Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sarcopenia: what should a pharmacist know?

Sarcopenia (or muscle insufficiency) is a geriatric syndrome characterized by a progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and function which has adverse consequences, particularly physical disability, falls and death. It can develop slowly, as a chronic condition that emerges over many years, or acutely, generally due to immobilization associated with an acute disease. The physiopathology of sarcopenia is complex, and affects both the muscle and its neurological and hormonal regulation. The prevalence of sarcopenia increases with age and in certain healthcare settings (nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centres). Its diagnosis is based on the documentation of a low muscle mass associated with low muscle strength and/or low physical performance. Once confirmed, a syndromic approach is needed, based on a comprehensive geriatric assessment in order to determine its causes and prepare a treatment plan which addresses the treatment of symptoms as well as the etiology. Prevention of sarcopenia starts in the adult age, through the promotion of adequate nutritional habits, an increase in physical activity and, ideally, resistance exercise. Sarcopenia treatment must necessarily include resistance exercises (that can be associated with other types of exercise) and an improvement in diet, increasing protein intake up to 1.2-1.5 g/kg/day and covering caloric requirements. In some cases, this will require the use of nutritional supplements, which can contain leucine, beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate acid (HMB) and vitamin D, in order to optimize its effects on the muscle. There are still no medications available to treat sarcopenia.
Pressure sensor based on patterned laser scribed reduced graphene oxide; experiment & modeling

A low cost nanostructure pressure sensor has been designed, fabricated and tested based on graphene structure. The sensor structure is composed of the period structure of graphene oxide/reduced graphene oxide. The structure is fabricated by laser scanning system, where a beam of laser will convert the graphene oxide substrate to reduced graphene oxide. The geometrical structure of the sensor has been designed and optimized using computational analysis with Finite Element Method. The results of measurements show that the sensor structure is capable of measuring 1.45 kPa. The proposed sensor structure can be exploited in the application of electronic skin, synthetic tissue and robotic structures accordingly.
MEASURING IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE OF A SECOND LANGUAGE: A Psychometric Study

A problem facing investigations of implicit and explicit learning is the lack of valid measures of second language implicit and explicit knowledge. This paper attempts to establish operational definitions of these two constructs and reports a psychometric study of a battery of tests designed to provide relatively independent measures of them. These tests were (a) an oral imitation test involving grammatical and ungrammatical sentences, (b) an oral narration test, (c) a timed grammaticality judgment test (GJT), (d) an untimed GJT with the same content, and (e) a metalinguistic knowledge test. Tests (a), (b), and (c) were designed as measures of implicit knowledge, and tests (d) and (e) were designed as measures of explicit knowledge. All of the tests examined 17 English grammatical structures. A principal component factor analysis produced two clear factors. This analysis showed that the scores from tests (a), (b), and (c) loaded on Factor 1, whereas the scores from ungrammatical sentences in test (d) and total scores from test (e) loaded on Factor 2. These two factors are interpreted as corresponding to implicit and explicit knowledge, respectively. A number of secondary analyses to support this interpretation of the construct validity of the tests are also reported.This research was funded by a Marsden Fund grant awarded by the Royal Society of Arts of New Zealand to Rod Ellis and Cathie Elder. Other researchers who contributed to the research are Shawn Loewen, Rosemary Erlam, Satomi Mizutani, and Shuhei Hidaka.The author wishes to thank Nick Ellis, Jim Lantolf, and two anonymous SSLA reviewers. Their constructive comments have helped me to present the theoretical background of the study more convincingly and to remove errors from the results and refine my interpretations of them.
A Comparison of Self-Report Measures of Psychopathy Among Nonforensic Samples Using Item Response Theory Analyses

