Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Algorithms for scheduling imprecise computations

The imprecise computation technique, which prevents timing faults and achieves graceful degradation by giving the user an approximate result of acceptable quality whenever the system cannot produce the exact result in time, is considered. Different approaches for scheduling imprecise computations in hard real-time environments are discussed. Workload models that quantify the tradeoff between result quality and computation time are reviewed. Scheduling algorithms that exploit this tradeoff are described. These include algorithms for scheduling to minimize total error, scheduling periodic jobs, and scheduling parallelizable tasks. A queuing-theoretical formulation of the imprecise scheduling problem is presented. <<ETX>>
Aphasia friendly written health information: Content and design characteristics

People with aphasia need communicatively accessible written health information. Healthcare providers require knowledge of how to develop printed education materials (PEMs) in formats that people with aphasia prefer and can read. This study aimed to explore formatting characteristics considered to be barriers and facilitators to reading PEMs. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 40 adults with aphasia who were selected using maximum variation sampling across aphasia severity, reading ability, and time post-stroke. Participants were shown stroke and aphasia PEMs obtained from the recruiting stroke services, asked to rank them from most liked to least liked, and comment on factors that made the PEMs easier and harder to read. The majority of participants ranked the aphasia friendly stroke (56.4%, n = 22) and aphasia (87.2%, n = 34) PEMs as most liked. Forty-five facilitator and 46 barrier codes were identified using qualitative content analysis and grouped into two categories; (1) content characteristics and (2) design characteristics. Findings support many of the recommendations found within the literature for developing best practice PEMs and accessible information for other patient groups. Routine consideration of the facilitators and barriers identified will contribute to making written information more accessible to people with aphasia.
A Hamster Model of Diet-Induced Obesity for Preclinical Evaluation of Anti-Obesity, Anti-Diabetic and Lipid Modulating Agents

Aim Unlike rats and mice, hamsters develop hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia when fed a cholesterol-rich diet. Because hyperlipidemia is a hallmark of human obesity, we aimed to develop and characterize a novel diet-induced obesity (DIO) and hypercholesterolemia Golden Syrian hamster model. Methods and Results Hamsters fed a highly palatable fat- and sugar-rich diet (HPFS) for 12 weeks showed significant body weight gain, body fat accumulation and impaired glucose tolerance. Cholesterol supplementation to the diet evoked additional hypercholesterolemia. Chronic treatment with the GLP-1 analogue, liraglutide (0.2 mg/kg, SC, BID, 27 days), normalized body weight and glucose tolerance, and lowered blood lipids in the DIO-hamster. The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, linagliptin (3.0 mg/kg, PO, QD) also improved glucose tolerance. Treatment with peptide YY3-36 (PYY3-36, 1.0 mg/kg/day) or neuromedin U (NMU, 1.5 mg/kg/day), continuously infused via a subcutaneous osmotic minipump for 14 days, reduced body weight and energy intake and changed food preference from HPFS diet towards chow. Co-treatment with liraglutide and PYY3-36 evoked a pronounced synergistic decrease in body weight and food intake with no lower plateau established. Treatment with the cholesterol uptake inhibitor ezetimibe (10 mg/kg, PO, QD) for 14 days lowered plasma total cholesterol with a more marked reduction of LDL levels, as compared to HDL, indicating additional sensitivity to cholesterol modulating drugs in the hyperlipidemic DIO-hamster. In conclusion, the features of combined obesity, impaired glucose tolerance and hypercholesterolemia in the DIO-hamster make this animal model useful for preclinical evaluation of novel anti-obesity, anti-diabetic and lipid modulating agents.
Camurati-Engelmann disease: review of the clinical, radiological, and molecular data of 24 families and implications for diagnosis and treatment

