Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Myocontrol in Aging

Myoelectric (EMG) signals are used in assistive technology for prostheses, computer and domestic control. An experimental study previously conducted with young participants was replicated with elderly persons in order to assess the effect of age on the ability to control myoelectric amplitude (or myocontrol). Participants performed pointing tasks as the myoelectric amplitude was captured by a surface electrode in two modalities (sustained: stabilize the amplitude after reaching the desired level; impulsion: return immediately to resting amplitude). There was a significant decrease of performance with Age. However, the patterns of performance of young and aged were noticeably similar. The Impulsion modality was difficult (high rates of failure) and the speed-accuracy trade-offs predicted by Fitts' law were absent (bow-shaped patterns as function of target amplitude instead of logarithmic increase). Conversely, the reach phase of the Sustained modality followed the predictions of Fitts' law. However, the slope of the regression line with Fitts' index of difficulty was quite steeper in aged than in young participants. These findings suggest that 1) all participants, young and aged, adapt their reaching strategies to the anticipated state (sustained amplitude or not) and/or to the difficulty of the task, 2) myocontrol in aged persons is more fragile, i.e., performance is markedly degraded as the difficulty of the task increases. However, when individual performance was examined, some aged individuals were found to perform as well as the young participants, congruently with the literature on good aging.
Is Biopsying the Paravertebral Soft Tissue as Effective as Biopsying the Disk or Vertebral Endplate? 10-Year Retrospective Review of CT-Guided Biopsy of Diskitis-Osteomyelitis.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in biopsying bone (endplate), disk, or paravertebral soft tissue to culture the pathogenic organism causing diskitis-osteomyelitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of 111 spinal biopsies performed between 2002 and 2011. Pathologic examination was used as the reference standard for detecting diskitis-osteomyelitis. Microbiologic yield, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. The yields for different groups were compared by use of Fisher exact test. The analysis was repeated with biopsy samples from patients not being treated with antibiotics at the time of biopsy. RESULTS A total of 122 biopsy specimens were obtained from 111 spinal biopsy procedures on 102 patients. Overall, 27 (22%) biopsies were performed on the endplate-disk, 61 (50%) on the disk only, and 34 (28%) on paravertebral soft tissue only. The microbiologic yield was 36% for all biopsies, 19% for endplate-disk biopsies, 39% for disk-only biopsies, and 44% for soft-tissue biopsies. The sensitivity and specificity of the microbiologic results for all specimens were 57% and 89%; endplate-disk, 38% and 86%; disk only, 57% and 89%; and paravertebral soft tissue, 68% and 92%. There was no statistically significant difference between the yields of the endplate-disk, disk-only, and paravertebral soft-tissue biopsies. CONCLUSION Paravertebral soft-tissue changes, when present, may be considered a viable target for biopsy in cases of diskitis-osteomyelitis, even in the absence of a paravertebral abscess.
A Proof of Correctness for the Tardis Cache Coherence Protocol

We prove the correctness of a recently-proposed cache coherence protocol, Tardis, which is simple, yet scalable to high processor counts, because it only requires O(logN) storage per cacheline for an N-processor system. We prove that Tardis follows the sequential consistency model and is both deadlock- and livelock-free. Our proof is based on simple and intuitive invariants of the system and thus applies to any system scale and many variants of Tardis.
Local and Nonlocal Magnetic Diffusion and Alpha-Effect Tensors in Shear Flow Turbulence

