Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flow Vision for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles via an Artificial Lateral Line

Most fish have the capability of sensing flows and nearby movements even in dark or murky conditions by using the lateral line organs. This enables them to perform a variety of underwater activities, such as localizing prey, avoiding predators, navigating in narrow spaces, and schooling. To emulate this capability for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, we developed an artificial lateral line using an array of Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) flow sensors. The signals collected via the artificial lateral line are then processed by an adaptive beamforming algorithm developed from Capon's method. The system produces 3D images of source locations for different hydrodynamic activities, including the vibration of a dipole source and the movement of a tail-flicking crayfish. A self-calibration algorithm provides the capability of self-adaptation to different environments. Lastly, we give a Cramer-Rao bound on the theoretical performance limit which is consistent with experimental results.
NS309 restores EDHF‐type relaxation in mesenteric small arteries from type 2 diabetic ZDF rats

Background and purpose: The endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)‐type relaxation in mesenteric small arteries from 21 week old Zucker lean (ZL) and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats was investigated using (6,7‐dichloro‐1H‐indole‐2,3‐dione 3‐oxime) (NS309), a potent activator of small‐conductance, calcium‐activated potassium channel (SKCa) and intermediate‐conductance, calcium‐activated potassium channel (IKCa).
Killing of Listeria monocytogenes by Inflammatory Neutrophils and Mononuclear Phagocytes From Immune and Nonimmune Mice

Acquired resistance to the facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is thought to require immunologically activated macrophages. Using peritoneal exudate cells from nonimmunized mice in a suspension bactericidal assay, however, we found that peritoneal neutrophils obtained early during the inflammatory process (4 hr after elicitation) and macrophages obtained later during inflammation (maximal listericidal activity at 48 hr after elicitation) were able to kill Listeria in vitro. The kinetics of expression of bactericidal activity by inflammatory neutrophils and macrophages against both L monocytogenes and E coli were similar. Although intraperitoneal immunization or intravenous hyperimmunization markedly enhanced resistance of mice to Listeria in vivo, immunization did not increase the ability of inflammatory peritoneal phagocytes to kill Listeria in vitro. However, in response to intraperitoneal injection of proteose‐peptone or dead Listeria, immunized mice mobilized more neutrophils and monocytes into the inflamed peritoneum. These data suggest that, rather than systemic activation of mononuclear phagocyte bactericidal activity, increased mobilization of neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes into sites of infection may be of prime importance in resistance to listeriosis.
Divergence Time Estimation using BEAST v 2 . 1

Estimating branch lengths in proportion to time is confounded by the fact that the rate of evolution and time are intrinsically linked when inferring genetic differences between species. A model of lineage-specific substitution rate variation must be applied to tease apart rate and time. When applied in methods for divergence time estimation, the resulting trees have branch lengths that are proportional to time. External node age estimates from the fossil record or other sources are necessary for inferring the real-time (or absolute) ages of lineage divergences (Figure 1).
Total antioxidant capacity evaluation: Critical steps for assaying berry antioxidant features

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides a wide amount of active molecules which offer protection against the most widespread chronic worldwide conditions (cardiovascular events, cancer, age-related degenerative diseases). In recent years, epidemiological studies have demonstrated an inverse association between the intake of antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and the morbidity and mortality from coronary heart diseases [5,29] and cancer [4,10,30]. The socio-economic and public health impact of all these pathologies is impressive [11,12,19] and recently the consumer interest in “healthy eating” has raised awareness about the importance of limiting and/or selecting the consumption of foods. Therefore, the consumer is continuously looking for a diet containing a large array of compounds that may function as antioxidants, including vitamins E and C, carotenoids, flavonoids and other phenolic compounds, and that may be helpful in the daily challenge against free radical and reactive oxygen species which are produced (often) physiologically by our tissues.
IOT ready infrastructure for home security system in clustered housing complex

Various Home security system is deployed for landed houses in a clustered housing system. IOT applications for Home Security and Smart Home applications are of interest. Both applications are sensor rich and those sensors face the problem of transmitting data related to their task. Hence, this research concern providing solution of data transmission infrastructure within the house and ultimately to a centralized control and monitoring site. Infrastructure is important as each sensor has its specific task and generally made by different vendors. The infrastructure selection methods is based on the logic that wireless infrastructure is preferred to avoid costly installation and aesthetics reasons. Energy consumption for green compliance is another consideration. Sensors that are IOT ready are low power for green compliance. IOT ready sensors have intelligence embedded to it and could receive and transmit data according to its needs. In this research Lorawan is selected as the solution of providing the wireless infrastructure within a house due to its readiness for IOT and fulfil other requirements as well. The behaviour of Lorawan in terms of data transmission reliability and coverage is measured. Experiments are conducted for determining transmission coverage. The result shows Lorawan is suitable for implementing in house wireless infrastructure.
Stimulation of Glucagon Secretion by Ethanol-induced Hypoglycemia in Man

