Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anatomic variation of palmaris longus and flexor digitorum superficialis of little finger in Indian population

Introduction: Palmaris longus and flexor digitorum superficialis of the little finger are highly variable anatomically. The tendons vary in different parts of the globe and different regions of the same country. Many studies have negated an association between the tendons. However, most of the studies have a sample size of less than 500 subjects. Aims and objectives: The aim was to study the tendons in the Indian population and study the association, if any between the tendons and to test functional significance of the tendons using the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. Methods and material: It was a single centre cross-sectional study with a sample size of 1500 in the age group of 20–60 years. The subjects were tested for the presence of the tendons and their functionality was assessed by Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. The data was tabulated and was assessed using SPSS 13.0 software. Results: Palmaris longus was bilaterally absent in 10.9% and flexor digitorum superficialis of the little finger was bilaterally absent in 42% of the cases. There was a statistically significant association between the tendons when considered bilaterally. The tendons did not have any bearing on the functionality as assessed by the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. Conclusions: There is significant variability in the palmaris longus and flexor digitorum superficialis tendon to the little finger not only in the different countries but in different regions of the same country. However despite the various clinical and medicolegal aspects concerning both the tendons, they do not have much bearing on the functionality of the hand.
Adult Cardiac Progenitor Cell Aggregates Exhibit Survival Benefit Both In Vitro and In Vivo

Background A major hurdle in the use of exogenous stems cells for therapeutic regeneration of injured myocardium remains the poor survival of implanted cells. To date, the delivery of stem cells into myocardium has largely focused on implantation of cell suspensions. Methodology and Principal Findings We hypothesize that delivering progenitor cells in an aggregate form would serve to mimic the endogenous state with proper cell-cell contact, and may aid the survival of implanted cells. Microwell methodologies allow for the culture of homogenous 3D cell aggregates, thereby allowing cell-cell contact. In this study, we find that the culture of cardiac progenitor cells in a 3D cell aggregate augments cell survival and protects against cellular toxins and stressors, including hydrogen peroxide and anoxia/reoxygenation induced cell death. Moreover, using a murine model of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury, we find that delivery of cardiac progenitor cells in the form of 3D aggregates improved in vivo survival of implanted cells. Conclusion Collectively, our data support the notion that growth in 3D cellular systems and maintenance of cell-cell contact improves exogenous cell survival following delivery into myocardium. These approaches may serve as a strategy to improve cardiovascular cell-based therapies.
Notch Lineages and Activity in Intestinal Stem Cells Determined by a New Set of Knock-In Mice

The conserved role of Notch signaling in controlling intestinal cell fate specification and homeostasis has been extensively studied. Nevertheless, the precise identity of the cells in which Notch signaling is active and the role of different Notch receptor paralogues in the intestine remain ambiguous, due to the lack of reliable tools to investigate Notch expression and function in vivo. We generated a new series of transgenic mice that allowed us, by lineage analysis, to formally prove that Notch1 and Notch2 are specifically expressed in crypt stem cells. In addition, a novel Notch reporter mouse, Hes1-EmGFPSAT, demonstrated exclusive Notch activity in crypt stem cells and absorptive progenitors. This roster of knock-in and reporter mice represents a valuable resource to functionally explore the Notch pathway in vivo in virtually all tissues.
Consensus value of multi-agent networked systems with time-delay

In this paper, we investigate two classes of consensus protocols for networked multi-agent systems: linear time-invariant (LTI) systems and linear time-delay systems. Based on the topology of multi-agent systems, the first-order integrator model is developed. The digraph (directed graph) is employed to show the topology of networked systems, and then a consensus convergence criterion is established. For LTI systems, we prove that their consensus value will converge globally asymptotically to the convex hull of initial states. By solving a set of linear equations, we get the convex combinations of equilibria, and we obtain the convex value of continuous system. If the topology is fixed and time-invariant, the consensus value of the linear time-delay system is also the convex hull of the initial states and is identical to the LTI system. Finally, a network of six agents is presented to show the effectiveness of the results of this paper.
The diameter of a random Cayley graph of ℤ q

Abstract Consider the Cayley graph of the cyclic group of prime order q with k uniformly chosen generators. For fixed k, we prove that the diameter of said graph is asymptotically (in q) of order . This answers a question of Benjamini. The same also holds when the generating set is taken to be a symmetric set of size 2k.
Activation and Desensitization of Hippocampal Kainate Receptors

