Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ramp descent performance with the C-Leg and interrater reliability of the Hill Assessment Index

Background: Transfemoral amputees have decreased ability to descend ramps and hills. The Hill Assessment Index quantifies transfemoral amputee ramp performance, but interrater reliability has not been assessed. Objectives: To determine whether C-Leg use improves hill descent gait and evaluate the Hill Assessment Index’s interrater reliability. Methods: Twenty-one transfemoral amputees descended a ramp while timed and video recorded, using their nonmicroprocessor prosthetic knee. Subjects were fitted and accommodated with a C-Leg and retested. Test times were compared, and ramp performances were independently reviewed using the Hill Assessment Index by two raters. Hill Assessment Index scores were compared between knee conditions within raters for performance and between raters to assess the Hill Assessment Index’s interrater reliability. Results: Mean Hill Assessment Index scores were greater for C-Leg compared to nonmicroprocessor prosthetic knee for both raters. C-Leg resulted in faster ramp descent. Strong correlations resulted between raters on Hill Assessment Index scores for nonmicroprocessor prosthetic knee (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.97) and C-Leg (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.99). Conclusions: C-Leg improves Hill Assessment Index ramp descent performance and time. In descent quality, C-Leg offers the possibility of eliminating assistive device use and/or improving step length in the absence of an assistive device. C-Leg resulted in 23% gait speed increase during ramp descent. The Hill Assessment Index had very good interrater reliability but should be assessed for intrarater reliability, minimal detectable change, and validity. Clinical relevance Transfemoral amputees have difficulty ambulating on ramps. While the C-Leg has been shown to improve ramp descent, this has not been confirmed, and the Hill Assessment Index has not been studied for reliability. This study confirms that the C-Leg improves ramp descent performance and the Hill Assessment Index’s interrater reliability.
Optimal Stochastic Power Control for Energy Harvesting Systems With Delay Constraints

This paper studies stochastic power control problems over a fading channel, where the transmitter randomly harvests renewable energies from environment and stores them in a battery for future data transmissions. Moreover, data packets are assumed to arrive at the data queue of transmitter with constant rate μ. To incorporate delay quality-of-service guarantees, two delay constraint models are separately considered, namely average delay model with maximum average delay constraint and statistical delay model with maximum delay outage probability constraint. Under each delay constraint model, the stochastic power control problem aims at maximizing μ considering the randomness of channel fading and energy harvesting (EH) processes. The resulting optimization problems can be formulated as infinite-horizon Markov decision processes. Under average delay model, the optimal power control policy needs to keep track of current data queue-length state in addition to the battery state. On the other hand, under statistical delay model, a sufficiently large queue-length region is assumed, hence, the optimal policy does not depend on the data queue-length state. We study various structural properties of the optimal control policies and develop online power control algorithms that converge to the optimal solutions without requiring statistical knowledge of channel fading and EH processes. By defining and learning the so-called post-decision state-value functions, the proposed learning algorithms require less complexity and converge faster than the conventional reinforcement learning algorithms. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the online learning algorithms for different delay constraint models and EH settings.
Post-thrombotic syndrome in children: a systematic review of frequency of occurrence, validity of outcome measures, and prognostic factors

Background Post-thrombotic syndrome is a manifestation of chronic venous insufficiency following deep venous thrombosis. This systematic review was conducted to critically evaluate pediatric evidence on frequency of occurrence, validity of outcome measures, and prognostic indicators of post-thrombotic syndrome. Design and Methods A comprehensive literature search of original reports revealed 19 eligible studies, totaling 977 patients with upper/lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. Calculated weighted mean frequency of post-thrombotic syndrome was 26% (95% confidence interval: 23–28%) overall, and differed significantly by prospective/non-prospective analysis and use/non-use of a standardized outcome measure. Results Standardized post-thrombotic syndrome outcome measures included an adaptation of the Villalta scale, the Clinical-Etiologic-Anatomic-Pathologic classification, and the Manco-Johnson instrument. Data on validity were reported only for the Manco-Johnson instrument. No publications on post-thrombotic syndrome-related quality of life outcomes were identified. Candidate prognostic factors for post-thrombotic syndrome in prospective studies included use/non-use of thrombolysis and plasma levels of factor VIII activity and D-dimer. Conclusions Given that affected children must endure chronic sequelae for many decades, it is imperative that future collaborative pediatric prospective cohort studies and trials assess as key objectives and outcomes the incidence, severity, prognostic indicators, and health impact of post-thrombotic syndrome, using validated measures.
Judaism on Trial: Jewish-Christian Disputations in the Middle Ages

