Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aerobic power and flight capacity in birds: a phylogenetic test of the heart-size hypothesis

ABSTRACT Flight capacity is one of the most important innovations in animal evolution; it only evolved in insects, birds, mammals and the extinct pterodactyls. Given that powered flight represents a demanding aerobic activity, an efficient cardiovascular system is essential for the continuous delivery of oxygen to the pectoral muscles during flight. It is well known that the limiting step in the circulation is stroke volume (the volume of blood pumped from the ventricle to the body during each beat), which is determined by the size of the ventricle. Thus, the fresh mass of the heart represents a simple and repeatable anatomical measure of the aerobic power of an animal. Although several authors have compared heart masses across bird species, a phylogenetic comparative analysis is still lacking. By compiling heart sizes for 915 species and applying several statistical procedures controlling for body size and/or testing for adaptive trends in the dataset (e.g. model selection approaches, phylogenetic generalized linear models), we found that (residuals of) heart size is consistently associated with four categories of flight capacity. In general, our results indicate that species exhibiting continuous hovering flight (i.e. hummingbirds) have substantially larger hearts than other groups, species that use flapping flight and gliding show intermediate values, and that species categorized as poor flyers show the smallest values. Our study reveals that on a broad scale, routine flight modes seem to have shaped the energetic requirements of birds sufficiently to be anatomically detected at the comparative level. Summary: Routine flight modes seem to have shaped the energetic requirements of birds sufficiently to be anatomically detected at the comparative level.
SIMPLIFIED RISK STRATIFICATION IN ELECTIVE COLORECTAL SURGERY

Background: Audit is a compulsory part of practice and all outcomes are now scrutinized. Raw results may be used to compare performance but these may not accurately reflect case and patient mix. Risk stratification tools, such as American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) and Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity (POSSUM), have been shown to predict morbidity and mortality at the expense of extra data collection. The Special Cooperative Audit of Rural Surgeons reported that two comorbidities increased mortality from 4% to 16, but this finding has not been confirmed. Our aim was to compare risk stratification tools and confirm or refute if comorbidities are accurate predictors of morbidity and mortality.
Time Influence on Thickness and Grains for Molybdenum Thin Film

In this paper, DC magnetron sputtering technique was used to deposit high purity molybdenum (Mo) thin films on blank Si substrate. The deposition condition for all samples has not been changed except for the deposition time in order to study the time influence on the surface morphology of the molybdenum. The surface profiler has been sued to measure the surface thickness. Atomic force microscopy technique was employed to investigate grain structure of Mo thin film. Grains analysis and thickness for all samples show a direct relation with time. The thickness and grain parameters of molybdenum thin films increase with respect to time. Grain area, size, length and perimeter parameters are used in grain analysis.
Mutual Information-Based Multi-AUV Path Planning for Scalar Field Sampling Using Multidimensional RRT*

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have been widely employed in ocean survey, monitoring, and search and rescue tasks for both civil and military applications. It is beneficial to use multiple AUVs that perform environmental sampling and sensing tasks for the purposes of efficiency and cost effectiveness. In this paper, an adaptive path planning algorithm is proposed for multiple AUVs to estimate the scalar field over a region of interest. In the proposed method, a measurable model composed of multiple basis functions is defined to represent the scalar field. A selective basis function Kalman filter is developed to achieve model estimation through the information collected by multiple AUVs. In addition, a path planning method, the multidimensional rapidly exploring random trees star algorithm, which uses mutual information, is proposed for the multi-AUV system. Employing the path planning algorithm, the sampling positions of the AUVs are determined to improve the quality of future samples by maximizing the mutual information between the scalar field model and observations. Extensive simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Additionally, an indoor experiment using four robotic fishes is carried out to validate the algorithms presented.
Dismal outcome of t‐cell lymphoma patients failing first‐line treatment: results of a population‐based study from the Modena Cancer Registry

