Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Adaptive Gain Dynamics for Time Delay Control Improves Accuracy and Robustness to Significant Payload Changes for Robots

Time delay control (TDC) is a promising technique for robot manipulators because it is model-free, efficient, and yet, robust. Nevertheless, when a robot operates under significant payload changes, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory performance with a constant gain. To cope with this problem, several adaptive rules have already been proposed thus far, but they are less effective to significant payload changes, and parameter tuning procedures are too complicated. In this paper, we propose an adaptive gain dynamics that is more effective in payload changes and yet simpler to implement. Through simulations using a one-link arm and experiments using a whole arm manipulator with payload changes, the proposed dynamics was compared with the conventional TDC and two other existing methods. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can adapt to significant payload changes, achieving better accuracy than the conventional TDC. Experimental results show that the proposed method has consistently better adaptation capability than other methods, achieving significantly better accuracy. In addition, the proposed method is simpler to implement, having only one tuning parameter, whereas the existing methods require four or five such tuning parameters.
Developmental appearance of ammonia‐metabolizing enzymes in prenatal murine liver

To resolve an apparent discrepancy in the developmental appearance of glutamine synthetase (GS) protein in rat [Gaasbeek Janzen et al. (1987) J. Histochem. Cytochem. , 35:49–54] and mouse [Bennett et al. (1987) J. Cell Biol., 105:1073–1085] liver, we have investigated its expression during liver development in the mouse and compared it with that of carbamoylphosphate synthetase I (CPS). The expression of glutamate dehydrogenase was used as a marker to identify all hepatocytes in these strongly hematopoietic livers. GS protein accumulation starts in mouse hepatocytes at embryonic day (ED) 15. The first hepatocytes in which the enzyme accumulates were found around the major hepatic veins. CPS protein was found to accumulate in mouse hepatocytes from ED 13 onward: first, at the center of the median and lateral lobes, but temporarily not at the periphery of these lobes and not at the caudate lobe. The initial phase of accumulation of GS and CPS protein was characterized by a heterogeneity in enzyme content between hepatocytes. By ED 17, both enzymes were detectable in all hepatocytes at the center of the median and lateral lobes. This event marked the onset of the development of the complementary distribution of the enzymes typical of zonal heterogeneity in the adult mammalian liver. However, during the perinatal period, the pericentral hepatocytes temporarily accumulated CPS protein. We also observed heterochrony between species in the appearance of CPS protein in the small intestine. Microsc. Res. Tech. 39:413–423, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of wood, peat and coal ash fertilization on Scots pine foliar nutrient concentrations and growth on afforested former agricultural peat soils

The effects of ash and commercial fertilizers on the foliar nutrient concentrations and stand growth of Scots pine were studied in four fi eld experiments established on former cultivated peat soils. The aims were to compare ash types (wood, peat and coal ash), study the effects of ash treatment (pelletization), compare ash fertilization with commercial fertilizers, and to study the interaction between ash fertilization and weed control. Foliar samples were collected 1–3 years and 7–8 years after fertilization. In the unfertilized plots, the foliar nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were fairly high, while those of potassium were low in all the experiments. The boron levels were low in three out of the four experiments. Application of either loose or pelletized wood ash, as well as of commercial fertilizers, increased foliar potassium and boron concentrations, and thus successfully remedied the existing nutrient imbalances and defi ciencies. Since phosphorus defi ciencies are rarely encountered on fi eld afforestation sites, poorquality wood ash with low phosphorus concentration could be used. Peat ash containing phosphorus, but only small amounts of potassium and boron, was not found to be very suitable for soil amelioration in connection with fi eld afforestation. Coal ash, containing only small amounts of potassium, was a good source of boron for pine even when used in small amounts, and thus it can be used in cases where boron defi ciencies alone are encountered. Wood ash signifi cantly increased the height growth of Scots pines in two of the experiments, but peat ash and coal ash had no statistically signifi cant effect. Wood ash increased the number of healthy seedlings. Vegetation control decreased seedling mortality by 24%, increased the growth of pine and decreased the proportion of trees damaged by elk and by deciduous trees.
Intracellular Targeting of CEA Results in Th1-Type Antibody Responses Following Intradermal Genetic Vaccination by a Needle-Free Jet Injection Device

