Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuous-time non-minimal state-space design

A continuous time non-minimal state-space (NMSS) representation is shown to be explicitly related to the underlying minimal state-space observer/state feedback design method and, moreover, the corresponding state feedback gains are explicitly related. This result provides a starting point for NMSS methods in the continuous-time domain. Numerical examples are given which illustrate the underlying relationship.
Biological Fixed Film

The review includes scientific and technical literature published in the year of 2016 regarding the uses of biofilm and bioreactors to treat wastewater. Topics considered are: biofilm formation and factors that impact biofilm formation; extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from biofilms; biofilm consortia, quorum sensing and quenching; biofilm reactors and biofilm in bioelectrochemical systems.
Inactivation of nitrate reductase alters metabolic branching of carbohydrate fermentation in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002

To produce cellular energy, cyanobacteria reduce nitrate as the preferred pathway over proton reduction (H2 evolution) by catabolizing glycogen under dark anaerobic conditions. This competition lowers H2 production by consuming a large fraction of the reducing equivalents (NADPH and NADH). To eliminate this competition, we constructed a knockout mutant of nitrate reductase, encoded by narB, in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. As expected, ΔnarB was able to take up intracellular nitrate but was unable to reduce it to nitrite or ammonia, and was unable to grow photoautotrophically on nitrate. During photoautotrophic growth on urea, ΔnarB significantly redirects biomass accumulation into glycogen at the expense of protein accumulation. During subsequent dark fermentation, metabolite concentrations—both the adenylate cellular energy charge (∼ATP) and the redox poise (NAD(P)H/NAD(P))—were independent of nitrate availability in ΔnarB, in contrast to the wild type (WT) control. The ΔnarB strain diverted more reducing equivalents from glycogen catabolism into reduced products, mainly H2 and d‐lactate, by 6‐fold (2.8% yield) and 2‐fold (82.3% yield), respectively, than WT. Continuous removal of H2 from the fermentation medium (milking) further boosted net H2 production by 7‐fold in ΔnarB, at the expense of less excreted lactate, resulting in a 49‐fold combined increase in the net H2 evolution rate during 2 days of fermentation compared to the WT. The absence of nitrate reductase eliminated the inductive effect of nitrate addition on rerouting carbohydrate catabolism from glycolysis to the oxidative pentose phosphate (OPP) pathway, indicating that intracellular redox poise and not nitrate itself acts as the control switch for carbon flux branching between pathways. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 979–988. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simplex minimization for single- and multiple-reference motion estimation

Block-matching motion estimation (BMME) can be formulated as a 2-D constrained minimization problem. This problem can, therefore, be solved with reduced complexity using optimization techniques. This paper proposes a novel fast BMME algorithm called the simplex minimization search (SMS). The algorithm is based on the simplex minimization (SM) optimization method. The initialization procedure, termination criterion, and constraints on the independent variables of the search are designed to take advantage of the characteristics of the BMME problem and the properties of the block motion fields of typical video sequences. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other fast BMME algorithms, providing better prediction quality, a smoother motion field, and higher speed-up ratio. This paper also investigates the properties of the multiple-reference (MR) block motion field. Guided by the results of this investigation, the paper extends the SMS algorithm to the MR case. Three MR SMS algorithms are proposed, providing different degrees of compromise between prediction quality and computational complexity. Simulation results using 50 reference frames indicate that the proposed MR algorithms have a computational complexity comparable to that of single-reference full-search while still maintaining the prediction gain of MR motion estimation.
THE PROPHYLACTIC EFFECTS OF VITAMIN C SUPPLEMENTATION ON SODIUM CHLORIDE INDUCED PULMONARY HYPERTENSION ( PHS ) IN BROILER CHICKENS

A trial was conducted to investigate the effects of vitamin C supplementation on the amelioration of sodium chloride induced ascites incidence in broilers. A total of 270 male Arbor acres broiler chicks were used in this study. Birds were allocated into three equal groups, control (C ) and two treated groups: Group T1 chickens received sodium chloride 1500mg / L in drinking water from day eight till the end of the experiment at 42 day age. Group T2, in which, broiler feed was supplemented with 500 parts/10 6 (500gm/ton) of vitamin C in addition to sodium chloride (1500mg/L in drinking water). Feed and water were given ad libitum. Body weights, feed conversion, weight gain and feed consumption of the chicks were calculated and mortality from ascites was recorded daily. Weekly blood samples were collected to determine hematocrit values and hemoglobin percentage. The ratio between right ventricle to total ventricle weights (RV/TV) was calculated. The results of the present study indicated that Vitamin C supplementation has no effect on body weight, weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio. However, it reduced the mortality rate due to PHS, lowered the incidence of ascites, haematocrit values and the RV/TV weight ratio as compared to corresponding values in sodium chloride treated group. Results of the present study indicated that for accessing to better flock performance, notification to sodium amounts in drinking water is one of the main factors to avoid ascites syndrome, beside the protective effect of adding vitamin C to the feed. Key Word: Prophylactic, Vitamin C, Sodium Chloride.
Evaluating for acute mesenteric ischemia in critically ill patients: Diagnostic peritoneal lavage is associated with reduced operative intervention and mortality

