Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aerobic Capacity Determines Habitual Walking Acceleration, Not Electromyography-Indicated Relative Effort

Objective: Habitual walking is important for health and can be measured with accelerometry, but accelerometry does not measure physiological effort relative to capacity. We compared accelerometer-measured absolute intensity and electromyography (EMG)-measured relative muscle activity between people with low versus excellent aerobic fitness levels during their habitual walking. Methods: Forty volunteers (19 women; age 49.3 ± 17.1 years, body mass index 24.0 ± 2.6 kg/m2; peak oxygen uptake 40.3 ± 12.5 ml/kg/min) wore EMG-shorts and a hip-worn accelerometer simultaneously for 11.6 ± 2.2 hr on 1.7 ± 1.1 days. Continuous gait bouts of at least 5-min duration were identified based on acceleration mean amplitude deviation (MAD, in milli gravitational acceleration, mg) and mean EMG amplitude, with EMG normalized to maximal isometric knee extension and flexion (EMG, in percentage of maximal voluntary contraction EMG). Peak oxygen uptake was measured on a treadmill and maximal strength in isometric leg press (leg press max). MAD and EMG were compared between age- and sex-specific fitness groups (low-average, good, and excellent) and in linear models. Results: During habitual walking bouts (4.1 ± 4.1 bouts/day, 0.9 ± 1.0 min/bout), the low-average fit participants had an approximately 28% lower MAD (245 ± 64.3 mg) compared with both good fit and excellent fit participants (313 ± 68.1 mg, p < .05), but EMG was the same (13.1% ± 8.42% maximal voluntary contraction EMG, p = .10). Absolute, relative to body mass, and relative to skeletal muscle mass peak oxygen uptake (but not leg press max) was positively associated with MAD independent of age and sex (p < .01), but there were no associations with EMG. Conclusions: People with low-average aerobic capacity habitually walk with a lower accelerometer-measured absolute intensity, but the physiological stimulus for lower-extremity muscles is similar to those with excellent aerobic capacity. This should be considered when measuring and prescribing walking for health.
Imprecision of Protein Electrophoresis

cinoma. We observed a 20% incidence of false-positive results in a preliminary study of 20 normal controls. This incidence is higher than that reported by Thompson et al. and is most likely attributable to the population studied. This interference could be completely reversed by adding 100 tg of nonspecific mouse IgG to each 1 mL of serum sample. Presently, we routinely screen sera for cross-reactive antibodies by usinga nonspecific murine monoclonal IgG-coated microtiter plate to which we addhuman sera and labeled second antibody. Samples thattest positive for cross-reactive antibody are then tested in the ABP assay, with and without mouse IgG. This protocol minimizes the amount of mouse IgG required. The presence of cross-reactive antibodies in human sera that may cause false-positive results in immunoassays involving monoclonal antibodies has been previously reported by Klug et al. (4) in an assay for CA 125. As they and Thompson et al. have indicated, these interferences can be eliminated by the inclusion of suitable blocking reagents in the assay.
Novel mouse strain with Cre recombinase in 11 (cid:1) -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-2-expressing cells

Novel mouse strain with Cre recombinase in 11 (cid:1) -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-2-express-ing cells. Here we describe the generation and characterization of a mouse strain that expresses an improved Cre (iCre) recombinase (48) under the control of the endogenous 11 (cid:1) -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11HSD2) promoter. Progeny of 11HSD2/iCre and ROSA26 reporter mice were used to determine the pattern of iCre expression by measuring the activity of the LacZ gene product (cid:1) -galactosidase in a panel of tissues. On Cre recombinase activity, intense (cid:1) -galactosidase activity (X-gal staining) was observed in the classic mineralocorticoid target segments of the kidney, as well as in the colon, and both female and male reproductive organs. Weaker iCre expression was detected in the lung and heart. In the brain, strong iCre activity was present in cardiovascular centers that are known to express 11HSD2 and mineralocorticoid receptors [nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and amygdala] as well as in the granular layer of the cerebellum. iCre expression was weaker in neonatal kidney and colon than in the adult but was present in the hair follicles and cartilage. These results indicate that in the 11HSD2/iCre strain iCre expression faithfully represents the expression pattern of endogenous 11HSD2. Thus this mouse model represents the ﬁrst Cre deleter strain that can be used to eliminate desired genes in every mineralocorticoid target tissue. This mouse model should serve as a useful resource for investigators who want to study the function of genes involved in aldosterone action and genes in other pathways that are selectively expressed in these cells.
Compounding a High Dielectric Constant Thermoplastic Material for Production of Microwave Photonic Crystals through Additive Manufacturing

