Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SPECT reconstruction with nonuniform attenuation from highly under-sampled projection data

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is an important nuclear medicine imaging technique and has been using in clinical diagnoses. The SPECT image can reflect not only organizational structure but also functional activities of human body, therefore diseases can be found much earlier. In SPECT, the reconstruction is based on the measurement of gamma photons emitted by the radiotracer. The number of gamma photons detected is proportional to the dose of radiopharmaceutical, but the dose is limited because of patient safety. There is an upper limit in the number of gamma photons that can be detected per unit time, so it takes a long time to acquire SPECT projection data. Sometimes we just can obtain highly under-sampled projection data because of the limit of the scanning time or imaging hardware. How to reconstruct an image using highly under-sampled projection data is an interesting problem. One method is to minimize the total variation (TV) of the reconstructed image during the iterative reconstruction. In this work, we developed an OSEM-TV SPECT reconstruction algorithm, which could reconstruct the image from highly under-sampled projection data with non-uniform attenuation. Simulation results demonstrate that the OSEM-TV algorithm performs well in SPECT reconstruction with non-uniform attenuation.
On Parameters Estimation in Stochastic Differential Equations with Additive Random Effects

In this paper, we proposed a class of statistical models where random effects are inserted into a Stochastic differential equations (SDEs) model, SDE defined N independent stochastic processes the drift term depending on a random variable . The distribution of the random effect depended on unknown parameters which are to be estimated from the continuous observation of the processes . When the drift term is defined linearly and has Gaussian distribution, we obtained an expression of the exact likelihood and proved the consistency and asymptotic normality of the maximum likelihood estimators .
Synaptic Characteristic of Hafnia-Based Ferroelectric Tunnel Junction Device for Neuromorphic Computing Application

Owing to the 4th Industrial Revolution, the amount of unstructured data, such as voice and video data, is rapidly increasing. Brain-inspired neuromorphic computing is a new computing method that can efficiently and parallelly process rapidly increasing data. Among artificial neural networks that mimic the structure of the brain, the spiking neural network (SNN) is a network that imitates the information-processing method of biological neural networks. Recently, memristors have attracted attention as synaptic devices for neuromorphic computing systems. Among them, the ferroelectric doped-HfO2-based ferroelectric tunnel junction (FTJ) is considered as a strong candidate for synaptic devices due to its advantages, such as complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor device/process compatibility, a simple two-terminal structure, and low power consumption. However, research on the spiking operations of FTJ devices for SNN applications is lacking. In this study, the implementation of long-term depression and potentiation as the spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) rule in the FTJ device was successful. Based on the measured data, a CrossSim simulator was used to simulate the classification of handwriting images. With a high accuracy of 95.79% for the Mixed National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) dataset, the simulation results demonstrate that our device is capable of differentiating between handwritten images. This suggests that our FTJ device can be used as a synaptic device for implementing an SNN.
On the Piano Movers' Problem: III. Coordinating the Motion of Several Independent Bodies: The Special Case of Circular Bodies Moving Amidst Polygonal Barriers

We present an algorithm that solves the following motion- planning problem that arises in robotics: Given several two-dimensional circular bodies B 1, B2, . , and a region bounded by a collection of "walls, " either find a continuous motion connecting two given configurations of these bodies during which they avoid collision with the walls and with each other, or else establish that no such motion exists. This paper continues other studies by the authors on motion- planning algorithms for other kinds of moving objects. The algorithms presented are polynomial in the number of walls for each fixed number of moving circles (for two moving circles the algorithm is shown to run in time O(n3) if n is the number of walls), but with exponents increasing with the number of moving circles.
Molecular Characterization and Expression Patterns of Two Pheromone-Binding Proteins from the Diurnal Moth Phauda flammans (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Phaudidae)

