Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Origin of Cancer: An Information, Energy, and Matter Disease

Cells are open, highly ordered systems that are far away from equilibrium. For this reason, the first function of any cell is to prevent the permanent threat of disintegration that is described by thermodynamic laws and to preserve highly ordered cell characteristics such as structures, the cell cycle, or metabolism. In this context, three basic categories play a central role: energy, information, and matter. Each of these three categories is equally important to the cell and they are reciprocally dependent. We therefore suggest that energy loss (e.g., through impaired mitochondria) or disturbance of information (e.g., through mutations or aneuploidy) or changes in the composition or distribution of matter (e.g., through micro-environmental changes or toxic agents) can irreversibly disturb molecular mechanisms, leading to increased local entropy of cellular functions and structures. In terms of physics, changes to these normally highly ordered reaction probabilities lead to a state that is irreversibly biologically imbalanced, but that is thermodynamically more stable. This primary change—independent of the initiator—now provokes and drives a complex interplay between the availability of energy, the composition, and distribution of matter and increasing information disturbance that is dependent upon reactions that try to overcome or stabilize this intracellular, irreversible disorder described by entropy. Because a return to the original ordered state is not possible for thermodynamic reasons, the cells either die or else they persist in a metastable state. In the latter case, they enter into a self-driven adaptive and evolutionary process that generates a progression of disordered cells and that results in a broad spectrum of progeny with different characteristics. Possibly, 1 day, one of these cells will show an autonomous and aggressive behavior—it will be a cancer cell.
Robust stabilising controller synthesis for discrete-time recurrent neural networks via state feedback

This paper addresses the stabilisation problem of discrete-time recurrent neural networks (RNNs) containing norm-bounded uncertainties. A novel neural network model, named standard neural network model (SNNM), is used to provide a general framework for robust stabilising controller synthesis of RNNs. Most of the existing RNNs can be transformed into SNNM to be synthesised in a unified way. Applying the Lyapunov stability theory and the S-procedure technique, state feedback controllers are designed to guarantee the global asymptotical stability of closed-loop dynamic discrete-time systems. The controller gains are obtained by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities. Examples are given to illustrate the transformation procedure and the effectiveness of the proposed design technique.
Variability of minimum temperature across Libya (1945–2009)

Daily and monthly minimum temperature data from 15 meteorological stations were analysed during the period 1945–2009. The spatial and temporal variability in the daily and monthly temperatures were examined, with daily minimum temperature for eight coastal stations during the period 1956–2009 (only monthly data is available for the coastal station at Nalute) and the monthly minimum temperature for the period 1945–2009 from six inland stations. Five distinct 10 year interval blocks (with the exception of the last 9 years for the eight coastal stations and 7 years for inland stations) are analysed to examine temperature patterns across Libya. The annual minimum temperature over the last 27 years (1983–2009) for the majority of coastal stations identified significant warming in the minimum temperature. The mean annual minimum temperature at all study stations (1945–2009) identified significant increases in the minimum temperature, with significant changes in annual minimum temperature over the last 32 years (1978–2009) for the majority of the coastal and inland stations across Libya. Significant changes in minimum seasonal temperature for 33/32 year intervals (1945–1977 and 1978–2009) are identified in the summer (56%) and autumn (67%) at coastal stations (67%) and inland stations (50%). Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Robust foreground detection and shadow removing using local intensity ratio

Segmenting foreground objects from video sequences in real time is a fundamental step for video surveillance. In this paper, a local intensity ratio (LIR) model is proposed, which is robust to illumination change. And the distribution of the LIR is also discussed. Normalized local intensity ratio instead of pixel intensity is used in Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to segment the foreground without shadow. Afterwards, we use the ratio between foreground and image size, and contour orientation to fill foreground with holes. Experimental results show that the proposed method can get foreground objects in real-time, and eliminate more shadow compared to existing shadow detection methods.
Gender Differences in Electrophysiological Gene Expression in Failing and Non-Failing Human Hearts

The increasing availability of human cardiac tissues for study are critically important in increasing our understanding of the impact of gender, age, and other parameters, such as medications and cardiac disease, on arrhythmia susceptibility. In this study, we aimed to compare the mRNA expression of 89 ion channel subunits, calcium handling proteins, and transcription factors important in cardiac conduction and arrhythmogenesis in the left atria (LA) and ventricles (LV) of failing and nonfailing human hearts of both genders. Total RNA samples, prepared from failing male (n = 9) and female (n = 7), and from nonfailing male (n = 9) and female (n = 9) hearts, were probed using custom-designed Taqman gene arrays. Analyses were performed to explore the relationships between gender, failure state, and chamber expression. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed chamber specific expression patterns, but failed to identify disease- or gender-dependent clustering. Gender-specific analysis showed lower expression levels in transcripts encoding for Kv4.3, KChIP2, Kv1.5, and Kir3.1 in the failing female as compared with the male LA. Analysis of LV transcripts, however, did not reveal significant differences based on gender. Overall, our data highlight the differential expression and transcriptional remodeling of ion channel subunits in the human heart as a function of gender and cardiac disease. Furthermore, the availability of such data sets will allow for the development of disease-, gender-, and, most importantly, patient-specific cardiac models, with the ability to utilize such information as mRNA expression to predict cardiac phenotype.
The BC87 Dataset: Tectonic Setting, Previous EM Results, and Recorded MT Data

