Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of electrostimulation on mechanical and morphological characteristics of the triceps surae.

The present study assessed the effects of training using electrostimulation of muscle (EMS) on the torque-angular velocity and torque-angle relationships, and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the triceps surae. Twelve physical education students, divided into two groups (6 controls, 6 experimental), participated in the experiment. The EMS sessions were undertaken using a 'Complex-type' stimulator. Flexible elastomer electrodes were used. The current used discharged pulses lasting for 200 microseconds at a frequency of 70 Hz. The durations of contraction and rest were 5 and 15 s, respectively. The session lasted for 10 min for each muscle. The training regimen was three sessions per week for 4 weeks. Biomechanical tests were performed with the Biodex (Biodex Corporation, Shirley, NY, USA) isokinetic ergometer. Plantar flexions of the ankle over a concentric range of voluntary contractions were performed at different angular velocities (1.05, 2.10, 3.14, 4.20, 5.23 and 6.28 rad s-1) and maximum voluntary isometric contractions were held for 5 s at several ankle flexion angles (-30 degrees, -15 degrees, 0 degree and 15 degrees; 0 degree corresponds to foot flexion of 90 degrees relative to the leg axis). The peak value of the torque was recorded. Morphological tests consisted of measuring the CSA of the triceps surae on the right leg, 15 cm below the tibial protuberance, by a computerized tomography technique. The torque-velocity relationship was seen to shift significantly upwards after EMS training. The increase in the isometric torque observed after EMS training was greater in dorsiflexion than in plantarflexion. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Contrast Context Histogram - A Discriminating Local Descriptor for Image Matching

This paper presents a new invariant local descriptor, contrast context histogram, for image matching. It represents the contrast distributions of a local region, and serves as a local distinctive descriptor of this region. Object recognition can be considered as matching salient corners with similar contrast context histograms on two or more images in our work. Our experimental results show that the developed descriptor is accurate and efficient for matching
Returns to Education in Tanzania: exploiting a natural experiment

We use education reforms implemented in Tanzania in the 1960s as a source of exogenous variation in education to estimate the returns to education in nationally representative cross sectional datasets from 2001 and 2006. We nd that returns to an extra year of education are between 8% and 13% when using OLS. The education reform increased the number of students nishing primary school and increased primary school from 4 to 7 years, but did away with middle school and lowered the total number of years of schooling for those that entered high school by one year. Using a control function to control for endogeneity of education and heterogeneity of returns we nd that returns are actually concave with higher returns at lower education levels. We believe this indicates substantial ability bias.
Linear systems with input constraints: stability and optimality

For discrete-time linear systems with inputs constraints, we characterize the generalized stability region and give an algorithm to find the facet of this region. We show that there exists a finite horizon such that the infinite horizon constrained LQR problem can turn to a finite horizon constrained LQR problem and give an upper bound of this horizon for any given initial state. We also give an upper bound of this finite horizon for all initial states inside the stability region.
A Binomial Sequential Sampling Plan for Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) in Solanum lycopersicum (Solanales: Solanacea)

ABSTRACT The tomato—potato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is a pest of many solanaceous plants, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). In tomato, feeding by nymphs is associated with “psyllid yellows. ” B. cockerelli also vectors “Candidatus Liberibacter psyllaurous,” an infectious bacterium that causes “vein greening” disease. Decisions about management action are much more effective when guided by robust sampling. However, there are few previous studies of potato psyllid spatial distribution in tomato fields, and no published sequential sampling plans for the pest in tomato. We studied B. cockerelli in various tomato fields in California and used these data to generate a sequential sampling plan. We found that juvenile B. cockerelli in tomato fields exhibit an edge effect, an aggregated distribution, and individuals are primarily located on the bottom of leaves. Psyllids were concentrated in the upper segments of plants, but this changed over time. Finally, we present three binominal sequential sampling plans for managing tomato psyllids in tomato fields. These plans differed from both those for bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) and potato, indicating that B. cockerelli needs to be sampled using crop-specific sampling plans.
Mutually exclusive expression of alternatively spliced FMRFamide transcripts in identified neuronal systems of the snail Lymnaea

