Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative Investigation of  ${\rm Ce}^{3+}$ Doped Scintillators in a Wide Range of Photon Energies Covering X-ray CT, Nuclear Medicine and Megavoltage Radiation Therapy Portal Imaging Applications

The aim of the present work is to study the performance of scintillators currently used in PET and animal PET systems, under conditions met in radiation therapy and PET/CT imaging. The results of this study will be useful in applications where both CT and PET photons as well as megavoltage cone beam CT (MV CBCT) photons could be detected using a common detector unit. To this aim crystal samples of GSO, LSO, LYSO, LuYAP and YAP scintillators, doped with cerium (Ce+3) were examined under a wide energy range of photon energies. Evaluation was performed by determining the absolute luminescence efficiency (emitted light flux over incident X-ray exposure) in the energy range employed in X-ray CT, in Nuclear Medicine (70 keV up to 662 keV) and in radiotherapy 6 MV (approx. 2.0 MeV mean energy)-18 MV (approx. 4.5 MeV mean energy). Measurements were performed using an experimental set-up based on a photomultiplier coupled to a light integration sphere. The emission spectrum under X-ray excitation was measured, using an optical grating monochromator, to determine the spectral compatibility to optical photon detectors incorporated in medical imaging systems. Maximum absolute luminescence efficiency values were observed at 70 keV for YAP:Ce and LuYAP:Ce and at 140 keV for LSO:Ce, LYSO:Ce and GSO:Ce. Highest absolute efficiency between the scintillators examined was observed for LSO:Ce, followed by LYSO:Ce. The detector optical gain (DOG) exhibited a significant variation with the increase of energy between 70 keV to 2.0 MeV. All scintillators exhibited low compatibility when combined with GaAsP (G5645) photodetector.
Robust TDOA Localization Algorithm for Asynchronous Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents a tag localization algorithm based on the time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) of mobile tag signal for asynchronous wireless sensor network (WSN) with N anchors (nodes with known locations) and a large number of mobile tags. To obtain time synchronization, all anchors broadcast signals periodically; relative clock offsets and skews of anchor pairs are estimated by the least-square (LS) method using the times-of-arrival (TOAs) of broadcast signals at anchors. When a tag transmits signal, the TOA of tag signal at each anchor is stamped and errors in original TDOAs of tag signal due to relative clock offsets and skews of anchor pairs are eliminated. Based on Gaussian noise model, maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) for the tag position is obtained. Performance issues are addressed by evaluating the Cramér-Rao lower bound of synchronization and localization algorithms. Since the tag can be located via a single transmission, least power consumption of tag is required, and large number of tags can be served in WSN. The proposed algorithm is simple and effective, with performance close to that of synchronous TDOA algorithm.
Image color reduction method for color-defective observers using a color palette composed of 20 particular colors

This study describes a color enhancement method that uses a color palette especially designed for protan and deutan defects, commonly known as red-green color blindness. The proposed color reduction method is based on a simple color mapping. Complicated computation and image processing are not required by using the proposed method, and the method can replace protan and deutan confusion (p/d-confusion) colors with protan and deutan safe (p/d-safe) colors. Color palettes for protan and deutan defects proposed by previous studies are composed of few p/d-safe colors. Thus, the colors contained in these palettes are insufficient for replacing colors in photographs. Recently, Ito et al. proposed a p/dsafe color palette composed of 20 particular colors. The author demonstrated that their p/d-safe color palette could be applied to image color reduction in photographs as a means to replace p/d-confusion colors. This study describes the results of the proposed color reduction in photographs that include typical p/d-confusion colors, which can be replaced. After the reduction process is completed, color-defective observers can distinguish these confusion colors.
Activation of autophagy in retinal ganglion cells