Sex pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) play an important role in sex pheromone recognition in Lepidoptera. However, the mechanisms of chemical communication mediating the response to sex pheromones remain unclear in the diurnal moths of the superfamily Zygaenoidea. In this study, Phauda flammans (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Phaudidae) was used as a model insect to explore the molecular mechanism of sex pheromone perception in the superfamily Zygaenoidea. Two novel pheromone-binding proteins (PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2) from P. flammans were identified. The two pheromone-binding proteins were predominantly expressed in the antennae of P. flammans male and female moths, in which PflaPBP1 had stronger binding affinity to the female sex pheromones Z-9-hexadecenal and (Z, Z, Z)-9, 12, 15-octadecatrienal, PflaPBP2 had stronger binding affinity only for (Z, Z, Z)-9, 12, 15-octadecatrienal, and no apparent binding affinity to Z-9-hexadecenal. The molecular docking results indicated that Ile 170 and Leu 169 are predicted to be important in the binding of the sex pheromone to PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2. We concluded that PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2 may be responsible for the recognition of two sex pheromone components and may function differently in female and male P. flammans. These results provide a foundation for the development of pest control by exploring sex pheromone blocking agents and the application of sex pheromones and their analogs for insect pests in the superfamily Zygaenoidea.
Electron emissive electrode for the plasma biasing experiment on tokamak ISTTOK

This paper presents the description and operational characteristics of an emissive electrode (EE) used in edge biasing experiments on small tokamak ISTTOK. The EE consists of a lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) electron emitter heated by a tungsten filament. The emissive characteristics of EE have been investigated both in a simple vacuum diode configuration on test facility and in the plasma of tokamak. Emissive currents up to 20 A have been observed during negative bias in plasma accompanied by a strong modification of the electric field. The EE proved to be a valuable tool on the control of the plasma electric field, allowing a detailed investigation of its importance in plasma confinement.
High-power, red-emitting DBR-TPL for possible 3d holographic or volumetric displays

To create holographic or volumetric displays, it is highly desirable to move from conventional imaging projection displays, where the light is filtered from a constant source towards flying spot, where the correct amount of light is generated for every pixel. The only light sources available for such an approach, which requires visible, high output power with a spatial resolution beyond conventional lamps, are lasers. When adding the market demands for high electro-optical conversion efficiency, direct electrical modulation capability, compactness, reliability and massproduction compliance, this leaves only semiconductor diode lasers. We present red-emitting tapered diode lasers (TPL) emitting a powerful, visible, nearly diffraction limited beam (M²1/e² < 1.5) and a single longitudinal mode, which are well suited for 3d holographic and volumetric imaging. The TPLs achieved an optical output power in excess of 500 mW in the wavelength range between 633 nm and 638 nm. The simultaneous inclusion of a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) surface grating provides wavelength selectivity and hence a spectral purity with a width Δλ < 5 pm. These properties allow dense spectral multiplexing to achieve output powers of several watts, which would be required for 3d volumetric display applications.
A high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimeter with magnetic field for magnetostructural transitions

We have developed a differential scanning calorimeter capable of working under applied magnetic fields of up to 5 T. The calorimeter is highly sensitive and operates over the temperature range 10–300 K. It is shown that, after a proper calibration, the system enables determination of the latent heat and entropy changes in first-order solid–solid phase transitions. The system is particularly useful for investigating materials that exhibit the giant magnetocaloric effect arising from a magnetostructural phase transition. Data for Gd5(Si0.1Ge0.9)4 are presented.
Characterization of cross‐reactive monoclonal antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐1 and SARS‐CoV‐2: Implication for rational design and development of pan‐sarbecovirus vaccines and neutralizing antibodies

