Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous state and unknown inputs estimation with PI and PMI observers for Takagi Sugeno model with unmeasurable premise variables

In this paper, a proportional integral (PI) and a proportional multiple integral observer (PMI) are proposed in order to estimate the state and the unknown inputs of nonlinear systems described by a Takagi-Sugeno model with unmeasurable premise variables. This work is an extension to nonlinear systems of the PI and PMI observers developed for linear systems. The state estimation error is written as a perturbed system. First, the convergence conditions of the state estimation errors between the system and each observer are given in LMI (Linear Matrix Inequality) formulation. Secondly, a comparison between the two observers is made through an academic example.
Maximum Likelihood Identification of Inertial Sensor Noise Model Parameters

Accurate visual-inertial localization and mapping systems require accurate calibration and good sensor error models. To this end, we present a simple offline method to automatically determine the parameters of inertial sensor noise models. The proposed methodology identifies noise processes across a large range of strength and time-scales, for example, weak gyroscope bias fluctuations buried in broadband noise. This is accomplished with a classical maximum likelihood estimator, based on the integrated process (i.e., the angle, velocity, or position), rather than on the angular rate or acceleration as is standard in the literature. This trivial modification allows us to capture noise processes according to their effect on the integrated process, irrespective of their contribution to rate or acceleration noise. The cause of the noise is not discussed in this article. The method is tested on different classes of sensors by automatically identifying the parameters of a standard inertial sensor noise model. The results are analyzed qualitatively by comparing the model's Allan variance to the Allan variance computed directly from sensor data. A simulation that resembles one of the devices under test facilitates a quantitative analysis of the proposed estimator. Comparison with a competing, state-of-the-art method shows the advantages of the algorithm.
Memory for Proper Names in Old Age: A Disproportionate Impairment?

A common complaint of older adults is that they have trouble remembering names, even the names of people they know well. Two experiments examining this problem are reported in the present article. Experiment 1 tested episodic memory for surnames and occupations; older adults and younger adults under divided attention performed less well than did full attention younger adults, but showed no disproportionate loss of name information. Experiment 2 examined the ability to name photographs of public figures and of uncommon objects; this experiment therefore tested retrieval from semantic memory. In this case adults in their 70s did show an impairment in recall of names of known people, but not of known objects. Further analyses revealed systematic relations between naming, recognition, and rated familiarity of the categories used. Familiarity largely determined the proportions of recognizable items that were named in a prior phase. Overall, little evidence was found for a disproportionate age-related impairment in naming in either episodic or semantic memory.
Annual and semi-annual temperature oscillations in the upper mesosphere

Fourier transform spectrometer observations of the mesosphere have been performed at the University of Michigan (latitude: 42½ N) on a long term basis. A database of near infrared Meinel hydroxyl spectra has been accumulated from which rotational temperatures have been determined. Harmonic analysis of one-day averaged temperatures for the period 1992.0 to 1994.5 has shown a distinct annual and semi-annual variation. Subsequent fitting of a five term periodic function characterizing the annual and semi-annual temperature oscillations to the daily averaged temperatures was performed. The resultant mean temperature and the amplitudes and phases of the annual and semi-annual variations are shown to coincide with an emission height slightly above 85 km which is consistent with the mean rocket derived altitude for peak nocturnal hydroxyl emission.
A Reverberation-Time-Aware Approach to Speech Dereverberation Based on Deep Neural Networks

