Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute-Phase Serum Amyloid A Protein and Its Implication in the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in the KORA S4/F4 Study

OBJECTIVE We sought to investigate whether elevated levels of acute-phase serum amyloid A (A-SAA) protein precede the onset of type 2 diabetes independently of other risk factors, including parameters of glucose metabolism. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Within the population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) S4 study, we measured A-SAA concentrations in 836 initially nondiabetic subjects (55–74 years of age) without clinically overt inflammation who participated in a 7-year follow-up examination including an oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS A-SAA concentrations were significantly associated with incident type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR] for a one-SD increase of A-SAA adjusted for age and sex = 1.28 [95% CI 1.08–1.53], P = 0.005), particularly in younger subjects (P value for interaction = 0.047). The association attenuated when adjusting for parameters of glucose metabolism (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, and 2-h glucose; OR 1.16 [0.95–1.42], P = 0.15). Similar analyses for high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) yielded the following ORs: 1.39 (1.10–1.68, P = 0.0006) and 1.13 (0.88–1.45, P = 0.34), respectively. In contrast, A-SAA concentrations were significantly associated with 2-h glucose levels at follow-up even after adjustment for parameters of glucose metabolism (P = 0.008, n = 803). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate similarly strong prospective associations with type 2 diabetes for A-SAA and hs-CRP and suggest a potential causal link via postchallenge hyperglycemia.
An alternative index for monitoring microcirculatory blood flow: The beat-to-beat microcirculatory blood flow variability

Objective: Cardiovascular variability analysis, such heart rate variability or blood pressure variability, provides important information about activities of various regulatory mechanisms for the cardiovascular system. Aim of the present study is to use the laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) measurement to study the correspondent changes between the beat-to-beat microcirculatory blood flow (MBF) and its variation (MBFV). Methods: 17 trials were performed on 5 male healthy volunteers. For each experiment, we applied local heating (LH) stimulation and recorded a 20-minute heating-effect data sequence. For each pulse, DCflux (average LDF flux) was calculated, and CV (coefficient of variation) of DCflux (DCCV) was then calculated to evaluate the beat-to-beat MBFV. Results: The slope between DCCV and DCflux was negative with R2 ≫0.7 (p≪0.01 by F-test). Conclusion: Our results suggest that by providing an alternative solution to overcome the major drawback for LDF measurement of lacking quantitative evaluation, MBFV parameters calculated from the beat-to-beat LDF waveform may have meaning in improving the evaluation for the LH response of the MBF perfusion.
Staggered projections for frictional contact in multibody systems

We present a new discrete velocity-level formulation of frictional contact dynamics that reduces to a pair of coupled projections and introduce a simple fixed-point property of this coupled system. This allows us to construct a novel algorithm for accurate frictional contact resolution based on a simple staggered sequence of projections. The algorithm accelerates performance using warm starts to leverage the potentially high temporal coherence between contact states and provides users with direct control over frictional accuracy. Applying this algorithm to rigid and deformable systems, we obtain robust and accurate simulations of frictional contact behavior not previously possible, at rates suitable for interactive haptic simulations, as well as large-scale animations. By construction, the proposed algorithm guarantees exact, velocity-level contact constraint enforcement and obtains long-term stable and robust integration. Examples are given to illustrate the performance, plausibility and accuracy of the obtained solutions.
A turtle-like swimming robot using a smart soft composite (SSC) structure

