Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calorie Map: An Activity Intensity Monitoring System Based on Wireless Signals

Recently, elder care services, especially for those with chronic diseases, have become an important application in the field of IoT. Several studies have reported that the progress of chronic diseases can be slowed down effectively by moderate physical activities. In this paper, we propose an activity intensity monitoring system to support continuous monitoring of indoor calorie consumption. The system uses wireless signals to infer calorie burned in walking. In the proposed system, Bluetooth smart beacons are deployed in various spaces of a house. The elders who wear smart wristbands are continuously monitored for their locations by received wireless signals. The system has the following features. First, it utilizes wireless signals as location and activity intensity indicators; inertial sensors are only used in the training stage. Second, it is semi-training free and only needs relatively short training time to start using the monitoring services. Finally, the system is map-free, in the sense that it can be easily deployed without constructing the interior map of the house. A prototype system is implemented on a smartphone to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed system.
High-Density Hydration Layer of Lysozymes: Molecular Dynamics Decomposition of Solution Scattering Data

A characterization of the physical properties of protein hydration water is critical for understanding protein structure and function. Recent small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering data indicate that the density of water on the surface of lysozyme is significantly higher than in bulk water. Here, we provide an interpretation of the scattering results using a molecular dynamics simulation, which allows us to make quantitative predictions about density variations in the first hydration shell. The perturbation relative to bulk water involves statistically significant changes in the average water structure in the first hydration layer. The water density in the first hydration shell is increased by 5% with respect to the bulk. In regions of higher water density, the water dipoles align more parallel to each other and the number of hydrogen bonds per water molecule is higher. Increased water density is found for water molecules interacting with hydrogen and carbon atoms in the backbone or with nonpolar or negatively charged side-chain groups.
A wide beamwidth circularly polarized microstrip antenna

A wide beamwidth circularly polarized microstrip antenna is presented, which is composed of multi-layers and fed through a single coax probe. Proper perturbation is introduced by two truncated corner on the patch to generate a circularly polarized wave. Meanwhile, plated-through pins to the ground, connected by the square ring, are used to realize the wide beamwidth radiation. Finally, an antenna working at Ka band is fabricated and measured as an example, which exhibits half-power beamwidth of 180°and 3 dB axial-ratio beamwidth of 120°.
Characterizing the target of acute stroke therapy.

BACKGROUND The development of effective therapies for acute ischemic stroke presumes the existence of potentially salvageable ischemic tissue when therapy is initiated because it is widely assumed that the effectiveness of most acute stroke therapies under development is related to reducing ultimate infarct size to promote functional improvement. Such salvageable ischemic tissue was previously labeled the ischemic penumbra and must be distinguished from irreversible injury. SUMMARY OF REVIEW Pathological identification of irreversibility (infarction) appears to lag behind the actual development of this condition, and reversible injury after focal ischemia should be differentiated from infarction. Imaging and biochemical markers apparently can provide clues for distinguishing potentially salvageable from irreversibly injured ischemic tissue in experimental and clinical stroke. Recent positron emission tomography and MRI studies suggest that these clinically available imaging technologies will be useful for determining the presence of ischemic penumbra in individual stroke patients. The progression from potentially reversible to irreversible injury after focal brain ischemia has many potential mechanisms that may be synergistic and vary among individuals. CONCLUSIONS Delineating and prioritizing these mechanisms provides the opportunity to develop multiple potential acute stroke therapies that ultimately will be used in combination, perhaps directed by imaging technology.
Infant mortality of very preterm infants by mode of delivery, institutional policies and maternal diagnosis

Objective. The aim of this study was to analyse infant mortality among infants born extremely preterm in relation to mode of delivery, maternal diagnosis, and different institutional policies. Methods. We conducted a national tertiary health care center study using Swedish Medical Birth Register (MBR) data from 1990 to 2002, to examine the 2,094 live births of infants at 23+0 to 27+6 weeks gestation. We assessed the association between mode of delivery, gestational age (GA), calendar year, maternal condition, and institutional policies on infant mortality outcome. Results. At 23–25 weeks, 38% of infants (range: 34–69%) were delivered by cesarean section (CS), while at 26–27 weeks, 66% (59–80%) were delivered by CS. The CS rate for fetal or maternal indications was 98% in cases of pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia, 42% for premature rupture of membranes (PROM), 68% for hemorrhage, 76% for PROM+hemorrhage, 56% for breech presentation, and 30% for preterm vertex with no other complications. After cases of pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia were excluded, vaginal delivery was associated with a small increase of risk for infant death. Vaginal delivery was associated with a significantly increased risk for infant death in breech presentations and multiple births, while vaginal delivery posed a non‐significant risk increase for PROM and hemorrhage. For preterm vertex without any other complications, 4 out of 5 infants were delivered vaginally without any risk increase. Conclusion. This study reports high CS rates for very preterm births at Swedish hospitals. In performing CS for very preterm infants, this study suggests a survival advantage for certain maternal conditions, but not for preterm labor with a vertex presentation without other obstetrical complications.
C-Kit/c-Kit ligand interaction of bone marrow endothelial progenitor cells is influenced in a cigarette smoke extract-induced emphysema model

