Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Imaging T Cells In Vivo

There is a growing pharmaceutical and biomedical interest in the opportunity to boost or inhibit the activity of the immune system at the site of disease. The experimental demonstration that most human tumors contain at least one mutation per megabase [i.e., more than 1000 mutations in the whole genome; 1] suggests that various mutated peptides may be presented on MHC class I molecules (HLA class I in man) and be recognized by specific T cells, thus serving as potential “tumor rejection antigens”. The existence of such peptides provides a strong rationale for the design and implementation of immunotherapeutic strategies against various types of malignancies. More broadly, T cell-based recognition of peptides presented on MHC class I and class II molecules is crucially important for a broad variety of disease conditions, including chronic inflammatory processes, organ rejection, autoimmunity and allergy.
The effect of leg impedance on stability and efficiency in quadrupedal trotting

Numerous legged robots have demonstrated the effectiveness of tuned leg impedance to achieve dynamically stable running and hopping. However, selecting appropriate impedance values for new machines remains challenging. This paper investigates the effect of joint impedance selection on locomotion stability and efficiency by analyzing a simulation model of the MIT Cheetah quadruped robot performing a trot gait. An exhaustive search of impedance parameters of the knee and hip shows that locomotion stability is highly sensitive to knee impedance and insensitive to hip impedance. Inspection of simulations operating during a ground-height disturbance reveals why: During a disturbance response most of the variation in work performed in the legs occurs in the knee joints. Mechanical work data from the MIT Cheetah exhibits close experimental agreement with the simulation predictions. The exhaustive search also reveals that, within the range of impedance parameters that can achieve stable locomotion, joint impedance values do not have a significant effect on the mechanical cost of transport. These results indicate that the dynamic response of the leg-extension degree of freedom is of primary importance to achieving dynamically stable running, and that robust stability may be achieved with minimal compromise of locomotion efficiency.
Situated Software Design

In computer science we are used to characterize sys t ms in terms of levels of virtual machines. In other words, we are dealing with virtual worlds. For virtual worlds the rationalistic perspective is well suited, i.e. general rules can be logically applied to situations characterized by objects with well-defined properties. However, software design is concerned with developing systems for the real world. The real world differs in several crucial points from virtual ones: it changes continuously, it is largely unpredictable, and it is only partially knowable. Many design approaches have not sufficiently taken these points into account. A number of alternative approaches have been proposed, but they have been largely ad-hoc and lack theoretical rigor. We show the need for a more suitable approach to software design. We believe that the idea of situatedness can provide the basis for such an approach. Situatedness is based on the fact that people are involved in a continuous interaction with a changing environment. People, e.g. software engineers and users of software systems are viewed as situated agents that bring to bear their prior experience on the particular situation. We discuss the importance of this view for software design methodology.
Conscious perception of illusory colour

Visual perception can be defined as the ability to interpret the pattern of light entering the eyes to form a reliable, useful representation of the world. A well-accepted perspective suggests that these interpretations are influenced by prior knowledge about the statistics of natural scenes and are generated by combining information from different cues. This thesis investigates how these processes influence our perception of two phenomena: afterimages and colour distortions across the visual field. Both are generated on the retina, do not represent meaningful properties of the physical world, and are rarely perceived during natural viewing. We suggested that afterimage signals are inherently ambiguous and thus are highly influenced by cues that increase or decrease the likelihood that they represent a real object. Consistent with this idea, we found that afterimages are enhanced by contextual edges more so than real stimuli of similar appearance. Moreover, afterimage duration was reduced by saccadic eye-movements relative to fixation, pursuit, and blinking, perhaps because saccades cause an afterimage to move differently to real object and thus provide a cue that the afterimage is illusory. Contextual edges and saccades were found to influence afterimage duration additively, although contextual edges dominated the probability of perceiving an afterimage more than saccades. The final part of the thesis explored the hypothesis that colour distortions across the retina, produced mainly by spectral filtering differences between the periphery and fovea, are compensated in natural viewing conditions. However, we did not find evidence of compensatory mechanisms in the two natural conditions tested, namely eye-movements (as opposed to surface movements) and natural spectra (as opposed to screen-based spectra). Taken together, the experiments in this thesis demonstrate that these ‘illusory’ phenomena perceived strongly in laboratory conditions but rarely during natural viewing, are useful tools to probe how perceptual decisions are made under different conditions
The public world of insect vibrational communication

