Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of direct interfacing and ADC based system for gas identification using E-Nose

This paper presents the design and characterization of a direct interfacing circuit (DIC) for sensor array and its comparison with the built-in analog to digital converter (ADC) of a PIC microcontroller. Before implementing the DIC for the sensor array, we examined its performance on simulated voltages to have a proper understanding of the output characteristics. To explore the DIC for multi-sensory system, an exemplary E-Nose setup was developed for experimentation. The sensor responses from the E-Nose system are concurrently measured by two microcontrollers, one using DIC and the other by the 10-bit internal ADC of the microcontroller. Principal component analysis (PCA) is then performed for visualizing and comparing the class separation for both the methods. To further explore the discriminating capability of the DIC based E-Nose, artificial neural network (ANN) is implemented. Finally, we delve into microcontroller based online gas discrimination by the E-Nose using DIC and its comparison with ADC results. Equivalent results were observed for both the cases with accuracy up to 97 %.
Immunogenicity of Outer Membrane Components of Haemophilus (Actinobacillus) pleuropneumoniae.

1. Willson PJ, Falk G, Klashinsky S. Detection of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection in pigs. Can Vet J 1987; 28: 111-116. 2. Sebunya TNK, Saunders JR. Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae infection in swine: A review. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1983; 182: 1331-1337. 3. Kume K, Nakai T, Sawata A. Isolation of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae from the nasal cavities of healthy pigs. Jpn J Vet Sci 1984; 46: 641-647. 4. Wilson MR, Takov R, Friendship RM, Martin SW, McMillan I, Hacker RR, Swaminathan S. Prevalence of respiratory diseases and their association with growth rate and space in randomly selected swine herds. Can J Vet Res 1986; 50: 209-216. 5. Rosendal S, Mitchell WR. Epidemiology of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae infection in pigs: A survey of Ontario pork producers, 1981. Can J Comp Med 1983; 47: 1-5. 6. Brandeth SR, Smith IM. Prevalence of pig herds affected by pleuropneumonia associated with Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae in eastern England. Vet Rec 1985; 117: 143-147.
Stair negotiation in women with fibromyalgia

Abstract Walking up and down stairs is a common and important activity of daily living. Women with fibromyalgia often show a reduced ability to perform this task. The objective of this study was to evaluate the test–retest reliability of stair negotiation tasks and to assess the impact of fibromyalgia symptoms on the ability to negotiate stairs. Forty-two women with fibromyalgia participated in this descriptive correlational study. The relevance of the stair negotiation (both walking up and down) was evaluated by assessing its association with the revised version of the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ-R) and other health-related variables. Test–retest reliability was also analyzed. The main outcome measures were time spent walking up and down stairs and impact of fibromyalgia, quality of life, number of falls, weight, and lower limb strength and endurance. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for stair descent was 0.929 whereas that for ascent was 0.972. The score in these tests correlated significantly with the total score for the FIQ-R and the score for many of dimensions and symptoms: that is, physical function, overall impact of fibromyalgia, pain, energy, stiffness, restorative sleep, tenderness, self-perceived balance problems, and sensitivity. Given the importance of the stair negotiation as activity of daily living and the high reliability, both stair ascent and descent tasks may be useful as outcome measures in studies on patients with fibromyalgia.
Impact of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase α1 Deficiency on Tissue Injury following Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

