Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RPE, pain, and physiological adjustment to concentric and eccentric contractions.

PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to compare perceptual (RPE and pain), cardiac (heart rate), lactate, and endocrine (cortisol) responses with concentric (CON) and eccentric (ECC) resistance exercise protocols using the same absolute workload. METHODS Eight healthy men with resistance-training experience participated in the study. Subjects completed two experimental trials consisting of either CON contractions or ECC contractions at the same absolute workload for each of four exercises: bench press, leg extension, military press, and leg curl. Subjects performed four sets of 12 repetitions at 80% of 10-RM with 90-s rest periods. Blood samples were taken before, immediately after, and 15-min postexercise. RESULTS There was a significant trial effect for RPE, with CON exercise eliciting a higher RPE than ECC exercise (6.71 +/- 0.51 and 4.10 +/- 0.27, respectively). A significant trial effect was also demonstrated for pain, with CON exercise producing a higher pain rating than ECC exercise (5.59 +/- 0.41 and 3.23 +/- 0.27, respectively). Significantly higher heart rates and lactates were also demonstrated during the CON trial. For cortisol, a significant interaction was revealed between the pre- and immediate posttrial measures but not an overall trial effect. Correlational analyses revealed a significant relationship between RPE and pain for both trials. CONCLUSIONS CON exercise elicits greater perceptual (higher RPE and pain rating), cardiac, lactate and cortisol response than ECC exercise at the same absolute workload. Data demonstrate that relative to absolute load, RPE and pain respond to resistance exercise in a similar fashion. Additionally, physiological cues are consistent with these perceptual data.
The Development of Children's Responses to Questions—a Comparison of English and French

At a very early age, children recognize the need to respond to questions posed directly to them; the acquisition of appropriate response forms, however, is a more gradual process. This process of acquisition was studied in two children: one native English speaker and one native French speaker, both of whom were in their early twos at the onset of the study. By calculating the frequency of different types of responses in each child’s speech, their abilities to form more complicated and correct responses were seen to progress in stages. Over the course of approximately 1.2 years, the recorded responses evolved from non-informational repetition to original, appropriate, and grammatically correct responses. Comparison of the responses in both languages indicate that the stages of response development are not language-specific.
Accuracy of Prediction Formulae for the Assessment of Resting Energy Expenditure in Hospitalized Children

Background and Aim: The resting energy expenditure (REE) of ill children is commonly estimated from prediction formulae developed in healthy children. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of commonly employed REE prediction formulae versus indirect calorimetry in hospitalized children. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 236 infants, children, and adolescents consecutively admitted to the Intermediate Care, Nephrology, Intensive Care, Emergency, and Cystic Fibrosis Units of the De Marchi Pediatric Hospital (Milan, Italy) between September 2013 and March 2015. REE was measured by indirect calorimetry and estimated using the World Health Organization (WHO), Harris-Benedict, Schofield, and Oxford formulae. Results: The mean (standard deviation) difference between the estimated and measured REE was: −1 (234) kcal/day for the WHO formula; 82 (286) kcal/day for the Harris-Benedict formula; 2 (215) kcal/day for the Schofield-weight formula; −2 (214) kcal/day for the Schofield-weight and height formula; and −5 (221) kcal/day for the Oxford formula. Even though the WHO, Schofield, and Oxford formulae gave accurate estimates of REE at the population level (small mean bias), all the formulae were not accurate enough to be employed at the individual level (large SD of bias). Conclusions: The WHO, Harris-Benedict, Schofield, and Oxford formulae should not be used to estimate REE in hospitalized children.
Molecular beacon-based temperature control and automated analyses for improved resolution of melting temperature analysis using SYBR I green chemistry.

