Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sleep Enhances Off-line Spatial and Temporal Motor Learning After Stroke

Background. Individuals with chronic stroke demonstrate sleep-dependent off-line motor learning of a continuous tracking task. However, it remains unclear which aspects of learned movements are preferentially enhanced by sleep (ie, spatial accuracy and/or the time lag of tracking). Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether spatial tracking accuracy, temporal tracking accuracy, or both are enhanced by sleep during off-line motor learning after stroke. Methods. Individuals with chronic stroke and control participants either practiced a continuous tracking task in the evening and underwent retention testing the following morning (sleep groups) or practiced the task in the morning and underwent retention testing in the evening (no-sleep groups). Results. Individuals with stroke who slept between practice and retention testing demonstrated off-line improvements in both spatial and temporal elements of tracking at retention. Participants with a stroke who stayed awake between practice and retention testing did not demonstrate off-line improvements in either spatial tracking accuracy or the time lag of tracking. Control participants did not demonstrate sleep- or time-dependent enhancement of either component of the movement task. Time of day of testing was not a factor in practice related changes in motor performance. Conclusion. This study provides the first evidence that sleep enhances motor learning through both improved spatial tracking accuracy and anticipation of upcoming movements, as demonstrated by a reduction in the time lag of tracking in individuals following stroke. We propose that the cerebellum and hippocampus are likely important neural correlates associated with sleep-dependent off-line motor skill learning.
Clinical evaluation of romifidine/ketamine/halothane anaesthesia in horses

Romifidine, 100 micrograms/kg administered by intravenous injection, was evaluated as a premedicant to ketamine/halothane anaesthesia in 60 horses. Sedation developed within one to two minutes. In three cases mild staggering occurred within two minutes. Anaesthesia was induced after five minutes by the intravenous administration of ketamine (2 to 2.2 mg/kg). A mean time of 79 seconds elapsed before lateral recumbency was adopted. Fifty-four of the horses sank smoothly to the floor, with occasional steps sideways. Jaw tone, limb rigidity and mild muscle tremors often persisted for short periods after induction. Complete relaxation was achieved on average two minutes after the administration of ketamine. The transition to oxygen/halothane anaesthesia was excellent or good in 53 cases. The mean duration of anaesthesia was 79 minutes. Forty-seven of the horses were able to stand after one or two attempts with little or no ataxia. After halothane administration ceased, the mean time to sternal recumbency was 25 minutes and the mean time to standing was 33 minutes. Most horses appeared to be sedated upon standing, but they were able to walk soon after regaining their feet. The characteristics of the induction of anaesthesia were similar to those seen when detomidine/ketamine or xylazine/ketamine are used. The maintenance of anaesthesia with halothane was similar to that following other induction protocols, and the recovery from anaesthesia was smooth and free from excitement.
A New Genus of Lungfish from the Givetian (Middle Devonian) of Central Australia

A new Dipterus-like lungfish, Harajicadipterus youngi, is described from the Givetian (Middle Devonian) Harajica Sandstone Member of central Australia. The material is comprised of five specimens representing the skull roof, orbital bones, tooth plates, operculo-gular bones, a partial pectoral girdle, centra and scales. Harajicadipterus can be distinguished from other dipnoans by its long postorbital cheek, broad B bone, lack of contact between E and C bones, and radiating tooth rows with some denticles evident between the rows. Results of a cladistic analysis of 81 characters for 33 dipnoan taxa resolved Harajicadipterus below the holodontid clade but as more derived than Dipterus and the chirodipterid clade.
Induction and Inheritance of Compound Leaf and Cone Stipule in The Cultivated Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The cultivated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) has multipinnate, simple and normal leaves, caused by mutations. About 1500 air-dried seeds (500 seeds per dose) of chickpea genotype ICC 6119 were irradiated with 200, 300 and 400 Gy gamma rays. Two new induced characteristics, compound leaf and cone stipule on internodes, were isolated in a single mutant chickpea in the M3 generation. Inheritance of the new characteristics was studied in the segregating populations of the M4 and the results indicated that the new characteristics were governed by two recessive genes designed as clcl and cscs symbols. These characteristics could be linked since they were jointly segregated. The new genes identified may be useful for gene mapping of Cicer species
Interactions between Mad 1 p and the Nuclear Transport Machinery in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In addition to its role in nucleocytoplasmic transport, the nuclear pore complex (NPC) acts as a docking site for proteins whose apparent primary cellular functions are unrelated to nuclear transport, including Mad1p and Mad2p, two proteins of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) machinery. To understand this relationship, we have mapped domains of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mad1p that interact with the nuclear transport machinery, including further defining its interactions with the NPC. We showed that a Kap95p/Kap60p-dependent nuclear localization signal, positioned in the C-terminal third of Mad1p, is required for its efficient targeting to the NPC. At the NPC, Mad1p interacts with Nup53p and a presumed Nup60p/Mlp1p/Mlp2p complex through two coiled coil regions within its N terminus. When the SAC is activated, a portion of Mad1p is recruited to kinetochores through an interaction that is mediated by the C-terminal region of Mad1p and requires energy. We showed using photobleaching analysis that in nocodazole-arrested cells Mad1p rapidly cycles between the Mlp proteins and kinetochores. Our further analysis also showed that only the C terminus of Mad1p is required for SAC function and that the NPC, through Nup53p, may act to regulate the duration of the SAC response.
Comparing apples with pears?: empirical study design for investigating helpfulness in children with humanoid robots

