Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Frame Latency of Personalized Livestreaming Can Be Significantly Slowed Down by WiFi

The popular personalized livestreaming (PL) in China, arguably the largest PL market in the world, is more monetized than PL in US and hence demands much lower interactive latencies to ensure a good quality of user experience. However, our pilot experiment shows that the video frame latency, dominant component of PL's interactive latency, can be significantly slowed down by WiFi, the primary Internet access method for PL. Understanding and further improving the frame latency over WiFi, however, have difficulties in 1) measuring end-to-end latency; 2) parsing encrypted PL's traffic and 3) modeling complex relationships between WiFi radio factors and the latency. To tackle these challenges, we design and prototype Latency Doctor (LTDr), a practical system which aims to model and optimize PL's video frame latency over WiFi. We deploy LTDr in our campus and obtain several key observations based on 13.9M video frames extracted from 12K individual views on three leading PLs in China. We observe that 40% frame latencies over WiFi hop are more than 30ms, and channel utilization should be less than 64% for low latency. Then we build a predictive model based on the dataset using the machine learning methodologies. Two real cases show that the median frame latencies are decreased by LTDr from 130ms to 22ms, and 50ms to 12ms respectively over WiFi networks.
Biological Omics Analysis of Tumor Mutation Burden Combined with Immune Infiltrates in Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma

Background: In various malignancies, whether tumor mutation burden (TMB) is associated with improved survival outcomes or enhanced immunotherapy remains controversial. We are committed to exploring the prognosis of TMB and its potential association with immune infiltration of uterine corpus endometrial cancer (UCEC). Methods: We downloaded transcriptome data and somatic mutation data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and visualized the mutation profiles using the "maftools" package. TMB was calculated and the samples were divided into two groups by the median. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Wilcoxon test were used to compare the differences in survival and clinicopathological characteristics. Furthermore, we performed functional enrichment analysis to screen for significant contributing pathways. The "CIBERSORT" package was used to estimate the abundance of immune components. Differential analysis was performed using the "limma" package to compare gene expression profiles. Multivariate analysis was used to identify risk genes related to TMB. Based on these genes, a risk model was established, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to assess the predictive accuracy. Finally, we evaluated the relationship between risk genes and immune infiltration using the Timer database.Results: The mutation data included 542 UCEC patients. The waterfall plot summarized the specific mutation information. Higher TMB levels indicated improved overall survival (OS) (p =0.048) and were associated with advanced grades. Pathway analysis showed that the differential signals were enriched in multiple immune-related crosstalks. We screened 108 differentially expressed genes in two TMB groups and identified four risk-related genes. The model based on these four risk genes had good predictive value, the area under the curve (AUC) = 0.670, and patients with higher risk scores showed worse OS (p <0.001). Additionally, CD8 T cells memory-activated, CD4 T cells, and M1 macrophages in the high TMB group showed higher infiltrates, while regulatory T cells (Tregs) and M2 macrophages showed lower infiltrates.Conclusions: Higher TMB was associated with better survival outcomes and increased the immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment of UCEC.
Structural Characterization of UHPC Waffle Bridge Deck and Connections

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) strategic plan in 2005 for bridge engineering identified extending the service life of bridges and accelerating bridge construction as two of the grand challenges in bridge engineering. These challenges have the objective of producing safer and more economical bridges at a faster rate with a minimum service life of 75 years and reduced maintenance cost to serve the country’s infrastructure needs. Previous studies have shown that a prefabricated full-depth precast concrete deck system is an innovative technique that accelerates the rehabilitation process of a bridge deck, extending its service life with reduced user delays and community disruptions and lowering its life-cycle costs. Previous use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) for bridge applications in the United States has been considered to be efficient and economical because of its superior structural characteristics and durability properties. Full-depth UHPC waffle deck panel systems have been developed over the past three years in Europe and the United States. Subsequently, a single span, 60-ft long and 33-ft wide prototype bridge with full-depth prefabricated UHPC waffle deck panels has been designed and built for a replacement bridge in Wapello County, Iowa. The structural performance characteristics and the constructability of the UHPC waffle deck system and its critical connections were studied through an experimental program at the structural laboratory of Iowa State University (ISU). Two prefabricated full-depth UHPC waffle deck (8 feet by 9 feet 9 inches by 8 inches) panels were connected to 24-ft long precast girders, and the system was tested under service, fatigue, overload, and ultimate loads. Three months after the completion of the bridge with waffle deck system, it was load tested under live loads in February 2012. The measured strain and deflection values were within the acceptable limits, validating the structural performance of the bridge deck. Based on the laboratory test results, observations, field testing of the prototype bridge, and experience gained from the sequence of construction events such as panel fabrication and casting of transverse and longitudinal joints, a prefabricated UHPC waffle deck system is found to be a viable option to achieve the goals of the AASHTO strategic plan.
Low-jitter, hydrogen thyratron Pockels cell driver