BACKGROUND Melting temperature analysis of products amplified with SYBR I Green chemistry is a cheap and effective method for identification of sequence differences. When used in conventional quantitative real-time PCR instruments (qPCR), this method is limited by temperature variations over the heating block and low numbers of fluorescence measurements during the dissociation step, which hamper the ability of most instruments to report accurate and precise melting temperatures. METHODS We designed a molecular beacon-based temperature indicator probe (Tm-probe) to control for variations in temperatures over the heating block of the instrument. In addition, we wrote an automated curve-fit analysis algorithm of dissociation data to use multiple data points with a gaussian curve fit to extrapolate precise melting temperatures. RESULTS Use of the Tm-probe in conjunction with the analysis algorithm and multiple dissociations improved SDs of melting temperatures over a 96-well plate from 0.19 to 0.06 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS Melting temperature analyses with SYBR I Green chemistry on conventional qPCR instruments can be improved by the use of a Tm-probe in conjunction with curve-fit analysis of data. Resolution improvement up to 3-fold is possible and allows additional melting temperatures to be identified.
The research on DMSP nighttime cloud image segmentation

In this paper we employ the Integrated Active Contour (IAC) model of vector-value image segmentation and C-V model based on PDE in the segmentation of two channels DMSP nighttime satellite cloud images. The results of segmentation show that the IAC model can integrate the information of each channel throughout the segmentation and can be employed in the image with uneven background and output a uniform segmentation result. The IAC model is fitted for multi-spectral satellite image segmentation without much prior information.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics in pain management in dogs and cats.

oncern for pain control has been with us for a long . /time! Unfortunately, it is not always applied in patient management by doctors of medicine or veterinary medicine, researchers using live animals in experimentation, or educators in teaching laboratories. However, during the past decade, the importance of pain management is being realized and various therapeutic agents and methods have been researched and reported. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics (NSAIAs) have been used for centuries, but only recently with the advent of potent injectable drugs has their potential for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain been realized. Historically, NSAIAs were only recommended for mild, chronic pain, and their inadequacy for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain, together with their association with severe gastrointestinal (GI) and renal problems, was heavily stressed. However, "not all NSAIAs are created equal" in this regard. The more recently developed injectable NSAIAs compare favorably (and sometimes are superior) to opioids in both humans and animals. This has contributed significantly to pain management in the research and teaching environment, where the control of narcotics is a major issue. Cats and dogs are more susceptible to the adverse effects of NSAIAs; therefore, the reported safety of
Smoke Simulation Based on Particle System in Virtual Environments

The realistic rendering of smoke scene is one of the most challenging tasks in computer graphics. Smoke simulation based on particle system is studied in this paper. In the real-time animation simulation of smoke model, we consider the impact of the wind on smoke particles. Different dense smokes are simulated by controlling the amounts of smoke particle. The realistic rendering of smoke scene is implemented by combining with texture mapping technology. Related methods about smoke simulation are designed. Experiment results show that proposed method is feasible and effective. The model is simple and can meet real-time requirements. It can be easily integrated into virtual scene.
ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES AS A SOURCE OF HIGH PREVALENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN THE RIVER GANGA.

The presence, distribution and antibiotic profile of staphylococci was determined in River Ganga in Uttarakhand region (India). A total of 128 staphylococcal strains were obtained from 32 sites which corresponded to three species namely S. aureus, S. hominis and S. aegilis. S. aureus dominated the staphylococcal population comprising of 68.75% of the total staphylococci. The sensitivity of staphylococcal isolates against twelve antibiotics was determined. Majority of the isolates were resistant for erythromycin, while 17.6 % of S. aureus were resistant to methicillin. Interestingly, 93% of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was observed to be in the lower regions of river Ganga of Uttarakhand, facing severe anthropological activities. Water of the River Ganga is extensively used for drinking, religious bathing and cleaning purposes. However, the presence of pathogenic multiple drug resistant staphylococci indicate that direct consumption of untreated Ganga water and bathing in this stretch poses a great health risk.
Amplitude and Phase Controlled Reflectarray Element Based on an Impedance Transformation Unit

