Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Demonstration of inScent: a wearable olfactory display as an amplification for mobile notifications

We introduce inScent, a wearable olfactory display that can be worn in mobile everyday situations and allows the user to receive personal scented notifications. Olfaction, i.e. the sense of smell, is used by humans as a sensorial information channel as an element for experiencing the environment. Olfactory sensations are closely linked to emotions and memories, but also notify about personal dangers such as fire or foulness. We utilize the properties of smell as a notification channel by amplifying received mobile notifications with artificially emitted scents. We built a wearable olfactory display that can be worn as a pendant around the neck and contains up to eight different scent aromas that can be inserted and quickly exchanged via small scent cartridges. Upon emission, scent aroma is vaporized and blown towards the user. A hardware - and software framework is presented that allows developers to add scents to their mobile applications.
Robust asymptotic stabilization of nonlinear systems with non-hyperbolic zero dynamics: Part II

This paper complements the accompanying work [12] by presenting a few control scenarios where the tool presented in that work can be successfully used to solve specific robust output feedback stabilization problems. The problem of robust asymptotic stabilization and regulation of nonlinear systems with non hyperbolic zero dynamics via locally Lipschitz partial state or output feedback is addressed.
Oct4 Targets Regulatory Nodes to Modulate Stem Cell Function

Stem cells are characterized by two defining features, the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into highly specialized cell types. The POU homeodomain transcription factor Oct4 (Pou5f1) is an essential mediator of the embryonic stem cell state and has been implicated in lineage specific differentiation, adult stem cell identity, and cancer. Recent description of the regulatory networks which maintain ‘ES’ have highlighted a dual role for Oct4 in the transcriptional activation of genes required to maintain self-renewal and pluripotency while concomitantly repressing genes which facilitate lineage specific differentiation. However, the molecular mechanism by which Oct4 mediates differential activation or repression at these loci to either maintain stem cell identity or facilitate the emergence of alternate transcriptional programs required for the realization of lineage remains to be elucidated. To further investigate Oct4 function, we employed gene expression profiling together with a robust statistical analysis to identify genes highly correlated to Oct4. Gene Ontology analysis to categorize overrepresented genes has led to the identification of themes which may prove essential to stem cell identity, including chromatin structure, nuclear architecture, cell cycle control, DNA repair, and apoptosis. Our experiments have identified previously unappreciated roles for Oct4 for firstly, regulating chromatin structure in a state consistent with self-renewal and pluripotency, and secondly, facilitating the expression of genes that keeps the cell poised to respond to cues that lead to differentiation. Together, these data define the mechanism by which Oct4 orchestrates cellular regulatory pathways to enforce the stem cell state and provides important insight into stem cell function and cancer.
Featherweight Java: a minimal core calculus for Java and GJ

Several recent studies have introduced lightweight versions of Java: reduced languages in which complex features like threads and reflection are dropped to enable rigorous arguments about key properties such as type safety. We carry this process a step further, omitting almost all features of the full language (including interfaces and even assignment) to obtain a small calculus, Featherweight Java, for which rigorous proofs are not only possible but easy. Featherweight Java bears a similar relation to full Java as the lambda-calculus does to languages such as ML and Haskell. It offers a similar computational “feel,” providing classes, methods, fields, inheritance, and dynamic typecasts, with a semantics closely following Java's. A proof of type safety for Featherweight Java thus illustrates many of the interesting features of a safety proof for the full language, while remaining pleasingly compact. The syntax, type rules, and operational semantics of Featherweight Java fit on one page, making it easier to understand the consequences of extensions and variations. As an illustration of its utility in this regard, we extend Featherweight Java with generic classes in the style of GJ (Bracha, Odersky, Stoutamire, and Wadler) and sketch a proof of type safety. The extended system formalizes for the first time some of the key features of GJ.
SecureAngle: improving wireless security using angle-of-arrival information

Wireless networks play an important role in our everyday lives, at the workplace and at home. However, they are also relatively vulnerable: physically located off site, attackers can circumvent wireless security protocols such as WEP, WPA, and even to some extent WPA2, presenting a security risk to the entire network. To address this problem, we propose SecureAngle, a system designed to operate alongside existing wireless security protocols, adding defense in depth. SecureAngle leverages multi-antenna APs to profile the directions at which a client's signal arrives, using this angle-of-arrival (AoA) information to construct signatures that uniquely identify each client. We identify SecureAngle's role of providing a fine-grained location service in a multi-path indoor environment. With this location information, we investigate how an AP might create a "virtual fence" that drops frames received from clients physically located outside a building or office. With SecureAngle signatures, we also identify how an AP can prevent malicious parties from spoofing the link-layer address of legitimate clients. We discuss how SecureAngle might aid whitespace radios in yielding to incumbent transmitters, as well as its role in directional downlink transmissions with uplink AoA information.
Celiac disease: From pathophysiology to treatment

