Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental validation of a modular multilevel inverter with less number of switches

This study presents a modular structure for multilevel inverter that operate in symmetric manner. The proposed modular multilevel inverter can generate staircase output voltage waveform that includes all voltage levels. The proposed multilevel inverter is compared with conventional cascaded multilevel inverter in terms of number of switches. Multicarrier sinusoidal pulse width modulation scheme adopted for generating switching signals. The effectiveness of proposed modular multilevel inverter is verified through simulation and experimental implementation.
Clinical child neuropsychiatry: Intervention

Part I. General Methodological Concerns: 1. Introduction to clinical child neuropsychiatry 2. Epidemiological overview 3. Background factors 4. Normal development Part II. Clinical Disorders: 5. Mental retardation and other severe learning disorders: an overview 6. Disorders of empathy: autisma and autism spectrum disorders 7. Disorders involving obsessions and compulsions 8. Deficits in attention, motor control and perception, and other syndromes attributed to 'minimal brain dysfunction' 9. Sleep and elimination disorders 10. Specific syndromes presenting with neuropsychiatric problems ('behavioural phenotypes') not described elsewhere 11. Psychotic disorders not elsewhere classified 12. Traumatic brain injury and its neuropsychiatric sequelae 13. Epilepsy and psychiatric problems in childhood 14. Other neurological disorders/disabilities Part III. Assessment: 15. Neurodevelopmental examination of the child with neuropsychiatric problems 16. Laboratory work-up 17. Neuropsychological work-up Part IV. Intervention: 18. The impact of childhood neuropsychiatric disorders on the family 19. Interventions and treatments Appendices Index.
Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Generation in Mononuclear Splenocytes from Multiple- Low-Dose-Streptozotocin Diabetic Mice

Mice injected with multiple low dose of streptozotocin (mld-SZ) or transferred with mononuclear splenocytes (MS) from mld-SZ donors constitute animal models that allow the study of autoimmune diabetes. Mld-SZ mice show a progressive beta-cell destruction iniciated during non-specific islet inflammation involving free radicals as nitric oxide (NO°). Pharmacological inhibitors of NO° synthase delay or prevent the outbreak of disease, but have deleterious side effects when administered in vivo . The aim of this study, was to clarify the role of NO° on the ability of MS from mld-SZ mice to impair insulin secretion. Also, we investigated the beneficial effects of using NO° synthase inhibitors in vitro on anti-beta cells agression. Methods: NO° was measured in cultured MS and islets of Langerhans isolated from mice at days 4 to 16 after the first mld-SZ injection. MS were also cultured with an inhibitor of NO° production, L-N G -monomethyl-arginine (L-NMMA), and then: a) injected in syngeneic mice to evaluate their insulin secretion patterns or b) co-cultured with islet cells to estimate the capacity of MS to exert in vitro cellular immune aggression. Results: Cultured islets of Langerhans and MS from mld-SZ mice showed increases in NO° production (p>0.05). MS from mld-SZ mice, obtained at days 4 to 9 and precultured with L-NMMA showed ameliorations in their deleterious effect on insulin secretion from transferred recipient mice and from cocultured islet cells (p<0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that the inhibition of NO° production “in vitro” reduced the aggressive capacity of MS from mld-SZ mice avoiding, at least in part, beta cell damage and destruction.
5-Hydroxytryptamine2A (5-HT2A) receptor desensitization can occur without down-regulation.

The connection between agonist-induced desensitization and down-regulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine2A (5-HT2A) receptors was examined in a clonal cell line that stably expresses the 5-HT2A receptor. Brief (2-hr) and prolonged (24-hr) exposure to the agonist quipazine or the agonist 4-iodo-(2,5-dimethoxy)- phenylisopropylamine (DOI) diminished 5-HT2A receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis; no change in 5-HT2A receptor number or affinity was measured after 24 hr of exposure to DOI or quipazine. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that a 24-hr exposure to DOI did not alter surface 5-HT2A receptor immunoreactivity. Western blot analysis with G alpha q- and G alpha 11-selective antibodies indicate that a 24-hr agonist exposure did not alter the levels of phospholipase C-dependent G proteins. These results suggest that desensitization after prolonged DOI exposure can occur via a process independent of the levels of phospholipase C-coupled G proteins. Studies with a mutant 5-HT2A receptor (F340L) indicated that binding per se is not sufficient for desensitization. Down-regulation of the protein kinase C isozymes alpha and epsilon by overnight exposure to phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate attenuated the intermediate phase (i.e., after 2-6 hr of agonist exposure) of DOI- and quipazine-induced desensitization. These results indicate that the intermediate phase of DOI-induced desensitization is mediated by the alpha- and/or epsilon-protein kinase C isozymes but that neither is involved in the later phase (i.e., after 24 hr of agonist exposure) of desensitization. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Multimodal communication involving movements of a robot