Background AMP-activated protein kinase (Ampk) is a sensor of the cellular energy status and a powerful regulator of metabolism. Activation of Ampk was previously shown to participate in monocyte-to-fibroblast transition and matrix protein production in renal tissue. Thus, the present study explored whether the catalytic Ampkα1 isoform participates in the regulation of the renal fibrotic response following unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Methods UUO was induced in gene-targeted mice lacking functional Ampkα1 (Ampkα1-/-) and in corresponding wild-type mice (Ampkα1+/+). In the obstructed kidney and, for comparison, in the non-obstructed control kidney, quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunostaining were employed to determine transcript levels and protein abundance, respectively. Results In Ampkα1+/+ mice, UUO significantly up-regulated the protein abundance of the Ampkα1 isoform, but significantly down-regulated the Ampkα2 isoform in renal tissue. Phosphorylated Ampkα protein levels were significantly increased in obstructed kidney tissue of Ampkα1+/+ mice but not of Ampkα1-/- mice. Renal expression of α-smooth muscle actin was increased following UUO, an effect again less pronounced in Ampkα1-/- mice than in Ampkα1+/+ mice. Histological analysis did not reveal a profound effect of Ampkα1 deficiency on collagen 1 protein deposition. UUO significantly increased phosphorylated and total Tgf-ß-activated kinase 1 (Tak1) protein, as well as transcript levels of Tak1-downstream targets c-Fos, Il6, Pai1 and Snai1 in Ampkα1+/+ mice, effects again significantly ameliorated in Ampkα1-/- mice. Moreover, Ampkα1 deficiency inhibited the UUO-induced mRNA expression of Cd206, a marker of M2 macrophages and of Cxcl16, a pro-fibrotic chemokine associated with myeloid fibroblast formation. The effects of Ampkα1 deficiency during UUO were, however, paralleled by increased tubular injury and apoptosis. Conclusions Renal obstruction induces an isoform shift from Ampkα2 towards Ampkα1, which contributes to the signaling involved in cell survival and fibrosis.
The influenza virus panhandle is involved in the initiation of transcription

The role of the influenza A virus panhandle structure formed from the 3'- and 5'-terminal nucleotides of virion RNA segments was studied in both an RNA polymerase binding assay and an in vitro transcription assay. Despite recent indications that promoter activity is simply a function of the 3'-terminal sequence of virion RNA, our results show that both 3'- and 5'-terminal sequences are involved in the initiation of transcription. We propose a new model for the initiation of transcription which has implications for the mechanisms by which influenza virus transcription, replication, and polyadenylation may be regulated in the infected cell.
Self-Reported Health in Mothers: The Impact of Age, and Socioeconomic Conditions

ABSTRACT The aim of the present analysis was to study health and well-being in mothers compared to women without children, and to analyze potential interactions with age and socioeconomic conditions. The study comprised 5,368 Swedish women born in 1960–1979 who were interviewed in any of the population-based Surveys of Living Conditions during the period 1996–2003. Having children at home was related to self-reported health symptoms and long-standing illness in multiple logistic regression models. The impact of age, cohabitation status, full-time or part-time work, and income level were analyzed. While mothers were less burdened by long-standing illness, partly due to selection mechanisms (a “healthy mother effect”), they experienced worse self-rated health and more fatigue than women without children, and the odds of poor self-rated health and fatigue increased by number of children. Conditions that strengthened the association between motherhood and impaired health were young maternal age, fulltime employment, high income, and being alone. The study indicates a need for improved negotiations between parents regarding a fair share of work and family duties and extended support for lone mothers to prevent adverse health effects in women combining children and work. The results may be useful to policy-makers and employers in developing new policies.
Bone health in persons with haemophilia

As the population of patients with haemophilia (PWH) ages, healthcare providers are required to direct greater attention to age‐related co‐morbidities. Low bone mineral density (BMD) is one such co‐morbidity where the incidence not only increases with age, but also occurs with greater frequency in PWH.
Robust distributed H∞ control of electrical power systems

We consider the problem of synthesizing an optimal robust distributed controller for real-time power balance control in large-scale electrical power systems. Various sufficient robust performance analysis results are summarized together with a computationally tractable distributed controller synthesis algorithm. The proposed synthesis algorithm is tested on a benchmark example of a multi-area power system. The closed loop performance with obtained robust distributed controller is compared with performance of the optimal centralized H∞ controller.
Relation between the Chromatic Difference of Refraction and the Chromatic Difference of Magnification for the Reduced Eye

We provide a simple model for calculating the chromatic difference of magnification for the human eye. Spectral differences in image size are proportional to the eye's longitudinal chromatic aberration and the axial distance between the entrance pupil and nodal point. We verify that the model provides magnification estimates equal to previously published predictions, and we show the significant increase in this aberration produced by experimental use of artificial pupils.
Effects of pacing-induced myocardial stress and spinal cord stimulation on whole body and cardiac norepinephrine spillover.

