Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human-Interpretable Feature Pattern Classification System Using Learning Classifier Systems

Image pattern classification is a challenging task due to the large search space of pixel data. Supervised and subsymbolic approaches have proven accurate in learning a problem’s classes. However, in the complex image recognition domain, there is a need for investigation of learning techniques that allow humans to interpret the learned rules in order to gain an insight about the problem. Learning classifier systems (LCSs) are a machine learning technique that have been minimally explored for image classification. This work has developed the feature pattern classification system (FPCS) framework by adopting Haar-like features from the image recognition domain for feature extraction. The FPCS integrates Haar-like features with XCS, which is an accuracy-based LCS. A major contribution of this work is that the developed framework is capable of producing human-interpretable rules. The FPCS system achieved 91 1% accuracy on the unseen test set of the MNIST dataset. In addition, the FPCS is capable of autonomously adjusting the rotation angle in unaligned images. This rotation adjustment raised the accuracy of FPCS to 95%. Although the performance is competitive with equivalent approaches, this was not as accurate as subsymbolic approaches on this dataset. However, the benefit of the interpretability of rules produced by FPCS enabled us to identify the distribution of the learned angles—a normal distribution around —which would have been very difficult in subsymbolic approaches. The analyzable nature of FPCS is anticipated to be beneficial in domains such as speed sign recognition, where underlying reasoning and confidence of recognition needs to be human interpretable.
Optical Fiber Refractive Index Sensor for Chloride Ion Monitoring

The development of a reflective, gold-coated long-period grating-based sensor for the measurement of chloride ions in solution is discussed. The sensor scheme is based around a long-period fiber grating (LPG)-based Michelson interferometer where the sensor was calibrated and evaluated in the laboratory using sodium chloride solutions, over a wide range of concentrations, from 0.01 to 4.00 M. The grating response creates shifts in the spectral characteristic of the interferometer, formed using the LPG and a reflective surface on the distal end of the fiber, due to the change of refracting index of the solution surrounding it. It was found that the sensitivity of the device could be enhanced over that obtained from a bare fiber by coating the LPG-based interferometer with gold nanoparticles and the results of a cross-comparison of performance were obtained and details discussed. The approach will be explored as a basis to create a portable, low-power device, developed with the potential for installation in concrete structures to determine the ingress of chloride ions, operating through monitoring the refractive index change.
Analysis of CMOS interconnections combining LE-FDTD method and SOC procedure

This work describes the application of the Lumped Element-Finite Difference Time Domain (LE-FDTD) method to the rigorous analysis of CMOS interconnections. In particular the frequency-dependent line parameters are evaluated in a wide (DC to 100 GHz) bandwidth. To obtain very accurate results the Short-Open Calibration (SOC) procedure has been adopted. With such an approach, simple lumped generators and loads can be used to excite and terminate the structure under analysis, in substitution of more complex boundary conditions. The technique has been validated against experimental results from the literature showing a good agreement.
DNA Mismatch Repair Proteins Are Required for Efficient Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Replication

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a double-stranded DNA virus that replicates in the nucleus of its human host cell and is known to interact with many cellular DNA repair proteins. In this study, we examined the role of cellular mismatch repair (MMR) proteins in the virus life cycle. Both MSH2 and MLH1 are required for efficient replication of HSV-1 in normal human cells and are localized to viral replication compartments. In addition, a previously reported interaction between MSH6 and ICP8 was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation and extended to show that UL12 is also present in this complex. We also report for the first time that MLH1 associates with ND10 nuclear bodies and that like other ND10 proteins, MLH1 is recruited to the incoming genome. Knockdown of MLH1 inhibits immediate-early viral gene expression. MSH2, on the other hand, which is generally thought to play a role in mismatch repair at a step prior to that of MLH1, is not recruited to incoming genomes and appears to act at a later step in the viral life cycle. Silencing of MSH2 appears to inhibit early gene expression. Thus, both MLH1 and MSH2 are required but appear to participate in distinct events in the virus life cycle. The observation that MLH1 plays an earlier role in HSV-1 infection than does MSH2 is surprising and may indicate a novel function for MLH1 distinct from its known MSH2-dependent role in mismatch repair.
A prospective study comparing cytomegalovirus antigenemia, DNAemia and RNAemia tests in guiding pre‐emptive therapy in thoracic organ transplant recipients

