Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bone Cell Responses of Titanium Blasted with Bioactive Glass Particles

Surface modification of Ti-based metals is an important issue in improving the bone cell responses and bone-implant integration. Blasting Ti with granules (mostly alumina) is commonly used to prepare a clean surface and provide a level of roughness. In this study, glass granules with a bioactive composition were used as the blasting source to improve the surface bioactivity and biocompatibility of a Ti substrate. Bioactive glass particles with a composition of 70SiO 2 · 25CaO · 5P2O5 were prepared using a sol—gel method. A Ti disc was blasted with glass particles using a dental blasting unit (BG-Ti). A Ti disc blasted with commercial spherical-shaped glass (G-Ti) and a disc without blasting (Ti) were also prepared for comparison. The blasted Ti contained a large number of glass particles after the blasting process. The surface roughness of the samples in ascending order was G-Ti>BG-Ti>Ti. Murine-derived preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) were seeded on the samples, and the cell growth, differentiation, and mineralization behaviors were observed. The osteoblastic cells attached well and spread actively over all the sample groups with extensive cytoskeletal processes. The level of cell growth on the BG-Ti showed a continual increase with culturing up to 7 days, showing good cell viability. However, there was no significant difference (ANOVA, p<0.05) with respect to the G-Ti and Ti groups. In particular, the alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity of the cells was significantly higher on the BG-Ti than on the other groups after culturing for 14 days. Moreover, the mineralization behavior of the cells, as assessed by Alizarin S Red, was superior on the BG-Ti to that observed on the other groups after culturing for 14 and 28 days. Overall, the blasting of Ti with a bioactive glass composition is considered beneficial for producing substrates with enhanced osteogenic potential.
A meta-analytic review of psychosocial interventions for substance use disorders.

OBJECTIVE Despite significant advances in psychosocial treatments for substance use disorders, the relative success of these approaches has not been well documented. In this meta-analysis, the authors provide effect sizes for various types of psychosocial treatments, as well as abstinence and treatment-retention rates for cannabis, cocaine, opiate, and polysubstance abuse and dependence treatment trials. METHOD With a comprehensive series of literature searches, the authors identified a total of 34 well-controlled treatment conditions-five for cannabis, nine for cocaine, seven for opiate, and 13 for polysubstance users-representing the treatment of 2,340 patients. Psychosocial treatments evaluated included contingency management, relapse prevention, general cognitive behavior therapy, and treatments combining cognitive behavior therapy and contingency management. RESULTS Overall, controlled trial data suggest that psychosocial treatments provide benefits reflecting a moderate effect size according to Cohen's standards. These interventions were most efficacious for cannabis use and least efficacious for polysubstance use. The strongest effect was found for contingency management interventions. Approximately one-third of participants across all psychosocial treatments dropped out before treatment completion compared to 44.6% for the control conditions. CONCLUSIONS Effect sizes for psychosocial treatments for illicit drugs ranged from the low-moderate to high-moderate range, depending on the substance disorder and treatment under study. Given the long-term social, emotional, and cognitive impairments associated with substance use disorders, these effect sizes are noteworthy and comparable to those for other efficacious treatments in psychiatry.
Utilizing Lexical Similarity between Related, Low-resource Languages for Pivot-based SMT

We investigate pivot-based translation between related languages in a low resource, phrase-based SMT setting. We show that a subword-level pivot-based SMT model using a related pivot language is substantially better than word and morpheme-level pivot models. It is also highly competitive with the best direct translation model, which is encouraging as no direct source-target training corpus is used. We also show that combining multiple related language pivot models can rival a direct translation model. Thus, the use of subwords as translation units coupled with multiple related pivot languages can compensate for the lack of a direct parallel corpus.
Fast algorithms for signal processing using finite field operations

A signal processing system employing digital arithmetic can be made equivalent to a set of interconnected subsystems each using finite field operations to alleviate effects of round-off noise, particularly in recursive structures. The realization of the subsystems involves the multiplication of polynomials over a finite field. Cyclic convolutions may be represented as polynomial multiplications, in a residue class ring modulo the polynomial (xk-1). Fast algorithms arise when the ring is decomposed into a direct product using its minimal ideals, the orthogonality relationships between the idempotents of the minimal ideals resembling the decomposition properties of the Chinese remainder theorem for real polynomials. The resulting component polynomial multiplications involve elements with smaller degrees. A transform domain, based upon an nthroot of unity in an extension field, offers an alternative domain for performing the component operations. Polynomial multiplications are equivalent to the vector inner product of the corresponding transform coefficients. The minimal ideal components, when mapped into the transform domain, have nonzero coefficients only in predetermined subsets, the cyclotomic subsets, which permits one coefficient to generate all others by successively forming its powers.
Predictive Cognitive Modelling of Applications

