Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychological Resources of Adults With Developmental Dyslexia

The aim of our study was to describe specific psychological resources of adults with developmental dyslexia and compare them with psychological resources of adults without developmental dyslexia. Potential differences were analyzed in visual-spatial, creative, and motivational abilities. No evidence was found for either creative, or visuospatial superiority in adults with developmental dyslexia. The results suggest, however, that visual-spatial processing of nonverbal material by adults with developmental dyslexia allows them to efficiently execute tasks that are based on sequential material. Moreover, the participants with specific difficulties in reading and writing exhibited a significantly higher level of aspirations than their peers without such difficulties with a comparable level of educational achievement. These results suggest that succeeding in different fields by highly functioning adult dyslexics may depend on personality and motivational factors, rather than cognitive factors.
Delay-Dependent $H_{\infty}$ and Generalized  $H_{2}$ Filtering for Delayed Neural Networks

This paper focuses on studying the H infin and generalized H 2 filtering problems for a class of delayed neural networks. The time-varying delay is only required to be continuous and bounded. Delay-dependent criteria are proposed such that the resulting filtering error system is globally exponentially stable with a guaranteed H infin or generalized H 2 performance. It is also shown that the designs of the desired filters are achieved by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities, which can be facilitated efficiently by resorting to standard numerical algorithms. It should be noted that, based on a novel bounding technique, several slack variables are introduced to reduce the conservatism of the derived conditions. Three examples with simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and performance of the developed approaches.
Deciding the liveness for a subclass of weighted Petri nets based on structurally circular wait

Weighted Petri nets as a kind of formal language are widely used to model and verify discrete event systems related to resource allocation like flexible manufacturing systems. System of Simple Sequential Processes with Multi-Resources (S3PMR, a subclass of weighted Petri nets and an important extension to the well-known System of Simple Sequential Processes with Resources, can model many discrete event systems in which (1) multiple processes may run in parallel and (2) each execution step of each process may use multiple units from multiple resource types. This paper gives a necessary and sufficient condition for the liveness of S3PMR. A new structural concept called Structurally Circular Wait (SCW) is proposed for S3PMR. Blocking Marking (BM) associated with an SCW is defined. It is proven that a marked S3PMR is live if and only if each SCW has no BM. We use an example of multi-processor system-on-chip to show that SCW and BM can precisely characterise the (partial) deadlocks for S3PMR. Simultaneously, two examples are used to show the advantages of SCW in preventing deadlocks of S3PMR. These results are significant for the further research on dealing with the deadlock problem.
ABA, porphyrins and plant TSPO-related protein

We have shown that, unexpectedly, AtTSPO (Arabidopsis thaliana TSPO-related protein) is an endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi localized membrane protein in plant cell.1 This localization contrast with that of mammalian 18-kDa translocator protein (at least for the mostly studied isoform, 18-kDa TSPO), a mitochondrial outer membrane protein (reviewed in2). Whereas the potential functions of 18-kDa TSPO are well documented, involved mainly in mitochondrial physiology,2 and its interest as drugs target is been explored,3 the roles of TSPO-related proteins in plant growth and development are yet to be specified. AtTSPO is expressed in dry seeds and can be induced in vegetative tissue by osmotic and salt stress or abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Moreover, it was shown that the ABA-dependent induction is transient, and that boosting tetrapyrroles biosynthesis through 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) feeding enhanced down-regulation of AtTSPO, suggesting an inherent post-translational regulation mechanism also involving ABA and likely porphyrins. We present additional evidence that ABA can help stabilize constitutively expressed AtTSPO and that ALA feeding to knockout mutant seeds, induces substantial germination delay. Here we discuss the possible link between ABA and tetrapyrroles in AtTSPO expression and post-translational regulation.
Automating multilingual metadata vocabularies

