Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real Time Synchronization of Signals for Heterogeneous Traffic

Real time control of heterogeneous traffic was always a challenge for efficient and effective traffic management. The solution becomes more complex when the heterogeneity is augmented with limited lane discipline. Adaptive traffic signal controllers offer better signal time management especially when the traffic is not saturated. Traditional methods of upstream vehicle detection (UTOPIA, PRODYN, SCOOT, OPAC, and RHODES) work well with disciplined traffic. However, this approach has several limitations when the drivers do not adhere to their respective lanes. A traffic adaptive control model which uses stop-line detector information is proposed in this paper. The model aims at real-time allocation of optimum cycle time through neuro-fuzzy actor critic reinforcement learning; an approach originated from the machine learning community. This approach has the ability to learn relationships between control actions and their effect on the environment while pursuing a goal is a distinct improvement over pre-specified models of the environment. The Model searches for optimum values by beginning with the initial values in real time. To have efficient learning and reliable decision making the model uses measured values. The performance of the model is tested on a typical four phase three intersections arterial with variable flow is simulated using a traffic micro-simulator (VISSIM) and interfaced with the proposed model. The model performance is compared with the traditional fully-actuated system. The results using this approach shows significant improvement over traditional control, especially for high traffic demand.
Bone Cell Activity in Clinical Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis and Its Inverse Relation to Tumor Cell Androgen Receptor Activity

Advanced prostate cancer frequently metastasizes to bone and induces a mixed osteoblastic/osteolytic bone response. Standard treatment for metastatic prostate cancer is androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) that also affects bone biology. Treatment options for patients relapsing after ADT are limited, particularly in cases where castration-resistance does not depend on androgen receptor (AR) activity. Patients with non-AR driven metastases may, however, benefit from therapies targeting the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, the current study specifically investigated bone cell activity in clinical bone metastases in relation to tumor cell AR activity, in order to gain novel insight into biological heterogeneities of possible importance for patient stratification into bone-targeting therapies. Metastasis tissue obtained from treatment-naïve (n = 11) and castration-resistant (n = 28) patients was characterized using whole-genome expression analysis followed by multivariate modeling, functional enrichment analysis, and histological evaluation. Bone cell activity was analyzed by measuring expression levels of predefined marker genes representing osteoclasts (ACP5, CTSK, MMP9), osteoblasts (ALPL, BGLAP, RUNX2) and osteocytes (SOST). Principal component analysis indicated a positive correlation between osteoblast and osteoclast activity and a high variability in bone cell activity between different metastases. Immunohistochemistry verified a positive correlation between runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) positive osteoblasts and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP, encoded by ACP5) positive osteoclasts lining the metastatic bone surface. No difference in bone cell activity was seen between treatment-naïve and castration-resistant patients. Importantly, bone cell activity was inversely correlated to tumor cell AR activity (measured as AR, FOXA1, HOXB13, KLK2, KLK3, NKX3-1, STEAP2, and TMPRSS2 expression) and to patient serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Functional enrichment analysis indicated high bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in metastases with high bone cell activity and low tumor cell AR activity. This was confirmed by BMP4 immunoreactivity in tumor cells of metastases with ongoing bone formation, as determined by histological evaluation of van Gieson-stained sections. In conclusion, the inverse relation observed between bone cell activity and tumor cell AR activity in prostate cancer bone metastasis may be of importance for patient response to AR and/or bone targeting therapies, but needs to be evaluated in clinical settings in relation to serum markers for bone remodeling, radiography and patient response to therapy. The importance of BMP signaling in the development of sclerotic metastasis lesions deserves further exploration.
High Dimensional Time Series Generators

Multidimensional time series are sequences of real valued vectors. They occur in different areas, for example handwritten characters, GPS tracking, and gestures of modern virtual reality motion controllers. Within these areas, a common task is to search for similar time series. Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) is a common distance function to compare two time series. The Edit Distance with Real Penalty (ERP) and the Dog Keeper Distance (DK) are two more distance functions on time series. Their behaviour has been analyzed on 1-dimensional time series. However, it is not easy to evaluate their behaviour in relation to growing dimensionality. For this reason we propose two new data synthesizers generating multidimensional time series. The first synthesizer extends the well known cylinder-bell-funnel (CBF) dataset to multidimensional time series. Here, each time series has an arbitrary type (cylinder, bell, or funnel) in each dimension, thus for $d$-dimensional time series there are $3^{d}$ different classes. The second synthesizer (RAM) creates time series with ideas adapted from Brownian motions which is a common model of movement in physics. Finally, we evaluate the applicability of a 1-nearest neighbor classifier using DTW on datasets generated by our synthesizers.
Folding of Cayley Graphs

