Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust H∞ consensus control for multi-agents with delay

This paper investigates consensus problems for multi-agents with external disturbances on fixed topologies. A control or protocol with time delay is taken into consideration. In order to overcome the singular effect of the agents, a model transformation is made and then the original system is changed into a reduced-order system. Based on this reduced-order system, a condition under which all agents reach consensus with the desired H∞ performance is presented. Two remarks are used to state the main contribution in this analysis.
Does visuospatial memory in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type depend on the severity of the disorder?

Visuospatial memory was studied in patients suffering from senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT). They had been allocated into one of two groups depending on the severity of their disorder (mild or moderate), and a control group of healthy elderly subjects was included. Three different microcomputer‐controlled tasks were used. The spatial span task was able to distinguish between the two SDAT groups. Both groups were impaired, relative to control, on spatial recognition. The deficit in spatial working memory was also equivalent in the mild and moderate groups and was accompanied by evidence of an intact strategic approach to the task. The normal positive relationship between spatial memory performance and strategy was in fact reversed in the SDAT groups, suggesting a pure spatial memory deficit. These results show that spatial memory processes are impaired in the early stages of SDAT and get worse as the disease progresses. They also suggest that the neuroanatomical foci of the deficits may be predominantly in posterior cortical regions (including hippocampus), rather than the frontal cortex.
Sharafeldin THE PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF GINGER , ZINGIBER OFFICINALE AND BLACK SEED OIL

The study reported the radioprotective effects of some herbal plants in rats exposed to gammaradiation. Male albino rats were treated orally with the ginger extract, GE (250 mg/kg) and black seed oil, BSO (250 mg/kg) separately and in a combination before and after the whole bodyirradiation of 8 Gray γ-radiation dose. Glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), lipid peroxidation (LPx) and nitric oxide (NO) levels were estimated in the blood. Haematological analysis was done at all treatments. The exposure of rats to γ-ray decreased the GSH content, CAT, SOD and GPx enzyme activities while increased the LPx activity and NO levels. Treatment of irradiated rats with GE or BSO ameliorated the changed levels of antioxidants in comparison with the control levels. Also, the protective effect of mixture of both GE and BSO were observed, particularly for GPx, LPx, and NO. The results of the haematological parameters showed that only platelet, lymphocyte, monocyte and neutrophil percent were ameliorated as compared with the control values when animals were given GE or BSO or in combination before and after irradiation. The current study revealed the radioprotective role of ginger extract and black seed oil as an antioxidant defense system inducer.
Non‐activated T and B lymphocytes become morphologically distinguishable after detergent treatment

T and B lymphocytes are difficult to distinguish morphologically even with electron microscopy, and antibodies are generally used to make the distinction. A specific reagent, consisting of nonionic and cationic detergents, is used for leukocyte differentiation using the Sysmex automated blood analyzer. This reagent increases cell membrane porosity and enables the introduction of fluorescent dye into leukocytes. In this study, we investigated the effect of this specific detergent on the morphology of T and B lymphocytes. T and B lymphocytes were obtained by density gradient centrifugation and magnetic cell sorting, with a minimum of 90% isolation efficiency. T and B lymphocytes were then treated with the specific detergent and fluorescent dye, and their distribution was analyzed based on side scatter and fluorescence intensity using general‐purpose flow cytometry (FCM). Fluorescent images were observed using a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), cellular inner structures using a transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cell surfaces using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The ratio of cholesterol to total lipid in cell membranes of B and T lymphocytes was measured using a fluorescent assay kit. The distribution of fluorescence intensity was different between T and B lymphocyte clusters, according to the FCM analysis. CLSM observations revealed that the fluorescent dye mainly stained cytoplasmic organelles. FCM, TEM, and SEM observations revealed that B lymphocytes are more likely to lose surface antigens and intracellular organelles than T lymphocytes, which allows the visual distinction between T and B lymphocytes. The ratio of cholesterol to total lipid in T lymphocyte membranes had tendency higher than that in B lymphocyte membranes. In this study, we demonstrate that cells with differences in cell membrane cholesterol amounts, such as B and T lymphocytes could be identified using an inexpensive detergent, as an alternative to costly antibodies. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Short-term load forecasting

This paper discusses the state of the art in short-term load forecasting (STLF), that is, the prediction of the system load over an interval ranging from one hour to one week. The paper reviews the important role of STLF in the on-line scheduling and security functions of an energy management system (EMS). It then discusses the nature of the load and the different factors influencing its behavior. A detailed classification of the types of load modeling and forecasting techniques is presented. Whenever appropriate, the classification is accompanied by recommendations and by references to the literature which support or expand the discussion. The paper also presents a lengthy discussion of practical aspects for the development and usage of STLF models and packages. The annotated bibliography offers a representative selection of the principal publications in the STLF area.
A New Deformation Model of Biological Tissue for Surgery Simulation

