Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optical Packet Switching Networks With Binary Multiwavelength Labels

We propose a network structure for routing optical packets based on binary multiwavelength labels. We resolve the main drawbacks of previously proposed optical label switching scenarios: high splitting loss and complex, expensive hardware. In our scheme, the label is mapped bit-by-bit to a selection of wavelength bins. Variable-length packets are self-forwarded via a multistage switch. This structure is scalable, high-speed, simple, practical, and low-cost, exploiting the workhorses of today's optical communications systems: arrayed waveguide gratings, distributed feedback lasers, LiNbO3 switches, and low-speed photodiodes and electronics (~ 100 MHz). We also propose a solution to alleviate the sophisticated label swapping processing required in generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) networks. We time-multiplex the binary multiwavelength labels for the entire optical label switching path. We examine the performance of both schemes experimentally by verifying successful routing and error-free transmission.
Sleep Scheduling Protocol for $k$-Coverage of Three-Dimensional Heterogeneous WSNs

An important problem in a 3-D wireless sensor network with dense and random deployment of sensors is the minimization of the number of sensors required to cover a field of interest (FoI). Some monitoring applications may require the FoI to be k-covered, i.e., k ≥ 1, while redundant sensors must be scheduled to sleep to minimize energy consumption. In this paper, we address the problem of determining the probability of a sensor being redundant for the k-coverage of the FoI. We assume that the network is heterogeneous, in which all the sensors may not have the same sensing and/or communication radii. We use a probabilistic approach to estimate the volume of the sensing sphere of an arbitrary sensor that is redundantly covered by its neighbors. We prove a result to determine if a sensor is redundant for k-coverage, which is only based on information about the number of neighbors and their type. We propose a distributed protocol to schedule the redundant sensors to sleep, which requires no geographical information. Results demonstrate that the scheduling protocol reduces the number of active sensors and, thereby, prolongs the network lifetime.
Wavelet-based electromechanical mode shape online identification from ambient data

The wavelet transform method for identifying a power system's electromechanical mode-shape properties from ambient data is presented. The relationship between wavelet power spectral density and modal eigenvectors is derived; then the wavelet-based coherence is presented to discriminate the mode shape of closely spaced modes. Simulation results with a two-area four-generator power system following stationary random excitation shows that the identified mode shape based on wavelet power spectrum agrees well with the eigenvector or Fourier-based mode shape. To overcome the limitations of Fourier transform on analyzing non-stationary signals, the output signals of the same system following non-stationary excitation is applied, and the wavelet spectral density is used to calculate its mode shape, which demonstrates that the wavelet-based method is applicable to identify mode shape from non-stationary signals.
TRAMS: A new dynamic cloud model for Titan's methane clouds

Convective clouds on Titan may play an important role in climate dynamics, atmospheric chemistry, and the overall volatile cycle. To study the formation and evolution of these clouds, we have developed the Titan Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (TRAMS). TRAMS is a three‐dimensional, time‐dependent, coupled fully compressible dynamic and microphysical model capable of simulating methane and ethane clouds in Titan's atmosphere. In initial model tests over a two‐dimensional domain, a warm bubble or random temperature perturbations trigger a parcel of air to rise. For an initial methane profile with a 60% surface humidity, convection occurs for positive temperature perturbations of 1 K or greater. Cloud tops are between 25 and 35 km, consistent with observations of the south polar clouds. For a drier methane environment in the lower atmosphere, characteristic of the Huygens landing site, convection does not occur, but a layer of stratiform clouds is able to form at altitudes around 10 km.
TDP-43 in skeletal muscle of patients affected with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

TAR DNA binding protein (TDP-43) is the pathologic substrate of neuronal and glial aggregates in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Pathologic TDP-43 is hyperphosphorylated and cleaved to generate abnormal protein species that accumulate in the cytoplasm. To assess the hypothesis of TDP-43 pathology as a systemic disorder in ALS we analysed the immunohistochemical and biochemical profile of TDP-43 in muscle biopsies of 30 ALS patients and 30 controls. In all ALS muscle biopsies we observed that TDP-43 was constantly present in an intranuclear localization and TDP-43 Western blotting showed only a 43-KDa band as controls. Our results suggest that TDP-43 pathology is probably confined to the central nervous system in ALS.
On two methods of statistical image analysis

