Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Magnetic Properties of Strontium Hexaferrite Nanoparticles Prepared in Presence of Non-Ionic Surfactant

SrFe12O19 hexaferrite particles containing polyoxyethelene (20) sorbitan monolate (Tween-80) were synthesized by a chemical co-precipitation technique with a precipitator NH3.H2O. The prepared Sr-M hexaferrite precipitates were heat treated at various temperatures 650 oC, 750 oC, 850 oC, 950oC and 1100oC for 4 hrs in a muffle furnace. The obtained Sr-M powders were characterized by using various instrumental techniques, like FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, VSM and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Their physical as well as Magnetic properties were compared. It was observed from XRD results that heat treatment conditions play significant role in the formation of pure SrFe12O19 hexaferrite phase and also in the grain size. The estimated particle size is of the order of nanometer when suitable calcination temperature is applied. SEM micrographs show an increase in crystallite size of the resultant SrFe12O19 hexaferrite particles sintered at higher temperature (1100 oC). Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements were carried out at room temperature. Mössbauer analysis indicates the presence Fe3+ ions in the prepared strontium hexaferrite particles.
Adaptive Task Allocation Inspired by a Model of Division of Labor in Social Insects

Social insects provide us with a powerful metaphor to create decentralized systems of simple interacting, and often mobile, agents. The emergent collective intelligence of social insects---swarm intelligence---resides not in complex individual abilities but rather in networks of interactions that exist among individuals and between individuals and their environment. In particular, a recently proposed model of division of labor in a colony of primitively eusocial wasps, based on a simple reinforcement of response thresholds, can be transformed into a decentralized adaptive algorithm of task allocation. An application of such an algorithm is proposed in the context of a mail company, but virtually any type of flexible task allocation can be described within the same framework.
Apoptosis induction by oxidized glycated LDL in human retinal capillary pericytes is independent of activation of MAPK signaling pathways

Background Pericyte loss is a cardinal feature of early diabetic retinopathy. We previously reported that highly oxidized-glycated low density lipoprotein (HOG-LDL) induces pericyte apoptosis in vitro. In this study, we investigated the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways in HOG-LDL-induced apoptosis in human pericytes. Methods Human retinal capillary pericytes (HRCP) were exposed to native LDL (N-LDL) and HOG-LDL, and apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry. Time- and dose-dependent responses of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) following exposure to N-LDL or HOG-LDL were determined using western blotting. U0126 (ERK inhibitor), SB203580 (p38 inhibitor), and SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) were used to determine the role of MAPK signaling in HOG-LDL-induced apoptosis. Results HOG-LDL induced apoptosis in HRCP in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations from 5 to 50 mg/l, with a constant effect from 50 to 200 mg/l. When compared to serum-free medium (SFM), this effect of HOG-LDL was found to be significant at all doses above 10 mg/l. In contrast, N-LDL at 200 mg/l did not induce apoptosis compared with SFM. Exposure to N-LDL versus HOG-LDL induced similar phosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK, peaking at 5 min, with similar dose-dependent responses up to 25 mg/l that were constant from 25 to 100 mg/l. Blocking of the ERK, p38, and JNK pathways did not inhibit pericyte apoptosis induced by HOG-LDL. Conclusions Our data suggest that apoptosis induced by HOG-LDL in HRCP is independent of the activation of MAPK signaling pathways.
LQG Control With Minimum Directed Information: Semidefinite Programming Approach

We consider a discrete-time linear–quadratic–Gaussian (LQG) control problem, in which Massey's directed information from the observed output of the plant to the control input is minimized, while required control performance is attainable. This problem arises in several different contexts, including joint encoder and controller design for data-rate minimization in networked control systems. We show that the optimal control law is a linear–Gaussian randomized policy. We also identify the state-space realization of the optimal policy, which can be synthesized by an efficient algorithm based on semidefinite programming. Our structural result indicates that the filter–controller separation principle from the LQG control theory and the sensor–filter separation principle from the zero-delay rate-distortion theory for Gauss–Markov sources hold simultaneously in the considered problem. A connection to the data-rate theorem for mean-square stability by Nair and Evans is also established.
Management of Helicobacter pylori infection—the Maastricht IV/ Florence Consensus Report

Management of Helicobacter pylori infection is evolving and in this 4th edition of the Maastricht consensus report aspects related to the clinical role of H pylori were looked at again in 2010. In the 4th Maastricht/Florence Consensus Conference 44 experts from 24 countries took active part and examined key clinical aspects in three subdivided workshops: (1) Indications and contraindications for diagnosis and treatment, focusing on dyspepsia, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin use, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and extraintestinal manifestations of the infection. (2) Diagnostic tests and treatment of infection. (3) Prevention of gastric cancer and other complications. The results of the individual workshops were submitted to a final consensus voting to all participants. Recommendations are provided on the basis of the best current evidence and plausibility to guide doctors involved in the management of this infection associated with various clinical conditions.
Detecting repetitive elements with accurate locations and shapes from urban façade

