Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TP-NoDe: Topology-aware Progressive Noising and Denoising of Point Clouds towards Upsampling

In this paper, we propose TP-NoDe, a novel Topology-aware Progressive Noising and Denoising technique for 3D point cloud upsampling. TP-NoDe revisits the traditional method of upsampling of the point cloud by introducing a novel perspective of adding local topological noise by incorporating a novel algorithm Density-Aware k nearest neighbour (DA-kNN) followed by denoising to map noisy perturbations to the topology of the point cloud. Unlike previous methods, we progressively upsample the point cloud, starting at a 2 × upsampling ratio and advancing to a desired ratio. TP-NoDe generates intermediate upsampling resolutions for free, obviating the need to train different models for varying upsampling ratios. TP-NoDe mitigates the need for task-specific training of upsampling networks for a specific upsampling ratio by reusing a point cloud denoising framework. We demonstrate the supremacy of our method TP-NoDe on the PU-GAN dataset and compare it with state-of-the-art upsampling methods. The code is publicly available at https://github.com/Akash-Kumbar/TP-NoDe.
Multi-Outer Loop Dynamic Inversion Control: An Application to a VTOL Free-Wing Aircraft

This letter extends a typical series cascade control structure to an N-outer loop system applicable to coupled rigid body systems, including a VTOL free-wing aircraft. In this case, there are now external command signals from multiple, outer subsystems that are designed simultaneously for a single inner subsystem. For example, in the case of the VTOL free-wing aircraft, the standard outer loop modifies the wing pitch attitude command to achieve the desired position and velocity, and a newly implemented “swing loop” also modifies the wing pitch attitude command to dampen fuselage pitch attitude oscillations. The proposed multi-outer loop dynamic inversion architecture is successful in the autonomous control of a 3-loop VTOL free-wing aircraft with both simulation and flight test results presented.
Applications of Image Processing Techniques to Determine the Lane for Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are considered a huge human technology foundation for the intelligent vehicle industry. To operate on the road, autonomous vehicles must be equipped with many sensors capable of detecting problems in moving instead of humans. In addition to the control software, many modern technologies and algorithms have been applied today, such as image processing, artificial intelligence, etc. This paper describes a method to build an autonomous vehicle system with real cameras, performing the task of automatic navigation in traffic conditions with lines. Lane detection is essential in determining the center of self-driving vehicles concerning the moving lane.
Real-time Road Signs Detection and Recognition for Enhanced Road Safety

Road sign detection and recognition play a critical role in improving driver safety and awareness in the modern traffic era. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a Road Sign Detection and Recognition System (RSDRS). Our system leverages computer vision techniques and mobile application technology to provide drivers with real-time visual and auditory feedback based on detected traffic signs. The implementation of RSDRS involves two basic phases: developing a robust recognition model and creating an Android application. The model, trained with the German Traffic Sign Recognition Benchmark (GTSRB) dataset and the YOLOv5s object detection algorithm, serves as the core component for accurate traffic sign recognition. The Android application captures live video frames, integrates seamlessly with the recognition model, and provides intuitive feedback to the driver. The performance evaluation reveals the exceptional capabilities of our system, with an average accuracy of 99.3% and a fast response time of 0.73 milliseconds. Metrics such as recall, precision, and F1 score highlight the model’s ability to maintain accuracy while minimizing false positives. Real-world applicability is paramount, and our system excels in a variety of environments and lighting conditions, as evidenced by rigorous testing.
Associations between In-Hospital Mortality and Prescribed Parenteral Energy and Amino Acid Doses in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using a Medical Claims Database

Some critically ill patients completely rely on parenteral nutrition (PN), which often cannot provide sufficient energy/amino acids. We investigated the relationship between PN doses of energy/amino acids and clinical outcomes in a retrospective cohort study using a medical claims database (≥10.5 years, from Japan, and involving 20,773 adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients on mechanical ventilation and exclusively receiving PN). Study patients: >70 years old, 63.0%; male, 63.3%; and BMI < 22.5, 56.3%. Initiation of PN: third day of ICU admission. PN duration: 12 days. In-hospital mortality: 42.5%. Patients were divided into nine subgroups based on combinations of the mean daily doses received during ICU days 4–7: (1) energy (very low <10 kcal/kg/day; low ≥10, <20; and moderate ≥20); (2) amino acids (very low <0.3 g/kg/day; low ≥0.3, <0.6; and moderate ≥0.6). For each subgroup, adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of in-hospital mortality with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by regression analysis. The highest odds of mortality among the nine subgroups was in the moderate calorie/very low amino acid (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI 1.76–2.87) and moderate calorie/low amino acid (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.36–2.08) subgroups, meaning a significant increase in the odds of mortality by between 68% and 125% when an amino acid dose of <0.6 g/kg/day was prescribed during ICU days 4–7, even when ≥20 kcal/kg/day of calories was prescribed. In conclusion, PN-dependent critically ill patients may have better outcomes including in-hospital mortality when ≥0.6 g/kg/day of amino acids is prescribed.
DeepMPR: Enhancing Opportunistic Routing in Wireless Networks via Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning

Opportunistic routing exploits the broadcast nature of the wireless medium. It can bring higher reliability and robustness in highly dynamic and/or severe environments such as mobile or vehicular ad-hoc networks (MANETs/VANETs) but at the cost of higher redundancy. To reduce the cost of broadcast, multicast routing schemes use the connected dominating set (CDS) or multi-point relaying (MPR) set to decrease the network overhead and hence, their selection algorithms are critical. Common MPR selection algorithms are heuristic, rely on coordination between nodes, need high computational power for large networks, and are difficult to optimally tune for highly dynamic wireless conditions. In this paper, we use multi-agent deep reinforcement learning to design a novel MPR multicast routing technique, DeepMPR, which significantly outperforms the OLSR MPR selection algorithm while eliminating MPR announcement messages. Simulation results demonstrate the significantly increased performance gain compared to other popular MPR techniques over a wide range of conditions.
Fayoum Journal of Science and Interdisciplinary Studies

The present research conducted to evaluate the in vivo anticancer activity of rosemary extract (ROS) loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) in a mice model bearing Ehrlich solid carcinoma (EAC). Tumor-bearing mice were haphazardly distributed to four distinct groups (6 animals / group) plus normal control group (5 total groups). Mice inoculated with EAC cells in the second group received SLNs only. In the third and fourth groups, two different doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) of the formulated ROS loaded SLNs were given to the animals. Hematological and biochemical alterations were evaluated in all animal groups after four weeks of treatment. Mortality rate, Tumor size, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) were estimated in addition to flow cytometery analysis. Our results indicated that animals treated with ROS loaded SLN showed a marked reduction in tumor size, mortality rate and TNF-α level as compared to EAC group. In conclusion, Rosemary loaded SLN shows promising anticancer efficacy and displayed great potential as a therapeutic agent in cancer treatment, this could serve as an initiative for developing new cancer therapeutics.
Antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of actinobacteria associated with a stony coral Fungia sp. from Karimunjawa National Park, Indonesia

Coral-associated actinobacteria are prospective resource for obtaining novel bioactive compounds with various biological activities. This research was carried out to isolate and identify coral-associated actinobacteria from Karimunjawa National Park, to study their potential as antimicrobial and cytotoxic agents, to obtain the most prospective actinobacteria with its suitable media for bioactive production, and to characterize the secondary metabolites from the prospective extracts. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the bacteria consisted of Proteobacteria (53.84%), Actinobacteria (30.76%), and Firmicutes (15.40%). Four actinobacteria isolates, namely, Streptomyces pluripotens CM4, Streptomyces ardesiacus CM11, Micrococcus flavus CM13, and Gordonia hongkongensis CM20, were cultivated in A3, A11, and A16 media to produce secondary metabolites. The bioassay screening discovered that S . pluripotens CM4 and S . ardesiacus CM11 exhibited antibacterial and cytotoxicity potential. However, it was noted that extract of S. ardesiacus CM11 from A11 medium was able to inhibit all bacterial pathogens with a range of minimum inhibitory concentration value of 7.81–15.62 µg/ml, while the range of minimum bactericidal concentration value of 7.81–62.50 µg/ ml. In addition, the lowest IC 50 value for cytotoxicity was exhibited by S. ardesiacus CM11 from A3 medium (4.43 ± 2.85 µg/ml).
Oxidative Stress Mediates Epigenetic Modifications and the Expression of miRNAs and Genes Related to Apoptosis in Diabetic Retinopathy Patients

Knowledge on the underlying mechanisms and molecular targets for managing the ocular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains incomplete. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of irreversible visual disability worldwide. By using ophthalmological and molecular-genetic approaches, we gathered specific information to build a data network for deciphering the crosslink of oxidative stress (OS) and apoptosis (AP) processes, as well as to identify potential epigenetic modifications related to noncoding RNAs in the eyes of patients with T2DM. A total of 120 participants were recruited, being classified into two groups: individuals with T2MD (T2MDG, n = 67), divided into a group of individuals with (+DR, n = 49) and without (−DR, n = 18) DR, and a control group (CG, n = 53). Analyses of compiled data reflected significantly higher plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and significantly lower total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the +DR patients compared with the −DR and the CG groups. Furthermore, the plasma caspase-3 (CAS3), highly involved in apoptosis (AP), showed significantly higher values in the +DR group than in the −DR patients. The microRNAs (miR) hsa-miR 10a-5p and hsa-miR 15b-5p, as well as the genes BCL2L2 and TP53 involved in these pathways, were identified in relation to DR clinical changes. Our data suggest an interaction between OS and the above players in DR pathogenesis. Furthermore, potential miRNA-regulated target genes were identified in relation to DR. In this concern, we may raise new diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that hold the potential to significantly improve managing the diabetic eye.
Quality Assessment of Minced Poultry Products Including Black Fermented Garlic

