Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proposal Of A New Method For EvaluatingThe Frictional Properties Of TissueEngineered Cartilage

It is essential to investigate the tribological maturation of tissue engineered cartilage that is to be used in medical applications. The friction properties of tissue engineered cartilage have been measured using flat counter surfaces such as stainless steel, glass or ceramics. However, the measured friction properties were significantly inferior to those of natural cartilage, likely because of cartilage adhesion to the counter surface. In this study, a poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)) grafted surface is proposed as an appropriate counter surface for cartilage friction evaluation due to the material’s ability to reduce the adhesion and reproduce natural tribological conditions. The poly(MPC) grafted surfaces were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The friction coefficients for natural cartilage that were measured on the poly(MPC) grafted surface were lower than 0.01 at the sliding velocities of 0.08 and 0.008 mm/s, which is equivalent to that for natural cartilage-on-cartilage. The friction coefficients for the tissue engineered cartilage were reduced with cultivation time at low sliding velocities. Thus it is suggested that the proposed system is able to measure the tribological maturation of tissue engineered cartilage in a more natural lubricating environment.
Modeling and Simulation of Spark Streaming

As more and more devices connect to Internet of Things, unbounded streams of data will be generated, which have to be processed "on the fly" in order to trigger automated actions and deliver real-time services. Spark Streaming is a popular realtime stream processing framework. To make efficient use of Spark Streaming and achieve stable stream processing, it requires a careful interplay between different parameter configurations. Mistakes may lead to significant resource overprovisioning and bad performance. To alleviate such issues, this paper develops an executable and configurable model named SSP (stands for Spark Streaming Processing) to model and simulate Spark Streaming. SSP is written in ABS, which is a formal, executable, and object-oriented language for modeling distributed systems by means of concurrent object groups. SSP allows users to rapidly evaluate and compare different parameter configurations without deploying their applications on a cluster/cloud. The simulation results show that SSP is able to mimic Spark Streaming in different scenarios.
Simulation of a flowing snow avalanche using molecular dynamics

This paper presents an approach for the modeling and simulation of a flowing snow avalanche, which is formed of dry and liquefied snow that slides down a slope, using molecular dynamics and the discrete element method. A particle system is utilized as a base method for the simulation and marching cubes with real-time shaders are employed for rendering. A uniform grid-based neighbor search algorithm is used for collision detection for interparticle and particle-terrain interactions. A mass-spring model of the collision resolution is employed to mimic the compressibility of the snow and particle attraction forces are put into use between the particles and terrain surface. In order to achieve greater performance, general purpose GPU language and multithreaded programming are utilized for collision detection and resolution. The results are displayed with different combinations of rendering methods for the realistic representation of the flowing avalanche.
Fingerprint recognition using model-based density map

Utilizing more information other than minutiae is much helpful for large-scale fingerprint recognition applications. In this paper, we proposed a polynomial model to approximate the density map of fingerprints and used the model's parameters as a novel kind of feature for fingerprint representation. Thus, the density information can be utilized into the matching stage with a low additional storage cost. A decision-level fusion scheme is further used to combine the density map matching with conventional minutiae-based matching and experimental results showed a much better performance than using single minutiae-based matching.
Remote Sensing for Mapping Land-Use/Cover Changes and Urban Sprawl in Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region of Ghana

------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT---------------------------------------------------Land use/land cover influences a variety of processes on the Earth surface which also generate feedback effects on the natural environment, economic and social systems. Poorly managed changes in urban areas have resulted in many catastrophic consequences such as floods, landslides, droughts etc. The Landsat satellite system has long term data archives and can be used to assess the land cover changes in the landscape to provide information to support future urban planning. In this paper Landsat images were used to map the land use/land cover changes in the city of Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western region of Ghana from 1988 to 2011 through a change detection process. The post-classification method of change detection was used and the accuracies achieved were high. The analysis showed that a large portion of the city and its surrounding areas has been converted from natural surfaces to impervious surfaces. Also it was observed that precipitation has reduced considerably during the period and high temperatures have been observed. A model developed between land use change and time have showed that in the next 50 years if the trend of land use change continues, there will be complete removal of natural surfaces. These could lead to increased incidence and severity of flash floods and droughts. Therefore the data produced in this study can be used to guide effective urban planning to mitigate the combined effects of land use changes due to urbanisation and climate change. This study demonstrates the critical role remote sensing can play in the developing world in terms of providing data for planning since many countries do not have the resources to map their territories regularly through conventional means.
Two Levels Fusion Based Multimodal Biometric Authentication Using Iris and Fingerprint Modalities

