Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Motor unit number index in the nasalis muscle in healthy subjects and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Introduction: Motor unit number index (MUNIX) is a quick and feasible electrophysiological technique that estimates the number of motor neurons in limb muscles in healthy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) subjects. In this study we explored the feasibility, reliability, and differences of MUNIX in nasalis muscles in healthy subjects and ALS patients. Methods: MUNIX of the nasalis muscle of 50 healthy and 20 ALS subjects with bulbar involvement was compared. Functional impairment was evaluated by the ALS Functional Rating Scale—Revised and its bulbar subscore. Results: MUNIX was well tolerated and quickly performed. Bulbar ALS patients showed non‐significant lower nasalis MUNIX values and a lower functional bulbar subscore. Intra‐ and interrater reliability showed high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) in healthy subjects (0.87) and ALS patients (0.92). Conclusion: MUNIX of the nasalis muscle is a reproducible method, but it showed no significant difference between healthy and bulbar ALS subjects and seems not to be a useful marker of disease progression in ALS. Muscle Nerve 54: 733–737, 2016
Family Disorganization, Sleep Hygiene, and Adolescent Sleep Disturbance

The link between sleep hygiene and adolescent sleep is well documented, though evidence suggests contributions from other factors, particularly the family environment. The present study examined whether sleep hygiene mediated the relationship between family disorganization and self-reported sleep onset latency, total sleep time, and daytime sleepiness in adolescents. Participants were 217 adolescents, aged 13 to 18 (M = 14.9, SD = 1.0) years, (43% male), recruited from four high schools in South Australia. Sleep hygiene fully mediated the relationship between family disorganization and sleep onset latency (z = 2.77, p < .01) and daytime sleepiness (z = 3.47, p < .01). Only partial mediation was evident for total sleep time (z = 2.50, p < .05). These findings suggest that consideration should be given to the family environment when assessing sleep disturbance in adolescents, and subsequently implementing interventions.
Cost-sensitive AdaBoost Selective Ensemble for Financial Distress Prediction

Financial distress prediction (FDP) models are effective tools to prevent stakeholders from suffering economic loss. In the process of FDP, the misclassification cost of typeⅠ error of the model is much higher than that of typeⅡerror. Some FPD models based on single classifiers take the asymmetric costs into consideration, but the study on cost-sensitive ensemble approach for FDP is rarely explored. This paper constructs cost-sensitive AdaBoost selective ensemble FDP model for minimizing misclassification cost so that the loss of users of the model will suffer less. On the initial sample of 180 Chinese listed companies and 30 financial ratios, 8 times of holdout experiments are carried out for FDP respectively two years and three years in advance. The experimental results suggest that the proposed approach helps to reduce total misclassification costs compared with FDP model based on cost-sensitive C4.5 decision tree and that based on C4.5 decision tree.
Aortic elasticity alterations in special disorders

I. Nemes A, Takács R, Gavallér H, Várkonyi T, Forster T, Lengyel C. Correlations between Arteriography-derived pulse wave velocity a nd ortic elastic properties by echocardiography. Eur J Echocardiography 2009; 10 ( Suppl 2): ii86 II. Nemes A, Gavallér H, Csanády M, Forster T. Abnormal echocardiographic aortic elastic properties in patients with hypertrophic ca rdiomyopathy. Eur J Echocardiography 2010; 11 (Suppl 2): ii21
Fresh tissue harvest for research from prostatectomy specimens

As a consequence of molecular biological and genetic techniques, the demand for fresh tissue for basic research has increased dramatically at academic medical centers. Because of the extreme lability of many biological macromolecules, tissue must be harvested with the least possible delay from the time of removal. This necessity for quick action, frequently under less than optimal circumstances, along with the obvious loss of tissue available for diagnostic purposes, presents a daunting challenge to the pathologist responsible for accurate grading and staging of the cancer. A novel approach is described for the procurement of fresh and freshly frozen prostatic tissue with acceptable limitations on subsequent morphological analysis. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Data Communication over Challenged Networks: Application of Error Control Schemes in the Delay Tolerant Network Architectures