The route and method of immunization, as well as the cellular localization of the antigen, can influence the generation of an immune response. In general, intramuscular immunization results in Th1 responses, whereas intradermal delivery of DNA by gene gun immunization often results in more Th2 responses. Here we investigate how altering the cellular localization of the tumor antigen CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) affects the quality and amplitude of DNA vaccine-induced antibody responses in mice following intradermal delivery of DNA by a needle-free jet injection device (Biojector). CEA was expressed either in a membrane-bound form (wild-type CEA) or in two truncated forms (CEA6 and CEA66) with cytoplasmic localization, where CEA66 was fused to a promiscuous T-helper epitope from tetanus toxin. Repeated intradermal immunization of BALB/c mice with DNA encoding wild-type CEA produced high antibody titers of a mixed IgG1/IgG2a ratio. In contrast, utilizing the DNA construct that resulted in intracellular targeting of CEA led to a reduced capacity to induce CEA-specific antibodies, but instead induced a Th1-biased immune response.
How van der Waals interactions determine the unique properties of water

Significance Despite its simple chemical formula, H2O, water is a complex substance with a variety of unusual properties resulting from its ability to form hydrogen bonds. A famous example for the anomalous behavior of water is the fact that it exhibits a density maximum at 4 °C. Here, we unravel the density anomaly of water on the molecular level using a powerful ab initio-based simulation technique. We show that weak van der Waals forces crucially modulate the flexibility of the hydrogen bond network, giving rise to the density maximum in water and causing ice to be less dense than the liquid. Whereas the interactions between water molecules are dominated by strongly directional hydrogen bonds (HBs), it was recently proposed that relatively weak, isotropic van der Waals (vdW) forces are essential for understanding the properties of liquid water and ice. This insight was derived from ab initio computer simulations, which provide an unbiased description of water at the atomic level and yield information on the underlying molecular forces. However, the high computational cost of such simulations prevents the systematic investigation of the influence of vdW forces on the thermodynamic anomalies of water. Here, we develop efficient ab initio-quality neural network potentials and use them to demonstrate that vdW interactions are crucial for the formation of water’s density maximum and its negative volume of melting. Both phenomena can be explained by the flexibility of the HB network, which is the result of a delicate balance of weak vdW forces, causing, e.g., a pronounced expansion of the second solvation shell upon cooling that induces the density maximum.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in minas frescal cheese: evaluation of classic enterotoxin genes, antimicrobial resistance and clonal diversity

This study aimed to investigate classical enterotoxin (sea to see) and mecA genes, by polymerase chain reaction and anitimicrobial susceptibility, by disk diffusion test of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from minas frescal cheese (MFC). All methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates were investigated for the presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes and clonal diversity. Thirty-one S. aureus were isolated from four MFC samples. Seven (22.6%) S. aureus carried mecA gene and two of them carried enterotoxin genes seb/sec and sea/seb. Five (16.1%) S. aureus isolates showed induced resistance to clindamycin and nine (29%) were resistant to multiple -antibiotics (MDR), among these, six were MRSA. No MRSA isolates presented the PVL genes. Four MRSA were grouped into three clones and three isolates were not typable by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. MRSA isolates showed, by multilocus sequence typing, sequence types ST1, ST5, ST72 and ST4304 (new ST) and S. aureus protein A (spa type) t127, t568 and t2703. These data suggest that MFC may constitute a risk to the consumer because of its potential for staphylococcal food poisoning; however it might, also, become one of MRSA and MDR strains disseminator, including clones usually found in the hospital environment.
Issues, Party Choices, and Presidential Votes