We have used whole-cell recordings and rapid agonist applications to characterize the physiological properties of kainate receptors expressed by rat hippocampal neurons in dissociated cell culture. Activation of NMDA and AMPA receptors was prevented by inclusion of the noncompetitive antagonists MK-801 (2 μm) and GYKI 53655 (100 μm), respectively. In the presence of these inhibitors, both kainate (EC50 = 23 μm) and glutamate (EC50 = 310 μm) evoked desensitizing currents. Maximal peak currents for kainate with GYKI 53655 were 15 ± 3% as large as in control solutions without GYKI. In contrast to currents mediated by AMPA receptors, kainate currents recorded in GYKI were blocked potently by lanthanum (IC50 = 2 μm) and were desensitized by 1 μm 2S,4R-4-methylglutamate (SYM 2081). Coapplication of either 5 μm AMPA or 500 μm aspartate had little effect on responses to kainate, although AMPA alone elicited current at 1 mm. In most cells, the currents evoked by kainate, glutamate, and SYM 2081 varied linearly with membrane potential and reversed near 0 mV. Kainate elicited substantial current at steady state (∼30% of peak), whereas responses to glutamate and SYM 2081 desensitized almost completely within 0.2–2 sec. Inhibition produced by a 10 sec desensitizing prepulse was half-maximal at 0.22 μm for SYM 2081 and 13 μm for glutamate. Recovery from desensitization to kainate and glutamate was >80% complete within 60 sec but was three- to fourfold slower after exposure to SYM 2081. Exposure to Concanavalin A blocked desensitization of the currents but also reduced the peak current amplitudes. Collectively, these results confirm that kainate-preferring receptors underlie the currents evoked by kainate, glutamate, or SYM-2081 in the presence of GYKI 53655; they are not mediated by electrogenic transport or by AMPA-preferring receptors that are insensitive to GYKI. In contrast to previous work on embryonic hippocampal neurons, our results show that the properties of kainate receptors expressed by cells from older animals are distinct from those displayed by homomeric assemblies of the GluR6 subunit.
Signaling and Contract Choice in After-Sales Service

Prior studies on performance-based contracting (PBC) for after-sales services have highlighted its ability to better align incentives and thereby deliver win-win outcomes relative to traditional resource-based contracting (RBC), when product reliability is known to all parties. However, it is unclear whether the same benefit exists for newly developed products whose reliability is unknown to buyers. To investigate this, we develop a game-theoretic model to examine how RBC and PBC can be used by a vendor to signal the reliability of a new product. A novel feature of our model is the interaction between the vendor’s private information and private action, which arises naturally in the product support service setting since the vendor can compensate for imperfect reliability by investing in spares inventory, thereby affecting her ability to signal quality. We find that, from the vendor’s perspective, PBC is a superior signaling device that allows greater rent extraction. However, neither PBC nor RBC is efficient; PBC induces overinvestment in inventory, whereas RBC leads to underinvestment. Making inventory contractible brings about efficiency under both contracts. However, rent extraction is still limited under RBC, which leaves the buyer better off than under PBC. We also find that the inventory pooling strategy should be used with caution in this environment, since it increases the signaling cost such that all gains from pooling may be negated.
Diagnostic Algorithm for Glycogenoses and Myoadenylate Deaminase Deficiency Based on Exercise Testing Parameters: A Prospective Study

Aim Our aim was to evaluate the accuracy of aerobic exercise testing to diagnose metabolic myopathies. Methods From December 2008 to September 2012, all the consecutive patients that underwent both metabolic exercise testing and a muscle biopsy were prospectively enrolled. Subjects performed an incremental and maximal exercise testing on a cycle ergometer. Lactate, pyruvate, and ammonia concentrations were determined from venous blood samples drawn at rest, during exercise (50% predicted maximal power, peak exercise), and recovery (2, 5, 10, and 15 min). Biopsies from vastus lateralis or deltoid muscles were analysed using standard techniques (reference test). Myoadenylate deaminase (MAD) activity was determined using p-nitro blue tetrazolium staining in muscle cryostat sections. Glycogen storage was assessed using periodic acid-Schiff staining. The diagnostic accuracy of plasma metabolite levels to identify absent and decreased MAD activity was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results The study involved 51 patients. Omitting patients with glycogenoses (n = 3), MAD staining was absent in 5, decreased in 6, and normal in 37 subjects. Lactate/pyruvate at the 10th minute of recovery provided the greatest area under the ROC curves (AUC, 0.893 ± 0.067) to differentiate Abnormal from Normal MAD activity. The lactate/rest ratio at the 10th minute of recovery from exercise displayed the best AUC (1.0) for discriminating between Decreased and Absent MAD activities. The resulting decision tree achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 86.3%. Conclusion The present algorithm provides a non-invasive test to accurately predict absent and decreased MAD activity, facilitating the selection of patients for muscle biopsy and target appropriate histochemical analysis.
Treatment of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis with etanercept.