: Additive Manufacturing techniques allow the production of complex geometries unattainable through other traditional technologies. This advantage lends itself well to rapidly iterate and improve upon the design of microwave photonic devices, which are structures with intricate, repeating features. The issue tackled by this work involves compounding a high-dielectric constant material that can be used to produce 3D topological structures using polymer extrusion-based AM techniques. This material was ABS based, and used barium titanate ceramic as the high-dielectric compound of the composite, and involved the use of a surfactant and a plasticizer to facilitate processing. Initial small amounts of material were compounded using an internal batch mixer, and studied using polymer thermal analysis techniques, such as thermogravimetric analysis, rheometry, and differential scanning calorimetry to determine the proper processing conditions. The production of the material was then scaled-up through the use of a twin-screw extruder system, producing homogeneous pellets. Finally, the thermoplastic composite was used with a screw-based, material extrusion additive manufacturing technique to produce a slab for measuring the dielectric constant of the material, as well as a preliminary 3D photonic crystal. The real part of dielectric constant of the composite was measured to be 12.85 in the range of 10GHz to 12GHz, representing the highest dielectric constant ever demonstrated for a thermoplastic AM composite at microwave frequencies. The dielectric loss tangent was equal to 0.046, representing a low-loss dielectric.
Nitric Oxide Modulates Chromatin Folding in Human Endothelial Cells via PP2A Activation and Class II HDACs Nuclear Shuttling

—Nitric oxide (NO) modulates important endothelial cell (EC) functions and gene expression by a molecular mechanism which is still poorly characterized. Here we show that in human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) NO inhibited serum-induced histone acetylation and enhanced histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. By immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses it was found that NO induced class II HDAC4 and 5 nuclear shuttling and that class II HDACs selective inhibitor MC1568 rescued serum-dependent histone acetylation above control level in NO-treated HUVECs. In contrast, class I HDACs inhibitor MS27–275 had no effect, indicating a specific role for class II HDACs in NO-dependent histone deacetylation. In addition, it was found that NO ability to induce HDAC4 and HDAC5 nuclear shuttling involved the activation of the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). In fact, HDAC4 nuclear translocation was impaired in ECs expressing small-t antigen and exposed to NO. Finally, in cells engineered to express a HDAC4-Flag fusion protein, NO induced the formation of a macromolecular complex including HDAC4, HDAC3, HDAC5, and an active PP2A. The present results show that NO-dependent PP2A activation plays a key role in class II HDACs nuclear translocation. ( Circ Res . 2008;102:0-0.) the nuclear translocation of an HDAC4-Flag recombinant protein 293 stably transfected on 2 hours to DETA/NO. the of DETA/NO, a slightly increase of the endogenous HDAC3 the nuclear was also observed. Grb2 and anti-H1 were used to normalize the protein to assess the of were slightly bound
Performance Improvements and Analysis of Image Reconstruction Techniques in Proton Computed Tomography