This paper presents an alternative interpretation of the role played by issues and people's evaluations of the parties' positions on different issues in the electoral process. The statistical model presented and estimated in the paper departs from previous studies by hypothesizing a model in which people's issue positions, their evaluations of the parties' positions, and the strength of their party identifications are simultaneously related to each other and are thus endogenous to the electoral process. Expected votes are then determined by party evaluations. The model is estimated with data from the 1964 Election Study of the Survey Research Center. The most important influences are the effects of people's issue positions on their evaluations of the parties and the influence of these evaluations on party identifications and on voting decisions. The paper concludes by discussing the estimated model's implications for evaluations of the role of the electoral process in the determination of public policy.
Social cognition and the brain: A meta‐analysis

This meta‐analysis explores the location and function of brain areas involved in social cognition, or the capacity to understand people's behavioral intentions, social beliefs, and personality traits. On the basis of over 200 fMRI studies, it tests alternative theoretical proposals that attempt to explain how several brain areas process information relevant for social cognition. The results suggest that inferring temporary states such as goals, intentions, and desires of other people—even when they are false and unjust from our own perspective—strongly engages the temporo‐parietal junction (TPJ). Inferring more enduring dispositions of others and the self, or interpersonal norms and scripts, engages the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), although temporal states can also activate the mPFC. Other candidate tasks reflecting general‐purpose brain processes that may potentially subserve social cognition are briefly reviewed, such as sequence learning, causality detection, emotion processing, and executive functioning (action monitoring, attention, dual task monitoring, episodic memory retrieval), but none of them overlaps uniquely with the regions activated during social cognition. Hence, it appears that social cognition particularly engages the TPJ and mPFC regions. The available evidence is consistent with the role of a TPJ‐related mirror system for inferring temporary goals and intentions at a relatively perceptual level of representation, and the mPFC as a module that integrates social information across time and allows reflection and representation of traits and norms, and presumably also of intentionality, at a more abstract cognitive level. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acceptability of Aloysia citriodora-supplemented peach jams

An unsupplemented peach jam and four peach jam samples prepared by supplementing the former with increasing amounts of Aloysia citriodora aqueous extract were subjected to sensory testing. A trained panel of eight assessors initially identified (reaching consensus) the relevant sensory attributes and then rated the jam samples on an individual basis. The jam samples were later evaluated for overall liking and willingness to purchase by a group of 95 interested consumers, who also provided their individual appraisal of the sensory features of the various samples by responding to an open-ended question. Overall, consumers appeared not to accept the sensory modifications introduced in traditional peach jam by the addition of A. citriodora extract, even though they were expressly acquainted with its health benefits. The degree of acceptance of the extract supplement decreased significantly with increasing amounts of extract in the jam. The groups identified to have the least and the greatest tolerance to the sensory modifications introduced in the supplemented jams differed in gender distribution, with male consumers having a greater tolerance than females.
Theoretical pharmacokinetic drug alterations in pediatric celiac disease

Introduction: The incidence of pediatric celiac disease has risen and many of these children will receive medications at some time in their life. However, the absorption of drugs in pediatric patients with celiac disease has never been studied. The few studies that do exist have only been performed in adults and indicate that drug concentrations can be altered for some drugs. It is also noteworthy that few researchers have conducted studies to determine if the distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs are altered in celiac disease. Areas covered: The pharmacokinetics of drugs greatly differ between children and adults. Combined with the pathophysiological changes known to occur with celiac disease, there is compelling evidence to support that drug exposure in pediatric celiac disease may be altered. Relevant characteristics of celiac disease that may affect drug disposition include intestinal atrophy, hypoalbuminemia, reduced CYP3A enzymes, and thyroid dysfunction. Expert opinion: The safety and efficacy of drug dosing in children with celiac disease can be enhanced with additional pharmacokinetic studies of commonly prescribed drugs in this population. Ideally, these studies should include drugs that have high bioavailability, are highly protein bound, undergo extensive CYP3A enzyme metabolism, and/or have a narrow therapeutic range.
Monitoring Meso-Scale Ordering of Cellulose in Intact Plant Cell Walls Using Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy1[C][W][OPEN]