The computerized brain atlas (CBA) and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) are two procedures for voxel‐based statistical evaluation of PET activation studies. Each includes spatial standardization of image volumes, computation of a statistic, and evaluation of its significance. In addition, smoothing and correcting for differences of global means are commonly performed in SPM before statistical analysis. We report a comparison of methods in an analysis of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 10 human volunteers and 10 simulated activations. For the human studies, CBA or linear SPM standarization methods were followed by smoothing and computation of a statistic with the paired t‐test of CBA or general linear model of SPM. No standardization, linear, and nonlinear SPM standardization were applied to the simulations. Significance of the statistic was evaluated using the cluster‐size method common to SPM and CBA. SPM employs the theory of Gaussian random fields to estimate the cluster size distributions; simulations described in the Appendix provided empirical distributions derived from t‐maps. The quantities evaluated were number and size of functional regions (FRs), maximum statistic, average resting rCBF, and percentage change. For the simulations, the efficiency of signal detection and rate of false positives could be evaluated as well as the distributions of statistics and cluster size in the absense of signal. The similarity of the results yielded by similar methods of analysis for the human studies and the simulated activations substantiates the robustness of the methods for selecting functional regions. However, the analysis of simulated activations demonstrated that quantitative evaluation of significance of a functional region encounters important obstacles at every stage of the analysis. Hum. Brain Mapping 8:245–258, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of Chinese medical herbs-Huiru Yizeng Yihao on hyperprolactinemia and hyperplasia of mammary gland in mice.

The study investigated the pharmacodynamism and mechanism of Chinese medicinal formula-Huiru Yizeng Yihao (NO.1 HRYZ) on the model rats of hyperpro-lactinemia and the model rats of hyperplasia of mammary gland (HMG), and studied the internal connection between hyperprolactinemia and HMG. The hyperprolactinemia rat models were established by injecting metoclopramide dihydrochloride in the back of rats. The model rat of HMG was prepared by injecting estradiol in the thigh muscle of the rats and progesterone consecutively, while the tails of rats were clipped with tongs. Rats were treated with either NO.1 HRYZ or positive control drugs for four weeks. The concentrations of sex hormone in rat serum were examined using ELISA kits, and the morphology of mammary gland tissue in all group rats was observed with microscope. NO.1 HRYZ significantly decreased prolactin (PRL) and increased estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations of hyperprolactinemia rats. It decreased E2, PRL, FSH, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and increased P concentrations of HMG rat. It also eliminated hyperplasia of lobules and gland alveolus compared with the model group. Treatment with NO.1 HRYZ could significantly regulate the sex hormone disorder of hyperprolactinemia and HMG rat models, and could eliminate the formation of HMG. Hyperprolactinemia was closely correlated with HMG, and hyperprolactinemia promoted the formation of HMG.
Downstream utrophin enhancer is required for expression of utrophin in skeletal muscle

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by the absence of the muscle cytoskeletal protein dystrophin. Utrophin is an autosomal homologue of dystrophin, and overexpression of utrophin is expected to compensate for the dystrophin deficit. We previously reported that the 5.4‐kb 5′‐flanking region of the utrophin gene containing the A‐utrophin core promoter did not drive transgene expression in heart and skeletal muscle. To clarify the regulatory mechanism of utrophin expression, we generated a nuclear localization signal‐tagged LacZ transgenic (Tg) mouse, in which the LacZ gene was driven by the 129‐bp downstream utrophin enhancer (DUE) and the 5.4‐kb 5′‐flanking region of the utrophin promoter.
The Influence of Firm Size on Productivity and Its Difference——Based on the Empirical Test of Industrial Firms in China

Using the sample of Chinese industrial firms,the firm size distribution is statistically analyzed and the total factor productivities between industries are compared.Based on the semi-log model,the impact of firm size on productivity and its influence mechanism are discussed.And then Shapley method is used to decompose and test the contribution of firm size to productivity differences.The results are shown that in different industries of different factor intensity,both the firm size distribution and productivity level have some differences;There is an inverted U-shape between firm size and productivity,but firm size expansion is advantageous to increase the productivities in most firms.For the firms in labor-intensive textile and technology-intensive pharmaceutical industries,the firm size expansion increases the productivity by economies of scale and technical innovation effects.While in the capital intensive transportation equipment manufacturing industry,the mass production will weaken the driving force of RD activities.According to the results of Shapley value decomposition from different kinds of industry,the contribution of firm size to productivity differences is all over 90%,obviously higher than the other factors,indicating that firm size difference is the main reason for the productivity difference.
Systematic characterisation of GABRP expression in sporadic breast cancer and normal breast tissue