The FMRFamide gene of the snail Lymnaea encodes tetrapeptides (FMRFamide/FLRFamide) and heptapeptides (GDPFLRFamide/SDPFLRFamide) on separate exons. In situ hybridization probes specific to these exons were used to map the expression of the two exons in identified neuronal systems of the CNS. Analysis of more than 200 preparations showed that cytoplasmic expression of mRNA was exclusively of one type, with individual neurons expressing either the tetrapeptide or heptapeptide exon. Of the approximately 340 neurons expressing the two exons, the majority (80%) expressed the tetrapeptide exon. The tetrapeptide exon was more widespread, occurring in neurons from all 11 ganglia of the CNS. The heptapeptide was mainly confined to two ganglia (visceral and right parietal), with a small number of cells in three other ganglia. Mapping studies combined with dye marking of identified neurons showed the presence of the tetrapeptide exon in several behaviorally important networks: heart motoneurons, whole body withdrawal response motoneurons, and probably penis motoneurons as well as giant identified neurons (LP1, RPD1). The heptapeptides were prominent in two main clusters of cells (Bgp and Fgp) together with a smaller number of tetrapeptide-expressing cells.
Bayesian Occupancy grid Filter for dynamic environments using prior map knowledge

Building a model of the environment is essential for mobile robotics. It allows the robot to reason about its sourroundings and plan actions according to its intentions. To enable safe motion planning it is vital to anticipate object movements. This paper presents an improved formulation for occupancy filtering. Our approach is closely related to the Bayesian Occupancy Filter (BOF) presented in [4]. The basic idea of occupancy filters is to represent the environment as a 2-dimensional grid of cells holding information about their state of occupancy and velocity. To improve the accuracy of predictions, prior knowledge about the motion preferences is used, derived from map data that can be obtained from navigation systems. In combination with a physically accurate transition model, it is possible to estimate the environment dynamics. Experiments show that this yields reliable estimates even for occluded regions.
The 10-Item Big Five Inventory: Norm Values and Investigation of Sociodemographic Effects Based on a

Abstract. The 10-Item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10; Rammstedt & John, 2007), a short scale version of the well-established BFI, was developed to provide a personality inventory for research settings with extreme time constraints. It allows assessing the Big Five by only two items per dimension. Previous research has clearly shown that the BFI-10 possesses psychometric properties that are comparable in size and structure to those of the full-scale BFI. Based on data from a large sample representative of the German adult population, the present study aimed to provide norms for the total sample and for subsamples depending on different sociodemographic variables and to investigate effects of gender, age, and education on the BFI-10. Results indicate that the sociodemographic effects found in the German representative sample clearly replicate those of previous research conducted in that field.
Apparent layer operations for the manipulation of deformable objects

We introduce layer operations for single-view 3D deformable object manipulation, in which the user can control the depth order of layered 3D objects resting on a flat ground with simple clicks and drags, as in 2D drawing systems. We present two interaction techniques based on this idea and describe their implementation. The first technique is explicit layer swap. The user clicks the target layer, and the system swaps the layer with the one directly underneath it. The second technique is layer-aware dragging. As the user drags the object, the system adjusts its depth automatically to pass over or under a colliding object in the screen space, according to user control. Although the user interface is 2.5D, all scene representations are true 3D, and thus the system naturally supports local layering, self-occlusions, and folds. Internally, the system dynamically computes the apparent layer structure in the current configuration and makes appropriate depth adjustments to obtain the desired results. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in cloth and rope manipulation systems.
PhoneTouch: a technique for direct phone interaction on surfaces

PhoneTouch is a novel technique for integration of mobile phones and interactive surfaces. The technique enables use of phones to select targets on the surface by direct touch, facilitating for instance pick&drop-style transfer of objects between phone and surface. The technique is based on separate detection of phone touch events by the surface, which determines location of the touch, and by the phone, which contributes device identity. The device-level observations are merged based on correlation in time. We describe a proof-of-concept implementation of the technique, using vision for touch detection on the surface (including discrimination of finger versus phone touch) and acceleration features for detection by the phone.
Comparative Effect of Fish Oil Feeding and Other Dietary Fatty Acids on Plasma Lipoproteins, Biliary Lipids, and Hepatic Expression of Proteins Involved in Reverse Cholesterol Transport in the Rat

