Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PTT based continuous time non-invasive blood pressure system

This paper introduces the design and implementation of non-invasive, continuous time, cuff-less, blood pressure (BP) system based on pulse transmission time delay (PTT). The wearable BP device processing and monitoring both are performed using Smartphone. The PPG sensor and the integrated ECG sensor are wireless connected to smartphone. An adaptive threshold peak detection algorithm is proposed and tested to enhance the measurement accuracy. The proposed BP system achieves a systolic BP (SBP):- 1.36±7.51 mmHg and diastolic BP (DBP):- 2.44±3.49 mmHg. A new 4-LED PPG sensor is also introduced which can save 30% power consumption and reduce the interference of motion artifact (MA).
Conduction-band offsets in pseudomorphic InxGa1-xAs/Al0.2Ga0.8As quantum wells (0.07 <= x <= 0.18) measured by deep-level transient spectroscopy.

The variation of the potential of a quantum well is similar to that of a deep trap. In that respect a quantum well can capture and emit carriers in much the same way as a trap. The thermal emission energy from a quantum well is closely related to the appropriate band offset. With that in mind, we have carried out deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements on Schottky-barrier diodes containing one or more pseudomorphic ${\mathrm{In}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$As/${\mathrm{Al}}_{0.2}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.8}$As (0lx\ensuremath{\le}0.18) quantum wells. The objective was to estimate the conduction-band offset, \ensuremath{\Delta}${E}_{c}$, as a function of x and the resulting strain. From detailed balance between emission and capture, an Arrhenius-type expression was derived to analyze the transient emission data. It is seen that the percentage band offset \ensuremath{\Delta}${E}_{c}$/\ensuremath{\Delta}${E}_{g}$ varies from 62% for x=0.07 to 70% at x=0.18. Furthermore, a linear interpolation of the data leads to \ensuremath{\Delta}${E}_{c}$/\ensuremath{\Delta}${E}_{g}$=58% at x=0, which is close to the widely accepted value. Our results support recent theoretical calculations from which a monotonic increase in \ensuremath{\Delta}${E}_{c}$ with strain in this heterostructure system is predicted.
On the Design of Optimal Policy for Sharing Finite Buffers

An important analytic model of finite buffer systems is a multiclass single queue with typed servers. In the context of such a model, we address the problem of selecting an optimal buffer sharing policy. We show that with respect to weighted throughput, an optimal policy must be a stationary delayed resolution policy. An iterative procedure based upon the policy iteration method for Markov processes with rewards is used to efficiently search for the optimal delayed resolution policy for a given set of system parameters. A performance comparison of the optimal delayed resolution policy with other well-known buffer sharing policies is also provided.
Functional Characterization of Mutations in Melanocortin-4 Receptor Associated with Human Obesity*

Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is a G protein-coupled receptor implicated in the regulation of body weight. Genetic studies in humans have identified two frameshift mutations of MC4R associated with a dominantly inherited form of obesity. We have generated and expressed the corresponding MC4R mutants in 293T cells and found that cells transfected with the truncation mutants failed to exhibit agonist binding or responsiveness despite retention of structural motifs potentially sufficient for binding and signaling. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the mutant proteins were expressed and localized in the intracellular compartment but absent from the plasma membrane, suggesting that these mutations disrupted the proper cellular transport of MC4R. Further studies identified a sequence in the cytoplasmic tail of MC4R necessary for the cell surface targeting. We further investigated a possible dominant-negative activity of the mutants on wild-type receptor function. Co-transfection studies showed that the mutants affected neither signaling nor cell surface expression of wild-type MC4R. We also characterized three human sequence variants of MC4R, but these exhibited identical affinities for peptide ligands and identical agonist responsiveness. Thus, unlike the obesity-associated MC4R truncation mutants, the polymorphisms of MC4R are unlikely to be contributors to human obesity.
A widespread outbreak of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O:3 infection from iceberg lettuce.