The GABRP gene has been previously identified by in silico analysis of four million ESTs as a candidate gene differentially expressed in breast cancer. GABRP is located on chromosome 5q34 and it encodes the π‐subunit of the γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, a transmembrane protein expressed in the brain and several nonneuronal tissues. Using cDNA dot blot hybridisation (cancer profiling array), quantitative RT‐PCR and non‐radioisotopic in situ hybridisation (ISH), we have analysed GABRP expression in breast cancer and normal breast tissues as well as in nontumorigenic and tumorigenic breast cell lines. Analysis of the cancer profiling array revealed a more than 2‐fold downregulation of GABRP (p < 0.001) in 76% of primary breast carcinomas (n = 50) compared to corresponding normal tissues. Quantitative RT‐PCR in a panel of 23 normal human tissues showed that the GABRP expression level was most abundant in the normal breast tissues compared to other human tissues. GABRP downregulation in breast cancer was confirmed by quantitative RT‐PCR in cryopreserved breast tumour and normal breast tissue specimens (n = 22), in archival formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissue specimens (n = 32), as well as in breast cancer cell lines (n = 8). Furthermore, a significant downregulation of GABRP was noted in large (pT3‐pT4) (p = 0.044) primary breast tumours. Non‐radioisotopic ISH showed strong GABRP expression in normal epithelial and benign papilloma breast cells, but no signal could be detected in invasive ductal carcinoma. Altogether, these data suggest that GABRP is progressively down‐regulated with tumour‐progression, and that it may be useful as a prognostic marker in breast cancer. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dementia care mapping: effects on residents’ quality of life and challenging behavior in German nursing homes. A quasi-experimental trial

ABSTRACT Background: Person-centered care (PCC) is a widely recognized concept in dementia research and care. Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) is a method for implementing PCC. Prior studies have yielded heterogeneous results regarding the effectiveness of DCM for people with dementia (PwD). We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of DCM with regard to quality of life (QoL) and challenging behavior in PwD in nursing homes (NHs). Methods: Leben-QD II is an 18-month, three-armed, pragmatic quasi-experimental trial. The sample of PwD was divided into three groups with three living units per group: (A) DCM applied since 2009, (B) DCM newly introduced during the study, and (C) a control intervention based on a regular and standardized QoL rating. The primary outcome was QoL measured with the Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease (QoL-AD) proxy, and the secondary outcomes were QoL (measured with QUALIDEM) and challenging behavior (measured with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Nursing Home version, NPI-NH). Results: There were no significant differences either between the DCM intervention groups and the control group or between the two DCM intervention groups regarding changes in the primary or secondary outcomes. At baseline, the estimated least square means of the QoL-AD proxy for groups A, B, and C were 32.54 (confidence interval, hereafter CI: 29.36–35.72), 33.62 (CI: 30.55–36.68), and 30.50 (CI: 27.47–33.52), respectively. The DCM groups A (31.32; CI: 28.15–34.48) and B (27.60; CI: 24.51–30.69) exhibited a reduction in QoL values, whereas group C exhibited an increase (32.54; CI: 29.44–35.64) after T2. Conclusions: DCM exhibited no statistically significant effect in terms of QoL and challenging behavior of PwD in NHs. To increase the likelihood of a positive effect for PwD, it is necessary to ensure successful implementation of the intervention.
Laissez-Colbert

The Colbert Report combines comedic entertainment and current events, two pedagogical sources that have the potential to increase student interest in classes and improve student learning. This article offers suggestions on the use of segments from The Colbert Report to teach introductory macroeconomics. Segments are included that relate to comparative advantage, supply and demand, externalities, GDP, unemployment, classical versus Keynesian theory and the Great Depression, fiscal policy and economic stimulus packages, monetary policy and the Federal Reserve, money, taxes, and foreign aid. Guidance is provided regarding the use of the clips in an introductory macroeconomics class.
Histologic and Molecular Correlation in Shelter Cats with Acute Upper Respiratory Infection

ABSTRACT This is a descriptive study designed to correlate diagnostic real-time PCR results with histopathologic lesions in cats with clinical signs of upper respiratory infection (URI). The study occurred over a 9-month period in a single open-intake animal shelter. Cats that were selected for euthanasia by the shelter staff and additionally had URI were included in the study, for a total of 22 study cats. Combined conjunctival and oropharyngeal swab specimens were tested by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) for feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), Mycoplasma felis, Chlamydophila felis, and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Necropsy was performed on all cats, and a complete set of respiratory tract tissues was examined by histopathology. Among 22 cats, 20 were qPCR positive for FHV-1, 7 for M. felis, 5 for FCV, 1 for C. felis, and 0 for B. bronchiseptica. Nine cats were positive for two or more pathogens. Histopathologic lesions were present in all cats, with consistent lesions in the nasal cavity, including acute necroulcerative rhinitis in 16 cats. Histologic or antigenic detection of FHV-1 was seen in 18 of 20 cats positive for FHV-1 by qPCR. No lesions that could be specifically attributed to FCV, M. felis, or C. felis were seen, although interpretation in this cohort could be confounded by coinfection with FHV-1. A significant agreement was found between the amount of FHV-1 DNA determined by qPCR and the presence of specific histopathologic lesions for FHV-1 but not for the other respiratory pathogens.
Poverty-led higher population growth in Bangladesh.