Markup is based on mnemonics (i.e. element names, attribute names and attribute values). These mnemonics have meaning, being this one of the most interesting features of markup. Human understanding of this meaning is lost when the encoder doesn't have a good command of the language the mnemonics are based on. By "multilingual markup" we refer to the use of tags built with mnemonics in one's own language, but still following the rules of the original markup vocabulary. In this paper we show the benefits of using multilingual markup vocabularies, especially in large digital library projects, and we describe our work to automate the use of multilingual vocabularies, including the translation of DC to Catalan, French, German and Spanish.
Baseline Observation Carry Forward: Reasoning, Properties, and Practical Issues

In some longitudinal drug studies, regulatory agencies suggest baseline observation carry forward (BOCF) as a method of handling patient dropout, despite the existence of many criticisms to BOCF. The reason for using BOCF is not clear to many users who either treat BOCF as an imputation method or consider BOCF to be “conservative” in the sense that it allows treatment effect to be evaluated with a severe penalty for dropouts. In this article we address the following questions and issues: What is the reason for using BOCF? Is BOCF a conservative approach to assessing drug efficacy? Is BOCF reasonable? If not, what are the alternatives? Our discussions are based on both theoretical and practical viewpoints.
Contributions to shared control and coordination of single and multiple robots

L’ensemble des travaux presentes dans cette habilitation traite de l'interface entre un d'un operateur humain avec un ou plusieurs robots semi-autonomes aussi connu comme le probleme du « controle partage ». Le premier chapitre traite de la possibilite de fournir des reperes visuels / vestibulaires a un operateur humain pour la commande a distance de robots mobiles. Le second chapitre aborde le probleme, plus classique, de la mise a disposition a l’operateur d’indices visuels ou de retour haptique pour la commande d’un ou plusieurs robots mobiles (en particulier pour les drones quadri-rotors). Le troisieme chapitre se concentre sur certains des defis algorithmiques rencontres lors de l'elaboration de techniques de coordination multi-robots. Le quatrieme chapitre introduit une nouvelle conception mecanique pour un drone quadrirotor sur-actionne avec pour objectif de pouvoir, a terme, avoir 6 degres de liberte sur une plateforme quadrirotor classique (mais sous-actionne). Enfin, le cinquieme chapitre presente une cadre general pour la vision active permettant, en optimisant les mouvements de la camera, l’optimisation en ligne des performances (en terme de vitesse de convergence et de precision finale) de processus d’estimation « bases vision ».
A BJT-Based Heterostructure 1T-DRAM for Low-Voltage Operation

We propose a BJT-based floating-body 1T-DRAM cell made of a novel heterostructure suitable to low-power DRAM technology. Based on the numerical simulation, we verify that the proposed structure is capable of reducing the breakdown voltage and single-transistor latch bias in the BJT-based 1T-DRAM, which largely depends on the impact ionization and parasitic BJT through enhancement of the current gain (β). Moreover, it is discerned that the novel structure with the SiGe structure has advantages of dynamic refresh characteristics due to reduced bit-line disturb compared with the normal Si device.
Spectrally Switchable Photodetection with Near-Infrared-Absorbing Covalent Organic Frameworks

Most covalent organic frameworks (COFs) to date are made from relatively small aromatic subunits, which can only absorb the high-energy part of the visible spectrum. We have developed near-infrared-absorbing low bandgap COFs by incorporating donor–acceptor-type isoindigo- and thienoisoindigo-based building blocks. The new materials are intensely colored solids with a high degree of long-range order and a pseudo-quadratic pore geometry. Growing the COF as a vertically oriented thin film allows for the construction of an ordered interdigitated heterojunction through infiltration with a complementary semiconductor. Applying a thienoisoindigo-COF:fullerene heterojunction as the photoactive component, we realized the first COF-based UV- to NIR-responsive photodetector. We found that the spectral response of the device is reversibly switchable between blue- and red-sensitive, and green- and NIR-responsive. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such nearly complete inversion of spectral sensitivity of a photodetector has been achieved. This effect could lead to potential applications in information technology or spectral imaging.
An Efficient XML query processing based on combining T-Bitmap and index techniques

