Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radial extracorporeal shockwave treatment compared with supervised exercises in patients with subacromial pain syndrome: single blind randomised study

Objective To compare the effectiveness of radial extracorporeal shockwave treatment with that of supervised exercises in patients with shoulder pain. Design Single blind randomised study. Setting Outpatient clinic of physical medicine and rehabilitation department in Oslo, Norway. Participants 104 patients with subacromial shoulder pain lasting at least three months. Interventions Radial extracorporeal shockwave treatment: one session weekly for four to six weeks. Supervised exercises: two 45 minute sessions weekly for up to 12 weeks. Primary outcome measure Shoulder pain and disability index. Results A treatment effect in favour of supervised exercises at 6, 12, and 18 weeks was found. The adjusted treatment effect was −8.4 (95% confidence interval −16.5 to −0.6) points. A significantly higher proportion of patients in the group treated with supervised exercises improved—odds ratio 3.2 (1.3 to 7.8). More patients in the shockwave treatment group had additional treatment between 12 and 18 weeks—odds ratio 5.5 (1.3 to 26.4). Conclusion Supervised exercises were more effective than radial extracorporeal shockwave treatment for short term improvement in patients with subacromial shoulder pain. Trial registration Clinical trials NCT00653081.
The effect of spectral density and bandwidth on the precedence effect

The precedence effect shows the ability of the auditory system to perceptually suppress reflections such that a single sound is heard at the direction of the leading sound. A low frequency tone is localized on the basis of its interaural phase, but the addition of its delayed copy alters the interaural phase and thus its location. A larger bandwidth is needed to stabilize localization at the lead either through integrating binaural information across frequency or through extracting information from the temporal envelope. Increased spectral density will give rise to faster envelope fluctuations within an auditory filter, thus facilitating the evaluation of binaural cues from the envelope.
Polymorphic functions with set-theoretic types: part 1: syntax, semantics, and evaluation

This article is the first part of a two articles series about a calculus with higher-order polymorphic functions, recursive types with arrow and product type constructors and set-theoretic type connectives (union, intersection, and negation). In this first part we define and study the explicitly-typed version of the calculus in which type instantiation is driven by explicit instantiation annotations. In particular, we define an explicitly-typed lambda-calculus with intersection types and an efficient evaluation model for it. In the second part, presented in a companion paper, we define a local type inference system that allows the programmer to omit explicit instantiation annotations, and a type reconstruction system that allows the programmer to omit explicit type annotations. The work presented in the two articles provides the theoretical foundations and technical machinery needed to design and implement higher-order polymorphic functional languages for semi-structured data.
Thermostabilization of a Cytochrome P450 Peroxygenase

Cytochrome P450 BM-3 is a soluble fatty acid hydroxylase composed of a heme domain and a reductase domain on a single polypeptide chain. We recently described a laboratoryevolved variant of the P450 BM-3 heme domain which functions as an H2O2-driven hydroxylase (TMperoxygenase∫) and does not require NADPH, O2, or the reductase. This variant, which we named 21B3, allows us to carry out cytochrome P450-catalyzed biotransformations under highly simplified reaction conditions: only the heme domain and hydrogen peroxide are needed for substrate (fatty acid) hydroxylation. Because its heme domain alone is competent for catalysis, P450 BM-3 peroxygenase 21B3 offers a unique opportunity to create a thermostable, functional cytochrome P450. Here we report further directed evolution of the 21B3 peroxygenase, resulting in an enzyme which is significantly more thermostable than wildtype cytochrome P450 BM-3 and retains much of the peroxygenase activity of 21B3. Enzymes are often poorly stable under conditions encountered during production, storage, or use. Improving enzyme resistance to thermal denaturation has been a major focus of protein engineering efforts. Improved thermostability often correlates with longer shelf-life, longer life-time during use (even at low temperatures), and a higher temperature optimum for activity. 7] There have been no reports of stabilizing the relatively unstable cytochrome P450 enzymes by protein engineering, however, primarily because the P450s comprise multiple subunits and contain thermolabile cofactors. P450 BM-3 heme domain containing the single amino acid substitution F87A (mutant HF87A) is significantly more active than wildtype heme domain (HWT) in reactions driven by H2O2. 9] Variant 21B3 is much more active than HF87A in 10 mM H2O2, but is also less thermostable than HWT and HF87A. We therefore sought to improve the thermostability of 21B3 while maintaining its improved peroxygenase activity. Six cycles of random mutagenesis or DNA shuffling and screening for retention of peroxygenase activity after heat treatment (see the Methods section) yielded the thermostable peroxygenase variant 5H6. To characterize the thermostability of the peroxygenase variants identified during screening, we measured the fraction of folded heme domain remaining after heat-treatment, which we determined from the fraction of the ferrous heme-CO complex that retained the 450 nm absorbance peak characteristic of properly-folded P450. Figure 1 shows the percentage of
Spatial Manipulation with Microfluidics