Introduction to the paperback edition Additional bibliography List of abbreviations Introduction Part 1 The Three Disputations: General Considerations 1 The Paris Disputation, 1240 2 The Barcelona Disputation, 1263 3 The Vikuah: Textual Considerations 4 Biographical Notes on the Chief Persons Present at Barcelona 5 The Tortosa Disputation, 1413-14 Part 2 The Barcelona Disputation: Texts 6 Introductory Note on the Vikuah 7 The Vikuah of Nahmanides: Translation and Commentary 8 The Christian Account of the Barcelona Disputation Part 3 The Paris and Tortosa Disputations: Texts 9 The Vikuah of R. Yehiel of Paris: A Paraphrase 10 The Christian Account of the Paris Disputation 11 A Hebrew Account of the Tortosa Disputation 12 The Christian Account of the Tortosa Disputation Notes Bibliography General index Index of quotations
Quantitative assessment of intrinsic regional myocardial deformation by Doppler strain rate echocardiography in humans.

To the Editor: We have read with interest the recent report of Edvardsen et al1 in which left ventricular regional peak systolic strain values measured by ultrasound were correlated with the corresponding strain data extracted by 3-dimensional tagged MRI. The study showed an overall acceptable agreement between the 2 techniques for several myocardial segments in both normal and pathological myocardium and for both radial and longitudinal deformation. Although the longitudinal deformation parameters measured were in agreement with prior results, the radial values were not. Indeed, in this study, Lagrangian radial strain in the posterior wall of healthy volunteers was measured to be 18±9% and 17±6% by ultrasound and MRI, respectively. However, previously reported studies using standard M-mode echocardiography had found radial maximal systolic Lagrangian strain values of 69±23%. 2 The discrepancy between these values and the ones published in the study of Edvarsen et al1 could, in theory, be attributed …
A STUDY OF THE MECHANISM OF CONTRACTION IN VERTEBRATE SMOOTH MUSCLE

CONTENTS A . Ultrastructure I . Introduction . I1 . The organelles and filamentous proteins of the intact muscle . I11 . Thin filaments . IV . Thick filaments . (a) Introduction . (b) Early observations . (c) X-ray studies . (d) Ribbons . (e) Filaments . (f) T h e effect of stretch and hypertonicity on filament shape (g) The effect of temperature on the appearance of thick filaments . (h) X-ray observations on muscles equilibrated at 37 "C . (i) The influence of change in ionic content on cell volume and the structure of thick filaments . ( j ) Thick filaments in homogenates and extracts . V . Intermediate filaments . VI . Dense patches and dense bodies . VII . The mechanism of contraction
Effect of Batch-Process Solar Disinfection on Survival of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts in Drinking Water

ABSTRACT The results of batch-process solar disinfection (SODIS) of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in water are reported. Oocyst suspensions were exposed to simulated sunlight (830 W m−2) at 40°C. Viability assays (4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole [DAPI]/propidium iodide and excystation) and infectivity tests (Swiss CD-1 suckling mice) were performed. SODIS exposures of 6 and 12 h reduced oocyst infectivity from 100% to 7.5% (standard deviation = 2.3) and 0% (standard deviation = 0.0), respectively.
A Modular Approach to the Grammar of Additive Particles: the Case of German Auch

In this paper we give a modular account of the grammar of additive particles. In doing this we take issue with the standard descriptions of focus particles, which are based on just one possible pattern: the particle preceding the main stressed constituent it relates to (its RC). Additive particles, however, occur in a second, equally unmarked pattern: the RC preceding the main stressed particle. Former accounts do not only miss this complementary distribution as to position and stress pattern relative to the RC, but, as we demonstrate in detail, they misrepresent the relation between syntax, semantics and focus structure of these (and similar) particles in general. Using German auch as our prime example, we argue in particular (i) that there is just one auch underlying the ± stressed variants, and that the complementary distribution cannot be explained by a movement analysis; (ii) that the set of alternatives the auch proposition p and some contextually given proposition q induced by auch belong to, is not supplied by the focus structure of p but by comparing p and q; (iii) that the syntactic scope of auch is crucial for its semantics in that the adding operation applies to the material it contains, no matter whether it is the RC or predicative material common to p, q; (iv) that the complementary distribution of ± stressed auch follows from the modular interaction of the syntax and semantics of auch with focus structure; (v) that auch gives rise to two utterance meanings, 'in addition/furthermore' and 'likewise', directly correlating with whether or not the scope of auch contains RC material. What we argue, in short, is that so-called 'focus particles' are in reality 'scope particles'
Long Baseline beacon position estimation

One way to perform Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) localization is to employ static acoustic beacons to form a Long Baseline system. However, errors in the estimated positions of the beacons will negatively affect vehicle localization. To solve this problem we propose a beacon position estimation technique using an Extended Kalman Filter, and we also investigate how to improve estimation performance. Our solution is able to successfully estimate beacon positions and we show estimation performance by appropriately defining the vehicle trajectory.
Different Effects of Trifluoperazine when Administered Daytime or Night