We conducted a population‐based study to establish the outcome of T‐cell lymphoma (TCL) patients failing systemic first‐line therapy. All TCL patients failing first‐line systemic therapy in the province of Modena were identified from Modena Cancer Registry between 1997 and 2010. A total of 53 patients were analysed. Regarding the type of failure, 18 patients relapsed, and 35 progressed during first treatment. Among relapsed patients, the median time from date of response to relapse after first treatment was 6.2 months (range 1.87–102). A total of 18 patients (34%) died before receiving salvage treatment, 21 received platinum or gemcitabine‐containing regimens (7 addressed to autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT)), 12 other CT regimens; 2 received radiotherapy (RT). The median survival after relapse (SAR) was 2.5 months. After a median follow‐up for living patients after failure of 35 months (range 8–111 months), 44 patients died, and the cause of death was found to be lymphoma progression in all (98%) but one of them. The median SAR was 2.5 months. The 3‐year SAR was 19%. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses for SAR were performed. In multivariate analysis, performance status and type of failure were associated with a higher risk of death after relapse. The outcome of TCL patients failing first‐line therapy is poor. Only a few cases that could receive ASCT had promising chances of long remission. There is urgent need for novel agents for patients requiring second‐line treatment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seamless Handoff Solution For Nested Mobile Networks

Ensuring seamless mobility for users is becoming one of the main objectives of ongoing research activities in the field of data telecommunications. More over, if some proposals are efficient in reducing handoff latency for single mobile hosts, adequate solutions are still required for moving networks. The NEtwork MObility protocol (NEMO), designed to provide network mobility, is not efficient to offer low latency handoff in the case of nested mobile networks because it uses fairly sub-optimal routing. In this paper, an optimized solution to reduce handoff latency for Nested Mobile Networks is proposed. This solution minimizes the registration delay component of the overall handoff latency. The paper describes the new architecture and mechanisms and provides simulation results indicating performance compared to the basic NEMO solution.
A Douglas–Rachford Splitting Approach to Nonsmooth Convex Variational Signal Recovery

Under consideration is the large body of signal recovery problems that can be formulated as the problem of minimizing the sum of two (not necessarily smooth) lower semicontinuous convex functions in a real Hilbert space. This generic problem is analyzed and a decomposition method is proposed to solve it. The convergence of the method, which is based on the Douglas-Rachford algorithm for monotone operator-splitting, is obtained under general conditions. Applications to non-Gaussian image denoising in a tight frame are also demonstrated.
Survival Analysis II: Cox Regression

In contrast to the Kaplan-Meier method, Cox proportional hazards regression can provide an effect estimate by quantifying the difference in survival between patient groups and can adjust for confounding effects of other variables. The purpose of this article is to explain the basic concepts of the Cox regression method, and to provide some guidance regarding the presentation of the results.
Prevalence of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy among patients suffering from diabetes mellitus in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy in adult patients with diabetes mellitus (type 1 and 2) attending outpatient clinics in Saudi Arabia and to determine the demographic profile and pharmaceutical management of these patients. Research design and methods: Eligible patients from 100 outpatient clinics treating patients with diabetes mellitus across Saudi Arabia completed an epidemiologic questionnaire to obtain demographic information and medication history. Following this, the validated DN4 pain questionnaire was used to identify the presence of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (score of ≥4). Results: A total of 1039 patients were enrolled. Following the DN4 pain questionnaire, an overall prevalence of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy of 65.3% (n = 678) was found. The age of patients, their sex, and the duration of underlying diabetes were found to be statistically significant factors in the development of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. No statistically significant difference was found between smoking history, body mass index, or racial origin and presence of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. On initial evaluation, 42.3% (n = 440) stated they were receiving treatment for pain. Following evaluation using the DN4 pain questionnaire, the number prescribed therapeutic pain management increased to more than two thirds (68.7%, n = 714) of which 62.3% (n = 579) were prescribed pregabalin. Conclusions: In patients with reduced pain intensity DN4 has not been directly compared with other tools to measure neuropathic pain; however, using the DN4 in this study 65.3% of adult outpatients with type 1 and 2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia were found to have painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy; far higher than anticipated.
Mice lacking adenylyl cyclase‐5 cope badly with repeated restraint stress

Physiological responses to acute stress proceed with the activation of the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal gland (HPA) system. Many brain regions are known to modulate the HPA axis activation in stress responses, but the detailed neural circuits and signaling system in the upstream of the HPA axis have to be explored further. Type 5 adenylyl cyclase (AC5) is highly concentrated in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens, which are implicated in reward and stress‐related behavior. AC5–/– mice exposed to daily 2‐hr restraint stress for only 3–5 days showed poor stress‐coping responses, including severe body weight loss, poor coat condition, respiratory difficulties, and freezing behavior. Plasma corticosterone levels during 2‐hr stress sessions increased in AC5–/– mice compared with those of AC5+/+ mice. However, neither the corticosterone receptor antagonist RU486 nor the CRH receptor antagonist NBI27914 blocked their poor stress coping, whereas the administration of the GABAA receptor allosteric modulator diazepam or the D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH23390 prior to restraint stress sessions changed their stress‐coping response to the stressed AC5+/+ mouse level. Stress‐triggered c‐Fos expression was completely blunted in the dorsal striatum of AC5–/–. These results suggest that the AC5‐associated signal system and neural network are involved in the regulation of anxiety and stress‐coping response. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Native immunoblotting of blue native gels to identify conformation‐specific antibodies

