Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Hidden Markov Models for accelerometer-based biometric gait recognition

Biometric gait recognition based on accelerometer data is still a new field of research. It has the merit of offering an unobtrusive and hence user-friendly method for authentication on mobile phones. Most publications in this area are based on extracting cycles (two steps) from the gait data which are later used as features in the authentication process. In this paper the application of Hidden Markov Models is proposed instead. These have already been successfully implemented in speaker recognition systems. The advantage is that no error-prone cycle extraction has to be performed, but the accelerometer data can be directly used to construct the model and thus form the basis for successful recognition. Testing this method with accelerometer data of 48 subjects recorded using a commercial of the shelve mobile phone a false non match rate (FNMR) of 10.42% at a false match rate (FMR) of 10.29% was obtained. This is half of the error rate obtained when applying an advanced cycle extraction method to the same data set in previous work.
Resource-oriented scheduling in the distributed production

Scheduling in distributed production is a challenging task and the design of a scheduling system is often a key issue for the efficiency of a plant automation system. This paper proposes a scheduling strategy for distributed production based on the MetaMorph clustering and cloning concept and applied to the PABADIS'PROMISE production control architecture.
Pathogenicity of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri in calves previously infected with Trypanosoma congolense

Pathogenicity of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri (Mmc) for calves with and without Trypanosoma congolense (Tc) infection was undertaken. Four calves were inoculated with Tc and two of them were challenged with Mmc, while one calf was inoculated with Mmc only; another calf was inoculated with sterile broth as control. No overt disease was found in the Mmc-infected calf. The two calves with dual Tc/Mmc infections died 53.0 ± 1.4 days post-inoculation, showing marbling and consolidation of the lungs. Histopathologically there was widening of interstitial spaces by fibrin and inflammatory cells. The spleen and lymph nodes showed lymphoid depletion, haemosiderosis and erythrophagocytosis. However, the two Tc-infected calves recovered following trypanocidal treatment. The mean PCV value (mPCV), of each of the four Tc-infected calves (22.5 ± 2.9%, 23.0 ± 2.6%, 25.0 ± 2.1%, 25.4 ± 2.5%, respectively) was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of the control (30.1 ± 1.0%) and Mmc-infected calf (30.2 ± 1.0%), respectively. Similarly, the mean rectal temperature (mRT) of each of the two calves (41.6 ± 0.8 °C, 40.5 ± 0.8 °C) with dual Tc/Mmc infections was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of Tc-infected calves (38.1 ± 0.5 °C and 38.0 ± 0.3oC), control calf (37.8 ± 0.3 °C) and Mmc-infected calf (37.7 ± 0.3 °C), respectively. These findings confirm the pervasiveness of Mycoplasma mycoides cluster It is suggested that calves in trypanosome endemic areas should be given regular prophylactic trypanocides treatment to rid them of trypanosomes which can cause immunosuppression, thereby predisposing calves to caprine strains of Mycoplasma.
Association between Body Mass Index, Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Norwegian Patients with Suspected Stable Angina Pectoris

Background Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and mortality through inhibition of nitrogen oxide (NO) synthesis. As positive correlations between serum concentrations of NO and body mass index (BMI) have been observed, we aimed to explore whether the potential associations between plasma ADMA levels and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and mortality were modified by BMI. Methods Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) for AMI, cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality according to baseline plasma ADMA levels in 4122 patients with suspected stable angina pectoris. Analyses were subsequently repeated in patients with BMI below (low BMI) or above (high BMI) median. Results A total of 2982 patients (72%) were men. Median (range) age, plasma ADMA level and BMI were 62 (21–88) years, 0.54 (0.10–1.25) μmol/L and 26.3 (18.5–54.3) kg/m2, respectively. During a mean (standard deviation) follow-up time of 4.7 (1.4) years, 337 (8%) patients suffered from an AMI, 300 (7%) died, whereof 165 (55%) due to cardiovascular disease. Each 0.1 μmol/L increment in plasma ADMA level was associated with an increased risk of AMI (HR (95% CI) 1.21 (1.08, 1.35) and cardiovascular death 1.30 (1.13, 1.49) in participants with low BMI only. Interactions were significant for AMI (p = 0.04) and CV death (p = 0.03). BMI did not modify the association between plasma ADMA levels and all-cause mortality. Conclusion Plasma ADMA levels were associated with risk of AMI and cardiovascular death among patients with low BMI only.
No junk, no peeking, serious offers only: P2P file exchange in wireless ad-hoc networks

