Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fiber-optic Raman Probe Coupled with a Ball Lens for Improving Depth-resolved Raman Measurements of Epithelial Tissue: Monte Carlo Simulations

Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational spectroscopic technique capable of optically probing biomolecular changes of tissue associated with neoplastic transformation, and has shown promise for the noninvasive, in vivo diagnosis and detection of epithelial precancer and cancer in various organs [1-3]. But analyzing Raman spectroscopic information emitted from tissue remains complicated for tissue diagnosis and characterization due to the reasons that the overall Raman signals acquired from the tissue surface usually contain a mixture of Raman information originating from different tissue depths [4, 5], while the changes of tissue morphology or biochemical constituents associated with disease transformation may be depth-dependent in biomedical systems [6]. For instance, the epithelial tissue usually consists of a superficial epithelium and an underlying stroma, the dysplasia-related changes (precancer) may be associated with the thickening of epithelial tissue, which results in the attenuation of the excitation light to penetrate into deeper areas of tissue and also the attenuation of Raman emission from deeper tissue regions (e.g., stroma) [7, 8]. On the other hand, the changes of other optical properties (e.g., absorption coefficient, scattering coefficient, anisotropic factor, refractive index) of tissue are also correlated with tissue physiologic/pathologic status, significantly affecting the overall Raman signal collection from biomedical tissue [9]. Hence, to better understand the origins of Raman signals collected from tissue surface for further improving the diagnosis of epithelial precancer or early cancer, it is highly desirable to develop a depth-resolved Raman spectroscopic technique for facilitating the wide applications of Raman spectroscopy in biomedical diagnosis. A number of fiber-optic probe designs have been reported for depth-resolved optical spectroscopic measurements, but most work are centered on fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy for tissue diagnosis [10-15]. The depth-resolved fiber probe designs can mainly be classified into two types: (i) single-fiber probe in which the same fiber is used for both light excitation and reflectance/fluorescence/Raman collection, and (ii) multiple-fiber probe
2 LQR : The Analytic MDP 2 . 1 The Linear Quadratic Regulator

In the previous chapter we defined MDPs and investigated how to compute the value function and optimal policy at any state with Value Iteration. While the examples thus far have involved discrete state and action spaces, important applications of the basic algorithms and theory of MDPs include problems where both states and actions are continuous. Perhaps the simplest such problem is the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) problem. LQR techniques are one of the most effective and widely used methods in robotics and control systems design. The basic problem is to identify a mapping from states to controls that minimizes the quadratic cost of a linear (possibly time varying) system. A quadratic cost has the form,
Investigating Performance of High-Rate GNSS-PPP and PPP-AR for Structural Health Monitoring – Dynamic Tests on Shaking table

This paper investigates the usability of the GNSS PPP methods, traditional PPP with a float-ambiguity solution and with Ambiguity Resolution (PPP-AR), in structural health monitoring applications based on experimental tests using a single-axis shaking table. To evaluate the performance of the PPP methodologies, harmonic oscillations of the motion table with amplitudes ranging from 5 mm to 20 mm and frequency between 0.2 Hz and 2.5 Hz were generated representing a wide range of possible structural motions. In addition, ground motion similar to those experienced during a real earthquake, the Kobe (1995), and step motions were generated on the shaking table. GNSS-PPP-derived positioning results were compared, in both of the frequency and time domains, with reference data comprising LVDT (Linear Variable Differential Transformer) data and relative positioning data. Results show that both PPP methods’ measurements can be used in the computation of the harmonic oscillations’ frequencies compared to the LVDT and relative positioning values. The observed amplitudes of the harmonic oscillations are slightly different from the LVDT values in the order of millimeters. Results of step motion experiment demonstrated that PPP-AR is better than traditional PPP in exhibiting the quasi-static or static displacement offsets. In addition, the capability of PPP-AR method is evaluated to the natural frequency of a small-scale structural model excited on the shaking table. The frequency spectrum of this small-scale structural model derived from the PPP-AR method is consistent with FEM (Finite Element Model) predicted value. All results demonstrate the potential of the high-rate GNSS PPP methods to reliably monitor structural and earthquake-induced vibration frequencies and amplitudes for both the structural and seismological applications.
Algorithms for estimating mean vehicle speed using uncalibrated traffic management cameras

