Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WLC28-1: On the Tradeoff between Data Rate and BER Performance of Pre-RAKE DS UWB System

A pre-RAKE system is proposed for the direct sequence (DS) UWB communications to capture the energy effectively in multipath channels. Based on the pre-RAKE technique, the equivalent performance of RAKE with MRC can be achieved using a receiver with only one finger. Compared to the previous research on Pre-RAKE UWB, we consider continuous chip transmission and study the effect of inter-chip interference under lognormal multipath fading channels. Numerical results are provided for cases with and without inter-chip interference to show the tradeoff between the data rate and the BER performance.
Active Interference Cancelation for user coexistence in the presence of I/Q imbalance

Secondary wide-band users have to guarantee that they will not disturb the in-band narrow-band primary users with allocated spectrum. There are techniques proposed to limit the leakage power of secondary wide-band users in the specified in-band narrow bands. Active Interference Cancelation (AIC) can flexibly solve this problem in the digital domain and hence remove the need for extra analog hardware. The main challenge is that the final depth of a nulled band is severely degraded by RF impairments such as PA non-linearity, phase noise, and I/Q mismatch. In this paper, we investigate the effect of I/Q imbalance on the performance of active interference cancelation techniques. Our analysis shows that for a transmitter with 3° phase imbalance and 0.1dB gain imbalance, the null depth will decrease from 40dB (provided in the digital domain) to 28.7dB (at the out of the radio transmitter). Then we introduce a compensation techniques and demonstrate an improvement of 5 – 10dB in the null depth depending on the severity of I/Q imbalance.
Fruits and vegetables consumption and depressive symptoms: A population-based study in Peru

Objectives Among different factors, diet patterns seem to be related to depression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the consumption of fruits and/or vegetables and depressive symptoms. Methodology/Principal findings A secondary data analysis was conducted using information from a population-based survey from 25 regions from Peru. The outcome was the presence of depressive symptoms according to the Patient Health Questionnaire (cutoff ≥15 to define major depressive syndrome); whereas the exposure was the self-reported consumption of fruits and/or vegetables (in tertiles and using WHO recommendation ≥5 servings/day). The association of interest was evaluated using Poisson regression models controlling for the complex-sample survey design and potential confounders. Data from 25,901 participants were analyzed, mean age 44.2 (SD: 17.7) and 13,944 (54.0%) women. Only 910 (3.8%; 95%CI: 3.5%–4.2%) individuals reported consuming ≥5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables/day; whereas 819 (2.8%; 95%CI: 2.5%–3.1%) had depressive symptoms. Those in the lowest tertile of fruits and/or vegetables consumption had greater prevalence of depressive symptoms (PR = 1.88; 95%CI: 1.39–2.55) than those in the highest tertile. This association was stronger with fruits (PR = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.46–2.53) than vegetables (PR = 1.42; 95%CI: 1.05–1.93) alone. Conclusions An inverse relationship between consumption of fruits and/or vegetables and depressive symptoms is reported. Less than 5% of subjects reported consuming the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the WHO. There is a need to implement strategies to promote better diet patterns with potential impact on mental health.
The relation of anxiety, depression, and stress to binge eating behavior

This study aimed to extend the literature by examining several psychological factors (i.e. depression, anxiety, and stress) in relation to binge eating. Data were collected via online surveys from a community sample of men and women of diverse backgrounds. The main study hypotheses were supported, indicating a unique relation between anxiety and binge eating, and between stress and binge eating, independent of the impact of depression. Gender differences are discussed. The results of this study suggest a need for a more detailed examination of negative affect in binge eating. Furthermore, the role of anxiety may be important for future research.
An Empirical Study of Computer System Learning: Comparison of Co-Discovery and Self-Discovery Methods

