Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between bronchial hyperresponsiveness and development of asthma in children with chronic cough

To evaluate the relationship between bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and the development of asthma in children with chronic cough, we performed methacholine inhalation challenges and transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO2) measurements in 92 children with chronic cough aged from 1–13 years (55 boys and 37 girls; mean, 5.3 years) and followed them for ≥ 10 years. Forty‐four age‐matched children with asthma (24 males and 20 females; mean, 6.5 years) and 44 age‐matched children without cough or asthma served as controls (18 males and 26 females; mean, 4.6 years). Consecutive doubling doses of methacholine were inhaled until a 10% decrease in tcPO2 from baseline was observed. The cumulative dose of methacholine at the inflection point of the tcPO2 record (Dmin‐PO2) was considered to represent hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine.
Power Injection Control System and Experimental Model based on Manufacturer Characteristic Curves for a Photovoltaic Generation System

This paper attempts to validate the performance of a power injection control block for photovoltaic generation systems (PVGS). This device uses a control module based on detecting the power injected into the supply by the inverter, instead of measuring the power generated by the PVGS. The performance is evaluated using the concept of maximum energy curve that takes into account both transient and permanent control performance. The paper presents a basic and simple procedure to obtain a model from the manufacturer characteristic curves of the photovoltaic cells. Matlabreg Simulinkreg is used as simulation tool to obtain the response of the proposed system to changes in temperature and irradiance.
The pH of Activation of the Hemagglutinin Protein Regulates H5N1 Influenza Virus Replication and Pathogenesis in Mice

ABSTRACT After receptor binding and internalization during influenza virus entry, the hemagglutinin (HA) protein is triggered by low pH to undergo irreversible conformational changes that mediate membrane fusion. To investigate how mutations that alter the activation pH of the HA protein influence the fitness of an avian H5N1 influenza virus in a mammalian model, we infected C57BL/6J or DBA/2J mice and compared the replication and virulence of recombinant A/chicken/Vietnam/C58/04 (H5N1) HA-Y231H mutant, wild-type, and HA-H241Q and HA-K582I mutant viruses that have HA activation pH values of 6.3, 5.9, 5.6, and 5.4, respectively. The HA-Y231H mutant virus was highly susceptible to acid inactivation in vitro and was attenuated for growth and virulence in mice, suggesting that an H5N1 HA protein triggered at pH 6.3 is too unstable for the virus to remain fit. Wild-type and HA-H241Q viruses were similar in pathogenicity and grew to similar levels in mice, ducks, and cell cultures derived from both avian and mammalian tissues, suggesting that H5N1 HA proteins triggered at pH values in the range of 5.9 to 5.6 broadly support replication. The HA-K582I mutant virus had greater growth and virulence in DBA/2J mice than the wild type did, although the mutant virus was highly attenuated in ducks. The data suggest that adaptation of avian H5N1 influenza virus for infection in mammals is supported by a decrease in the HA activation pH to 5.4. Identification of the HA activation pH as a host-specific infectivity factor is expected to aid in the surveillance and risk assessment of currently circulating H5N1 influenza viruses.
A Direct Imaging Survey of Spitzer-detected Debris Disks: Occurrence of Giant Planets in Dusty Systems

We describe a joint high-contrast imaging survey for planets at the Keck and Very Large Telescope of the last large sample of debris disks identified by the Spitzer Space Telescope. No new substellar companions were discovered in our survey of 30 Spitzer-selected targets. We combine our observations with data from four published surveys to place constraints on the frequency of planets around 130 debris disk single stars, the largest sample to date. For a control sample, we assembled contrast curves from several published surveys targeting 277 stars that do not show infrared excesses. We assumed a double power-law distribution in mass and semimajor axis (SMA) of the form , where we adopted power-law values and logarithmically flat values for the mass and SMA of planets. We find that the frequency of giant planets with masses 5–20 MJup and separations 10–1000 au around stars with debris disks is 6.27% (68% confidence interval 3.68%–9.76%), compared to 0.73% (68% confidence interval 0.20%–1.80%) for the control sample of stars without disks. These distributions differ at the 88% confidence level, tentatively suggesting distinctness of these samples.
Can High-Order Statistics Add Information in Model-Based Polarimetric Decompositions?

