Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Particle filter based approach to road detection in multiband SAR images

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images are widely used for aerial and spatial image applications, such as terrain classification, target detection, etc. SAR images in different bands can provide multi-spectrum information, which is beneficial for more accurate target observation. In this paper, a new method is proposed for joint detection of roads in multiband SAR images. First, the multi-segmented polyline model is introduced to provide a more accurate description of road curve. Then, the roads in SAR images are extracted in a Bayesian tracking framework, and the particle filtering algorithm is employed to implement the tracking. Finally, a joint detection method is proposed to determine the optimal weights of particles based on the maximum likelihood (ML) criterion. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by experimental results with real multiband SAR data.
Biofabrication of antibodies and antigens via IgG‐binding domain engineered with activatable pentatyrosine pro‐tag

We report the assembly of seven different antibodies (and two antigens) into functional supramolecular structures that are specifically designed to facilitate integration into devices using entirely biologically based bottom‐up fabrication. This is enabled by the creation of an engineered IgG‐binding domain (HG3T) with an N‐terminal hexahistidine tag that facilitates purification and a C‐terminal enzyme‐activatable pentatyrosine “pro‐tag” that facilitates covalent coupling to the pH stimuli‐responsive polysaccharide, chitosan. Because we confer pH‐stimuli responsiveness to the IgG‐binding domain, it can be electrodeposited or otherwise assembled into many configurations. Importantly, we demonstrate the loading of both HG3T and antibodies can be achieved in a linear fashion so that quantitative assessment of antibodies and antigens is feasible. Our demonstration formats include: conventional multiwell plates, micropatterned electrodes, and fiber networks. We believe biologically based fabrication (i.e., biofabrication) provides bottom‐up hierarchical assembly of a variety of nanoscale components for applications that range from point‐of‐care diagnostics to smart fabrics. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 231–240. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Redundancy modelling and resolution for robotic mobile manipulators: a general approach

Abstract In this work the topic of kinematic redundancy modelling and resolution for robotic mobile manipulators is considered. A set of redundancy parameters is introduced to define a general inverse kinematic procedure for mobile manipulators. Then, redundancy is treated as a non-linear optimization problem with the purpose of finding robot configurations that maximize the designed metric measures. Some strategies to design the optimization objective function are introduced in order to achieve desirable redundant behaviours, such as obstacles avoidance, mobile base motions reductions and dexterity optimization. Moreover, the robot controller has been developed following an object-oriented software architecture principle that allows to keep it general and robot independent. As a prove of reliability and generality of our approach, the same controller has been used to control several different mobile manipulators in a simulation environment, as well as a real KUKA youBot robot. Graphical Abstract
Looking at the metabolic consequences of the colchicine-based in vivo autophagic flux assay

ABSTRACT Monitoring autophagic flux in vivo or in organs remains limited and the ideal methods relative to the techniques possible with cell culture may not exist. Recently, a few papers have demonstrated the feasibility of measuring autophagic flux in vivo by intraperitoneal (IP) injection of pharmacological agents (chloroquine, leupeptin, vinblastine, and colchicine). However, the metabolic consequences of the administration of these drugs remain largely unknown. Here, we report that 0.8 mg/kg/day IP colchicine increased LC3-II protein levels in the liver of fasted trout, supporting the usefulness of this drug for studying autophagic flux in vivo in our model organism. This effect was accompanied by a decrease of plasma glucose concentration associated with a fall in the mRNA levels of gluconeogenesis-related genes. Concurrently, triglycerides and lipid droplets content in the liver increased. In contrast, transcript levels of β-oxidation-related gene Cpt1a dropped significantly. Together, these results match with the reported role of autophagy in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and intracellular lipid stores, and highlight the importance of considering these effects when using colchicine as an in vivo “autophagometer. ”
Defective Intracellular Trafficking of Uromodulin Mutant Isoforms

