Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Poor cough flow in acute stroke patients is associated with reduced functional residual capacity and low cough inspired volume

Introduction Each year 7 million people die of stroke worldwide; most deaths are caused by chest infections. Patients with acute stroke have impaired voluntary cough flow, associated with increased risk of chest infections. Reduced functional residual capacity (FRC) could lead to impaired cough flow. We therefore compared FRC in acute hemiparetic stroke patients and controls and explored its relationship with volume inspired before cough and voluntary cough peak flow. Methods 21 patients within 2 weeks of first-ever middle cerebral artery territory (MCA) infarct (mean (SD) age 68 (11) years, 10 females) and 30 controls (58 (11) years, 15 females) underwent FRC and voluntary cough testing (cough inspired volume and peak flow) while semirecumbent. FRC was expressed as % predicted; cough inspired volume was expressed as % predicted VC and cough peak flow as % predicted PEF. A clinician scored stroke severity using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Results Patients’ reclined FRC, voluntary cough peak flowand cough inspired volume were reduced compared with controls (p<0.01 for all): patients’ median (IQR) FRC 76 (67–90) % predicted, mean (SD) cough inspired volume 64 (20) % predicted and mean (SD) peak cough flow 61 (32) % predicted despite them having only mild stroke-related impairments: median NIHSS score 4 (IQR 2–6). Univariate linear regression analyses showed FRC predicted cough inspired volume (adjusted R2=0.45) and cough inspired volume predicted cough flow (adjusted R2=0.56); p<0.01 for both. Sitting patients upright increased their FRC by median 0.210 L. Conclusions FRC and cough inspired volume in the reclined position are significantly reduced in acute hemiparetic stroke patients with mild impairments; both factors are associated with poor voluntary cough peak flow.
Global mapping of translation initiation sites in mammalian cells at single-nucleotide resolution

Understanding translational control in gene expression relies on precise and comprehensive determination of translation initiation sites (TIS) across the entire transcriptome. The recently developed ribosome-profiling technique enables global translation analysis, providing a wealth of information about both the position and the density of ribosomes on mRNAs. Here we present an approach, global translation initiation sequencing, applying in parallel the ribosome E-site translation inhibitors lactimidomycin and cycloheximide to achieve simultaneous detection of both initiation and elongation events on a genome-wide scale. This approach provides a view of alternative translation initiation in mammalian cells with single-nucleotide resolution. Systemic analysis of TIS positions supports the ribosome linear-scanning mechanism in TIS selection. The alternative TIS positions and the associated ORFs identified by global translation initiation sequencing are conserved between human and mouse cells, implying physiological significance of alternative translation. Our study establishes a practical platform for uncovering the hidden coding potential of the transcriptome and offers a greater understanding of the complexity of translation initiation.
Room temperature high-detectivity mid-infrared photodetectors based on black arsenic phosphorus

Black arsenic phosphorus–based photodetectors sense detect long-wave mid-infrared light with high detectivity at room temperature. The mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range, pertaining to important applications, such as molecular “fingerprint” imaging, remote sensing, free space telecommunication, and optical radar, is of particular scientific interest and technological importance. However, state-of-the-art materials for MIR detection are limited by intrinsic noise and inconvenient fabrication processes, resulting in high-cost photodetectors requiring cryogenic operation. We report black arsenic phosphorus–based long-wavelength IR photodetectors, with room temperature operation up to 8.2 μm, entering the second MIR atmospheric transmission window. Combined with a van der Waals heterojunction, room temperature–specific detectivity higher than 4.9 × 109 Jones was obtained in the 3- to 5-μm range. The photodetector works in a zero-bias photovoltaic mode, enabling fast photoresponse and low dark noise. Our van der Waals heterojunction photodetectors not only exemplify black arsenic phosphorus as a promising candidate for MIR optoelectronic applications but also pave the way for a general strategy to suppress 1/f noise in photonic devices.
Automatic identification of bird species based on sinusoidal modeling of syllables

Syllables are elementary building blocks of bird song. In the sounds of many songbirds, a large class of syllables can be approximated as amplitude and frequency varying brief sinusoidal pulses. We test how well bird species can be recognized by comparing simple sinusoidal representations of isolated syllables. Results are encouraging and show that, with limited sets of bird species, a recognizer based on this signal model may already be sufficient.
CRITICAL MECHANISMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FATIGUE CRACKS IN 2024-T4 ALUMINUM.

