Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel data-driven model for real-time influenza forecasting

We provide data-driven machine learning methods that are capable of making real-time influenza forecasts that integrate the impacts of climatic factors and geographical proximity to achieve better forecasting performance. The key contributions of our approach are both applying deep learning methods and incorporation of environmental and spatio-temporal factors to improve the performance of the influenza forecasting models. We evaluate the method on Influenza Like Illness (ILI) counts and climatic data, both publicly available data sets. Our proposed method outperforms existing known influenza forecasting methods in terms of their Mean Absolute Percentage Error and Root Mean Square Error. The key advantages of the proposed data-driven methods are as following: (1) The deep-learning model was able to effectively capture the temporal dynamics of flu spread in different geographical regions, (2) The extensions to the deep-learning model capture the influence of external variables that include the geographical proximity and climatic variables such as humidity, temperature, precipitation and sun exposure in future stages, (3) The model consistently performs well for both the city scale and the regional scale on the Google Flu Trends (GFT) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) flu counts. The results offer a promising direction in terms of both data-driven forecasting methods and capturing the influence of spatio-temporal and environmental factors for influenza forecasting methods.
Logical and physical support for heterogeneous data

Heterogeneity arises naturally in virtually all real-world data. This paper presents evolutionary extensions to a relational database system for supporting three classes of data heterogeneity: variational, structural and annotational heterogeneities. We define these classes and show the impact of these new features on data storage, data-access mechanisms, and the data-description language. Since XML is an important source of heterogeneity, we describe how the system automatically utilizes these new features when storing XML documents.
Depth propagation for semi-automatic 2D to 3D conversion

In this paper, we present a method for temporal propagation of depth data that is available for so called key-frames through video sequence. Our method requires that full frame depth information is assigned. Our method utilizes nearest preceding and nearest following key-frames with known depth information. The propagation of depth information from two sides is essential as it allows to solve most occlusion problems correctly. Image matching is based on the coherency sensitive hashing (CSH) method and is done using image pyramids. Disclosed results are compared with temporal interpolation based on motion vectors from optical flow algorithm. The proposed algorithm keeps sharp depth edges of objects even in situations with fast motion or occlusions. It also handles well many situations, when the depth edges don’t perfectly correspond with true edges of objects.
Cooperative Shared Control Driver Assistance Systems Based on Motion Primitives and Differential Games

In this paper, a cooperative shared control driver assistance system that supports the driver in the steering task is proposed. The aim behind this concept is a cooperation between the driver and the assistance system. Thereby, both, driver and assistance system, can apply a torque on the steering wheel. Mathematically, this structure is described as a differential game. As a primary condition to facilitate cooperation, it is essential to explicitly regard the aims and steering actions of the driver for the calculation of the optimal torque, which the assistance system should apply. This requires an appropriate model of the human driver. A model that describes the driver steering motion as a sequence of motion primitives, which can be identified, is proposed for this task. Next, a real-time capable implementation of this concept is proposed. The concept is validated in a driving study. The study indicates that the system improves the lane keeping performance of the participants and leads to a higher user rating compared with noncooperative driver assistance systems.
Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Ethiopia.

SETTING National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. OBJECTIVES To determine the drug susceptibility pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates and to genetically characterise multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) isolates. DESIGN A total of 107 M. tuberculosis isolates recovered during the period December 2005-August 2006 were tested for drug susceptibility against streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol (SHRE) using the proportion method on Löwenstein-Jensen medium. The MDR-TB isolates were tested against kanamycin, ciprofloxacin, capreomycin, D-cycloserine and ethionamide. Genotyping was performed using spoligotyping. RESULTS MDR-TB was observed in one of the 44 new cases (2.3%) and 45/63 previously treated patients (71.4%). Drug susceptibility testing against second-line drugs (SLDs) showed that 26.1% of all MDR-TB isolates were susceptible to all SLDs tested and 73.9% were resistant to one or more classes of SLD. Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB was detected in two isolates (4.4%). T3_ETH was the predominant spoligotype, followed by CAS_KILI. In this African setting, no Beijing spoligotype was identified. CONCLUSION Both MDR- and XDR-TB are present in Ethiopian patients. MDR-TB was found to be associated with T3 and Central Asian genotypes.
Patterned Heterogeneous CMPs: The Case for Regularity-Driven System-Level Synthesis

The imminent limitations imposed by the utilizationwall phenomenon compel architects to introduce heterogeneity in on-chip systems. The existing approaches to system-level synthesis of chip multiprocessors (CMPs) typically ignore physical aspects, leading to degradation in efficiency during later design stages. In this work, we propose and study the concept of patterned heterogeneous CMPs to handle the complexity of synthesis and extenuate the severity of physical aspects in post-synthesis engineering. A patterned CMP is a variation of a tiled architecture, in which layout regularity is enforced by fixing the tile size. Nevertheless, individual tiles may be implemented with different patterns, enabling a parameterizable degree of heterogeneity, which we leverage for synthesis efficiency. The results of synthesis demonstrate the effectiveness of patterned heterogeneity, suggesting it as a powerful tool for mastering the complexity of future on-chip systems.
Distributed integral action: Stability analysis and frequency control of power systems