AIMS Spinal cord stimulation has been used in the treatment of intractable angina pectoris since the beginning of the 1980s. This study was designed to investigate whether the documented anti-ischaemic effects of spinal cord stimulation are mediated through a decrease in sympathetic activity. METHODS AND RESULTS Ten patients with a spinal cord stimulator implanted as anti-anginal treatment were included in the study. Atrial pacing until the patient experienced moderate angina was performed and after 50 min rest the procedure was repeated during spinal cord stimulation. Total body and cardiac norepinephrine spillover was calculated and the former was found to have increased during pacing (47%, P = 0.02). When spinal cord stimulation was applied, total body norepinephrine spillover decreased at a comparable pacing rate (18%, P = 0.02). Cardiac norepinephrine spillover was not affected during the procedure. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that the anti-ischaemic effect of spinal cord stimulation is not due to reduced cardiac sympathetic activity. However, spinal cord stimulation decreases overall sympathetic activity which may benefit the heart, possibly by reducing oxygen demand.
An investigation of the possible influence of neutral α‐glucosidases on the clinical heterogeneity of glycogenosis type II

The lysosomal storage disorder glycogenosis type II, caused by a deficiency of lysosomal α‐glucosidase, is very heterogeneous in its clinical presentation. It has been suggested that this heterogeneity may be due to differential expression of neutral α‐glucosidases. We have therefore analysed the activity of the major neutral α‐glucosidases in cultured fibroblasts or muscle cells from 26 patients with glycogenosis type II. The results indicate that there is no correlation between the expression of neutral α‐glucosidase isoenzymes and the clinical phenotype of this disease.
Pharmacological treatment response according to the severity of symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND Pharmacological management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is recommended according to the individualized assessment of symptoms and exacerbation risks. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the baseline Modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score and pharmacological treatment response in patients with COPD. METHODS A total of 102 stable COPD patients who were enrolled in prospective cohort studies were analyzed. Pharmacological treatment responses after a 3-month treatment were assessed by changes on the mMRC dyspnea scale, CAT scores, and spirometric pulmonary functions. RESULTS Sixty-two patients with a mMRC dyspnea scale ≤1 were classified as having "less dyspnea" and 40 patients with a mMRC dyspnea scale ≥2 as having "more dyspnea". After a 3-month treatment, the mean mMRC dyspnea scale in the "more dyspnea" group was significantly decreased versus the "less dyspnea" group; however, there were no significant differences in CAT score changes or spirometric pulmonary function changes between the two groups. Baseline mMRC scales (Spearman's rho =-0.591, P<0.001) and baseline CAT scores (Pearson's r =-0.337, P=0.001) were significantly correlated with their changes after a 3-month treatment. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that baseline mMRC scale and CAT score were the only independent predictors of improvement greater than a minimal clinically significant difference after treatment. CONCLUSIONS The severity of COPD symptoms is associated with their response to pharmacotherapy. COPD patients with a higher baseline mMRC dyspnea scale and CAT score experience greater symptom reduction by pharmacotherapy.
The mu opioid receptor: A new target for cancer therapy?