There is an increasing interest in social robotics. However, there is a paucity of methods for understanding successful human-robot interactions and identifying the factors that influence success. This paper describes the planning and running of a pilot study conducted to inform the research design for an empirical study on helpfulness in children. The research question was whether and how children would help an inanimate robot recipient as they are known to help a human being. The multidisciplinary research team discussed before the pilot study and after each pilot session whether the research design would enable them to investigate this research question from a psychological point of view while taking into account the capabilities of the robot. The planning process shows that when conducting a study to systematically investigate the effect of robots on human beings many detailed considerations need to take place. As well, there is often not enough detail in studies published to set up a sufficiently detailed research design. This research is relevant for Human-Computer Interaction researchers as well as psychologists in order to better understand the effects of introducing robots into people's lives, and the implications when technology takes on a human role.
Granzyme K synergistically potentiates LPS-induced cytokine responses in human monocytes

Significance Granzymes are serine proteases released by cytotoxic lymphocytes and induce cell death in virus-infected cells and tumor cells. However, granzymes also exist extracellularly in the blood circulation of patients with autoimmune diseases and infections and may contribute to inflammation. Here, we show that human granzyme K (GrK) binds to Gram-negative bacteria and to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Gram-negative bacterial cell wall component. Our data indicate that GrK lowers the threshold for monocyte activation by LPS, in that GrK synergistically increases LPS-induced release of proinflammatory cytokines in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, GrK modulates the innate immune response against LPS and Gram-negative bacteria and may contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases associated with a local or systemic bacterial infection. Granzymes are serine proteases released by cytotoxic lymphocytes to induce apoptosis in virus-infected cells and tumor cells. Evidence is emerging that granzymes also play a role in controlling inflammation. Granzyme serum levels are elevated in patients with autoimmune diseases and infections, including sepsis. However, the function of extracellular granzymes in inflammation largely remains unknown. Here, we show that granzyme K (GrK) binds to Gram-negative bacteria and their cell-wall component lipopolysaccharide (LPS). GrK synergistically enhances LPS-induced cytokine release in vitro from primary human monocytes and in vivo in a mouse model of LPS challenge. Intriguingly, these extracellular effects are independent of GrK catalytic activity. GrK disaggregates LPS from micelles and augments LPS–CD14 complex formation, thereby likely boosting monocyte activation by LPS. We conclude that extracellular GrK is an unexpected direct modulator of LPS–TLR4 signaling during the antimicrobial innate immune response.
Bayesian-Network-Based Algorithm Selection with High Level Representation Feedback for Real-World Intelligent Systems

A real-world intelligent system consists of three basic modules: environment recognition, prediction (or estimation), and behavior planning. To obtain high quality results in these modules, high speed processing and real time adaptability on a case by case basis are required. In the environment recognition module many different algorithms and algorithm networks exist with varying performance. Thus, a mechanism that selects the best possible algorithm is required. To solve this problem we are using an algorithm selection approach to the problem of natural image understanding. This selection mechanism is based on machine learning; a bottom-up algorithm selection from real-world image features and a top-down algorithm selection using information obtained from a high level symbolic world description and algorithm suitability. The algorithm selection method iterates for each input image until the high-level description cannot be improved anymore. In this paper we present a method of iterative composition of the high level description. This step by step approach allows us to select the best result for each region of the image by evaluating all the intermediary representations and finally keep only the best one.
Ultrasonic 3-D Vector Flow Method for Quantitative In Vivo Peak Velocity and Flow Rate Estimation