This paper analyzes distributed proportional-integral controllers. We prove that integral action can be successfully applied to consensus algorithms, where attenuation of static disturbances is achieved. These control algorithms are applied to decentralized frequency control of electrical power systems. We show that the proposed algorithm can attenuate step disturbances of power loads. We provide simulations of the proposed control algorithm on the IEEE 30 bus test system that demonstrate its efficiency.
An Ultra-Low-Energy Multi-Standard JPEG Co-Processor in 65 nm CMOS With Sub/Near Threshold Supply Voltage

We present a design technique for (near) subthreshold operation that achieves ultra low energy dissipation at throughputs of up to 100 MB/s suitable for digital consumer electronic applications. Our approach employs i) architecture-level parallelism to compensate throughput degradation, ii) a configurable V T balancer to mitigate the V T mismatch of nMOS and pMOS transistors operating in sub/near threshold, and iii) a fingered-structured parallel transistor that exploits V T mismatch to improve current drivability. Additionally, we describe the selection procedure of the standard cells and how they were modified for higher reliability in the subthreshold regime. All these concepts are demonstrated using SubJPEG, a 1.4 ×1.4 mm2 65 nm CMOS standard-V T multi-standard JPEG co-processor. Measurement results of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and quantization processing engines, operating in the subthreshold regime, show an energy dissipation of only 0.75 pJ per cycle with a supply voltage of 0.4 V at 2.5 MHz. This leads to 8.3× energy reduction when compared to using a 1.2 V nominal supply. In the near-threshold regime the energy dissipation is 1.0 pJ per cycle with a 0.45 V supply voltage at 4.5 MHz. The system throughput can meet 15 fps 640 × 480 pixel VGA standard. Our methodology is largely applicable to designing other sound/graphic and streaming processors.
Uplink Resource Management in 5G: When a Distributed and Energy-Efficient Solution Meets Power and QoS Constraints

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) is emerging as a cornerstone technology for fifth-generation (5G) communications. It promises to scale up the performance of the conventional communication systems by growing the number of antennas at the base station side. This paper proposes a decentralized, scalable, and energy-efficient radio resource allocation method tailored for the uplink of the upcoming 5G air interface, based on the mMIMO physical layer. The proposed solution elaborates on a game-theoretical approach, which aims at maximizing the energy efficiency of mobile terminals, while guaranteeing the respect of average data rates and power consumptions constraints. This formulation leads to a low-complexity, iterative, and distributed algorithm, which considers (just to mention few relevant issues) the impact of channel time selectivity, delayed feedback from the base station, and physical-layer details of the selected communication technology. An extensive simulation campaign, considering a long-term evolution-advanced-based multicellular system based on mMIMO, is used to evaluate the benefits of the proposed technique. By calculating energy efficiency, user and peak data rates, spectral efficiency, outage probability, and other minor performance indexes, the reported results clearly demonstrate the performance gain that the designed solution offers with respect to baseline strategies.
Method of synthesizing higher-molecular alcohol

A clean process for efficiently producing, from ethanol as a raw material, higher-molecular alcohols having an even number of carbon atoms, such as 1-butanol, hexanol, octanol, and decanol and a mixture of these. The higher-molecular alcohols are yielded from ethanol as a starting material with the aid of a calcium phosphate compound, e.g., hydroxyapatite Ca 10(PO4)6(OH)2, tricalcium phosphate Ca3(PO4)2, calcium monohydrogen phosphate CaHPO4. (0-2)H2O, calcium diphosphate Ca2P2O7, octacalcium phosphate Ca8H2(PO4)6.5H 2O, tetracalcium phosphate Ca4(PO4) 2O, or amorphous calcium phosphate Ca3(PO4) 2.nH2O, preferably hydroxyapatite, as a catalyst, the contact time being 0.4 seconds or longer.
Significance of HPV 16 and 18 viral load quantitation in women referred for colposcopy

