Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A GA-based method for constructing TSK fuzzy rules from numerical data

A method based on genetic algorithm (GA), a simple clustering procedure for rule base generation, and weighted least squares estimation is proposed to construct a Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy inference system directly from numerical data. The rule-base generation method takes the approach of independently clustering input and output spaces, respectively, and assigning a weight to each rule to capture the relation in input-output data. Genetic process learns the number of linguistic terms per variable and the certainty factors of the rules (indirectly the membership-function parameters of the premise part of the fuzzy rules), and the weighted least squares method is used to determine the consequent part of the fuzzy rules. Simulation results on forecasting the stock market and a benchmark case study are included.
Japanese Dairy Cattle Productivity Analysis using Bayesian Network Model (BNM)

Japanese Dairy Cattle Productivity Analysis is carried out based on Bayesian Network Model (BNM). Through the experiment with 280 Japanese anestrus Holstein dairy cow, it is found that the estimation for finding out the presence of estrous cycle using BNM represents almost 55% accuracy while considering all samples. On the contrary, almost 73% accurate estimation could be achieved while using suspended likelihood in sample datasets. Moreover, while the proposed BNM model have more confidence then the estimation accuracy is lies in between 93 to 100%. In addition, this research also reveals the optimum factors to find out the presence of estrous cycle among the 270 individual dairy cows. The objective estimation methods using BNM definitely lead a unique idea to overcome the error of subjective estimation of having estrous cycle among these Japanese dairy cattle.
Novel scheme for sar image compression based on JPEG2000

This paper presents a novel speckle noise suppression and SAR image compression scheme in discret wavelet domain. First, in the novel speckle noise suppression, a modified soft-thresholding denoising method was applied to reduce speckle noise and it can protect more edge information at the meantime. Then, a new SAR image compression structure based on JPEG2000 was presented. The efficiency of the proposed structure is demonstrated.
Near-field mapping of three-dimensional woodpile photonic crystals by using supercontinuum generation

Summary form only given. In this paper, we demonstrate the near-field characterization of 3D PCs by using supercontinuum generation in a multi-mode fiber (MMF) as the bright BBS. A SNOM is utilized to directly observe the optical intensity distributions from 3D PCs, fabricated using the two-photon polymerization (2PP) technique, in the near-field regime.
Stoichiometric flux balance models quantitatively predict growth and metabolic by-product secretion in wild-type Escherichia coli W3110

Flux balance models of metabolism use stoichiometry of metabolic pathways, metabolic demands of growth, and optimality principles to predict metabolic flux distribution and cellular growth under specified environmental conditions. These models have provided a mechanistic interpretation of systemic metabolic physiology, and they are also useful as a quantitative tool for metabolic pathway design. Quantitative predictions of cell growth and metabolic by-product secretion that are experimentally testable can be obtained from these models. In the present report, we used independent measurements to determine the model parameters for the wild-type Escherichia coli strain W3110. We experimentally determined the maximum oxygen utilization rate (15 mmol of O2 per g [dry weight] per h), the maximum aerobic glucose utilization rate (10.5 mmol of Glc per g [dry weight] per h), the maximum anaerobic glucose utilization rate (18.5 mmol of Glc per g [dry weight] per h), the non-growth-associated maintenance requirements (7.6 mmol of ATP per g [dry weight] per h), and the growth-associated maintenance requirements (13 mmol of ATP per g of biomass). The flux balance model specified by these parameters was found to quantitatively predict glucose and oxygen uptake rates as well as acetate secretion rates observed in chemostat experiments. We have formulated a predictive algorithm in order to apply the flux balance model to describe unsteady-state growth and by-product secretion in aerobic batch, fed-batch, and anaerobic batch cultures. In aerobic experiments we observed acetate secretion, accumulation in the culture medium, and reutilization from the culture medium. In fed-batch cultures acetate is cometabolized with glucose during the later part of the culture period. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
CHAPTER 5 EM-BasedWireless Underground Sensor Networks

