Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
eStadium: a Wireless "Living Lab" for Safety and Infotainment Applications

We propose an application framework that supports safety and security applications and emergency response procedures via integration and inter-operability of sensor networks and wireless LANs. Such a network structure can take advantage of the computational and communication heterogeneity of different devices when the system is carefully designed and optimized. The proposed wireless network, sensor system, and application framework will be integrated with and support an already functioning 802.11b wireless network in the stadium. This existing network supports the delivery of a variety of multi-media applications - such as on-demand unicast of video clips of game highlights - to fans' portable wireless devices. The resulting dual-use system will be more economical and more capable than two separate systems.
Cognitive function in normal aging and in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND In this study, we investigated the effects of normal and pathological (mild cognitive impairment, MCI) aging on several cognitive functions (processing speed, executive control and implicit memory). METHOD Twenty young adults, 20 healthy older adults and 20 elders with MCI performed a series of cognitive tasks under controlled conditions. These tasks were simple and choice reaction time, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and an implicit memory task for attended and unattended objects at encoding. RESULTS The MCI group showed pronounced declines in processing speed and executive control tasks. Interestingly, young and healthy older participants showed repetition priming for stimuli that were attended at encoding, but the MCI group did not. CONCLUSIONS In this latter group, the lack of repetition priming for attended objects in the implicit memory task resembled that of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and suggests an early deficit of selective attention that might be a marker of pathological aging.
Lipotoxicity of-Cells in Obesity and in Other Causes of Fatty Acid Spillover

A recently identified function of leptin is to protect nonadipose tissues from the nonoxidative metabolic products of long-chain fatty acids (FAs) during periods of overnutrition by increasing the -oxidative metabolism of surplus FAs and reducing lipogenesis. When this protective system fails, harmful products of nonoxidative metabolism such as ceramide increase in nonadipose tissues, including the pancreatic islets and heart, and cause nitric oxide–mediated lipotoxicity and lipoapoptosis. The triacylglycerol content in nonadipocytes provides a useful index of overall nonoxidative metabolism. In normal animal tissue, triacylglycerol is maintained within a narrow range; even when the caloric intake is excessive, compensatory FAinduced upregulation of oxidation prevents overaccumulation. However, if leptin is deficient or if leptin receptors (Ob-R) are nonfunctional, this autoregulatory system does not operate, and triacylglycerol content rises in nonadipose tissues. This provides a source of excess FAs that enter potentially toxic pathways of nonoxidative metabolism leading to apoptosis of certain tissues. FA overload in skeletal muscle causes insulin resistance; in myocardium, it impairs cardiac function; and in pancreatic islets, it causes -cell dysfunction, apoptosis, and diabetes. All abnormalities in these tissues can be blocked by troglitazone, an inhibitor of FA accumulation. Diabetes 50 (Suppl. 1):S118–S121, 2001
Scalar Wavelet packet based multi-user Cognitive Radio Transceiver

— A multiuser Cognitive Radio (CR) network resolves the problem of spectrum under utilization and enables the deployment of new wireless applications in the fast growing wireless communication area. Hence a multiuser CR network using scalar wavelets is considered in this paper for evaluating the performance characteristics. Both mathematical and experimental analysis of the proposed system are given in detail. Spectrum efficiency, sidelobe suppression, error performance and complexity analysis of the system are analyzed. I. INTRODUCTION CRis envisioned as the most promising wireless technology for optimizing the usage of radio frequency spectrum and for insuring reliable communication [1]. Even though OFDM based systems have been proposed to be the most promising candidate for CR transmission [2]-[5], recent research work propose wavelet based schemes to be an alternative modulation technique in terms of flexibility, adaptivity, and spectrum efficiency [6]-[11]. The efficacy of scalar wavelet packets for CR based systems has been explored and various results are discussed in [12]-[16]. Both analytical and experimental results show that scalar wavelet based schemes insures better flexibility, sidelobe suppression and reconfigurability at moderate complexity but the research has been limited to single user environment. As WPM is a generalization of Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) and Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) it can be considered in a multiuser network with necessary modifications. Hence a Wavelet Packet based Multi Carrier Multiple Access scheme (WP-MC-MA) for CR applications is first proposed in [17]. In this paper the detailed uplink and downlink system models and signal representations are explained. The performance of the system is evaluated using standard orthogonal wavelet basis functions and is compared with OFDMA. The bit error rate under multi-path fading is simulated which is crucial in wideband wireless links. Effect of phase and frequency offset in both uplink and downlink channels are evaluated. The spectrum efficiency and computational complexity of the proposed system are analyzed.
Higher order terms in the non-abelian D-brane effective action and magnetic background fields

Recently a proposal for the bosonic sector of the non-abelian effective D-brane action was given through order ? '4. As the resulting expressions turned out to be quite involved, some checks of this result are called for. In the present paper we calculate the spectrum in the presence of constant magnetic background fields and compare it to the string theoretical result. Apart from a small typo in the original expression (the overall sign of the ? '4 term), we obtain perfect agreement. We discuss potential applications.
Porphyromonas gingivalis virulence factors involved in subversion of leukocytes and microbial dysbiosis

The oral bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis has special nutrient requirements due to its asaccharolytic nature subsisting on small peptides cleaved from host proteins. Using proteases and other virulence factors, P. gingivalis thrives as a component of a polymicrobial community in nutritionally favorable inflammatory environments. In this regard, P. gingivalis has a number of strategies that subvert the host immune response in ways that promote its colonization and facilitate the outgrowth of the surrounding microbial community. The focus of this review is to discuss at the molecular level how P. gingivalis subverts leukocytes to create a favorable environment for a select community of bacteria that, in turn, adversely affects the periodontal tissues.
In Search of Alternative Antibiotic Drugs: Quorum-Quenching Activity in Sponges and their Bacterial Isolates

Owing to the extensive development of drug resistance in pathogens against the available antibiotic arsenal, antimicrobial resistance is now an emerging major threat to public healthcare. Anti-virulence drugs are a new type of therapeutic agent aiming at virulence factors rather than killing the pathogen, thus providing less selective pressure for evolution of resistance. One promising example of this therapeutic concept targets bacterial quorum sensing (QS), because QS controls many virulence factors responsible for bacterial infections. Marine sponges and their associated bacteria are considered a still untapped source for unique chemical leads with a wide range of biological activities. In the present study, we screened extracts of 14 sponge species collected from the Red and Mediterranean Sea for their quorum-quenching (QQ) potential. Half of the species showed QQ activity in at least 2 out of 3 replicates. Six out of the 14 species were selected for bacteria isolation, to test for QQ activity also in isolates, which, once cultured, represent an unlimited source of compounds. We show that ≈20% of the isolates showed QQ activity based on a Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 screen, and that the presence or absence of QQ activity in a sponge extract did not correlate with the abundance of isolates with the same activity from the same sponge species. This can be explained by the unknown source of QQ compounds in sponge-holobionts (host or symbionts), and further by the possible non-symbiotic nature of bacteria isolated from sponges. The potential symbiotic nature of the isolates showing QQ activity was tested according to the distribution and abundance of taxonomically close bacterial Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in a dataset including 97 sponge species and 178 environmental samples (i.e., seawater, freshwater, and marine sediments). Most isolates were found not to be enriched in sponges and may simply have been trapped in the filtration channels of the sponge at the time of collection. Our results highlight potential for QQ-bioactive lead molecules for anti-virulence therapy both from sponges and the bacteria isolated thereof, independently on the symbiotic nature of the latter.
Diversity and evolution of a trait mediating ant-plant interactions: insights from extrafloral nectaries in Senna (Leguminosae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plants display a wide range of traits that allow them to use animals for vital tasks. To attract and reward aggressive ants that protect developing leaves and flowers from consumers, many plants bear extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). EFNs are exceptionally diverse in morphology and locations on a plant. In this study the evolution of EFN diversity is explored by focusing on the legume genus Senna, in which EFNs underwent remarkable morphological diversification and occur in over 80 % of the approx. 350 species. METHODS EFN diversity in location, morphology and plant ontogeny was characterized in wild and cultivated plants, using scanning electron microscopy and microtome sectioning. From these data EFN evolution was reconstructed in a phylogenetic framework comprising 83 Senna species. KEY RESULTS Two distinct kinds of EFNs exist in two unrelated clades within Senna. 'Individualized' EFNs (iEFNs), located on the compound leaves and sometimes at the base of pedicels, display a conspicuous, gland-like nectary structure, are highly diverse in shape and characterize the species-rich EFN clade. Previously overlooked 'non-individualized' EFNs (non-iEFNs) embedded within stipules, bracts, and sepals are cryptic and may represent a new synapomorphy for clade II. Leaves bear EFNs consistently throughout plant ontogeny. In one species, however, early seedlings develop iEFNs between the first pair of leaflets, but later leaves produce them at the leaf base. This ontogenetic shift reflects our inferred diversification history of iEFN location: ancestral leaves bore EFNs between the first pair of leaflets, while leaves derived from them bore EFNs either between multiple pairs of leaflets or at the leaf base. CONCLUSIONS EFNs are more diverse than previously thought. EFN-bearing plant parts provide different opportunities for EFN presentation (i.e. location) and individualization (i.e. morphology), with implications for EFN morphological evolution, EFN-ant protective mutualisms and the evolutionary role of EFNs in plant diversification.
Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in 45 Greek Patients with Oral Cancer

