Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design, Construction and Evaluation of an Electromechanical Stance-Control Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis

A new electromechanical Stance-Control Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis (SCKAFO) was designed to provide improved gait for people with knee-extensor weakness. This SCKAFO inhibits knee flexion at any knee angle while allowing knee extension during weight bearing. During swing or other non-weight bearing activities, the SCKAFO allows free knee motion. A prototype joint was mechanically tested to determine the moment at failure, loading behaviour, and device safety. Quantitative kinematic gait analysis of three able-bodied subjects and three knee-ankle-foot-orthosis (KAFO) users showed that the new SCKAFO had a desired minimal effect on able-bodied walking gait. The SCKAFO permitted a mean increase in sagittal knee motion (488%) during swing for the three KAFO users and a reduction in pelvic obliquity and hip abduction angle abnormalities during terminal stance and swing for two KAFO users.
Infection Risk After Orthopedic Surgery in Patients With Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases Treated With Immunosuppressive Drugs

The influence of specific medications on the risk of postoperative infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) remains unclear. This retrospective study examined the risk of postoperative infection at the site of surgery in patients treated with immunosuppressive drugs (including biologic agents) undergoing different types of orthopedic surgery.
Short-Pulse Electromagnetic Scattering by Buried Perfectly Conducting Cylinders

In this letter, the electromagnetic scattering problem of a short-pulse plane wave by a finite set of buried perfectly conducting circular cylinders is addressed in the time domain. The described procedure is applicable for arbitrary polarization and for any cylinder size and configuration in both near- and far-field regions. The solution is performed through an angular-spectrum representation of the scattered field. A parametric analysis on the effects of the various geometrical parameters is reported, and numerical results are presented.
Diffusion of individual birds in starling flocks

Flocking is a paradigmatic example of collective animal behaviour, where global order emerges out of self-organization. Each individual has a tendency to align its flight direction with those of neighbours, and such a simple form of interaction produces a state of collective motion of the group. When compared with other cases of collective ordering, a crucial feature of animal groups is that the interaction network is not fixed in time, as each individual moves and continuously changes its neighbours. The possibility to exchange neighbours strongly enhances the stability of global ordering and the way information is propagated through the group. Here, we assess the relevance of this mechanism in large flocks of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). We find that birds move faster than Brownian walkers both with respect to the centre of mass of the flock, and with respect to each other. Moreover, this behaviour is strongly anisotropic with respect to the direction of motion of the flock. We also measure the amount of neighbours reshuffling and find that neighbours change in time exclusively as a consequence of the random fluctuations in the individual motion, so that no specific mechanism to keep one's neighbours seems to be enforced. On the contrary, our findings suggest that a more complex dynamical process occurs at the border of the flock.
Landscape Analysis of the Forest-Tundra Ecotone in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado*

Landscapes in the ecotone between forest and tundra contain a mosaic of patches of trees, meadows, lakes, disturbed areas, and other features. The structure of this mosaic affects species habitat and potential ecotone response to global change. However, the alpine forest-tundra ecotone may be insensitive to climatic change if it is a climatic relict or is frequently disturbed. We used GIS and multivariate statistics to (1) analyze landscape structure in transects across the ecotone in Rocky Mountain National Park, (2) identify the major variants of forest-tundra ecotone, and (3) identify the influence of the environment and natural disturbances on variation in the landscape structure of the ecotone. There are six major types of ecotone varying in the amount of natural disturbances, permanent features (e.g., lakes), closed forest, patch forest, and krummholz. Variation is primarily related to slope, elevation, aspect, and geology associated with the morphology of the mountains and the disturbances they pro.
Forest ecosystem chlorophyll content: Implications for remotely sensed estimates of net primary productivity

