Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial Distribution of an Uranium-Respiring Betaproteobacterium at the Rifle, CO Field Research Site

The Department of Energy’s Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface Research Challenge Site (IFRC) at Rifle, Colorado was created to address the gaps in knowledge on the mechanisms and rates of U(VI) bioreduction in alluvial sediments. Previous studies at the Rifle IFRC have linked microbial processes to uranium immobilization during acetate amendment. Several key bacteria believed to be involved in radionuclide containment have been described; however, most of the evidence implicating uranium reduction with specific microbiota has been indirect. Here, we report on the cultivation of a microorganism from the Rifle IFRC that reduces uranium and appears to utilize it as a terminal electron acceptor for respiration with acetate as electron donor. Furthermore, this bacterium constitutes a significant proportion of the subsurface sediment community prior to biostimulation based on TRFLP profiling of 16S rRNA genes. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicates that the microorganism is a betaproteobacterium with a high similarity to Burkholderia fungorum. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of a betaproteobacterium capable of uranium respiration. Our results indicate that this microorganism occurs commonly in alluvial sediments located between 3-6 m below ground surface at Rifle and may play a role in the initial reduction of uranium at the site.
Robit: an extensible auction-based market platform for challenged environments

Open and competitive marketplaces, like those enabled by the internet, bring enormous value to consumers while fostering innovation and growth across a wide variety of businesses. Electronic commerce has forever changed how people trade goods and services. Last year alone, US consumers spent more than $150 billion dollars on internet sales [5]. However, developing countries largely have not benefited from these advances, often due to low network penetration, lack of locally relevant markets, and requirements for additional facilities (such as credit cards, shipping arrangements etc.) to take advantage of such marketplaces. Even when these markets are established with local content and poor connectivity in mind, they are often specific to a certain domain or community. This paper introduces Robit, an extensible auction-based market platform for use in challenged network environments. Robit enables developers to incorporate a market layer in their applications and open their service to a wider audience. Robit is built with challenged environments in mind, where communication channels are narrow and potentially expensive. The market structure in Robit is based on a survey of studies in auction theory and economics, and incorporates widely available communication tools. To demonstrate how Robit can be used to add a market layer to digital services, we have modified an open source data fetching application targeted towards challenged environments to use our platform. In addition, we analyze a standalone auction-based marketplace constructed using the Robit infrastructure. We also describe an in-country user study and a small pilot deployment for proof-of-concept.
Digital Support for Archaeology

Abstract We describe an interdisciplinary approach in which computer scientists develop techniques to support archaeology. In the Reading Images for the Cultural Heritage (RICH) project, a variety of methods have been developed to support archaeologists in the visualization, categorization, and characterization of archaeological objects, such as medieval glass, coins, ceramics, and seeds. The methods are based on image processing and machine learning algorithms that are tailored to the task at hand. We describe the algorithms and illustrate their application on archaeological datasets. The virtues and pitfalls of the interdisciplinary approach to archaeology are discussed.
Anti-EphA2 Antibodies with Distinct In Vitro Properties Have Equal In Vivo Efficacy in Pancreatic Cancer

The EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase is overexpressed in a variety of human epithelial cancers and is a determinant of malignant cellular behavior in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. Moreover, it is expressed in tumor endothelium and its activation promotes angiogenesis. To better clarify the therapeutic potential of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed to the EphA2 receptor, we generated a large number of mAbs by differential screening of phage-Ab libraries by oligonucleotide microarray technology and implemented a strategy for the rapid identification of antibodies with the desired properties. We selected two high-affinity and highly specific EphA2 monoclonal antibodies with different in vitro properties on the human pancreatic tumor cell line MiaPaCa2. One is a potent EphA2-agonistic antibody, IgG25, that promotes receptor endocytosis and subsequent degradation, and the second is a ligand antagonist, IgG28, that blocks the binding to ephrin A1 and is cross-reactive with the mouse EphA2 receptor. We measured the effect of antibody treatment on the growth of MiaPaCa2 cells orthotopically transplanted in nude mice. Both IgG25 and IgG28 had strong antitumor and antimetastatic efficacy. In vivo treatment with IgG25 determined the reduction of the EphA2 protein levels in the tumor and the phosphorylation of FAK on Tyr576 while administration of IgG28 caused a decrease in tumor vascularization as measured by immunohistochemical analysis of CD31 in tumor sections. These data show that in a pancreatic cancer model comparable therapeutic efficacy is obtained either by promoting receptor degradation or by blocking receptor activation.
On economical set representations of graphs