Nowadays, the realization and the deployment of network infrastructures able to guarantee connectivity to geographical areas characterized by hazardous access conditions, such as remote sensor networks, disaster areas and interplanetary networks, are assuming great importance. Under this view, the large access latencies along with the high percentage of lost packets makes the applicability of TCP/IP protocol suite almost unfeasible. A promising solution counteracting TCP/IP shortcomings is represented by the delay tolerant network (DTN) architecture, which exploits the principle of the mail delivery service to guarantee the success of the information transfer. This paper applies the DTN concepts to data communications achieved in deep space environments and investigates the adoption of error control schemes implemented at the higher layers, in order to make the transmission more reliable without the need of a feedback link for the acknowledgment transportation
Cross-sectional study of the relationship between repetitive work and the prevalence of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders.

BACKGROUND This study examined the relationship of repetitive work and other physical stressors to prevalence of upper limb discomfort, tendinitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. METHODS Three hundred fifty-two workers from three companies participated. Job exposure levels for repetition and other physical stressors were quantified using an observational rating technique. Ergonomic exposures were rated on a 10-point scale, where 0 corresponded to no stress and 10 corresponded to maximum stress. Job selection was based on repetition (three categories: high, medium, and low) to ensure a wide range of exposures. Physical evaluations on all participating workers were performed by medical professionals and included a self-administered questionnaire, physical exam, and limited electrodiagnostic testing. RESULTS Repetitiveness of work was found to be significantly associated with prevalence of reported discomfort in the wrist, hand, or fingers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.17 per unit of repetition; OR = 2.45 for high vs. low repetition), tendinitis in the distal upper extremity (OR = 1.23 per unit of repetition; OR = 3.23 for high vs. low repetition), and symptoms consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome (OR = 1.16 per unit of repetition; OR = 2.32 for high vs. low repetition). An association was also found between repetitiveness of work and carpal tunnel syndrome, indicated by the combination of positive electrodiagnostic results and symptoms consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome (OR = 1. 22 per unit of repetition; OR = 3.11 for high vs. low repetition). CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that repetitive work is related to upper limb discomfort, tendinitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome in workers. Further research with a wider range of exposures is needed to evaluate the effects of other physical stresses alone and in combination.
An interleaved buck-boost-converter combined with a supercapacitor-storage for the stabilization of automotive power nets

The quality of the supply voltage in automotive power nets is deteriorating because of the electrification of auxiliary components with high and dynamic power demands. This electrification, on the one hand, serves the reduction of CO2-emissions and, on the other hand, it is required in vehicles with an electric drive train. For the stabilization of the supply voltage active units can be used. In this paper the construction and first simulation results of an interleaved 2-phase buck-boost converter in combination with a supercapacitor-storage for this purpose are described. Furthermore insight into the control and the operational strategy is delivered.
Adaptation of a Postoperative Handoff Communication Process for Children With Heart Disease

Handoff communication is a point of vulnerability when valuable patient information can be inaccurate or omitted. An institutional protocol was implemented in 2005 to improve the handoff from the operating room to the intensive care unit after pediatric cardiac surgery. A cross-sectional study of the present process was performed to understand how users adapt a communication intervention over time. Twenty-nine handoff events were observed. Individuals required for the handoff were present at 97% of the events. Content items averaged a 53% reporting rate. Some clinical information not specified in the protocol demonstrated a higher reporting rate, such as echocardiogram results (68%) and vascular access (79%). A mean of 2.3 environmental distractions per minute of communication were noted. Participant-directed adjustments in content reporting suggest that a facilitator in process improvement is user-centered innovation. Future handoff communication interventions should reduce nonessential distractions and incorporate a discussion of the anticipated patient course.
Non-rigid point set registration of curves: registration of the superficial vessel centerlines of the brain

