Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Hierarchical Extension of General Four-Component Scattering Power Decomposition

The overestimation of volume scattering (OVS) is an intrinsic drawback in model-based polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) target decomposition. It severely impacts the accuracy measurement of scattering power and leads to scattering mechanism ambiguity. In this paper, a hierarchical extended general four-component scattering power decomposition method (G4U) is presented. The conventional G4U is first proposed by Singh et al. and it has advantages in full use of information and volume scattering characterization. However, the OVS still exists in the G4U and it causes a scattering mechanism ambiguity in some oriented urban areas. In the proposed method, matrix rotations by the orientation angle and the helix angle are applied. Afterwards, the transformed coherency matrix is applied to the four-component decomposition scheme with two refined models. Moreover, the branch condition applied in the G4U is substituted by the ratio of correlation coefficient (RCC), which is used as a criterion for hierarchically implementing the decomposition. The performance of this approach is demonstrated and evaluated with the Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR), Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR), Radarsat-2, and the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) fully polarimetric data over different test sites. Comparison studies are carried out and demonstrated that the proposed method exhibits promising improvements in the OVS and scattering mechanism characterization.
Advances in influenza vaccination

Influenza virus infections yearly cause high morbidity and mortality burdens in humans, and the development of a new influenza pandemic continues to threaten mankind as a Damoclean sword. Influenza vaccines have been produced by using egg-based virus growth and passaging techniques that were developed more than 60 years ago, following the identification of influenza A virus as an etiological agent of seasonal influenza. These vaccines aimed mainly at eliciting neutralizing antibodies targeting antigenically variable regions of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, which requires regular updates to match circulating seasonal influenza A and B virus strains. Given the relatively limited protection induced by current seasonal influenza vaccines, a more universal influenza vaccine that would protect against more—if not all—influenza viruses is among the largest unmet medical needs of the 21st century. New insights into correlates of protection from influenza and into broad B- and T-cell protective anti-influenza immune responses offer promising avenues for innovative vaccine development as well as manufacturing strategies or platforms, leading to the development of a new generation of vaccines. These aim at the rapid and massive production of influenza vaccines that provide broad protective and long-lasting immunity. Recent advances in influenza vaccine research demonstrate the feasibility of a wide range of approaches and call for the initiation of preclinical proof-of-principle studies followed by clinical trials in humans.
Flying the Needles

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of practice and training on fine-motor flying skills during a manual instrument landing system (ILS) approach. Background: There is an ongoing debate that manual flying skills of long-haul crews suffer from a lack of flight practice due to conducting only a few flights per month and the intensive use of automation. However, objective evidence is rare. Method: One hundred twenty-six randomly selected airline pilots had to perform a manual flight scenario with a raw data precision approach. Pilots were assigned to four equal groups according to their level of practice and training by fleet (short-haul, long-haul) and rank (first officer, captain). Results: Average ILS deviation scores differed significantly in relation to the group assignments. The strongest predictor variable was fleet, indicating degraded performance among long-haul pilots. Conclusion: Manual flying skills are subject to erosion due to a lack of practice on long-haul fleets: All results support the conclusion that recent flight practice is a significantly stronger predictor for fine-motor flying performance than the time period since flight school or even the total or type-specific flight experience. Application: Long-haul crews have to be supported in a timely manner by adequate training tailored to address manual skills or by operational provisions like mixed-fleet flying or more frequent transitions between short-haul and long-haul operation.
Naturally Adipose Stromal Cell‐Enriched Fat Graft: Comparative Polychromatic Flow Cytometry Study of Fat Harvested by Barbed or Blunt Multihole Cannula

Background: Fat grafts enriched with cells of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), especially adipose‐derived stromal cells (ASCs), exhibit significantly improved retention over non enriched, plain fat. Different types of liposuction cannulae may yield lipoaspirates with different subpopulations of cells. Moreover, preparation of adipose tissue for transplantation typically involves centrifugation, which creates a density gradient of fat. Objectives: The authors sought to determine whether liposuction with a barbed or smooth cannula altered the enrichment of the SVF, and specifically ASCs, in low‐density (LD) and high‐density (HD) fractions of centrifuged adipose tissue. Methods: Fat was harvested from 2 abdominal sites of 5 healthy women with a barbed or smooth multihole blunt‐end cannula. After centrifugation, LD and HD fat fractions were digested with collagenase and analyzed by polychromatic flow cytometry to identify and enumerate distinct populations of cells. Results: Overall cell yield and the number of immune cells were consistently higher in HD fractions than in LD fractions, regardless of the cannula employed. More living cells, and specifically more ASCs, populated the HD fractions of lipoaspirates obtained with a barbed cannula than with a smooth cannula. Conclusions: In this study, lipoaspiration with a barbed cannula and isolation of the HD layer of centrifuged adipose tissue yielded maximal amounts of SVF cells, including ASCs.
Endovascular Trophoblast Invasion: Implications for the Pathogenesis of Intrauterine Growth Retardation and Preeclampsia