We consider the problem of anonymous file exchange in wireless ad-hoc networks. We propose a new protocol, dubbed RASH (roam and share), to address the problem. RASH is a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol which fulfills three objectives: (a) protection of user privacy (understood as the confidentiality of their interests), (b) support for a high degree of file authentication and integrity (to reduce or eliminate false downloads and spoofs), and (c) enforcement of reciprocity (to remove freeloaders from the system). The environment of our scheme is purely ad-hoc, in that it does not assume pre-established trust, fixed-infrastructure, or the existence of specialized nodes
Assistive technology can play an instrumental role in improving employment outcomes of people with cognitive disabilities, but the support strategies and solutions that have the potential to promote success in work place remain unexplored

Sauer, A. L. , Parks, A. , & Heyn, P. C. (2010). Assistive technology effects on the employment outcomes for people with cognitive disabilities: A systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 5, 377–391. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Education grant H325040122–05. The original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.
Stability and delay analysis of delay tolerant networks with random message arrivals

We study stability and average delay in single-source single-destination delay tolerant networks with random message arrivals. In particular, we analyze source spray-and-wait routing protocol without feedback. We obtain conditions on arrival rate under which the source queue is stable. We show that the maximum supported arrival rate is linearly proportional to the number of relays and inversely proportional to the spray-and-wait parameter. Further, we obtain an approximate expression for the average queueing delay. We show that it increases with the spray-and-wait parameter. Through simulations, we show that the average delivery delay and average end-to-end delay first decreases and then increases with the spray-and-wait parameter. We also validate our analytical findings through simulations.
On the boundary behavior of the holomorphic sectional curvature of the Bergman metric

We obtain a conceptually new differential geometric proof of P. F. Klembeck’s result (cf. [9]) that the holomorphic sectional curvature k g (z ) of the Bergman metric of a strictly pseudoconvex domain Ω ⊂ ℂ n approaches −4/(n + 1) (the constant sectional curvature of the Bergman metric of the unit ball) as z → ∂ Ω .
Conducting a rigorous quasi‐experimental evaluation using a school district’s existing student database

Often, when an evaluation is needed, there is always a tendency to jump into data collection without first considering what might be already available. This paper demonstrates how an existing student database from a large school district could be used to provide some rigorous evidence regarding the impact of a supplementary teacher professional development programme on student achievement. Randomization was not possible in this study but to ensure rigour, matching of the treatment and the comparison groups was done on variables that were considered highly predictive of future achievement. The two groups were matched at the class level on course type, grade level and prior achievement. Next, hierarchical linear modelling was used to further control for selection bias between the two groups. According to the statistical theory on selection bias, this two‐part process of matching and modelling removes all the observed bias. This illustration shows that performing a rigorous quasi‐experimental study is possible in education even when there are limiting circumstances to conducting a randomized experiment.
Disrupted Brain Functional Network Architecture in Chronic Tinnitus Patients

