Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteolysis in the sheep rumen by whole and fractionated rumen contents.

SUMMARY: The proteolytic activity of the whole rumen fluid of sheep does not depend on the diet of the animals. The optimum pH value for proteolysis lies between 6 and 7, with an irregular maximum at about pH 6·5. All fractions of rumen contents (protozoa, large bacteria and small bacteria) show activity. Proteolytic activity can be demonstrated in the supernatant liquid after disruption of the microorganisms. The proteolytic activity of the whole rumen fluid was enhanced by cysteine at 0·06 and 0·006% (w/v) unless the rumen fluid had been collected and processed under highly anaerobic conditions. Potassium cyanide and ascorbic acid were also slightly stimulatory, but sodium thiosulphate, thioglycollic acid, sodium sulphide and Fe++, Ca++ and Mg++ ions had no effect.
Working Paper Stock Market Volatility and Learning

We study a standard consumption based asset pricing model with rational investors who entertain subjective prior beliefs about price behavior. Optimal behavior then dictates that investors learn about price behavior from past price observations. We show that this imparts momentum and mean reversion into the equilibrium behavior of the price dividend ratio, similar to what can be observed in the data. Estimating the model on U.S. stock price data using the method of simulated moments, we show that it can quantitatively account for the observed stock price volatility, the persistence of the price-dividend ratio, and the predictability of long-horizon returns. For reasonable degrees of risk aversion, the model also passes a formal statistical test for the overall goodness of t, provided one excludes the equity premium from the set of moments to be matched. JEL Class. No.: G12, D84 "Investors, their con dence and expectations buoyed by past price increases, bid up speculative prices further, thereby enticing more investors to do the same, so that the cycle repeats again and again.  Irrational Exuberance, Shiller (2005, p. 56)
Pressure-controlled ventilation via a mini-tracheostomy tube for patients with neuromuscular disease

Article abstract The authors managed 10 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and five with MG with pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) via mini-tracheostomy tube (MTT). The arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2) of the patients with DMD decreased after conversion to PCV via MTT from biphasic positive airway pressure (BIPAP) or a body ventilator. The MG patients could be converted from conventional volume-controlled ventilation to PCV via MTT. PCV via MTT achieves more effective ventilation than either BIPAP or a body ventilator and is as effective as ventilation via a conventional tracheal tube.
A Captcha Mechanism By Exchange Image Blocks

The need to tell human and machines apart has surged due to abuse of automated `bots'. However, several textual-image-based CAPTCHAs have been defeated recently, calling for the development of new anti-automation schemes. In this paper, we propose a simple yet effective visual CAPTCHA test by exchanging the content of non-overlapping regions in an image. We give in-depth analysis regarding the choice of parameter and image database during the test generation phase. We also contemplate possible ways, including: 1) random guess, 2) collect and match, and 3) image segmentation, to defeat the proposed test and provide counter-measures when necessary. Preliminary experimental results have validated the efficacy of the proposed CAPTCHA, although we expect that a large-scale experiment to collect and analyze user responses contribute to optimal parameter settings
Timing performance evaluation of BDS IGSO-6 and GEO-7 satellite network GNSS timing performance evaluation method and characterization

BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (short for BDS) officially provided service to most parts of Asia since December 27th. 2012[1]. After a year of testing and evaluation work China Satellite Navigation Office published “BeiDou Navigation Satellite System Open Service Performance Standard (Version 1.0)” (hereinafter short for “BDS-OS-PS-1.0”) in December 2013[2], which presented each performance index of BDS service. Among 2016 China launched two satellites of IGSO-6 (NO.22, March 30th) and GEO-7 (NO.23, June 12th), and before the formal operation services both of them still needed further testing and evaluation work of satellites network, which obtained the actual testing results of every performance index to provide the basis for network operation and service performance commitment. Therefor taking “BDS-OS-PS-1.0” as the basis we undertook the timing evaluation work of each satellite network, which analyzed the satellites timing performance in B1, B3, B1/B2, B1/B3 frequency bands as well as the contribution to the current system. The results showed the timing performance of IGSO-6 and GEO-7 could meet the requirement of timing precision better than 50ns, and either of them adding to BDS would improve the precision and reliability of system service.
FBXO32, a new TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway target gene, is epigenetically inactivated in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma.

