Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Task Discrimination for Myoelectric Control Employing Task-Specific Muscle Synergies

We present a novel formulation that employs task-specific muscle synergies and state-space representation of neural signals to tackle the challenging myoelectric control problem for lower arm prostheses. The proposed framework incorporates information about muscle configurations, e.g., muscles acting synergistically or in agonist/antagonist pairs, using the hypothesis of muscle synergies. The synergy activation coefficients are modeled as the latent system state and are estimated using a constrained Kalman filter. These task-dependent synergy activation coefficients are estimated in real-time from the electromyogram (EMG) data and are used to discriminate between various tasks. The task discrimination is helped by a post-processing algorithm that uses posterior probabilities. The proposed algorithm is robust as well as computationally efficient, yielding a decision with >90% discrimination accuracy in approximately 3 ms. The real-time performance and controllability of the algorithm were evaluated using the targeted achievement control (TAC) test. The proposed algorithm outperformed common machine learning algorithms for single- as well as multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) tasks in both off-line discrimination accuracy and real-time controllability (p <; 0.01).
Distinct summer and winter bacterial communities in the active layer of Svalbard permafrost revealed by DNA- and RNA-based analyses

The active layer of soil overlaying permafrost in the Arctic is subjected to dramatic annual changes in temperature and soil chemistry, which likely affect bacterial activity and community structure. We studied seasonal variations in the bacterial community of active layer soil from Svalbard (78°N) by co-extracting DNA and RNA from 12 soil cores collected monthly over a year. PCR amplicons of 16S rRNA genes (DNA) and reverse transcribed transcripts (cDNA) were quantified and sequenced to test for the effect of low winter temperature and seasonal variation in concentration of easily degradable organic matter on the bacterial communities. The copy number of 16S rRNA genes and transcripts revealed no distinct seasonal changes indicating potential bacterial activity during winter despite soil temperatures well below −10°C. Multivariate statistical analysis of the bacterial diversity data (DNA and cDNA libraries) revealed a season-based clustering of the samples, and, e.g., the relative abundance of potentially active Cyanobacteria peaked in June and Alphaproteobacteria increased over the summer and then declined from October to November. The structure of the bulk (DNA-based) community was significantly correlated with pH and dissolved organic carbon, while the potentially active (RNA-based) community structure was not significantly correlated with any of the measured soil parameters. A large fraction of the 16S rRNA transcripts was assigned to nitrogen-fixing bacteria (up to 24% in June) and phototrophic organisms (up to 48% in June) illustrating the potential importance of nitrogen fixation in otherwise nitrogen poor Arctic ecosystems and of phototrophic bacterial activity on the soil surface.
Patrol Strategies to Maximize Pristine Forest Area

Illegal extraction of forest resources is fought, in many developing countries, by patrols that try to make this activity less profitable, using the threat of confiscation. With a limited budget, officials will try to distribute the patrols throughout the forest intelligently, in order to most effectively limit extraction. Prior work in forest economics has formalized this as a Stackelberg game, one very different in character from the discrete Stackelberg problem settings previously studied in the multiagent literature. Specifically, the leader wishes to minimize the distance by which a profit-maximizing extractor will trespass into the forest---or to maximize the radius of the remaining ``pristine'' forest area. The follower's cost-benefit analysis of potential trespass distances is affected by the likelihood of being caught and suffering confiscation. In this paper, we give a near-optimal patrol allocation algorithm and a 1/2-approximation algorithm, the latter of which is more efficient and yields simpler, more practical patrol allocations. Our simulations indicate that these algorithms substantially outperform existing heuristic allocations.
In planta selection of plant growth promoting endophytic bacteria for rice (Oryza sativa L.)

In this study, bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere and inside the roots of canola (Brassica napus L.) plants grown in the field from northern Iran. Firstly, 150 strains (endophytic and rhizospheric isolates) isolated from canola were characterized for plant growth promoting (PGP) traits. Of them, one hundred isolates produced indole- 3-acetic acid (IAA), whereas 17 isolates solubilized phosphate, 44 isolates produced siderophore, 34 produced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase and five produced hydrocyanic acid (HCN). All of the screened isolates with different growth promoting traits were separately inoculated as different mixtures on two rice cultivars under gnotobiotic conditions. A total of 22 endophytic isolates were re-isolated from two rice cultivars and characterized for Plant Growth Promoting (PGP) traits again. All 22 endophytic isolates produced IAA. Secondly, the colonization and growth promoting effects of the IAA producing endophytic strains were compared in inoculated rice plantlets as single-strain inoculants. All of the IAA producing strains were consistently more active in colonizing rice seedlings as compared with other isolates. Therefore, it seems that IAA production may be required for endophytic competence as compared to other PGP traits in rice seedlings. In addition, this study indicates that the selected bacterial isolates based on their IAA producing trait have the potential for PGP and more colonization of rice.
Clinical variability and novel neurodevelopmental findings in 49, XXXXY syndrome