The neuroleptics which are very effective in chronic schizophrenia, such as fluphenazine, thiothixene and haloperidol, have both central ‘inhibitory’ and 'stimulatory’ properties (Itil et al., 1969, 1970). When chronically administered in low dosages, these compounds decrease Stage 4 of the sleep process and produce insomnia, while in high dosages they produce deeper sleep stages. Based on these observations and the fact that extrapyramidal symptoms usually do not occur during deep sleep, we hypothesized that high oral doses of trifluoperazine given at night would produce fewer sleep disturbances and extrapyramidal symptoms than the same dosages of this compound administered during the morning.
A Bifunctional Enzyme in a Single Gene Catalyzes the Incorporation of GlcN into the Aeromonas Core Lipopolysaccharide*

The core lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Aeromonas hydrophila AH-3 and Aeromonas salmonicida A450 is characterized by the presence of the pentasaccharide α-d-GlcN-(1→7)-l-α-d-Hep-(1→2)-l-α-d-Hep-(1→3)-l-α-d-Hep-(1→5)-α-Kdo. Previously it has been suggested that the WahA protein is involved in the incorporation of GlcN residue to outer core LPS. The WahA protein contains two domains: a glycosyltransferase and a carbohydrate esterase. In this work we demonstrate that the independent expression of the WahA glycosyltransferase domain catalyzes the incorporation of GlcNAc from UDP-GlcNAc to the outer core LPS. Independent expression of the carbohydrate esterase domain leads to the deacetylation of the GlcNAc residue to GlcN. Thus, the WahA is the first described bifunctional glycosyltransferase enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of core LPS. By contrast in Enterobacteriaceae containing GlcN in their outer core LPS the two reactions are performed by two different enzymes.
Rituximab levels in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurological autoimmune disorders

Background Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against the B-cell-specific surface protein CD20, is being evaluated for treatment of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. Both diseases are restricted to the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Whereas the ability of rituximab to deplete B cells in peripheral blood and tissue is well known, little information is available about the ability of rituximab to penetrate the barriers separating brain and CSF from the serum compartment. Objective To measure rituximab levels in serum and CSF of rituximab-treated patients and correlate them with CSF and response markers. Methods Fourteen paired serum/CSF samples of patients with autoimmune nervous system disorder were analyzed for up to 43 weeks after rituximab application. Results Rituximab remains detectable within the CSF after i.v. application for up to 24 weeks. Furthermore, levels of rituximab in CSF correlate significantly with the integrity of the blood CSF barrier.
High-dimensional Function Optimisation by Reinforcement Learning

This paper presents a new algorithm, Function Optimisation by Reinforcement Learning (FORL), to solve large-scale and complex function optimisation problems. FORL undertakes the dimensional search in sequence, in contrast to evolutionary algorithms (EAs) which are based on the population-based search, and has the ability of memory of history incorporated via estimating and updating of the values of states that have been visited, which is different from EAs that aggregate the individuals of a population towards the best selected in a current population. With its capability of searching in sequence and memory of history, FORL reduces the number of function evaluations (FEs). FORL has been evaluated, in comparison with several EAs, including recently improved Evolutionary Programming, Genetic Algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimisation and other efficient EAs, on 23 benchmark functions, which represent a range of most challenging optimisation problems. The simulation studies show that FORL, using a smaller number of FEs, offers better performance in finding accurate solutions, in particular for high-dimensional multimodal function optimisation problems.
Finding and Suggesting Alternative Verbal Queries from Community Q & A Corpus

Web searchers often use a Web search engine to find a way or means to achieve his/her goal. For example, a user intending to solve his/her sleeping problem, the query “sleeping pills” may be used. However, there may be another solution to achieve the same goal, such as “have a cup of hot milk” or “stroll before bedtime. ” The problem is that the user may not be aware that these solutions exist. Thus, he/she will probably choose to take a sleeping pill without considering these solutions. In this study, we define and tackle the alternative action mining problem. In particular, we attempt to develop a method for mining alternative actions for a given query. We define alternative actions as actions which share the same goal and define the alternative action mining problem as similar in the search result diversification. To tackle the problem, we propose leveraging a community Q&A (cQA) corpus for mining alternative actions. The cQA corpus can be seen as an archival dataset comprising dialogues between questioners, who want to know the solutions to their problem, and respondents, who suggest different solutions. We propose a method to compute how well two actions can be alternative actions by using a question-answer structure in a cQA corpus. Our method builds a question-action bipartite graph and recursively computes how well two actions can be alternative actions. We conducted experiments to investigate the effectiveness of our method using two newly built test collections, each containing 50 queries. The experimental results indicated that our proposed method outperformed the query suggestion methods provided by the commercial search engines in terms
11-1-1968 On the interpretation of factor analysis