The requirements to be met by Pockels cell drivers for incorporation into the Novette and Nova Laser systems are presented, and critical aspects of the specification examined. A high-performance pulse generator has been developed to meet these requirements using new thyratron technology from the English Electric Valve Co. Ltd. Two closely related versions have been built; a 10KV output unit with 9 nsec risetime into five parallel 50-ohm loads and a faster 5KV output driver with 3.5 nsec risetime into a single 50-ohm load. The design approach for optimizing performance, using the new tubes in relation to the LLNL specification is described, including the techniques used for control of electromagnetic interference.
Space vector based current control schemes for voltage source inverters

Hysteresis controllers are very simple and fast schemes for current control in voltage source inverters. Their disadvantage, a much higher switching frequency compared to other PWM methods, can be distinctly reduced by applying space vector based two dimensional hysteresis controllers. Four different control schemes are discussed and compared: the conventional method with three independent phase current controllers and three space vector based controllers operating with a two-dimensional hysteresis control and different switching tables. It is shown that their stationary behavior is only slightly inferior to the one of feedforward PWM methods. <<ETX>>
Development of a Methodology to Support Design of Complex Aircraft Wings

The design of complex systems in today’s aerospace domain requires a balance between the ever-increasing complexity of the supporting technology and the drive to develop those systems in a compressed timeframe. The performance knowledge of a preliminary design must shift backwards in the lifecycle in order to exploit that knowledge when there is still freedom in the design. Design of aerospace structures with fiber metal laminates (FML) represents one such area where the increased design freedom comes at a cost of increased design complexity. The potential benefits of FML technology, however, demand a solution to this design challenge. FMLs require a different approach to design and manufacturing that so far has been only moderately explored for possible automation. In order to support design of an FML wing, a tailored design methodology and prototyping tools are needed. The quantitative systems engineering field of knowledge based engineering (KBE) provides a solution. A KBE approach, leveraging parametric, geometry-based modeling and expert FML manufacturability knowledge, can work within a design framework to automate many of the non-creative activities of the FML designer, such as initial layup design and manufacturability rule application. This research seeks to frame the FML wing design process, develop critical KBE design modules tailored for FML knowledge, and illustrate their utility in the balance of aerospace structure weight and cost.
Investigation of uav systems and flight modes for photogrammetric applications

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry has been used in a growing number of diverse applications across different scientific disciplines. Early applications of UAVs included cultural heritage and archaeology, mainly for the documentation and modelling of monuments, buildings and landscapes. In this paper, the focus is on the application of UAVs for documenting archaeological excavations. As excavating is a dynamic process and the objects to be acquired can change significantly within a few hours, UAVs can provide a suitable alternative to traditional measurement methods such as measuring tapes and tachymeters. Nevertheless, the image processing steps have to be automated, as a large number of resulting materials, usually sketches, maps, ortho‐images and 3D models, need to be available quickly. In order to accelerate the processing workflow, an interface between the UAV ground control software and various photogrammetric software packages was developed at ETH Zurich, which allows for an efficient management and transfer of orientation, trajectory and sensor data for rapid project set up.
Nanoparticle or conventional adjuvants: which one improves immune response against Brucellosis?

Objective(s): Brucellosis is a common infectious disease among animals and humans. While subunit vaccines could be used as an efficient strategy against pathogens, they usually seem to be less immunogenic than live or killed vaccines. However, the use of a suitable adjuvant accompanied by subunit vaccines can be a good alternative to enhance the immune response. Materials and Methods: To find a proper adjuvant against Brucellosis, the immune response of induced mice by Aluminum Hydroxide (AH), Incomplete Freund (IFA), and Chitosan Nanoparticle (CS) adjuvants in individuals and in combination with CS were assessed. Results: Immunization with CS stimulated higher interferon gamma (IFN-γ) immunity, while there were no significant differences between rOMP25 (IFA), rOMP25 (AH), rOMP25 (AH-CS) and rOMP25 (IFA-CS) recombinant proteins. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) analysis revealed there were no significant differencesbetween immunized groups and the positive control group, except for the treatment formulated in single IFA. Furthermore, unlike IFN-γ, there was a reverse interleukin-4 (IL-4) immune response trend for treatments, as rOMP25 (CS) displayed the lowest response. rOMP25 (CS) induced higher titer of total antibody than the other ones. Although the recombinant proteins emulsified in different adjuvants induced similar titer of IgG1 antibody, the ones that were formulated in CS, IFA and IFA-CS showed a higher titer of IgG2a. The cell proliferation assay demonstrating the antigen-specific cell proliferative response could be promoted after immunization with CS. Conclusion: CS whether single or in combination with IF adjuvants has potential to improve Th1-Th2 responses.
The effects of substrate stiffness on mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and differentiation