This study investigated how well components of the psychopathy trait are measured among college students with the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP), the Personality Assessment Inventory–Antisocial Features Scale (PAI ANT), the Psychopathic Personality Inventory–Short Form (PPI-SF), and the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-II (SRP-II). Using Samejima (1969)’s graded response model (GRM), the subscales were found to vary in their ability to measure the corresponding latent traits. The LSRP primary psychopathy factor is more precise in measuring the latent trait than the secondary psychopathy factor. The PAI ANT items show coherent psychometric properties, whereas the PPI-SF factors differ in their precision to measure the corresponding traits. The SRP-II factors are effective in discriminating among individuals with varying levels of the latent traits. Results suggest that multiple self-report measures should be used to tap the multidimensional psychopathy construct. However, there are concerns with respect to using negatively worded items to assess certain aspects of psychopathy.
PyPerC: Python toolbox for perceptual computing

In this paper we present a new toolbox that is developed for perceptual computing (PerC). This toolbox provides all requirements to implement PerC applications on different platforms and hence will promote perceptual computers in various domains. We will demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed procedures and will also describe an example of implementing a perceptual computer with the proposed toolbox.
Perceived Racial Discrimination and DNA Methylation Among African American Women in the InterGEN Study

Introduction: Experiences of racial discrimination have been associated with poor health outcomes. Little is known, however, about how perceived racial discrimination influences DNA methylation (DNAm) among African Americans (AAs). We examined the association of experiences of discrimination with DNAm among AA women in the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure (InterGEN) study. Methods: The InterGEN study examines the effects of genetic and psychological factors on blood pressure among AA women and their children. Measures include the Major Life Discrimination (MLD) and the Race-Related Events (RES) scales. In the present analysis, we examined discrimination and DNAm at baseline in the InterGEN study. The 850K EPIC Illumina BeadChip was used for evaluating DNAm in this epigenome-wide association study (EWAS). Results: One hundred and fifty-two women contributed data for the RES-EWAS analysis and 147 for the MLD-EWAS analysis. Most were 30–39 years old, nonsmokers, had some college education, and had incomes <US$15,000/year. After controlling for age, smoking, and cell composition, MLD was significantly associated with DNAm at nine CpG (regions of DNA where a cytosine nucleotide is followed by a guanine nucleotide) sites (false discovery rate [FDR]-corrected p < .05). For the RES-EWAS analysis, no DNAm sites passed the epigenome-wide significance level after genomic control, though suggestive associations were observed at CpG sites after genomic control (raw p < 10−5). Conclusion: We observed significant epigenetic associations between disease-associated genes (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and asthma) and perceived discrimination as measured by the MLD Scale. Future health disparities research should include epigenetics in high-risk populations to elucidate functional consequences induced by the psychosocial environment.
On the performance of the noise power spectrum from the gain-corrected radiography images

Abstract. Fixed pattern noise due to nonuniform amplifier gains and scintillator sensitivity should be alleviated in radiography imaging to acquire low-noise x-ray images from detectors. Here, the noise property of the detector is usually evaluated observing the noise power spectrum (NPS). A gain-correction scheme, in which uniformly illuminated images are averaged to design a gain map, can be applied to alleviate the fixed pattern noise problem. The normalized NPS (NNPS) of the gain-corrected image decreases as the number of images for the average increases and converges to an infimum, which can be achieved if the fixed pattern noise is completely removed. If we know the NNPS infimum of the detector, then we can determine the performance of the gain-corrected images compared with the achievable lower bound. We first construct an image-formation model considering the nonuniform gain and then consider two measurement methods based on subtraction and division to estimate the NNPS infimum of the detector. In order to obtain a high-precision NNPS infimum estimate, we consider a time-averaging method. For several flat-panel radiography detectors, we constructed the NNPS infimum measurements and compared them with NNPS values of the gain-corrected images. We observed that the NNPS values of the gain-corrected images approached the NNPS infimum as the number of images for the average increased.
Physical activity perceptions and behaviors among young adults with congenital heart disease: A mixed‐methods study