Wireless underground sensor networks (WUSNs) consist of buried nodes, which are connected to subsurface underground sensors, and use electromagnetic (EM) waves for underground communications. WUSNs are capable of operating in environments where no other computer network has functioned before, and has the potential to provide real-time, robust, and energy efficient sensing, and communication in these environments. The characteristics of the wireless underground (UG) channel are much different as compared to the conventional over-the-air (OTA) wireless communication channel. These differences are caused by the wave propagation mechanism in the UG channel. Electromagnetic (EM) waves interacting with the soil medium exhibit distinct characteristics, and experience higher attenuation. Physical properties of the soil texture, soil moisture, soil temperature, and bulk density impact UG wave propagation. These interactions introduce channel impairments, which varies with space and time. These spatiotemporal variations present challenges to maintain connectivity in WUSNs, and necessitate, to maintain connectivity, adaptive solutions tailored to the variations in soil moisture. To model the characteristics of the underground channel, and to validate interactions among different component of the WUSN, experimental studies are essential. Conducting underground channel characterization experiments is a very challenging and time consuming task (Salam et al., 2016; Silva and Vuran, 2010a). First, it is difficult to get a wide range of soil moisture levels, which are essential to ascertain its impact on UG channel, in a very short span of time because of climatic conditions. Digging process becomes difficult in extreme weather conditions due to soil becoming
INFRASTRUCTURE OF SERVICES FOR A SMART CITY USING CLOUD ENVIRONMENT

Sustainability, appropriate use of natural resources and providing a better quality of life for citizens has become a prerequisite to change the traditional concept of a smart city. A smart city needs to use latest generation Information Technologies, IT, and hardware to improve services and data, to offer to create a balanced environment between the ecosystem and inhabitants. This paper analyses the advantages of using a private cloud architecture to share hardware and software resources when it is required. Our case study is Guadalajara, which has nine municipalities and each one monitor’s air quality. Each municipality has a set of servers to process information independently and consists of information systems for the transmission and storage of data with other municipalities. We analysed the behaviour of the carbon footprint during the years1999-2013 and we observed a pattern in each season. Thus our proposal requires municipalities to use a cloud-based solution that allows managing and consolidating infrastructure to minimize maintenance costs and electricity consumption to reduce carbon footprint generated by the city.
Neural Processing of Backwards-Speech Sounds

When sounds such as those produced by reverse playback of recorded speech are presented to left and right ears of normal subjects, the sounds arriving at the right ear are more accurately identified than those arriving at the left. These findings are comparable to the right-ear superiority demonstrated with normal speech sounds, and contrast with the left-ear superiority for musical and other non-speech sounds. It is suggested that the neural mechanisms underlying the perception of speech and non-speech sounds are not differentiated along the dimension of conceptual content.
Cystine‐knot peptides targeting cancer‐relevant human cytotoxic T lymphocyte‐associated antigen 4 (CTLA‐4)

Cystine‐knot peptides sharing a common fold but displaying a notably large diversity within the primary structure of flanking loops have shown great potential as scaffolds for the development of therapeutic and diagnostic agents. In this study, we demonstrated that the cystine‐knot peptide MCoTI‐II, a trypsin inhibitor from Momordica cochinchinensis, can be engineered to bind to cytotoxic T lymphocyte‐associated antigen 4 (CTLA‐4), an inhibitory receptor expressed by T lymphocytes, that has emerged as a target for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Directed evolution was used to convert a cystine‐knot trypsin inhibitor into a CTLA‐4 binder by screening a library of variants using yeast surface display. A set of cystine‐knot peptides possessing dissociation constants in the micromolar range was obtained; the most potent variant was synthesized chemically. Successive conjugation with neutravidin, fusion to antibody Fc domain or the oligomerization domain of C4b binding protein resulted in oligovalent variants that possessed enhanced (up to 400‐fold) dissociation constants in the nanomolar range. Our data indicate that display of multiple knottin peptides on an oligomeric scaffold protein is a valid strategy to improve their functional affinity with ramifications for applications in diagnostics and therapy. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Grid-Current-Feedback Active Damping for LCL Resonance in Grid-Connected Voltage-Source Converters

