Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Compensating Method of Gravity Deformation Curve Calculation for the Column of Heavy-Duty Floor-Type Boring and Milling Machine

The inhomogeneity of material is assumed to be the reason that affects the accuracy of FEM simulation of gravity deformation curve for the column of heavy-duty floor-type boring and milling machine. To solve this problem, a compensation method of gravity deformation curve calculation is proposed by discretizing the column into segments based on finite difference method. Equivalent flexural rigidity is utilized to characterize the inhomogeneity of the material. The results of FEM simulation is corrected by the proposed equivalent flexural rigidity based on a correction model. The experimental result shows that the computational accuracy is improved from 19.88% to 62.37%, compared with just FEM simulation.
SubIslands: the probabilistic match assignment algorithm for subcircuit recognition

The recognition of subcircuit instances in a larger circuit is widely used in the simulation, verification, and testing of integrated circuit computer-aided designs. Subcircuit recognition (SR) can be stated as a problem of finding images of a small model bipartite graph (BG) corresponding to a subcircuit in a large object BG corresponding to a circuit. The best-known SR algorithms are based on the search-oriented subgraph isomorphism methods. Unfortunately, these methods may require a long runtime for large and highly symmetrical circuits. The authors develop a new high-performance probabilistic recognition method for solving the SR problem. This method combines: 1) the graduated assignment matching technique; 2) two well-known concepts from pattern recognition theory, namely, the error propagation and the delayed decision making; and 3) an efficient probabilistic BG labeling algorithm. In contrast to the search-based algorithms, the new recognition method solves the SR problem as an optimization task and, as a consequence, allows extremely fast simultaneous finding of subcircuit images. The experimental results show that this approach recognizes all the subcircuit instances orders of magnitude faster than the search-oriented algorithms.
Adaptive window size to reduce the influence of heterogeneous mobility on TCP performance

The proliferation of wireless access technologies and the growth of demand for mobile services pose the need for seamless mobility across heterogeneous networks. Moreover, the widespread use of the TCP/IP protocol stack clearly reinforces the need to enhance its performance in such scenarios. In this paper we present an experimental evaluation of the influence of the so called heterogeneous (vertical) mobility on the behavior TCP protocol, and we propose a cross-layer solution to reduce this impact in future mobile environments. The described solution is based on the dynamic adaptation of the window size for a TCP connection, based on the related mobility conditions. We have evaluated this solution using the BIB3R testbed, which emulates the inter-working between commercial wireless technologies (e.g., UMTS, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc). The results showed that by adjusting the window size before the vertical handover process, TCP connections can reduce the adaptation time between 30 and 40 percent depending on the mobility scenario (heterogeneous links).
Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma with ultrasound and AFP is associated with improvements in tumour detection, receipt of curative therapy and overall survival in patients with cirrhosis

Commentary on : Singal AG, Pillai A, Tiro J. Early detection, curative treatment, and survival. Rates for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in patients with cirrhosis: a meta-analysis. PLoS Med 2014;11:e1001624. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a significant global health burden: HCC is the third most common cause of cancer death worldwide.1 Established risk factors for HCC include chronic liver disease, hepatitis B viral infection, hepatitis C viral infection and inherited metabolic diseases.2 Surveillance for HCC using ultrasound is recommended by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in all patients with cirrhosis, starting at the time of diagnosis.3 This recommendation is supported by a single randomised controlled trial in which surveillance for HCC in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection improved early stage detection of HCC, rates of resection of HCC and overall survival.4 There are, however, no randomised trials examining the role of surveillance for HCC in patients with cirrhosis. This systematic review with meta-analysis examines the association of HCC surveillance in patients having cirrhosis with … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DPLoS%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D11%26rft.spage%253De1001624%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1371%252Fjournal.pmed. 1001624%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24691105%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=10.1371/journal.pmed. 1001624&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=24691105&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F6%2F225.atom
Simulation of the shaking table test of a seven‐story shear wall building

This paper presents the simulation of the nonlinear dynamic response of a full‐scale seven‐story reinforced concrete shear wall shaking table specimen under base excitations representing four earthquake records of increasing intensity. The study was motivated by the participation in the blind prediction contest of the shaking table specimen organized by University of California at San Diego (UCSD), NEES, and Portland Cement Association (PCA). Owing to the time constraints of the contest a relatively simple two‐dimensional (2d) model was used for the shear wall specimen. In this model, the shear wall was represented by 2d beam–column elements with fiber discretization of the cross‐section that account for the interaction of the axial force with the bending moment. Upon conclusion of the contest, the available experimental measurements permitted a thorough examination of the analytical results. While the measured data confirmed the excellent accuracy of the model predictions, some limitations also became apparent. The paper addresses the benefits and limitations of the selected modeling strategy and investigates the sensitivity of this type of model to parameter selection. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuropeptide Y: localization in the central nervous system and neuroendocrine functions

