Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric spatial frequency tuning of motion mechanisms in human vision revealed by masking.

PURPOSE To investigate the spatial frequency selectivity of the human motion system by using the technique of visual masking. METHODS Modulation-depth thresholds for identifying the direction of a sinusoidal test pattern were measured over a range of spatial frequencies (0.25-4 cyc/deg) in the absence and presence of a temporally jittering mask. RESULTS At the lowest test frequency (0.25 cyc/deg), maximum masking occurred when the test and mask shared the same spatial frequency, decreasing as the difference in spatial frequency between the test and mask increased. However, as test spatial frequency increased, maximum masking began to shift to when the mask was presented at approximately 1 octave below the test spatial frequency. Control experiments demonstrated that the asymmetric masking functions at higher test spatial frequencies was not affected by mask amplitude nor was it an effect of speed. The results confirmed that the peak at 1 octave from the test still occurred when the potential for off-frequency looking was minimized by presenting two masks positioned equidistant in frequency from the test grating. Control experiments revealed, however, that the peak at 1 octave below the test was mediated by image size and/or the number of cycles presented on screen. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide support for the notion that motion perception is mediated by band-pass, spatial-frequency-selective mechanisms. Moreover, asymmetric tuning of the masking functions may reflect asymmetric spatial frequency selectivity of the mechanisms in the human visual system that encode motion or inhibition between mechanisms tuned to different spatial frequencies.
Consumer Preference for a No-Choice Option

The traditional focus in the decision-making literature has been on understanding how consumers choose among a given set of alternatives. The notion that preference uncertainty may lead to choice deferral when no single alternative has a decisive advantage is tested in seven studies. Building on recent research, the article shows that the decision to defer choice is influenced by the absolute difference in attractiveness among the alternatives provided and is not consistent with trade-off difficulty or the theory of search. These findings are then extended to show that choice deferral can also be modified for the same alternatives by manipulations that make them appear more similar in attractiveness, or that decrease the need to differentiate among them. The results are consistent with the notion that preference uncertainty results in a hesitation to commit to any single action since small differences in attractiveness among the alternatives are potentially reversible. Consistent with this premise, the effect of attractiveness difference on choice deferral decreased significantly when subjects were first allowed to practice making monetary trade-offs among the available alternatives.
Cytomegalovirus disease in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients: current and future therapeutic options

Purpose of review Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) has become one of the standard treatment for hematological diseases. Although the clinical outcome has improved significantly during the last decades, the morbidity and mortality after allo-HSCT are still obstacles to cure. Out of major morbidities, opportunistic virus infections such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection are important complications, in particular in patients who received human leukocyte antigen-mismatched HSCT. Here, we aim to summarize information about current and future therapeutic options in CMV disease after allo-HSCT. Recent findings Recently, not only new drugs but also adoptive T-cell therapy are tested in the setting of clinical trials. CMV prophylaxis using letermovir significantly reduced the incidence of CMV disease in comparison to placebo in a phase III clinical trial. Meanwhile, adoptive T-cell therapies which are fully adapted to good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions are now available. A recent multicenter study in Germany showed a promising result using Streptamer-isolated T-cell therapy. Summary With the recent development of CMV-targeted therapy, treatment strategies of CMV infection would be further sophisticated in the near future. Video abstract http://links.lww. com/COID/A19.
Closed-Form Design of Variable Fractional-Delay FIR Filters With Low or Middle Cutoff Frequencies

This paper aims to design variable fractional-delay (VFD) finite-impulse response (FIR) filters with controllable cutoff frequencies. Different with the existing designs, a particular ladder-shaped curve is selected as the desired transfer characteristic of the proposed design. Due to the fact that this particular transfer curve can be well approximated by the convolution windowed spectrum interpolation-based filter, the analytic formula of this filter can be further combined with the cubic spline interpolation and Taylor series expansion, thereby deriving a fast configuration procedure for all tap coefficients in the Farrow structure. Meanwhile, both the fractional delay and the cutoff frequency can be flexibly adjusted by this procedure. By means of theoretical analysis or numerical simulation, we proved that the proposed method is not only suitable to design those VFD FIR filters with low or middle cutoff frequencies, but also concurrently possesses high flexibility in performance adjustment and low complexity in coefficient configuration. Therefore, it is an appropriate supplement of the closed-form WLS design.
Hybrid architecture for shape reconstruction and object recognition