Biochemical gradients convey information through space, time, and concentration, and are ultimately capable of spatially resolving distinct cellular phenotypes, such as differentiation, proliferation, and migration. How these gradients develop, evolve, and function during development, homeostasis, and various disease states is a subject of intense interest across a variety of disciplines. Microfluidic technologies have become essential tools for investigating gradient sensing in vitro due to their ability to precisely manipulate fluids on demand in well-controlled environments at cellular length scales. This review will highlight their utility for studying gradient sensing along with relevant applications to biology.
Female Song Occurs in Songbirds with More Elaborate Female Coloration and Reduced Sexual Dichromatism

Elaborate plumages and songs in male birds provide classic evidence for Darwinian sexual selection. However, trait elaboration in birds is not gender-restricted: female song has recently been revealed as a taxonomically-widespread trait within the songbirds (oscine Passerines), prompting increased research into likely functions and social/ecological correlates. Here we use phylogenetically-informed comparative analysis to test for an evolutionary association between female song and plumage color elaboration in songbirds. If there is an evolutionary trade-off between signaling modes, we predict a negative correlation between acoustic and visual elaboration. This trade-off hypothesis has been commonly proposed in males but has mixed empirical support. Alternatively, if song and plumage have similar or overlapping functions and evolve under similar selection pressures, we predict a positive correlation between female song and female plumage elaboration. We use published data on female song for 1,023 species of songbirds and a novel approach that allows for the reliable and objective comparison of color elaboration between species and genders. Our results reveal a significant positive correlation between female colorfulness and female song presence. In species where females sing, females (but not males) are on average more colorful – with concomitantly reduced average sexual dichromatism. These results suggest that female plumage and female song likely evolved together under similar selection pressures and that their respective functions are reinforcing. We discuss the potential roles of sexual versus social selection in driving this relationship, and the implications for future research on female signals.
Temporally aligned pooling representation for video-based person re-identification

This paper proposes an effective Temporally Aligned Pooling Representation (TAPR) for video-based person re-identification. To extract the motion information from a sequence, we propose to track the superpixels of the lowest portions of human. To perform temporal alignment of videos, we propose to select the “best” walking cycle from the noisy motion information according to the intrinsic periodicity property of walking persons, that is fitted sinusoid in our implementation. To describe the video data in the selected walking cycle, we first divide the cycle into several segments according to the sinusoid, and then describe each segment by temporally aligned pooling. Extensive experimental results on the public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method compared with the state-of-the-art approaches.
High-Density Cursor: a Visualization Technique that Helps Users Keep Track of Fast-moving Mouse Cursors

As bigger screens and multi-monitor configurations become more popular, users employ higher mouse accelerations in order to traverse the screen reasonably quickly. The faster the mouse cursor moves, however, the more it seems to jump from one position to the next, as it is updated only at the refresh rate of the monitor. This lack of visual continuity increases the risk of users losing track of the cursor. The high-density cursor presented in this paper addresses this issue by filling in additional cursor images between actual cursor positions (temporal supersampling). Unlike existing techniques, such as the Windows mouse trail, the proposed technique preserves the responsiveness of the mouse cursor. We report the results of a user study in which the high-density cursor improved participants’ performance on a Fitts’ law task by up to 7% for target acquisitions across long distances. Moreover, the conditions of the high-density mouse that were tested were subtle enough that they were often not even detected, and were never considered distracting.
Layer-wise learning of deep generative models

When using deep, multi-layered architectures to build generative models of data, it is difficult to train all layers at once. We propose a layer-wise training procedure admitting a performance guarantee compared to the global optimum. It is based on an optimistic proxy of future performance, the best latent marginal. We interpret auto-encoders in this setting as generative models, by showing that they train a lower bound of this criterion. We test the new learning procedure against a state of the art method (stacked RBMs), and find it to improve performance. Both theory and experiments highlight the importance, when training deep architectures, of using an inference model (from data to hidden variables) richer than the generative model (from hidden variables to data).
Real-time cell loss ratio estimation and its applications to ATM traffic controls