Current clinical ultrasound (US) systems are limited to show blood flow movement in either 1-D or 2-D. In this paper, a method for estimating 3-D vector velocities in a plane using the transverse oscillation method, a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$32\times32$ </tex-math></inline-formula> element matrix array, and the experimental US scanner SARUS is presented. The aim of this paper is to estimate precise flow rates and peak velocities derived from 3-D vector flow estimates. The emission sequence provides 3-D vector flow estimates at up to 1.145 frames/s in a plane, and was used to estimate 3-D vector flow in a cross-sectional image plane. The method is validated in two phantom studies, where flow rates are measured in a flow-rig, providing a constant parabolic flow, and in a straight-vessel phantom (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\oslash }=8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm) connected to a flow pump capable of generating time varying waveforms. Flow rates are estimated to be 82.1 ± 2.8 L/min in the flow-rig compared with the expected 79.8 L/min, and to 2.68 ± 0.04 mL/stroke in the pulsating environment compared with the expected 2.57 ± 0.08 mL/stroke. Flow rates estimated in the common carotid artery of a healthy volunteer are compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measured flow rates using a 1-D through-plane velocity sequence. Mean flow rates were 333 ± 31 mL/min for the presented method and 346 ± 2 mL/min for the MRI measurements.
Is Gastronomy A Relevant Factor for Sustainable Tourism? An Empirical Analysis of Spain Country Brand

Tourism has become a fundamental industry for the economic growth of many countries. Due to this, there is growing competitiveness among the different destinations to attract as many tourists as possible. As a result, disciplines such as marketing have developed tools to differentiate some destinations from others and concepts such as place branding and country brand have emerged. One of the key factors forming the country brand is gastronomy, as food tourism is one way to reduce the growing problem of sustainability in tourism, as it impacts different aspects of the country’s environment. However, there is a great lack of scientific works that relate both variables. In this paper, we propose to establish that, in the case of Spain, tourists’ perception of Spanish gastronomy is a key element of its country brand. To do that, this study relies on the use of Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modeling (PLS-SEM) using a 496 cases data set.
Altered Genes Profile of Renin–Angiotensin System, Immune System, and Adipokines Receptors in Leukocytes of Children With Primary Hypertension

Renin–angiotensin system, metabolic abnormalities, and immune activity have a role in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension. We assessed the leukocyte mRNA expression of angiotensinogen, angiotensin converting enzyme, renin, angiotensin 2 type 1 receptor, CD14 molecule, adiponectin type 1 receptor, and leptin receptor in hypertensive children before and after nonpharmacological treatment. Leukocyte mRNA expression was measured by means of quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in 23 hypertensive children before and after 6 months of nonpharmacological treatment based on dietary advice and physical activities. Twenty-three normotensive children matched for age, sex, and body mass index served as a control group. Before treatment patients had elevated expression of angiotensin converting enzyme and CD14 mRNA, decreased expression of angiotensinogen and angiotensin type 1 receptor mRNA, and unchanged expression of renin, adiponectin, and leptin receptors mRNA as compared with controls. Renin mRNA negatively correlated with 24-hour mean arterial pressure and carotid intima-media thickness. Six months of nonpharmacological treatment caused decrease of blood pressure and normalization of metabolic abnormalities. Renin, adiponectin, and leptin receptors mRNA expression decreased and were lower than in control group. Changes in blood pressure, left ventricular mass, carotid intima-media thickness, body mass index, and waist circumference did not correlate with changes in the expression of renin–angiotensin system genes, CD14, leptin, and adiponectin receptors mRNA. We conclude that leukocytes of hypertensive children displayed alterations in the expression of renin–angiotensin system genes as well as those of CD14. Nonpharmacological treatment resulted in downregulation of genes involved in renin–angiotensin activation and those engaged in leukocyte responses to adipokines.
Heuristic Algorithms for Optimization of Energy Consumption in Wireless Access Networks

Energy consumption of wireless access networks is in permanent increase, which necessitates development of more energy-efficient network management approaches. Such management schemes must result with adaptation of network energy consumption in accordance with daily variations in user activity. In this paper, we consider possible energy savings of wireless local area networks (WLANs) through development of a few integer linear programming (ILP) models. Effectiveness of ILP models providing energy-efficient management of network resources have been tested on several WLAN instances of different sizes. To cope with the problem of high computational time characteristic for some ILP models, we further develop several heuristic algorithms that are based on greedy methods and local search. Although heuristics obtains somewhat higher results of energy consumption in comparison with the ones of corresponding ILP models, heuristic algorithms ensures minimization of network energy consumption in an amount of time that is acceptable for practical implementations. This confirms that network management algorithms will play a significant role in practical realization of future energy-efficient network management systems.
The corruption of angels