In this study we present a non-rigid point set registration for 3D curves (composed by 3D set of points). The method was evaluated in the task of registration of 3D superficial vessels of the brain where it was used to match vessel centerline points. It consists of a combination of the Coherent Point Drift (CPD) and the Thin-Plate Spline (TPS) semilandmarks. The CPD is used to perform the initial matching of centerline 3D points, while the semilandmark method iteratively relaxes/slides the points. For the evaluation, a Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) dataset was used. Deformations were applied to the extracted vessels centerlines to simulate brain bulging and sinking, using a TPS deformation where a few control points were manipulated to obtain the desired transformation (T1). Once the correspondences are known, the corresponding points are used to define a new TPS deformation(T2). The errors are measured in the deformed space, by transforming the original points using T1 and T2 and measuring the distance between them. To simulate cases where the deformed vessel data is incomplete, parts of the reference vessels were cut and then deformed. Furthermore, anisotropic normally distributed noise was added. The results show that the error estimates (root mean square error and mean error) are below 1 mm, even in the presence of noise and incomplete data.
Salmonella typhimurium proP gene encodes a transport system for the osmoprotectant betaine

Betaine (N,N,N-trimethylglycine) can be accumulated to high intracellular concentrations and serves an important osmoprotective function in enteric bacteria. We found that the proP gene of Salmonella typhimurium, originally identified as encoding a minor transport system for proline (permease PP-II), plays an important role in betaine uptake. Mutations in proP reduced the ability of betaine to serve as an osmoprotectant. Transport of betaine into the cells was also severely impaired in these mutants. The kinetics of uptake via PP-II suggest that betaine, rather than proline, is the important physiological substrate for this transport system. Betaine uptake via PP-II was regulated by osmotic pressure at two different levels: transcription of the proP gene was increased by increasing osmolarity, and, in addition, activity of the transport system itself was dependent upon the osmotic pressure of the medium. The specificity of the transport system was also altered by increasing osmolarity which enhanced the affinity for betaine while reducing that for proline.
Duration of Penicillin Prophylaxis in Sickle Cell Anemia: Issues and Controversies

Functional asplenia occurs in 94% of patients with homozygous sickle cell anemia by 5 years of age and may result in fatal septicemia due to encapsulated microorganisms such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Penicillin prophylaxis in these patients significantly reduces the risk of septicemia; however, continuation of prophylaxis beyond 5 years of age is controversial, since the risk of developing septicemia is reduced after this age and prolonged prophylaxis may lead to emergence of penicillin resistance. Although reports of penicillin‐resistant pneumococci in patients receiving penicillin prophylaxis are conflicting, the prevalence of these organisms in the general population in North America increased from 5% in 1989 to more than 35% in 1997. Discontinuation of prophylaxis after age 5 years may be recommended because of lack of benefit, difficulty maintaining compliance, reduced risk of developing pneumococcal bacteremia after that age, and increase in prevalence of penicillin‐resistant pneumococci worldwide.
Stability Analysis of Constrained Optimization Dynamics via Passivity Techniques

In this letter, we present passivity-based convergence analysis of continuous time primal-dual gradient method for convex optimization problems. We first show that a convex optimization problem with only affine equality constraints admits a Brayton Moser formulation. This observation leads to a new passivity property derived from a Krasovskii-type storage function. Second, the inequality constraints are modeled as a state dependent switching system. Using tools from hybrid systems theory, it is shown that each switching mode is passive and the passivity of the system is preserved under arbitrary switching. Finally, the two systems: 1) one derived from the Brayton Moser formulation and 2) the state dependent switching system, are interconnected in a power conserving way. The resulting trajectories of the overall system are shown to converge asymptotically, to the optimal solution of the convex optimization problem. The proposed methodology is applied to an energy management problem in buildings and simulations are provided for corroboration.
Modeling of internal parameters of a lead acid battery with experimental validation