Abstract : Notched samples of 2024-T4 aluminum were partially fatigued and examined by means of optical and electron microscopy to identify the critical mechanisms for crack nucleation. Under fully reversed axial loading which led to fatigue lives of 10 to the 5th power - 16 to the 6th power cycles, it was found that deformation in the notch began with the formation of fine slip followed by intensification of slip around inclusions. This intensified slip was accompanied by the production of small dislocation loops and dipoles. Fatigue cracks nucleated at large (> 1 micron) impurity inclusion clusters, and no correlation could be found between the nucleation event and the formation of fine slip, concentrated slip, or dislocation dipoles and loops. Surface diffusion layers of Zn and Ag, designed to harden the surface layer and prevent local plastic deformation, were not effective in extending fatigue life. All of the evidence favors the view that fatigue cracks nucleated at the interface between surface inclusions and matrix by a mechanism which is relatively insensitive to local plastic deformation, but whose probability increases with inclusion size. (Author)
Laser-induced autofluorescence of carious regions of human teeth and caries-involved bacteria

Carious regions of human teeth were investigated by means of remission-, fluorescence excitation- and fluorescence emission spectroscopy as well as time-resolved fluorescence measurements in the ns region. A detection of dental caries is possible with all of these spectroscopic methods. The peaks in measured remission- and fluorescence excitation spectra of carious regions correspond with the absorption bands of metal free porphyrins. The emission spectra and fluorescence decay kinetics indicate that protoporphyrin IX may be the main chromophore. HPLC measurement verify the existence of proto- (main component), copro- and probably Zn-protoporphyrin.
Crosstalk reduction in area routing

Interconnect delay dominates system delay in modern circuits, and with reduced feature sizes, coupling capacitance and signal crosstalk have become significant issues. By spacing interconnect wires effectively, and avoiding long parallel runs, coupling can be reduced; with current routing methods, however, this is difficult to achieve. In this paper, we present a new approach to area routing. Rather than inserting routes sequentially (using a performance driven maze router), multiple candidate routes for each connection are generated; excess routes are then eliminated iteratively. Experiments show that we obtain substantial reductions in coupling capacitance, without sacrificing routing completion rates.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) What ' s in a name : a Bayesian hierarchical analysis of the name-letter effect

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Post-Laminectomy Spondylolisthesis - A Review of the Posterior Elements and their Contribution to the Stability of the Lumbar Spine. T

As surgical practice changes with increasing new evidence, a review of past experiences often gives us a good idea why we do things the way it is now. Our modern understanding of factors contributing to the stability of the lumbar spine can be represented using posterior decompression of the lumbar spine as an example. Since the late 1900s, the "Christmas tree laminectomy" procedure gained widespread popularity in treating neurogenic claudication and lumbar stenosis. However, this clinical improvement is often transient and patients return with symptom recurrence and findings of spinal instability. Further biomechanical studies and clinical trials looked at modifications to this procedure such as facet sparing laminectomy and laminotomy with improved results. It was then that bony, discoligamentous and muscular factors are increasingly recognized as contributors to the overall stability of the lumbar spine. Surgical decompression of spinal stenosis has to balance between adequate removal of bone and soft tissue for an effective decompression of neural structures, and sufficient retention of bone and soft tissue structures to maintain mechanical stability of the spine. When these stabilizers are compromised, a prophylactic fusion of the spinal unit may be required. Ultimately, the decision to perform laminectomy or laminotomy has to be a clinical judgement based on a combination of surgeon, patient and disease factors.
Metabolic remodeling of the tumor microenvironment

