Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Auditory Distraction on Visual Cognitive Performance in Multiple Sclerosis

Background: A subset of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) endures degradation of cognitive function during disease progression. The purpose of this study was to compare visual cognitive reaction time performance during three conditions of auditory distraction (four-talker babble; word repetition; babble combined with word repetition) to a quiet, undistracted condition. Methods: Twenty-two patients with mild relapsing-remitting MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale mean of 3.0) and 17 age-matched and education-matched control subjects free of neurologic disease were tested on four cognitive visual processing subtests of simple reaction time, choice reaction time, and visual working memory for same and sequential digits concurrently during three conditions of auditory distraction. Results: When reaction times for MS and control participants were pooled across all four cognitive tests, the scores of the MS patients in quiet (528 ms) were significantly slower than those of the control subjects (459 ms). The auditory distraction condition of word repetition combined with four-talker babble degraded cognitive performance more than most of the other distraction conditions in both groups. Conclusions: Even in mild MS, subtle visual cognitive processing deficits may be elicited by auditory distraction.
Crypt-DAC: Cryptographically Enforced Dynamic Access Control in the Cloud

Enabling cryptographically enforced access controls for data hosted in untrusted cloud is attractive for many users and organizations. However, designing efficient cryptographically enforced dynamic access control system in the cloud is still challenging. In this paper, we propose Crypt-DAC, a system that provides practical cryptographic enforcement of dynamic access control. Crypt-DAC revokes access permissions by delegating the cloud to update encrypted data. In Crypt-DAC, a file is encrypted by a symmetric key list which records a file key and a sequence of revocation keys. In each revocation, a dedicated administrator uploads a new revocation key to the cloud and requests it to encrypt the file with a new layer of encryption and update the encrypted key list accordingly. Crypt-DAC proposes three key techniques to constrain the size of key list and encryption layers. As a result, Crypt-DAC enforces dynamic access control that provides efficiency, as it does not require expensive decryption/re-encryption and uploading/re-uploading of large data at the administrator side, and security, as it immediately revokes access permissions. We use formalization framework and system implementation to demonstrate the security and efficiency of our construction.
Deep venous thrombosis: Diagnostic value of non‐contrast‐enhanced MR venography using electrocardiography‐triggered three‐dimensional half‐fourier FSE

We prospectively assessed the diagnostic accuracy of non‐contrast‐enhanced MR venography using both the flow‐refocused fresh‐blood imaging (FR‐FBI) and the swap phase‐encode arterial double‐subtraction elimination (SPADE) techniques for detecting deep vein thrombosis (DVT), as compared using conventional X‐ray venography as the reference standard. Forty‐one legs of 32 consecutive patients (eight men, 24 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 69.4 ± 15.3 years) suspected of having deep vein thrombosis and thus examined using conventional X‐ray venography underwent MR FR‐FBI and SPADE. Twenty‐five of the 32 patients had nonmagnetizing, metal implants they had received during hip or leg surgery. Two radiologists independently assessed the MR venograms as either diagnostic or nondiagnostic and with either the presence or absence of thrombi. The sensitivities of FR‐FBI and SPADE for diagnosing thrombus were 100% (53 of 53) for both reviewers. Nondiagnostic segments were excluded from this analysis. The corresponding specificities were 100% (238 of 238 for reviewer A) and 99.6% (237 of 238 for reviewer B). The interobserver agreement regarding the MR images for the assessment of thrombosis was high (κ = 0.92). Non‐contrast‐enhanced MR venography using SPADE and FR‐FBI is highly accurate and reproducible for diagnosing DVT. This is especially advantageous for patients who have received nonmagnetizing, metal implants during orthopedic surgery. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Physical Layer Performance Comparison of LTE and IEEE 802.11p for Vehicular Communication in an Urban NLOS Scenario

In this paper, a physical (PHY) layer performance comparison for 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and IEEE 802.11p in a realistic urban street intersection scenario is presented. For this approach standard compliant link level simulation tools in combination with ray-optical channel modeling are utilized. Results are analyzed with respect to an intersection collision warning application where a suitable performance metric is derived to analyze the individual performances with respect to the packet error ratio in the downlink. In the absence of a line of sight (LOS) path for a Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) link, the results show promising potential of LTE to outperform a dedicated IEEE 802.11p based communication link even when considering full buffer intercell-interference condition.
Auditory brainstem response in gerbils submitted to ischemia and sepsis.