Current methods for estimating photosynthesis and hence net primary productivity (NPP) of forest ecosystems from remote sensing are based on the relationship between ( i ) the fraction of incident photosynthetically-active radiation absorbed by the canopy (fPAR) and ( ii ) spectral indices (e.g. NDVI). However, ground-based estimates of fPAR used to quantify this relationship for a specific vegetation type are derived from measurements of canopy structure only (e.g. using light interception methods such as hemispherical photography). Using a coupled leaf-canopy model of radiative transfer, we demonstrated that NDVI is highly sensitive to both canopy foliar and understorey chlorophyll content, which could account for significant errors in remotely sensed estimates of fPAR and hence NPP.
DECOVALEX-THMC Task D: Long-Term Permeability/Porosity Changes in the EDZ and Near Field due to THM and THC Processes in Volcanic and Crystaline-Bentonite Systems, Status Report October 2005

The DECOVALEX project is an international cooperativeproject initiated by SKI, the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, withparticipation of about 10 international organizations. The name DECOVALEXstands for DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation againstExperiments. The general goal of this project is to encouragemultidisciplinary interactive and cooperative research on modelingcoupled processes in geologic formations in support of the performanceassessment for underground storage of radioactive waste. Three multi-yearproject stages of DECOVALEX have been completed in the past decade,mainly focusing on coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanicalprocesses.Currently, a fourth three-year project stage of DECOVALEX isunder way, referred to as DECOVALEX-THMC. THMC stands for Thermal,Hydrological, Mechanical, and Chemical processes. The new project stageaims at expanding the traditional geomechanical scope of the previousDECOVALEX project stages by incorporating geochemical processes importantfor repository performance. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) leadsTask D of the new DECOVALEX phase, entitled "Long-termPermeability/Porosity Changes in the EDZ and Near Field due to THC andTHM Processes for Volcanic and Crystalline-Bentonite Systems. " In itsleadership role for Task D, DOE coordinates and sets the direction forthe cooperative research activities of the international research teamsengaged in Task D.
The crustal structure of the southern Caspian region

The south Caspian basin appears to behave as a relatively rigid aseismic block within the otherwise deforming Alpine–Himalayan orogenic belt. This anomalous character suggests that there is a fundamental compositional difference between the crust of the south Caspian basin and that of the surrounding region. Five new estimates of crustal velocity structure beneath the southern Caspian region are determined by the teleseismic receiver function method. These models show that the crust in Turkmenia along the trend of the Apshceron–Balkhan Sill–Kopet Dag Mountains is 50 km thick. In the southwestern part of the Caspian basin the crust is 33 km thick and consists of a 13 km thick sedimentary section lying on a high-velocity (Vp∼7.1 km s−1) lower-crustal section. In the southeastern part of the basin the crust is 30 km thick and consists of a 10 km thick sedimentary section overlying a 20 km thick low-velocity (Vp∼5.8 km s−1) crystalline crust. The receiver function models are combined with velocity models from previous Russian Deep Seismic Sounding studies into a ∼1800 km long ESE–WNW-trending crustal cross-section across the Kura Depression, the south Caspian basin and the Kopet Dag Mountains. The most significant features of this crustal model are the 20 km variation in thickness of Cenozoic sedimentary basin deposits, the absence of a ‘granitic’ (Vp∼5.8–6.5 km s−1) crustal layer in the central part of the south Caspian basin, and 20 km of crustal thinning beneath the central part of the basin. The Moho beneath the south Caspian basin has a broad arch-like structure whose western boundary is a relatively narrow zone across which the crust thins rapidly (∼20 km thinning over a 100 km zone) and whose eastern boundary has a more gradual change in crustal thickness (∼20 km thinning over a 400 km zone). The velocity–depth profiles derived from the receiver functions are compared to laboratory velocity estimates made at pressures and temperatures appropriate for the lower crust in Turkmenia, but the seismic P-wave data alone do not permit differentiation between the various possible rock types. The crustal model developed for the south Caspian basin is consistent with the hypothesis that the crystalline crust of the basin is a section of oceanic crust that is being overthrust by the continental crust around much of its margins. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that the crystalline crust beneath the basin is a section of lower continental crust whose upper crustal section has been removed by erosion or faulting.
Wilcox sandstone reservoirs in the deep subsurface along the Texas Gulf Coast: their potential for production of geopressured geothermal energy. Report of Investigations No. 117

