Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Motion Control System that Realizes Physical Interaction between Robot's Hands and Environment during Walk

This paper addresses a whole-body motion control system that realizes desired absolute hand position trajectory which can be given online during continuous walk. External force that is exerted to the hand can also be managed by the system. The system is based on a short cycle dynamically stable walking pattern generation system, which generates and updates a motion pattern at every 20 [ms]. Short cycle generation realizes quick response to the change of commanded hand position. It also enables the system to reflect force sensor information to the dynamics model which is used for dynamically stable pattern generation with small latency. The robot can maintain dynamic balance even when measurable force is exerted to its hands by using this characteristic. We also implemented impedance control of the hand position in order to realize stable contact when the hands touch surrounding objects. We implemented the system on a full size humanoid, HRP-2. Basic experiments and an experiment of pushing a table show the performance of the system.
Characterization of 3D-stacked nodes for Body Area Networks at 2.45 GHz

This paper presents the characterization of two 3D-stacked BAN nodes, both in free-space and on-body operation. Input impedance measurements have shown that the groundplanes below the antenna act as a shielding layer, preventing antenna detuning when placed on the human body. Radiation pattern measurements have indicated that the back radiation of the antenna is absorbed by the human body, while the off-body broadside radiation is preserved. On the other hand, measured efficiency values have been lower than the ones expected according to the electromagnetic simulations. It has been demonstrated through measurements that this is due to the presence of metal parts near the antenna (traces, vias, etc). These elements also have an impact on the input impedance of the antenna. Therefore, simplified simulation models are suitable for obtaining fast results, but they do not provide accurate results for antennas on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) with metallic elements around them.
Miniaturization of Slot Antennas Using Wire Loading

The design of a miniaturized slot antenna based on wire-loading is presented. The miniaturization can be achieved with minimal increase in the lateral space along the slot width. Both the cases of a slot antenna on dielectric substrate and a slot antenna on ground plane are considered. For the former case, a miniaturization of 28.83% is achieved. The radiation characteristics of the size-reduced antenna are almost similar to the unloaded slot, with low cross-polarization levels. For the slot antenna on a ground plane, the miniaturization is affected by a cavity-backed design with the loading wires penetrated into the cavity. A 45.52% reduction in resonant frequency is achieved relative to the unloaded slot. The radiation characteristics in the upper hemisphere are almost unperturbed compared to the unloaded slot.
30 Gb/s all-optical clock recovery circuit

All-optical clock recovery is demonstrated from pseudo-data patterns at 30 Gb/s. The circuit is based on the optical gain modulation of a semiconductor optical amplifier fiber laser. The recovered clock is a 2.7-ps pulse train, with very low modulation pattern even in the presence of more than 200 consecutive 0's in the data signal.
Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Telemedicine Service for the Treatment of Acute Stroke Patients: TeleStroke

Background Health care service based on telemedicine can reduce both physical and time barriers in stroke treatments. Moreover, this service connects centers specializing in stroke treatment with other centers and practitioners, thereby increasing accessibility to neurological specialist care and fibrinolytic treatment. Objective Development, implementation, and evaluation of a care service for the treatment of acute stroke patients based on telemedicine (TeleStroke) at Virgen del Rocío University Hospital. Methods The evaluation phase, conducted from October 2008 to January 2011, involved patients who presented acute stroke symptoms confirmed by the emergency physician; they were examined using TeleStroke in two hospitals, at a distance of 16 and 110 kilometers from Virgen del Rocío University Hospital. We analyzed the number of interconsultation sheets, the percentage of patients treated with fibrinolysis, and the number of times they were treated. To evaluate medical professionals’ acceptance of the TeleStroke system, we developed a web-based questionnaire using a Technology Acceptance Model. Results A total of 28 patients were evaluated through the interconsultation sheet. Out of 28 patients, 19 (68%) received fibrinolytic treatment. The most common reasons for not treating with fibrinolysis included: clinical criteria in six out of nine patients (66%) and beyond the time window in three out of nine patients (33%). The mean “onset-to-hospital” time was 69 minutes, the mean time from admission to CT image was 33 minutes, the mean “door-to-needle” time was 82 minutes, and the mean “onset-to-needle” time was 150 minutes. Out of 61 medical professionals, 34 (56%) completed a questionnaire to evaluate the acceptability of the TeleStroke system. The mean values for each item were over 6.50, indicating that respondents positively evaluated each item. This survey was assessed using the Cronbach alpha test to determine the reliability of the questionnaire and the results obtained, giving a value of 0.97. Conclusions The implementation of TeleStroke has made it possible for patients in the acute phase of stroke to receive effective treatment, something that was previously impossible because of the time required to transfer them to referral hospitals.
Anatomic variation of depth‐dependent mechanical properties in neonatal bovine articular cartilage