This paper describes the development of a biomimetic swimming robot based on the locomotion of a marine turtle. To realize the smooth, soft flapping motions of this type of turtle, a novel actuator was also developed, using a smart soft composite (SSC) structure that can generate bending and twisting motions in a simple, lightweight structure. The SSC structure is a composite consisting of an active component to generate the actuation force, a passive component to determine the twisting angle of the structure, and a matrix to combine the components. The motion of such a structure can be designed by specifying the angle between a filament of the scaffold structure and a shape-memory alloy (SMA) wire. The bending and twisting motion of the SSC structure is explained in terms of classical laminate theory, and cross-ply and angled-ply structures were fabricated to evaluate its motion. Finally, the turtle-like motion of a swimming robot was realized by employing a specially designed SSC structure. To mimic the posterior positive twisting angle of a turtle’s flipper during the upstroke, the SMA wire on the upper side was offset, and a positive ply-angled scaffold was used. Likewise, for the anterior negative twisting angle of the flipper during the downstroke, an offset SMA wire on the lower side and a positive ply-angled scaffold were also required. The fabricated flipper’s length is 64.3 mm and it realizes 55 mm bending and 24° twisting. The resulting robot achieved a swimming speed of 22.5 mm s−1.
Alternative Approaches Using Animal Model for Implant Biomaterials: Advantages and Disadvantages

This study presents some aspects regarding the evaluation of bone-implant interactions using two animal models (rabbit and rat). The proposed implants are new alumina/zirconia bioceramics designed for hard tissue replacement (oral implantology or arthroplasty). The animal selection was made based on the number and size or design of implants to be tested as these factors influence directly the species of animal chosen for this study. The correct placement and stability of the implants were evaluated by radiographic images. SEM micrographs were recorded on the bone/implant area along with the elemental composition of the sheared implant surfaces at different time intervals after the surgery. Calcium/phosphate ratio was considered as an indicative of the surface implant coverage for a successful osseointegration. Histological examination of the bone and bone marrow in direct contact with the implants was performed to detect any immunological or inflammatory responses. Each of the animal species (rat or rabbit) demonstrated unique advantages and disadvantages as a model for demonstrating the response of bone tissue to an implant material. The size and design of the implants also influenced the bone turnover as demonstrated histologically.
Toward real microkernels

T HE microkernel story is full of good ideas and blind alleys. The story began with enthusiasm about the promised dramatic increase in flexibility, safety, and modularity. But over the years, enthusiasm changed to disappointment, because the first-generation microkernels were inefficient and inflexible. • Today, we observe radically new approaches to the microkernel idea that seek to avoid the old mistakes while overcoming the old constraints on flexibility and performance. The second-generation microkernels may be a basis for all types of operating systems, including timesharing, mul-timedia, and soft and hard real time. The inefficient, inflexible first generation inspired development of the vastly improved second generation, which may yet support a variety of operating systems. Traditionally, the word kernel denotes the mandatory part of the operating system common to all other software. The kernel can use all features of a processor (e.g., programming the memory management unit); software running in user mode cannot execute such safety-critical operations. Most early operating systems were implemented by means of large monolithic kernels. Loosely speaking, the complete operating system—scheduling, file system , networking, device drivers, memory management, paging, and more—was packed into a single kernel. In contrast, the microkernel approach involves minimizing the kernel and implementing servers outside the kernel. Ideally, the kernel implements only address spaces, interprocess communication (IPC), and basic scheduling. All servers—even device dri-vers—run in user mode and are treated exactly like any other application by the kernel. Since each serv-er has its own address space, all these objects are protected from one another. When the microkernel idea was introduced in the
Electrospinning of cellulose‐based nanofibers

Cellulose derivatives of carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), and enzymatically treated cellulose have been electrospun, and the microstructure of the resulting nanofibers has been analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Before electrospinning, the solutions were characterized by viscometry and surface tension measurements, and the results were correlated with spinnability. Four different CMC derivatives, varying in molecular weight (Mw), degree of substitution (DS), and substitution pattern, have been electrospun in mixtures with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and nanofibers of various characteristics have formed. The CMC-based nanostructures, i.e., the nonwoven sheet and individual nanofibers, proved to be independent of Mw and DS but largely dependent on the substitution pattern. The nonwoven sheets varied in homogeneity, and beads appeared on the individual fibers. Depending on the chemical nature of the CMC, the extraction of PEO resulted in pure CMC nanostructures of varying appearance, indicating that the distribution of PEO and CMC in the nanofibers also varied. Two different HPMC derivatives, varying in DS, were electrospun into nanofibers. Homogeneous nonwoven sheets based on nanofibers of similar appearance are formed, independent of the substitution content of the HPMC sample. Preliminary fibers were obtained from enzymatically treated cellulose in a solvent system based on lithium chloride dissolved in dimethyl acetamide (LiCl: DMAc). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1473–1482, 2007
Fragment Length of Circulating Tumor DNA