This work details how to obtain additional information to find a unique solution to model-based polarimetric decompositions. In general, polarimetric target decomposition methods decompose the multi-look covariance or coherency matrix, a second-order statistic, into a mixture of components. These complex matrices only have five distinct elements that equates to five distinct expressions for the model-based decomposition. However, virtually all models involve more than five physical parameters, making the decomposition underdetermined and hence does not have a single unique solution. The general approach to solve this problem is to make certain assumptions, thus fixing one or more parameters, allowing the other free parameters to be solved from the set of expressions. This work describes how to obtain new, independent expressions from higher order statistical moments to obtain a unique solution and presents preliminary results.
Seismic tomography with the reversible jump algorithm

SUMMARY The reversible jump algorithm is a statistical method for Bayesian inference with a variable number of unknowns. Here, we apply this method to the seismic tomography problem. The approach lets us consider the issue of model parametrization (i.e. the way of discretizing the velocity field) as part of the inversion process. The model is parametrized using Voronoi cells with mobile geometry and number. The size, position and shape of the cells defining the velocity model are directly determined by the data. The inverse problem is tackled within a Bayesian framework and explicit regularization of model parameters is not required. The mobile position and number of cells means that global damping procedures, controlled by an optimal regularization parameter, are avoided. Many velocity models with variable numbers of cells are generated via a transdimensional Markov chain and information is extracted from the ensemble as a whole. As an aid to interpretation we visualize the expected earth model that is obtained via Monte Carlo integration in a straightforward manner. The procedure is particularly adept at imaging rapid changes or discontinuities in wave speed. While each velocity model in the final ensemble consists of many discontinuities at cell boundaries, these are smoothed out in the averaged ensemble solution while those required by the data are reinforced. The ensemble of models can also be used to produce uncertainty estimates and experiments with synthetic data suggest that they represent actual uncertainty surprisingly well. We use the fast marching method in order to iteratively update the ray geometry and account for the non-linearity of the problem. The method is tested here with synthetic data in a 2-D application and compared with a subspace method that is a more standard matrix-based inversion scheme. Preliminary results illustrate the advantages of the reversible jump algorithm. A real data example is also shown where a tomographic image of Rayleigh wave group velocity for the Australian continent is constructed together with uncertainty estimates.
Effect of vertical vibration on respiratory airflow and transpulmonary pressure.

The response of the human thoracoabdominal system to whole-body, vertical, sinusoidal vibration has been studied. Peak acceleration of the shake table was held constant (±0.5 G), and frequency varied between 2 and 10 cycles/sec. Subjects were seated with trunk axes parallel with the direction of acceleration. The amplitude of forced airflow oscillation increased with frequency to an average 1,368 cm3/sec at 6 cycles/sec and then decreased. The maximum average volume of air forced in or out of the lung with vibration was 46 cm3 at 5 cycles/sec. Transpulmonary pressure fluctuation exhibited a peak average amplitude of 5.44 cm H2O at 5 cycles/sec. The response to square-wave table motion was also investigated. The transient flow oscillation produced by the step function had an average frequency of 5.6 cycles/sec. Measurements of the logarithmic decrement of transient flow oscillation indicate the total thoracoabdominal system is underdamped (hV = 0.1–0.2). The calculated damping for the lung subsystem indicates very high damping (hL = 4.5). Measurements of abdominal deformation produced by the step function suggest the transient flow oscillations result from close coupling of the lung to other components of the thoracoabdominal system. Note: (With the Technical Assistance of Tom Sharp, Roger Shannon, and Judith White) whole-body vibration; periodic vertical acceleration; vibration-induced changes in respiration; oscillation; mechanics of thoracoabdominal system Submitted on February 14, 1964
Microcontact printing using flexible flat PDMS stamps with metal embedment

This paper reports a microcontact printing (μCP) using flexible flat polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps with metal embedment. In conventional μCP process, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) ink can be transferred by conformal contact between a structural PDMS stamp and a substrate. In our research we utilized that hexadecanethiol (HDT), one of SAM ink molecules for μCP, can be soaked to the PDMS, but not to the Cr layer. Based on this fact, the PDMS with Cr embedment was used as a stamp for μCP even though there is `no structural tip' (i.e. flat) in PDMS stamps. The new stamps for μCP have no mechanical deformation of stamps' tip which is crucial problem of conventional PDMS stamps during μCP. Moreover, there are several advantages compared to other flat PDMS stamps, such as no limitation of lifetime and no contamination problem during fabrication process.
Data analysis of the MAVLink communication protocol

In our current society, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones have become common. These vehicles are controlled remotely from a Ground Control Station (GCS) or autonomously by a programmed mission. Data-link between drone and GCS can be established by using a communication protocol. The Micro Air Vehicle link (MAVLink) protocol is an open source, point-to-point networking protocol used to carry telemetry and to command and control many small unmanned aircrafts. In this paper, communication requirements, such as network latency and data loss of the MAVLink protocol have been analyzed.
Estimation of primaries by sparse inversion incuding the ghost