Articular cartilage has well known depth‐dependent structure and has recently been shown to have similarly non‐uniform depth‐dependent mechanical properties. Here, we study anatomic variation of the depth‐dependent shear modulus and energy dissipation rate in neonatal bovine knees. The regions we specifically focus on are the patellofemoral groove, trochlea, femoral condyle, and tibial plateau. In every sample, we find a highly compliant region within the first 500 µm of tissue measured from the articular surface, where the local shear modulus is reduced by up to two orders of magnitude. Comparing measurements taken from different anatomic sites, we find statistically significant differences localized within the first 50 µm. Histological images reveal these anatomic variations are associated with differences in collagen density and fiber organization. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31: 686–691, 2013
Practical thermal control by thermo-electric actuators

In this study a practically feasible Input-Output linearizing feedback law is introduced and tested on an experimental setup. The test setup is representative of part of a medical handheld diagnostics device, requiring fast and accurate temperature control in large temperature ranges. The setup is modelled with an in-house developed lumped mass modelling tool to allow for efficient controller design and synthesis. Furthermore, the setup is controlled via a National Instruments DAQ-unit that communicates with Matlab Simulink on a Windows-based computer. The building blocks in Simulink enabling this are also in-house developed. Experimental results show that the practically feasible control law is capable of dealing with large temperature variations in the setup as well as high frequent fluctuations in the setpoints.
The characteristics of high performing supply chains

This paper contrasts the characteristics of high and low performing supply chains in Japan, the US and Europe. From an initial set of 20 supply chains (all of which produced brake products for the automotive industry) six "high" and six "low" performing chains were identified, based on their levels of performance on quality (defect rates) and on-time delivery. Comparison of the characteristics of the two groups reveals that, on average, the high performing supply chains have lower inventories, more frequent deliveries, a higher number of second tier suppliers (but serve the same number of car makers) and have higher production volumes. They also possess more sophisticated and active structures for information exchange and learning. Supply chains located in Japan are considerably over-represented in the high performing category, but interview data revealed the danger of equating the long-term relationships found in Japan with "cosiness" between car makers and suppliers. The characteristics of both high and low performing supply chains appear to be shaped by a variety of contingencies, and exploration of these contingencies is a fruitful avenue for future research.
Dominant-Negative Control of cAMP-Dependent IKs Upregulation in Human Long-QT Syndrome Type 1