This paper argues that important usability aspects of mobile applications can be automatically evaluated using computational cognitive models based on the cognitive architecture ACT-R. A tool incorporating cognitive models for specific tasks, users, applications and usability aspects is proposed. Explanations provided by the tool for usability flaws are based on simulations of cognitive mechanisms. A use-case of the tool is introduced, which is based on an ACT-R model that simulates how users search and select a specific target in a hierarchical android application and predicts efficiency and learnability for average users. The model has been empirically validated in four studies with two different applications. To fully automate the usability evaluation of the use-case, two basic requirements need to be fulfilled. First, the application and the cognitive model have to be connected. A tool called ACT-Droid acts as an interface between the Android application and the cognitive model. Second, the models knowledge of the world, which is application specific, has to be provided automatically by using an automated user interface analysation approach. Therefore, the open-source tool AppCrawler was extended to allow the extraction of the required information.
Comparison of estimation techniques in joint uncertainty decoding for noise robust speech recognition

Model-based joint uncertainty decoding (JUD) has recently achieved promising results by integrating the front-end uncertainty into the back-end decoding by estimating JUD transforms in a mathematically consistent framework. There are different ways of estimating the JUD transforms resulting in different JUD methods. This paper gives an overview of the estimation techniques existing in the literature including data-driven parallel model combination, Taylor series based approximation and the recently proposed second order approximation. Application of a new technique based on the unscented transformation is also proposed for the JUD framework. The different techniques have been compared in terms of both recognition accuracy and computational cost on a database recorded in a real car environment. Experimental results indicate the unscented transformation is one of the best options for estimating JUD transforms as it maintains a good balance between accuracy and efﬁciency.
ESD protection design in a 0.18-/spl mu/m salicide CMOS technology by using substrate-triggered technique

A novel substrate-triggered technique, as comparing to the traditional gate-driven technique, is proposed to effectively improve ESD (electrostatic discharge) robustness of IC products. The on-chip ESD protection circuits designed with the substrate-triggered technique for input, output and power pads have been fabricated and verified in a 0.18-/spl mu/m salicide CMOS process. The HBM ESD level of the ESD protection NMOS with a W/L of 300 /spl mu/m/0.3 /spl mu/m can be improved from the original 0.8 kV to become 3.3 kV by this substrate-triggered technique.
Desarrollo de un marco de adaptación de la ingeniería de la usabilidad al proceso de desarrollo Ágil SCRUM, aplicado en el Departamento de Planificación del ECU911 de la Ciudad de Machala.

La presente investigacion contiene un marco de adaptacion de la ingenieria de la Usabilidad al proceso de desarrollo agil Scrum, aplicado en el Departamento de Planificacion del ECU911 de la ciudad de Machala. Este proyecto surge de la necesidad que afronta actualmente la ingenieria de software por ausencia de usabilidad en los productos software desarrollados en la institucion mencionada. Una vez definida las lineas de investigacion, y profundizar en la teoria de la usabilidad en el proceso de desarrollo agil y Scrum. Se redacto una propuesta teorica de la adaptacion del marco y posterior se realizo su implementacion mediante un caso practico con personal del ECU911, para luego ser validado mediante encuestas. Finalmente se procede a formular las conclusiones que recopilan respuestas a varias preguntas planteadas en este articulo
Magnetoresistance oscillations in InSb and GaSb whiskers at low temperatures

The parallel and transverse magnetoresistance in InSb and GaSb whiskers doped with tin and tellurium, respectively, were investigated in the temperature range 4.2–77 K and magnetic field 0–14 T. Shubnikov-de Haas magnetoresistance oscillations were revealed at low temperatures for both semiconductor materials with impurity concentration near the metal-insulator transition. The following parameters of InSb and GaSb whiskers as oscillation periods, cyclotron effective mass of electrons, g-factor and Dingle temperature were defined.
Identification and verification of chaotic dynamics in a missile system from experimental time series

This article is concerned with the chaotic dynamics in a missile system. Five channels of acceleration signals were measured at different locations and/or orientations of the missile during a test flight. Based on these data, the existence of chaotic behaviour is determined using common techniques for nonlinear time series analysis, such as phase-space reconstruction, Poincaré map, correlation dimension and maximum Lyapunov exponent. It is found that the vibration behaviour of the missile system represents high-order (eight dimensional) chaos. Chaotic dynamics exist in three (out of the five) channels of acceleration signals. As typical in experimental time series, the acceleration signals are contaminated with random noises. In order to determine whether deterministic chaos dominates in the three acceleration signals, a sequence of two statistical tests, the BDS test and the Kaboudan test, is applied. The BDS test rules out the possibility that the three acceleration signals are purely random. The subsequent Kaboudan test indicates that deterministic chaotic dynamics indeed dominate in two acceleration signals where the seeker is located.
ANTXR2 Knock-Out Does Not Result in the Development of Hypertension in Rats