Regional studies of the lower Eocene Wilcox Group in Texas were conducted to assess the potential for producing heat energy and solution methane from geopressured fluids in the deep-subsurface growth-faulted zone. However, in addition to assembling the necessary data for the geopressured geothermal project, this study has provided regional information of significance to exploration for other resources such as lignite, uranium, oil, and gas. Because the focus of this study was on the geopressured section, emphasis was placed on correlating and mapping those sandstones and shales occurring deeper than about 10,000 ft. The Wilcox and Midway Groups comprise the oldest thick sandstone/shale sequence of the Tertiary of the Gulf Coast. The Wilcox crops out in a band 10 to 20 mi wide located 100 to 200 mi inland from the present-day coastline. The Wilcox sandstones and shales in the outcrop and updip shallow subsurface were deposited primarily in fluvial environments; downdip in the deep subsurface, on the other hand, the Wilcox sediments were deposited in large deltaic systems, some of which were reworked into barrier-bar and strandplain systems. Growth faults developed within the deltaic systems, where they prograded basinward beyond the older, stable Lower Cretaceous shelf margin onto the less more » stable basinal muds. Continued displacement along these faults during burial resulted in: (1) entrapment of pore fluids within isolated sandstone and shale sequences, and (2) buildup of pore pressure greater than hydrostatic pressure and development of geopressure. « less
A Novel Biologically Mechanism-Based Visual Cognition Model-Automatic Extraction of Semantics, Formation of Integrated Concepts and Re-selection Features for Ambiguity

Integration between biology and information science benefits both fields. Many related models have been proposed, such as computational visual cognition models, computational motor control models, integrations of both and so on. In general, the robustness and precision of recognition is one of the key problems for object recognition models. In this paper, inspired by features of human recognition process and their biological mechanisms, a new integrated and dynamic framework is proposed to mimic the semantic extraction, concept formation and feature re-selection in human visual processing. The main contributions of the proposed model are as follows: (1) Semantic feature extraction: Local semantic features are learnt from episodic features that are extracted from raw images through a deep neural network; (2) Integrated concept formation: Concepts are formed with local semantic information and structural information learnt through network. (3) Feature re-selection: When ambiguity is detected during recognition process, distinctive features according to the difference between ambiguous candidates are re-selected for recognition. Experimental results on hand-written digits and facial shape dataset show that, compared with other methods, the new proposed model exhibits higher robustness and precision for visual recognition, especially in the condition when input samples are smantic ambiguous. Meanwhile, the introduced biological mechanisms further strengthen the interaction between neuroscience and information science.
Intracellular Calcium Attenuates Late Current Conducted by Mutant Human Cardiac Sodium Channels

Background—Mutations of the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel (SCN5A gene encoding voltage-gated sodium channel [NaV1.5]) cause congenital long-QT syndrome type 3 (LQT3). Most NaV1.5 mutations associated with LQT3 promote a mode of sodium channel gating in which some channels fail to inactivate, contributing to increased late sodium current (INaL), which is directly responsible for delayed repolarization and prolongation of the QT interval. LQT3 patients have highest risk of arrhythmia during sleep or during periods of slow heart rate. During exercise (high heart rate), there is elevated steady-state intracellular free calcium (Ca2+) concentration. We hypothesized that higher levels of intracellular Ca2+ may lower arrhythmia risk in LQT3 subjects through effects on INaL. Methods and Results—We tested this idea by examining the effects of varying intracellular Ca2+ concentrations on the level of INaL in cells expressing a typical LQT3 mutation, delKPQ, and another SCN5A mutation, R225P. We found that elevated intracellular Ca2+ concentration significantly reduced INaL conducted by mutant channels but not wild-type channels. This attenuation of INaL in delKPQ expressing cells by Ca2+ was not affected by the CaM kinase II inhibitor KN-93 but was partially attenuated by truncating the C-terminus of the channel. Conclusions—We conclude that intracellular Ca2+ contributes to the regulation of INaL conducted by NaV1.5 mutants and propose that, during excitation–contraction coupling, elevated intracellular Ca2+ suppresses mutant channel INaL and protects cells from delayed repolarization. These findings offer a plausible explanation for the lower arrhythmia risk in LQT3 subjects during fast heart rates.
Compiler Optimization Techniques for Improving Distributed Object Computing Framework Performance over High-speed ATM Networks