A large repertoire of immunological methods permits monitoring the interaction of antibodies with their specific antigen. However, recognition of a protein by a conformation‐specific antibody represents a challenge because native conditions must be kept throughout the assay. Native immunoblotting of blue native gels conserves the native state by using Tween 20 instead of methanol for the obligatory destaining of the blot membrane. We validate the new technique with a set of monoclonal antibodies against respiratory NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase.
Centralized and Decentralized Coordinated Scheduling with Muting

We compare the algorithms for centralized and decentralized multi-cell joint optimization of coordinated scheduling with muting. For conventional non-overlapping clusters of cooperating cells, we show that for the same latency of communication, an appropriate decentralized algorithm can equivalently achieve the same jointly optimal solution achieved by a centralized approach. In this decentralized algorithm, cells do not exchange CSIs of all users with other cells, but instead exchange per-cell benefit metrics. In non-overlapping clusters, border cells in a cluster do not coordinate with strong interferers outside the cluster. We introduce a new cluster design called Liquid Cluster which allows a cell to flexibly cooperate with all its relevant interferers. The decentralized algorithm easily extends to Liquid Clusters, performing better than conventional non-overlapping 9-cell clusters.
Compiler Supported Interval Optimisation for Communication Induced Checkpointing

There exist mainly three different approaches of checkpoint-based recovery mechanisms for distributed systems: coordinated checkpointing, uncoordinated checkpointing and communication induced checkpointing. It can be shown that communication induced checkpointing theoretically has the least minimum overhead, but also that the effective overhead depends on the communication behaviour and the resulting forced checkpoints. If the placement of checkpoints and the communication pattern is disadvantageous, the overhead can get arbitrary large due to a high number of forced checkpoints. We introduce a compiler supported approach to avoid unfavourable combinations of communication behaviour and local checkpoint placement. We analyse the application statically and prepare the placement of voluntary checkpoints. These placement decisions are reviewed during runtime. With this approach we optimise the effective checkpoint-intevals of voluntary and forced checkpoints and thus reduce the overhead of communication induced checkpointing.
Review of particle- and fiber-reinforced metakaolin-based geopolymer composites

Research on reinforced metakaolin-based geopolymers for structural applications is reviewed. Geopolymers have been synthesized using metakaolin produced from kaolinite extracted from several regional soils. Kaolin is converted into metakaolin by calcination from 650 °C up to 800 °C. To obtain higher strength and stiffness, the geopolymer matrix is reinforced with particles and fibers. In addition, synthetic and natural particles and fibers have been used to enhance durability, thermal properties and shrinkage ratio of lighter geopolymer composites. Owing to the unavailability of a standard for processing and testing geopolymer composites, different laboratories use differing procedures, making data comparison very difficult. The promising market of geopolymer composites for the sustainable construction industry would benefit from a uniform standard for laboratory processing and testing. This would contribute to the creation of a large and reliable data bank, and facilitate the manufacture and certification of geopolymeric sustainable construction materials.
Formal development of real-time priority-based schedulers

We introduce a deductive method for constructing real-time scheduling programs, based on continuous action systems and the higher-order logic of the refinement calculus. The schedulability goal is a guarantee that all the tasks meet their deadlines, at run-time. This analysis reduces to checking that "always" temporal properties hold on the task set, by enforcing adequate invariance properties. The initial, conjunctive model of the real-time system is further transformed, through refinement, into a program that obeys a specific scheduling policy. We exemplify our method on the Deadline-Monotonic and the Earliest-Deadline-First algorithms.
Comparison of Electrocardiographic Characteristics of Adults and Children for Automated External Defibrillator Algorithms