BACKGROUND Our recent genetic study as well as robust evidences reported by previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have indicated that the single nucleotide polymorphism rs16998073, located near gene anthrax toxin receptor 2 (ANTXR2), was significantly associated with hypertension in Asians and Europeans. The aim of the present study was to determine whether ANTXR2 is the causal gene of hypertension at the 4q21 locus using an ANTXR2 knock-out model. METHODS Relative expression of ANTXR2 in Wistar–Kyoto rats (WKYs) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. ANTXR2 knock-out rats were created using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing and blood pressure values were measured in ANTXR2−/− and wild type (WT) rats by tail-cuff method and carotid arterial catheterization method. RESULTS Neither the mRNA nor protein levels of ANTXR2 were significantly different between tissues from SHRs and WKYs. To create ANTXR2−/− rats, 67 base pairs were deleted in exon 1 of ANTXR2 using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. ANTXR2 protein decreased significantly in aortas of ANTXR2−/− rats, suggesting sufficient efficiency of ANTXR2 knock-out in this model. However, ANTXR2−/− rats exhibited nearly the same blood pressure as WT rats at baseline conditions as well as during Angiotensin II (400ng/kg/min) infusion or high-salt diet treatment. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that ANTXR2 might not be associated with hypertension and thus further functional analysis is warranted to identify the causal gene at this locus.
Flavobacterium lutivivi sp. nov., isolated from activated sludge.

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, yellow, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain HQQT, was isolated from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Hebei Province, PR China. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that strain HQQT is a member of the genus Flavobacterium and is closely related to 'Flavobacterium shanxiense' CCTCC AB 2014079T (94.8 %) and Flavobacterium macrobrachii DSM 22219T (94.7 %). Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain HQQT clustered with Flavobacterium fontis JCM 18212T and Flavobacterium squillarum KCTC 23915T. The polar lipid profile of strain HQQT revealed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, six unknown aminolipids, one unknown glycolipid and one unknown lipid and the only isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The dominant fatty acids of strain HQQT were iso-C15 : 0, C15 : 0 and C16 : 1ω7c. The DNA G+C content of strain HQQT is 32 mol%. On the basis of the phylogenetic and phenotypic data, strain HQQT represents a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium lutivivi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HQQT ( = CGMCC 1.15347T = KCTC 42935T).
Long-Term Patterns of In-Breast Failure in Patients With Early Stage Breast Cancer Treated With Breast-Conserving Therapy: A Molecular Based Clonality Evaluation

Background:The clonality of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrences (IBTR) after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) was established using a polymerase chain reaction-based allelic imbalance assay of microsatellite loci to compare tumor suppressor gene alteration patterns. Methods:The clonality of IBTRs relative to the initial invasive carcinomas were analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction-based allelic imbalance assay in 57 patients treated with BCT, including both whole breast irradiation and accelerated partial breast irradiation. Results:Thirty-four IBTRs (60%) were clonally related to the initial carcinoma and 23 (40%) were clonally different. Clonally related IBTRs were more frequently higher grade (70% vs. 32%, P = 0.019) and developed sooner after initial treatment (mean time interval to IBTR was 5.1 years in clonally related versus 9.3 years in clonally different cases [P = 0.002]). Twelve patients subsequently developed distant metastases, of which 9 (75%) had clonally related IBTRs. Clinical IBTR classification and molecular clonality assay results differed in 44% of all cases. The proportion of IBTRs that were clonally related at 5, 10, and 15 years after BCT were 82%, 48%, and 33%, respectively. Conclusions:This analysis demonstrates the inaccuracy of clinically establishing the clonality of most IBTRs. Clonally related IBTRs occurred sooner than clonally different IBTRs, were more frequently associated with the development of distant metastases and had a worse prognosis. Molecular clonality assays provide a reliable means of identifying patients who may benefit from aggressive systemic therapy at the time of IBTR and provide an accurate assessment of the efficacy of various forms of local therapy.
A novel design methodology for bandpass frequency selective surfaces using complementary loading structure

In this paper, a new design methodology for bandpass frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) using complementary loading structure is introduced. The structure is achieved by cascading two Jerusalem aperture screens and a Jerusalem patch screen which are backed by three layers of dielectric slabs. The effect to the transmission characteristics of the Jerusalem patch screen as the load of the two Jerusalem aperture screens is investigated. The designed FSS unit cell has a periodicity and thickness about quarter of a wavelength and half a wavelength respectively, and at the same time the transmission coefficients meet the requirements even when the incidence angle is up to 80o. This novel design methodology provides a new design parameter for tailoring the response of the FSS and has proved effectivity in designing high performance FSS.
Decreasing end-effector deformation of the flexible manipulator through local motion planning

