Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factor Analysis of Metabolic Syndrome Components in an Iranian Non-Diabetic Adult Population: A Population-Based Study from the North of Iran

Objectives The aim of this study was to explore the underlying latent factors that can explain the observed variation of components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Iranian non-diabetic adult population. Methods The researchers performed an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of metabolic syndrome components, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and Fasting blood sugar (FBS). These observed variables were measured from a representative sample of 841 non-diabetic participants in a cross-sectional population-based study of adults aged 20 to 70 years in the North of Iran. Results Three factors were extracted by EFA in both genders. In males, the 3 generated factors were, 1) blood pressure factor underlying systolic and diastolic blood pressure, 2) obesity factor manifested by BMI and WC, 3) lipid/glucose factor underlying TG, HDL and FBS that explained 23.9%, 23.0% and 18.4% of variance in the observed data, respectively, in males. However, in females, BMI and WC were revealed as obesity factors, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were characterized as hypertension factor, and TG, HDL and FBS appeared to be loaded on lipid/glucose factor, similar to males, and designated 25.6%, 25.4%, and 15.8% of the variance, respectively. Triglyceride and FBS were positively loaded, whereas HDL was loaded negatively with similar loading pattern in both genders. Overall, these 3 underlying latent factors explained 65.3% of the variance of observed clinical data sets in males and 66.8% in females. When TG and HDL were replaced by TG to HDL ratio and also SBP and DBP by mean arterial pressure (MAP), the two-factor model was generated in both genders. Conclusions The 2-and 3-factor models were characterized indicating a single pathogenesis that could not explain the unified clustering of MetS in non-diabetic adults.
Optimization of laser trackers locations for position measurement

This paper presents an approach optimizing the location of laser tracker system to improve the accuracy of position measurement for heavy-duty machine tools. The approach is based on a physical model of the realistic structure of the whole working space with considering constraints determined by the structure of heavy-duty machine tools. The optimum locations of the laser trackers are searched by minimizing the average error coefficients of all measurement points on the machine tool movement trajectory. Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the measuring uncertainty of the heavy-duty machine tool position measurement with the self-calibration error and repeatability error. The optimized locations were verified in experiment where an improved measurement accuracy of 55% was observed.
Prediction-Based Mobile Data Offloading in Mobile Cloud Computing

Cellular network is facing a severe traffic overload problem caused by the phenomenal growth of mobile data. Offloading part of the mobile data traffic from the cellular network to alternative networks is a promising solution. In this paper, we study the mobile data offloading problem under the architecture of mobile cloud computing, where mobile data can be delivered by WiFi network and device-to-device communication. In order to minimize the overall cost for the data delivery task, it is crucial to reduce cellular network usage while satisfying delay requirements. In our proposed model, we formulate the data offloading task as a finite horizon Markov decision process. We first propose a hybrid offloading algorithm for mobile data with different delay requirements. Moreover, we establish sufficient conditions for the existence of threshold policy. Then, we propose a monotone offloading algorithm based on threshold policy in order to reduce the computational complexity. The simulation results show that the proposed offloading approach can achieve minimal communication cost compared with the other three offloading schemes.
Downlink Dual Connectivity Approach in mmWave-Aided HetNets With Minimum Rate Requirements

The integration of millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication with conventional microwave transmission in the heterogeneous networks (HetNets) has recently emerged as an attractive solution to meet the exponentially increasing demand on mobile data traffic. Moreover, this integration combined with dual-connectivity (DC) technology is expected to further guarantee reliable transmission of as many users as possible. In this letter, from the point of user association, a downlink DC approach in the integrated HetNets is proposed. The objective is to improve the access-fairness among users, while guaranteeing the maximization of total throughput utility. First, the DC-enabled user association problem in mmWave-aided HetNets is formulated as a nonlinear integer programming problem. Then, a two-level iterative algorithm is proposed to achieve the sub-optimal user association. Finally, the numerical results show the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.
Coiled Conductive Polymer Fiber Used in Soft Manipulator as Sensor

Soft robots are of particular interest to the robotics community due to their high compliance and safety for humans. However, soft sensors that can be easily embedded in soft robots are still under exploration. This work presents a novel soft sensor made by coiling conductive polymer fiber. The resistances of the coiled conductive polymer fibers (CPFs) change with their length. An application of CPF in soft robot as sensor is shown as well. A soft manipulator actuated by a motor and actuation cables is made. CPF made of conductive nylon fiber is embedded into the soft manipulator. When the manipulator bends, the resistance of CPF will change due to the change of its length. The relation between the resistance change rate and the bending angle is built to measure the angle via CPF. An angle control system that gets rid of rigid sensors based on the sensing function of CPF is established. This work provides a novel method for the sensing of soft robots.
HICIC: Hybrid Inter-Cell Interference Coordination for Two-Tier Heterogeneous Networks With Non-Uniform Topologies