Malignant tumors shed DNA into the circulation. The transient half-life of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may afford the opportunity to diagnose, monitor recurrence, and evaluate response to therapy solely through a non-invasive blood draw. However, detecting ctDNA against the normally occurring background of cell-free DNA derived from healthy cells has proven challenging, particularly in non-metastatic solid tumors. In this study, distinct differences in fragment length size between ctDNAs and normal cell-free DNA are defined. Human ctDNA in rat plasma derived from human glioblastoma multiforme stem-like cells in the rat brain and human hepatocellular carcinoma in the rat flank were found to have a shorter principal fragment length than the background rat cell-free DNA (134–144 bp vs. 167 bp, respectively). Subsequently, a similar shift in the fragment length of ctDNA in humans with melanoma and lung cancer was identified compared to healthy controls. Comparison of fragment lengths from cell-free DNA between a melanoma patient and healthy controls found that the BRAF V600E mutant allele occurred more commonly at a shorter fragment length than the fragment length of the wild-type allele (132–145 bp vs. 165 bp, respectively). Moreover, size-selecting for shorter cell-free DNA fragment lengths substantially increased the EGFR T790M mutant allele frequency in human lung cancer. These findings provide compelling evidence that experimental or bioinformatic isolation of a specific subset of fragment lengths from cell-free DNA may improve detection of ctDNA.
A triangular perception of scope creep influencing the project success

Project management strategies are a part of every organisation as developing high quality customer satisfied software is always one of the challenges for any software organisation. Though the scope creep is known to be one of the factors which influence project success, existing project management strategies do not effectively measure or predict the scope creep. This paper focuses on effective scope creep management which is achievable through a comprehensive analysis of the scope creep and its impact on project success. The paper further presents a case study conducted in one of the leading software companies to investigate the significance and impact of scope creep in the project success. An investigation was carried out on several empirical projects and a three-dimensional visualisation of scope creep on success of project was brought out. This trio visualisation comprises of historical data perspective which leads to visualise the inferences in a pictorial representation perspective. Facts, thus, gained from historical and pictorial data perspectives lead one towards visualisation of scope creep and its management using a mathematical modelling perspective. This mode of visualising the scope creep and its implications on project success ensures one to effectively modulate their strategies in order to develop software products which attain total customer satisfaction.
Fault tolerance for industrial actuators in absence of accurate models and hardware redundancy

This paper investigates Fault-Tolerant Control for closed-loop systems where only coarse models are available and there is lack of actuator and sensor redundancies. The problem is approached in the form of a typical servomotor in closed-loop. A linear model is extracted from input/output data to describe the system over a frequency range. Two methods based on the Kalman Filter and Statistical Change Detection techniques are proposed for detecting degradation faults and component failures, respectively. Finally, a reference correction setup is used to compensate for degradation faults.
Performance of simplified Faster-than-Nyquist tranceiver

As OFDM has become the basis of many of telecommunication standards due to its ease of implementation, stability and efficiency, Faster-than-Nyquist signaling became an interesting base for envisioned telecommunication breakthrough, since it is based on an already used and successfully implemented technology which is OFDM, and it inherently obtains the legacy system merits, at the expense of system complexity. In this article we introduce signaling over none orthogonal carriers with a controllable orthogonality factor that optimizes channel usage based on channel quality feedback, with agility to cope with varying channels with rate higher that OFDM can tolerate.
A bottom-up implementation of Path-Relinking for Phylogenetic reconstruction applied to Maximum Parsimony

