Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Markov Random Field model based on Nakagami distribution for modeling ultrasound RF envelope

The aim of this paper is to propose a new Markov Random Field (MRF) model for the backscattered ultrasonic echo in order to retrieve information about backscatter characteristics, such as the density, the scatterer amplitude, the scatterer spacing and the direction of interaction. The model combines the Nakagami distribution that describes the envelope of backscattered echo with spatial interaction using MRF. We first construct the Nakagami-MRF model and illustrate the role of its parameters by some synthetic simulations. Then, to enhance the ability of this MRF model to retrieve information on the spatial backscatter distribution, we compare the parameter values estimated on simulated radio-frequency (RF) envelope image for different tissue scatterers characteristics (density, amplitude, spacing, spatial orientation). It follows that the first parameter is related to the density and the amplitude, and the interaction parameters are related to the scatterer spacing and the orientation.
Ferrite recrystallisation and characteristics of non-recrystallised ferrite grains in Ti added low carbon steels

Abstract The progress of ferrite recrystallisation in low carbon steel was slower than in ultralow carbon steel. The hardness of the non-recrystallised ferrite grains gradually decreased with increasing annealing time in ultralow carbon steel, but gradually increased with increasing annealing time in low carbon steel. The amount of Ti containing precipitates increased slightly during annealing in ultralow carbon steel, but increased remarkably with increasing annealing time in low carbon steel. These results suggest that the softening of non-recrystallised ferrite grains during annealing in ultralow carbon steel may reflect the progress of recovery and the Ostwald ripening of Ti containing precipitates formed during annealing. In contrast, the hardening of non-recrystallised ferrite grains in low carbon steel may be due to the precipitation hardening of TiC formed during annealing.
Estrogens Decrease Reperfusion-Associated Cortical Ischemic Damage: An MRI Analysis in a Transient Focal Ischemia Model

Background and Purpose— Early identification of irreversible cerebral ischemia is critical in defining strategies that influence neuronal survival after stroke. We used MRI to investigate the effects of 17&bgr;-estradiol (E2) on the temporal evolution of focal ischemia. Methods— Female rats were ovariectomized and divided into 1 of 2 groups: ovariectomy alone (OVX; n=4) or ovariectomy with estrogen replacement (OVX+E2; n=3). Both groups were then subjected to 1-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), with the use of a standardized endovascular monofilament model, followed by reperfusion. Sequential diffusion-weighted (DWI) and T2-weighted (T2WI) MRI were obtained during and after the MCAO. In separate groups of animals (n=5 for OVX and OVX+E2), cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by laser-Doppler methods before, during, and after occlusion. Results— DWI detected similar lesion characteristics during MCAO in both groups. In the OVX group, lesion size did not change during reperfusion, but the signal intensity ratio increased early and stabilized during the latter stages. In contrast, DWI lesion size decreased during reperfusion in OVX+E2 rats by 50% to 60% (P <0.05), a size reduction almost exclusively limited to cortical regions. During MCAO, the signal intensity ratio in OVX+E2 rats was reduced compared with OVX rats. Reperfusion further attenuated the signal intensity ratio in cortical but not subcortical regions (P <0.05 versus OVX). T2WI revealed no lesions in either group during MCAO, but it detected lesion sizes similar to that of DWI during reperfusion. Furthermore, similar patterns and magnitudes of estrogen treatment-related decrease in lesion size were noted after reperfusion. T2WI demonstrated less intense signal intensity ratio changes in both groups compared with DWI. There were no differences in CBF between groups either during occlusion, early reperfusion, or 1 day after reperfusion. Conclusions— This study strongly suggests that estrogens selectively protect cortical tissue from ischemic damage during MCAO and that this protection is exerted during both the occlusion and reperfusion phases of ischemia and does not involve an estrogen-related change in CBF.
Glide sequences of deformation in the {111} plane of Ni3Ga single crystals in the yield stress anomaly

Abstract Ni3Ga single crystals oriented parallel to the [123] direction were deformed in the range of the yield stress anomaly. Successive deformations have also been performed at different temperatures on the same specimen. The substructure of dislocations in the (111) plane has been observed by weak-beam microscopy. The screw dislocations are in the Kear-Wilsdorf configuration and contain many superkinks, the shape of which has been analysed. Simple superkinks and switchover superkinks have been observed. A statistical analysis of the superkink height has revealed two types of deformation sequence. The locking process corresponding to one of these is thermally activated while that of the other has a geometric cause.
Screening for autism in preterm children with extremely low and very low birth weight