INTRODUCTION An ischemic stroke is a clinical condition that affects thousands of people worldwide. As a result of this injury, neuronal death can be observed, and in the natural course of recovery, the individual may develop sepsis. Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response that can lead the patient to death. To assess the clinical condition of a patient with this condition, the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) can be useful, since it is not an invasive procedure, it is a fast technique and it can be done at the bedside. PURPOSE To assess auditory brainstem response (ABR) latency values in gerbils subjected to ischemia and sepsis. METHODS ABR values were collected from 72 adult male gerbils, which were divided into six groups: control, sepsis, ischemia, sham, ischemia with sepsis, and sham with sepsis. For the induction of sepsis, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was applied intraperitoneally in gerbils. The animals were anesthetized with a ketamine/xylazine combination before collection; their ABR were collected before any procedure (base collection), after ischemia, and 24 hours after the application of LPS. The absolute latency of wave IV was evaluated, and the values were compared between groups. RESULTS There were significant differences in the groups submitted to sepsis in the latency value of wave IV in relation with the other groups. CONCLUSION ABR was sensitive to sepsis with the increase in latency of wave IV during the development of the disease in the experimental model used.
Maximum likelihood sequence estimation from the lattice viewpoint

The conventional maximum likelihood sequence estimator using the Viterbi algorithm has a time complexity of O(m/sup nu +1/) operations per symbol and a space complexity of O( delta m/sup nu /) storage elements, where m is the size of input alphabet, nu is the length of channel memory and delta is the truncation depth. The author proposes a new sequence estimator for a pulse amplitude modulation system, which has the following desired properties: its expected time complexity grows as delta /sup 2/, as SNR to infinity ; its space complexity grows as delta ; its error performance is effectively optimal for moderate-to-large values of m. Simulation results for an example channel are also presented. <<ETX>>
Galactose Recognition by the Apicomplexan Parasite Toxoplasma gondii*

Background: TgMIC4 is an important microneme effector protein from Toxoplasma gondii. Results: The structure of TgMIC4 together with carbohydrate microarray analyses reveal a broad specificity for galactose-terminating sequences. Conclusion: Lectin activity within the fifth apple domain of TgMIC4 is reminiscent of the mammalian galectin family. Significance: TgMIC4 may contribute to parasite dissemination within the host or down-regulation of the immune response. Toxosplasma gondii is the model parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, which contains numerous obligate intracellular parasites of medical and veterinary importance, including Eimeria, Sarcocystis, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, and Plasmodium species. Members of this phylum actively enter host cells by a multistep process with the help of microneme protein (MIC) complexes that play important roles in motility, host cell attachment, moving junction formation, and invasion. T. gondii (Tg)MIC1-4-6 complex is the most extensively investigated microneme complex, which contributes to host cell recognition and attachment via the action of TgMIC1, a sialic acid-binding adhesin. Here, we report the structure of TgMIC4 and reveal its carbohydrate-binding specificity to a variety of galactose-containing carbohydrate ligands. The lectin is composed of six apple domains in which the fifth domain displays a potent galactose-binding activity, and which is cleaved from the complex during parasite invasion. We propose that galactose recognition by TgMIC4 may compromise host protection from galectin-mediated activation of the host immune system.
A 5-μm-width multi-layer wafer-level Cu wiring technology with resin CMP for highly-reliable FCBGA

A three-layer wafer-level copper wiring technology adaptable to a large flip-chip ball-grid array (FCBGA) package is successfully developed. This technology features fine 10-mum-pitch copper wiring, with 5-mum thickness, fabricated by a semi-additive process that employs a resin CMP process making each layer flat. A non-photosensitive polyimide is adopted as an insulating material, because it has superior mechanical properties compared to epoxy resin. A prototype chip with a size of 17.3times17. 3-mm and three-layer copper wiring is fabricated and packaged into a 50times50-mm FCBGA. This prototype package demonstrates excellent long-term reliability in high-temperature and humidity bias tests (HHBT) and chip-level and package-level thermal-cycle tests (TCTs). Our technology is suitable for future low-cost ULSI wiring and long-distance data-transmission lines in a system-in-package (SiP).
A simple packet authentication mechanism based on stateless core approach

The addressing and forwarding architecture based on the destination of packets in current Internet typically does not check the authenticity of source address of packets; therefore, it causes a considerable challenge to prevent the attackers from launching attacks by forging source addresses and to trace the real sources which sent the malicious traffic. In this paper, we present a new protocol/architecture designed to enhance network security by separately verifying the authenticity of source address in the ingress of access network and the credibility of packet path on the border of every domain. The access validation bases on the label generated by host; the packet authentication is implemented by an indicator of accumulated information of domains which the packets pass through. This mechanism intrinsically provides the IP traceback. This paper also discusses the issues of development and deployment in practice, and two prototype drafts are given.
Output feedback controller for a class of nonlinear systems