We evaluated the usefulness of DNAemia and mRNAemia tests in guiding the pre‐emptive therapy against cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in thoracic organ transplant recipients using antigenemia test as the reference. Seven lung (LTR) and 14 heart (HTR) transplant recipients were prospectively monitored for CMV by antigenemia, DNAemia (Cobas Amplicor PCR Monitor) and pp67‐mRNAemia (NASBA) tests. However, only the antigenemia test guided pre‐emptive therapy with cut‐off levels of ≥2 and ≥5–10 pp65‐positive leukocytes/50 000 leukocytes in the LTRs and HTRs, respectively. CMV DNAemia was detected in 26/28 (93%) and RNAemia in 17/28 (61%) of the CMV antigenemias requiring antiviral therapy (P = 0.01). Optimal DNAemia levels (sensitivity/specificity) estimated from receiver‐operating characteristic curve to achieve maximal sum of sensitivity and specificity were 400 (75.9/92.7%), 850 (91.3/91.3%) and 1250 (100/91.5%) copies/ml for the antigenemia of 2, 5 and 10 pp65‐positive leukocytes, respectively. The sensitivities of nucleic acid sequence‐based amplification (NASBA) were 25.9%, 43.5% and 56.3% in detecting the same cut‐off levels of antigenemia. In thoracic organ transplant recipients, the Cobas PCR assay is comparable with the antigenemia test in guiding pre‐emptive therapy against CMV infections when threshold levels of over 5 pp65‐antigen‐positive leukocytes are used as the reference. In contrast, the low sensitivity of NASBA limits its usefulness in the guidance of pre‐emptive therapy.
A Time Efficient Optical Model for GATE Simulation of a LYSO Scintillation Matrix Used in PET Applications

A time efficient optical model is proposed for GATE simulation of a LYSO scintillation matrix coupled to a photomultiplier. The purpose is to avoid the excessively long computation time when activating the optical processes in GATE. The usefulness of the model is demonstrated by comparing the simulated and experimental energy spectra obtained with the dual planar head equipment for dosimetry with a positron emission tomograph (DoPET). The procedure to apply the model is divided in two steps. Firstly, a simplified simulation of a single crystal element of DoPET is used to fit an analytic function that models the optical attenuation inside the crystal. In a second step, the model is employed to calculate the influence of this attenuation in the energy registered by the tomograph. The use of the proposed optical model is around three orders of magnitude faster than a GATE simulation with optical processes enabled. A good agreement was found between the experimental and simulated data using the optical model. The results indicate that optical interactions inside the crystal elements play an important role on the energy resolution and induce a considerable degradation of the spectra information acquired by DoPET. Finally, the same approach employed by the proposed optical model could be useful to simulate a scintillation matrix coupled to a photomultiplier using single or dual readout scheme.
Voxel-level comparison of arterial spin-labeled perfusion MRI and FDG-PET in Alzheimer disease

Objective: We compared the ability of arterial spin labeling (ASL), an MRI method that measures cerebral blood flow (CBF), to that of FDG-PET in distinguishing patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) from healthy, age-matched controls. Methods: Fifteen patients with AD (mean age 72 ± 6 years, Mini-Mental State Examination score [MMSE] 20 ± 6) and 19 age-matched controls (mean age 68 ± 6 years, MMSE 29 ± 1) underwent structural MRI. Participants were injected with 5 mCi of FDG during pseudocontinuous ASL scan, which was followed by PET scanning. Statistical parametric mapping and regions of interest (ROI) analysis were used to compare the ability of the 2 modalities in distinguishing patients from controls. Similarity between the 2 modalities was further assessed with linear correlation maps of CBF and metabolism to neuropsychological test scores. Results: Good agreement between hypoperfusion and hypometabolism patterns was observed, with overlap primarily in bilateral angular gyri and posterior cingulate. ROI results showed similar scales of functional deficit between patients and controls in both modalities. Both ASL and FDG-PET were able to distinguish neural networks associated with different neuropsychological tests with good overlap between modalities. Conclusions: Our voxel-wise results indicated that ASL-MRI provides largely overlapping information with FDG-PET. ROI analysis demonstrated that both modalities detected similar degrees of functional deficits in affected areas. Given its ease of acquisition and noninvasiveness, ASL-MRI may be an appealing alternative for AD studies.
From "thrifty genotype" to "hefty fetal phenotype": the relationship between high birthweight and diabetes in Saskatchewan Registered Indians.