Interference coordination is regarded as one of the most significant techniques in heterogeneous networks (HetNets). In this paper, we propose a novel interference coordination framework, which is referred to hybrid inter-cell interference coordination (HICIC), for interference mitigation in HetNets with non-uniform topologies. The meaning of hybrid is two-fold: first, several techniques belong to inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC), enhanced ICIC (eICIC), and further eICIC (FeICIC) are considered simultaneously. We perform the resource partition in both the time-domain and the frequency-domain jointly. A novel dummy base station structure is designed to take full advantage of resources. Second, different subbands in the same cell can be configured with different almost blank subframe (ABS) ratios for diverse purposes. A novel concept, coordination willingness, is proposed for determining ABS ratios in a distributed manner with limited signaling overhead. We formulate HICIC parameters optimization as a logarithm utility maximization problem and provide a semi-distributed algorithm comprising three stages to solve it. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of HICIC over several comparative schemes in HetNets with two different non-uniform topologies. It achieves the maximal system utility among all schemes and improves the performance of user equipment’s (UEs) who have geographical disadvantages. With HICIC, sum throughput of all UEs has a significant increase with slight losses in the fairness. Our work also verifies the fact that ICIC and eICIC/FeICIC are not either-or propositions. A reasonable combination of different techniques can mitigate interference effectively making a better HetNet.
Do Walking Programs Affect C-Reactive Protein, Osteoprotegerin and Soluble Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-Kappaβ Ligand? (Yürüyüş Programlari C-Reaktif Protein, Osteoprotegerin ve Soluble Reseptör Aktivatör Nükleer Faktör-Kappaβ Ligand Düzeylerini Etkiler mi?) Research Article (Araştirma Makal

Aim: To examine the effects of 10-week walking programs on maximal oxygen consumption, body composition, serum lipids, highly-sensitive C-reactive protein, osteoprotegerin and soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaβ ligand. Method: Twenty-seven middle-aged men (40-60years) walked for ten weeks, five days per week, 40-52min per day at either moderate or high intensity (~5.95±0.26km/h and ~7.64±0.36km/h; 50-55% and 70-75% maximum heart rate reserve, respectively). Nonwalking, sedentary men served as controls (n=13). Estimated maximal oxygen consumption, body composition, lipid profile, highly-sensitive C-reactive protein, osteoprotegerin and soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaβ ligand were determined before and after the study. Results: After 10 weeks, estimated maximal oxygen consumption improved in both exercise groups (p<.05), favoring high-intensity group (p<.05). Body weight, percent body fat, and body mass index reduced significantly in both exercise groups (p<.05). Walking programs did not cause any significant changes in blood lipids, highly-sensitive Creactive protein, and osteoprotegerin levels; however, soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaβ ligand levels were found to decrease in high-intensity group (p<.05) and the change observed in both exercise groups was different from the change in control group (p<.05). Conclusion: For protective effects against cardiac risk factors and arterial calcification, high-intensity walking programs are advisable due to the greater improvements in soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaβ ligand and estimated maximal oxygen con
Sensitivity of ICF ignition conditions to non-Maxwellian DT fusion reactivity

The hotspot ignition conditions in ICF are determined by considering the power balance between fusion energy deposition and energy loss terms. Uncertainty in any of these terms has potential to modify the ignition conditions, changing the optimum ignition capsule design. This paper considers the impact of changes to the DT fusion reaction rate due to non-thermal ion energy distributions. The DT fusion reactivity has been evaluated for a class of non-Maxwellian distributions representing a perturbation to the tail of a thermal distribution. The resulting reactivity has been used to determine hotspot ignition conditions as a function of the characteristic parameter of the modified distribution. The hotspot ignition conditions in ICF can be determined by considering the power balance between fusion alpha particle energy deposition, hydrodynamic work and energy loss via radiation and electron thermal conduction (1). The resulting conditions may be sensitive to uncertainties in any of the key plasma physics models or assumptions. This paper considers the impact of changes to the DT fusion reaction rate due to the presence of non-thermal ion energy distributions. The reactivity,� v� , for thermonuclear fusion reactions is conventionally derived by averaging cross- section data over a Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution. In many situations, such as when plasmas are strongly shocked or rapidly heated by energetic particles, reacting ions may be better characterised by a non-Maxwellian distribution. Since the self-relaxation time is longer for ions at higher energies (2), such effects typically produce an enhancement or depletion within the tail of the distribution. At temperatures where the reactivity is dominated by the contribution of particles in the tail, even small changes to the distribution may have a potentially significant impact on the fusion reaction rate. The DT fusion reactivity has been evaluated for a class of non-Maxwellian distributions, the q-Gaussian distribution (3), which represent a perturbation to the tail of a thermal distribution. The resulting reactivity has been used to calculate a revised ideal ignition temperature (4) and to determine hotspot ignition conditions as a function of the characteristic parameter of the distribution. This initial assessment does not consider in detail the physical development of non-Maxwellian distributions. If conditions are found to show significant sensitivity, then the generation of distributions may be explored in future work via kinetic simulation.
Value Creation of Cloud Computing in E-businesses

