Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic characterization of Echinococcus granulosus strains isolated from humans based on nad1 and cox1 gene analysis in Isfahan, central Iran

Abstract Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a medically important parasite-caused human disease. Humans may acquire the infection accidentally by ingestion of E. granulosus eggs. The parasite has a broad range of hosts and genotypes, which may affect its aetiological and biological characteristics. The present study aimed to determine the genetic characteristics of human isolates of E. granulosus in Isfahan, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 50 surgically removed hydatid cysts were collected from hospitalized patients in Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, over a period of 2 years (2015–2017). DNA was extracted from cyst material, and polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed targeting cox1 and nad1 genes. Amplicons were sequenced directly and the resulting sequences were aligned and analysed. Phylogenetic and genetic diversity analyses were also performed. Among the isolates, 43 (86%), 3 (6%) and 4 (8%) out of 50 were E. granulosus (G1), E. granulosus (G3) and E. intermedius (G6), respectively. In total, nine and eight haplotypes were identified by nad1 and cox1 gene analysis, respectively. The haplotype diversity index was higher by cox1 gene analysis (0.547) in G1 strains compared with nad1 (0.433). The G1 genotype was the most predominant isolate from human cases of CE, and the presence of G6 is indicative of an important role of camels in the development of human CE in Isfahan. This is the first report of the G3 genotype causing human CE in Isfahan. Moreover, cox1 gene analysis enables a higher resolution of the genetic diversity of the E. granulosus population compared with nad1 gene analysis.
Dipole moments and transition probabilities of the a3 Sigma g+-b 3 Sigma u+ system of molecular hydrogen.

Multiconfiguration variational calculations are carried out of the electronic wave functions of the a /sup 3/. sigma. /sub g//sup +/ and b /sup 3/. sigma. /sub u//sup +/ states of molecular hydrogen, and the electric dipole transition moment between them is obtained. The dipole moment is used in a calculation of the probabilities of radiative transitions from the discrete vibrational levels of the a /sup 3/. sigma. /sub g//sup +/ state to the vibrational continuum of the repulsive b /sup 3/. sigma. /sub u//sup +/ state as functions of the wavelength of the emitted photons, and a comparison is made with measurements of the emission spectra of the v' = 0 levels of H/sub 2/ and of D/sub 2/. The total transition probabilities and radiative lifetimes of levels v' = 0--20 are presented.
Fair allocation in evolving networks

We consider networks evolving over time within an inÞnite-horizon dynamic setting. Transitions from one network to another are given by a stationary transition probability matrix. We study the problem of fairly and efficiently allocating the value of a network at any point in time among its participants, assuming that agents discount the future by some common discount factor δ. An allocation rule is called component efficient if it distributes the total value of a connected network among its participants and it is called expected fair if for every direct connection both participants expect to loose or gain the same amount in the future from breaking this connection at time zero. Our main result is that for every transition probability matrix and for almost every δ there exists a unique allocation rule which is component efficient and expected fair. We provide a formula to compute this allocation rule. In general, this allocation rule is different from a stage-wise application of the Myerson value. We also provide a sufficient condition on the transition probability matrix such that the component efficient and expected fair allocation rule is equal to the Myerson value.
Resistojet propulsion for large spacecraft systems

Resistojet propulsion systems have characteristics that are ideally suited for the on-orbit and primary propulsion requirements of large spacecraft systems. These characteristics which offer advantages over other forms of propulsion are reviewed and presented. The feasibility of resistojets were demonstrated in space whereas only a limited number of ground life tests were performed. The major technology issues associated with these ground tests are evaluated. The past performance of resistojets is summarized and, looks into the present day technology status is reviewed. The material criteria, along with possible concepts, needed to attain high performance resistojets are presented.
Open Channel Block of A-Type, Kv4.3, and Delayed Rectifier K+ Channels, Kv1.3 and Kv3.1, by Sibutramine