Autophagy has been shown to be activated in neuronal cells in response to injury and suggested to have a cell‐protective role in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigated the activation of autophagy in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following optic nerve transection (ONT) and evaluated its effect on RGC survival. Expression of several autophagy‐related genes, including Atg5, Atg7, and Atg12, and autophagy markers microtubule‐associated protein 1 light chain 3–II (LC3‐II) and beclin‐1 were analyzed at the transcriptional or protein level 1, 3, and 7 days after ONT. Transcription of the Atg5, Atg7, and Atg12 genes was up‐regulated 1.5‐ to 1.8‐fold in the retina 3 days after ONT compared with that in the controls. Expression of Atg12 mRNA was increased 1.6‐fold 1 day after ONT. Seven days after ONT, expression of Atg5, Atg7, and Atg12 mRNA was comparable to that in the untreated retinas. Western blot analysis of proteins isolated from RGCs showed 1.6‐, 2.7‐, and 1.7‐fold increases in LC3‐II level 1, 3, and 7 days after ONT, respectively, compared with those in the controls. Expression of beclin‐1 was 1.7‐fold higher 1 day after RGCs were axotomized, but 3 and 7 days after ONT it was comparable to that of the control. Inhibition of autophagy with bafilomycin A1, 3‐methyladenine, and Wortmannin in RGC‐5 cells under serum‐deprived conditions decreased cell viability by approximately 40%. These results suggest possible activation of autophagy in RGCs after optic nerve transection and demonstrate its protective role in RGC‐5 cells maintained under conditions of serum deprivation. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Keratocystic odontogenic tumor : a case report

Corresponding Author Dr. Nidhi Singh Dept. of Public Health Dentistry, Rungta College of Dental Sciences & Research, Kohka-Kurud Road, Kurud, Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India. Pin code-490024 Email: anandsingh001@gmail.com
Serological detection of enterotoxin from food-poisoning strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

Summary Cultures of Staphylococcus aureus from 36 food-poisoning incidents in Great Britain during the period 1961–69 were examined for their ability to produce enterotoxins A, B, C and, in some tests, enterotoxin D. Enterotoxin was produced by means of a sac-culture technique and detected serologically by the slide gel double-diffusion method. Enterotoxins A, B, C, or D were demonstrated from strains from 33 of 36 incidents (92 per cent.) and in some instances two enterotoxins were produced by one strain; enterotoxin A was the predominant type. Strains from 34 of 36 (94 per cent.) were lysed by phages of group III and in 13 of these incidents reactions were also obtained with phages of group I. Of 36 cultures of Staph. aureus isolated from a range of routine food samples not associated with food-poisoning incidents, 13 produced enterotoxins A, B, or C.
Recognition by and in vitro induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes against predicted epitopes of the immediate-early protein ICP27 of herpes simplex virus

The identification of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) proteins and the minimal epitopes within these proteins which serve as targets for cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) remains an important goal for the development of effective vaccine strategies. In this report, an H-2Kd allele-specific peptide-binding motif was used to locate putative CTL epitopes in the HSV-1 immediate-early protein ICP27, a protein previously identified as a major CTL target in the BALB/c mouse. Peptides 1 (amino acids 322 to 332) and 2 (amino acids 448 to 456) synthesized to represent two separate predicted CTL epitopes in ICP27 were able to sensitize target cells in vitro for recognition by HSV-1-specific CTL. Moreover, using a recently developed system to generate primary CTL responses in vitro, both peptides induced primary CTL which reacted with target cells expressing HSV-1. This system allowed us to verify the activity of two CTL epitopes in the ICP27 protein and holds promise as a rapid way of identifying immunogenic peptides from any protein molecule.
Correcting Air-Pressure Data Collected by MEMS Sensors in Smartphones

We present a novel correction method for air-pressure data collected by microelectromechanical pressure sensors embedded in Android-based smartphones, in order to render them usable as meteorological data. The first step of the proposed correction method involves removing the mechanically derived outliers existing beyond the physical limits and those existing outside 3σ, as well as a reduction to the mean sea level pressure using the altitude data from digital elevation models. The second correction step involves classifying data by location and linear-regression analysis utilizing the temperature and humidity sensed by the smartphone to reduce correction errors by performing the analysis according to personalized settings. Air-pressure data obtained from smartphones is subject to several influential factors, depending on the users’ external environment. However, once corrected for spatial location, temperature, and humidity and for individual users after a comprehensive quality control, the corrected air-pressure data was highly reliable as an auxiliary resource for automatic weather stations.
A Novel Adaptive Kalman Filter With Inaccurate Process and Measurement Noise Covariance Matrices

In this paper, a novel variational Bayesian (VB)-based adaptive Kalman filter (VBAKF) for linear Gaussian state-space models with inaccurate process and measurement noise covariance matrices is proposed. By choosing inverse Wishart priors, the state together with the predicted error and measurement noise covariance matrices are inferred based on the VB approach. Simulation results for a target tracking example illustrate that the proposed VBAKF has better robustness to resist the uncertainties of process and measurement noise covariance matrices than existing state-of-the-art filters.
New Models for the In Vitro Study of Liver Toxicity: 3D Culture Systems and the Role of Bioreactors