This paper proposes a novel algorithm to automatically detect the repetitive elements with accurate shapes, locations and sizes from single façade image. Unlike other algorithms, our algorithm is not entirely dependent on the extracted feature points, edges and symmetric information. Our algorithm mainly includes following steps: First, we combine the clustering method with the repetitive characteristic curve to derive templates and to detect repetitive elements matched with derived templates. Moreover, a global repetition-based optimization framework is proposed to derive occluded repetitive elements and determine the number of all the repetitive elements with the accurate locations, shapes and sizes. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm improves the accuracy, robustness and efficiency on façade databases compared with the state-of-the-art methods.
Brownian Models of Feedforward Queueing Networks: Quasireversibility and Product Form Solutions

We consider a very general type of d-station open queueing network, with multiple customer classes and a more or less arbitrary service discipline at each station, but restricted by the requirement that customers always ow from lowered numbered stations to higher numbered ones. To approximate the behavior of such a queueing network under heavy traac conditions, a corresponding Brownian network model is proposed, and it is shown that the approximating Brownian model reduces to a d-dimensional reeected Brownian motion W whose state space is the non-negative orthant. A necessary and suu-cient condition for W to have a product form stationary distribution (that is, a stationary distribution with independent components), and a probabilistic interpretation for that condition, are given. Our interpretation involves a notion of quasireversibility analogous to that introduced by F. P. Kelly and elaborated by J. Walrand in their brilliant analysis of product form solutions for conventional queueing network models. Three illustrative queueing network models are discussed in detail, and the analysis of these examples shows how a Brownian network approximation may have a product form stationary distribution even when the original or exact model is intractable. Particularly intriguing in that regard are two examples involving non-Poisson inputs, deterministic routing, deterministic service times and processor sharing service disciplines.
Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety

The aim of Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety is to provide an international forum for the communication and evaluation of data, methods and opinion in the discipline of pharmacoepidemiology. The Journal publishes peer-reviewed reports of original research, invited reviews and a variety of guest editorials and commentaries embracing scientific, medical, statistical, legal and economic aspects of pharmacoepidemiology and post-marketing surveillance of drug safety. Appropriate material in these categories may also be considered for publication as a Brief Communication.
In Vitro Susceptibilities of Chlamydia pneumoniae Strains Recovered from Atherosclerotic Coronary Arteries

ABSTRACT Chlamydia pneumoniae strains have been recovered from arteriosclerotic coronary arteries, but their antibiotic susceptibility profiles have not yet been examined. We report in vitro susceptibility data for five cardiovascular C. pneumoniae isolates. These strains did not differ significantly from respiratory strains in their patterns of susceptibility to azithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin, ofloxacin, doxycycline, rifampin, and penicillin G. Roxithromycin was the most active macrolide, and rifampin was the most effective drug overall.
Theory for plasticity of face-centered cubic metals

Significance The ultimate goal of materials science can be reached only from a thorough understanding of the underlying physics of the materials properties. Accordingly, the present global need for high-technology metallic materials strongly depends on the development of robust theoretical understandings that can help to elucidate and optimize their performance. Although plastic deformation is a common denominator in many of these problems, no reliable microscopic theory of plasticity has been presented to date. We demonstrate that fundamental concepts in atomic theory provide a unified solution to plasticity and invite multidisciplinary contributions to deepen and extend the scope to a number of engineering applications. The present work will form a solid basis for many scientific and engineering disciplines. The activation of plastic deformation mechanisms determines the mechanical behavior of crystalline materials. However, the complexity of plastic deformation and the lack of a unified theory of plasticity have seriously limited the exploration of the full capacity of metals. Current efforts to design high-strength structural materials in terms of stacking fault energy have not significantly reduced the laborious trial and error works on basic deformation properties. To remedy this situation, here we put forward a comprehensive and transparent theory for plastic deformation of face-centered cubic metals. This is based on a microscopic analysis that, without ambiguity, reveals the various deformation phenomena and elucidates the physical fundaments of the currently used phenomenological correlations. We identify an easily accessible single parameter derived from the intrinsic energy barriers, which fully specifies the potential diversity of metals. Based entirely on this parameter, a simple deformation mode diagram is shown to delineate a series of convenient design criteria, which clarifies a wide area of material functionality by texture control.
Prospective investigation of stress inoculation in young monkeys.

