Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The ReWalk Powered Exoskeleton to Restore Ambulatory Function to Individuals with Thoracic-Level Motor-Complete Spinal Cord Injury

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the safety and performance of ReWalk in enabling people with paraplegia due to spinal cord injury to carry out routine ambulatory functions. DesignThis was an open, noncomparative, nonrandomized study of the safety and performance of the ReWalk powered exoskeleton. All 12 subjects have completed the active intervention; three remain in long-term follow-up. ResultsAfter training, all subjects were able to independently transfer and walk, without human assistance while using the ReWalk, for at least 50 to 100 m continuously, for a period of at least 5 to 10 mins continuously and with velocities ranging from 0.03 to 0.45 m/sec (mean, 0.25 m/sec). Excluding two subjects with considerably reduced walking abilities, average distances and velocities improved significantly. Some subjects reported improvements in pain, bowel and bladder function, and spasticity during the trial. All subjects had strong positive comments regarding the emotional/psychosocial benefits of the use of ReWalk. ConclusionsReWalk holds considerable potential as a safe ambulatory powered orthosis for motor-complete thoracic-level spinal cord injury patients. Most subjects achieved a level of walking proficiency close to that needed for limited community ambulation. A high degree of performance variability was observed across individuals. Some of this variability was explained by level of injury, but other factors have not been completely identified. Further development and application of this rehabilitation tool to other diagnoses are expected in the future.
Efficient Large-Scale Point Cloud Registration Using Loop Closures

Alignment of many 3D point clouds, possibly captured by multiple devices at different times, is a critical step for increasingly popular applications such as 3D model construction and augmented reality. For very large data sets, traditional methods such as ICP can become computationally intractable, or produce poor results. We present an efficient method for accurately aligning very large numbers of dense 3D point clouds, and apply it to a city-scale data set. The method relies on the novel combination of 1) partitioning the point clouds based on loop structures detected across a combined network of all device capture paths, and 2) making use of the loop closure property to accurately align point clouds within each sub-problem. Final global alignment of the loop-based results is formulated as a least squares optimization with closed form solution. Experimental results are shown for aligning 3D points across the entire city of San Francisco with centimeter-scale accuracy, via an efficient parallelized architecture.
Intelligent Optimizing Scheme for Load Balancing in Software Defined Networks

In order to ensure the transmit speed and quality, it is critical to adopt efficient path selection technique for load balancing in complex networks. However, traditional balancing technique is unable to possess global knowledge of the whole network and lacks the ability to find the optimal path. Software Defined Networks (SDN) provides an approach to obtain whole network status. But, the performance of controller limits the extension of SDN. This paper presents a novel intelligent SDN-based architecture and proposes a new scheme to optimize data transmission. The new scheme uses intelligent algorithms to complete three functions, including path selection, the important nodes and flow forecasting. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves superior performance in terms of both latency and packet loss rate.
Variable Substrate Preference among Phospholipase D Toxins from Sicariid Spiders*

Background: Phospholipase D toxins from brown spider venoms can cause disease in humans. Results: Different toxin family members show specificity for lipid substrates with choline or ethanolamine headgroups or can be ambiguous. Conclusion: Spider phospholipase D toxins have evolved diverse substrate preferences. Significance: The diverse substrate preference may be significant for predation and the mammalian toxicity of venom. Venoms of the sicariid spiders contain phospholipase D enzyme toxins that can cause severe dermonecrosis and even death in humans. These enzymes convert sphingolipid and lysolipid substrates to cyclic phosphates by activating a hydroxyl nucleophile present in both classes of lipid. The most medically relevant substrates are thought to be sphingomyelin and/or lysophosphatidylcholine. To better understand the substrate preference of these toxins, we used 31P NMR to compare the activity of three related but phylogenetically diverse sicariid toxins against a diverse panel of sphingolipid and lysolipid substrates. Two of the three showed significantly faster turnover of sphingolipids over lysolipids, and all three showed a strong preference for positively charged (choline and/or ethanolamine) over neutral (glycerol and serine) headgroups. Strikingly, however, the enzymes vary widely in their preference for choline, the headgroup of both sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine, versus ethanolamine. An enzyme from Sicarius terrosus showed a strong preference for ethanolamine over choline, whereas two paralogous enzymes from Loxosceles arizonica either preferred choline or showed no significant preference. Intrigued by the novel substrate preference of the Sicarius enzyme, we solved its crystal structure at 2.1 Å resolution. The evolution of variable substrate specificity may help explain the reduced dermonecrotic potential of some natural toxin variants, because mammalian sphingolipids use primarily choline as a positively charged headgroup; it may also be relevant for sicariid predatory behavior, because ethanolamine-containing sphingolipids are common in insect prey.
Efficiency measurements of additive manufactured electrically small antennas

