Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimisations for LocSens - an indoor location tracking system using wireless sensors

Ubiquitous and pervasive computing envisions context-aware systems that gather real-world information from many fixed and mobile microchips and sensors integrated in everyday objects. To provide valuable services, it is necessary to estimate the location of users or objects. Outdoor location tracking is achieved by Global Positioning System (GPS), but due to its poor indoor coverage, there is a need for alternative technologies in buildings. Since multiple wireless sensors may be situated in the environment, they can be used for location estimation and tracking. This paper presents LocSens, a cost-effective location tracking system based on sensor nodes with wireless connectivity. LocSens works with a minimum number of sensor nodes. It is established and tested in a real indoor scenario over multiple rooms. LocSens could be improved by optimising algorithms and using more precise sensor boards. Results confirm gained accuracy in location estimation and tracking of moving objects.
Visualizing and analyzing dynamic business process using Petri nets

Business processes are modelled, visualized and analyzed using process maps, and implemented using productivity suites such as MS Visio, Business Process Extraction Language (BPEL), and some other productivity suites. However, the problem with such current process models is that it is static. Business process tasks modelled using non-interactive visualisation tool does not allow active engagement of the analyst or users developing the process maps with the process maps to determine what if scenarios. The constant changes to existing business processes are enforced due to several external and internal factors with an objective of improving process efficiency and effectiveness. So, we developed a Petri net process model to visualise business process tasks and allow interaction with the process model to allow the user or analyst to compute from an ‘as-is’ business process model to a ‘to be’ business process model that would optimise both the time it takes to complete the process (process duration) and the cost of executing the business process tasks (process costs). Petri nets whilst a form of visualisation of tasks also enables mathematical modelling of the process model. Methodology: We applied mathematical combination theory, combined with Petri nets formalism to create design options in generating alternative business process options with different process duration and cost factors to enable the process modeller or analyst make a better decision. We visualized and evaluated different dynamic ‘transitions’ sequence generated based on best duration and cost, modelled the ‘design options’ in the Platform Independent Petri Net editor (PIPE2) tool and performed further analysis of the Petri net properties of the modelled processes. Finally, we discussed how to visualize and analyze ‘design options’ and provided certain views on business processes. Results: We demonstrated through our research that Petri nets could be used in visualising different process tasks as and users can interact with the process model. This was implemented using a case study of a supermarket chain business process. This research helped in identifying six out of the eleven business process ‘design options’ generated are best optimised each with process duration of 28 hours and process cost of 35.57 dollars. However, further qualitative analysis of these optimised ‘design options’ effectively resulted in only one out of the eleven as the most optimal process design indicating the selected revised business process. The visualization is helpful in analyzing dynamic transitions for exploring and understanding complex behaviour in the business processes. The results suggest that the combination of mathematical approach in conjunction with the analytical properties of Petri Nets could be used to generate unbiased alternative business process designs that can be further evaluated by the business process re-engineer or analyst in order to revise an existing business process.
Primary and secondary afferent discharges from the same spindle during chain fibre contraction in cat tenuissimus muscle

Pairs of Ia and II afferent fibres supplying primary and secondary endings lying in the same tenuissimus spindles were prepared in barbiturate anaesthetized cats in order to compare the variability in the rhythm of discharge of the two endings during responses elicited by the contraction of different intrafusal muscle fibres, especially by chain fibres. In these spindles, the intrafusal muscle fibres supplied by single static gamma‐axons were identified with a recently developed technique based on the types of primary ending activation observed during gamma stimulation at 30 and 100 stimuli/s. The responses of the secondary endings to contraction of chain fibres either alone or with bag2 fibres were smaller and much more regular than the responses of the primary endings lying in the same spindles. This difference is probably related to the position of secondary endings along the intrafusal muscle fibres and to the mechanical properties of the muscle fibre regions on which the terminals lie. The dynamic properties of the encoding site of primary afferent impulses probably contribute to the difference. The different degrees of variability observed among secondary ending responses elicited either by chain fibres alone or by chain and bag2 fibres are not related to the type of activated intrafusal muscle fibres.
Consensus: The Minimum Cost Model based Robust Optimization

In decision making, there are opinion conflict for the people involved it. In order to eliminate the opinion conflict, the minimum cost consensus model is proposed to coordinate the opinion of experts. However, in the exiting minimum cost model, the unit adjustment cost of experts is supposed to be fixed. It is hard to get and can be uncertain. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a consensus model based on robust optimization. In the presented model, it mainly solves the worst-case consensus problem. Subsequently, the detailed consensus feedback adjustment is presented involving two aspects: construct robust counterpart of worst-case consensus and estimate the unit adjustment cost of expert. Finally, through numerical example and comparative analysis, the validity and superiority of the presented consensus model are verified.
A new energy transfer principle to achieve a minimum phase & continuous current boost converter