Background Studies of children with very low birth weight (VLBW, 1,000–1,500 g) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW, less than 1,000 g) indicate that this population seems to be at increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods Parents of 101 VLBW and ELBW children (age 2 years, corrected for prematurity) agreed to participate in the study and signed informed consents; however, parents of only 75 children (44 boys, 31 girls) completed the screening questionnaires. The screening battery included the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist (CSBS-DP-ITC), and the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP). Children with disabilities were excluded. All children who screened positive on any of the screening tools were subsequently invited for a detailed assessment. Results Thirty-two children (42.7%) screened positive on at least one of the screening questionnaires. The screening tool with the most positive results was the CSBS-DP-ITC (26 positive screens), followed by the M-CHAT (19 positive screens) and the ITSP (11 positive screens). Of the 32 children who tested positive, 19 participated in the detailed follow-up assessment. A diagnosis of ASD was confirmed in eight of the 19 children. ASD prevalence, calculated from those 19 children and those with negative screening results (43 children), yielded a prevalence of 12.9% in the sample. The difference in frequency of positive screens between the tests was significant (P=0.011). In pair comparisons, ITSP was found to be significantly less positive than CSBS-DP-ITC (P=0.032). No significant differences were found between the M-CHAT and CSBS-DP-ITC or between the M-CHAT and ITSP. Conclusion The results strongly support the hypothesis of an increased prevalence of autism in children with a birth weight less than 1,500 g.
Count-Based Exploration with Neural Density Models

Bellemare et al. (2016) introduced the notion of a pseudo-count, derived from a density model, to generalize count-based exploration to non-tabular reinforcement learning. This pseudo-count was used to generate an exploration bonus for a DQN agent and combined with a mixed Monte Carlo update was sufficient to achieve state of the art on the Atari 2600 game Montezuma's Revenge. We consider two questions left open by their work: First, how important is the quality of the density model for exploration? Second, what role does the Monte Carlo update play in exploration? We answer the first question by demonstrating the use of PixelCNN, an advanced neural density model for images, to supply a pseudo-count. In particular, we examine the intrinsic difficulties in adapting Bellemare et al.'s approach when assumptions about the model are violated. The result is a more practical and general algorithm requiring no special apparatus. We combine PixelCNN pseudo-counts with different agent architectures to dramatically improve the state of the art on several hard Atari games. One surprising finding is that the mixed Monte Carlo update is a powerful facilitator of exploration in the sparsest of settings, including Montezuma's Revenge.
Marijuana Use Patterns Among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background:The prevalence and perceived effectiveness of marijuana use has not been well studied in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) despite increasing legal permission for its use in Crohn's disease. Health care providers have little guidance about the IBD symptoms that may improve with marijuana use. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, sociodemographic characteristics, and perceived benefits of marijuana use among patients with IBD. Methods:Prospective cohort survey study of marijuana use patterns in patients with IBD at an academic medical center. Results:A total of 292 patients completed the survey (response rate = 94%); 12.3% of patients were active marijuana users, 39.0% were past users, and 48.6% were never users. Among current and past users, 16.4% of patients used marijuana for disease symptoms, the majority of whom felt that marijuana was “very helpful” for relief of abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea. On multivariate analysis, age and chronic abdominal pain were associated with current marijuana use (odds ratio [OR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89–0.97; P < 0.001 and OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.24–9.82; P = 0.02). Age and chronic abdominal pain were also multivariate predictors of medicinal use of marijuana (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89–0.97; P < 0.001 and OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.8–12.2; P = 0.001). Half of the never users expressed an interest in using marijuana for abdominal pain, were it legally available. Conclusions:A significant number of patients with IBD currently use marijuana. Most patients find it very helpful for symptom control, including patients with ulcerative colitis, who are currently excluded from medical marijuana laws. Clinical trials are needed to determine marijuana's potential as an IBD therapy and to guide prescribing decisions.
Monocyte-selective transendothelial migration: dissection of the binding and transmigration phases by an in vitro assay

We describe a quantitative assay of transendothelial migration (TEM) that allows us to selectively study the interaction of monocytes with confluent human endothelial cell (HEC) monolayers. The HEC are grown on hydrated collagen gels; the monocytes need not be purified. 100% of monocytes transmigrated the monolayer within 1 h at 37 degrees C and accumulated in the subendothelial collagen; TEM of lymphocytes was not detected within this time. Migration of neutrophils from the same donor was much slower and incomplete, with only 14% of PMN transmigrating in 2 h. This rapid TEM occurs in the absence of exogenous chemoattractants, and HEC in this system do not express cytokine- inducible leukocyte adhesion molecules. A slight modification of the TEM assay allowed us to separate binding to the apical HEC surface from TEM. We found that tight apical surface binding was the rate-limiting step for TEM. Two-thirds of this binding and TEM could be blocked by a monoclonal antibody against the leukocyte beta 2 integrin chain CD18. This assay will allow us to dissect the mechanisms of both the binding and transmigration stages of diapedesis.
PSO Algorithm-based Robust Design of PID Controller for Variable Time-delay Systems: AQM Application