A reverberation-time-aware deep-neural-network (DNN)-based speech dereverberation framework is proposed to handle a wide range of reverberation times. There are three key steps in designing a robust system. First, in contrast to sigmoid activation and min-max normalization in state-of-the-art algorithms, a linear activation function at the output layer and global mean-variance normalization of target features are adopted to learn the complicated nonlinear mapping function from reverberant to anechoic speech and to improve the restoration of the low-frequency and intermediate-frequency contents. Next, two key design parameters, namely, frame shift size in speech framing and acoustic context window size at the DNN input, are investigated to show that RT60-dependent parameters are needed in the DNN training stage in order to optimize the system performance in diverse reverberant environments. Finally, the reverberation time is estimated to select the proper frame shift and context window sizes for feature extraction before feeding the log-power spectrum features to the trained DNNs for speech dereverberation. Our experimental results indicate that the proposed framework outperforms the conventional DNNs without taking the reverberation time into account, while achieving a performance only slightly worse than the oracle cases with known reverberation times even for extremely weak and severe reverberant conditions. It also generalizes well to unseen room sizes, loudspeaker and microphone positions, and recorded room impulse responses.
Dimorphic sperm and the unlikely route to fertilisation in the yellow seahorse

SUMMARY Uniquely among vertebrates, seahorses and pipefishes (Family Syngnathidae) incubate their eggs within a male brood pouch. This has contributed to a widespread, but poorly founded belief, that the eggs are fertilised using spermatozoa that are deposited directly into the brood pouch via an internal sperm duct. Anatomical dissections showed, however, not only that direct sperm deposition into the pouch is physically impossible, but that spermatozoa must somehow travel a significant distance (>4 mm) outside the body of the male, to reach and fertilise eggs in the pouch. Observations of courtship and mating behaviour also revealed that the pouch closes immediately after mating, and that sperm transfer must occur within a time window of no more than 6 s. In addition to this, the yellow seahorse produces extraordinarily low quantities of dimorphic spermatozoa, but is nevertheless highly fertile and can produce broods that exceed 100 embryos. The entire fertilisation process in seahorses is therefore uniquely efficient among vertebrates, yet paradoxically involves several steps that would seem to complicate, and even appear to prevent, the interaction of the gametes. Although we are still unable to describe the exact fertilisation mechanism, we speculate that spermatozoa are ejaculated into a mixture of ovarian fluid and eggs, while the male and female are in close contact. Thereafter, this mixture must enter the pouch, whereupon the spermatozoa encounter seawater. These observations also support the view, indirectly inferred in previous publications, that sperm competition in seahorses is not only non-existent but impossible.
Quantitative analysis of elevated serum Golgi protein-73 expression in patients with liver diseases