The proposed architecture is aimed to recover 3‐D shape information from gray‐level images of a scene: to build a geometric representation of the scene in terms of geometric primitives; and to reason about the scene. The novelty of the architecture is in fact the integration of different approaches: symbolic reasoning techniques typical of knowledge representation in artificial intelligence, algorithmic capabilities typical of artificial vision schemes, and analogue techniques typical of artificial neural networks. Experimental results obtained by means of an implemented version of the proposed architecture acting on real scene images are reported to illustrate the system capabilities. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Three-Dimensional Chemistry of Multiphase Nanomaterials by Energy-Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy Tomography

Abstract A three-dimensional (3D) study of multiphase nanostructures by chemically selective electron tomography combining tomographic approach and energy-filtered imaging is reported. The implementation of this technique at the nanometer scale requires careful procedures for data acquisition, computing, and analysis. Based on the performances of modern transmission electron microscopy equipment and on developments in data processing, electron tomography in the energy-filtered imaging mode is shown to be a very appropriate analysis tool to provide 3D chemical maps at the nanoscale. Two examples highlight the usefulness of analytical electron tomography to investigate inhomogeneous 3D nanostructures, such as multiphase specimens or core-shell nanoparticles. The capability of discerning in a silica-alumina porous particle the two different components is illustrated. A quantitative analysis in the whole specimen and toward the pore surface is reported. This tool is shown to open new perspectives in catalysis by providing a way to characterize precisely 3D nanostructures from a chemical point of view.
Impact response of sandwich composites with nano-enhanced epoxy resin

Present work intends to study the improvement of impact performance on sandwich composites by the addition of nanoclays. For this purpose, nanoclays Cloisite 30B were previously subjected to a silane treatment in order to improve their dispersion and interface adhesion. Different incident impact energy levels were used and, for both sandwiches, the maximum load, displacement or elastic recuperation shows to be very dependent of the impact energy. Mathematical relationships are proposed to estimate the maximum impact force and displacement, based on the total impact energy and impact bending stiffness. Finally, sandwiches enhanced by nanoclays presented higher maximum impact loads, lower displacements, the best performance in terms of elastic recuperation and maximum residual flexural strength.
Reconstruction of the great toe using a pedicled medial plantar flap with anterograde venous drainage

Reconstruction of the great toe defect is difficult. The most distal point of the rotation arc of a retrograde‐flow medial plantar flap is the plantar side of the proximal phalanx. The purpose of this report was to present a new procedure that extends the rotation arc of this flap. Results of anatomic study and application in two patients were presented.
The comparative imperative: genetics and ontogeny of chemoreceptive prey responses in natricine snakes.

Reptiles offer a rich diversity for the study of chemoreception, and snakes are a particularly appropriate group for comparative, evolutionary, genetic, developmental, and mechanistic studies. A long-term program of research is described that attempts to integrate these approaches, focusing on the widespread North American genus Thamnophis (Natricinae). Prior to their first meal, neonatal snakes respond to aqueous surface substances from species-typical prey with increased tongue-flicking and open-mouth attacks; these responses are mediated by the vomeronasal organ. Such responses predict what prey snakes will eat and can also predict relative prey preference. Species, population, litter, and individual differences exists and are important at different levels of analysis. Chemoreceptive responses are heritable, although they may show different developmental trends. Some species respond to prey types they do not eat in nature. In the earthworm specialist, T. butleri, response to fish chemicals can be interpreted as a chemoreceptive response inertially inherited from ancestral species, decoupled from prey capture techniques, and in the process of being lost. Ontogeny and experience can modify behavior of the neonate in various ways. Feeding experience can alter response to some prey more than others, and ambient prey odor may shift prey preference. Psychophysical studies show that prey preference and threshold sensitivity to prey chemicals can be independent and differ between closely related species, indicating that neural tissue is devoted to recognition of specific types of prey. In site choice tests, garter snakes can also discriminate between feces derived from conspecific snakes fed similar or different diets. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Colorectal polypectomy and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR): European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Clinical Guideline