FBXO32 has recently been identified as a TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway target gene, involved in regulating cell survival and may be transcriptionally silenced by epigenetic mechanisms in some kind of carcinomas. The present study was to investigate the role and promoter methylation status of FBXO32 in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA), and determine the prognostic significance of FBXO32 in GCA. Bisulfite Conversion-Specific and Methylation-Specific PCR, real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining methods were used to detect the methylation status and expression of FBXO32 in GCA samples. The frequency of FBXO32 methylation in GCA tumor tissues (44.6%) was significantly higher than that in corresponding normal tissues (3.6%) and was associated with TNM stage, pathological differentiation, distant metastasis or recurrence and upper gastrointestinal cancers (UGIC) family history. Decreased mRNA and protein expression of FBXO32 was observed in GCA tumor tissues and was associated with FBXO32 promoter methylation status. A positive correlation between FBXO32 and p-Smad2/3, Smad4 protein expression was also found in clinical specimens. GCA patients in stage III and IV, with positive UGIC family history, and hypermethylation and down-expression of FBXO32 were most likely to develop metastatic disease and also showed the worse survival. In all, aberrant hypermethylation of FBXO32 may be one of the mechanisms that lead to loss or down expression of the gene in GCA, FBXO32 may be a functional tumor suppressor and reactivation of FBXO32 gene may has therapeutic potential and may be used as a prognostic marker for GCA patients.
Full virtual machine state reconstruction for security applications

This work explores the possibilities and implications of bridging the semantic gap between the hypervisor and its virtual machines to support security applications using a technique called virtual machine introspection (VMI). We define a formal model for VMI to describe and compare such approaches. We then propose, implement and evaluate a novel VMI framework that applies knowledge of the operating system and derived through a source code analysis to reconstruct the kernel state from physical memory.
A New Systematic Method of Measurement and Diagnosis of “Mild Cognitive Impairment” and Dementia According to ICD-10 and DSM-III-R Criteria

Normative data were collected in a study population of 150 randomly selected elderly subjects. Using the SIDAM (Structured Interview for the Diagnosis of Dementia of the Alzheimer Type, multi-infarct dementia, and dementias of other etiology according to DSM-III-R and ICD-10), both the dimensional and the categorical aspects of dementia and “mild cognitive impairment” are considered. With the SIDAM score (SISCO) [range 0 (minimum)-55 (maximum, no cognitive impairment)] and the SIDAM Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (range 0–30), appropriate cutoffs for the category of DSM-III-R and ICD-10 dementia and “mild cognitive impairment” were defined. MMSE scores of 0–22 were found to be indicative of DSM-III-R and ICD-10 dementia. For “mild cognitive impairment,” MMSE scores ranged from 23–27 according to a DSM-III-R definition (ICD-10: 23–28). An MMSE score of 22 or less was found to differentiate between DSM-III-R/ICD-10 dementia and “mild cognitive impairment,” with a specificity of 92% (ICD-10: 95.6) and a sensitivity of 96% (ICD-10: 96%). With the SIDAM-based DSM-III-R/ICD-10 diagnoses of dementia as the criterion, the SISCO was 97.3% specific (ICD-10: 99%) and 94% sensitive (ICD-10: 94%) in detecting dementia. A SISCO of 0–33 was highly indicative of DSM-III-R and ICD-10 dementia. For “mild cognitive impairment,” a SISCO between 34–47 (ICD-10: 34–51) was found. The SISCO covers a broader range of cognitive functions that the MMSE and is more useful in detecting even very mild cognitive decline. Furthermore, the newly defined category of “mild cognitive impairment” could be validated successfully by means of GDS Stages 2–3 and CDR Stage 0.5. These findings confirm the value of the SIDAM as a short diagnostic instrument for measurement and diagnosis of dementia and “mild cognitive impairment. ”
Is bypass surgery still benefited for proximal left anterior descending artery stenosis?