Present in all animal species, even if less developed in the lowest classes of the animal kingdom, the liver fulfils many vital functions of the utmost importance for the organism’s survival. In adult humans, the biological significance of liver is attested by its anatomical localisation, its volume, its complexity, and by the density of the cellular elements it is composed of. Located in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity, just below the diaphragm (Fig. 1), the liver represents, as a matter of fact, the largest visceral organ in the human body (about 2.5% of the dry body weight of an adult), and its parenchyma is constituted of more than 300 billion cells (Conti, 2005).
Discrepant Results for 44 Patients Who Had Not Had a Recent Myocardial Infarction Yet for Whom an Elevated CK lsoenzyme MB Fraction

Prospective analysis (by use of commercially available kits) of 339 validated admission specimens from patients consecutively admitted to a cardiac monitoring unit revealed sensitivities of 68 and 63% for two electrophoretic assays (Bioware and Helena) and up to 73 and 77% for two chromatographic assays (Roche and Worthington). Specificities were 94.8, 96.6, 90.2, and 89.7% and efficiencies were 90.2, 90.7, 87.0, and 87.0, respectively. Although these results differ from early reports, they agree well with several recent studies. However, 86(25%) of the specimens gave at least one discrepant result based on clinical evaluation of the patients, and 68(20%) gave at least one discrepant result between methods.
Building a semantic model of a textual document for efficient search and retrieval

This paper describes a new approach of enhancing textual document search and retrieval. The approach tries to take advantage of structured query languages in search and retrieval. For this purpose the semantic model of the document is created. The semantic model of the document is an ontology-like structured semantic annotation of the document that can support structured querying. This paper discusses how semantic model can be created from textual document and how set of semantic models can be efficiently searched through structured query language.
Relating hygroscopicity and composition of organic aerosol particulate matter

Abstract. A hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) was used to measure the water uptake (hygroscopicity) of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed during the chemical and photochemical oxidation of several organic precursors in a smog chamber. Electron ionization mass spectra of the non-refractory submicron aerosol were simultaneously determined with an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), and correlations between the two different signals were investigated. SOA hygroscopicity was found to strongly correlate with the relative abundance of the ion signal m/z 44 expressed as a fraction of total organic signal ( f 44 ). m/z 44 is due mostly to the ion fragment CO 2 + for all types of SOA systems studied, and has been previously shown to strongly correlate with organic O/C for ambient and chamber OA. The analysis was also performed on ambient OA from two field experiments at the remote site Jungfraujoch, and the megacity Mexico City, where similar results were found. A simple empirical linear relation between the hygroscopicity of OA at subsaturated RH, as given by the hygroscopic growth factor (GF) or "ϰ org " parameter, and f 44 was determined and is given by ϰ org = 2.2 × f 44 − 0.13. This approximation can be further verified and refined as the database for AMS and HTDMA measurements is constantly being expanded around the world. The use of this approximation could introduce an important simplification in the parameterization of hygroscopicity of OA in atmospheric models, since f 44 is correlated with the photochemical age of an air mass.
Biofilm Growth of Escherichia coli Is Subject to cAMP-Dependent and cAMP-Independent Inhibition

We established that Escherichia coli strain 15 (ATCC 9723) produces both curli and cellulose, and forms robust biofilms. Since this strain is wild type with respect to the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS), it is an ideal strain in which to investigate the effects of the PTS on the biofilm growth of E. coli. We began by looking into the effects of PTS and non-PTS sugars on the biofilm growth of this strain. All the sugars tested tended to activate biofilm growth at low concentrations but to inhibit biofilm growth at high concentrations. Acidification of the medium was an inhibitory factor in the absence of buffer, but buffering to prevent a pH drop did not prevent the inhibitory effects of the sugars. The concentration at which inhibition set in varied from sugar to sugar. For most sugars, cyclic (c)AMP counteracted the inhibition at the lowest inhibitory concentrations but became ineffective at higher concentrations. Our results suggest that cAMP-dependent catabolite repression, which is mediated by the PTS in E. coli, plays a role in the regulation of biofilm growth in response to sugars. cAMP-independent processes, possibly including Cra, also appear to be involved, in addition to pH effects.
A service‐oriented taxonomical spectrum, cloudy challenges and opportunities of cloud computing

