Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of serum protein concentration to predict mortality in mixed-source dairy replacement heifers.

The relationship between serum protein concentration in the 1st week of life and survival to 16 weeks of age was examined in 3,479 Holstein replacement heifers over a period of 10 years on a farm with endemic salmonellosis. Thirty-four percent of calves studied had serum protein concentrations < 5.0 g/dL and 60.5% of calves had serum protein concentrations < 5.5 g/dL. Cumulative mortality was 7.9%, indicating that calves with marginal passive transfer status can be reared successfully under conditions of endemic salmonellosis. Optimal survival was observed in calves with serum protein concentrations > 5.5 g/dL. Calves with serum protein concentrations of 5.0-5.4 g/dL had only a slightly increased relative risk (RR) of mortality (RR = 1.3) compared to calves with serum protein concentrations > 5.5 g/dL. The highest RR was experienced by calves with serum protein concentrations < 4 g/dL (RR = 4.6) and 4.0-4.4 g/dL (RR = 3.1). Calves with inadequate passive transfer (serum protein concentration < 5.0 g/dL), experienced increased mortality until at least 10 weeks of age, indicating that failure of passive transfer has an effect on calf health that extends into the juvenile period. Models in which serum protein concentration was treated with as a continuous variable or as a categorical variable failed to demonstrate any significant interaction between baseline mortality and the RR of mortality. This finding suggests that the RR derived in the present study should be applicable to farms with dramatically different baseline mortality rates.
Do smart parents raise smart children? The intergenerational transmission of cognitive abilities

Complementing prior research on income and educational mobility, we examine the intergenerational transmission of cognitive abilities. We find that individuals’ cognitive skills are positively related to their parents’ abilities, despite controlling for educational attainment and family background. Differentiating between mothers’ and fathers’ IQ transmission, we find different effects on the cognition of sons and daughters. Cognitive skills that are based on past learning are more strongly transmitted between generations than skills that are related to innate abilities. Our findings are not compatible with a pure genetic model but rather point to the importance of parental investments for children’s cognitive outcomes.
Predicting Longitudinal Dispersion Coefficients in Sinuous Rivers by Genetic Algorithm

Abstract In the present work, existing empirical expressions for longitudinal dispersion coefficient of rivers (K) are evaluated. They are found inadequate primarily because these expressions ignore the channel sinuosity, an important parameter representing a river’s transverse irregularities that affect mixing process. Hence, a new expression for K is derived taking into account the sinuosity besides few of other hydraulic and geometric characteristics of a river. The model makes use of genetic algorithm (GA) on published field data. Based on several performance indices, the new expression is found superior to many existing expressions for estimating K. The sensitivity and error analysis conducted on parameters of the new expression show the channel sinuosity an important input for predicting K accurately. Any error in measurement of sinuosity would lead to significant deviation in the longitudinal dispersion coefficient in sinuous rivers.
Littoral seafloor sensing and characterization using marine electromagnetics, optical imagery, and remotely and autonomously operated platforms

Seafloor sensing in littoral environments is challenged by a combination of technical requirements related to the detection, georegistration, and confirmation or characterization of natural and man-made items on, or beneath the seafloor. Specifically, EM sensing from unmanned systems enables the positioning of array-based sensors directly over targets of interest in a wide range of littoral environments: from surf zone to benthic areas in 100's of meters of water. Targets include both anthropogenic objects such as marine archeology and salvage, infrastructure associated with undersea cables, seabed foundations for windfarms, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other munitions hazards as well as shallow natural and geologic objects such as freshwater lens, gas hydrates, mineral ore, and heterogeneous sediment deposits. In this paper, we present aspects of the design, development and testing of array configurations from testing and evaluations in littoral environments. This includes integration and testing with multiple remotely and autonomously operated swimming platforms (ROVs, AUVs, and hybrids). In particular, we demonstrate the deployment of an integrated system based on a hybrid autonomous underwater vehicle and comprising bottom following, station keeping, and waypoint mapping control, a multi-channel frequency-domain EM array, and multiple high resolution imaging sensors. Results from initial testing and pilot studies for UXO surveying, marine archeology, and seabed classification are summarized.
We Study the shape of an acoustic pulse from a monochromatic source on the SOFAR

