Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Apical Junctional Complex in Respiratory Diseases

The epithelium, including the respiratory system, acts as a selective gate between the outside environment and underlying tissue. Epithelial cells are polarized due to the formation of the apical junctional complex, which includes adherent junctions and tight junctions. Endothelial cells are one of the most important cellular constituents of blood vessels. Endothelial junctional proteins play important roles in tissue integrity as well as in vascular permeability, leukocyte extravasation, and angiogenesis. This review focuses on the apical junctional complex in respiratory diseases.
High-throughput, Fully Automated Volumetry for Prediction of MMSE and CDR Decline in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy is associated with increased risk for conversion to Alzheimer disease, but manual tracing techniques and even semiautomated techniques for volumetric assessment are not practical in the clinical setting. In addition, most studies that examined MTL atrophy in Alzheimer disease have focused only on the hippocampus. It is unknown the extent to which volumes of amygdala and temporal horn of the lateral ventricle predict subsequent clinical decline. This study examined whether measures of hippocampus, amygdala, and temporal horn volume predict clinical decline over the following 6-month period in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Fully automated volume measurements were performed in 269 MCI patients. Baseline volumes of the hippocampus, amygdala, and temporal horn were evaluated as predictors of change in Mini-mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes over a 6-month interval. Fully automated measurements of baseline hippocampus and amygdala volumes correlated with baseline delayed recall scores. Patients with smaller baseline volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala or larger baseline volumes of the temporal horn had more rapid subsequent clinical decline on Mini-mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes. Fully automated and rapid measurement of segmental MTL volumes may help clinicians predict clinical decline in MCI patients.
Active control of adaptive optics system in a large segmented mirror telescope

For a large adaptive optics system such as a large segmented mirror telescope (SMT), it is often difficult, although not impossible, to directly apply common multi-input multi-output (MIMO) controller design methods due to the computational burden imposed by the large dimension of the system model. In this article, a practical controller design method is proposed which significantly reduces the system dimension for a system where the dimension required to represent the dynamics of the plant is much smaller than the dimension of the full plant model. The proposed method decouples the dynamic and static parts of the plant model by a modal decomposition technique to separately design a controller for each part. Two controllers are then combined using the so-called sensitivity decoupling method so that the resulting feedback loop becomes the superposition of the two individual feedback loops of the dynamic and static parts. A MIMO controller was designed by the proposed method using the H ∞ loop-shaping technique for an SMT model to be compared with other controllers proposed in the literature. Frequency-domain analysis and time-domain simulation results show the superior performance of the proposed controller.
ARIA: Asymmetry Resistant Instance Alignment

We study the problem of instance alignment between knowledge bases (KBs). Existing approaches, exploiting the “symmetry” of structure and information across KBs, suffer in the presence of asymmetry, which is frequent as KBs are independently built. Specifically, we observe three types of asymmetries (in concepts, in features, and in structures). Our goal is to identify key techniques to reduce accuracy loss caused by each type of asymmetry, then design Asymmetry-Resistant Instance Alignment framework (ARIA). ARIA uses two-phased blocking methods considering concept and feature asymmetries, with a novel similarity measure overcoming structure asymmetry. Compared to a state-of-the-art method, ARIA increased precision by 19% and recall by 2%, and decreased processing time by more than 80% in matching large-scale real-life KBs.
Towards automatic acne detection using a MRF model with chromophore descriptors

This paper proposes a new acne detection approach using a Markov random field (MRF) model and chromophore descriptors extracted by bilateral decomposition. Compared to most existing acne segmentation methods, the proposed algorithm enables to cope with large-dynamic-range intensity usually existing in conventional RGB acne images captured under uncontrolled environment. Algorithm performance has been tested on acne images of human face from a free public database. Experimental results show that acne segmentation derived from this new approach highly agrees to human visual inspection. Moreover, inflammatory response and hyperpigmentation scar can be well discriminated. It is expected that a computer-assisted diagnostic system for acne severity evaluation will be constructed as a consequence of the present work.
MoMath: An Innovative Design of a Mobile based System for Supporting Primary School Mathematics in Tanzania

1. ABSTRACT Mathematics is the most widely used subject in the world. Every career uses some sort of math. It is likely impossible for a country to be successful in science and technology arena without building a solid foundation of mathematics in its educational system. The current trend of performance in mathematics at both levels of educational systems in Tanzania is declining every year. The problem is reported to be at the elementary levels of education. There is a need to improve the consistent level of mathematical skills is Tanzania. The mobile phone penetration among students is very high and there is a need for proof of concept on how those devices could be applied for enhanced learning purposes in formal education.This study explores the use of mobile phones to support students learning activities in mathematics for primary and secondary schools. A MoMath prototype is proposed as blueprint of how SMS and IVR can be leveraged to support students in studying mathematics.
A flexible framework for polynomial-time resource allocation in multiflow wireless networks