The proximal left anterior descending artery (PLAD) has been considered an anatomical lesion of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery derived from a survival benefit relative to medical therapy. However, the advances in equipment and technique in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) induced the PLAD as an attractive target. The relative benefit PCI over CABG was accompanied by speed of reperfusion and low periprocedural morbidity. On the contrary, CABG was more benefited by better protection of ischemic territories rather than simply treating the lesion and greater durability of grafted conduit than coronary stents. The patency rate of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) was over 90% at 15 years [1]. However, introduction of drug-eluting stent (DES) has improved outcomes of PCI in which the recurrence rate was significantly reduced. In the SIRIUS trial, in-stent restenosis did not occur with sirolimuseluting stent and was 38% with bare-metal stent [2]. The incidence of target vessel revascularization in a recent large registry was 7.9% after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation in 2,274 patients with PLAD stenosis [3]. The other DES coated with paclitaxel also showed a low repeat revascularization rate for LAD stenosis [4]. Toutouzas et al., recently performed a retrospective study comparing the outcomes of PCI versus CABG for 257 patients with PLAD stenosis [5]. All patients treated with CABG received a LIMA graft for conduit. The incidence of in-hospital compilation was significantly lower in patients treated with DES. Over the mean follow-up of 18 months, the incidence of death or myocardial infarction was comparably low in the two treatments. Also, the two groups had a comparable incidence of repeat revascularization. Consequently, overall adverse events rate was not statistically different. This study supported the previous retrospective nonrandomized studies showing comparable long-term outcomes of DES versus CABG for PLAD stenosis. Although several registries showed a comparable long-term efficacy of both DES and CABG for PLAD stenosis, the opinion of doctors for such a lesion is still conflicting because of the following:
Age-related changes in ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials via galvanic vestibular stimulation and bone-conducted vibration modes

Abstract Conclusion: The age-related changes in ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) elicited by galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) and bone-conducted vibration (BCV) might be attributed to the morphological degeneration of the vestibular system. Objective: This study employed GVS and BCV modes for eliciting oVEMPs in healthy subjects to explore the effect of aging on the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) pathway. Methods: Sixty-nine healthy subjects (aged 22–69 years) were divided into 5 groups of 12–19 subjects by decades of age. All subjects underwent oVEMPs using GVS and BCV modes. The prevalence and parameters of oVEMPs, including nI latency, pI latency, nI-pI interval, and nI-pI amplitude were measured and compared. Results: The prevalences of GVS-oVEMPs had nonsignificant differences among all age groups, whereas that of BCV-oVEMPs in the over-60 group was significantly lower than those in the under-60 groups. In GVS-oVEMPs, the group over 60 years had significantly longer nI, pI latencies, and smaller amplitudes when compared with those under 60 years. In BCV-oVEMPs, the nI and pI latencies in the over-60 group were significantly longer than those of the under-60 groups, while the nI-pI amplitudes of groups over 50 years were significantly smaller than those of groups under 50 years. All oVEMP parameters exhibited significant differences between GVS- and BCV-oVEMPs in each age group.
Epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the control of Giardia lamblia antigenic variation

Giardia lamblia, an intestinal dwelling protozoan parasite, undergoes surface antigenic variation where only one of an estimated 150 variant‐specific surface proteins (VSPs) is expressed and present on the surface at any one time. Transcriptional switching between VSPs results in replacement of one VSP by another. The mechanisms that control antigenic variation are poorly understood and difficult to study because there are multiple copies of each VSP and strong similarity with other VSPs. In order to study transcriptional regulation of one specific vsp, a haemagglutinin (HA) epitope‐tagged h7 was integrated into the G. lamblia GS genome. We show that HA‐tagged H7 undergoes antigenic variation in the same manner as native H7, also present in the GS genome. Control of expression of both HA‐tagged H7 and native H7 is independent of each other even though the genes and their surrounding 5′ and 3′ flanking sequences are virtually identical. Analysis of expressing and non‐expressing clones revealed an absence of HA‐tagged h7 gene rearrangements upon switching and acetylation of histone lysine residues within the 167 nucleotides 5′ to the expressed HA‐tagged h7 gene. Lack of vsp rearrangements and acetylation of expressed immediate upstream regions implicates involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in antigenic variation.
Fuzzy Theory Based Multi-objectives Evaluation Models and their Applications on Water Resources Allocation

