Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Approach for Future RAN Architecture

In this article, we identify and study the potential of an integrated deployment solution for energy efficient cellular networks combining the strengths of two very active currently research themes: software defined radio access networks (SDRAN) and decoupled signaling and data transmissions, or beyond cellular green generation (BCG2) architecture, for enhanced energy efficiency. While SD-RAN envisions a decoupled centralized control plane and data forwarding plane for flexible control, the BCG2 architecture calls for decoupling coverage from capacity and coverage is provided through always-on low-power signaling node for a larger geographical area; capacity is catered by various on-demand data nodes for maximum energy efficiency. In this paper, we identify that a combined approach bringing in both specifications together can, not only achieve greater benefits, but also facilitates the faster realization of both technologies. We propose the idea and design of a signaling controller which acts as a signaling node to provide always-on coverage, consuming low power, and at the same time also hosts the control plane functions for the SD-RAN through a general purpose processing platform. Phantom cell concept is also a similar idea where a normal macro cell provides interference control to densely deployed small cells, although, our initial results show that the integrated architecture has much greater potential of energy savings in comparison to phantom cells. Keywords—5G wireless networks, Energy efficiency, mobile communications, radio access networks, software defined networking.
Histomorphometric Analysis of Bone Density in Relation to Tactile Sense of the Surgeon During Dental Implant Placement

Introduction: A correct diagnosis and optimal treatment planning is essential for success in implant dentistry. Proper diagnosis of bone quality is an important part of the diagnostic procedure. Objective: The purpose of this study was to correlate the tactile sense of the surgeon in the assessment of bone density to the histomorphometric analysis of bone quality. Methods: In this study, 56 bone samples from 33 patients were harvested from implant sites with trephine drills. The samples were analyzed with Image J software. In the samples following parameters were measured: BV/TV, superficial cortical plate thickness, the number and thickness of haversian canals in cortical bone and the number, thickness and distance of trabecules in cancellous bone. The clinical hardness of bone during drilling was evaluated by surgeon according to Misch. GEE analysis with exchangeable correlation structure and linear model was used to evaluate the relationship between the tactile sense of the surgeon and histomorphometric parameters and all analysis was adjusted for two confounding variables: gender and location. Results: There were 51.79% implants in D2 samples and 48.21% in D3. Bone classification according to Misch was significantly correlated to distance of trabecules in cancellous bone (P-value=0.05), and shown marginally significant correlation with mean superficial cortical bone thickness (P-value =0.07) and number of haversian canals (P-value =0.005) in cortical bone. Discussion: There were differences between our results and others. The authors believed that these differences mainly are because of confounding factors, that in this study were eliminated. The clinical finding during surgery can approximately explain the histologic properties of bone. Conclusion: It is concluded that tactile sense of the surgeon can exhibit the histologic properties of the bone, and we are able to estimate the healing prognosis of the bone in implant placement.
A SURVEY FOR PLANETARY NEBULAE IN M31 GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

We report the results of an [O iii] λ5007 spectroscopic survey for planetary nebulae (PNe) located within the star clusters of M31. By examining R ∼ 5000 spectra taken with the WIYN+Hydra spectrograph, we identify 3 PN candidates in a sample of 274 likely globular clusters, 2 candidates in objects which may be globular clusters, and 5 candidates in a set of 85 younger systems. The possible PNe are all faint, between ∼2.5 and ∼6.8 mag down the PN luminosity function, and, partly as a consequence of our selection criteria, have high excitation, with [O iii] λ5007 to Hβ ratios ranging from 2 to ≳ 12. We discuss the individual candidates, their likelihood of cluster membership, and the possibility that they were formed via binary interactions within the clusters. Our data are consistent with the suggestion that PN formation within globular clusters correlates with binary encounter frequency, though, due to the small numbers and large uncertainties in the candidate list, this study does not provide sufficient evidence to confirm the hypothesis.
The rocky road to personalized medicine in acute myeloid leukaemia

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a malignant disorder of the myeloid blood lineage characterized by impaired differentiation and increased proliferation of hematopoietic precursor cells. Recent technological advances have led to an improved understanding of AML biology but also uncovered the enormous cytogenetic and molecular heterogeneity of the disease. Despite this heterogeneity, AML is mostly managed by a ‘one‐size‐fits‐all’ approach consisting of intensive, highly toxic induction and consolidation chemotherapy. These treatment protocols have remained largely unchanged for the past several decades and only lead to a cure in approximately 30–35% of cases. The advent of targeted therapies in chronic myeloid leukaemia and other malignancies has sparked hope to improve patient outcome in AML. However, the implementation of targeted agents in AML therapy has been unexpectedly cumbersome and remains a difficult task due to a variety of disease‐ and patient‐specific factors. In this review, we describe current standard and investigational therapeutic strategies with a focus on targeted agents and highlight potential tools that might facilitate the development of targeted therapies for this fatal disease. The classes of agents described in this review include constitutively activated signalling pathway inhibitors, surface receptor targets, epigenetic modifiers, drugs targeting the interaction of the hematopoietic progenitor cell with the stroma and drugs that target the apoptotic machinery. The clinical context and outcome with these agents will be examined to gain insight about their optimal utilization.
Pulse shape effects on the measurement of temperature using a Brillouin-based optical fiber sensor