The aim of this paper is to discuss the folding of Cayley graphs of finite group.We prove that, for any finite group G,|G|=n and H is a subgroup of G. Then Cayley graph Γ=Cay(G,S) of G with respect to S=H\{1G} can be folded into a complete graph K, where r=|H|. Hence every Cayley graph Γ=Cay(G,S) of valency n-1 can not be folded. Also every Cayley graph Γ=Cay(G,S) of valency one can be folded and Γ=Cay(G,S), where S is generating set, every elements in it is self inverse and | |= 1 | | 2 SG, can be folded to an edge. Theorems governing these types of foldings are achieved.
Monitoring the availability of healthy and unhealthy foods and non‐alcoholic beverages in community and consumer retail food environments globally

Retail food environments are increasingly considered influential in determining dietary behaviours and health outcomes. We reviewed the available evidence on associations between community (type, availability and accessibility of food outlets) and consumer (product availability, prices, promotions and nutritional quality within stores) food environments and dietary outcomes in order to develop an evidence‐based framework for monitoring the availability of healthy and unhealthy foods and non‐alcoholic beverages in retail food environments. Current evidence is suggestive of an association between community and consumer food environments and dietary outcomes; however, substantial heterogeneity in study designs, methods and measurement tools makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions. The use of standardized tools to monitor local food environments within and across countries may help to validate this relationship. We propose a step‐wise framework to monitor and benchmark community and consumer retail food environments that can be used to assess density of healthy and unhealthy food outlets; measure proximity of healthy and unhealthy food outlets to homes/schools; evaluate availability of healthy and unhealthy foods in‐store; compare food environments over time and between regions and countries; evaluate compliance with local policies, guidelines or voluntary codes of practice; and determine the impact of changes to retail food environments on health outcomes, such as obesity.
Vertical distribution of fish and krill beneath water of varying optical properties

The distribution of acoustical scattering layers of fish and knll changed markedly in concert with fluctuating fluorescence (chlorophyll a) in upper waters, possibly due to a varying 'shadow effect'. Beneath clear waters on the outer Norwegian shelf (about 300 m depth), mesopelagic fish (Maurolicus muelleri) were located at approximately 150 to 200 m by day. Krill (mainly Thysanoessa inermis) was primarily found below the mesopelagic fish and above planktivorous demersal fish (Norway pout Trisopterus esmarkii). The vertical distributions changed abruptly across a front into water with less light penetration associated with increased fluorescence (chlorophyll a). Mesopelagic fish ascended by about 100 m accompanied by a rise of knll. Demersal fish left the benthic boundary zone, with ascending Norway pout foraging in the lower part of the knll layer. We suggest that the intermediate light conditions inside the front provided an 'antipredation window' (sensu Clark & Levy 1988: Am Nat 131:271-290) and thereby favorable feeding conditions for the planktivore These results indicate that properties of upper layers may impact plankton and fish distributions and their predator-prey interactions throughout the water column on continental shelves.
Population based Mobility Management in LEO Satellite Networks

Low Earth Orbit satellite systems gained considerable interest towards the end of the previous decade for its some important characteristics that are showed with such low propagation delay, low power requirements and ability to communicate with handheld terminals. So LEO networks are considered to be complementary rather than competitive to terrestrial networks. But the higher relative speed than terrestrial mobile networks is the main disadvantage of LEO satellites. As a result, the frequency of handover is more which decreases the quality of service. To overcome this problem, many solutions are given by scientists. Here we have proposed a Population Based Mobility Management (PBMM) method where we have divided the total Earth‟s surface into three types of area and applied different mobility management method for each of the populated areas. Through mathematical analysis simulation results shows that this method is better than the standard mobility management methods and can successfully reduce the handover costs.
Registering 2D and 3D imaging data of bone during healing

Abstract Purpose/Aims of the study: Bone’s hierarchical structure can be visualized using a variety of methods. Many techniques, such as light and electron microscopy generate two-dimensional (2D) images, while micro-computed tomography (µCT) allows a direct representation of the three-dimensional (3D) structure. In addition, different methods provide complementary structural information, such as the arrangement of organic or inorganic compounds. The overall aim of the present study is to answer bone research questions by linking information of different 2D and 3D imaging techniques. A great challenge in combining different methods arises from the fact that they usually reflect different characteristics of the real structure. Materials and methods: We investigated bone during healing by means of µCT and a couple of 2D methods. Backscattered electron images were used to qualitatively evaluate the tissue’s calcium content and served as a position map for other experimental data. Nanoindentation and X-ray scattering experiments were performed to visualize mechanical and structural properties. Results: We present an approach for the registration of 2D data in a 3D µCT reference frame, where scanning electron microscopies serve as a methodic link. Backscattered electron images are perfectly suited for registration into µCT reference frames, since both show structures based on the same physical principles. We introduce specific registration tools that have been developed to perform the registration process in a semi-automatic way. Conclusions: By applying this routine, we were able to exactly locate structural information (e.g. mineral particle properties) in the 3D bone volume. In bone healing studies this will help to better understand basic formation, remodeling and mineralization processes.
Relationship between hospital volume and short-term outcomes: a nationwide population-based study including 75,280 rectal cancer surgical procedures