Water resources allocation relates to many decision factors, such as society, economy, environment and resource utilization, which is a complicated and uncertain decision-making process. Usually, the problem of conflict and competition among the different targets and water users should be solved. Taking Dalian’s water resources allocation as an example, this paper develops a multi-objectives evaluation index system. On the basis of it, water resource allocation schemes are evaluated and inter- compared with multi-objectives fuzzy optimization model, grey correlation analysis method and fuzzy variable assessment method to avoid the subjectivity and blindness of the decision-making. And a relative satisfied scheme is obtained, which will improve the decision-making for water resources allocation in Dalian.
Discriminatory detection of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamases by restriction fragment length dimorphism–polymerase chain reaction

Plasmid‐mediated resistance mechanisms to β‐lactams, comprising mostly extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase (ESBL) production, lead to resistance against even the most recently developed β‐lactams in enterobacteria, which is now a serious threat to antibiotic therapy. In this work, the diagnostic ability of the restriction fragment length dimorphism (RFLD)–polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in clinical samples was evaluated. Nine newly designed primer pairs were used to differentiate the genes encoding TEM‐1a, SHV‐12, MOX‐1, MIR‐1 and Toho‐1 β‐lactamases. The RFLD–PCR was carried out successfully and these genes were differentiated by the sizes of their PCR product. This discriminatory detection of the genes was also confirmed by digestion with unique restriction enzyme sites and sequencing of the PCR products. The fragment sizes of PCR products digested with the enzymes were identical to the sizes calculated from nucleotide sequences of five β‐lactamase genes deposited in EMBL, GenBank and/or DDBJ databases and the sequences were also identical. In conclusion, the method and newly designed primers applied in this work can differentiate the ESBLs rapidly and effectively.
WOBB.C: a portable software package for defining and searching ambiguous sequence patterns.

WOBB.C is a set of C-written programs designed to build and manipulate ambiguous sequence patterns and to locate them within collections of protein or nucleotide sequences. The search module involves the perceptron algorithm introduced by Stormo et al. (1982) [Nucleic Acids Res 10:2997-3011] in the context of biosequence analysis. The originality of WOBB.C resides in its portability and in a flexible interface, allowing the definition of patterns in three different ways: automatically, from a multi-alignment; interactively, from a character string, or from an explicit text file script.
Effects of hyperthermic intraoperative peritoneal lavage on intra-abdominal pressure in an experimental model of peritonitis: A randomized, controlled, blinded interventional study.

BACKGROUND Hyperthermic Intraoperative Peritoneal Lavage (HIPL) is useful for bacterial decontamination and prevention of hypothermia during damage-control surgery (DCS). Little is known about the effect of HIPL on intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) alone or in combination with peritonitis. AIM To determine the effects of HIPL at graded temperatures on IAP in the context of DCS. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 40 rabbits randomly assigned to aseptic-thermal (AT) and peritonitis-thermal (PT) groups and subgroups underwent HIPL at 40°C, 43°C, 46°C, and 49°C. The AT subgroup assigned 40°C was the control group. HIPL was done with a volume of 100 ml/kg. Hourly IAP measurement by two independent observers who were mutually blinded was done through a peritoneal balloon pouch connected to a manometer for 12 hours. RESULTS All rabbits in group AT survived for at least 11 hours, while all the rabbits in group PT died between 4 and 8 hours. There was significant IAP rise at 4 hours in all subgroups in comparison with the control (I AT40):III AT46 (P < 0.01), IV AT49 (P < 0.001), V PT40 (P < 0.01), VI PT43 (P < 0.01), VII PT46 (P < 0.001), and P 49 (P < 0.001) except II AT43 ( P = 0.85). Multiple linear regression analysis showed a positive correlation:Coefficient of regression {r = 0.85 (AT) and r = 0.89 (PT)} and coefficient of determination {r2 = 0.73 (AT) and r2 = 0.80 (PT)}. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that beyond 3°C above the normal body temperature in this species, HIPL acts synergistically with peritonitis to exacerbate intra-abdominal hypertension and is associated with a shortened survival postoperatively due to abdominal compartment syndrome.
An embedded face verification system against image degradation