The conventional boost converter is widely used for many different applications in spite of its limitations regarding dynamic performance, due to its right-half-plane zeros, and discontinuous output current. An alternative boost converter based on a capacitive energy transfer has been proposed in the past to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, being the need of a floating driver its major disadvantage. This paper introduces a new energy transfer principle allowing both to have continuous current and to eliminate the RHP zero without the need of a floating driver. It also compares the new converter with the capacitive energy transfer counter-part and presents B/B stability test results.
Endurance of One Transistor Floating Body RAM on UTBOX SOI

Endurance is investigated on one transistor floating body RAM cells processed on a silicon-on-insulator substrate with ultrathin buried oxide, and programmed using the bipolar junction transistor current inherent in MOSFETs. During the hole generation step, defects are generated close to the drain. These defects not only reduce the retention time but also result in a lower hole generation rate as a function of the number of cycles, which leads to a write 1 failure. We have shown that standard junction devices with a lightly doped drain (LDD) region are more enduring than extensionless devices with the LDD left undoped. This is owing to the poor spacer oxide on top of the extensionless region where holes are generated.
Bright-light treatment reduces actigraphic-measured daytime sleep in nursing home patients with dementia: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE The authors evaluated the effects of bright-light therapy on daytime sleep among nursing home patients with dementia. METHODS Eleven patients with sleep/wake disturbances received 2 hours/day of morning bright-light exposure for 2 weeks. Sleep was measured with actigraphy and nursing staff diaries. RESULTS Daytime sleep decreased significantly in the period from rising time to 3:00 P.M. with bright-light treatment. Treatment effects did not last into the 16-week post-treatment period. CONCLUSIONS Bright light exposure was effective in reducing daytime sleep in nursing home patients with dementia; this finding is possibly related to bright light's acute alerting effects.
Identification of Co-Existing Mutations and Gene Expression Trends Associated With K13-Mediated Artemisinin Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum infects millions and kills thousands of people annually the world over. With the emergence of artemisinin and/or multidrug resistant strains of the pathogen, it has become even more challenging to control and eliminate the disease. Multiomics studies of the parasite have started to provide a glimpse into the confounding genetics and mechanisms of artemisinin resistance and identified mutations in Kelch13 (K13) as a molecular marker of resistance. Over the years, thousands of genomes and transcriptomes of artemisinin-resistant/sensitive isolates have been documented, supplementing the search for new genes/pathways to target artemisinin-resistant isolates. This meta-analysis seeks to recap the genetic landscape and the transcriptional deregulation that demarcate artemisinin resistance in the field. To explore the genetic territory of artemisinin resistance, we use genomic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) datasets from 2,517 isolates from 15 countries from the MalariaGEN Network (The Pf3K project, pilot data release 4, 2015) to dissect the prevalence, geographical distribution, and co-existing patterns of genetic markers associated with/enabling artemisinin resistance. We have identified several mutations which co-exist with the established markers of artemisinin resistance. Interestingly, K13-resistant parasites harbor α-ß hydrolase and putative HECT domain–containing protein genes with the maximum number of SNPs. We have also explored the multiple, publicly available transcriptomic datasets to identify genes from key biological pathways whose consistent deregulation may be contributing to the biology of resistant parasites. Surprisingly, glycolytic and pentose phosphate pathways were consistently downregulated in artemisinin-resistant parasites. Thus, this meta-analysis highlights the genetic and transcriptomic features of resistant parasites to propel further exploratory studies in the community to tackle artemisinin resistance.
Modulating the Band Alignments of Two-Dimensional In2Se3/InSe Heterostructure via Ferroelectric Polarization and Interlayer Coupling

Two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric materials with robust polarization down to atomic thicknesses provide novel building blocks for functional heterostructures. The effects of ferroelectric polarization on the electronic properties of 2D ferroelectric heterostructures are rarely investigated. Here, based on the first-principles calculations, we study the effect of ferroelectric polarization and interlayer coupling on the electronic properties of the 2D In2Se3/InSe ferroelectric heterostructure. It is found that the ferroelectric polarization of In2Se3 can effectively tune the band alignments of the In2Se3/InSe heterostructure. When the direction of ferroelectric polarization is reversed (i.e., from up to down), the band alignments of In2Se3/InSe heterostructures transition from type I to type II. Meanwhile, we find that the transition between type I and type II band alignments can be induced by means of interlayer coupling (i.e., varying interlayer distances). The results demonstrate that ferroelectric polarization and interlayer coupling are effective methods to modulate the band alignments of In2Se3/InSe heterostructures.
Developing Interactive Teaching Strategies for Electrical Engineering Faculty