There is growing interest on the potential relationship between hospital volume (HV) and outcomes as it might justify the centralization of care for rectal cancer surgery. From the National Italian Hospital Discharge Dataset, data on 75,280 rectal cancer patients who underwent elective major surgery between 2002 and 2014 were retrieved and analyzed. HV was grouped into tertiles: low-volume performed 1-12, while high-volume hospitals performed 33+ procedures/year. The impact of HV on in-hospital mortality, abdominoperineal resection (APR), 30-day readmission, and length of stay (LOS) was assessed. Risk factors were calculated using multivariate logistic regression. The proportion of procedures performed in low-volume hospitals decreased by 6.7 percent (p<0.001). The rate of in-hospital mortality, APR and 30-day readmission was 1.3%, 16.3%, and 7.2%, respectively, and the median LOS was 13 days. The adjusted risk of in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.25-1.78), APR (OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.02-1.19), 30-day readmission (OR 1.49, 95%CI 1.38-1.61), and prolonged LOS (OR 2.29, 95%CI 2.05-2.55) were greater for low-volume hospitals than for high-volume hospitals. This study shows an independent impact of HV procedures on all short-term outcome measures, justifying a policy of centralization for rectal cancer surgery, a process which is underway.
Preparation of corrosion-resisting superhydrophobic surface on aluminium substrate

A superhydrophobic surface with micro-nano rough structure and corrosion-resisting property was prepared on aluminium substrate by a simple one-step wet chemical etching in HCl solution and in situ polymerisation method through thiol–ene coupling. The influence of etching time on wettability and morphology of the aluminium substrate surface was discussed. The surface morphology, chemical compositions and wettability of the aluminium substrate were investigated by scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared. The water contact angle (WCA) and sliding angle (SA) were measured to study the superhydrophobicity. The results showed that a rough and irregular morphology was formed with 3.5 min etching, WCA and SA of the modified aluminium surface were 163° and 5°, respectively. The as-prepared surface revealed excellent corrosion resistance in 3.5% wt NaCl solution. The self-etching current density of the superhydrophobic aluminium surface was only 3.22 × 10−7 A cm−2.
Barrier Capacity of Human Placenta for Nanosized Materials

Background Humans have been exposed to fine and ultrafine particles throughout their history. Since the Industrial Revolution, sources, doses, and types of nanoparticles have changed dramatically. In the last decade, the rapidly developing field of nanotechnology has led to an increase of engineered nanoparticles with novel physical and chemical properties. Regardless of whether this exposure is unintended or not, a careful assessment of possible adverse effects is needed. A large number of projects have been carried out to assess the consequences of combustion-derived or engineered nanoparticle exposure on human health. In recent years there has been a growing concern about the possible health influence of exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy, hence an implicit concern about potential risk for nanoparticle exposure in utero. Previous work has not addressed the question of whether nanoparticles may cross the placenta. Objective In this study we investigated whether particles can cross the placental barrier and affect the fetus. Methods We used the ex vivo human placental perfusion model to investigate whether nanoparticles can cross this barrier and whether this process is size dependent. Fluorescently labeled polystyrene beads with diameters of 50, 80, 240, and 500 nm were chosen as model particles. Results We showed that fluorescent polystyrene particles with diameter up to 240 nm were taken up by the placenta and were able to cross the placental barrier without affecting the viability of the placental explant. Conclusions The findings suggest that nanomaterials have the potential for transplacental transfer and underscore the need for further nanotoxicologic studies on this important organ system.
The Non-profit Sector and its Challenges for Governance

Non-profit organisations make up a considerable percentage of economic activity in many economies, yet their governance requirements and structures have historically tended to be ignored, or sometimes assumed to be similar to those for other organisations, including large publicly listed corporates. This is not the case. This paper identifies some of the frameworks proposed for evaluation of governance in NPOs, explores some characteristics of non-profit organisations that have significance for governance and it raises questions about its shape and direction. Much of the discussion involves the non-profit sector in Australasia but has relevance to many such organisations regardless of location.
Viewpoint-Tolerant Place Recognition Combining 2D and 3D Information for UAV Navigation