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia among intensive care unit (ICU) patients continues to be difficult and carries high mortality, and yet, it is essential that it be made expeditiously such that lifesaving operative intervention can be offered. A recent study suggested that computed tomography (CT) scan delays operative intervention. Thus, we hypothesized that diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL), a rapidly performed bedside procedure of established high sensitivity, is associated with reduced operative intervention, time to operative intervention, and mortality. METHODS We performed a single-institution, retrospective study of 120 patients admitted to an ICU at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Presbyterian Hospital between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2010, who were diagnosed with acute mesenteric ischemia. We defined a DPL of greater than 500 cells per cubic millimeter as diagnostic of intra-abdominal pathology. CT scan results were categorized as (1) diagnostic of mesenteric ischemia, (2) abnormal, or (3) normal. We performed multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for difference in case mix, to determine whether DPL is associated with the outcomes of mortality and operative intervention. RESULTS The cohort was severely ill, with a mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score of 21.7 (range, 0–48), and 51 patients (42.5%) died. The distribution of preoperative evaluation is as follows: CT, 67; DPL, 11; both modalities, 18; and no preoperative evaluation, 24. Those undergoing DPL were more severely ill, as evidenced by significantly higher APACHE II scores. By comparison with CT, DPL was associated with a reduced risk for operation intervention (adjusted odds ratio, 0.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.01–0.32; p = 0.002) and mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.01–0.62; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION DPL is associated with reduced operative intervention yet improved survival, when compared with patients evaluated with either CT or no diagnostic modality. These data support that, for critically ill ICU patients suspected of harboring intra-abdominal pathology such as acute mesenteric ischemia, DPL should be a mainstay in the preoperative diagnostic evaluation. Further investigation is needed, however, to better define the proper place and timing of DPL in evaluating the acute abdomen. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic study, level III; therapeutic/care management study, level IV.
Oncogene amplifications in early‐stage human prostate carcinomas

Oncogene amplifications are frequently found in solid tumours and are often associated with more aggressively growing forms of human cancer. The proto‐oncogenes c‐myc, c‐erbB2/neu and the IIq13 band are the most frequently amplified regions in adenocarcinomas of various origins. The present study was undertaken to define whether c‐myc, int2/FGF3 (11q13 region) and c‐erbB2/neu genes are involved in prostate tumorigenesis. Tumours and peripheral lymphocyte DNA from 21 localized early‐stage prostatic carcinomas were analysed by Southern‐blot electrophoresis for amplification of the c‐myc and c‐erbB2/neu genes and the 11q13 region (int2/FGF3). We detected no amplification of these 3 oncogenes in our panel.
Repair Pipelining for Erasure-Coded Storage

We propose repair pipelining , a technique that speeds up the repair performance in general erasure-coded storage. By pipelining the repair of failed data in small-size units across storage nodes, repair pipelining reduces the repair time to approximately the same as the normal read time to the same amount of data in homogeneous environments. We further extend repair pipelining for heterogeneous environments. We implement a repair pipelining prototype called ECPipe and integrate it as a middleware system into two open-source distributed storage systems HDFS and QFS. Experiments on a local testbed and Amazon EC2 show that repair pipelining signiﬁ-cantly improves the performance of both degraded reads and full-node recovery over existing repair techniques.
Microstrip Rectangular Patch Antenna Printed on LiTi Ferrite with Perpendicular DC Magnetic Biasing

Characterization of a tunable & switchable microstrip rectangular patch antenna printed on synthesized LiTi ferrite substrate with a normal magnetic bias field is presented. In this paper the concept of switching and tuning has been described by magnetostatic and spin waves phenomenon. The DC magnetic biasing generate these both type of waves which response a number of novel magnetic and electrical characteristics including switchable and polarized radiations from a microstrip antenna. In such a case of substituted polycrystalline ferrite antenna due to the DC biasing, most of the power will be converted into mechanical waves and little radiates into air. Under such condition the antenna become switch off, in the sense of effectively absence as radiator. The preparation of ferrite by the solid state reaction technique is also precised with the short description of electric and magnetic properties. (Journal of American Science 2010;6(3):46-51). (ISSN: 1545-1003).
Kaqudai: A Dependable Web Infrastructure Made Out of Existing Components