ABSTRACT Background: Smoking causes lung endothelial cell apoptosis and emphysema. Derived from bone marrow, circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) maintain vascular integrity by replacing and repairing damaged endothelial cells. Smoking influences the number of circulating EPCs. Recruitment of EPCs from bone marrow to peripheral blood depends on the interaction of c-Kit/soluble c-Kit ligand (sKitL). We hypothesized that smoking might influence c-Kit(+) EPCs/sKitL interaction in bone marrow in the development of smoking-related emphysema. In this study, we used a cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced emphysema model. Methods: Mice were injected intraperitoneally with PBS/CSE and sacrificed at day 28. Lung function and pathology of lung tissue were measured to characterize the model. Expressions of c-Kit in the lung tissue were assayed. Bone marrow cells were isolated by red blood cell lysis. EPCs/c-Kit(+) EPCs in nonred blood cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Expressions of KitL and MMP-9, and activity MMP-9 in bone marrow were measured. Results: Our data demonstrated that gene and protein expressions of c-Kit were decreased in the lung tissue in this model. Compared with the control group, the number of bone marrow nonred blood cells was unchanged following CSE treatment, while the depletion of bone marrow EPCs/c-Kit(+) EPCs was significant. The level of sKitL was reduced in the bone marrow in the model. The reduction of sKitL was associated with deregulated KitL expression and decreased MMP-9 activity. Conclusions: The interaction between c-Kit and sKitL in bone marrow EPCs, a critical step in endothelial repair, is negatively affected in a CSE-induced emphysema model.
Complex Task Completion with Redundant Serial Manipulators

Presently, advanced (redundant) manipulators are used sparingly and inefficiently to complete complex tasks despite the many advantages they have when compared to their non-redundant counterparts. Attempts by the Department of Energy to apply the potential advantages of redundancy to decontamination and dismantling processes have met with numerous complications. Yet, the decision to use them extensively and immediately in a variety of applications has already been made. Robonaut, a hybrid serial/parallel redundant robot (with 18+ DOF) being developed by NASA, has a scheduled launch date within the decade, and will be used to perform complex tasks in space. Industrial use of intelligent automation for complex task completion is virtually non-existent, and where it does exist, redundant chains are not used. It is the goal of this research effort to develop and demonstrate a complex task completion methodology using the redundant test bed available at the University of Texas. A traditional engineering design approach has been applied to the problem. First the nature of the problem is extensively described. Issues include those associated with redundant manipulators, their control, and the characterization of the task (tool) space. Summaries of the mathematical background, system model and demonstration testbed are also presented. The technical objectives of this research are analyzed and a particular solution is determined to tackle each of the ascertained issues. These decisions are made based on metrics used by any engineer: safety, correctness, application of existing technologies, time constraints, cost, and dependability of existing or proposed solutions. Solutions to the three fundamental problems are presented. These are redundancy resolution, force/motion control, and criteria/task characterization and matching. An attempt is made to segregate these aspects of the problem so that each may be improved without forcing a complete reanalysis of the problem.
Regulation of Kv1.4 potassium channels by PKC and AMPK kinases

ABSTRACT Over the last years extensive kinase-mediated regulation of a number of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels important in cardiac electrophysiology has been reported. This includes regulation of Kv1.5, Kv7.1 and Kv11.1 cell surface expression, where the kinase-mediated regulation appears to center around the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2. In the present study we examined whether Kv1.4, constituting the cardiac Ito,s current, is subject to similar regulation. In the epithelial Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell line, which constitutes a highly reproducible model system for addressing membrane targeting, we find, by confocal microscopy, that Kv1.4 cell surface expression is downregulated by activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In contrast, manipulating the activities of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K) and serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) were without effect on channel localization. The PKC and AMPK-mediated downregulation of Kv1.4 membrane surface localization was confirmed by two-electrode voltage clamp in Xenopus laevis oocytes, where pharmacological activation of PKC and AMPK reduced Kv1.4 current levels. We further demonstrate that unlike related Kv channels, Kv1.4 current levels in Xenopus laevis oocytes are not reduced by co-expression of Nedd4-2, or the related Nedd4-1 ubiquitin ligase. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the surface expression of Kv1.4 is downregulated by the two kinases AMPK and PKC, but is unaffected by PI3K-SGK1 signaling, as well as Nedd4-1/Nedd4-2 activity. In the light of previous reports, our results demonstrate an impressive heterogeneity in the molecular pathways controlling the surface expression of highly related potassium channel subunits.
Sensitivity to Orthostatic Stress and β‐Receptor Activation in Patients with Isoproterenol‐Induced Vasovagal Syncope: A Case Controlled Study