The clinical utility of HPV 16 and 18 viral loads remains debated. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of HPV 16 and 18 viral load and to determine a cut‐off for optimal prediction of grade 2 or higher cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among patients referred to colposcopy. A total of 186 cervico‐vaginal specimens harboring HPV 16 and/or 18 obtained at the time of colposcopy from patients without previous cervical neoplasia were tested for HPV 16 and 18 detection and quantitation using quantitative duplex real‐time PCR method. Grade 2 or higher cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was diagnosed in 87 (46.8%) cases. Only HPV 16 median viral load increased significantly with the lesion grade: 9.1 × 104 in normal cervix or grade 1 cervical intraepithelial lesion versus 4.0 × 106 copies per million cells in grade 2 or higher cervical intraepithelial lesion (P < 0.001). The highest predictive value for grade 2 or higher cervical intraepithelial lesion was observed with a HPV 16 viral load cut‐off of 3.0 × 106 copies per million cells (91% specificity, 58.2% sensitivity). Using this cut‐off, the highest predictive value of HPV 16 viral load was observed among those referred for previous low‐grade abnormal cervical cytology (96.4% specificity, 88% sensitivity). HPV 18 quantitation showed very poor predictive value. Specific attention should be given when performing colposcopic examination of women with an HPV 16 viral load higher than 3.0 × 106 copies per million cells, especially among those referred after a low‐grade abnormal cytology. J. Med. Virol. 84:306–313, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Homozygous Sequence Variants in the NPR2 Gene Underlying Acromesomelic Dysplasia Maroteaux Type (AMDM) in Consanguineous Families

Acromesomelic dysplasia Maroteaux type (AMDM) is an autosomal recessive skeletal disorder characterized by disproportionate short stature with shortening of the acromesomelic sections of the limbs. AMDM is caused by mutations in the NPR2 gene located on chromosome 9p21‐p12. The gene encodes the natriuretic peptide receptor B (NPR‐B) that acts as an endogenous receptor for C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP). Both CNP and NPR‐B are considered as important regulators of longitudinal growth. The study presented here investigated three consanguineous families (A, B, C) segregating AMDM in an autosomal recessive manner. Linkage in the families was established to the NPR2 gene on chromosome 9p12‐21. Sequence analysis of the gene revealed two novel missense variants (p.Arg601Ser; p.Arg749Trp) in two families and a previously reported splice site variant (c.2986+2T>G) in the third family.
Optimization and sensitivity analysis of HDD spindle motors to manufacturing process noises using FEA and Taguchi method

The paper describes and illustrates the optimal design of the stator tooth shape and rotor magnet magnetization distribution in a HDD spindle motor using Finite Element Method and Taguchi’s Design of Experiment (DOE) method. The optimal design process also includes considerations of manufacturing and process noises, such as manufacturing tolerances for the stator tooth shape and variation of the rotor magnet magnetization distribution due to the magnetization fixture and process. Objective of the optimal design using the combined Taguchi’s DOE and FEA approach is to make the spindle motor torque performance insensitive to the noises with moderate computational efforts. The optimal process is automatically realized by a simulation and analysis tool that integrates with Taguchi’s DOE and FEM analysis. In the digest, the optimal design process is briefly introduced and some of the results are presented.
Cephalic Vein Transposition versus Vein Grafts for Venous Outflow in Free-flap Breast Reconstruction

Introduction: When recipient veins for free-flap breast reconstruction are unavailable or inadequate, vein grafts or cephalic vein transposition (CVT) an option to provide alternate venous outflow. There are no comparative data to elucidate the indications and outcomes for each. We hypothesize that the CVT is as reliable as vein grafts when indicated. Methods: All consecutive cases where a CVT or venous vein grafts were used for free-flap breast reconstruction between 2000 and 2012 were reviewed. Patient demographics, operative notes, indications, and flap survival were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Ten patients underwent a CVT and 38 patients received a vein graft for insufficient venous outflow. There were no differences in average age, body mass index, or comorbid conditions between the groups. Similarly, there was no difference in previous radiotherapy, timing of reconstruction, or side of reconstruction. A CVT was used for salvage following venous thrombosis in 7 patients (70.0%) and for primary venous outflow in the remaining patients due to inability to use the internal mammary vein. Vein grafts were performed primarily in 31 patients, 22 for augmenting venous drainage (supercharge), 9 for the dominant venous outflow, and 7 for salvage of a thrombosis. One patient in each group suffered a complete loss of the free flap (cephalic: 10.0% vs vein graft: 14.3%, P = 0.36). Conclusions: The CVT is a reliable alternate venous outflow that can be used as a primary recipient vein or as a salvage option following venous thrombosis. Surgeons should consider a CVT when primary recipient veins are compromised or unavailable.
Presumptive identification of enteroviruses with RD, HEp-2, and RMK cell lines

The limited supply of the Lim Benyesh-Melnick antiserum pools for the typing of enteroviruses has made this test inappropriate for routine use in most clinical laboratories. We studied the correlation between the enterovirus groups and the cell lines on which they displayed cytopathic effect in order to make identifications without using the neutralization test. This study indicated that a presumptive identification of the enterovirus group could be made on the basis of characteristic cytopathic effect displayed after passage into rhabdomyosarcoma (RD), HEp-2, and primary rhesus monkey kidney (RMK) cells. Echoviruses and group A coxsackieviruses could be isolated in RD and RMK cells but not HEp-2 cells. Group B coxsackievirus could be isolated in RMK and HEp-2 cells but not RD cells. Poliovirus could be isolated in all three cell lines. We recommend the use of these cell lines to make presumptive enterovirus group identifications for routine viral isolates.
Coordinated beamforming for the multi-user MIMO downlink using FBMC/OQAM