BACKGROUND The vehicles and sources of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection are unknown. In Finland, clinical microbiology laboratories routinely report Y. pseudotuberculosis isolations and submit isolates for serotype analysis. In October 1998, the number of serotype O:3 infections increased markedly. METHODS Case patients with culture-confirmed Y. pseudotuberculosis O:3 infection were identified by use of laboratory-based surveillance. We conducted a population-based case-control study. Healthy community control subjects were matched by age, sex, and postal code. Isolates were subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS Nationwide, 47 case patients were identified (age range, 2-77 years; median, 19 years). One patient with bacteremia died; 5 underwent appendectomies. We enrolled 38 case patients and 76 control subjects in the case-control study. Seventy-one percent of case patients and 42% of control subjects reported having eaten iceberg lettuce (matched odds ratio, 3.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-9.4); a dose-response relationship was found for increasing frequency of consumption. Of the 27 isolates obtained from case patients and tested in the analysis, all had indistinguishable PFGE patterns. Four lunch cafeterias that had served iceberg lettuce were associated with clusters of case patients. The lettuce was traced back to originating farms. CONCLUSIONS Iceberg lettuce was implicated as the vehicle of a widespread foodborne Y. pseudotuberculosis outbreak. Ongoing laboratory-based surveillance and serotype analysis were essential in the rapid detection of infection. Cases of yersiniosis, which appear to be sporadic, may be part of unrecognized outbreaks caused by contaminated fresh produce.
A COMPARISON OF CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE, D-AMPHETAMINE, AND PLACEBO IN THE TREATMENT OF THE HYPERKINETIC SYNDROME IN CHILDREN.

1. A multi-disciplinary program was developed for clinical study of psychoactive drugs with children. 2. D-amphetamine tended to be more effective than chlordiazepoxide in the reduction of the manifestations of the hyperkinetic syndrome. 3. Both chlordiazepoxide and d-amphetamine tended to be more effective than the placebo.
Image Processing and Classification Procedures for Analysis of Sub-decimeter Imagery Acquired with an Unmanned Aircraft over Arid Rangelands

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have great potential as a platform for acquiring very high resolution aerial imagery for vegetation mapping. However, image processing and classification techniques require adaptation to images obtained with low-cost digital cameras. We developed and evaluated an image processing workflow that included the integration of resolution-appropriate field sampling, feature selection, and object-based image analysis for the purpose of classifying rangeland vegetation from a five-centimeter-resolution UAS image mosaic. Classification tree analysis was used to determine the optimal spectral, spatial, and contextual features. Segmentation and classification rule sets were developed on a test plot and were applied to the remaining study area, resulting in an overall classification accuracy of 78% at the species level and 81% at the structure-group level. The image processing approach provides a roadmap for deriving quality vegetation classification products from UAS imagery with very high spatial, but low spectral resolution.
ParE toxin encoded by the broad‐host‐range plasmid RK2 is an inhibitor of Escherichia coli gyrase

Broad‐host‐range plasmid RK2 encodes a post‐segregational killing system, parDE, which contributes to the stable maintenance of this plasmid in Escherichia coli and many distantly related bacteria. The ParE protein is a toxin that inhibits cell growth, causes cell filamentation and eventually cell death. The ParD protein is a specific ParE antitoxin. In this work, the in vitro activities of these two proteins were examined. The ParE protein was found to inhibit DNA synthesis using an E. coli oriC supercoiled template and a replication‐proficient E. coli extract. Moreover, ParE inhibited the early stages of both chromosomal and plasmid DNA replication, as measured by the DnaB helicase‐ and gyrase‐dependent formation of FI*, a highly unwound form of supercoiled DNA. The presence of ParD prevented these inhibitory activities of ParE. We also observed that the addition of ParE to supercoiled DNA plus gyrase alone resulted in the formation of a cleavable gyrase–DNA complex that was converted to a linear DNA form upon addition of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Adding ParD before or after the addition of ParE prevented the formation of this cleavable complex. These results demonstrate that the target of ParE toxin activity in vitro is E. coli gyrase.
Cluster-grid structure routing protocol for sensor mobility management