With the widespread use of the Extensible Markup Language (XML), more and more applications store and query XML documents in XML database systems. So how to efficiently process a query and find specified patterns from XML documents is a crucial issue. In the paper, we proposed an efficient query processing algorithm for XML documents. We build T-Bitmap for each element in an XML document to filter out useless nodes. Moreover, we also build tag-index and value-index to improve the search efficiency while processing the ancestor-descendant axis and value nodes. Finally, through the experiments, we compared our method with others, and found that our method has better performances than others.
Home Health Clinicians Can Find and Help Women With Postpartum Depression

Untreated postpartum depression can lead to poor health outcomes for women, infants, and families. Home health clinicians can detect postpartum depression and provide emotional and informational support to improve the treatment rates of this disorder. This true case example shows how clinicians can detect postpartum depression and help women manage their treatment.
Potential Hazard Due to Induced Radioactivity Secondary to Radiotherapy: The Report of Task Group 136 of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Abstract External-beam radiation therapy mostly uses high-energy photons (x-rays) produced by medical accelerators, but many facilities now use proton beams, and a few use fast-neutron beams. High-energy photons offer several advantages over lower-energy photons in terms of better dose distributions for deep-seated tumors, lower skin dose, less sensitivity to tissue heterogeneities, etc. However, for beams operating at or above 10 MV, some of the materials in the accelerator room and the radiotherapy patient become radioactive due primarily to photonuclear reactions and neutron capture, exposing therapy staff and patients to unwanted radiation dose. Some recent advances in radiotherapy technology require treatments using a higher number of monitor units and monitor-unit rates for the same delivered dose, and compared to the conventional treatment techniques and fractionation schemes, the activation dose to personnel can be substantially higher. Radiotherapy treatments with proton and neutron beams all result in activated materials in the treatment room. In this report, the authors review critically the published literature on radiation exposures from induced radioactivity in radiotherapy. They conclude that the additional exposure to the patient due to induced radioactivity is negligible compared to the overall radiation exposure as a part of the treatment. The additional exposure to the staff due to induced activity from photon beams is small at an estimated level of about 1 to 2 mSv y−1. This is well below the allowed occupational exposure limits. Therefore, the potential hazard to staff from induced radioactivity in the use of high-energy x-rays is considered to be low, and no specific actions are considered necessary or mandatory. However, in the spirit of the “As Low as Reasonably Achievable (ALARA)” program, some reasonable steps are recommended that can be taken to reduce this small exposure to an even lower level. The dose reduction strategies suggested should be followed only if these actions are considered reasonable and practical in the individual clinics. Therapists working with proton beam and neutron beam units handle treatment devices that do become radioactive, and they should wear extremity monitors and make handling apertures and boluses their last task upon entering the room following treatment. Personnel doses from neutron-beam units can approach regulatory limits depending on the number of patients and beams, and strategies to reduce doses should be followed.
Ultra-Wideband Small Rectangular Slot Antenna With Variable Band-Stop Function

This article proposes a novel, small, printed rectangular slot antenna for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications with dual band-notch function with band-notch performance. To increase the impedance bandwidth of the rectangular slot antenna and achieve UWB coverage, we use an inverted T-shaped conductor backed plane inside the rectangular slot on the other side of the substrate. Additionally, by using a coupled rotated C-shaped strip around the inverted T-shaped conductor backed plane, a frequency notched band performance has been obtained. The designed antenna has a small size of 20 × 20 mm 2 while showing the radiation performance in the frequency band of 3.04 to over 10.87 GHz with a band rejection performance in the frequency band of 5.03 to 5.94 GHz. Simulated and measured results are presented to validate the usefulness of the proposed antenna structure for UWB applications.
Induced migration of endothelial cells into 3D scaffolds by chemoattractants secreted by pro-inflammatory macrophages in situ