As part of project LITHOPROBE, magnetotelluric data were acquired at twenty-seven sites along a 150 km east-west profile in southeastern British Columbia straddling the complex tectonic boundary between ancestral North American rocks and those of the easternmost accreted terranes. These data, named the BC87 dataset, display complex effects due to both three-dimensional induction and galvanic scattering at virtually all scale sizes, from that of the electrode array (<50 m) to that of the large plutonic Nelson batholith (150×50 km surface extent). The dataset was distributed widely in order to compare and contrast different schemes for extracting the underlying predominant two-dimensional structure, and to test differing interpretational algorithms on data from a complex crystalline terrane. The MT data are shown, and the tectonic setting described. Also, seismic and previous EM studies of the region are described.
Bayesian Assessment of Newborn Brain Maturity from Two-Channel Sleep Electroencephalograms

Newborn brain maturity can be assessed by expert analysis of maturity-related patterns recognizable in polysomnograms. Since 36 weeks most of these patterns become recognizable in EEG exclusively, particularly, in EEG recorded via the two central-temporal channels. The use of such EEG recordings enables experts to minimize the disturbance of sleep, preparation time as well as the movement artifacts. We assume that the brain maturity of newborns aged 36 weeks and older can be automatically assessed from the 2-channel sleep EEG as accurately as by expert analysis of the full polysomnographic information. We use Bayesian inference to test this assumption and assist experts to obtain the full probabilistic information on the EEG assessments. The Bayesian methodology is feasibly implemented with Monte Carlo integration over areas of high posterior probability density, however the existing techniques tend to provide biased assessments in the absence of prior information required to explore a model space in detail within a reasonable time. In this paper we aim to use the posterior information about EEG features to reduce possible bias in the assessments. The performance of the proposed method is tested on a set of EEG recordings.
Mudanças Organizacionais nas Empresas Brasileiras: Uma Análise a Partir das Estruturas Ocupacionais

O primeiro objetivo deste artigo e mostrar novos resultados sobre mudancas organizacionais nos estabelecimentos brasileiros, de forma representativa em termos geograficos e setorial. Os resultados captam tanto a incidencia como a intensidade das mudancas organizacionais nos estabelecimentos produtivos brasileiros, e se baseiam em medidas ineditas. O outro objetivo do artigo consiste em mostrar evidencias empiricas que ajudem a identificar os determinantes mais relevantes desse processo para o caso brasileiro. Argumentaremos que a literatura que trata desse tema pode ser dividida em dois grupos no que diz respeito ao grau de homogeneidade das mudancas organizacionais entre estabelecimentos similares. Ao computar indicadores sobre essa caracteristica das mudancas organizacionais para os estabelecimentos brasileiros, identificamos qual e o conjunto de teorias que parece ser mais relevante para o nosso contexto. The first goal of this paper is to present spatial and industry-wide representative new results on organizational change for Brazilian establishments. The results are based on new proposed measures and capture not only incidence of organizational change but also the level of intensity of this process, when it occurs. Another goal of the paper is to provide empirical evidences that support the identification of the main determinants of organizational change in Brazil. We claim that the empirical arguments on this issue can be grouped in two strains, according to the predicted heterogeneity level in organizational change among similar establishments. By computing some indicators related to this feature for Brazilian establishments we are able to identify which strain fits better the Brazilian case.
Adaptive retracking of Jason-1 altimetry data for inland waters: the example of the Gorky Reservoir