An architecture to simultaneously affect both amplitude and phase control from a reflectarray element using an impedance transformation unit is demonstrated. It is shown that a wide range of control is possible from a single element, removing the conventional necessity for variable sized elements across an array in order to form a desired reflectarray far-field pattern. Parallel plate waveguide measurements for a 2.2 GHz prototype element validate the phase and amplitude variation available from the element. It is demonstrated that there is sufficient control of the element's reflection response to allow Dolph-Tschebyscheff weighting coefficients for major-lobe to side-lobe ratios of up to 36 dB to be implemented.
Blood lactate as a prognostic marker in acetaminophen‐induced acute liver failure

Background: Although the King's College Hospital (KCH) selection criteria for emergency liver transplantation in paracetamol‐induced acute liver failure are widely used, strategies to improve sensitivity and facilitate earlier transplantation are required. We investigated the use of arterial blood lactate measurement for the identification of transplantation candidates. Methods: In a single‐centre study, we measured arterial blood lactate early (median 4 h) and after fluid resuscitation (median 12 h) in patients admitted to a tertiary‐referral intensive‐care unit. Threshold values that best identified individuals likely to die without liver transplantation were derived in a retrospective initial sample of 103 patients with paracetamol‐induced acute liver failure and applied to a prospective validation sample of 107 patients. Predictive value and speed of identification were compared to those of the KCH criteria. Findings: In the initial sample, median lactate was significantly higher in non‐surviving patients than in survivors both in the early samples (8.5 [range 1.7‐21.0] vs. 1.4 [0.53‐7.9] mmol/L, p<0.0001) and after fluid resuscitation (5.5 [1.3‐18.6] vs. 1.3 [0.26‐3.2], p<0.0001). Applied to the validation sample, a threshold value of 3.5 mmol/L early after admission had sensitivity 67%, specificity 95%, positive likelihood ratio 13, and negative likelihood ratio 0.35; the corresponding values for a threshold of 3.0 mmol/L after fluid resuscitation were 76%, 97%, 30, and 0.24. Combined early and postresuscitation lactate concentrations had similar predictive ability to KCH criteria but identified non‐surviving patients earlier (4 [3‐13] vs 10 [3.5‐19.5] h, p=0.01). Addition of postresuscitation lactate concentration to KCH criteria increased sensitivity from 76% to 91% and lowered negative likelihood ratio from 0.25 to 0.10. Interpretation: Arterial blood lactate measurement rapidly and accurately identifies patients who will die from paracetamol‐induced acute liver failure. Its use could improve the speed and accuracy of selection of appropriate candidates for transplantation.
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) E6* Proteins from High-Risk, Mucosal HPVs Can Direct Degradation of Cellular Proteins in the Absence of Full-Length E6 Protein

ABSTRACT The E6 oncoproteins from high-risk mucosotrophic human papillomaviruses (HPVs) target a range of cellular proteins for proteasome-mediated degradation. Apart from the tumor suppressor p53 and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bak, many targets contain class 1 PDZ domains and are involved in cell junction stability and signaling. The targeting mechanism is considered to function by the E6 protein acting as an adaptor molecule linking a cellular ubiquitin ligase to the target protein. In each case, whether the target is the p53 tumor suppressor or a member of the group of PDZ domain-containing targets, this mechanism relies on a direct interaction between E6 and its cellular target. This study focuses on the impact of the HPV type 18 (HPV-18) E6*I protein on the stability of Akt, Dlg, MAGI-1, MAGI-2, and Scribble. We show that HPV-18 E6* expression can downregulate the expression levels of Akt, Dlg, and Scribble in the absence of full-length HPV-18 E6 protein. The reduction in Dlg levels by E6* is independent of transcription and does not require a direct interaction between the two proteins although the proteasome pathway is involved. Further, we provide evidence that activation of certain signal transduction pathways has a profound effect on the targeting of Dlg by E6* and suggest that high-risk HPV E6 oncoproteins can target certain substrates both directly and indirectly through the E6* proteins and may cooperate in their degradation.
Characterization of Tor Traffic using Time based Features