In the document, we are intending to present an innovative technique for the multimodal biometric authentication. Initially the input image is preprocessed then offered to feature extraction, where the modified local binary pattern is effectively utilized. Thereafter, the extracted features are furnished to the feature level and score level fusions. In feature level fusion, extracted features are offered to the GSO where the optimal features are shortlisted, and are furnished to the optimized neural network which effectively detects the iris and fingerprint image. In score level fusion, extracted features from the iris image are offered to the PSO and naive bayes classifier here one score value is achieved. After that, extracted features from the fingerprint image are applied to the AGFS and then one score value is attained. Finally, both the score values are combined. The evaluation tools utilized precision, FAR and FRR. The proposed method implemented in MATLAB platform.
Differential Mortality and the Excess Rates of Hip Fracture Associated With Type 2 Diabetes: Accounting for Competing Risks in Fracture Prediction Matters

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with a reduced life expectancy. The latest published evidence suggests an increased risk of fractures among T2DM patients. We conducted a population‐based cohort study to determine the impact of mortality as a competing risk in the study of the association between T2DM and hip fracture rates. Participants were all diagnosed T2DM patients registered in the Sistema de Información para el Desarrollo de la Investigación en Atención Primaria (SIDIAP) database aged 65 years and older; up to two non‐T2DM were matched by age, sex, and primary care facility. We used Cox regression models to estimate cause‐specific hazard ratio (HR) of death or hip fracture according to T2DM status. Fine and Gray models were then fitted to estimate the subhazard ratio (SHR) of hip fracture while accounting for competing risk with death and to estimate the probability of hip fracture within 5 years. A total of 55,891 T2DM and 103,093 matched non‐T2DM patients were observed for a median of 8 years. Mortality was 48.8 per 1000 person years (py) in T2DM, and 33.8 per 1000 py in non‐T2DM; hip fracture rates were 6.0 per 1000 py and 4.9 per 1000 py, respectively. Cox models confirmed a significant association for death and hip fracture: HR 1.51 (95% CI, 1.48 to 1.55), and HR 1.32 (95% CI, 1.24 to 1.40), respectively. Accounting for death as a competing event (Fine‐Gray models), the association between T2DM and hip fracture risk remained statistically significant (SHR 1.15; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.21) and the probability of a hip fracture within 5 years was 2.3% for TD2M and 1.9% for non‐TD2M patients compared to 2.6% and 2.1% respectively using Kaplan‐Meier (KM) estimates. T2DM patients have a 50% increased mortality and, after adjusting for differential survival at 5 years, a 21% increased incidence of hip fracture when compared to matched non‐T2DM. Failing to account for differential mortality leads to an overestimation of fracture risk. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Effects of human cytomegalovirus infection on the coagulation system

Summary Pathophysiological mechanisms of acute vascular thrombosis are not fully understood. It has been suggested that different infectious pathogens are responsible agents of thrombotic disorders. The infection hypothesis is supported by an increasing number of reports on the interaction between acute infection and coagulation. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is supposed to play an important role in apparently unprovoked thrombosis. We reviewed all human in vitro and in vivo studies on the influence of human CMV infection on the coagulation system, as well as all case reports of acute thrombosis during acute human CMV infection. In the published literature there is mounting evidence that human CMV may play a role in thrombotic disorders. Definitive conclusions, however, cannot be drawn, although the in vitro studies are convincing and offer insight in the pathogenesis.
A New Concept of PTI/PTO for Marine Applications

This paper deals with the performances of High Torque Density induction machine driven by a PWM 6.6kV Transformerless Variable Speed Drive (Fig. 1) [1]. Shaft generators are commonly used to produce electrical power for the ship's network where a mechanical shaft is driven by a slow speed engine [2] [3] or through a common gear box [8]. For large PTO (Power Take Off) applications the use of variable speed drive allows to operate them over a wide range of engine speed as fixed pitch propeller only is used. The direct drive arrangement brings significant benefits in term of reliability and maintenance. PTI mode (Power Take In) brings operational flexibility to optimize energy consumption by regulating the available power from the WHRS (Waste Heat Recovery System).
Social Media Participation in an Activist Movement for Racial Equality