49, XXXXY is a rare chromosomal syndrome due to double nondisjunction of the replicating X chromosome. Considered a severe variant of XXY or Klinefelter syndrome, boys with this chromosome constitution are assumed to have severe mental retardation (MR) in addition to craniofacial, genital, endocrine, and heart abnormalities. Here, we present a multidisciplinary analysis including the clinical and neurobehavioral aspects of this condition in 20 boys with 49, XXXXY who share a common phenotype and neurobehavioral profile. The phenotypic presentation of the boys with 49, XXXXY shares some characteristics with 47, XXY, but there are also other unique and distinctive features. Previously unappreciated intact nonverbal skills are evident in conjunction with moderate to severe developmental dyspraxia. Variability in clinical and cognitive functioning may reflect skewed X inactivation, mosaicism, or other factors that warrant further investigation. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Magnetisation transfer ratio of normal brain white matter: a normative database spanning four decades of life.

OBJECTIVES: To establish a normative database for magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) measurements in the white matter of healthy adult brains. Such MTR values were evaluated for regional variation and evidence of differences associated with aging, sex, and handedness. METHODS: Forty one healthy volunteers, ranging in age from 16 to 55 years, underwent axial brain magnetisation transfer (MT) imaging on a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner. Calculated MT images allowed evaluation of MTR from specific regions within the corpus callosum, cerebral hemispheres, and pons. RESULTS: Highest values were noted in the corpus callosum. No significant sex differences were seen for any region studied. Small but significant age related reductions in MTR were noted in the corpus callosum and other cerebral white matter regions studied. Comparing MTR values between young (16-35 years) and older (36-55 years) age groups, this was most apparent in the corpus callosum (40.82% units in the young group v 40.28% units in the older group, P < 0.05) and frontal white matter (39.65% units in the young group v 39.18% units in the older group, P < 0.005). In addition, values for MTR were analysed for evidence of hemispheric asymmetry. MTR values were higher in the left hemisphere for all regions studied, reaching significance in the centrum semiovale (37.75% units v 37.57% units, P < 0.05) and parieto-occipital white matter (37.67% units v 37.43% units, P < 0.05). No relation between such interhemispheric MTR differences and handedness was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Magnetisation transfer imaging shows significant age related changes in normal brain white matter. In addition to regional variations in MTR in the normal brain, there seem to be small but significant variations in MTR between the cerebral hemispheres. It is important to consider such normal variations when evaluating MTR in pathological states.
Weighted Extended Tree Transducers

Weighted extended tree transducers (wxtts) over countably complete semirings are systematically explored. It is proved that the extension in the left-hand sides of a wxtt can be simulated by the inverse of a linear and nondeleting tree homomorphism. In addition, a characterization of the class of weighted tree transformations computable by bottom-up wxtts in terms of bimorphisms is provided. Backward and forward application to recognizable weighted tree languages are standard operations for wxtts. It is shown that the backward application of a linear wxtt preserves recognizability and that the domain of an arbitrary bottom-up wxtt is recognizable. Examples demonstrate that neither backward nor forward application of arbitrary wxtts preserves recognizability. Finally, a HASSE diagram relates most of the important subclasses of weighted tree transformations computable by wxtts.
Identification and Characterisation of Pseudomonas 16S Ribosomal DNA from Ileal Biopsies of Children with Crohn's Disease

Molecular analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA genes has made a significant contribution to the identification and characterisation of bacterial flora in the human gut. In particular, this methodology has helped characterise bacterial families implicated in the aetiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study we have used a genus specific bacterial 16S PCR to investigate the prevalence and diversity of Pseudomonas species derived from the ileum of children with Crohn's disease (CD), and from control children with non-inflammatory bowel disease (non-IBD) undergoing their initial endoscopic examination. Fifty eight percent of CD patients (18/32) were positive using the Pseudomonas PCR, while significantly fewer children in the non-IBD group, 33% (12/36), were PCR positive for Pseudomonas (p<0.05, Fischer's exact test). Pseudomonas specific 16S PCR products from 13 CD and 12 non-IBD children were cloned and sequenced. Five hundred and eighty one sequences were generated and used for the comparative analysis of Pseudomonas diversity between CD and non-IBD patients. Pseudomonas species were less diverse in CD patients compared with non-IBD patients. In particular P.aeruginosa was only identified in non-IBD patients.
Do pension plans with participant investment choice teach households to hold more equity?