Cloud computing is a new technology which has changed business and society drastically, making it possible to create products and communication aids that were previously unheard of. Without it, services such as Facebook or Google Apps would probably not exist as we know them today. This thesis explores how cloud computing affects the value propositions of e-businesses, using data collected from multiple case companies selected mainly within the Skane province of Sweden. Companies that create cloud services and infrastructure, as well as companies that use such services, have been selected. The foundation for the analysis is the model measuring value creation in e-businesses designed by Amit and Zott (2001), which establishes four dimensions in which such businesses create value. In addition, the authors assess the incentives of the case firms to integrate cloud-computing services into their business models. One important conclusion is that partnerships and specialisation have become important aspects of value creation in this field. (Less)
Downstream targets of transcription factor Pax6 in cortical development

Pax6 is a transcription factor with key functional roles in patterning and arealization of the cortex. We studied regulation of gene expression in Pax6 mutants through microarray analysis. This allowed us to focus on CRALBP and AP2γ, two of the many genes that were downregulated in Pax6 mutants. We could show that CRALBP m-RNA and protein expression to be completely abolished in Pax6 mutants in various regions of the central nervous system and that Pax6 binds CRALBP promoter and is necessary for its expression. Although Pax6 and CRALBP have overlapping boundaries of expression in the CNS, we show that these two genes do not share the same expression domains in the eye. Radial glial processes in CRALBP mutant mice acquire a wavy morphology that recapitulates the radial glial morphology observed in Pax6 mutants. In addition to the regulatory role of Pax6 on CRALBP, we could also show that Pax6 binds the promoter region of AP2γ. We found some differences in the expression of a few cortical layer specific markers in AP2γ mutants. However, we did not find differences in proliferation, lamination or alterations in radial glial morphology. Taken together, our data provide insights into the regulatory role of Pax6 during cortical neurogenesis.
Sparsity in Grammar Induction

We explore the role of sparsity in unsupervised dependency parser grammar induction by exploiting a common trend in many languages: the number of unique combinations of pairs of part-of-speech (POS) tags for child-parent relationships is relatively small. We express this bias using the posterior regularization (PR) framework [6] and experiment with English, Spanish and Bulgarian. We show that our system achieves signiﬁcant improvement in unlabeled accuracy over the standard expectation maximization (EM) baseline.
Denitrification and the Dinitrogen/Nitrous Oxide Ratio as Affected by Soil Water, Available Carbon, and Nitrate

Biological denitrification is affected by many environmental factors that control the amount of N and NO entering the atmosphere. This study was conducted to measure the effect of water-filled pore space (WFPS), available C, and soil NO concentration on total denitrification (N + NO), using acetylene (CH) inhibition, and to ascertain if denitrification could be estimated from NO measurements in the field using an average N/NO ratio. Repacked cores of four benchmark soils were brought to 60, 75, and 90% WFPS by applying treatments of glucose-C (0, 180, and 360 kg ha) and NO-N (0, 50, and 100 kg ha). The cores were incubated at 25°C, with and without 100 mL CH L, for 5 d during which daily gas samples of the headspace were analyzed for NO and CO. Total N loss due to denitrification generally increased as soil texture became finer and WFPS increased. The only exception to this was the C-amended sand, where N losses up to 26 and 66% were recorded at 60 and 75% WFPS, respectively. Denitrification rates at high N concentrations were quite small in the absence of an available C source but increased with increasing available C (glucose). The N/NO ratio generally increased with time of incubation after the initial treatment application. The largest ratios (up to 549) were found at the highest available C rate and generally at the highest soil water content. The presence of high NO concentrations apparently inhibited the conversion of NO to N, resulting in lower N/NO ratios. Using an average N/NO ratio for estimation of denitrification from NO field measurements cannot be recommended because of the variation in this ratio due to the many environmental factors altered by field management that influence denitrification and the relative production of N and NO.
The fuzzy control of tendon-driven fingers based on position and tendon tension

