Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incremental Local Gaussian Regression

Locally weighted regression (LWR) was created as a nonparametric method that can approximate a wide range of functions, is computationally efficient, and can learn continually from very large amounts of incrementally collected data. As an interesting feature, LWR can regress on non-stationary functions, a beneficial property, for instance, in control problems. However, it does not provide a proper generative model for function values, and existing algorithms have a variety of manual tuning parameters that strongly influence bias, variance and learning speed of the results. Gaussian (process) regression, on the other hand, does provide a generative model with rather black-box automatic parameter tuning, but it has higher computational cost, especially for big data sets and if a non-stationary model is required. In this paper, we suggest a path from Gaussian (process) regression to locally weighted regression, where we retain the best of both approaches. Using a localizing function basis and approximate inference techniques, we build a Gaussian (process) regression algorithm of increasingly local nature and similar computational complexity to LWR. Empirical evaluations are performed on several synthetic and real robot datasets of increasing complexity and (big) data scale, and demonstrate that we consistently achieve on par or superior performance compared to current state-of-the-art methods while retaining a principled approach to fast incremental regression with minimal manual tuning parameters.
STRATEGI DAYA TINDAK DAN PROGRAM SOKONGAN SOSIAL UNTUK PENJAGA TIDAK FORMAL (Coping Strategy and Social Support Program for Informal Caregivers)

Penjagaan tidak formal terhadap golongan yang berpenyakit kronik memberi tekanan kepada penjaga. Tekanan ini boleh diatasi dengan pelbagai bentuk strategi daya tindak. Oleh yang demikian, kajian telah dijalankan bertujuan bagi mengenal pasti strategi daya tindak yang dipraktikkan oleh mereka bagi mengatasi tekanan. Kajian kualitatif yang menggunakan tradisi kajian kes telah dijalankan dalam kalangan penjaga tidak formal yang menjaga anggota keluarga yang berpenyakit kronik. Sejumlah 15 orang penjaga tidak formal di sekitar Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor telah ditemu bual dengan menggunakan teknik temu bual mendalam. Hasil kajian mendapati, terdapat empat jenis strategi daya tindak yang dipraktikkan oleh penjaga tidak formal iaitu strategi daya tindak sokongan sosial (15 orang), strategi daya tindak kawalan-diri (seorang), strategi daya tindak penerimaan tanggungjawab (lima orang) dan strategi daya tindak penilaian semula positif (tiga orang). Hasil kajian juga mendapati, para penjaga tidak formal dalam kajian ini memerlukan satu sistem sokongan sosial yang eksklusif untuk mereka dan individu sakit yang dijaga mereka. Pelan cadangan sistem sokongan sosial untuk penjaga tidak formal ini adalah sebuah intervensi sosial yang mengandungi program sokongan sosial yang mampu membantu penjaga tidak formal mengurangkan tekanan yang dialami secara lebih teratur.
Effects of structural connectivity on fine scale population genetic structure of muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus

In heterogeneous landscapes, physical barriers and loss of structural connectivity have been shown to reduce gene flow and therefore lead to population structuring. In this study, we assessed the influence of landscape features on population genetic structure and gene flow of a semiaquatic species, the muskrat. A total of 97 muskrats were sampled from three watersheds near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. We estimated population genetic structure using 11 microsatellite loci and identified a single genetic cluster and no genetic differences were found among the watersheds as a result of high levels of gene flow. At finer scales, we assessed the correlation between individual pairwise genetic distances and Euclidean distance as well as different models of least cost path (LCP). We used a range of cost values for the landscape types in order to build our LCP models. We found a positive relationship between genetic distance and least cost distance when we considered roads as corridors for movements. Open landscapes and urban areas seemed to restrict but not prevent gene flow within the study area. Our study underlines the high-dispersal ability of generalist species in their use of landscape and highlights how landscape features often considered barriers to animal movements are corridors for other species.
Enhanced Escherichia coli adherence and invasion in Crohn's disease and colon cancer.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Altered mucosal glycosylation in inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer could affect mucosal bacterial adherence. This study aimed to quantify and characterize mucosa-associated and intramucosal bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli, in these conditions. METHODS Mucosa-associated bacteria were isolated, after dithiothreitol mucolysis, from biopsy samples obtained at colonoscopy (Crohn's disease, n = 14 patients; ulcerative colitis, n = 21; noninflamed controls, n = 24) and at surgical resection (colon cancer, n = 21). Intramucosal bacteria were grown after gentamicin treatment followed by hypotonic lysis. RESULTS Mucosa-associated and intramucosal bacteria were cultured more commonly in Crohn's disease (79%, P = 0.03; and 71%, P < 0.01, respectively), but not ulcerative colitis (38% and 48%), than in noninflamed controls (42% and 29%) and were commonly cultured from colon cancers (71% and 57%). Mucosa-associated E. coli, which accounted for 53% of isolates, were more common in Crohn's disease (6/14; 43%) than in noninflamed controls (4/24, 17%), as also were intramucosal E. coli: Crohn's disease, 29%; controls, 9%. E. coli expressed hemagglutinins in 39% of Crohn's cases and 38% of cancers but only 4% of controls, and this correlated (P = 0.01) with adherence to the I407 and HT29 cell lines. Invasion was cell-line dependent. E. coli, including nonadherent isolates, induced interleukin-8 release from the cell lines. E. coli adhesins showed no blood group specificity, excepting 1 cancer isolate (HM44) with specificity for the Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen, but they could be blocked by soluble plantain fiber. CONCLUSIONS These studies support a central role for mucosally adherent bacteria in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and colon cancer. Soluble plant fibers that inhibit their adherence have therapeutic potential.
A combined iterative scheme for identification and control redesigns

This work proposes a unified algorithm for identification and control. Frequency domain data of the plant is weighted to satisfy the given performance specifications. A model is then identified from this weighted frequency domain data and a controller is synthesised using the ℋ︁∞ loopshaping design procedure. The cost function used in the identification stage essentially minimizes a tight upper bound on the difference between the achieved and the designed performance in the sense of the ℋ︁∞ loopshaping design paradigm. Given a model, a method is also suggested to re‐adjust model and weighting transfer functions to reduce further the worst case chordal distance between the weighted true plant and the model. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuroprotective role of antioxidant and pyranocarboxylic acid derivative against AlCl 3 induced Alzheimer's disease in rats

Neuroprotective role of antioxidant and pyranocarboxylic acid derivative against AlCl3 induced Alzheimer’s disease in rats Sarabjeet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Ajay S. Kushwah, Gaurav Gupta Pharmacology and Toxicology Research Laboratory, ASBASJS Memorial College of Pharmacy Bela, Ropar (Punjab)-140 111, India Department of Pharmacy, Himachal Institute of Pharmacy, Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Journal of Coastal Life Medicine 2014; 2(7): 571-578
Operant conditioning of primate spinal reflexes: the H-reflex.