Some retirement plans allow the participant to choose how funds are invested. Having to direct investments may provide the participant with financial education. This paper finds that U.S. households covered by pension plans in which the employee chooses investments are significantly more apt to hold stock outside of their retirement plan than are households with pension plans offering no such choice. The effect of investment choice upon non-pension asset allocation is not explained by portfolio rebalancing or observable differences in income and saving preferences across households. This provides some evidence that the design of a pension plan may influence an employee's financial decisions outside of the pension plan, although unobserved heterogeneity in worker's preferences could also explain the result.
Toward accurate diagnosis of white matter pathology using diffusion tensor imaging

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been widely applied to investigate injuries in the central nervous system (CNS) white matter (WM). However, the underlying pathological correlates of diffusion changes have not been adequately determined. In this study the coregistration of histological sections to MR images and a pixel‐based receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were used to compare the axial (λ∥) and radial (λ⟂) diffusivities derived from DTI and histological markers of axon (phosphorylated neurofilament, SMI‐31) and myelin (Luxol fast blue (LFB)) integrity, respectively, in two different patterns of injury to mouse spinal cord (SC) WM. In contusion SC injury (SCI), a decrease in λ∥ matched the pattern of axonal damage with high accuracy, but λ⟂ did not match the pattern of demyelination detected by LFB. In a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), λ⟂ and λ∥ did not match the patterns of demyelination or axonal damage, respectively. However, a region of interest (ROI) analysis suggested that λ⟂‐detected demyelination paralleled that observed with LFB, and λ∥ decreased in both regions of axonal damage and normal‐appearing WM (NAWM) as visualized by SMI‐31. The results suggest that directional diffusivities may reveal abnormalities that are not obvious with SMI‐31 and LFB staining, depending on the type of injury. Magn Reson Med 57:688–695, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
High efficiency dry coating of non-subcoated pellets for sustained drug release formulations using amino methacrylate copolymers

Abstract Dry coating utilizing a fluidized bed was evaluated in order to produce films with sustained drug release using amino methacrylate copolymers as film former. In contrast to other dry coating procedures using amino methacrylate copolymers, the described method enables an appropriate polymer adhesion by the selection of a plasticizer additive mixture in combination with the use of a three-way nozzle for simultaneous application. Well spreading fatty acid esters were found to increase the coating efficiency from 73% to approximately 86%, when they were used in conjunction with the plasticizer. Pellets were used as drug cores without previous treatment. After a curing step at 55 °C, the pellets exhibited a prolongation of the drug release over a period of about 6 h. Mainly the three parameters, coating level, composition of the polymers in the coating mixture, and the type of plasticizer, were found to exert distinct influence on the dissolution profile. Despite the differences in the coating procedure, the dissolution profiles of the coated pellets as well as the influencing parameters were similar to those known from conventional coating techniques.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MAIN-BELT COMET P/2005 U1 (READ)

The main-belt comets occupy dynamically asteroidal orbits in the main asteroid belt. Here we present physical observations of the second-known member of this population, P/2005 U1 (Read), which showed vigorous cometary activity from 2005 October 24 to 2005 December 27. Monte Carlo numerical simulations of P/Read's dust emission indicate that the coma and tail are optically dominated by dust particles larger than 10 μm in size with terminal ejection velocities of 0.2–3 m s−1. We estimate P/Read's mass-loss rate during this period to be approximately 0.2 kg s−1, roughly an order of magnitude larger than that calculated for 133P/Elst-Pizarro. We also find that emission likely began at least 2 months prior to P/Read's discovery, though we note this is a lower limit and that earlier start times are possible. Optical colors measured for P/Read while it was active are approximately solar (B − V = 0.63 ± 0.05, V − R = 0.37 ± 0.04, R − I = 0.39 ± 0.04) but are likely to be dominated by coma particles. Observations of P/Read in 2007 when it appears largely inactive show an extremely small nucleus with an absolute magnitude of HR ∼ 20.1 ± 0.4, corresponding to an effective radius of re ∼ 0.3 km. P/Read's activity is consistent with sublimation-driven dust emission and inconsistent with dust emission due to an impact, though the unusual strength of the 2005 outburst suggests the possibility that it could have been due to the sublimation of a freshly exposed reservoir of volatile material.
Heparin Dodecasaccharide Binding to Platelet Factor-4 and Growth-related Protein-α