BACKGROUND Intrauterine factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS In a 1:1 matched pairs case-control study, high and low birthweight (HBW, LBW) rates in Saskatchewan Registered Indian (RI) diabetic cases were compared with corresponding rates in RI without diabetes, and non-RI people with and without diabetes. RESULTS Birthweights were available for 73% of the 1,366 cases and 3 x 1,366 controls. A greater proportion of RI diabetics were born with HBW (> 4000 grams) compared to RI non-diabetics (16.2% vs 10.7%; p < 0.01). There was a significant association between HBW (but not LBW [< 2500 grams]) and diabetes for RI people (OR 1.63 [95% CI 1.20, 2.24]), which was stronger for RI females and strengthened progressively from mid to late 20th century. INTERPRETATION Certain causes of HBW may predispose to subsequent development of T2DM in Canadian Aboriginal people ("hefty fetal phenotype" ["hefty fetal type"] hypothesis). Programs that optimize healthy pregnancies could reduce T2DM incidence in future generations.
A versatile low-power ciphering and integrity protection unit for LTE-advanced mobile devices

In this paper we present a versatile hardware architecture for accelerating the Long Term Evolution (LTE) integrity protection and confidentiality algorithms based on SNOW3G and ZUC stream ciphers. The proposed design combines both ciphers in a unified configurable hardware accelerator unit and focuses on area and energy consumption reduction, by applying resource sharing and power optimization techniques. Hardware implementations base on Faraday's 90 nm standard cell library and are evaluated at various timing constraints that account for data rates typical of LTE-Advanced mobile terminals. The unified architecture is compared to the stand-alone implementations, providing results that show an overall area reduction of 35% and a power saving of 40% and 75% for the confidentiality and integrity protection algorithms, respectively.
Function of DcuS from Escherichia coli as a Fumarate-stimulated Histidine Protein Kinase in Vitro *

The two-component regulatory system DcuSR ofEscherichia coli controls the expression of genes of C4-dicarboxylate metabolism in response to extracellular C4- dicarboxylates such as fumarate or succinate. DcuS is a membrane-integral sensor kinase, and the sensory and kinase domains are located on opposite sides of the cytoplasmic membrane. The intact DcuS protein (His6-DcuS) was overproduced and isolated in detergent containing buffer. His6-DcuS was reconstituted into liposomes made from E. coli phospholipids. Reconstituted His6-DcuS catalyzed, in contrast to the detergent-solubilized sensor, autophosphorylation by [γ-33P]ATP with an approximate K D of 0.16 mm for ATP. Up to 7% of the reconstituted DcuS was phosphorylated. Phosphorylation was stimulated up to 5.9-fold by C4-dicarboxylates, but not by other carboxylates. The phosphoryl group of DcuS was rapidly transferred to the response regulator DcuR. Upon phosphorylation, DcuR bound specifically to dcuB promoter DNA. The reconstituted DcuSR system therefore represents a defined in vitro system, which is capable of the complete transmembrane signal transduction by the DcuSR two-component system from the stimulus (fumarate) to the DNA, including signal transfer across the phospholipid membrane.
Baicalin and deferoxamine alleviate iron accumulation in different brain regions of Parkinson's disease rats