Abstract Maternal uteroplacental blood flow increases during pregnancy. Altered uteroplacental blood flow is a core predictor of abnormal pregnancy. Normally, the uteroplacental arteries are invaded by endovascular trophoblast and remodeled into dilated, inelastic tubes without maternal vasomotor control. Disturbed remodeling is associated with maintenance of high uteroplacental vascular resistance and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preeclampsia. Herein, we review routes, mechanisms, and control of endovascular trophoblast invasion. The reviewed data suggest that endovascular trophoblast invasion involves a side route of interstitial invasion. Failure of vascular invasion is preceded by impaired interstitial trophoblast invasion. Extravillous trophoblast synthesis of nitric oxide is discussed in relation to arterial dilation that paves the way for endovascular trophoblast. Moreover, molecular mimicry of invading trophoblast-expressing endothelial adhesion molecules is discussed in relation to replacement of endothelium by trophoblast. Also, maternal uterine endothelial cells actively prepare endovascular invasion by expression of selectins that enable trophoblast to adhere to maternal endothelium. Finally, the mother can prevent endovascular invasion by activated macrophage-induced apoptosis of trophoblast. These data are partially controversial because of methodological restrictions associated with limitations of human tissue investigations and animal studies. Animal models require special care when extrapolating data to the human due to extreme species variations regarding trophoblast invasion. Basal plates of delivered placentas or curettage specimens have been used to describe failure of trophoblast invasion associated with IUGR and preeclampsia; however, they are unsuitable for these kinds of studies, since they do not include the area of pathogenic events, i.e., the placental bed.
Contralesional Brain–Computer Interface Control of a Powered Exoskeleton for Motor Recovery in Chronic Stroke Survivors

Background and Purpose— There are few effective therapies to achieve functional recovery from motor-related disabilities affecting the upper limb after stroke. This feasibility study tested whether a powered exoskeleton driven by a brain–computer interface (BCI), using neural activity from the unaffected cortical hemisphere, could affect motor recovery in chronic hemiparetic stroke survivors. This novel system was designed and configured for a home-based setting to test the feasibility of BCI-driven neurorehabilitation in outpatient environments. Methods— Ten chronic hemiparetic stroke survivors with moderate-to-severe upper-limb motor impairment (mean Action Research Arm Test=13.4) used a powered exoskeleton that opened and closed the affected hand using spectral power from electroencephalographic signals from the unaffected hemisphere associated with imagined hand movements of the paretic limb. Patients used the system at home for 12 weeks. Motor function was evaluated before, during, and after the treatment. Results— Across patients, our BCI-driven approach resulted in a statistically significant average increase of 6.2 points in the Action Research Arm Test. This behavioral improvement significantly correlated with improvements in BCI control. Secondary outcomes of grasp strength, Motricity Index, and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure also significantly improved. Conclusions— The findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of a BCI-driven neurorehabilitation approach using the unaffected hemisphere in this uncontrolled sample of chronic stroke survivors. They also demonstrate that BCI-driven neurorehabilitation can be effectively delivered in the home environment, thus increasing the probability of future clinical translation. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT02552368.
DECLINING MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA

In western North America, snow provides crucial storage of winter precipitation, effectively transferring water from the relatively wet winter season to the typically dry summers. Manual and telemetered measurements of spring snowpack, corroborated by a physically based hydrologic model, are examined here for climate-driven fluctuations and trends during the period of 1916–2002. Much of the mountain West has experienced declines in spring snowpack, especially since midcentury, despite increases in winter precipitation in many places. Analysis and modeling show that climatic trends are the dominant factor, not changes in land use, forest canopy, or other factors. The largest decreases have occurred where winter temperatures are mild, especially in the Cascade Mountains and northern California. In most mountain ranges, relative declines grow from minimal at ridgetop to substantial at snow line. Taken together, these results emphasize that the West's snow resources are already declining as earth's climate warms.
Grain growth rate for coupled grain boundary migration and grain rotation in nanocrystalline materials

Grain rotation has been found to be an important mechanism of microstructure evolution in addition to curvature-driven grain boundary migration in nanocrystalline materials. Grains coalesce due to rotation and this provides an additional mechanism of grain growth. We show that for growth by coupled migration and rotation coalescence the average grain size grows as indicating that the coupled problem is surprisingly more stable to grain growth. We then present an appropriate rotationally invariant multiphase field model which accounts for grain rotation to corroborate the theoretical result.
Family aggregation of cardiovascular disease mortality: a register-based prospective study of pooled Nordic twin cohorts.

