Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Target velocity estimation and CRB with distributed MIMO radar in non-homogeneous AR-modeled disturbances

In this paper, we examine the target velocity estimation with distributed multi-input multi-output (MIMO) radars in non-homogeneous environments, where the disturbance signal (clutter and noise) exhibits non-homogeneity in not only power but also covariance structure from one transmit-receive antenna pair to another as well as across different test cells. Specifically, a set of distinctive auto-regressive (AR) models are used to model such non-homogeneous disturbance signals for different transmit-receive pairs. The maximum likelihood (ML) estimator for the target velocity parameter is developed. Corresponding Cramér-Rao bounds, in both the exact and asymptotic forms, respectively, are examined to shed additional light to the problem. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate of the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Surface reconstruction from endoscopic image sequence

The current study describes a technique for reconstructing a three dimensional surface from multiple images of the (single camera) endoscopic video. A 3D shape of the scene in each image frame of the endoscopic video was reconstructed using shape from shading technique. The characteristic feature points on the 2D images were detected using SURF algorithm and the features were matched using BRIEF and Hamming distance criteria. The matched feature points between the consecutive frames were used to find the transformation matrix to align the 3D surfaces of the consecutive video frames. Using the transformation matrix, the 3D surfaces were stitched (registered) together. The method was applied on a recorded video of the laparoscopic surgery. The reconstructed surface provides a wider view and depth information to the viewers.
Abnormal centrifugal axons in streptozotocin-diabetic rat retinas.

PURPOSE To characterize the effects of diabetes on the expression of histidine decarboxylase mRNA and on the morphology of the histaminergic centrifugal axons in the rat retina. METHODS Rats were made diabetic by streptozotocin. After 3 months, retinal histidine decarboxylase expression was analyzed by in situ hybridization in radial sections. Flatmount retinas from a second group of rats were labeled with an antiserum to histamine or an antibody to phosphorylated neurofilament protein. RESULTS Histidine decarboxylase mRNA was expressed in cells in the inner and outer nuclear layers of diabetic retinas, but not in normal retinas. However, immunoreactive (IR) histamine was not localized to perikarya in either the normal or the diabetic retinas. Instead, a population of centrifugal axons was labeled. These axons emerged from the optic disc and had varicose terminal branches in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the peripheral retina. Some branches ended on large retinal blood vessels and others in dense clusters in the IPL. In rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes, the centrifugal axon terminals developed many large swellings that contained neurofilament immunoreactivity; these swellings were rare in normal retinas. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes perturbs the retinal histaminergic system, causing increases in histidine decarboxylase mRNA expression in neurons or glia and abnormal focal swellings on the centrifugal axons.
System Identification via CUR-Factored Hankel Approximation

Subspace-based system identification for dynamical systems is a sound, system-theoretic way to obtain linear, time-invariant system models from data. The interplay of data and systems theory is reflected in the Hankel matrix, a block-structured matrix whose factorization is used for system identification. For systems with many inputs, many outputs, or large time-series of system-response data, established methods based on the singular value decomposition (SVD)---such as the eigensystem realization algorithm (ERA)---are prohibitively expensive. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to reduce the complexity of the ERA from cubic to linear, with respect to the Hankel matrix size. Furthermore, our memory requirements scale at the same rate because we never require loading the entire Hankel matrix into memory. These reductions are realized by replacing the SVD with a CUR decomposition that directly seeks a low-rank approximation of the Hankel matrix. The CUR decomposition is obtained using a maximum-volume--b.
A 20Gb/s adaptive duobinary transceiver

A 20Gb/s adaptive duobinary transceiver has been realized in 90-nm CMOS technology. An adaptive transmitter is realized without a feedback channel. For the channels with different lengths, the tap coefficient of the transmitter is digitally adjusted to compensate the channel loss. It achieves a data rate of 20-Gb/s with a BER less than 10-12 over 16cm-FR4 board. The transmitter and receiver consume 81mW and 38mW from a 1.5V supply, respectively. For a 20-Gb/s PRBS of 27-1, the maximum length of FR4 channel 16cm is achieved. The measured peak-to-peak jitter of the recovered data is 13.78ps.
Transcriptional repression of Kruppel like factor‐2 by the adaptor protein p66shc

