Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mirror thrapy system based virtual reality for chronic pain in home use

Mirror therapy with mirror box is one of famous therapy for treating a phantom pain and chronic pain. Recovery of motor function of the patient is important factor for analgesic efficiency in the therapy. Virtual reality (VR) technology using computer graphics can be used in rehabilitation for improving motor function after stroke or pain control. Mirror therapy with VR called Virtual Reality based Mirror Visual Feedback (VR-MVF) system is used for a patient with chronic pain in a hospital. In order to give the opportunity to treat the pain in the patient's home under the guidance of a medical doctor, this study developed a VR-MVF system using Kinect for body motion measurement. The developed system measures the motion of upper limb by Kinect and initiates the grasping motion of the artificial hand with affected side in a VR environment by a mouse click of the hand of intact side. The applicability of the developed system is confirmed by several experiments to evaluate the sensations and motor cognition in using VR-MVF by ten participants.
Fast Quantization Method With Simplified Rate–Distortion Optimized Quantization for an HEVC Encoder

While the rate-distortion optimized quantization (RDOQ) technique provides nontrivial coding gain in High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), it also involves considerable computations, whereby the complexity of quantization is significantly increased. In this paper, two schemes (the RDOQ bypass decision and the simplified level adjustment) are investigated to reduce the complexity of the quantization process in HEVC with RDOQ. The RDOQ bypass decision method initially selects the transform blocks for which the RDOQ is expected to give less/or no coding gain and enables the conventional uniform scalar quantization to be applied to these transform blocks instead of the RDOQ. The simplified level adjustment method only estimates the difference in rate-distortion costs among the candidate quantization levels to enable the encoder to select an optimal quantization level at a much reduced computational cost. Furthermore, the proposed simplified level adjustment scheme is designed so that it can be implemented in lookup tables. Experimental results show that the proposed fast method achieves 14.3% quantization complexity reduction in all intra main conditions, 15.2% in the random access main condition, and 14.9% in the low delay main condition on average with virtually no coding loss compared with the conventional quantization process with the RDOQ.
Harnessing Folksonomies to Produce a Social Classification of Resources

In our daily lives, organizing resources like books or webpages into a set of categories to ease future access is a common task. The usual largeness of these collections requires a vast endeavor and an outrageous expense to organize manually. As an approach to effectively produce an automated classification of resources, we consider the immense amounts of annotations provided by users on social tagging systems in the form of bookmarks. In this paper, we deal with the utilization of these user-provided tags to perform a social classification of resources. For this purpose, we have created three large-scale social tagging data sets including tagging data for different types of resources, webpages and books. Those resources are accompanied by categorization data from sound expert-driven taxonomies. We analyze the characteristics of the three social tagging systems and perform an analysis on the usefulness of social tags to perform a social classification of resources that resembles the classification by experts as much as possible. We analyze six different representations using tags and compare to other data sources by using three different settings of SVM classifiers. Finally, we explore combinations of different data sources with tags using classifier committees to best classify the resources.
Hematological Changes Associated with Theileria orientalis Infection in Korean Indigenous Cattle

Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P<0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P<0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P<0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P<0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection.
Thresholds of Braided Convolutional Codes on the AWGN Channel

In this paper, we perform a threshold analysis of braided convolutional codes on the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. The decoding thresholds are estimated by Monte-Carlo density evolution techniques and compared with approximate thresholds from an erasure channel prediction. The results show that, with spatial coupling, the predicted thresholds are very accurate and quickly approach capacity if the coupling memory is increased. For uncoupled ensembles with random puncturing, the prediction can be improved with help of the AWGN threshold of the unpunctured ensemble.
A Joint Investigation of Semantic Facilitation and Semantic Interference in Continuous Naming

When speakers name multiple semantically related items, opposing effects can be found. Semantic facilitation is found when naming 2 semantically related items in a row. In contrast, semantic interference is found when speakers name semantically related items separated by 1 or more intervening unrelated items. This latter form of interference is cumulative, as it increases as a function of the number of related items that have been named beforehand. Semantic facilitation has therefore been envisaged as a product of transient and fast-decaying activation of related representations, whereas semantic interference has been linked to longer-lasting changes in the connections between semantic and lexical representations. In this work we attempted to explore and compare the 2 phenomena jointly, by means of contrasting naming sequences with noncontiguous semantically related items and sequences with contiguous semantically related items. Results provide evidence that mechanisms responsible for semantic facilitation and interference may jointly occur in parallel, producing opposing influences on behavior. Importantly, semantic facilitation may exhibit cumulative features too, though these are immediately disrupted when unrelated items intervene.
A Mobile Health Platform for Clinical Monitoring in Early Psychosis: Implementation in Community-Based Outpatient Early Psychosis Care