In this paper, we propose an embedded face verification system against image degradation using a TMS320C6711 DSP chip. Our proposed system has several advantages over general systems in terms of price, size and applicability. As well as physical merits, it has an efficient approach for degraded facial images based on noise parameter estimation under real-life environments. The proposed method linearly combines image vector and noise parameters into one vector for training. When estimating noise parameters, we calculate the optimal coefficients of linear decomposition of an input image vector only. The noise parameters can be obtained from the linear composition step using these optimal coefficients. In contrast to conventional methods, we add the estimated noises to original images instead of removing them. Finally we perform a verification step with the input and synthesized image. The experimental results of this system show that the proposed method can estimate noise parameters accurately while improving the performance of photo image verification.
Six-DOF Impedance Control of Dual-Arm Cooperative Manipulators

In this paper, the problem of impedance control of dual-arm cooperative manipulators is studied. A general impedance control scheme is adopted, which encompasses a centralized impedance control strategy, aimed at conferring a compliant behavior at the object level, and a decentralized impedance control, enforced at the end-effector level, aimed at avoiding large internal loading of the object. Remarkably, the mechanical impedance behavior is defined in terms of geometrically consistent stiffness. The overall control scheme is based on a two-loop arrangement, where a simple proportional integral derivative inner motion loop is adopted for each manipulator, while an outer loop, using force and moment measurements at the robots wrists, is aimed at imposing the desired impedance behaviors. The developed control scheme is experimentally tested on a dual-arm setup composed of two 6-DOF industrial manipulators carrying a common object. The experimental investigation concerns the four different controller configurations that can be achieved by activating/deactivating the single impedance controllers.
Output-feedback robust control of continuous-time infinite Markov jump linear systems

This paper addresses the robust H2 guaranteed cost control of continuous-time Markov jump linear systems, in the dynamic output feedback scenario. It is assumed that the jump process takes values in a countably infinite set. In the finite case, an adjoint approach to the robust control of MJLS in face of linear structured uncertainty is developed. A numerical example, regarding the robust control of the coupling between two damped oscillators, illustrates the applicability of the proposed results.
Noninvasive assessment of myocardial viability by positron emission tomography with 11C acetate in patients with old myocardial infarction. Usefulness of low-dose dobutamine infusion.

BACKGROUND When patients with severely depressed left ventricular function are treated, it is crucial to know in advance how much functional recovery is expected from coronary revascularization. METHODS AND RESULTS We compared the results of 11C acetate positron emission tomography (PET) with dobutamine infusion with changes in regional wall motion evaluated by left ventriculography in 28 patients with old Q-wave anterior myocardial infarctions. Dysfunctional but viable myocardium (group A, n = 13) was separated from nonviable myocardium (group B, n = 15) by echocardiographic assessments of regional wall motion before and after successful coronary revascularization. 11C acetate PET was performed to characterize normalized myocardial blood flow and oxidative metabolism (the clearance rate constant, k mono). While the baseline k monos of the infarct areas of the two groups were different with overlap, the responses to dobutamine infusion were directionally different. In addition, relative perfusion by 11C acetate PET could predict recovery of left ventricular function as well as or better than dobutamine 11C acetate kinetics. The extent of the increase in k monos of the infarct area with dobutamine infusion correlated well (P < .01) with the degree of the increase in the percentage of systolic segment shortening in the infarct area (left ventriculography) after coronary revascularization. CONCLUSIONS 11C acetate PET with dobutamine infusion can predict not only the reversibility of dysfunctioning myocardium after coronary revascularization but also the extent of improvement of regional wall motion in patients with old Q-wave infarction.