This paper demonstrates why the performance of flexible Distributed Object Computing (DOC) frameworks, such as the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), must be improved to satisfy the requirements of nextgeneration bandwidth-intensive and delay-sensitive applications. In addition, the paper outlines a software toolkit we are building to integrate various compiler optimization techniques to improve the performance of implementations of DOC frameworks . To illustrate the overhead imposed by conventional DOC implementations, we present performance results from using CORBA to transfer richly-typed data between hosts on a high-speed ATM network. We compare these results with those obtained using lower-level socket-based C interfaces and C++ wrappers for sockets. Our results indicate that both the C and C++ wrapper implementations outperform the CORBA implementation significantly. We analyze the CORBA performance and pinpoint specific areas in which compiler optimizations are desired. We describe how we are solving performance problems of CORBA using compiler techniques to automate adaptive object request demultiplexing, Integrated Layer Processing to reduce data copying and Flow Analysis and Shapes Choice techniques to produce efficient marshalling/demarshalling code.
Stratigraphy and erosional landforms of layered deposits in Valles Marineris, Mars

The complex stratigraphy of layered deposits suggests a diversity of origins, ages, and post-depositional modification histories. The complexities within some layered deposits indicate changes in the dominant source materials in space and time. The stratigraphy of layered deposits in the isolated Martian chasmata Hebes, Juventae and Gangis is not well correlated. This indicates that at least these chasmata had isolated depositional environments resulting in different stratigraphic sequences. Separated layered deposits in Ophir-Candor and Melas Chasmata might have been a single continuous deposit in each chasma. Chaotic terrains are found in conjunction with layered deposits in Juventae, Gangis and Capri-Eos Chasmata. In these chasmata, layered deposits unconformably overlie chaotic terrains. Chaotic terrain formation may have provided water to form paleolakes, and lacustrine deposition of thick layered deposits may have occurred if the canyons were closed. A very thick sequence of the layered deposits has been exposed by erosion. A combination of gradual processes such as evaporation of ice and eolian and fluvial transport in addition to structural processes may be responsible for this erosion. Another alternative is that catastrophic water release under the layered deposits disrupted and initiated erosion of the layered deposits. Newly identified units of anomalous color are confined to the depressions or reentrants in western Candor Chasma. The difference in color between these units and the surrounding terrain is most consistent with a somewhat greater content of bulk crystalline hematite in these anomalous units. The presence of the Candor units is a result of original and/or secondary deposition which is different from the primary and dominant formation of the layered deposits.
Convergent Evolution of Calcineurin Pathway Roles in Thermotolerance and Virulence in Candida glabrata