In this paper, a suitable mathematical model of lead acid batteries has been presented. In order to imitate the real behavior of batteries and then to extract charge and discharge characteristics, the third order model has been proposed. An experimental test under real conditions has been set up. To identify internal parameters of battery cells, two methods have been suggested: (i) the identification using electrical characteristics established by the manufacturer datasheet, and (ii) the identification through a genetic algorithm. Recovered simulation results have been compared to those provided by the lead acid 12V/7Ah's datasheet and then have been validated by experimental works. Genetic algorithm becomes an useful tool for researchers to determine easily the parameters of battery models.
Image-Based Sentiment Analysis of Videos

6 The work presented in this paper addresses the challenge of performing 7 sentiment analysis on the visual features of video content. We use the method 8 of Visual Sentiment Ontology (VSO) to extract Adjective Noun Pairs (ANP) 9 and identify the sentiment score of each of the video frames. We then use 10 HMM and SVM regression to identify the sentiment label of the entire video. 11 We introduce a new method called local similarity-weighted scoring to 12 improve upon the sentiment detection. Results for individual videos tested 13 can be viewed interactively at http://umich.edu/~tzachari/545. 14
Markers close to the dopamine D5 receptor gene (DRD5) show significant association with schizophrenia but not bipolar disorder.

Following the description of linkage of markers at chromosome 4p16 to bipolar disorder in several families [Blackwood et al., 1996], and the association of the alleles of a polymorphism closely linked to D5 dopamine receptor gene with schizophrenia [Williams et al., 1997], we have looked for linkage disequilibrium between a series of microsatellite markers from this region and major psychoses including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and unipolar major depressive disorder. A significant increase in the frequency of the 148 bp allele of DRD5 (P = 0.024) and the 244 bp allele of D4S615 (P = 0.001) was found in patients with schizophrenia (n = 158 DRD5; n = 133 D4S615), compared with patients with bipolar disorder (n = 270 DRD5; n = 107 D4S615), or controls without psychiatric illness (n = 437 DRD5; n = 309 D4S615). The frequency of the 148 bp allele of DRD5 was also increased in schizophrenia over unipolar major depressive disorder (n = 65). D4S615 was not typed in unipolar disorder. The estimated odds ratios confirmed that the 148 bp allele of DRD5 and the 244 bp allele of D4S615 conferred increased risk of schizophrenia. Estimated Haplotype (EH) analysis of 174 controls and 128 patients with schizophrenia who were typed for both markers confirmed the strong associations with these alleles but did not show evidence that the markers were in linkage disequilibrium with each other even though they lie approximately 150 kb apart. The data are consistent with an association between markers close to the D5 dopamine receptor and schizophrenia, but not bipolar disorder or unipolar major depression.
Agile architecture framework for model driven development of C2 systems

Command and Control (C2) systems are complex systems composed of personnel, technical equipment, organizational structures, and work procedures. This complexity increases the difficulties involved in developing such systems, which in turn leads to a need for supportive development measures. This paper presents and explores an agile, lightweight, architecture framework for the development of C2 systems. The architecture framework prescribes a model‐driven process for structuring the developed models into various levels and views. This facilitates the developers' ability to consider the C2 system from a holistic and concurrent perspective. By applying the architecture framework, both the C2 system and its context are modeled in order to study how the C2 system should be used to support the performance of operational activities, and what support the technical system should provide to the commanders, who are a part of the C2 system. The architecture framework provides traceability from the operational level to the technical systems via the C2 systems. The architecture framework was iteratively developed and evaluated in three sequential case studies. The outcome shows that the framework supports the initial steps in the development of complex systems, such as C2 systems. However, further development and evaluations of the architecture framework are necessary. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
The Synthetic Peptide Trp-Lys-Tyr-Met-Val-Met-NH2 Specifically Activates Neutrophils through FPRL1/Lipoxin A4 Receptors and Is an Agonist for the Orphan Monocyte-expressed Chemoattractant Receptor FPRL2*