Existing control strategies of tendon-driven fingers are mostly based on the tendon tension control, which independently implemented with the single tension controller. The finger with n DOFs(degrees of freedom) designed here is actuated by the n+1 tendons and some strategies mapped the joint torques to the tendon tensions. The tendons, however, may be coupled with the others. To deal with the situation, some people proposed the control strategy that regulates tendon tensions in joint space rather than the tendon space and laws were validated by the experimental verifications. Generally, a fuzzy logic control is considered as a solution and a fuzzy control strategy were then introduced in this paper. The strategy would be combined with position control and tendon tension control, which proved to better adapt to the changing environment and the accurate control will be also demonstrated through the simulations. Finally, the feasibility of the algorithm is verified by using MATLAB.
The idea of focusing on integrated community-based postpartum care began with

s of over 750 articles were retrieved for evaluation, 178 articles and reports retrieved for more detailed evaluation, and 51 studies formed the basis of this report. A total of 27 research studies of the effectiveness of components that could comprise “integrated community-based postpartum” programs or such programs themselves were included as they met the following requirements. • a brief description was provided of a community-based intervention(s) that aimed to improve family planning, birth spacing, breastfeeding promotion, neonatal health or mortality reduction, and/or maternal survival and health in the postpartum period (immediately following delivery through the first 42 days of the newborn’s life or through the year if family planning were involved);
LACM 2015 Cardiac Modeling

In this talk we present a detailed model of the intracellular calcium dynamics in a cardiac myocyte and their efficient numerical treatment is discussed in the present work. The set of reaction diffusion equations describe the behavior of the intracellular calcium concentrations in cytoplasm as well as in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) domain. We adopted a detailed highly stochastic calcium release unit (CRU) model [2] to describe the source functions in the PDE model. The bidirectional coupling of deterministic model and membrane potential model is investigated in our adaptive numerical simulations and the dynamics of the membrane potential is based on the rabbit ventricle model of Mahajan et.al [1]. We developed a efficient adaptive finite element simulator interface for the numerical simulation of such multiphysics and multiscale model of the cardiac myocyte. To save the computational time and computer memory we considered a highly unstructured grid where the fine spatial resolution is placed at the CRUs and coarse resolution far from the CRUs location. The numerical convergence of solutions and parallel results are demonstrated.
Taxon Sampling and the Accuracy of Large Phylogenies

Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5245, USA; E-mail: rannala@life.bio. sunysb.edu Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627-0211, USA Department of Biology, Galton Laboratory, University College London, 4 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HE, England Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3140, USA
Artificial Intervertebral Disc Effective : May 1 , 2018

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The Effect of Smoking on Diagnostic Value of Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase-8 in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract Background: Smoking has been perceived to increase the levels of carcinogenic and inflammatory mediators thereby promoting presumably malignant and proinflammatory tissue destruction via activating proteolytic enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their regulators. We studied the effect of smoking on the diagnostic ability of serum MMP-8-IFMA and TIMP-1-ELISA analysis to recognize patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: The case-control population (n=605) comprised 291 patients with diagnosed acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and 314 healthy control individuals. The case and the control group included 55 and 66 smoking subjects, respectively. Results: Smoking increased the MMP-8, but not the TIMP-1, concentration in both the control and the AMI group. MMP-8 concentration, and consequently MMP-8/TIMP-1, distinguished the cases from the controls accurately in the ROC analysis, but smoking decreased the AUCs in every category. The MMP-8 concentration produced an AUC (95% CI, p-value) for ACS of 0.771 (0.723-0.818, p<0.001) and 0.684 (0.581-0.787, p=0.001) for non-smokers and smokers, respectively. Similarly, the multivariate logistic regression model indicated that smoking decreased the association of MMP-8 with ACS. The OR (95% CI, p-value) of MMP-8 for ACS was 8.1 (per ng/ml log-transformed unit increase, 5.0-13.1, p<0.001) and 2.8 (1.1-7.0, p=0.025) for non-smokers and smokers, respectively. Conclusions: One of the most important risk factors for ACS, smoking, decreases the diagnostic ability of MMP- 8 concentration and MMP-8/TIMP-1 ratio. This must be taken account if these serum determinations are used as biomarkers of the risk for cardiovascular diseases.
In vitro techniques to estimate amino acid digestibility

When a food is processed or stored, amino acids can react with a number of chemical entities to produce new compounds that are often nutritionally unavailable to the consumer. Lysine is an important indispensable amino acid, and describing the lysine content of a food or feedstuff provides useful information about nutritional value. Chemical assays have thus been developed to allow determination of unaltered or reactive lysine. The in vitro procedures include three chemical procedures: the furosine procedure, the reactive lysine procedure and KOH solubility.