The interest in proton beam therapy for the treatment of tumorous diseases has increased due to the unique energy deposition properties of protons, which allows to reduce dose exposition of healthy tissue. To fully utilize the potential of proton therapy, emphasis has to be put on treatment planning, which includes measuring the energy deposition per unit length (stopping power) of the tissue to be treated. Therefore, a 3D map of the stopping power of the affected tissue must be generated. Currently, this stopping power (SP) map is extrapolated from Hounsfield units (HU) as determined form x-ray computed tomography (CT) images, thus introducing conversion errors. By making use of proton computed tomography (pCT), the SP is measured directly [1]. Difficulties arise as the particle trajectories deviate from straight lines due to multiple Coulomb scattering (MCS). Therefore the algorithms for image reconstruction commonly used in x-ray CT have to be adapted accordingly. For most implementations, this is done by introducing path estimates which account for the non-linear trajectory. Several methods have been introduced, including the most likely path (MLP) and cubic spline (CS) approximation [2]. One of the main drawbacks introduced by the path estimates is the additional computational effort that has to be dealt with. As the reconstruction by itself is already computationally expensive, the need to calculate path estimates for pCT additionally increases computing time. One common approach to improve performance in scientific computing is to parallelize computations within the problem set. Since the computations in pCT image reconstruction are well suited to be executed in parallel, this approach has also gained momentum for application to pCT [3]. In this thesis, the proton paths are estimated by a cubic spline, with the paths being used for generating improved radiographies as input for image reconstruction [4]. The performance of the computations is increased by conducting parts of the calculations in parallel on a GPGPU (general purpose graphic processing unit). As the improved radiographies can be used as input for well established x-ray CT reconstruction methods, the software written in the process is used to expand the open source x-ray CT image reconstruction framework TIGRE [5]. Once implemented, the framework is used to perform image reconstruction for simulation data of several phantoms.
De-biased Representation Learning for Fairness with Unreliable Labels

Removing bias while keeping all task-relevant information is challenging for fair representation learning methods since they would yield random or degenerate representations w.r. t. labels when the sensitive attributes correlate with labels. Existing works proposed to inject the label information into the learning procedure to overcome such issues. However, the assumption that the observed labels are clean is not always met. In fact, label bias is acknowledged as the primary source inducing discrimination. In other words, the fair pre-processing methods ignore the discrimination encoded in the labels either during the learning procedure or the evaluation stage. This contradiction puts a question mark on the fairness of the learned representations. To circumvent this issue, we explore the following question: \emph{Can we learn fair representations predictable to latent ideal fair labels given only access to unreliable labels? } In this work, we propose a \textbf{D}e-\textbf{B}iased \textbf{R}epresentation Learning for \textbf{F}airness (DBRF) framework which disentangles the sensitive information from non-sensitive attributes whilst keeping the learned representations predictable to ideal fair labels rather than observed biased ones. We formulate the de-biased learning framework through information-theoretic concepts such as mutual information and information bottleneck. The core concept is that DBRF advocates not to use unreliable labels for supervision when sensitive information benefits the prediction of unreliable labels. Experiment results over both synthetic and real-world data demonstrate that DBRF effectively learns de-biased representations towards ideal labels.
On the relationship between collisionless shock structure and energetic particle acceleration

Recent experimental research on bow shock structure and theoretical studies of quasi-parallel shock structure and shock acceleration of energetic particles were reviewed, to point out the relationship between structure and particle acceleration. The phenomenological distinction between quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular shocks that has emerged from bow shock research; present efforts to extend this work to interplanetary shocks; theories of particle acceleration by shocks; and particle acceleration to shock structures using multiple fluid models were discussed.
The Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum in the Differential Endurance against Redox Stress in Cortical and Spinal Astrocytes from the Newborn SOD1 G93A Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