We introduce the problem of joint routing, scheduling and power control for multiple information flows in half-duplex, interference limited ad-hoc networks. The joint problem of optimizing for throughput is NP-Hard, and so we present an approximation of the problem and a general framework for solving it in O(N3) time. We attack the problem in two ways, first by presenting a reformulation and decomposition of the joint optimization, and second by providing a framework and data structure to manage the decomposition and its associated complexity. The generality of our approach permits its application to a wide variety of optimality criteria, including delay-constrained routing and minimum-cost routing. Simulation results demonstrate the execution of our algorithms on large networks, where we see significant gains in both throughput and power savings.
Hybrid multi-attribute decision model of grey target

To handle the uncertain multiple attribute decision problem that the decision index value is hard to define accurately, this paper studies on the hybrid multi-attribute decision model of grey target when the index values are real number, interval number and triangular fuzzy number which exist together. According to the basic connotations of grey target decision and uncertain decision information, this paper defines the hybrid ellipsoid grey target based on which it also constructs the hybrid decision model of grey target, and discusses the weights assignment problems under the circumstances where there is completely no weight information on index or there is only partial weight information. The result shows that the model established in this paper can better resolve the multi-attribute decision problem with hybrid information and finally this paper proves the practicality and effectiveness of this model through a case study.
Effective Synchronisation of Concurrent Objects: Laying the Inheritance Anomaly to Rest

The integration of concurrency and object-oriented programming has been a goal of researchers for over a decade. To date, attempts to address reuse conflicts, known as “inheritance anomalies”, have been limited in applicability and have not addressed all the issues that synchronisation raises. In this paper we take a detailed look at synchronisation by investigating five different aspects which must be considered. We investigate the different forms of the inheritance anomaly which can arise and look at how they can be avoided, either through the use of specific features of concurrent object-oriented languages, or common techniques of object-oriented programming. Finally we present a set of requirements for a concurrent object-oriented language to support a flexible concurrency model with an emphasis on the reuse of both synchronisation and functional code.
Dual use of electronic cigarettes and classic cigarettes: a systematic review

Abstract Purpose: Dual use is an emerging phenomenon and while there is no consensus on its definition, in most evidence based literature it is commonly referred to as those who use both e-cigarettes and classic cigarettes whereas those who smoke only e-cigarettes are referred to as single users. The risks and benefits of e-cigarette dual usage should be considered on an individual level as well as on a population level. Almost two thirds of adult tobacco users in the US report using more than one tobacco product. Yet, our understanding about dual use is limited by a fragmented evidence-base. Synthesizing this literature is critical for the purpose of developing a profile for ‘dual users’, understanding the influences of dual use on classic cigarette, classic cigarette smoking behavior, evaluating health outcomes from dual use, and dual users perceptions and experiences. Materials and methods: The objective of this review is to summarize the literature focused on dual use of the e-cigarette and classic cigarette. PubMed and PsycINFO were searched. Concepts that made up the investigation were: electronic cigarette and dual use. The publication date was limited to 2009–2017. Results: We identified 718 original studies from the electronic search of the databases (407 studies from PUBMED, and 311 from PsycINFO) and 3 from a dedicated mailing list. The reviewers screened the title and abstract of each citation to determine their eligibility and considered 76 articles. Conclusions: Dual users make use of e-cigarettes for smoking reduction, smoking cessation, reduction of health risks and they perceive e-cigarettes to be safer and less addictive than tobacco cigarettes. Dual users are more likely to use tobacco cigarettes in hedonistic situations, when there is no restriction of use, or when stressed and/or anxious. Situations such as these might be the most difficult circumstances to dissuade dual users from classic smoking.
Quantitative Analysis of Colonoscopy Skills Using the KAIST-Ewha Colonoscopy Simulator II

This paper presents a clinical evaluation of the KAIST-Ewha colonoscopy simulator II, which includes quantitative analysis of colonoscopy experts' and trainees' profiles during simulation. This version of the colonoscopy simulator employs an actual colonoscope with added electronics for simulation, and succeeds the previous version of the colonoscopy simulator with the specialized haptic device and proprietary colon modeler. Five colonoscopy experts participated in the profiling of the experts' colonoscopy motions. Nine subjects consisting of three fellows and six residents participated in the training efficacy evaluation of the developed simulator. Two colon models constructed from patients' CT data are used for the training and the trainees' performance parameters are logged in real-time during simulation. Comparison of the trainees' profiles during the first 10 trials and the last 10 trials shows that the targeted colonoscopy skills are acquired well through the simulation-based training.
Report for Abbreviation Recognition Project

