Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Robocentric Motion Planner for Dynamic Environments Using the Velocity Space

This paper addresses a method to optimize the robot motion planning in dynamic environments, avoiding the moving and static obstacles while the robot drives towards the goal. The method maps the dynamic environment into a model in the velocity space, computing the times to potential collision and potential escape and the associated robot velocities. The problem of finding a trajectory to the goal is stated as a constrained nonlinear optimization problem. The initial seed trajectory for the optimization is directly generated in the velocity space using the model built. The method is applied to robots which are subject to both kinematic constraints (i.e. involving the configuration parameters of the robot and their derivatives), and dynamic constraints, (i.e. the constraints imposed by the acceleration/deceleration capabilities). Some experimental results are discussed
Conformal device for wireless powering in biomedical application

The wireless powering efficiency of the Strongly Coupled Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) method has been reported for both homogenous and non-homogenous interfaces. Here, a new Conformal (i.e., planar) SCMR (CSCMR) method is presented that achieves high efficiency and uses significantly smaller volume than conventional SCMR. Also, the performance of traditional resonant inductive coupling, SCMR and CSCMR are compared for wireless powering of devices that are implanted in the human body.
A case for caching middleboxes for scalable MMT video delivery

We present a content-based caching architecture for scalable MMT video delivery. Our architecture places a caching proxy in the path between an MMT server and its clients. Between an MMT server and a caching proxy, we exploit the popular HTTP protocol to reliably synchronize the video contents by their fragments while the caching proxy delivers the MMT asset to the clients via the standard MMTP protocol. This split architecture not only allows distributing the load on theMMT server but also supports MMT clients without any modification on the MMTP protocol. Furthermore, our architecture supports content-based caching with little run-time overhead, eliminating any redundant network transfers.
Novel methods for preparation of modified 1-dimensional nanomaterials of titanium dioxide for environmental engineering applications

Photocatalytic processes of titanium dioxide have been discovered in the early 1980 and till now titanium dioxide nanomaterials are the most popular photocatalysts for scientific researches and industrial applications. In the environmental engineering field, titanium dioxide nanoparticles have been applied in water treatment such as disinfection of drinking water. It is well known that the photocatalytic efficiency of titanium dioxide nanomaterials is correlated with the total surface area and the optical absorption of the materials themself. Original titanium dioxide nanomaterials can only be photo-activated with radiations in the ultra violet (UV) spectrum. As UV radiations make up less than 10% of total solar radiation to the earth’s surface, the efficiency of original titanium dioxide nanomaterials is therefore limited under direct sunlight. As a result, extensive studies have been carried out to modify original titanium dioxide nanomaterials to achieve
An ultra-low voltage self-startup charge pump for energy harvesting applications

An ultra-low voltage, self-starting, switched-capacitor based charge pump is proposed for energy harvesting applications. The integrated linear charge pump topology presented in this work has been optimized for low-voltage start-up. The control signals for the charge-transfer switches (CTS), generated using two clock phases, reduce reverse currents and thus improve the efficiency of the converter. Adiabatic switching techniques have been employed to reduce the switching losses associated with the CTS gate control. This design has been implemented in a 130-nm CMOS process. Simulation results demonstrate a low startup voltage of 125 mV with efficiency of 62 % for a static current load of 0.1 μA.
An Enhanced Islanding Microgrid Reactive Power, Imbalance Power, and Harmonic Power Sharing Scheme

To address inaccurate power sharing problems in autonomous islanding microgrids, an enhanced droop control method through online virtual impedance adjustment is proposed. First, a term associated with DG reactive power, imbalance power, or harmonic power is added to the conventional real power-frequency droop control. The transient real power variations caused by this term are captured to realize DG series virtual impedance tuning. With the regulation of DG virtual impedance at fundamental positive sequence, fundamental negative sequence, and harmonic frequencies, an accurate power sharing can be realized at the steady state. In order to activate the compensation scheme in multiple DG units in a synchronized manner, a low-bandwidth communication bus is adopted to send the compensation command from a microgrid central controller to DG unit local controllers, without involving any information from DG unit local controllers. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified by simulated and experimental results from a low-power three-phase microgrid prototype.
Humic acid based liquid organic fertilizer improved the growth of nursery and immature rubber plants grown in Boralu soil series