Abstract Cell migration in scaffolds plays a crucial role in tissue regeneration, which can better mimic cell behaviors in vivo. In this study, a novel model has been proposed on controlling 3D cell migration in porous collagen-chitosan scaffolds with various pore structures under the stimulation of inflammatory cells to mimic the angiogenesis process. Endothelial cells (ECs) cultured atop the scaffolds in the Transwell molds which were placed into a well of a 24-well culture plate were promoted to migrate into the scaffolds by chemoattractants such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) secreted by the pro-inflammatory macrophages incubated in the well culture plate. The phenotype of macrophages was mediated by 50 ng/ml interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and different concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 150–300 ng/ml). The cell migration depth had a positive correlation with LPS concentration, and thereby the TNF-α concentration. The ECs migrated easier to a deeper zone of the scaffolds prepared at − 10ºC (187 μm in pore diameter) than that at − 20ºC (108 μm in pore diameter) as well. The method provides a useful strategy to study the 3D cell migration, and is helpful to reveal the vascularization process during wound healing in the long run.
Preservation of β-cell function: the key to diabetes prevention.

CONTEXT The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are approximately 79,000,000 individuals in the United States with prediabetes [impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and/or impaired fasting glucose] and that approximately 40-50% will progress to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during their lifetime. Therefore, treatment of high-risk IGT individuals to prevent T2DM has important medical, economic, social, and human implications. Individuals in the upper tertile of IGT are maximally/near-maximally insulin resistant, have lost 70-80% of their β-cell function, and have approximately a 10% incidence of diabetic retinopathy. Therefore, preservation of the remaining 20-30% of β-cell function is critical to prevent future development of T2DM. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION We searched MEDLINE from 2000 to the present to identify placebo-controlled trials in which individuals with IGT received pharmacological therapy to prevent progression to diabetes. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Lifestyle modification reduces IGT conversion to T2DM, but it is difficult to implement and maintain. Moreover, 40-50% of IGT subjects progress to T2DM despite weight loss. In contrast, pharmacological intervention with medications that reverse known pathophysiological abnormalities (β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance) uniformly prevents IGT progression to T2DM. Thiazolidinediones reduce IGT conversion to diabetes by approximately 50-70%. Metformin in the U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program reduced the development of T2DM by 31% and has been recommended by the American Diabetes Association. Because glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs augment insulin secretion, preserve β-cell function, and promote weight loss, they may be efficacious in preventing IGT progression to T2DM. CONCLUSION Pharmacological intervention with a variety of agents (thiazolidinediones, metformin, acarbose, glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs) consistently reduces the rate of conversion of IGT to T2DM.
Carotid artery stenting in the Zucker rat: a novel, potentially ‘diabetes-specific’ model of in-stent restenosis