This paper investigates active damping of LCL-filter resonance in a grid-connected voltage-source converter with only grid-current feedback control. Basic analysis in the s-domain shows that the proposed damping technique with a negative high-pass filter along its damping path is equivalent to adding a virtual impedance across the grid-side inductance. This added impedance is more precisely represented by a series RL branch in parallel with a negative inductance. The negative inductance helps to mitigate phase lag caused by time delays found in a digitally controlled system. The mitigation of phase-lag, in turn, helps to shrink the region of nonminimum-phase behavior caused by negative virtual resistance inserted unintentionally by most digitally implemented active damping techniques. The presented high-pass-filtered active damping technique with a single grid-current feedback loop is thus a more effective technique, whose systematic design in the z-domain has been developed in this paper. For verification, experimental testing has been performed with results obtained matching the theoretical expectations closely.
Central Pressure More Strongly Relates to Vascular Disease and Outcome Than Does Brachial Pressure: The Strong Heart Study

Brachial blood pressure is predictive of cardiovascular outcome; however central pressure may better represent the load imposed on the coronary and cerebral arteries and thereby bear a stronger relationship to vascular damage and prognosis. Relations of brachial and central pressures to carotid artery hypertrophy (intimal-medial thickness and vascular mass), extent of atherosclerosis (plaque score), and incident cardiovascular events were examined in the Strong Heart Study. Central pressures were calculated using radial applanation tonometry. Among 3520 participants, central and brachial pulse pressures were more strongly related to vascular hypertrophy and extent of atherosclerosis than were systolic pressures. Central pulse pressure was more strongly related to all 3 arterial measures than was brachial pulse pressure (r=0.364 versus 0.309 for plaque score; P<0.001 for comparison of Spearman correlation coefficient; r=0.293 versus 0.249 for intimal-medial thickness; P<0.002; r=0.320 versus 0.289 for vascular mass; P<0.05). Among the 2403 participants free of clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline, 319 suffered fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events during mean follow-up of 4.8±1.3 years. After adjustment for age, gender, current smoking, body mass index, cholesterol:HDL ratio, creatinine, fibrinogen, diabetes, and heart rate, central pulse pressure predicted cardiovascular events more strongly than brachial pulse pressure (hazards ratio=1.15 per 10 mm Hg, &khgr;2=13.4, P<0.001 versus hazards ratio=1.10, &khgr;2=6.9, P=0.008). In conclusion, noninvasively-determined central pulse pressure is more strongly related to vascular hypertrophy, extent of atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular events than is brachial blood pressure. These findings support prospective examination of use of central blood pressure as a treatment target in future trials.
Evolution of Intrameniscal Signal-Intensity Alterations Detected on MRI Over 24 Months in Patients With Traumatic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to assess the prevalence and evolution of intrameniscal signal-intensity alteration in subjects with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear over 24 months and compare clinical outcome and changes of cartilage between subjects with and those without this meniscal abnormality. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-seven subjects with an ACL tear were screened for intrameniscal signal-intensity alteration. Morphologic and compositional MRI was performed before ACL reconstruction and 12 and 24 months after ACL reconstruction. Twelve subjects with an intrameniscal signal-intensity alteration and 12 subjects without any meniscal abnormality on MRI were identified. Clinical outcome was measured using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and T1ρ and T2 maps of the cartilage were obtained. RESULTS In 10 of 12 subjects (83%) the meniscal signal-intensity abnormality identified on baseline MRI was located at the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. None of these subjects presented with a meniscal tear over 24 months of follow-up. At 12 months after the ACL tear, the intrameniscal signal-intensity alteration detected on baseline MRI had completely resolved in seven of 12 subjects (58%), showed a signal-intensity decrease in four (33%), and remained stable in one subject (8%). Of the 10 subjects who underwent MRI at 24 months, the meniscal signal-intensity alteration had completely resolved in eight (80%), and the signal intensity had decreased in the other two subjects. Changes in the KOOS and cartilage T1ρ and T2 values from baseline and 24 months did not differ significantly between subjects with and those without intrameniscal signal-intensity alteration (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION High intrameniscal signal-intensity alterations are a common finding in subjects with an ACL tear and have a benign course over 24 months after surgical repair of the ACL tear.
The tapered slot antenna