Due to the fact that the out-of-band radiation of filter bank based multi-carrier modulation (FB-MC) is significantly lower compared to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing with the cyclic prefix insertion (CP-OFDM), it is beneficial to choose FB-MC over CP-OFDM for asynchronous scenarios or to achieve an effective utilization of spectrum holes. It is known, however, the state-of-the-art solutions for filter bank based multi-carrier with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC/OQAM) based space division multiple access (SDMA) cannot be employed when the total number of receive antennas of the users exceeds the number of transmit antennas at the base station. This fact motivates the design of a transmission scheme that is able to alleviate this dimensionality constraint. Therefore, we develop an intrinsic interference mitigating coordinated beamforming (IIM-CBF) algorithm where the precoding matrix and the decoding matrix are computed jointly and iteratively. The simulations results show that FBMC/OQAM based multi-user MIMO downlink systems where the proposed IIM-CBF technique is employed achieve similar bit error rate (BER) performances as their CP-OFDM based counterparts while having a higher spectral efficiency.
Unrecognised myocardial infarction and long-term risk of heart failure in the elderly: the Rotterdam Study

Objective To examine the association between unrecognised myocardial infarction (MI) as detected by electrocardiography and the long-term risk of heart failure. Design The Rotterdam Study is a prospective population-based cohort study of the general population of a suburb of the city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Participants At baseline 2581 men and 3724 women aged ≥55 years were classified on the basis of electrocardiography, interview and clinical data into those with recognised MI, those with ECG-based unrecognised MI and those without MI. The participants were followed-up for incident heart failure, death or end of the study period on 12 October 2006. Results During a median follow-up time of 13.2 years, 823 cases of heart failure occurred, of which 403 in men. Independently of cardiovascular risk factors, recognised and unrecognised MIs yielded HRs of developing heart failure in men of 2.6 (95% CI 2.0 to 3.3) and 2.1 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.9), respectively. In women, recognised MI was associated with heart failure (HR=2.8; 95% CI 1.9 to 4.1), whereas unrecognised MI was not significantly related to the risk of heart failure (HR=1.1; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.7). Conclusion Unrecognised MI detected by electrocardiography yields a long-term risk of heart failure equivalent to recognised MI in men, but is not significantly related to heart failure in women. In the light of the high incidence of both unrecognised MI and heart failure in the elderly, it may be worthwhile for both doctors and patients to improve responsiveness to typical and atypical symptoms of MI.
Estimating central systolic blood pressure during oscillometric determination of blood pressure: proof of concept and validation by comparison with intra-aortic pressure recording and arterial tonometry

ObjectivesCentral systolic blood pressure is usually estimated by transformation of a peripheral arterial waveform obtained by tonometry and calibrated from conventional measurements of brachial artery blood pressure from a brachial cuff using the oscillometric principle. We investigated whether central blood pressure could be obtained directly from a brachial cuff waveform, allowing the measurement of central blood pressure to be incorporated into the standard oscillometric determination of blood pressure. MethodsValues of central systolic blood pressure obtained from a brachial cuff waveform were compared with those obtained using a pressure-tipped intra-aortic catheter in 29 individuals undergoing cardiac catheterization. To remove errors introduced by the measurement of peripheral blood pressure, transformed brachial waveforms were calibrated using values of mean and diastolic pressure from the intra-aortic catheter. In a second study, the values obtained from the brachial cuff were compared with those obtained using a noninvasive tonometric method using calibration from mean and diastolic and from systolic and diastolic blood pressure derived from a standard oscillometric algorithm in 100 individuals (46 women, 19–81 years) with blood pressure ranging from 89/52 to 230/117 mmHg. ResultsIn study 1, the mean difference±SD of brachial cuff-derived values and intra-aortic values was 0.0±5.9 mmHg. In study 2, the mean difference for brachial cuff-derived values and tonometer values was −0.6±3.9 and 1.6±4.5 mmHg when calibrated using brachial mean and diastolic and brachial systolic and diastolic pressures, respectively. ConclusionCentral systolic blood pressure can be obtained from a brachial cuff waveform with an accuracy comparable to that of a tonometer.
Interference Reduction in High Density WLAN Deployments using antenna Selection

In this work, we present a novel, robust scheme for high density WLAN deployments. This scheme uses well known selection diversity at the transmitter. We show that our scheme increases the number of simultaneous transmissions at any given time without excessive overhead (compared to other schemes such as Multi-user MIMO). Furthermore, this scheme can be easily implemented using existing standards.