Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Subsequence time series (STS) clustering techniques for meaningful pattern discovery

Subsequence time-series (STS) clustering is one way of finding significant patterns in time series. A window of size w is shifted over the series to produce a w dimensional sequence and clustering is applied. Recently, it has been demonstrated that subsequence time-series (STS) clustering often produces meaningless results. We demonstrate the problem on a synthetic dataset in a number of scenarios and provide a deeper insight to the sources of the issue. More specifically, we examine the effect of trivial matches, and the proliferation of patterns under a sliding window. Although STS clustering generates meaningless cluster averages, we show that cluster cores can be used to discover real patterns. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of using a high number of clusters. First approach is using a moderately high number where the results are visually inspected. Second approach is a two stage clustering method where a very high number of clusters are generated in the first stage. Then a minimum shift distance is used to align and cluster patterns. The original patterns in our synthetic dataset are successfully recovered using this novel method.
Inverted Internal Limiting Membrane Flap Technique for Repair of Large Macular Holes: A Short-term Follow-up of Anatomical and Functional Outcomes

Background: Inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique has recently been reported in a limited number of studies as an effective surgical technique for the management of large macular holes (MHs) with fair MH closure rates as well as gains in visual acuity. In the current study, longitudinal changes in multi-focal electroretinogram (mfERG) responses, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were evaluated in eyes with large MHs managed by this technique. Methods: A prospective noncontrolled interventional study of eight patients (eight eyes) with large MHs (minimum diameter >400 &mgr;m) was conducted. All MHs were treated with pars plana vitrectomy and indocyanine green-assisted inverted ILM flap technique. SD-OCT images were used to assess the anatomical outcomes of surgery while BCVA and mfERG were used to evaluate the functional outcomes during a 3-month follow-up. Results: All patients underwent successful intended manipulation and translocation of the ILM flap without flap dislocation and achieved complete anatomical closure. Partial microstructural reconstruction, demonstrated on SD-OCT as restoration of the external limiting membrane and the ellipsoid zone, was observed in all cases as early as 1 month after surgery. Functionally, as compared to baseline, all patients showed improvements in BCVA and all but one in mfERG response during follow-up. However, Pearson's test revealed no significant correlations between BCVA and mfERG responses of the fovea and of the macular area at each evaluation time point. Conclusions: Inverted ILM flap technique appeares to be a safe and effective approach for the management of large idiopathic MHs with favorable short-term anatomical and functional results. Postoperative reconstruction of the microstructure generally shows good consistency with improvements in both BCVA and mfERG response, of which the latter might be a supplement for the former in postoperative functional follow-up.
Binding of 125I‐iodovinyltetrabenazine to CNS vesicular monoamine transport sites

Binding characteristics of a novel radioiodinated tetrabenazine (TBZ) analog (iodovinyltetrabenazine; 125I‐TBZ‐Fraction I) were evaluated. In rat striatal homogenates, 125I‐TBZ‐I displayed a pharmacological profile consistent with specific binding to vesicular monoamine transport (VMAT) sites. In vitro autoradiographic studies using rat brain sections; further demonstrated that 125I‐TBZ‐I labeled the regions rich in VMAT sites, and it may be a useful marker for these sites. This novel radioiodinated ligand, with high specific activity and high binding affinity, may provide a powerful tool for the in vitro assessment of neuronal loss in various neurodegenerative diseases. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Total body irradiation–high‐dose cytosine arabinoside and melphalan followed by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from HLA‐identical siblings in the treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after relapse while receiving chemotherapy: a Société Française de Greffe de Moelle study