Today, the problem of surface-related multiples, especially in shallow water, is not fully solved. Although surface-related multiple elimination (SRME) method has proved to be successful on a large number of data cases, the involved adaptive subtraction acts as a weak link in this methodology, where primaries can be distorted due to their interference with multiples. Therefore, recently, SRME has been redefined as a large-scale inversion process, called estimation of primaries by sparse inversion (EPSI). In this process the multi-dimensional primary impulse responses are considered as the unknowns in a largescale inversion process. By parameterizing these impulse responses as spikes in the space-time domain, and using a sparsity constraint in the update step, the algorithm looks for those primaries that, together with their associated multiples, explain the total input data. As the objective function in this minimization process truly goes to zero, the tendency for distorting primaries is greatly reduced. An additional advantage is that imperfections in the data can be included in the forward model and resolved simultaneously, such as the missing near offsets. In this paper it is demonstrated that the ghost effect can also be included in the EPSI formulation after which a ghost-free primary estimate can be obtained, even in the case the ghost notch is within the desired spectrum.
Novel Insulinoma Cell Lines Produced by Iterative Engineering of GLUT2, Glucokinase, and Human Insulin Expression

Cellular engineering studies in our group are directed at creating insulin-secreting cell lines that simulate the performance of the normal islet β-cell. The strategy described in this article involves the stepwise stable introduction of genes relevant to β-cell performance into the RIN 1046-38 insulinoma cell line, a process that we term “iterative engineering. ” RIN cells stably engineered to contain multiple copies of the human insulin gene exhibit a large increase in insulin content, such that they approach the content of human islets assayed in parallel. Analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography demonstrates that these engineered cell lines process human proinsulin to mature insulin with high efficiency. Cell lines that are further engineered to express the GLUT2 and glucokinase genes demonstrate stable expression of the three transgenes for the full lifetime of the lines produced to date (6 months to 1 year in continuous culture). Transplantation of the engineered cell lines into nude rats reveals that stably integrated genes are expressed at constant levels in the in vivo environment over the full duration of experiments performed (48 days). Several endogenous genes expressed in normal β-cell, including rat insulin, amylin, sulfonyhirea receptor, and glucokinase, are stably expressed in the insulinoma lines during these in vivo studies. Endogenous GLUT2 expression, in contrast, is rapidly extinguished during in vivo passage. The loss of GLUT2 is overcome in engineered cell lines in which transporter expression is provided by a stably transfected trans gene. These results suggest that a potential advantage of the iterative engineering approach may be to preserve stability of function and phenotype, particularly in the in vivo setting.
Engineered T cells for pancreatic cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVE Conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy produce marginal survival benefits in pancreatic cancer, underscoring the need for novel therapies. The aim of this study is to develop an adoptive T cell transfer approach to target tumours expressing prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), a tumour-associated antigen that is frequently expressed by pancreatic cancer cells. METHODS Expression of PSCA on cell lines and primary tumour samples was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Healthy donor- and patient-derived T cells were isolated, activated in vitro using CD3/CD28, and transduced with a retroviral vector encoding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting PSCA. The ability of these cells to kill tumour cells was analysed by chromium-51 (Cr(51)) release. RESULTS Prostate stem cell antigen was expressed on >70% of the primary tumour samples screened. Activated, CAR-modified T cells could be readily generated in clinically relevant numbers and were specifically able to kill PSCA-expressing pancreatic cancer cell lines with no non-specific killing of PSCA-negative target cells, thus indicating the potential efficacy and safety of this approach. CONCLUSIONS Prostate stem cell antigen is frequently expressed on pancreatic cancer cells and can be targeted for immune-mediated destruction using CAR-modified, adoptively transferred T cells. The safety and efficacy of this approach indicate that it deserves further study and may represent a promising novel treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer.
The modified essay question: Its exit from the exit examination?

Background: Exit examinations in medicine are ‘high stakes’ examinations and as such must satisfy a number of criteria including psychometric robustness, fairness and reliability in the face of legal or other challenges. Aims: We have undertaken a critical review of the exit examination from the University of Adelaide focussing on the written components. This examination consisted of an objective structure clinical examination (OSCE), a multiple choice question (MCQ) paper and a modified essay question (MEQ) paper. Methods: The two written papers were assessed for item writing flaws and taxonomic level using modified Bloom's criteria. Curriculum experts independently assessed adequacy of the examination for validity and fidelity. Results: The overall examination had good fidelity and validity. The results of the MEQ and MCQ were strongly and positively correlated and there was a weak negative correlation between these papers and the OSCE. The MEQ had a higher proportion of questions focussed on recall of knowledge and the questions were more structurally flawed compared with the MCQs. The MEQ re-marking process resulted in lower scores than were awarded by the original, discipline-based expert markers. The MEQ paper failed to achieve its primary purpose of assessing higher cognitive skills. Conclusion: The University of Adelaide's MBBS programme has since dropped the MEQ paper from its exit examination and is evaluating in its place the Script Concordance test.
A Survey Of Digital Image Tampering Techniques