The aim of the project was to test the hypothesis that substrate stiffness will affect MSC proliferation and differentiation. In order to achieve this two systems were developed; a natural fibrin substrate, whereby altering the concentration of fibrinogen changes the stiffness of the resultant gel and an artificial PDMS substrate where the stiffness is controlled by altering the degree of crosslinking. To determine the effect of various fibrin matrices, providing more physiological growth conditions, on the MSC phenotype; cells were cultured on the gels and then analysed or re-plated onto TCP before analysis. It was found that cells, that had an initial 7-day culture period on the fibrin, proliferated. and maintained their osteogenic differential potential better when compared to cells pre-cultured on TCP. Similarly, a concentration relationship between colony number and fibrin concentration was seen with a decrease in colony number as the fibrin number increased suggesting that' progenitor cell numbers are better maintained on low-stiffness gels. Furthermore, direct culture on the gels demonstrated a stiffness related increase in colony number. PDMS is easily produced with a large range of mechanical properties. Uncoated PDMS does not support MSC attachment and growth in vitro and therefore an acrylic acid coating was applied. Although XPS analysis was unable to establish that a complete coating was deposited on all of the substrates, once coated the PDMS supported MSC attachment and growth. CFU-f efficiency was not directly altered by the mechanical properties of the underlying substrate, however, the differentiation of the cells showed a trend; with an increase in osteoblastic differentiation as the stiffness increased. This trend was also seen under high-density culture conditions with no correlation to the rate of proliferation. Although the exact mechanism is unknown the data presented here supports the concept that substrate signals influence MSC growth and differentiation.
Load Mechanics in External and Bone-Anchored Prostheses

There are at least 3 million people globally who need prosthetic treatment. The number of people who receive lower limb amputations could be on the rise with the occurrence of the ageing problem. Prosthetic replacement is one of the most significant rehabilitation programs for those who lose their limbs. A lower-limb prosthesis is conventionally attached to the residual limb by a socket. Although this approach has been used for over 50 years, residual limb pain and soft tissue breakdown occur commonly. Poor socket fit applying excessive pressure to the pressure-intolerable residual limb has been suggested to be the main cause of the problems. On the other hand, a few teams are developing a surgical approach for directly anchoring a prosthesis to the femur using a titanium implant (osseointegration). One of the most advanced fixation systems currently available includes an implant and an abutment. The proximal end of the abutment is attached to the implant while its distal end protrudes through the soft tissue allowing attachment of the external prosthesis. The absence of prosthetic socket can alleviate the skin problems and residual limb pain. Improved sensory feedback and greater hip range of motion are the other advantages. However, occasional mechanical failures of fixation have been reported. Loosening of implants after long term usage might be a potential issue due to the load transfer from the bone to the implant (stress shielding), although there is no data available in the literature indicating the incidence yet. Residual limb pain, mechanical failures of the fixation and the potential problems of implant loosening are all related to mechanical loading. To improve the quality of external and bone-anchored lower-limb prostheses, it is important to study the load applied to them. This article presents our studies performed at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Queensland University of Technology investigating the load mechanics in both types of prostheses.
Handling

This chapter asks how readers in this period physically handled books containing verse. Handling is explored through three qualities which significantly affect it: size, shape, and weight. The chapter explores some epistemological problems with the concept of size in the study of medieval manuscripts, and then offers the largest quantitative survey yet published of size and shape in manuscripts containing Middle English verse. Size evidence provides a broad overview of the ways in which particular texts might have been read. The shapes of books, meanwhile, appear to have been affected by literary form. The chapter then turns to weight, with the first ever survey of the weight of manuscripts from this period which retain period bindings. This survey reveals that the portability of poetry cannot be inferred simply from size or binding type, but must instead be worked out by considering size, shape, materials, and binding together. The chapter’s conclusions indicate how deeply embedded thought about form and the anticipation of future reading were in the production of manuscripts containing Middle English verse.
Preserving Edge from Gaussian Filter by Edge Template