We investigated the use of a new conditioning regimen followed by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for treating children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) after relapse within 6 months of the completion of therapy. One hundred and sixteen children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in second or subsequent complete remission (CR) underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from HLA‐identical siblings after a preparative regimen comprising total body irradiation (TBI), high‐dose cytosine arabinoside and melphalan (TAM regimen). The Kaplan‐Meier product‐limit estimate (mean ± SE) of disease‐free survival (DFS) at 7 years was 59.5 ± 9% (95% confidence interval). The estimated chance of relapse was 22.5 ± 15% with a median follow‐up of 88.5 months (range 51–132). 26 patients (22.4%) died with no evidence of recurrent leukaemia, mainly from interstitial pneumonitis, veno‐occlusive disease or acute graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD). Three factors significantly affected DFS: acute GVHD, site of relapse and, for children in second remission after a marrow relapse, the disease status at the time of transplantation. The DFS were 59.02 ± 12.6%, 37.5 ± 19.8% and 77.4 ± 15% among patients in CR2 after a marrow relapse, in CR3 or in untreated partial marrow relapse, and in CR2 after an isolated CNS relapse, respectively. The lowest DFS was seen in children with acute GVHD grades 3–4. Two significant factors were associated with relapse: the marrow status at the time of transplantation and chronic GVHD. The relapse rate was lower among children in CR2 or with chronic GVHD. We conclude that transplantation after the TAM regimen is an effective therapy for this population with acceptable toxicity, particularly for children in second remission after a very early marrow relapse, or those with early isolated CNS involvement.
Graphene materials and devices in terahertz science and technology

The gapless energy spectra and linear dispersion relations of electrons and holes in graphene lead to nontrivial features such as a high carrier mobility and a flat, broadband optical response. This article reviews recent advances in graphene-based materials and devices for terahertz science and technology. After an introduction to the fundamental basis of the optoelectronic properties of graphene, the synthesis and crystallographic characterization of graphene materials are described, with a particular focus on the authors’ original heteroepitaxial graphene-on-silicon technology. The nonequilibrium dynamics of carrier relaxation and recombination in optically or electrically pumped graphene is discussed to introduce the possibility of negative dynamic conductivity over a wide terahertz range. Recent theoretical advances toward the creation of current-injection graphene terahertz lasers are described, followed by the unique terahertz dynamics of two-dimensional plasmons in graphene. Finally, the advantages of graphene materials and devices for terahertz applications are summarized.
An Effective PSO-Based Memetic Algorithm for Flow Shop Scheduling

This paper proposes an effective particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based memetic algorithm (MA) for the permutation flow shop scheduling problem (PFSSP) with the objective to minimize the maximum completion time, which is a typical non-deterministic polynomial-time (NP) hard combinatorial optimization problem. In the proposed PSO-based MA (PSOMA), both PSO-based searching operators and some special local searching operators are designed to balance the exploration and exploitation abilities. In particular, the PSOMA applies the evolutionary searching mechanism of PSO, which is characterized by individual improvement, population cooperation, and competition to effectively perform exploration. On the other hand, the PSOMA utilizes several adaptive local searches to perform exploitation. First, to make PSO suitable for solving PFSSP, a ranked-order value rule based on random key representation is presented to convert the continuous position values of particles to job permutations. Second, to generate an initial swarm with certain quality and diversity, the famous Nawaz-Enscore-Ham (NEH) heuristic is incorporated into the initialization of population. Third, to balance the exploration and exploitation abilities, after the standard PSO-based searching operation, a new local search technique named NEH_1 insertion is probabilistically applied to some good particles selected by using a roulette wheel mechanism with a specified probability. Fourth, to enrich the searching behaviors and to avoid premature convergence, a simulated annealing (SA)-based local search with multiple different neighborhoods is designed and incorporated into the PSOMA. Meanwhile, an effective adaptive meta-Lamarckian learning strategy is employed to decide which neighborhood to be used in SA-based local search. Finally, to further enhance the exploitation ability, a pairwise-based local search is applied after the SA-based search. Simulation results based on benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of the PSOMA. Additionally, the effects of some parameters on optimization performances are also discussed
Merge-and-forward: a cooperative multimedia transmissions protocol using RaptorQ codes