An otherwise healthy 46-year-old man presented with a 1-year history of an ill-defined acral eruption that had evolved over several weeks into reddish-brown papules and nodules, together with a progressive inflammatory polyarthritis. Skin lesions ranging from several millimeters to several centimeters in diameter were present on the dorsal and palmar aspects of the hands (Figure 1) and on the forearms, extensor elbows, chest, paranasal face, neck, pinnae, and scalp. A skin biopsy revealed an intradermal infiltrate composed predominantly of histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells. Many of the cells had abundant “ground glass” cytoplasm with fine periodic acid-Schiff–positive granules (Figure 2). There was severe stiffness, pain, and swelling associated with bilateral synovitis of the metacarpophalangeal joints, distal and proximal interphalangeal joints, wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles, and forefeet. Laboratoryvalues, includingcompletebloodcellcount, general chemistry panel, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor, and antinuclear antibodies were within normal limits except for an elevated total cholesterol level of262mg/dL(6.80mmol/L). The test result forperinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies was positive but no titer was reported and antibodies to myeloperoxidase were not obtained. A chest radiograph was unremarkable. The patient was diagnosed with multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH) and initially managed with 20 mg of methotrexate weekly and 20 to 40 mg of prednisone daily for 2 months. Hydroxychloroquine was added to this regimen for 7 months with little benefit. Subsequent treatment with chlorambucil and prednisone for 3 months was accompanied by a worsening of the skin and joint disease. Radiographs taken 2 years after disease onset revealed erosive articular damage in the hands (Figure 3) and right hip. Combination therapy with cyclophosphamide (up to 200 mg daily), methotrexate (up to 25 mg weekly), and prednisone (20 mg daily) resulted in gradual improvement of only the skin eruption over 8 months, but cyclophosphamide was discontinued after the onset of gross hematuria. THERAPEUTIC CHALLENGE
Statistical language modeling using the CMU-cambridge toolkit

The CMU Statistical Language Modeling toolkit was released in 1994 in order to facilitate the construction and testing of bigram and trigram language models. It is currently in use in over 40 academic, government and industrial laboratories in over 12 countries. This paper presents a new version of the toolkit. We outline the conventional language modeling technology, as implemented in the toolkit, and describe the extra e(cid:14)ciency and functionality that the new toolkit provides as compared to previous software for this task. Finally, we give an example of the use of the toolkit in constructing and testing a simple language model.
Nonlocal gravity with a Weyl-square term

Recent work has shown that modifications of General Relativity based on the addition to the action of a non-local term $R\,\Box^{-2}R$, or on the addition to the equations of motion of a term involving $(g_{\mu\nu}\Box^{-1} R)$, produce dynamical models of dark energy which are cosmologically viable both at the background level and at the level of cosmological perturbations. We explore a more general class of models based on the addition to the action of terms proportional to $R_{\mu\nu}\,\Box^{-2}R^{\mu\nu}$ and $C_{\mu\nu\rho\sigma}\, \Box^{-2}C^{\mu\nu\rho\sigma}$, where $C_{\mu\nu\rho\sigma}$ is the Weyl tensor. We find that the term $R_{\mu\nu}\,\Box^{-2}R^{\mu\nu}$ does not give a viable background evolution. The non-local Weyl-square term, in contrast, does not contribute to the background evolution but we find that, at the level of cosmological perturbations, it gives instabilities in the tensor sector. Thus, only non-local terms which depend just on the Ricci scalar $R$ appear to be cosmologically viable. We discuss how these results can provide a hint for the mechanism that might generate these effective non-local terms from a fundamental local theory.
Connections of Grasping and Horizontal Hand Movements with Articulation in Czech Speakers

We have recently shown in Finnish speakers that articulation of certain vowels and consonants has a systematic influence on simultaneous grasp actions as well as on forward and backward hand movements. Here we studied whether these effects generalize to another language, namely Czech. We reasoned that if the results generalized to another language environment, it would suggest that the effects arise through other processes than language-dependent semantic associations. Rather, the effects would be likely to arise through language-independent interactions between processes that plan articulatory gestures and hand movements. Participants were presented with visual stimuli specifying articulations to be uttered (e.g., A or I), and they were required to produce a manual response concurrently with the articulation. In Experiment 1 they responded with a precision or a power grip, whereas in Experiment 2 they responded with a forward or a backward hand movement. The grip congruency effect was fully replicated: the consonant [k] and the vowel [α] were associated with power grip responses, while the consonant [t] and the vowel [i] were associated with precision grip responses. The forward/backward congruency effect was replicated with vowels [α], [o], which were associated with backward movement and with [i], which was associated with forward movement, but not with consonants [k] and [t]. These findings suggest that the congruency effects mostly reflect interaction between processes that plan articulatory gestures and hand movements with an exception that the forward/backward congruency effect might only work with vowel articulation.
How do People with Disability Use and Experience Virtual Worlds and ICT: A Literature Review