Additive manufactured prototypes based on a novel inverted-F antenna design are presented and measured results discussed. Radiation efficiency is computed with the aid of a Wheeler cap box; the resulting ratio of the antenna's quality factor to the lower limit described by Chu is shown to be 1.9 for a spherical variant. Measured and simulated S-parameter results show good agreement, with some evident discrepancies - these are explained by potential unknown changes to the powdered materials during the printing processes, and the rough surface finish of the metallization on the antennas.
National Institutes of Health–Sponsored Clinical Islet Transplantation Consortium Phase 3 Trial: Manufacture of a Complex Cellular Product at Eight Processing Facilities

Eight manufacturing facilities participating in the National Institutes of Health–sponsored Clinical Islet Transplantation (CIT) Consortium jointly developed and implemented a harmonized process for the manufacture of allogeneic purified human pancreatic islet (PHPI) product evaluated in a phase 3 trial in subjects with type 1 diabetes. Manufacturing was controlled by a common master production batch record, standard operating procedures that included acceptance criteria for deceased donor organ pancreata and critical raw materials, PHPI product specifications, certificate of analysis, and test methods. The process was compliant with Current Good Manufacturing Practices and Current Good Tissue Practices. This report describes the manufacturing process for 75 PHPI clinical lots and summarizes the results, including lot release. The results demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a harmonized process at multiple facilities for the manufacture of a complex cellular product. The quality systems and regulatory and operational strategies developed by the CIT Consortium yielded product lots that met the prespecified characteristics of safety, purity, potency, and identity and were successfully transplanted into 48 subjects. No adverse events attributable to the product and no cases of primary nonfunction were observed.
Sexual dimorphism in cortical bone size and strength but not density is determined by independent and time‐specific actions of sex steroids and IGF‐1: Evidence from pubertal mouse models

Although it is well established that males acquire more bone mass than females, the underlying mechanism and timing of this sex difference remain controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the relative contribution of sex steroid versus growth hormone–insulin‐like growth factor 1 (GH–IGF‐1) action to pubertal bone mass acquisition longitudinally in pubertal mice. Radial bone expansion peaked during early puberty (3 to 5 weeks of age) in male and female mice, with significantly more expansion in males than in females (+40%). Concomitantly, in 5 week old male versus female mice, periosteal and endocortical bone formation was higher (+70%) and lower (−47%), respectively, along with higher serum IGF‐1 levels during early puberty in male mice. In female mice, ovariectomy increased radial bone expansion during early puberty as well as the endocortical perimeter. In male mice, orchidectomy reduced radial bone expansion only during late puberty (5 to 8 weeks of age), whereas combined androgen and estrogen deficiency modestly decreased radial bone expansion during early puberty, accompanied by lower IGF‐1 levels. GHRKO mice with very low IGF‐1 levels, on the other hand, showed limited radial bone expansion and no skeletal dimorphism. From these data we conclude that skeletal sexual dimorphism is established during early puberty and depends primarily on GH–IGF‐1 action. In males, androgens and estrogens have stimulatory effects on bone size during late and early puberty, respectively. In females, estrogens limit bone size during early puberty. These longitudinal findings in mice provide strong evidence that skeletal dimorphism is determined by independent and time‐specific effects of sex steroids and IGF‐1. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Optical Signal Processing Using Tunable Delay Elements Based on Slow Light

Tunable optical delay lines have many applications for high-performance optical switching and signal processing. Slow light has emerged as an enabling technology for achieving continuously tunable optical delays. Delay reconfigurability opens up a whole new field of nonlinear signal processing using slow light. In this paper, the authors review recent advances in slow-light-based optical signal processing, with a focus on the data fidelity after traversing the slow light elements. The concept of slow-light-induced data pattern dependence is introduced and is shown to be the main signal degrading effect. We then propose and experimentally demonstrate phase-preserving slow light by delaying 10 Gb/s differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) signals with reduced DPSK pattern dependence. Spectrally efficient slow light using advanced multilevel phase-modulated formats is further described. With this technique, doubled bit-rate signals can be transmitted through a bandwidth-limited slow light element. We finally show several novel slow-light-based signal processing modules. Unique features such as multichannel operation, variable bit-rate capability, and simultaneous multiple functions are highlighted.
Duals for Extreme Black Holes