In this thesis we contribute a variety of algorithms for a space mean speed sensor that processes digital video of a road captured by an uncalibrated camera. We introduce a simplified model of the camera and the road scene and derive three camera calibration methods. For each of these methods, we perform a sensitivity analysis and determine the range of operation for the camera, assuming realistic levels of input noise. The three calibration methods rely on estimates of multiple parameters from the set of images, e.g., the road boundary lines and their vanishing point. We describe how to extract features from the images to estimate these parameters and their confidence intervals. On occasion, a given scene is impossible to analyze due to obstructions between the camera and the road (e.g., raindrops on the camera lens). We describe an algorithm to determine if the image features are unreliable. Assuming the camera has been calibrated and the vehicle lanes have been identified, we present a method to track a group of vehicles in a lane and estimate the mean speed using a cross-correlation technique. The algorithm is appropriate for building a sensor with fine time resolution (i.e., 200 ms); 20-second averages are shown to be equivalent to data from two different inductance loops. The results for several test cases show that the speed estimation method performs well under a variety of challenging weather, lighting, and traffic conditions. Finally, we analyze the computational requirements of the set of algorithms and conclude that a mediaprocessor-based system should achieve real-time operation on 320 x 240 images sampled at 5 Hz.
Technology Choice and its Performance : Toward a Sociology of Software Package Procurement

Technology Acquisition is an important but neglected issue within the social science analysis of technology. The limited number of studies undertaken reproduce a schism between rationalist (e.g., economic) forms of analysis, where the assumption is that choice is the outcome of formal assessment, and cultural sociological approaches which see choice as driven by the micro-politics of the organisational setting, interests, prevalent rhetorics, fads, etc. While sympathetic to the latter critical view, we are dissatisfied with the relativist portrayal of technology selection: that decisions, beset with uncertainties and tensions, are divorced from formal decision making criteria. Influenced by Michel Callon’s writing on the ‘performativity’ of economic concepts and tools, we argue that formal assessment has a stronger relationship to technology decisions than suggested by cultural sociologists. We focus on a procurement which is characterised by high levels of organisational tension and where there is deep uncertainty about each of the solutions on offer. We show how the procurement team are able to arrive at a decision through laboriously constructing a ‘comparison’. That is, they attempt to drag the choice from the informal domain onto a more formal, accountable plane through the mobilisation and performance of a number of ‘comparative measures’ and criteria. These measures constituted a stabilised form of accountability, which we describe through the metaphor of a ‘scaffolding’, erected in the course of the procurement. Our argument is threefold: first, we argue that comparisons are possible but that they require much effort; second, that it is not the properties of the technology which determines choice but the way these properties were given form through the various comparative measures put in place; and finally whilst comparative measures might be imposed by one group upon others in a procurement team, these measures remain relatively malleable.
Mineralogy of Stardust Track 80: Evidences for Aqueous Alteration and Igneous Process

Introduction: Wild 2 samples brought to Earth by the Stardust mission provide a unique opportunity t o understand the nature and origins of the cometary m aterial. Until now, most of the studies have concer ed coarse grain terminal particles found at the end of the aerogel deceleration tracks [1]. Synchrotron X-rays fluorescence spectroscopy has also showed that Wild 2 particles were made of poorly cohesive assemblages that have been broken and scattered along the track during the capture [2]. Two types of particles are distinguishable: large terminal grains, which could ha ve served to nucleate the cometary particles at the ea rliest stage of accretion, and abundant fine-grained mater ial, which was probably stick around large grains. The fine-grained components are found deposited along t he track walls and represent the largest part of the c ollected material [2]. Yet it appears that this mater i l experienced a high increase of temperature associat ed to the capture. Part of the grains was thermally mo dified up to melting and mixing with melted aerogel [ 34]. Here we focus on the mineralogy and petrology o f grains present in the walls of track 80. More than one hundred of crystalline grains have been characteriz ed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Samples and experimental procedures: The allocated samples consist of four slices from the same wall part of the track 80 bulb. The samples have been pr pared for TEM characterization at the University of Washington by the acrylic embedding method [5]. The aerogel has been compressed between two glass slide , embedded in acrylic resin, ultramicrotomed and then washed with chloroform to dissolve acrylic. This preparation avoids the biased optical selection of particles and preserves the aerogel medium in which Wild 2 particles are encased. It allows the study of small particles which are hardly optically detectable. The com pression of aerogel allows also to concentrate the particles in a small volume and thus to have a high quan tity of material in a single slice. TEM results have been obtained using a Philips CM30 and a FEI Tecnai G220 both equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) (see [3] for a full description of t he analytical procedure). Results and discussion: The samples are composed of crystalline and thermally modified amorpho us material (Fig.1). The crystalline fraction is about 50%. The amorphous components result from the rapid cool ing of a high temperature mixture of melted aerogel and cometary material. This glassy matrix displays FeNi-S nano-beads resulting from the reduction of FeO initially present into the silicates and the volati lizationcondensation of iron-sulfide [4]. The average compo sition of this samples is close to the CI composition including S [6].
Handbook of Icu Therapy