In this paper we discuss the bounds of and relations among various kinds of intersection numbers of graphs. Especially, we address extremal graphs with respect to the established bounds. The uniqueness of the minimum-size intersection representations for some graphs is also studied. In the course of this work, we introduce a superclass of chordal graphs, defined in terms of a generalization of simplicial vertex and perfect elimination ordering.
Searching for the Right Fit: A Case Study of IT Security Management Model Tradeoffs

The usability of security systems within an organization is impacted not only by tool interfaces but also by the security management model (SMM) of the IT security team. Finding the right SMM is critical and yet can be challenging, as there are tradeoffs inherent with each approach. We present a case study of one post-secondary educational institution that created a centralized security team, but disbanded it in favour of a more distributed approach three years later. The case study consists of interviews with ten IT staff from across the organization who gave us their diverse perspectives of the realities of managing security in a decentralized post-secondary organization. We contrast this organization’s experiences with SMMS with expectations from industry standards and derive organizational factors that impact the success of the models. These factors highlight the importance of considering both the organization’s security goals as well as its structure when evaluating potential SMMs. Furthermore, top management support, security policies, and a security team with vested authority, along with the organization’s prior security management history, impact the success of a given SMM.
Noise model creation for visual odometry with neural-fuzzy model

In this paper, we propose a technique of learning a noise pattern of visual odometry for accurate and consistent 6DOF localization. The noise model is represented by three parameters of feature points as input: I) The number of inliers among feature points, II) Average of distances between feature points, III) Variance of interior angles. The correlation between these parameters and estimation error is also described. To approximate the complicate noise model accurately, our technique adopts Hybrid neural Fuzzy Inference System (HyFIS) for a learning engine. The noise model is created with HyFIS beforehand, and then the error of visual odometry is estimated by the noise model and compensated on the fly. Learning results of the noise model and results of 6DOF localization in untextured and dynamic environments are presented, effectiveness of our technique is shown.
Air Pollution Exposure and Lung Function in Children: The ESCAPE Project

Background: There is evidence for adverse effects of outdoor air pollution on lung function of children. Quantitative summaries of the effects of air pollution on lung function, however, are lacking due to large differences among studies. Objectives: We aimed to study the association between residential exposure to air pollution and lung function in five European birth cohorts with a standardized exposure assessment following a common protocol. Methods: As part of the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE) we analyzed data from birth cohort studies situated in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom that measured lung function at 6–8 years of age (n = 5,921). Annual average exposure to air pollution [nitrogen oxides (NO2, NOx), mass concentrations of particulate matter with diameters < 2.5, < 10, and 2.5–10 μm (PM2.5, PM10, and PMcoarse), and PM2.5 absorbance] at the birth address and current address was estimated by land-use regression models. Associations of lung function with estimated air pollution levels and traffic indicators were estimated for each cohort using linear regression analysis, and then combined by random effects meta-analysis. Results: Estimated levels of NO2, NOx, PM2.5 absorbance, and PM2.5 at the current address, but not at the birth address, were associated with small decreases in lung function. For example, changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) ranged from –0.86% (95% CI: –1.48, –0.24%) for a 20-μg/m3 increase in NOx to –1.77% (95% CI: –3.34, –0.18%) for a 5-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. Conclusions: Exposure to air pollution may result in reduced lung function in schoolchildren. Citation: Gehring U, Gruzieva O, Agius RM, Beelen R, Custovic A, Cyrys J, Eeftens M, Flexeder C, Fuertes E, Heinrich J, Hoffmann B, de Jongste JC, Kerkhof M, Klümper C, Korek M, Mölter A, Schultz ES, Simpson A, Sugiri D, Svartengren M, von Berg A, Wijga AH, Pershagen G, Brunekreef B. 2013. Air pollution exposure and lung function in children: the ESCAPE project. Environ Health Perspect 121:1357–1364; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1306770
On Signal P-300 Detection for BCI Applications Based on Wavelet Analysis and ICA Preprocessing

This paper describes an experiment on the detection of a P-300 rhythm from electroencephalographic signals for brain computer interfaces applications. The P300 evoked potential is obtained from visual stimuli followed by a motor response from the subject. The EEG signals are obtained with a 14 electrodes Emotiv EPOC headset. Preprocessing of the signals includes denoising and blind source separation using an Independent Component Analysis algorithm. The P300 rhythm is detected through a time-scale analysis based on the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Comparison using the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), and Wigner–Ville Distribution (WVD) indicates that the DWT outperforms the others as an analyzing tool for P300 rhythm detection.
Swap Rates and Credit Quality We Are Grateful for Discussions with Ken Singleton and Comments From