This paper reports a study that examined two types of exploratory computer learning methods: self-discovery vs. co-discovery, the latter of which involves two users working together to learn a system. An experiment was conducted to compare these two methods and the results were interpreted within a mental model framework. Co-discovery subjects were better than self-discovery subjects at making inferences about the capability and extended functions of the system. Furthermore, while working by themselves after an initial period of learning, they performed better in a similar, though more complex task than the one they encountered at the learning phase. Process tracing analysis showed that self-discovery subjects focused more on surface structures, such as detailed physical actions, for implementing the task. On the other hand, co-discovery groups focused more on relating lower level actions to higher level goals. Therefore, co-discovery subjects had a better understanding of the relationships between the physical actions and goals, and hence formed mental models with higher inference potential than self-discovery subjects.
Double-Bagging of Items from Isolation Rooms is Unnecesary as an Infection Control Measure: A Comparative Study of Surface Contamination with Single- and Double-Bagging

Abstract In many hospitals, waste materials and used linens from the rooms of patients in isolation or the clinical laboratories are routinely double-bagged to reduce contamination of the external surface of the bag that could be transmitted to hospital personnel subsequently handling them. No studies have prospectively examined the value, if any, of double-bagging. We randomly assigned waste and linens from the rooms of 42 patients in contact isolation to be transported in single bags or double bags. Shortly after a single (or double) bag had been set outside the patient's room, the surface was cultured quantitatively in two locations near the knot; over 2 months, 209 bags were cultured. Surface contamination by Staphylococcus aureus (3% to 5%), enteric gram-negative bacilli (6% to 7%), or either (9% to 12%) was infrequent and comparable in both groups; moreover, quantitative levels of contamination in the two groups were almost identical (mean, 27 and 29 colony forming units [cfu] per bag). These data suggest that there is no advantage, as regards asepsis, to double-bagging potentially contaminated items from isolation rooms or clinical laboratories as compared with using a single bag. The use of a single-bag system with a heavyduty bag, as compared with double-bagging, saved our hospital $9,400 in 1985.
Integrating Fuel Cell/Electrolyzer/Ultracapacitor System Into a Stand-Alone Microhydro Plant

This paper explores the control and operational aspects of introducing fuel cell/electrolyzer/ultracapacitor (FC/ELZ/UC) unit into a microhydro power system, replacing the conventional electronic load controller/dump-load unit. FC/ELZ is expected to provide long-term energy balance by utilizing the hydrogen technology, whereas the UC is employed as buffer storage for the transient compensation. System configuration is proposed, control scheme is designed, and the detailed dynamic modeling is developed for each component of the system. Expected behaviors during the sudden load change and hydro input variation are observed by mathematical simulation. Finally, the results of the analysis are summarized with their applicability to real system and the limitation/further scope are indicated.
Characterization of Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates in Canada

Background Ciprofloxacin (500 mg orally, single dose) is one of the recommended therapies for gonorrhea in Canada. In Canada, the first ciprofloxacin-resistant (CipR) Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain was isolated in 1993. Antimicrobial susceptibilities of N gonorrhoeae isolates were monitored as part of a national surveillance program to ensure efficacy of antimicrobial therapies. Goal The goal was to determine the characteristics of ciprofloxacin resistance in Canadian gonococcal isolates. Study Design Susceptibility testing was performed on gonococcal strains from different provinces in Canada to determine the prevalence of CipR strains and their distribution. The CipR strains were further differentiated according to auxotype (A), serotype (S), plasmid profile (P), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile. DNA sequencing and DNA microarray technology were used to determine mutations in gyr A and par C. Results In Canada, between 1997 and 1999, 4.8% of resistant strains (130 of 2687 antibiotic-resistant N gonorrhoeae isolates) were CipR (MICs of 1–32 &mgr;g/l) and belonged to 48 A/S/P classes. Sixty-eight of the strains that were not differentiated by A/S/P were subtyped into 47 classes with PFGE. DNA sequencing and DNA microarray showed that the most common mutations had amino acid substitutions of Ser→Phe at codon 91 and Asp→Gly at codon 95 of the gyrA and Ser→Arg at codon 87 of par C. Conclusion The CipR strains isolated in Canada are phenotypically and genotypically diverse, indicating that they were imported from overseas and not endemic in Canada. Mutations in gyr A and par C previously only identified by DNA sequencing were successfully identified with DNA microarray technology. DNA microarray technology could be an alternative tool for identifying point mutations in resistance genes or other epidemiologic markers when clinical laboratories replace culture methods with rapid and automated molecular methods for diagnosis.
The control of calcium release in heart muscle.