Emergence of various circulating SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern (VOCs) promotes the identification of pan‐sarbecovirus vaccines and broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). Here, to characterize monoclonal antibodies cross‐reactive against both SARS‐CoV‐1 and SARS‐CoV‐2 and to search the criterion for bNAbs against all emerging SARS‐CoV‐2, we isolated several SARS‐CoV‐1‐cross‐reactive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from a wildtype SARS‐CoV‐2 convalescent donor. These antibodies showed broad binding capacity and cross‐neutralizing potency against various SARS‐CoV‐2 VOCs, including B.1. 1.7 (Alpha), B.1. 351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), and B.1. 617.2 (Delta), but failed to efficiently neutralize Omicron variant and its sublineages. Structural analysis revealed how Omicron sublineages, but not other VOCs, efficiently evade an antibody family cross‐reactive against SARS‐CoV‐1 through their escape mutations. Further evaluation of a series of SARS‐CoV‐1/2‐cross‐reactive bNAbs showed a negative correlation between the neutralizing activities against SARS‐CoV‐1 and SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant. Together, these results suggest the necessity of using cross‐neutralization against SARS‐CoV‐1 and SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron as criteria for rational design and development of potent pan‐sarbecovirus vaccines and bNAbs.
Finite-time reliable L 2 − L ∞ / H ∞ control for Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy systems with actuator faults

: This study deals with the problem of ﬁnite-time reliable L 2 − L ∞ / H ∞ control for non-linear systems with actuator faults through Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model approach. The actuator failure model under consideration is assumed to be governed by a homogenous Markov chain. The focus is on the design of a fuzzy Markov switching fault-tolerant controller such that the resulting closed-loop system is stochastically ﬁnite-time bounded with a mixed L 2 − L ∞ / H ∞ performance level over a ﬁnite-time interval. Some sufﬁcient conditions for the solvability of the above problem are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities by introducing a new mixed L 2 − L ∞ / H ∞ performance function. Finally, a quarter-vehicle suspension model is employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach.
A fully fuzzified, intelligent theory-of-constraints product-mix decision

The present research work outlines a fuzzified approach using fuzzy linear programming (FLP) using a suitably designed smooth logistic membership function (MF) for finding fuzziness patterns at disparate levels of satisfaction for theory of constraints-based (TOC) product-mix decision problems. The objective of the present work is to find fuzziness patterns of product-mix decisions with disparate levels of satisfaction of the decision-maker (DM). Another objective is to provide a robust, quantified monitor of the level of satisfaction among DMs and to calibrate these levels of satisfaction against DM expectations. Product-mix decision should take into account considerations such as the DM's level of satisfaction (sometimes called ‘emotions’) in order to make the decision a robust one. Sensitivity of the decision has been focused on a bottleneck-free, optimal product-mix solution of a TOC problem. The inefficiency of traditional linear programming (LP) in handling multiple-bottleneck problems using TOC is discussed using an illustrative example. Relationships among the degree of fuzziness, level of satisfaction and the throughput of modified TOC guide decision-makers (DM) under tripartite fuzzy environment in obtaining their product-mix choice trading-off with a pre-determined allowable fuzziness.
Decomposing Working Memory in Recurrent Major Depression: Impaired Encoding and Limited Maintenance Immune-to-Encoding Constraint

It is generally believed that working memory (WM) is dysfunctional in depression. However, whether this impaired performance originates from impaired encoding, maintenance or both stages is still unclear. Here, we aimed to decompose the abnormal characteristics of encoding and maintenance in patients with recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD). Thirty patients and thirty-nine healthy controls completed a spatial working memory task where the encoding time and the retention time could vary under different load levels. Encoding performance was assessed by comparing accuracies between short and long encoding times, and maintenance performance was assessed by comparing accuracies between short and long retention times. The results show a lower performance in depression than the controls. However, while the decreased accuracy by long retention (vs. short retention) was increased by a short encoding time in the control group, the retention performance of the depression group did not further suffer from the short encoding time. The generally impaired encoding, together with limited maintenance of immunity against the constrained encoding time, suggests a common bias for fixed internal processing over external processing in recurrent MDD. The paradigm provided in this study can be a convenient and efficient clinical test for assessing the WM encoding and maintenance function.
Air Pollution: Another Threat to HDL Function

Epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated a positive association between exposure to air pollutants and the incidence of cardiovascular disease, with the strongest evidence for particles with a diameter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Therefore, air pollution has been included among the modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes as cardiovascular mortality, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Interestingly, the adverse effects of air pollution are more pronounced at higher levels of exposure but were also shown in countries with low levels of air pollution, indicating no apparent safe threshold. It is generally believed that exposure to air pollution in the long-term can accelerate atherosclerosis progression by promoting dyslipidemia, hypertension, and other metabolic disorders due to systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Regarding high density lipoproteins (HDL), the impact of air pollution on plasma HDL-cholesterol levels is still debated, but there is accumulating evidence that HDL function can be impaired. In particular, the exposure to air pollution has been variably associated with a reduction in their cholesterol efflux capacity, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, and ability to promote the release of nitric oxide. Further studies are needed to fully address the impact of various air pollutants on HDL functions and to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for HDL dysfunction.
DIMENSIONS OF SPIRITUALITY AND MEANING OF LIFE IN MUSLIM WOMEN WEARING HIJAB IN INDONESIA

The existence of the meaning of life for Muslim women in Indonesia who wear the hijab is influenced by the dimensions of spirituality. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prediction of the dimensions of spirituality toward the meaning of life in Muslim women who wear hijab. The data were collected by using the spirituality dimension scale and the meaning of life scale with the alpha cronbach value of each variable was 0.850 and 0.861. The research subjects were women wearing hijab, amounting to 347 people with an average age were 18-20 years. The data were analyzed by using simple regression analysis with significance level of 0.05. The results of this study indicated that the dimension of spirituality affects the meaning of life for Muslim women (wearing hijab) in Indonesia.
Burden of Severe Illness Associated With Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza in Adults Aged 50–64 Years, 2010–2011 to 2016–2017

Abstract Background Understanding the burden of influenza is necessary to optimize recommendations for influenza vaccination. We describe the epidemiology of severe influenza in 50- to 64-year-old residents of metropolitan Toronto and Peel region, Canada, over 7 influenza seasons. Methods Prospective population-based surveillance for hospitalization associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza was conducted from September 2010 to August 2017. Conditions increasing risk of influenza complications were as defined by Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Age-specific prevalence of medical conditions was estimated using Ontario health administrative data. Population rates were estimated using Statistics Canada data. Results Over 7 seasons, 1228 hospitalizations occurred in patients aged 50–64 years: 40% due to A(H3N2), 30% A(H1N1), and 22% influenza B. The average annual hospitalization rate was 15.6, 20.9, and 33.2 per 100 000 in patients aged 50–54, 55–59, and 60–64 years, respectively; average annual mortality was 0.9/100 000. Overall, 33% of patients had received current season influenza vaccine; 963 (86%) had ≥1 underlying condition increasing influenza complication risk. The most common underlying medical conditions were chronic lung disease (38%) and diabetes mellitus (31%); 25% of patients were immunocompromised. The average annual hospitalization rate was 6.1/100 000 in those without and 41/100 000 in those with any underlying condition, and highest in those with renal disease or immunocompromise (138 and 281 per 100 000, respectively). The case fatality rate in hospitalized patients was 4.4%; median length of stay was 4 days (interquartile range, 2–8 days). Conclusions The burden of severe influenza in 50- to 64-year-olds remains significant despite our universal publicly funded vaccination program. These data may assist in improving estimates of the cost-effectiveness of new strategies to reduce this burden.
Review on the Solid-State Welding of Steels: Diffusion Bonding and Friction Stir Welding Processes