In fasted man, ethanol lowers plasma glucose by inhibiting gluconeogenesis with concomitant suppression of insulin release. Since glucose regulation of glucagon (IRG) secretion may be insulin dependent, we have evaluated IRG secretion in this setting of hypoglycemia and insulin deficiency. Mean IRG levels in six men fasted for fifty-six hours rose gradually from a basal level of 57 pg/ml. to 101 pg/ml. During the subsequent four-hour ethanol infusion, mean glucose concentration fell only 18 mg. per 100 ml. (26 per cent of pre-infusion values) yet IRG tripled to 265 pg/ml. Insulin (IRI) fell to unmeasurably low values. Alcohol given after only eight hours of fasting has no effect on plasma levels of glucose, IRG and IRI. These results suggest that the small decrease in extracellular glucose combined with relative insulin deficiency may cause inordinate intra-alpha cell glucopenia and result in exaggerated glucagon release.
Evaluation of X-Ray Beam Quality Based on Measurements and Estimations Using SpekCalc and Ipem78 Models.

BACKGROUND Different computational methods have been used for the prediction of X-ray spectra and beam quality in diagnostic radiology. The purpose of this study was to compare X-ray beam qualities based on half-value layers (HVLs) determined through measurements and computational model estimations. METHODS The HVL estimations calculated by IPEM78 (Spectrum Processor of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine's Report 78) and SpekCalc software were compared with those determined through measurements. In this study, the HVLs of both Philips (Phil) (Philips Healthcare, Best, NL) and General Electric Company (GE) (GE Global Research, Niskayuna, US) diagnostic range X-ray machines (50 kVp to 125 kVp) were evaluated. RESULTS In the HVL estimations, SpekCalc and IPEM78 showed maximum differences of 10% and 9%, respectively, compared with direct measurements. Both models provided means and SDs of HVLs that were within 5% of the HVL measurements of GE and Phil machines. CONCLUSION Both computational models provide an alternative method for estimating the HVL of diagnostic range X-ray. These models are user-friendly in predicting HVLs, which are used to characterise the quality of the X-ray beam, and these models provide predictions almost instantly compared with experimental measurements.
Lactoferrin: A multifunctional glycoprotein

Lactoferrin is an iron‐binding glycoprotein found in milk, exocrine secretions of mammals, and in secondary granules from polymorphonuclear neutrophils. This review describes the wide spectrum of functions ascribed to lactoferrin, with special emphasis on the antimicrobial properties of this protein, and its derived peptides.
Epigenetic Regulation of Gfi1 in Endocrine-Related Cancers: A Role Regulating Tumor Growth

Prostate and breast cancer constitute the most common cancers among men and women worldwide. The aging population is one of the main risk factors for prostate and breast cancer development and accumulating studies link aging with epigenetic changes. Growth factor independence-1 (Gfi1) is a transcriptional repressor with an important role in human malignancies, including leukemia, colorectal carcinoma, and lung cancer, but its role in prostate and breast cancer is unknown. We have found that Gfi1 epigenetic silencing is a common event in prostate and breast cancer. Gfi1 re-expression in prostate and breast cancer cell lines displaying Gfi1 epigenetic silencing decreases cell proliferation, reduced colony formation density, and tumor growth in nude mice xenografts. In addition, we found that Gfi1 repress alpha 1-anti-trypsin (AAT) and alpha 1-anti-chymotrypsin (ACT) expression, two genes with important functions in cancer development, suggesting that Gfi1 silencing promotes tumor growth by increasing AAT and ACT expression in our system. Finally, Gfi1 epigenetic silencing could be a promising biomarker for prostate cancer progression because it is associated with shorter disease-free survival. In conclusion, our findings strongly indicate that Gfi1 epigenetic silencing in prostate and breast cancer could be a crucial step in the development of these two-well characterized endocrine related tumors.
Road Profile Estimation Using a 3D Sensor and Intelligent Vehicle

Autonomous vehicles can achieve accurate localization and real-time road information perception using sensors such as global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs), light detection and ranging (LiDAR), and inertial measurement units (IMUs). With road information, vehicles can navigate autonomously to a given position without traffic accidents. However, most of the research on autonomous vehicles has paid little attention to road profile information, which is a significant reference for vehicles driving on uneven terrain. Most vehicles experience violent vibrations when driving on uneven terrain, which reduce the accuracy and stability of data obtained by LiDAR and IMUs. Vehicles with an active suspension system, on the other hand, can maintain stability on uneven roads, which further guarantees sensor accuracy. In this paper, we propose a novel method for road profile estimation using LiDAR and vehicles with an active suspension system. In the former, 3D laser scanners, IMU, and GPS were used to obtain accurate pose information and real-time cloud data points, which were added to an elevation map. In the latter, the elevation map was further processed by a Kalman filter algorithm to fuse multiple cloud data points at the same cell of the map. The model predictive control (MPC) method is proposed to control the active suspension system to maintain vehicle stability, thus further reducing drifts of LiDAR and IMU data. The proposed method was carried out in outdoor environments, and the experiment results demonstrated its accuracy and effectiveness.
Synthesis of compromise sum-difference arrays through time-modulation