Celiac disease, also known as “celiac sprue”, is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the small intestine, produced by the ingestion of dietary gluten products in susceptible people. It is a multifactorial disease, including genetic and environmental factors. Environmental trigger is represented by gluten while the genetic predisposition has been identified in the major histocompatibility complex region. Celiac disease is not a rare disorder like previously thought, with a global prevalence around 1%. The reason of its under-recognition is mainly referable to the fact that about half of affected people do not have the classic gastrointestinal symptoms, but they present nonspecific manifestations of nutritional deficiency or have no symptoms at all. Here we review the most recent data concerning epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, available diagnostic tests and therapeutic management of celiac disease.
Longitudinal Study of Automatic Face Recognition

The two underlying premises of automatic face recognition are uniqueness and permanence. This paper investigates the permanence property by addressing the following: Does face recognition ability of state-of-the-art systems degrade with elapsed time between enrolled and query face images? If so, what is the rate of decline w.r. t. the elapsed time? While previous studies have reported degradations in accuracy, no formal statistical analysis of large-scale longitudinal data has been conducted. We conduct such an analysis on two mugshot databases, which are the largest facial aging databases studied to date in terms of number of subjects, images per subject, and elapsed times. Mixed-effects regression models are applied to genuine similarity scores from state-of-the-art COTS face matchers to quantify the population-mean rate of change in genuine scores over time, subject-specific variability, and the influence of age, sex, race, and face image quality. Longitudinal analysis shows that despite decreasing genuine scores, 99% of subjects can still be recognized at 0.01% FAR up to approximately 6 years elapsed time, and that age, sex, and race only marginally influence these trends. The methodology presented here should be periodically repeated to determine age-invariant properties of face recognition as state-of-the-art evolves to better address facial aging.
Overexpression of Arabidopsis Acyl-CoA Binding Protein ACBP3 Promotes Starvation-Induced and Age-Dependent Leaf Senescence[W][OA]

Six genes encode acyl-CoA binding proteins (ACBPs) in Arabidopsis. This study suggests a role for Arabidopsis ACBP3 as a phospholipid binding protein in the regulation of leaf senescence by modulating membrane phospholipid metabolism and the stability of autophagy-related protein ATG8. In Arabidopsis thaliana, a family of six genes (ACBP1 to ACBP6) encodes acyl-CoA binding proteins (ACBPs). Investigations on ACBP3 reported here show its upregulation upon dark treatment and in senescing rosettes. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing ACBP3 (ACBP3-OEs) displayed accelerated leaf senescence, whereas an acbp3 T-DNA insertional mutant and ACBP3 RNA interference transgenic Arabidopsis lines were delayed in dark-induced leaf senescence. Acyl-CoA and lipid profiling revealed that the overexpression of ACBP3 led to an increase in acyl-CoA and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) levels, whereas ACBP3 downregulation reduced PE content. Moreover, significant losses in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylinositol, and gains in phosphatidic acid (PA), lysophospholipids, and oxylipin-containing galactolipids (arabidopsides) were evident in 3-week-old dark-treated and 6-week-old premature senescing ACBP3-OEs. Such accumulation of PA and arabidopsides (A, B, D, E, and G) resulting from lipid peroxidation in ACBP3-OEs likely promoted leaf senescence. The N-terminal signal sequence/transmembrane domain in ACBP3 was shown to be essential in ACBP3-green fluorescent protein targeting and in promoting senescence. Observations that recombinant ACBP3 binds PC, PE, and unsaturated acyl-CoAs in vitro and that ACBP3 overexpression enhances degradation of the autophagy (ATG)-related protein ATG8 and disrupts autophagosome formation suggest a role for ACBP3 as a phospholipid binding protein involved in the regulation of leaf senescence by modulating membrane phospholipid metabolism and ATG8 stability in Arabidopsis. Accelerated senescence in ACBP3-OEs is dependent on salicylic acid but not jasmonic acid signaling.
Atypical iron storage in marine brown algae: a multidisciplinary study of iron transport and storage in Ectocarpus siliculosus