Background A growing body of literature indicates that smartphone technology is a feasible add-on tool in the treatment of individuals with early psychosis (EP) . However, most studies to date have been conducted independent of outpatient care or in a research clinic setting, often with financial incentives to maintain user adherence to the technology. Feasibility of dissemination and implementation of smartphone technology into community mental health centers (CMHCs) has yet to be tested, and whether young adults with EP will use this technology for long periods of time without incentive is unknown. Furthermore, although EP individuals willingly adopt smartphone technology as part of their treatment, it remains unclear whether providers are amenable to integrating smartphone technology into treatment protocols. Objective This study aimed to establish the feasibility of implementing a smartphone app and affiliated Web-based dashboard in 4 community outpatient EP clinics in Northern California. Methods EP individuals in 4 clinics downloaded an app on their smartphone and responded to daily surveys regarding mood and symptoms for up to 5 months. Treatment providers at the affiliated clinics viewed survey responses on a secure Web-based dashboard in sessions with their clients and between appointments. EP clients and treatment providers filled out satisfaction surveys at study end regarding usability of the app. Results Sixty-one EP clients and 20 treatment providers enrolled in the study for up to 5 months. Forty-one EP clients completed the study, and all treatment providers remained in the study for their duration in the clinic. Survey completion for all 61 EP clients was moderate: 40% and 39% for daily and weekly surveys, respectively. Completion rates were slightly higher in the participants who completed the study: 44% and 41% for daily and weekly surveys, respectively. Twenty-seven of 41 (66%) EP clients who completed the study and 11 of 13 (85%) treatment providers who responded to satisfaction surveys reported they would continue to use the app as part of treatment services. Six (15%; 6/41) clients and 3 providers (23%; 3/13) stated that technological glitches impeded their engagement with the platform. Conclusions EP clients and treatment providers in community-based outpatient clinics are responsive to integrating smartphone technology into treatment services. There were logistical and technical challenges associated with enrolling individuals in CMHCs. To be most effective, implementing smartphone technology in CMHC EP care necessitates adequate technical staff and support for utilization of the platform.
Current-Mode Phase-Locked Loops With CMOS Active Transformers

This paper introduces active transformer current- mode phase-locked loops (PLLs). The proposed PLLs replaces the RC loop filter of voltage-mode PLLs with an active transformer loop filter to take the advantage of their large inductance and small silicon area. A current-controlled LC oscillator with active inductors is employed to further reduce silicon area. The sensitivity of the cutoff frequency of active transformer loop filter to supply voltage fluctuation and process variation is analyzed. A 3-GHz PLL has been implemented in TSMC 0.18-mum 6-metal 1.8-V CMOS technology and analyzed using SpectreRF with BSIM3v3 device models and Verilog-AMS from cadence design systems. The lock time of the PLL is 60 ns. The power consumption and phase noise of the PLL are 16 m W and -100 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz frequency offset, respectively. The layout area of the PLL is 2800 mum2.
High-level production and purification in a functional state of an extrasynaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor containing α4β3δ subunits

The inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors are implicated in numerous physiological processes, including cognition and inhibition of neurotransmission, rendering them important molecular targets for many classes of drugs. Functionally, the entire GABAAR family of receptors can be subdivided into phasic, fast acting synaptic receptors, composed of α-, β- and γ-subunits, and tonic extrasynaptic receptors, many of which contain the δ-subunit in addition to α- and β-subunits. Whereas the subunit arrangement of the former group is agreed upon, that of the αβδ GABAARs remains unresolved by electrophysiological and pharmacological research. To resolve such issues will require biophysical techniques that demand quantities of receptor that have been previously unavailable. Therefore, we have engineered a stable cell line with tetracycline inducible expression of human α4-, β3- and N-terminally Flag-tagged δ-subunits. This cell line achieved a specific activity between 15 and 20 pmol [3H]muscimol sites/mg of membrane protein, making it possible to obtain 1 nmole of purified α4β3δ GABAAR from sixty 15–cm culture dishes. When induced, these cells exhibited agonist–induced currents with characteristics comparable to those previously reported for this receptor and a pharmacology that included strong modulation by etomidate and the δ-subunit-specific ligand, DS2. Immunoaffinity purification and reconstitution in CHAPS/asolectin micelles resulted in the retention of equilibrium allosteric interactions between the separate agonist, anesthetic and DS2 sites. Moreover, all three subunits retained glycosylation. The establishment of this well–characterized cell line will allow molecular level studies of tonic receptors to be undertaken.
On the analytical tuning of controllers for grid-coupled voltage source converter: frequency analysis

