Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of above elbow body-powered prostheses in visually guided unconstrained motion tasks

The "classical" body-powered above elbow arm prosthesis continues to be used by a large majority of arm prosthesis users, even though many more modern devices are available. The authors present a set of experiments designed to compare performance of unimpaired arms and body-powered prostheses of 6 unilateral amputees. The experiments were designed to measure qualitatively how well the body-powered prosthesis can be used to perform free-motion tasks, as well as to study the qualitative features of movement common to both the prosthesis and unimpaired arm. It was found that regular peaks in velocity were common to both the unimpaired arm and prosthesis movements, suggesting that movements were composed of a sequence of successive actions. In addition, it was found that the body-powered prosthesis generally required more movements than the unimpaired arm to meet an accuracy constraint and could not keep up with the unimpaired arm when a speed constraint was imposed, even though the body-powered prosthesis was able to match the unimpaired arm in a simple nondynamic task. <<ETX>>
Optimizing Cruising Routes for Taxi Drivers Using a Spatio-Temporal Trajectory Model

Much of the taxi route-planning literature has focused on driver strategies for finding passengers and determining the hot spot pick-up locations using historical global positioning system (GPS) trajectories of taxis based on driver experience, distance from the passenger drop-off location to the next passenger pick-up location and the waiting times at recommended locations for the next passenger. The present work, however, considers the average taxi travel speed mined from historical taxi GPS trajectory data and the allocation of cruising routes to more than one taxi driver in a small-scale region to neighboring pick-up locations. A spatio-temporal trajectory model with load balancing allocations is presented to not only explore pick-up/drop-off information but also provide taxi drivers with cruising routes to the recommended pick-up locations. In simulation experiments, our study shows that taxi drivers using cruising routes recommended by our spatio-temporal trajectory model can significantly reduce the average waiting time and travel less distance to quickly find their next passengers, and the load balancing strategy significantly alleviates road loads. These objective measures can help us better understand spatio-temporal traffic patterns and guide taxi navigation.
Rough set Based Ensemble Classifier forWeb Page Classification

Combining the results of a number of individually trained classification systems to obtain a more accurate classifier is a widely used technique in pattern recognition. In this article, we have introduced a rough set based meta classifier to classify web pages. The proposed method consists of two parts. In the first part, the output of every individual classifier is considered for constructing a decision table. In the second part, rough set attribute reduction and rule generation processes are used on the decision table to construct a meta classifier. It has been shown that (1) the performance of the meta classifier is better than the performance of every constituent classifier and, (2) the meta classifier is optimal with respect to a quality measure defined in the article. Experimental studies show that the meta classifier improves accuracy of classification uniformly over some benchmark corpora and beats other ensemble approaches in accuracy by a decisive margin, thus demonstrating the theoretical results. Apart from this, it reduces the CPU load compared to other ensemble classification techniques by removing redundant classifiers from the combination.
Mutations affecting the radial organisation of the Arabidopsis root display specific defects throughout the embryonic axis

The primary root of Arabidopsis thaliana has a remarkably uniform cellular organisation. The fixed radial pattern of cell types in the mature root arises from proliferative divisions within the root meristem. The root meristem, in turn, is laid down during embryogenesis. We have analysed six mutations causing alterations in the radial organisation of the root. Embryonic phenotypes resulting from wooden leg, gollum, pinocchio, scarecrow, shortroot and fass mutations are described. While mutations in the fass gene affect morphogenesis of all cells, the five other mutations cause alterations in specific layers. Wooden leg and gollum mutations interfere with the proper organisation of the vascular tissue. Shortroot, scarecrow and pinocchio affect the endodermis and cortex. The layer- specific phenotypes caused by all five mutations are also apparent in the hypocotyl. All these phenotypes originate from defects in the radial organisation of the embryonic axis. Secondary roots, which are formed post-embryonically, also display layer-specific phenotypes.
Accurate and efficient incorporation of frequency-domain data within linear and non-linear time-domain transient simulation