Food webs involving plants, herbivorous insects and their predators account for 75% of terrestrial biodiversity ( Price 2002 ). Within the abundant arthropod community on plants, myriad ecological and social interactions depend on the perception and production of plant‐borne mechanical vibrations ( Hill 2008 ). Study of ecological relationships has shown, for example, that termites monitor the vibrations produced by competing colonies in the same tree trunk ( Evans et al. 2009 ), that stink bugs and spiders attend to the incidental vibrations produced by insects feeding or walking on plants ( Pfannenstiel et al. 1995 , Barth 1998 ) and that caterpillars can distinguish among the foraging‐related vibrations produced by their invertebrate predators ( Castellanos & Barbosa 2006 ). Study of social interactions has revealed that many insects and spiders have evolved the ability to generate intricate patterns of substrate vibration, allowing them to communicate with potential mates or members of their social group ( Cokl & Virant‐Doberlet 2003 ; Hill 2008 ). Surprisingly, research on the role of substrate vibrations in social and ecological interactions has for the most part proceeded independently, in spite of evidence from other communication modalities – acoustic, visual, chemical and electrical – that predators attend to the signals of their prey ( Zuk & Kolluru 1998 ; Stoddard 1999 ). The study by Virant‐Doberlet et al. (2011) in this issue of Molecular Ecology now helps bring these two areas of vibration research together, showing that the foraging behaviour of a spider is influenced by the vibrational mating signals of its leafhopper prey.
AN UNIDENTIFIED VIRUS PRODUCING ACUTE MENINGITIS AND PNEUMONITIS IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS

An infectious agent is described which belongs apparently to the class of filtrable viruses, but which, on the basis of the evidence at hand, is not to be identified with any virus previously described. The virus has multiple tropisms and is pathogenic for mice, ferrets, and monkeys of both M. rhesus and M. cynomolgos species. Intranasal infection of mice and ferrets causes extensive pneumonic lesions of fatal severity. Intracerebral inoculation of the virus produces in monkeys a lymphocytic choriomeningitis from which the animal recovers, while in mice a rapidly fatal choriomeningitis is produced. Fatal paralysis occurs in a moderate proportion of mice which receive the virus by intraperitoneal or subcutaneous routes, while the remainder become immune to the intracerebral test but not to the intranasal test. Subcutaneous inoculation of mice, monkeys, ferrets, rabbits, and guinea pigs causes local granulomatous induration of the skin with enlargement of the regional lymph nodes. The virus was repeatedly recovered in 1936 from ferrets inoculated with throat washings of patients suffering from an epidemic disease clinically indistinguishable from epidemic influenza. It is impossible, however, to conclude whether the virus is of ferret or human origin. Although possessing many features in common with the virus of lymphocytic choriomeningitis and the virus of lymphogranuloma inguinale, cross immunity tests have failed to yield any evidence that the new agent is immunologically related to either of the aforementioned viruses. For purposes of identification the name virus of acute meningopneumonitis is suggested.
DESIGN MODIFICATION OF SLIDING MODE OBSERVERS FOR UNCERTAIN MIMO SYSTEMS WITHOUT AND WITH TIME‐DELAY