The effects of sibutramine on voltage-gated K+ channel (Kv)4.3, Kv1.3, and Kv3.1, stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, were investigated using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Sibutramine did not significantly decrease the peak Kv4.3 currents, but it accelerated the rate of decay of current inactivation in a concentration-dependent manner. This phenomenon was effectively characterized by integrating the total current over the duration of a depolarizing pulse to +40 mV. The IC50 value for the sibutramine block of Kv4.3 was 17.3 μM. Under control conditions, the inactivation of Kv4.3 currents could be fit to a biexponential function, and the time constants for the fast and slow components were significantly decreased after the application of sibutramine. The association (k+1) and dissociation (k–1) rate constants for the sibutramine block of Kv 4.3 were 1.51 μM–1s–1 and 27.35 s–1, respectively. The theoretical KD value, derived from k–1/k+1, yielded a value of 18.11 μM. The block of Kv4.3 by sibutramine displayed a weak voltage dependence, increasing at more positive potentials, and it was use-dependent at 2 Hz. Sibutramine did not affect the time course for the deactivating tail currents. Neither steady-state activation and inactivation nor the recovery from inactivation was affected by sibutramine. Sibutramine caused the concentration-dependent block of the Kv1.3 and Kv3.1 currents with an IC50 value of 3.7 and 32.7 μM, respectively. In addition, sibutramine reduced the tail current amplitude and slowed the deactivation of the tail currents of Kv1.3 and Kv3.1, resulting in a crossover phenomenon. These results indicate that sibutramine acts on Kv4.3, Kv1.3, and Kv3.1 as an open channel blocker.
A Comparative Evaluation of Annotation Software for Grading Programming Assignments

Commenting on a student's computer program with red pen ink annotations is not possible with current software and paper program 'listings' are a relic of a bygone era. Yet ink annotations are the easiest way to provide rich feedback to the student. We have developed and evaluated Penmarked as a software solution to this problem. It supports free-form ink annotations and, importantly, associated marking tasks of gathering and returning assignments and recording grades. The evaluation against paper and digital marking systems showed it to be faster and more effective. From a wider perspective Penmarked demonstrates the intricacies of providing totally paperless environment.
Mode I crack analysis in single crystals with anisotropic discrete dislocation plasticity: II. Stationary crack-tip fields

Small-scale yielding around a stationary mode I crack in a cubic single crystal is analyzed in terms of plane-strain elastically anisotropic discrete dislocation plasticity (DDP). Two symmetric crack orientations are considered with two objectives in mind. First, we study the sensitivity to materials aspects such as dislocation source density and elastic anisotropy as well as orientation dependence. Plastic deformation around the crack tip in a single crystal is a patchy field due to the discreteness of the slip systems, as demonstrated in analytical solutions and experimental observations. While these solutions/observations have in common that the plastic zone is composed of sectors with specific slip system(s) active inside each sector, detailed comparisons—recapitulated in this paper—reveal a few, yet significant, discrepancies. In an attempt to resolve these issues, the second objective of this paper is to construct sector arrangements of active slip system(s) from the present DDP simulations and compare those with the analytical solutions. We find that the estimated sector arrangements are in best agreement with the hardening analytical solutions of Saeedvafa and Rice (1989 J. Mech. Phys. Solids 37 673–91); indeed, angular variations of stresses around the crack tip confirm this observation.
Infrared imaging lens with extended depth of focus

An infrared imaging lens that produces beams with long focal depth whilst preserving the entire aperture for full light capturing and high transverse resolution is presented. It is a diffractive optical element that generates a long range of pseudo-non-diffractive rays. The design technique is based on the conjugate-gradient algorithm. The surface relief pattern was generated on a thick film photoresist and then the pattern was transferred to germanium substrate. Preliminary experimental results demonstrated four times improvement in depth of focus at 10.6 μm wavelength.
Telephone Surveys Underestimate Cigarette Smoking among African-Americans

Background: This study tested the hypothesis that data from random digit-dial telephone surveys underestimate the prevalence of cigarette smoking among African-American adults. Method: A novel, community-sampling method was used to obtain a statewide, random sample of N = 2118 California (CA) African-American/Black adults, surveyed door-to-door. This Black community sample was compared to the Blacks in the CA Health Interview Survey (N = 2315), a statewide, random digit-dial telephone survey conducted simultaneously. Results: Smoking prevalence was significantly higher among community (33%) than among telephone survey (19%) Blacks, even after controlling for sample differences in demographics. Conclusion: Telephone surveys underestimate smoking among African-Americans and probably underestimate other health risk behaviors as well. Alternative methods are needed to obtain accurate data on African-American health behaviors and on the magnitude of racial disparities in them.
Memory, modelling and Marr: a commentary on Marr (1971) ‘Simple memory: a theory of archicortex’

David Marr's theory of the archicortex, a brain structure now more commonly known as the hippocampus and hippocampal formation, is an epochal contribution to theoretical neuroscience. Addressing the problem of how information about 10 000 events could be stored in the archicortex during the day so that they can be retrieved using partial information and then transferred to the neocortex overnight, the paper presages a whole wealth of later empirical and theoretical work, proving impressively prescient. Despite this impending success, Marr later apparently grew dissatisfied with this style of modelling, but he went on to make seminal suggestions that continue to resonate loudly throughout the field of theoretical neuroscience. We describe Marr's theory of the archicortex and his theory of theories, setting them into their original and a contemporary context, and assessing their impact. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.
Proof search in constructive logics