An internet application typically consists of a business logic complemented by additional concerns, such as communication, security and higher level features such as dependability. We advocate the use of aspect orientation as an advanced concern separation technology, ensuring higher modularity and reusability of code. In this paper we show how such an approach can be put into practice, by enhancing an existing web application with a dependability layer, addressing availability, reliability and data integrity concerns. Specifically, we have produced a set of aspects and other suitable components which can be smoothly integrated into an existing web server, endowing it with the ability to redirect service requests under excessive load. Redirection may target either cloud-powered lightweight replicas of the main web server, or publicly exposed browsing caches from clients. Experiments were conducted on the W3C Jigsaw web server.
Viral RNA species in cell lines persistently and lytically infected with measles virus

Identical measles viral mRNA species were present in similar amounts in the persistently infected cell lines LU106, HEpPi and MaSSPE, and in lytically infected cells as determined from Northern blots. The attenuation of transcription with the gene order did not vary significantly between different infected systems. A previously described selective restriction of F protein production in Lu 106 cells could not be explained by defective transcription of F mRNA. RNA synthesis also continued unimpeded at restrictive temperatures for the temperature‐sensitive viruses in Lu106 and HEpPi cells. Northern blotting revealed a prominent band in HEpPi RNA and a weak band in Lu106 RNA with the characteristics of incomplete genomes. In all infected cells, previously unrecognized small RNA species, hybridizing with the F‐ and H‐specific probes, were discovered.
Automated Refactoring of Legacy Java Software to Default Methods

Java 8 default methods, which allow interfaces to contain (instance) method implementations, are useful for the skeletal implementation software design pattern. However, it is not easy to transform existing software to exploit default methods as it requires analyzing complex type hierarchies, resolving multiple implementation inheritance issues, reconciling differences between class and interface methods, and analyzing tie-breakers (dispatch precedence) with overriding class methods to preserve type-correctness and confirm semantics preservation. In this paper, we present an efficient, fully-automated, type constraint-based refactoring approach that assists developers in taking advantage of enhanced interfaces for their legacy Java software. The approach features an extensive rule set that covers various corner-cases where default methods cannot be used. To demonstrate applicability, we implemented our approach as an Eclipse plug-in and applied it to 19 real-world Java projects, as well as submitted pull requests to popular GitHub repositories. The indication is that it is useful in migrating skeletal implementation methods to interfaces as default methods, sheds light onto the pattern's usage, and provides insight to language designers on how this new construct applies to existing software.
Influence of body position on exercise tolerance, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate in coronary insufficiency.

The influence of body position on exercise tolerance, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and breathing frequency was studied during bicycle exercise in 37 male patients with coronary insufficiency. With identical work loads before the onset of angina pectoris, the heart rate was significantly higher in the supine position. Exercise tolerance was lower in the supine position, and angina pectoris developed at a significantly lower heart rate and systolic blood pressure. The influence of body position on circulation
Perspective on how to approach molecular diagnostics in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes in the era of next-generation sequencing

Abstract Molecular mutation information became essential for biological subclassification, risk stratification and therapeutic decisions in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a broad spectrum of molecular biomarkers such as the spliceosome mutations has been identified in recent years. The currently established combination of various polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods with capillary Sanger sequencing for mutation analysis in AML is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The constantly increasing spectrum of molecular mutations is a tremendous challenge for hematological laboratories. The introduction of high-throughput sequencing technology, which allows the massive parallel analysis of hundreds of thousands of alleles in the shortest time, provides new options for molecular mutation analyses and for follow-up diagnostics in myeloid neoplasms. In contrast to whole-genome or exome analyses, amplicon deep-sequencing focuses on distinct genomic loci and their mutation patterns and enables a comprehensive biomarker analysis in a multitude of patients per analysis. This review summarizes thus far established common molecular diagnostic strategies and intends to outline the perspective of distinct novel amplicon deep-sequencing panels for patients with AML and MDS. It is foreseeable that clearly defined algorithms for molecular investigations will revolutionize diagnosis in patients with AML and MDS in the near future.
The Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period in the Sargasso Sea

Sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, and flux of terrigenous material oscillated on millennial time scales in the Pleistocene North Atlantic, but there are few records of Holocene variability. Because of high rates of sediment accumulation, Holocene oscillations are well documented in the northern Sargasso Sea. Results from a radiocarbon-dated box core show that SST was approximately 1°C cooler than today approximately 400 years ago (the Little Ice Age) and 1700 years ago, and approximately 1°C warmer than today 1000 years ago (the Medieval Warm Period). Thus, at least some of the warming since the Little Ice Age appears to be part of a natural oscillation.
Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells from Normal Guinea Pig Liver: Isolation, Culture and Characterization