Humic substances, the major component of soil organic matter, play multiple roles that can greatly benefit plant growth through their indirect or direct effects. Effects of commercially available humic acid based liquid organic fertilizer, Humate Plus® (HP), on growth and nutrient uptake of the rubber plants (Hevea brasiliensis L. Muell. Arg.) during nursery and immature stages were studied. Chemical fertilizers (CF) were applied to rubber plants growing in Boralu soil series (Typic Paleudults) at 0, and 100 % of currently recommended rates. In another treatment 50% of CF was supplemented with HP. Growth of the rubber plants were monitored periodically by measuring plant height, diameter or girth, and in nursery plants dry matter (DM) accumulation as well. Macro nutrient concentrations in the leaves, and different parts of the young budding plants, were determined to assess the nutritional status of the plant. Diameter of the nursery plants that received CF were not statistically different but DM accumulation in shoot was significantly higher, both at cut-back (17%) and 12 weeks after cut-back (13%) in 50% CF+HP treatment compared to those in 100% CF treatment. In field plants, girth at the end of 3 rd year was significantly higher (5 to 7%) in 50% CF+HP treatment compared to that in 50% or 100% CF only treatments. Although there was no consistent trend on the effect of HP on leaf nutrient status in young budding plants, total P and Ca uptake at the end of the nursery period was significantly higher in the 50% CF+HP treatment. Results of this study suggest that humic acid based liquid organic fertilizers could be used to cut down the chemical fertilizer usage in rubber plantations while improving the growth of the rubber plants.
Study of the AVL-tree index range query based on P2P networks

The complex multi-attribute query processing in the large-scale distributed systems is a research topic focused by both academia and industry. This paper introduces a common architecture of the multi-dimensional data range queries based on the P2P network and constructs a virtual hierarchical tree based on space division which ensures that the exploration of the relevant query regions occurred between the nodes in the same layer as far as possible. Thereby the query burden of the upper node will be reduced and the bottlenecks of the root node can be cleared which will reduce the updating cost effectively. Through the simulations the method has been proved to be effective.
The Role of Attachment Style in Coping with Job Loss and the Empty Nest in Adulthood

The current study employed a life events perspective to examine the relationship between attachment style and both adjustment and coping processes in adults during two specific life events involving both the loss of and a renegotiation of an attachment relationship: the launching of children from the family of origin and job loss, which represent both normative and nonnormative transitions, respectively. Using median splits for each attachment dimension (closeness, dependency, and anxiety) to define secure, anxious, and avoidant styles, based on the work of Collins and Read, analyses failed to yield a significant multivariate life event by style interaction. However, a statistically significant multivariate main effect for life event and for attachment style was obtained. Additionally, findings suggested that to a certain extent, the impact of attachment style and life events is moderated by gender, wherein a supplemental analysis yielded a significant life event by gender by level of closeness interaction. The data support the notion that securely attached individuals may be more equipped to meet developmental life challenges in adulthood, and extend previous work that is limited to women and to the empty nest.
Bi-Directional Beamforming and its Capacity Scaling in Pairwise Two-Way Communications