The asymptotics of cell-loss ratio (CLR) in the regime of large buffers are characterized by two parameters, the asymptotic constant and asymptotic decay rate. Both parameters can be expanded in powers of one minus the link utilization (heavy traffic expansion). Thus, once the coefficients in this expansion are obtained, the CLR can be very easily estimated from the measured link utilization by using CLR asymptotics. This paper proposes an algorithm for estimating these coefficients in real time. For this purpose, the notion of state-space representation for a single-server queue is introduced: the elements of the state vector are the coefficients in the expansion of the asymptotic constant and asymptotic decay rate. Bayesian regression analysis is applied to estimate the state vector based on the buffer measurement. Our approach does not require any models describing the statistics of the traffic other than the asymptotic behavior of the CLR in the regime of large buffers. In addition, it allows us to estimate the effective bandwidth of the aggregated process easily, so it is applicable to a wide range of ATM traffic control methods, such as connection admission control and VP bandwidth control. We describe how this method of CLR estimation will be applied to connection admission control and VP bandwidth control by using results from simulation experiments.
Parallel Algorithm for Dynamic Community Detection

Many real systems can be naturally modeled by complex networks. A complex network represents an abstraction of the system regarding its components and their respective interactions. Thus, by scrutinizing the network, interesting properties of the system can be revealed. Among them, the presence of communities, which consists of groups of densely connected nodes, is a significant one. For instance, a community might reveal patterns, such as the functional units of the system, or even groups correlated people in social networks. Albeit important, the community detection process is not a simple computational task, in special when the network is dynamic. Thus, several researchers have addressed this problem providing distinct methods, especially to deal with static networks. Recently, a new algorithm was introduced to solve this problem. The approach consists of modeling the network as a set of particles inspired by a N-body problem. Besides delivering similar results to state-of-the-art community detection algorithm, the proposed model is dynamic in nature; thus, it can be straightforwardly applied to time-varying complex networks. However, the Particle Model still has a major drawback. Its computational cost is quadratic per cycle, which restricts its application to mid-scale networks. To overcome this limitation, here, we present a novel parallel algorithm using many-core high-performance resources. Through the implementation of a new data structure, named distance matrix, was allowed a massive parallelization of the particles interactions. Simulation results show that our parallel approach, running both traditional CPUs and hardware accelerators based on multicore CPUs and GPUs, can speed up the method permitting its application to large-scale networks.
Process for the production of nylon 6

The present invention is supplied to a feed stream containing a large amount of caprolactam and / or nylon 6 prepolymer and a minor amount of amino caproic nitrile multi-step reactive distillation column (here, the feed stream flows in countercurrent with respect to the steam stream) It relates to a process for producing nylon-6. Nylon 6, caprolactam, countercurrent flow, multi-stage reaction, the distillation column
Genetic Inactivation of an Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel (Kir4.1 Subunit) in Mice: Phenotypic Impact in Retina

The inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir4.1 has been suggested to underlie the principal K+ conductance of mammalian Müller cells and to participate in the generation of field potentials and regulation of extracellular K+in the retina. To further assess the role of Kir4.1 in the retina, we generated a mouse line with targeted disruption of theKir4.1 gene (Kir4.1 −/−). Müller cells from Kir4.1 −/− mice were not labeled with an anti-Kir4.1 antibody, although they appeared morphologically normal when stained with an anti-glutamine synthetase antibody. In contrast, in Müller cells from wild-type littermate (Kir4.1 +/+) mice, Kir4.1 was present and localized to the proximal endfeet and perivascular processes. In situ whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed a 10-fold increase in the input resistance and a large depolarization of Kir4.1 −/− Müller cells compared with Kir4.1 +/+ cells. The slow PIII response of the light-evoked electroretinogram (ERG), which is generated by K+ fluxes through Müller cells, was totally absent in retinas from Kir4.1 −/− mice. The b-wave of the ERG, in contrast, was spared in the null mice. Overall, these results indicate that Kir4.1 is the principal K+channel subunit expressed in mouse Müller glial cells. The highly regulated localization and the functional properties of Kir4.1 in Müller cells suggest the involvement of this channel in the regulation of extracellular K+ in the mouse retina.
Localization and Function of the Yeast Multidrug Transporter Tpo1p*