Background Golgi protein-73 (GP73) is a newly identified candidate serum marker for liver diseases. The utility of this biomarker remains limited, largely due to the lack of quantitative information. The aims of this study were to quantify serum GP73 (sGP73) in healthy individuals and in patients with liver diseases, and to validate sGP73 as a biomarker for early diagnosis of liver disease. Methods Recombinant GP73 was used to generate monoclonal (mAb) and polyclonal antibodies (pAb). Using these antibodies in a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, GP73 was measured in serum from 263 patients with various forms of liver and other diseases. Results The median sGP73 in patients with liver disease was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than in healthy individuals and in patients with other diseases. When sGP73 was used to detect liver disease, it had a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 80% at the optimal cut-off value of 85.5 μg/L. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.9. Conclusion sGP73 concentration in patients with liver disease was three-fold higher than in healthy individuals. However, sGP73 concentrations did not differ significantly between patients from each liver disease group. Furthermore, sGP73 was not significantly elevated in patients with diseases other than liver disease compared with healthy individuals. These results suggest that sGP73 may be used as a serum marker for the diagnosis of liver disease.
Fecal continence in patients having undergone posterior sagittal anorectoplasty procedure for a high anorectal malformation improves at adolescence, as constipation disappears.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Constipation is a major complication in patients who have undergone posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) operation for a high anorectal malformation. Overflow incontinence is the main cause of fecal soiling in these patients. The aim of this study was to outline the natural history of constipation in patients with high anorectal malformations and relate this to the functional outcome at the end of the patient's growth period. METHODS The study group consisted of 22 pubertal or postpubertal patients (median age 15; range, 13 to 25) with high or intermediate anorectal malformations repaired by PSARP procedure. The patients have been followed-up since birth. Constipation was defined as a need to use medical treatment or diet to ensure bowel emptying. Continence was classified as follows: grade 1, no soiling in any circumstances; grade 2, staining less than once a week, no fecal accidents; grade 3, staining more than once a week, no fecal accidents; grade 4, daily soiling or accidents, need for regular enemas, or the antegrade colonic enema procedure. All patients underwent anorectal manometry and magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and spinal cord. RESULTS At the time of the study 2 (9%) of the 22 study group patients had constipation, but 15 (68%) had been constipated before puberty. Eleven patients (50%) were fully continent (grade 1) without constipation. Six of those had a history of constipation associated soiling. Three patients (14%) had occasional staining (grade 2) and no constipation. Two of them had been constipated with significant soiling before the onset of puberty. In the 5 (22%) patients with frequent staining (grade 3) the degree of soiling had decreased after the disappearance of constipation. Two of the 3 patients with poor outcome (grade 4) require regular enemas for recalcitrant constipation. Spinal cord anomalies were detected in 4 and abnormal sacrum in 15 patients. Of the anorectal manometric parameters, only the force of voluntary sphincter squeeze correlated with the functional result. CONCLUSION In the majority of patients who underwent PSARP procedure for high anorectal malformation, constipation disappears at adolescence, and this is associated with improved fecal continence outcome.
Phototherapy for atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND The aim of these guidelines is to review the available published literature regarding the effectiveness of phototherapy and photochemotherapy in atopic dermatitis and put forward recommendations regarding their use in atopic dermatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS A literature search was performed to collect data from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library published till March 2014. Keywords used were "phototherapy", "photochemotherapy", "NB-UVB", "BBUVB", "PUVA", "UVA1", "atopic dermatitis", and "atopic eczema". Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, national guidelines, randomized controlled trials, prospective open label studies, and retrospective case series in English literature mentioning use of above-mentioned keywords were reviewed. RESULTS Six hundred and eighty eight studies were evaluated, 38 of which fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in the guidelines. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Both UV1 and narrow-band UVB are effective in significantly decreasing the eczema severity although UV1 may be preferred in acute flares and narrow-band UVB in chronic eczema, especially in adults (Level of evidence 1+, Grade of recommendation A). Among various doses of UVA1, medium dose UVA1 may be preferred over others as its efficacy is similar to high dose and better than low dose UVA1 phototherapy. Narrow-band UVB is preferred to broad-band UVB (Level of evidence 1+, Grade of recommendation A). Medium-dose UVA1 is similar in efficacy to narrow-band UVB (Level of evidence 1+, Grade of recommendation A). In children, despite its efficacy, narrow-band UVB phototherapy should be used only as a second line therapy due to its potential for long-term adverse effects (Level of evidence 2+, Grade of recommendation B).
Semantic Role Labeling Using Dependency Trees

In this paper, a novel semantic role labeler based on dependency trees is developed. This is accomplished by formulating the semantic role labeling as a classification problem of dependency relations into one of several semantic roles. A dependency tree is created from a constituency parse of an input sentence. The dependency tree is then linearized into a sequence of dependency relations. A number of features are extracted for each dependency relation using a predefined linguistic context. Finally, the features are input to a set of one-versus-all support vector machine (SVM) classifiers to determine the corresponding semantic role label. We report results on CoNLL2004 shared task data using the representation and scoring scheme adopted for that task.
A simple point score system for predicting the efficacy of external rectilinear biphasic cardioversion for persistent atrial fibrillation.