The study of primate memory substrates, the CNS alterations which preserve conditioned responses, requires an experimental model that fulfills two criteria. First, the essential alterations must be in a technically accessible location. Second, they must persist without input from other CNS regions. The spinal cord is the most technically accessible and readily isolated portion of the primate CNS. Recent work has demonstrated that the spinal stretch reflex (SSR), the initial, wholly segmental response to muscle stretch, can be operantly conditioned and suggests that this conditioning may produce persistent spinal alteration. The present study attempted similar operant conditioning of the H-reflex, the electrical analog of the SSR. The primary goals were to demonstrate that spinal reflex conditioning can occur even if the muscle spindle is removed from the reflex arc and to demonstrate conditioning in the lumbosacral cord, which is far preferable to the cervical cord for future studies of neuronal and synaptic mechanisms. Nine monkeys prepared with chronic fine-wire triceps surae (gastrocnemius and soleus) electromyographic (EMG) electrodes were taught by computer to maintain a given level of background EMG activity. At random times, a voltage pulse just above M response (direct muscle response) threshold was delivered to the posterior tibial nerve via a chronically implanted silicon nerve cuff and elicited the triceps surae H-reflex. Under the control mode, reward always followed. Under the HR increases or HR decreases mode, reward followed only if the absolute value of triceps surae EMG from 12 to 22 ms after the pulse (the H-reflex interval) was above (HR increases) or below (HR decreases) a set value. Monkeys completed 3,000-6,000 trials/day over study periods of 2-3 mo. Background EMG and M response amplitude remained stable throughout data collection. H-reflex amplitude remained stable under the control mode. Under the HR increases mode (5 animals) or HR decreases mode (4 animals), H-reflex amplitude (EMG amplitude in the H-reflex interval minus background EMG amplitude) changed appropriately over at least 6 wk. Change appeared to occur in two phases: an abrupt change within the first day, followed by slower change, which continued indefinitely. Change occurred in all three triceps surae muscles (medial and lateral gastrocnemii and soleus). Under the HR increases mode, H-reflex amplitude rose to an average of 213% of control, whereas under the HR decreases mode it fell to an average of 68% of control. The results demonstrate that the H-reflex can be operantly conditioned. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Tractable Symmetry Breaking Using Restricted Search Trees

We present a new conceptual abstraction in symmetry breaking - the GE-tree. The construction and traversal of a GE-tree breaks all symmetries in any constraint satisfaction or similar problem. We give a polynomial-time algorithm for this construction in the case of CSPs with arbitrary value symmetries. We have implemented this technique, and supply experimental evidence of its practical effectiveness.
A mm-Precise 60 GHz Transmitter in 40 nm CMOS for Discrete-Carrier Indoor Localization

This paper presents a multicarrier 60 GHz transmitter for distance measurement (ranging) in an indoor wireless localization system, achieving mm-precision with high update rate. The architecture comprises a baseband subcarrier generator, an upconverter, and a power amplifier. There are three key innovations, all stemming from careful hardware-algorithm co-design: 1) efficient frequency planning of the 6 GHz-wide band; 2) power-efficient multicarrier signal generation by means of digital frequency divisions exploiting the phase-based time-of-arrival ranging algorithm; and 3) PAPR reduction to enable efficient operation of the power amplifier. By implementing these key techniques, 0.7-2.7 mm precision is achieved over 5 m measured distance with 5.4 μs symbol duration. During operation, the core digital subcarrier generator generates 16 non-equidistant subcarriers from a 3 GHz input clock, while consuming an average power of 1.8 mW out of 0.9V supply. The upconverter and the power amplifier altogether consume around 127 mW. The total area of the transmitter is 1.1 mm2. The chip is fabricated in a 40nm general purpose CMOS process.
Stringent requirement of a proper level of canonical WNT signalling activity for head formation in mouse embryo

In mouse embryos, loss of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) activity is associated with an ectopic activation of WNT signalling responses in the precursors of the craniofacial structures and leads to a complete truncation of the head at early organogenesis. Here, we show that ENU-induced mutations of genes coding for two WNT canonical pathway factors, the co-receptor LRP6 and the transcriptional co-activator β-catenin, also elicit an ectopic signalling response and result in loss of the rostral tissues of the forebrain. Compound mutant embryos harbouring combinations of mutant alleles of Lrp6, Ctnnb1 and Dkk1 recapitulate the partial to complete head truncation phenotype of individual homozygous mutants. The demonstration of a synergistic interaction of Dkk1, Lrp6 and Ctnnb1 provides compelling evidence supporting the concepts that (1) stringent regulation of the level of canonical WNT signalling is necessary for head formation, (2) activity of the canonical pathway is sufficient to account for the phenotypic effects of mutations in three different components of the signal cascade and (3) rostral parts of the brain and the head are differentially more sensitive to canonical WNT signalling and their development is contingent on negative modulation of WNT signalling activity.
Desensitization of Mitochondrial Ca2+ and Insulin Secretion Responses in the Beta Cell*