The importance of the researcher’s interpretation of factor analysis is illustrated by means of an example. The results from this example appear to be meaningful and easily interpreted. The example omits any measure of reliability or validity. If a measure of reliability had been included, it would have indicated the worthlessness of the results. A survey of 46 recent papers from 6 journals supported the claim that the example is typical, twothirds of the papers provide no measure of reliability. In fact, some papers did not even provide sufficient information to allow for replication. To improve the current situation some measure of factor reliability should accompany applied studies that utilize factor analysis. Three operational approaches are suggested for obtaining measures of factor reliability: use of split samples, Monte Carlo simulation, and a priori models. Disciplines Marketing Comments Postprint version. Copyright American Psychological Association. Published in Psychological Bulletin, Volume 70, Issue 5, November 1968, pages 361-364. This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record. Publisher URL: http://www.apa. org/journals/bul. The author has asserted his/her right to include this material in ScholarlyCommons@Penn. NOTE: At the time of publication, author J. Scott Armstrong was affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Currently ( June 2006), he is a faculty member in the Marketing Department of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/marketing_papers/14 Published in Psychological Bulletin, 70 (5), 1968, 361-364. On the Interpretation of Factor Analysis J. Scott Armstrong Sloan School, MIT, now at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Peer Soelberg University of Wisconson, Milwaukee
Managing risk and exerting control: determining follow through with falls prevention.

PURPOSE/METHOD This study used in-depth interviews to explore the perspectives of nine older women who had not followed through with environmental modification recommendations to reduce their risk of falls in the home. RESULTS It was found that the core concept of 'exerting control' provided an understanding of their experience following an occupational therapy home visit. Exerting control was a behavioural, cognitive and affective process whereby the women made decisions about whether or not to follow through with environmental modification recommendations based on their knowledge of environmental risks, perceptions of degree of risk, perceived ability to mediate these risks through behaviour and the degree of freedom she had in decision making. Exerting control meant that the women made daily choices about their home environment which increased or decreased the risk of falls with identified home hazards. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that, for some women, health professionals need to understand and work with the phenomenon of exerting control, in order to work with clients to reduce environmental hazards.
Podocyte loss and albuminuria of KK-Ay mouse: A spontaneous animal model for human type 2 diabetic nephropathy

Podocyte loss was well known in type 2 diabetic nephropathy patients. The objective of the present study was to determine the number of podocytes and the degree of albuminuria in diabetic KK-Ay/Ta (KK-Ay) mice which had been reported as diabetic nephropathy model. Diabetic KK-Ay mice, diabetic KK/Ta mice and non-diabetic BALB/cA Jcl (BALB/cA) mice were studied. We analyzed glomerular lesions in all mice by morphometric analysis and immunofluorescence to determine the number of podocytes. Level of urinary albumin was also measured. Glomerular enlargement and mesangial expansion were observed in KK-Ay mice. Mean number of podocytes per glomerulus (NG pod) in diabetic KK-Ay mice was significantly lower than that in non-diabetic BALB/cA mice. Mean NG pod/glomerular area (GA) per glomerulus was also significantly decreased in diabetic KK-Ay mice. The level of urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) in diabetic KK-Ay mice was significantly higher than that in non-diabetic BALB/cA mice. These data suggest that podocyte loss might induce albuminuria in KK-Ay mice. This finding confirmed our previous report that KK-Ay mice, especially in terms of histological findings, are a suitable animal model for glomerular injury in type 2 diabetic nephropathy.
A Coalition Formation Game for Distributed Node Clustering in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In the context of wireless mobile ad hoc networks, node clustering is a well-known solution for handling the scalability issue. While existing work focused on unstructured (i.e., flat) networks, this paper investigates a clustering algorithm to handle stable size-restricted clusters for structured (i.e., group-based) networks. In addition, we have identified that the ad hoc network clustering literature lacks a theoretical framework. This paper fills this gap by proposing to use coalition game theory, identifying coalitions to clusters and players to nodes. This theoretical framework allows us to derive a novel generic distributed node clustering algorithm. The algorithm is proved to converge to Nash-stable partitions. It is based on the concept of switch operations, where nodes take decision whether to leave or not their current coalition based on the coalition values. These decisions are made independently on any node individual payoff, meaning that the coalition formation game has a transferable utility. This generic algorithm is then tailored to both structured and unstructured networks, by defining judiciously the value functions and the heuristics dedicated to selecting suitable switch operations. Based on extensive simulations, we show that our proposed solutions outperform the existing ones especially in terms of cluster size and stability.