Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of cognitive radio Overlay Z-channel with trellis shaping and turbo decoding

In this paper we implement a turbo based Overlay Cognitive radio Z-channel with Trellis shaping, where the primary and cognitive users transmits and receives concurrently, utilizing the same spectrum. We ensure that bit error rate (BER) performance of the Primary does not degrade even in the presence of cognitive user. We derive bit error rate BER curves for both users, and show significant improvement in the performance of primary even in the presence of cognitive user by implementing turbo decoding instead of Viterbi decoder. Simulation results show that turbo decoder provides a coding gain of 9.6dB for Primary and 8.7dB for cognitive user with out trellis shaping and 11.2dB total gain with Trellis shaping for cognitive user, where as conventional Viterbi decoder provides 1.8dB coding gain only.
Retrieval of Aerosol optical thickness and size distribution from PARASOL in Pearl River Delta area

AOTs(Aerosol optical thicknesses) and aerosol size distribution functions in Pearl River Delta area are derived from PARASOL (Polarization and Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Science coupled with Observations from a LIDAR)multi-directional, multi-spectral polarized signals. Based on analyzing the products of AERONET(Aerosol Robotic Network), aerosol size distribution function and complex refractive index over Pearl River Delta area are received. After that, the particular aerosol model is abstracted. The land surface polarized contribution is calculated using semi empirical model as a function of surface type and NDVI, and the pure atmospheric contribution is computed with a radiative transfer code. Compared with the products of the ground-based AERONET, the derived AOTs are underestimated against AERONET measurement. The retrieved size distribution for the radii bigger than 0.2 micron is also underestimated due to that polarization is insensitive to coarse model aerosol.
The Chemotactic Defect in Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Macrophages Is Due to the Reduced Persistence of Directional Protrusions

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) is an actin nucleation promoting factor that is required for macrophages to directionally migrate towards various chemoattractants. The chemotaxis defect of WASp-deficient cells and its activation by Cdc42 in vivo suggest that WASp plays a role in directional sensing, however, its precise role in macrophage chemotaxis is still unclear. Using shRNA-mediated downregulation of WASp in the murine monocyte/macrophage cell line RAW/LR5 (shWASp), we found that WASp was responsible for the initial wave of actin polymerization in response to global stimulation with CSF-1, which in Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae and carcinoma cells has been correlated with the ability to migrate towards chemoattractants. Real-time monitoring of shWASp cells, as well as WASp−/− bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs), in response to a CSF-1 gradient revealed that the protrusions from WASp-deficient cells were directional, showing intact directional sensing. However, the protrusions from WASp-deficient cells demonstrated reduced persistence compared to their respective control shRNA and wild-type cells. Further examination showed that tyrosine phosphorylation of WASp was required for both the first wave of actin polymerization following global CSF-1 stimulation and proper directional responses towards CSF-1. Importantly, the PI3K, Rac1 and WAVE2 proteins were incorporated normally in CSF-1 – elicited protrusions in the absence of WASp, suggesting that membrane protrusion driven by the WAVE2 complex signaling is intact. Collectively, these results suggest that WASp and its phosphorylation play critical roles in coordinating the actin cytoskeleton rearrangements necessary for the persistence of protrusions required for directional migration of macrophages towards CSF-1.
In Vivo Hippocampal Measurement and Memory: A Comparison of Manual Tracing and Automated Segmentation in a Large Community-Based Sample

While manual tracing is the method of choice in measuring hippocampal volume, its time intensive nature and proneness to human error make automated methods attractive, especially when applied to large samples. Few studies have systematically compared the performance of the two techniques. In this study, we measured hippocampal volumes in a large (N = 403) population-based sample of individuals aged 44–48 years using manual tracing by a trained researcher and automated procedure using Freesurfer (http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu) imaging suite. Results showed that absolute hippocampal volumes assessed with these methods were significantly different, with automated measures using the Freesurfer software suite being significantly larger, by 23% for the left and 29% for the right hippocampus. The correlation between the two methods varied from 0.61 to 0.80, with lower correlations for hippocampi with visible abnormalities. Inspection of 2D and 3D models suggested that this difference was largely due to greater inclusion of boundary voxels by the automated method and variations in subiculum/entorhinal segmentation. The correlation between left and right hippocampal volumes was very similar by the two methods. The relationship of hippocampal volumes to selected sociodemographic and cognitive variables was not affected by the measurement method, with each measure showing an association with memory performance and suggesting that both were equally valid for this purpose. This study supports the use of automated measures, based on Freesurfer in this instance, as being sufficiently reliable and valid particularly in the context of larger sample sizes when the research question does not rely on ‘true’ hippocampal volumes.
3D Reconstruction from Full-view Fisheye Camera