This paper formulates a robust control for variable time-delay system models. An automatic tuning method for PID-type controller is proposed. The adopted method integrates robust control design using Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT) with Particle Swan Optimization heuristic algorithms (PSO) to systematize the loop-shaping stage. The objective of the design method is to reach a good compromise among robust stability, robust tracking and disturbance rejection with minimal control effort. The resulting algorithm has attractive features, such as easy implementation, stable convergence characteristic and good computational efficiency. In particular, the results of the control design for active queue management (AQM) systems are presented. Simulations show improved congestion control and quality of service in TCP communication networks.
Impact of Pregnancy on the Sex Life of Women: State of the Art

Introduction: Women’s sexual function is a complex ensemble of variables that involve physical, emotional, and psychosocial states. Objective: This review aims to evaluate the evidence about the sexual behavior of women during pregnancy. Methods: Survey of PubMed for the period from 1996 to 2011 for prospective, retrospective and case-control studies, randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews on the sexual function of women during pregnancy using the terms “sexual function”, “sexual dysfunction”, “sexuality”, “pregnancy”, and “pregnant woman”. Results: Changes occur in the sexual function of women during pregnancy; however, due to the heterogeneity of the studies and the incomparability of samples for lack of pairing for cultural, age, length of relationship and gestational age variables, and other methodological biases, it is not possible to characterize the sexual response of pregnant women. Conclusions: The changes observed are not sufficient to characterize sexual behavior during pregnancy as pathological. It is therefore necessary to standardize the study groups and the instruments for the assessment of sexual function, to determine the presence of distress concomitant with changes in sexual function, and to assess the sexual function of the partner and the impact of changes on the dyadic relationship before and after the gestational period.
N-Terminal Pro Brain Natriuretic Peptide Is Inversely Related to Metabolic Cardiovascular Risk Factors and the Metabolic Syndrome

We wanted to investigate the relationship of N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) to metabolic and hemodynamic cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in the general population. From a population-based sample of 2656 people 41, 51, 61, or 71 years of age, we selected 2070 patients without previous stroke or myocardial infarction who did not receive any CV, antidiabetic, or lipid-lowering treatment in 1993 to 1994. Traditional CV risk factors, 24-hour blood pressures, left ventricular (LV) mass, and ejection fraction by echocardiography, pulse wave velocity, urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), and serum Nt-proBNP were measured in 1993 to 1994. The metabolic syndrome was defined in accordance with the definition of the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR). Higher log(Nt-proBNP) was in multiple regression analysis related to female gender (&bgr;=−0.37), older age (&bgr;=0.32), higher clinic pulse pressure (&bgr;=0.20), lower serum total cholesterol (&bgr;=−0.15), lower LVEF (&bgr;=−0.08, all P<0.001), lower log(serum insulin) (&bgr;=−0.07), lower log(plasma glucose) (&bgr;=−0.06, both P<0.01, lower log(serum triglyceride) (&bgr;=−0.06), lower body mass index (&bgr;=−0.05); lower heart rate (&bgr;=−0.05), higher logUACR (&bgr;=0.04, all P<0.05) and higher log(LV mass index) (&bgr;=0.04, P=0.07), adjusted R2=0.35, P<0.001). The metabolic syndrome was associated with lower Nt-proBNP (35 pg/mL versus 48 pg/mL; P<0.001) and shifted the positive relationship between pulse pressure and Nt-proBNP to the right (ie, higher blood pressure for a given level of Nt-proBNP). The metabolic syndrome was associated with lower Nt-proBNP levels and shifted the positive relationship between Nt-proBNP and pulse pressure to the right, creating a possible link between the metabolic syndrome and hypertension.
Numerical and Experimental Modeling of Natural Convection for a Cryogenic Prototype of a Titan Montgolfiere

Natural convection in a spherical geometry is considered for prediction of the buoyancy characteristics of one meter diameter single- and double-walled balloons in a cryogenic environment. The steady-state flow characteristics obtained by solving the ReynoldsAveraged Navier Stokes equations (RANS) with a standard k-e e e e model are used to determine the balloon performance in terms of net buoyancy as a function of heat input. Thermal radiation effects on the overall balloon performance are also investigated. The results obtained compared favorably with the corresponding cryogenic experiments conducted at the same scale in a cryogenic facility. In addition, both numerical and experimental results were compared with engineering heat transfer correlations used in system-level models of the Titan Montgolfiere. Finally, we examine scaling issues for the full-scale Titan Montgolfieres.
Patient perspectives on once-weekly fluoxetine.

