Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliable Synchronization Support and Group-Membership Services for Distributed Multimedia Applications

In this paper we propose a communication software architecture designed to support distributed multimedia applications. In particular, we describe algorithms and protocols that implement reliable synchronization support and group-membership services for those applications. We show that these protocols provide all the non faulty application components with a consistent view of the group membership, and ensure time bounded delays of component failure detection and join. Finally, we show that the proposed architecture is scalable, and can provide high availability of the communication services.
MUIR - a language development environment

The concept of a language development environment is introduced and motivated. The key facilities and characteristics of such an environment is described, and a concrete system called Muir is studied. In a language development environment the language definition formalism is central. We introduce a context free grammar definition formalism that emphasizes the hierarchical classification of syntactic domains, and we argue that syntax-directed editing is useful especially when making experiments with new languages. Finally, we discuss how to keep documents consistent with a grammar that is under development.
The macrophage F4/80 receptor is required for the induction of antigen-specific efferent regulatory T cells in peripheral tolerance

We show that the mouse macrophage-restricted F4/80 protein is not required for the development and distribution of tissue macrophages but is involved in the generation of antigen-specific efferent regulatory T (T reg) cells that suppress antigen-specific immunity. In the in vivo anterior chamber (a.c.)–associated immune deviation (ACAID) model of peripheral tolerance, a.c. inoculation of antigen into F4/80−/− mice was unable to induce efferent T reg cells and suppress delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses. Moreover, the use of anti-F4/80 mAb and F4/80−/− APCs in an in vitro ACAID model showed that all APC cells in the culture must be able to express F4/80 protein if efferent T reg cells were to be generated. In a low-dose oral tolerance model, WT but not F4/80−/− mice generated an efferent CD8+ T reg cell population that suppressed an antigen-specific DTH response. Peripheral tolerance was restored in F4/80−/− mice by adoptive transfer of F4/80+ APCs in both peripheral tolerance models, indicating a central role for the F4/80 molecule in the generation of efferent CD8+ T reg cells.
Associative Self-Anchoring Interacts with Obtainability of Chosen Objects

While there is evidence that implicit self-esteem transfers to chosen objects (associative self-anchoring), it is still unknown whether this phenomenon extends to explicit self-esteem. Moreover, whether the knowledge that these objects might belong to the self in the future or not affects the evaluation of these objects has received little attention. Here, we demonstrate that evaluations of chosen objects are further enhanced when they are obtainable as compared to when they are not in participants with high explicit self-esteem, whereas participants with low explicit self-esteem exhibit the opposite pattern. These findings extend previous results and shed new light on the role of self-esteem in altering preferences for chosen objects depending on their obtainability.
An Illumination Invariant Bimodal Method Employing Discriminant Features for Face Recognition

A novel bimodal method for face recognition under low-level lighting conditions is proposed. It fuses an enhanced gray level imageand an illumination-invariant geometric image at the feature-level. To further improve the recognition performance under large variations in attributions such as poses and expressions, discriminant features are extracted from source images using the wavelet transform-based method. Features are adaptively fused to reconstruct the final face sample. Then FLD is used to generate a supervised discriminant space for the classification task. Experiments show that the bimodal method outperforms conventional methods under complex conditions.
Smooth path planning in on-line mode for unmanned air vehicles

With the basic objective of giving a feasible path in online path planning problem for unmanned air vehicles, smoothness requirement should be considered for further to satisfy more special applications. The paper emphasizes this realistic requirement, and presents an integrated solution based on a leader-follower decision idea. In the solution, global and local optimization strategies are analyzed, and then an improved leader-follower decision model is constructed to optimize the flight path in aspects of convergence to target, obstacle avoidance and smoothness. Discrete decision rule set are also introduced into the solution to improve the smoothness. Simulations based on typical scenarios are carried out under the guidance of the solution to verify the feasibility, especially the advantages in optimizing the global and local smoothness of flight path.
Determination of the identity, position and orientation of the topmost object in a pile: Some further experiments

In a recent report [7], we proposed algorithms for segmenting out the visible part of the topmost object from a pile of planar and curved objects. Planar objects considered were of convex polyhedral type, such as prisms, boxes, wedges, etc; and the curved objects were of the type that could be recognized uniquely by using the Extended Gaussian Image, such object-types being cylinders, cones, spheres, ellipsoids, toruses, etc. For input these algorithms used 3-D vision data acquired with a structured light scanner. In this report, we will review some of the algorithms presented earlier and show our latest experimental results on scenes that are more complex than before. In our presentation at the conference, we also plan to show some manipulation experiments that for sensory feedback use 3-D vision data analyzed according to the algorithms presented here.
Synthesis and Characterization of Reduced Graphene Oxide-Supported Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron (nZVI/rGO) Composites Used for Pb(II) Removal

