Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FOR RELATIVE POSE ESTIMATION AND VISION-BASED NAVIGATION IN RENDEZVOUS MANOEUVRES , ON-ORBIT SERVICE OPERATIONS AND DEBRIS REMOVAL

This paper proposes several Computer Vision methods for Vision-Based Navigation with the estimation of the relative pose (position and orientation) of a service spacecraft (chaser) with respect to a target object at different ranges, for use in Rendezvous manoeuvres, On-Orbit Service (OOS) operations and Debris Removal, in this case, with non-cooperative targets. At far distances (around 30 km) a visual navigation can be performed using a star catalogue when separating the stars and camera hotspots from the initial candidates for the target spacecraft in the identified points of interest within the camera image. For manoeuvres at close distances (as for instance in the case of initial de-spinning of non-collaborative targets and debris removal) and in Rendezvous and Docking (RvD) operations, results are provided using two camera set-ups: Monocular (with the known ambiguity in depth/scale solved when fitting to the available 3D model description of the target object) and binocular (for better mapping of the identified features with the model). In some cases complementary active illumination of the target (pulsed, structured, etc) has been taken into account in order to improve the accuracy of the estimation of the relative attitude and position. These methods are accommodated to exploit the multiple view geometry in a sequence of images resulting from the change in spatial configuration of the two space objects following their relative movement. Sensitivity analysis is also done in order to highlight the limitations in the accuracy on the dynamics parameters that can be extracted from the cameras(s) following specific trajectories. Simulations are performed with 3D models and mockups of actual satellites which allow to evaluate the achievable performance in realistic scenarios. These methods can be applied in other areas of VisionBased Navigation when orbiting space objects like asteroids or comets, where certain features of the target could be tracked at the same time, providing an initial rough model of the shape of the object which could be gradually refined.
Adiposity and mortality in men.

The relation between measures of adiposity and mortality has been a controversial topic. The authors examined prospectively the relation between several measures of adiposity and risks of overall and cause-specific mortality in 39,756 US men aged 40-75 years. During 10 years of follow-up (1986-1996), 1,972 deaths (747 from cancer, 423 from cardiovascular disease, and 802 from other causes) were documented. An elevated risk of death among the leanest men was partly accounted for by excess mortality during early follow-up and high mortality among those with a history of recent weight loss. After exclusion of men with substantial recent weight loss and deaths occurring during the first 4 years of follow-up, overall and cardiovascular disease mortality among men aged <65 years increased linearly with greater body mass index (BMI) (weight (kg)/height (m)2); multivariate relative risks for overall mortality were 1.0 (referent) for a BMI of <23, 1.21 for a BMI of 23-24.9, 1.19 for a BMI of 25-26.9, 1.39 for a BMI of 27-29.9, and 1.97 for a BMI of >30 (test for trend: p< 0.001). Among men aged > or =65 years, there were no significant relations between BMI and overall, cardiovascular disease, or cancer mortality risk. However, waist circumference strongly predicted risk of death from cardiovascular disease among the older men. These findings indicated that the relation between body fat and mortality was influenced by reverse causation and varied by age.
Reliability of the Anterior Drawer Test, the Pivot Shift Test, and the Lachman Test

&NA; In 147 patients with arthroscopically proved chronic injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament, the anterior drawer test, the Lachman test, and the pivot shift test were done before operation under general or spinal anesthesia. Results of the anterior drawer test were positive in 79.6% of the patients, in 98.6% patients having the Lachman test, and in 89.8% of patients having the pivot shift test. In 19 cases (12.9%), arthroscopic examination showed reattachment of the proximally torn end of the anterior cruciate ligament to the posterior cruciate ligament. In these cases, results of the anterior drawer test were positive in 13 patients (68.4%), in 17 (89.5%) patients having the Lachman test, and in 12 patients (63.2%) having the pivot shift test. In 15 cases with a false negative pivot shift test, arthroscopy showed blockage of anterior subluxation of the lateral tibial condyle by a partially functioning portion of the anterior cruciate ligament, which was reattached to the posterior cruciate ligament in 7 cases. In 2 cases with a false negative Lachman test, there was firm reattachment of the torn end of the anterior cruciate ligament to the proximal portion of the posterior cruciate ligament combined with a bucket handle tear of the medial meniscus. The Lachman test was most sensitive in diagnosing chronic injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament. The pivot shift test was also sensitive but was influenced by many factors.
Direct vs. inclusive fitness in the evolution of aphid cornicle length

