Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhanced base station assignment approach for coping with backhaul constraints in OFDMA-based cellular networks

In this paper we extend the base station (BS) assignment problem to incorporate backhaul related constraints into the assignment decision. This is motivated by the fact that the deployment of more spectral efficient radio access technologies are currently imposing stringent bandwidth requirements at cell sites, and there is a growing concern that backhaul network can become a new network bottleneck in certain deployment scenarios. Unlike existing assignment approaches, we propose a BS assignment algorithm envisioned as a suitable technique capable to cope, at some extent, with possible backhaul congestion situations in OFDMA-based systems. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can provide the same system capacity with less backhaul resources so that, under backhaul bottleneck situations, a better overall network performance is effectively achieved.
Immunomodulatory spherical nucleic acids

Significance We show that by organizing immunomodulatory nucleic acids into spherical nucleic acid (SNA) form, significant increases in activity are observed. Treatment of mice with cancer using immunostimulatory SNAs and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) using immunoregulatory SNAs leads to improved disease outcomes vs. their unstructured counterparts. These improvements derive from several key SNA properties, including rapid cellular uptake, endosomal delivery, and multivalent binding. Overall, this work underscores the importance of the spatial orientation and presentation of oligonucleotides in the design of novel immunomodulators. Immunomodulatory nucleic acids have extraordinary promise for treating disease, yet clinical progress has been limited by a lack of tools to safely increase activity in patients. Immunomodulatory nucleic acids act by agonizing or antagonizing endosomal toll-like receptors (TLR3, TLR7/8, and TLR9), proteins involved in innate immune signaling. Immunomodulatory spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) that stimulate (immunostimulatory, IS-SNA) or regulate (immunoregulatory, IR-SNA) immunity by engaging TLRs have been designed, synthesized, and characterized. Compared with free oligonucleotides, IS-SNAs exhibit up to 80-fold increases in potency, 700-fold higher antibody titers, 400-fold higher cellular responses to a model antigen, and improved treatment of mice with lymphomas. IR-SNAs exhibit up to eightfold increases in potency and 30% greater reduction in fibrosis score in mice with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Given the clinical potential of SNAs due to their potency, defined chemical nature, and good tolerability, SNAs are attractive new modalities for developing immunotherapies.
Biocompatibility of mineral trioxide aggregate and three new endodontic cements: An animal study

Background: Introducing new endodontic cements should await comprehensive investigations and new formulations have to be tested in vivo before applying in human beings. So, the purpose of this study was to compare the biocompatibility of new endodontic cements, calcium aluminate α-aluminate cement (CAAC), calcium aluminate α-aluminate plus cement (CAAC plus), and a mixture of wollastonite and CAAC cement (WOLCA) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), in subcutaneous connective tissue of rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven Wistar rats were divided into three groups of 7, 14, and 30 experimental days. Sterile polyethylene tubes were filled with MTA, CAAC, CAAC Plus, and WOLCA cement and implanted subcutaneously. Empty tubes were implanted as negative control. After the experimental periods, animals were sacrificed by anesthetic overdosing. The occurrence of inflammatory responses was scored according to the previously established scores. Data were statistically analyzed using Friedman, Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney tests. The level of significance was 5% (P<0.05). Results: There was a statistically significant difference between experimental and negative control sites in each group (P<0.05). CAAC Plus showed the highest mean scores of inflammation, compared with MTA, CAAC, and WOLCA cement sits at the end of all periods (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between inflammatory scores of each site in different experimental groups, except CAAC plus sites, in which inflammation increased significantly with time (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of the current study, biocompatibility of CAAC and WOLCA cement were comparable with that of MTA, but CAAC Plus induced an inflammatory response higher than MTA, therefore is not biocompatible.
Virtual humanoid robot platform to develop controllers of real humanoid robots without porting

This paper presents a virtual humanoid robot platform (V-HRP for short) on which we can develop the identical controller for a virtual humanoid robot and its real counterpart. The unification of the controllers for the virtual and real robot has been realized by introducing software adapters for two robots respectively and employing ART-Linux on which real-time processing is available at the user level. Thanks to the unification, the controllers can share softwares with the dynamics simulator of V-HRP, including the parameter parser, kinematics and dynamics computations and the collision detector. This feature can make the development of the controllers more efficient and the developed controllers more reliable.
Possible involvement of a gamma‐hydroxybutyric acid receptor in startle disease