The relation between HPV and head and neck cancer has recently and extensively been investigated. The purpose of this study was to indentify HPV genotypes, as well as E6/E7 mRNA expression of high-risk HPVs (16, 18, 31, 33 and 45) in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) from 45 Greek patients. The overall prevalence of HPV DNA positive OSCCs was 11.1% (5/45), while high-risk HPV DNA was found in 6.7% (3/45) of OSCCs. E6/E7 mRNA expression was detected in 8.9% (4/45) of the oral cavity samples. Our data indicated that HPV 16 was the commonest genotype identified in HPV-positive OSCCs by both DNA and RNA tests. This study confirms the prevalence of HPV infections among patients with OSCCs. Future analysis and followup of more OSCCs will enable us to correlate HPV detection and clinical outcome.
The Effect of Geographical Mobility on Income

When people move from one area to another they typically do so in order to raise their incomes. Economists would like to be able to estimate by how much migrants' incomes do in fact increase as a result of their mobility. Comparison of the incomes of migrants with nonmigrants in a cross section of the population, however, shows that the incomes of migrants tend to be lower, not higher, than those of nonmigrants. This paper reports an analysis of this apparent paradox using data collected by the Survey Research Center. The difference in incomes between migrants and nonmigrants is traced to the disadvantages of those who move to economically advantaged areas compared to people who always have lived in those areas. The proper comparison is between those who were brought up in poor areas but left, with otherwise similar people who stayed. Holding constant number of years of education is not sufficient to remove the differences in earnings between people of different geographic backgrounds. It is suggested that the reason may be that there are important differences from place to place in quality of education which are not removed by taking into account the number of years of schooling.
Application of Vine Copulas to Credit Portfolio Risk Modeling

In this paper, we demonstrate the superiority of vine copulas over conventional copulas when modeling the dependence structure of a credit portfolio. We show statistical and economic implications of replacing conventional copulas by vine copulas for a subportfolio of the Euro Stoxx 50 and the SP (ii) D-vine structures offer a better statistical fit to the data than classical copulas, but underestimate economic capital compared to R-vines; (iii) when mixing different copula families in an R-vine structure, the best statistical fit to the data can be achieved which corresponds to the most reliable estimate for economic capital.
Virtual Physics Framework for Multi-Robot Chemical Plume Tracing under Ventilated Indoor Condition

This paper presents a virtual-physics based control framework for swarm robotic chemical plume tracing and source localization problem under ventilated indoor environment with complex turbulent conditions. The control force includes three kinds of effort, which are lattice formation force, plume tracing force, and obstacle avoidance force. The plume tracing and source identify strategy are based on the chemical mass flux passing through the robot colony. Simulation results show that the proposed control framework and tracing strategy can effectively navigate the multi-robot system to the chemical source emitter region. The virtual-physics based framework is highly flexible, endows the robot formation the properties of self-organization and self-repair. Compare to traditional approaches, the mass flux driven plume tracing can inhibit the robots from adhering to the obstacle-induced local density maxima and guide the robots forward to the real source region. Streszczenie. W artykule opisano metode śledzenia smugi dymu chemicznego przy wykorzystaniu robotow oraz metode wykrywania źrodla dymu w pomieszczeniu wentylowanym przy zawirowaniu powietrza. Stosowane są trzy środki – określenie siatki, śledzenie dymu i eliminacja zjawiska. Roboty śledzące mogą sie same organizowac i naprawiac. W porownaniu do innych metod zaproponowana metoda zabezpiecza roboty przed zatrzymaniem sie przy lokalnym maksimum i prowadzi je do źrodla dymu. (Wykorzystanie multi-robotow do śledzenia dymu w wentylowanych pomieszczeniach)
Tracking control of two holonomic robots in formation without collision

In this paper, we analyze a formation control problem of two disk-shaped holonomic mobile robots without collision each other. We show that the tracking control problem can be reduced to sample stabilization of the origin of the nonlinear system defined on noncontractible manifold by exact linearization via coordinate transformation. We propose a tracking control method which is applying the Rifford-Sontag type controller to the transformed system obtained by the coordinate transformation. The proposed method is a discontinuous time-varying state feedback control. Since our proposed system does not require to design a trajectory for tracking to avoid collision, it is easy to implement to the robot compared to path planning from a current robot's position to a trajectory given by the formation. It is guaranteed that the robots traces their desired trajectory without collision each other with the proposed method. The performance of the proposed method is confirmed by simulations.
Rural Poverty and Fuelwood Consumption: Evidence from Labagoumen Township (China)