A novel meshless deformation model of biological soft tissue, which is mainly based on the radial basis function point interpolation, is presented for interactive simulation applications such as virtual surgery simulators. Compared with conventional mesh models, the proposed model is particularly suitable for simulating large deformation, sucking and cutting tasks since there is no need to maintain grid information. Kelvin viscoelasticity, which represents relaxation, creep, and hysteresis of soft tissue, is integrated into the proposed model, making the simulation much more realistic than many existing meshless models. To verify the validity of the proposed model, a biomechanical test was performed on real-life biological tissue and the results show that the maximum relative error between the forces from the biomechanical test and those obtained from the model is less than 5.8%. The proposed model was also implemented on a neurosurgery simulator, which showed that the deformation of the brain tumor can be simulated in a high degree of accuracy with real-time performance. In particular, the error and distortion from the remeshing process inherited in conventional mesh models when deformation is large are avoided.
Hypoxia Induced Aggressiveness of Prostate Cancer Cells Is Linked with Deregulated Expression of VEGF, IL-6 and miRNAs That Are Attenuated by CDF

Tumor hypoxia with deregulated expression of hypoxia inducing factor (HIF) and its biological consequence leads to poor prognosis of patients diagnosed with solid tumors, resulting in higher mortality, suggesting that understanding of the molecular relationship of hypoxia with other cellular features of tumor aggressiveness would be invaluable for developing newer targeted therapy for solid tumors. Emerging evidence also suggest that hypoxia and HIF signaling pathways contributes to the acquisition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), maintenance of cancer stem cell (CSC) functions, and also maintains the vicious cycle of inflammation, all of which contribute to radiation therapy and chemotherapy resistance. However, the detailed mechanisms by which hypoxia/HIF drive these events are not fully understood. Here, we have shown that hypoxia leads to increased expression of VEGF, IL-6, and CSC marker genes such as Nanog, Oct4 and EZH2, and also increased the expression of miR-21, an oncogenic miRNA, in prostate cancer (PCa) cells (PC-3 and LNCaP). The treatment of PCa cells with CDF, a novel Curcumin-derived synthetic analogue previously showed anti-tumor activity in vivo, inhibited the productions of VEGF and IL-6, and down-regulated the expression of Nanog, Oct4, EZH2 mRNAs, as well as miR-21 under hypoxic condition. Moreover, CDF treatment of PCa cells led to decreased cell migration under hypoxic condition. Taken together, these results suggest that the anti-tumor effect of CDF is in part mediated through deregulation of tumor hypoxic pathways, and thus CDF could become useful for cancer therapy.
Sex-stratified linkage analysis identifies a female-specific locus for IgE to cockroach in Costa Ricans.

RATIONALE The basis for gender influences on allergen-specific IgEs is unclear. OBJECTIVES To perform regular and sex-stratified genomewide linkage analyses of IgE to each of three allergens (Ascaris lumbricoides, Blatella germanica [German cockroach]), and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus [dust mite]) and to conduct an association study of a candidate gene in a linked genomic region. METHODS Genomewide linkage analyses of allergen-specific IgEs were conducted in 653 members of eight large families of Costa Rican children with asthma. An analysis of the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms in thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and IgE measurements was conducted in 417 parent-child trios in Costa Rica. Significant results were replicated in 470 families of white children in the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Among all subjects, there was suggestive evidence of linkage (LOD >/= 2.72) to IgE to Ascaris (on chromosome 7q) and IgE to dust mite (on chromosomes 7p and 12q). In a sex-stratified analysis, there was significant evidence of linkage to IgE to cockroach on chromosome 5q23 (peak LOD, 4.14 at 127 cM) in female subjects. TSLP is located within the 1.5 LOD-unit support interval for this linkage peak and has female-specific effects on lung disease in mice. In a sex-stratified analysis, the T allele of single-nucleotide polymorphism rs2289276 in TSLP was associated with reductions in IgE to cockroach (in Costa Rican girls) and total IgE (in girls in Costa Rica and in CAMP; P value for sex-by-genotype interaction, <0.01 in both studies). CONCLUSIONS Consistent with findings in murine models, a variant in TSLP may have female-specific effects on allergic phenotypes.
Hepatitis C virus and liver transplantation: where do we stand?