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of fermented black garlic on the quality of minced poultry products. Treatments were organized in four groups (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) containing either black fermented garlic (bg) or fresh garlic (fg), and a control (produced without garlic). The quality assessment of minced poultry products included physicochemical properties (weight losses, pH, colour and shear force), microbiological quality (Enterobacteriaceae, total count of bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and Pseudomonas spp.) and evaluation of sensory attributes. The results showed that the pH values in the black garlic groups, pH 6.06, 6.03, and 6.01, were lower than in the control group, pH 6.16, and tended to decrease during the period of cold storage. As the percentage of black garlic increased, there was a decrease in pH, the value of L* (brightness) from 76.16 in the control group to 48.03 in the group with 4% bg, while the value of b* (yellowing) increased analogously from 12.59 to 16.08. The use of black fermented garlic at 2% as a substitute for fresh garlic is a viable alternative to obtaining product with an acceptable taste and aroma. The addition of 4% black garlic was not acceptable to the assessors.
Design of Nonlinear Phase Frequency Detector and Low Mismatch Charge Pump

This paper presents a nonlinear phase frequency detector (PFD) and a low-mismatch, wide-swing charge pump (CP) based on a 22nm CMOS process. Based on D flip-flop structure, the phase frequency detector adopts TSPC D flip-flop structure to realize nonlinear phase discrimination. The charge pump adopts the linear current mirror structure to expand the output voltage range. The high gain input rail to rail amplifier improves the matching accuracy of charge and discharge current. The current of CP can be adjusted by using 6bit control word. The simulation results show that the phase detection range of PFD is (-1.97π, 1.97π). The static current mismatch of CP is less than 0.1% and the output voltage range is 0.1-0.9V. The power consumption of PFD&CP is 0.7mW at 100μA current mode.
COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF MANET ROUTING PROTOCOLS IN RANDOM MOBILITY MODELS

Ad Hoc Network is a collection of wireless mobile nodes, dynamically forming a temporary network without the use of existing infrastructure or centralized control administration. In such a dynamic network, routing is a challenging problem and the protocol should quickly adapt to the changing environment of the network. Mobility is an important factor which influences the performance of ad hoc routing protocols. So the performance of the routing protocols is subject to the traveling pattern of the mobile nodes. Different routing protocols are designed for certain mobility models of the mobile nodes in the ad hoc network and the performance of the protocols have to be evaluated under different mobility patterns. Beside field tests, computer simulations are an interesting alternative concerning costs, scalability, etc. Results of simulative performance evaluation strongly depend on the mobility models used. Since tactical networks consist of, or, at least, contain mobile devices, the mobility model used has a decisive impact. In common performance evaluations mainly simple mobility models are used with less number of protocols. This research analyzes the performance of the Ad hoc routing protocols such as Ad-Hoc On Demand Distance Vector Routing (AODV), Destination Sequenced Distance Vector (DSDV), Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) and Temporally Ordered Routing Algorithm (TORA) using Network Simulator Version no. 2 (ns-2). The simulation is carried out with 50 nodes. Network traffic scenarios one with 10 connections and other with 20 connections are considered. The simulation area is 400 x 400 and 600 x 1000 meters and the mobility speeds fixed are 10 m/s and 20 m/s. The performance of the
Vagus Nerve Stimulation in the Carotid Triangle: An Effective Method for Monitoring the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve in Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery

Objective: Our objective is the description of the technique of vagus nerve stimulation in carotid triangle in order to monitor the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Methods: We stimulated the vagus nerve in the carotid triangle during 150 thyroid or parathyroid surgeries using a monopolar electromyography electrode inserted under the mastoid process towards the jugular foramen as a cathode, and using another subdermal electrode in the mastoid as an anode. Another complementary method of vagus stimulation was achieved with a pair of subdermal electrodes, placing the cathode at the mandibular angle and the anode at the mastoid. Results: In all patients, compound muscle action potential (CMAP) was recorded in the vocal cords with both stimulation techniques, allowing semi-continuous monitoring to be carried out. Intraoperative lesions were detected in 16 of the cases; 9 of them were transient with CMAP recovery achieved when modifying surgical maneuvers. Conclusions: Vagus nerve stimulation in the carotid triangle is a reliable technique for monitoring the RLN in thyroid surgery. Vagus nerve stimulation in the carotid triangle is effective and safe for RLN monitoring, and it is a clear alternative to direct continuous stimulation of the nerve that by contrast requires its dissection in the carotid sheath.
A low power continuous time hysteresis comparator with an average current consumption of 614nA at 1.5 voltage

