Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vision, instruction, and action

This thesis describes Sonja, a system which uses instructions in the course of visually-guided activity. The thesis explores an integration of research in vision, activity, and natural language pragmatics. Sonja''s visual system demonstrates the use of several intermediate visual processes, particularly visual search and routines, previously proposed on psychophysical grounds. The computations Sonja performs are compatible with the constraints imposed by neuroscientifically plausible hardware. Although Sonja can operate autonomously, it can also make flexible use of instructions provided by a human advisor. The system grounds its understanding of these instructions in perception and action.
Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Nursing Facility Resident Mortality, Hospitalization, and Functional Decline

ABSTRACT Background: The study was designed to examine the 30- and 90-day mortality and hospitalization rates among nursing facility (NF) residents in the affected areas of Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina and to assess the rate of significant posthurricane functional decline. Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using Medicare claims merged with NF resident data from the Minimum Data Set. Thirty- and 90-day mortality and hospitalization rates for long-stay (>90 days) residents residing in 141 at-risk NFs during Hurricane Katrina were compared to rates for residents residing at the same facilities during the same time period in prior nonhurricane years (2003 and 2004). Functional decline was assessed as a 4+ drop in function using a 28-point Minimum Data Set Activities of Daily Living Scale. Results: There were statistically significant differences (all P < .0001) in mortality, hospitalization, and functional decline among residents exposed to Hurricane Katrina. At 30 days, the mortality rate was 3.88% among the exposed cohort compared with 2.10% and 2.28% for residents in 2003 and 2004, respectively. The 90-day mortality rate was 9.27% compared with 6.71% and 6.31%, respectively. These mortality differences translated into an additional 148 deaths at 30 days and 230 deaths at 90 days. The 30-day hospitalization rate was 9.87% compared with 7.21% and 7.53%, respectively. The 90-day hospitalization rate was 20.39% compared with 18.61% and 17.82%, respectively. Finally, the rate of significant functional decline among survivors was 6.77% compared with 5.81% in 2003 and 5.10% in 2004. Conclusions: NF residents experienced a significant increase in mortality, hospitalization, and functional decline during Hurricane Katrina. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2010;4:S28-S32)
Centrosomal‐ciliary gene CEP290/NPHP6 mutations result in blindness with unexpected sparing of photoreceptors and visual brain: implications for therapy of Leber congenital amaurosis

Mutations in the centrosomal‐ciliary gene CEP290/NPHP6 are associated with Joubert syndrome and are the most common cause of the childhood recessive blindness known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). An in‐frame deletion in Cep290 shows rapid degeneration in the rod‐rich mouse retina. To explore the mechanisms of the human retinal disease, we studied CEP290‐LCA in patients of different ages (7–48 years) and compared results to Cep290‐mutant mice. Unexpectedly, blind CEP290‐mutant human retinas retained photoreceptor and inner laminar architecture in the cone‐rich central retina, independent of severity of visual loss. Surrounding the cone‐rich island was photoreceptor loss and distorted retina, suggesting neural‐glial remodeling. The mutant mouse retina at 4–6 weeks of age showed similar features of retinal remodeling, with altered neural and synaptic laminae and Muller glial activation. The visual brain pathways in CEP290‐LCA were anatomically intact. Our findings of preserved foveal cones and visual brain anatomy in LCA with CEP290 mutations, despite severe blindness and rapid rod cell death, suggest an opportunity for visual restoration of central vision in this common form of inherited blindness. Hum Mutat 28(11),1074–1083, 2007. Published 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
What are the implications of variation in root hair length on tolerance to phosphorus deficiency in combination with water stress in barley (Hordeum vulgare)?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Phosphorus commonly limits crop yield and is frequently applied as fertilizer; however, supplies of quality rock phosphate for fertilizer production are diminishing. Plants have evolved many mechanisms to increase their P-fertilizer use efficiency, and an understanding of these traits could result in improved long-term sustainability of agriculture. Here a mutant population is utilized to assess the impact of root hair length on P acquisition and yield under P-deficient conditions alone or when combined with drought. METHODS Mutants with various root hair phenotypes were grown in the glasshouse in pots filled with soil representing sufficient and deficient P treatments and, in one experiment, a range of water availability was also imposed. Plants were variously harvested at 7 d, 8 weeks and 14 weeks, and variables including root hair length, rhizosheath weight, biomass, P accumulation and yield were measured. KEY RESULTS The results confirmed the robustness of the root hair phenotypes in soils and their relationship to rhizosheath production. The data demonstrated that root hair length is important for shoot P accumulation and biomass, while only the presence of root hairs is critical for yield. Root hair presence was also critical for tolerance to extreme combined P deficit and drought stress, with genotypes with no root hairs suffering extreme growth retardation in comparison with those with root hairs. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that although root hair length is not important for maintaining yield, the presence of root hairs is implicit to sustainable yield of barley under P-deficient conditions and when combined with extreme drought. Root hairs are a trait that should be maintained in future germplasm.
Multiscale study of the effects of the solvent treatment of conductive PSS:PEDOT polymer