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects more than 180 million people globally, with increasing incidence, especially in developing countries. HCV infection frequently progresses to liver cirrhosis leading to liver transplantation or death, and HCV recurrence still constitutes a major challenge for the transplant team. Antiviral therapy is the only available instrument to slow down this process, although its actual impact on liver histology, in responders and nonresponders, is still controversial. We are now facing a “new era” of direct antiviral agents that is already changing the approach to HCV burden both in the pre‐ and in the post‐liver transplantation settings. Available data on sofosbuvir/ledipasvir and sofosbuvir/simeprevir in patients with decompensated cirrhosis sustain a SVR12 of 89% , but one‐third of patients do not clinically improved. The sofosbuvir/ribavirin treatment in stable cirrhotic patients with HCC before liver transplantation is associated with 2% recurrence rate if liver transplantation is performed at least one month after undetectable HCV‐RNA is achieved. The treatment of recurrence with the new antiviral drugs is associated with a SVR that ranges between 60 and 90%. In this review, we have focused on the evolution of antiviral therapy for HCV recurrence from the “old” interferon‐based therapy to the “new” interferon‐free regimens, highlighting useful information to aid the transplant hepatologist in the clinical practice.
A 3 μm Survey of the Chamaeleon I Dark Cloud

We describe an L-band photometric survey of ∼ 0.5 deg2 of the Chamaeleon I dark cloud. The survey has a completeness limit of L < 11.0. Our survey detects 124 sources, including all known pre–main-sequence stars with L ≤ 11. The fraction of sources with near-IR excess emission is 58% ± 4% for K = 9–11. Cha I sources have bluer H-K and K-L colors than pre–main-sequence stars in Taurus-Auriga. These sources also have a strong correlation between EW(Hα) and K-L. Stars with K-L≤ 0.6 have weak Hα emission; stars with K-L≥ 0.6 have strong Hα emission. Because many Cha I sources are heavily reddened, this division between weak emission T Tauri stars and classical T Tauri stars occurs at a redder K-L than in Taurus-Auriga.
The European HANDOVER Project: a multi-nation program to improve transitions at the primary care—inpatient interface

Over the past decade, awareness has grown that transitions of care are particularly vulnerable periods in the patient's journey. Evidence suggests that during these transitions vital information often is lost, distorted or misinterpreted.1–3 When transitions between the primary care setting and the inpatient hospital are less than optimal, the repercussions can be far-reaching—including hospital readmission, and avoidable morbidity and even mortality. This supplement of BMJ Quality and Safety reports the findings of the HANDOVER Project, initiated in 2008 as the first multi-year, multi-million-euro effort to improve handovers at the interface between the hospital and the home.4 ,5 Six European nations (Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, UK, Spain, and Sweden) participated in the Project, along with researchers from the United States and Australia. The aims entailed optimising the continuum of clinical care between primary care and the hospital to reduce unnecessary treatment, medical errors, and avoidable harm. Specific objectives included identifying and studying best practices, creating standardised approaches to handover communication, and measuring their effectiveness in terms of impacts on patients and health care costs. The Project was initiated by a group of health services researchers and clinicians from the six participating nations. Countries were specifically selected to represent different European systems for the organisation and funding of healthcare. The HANDOVER Project was funded by the European Union's (EU's) Seventh Framework Programme (FP7),6 which brings EU research initiatives under a common roof to foster growth in research and innovation through competitiveness, training programmes, and funding to support regional and cross-national collaborations.7 The HANDOVER Project included research that identified attributes of handovers that facilitate or impede the transition of care and directly or indirectly affect patient outcomes. This supplement presents detailed descriptions of the work of investigators, participants and stakeholders to define the scope of handovers between the …
Amino Acid Changes in Disease-Associated Variants Differ Radically from Variants Observed in the 1000 Genomes Project Dataset

The 1000 Genomes Project data provides a natural background dataset for amino acid germline mutations in humans. Since the direction of mutation is known, the amino acid exchange matrix generated from the observed nucleotide variants is asymmetric and the mutabilities of the different amino acids are very different. These differences predominantly reflect preferences for nucleotide mutations in the DNA (especially the high mutation rate of the CpG dinucleotide, which makes arginine mutability very much higher than other amino acids) rather than selection imposed by protein structure constraints, although there is evidence for the latter as well. The variants occur predominantly on the surface of proteins (82%), with a slight preference for sites which are more exposed and less well conserved than random. Mutations to functional residues occur about half as often as expected by chance. The disease-associated amino acid variant distributions in OMIM are radically different from those expected on the basis of the 1000 Genomes dataset. The disease-associated variants preferentially occur in more conserved sites, compared to 1000 Genomes mutations. Many of the amino acid exchange profiles appear to exhibit an anti-correlation, with common exchanges in one dataset being rare in the other. Disease-associated variants exhibit more extreme differences in amino acid size and hydrophobicity. More modelling of the mutational processes at the nucleotide level is needed, but these observations should contribute to an improved prediction of the effects of specific variants in humans.
Learning to combine representations for medical records search