Various approaches to estimate turbulent transport coefficients from numerical simulations of hydromagnetic turbulence are discussed. A quantitative comparison between the averaged magnetic field obtained from a specific three-dimensional simulation of a rotating turbulent shear flow in a slab and a simple one-dimensional alpha-omega dynamo model is given. A direct determination of transport coefficients is attempted by calculating the correlation matrix of different components of the field and its derivatives. This matrix relates the electromotive force to physically relevant parameters like the tensor components of the f -effect and the turbulent diffusivity. The f -effect operating on the toroidal field is found to be negative and of similar magnitude as the value obtained in previous work by correlating the electromotive force with the mean magnetic field. The turbulent diffusion of the toroidal field is comparable to the kinematic viscosity that was determined earlier by comparing the stress with the shear. However, the turbulent diffusion of the radial field component is smaller and can even be formally negative. The method is then modified to obtain the spectral dependence of the turbulent transport coefficients on the wavenumber. There is evidence for nonlocal behaviour in that most of the response comes from the smallest wavenumbers corresponding to the largest scale possible in the simulation. Again, the turbulent diffusion coefficient for the radial field component is small, or even negative, which is considered unphysical. However, when the diffusion tensor is assumed to be diagonal the radial component of the diffusion tensor is positive, supporting thus the relevance of a nonlocal approach. Finally, model calculations are presented using nonlocal prescriptions of the f -effect and the turbulent diffusion. We emphasize that in all cases the electromotive force exhibits a strong stochastic component which make the f -effect and the turbulent diffusion intrinsically noisy.
Effects of milk supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid on weight control and body composition in healthy overweight people.

INTRODUCTION Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) have shown beneficial effects in weight control therapy however this relation is not clear. OBJETIVE The aim of the study was to examine the effects and safety of 3g of a 1:1 mix of c9-t11 and t10-c12 on weight control and body composition in healthy overweight individuals. METHODS A prospective, placebo-controlled, randomised double-blind, parallel clinical trial lasting 24 weeks was carried out in 38 volunteers (29w, 9m) aged 30-55 years and BMI ≥27-<30 kg/m2 who consumed 200 ml/day of skimmed milk with 3g of CLAs or 3g olive oil (placebo). Anthropometric, biochemical and dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) tests were measured. Diet and physical activity were assessed. RESULTS Subjects maintained their habitual dietary and exercise patterns over the study. Only CLA group showed a significant decrease in weight (74.43 ± 10.45 vs 73.54 ± 11.66 kg, p = 0.029) and waist circumference (91.45 ± 10.33 vs 90.65 ± 9.84 cm, p = 0.012) between baseline and end of the study. BMI and waist height ratio decreased (28.44 ± 1.08 vs 27.81 ± 1.43 kg/m2, p = 0.030 and 0.57 ± 0.05 vs 0.56 ± 0.04 p = 0.013 respectively) in CLA group at the end. CLA group experienced a reduction in total fat mass after 24 weeks (38.62 ± 5.02 vs 36.65 ± 5.64%, p = 0.035). No decrease was observed in Control group. HOMA index had no changes. CONCLUSIONS The consumption of skimmed milk enriched with 3g of a 1:1 mixture of c9-t11 and t10-c12 for 24 weeks led to a decrease in body weight and total fat mass in healthy, overweight subjects who maintained habitual diets and exercise patterns. No adverse effects were observed. Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier No. NCT01503047.
Noise Power and SNR Estimation for OFDM Based Wireless Communication Systems

In this paper , noisepower andsignal-to-noiseratio (SNR) estimationsfor OFDM basedwirelesscommunicationsystems are studied. Noise power estimation,which takes into accountthecolor andvariationof noisestatisticsover OFDM sub-carriersinto account,is considered.Insteadof averagingthe instantaneousnoisesamplesestimatesover all of the OFDM sub-carriers,dividing the total number of sub-carriersinto several sub-groupsand averagingthe sub-carriersseparatelywithin eachsub-groupis proposed. Also, theseaveragedestimatesovereachsub-grouparefurtheraveragedacrossseveralOFDM symbolsin time to enhancethe performanceof the noisepower estimates.The proposedsolution provides many local estimates,allowing trackingof the variationof the noisestatisticsacross OFDM sub-carriers,which is particularly of use in subband adapti ve modulationOFDM systems. The performanceof the proposedmethodis evaluatedvia computer simulations. It is observed that the proposedsolutioncan estimatelocal statisticsof thenoisepower whenthenoise is colored.Whenthenoiseis white,theproposedalgorithm worksasgoodastheconventionalnoisepower estimation schemes, showing therobustnessof theproposedmethod.
Comparative Study between Resin Nano Ceramic and CAD/CAM Ceramic Regarding Their Fracture Resistance, Microtensile Bond Strength and Fatigue Resistance

