Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the passivity of general nonlinear systems

We revisit the definitions of passivity and feedbackpassivity in the context of general continuous-time singleinput, single output, systems which are jointly nonlinearin the states and the control input. Neccessary conditionsare given for the characterization of passive systems and extendthe well known Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov (KYP) conditions.Passivity concepts are used for studying the stabilizationproblem of general nonlinear systems. We extend the? Energy Shaping and Damping Injection? (ESDI) controllerdesign methodology to the studied class of systems. A semicanonicalform for nonlinear systems which is of the GeneralizedHamiltonian type, including dissipation terms, is alsoproposed. Passive and strictly passive systems are shown tobe easily characterized in terms of such a canonical form
Statistical Analysis of the Spatial Evolution of the Stationary Wind Wave Field

Detailed investigation of wind-generated water waves in a 5-m-long wind wave flume facility is reported. Careful measurements were carried out at a large number of locations along the test section and at numerous airflow rates. The evolution of the wind wave field was investigated using appropriate dimensionless parameters. When possible, quantitative comparison with the results accumulated in field measurements and in larger laboratory facilities was performed. Particular attention was given to the evolution of wave frequency spectra along the tank, distinguishing between the frequency domain around the spectral peak and the highfrequency tail of the spectrum. Notable similarity between the parameters of the evolving wind wave field in the present facility and in field measurements was observed.
Effective Bug Tracking Systems: Theories and Implementation

Bug tracking is an essential discipline in the domain of software engineering. It has far reaching effects on the system when effectively used. The information provided in terms of bugs and solutions in the bug reports can help software engineers to act on them quickly and ensure that they are either rectified or eliminated from the system. The bulk of information provided in the bug reports may cause problem to developers in ascertaining poorly designed information. Therefore the bug tracking systems are to be improved and follow certain standards. To overcome the problem, we propose four fundamental directions to enhancing effectiveness of bug tracking systems. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed directions, we develop a prototype application that tracks bugs effectively by capturing essential information from users and help resolve bugs quickly.
Deceptive jamming suppression based on coherent cancelling in multistatic radar system

This work concentrates on the suppression of deceptive jamming generated by digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) in multistatic radar system. First, we model the received signal model in the presence of deceptive jamming based on the properties of the radar target and the deceptive jamming in time and frequency domains. Then, we propose the suppression approach of the deceptive jamming based on three procedures, i.e., the false target alignment, the coherent cancelling and the secondary rejection. Finally, we demonstrate the validity and capacity of the proposed method via numerical simulations.
A knowledge integration framework for 3D shape reconstruction

The modern emergence of automation in many industries has given impetus to extensive research into mobile robotics. Novel perception technologies now enable cars to drive autonomously, tractors to till a field automatically and underwater robots to construct pipelines. An essential requirement to facilitate both perception and autonomous navigation is the analysis of the 3D environment using sensors like laser scanners or stereo cameras. 3D sensors generate a very large number of 3D data points in sampling object shapes within an environment, but crucially do not provide any intrinsic information about the environment in which the robots operate with. This means unstructured 3D samples must be processed by application-specific models to enable a robot, for instance, to detect and identify objects and infer the scene geometry for path-planning more efficiently than by using raw 3D data. This thesis specifically focuses on the fundamental task of 3D shape reconstruction and modelling by presenting a new knowledge integration framework for unstructured 3D samples. The novelty lies in the representation of surfaces by algebraic functions with limited support, which enables the extraction of smooth consistent shapes from noisy samples with a heterogeneous density. Moreover, many surfaces in urban environments can reasonably be assumed to be planar, and the framework exploits this knowledge to enable effective noise suppression without loss of detail. This is achieved by using a convex optimization technique which has linear computational complexity. Thus is much more efficient than existing solutions. The new framework has been validated by critical experimental analysis and evaluation and has been shown to increase the accuracy of the reconstructed shape significantly compared to state-of-the-art methods. Applying this new knowledge integration framework means that less accurate, low-cost 3D sensors can be employed without sacrificing the high demands that 3D perception must achieve. This links well into the area of robotic inspection, as for example regarding small drones that use inaccurate and lightweight image sensors.
Dendritic spines provide cognitive resilience against Alzheimer's disease