Purpose: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have demonstrated the disruptions of multiple brain networks in tinnitus patients. Nonetheless, several studies found no differences in network processing between tinnitus patients and healthy controls (HCs). Its neural bases are poorly understood. To identify aberrant brain network architecture involved in chronic tinnitus, we compared the resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) patterns of tinnitus patients and HCs. Materials and Methods: Chronic tinnitus patients (n = 24) with normal hearing thresholds and age-, sex-, education- and hearing threshold-matched HCs (n = 22) participated in the current study and underwent the rs-fMRI scanning. We used degree centrality (DC) to investigate functional connectivity (FC) strength of the whole-brain network and Granger causality to analyze effective connectivity in order to explore directional aspects involved in tinnitus. Results: Compared to HCs, we found significantly increased network centrality in bilateral superior frontal gyrus (SFG). Unidirectionally, the left SFG revealed increased effective connectivity to the left middle orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), left posterior lobe of cerebellum (PLC), left postcentral gyrus, and right middle occipital gyrus (MOG) while the right SFG exhibited enhanced effective connectivity to the right supplementary motor area (SMA). In addition, the effective connectivity from the bilateral SFG to the OFC and SMA showed positive correlations with tinnitus distress. Conclusions: Rs-fMRI provides a new and novel method for identifying aberrant brain network architecture. Chronic tinnitus patients have disrupted FC strength and causal connectivity mostly in non-auditory regions, especially the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The current findings will provide a new perspective for understanding the neuropathophysiological mechanisms in chronic tinnitus.
Cooperative Learning Revisited: A Way to Address the Standards

tion.2 Music educators want students to learn musical skills and concepts, but they also should consider the importance of helping students acquire positive attitudes and skills needed for collaboration, leadership, acceptance of peers, reduction of prejudices, and promotion of the personal value of each student. These extramusical social goals can be achieved while increasing students' musical learning, improving classroom management, and promoting individual accountability by structuring classes in cooperative-learning groups. Cooperative
Contribuição para o estudo da versão portuguesa da Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS): II – Estudo Psicométrico

Estudo da adaptacao da Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988) para a populacao portuguesa. A metodologia do estudo procurou replicar o estudo de desenvolvimento da escala original. Tal como o estudo original, pediu-se a 348 estudantes universitarios que respondessem em que medida experienciaram as 60 emocoes (traduzidas para Portugues) propostas por Zevon e Tellegen (1982) “durante os ultimos dias” e “durante as ultimas semanas”, numa escala de 5 pontos. A versao portuguesa da PANAS consiste em 20 emocoes com duas sub-escalas, o afecto positivo e o afecto negativo. A analise dos dados resultou numa versao portuguesa muito semelhante a original americana, em que 13 itens sao iguais e em que todas as categorias originais estao representadas. Os resultados indicam uma consistencia interna adequada de α= 0,86 para a escala de afecto positivo e de α= 0,89 para a escala de afecto negativo. Tal como era esperado, em semelhanca a escala original, a correlacao entre a escala de afecto positivo e de afecto negativo situou-se perto do zero ( r =-0,10), determinando a ortogonalidade entre as sub-escalas de afecto positivo e negativo.
Transfer of Allograft Specific Tolerance Requires CD4+CD25+T Cells but Not Interleukin-4 or Transforming Growth Factor–&bgr; and Cannot Induce Tolerance to Linked Antigens

Background. The mechanisms by which CD4+T cells, especially CD4+CD25+T cells, transfer allograft specific tolerance are poorly defined. The role of cytokines and the effect on antigen-presenting cells is not resolved. Methods. Anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy induced tolerance to PVG heterotopic cardiac transplantation in DA rats. Peripheral CD4+T cells or CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD25−T cell subsets were adoptively transferred to irradiated DA hosts grafted with PVG heart grafts. For specificity studies, tolerant CD4+T cells were transferred to hosts with Lewis or (PVG×Lewis)F1 heart grafts. Cytokine mRNA induction and the requirement for interleukin (IL)-4 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-&bgr; in the transfer of tolerance was assessed. Results. CD4+T cells transferred specific tolerance and suppressed naïve CD4+T cells capacity to effect rejection of PVG but not Lewis grafts. (PVG×Lewis)F1 grafts had a major rejection episode but recovered. Later these hosts accepted PVG but not Lewis skin grafts. Adoptive hosts restored with tolerant or naïve cells had similar levels of mRNA expression for all Th1 and Th2 cytokines and effector molecules assayed. Transfer of tolerance by CD4+T cells was not blocked by mAb to IL-4 or TGF-&bgr;. CD4+CD25−T cells from either naïve or tolerant hosts effected rejection. In contrast neither tolerant nor naïve CD4+CD25+T cells restored rejection. Conclusions. Specific tolerance transfer required CD4+ containing CD4+CD25+T cells. An inflammatory response with induction of mRNA for Th1 and Th2 cytokines plus cytotoxic effector molecules occurred, but IL-4 and TGF-&bgr; were not essential. Inhibition of antigen presenting cells was not the sole mechanism as there was no linked tolerance.
Interleukin-33 Prevents Apoptosis and Improves Survival After Experimental Myocardial Infarction Through ST2 Signaling