An effective method is presented for the representation in (non-uniform) discrete-time of all the S-parameters of an arbitrary linear, time-invariant network specified up to some given maximum frequency. The proposed representation is shown to be highly accurate, compact, stable and derivable using straightforward numerical procedures. Furthermore it is in a form that can be readily incorporated within linear or non-linear time-domain transient simulation, producing results with very high efficiency. Several examples are given providing independent verification of the technique.
MultiAgent Approach for Simulation and Evaluation of Urban Bus Networks

Evolution of public road transportation system requires analysis and planning tools to improve the service quality. A wide range of road transportation simulation tools exist with a variety of applications in planning, training and demonstration. However, few simulations take into account the specificities of public transportation. We present in this paper a bus network simulation which models these specificities and allows to analyze and evaluate a bus network at diverse space and time scales. We adopt a multiagent approach to describe the global system operation from behaviors of numerous autonomous entities such as buses and travellers. The developed simulation has been integrated into a decision support system for the design and the evaluation of bus networks. Some experimental results on a real case, showing the eciency of the proposed model, are presented and discussed.
Tunable High-Impedance Surface With a Reduced Number of Varactors

An efficient approach for obtaining an active high- impedance surface (HIS) is presented. The novel design allows us to synthesize a tunable HIS by drastically reducing the number of the active elements employed. The conventional loading of a single varactor for each of the unit cells of the frequency selective surface (FSS) is overcome by connecting the FSS unit cells to a feeding network located behind the ground plane through metallized vias. A waveguide demonstrator of the proposed structure has been designed, realized, and tested. In the example shown herein, the feeding network allows us to apply a single varactor to a group of eight cells in order to obtain a tunable HIS.
Comparison of MPPT algorithms for DC-DC boost converters based PV systems using robust control technique and artificial intelligence algorithm

This paper proposes two methods of maximum power point tracking algorithm for photovoltaic systems, based on the first hand on fuzzy logic control and on the other hand on the first order sliding mode control. According to the nonlinear characteristic of photovoltaic array, it's necessary to find a solution to track the maximum power of the PV system in order to improve its efficiency. The fuzzy logic controller was presented in many works. It provides fast response and good performance against the climatic and load change and uses directly the DC/DC converter duty cycle as a control parameter. Moreover, the sliding mode control approach is recognized as one of the efficient tools to design robust controllers it has been receiving much more attention within the last two decades and many research are dealing with this type of robust controllers. A detailed comparison between the fuzzy logic and slinging mode controllers was presented in this work. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms can effectively improve the efficiency of a photovoltaic array output.
Interactive visualization for curatorial analysis of large digital collection

To make decisions about the long-term preservation of and access to large digital collections, digital curators use information such as the collections’ digital object types, their contents and preservation risks, and how they are organized. To date, the process of analyzing a collection—from data gathering to exploratory analysis and final conclusions—has largely been conducted using linear review and pen and paper methods. To help curators analyze large-scale digital collections, we developed an interactive visual analytics application. We have put methods in place to summarize large and diverse information about the collection and to present it as integrated views. Multiple views can be linked or unlinked on demand to enable curators to identify trends and particularities at different levels of detail and to compare and contrast views. We describe two analysis workflows to illustrate how the application can be used to triage digital collections and facilitate collection management decision making and to provide access. After conducting a focus group study with domain specialists, we introduced features to address their concerns and needs.
The clinical characteristics and treatment of cerebral AVM in pregnancy

Cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in pregnancy is a complex situation and there is no agreement on its hemorrhage risk and treatment. Although studies on bleeding risk of cerebral AVMs in pregnancy are very few and there are different results between them, pregnancy will increase the hemorrhagic risk of AVM, and ruptured cerebral AVM in pregnancy should be treated actively. After intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral angiography should be performed for pregnant women shielded correctly. Cerebral angiography could clearly demonstrate the characteristics of cerebral AVM. The results from the literature show that the radiation dose of endovascular and stereotactic radiotherapy for cerebral AVM in pregnancy is below the safety value and is safe. Unruptured AVM in pregnancy, if there is no bleeding factor, such as no coexisting aneurysm, smooth venous drainage, no venous ectasia, or high risk of treatment, should be observed conservatively.
Isolation and Characterization of Mammalian HDAC10, a Novel Histone Deacetylase*