Iron is an essential element for all living organisms due to its ubiquitous role in redox and other enzymes, especially in the context of respiration and photosynthesis. The iron uptake and storage systems of terrestrial/higher plants are now reasonably well understood, with two basic strategies for iron uptake being distinguished: strategy I plants use a mechanism involving induction of Fe(III)-chelate reductase (ferrireductase) and Fe(II) transporter proteins, while strategy II plants utilize high-affinity, iron-specific, binding compounds called phytosiderophores. In contrast, little is known about the corresponding systems in marine, plant-like lineages, particularly those of multicellular algae (seaweeds). Herein the first study of the iron uptake and storage mechanisms in the brown alga Ectocarpus siliculosus is reported. Genomic data suggest that Ectocarpus may use a strategy I approach. Short-term radio-iron uptake studies verified that iron is taken up by Ectocarpus in a time- and concentration-dependent manner consistent with an active transport process. Upon long-term exposure to 57Fe, two metabolites have been identified using a combination of Mössbauer and X-ray absorption spectroscopies. These include an iron–sulphur cluster accounting for ~26% of the total intracellular iron pool and a second component with spectra typical of a polymeric (Fe3+O6) system with parameters similar to the amorphous phosphorus-rich mineral core of bacterial and plant ferritins. This iron metabolite accounts for ~74% of the cellular iron pool and suggests that Ectocarpus contains a non-ferritin but mineral-based iron storage pool.
Residue Number System Arithmetic-Inspired Hopping-Pilot Pattern Design

In this paper, we propose a novel application of residue number system (RNS) arithmetic in designing hopping-pilot patterns for cellular downlink orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA). By hopping the scan lines in either the time or the frequency domain, RNS-based pilot patterns fulfill the Nyquist sampling theorem. That is, by using RNS-based pilot patterns, the channel's delay-Doppler response can fully be reconstructed without severe aliasing. In addition to channel estimation, our proposed scheme can achieve other objectives, such as device/cell identification and time-frequency synchronization. We show that the RNS-based approach has more pairs of hopping-pilot patterns that are collision free than the Costas-array-based method. This is helpful in not only mitigating intra-/intercell interference but also identifying multiple devices in a multicell multiantenna environment. Moreover, hopping in time increases the pilot's time support, which, in turn, enables quick initial acquisition of time-frequency offsets.
Guardians and actions: linguistic support for robust, distributed programs

This paper presents an overview of an integrated programming language and system designed to support the construction and maintenance of distributed programs: programs in which modules reside and execute at communicating, but geographically distinct, nodes. The language is intended to support a class of applications in which the manipulation and preservation of long-lived, on-line, distributed data is important. The language addresses the writing of robust programs that survive hardware failures without loss of distributed information and that provide highly concurrent access to that information while preserving its consistency. Several new linguistic constructs are provided; among them are atomic actions, and modules called guardians that survive node failures.
Open Syntaxin Docks Synaptic Vesicles

Synaptic vesicles dock to the plasma membrane at synapses to facilitate rapid exocytosis. Docking was originally proposed to require the soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive fusion attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins; however, perturbation studies suggested that docking was independent of the SNARE proteins. We now find that the SNARE protein syntaxin is required for docking of all vesicles at synapses in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The active zone protein UNC-13, which interacts with syntaxin, is also required for docking in the active zone. The docking defects in unc-13 mutants can be fully rescued by overexpressing a constitutively open form of syntaxin, but not by wild-type syntaxin. These experiments support a model for docking in which UNC-13 converts syntaxin from the closed to the open state, and open syntaxin acts directly in docking vesicles to the plasma membrane. These data provide a molecular basis for synaptic vesicle docking.
The epidemiology of osteoporosis and fractures in ankylosing spondylitis

Bone is a target in many inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Inflammation leads to a wide range of changes in bone, and especially bone remodeling. In ankylosing spondylitis (AS) bone loss has been documented, but measuring bone density in the spine is hampered by new bone formation in syndesmophytes, periost and within the vertebrae. The risk of vertebral fractures is increased in AS. The diagnosis of vertebral fractures requires imaging and adequate evaluation of vertebral heights. In addition, in the ankysosed spine segments, additional imaging is often needed to diagnose spinal fractures at unusual locations (cervical spine) or in the posterior arch structures. Risk factors for vertebral fractures are helpful for case finding. Fracture prevention is indicated in high risk patients with AS, especially when they have already a vertebral fracture or in the presence of osteoporosis.
A Delayed-Control Trial Examining the Impact of Body Mass Index Recognition on Obesity-Related Counseling

Background. Rates of body mass index (BMI) calculation and plotting remain low. We examined whether providing a BMI wheel and brief education to pediatric residents and attendings would increase rates of “BMI recognition” and obesity-related counseling. Methods. A delayed-control design was used to evaluate a 20-minute intervention. A total of 1640 records of well-child visits were reviewed to determine the proportion of records in which BMI was calculated and plotted and counseling provided. Results. In clinic A, there was a significant increase in the proportion of records in which BMI was recognized from pre- to postintervention (P < .01). No changes in clinic B occurred until after the delayed intervention. Obesity-related counseling was more likely to occur if BMI was recognized. Conclusion. Brief education and BMI wheel increased rates of BMI recognition. BMI recognition was associated with increased obesity management. Additional efforts should be incorporated to further increase BMI recognition and assist providers in treating these children.
PETS2010: Dataset and Challenge