The role of mitochondria in the desensitization of insulin secretion was investigated. In rat pancreatic beta cells, both insulin secretion and mitochondrial [Ca2+] increases were desensitized following two challenges with the mitochondrial substrate methyl succinate. In the beta cell line INS-1, similar results were observed when a 5-min interval separated two 5-min pulses. In contrast, ATP generation monitored in luciferase-expressing INS-1 cells was stimulated to the same extent during both exposures to methyl succinate. Succinate, like α-glycerophosphate, activates the electron transport chain at complex II. As a consequence, the mitochondrial membrane hyperpolarizes, promoting ATP synthesis and Ca2+ influx into the mitochondria through the uniporter. The mitochondrial desensitization was further studied in permeabilized INS-1 cells. Increasing extramitochondrial [Ca2+] from 100 to 500 nm enhanced succinate oxidation 4-fold. At 500 nm Ca2+, 1 mm succinate caused a blunted mitochondrial [Ca2+] increase upon the second, compared with the first, stimulation. These effects were mimicked by α-glycerophosphate, and there was cross-desensitization between the two compounds. Succinate hyperpolarized the mitochondrial membrane during both the first and second applications. This suggests that the uniporter itself, rather than the respiratory chain, is desensitized. These results emphasize the key role of the mitochondria not only in the stimulation of insulin secretion, but also in its desensitization.
The Effects of Overfeeding on the Neuronal Response to Visual Food Cues in Thin and Reduced-Obese Individuals

Background The regulation of energy intake is a complex process involving the integration of homeostatic signals and both internal and external sensory inputs. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of short-term overfeeding on the neuronal response to food-related visual stimuli in individuals prone and resistant to weight gain. Methodology/Principal Findings 22 thin and 19 reduced-obese (RO) individuals were studied. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in the fasted state after two days of eucaloric energy intake and after two days of 30% overfeeding in a counterbalanced design. fMRI was performed while subjects viewed images of foods of high hedonic value and neutral non-food objects. In the eucaloric state, food as compared to non-food images elicited significantly greater activation of insula and inferior visual cortex in thin as compared to RO individuals. Two days of overfeeding led to significant attenuation of not only insula and visual cortex responses but also of hypothalamus response in thin as compared to RO individuals. Conclusions/Significance These findings emphasize the important role of food-related visual cues in ingestive behavior and suggest that there are important phenotypic differences in the interactions between external visual sensory inputs, energy balance status, and brain regions involved in the regulation of energy intake. Furthermore, alterations in the neuronal response to food cues may relate to the propensity to gain weight.
Nonlinear friction estimation for digital control of direct-drive manipulators

Control algorithms for precise motion control require a complete robot dynamic compensation, including also nonlinear friction phenomena occurring at very low velocities. Several models, including both static and dynamic friction, have been proposed in the last few years, the most used being the LuGre model and its modifications. Unfortunately, a good estimation of the dynamic friction parameters is often quite difficult to be achieved in practice. In this paper, the parameters of the static part of this friction model are estimated for a doublearm direct-drive planar manipulator, and the identified model is used for torque reconstruction during an assigned motion, by considering the nominal values of the robot inertial parameters. The results are compared with those obtained by estimating the manipulator inertial parameters, together with the parameters of a simplified third order polynomial friction model. Experiments confirm the validity of the available, nominal, inertial values, and show that, at least in our case, similar results are obtained by the two friction models.
Socioeconomic position as a common cause for smoking, drinking, and psychiatric distress over the transition to adulthood