We present an overview of some sequent calculi organised not for theorem proving but for proof search where the proofs themselves and the avoidance of known proofs on backtracking are objects of interest The main calculus discussed is that of Herbelin for intuitionistic logic which extends methods used in hereditary Harrop logic programming we give a brief discussion of some similar calculi for other logics We also point to some related work on permutations in intuitionistic Gentzen sequent calculi that clari es the relationship between such calculi and natural deduction
The Meaning of Cardiometabolic Risk in Hypertensive Patients

Cardiometabolic risk is a condition in which the possibilities of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease and diabetes mellitus are significantly enhanced as a consequence of the presence of insulin resistance and atherogenic dyslipidemia, the latter being characterized by the presence of low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. Cardiometabolic risk is diagnosed by the identification of an enhanced waist circumference (above 102cm in males and 88cm in females) accompanied by the alterations in lipid profile quoted above (HDLcholesterol below 40mg/dl in males and 50mg/dl in females, and serum triglycerides above 150mg/dl).
Design exploration of energy-performance trade-offs for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WNSs) are gradually evolving from a promising technology to a well-established reality in a large set of different domains. In order to fulfill the requirements of the specific scenario, a WSN must provide the right tradeoff between performance and lifetime, which is heavily determined by the network design. However, although the complexity of WSNs is increasing, the design space exploration is often carried out manually without the support of a general analytical methodology. In this paper, we advocate a model-based approach as an efficient and scalable way to explore the energy-performance tradeoffs during the design. In particular, we show that it is possible to define systemlevel models to describe wide classes of WSNs, providing a quick and accurate network evaluation. As a proof of concept, we propose a general model that describes the main characteristics of a class of WSNs for human health monitoring, and we apply it to a real case study. The results show that the energy-performance estimation error of the model never exceeds 1.74% compared to real data, while the evaluation time is reduced by up to 6 orders of magnitude with respect to an accurate network simulation.
An Optimal Branch-and-Bound Procedure for the Constrained Path, Moving Target Search Problem

A searcher and target move among a finite set of cells C = 1, 2, ',N in discrete time. At the beginning of each time period, one cell is searched. If the target is in the selected cell j, it is detected with probability qj. If the target is not in the cell searched, it cannot be detected during the current time period. After each search, a target in cell j moves to cell k with probability pjk. The target transition matrix, P = [pjk] is known to the searcher. The searcher's path is constrained in that if the searcher is currently in cell j, the next search cell must be selected from a set of neighboring cells Cj. The object of the search is to minimize the probability of not detecting the target in T searches.
Improving Outcomes of Renal Transplant Recipients With Behavioral Adherence Contracts: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to assess the effects of a 1‐year behavioral contract intervention on immunosuppressant therapy (IST) adherence and healthcare utilizations and costs among adult renal transplant recipients (RTRs). The sample included adult RTRs who were at least 1 year posttransplant, taking tacrolimus or cyclosporine and served by a specialty pharmacy. Pharmacy refill records were used to measure adherence and monthly questionnaires were used to measure healthcare utilizations. Direct medical costs were estimated using the 2009 Medicare Expenditure Panel Survey. Adherence was analyzed using the GLM procedure and the MIXED procedure of SAS. Rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated to quantify the rate of utilizing healthcare services relative to treatment assignment. One hundred fifty RTRs were enrolled in the study. Intervention group RTRs (n = 76) had higher adherence than control group RTRs (n = 74) over the study period (p < 0.01). And 76.1% of the intervention group compared with 42.7% of the control group was not hospitalized during the 1‐year study period (RR = 1.785; 95% CI: 1.314, 2.425), resulting in cost savings. Thus, evidence supports using behavioral contracts as an effective adherence intervention that may improve healthcare outcomes and lower costs.
Label‐free quantitative analysis of the membrane proteome of Bace1 protease knock‐out zebrafish brains