Recently, nodes cooperation has emerged as a popular means for improving the quality of multimedia delivery over fifth-generation cellular networks. However, in the conventional relaying scheme such as amplify-and-forward (AaF), there is a higher probability of duplicate packets at the receiver node which affect the decoding probability and consequently deteriorate the quality of multimedia transmission. In this study, the authors propose a cooperative multimedia transmission protocol based on a novel merge-and-forward relaying and the best relay selection (RS) schemes. Their best RS scheme is based on two important parameters: (i) two-hop link distances and (ii) minimum block error rate value. Moreover, to combat the packet loss for enhanced and reliable video delivery, they adopt application layer forward error correction scheme which is based on the most improved and advanced version of fountain codes (i.e. RaptorQ codes). They evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme under different time-sharing scenarios between the direct and best indirect transmission links in terms of decoding failure probability, decoding overhead, peak signal-to-noise ratio, and mean opinion score. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the conventional AaF relaying scheme.
FEM-Based determination of real and complex elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric moduli in piezoceramic materials

We propose an enhanced iterative scheme for the precise reconstruction of piezoelectric material parameters from electric impedance and mechanical displacement measurements. It is based on finite-element simulations of the full three-dimensional piezoelectric equations, combined with an inexact Newton or nonlinear Landweber iterative inversion scheme. We apply our method to two piezoelectric materials and test its performance. For the first material, the manufacturer provides a full data set; for the second one, no material data set is available. For both cases, our inverse scheme, using electric impedance measurements as input data, performs well.
Morphological and functional differences in haemostatic axis between kidney transplanted and end‐stage renal disease patients

End‐stage renal disease (ESRD) is characterized by several atherothrombotic abnormalities, and kidney transplant seems to improve most of them. However, because it is not clear which mechanism is responsible for such improvement, our purpose was to clarify that point.We conducted a cross sectional study involving 30 ESRD patients, 30 ESRD kidney‐transplanted patients (Ktx) and 30 healthy controls (C) to evaluate platelet morphology and function, atherothrombotic profile, endothelial abnormalities and cytokine levels involved in the insulin resistance/endothelial dysfunction. (i) Platelet morphology: The ESRD group showed platelet size similar to the other two groups (ESRD = 3518 × 103 ± 549 × 103 nm2, C = 3075 × 103 ± 197 × 103 nm2, Ktx = 2862 × 103 ± 205 × 103 nm2) with similar platelet granules and number. (ii) Platelet surface glycoprotein: The CD41 and P‐Selectin were similar between groups. (iii) Platelet intracellular calcium: Resting intracellular calcium was statistically higher in ESRD compared to the C group (ESRD = 182.1 ± 34.5, Ktx = 126.7 ± 14.1, C = 72.0 ± 11.0 nM, P < 0.01). (iv) Hypercoagulability markers and natural anticoagulants: The Ktx and ESRD groups showed higher levels of hypercoagulability markers compared to the C group. A reduction in antithrombin activity was evident in ESRD compared to the Ktx group (P = 0.03). (v) Endothelial morphology: The ESRD group showed a thickened vessel basal membrane compared to the Ktx and C groups with more endothelial sufference. (vi) Insulin resistance and pro‐inflammatory cytokine profile: The ESRD showed a higher homeostasis model assessment provided equations for estimating insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) compared to the Ktx and C groups (ESRD = 2.6 ± 0.3, Ktx = 1.8 ± 0.2, C =1.1 ± 0.1, P = 0.005) and increased soluble tumor neurosis factor α (sTNFα) (P < 0.05) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM) levels (P < 0.01). Positive correlations were evident among HOMA‐IR and sTNFα (P < 0.001) and sVCAM (P = 0.01), respectively. In a small subgroup of ESRD who underwent Ktx (five pts), our findings were confirmed at 1 year of follow‐up, suggesting an improvement of almost haemostatic abnormalities. Kidney transplant is associated with a better atherothrombotic profile in ESRD, platelet intracellular calcium and cytokines seem to be most influenced by the transplant, while most morphological abnormalities are retained.
A Recommendation System Based on Text Mining