In this paper, the sliding mode observers design techniques for MIMO and as a simple example for SISO systems are systematically advanced as a first purpose. Design parameters are selected such that on the defined switching surface always is generated asymptotically stable sliding mode. Moreover, observer state error dynamics is globally robustly asymptotically stable. Then, advanced design techniques are generalized to the design of a new modification of sliding mode observers for uncertain MIMO systems with time‐delay. Robust sliding and global asymptotic stability conditions are derived by using Lyapunov‐Krasovskii V‐functional method. By these conditions observer parameters are designed such that an asymptotically stable sliding mode always is generated in observer and observer state error dynamics is robustly globally asymptotically stable. The main results are formulated in terms of Lyapunov matrix equations and inequalities. Design example for AV‐8A Harrier VTOL aircraft with simulation results using MATLAB‐Simulink show the effectiveness of proposed design approaches.
How the risky features of previous selection affect subsequent decision-making: evidence from behavioral and fMRI measures

Human decision making is rarely conducted in temporal isolation. It is often biased and affected by environmental variables, particularly prior selections. In this study, we used a task that simulates a real gambling process to explore the effect of the risky features of a previous selection on subsequent decision making. Compared with decision making after an advantageous risk-taking situation (Risk_Adv), that after a disadvantageous risk-taking situation (Risk_Disadv) is associated with a longer response time (RT, the time spent in making decisions) and higher brain activations in the caudate and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Compared with decisions after Risk_Adv, those after Risk_Disadv in loss trials are associated with higher brain activations in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the precuneus. Brain activity and relevant RTs significantly correlated. Overall, people who experience disadvantageous risk-taking selections tend to focus on current decision making and engage cognitive endeavors in value evaluation and in the regulation of their risk-taking behaviors during decision making.
Change detection and classification of multi-temporal SAR series based on generalized likelihood ratio comparing-and-recognizing

This paper presents a change detection and classification method of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) multi-temporal images. The change criterion based on a generalized likelihood ratio test is an extension of the likelihood ratio test, in which both the noisy data and the multi-temporal denoised data are used. The changes are detected by a thresholding and then classified into step, impulse and cycle changes according to their temporal behaviors. The results show the effective performance of the proposed method.
Expatriate Preparation: A Critical Analysis of 25 Years of Cross-Cultural Training Research

Although much research in the 1960s and 1970s was devoted to cross-cultural issues such as expatriate employment, researchers moved away from doing cross-cultural research in order to direct their efforts toward the hot topics of the time. However, the past few decades have seen an exponential increase in the globalization of our economy, and this ever-increasing globalization has made the need for cross-cultural research salient once again. In the past decade alone, there has been an explosion of research examining the components and effectiveness of cross-cultural training (CCT) for expatriate preparation. Thus, the ultimate purpose of this literature review is to present the past 25 years of CCT research relevant to expatriate preparation by examining the following: the need for CCT research, the deficiencies in past research, typical training components, training delivery, theory pertaining to CCT, potential moderators of the relationship between CCT and expatriate performance, the effectiveness of CCT in enhancing expatriate performance, suggestions for future research, and strategies for improving CCT implementation and research. After reviewing the past 25 years of CCT research, it is evident that CCT is effective in facilitating success on expatriate assignments. However, additional empirical research is needed on moderators, expatriate selection, training program supplements, theoretical frameworks, methodological challenges, and the customization of CCT to assignment objectives.
Two-Dimensional Fiber Positioning and Clamping Device for Product-Internal Microassembly

In this paper, we present a microelectromechanical systems-based two-degrees-of-freedom positioning device combined with a clamping structure for positioning and constraining an optical fiber. The fiber position can be controlled in the two directions perpendicular to the fiber axis using two specifically designed wedges that can be accurately moved in-plane. These wedges are positioned using in-plane thermal actuators. Actuation of a fiber tip greater than 25 mum in-plane and 40 mum out-of-plane is achieved with a displacement resolution better than 0.1 m. After aligning the fiber the final position can be maintained by switching off the mechanical clamp, which also uses thermal actuators. The position of the fiber can be kept within 0.1 mum after switching off the mechanical clamp and the positioning actuator. Fiber-to-fiber alignment experiments have been performed and the technique can be extended to fiber-to-laser alignment.
Secrecy Capacity of Colored Gaussian Noise Channels With Feedback