Mu opioids are among the most widely used drugs for patients with cancer with both acute and chronic pain as well as in the perioperative period. Several retrospective studies have suggested that opioid use might promote tumor progression and as a result negatively impact survival in patients with advanced cancer; however, in the absence of appropriate prospective validation, any changes in recommendations for opioid use are not warranted. In this review, the authors present preclinical and clinical data that support their hypothesis that the mu opioid receptor is a potential target for cancer therapy because of its plausible role in tumor progression. The authors also propose the hypothesis that peripheral opioid antagonists such as methylnaltrexone, which reverses the peripheral effects of mu opioids but maintains centrally mediated analgesia and is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid‐induced constipation, can be used to target the mu opioid receptor. Cancer 2015;121:2681‐2688. © 2015 American Cancer Society
Switching antiplatelet regimens: Alternatives to clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing PCI: A review of the literature and practical considerations for the interventional cardiologist

Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin plus a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor is the cornerstone of treatment for patients with acute coronary syndrome and in those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Clopidogrel is the most widely used P2Y12 receptor inhibitor. Despite the clinical benefits associated with adjunctive clopidogrel therapy, a considerable number of patients continue to experience recurrent cardiovascular events. Importantly, the interindividual response to clopidogrel is variable and is affected by multiple factors, including genetic polymorphisms and drugs that interfere with the conversion of clopidogrel to its active metabolite. The individual variability to clopidogrel‐induced antiplatelet effects has significant clinical implications that can result in an increased risk of atherothrombotic recurrences, including stent thrombosis. The introduction of novel P2Y12 receptor inhibitors, such as prasugrel or ticagrelor, characterized by more potent and consistent platelet inhibitory effects, represents an opportunity for clinicians to consider these alternative therapies to overcome the limitations of clopidogrel. Understanding the strategies and implications of switching antiplatelet treatment regimens is, therefore, key in the clinical setting. This article provides an overview of the literature on switching antiplatelet treatment strategies and practical considerations for the interventional cardiologist. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Accuracy of measurement of polyethylene wear with use of radiographs of total hip replacements.

BACKGROUND Although a number of methods are used to estimate polyethylene liner wear from radiographs of total hip replacements, there is no consensus with regard to the accuracy of these methods. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of several such measurement methods with use of both laboratory radiographs and routine clinical radiographs. METHODS A phantom apparatus was designed to simulate random values of three-dimensional wear, with varying degrees of cup abduction and anteversion, and to obtain anteroposterior and cross-table lateral radiographs with each value. Wear was measured with use of the Charnley duoradiographic method, the Livermore method, and the method described by Dorr and Wan, as well as with use of PolyWare and Hip32 software packages, both with and without three-dimensional measurements. Clinical wear was measured from conventional radiographs made prior to revision surgery in fourteen patients and was compared with wear measured directly from the retrieved liners with use of a coordinate measuring machine. RESULTS With laboratory radiographs, median errors were 0.1 mm with the Livermore method and both computerized methods, 0.23 mm with the Charnley method, and 1.7 mm with the method of Dorr and Wan. Maximum errors were between 0.6 mm (Livermore) and 4.3 mm (Dorr and Wan). In contrast, with use of clinical radiographs, median errors ranged between 0.2 mm (Hip32) and 0.6 mm (Dorr and Wan). Maximum errors ranged between 1.8 mm (Dorr and Wan) and 2.5 mm (Livermore). CONCLUSIONS With laboratory radiographs, computerized methods of polyethylene wear measurement offered distinctly greater accuracy than did manual methods; however, with clinical radiographs, they offered only slightly better accuracy. Although the increased accuracy of computerized methods may be necessary in research settings, manual methods provided sufficient accuracy for routine clinical assessment of wear.
Facial Landmark Detection via Progressive Initialization Shengtao

In this paper, we present a multi-stage regression-based approach for the 300 Videos in-the-Wild (300-VW) Challenge, which progressively initializes the shape from obvious landmarks with strong semantic meanings, e.g. eyes and mouth corners, to landmarks on face contour, eyebrows and nose bridge which have more challenging features. Compared with initialization based on mean shape and multiple random shapes, our proposed progressive initialization can very robustly handle challenging poses. It also guarantees an accurate landmark localization result and shows smooth tracking performance in real-time.
Long-term results of office-based pneumatic retinopexy using pure air