Reduced graphene oxide-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI/rGO) composites were prepared by chemical deposition method and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, N2-sorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Operating parameters for the removal process of Pb(II) ions, such as temperature (20–40 °C), pH (3–5), initial concentration (400–600 mg/L) and contact time (20–60 min), were optimized using a quadratic model. The coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.99) obtained for the mathematical model indicates a high correlation between the experimental and predicted values. The optimal temperature, pH, initial concentration and contact time for Pb(II) ions removal in the present experiment were 21.30 °C, 5.00, 400.00 mg/L and 60.00 min, respectively. In addition, the Pb(II) removal by nZVI/rGO composites was quantitatively evaluated by using adsorption isotherms, such as Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, of which Langmuir isotherm gave a better correlation, and the calculated maximum adsorption capacity was 910 mg/g. The removal process of Pb(II) ions could be completed within 50 min, which was well described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model. Therefore, the nZVI/rGO composites are suitable as efficient materials for the advanced treatment of Pb(II)-containing wastewater.
Staphylococcus aureus IsdG and IsdI, Heme-degrading Enzymes with Structural Similarity to Monooxygenases*

Heme-degrading enzymes are involved in human diseases ranging from stroke, cancer, and multiple sclerosis to infectious diseases such as malaria, diphtheria, and meningitis. All mammalian and microbial enzymes identified to date are members of the heme oxygenase superfamily and assume similar monomeric structures with an all α-helical fold. Here we describe the crystal structures of IsdG and IsdI, two heme-degrading enzymes from Staphylococcus aureus. The structures of both enzymes resemble the ferredoxin-like fold and form a β-barrel at the dimer interface. Two large pockets found on the outside of the barrel contain the putative active sites. Sequence homologs of IsdG and IsdI were identified in multiple Gram-positive pathogens. Substitution of conserved IsdG amino acid residues either reduced or abolished heme degradation, suggesting a common catalytic mechanism. This mechanism of IsdG-mediated heme degradation may be similar to that of the structurally related monooxygenases, enzymes involved in the synthesis of antibiotics in Streptomyces. Our results imply the evolutionary adaptation of microbial enzymes to unique environments.
Rituximab in early systemic sclerosis

Objectives (1) Hypothesis testing of the potency of rituximab (RTX) in preventing fibrotic complications and (2) assessing acceptability and feasibility of RTX in early systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods A small, 24-month, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-centre trial in patients with SSc diagnosed <2 years was conducted. Patients received RTX or placebo infusions at t=0, t=15 days and t=6 months. Patients were clinically evaluated every 3 months, with lung function tests and high-resolution CT every other visit. Skin biopsies were taken at baseline and month 3. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was performed at every visit, except at months 9 and 18. Adverse events, course of skin and pulmonary involvement and B cell populations in skin and peripheral blood were evaluated. Results In total 16, patients (rituximab n=8, placebo n=8) were included. Twelve patients had diffuse cutaneous SSc. Eighty-eight adverse events (RTX n=53, placebo n=35, p=0.22) and 11 serious adverse events (RTX n=7, placebo n=4, p=0.36) occurred. No unexpected RTX-related events were observed. Mean skin score over time did not differ between the groups. Over time, forced vital capacity and extent of lung involvement slightly improved with RTX, but this difference was insignificant. In peripheral blood B cells depletion was demonstrated. Conclusions No unexpected safety issues were observed with RTX in early SSc. Although this small trial could not confirm or reject potential efficacy of RTX in these patients, future placebo-controlled trials are warranted, specifically in the subgroup of patients with pulmonary involvement. Trial registration number EudraCT 2008-07180-16; Results.
Functional mu opioid receptor polymorphism (OPRM1 A(118) G) associated with heroin use outcomes in Caucasian males: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND Heroin's analgesic, euphoric and dependence-producing effects are primarily mediated by the mu opioid receptor (MOR). A single gene, OPRM1, encodes the MOR. The functional polymorphism A(118)G, located in exon 1 of the OPRM1 gene, results in anatomically-specific reductions in MOR expression, which may alter an individual's response to heroin. In prior studies 118G (rare allele) carriers demonstrated significantly greater opioid tolerance, overdose vulnerability, and pain sensitivity than 118AA homozygotes. Those findings suggest OPRM1 genotype may impact characteristics of heroin use. METHODS The present pilot study characterized the impact of OPRM1 genotype (rs1799971, 118G allele carriers vs. 118AA homozygotes) on heroin-use phenotypes associated with heroin dependence severity in a sample of male, Caucasian chronic heroin users (n = 86). RESULTS Results indicate that 118G allele carriers reported significantly more heroin use-related consequences and heroin-quit attempts, and were more likely to have sought treatment for their heroin use than 118AA homozygotes. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings, consistent with extant data, illustrate a role for OPRM1 allelic variation on heroin use characteristics, and provide support for considering genotype in heroin treatment and relapse prevention.
A QUEUEING MODEL OF HOSPITAL CONGESTION