This paper deals with an observer based output feedback controller for a class of controllable and observable nonlinear systems with an admissible tracking capability. Two fundamental features are worth to be mentioned. The first one consists in the high gain nature of the underlying state feedback control and observer designs. More specifically, a unified high gain control design framework is proposed thanks to the duality between control and observation. The second feature consists in incorporating a filtered integral action into the control design. The filtering is mainly motivated by measurement noise sensitivity reduction while the integral action allows to achieve a robust offset free performance in the presence of step like disturbances. An academic servo problem, involving a nonlinear double integrator, is addressed to show the effectiveness of the proposed control design method.
An experimental analysis of active living technologies to review device accuracy

Active living is a way of life that promotes health and active behavior. Technology in modern life can either act as a barrier for active living or facilitate this lifestyle, depending on which technology people choose to use in their everyday lives. Finding a technology that facilitates an individuals' physical workout while also motivating them and promoting physical activity levels, first requires investigation of the current technologies available. Physical activity monitoring technologies have a range of types, mechanisms and capabilities. Physical activity trackers are also varied in their way of attachment to individuals' bodies. For example, they can be little devices for attachment, such as waist-clips or wrist-bands, or they can be applications installed one a user's mobile or tablet device. This paper is a part of our ongoing research into active living technology adaption and use. The focus of our current work seeks to find the most applicable and accurate types of these devices. We aim through the work presented in this paper to examine some of the current available physical activity monitors including Fitbit One, Fitbit Flex, Jawbone UP and Health iPhone application. In short, our study has revealed important variation being observed in the physical activity data, based on where monitors are held by or attached to a user.
Balance analysis of self-powered sensor and application in building automation

Sensor Network is the basis of Internet of Things. Self-powered wireless sensor network has distinct advantages used in building automation. Energy balance and power balance are considered in battery-free sensor module. Analysis is given on various application places of self-powered sensor. A simple formula was given to evaluate average current in self-powered sensor module. Energy balance of weekend was discussed for lighting system in office building based on energy store super-capacitor. Function of battery free wireless sensor module was described based on ambient energy harvesting principles. The new battery-free wireless sensor module was applied in lighting system of modern building automation for energy saving. The topology applying battery-free sensor module was given and briefly analyzed.
THE USE OF TITANIUM MESH COATED WITH HYDROXYAPATITE NANOCRYSTALS IN MANDIBULAR FRACTURE (EXPERIMENTAL STUDY)

INTRODUCTION: Comminuted fractures of the mandible are an important traumatism, in which the mandibular bone is splintered or crushed. Treatment of these types of fractures had always been a challenge to surgeons, considering both the severity of the trauma and the presence of discontinuity defects which require replacement and augmentation in order to treat the bone loss. Titanium mesh was proved to be particularly useful for reconstruction of mandibular discontinuity defects also it can be used as a scaffold for bone grafts. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a coating technique used to increase the osseointegration and increases bone regeneration. OBJECTIVES: To histologically evaluate the effect of titanium mesh coated with hydroxyapatite nanocrystals using electrophoretic deposition on bone osseointegration and healing following comminuted mandibular fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A controlled induced comminuted fracture on the inferior border of the mandible extending from the 2nd premolar to the 2nd molar was performed on 12 mongrel dogs. Six dogs were treated using titanium mesh coated with hydroxyapatite nanocrystals (study group) and the other six using uncoated titanium mesh (control group). The dogs were sacrificed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks and the specimens were dissected to be histologically and radiographically evaluated for new bone formation. RESULTS: The histological outcome showed superior bone healing in the bony defects in the resembling comminuted fracture in the study group than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The nano-hydroxyapatite coated titanium mesh is a suitable method for reconstruction of comminuted fractures with bony defects
[The sun, a variable star].

Do you ever know the book? Yeah, this is a very interesting book to read. As we told previously, reading is not kind of obligation activity to do when we have to obligate. Reading should be a habit, a good habit. By reading, you can open the new world and get the power from the world. Everything can be gained through the book. Well in brief, book is very powerful. As what we offer you right here, this sun as a variable star is as one of reading book for you.
An adaptive QoE-based multipath video streaming algorithm for Scalable Video Coding (SVC)