Neutrophils express the G protein-coupled N-formyl peptide receptor (FPR) and its homologue FPRL1, whereas monocytes express FPR, FPRL1, and FPRL2, an orphan receptor sharing 83% amino acid identity with FPRL1. FPRL1 is a promiscuous receptor activated by serum amyloid A and by different synthetic peptides, including the hexapeptide Trp-Lys-Tyr-Met-Val-d-Met-NH2 (WKYMVm). By measuring calcium flux in HL-60 cells transfected with FPR, FPRL1, or FPRL2, we show that WKYMVm activated all three receptors, whereas thel-conformer WKYMVM activated exclusively FPRL1 and FPRL2. The functionality of FPRL2 was further assessed by the ability of HL-60-FPRL2 cells to migrate toward nanomolar concentrations of hexapeptides. The half-maximal effective concentrations of WKYMVM for calcium mobilization in HL-60-FPRL1 and HL-60-FPRL2 cells were 2 and 80 nm, respectively. Those of WKYMVm were 75 pmand 3 nm. The tritiated peptide WK[3,5-3H2]YMVM bound to FPRL1 (K D ∼ 160 nm), but not to FPR. The two conformers similarly inhibited binding of 125I-labeled WKYMVm to FPRL2-expressing cells (IC50 ∼ 2.5–3 μm). Metabolic labeling with orthophosphoric acid revealed that FPRL1 was differentially phosphorylated upon addition of the l- or d-conformer, indicating that it induced different conformational changes. In contrast to FPRL1, FPRL2 was already phosphorylated in the absence of agonist and not evenly distributed in the plasma membrane of unstimulated cells. However, both receptors were internalized upon addition of either of the two conformers. Taken together, the results indicate that neutrophils are activated by WKYMVM through FPRL1 and that FPRL2 is a chemotactic receptor transducing signals in myeloid cells.
Programming Languages and Databases

Research work in programming languages and in database systems is combating the same problems of scale, change and complexity. This paper looks at the present difficulties of relating persistent data with changing programs. It illustrates the influence that the present interfaces have on programming methodology and algorithm design. It recognises the need for new language primitives to encapsulate database concepts and a few putative primitives are examined. It is suggested that such primitives could simplify the use of databases by programmers. These ideas are illustrated with examples from geometric modelling using Algol 68.
Fluid Boundaries and Multiple Perspectives at the Interface of Cognitive Science and Phenomenology

ed from the world; mental life has been abstracted from the body and the world; cognitive processes have been modularized and dissociated from one another; brain regions have been dissociated from the complexity of network activity. Through analysis the life, the dynamics of the system, has been frozen to facilitate dissection. We have of course gained a great deal from this approach, but a great deal has also been lost, or at least neglected. The interface of phenomenology and the cognitive sciences, as it manifests in embodied and situated approaches to the study of cognition, addresses those aspects of experience neglected by traditional cognitive sciences. The shift in perspective facilitated by this interface, and the correlative shift in theoretical orientation, draws attention to the neglected aspects of the mind-body-world system. The insights of
Minimizing communication power using near-neighbor axon-inspired lattices

By far the most daunting task facing nano-electronics are the wires, being at the heart of power/energy consumption, as: (i) their numbers are increasing exponentially (as each device needs a few wires); and (ii) they do not scale well for quite some time (their parasitic capacitances and RC-delays are not scaling in synch with devices). Innovations on both classical (i.e., based-on-wires, hence evolutionary) as well as on advanced (i.e., without-wire/beyond-wire, hence revolutionary) communication schemes are urgently needed. Trying to find inspiration from the neurons, we investigate here how axons are able to communicate at quite large distances on a very limited power budget. In particular, the paper analyzes axon-inspired communications as dense locally-connected arrays/lattices of voltage-gated (i.e., non-linear) ion channels. The theoretical results presented here suggest that hexagonal (or hex-connected) arrays would be the least power hungry ones.
The Analysis of Medical Adverse Events Related to Electronic Health Records in Nursing Services

This pilot study investigated problems of electronic health records (EHR), which have been used by nurses as a clinical decision tool. The investigation was conducted based on case records retrieved from the national database of medical adverse events. Detailed data related to nursing services must continue to be collected to establish a clearer linkage of EHR data and scholary information.