Background: While elevated plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels has been associated to a reduction in cardiovascular risk, dietary fish oils rich in omega–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may protect against this disease. The protective effect of HDL is associated to its participation in the reverse cholesterol transport pathway. On the other hand, omega–3 PUFAs decrease plasma HDL levels compared to other fatty acids, which may suggest an effect on reverse cholesterol transport. Aim: In this work, the effect of dietary fish oil on the fatty acid composition of hepatic membranes, plasma lipoprotein cholesterol profile, biliary lipids, and the expression of proteins involved in reverse cholesterol transport, was compared to other dietary oils having a different degree of fatty acid unsaturation. Methods: Male rats were fed a semi synthetic diet containing fish oil (omega–3), sunflower oil (omega–6), olive oil (omega–9) or coconut oil (saturated). Hepatic membrane fatty acid composition, plasma cholesterol levels, lipoprotein cholesterol profile, biliary lipids, hepatic mRNA levels for lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase, hepatic lipase, apo E, and apo A-I, and hepatic protein levels of the scavenger receptor class B type I, caveolin-1, and the ATP binding cassette transporter A1 were analyzed. Plasma apo A-I and apo E protein levels were also evaluated. Results: Compared to the other diets, omega–3 PUFAs significantly changed omega–3/omega–6 fatty acid ratio of hepatic membranes, caused a reduction of plasma total and HDL cholesterol, and selectively increased biliary cholesterol secretion. No modification in the expression levels of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase, hepatic lipase, apo A-I and apo E mRNA was observed. Hepatic scavenger receptor class B type I, caveolin-1, and the ATP binding cassette transporter A1 protein levels were also not affected. Plasma apo A-I, but not apo E, was reduced. Conclusions: These results show that dietary omega–3 PUFAs reduce plasma HDL cholesterol and increase biliary cholesterol without concomitant modifications in the expression of key genes and proteins involved in reverse cholesterol transport. These findings suggest that functional changes in the activity of these proteins as consequence of the incorporation of omega-3 PUFAs into hepatic membranes and plasma lipoproteins may underlie the effect of fish oil feeding on plasma and hepatic cholesterol metabolism in the rat.
Effects of a low-glycemic load vs low-fat diet in obese young adults: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT The results of clinical trials involving diet in the treatment of obesity have been inconsistent, possibly due to inherent physiological differences among study participants. OBJECTIVE To determine whether insulin secretion affects weight loss with 2 popular diets. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Randomized trial of obese young adults (aged 18-35 years; n = 73) conducted from September 2004 to December 2006 in Boston, Mass, and consisting of a 6-month intensive intervention period and a 12-month follow-up period. Serum insulin concentration at 30 minutes after a 75-g dose of oral glucose was determined at baseline as a measure of insulin secretion. Outcomes were assessed at 6, 12, and 18 months. Missing data were imputed conservatively. INTERVENTIONS A low-glycemic load (40% carbohydrate and 35% fat) vs low-fat (55% carbohydrate and 20% fat) diet. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Body weight, body fat percentage determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and cardiovascular disease risk factors. RESULTS Change in body weight and body fat percentage did not differ between the diet groups overall. However, insulin concentration at 30 minutes after a dose of oral glucose was an effect modifier (group x time x insulin concentration at 30 minutes: P = .02 for body weight and P = .01 for body fat percentage). For those with insulin concentration at 30 minutes above the median (57.5 microIU/mL; n = 28), the low-glycemic load diet produced a greater decrease in weight (-5.8 vs -1.2 kg; P = .004) and body fat percentage (-2.6% vs -0.9%; P = .03) than the low-fat diet at 18 months. There were no significant differences in these end points between diet groups for those with insulin concentration at 30 minutes below the median level (n = 28). Insulin concentration at 30 minutes after a dose of oral glucose was not a significant effect modifier for cardiovascular disease risk factors. In the full cohort, plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations improved more on the low-glycemic load diet, whereas low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration improved more on the low-fat diet. CONCLUSIONS Variability in dietary weight loss trials may be partially attributable to differences in hormonal response. Reducing glycemic load may be especially important to achieve weight loss among individuals with high insulin secretion. Regardless of insulin secretion, a low-glycemic load diet has beneficial effects on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations but not on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00130299.
Meta-level Statistical Machine Translation

We propose a simple and effective method to build a meta-level Statistical Machine Translation (SMT), called meta-SMT, for system combination. Our approach is based on the framework of Stacked Generalization, also known as Stacking, which is an ensemble learning algorithm, widely used in machine learning tasks. First, a collection of base-level SMTs is generated for obtaining a meta-level corpus. Then a meta-level SMT is trained on this corpus. In this paper we address the issue of how to adapt stacked generalization to SMT. We evaluate our approach on Englishto-Persian machine translation. Experimental results show that our approach leads to significant improvements in translation quality over a phrase-based baseline by about 1.1 BLEU points.
Modelling surface ozone during the 2003 heat-wave in the UK