Candida glabrata is an emerging human fungal pathogen that is frequently drug tolerant, resulting in difficulties in treatment and a higher mortality in immunocompromised patients. The calcium-activated protein phosphatase calcineurin plays critical roles in controlling drug tolerance, hyphal growth, and virulence in diverse fungal pathogens via distinct mechanisms involving survival in serum or growth at host temperature (37° and higher). Here, we comprehensively studied the calcineurin signaling cascade in C. glabrata and found novel and uncharacterized functions of calcineurin and its downstream target Crz1 in governing thermotolerance, intracellular architecture, and pathogenesis in murine ocular, urinary tract, and systemic infections. This represents a second independent origin of a role for calcineurin in thermotolerant growth of a major human fungal pathogen, distinct from that which arose independently in Cryptococcus neoformans. Calcineurin also promotes survival of C. glabrata in serum via mechanisms distinct from C. albicans and thereby enables establishment of tissue colonization in a murine systemic infection model. To understand calcineurin signaling in detail, we performed global transcript profiling analysis and identified calcineurin- and Crz1-dependent genes in C. glabrata involved in cell wall biosynthesis, heat shock responses, and calcineurin function. Regulators of calcineurin (RCN) are a novel family of calcineurin modifiers, and two members of this family were identified in C. glabrata: Rcn1 and Rcn2. Our studies demonstrate that Rcn2 expression is controlled by calcineurin and Crz1 to function as a feedback inhibitor of calcineurin in a circuit required for calcium tolerance in C. glabrata. In contrast, the calcineurin regulator Rcn1 activates calcineurin signaling. Interestingly, neither Rcn1 nor Rcn2 is required for virulence in a murine systemic infection model. Taken together, our findings show that calcineurin signaling plays critical roles in thermotolerance and virulence, and that Rcn1 and Rcn2 have opposing functions in controlling calcineurin signaling in C. glabrata.
An empirical study of a scalable Byzantine agreement algorithm

A recent theoretical result by King and Saia shows that it is possible to solve the Byzantine agreement, leader election and universe reduction problems in the full information model with Õ(n3/2) total bits sent. However, this result, while theoretically interesting, is not practical due to large hidden constants. In this paper, we design a new practical algorithm, based on this theoretical result. For networks containing more than about 1,000 processors, our new algorithm sends significantly fewer bits than a well-known algorithm due to Cachin, Kursawe and Shoup. To obtain our practical algorithm, we relax the fault model compared to the model of King and Saia by (1) allowing the adversary to control only a 1/8, and not a 1/3 fraction of the processors; and (2) assuming the existence of a cryptographic bit commitment primitive. Our algorithm assumes a partially synchronous communication model, where any message sent from one honest player to another honest player needs at most Δ time steps to be received and processed by the recipient for some fixed Δ, and we assume that the clock speeds of the honest players are roughly the same. However, the clocks do not have to be synchronized (i.e., show the same time)
Modulation of biogenesis of the Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida‐containing phagosome in quiescent human macrophages and its maturation into a phagolysosome upon activation by IFN‐γ

Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent facultative intracellular pathogen that has been categorized as a class A bioterrorism agent, and is classified into four subsp, tularensis, holarctica, mediasiatica and novicida. Although the ability of F. tularensis subsp. novicida to cause tularemia in mice is similar to the virulent subsp. tularensis and holarctica, it is attenuated in humans. It is not known whether attenuation of F. tularensis subsp. novicida in humans is resulting from a different route of trafficking within human macrophages, compared with the tularensis or holarctica subsp. Here we show that in quiescent human monocytes‐derived macrophages (hMDMs), the F. tularensis subsp. novicida containing phagosome (FCP) matures into a late endosome‐like stage that acquires the late endosomal marker LAMP‐2 but does not fuse to lysosomes. This modulation of phagosome biogenesis by F. tularensis is followed by disruption of the phagosome at 4–12 h and subsequent bacterial escape into cytoplasm where the organism replicates. In IFN‐γ‐activated hMDMs, intracellular replication of F. tularensis is completely inhibited, and is associated with failure of the organism to escape from the phagosome into the cytoplasm for up to 24 h after infection. In IFN‐γ‐activated hMDMs, the FCPs acquire the lysosomal enzymes Cathepsin D, which is excluded in quiescent hMDMs. When the lysosomes of IFN‐γ‐activated hMDMs are preload with Texas Red Ovalbumin or BSA‐gold, the FCPs acquire both lysosomal tracers. In contrast, both lysosomal tracers are excluded from the FCPs within quiescent hMDMs. We conclude that although F. tularensis subsp. novicida is attenuated in humans, it modulates biogenesis of its phagosome into a late endosome‐like compartment followed by bacterial escape into the cytoplasm within quiescent hMDMs, similar to the virulent subsp. tularensis. In IFN‐γ‐activated hMDMs, the organism fails to escape into the cytoplasm and its phagosome fuses to lysosomes, similar to inert particles.