Camurati-Engelmann disease (CED) is a rare autosomal dominant type of bone dysplasia. This review is based on the unpublished and detailed clinical, radiological, and molecular findings in 14 CED families, comprising 41 patients, combined with data from 10 other previously reported CED families. For all 100 cases, molecular evidence for CED was available, as a mutation was detected in TGFB1, the gene encoding transforming growth factor (TGF) β1. Pain in the extremities was the most common clinical symptom, present in 68% of the patients. A waddling gait (48%), easy fatigability (44%), and muscle weakness (39%) were other important features. Radiological symptoms were not fully penetrant, with 94% of the patients showing the typical long bone involvement. A large percentage of the patients also showed involvement of the skull (54%) and pelvis (63%). The review provides an overview of possible treatments, diagnostic guidelines, and considerations for prenatal testing. The detailed description of such a large set of CED patients will be of value in establishing the correct diagnosis, genetic counselling, and treatment.
The reversible adjustable coupling: A lightweight and low-cost alignment component for the lower limb prosthesis

Background The alignment of the lower limb prosthesis is an integral part of the prosthetic fitting. A properly aligned prosthesis contributes to optimal gait and overall function of the patient. The current offering of alignment componentry is expensive for low-income countries. The purpose of this study was to develop a lightweight and low-cost alignment coupler for the lower limb prosthesis. Methods An alignment coupler called the reversible adjustable coupling was designed and manufactured. Measurements of total anterior/posterior and medial/lateral and rotation in prostheses were recorded and mechanical testing performed. Swiftness and difficulty of use was also recorded. Results The reversible adjustable coupling permitted acceptable ranges of anterior/posterior and medial/lateral translation and 30° of internal and external rotation of prosthetic componentry. Repetitive loading of the coupling at a speed of 1 Hz under 1.28 kN load for 2000 cycles was successful, as were static and strength tests. Discussion The coupler provided acceptable ranges of anterior/posterior and medial/lateral and rotation adjustment and is acceptable for potential use in the alignment of both exoskeletal and endoskeletal prosthesis. The final weight of the component was 166 g and cost of $55.00 USD is affordable for low-income countries for use in clinical and educational settings.
Regression Conformal Prediction with Nearest Neighbours

In this paper we apply Conformal Prediction (CP) to the k-Nearest Neighbours Regression (k-NNR) algorithm and propose ways of extending the typical nonconformity measure used for regression so far. Unlike traditional regression methods which produce point predictions, Conformal Predictors output predictive regions that satisfy a given confidence level. The regions produced by any Conformal Predictor are automatically valid, however their tightness and therefore usefulness depends on the nonconformity measure used by each CP. In effect a nonconformity measure evaluates how strange a given example is compared to a set of other examples based on some traditional machine learning algorithm. We define six novel nonconformity measures based on the k-Nearest Neighbours Regression algorithm and develop the corresponding CPs following both the original (transductive) and the inductive CP approaches. A comparison of the predictive regions produced by our measures with those of the typical regression measure suggests that a major improvement in terms of predictive region tightness is achieved by the new measures.
Phase 1/2 Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Dose-Escalating Trial of Myocardial Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor 2 Gene Transfer by Catheter Delivery in Patients With Chronic Myocardial Ischemia