The impact of credit quality on swap rates is determined under alternative netting assumptions. With counterparties of di erent default risk, swap valuation is non-linear in the underlying promised exchange of cash ows. The impact of credit risk asymmetry and of netting is presented through both theory and numerical examples, which include interest rate and currency swaps. Please address all correspondence to: Darrell Du e, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305-5015. We are grateful for discussions with Ken Singleton and comments from John Hull, Francis Longsta , and Ashok Varadhan.
Generalized Binary Udaya–Siddiqi Sequences

In this correspondence, we present a family of binary 2n sequences of period 2(2n-1) where n is an integer, which can be seen as a generalization of nonlinear binary sequences obtained from Z4 sequences and recently constructed GKW (Gold, Kasami, and Welch)-like sequences. The sequences have low correlations and are useful in code-division multiple-access (CDMA) communication systems and cryptography
Totally Percutaneous Aneurysm Sac Embolization During Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

Purpose: To describe a sac embolization technique modification for type II endoleak prevention that makes a totally percutaneous approach feasible during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) using the Excluder stent-graft. Technique: Percutaneous access of the common femoral arteries is obtained and 2 suture-mediated closure systems are placed on each side. A 16-F or 18-F sheath is placed for delivery of the Excluder stent-graft main body and a 16-F sheath is used on the contralateral side. After the stent-graft and contralateral limb component are delivered to their intended positions, a standard 0.035-inch hydrophilic guidewire is placed into the aneurysm sac through the same 16-F sheath. Then a 5-F, straight, 65-cm-long catheter is advanced over the standard wire into the sac in parallel with the contralateral limb. The contralateral limb is deployed, the standard guidewire is removed; coils are released through the 5-F catheter into the sac, followed by injection of 5 to 10 mL of double-component fibrin glue. Conclusion: Totally percutaneous, nonselective sac embolization during EVAR, with a single access on each femoral artery, is feasible and helpful to physicians who wish to perform intraoperative sac embolization without relevant changes in their usual EVAR procedure.
Prolonging lifetime of non-volatile last level caches with cluster mapping

Recently, work has been done on using nonvolatile cells, such as Spin Transfer Torque RAM (STT-RAM) or Magnetic RAM (M-RAM), to construct last level caches (LLC). These structures mitigate the leakage power and density problem found in traditional SRAM cells. However, the low endurance of nonvolatile caches decreases the lifetime of the LLC. Therefore, an effective wear-leveling technique is required to tackle this issue. In this paper, we propose the inter-set algorithm that distributes the write traffic to all portions of the cache. Our method is based on cluster mapping that dynamically replaces two clusters during the operation of system. Since the inter-set algorithm is based on data movement, a large amount of data must transfer in each replacement. For an efficient data movement with a minimum effect on performance, we develop the novel scheduling technique that utilizes the idle time of the LLC in the computation phase of the processors. Our approach effectively improves the lifetime of LLC with negligible performance and area overhead. Using these methods in a quad core system with 2MB LLC, we can improve the lifetime of non-volatile LLC by 30% on average.
The Poincar´e series of C n Z

We show that the Poincar´e series of the Fuchsian group of deck transformations of C n Z diverges logarithmically. This is because C n Z is a Z -cover of the three horned sphere, whence its geodesic ﬂow has a good section which behaves like a random walk on R with Cauchy distributed jump distribution and has logarithmic asymptotic type.
TAKING EMPOWERMENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL : A MULTIPLE-LEVEL MODEL OF EMPOWERMENT , PERFORMANCE , AND SATISFACTION

Most research to date has approached employee empowerment as an individual-level phenomenon. In this study we proposed a work-unit-level construct, empowerment climate, and tested a multiple-level model integrating macro and micro approaches to empowerment. Empowerment climate was shown to be empirically distinct from psychological empowerment and positively related to manager ratings of work-unit performance. A cross-level mediation analysis using hierarchical linear modeling showed that psychological empowerment mediated the relationships between empowerment climate and individual performance and job satisfaction.
Cervical Disc Replacement: A Systematic Review of Medline Indexed Literature

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) currently remains as the gold standard treatment for cervical disc herniation and Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) refractory to conservative management. Even though anterior cervical fusion provides excellent clinical results, it has been implicated in abnormal kinematic strain on adjacent disc level resulting in symptomatic adjacent segment disease. Anterior cervical disc replacement (ACDR) is an alternative procedure to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. The aims of cervical disc replacement were to preserve the motion at the index level and to protect the adjacent levels from accelerated symptomatic degeneration. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the outcomes of cervical disc replacement published in MEDLINE indexed literature. A literature search was carried out in medical electronic database MEDLINE. Keywords used for the search were Cervical vertebrae, Cervical spine, Neck, Intervertebral disc, Total disc replacement, Arthroplasty, Replacement, Treatment outcome. Two authors reviewed titles and abstracts of all two hundred and thirty six hits. The articles that satisfied the inclusion criteria were critically appraised while remaining articles were discarded. Anterior cervical disc replacement is a relatively new technology in spinal surgery. There are several short and intermediate term follow-up studies to prove the safety and efficacy of ACDR with satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes. More intermediate to long-term follow-up studies are needed to prove the safety and efficacy of ACDR.
Out-of-Pocket Spending Among Commercially Insured Patients for Epinephrine Autoinjectors Between 2007 and 2014