Cardiomotor and vasomotor responses were assessed during isoproterenol tilt‐induced vasovagal reaction in patients with a history of syncope. In a case controlled study, all patients and controls were subjected to a standard protocol: baseline supine (10 min), baseline tilt (70±, 45 min), isoproterenol supine (0.05 μg/kg per min, 10 min), and isoproterenol tilt (70±, 10 min). The participants were 11 consecutive patients referred for syncope evaluation (5 men, 6 women; mean age, 34.1 ± 10.4 years; range, 18–56 years) and 11 age and sex matched controls (5 men, 6 women; mean age, 35.5 ± 12.2 years; range, 19–63 years). On‐line, beat‐to‐beat measurements of cardiomotor functions (heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output) and vasomotor functions (systolic, mean, and diastolic blood pressures and total peripheral resistance [TPR]) were detected noninvasively by volume clamp photoplethysmography and impedance cardiography. Patients and controls had similar cardiomotor and vasomotor responses during passive tilt and during isoproterenol infusion in the supine position. Immediately after tilt during isoproterenol infusion and before the onset of symptoms, decreases in vasomotor functions were significant in study patients when compared with those in controls; whereas responses in cardiomotor functions were similar between the two groups. When compared with baseline supine findings, TPR decreased by 56.5%± 10.9% and 29.5%± 23.3% in the patient population and controls, respectively (P = 0.005). When compared with isoproterenol supine findings, TPR decreased by 27.5%± 22.8% in the study patients and increased by 22.6%± 48.1% in the controls (P = 0.005). The inability to overcome isoproterenol‐induced vasodilatation during orthostatic stress played an important role in the initiation of a vasovagal response. These observations hold the key to early detection of hemodynamic changes and potential therapeutic interventions before patients become symptomatic.
Developing and Maintaining Information System: The Impact of Virtual Team VS Face-to-Face Team on Group Performance and Outcomes

Studies that have been done in order to understand how virtual teams work and the impact of such a form of collaboration on team performance have revealed contradictory results, confirming in some cases the viability of virtual teams and consecrating in others, their inferiority compared to the face to face teams. The objective of this paper is to explain this inconsistency, by reviewing the literature on the matter. We have also, proposed an exploratory model based on the AST (Adaptive Structuration Theory) and the CVA (Competing Values Approach), that aims to explore the impact of virtual teamwork on group performance and outcomes.
Working Memory Constraints on Linear Reasoning with Spatial and Temporal Contents

The present article reports two experiments testing the use of working memory components during reasoning with temporal and spatial relations in four-term series problems. In the first experiment four groups of subjects performed reasoning tasks with temporal and with spatial contents either without (control) or with a secondary task (articulatory suppression, visuospatial suppression or central executive suppression). The second experiment tested the secondary task effects in a within-subjects design either on problems with a spatial content or on problems with a temporal content, and within each content domain either under conditions of self-paced or of fixed presentation of the premises. Both experiments found effects of all three secondary tasks on reasoning accuracy. This supports the hypothesis that the subjects construct spatial representations of the premise information with the support of visuo-spatial resources of working memory. The second experiment also showed that during premise intake, only visuo-spatial and central executive secondary tasks had an effect. The implications of the data for the working memory requirements of reasoning and for theories of linear reasoning are discussed.
Cure rate model with interval censored data

In cancer trials, a significant fraction of patients can be cured, that is, the disease is completely eliminated, so that it never recurs. In general, treatments are developed to both increase the patients' chances of being cured and prolong the survival time among non‐cured patients. A cure rate model represents a combination of cure fraction and survival model, and can be applied to many clinical studies over several types of cancer. In this article, the cure rate model is considered in the interval censored data composed of two time points, which include the event time of interest. Interval censored data commonly occur in the studies of diseases that often progress without symptoms, requiring clinical evaluation for detection (Encyclopedia of Biostatistics. Wiley: New York, 1998; 2090–2095). In our study, an approximate likelihood approach suggested by Goetghebeur and Ryan (Biometrics 2000; 56:1139–1144) is used to derive the likelihood in interval censored data. In addition, a frailty model is introduced to characterize the association between the cure fraction and survival model. In particular, the positive association between the cure fraction and the survival time is incorporated by imposing a common normal frailty effect. The EM algorithm is used to estimate parameters and a multiple imputation based on the profile likelihood is adopted for variance estimation. The approach is applied to the smoking cessation study in which the event of interest is a smoking relapse and several covariates including an intensive care treatment are evaluated to be effective for both the occurrence of relapse and the non‐smoking duration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Convergent Genesis of an Adult Neural Crest‐Like Dermal Stem Cell from Distinct Developmental Origins