The adaptor protein p66shc promotes cellular oxidative stress and apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate a novel mechanistic relationship between p66shc and the kruppel like factor‐2 (KLF2) transcription factor and show that this relationship has biological relevance to p66shc‐regulated cellular oxidant level, as well as KLF2‐induced target gene expression. Genetic knockout of p66shc in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) stimulates activity of the core KLF2 promoter and increases KLF2 mRNA and protein expression. Similarly, shRNA‐induced knockdown of p66shc increases KLF2‐promoter activity in HeLa cells. The increase in KLF2‐promoter activity in p66shc‐knockout MEFs is dependent on a myocyte enhancing factor‐2A (MEF2A)‐binding sequence in the core KLF2 promoter. Short‐hairpin RNA‐induced knockdown of p66shc in endothelial cells also stimulates KLF2 mRNA and protein expression, as well as expression of the endothelial KLF2 target gene thrombomodulin. MEF2A protein and mRNA are more abundant in p66shc‐knockout MEFs, resulting in greater occupancy of the KLF2 promoter by MEF2A. In endothelial cells, the increase in KLF2 and thrombomodulin protein by shRNA‐induced decrease in p66shc expression is partly abrogated by knockdown of MEF2A. Finally, knockdown of KLF2 abolishes the decrease in the cellular reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide observed with knockdown of p66shc, and KLF2 overexpression suppresses cellular hydrogen peroxide levels, independent of p66shc expression. These findings illustrate a novel mechanism by which p66shc promotes cellular oxidative stress, through suppression of MEF2A expression and consequent repression of KLF2 transcription. —Kumar, A. , Hoffman, T. A. , DeRicco, J., Naqvi, A. , Jain, M. K. , Irani, K. Transcriptional repression of Kruppel like factor‐2 by the adaptor protein p66shc. FASEBJ. 23, 4344‐4352 (2009). www.fasebj. org
Autosomal‐dominant Alzheimer's disease mutations at the same codon of amyloid precursor protein differentially alter Aβ production

Autosomal‐dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) or Presenilin (PSEN) genes. Studying the mechanisms underlying these mutations can provide insight into the pathways that lead to AD pathology. The majority of biochemical studies on APP mutations to‐date have focused on comparing mechanisms between mutations at different codons. It has been assumed that amino acid position is a major determinant of protein dysfunction and clinical phenotype. However, the differential effect of mutations at the same codon has not been sufficiently addressed. In the present study we compared the effects of the aggressive ADAD‐associated APP I716F mutation with I716V and I716T on APP processing in human neuroglioma and CHO‐K1 cells. All APP I716 mutations increased the ratio of Aβ42/40 and changed the product line preference of γ‐secretase towards Aβ38 production. In addition, the APP I716F mutation impaired the ε‐cleavage and the fourth cleavage of γ‐secretase and led to abnormal APP β‐CTF accumulation at the plasma membrane. Taken together, these data indicate that APP mutations at the same codon can induce diverse abnormalities in APP processing, some resembling PSEN1 mutations. These differential effects could explain the clinical differences observed among ADAD patients bearing different APP mutations at the same position.
Loss reduction in radial distribution systems by capacitor placement: fuzzy technique

The problem of capacitor allocation in electric distribution systems involves maximizing energy and peak power (demand) loss reduction by means of capacitor installations. The paper presents a novel approach using approximate reasoning to determine suitable candidate nodes in a distribution system for capacitor placement. Voltages and power loss reduction indices of distribution system nodes are modeled by fuzzy membership functions. A fuzzy expert system (FES) containing a set of heuristic rules is then used to determine the capacitor placement suitability of each node in the distribution system. Capacitors are placed on the nodes with the highest suitability. Simulation results show the advantages of this approach over previous capacitor placement algorithms.
Database-Managed CPU Performance Scaling for Improved Energy Efficiency

Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) is a technique for adjusting the speed and power consumption of processors, allowing performance to be traded for reduced power consumption. Since CPUs are typically the largest consumers of power in modern servers, DVFS can have a significant impact on overall server power consumption. Modern operating systems include DVFS governors, which interact with the processor to manage performance and power consumption according to some system-level policy. In this paper, we argue that for database servers, DVFS can be managed more effectively by the database management system. We present a power-aware database request scheduling algorithm called POLARIS. Unlike operating system governors, POLARIS is aware of database units of work and database performance targets, and can achieve a better power/performance tradeoff by exploiting this knowledge. We implemented POLARIS in SHORE-MT, and we show that it can improve both power consumption and performance relative to operating system baselines.
A follow-up study on the association of working conditions and lifestyles with the development of (perceived) mental symptoms in workers of a telecommunication enterprise.