This paper proposes a low-power continuous time comparator with hysteresis for low speed and low power applications, such as duty cycle temperature sensors. A minimum current selector with hysteresis is proposed to reduce the bias current of the comparator when the differential input is large, and increase the bias current when the differential input is small, thereby converting the static bias current of the comparator into dynamic bias current to reduce power consumption. In addition, the increased hysteresis path makes the output of the comparator highly immune to disturbances. Furthermore, chopper is typically added to suppress 1/f noise and DC offset, and the comparator designed in this article combines chopper with hysteresis. The comparator is fabricated in 110nm CMOS technology, works under a 1.5V supply voltage, and has a average current of 530nA.
Wnt3a Facilitates SARS-CoV-2 Pseudovirus Entry into Cells

How ACE2 functions as the major host receptor of SARS-CoV-2 despite having low expression in the lungs is still unknown. To facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies against coronaviruses, gaining a deeper comprehension of the molecular mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infection is imperative. In our previous study, we identified several potential host factors of SARS-CoV-2 using an shRNA arrayed screen, one of which was Wnt3a. Here, we validated the significance of Wnt3a, a potent activator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, for SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells by evaluating the effects of its knockdown and overexpression on SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus entry. Further analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus infection activates the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which we found could subsequently stimulate ACE2 transcription. Collectively, our study identified Wnt3a as an important host factor that facilitates ACE2-mediated virus infection. Insight into the virus entry mechanism is impactful as it will aid in developing novel therapeutic strategies against current and future coronavirus pandemics.
Covert Communications in Cognitive Mobile Edge Computing Networks using Restless Multi-Armed Bandits

Covert communications in mobile edge computing networks are particularly challenging due to the mobility and multiple access opportunities. In this paper, we present a cognitive network where secondary nodes (SNs) Alice and Bob wish to communicate and offload computing tasks without detection by primary nodes (PNs) Willies. A distributed probing scheme is presented to find secure available connections that depend on the activity of PNs and belief in the covert outage probability due to uncertainty in the mobility of SNs. Since the available channels and computing resources are limited, a covert priority-based Restless Multi-Armed Bandit (RMAB) algorithm is developed to activate the connections that maximize the long-term reward in terms of secure data transmitted within a latency bound. Our numerical results show significant improvement in our schemes compared to existing solutions.
A 1.8-V 1.9-ppm/°C 0.042% Inaccuracy CMOS Bandgap Reference with Curvature Compensation

A high-precision bandgap reference (BGR) is proposed in this paper. A detail analysis of various error sources is provided. The non-PTAT errors are removed with the use of offset cancellation and curvature compensation technique, and the residual PTAT errors can be eliminated by a single room temperature trim. The proposed BGR is implemented in a 180nm CMOS process and the active area is 0.059m$\mathrm{m}^{2}$. The simulation results show that the temperature coefficient (TC) is 1.9 ppm/°C with a temperature range of −40-125°C. The variation coefficient σ/μ of the output voltage is 0.042%.
FragMAP: a tool for long-term and cooperative monitoring and analysis of small-scale habitat fragmentation using an unmanned aerial vehicle

ABSTRACT Small patches of fragmented landscape cannot be resolved using remote-sensing satellite images and they are too numerous and too irregular to be measured easily and efficiently on the ground. As a result, studies of habitat fragmentation at small scales are inadequate. The major objective of this study is to develop a practical tool that can be used for the long-term and cooperative monitoring and analysis of small-scale habitat fragmentation with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This tool has two components. The software consists of: (1) field trip preparation; (2) auto-piloting; (3) image location and selection; and (4) image analysis. The hardware comprises: (1) a desktop computer; (2) a Phantom 3 Professional four-wheel drone (DJI Innovation Company Inc.); and (3) a Huawei Pad with an Android 4.4 operating system. This tool was demonstrated during field trips on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) in the summer of 2015. It is stable, robust, efficient, and easy to operate. More importantly, it is designed to be used in a cooperative way within a team and among groups and for long-term repeated monitoring. This tool is suitable for widespread deployment to establish a monitoring network studying small-scale habitat fragmentation status and rate of change.