Background Familial factors play an important role in the variation of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but less is known about how they affect the risk of death from CVD. We estimated familial aggregation of CVD mortality for twins offering the maximum level of risk due to genetic and other familial factors. Methods Altogether, 132 771 twin individuals, including 65 196 complete pairs from Denmark, Finland and Sweden born in 1958 or earlier, participated in this study. During the register-based follow-up, 11 641 deaths occurred from coronary heart disease (CHD), including 6280 deaths from myocardial infarct and 4855 deaths occurred from stroke, with 1092 deaths from ischaemic stroke and 1159 deaths from haemorrhagic stroke. Relative recurrence risk ratios (RRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for monozygotic and dizygotic twins were calculated. Results In the analyses pooling men and women, the RRR for monozygotic twins was 1.49 (95% CI 1.40-1.57) for CHD and 1.81 for any stroke (95% CI 1.54-2.09). The highest RRR was found for haemorrhagic stroke (3.53 95% CI 2.01-5.04). For dizygotic twins, the RRRs were generally lower. Conclusions Family aggregation was found for CHD and haemorrhagic stroke. Clustering of risk factors in families increases the risk of CVD.
Adaptive frequency compensation for maximum and constant bandwidth feedback amplifiers

We present an adaptive frequency compensation technique providing maximum bandwidth closed‐loop amplifiers. The approach exploits an auxiliary variable gain amplifier to implement an electrically tunable compensation capacitor proportional to the feedback factor. In this manner, the closed‐loop bandwidth is kept ideally constant irrespective of the closed‐loop gain. The proposed method can be applied to any amplifier adopting dominant‐pole compensation. As an example, we designed a CMOS amplifier providing 66‐dB direct current gain and 310‐MHz gain‐bandwidth product. For closed‐loop gains ranging from 1 to 10, the closed‐loop bandwidth was found never lower than 401 MHz (noinverting configuration) and 229 MHz (inverting configuration). A similar amplifier with equal gain‐bandwidth product, but adopting the traditional fixed compensation approach, would exhibit a closed‐loop bandwidth reduced to 33 MHz (noninverting) and 30 MHz (inverting) when the gain magnitude is set to 10. The enhanced frequency performance is obtained with a 48% increase in current consumption, whereas the other main operational amplifier performance parameters remain almost unchanged compared with the standard solution. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Population Genetic Differences along a Latitudinal Cline between Original and Recently Colonized Habitat in a Butterfly

Background Past and current range or spatial expansions have important consequences on population genetic structure. Habitat-use expansion, i.e. changing habitat associations, may also influence genetic population parameters, but has been less studied. Here we examined the genetic population structure of a Palaeartic woodland butterfly Pararge aegeria (Nymphalidae) which has recently colonized agricultural landscapes in NW-Europe. Butterflies from woodland and agricultural landscapes differ in several phenotypic traits (including morphology, behavior and life history). We investigated whether phenotypic divergence is accompanied by genetic divergence between populations of different landscapes along a 700 km latitudinal gradient. Methodology/Principal Findings Populations (23) along the latitudinal gradient in both landscape types were analyzed using microsatellite and allozyme markers. A general decrease in genetic diversity with latitude was detected, likely due to post-glacial colonization effects. Contrary to expectations, agricultural landscapes were not less diverse and no significant bottlenecks were detected. Nonetheless, a genetic signature of recent colonization is reflected in the absence of clinal genetic differentiation within the agricultural landscape, significantly lower gene flow between agricultural populations (3.494) than between woodland populations (4.183), and significantly higher genetic differentiation between agricultural (0.050) than woodland (0.034) pairwise comparisons, likely due to multiple founder events. Globally, the genetic data suggest multiple long distance dispersal/colonization events and subsequent high intra- and inter-landscape gene flow in this species. Phosphoglucomutase deviated from other enzymes and microsatellite markers, and hence may be under selection along the latitudinal gradient but not between landscape types. Phenotypic divergence was greater than genetic divergence, indicating directional selection on some flight morphology traits. Main Conclusions/Significance Clinal differentiation characterizes the population structure within the original woodland habitat. Genetic signatures of recent habitat expansion remain, notwithstanding high gene flow. After differentiation through drift was excluded, both latitude and landscape were significant factors inducing spatially variable phenotypic variation.
An efficient reduced complexity PAPR reduction approach for 3GPP LTE system