In this paper, time-modulation is exploited for the synthesis of monopulse sub-arrayed antennas. The solution of the compromise sum-difference problem is obtained by setting the set of static excitations to an optimal sum set and synthesizing the “best compromise” difference pattern through a Continuous Partition Method (CPM) based approach. The array elements are aggregated into sub-arrays controlled by means of RF switches with optimized “on” time-durations. The switch-on instants of the pulse sequences are then computed by means of a particle swarm optimizer to reduce the interferences caused by the sideband radiations. A selected set of numerical results is reported to assess the potentialities of time-modulation in dealing with the synthesis problem at hand. This paper is a postprint of a paper submitted to and accepted for publication in Radar, Sonar & Navigation and is subject to Institution of Engineering and Technology Copyright. The copy of record is available at IET Digital Library.
Nuts and bolts of entrustable professional activities.

The entrustable professional activity (EPA) concept allows faculty to make competency-based decisions on the level of supervision required by trainees. Competency-based education targets standardized levels of proficiency to guarantee that all learners have a sufficient level of proficiency at the completion of training. Collectively, the competencies (ACGME or CanMEDS) constitute a framework that describes the qualities of professionals. Such a framework provides generalized descriptions to guide learners, their supervisors, and institutions in teaching and assessment. However, these frameworks must translate to the world of medical practice. EPAs were conceived to facilitate this translation, addressing the concern that competency frameworks would otherwise be too theoretical to be useful for training and assessment in daily practice.
New evidence for a change in physical conditions at depths near 100 kilometers

Comparative investigation of the seismograms of shallow earthquakes shows that the amplitudes of the first recorded longitudinal wave (Pn or P) vary considerably with distance from the epicenter. At distances up to 6° the seismograms are of "local shock" type, and the amplitude of Pn increases somewhat with distance. From 6° the amplitude decreases regularly, reaching a very small minimum near 14° (1500 km.). There is then a sudden increase, and the amplitudes continue large to beyond 20°. Together with the corresponding travel times, this suggests that at about 80 km. below the surface the velocity of longitudinal waves ceases to increase with depth, and probably decreases slightly through a limited range of depth, below which it again increases with depth. It is not yet settled whether the decrease is gradual throughout its range, or whether it takes place suddenly at a discontinuity.
Structure of the provirus within NIH 3T3 cells transfected with Harvey sarcoma virus DNA

NIH 3T3 cells transformed with unintegrated Harvey sarcoma virus (HSV) linear DNA generally acquired a complete HSV provirus. Infection of these transformed cells with Moloney murine leukemia helper virus was followed by release of infectious particles. The HSV provirus within these transfected cells was convalently joined to nonviral DNA sequences and was termed "cell-linked" HSV DNA. The association of this cell-virus DNA sequence with the chromosomal DNA of a transfected cell was unclear. NIH 3T3 cells could also become transformed by transfection with this cell-linked HSV DNA. In this case, the recipient cells generally acquired a donor DNA fragment containing both the HSV provirus and its flanking nonviral sequences. After cells acquired either unintegrated or cell-linked HSV DNA, the newly established provirus and flanking cellular sequences underwent amplifications to between 5 and 100 copies per diploid cell. NIH 3T3 cells transfected with HSV DNA may acquire deleted proviral DNA lacking at least 1.3 kilobase pairs from the right end of full-length HSV 6-kilobase-pair DNA (corresponding to the 3'-proximal portion of wild-type HSV RNA). Cells bearing such deleted HSV genomes were transformed, indicating that the viral transformation gene lies in the middle or 5'-proximal portion of the HSV RNA genome. However, when these cells were infected with Moloney murine leukemia helper virus, only low levels of biologically active sarcoma virus particles were released. Therefore, the 3' end of full-length HSV RNA was required for efficient transmission of the viral genome.
The New State Zoning: Land Use Preemption amid a Housing Crisis