Over the years, the growing population in British Columbia has led to escalating wait times and overcrowding in hospital Emergency Departments (EDs), due to insufficient number of beds in specific units of the hospitals, such as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or the Medical Unit (MU). To enhance the level of access to care, a successful prediction of bed requirements is needed. This is achieved by having an adequate model of the patient flows to and between the different compartments of the hospital. Focusing only on the stream of emergency patients, we developed a queueing network to model the interaction between the ICU and the MU, which is believed to be causing a major proportion of the congestion in the ED. Through approximate analytical methods and simulation, we determined sufficient bed counts in each of these two units so as to guarantee certain access standards.
Priority Tries for IP Address Lookup

High-speed IP address lookup is essential to achieve wire speed packet forwarding in Internet routers. The longest prefix matching for IP address lookup is more complex than exact matching because it involves dual dimensions: length and value. This paper presents a new formulation for IP address lookup problem using range representation of prefixes and proposes an efficient binary trie structure named a priority trie. In this range representation, prefixes are represented as ranges on a number line between 0 and 1 without expanding to the maximum length. The best match to a given input address is the smallest range that includes the input. The priority trie is based on the trie structure, with empty internal nodes in the trie replaced by the priority prefix which is the longest among those in the subtrie rooted by the empty nodes. The search ends when an input matches a priority prefix, which significantly improves the search performance. Performance evaluation using real routing data shows that the proposed priority trie is very good in performance metrics such as lookup speed, memory size, update performance, and scalability.
ACC/AHA/NHLBI Clinical Advisory on the Use and Safety of Statins.

The voluntary withdrawal of cerivastatin (Baycol) from the U.S. market on August 8, 2001, by the manufacturer, in agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has prompted concern on the part of physicians and patients regarding the safety of the cholesterol-lowering class of drugs called HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, more commonly known as “statins. ” This American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (ACC/AHA/NHLBI) Clinical Advisory is intended to summarize for professionals the current understanding of statin use, focused on myopathy, and to provide updated recommendations for the appropriate use of statins, including cautions, contraindications, and safety monitoring for statin therapy. Its purpose is not to discourage the appropriate use of statins, which have life-saving potential in properly selected patients, particularly those with established coronary heart disease (CHD) and others at high risk for developing CHD. Included are recent myopathy information compiled by the FDA, information from clinical trials, and summaries from the recently released report of the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). 1 In the literature, the general terminology used to describe muscle toxicity is inconsistent. Therefore, for the purpose of this document, the following terms are used as defined here: Myopathy —a general term referring to any disease of muscles; myopathies can be acquired or inherited and can occur at birth or later in life (Source: NINDS Myopathy Page-http://accessible.ninds.nih.gov/health\_and\_medical/disorders/myopathy.htm). Myalgia —muscle ache or weakness without creatine kinase (CK) elevation. Myositis —muscle symptoms with increased CK levels. Rhabdomyolysis —muscle symptoms with marked CK elevation (typically substantially greater than 10 times the upper limit of normal [ULN]) and with creatinine elevation (usually with brown urine and urinary myoglobin). Statins are powerful low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-lowering drugs that are widely used in clinical practice. Results from clinical trials with a …
Prognostic factors in adults with knee pain in general practice.

OBJECTIVE To predict the 1-year outcome of incident nontraumatic knee symptoms in adults presenting in general practice. METHODS Adults age >35 years with nontraumatic knee symptoms (n = 480) were followed for 1 year. At baseline, data on knee symptoms and demographics were collected and a physical examination performed. Knee symptoms were assessed by self-report questionnaires at 3-month intervals. After 1 year the physical examination was repeated. Multivariate prognostic regression models of patient characteristics, symptom characteristics, and physical examination were used to predict persisting knee symptoms after 1 year. Areas under receiving operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were used to determine the predictive value of the model. To assess the added predictive value of symptom characteristics and physical examination, these models were added to the model of patient characteristics. The improvement was expressed as the difference between the 2 AUCs. RESULTS In the multivariate prognostic model of patient characteristics, age >60 years, educational level, kinesophobia, and comorbidity of the skeletal system were associated with persistent knee symptoms after 1 year (AUC 0.67). Of the symptom characteristics, history of nontraumatic knee symptoms, bilateral symptoms, and duration of symptoms >3 months were associated (AUC 0.73). For determinants of physical examination, crepitus of passive extension was associated (AUC 0.55). The added value of the symptom characteristics model to the patient characteristics model was 0.09 (AUC 0.76). Physical examination added no further value. CONCLUSION Symptom characteristics are the strongest predictors of persisting knee symptoms at 1-year followup. Physical examination has no added value in predicting persistent knee symptoms in general practice.
Design of piezoresistive MEMS absolute pressure sensor