BACKGROUND Continuation therapy is recommended for 4 to 9 months following remission of symptoms of major depressive disorder. Long-term maintenance therapy is recommended for patients with severe, recurrent symptoms. However, most patients do not complete an adequate course of therapy. We investigated patient perceptions of antidepressant dosing to determine whether weekly dosing could provide an additional tool to help more patients remain compliant with antidepressant treatment. METHOD Physicians were asked to complete an anonymous patient profile for 7 patients currently receiving antidepressant treatment and to give those patients a questionnaire that the patients could submit anonymously. In addition, clinically depressed patients in the United States and in France were surveyed by telephone. RESULTS Patients surveyed by questionnaire agreed most strongly with statements indicating that they would like their doctor to involve them in the choice of antidepressant medication, that they did not want others to know they were taking antidepressant medication, and that they disliked the idea of taking daily medication. Patients in the telephone survey agreed most strongly with statements indicating that they considered once-weekly dosing more convenient than daily dosing, that they believed taking 1 pill a week would make them feel less dependent on pills, and that they perceived more advantages than disadvantages in taking 1 pill a week. CONCLUSION Weekly antidepressant treatment may provide an effective tool in helping patients with depression. Positive patient perceptions of weekly dosing suggest that some patients may remain on continuation or maintenance therapy longer when they have the option of weekly dosing.
Urban Bias in Development and Educational Attainment in Brazil

The main goal of this study is to investigate the role of the urban bias in the Brazilian development on the educational attainment process. Theories of educational inequality and socioeconomic development and modernization are considered to construct the hypotheses. The study is based on a nation-wide probability sample survey (the 1988 PNAD). OLS regression models are estimated to assess the hypotheses, and a cohort strategy is used to investigate trends in the patterns of determinants of the educational attainment process in Brazil. Among the main causal factors analyzed here, we center our investigation on the importance of the difference of having an urban or a rural origin on the educational attainment of individuals. The process of socioeconomic development in most developing countries has been marked by a very strong urban bias. As we show here, this urban bias has a very significant effect (net of many other causal variables) on the educational attainment process in Brazil.
The spreading of Alfalfa mosaic virus in lavandin in Croatia

SUMMARY A survey was conducted in 2012 and 2013 to detect the presence and distribution of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) in lavandin crops growing in continental parts of Croatia. A total of 73 lavandin samples from six crops in different localities were collected and analyzed for the presence of AMV and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) using commercial double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA kits. AMV was detected serologically in 62 samples collected at three different localities, and none of the samples tested positive for CMV. For further analyses, six selected samples of naturally infected lavandin plants originating from different localities were mechanically transmitted to test plants: Chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor, Nicotiana benthamiana and Ocimum basilicum, confirming the infectious nature of the disease. Molecular detection was performed by amplification of a 751 bp fragment in all tested samples, using the specific primers CP AMV1/CP AMV2 that amplify the part of the coat protein (CP) gene and 3’-UTR. The RT-PCR products derived from the isolates 371-13 and 373-13 were sequenced (KJ504107 and KJ504108, respectively) and compared with the AMV sequences available in GenBank. CP sequence analysis, conducted using the MEGA5 software, revealed that the isolate 371-13 had the highest nucleotide identity of 99.5% (100% amino acid identity) with an isolate from Argentina originating from Medicago sativa (KC881010), while the sequence of isolate 373-13 had the highest identity with an Italian AMV isolate from Lavandula stoechas (FN667967) of 98.6% (99% amino acid identity). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the clustering of selected isolates into four molecular groups and the lavandin AMV isolates from Croatia grouped into two distinct groups, implying a significant variability within the AMV lavandin population.
Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy of Co2FexMn1−xSi Heusler Alloy Ultra-Thin Films

Film thickness, composition, and buffer layer dependences of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) were investigated for ultrathin Co<sub>2</sub>Fe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1-x</sub>Si Heusler alloy films. The perpendicular magnetization was achieved when the thickness of the Co<sub>2</sub>MnSi on the Pd buffer layer was 0.6 and 0.8 nm. For Co<sub>2</sub>FeSi, only a 0.6 nm thick film exhibited perpendicular magnetization. Effective uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energy (Keffu ) was 1-2 × 106 erg/cm<sup>3</sup>. From the buffer layer dependence, it was revealed that perpendicular magnetization of Co<sub>2</sub>FeSi films was not achieved for a MgO or Cr buffer layer. These results imply that contributions from the Pd/Heusler alloy interface plays an important role in the PMA of ultrathin Co<sub>2</sub>Fe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1-x</sub>Si Heusler alloy films.