Medullary cystic kidney disease/familial juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy (MCKD/FJHN) are autosomal dominant renal disorders characterized by tubulo‐interstitial fibrosis, hyperuricemia and medullary cysts. They are caused by mutations in the gene encoding uromodulin, the most abundant protein in urine. Uromodulin (or Tamm–Horsfall protein) is a glycoprotein that is exclusively expressed by epithelial tubular cells of the thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop and distal convoluted tubule. To date, 37 different uromodulin mutations have been described in patients with MCKD/FJHN. Interestingly, 60% of them involve one of the 48 conserved cysteine residues. We have previously shown that cysteine‐affecting mutations could lead to partial endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention. In this study, as a further step in understanding uromodulin biology in health and disease, we provide the first extensive study of intracellular trafficking and subcellular localization of wild‐type and mutant uromodulin isoforms. We analyzed a set of 12 different uromodulin mutations that were representative of the different kind of mutations identified so far by different experimental approaches (immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, biochemistry and in vivo imaging) in transiently transfected HEK293 and Madin–Darby canine kidney cells. We assessed protein processing in the secretory pathway and could demonstrate that although to different extent, all uromodulin mutations lead to defective ER to Golgi protein transport, suggesting a common pathogenetic mechanism in MCKD/FJHN.
Phased array antenna suitable for a relay-aided WiMAX network

In this study, a planar 4×4 phased array including modified E-shaped radiation elements is designed and fabricated to be incorporated in a Relay Station (RS) for realizing the communication with the super-ordinate Base Station. The proposed array provides 12.4% bandwidth at the 3.5GHz frequency band and gain of 21.2dB. Moreover a beamforming module is designed and simulated, aimed to be connected to the proposed array and realizing beamforming applications. This module provides 650 MHz bandwidth around 3.5GHz frequency band and is used for proper power division and controlling the amplitude/phase of the excitation currents.
Differential Effect of head‐up tilt on Cardiovagal and Sympathetic Baroreflex Sensitivity in Humans

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of baroreceptor unloading on the sensitivity of the cardiovagal and sympathetic arms of the baroreflex during upright posture. Beat‐by‐beat R‐R interval, arterial blood pressure and cardiac output (Doppler ultrasound), as well as muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) were recorded during periods in supine (Supine) and 60 deg head‐up tilt (HUT) positions (n = 8 volunteers). Cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) was measured by the spontaneous sequence analysis method using systolic blood pressure and R‐R interval, while sympathetic BRS was determined using the slope of the linear relationship between decreasing segments of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and corresponding increases in MSNA. On changing to HUT, mean R‐R interval and cardiac output decreased, while mean measures of MSNA, DBP and total peripheral resistance increased (P < 0.05). Cardiovagal BRS decreased from Supine to 60 deg HUT (19 ± 2 ms mmHg−1 versus 7.6 ± 1.2 ms mmHg−1; P < 0.01). In contrast, sympathetic BRS increased from ‐6.1 ± 1.4 a.u. mmHg−1 in Supine to ‐14 ± 2 a.u. mmHg−1 in HUT (P < 0.01). Thus, HUT produced differential effects on cardiac versus sympathetic BRS. The data suggest that dynamic baroreflex‐mediated cardiovascular control is dominated by sympathetic control during baroreceptor unloading.
Angelucci , Manuela Working Paper Migration and Financial Constraints : Evidence from Mexico

Migration and Financial Constraints: Evidence from Mexico Using data collected for the evaluation of the rural component of Oportunidades, Mexico’s flagship anti-poverty program, I show that poor households’ entitlement to an exogenous, temporary but guaranteed income stream increases US migration even if this income is mainly consumed and that some households likely use the entitlement to this income stream as collateral to finance the migration. The individuals who start migrating because of this income shock belong to households with no counterfactual US migrants, come from the middle of the local predicted wage distribution, and worsen migrant skills. These results suggest that financial constraints to international migration are binding for poor Mexicans, some of whom would like to migrate but cannot afford to. If generalizable, they indicate that, as growth and anti-poverty and micro-finance programs relax financial constraints for the poor, Mexican migration to the US will increase and higher levels of border enforcement will likely be needed. JEL Classification: J61, O12, O15, F22
Three‐dimensional model of the feline hindlimb