Background—ST2 is an interleukin (IL)-1 receptor family member with membrane-bound (ST2L) and soluble (sST2) isoforms, and sST2 is a biomarker for poor outcome in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). IL-33, the recently discovered ligand for ST2, activates nuclear factor &kgr;B and thus may regulate apoptotic cell death. We tested the hypothesis that IL-33 is cardioprotective after MI through ST2 signaling. Methods and Results—IL-33 protected cultured cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-induced apoptosis, and this cardioprotection was partially inhibited by sST2. IL-33 induced expression of the antiapoptotic factors XIAP, cIAP1, and survivin. To define the cardioprotective role of IL-33 in vivo, we performed a blinded and randomized study of ischemia/reperfusion in rats. IL-33 reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, suppressed caspase-3 activity, and increased expression of IAP family member proteins. IL-33 decreased both infarct and fibrosis volumes at 15 days; furthermore, both echocardiographic and hemodynamic studies revealed that IL-33 improved ventricular function. To determine whether cardioprotection by IL-33 is mediated through ST2 signaling, a randomized and blinded study of ST2−/− versus wild-type littermate mice was performed in 98 mice subjected to MI. At 4 weeks after MI, IL-33 reduced ventricular dilation and improved contractile function in wild-type mice but not in ST2−/− mice. Finally, IL-33 improved survival after MI in wild-type but not in ST2−/− mice. Conclusion—IL-33 prevents cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improves cardiac function and survival after MI through ST2 signaling.
Rapid, Standardized Method for Determination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Drug Susceptibility by Use of Mycolic Acid Analysis

ABSTRACT Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis and extrensively drug-resistant (XDR) M. tuberculosis are emerging public health threats whose threats are compounded by the fact that current techniques for testing the susceptibility of M. tuberculosis require several days to weeks to complete. We investigated the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based quantitation of mycolic acids as a means of rapidly determining drug resistance and susceptibility in M. tuberculosis. Standard susceptibility testing and determination of the MICs of drug-susceptible (n = 26) and drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains, including MDR M. tuberculosis strains (n = 34), were performed by using the Bactec radiometric growth system as the reference method. The HPLC-based susceptibilities of the current first-line drugs, isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), ethambutol (EMB), and pyrazinamide (PZA), were determined. The vials were incubated for 72 h, and aliquots were removed for HPLC analysis by using the Sherlock mycobacterial identification system. HPLC quantitation of total mycolic acid peaks (TMAPs) was performed with treated and untreated cultures. At 72 h, the levels of agreement of the HPLC method with the reference method were 99.5% for INH, EMB, and PZA and 98.7% for RIF. The inter- and intra-assay reproducibilities varied by drug, with an average precision of 13.4%. In summary, quantitation of TMAPs is a rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for antibiotic susceptibility testing of all first-line drugs currently used against M. tuberculosis and offers the potential of providing susceptibility testing results within hours, rather than days or weeks, for clinical M. tuberculosis isolates.
Worry about terror in Israel: differences between Jewish and Arab adolescents and young adults