Background—This phase 1/2 study investigated the safety of percutaneous catheter-based gene transfer of naked plasmid DNA encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (phVEGF2) to left ventricular (LV) myocardium in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalating study of inoperable patients with class III or IV angina. Methods and Results—A steerable deflectable 8F catheter with a 27-gauge needle at its distal tip was advanced percutaneously to the endocardial surface of the LV in 19 patients (age, 61±2 years) with chronic myocardial ischemia who were not candidates for conventional revascularization. Patients were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive 6 injections (total volume, 6.0 mL) of placebo or phVEGF2 in doses of 200 &mgr;g (n=9), 800 &mgr;g (n=9), or 2000 &mgr;g (n=1) guided by LV electromechanical (NOGA) mapping with a gene-to-placebo ratio of 2:1. A total of 114 LV injections were delivered and caused no hemodynamic alterations, sustained ventricular arrhythmias, ECG evidence of infarction, or ventricular perforation. End-point analysis at 12 weeks disclosed a statistically significant improvement in Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina class in phVEGF2-treated versus placebo-treated patients (−1.3 versus −0.1, P =0.04). Remaining efficacy end points—including change in exercise duration (91.8 versus 3.9 seconds), functional improvement by ≥2 CCS classes (9 of 12 versus 1 of 6), and Seattle Angina Questionnaire data—all showed strong trends favoring efficacy of phVEGF2 versus placebo treatment. Conclusions—This phase 1/2, double-blind, randomized trial provides preliminary data that support safety of phVEGF2 catheter-mediated myocardial gene transfer. The statistically significant reduction in anginal class and strong positive trends for remaining end points suggest that a larger phase 2/3 trial is warranted.
A Novel Approach to Predict the Growth of Staphylococcus aureus on Rice Cake

This study aimed to investigate the growth kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus on rice cake and to determine the shelf life based on the probability model of the increase in S. aureus contamination on rice cake. Secondary models were developed based on the growth parameters derived from the Baranyi model at constant temperatures (15, 25, 35, and 45°C). External validation was then conducted using additional data under experimental conditions not used in development of the models to verify the performance and reliability of the developed model through different goodness-of-fit indices. Furthermore, the growth of S. aureus on rice cake under dynamic temperature was obtained with the root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.218 and the 90.9% acceptable prediction rate. In addition, probability models of the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-log increases of S. aureus on rice cake were also developed from the data, which could provide the probability and the time to a certain log increase. The results of validation demonstrated that the developed predictive model and the obtained growth parameters could be used for evaluating the growth behavior of S. aureus on rice cake under different conditions, and qualified to supply sufficient information for microbiological risk assessment studies of S. aureus on rice cake in Korea.
Recovery and repopulation in vivo by mouse skin epithelial cells during fractionated irradiation.

The dose survival and regeneration characteristics of irradiated mouse skin epithelial cells were studied using an in situ, in vivo cell cloning technique. The cells surviving a first dose of X-rays are characterized 24 hours later by a survival curve having the same slope as that for cells not previously irradiated. The value for $(D_{2}-D_{1})_{24{\rm hr}}$ was about 350 to 375 rads. The value of ( $D_{2}-D_{1}$) increased by an average of about 100 rads per day with extension of fractionation intervals from 1 to 6 days. At intervals of less than 24 hours, a typical fluctuating pattern of recovery was observed. It is postulated that some repopulation by surviving cells occurs within 24 hours of a first dose of less than 800 rads and that this proceeds in the 5 days thereafter with a doubling time for the clonogenic population of approximately 22 hours. Evidence is presented for the differentiation of about 25% of each generation of cells during rapid re-epithelialization.
The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera): a model for studies of development and pest biology.

Cold Spring Harb Protoc Lorenzen, Gregor Bucher, Ernst A. Wimmer and Martin Klingler Susan J. Brown, Teresa D. Shippy, Sherry Miller, Renata Bolognesi, Richard W. Beeman, Marcé D. Studies of Development and Pest Biology (Coleoptera): A Model for Tribolium castaneum The Red Flour Beetle, Service Email Alerting click here. Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article Categories Subject Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. Browse articles on similar topics from (873 articles) Laboratory Organisms, general (316 articles) Genetics, general (96 articles) Evolutionary Development (Evo-Devo) (90 articles) Evolution (283 articles) Emerging Model Organisms (558 articles) Developmental Biology
MRI of Breast Tumor Initiating Cells Using the Extra Domain-B of Fibronectin Targeting Nanoparticles