This article discusses the issue whether population growth is exogenous or endogenous in the economic development of Bangladesh. Overpopulation adversely affects food supplies, foreign exchange, and human resources. Moreover, it depresses savings per capita and retards growth of physical capital per labor. Underdeveloped countries, like Bangladesh, are faced with the problem of allocating resources between infrastructure, education, and health service that are essential for human capital development and population control measures. With this, determination whether fertility is exogenous or endogenous is important for policy purposes in the context of Bangladesh. Results showed that there is a correlation between population growth and real gross domestic products per capita. Based on Granger causality test, population growth is endogenous in the development process of Bangladesh and its overpopulation is due to poverty. Thus, there is a need for appropriate policy to take measures to improve human capital and decrease fertility rates.
Conditional Conservatism and Debt Versus Equity Financing

Extant research suggests that conditional conservatism reduces information asymmetry between a firm and its shareholders as well as its debtholders. However, there is little evidence on whether conditional conservatism reduces information asymmetry differentially for shareholders and debtholders. We use the setting of a firm’s choice between equity and debt when it seeks a significant amount of external financing to examine this research question. We find that when firms raise a significant amount of external financing, the use of equity (versus debt) increases with the level of conservatism. We also find that the reduction in cost of equity associated with conservatism is greater for equity issuers than for debt issuers, but find no such difference when we examine cost of debt. In addition, we find that the positive effect of conservatism on the choice of equity issuance (versus debt issuance) is accentuated when the information asymmetry between the firm and its shareholders is more severe. Overall, our results suggest that conservatism reduces information asymmetry more between firms and shareholders than between firms and debtholders.
Modelling historical changes in the force-of-infection of Chagas disease to inform control and elimination programmes: application in Colombia

Background WHO's 2020 milestones for Chagas disease include having all endemic Latin American countries certified with no intradomiciliary Trypanosoma cruzi transmission, and infected patients under care. Evaluating the variation in historical exposure to infection is crucial for assessing progress and for understanding the priorities to achieve these milestones. Methods Focusing on Colombia, all the available age-structured serological surveys (undertaken between 1995 and 2014) were searched and compiled. A total of 109 serosurveys were found, comprising 83 742 individuals from rural (indigenous and non-indigenous) and urban settings in 14 (out of 32) administrative units (departments). Estimates of the force-of-infection (FoI) were obtained by fitting and comparing three catalytic models using Bayesian methods to reconstruct temporal and spatial patterns over the course of three decades (between 1984 and 2014). Results Significant downward changes in the FoI were identified over the course of the three decades, and in some specific locations the predicted current seroprevalence in children aged 0–5 years is <1%. However, pronounced heterogeneity exists within departments, especially between indigenous, rural and urban settings, with the former exhibiting the highest FoI (up to 66 new infections/1000 people susceptible/year). The FoI in most of the indigenous settings remain unchanged during the three decades investigated. Current prevalence in adults in these 15 departments varies between 10% and 90% depending on the dynamics of historical exposure. Conclusions Assessing progress towards the control of Chagas disease requires quantifying the impact of historical exposure on current age-specific prevalence at subnational level. In Colombia, despite the evident progress, there is a marked heterogeneity indicating that in some areas the vector control interventions have not been effective, hindering the possibility of achieving interruption by 2020. A substantial burden of chronic cases remains even in locations where serological criteria for transmission interruption may have been achieved, therefore still demanding diagnosis and treatment interventions.
New Characterization Technique for Femtosecond Laser Written Waveguides in Yb/Er-Codoped Glass

We have developed a procedure for the complete characterization of femtosecond-laser written Er/Yb-codoped glass waveguides. The procedure is based on precise measurements of both pump and 1.5 ¿m -band output powers when the waveguide is diode-laser pumped at 980 nm. The dependence of these optical powers on the input pump power is fitted to the results derived from a detailed numerical model of the propagation of the optical powers inside the waveguide. As a result of the fitting procedure the 980-nm absorption cross-section of the Yb3+ ion and the coefficients for both Yb3+ ¿ Er3+ non-radiative energy-transfer and Er3+ ion upconversion are obtained. Moreover, the transmission losses for both pump and signal wavelengths and the coupling losses at each waveguide end are also determined. The model takes into account that the fs-laser writing process may induce transmission losses with a spectral dependence (¿(¿)) departing from the Rayleigh scattering scaling law ( ¿-4) and is valid both for single mode and multimode propagation. It has been tested in fs-laser written waveguides produced under non-optimal conditions in order to test the robustness of the method, providing excellent results.