Migration stimulating factor (MSF) is a genetically truncated N-terminal isoform of fibronectin that is highly expressed during mammalian development in fetal fibroblasts, and during tumor formation in human cancer-associated myofibroblasts. However, its potential functional role in regulating tumor metabolism remains unexplored. Here, we generated an immortalized fibroblast cell line that recombinantly overexpresses MSF and studied their properties relative to vector-alone control fibroblasts. Our results indicate that overexpression of MSF is sufficient to confer myofibroblastic differentiation, likely via increased TGF-b signaling. In addition, MSF activates the inflammation-associated transcription factor NFκB, resulting in the onset of autophagy/mitophagy, thereby driving glycolytic metabolism (L-lactate production) in the tumor microenvironment. Consistent with the idea that glycolytic fibroblasts fuel tumor growth (via L-lactate, a high-energy mitochondrial fuel), MSF fibroblasts significantly increased tumor growth, by up to 4-fold. Mechanistic dissection of the MSF signaling pathway indicated that Cdc42 lies downstream of MSF and fibroblast activation. In accordance with this notion, Cdc42 overexpression in immortalized fibroblasts was sufficient to drive myofibroblast differentiation, to provoke a shift towards glycolytic metabolism and to promote tumor growth by up to 2-fold. In conclusion, the MSF/Cdc42/NFκB signaling cascade may be a critical druggable target in preventing “Warburg-like” cancer metabolism in tumor-associated fibroblasts. Thus, MSF functions in the metabolic remodeling of the tumor microenvironment by metabolically reprogramming cancer-associated fibroblasts toward glycolytic metabolism.
Integrative medicine for chronic pain

Introduction:Integrative medicine inpatient treatment has been shown to improve physical and mental health in patients with internal medicine conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a 2-week integrative medicine inpatient treatment in patients with chronic pain syndromes and the association of treatment success with patient-related process variables. Methods:Inpatients with chronic pain syndromes participating in a 2-week integrative medicine inpatient program were included. Patients’ pain intensity, pain disability, pain perception, quality of life, depression, and perceived stress were measured on admission, discharge, and 6 months after discharge. Likewise process variables including ability and will to change, emotional/rational disease acceptance, mindfulness, life and health satisfaction, and easiness of life were assessed. Results:A total of 310 inpatients (91% female, mean age 50.7 ± 12.4 year, 26.5% low back pain, and 22.9% fibromyalgia) were included. Using mixed linear models, significant improvements in pain intensity, pain disability, pain perception, quality of life, depression, and perceived stress were found (all P < 0.05). Ability to change and implementation, disease acceptance, mindfulness, life and health satisfaction, and light heartedness/easiness likewise improved (all P < 0.05). Improved outcomes were associated with increases in process variables, mainly ability to change and implementation, disease acceptance, life and health satisfaction, and light heartedness/easiness (R2 = 0.03–0.40). Conclusions:Results of this study suggest that a 2-week integrative medicine inpatient treatment can benefit patients with chronic pain conditions. Functional improvements are associated with improved ability to change and implementation, disease acceptance, and satisfaction.
SemDiff: Analysis and recommendation support for API evolution

As a framework evolves, changes in its Application Programming Interface (API) can break client programs that extend the framework. Repairing a client program can be a challenging task because developers need to understand the context surrounding the API change. This paper describes SemDiff, a tool that recommends replacements for framework methods that were accessed by a client program and deleted during the evolution of the framework. SemDiff recommends replacements for non-trivial changes undiscovered by other change-detection techniques and also enables developers to look at the context of the changes that led to the deletion of a framework method.
Expression and Cellular Localization of Classic NADPH Oxidase Subunits in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat Kidney