The identification of breast tumor initiating cells (BTICs) is important for the diagnosis and therapy of breast cancers. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether the extra domain-B of fibronectin (EDB-FN) could be used as a new biomarker for BTICs and whether EDB-FN targeting superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) could be used as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent for BTIC imaging in vitro and in vivo. BTICs (NDY-1) exhibited high EDB-FN expression, whereas non-BTICs (MCF-7, BT-474, SUM-225, MDA-MB-231) did not exhibit EDB-FN expression. Furthermore, Cy3.3-labeled EDB-FN specific peptides (APTEDB) showed preferential binding to the targeted NDY-1 cells. To construct an EDB-FN targeted imaging probe, APTEDB was covalently attached to a thermally cross-linked SPION (TCL-SPION) to yield APTEDB-TCL-SPION. In the in vitro MRI of cell phantoms, selective binding of APTEDB-TCL-SPION to NDY-1 cells was evident, but little binding was observed in MCF-7 cells. After the intravenous injection of APTEDB-TCL-SPION into the NDY-1 mouse tumor xenograft model, a significant decrease in the signal within the tumor was observed in the T2*-weighted images; however, there was only a marginal change in the signal of non-targeting SPIONs such as APTscramble-TCL-SPION or TCL-SPION. Taken together, we report for the first time that EDB-FN was abundantly expressed in BTICs and may therefore be useful as a new biomarker for identifying BTICs. Our study also suggests that APTEDB-TCL-SPION could be used as an MRI contrast agent for BTIC imaging.
The sharp end of cardiovascular disease in New Zealand: A review of acute type A aortic dissections of the Waikato.

AIM Acute type A aortic dissections are lethal cardiovascular surgical emergencies. This study is a retrospective comparative review of mortality in Type A aortic dissections between Māori and non-Māori populations of the Midland DHBs catchment area. METHOD 143 patients identified with diagnosis of type A aortic dissections at Waikato Hospital from 1990 to 2013, as identified in Waikato Hospital clinical records and cardiothoracic surgery database. The Māori and non-Māori populations were compared according to demographics, 30-day survival and 5-year survival. RESULT The overall 30-day mortality rate of 28% was consistent with published international data, but there were significant ethnic and gender disparities related to the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, particularly in the Māori population. Māori have a significantly higher prevalence of type A aortic dissections (2.5 per 10,000) compared to non-Māori (1.4 per 10,000) and have a 5-year earlier mean age at presentation compared to non-Māori. Māori females have the highest mortality rates with almost half succumbing within 30 days of surgery (45.5%). CONCLUSION The future promises an increasing incidence of acute type A aortic dissections in a younger Māori population with severe disease burden and less reserve, as well as in an elderly population where age is an independent predictor of worse operative mortality, morbidity and reduced long-term survival. GP and specialist collaborative directions are identified towards evolution of surgery and systems to maintain, if not improve, early and late survival rates in the Midland DHBs catchment region.
An empirical study of the world economic geography of manufacturing industries (1980 - 2003)

New Economic Geography (NEG) theories predict that international spatial disparities in wages can be explained by the market or supplier access of countries. These variables can be built using trade flows. I consider alternative methods, as well as controls for skill sorting and labor adjustment to assess the robustness of this relationship. I perform regressions for 27 industrial sectors covering 24 years. The results indicate that alternative methods for the construction of the NEG variables are important to obtain robust coecients, but the dierences at industry level seem to matter the most. In panel regressions, 25 sectors exhibit a favorable evidence of the impact of market access on wages. When labor adjustment is considered, we still have 16 sectors exhibiting wage responses to market access. Two industries do not present a wage response at all. Some simulations suggest that components of the market access can have dierentiated impacts on Developing and Developed countries.
The Death of Distance?: The Influence of Computer Mediated Communication on Perceptions of Distance

The expectation that information and communication technologies lead users to transcend the constraints of physical separation has been expressed as the death of distance. Perceptions of distance – the psychological distance – significantly influence how individuals evaluate events and objects. As computer mediated communication technologies allow individuals to interact as easily with those who are remote as with those who are proximate, how do they influence the psychological distance from remote others? And as these technologies are increasingly employed even in interactions with physically proximate others, how does this influence perceived distances? The results suggest that computer mediated communication technologies significantly reduce the psychological distance of remote others.
Graphene Derivatives: Controlled Properties, Nanocomposites, and Energy Harvesting Applications