In this paper, the finite-order autoregressive moving average (ARMA) Gaussian wiretap channel with noiseless causal feedback is considered, in which an eavesdropper receives noisy observations of signals in both forward and feedback channels. It is shown that the generalized Schalkwijk–Kailath scheme, a capacity-achieving coding scheme for the Gaussian feedback channel, achieves the same maximum rate for the same channel even with the presence of an eavesdropper. Therefore, the secrecy capacity is equal to the feedback capacity without the presence of an eavesdropper for the Gaussian feedback channel. Furthermore, the results are extended to the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with quantized feedback. It is shown that the proposed coding scheme achieves a positive secrecy rate. Our result implies that as the amplitude of the quantization noise decreases to zero, the secrecy rate converges to the capacity of the AWGN channel.
Dynamic Analysis and State Feedback Voltage Control of Single-Phase Active Rectifiers With DC-Link Resonant Filters

Single-phase active rectifiers exhibit an inherent strong second-order current harmonic on their dc-link. The latter is often undesirable from a load point of view and is therefore chosen to be eliminated. A common method is the use of a resonant passive LC filter tuned at the frequency, which increases the order of the system, posing certain difficulties for the voltage control design. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the dc-link dynamics. The equations are linearized by means of small variations, and a respective closed-loop regulator is formed utilizing the partial state feedback control theory for pseudocontinuous systems. The control output is fed to an inner current regulator, following the well-known cascaded loop method. The stability of the proposed controller is validated throughout the whole operating point regime and its robustness against system parameter variations is evaluated. A comparison with a conventional controller proves the advantages of the utilized method. The theoretical analysis is verified by means of simulations as well as real-time implementation on an experimental laboratory setup.
How to make a zone of polarizing activity: Insights into limb development via the abnormality preaxial polydactyly

Early in vertebrate limb development, a program initiates that polarizes the limb along the antero‐posterior axis. The mesenchyme at the posterior margin is ultimately responsible for the asymmetry due to a region called the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA). The ZPA produces and secretes the molecule SHH, which coordinates the patterning of the resulting digits. Preaxial polydactyly (PPD) is a commonly occurring limb abnormality; investigating the genetic basis of this defect has provided insights into our understanding of digit patterning. PPD disrupts limb asymmetry by producing an ectopic ZPA at the opposite margin of the limb bud. Mutations in the long‐range, limb‐specific regulatory element of the Shh gene are responsible for the defect. Genetic analysis of this limb abnormality provides an important approach in understanding the mechanisms that control digit patterning.
Experience with modularity in consul

The use of modularity in the design and implementation of complex software simplifies the development process, as well as facilitating the construction of customized configurations. This paper describes our experience using modularity in Consul, a communication substrate used for constructing fault‐tolerant distributed programs. First, Consul is presented as a case study of how modularity is feasible in both the design and the implementation of such systems. Secondly, general lessons about modularity in fault‐tolerant systems based on our experience with Consul are given. Issues that are addressed include deciding how the system is divided into various modules, dealing with problems that result when protocols are combined, and ensuring that the underlying object infrastructure provides adequate support. The key observation is that the modularization process is most affected by dependencies between modules, both direct dependencies caused by one module explicitly using another's operation and indirect dependencies where one module is affected by another without direct interaction. Although our observations are based on designing and implementing Consul, the lessons are applicable to any fault‐tolerant distributed system.
Algorithms for the transportation problem in geometric settings