Preface Part I. Basic Principles: 1. Cardiac function, monitoring and oxygen transport I. McConachie 2. Shock I. McConachie 3. Oxygen therapy D. Kelly 4. Fluid therapy in ICU I. McConachie 5. Nutrition I. McConachie 6. Mechanical ventilation I. McConachie 7. Modes of ventilation and ventilatory strategies P. Nightingale 8. Inotropes and vasopressors I. McConachie 9. Antibiotics and infection control N. Randall 10. Sedation and analgesia I. McConachie 11. Transport of critically ill patients I. McConachie Part II. Specific Problems: 12. The surgical patient in the ICU I. McConachie 13. The patient with multiple injuries I. McConachie 14. The patient with cardiac dysfunction D. Roberts 15. The patient with sepsis I. McConachie 16. Acute renal failure R. Kishen 17. Acute respiratory distress syndrome C. Clarke 18. The patient with gastrointestinal problems I. McConachie 19. The comatose patient I. McConachie 20. The critically ill asthmatic S. G. Brear 21. The critically ill diabetic I. McConachie Index.
Apixaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease: findings from the ARISTOTLE study

Purpose: Apixaban is indicated for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism (SE) in pts with non-valvular AF. In this context, valvular refers only to clinically significant mitral stenosis (MS) and not other valvular heart disease (VHD). Little is known about the efficacy and safety of apixaban in pts with AF and VHD. Methods: We used data from 18,197 pts with AF and ≥1 risk factor for stroke in ARISTOTLE with available information on VHD. Pts with clinically significant MS and mechanical heart valves were not eligible. Of these, 4808 (26.4%) had VHD defined by any history of at least moderate mitral regurgitation (3526), MS (131), aortic regurgitation (887), aortic stenosis (384), tricuspid regurgitation (2124), or valve surgery (251). We compared the effect of apixaban vs. warfarin on rates of stroke or SE and major bleeding in pts with and without VHD using Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results: Pts with VHD were older, had more prior MI and prior bleeding, had a higher mean CHADS2 score, and had less hypertension and diabetes than pts without VHD. Pts with VHD had higher rates of stroke or SE and bleeding than pts without VHD. The benefits of apixaban compared with warfarin in reducing stroke and SE (interaction p=0.38), causing less major bleeding (interaction p=0.23), and decreasing death (interaction p=0.10) were consistent irrespective of the presence of VHD (Fig). [Figure][1] Conclusions: Pts with AF and VHD are at high risk for thromboembolic events and bleeding. Apixaban was similarly efficacious and safe in AF pts with and without VHD. Additional research is needed on the efficacy and safety of apixaban in pts with AF and VHD, particularly those with clinically significant MS and mechanical prosthetic valves. [1]: pending:yes
Production Planning and Optimization of Work Launch Orders Using Genetic Algorithm

U ovom radu predstavljen je genetski algoritam za istovremeno planiranje proizvodnje i terminiranje radnih naloga. Genetski algoritam koristen je za optimizaciju ukupne kolicine strojeva, redoslijeda lansiranja lotova te velicine i broja lotova izradaka koji ce biti lansirani unutar pojedinog operativnog perioda. Za simulaciju taktike lansiranja i kolicine strojeva koristene su vezane liste praznina. Optimalna kolicina strojeva dobivena je koristenjem vezanih lista praznina u kombinaciji s postupkom editiranja gena. Istraživanja su pokazala da predloženi genetski algoritam može pronaci kraci ciklus izrade proizvodnog programa unutar operativnog perioda, koristeci manju kolicinu strojeva.
Modelling of directional thermal radiation and angular correction on land surface temperature from space

The aim of this thesis is the modeling of surface directional thermal radiation and angular correction on the LST by using empirical and physical methods as well as the analysis of field validation. The work has conducted to some conclusions. The directional emissivity of natural surfaces was obtained from MODIS emissivity product and then used in the split-window algorithm for angular correction on LST. The parameterization models of directional emissivity and thermal radiation were developed. As for the non-isothermal pixels, the daytime-TISI method was proposed to retrieve directional emissivity and effective temperature from multi-angular middle and thermal infrared data. This was validated using an airborne dataset. The kernel-driven BRDF model was checked in the thermal infrared domain and its extension was used to make angular normalization on the LST. A new model, namely FovMod that concerns on the footprint of ground sensor, was developed to simulate directional brightness temperature of row crop canopy. Based on simulation result of the FovMod, an optimal footprintfor field validation of LST was obtained. This thesis has systematically investigated the topic of directional thermal radiation and angular correction on surface temperature and its findings will improve the retrieval accuracy of temperature and emissivity from remotely sensed data and will also provide suggestion for the future design of airborne or spaceborne multi-angular thermal infrared sensors and also for the ground measurement of surface parameters.
Connecting Inspiration with Information: Studio Art Connecting Inspiration with Information: Studio Art Students and Information Literacy Instruction Students and Information Literacy Instruction