In this report, we proposed a 3D reconstruction method for the full-view fisheye camera. The camera we used is Ricoh Theta, which captures spherical images and has a wide field of view (FOV). The conventional stereo apporach based on perspective camera model cannot be directly applied and instead we used a spherical camera model to depict the relation between 3D point and its corresponding observation in the image. We implemented a system that can reconstruct the 3D scene using captures from two or more cameras. A GUI is also created to allow users to control the view perspective and obtain a better intuition of how the scene is rebuilt. Experiments showed that our reconstruction results well preserved the structure of the scene in the real world.
Submodularity of minimum‐cost spanning tree games

We give a necessary condition and a sufficient condition for a minimum‐cost spanning tree game introduced by Bird to be submodular (or convex). When the cost is restricted to two values, we give a characterization of submodular minimum‐cost spanning tree games. We also discuss algorithmic issues.Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 63(3), 231–238 2014
The Current Status of Solitary Fibrous Tumor

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a fibroblastic mesenchymal tumor originally described in the pleura but now shown at almost every anatomic site. Histopathologically, SFT is characteristically a circumscribed neoplasm composed of variably cellular and patternless distributions of bland spindle and ovoid cells within prominent collagenous stroma and shows diffuse expression of CD34, but it has a broad spectrum of both morphology and of biologic behavior. Many different names (particularly hemangiopericytoma) were previously used in the course of our understanding of this neoplasm but are now subsumed under the term “SFT,” and the putative cell of origin was debated. However, it is now recognized that SFT is a translocation-associated neoplasm, consistently associated with NAB2-STAT6 gene fusions arising from recurrent intrachromosomal rearrangements on chromosome 12q, and this translocation is a likely major contributor to its pathogenesis. While most SFT with classical morphologic features behave in an indolent manner and those with overtly malignant histologic features tend to be aggressive neoplasms that behave as high-grade sarcomas, the behavior of SFT is unpredictable, and it is important to be aware of the propensity for aggressive behavior in a minority of histologically classical SFT and to ensure adequate clinical follow-up. Surgical excision remains the treatment gold standard; while radiotherapy and conventional chemotherapeutic agents have only shown limited efficacy, further understanding of the molecular events underlying tumorigenesis may allow the development of novel targeted treatments. We review SFT, discussing the morphologic spectrum and variants, including malignant and dedifferentiated subtypes, clinicopathological aspects, recent molecular genetic findings, and the differential diagnosis.
A Comparative Approach to Understanding Tissue-Specific Expression of Uncoupling Protein 1 Expression in Adipose Tissue

The thermoregulatory function of brown adipose tissue (BAT) is due to the tissue-specific expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) which is thought to have evolved in early mammals. We report that a CpG island close to the UCP1 transcription start site is highly conserved in all 29 vertebrates examined apart from the mouse and xenopus. Using methylation sensitive restriction digest and bisulfite mapping we show that the CpG island in both the bovine and human is largely un-methylated and is not related to differences in UCP1 expression between white and BAT. Tissue-specific expression of UCP1 has been proposed to be regulated by a conserved 5′ distal enhancer which has been reported to be absent in marsupials. We demonstrate that the enhancer, is also absent in five eutherians as well as marsupials, monotremes, amphibians, and fish, is present in pigs despite UCP1 having become a pseudogene, and that absence of the enhancer element does not relate to BAT-specific UCP1 expression. We identify an additional putative 5′ regulatory unit which is conserved in 14 eutherian species but absent in other eutherians and vertebrates, but again unrelated to UCP1 expression. We conclude that despite clear evidence of conservation of regulatory elements in the UCP1 5′ untranslated region, this does not appear to be related to species or tissues-specific expression of UCP1.
ACE Project—Advocating for Clinical Excellence: Creating Change in the Delivery of Palliative Care

Background: Psychologists, social workers, and spiritual care professionals report inadequate preparation to maximize their effectiveness in advocating for institutional reform to meet oncology patients' diverse bio-psychosocial-spiritual and cultural needs. This article provides an overview of the ACE Project, a National Cancer Institute, 5 year, R25-funded transdisciplinary palliative care education program designed to enhance the advocacy and leadership skills of 301 competitively selected psycho-oncology professionals. Methods: ACE Project participants identified an institutional goal, refined their goals during the course and received mentorship and support throughout the subsequent year. Participants were invited to return to a Reunion Conference in year five to report on their activities, network, and share the results of their change efforts. A subset of 28 ACE Project participants contributed to this OMEGA special issue. Results: Participants' goals primarily focused on strategies to improve clinical care through program development and improvements in palliative care education within their institutions. Conclusions: The results of this transdisciplinary leadership skills-building program for psycho-oncology professionals affirm the feasibility and perceived need for the program. See the ACE Project website (http://www.cityofhope.org/education/health-professional-education/nursing-education/ACE-project/Pages/default.aspx) for additional program information.
Low-Density Lipoprotein Triglycerides Associated With Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation, Adhesion Molecules, and Angiographic Coronary Artery Disease: The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study