Commentators have long decried the pernicious effects that overly restrictive land use regulations, which stifle new development, have on housing supply and affordability, regional and national economic growth, social mobility, and racial integration. The fragmented nature of zoning rules in the United States, which are set primarily at the local level, renders it seemingly impossible to address these concerns systematically. While there have been some efforts to address local exclusionary tendencies and their suboptimal effects by means of greater state control, these efforts, which remain contentious, have been limited to just a few states. In the past few years a new wave of state interventions in local zoning has appeared. These interventions are motivated in part by the harsh reality of housing shortages and skyrocketing costs in significant parts of the country, which have made housing affordability a salient issue for a broader segment of the population. At the same time, states have grown increasingly willing to preempt local governments across a range of policy realms. This Article contends that the confluence of these and other factors suggests the potential for a recalibration of the balance of power between state and local governments in the realms of housing and land use regulation. State governments are increasingly displacing local restrictions on new development, mandating that municipalities permit certain forms of housing, and providing incentives for local governments to adopt certain forms of housing. I argue that the current housing crisis justifies bold new forms of state intervention. Such interventions should expressly preempt narrow elements of local law, rather than, as an earlier generation of interventions did, adding additional planning requirements, procedural steps, or potential appeals. At the same time, these interventions can and should provide clear mechanisms for addressing significant countervailing local interests.
Analysis of a cathode catalyst layermodel for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A macroscopic model for a non-isothermal cathode catalyst layer (CL) in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is presented, in which liquid water in the CL pores is neglected. The model couples three phases: an electrically conductive carbon/platinum phase, gas pores, and a proton-conducting Nafion phase. The reaction–diffusion dynamics are described by a nonlinear system of differential equations which, due to the wide range of physical parameters, is very stiff. To reduce the stiffness of the system, an appropriate scaled model is introduced. A numerical algorithm consisting of two embedded Newton loops, specifically developed to handle the stiffness, is presented. Several numerical results are used to investigate the dynamics of the layer and the validity of the interface reduction, or zero CL thickness limit, which is often used in large fuel cell computations. In the limit of infinite water adsorption rate between ionomer phase and pore, a boundary layer emerges at either side of the CL, in which the water sorption equilibrium [Zawodzinski, T. , Derouin, C. , Radzinski, S. , Sherman, R. , Smith, V. , Springer T. , Gottesfeld, S. , 1993. A comparative study of water uptake by and transport through ionomeric fuel cell membranes. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 140, 1981–1985] between ionomer and pore is violated. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. PACS: 02.70. Dh; 47.11. +j; 47.70. Fw; 82.20. −w; 82.20. Wt; 82.45. Fk
Subordination in the sense of Bochner and a related functional calculus

Abstract We prove a new representation of the generator of a subordinate semigroup as limit of bounded operators. Our construction yields, in particular, a characterization of the domain of the generator. The generator of a subordinate semigroup can be viewed as a function of the generator of the original semigroup. For a large class these functions we show that operations at the level of functions has its counterpart at the level of operators.
Molecular Epidemiology of Mycobacterium abscessus, with Focus on Cystic Fibrosis

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium abscessus has been isolated increasingly often from the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It is not known whether these organisms are transmitted from person to person or acquired from environmental sources. Here, colony morphology and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern were examined for 71 isolates of M. abscessus derived from 14 CF patients, three non-CF patients with chronic respiratory M. abscessus infection or colonization, one patient with mastoiditis, and four patients with infected wounds, as well as for six isolates identified as environmental contaminants in various clinical specimens. Contaminants and wound isolates mainly exhibited smooth colony morphology, while a rough colony phenotype was significantly associated with chronic airway colonization (P = 0.014). Rough strains may exhibit increased airway-colonizing capacity, the cause of which remains to be determined. Examination by PFGE of consecutive isolates from the same patient showed that they all represented a single strain, even in cases where both smooth and rough isolates were present. When PFGE patterns were compared, it was shown that 24 patients had unique strains, while four patients harbored strains indistinguishable by PFGE. Two of these were siblings with CF. The other two patients, one of whom had CF, had not had contact with each other or with the siblings. Our results show that most patients colonized by M. abscessus in the airways have unique strains, indicating that these strains derive from the environment and that patient-to-patient transmission rarely occurs.
Factors Affecting Peritoneal Efficiency in Different Treatment Schedules

I evidence suggests that weekly KT/Vurea (the weekly urea clearance normalized to total body water representing the sum of contributions by residual renal functional and peritoneal dialysis [PD]) should be at least 2.0 in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). There is also increasing evidence that chronic dialysis should be commenced when renal weekly KT/Vurea falls below 2.0. Weekly KT/Vurea targets for intermittent PD therapy (such as nightly intermittent peritoneal dialysis [NIPD]) should probably be modestly above those of CAPD (2.2). Once patients become functionally anephric, it is unlikely that a weekly KT/Vurea will be achieved with four 2.0 L CAPD exchanges daily if body surface area exceeds 1.7 3m. This is true regardless of patient peritoneal transport characteristics as determined by the peritoneal equilibration test (PET). As residual renal function declines, the variables that can be manipulated to achieve clearance targets include exchange volumes, cycle times, ultrafiltration volumes, combinations of manual and cycler exchanges, dwell time and drainage time. Through manipulations of these variables, most patients can achieve the recommended targets.