Acetylation of histone core particles plays an important role in modulating chromatin structure and gene expression. The acetylation status of the histone tails is determined by two opposing enzymatic activities, histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases (HDACs). Here we describe the isolation and characterization of HDAC10, a novel class II histone deacetylase. Molecular cloning and Northern blot analyses reveal that the HDAC10 transcript is widely expressed and subjected to alternative splicing. HDAC10 is both nuclear and cytoplasmic, a feature reminiscent of HDACs 4, 5, and 7. Distinct from other family members, HDAC10 harbors an amino-terminal catalytic domain and a carboxyl pseudo-repeat that shares significant homology with its catalytic domain. Mutational analysis reveals that transcriptional repression by HDAC10 requires its intrinsic histone deacetylase activity. Taken together, HDAC10 represents a distinct HDAC that may play a role in transcription regulation.
LARP: a novel routing protocol for the Bluetooth scatternet

In this paper we design an efficient location aware routing protocol (LARP) for the Bluetooth scartternet. Taking advantages of the location information of all nodes, LARP reconstructs the routing path dynamically and minimizes the number of hops between the source and the destination of the scatternet. Besides, the paper also presents a hybrid routing protocol (HLARP), which minimizes the routing path for the scatternet, taking location information of some nodes. Experimental results show that both of our protocols are efficient enough to construct the shortest routing paths over a multi-hop scatternet and bandwidth and power consumption are least as compared to other routing protocols that we have considered.
Gentamicin Binds to the Megalin Receptor as a Competitive Inhibitor Using the Common Ligand Binding Motif of Complement Type Repeats

Background: Gentamicin causes nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity using megalin as a key cellular uptake site, but no structural data are available. Results: Gentamicin binds to megalin with low affinity and exploits the common ligand binding motif. Conclusion: This first structure of human megalin in complex with gentamicin suggests electrostatics to be the main binding determinant. Significance: Structure-based design of gentamicin antagonists may now be possible. Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside widely used in treatments of, in particular, enterococcal, mycobacterial, and severe Gram-negative bacterial infections. Large doses of gentamicin cause nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity, entering the cell via the receptor megalin. Until now, no structural information has been available to describe the interaction with gentamicin in atomic detail, and neither have any three-dimensional structures of domains from the human megalin receptor been solved. To address this gap in our knowledge, we have solved the NMR structure of the 10th complement type repeat of human megalin and investigated its interaction with gentamicin. Using NMR titration data in HADDOCK, we have generated a three-dimensional model describing the complex between megalin and gentamicin. Gentamicin binds to megalin with low affinity and exploits the common ligand binding motif previously described (Jensen, G. A., Andersen, O. M., Bonvin, A. M., Bjerrum-Bohr, I., Etzerodt, M., Thogersen, H. C., O'Shea, C., Poulsen, F. M., and Kragelund, B. B. (2006) J. Mol. Biol. 362, 700–716) utilizing the indole side chain of Trp-1126 and the negatively charged residues Asp-1129, Asp-1131, and Asp-1133. Binding to megalin is highly similar to gentamicin binding to calreticulin. We discuss the impact of this novel insight for the future structure-based design of gentamicin antagonists.
Effects of recombinant active site‐blocked activated factor VII in rabbit models of carotid stenosis and myocardial infarction