From the Arab Spring to the Occupy Movement, social media has been instrumental in driving and supporting socio-political movements throughout the world. In this paper, we present one of the first social media investigations of an activist movement around racial discrimination and police violence, known as "Black Lives Matter". Considering Twitter as a sensor for the broader community's perception of the events related to the movement, we study participation over time, the geographical differences in this participation, and its relationship to protests that unfolded on the ground. We find evidence for continued participation across four temporally separated events related to the movement, with notable changes in engagement and language over time. We also find that participants from regions of historically high rates of black victimization due to police violence tend to express greater negativity and make more references to loss of life. Finally, we observe that social media attributes of affect, behavior and language can predict future protest participation on the ground. We discuss the role of social media in enabling collective action around this unique movement and how social media platforms may help understand perceptions on a socially contested and sensitive issue like race.
Tex-Lex: Automated generation of texture lexicons using images from the world wide web

A method for automatic creation of a semantic texture database is introduced, which exploits the cumulative knowledge that exists in the image tags on the World Wide Web. In the first step of the method, a number of images are retrieved from the Web using the text search option provided by search engines by querying simple notions (e.g. sky, grass water, etc.). These images are segmented into a number of predefined regions using standard clustering and each region is described by a set of image features. The descriptors of the extracted regions of the whole set of images are compared based on the Bhattacharyya distance and the ones that are more similar are considered to be entries of a dictionary associated with the initial keyword used for the query. Moreover, the corresponding regions are parts of the visual lexicon describing the keyword. Also, an already existing lexicon may be iteratively updated by new features that may not match the existing dictionary entries but they are represented over a significant number of query results. Early results on common keywords representing landscapes indicate that the method is promising and may be extended to describe composite structures and objects.
Efficacy of Newer Molecules, Bioagents and Botanicals against Maydis Leaf Blight and Banded Leaf and Sheath Blight of Maize

Maize (Zea mays L.; 2N=20) is major staple food crop grown worldwide adapted to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Maydis leaf blight (MLB) and banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) are serious foliar fungal diseases may cause up to 40% and 100% grain yield loss, respectively. The present studies were undertaken to work out the efficacy of chemicals, botanicals and bioagents for the management of MLB and BLSB under field condition for two seasons Kharif 2014 and 2015. Five molecules (propiconazole 25 EC, hexaconazole 25 EC, carbendazim 50 WP, mancozeb 75 WP and carbedazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP), two bioagents i.e. Trichoderma harzianum and T. viridae and three botanicals namely azadirachtin, sarpagandha and bel pathar were tested for their efficacy against MLB. Eight newer fungicides viz., difenconazole 250 SC, hexaconazole 5 EC, carbendazim 50WP, validamycin 3 L, tebuconazole 250 EC, trifloxystrobin 50 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG, azoxystrobin 250 EC and pencycuron 250 SC were evaluated against BLSB. Analysis revealed significant effects of propiconazole at 0.1%, carbendazim 12 WP + mancozeb 63 WP at 0.125% and sarpagandha leaves at 10% against MLB pathogen, whereas validamycin at 0.1% and trifloxystrobin 25 WG + tebuconazole 50 WG at 0.05% were found effective against BLSB. The slow rate of disease control virtually by the bioagents might have not shown instant effect on plant response to the yield enhancing components. The identified sources of management can be used further in strengthening the plant protection in maize against MLB and BLSB.
Combined serial section‐based 3D reconstruction of cervical carcinoma invasion using H&E/p16INK4a/CD3 alternate staining

Malignant growth and invasiveness of cancers is a function of both intratumoral and stromal factors. The accessibility to nutrients, oxygen and growth factors, the stromal composition, and the interference with the immune system all shape the tumor invasion front. A recent study has shown a prognostic difference with respect to different invasion patterns analyzed on histological specimens of cervical cancers. The present study analyzes the spatial organization of a cervical cancer and the relation of the tumor invasion front and the infiltration with CD3+ T‐cells.
Analysis of Film Generated on Various Stainless Steel Surfaces in Soy Sauce by EIS and XPS

This paper was developed the passivation phenomenon for various stainless steels in soy sauce by evaluation for the electrochemical impedance characteristic and the distribution of elements in the specimens measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is possible to show a passivation phenomenon using the electrical equivalent circuit that is assumed consisting of a series connection of two parallel RC circuits and a resistance of solution. By equivalent circuit analysis, the resistance of passive film and the corrosion resistance values of duplex stainless steels are 10 times higher than that of the austenitic stainless steels, the duplex stainless steels are superior in corrosion resistance to the austenitic stainless steels in soy sauce. In stainless steels with higher corrosion resistance, as for the element distribution in the passive film that had been generated to the stainless-steel surface, it was shown that Cr was concentrated to an outermost surface of the film by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. And, the thickness of the passive film is thinner. When the high local Cr concentration is generated at the outermost surface of passive firm thus leading to the increase of the film resistance value, its corrosion resistance is enhanced, the corrosion current becomes smaller and corrosion resistance is heightened. The ratio of concentration of Cr is proportional to its film resistance value as well as its charge transfer resistance.
An Impact-based Analysis of Software Reengineering Risk in Quality Perspective of legacy System