Summary— Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36‐amino acid peptide first isolated and characterized from porcine brain extracts. A number of immunocytochemical investigations have been conducted to determine the localization of NPY‐containing neurons in various animal species including both vertebrates and invertebrates. These studies have established the widespread distribution of NPY in the brain and in sympathetic neurons. In the rat brain, a high density of immunoreactive cell bodies and fibers is observed in the cortex, caudate putamen and hippocampus. In the diencephalon, NPY‐containing perikarya are mainly located in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus; numerous fibers innervate the paraventricular and suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus, as well as the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus and the periaqueductal gray. At the electron microscope level, using the pre‐ and post‐embedding immunoperoxidase techniques, NPY‐like immunoreactivity has been observed in neuronal cell body dendrites and axonal processes. In nerve terminals of the hypothalamus, the product of the immunoreaction is associated with large dense core vesicles. In lower vertebrates, including amphibians and fish, neurons originating from the diencephalic (or telencephalic) region innervate the intermediate lobe of the pituitary where a dense network of immunoreactive fibers has been detected. At the ultrastructural level, positive endings have been observed in direct contact with pituitary melanotrophs of frog and dogfish. These anatomical data suggest that NPY can act both as a neurotransmitter (or neuromodulator) and as a hypophysiotropic neurohormone.
Methionine synthase (MTR) 2756 (A → G) polymorphism, double heterozygosity methionine synthase 2756 AG/methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) 66 AG, and elevated homocysteinemia are three risk factors for having a child with Down syndrome

Contradictory findings have been recently published on the evaluation of genetic polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR 677 C→T) and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR 66 A→G) as risk factors for having a child with Down syndrome (DS); however, the influence of polymorphisms of methionine synthase (MTR 2756 A→G) and of MTHFR 1298 A→C has never been evaluated. In this study, the risk of being a DS case or having a DS child (case mother) was studied by multiple logistic regression analysis of the independent and combined genotypes and of plasma homocysteine, folates, and vitamin B12 in 92 DS cases and 140 control subjects as well as in 63 case mothers and 72 age‐matched control mothers from Sicily. (The MTHFR 677 T allele frequency was not different in DS cases and case mothers, compared to the respective control groups). After adjustment for age, total homocysteine (t‐Hcys) and MTR 2756 AG/GG genotype were significant risk factors for having a DS child, with odds ratio (OR) of 6.7 (95% CI: 1.4–32.0, P = 0.016) and of 3.5 (95% CI: 1.2–10.9, P = 0.028), respectively. By comparison, MTR 2756 AG/GG genotype increased significantly the risk of being a DS case, with an OR of 3.8 (95% CI: 1.4–10.5, P = 0.009). The double heterozygosity MTR 2756 AG/MTRR 66 AG was the single combined genotype that was a significant risk factor for having a DS child, with an OR estimated at 5.0 (95% CI: 1.1–24.1), after adjustment for t‐Hcys. In conclusion, our results provide evidences that homocysteine and MTR genetic polymorphism are two potent risk factors for mothers to have a DS child in Sicily. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Las colonias musicales: Un espacio educativo en valores a través del desarrollo de las competencias sociales

Resumen. Las colonias musicales se nos presentan como un espacio educativo dentro de las propuestas de tiempo libre para jovenes. En dichas colonias, el trabajo en valores que se realiza parte de la convivencia entre todos los agentes educativos, destacando el papel de profesores, monitores y alumnos. Desde dicha convivencia, y a traves de un desarrollo de las competencias sociales, se desarrollan los valores de una forma vivencial. Al concretar los principales valores que se trabajan, tanto a traves de la musica como de la educacion en el ocio en las colonias, podremos senalar los beneficios que se obtienen en dichas colonias musicales.
Structure and function of DNA photolyase.

Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (Pyr < > Pyr) are the major DNA photoproducts induced by the UV component of solar radiation. Photoreactivating enzyme (DNA photolyase) repairs DNA by utilizing the energy of visible light to break the cyclobutane ring of the dimer. Photolyases are monomeric proteins of 50-60 kDa with stoichiometric amounts of two noncovalent chromophore/cofactors. One of these cofactors is FADH-, and the second chromophore is either methenyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF) or 8-hydroxy-5-deazariboflavin (8-HDF). The enzyme binds the DNA substrate in a light-independent reaction, the second chromophore of the bound enzyme absorbs a visible photon and, by dipole-dipole interaction, transfers energy to FADH- which, in turn, transfers an electron to Pyr < > Pyr in DNA; the Pyr < > Pyr- splits and back electron transfer restores the dipyrimidine and the functional form of flavin ready for a new cycle of catalysis.
Design of a Power Oscillation Damper for DFIG-based Wind Energy Conversion System Using Modified Particle Swarm Optimizer