Communication between humans is multimodal and involves movements as well. While communication between humans and robots is becoming more and more multimodal, movements of a robot in 2D space have not yet been used for communication. In this paper, we present a new approach to multimodal communication with (semi-)autonomous robots, that even includes movements of a robot in 2D space as a form of expressing communicative acts. We also show how such a multimodal human-robot interface can be generated from a discourse-based interaction design that does not even include information about modalities.
Falls and freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease: A review of two interconnected, episodic phenomena

Falls and freezing of gait are two “episodic” phenomena that are common in Parkinson's disease. Both symptoms are often incapacitating for affected patients, as the associated physical and psychosocial consequences have a great impact on the patients' quality of life, and survival is diminished. Furthermore, the resultant loss of independence and the treatment costs of injuries add substantially to the health care expenditures associated with Parkinson's disease. In this clinically oriented review, we summarise recent insights into falls and freezing of gait and highlight their similarities, differences, and links. Topics covered include the clinical presentation, recent ideas about the underlying pathophysiology, and the possibilities for treatment. A review of the literature and the current state‐of‐the‐art suggests that clinicians should not feel deterred by the complex nature of falls and freezing of gait; a careful clinical approach may lead to an individually tailored treatment, which can offer at least partial relief for many affected patients. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
The GAP Activity of Type III Effector YopE Triggers Killing of Yersinia in Macrophages

The mammalian immune system has the ability to discriminate between pathogens and innocuous microbes by detecting conserved molecular patterns. In addition to conserved microbial patterns, the mammalian immune system may recognize distinct pathogen-induced processes through a mechanism which is poorly understood. Previous studies have shown that a type III secretion system (T3SS) in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis leads to decreased survival of this bacterium in primary murine macrophages by unknown mechanisms. Here, we use colony forming unit assays and fluorescence microscopy to investigate how the T3SS triggers killing of Yersinia in macrophages. We present evidence that Yersinia outer protein E (YopE) delivered by the T3SS triggers intracellular killing response against Yersinia. YopE mimics eukaryotic GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) and inactivates Rho GTPases in host cells. Unlike wild-type YopE, catalytically dead YopER144A is impaired in restricting Yersinia intracellular survival, highlighting that the GAP activity of YopE is detected as a danger signal. Additionally, a second translocated effector, YopT, counteracts the YopE triggered killing effect by decreasing the translocation level of YopE and possibly by competing for the same pool of Rho GTPase targets. Moreover, inactivation of Rho GTPases by Clostridium difficile Toxin B mimics the effect of YopE and promotes increased killing of Yersinia in macrophages. Using a Rac inhibitor NSC23766 and a Rho inhibitor TAT-C3, we show that macrophages restrict Yersinia intracellular survival in response to Rac1 inhibition, but not Rho inhibition. In summary, our findings reveal that primary macrophages sense manipulation of Rho GTPases by Yersinia YopE and actively counteract pathogenic infection by restricting intracellular bacterial survival. Our results uncover a new mode of innate immune recognition in response to pathogenic infection.
Targeting of Adenovirus Serotype 5 (Ad5) and 5/47 Pseudotyped Vectors In Vivo: Fundamental Involvement of Coagulation Factors and Redundancy of CAR Binding by Ad5

ABSTRACT Vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors can promote adenoviral cell transduction in vitro. In vivo, warfarin pretreatment ablates liver targeting of an adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vector deleted of CAR binding capability. Here, we assess in vivo transduction and biodistribution of Ad5 vectors with nonmodified fibers (Ad5) and a serotype 47 fiber-pseudotyped Ad5 (Ad5/47; subgroup D) virus following intravascular injection. Warfarin reduced liver transduction by both viruses. However, no impact on early liver virus accumulation was observed, suggesting no effect on Kupffer cell interactions. Hence, coagulation factors play a pivotal role in selectively mediating liver hepatocyte transduction of Ad5 and Ad5/47 vectors.
Balance K-Means Algorithm

K-means is the most popular clustering algorithm and many researchers pay much attention to improving it. In this paper the authors find that some features influence so much on the results of clustering. For improving the K-means algorithm, the authors design a novel balance K-means algorithm. The main idea is that we normalize all the feature values of dataset before clustering. So all the features play the same important role in the clustering, which make the k-means balanced. There are three contributions to this paper. First the disadvantages of the standard K-means are illustrated in detail. Second we design the balance K-means algorithm which all the values of features are projected into a fix range, so it can take over the disadvantage of the standard K-means and. At last the authors choose some datasets from UCI for experiments. And the results of experiments show that the balance K-means runs better than the standard K-means.
High Mallampati score and nasal obstruction are associated risk factors for obstructive sleep apnoea