This paper discusses the determinants of firewood consumption in a poor township in rural Northern China, with a special focus on the relationship between households’ economic wealth and fuelwood consumption. We find strong support for the poverty-environment hypothesis since household economic wealth is a significant and negative determinant of fuelwood consumption. Fuelwood can therefore be considered as an inferior good for the whole population in the rural area under study, although further evidence shows that at the top of the wealth distribution, there might be some floor effect in the decreasing fuelwood consumption. Besides economic wealth, our analysis also shows that the price effect is important in explaining firewood consumption behaviours, the price effect gaining importance with rising incomes. Finally, market access, increasing education and off-farm work are also found to be key factors in the energy consumption behaviours, especially when dealing with energy source switching behaviours.
The Importance of Women's Status for Child Nutrition in Developing Countries

The study sets out to answer three main questions: First is women’s status an important determinant of child nutritional status in the three study regions? Second if so what are the pathways through which it operates? And finally why is South Asia’s child malnutrition rate so much higher than SSA’s? To answer these questions this report brings together Demographic and Health Survey data on 117242 children under three years of age from 36 developing countries. It uses two measures of women’s status: women’s decision-making power relative to that of their male partners and the degree of equality between women and men in their communities. The empirical results leave no doubt that higher women’s status has a significant positive effect on children’s nutritional status in all three regions. Further they confirm that women’s status impacts child nutrition because women with higher status have better nutritional status themselves are better cared for and provide higher quality care to their children. However the strength of influence of women’s status and the pathways through which it influences child nutrition differ considerably across regions. (excerpt)
Replication routing for Delay Tolerant Networking: A hybrid between utility and geographic approach

Without the assumption of contemporaneous end to end connectivity in challenged wireless networks, Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) routing is an important research area. The contribution in this paper is to take advantage of the proposed DTN geographic replication to overcome the limitation of topology based utility replication, since message replication is prevented due to the local maximum problem that the utility metric of encountered node is worse than message carrier. In brief, the proposed DTN geographic replication is activated only if the utility replication is unable to route message, this hybrid approach promotes a seamless message replication given limited message lifetime. Borrowing from the concept of gravity, messages are under prioritized transmission for load balancing and achieving less delivery latency. Extensive simulation results show promising improvement of the proposed algorithm in terms of delivery ratio, transmission cost, average latency as well as number of aborted messages.
Adapting new capabilities or enhancing functionality? Two sequence patterns of capability redeem in platform ecosystems

Platform ecosystem participants often draw from capabilities provided to them by other actors in the ecosystem. While heralded as a driver of innovation, it is unclear how exactly platform evolution is affected by this dynamic. In this short paper we apply event sequence analysis to extract and analyse sequential patterns related to capability redeem – i.e. the internalization and subsequent utilization of external capabilities – on platform ecosystems. We find that development sequences differ in their order of events depending on whether a new capability is being integrated as opposed to the capability being put to use to create novel functionality. In particular, we find evidence for two sequence patterns. First, the platform adapting to new resources and incorporating fresh capabilities, leading to little changes in the functionality of the platform. Second, newly gained capabilities are put to use to enhance platform functionality, incurring substantial adjustments to its external behaviour. Located in information systems research on platform-ecosystems these initial findings present potential for future studies.
Safety and Feasibility of a Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Resection in Elderly Patients

Purpose The aim of this study is to assess the effects of age on the short-term outcomes of a laparoscopic resection of colorectal cancer in elderly (≥75 years old), as compared with younger (<75 years old), patients. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer between January 2007 and December 2009 was performed. There were two groups: age <75 years old (group A) and age ≥75 years old (group B). The perioperative outcomes between group A and group B were compared. Results The study included 824 patients in group A and 92 patients in group B. The body mass index (BMI) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score were significantly different between group B and group A (BMI: 22.5 vs. 23.5, P = 0.002; ASA score: 1.88 vs. 1.48, P = 0.001). Mean operating times were similar between the groups (325.4 minutes vs. 351.6 minutes, P = 0.07). We observed a higher overall complication rate in group B than in group A (12.0% vs. 6.2%, P = 0.047), but the number of severe complications of Accordion Severity Classification ≥3 (those that required an invasive procedure) was not significantly different between the two groups (6.5% vs. 3.4%, P = 0.142). There was no significant difference in the length of hospital stay (13.0 days vs. 12.0 days, P = 0.053). Conclusion Although the elderly patients had a significantly higher overall postoperative complication rate, no significant difference was seen in either the number of severe complications of Accordion Severity Classification ≥3 or in the length of hospital stay. A laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection in elderly patients, especially those aged 75 years or older, is safe and feasible.
LOW-POWER DECIMATION FILTER ARCHITECTURES FOR SIGMA-DELTA ADC ' s

In this work, recent low-power decimation filter architectures of Sigma-Delta analog-todigital converters are presented and an improved version is proposed. Most of the available studies are focused on the analog part of Sigma-Delta architectures. However, the digital part can also be designed as lowpower. This work presents a low-power and area design of the decimation filter section in