The complexity of medical terminology raises challenges when searching medical records. For example, 'cancer', 'tumour', and 'neoplasms', which are synonyms, may prevent a traditional search system from retrieving relevant records that contain only synonyms of the query terms. Prior works use bag-of-concepts approaches, to deal with this by representing medical terms sharing the same meanings using concepts from medical resources (e.g. MeSH). The relevance scores are then combined with a traditional bag-of-words representation, when inferring the relevance of medical records. Even though the existing approaches are effective, the predicted retrieval effectiveness of either the bag-of-words or bag-of-concepts representation, which may be used to effectively model the score combination and hence improve retrieval performance, is not taken into account. In this paper, we propose a novel learning framework that models the importance of the bag-of-words and the bag-of-concepts representations, combining their scores on a per-query basis. Our proposed framework leverages retrieval performance predictors, such as the clarity score and AvIDF, calculated on both representations as learning features. We evaluate our proposed framework using the TREC Medical Records track's test collections. As our proposed framework can significantly outperform an existing approach that linearly merges the relevance scores, we conclude that retrieval performance predictors can be effectively leveraged when combining the relevance scores.
The ideomotor approach to imitative learning (IMAIL) in infancy: Challenges and future perspectives

The article presents the ideomotor approach to imitative learning (IMAIL). According to IMAIL, imitation rests on the acquisition of bidirectional action–effect associations through the observations of others’ actions and their sensory consequences. The article first outlines the challenges and demands that motivated the development of the theory. Then, it describes the theory in greater detail and presents empirical evidence supporting IMAIL. Finally, it concludes by discussing challenges and avenues for further research.
DynaNewton - Accelerating Newton's Method for Machine Learning

Newton's method is a fundamental technique in optimization with quadratic convergence within a neighborhood around the optimum. However reaching this neighborhood is often slow and dominates the computational costs. We exploit two properties specific to empirical risk minimization problems to accelerate Newton's method, namely, subsampling training data and increasing strong convexity through regularization. We propose a novel continuation method, where we define a family of objectives over increasing sample sizes and with decreasing regularization strength. Solutions on this path are tracked such that the minimizer of the previous objective is guaranteed to be within the quadratic convergence region of the next objective to be optimized. Thereby every Newton iteration is guaranteed to achieve super-linear contractions with regard to the chosen objective, which becomes a moving target. We provide a theoretical analysis that motivates our algorithm, called DynaNewton, and characterizes its speed of convergence. Experiments on a wide range of data sets and problems consistently confirm the predicted computational savings.
Thesignatureof chemical valence in theelectrical conduction through asingle-atomcontact

8 15. Hagenaar, H. J., Schrijver, C. J., Title, A. M. & Shine, R. A. Dispersal of magnetic flux in the quiet solar photosphere. Astrophys. J. (submitted). 16. Schrijver, C. J., Coté, J., Zwaan, C. & Saar, S. H. Relations between the photospheric magnetic field and the emission from the outer atmospheres of cool stars. I. The solar Ca II K line core emission. Astrophys. J. 337, 964–976 (1989). 17. Schrijver, C. J. in Stellar Surface Structure (eds Strassmeier, K. G. & Linsky, J. L.) (IAU Symp. 176, Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 1996).
A Relational Geography of War: Actor–Context Interaction and the Spread of World War I

Claims by geographers that the geopolitical context of international politics matters requires that context be defined and operationalized in a way that enables analyses illustrating that actors’ behavior varies across different contextual settings. A geographic understanding of embeddedness and relational power is meshed with a well-established contextual theory of international politics to create an operationalization of context that helps to explain the diffusion of war. Using the case of World War I, we investigate the expansion of the war from a localized political crisis in Austria–Hungary to a disastrous global scale conflict involving dozens of states. We integrate contemporary geographic thinking on context with the foundational texts of the war diffusion literature to hypothesize that war-joining behavior is explained by a political entity's relative position in a simultaneously spatial and social network context. Using social network analysis-based methodologies to develop measures of context and evaluate our hypothesis, we find that context had an important impact on states’ war-joining behavior during World War I. An understanding of context that fuses simultaneous embeddedness in network and geographic space with relational power and the methodology of blockmodeling can be used to explore the diffusion of other wars and even other phenomena across geographically situated actors.
Marktorientierte Unternehmensführung und Unternehmenserfolg

Die unternehmenspolitische Bedeutung des Marketing ist seit langem umstritten. Diese Untersuchung belegt empirisch, das die Marktorientierung eines Unernehmens im Zusammenwirken mit anderen Faktoren der Unternehmensfuhrung zum Unternehmenserfolg wesentlich beitragt. Zugleich zeigt sich, das manche organisatorischen Masnahmen, die der Marktorientierung zur vollen Entfaltung verhelfen sollen, erfolgsbeeintrachtigende Nebenwirkungen hervorrufen konnen und somit unternehmenspolitisch riskant sind. Vorschlage zur Begrenzung dieses Risikos werden ebenfalls unterbreitet.