Main recommendations 1 ESGE recommends cold snare polypectomy (CSP) as the preferred technique for removal of diminutive polyps (size ≤ 5 mm). This technique has high rates of complete resection, adequate tissue sampling for histology, and low complication rates. (High quality evidence, strong recommendation.) 2 ESGE suggests CSP for sessile polyps 6 – 9 mm in size because of its superior safety profile, although evidence comparing efficacy with hot snare polypectomy (HSP) is lacking. (Moderate quality evidence, weak recommendation.) 3 ESGE suggests HSP (with or without submucosal injection) for removal of sessile polyps 10 – 19 mm in size. In most cases deep thermal injury is a potential risk and thus submucosal injection prior to HSP should be considered. (Low quality evidence, strong recommendation.) 4 ESGE recommends HSP for pedunculated polyps. To prevent bleeding in pedunculated colorectal polyps with head ≥ 20 mm or a stalk ≥ 10 mm in diameter, ESGE recommends pretreatment of the stalk with injection of dilute adrenaline and/or mechanical hemostasis. (Moderate quality evidence, strong recommendation.) 5 ESGE recommends that the goals of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) are to achieve a completely snare-resected lesion in the safest minimum number of pieces, with adequate margins and without need for adjunctive ablative techniques. (Low quality evidence; strong recommendation.) 6 ESGE recommends careful lesion assessment prior to EMR to identify features suggestive of poor outcome. Features associated with incomplete resection or recurrence include lesion size > 40 mm, ileocecal valve location, prior failed attempts at resection, and size, morphology, site, and access (SMSA) level 4. (Moderate quality evidence; strong recommendation.) 7 For intraprocedural bleeding, ESGE recommends endoscopic coagulation (snare-tip soft coagulation or coagulating forceps) or mechanical therapy, with or without the combined use of dilute adrenaline injection. (Low quality evidence, strong recommendation.) An algorithm of polypectomy recommendations according to shape and size of polyps is given (Fig. 1).
The Effect of PMMA Thickness on Thermal Bone Necrosis around Acetabular Sockets

One aim of custom acetabular hip replacement sockets is to achieve fixation through a uniform cement layer of selected thickness. In vitro experiments demonstrate that curing temperatures are determined by cement thickness and position relative to the socket rim. A maximum thickness of 7 mm is indicated by interpretation of curing temperature-time relationships in terms of predicted bone necrosis. It is concluded that the results contribute to the establishment of an optimum cement layer thickness, but other factors require investigation to complement this work to gain further understanding of the problem.
Multipath-Aided Direct Path ToA Reconstruction for Integrated UWB Receivers in Generalized NLoS

Impulse Radio - Ultra Wideband (IR-UWB) ranging based on first detected path's Time-of-Arrival (ToA) theoretically enables high-accuracy localization in Line of Sight (LoS) contexts. However, performance can be severely degraded in practical indoor environments due to both dense multipath propagation and signal obstructions. To mitigate these effects, the space-time correlation of tracked multipath components (MPCs) under mobility can be beneficial to collectively reconstruct the missing direct path's ToA in case of detected NLoS situation. This paper aims at improving further the robustness of such Multipath-aided Direct Path Reconstruction (MDPR) in very dense multipath and generalized NLoS with respect to anchors, while considering constraints of real integrated IR-UWB receivers. More specifically, new strategies are introduced to better approximate and dynamically adjust the link between direct and secondary paths for longer-term correction validity, as well as to handle MPCs appearance/disappearance over NLoS portions of trajectory. The proposed solution is validated by means of semi-deterministic dynamic simulations based on IEEE 802.15. 4a channel models.
Predictors of mitral annulus early diastolic velocity: impact of long-axis function, ventricular filling pattern, and relaxation.

