Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental Study of Split-Path Transmission Load Sharing.

Abstract : Split path transmissions are promising, attractive alternatives to the common planetary transmissions for helicopters. The split path design offers two parallel paths for transmitting torque from the engine to the rotor. Ideally, the transmitted torque is shared equally between the two load paths; however, because of manufacturing tolerances, the design must be sized to allow for other than equal load sharing. To study the effect of tolerances, experiments were conducted using the NASA split-path test gearbox. Two gearboxes, nominally identical except for manufacturing tolerances, were tested. The clocking angle was considered to be a design parameter and used to adjust the load sharing of an otherwise fixed design. The torque carried in each path was measured for a matrix of input torques and clocking angles. The data were used to determine the optimal value and a tolerance for the clocking angles such that the most heavily loaded split path carried no greater than 53 percent of an input shaft torque of 367 N-m. The range of clocking angles satisfying this condition was -0.0012 + or - 0.0007 rad for box I and 0.0023 + or - 0.0009 rad for box 2. This study indIcates that split-path gearboxes can be used successfully in rotorcraft and can be manufactured with existing technology.
Aberrant learning in Parkinson's disease: A neurocomputational study on bradykinesia

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive decline in motor functions, such as bradykinesia, caused by the pathological denervation of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons within the basal ganglia (BG). It is acknowledged that dopamine (DA) directly affects the modulatory role of BG towards the cortex. However, a growing body of literature is suggesting that DA‐induced aberrant synaptic plasticity could play a role in the core symptoms of PD, thus recalling for a “reconceptualization” of the pathophysiology. The aim of this work was to investigate DA‐driven aberrant learning as a concurrent cause of bradykinesia, using a comprehensive, biologically inspired neurocomputational model of action selection in the BG. The model includes the three main pathways operating in the BG circuitry, that is the direct, indirect and hyperdirect pathways, and use a two‐term Hebb rule to train synapses in the striatum, based on previous history of rewards and punishments. Levodopa pharmacodynamics is also incorporated. Through model simulations of the Alternate Finger Tapping motor task, we assessed the role of aberrant learning on bradykinesia. The results show that training under drug medication (levodopa) provides not only immediate but also delayed benefit lasting in time. Conversely, if performed in conditions of vanishing levodopa efficacy, training may result in dysfunctional corticostriatal synaptic plasticity, further worsening motor performances in PD subjects. This suggests that bradykinesia may result from the concurrent effects of low DA levels and dysfunctional plasticity and that training can be exploited in medicated subjects to improve levodopa treatment.
Beighton Scores for Healthy Infants at the Age of Three Months

Objective: To investigate the incidence of hypermobility in infants at the age of three months. Method: Eighty-one healthy infants aged three months were examined using the Beighton score. The spine was excluded for practical reasons; due to this the highest possible Beighton score for the participants in this study was 8. Also ankle dorsiflexion and the big toe were examined. Results: The mean score on the Beighton scale was 2.7; median was 2.0 and the range was 0 to 6. Almost half of the infants scored at least 4 on the Beighton scale. T test showed no gender difference. Neither was there any difference between right and left sides. Conclusions: Infants at the age of three months have high mobility in the distal joints, ankle dorsiflexion, thumb and little finger. It is rare to find hypermobility in elbows and knees at this age.
Sparse Deep Transfer Learning for Convolutional Neural Network