In this article we describe a bottom-up implementation of Path-Relinking for Phylogenetic Trees in the context of the resolution of the Maximum Parsimony problem with Fitch optimality criterion. This bottom-up implementation is compared to two versions of an existing top-down implementation. We show that our implementation is more efficient, more interesting to compare trees and to give an estimation of the distance between two trees in terms of the number of transformations.
A Short- Time Beltrami Kernel for Smoothing Images and Manifolds

We introduce a short-time kernel for the Beltrami image enhancing flow. The flow is implemented by "convolving" the image with a space dependent kernel in a similar fashion to the solution of the heat equation by a convolution with a Gaussian kernel. The kernel is appropriate for smoothing regular (flat) 2-D images, for smoothing images painted on manifolds, and for simultaneously smoothing images and the manifolds they are painted on. The kernel combines the geometry of the image and that of the manifold into one metric tensor, thus enabling a natural unified approach for the manipulation of both. Additionally, the derivation of the kernel gives a better geometrical understanding of the Beltrami flow and shows that the bilateral filter is a Euclidean approximation of it. On a practical level, the use of the kernel allows arbitrarily large time steps as opposed to the existing explicit numerical schemes for the Beltrami flow. In addition, the kernel works with equal ease on regular 2-D images and on images painted on parametric or triangulated manifolds. We demonstrate the denoising properties of the kernel by applying it to various types of images and manifolds
Improved Realization of Mixed-mode Chaotic Circuit

An improved realization of mixed-mode chaotic circuit which has both autonomous and nonau-tonomous chaotic dynamics is proposed. Central to this study is inductorless realization of mixed-mode chaotic circuit using FTFN-based inductance simulator. FTFN-based topology used in this realization enables the simulation of ideal floating and grounded inductance. This modification provides an alternative solution to the integration problem of not only mixed-mode chaotic circuit but also other chaotic circuits in the literature using CMOS VLSI technologies. In addition to this major improvement, CFOA-based nonlinear resistor was used in the new realization of mixed-mode chaotic circuit. The usage of CFOA-based nonlinear resistor in the circuit's structure reduces the component count and provides buffered and isolated output.
Electrically pumped InAs single quantum dot emitter

We report on a miniature solid state emitter structure, which allows electrical pumping of only one single InAs quantum dot (QD) grown in the Stranski-Krastanow mode. The emitter is based on a single layer of low density (~108 cm-2) QDs grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy and a submicron AlOX current aperture defined by selective oxidation of high aluminium content AlGaAs layers. The device demonstrates strongly monochromatic polarized emission of the single QD exciton at subnanoampere current pumping. No other emission is observed across a spectral range of 500 nm, proving that indeed just one single QD is contributing. Correlation measurements of the emitted photons show a clear antibunching behavior.
HEVC encoding for reproducible medical ultrasound video diagnosis

In this study, we investigate how the recently introduced high efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard can be used in the design of reproducible medical ultrasound video diagnosis systems. We introduce a set of clinical criteria that are used to validate the clinical capacity of HEVC encoded atherosclerotic plaque ultrasound videos. The clinical criteria include the assessment of atherosclerotic plaque geometry, morphology, and motion. The efficiency of HEVC compared to prior video coding standards is then demonstrated based on the use of objective ratings. Ultimately, the goal is to support diagnostically lossless compression at the clinically acquired video resolution and frame rates for storage, streaming, and follow-up visualization.
Aggregated Immunoglobulin Protects Immune T Cells from Suppression: Dependence on Isotype, Fc Portion, and Macrophage FcγR

