Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
James McKeen Cattell and the method of constant stimuli in the psychophysics of movement

In 1892, Cattell & Fullerton published a paper on “The Psychophysics of Movement” in which they summarised their findings from the application of Fechner’s methods to the study of the extent, force, and time of arm movements made without the aid of vision. Using a form of Munsterberg’s apparatus (Titchener, 1905) they found the method of right and wrong cases to be ‘the most accurate of the methods’ and the d ifference associated with 75% correct judgement to be the ‘most convenient measure of discrimination’. By 1990s, however a major work on examining the role of proprioception in joint stability listed only the methods of adjustment (Joint Position Sense) and limits (Kinesthesia) as being ways of measuring movement sensitivity. Recent technical developments have enabled researchers to employ the Cattell & Fullerton method to obtain psychophysical measures of proprioception derived from the comparison of active movements made to physical stops.
Efficacy of attract-and-kill devices for the control of Ceratitis capitata.

BACKGROUND The control of Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann traditionally has relied on chemical control with organophosphate insecticides. The use of many of these substances has been banned by new European directives; therefore, the development of new control methods is essential to manage this pest. Bait sprays with spinosad, mass trapping and lure-and-kill techniques have been the base for new integrated pest management programmes. In this study, a 2 year field trial was conducted in two citrus areas to test the efficacy of attract-and-kill devices against mass trapping and spinosad-plus-bait treatments. RESULTS The Magnet(®) MED attract-and-kill device, Spintor(®) treatments and mass trapping achieved good control of C. capitata populations, as confirmed by low percentages of damaged fruit in the assessments performed during the harvest period. On the other hand, fly population levels on plots treated with other attract-and-kill prototype devices increased more than threefold by comparison with the populations recorded in the rest of the treated plots. The same effect was observed for fruit damage, with 6-8 times less damage with Magnet(®) MED and spinosad treatments, respectively, than with the attract-and-kill prototype devices. CONCLUSION By using an effective attractant, conventional trapping systems can be replaced with cheaper and easier-to-handle attract-and-kill devices. The efficacy of these devices and their advantages over conventional mass trapping systems are discussed.
Why is BPMN not appropriate for Process Maps?

Process map is an abstract depiction of all company’s processes and their relations. It provides an overview of how an organization operates without going into process details. It is often used as foundation for the detailed process modeling where BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) is used for modeling the details of business processes. Regardless of BPMN’s existence, most process maps from practice have been designed with software programs not initially developed for process modeling. Thus, the question we aim to answer is: Why is BPMN not appropriate for designing process maps? To address this, we semantically map process map concepts with BPMN concepts and use the principles of the representation theory introduced by Wand and Weber (1995) to find out whether BPMN is complete and clear in terms of the process map meta-model. By this means, we were able to provide valuable implications for both research and practice.
SEPT9_v4 expression induces morphological change, increased motility and disturbed polarity

Several lines of evidence indicate that altered expression of SEPT9 is seen in human neoplasia. In particular there is evidence of altered expression of the SEPT9_v4 isoform. The functional consequences of this remain unclear. We have studied the expression of wild‐type‐ and GTP‐binding mutants (G144V and S148N) of the SEPT9_v4 isoform in the MCF7 cell line as a model for its deregulation in neoplasia. We find that SEPT9_v4 expression induces dramatic actin cytoskeletal reorganization with the formation of processes around the cell periphery. Expression of the SEPT9_v4 isoform and a G144V mutant cause delocalization of endogenous SEPT9 from filamentous structures but the S148N mutant does not have this effect. In addition SEPT9_v4 isoform expression enhances cell motility and is associated with perturbation of directional movement. Expression of SEPT9_v4 GTP binding mutants also has potent effects on morphology and motility and causes loss of normal polarity, as judged by Golgi reorientation assays. The phenotypes induced by expression of the SEPT9_v4 isoform and the GTP mutants provide an insight into possible mechanisms of SEPT9_v4 function and suggest that the GTPase functions have both ras‐ and rab‐like features. We propose a model in which overexpression of the SEPT9_v4 isoform in neoplasia is associated with perturbation of SEPT9 complexes, leading to phenotypes associated with neoplasia. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Dielectric Constant on the Performance of a Gate All Around InAs Nanowire Transistor