Purpose: In an attempt to improve the mechanical properties, industriallyCAD/CAM ceramics blocks have been introduced to dentistry. This study was directed to investigate the influence of the material thickness on the fracture resistance ofCAD/CAM Resin Ceramic and CAD/CAM Ceramic and asses the fatigue resistance of class II mesio-occlusal-distal (MOD) inlays of both materials and compare their micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) after cementation by two different adhesive resin cements. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 specimens were fabricated. The specimens were divided according to the material used into two main groups (n= 35). Group 1 specimens were fabricated from CAD/CAM Resin Ceramic (Vita Enamic), whereas Group 2 specimens were fabricated from Lithium disilicate glass ceramic (IPS e-max CAD). Specimens of each group were further subdivided into 3 subgroups according to type of testing (microtensile bond strength test, fracture resistance and fatigue resistance tests). Specimens of subgroup of microtensile bond strength test (n=40) were further subdivided into 2 divisions (n=20) according to type of surface treatment (control and sandblasting). Then each division was further subdivided into 2 subdivisions (n=10) according to type of cement used (Rely X Ultimate and multilink N). Furthermore, subgroup of fracture resistance test (n=20) was further divided into 2 division (n=10) according to thickness (0.5 mm and 3 mm). Two-way analysis of variance ANOVA test and three-way analysis of variance ANOVA test of significance were done for comparing variables. Results: For microtensile bond strength, it was found that the highest μ-tensile bond strength value was recorded for Multilink N control subgroup (54.07±7.9 MPa), while the lowest μ-tensile bond strength mean values was for Rely X Ultimate sandblasted subgroup (37.12±2.5 MPa) and IPS e-max CAD. Results revealed that the highest μ-tensile bond strength mean value was recorded for Rely X Ultimate
Occipital Nerve Stimulation for Refractory Occipital Pain after Occipitocervical Fusion: Expanding Indications

Background: Occipital nerve stimulation is being used for various pain syndromes. Here, we expand its use for the treatment of refractory occipital pain after occipitocervical fusion. Case Description: We describe a case of occipital neuralgia in a 60-year-old man following posterior occipitocervical fusion. The maximum pain intensity was rated 9/10 on the visual analogue scale (VAS). Since pain proved to be refractory to analgetic medication, two quadripolar electrodes (Resume II, Medtronic) were implanted in the occipital region to stimulate the occipital nerve bilaterally. The patient experienced a dramatic response during test stimulation for 10 days with externalized electrodes, and a pacemaker (Synergy, Medtronic) was connected to the electrodes. While on chronic stimulation (bipolar 6 V, 210 μs, 130 Hz) improvement of pain was maintained, reflected by a decrease in the VAS score to 1/10 at 12 months of follow-up. Conclusion: Occipital nerve stimulation for medical refractory occipital neuralgia after occipitocervical fusion is an effective method expanding the indications for its use.
Rethinking the application-database interface

From social networking websites to bank transactions, we interact with data-intensive applications every day. Such applications are typically hosted on an application server that interacts with a database server to manipulate persistent data. To make such applications efficient, developers face the daunting task of mastering the intricacies of both the programming system and the database management system. For instance, while many application features can be implemented in either the application or pushed into the database, it is difficult for a programmer to decide where to place a given computation as the decision is typically workload-driven. Unfortunately, making the wrong choice often results in drastic performance hit. In this talk, I will show how examining both the programming system and the database management system at the same time allows us to significantly improve the performance of data-intensive applications. To illustrate such cross-system optimization opportunities, I have designed, built, and evaluated three systems: Query By Synthesis, a tool that converts functionality written as imperative code into relational queries; Sloth, a system that combines queries embedded in applications into batches; and Pyxis, a system that seamlessly moves computation between application and database servers. Using real-world examples, I will show that these systems allow orders of magnitude performance improvement and graceful adaptation to changing server environments while preserving the high-level programming interface to the developer. I will furthermore highlight research opportunities and challenges in applying similar techniques to other system problems.
Reduced distance based at singular time in the Ricci flow