Recent developments in various devices and applications require pairwise communications in an ad-hoc manner. Such systems are mostly interference-limited and suffer from capacity degradation caused by two-way communication. This paper investigates improvement of capacity performance in pairwise two-way communication through bi-directional use of spatial resources when beamforming is employed as the transmission scheme and instantaneous channel information is not available. This system is called a 'bi-directional beamforming' system. The primary approach to showing improvement in capacity performance in the bi-directional beamforming system involves focusing on the scaling of its achievable sum rate. Lower and upper bounds on the achievable sum rate are derived to evaluate the scaling of the achievable sum rate. Then, a condition is derived under which the bi-directional beamforming system outperforms the conventional beamforming system in the pairwise two-way communication environment. As a result, when the bi-directional beamforming system is employed, results show that the achievable sum rate scales twice as fast as that when conventional beamforming is employed.
N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels and early outcome after cardiac surgery: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular outcome in many circumstances. There are, however, limited data regarding the utility of NT-proBNP or BNP levels in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The current study assesses the ability of NT-proBNP to predict early outcome in this setting. METHODS One thousand and ten patients undergoing non-emergent cardiac surgery were recruited prospectively. Baseline clinical details were obtained and the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) and Parsonnet score were calculated. Preoperative NT-proBNP levels were measured using the Roche Elecsys assay. The primary endpoint was 30 day mortality. RESULTS Median NT-proBNP levels were 624 ng litre(-1) among patients who died within 30 days of surgery (n=29), compared with 279 ng litre(-1) in survivors [odds ratio (OR) 1.03 per 250 ng litre(-1), 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.05, P=0.001). NT-proBNP levels remained predictors of 30 day mortality in models including either the additive EuroSCORE (OR 1.03 per 250 ng litre(-1), P=0.01), the logistic EuroSCORE (OR 1.03 per 250 ng litre(-1), P=0.004), or the Parsonnet score (OR 1.02 per 250 ng litre(-1), P=0.04). Levels of NT-proBNP were also predictors of prolonged (>1 day) stay in the intensive care unit (OR 1.03 per 250 ng litre(-1), P<0.001) and of a hospital stay >1 week (OR 1.07 per 250 ng litre(-1), P<0.001). They remained predictive of these outcomes in regression models that included either the EuroSCORE or the Parsonnet score and in a model that included all study variables. CONCLUSIONS NT-proBNP levels predict early outcome after cardiac surgery. Their prognostic utility is modest-but is independent of traditional indicators and conventional risk prediction scores.
Inhibition of the NAD-Dependent Protein Deacetylase SIRT2 Induces Granulocytic Differentiation in Human Leukemia Cells

Sirtuins, NAD-dependent protein deacetylases, play important roles in cellular functions such as metabolism and differentiation. Whether sirtuins function in tumorigenesis is still controversial, but sirtuins are aberrantly expressed in tumors, which may keep cancerous cells undifferentiated. Therefore, we investigated whether the inhibition of sirtuin family proteins induces cellular differentiation in leukemic cells. The sirtuin inhibitors tenovin-6 and BML-266 induce granulocytic differentiation in the acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cell line NB4. This differentiation is likely caused by an inhibition of SIRT2 deacetylase activity, judging from the accumulation of acetylated α-tubulin, a major SIRT2 substrate. Unlike the clinically used differentiation inducer all-trans retinoic acid, tenovin-6 shows limited effects on promyelocytic leukemia–retinoic acid receptor α (PML-RAR-α) stability and promyelocytic leukemia nuclear body formation in NB4 cells, suggesting that tenovin-6 does not directly target PML-RAR-α activity. In agreement with this, tenovin-6 induces cellular differentiation in the non-APL cell line HL-60, where PML-RAR-α does not exist. Knocking down SIRT2 by shRNA induces granulocytic differentiation in NB4 cells, which demonstrates that the inhibition of SIRT2 activity is sufficient to induce cell differentiation in NB4 cells. The overexpression of SIRT2 in NB4 cells decreases the level of granulocytic differentiation induced by tenovin-6, which indicates that tenovin-6 induces granulocytic differentiation by inhibiting SIRT2 activity. Taken together, our data suggest that targeting SIRT2 is a viable strategy to induce leukemic cell differentiation.
Effect of Electrospun Mesh Diameter, Mesh Alignment, and Mechanical Stretch on Bone Marrow Stromal Cells for Ligament Tissue Engineering