The grid conditions determine what the output voltage of a grid connected power converters should be. Control of the output voltage of these power converters is by this condition not possible. The power converters are however, not directly connected to the grid. The conventional method to interface these converters to the grid is through filters [1,2]. The duty of the filter is to reduce the current harmonics around the switching frequency of the converter. The current harmonics is capable of polluting the grid with the effect of disturbing any connected equipment [2,3]. In some practical applications, the converter is not just a single three-phase converter but two back-to-back converters usually interfacing two AC systems. The two converters are linked to each other through a DC-link. The converter adjacent to the grid is in this work referred to as grid-side converter (GSC). The scope of this paper is limited to the analysis of control of the filter current and the influence of the filter on the grid and the grid-side converter with the DC-link. The filter can be a simple L, LC or LCL filter. The choice of any scheme may depend on cost, size, or dynamic performance. The filter current injected into the grid becomes the control variable since the grid voltage can’t be controlled. The filter input current is usually sensed and given back as feedback to close the control loop. Hence, the transfer function which decides the closed loop performance of the filter is the transfer function between output current and input voltage of the filter for zero grid voltage [1]. Usually the current control is implemented in a dq-rotating frame in order to obtain a control with rapid dynamic response. The dq components of converter output currents are controlled using state-of-art synchronous frame PI control [4]. Generally the current control is designed on per phase basis and the decoupling terms are added to allow such design. This decreases the order of system and hence simplifies controller design [5].
DAT versus D2 receptor binding in the rat striatum: l‐DOPA‐induced motor activity is better predicted by reuptake than release of dopamine

The reuptake and release of dopamine (DA) can be estimated using in vivo imaging methods by assessing the competition between endogenous DA and an administered exogenous DA transporter (DAT) and D2 receptor (D2R) radioligand, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the comparative roles of DA release vs DA reuptake in the rat striatum with small animal SPECT in relation to l‐DOPA‐induced behaviors. DAT and D2R binding, together with behavioral measures, were obtained in 99 rats in response to treatment with either 5 or 10 mg/kg l‐DOPA or vehicle. The behavioral parameters included the distance travelled, and durations and frequencies of ambulation, sitting, rearing, head‐shoulder motility, and grooming. Data were subjected to a cluster analysis and to a multivariate principal component analysis. The highest DAT binding (i.e., the lowest DA reuptake) was associated with the highest, and the lowest DAT binding (i.e., the highest DA reuptake) was associated with the lowest motor/exploratory activity. The highest and the lowest D2R binding (i.e., the lowest and the highest DA release, respectively) were merely associated with the second highest and second lowest levels of motor/exploratory activity. These findings indicate that changes in DA reuptake in response to fluctuating DA levels offer a better prediction of motor activity than the release of DA into the synaptic cleft. This dissociation, as reflected by in vivo DAT and D2R binding data, may be accounted for by the regulatory sensitization meachnisms that occur at D2R binding sites in response to altered levels of DA. Synapse 70:369–377, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neuronavigated high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for chronic post-stroke dysphagia: A randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE There are potential benefits of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in improving swallowing functions after stroke; however, few studies have been performed in the chronic stroke population. This study aims to distil the key effects of rTMS on swallowing functions and swallowing-related quality of life. METHODS Twenty-two participants with chronic post-stroke dysphagia were randomly assigned into active or sham rTMS groups. Seven participants withdrew from the study, thus data from 15 participants (mean age 64.6 years) were analysed. Participants received 3,000 pulses of 5 Hz rTMS (active: n = 11; sham: n = 4) on the tongue area of the motor cortex for 10 days over a period of 2 weeks. All participants were assessed 1 week before, and 2 months, 6 months and 12 months after stimulation. Outcomes were measured by a videofluoroscopic swallowing study, swallowing-related quality-of-life questionnaire and Iowa Oral Performance Instrument. RESULTS No statistically significant effects were identified for any outcome measures. CONCLUSION This study indicates that 5 Hz rTMS applied over the tongue area of the motor cortex is not effective for improving swallowing function in individuals with chronic post-stroke dysphagia. Possible explanations for these non-significant results are dis cussed. Future studies should explore the potential of the current protocol in conjunction with conventional dysphagia therapy.
The Clarithromycin Susceptibility Genotype Affects the Treatment Outcome of Patients with Mycobacterium abscessus Lung Disease