Induced nasal obstruction can cause obstructive apnoeas in healthy subjects during sleep, but the relationship between nasal resistance measured during wakefulness and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is weak. It was postulated that if the subjects could not breathe through the nose, the oral airway must be used, but if this airway is narrowed as well, then it could precipitate sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Nasal patency, Mallampati score (MS), neck circumference and body mass index were measured in 202 subjects referred to the authors' hospital to undergo a full-night polysomnography for suspicion of SDB. A significant correlation was found between the MS and apnoea/hypopnoea index measured during sleep. However, the relationship between these parameters was only significant in patients with nasal obstruction. The relative risk of having OSAS with a MS of III or IV was 1.95 for the whole group and 2.45 in patients with nasal obstruction. In conclusion, a high Mallampati score represents a predisposing factor for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, especially if it is associated with nasal obstruction. These patients merit special attention from both the sleep physician and the anaesthetist.
Causality and Explanations in Databases

With the surge in the availability of information, there is a great demand for tools that assist users in understanding their data. While today's exploration tools rely mostly on data visualization, users often want to go deeper and understand the underlying causes of a particular observation. This tutorial surveys research on causality and explanation for data-oriented applications. We will review and summarize the research thus far into causality and explanation in the database and AI communities, giving researchers a snapshot of the current state of the art on this topic, and propose a unified framework as well as directions for future research. We will cover both the theory of causality/explanation and some applications; we also discuss the connections with other topics in database research like provenance, deletion propagation, why-not queries, and OLAP techniques.
Demographic and Component Allee Effects in Southern Lake Superior Gray Wolves

Recovering populations of carnivores suffering Allee effects risk extinction because positive population growth requires a minimum number of cooperating individuals. Conservationists seldom consider these issues in planning for carnivore recovery because of data limitations, but ignoring Allee effects could lead to overly optimistic predictions for growth and underestimates of extinction risk. We used Bayesian splines to document a demographic Allee effect in the time series of gray wolf (Canis lupus) population counts (1980–2011) in the southern Lake Superior region (SLS, Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan, USA) in each of four measures of population growth. We estimated that the population crossed the Allee threshold at roughly 20 wolves in four to five packs. Maximum per-capita population growth occurred in the mid-1990s when there were approximately 135 wolves in the SLS population. To infer mechanisms behind the demographic Allee effect, we evaluated a potential component Allee effect using an individual-based spatially explicit model for gray wolves in the SLS region. Our simulations varied the perception neighborhoods for mate-finding and the mean dispersal distances of wolves. Simulation of wolves with long-distance dispersals and reduced perception neighborhoods were most likely to go extinct or experience Allee effects. These phenomena likely restricted population growth in early years of SLS wolf population recovery.
Role of the fusiform gyrus and superior temporal sulcus in face perception and recognition: An empirical review

This paper reviews neuroimaging studies that investigated the brain activation involved in face perception and recognition, with a particular focus on activity measured in the fusiform gyrus and superior temporal sulcus (STS). Several lines of evidence suggest that a localized area in the fusiform gyrus (i.e., the fusiform face area; FFA) is specialized for face processing; however, FFA activity is significantly modulated by the attention level of individuals and by the contextual information of stimuli. It is speculated that intensity differences between the eye region and other face areas may influence face-recognition performance, indicating that the eye region plays a critical role in person identification. Moreover, STS activity is involved in the processing of eye gaze, expression, and speech production. A unique aspect of these stimuli is that the subject automatically expects their motion on presentation. Thus, STS activity may function to send facial information for further cognitive processing in response to perceived biological motion in the surrounding environment. The neuroimaging literature indicates the functional significance of both FFA and STS in face processing; however, the evidence for neural connectivity between the regions is limited, which suggests that these two sites play mutually independent roles in face perception and recognition.
Effect of Patient Education on Patient Anxiety Level Using “ Scale of Patient Education Requirements ” in Open Heart Surgery