Reengineering of operational legacy system is a novel technique for software rejuvenation. Reengineering is used specifically to satisfy and even delight modern customers and market with the value of our software products and services to gain their loyalty and repeat business. However, it incurs some overhead in terms of risk. The basic necessity for the successful implementation of reengineering strategy is to measure the overall impact of different reengineering risk components that arises from system, managerial and technical domain of legacy system. Quantifiable risk measures are necessary for the measurement of reengineering risk to take decision about when the evolution of legacy system through reengineering is successful. We present a quantifiable measurement model to measure comprehensive impact of different reengineering risk arises from quality perspective of legacy system. The model consists of five reengineering risk component, including Maintainability risk, Project complexity risk, Software architecture risk, Training Risk and Security risk component . Proposed measurement model offers better performance in terms of risk measurement to support the decision-making process.
Automatically exploiting implicit design knowledge when solving the class responsibility assignment problem

Assigning responsibilities to classes is not only vital during initial software analysis/design phases in object-oriented analysis and design (OOAD), but also during maintenance and evolution phases, when new responsibilities have to be assigned to classes or existing responsibilities have to be changed. Class Responsibility Assignment (CRA) is one of the most complex tasks in OOAD as it heavily relies on designers' judgment and implicit design knowledge (DK) of design problems. Since CRA is highly dependent on the successful use of implicit DK, (semi)-automated approaches that help designers to assign responsibilities to classes should make implicit DK explicit and exploit the DK effectively. In this paper, we propose a learning based approach for the Class Responsibility Assignment (CRA) problem. A learning mechanism is introduced into Genetic Algorithm (GA) to extract the implicit DK about which responsibilities have a high probability to be assigned to the same class, and then the extracted DK is employed automatically to improve the design quality of the generated solutions. The proposed approach has been evaluated through an experimental study with three cases. By comparing the solutions obtained from the proposed approach and the existing approaches, the proposed approach can significantly improve the design quality of the generated solutions to the CRA problem, and the generated solutions by the proposed approach are more likely to be accepted by developers from the practical aspects.
The effect of near-infrared fluorescence conjugation on the anti-cancer potential of cetuximab

This study investigated the anti-cancer potential of a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) molecule conjugated with Cetuximab (Cetuximab-NIRF) in six-week-old female BALB/c athymic (nu+/nu+) nude mice. A431 cells were cultured and injected into the animals to induce solid tumors. Paclitaxel (30 mg/kg body weight (BW)), Cetuximab (1 mg/kg BW), and Cetuximab-NIRF (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg BW) were intraperitoneally injected twice a week into the A431 cell xenografts of the nude mice. Changes in BW, tumor volume and weight, fat and lean mass, and diameter of the peri-tumoral blood vessel were determined after two weeks. Tumor volumes and weights were significantly decreased in the Cetuximab-NIRF (1 mg/kg BW) group compared with the control group (P<0.001). Lean mass and total body water content were also conspicuously reduced in the Cetuximab-NIRF (1 mg/kg BW) group compared with the vehicle control group. Peri-tumoral blood vessel diameters were very thin in the Cetuximab-NIRF groups compared with those of the paclitaxel group. These results indicate that the conjugation of Cetuximab with NIRF does not affect the anti-cancer potential of Cetuximab and NIRF can be used for molecular imaging in cancer treatments.
A Low-Resourced Peruvian Language Identification Model

Due to the linguistic revitalization in Perú through the last years, there is a growing interest to reinforce the bilingual education in the country and to increase the research focused in its native languages. From the computer science perspective, one of the first steps to support the languages study is the implementation of an automatic language identification tool using machine learning methods. Therefore, this work focuses in two steps: (1) the building of a digital and annotated corpus for 16 Peruvian native languages extracted from documents in web repositories, and (2) the fit of a supervised learning model for the language identification task using features identified from related studies in the state of the art, such as ngrams. The obtained results were promising (97% in average precision), and it is expected to take advantage of the corpus and the model for more complex tasks in the future.