The aspartyl protease BACE1 cleaves neuregulin 1 and is involved in myelination and is a candidate drug target for Alzheimer's disease, where it acts as the β‐secretase cleaving the amyloid precursor protein. However, little is known about other substrates in vivo. Here, we provide a proteomic workflow for BACE1 substrate identification from whole brains, combining filter‐aided sample preparation, strong‐anion exchange fractionation, and label‐free quantification. We used bace1‐deficient zebrafish and quantified differences in protein levels between wild‐type and bace1 −/− zebrafish brains. Over 4500 proteins were identified with at least two unique peptides and quantified in both wild‐type and bace1 −/− zebrafish brains. The majority of zebrafish membrane proteins did not show altered protein levels, indicating that Bace1 has a restricted substrate specificity. Twenty‐four membrane proteins accumulated in the bace1 −/− brains and thus represent candidate Bace1 substrates. They include several known BACE1 substrates, such as the zebrafish homologs of amyloid precursor protein and the cell adhesion protein L1, which validate the proteomic workflow. Additionally, several candidate substrates with a function in neurite outgrowth and axon guidance, such as plexin A3 and glypican‐1 were identified, pointing to a function of Bace1 in neurodevelopment. Taken together, our study provides the first proteomic analysis of knock‐out zebrafish tissue and demonstrates that combining gene knock‐out models in zebrafish with quantitative proteomics is a powerful approach to address biomedical questions.
Man-machine communications through brain-wave processing

The possibility of monitoring voluntarily produced changes in the electroencephalogram (EEG) of a subject and translating these changes into a set of commands to be issued to an external device was investigated. Subjects performed five distinct tasks under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. A feature set consisting of the asymmetry ratios and the power values for each lead at four frequency bands-delta (0-3 Hz) theta (4-7 Hz), alpha (8-13 Hz), and beta (14-20 Hz)-was used to characterize the EEG. The feature sets created from an estimate of the spectral density of the EEG for each task were used to test classification accuracy among the various tasks using a Bayes quadratic classifier. The results show that it is possible to distinguish, to a high degree of accuracy, among the various mental tasks studied, using only the EEG. <<ETX>>
Experimental Study on Error Functions for Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network Architecture Selection with Average Weighted F-Score Evaluation

As a pilot study to the development of generalization error of multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN), we examine several error functions as selection criteria for MLPNN architecture selection. In addition, a brief survey on current MLPNN architecture selection methods is given. The average weighted F-score is widely used in information extraction field and we will adopt it as the criterion of MLPNN performance evaluation. In this paper, we first use an exhaustive MLPNN architecture selection method to investigate different MLPNN architecture selection criteria when the performance of the MLPNN is evaluated by the average weighted F-Score on testing data. Then we adopt a genetic algorithm (GA) based MLPNN architecture selection method to reduce the running time of MLPNN architecture selection. Experimental results show that the MLPNN architectures selected by the GA with "Train MSE" yield the best testing average weighted F-score with acceptable number of hidden neurons and running time.
Eurographics/siggraph Symposium on Computer Animation (2003) Stylizing Motion with Drawings

In this paper, we provide a method that injects the expressive shape deformations common in traditional 2D animation into an otherwise rigid 3D motion captured animation. We allow a traditional animator to modify frames in the rendered animation by redrawing the key features such as silhouette curves. These changes are then integrated into the animation. To perform this integration, we divide the changes into those that can be made by altering the skeletal animation, and those that must be made by altering the character's mesh geometry. To propagate mesh changes into other frames, we introduce a new image warping technique that takes into account the character's 3D structure. The resulting technique provides a system where an animator can inject stylization into 3D animation.
Prediction of residual fatigue life of aluminium foam through natural frequencies and damping shift

This paper deals with the application of a non-destructive technique based on natural frequencies and damping evaluation to predict fatigue failure of closed cell aluminium foams. Two different numerical methods have been used to analyse data, and a detailed analysis about frequency and damping evolution of metallic foam specimens subjected to fatigue load is shown. Moreover, significant correlations between modal data changes and the evolution due to the relevant fatigue loads in the high-cycle regime have been extracted; these correlations may be efficiently used to predict the residual life with good accuracy from the beginning of the fatigue tests.
Consideration of weight discriminative powers for various weight changes using a haptic device

This paper discusses human weight perception using a haptic device. The objective of this study is to reveal the characteristics in human force sensations, which are difficult to examine in a real environment. Further, we aim to apply the perceptual mechanisms to multimedia applications as the final target. In this study, we particularly examine the weight discriminative powers for various weight changes. Expanding our previous study, we compare the difference thresholds for the weight addition and removal during a goal-directed lifting. A statistical analysis implies that our weight discriminative power for the weight addition tends to improve in the deceleration process. As for the weight removal, the weight discriminative power declines in the deceleration process due to the inertia effect in the vicinity of the target height. In addition, this study tries to reveal the weight perception when the load force is gradually changed. The result implies that the time variation in the load force holds the tremendous potential to enable us to experience attractive force sensations and haptic illusions.