Author Affiliations: School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis (Odden); Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle (Koh, Arnold); Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, University of Washington, Seattle (Psaty); Departments of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle (Psaty); Group Health Research Institute, Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, Washington (Psaty); Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Newman).
Non-Convex Phase Retrieval From STFT Measurements

The problem of recovering a one-dimensional signal from its Fourier transform magnitude, called Fourier phase retrieval, is ill-posed in most cases. We consider the closely-related problem of recovering a signal from its phaseless short-time Fourier transform (STFT) measurements. This problem arises naturally in several applications, such as ultra-short laser pulse characterization and ptychography. The redundancy offered by the STFT enables unique recovery under mild conditions. We show that in some cases the unique solution can be obtained by the principal eigenvector of a matrix, constructed as the solution of a simple least-squares problem. When these conditions are not met, we suggest using the principal eigenvector of this matrix to initialize non-convex local optimization algorithms and propose two such methods. The first is based on minimizing the empirical risk loss function, while the second maximizes a quadratic function on the manifold of phases. We prove that under appropriate conditions, the proposed initialization is close to the underlying signal. We then analyze the geometry of the empirical risk loss function and show numerically that both gradient algorithms converge to the underlying signal even with small redundancy in the measurements. In addition, the algorithms are robust to noise.
A Review of Environmental Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Wastewater Use for Crop Irrigation with a Focus on Low and High-Income Countries

Population densities and freshwater resources are not evenly distributed worldwide. This has forced farmers to use wastewater for the irrigation of food crops. This practice presents both positive and negative effects with respect to agricultural use, as well as in the context of environmental contamination and toxicology. Although wastewater is an important source of essential nutrients for plants, many environmental, sanitary, and health risks are also associated with the use of wastewater for crop irrigation due to the presence of toxic contaminants and microbes. This review highlights the harmful and beneficial impacts of wastewater irrigation on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of soil (pH, cations and anions, organic matter, microbial activity). We delineate the potentially toxic element (PTEs) build up in the soil and, as such, their transfer into plants and humans. The possible human health risks associated with the use of untreated wastewater for crop irrigation are also predicted and discussed. We compare the current condition of wastewater reuse in agriculture and the associated environmental and health issues between developing and developed countries. In addition, some integrated sustainable solutions and future perspectives are also proposed, keeping in view the regional and global context, as well as the grounded reality of wastewater use for crop production, sanitary and planning issues, remedial techniques, awareness among civil society, and the role of the government and the relevant stakeholders.
The Bruxism Triad Sleep bruxism , sleep disturbance , and sleep-related GERD

Bruxism is defined as a diurnal and nocturnal parafunctional activity that includes clenching, bracing, gnashing, and grinding of teeth.1 the damage from bruxism is a reality in the everyday practice of dentistry and yet there is a great deal of confusion and controversy. dental professionals do not even agree on the relative number of people who brux. the estimates range from 5% to 95% of the population.2-4 Many dentists focus on the patients who present with wear to determine rates of bruxism. tooth wear, however, is a poor indicator of bruxism since attrition may play only a small role in tooth destruction and may not be indicative of an ongoing problem.5 the smaller estimates limit the patients to sleep bruxers. sleep bruxism (sB) is the grinding or clenching of the teeth during sleep, usually associated with sleep arousals.6 to date, the pathophysiology for sB has not been definitively determined. research points to neurochemistry, autonomic system, and sleep arousals as possible triggers.7,8 this article will restrict its focus to a unique subset of the bruxing population: the sleep bruxer. this group is extremely destructive to their teeth and systemic health. Additionally, this article will discuss the significance of the bruxism triad: sleep bruxism, sleep disturbance, and sleep-related gastroesophageal reflux.
Predictive point-cloud compression

Point clouds have recently become a popular alternative to polygonal meshes for representing three-dimensional geometric models. 3D photography and scanning systems acquire the geometry and appearance of real-world objects in form of point samples. Rendering directly with points eliminates the complex task of reconstructing a surface and allows handling of non-surfaces like models such as trees. With modern acquisition techniques producing larger and larger amounts of points, efficient schemes for compressing such data have become necessary.