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to research whether education according to individuals’ needs has an effect on the anxiety after surgery using a scale of patient education requirements on the patients who will undergo heart surgery. Patients and Methods: The research included voluntary patients who would have an open-heart surgery and are already hospitalized in a heart surgery clinic (n= 114). Data were collected using a demographical data form (state-trait anxiety inventory; STAI) and patient education requirements scale forms, which had been developed by the researchers before surgery and three days later than the surgery by individually meeting the patients. During the hospitalization before surgery, STAI was performed. Further, patient requirements scale was applied. According to patient requirements scale results, the patients were informed at the beginning of hospitalization. On the third day of the surgery, STAI was performed one more time. While evaluating the study data, in addition to descriptive statistical methods, such as frequency, percentage, average, standard deviation, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov distribution test was applied to review normal distribution. Furthermore, paired samples t test was used to compare if parameters had normal distribution for 2 groups, and Wilcoxon sign test was used to compare if parameters had abnormal distribution in the groups. Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of parameters in groups. The results were evaluated at a confi dence level of 95%, a signifi cance level of p< 0.05, and an advanced signifi cance level of p< 0.01. Results: The decrease in the state anxiety level after education according to state anxiety level before education was signifi cant (t= 2.003; p= 0.050). Moreover, the decrease in the trait anxiety level after education was also found to be statistically signifi cant (t= 2.984; p= 0.004). Conclusion: According to the fi ndings obtained in this study, it was revealed that informing the patients using patient education requirements scale according to individuals’ needs decreased individuals’ anxiety levels.
Exploiting the Phantom-Mode Signal in DSL Applications

In order to meet the ever-increasing bandwidth demand of the users, new “digital subscriber line” (DSL) technologies are being developed. In addition to the traditional differential mode of the telephone line, telecom operators are now looking in to the exploitation of the phantom-mode signal. New transmission line models, using the multiconductor transmission lines theory, were developed to support this extended use. In this paper, it is shown that the phantom mode is an eigenmode of the quad cable system, and hence, according to the theory, there is no crosstalk between this mode and the differential mode.
Semantics-based composition for aspect-oriented requirements engineering

In this paper, we discuss the limitations of the current syntactic composition mechanisms in aspect-oriented requirements engineering (AORE). We highlight that such composition mechanisms not only increase coupling between aspects and base concerns but are also insufficient to capture the intentionality of the aspect composition. Furthermore, they force the requirements engineer to reason about semantic influences and trade-offs among aspects from a syntactic perspective. We present a requirements description language (RDL) that enriches the existing natural language requirements specification with semantic information derived from the semantics of the natural language itself. Composition specifications are written based on these semantics rather than requirements syntax hence providing improved means for expressing the intentionality of the composition, in turn facilitating semantics-based reasoning about aspect influences and trade-offs. We also discuss the practicality of the use of this RDL by outlining the automation support for requirements annotation (realized as an extension of the Wmatrix natural language processing tool suite) to expose the semantics which are in turn utilized to facilitate composition and analysis (supported by the MRAT tool).
Architecture of smart clothing for standardized wearable sensor systems

The field of wearable computing has great implications in the measurement of the human body and its surrounding environment, with potentially high impact in medical applications such as early detection, treatment, compliance monitoring, care for the frail and elderly, telemedicine, physical therapy, etc. Unfortunately, the field of wearable computing is still held back by the lack of a standardized framework and development process, forcing developers into custom and time intensive solutions. In this paper, the current progress of development of a universal smart textile system is discussed which would solve this problem and accelerate the field of smart wearable electronics, providing a universal platform for attaching several hundreds of sensors to clothing in convenient, unobtrusive and energy efficient ways. The main problems and potential solutions discussed in this article include power and data transfer wire topology, allowing the textile to be arbitrarily cut and sewn into smart clothing, data transmission architecture, providing high bandwidth and low energy data transfer, and support for miniaturization and elasticity, making the potential end product as unobtrusive as possible.
Impact of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis on incident chronic kidney disease in the elderly.

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased in persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, no prospective studies have examined carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) as a risk factor for CKD. METHODS A total of 2751 participants who were in the Intervention Project on Cerebrovascular Diseases and Dementia in the community of Ebersberg, Bavaria study and had normal baseline kidney function composed the study cohort. Measures of kidney function were estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the Cockcroft-Gault formula in mL/min/1.73 m(2). The main outcome measure was incident CKD defined as an eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) at study year 2 among those with an eGFR >or= 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) at baseline. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to assess the association between CIMT and incident CKD. RESULTS In multivariate analysis, there was a significant and graded association in eGFR decline, -8 +/- 21, -10 +/- 22, -11 +/- 12 and -15 +/- 11 mL/min/1.73 m(2) for the baseline CIMT quartiles 1 (<0.66 mm), 2 (0.66-0.77 mm), 3 (0.77-0.88 mm) and 4 (>0.88 mm), respectively (P for trend: 0.01), during the 2-year follow-up period. Subjects with a baseline CIMT in the fourth quartile developed a significant decrease in eGFR as compared with subjects with a baseline CIMT in the first quartile (P < 0.01). After adjustment for confounding factors, the baseline CIMT remained a predictor for the occurrence of CKD [hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-1.30]. CONCLUSIONS Increases in CIMT, as measured non-invasively by ultrasonography, are directly associated with an increased risk of CKD in elderly individuals.