We Study the shape of an acoustic pulse from a monochromatic source on the SOFAR axis as a function of range in the paraboT Ic approximation. Borrowing a method of quantum physics, we work with the stochastic-mechanical interpretation of the parabolic wave equation: the motion oE acoustic "particles" along random rays is governed by a stochastic differential equation of diffusion type. As recognized by Williamson in his study of electromagnetic pulses, the average pulse shape is just the (suitably normalized) graph of the probability density function of a particle's travel time along a random ray. We discuss an approach to finding this probability density at long range, and we derive a formula for the average travel time as a function of range; this formula predicts the well-known transition from the characteristic near-range pulse shape to the characteristic farrange shape. Knowledge of a key parameter in this formula is equivalent to knowing the location of convergence zones. A possible test of this theory against experimental data is outlined. In the course of the paper, we derive new stochasticmechanical versions of Ehrenfest's theorem and the virial theorem. A STOCHASTIC-MECHANICAL APPROACH TO ACOUSTIC PULSE PROPAGATION IN THE DEEP OCEAN SOUND CHANNEL
Transdiagnostic and disorder-specific models of intergenerational transmission of internalizing pathology

Background Numerous studies have supported an association between maternal depression and child psychiatric outcomes, but few have controlled for the confounding effects of both maternal and offspring co-morbidity. Thus, it remains unclear whether the correspondence between maternal and offspring depressive and anxiety disorders is better explained by associations between shared features of maternal and offspring internalizing disorders or by specific effects exerted by unique aspects of individual disorders. Method Pairs of mothers and offspring overselected for maternal depression (n = 815) were assessed at offspring age 15 years for anxiety and depressive disorders; 705 completed a follow-up at offspring age 20 years. For both mothers and offspring, structural equation modeling was used to distinguish transdiagnostic internalizing pathology – representing the overlap among all depressive and anxiety disorders – from diagnosis-specific forms of pathology. To discriminate between general versus specific pathways of intergenerational transmission of psychopathology, we examined (a) the general association between the maternal and offspring internalizing factors and (b) the correlations between maternal and offspring diagnosis-specific pathology for each disorder. Results For mothers and offspring, a unidimensional latent variable model provided the best fit to the correlations among depressive and anxiety disorders. The maternal transdiagnostic internalizing factor strongly predicted the corresponding factor among offspring. In addition, the unique component of post-traumatic stress disorder among offspring was significantly related to the analogous unique component among mothers, but specific components of other maternal disorders, including depression, did not predict corresponding offspring pathology. Conclusions Results suggest that intergenerational transmission of internalizing disorders is largely non-specific.
Hand motion recognition using hybrid sensors consisting of EMG sensors and optical distance sensors

Many hand motion recognition methods using Electromyogram (EMG) signals have been developed. Because most studies used only surface EMG signals from a forearm, available motion-related information was limited. In this paper, we report a SVM (Support Vector Machine) based hand motion recognition method using hybrid sensors. The hybrid sensor consists of an EMG sensor and an optical distance sensor, and can measure myoelectric activities and distance between the sensor and the skin surface at the same time. It is expected that distance changes caused by muscle elevation compensate the limited information derived from myoelectric activities. To examine the effectiveness of our method, we performed hand motion recognition experiments with four subjects. Experimental results showed that our method using hybrid sensors can improve motion recognition accuracy compared to when using only EMG signals.
Biocompatibility and recellularization potential of an acellular porcine heart valve matrix.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY Tissue-engineered heart valves have the potential to overcome the limitations of present heart valve replacements. The study aim was to investigate the biocompatibility and recellularization potential of an acellular porcine valve matrix. METHODS Acellular porcine valve matrix contact and extract cytotoxicity was tested against porcine fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells (SMC). Porcine cells were incubated with decellularized aortic valve leaflets and aortic wall, and then assessed for changes in morphology and contact inhibition of growth. Soluble tissue extracts were prepared from decellularized leaflets and aortic wall, and assessed for their effect on the viability of cultured porcine cells. Acellular leaflets were seeded with either fibroblasts or SMC at 1 x 10(3) to 1 x 10(6) cells/cm2 for 24 h, or 5 x 10(4) cells/cm2 for 1-4 weeks. Cell attachment onto, and migration into, the acellular matrix was assessed by scanning electron microscopy and histology. RESULTS No contact inhibition of growth, or changes in fibroblast or SMC morphology, were observed following contact with the acellular valve matrix. No soluble extract cytotoxicity was found. Intermediate cell-seeding densities (2.5 x 10(4) to 7.5 x 10(4) cells/cm2) of both cell types produced confluent cell attachment; at the lowest concentration (1 x 10(3) cells/cm2) cell attachment was sparse, and at the highest (1 x 10(6) cells/cm2) it was multilayered. The SMC migrated throughout the leaflet matrix over four weeks, but there was no fibroblast migration into the matrix. CONCLUSION The absence of contact and extract cytotoxicity indicated that the acellular valve matrix was biocompatible in vitro. The failure of porcine fibroblasts to grow on, or infiltrate into, the matrix suggested that the SMC may be the preferred cell type for future leaflet recellularization studies in the development of a tissue-engineered heart valve replacement.
On the performance of selective transmission based DF FSO system with generalized M-distributed turbulence

