of active travel in the general population were included. Studies of patient groups were excluded. Results Twenty-four studies from 12 countries were included, of which six were studies conducted with children. Five studies evaluated active travel interventions. Nineteen were prospective cohort studies which did not evaluate the impact of a specific intervention. No studies were identified with obesity as an outcome in adults; one of five prospective cohort studies in children found an association between obesity and active travel. Small positive effects on other health outcomes were found in five intervention studies, but these were all at risk of selection bias. Modest benefits for other health outcomes were identified in five prospective studies. There is suggestive evidence that active travel may have a positive effect on diabetes prevention, which may be an important area for future research. Conclusions Active travel may have positive effects on health outcomes, but there is little robust evidence to date of the effectiveness of active transport interventions for reducing obesity. Future evaluations of such interventions should include an assessment of their impacts on obesity and other health outcomes.