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae four transporters, Tpo1p–Tpo4p, all members of the major facilitator superfamily, have been shown to confer resistance to polyamines. It was suggested that they act by pumping their respective substrate into the lumen of the vacuole depending on the proton gradient generated by the V-ATPase. Using sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation we found that an hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged Tpo1p as well as its HA-tagged Tpo2p–4p homologues co-localize with plasma membrane markers. Because the HA-tagged Tpo1p carrier protein proved to be functional in conferring resistance to polyamines in TPO1 knockouts, a function of Tpo1p in transport of polyamines across the plasma membrane seemed to be likely. The polyamine transport activity of wild type cells was compared with the respective activity of a TPO1 knockout strain. The results obtained strongly suggest that Tpo1p is a plasma membrane-bound exporter, involved in the detoxification of excess spermidine in yeast. When studying polyamine transport of wild type cells, we furthermore found that S. cerevisiae is excreting putrescine during the fermentative growth phase.
What is known about Ventricular Septal Defect in University Female Students of Saudi Arabia

This study was performed to estimate the knowledge and awareness of the university students about the presence of ventricular septal defects (VSDs) in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was performed in Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) campus where a total of 350 female students in the age group of 17-25 years were surveyed using a clinically appropriate structurally designed questionnaire. Only a third of the population were familiar with the definition and anatomical location of VSDs. Although, majority of the population believed that VSDs are subject to cure, a negligible population of the students were aware that VSDs are associated with pulmonary hypertension in adults, although, about half of the population were associated with people who were suffering from VSDs. Even though promising, only half of the population were aware of rapid breathing in infants and association of endocarditis with VSDs. Regarding life-style factors, only 18% of the population knew that VSD patients are restrained from different physical activities. This population study is the first of its kind to determine the knowledge of the university students regarding the characteristics, symptoms, risk-factors, management and life-style factors associated with VSD. It identified the imperative need to organize campaigns to raise awareness about the disease process and management among female population who will be future mothers since Awareness about VSDs can help manage the physical, social, cognitive and emotional well-being of the patients with better outcomes to reduce the mortality rate.
Gene expression of WWOX, FHIT and p73 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The aim of the present study was to analyze the expression of WW-domain oxidoreductase (WWOX), fragile histidine triad (FHIT) and p73 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Samples from 122 ALL patients and 35 non-ALL control patients were collected in this study. RT-PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression of WWOX, FHIT and p73. The methylation status of the WWOX promoter region, FHIT promoter region and the first exon region of p73 were also analyzed using the methylation-specific PCR method. The mRNA expression of WWOX, FHIT and p73 was significantly lower in the ALL samples compared with the controls (48.2, 42.9 and 55.4%, respectively). By contrast, the methylation frequency of WWOX, FHIT and p73 was significantly higher in the ALL samples compared with the controls (44.6, 46.4 and 37.5%, respectively). The mRNA expression of these three genes was inversely correlated with the methylation frequency in the ALL samples (correlation coefficients, −0.661, −0.685 and −0.536 for WWOX, FHIT and p73, respectively). Moreover, the mRNA expression of WWOX was positively correlated with that of FHIT and p73 (correlation coefficients, 0.569 and 0.556, respectively). However, the methylation status of WWOX had no correlation with that of FHIT or p73. It was concluded that the high methylation status of WWOX, FHIT and p73 may lead to the inactivation of expression and the silencing of these genes, promoting the occurrence and development of ALL. The determination of the mRNA expression and methylation status of WWOX, FHIT and p73 may aid in the development of treatment approaches for ALL.
Least-squares mixed finite elements for geometrically nonlinear solid mechanics

The computation of reliable results using finite elements is a major engineering goal. Under the assumption of a linear elastic theory many stable and reliable (standard and mixed) finite elements have been developed. Unfortunately, in the geometrically nonlinear regime, e.g. applying these elements in the field of incompressible, hyperelastic materials, problems can occur. A possible approach to circumvent these issues might be the least-squares mixed finite element method. Therefore, in this thesis, a mixed least-squares formulation for hyperelastic materials in the field of solid mechanics is provided, investigated and valuated. To create a theoretical basis the continuum mechanical background is outlined, the necessary physical quantities are introduced and the construction of suitable interpolation functionsis shown. Furthermore, the general procedure for the construction of a least-squares functional is described and applied for hyperelastic material laws based on a free energy function. Basis for the proposed least-squares element formulation is a div-grad first-order system consisting of the equilibrium condition, the constitutive equation and a stress symmetry condition, all written in a residual form. The solution variables (displacements and stresses) are, dependent on the element type, interpolated using different approximation spaces. The performance of the provided elements is investigated and compared to standard and mixed Galerkin elements by extensive numerical studies with respect to e.g. bending dominated problems, incompressibility, stability issues, convergence of the field quantities and adaptivity. Furthermore, the crucial influence of weighting is discussed. Finally, the results are evaluated and the used elements are assessed.