Standard altimetry data processing developed for open ocean conditions can be inapplicable for the case of inland waters, especially for narrow, elongated waterbodies and rivers, where the distance between shores is less than 10 km (while the eliminated area within the gain of the radar antenna for Jason-1,2 is about 50 km). These conditions are typical, for example, of the majority of reservoirs of the Volga River cascade (with one exception: the Rybinskoe Reservoir). Under these conditions only a few telemetric impulses fit the validity criteria, which causes a severe loss of data. Besides, errors in the water level retrieved from the altimetric measurements are enormous, as was demonstrated on the basis of comparison of in situ measurements at hydro-gauging stations for the water level of the Gorky Reservoir of the Volga River and all that is available along track 10 Hz TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry data and 20 Hz Jason altimetry data over the reservoir area. The problem of minimization of the errors can be resolved by retracking. For justification of the optimal retracking algorithm, the average impulse response of the statistically inhomogeneous surface was calculated theoretically, based on the works of Brown (1977) and Barrick and Lipa (1985) for the model of the terrain in the vicinity of the Gorky Reservoir. The model represents the main typical features of the waveform examples (e.g. high peaks or irregular complex shape), and the modelled waveforms are in good agreement with the Jason-1,2 waveforms for the same area. It was shown that for the Gorky Reservoir significant wave height (SWH) did not exceed 0.5 m (corresponding to the width of the leading edge less than 1 telemetric gate). Under these conditions the retracking algorithm based on the detection of the beginning of the leading edge of telemetric impulses is preferable for a correct assessment of variations in the water level in the Gorky Reservoir. A comparison of the data with in situ measurements at the hydro-gauging stations for the water level of the Gorky Reservoir shows that retracking dramatically increases the number of data involved in monitoring and significantly improves the accuracy of the measurement of the water level. The retracked data of water level have also been validated by comparing them with Jason-2 and Jason-1 after carrying out measurements for the Gorky Reservoir. The general principles of retracking algorithms for complex areas (land, coastal zone, inland waters, etc.), based on calculations of the waveform and taking into account statistical inhomogeneity of the reflecting surface adjusted to a certain geographic region, are discussed.
Long‐Distance Axonal Growth and Protracted Functional Maturation of Neurons Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells After Intracerebral Transplantation

The capacity for induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to be differentiated into a wide range of neural cell types makes them an attractive donor source for autologous neural transplantation therapies aimed at brain repair. Translation to the in vivo setting has been difficult, however, with mixed results in a wide variety of preclinical models of brain injury and limited information on the basic in vivo properties of neural grafts generated from human iPS cells. Here we have generated a human iPS cell line constitutively expressing green fluorescent protein as a basis to identify and characterize grafts resulting from transplantation of neural progenitors into the adult rat brain. The results show that the grafts contain a mix of neural cell types, at various stages of differentiation, including neurons that establish extensive patterns of axonal growth and progressively develop functional properties over the course of 1 year after implantation. These findings form an important basis for the design and interpretation of preclinical studies using human stem cells for functional circuit re‐construction in animal models of brain injury. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1547–1556
Garnet zoning and the identification of equilibrium mineral compositions in high‐pressure–temperature granulites from the Moldanubian Zone, Austria

A detailed investigation of the compositional variation in garnet has been undertaken in a garnet–pyroxene‐bearing granulite from the high‐grade Gföhl Unit, Moldanubian Zone, Lower Austria. Textural observations, together with the interpretation of the preserved garnet chemistry, enables the recognition of both prograde core and peak metamorphic garnet mantle growth stages, an extremely rare feature in high‐P–T granulite facies rocks. Initial thermobarometric calculations undertaken across whole garnet zoning profiles show how correct interpretation of a zoning profile is essential if the maximum peak metamorphic P–T conditions are to be recovered. The effect of retrograde decompression‐ and cooling‐driven reactions on inclusion and host garnet compositions has also been assessed. The results indicate that caution should be exercised when utilizing inclusion and adjacent garnet compositions for the thermobarometric evaluation of peak metamorphic equilibration conditions. Peak P–T conditions were determined by the TWEEQU thermobarometric method, utilizing the core compositions of matrix phases combined with the interpreted high‐P–T garnet mantle composition, to give 15.6 kbar and 1090 °C, consistent with previously determined results for Moldanubian granulites. Similar high‐P–T estimates are also provided by a re‐evaluation of previously published results for a granulite sample from the same lithological unit, using a modified interpretation of garnet and plagioclase compositional data. The new estimates presented confirm the previously disputed idea that the Gföhl Unit underwent a high‐pressure granulite facies stage and is therefore distinctly different from the underlying tectonostratigraphic units. It is emphasized that any interpretation of the peak metamorphic conditions in high‐grade rocks must be based on detailed petrographic observations combined with a thorough understanding of the co‐existing equilibrium mineral compositions.
Stacking of surface waves

The seismic surface wave method (SWM) is a powerful means of characterizing near-surface structures. Although the SWM consists of only three steps (data acquisition, determination of dispersion curves, and inversion), it is important to take considerable care with the second step, determination of the dispersion curves. This step is usually completed by spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW) or multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW). However, neither method is ideal, as each has its advantages and disadvantages. SASW provides higher horizontal resolution, but it is very sensitive to coherent noise and individual geophone coupling. MASW is a robust method able to separate different wave types, but its horizontal resolution is lower. Stacking of surface waves (SSW) is a good compromise between SASW and MASW. Using a reduced number of traces increases the horizontal resolution of MASW, and utilizing other shot records with the same receivers compensates for the decreased signal-to-noise ratio. The .
Descent with modification and the archaeological record