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and ethylene glycol (EG) solvent treatment of conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) were studied using multiscale analysis and dissipative particle dynamic (DPD) simulations. The DPD inter particle repulsion parameters and intramolecular bonding parameters were obtained by reverse mapping of a series of molecular dynamic simulations similar to that used in the earlier contributions. The solvent treatments were found to cause three effects on PEDOT polymer chains at molecular level, increasing rigidity in monomer-monomer bending, decreasing rigidity in monomer-monomer stretching, and decreasing repulsion among monomers. Consequently, these effects lead to PEDOT micro phase segregation and semi-ordered local region formation within and/or between polymer chains. Since the reduction of repulsion among PEDOT monomers can only be caused from selective π−π staking, the formation of these semi-ordered (crystal like) local region may allow charges to bypass local disordered region within the polymer chain and hopping between individual polymer chains, thus, enhance electrical conductivity in orders of magnitude. The implication on PSS:PEDOT:PFI are discussed.
Anti-progressive collapse behavior of beam-to-column assemblies with bolted-angle connections under different span ratios

This article discusses the anti-progressive collapse performance of three specimens, with top-seat angles with double web-angle connections, under different span ratios. Double full-span assemblies extracted from steel frames with a typical column-removal scenario were designed and applied in a monotonic static loading experiment. The failure modes/sequences, strain, internal force conditions, and the transformed law of the resistance mechanism are examined. The results obtained show that specimens with equal spans can provide greater resistance due to full development of flexural and catenary actions. For specimens with unequal spans, the catenary resistance from the short beam portion is larger than that from the long beam portion, and the asymmetry of the span is not beneficial to the structure’s bearing capacity in preventing progressive collapse. The three specimens’ dynamic increase factors are also discussed in terms of the energy balance principle and their development trend for nonlinear static analysis related to catenary action.
Climatic circulation in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic)

[1] The climatic circulation of the Gulf of Trieste, which is a shallow semienclosed basin in the closed northeastern end of the northern Adriatic, is studied with a numerical model. In all seasons there is a general inflow into the Gulf of Trieste at its lower, deeper part. This inflow makes a cyclonic turn centered in the southern part during average winter conditions. This turn is enhanced during spring and closes in an elongated cyclonic gyre during average summer conditions. In spring and summer, the cyclonic gyre is coupled with an anticyclonic gyre near the closed eastern part of the gulf. A “dome”-like density profile across the gulf's axis in the inner part of the gulf above the bottom appears with this circulation during spring and summer. In climatic autumn there is a smaller anticyclonic gyre on its southern side. Near the sea surface there is an outflow during winter, which is driven by the dominant “bora” wind blowing along the gulf's axis. This outflow, however, is detached from the southern coastline to the right, and crosses the gulf diagonally, merging with the belt of freshwater outflow along the northern coastline. This is shown to be a consequence of the balance between the pressure gradient force caused by elevation piled up in the direction out of the gulf, the Coriolis force, and vertical friction between layers near the sea surface. During the stratified season the surface of the gulf is occupied by an anticyclonic gyre due to the inertial plume of the Isonzo River.
Role of surgery in the treatment of patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma age 18 months or older at diagnosis.

