Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A visual analysis of multi-attribute data using pixel matrix displays

Charts and tables are commonly used to visually analyze data. These graphics are simple and easy to understand, but charts show only highly aggregated data and present only a limited number of data values while tables often show too many data values. As a consequence, these graphics may either lose or obscure important information, so different techniques are required to monitor complex datasets. Users need more powerful visualization techniques to digest and compare detailed multi-attribute data to analyze the health of their business. This paper proposes an innovative solution based on the use of pixel-matrix displays to represent transaction-level information. With pixelmatrices, users can visualize areas of importance at a glance, a capability not provided by common charting techniques. We present our solutions to use colored pixel-matrices in (1) charts for visualizing data patterns and discovering exceptions, (2) tables for visualizing correlations and finding root-causes, and (3) time series for visualizing the evolution of long-running transactions. The solutions have been applied with success to product sales, Internet network performance analysis, and service contract applications demonstrating the benefits of our method over conventional graphics. The method is especially useful when detailed information is a key part of the analysis.
Construction of a Cell-Adhesive Nanofiber Substratum by Incorporating a Small Molecule

Electrospun nanofibers are being widely used as a substratum for mammalian cell culture owing to their structural similarity to collagen fibers found in extracellular matrices of mammalian cells and tissues. Especially, development of diverse synthetic polymers has expanded use of electrospun nanofibers for constructing cell culture substrata. Synthetic polymers have several benefits comparing to natural polymer for their structural consistency, low cost, and capability for blending with other polymers or small molecules to enhance their structural integrity or add biological functions. PMGI (polymethylglutarimide) is one of the synthetic polymers that produced a rigid nanofiber that enables incorporation of small molecules, peptides, and gold nanoparticles through co-electrospinning process, during which the materials are fixed without any chemical modifications in the PMGI nanofibers by maintaining their activities. Using the phenomenon of PMGI nanofiber, here I introduce a construction method of a nanofiber substratum having cell-affinity function towards a pluripotent stem cell by incorporating a small molecule in the PMGI nanofiber.
Towards a sub-1 V CMOS voltage reference

A sub-1-V CMOS voltage reference which takes advantage of summing the gate-source voltages of two NMOS transistors operating in saturation region is presented. Both transistors are working below zero temperature coefficient point and thus the voltage reference is able to operate with low supply voltage. The circuit is implemented in a standard 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS process and gives a temperature coefficient of 4 ppm//spl deg/C in the range of -50/spl deg/C to 150/spl deg/C.
Study of traffic statistics of assembled burst traffic in optical burst-switched networks

Optical Burst Switching (OBS) is considered as a promising switching technique for building the next generation optical Internet. In OBS networks, one important issue is how the performance will be affected by bursts assembled from packets, which is the basic transmission unit in OBS. In this paper, we study the fundamental statistic properties such as the burst length distribution, inter-arrival time distribution, as well as correlation structure of assembled burst traffic from burst assembly algorithms. From both theoretical and empirical results, it is demonstrated that after the assembly, the traffic will in general approach the Gaussian distribution. In particular, the variance of assembled traffic decreases with the increase in the assembly window size and the traffic load. However, the long range dependence in the input traffic will not change after assembly. Such smoothed assembled traffic will enhance the OBS performance by reducing burst loss and increase OBS throughput. This result is useful for the future study of OBS node and networks.
Study of the main variability aspects of surface texture of steel in face milling

Abstract The investigation of basic variability aspects in face-milled surfaces regarding roughness and waviness (surface texture) for various cutting conditions is attempted in this note. The inhomogeneity of the machined steel specimens surfaces is modelled according to the Fisher-Pearson statistical system. Models are developed by regression analysis for waviness and roughness interdependence exhibiting very high correlation coefficients.
Advances in the computational modeling of the gecko adhesion mechanism