Berthier M, Bonneau D, Desbordes J‐M, Chevrel J, Oriot D, Jaeken J, Laborit H. Possible involvement of a gamma‐hydroxybutyric acid receptorin startle disease. Acta Pædiatr 1994;83:678–80. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5253
Use of a Microendoscope for Transtympanic Drug Delivery to the Round Window Membrane in Chinchillas

Introduction Systemic drug application for the treatment of inner ear diseases is restricted because of the blood-labyrinthine barrier and the limited blood supply to the inner ear. Local drug delivery to the inner ear can be an alternative method to overcome the problems with systemic application. The purpose of the present study was to describe the anatomic orientation of the round window membrane (RWM) and to examine the use of a microendoscope for transtympanic drug delivery to the RWM in the chinchilla animal model. Materials and Methods Fourteen female chinchillas were used for anatomic dissections (n = 4, 8 ears) and comparison of otomicroscopy (n = 5, 10 ears) with otoendoscopy (n = 5, 10 ears) for visualization and transtympanic application of methylene blue to the RWM of the animals. Results The external auditory meatus in chinchillas is S-shaped, and the RWM is not accessible through the tympanic membrane in otomicroscopy. The use of a special microendoscope makes it relatively easy to have an accurate transtympanic access to the RWM. The working channel of the microendoscope permitted successful delivery of methylene blue to the RWM in all tested chinchillas. Conclusion The present study is the first published study that shows the feasibility of a microendoscope for transtympanic drug delivery to the RWM in animal models. Minor technical modifications are recommended, which will make the microendoscope an easy tool for future studies on local drug delivery to the RWM in the chinchilla animal model.
DoA estimation with cell searching for mobile relay stations with uniform circular array

In this paper, a Direction-of-Arrival (DoA) estimation scheme with cell searching is proposed for a mobile relay station (MRS) with uniform circular array (UCA) at handover region. The proposed scheme of cell searching and DoA estimation for the MRS with UCA is robust even when there exist symbol timing offsets (STOs). Compared with the previous scheme, the proposed scheme can reduce computational complexity and processing time for cell searching and DoA estimation. Simulation results are included to verify the performance of the proposed scheme under Mobile WiMAX environment.
The Segmentation of Data Set Area method in the clustering of uncertain data

The clustering of uncertain objects is a well researched field. This paper is concerned with the clustering of uncertain objects with 2D location uncertainties, due to object movements. The location of a moving object is reported periodically, thus the location is uncertain and is described using a probability density function. Data on moving objects and their locations is placed in distributed databases. The number of objects in a database can be large, thus their proper clustering is a challenging task. A survey of existing clustering methods is given in this paper and a new clustering method is proposed. This method is called Segmentation of Data Set Area. Using this method the execution time of clustering objects is shortened, compared to previous methods. In this method, the data set area is divided into sixteen segments. Each segment is observed separately and only the clusters and objects in a given segment and its neighbouring segments are observed. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the new method. These experiments proved that this method outperformed previous methods by up to 28% in computing time whilst using the same memory space.
Alliances and Networks: Cooperative Strategies for Small Businesses

Research on large firms shows that cooperative strategies have the potential to improve performance by helping firms gain access to necessary resources, enter new markets, and spread the risk over several partners. Interviews with thirty‐four small business managers show small firms also can profit from using a cooperative network. Highly‐allied small businesses entered alliances to gain resources and based their alliances on a distinctive competence. The highly allied businesses grew more rapidly than the less allied firms. Mutual goals and joint decision making were viewed as critical to the high level of satisfaction achieved.
Noncontrast Magnetic Resonance Lymphography

Abstract Background Different imaging techniques have been used for the investigation of the lymphatic channels and lymph glands. Noncontrast magnetic resonance (MR) lymphography has significant advantages in comparison with other imaging modalities. Methods Noncontrast MR lymphography uses very heavily T2-weighted fast spin echo sequences which obtain a nearly complete signal loss in tissue background and specific display of lymphatic vessels with a long T2 relaxation time. The raw data can be processed with different algorithms such as maximum intensity projection algorithm to obtain an anatomic representation. Results Standard T2-weighted MR images easily demonstrate the location of edema. It appears as subcutaneous infiltration of soft tissue with a classical honeycomb pattern. True collection around the muscular area may be demonstrated in case of severe lymphedema. Lymph nodes may be normal in size, number, and signal intensity; in other cases, lymph nodes may be smaller in size or number of lymph nodes may be restricted. MR lymphography allows a classification of lymphedema in aplasia (no collecting vessels demonstrated); hypoplasia (a small number of lymphatic vessels), and numerical hyperplasia or hyperplasia (with an increased number of lymphatic vessels of greater and abnormal diameter). Conclusion Noncontrast MR lymphography is a unique noninvasive imaging modality for the diagnosis of lymphedema. It can be used for positive diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and specific evaluation of lymphedema severity. It may also be used for follow-up evaluation after treatment.
Symptom Relief and Weight Loss From Adherence to a Meal Replacement-enhanced, Low-calorie Detoxification Diet