Sum frequency generation spectroscopy is sensitive to the ordering of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls at the meso scale (nm to μm) that is important for cell wall architecture but cannot be probed by other spectroscopic or diffraction techniques. Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibration spectroscopy can selectively detect crystalline cellulose without spectral interference from cell wall matrix components. Here, we show that the cellulose SFG spectrum is sensitive to cellulose microfibril alignment and packing within the cell wall. SFG intensity at 2,944 cm−1 correlated well with crystalline cellulose contents of various regions of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) inflorescence, while changes in the 3,320/2,944 cm−1 intensity ratio suggest subtle changes in cellulose ordering as tissues mature. SFG analysis of two cellulose synthase mutants (irx1/cesa8 and irx3/cesa7) indicates a reduction in cellulose content without evidence of altered cellulose structure. In primary cell walls of Arabidopsis, cellulose exhibited a characteristic SFG peak at 2,920 and 3,320 cm−1, whereas in secondary cell walls, it had peaks at 2,944 and 3,320 cm−1. Starch (amylose) gave an SFG peak at 2,904 cm−1 (CH methine) whose intensity increased with light exposure prior to harvest. Selective removal of matrix polysaccharides from primary cell walls by acid hydrolysis resulted in an SFG spectrum resembling that of secondary wall cellulose. Our results show that SFG spectroscopy is sensitive to the ordering of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls at the meso scale (nm to μm) that is important for cell wall architecture but cannot be probed by other spectroscopic or diffraction techniques.
Accuracy of ultrasound dating formulae in the late second-trimester in pregnancies conceived with in-vitro fertilization.

PURPOSE To investigate the accuracy of ultrasound dating formulae in the late second trimester of pregnancy. MATERIAL AND METHODS A dataset of 136 singleton pregnancies conceived by artificial reproductive techniques was studied to assess the accuracy of ultrasound dating formulae in the late second trimester, and compared with early second trimester. A total of 21 published ultrasound-dating formulae were tested. RESULTS For most formulae, late second trimester scans yielded results that were marginally less accurate than the early second trimester. The best performance was obtained with dating formulae based on femur length, either alone or combined with the biparietal diameter. These formulae had mean absolute errors of 3-3.5 days. Combining two or more parameters did not result in any substantial gain in accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Pregnancy dating by ultrasound in the late second trimester is sufficiently accurate for routine clinical use. Formulae based on femur length appear to be at least as accurate as head measurements.
Improved MR flow mapping in coronary artery bypass grafts during adenosine-induced stress.

PURPOSE To validate a recently developed fast high-temporal-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) flow sequence and use it to assess coronary artery bypass graft function during pharmacologic stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS Aortic and internal mammary artery flow was measured in 11 healthy volunteers by using conventional cine gradient-echo imaging as a reference standard method and turbo-field echo-planar imaging (TFEPI). By using TFEPI, breath-hold flow mapping with a spatial and temporal resolution of 0.8 mm(2) and 23 msec, respectively, can be performed. This sequence was applied in 20 angiographically normal grafts, and total blood flow at rest and during adenosine infusion (140 microgram/kg/min) was measured. RESULTS Good agreement in aortic and internal mammary artery flow values between conventional fast-field echo and TFEPI techniques was found. The mean bypass graft total flow (+/- SD), as assessed with TFEPI, increased from 30.8 mL/min +/- 13.5 to 76.7 mL/min +/- 36.5 (P <.05) to yield a flow reserve of 2.7. Furthermore, this sequence revealed a difference in total flow between single and sequential grafts at rest (25.4 mL/min vs 40.9 mL/min; P <.05) and during stress (65.2 mL/min vs 98.3 mL/min; P <.05). CONCLUSION Breath-hold TFEPI provides fast accurate flow measurements with high temporal resolution and allows motion-compensated flow quantification in multiple coronary artery bypass grafts during one 6-minute adenosine infusion.
Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog pathways are involved in the inflammatory effect of Interleukin 18 on rat chondrocytes