MEMS pressure sensors are one of the most widely commercialized microsensors in the MEMS industry. They have a plethora of applications in various fields including the automobile, space, biomedical, aviation and military sectors. One of the simplest and most efficient methods in MEMS pressure sensors for measuring pressure is to use the phenomenon of piezoresistance. The piezoresistive effect causes change in the resistance of certain doped materials when they are subjected to stress, as a result of energy band deformation. Piezoresistive pressure sensors consist of piezoresistors placed over a thin diaphragm which deflects under the action of the pressure to be measured. The result of this deflection causes the piezoresistors to change their resistance due to the stress experienced by them. The change is converted into electrical signals and measured in order to find the value of applied pressure. In this work, a high range (30 Bar) pressure sensor is designed based on the principle of piezoresistivity. The inaccuracies in the analytical models that are generally used to model the pressure sensor diaphragm have also been analysed. Thus, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is adopted to optimize the pressure sensor for parameters like sensitivity and linearity. This is achieved by choosing the proper shape of piezoresistor, thickness of diaphragm and the position of the piezoresistor on the pressure sensor diaphragm. For the square diaphragm, sensitivity of 5.18 mV/V/Bar and a linearity error of 0.02% are obtained. For the circular diaphragm, sensitivity of 3.69 mV/V/Bar and a linearity error of 0.011% are obtained.
Photoacoustic Measurements of Black Carbon Light Absorption/Scattering Coefficients and Visibility Degradation in Jordan During 2007/2008

Air is the name given to atmosphere used in breathing and photosynthesis. Air supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our bodies to live. Air consists of 79% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, 1% water vapor and inert gases. Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to organisms into the atmosphere. Air pollutants are known as substances in the air that can cause harm to humans and the environment. These substances are not naturally found in the air at greater concentrations or in different locations from usual. Pollutants can be in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases. In addition, they may be arising from natural processes or human activities. Pollutants can be classified as primary air pollutants or secondary air pollutants according to their sources. Usually, primary air pollutants are directly emitted from a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption, sulfur dioxide released from factories or the carbon monoxide gas from a motor vehicle exhaust. Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly. But, they form in the air when primary pollutants interact or react. An example of a secondary pollutant is ground level ozone, which is one of the many secondary pollutants that make up photochemical smog. Some pollutants may be both primary and secondary: that is, they are both emitted directly and formed from other primary pollutants. The primary air pollutants found in most urban areas are dispersed throughout the world’s atmosphere in concentrations high enough to gradually serious health problems. This problems can occurs quickly when air pollutants are concentrated. The main sources of pollutants in urban areas are transportation and fuel composition in stationary sources, such as commercial, coal-burning power plant, cooling, and industrial heating. One type of air pollution is the release of particles (aerosols) into the air from burning fuel for energy. Aerosols are defined as the relatively stable suspensions of solid or liquid particles in gas. There are many properties of particles that are important for their role in the atmospheric processes. These include number concentration, mass, size, chemical composition, and aerodynamic and chemical properties (Chang et al. 1982; Walker 1966). Of
E-medical consultation for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in pregnancy: an opportunity to achieve the 5th millennium development goal in Kenya

This study sought to establish the challenges that the Reproductive Health Division (High Risk Pregnancy Clinic) at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital based in Eldoret city, one of the two referral hospitals in Kenya, faces in adopting e-medical consultation as a way of improving maternal healthcare for patients with hypertension in pregnancy and reducing maternal deaths. In this paper, an outline of the strategies and pillars that the Clinic needs to adopt to embrace the use of e-medical consultation for the diagnosis, treatment and management of hypertension in pregnancy is presented. The survey conducted established that the division is still lagging behind and has not adopted the use of e-health, especially in the consultation sessions between the doctors and patients. The outlined strategies when implemented will help steer the Reproductive Health Division (High Risk Pregnancy Clinic) towards making healthcare services available in an efficient and effective way to expectant women with the condition. The model could be adopted to extend the same to less endowed areas around the globe, where specialist: patient ratio is low.