AIM This study investigated the association of working conditions and lifestyle with mental health in Japanese workers. METHODS A follow-up study was carried out in the Kanto district of Japan of workers in a telecommunications enterprise who received their first annual health check-up between 1992 and 1996 and were between 20 and 54 years old. Workers who reported mental symptoms, had a past history of disease, or current illness at their first check-up were excluded from the analysis. In total, the study included 23 837 workers. The association between working conditions and lifestyle and the development of mental symptoms was investigated by pooled logistic regression analyses. RESULTS Working long hours and part-time work, as opposed to normal daytime hours of work, were factors associated with the development of mental symptoms in males, as were smoking, short sleeping hours, little physical exercise, rarely taking three meals a day, frequently eating within 1 h before sleep, much preference for salty meals and little preference for vegetables. Consumption of alcohol was negatively associated with the development of mental symptoms in males. Overall, the results suggested that the lower the Healthy Work and Lifestyle Score, the higher the risk of developing mental symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Working conditions and lifestyle, especially food preferences, have an apparent influence on the mental health of Japanese workers. Moreover, the Healthy Work and Lifestyle Score indicates that working conditions and lifestyle appear to have a cumulative influence upon the mental health of Japanese workers.
Discovery of a highly selective chemical inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) that allosterically inhibits zymogen activation

Aberrant activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is a common feature of pathological cascades observed in diverse disorders, such as cancer, fibrosis, immune dysregulation, and neurodegenerative diseases. MMP-9, in particular, is highly dynamically regulated in several pathological processes. Development of MMP inhibitors has therefore been an attractive strategy for therapeutic intervention. However, a long history of failed clinical trials has demonstrated that broad-spectrum MMP inhibitors have limited clinical utility, which has spurred the development of inhibitors selective for individual MMPs. Attaining selectivity has been technically challenging because of sequence and structural conservation across the various MMPs. Here, through a biochemical and structural screening paradigm, we have identified JNJ0966, a highly selective compound that inhibited activation of MMP-9 zymogen and subsequent generation of catalytically active enzyme. JNJ0966 had no effect on MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, or MMP-14 catalytic activity and did not inhibit activation of the highly related MMP-2 zymogen. The molecular basis for this activity was characterized as an interaction of JNJ0966 with a structural pocket in proximity to the MMP-9 zymogen cleavage site near Arg-106, which is distinct from the catalytic domain. JNJ0966 was efficacious in reducing disease severity in a mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model, demonstrating the viability of this therapeutic approach. This discovery reveals an unprecedented pharmacological approach to MMP inhibition, providing an opportunity to improve selectivity of future clinical drug candidates. Targeting zymogen activation in this manner may also allow for pharmaceutical exploration of other enzymes previously viewed as intractable drug targets.
Phylogeographic Structure of the White-Footed Mouse and the Deer Mouse, Two Lyme Disease Reservoir Hosts in Québec

Modification of a species range is one of many consequences of climate change and is driving the emergence of Lyme disease in eastern Canada. The primary reservoir host of the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), whose range is rapidly shifting north into southern Québec. The deer mouse, P. maniculatus, is occurring over most Québec province and is a less competent host for B. burgdorferi. Here, we compared the phylogeographic structure of both Peromyscus species in Québec. Using a combination of multiple mitochondrial DNA markers and phylogeographic methods, we detected an ongoing and rapid expansion of P. leucopus, while P. maniculatus appears more stable. Haplotype and populations networks indicated that populations of P. maniculatus exhibit more genetic structure than P. leucopus across the study area. Furthermore, significant and consistent genetic divergences between populations of the two species on both sides of the St. Lawrence River suggest that distinct lineages of P. leucopus and P. maniculatus with different ancestral origins colonized Southern Québec following the Last Glacial Maximum. The phylogeographic structure of pathogens is expected to mirror the structure observed in their reservoir hosts. As different strains of Borrelia burgdorferi may be associated with different levels of pathogenicity and immune responses of their hosts, our results are helpful at better understanding the pattern of spread of Lyme disease in a zone of emergence, and associated risk for human populations.
A Survey on Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA)

Nowadays, many services in the internet including Email, search engine, social networking are provided with free of charge due to enormous growth of web users. With the expansion of Web services, denial of service (DoS) attacks by malicious automated programs (e.g., web bots) is becoming a serious problem of web service accounts. A HIP, or Human Interactive Proofs, is a human authentication mechanism that generates and grades tests to determine whether the user is a human or a malicious computer program. Unfortunately, the existing HIPs tried to maximize the difficulty for automated programs to pass tests by increasing distortion or noise. Consequently, it has also become difficult for potential users too. So there is a tradeoff between the usability and robustness in designing HIP tests. In our propose technique we tried to balance the readability and security by adding contextual information in the form of natural conversation without reducing the distortion and noise. In the result section, a microscopic large-scale user study was conducted involving 110 users to investigate the actual user views compare to existing state of the art CAPTCHA systems like Google’s reCAPTCHA and Microsoft’s CAPTCHA in terms of usability and security and found our system capable of deploying largely over internet. KeywordsCAPTCHA; HIPs; Usability ; OCR; Web Services; Context; Cognitive Psychology; Conversation.
ANA‐negative systemic lupus erythematosus