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix 1 Two Hundred and One Days 3 2 The Death of One Cistercian 4 3 Wedged between Catha and Cathay 15 4 Paper and Parchment 20 5 Splitting Heads and Tearing Skin 2 6 Summoned to Saint-Sernin 35 7 Questions about Questions 45 8 Four Eavesdropping Friars 52 9 The Memory of What Was Heard 57 10 Lies 63 11 Now Are You Willing to Put That in Writing? 74 12 Before the Crusaders Came 3 13 Words and Nods 92 14 Not Quite Dead 104 15 One Full Dish of Chestnuts 114 16 Two Yellow Crosses 126 17 Life around a Leaf 131 NOTES 133 BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS CITED 199 INDEX 219
Feature extraction algorithm fusing GFCC and phase information

For the traditional Mel cepstral coefficient feature extraction method is not completely in line with the characteristics of human audition, an auditory feature extraction algorithm based on Gamma-chirp filter cepstrum coefficient and phase information is proposed. Firstly, GFCC and phase information can be extracted through Gama-chirp filter banks, and then we comply discrete cosine transform and Kernel principal component analysis to fuse the obtained parameters for the better speaker feature Through this processing, the lower dimension of feature parameters can be received, noise robust performance of the recognition system can be improved as well. Experimental results show that the performance of the proposed method is much more better than others in the aspect of recognition rate and noisy-robust.
Screening of hydrocarbon-degrading strains and study on the reinforcement of bioremediation to petroleum polluted soil

A bacterial strain, named KL2-13 was isolated by means of enrichment culture from soil contaminated by heavy oil from Karamay of Xinjiang Oilfield. The strain KL2-13 was identified as Bacillus according to its morphological, physiological, biochemical, and 16S rDNA sequence characteristics. The biodegradation experiments were made to research whether the bacterial strain KL2-13 could accelerate the biodegradation progress. The influence of inoculum concentration, N, P sources and the amount of wheat bran on the degradation ability of the strain was investigated. The petroleum polluted soil collected from Karamay was treated by the strain KL2-13 for 90 days at the definite water content. The results showed that the petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants degraded faster. The bioremediation effect was best when the inoculum concentration of the strain KL2-13 was 10%. There was an optimum matching value between the growth of microbe and the amount of the nutrients added, the optimum content of N was 0.2%, and P 0.05%. The degradation rate of hydrocarbon pollutants enhanced along with the increasing amount of wheat bran, when the amount of wheat bran was 25% of the soil volume, the degradation rate of oil arrived at 56.8% after 90 days' bioremediation.
DVM based scalable and adaptive multipath routing in MANET for emergency rescue application

Mobile ad hoc networks [MANET] are typically characterized by high mobility and frequent link failures that result in low throughput and high end-to-end delay. Present approaches to multipath routing make use of pre-computed routes determined during route discovery. All the paths are maintained by means of periodic update packets unicast along each path. In existing method best path is determined and maintained only with signal strength of disjoint paths. Signal strength between nodes is only the mobility prediction factor, which does not address the durability and stability of paths. Residual energy of nodes determines stability of path contains those nodes. Also does not consider the consistency of node through the previous behaves. This paper provides a design and a simulation frame work for measuring a Decision Value metric for mobility prediction of each alternate paths in MANET. Here a Periodic update packets measure Decision Value metric [DVM] and route maintenance is possible by means of the Signal strength between nodes, Residual energy and Consistency of each hop along the alternate paths, helps protocol to select the best scalable paths.
Pattern formation in Hamiltonian systems with continuous spectra; a normal-form single-wave model

Pattern formation in biological, chemical and physical problems has received considerable attention, with much attention paid to dissipative systems. For example, the Ginzburg--Landau equation is a normal form that describes pattern formation due to the appearance of a single mode of instability in a wide variety of dissipative problems. In a similar vein, a certain "single-wave model" arises in many physical contexts that share common pattern forming behavior. These systems have Hamiltonian structure, and the single-wave model is a kind of Hamiltonian mean-field theory describing the patterns that form in phase space. The single-wave model was originally derived in the context of nonlinear plasma theory, where it describes the behavior near threshold and subsequent nonlinear evolution of unstable plasma waves. However, the single-wave model also arises in fluid mechanics, specifically shear-flow and vortex dynamics, galactic dynamics, the XY and Potts models of condensed matter physics, and other Hamiltonian theories characterized by mean field interaction. We demonstrate, by a suitable asymptotic analysis, how the single-wave model emerges from a large class of nonlinear advection-transport theories. An essential ingredient for the reduction is that the Hamiltonian system has a continuous spectrum in the linear stability problem, arising not from an infinite spatial domain but from singular resonances along curves in phase space whereat wavespeeds match material speeds (wave-particle resonances in the plasma problem, or critical levels in fluid problems). The dynamics of the continuous spectrum is manifest as the phenomenon of Landau damping when the system is . Such dynamical phenomena have been rediscovered in different contexts, which is unsurprising in view of the normal-form character of the single-wave model.