We determined the regulatory properties of heat‐aggregated immunoglobulins (HA‐Ig) that possess many activities of immune complexes (IC), such as binding and activation of cells via immunoglobulin Fc γ receptors (FcγR). HA‐Ig protected contact sensitivity (CS) effector T cells from antigen‐specific immunosuppression, while monomeric IgG were inactive. This anti‐suppressive activity of HA‐Ig was antigen non‐specific, and depended on the species from which Ig was derived, i.e. mouse and rat HA‐Ig were protective in mice, and of other species were inactive. The protecting activity of HA‐Ig was confined to IgG2a and IgG3, and to a lesser degree to IgG1 isotypes, and resided in the Fc domain. Removal of phagocytic cells from the CS‐immune target cells, or blocking with anti‐FcγR mAb, abolished HA‐Ig protection of CS‐effector T cells from suppression. We suggest that HA‐Ig multimers acted via Fc domains, in one of two ways: by binding to FcγR of macrophages to produce positive‐acting cytokines, or by blocking FcγR on macrophages, to compete with suppressive factors that can also bind to FcγR. If HA‐Ig protection of T cells is generalized, it is likely that IC in vivo may non‐specifically overcome suppression of responses to antigen that normally are under the control of T suppressive cells, and thus may contribute to the development of autoimmunity.
SAR Image Quality Assessment Based on SSIM Using Textural Feature

The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image quality assessment (IQA) can provide a measurement for SAR jamming effect, which is helpful to improve the jamming pattern. A texture-based SSIM (TSSIM) algorithm is proposed, because of the fact that SAR images have much texture and SSIM algorithm has good performance in optical image quality assessment. TSSIM combines the image gray intensity with textural features to measure the image structural information. The Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) is adopted to extract the textural features of SAR image. The angle second moment feature is proved the best compared with the other textural features. The results of simulations have shown that TSSIM is effective and can assess the jamming effect more accurately in different regions such as complex texture and simple texture area compared with SSIM and PSNR.
The Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins as Therapeutic Targets in Cancer

Apoptosis is a cell suicide process with a major role in development and homeostasis in vertebrates and invertebrates. Inhibition of apoptosis enhances the survival of cancer cells and facilitates their escape from immune surveillance and cytotoxic therapies. Among the principal molecules contributing to this phenomenon are the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins, a family of antiapoptotic regulators that block cell death in response to diverse stimuli through interactions with inducers and effectors of apoptosis. IAP proteins are expressed in the majority of human malignancies at elevated levels and play an active role in promoting tumor maintenance through the inhibition of cellular death and participation in signaling pathways associated with malignancies. Here, we discuss the role of IAP proteins in cancer and options for targeting IAP proteins for therapeutic intervention.
More monensin-sensitive, ammonia-producing bacteria from the rumen

Two monensin-sensitive bacteria which utilized carbohydrates poorly and grew rapidly on amino acids were isolated from the bovine rumen. The short rods (strain SR) fermented arginine, serine, lysine, glutamine, and threonine rapidly (greater than 158 nmol/mg of protein per h) and grew faster on casein digest containing short peptides than on free amino acids (). 34 versus 0.29 h(-1)). Gelatin hydrolysate, an amino acid source containing an abundance of long peptides, was unable to support growth or ammonia production, but there was a large increase in ammonia production if strain SR was cocultured with peptidase-producing ruminal bacteria (Bacteroides ruminicola or Streptococcus bovis). Cocultures showed no synergism with short peptides. Strain SR washed out of continuous culture (). 1 h(-1)) at pH 5.9. The irregularly shaped organisms (strain F) deaminated glutamine, histidine, glutamate, and serine rapidly (greater than 137 nmol/mg of protein per min) and grew faster on free amino acids than on short peptides (). 43 versus 0.21 h(-1)). When strain F was provided with casein or gelatin hydrolysate and cocultured with peptidase-producing bacteria, there was a more than additive increase in ammonia production. Strain F grew in continuous culture (0.1 h(-1)) when the pH was as low as 5.3. The irregularly shaped cells and short rods were present at less than 10(9)/ml in vivo, but they ahd very high specific activities of ammonia production (greater than 310 nmol of ammonia/mg of protein per min) and could play an important role in ruminal amino acid fermentation.