For A, B ⊂ Rd, |A| + |B| = n, let a e A have a demand da e Z+ and b e B have a supply sb e Z+, [EQUATION] = U and let d(.,.) be a distance function. Suppose the diameter of A ∪ B is Δ under d(.,.), and e > 0 is a parameter. We present an algorithm that in O((n√Ulog2 n + U log U)Φ(n) log(ΔU/e)) time computes a solution to the transportation problem on A, B which is within an additive error e from the optimal solution. Here Φ(n) is the query and update time of a dynamic weighted nearest neighbor data structure under distance function d(.,.). Note that the (1/e) appears only in the log term. As among various consequences we obtain, • For A, B ⊂ Rd and for the case where d(.,.) is a metric, an e-approximation algorithm for the transportation problem in O((n√U log2 n + U log U)Φ(n) log (U/e)) time. • For A, B ⊂ [Δ]d and the L1 and L∞ distance, exact algorithm for computing an optimal bipartite matching of A, B that runs in O(n3/2 log d+O(1) n log Δ) time. • For A, B ⊂ [Δ]2 and RMS distance, exact algorithm for computing an optimal bipartite matching of A, B that runs in O(n3/2+δ log Δ) time, for an arbitrarily small constant δ > 0. For point sets, A, B ⊂ [Δ]d, for the Lp norm and for 0 < α, β < 1, we present a randomized dynamic data structure that maintains a partial solution to the transportation problem under insertions and deletions of points in which at least (1 − α)U of the demands are satisfied and whose cost is within (1 + β) of that of the optimal (complete) solution to the transportation problem with high probability. The insertion, deletion and update times are O(poly(log(nΔ)/αβ)), provided U = nO(1).
Patterns of Healthcare Utilization Among Veterans Infected With Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Coinfected With HIV/HCV: Unique Burdens of Disease

Background. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of cirrhosis and the primary cause of liver transplantation in the United States, and coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increases the risk of comorbidities. However, healthcare utilization (HCU) patterns among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients are poorly understood. This study compared the rates of HCU and reasons for hospital admission among HCV-infected, HIV-infected, and HIV/HCV-coinfected veterans. Methods. Hepatitis C virus- and HIV-infected and HIV/HCV-coinfected veterans in care with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from 1998 to 2009 (n = 335 371, n = 28 179, n = 13 471, respectively) were identified by HIV- and HCV-associated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes from the clinical case registry. We assessed rates of HCU using emergency department (ED) visits, outpatient visits, and hospitalization and primary diagnoses associated with hospitalization. Independent risk factors associated with hospitalization were also examined. Results. Rates of outpatient and ED visits increased over the 11-year study period for all groups, with inpatient admission rates remaining stable. The HCU rates were consistently higher for the coinfected than other cohorts. The primary reason for hospital admission for all groups was psychiatric disease/substance use, accounting for 44% of all admissions. Nadir CD4 <350 cells/mm3 was associated with higher rates of hospitalization versus nadir CD4 >500 cells/mm3. Conclusions. As the current population of HCV-infected, HIV-infected, and HIV/HCV-coinfected veterans age, they will continue to place a substantial and increasing demand on the US healthcare system, particularly in their utilization of ED and outpatient services. These data suggest the need for an ongoing investment in mental health and primary care within the VA healthcare system.
TO DETERMINE THE ASSOCIATION OF CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS WITH ANTHROPOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETES

The purpose of this present study was to determine the relationship of cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 max) with anthropometric characteristics such as BMI, hip-waist ratio and body fat percent in collegiate athletes. A total of 100 healthy collegiate athletes with mean age of 19.51 years voluntarily participated in this study. The mean weight (kg), height (m), BMI, hip-waist ratio and body fat percent of all the subjects were 52.29, 1.62, 19.81, 1.16 and 14.07 respectively. The VO2max was measured by Bruce treadmill test and the mean VO2max was 56 . 65 ml/kg/min. The Pearson’s correlation test was applied between these variables and statistically significant relations were found between BMI and VO2 max, as well as between body fat percent and VO2 max, but statistically insignificant relation was found between hip-waist ratio and VO2 max. Therefore, the finding of the present research suggests that VO2 max is directly associated with BMI and body fat percent.