In wideband communication systems, Multi-Input Multi-Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) has been proposed as an efficient technique to enhance the link reliability and the spectral efficiency. However, the high Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) of the output signals degrades the advantage of the MIMO-OFDM systems. In order to overcome this issue, several methods requiring the explicit transmission of Side Information (SI) bits have been investigated in the literature. Nevertheless, the wrong estimation of the SI leads not only to a damage on the total signal recovery but also to a loss of the entire OFDM sequence which, causes severe degradation in the system performance. Additionally, the transmitted bits must be channel-encoded as they are particularly susceptible to the error performance of the OFDM system, which highly increases the complexity and the end-to-end latency. Therefore, we propose in this paper a blind and reduced complexity technique for MIMO-OFDM systems under high frequency selective channels. At the transmitter side, the proposed method exploits a new form of embedded signaling such as the use of the Zadoff-Chu matrix transform. Regarding the receiver side, the proposed method exploits simultaneously an enhanced Alamouti decoder scheme and an optimized estimation process that is based on calculating the high order statistic of the received signal. Finally, performances evaluation show the usefulness of the proposed methods in Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards.
Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) in Primary Care: A Profile of Practice

OBJECTIVE. This study aimed to understand how the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) can be used as an outcome measure in primary care and to identify the occupational performance profiles in this setting. METHOD. First, the COPM was administered to all eligible clients at two sites. Second, a focus group with participating occupational therapists explored the feasibility of using the COPM in primary care. RESULTS. A total of 161 COPMs were initially administered. Self‐care goals were identified most frequently (n = 248), followed by productivity (n = 229) and leisure (n = 179) goals (total goals = 656). Mean initial performance and satisfactions scores were 3.2 and 2.8, respectively. The average change (n = 22) scores were 2.1 and 2.6, respectively. CONCLUSION. The COPM is an invaluable tool to guide initial assessments and offer an occupation‐focused lens. Given the lifespan approach and an emphasis on screening and assessment, the challenge was finding the opportunity for readministration.
Nuclear Radiation Degradation Study on HD Camera Based on CMOS Image Sensor at Different Dose Rates

In this work, we irradiated a high-definition (HD) industrial camera based on a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) CMOS image sensor (CIS) with Cobalt-60 gamma-rays. All components of the camera under test were fabricated without radiation hardening, except for the lens. The irradiation experiments of the HD camera under biased conditions were carried out at 1.0, 10.0, 20.0, 50.0 and 100.0 Gy/h. During the experiment, we found that the tested camera showed a remarkable degradation after irradiation and differed in the dose rates. With the increase of dose rate, the same target images become brighter. Under the same dose rate, the radiation effect in bright area is lower than that in dark area. Under different dose rates, the higher the dose rate is, the worse the radiation effect will be in both bright and dark areas. And the standard deviations of bright and dark areas become greater. Furthermore, through the progressive degradation analysis of the captured image, experimental results demonstrate that the attenuation of signal to noise ratio (SNR) versus radiation time is not obvious at the same dose rate, and the degradation is more and more serious with increasing dose rate. Additionally, the decrease rate of SNR at 20.0, 50.0 and 100.0 Gy/h is far greater than that at 1.0 and 10.0 Gy/h. Even so, we confirm that the HD industrial camera is still working at 10.0 Gy/h during the 8 h of measurements, with a moderate decrease of the SNR (5 dB). The work is valuable and can provide suggestion for camera users in the radiation field.
Haystack: systematic analysis of the variation of epigenetic states and cell-type specific regulatory elements

Motivation With the increasing amount of genomic and epigenomic data in the public domain, a pressing challenge is how to integrate these data to investigate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating gene expression and maintenance of cell-identity. To this end, we have implemented a computational pipeline to systematically study epigenetic variability and uncover regulatory DNA sequences that play a role in gene regulation. Results Haystack is a bioinformatics pipeline to characterize hotspots of epigenetic variability across different cell-types as well as cell-type specific cis-regulatory elements along with their corresponding transcription factors. Our approach is generally applicable to any epigenetic mark and provides an important tool to investigate cell-type identity and the mechanisms underlying epigenetic switches during development. Additionally, we make available a set of precomputed tracks for a number of epigenetic marks across several cell types. These precomputed results may be used as an independent resource for functional annotation of the human genome. Availability The Haystack pipeline is implemented as an open-source, multiplatform, Python package called haystack_bio available at https://github.com/pinellolab/haystack_bio. Contact lpinello@mgh.harvard. edu, gcyuan@jimmy.harvard. edu