Normal 0 21 false false false NO-BOK X-NONE X-NONE There is wide agreement that information and communication technology (ICT) is a valuable tool for people with disability. Several research disciplines have focused on how people with disability can take advantage of the technology available for social, educational and personal purposes. Virtual worlds represent the latest addition to the technologies available, yet there is little research on how people with disability use and experience virtual worlds. A review of research conducted in different disciplines on the affordances and challenges of virtual worlds and ICT for people with disability is presented here. The main objective was to highlight areas that lack sufficient research in the field of virtual worlds for people with disability. Understanding how use of ICT influences people with disability is important to identify the possibilities and challenges virtual worlds offer to this group. Findings from this study indicate that there is little empirical research exploring the social aspects, work opportunities and personal value virtual worlds may offer people with disability. The research reviewed points to the importance of bringing research disciplines together to accelerate knowledge about the potential and promises of virtual worlds for people with disability.
Experience as a factor in L 2 phonological acquisition

This paper discusses the question of the effect of experience in the use of a second language (L2) as a factor in the acquisition of L2 phonology. In a recent study of the acquisition of the Swedish quantity contrast a considerable inter-subject variability in the ability to produce and perceive this aspect of the L2 could be observed. The possibility that this variability could be due to variation in language experience is discussed in light of recently obtained results.
Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Basic Equations and Discretization Chapter 3 Semi-lagrangian Formulation References Ifs Documentation – Cy36r1 1

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Decision feedback recurrent neural equalization with fast convergence rate

Real-time recurrent learning (RTRL), commonly employed for training a fully connected recurrent neural network (RNN), has a drawback of slow convergence rate. In the light of this deficiency, a decision feedback recurrent neural equalizer (DFRNE) using the RTRL requires long training sequences to achieve good performance. In this paper, extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithms based on the RTRL for the DFRNE are presented in state-space formulation of the system, in particular for complex-valued signal processing. The main features of global EKF and decoupled EKF algorithms are fast convergence and good tracking performance. Through nonlinear channel equalization, performance of the DFRNE with the EKF algorithms is evaluated and compared with that of the DFRNE with the RTRL.
Deducing the Lifetime of Short Gamma-Ray Burst Progenitors from Host Galaxy Demography

The frequency of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in galaxies with distinct star formation histories can be used to constrain the lifetime of the progenitor systems. As an illustration, we consider here the constraints that can be derived from separating the host galaxies into early and late types. On average, early-type galaxies have their stars formed earlier than late-type galaxies, and this difference, together with the time delay between progenitor formation and short GRB outburst, leads to different burst rates in the two types of hosts. Presently available data suggest, but do not yet prove, that the local short GRB rate in early-type galaxies may be comparable to that in late-type galaxies. This suggests that, unlike Type Ia supernovae, at least half of the short GRB progenitors that can outburst within a Hubble time have lifetimes greater than about 7 Gyr. Models of the probability distribution of time delays, here parameterized as P(τ) ∝ τn, with n ≳ -1 are favored. This apparent long time delay and the fact that early-type galaxies in clusters make a substantial contribution to the local stellar mass inventory can explain the observed preponderance of short GRBs in galaxy clusters.
A new algorithm for solving cross-coupled algebraic Riccati equations of singularly perturbed Nash games

In this paper, we study the linear quadratic Nash games for infinite horizon singularly perturbed systems. In order to solve the problem, we must solve a pair of cross-coupled algebraic Riccati equations with a small positive parameter /spl epsi/. As a matter of fact, we propose a new algorithm, which combines Lyapunov iterations and the generalized Lyapunov equation direct method, to solve the cross-coupled algebraic Riccati equations. The new algorithm ensures that the solution of the cross-coupled algebraic Riccati equations converges to a positive semidefinite stabilizing solution. Furthermore, in order to solve the cross-coupled algebraic Riccati equations, we propose a new Riccati iterations method different from existing method. As another important feature of this paper, our method is applicable to both standard and nonstandard singularly perturbed systems.