&NA; We tested the effects of human recombinant active site‐blocked activated factor VII (rFVIIai) in a rabbit model of carotid artery thrombosis. Cyclic flow variations (CFVs), due to recurrent thrombus formation, were obtained in stenotic rabbit carotid arteries with endothelial injury. After 30 min of CFV, the animals received rFVIIai. If CFVs were abolished, animals were observed for 30 additional minutes, after which human recombinant activated factor VII was infused into the carotid artery to determine whether it could displace rFVIIai from tissue factor (TF), thus restoring CFV. An additional group of animals received rFVIIai to determine its duration of action. Recombinant FVIIai abolished CFVs in 8 of 9 rabbits (P < 0.01). This effect was reversible, as rFVIIa administration restored CFVs in all animals. A further study was initiated to assess whether TF‐dependent reductions in coronary blood flow might contribute to the occurrence of myocardial injury during postischaemic reperfusion of rabbit hearts. Recombinant FVIIai resulted in significant reductions in both infarct size and no‐reflow area, while rFVIIa produced a significant increase in both infarct size and no‐reflow area. These data suggest that rFVIIai might be beneficial in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing reperfusion therapies. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 11 (suppl 1):S149‐S158 © 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Derivation of cardiac output and alveolar ventilation rate based on energy expenditure measurements in healthy males and females

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling and occupational exposure assessment studies often use minute ventilation rates (VE), alveolar ventilation rates (VA) and cardiac outputs (Q) that are not reflective of the physiological variations encountered during the aggregate daytime activities of individuals from childhood to adulthood. These variations of VE, VA and Q values were determined for healthy normal‐weight individuals aged 5–96 years by using two types of published individual data that were measured in the same subjects (n = 902), namely indirect calorimetry measurements and the disappearance rates of oral doses of deuterium (2H) and heavy‐oxygen (18O) in urine monitored by gas‐isotope‐ratio mass spectrometry. Arteriovenous oxygen content differences (0.051–0.082 ml of O2 consumed ml−1 of blood) and ratios of the physiological dead space to the tidal volume (0.232–0.419) were determined for oxygen consumption rates (0.157–0.806 l min−1) required by minute energy expenditures ranging from 0.76 to 3.91 kcal min−1. Generally higher values for the 2.5th up to the 99th percentile for VE (0.132–0.774 l kg−1 min−1, 4.42–21.69 l m−2 min−1), VA (0.093–0.553 l kg−1 min−1, 3.09–15.53 l m−2 min−1), Q (0.065–0.330 l kg−1 min−1, 2.17 to 9.46 l m−2 min−1) and ventilation–perfusion ratios (1.12–2.16) were found in children and teenagers aged 5–<16.5 years compared with older individuals. The distributions of cardiopulmonary parameters developed in this study should be useful in facilitating a scientifically sound characterization of the inter‐individual differences in the uptake and health risks of lipophilic air pollutants, particularly as they relate to younger children. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Endurance training decreases plasma glucose turnover and oxidation during moderate-intensity exercise in men.

To assess the effects of endurance training on plasma glucose kinetics during moderate-intensity exercise in men, seven men were studied before and after 12 wk of strenuous exercise training (3 days/wk running, 3 days/wk cycling). After priming of the glucose and bicarbonate pools, [U-13C] glucose was infused continuously during 2 h of cycle ergometer exercise at 60% of pretraining peak O2 uptake (VO2) to determine glucose turnover and oxidation. Training increased cycle ergometer peak VO2 by 23% and decreased the respiratory exchange ratio during the final 30 min of exercise from 0.89 +/- 0.01 to 0.85 +/- 0.01 (SE) (P less than 0.001). Plasma glucose turnover during exercise decreased from 44.6 +/- 3.5 mumol.kg fat-free mass (FFM)-1.min-1 before training to 31.5 +/- 4.3 after training (P less than 0.001), whereas plasma glucose clearance (i.e., rate of disappearance/plasma glucose concentration) fell from 9.5 +/- 0.6 to 6.4 +/- 0.8 ml.kg FFM-1.min-1 (P less than 0.001). Oxidation of plasma-derived glucose, which accounted for approximately 90% of plasma glucose disappearance in both the untrained and trained states, decreased from 41.1 +/- 3.4 mumol.kg FFM-1.min-1 before training to 27.7 +/- 4.8 after training (P less than 0.001). This decrease could account for roughly one-half of the total reduction in the amount of carbohydrate utilized during the final 30 min of exercise in the trained compared with the untrained state.
ITKids part I: children's occupations and use of information and communication technologies.