This paper provides an overview of recent advances in the computational modeling of the gecko adhesion mechanism. Several efficient modeling approaches are introduced that address the adhesion mechanism at various length scales, ranging from the molecular interaction at the Ångstrom scale to the toe description at the centimeter scale. In particular, detailed three-dimensional models for the gecko spatulae and setae are discussed. The emphasis here is placed on the computational efficiency of the presented contact formulations using coarse-graining and model order reduction. Different finite element methods, based on nonlinear structural mechanics, are considered to analyze the resulting models. Both continuum and beam formulations are discussed. In order to obtain an accurate description of peeling, a local finite element surface enrichment technique is presented. This paper also provides some ideas on future modeling approaches.
Convolutional Neural Network for Automatic Detection of Lung Nodules in Chest CT

Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) form the backbone of many state-of-the-art computer vision systems for classification and segmentation of 2D images. The same principles and architectures can be extended to three dimensions to obtain 3D CNNs that are suitable for volumetric data such as CT scans. In this work, we train a 3D CNN for automatic detection of pulmonary nodules in chest CT images using volumes of interest extracted from the LIDC dataset. We then convert the 3D CNN which has a fixed field of view to a 3D fully convolutional network (FCN) which can generate the score map for the entire volume efficiently in a single pass. Compared to the sliding window approach for applying a CNN across the entire input volume, the FCN leads to a nearly 800-fold speed-up, and thereby fast generation of output scores for a single case. This screening FCN is used to generate difficult negative examples that are used to train a new discriminant CNN. The overall system consists of the screening FCN for fast generation of candidate regions of interest, followed by the discrimination CNN.
Molecular mechanisms involved in the adenosine A1 and A2A receptor‐induced neuronal differentiation in neuroblastoma cells and striatal primary cultures

Adenosine A1 receptors (A1Rs) and adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs) are the major mediators of the neuromodulatory actions of adenosine in the brain. In the striatum A1Rs and A2ARs are mainly co‐localized in the GABAergic striatopallidal neurons. In this paper we show that agonist‐induced stimulation of A1Rs and A2ARs induces neurite outgrowth processes in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH‐SY5Y and also in primary cultures of striatal neuronal precursor cells. The kinetics of adenosine‐mediated neuritogenesis was faster than that triggered by retinoic acid. The triggering of the expression of TrkB neurotrophin receptor and the increase of cell number in the G1 phase by the activation of adenosine receptors suggest that adenosine may participate in early steps of neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, protein kinase C (PKC) and extracellular regulated kinase‐1/2 (ERK‐1/2) are involved in the A1R‐ and A2AR‐mediated effects. Inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) activity results in a total inhibition of neurite outgrowth induced by A2AR agonists but not by A1R agonists. PKA activation is therefore necessary for A2AR‐mediated neuritogenesis. Co‐stimulation does not lead to synergistic effects thus indicating that the neuritogenic effects of adenosine are mediated by either A1 or A2A receptors depending upon the concentration of the nucleoside. These results are relevant to understand the mechanisms by which adenosine receptors modulate neuronal differentiation and open new perspectives for considering the use of adenosine agonists as therapeutic agents in diseases requiring neuronal repair.
Switchable and tunable bulk acoustic wave resonators based on BaxSr1-xTiO3 thin films

The main focus of this thesis is the study of a novel microwave component, the tunable thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator (TFBAR), based on ferroelectric BaxSr1-xTiO3 thin films. Conventional fixed frequency TFBARs, widely used for filtering applications in wireless communication systems, are based on ordinary piezoelectrics. The tunable TFBAR on the other hand utilizes the dc field induced piezoelectric effect in the ferroelectric film. This allows dc field tuning of the resonance frequency as well as switching between resonator and capacitor response. A brief introduction to the BaxSr1-xTiO3 material system is given, followed by results from thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. Effects of substrate temperature and ambient gas pressure during growth are discussed. Resonator design and fabrication issues are covered, including studies of electrode configurations and acoustic mirror structures. Measurement results are presented in wide dc bias and temperature ranges. The achieved room temperature tuning range for a 5.7 GHz Ba0.25Sr0. 75TiO3 TFBAR is 3.8% and the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient at maximum bias is 7.1%, with a Q-factor of 130. A switchable bandpass filter is considered as a possible application of BaxSr1-xTiO3 TFBARs. Simulated filter characteristics and preliminary results from fabricated filters are presented.
Pressure pain sensitivity changes after use of shock-absorbing insoles among young soccer players training on artificial turf: a randomized controlled trial.