The control of calcium release from intracellular stores (the sarcoplasmic reticulum) in cardiac muscle was examined with the use of a confocal microscope and voltage clamp techniques. Depolarization evoked graded calcium release by altering the extent of spatial and temporal summation of elementary calcium release events called "calcium sparks. " These evoked sparks were triggered by local L-type calcium channel currents in a stochastic manner, were similar at different potentials, and resembled spontaneous calcium sparks. Once triggered, the calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum during a calcium spark was independent of the duration of the triggering calcium influx. These results were used to develop a unifying model for cardiac excitation-contraction coupling that explains the large (but paradoxically stable) amplification of the trigger calcium influx by a combination of digital and analog behavior.
Construction and Immunological Evaluation of Multivalent Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Core Virus-Like Particles Carrying HBV and HCV Epitopes

ABSTRACT A multivalent vaccine candidate against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections was constructed on the basis of HBV core (HBc) virus-like particles (VLPs) as carriers. Chimeric VLPs that carried a virus-neutralizing HBV pre-S1 epitope corresponding to amino acids (aa) 20 to 47 in the major immunodominant region (MIR) and a highly conserved N-terminal HCV core epitope corresponding to aa 1 to 60 at the C terminus of the truncated HBcΔ protein (N-terminal aa 1 to 144 of full-length HBc) were produced in Escherichia coli cells and examined for their antigenicity and immunogenicity. The presence of two different foreign epitopes within the HBc molecule did not interfere with its VLP-forming ability, with the HBV pre-S1 epitope exposed on the surface and the HCV core epitope buried within the VLPs. After immunization of BALB/c mice, specific T-cell activation by both foreign epitopes and a high-titer antibody response against the pre-S1 epitope were found, whereas an antibody response against the HBc carrier was notably suppressed. Both inserted epitopes also induced a specific cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte (CTL) response, as shown by the gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production profile.
The effect of organic shock loads on the stability of anaerobic granular sludge

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of organic shock loads on the stability of anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS). At double and triple shock intensity (8 and 12 kg COD/m3d organic loading rate (OLR), respectively), the accumulation of volatile fatty acids resulted in the decreasing pH of the reactors. The unstable performances of AnGS also appeared in the macroscopic properties, including the decreasing contents of relative hydrophobicity (RH), granular strength and diameter, and the fluctuation of EPS production. Noteworthily, the contents of loosely bound and tightly bound polysaccharide increased obviously and were higher than that in the control under double and triple OLR shock load. However, the growing trend of protein content was only found in the double OLR shock reactor. In addition, the N-hexanoyl-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) content increased following the shock and then decreased during the recovery. The autoinducer-2 (AI-2) content gradually decreased under OLR shock conditions, and then rapidly increased during the recovery phase. The behaviour of the diffusible signal factor (DSF) was opposite that of AI-2. The combination of C6-HSL, AI-2 and DSF had a degraded effect on the properties of AnGS. The results provide a new reference for further research into the inter-effects among multiple signal molecules in anaerobic sludge. Abbreviations: 3-oxo-C6-HSL: N-3-oxo-hexanoyl-homoserine lactone; AHLs: acyl-homoserine lactone; AI-2: auto-inducers-2; AnGS: anaerobic granular sludge; C4-HSL: N-hydroxybutanoyl-homoserine lactone; C6-HSL: N-hexanoyl-homoserine lactone; COD: chemical oxygen demand; DSF: diffusible signal factor; EPS: extracellular polymeric substance; HPLC: High-performance liquid chromatography; HRT: hydraulic retention time; IC: integrity coefficient; LB-: loosely bound; MLSS: mixed liquor suspended solids; MLVSS: mixed liquor volatile suspended solids; OLR: organic loading rate; PN: protein; PS: polysaccharide; QS: quorum sensing; RH: Relative hydrophobicity; SS: suspended solids; TB-: tightly bound; UPLC–MS/MS: ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry; VFAs: volatile fatty acids
Mise au point d'outils pour le controle du tir a l'explosif sous contraintes de production