AIMS To develop a simple point score system that can accurately predict the optimal energy of initial rectilinear biphasic (RLB) waveform shock for cardioversion (DC) of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS Data from 302 consecutive patients with AF who underwent a step-up protocol of sequential shocks of 50 J-from 1 up to 2 J/kg-200 J of RLB waveform DC were prospectively examined. Using a logistic regression model, three variables independently predicted the need for 2 J/kg shocks: AF duration > 7 months, previous DC, and increased left atrial (LA) diameter > 4.5 cm. A simplified point score system (REBICAF score) that spans from 0 to 4 was developed. The score gives two points for AF duration > 7 months and one point for previous DC or LA diameter > 4.5 cm. The area under the receiver operator curve (ROC) of the proposed score for predicting the need for 2 J/kg shock was 0.84. There was a progressive increase in the need for 1 J/kg, 2 J/kg, and 200 J as the point score increased (P < 0.001, chi2 test for trend). More than 90% cumulative success rate was achieved in the low- (0-1), intermediate- (2), and high-REBICAF (3-4) score subgroups with 1 J/kg, 2 J/kg, and 200 J RLB shocks, respectively. CONCLUSION A simple point score system is useful in prediction of successful initial RLB energy for DC of AF.
Pioglitazone and metformin fixed-dose combination in type 2 diabetes mellitus: an evidence-based review of its place in therapy

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disease with increasing incidence, is one of the most important cardiovascular risk factors. Insulin resistance represents the common mechanism that leads to type 2 diabetes in obese subjects. Metformin and the thiazolidinediones, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, are insulin-sensitizing agents available for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Large clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of both metformin and pioglitazone in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The fixed-dose combination of metformin and pioglitazone appears to be a good option for treating diabetes in insulin-resistant patients. Aims: The purpose of this article is to review the place in therapy of a fixed-dose combination of pioglitazone and metformin in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes. Evidence review: The current evidence suggests that combined therapy may help to achieve the recommended goals in the management of diabetes. A fixed-dose formulation of pioglitazone and metformin may provide advantages in terms of glycemic control and other cardiovascular risk factors frequently associated with diabetes. Place in therapy: The current evidence shows that a fixed-dose formulation of pioglitazone and metformin offers an effective option for the management of patients with type 2 diabetes when monotherapy fails in the achievement of the recommended standards of care.
Biochemical correlates of cardiac hypertrophy. IV. Observations on the cellular organization of growth during myocardial hypertrophy in the rat.

The mechanisms by which the DNA content of the heart increases following acutely induced cardiac hypertrophy were investigated in mature Sprague-Dawley rats. Special attention was given to the cellular organization of the growth process. Autoradiographic studies provided conclusive evidence that the uptake of tritiated thymidine is completely limited to nonmuscular cellular elements, chiefly connective tissue cells. The frequency of labeled nuclei was increased by sixfold during hypertrophy. The thymidine pool was not appreciably different in the hypertrophied hearts. Connective tissue nuclei formed a larger proportion of the total nuclear population in hypertrophied hearts, and their distribution was less uniform than in the normal heart. Quantitative histologic studies also showed that the total number of left ventricular muscle cell nuclei did not increase during hypertrophy but rather may have decreased slightly. Both the concentration and the total amount of hydroxyproline increased in parallel with the proliferative changes in the connective tissue and provide further supportive evidence to the autoradiographic and histologic studies.
Transient and localized expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 messenger RNA during fracture healing

Temporal and spatial distribution of a gene encoding murine bone morphogenetic protein 4 (mBMP‐4) during fracture repair were investigated in mice by RT‐PCR and in situ hybridization. For in situ hybridization, fractured ribs and surrounding tissues were decalcified and hybridized with a mBMP‐4‐specific complementary RNA probe labeled with digoxigenin‐11 UTP. mBMP‐4 messenger RNA (mRNA) was not detected in ribs without fracture, whereas it was detected only in the early phase of fracture from 12 to 72 h after the onset of fracture before new cartilage or bone formation. The mBMP‐4 mRNAs were present in cells distributed in three distinct regions, namely, the proliferating periosteum, the medullary cavity, and the muscles near the fracture site. These BMP‐4‐positive cells did not express bone gla protein mRNA, which is a marker of the mature osteogenic cell. RT‐PCR also showed a transient increase in the level of BMP‐4 mRNA in the early phase of fracture repair. The findings provide us with some new information. (1) The BMP‐4 gene is produced by less differentiated osteoprogenitor cells, not by differentiated osteoblasts. (2) The BMP‐4 gene is enhanced by the impact of fracture and localized in callus‐forming tissue before callus formation. Together with the activities of BMP‐4, as was previously described, our results suggest that newly produced BMP‐4 gene product is one of the local contributing factors in callus formation in the early phase of fracture healing.
Reappraisal of European guidelines on hypertension management: a European Society of Hypertension Task Force document