STUDY DESIGN Prospective, randomized, controlled single-blind intervention trial. OBJECTIVES Shock-absorbing insoles (SAIs), compared with usual insoles, were hypothesized to result in larger increases in pressure pain threshold (PPT) after 3 weeks of use. BACKGROUND Shock-absorbing insoles can decrease self-reported pain among young soccer players training on artificial turf. However, nothing is known about the underlying changes in pain sensitivity assessed by PPT. Methods Seventy-five players were included from the youth teams of under 15, under 17, and under 19 years of age, playing for the Aalborg Boldspilklub (AaB) professional sports club. After a randomization stratified by team and age, players were divided into 2 groups, one that received SAIs and a control group that used their usual insoles. Assessments were made in both groups after 3 weeks of training on artificial turf (baseline) and 3 weeks later (follow-up). The primary outcome was change in PPTs from baseline to follow-up, with PPTs measured over 13 locations on the plantar surface of the foot, leg, and low back of the nonpreferred kicking leg. RESULTS A significantly larger increase was found in PPTs from baseline to follow-up for the SAI group compared with the control group (mean difference, 62 kPa; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 40, 85 kPa). The PPTs increased significantly more among the SAI group compared with the control group (P<.05) for the abductor digiti minimi (mean difference, 82 kPa; 95% CI: 6, 157 kPa), tibialis anterior (mean difference, 125 kPa; 95% CI: 20, 230 kPa), medial gastrocnemius (mean difference, 83 kPa; 95% CI: -6, 171 kPa), and erector spinae (mean difference, 86 kPa; 95% CI: -17, 188 kPa). CONCLUSION The use of SAIs resulted in increased PPTs after 3 weeks of training on artificial turf compared with controls, suggesting a protective role of SAIs in pressure sensitivity and pain perception.
Phenotypic properties of transmitted founder HIV-1

Defining the virus–host interactions responsible for HIV-1 transmission, including the phenotypic requirements of viruses capable of establishing de novo infections, could be important for AIDS vaccine development. Previous analyses have failed to identify phenotypic properties other than chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) and CD4+ T-cell tropism that are preferentially associated with viral transmission. However, most of these studies were limited to examining envelope (Env) function in the context of pseudoviruses. Here, we generated infectious molecular clones of transmitted founder (TF; n = 27) and chronic control (CC; n = 14) viruses of subtypes B (n = 18) and C (n = 23) and compared their phenotypic properties in assays specifically designed to probe the earliest stages of HIV-1 infection. We found that TF virions were 1.7-fold more infectious (P = 0.049) and contained 1.9-fold more Env per particle (P = 0.048) compared with CC viruses. TF viruses were also captured by monocyte-derived dendritic cells 1.7-fold more efficiently (P = 0.035) and more readily transferred to CD4+ T cells (P = 0.025). In primary CD4+ T cells, TF and CC viruses replicated with comparable kinetics; however, when propagated in the presence of IFN-α, TF viruses replicated to higher titers than CC viruses. This difference was significant for subtype B (P = 0.000013) but not subtype C (P = 0.53) viruses, possibly reflecting demographic differences of the respective patient cohorts. Together, these data indicate that TF viruses are enriched for higher Env content, enhanced cell-free infectivity, improved dendritic cell interaction, and relative IFN-α resistance. These viral properties, which likely act in concert, should be considered in the development and testing of AIDS vaccines.
Concurrent collapse of keratin filaments, aggregation of organelles, and inhibition of protein synthesis during the heat shock response in mammary epithelial cells