BACKGROUND Retrospective studies in humans have identified characteristics that promote stress resistance, including childhood exposure to moderately stressful events (ie, stress inoculation). OBJECTIVE Because of limited opportunities for prospective studies in children, we tested whether exposure to moderate stress early in life produces later stress resistance in a primate model. DESIGN AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Twenty squirrel monkeys were randomized to intermittent stress inoculation (IS; n = 11) or a nonstress control condition (NS; n = 9) from postnatal weeks 17 to 27. At postnatal week 35, each mother-offspring dyad underwent testing in a moderately stressful novel environment for inferential measures of offspring anxiety (ie, maternal clinging, mother-offspring interactions, object exploration, and food consumption) and stress hormone concentrations (corticotropin [ACTH] and cortisol). At postnatal week 50, after acclimation to an initially stressful wire-mesh box attached to the home cage, independent young monkeys underwent testing for inferential measures of anxiety (ie, voluntary exploration and play) in the box. RESULTS In the novel environment test, IS compared with NS offspring demonstrated diminished anxiety as measured by decreased maternal clinging (P =.02), enhanced exploratory behavior (P =.005), and increased food consumption (P =.02). Mothers of IS offspring accommodated offspring-initiated exploration (P =.009) and served as a secure base more often compared with NS mothers (P =.047). Compared with NS offspring, IS offspring had lower basal plasma ACTH (P =.001) and cortisol (P =.001) concentrations and lower corticotropin (P =.04) and cortisol (P =.03) concentrations after stress. In the subsequent home-cage wire-box test, IS offspring demonstrated enhanced exploratory (P<.001) and play (P =.008) behaviors compared with NS offspring. CONCLUSIONS These results provide the first prospective evidence that moderately stressful early experiences strengthen socioemotional and neuroendocrine resistance to subsequent stressors. This preclinical model offers essential opportunities to improve our understanding and enhance prevention of human stress-related psychiatric disorders by elucidating the etiology and neurobiology of stress resistance.
Evidence for a persistent, environment-dependent and deteriorating subtype of subclinical psychotic experiences: a 6-year longitudinal general population study

Background Research suggests that subclinical psychotic experiences during adolescence represent the behavioral expression of liability for psychosis. Little is known, however, about the longitudinal trajectory of liability in general population samples. Method Growth mixture modeling was used to examine longitudinal trajectories of self-reported positive psychotic experiences in the Youth Self Report (YSR), completed three times over a period of 6 years by a general population cohort of adolescents aged 10–11 years at baseline (n=2230). Results Four groups with distinct developmental trajectories of low, decreasing, increasing and persistent levels of mild positive psychotic experiences were revealed. The persistent trajectory was associated strongly with cannabis use, childhood trauma, developmental problems and ethnic minority status, and consistently displayed strong associations with factors known to predict transition from subclinical psychotic experience to clinical psychotic disorder (severity of and secondary distress due to psychotic experiences, social and attentional problems and affective dysregulation) and also with high levels of parental-reported psychotic experiences and use of mental health care at the end of the follow-up period. Progressively weaker associations were found for the increasing, decreasing and low trajectories respectively. Conclusions The results suggest that the outcome of early developmental deviation associated with later expression of psychotic experiences is contingent on the degree of later interaction with environmental risks inducing, first, persistence of psychotic experiences and, second, progression to onset of need for care and service use. Insight into the longitudinal dynamics of risk states in representative samples may contribute to the development of targeted early intervention in psychosis.
Study and Simulation of Wireless Network Measurement and Control System

The great advances in microelectronics and MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) make it possible to design real-time control loops over wireless networks. Real time character is the common request of control systems, multitask is the mainstream of the distributed control system nowadays. Aiming at selecting communication protocol in the wireless networks, the TrueTime toolbox is applied to establishing the simulation model of the Wireless Network Measurement Control System (WNMCS). We compare the performance of IEEE 802.15. 4-based WNMCS to that of IEEE 802.11b-based WNMCS. Experimental results show that the IEEE 802.15. 4-based WNMCS is a very promising alternative for wireless industrial networking.
Apply Woods Model in the Predictions of Ambient Air Particles and Metallic Elements (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, and Cu) at Industrial, Suburban/Coastal, and Residential Sampling Sites

The main purpose for this study was to monitor ambient air particles and metallic elements (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cr, and Cu) in total suspended particulates (TSPs) concentration, dry deposition at three characteristic sampling sites of central Taiwan. Additionally, the calculated/measured dry deposition flux ratios of ambient air particles and metallic elements were calculated with Woods models at these three characteristic sampling sites during years of 2009-2010. As for ambient air particles, the results indicated that the Woods model generated the most accurate dry deposition prediction results when particle size was 18 μm in this study. The results also indicated that the Woods model exhibited better dry deposition prediction performance when the particle size was greater than 10 μm for the ambient air metallic elements in this study. Finally, as for Quan-xing sampling site, the main sources were many industrial factories under process around these regions and were severely polluted areas. In addition, the highest average dry deposition for Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu species occurred at Bei-shi sampling site, and the main sources were the nearby science park, fossil fuel combustion, and Taichung thermal power plant (TTPP). Additionally, as for He-mei sampling site, the main sources were subjected to traffic mobile emissions.
The Agony of Choice - Analyzing User Preferences regarding Gamification Elements in Learning Management Systems