The tapered microstrip transition with an overlapped coplanar stripline (CPS) as a feeding structure that effectively excited tapered slot antenna (TSA) geometry is proposed. This designed antenna has the merits such as wideband, simple balun feeding network, low profile compact size with fairly good antenna performances (VSWR, gain and radiation patterns).
Removal from adherent culture contributes to apoptosis in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are routinely isolated due to their adherence to tissue culture plates and their in vitro growth characteristics. Expansion of MSCs in adherent cultures is the only way to obtain sufficient cells for use in either clinical or research settings. MSCs have tremendous potential in myocardial repair treatment by cell therapy techniques, however, a large number of MSCs die from apoptosis following transplantation. Previous studies have examined the factors contributing to the survival of transplanted cells, but little is known about the effect of removal from adherent culture conditions on apoptosis of the MSCs. In the present study, human bone marrow MSCs were expanded in adherent cultures. Then apoptosis rates were examined at different time points in MSCs cultured in nonadherent conditions (ultra-low-adherence plates) compared with MSCs cultured in adherent conditions (standard tissue culture plates). Flow cytometry analysis suggested that cell apoptosis increased when MSCs were cultured in nonadherent culture conditions. In addition, western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses demonstrated that caspase-3, −7 and −9 were involved in this process. The present study demonstrated that loss of culture adherence increases apoptosis of human MSCs. The present findings may provide new insight into the factors affecting MSC survival after transplantation.
Disc Height and Signal Intensity of the Nucleus Pulposus on Magnetic Resonance Imaging as Indicators of Lumbar Disc Degeneration

Study Design. A cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of degeneration of the lumbar spine. Objectives. To compare the usefulness of disc height and that of T2-weighted signal intensity as indicators of disc degeneration. Summary of Background Data. Disc height and signal intensity have been used as indicators for disc degeneration. Their relation to each other and to early degeneration has not been well documented. There is evidence that physical load can affect disc height. Methods. Forty-one machine operators, 41 construction carpenters, and 46 office workers, aged 40–45 years, and 22 students aged 18–20 years were examined with sagittal magnetic resonance imaging. All study participants were men. The mean value of the anterior and posterior disc height and the relative T2-weighted signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus of discs L2–L3 to L5–S1 were measured. Results. Young men showed the lowest disc height but the highest relative signal intensity. Disc height showed an increasing trend from the office workers (sedentary) to blue-collar workers (more physical work) at all disc levels but L5–S1. Relative signal intensity showed a decreasing trend for these same worker types at all levels. In generalized linear modeling, signal intensity and the occupations, in reference to the young students, showed a significant effect on disc height. Conclusions. Relative signal intensity was lower in the middle-aged men than in the young men, indicating age-related disc degeneration. Despite the general positive association between disc narrowing and decreased relative signal intensity, disc narrowing may behave unexpectedly in relation to signal intensity and age. Signal intensity may be a more sensitive measure of disc degeneration. The validity of disc height as an indicator of early degeneration seems questionable.
The Serum and Glucocorticoid Inducible Kinases SGK1-3 Stimulate the Neutral Amino Acid Transporter SLC6A19