α-Chemokines are known heparin-binding proteins. Here, a heparin dodecasaccharide (H12) was purified and used in NMR studies to investigate binding to growth-related protein-α (Gro-α) and to platelet factor-4-M2 (PF4-M2), an N-terminal chimera of PF4. Pulsed field gradient NMR was used to derive diffusion coefficients as the protein (monomer):H12 ratio was varied. In the absence of H12, both PF4-M2 and Gro-α give diffusion coefficients consistent with the presence of mostly dimers. As the PF4-M2:H12 ratio is increased from 1:6 to 2:1, the diffusion coefficient increases, indicating dissociation to the monomer state. On addition of H12 to either protein, 15N/1H heteronuclear single quantum coherence NMR data demonstrate loss of 1H resonance dispersion and intensity, particularly at protein:H12 ratios of 2:1 to 4:1, indicating significant perturbation to native structures. For Gro-α in particular, 1H resonance dispersion appears random coil-like. At these same ratios, circular dichroism (CD) data show general retention of secondary structure elements with a slight shift to additional helix formation. Random coil NMR resonance dispersion suggests a shift to a less compact, partially folded, and/or more flexible state. Further addition of H12 causes resonance intensity and dispersion to return making NMR spectra appear native-like. At low PF4-M2:H12 ratios, loss of resonance intensity for residues proximal to Arg-20 and Arg-22 in three-dimensional NMR HCCH-TOCSY spectra suggests that the Arg-20-Arg-22 loop either interacts most strongly with H12 and/or that binding at this site is heterogeneous. This domain was previously shown to be crucial to heparin binding. Of particular interest to the biology of PF4-heparin complex formation, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibody binding occurs at about the same PF4-M2:H12 ratio as does this transition to a partially folded PF4-M2 state, strongly suggesting that heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibody recognizes a less folded, lower aggregate state of the protein.
Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of hepsulfam (NSC 329680).

Hepsulfam (NSC 329680), a bifunctional alkylating agent structurally related to busulfan, has entered clinical trial based on its broader preclinical antitumor activity compared with that of busulfan and its i.v. formulation which may circumvent the many problems arising from the p.o. administration of busulfan, such as significant individual differences in bioavailability. In this Phase I study, 53 patients received 95 courses of hepsulfam at doses ranging from 30 to 480 mg/m2 administered i.v. over 30 min every 28 days. Hematological toxicity was dose limiting. Leukopenia and thrombocytopenia were dose related, delayed in onset, and sustained for long durations. Toxicity was cumulative in most patients receiving more than one course. This pattern of myelosuppression suggests that hepsulfam is cytotoxic to hematopoietic stem cells. Although hematological toxicity was not particularly severe during most courses, its lengthly duration precluded the prompt administration of subsequent courses. Minimal nonhematological effects were observed. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the clearance rate of hepsulfam is linear over the dose range studied and that its plasma disposition is biphasic with mean alpha and beta half-lives of 19 +/- 18 (SE) min and 337 +/- 248 (SE) min, respectively. The area under the plasma clearance curve correlated with the percentage of change in WBC using a sigmoidal Emax model and with the duration of thrombocytopenia in patients with hematological toxicity. Based on the protracted duration of the toxicity of multiple doses that were greater than 210 mg/m2, the recommended starting dose for Phase II trials is 210 mg/m2. However, these trials should be pursued with caution because of the protracted nature of hepsulfam's myelosuppression. Because hepsulfam produced minimal nonhematological toxicity, substantial dose escalation above 480 mg/m2 may be possible with hematopoietic stem cell support.
Myogenic specification of side population cells in skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle contains myogenic progenitors called satellite cells and muscle-derived stem cells that have been suggested to be pluripotent. We further investigated the differentiation potential of muscle-derived stem cells and satellite cells to elucidate relationships between these two populations of cells. FACS® analysis of muscle side population (SP) cells, a fraction of muscle-derived stem cells, revealed expression of hematopoietic stem cell marker Sca-1 but did not reveal expression of any satellite cell markers. Muscle SP cells were greatly enriched for cells competent to form hematopoietic colonies. Moreover, muscle SP cells with hematopoietic potential were CD45 positive. However, muscle SP cells did not differentiate into myocytes in vitro. By contrast, satellite cells gave rise to myocytes but did not express Sca-1 or CD45 and never formed hematopoietic colonies. Importantly, muscle SP cells exhibited the potential to give rise to both myocytes and satellite cells after intramuscular transplantation. In addition, muscle SP cells underwent myogenic specification after co-culture with myoblasts. Co-culture with myoblasts or forced expression of MyoD also induced muscle differentiation of muscle SP cells prepared from mice lacking Pax7 gene, an essential gene for satellite cell development. Therefore, these data document that satellite cells and muscle-derived stem cells represent distinct populations and demonstrate that muscle-derived stem cells have the potential to give rise to myogenic cells via a myocyte-mediated inductive interaction.