Aims The long-term results of office-based pneumatic retinopexy (PR) using only filtered air were evaluated in a case series of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments with more than 3 years of follow-up, on average. Methods 77 cases of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments arising from superior tears (mean=1.6 tears) were treated with cryopexy (n=61) or laser (next day, n=16) and intravitreal injection of pure air in an office setting. The macula was detached preoperatively in 37 eyes (48.1%). Outcome measures were single-operation success, final reattachment rates and visual acuity (VA). Results Subjects were followed for 6–186 months (mean follow-up = 40.7 months, 46.8% ≥2 years, 25% ≥5 years). In all cases, the air bubble was gone within 5 days. Single-operation success was achieved in 62/77 (80.5%) eyes. Repeat PR was successful in four cases, increasing the PR reattachment rate to 85.7%. Scleral buckle was performed on the remaining 11 eyes (14.3%), 1 with vitrectomy. The final reattachment rate was 100%. VA improved ≥2 Snellen lines in 53.2% of patients, with 50/77 (64.9%) attaining VA ≥20/40. Following PR, 87% of subjects had the same or better VA. Conclusions Office-based pure-air PR achieves acceptable reattachment rates with good visual outcomes and long-term efficacy. Eliminating the need for expansile gases makes this approach more widely available, decreases recovery time and lowers healthcare costs.
VISUOMOTOR PERFORMANCE OF NORMAL AND CLUMSY CHILDREN. II: ARM‐TRACKING WITH AND WITHOUT VISUAL FEEDBACK

Tracking performance was investigated in normal and clumsy children in two age‐groups, six to seven and 10 to 11 years. Target signals moving unpredictably along a straight line had to be tracked, both with and without visual feedback. Performance was described in three ways: (1) performance in the low‐frequency range (LF); (2) the delay between target signal and tracking movement (DL); and (3) a measure of tracking quality or over‐all similarity in the shape of target signal and tracking movement (Q). Clumsy children in both age‐groups had a lower tracking quality (Q) and longer delay (DL) than the normal children. Disturbances in the regulation of attention seemed to affect tracking performance, particularly of the six‐ to seven‐year‐old clumsy children. There was no significant difference between normal and clumsy children in the effect of visual feedback on tracking performance. This suggests that clumsiness is not linked to disturbance of integration of visual feedback information and motor processes.
Sodium, potassium and magnesium dynamics in soil-plant-animal continuum.

This study was carried out to evaluate the macro mineral status in dry-non pregnant cows at Rural Domestic Farm. Soil, forage, and blood samples were obtained four times and after wet digestion were analyzed for macro minerals. Effect of sampling periods on soil sodium and Mg, forage K + and Mg +2 , and plasma Na + and K + was found to be significant while the reverse was true for other minerals in different parameters. Soil Na + and Mg +2 , forage Mg +2 and plasma Mg +2 was lower than the requirements of grazing livestock while the soil K + forage Na + and K + and plasma Na + and K + were higher than the critical levels recommended for livestock. Based on these results it can be concluded that need of the soil amendment with fertilizers and supplementation of grazing animals with the mixture mineral deficient in forage and blood plasma is not warranted but occasionally supplementation would alleviate the potential hazards of deficiency of these elements in farm animals.
Employment Protection Laws and Privatization

Is privatization in a country related to the stringency of its employment protection laws (EPLs)—and, if so, how? We address these questions using privatization deals in 14 European countries over 3 decades and the changes in EPLs in a country. Using traditional difference-in-differences tests exploiting major changes and generalized difference-in-differences tests for the full sample, we find that stringent EPLs discourage privatization. For identification, we use two sets of triple-difference tests that control for country-level omitted variables using fixed effects for each country-year pair. First, using cross-sectional differences across industries in a country, we find that the effect of EPLs on privatization is disproportionately greater in industries in which separation rates and relocation rates are higher. Second, using productivity measures for US industries as an instrument, we find that the effect of EPLs on privatization is disproportionately greater in less productive industries.