An image filtering with the only Gaussian function is the smoothing technique. Although the result of the filtering can remove the noise, it also destroy the detail image. This paper presents the smoothing technique that uses the Gaussian function to locate the image edge in any position. By using the edge model template, the comparison has been make to adjust the proper kernel of Gaussian function. If the decision was made to be edge, the proper kernel was adjusted respect to the orientation of the edge that was apply. Otherwise, the normal filter was apply. The result of our approach will performed the same as Gaussian function but can preserve the edge in the image. The experiments will demonstrated the various of the parameters such as the kernel and $\sigma$. The results were shown that our approach can performed the significant in term of the preserving edge.
Hybrid Space : New Forms in Digital Architecture

Architects, designers, and engineers have been using computers for decades to increase productivity, to solve seemingly insoluble problems, and for sophisticated presentations. Frank Gehry is particularly recognized for his innovative use of the computer. It is only recently, however, that computers are being used not just as tools, but as creative devices capable of generating startling new design ideas and entirely unexpected forms for the built world. For the first time in decades, a generation of technocratic architects and designers are producing buildings and structures that are redefining the practice and understanding of architecture. By breeding ideas with form, the real with the virtual, they create hybrid spaces that challenge long-held conventions of space, architecture, and time. This innovative publication presents the work of twelve leading international practitioners of architecture who are spearheading the creative wave. The explosive growth in the field has been fueled by a variety of new softwares and computer-programming techniques. Whether derived from digital animation or complex algorithms, the results of these methods are sending shockwaves around the architecture world. From Greg Lynn's animate forms to UN Studio's diagrammatics, from dECOi's multidisciplinary researches to NOX's crossbreeding of biology and technology, little of this work has been seen in any but the most exclusive design circles. The author introduces the various approaches that lie behind "Hybrid Space," while placing the new work within the context of contemporary developments in architecture and technology. The book's core features extensive profiles of the architects, which detailtheir philosophies and design processes, and present several of their most recent projects. A substantial reference section includes comprehensive information on each architect and a glossary of technical terms. At a time when architects around the world search for new forms of creative expression, this timely publication considers the exceptional work of architects for whom technology" is" expression, not just a means to an end.
Cultivating in situ triggers growth of previously uncultivated microorganisms via a growth initiation factor in nature

Most microorganisms resist cultivation under standard laboratory conditions. On the other hand, to cultivate microbes in a membrane-bound device incubated in nature (in situ cultivation) is an effective approach. In the present study, we applied in situ cultivation to isolate diverse previously uncultivated marine sponge-associated microbes and comparatively analyzed this method’s efficiencies with those of the conventional method. Then, we attempted to clarify the key and unknown mechanism of in situ cultivation by focusing on growth triggering via growth initiation factor. We hypothesized that majority of environmental microorganisms are in nongrowing state and requiring “growth initiation factor” for the recovery and that can be provided from environments. Consequently, significantly more novel and diverse microbial types were isolated via in situ cultivation than by standard direct plating (SDP). Next, the effect of the sponge extract on starvation recovery was compared between strains derived from in situ and SDP cultivation. Adding small amounts of the sponge extracts to the medium elevated the colony-formation efficiencies of the in situ strains at the starvation recovery step, while it showed no positive effect on that of SDP strains. Conversely, specific growth rates or carrying capacities of all tested strains were not positively affected. These results indicate that, 1) the sponge extract contains chemical compounds that facilitate starvation recovery, these substances selectively worked on the in situ strains, and 2) growth initiation factor in the sponge extract did not continuously promote growth activity but worked as triggers for regrowth (resuscitation from dormancy). Importance Most microbial species resist cultivation under laboratory condition. This is critical impediment for both academic and applied microbiology, and thus clarification of the mechanism of microbial uncultivability is highly demanded. Several evidences have been reported that to cultivate microbes in a membrane-bound device incubated in nature (in situ cultivation) is an effective approach. However, the mechanism behind this approach has not been clarified. The present study shows the evidence that 1) initiating growth is a key for cultivating previously uncultivated microbes rather than simple growth promotion, and 2) growth initiation factor (signaling-like compounds) in natural environments stimulate microbial resuscitation from a nongrowing state. Since no study has focused on growth initiation for cultivation of previously uncultivated microorganisms, the discovery shown in the present study provides a new insight into microorganisms previously considered uncultivable and a microbial growth controlling system in nature.