: Trafﬁc classiﬁcation has been the topic of many research efforts, but the quick evolution of Internet services and the pervasive use of encryption makes it an open challenge. Encryption is essential in protecting the privacy of Internet users, a key technology used in the different privacy enhancing tools that have appeared in the recent years. Tor is one of the most popular of them, it decouples the sender from the receiver by encrypting the trafﬁc between them, and routing it through a distributed network of servers. In this paper, we present a time analysis on Tor trafﬁc ﬂows, captured between the client and the entry node. We deﬁne two scenarios, one to detect Tor trafﬁc ﬂows and the other to detect the application type: Browsing, Chat, Streaming, Mail, Voip, P2P or File Transfer. In addition, with this paper we publish the Tor labelled dataset we generated and used to test our classiﬁers.
Cross-language patent matching via an international patent classification-based concept bridge

Patent documents with sophisticated technical information are valuable for developing new technologies and products. They can be written in almost any language, leading to language barrier problems during retrieval. Traditionally, cross-language information retrieval and cross-language document matching have used text-translation-based or index-set-mapping methods. There are several challenges to the traditional methods, however, such as difficulties with natural language translation, complications owing to bilingual or multi-lingual translations (translating between two or more than two languages), and the unavailability of a parallel dual-language document set. This study offers a new and robust solution to cross-language patent document matching: the International Patent Classification (IPC) based concept bridge approach. The proposed method applies Latent Semantic Indexing to extract concepts from each set of patent documents and utilizes the IPC codes to construct a cross-language mediator that expresses patent documents in different languages. Experiments were carried out to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. There were 3000 English patents and 3000 Chinese patents gathered as training documents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office, respectively. Another 30 English patents and another 30 Chinese patents were collected to be query patents. Finally, evaluations using an objective measure and subjective judgement were conducted to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of our method. The results show that our method out-performs the traditional text-translation methods.
Optimal Liquidation By a Large Investor

We develop a partial equilibrium model to investigate the problem of optimal liquidation over a finite or infinite time horizon for an investor with large holdings in a risky asset. The imperfect liquidity in the market for the asset leads to a nonlinear path dependent feedback on the underlying asset price process due to the large investor's trades and his holdings in the asset. We use probabilistic techniques to prove verification and existence results for optimal liquidation policies for the utility-maximizing investor under broad assumptions. In particular, our results imply the existence of optimal policies if the investor has power utility functions. We provide analytical expressions for the optimal policy when the large investor has logarithmic preferences. We use these results to characterize the "liquidity discount"; a measure of the liquidity risk of the large investor's position in the risky asset.
THE ROLE OF SCLERAL BUCKLE IN EXPERIMENTAL POSTERIOR PENETRATING EYE INJURY

Purpose Although episcleral buckles are frequently placed as an additional procedure to vitreoretinal surgery, little is known about their independent effect after ocular trauma. The authors created a posterior penetrating ocular injury model to evaluate the isolated role of primary episcleral buckle placement. Methods Twenty eyes underwent surgery. The penetrating injury consisted of two 5-mm circumferential incisions placed five clock hours apart and 8 mm behind the limbus. A segmental episcleral buckle was placed over a randomly chosen injury site after wound closure. The degrees of fibrous proliferation, traction, and the presence of retinal detachment were evaluated on follow-up examinations. After enucleation and initial fixation, tissue sectioning was performed, and the greatest dimension of the fibrous proliferation at both wound sites was measured with a caliper. Results Two eyes were excluded from the study. Three eyes developed a retinal detachment; the remaining 15 eyes showed varying degrees of proliferation and traction on the retina. The greatest dimension of the fibrous proliferation at the buckle site (1.22 ± 1 mm) was significantly different from that at the nonbuckle site (2 ± 1.45 mm, P = 0.01). Conclusions Primary episcleral buckle placement at the time of surgical repair reduces vitreous traction from the buckle site and decreases the degree of fibrovascular proliferation.
Effect of strenuous live-fire drills on cardiovascular and psychological responses of recruit firefighters