: Recent studies reported that the uptake of [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is increased in the spinal cord (SC) and decreased in the motor cortex (MC) of patients with ALS, suggesting that the disease might differently affect the two nervous districts with different time sequence or with different mechanisms. Here we show that MC and SC astrocytes harvested from newborn B6SJL-Tg (SOD1 G93A ) 1Gur mice could play different roles in the pathogenesis of the disease. Spectrophotometric and cytofluorimetric analyses showed an increase in redox stress, a decrease in antioxidant capacity and a relative mitochondria respiratory uncoupling in MC SOD1 G93A astrocytes. By contrast, SC mutated cells showed a higher endurance against oxidative damage, through the increase in antioxidant defense, and a preserved respiratory function. FDG uptake reproduced the metabolic response observed in ALS patients: SOD1 G93A mutation caused a selective enhancement in tracer retention only in mutated SC astrocytes, matching the activity of the reticular pentose phosphate pathway and, thus, of hexose-6P dehydrogenase. Finally, both MC and SC mutated astrocytes were characterized by an impressive ultrastructural enlargement of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and impairment in ER–mitochondria networking, more evident in mutated MC than in SC cells. Thus, SOD1 G93A mutation differently impaired MC and SC astrocyte biology in a very early stage of life.
Hagedorn Thermostat: A Novel View of Hadronic Thermodynamics

A microcanonical treatment of Hagedorn systems, i.e. finite mass hadronic resonances with an exponential mass spectrum controlled by the Hagedorn temperature $T_H$, is performed. We show that, in the absence of any restrictions, a Hagedorn system is a perfect thermostat, i.e. it imparts its temperature $T_H$ to any other system in thermal contact with it. We study the thermodynamic effects of the lower mass cut-off in the Hagedorn mass spectrum. We show that in the presence of a single Hagedorn resonance the temperature of any number of $N_B$ Boltzmann particles differs only slightly from $T_H$ up to the kinematically allowed limit $N_B^{kin}$. For $N_B > N_B^{kin}$ however, the low mass cut-off leads to a decrease of the temperature as $N_B$ grows. The properties of Hagedorn thermostats naturally explain a single value of hadronization temperature observed in elementary particle collisions at high energies and lead to some experimental predictions.
Board 70: Development and Implementation of a Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Algorithm

– This research paper focuses on a non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) algorithm developed for a senior-design project. The goal of this research is two-fold: to produce a working load detection algorithm for purely resistive, inductive, or capacitive loads, and to use this experience as the basis for creating a new laboratory assignment for undergraduate students. The NILM algorithm was developed in MATLAB and tested with both simulated data and real data collected in the Electric Systems Power Lab (EPSL) at the University of Pittsburgh. Using voltage and current sensors and testing its functionality such that students can replicate the results of this paper as a laboratory assignment. From a pedagogical perspective, this project combines knowledge of power systems, signal processing, and coding – providing students with a relevant assignment that relates to modern day challenges in smart grid and smart home technology.
A geometric construction of Getzler's relation

A geometric construction of Getzler's cohomological relation in the moduli space of 4 pointed elliptic curves is given by a push-forward of a natural rational equivalence in a space of admissible covers. In particular, Getzler's relation is shown to be a rational equivalence. The recursion for the elliptic Gromov-Witten invariants of P^2 predicted by Eguchi, Hori, and Xiong from the Virasoro conjecture is proven via Getzler's equation and the WDVV-equations.
Augmenting photometric stereo with coaxial illumination

The authors propose a new photometric stereo (PS) method that augments a conventional four-light approach with coaxial illumination. The new method is based on a four-light, leave-one-out approach: the authors argue that coaxial lighting improves robustness to shadowing and specular highlights. The authors also specify a method to detect pixels that are shadowed or that do not conform to Lambert's law. The approach is tested on cylinders of various materials. The authors found that for dielectrics the method gave reliable results for gradients in the range −2 to 2. The results lead them to conclude that coaxial illumination makes PS more robust to shadow and specularity.
Probing Non-Gaussianity In The Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies: One Point Distribution Function

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720(Dated: February 2, 2008)We analyze WMAP 3 year data using the one-point distribution functions to probe the non-Gaussianity in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Anisotropy data. Computer simulationsare performed to determine the uncertainties of the results. We report the non-Gaussianity param-eter f
Three-dimensional reconstruction of complex shapes based on the Delaunay triangulation