The overall goal of this research project is to develop methods for producing a tissue engineered ligament. The envisioned tissue engineering strategy involves three steps: seeding bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) onto electrospun scaffolds, processing them into cords that allow cell infiltration, and conditioning them with uniaxial cyclic stretch. These steps were addressed in three complimentary studies to establish new methods to engineer a tissue with ligament-like cells depositing organized extracellular matrix (ECM). In the first study scaffold topographies were systematically varied to determine topographies that induce cells to orient and differentiate into ligament-like cells in static culture. Scaffolds – electrospun from poly (esterurethane urea) (PEUUR) with different fiber diameters degrees of fiber alignments – were biocompatible and supported cell growth. Topographic cues guided cell alignment, and cell elongation increased with increasing fiber alignment. Finally, expression of the ligament-like markers collagen type I and decorin were enhanced on the smallest fiber diameters compared to larger diameters. In the second study BMSCs – seeded onto aligned electrospun PEUUR scaffolds – were cyclically stretched to determine the effect of dynamic mechanical stimulation on BMSC alignment and differentiation. BMSCs remained aligned parallel to the direction of fiber alignment and expressed ligament markers (e.g. collagen type I, decorin, scleraxis, and tenomodulin) on electrospun scaffolds after the application of stretch. However, the cyclic stretch regimen was not able to enhance expression of ECM components. In the third study techniques were developed to produce more clinically relevant constructs with improved cell infiltration. Specifically, a co-electrospun scaffold composed of two well integrated components was developed to create larger pores. The scaffold was also embedding in a photo-crosslinkable hydrogel to prevent the fibers from collapsing. These results demonstrate the feasibility of making a tissue engineered ligament by seeding BMSCs on an aligned, co-electrospun scaffold with submicron diameter fibers and then applying cyclic mechanical stretch. Future work will involve combining these three steps to achieve materials suitable for in vivo testing.
On the probability of finding a receiver in an ellipsoid neighborhood of a sender in 3D random UANs

We consider 3-dimensional(3D) underwater random network (UAN) where the nodes are uniformly distributed in a cuboid region. Then we derive the closed-form probability of finding a receiver in an ellipsoid neighborhood of an arbitrary sender. Computer simulation shows that the analytical result is generally consistent with the simulated result.
New results on two-dimensional orthogonal range aggregation in external memory

We consider the orthogonal range aggregation problem. The dataset S consists of N axis-parallel rectangles in R2, each of which is associated with an integer weight. Given an axis-parallel rectangle Q and an aggregate function F, a query reports the aggregated result of the weights of the rectangles in S intersecting Q. The goal is to preprocess S into a structure such that all queries can be answered efficiently. We present indexing schemes to solve the problem in external memory when F = max (hence, min) and F = sum (hence, count and average), respectively. Our schemes have linear or near-linear space, and answer a query in O(logBN) or O(logB2/BN) I/Os, where B is the disk block size.
Thermal Changes in the Dental Pulp During Er,Cr:YSGG Laser Removal of IPS e.max Press Lithium Disilicate Veneers

Background: Lasers have become an increasingly popular tool in the field of dentistry due their ability to perform a wide variety of both hard and soft tissue procedures. Recently it has been proposed that lasers may prove to be useful in the removal of some all-ceramic restorations, particularly veneers. The amount of temperature being generated intrapulpally during such a procedure has yet to be studied. Methods: Thirty IPS e.max ® Press lithium disilicate veneers were cemented to thirty extracted human premolars with Variolink ® Veneer resin cement. Veneers were randomly divided into one of five groups, and scanned with an Er,Cr:YSGG laser at either 0W/0Hz, 25W/25Hz, 35W/25Hz, 25W/35Hz, or 35W/35Hz. During laser scanning, intrapulpal temperatures and debonding times were monitored. Results: Increasing the laser wattage and/or pulse repetition rate resulted in an increase in the temperature generated intrapulpally. Increasing the wattage and/or
Fabrication process, annealing and sterilization of biodegradable polymers for bioelectronic and bioMEMS applications