Rationale: The mutation A341V in the S6 transmembrane segment of KCNQ1, the &agr;-subunit of the slowly activating delayed-rectifier K+ (IKs) channel, predisposes to a severe long-QT1 syndrome with sympathetic-triggered ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Objective: Several genetic risk modifiers have been identified in A341V patients, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the pronounced repolarization phenotype, particularly during &bgr;-adrenergic receptor stimulation, remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate these mechanisms and provide new insights into control of cAMP-dependent modulation of IKs. Methods and Results: We characterized the effects of A341V on the IKs macromolecular channel complex in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells and found a dominant-negative suppression of cAMP-dependent Yotiao-mediated IKs upregulation on top of a dominant-negative reduction in basal current. Phosphomimetic substitution of the N-terminal position S27 with aspartic acid rescued this loss of upregulation. Western blot analysis showed reduced phosphorylation of KCNQ1 at S27, even for heterozygous A341V, suggesting that phosphorylation defects in some (mutant) KCNQ1 subunits can completely suppress IKs upregulation. Functional analyses of heterozygous KCNQ1 WT:G589D and heterozygous KCNQ1 WT:S27A, a phosphorylation-inert substitution, also showed such suppression. Immunoprecipitation of Yotiao with KCNQ1-A341V (in the presence of KCNE1) was not different from wild-type. Conclusions: Our results indicate the involvement of the KCNQ1-S6 region at/or around A341 in cAMP-dependent stimulation of IKs, a process that is under strong dominant-negative control, suggesting that tetrameric KCNQ1 phosphorylation is required. Specific long-QT1 mutations, including heterozygous A341V, disable this regulation.
Risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage

Copyright © 1985 American Heart Association. All rights reserved. Print ISSN: 0039-2499. Online ISSN: Stroke is published by the American Heart Association. 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 72514 1985;16;377-385 Stroke WT Longstreth, Jr, TD Koepsell, MS Yerby and G van Belle Risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage http://stroke.ahajournals. org located on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services, is
Investigation of wing interaction by using a beetle-inspired flapping system

In this work, we investigated interaction between the elytra (forewings) and hind-wings of a beetle, Allomyrina Dichotoma, and aerodynamic force enhancement by the wing interaction. Instead of using a live beetle, we have created a beetle-mimicking flapping-wing system for the investigation. We first have visualized flow around the wings during flapping motion and captured images using a high-speed camera. The images are examined to understand how flows are changed due to the wing interaction for various inflow velocities. Flow is accelerated over elytra by the vortices generated by the hind-wings. Due to the presence of elytra, a trailing edge vortex is produced earlier in the hind-wing, while generation of a leading edge vortex is delayed. This mechanism may enhance force generation in flight.
Smallpox and pan-Orthopox Virus Detection by Real-Time 3′-Minor Groove Binder TaqMan Assays on the Roche LightCycler and the Cepheid Smart Cycler Platforms

ABSTRACT We designed, optimized, and extensively tested several sensitive and specific real-time PCR assays for rapid detection of both smallpox and pan-orthopox virus DNAs. The assays are based on TaqMan 3′-minor groove binder chemistry and were performed on both the rapid-cycling Roche LightCycler and the Cepheid Smart Cycler platforms. The hemagglutinin (HA) J7R, B9R, and B10R genes were used as targets for the variola virus-specific assays, and the HA and DNA polymerase-E9L genes were used as targets for the pan-orthopox virus assays. The five orthopox virus assays were tested against a panel of orthopox virus DNAs (both genomic and cloned) at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). The results indicated that each assay was capable of detecting both the appropriate cloned gene and genomic DNA. The assays showed no cross-reactivity to the 78 DNAs in the USAMRIID bacterial cross-reactivity panel. The limit of detection (LOD) of each assay was determined to be between 12 and 25 copies of target DNA. The assays were also run against a blind panel of DNAs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on both the LightCycler and the Smart Cycler. The panel consisted of eight different variola virus isolates, five non-variola virus orthopox virus isolates, two varicella-zoster virus isolates, and one herpes simplex virus isolate. Each sample was tested in triplicate at 2.5 ng, 25 pg, 250 fg, and 2.5 fg, which represent 1.24 × 107, 1.24 × 105, 1.24 × 103, and 1.24 × 101 genome equivalents, respectively. The results indicated that each of the five assays was 100% specific (no false positives) when tested against both the USAMRIID panels and the CDC blind panel. With the CDC blind panel, the LightCycler was capable of detecting 96.2% of the orthopox virus DNAs and 93.8% of the variola virus DNAs. The Smart Cycler was capable of detecting 92.3% of the orthopox virus DNAs and between 75 and 93.8% of the variola virus DNAs. However, all five assays had nearly 100% sensitivity on both machines with samples above the LOD (>12 gene copies). These real-time PCR assays represent a battery of tests to screen for and confirm the presence of variola virus DNA. The early detection of a smallpox outbreak is crucial whether the incident is an act of bioterrorism or an accidental occurrence.
The effects of thalamonal on cerebral circulation and oxygen consumption in man.