We propose a solution to the problem of 3D reconstruction from cross-sections, based on the Delaunay triangulation of object contours. Its properties--especially the close relationship to the medial axis--enable us to do a compact tetrahedrization resulting in a nearest-neighbor connection. The reconstruction of complex shapes is improved by adding vertices on and inside contours.
Video Player Using Action Recognition and Convolutional Neural Networks

The whole world, is embracing advanced technology in all areas of life. This is made possible by the interaction between human and Computers (i.e., Human Computer Interaction). In this paper, we are discussing a very innovative way in which this technology of human computer interaction is used to play and control videos. The programmed acknowledgment of human motions from camera pictures is an extremely intriguing point. This technology is now becoming more and more practical as it is being inbuilt into many commercial products. However, here we are dealing with a very different approach in which Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)is used to develop a gesture-controlled video player. The human gestures would be used to control actions likeplay, pause, volume up and volume down. Deep learning techniques can be used to solve the problems that arise in ‘computer vision’ whereas, the parallel nature of CNN, is used to deal with extraction of data sets from images control videos. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are a type of deep model that can act directly on the raw inputs and they play an important role in the ﬁeld of Image Recognition and Classiﬁcation.
Drugs as TLR Inhibitors Modulators Identifies Several Antipsychotic Regulatory Factor 3 Signaling Pathway IFN - High-Throughput Screening for TLR3

TLR3 is one of the major innate immune sensors of dsRNA. The signal transduction pathway activated by TLR3, upon binding to dsRNA, leads to the activation of two major transcription factors: NF- k B and IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 3. In an effort to identify speciﬁc chemical modulators of TLR3–IRF3 signal transduction pathway, we developed a cell-based readout system. Using the IFN-stimulated gene 56 promoter-driven ﬁreﬂy luciferase gene stably integrated in a TLR3-expressing HEK293 cell line, we were able to generate a cell line where treatment with dsRNA resulted in a dose-dependent induction of luciferase activity. A screen of two pharmacologically active compound libraries using this system identiﬁed a number of TLR3–IRF3 signaling pathway modulators. Among them we focused on a subset of inhibitors and characterized their mode of action. Several antipsychotic drugs, such as sertraline, triﬂuoperazine, and ﬂuphenazine, were found to be direct inhibitors of the innate immune signaling pathway. These inhibitors also showed the ability to inhibit IFN-stimulated gene 56 induction mediated by TLR4 and TLR7/8 pathways. Interestingly, they did not show signiﬁcant effects on TLR3-, TLR7-, and TLR8-mediated NF- k B activation. Detailed analysis of the signaling pathway indicated that these drugs might be exerting their inhibitory effects on IRF3 via PI3K signaling pathway. The data presented in this study provide mechanistic explanation of possible anti-inﬂammatory roles of some antipsychotic drugs. The Journal of Immunology , 2010, 184: 000–000.
EFFECT OF NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS AND HUMIC ACID ON GROWTH, PRODUCTIVITY AND SOME CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF SWEET BASIL UNDER NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE CONDITIONS

The present work was conducted at the Laboratory of Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University during the two successive seasons of 2012and 2013. It aims to study the effect of some nutrient solutions (150 and 300 ml/l) and humic acid (HA) concentrations (0, 100 and 200 ppm) as well as their combinations on growth characters, productivity and some chemical constituents of Ocimum basilicum L. cv. Genovese under nutrient film technique (NFT) system. The data recorded were growth characters (plant height, number of leaves/ plant, branch number/ plant, leaf area and leaf fresh and dry weight/plant), productivity (yield fresh and dry weight/ plant and (%) of oil content) and some chemical constituents (total chlorophyll, NPK and total carbohydrates content). The obtained results came to conclusion that, using the treatment of nutrient solution at 300 ml/ l recorded significant increase in growth characters, productivity and some chemical constituents of Ocimum basilicum L. cv. Genovese as compared to the other treatments (150 ml/l) under study in most cases. HA also, enhanced the efficiency of the nutrient solution and increased leaf area, number of leaves/plant and branch number/ plant.