Neuroimaging and other biomarker assays suggest that the pathological processes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) begin years prior to clinical dementia onset. However, some 30 to 50% of older individuals who harbor AD pathology do not become symptomatic in their lifetime. It is hypothesized that such individuals exhibit cognitive resilience that protects against AD dementia. We hypothesized that in cases with AD pathology, structural changes in dendritic spines would distinguish individuals who had or did not have clinical dementia.
CORRELATES OF ARTISTRY PERFORMANCE SCORES IN PREADOLESCENT RHYTHMIC GYMNASTS

This study examined the association between physical abilities, anthropometric characteristics and artistry performance scores in Greek, national level, competitive rhythmic gymnasts. Forty-six preadolescent gymnasts (aged 9.9±1.3 years) underwent a series of physical fitness (balance, flexibility, muscular power and endurance, sport-specific high intensity shuttle run performance) and anthropometric measurements (body composition, and somatotype). Artistry performance score and its sub-components (unity, music and movement, and expression scores) were obtained during a compulsory routine without apparatus. Multiple regression analyses revealed that sideways leg extension and high intensity shuttle run performance accounted for 43.7% (p < 0.01) of the variance in the score of artistry. The same fitness parameters accounted for 47.1% (p < 0.01) and 53.2% (p < 0.01) of the variance in the scores of artistry’s sub-components, unity and music and movement, respectively. Muscular endurance of the back extensors and subscapular skinfold accounted for 29.2% (p < 0.01) of the variance in the expression score. Ectomorpy was the dominant somatotype component (2.7-3.0-4.2, for endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy, respectively). The results of this study highlight the importance of hip flexibility, high intensity shuttle run performance, muscular endurance of the back extensors, and specific anthropometric traits as contributing components to the artistry score in young rhythmic
Niche partitioning of closely related symbiotic dinoflagellates

Reef‐building corals are fundamental to the most diverse marine ecosystems, yet a detailed understanding of the processes involved in the establishment, persistence and ecology of the coral–dinoflagellate association remains largely unknown. This study explores symbiont diversity in relation to habitat by employing a broad‐scale sampling regime using ITS2 and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Samples from Pocillopora damicornis, Stylophora pistillata and Seriatopora hystrix all harboured host‐specific clade C symbiont types at Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia). While Ser. hystrix associated with a single symbiont profile along its entire depth distribution, both P. damicornis and Sty. pistillata associated with multiple symbiont profiles that showed a strong zonation with depth. It is shown that, with an increased sampling effort, previously identified ‘rare’ symbiont types within this group of host species are in fact environmental specialists. A multivariate approach was used to expand on the common distinction of symbionts by a single genetic identity. It shows merit in its capacity not only to include all the variability present within the marker region but also to reliably represent ecological diversification of symbionts. Furthermore, the cohesive species concept is explored to explain how niche partitioning may drive diversification of closely related symbiont lineages. This study provides thus evidence that closely related symbionts are ecologically distinct and fulfil their own niche within the ecosystem provided by the host and external environment.
Masking of Residual Snow and Ice Covered Surfaces for Improving Aerosol Retrievals From MODIS Data

Aerosol particles in the atmosphere can affect climate directly by interacting with solar and terrestrial radiation and indirectly by their effect on cloud microphysics, albedo, and precipitation. The atmospheric aerosol products have been derived operationally from multi-channel imaging data collected with the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometers (MODIS) on board the NASA Terra and aqua spacecrafts. Through analysis of several years' MODIS aerosol products (Collection 4), we have found that the aerosol products over land are slightly contaminated by snow and ice during the springtime snow-melting season. We have developed an empirical technique using MODIS channels centered near 0.66, 0.86 and 1.24 mum and a thermal emission channel near 11 mum to mask out these snow-contaminated pixels over land. Improved aerosol retrievals have been obtained.
Application of the lifting wavelet-like transform to fast multipole methods