The booming interest in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV s) is fed by their potentially great impact, however progress is hindered by their limited perception capabilities. While vision-based odometry was shown to run successfully onboard UAV s, loop-closure detection to correct for drift or to recover from tracking failures, has so far, proven particularly challenging for UAVs. At the heart of this is the problem of viewpoint-tolerant place recognition; in stark difference to ground robots, UAVs can revisit a scene from very different viewpoints. As a result, existing approaches struggle greatly as the task at hand violates underlying assumptions in assessing scene similarity. In this paper, we propose a place recognition framework, which exploits both efficient binary features and noisy estimates of the local 3D geometry, which are anyway computed for visual-inertial odometry onboard the UAV. Attaching both an appearance and a geometry signature to each ‘location’, the proposed approach demonstrates unprecedented recall for perfect precision as well as high quality loop-closing transformations on both flying and hand-held datasets exhibiting large viewpoint and appearance changes as well as perceptual aliasing.
Genetic Variability in eIF2α Gene Is Associated with Islet β-Cell Function in the Development of Diabetes in a Chinese Han Population

Aims Protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) pathway mutations lead to failure of β-cell function. The aim of this article was to assess the association between eIF2α and the risk of glucose metabolism abnormalities. Methods Two eIF2α SNPs (rs9840992 T>C and rs13072593 A>G) were selected based on CHB data from HapMap, and 1466 unrelated nondiabetes individuals were genotyped. All subjects were examined by the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, and 733 participated in a subsequent insulin release test. Various indicators of insulin resistance and islet β-cell function were examined. Results There were no significant differences in genotype distribution and allele frequency between the prediabetes and controls. CC genotype carriers at rs9840992 showed higher insulin levels at 120 min after a 75 g glucose load than noncarriers. Also, CC homozygotes had higher ΔI30/ΔG30 and ΔI120/ΔG120 than noncarriers, even after adjusting for insulin resistance. CC homozygotes had greater AUCi values than noncarriers. Subjects aged ≥ 65 yrs, those with a BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 and those carrying the rs9840992 risk allele, had a 2.5-fold higher risk of glucose abnormalities than subjects who had none of these risk factors. Conclusion The eIF2α polymorphism is associated with islet β-cell function in a Chinese population.
Understanding mobile payment users' continuance intention: a trust transfer perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanism of building trust during the transition from online payment to mobile payment, as well as to examine the effect of trust on the satisfaction and continuance intention of mobile payment users. Based on trust transfer theory, this study proposes that trust in online payment (i.e. trust in source) and two source-target relationship factors, namely, perceived similarity and entitativity, affect trust in mobile payment (i.e. trust in target). In turn, the resulting trust influences user satisfaction and continuance intention toward mobile payment in an online-mobile payment context. Design/methodology/approach The model was empirically tested on data collected from 219 mobile payment users of a famous payment enterprise in China. Findings The results indicated that the trust transfer process positively influences the continuance intention of mobile payment through satisfaction. Satisfaction is an important factor affecting continuance intention. Moreover, trust in online payment, perceived similarity, and perceived entitativity between online and mobile payments can positively influence trust in mobile payment. Originality/value This study investigates the post-adoption usage of mobile payment from the trust transfer perspective. It focuses on the trust-building process and emphasizes the importance of trust on the continuance intention toward mobile payment in an online-mobile payment context.
PSGL-1 regulates platelet P-selectin-mediated endothelial activation and shedding of P-selectin from activated platelets

Summary We have previously shown that activated platelets in circulation stimulate release of endothelial Weibel-Palade bodies thus increasing leukocyte rolling in venules. P-selectin on the activated platelets mediates adhesion to leukocytes via PSGL-1 and is rapidly shed into plasma. We were interested in studying the role of PSGL-1 in regulating expression and function of platelet P-selectin. We show here that PSGL-1 is critical for the activation of endothelial cells in venules of mice infused with activated platelets. The interaction of platelet P-selectin with PSGL-1 is also required for P-selectin shedding, as P-selectin was retained significantly longer on the surface of activated platelets infused into PSGL-1-/- compared to wild-type mice. The leukocyte integrin αMβ2 (Mac-1) was not required for P-selectin shedding. In addition to shedding, P-selectin can be downregulated from the platelet surface through internalization and this is the predominant mechanism in the absence of PSGL-1. We demonstrate that leukocyte- neutrophil elastase,known to cleave P-selectin in vitro, is not the major sheddase for P-selectin in vivo. In conclusion, interaction of platelet P-selectin with PSGL-1 is crucial for activation of the endothelium andWeibel-Palade body secretion. The interaction with PSGL-1 also results in rapid shedding of P-selectin thus downregulating the inflammatory potential of the platelet.