Distributed fiber sensing based on Brillouin gain scattering (BGS) principle is a useful way to develop devices capable to measure temperature or/and strain in optical fibers. New effects or technologies that could achieve a larger distance and/or a better spatial resolution are a topic of special interest in this fiber sensing area. The influence of the probe-pulse shape in the interaction between the pulsed light and the continuous wave laser in a pump-probe system is presented. The purpose of this study is to improve the spatial resolution of the measurement without losing stability in the BGS. Also it is showed how the backscattering Brillouin gain is affected by inducing variations on the final value of the BGS intensity; this effect is illustrated by using an experimental set up based on the Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA). Theoretical analysis of the probe pulse in the Brillouin shift and intensity value using triangular, sinc and saw tooth shapes around the medium phonon life time (~10ns) are presented; as well as the experimental results and possible applications are explained.
Multi-Task / Multi-Stage Production Planning and Scheduling for Process Industries

We consider the planning and scheduling of production in a multi-task/multi-stage batch manufacturing process typical of industries such as chemical manufacturing, food processing, and oil refining. We allow instances in which multiple sequences of tasks may be used to produce end products. We formulate the problem as a mixed integer linear program and show that the linear programming relaxation has a large integrality gap and requires significant computational effort to solve to optimality for large instances. Using echelon inventory, we construct a new family of valid inequalities for this problem. The formulation with the additional constraints leads to a significantly tighter linear programming relaxation and to greatly reduced solution times for the mixed integer linear program.
Cerebellar microglia are dynamically unique and survey Purkinje neurons in vivo

Microglia are the innate immune cells of the central nervous system and are also important participants in normal development and synaptic plasticity. Here, we demonstrate that the microglia of the mouse cerebellum represent a unique population compared to cortical microglia. Microglia are more sparsely distributed within the cerebellum and have a markedly less ramified morphology compared to their cortical counterparts. Using time‐lapse in vivo imaging, we found that these differences in distribution and morphology ultimately lead to decreased parenchymal surveillance by cerebellar microglia. We also observed a novel form of somal motility in cerebellar microglia in vivo, which has not been described in cortical populations. We captured microglial interactions with Purkinje neurons in vivo. Cerebellar microglia interact dynamically with both the dendritic arbors and somas of Purkinje neurons. These findings suggest that cerebellar microglia are physiologically distinct from cortical populations and that these differences may ultimately alter how they could contribute to plasticity and disease processes in the cerebellum. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 627–644, 2018
A Bayesian Nonparametric Regression Model With Normalized Weights: A Study of Hippocampal Atrophy in Alzheimer’s Disease

Hippocampal volume is one of the best established biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. However, for appropriate use in clinical trials research, the evolution of hippocampal volume needs to be well understood. Recent theoretical models propose a sigmoidal pattern for its evolution. To support this theory, the use of Bayesian nonparametric regression mixture models seems particularly suitable due to the flexibility that models of this type can achieve and the unsatisfactory predictive properties of semiparametric methods. In this article, our aim is to develop an interpretable Bayesian nonparametric regression model which allows inference with combinations of both continuous and discrete covariates, as required for a full analysis of the dataset. Simple arguments regarding the interpretation of Bayesian nonparametric regression mixtures lead naturally to regression weights based on normalized sums. Difficulty in working with the intractable normalizing constant is overcome thanks to recent advances in MCMC methods and the development of a novel auxiliary variable scheme. We apply the new model and MCMC method to study the dynamics of hippocampal volume, and our results provide statistical evidence in support of the theoretical hypothesis.
The association between circulating endostatin and a disturbed circadian blood pressure pattern in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract Background: Endostatin, cleaved from collagen XVIII in the extracellular matrix, is a promising circulating biomarker for cardiovascular damage. It possesses anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic functions and has even been suggested to be involved in blood pressure regulation. Less is known if endostatin levels relate to circadian blood pressure patterns. In the present paper we studied the association between circulating levels of endostatin and nocturnal dipping in blood pressure. Methods: We used the CARDIPP-study, a cohort of middle aged, type 2 diabetics (n = 593, 32% women), with data on both 24-hour and office blood pressure, serum-endostatin, cardiovascular risk factors, and incident major cardiovascular events. Nocturnal dipping was defined as a >10% difference between day- and night-time blood pressures. Results: Two-hundred four participants (34%) were classified as non-dippers. The mean endostatin levels were significantly higher in non-dippers compared to dippers (mean ± standard deviation: 62.6 ± 1.8 µg/l vs. 58.7 ± 1.6 µg/l, respectively, p = .007). Higher serum levels of endostatin were associated with a diminished decline in nocturnal blood pressure adjusted for age, sex, HbA1c, mean systolic day blood pressure, hypertension treatment, glomerular filtration rate, and prevalent cardiovascular disease (regression coefficient per SD increase of endostatin −0.01, 95% CI, −0.02–(−0.001), p = . 03). Structural equation modelling analyses suggest that endostatin mediates 7% of the association between non-dipping and major cardiovascular events. Conclusion: We found an independent association between higher circulating levels of endostatin and a reduced difference between day- and night-time systolic blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. Yet endostatin mediated only a small portion of the association between non-dipping and cardiovascular events arguing against a clinical utility of our findings.
Myocardium Segmentation From DE MRI Using Multicomponent Gaussian Mixture Model and Coupled Level Set