Guinea pig nonparenchymal hepatic cells were isolated by enzymatic digestion and subsequent separation on a 17.5% metrizamide gradient. Endothelial cell and Kupffer cell‐enriched fractions were separated by centrifugal elutriation. Viability of both cell fractions was approximately 80%. Endothelial cells were cultured on a substratum of guinea pig liver collagen and 1% gelatin (1:1). Freshly isolated and cultured sinusoidal endothelial cells contained Factor VIII R:antigen, angiotensin I converting enzyme activity, and they synthesized prostaglandins characteristic of other endothelial cells. Sieve plates were identified in both freshly isolated and cultured cells. Fresh endothelial cells and Kupffer cells formed Fc receptor‐mediated rosettes with IgG‐opsonized sheep red blood cells, but cultured endothelial cells did not. Only Kupffer cells demonstrated Fc and C3 receptor‐mediated phagocytosis. These methods for isolating and culturing sinusoidal endothelial cells should permit further functional assessment of endothelial cells and their interrelationship with other sinusoidal lining cells.
BOOK REVIEW A History of Thailand (2nd Ed.)

A History of Thailand 1st edition was published in 2005, and it soon attracted public attention and was reprinted twice in the same year. Reprinted once every year thereafter, the book’s 2nd edition came out in 2009 and 2010, followed by the third edition in June, 2014. The book received numerous positive reviews from both Thai and foreign scholars and publishers. This indicates the phenomenal popularity of the book.
Simultaneous stent implantation for coarctation of the aorta and closure of patent ductus arteriosus using the Amplatzer™ duct occluder

We report on a 13‐year‐old girl with coarctation of the aorta and patent ductus arteriosus who underwent successful simultaneous stent implantation for the coarctation and catheter closure of the ductus using an Amplatzer duct occluder. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 47:36–38, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interface Traps in InAs Nanowire Tunnel-FETs and MOSFETs—Part I: Model Description and Single Trap Analysis in Tunnel-FETs

This paper and the companion work present a full quantum study of the influence of interface traps on the I-V characteristics of InAs nanowire Tunnel-field effect transistors (FETs) and MOSFETs. To this purpose, we introduced a description of interface traps in a simulator based on non equilibrium Green's function formalism, employing an 8 × 8 k·p Hamiltonian and accounting for phonon-scattering. In our model, traps can affect the I-V curves of the transistors both by modifying the device electrostatics and by directly participating the carrier transport. This paper investigates the impact of single trap on the I-V characteristics of Tunnel-FETs by varying the trap energy level, its volume and position, as well as the working temperature. Our 3-D self-consistent simulations show that: 1) even a single trap can deteriorate the inverse subthreshold slope of a nanowire InAs Tunnel-FET; 2) shallow traps have the largest impact on subthreshold slopes; and 3) the inelastic phonon-assisted tunneling through interface traps results in a temperature dependence of the otherwise temperature-independent Tunnel-FETs I-V characteristics.
Off-line Signature Verification Based on Gray Level Information Using Wavelet Transform and Texture Features

A method for Off-line Handwritten Signature Verification is described. It works at the global and local image level, measuring the stroke gray-level variations by means of wavelet analysys and statistical texture features. This method begins with a proposed background removal. Then Wavelet Analysis allows to estimate and alleviate the global influence of ink-type, and finally, properties of the Co-occurrence Matrix are used as features representing individual characteristics at local level. Genuine samples have been used for train an SVM model, random and skilled forgeries have been used for testing it. Experiments were conducted on three differente databases (MCYT75, GPDS100, and GPDS750). Results are reasonable according to the state of the art and approaches that use the same public available database (MCYT75) and prove the feasibility of the proposed methodology.
An efficient LPP-based spam filtering algorithm

With the fast expansion of the Internet globally in the last decade, the spam e-mail has become a main problem of the email service for Internet service providers, corporate and private users. To efficiently solve the spam filtering problems, a spam mail filtering method based on locality pursuit projection (LPP) and nearest feature line (NFL) classifier is proposed in this paper. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves much better performance than other traditional spam filtering methods.
Optimal sizing of energy storage system for wind power plants

This paper proposes a stochastic programming approach to the solution of sizing problem of energy storage system applied to grid-connected wind power plants. The objective is to maximize expected daily profit though time shifting of renewable energy production. The problem is formulated considering stochastic behaviors of renewable power as well as electricity prices. We apply stochastic programming framework with Sample Average Approximation (SAA). We conduct a case study using data from the Electric Council Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). It is shown that considerable profit can be achieved with a suitable energy storage size.