Phagocytes generate superoxide anion (O2−) by a classic, 5-component NADPH oxidase. O2− contributes to hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that NADPH oxidase expression is enhanced in the SHR kidney. We also analyzed the localization of NADPH oxidase components in SHR kidney. Renal NADPH oxidase was quantified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting and was localized in SHR and Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY) kidney by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA for 5 subunits of phagocyte NADPH oxidase, and also for MOX1 and RENOX (NOX4), was detected in adult rat kidney. Kidneys of adult (10 weeks old) SHR had a significantly (P <0.01) greater mRNA for p47phox (SHR 0.81±0.05 versus WKY 0.37±0.01, arbitrary unit), which was confirmed by Western blotting (SHR 0.58±0.04 versus WKY 0.42±0.04, arbitrary unit;P <0.05) and by immunohistochemistry. This higher p47phox protein expression was also detected in young prehypertensive SHR (SHR 0.61±0.05 versus WKY 0.39±0.04, arbitrary unit;P <0.01). The 10-week-old SHR contained more modest but significantly (P <0.05) greater protein for p67phox (SHR 0.54±0.02 versus WKY 0.46±0.02). Immunostaining localized p47phox, p67phox, and p22phox in vasculature, macula densa, distal convoluted tubule, cortical collecting duct, and outer and inner medullary collecting ducts. The kidney of SHR expresses genes for all the main components of phagocyte NADPH oxidase, RENOX, and MOX1. There is a prominent increase in the SHR kidney of the mRNA, and protein expression of p47phox in the vasculature, macula densa, and distal nephron, which precedes development of hypertension.
Parameter estimation techniques for a class of nonlinear hysteresis models

This paper addresses the development of parameter estimation techniques for a class of models used to characterize hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities inherent to ferroelectric, ferromagnetic and ferroelastic materials employed in a wide range of actuators and sensors. These models are formulated as integral equations with known kernels and unknown densities to be identified through least-squares techniques. Due to the compactness of the integral operators, the resulting discretized models inherit ill-posedness which must be accommodated through regularization. The accuracy of regularized finite-dimensional models is illustrated through comparison with experimental data.
Superposition coding for side-information channels

We present simple, practical codes designed for the binary and Gaussian dirty-paper channels. We show that the dirty-paper decoding problem can be transformed into an equivalent multiple-access decoding problem, for which we apply superposition coding. Our concept is a generalization of the nested lattices approach of Zamir, Shamai, and Erez. In a theoretical setting, our constructions are capable of achieving capacity using random component codes and maximum-likelihood decoding. We also present practical implementations of the constructions, and simulation results for both dirty-paper channels. Our results for the Gaussian dirty-paper channel are on par with the best known results for nested lattices. We discuss the binary dirty- tape channel, for which we present a simple, effective coding technique. Finally, we propose a framework for extending our approach to general Gel'fand-Pinsker channels.
Molecular assessment of histopathological staging in squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND Surgical oncologists rely heavily on the histopathological assessment of surgical margins to ensure total excision of the tumor in patients with head and neck cancer. However, current techniques may not detect small numbers of cancer cells at the margins of resection or in cervical lymph nodes. METHODS We used molecular techniques to determine whether clonal populations of infiltrating tumor cells harboring mutations of the p53 gene could be detected in histopathologically negative surgical margins and cervical lymph nodes of patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. RESULTS We identified 25 patients with primary squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck containing a p53 mutation who appeared to have had complete tumor resection on the basis of a negative histopathological assessment. In 13 of these 25 patients, molecular analysis was positive for a p53 mutation in at least one tumor margin. In 5 of 13 patients with positive margins by this method (38 percent), the carcinoma has recurred locally, as compared with none of 12 patients with negative margins (P = 0.02 by the log-rank test). Furthermore, molecular analysis identified neoplastic cells in 6 of 28 lymph nodes (21 percent) that were initially negative by histopathological assessment. CONCLUSIONS Among specimens initially believed to be negative by light microscopy, a substantial percentage of the surgical margins and lymph nodes from patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck contained p53 mutations specific for the primary tumor. Patients with these positive margins appear to have a substantially increased risk of local recurrence. Molecular analysis of surgical margins and lymph nodes can augment standard histopathological assessment and may improve the prediction of local tumor recurrence.
Leaf Area Index, Biomass Carbon and Growth Rate of Radiata Pine Genetic Types and Relationships with LiDAR