In this paper, a similar but novel method presented in [3, 4], lifting wavelet-like transform (LWLT), is applied to the FMM method to sparsify the aggregation and disaggregation matrix. By compressing the elements in those two matrices in time, the method proposed can further speed up the MVM and save much memory when the FMM is used. Numerical results for different shaped three-dimensional objects are considered. Compared with the FMM technique, the application of the LWLT to the FMM can accelerate the MVM by factor of two with lower memory consumed.
The Relationship of Glucokinase Activator–induced Hypoglycemia with Arteriopathy, Neuronal Necrosis, and Peripheral Neuropathy in Nonclinical Studies

Glucokinase activators (GKAs) are being developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The toxicity of 4 GKAs (PF-04279405, PF-04651887, piragliatin, and PF-04937319) was assessed in mice, rats, dogs, and/or monkeys. GKAs were administered for 2 to 8 weeks. Standard endpoints, glucose, and insulin were assessed. All compounds produced varying degrees of hypoglycemia in all species. Brain neuronal necrosis and/or peripheral neuropathy were observed with most compounds. These findings are consistent with literature reports linking hypoglycemia with nervous system effects. Arteriopathy, mainly of cardiac vessels, was observed at a low frequency in monkey and/or dog. Arteriopathy occurred only at doses that produced severe and prolonged periods of repeated hypoglycemia. Since this lesion occurred in multiple studies with structurally distinct GKAs, these results suggested arteriopathy was related to GKA pharmacology. The morphological characteristics of the arteriopathy were consistent with that produced by experimental catecholamine administration. We hypothesize that the prolonged periods of hypoglycemia resulted in increased local and/or systemic concentrations of catecholamines via a counterregulatory and/or stress-related mechanism. Alternatively, prolonged hypoglycemia may have resulted in endothelial dysfunction leading to arteriopathy. This risk can be managed in human patients in clinical studies by careful glucose monitoring and intervention to avoid prolonged episodes of hypoglycemia.
Genes encoding putative effector proteins of the type III secretion system of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 are required for bacterial virulence and proliferation in macrophages

The type III secretion system of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI‐2) is required for systemic infection of this pathogen in mice. Cloning and sequencing of a central region of SPI‐2 revealed the presence of genes encoding putative chaperones and effector proteins of the secretion system. The predicted products of the sseB, sseC and sseD genes display weak but significant similarity to amino acid sequences of EspA, EspD and EspB, which are secreted by the type III secretion system encoded by the locus of enterocyte effacement of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. The transcriptional activity of an sseA::luc fusion gene was shown to be dependent on ssrA, which is required for the expression of genes encoding components of the secretion system apparatus. Strains carrying non‐polar mutations in sseA, sseB or sseC were severely attenuated in virulence, strains carrying mutations in sseF or sseG were weakly attenuated, and a strain with a mutation in sseE had no detectable virulence defect. These phenotypes were reflected in the ability of mutant strains to grow within a variety of macrophage cell types: strains carrying mutations in sseA, sseB or sseC failed to accumulate, whereas the growth rates of strains carrying mutations in sseE, sseF or sseG were only modestly reduced. These data suggest that, in vivo, one of the functions of the SPI‐2 secretion system is to enable intracellular bacterial proliferation.
Effect of precipitation variability on net primary production and soil respiration in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland

Precipitation regimes are predicted to become more variable with more extreme rainfall events punctuated by longer intervening dry periods. Water‐limited ecosystems are likely to be highly responsive to altered precipitation regimes. The bucket model predicts that increased precipitation variability will reduce soil moisture stress and increase primary productivity and soil respiration in aridland ecosystems. To test this hypothesis, we experimentally altered the size and frequency of precipitation events during the summer monsoon (July through September) in 2007 and 2008 in a northern Chihuahuan Desert grassland in central New Mexico, USA. Treatments included (1) ambient rain, (2) ambient rain plus one 20 mm rain event each month, and (3) ambient rain plus four 5 mm rain events each month. Throughout two monsoon seasons, we measured soil temperature, soil moisture content (θ), soil respiration (Rs), along with leaf‐level photosynthesis (Anet), predawn leaf water potential (Ψpd), and seasonal aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of the dominant C4 grass, Bouteloua eriopoda. Treatment plots receiving a single large rainfall event each month maintained significantly higher seasonal soil θ which corresponded with a significant increase in Rs and ANPP of B. eriopoda when compared with plots receiving multiple small events. Because the strength of these patterns differed between years, we propose a modification of the bucket model in which both the mean and variance of soil water change as a consequence of interannual variability from 1 year to the next. Our results demonstrate that aridland ecosystems are highly sensitive to increased precipitation variability, and that more extreme precipitation events will likely have a positive impact on some aridland ecosystem processes important for the carbon cycle.
DMPS-arsenic challenge test. II. Modulation of arsenic species, including monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)), excreted in human urine.

The administration of sodium 2,3-dimercapto-1-propane sulfonate (DMPS) to humans chronically exposed to inorganic arsenic in their drinking water resulted in the increased urinary excretion of arsenic, the appearance and identification of monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(III)) in their urine, and a large decrease in the concentration and percentage of urinary dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). This is the first time that MMA(III) has been detected in the urine. In vitro biochemical experiments were then designed and performed to understand the urinary appearance of MMA(III) and decrease of DMA. The DMPS-MMA(III) complex was not active as a substrate for the MMA(III) methyltransferase. The experimental results support the hypothesis that DMPS competes with endogenous ligands for MMA(III), forming a DMPS-MMA complex that is readily excreted in the urine and points out the need for studying the biochemical toxicology of MMA(III). It should be emphasized that MMA(III) was excreted in the urine only after DMPS administration. The results of these studies raise many questions about the potential central role of MMA(III) in the toxicity of inorganic arsenic and to the potential involvement of MMA(III) in the little-understood etiology of hyperkeratosis, hyperpigmentation, and cancer that can result from chronic inorganic arsenic exposure.
Assimilation, Distribution, and Root Exudation of C by Ponderosa Pine Seedlings under Induced Water Stress.

The effect of specific levels of induced water stress on the root exudation of (14)C from 9-month-old and 12-month-old ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) seedlings was examined. Polyethylene glycol (PEG-4000) was used to decrease root solution water potentials by 0, -1.9, -2.6, -5.5, -9.6 and -11.9 bars in either aerated 0.25X Hoagland's nutrient solution or aerated distilled water.Assimilation of (14)CO(2) by plants under stress and subsequent translocation of (14)C label to the roots were both inhibited by a decrease in substrate water potential. Six days after (14)CO(2) introduction essentially no (14)C was detected in the roots of plants maintained at solution potentials of -5.5 bars or below. In subsequent studies (14)CO(2) was introduced 4 days prior to induction of stress. This allowed sufficient time for distribution of (14)C label throughout the root system.Root exudation of (14)C-labeled sugars, amino acids, and organic acids from plants in nutrient solution showed an increase from 0 to -1.9 bars, a decline from -1.9 to about -5.5 bars, and then an increase again from -5.5 to -11.9 bars. As substrate potential decreased, sugars as a percentage of total exudate increased, organic acids decreased and amino acids showed a slight decrease. Marked changes in percentages occurred between 0 and -2.6 bars. The exudation of sugars, amino acids, and organic acids from plants in distilled water showed similar trends in response to water stress as those in nutrient solution, but the quantity of total (14)C exuded was greater.
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms of mitochondrially coded subunit genes of cytochrome c oxidase in five chicken breeds

Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) plays important roles in oxidative phosphorylation regulation and oxygen sensing transfer. In the present study, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in three mitochondrially coded subunit genes of COX were identified with the technique of single-strand conformation polymorphism in Tibet Chicken and four lowland chicken breeds—Dongxiang Chicken, Silky Chicken, Hubbard ISA White broiler, and Leghorn layer. In total, 14 SNPs were identified in the three genes of COX of the five chicken breeds, and 13 haplotypes were defined for the 14 SNPs. This work will afford reference for the further study on the association of COX with the adaptation to hypoxia.
Prediction of Costs, Effectiveness, and Disease Control of a Population-Based Program Using Home Sampling for Diagnosis of Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis Infections

Objective: To estimate the incremental effects and costs of a home sampling screening approach for Chlamydia trachomatis over the current in-office screening practice in Denmark. Goals: To assess the effect of a new screening strategy. Study Design: A dynamic Monte Carlo model estimated prevalence and incidence over 10 years for a home sampling screening program and the current in-office screening. Subsequently, the incremental number of major outcomes averted (MOA) and the related direct and indirect costs were estimated. Results: Infection prevalence after 10 years was 1.0% with a home sampling program and 4.2% with the current in-office screening practice. The total costs per MOA reached $3186 during the first year of the home sampling strategy, but in year 4, the accumulated indirect costs offset the direct costs, and the program henceforth saved society costs. Conclusions: Home sampling should be considered a relevant alternative to the current practice of in-office screening.
Claudin localization in cilia of the retinal pigment epithelium

Using immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy we demonstrate that claudin‐immunoreactivity is a novel marker for retinal pigment epithelial cilia. Claudin‐immunoreactivity obtained by polyclonal anti‐claudin 1 antibody, which could crossreact with claudin 3, was colocalized with acetylated tubulin‐immunoreactivity in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Claudin‐immunoreactivity associated with the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cilia was more intense than was claudin‐immunoreactivity in the junctional complex. Approximately two‐thirds of the RPE cells in the rat contain cilia that are immunoreactive with acetylated tubulin on postnatal day 1, and a significant portion of these cilia label with the anti‐claudin 1 antibody. Cilia decrease in frequency over subsequent postnatal days, and are absent by postnatal day 30. As RPE cilia decrease in number during postnatal rat development, claudin‐immunoreactivity is lost earlier than acetylated tubulin, suggesting that the loss of claudin may initiate RPE cilium degeneration. Claudin‐immunoreactivity was not evident in cilia of photoreceptor cells, epithelia of nasal mucosa, small intestine, or colon, suggesting that claudin may be a unique molecule in RPE cilia. These data suggest that cilia of the RPE, unlike cilia on other cell types, contain claudin, and that this molecule may play an important and specific role in the function and/or maintenance of RPE cilia. Anat Rec 267:196–203, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Support vector classifier with hyperbolic tangent penalty function

The support vector classifier is a new tool to solve classification problems, giving the classification boundary as a linear combination of the training samples. In non-separable problems with highly overlapped classes, the achieved classifiers are oversized. In this paper, we proposed to change the support vector classifier penalty function by an hyperbolic tangent one, obtaining as a result of the training phase a reduced support vector classifier with the same performance as the original one.
CLINICAL IMPROVEMENT OF DIFFUSE LYMPHANGIOMATOSIS WITH PEGYLATED INTERFERON ALFA-2B THERAPY: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Diffuse lymphangiomatosis is a very rare congenital disease, characterized by diffuse or multifocal lymphangioma in the skeletal tissue, spleen, liver, mediastinum, and/or lung. The prognosis is usually poor, especially for children with thoracic lesion, and treatments for the disease are controversial. The authors report a 9-year-old boy with diffuse lymphangiomatosis involving the thorax with pleural effusions, the spleen, and systemic bone. The patient was treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2b, and achieved good clinical and radiological improvement.