The neutral amino acid transporter SLC6A19 (B⁰AT1) plays a decisive role in transport of neutral amino acids in the kidney and intestine. Recently, mutations in SLC6A19 were identified that result in severe neutral aminoaciduria known as Hartnup disorder. SLC6A19 expression and function is controlled by the brush-border angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Beyond that the mechanisms regulating SLC6A19 function are unknown. The SLC6A19 sequence contains a conserved putative phosphorylation site for the serum and glucocorticoid inducible kinase isoforms SGK1-3, kinases known to regulate a variety of channels and transporters. The present study explored the role of SGK1-3 in the regulation of SLC6A19. As shown by two-electrode voltage clamp in the Xenopus oocyte expression system, leucine-induced currents in SLC6A19 expressing oocytes were activated by the protein kinases SGK1-3. The putative phosphorylation site on the transporter is not essential for SLC6A19 regulation by the kinases. As determined by quantitative immunoassay and electrophysiology, the kinases increase SLC6A19 currents by increasing the cell surface expression of the protein without altering the affinity of the carrier. Following inhibition of carrier insertion into the cell membrane by treatment with brefeldin A (BFA), the leucine-induced current declined significantly slower in Xenopus oocytes expressing SLC6A19 together with SGK1 than in oocytes expressing SLC6A19 alone, a finding pointing to SGK-mediated transporter stabilization in the plasma membrane. Coexpression of ACE2 markedly increased leucine-induced currents in SLC6A19 expressing oocytes that were further enhanced by SGK1-3 kinases. In conclusion, SGK isoforms are novel potent stimulators of SLC6A19 and may thus participate in the regulation of neutral amino acid transport in vivo.
The influence of job familiarity and impression management on self-report measure scale scores and response latencies.

Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of job familiarity and impression management on response latencies and scale scores for measures of personality and situational judgment. In a laboratory study using university students and a field study using U.S. Border Patrol Agent applicants, impression management was generally associated with faster personality item responses when job familiarity was high and with slower responses when job familiarity was low. Both impression management and job familiarity were associated with personality item responses that were more likely to lead to a job offer. The field study revealed a similar pattern of results for situational judgment scale response latencies, although only impression management was associated with item responses that were more likely to lead to a job offer. The implications for using response latencies to detect impression management on self-report measures are discussed.
Post-traumatic inclusion cysts of the iris: a longterm prospective case series.

PURPOSE Post-traumatic cysts of the iris pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for ophthalmic surgeons. This prospective case series highlights the clinical spectrum and longterm outcomes of different modes of treatment in these cases. METHODS Eleven cases of post-traumatic iris inclusion cysts, treated with Nd:YAG laser and/or surgical excision were evaluated prospectively over periods ranging from 6 months to 3 years. Ultrasound biomicroscopy features and postoperative outcomes in each were evaluated. RESULTS Laser iridotomy of the cyst offers a non-invasive method of therapy in these cases but has a high rate of recurrence. The outcomes in most cases were poor, with worse results and more complications encountered in younger age groups. CONCLUSIONS Iris inclusion cysts have overall poor surgical outcomes as the result of the extensive proliferation of epithelial cells, which may explain why the condition takes a rapid course in younger patients and why severe complications are encountered postoperatively in this age group.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Specific Responses in Adult Ugandans: Patterns of Cross-Clade Recognition

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or AIDS is currently the leading cause of death in Uganda, with at least three HIV clades (subtypes) accounting for most new infections. Whether an effective vaccine formulated on viruses from a single clade will be able to protect against infection from other local clades remains unresolved. We examined the T-cell immune responses from a cohort of HIV-seropositive individuals in Uganda with predominantly clade A and D infections. Surprisingly, we observed similar frequencies of cross-clade T-cell responses to the gag, env, and nef regions. Our data suggest that the level of viral sequence variability between distinct HIV strains does not predict the degree of cross-clade responses. High sequence homologies were also observed between consensus peptides and sequences from viral isolates, supporting the use of consensus amino acid sequences to identify immunogenic regions in studies of large populations.