Based on the analysis of motion behaviors of animals, a new idea of controlling vibration of the flexible manipulator is suggested. The concept of controllable local degrees of freedom is proposed and introduced to the topological structure of the flexible manipulator. By way of planning the independent local motion provided by the controllable local degrees of freedom, the end-effector deformation of the flexible manipulator can be effectively decreased through dynamic coupling. The relevant method for vibration control of the flexible manipulator is put forward. Numerical simulations are carried out, and the results verify the feasibility of this method.
USER COST ESTIMATION ON ROAD NETWORKS BY MEANS OF BAYESIAN PROBABILISTIC NETWORKS

In this paper a methodology for the development of multiple impact models for road networks is described. Road impacts can be categorized into impacts for different stakeholder groups, namely the public, the owner and the road users. The current investigations address multiple impacts only for road users, but the developed methodology can be extended to estimate the impacts of all stakeholder groups. Impacts for road users are differentiated into costs due to travelling time, vehicle operation and accident injuries. The accident and injury costs are assessed based on multivariate regression analysis and Bayesian Probabilistic Networks. The proposed methodology for the assessment of road user impacts is different from existing impact models since uncertainties are incorporated into the model. Accordingly, all variables of the model are represented probabilistically. To demonstrate the usefulness of the methodology, models were developed for the prediction of multiple road user impacts on three road segments that were different in terms of traffic configurations, road designs and surface conditions. Based on the assumptions made for the model development, the results show that accident and injury costs represent only a small share of the total user impacts. An important feature of the introduced methodology for road impact assessment is that it provides decision support, e.g. on how to optimally allocate budgets into accident risk reducing interventions and evaluate the portfolio of changeable measures in terms of their effect on the accident risk before and after they are implemented.
A Mobility-Resistant Efficient Clustering Approach for ad hoc and sensor networks

This paper presents a Mobility-Resistant, Efficient Clustering Approach (MRECA) for ad hoc and sensor networks. MRECA can provide robustness against moderate node mobility and at the same time render energy-eficiency. The identified clusterheads cover the whole network and each node in the network can determine its cluster and only one cluster. The algorithm terminates in deterministic time without iterations, and each node transmits only one message during the algorithm. We prove analytically the correctness and complexity of the algorithm, and simulation results demonstrate that MRECA is energy-efficient, resilient against node mobility, and robust against synchronization errors
Four-worlds model for configurable services

Configurable products are one way to pursue mass customisation. Configurators are information systems that support the repetitive specification of product variants and description of all possible product variants of a configurable product in a configuration model, Configuration models are expressed using concepts and their relationships defined in the conceptual model underlying the configurator. Many different conceptual models exist and there is no dominant approach. The conceptual model significantly affects ease of modelling, understandability, compactness and expressiveness of configuration models as well as computational complexity of computer support. In this paper we present a conceptual model, or conceptualisation, for modelling configurable services, an area with relatively little previous research, based on a synthesis of previous work extended with our own experiences with four case companies.
A MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE FOR DETECTION OF SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS BY ALLELE SPECIFIC SINGLE BASE EXTENTION

We present a microfluidic device with integrated temperature sensors and heaters for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection. The allele specific primer is immediately annealed next to the polymorphic site, and extended by a single base. The extension product is then purified by solid phase capture, and subsequently released via chemical cleavage. After desalting, the released product is analyzed by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Experimental results have demonstrated the ability of this microdevice to perform SNP detection, and its potential for high throughput SNP genotyping.
ASSORTATIVE MATING AS A STRATIFICATION PROBLEM IN GENETIC ASSOCIATION STUDIES

Genetic association studies have an important role in public health because they help us understand the biological basis of conditions (e.g. diabetes, obesity) that have important public health implications. They can help us develop and direct both treatments and prevention activities. As both Type II diabetes and obesity tend to run in families, it is reasonable to want to ascertain whether a genetic association or linkage exists between a particular allele or alleles and these conditions. Genetic association studies are, generally, the preferred method for detecting genes that are causal variants of complex diseases like diabetes because they have greater power to detect alleles that are susceptible to disease. However, the Case control genetic association studies are known to be prone to false positive associations in the presence of population stratification. We hypothesize that assortative mating in a given population can lead to a form of population stratification and subsequently false positives. We hypothesize that assortative mating in a given population can lead to a form of population stratification and subsequently false positives. We also investigate the role of gene-gene interactions in the presence of assortative mating in producing spurious results. These hypotheses are tested via studies on 10,000 simulated individuals. Our results show that assortative mating does lead to a greater than expected number of false positives as compared to a situation where there is no assortative mating. Our tests on the role of gene-gene interactions also suggest that they contribute to false positives in the presence of assortative mating.