Context: Recently, detoxification (detox) diets have achieved notoriety in the popular press due to celebrity endorsements and marketing that suggest quick and easy weight loss. Although researchers have done studies to evaluate the weight-loss outcomes of popular diet programs such as Weight Watchers, Atkins, and others, they have performed no outcomes studies to support the weight-loss results that detox diets claim. Objective: This study intended to evaluate the changes in weight and medical-symptoms scores in participants who adhered to a 4-week, meal replacement–enhanced, low-calorie detox diet. Design: The research team performed a retrospective chart review. Setting: Office of the first author, New York, New York. Participants: The participants were 31 (13 M, 18 F) patients the first author saw consecutively in his private practice. Their ages ranged from 23 to 77, their preintervention weights from 134 lbs to 275 lbs, and their preintervention body mass indexes (BMIs) from 23.2 to 38.4. Intervention: The participants followed a meal replacement– enhanced, low-calorie detox diet for approximately 4 weeks. Outcome Measures: The research team examined participants’ preintervention-to-postintervention (pre-to-post) changes in scores on the Detox Questionnaire, which measures medical symptoms, and its 15 scales; pre-to-post changes in weight; and pre-to-post changes in BMI. Results: On each of 15 toxicity scales (medical symptoms) from the questionnaire, the study showed a statistically significant pre-to-post decline. The overall score, containing all 71 items from the 15 scales, also showed a significant decline, from a median of 53 at preintervention to 17 at postintervention, P < . 001. Additionally, the average pre-to-post weight loss equaled approximately 9 lbs, P < . 001, and a significant reduction in BMI occurred, from an average of 29.2 to 27.8, P < . 001. No significant relationship existed, however, between the amount of the decline in symptoms scores and the amount of weight lost. Discussion: This meal replacement–enhanced, low calorie detox diet appears to be a viable option for both weight loss and a reduction in chronic health symptoms.
Viscoelastic deformation for a clustered earthquake cycle

The clustering of earthquakes in time on the same fault affects the rate and pattern of interseismic deformation. We develop a simple analytic viscoelastic model of the surface velocity field through a clustered earthquake cycle by superposing the velocities of individual earthquake cycles of constant period but varying phase. Velocity profiles prior to and after an earthquake show a wider range of behavior than they do for earthquake cycles with constant repeat times. These new types of behavior provide possible explanations for discrepancies between geologic estimates of long‐term fault slip rates and slip rate estimates from geodetic data.
Mining Bilateral Reviews: A Relational Topic Modeling Framework for Transaction Success Prediction in Sharing Economy

For sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb, how to improve transaction success rate is a vital issue. We develop an integrated modeling framework that analyzes item descriptions and online user reviews for transaction success prediction. Different from using unilateral reviews in traditional online markets, we incorporate bilateral reviews common in sharing economy to predict results of potential transactions, which has not been addressed in the literature before. A new relational topic model is developed to capture the process of leveraging textual information to predict transaction results. Within the framework of the relational topic model, we embed a topic structure with both shared and private topics to better handle text corpora generated from different sources. This new relational topic model framework facilitates the extraction of the appropriate topic structure from different document collections which helps enhance transaction success prediction performances. Comprehensive experiments conducted on a real-world dataset based on Airbnb demonstrate that our new model significantly outperforms other alternatives.
3D Shape Segmentation and Labeling via Extreme Learning Machine

We propose a fast method for 3D shape segmentation and labeling via Extreme Learning Machine (ELM). Given a set of example shapes with labeled segmentation, we train an ELM classifier and use it to produce initial segmentation for test shapes. Based on the initial segmentation, we compute the final smooth segmentation through a graph‐cut optimization constrained by the super‐face boundaries obtained by over‐segmentation and the active contours computed from ELM segmentation. Experimental results show that our method achieves comparable results against the state‐of‐the‐arts, but reduces the training time by approximately two orders of magnitude, both for face‐level and super‐face‐level, making it scale well for large datasets. Based on such notable improvement, we demonstrate the application of our method for fast online sequential learning for 3D shape segmentation at face level, as well as realtime sequential learning at super‐face level.
Multiple Access Techniques for Next Generation Wireless: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