Sink mobility has become an increasingly important requirement of various sensor network applications. Handling such mobile sink conditions brings new challenges to large-scale sensor networking. This investigation proposed a hybrid-structure routing protocol (HSRP) that combines the benefits of grid-based and cluster-based structures. Grid-based structure is designed to solve the cluster head selection problem. A virtual cluster structure based on grid structure information is also built. The hybrid-structure can establish a local shortest routing path from mobile sink toward to source. Simulation results indicate that the proposed HSRP mechanism reduces about 28% energy consumption than other approach. Moreover, HSRP mechanism reduces average delay time, increases higher success ratio, and has a longer network lifetime.
A figure of merit technique for the resolution of non-grammatical ambiguity

Ambiguity in language translation is due to the presence of words in the source language with multiple non-synonymous target equivalents. A contextual analysis is required whenever a grammatical analysis fails to resolve such ambiguity. In the case of scientific and engineering literature, clues to the context can be obtained from a knowledge of the varying degrees of probability with which words occur in different fields of science. A figure of merit is defined, which is calculated from the probability of word occurrences, and which leads to the choice of a particular target equivalent of a word as the most probably correct one. The results of applying the technique to a set of twenty one Russian sentences indicate that the technique can be successful in about 90% of the cases. The technique can easily be adapted for use by a computer.
[Quality appraisal of systematic reviews or meta-analysis on traditional Chinese medicine published in Chinese journals].

OBJECTIVE To critically assess the quality of literature about systematic review or meta-analysis on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) published in Chinese journals. METHODS Electronic searches in CNKI, VIP and Wanfang data-base were conducted to retrieve the systematic reviews or meta-analysis reports on TCM, including herbal medicine, needling, acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as integrative medicine, they were identified and extracted according to the 18 items of QUOROM (quality of reporting of meta-analyses) Statement and relative information. The appraisal was made taking the indexes mainly including objectives, source of data, methods of data extraction, quality assessment of the included studies, measurement data synthesis, etc. RESULTS Eighty-two systematic reviews were identified, except 6 reviews were excluded for repeatedly published or didn't comply with the enrolled criterion, 76 reviews concerning 51 kinds of diseases were enrolled for appraisal. Among them, 70 reviews evaluated the efficacy of TCM, mainly on Chinese herbs and 9 on acupuncture and moxibustion. In majority of the reviews, randomised controlled trials were included and the data resources were described, but in 26 reviews only the Chinese databases were searched and the description about data extraction and analysis method were too simple; and 70% of reviews assessed the quality of the included studies; none used flow chart to express the process of selection, inclusion and exclusion of studies. CONCLUSIONS Few reviews or Meta-analysis reports reached the international standard and there is insufficient description of methodology for conducting systematic reviews, so it is hardly to be repeated. The authors suggested that advanced methodological training is necessary for reviewers.
Ivtreatreg: a new STATA routine for estimating binary treatment models with heterogeneous response to treatment under observable and unobservable selection

This paper presents a new user-written STATA command called ivtreatreg for the estimation of five different (binary) treatment models with and without idiosyncratic (or heterogeneous) average treatment effect. Depending on the model specified by the user, ivtreatreg provides consistent estimation of average treatment effects both under the hypothesis of “selection on observables” and “selection on unobservables” by using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression in the first case, and Intrumental-Variables (IV) and Selection-model (a la Heckman) in the second one. Conditional on a pre-specified subset of exogenous variables x – thought of as driving the heterogeneous response to treatment – ivtreatreg calculates for each model the Average Treatment Effect (ATE), the Average Treatment Effect on Treated (ATET) and the Average Treatment Effect on Non-Treated (ATENT), as well as the estimates of these parameters conditional on the observable factors x, i.e., ATE(x), ATET(x) and ATENT(x). The five models estimated by ivtreatreg are: Cf-ols (Control-function regression estimated by OLS), Direct-2sls (IV regression estimated by direct two-stage least squares), Probit-2sls (IV regression estimated by Probit and two-stage least squares), Probit-ols (IV two-step regression estimated by Probit and ordinary least squares), and Heckit (Heckman two-step selection model). An extensive treatment of the conditions under which previous methods provide consistent estimation of ATE, ATET and ATENT can be found, for instance, in Wooldgrige (2002, Chapter 18). The value added of this new STATA command is that it allows for a generalization of the regression approach typically employed in standard program evaluation, by assuming heterogeneous response to treatment.
Random fields for image registration