The method given in [1] recognize abbreviations and their definitions in one text (refereed texts are not examined). The method iterates through each word sequentially in the text. For each word, the method check the word against a set of rules to tell if it is an abbreviation (section5). If it is an abbreviation, it is parsed into abbreviation pattern. Abbreviation pattern reveals the structure of the abbreviation. The pattern consists of a sequence of abbreviation elements which can a letter, non-alphanumeric character or a number. To look for definition, the method assume that definition appear around the abbreviation (within the search space defined in section 6). (It only search for definition in
Automated production of TV program trailer using electronic program guide

This paper proposes two automated methods for producing TV program trailers (short video clips to advertise the program). Program trailers are useful as the representative video of a content retrieval system that operates in a large archive of program videos. The two methods employ introductory descriptions from electronic program guides. The first method is based on the sentence similarity between the closed caption and the introductory text of the target program. We extract closed caption sentences that have the highest similarity for each introductory sentence, and then connect the corresponding video segments to make the representative video. A Bayesian belief network is used to calculate the similarity. The second method extracts several sentences that have the same textual features as those of a general introductory text, and determines the corresponding video sections. The features are learned by using the AdaBoost algorithm. These methods were used to generate trailers for actual TV programs, by which their effectiveness was verified.
Metabolic Syndrome, Inflammation, and Risk of Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease in Women: A Prospective Study

Background— The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with incident myocardial infarction and stroke and is linked with subclinical inflammation; however, prospective data pertaining to MetS and future peripheral artery disease (PAD) are sparse, with few studies examining the role of inflammation. We therefore evaluated the relationship between MetS, inflammation, and incident PAD. Methods and Results— We conducted a prospective cohort study among 27 111 women free of baseline cardiovascular disease who were participating in the Women’s Health Study. Subjects were followed for incident symptomatic PAD (n=114; median cohort follow-up 13.3 years). We used Cox proportional hazards models to compare PAD risk among women with and without MetS. We also evaluated relationships between MetS and subclinical inflammation as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and adjusted for these biomarkers in multivariable models. Women with MetS had a 62% increased risk of future PAD (hazard ratio 1.62, 95% confidence interval 1.10 to 2.38). After multivariable adjustment, MetS remained significantly associated with PAD (adjusted hazard ratio 1.48, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 2.18), with a 21% risk increase per additional MetS-defining trait (adjusted hazard ratio 1.21, 95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.39). In women with and without MetS, respectively, median levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were 4.0 versus 1.5 mg/L (P<0.0001), and median levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were 374 versus 333 ng/mL (P<0.0001). When high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were added to multivariable models, risk associated with MetS was substantially attenuated and no longer significant (hazard ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 0.75 to 1.73). Conclusions— MetS is associated with an increased risk of future symptomatic PAD in women. This risk appears to be mediated largely by the effects of inflammation and endothelial activation.
A large-deviation principle for Dirichlet posteriors

Let Xk be a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables taking values in a compact metric space Ω, and consider the problem of estimating the law of X1 in a Bayesian framework. A conjugate family of priors for non-parametric Bayesian inference is the Dirichlet process priors popularized by Ferguson. We prove that if the prior distribution is Dirichlet, then the sequence of posterior distributions satisfies a large deviation principle, and give an explicit expression for the rate function. As an application, we obtain an asymptotic formula for the predictive probability of ruin in the classical gambler’s ruin problem.
Text-Translation Alignment

We present an algorithm for aligning texts with their translations that is based only on internal evidence. The relaxation process rests on a notion of which word in one text corresponds to which word in the other text that is essentially based on the similarity of their distributions. It exploits a partial alignment of the word level to induce a maximum likelihood alignment of the sentence level, which is in turn used, in the next iteration, to refine the word level estimate. The algorithm appears to converge to the correct sentence alignment in only a few iterations.
Market Microstructures Nonsynchronous Trading