The advances in multiple access techniques has been one of the key drivers in moving from one cellular generation to another. Starting from the first generation, several multiple access techniques have been explored in different generations and various emerging multiplexing/multiple access techniques are being investigated for the next generation of cellular networks. In this context, this paper first provides a detailed review on the existing Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA) related works. Subsequently, it highlights the main features and the drawbacks of various existing and emerging multiplexing/multiple access techniques. Finally, we propose a novel concept of clustered orthogonal signature division multiple access for the next generation of cellular networks. The proposed concept envisions to employ joint antenna coding in order to enhance the orthogonality of SDMA beams with the objective of enhancing the spectral efficiency of future cellular networks.
Energetics of the Na+ Pump in the Heart

Movement of ions across the cell membrane is driven by the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis. Here we will briefly review the chemistry of Na+, K+‐ATPase reaction; we will also review some recent results defining the relationship between the energetic driving force and Na+ efflux by the Na+ pump in the normal myocardium and then discuss this relationship for pathophysiologic states in the heart.
Software for ANN Training on a Ring Array Processor

Experimental research on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithms requires either writing variations on the same program or making one monolithic program with many parameters and options. By using an object-oriented library, the size of these experimental programs is reduced while making them easier to read, write and modify. An efficient and flexible realization of this idea is Connectionist Layered Object-oriented Network Simulator (CLONES). CLONES runs on UNIX workstations and on the 100-1000 MFLOP Ring Array Processor (RAP) that we built with ANN algorithms in mind. In this report we describe CLONES and show how it is implemented on the RAP.
The limits of classification: Claude Lévi-Strauss and Mary Douglas

Humans have to classify because they face situations of uncertainty. The problem of classifications is important for anthropology, because exotic societies classify objects in other ways than we do. When confronted with another society, the ethnographer feels that his/her systems of classifications are arbitrary, and that the criteria by which he/she links together objects in the world can be contested: a whale can be considered as a fish or as a mammal, depending on whether you focus on its mode of reproduction or its mode of locomotion. Classifications must then be seen not only as a way of describing the world as it is, but as a way of thinking about an environment on which it is necessary to act. This is why classifications are interesting not only for the anthropologist who wants to understand how other societies see the world, but also for the philosopher, who wants to know how human beings think. Claude Levi-Strauss's The Savage Mind , first published in 1962, is a book about classifications. After his works on kinship and before his works on myths, Levi-Strauss takes 'a kind of pause . a break between two bursts of effort . to scan the scene before [him]' (1970: 9). When they trace genealogies of marriage and descent or when they tell stories of origins and conflicts, human beings always classify, they connect different beings of the world in a coherent framework. While the anthropologist is immersed in kinship systems or mythological transformations, the philosopher can take a step back and think reflexively on this human need to classify. How do humans classify, and why are their systems of classifications so diverse? What does classification reveal about the relation between thinking and the world?
Local Discourse Structure of Chat Dialogues: Evidence from Keystroke Logging

While the global discourse structure that describes how utterances are grouped into larger units of discourse has received much attention both in oral and in computermediated dialogues, the local structure (i. e. the structure of individual utterances) of chat conversations has not been previously studied in a psycholinguistic perspective. In this paper we explore some evidence of cognitive processing in spontaneous electronic language production in an experimental web chat. Keystroke logging is used to detect hesitation pauses in chat, which are then mapped onto the local discourse structure as marked up in the corpus of chat dialogues by four independent coders.
NFV‐FD: Implementation of a failure detector using network virtualization technology

A failure detector (FD) is a classic distributed systems service that can be used to monitor processes of any network application. Failure detectors provide process state information: A process is reported to be either correct or suspected to have crashed. In this work, we propose the implementation of a process monitoring service using Network Function Virtualization (NFV) in an OpenFlow network. The NFV is a technology that uses software virtualization techniques to drastically reduce the cost of deploying and managing network functions that are usually available as middleboxes. We describe NFV‐FD, a network service that provides information about the state of both processes and links. The NFV‐FD relies on an OpenFlow controller from which monitoring information is obtained. We investigate different ways to implement NFV‐FD. We evaluate the performance impact of monitoring by implementing the virtual function both within and on a separate host from the controller. Then we compare an implementation based on a traditional virtual machine with another implementation based on containers. Experimental results are reported not only in terms of performance, ie, the amount of resources required by NFV‐FD, but also for the quality of service provided by the failure detection and notification functions as they are used to deploy a reliable broadcast service.