PURPOSE Although intensive multimodal treatment has improved the prognosis of patients with metastatic neuroblastoma, the impact of primary tumor resection on outcome is a matter of medical debate. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients from the German prospective clinical trial NB97 with stage 4 neuroblastoma and age 18 months or older at diagnosis were included. Operation notes and imaging reports were reviewed by two independent experienced physicians. Finally, the extent of tumor resections was correlated with local control rate and outcome. RESULTS A total of 278 patients were included in this study. Image-defined risk factors present at diagnosis were found to be predictive for the extent of tumor resection at first (P < .001) and best (P < .001) operation. No patient died from surgery. Before chemotherapy, complete resection, incomplete resection, and biopsy or no surgery were performed in 6.1%, 5.0%, and 88.5% of patients, respectively. The extent of first operation had no impact on event-free survival (EFS; P = .207), local progression-free survival (LPFS; P = .195), and overall survival (OS; P = .351). After induction chemotherapy, 54.7% of patients underwent complete resection of the primary tumor, 30.6% underwent incomplete resection, and 13.3% had only biopsy or no surgery of the primary tumor. The extent of best operation also had no impact on EFS (P = .877), LPFS (P = .299), and OS (P = .778). Moreover, multivariate analyses showed that surgery did not affect EFS, LPFS, and OS. CONCLUSION In intensively treated patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma age 18 months or older at diagnosis, surgery of the primary tumor site has no impact on local control rate and outcome.
HETEROGENEITY IN INDIVIDUAL QUALITY AND REPRODUCTIVE TRADE‐OFFS WITHIN SPECIES

Interspecifically, a reasonable body of evidence supports a trade‐off between offspring size and number. However, at the intraspecific level, a whole manner of phenotypic correlations between offspring size and number are observed. These correlations may be predicted when heterogeneity in resource availability, or quality, is considered. Making the assumption that maternal size is a proxy for resource availability, we meta‐analytically quantified four phenotypic reproductive correlations within numerous species: (1) maternal size and offspring size, (2) maternal size and offspring number, (3) offspring number and offspring size, and (4) offspring number and offspring size after controlling for maternal size. Within species, maternal size showed a positive correlation with both offspring size and number. Despite this consistency, no correlation between offspring size and number was found. After controlling for maternal size, however, offspring size and number showed a significant negative correlation. A phylogenetic component of our analysis accounted for little heterogeneity in the data, suggesting that our findings show remarkable consistency across taxa. Overall, our results support an observable phenotypic trade‐off between offspring size and number. However, this analysis also highlights the importance of considering quality when examining trade‐offs, a task that is not always straightforward as quality is context dependant.
Exercise for reducing fear of falling in older people living in the community: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE to determine the effect of exercise interventions on fear of falling in community-living people aged ≥65. DESIGN systematic review and meta-analysis. Bibliographic databases, trial registers and other sources were searched for randomised or quasi-randomised trials. Data were independently extracted by pairs of reviewers using a standard form. RESULTS thirty trials (2,878 participants) reported 36 interventions (Tai Chi and yoga (n = 9); balance training (n = 19); strength and resistance training (n = 8)). The risk of bias was low in few trials. Most studies were from high-income countries (Australia = 8, USA = 7). Intervention periods (<12 weeks = 22; 13-26 weeks = 7; >26 weeks = 7) and exercise frequency (1-3 times/week = 32; ≥4 times/week = 4) varied between studies. Fear of falling was measured by single-item questions (7) and scales measuring falls efficacy (14), balance confidence (9) and concern or worry about falling (2). Meta-analyses showed a small to moderate effect of exercise interventions on reducing fear of falling immediately post-intervention (standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.37, 95% CI 0.18, 0.56; 24 studies; low-quality evidence). There was a small, but not statistically significant effect in the longer term (<6 months (SMD 0.17, 95% CI -0.05, 0.38 (four studies) and ≥6 months post-intervention SMD 0.20, 95% CI -0.01, 0.41 (three studies)). CONCLUSIONS exercise interventions probably reduce fear of falling to a small to moderate degree immediately post-intervention in community-living older people. The high risk of bias in most included trials suggests findings should be interpreted with caution. High-quality trials are needed to strengthen the evidence base in this area.
The Size of the Radio-Emitting Region in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei

We have used the VLA to study radio variability among a sample of 18 low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) on timescales of a few hours to 10 days. The goal was to measure or limit the sizes of the LLAGN radio-emitting regions in order to use the size measurements as input to models of the radio emission mechanisms in LLAGNs. We detect variability on typical timescales of a few days at a confidence level of 99% in half the target galaxies. Either variability that is intrinsic to the radio-emitting regions or that is caused by scintillation in the Galactic interstellar medium is consistent with the data. For either interpretation, the brightness temperature of the emission is below the inverse Compton limit for all our LLAGNs and has a mean value of about 1010 K. The variability measurements plus VLBI upper limits imply that the typical angular size of the LLAGN radio cores at 8.5 GHz is 0.2 mas, plus or minus a factor of 2. The ~1010 K brightness temperature strongly suggests that a population of high-energy nonthermal electrons must be present, in addition to a hypothesized thermal population in an accretion flow, in order to produce the observed radio emission.
Advanced stage anaplastic large cell lymphoma in children and adolescents: Results of ANHL0131, a randomized phase III trial of APO versus a modified regimen with vinblastine: A report from the children's oncology group