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium abscessus accounts for a large proportion of lung disease cases caused by rapidly growing mycobacteria. The association between clarithromycin sensitivity and treatment outcome is clear. However, M. abscessus culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing are time-consuming. Clarithromycin susceptibility genotyping offers an alternate, rapid approach to predicting the efficacy of clarithromycin-based antibiotic therapy. M. abscessus lung disease patients were divided into two groups based upon the clarithromycin susceptibility genotype of the organism isolated. A retrospective analysis was conducted to compare the clinical features, microbiological characteristics, and treatment outcomes of the two groups. Several other potential predictors of the response to treatment were also assessed. Sixty-nine patients were enrolled in the clarithromycin-resistant genotype group, which included 5 infected with rrl 2058-2059 mutants and 64 infected with erm(41)T28-type M. abscessus; 31 were in the clarithromycin-sensitive group, i.e., 6 and 25 patients infected with genotypes erm(41)C28 and erm(41) M type, respectively. The results showed that lung disease patients infected with clarithromycin-sensitive and -resistant M. abscessus genotypes differed significantly in clarithromycin-based combination treatment outcomes. Patients infected with the clarithromycin-sensitive genotype exhibited higher initial and final sputum-negative conversion and radiological improvement rates and better therapeutic outcomes. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that genotyping was a reliable and, more importantly, rapid means of predicting the efficacy of clarithromycin-based antibiotic treatment for M. abscessus lung disease.
A Novel Emulation Model of the Cardiac Conduction System

Models of the cardiac conduction system are usually at two extremes: (1) high fidelity models with excellent precision but lacking a real-time response for emulation (hardware in the loop simulation); or (2) models amenable for emulation, but that do not exhibit appropriate dynamic response, which is necessary for arrhythmia susceptibility. We introduce two abstractions to remedy the situation. The first abstraction is a new cell model, which is a semi-linear hybrid automata. The proposed model is as computationally efficient as current state-of-the-art cell models amenable for emulation. Yet, unlike these models, it is also able to capture the dynamic response of the cardiac cell like the higher-fidelity models. The second abstraction is the use of smooth-tokens to develop a new path model, connecting cells, which is efficient in terms of memory consumption. Moreover, the memory requirements of the path model can be statically bounded and are invariant to the emulation step size. Results show that the proposed semi-linear abstraction for the cell reduces the execution time by up to 44%. Furthermore, the smooth-tokens based path model reduces the memory consumption by 40 times when compared to existing path models. This paves the way for the emulation of complex cardiac conduction systems, using hardware code-generators.
The membrane pacemaker hypothesis: novel tests during the ontogeny of endothermy

ABSTRACT The ‘membrane pacemaker’ hypothesis proposes a biochemical explanation for among-species variation in resting metabolism, based on the positive correlation between membrane docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and metabolic rate. We tested this hypothesis using a novel model, altricial red-winged blackbird nestlings, predicting that the proportion of DHA in muscle and liver membranes should increase with the increasing metabolic rate of the nestling as it develops endothermy. We also used a dietary manipulation, supplementing the natural diet with fish oil (high DHA) or sunflower oil (high linoleic acid) to alter membrane composition and then assessed metabolic rate. In support of the membrane pacemaker hypothesis, DHA proportions increased in membranes from pectoralis muscle, muscle mitochondria and liver during post-hatch development. By contrast, elevated dietary DHA had no effect on resting metabolic rate, despite causing significant changes to membrane lipid composition. During cold challenges, higher metabolic rates were achieved by birds that had lower DHA and higher linoleic acid in membrane phospholipids. Given the mixed support for this hypothesis, we conclude that correlations between membrane DHA and metabolic rate are likely spurious, and should be attributed to a still-unidentified confounding variable. Summary: The authors examine how tissue lipid composition changes during development, and how dietary lipid manipulation affects basal and peak metabolic rate, providing mixed support for the membrane pacemaker hypothesis.