This paper presents a method to design a Power Oscillation Damper (POD) for Double-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) based Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS), operating with voltage control loop. Based on eigen values information from Small Signal Stability Analysis (SSSA), an objective function comprising damping ratio and real part of eigen values of electromechanical oscillatory modes is established for the further optimization. Modified Particle Swarm Optimizer (MPSO) is used to tune all the parameters of damping controller. With implementation of tuned POD, case study on modified Two-Area Four-Machine system has illustrated that proposed method effectively enhances dynamic stability of power system.
Values of organic producers converting at different times: Results of a focus group study in five European countries

This paper presents the results of a focus group study of the values of organic producers entering the sector at different times in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and Switzerland. As well as expressing values widely associated with organic farming, such as food quality, health and environmental protection, they also mentioned professional challenge, fairness in the food chain, and maintaining farm income as important. The reviewed literature includes examples of a theory of conventionalisation, which implies that later converting producers are less committed to core organic values than the previously established ones. The conclusions of this paper do not support this idea. In interpreting the observed differences between the values of established and converting producers, it is argued that these are consistent with some aspects of adoption diffusion model, but changes in external circumstances and the learning experience that conversion represents must also be considered.
Fate of Incidental, Asymptomatic Lesions Discovered During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

The authors aimed to determine the incidence and angiographic features associated with plaque progression requiring nontarget lesion percutaneous coronary intervention after culprit lesion percutaneous coronary intervention. Of 945 consecutive percutaneous coronary interventions reviewed, 100 patients who required nontarget lesion percutaneous coronary intervention in the following year of the index percutaneous coronary intervention were found and compared with 100 consecutive patients who did not require nontarget lesion percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients with restenosis were excluded. Incidence of clinical plaque progression leading to additional nontarget lesion percutaneous coronary intervention in the year after an index percutaneous coronary intervention was found to be 10.5%. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, the predictors of plaque progression were multivessel disease, unstable angina pectoris, diabetes mellitus, prior percutaneous coronary intervention, and lack of statin use. Initially, lesions that lead to repercutaneous coronary intervention were mostly nonsignificant. Clinical presentation of plaque progression was mostly acute coronary syndrome. Results emphasize the need for further study to refine the methods to identify potentially vulnerable but clinically silent plaques.
The Bridging Domain Multiscale Method and Its High Performance Computing Implementation

This paper presents a study on the feasibility of applying high performance computing (HPC) to the Bridging Domain Multiscale (BDM) method, so that featured scalable multiscale computations can be achieved. Wave propagation in a molecule chain through an entire computational domain is employed as an example to demonstrate its applicability and computing performance when multiscale-based simulations are conducted in a large-scale parallel computing environment. In addition, the conceptual idea and computing framework using Grid computing technologies is proposed to enhance future multiscale computations in nanotechnology.
A Non-parametric Spectral Model for Graph Classification

Graph-based representations have been used with considerable success in computer vision in the abstraction and recognition of object shape and scene structure. Despite this, the methodology available for learning structural representations from sets of training examples is relatively limited. In this paper we take a simple yet effective spectral approach to graph learning. In particular, we define a novel model of structural representation based on the spectral decomposition of graph Laplacian of a set of graphs, but which make away with the need of one-to-one node-correspondences at the base of several previous approaches, and handles directly a set of other invariants of the representation which are often neglected. An experimental evaluation shows that the approach significantly improves over the state of the art.
Influence of Heparin Mimetics on Assembly of the FGF·FGFR4 Signaling Complex

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling regulates mammalian development and metabolism, and its dysregulation is implicated in many inherited and acquired diseases, including cancer. Heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans (HSGAGs) are essential for FGF signaling as they promote FGF·FGF receptor (FGFR) binding and dimerization. Using novel organic synthesis protocols to prepare homogeneously sulfated heparin mimetics (HM), including hexasaccharide (HM6), octasaccharide (HM8), and decasaccharide (HM10), we tested the ability of these HM to support FGF1 and FGF2 signaling through FGFR4. Biological assays show that both HM8 and HM10 are significantly more potent than HM6 in promoting FGF2-mediated FGFR4 signaling. In contrast, all three HM have comparable activity in promoting FGF1·FGFR4 signaling. To understand the molecular basis for these differential activities in FGF1/2·FGFR4 signaling, we used NMR spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, and size-exclusion chromatography to characterize binding interactions of FGF1/2 with the isolated Ig-domain 2 (D2) of FGFR4 in the presence of HM, and binary interactions of FGFs and D2 with HM. Our data confirm the existence of both a secondary FGF1·FGFR4 interaction site and a direct FGFR4·FGFR4 interaction site thus supporting the formation of the symmetric mode of FGF·FGFR dimerization in solution. Moreover, our results show that the observed higher activity of HM8 relative to HM6 in stimulating FGF2·FGFR4 signaling correlates with the higher affinity of HM8 to bind and dimerize FGF2. Notably FGF2·HM8 exhibits pronounced positive binding cooperativity. Based on our findings we propose a refined symmetric FGF·FGFR dimerization model, which incorporates the differential ability of HM to dimerize FGFs.
First randomized trial on clobetasol propionate and mometasone furoate in the treatment of vulvar lichen sclerosus: results of efficacy and tolerability