The effects of gate dielectric constant on the performance of a gate all around indium arsenide (InAs) nanowire transistor are studied using a 3-D quantum simulation. The replacement of SiO by a high- dielectric improves the OFF-state current, the ON-state current, the ON/OFF current ratio, the inverse subthreshold slope, the channel transconductance, and the switching delay and degrades the power-delay product. The OFF-state current is mainly tunneling current and the high- gate dielectrics improve the device OFF-state performance by increasing the tunnel barrier length. On the other hand, the ON-state current is mainly thermal current and the high- dielectrics improve the device ON-state performance by reducing the barrier height. The gate capacitance is increased with high- dielectrics. However, the improved ON-state current with high- dielectrics makes the switching delay shorter and increases the power (V I) dissipation and power-delay product. Due to very small effective mass of electron in InAs, the quantum effect on threshold voltage is strong and the device with smaller cross section shows better ON-OFF and switching performance at the same gate overdrive voltage.
Sparsification of motion-planning roadmaps by edge contraction

Roadmaps constructed by the recently introduced PRM* algorithm for asymptotically-optimal motion planning encode high-quality paths yet can be extremely dense. We consider the problem of sparsifying the roadmap, i.e. reducing its size, while minimizing the degradation of the quality of paths that can be extracted from the resulting roadmap. We present a simple, effective sparsifying algorithm, called roadmap sparsificationby edgecontraction (RSEC). The primitive operation used by RSEC is edgecontraction-the contraction of a roadmap edge (vâ²,vâ³) to a new vertex v' and the connection of the new vertex v to the neighboring vertices of the contracted edge's vertices (i.e. to all neighbors of vâ² and vâ²). For certain scenarios, we compress more than 97% of the edges and vertices of a given roadmap at the cost of degradation of average shortest path length by at most 4%.
Telecardiology Assistance in Senior Living Houses

The CHF (chronic heart failure) represents one of major cause of mortality and morbidity in developed countries. It is expected that incidence of heart failure associated with aging, will rise exponentially, due to its higher prevalence among population over 75 years. The SLH (senior living house) is missing an adequate secondary healthcare assistance in order to provide a qualitative secondary prevention to the resident. We have conducted a pilot project of telecardiology in one senior living house in 2013, with duration of 6 months; we decided to expend the project as an observational trial with primary objective to evaluate impact of telemedicine on secondary prevention of clinical cardiovascular outcomes/hospitalization in senior living house setting and secondary objectives to evaluate quality of life using Minnesota living with Heart Failure questionnaire and to evaluate cost savings and additional benefits earned by telemedicine. For the study, 85% powered at the 5% level of significance; to detect differences, we need 310 patients, including 10% drop out. As results, during the pilot project, 23 patients with median age of 86 years were monitored; we are currently enrolling new senior living house and patients with CHF that resides in senior living house.
COMPUTATIONAL THINKING IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACQUISITION OF KEY SKILLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: REFLECTION FROM LITERATURE REVIEW

Computational thinking (CT) is now considered either as an essential skill for the 21st century, either as the fundamental added value of digital literacy of citizens. This literature review aims to present computational thinking as a complex construct that is at the heart of 21st century skills development such as problem solving (PS) and collaboration skills, that can guide students to careers related to the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, with high potential of employability and innovation, and, which can have an impact on economic productivity.
Fast and accurate CMOS bridging fault simulation

This paper identifies the two key factors involved in obtaining accurate bridging fault simulation results and presents a hybrid technique that maximizes both the speed and accuracy of bridging fault simulation for gate-level standard cell designs. Both combinational and sequential circuits are studied and the results are compared with several other bridging fault simulators. <<ETX>>
A Hybrid PWM-Based Field Weakening Strategy for a Hybrid-Inverter-Driven Open-Winding PMSM System

This paper proposes a hybrid pulse width modulation (PWM) based field weakening control strategy for a hybrid-inverter-driven open-winding (OW) permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) system. The hybrid-inverter consists of two voltage source inverters, one is connected to a dc voltage source and named as main inverter (MI), and the other is connected to a floating capacitor and called compensation inverter (CI). A novel hybrid PWM technique is proposed for the hybrid-inverter, in which a double-vector-based PWM is applied to the MI to reduce the switching frequency, and the conventional space vector PWM is applied to the CI to compensate the reactive power. Furthermore, a field weakening (FW) control strategy based on the hybrid PWM technique is proposed to better utilize the dc-link voltage and extend the operation range of the OW-PMSM system. Simulation and experimental studies are carried out to verify the high efficiency and wide speed range of the proposed strategy.
Effects of pentoxifylline on inflammatory parameters in chronic kidney disease patients: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Pentoxifylline (PTF) is a potential therapeutic agent in chronic kidney disease due to its antiinflammatory and antiproteinuric effects that may influence the progression of renal disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We conducted a prospective randomized trial of 91 patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min, calculated with 4-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD-4) Study equation. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with PTF 400 mg (twice a day) (n=46) or to continue their usual therapy (n=45). Clinical, biochemical and inflammatory parameters were measured at baseline, and at 6 and 12 months of treatment. The objective of the study was to analyze the effect of PTF treatment on inflammatory markers and secondarily the effect on renal disease progression. RESULTS Baseline characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum fibrinogen and TNF-alpha decreased significantly in patients treated with PTF in comparison with the control group at 12 months (p=0.002, p=0.001 and p=0.000, respectively). Median urinary albumin excretion did not decrease with PTF treatment. In the PTF group, there was no significant change in eGFR after 12 months (from 42.3 ± 10.2 to 44.7 ± 11.3 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)), whereas in the control group there was a worsening by the end of the study (from 40.1 ± 12.4 to 35.7 ± 13.4 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)) (p=0.000 between groups). CONCLUSIONS PTF treatment decreases inflammatory markers in chronic kidney disease and stabilizes renal function.
A Reconsideration of the Fatherhood Premium