The study examined the effects of repeated strenuous live-fire drills on cardiovascular and psychological responses of male recruit firefighters (n = 7). Participants performed three trials of a standardized set of tasks while inside a training structure containing several live fires. Measurements of heart rate, aortic blood flow, perceived exertion, respiratory and thermal distress, reaction time, and error rate were obtained before testing, after each trial and during recovery. Heart rate increased significantly during each of the trials, reaching age-predicted maximal values. Stroke volume was significantly lower after trial 3 versus trial 1 and prevalues. Perceived exertion, respiratory distress, and thermal distress all increased, indicating greater stress following firefighting activities. Reaction time and error rate did not change significantly, but there was a tendency for more errors following trials 2 and 3 versus trial 1. The training drills resulted in considerable physiological and psychological strain, which has the potential to impair cognitive function. Firefighters are encouraged to take all possible steps to mitigate the extent of the cardiovascular strain.
Autoantibodies directed against phospholipids or human β2‐glycoprotein 1 in HIV‐seropositive patients: relationship with endothelial activation and antimalonic dialdehyde antibodies

We investigated the possible role of antiphospholipid (APA) and anti‐human β2‐glycoprotein I (β2‐GPI) antibodies (Ab) in thrombosis and atherosclerosis in human immunodeficiency (HIV)‐positive patients, in whom they seem to be more frequent.
Characterization of the Escherichia coli O157:H7 Sakai GadE Regulon

ABSTRACT Integrating laterally acquired virulence genes into the backbone regulatory network is important for the pathogenesis of Escherichia coli O157:H7, which has captured many virulence genes through horizontal transfer during evolution. GadE is an essential transcriptional activator of the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) system, the most efficient acid resistance (AR) mechanism in E. coli. The full contribution of GadE to the AR and virulence of E. coli O157:H7 remains largely unknown. We inactivated gadE in E. coli O157:H7 Sakai and compared global transcription profiles of the mutant with that of the wild type in the exponential and stationary phases of growth. Inactivation of gadE significantly altered the expression of 60 genes independently of the growth phase and of 122 genes in a growth phase-dependent manner. Inactivation of gadE markedly downregulated the expression of gadA, gadB, and gadC and of many acid fitness island genes. Nineteen genes encoded on the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), including ler, showed a significant increase in expression upon gadE inactivation. Inactivation of ler in the ΔgadE strain reversed the effect of gadE deletion on LEE expression, indicating that Ler is necessary for LEE repression by GadE. GadE is also involved in downregulation of LEE expression under conditions of moderately acidic pH. Characterization of AR of the ΔgadE strain revealed that GadE is indispensable for a functional GAD system and for survival of E. coli O157:H7 in a simulated gastric environment. Altogether, these data indicate that GadE is critical for the AR of E. coli O157:H7 and that it plays an important role in virulence by downregulating expression of LEE.
Work in progress - Open Education Metric (OEM) developing metric to measure open education service quality

Development of information technology had significant contribution to the improvement in education field that is the emergence of e-Learning. As e-Learning implementation become a common practice and the imminent needs for open access toward high quality education become a vivid realization, thus arise a concept of Open Education. Open Education basically is an e-Learning, with core philosophy of learning anywhere, anytime, and for anyone. One of the main issues in the development of Open Education service is the existence of quality assurance. Accordingly, this research aim to propose a metric to measure the quality of Open Education service implemented, which also can served as guideline for developing the service. Based on literature study regarding indicator of high quality learning and e-Learning, along with observation of existing Open Education service, an Open Education Metric can be formulated. Please note that this publication contains only the preliminary idea and effort of our current work for developing such metric.