By comparing the relative sizes of anatomical structures among phenotypes, selective pressures that shape species’ morphologies can be evaluated. Aphids emit droplets containing an alarm pheromone/defensive secretion from unique anatomical structures called cornicles, upon being attacked. As aphids live in colonies of high relatedness, it is uncertain whether direct or inclusive fitness benefits have chiefly promoted cornicle evolution. Morphological measurements for apterous parthenogen, alate parthenogen, female sexual and male sexual morphs of 43 species (21 genera, one subfamily) were assessed to distinguish between the hypotheses that: (1) cornicles evolved for mechanical defence against natural enemies (direct fitness); (2) cornicles evolved for alarm signalling (inclusive fitness); or (3) cornicle length has been largely constrained by flight aerodynamics. Our results generally support the inclusive fitness hypothesis; cornicle length decreases as the relative number and relatedness of offspring decreases. As cornicle length is greatest in apterous parthenogenetic morphs, inclusive fitness benefits of protecting highly related kin may have been a key factor selecting for cornicles, and increased cornicle length, in aphids.
Duchenne's muscular dystrophy: animal models used to investigate pathogenesis and develop therapeutic strategies

Summary. Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal childhood disease caused by mutations of the dystrophin gene, the protein product of which, dystrophin, has a vital role in maintaining muscle structure and function. Homologues of DMD have been identified in several animals including dogs, cats, mice, fish and invertebrates. The most notable of these are the extensively studied mdx mouse, a genetic and biochemical model of the human disease, and the muscular dystrophic Golden Retriever dog, which is the nearest pathological counterpart of DMD. These models have been used to explore potential therapeutic approaches along a number of avenues including gene replacement and cell transplantation strategies. High‐throughput screening of pharmacological and genetic therapies could potentially be carried out in recently available smaller models such as zebrafish and Caenorhabditis elegans. It is possible that a successful treatment will eventually be identified through the integration of studies in multiple species differentially suited to addressing particular questions.
The effects of a cyanobacterial crude extract on different aquatic organisms: Evidence for cyanobacterial toxin modulating factors

In an aquatic ecosystem, during cyanobacterial bloom lysis, a mixture of toxins and other cyanobacterial and bacterial components will be present in the water, acting on aquatic organisms. Most of the research into toxic effects of cyanobacteria has involved the use of purified toxins. In this study, the “real‐life” situation of a cyanobacterial lysis event was investigated. For this purpose, intact cells from a natural cyanobacterial bloom from Lake Müggelsee, Berlin, were taken and the cells were broken by repeated freeze/thaw cycles. This crude extract was used to expose several aquatic organisms ranging from microalgae (Scenedesmus armatus), macrophyte (Ceratophyllum demersum), invertebrate (Chaoborus crystallinus) up to fish eggs (Danio rerio) to look at several physiological parameters such as detoxication enzyme activity and, in the case of the microalgae and the macrophyte, also the effect on activity of photosynthesis. In all the tests, the cyanobacterial crude extract caused stronger effects than the pure cyanobacterial toxins used in equivalent concentrations. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 16: 535–542, 2001
Low pregnenolone sulphate plasma concentrations in patients with generalized social phobia

Background. Animal studies have shown that neuroactive steroids modulate the activity of the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A/benzodiazepine receptor complex and that these steroids display anxiolytic or anxiogenic activity depending on their positive (e.g. allopregnanolone) or negative allosteric modulation (e.g. dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate) of this receptor. This study compared plasma levels of allopregnanolone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and pregnenolone sulphate in healthy controls and in patients with generalized social phobia, as assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Methods. Plasma concentrations of allopregnanolone, pregnenolone sulphate, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate were measured in 12 unmedicated male patients with generalized social phobia and 12 matched healthy male volunteers. Results. Concentrations of pregnenolone sulphate were significantly lower in patients with generalized social phobia than in healthy controls. No statistically significant differences were found for the concentrations of allopregnanolone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate in plasma. Conclusions. These results are particularly interesting since we also observed lower pregnenolone sulphate concentrations in male patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. Their relevance to the pathophysiology of social anxiety disorder remains to be determined.
Automatic classification of web pages into bookmark categories

We describe a technique to automatically classify a web page into an existing bookmark category to help a user to bookmark a page. HyperBK compares a bag-of-words representation of the page to descriptions of categories in the user's bookmark file. Unlike default web browser dialog boxes in which the user may be presented with the category into which he or she saved the last bookmarked file, HyperBK also offers the category most similar to the page being bookmarked. The user can also opt to create a new category; or save the page elsewhere. In an evaluation, the user's preferred category was offered on average 61% of the time.
Search for fractionally charged nuclear fragments in relativistic heavy ion collisions.