Graphene is a ground-breaking two-dimensional (2D) material that possesses outstanding electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties and that promises a new generation of devices. Despite all these, some applications require graphene-based materials with different characteristics, such as good solubility in organic solvents and a specific band gap to be dispersible in polymer nanocomposite matrix and applied as active layer, electron transport layer (ETL) or hole transport layer (HTL) in organic photovoltaics. Chemically modified graphene derivatives are studied, searching for better dispersions and even more properties for different applications. Most of the attention has been drawn to dispersions of graphene oxides or highly reduced graphene oxides. Therefore, this allows an opportunity to study the characteristics of materials with intermediate oxidation degrees and its applications.
Accuracy of geometric channel-modeling methods

When constructing a propagation channel model, a substitute is often created by giving an arbitrary shape or form to scatterer distributions based on its intuitive appeal for a certain radio environment. However, such models do not necessarily represent the actual propagation process and may yield inaccurate results. The main objective of this paper is to provide an insight into the underlying relationship between geometric models and the particular physical propagation process they represent. The workhorse is the semi-geometrically based statistical (SGBS) model and the two heuristic rules. The SGBS model defines the distribution of dominant scatterers contributing to the last reradiation of multipath components to the base station. The earlier multiple-reflection process is modeled using the composite Nakagami/log-normal probability density function. Two parameters are then introduced; namely, the effective path length and the normalized space-dependent intensity measure. Using these two metrics, two heuristic rules are subsequently proposed to provide the missing link between the canonical models and the physical channel. The rules are then applied to revisit several widely used geometric models in macro- and microcellular environments. As a working example, the Gaussian scatterer density model is further extended using such an approach. Important channel parameters such as power azimuthal spectrum, power delay spectrum, and azimuthal and delay spreads are then calculated and compared with simulation results.
Pericytopathy: Oxidative Stress and Impaired Cellular Longevity in the Pancreas and Skeletal Muscle in Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes

The pericyte's role has been extensively studied in retinal tissues of diabetic retinopathy; however, little is known regarding its role in such tissues as the pancreas and skeletal muscle. This supportive microvascular mural cell plays an important and novel role in cellular and extracellular matrix remodeling in the pancreas and skeletal muscle of young rodent models representing the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Transmission electron microscopy can be used to evaluate these tissues from young rodent models of insulin resistance and T2DM, including the transgenic Ren2 rat, db/db obese insulin resistantߞT2DM mouse, and human islet amyloid polypeptide (HIP) rat model of T2DM. With this method, the earliest pancreatic remodeling change was widening of the islet exocrine interface and pericyte hypercellularity, followed by pericyte differentiation into islet and pancreatic stellate cells with early fibrosis involving the islet exocrine interface and interlobular interstitium. In skeletal muscle there was a unique endothelial capillary connectivity via elongated longitudinal pericyte processes in addition to pericyte to pericyte and pericyte to myocyte cellcell connections allowing for paracrine communication. Initial pericyte activation due to moderate oxidative stress signaling may be followed by hyperplasia, migration and differentiation into adult mesenchymal cells. Continued robust oxidative stress may induce pericyte apoptosis and impaired cellular longevity. Circulating antipericyte autoantibodies have recently been characterized, and may provide a screening method to detect those patients who are developing pericyte loss and are at greater risk for the development of complications of T2DM due to pericytopathy and rarefaction. Once detected, these patients may be offered more aggressive treatment strategies such as early pharmacotherapy in addition to lifestyle changes targeted to maintaining pericyte integrity. In conclusion, we have provided a review of current knowledge regarding the pericyte and novel ultrastructural findings regarding its role in metabolic syndrome and T2DM.