The current study examines group differences in (1) levels of worry about terror and (2) trait anxiety among a sample of high‐school and university students, where groups are defined by cultural affiliation, religious commitment, place of residence, gender and age. The revealed group differences in levels of worry about terror point to the ability of various factors (e.g. faith in God, group coherence) to fortify the emotional strength of people who live in a difficult and threatening reality. In addition, university students reported higher levels of trait anxiety than high‐school students, and religious participants reported lower levels of trait anxiety than their traditional and secular counterparts. Taken together, the data present a profile of the group of young adults most vulnerable to worry about terror: secular Jewish females who live in centrally located urban centres.
Correlation of High-Throughput Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) Transactivation and Binding Assays

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) transactivation and binding assays have been developed into high-throughput assays, which are robust and reproducible (Z′ > 0.5). For most compounds, there was a good correlation between the results of the transactivation and binding assays. EC50 values of compounds in the transactivation assay correlated reasonably well with their IC50 values in the binding assay. However, there were discrepancies with some compounds showing high binding affinity in the binding assay translated into low transactivation. The most likely cause for these discrepancies was an agonist-dependent relationship between binding affinity and transactivation response. In general, compounds that bound to human PXR and transactivated PXR tended to be large hydrophobic molecules.
High Affinity, Developability and Functional Size: The Holy Grail of Combinatorial Antibody Library Generation

Since the initial description of phage display technology for the generation of human antibodies, a variety of selection methods has been developed. The most critical parameter for all in vitro-based approaches is the quality of the antibody library. Concurrent evolution of the libraries has allowed display and selection technologies to reveal their full potential. They come in different flavors, from naïve to fully synthetic and differ in terms of size, quality, method of preparation, framework and CDR composition. Early on, the focus has mainly been on affinities and thus on library size and diversity. Subsequently, the increased awareness of developability and cost of goods as important success factors has spurred efforts to generate libraries with improved biophysical properties and favorable production characteristics. More recently a major focus on reduction of unwanted side effects through reduced immunogenicity and improved overall biophysical behavior has led to a re-evaluation of library design.
New bounds on nearly perfect matchings in hypergraphs: Higher codegrees do help

Let H be a (k+1)-uniform, D-regular hypergraph on n vertices and let (H) be the minimum number of vertices left uncovered by a matching in H. Cj(H), the j-codegree of H, is the maximum number of edges sharing a set of j vertices in common. We prove a general upper bound on (H), based on the codegree sequence C2 (H), C3 (H),…. Our bound improves and generalizes many results on the topic, including those of Grable, Alon, Kim, and Spencer, and Kostochka and Rodl. It also leads to a substantial improvement in several applications. The key ingredient of the proof is the so-called polynomial technique, which is a new and useful tool to prove concentration results for functions with large Lipschitz coefficient. This technique is of independent interest. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Random Struct. Alg. , 17: 29–63, 2000
Photodynamic Therapy Causes Cross-linking of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription Proteins and Attenuation of Interleukin-6 Cytokine Responsiveness in Epithelial Cells

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a local treatment of cancers. The principle of PDT is the production of reactive oxygen species, in particular singlet oxygen, by light activation of a photosensitizer introduced into the target cells. The direct photochemical and subsequent redox reactions can lead to cell death. This study sought to identify effects occurring during PDT and some of their consequences in surviving cells. Using epithelial cells in tissue culture and in tumors, several distinct PDT-mediated reactions were found, including global dephosphorylation of proteins, induced phosphorylation of a 71-kDa protein, initiation of cellular stress responses, structural modification and loss of epidermal growth factor receptor, and cross-linking of proteins. Specific covalent cross-linking of nonactivated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3, and to a lesser extent of STAT1 and STAT4, correlated with PDT dose. Cross-linked STAT3 was primarily localized to the cytoplasm and failed to bind to DNA. The combination of STAT cross-linking and inactivation of receptor functions rendered PDT-treated cells refractory for at least 24 hours to interleukin-6 and oncostatin M, cytokines known to be elevated at site of tissue damage and inflammation. It is suggested that the loss of responsiveness to these inflammatory cytokines in the PDT-treated field assists tumor cells in evading the growth-suppressive activity of these mediators expected to be present at tissue sites after PDT.