This paper investigates the error performance of the decode-and-forward (DF) based free space optical (FSO) communication system utilizing subcarrier intensity modulation (SIM) for binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) signalling in generalized M-distributed atmospheric turbulence. The M-distribution is a generic statistical model which unifies several existing distributions used for atmospheric turbulence induced fading. The exact closed-form expression of the average bit error rate (BER) is derived for selective transmission based DF FSO system using independent and non identically distributed (i.n.i.d) optical links. Moreover, we analytically obtain the diversity order of the considered set-up for various distributions (e.g. gamma-gamma distribution, K-distribution, and negative exponential distribution), characterized by the generalized M-distribution model. It is shown by the simulations that the selective relaying based DF protocol provides maximum possible diversity in all the considered fading environments.
Cortisol awakening response and spatial working memory in man: a U‐shaped relationship

The association between hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA)‐axis function and cognition has long been investigated. An inverted U‐shaped relationship has been described between various measures of HPA‐axis function and neuropsychological performance in animals and man. Work with glucocorticoid receptor manipulation has corroborated these findings, with particular effects observed in relation to spatial working memory (SWM). As HPA‐axis dysfunction is frequently found in patients with psychiatric illness, research in this area has potential implications for the treatment of the commonly observed cognitive impairment in such disorders. Here, we present the results of a pilot study examining the relationship between cortisol awakening response (CAR) and cognitive functions known to be susceptible to HPA‐axis manipulation.
Examining Child Maltreatment Through a Neurodevelopmental Lens: Clinical Applications of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics

This article provides the theoretical rationale and overview of a neurodevelopmentally-informed approach to therapeutic work with maltreated and traumatized children and youth. Rather than focusing on any specific therapeutic technique, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) allows identification of the key systems and areas in the brain which have been impacted by adverse developmental experiences and helps target the selection and sequence of therapeutic, enrichment, and educational activities. In the preliminary applications of this approach in a variety of clinical settings, the outcomes have been positive. More in depth evaluation of this approach is warranted, and is underway.
APEX MODEL ASSESSMENT OF VARIABLE LANDSCAPES ON RUNOFF AND DISSOLVED HERBICIDES

Variability in soil landscapes and their associated properties can have significant effects on erosion and deposition processes that affect runoff and transport of pesticides. Simulation models are one way in which the effects of landscapes on these processes can be assessed. This simulation study evaluated the effects of variations in landscape position on runoff and dissolved atrazine utilizing a calibrated farm- and field-scale Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. Twelve agricultural plots (18 m × 189 m) in the Goodwater Creek watershed, a 7250 ha agricultural area in north-central Missouri, were simulated. Plots were treated with three tillage and herbicide management systems for two grain crop rotations. Each plot contained three landscape positions (summit, backslope, and footslope) along with two transition zones. Runoff was measured and samples were collected from 1997 to 2002 during the corn year of the crop rotations. Runoff samples were analyzed for dissolved atrazine. The model was calibrated and validated for each plot with event data from 1997 to 1999 and from 2000 to 2002, respectively. APEX reasonably simulated runoff and dissolved atrazine concentrations, with coefficients of determination (r2) values ranging from 0.52 to 0.98 and from 0.52 to 0.97, and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values ranging from 0.46 to 0.94 and from 0.45 to 0.86 for calibration and validation, respectively. The calibrated model was then used to simulate variable sequencing of landscape positions and associated soil properties as well as variable lengths of landscape positions. Simulated results indicated that the runoff and the atrazine load at the plot outlet increased when the backslope length increased while keeping the steepness constant. The maximum simulated runoff among different sequences of landscape positions occurred when the backslope position was located adjacent to the outlet. Results from this study will be helpful to managers in placement of conservation practices on sensitive landscapes for improvement in water quality.
A 4.5 kV HBM, 300 V CDM, 1.2 kV HMM ESD protected DC-to-16.1 GHz wideband LNA in 90 nm CMOS

A DC-to-16.1 GHz wideband LNA in 90 nm digital CMOS is protected up to 4.5 kV HBM, equivalent 300 V CDM, and 1 kV HMM ESD stress by adding an area-efficient asymmetric T-diode with built-in local ESD protection in front of the RF input. Additional turn-off circuitry prevents any parasitic ESD path to be triggered in the core circuit.
HERF1, a Novel Hematopoiesis-Specific RING Finger Protein, Is Required for Terminal Differentiation of Erythroid Cells