Jill Nelson is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at George Mason University. She earned a BS in Electrical Engineering and a BA in Economics from Rice University in 1998. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for graduate study, earning an MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2001 and 2005, respectively. Dr. Nelson’s research focus is in statistical signal processing, specifically detection and estimation for applications in target tracking and physical layer communications. Her work on target detection and tracking is funded by the Office of Naval Research. Dr. Nelson is a 2010 recipient of the NSF CAREER Award. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and the IEEE Signal Processing, Communications, and Education Societies.
Antibody responses to bacteriophage phi X-174 in human subjects exposed to the antarctic winter-over model of spaceflight.

BACKGROUND It has been proposed that exposure to long-term spaceflight conditions (stress, isolation, sleep disruption, containment, microbial contamination, and solar radiation) or to ground-based models of spaceflight will alter human immune responses, but specific antibody responses have not been fully evaluated. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether exposure to the 8-month Antarctic winter-over model of spaceflight would alter human antibody responses. METHODS During the 1999 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions, 11 adult study subjects at Casey, Antarctica, and 7 control subjects at Macquarie Island, sub-Antarctica, received primary and secondary immunizations with the T cell-dependent neoantigen bacteriophage phi X-174. Periodic plasma samples were analyzed for specific antibody function. RESULTS All of the subjects from Casey, Antarctica, cleared bacteriophage phi X-174 normally by 1 week after primary immunization, and all had normal primary and secondary antibody responses, including immunologic memory amplification and switch from IgM to IgG antibody production. One subject showed a high normal pattern, and one subject had a low normal pattern. The control subjects from Macquarie Island also had normal immune responses to bacteriophage phi X-174. CONCLUSIONS These data do not support the hypothesis that de novo specific antibody responses of subjects become defective during the conditions of the Antarctic winter-over. Because the Antarctic winter-over model of spaceflight lacks the important factors of microgravity and solar radiation, caution must be used in interpreting these data to anticipate normal antibody responses in long-term spaceflight.
Adenylyl Cyclase Type VI Gene Transfer Reduces Phospholamban Expression in Cardiac Myocytes via Activating Transcription Factor 3*

Cardiac-directed expression of adenylyl cyclase type VI (ACVI) increases stimulated cAMP production, improves heart function, and increases survival in cardiomyopathy. In contrast, pharmacological agents that increase intracellular levels of cAMP have detrimental effects on cardiac function and survival. We wondered whether effects that are independent of cAMP might be responsible for these salutary outcomes associated with ACVI expression. We therefore conducted a series of experiments focused on how gene transcription is influenced by ACVI in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, with a particular focus on genes that might influence cardiac function. We found that overexpression of ACVI down-regulated mRNA and protein expression of phospholamban, an inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase. We determined that the cAMP-responsive-like element in the phospholamban (PLB) promoter was critical for down-regulation by ACVI. Overexpression of ACVI did not alter the expression of CREB, CREM, ATF1, ATF2, or ATF4 proteins. In contrast, overexpression of ACVI increased expression of ATF3 protein, a suppressor of transcription. Following ACVI gene transfer, when cardiac myocytes were stimulated with isoproterenol or NKH477, a water-soluble forskolin analog that directly stimulates AC, expression of ATF3 protein was increased even more, which correlated with reduced expression of PLB. We then showed that ACVI-induced ATF3 protein binds to the cAMP-responsive-like element on the PLB promoter and that overexpression of ATF3 in cardiac myocytes inhibits PLB promoter activity. These findings indicate that ACVI has effects on gene transcription that are not directly dependent on cAMP generation.
Field practice study of half‐dose sorafenib treatment on safety and efficacy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A propensity score analysis

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who receive an initial full dose of sorafenib (800 mg/day) often require a decreased dose (400 mg/day) or discontinuation of therapy because of severe adverse events. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with HCC to compare the safety and efficacy of full‐ to half‐dose sorafenib.
A High-Resolution Root Spatiotemporal Map Reveals Dominant Expression Patterns

Transcriptional programs that regulate development are exquisitely controlled in space and time. Elucidating these programs that underlie development is essential to understanding the acquisition of cell and tissue identity. We present microarray expression profiles of a high-resolution set of developmental time points within a single Arabidopsis root and a comprehensive map of nearly all root cell types. These cell type–specific transcriptional signatures often predict previously unknown cellular functions. A computational pipeline identified dominant expression patterns that demonstrate transcriptional similarity between disparate cell types. Dominant expression patterns along the root's longitudinal axis do not strictly correlate with previously defined developmental zones, and in many cases, we observed expression fluctuation along this axis. Both robust co-regulation of gene expression and potential phasing of gene expression were identified between individual roots. Methods that combine these profiles demonstrate transcriptionally rich and complex programs that define Arabidopsis root development in both space and time.
Sentence-final particles in Singapore English: Are they pragmatic or phonological?