We have investigated about 11000 fragments with charge 6{le}{ital Z}{le}10 produced by 200 GeV/nucleon {sup 32}S projectiles and about 11000 fragments with charge 6{le}{ital Z}{le}10 produced by 10.6 GeV/nucleon {sup 197}Au projectiles. Charges were measured using stacks of CR-39 plastic nuclear track detector foils. By multiple measurements on the surfaces of adjacent detector foils a charge resolution sufficient to identify fragment charges {ital Z}{plus_minus}1/3 could be achieved over a minimum track length of a few mm. We found no evidence for a fast fragment with a charge differing from an integer by as much as 1/3. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society. }
Antiinflammatory activities of Rubus coreanus depend on the degree of fruit ripening

The dried unripe fruit of Rubus coreanus, which is well‐known in Korea and referred to as ‘Bok‐bun‐ja’, has been employed as a traditional medicine for centuries. This crude drug is utilized in Korea for the management of impotence, spermatorrhea, enuresis, asthma and allergic diseases. The principal objective of the present study was to conduct a comparison of the antiinflammatory effects of ethanol extracts of the unripe (URCE), half‐ripened (HRCE) and ripe fruits (RCE) of Rubus coreanus. URCE and HRCE were found to reduce the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) as well as pro‐inflammatory cytokines, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophages. However, RCE exerted no inhibitory effects against the production of NO and IL‐6. The results of the study show that the degree of fruit ripening of Rubus coreanus affects the production of inflammatory mediators such as NO, PGE2 and inflammatory cytokines. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Ourmiavirus

Members of the plant virus genus Ourmiavirus are characterized by having non-enveloped bacilliform virions with a series of discrete lengths from 30 to 62 nm composed of a single coat protein (CP). The genome consists of three positive-sense single-stranded RNAs, each encoding a single protein. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) has closest similarity to that of viruses from the family Narnaviridae; the movement protein (MP) is similar to the MPs of tombusviruses; the CP shows limited similarity to the CPs of several plant and animal viruses. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the taxonomy of the genus Ourmiavirus, which is available at www.ictv. global/report/ourmiavirus.
A Novel Control Scheme of Synchronous Buck Converter for ZVS in Light-Load Condition

This paper proposes a new control technology that enables a synchronous rectifier (SR) buck converter to realize zero voltage switching (ZVS) in light load condition. The SR control technique is applicable to dc low voltage output because the replacement of output rectifier diode by MOSFET can minimize conduction losses and increase the efficiency of the whole circuit. However, the technique cannot achieve good efficiency in light load condition. The control technique introduced in this paper enables an SR buck converter to carry out ZVS in light load condition to increase efficiency. No extra auxiliary switches or RLC passive components are required; thus, it is low cost and easy to control. The output of buck converter with 5 V/25 W featured by SR is developed in this paper; the availability of the technique introduced, herein, is also proven. The experimental results are satisfactory.
Fast Reconstruction for Degraded Reads and Recovery Process in Primary Array Storage Systems

SUMMARY RAID has been widely deployed in disk array storage systems to manage both performance and reliability simultaneously. RAID conducts two performance - critical operations during disk failures known as degraded reads / writes and recovery process . Before the recovery process is complete, reads and writes are degraded because data is reconstructed us-ing data redundancy. The performance of degraded reads / writes is critical in order to meet stipulations in customer service level agreements (SLAs), and the recovery process a ﬀ ects the reliability of a storage system considerably. Both operations require fast data reconstruction. Among the erasure codes for fast reconstruction, Local Reconstruction Codes (LRC) are known to o ﬀ er the best (or optimal) trade - o ﬀ between storage overhead, fault tolerance, and the number of disks involved in reconstruction. Originally, LRC was designed for fast reconstruction in distributed cloud storage systems, in which network tra ﬃ c is a major bottleneck during reconstruction. Thus, LRC focuses on reducing the number of disks involved in data reconstruction, which reduces network tra ﬃ c. However, we observe that when LRC is applied to primary array storage systems, a major bottleneck in reconstruction results from uneven disk utilization . In other words, underutilized disks can no longer receive I / O requests as a result of the bottleneck of overloaded disks. Uneven disk utilization in LRC is due to its dedicated group partitioning policy to achieve the Maximally Re-coverable property. In this paper, we present Distributed Reconstruction Codes (DRC) that support fast reconstruction in primary array storage systems. DRC is designed with group shu ﬄ ing policy to solve the problem of uneven disk utilization. Experiments on real - world workloads show that DRC using global parity rotation (DRC-G) improves degraded performance by as much as 72% compared to RAID - 6 and by as much as 35% compared to LRC under the same reliability. In addition, our study shows that DRC-G reduces the recovery process completion time by as much as 52% compared to LRC.
CFD Simulation of the Flow Thr ough Reciprocating Compressor Self-Acting Valves