This article discusses the partnership between the library and the studio art faculty at Oakland University that led to the integration of information literacy instruction into the studio art curriculum. The author outlines the importance of information literacy to artistic practice and student success, and discusses the program of instruction and learning outcomes. Early assessment of student needs and the program’s effectiveness, using both citation analysis and anecdotal feedback, reveals that the program has contributed to the maturation of student research and inquiry skills, and positively affected the relationship between the department and the library, and provides preliminary conclusions about undergraduate studio art information behaviors. An ongoing further program of study to more fully describe the information needs of undergraduate studio art students is also outlined.
Sampling-Induced Border Collision Bifurcation in a Voltage-Mode DPWM Synchronous Buck Converter

The output voltage of a voltage-mode digitally pulse-width-modulated (DPWM) dc–dc converter is sampled once per switching cycle, and past studies show the existence of limit cycle oscillations due to quantization. This brief reports that the map of a continuous conduction mode (CCM) buck converter under DPWM is shown to be discontinuous and exhibits border collision bifurcations mainly because of a sampling delay. The discrete-time state space is piecewise smooth, divided into nine regions with different functional forms and separated by eight boundaries. This is unlikely using analog PWM, in which only three regions and two borders exist under CCM. The closed-form stability conditions are derived and design methods are discussed to enhance the stability boundary. A prototype buck converter is tested. Experimental bifurcation diagrams and time domain results are demonstrated to support the analytical predictions.
Adaptive Magnetic Control using Stein Variational Gradient Descent computed Distribution of Object Parameters

Traditional magnetic manipulation methods are severely limited in what they can manipulate. They rely on an object’s ferromagnetic properties, which are only present in a limited set of materials. While many engineering materials are not ferromagnetic, they are electrically conductive. It well understood that electrically conductive material exposed to a time-varying magnetic field results in eddy currents on the surface of the material[1]. The induced flow of electrons creates their own magnetic field, which in turn reacts with the original magnetic field. The interaction between these two fields induces force and torques on the conductive object. We have recently begun investigating using eddy currents to enable contact free manipulation to clean up space debris. A recent study found that because of the current quantity of objects in orbit, “even if no future launches occurred, collisions between existing satellites would increase the 10cm and larger debris population faster than atmospheric drag would remove objects” ([2]). These hazardous pieces of debris are largely composed of aluminum ([3]), which is not ferromagnetic, but is very conductive. Towards this goal, in [4] and [5], we developed a model of the force and torque induced from rotating a dipole source near a solid conductive object. In [4] we showed that, leveraging this model and an array of fixed-in-position electromagnets producing rotating magnetic fields, it was possible to perform full six-degree-of-freedom manipulation of a conductive nonmagnetic sphere. Further, in [5] we showed that adaptive control let us use the spherical object model to control unknown spheres and even generalize to some nonspherical objects. In this paper, we apply ideas from [6] to view online system identification as a variational inference problem. We approximately solve this variational inference problem using Stein Variational Gradient Descent [7], a recently proposed non-parametric Bayesian inference algorithm. We propose the following contributions to adaptive magnetic manipulation of nonmagnetic objects
Effects and moderators of exercise on muscle strength, muscle function and aerobic fitness in patients with cancer: a meta-analysis of individual patient data

Objective To optimally target exercise interventions for patients with cancer, it is important to identify which patients benefit from which interventions. Design We conducted an individual patient data meta-analysis to investigate demographic, clinical, intervention-related and exercise-related moderators of exercise intervention effects on physical fitness in patients with cancer. Data sources We identified relevant studies via systematic searches in electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL). Eligibility criteria We analysed data from 28 randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of exercise on upper body muscle strength (UBMS) and lower body muscle strength (LBMS), lower body muscle function (LBMF) and aerobic fitness in adult patients with cancer. Results Exercise significantly improved UBMS (β=0.20, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.14 to 0.26), LBMS (β=0.29, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.35), LBMF (β=0.16, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.24) and aerobic fitness (β=0.28, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.34), with larger effects for supervised interventions. Exercise effects on UBMS were larger during treatment, when supervised interventions included ≥3 sessions per week, when resistance exercises were included and when session duration was >60 min. Exercise effects on LBMS were larger for patients who were living alone, for supervised interventions including resistance exercise and when session duration was >60 min. Exercise effects on aerobic fitness were larger for younger patients and when supervised interventions included aerobic exercise. Conclusion Exercise interventions during and following cancer treatment had small effects on UBMS, LBMS, LBMF and aerobic fitness. Demographic, intervention-related and exercise-related characteristics including age, marital status, intervention timing, delivery mode and frequency and type and time of exercise sessions moderated the exercise effect on UBMS, LBMS and aerobic fitness.