In the domain of video streaming, Scalable Video Coding (SVC) comes as a solution that adapts to network bandwidth fluctuation and to terminals heterogeneity. The multilayer-coding criterion of SVC has increased its correlation with the streaming over multiple paths. However, an important challenge that we still need to face is how to maximize the overall video quality in a way that satisfies the end-user, without greedily consuming the network resources. To this purpose, in this paper we aim at providing a powerful system that is based on the Quality of Experience (QoE) evaluations, to adjust the streaming of SVC video flows over multiple paths. Our method dynamically selects the best overlay paths using the available bandwidth estimations. Keeping/updating the selected paths is then automatically done based on the feedback of the quality as it is perceived by the end-user. For evaluating the QoE at the recipient, we use an SVC-compatible module of the hybrid Pseudo-Subjective Quality assessment (PSQA) tool. Results show how our method can guarantee the deliverance of the best possible video quality, while keeping the balance between end-user requirements and network bandwidth wise consumption.
A prototypic matricellular protein in the tumor microenvironment—Where there's SPARC, there's fire

Within the tumor microenvironment is a dynamic exchange between cancer cells and their surrounding stroma. This complex biologic system requires carefully designed models to understand the role of its stromal components in carcinogenesis, tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a prototypic matricellular protein at the center of this exchange. Two decades of basic science research combined with recent whole genome analyses indicate that SPARC is an important player in vertebrate evolution, normal development, and maintenance of normal tissue homeostasis. Therefore, SPARC might also play an important role in the tumor microenvironment. Clinical evidence indicates that SPARC expression correlates with tumor progression, but tightly controlled animal models have shown that the role of SPARC in tumor progression is dependent on tissue and tumor cell type. In this Prospectus, we review the current understanding of SPARC in the tumor microenvironment and discuss current and future investigations of SPARC and tumor–stromal interactions that require careful consideration of growth factors, cytokines, proteinases, and angiotropic factors that might influence SPARC activity and tumor progression. J. Cell. Biochem. 104: 721–732, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Large-margin conditional random fields for single-microphone speech separation

Conditional random ﬁeld (CRF) formulations for single-microphone speech separation are improved by large-margin parameter estimation. Speech sources are represented by acoustic state sequences from speaker-dependent acoustic models. The large-margin technique improves the classiﬁcation accuracy of acoustic states by reducing generalization error in the training phase. Non-linear mappings inspired from the mixture-maximization (MIXMAX) model are applied to speech mixture observations. Compared with a factorial hidden Markov model baseline, the improved CRF formulations achieve better separation performance with signiﬁcantly fewer training data. The separation performance is evaluated in terms of objective speech quality measures and speech recognition accuracy on the reconstructed sources. Compared with the CRF formulations without large-margin parameter estimation, the improved formulations achieve better performance without modifying the statistical inference procedures, especially when the sources are modeled with increased number of acoustic states.
Dynamic Reconstruction of Deformable Soft-Tissue With Stereo Scope in Minimal Invasive Surgery

In minimal invasive surgery, it is important to rebuild and visualize the latest deformed shape of soft-tissue surfaces to mitigate tissue damages. This letter proposes an innovative Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm for deformable dense reconstruction of surfaces using a sequence of images from a stereoscope. We introduce a warping field based on the embedded deformation nodes with three-dimensional (3-D) shapes recovered from consecutive pairs of stereo images. The warping field is estimated by deforming the last updated model to the current live model. Our SLAM system can incrementally build a live model by progressively fusing new observations with vivid accurate texture; estimate the deformed shape of unobserved region with the principle as-rigid-as-possible; show the consecutive shape of models; and estimate the current relative pose between the soft-tissue and the scope. In-vivo experiments with publicly available datasets demonstrate that the 3-D models can be incrementally built for different soft-tissues with different deformations from sequences of stereo images obtained by laparoscopes. Results show the potential clinical application of our SLAM system for providing surgeon useful shape and texture information in minimal invasive surgery.
[Exercise and hypertension].

testing may be warranted, especially for men over 45 and women over 55 yr planning a vigorous exercise program (i.e., (cid:1) 60% ˙VO 2 R, oxygen uptake reserve). In the interim, while formal evaluation and management are taking place, it is reasonable for the majority of patients to begin moderate intensity exercise training (40– (cid:1) 60% ˙VO 2 R) such as walking. When pharmacologic therapy is indicated in physically active people it should, ideally: a) lower BP at rest and during exertion; b) decrease total peripheral resistance; and, c) not adversely affect exercise capacity. For these reasons, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (or angiotensin II receptor blockers in case of ACE inhibitor intolerance) and calcium channel blockers are currently the drugs of choice for recreational exercisers and athletes who have HTN. Exercise remains a cornerstone therapy for the primary prevention, treatment, and control of HTN. The optimal training frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) need to be better defined to optimize the BP lowering capacities of exercise, particularly in children, women, older adults, and certain ethnic groups. Based upon the current evidence, the following exercise prescription is recommended for those with high BP: Frequency: on most, preferably all, days of the week