Skin‐derived precursors (SKPs) are multipotent dermal stem cells that reside within a hair follicle niche and that share properties with embryonic neural crest precursors. Here, we have asked whether SKPs and their endogenous dermal precursors originate from the neural crest or whether, like the dermis itself, they originate from multiple developmental origins. To do this, we used two different mouse Cre lines that allow us to perform lineage tracing: Wnt1‐cre, which targets cells deriving from the neural crest, and Myf5‐cre, which targets cells of a somite origin. By crossing these Cre lines to reporter mice, we show that the endogenous follicle‐associated dermal precursors in the face derive from the neural crest, and those in the dorsal trunk derive from the somites, as do the SKPs they generate. Despite these different developmental origins, SKPs from these two locations are functionally similar, even with regard to their ability to differentiate into Schwann cells, a cell type only thought to be generated from the neural crest. Analysis of global gene expression using microarrays confirmed that facial and dorsal SKPs exhibit a very high degree of similarity, and that they are also very similar to SKPs derived from ventral dermis, which has a lateral plate origin. However, these developmentally distinct SKPs also retain differential expression of a small number of genes that reflect their developmental origins. Thus, an adult neural crest‐like dermal precursor can be generated from a non‐neural crest origin, a finding with broad implications for the many neuroendocrine cells in the body. STEM CELLS 2010;28:2027–2040
Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Infection by the Quorum-Sensing Inhibitor RIP

ABSTRACT The quorum-sensing inhibitor RIP inhibits staphylococcal TRAP/agr systems and both TRAP- and agr-negative strains are deficient in biofilm formation in vivo, indicating the importance of quorum sensing to biofilms in the host. RIP injected systemically into rats has been found to have strong activity in preventing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus graft infections, suggesting that RIP can be used as a therapeutic agent.
Hepatocellular carcinoma: Dutch guideline for surveillance, diagnosis and therapy.

UNLABELLED Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare in the Netherlands, even though the incidence has increased quite sharply in recent years. Standard treatment options consist of surgery, orthotopic liver transplantation, radiofrequency ablation, transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) and systemic therapy with sorafenib. The consensus-based Dutch HCC guideline, established in 2013, serves to guide surveillance, diagnosis and treatment options: Surveillance should be performed by ultrasound at six-month intervals in well-defined cirrhotic patients and in selected high-risk hepatitis B carriers; A nodule > 1 cm in cirrhotic patients with arterial hypervascularity and venous or delayed phase washout at four-phase CT or MRI scan establishes the diagnosis of HCC; In patients with HCC without underlying cirrhosis, resection should be considered regardless of tumour size; In cirrhotic HCC patients, tumour stage, severity of underlying cirrhosis, and performance status determine treatment options. The algorithm of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system should be followed; Patients with Child-Pugh A-B cirrhosis (CP < 8 points) and performance status 0-2 are candidates for any active treatment other than transplantation; In early stage HCC (BCLC stage 0 or A, compensated cirrhosis without portal hypertension) surgical resection, liver transplantation, or radiofrequency ablation should be considered; In intermediate stage HCC (BCLC stage B) TACE and÷ or radiofrequency ablation should be considered; In advanced stage HCC (BCLC stage C) sorafenib should be considered. CONCLUSION The Dutch HCC guideline offers advice for surveillance, diagnosis and treatment of HCC.
Conic Option Pricing

Derivatives pricing models based on arbitrage produce a single no-arbitrage option value. In theory, trading by arbitrageurs will force the market price to equal this value. However, the real world is full of frictions and uncertainty, and there is always a range in which the market price may wander without becoming sufficiently mispriced to touch off arbitrage trades. Under weaker assumptions, as explored in this article, such a range should encompass a convex set of prices such that the net payout has positive expected value under a broad set of supporting probability distributions and is closed under scaling, which makes it a mathematical cone. Madan and Schoutens use this principle to develop a theory of conic option pricing, in which an upper and lower bound on an option’s price are obtained by applying two deformations to the probability density for returns. Where the market price is expected to fall within these bounds is based on the principle that order flow for buying and selling should balance out on average. The resulting valuation does not require a specific density, such as lognormal (this article uses the variance-gamma process). Rather, it specifies how the density chosen by the user should be modified to produce the bounds. An empirical demonstration of the approach using seven years of options data on 208 underlying assets shows that market prices obey the pricing bounds quite well. An interesting and valuable extension is the valuation of delta and delta-gamma hedged positions, which naturally produce much tighter bounds.