Both morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease are higher in patients with diabetes. Moreover, percutaneous treatment of coronary artery disease using coronary stents – with either bare metal or the newer drug-eluting stents – is associated with poorer outcomes in patients with diabetes compared to those without, adding to their burden of disease. Surprisingly, given these broadly poor outcomes in patients with diabetes, there is a paucity of data using animal models examining the responses to stenting in a diabetic context. Such an animal model is proposed below. Five adult lean Zucker rats underwent stenting of the left common carotid artery. This was performed following an open cutdown under general anaesthesia (using 2% isofluorane) and an arteriotomy. Balloon-mounted human coronary stents (2.0 x 7mm, BiodivYsio, Abbott Vascular, Illinois, US) were placed in the common carotid artery under direct vision (OPMI Pico-microscope, Zeiss, Germany), advanced to a mid-arterial position and deployed at 12 atmospheres. The balloon was then removed, the arteriotomy ligated, and the animals allowed to recover. There was one peri-operative death, thought to be secondary to anaesthesia. After two weeks, the remaining four animals were sacrificed and the carotids dissected free en bloc. The tissue block was placed in 10% buffered formalin, then plasticised in methylmethacrylate. Sections (100 μm thick) were cut using a band cutting system (Exakt GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany), polished, stained with haematoxylin and eosin and imaged using light microscopy. A representative section is shown (figure 1). This processing technique leaves individual stent struts in situ. These were observed stretching and compressing, but not lacerating the media, suggesting a mild degree of vessel injury. The medial stretch and compression was associated with variable, but concentric, neointima (NI) formation (figure 1). This technique therefore demonstrates the potential to provide a specific model of in-stent restenosis in the setting of diabetes. Clearly, these are preliminary observations. The degree of NI formation has not yet been quantified in relation to the degree of vessel stretch; the molecular and cellular characterisation of the NI is yet to be elucidated; and the response to drug-eluting stent deployment has not yet been established. However, the technique is straightforward, low cost, readily available and importantly, to our knowledge, the first such description of carotid stenting in the Zucker rat, a readily available animal model of diabetes. In an environment where the clinical need for such models is clear, we trust that these preliminary observations will assist researchers in this important area of investigation. RESEARCH LETTER
Impact of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Genotypes on Quantification of HCV RNA in Serum by COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HCV Test, Abbott HCV RealTime Assay, and VERSANT HCV RNA Assay

The VERSANT HCV RNA 3.0 (bDNA), COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HCV, and Abbott ART HCV RealTime assays were compared for hepatitis C virus RNA quantification in 158 clinical specimens (genotypes 1 to 5). RNA values differed significantly between methods (P < 0.0001), and mean titer differences ranged from 0.01 to 0.50 log(10) IU/ml depending on the genotypes.
Color Correction of Red Blood Cell Area in H&E Stained Images by Using Multispectral Imaging

Abstract The color of stained pathological images varies depending on staining conditions. Since pathologists based their diagnosis on changes in color and morphology of a particular tissue component, it is important that color variations in stained pathological images be corrected so as to obtain a more reliable diagnosis. A color correction for Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) stained images was proposed previously. However, the method did not successfully correct the color of red blood cell (RBC) but only the nucleus and cytoplasm. In this paper, a modified color correction method that can appropriately correct the color of RBC areas in H&E stained images is proposed. In the method, a different weighting coefficient was assigned to RBC areas, which was based from averaged dye amount ratio in RBC areas in reference and test slides, and a new basis function was derived, in addition to the original three bases functions, to represent the change in the absorption coefficient in RBC areas. In the experiment, the effectiveness of the proposed method was shown with respect to the color difference between reference and test slides in CIE-LAB space.
Association Between Prenatal Exposure to Metals and Neonatal Morbidity

An association between prenatal exposure to (semi-)metals and of neonatal morbidity was assessed by introducing an oxidative stress as a possible intermediate step. An oxidative stress was measured by cell proliferation (CP) ratio in umbilical cord blood cells. Urine samples of 18 out of 58 enrolled women (31%) were positive for (semi-)metals; 25.9% of women were positive for aluminum (Al). The CP ratio was higher (1) in subjects with Al, (2) in mothers to newborns diagnosed as small-for-gestational age (p value = .052), (3) neonates that weighed less (p value = .079), and (4) in women who experienced repeated abortions (p value = .049). Our findings suggest the possibility of metal-induced oxidative stress.
Effects of Geriatric Education on the Attitudes of Medical Students

This study investigated the effects of an educational program in geriatrics on the attitudes of a group of third‐year medical students. A survey designed to measure attitudes toward geriatric patient care, aging, and older people was administered to all students before and after their participation in a 25‐hour geriatrics education component of a Family Practice Clerkship. Results showed the students' attitudes were significantly improved following the geriatrics training program. Prior training in geriatrics and their specialty preference were also found to have an impact on attitude. The implications of the study for medical education and research are discussed.