Solid-state welding (SSW) is a relatively new technique, and ongoing research is being performed to fulfill new design demands, deal with contemporary material advancements, and overcome welding defects associated with traditional welding techniques. This work provides an in-depth examination of the advancements in the solid-state welding of steels through diffusion bonding (DB) and friction stir welding (FSW). Considerable attention was given to DB of steel, which overcame the difficulties of segregation, cracking, and distortion stresses that are usually formed in liquid-phase welding techniques. The defects that affected DB included two types: two-dimensional defects of a metallic lattice, i.e., phases and grain boundaries, and three-dimensional defects, i.e., precipitation. FSW, on the other hand, was distinguishable by the use of relatively low heat input when compared to fusion welding processes such as tungsten inert gas (TIG), resulting in the formation of a limited heat-affected zone. Moreover, fine grain structures were formed in the FSW interface because of the stirring tool’s severe plastic deformation, which positively affected the strength, ductility, and toughness of the FSW joints. For instance, higher strength and ductility were reported in joints produced by FSW than in those produced by TIG. Nevertheless, the HAZ width of the specimens welded by FSW was approximately half the value of the HAZ width of the specimens welded by TIG. Some defects associated with FSW related to the diffusion of elements, such as C/Cr atoms, through the weld zone, which affected the local chemical composition due to the formation of rich/depleted regions of the diffused atoms. Moreover, the lack-of-fill defect may exist when inappropriate welding conditions are implemented. On the other hand, the stirring tool was subjected to extensive wear because of the high hardness values, which negatively affected the economical usage of the FSW process. A summary of the results is presented, along with recommendations for future studies aimed at addressing existing difficulties and advancing the solid-state technology for steel.
2D Measurements of the Angle of the Vestibular Aqueduct Using CT Imaging

Recently, Bächinger et al. developed a software that measures the angle between the vestibular aqueduct proximal to the vestibule and the distal vestibular aqueduct on computed tomography (CT) scans and found differences in the vestibular aqueduct angle between the hypoplastic and degenerative categories of Meniere’s disease (MD). Hypoplastic radiological findings were associated with the development of bilateral MD and hypoplastic changes were not found outside of fetal temporal bones and individuals with MD. The purpose of this study is to examine how the software developed by Bächinger et al. performs when applied to a large dataset of adult patients with varied otologic diagnoses. Adult patients who underwent high resolution flat panel CT scans without intravenous contrast (n = 301) were retrospectively reviewed. Measurements of the angle of the vestibular aqueduct were made using the previously developed software tool. The tool could be applied to measure the vestibular aqueduct angle in most CT scans of the temporal bones (n = 572 ears, 95%). While the majority of ears fell within the normal range of <120 degrees (n = 462, 80%), fourteen ears (2.3%) in 13 patients were found to have vestibular aqueduct angles that meet criteria for hypoplastic MD (>140 degrees). Only one of the 13 patients had a diagnosis of MD and not in the ear in the hypoplastic category. An inconsistent pattern of other otologic diagnoses were found among the 13 individuals meeting criteria for hypoplastic MD. Although prior reports indicate the software has prognostic value in individuals with MD, these results suggest that the software may have lower positive predictive value when applied to a large population of individuals with varied otologic diagnoses.
Joint Intra/Inter-Slot Code Design for Unsourced Multiple Access in 6G Internet of Things

Unsourced multiple access (UMA) is the technology for massive, low-power, and uncoordinated Internet-of-Things in the 6G wireless system, improving connectivity and energy efficiency on guaranteed reliability. The multi-user coding scheme design is a critical problem for UMA. This paper proposes a UMA coding scheme based on the T-Fold IRSA (irregular repetition slotted Aloha) paradigm by using joint Intra/inter-slot code design and optimization. Our scheme adopts interleave-division multiple access (IDMA) to enhance the intra-slot coding gain and the low-complexity joint intra/inter-slot SIC (successive interference cancellation) decoder structure to recover multi-user payloads. Based on the error event decomposition and density evolution analysis, we build a joint intra/inter-slot coding parameter optimization algorithm to minimize the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) requirement at an expected system packet loss rate. Numerical results indicate that the proposed scheme achieves energy efficiency gain by balancing the intra/inter-slot coding gain while maintaining relatively low implementation complexity.