Psychiatric distress, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are common health problems which often occur together and are patterned by socioeconomic position. Smoking and drinking behaviours and mental health problems tend to develop over the transition from adolescence to adulthood, so this thesis aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which socioeconomic factors influence their co-development during this stage of life as young people make transitions into adult social roles. Data were primarily taken from three UK cohort studies (two nationwide birth cohorts respectively born in 1958 and 1970, and a cohort of adolescents from Glasgow who were also born in the early 1970s), so it was possible to examine whether mechanisms were context-dependent. Additional data from the youth sub-sample of the British Household Panel Study allowed investigation of socioeconomic inequalities in early adolescent smoking development in more recent history (1994-2008). A combination of person and variable centred analysis techniques (latent class analysis, structural equation modelling, propensity weighting, and event history analysis) were employed to investigate the role of socioeconomic background and transitions to adulthood in development of smoking, drinking and psychiatric distress in adolescence and early adulthood. Inverse probability weighting and multiple imputation were employed to account for missing data. A strong association was identified between socioeconomic disadvantage and adolescent smoking, despite recent increases in tobacco control in the UK. Smoking appeared to be an important mechanism, or at least a marker for other mechanisms, linking socioeconomic disadvantage to heavier drinking, psychiatric distress, and early school-leaving. Aside from smoking, there were other mechanisms leading to heavy drinking and psychiatric distress. For psychiatric distress, these were still mainly associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, especially in early adulthood, whereas for drinking there were mechanisms associated with socioeconomic advantage. Participation in tertiary education appeared to be an important example of such a mechanism, linking socioeconomic advantage to heavier drinking in early adulthood. Remaining in education was strongly linked to delaying other adulthood transitions, but different patterns of early transitions exhibited different associations with smoking, drinking and distress in different contexts. Tackling inequalities in smoking may help reduce inequalities in drinking and distress in adolescence and early adulthood, and policies increasing access to tertiary education should consider the deleterious effects on drinking behaviours.
Design and Evaluation of a Sustained Release Gastroretentive Dosage Form of Captopril: A Technical Note

Development of oral controlled release systems has been a challenge to formulation scientists because of their inability to restrain and localize the system in the targeted area of the gastrointestinal tract. Controlled release preparations using alternative routes have been formulated but the oral route still remains preferable. Amongst the various approaches to target the drug to the stomach or proximal region of small intestine, high density systems have a technical difficulty in formulating a dosage form having a density in the range of 2.4–2.8 g/cm3, swelling systems require an optimum balance between the rate of swelling and rate of erosion of the polymer to avoid unwanted side effects and bio/mucoadhesive systems which can be dislodged from its site of adhesion, may not provide the optimum benefits. When the drug is formulated with a gel forming polymer such as semisynthetic derivatives of cellulose, it swells in the gastric fluid with a bulk density less than one. It then remains buoyant and floats on the gastric fluid, prolonging gastric residence time (GRT). This floating dosage form is well known as a hydrodynamically balanced system (HBS) (1,2,3). It has been suggested for the following instances that an active material can be formulated as an HBS to enhance bioavailability: (1) having a dissolution and/or stability problem in the small intestinal fluids, (2) being locally effective in the stomach, (3) being absorbed only in the stomach and/or upper part of the intestine (4). Floating tablets, capsules, beads, microspheres and chambers have been reported in literature (5). Floating systems can be developed by two approaches. First is the effervescent system which needs a gas generating agent that may alkalinize the microenvironment of the stomach and whose buoyancy would be dependent on the gas generating agent unlike the second which is a non-effervescent approach. CAP, 1-[(2S)-3-mercapto-2-methyl-1-oxopropyl]-l-proline, is an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. It has been widely used for the treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure. It has been reported that the duration of antihypertensive action after a single oral dose of CAP is only 6–8 h, so clinical use requires a daily dose of 37.5–75 mg to be taken three times (6). It is most stable at pH 1.2 and as the pH increases; it becomes unstable and undergoes a degradation reaction (7). The present investigation aims to develop a sustained release non-effervescent floating matrix tablet of CAP with a view of prolonging GRT as well as avoiding intestinal degradation.