Le controle des parametres mis en jeu lors du tir a l'explosif en sites miniers s'avere necessaire pour le maintien de sa qualite et son amelioration. Un controle rigoureux ne peut cependant etre realise qu'a l'aide d'outils permettant d'obtenir des informations souvent difficiles d'acces. Ce travail s'articule autour de l'etude et de la mise au point de trois systemes d'acquisition de donnees qui concernent respectivement les discontinuites de la roche, la realisation pratique du schema de tir et, enfin, la granulometrie du tas abattu ; l'objectif etant la creation d'outils pour l'acquisition de ces parametres dans des conditions normales de production. Diverses techniques ont ete utilisees et adaptees. Des essais ont ete menes sur les methodes endoscopiques et le traitement par analyse d'images afin d'obtenir des informations sur la fissuration de la roche avant le tir. Une methode a ete developpee pour le controle de la geometrie de foration et du volume abattu en galeries souterraines a l'aide de mesures topographiques et de modelisations tridimensionnelles. Le controle des sequences d'amorcage a ete entrepris a l'aide de traitements de signaux sismiques. Enfin, une technique d'analyse d'images a ete developpee pour mesurer en continu la granulometrie sur camions ou bandes transporteuses. Les problemes lies a la representativite statistique des acquisitions ont ete traites. Ces outils ont pu etre testes sur le terrain lors de campagnes de mesure et ont pu etre inseres dans une methodologie d'audit pour le controle du tir a l'explosif lors du creusement de galeries souterraines.
OctoUML: An Environment for Exploratory and Collaborative Software Design

Software architects seek efficient support for planningand designing models at multiple levels of abstraction andfrom different perspectives. For this it is desirable that softwaredesign tools support both informal and formal representation ofdesign, and also support their combination and the transitionbetween them. Furthermore, software design tools should beable to provide features for collaborative work on the design.OctoUML supports the creation of software models at variouslevels of formality, collaborative software design, and multi-modalinteraction methods. By combining these features, OctoUML isa prototype of a new generation software design environmentthat aims to better supports software architects in their actualsoftware design and modelling processes. Demo video URL: https://youtu.be/fsN3rfEAYHw. OctoUML Project URL: https://github.com/Imarcus/OctoUML.
A Less-Memory and High-Efficiency Autofocus Back Projection Algorithm for SAR Imaging

The back projection (BP) algorithm is an accurate time-domain imaging method for synthetic aperture radar. However, the influences of wind field and turbulence on the platform make the antenna phase centers (APCs) greatly deviate from the designed linear trajectory and degrade the BP performance. Although the inertial measurement unit can be used to measure the trajectory, the measurement error still affects the image quality to some extent. The autofocus BP algorithm under the criterion of maximum image sharpness has been proposed to compensate the motion error effectively. However, this method needs to compute and store the per-pulse back-projected values for all pixels, which results in the heavy burden for memory and time and limits its practical application. This letter demonstrates an improved way to overcome these two drawbacks without loss of focusing performance. In our new method, only minority pixels are selected for autofocus to estimate the phase error, which is used to obtain the APCs by solving a system of nonlinear equations with an optimization method. This procedure is particularly suitable for the wide application of the autofocus BP. The experimental results strongly validate the efficacy and efficiency of the improved autofocus BP algorithm.
In-Browser Interactive SQL Analytics with Afterburner

This demonstration explores the novel and unconventional idea of implementing an analytical RDBMS in pure JavaScript so that it runs completely inside a browser with no external dependencies. Our prototype, called Afterburner, generates compiled query plans that exploit two JavaScript features: typed arrays and asm.js. On the TPC-H benchmark, we show that Afterburner achieves comparable performance to MonetDB running natively on the same machine. This is an interesting finding in that it shows how far JavaScript has come as an efficient execution platform. Beyond a mere technical curiosity, we demonstrate how our techniques can support interactive data exploration by automatically generating materialized views from a backend that is then shipped to the browser to facilitate subsequent interactions seamlessly and efficiently.
Endovascular therapy of acute ischemic stroke