Cloud computing has emerged as a popular computing milieu that provides a range of delivering solutions for small to large enterprises with a flexible model that allows a computing power and storing space for the large volumetric data within minimum cost. These days, computational paradigm is shifting towards utility‐based pay‐as‐you‐go model and many discussion aside, but there remains no canonical definition of cloud computing yet. In this paper we have proposed a service‐oriented taxonomical spectrum of cloud computing, which is more focused on the service engineering perspective of cloud. Our argument behind cloud engineering is a layered structural approach ‘as a Service’ such as security as a service, fault tolerance as a service, architecture as a service. The main contribution of this paper is to identify a wide spectrum of taxonomy, aiming at a better understanding of functional as well as architectural components that could benefit from cloudification. We describe each sub‐taxonomy (architecture, core services, security, fault tolerance, management services etc.) in details. In addition, we present a comparative study of several cloud systems based on taxonomy. Moreover, it also identifies many challenges and opportunities that exist on the landscape of enterprise cloud. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maximum principle for backward stochastic systems associated with Lévy processes under partial information

This paper studies an optimal control problem for a backward stochastic control systems associated with Lévy processes under partial information. More precisely, the controlled systems are described by backward stochastic differential equations driven by Teugels martingales and an independent multi-dimensional Brownian motion, where Teugels martingales are a family of pairwise strongly orthonormal martingales associated with Lévy processes, and all admissible control processes are required to be adapted to a given subfiltration of the filtration generated by the underlying Teugels martingales and Brownian motion. For this type of partial information stochastic optimal control problem with convex control domain, we derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of the optimal control by means of convex analysis and duality techniques. As an application, the optimal control problem of linear backward stochastic differential equation with a quadratic cost criteria (called backward linear-quadratic problem, or BLQ problem for short) under partial information is discussed and the unique optimal control is characterized explicitly by adjoint processes.
Random Scenario Forecasts Versus Stochastic Forecasts

Probabilistic population forecasts are useful because they describe uncertainty in a quantitatively useful way. One approach (that we call LT) uses historical data to estimate stochastic models (e.g., a time series model) of vital rates, and then makes forecasts. Another (we call it RS) began as a kind of randomized scenario: we consider its simplest variant, in which expert opinion is used to make probability distributions for terminal vital rates, and smooth trajectories are followed over time. We use analysis and examples to show several key differences between these methods: serial correlations in the forecast are much smaller in LT; the variance in LT models of vital rates (especially fertility) is much higher than in RS models that are based on official expert scenarios; trajectories in LT are much more irregular than in RS; probability intervals in LT tend to widen faster over forecast time. Newer versions of RS have been developed that reduce or eliminate some of these differences.
Short-Term Surgical Outcomes of Laparoscopic Colonic Surgery in Octogenarians: A Matched Case–Control Study

This study was undertaken to evaluate the short-term surgical outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for colonic carcinoma in octogenarians and compare them with those for a younger group of patients who underwent the same surgical procedures. This matched case–control study involved 17 octogenarian patients with colonic carcinoma who underwent laparoscopic surgery between 1996 and 2001. The results were compared with those for 34 matched patients aged 60 years or less who underwent the same surgical procedures during the same period. Both groups were well matched for clinical characteristics. However, the American Society of Anesthesiology status was significantly higher in the octogenarian group (P = 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the incidence of complications, the interval before resumption of liquid or solid food intake, or length of hospitalization. There were no deaths in either group. Advanced age should not be regarded as a contraindication for laparoscopic colonic surgery.
Initial investment choice and optimal future allocations

The paper oers a new perspective on optimal portfolio choice by in- vestigating how knowledge of an investor's desirable initial investment choice can be used to determine his future optimal portfolio allocations. Optimality of investment decisions is built on forward investment perfor- mance criteria. The analysis uses the connection between a fast diusion equation, satis…ed by the local risk tolerance, and the backward heat equa- tion. Complete solutions for the case of monotone performance criteria are provided as well as various examples.
Wavelet Assignment Graph Kernel for Drug Virtual Screening

We propose a kernel function called Wavelet Assignment graph kernel for graph classification which has applications in drug discovery. This is an extension of wavelet alignment graph kernel. In this method we use graphs to model chemical compounds. For feature extraction we have applied wavelet analysis to graph structured chemical structure, for each atom we collect features about the atom and its local environment with different scales. For finding the similarity between two graphs, nodes of one graph are aligned with nodes of the other graph. such that total overall similarity is maximized with respect to all possible alignment. For alignment between two graphs we have used Wavelet Assignment graph kernel. We have evaluated the efficiency of our kernel function using Predictive Toxicology Challenge data set. Our results indicate that the new kernel function is more efficient than the existing wavelet alignment graph kernel function.