In this paper, we define a reduced distance function based at a point at the singular time $T<\infty$ of a Ricci flow. We also show the monotonicity of the corresponding reduced volume based at time T, with equality iff the Ricci flow is a gradient shrinking soliton. Our curvature bound assumption is more general than the type I condition.
Robot navigation by conditional sequencing

We investigate the application of conditional sequencing to robot navigation. Initial experimental results indicate that very robust navigation can be achieved by layering a conditional sequencer on top of a set of simple sensorimotor behaviors. The approach is uniquely flexible, permitting very complex tasks to be programmed reliably in very short periods of time. The technique was used in the recent American Association of Artificial Intelligence mobile robot contest. All of the contest-specific code was written in three days by a single programmer. The robot turned in the best overall performance of any entry. In addition, we present the results of over ninety formal experimental runs performed under a variety of circumstances. <<ETX>>
Study on Morphological, Optical and Electrical Properties of Graphene Oxide (GO) and Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO)

In this work, graphene oxide (GO) is synthesized via chemical method (improved method) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using thermal treatment. The GO and rGO thin films were coated on a glass substrate by using drop casting method. The GO and rGO thin film were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to make sure the morphological and optical characteristics of the thin film. In addition, the electrical studies were performed by current-voltage (I-V) characteristic. The rGO thin film displays higher conductivity in comparison with GO which is 4.12 x 10-5 S/cm, and also affected the morphological (SEM) and optical properties (FTIR). Morphological and optical data confirms that rGO losses the oxygen groups compare to GO.
Nonvestibular Schwannoma Tumors in the Cerebellopontine Angle: A Structured Approach and Management Guidelines

The most common cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumor is a vestibular schwannoma, but one in five CPA tumors are not vestibular schwannomas. These tumors may require different management strategies. Compared with vestibular schwannomas, symptoms and signs from cranial nerve VIII are less frequent: other cranial nerve and cerebellar symptoms and signs predominate in patients with these less common CPA tumors. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging often show features leading to the correct diagnosis. Treatment most often includes surgery, but a policy of observation or subtotal resection is often wiser. This review provides a structured approach to the diagnosis of nonvestibular schwannoma CPA lesions and also management guidelines.
Project Final Report Trenton Schulz September 8 , 2007 1 Introduction This report is on the work done the GOMS project for INF 5261