Relationships between discrete-return light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data and radiata pine leaf area index (LAI), stem volume, above ground carbon, and carbon sequestration were developed using 10 plots with directly measured biomass and leaf area data, and 36 plots with modelled carbon data. The plots included a range of genetic types established on north- and south-facing aspects. Modelled carbon was highly correlated with directly measured crown, stem, and above ground biomass data, with r = 0.92, 0.97 and 0.98, respectively. LiDAR canopy percentile height (P30) and cover, based on all returns above 0.5 m, explained 81, 88, and 93% of the variation in directly measured crown, stem, and above ground live carbon and 75, 89 and 88% of the modelled carbon, respectively. LAI (all surfaces) ranged between 8.8-19.1 in the 10 plots measured at age 9 years. The difference in canopy percentile heights (P95-P30) and cover based on first returns explained 80% of the variation in total LAI. Periodic mean annual increments in stem volume, above ground live carbon, and total carbon between ages 9 and 13 years were significantly related to (P95-P30), with regression models explaining 56, 58, and 55%, respectively, of the variation in growth rate per plot. When plot aspect and genetic type were included with (P95-P30), the R 2 of the regression models for stem volume,
A Comparison of Parametric and Sample-Based Message Representation in Cooperative Localization

Location awareness is a key enabling feature and fundamental challenge in present and future wireless networks. Most existing localization methods rely on existing infrastructure and thus lack the flexibility and robustness necessary for large ad hoc networks. In this paper, we build upon SPAWN (sum-product algorithm over a wireless network), which determines node locations through iterative message passing, but does so at a high computational cost. We compare different message representations for SPAWN in terms of performance and complexity and investigate several types of cooperation based on censoring. Our results, based on experimental data with ultra-wideband (UWB) nodes, indicate that parametric message representation combined with simple censoring can give excellent performance at relatively low complexity.
The Surface Viscosities and the Foamines of Molten Oxides

Viscosities of melts in the systems, Na2O-P2O5, BaO-B2O3, Na2O-B2O3 and Na2O-SiO2 were measured at 1000°C on the surface as well as in the bulk phase by using a modified rotating viscometer. For some melts, it was found that the viscosity on the surfaces is higher than that in the bulk phase. The highly viscous layer on the surface suggests that concentration of surface active component such as B2O3 in the system BaO-B2O3 is higher on the surface than in the bulk phase. Foaminess of the melts was also measured. It is concluded that higher viscosity of the melt itself is important, but not enough to stabilize the foam, and higher surface tension depression by the melt composition is also required.
Synthesis and properties of turbostratically disordered, ultrathin WSe 2 films

Turbostratically disordered tungsten diselenide (WSe2) thin films with as few as two c-axis-oriented (basal plane) structural units were synthesized from modulated elemental reactants. By varying the number of elemental W−Se bilayers deposited, the thickness could be controllably varied from two to eighty such structural units. The sample roughness decreases with increasing annealing time and temperature as the crystalline WSe2 basal plane units self-assemble from the amorphous precursors. Low-angle X-ray diffraction data show that the thickness of the WSe2 films is highly uniform after annealing, with estimated roughness of less than 0.2 nm, and highly oriented, with the c axis of the structural units oriented within 0.1° of the substrate normal as determined from rocking curves of the specular 00L-type diffraction peaks. Pole figures of hk0-type reflections indicate that c-axis-oriented basal plane structural units are randomly oriented within the a-b plane. The widths of diffraction peaks of type hk0, .