This article describes a three‐dimensional musculoskeletal model of the feline hindlimb based on digitized musculoskeletal anatomy. The model consists of seven degrees of freedom: three at the hip and two each at the knee and ankle. Lines of action and via points for 32 major muscles of the limb are described. Interspecimen variability of muscle paths was surprisingly low; most via points displayed a scatter of only a few millimeters. Joint axes identified by mechanical techniques as noncoincident and nonorthogonal were further honed to yield moment arms consistent with previous reports. Interspecimen variability in joint axes was greater than that of muscle paths and highlights the importance of joint axes in kinematic models. The contribution of specific muscles to the direction of endpoint force generation is discussed. J. Morphol. 261:118–129, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Compiler verification for fun and profit

Formal verification of software or hardware systems --- be it by model checking, deductive verification, abstract interpretation, type checking, or any other kind of static analysis --- is generally conducted over high-level programming or description languages, quite remote from the actual machine code and circuits that execute in the system. To bridge this particular gap, we all rely on compilers and other code generators to automatically produce the executable artifact. Compilers are, however, vulnerable to miscompilation: bugs in the compiler that cause incorrect code to be generated from a correct source code, possibly invalidating the guarantees so painfully obtained by source-level formal verification. Recent experimental studies [1] show that many widely-used production-quality compilers suffer from miscompilation. The formal verification of compilers and related code generators is a radical, mathematically-grounded answer to the miscompilation issue. By applying formal verification (typically, interactive theorem proving) to the compiler itself, it is possible to guarantee that the compiler preserves the semantics of the source programs it transforms, or at least preserves the properties of interest that were formally verified over the source programs. Proving the correctness of compilers is an old idea [2], [3] that took a long time to scale all the way to realistic compilers. In the talk, I give an overview of CompCert C [4], a moderately-optimizing compiler for almost all of the ISO C 99 language that has been formally verified using the Coq proof assistant [5]. The CompCert project is one point in a space of code generators whose verification deserves attention. For example, functional languages and object-oriented languages raise the issue of jointly verifying the compiler and the run-time system (memory management, exception handling, etc) that the generated code depends on. At the other end of the expressiveness spectrum, synchronous languages and hardware description languages also raise interesting verified generation issues, as exemplified by Pnueli's seminal work on translation validation for Signal [6] and Braibant and Chlipala's recent work on verified hardware synthesis [7]. Orthogonally, the integration of verification tools and compilers that are both verified against a shared formal semantics opens fascinating opportunities for "super-optimizations" that generate better code by exploiting the properties of the source code that were formally verified.
Expression of novel antioxidant thioredoxin‐2 in the rat brain

Thioredoxins are a class of small redox‐regulating proteins that have been implicated in the control of various aspects of cellular functions and seem to be one of the key regulators of signalling in the cellular responses to various stresses. Thioredoxin‐2 (Trx2) is a novel mammalian thioredoxin which, in contrast to previously known cytosolic thioredoxin (Trx1), has been localized to the mitochondria. Trx2 is abundantly expressed in skeletal muscle, heart and adrenal gland, as well as in some other peripheral tissues with high metabolic activity. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we have studied the distribution and regulation of Trx2 expression in the rat brain. Trx2 mRNA and protein are highly expressed in the neurons in several brain regions, including the olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, hippocampus, some hypothalamic and thalamic nuclei, cerebellum and numerous brainstem nuclei. In addition, the Trx2 mRNA expression in paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and reticular thalamic nucleus was found to be sensitive to peripheral glucocorticoids, as dexamethasone treatment caused significant elevation of Trx2 mRNA level in this area. No changes in other brain areas were observed after dexamethasone treatment. These findings implicate a significant regulatory and/or protective function of Trx2 in the nervous system.
Why do Unemployment Bene fi ts Raise Unemployment Durations ? The Role of Borrowing Constraints and Income E ff ects