This report is on the work done the GOMS project for INF5261. This project concerned itself with creating a tool that could be used for generating a GOMS Keystroke Level Model (KLM) automatically while someone is using a program and seeing if the tool could be used on a mobile device to generate useful models. The first half of the project concerned itself with creating the tool and getting the infrastructure into place to be able to do something on an actual device. In the second half of the project, a lot of time was spent getting things working on (integrating with) the device. In the end, it was possible to get something working and generate models for the most of the personal information management (PIM) applications that are available on the device. For this final report, we recap the problem area and what we questions we hoped to answer during the project. We also review the key concepts of GOMS and specifically the KLM. There is also a very brief review of technologies involved in this project and an explanation of how the tool itself works, with some extra information on what was needed to be changed to work in with our device. Finally, we take a look at the findings from using our tool with the device and discuss what can be done with them and look at what worked and what did not work with the tool. We conclude with a summary and some future directions that can be explored after this project.
Results of surgery on macular holes that develop after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Aims: To evaluate the characterics and surgical prognosis of macular holes that develop after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair. Design: Retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series. Methods: The case records of nine patients who developed a new full-thickness macular hole after prior RD repair were reviewed over 6 years. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) confirmed these holes. They were offered surgical repair with a median follow-up of 13.3 months (1–63 months). Main outcomes included preoperative vitreo-macular status, OCT evaluation and postoperative visual acuity. Results: 1007 eyes underwent surgery for prior retinal detachment between August 1999 and September 2005. Nine eyes developed a full-thickness macular hole (prevalence 0.9%): five developed after scleral buckling surgery, one after pneumatic retinopexy and three after primary vitrectomy. The mean time to macular hole diagnosis after RD was 2.9 months (0.5–18). All patients underwent macular hole surgery by the same surgeon. At 1 month, macular hole repair was noticed in eight eyes. In this group, visual acuity at a median of 11.9 months of follow-up was 20/125 (20/400 – 20/63). Three eyes had an improvement of more than three Snellen lines. Conclusions: Macular holes developing after RD repair is a rare complication (less than 1%). Its physiopathological mechanisms are not well known. Conventional macular hole surgery including pars plana vitrectomy, inconstant internal limiting membrane delamination and long-acting gas tamponade seems to achieve to macular reattachment (89%). The visual outcome seems conditioned by the macular status noticed during the RD.
Variability in parathyroid hormone assays confounds clinical practice in chronic kidney disease patients

Background Intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) measurements are used to guide therapy in renal patients, but variability in results can occur depending on the assay used. This study has investigated iPTH assay variation in North West England and paired data with regional audit data to determine clinical relevance of assay variability. Methods Thirty-seven haemodialysis patients had blood taken (EDTA plasma, and serum), and samples were processed at 17 laboratories that analyse iPTH for North West dialysis patients. Correction factors were calculated and applied to the iPTH assay results to enable direct comparisons. These correction factors were also applied to Regional Audit data to determine if iPTH assay variability explains the variation in unit performance in achieving PTH targets. Results The iPTH results from the 37 patients were significantly different when either analysed by different assays and/or different laboratories (P < 0.001). The Abbott Architect method consistently produced the highest iPTH results. Of the 37 patients, between 49% and 65% would achieve the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) iPTH target depending on the assay used. When results were adjusted using correction factors, 21% of the patients would require a change of management according to guidelines. Data from all haemodialysis units submitted for the regional audit were adjusted to the Roche assay and this led to a small change in achievement of KDIGO iPTH targets in individual units when compared to each other. Conclusions A combination of iPTH assay variability and diversity in clinical management leads to variation in achieving iPTH targets. Both need to be improved and/or standardized to improve patient care.
Planning-Based Control of Software Agents

The exponential growth of the Internet has produced a labyrinth of databases and services. Almost any type of information is available somewhere, but most users can’t find it, and even experts waste untold time searching for appropriate information sources. Many researchers argue that software agents will remedy the situation by acting as personal assistants and automatically accessing multiple sources, integrating information, and acting on the user’s behalf. Indeed, this vision is so widely accepted (at least in the AI community) that I won’t dwell on it further. Instead, I’ll describe some of the software robots we’ve built at the University of Washington, explain why I think planning is a crucial technology for their control, summarize the lessons we’ve learned by their construction, and suggest directions for future work in the area. Note that this paper is not intended to he a comprehensive survey of important softbot projects -. there are far too many interesting systems for me to describe them all. I focus on University of Washington projects, because I am most familiar with this body of work and because the Washington softbots have emphasized planning-based control.
Postnatal sonographic spectrum of prenatally detected abdominal and pelvic cysts.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to illustrate the sonographic findings of a spectrum of neonatal abdominal and pelvic cystic lesions. CONCLUSION Neonatal abdominal and pelvic cystic lesions can arise from many organs, and they have a broad differential diagnosis. Distinctive sonographic findings may be present and can help establish the correct cause and guide proper management.