The EMEP4UK modelling system is a high resolution (5◊5 km 2 ) application of the EMEP chemistry- transport model, designed for scientific and policy studies in the UK. We demonstrate the use and performance of the EMEP4UK system through the study of ground-level ozone (O3) during the extreme August 2003 heat-wave. Meteo- rology is generated by the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model, nudged every six hours with reanalysis data. We focus on SE England, where hourly average O3 reached up to 140 ppb during the heat-wave. EMEP4UK accurately reproduces elevated O3 and much of its day-to-day variabil- ity during the heat-wave. Key O3 precursors, nitrogen diox- ide and isoprene, are less well simulated, but show generally accurate diurnal cycles and concentrations to within a factor of 2-3 of observations. The modelled surface O3 distribu- tion has an intricate spatio-temporal structure, governed by a combination of meteorology, emissions and photochemistry. A series of sensitivity runs with the model are used to explore the factors that influenced O 3 levels during the heat-wave. Various factors appear to be important on different days and at different sites. Ozone imported from outside the model do- main, especially the south, is very important on several days during the heat-wave, contributing up to 85 ppb. The effect of dry deposition is also important on several days. Modelled isoprene concentrations are generally best simulated if iso- prene emissions are changed from the base emissions: typi- cally doubled, but elevated by up to a factor of five on one hot day. We found that accurate modelling of the exact positions of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound plumes is crucial for the successful simulation of O3 at a particular time and location. Variations in temperature of ±5 K were found to have impacts on O3 of typically less than ±10 ppb.
DETECTION OF TRANSIENT IN RADIO FREQUENCY FINGERPRINTING USING SIGNAL PHASE

Radio Frequency Fingerprinting (RFF) is a technique, which has been used to identify wireless devices. It essentially involves the detection of the transient signal and the extraction of the fingerprint. The detection phase, in our opinion, is the most challenging yet crucial part of the RFF process. Current approaches, namely Threshold and Bayesian Step Change Detector, which use amplitude characteristics of signals for transient detection, perform poorly with certain types of signals. This paper presents a new algorithm that exploits the phase characteristics for detection purposes. Validation using Bluetooth signals has resulted in a success rate of approximately 85-90 percent. We anticipate that the higher detection rate will result in a higher classification rate and thus support various device authetication schemes in the wireless domain.
A Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of a Half Dose of Fluticasone Propionate with Beclamethasone Dipropionate and Budesonide in Childhood Asthma

This study was carried out in an attempt to compare the efficacy and safety of fluticasone propionate (FP) at the half dose of budesonide (BUD) and beclamethasone dipropionate (BD) in childhood asthma. Ninety-six children with moderate to severe asthma (9.6 ± 2.17 years) whose asthma was already controlled on BUD (n = 52) or BD (n = 44) were recruited into the study. In the first part of the study (the first 12 weeks) each group was followed with three weekly lung function measurements, daily diary records, and peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements on the initial medication. At the end of 6 weeks, drugs were switched to a half dose of FP, and the subjects were followed for another 6 weeks. Blood samples were obtained for osteocalcin and plasma cortisol levels after each treatment period. In the second part of the study, 50 patients continued to take FP at the half dose of BUD or BD for another 30 weeks. Clinic visits, including lung function and PEF measurements, were conducted every 10 weeks. After 6 weeks of FP treatment, there was a small but statistically significant decrease in FEV1 and FEF25–75 in both groups (BUD and BD) without any significant obstruction. These mild changes in lung function measurements continued during long-term follow-up. However, there was no statistically significant further decrease in any lung function parameters while receiving FP (visits 3–8) (coefficient = −0.00751 L/day, p = 0.39 for FEF25–75 and coefficient = −0.00910 L/sec/day, p = 0.055 for FEV1). There were no significant changes in the morning and evening PEF measurements and diurnal PEF variations after 6 weeks of treatment with FP compared with BUD and BD treatments. There were no significant changes in basal cortisol and osteocalcin levels before or after 6 weeks of FP treatment (p > 0.05). The present study concluded that, although FP at the half dose of BUD or BD seems to maintain reasonable control of the disease symptoms, a mild but significant and persistent decrease in lung function parameters may indicate that FP may not be twice as potent as BUD or BD in childhood asthma by evaluation of lung functions. This conclusion must be further verified with long-term studies.
Txc, a New Type II Secretion System of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain PA7, Is Regulated by the TtsS/TtsR Two-Component System and Directs Specific Secretion of the CbpE Chitin-Binding Protein

ABSTRACT We present here the functional characterization of a third complete type II secretion system (T2SS) found in newly sequenced Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA7. We call this system Txc (third Xcp homolog). This system is encoded by the RGP69 region of genome plasticity found uniquely in strain PA7. In addition to the 11 txc genes, RGP69 contains two additional genes encoding a possible T2SS substrate and a predicted unorthodox sensor protein, TtsS (type II secretion sensor). We also identified a gene encoding a two-component response regulator called TtsR (type II secretion regulator), which is located upstream of the ttsS gene and just outside RGP69. We show that TtsS and TtsR constitute a new and functional two-component system that controls the production and secretion of the RGP69-encoded T2SS substrate in a Txc-dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrate that this Txc-secreted substrate binds chitin, and we therefore name it CbpE (chitin-binding protein E).