Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying exertion level during exercise stress testing using percentage of age-predicted maximal heart rate, rate pressure product, and perceived exertion.

OBJECTIVE To determine if the attainment of at least 85% of age-predicted maximal heart rate (APMHR), using the equation 220 - age, and/or at least 25,000 as the product of maximal heart rate and systolic blood pressure (rate pressure product, RPP) is an accurate indicator of exertion level during exercise stress testing. PATIENTS AND METHODS From May 1, 2009, to February 15, 2010, 238 patients (mean ± SD age, 49.3±11.9 years; 50% male) with symptoms suggestive of myocardial ischemia underwent an exercise stress test with the addition of ventilatory expired gas analysis and a myocardial perfusion study. Ventilatory expired gas analysis determined the peak respiratory exchange ratio (RER), which is considered a valid and reliable variable for quantifying a patient's exertion during exercise. RESULTS Of the patients, 207 (87%) attained a peak RER of 1.00 or more, and 123 (52%) attained a peak RER of 1.10 or more. An APMHR of 85% or more and peak RPP of 25,000 or more were both ineffective in identifying patients who put forth a maximal exercise effort (ie, peak RER, ≥1.10). Perceived exertion was a significant indicator (P=.04) of patient exertion, with a threshold of 15 (6-20 scale) being an optimal cut point. The percentage of equivocal myocardial perfusion study results was significantly higher in patients who demonstrated a submaximal exercise effort by peak RER (P≤.007). CONCLUSION Aerobic exercise testing is an integral component in the assessment of patients with suspected myocardial ischemia. Our findings indicate that the currently used percentage of APMHR and peak RPP thresholds are ineffective in quantifying a patient's level of exertion during exercise stress testing.
On the decomposition of the MIMO channel correlation tensor

While the knowledge about the spatial eigenstructure of multiple-input multiple-output is well understood, no respective concept has yet been proposed for MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) channels. The existing literature also lacks attempts to exhaustively identify analytical tools for characterizing, analyzing and synthesizing the spatial structure of MIMO channels. This work introduces the novel concept of a fourth-order MIMO correlation tensor. In contrast to conventional matrix representations of MIMO correlations, the correlation tensor preserves the inherent spatial structure of MIMO channels and gives rise to three different decomposition methods: The eigendecomposition exploits the Hermitian symmetry of the correlation tensor and yields matrix valued eigenmodes which are of the same size as the channel realizations. The Kronecker mode decomposition makes use of the link-end-oriented structure of the correlation tensor. The resulting Kronecker modes are Hermitian and related to a single link-end. As a third method, an approximate decomposition into vector valued components is presented. Each of the above decompositions can be utilized for providing further insights into the spatial structure of MIMO channels, or for creating spatial channel models. Finally, we will discuss existing channel models from literature in the context of the newly presented analytical tools.
Backdoors to Tractable Answer-Set Programming

Answer Set Programming (ASP) is an increasingly popular framework for declarative programming that admits the description of problems by means of rules and constraints that form a disjunctive logic program. In particular, many AI problems such as reasoning in a nonmonotonic setting can be directly formulated in ASP. Although the main problems of ASP are of high computational complexity, complete for the second level of the Polynomial Hierarchy, several restrictions of ASP have been identified in the literature, under which ASP problems become tractable.In this paper we use the concept of backdoors to identify new restrictions that make ASP problems tractable. Small backdoors are sets of atoms that represent "clever reasoning shortcuts" through the search space and represent a hidden structure in the problem input. The concept of backdoors is widely used in theoretical investigations in the areas of propositional satisfiability and constraint satisfaction. We show that it can be fruitfully adapted to ASP. We demonstrate how backdoors can serve as a unifying framework that accommodates several tractable restrictions of ASP known from the literature. Furthermore, we show how backdoors allow us to deploy recent algorithmic results from parameterized complexity theory to the domain of answer set programming.
Measurement of InAsSb bandgap energy and InAs/InAsSb band edge positions using spectroscopic ellipsometry and photoluminescence spectroscopy

The structural and optical properties of lattice-matched InAs0.911Sb0. 089 bulk layers and strain-balanced InAs/InAs1−xSbx (x ∼ 0.1–0.4) superlattices grown on (100)-oriented GaSb substrates by molecular beam epitaxy are examined using X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and temperature dependent photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photoluminescence and ellipsometry measurements determine the ground state bandgap energy and the X-ray diffraction measurements determine the layer thickness and mole fraction of the structures studied. Detailed modeling of the X-ray diffraction data is employed to quantify unintentional incorporation of approximately 1% Sb into the InAs layers of the superlattices. A Kronig-Penney model of the superlattice miniband structure is used to analyze the valence band offset between InAs and InAsSb, and hence the InAsSb band edge positions at each mole fraction. The resulting composition dependence of the bandgap energy and band edge positions of InAsSb are described using the bandgap bowing model; the respective low and room temperature bowing parameters for bulk InAsSb are 938 and 750 meV for the bandgap, 558 and 383 meV for the conduction band, and −380 and −367 meV for the valence band.
Mammalian lignans inhibit the growth of estrogen-independent human colon tumor cells.