Abstract Accurate rhythm identification is vital for appropriate shock delivery during pediatric resuscitation with an automated external defibrillator. Currently, extensive testing of pediatric algorithms is recommended. The aims of our study were to determine age-related differences in electrocardiographic (ECG) tracings in children and adults and to determine if differences warrant evaluating each algorithm against pediatric rhythms. We hypothesized that the ECG characteristics of heart rate, amplitude, and conduction velocity differ between children younger than 8 years and adults. We evaluated 442 separate ECG tracings from 199 pediatric patients and 839 samples from 170 adults to measure differences in the 3 variables. Rhythms chosen were normal sinus rhythm (NSR), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Significant differences were found between heart rates of children and adults with NSR and SVT but not VT. There were significant differences between adult and pediatric signal amplitudes in both NSR and SVT but no difference in signal amplitude of VT. When NSR between adults and children was compared, adults proved to have a faster conduction velocity. There was no difference in conduction velocity of SVT or VT between children and adults. We conclude that common rhythms in pediatric patients have differing characteristics, which may affect the accuracy of an automated external defibrillator algorithm, and that specific testing with tracings obtained from children is warranted.
Cluster communication protocol for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor network protocols often are based on peer-to-peer infrastructure, where messages traverse long distances through the network to reach a certain destination that is a beacon or a base station. Because of battery operated nodes, energy-effective mechanisms are very important in wireless sensor networks. Clustering brings hierarchy into the network and can save energy since nodes within a cluster usually communicate locally in a short range. This paper presents a new clustering approach called variable ranges VR protocol that provides basic features to modify the range of each node. A dynamic transmission range adaption protocol substantially prolongs the lifetime of the nodes through energy efficient communication without significantly decreasing the node connectivity. The VR protocol is implemented combining several MAC protocols for local communication within a cluster. Its dynamic adaptation feature allows also the usage in real-time applications. The VR protocol additionally offers security features.
Resting heart rate, guilt, and sympathy: A developmental psychophysiological study of physical aggression.

Although low resting heart rate has been linked to frequent aggressive conduct in childhood, little is known about the interaction of this biological risk with social emotions that protect against aggression across development. With a sample of 5-, 8-, and 12-year-olds (N = 110), we tested whether the negative link between resting heart rate and physical aggression was offset by high guilt and sympathy. Caregivers reported their children's physical aggression and sympathy. Children's electrocardiogram data were collected while they viewed a nondescript video, after which they reported their guilt-or lack thereof-in response to vignettes depicting social transgressions. Lower resting heart rate was significantly associated with higher physical aggression in 5-year-olds who reported low-but not medium and high-levels of guilt, and in 8-year-olds with low-but not medium and high-ratings of sympathy. Neither guilt nor sympathy moderated the resting heart rate-physical aggression link in 12-year-olds. We discuss how social emotions may help children with low resting heart rates navigate social conflicts and avoid aggressive physical confrontations.
Navigating the folding routes

To fold, a protein navigates with remarkable ease through a complicated energy landscape as it explores many possible physical configurations. This feat is beginning to be quantitatively understood by means of statistical mechanics and simplified computer models (1). Folded proteins are marvels of molecular engineering and it is hard to avoid thinking that all of their complex structural features play a role in their folding through an obligate En multistep mechanism. A unique folding pathway, if it exists, could be elucidated with classical chemical experiments. A newer view holds that in the earlier stages a protein possesses a large ensemble of structures. The problem is not to find a single route but to characterE ize the dynamics of the ensemble n through a statistical description of 2 the topography of the free-energy landscape. Folding is easy if the landscape resembles a many-dimensional funnel leading through a myriad of pathways to the native structure. Only a few parameters should be needed to characterize statistically the topography of and routes down the folding funnel. Using experimental data, Onuchic et al. have estimated the extent, ruggedness, and slope of the folding funnel (2). Similar parameters characterize the energy landscape Enat of simple computer models of pron teins. These models of self-interacting necklaces of beads, often on Fig. 1. lattices, lack most of the details of helical real proteins, but establishing a represE quantitative correspondence bethrougt tween the landscapes of computer emerg models and real proteins makes it Q, is in possible to use simulations to understand folding kinetics. The extent of a protein energy landscape is huge. Before folding, each residue can take on about 10 different conformations; thus, a 60-residue protein can be in any of 1060 states. An unguided search, like a
Enabling Ultra High Definition Television services with the HEVC standard: The thira project

Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV) services are being trialled while UHD streaming services have already seen their commercial débuts. Given the very high amount of data associated with the UHDTV format, efficient compression technology such as the one specified by the state-of-the-art High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard should be employed. However, HEVC improved compression comes at the expense of increased complexity and, to distribute UHDTV streams under resource constraints and real time requirements, novel and efficient encoding architectures should be devised. THIRA is a collaborative project funded by InnovateUK which aims to research and develop viable video compression technology to deliver UHDTV content using HEVC. This paper presents an overview of the project, describing its main objectives and selected results.