SUMMARY The effects of Thalamonal on cerebral circulation and oxygen consumption were studied in ten normal healthy patients before operations. After the administration of Thalamonal 0.1 ml/kg, cerebral blood flow (c.b.f.) and Paco2 increased from a control value of 48 +4.2 to 51 + 3.9 ml/100 g/min and from 34.6 ±1.2 to 37.1 + 1.8 mm Hg, respectively, but these were not statistically significant changes. Oxygen consumption (CMRo2) increased from a control value of 3.06 + 0.22 to 3.08 ±0.30 ml/100 g/min during neuroleptanalgesia with Thalamonal, but this change was also not significant. It was concluded that Thalamonal had no significant effect on c.b. f. and CMRo2 of man when Paco2 was within normal limits and body temperature remained unchanged.
The Finance–Growth Nexus and Poverty Reduction in Western China

Abstract In this article, we study the effect of financial development (FD) on economic growth in western China. Special attention is paid to the western region because of the large-scale development strategy in West China. We specify the regression models based on the endogenous growth theory. The empirical results show that (1) FD can promote economic growth mainly through improving TFP; (2) FD is more important than human capital in promoting GDP growth; (3) The effect of FD on TFP growth is significant statistically in all regions, but it is the most significant economically in the western region of China.
Ionic currents determining the membrane characteristics of type I spiral ganglion neurons of the guinea pig

Enzymatically isolated type I spiral ganglion neurons of the guinea pig have been investigated in the present study. The identity of the cells was confirmed by using anti‐neuron‐specific enolase immunostaining. The presence and shredding of the myelin sheath was also documented by employing anti‐S100 immunoreaction. The membrane characteristics of the cells were studied by using the whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique. The whole‐cell capacitance of the cells was 9 ± 2 pF (n = 51), while the resting membrane potential of the cells was −62 ± 9 mV (n = 19). When suprathreshold depolarizing stimuli were applied, the neurons fired a single action potential at the beginning of the stimulation. It was confirmed in this study that type I spiral ganglion cells possess a hyperpolarization‐activated nonspecific cationic current (Ih). The major characteristics of this current component were unaffected by the enzyme treatment. Type I spiral ganglion cells also expressed various depolarization‐activated K+ current components. A high‐threshold outward current was sensitive to 1–10 mm TEA+ application. The ganglion cells also expressed a relatively small, but nevertheless present, transient outward current component which was less sensitive to TEA+ but could be inhibited by 100 µm 4‐aminopyridine. A DTX‐I‐sensitive current was responsible for some 30% of the total outward current (at 0 mV), showed rapid activation at membrane potentials positive to −50 mV and demonstrated very little inactivation. However, inhibition of the highly 4‐AP‐ or DTX‐I‐sensitive component did not alter the rapidly inactivating nature of the firing pattern of the cells.
Highly sensitive detection of nanoparticles with a self-referenced and self-heterodyned whispering-gallery Raman microlaser