It is argued that the general four-dimensional extremal Kerr-Newman-AdS-dS black hole is holographically dual to a (chiral half of a) two-dimensional CFT, generalizing an argument given recently for the special case of extremal Kerr. Specifically, the asymptotic symmetries of the near-horizon region of the general extremal black hole are shown to be generated by a Virasoro algebra. Semiclassical formulae are derived for the central charge and temperature of the dual CFT as functions of the cosmological constant, Newton’s constant and the black hole charges and spin. We then show, assuming the Cardy formula, that the microscopic entropy of the dual CFT precisely reproduces the macroscopic Bekenstein-Hawking area law. This CFT description becomes singular in the extreme Reissner-Nordstrom limit where the black hole has no spin. At this point a second dual CFT description is proposed in which the global part of the U(1) gauge symmetry is promoted to a Virasoro algebra. This second description is also found to reproduce the area law. Various further generalizations including higher dimensions are discussed. e-mail: hartman@physics.harvard. edu e-mail: murata@tap.scphys. kyoto-u.ac. jp e-mail: nishioka@gauge.scphys. kyoto-u.ac. jp e-mail: andy@physics.harvard. edu
Transcatheter aortic valve‐in‐valve treatment of degenerative stentless supra‐annular Freedom Solo valves: A single centre experience

Redo surgery for degenerative bioprosthetic aortic valves is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Report results of valve‐in‐valve therapy (ViV‐TAVI) in failed supra‐annular stentless Freedom Solo (FS) bioprostheses, which are the highest risk for coronary occlusion.
MicroRNA-125b is a key epigenetic regulatory factor that promotes nuclear transfer reprogramming

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)-mediated reprogramming is a rapid, efficient, and sophisticated process that reprograms differentiated somatic cells to a pluripotent state. However, many factors in this elaborate reprogramming process remain largely unknown. Here, we report that the microRNA (miR) miR-125b is an important component of SCNT-mediated reprogramming. Luciferase reporter assay, quantitative PCR, and Western blotting demonstrated that miR-125b directly binds the 3′-untranslated region of SUV39H1, encoding the histone-lysine N-methyltransferase SUV39H1, to down-regulate histone H3 lysine-9 tri-methylation (H3K9me3) in SCNT embryos. Furthermore, the miR-125b/SUV39H1 interaction induced loss of SUV39H1-mediated H3K9me3, caused heterochromatin relaxation, and promoted the development of SCNT embryos. Transcriptome analyses of SCNT blastomeres indicated that HNF1 homeobox B (HNF1B), a gene encoding a transcription factor downstream of and controlled by the miR-125b/SUV39H1 axis, is important for conferring developmental competence on preimplantation embryos. We conclude that miR-125b promotes SCNT-mediated nuclear reprogramming by targeting SUV39H1 to decrease the deposition of repressive H3K9me3 modifications.
[Effects of radiotherapy].

Oral functions suffer due to surgical procedures depending on the resected extent and reconstructive techniques. In particular, patients with tissue defect of soft palate have difficulty recovering the speech and swallowing functions compared to other parts of tissues in oral cavity. In the current paper, two cases with tumors of soft palate which were treated surgically followed by reconstruction by using vascularized pedicled palatal flap successfully were presented. From the above experiences, it was suggested that the vascularized pedicled palatal flap is useful for a medium-sized defect in the soft palate from the viewpoint of physiological oral functions.
Control of modular multilevel transformerless cascaded bidirectional converters

This paper presents transformerless cascaded bidirectional converters with a cascaded five level rectifier stage, a DC/DC converter stage composed of two Dual Active Bridge (DAB) and a cascaded five level inverter stage. However, the cascaded converters lead a complex control algorithm and suffer from voltage imbalance between the multiple floating dc capacitors. This paper discusses and compares different control methods to resolve the voltage unbalance on the dc links of different H-bridges. Based on the minimum point of backflow power, the paper proposes a novel control method to the converter. Results of experiments are presented to verify the performance under unbalance loads.
Proteins in natural waters and their relation to the formation of chlorinated organics during water disinfection.

H Solutions of model proteins were chlorinated and found 'to produce yields of trihalomethanes and total organic chloride comparable to a humic acid. The concentrations of proteins (total dissolved amino nitrogen) and algal counts in a lake water were measured from April to November of 1985. Concentrations ranged from 0.07 to 0.3 mg/L as N while copper sulfate was added to the lake for algae control. Increases in protein concentration correlated with algal blooms. When copper sulfate treatment was suspended, a massive algal bloom was observed and the protein concentration increased to 0.96 mg/L as N. From this protein concentration a 5-day trihalomethane formation potential of 115 pg/L was estimated. Pretreatment with powdered activated carbon, alum coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection processes were effective in removing about 70% of the proteins. Organic precursors in a natural water were fractionated by ultrafiltration and protein concentrations and trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) measured in each fraction. Proteins appeared to account for 8-11% of the THMFP of each fraction. It was concluded that chlorination of proteins produced during algal blooms may make a significant contribution to the formation of trihalomethanes in chlorinated natural waters.
Consensus Control for Multi-Agent Systems with a Faulty Node