It is well known that unemployment benefits raise unemployment durations. This result has traditionally been interpreted as a substitution effect caused by a reduction in the price of leisure relative to consumption, generating a deadweight burden. This paper questions the validity of this interpretation by showing that unemployment benefits can also affect durations through a non-distortionary income effect for agents who face borrowing constraints. The empirical relevance of borrowing constraints and income effects is evaluated in two ways. First, I divide households into groups that are likely to be constrained and unconstrained based on their asset holdings, mortgage payments, and spouse’s labor force status. I find that increases in unemployment benefits have small effects on durations in the unconstrained groups but large effects in the constrained groups. Second, I find that lump-sum severance payments granted at the time of job loss significantly increase durations, particularly among households that are likely to be constrained. These results suggest that temporary benefit programs have substantial income effects, challenging the prevailing view that social safety nets create large efficiency costs.
Work In-progress : Mining the Student Data for Fitness

Data mining-driven agents are often used in applications such as waiting times estimation or traffic flow prediction. Such approaches often require large amounts of data from multiple sources, which may be difficult to obtain and lead to incomplete or noisy datasets. University ID card data, in contrast, is easy to access with very low noise. However, little attention has been paid to the availability of these datasets and few applications have been developed to improve student services on campus. This work uses data from CougCard, the Washington State University official ID card, used daily by most students. Our goal is to build an intelligent agent to improve student service quality by predicting the crowdedness at different campus facilities. This work in-progress focuses on the University Recreation Center, one of the most popular facilities on campus, to optimize students’ workout experiences.
The Debt-Equity Choice of Japanese Firms

Prior studies on the debt-equity choice of firms focus on capital market oriented economies. This paper examines whether firms in Japan, the world's largest bank-oriented economy, adjust their debt-equity choice towards the target. We find that the leverage rations of Japanese firms do adjust slowly towards their target levels. The adjustment speed has dwindled after the Asian Financial Crisis. In contrast to existing literature, we show that an increase in tangible assets reduces the leverage ratio of firms in Japan. It is also found that the effect of financial deficit is persistent while the market timing effect is not.
Certified Programming with Dependent Types - A Pragmatic Introduction to the Coq Proof Assistant

The technology of mechanized program verification can play a supporting role in many kinds of research projects in computer science, and related tools for formal proof-checking are seeing increasing adoption in mathematics and engineering. This book provides an introduction to the Coq software for writing and checking mathematical proofs. It takes a practical engineering focus throughout, emphasizing techniques that will help users to build, understand, and maintain large Coq developments and minimize the cost of code change over time. Two topics, rarely discussed elsewhere, are covered in detail: effective dependently typed programming (making productive use of a feature at the heart of the Coq system) and construction of domain-specific proof tactics. Almost every subject covered is also relevant to interactive computer theorem proving in general, not just program verification, demonstrated through examples of verified programs applied in many different sorts of formalizations. The book develops a unique automated proof style and applies it throughout; even experienced Coq users may benefit from reading about basic Coq concepts from this novel perspective. The book also offers a library of tactics, or programs that find proofs, designed for use with examples in the book. Readers will acquire the necessary skills to reimplement these tactics in other settings by the end of the book. All of the code appearing in the book is freely available online.
The birth of the clinic. An archaeology of medical perception