To investigate the inflammatory effect of Interleukin 18 (IL-18) on rat chondrocytes and the involvement of Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog pathways, the mRNA and protein level of matix-degrading enzymes (MMP-2, 3, 9,13 and aggrecanses) and chondrocyte-specific proteins (Collagen II and aggrecan) were evaluated by qRT-PCR and Western blot, and key protein level of Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog pathways including β-catenin, GSK-3β, DKK-1, IHH, SHH, and Gli-2 were evaluated by Western blot. Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and Cyclopamine were used as antagonist of Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog pathways to perform pathway inhibition tests. In addition, location and expression of β-catenin, GSK-3β, Gli-2 and Smo were assessed by Immunofluorescence microscopy. The results showed up-regulation of matix-degrading enzymes (MMP-2, 3, 9,13 and aggrecanses) and down-regulation of chondrocyte-specific proteins (Collagen II and aggrecan) at both mRNA and protein level and activation of Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog pathways in the inflammatory reaction on rat chondrocytes caused by IL-18 treatment was observed. As conclusion, Wnt/β-catenin and Hedgehog pathways are involved in the inflammatory effect of IL-18 in vitro.
Use of the stages of change in exercise adherence model among older adults with a cardiac diagnosis.

PURPOSE Researchers have recommended use of the Stages of Change in Exercise Adherence (STAGES), a process-oriented model, to better understand exercise adherence behavior. This study aimed to further understand the process by evaluating the predictors of exercise adherence and the validity of the STAGES model among older adults (N = 349) with a cardiac diagnosis after discharge from a cardiac rehabilitation inpatient program. METHODS Recently discharged inpatient participants, aged 65 years or older and ambulatory, responded to a computer-assisted telephone interview regarding their exercise behaviors and attitudes toward exercise (mean response time = 32.3 minutes). Between 55 and 80 participants in each of five stages of exercise adherence were interviewed. Demographic profiles and other information were obtained from a chart review of cardiac rehabilitation inpatient records. RESULTS Perceived self-efficacy, perceived benefits of exercise, interpersonal support for exercise, and perceived barriers to exercise were significant predictors of exercise adherence using direct entry discriminant analysis. These predictors accounted for 50% of the variance in stage of exercise adherence. The theoretical ordering of the STAGES model was supported (P < .0001). Exercise time significantly increased with each subsequent stage of exercise adherence from the precontemplation stage to the maintenance stage. CONCLUSIONS This study evaluated the validity of the STAGES model in a sample of older cardiac rehabilitation participants. The STAGES model can be applied to the study of exercise behavior among this group of older adults.
A narrative inquiry of students with significant cognitive disabilities and the MCAS alternate assessment as told by their parents

Assessment and accountability are hotly debated topics in the field of education. Finding ways to include students with significant cognitive disabilities, a requirement under federal law, remains a challenge. In Massachusetts, students with significant cognitive disabilities participate in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System’s (MCAS) Alternate Assessment. The MCAS Alternate Assessments are automatically placed in the lowest achievement level; failing. This practice required investigation to determine the impact on the students with significant disabilities who participate. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the lived experiences of the parents/guardians of student with significant cognitive disabilities to answer two questions: 1. What is the lived experience of parents/guardians of students with significant cognitive disabilities who automatically fail to achieve a high-school diploma due to the MCAS requirement? and 2. How do these parents/guardians describe the impact on the students? Ten parents/guardians participated in this narrative inquiry. The conclusions of this research suggest that it is necessary to include parents/guardians in policymaking efforts that involve their children with significant cognitive disabilities. The parents/guardians believe that the MCAS Alternate Assessment policy gives an inadequate representation of their children’s abilities.