With the improvement of social consumption level and the rapid development of the Internet, the application of recommendation system is becoming more and more extensive. Du to the complexity of Chinese language, the traditional recommendation system cannot grasp the user's sentiment tendencies well. In this paper, we establish a recommendation system with text mining technology. The proposed system uses the improved logistic regression in sentiment analysis to get user's sentiment score. Moreover, we build an item-feature matrix to calculate the feature similarity of the items, enhanceing the accuracy of item similarity. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed system.
Market Based Solutions for Addressing Nutritional Deficiencies: The Case of Grameen Danone Foods Ltd

Market Based Solutions for Addressing Nutritional Deficiencies: The Case of Grameen Danone Foods Limited Jessica Agnew Advisor: University of Guelph, 2016 Professor Spencer Henson Market based solutions for addressing nutritional deficiencies are based on the fact that the poor procure a portion of food from markets. However, it is not clear if commercial business models can be implemented in low-income markets. A value chain analysis is applied and finds that cost management strategies can produce sustainability and scale. There is also little evidence to substantiate if poor consumers value nutritious products and will consume them in adequate amounts. An RPL and RE model are used to conduct a willingness-to-pay analysis. Nutritional benefit is valued over other attributes of a fortified yogurt product. WTP values are most highly influenced by factors of nutritional awareness and acceptability. A binary response model is used to analyze adequacy of consumption. The most influential factors are related to acceptability, availability and channel of delivery. Together these elements help identify if business models can be used as a nutritional intervention.
γ‐Aminobutyric acid receptor A‐mediated inhibition in the honeybee’s antennal lobe is necessary for the formation of configural olfactory percepts

Complex odours often possess perceptual qualities that are distinct from their components. Previous studies in humans, rodents, and insects indicate that the perception of complex odour blends depends on the concentration of the components and the mixture’s complexity. However, we know relatively little about the way that an odour mixture ‘gestalt’ is produced by the olfactory system. Here, using an assay for olfactory conditioning in the honeybee (Apis mellifera), we examine the role of γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor A (GABAA)‐ergic inhibition within the olfactory primary relay, the antennal lobe, in the formation of a unique odour percept for complex odours. We found that honeybees perceive odour mixtures as configural stimuli when the mixtures were of low concentration and when they were composed of more than two odorants. When GABAA receptors were disrupted using the antagonist, picrotoxin, injected directly into the antennal lobe, we observed that bees no longer perceived the mixture as a configural stimulus. Our results imply that synchronization of antennal lobe projection neurons mediated by GABAA receptors is the mechanism responsible for the formation of unique olfactory percepts for complex odours.
TRPC5 Channel Sensitivities to Antioxidants and Hydroxylated Stilbenes*

Transient receptor potential canonical 5 (TRPC5) forms cationic channels that are polymodal sensors of factors including oxidized phospholipids, hydrogen peroxide, and reduced thioredoxin. The aim of this study was to expand knowledge of the chemical-sensing capabilities of TRPC5 by investigating dietary antioxidants. Human TRPC5 channels were expressed in HEK 293 cells and studied by patch clamp and intracellular Ca2+ recording. GFP- and HA-tagged channels were used to quantify plasma membrane localization. Gallic acid and vitamin C suppressed TRPC5 activity if it was evoked by exogenous hydrogen peroxide or lanthanide ions but not by lysophosphatidylcholine or carbachol. Catalase mimicked the effects, suggesting that lanthanide-evoked activity depended on endogenous hydrogen peroxide. Trans-resveratrol, by contrast, inhibited all modes of TRPC5, and its effect was additive with that of vitamin C, suggesting antioxidant-independent action. The IC50 was ∼10 μm. Diethylstilbestrol, a related hydroxylated stilbene, inhibited TRPC5 with a similar IC50, but its action contrasted sharply with that of resveratrol in outside-out membrane patches where diethylstilbestrol caused strong and reversible inhibition and resveratrol had no effect, suggesting indirect modulation by resveratrol. Resveratrol did not affect channel surface density, but its effect was calcium-sensitive, indicating an action via a calcium-dependent intermediate. The data suggest previously unrecognized chemical-sensing properties of TRPC5 through multiple mechanisms: (i) inhibition by scavengers of reactive oxygen species because a mode of TRPC5 activity depends on endogenous hydrogen peroxide; (ii) direct channel blockade by diethylstilbestrol; and (iii) indirect, antioxidant-independent inhibition by resveratrol.
Validity and Reliability of 2 Upper-Body Strength Tests for Preschool Children