This paper describes the crowd image analysis challenge that forms part of the PETS 2010 workshop. The aim of this challenge is to use new or existing systems for i) crowd count and density estimation, ii) tracking of individual(s) within a crowd, and iii) detection of separate flows and specific crowd events, in a real-world environment. The dataset scenarios were filmed from multiple cameras and involve multiple actors.
The Molecular Biology of Memory Storage: A Dialogue Between Genes and Synapses

One of the most remarkable aspects of an animal's behavior is the ability to modify that behavior by learning, an ability that reaches its highest form in human beings. For me, learning and memory have proven to be endlessly fascinating mental processes because they address one of the fundamental features of human activity: our ability to acquire new ideas from experience and to retain these ideas over time in memory. Moreover, unlike other mental processes such as thought, language, and consciousness, learning seemed from the outset to be readily accessible to cellular and molecular analysis. I, therefore, have been curious to know: What changes in the brain when we learn? And, once something is learned, how is that information retained in the brain? I have tried to address these questions through a reductionist approach that would allow me to investigate elementary forms of learning and memory at a cellular molecular level—as specific molecular activities within identified nerve cells.
Climate Change and Children’s Health: Protecting and Preparing Our Youngest

Climate change is expected to bring increased frequency and intensity of rainstorms, snowstorms, heat waves, and other extreme weather events. Numerous studies indicate climate change is already contributing to a greater overall burden of disease. A new review uses a children’s health framework to summarize the latest data on the projected increasing burden of climate change–related disease for children [EHP 119(3):291–298; Sheffield and Landrigan]. The authors also discuss prevention strategies they believe should be incorporated into public health programs. For 2000 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated climate change contributed to more than 150,000 deaths and 5.5 million lost disability-adjusted life years worldwide. More than 88% of this burden occurs in children under age 5 years, even though the overall pediatric burden of disease is only 5% in high-income countries and 31% in low- and medium-income countries. Children are inherently sensitive to the climate because they are physiologically and metabolically less effective than adults at adapting to heat and other climate-related exposures. Rapid development and higher exposures per unit of body weight make them more vulnerable to environmental exposures, and their diet and behavior may expose them to different agents than adults might typically encounter. More expected future years of life provides more time for exposure to new or worsening hazards, and a dependence on caregivers means children can’t always control their surroundings or remove themselves from harm. In the current review, the authors analyzed health outcomes expected to result from increased temperatures, increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather, and sea-level rise. These include higher rates of vectorborne diseases such as malaria and dengue and of diarrheal disease, more exposure to extreme weather and to toxic chemicals (for instance, as weather changes affect patterns of pesticide use), and greater risks of poverty and of displacement due to sea-level rise, crop failure, and food insecurity. Other impacts include malnutrition and problems related to increased exposures to allergens and air pollution. Risk varies across socioeconomic levels and geographic locations. The authors write that prevention strategies to help alleviate children’s burden of disease should incorporate climate change adaptation into current programs as well as monitor children’s exposures and environmental health indicators in a manner that is internationally consistent—as proposed by the WHO. They emphasize that new climate-sensitive disease-prevention programs should strive not only to protect children and parents in the short term but also prepare children to be resilient adults in the years to come. They also point to health impact assessments as an emerging tool to help shape smart policies that can solve multiple existing problems and head off future burdens.
Post-operative nausea and vomiting prevention with perphenazine: long overdue.

Editor, With great interest, we read Schnabel et al. who presented a quantitative systematic review addressing perphenazine and the prevention of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Our group began using intravenous perphenazine in 1997; we were forced to switch to oral perphenazine in 2002, as an injectable form was no longer available in the United States. We would like to complement their report with relevant citations that may be valuable, despite our outcomes having occurred outside of typical reports involving randomised trials.
VLSI architectures for soft-decision decoding of Reed-Solomon codes

We present the architectures for bivariate polynomial interpolation and factorization; the two main steps in algebraic soft-decision decoding of Reed-Solomon codes. We present an efficient formulation of the interpolation algorithm in which dependencies among the discrepancy coefficient computations are utilized to reduce interpolation complexity. Interpolation and factorization complexity is also reduced by using an FFT-like formulation for univariate polynomial translation. The modifications required to incorporate the recently proposed algorithm level modifications for efficient interpolation and factorization are also presented. We determine the latency and hardware requirements for soft-decoding a [255,239] Reed-Solomon code using the proposed architectures.