Reappraisal of European guid elines on hypertension management: a European Society of Hypertension Task Force document Giuseppe Mancia, Stephane Laurent, Enrico Agabiti-Rosei, Ettore Ambrosioni, Michel Burnier, Mark J. Caulfield, Renata Cifkova, Denis Clement, Antonio Coca, Anna Dominiczak, Serap Erdine, Robert Fagard, Csaba Farsang, Guido Grassi, Hermann Haller, Anthony Heagerty, Sverre E. Kjeldsen, Wolfgang Kiowski, Jean Michel Mallion, Athanasios Manolis, Krzysztof Narkiewicz, Peter Nilsson, Michael H. Olsen, Karl Heinz Rahn, Josep Redon, Jose Rodicio, Luis Ruilope, Roland E. Schmieder, Harry A.J. Struijker-Boudier, Pieter A. van Zwieten, Margus Viigimaa and Alberto Zanchetti
Senior Living Lab: An Ecological Approach to Foster Social Innovation in an Ageing Society

The Senior Living Lab (SLL) is a transdisciplinary research platform created by four Universities that aims at promoting ageing well at home through the co-creation of innovative products, services and practices with older adults. While most living labs for ageing well are focused on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), this social laboratory adopts a transdisciplinary approach, bringing together designers, economists, engineers and healthcare professionals to develop multiple forms of social innovation using participatory methods. The SLL is based on an ecological approach, connecting professionals and users in a cooperative network and involving all of the stakeholders concerned with ageing well, such as existing associations, business entities and policy-makers. Three main themes for the co-design of products and services were identified at the beginning of the SLL conception, each sustained by a major business partner: healthy nutrition to cope with frailty, improved autonomous mobility to foster independence and social communication to prevent isolation. This article shows the innovative transdisciplinary approach of the SLL and discusses the particular challenges that emerged during the first year of its creation, investigating the role of ICTs when designing products and services for older adults.
Screening for Staphylococcal Superantigen Genes Shows No Correlation with the Presence or the Severity of Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyposis

Background Staphylococcus aureus secretes numerous exotoxins which may exhibit superantigenic properties. Whereas the virulence of several of them is well documented, their exact biological effects are not fully understood. Exotoxins may influence the immune and inflammatory state of various organs, including the sinonasal mucosa: their possible involvement in chronic rhinosinusitis has been suggested and is one of the main trends in current research. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of any of the 22 currently known staphylococcal exotoxin genes could be correlated with chronic rhinosinusitis. Methodology/Principal Findings We conducted a prospective, multi-centred European study, analysing 93 Staphylococcus aureus positive swabs taken from the middle meatus of patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis, with or without nasal polyposis, and controls. Strains were systematically tested for the presence of the 22 currently known exotoxin genes and genotyped according to their agr groups. No direct correlation was observed between chronic rhinosinusitis, with or without nasal polyposis, and either agr groups or the presence of the most studied exotoxins genes (egc, sea, seb, pvl, exfoliatins or tsst-1). However, genes for enterotoxins P and Q were frequently observed in nasal polyposis for the first time, but absent in the control group. The number of exotoxin genes detected was not statistically different among the 3 patient groups. Conclusions/Significance Unlike many previous studies have been suggesting, we did not find any evident correlation between staphylococcal exotoxin genes and the presence or severity of chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyposis.