Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contrôle ventilatoire à l'exercice et en hypoxie : mise en évidence d'une périodicité constitutionnelle

L’instabilite de la ventilation est un phenomene connu chez l’homme. Elle etait jusqu’a present observee chez l’homme sain en altitude et chez les patients souffrant d’insuffisance cardiaque (IC) et de syndrome d’apnees du sommeil (SAS), d’origine centrale, obstructive ou mixte, le plus souvent pendant le sommeil. Une analyse spectrale retrospective de tests d’effort en hypoxie a mis a jour une instabilite ventilatoire lorsque le systeme de controle de la ventilation est soumis a une double contrainte, physiologique (exercice modere) et environnemental (hypoxie simulant une altitude de 2000 a 4800 m d’altitude). Des protocoles prospectifs ont correle positivement l’amplitude de ces oscillations de la ventilation au debit cardiaque (Qc) et au niveau de ventilation (VE), tandis que la periode est raccourcie lorsque VE et Qc augmentent. A l’oppose d’une periode des apnees d’environ 1 minute chez les patients IC et SAS, nos observations ont permis de mesurer la periode des oscillations ventilatoires a l’exercice et en hypoxie entre 11 et 12 secondes. Les sujets montrant une plus forte reponse ventilatoire a l’hypoxie et une sensibilite plus elevee au CO₂ exhibent une plus grande instabilite ventilatoire. L’hyperoxie et l’hypercapnie ont des effets opposes : alors que l’inhalation d’O₂ ne modifie pas la stabilite du systeme (vs normoxie), l’hypercapnie hyperoxique exacerbe le phenomene oscillatoire. Un traitement pharmacologique par acetazolamide (ACZ) ameliore la stabilite ventilatoire, appuyant ainsi, en regard des donnees precedentes, le role central des chemorecepteurs peripheriques dans la survenue des oscillations de la ventilation. Un modele mathematique du controle de la ventilation integrant, parmi de nombreux parametres cardiorespiratoires, les sensibilites a l’O₂ et au CO₂, et les interactions peripherique-central, confirme l’implication du niveau d’hypoxie et du delai de convection sanguine entre les poumons et les chemorecepteurs peripheriques dans la periode des oscillations. Il souligne egalement le role potentiel de l’espace mort dans la survenue de l’instabilite respiratoire.
Elite sport development systems and playing to win: uniformity and diversity in international approaches

This paper explores the former Eastern Bloc's (primarily the GDR and the Soviet Union) supremacy in developing elite sporting excellence and traces the ‘flow’ of elements of such systems to selected Western nation-states. The national elite sport development systems discussed in the West are: Europe (UK, France and Spain), North America (Canada, United States) and Australia. A tentative conceptualization of ‘centre’ (West) and ‘semi-periphery’ (Eastern Bloc) states is outlined in relation to these global sporting flows. Discussion focuses on whether we are currently witnessing a trend towards uniformity in (global) elite sport development systems, or whether room remains for diversity in the development of these systems in different countries. The methods employed for the generation of data include study visits and interviews with key personnel responsible for French, Spanish and UK elite sports institutes. In addition, a comprehensive review of secondary sources is employed to discuss the notion of a uniform, elite sport development model and the efficiency of different systems. Insights from the globalization and figurational/process sociology literature underpin our discussion of elite sport development systems in selected Western nation-states. Analysis of the data reveals that, in the development of elite sport systems in the West, many antecedents of the former Eastern Bloc's ‘managed approach’ to elite sport are increasingly apparent. A number of these antecedents are outlined that point to increasing similarities between countries in the West and to the putative emergence of a uniform (global) model of elite sport development. These similarities are analysed and provide evidence for best practice and ‘efficiency gains’ in Western elite sport systems. However, it has also been found that there remains a certain diversity to each country's elite sport development system: the United States – minimal government intervention; and France – sport as public service; are key examples of this phenomenon.
In vitro reconstitution and steady-state analysis of the fatty acid synthase from Escherichia coli

Microbial fatty acid derivatives are emerging as promising alternatives to fossil fuel derived transportation fuels. Among bacterial fatty acid synthases (FAS), the Escherichia coli FAS is perhaps the most well studied, but little is known about its steady-state kinetic behavior. Here we describe the reconstitution of E. coli FAS using purified protein components and report detailed kinetic analysis of this reconstituted system. When all ketosynthases are present at 1 μM, the maximum rate of free fatty acid synthesis of the FAS exceeded 100 μM/ min. The steady-state turnover frequency was not significantly inhibited at high concentrations of any substrate or cofactor. FAS activity was saturated with respect to most individual protein components when their concentrations exceeded 1 μM. The exceptions were FabI and FabZ, which increased FAS activity up to concentrations of 10 μM; FabH and FabF, which decreased FAS activity at concentrations higher than 1 μM; and holo-ACP and TesA, which gave maximum FAS activity at 30 μM concentrations. Analysis of the S36T mutant of the ACP revealed that the unusual dependence of FAS activity on holo-ACP concentration was due, at least in part, to the acyl-phosphopantetheine moiety. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis of the reaction mixture further revealed medium and long chain fatty acyl-ACP intermediates as predominant ACP species. We speculate that one or more of such intermediates are key allosteric regulators of FAS turnover. Our findings provide a new basis for assessing the scope and limitations of using E. coli as a biocatalyst for the production of diesel-like fuels.
Behaviour of reticulocyte counts and immature reticulocyte fraction during a competitive season in élite athletes of four different sports

The role of reticulocytes (Ret) in sports medicine became important when the count of immature erythrocytes has been introduced in protocols used and officially approved for antidoping purposes. The use of modern automated analysers, which allow the easy count and the description of characteristics of reticulocytes, increased the possible use of these parameters in sports medicine. We studied the behaviour of Ret and immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) in top‐level athletes practising rugby, ski, soccer and cyclism, throughout a competitive season. We aimed at increasing the knowledge of physiological characteristics of these sportsmen and supplying valuable suggestions to trainers and sports physicians. We observed a stability of Ret counts, also during training and competitions, although some modifications, namely decrease during competitions periods in cyclists, and in rugby and soccer players, occurred. No significant correlation was found between Ret count and Hb in each sport discipline. IRF values tend to be high in athletes owing to continuous bone marrow stimulation linked to haemolysis, typical of sports activities. We confirm the validity of the use of Ret counts for antidoping purposes and also for evaluating health status and iron metabolism of sportsmen.
Decision making in Markov chains applied to the problem of pattern recognition

In many pattern-recognition problems there exist dependencies among the patterns to be recognized. In the past, these dependencies have not been introduced into the mathematical model when designing an optimal pattern-recognition system. In this paper the optimal decision rule is derived under the assumption of Markov dependence among the patterns to be recognized. Subsequently, this decision rule is applied to character-recognition problems. The main idea is to balance appropriately the information which is obtained from contextual considerations and the information from measurements on the character being recognized and thus arrive at a decision using both. Bayes' decision in Markov chains is presented and this mode of decision is adapted to character recognition. A look-ahead mode of decision is presented. The problem of estimation of transition probabilities is discussed. The experimental system is described and results of experiments on English legal text and names are presented.
Patient-Reported Outcomes and Total Health Care Expenditure in Prediction of Patient Satisfaction: Results From a National Study

Background Health care quality is often linked to patient satisfaction. Yet, there is a lack of national studies examining the relationship between patient satisfaction, patient-reported outcomes, and medical expenditure. Objective The aim of this study is to examine the contribution of physical health, mental health, general health, and total health care expenditures to patient satisfaction using a longitudinal, nationally representative sample. Methods Using data from the 2010-2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, analyses were conducted to predict patient satisfaction from patient-reported outcomes and total health care expenditures. The study sample consisted of adult participants (N=10,157), with sampling weights representative of 233.26 million people in the United States. Results The results indicated that patient-reported outcomes and total health care expenditure were associated with patient satisfaction such that higher physical and mental function, higher general health status, and higher total health care expenditure were associated with higher patient satisfaction. Conclusions We found that patient-reported outcomes and total health care expenditure had a significant relationship with patient satisfaction. As more emphasis is placed on health care value and quality, this area of research will become increasingly needed and critical questions should be asked about what we value in health care and whether we can find a balance between patient satisfaction, outcomes, and expenditures. Future research should apply big data analytics to investigate whether there is a differential effect of patient-reported outcomes and medical expenditures on patient satisfaction across different medical specialties.
The Dark and Bright Sides of Self-Efficacy in Predicting Learning, Innovative and Risky Performances

The objective of this study is to analyze the different role that efficacy beliefs play in the prediction of learning, innovative and risky performances. We hypothesize that high levels of efficacy beliefs in learning and innovative performances have positive consequences (i.e., better academic and innovative performance, respectively), whereas in risky performances they have negative consequences (i.e., less safety performance). To achieve this objective, three studies were conducted, 1) a two-wave longitudinal field study among 527 undergraduate students (learning setting), 2) a three-wave longitudinal lab study among 165 participants performing innovative group tasks (innovative setting), and 3) a field study among 228 construction workers (risky setting). As expected, high levels of efficacy beliefs have positive or negative consequences on performance depending on the specific settings. Unexpectedly, however, we found no time × self-efficacy interaction effect over time in learning and innovative settings. Theoretical and practical implications within the social cognitive theory of A. Bandura framework are discussed. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el papel de las creencias de eficacia en la predicción del desempeño en situaciones de aprendizaje, innovadoras y arriesgadas. Nuestra hipótesis es que los altos niveles de autoeficacia en situaciones de aprendizaje e innovadoras tienen consecuencias positivas (es decir, un mejor desempeño académico e innovador, respectivamente), mientras que en situaciones de riesgo tienen consecuencias negativas (es decir, menor rendimiento en seguridad). Para lograr este objetivo, se llevaron a cabo tres estudios, 1) un estudio de campo longitudinal de dos tiempos con 527 estudiantes de pregrado (situación de aprendizaje), 2) un estudio de laboratorio longitudinale de tres tiempos con 165 participantes que realizaron tareas innovadoras en grupo (situación de innovación), y 3) un estudio de campo con 228 trabajadores de la construcción (situación de riesgo). Como era de esperar, los altos niveles de autoeficacia tienen consecuencias positivas o negativas en el desempeño en función de la situación o ambiente específico. Inesperadamente, sin embargo, no encontramos efecto de la interacción tiempo × autoeficacia en situaciones de aprendizaje e innovadoras. Se discuten las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas de este estudio en el marco de la teoría social cognitiva de Albert Bandura.
Differential Toxicity and Environmental Fates of Hexachlorocyclohexane Isomers

The differential environmental fates and toxicities of the various hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers including lindane and isomers in the technical mixture will be the focus of this review. HCHs are one of the most widely used and most readily detected organochlorine pesticides in environmental samples. The relatively high volatility of HCH has led to global transport, even into formerly pristine locations such as the Arctic. Certain HCHs cause central nervous system, reproductive, and endocrine damage. Because γ-HCH is rapidly metabolized, the β-HCH isomer is consistently found in higher concentrations in human fat, blood, and breast milk. In contrast, α- and γ-HCH are the most prevalent isomers in soil, water, and air samples. The ratio of the α- to γ-isomers can be used to track global transport of HCHs. A new area of HCH research focuses on the selective degradation of the two α-HCH enantiomers in various environmental matrices. These HCH issues and recommendations for future HCH research are presen.
Patterns of syntactic development in children with Williams syndrome and Down's syndrome: Evidence from passives and wh‐questions

This study investigates the syntactic abilities of ten individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) (mean chronological age: 8;9 years; mean mental age: 4;8 years) and Down's syndrome (DS) (mean chronological age: 8;7 years; mean mental age: 4;6 years), matched individually on chronological age, mental age and performance IQ. The syntactic components investigated include the comprehension of passives and the production, comprehension and repetition of wh‐questions. Performance is compared to ten younger typically developing (TD) controls matched individually to both experimental groups on mental age (mean chronological age: 4;4 years; mean mental age: 5;0 years). Participants were given a standardized measure of grammatical ability and non‐standardized tasks exploring the comprehension of active and passive sentences, and the production, comprehension and repetition of a range of wh‐question types: wh‐subject, wh‐object, which NP‐subject and which NP‐object. Participants with WS and DS performed similarly on the standardized measure of grammatical ability, as well as on the experimental tasks that tapped comprehension of passives, and production and comprehension of wh‐questions. Participants with DS performed significantly more poorly than both the WS cohort and TD controls on the repetition of wh‐questions. Both the WS and DS cohorts performed significantly more poorly on most of the syntactic tasks compared to the younger TD controls. Individuals with WS and DS experienced significant difficulties in tasks measuring aspects of syntactic ability and performed more poorly than mental age‐matched TD controls. Implications of these findings, with regards to the debates around language “intactness” in WS, as well as the similarities and differences in language abilities in WS and DS, dependent on age and developmental stages studied, are explored.
The juxtamembrane regions of the epidermal growth factor receptor and gp185erbB-2 determine the specificity of signal transduction

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and gp185erbB-2 are closely related tyrosine kinases. Despite extensive sequence and structural homology, these two receptors display quantitative and qualitative differences in their ability to couple with mitogenic signalling pathways. By using chimeric molecules between EGFR and erbB-2, we found that the determinants responsible for the specificity of mitogenic signal transduction are located in the amino-terminal half of the tyrosine kinase domain of either receptor. In the EGFR, mutational analysis within this subdomain revealed that deletion of residues 660 to 667 impaired receptor mitogenic activity without affecting its tyrosine kinase properties. This sequence is therefore likely to contribute to the specificity of substrate recognition by the EGFR kinase.
Regularization in deep neural networks

Regularization in Deep Neural Networks by Guoliang Kang Recent years have witnessed the great success of deep learning. As the deep architecture becomes larger and deeper, it is easy to overfit to relatively small amount of data. Regularization has proved to be an effective way to reduce overfitting in traditional statistical learning area. In the context of deep learning, some special design is required to regularize their training process. Generally, we firstly proposed a new regularization technique named “Shakeout” to improve the generalization ability of deep neural networks beyond Dropout, via introducing a combination of L0, L1, and L2 regularization effect into the network training. Then we considered the unsupervised domain adaptation setting where the source domain data is labeled and the target domain data is unlabeled. We proposed “deep adversarial attention alignment” to regularize the behavior of the convolutional layers. Such regularization reduces the domain shift existing at the start in the convolutional layers which has been ignored by previous works and leads to superior adaptation results. Dissertation directed by Professor Yi Yang Center of AI, School of Software
The role of sheep and goats in the epizootiology of foot-and-mouth disease in Kenya

SUMMARY The pathogenicity of two bovine field strains of virus for indigenous goats was examined in the laboratory. The goats failed to develop clinical disease or become virus carriers although the majority showed a definite immune response. A field survey in a foot-and-mouth disease enzootic area showed that the indigenous sheep and goat populations were frequently exposed to infection as evidenced by a high proportion of sero-positive animals but the incidence of virus carriers was very low in goats and no carriers were detected in sheep.
The commissural connexions of the somatic sensory cortex in the cat.

In recent years it has become apparent from experimental psychological studies that the forebrain commissures play a significant part in the interhemispheric transfer of learned discriminative tasks involving sensory and motor mechanisms (Sperry, 1961; Gazzaniga, 1964; Myers, 1962a). Despite this realization, relatively few attempts have been made to investigate the commissural pathways with electrophysiological methods and no microelectrode studies have been devoted to the elucidation of the part played by commissural connexions in determining the functional differences found in the subdivisions of the sensory areas. That commissural connexions should be considered in the interpretation of such functional properties is suggested by the demonstration of callosally mediated facilitation and inhibition in the auditory cortex (Chang, 1953; Bremer, 1958) and by the anatomical findings of Ebner & Myers (1962a, 1965) and Myers (1962b) that only certain portions of the main sensory areas in the cat and monkey receive callosal fibres. In the visual areas of these animals, Ebner & Myers, and Myers have interpreted the pattern of commissural connexions in terms of the architectonic subdivisions, suggesting that areas 17 and 19 lack callosal connexions while area 18 receives them. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that the pattern is open to another interpretation, that these fibres connect portions of the three areas containing the representation of particular parts, only, of the visual field (Choudhury, Whitteridge & Wilson, 1965; Garey, Jones & Powell, 1967). There thus appears to be a need for similar studies of other sensory cortical areas in order to determine whether their subdivisions also exhibit differences in commissural connexions and, if so, whether these can best be explained in terms of the peripheral representation or in relation to architectonic fields. The present paper describes the organization of the commissural connexions of the somatic sensory cortex in the cat and forms part of a wider study devoted to the analysis of the extrinsic connexions of this area (Jones, 1967).
REPLICATION ALGORITHM UNDER LOAD SHARING IN NETWORKS

Recently, (PDDRA) a Pre-fetching based dynamic data replication algorithm has been published. In our previous work, modifications to the algorithm have been suggested to minimize the delay in data replication. In this paper, a simulation framework is presented and results are obtained to estimate the throughput and average delay. The overall network is divided into two parts as local and global networks. The data requests are generated only at the local nodes. However, the service can be obtained form both local and global servers. In our previous work it has been found that the throughput and average delay heavily depends on buffer capacity of sever node and if server load is below 80% then, nearly 100% throughput is possible with very small average delay. In this paper, we have shown that shown the delay can be further minimized by sharing the load among servers, still throughput remains nearly 100 percent.
Single bus studies of split, multiple battery energy storage systems

High system costs for battery energy storage systems (BESS) has led to questions about their viability going forward. Innovations in the field however have continued to discover methods to improve the cost requirements. One of the current areas of progress has been in the automotive industry. A system of smaller and cheaper batteries with similar energy and power ratings can reduce the cost by approximately 40% according to some reports. This work examines some of the viability of these systems and the challenges associated with it. In particular, varied setups in terms of the power electronic conversion systems will be shown and some of the implications there of. Work presented here will eventually be applied to the alternative source lab setup within Drexel's Center for Electric Power Engineering (CEPE). 1