Objective: In this paper, we propose a fully automatic framework for myocardium segmentation of delayed-enhancement (DE) MRI images without relying on prior patient-specific information. Methods: We employ a multicomponent Gaussian mixture model to deal with the intensity heterogeneity of myocardium caused by the infarcts. To differentiate the myocardium from other tissues with similar intensities, while at the same time maintain spatial continuity, we introduce a coupled level set (CLS) to regularize the posterior probability. The CLS, as a spatial regularization, can be adapted to the image characteristics dynamically. We also introduce an image intensity gradient based term into the CLS, adding an extra force to the posterior probability based framework, to improve the accuracy of myocardium boundary delineation. The prebuilt atlases are propagated to the target image to initialize the framework. Results: The proposed method was tested on datasets of 22 clinical cases, and achieved Dice similarity coefficients of 87.43 ± 5.62% (endocardium), 90.53 ± 3.20% (epicardium) and 73.58 ± 5.58% (myocardium), which have outperformed three variants of the classic segmentation methods. Conclusion: The results can provide a benchmark for the myocardial segmentation in the literature. Significance: DE MRI provides an important tool to assess the viability of myocardium. The accurate segmentation of myocardium, which is a prerequisite for further quantitative analysis of myocardial infarction (MI) region, can provide important support for the diagnosis and treatment management for MI patients.
An Exact Algorithm for the Green Vehicle Routing Problem

We propose an exact algorithm for solving the green vehicle routing problem (G-VRP). The G-VRP models the optimal routing of an alternative fuel vehicle fleet to serve a set of geographically scattered customers. Vehicles’ fuel autonomy and possible refueling stops en route are explicitly modeled and maximum duration constraints are imposed on each vehicle route. We model the G-VRP as a set partitioning problem in which columns represent feasible routes corresponding to simple circuits in a multigraph. Each node in the multigraph represents one customer and each arc between two customers represents a nondominated path through a set of refueling stations visited by a vehicle when traveling directly between the two customers. We strengthen the set partitioning formulation by adding valid inequalities including k-path cuts and describe a method for separating them. We provide computational results on benchmark instances showing that the algorithm can optimally solve instances with up to ∼110 customers. The o.
Modified therapeutic community aftercare for clients triply diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and co-occurring mental and substance use disorders

This clinical trial evaluated a modified therapeutic community aftercare (MTC-A) program for a population triply diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, a substance use disorder, and a mental disorder. After six months of MTC residential treatment (MTC-R), subjects were randomly assigned to MTC-A (n=42) or to standard aftercare (C; n=34). Follow-up interviews at six and 12 months assessed eight outcome domains and adherence to prescribed HIV medication. A propensity model was used to re-balance the retrieved sample. At the six-month follow-up, High stratum MTC-A clients (those with greater psychological functioning and stable physical health at baseline) had greater improvement overall and for substance use and mental health than C clients in the same stratum. In contrast, C clients in the Low/Medium stratum (those with poorer psychological functioning and improved physical health) had more favorable outcomes overall and for substance use than their MTC-A counterparts; however, this stratum was not re-balanced effectively. Differences in HIV medication adherence were not detected. Clients with greater psychological functioning and stable health at treatment entry benefit more from the MTC-A program. In view of the potentially progressive nature of HIV, measuring physical and mental health during treatment and controlling for changes could be important in future research.
Liposome-delivered baicalein induction of myeloid leukemia K562 cell death via reactive oxygen species generation