AIMS Although left ventricular (LV) relaxation is well recognized as a predictor of mitral annulus (MA) early diastolic (E') velocity, its significance relative to other predictors of E' is less well understood. METHODS AND RESULTS We assessed 40 healthy volunteers, 43 patients with acutely decompensated chronic systolic heart failure (HF), and 36 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) using echocardiography and right or left heart catheterization. Data were obtained at baseline. In addition, in healthy volunteers haemodynamics were varied by graded saline infusion and low body negative pressure, while in HF patients it was varied by vasoactive drug treatment. E- and A-wave velocity (E/A) ratio of the mitral valve inflow, systolic MA velocity integral (s' integral) and E' and late velocity (A') of lateral and septal MA pulsed wave velocities were assessed by echocardiography. Time constant of isovolumic pressure decay τ(0)) was calculated from isovolumic relaxation time/[ln(aortic dicrotic notch pressure) - ln(LV filling pressure)]. In all three groups, s' integral was the strongest predictor of E' (partial r= 0.53-0.79; 0.81 for three groups combined), followed by E/A ratio (partial r= 0.10-0.78; 0.26 for all groups combined) and τ(0) (partial r= -0.1 to 0.023; -0.21 for all groups combined). CONCLUSION In healthy adults, patients with systolic HF, or patients with HOCM, E' is related to LV long-axis function and E/A ratio, a global marker of LV filling. E' appears less sensitive to LV relaxation.
Light Scattering by a Dielectric Sphere: Perspectives on the Mie Resonances

Light scattering by a small spherical particle, a central topic for electromagnetic scattering theory, is here considered. In this short review, some of the basic features of its resonant scattering behavior are covered. First, a general physical picture is described by a full electrodynamic perspective, the Lorenz–Mie theory. The resonant spectrum of a dielectric sphere reveals the existence of two distinctive types of polarization enhancement: the plasmonic and the dielectric resonances. The corresponding electrostatic (Rayleigh) picture is analyzed and the polarizability of a homogeneous spherical inclusion is extracted. This description facilitates the identification of the first type of resonance, i.e., the localized surface plasmon (plasmonic) resonance, as a function of the permittivity. Moreover, the electrostatic picture is linked with the plasmon hybridization model through the case of a step-inhomogeneous structure, i.e., a core–shell sphere. The connections between the electrostatic and electrodynamic models are reviewed in the small size limit and details on size-induced aspects, such as the dynamic depolarization and the radiation reaction on a small sphere are exposed through the newly introduced Mie–Pade approximative perspective. The applicability of this approximation is further expanded including the second type of resonances, i.e., the dielectric resonances. For this type of resonances, the Mie–Pade approximation reveals the main character of the two different cases of resonances of either magnetic or electric origin. A unified picture is therefore described encompassing both plasmonic and dielectric resonances, and the resonant conditions of all three different types are extracted as functions of the permittivity and the size of the sphere. Lastly, the directional scattering behavior of the first two dielectric resonances is exposed in a simple manner, namely the Kerker conditions for maximum forward and backscattering between the first magnetic and electric dipole contributions of a dielectric sphere. The presented results address several prominent functional features, aiming at readers with either theoretical or applied interest for the scattering aspects of a resonant sphere.
The sequence divergence in cytochrome C oxidase I gene of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito and its comparison with four other Culex species

Abstract The genetic diversity of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito based on the standard barcode region of cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) gene fragment was studied in the present study. The COI gene sequences of Cx. quinquefasciatus were also compared with four other species of Genus Culex (i.e. Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. fuscocephala, Cx. pipiens, and Cx. theileri). Our data set included sequences of Culex mosquitoes from 16 different countries of world. The average intraspecific and interspecific divergences recorded were 0.67% and 8.27%, respectively. The clades for five species were clearly separated except Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens. It is concluded that the DNA barcoding is effective and reliable tool for the identification of selected Culex species but create little problem in case of sister species.
The effect of perceived control on self-reported cardiovascular disease incidence across adulthood and old age

Objective: To examine whether rates of change in perceived control are predictive of cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence across adulthood and old age. Design: We used the PATH Through Life Project (n = 7103, M = 40, SD = 16; 52% women), a longitudinal panel survey that encompasses three cohorts at Time 1, ages 20–24, 40–44 and 60–64, who have been assessed three times at four-year intervals. Method: We examined whether rates of change in perceived control were associated with CVD incidence over 8 years of time, over and above that of baseline levels of perceived control and known risk factors for CVD. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported CVD incidence. Results: Increases in perceived control over time were associated with decreased likelihood of 8-year incidence of CVD and these effects were independent of socio-demographics, covariates and baseline levels of perceived control. The effects were consistent across young adulthood, midlife and old age and for men and women. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate the importance of changes in perceived control as a predictor of CVD incidence across adulthood and old age. We suggest future research using mediation analysis to test reverse causality and mechanisms underlying the effects of perceived control on CVD incidence.