Optimal therapy for children and adolescents with advanced stage anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is unknown. ANHL0131 examined whether a maintenance regimen including vinblastine compared to the standard APO (doxorubicin, prednisone, vincristine, methotrexate, 6‐mercaptopurine) regimen would result in superior event‐free survival.
We conclude that the positive experience with German Apprenticeship Training may guide the design of similar policies in other countries

This paper assesses the potential of `workplace training' with reference to German Apprenticeship. When occupational matching is important, we derive conditions under which firms provide `optimal' training packages. Since the German system broadly meets these conditions, we evaluate the effectiveness of apprenticeship using a large administrative dataset. We find returns to apprenticeship for even the lowest ability schoolleavers comparable to standard estimates of the return to school, and show that training is transferable across a wide range of occupations, such as a one-digit occupation group. We conclude that the positive experience with German Apprenticeship Training may guide the design of similar policies in other countries. JEL-classification: C29, J24, J31, J62
The green leafhopper, Cicadella viridis (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae), jumps with near-constant acceleration

SUMMARY Jumping insects develop accelerations that can greatly exceed gravitational acceleration. Although several species have been analysed using different tools, ranging from a purely physical to a morpho-physiological approach, instantaneous dynamic and kinematic data concerning the jumping motion are lacking. This is mainly due to the difficulty in observing in detail events that occur in a few milliseconds. In this study, the behaviour of the green leafhopper, Cicadella viridis, was investigated during the take-off phase of the jump, through high-speed video recordings (8000 frames s−1). We demonstrate that C. viridis is able to maintain fairly constant acceleration during overall leg elongation. The force exerted at the foot–ground interface is nearly constant and differs from the force expected from other typical motion models. A biomechanical model was used to highlight that this ability relies on the morphology of C. viridis hind legs, which act as a motion converter with a variable transmission ratio and use the time-dependent musculo-elastic force to generate a nearly constant thrust at the body–ground interface. This modulation mechanism minimizes the risk of breaking the substrate thanks to the absence of force peaks. The results of this study are of broad relevance in different research fields ranging from biomechanics to robotics.
Effects of dietary supplementation of red pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) essential oil on performance, small intestinal morphology and microbial counts of weanling pigs.

BACKGROUND Many strategies, such as the antibiotic growth promoters, have been developed to improve intestinal health and performance of newly weaned piglets. Natural products such as essential oils have been scientifically recognized as growth enhancer feed additives for weanling pigs, replacing the antibiotics. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that Brazilian red pepper could replace performance-enhancing antibiotics also in weanling pig diets. However, one experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dietary Brazilian red pepper essential oil or antimicrobial growth promoter on intestinal health and growth performance of weanling pigs. RESULTS No effects of treatments were observed on performance and organ weights (P > 0.05). Overall, both additives [red pepper essential oil (RPEO) or antibiotic (ANT)] increased gut Lactobacillus counts compared to negative control, as well as reduced villi density (P < 0.05). Animals fed diets containing 1.5 g kg-1 RPEO presented the lowest incidence of diarrhea (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Our findings suggested that essential oil from Brazilian red pepper or chlorohydroxyquinoline added in weanling pig diets affect gut microbiota and histology without affecting performance and organ weights. In addition, there was an indication that high doses of essential oil could reduce the incidence of diarrhea. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Production , Manufacturing and Logistics A joint optimal pricing , rebate value , and lot sizing model

Delayed incentives in the form of mail-in cash rebates are very popular among manufacturers, and more recently, among retailers. One of the main advantages of rebates is that while they increase demand, a small proportion of consumers redeem them. In this paper, we formulate and solve models for jointly determining the optimal price, rebate face value, and the optimal order quantity for a price and rebate sensitive deterministic demand. The models show that under realistic conditions, offering rebates can have significant pricing and inventory policy implications and can lead to a significant increase in profit. 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ultrastructure of the Dog Cardiac Muscle Cell

Observations on the cellular structure of the dog heart as seen in the electron microscope are described. Electronmicrographs illustrate the ultrastructure of the dog myocardial cell, especially the relationships of the intercalated disc and the sarcolemma to form the cell boundaries and the relationships of the myofibrils and “Z” bands to the sarcolemma which result in an “accordion-like” appearance of the cell after contraction.