Significance To date, loss compensation in optical microresonators has been done using rare-earth ions, which requires additional processing steps and costs and raises biocompatibility concerns. An alternative to integrating rare-earth ions for loss compensation is the use of intrinsic gain mechanisms such as Raman and parametric gain present in the materials from which resonators are fabricated. Here, we report the first implementation to our knowledge of Raman gain-induced loss compensation in silica whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators for improved detection and the first demonstration to our knowledge of mode splitting in a WGM Raman microlaser for detecting and counting single nanoparticles down to 10 nm. This intrinsically self-referenced, self-heterodyned, and biocompatible scheme has enabled achieving record-high polarizability sensitivity (down to 3.82 × 10−6 μm3) without using plasmonic effects, passive or active stabilization, or frequency locking. Optical whispering-gallery-mode resonators (WGMRs) have emerged as promising platforms for label-free detection of nano-objects. The ultimate sensitivity of WGMRs is determined by the strength of the light–matter interaction quantified by quality factor/mode volume, Q/V, and the resolution is determined by Q. To date, to improve sensitivity and precision of detection either WGMRs have been doped with rare-earth ions to compensate losses and increase Q or plasmonic resonances have been exploited for their superior field confinement and lower V. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, enhanced detection of single-nanoparticle-induced mode splitting in a silica WGMR via Raman gain-assisted loss compensation and WGM Raman microlaser. In particular, the use of the Raman microlaser provides a dopant-free, self-referenced, and self-heterodyned scheme with a detection limit ultimately determined by the thermorefractive noise. Notably, we detected and counted individual nanoparticles with polarizabilities down to 3.82 × 10−6 μm3 by monitoring a heterodyne beatnote signal. This level of sensitivity is achieved without exploiting plasmonic effects, external references, or active stabilization and frequency locking. Single nanoparticles are detected one at a time; however, their characterization by size or polarizability requires ensemble measurements and statistical averaging. This dopant-free scheme retains the inherited biocompatibility of silica and could find widespread use for sensing in biological media. The Raman laser and operation band of the sensor can be tailored for the specific sensing environment and the properties of the targeted materials by changing the pump laser wavelength. This scheme also opens the possibility of using intrinsic Raman or parametric gain for loss compensation in other systems where dissipation hinders progress and limits applications.
Study on the toxic mechanism of prion protein peptide 106–126 in neuronal and non neuronal cells

A synthetic peptide corresponding to the 106–126 amyloidogenic region of the cellular human prion protein (PrPc) is useful for in vitro study of prion‐induced neuronal cell death. The aim of the present work was to examine the implication of the cellular prion protein in the toxicity mechanism induced by PrP 106–126. The effect of PrP 106–126 was investigated both on human neuroblastoma SH‐SY5Y cells and on SH‐SY5Y overexpressing murine cellular prions (wtPrP). We show by metabolic assay tests and ATP assays that PrPc expression does not modulate the toxicity of the prion peptide. Moreover, we investigated the effect of this peptide on an established non neuronal model, rabbit kidney epithelial A74 cells that express a doxycycline‐inducible murine PrPc gene. We show for the first time that the prion peptide 106–126 does not exert any toxic effect on this cell line in the presence or absence of doxycycline. Our results show that the PrP 106–126‐induced cell alteration is independent of PrPc expression. Rather, it seems to act via an interaction with lipidic components of the plasma membrane as strengthened by our results showing the differential susceptibility of neuronal and non neuronal cell lines that significantly differ by their membrane fatty acid composition. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Modeling Cerebral Blood Flow and Flow Heterogeneity from Magnetic Resonance Residue Data

Existing model-free approaches to determine cerebral blood flow by external residue detection show a marked dependence of flow estimates on tracer arrival delays and dispersion. In theory, this dependence can be circumvented by applying a specific model of vascular transport and tissue flow heterogeneity. The authors present a method to determine flow heterogeneity by magnetic resonance residue detection of a plasma marker. Probability density functions of relative flows measured in six healthy volunteers were similar among tissue types and volunteers, and were in qualitative agreement with literature measurements of capillary red blood cell and plasma velocities. Combining the measured flow distribution with a model of vascular transport yielded excellent model fits to experimental residue data. Fitted gray-to-white flow-rate ratios were in good agreement with PET literature values, as well as a model-free singular value decomposition (SVD) method in the same subjects. The vascular model was found somewhat sensitive to data noise, but showed far less dependence on vascular delay and dispersion than the model-free SVD approach.