Background—Markers of systemic inflammation and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) have been considered independent risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD). We examined whether alterations of LDL metabolism not reflected by LDL-C were associated with low-grade inflammation, vascular injury, and CAD. Methods and Results—We studied 739 subjects with stable angiographic CAD and 570 matched control subjects in which CAD had been ruled out by angiography. The association of LDL triglycerides (LDL-TGs) (odds ratio [OR], 1.30; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.43; P<0.001) with CAD was stronger than that of LDL-C (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.21; P=0.047). The predictive value of LDL-TG for CAD was independent of LDL-C. “Sensitive” C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A, fibrinogen, interleukin 6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) increased in parallel to LDL-TG. CRP, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 were inversely related to LDL-C. To examine whether LDL-TGs were associated with the distribution of LDL subfractions, we studied 114 individuals with impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or type 2 diabetes mellitus. In subjects with high LDL-TG, LDLs were depleted of cholesteryl esters (CEs), and VLDLs, IDLs, and dense LDLs were significantly elevated. Conclusions—Alterations of LDL metabolism characterized by high LDL-TG are related to CAD, systemic low-grade inflammation, and vascular damage. High LDL-TGs are indicative of CE-depleted LDL, elevated IDL, and dense LDL. LDL-TG may better reflect the atherogenic potential of LDL than LDL-C.
Reliability and Validity of the Valued Activity Inventory for Adults with Cancer

The authors assessed the psychometric properties of the Valued Activity Inventory for Adults With Cancer (VAI-AC), a self-report instrument that measures activity limitations. Participants included 50 older adults undergoing chemotherapy who completed the VAI-AC and measures of physical and mental function, symptom intensity, and mood 3 days before and the day of chemotherapy. Test—retest reliability was assessed by determining the average number of items for which the importance of an activity was rated consistently and by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the first and second VAI-AC scores. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating the VAI-AC scores with the other measures. Participants consistently rated the importance of 90% of the items. The 72-hour test—retest reliability ICC was 0.67. Participants with fewer activity limitations indicated better physical function (r = 0.58, p < .001), better mental function (r = 0.55, p < .001), lower symptom intensity (r = −0.57, p < .001), and fewer depressive symptoms (r = −0.68, p < .001). The VAI-AC demonstrated evidence of test—retest reliability and convergent validity in this convenience sample of older adults undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
Is organizational innovation always a good thing?

Is organizational innovation always a good thing? When is innovation negative? What are the damaging effects of innovation? In this article, it is argued that innovation has negative impacts on organizational performance when the newly introduced knowledge is not compatible with an organization’s prior knowledge. In this instance, an organization may experience knowledge loss or organizational dysfunctions, such as avoidance, resistance, struggle, alteration, and conversion processes. To avoid the negative impacts of innovation, we suggest that organizations should first recognize the incompatibility between the new knowledge and prior knowledge and then reformulate the newly introduced knowledge. Implications for theory and research are offered as well as suggestions for practice.
utomatic algorithm for skin profile detection in hotoacoustic microscopy

ao F. Zhang* onstantin Maslov ihong V. Wang ashington University in St. Louis epartment of Biomedical Engineering t. Louis, Missouri 63130 Abstract. We have developed an automatic algorithm to detect the skin profiles in the volumetric data acquired by photoacoustic microscopy for subcutaneous vasculature imaging. This algorithm analyzes the relationship between amplitudes of photoacoustic signals generated from the skin surface and underlying blood vessels to achieve a rough estimation of the skin profile. A better approximation of the skin profile is then acquired after nonparametric smoothing and Gaussian low-pass spatial filtering. An auto-fit scan mechanism is further developed based on the detected skin profile to achieve good ultrasonic focusing on the subcutaneous vessel layer when the skin contour variation is much larger than the ultrasonic focal zone. The importance of skin profile detection in calculating the maximum-amplitudeprojection images and significantly improving the image quality by employing the auto-fit scan are demonstrated by in vivo experimental results. © 2009 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. DOI: 10.1117/1.3122362
THE PERFORMANCE OF SOFT CHEKPOINTING APPROACH IN MOBILE COMPUTING SYSTEMS