Assumptions continuous prices × ticks evenly spaced time intervals × transaction data market clearing × market makers To relax these assumptions, one must investigate microstructure effects. Albeit prices must fully reflect the available information in the market in the long run, issues such as market liquidity, competition and collusion among market makers, and asymmetric information are of major importance in the short run. For instance, a market maker determines bid and ask prices for securities to protect himself against insider traders and for inventory reasons. Goodhart and O'Hara (1997) provides an excellent survey of the literature. Accordingly, we examine three topics in microstructure: nonsynchronous trading, the bid-ask spread and price discreteness. We commence with purely statistical models to give an idea of empirical anomalies that can arise in the presence of nontrading and bid-ask bouncing (Campbell, Lo and MacKin-lay, 1997, chapter 3). Next, we introduce asymmetric information models to demonstrate the close connection between these two issues (O'Hara, 1995). Lastly, we discuss briefly how to deal with price discreteness using an ordered probit model as proposed by Hausman, Lo and MacKinlay (1992). Before start modeling nontrading, let's consider the seemingly naive practice of taking closing quotes as daily prices. There is an implicit assumption that observations are recorded in equally spaced intervals of 24 hours. As consequence , a false impression of predictability in returns likely arise and so the estimation of moments and co-moments of asset returns might carry severe bias. Example 1. Consider an actively traded asset A and a rarely traded asset B. Now suppose that news arrive near the market close. Then, A's end-of-the-day price is more likely to reflect this information than B's. Eventually, B's price 1
Rapid loss of glacial ice reveals stream community assembly processes

Glacial retreat creates new habitat which is colonized and developed by plants and animals during the process of primary succession. While there has been much debate about the relative role of deterministic and stochastic processes during terrestrial succession, evidence from freshwater ecosystems remains minimal and a general consensus is lacking. Using a unique 27 years record of community assembly following glacial recession in southeast Alaska, we demonstrate significant change in the trait composition of stream invertebrate communities as catchment glacial cover decreased from ∼70% to zero. Functional diversity increased significantly as glacier cover decreased and taxonomic richness increased. Null modelling approaches led to a key finding that niche filtering processes were dominant when glacial cover was extensive, reflecting water temperature and dispersal constraints. Thereafter the community shifted towards co‐occurrence of stochastic and deterministic assembly processes. A further novel discovery was that intrinsic functional redundancy developed throughout the study, particularly because new colonizers possessed similar traits to taxa already present. Rapid glacial retreat is occurring in Arctic and alpine environments worldwide and the assembly processes observed in this study provide new fundamental insights into how glacially influenced stream ecosystems will respond. The findings support tolerance as a key primary successional mechanism in this system, and have broader value for developing our understanding of how biological communities in river ecosystems assemble or restructure in response to environmental change.
Electrical characteristics of leakage issues caused by defective Ni salicide

Ni diffusion in sub-100 nm devices can adversely affect electrical performance, and contribute greatly to yield loss. Despite the tremendous advantages of Ni salicide technology over Ti or Co, there are problems associated with the intrinsic properties of NiSi. Ni spiking into Si substrate or conductive bridges between silicide on the gate electrodes and that on the source/drain terminals can occur. These effects can be induced or enhanced by stringent layout, stress or process conditions. Its impact can be evident from electrical failure analysis such as nanoprobing and C-AFM, that are useful in identifying the cause of failure.
TurboSockets: Democratizing Distributed Deduplication

Distributed deduplication is one of today's most prominent techniques for efficient data transfer of data across a network. However, leveraging a distributed application with distributed deduplication capabilities is a complex challenge, not accessible to the average programmer. This paper advocates that the time has come to devise general-purpose middleware abstractions that can democratize the use of state-of-art distributed deduplication techniques, even by programmers with no know-how on the field. We propose TurboSockets, the first middleware abstraction that aims at such a goal. The TurboSockets middleware enables unskilled programmers to establish a communication channel between two remote processes and, through that channel, exchange data streams whose content is deduplicated by stateof-the-art algorithms. Turbosockets hides all the complexity associated with the deduplication protocol away from the programmer, closely resembling traditional inter-process communication APIs. Using a full-fledged prototype of the TurboSockets middleware, experimental results with real workloads confirm gains in performance and transferred volumes for a wide range of real workloads and scenarios.
Modeling and Circuit Synthesis for Independently Controlled Double Gate FinFET Devices

Independent control of front and back gate in double gate (DG) devices can be used to merge parallel transistors in noncritical paths. This reduces the effective switching capacitance and, hence, the dynamic power dissipation of a circuit. However, efficient design of large-scale circuits with DG devices is not well explored due to lack of proper modeling and large-scale design simulation tools. In this paper, we propose several low-power circuit options using independent gate FinFETs. We developed semianalytical models for different FinFET logic gates to predict their performance. An efficient circuit synthesis methodology comprised of proposed low-power logic options in FinFET design library has been developed. Results show about 8.5% area savings and 18% power savings over conventional FinFET technology for ISCAS85 benchmark circuits in 45-nm technology with no performance penalty.