PURPOSE The mammalian lignans enterolactone (EL) and enterodiol (ED) derived from precursors in foods, particularly flaxseed, have been shown to reduce the mammary tumor growth due to their antiestrogenic properties. Our objective was to investigate whether lignans have growth inhibitory effects against colon tumor cells and whether these effects are mediated through their antiestrogenic activity. METHODS Four human colon tumor cell lines (LS174T, Caco-2, HCT-15, T-84) were incubated with various levels of EL, ED or 17 beta-estradiol for 8 to 10 days. Cell proliferation was measured by the BrdU method. RESULTS At 100 microM concentration, both lignans significantly reduced the proliferation of all cell lines. EL was more than twice as effective as ED at this concentration. The growth was not affected by the presence of 17 beta-estradiol implying that these cells are not estrogen-sensitive. CONCLUSION Lignans are growth inhibitors of colon tumor cells and they may act through mechanism(s) other than antiestrogenic activity.
Study of the Preprocessing Influence in the Accuracy of Semi-automated Shadow Detection Approach

Shadows may occupy a significant portion of the image mainly in urban scenes. This research has the objective to detect shadows in high resolution orbital images using morphological operators. In order to verify preprocessing contribution in this shadow detection methodology, we have tested the median, morphological, bilateral and mean curvature filters to evaluate which one has the characteristic of mitigate the noise of the images and contribute to enhance detection performance. During the study, 10 panchromatic images of Worldview II satellite from the urban area of Presidente Prudente, in the state of Sao Paulo, were used. According to the shadow detection methodology by mathematical morphology, we checked the accuracy value using the images resulting of the smoothing methods applied in the preprocessing step. Finally, we evaluated all the smoothing levels in order to select the most appropriated according to accuracy and if images preserves the elements of interest. By analyzing the obtained results it is easy to see that the bilateral filter has presented satisfactory results, since it considers the spatial domain in the smooth ing process, despite incorporating the pixels intensity domain as well. Therefore, we can conclude that the bilateral filter is a good alternative considering an adequate choice of the parameters.
Summarising News Stories for Children

This paper proposes a system to automatically summarise news articles in a manner suitable for children by deriving and combining statistical ratings for how important, positively oriented and easy to read each sentence is. Our results demonstrate that this approach succeeds in generating summaries that are suitable for children, and that there is further scope for combining this extractive approach with abstractive methods used in text implification.
Conquest—An Open-Source Dialog System for Conferences

We describe ConQuest, an open-source, reusable spoken dialog system that provides technical program information during conferences. The system uses a transparent, modular and open infrastructure, and aims to enable applied research in spoken language interfaces. The conference domain is a good platform for applied research since it permits periodical redeployments and evaluations with a real user-base. In this paper, we describe the system's functionality, overall architecture, and we discuss two initial deployments.
Recent advances in interference management for wireless networks

Interference has been the central challenge for wireless networks. In wireless networking, the prevailing paradigm to handle interference is avoidance. Over time, many interference avoidance techniques have been proposed following this paradigm. Recently, research advances at the physical layer are allowing us to explore a new direction in interference management. The new direction is to allow interference to occur and exploit the desired information from interference, rather than avoiding interference completely. This new direction allows much higher utilization of radio channel and spectrum, and opens the door for a whole new perspective on how interference should be managed in a wireless network. This article offers a timely overview of recent advances in this exciting area, with a focus on its application in wireless LAN. We envision that the deployment of these new techniques will lead to dramatic change in the wireless networking paradigm, with profound impact on the future research direction for the wireless networking community.
Geometric Compensation of Dynamic Video Projections

Projector-camera systems, used in Spatial Augmented Reality, automatically adapt the video projections to the scene objects according to the visualization conditions. This paper introduces a novel non-invasive (without Structured Light) method based on a combination of traditional Feature Matching (FM) and more computationally effective Optical Flow (OF). It requires only one projected and one acquired image at a time in the most difficult case when both projected content and geometric transformations change every frame. It detects scene changes when OF fails and thus should be replaced by FM. In the experiments, we show that the method yields a more precise and less shaky compensation for different types of projected videos, and is up to 2.8 times faster than previous FM-based works.
The effect of specific nucleation on molecular and supermolecular orientation in isotactic polypropylene