ABSTRACT The AML1/core binding factor β (CBFβ) transcription factor is essential for definitive hematopoiesis; however, the downstream pathways through which it functions remain incompletely defined. Using a differential cloning approach to define components of this pathway, we have identified a novel gene designated HERF1 (for hematopoietic RING finger 1), whose expression during development is dependent on the presence of functional AML1/CBFβ. HERF1 contains a tripartite RING finger–B box–α-helical coiled-coil domain and a C-terminal region homologous to the retproto-oncogene-encoded finger protein. Expression of HERF1during embryogenesis coincides with the appearance of definitive erythropoiesis and in adult mice is restricted to erythroid cells, increasing 30-fold during terminal differentiation. Importantly, inhibition of HERF1 expression blocked terminal erythroid differentiation of the murine erythroleukemia cell line MEL, whereas its overexpression induced erythroid maturation. These results suggest an important role for this protein in erythropoiesis.
Biological sequence analysis by vector-valued functions : revisiting alignment-free methodologies for DNA and protein classification

Biological sequence analysis is at the core of bioinformatics, bringing together several fields, from computer science to probability and statistics. Its purpose is to computationally process and decode the information stored in biological macromolecules involved in all cell mechanisms of living organisms – such as DNA, RNA and proteins – and provide prediction tools to reveal their structure, function and complex relationship networks. Within this context several methods have arisen that analyze sequences based on alignment algorithms, ubiquitously used in most bioinformatics applications. Alternatively, although less explored in the literature, the use of vector maps for the analysis of biological sequences, both DNA and proteins, represents a very elegant proposal to extract information from those types of sequences using an alignment-free approach. This work presents an overview of alignment-free methods used for sequence analysis and comparison and the new trends of these techniques, applied to DNA and proteins. The recent endeavors found in the literature along with new proposals and widening of applications fully justifies a revisit to these methodologies, partially reviewed before (Vinga and Almeida, 2003).
Towards modelling spatial cognition for intelligent agents

When people participate in face-to-face interactions they position themselves intuitively, and throughout the course of interaction, they try to maintain a common focus of attention with co-present individuals by readjusting their position as and when necessary. Kendon's (1990) F-formation system shows people's spatial positions and orientations as key in accounting for their behavioral patterns in social interactions. By taking insights from such human spatial cognition abilities, we aim to design for spatial behaviors in intelligent agents. For example, in a multi-agent system, we would expect agents to approach one another from right directions, maintain appropriate interpersonal distances, and during interactions, maintain a common focus of attention with co-present agents. In this paper, we present AgentMax, a software agent with a qualitative view of its spatial environment, capable of positioning and orienting itself appropriately with respect to the objects and events in its simulated environment called the Grid World. With the growing need for autonomous agents to exhibit appropriate social behaviors, we argue that our approach, which accounts for some fundamental behavioral abilities of software agents at the interactional level, is a necessary foundation of intelligent agent design.
A new thresholding algorithm for document images based on the perception of objects by distance

In this work a new method to enhance and binarize document images with several kind of degradation is proposed. The method is based on the idea that by the absolute difference between a document image and its background it is possible to effectively emphasize the text and attenuate degraded regions. To generate the background of a document our work was inspired on the human visual system and on the perception of objects by distance. Snellen's visual acuity notation was used to define how far an image must be from an observer so that the details of the characters are not perceived anymore, remaining just the background. A scheme that combines k-means clustering algorithm and Otsu's thresholding method is also used to perform binarization. The proposed method has been tested on two different datasets of document images DIBCO 2011 and a real historical document image dataset with very satisfactory results.
Measurement of Bone Degradation Products in Serum Using Antibodies Reactive with an Isomerized Form of an 8 Amino Acid Sequence of the C‐Telopeptide of Type I Collagen

An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for measuring type I collagen degradation products in serum (S‐ELISA) was developed. The assay uses a high affinity polyclonal antibody which reacts with an isomerized form of an 8 amino acid sequence of the C‐telopeptides of type I collagen (EKAHD‐β‐GGR). Cross‐reactivity to a nonisomerized synthetic peptide form of the 8 amino acid sequence is less than 0.2%. Values obtained in a group of premenopausal women (age, 33.3 ± 3.11 years) were 69 ± 24 ng/ml (n = 22). In a group of early postmenopausal women (age, 51.8 ± 1.88 years) values obtained were 125 ± 43 ng/ml (n = 46), which represents an increase of 81% (p < 0.001). Values found in untreated patients with Paget's disease were 234 ± 95 ng/ml (n = 15), and for primary hyperparathyroidism we found 335 ± 82 ng/ml (n = 10). Interveneous administration of a bisphosphonate (Pamidronate) to Paget's disease patients for 3 days was reflected in the S‐ELISA by a decrease in the values of 55% when compared with values before treatment (n = 15). Following treatment with another bisphosphonate (Alendronate) for 6 months, values were decreased to 48 ± 19 ng/ml (n = 12), which corresponds to a 62% decrease. Clinical results presented in this context support that the assay is a sensitive and specific index of bone resorption. It may, therefore, prove useful in the follow up of treatment of patients with metabolic bone diseases and in the clinical investigation of osteoporosis.