Image registration is a key component in image analysis and in problems such as motion estimation or image fusion. In this thesis, discrete optimization is introduced for the task of image registration. A general framework based on random field is derived which allows to represent both linear and non-linear registration as labeling problems where random variables play the role of transformation parameters. Based on this framework, explicit, problem specific models are defined. In order to bridge the gap between discrete labeling and continuous transformations, a novel optimization procedure is proposed based on iterative labeling with successive label space refinement strategies. The procedure is computationally efficient, avoids local minima through large neighborhood search, and yields high-accurate registration results.
Tobacco-Smoke Incursions and Satisfaction Among Residents With Children in Multiunit Housing, United States, 2013

Objectives: Residents of multiunit housing can be exposed to tobacco smoke even if they do not permit smoking in their homes. Although even low levels of tobacco smoke exposure can cause health problems for children and adults, some landlords are reluctant to ban smoking for fear of decreased occupancy rates or tenant satisfaction. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of tobacco smoke-free policies and tobacco-smoke incursions on housing satisfaction in multiunit housing residences with children. Methods: In 2013, 3696 randomly sampled US adult multiunit housing dwellers were invited to participate in a survey, and 3253 (88%) participated. Of these, 3128 responded to the question about having a child in the home, and 835 (27%) reported having a child in the home. We collected data on demographic characteristics, tobacco-smoke incursions, knowledge and attitudes about smoking policies, and housing satisfaction for this sample of 835 residents. Results: Of the 827 residents who responded to the question, 755 (91.3%) agreed that tenants have a right to live in a tobacco smoke-free building. Although 672 of 835 (80.5%) residents were not cigarette smokers, most lived where smoking was permitted in the units (n = 463, 56.9%) or on the property (n = 571, 70.5%). Of 580 non-cigarette smoking residents who lived where no one had smoked cigarettes in the home for the past 3 months, 144 (25.2%) reported a recent tobacco-smoke incursion. Of these 144 residents, 143 (99%) were bothered. Few (36/143, 25.2%) complained to the landlord. Reasons for not complaining were reluctance to upset neighbors or concern about retaliation. Tobacco-smoke incursions and housing/landlord satisfaction were inversely related (P < .05). Conclusion: Multiunit housing residents living with children in the United States strongly support smoke-free multiunit housing.
Tracking Intermittently Speaking Multiple Speakers Using a Particle Filter

The problem of tracking multiple intermittently speaking speakers is difficult as some distinct problems must be addressed. The number of active speakers must be estimated, these active speakers must be identified, and the locations of all speakers including inactive speakers must be tracked. In this paper we propose a method for tracking intermittently speaking multiple speakers using a particle filter. In the proposed algorithm the number of active speakers is firstly estimated based on the Exponential Fitting Test (EFT), a source number estimation technique which we have proposed. The locations of the speakers are then tracked using a particle filtering framework within which the decomposed likelihood is used in order to decouple the observed audio signal and associate each element of the decomposed signal with an active speaker. The tracking accuracy is then further improved by the inclusion of a silence region detection step and estimation of the noise-only covariance matrix. The method was evaluated using live recordings of 3 speakers and the results show that the method produces highly accurate tracking results.
Hyperbolic Maxwell Variational Inequalities for Bean's Critical-State Model in Type-II Superconductivity