The molecular and supermolecular orientation, morphology and structural changes observed during cold drawing of injection moulded isotactic polypropylene modified by specific a, and β nucleating agents were studied by polarised photoacoustic FTIR spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Significantly lower molecular orientation was found in the core of the β-nucleated injection moulded specimens as compared to unmodified and α-nucleated materials. This has been ascribed to the fast growth of the β-crystallites which inevitably dislocates the flow-induced orientation within the crystalline regions and in their vicinity. Moreover, it was found that the presence of the developed (3-crystallites distinctly diminishes the efficiency of the orientational solid-state drawing assessed on both levels of the hierarchical structure (molecular and crystalline). This structural observation is directly connected with macroscopic softening effect of the β-phase: lowering the yield stress and flattening the neck shoulder. Thus, the interrelation between the microstructural and macroscopic effects of the β-phase could be described as a feedback process.
Allergen Challenge Induces Ifng Dependent GTPases in the Lungs as Part of a Th1 Transcriptome Response in a Murine Model of Allergic Asthma

According to the current paradigm, allergic airway inflammation is mediated by Th2 cytokines and pro-inflammatory chemokines. Since allergic inflammation is self-limited, we hypothesized that allergen challenge simultaneously induces anti-inflammatory genes to counter-balance the effects of Th2 cytokines and chemokines. To identify these putative anti-inflammatory genes, we compared the gene expression profile in the lungs of ragweed-sensitized mice four hours after challenge with either PBS or ragweed extract (RWE) using a micro-array platform. Consistent with our hypothesis, RWE challenge concurrently upregulated Th1-associated early target genes of the Il12/Stat4 pathway, such as p47 and p65 GTPases (Iigp, Tgtp and Gbp1), Socs1, Cxcl9, Cxcl10 and Gadd45g with the Th2 genes Il4, Il5, Ccl2 and Ccl7. These Th1-associated genes remain upregulated longer than the Th2 genes. Augmentation of the local Th1 milieu by administration of Il12 or CpG prior to RWE challenge further upregulated these Th1 genes. Abolition of the Th1 response by disrupting the Ifng gene increased allergic airway inflammation and abrogated RWE challenge-induced upregulation of GTPases, Cxcl9, Cxcl10 and Socs1, but not Gadd45g. Our data demonstrate that allergen challenge induces two sets of Th1-associated genes in the lungs: 1) Ifng-dependent genes such as p47 and p65 GTPases, Socs1, Cxcl9 and Cxcl10 and 2) Ifng-independent Th1-inducing genes like Gadd45g. We propose that allergen-induced airway inflammation is regulated by simultaneous upregulation of Th1 and Th2 genes, and that persistent unopposed upregulation of Th1 genes resolves allergic inflammation.
Pivotal response treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of research quality

Abstract Objective: Research has indicated support for pivotal response treatment (PRT) as an effective, efficacious and naturalistic intervention for communication and social functioning of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previously not undertaken, this article describes a systematic evaluation of the adherence of PRT research studies to standards of ASD research quality. Method: A systematic search was conducted on two databases. Seventeen PRT studies were evaluated on their use of seven specified research standards. Results: Strong adherence to research quality standards was demonstrated in the use of standardized protocols, systematic application of intervention procedures, inter-rater reliability and objective evaluators. Variation was found in adherence to treatment fidelity standards and in the use of longitudinal designs. Only two studies implemented comparison designs. Conclusion: It is recommended that researchers compare interventions, use longitudinal designs, better describe their methodology and implement greater adherence to treatment fidelity to enhance research quality and strengthen conclusions.
LIM Kinase 1 Coordinates Microtubule Stability and Actin Polymerization in Human Endothelial Cells*

Microtubule (MT) destabilization promotes the formation of actin stress fibers and enhances the contractility of cells; however, the mechanism involved in the coordinated regulation of MTs and the actin cytoskeleton is poorly understood. LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) regulates actin polymerization by phosphorylating the actin depolymerization factor, cofilin. Here we report that LIMK1 is also involved in the MT destabilization. In endothelial cells endogenous LIMK1 co-localizes with MTs and forms a complex with tubulin via the PDZ domain. MT destabilization induced by thrombin or nocodazole resulted in a decrease of LIMK1 colocalization with MTs. Overexpression of wild type LIMK1 resulted in MT destabilization, whereas the kinase-dead mutant of LIMK1 (KD) did not affect MT stability. Importantly, down-regulation of endogenous LIMK1 by small interference RNA resulted in abrogation of the thrombin-induced MTs destabilization and the inhibition of thrombin-induced actin polymerization. Expression of Rho kinase 2, which phosphorylates and activates LIMK1, dramatically decreases the interaction of LIMK1 with tubulin but increases its interaction with actin. Interestingly, expression of KD-LIMK1 or small interference RNA-LIMK1 prevents thrombin-induced microtubule destabilization and F-actin formation, suggesting that LIMK1 activity is required for thrombin-induced modulation of microtubule destabilization and actin polymerization. Our findings indicate that LIMK1 may coordinate microtubules and actin cytoskeleton.
Design Concepts in Programming Languages