A 3‐month topical application of clobetasol propionate (CP) represents the recommended and accepted first‐line treatment for vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS); however, to date, no randomized controlled trials have compared the efficacy and safety of CP with other topical corticosteroids.
Iterative Fragmentation Improves the Detection of ChIP-seq Peaks for Inactive Histone Marks

As chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) sequencing is becoming the dominant technique for studying chromatin modifications, new protocols surface to improve the method. Bioinformatics is also essential to analyze and understand the results, and precise analysis helps us to identify the effects of protocol optimizations. We applied iterative sonication –- sending the fragmented DNA after ChIP through additional round(s) of shearing –- to a number of samples, testing the effects on different histone marks, aiming to uncover potential benefits of inactive histone marks specifically. We developed an analysis pipeline that utilizes our unique, enrichment-type specific approach to peak calling. With the help of this pipeline, we managed to accurately describe the advantages and disadvantages of the iterative refragmentation technique, and we successfully identified possible fields for its applications, where it enhances the results greatly. In addition to the resonication protocol description, we provide guidelines for peak calling optimization and a freely implementable pipeline for data analysis.
Network‐Level Road Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation Scheduling for Optimal Performance Improvement and Budget Utilization

Abstract: This article discusses how to efficiently and completely solve a bi‐objective pavement maintenance and rehabilitation‐scheduling problem, which aims at optimizing two objectives of pavement condition improvement and budget utilization in a simultaneous manner. This problem may be addressed by the weighting method, constraint method, ranking method, and various metaheuristic methods. However, none of these methods can guarantee the complete Pareto‐optimal solution set, which would potentially lead to suboptimal decisions. In this article, a parametric method is suggested to solve the bi‐objective pavement maintenance and rehabilitation‐scheduling problem. The effectiveness and efficiency of the parametric method is investigated and demonstrated through a case study using the real‐world data set from the Dallas District's Pavement Management Information System. A performance comparison between the widely used weighting method and the parametric method clearly justifies the computational advantages of the parametric method.
Cloning and Functional Expression of Two Families of β-Subunits of the Large Conductance Calcium-activated K+ Channel*

We report here a characterization of two families of calcium-activated K+ channel β-subunits, β2 and β3, which are encoded by distinct genes that map to 3q26.2–27. A single β2 family member and four alternatively spliced variants of β3 were investigated. These subunits have predicted molecular masses of 27.1–31.6 kDa, share ∼30–44% amino acid identity with β1, and exhibit distinct but overlapping expression patterns. Coexpression of the β2 or β3a–c subunits with a BK α-subunit altered the functional properties of the current expressed by the α-subunit alone. The β2 subunit rapidly and completely inactivated the current and shifted the voltage dependence for activation to more polarized membrane potentials. In contrast, coexpression of the β3a–c subunits resulted in only partial inactivation of the current, and the β3b subunit conferred an apparent inward rectification. Furthermore, unlike the β1 and β2 subunits, none of the β3 subunits increased channel sensitivity to calcium or voltage. The tissue-specific expression of these β-subunits may allow for the assembly of a large number of distinct BK channels in vivo, contributing to the functional diversity of native BK currents.
The Use of Frequency-Orthogonal Pseudonoise (FOPN) Sounding Signals for Identifying Transmissions From Different Transmit Antennas

A method is described for identifying simultaneous signals from different transmit antennas in multiantenna sounders. Multiple-orthogonal signals are produced from one pseudonoise code by using it to modulate RF carriers at precalculated offset frequencies. Although their frequency spectra are interleaved and they occupy the same band, the spectral lines from different transmitters are separable after Fourier transformation at the receiver output. Since there is a one-to-one relationship between the length of the signal required for Fourier analysis and the number of orthogonal sounding signals, any arbitrary number of such signals can be generated, but Doppler spreads limit the number that can be employed with acceptable isolation among them.