Mobile computing raises many new issues such as lack of stable storage, low bandwidth of wireless channel, high mobility, and limited battery life. These new issues make traditional checkpointing algorithms unsuitable. Coordinated checkpointing is an attractive approach for transparently adding fault tolerance to distributed applications since it avoids domino effects and minimizes the stable storage requirement. However, it suffers from high overhead associated with the checkpointing process in mobile computing systems. In literature mostly, two approaches have been used to reduce the overhead: First is to minimize the number of synchronization messages and the number of checkpoints; the other is to make the checkpointing process nonblocking. Since MHs are prone to failure, so they have to transfer a large amount of checkpoint data and control information to its local MSS which increases bandwidth overhead. In this paper, we introduce the concept of “Soft checkpoint” which is neither a tentative checkpoint nor a permanent checkpoint, to design efficient checkpointing algorithms for mobile computing systems. Soft checkpoints can be saved anywhere, e.g., the main memory or local disk of MHs. Before disconnecting from the MSS, these soft checkpoints are converted to hard checkpoints and are sent to MSSs stable storage. In this way, taking a soft checkpoint avoids the overhead of transferring large amounts of data to the stable storage at MSSs over the wireless network. We have also shown that our soft checkpointing scheme also adapts its behaviour to the characteristics of network.
Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in European Primary Care

Background Cardiovascular risk management plays an important role in primary care. In patients at high risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) lifestyle and, where appropriate, medical interventions are recommended in guidelines. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome in clinical practice. This study aimed to assess the HRQoL of this patient group and to investigate the impact of both patients' characteristics and practice quality scores on their assessments of HRQoL. Methods and Findings An observational study in 218 general practices from 8 European countries was conducted. 2142 patients at risk for CVD (33.5% female) with a mean age of 66.3 (SD 9.1) years completed a questionnaire including the EQ-5D instrument and provided data from medical record. Validated quality indicators of general practices were assessed using practice questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. A hierarchical multilevel analysis was performed to identify predictors of EQ-5D scores at patient and practice level. The mean EQ-5D score was 0.78 (SD 0.19). Female gender (r = −0.03, p<0.0016), age (r = −0.01, p = 0.0387) and lower educational level (r = −0.03, p<0.0001) were correlated negatively with EQ-5D scores. Clinically more important was the correlation of HRQoL with the frequency of practice contacts (r = −0.12, p<0.0001) and the number of uncontrolled risk factors (r = −0.01, p<0.0039). Medication adherence (r = 0.032, p<0.0001), and physical activity (r = 0.02, p<0.0001) were identified as positive predictors of HRQoL. The EUPROPEP-score category ‘organization’ (r = 0.02, p<0.0001) was positively related to EQ-5D scores, whereas other practice scores were not correlated to EQ-5D-scores. Conclusions In patients at risk for CVD, good medication adherence, regular physical activity, controlling of biomedical risk factor levels and patient-centered practice organization have been shown to be positively correlated to HRQoL and should therefore be targeted in interventions not only to reduce morbidity but also to sustain or even to ameliorate HRQoL.
Comparison of Self-Reported Alcohol Consumption to Phosphatidylethanol Measurement among HIV-Infected Patients Initiating Antiretroviral Treatment in Southwestern Uganda

Background Alcohol consumption among HIV-infected patients may accelerate HIV disease progression or reduce antiretroviral therapy adherence. Self-reported alcohol use is frequently under-reported due to social desirability and recall bias. The aim of this study was to compare self-reported alcohol consumption to phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a biomarker of alcohol consumption, and to estimate the correlation between multiple measures of self-reported alcohol consumption with PEth. Methods The Uganda AIDS Rural Treatment Outcomes (UARTO) cohort is located in southwestern Uganda and follows patients on ART to measure treatment outcomes. Patients complete standardized questionnaires quarterly including questions on demographics, health status and alcohol consumption. Baseline dried blood spots (DBS) were collected and retrieved to measure PEth. Results One hundred fifty samples were tested, and 56 (37.3%) were PEth positive (≥8 ng/mL). Of those, 51.7% did not report alcohol use in the past month. Men were more likely to under-report compared to women, OR 2.9, 95% CI = 1.26, 6.65) and those in the higher economic asset categories were less likely to under-report compared to those in the lowest category (OR = 0.41 95% CI: 0.17, 0.94). Among self-reported drinkers (n = 31), PEth was highly correlated with the total number of drinking days in the last 30 (Spearman R = 0.73, p<0.001). Conclusions Approximately half of HIV infected patients initiating ART and consuming alcohol under-report their use of alcohol. Given the high prevalence, clinicians should assess all patients for alcohol use with more attention to males and those in lower economic asset categories who deny alcohol use. Among those reporting current drinking, self-reported drinking days is a useful quantitative measure.
Network signatures of age-related cognitive decline

Amyloid pathology and cerebrovascular disease are the most frequent, and best characterized, mechanisms linked to age-related cognitive decline and dementia. The relationship between these mechanisms and phenotypes of normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia has recently been explored in vivo with neuroimaging markers of small vessel disease (SVD) and amyloid deposition (respectively, white matter hyperintensities [WMH] identified on T2-weighted or fluid-attenuated inversion recovery [FLAIR] MRI, and binding of the β-amyloid selective radiotracer Pittsburgh compound B [PiB] on PET). These techniques have accelerated understanding of disease burdens in preclinical and clinical states of impaired cognition.