Hundreds of programming languages are in use todayscripting languages for Internet commerce, user interface programming tools, spreadsheet macros, page format specification languages, and many others. Designing a programming language is a metaprogramming activity that bears certain similarities to programming in a regular language, with clarity and simplicity even more important than in ordinary programming. This comprehensive text uses a simple and concise framework to teach key ideas in programming language design and implementation. The book's unique approach is based on a family of syntactically simple pedagogical languages that allow students to explore programming language concepts systematically. It takes as its premise and starting point the idea that when language behaviors become incredibly complex, the description of the behaviors must be incredibly simple. The book presents a set of tools (a mathematical metalanguage, abstract syntax, operational and denotational semantics) and uses it to explore a comprehensive set of programming language design dimensions, including dynamic semantics (naming, state, control, data), static semantics (types, type reconstruction, polymporphism, effects), and pragmatics (compilation, garbage collection). The many examples and exercises offer students opportunities to apply the foundational ideas explained in the text. Specialized topics and code that implements many of the algorithms and compilation methods in the book can be found on the book's Web site, along with such additional material as a section on concurrency and proofs of the theorems in the text. The book is suitable as a text for an introductory graduate or advanced undergraduate programming languages course; it can also serve as a reference for researchers and practitioners.
Spontaneous Motor Rhythms of the Back and Legs in a Patient With a Complete Spinal Cord Transection

Background. Spontaneous activity originating from the spinal cord has been sporadically reported in humans. Objectives. Investigation of such rhythmic activity of the trunk and legs in a 49-year-old male patient who had a complete severance of the spinal cord at the fifth thoracic vertebra. Methods. A multichannel electromyography (EMG) study was performed together with kinematics measurements obtained from an Optotrak system.Results. Episodes of rhythmic trunk and lower limb movements started 6 to 7 years after the spinal lesion, recurred at 2 to 3 month intervals, and continued uninterrupted for 2 to 3 days despite continuous delivery of intrathecal baclofen. Several muscles discharged more or less synchronously on both sides but others clearly alternated, for instance, between hip flexors and knee or ankle extensors. Sensory stimuli (hip repositioning or skin pinch) altered significantly the baseline rhythm of about 1 Hz. The patient had both hips injected with corticosteroids and was free of these episodic rhythmic crises for more than 6 months. Conclusion. The rhythmic activity observed in the patient appeared related to the activation of a spinal pattern generator akin to what has been described in most animal species after complete spinal lesions.
Cross-product functional coverage measurement with temporal properties-based assertions [logic verification]

Temporal specification languages provide an efficient way to express events comprised of complex temporal scenarios. Assertions based on these languages are used to detect violations of the specification and monitor coverage events. In this paper, we propose to extend temporal specification languages, and assertions based on these languages with auxiliary variables. We attach these variables to sub-expressions and assign them values when the sub-expressions are evaluated. The use of auxiliary variables enables the implementation of large cross-product coverage models, using a small number of assertions. This simplifies the definition and implementation of coverage models and helps reduce the simulation overhead caused by assertions, thus increasing the efficiency of simulation resources.
Fabrication of humidity sensors by multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Humidity sensors have multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as the sensing material is demonstrated. The sensor was fabricated on a silicon dioxide coated silicon wafer with metal electrodes. MWNTs were deposited and interlinked with the electrodes by means of the dielectrophoresis technique. The sensing device has the function of a hygrometer when measuring resistance variations to the local relative humidity percentage (RH%) through MWNTs. By measuring the MWNT resistances, we find that higher RH% results in a decrease of conductivity. The results indicate that electron transports in MWNTs are affected by water molecules adsorption on the outermost nanotube surface. A miniature thermocouple sensor was also fabricated and integrated with the humidity sensor. This allowed us to simultaneously sense environmental humidity and temperature. Hence, accurate humidity measurements were achieved with this prototype by calibrating the electrical resistance and temperature levels to carry out the tests with the humidity percentages.