Past research that asserts a fatherhood wage premium often ignores the heterogeneity of fathering contexts. I expect fatherhood to produce wage gains for men if it prompts them to alter their behavior in ways that increase labor-market productivity. Identity theory predicts a larger productivity-based fatherhood premium when ties of biology, coresidence with the child, and marriage to the child’s mother reinforce one another, making fatherhood, and the role of financial provider in particular, salient, high in commitment, and clear. Employer discrimination against fathers in less normative family structures may also contribute to variation in the fatherhood premium. Using fixed-effects models and data from the 1979 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), I find that married, residential, biological fatherhood is associated with wage gains of about 4 percent, but unmarried residential fathers, nonresidential fathers, and stepfathers do not receive a fatherhood premium. Married residential fathers also receive no statistically significant wage premium when their wives work full-time. About 15 percent of the wage premium for married residential fathers can be explained by changes in human capital and job traits.
Hydroxyethyl Starch Solution Attenuates Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption Caused by Intracarotid Injection of Hyperosmolar Mannitol in Rats

This study was performed to investigate whether a fraction of hydroxyethyl starch macromolecules, prepared from pentastarch and known as "HES-Pz," with molecular weights of 100,000-1,000,000, protects against blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption due to intracarotid injection of hyperosmolar mannitol. Rats were anesthetized with isoflurane, and retrograde catheterization of a unilateral external carotid artery was performed. Except for the Control group (n = 8), hemodilution was performed using lactated Ringer's solution (LR group, n = 7), 6% hetastarch (HES group, n = 7), or 6% HES-Pz (HES-Pz group, n = 8) to reduce the hematocrit to about 23%. The BBB transfer coefficient (Ki) of14 C-alpha-aminoisobutyric acid was determined after a unilateral intracarotid injection of 25% mannitol. Blood pressure and hematocrit were similar in all groups. In the control group, Ki was increased significantly in the ipsilateral cortex (IC) where mannitol was injected (16.3 +/- 6.1 vs 4.1 +/- 1.4 micro Liter centered dot g-1 centered dot min-1) when compared with the contralateral cortex (CC). Ki was similar in the CC in all four groups. The Ki in the IC was significantly lower in the HES-Pz (6.4 +/- 3.5 micro Liter centered dot g-1 centered dot min-1) than in the Control, HES, or LR group (16.3 +/- 6.1, 19.0 +/- 12.9, 17.9 +/- 10.8 micro Liter centered dot g-1 centered dot min-1, respectively). Our data suggest that HES-Pz significantly attenuates disruption of the BBB caused by an injection of hyperosmolar mannitol. (Anesth Analg 1996;83:336-41)
Using contrast agents to obtain maps of regional perfusion and capillary wall permeability

Tracer kinetic modeling for quantification of perfusion and capillary wall permeability is a well-established approach, applied to various imaging modalities. In this review, methods employing intravascular as well as diffusible nonradioactive contrast agents for characterization of tissue microcirculation and microvasculature are described. The article focuses on perfusion and permeability imaging by MRI, particularly for brain applications, and the use of alternative medical imaging methods, such as CT and ultrasound, is also briefly introduced.
Crystallization and preliminary X‐ray analysis of volvatoxin A2 from Volvariella volvacea

Volvatoxin A2, an ion channel disturbed cardiotoxic and hemolytic protein from the edible mushroom, Volvarilla volvacea, has been crystallized by the vapor diffusion method using polyethylene glycol 4000 and ammonium sulfate in sodium acetate buffer pH 4.6. The best crystals belong to the monoclinic space group C2 with unit cell dimensions a = 155.25 Å, b = 58.06 Å, c = 116.92 Å, and β = 119.5°. These crystals diffract to at least 2.2 Å and there are four molecules of molecular weight 24 kDa per asymmetric unit with a solvent content of 48%.
Score‐based adjustment for confounding by population stratification in genetic association studies