Recent years have seen major advances in our understanding of the way in which cultural transmission takes place and the factors that affect it. The theoretical foundations of those advances have been built by postulating the existence of a variety of different processes and deriving their consequences mathematically or by simulation. The operation of these processes in the real world can be studied through experiment and naturalistic observation. In contrast, archaeologists have an ‘inverse problem’. For them the object of study is the residues of different behaviours represented by the archaeological record and the problem is to infer the microscale processes that produced them, a vital task for cultural evolution since this is the only direct record of past cultural patterns. The situation is analogous to that faced by population geneticists scanning large number of genes and looking for evidence of selection as opposed to drift, but more complicated for many reasons, not least the enormous variety of different forces that affect cultural transmission. This paper reviews the progress that has been made in inferring processes from patterns and the role of demography in those processes, together with the problems that have arisen.
A 183 GHz low noise amplifier module with 5.5 dB noise figure for the conical-scanning microwave imager sounder (CMIS) program

We present the development of a low noise amplifier (LNA) module which demonstrates gain >24 dB and noise figure (NF)<5.5 dB at 183 GHz. Our previous results reported NF<8.3 dB [1], This improvement was achieved by inserting a single-ended microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) LNA utilizing TRW's 0.08 /spl mu/m gate InP MMIC technology. This paper discusses the development of the new MMIC LNA, reviews the previous results and presents the new data that was obtained,.
Skeletal implicit surface reconstruction from sections for flexible body simulation

We describe an automatic surface reconstruction technique from a set of planar data points organised in parallel sections. The reconstruction employs skeletal implicit surfaces. Two key points in this study are: calculation of the 3D skeleton by establishing a correspondence between each paid of the 2D Voronoi skeleton of two neighbouring sections; and the use of a uniform field function necessitating the introduction of the notion of "weighted skeleton". Another key point of this work is the proposition of an animation methodology by transforming the skeleton into a deformable mass/spring system. This work has been used in the context of a medical project to simulate the dynamic behaviour of organs during the conformal radiotherapy treatment.
Analytical modeling of aquifer decontamination by pumping when transport is affected by rate‐limited sorption

Aquifer cleanup efforts at contaminated sites frequently involve operation of a system of extraction wells. It has been found that contaminant load discharged by extraction wells typically declines with time, asymptotically approaching a residual level. Such behavior could be due to rate-limited desorption of an organic contaminant from aquifer solids. An analytical model is presented which accounts for rate-limited desorption of an organic solute during cleanup of a contaminated site. Model equations are presented which describe transport of a sorbing contaminant in a converging radial flow field, with sorption described by (1) equilibrium, (2) first-order rate, and (3) Fickian diffusion expressions. The model equations are solved in the Laplace domain and numerically inverted to simulate contaminant concentrations at an extraction well. A Laplace domain solution for the total contaminant mass remaining in the aquifer is also derived. It is shown that rate-limited sorption can have a significant impact upon aquifer remediation. Approximate equivalence among the various rate-limited models is also demonstrated.
RDF-Based Approach to Data Transform Composition

In order to share data from disparate date source creating a data transform is an essential step if they have heterogeneities in data representation. Manually creating a transform or finding a transform from a repository of transform is extremely tedious and error-prone. Recent works on data transforms have focused on finding a data transform as a part of the data mapping or schema matching problem. However those works concentrated mostly on structural data mapping and applying a single data transform between schemas. In this paper we describe our approach to data transform composition which reuses existing transforms in a repository for constructing desired transform. The desired transform and existing transform are represented in our transform model as RDF triples. The transform model includes not only semantics of the inputs and outputs, but also the behavior of a transform. Based on ti transform model, the composition problem is treated as a graph search problem. Finally, the overall architecture of a system which automatically discovers a desired transform is described.
New leakage-based iterative coordinated beam-forming for multi-user MIMO in LTE-Advanced

In this paper, we investigate a typical LTE-Advanced multi-user MIMO system where mobile stations (MSs) feedback limited channel state information using codebook based approaches. A joint optimization of multi-user scheduling, linear transmit beam-forming, and receive combining is conducted at the base station to combat the intra-cell interference created by multi-user MIMO operation. Low complexity coordinated beam-forming schemes based on proportional-fair metric is proposed for jointly designing the beam-forming and receive combining vectors. Feedback schemes complied with LTE-Advanced specification is also introduced for the proposed coordinated beam-forming scheme. System level evaluation is conducted to show that the proposed coordinated beam-forming can help improving the performance of LTE-Advanced systems significantly.