In the paper the suitability of CFD method for the reciprocating compressor valve flow analysis has been investigated. The simulation has been worked up for the suction valve of the 4XD58 Polish compressor. It has been shown that the CFD simulation is fast and reliable tool for valve design. It has been shown that use of small workstation or PC computer gives results which are comparable with those of the experimental measurements. The basic valve geometry has been improved on the basis of the stream function contours. For the improved geometry the mass flow rate for the same pressure drop across the valve channel has been calculated.
Filtering environmental reflections in far-field antenna measurement in semi-anechoic chambers by an adaptive pattern strategy

A method to perform antenna far-field measurements in semi-anechoic chamber is presented. The method requires the measurement of the amplitude and phase of the pattern of the antenna under test in different spatial positions. The data are elaborated to estimate the direction of arrival of the reflected signals and to synthesize a receiving pattern with nulls in these directions. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the technique.
A Multi-Scale Roughness Metric for 3D Watermarking Quality Assessment

In this paper an objective metric to measure the perceptual quality of watermarked 3D meshes is presented. The metric relies on a multiscale measurement of the roughness of 3D meshes before and after the watermark insertion. The validity of the proposed metric has been tested against a number of different 3D watermarking algorithms, showing an excellent match with the subjective evaluation of the quality derived from pshycovisual experiments.
2-DE protein expression in endometrial carcinoma

The objective of this study was to explore the protein expression pattern in normal endometrial mucosa (n = 5) and endometrial carcinoma (n = 15) of low (diploid) and high (aneuploid) malignancy potential by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The specimens were evaluated for histopathologic subtype, stage and grade in relation to DNA ploidy. A match-set consisting of five samples from normal endometrium, eight diploid and seven aneuploid tumours was created. All the diploid and three of the aneuploid tumours were of endometrioid subtype, while the remaining four were of uterine seropapillary type. There were 192 protein spots differentiating diploid tumours from normal endometrium and 238 protein spots were separating aneuploid tumours from normal endometrium (p < 0.01). A cluster analysis based on 52 significantly deviating protein spots within the groups showed clustering and separation of the normal endometrium, diploid and aneuploid tumours. In conclusion this study showed significant differences in protein expression between normal endometrium and endometrial carcinoma as well as between endometrial carcinoma of low and high malignancy potential. In future studies these results may provide useful in finding new sensitive prognostic markers for endometrial cancer.
A Unified High-Level Petri Net Formalism for Time-Critical Systems

The authors introduce a high-level Petri net formalism-environment/relationship (ER) nets-which can be used to specify control, function, and timing issues. In particular, they discuss how time can be modeled via ER nets by providing a suitable axiomatization. They use ER nets to define a time notation that is shown to generalize most time Petri-net-based formalisms which appeared in the literature. They discuss how ER nets can be used in a specification support environment for a time-critical system and, in particular, the kind of analysis supported. >
Equivalent circuit/transmission line model of microwave pulse-compression cavities

Microwave pulse compression systems using a waveguide cavity composed by an inductive iris and an H-plane T-junction with the primary arm shorted is studied using the individual components' equivalent circuits. The equivalent circuit model of the device is studied in detail and optimized design characteristics and performance figures such as the length of the waveguide cavity, the iris width, the length of the shorted arm as well as the cavity gain and leakage are calculated using closed form expressions. Based on the aforementioned analysis, an optimized design procedure is proposed. As a verification of the proposed method, a microwave pulse compressor working at 1.3 GHz is studied and then compared with the results of a full-wave three dimensional commercial electromagnetic code.
Grazing, differential size-class dynamics and survival of the Mediterranean sponge Corticium candelabrum

The growth dynamics and survival of the sponge Corticium candelabrum (Demospon- giae: Homosclerophorida) were surveyed in the northwestern Mediterranean for more than 3 yr. Growth and regeneration rates, fission and fusion events and survival were monitored monthly. Moreover, in situ punctual clearance experiments were conducted seasonally searching for possible relationships between food uptake and sponge dynamics. The monthly growth rates (GR) of C. can- delabrum were low (0.19 ± 0.02 mean (±SE) for the 3 yr of study), variable and seasonal, with the highest values in summer. The cumulative survival function followed a stepped profile with several consecutive months without mortality separated by shorter mortality events, which mainly occurred in cold months (winter-spring). However, an event of high mortality (76% of the monitored individ- uals died) took place in the particularly warm summer 2003. Fission events were frequent after pre- vious damage (e.g. partial predation) and only one fusion event was recorded along the study period. The diet of C. candelabrum was highly heterogeneous. Differences in clearance rates (CR) among picoplankton types with season indicated that the sponge retained with different efficiency the sev- eral picoplankton types present in the water. Survival and GRs were significantly different for small, medium and large individuals (size-classes I, II and III), with the small sponges showing the lowest survival (56.6% cumulative mortality for the last 2 yr of study) and the highest GRs (0.18 ± 0.03 mo -1 , mean ± SE). On the whole, the results indicate that C. candelabrum is a slow-growing but dynamic sponge.