Abstract Ayán Pérez, C, Cancela, JM, Senra, I, and Quireza, E. Validity and reliability of 2 upper-body strength tests for preschool children. J Strength Cond Res 28(11): 3229–3238, 2014—The “bent knee push-up” and the “timed dipping” are 2 upper-body strength assessment tests whose simplicity and ease of use make them suitable to be applied to preschool children. Nevertheless, their psychometric properties have not been properly studied for this age group. This study aimed to fill this gap. To accomplish this, both tests were administered 3 times (familiarization, test, and retest) to a group of 120 children (mean age, 48.60 ± 9.94 months; body mass index, 17.05 ± 2.04 kg·m−2; 50% girls), with a week interval between each assessment. The obtained results in each test were compared with those obtained in the “handheld dynamometry” (the criterion measure) with the aim of identifying their construct validity. The reliability of the tests was analyzed by comparing the obtained results during the second (test) and the third (retest) time that each 1 was carried out. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to examine reliability, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to examine validity. The bent knee push-up showed a moderate reliability for 3-year-old children (ICC, 0.690; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.379–0.845) and high for those aged 4 years (ICC, 0.848; 95% CI, 0.715–0.919) and 5 (ICC, 0.702; 95% CI, 0.441–0.841). Similar results were obtained for the timed dipping, in children aged 3 years (ICC, 0.522; 95% CI, 0.422–0.761), 4 years (ICC, 0.766; 95% CI, 0.560–0.875), and 5 years (ICC, 0.828; 95% CI, 0.677–0.908). Both tests showed a good construct validity, with the exception of the timed dipping in 3-year-old children (r = 0.200; p = 0.256). The results in this study suggest that the bent knee push-up and the timed dipping show psychometric properties that make them suitable to be used in research carried out with preschoolers.
How isoflavone levels in common rodent diets can interfere with the value of animal models and with experimental results

Phytoestrogens are a diverse group of plant-derived compounds structurally or functionally mimicking mammalian oestrogens. A variety of effects, in vitro, in animal models and in humans, have been attributed to these compounds. It is generally not appreciated that many commercial rodent diets are formulated with soy as a source of protein and thus large daily doses of phytoestrogens in the form of isoflavones are delivered to the animals. The content of isoflavones in laboratory diets depends on a number of factors and, therefore, varies considerably, both between different formulations, and also from batch to batch of the same formulation. Dietary isoflavones can influence a number of different endpoints, rendering the dietary levels of such compounds an important experimental factor to consider. The levels of isoflavones in common laboratory diets are reviewed in relation to the dietary levels influencing different endpoints.
HIV/AIDS-Specific Quality of Life and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Over Time

Objective: To determine if HIV/AIDS-specific quality of life (QOL) predicts adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: HIV-infected outpatients on efavirenz plus 2 or 3 nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors and with HIV viral loads <75 copies/mL were followed until the censoring event of detectable viremia or 1 year of follow-up. QOL was assessed at baseline with the HIV/AIDS-Targeted Quality of Life instrument (HAT-QoL), as were depression symptoms, stress levels, social support, and substance use. Follow-up high (≥95%) versus low (<95%) adherence was measured for 90 days before the censoring event. Results: Fifty-six (48%) of 116 recruited participants had low adherence. Baseline financial worries (from the HAT-QoL) were greater in those with low versus high adherence (P = 0.02). Those with low versus high adherence also were more likely to use alcohol (P = 0.01) and other drugs (P = 0.02) currently at baseline. Regression analysis led to a model that included only current alcohol use (odds ratio [OR] = 2.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20 to 5.87)) and financial worries (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.310, for each 10-unit rise). Conclusions: Baseline financial worries were associated with antiretroviral adherence later in time. Questions about paying bills and financial ability to care for oneself may be clinically useful in identifying patients who will have suboptimal adherence.