This paper studies consensus control for a multi-agent system with a faulty node. The node dynamics follow a continuous-time consensus protocol with negative feedback from the relative state of the neighbors, where the faulty node is instead using positive feedback from the state. Conditions for reaching consensus are established, and a fault threshold is introduced. Numerical examples investigate how the fault threshold determines the system behavior.
New force field parameters for metalloproteins I: Divalent copper ion centers including three histidine residues and an oxygen‐ligated amino acid residue

Transition metal ion complexation with proteins is ubiquitous across such diverse fields as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In this study, the structures of divalent copper ion centers including three histidine and one oxygen‐ligated amino acid residues and the relative binding affinities of the oxygen‐ligated amino acid residues with these metal ion centers, which are debated in the literature, are presented. Furthermore, new force field parameters, which are currently lacking for the full‐length metal‐ligand moieties, are developed for metalloproteins that have these centers. These new force field parameters enable investigations of metalloproteins possessing these binding sites using molecular simulations. In addition, the impact of using the atom equivalence and inequivalence atomic partial charge calculation procedures on the simulated structures of these metallopeptides, including hydration properties, is described. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An authoring framework for time dependent crowd simulation

Crowd simulation has a wide range of applications, such as travel network planning, evacuation planning and layout design [Feng et al. 2016]. A critical issue in crowd simulation is to simulate crowds at different moments. In [Krontiris et al. 2016], an influence map based on attractors is used for authoring activity-centric crowd simulation. However, the desired crowd distributions are not considered. Specifically, given that the desired crowd distributions are input at different time instances, we would like to simulate the crowds between these time instances. In this work, we propose an approach for crowd simulation editing, aiming for simulating crowds between different time instances. The users can draw the attractive regions and non-attractive regions. Then our system automatically computes the paths and simulates the crowd movement based on a Markov decision model. Our system is applicable to crowd authoring, animation and layout design.
Proteome modifications of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis L.) gills as an effect of water pollution

The discharge of chemicals such as oil associated or not with derived products constitutes a real threat for the environment. We report here the differential expression of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) gill proteins corresponding to two contaminated environmental conditions: crude oil and offshore produced water. In order to evaluate and understand contaminants, effects and adaptive response of these organisms, we identified proteins using MS. The latter can be grouped into three main classes: proteins involved in the cellular structure, in metabolism, and in defence proteins.
Percutaneous transhepatic embolization of biliary leakage with N-butyl cyanoacrylate

Abstract Biliary leakage is a known complication after biliary surgery. In this report, we describe an uncommon treatment of a common biliary complication, wherein we used percutaneous transhepatic injection of N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) to treat a biliary leak in an 83-year-old patient.
Translating Words, Translating Cultures

What exactly does (or should) translation from one language into another try to do? Attempt to convey to readers of the target language (the language into which one is translating) something of the strangeness, difference and historicity of the original in the source language (the language from which one is translating)? Or must translation try to bridge the gap between source and target language, by rendering the original in a thoroughly contemporary style and diction, as if this were a work being written now for the first time? And related to these the further questions: how closely should a translation render the genre, language, metre, style and content of the original? How far can a translation depart from the original without ceasing to be a translation – in other words, where is one to situate the border between “translation”, “version” and “adaptation”?
The Thutmosis I Inscription near Tomâs

L'auteur propose une nouvelle etude de l'inscription datant de la deuxieme annee du regne de Thoutmosis I et commemorant la victoire de la campagne de Nubie, decouverte pres de l'ile de Tomâs, dont le commentaire s'attache surtout a relever et commenter les autres evenements politiques relates dans ce texte
Analysis of Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Production (GARP) Modeling Approach for Predicting Distributions of Fleas Implicated as Vectors of Plague, Yersinia pestis, in California

Abstract More than 20 species of fleas in California are implicated as potential vectors of Yersinia pestis. Extremely limited spatial data exist for plague vectors—a key component to understanding where the greatest risks for human, domestic animal, and wildlife health exist. This study increases the spatial data available for 13 potential plague vectors by using the ecological niche modeling system Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Production (GARP) to predict their respective distributions. Because the available sample sizes in our data set varied greatly from one species to another, we also performed an analysis of the robustness of GARP by using the data available for flea Oropsylla montana (Baker) to quantify the effects that sample size and the chosen explanatory variables have on the final species distribution map. GARP effectively modeled the distributions of 13 vector species. Furthermore, our analyses show that all of these modeled ranges are robust, with a sample size of six fleas or greater not significantly impacting the percentage of the in-state area where the flea was predicted to be found, or the testing accuracy of the model. The results of this study will help guide the sampling efforts of future studies focusing on plague vectors.