Baicalein (BL), a potential cancer chemopreventative flavone, has been reported to inhibit cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis and causing cell cycle arrest in various human cancer cell models. Delivery of BL via nanoliposomes has been shown to improve its oral bioavailability and long-circulating property in vivo. However, the role of BL in the inhibition of human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) K562 cell growth and its underlying mechanisms has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, BL was formulated into liposomes with different sizes to improve its solubility and stability. The cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects of free BL and liposomal BL were also evaluated. The results demonstrated that 100 nm liposomes were the most stable formulation when compared with 200 and 400 nm liposomes. Liposomal BL inhibited K562 cell growth as efficiently as free BL (prepared in DMSO), indicating that the liposome may be a potential vehicle to deliver BL for the treatment of CML. Flow cytometry analysis showed that there was significant (P<0.005) cell cycle arrest in the sub-G1 phase (compared with vehicle control), indicating cell apoptosis following 20 µM liposomal BL or free BL treatment of K562 cells for 48 h. The induction of cell apoptosis by all BL preparations was further confirmed through the staining of treated cells with Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide. A significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was observed in free BL and liposomal BL treated cells, with a higher level of ROS produced from those treated with free BL. This indicated that cell apoptosis induced by BL may be via ROS generation and liposome delivery may further extend the effect through its long-circulating property.
Types and sources of social support among adults living with type 2 diabetes in rural communities in the Dominican Republic

ABSTRACT Type 2 diabetes management hinges on various determinants, including the role of interpersonal relationships in self-management behaviours. The aim of this study was to explore the types and sources of social support received by adults in the diabetes diagnosis and self-management processes. We conducted qualitative interviews with 28 men and women at two rural clinics in the Dominican Republic and used a combination of narrative and thematic analytic techniques to identify key sources and types of social support in their diabetes experiences. Participants described three stages in their diabetes experience: diagnosis, programme-enrolment, and long-term management. During diabetes diagnosis, most participants described receiving no support. At the programme-enrolment stage, friends and neighbours frequently provided informational or instrumental support to get to the clinic. In long-term management, cohabiting partners provided the most support, which was often assistance with their diet. Our findings highlight he need to assess and leverage distinct types and sources of social support at different stages of the diabetes experience.
An Extension Study Using Hypnotic Suggestion as an Adjunct to Intravenous Sedation

The effects of hypnosis/therapeutic suggestion in connection with intravenous sedation and surgery have been described in many clinical publications; however, few randomized, controlled, and blind studies have been performed in the outpatient area. The original study published in 2010 aimed to evaluate the use of hypnosis/therapeutic suggestion as an adjunct to intravenous sedation in patients having third molar removal in an outpatient setting. The patients were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. The treatment group listened to a rapid conversational induction and therapeutic suggestions via headphones throughout the entire surgical procedure along with a standard sedation dose of intravenous anesthetic. The control group received intravenous anesthesia but listened to only music without any hypnotic intervention. The current replication study addressed several of the limitations of the original. Sample size was increased and selection of participants from a different geographic area in Pennsylvania. Intra-operative propofol administration, patient post-operative pain ratings, and post-operative prescription pain reliever consumption were all significantly reduced in the treatment compared to the control group. Implications of these results are discussed.
will be inserted by the editor ) Continuous Action Recognition Based on Sequence Alignment

Continuous action recognition is more challenging than isolated recognition because classification and segmentation must be simultaneously carried out. We build on the well known dynamic time warping (DTW) framework and devise a novel visual alignment technique, namely dynamic frame warping (DFW), which performs isolated recognition based on per-frame representation of videos, and on aligning a test sequence with a model sequence. Moreover, we propose two extensions which enable to perform recognition concomitant with segmentation, namely one-pass DFW and two-pass DFW. These two methods have their roots in the domain of continuous recognition of speech and, to the best of our knowledge, their extension to continuous visual action recognition has been overlooked. We test and illustrate the proposed techniques with a recently The authors acknowledge support from the European project HUMAVIPS #247525 (2010-2013) and from the ERC Advanced Grant VHIA #340113 (2014-2019). J. Cech acknowledges support from the Czech Science Foundation Project GACR P103/12/G084. Kaustubh Kulkarni INRIA Grenoble Rhône-Alpes Montbonnot Saint-Martin, FRANCE E-mail: Kaustubh.Kulkarni@inria.fr Georgios Evangelidis INRIA Grenoble Rhône-Alpes Montbonnot Saint-Martin, FRANCE E-mail: Georgios.Evangelidis@inria.fr Jan Cech Center for Machine Perception Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic E-mail: cechj@cmp.felk. cvut.cz Radu Horaud INRIA Grenoble Rhône-Alpes Montbonnot Saint-Martin, FRANCE E-mail: Radu.Horaud@inria.fr released dataset (RAVEL) and with two public-domain datasets widely used in action recognition (Hollywood1 and Hollywood-2). We also compare the performances of the proposed isolated and continuous recognition algorithms with several recently published methods.