The sequence of heat shock-induced perturbations in protein synthesis and cytoskeletal organization was investigated in primary cultures of mouse mammary epithelial cells (MMEC). Exposure of the cells to 45 degrees C for 15 min caused a marked inhibition of protein synthesis through 2 h after heart. Resumption of protein synthesis began by 4 h, was complete by 8 h, and was accompanied by induction of four major heat shock proteins (HSPs) of 68, 70, 89, and 110 kD. Fluorescent cytochemistry studies indicated that heat shock elicited a reversible change in the organization of keratin filaments (KFs) and actin filaments but had a negligible effect on microtubules. Changes in the organization of KFs progressed gradually with maximal retraction and collapse into the perinuclear zone occurring at 1-2 h after heat followed by restoration to the fully extended state at 8 h. In contrast, actin filaments disappeared immediately after heat treatment and then rapidly returned within 30-60 min to their original appearance. The translocation of many organelles first into and then away from the juxtanuclear area along with the disruption and reformation of polyribosomes were concurrent with the sequential changes in distribution of KFs. The recovery of the arrangement of KFs coincided with but was independent of the resumption of protein synthesis and induction of HSPs. Thermotolerance could be induced in protein synthesis and KFs, but not in actin filaments, by a conditioning heat treatment. Neither protein synthesis nor induction of HSPs was necessary for the acquisition of thermotolerance in the KFs. The results are compatible with the possibility that protein synthesis may depend on the integrity of the KF network in MMEC. Heat shock thus can efficiently disarrange the KF system in a large population of epithelial cells, thereby facilitating studies on the functions of this cytoskeletal component.
Synchrotron imaging of bovine and human ovaries ex vivo

ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iv DEDICATION . v TABLE OF CONTENTS . vi LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF FIGURES . xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . xiii 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 The Human Ovary. 1 1.1.1 Historical Perspective on Human Ovarian Research . 1 1.1.2 Anatomy of the Ovary . 1 1.1.3 Human Ovarian Physiology . 3 1.1.3.1 Pre-Antral Folliculogenesis . 3 1.1.3.2 Antral Ovarian Folliculogenesis . 4 1.1.3.3 Ovulation. 6 1.1.3.4 Luteogenesis and Luteolysis . 6 1.1.3.5 Follicular Atresia . 7 1.1.3.6 Aging and Ovarian Function . 8 1.2 The Bovine Ovary . 8 1.2. 1 The Bovine Model for Studying Human Ovaries . 8 1.2. 2 Estrus versus Menstrual Cycle . 9 1.3 Ovarian Imaging Techniques . 9 1.3.1 Histological Imaging . 10
Metastatic behavior of human melanoma cell lines in nude mice correlates with urokinase-type plasminogen activator, its type-1 inhibitor, and urokinase-mediated matrix degradation

Five out of six human melanoma cell lines tested were able to degrade in vitro a smooth muscle cell extracellular matrix in a plasmin- dependent way. In three of these five cell lines, this process was mediated by tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and in the other two cell lines by urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA). All melanoma cell lines produced t-PA mRNA and protein, whereas only the two cell lines showing u-PA-mediated matrix degradation produced u-PA mRNA and protein. These latter cell lines also produced plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and type-2 (PAI-2) mRNA and protein. u-PA receptor (u-PA-R) mRNA and binding of radiolabeled u-PA was found in all melanoma cell lines. The metastatic capacity of these cell lines was studied in nude mice. All cell lines were able to develop primary tumors at the subcutaneous inoculation site. The production of plasminogen activators, their inhibitors and urokinase receptor by subcutaneous tumors corresponded with the production by the parental cell lines in vitro. The two u-PA and PAI-1 producing cell lines showed the highest frequency to form spontaneous lung metastases after subcutaneous inoculation, whereas five of the six cell lines formed lung colonies after intravenous inoculation. In conclusion, u-PA mediated matrix degradation in vitro and production of u-PA and PAI-1 by human melanoma cell lines correlated with their ability to form spontaneous lung metastasis in nude mice. No correlation was found with the ability to form lung colonies after intravenous injection. These findings suggest a role for u-PA and PAI-1 in a relatively early stage of melanoma metastasis.
A nested-chopped current-feedback instrumentation amplifier for MEMS flow sensors