The biodegradable polymers poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) were identified as good candidates for a substrate and packaging material for the fabrication of new bioelectronic and bioMEMs functional building blocks based on the use of conductive biodegradable polymers. In order to determine the chemical, mechanical and viscoelastic properties of these polymers, an in vitro degradation study is performed and samples are fabricated through grinding of the polymer pellets, compression molding, annealing and sterilization. In the present study, the effect of these fabrication steps on the chemical properties of PLLA and PCL are investigated through gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. It is observed that the molecular weights Mn and Mw of both PLLA and PCL samples decrease for all fabrication steps, with a specially strong impact during compression molding above the melting temperature Tm. The variation in polymer crystallinity is also studied for all fabrication steps, since the crystalline phase is the main responsible for mechanical strength in semicrystalline polymers, which is an important factor for packaging application. Moreover for the in vitro study, all samples must be as much as possible identical at the beginning of the study, which justify the need of an annealing step to eliminate the thermal history of the polymer due to processing. For both polymers the crystallinity first strongly decreased after grinding of the pellets, and then increased through compression molding and annealing. A slight increase is again observed after sterilization for PLLA but not for PCL.
Molecular Neurobiology of Depression: PET Findings on the Elusive Correlation with Symptom Severity

Molecular mechanisms in the brain are assumed to cause the symptoms and severity of neuropsychiatric disorders. This review concerns the elusive nature of relationships between the severity of depressive disorders and neuromolecular processes studied by positron emission tomography (PET). Recent PET studies of human depression have focused on serotonergic, dopaminergic, muscarinic, nicotinic, and GABAergic receptors, as well as central processes dependent on monoamine oxidase, phosphodiesterase type 4, amyloid plaques, neurofibrillar tangles, and P-glycoprotein. We find that reliable causal links between neuromolecular mechanisms and relief from depressive disorders have yet to be convincingly demonstrated. This situation may contribute to the currently limited use of PET for exploring the neuropathways that are currently viewed as being responsible for beneficial effects of antidepressant treatment regimes.
The role of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in brain: Modulation of rat brain gene expression by dietary n-3 fatty acids

Rats were fed either a high linolenic acid (perilla oil) or high eicosapentaenoic + docosahexaenoic acid (fish oil) diet (8%), and the fatty acid and molecular species composition of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides was determined. Gene expression pattern resulting from the feeding of n-3 fatty acids also was studied. Perilla oil feeding, in contrast to fish oil feeding, was not reflected in total fatty acid composition of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides. Levels of the alkenylacyl subclass of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides increased in response to feeding. Similarly, levels of diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine molecular species containing docosahexaenoic acid (18:0/22:6) were higher in perilla-fed or fish oil-fed rat brains whereas those in ethanolamine plasmalogens remained unchanged. Because plasmalogen levels in the brains of rats fed a n-3 fatty acid-enriched diet increased, it is plausible, however, that docosahexaenoic acid taken up from the food or formed from linolenic acid was deposited in this phospholipid subclass. Using cDNA microarrays, 55 genes were found to be overexpressed and 47 were suppressed relative to controls by both dietary regimens. The altered genes included those controlling synaptic plasticity, cytosceleton and membrane association, signal transduction, ion channel formation, energy metabolism, and regulatory proteins. This effect seems to be independent of the chain length of fatty acids, but the n-3 structure appears to be important. Because n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to play an important role in maintaining normal mental functions and docosahexaenoic acid-containing ethanolamine phosphoglyceride (18:0/22:6) molecular species accumulated in response to n-3 fatty acid feeding, a casual relationship between the two events can be surmised.