Introduction: Intravenous fibrinolysis is the only proven treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), but a limited therapeutic time window and risk of systemic hemorrhagic limit its real-world effectiveness. Minimally invasive endovascular therapies may provide opportunities to expand the AIS treatment window and enhance clinical outcomes. Areas covered: Current and future endovascular techniques that aim to address the hemodynamic, neuroanatomic and neurovascular complexities of acute cerebral ischemia are discussed. Scales for measuring relevant angiographic and clinical end points are also covered. Procedural timing and optimal patient selection using various imaging modalities are mentioned. Previous and ongoing clinical trials in AIS are discussed as well as emerging approaches. Expert opinion: Endovascular therapy has opened up new horizons for treatment of AIS. It offers multiple new and promising therapeutic approaches that are not limited to one specific device or method, but could conceivably be additive and also individualized based upon each patient's characteristics.
Analysis of Pattern and Extent of Deforestation in Akure Forest Reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract Forest Reserves in Southwestern Nigeria have been threatened by urbanization and anthropogenic activities and the rate of deforestation is not known. This study examined the vegetation characteristics of Akure Forest Reserve using optical remote sensing data. It also assessed the changing pattern in the forest reserve between 1986 and 2017. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver was used to capture the location of the prominent settlements that surrounded the Forest Reserve in order to evaluate their effects on the forest. Landsat TM 1986, Landsat ETM+ 2002 and Landsat OLI_TIRS 2017 with 30m resolution were classified to assess the spatio-temporal changing pattern of the forest reserve. The results showed different composition of vegetation, which include undisturbed forest, secondary regrowth and farmlands. The study further revealed that in 1986, 2002 and 2017, undisturbed forest constituted 63.3%, 32.4% and 32.1% of the entire land area respectively, while secondary regrowth occupied 8.3% in 1986, 9.5% in 2002 and 15.6% in 2017. The farmlands had erratic growth between 1986 and 2017. It was 16.9% in 1986, 22.1% in 2002 and 17.5% in 2017. The bare ground exhibited inconsistency in the coverage. In 1986 the areal extent was 11.5%, when it increased to 36% in 2002 and decreased to 31.9% in 2017. In conclusion, the study revealed the extent of forest depletion at Akure Forest Reserve and it is therefore important that the residents, the government and the researchers show major concern about some of the critical factors to human beings that are responsible for forest depletion.
Automotive embedded software architecture in the multi-core age

Multi-core is a game changer for automotive industry, providing unprecedented computing capabilities, and allowing consolidating heterogeneous applications into a single device with benefits in terms of cost and reuse. Multi-core asks for virtualization of applications, moving from the hardware-centric perspective to the function-centric perspective: applications on a single electronic control unit (ECU) are transformed into hardware-agnostic functionalities that hosted by multicore ECUs alongside other, unrelated, applications. Moreover, to exploit multi-cores to the full extent in some automotive applications, the guarantee is needed that different applications exposing different criticalities (e.g., ISO26262 ASIL D and ISO26262 ASIL B) can coexist. The paper presents the technologies available to support these concepts such as AUTOSAR and embedded virtualizations, presenting the main issues that have to be solved and discussing the state of the art.
The application of internet of things(IOT) in emergency management system in China

In Aug, 2009, Chinese Premier WEN Jiabao brought forward the concept of "sensing China", the internet of things (IOT) has become the national strategy of China since then. After that, Secretary of Beijing Municipal Government LIU Qi, put forward to the concept of "sensing Beijing", and hope IOT can be new industrial motivation of Beijing development. Furthermore, in January 2010, GUO Jinlong, Mayor of Beijing Municipal Government officially remarked that "IOT construction in Beijing should start from the city security and emergency management applications". Pilot projects of IOT now focus on the new features related to Emergency Management Systems.