We read with some interest the paper by Zhao, Rebbeck and Mitra “A propensity score approach to correction for bias due to population stratification using genetic and non-genetic factors. ” We feel there are a number of issues raised by this paper that are not adequately addressed, which motivates this letter. Further, we take this opportunity to make some general comments that contrast stratification-based and direct (model-based) control of confounding by population stratification.
Macrophage Phenotype in the Mammary Gland Fluctuates over the Course of the Estrous Cycle and Is Regulated by Ovarian Steroid Hormones1

ABSTRACT The mammary gland undergoes development and regression over the course of the ovarian cycle under the regulation of ovarian hormones. Macrophages are implicated as local mediators of this tissue remodeling and may also affect immune surveillance and tumor incidence. To investigate cycle-related changes in macrophage phenotype, mammary gland cells from naturally cycling Cfms-Gfp mice recovered at estrus, metestrus, diestrus, and proestrus were analyzed by flow cytometry. Macrophage expression of MHCII was highest in the proestrus phase, with a 1.6-fold increase compared to the metestrus phase. Similarly, macrophage expression of CD204 was 1.9-fold higher at proestrus compared to estrus. Conversely, macrophage expression of NKG2D was increased at metestrus and diestrus by 7-fold and 5-fold, respectively, compared to estrus. To investigate hormonal regulation of macrophage phenotype, an ovariectomy and hormone replacement model was utilized. Ovariectomized mice were stimulated with exogenous estradiol and progesterone to induce early alveolar development, then given progesterone receptor antagonist RU486 to elicit alveolar bud regression. Progesterone and estradiol in combination reduced macrophage expression of MHCII and CD204 by 5-fold and 3-fold, respectively, and increased macrophage expression of NKG2D by 4-fold. Administration of RU486, following estradiol and progesterone, reversed the macrophage phenotype. These results reveal an essential requirement for ovarian hormones in regulating macrophage phenotype in the mammary gland and indicate that progesterone is particularly critical for controlling macrophage antigen presentation and immune surveillance capacity.
Active coping with stress suppresses glucose metabolism in the rat hypothalamus

We used 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose small-animal positron-emission tomography to determine whether different styles of coping with stress are associated with different patterns of neuronal activity in the hypothalamus. Adult rats were subjected to immobilization (IMO)-stress or to a non-immobilized condition for 30 min, in random order on separate days, each of which was followed by brain-scanning. Some rats in the immobilized condition were allowed to actively cope with the stress by chewing a wooden stick during IMO, while the other immobilized rats were given nothing to chew on. Voxel-based statistical analysis of the brain imaging data shows that chewing counteracted the stress-induced increased glucose uptake in the hypothalamus to the level of the non-immobilized condition. Region-of-interest analysis of the glucose uptake values further showed that chewing significantly suppressed stress-induced increased glucose uptake in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and the anterior hypothalamic area but not in the lateral hypothalamus. Together with the finding that the mean plasma corticosterone concentration at the termination of the IMO was also significantly suppressed when rats had an opportunity to chew a wooden stick, our results showed that active coping by chewing inhibited the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis to reduce the endocrine stress response.
A Novel Approach for the Reduction of Noise

Most of the current speckle reduction system uses various filters . There are various filters for reducing the speckle noise reduction. But due to some drawbacks these traditional filters cannot remove speckle noise efficiently. So a hybrid technique speckle noise reduction using anisotropic filter based on wavelets is used. In this paper the necessary idea of an uncorrupted image from the noisy image is identified as “denoising”. Choosing the most excellent way plays a very important role for getting the desired image. So in this thesis report a study is made on “Speckle Noise reduction using anisotropic filter based on wavelets”. There are various existing techniques to remove the speckle noise reduction but due to some drawbacks these techniques cannot remove speckle noise efficiently. The adaptive filters that are Kuan filter, Lee filter, and Frost filter are not able to remove a full removal of speckle without losing any edges because they relies on local statistical data and this statistical data depends upon window size and shape. As these existing filters are very much sensitive to the window shape and window size. If the window shape is very much larger than over smoothing will occurs. As the size of window is smaller than the smoothing ability of the window will reduce. So to overcome these limitations, a new hybrid technique that combines wavelet based denoising and anisotropic diffusion filter is proposed. Wavelet is dependent on both frequency and time domain. It is frame based approach. It provides better resolution and it does not depend upon the window size. In addition the anisotropic filter is based on partial differential equation approach.