This paper focuses on the numerical analysis for three-dimensional Bean's critical-state model in type-II superconductivity. We derive hyperbolic mixed variational inequalities of the second kind for the evolution Maxwell equations with Bean's constitutive law between the electric field and the current density. On the basis of the variational inequality in the magnetic induction formulation, a semidiscrete Ritz--Galerkin approximation problem is rigorously analyzed, and a strong convergence result is proven. Thereafter, we propose a concrete realization of the Ritz--Galerkin approximation through a mixed finite element method based on edge elements of Nedelec's first family, Raviart--Thomas face elements, divergence-free Raviart--Thomas face elements, and piecewise constant elements. As a final result, we prove error estimates for the proposed mixed finite element method.
Continuous neighbour discovery approach for improvement of routing performance in WSN

Wireless sensor network(WSN) contains a number of sensor nodes distributed in the sensor field. Sensor nodes gather information from the environment, process them and then transmit data to the sink node. To send data from the source node to sink node require efficient routing algorithm. This routing algorithm plays important role in WSN is to finding a reliable path for a data transmission in the network. For all these processing sensors nodes require high energy, but sensor nodes have a limitation on battery power. Therefore the design of routing protocol in WSN is based on minimizing energy consumption and routing overhead. The proposed work implements Opportunistic based neighbor coverage routing. In this hop-by-hop opportunistic routing is done by selecting a forwarding node on the base of the current load on the node, energy, and neighbor coverage information. In this choosing of the reliable node in the path, an establishment is based on load information table. Proposed protocol minimize energy consumption and enhance network performance as compared to existing routing protocol.
Inductive reasoning and the understanding of intention in schizophrenia

Background. The study explored the relationship between the understanding of intention in veiled speech acts and the ability to reason inductively. Methods. A total of 39 people with DSM-IV-defined schizophrenia with no behavioural signs and 44 healthy participants performed the Hinting Task, a measure of pragmatic language in which the speaker's intention must be inferred, and a measure of inductive reasoning (Aha! Sentences) in which the meaning of ambiguous nonsocial sentences had to be inferred. The participants also completed measures of general intellectual ability, immediate memory for narrative and social problem-solving ability. Results. A substantial correlation was found between performance on the inductive reasoning task and the Hinting Task in the sample of people with schizophrenia. The same relationship was not seen in the normal control sample. The robust relationship between these two measures in this sample survived when the roles of immediate memory for narrative and intellectual ability were controlled for. Furthermore, the relationship was distinctly more compelling for the patients who were currently ill compared to those in remission. Results. These data suggest that people with schizophrenia use a different strategy to infer the meaning behind pragmatic language than that used by normally functioning adults. It is suggested that a reliance on different, possibly less specialised, skills in this group to perform this simple social inference task underlies their deficient performance on this and other measures of social inference. The fact that the relationship between the tasks in patients in remission is not as robust implies that the use of specialised skills to perform social inference tasks may be compromised most significantly during acute phases.
3D Statistical Parametric Mapping of EEG Source Spectra by Means of Variable Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (VARETA)

This article describes a new method for 3D QEEG tomography in the frequency domain. A variant of Statistical Parametric Mapping is presented for source log spectra. Sources are estimated by means of a Discrete Spline EEG inverse solution known as Variable Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (VARETA). Anatomical constraints are incorporated by the use of the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) probabilistic brain atlas. Efficient methods are developed for frequency domain VARETA in order to estimate the source spectra for the set of 103–105 voxels that comprise an EEG/MEG inverse solution. High resolution source Z spectra are then defined with respect to the age dependent mean and standard deviations of each voxel, which are summarized as regression equations calculated from the Cuban EEG normative database. The statistical issues involved are addressed by the use of extreme value statistics. Examples are shown that illustrate the potential clinical utility of the methods herein developed.