Previous studies found that iron accumulates in the substantia nigra of Parkinson’s disease patients. However, it is still unclear whether other brain regions have iron accumulation as well. In this experiment, rats with rotenone-induced Parkinson’s disease were treated by gastric perfusion of baicalin or intraperitoneal injection of deferoxamine. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that iron accumulated not only in the substantia nigra pars compacta, but also significantly in the striatum globus pallidus, the dentate gyrus granular layer of the hippocampus, the dentate-interpositus and the facial nucleus of the cerebellum. Both baicalin and deferoxamine, which are iron chelating agents, significantly inhibited iron deposition in these brain areas, and substantially reduced the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells. These chelators also reduced iron content in the substantia nigra. In addition to the substantia nigra, iron deposition was observed in other brain regions as well. Both baicalin and deferoxamine significantly inhibited iron accumulation in different brain regions, and had a protective effect on dopaminergic neurons.
Dynamic constraint-based rendering of contacts in haptics

Kinesthetic haptic applications employ force feedback on top of graphic and sound modalities to enable the human operator to interact with objects within a virtual world. The force feedback sensation, in particular, is created by a haptic device that displays the forces arising from this interaction. These forces must accurately emulate a real contact interaction, an objective which is commonly referred to as high-fidelity force feedback rendering. To achieve this, the current paper proposes a constrained-based rendering using a virtual tool that comes into unilateral contact with the virtual objects. Unlike common quasi-static or quasi-dynamic formulations in the haptics literature, a truly dynamic physical interaction between the virtual tool and the objects is modeled here. The paper develops analytical formulations for a canonical problem including colliding contact, sustained contact, slip and stick friction. Initial simulation and experimental evaluations show the potential of this method for handling complicated contact scenarios such as those encountered in haptic simulations of spinal or dental surgeries.
Target organ damage and masked hypertension in the general population: the Finn-Home study

Background: The relation of masked hypertension to target organ damage has very seldom been investigated in a general population. Methods: An unselected population cohort (n = 1989 of which 1540 were not treated for hypertension) underwent office (duplicate measurements on one visit by a nurse) and home (duplicate measurements on 7 days) blood pressure (BP) measurements and evaluation of electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (ECG-LVH, n = 1989/1540), carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT, n = 758/592), and pulse wave velocity (PWV, n = 237/158). ECG-LVH was diagnosed using Cornell voltage criteria. PWV was measured using whole-body impedance cardiography. Masked hypertension was defined as office BP less than 140/90 mmHg with home BP at least 135/85 mmHg and white-coat hypertension as office BP at least 140/90 mmHg and home BP less than 135/85 mmHg. Results: Masked and sustained hypertensive individuals had significantly higher age-adjusted and sex-adjusted Cornell voltage, cIMT, and PWV than normotensive individuals. White-coat hypertensive patients had higher age-adjusted and sex-adjusted Cornell voltage than normotensive individuals but significantly lower Cornell voltage and PWV than sustained hypertensive patients. The differences in Cornell voltage and PWV remained significant after adjustment for confounding factors. However, all differences became nonsignificant after adjustment for systolic home BP. Conclusion: Masked and sustained hypertension is accompanied by increased risk for hypertensive target organ damage, whereas white-coat hypertension seems to be a more benign phenomenon.
Analysis of Low-Speed IPMMs With Distributed and Fractional Slot Concentrated Windings for Wind Energy Applications

This paper introduces an alternative pathway to designing an efficient interior permanent magnet machine (IPMM) for direct–drive (D-D) wind energy applications. It analyzes the design optimization methodology in great detail, employing multiple experimental verifications to acutely pinpoint the most desirable and feasible format. The focal objectives of minimizing cogging torque, torque ripple, and maximizing efficiency were among the priority design goals and obtained through design optimization. It is demonstrated in the process that both the torque ripple and the cogging torque can be reduced to less than 5% by adjusting the slot and pole dimensions, without any other alterations in rotor pole shaping or skewing. This paper leads the way, pioneering experimental substantiation of theory, by varying existing geometrical parameters, winding, and pole design of a basic IPMM to come up with a highly efficient wind turbine generator with negligible cogging torque and torque ripple. The electromagnetic is at the heart of this paper’s design goals, as parameter optimization is essential for a wind turbine application. The winding layout is brought under scrutiny and both the distributed and concentrated wound IPMMs are compared to further adopt the design optimization. The superiority of the concentrated-wound design is demonstrated, and consequently a prototype machine is constructed based on the proposed design for experimental verification. The results from the experiment verify the feasibility of the proposed design for D-D wind turbine applications.
Absence of Fer Protein-Tyrosine Kinase Exacerbates Leukocyte Recruitment in Response to Endotoxin1