Extensive studies have demonstrated that the representations of convolutional neural networks (CNN), which are learned from a large-scale data set in the source domain, can be effectively transferred to a new target domain. However, compared to the source domain, the target domain often has limited data in practice. In this case, overfitting may significantly depress transferability, due to the model redundancy of the intensive CNN structures. To deal with this difficulty, we propose a novel sparse deep transfer learning approach for CNN. There are three main contributions in this work. First, we introduce a Sparse-SourceNet to reduce the redundancy in the source domain. Second, we introduce a Hybrid-TransferNet to improve the generalization ability and the prediction accuracy of transfer learning, by taking advantage of both model sparsity and implicit knowledge. Third, we introduce a Sparse-TargetNet, where we prune our Hybrid-TransferNet to obtain a highly-compact, source-knowledge-integrated CNN in the target domain. To examine the effectiveness of our methods, we perform our sparse deep transfer learning approach on a number of benchmark transfer learning tasks. The results show that, compared to the standard fine-tuning approach, our proposed approach achieves a significant pruning rate on CNN while improves the accuracy of transfer learning.
Male students’ perceptions about gender imbalances in a speech-language pathology and audiology training programme of a South African institution of higher education

Background The professions of speech-language pathology and audiology (SLPA) are characterised by occupational gender segregation. Reasons given by men are a lack of awareness of SLPA; a perception of poor salaries; a perception of poor working conditions; a stereotype that the profession is a female occupation; and a perception that working with children is feminine. Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the perceptions of male students in a specific SLPA training programme regarding gender imbalances. The objectives were to describe the influences of gender on the career orientation of students, the factors shaping students’ career choices and the experiences of students during their undergraduate training. Method This study followed a quantitative descriptive survey design. Thirty-one conveniently sampled male SLPA students, across different years of study, completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results Participants indicated that they did not believe in the gendered nature of occupations and that SLPA are not ‘female only’ professions. They (65%) recorded that they considered salary and career prospects for choosing a career, and 74% specified that they chose SLPA because of a desire to help people. The perception of male students regarding their training appears to be positive as participants are comfortable with the clinical (71%) and learning (77%) activities. However, barriers were reported and some lecture information may be more obvious or applicable to female students. A need was identified to address the issue of working alone with paediatric clients and pertains to the societal awareness regarding sexual harassment of children, which may impact spontaneity in engagements. Conclusion The recruitment of male students should be prioritised to better reflect the client population served by the professions. Recommendations include career counselling in rural schools, recruitment campaigns to identify interested students, public awareness regarding the professions and guidance regarding working with paediatric clients.
Long-term effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill: sea otter foraging in the intertidal as a pathway of exposure to lingering oil

The protracted recovery of some bird and mammal populations in western Prince William Sound (WPWS), Alaska, and the persistence of spilled 'Exxon Valdez' oil in intertidal sed- iments, suggests a pathway of exposure to consumers that occupy nearshore habitats. To evaluate the hypothesis that sea otter (Enhydra lutris) foraging allows access to lingering oil, we contrast spatial relations between foraging behavior and documented oil distribution. We recovered archival time-depth recorders implanted in 19 sea otters in WPWS, where lingering oil and de - layed ecosystem recovery are well documented. Sea otter foraging dives ranged from +2.7 to �92 m below sea level (MLLW), with intertidal accounting for 5 to 38% of all foraging. On average, female sea otters made 16 050 intertidal dives per year and 18% of these dives were at depths above the +0.80 m tidal elevation. Males made 4100 intertidal dives per year and 26% of intertidal foraging took place at depths above the +0.80 m tidal elevation. Estimated annual oil encounter rates ranged from 2 to 24 times yr �1 for females, and 2 to 4 times yr �1 for males. Exposure rates increased in spring when intertidal foraging doubled and females were with small pups. In sum- mer 2008, we found sea otter foraging pits on 13.5 of 24.8 km of intertidal shoreline surveyed. Most pits (82%) were within 0.5 m of the zero tidal elevation and 15% were above 0.5 m, the level above which most (65%) lingering oil remains. In August 2008, we detected oil above background concentrations in 18 of 41 (44%) pits excavated by sea otters on beaches with prior evidence of oil- ing, with total PAH concentrations up to 56 000 ng g �1 dry weight. Our estimates of intertidal for- aging, the widespread presence of foraging pits in the intertidal, and the presence of oil in and near sea otter foraging pits documents a pathway of exposure from lingering intertidal oil to sea otters foraging in WPWS.
Prevalence of Hearing Impairment in Mahabubnagar District, Telangana State, India

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of hearing impairment in Mahabubnagar district, Telangana state, India. Methods: A population-based prevalence survey of hearing impairment was undertaken in 2014. Fifty-one clusters of 80 people aged 6 months and older were selected using probability-proportionate-to-size sampling. A two-stage hearing screening was conducted using otoacoustic emissions on all participants followed by pure-tone audiometry on those aged 4 years and older who failed otoacoustic emissions. Cases of hearing impairment were defined using the World Health Organization definition of disabling hearing impairment: a pure-tone average of thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz of ≥41 dB HL for adults and ≥31 dB HL for children based on the better ear. Possible causes of hearing impairment were ascertained by a certified audiologist. Reported hearing difficulties were also measured in this survey and compared with audiometry results. Results: Three thousand five hundred seventy-three people were examined (response rate 87%), of whom 52% were female. The prevalence of disabling hearing impairment was 4.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.8 to 5.3). Disabling hearing impairment prevalence increased with age from 0.4% in those aged 4 to 17 years (95% CI = 0.2 to 1.1) to 34.7% (95% CI = 28.7 to 41.1) in those aged older than 65 years. No difference in prevalence was seen by sex. Ear examination suggested that the possible cause of disabling hearing impairment was chronic suppurative otitis media for 6.9% of cases and dry perforation for 5.6% cases. For the vast majority of people with disabling hearing impairment, a possible cause could not be established. The overall prevalence of reported or proxy reported hearing impairment was 2.6% (95% CI = 2.0 to 3.4), and this ranged from 0.6% (95% CI = 0.08 to 4.4) in those aged 0 to 3 years to 14.4% (95% CI = 9.8 to 20.7) in those aged older than 65 years. Conclusions: Disabling hearing impairment in Telangana State is common, affecting approximately 1 in 23 people overall and a third of people aged older than 65 years. These findings suggest that there are a substantial number of individuals with hearing impairment who could potentially benefit from improved access to low-cost interventions.
Diagnostic Performance of Intestinal Fusobacterium nucleatum in Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Increasing evidence has supported the link of intestinal Fusobacterium nucleatum infection to colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the value of F. nucleatum as a biomarker in CRC detection has not been fully defined. In order to reduce the random error and bias of individual research, this meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of intestinal F. nucleatum in CRC patients and provide evidence-based data to clinical practice. Methods: An article search was performed from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases up to December 2017, using the following key words: “Fusobacterium nucleatum”, ”Fusobacterium spp. ”, ”Fn”, “colorectal cancer(s)”, “colorectal carcinoma(s)”, “colorectal neoplasm(s)”, and “colorectal tumor(s)”. Articles on relationships between F. nucleatum and CRC were selected according to the preestablished inclusion and exclusion criteria. This meta-analysis was performed using STATA 12.0 software, which included mapping of forest plots, heterogeneity tests, meta-regression, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR), negative LR, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of each eligible study were summarized. Results: Finally, data for 1198 participants (629 CRC and 569 healthy controls) in 10 controlled studies from seven articles were included. The summary receiver operator characteristic curve was mapped. The diagnostic performance of intestinal F. nucleatum infection on CRC was as follows: the area under the curve: 0.86 (95% CI: 0.83–0.89), the pooled sensitivity: 0.81 (95% CI: 0.64–0.91), specificity: 0.77 (95% CI: 0.59–0.89), and DOR: 14.00 (95% CI: 9.00–22.00). Conclusion: Intestinal F. nucleatum is a valuable marker for CRC diagnosis.
An Efficient Approach to Model-Based Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning

We propose a model-based approach to hierarchical reinforcement learning that exploits shared knowledge and selective execution at different levels of abstraction, to efficiently solve large, complex problems. Our framework adopts a new transition dynamics learning algorithm that identifies the common action-feature combinations of the subtasks, and evaluates the subtask execution choices through simulation. The framework is sample efficient, and tolerates uncertain and incomplete problem characterization of the subtasks. We test the framework on common benchmark problems and complex simulated robotic environments. It compares favorably against the state-of-the-art algorithms, and scales well in very large problems.
Structure of xyloglucan xylosyltransferase 1 reveals simple steric rules that define biological patterns of xyloglucan polymers

Significance The recalcitrant nature of the plant cell wall presents a significant challenge in the industrial processing of biomass. Poor understanding of plant polysaccharide biosynthesis impedes efforts to engineer cell walls susceptible to efficient and unnatural pathways of degradation. Despite numerous genetic and in vitro studies of the xyloglucan xylosyltransferases (XXT1, XXT2, and XXT5), the specific roles of each in the xylosylation of the xyloglucan backbone is unclear. On the basis of steric constraints imposed by the active-site cleft of structures presented here, we propose a multienzyme complex capable of producing the xylosylation patterns of native xyloglucans. This model significantly extends our limited understanding of branched polysaccharide biosynthesis. The plant cell wall is primarily a polysaccharide mesh of the most abundant biopolymers on earth. Although one of the richest sources of biorenewable materials, the biosynthesis of the plant polysaccharides is poorly understood. Structures of many essential plant glycosyltransferases are unknown and suitable substrates are often unavailable for in vitro analysis. The dearth of such information impedes the development of plants better suited for industrial applications. Presented here are structures of Arabidopsis xyloglucan xylosyltransferase 1 (XXT1) without ligands and in complexes with UDP and cellohexaose. XXT1 initiates side-chain extensions from a linear glucan polymer by transferring the xylosyl group from UDP-xylose during xyloglucan biosynthesis. XXT1, a homodimer and member of the GT-A fold family of glycosyltransferases, binds UDP analogously to other GT-A fold enzymes. Structures here and the properties of mutant XXT1s are consistent with a SNi-like catalytic mechanism. Distinct from other systems is the recognition of cellohexaose by way of an extended cleft. The XXT1 dimer alone cannot produce xylosylation patterns observed for native xyloglucans because of steric constraints imposed by the acceptor binding cleft. Homology modeling of XXT2 and XXT5, the other two xylosyltransferases involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis, reveals a structurally altered cleft in XXT5 that could accommodate a partially xylosylated glucan chain produced by XXT1 and/or XXT2. An assembly of the three XXTs can produce the xylosylation patterns of native xyloglucans, suggesting the involvement of an organized multienzyme complex in the xyloglucan biosynthesis.
Four‐year follow‐up of a single arm, phase II clinical trial of ibrutinib with rituximab (IR) in patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)

Ibrutinib has shown significant activity in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (RR‐MCL). We report the long‐term outcome and safety profile of a single‐centre, single arm, open‐label, phase 2 study of RR‐MCL treated with IR. Overall, the median follow‐up time was 47 months (range 1–52 months), median duration on treatment was 16 months (range 1–53 months) and median number of treatment cycles was 17 (range 1–56). Twenty‐nine patients (58%) achieved complete remission and of these, 12 patients continue on study. Thirty‐eight patients discontinued treatment, 14 due to disease progression (2 transformed). Patients with blastoid morphology, high risk MCL International Prognostic Index score and high Ki67% had inferior survival. The commonest grade 1–2 toxicities were fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea, arthralgias and myalgias. None had long term toxicities. Median progression‐free survival was 43 months. Eighteen patients (36%) died (14 deaths were MCL‐related). The median overall survival has not been reached. Treatment with IR can provide durable remissions in a subset of patients with RR‐MCL, especially those with low Ki67%. The possible benefit of adding other therapies in combination with IR in RR‐MCL is under exploration.
Enhanced Suppressive Activity of Regulatory T Cells in the Microenvironment of Malignant Pleural Effusions

Cancer metastatic spread to serous cavity causes malignant pleural effusions (MPEs), indicating dismal prognosis. Tumor microenvironment can implement suppressive activity on host immune responses. Thus, we investigated the prevalence of Tregs and the relationship between them and TGF-β and IL-10 concentrations and measured expression of FOXP3, CTLA-4, CD28, and GITR genes, as well as protein expression of selected genes in benign effusions and MPEs. The percentage of Tregs was determined by means of multicolor flow cytometry system. TGF-β and IL-10 concentrations were measured using human TGF-β1 and IL-10 ELISA kit. Relative mRNA expression of studied genes was analyzed by real-time PCR. The frequency of Tregs was significantly higher in MPEs compared to benign effusions; however, the level of TGF-β and IL-10 in analyzed groups was comparable, and no correlation between concentrations of TGF-β and IL-10 and percentage of Tregs was observed. Relative mRNA expression of all the genes was higher in CD4+CD25+ compared to CD4+CD25− cells. In CD4+CD25+ cells from MPEs, relative mRNA expression of FOXP3, CTLA-4, and CD28 genes was significantly higher than in benign effusions; however, the level of CD4+CD25+CTLA-4+ cells in analyzed groups showed no significant differences. We found numerous genes correlations in an entire CD4+CD25+ cell subset and CD4+CD25+ cells from MPEs. Enhanced suppressive activity of Tregs is observed in the microenvironment of MPEs. Understanding of relations between cellular and cytokine immunosuppressive factors in tumor microenvironment may determine success of anticancer response.
Male circumcision for HIV prevention: female risk compensatory behaviour in South Africa

ABSTRACT South Africa promotes male circumcision (MC) as an HIV prevention method and implemented a national plan to scale-up MC in the country from 2012 to 2016. Literature has suggested that female risk compensatory behaviours (RCBs) are occurring in countries where these programmes have been implemented. Behaviours such as decreased condom use, concurrent sexual partners and sexual activity during the circumcision wound-healing period have the potential to jeopardise the campaigns’ objectives. Literature has shown that directly providing women with MC information results in correct knowledge however, previous studies have not directly sought women’s views and ideas on engagement with the information. This study aims to identify and explore female RCBs in relation to MC campaigns in South Africa, and to identify interventions that would result in greater female involvement in the campaigns. Snowball sampling was used to conduct twelve qualitative vignette-facilitated semi-structured interviews with women residing in a municipal housing estate in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Interviews were audio-recorded, verbatim transcribed and analysed using framework analysis. MC knowledge and understanding varied, with some participants mistaking MC as direct HIV protection for females. Despite a lack in knowledge, the majority of women did not report signs of RCBs. Even with a lack of evidence of RCBs, misinterpretation of the MC protective effect has the potential to lead to RCBs; a concept acknowledged in the literature. Several women expressed that MC campaigns are directed to males only and expressed a keenness to be more involved. Suggested interventions include couple counselling and female information sessions in community clinics. Exploring women’s attitude towards involvement in MC campaigns fills in a research knowledge gap that is important to international health, as women have a vital role to play in reducing the transmission of HIV.
Higher-Dimensional Potential Heuristics for Optimal Classical Planning

Potential heuristics for state-space search are defined as weighted sums over simple state features. Atomic features consider the value of a single state variable in a factored state representation, while binary features consider joint assignments to two state variables. Previous work showed that the set of all admissible and consistent potential heuristics using atomic features can be characterized by a compact set of linear constraints. We generalize this result to binary features and prove a hardness result for features of higher dimension. Furthermore, we prove a tractability result based on the treewidth of a new graphical structure we call the context-dependency graph. Finally, we study the relationship of potential heuristics to transition cost partitioning. Experimental results show that binary potential heuristics are significantly more informative than the previously considered atomic ones.