Gamification is an approach to motivate users of information systems by implementing game elements. Despite its potentials, the use of gamification in practice has also received criticism because most gamification elements are integrated into systems without considering the preferences of the respective users and without considering contextual aspects. Hence, we aim at identifying which elements users of learning management systems prefer. Furthermore, we want to identify their preferences regarding the amount and combination of gamification elements. To identify user preferences, we conducted a discrete choice task among learning management system users following the best-worst scaling method. Our results show that users prefer a bundle of four gamification elements: level, goals, status, and points. This is especially interesting since popular elements, such as a leaderboard or badges, are not most preferred. This highlights the need to consider user preferences and contextual aspects to ensure a successful implementation of gamification elements.
Meta-Analysis of Wine and Beer Consumption in Relation to Vascular Risk

Background—Many epidemiological studies have evaluated whether different alcoholic beverages protect against cardiovascular disease. We performed a meta-analysis of 26 studies on the relationship between wine or beer consumption and vascular risk. Methods and Results—General variance-based method and fitting models were applied to pooled data derived from 26 studies that gave a quantitative estimation of the vascular risk associated with either beverage consumption. From 13 studies involving 209 418 persons, the relative risk of vascular disease associated with wine intake was 0.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.59 to 0.77) relative to nondrinkers. There was strong evidence from 10 studies involving 176 042 persons to support a J-shaped relationship between different amounts of wine intake and vascular risk. A statistically significant inverse association was found up to a daily intake of 150 mL of wine. The overall relative risk of moderate beer consumption, which was measured in 15 studies involving 208 036 persons, was 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.70 to 0.86). However, no significant relationship between different amounts of beer intake and vascular risk was found after meta-analyzing 7 studies involving 136 382 persons. Conclusions—These findings show evidence of a significant inverse association between light-to-moderate wine consumption and vascular risk. A similar, although smaller association was also apparent in beer consumption studies. The latter finding, however, is difficult to interpret because no meaningful relationship could be found between different amounts of beer intake and vascular risk.
A Local Mutation Genetic Algorithm

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of the local mutation genetic algorithm (LMGA). In the local mutation technique chromosomes are constrained to lie at the vertices of a network. The location on a chromosome where mutations are allowed to occur is correlated with the location of the chromosome in the network. This paper analyzes the type of network needed for local mutation. It also describes how to implement local mutation on such a network. Finally, it evaluates the usefulness of the LMGA for a practical genetic algorithm application involving engineering design.
D-branes in PP-wave light cone string field theory

The cubic interaction vertex and the dynamical supercharges are constructed for open strings ending on D7-branes, in light-cone superstring field theory in PP-wave background. In this context, we write down the symmetry generators in terms of the relevant group structure: SU(2) ? SU(2) ? SO(2) ? SO(2), originating from the eight transverse directions in the PP-wave background and use the expressions to explicitly construct the vertex at the level of stringy zero modes. The results are further generalized to include all the stringy excitations as well.
ADHESION LOSS PREDICTION OF A CLIMBING ROBOT THROUGH MAGNETIC FIELD ANALYSIS BY ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

Abstract. This paper discusses an improvement for an autonomous robot’s magnetic climbing system necessary to perform the inspection of metal plates and weld beads in internal/external LPG storage sphere’s surfaces. This task typically covers up to 360◦ in the roll-pitch-yaw angles navigation with respect to the Earth‘s surface plan. Also, the storage spheres’ metal surfaces present non-modeled disturbances (such as surface irregularities, rust dust, welding seams.) that can change the adhesion force, requiring an active control to maintain the force balance needed for trajectory tracking. Classic approaches utilize distance sensors to detect gaps between the wheel and the surface, providing a low-level feedback to the control system that, generally, does not have an active compensation of adhesion, thus, disturbing the robot navigation. Unfortunately this method is inappropriate due to the adhesion system’s nonlinear behavior (adhesion force between wheel and surface decreases radically with gaps) and tracking limitations. In order to surmount these problems, an adhesion disturbances recognition system based in artificial neural networks is developed to predict adherence anomalies through magnetic field analysis. This prediction of adherence loss allows the implementation of a new approach to adhesion feedback in robot navigation controllers, that could be used to overcome adhesion disturbances. The proposed system fulfills the inspection tasks by preventing the detachment of one or more wheels and, possibly, the robot’s fall without making path deviations.