JOHN C. KRANTZ, jr., Historical medical classics involving new drugs, Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins Co., 1974, 8vo. , pp. x, 129, illus. , $8.50. Reviewed by Edwin Clarke, M.D., F.R. C.P., Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 183 Euston Road, London NWI 2BP In times of financial stringencies, it is natural to wonder why books of this kind should be published. The author has gathered together the histories of digitalis, morphine, nitroglycerin, aspirin, adrenaline, arsphenamine, insulin, vitamin B12, sulphonamides, penicillin, streptomycin, LSD, and fluorinated anaesthetics. He includes biographical accounts of the pioneers, and illustrates their discoveries by presenting excerpts from their classic papers or books. The work is intended" . as an ancilliary text for the training of the student in the multifaceted field of the health sciences . " (p. vii), but unfortunately it is most unsuitable for this purpose. In the first place it is packed with errors, both factual and interpretative. Some are minor, but some are not, as for example when it is claimed that both Van Helmont and Beaumont discovered hydrochloric acid in the stomach! Why in the first place Beaumont's investigations are included is not clear. The analysis of historical developments are frequently in error and much of the vital secondary literature is omitted. Thus the section on penicillin contains the usual panegyric to Fleming, with Florey and Chain dismissed in a sentence. It is based on the distorted and unreliable Maurois biography, with no reference to Sir Ernst Chain's recent account of the true sequence of events, or to the remarkable "practical history" of Ronald Hare. The last "classic" in the book concerns the discovery of fluorinated anaesthetics, and the main reason for its inclusion seems to be that the author and one of his students were involved. The extracts from primary sources contain many errors, especially in those translated into English. Identification is often faulty or absent. Documentation is minimal and occasionally erroneous. If, in addition, it is pointed out that most of this material has been presented before in an excellent book by B. Holmstedt and A. Liljestrand (Readings in pharmacology, Oxford, etc., Pergamon Press, 1963), there is even more justification for exclaiming, "why, oh why? "
3 Dimensional GAA Transitors : twin silicon nanowire MOSFET and multi-bridge-channel MOSFET

In this paper, as the candidates of MOSFET for high performance and channel length scale below 10 nm, gate-all-around (GAA) multi-bridge-channel MOSFETs (MBCFETs) and twin Si-nanowire MOSFETs (TSNWFETs) are introduced. These are Si-based transistors with an ultimate structure for future scaled devices. N-ch MBCFET with two bridges shows 3.5 mA/um and 13 nA/um of Ion and Ioff, respectively. N-ch TSNWFET shows 2.64 mA/um with two 10 nm diameter Si-wire and gate length of 30 nm. Both transistors show excellent short channel effects
Lung Vascular Targeting Using Antibody to Aminopeptidase P: CT-SPECT Imaging, Biodistribution and Pharmacokinetic Analysis

Background/Aims: Aminopeptidase P (APP) is specifically enriched in caveolae on the luminal surface of pulmonary vascular endothelium. APP antibodies bind lung endothelium in vivo and are rapidly and actively pumped across the endothelium into lung tissue. Here we characterize the immunotargeting properties and pharmacokinetics of the APP-specific recombinant antibody 833c. Methods: We used in situ binding, biodistribution analysis and in vivo imaging to assess the lung targeting of 833c. Results: More than 80% of 833c bound during the first pass through isolated perfused lungs. Dynamic SPECT acquisition showed that 833c rapidly and specifically targeted the lungs in vivo, reaching maximum levels within 2 min after intravenous injection. CT-SPECT imaging revealed specific targeting of 833c to the thoracic cavity and co-localization with a lung perfusion marker, Tc99m-labeled macroaggregated albumin. Biodistribution analysis confirmed lung-specific uptake of 833c which declined by first-order kinetics (t½ = 110 h) with significant levels of 833c still present 30 days after injection. Conclusion: These data show that APP expressed in endothelial caveolae appears to be readily accessible to circulating antibody rather specifically in lung. Targeting lung-specific caveolar APP provides an extraordinarily rapid and specific means to target pulmonary vasculature and potentially deliver therapeutic agents into the lung tissue.