The group IV cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase Fer has been linked to cellular signaling responses to many different stimuli, including growth factors and cytokines. However, the biological relevance of Fer activation in vivo has not been demonstrated to date. Recently, we generated a transgenic mouse line in which Fer protein is expressed but lacks catalytic activity. Homozygous mutant mice were viable and fertile, and showed no overt defects. In this study, we used intravital microscopy to examine the role of Fer kinase in leukocyte recruitment (rolling adhesion and emigration) in response to LPS challenge in skeletal muscle microcirculation. In addition, we measured vascular permeability changes (FITC-albumin leakage, venular-to-interstitial space) in response to Ag to examine general endothelial cell function. Local administration of LPS induced decreased leukocyte rolling velocity and increased leukocyte adhesion and emigration in wild-type mice. LPS-induced changes in leukocyte rolling velocity and rolling flux were not significantly different in Fer mutants. However, LPS-induced leukocyte adhesion (23 ± 3 vs 11 ± 3 cells/100 μm) and emigration (100 ± 5 vs 28 ± 7 cells/field) were significantly elevated in Fer-mutant mice relative to wild-type mice, respectively, suggesting an essential role for the Fer kinase in regulating inflammation-induced leukocyte emigration. Vascular permeability increases in response to Ag were similar between the two groups, indicating that the ability of endothelial cells to retract is intact in the absence of Fer kinase. These data provide the first evidence for a biological role for Fer in regulation of leukocyte recruitment during the innate immune response.
Sensor data fusion in a simulated sensor environment

This paper addresses the development of automatic target recognition (ATR) algorithms that have the potential to fuse information from multiple sensors to improve acquisition, tracking, and discrimination of threat objects in a simulated sensor environment. A powerful and versatile simulated sensor environment was created to investigate the ATR algorithms presented in this paper. ATR algorithms were chosen and implemented based upon a mid-course ballistic missile defense (BMD) scenario. Algorithms implemented include variations of the sample importance resample particle filter and Bayesian jump-diffusion. The particle filter algorithms handle detection and tracking for this scenario and performed to -10dB SNR for a single IR sensor and better than -18dB for fused IR sensors. The jump-diffusion algorithms were used for target discrimination and performed at as low as -1dB SNR for a single IR sensor and -1.5dB for fused IR and LADAR sensors
Linking Race and Well-being within a Biopsychosocial Framework: Variation in Subjective Sleep Quality in Two Racially Diverse Older Adult Samples∗

Differential life experiences associated with race may critically affect the balance between physical and psychological well-being. This study investigated an age-related and disease-related symptom, restless sleep, among older African American and white members of two sociodemographically matched cohorts, community-dwelling older adults and older adults with chronic renal failure undergoing maintenance dialysis therapy. Sleep behaviors reflect age-dependent and disease-dependent homeostatic and circadian state regulation but are also socioculturally patterned. As hypothesized, restless sleep was significantly more characteristic of the older adults in the chronic disease cohort. With non-renal health conditions, depressed mood, perceived health, medication use, and sociodemographic variables controlled, however, African Americans were significantly less likely than whites in the chronic disease cohort to report restless sleep. African American and white patients differed in their expression of public and private religiousness, which in turn were associated, respectively, with depressed mood and restless sleep complaint. In addition, we suggest that differences for African American and white patients in the environmental exposure of chronic dialysis therapy, including African Americans' greater social integration within the dialysis treatment setting, contributed to their being less at risk than their white peers for subjective perception of sleep decay, a marker of overall well-being.