Due to powerful computers and advanced photo-editing software tools the manipulation of images has become an easy task. Confirming the authenticity of images and detecting tampered regions in an image without any knowledge about the image content is an important part of the research field. An effort is made to survey the recent advancements being made in the field of digital image forgery detection and thus passive methods for forgery detection are being presented. Blind or passive methods do not require any explicit former information about the image. In the first part, various image forgery detection techniques are classified and then an overview of passive image authentication is presented and the existing blind forgery detection techniques are reviewed.
The use of measured genotype information in the analysis of quantitative phenotypes in man

Improved laboratory methods allow one to investigate the contribution of measured allelic variability at a locus physiologically involved in determining the expression of a quantitative trait. We present statistical methods that incorporate measured genotype information into the analysis of a quantitative phenotype that allows one simultaneously to detect and estimate the effects of a measured single locus and residual polygenic effects. Likelihoods are presented for the joint distribution of the quantitative phenotype and a measured genotype that are appropriate when the data are collected as a sample of unrelated individuals or as a sample of nuclear families. Application of this method to the analysis of serum cholesterol levels and the concentration of the group specific component (Gc) are presented. The analysis of the contribution of the common Gc polymorphism to the determination of quantitative variability in Gc using smaples of related and unrelated individuals presents, for the first time, the simultaneous estimation of the frequencies and the effects of the genotypes at a measured locus, and the contribution of residual unmeasured polygenes to phenotypic variability.
Experimental Assessment of Bulk Path Restoration in Multi-layer Networks Using PCE-based Global Concurrent Optimization

Generalized multi-protocol label switching-based multi-layer networks (MLN) combining packet and optical switching lead to jointly leverage intrinsic per-layer benefits such as statistical multiplexing and huge transport capacity. By doing so, efficient network resource utilization is attained through MLN traffic engineering (TE) strategies, i.e. grooming. In this context, an optical link failure may cause the disruption of multiple groomed packet label switched paths (LSPs). Thereby, efficient recovery schemes such as restoration are required. In dynamic restoration, the centralized path computation element (PCE) sequentially computes backup paths for the set of failed packet LSPs using the TE database (TED). Since the TED is not updated until an LSP is actually set up, it is very likely that the PCE assigns the same network resources to different backup paths. This does increase resource contention and not fully exploits the potential grooming opportunities among the backup LSPs; consequently, the restorability metric performs poorly. To improve this, a designed PCE global concurrent optimization (GCO) architecture is implemented favoring grooming and lowering resource contention. The addressed problem, referred to as bulk path restoration in multi-layer optical networks (BAREMO), is formally modeled and stated using a mixed integer linear programming formulation. Then, a heuristic algorithm solving the BAREMO problem is devised. The experimental performance evaluation is conducted within the ADRENALINE testbed. Besides validating the PCE GCO architecture, its performance is compared with a sequential PCE for several traffic loads and failure rates. The results show that the PCE GCO improves remarkably restorability compared to the sequential PCE at the expenses, however, of increasing the restoration time.
A Knowledge-Based Simulated Annealing Algorithm to Multiple Satellites Mission Planning Problems

The multiple satellites mission planning is a complex combination optimization problem. A knowledge-based simulated annealing algorithm is proposed to the multiple satellites mission planning problems. The experimental results suggest that the proposed algorithm is effective to the given problem. The knowledge-based simulated annealing method will provide a useful reference for the improvement of existing optimization approaches.
Using Mathematical Models and Advanced Control Systems Techniques to Enhance Neuroprosthesis Function

Systems that use electrical stimulation to activate paralyzed muscles, called “neuroprostheses”, have restored important functional capabilities to many people with neurologic disorders such as spinal cord injury or stroke. However, the clinical benefits derived from neuroprostheses have been limited by the quality of control of posture and movement that has been achieved. Over the past few decades, engineers have used mathematical models and control systems technology to develop functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) control systems that show promise in the laboratory, but these have not yet been incorporated into practical solutions for clinical problems. This article briefly reviews several of the complicating factors in controlling FNS systems and describes the potential roles of biomechanical modeling and advanced control system technology. Three important challenges in FNS control systems research and development are identified: 1) to obtain an improved understanding of the biomechanical system that we are trying to control and how it is controlled by the intact neural system, 2) to develop new control system technology with a particular focus on strategies that mimic those used by biologic systems, and 3) to integrate the knowledge and technologies into useful systems that meet the needs of neuroprosthesis users. The outlook for the future includes many interesting problems; yet more importantly, it includes relevant clinical benefits to be gained through the application of biomechanical models and advanced control systems techniques in neuroprostheses.