A subset of patients who often satisfy the ARA criteria for SLE but whose sera lack antinuclear antibodies when tested against various standard substrates is reviewed. Such a subset of patients forms a distinct clinical and serological group. The majority of these patients present with cutaneous lesions frequently seen in discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus. Involvement of other organ systems is less frequent in this group compared to ANA‐positive SLE. The sera of these patients usually contain anti‐Re and anti‐La antibodies detectable by double immunodiffusion. While most patients deposit immunoglobulins in the lesional skin, direct immunofluorescence of uninvolved skin is positive only in approximately ten per cent of patients. The clinical course is marked by relapses and remissions and is favourable compared to ANA‐positive SLE patients. Ten percent of SLE patients who are initially ANA‐negative become ANA‐positive on follow‐up of approximately 4 years. Topical therapy alone may be helpful when only cutaneous manifestations are present. Systemic steroids and antimalarials are the mainstay of therapy in most cases.
The effect of vitamin and mineral supplementation on esophageal cytology: Results from the linxian dysplasia trial

The population of Linxian in China has one of the world's highest rates for esophageal/gastric cardia cancer, as well as documented nutritional deficiencies. To determine whether dietary supplementation with a multi‐vitamin multi‐mineral preparation could reduce the risk of esophageal cancer and favorably influence precursor lesions, 3,318 individuals age 40‐69 with cytologically determined grade I or grade 2 esophageal dysplasia were randomly assigned to receive either an active multi‐vitamin multi‐mineral supplement or a placebo. Pills were distributed at monthly visits and incident cancers or deaths were recorded. At 30 and 72 months subsequent to randomization all living participants without a known incident cancer were asked to undergo repeat cytological examination of their esophagus. Based on these procedures participants were classified as having no dysplasia, dysplasia grade I, dysplasia grade 2 or near cancer dysplasia. Diagnoses of cancer were based on the cytology findings plus available histologic, radio‐logic and clinical materials. At the end of the study there was little overall difference in cumulative risk of esophageal cancer between those receiving vitamin/mineral supplementation and those receiving placebo. There was, however, a significant increase in reversion to non‐dysplastic cytology among the group receiving the active treatment. The odds of not having any dysplasia at the two post‐randomization screens was 1.23 times higher in the active treatment group than in the placebo group. Within each treatment group higher categories of dysplasia were associated with higher rates of cancer. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Locus-Specific Heritability Estimation via the Bootstrap in Linkage Scans for Quantitative Trait Loci

Background/Aims: In genome-wide linkage analysis ofquantitative trait loci (QTL), locus-specific heritability estimates are biased when the original data are used to both localize linkage and estimate effects, due to maximization of the LOD score over the genome. Positive bias is increased by adoption of stringent significance levels to control genome-wide type I error. We propose multi-locus bootstrap resampling estimators for bias reduction in the situation in which linkage peaks at more than one QTL are of interest. Methods: Bootstrap estimates were based on repeated sample splitting in the original dataset. We conducted simulation studies in nuclear families with 0 to 5 QTLs and applied the methods in a genome-wide analysis of a blood pressure phenotype in extended pedigrees from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). Results: Compared to naïve estimates in the original simulation samples, bootstrap estimates had reduced bias and smaller mean squared error. In the FHS pedigrees, the bootstrap yielded heritability estimates as much as 70% smaller than in the original sample. Conclusions: Because effect estimates obtained in an initial study are typically inflated relative to those expected in an independent replication study, successful replication will be more likely when sample size requirements are based on bias-reduced estimates.
The influence of cancer impact on patients’ preparatory grief

The aims of this study were to investigate the preparatory grief and traumatic distress in advanced cancer patients in a palliative care unit. A total of 94 advanced cancer patients completed the Preparatory Grief in Advanced Cancer Patients (PGAC) scale and the Greek version of the Impact of Events Scale- Revised (IES-R-Gr). The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group was used to measure patients’ performance status. Statistically significant associations were found between PGAC, patients’ performance status, and all the IES-R-Gr scales (avoidance, intrusion, hyperarousal) and IES-R-Gr total score. The multiple regression analysis revealed that preparatory grief was predicted by patients’ young age, poor performance status, as well as by their high levels of intrusion and hyperarousal, in a model explaining 51.5% of the total variance. Concluding, in advanced cancer patients, preparatory grief is significantly correlated with the impact of cancer and patients’ physical condition, and seems to be influenced by components of the event impact, patients’ age, and physical performance.