A nested chopped current-feedback instrumentation amplifier (CFIA) designed for micro-fluidic applications is reported in this work. The proposed CFIA is chopped at 50kHz to bring input-referred offset below 12μV and flicker-noise corner around 100mHz. In order to further suppress the residue offset to nV-level, the CFIA is again chopped with a slower clock of 500Hz to achieve an input-referred offset of 149nV. The CMOS readout interface for MEMS flow sensor achieves a thermal-noise power spectral density of 4.34nV/√Hz for realizing over 12-bits dynamic range. Implemented in chartered 0. 18μm CMOS process, the CFIA draws 522μΑ supply current and achieves an excellent noise efficiency factor (NEF) of 3.82 which is the lowest ever reported with CFIAs.
Enhancing Video-on-Demand Playout over Multiple Heterogeneous Access Networks

Multimedia streaming is increasing in popularity and has become one of the dominating services on the Internet today. Even though user devices are often equipped with multiple network interfaces and in reach of several access networks at the same time, media streams are normally communicated over only one of the available Internet connections. In this paper, we explore the challenges and potential benefits of using multiple access networks simultaneously. Exploiting HTTP's capability of handling requests for specific byte ranges of a file, we present the implementation of a lightweight, application-layer, on-demand streaming service that requires no changes to existing servers and infrastructure. Based on real-world experiments with a multihomed host, we investigate the potential performance gains of video-on-demand playout. We achieve a bandwidth aggregation efficiency of 90% when downloading over 3 heterogeneous access networks in parallel. In addition, we analyze the effect of file segmentation on the buffer requirements and the startup latency.
CroMatcher results for OAEI 2016

CroMatcher is an ontology matching system based on terminological and structural matchers. The most important part of the system is automated weighted aggregation of correspondences produced by using different basic ontology matchers. This is the first year CroMatcher has been involved in the OAEI campaign. The results obtained this year will certainly help in finding and resolving shortcomings in the system before the next campaign.
Sensitivity of L-Band Radar Backscatter to Forest Biomass in Semiarid Environments: A Comparative Analysis of Parametric and Nonparametric Models

This paper investigated the effectiveness of frequently used parametric and nonparametric models for biomass retrieval from L-band radar backscatter. Two areas, one in Spain and one in Australia, characterized by different tree species, forest structure, and field sampling designs were selected to demonstrate that retrieval error metrics are similar for different local conditions and sampling characteristics. A mixed-model retrieval strategy was proposed to reduce the overall (i.e., across the entire biomass range) as well as by-biomass-interval errors. Significant relationships were found between aboveground biomass and radar backscatter with most of the backscatter dynamic range being limited to a fairly low range of biomass values ( t/ha) in both study areas. Biomass retrieval errors were largely similar for all parametric and nonparametric models tested. However, some parametric models consistently provided lower correlation between the observed and the predicted biomass while nonparametric models generally provided an unbiased estimation. A mixed-model retrieval strategy was shown to reduce biomass estimation errors by up to 15%. Biomass retrieval errors were highly variable within the L-band sensitivity interval, suggesting that overall accuracy estimates should be used with care, particularly for low biomass intervals ( t/ha) where surface scattering could dominate the total backscatter. Despite exhibiting the highest dynamic range, low biomass areas were characterized by the highest estimation errors (in excess of 80%). Conversely, relative estimation errors were as low as 20%-35% for the 30-75 t/ha biomass intervals, while at higher biomass levels, the estimation error increased due to signal saturation.
Permeability of mould made by lost wax casting process

present results of permeability of moulds which have been made by lost casting wax process. Measurement and tests have been made using typical sand cast permeability tester. Measurement technique required preparing of special shape samples. All scope of tests have been realized in WSK "PZL-Rzeszow" S.A. Results showing permeability of ceramic moulds in function of quantity layers.