OBJECTIVE School children use information and communication technology (ICT) on a regular basis for a variety of purposes. The purpose of this study was to document how school children spend their time and the different types of ICT they use. METHODS Nine Australian primary school children were observed in their school and away-from-school environments during one school day to record their ICT usage, comparing self-report exposures with direct observations. Self-reported discomfort scores were obtained throughout the day. RESULTS Paper-based ICT (Old ICT) was mostly used for productive occupations at school, while electronic-based ICT (New ICT) was mostly used during leisure in away-from-school locations. Tasks involving no ICT (Non-ICT) accounted for the largest proportion of time in both locations during self-care, leisure and instrumental occupations. End-of-day self-reported time performing different occupations was consistent with data from independent observations. Self reported time using Old ICT and New ICT was marginally over-estimated, and time spent using Non-ICT was marginally under-estimated. CONCLUSION The children in this study used a variety of ICT in the performance of daily occupations in their natural environments. New ICT use was primarily for leisure, but time spent was less than reported in other studies. Discomfort reports among the participants were low. Participants' self-reports of occupations performed and ICT use was reliable and could be useful as an exposure assessment metric.
Effects of Ghrelin and Other Neuropeptides (CART, MCH, Orexin A and B, and GLP-1) on the Release of Insulin From Isolated Rat Islets

Background and Aims Ghrelin, a neuropeptide containing 28 amino acids, shows a reciprocal diurnal plasma fluctuation to that of plasma insulin. The aim of this study is to clarify the doseand glucose-dependency of ghrelin on the insulin secretion and to compare its effect with that of other neuropeptides—GLP-1, CART (55-102), CART (55-76), CART (62-76), MCH, orexin A, and B. Materials and Methods Rat islets were incubated with 1 pmol/l–1 &mgr;mol/l of ghrelin, CART fragments, MCH, orexin A or B, or GLP-1 (n = 16–32) in the presence of 16.7 mmol/l glucose. Ghrelin (10 nmol/l) was added to islets at glucose concentrations of 3.3, 6.6, 16.7 and 25 mmol/l, respectively (n = 28–32). Also, INS-1E cells were incubated with ghrelin (1 nmol/l) in the presence of glucose (3.3, 6.6, 16.7, and 25 mmol/l). In addition, we measured the mRNA expression of the ghrelin receptor using RT-PCR. Results Ghrelin inhibited insulin secretion from islets and INS-1E cells in a dose- and glucose-dependent manner. Neither 10 pmol/l–1 &mgr;mol/l of CART fragments, MCH, orexin A, nor orexin B changed the insulin secretion at 16.7 mmol/l glucose, while GLP-1, as expected, stimulated the insulin release from rat islets. Interestingly, ghrelin receptors were expressed both in islets, INS-1E, MIN 6 and alpha cell Tca-9 lines. Conclusions Ghrelin inhibits the insulin secretion in vitro in a dose- and glucose-dependent manner. Beta cells contain ghrelin receptors. CART fragments did not affect the insulin secretion. Ghrelin may play a physiological role for the regulation of insulin secretion.
A Corneal Topography Algorithm that Produces Continuous Curvature

A new method is developed for calculating corneal curvature based on the reflected image of a series of concentric rings (keratoscopy). Previous methods had the drawback that the calculated corneal power was discontinuous in that it changed abruptly at each ring. The present method fits the corneal curvature with a cubic polynomial and produces a continuous estimate of the local power of the cornea. The cubic function also provides a better fit to the corneal curvature than previous methods that used a circle to provide the local fit. The full computer program for the algorithm is presented. Four different definitions of the local dioptric power are discussed.