While the use of sentence-final discourse particles (SFPs) is typically linked to specific interactional or social functions, their realization is also associated with particular positional and intonational requirements. This raises the question of whether the use of SFPs may be partly driven by the phonological characteristics of sentence-final contexts. In [1], we showed that Singapore English lah is overrepresented in contexts involving sentence-final stress and underrepresented elsewhere. This is surprising if the use of lah is motivated by purely pragmatic considerations, but can be explained if (i) lah is recruited where it can relieve tonal crowding, or (ii) lah is avoided when it would result in a long sequence of non-prominent syllables. Such behavior is expected to be more prevalent for SFPs (like lah) whose pragmatic function is very general, but less prevalent for SFPs with a more specialized function. In this study, we consider the distributions of a wider range of Singapore English SFPs, including leh, lor, ah and hor. Overall, these particles were more evenly distributed across prosodic contexts compared to lah, suggesting that prosodic context conditions the use of SFPs, but only when this does not interfere with the speaker's intended message.
Prognostic potential of AgNORs in oral submucous fibrosis

Aim and Objective: The role of prognosis cannot be stressed enough, especially when it comes to potentially malignant lesions. The argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs), which is simple and cost-effective has been used in diagnostic and prognostic pathologies. This study seeks to identify the nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) in oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), to correlate the AgNOR count with the histologic grade of OSMF, and to evaluate the prognostic potential of AgNOR. Materials and Methods: The sample size consisted of archival paraffin blocks of 35 cases of varying grades of OSMF and 10 cases of squamous cell carcinoma. Normal mucosa samples served as controls for the study. AgNOR staining in accordance with the method of Smith and Crocker was performed and Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The results showed an increase in AgNOR counts with corresponding grades of OSMF, the count being least in normal mucosa and also an increase in AgNOR count with corresponding decrease in differentiation of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion: AgNOR staining is a rapid and inexpensive procedure representing cellular proliferation that can be used to assess the nature of the lesion and therefore, the prognosis.
Metallic grating on a periodic anisotropic substrate as a planar Artificial Magnetic Conductor

In this paper; a planar Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) constituted of a metallic grating on a periodic anisotropic substrate is proposed. The characteristics of this structure are investigated with a full-wave computational technique which utilizes the dyadic Green's function computed by means of an equivalent transmission line (TL) model in the spectral domain. The obtained Green's function is used in an integral equation for the surface electric current on the metallic grating. The integral equation is then solved using the Method of Moments (MoM) with appropriate basis and test functions. With the help of the proposed semi-analytical method, different periodic structures on various substrates are analyzed. To verify the computed results, they are compared with previously published ones. Finally, the phase response of the introduced periodic structure is calculated as a function of the optic axis direction of the anisotropic region within the substrate. It is shown that the proposed metallic grating on the periodic anisotropic substrate can perform as a low-profile and broadband planar AMC at lower frequencies.
Human motion detection and tracking

Human behavior analysis in a video scene is based on motion feature extraction and recognition, many information is hidden behind gesture, sudden motion and walking, many research works tried to model and then recognize human behavior through motion analysis. In our work we will focus on motion extraction and tracking with some enhancements comparing to previous approaches. The first phase of behavior analysis is the extraction of regions in the video in motion. The second phase is devoted to motion tracking using Kalman filter. Performances evaluation are based on both visual quality and numerical values of MSE(Mean Squared Error).
Sjögren's Syndrome: Clinical Spectrum and Current Diagnostic Controversies

Although we have had a useful and internationally agreed-upon definition of Sjogren's syndrome (SS) for more than 30 years, we have not yet agreed upon criteria for diagnosing it. Understanding the clinical spectrum of SS and the various tests used to diagnose its components provides a basis for discussing controversies about diagnostic criteria. A review of the clinical features of SS and their diagnostic tests is followed by assessments of seven sets of diagnostic criteria and a proposal for future criteria. The various existing criteria use different combinations of clinical features and tests, which results in populations of different sizes and homogeneities being given the diagnosis of SS. Some criteria propose alternative tests in diagnosing components of SS, while others do not. Internationally accepted diagnostic criteria for SS that are as disease-specific as possible are needed for us to learn the epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment, and prognosis of this clinically and scientifically important disease.