OBJECTIVE A physically active lifestyle can help maintain positive physical and psychosocial health outcomes among adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). This study explored the physical activity perceptions and behaviors among young adults with CHD. DESIGN This was a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study that included objectively measured physical activity assessment (accelerometer), individual semistructured interviews, and psychosocial questionnaires. RESULTS Fifteen participants (67% male; 21 ± 3 years old) with moderate (n = 10) or complex (n = 5) CHD were recruited from an outpatient adult CHD clinic. Participants accumulated 26 ± 16 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, and reported a high quality of life, moderate self-efficacy for exercise, and low cardiac-focused anxiety. Qualitative data indicated that participants reported more positive perceptions toward activity if their family members encouraged physical activity participation, including siblings that engaged in physical activity alongside participants. Participants described parents as supportive rather than overprotective. Activity precautions were perceived by participants as being instructions from cardiologists rather than restrictions by parents. Participants described some physical limitations compared to peers, but managed challenges by either working within their limitations or choosing activities that met their expectations and/or in which they could fully participate. Participants often described childhood physical activity in the context of school, physical education, and organized sports. Whereas physical activity in childhood was viewed as recreational, the cardiac health-promoting aspects became more prominent in adulthood. Activities performed during one's employment were considered sufficient to meet physical activity recommendation levels, and participants reported limited time and/or energy to participate in activity outside of work. CONCLUSIONS The influence of family appeared to help participants adopt a positive perception toward activity participation in childhood that was carried forward to young adulthood. Future clinical work should target adolescents with CHD with less social supports and/or negative perceptions toward physical activity.
CFD Simulations of Tiltrotor Configurations in Hover

Abstract : Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics calculations are presented for isolated, half-span, and full-span V-22 tiltrotor hover configurations. These computational results extend the validity of CFD hover methodology beyond conventional rotorcraft applications to tiltrotor configurations. Computed steady-state, isolated rotor performance agrees well with experimental measurements, showing little sensitivity to grid resolution. However, blade-vortex interaction flowfield details are sensitive to numerical dissipation and are more difficult to model accurately. Time-dependent, dynamic, half- and full-span installed configurations show sensitivities in performance to the tiltrotor fountain flow. As such, the full-span configuration exhibits higher rotor performance and lower airframe download than the half-span configuration. Half-span rotor installation trends match available half-span data, and airframe downloads are reasonably well predicted. Overall, the CFD solutions provide a wealth of flowfield details that can be used to analyze and improve tiltrotor aerodynamic performance.
Sensor Noise Effects of the SWIR Bands on MODIS-Derived Ocean Color Products

The results of this study demonstrate the effects of sensor noise in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands on the satellite-derived ocean color products, in particular, normalized water-leaving radiance spectra data. A simple radiance smoothing technique is used for reducing sensor noise equivalent radiance NEΔL(λ) (or increasing the sensor signal-to-noise ratio) values for the SWIR radiances measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. Specifically, a simple 5 × 5 box running mean approach for MODIS-Aqua-measured SWIR radiances has been proposed. We show that the noise errors in MODIS-Aqua-derived ocean color products using the SWIR-based atmospheric correction algorithm are mainly from large noise errors in the MODIS-Aqua-measured SWIR radiances due to their significantly larger sensor NEΔL(λ) values. Using the proposed SWIR radiance smoothing method, SWIR-derived ocean color products can be improved with considerably reduced product noise. In addition, a practical method in estimation of the MODIS-Aqua SWIR NEΔL(λ) values has been developed. We show that, for future ocean color satellite sensors, it will require NEΔL(λ) values of less than ~5 × 10<sup>-4</sup> and ~9 × 10<sup>-5</sup> mW · cm<sup>-2</sup> · μm<sup>-1</sup> · sr<sup>-1</sup> for SWIR bands at 1240 and 2130 nm, respectively.
Site‐level risk predictors of peri‐implantitis: A retrospective analysis

AIM The goal of the present investigation was to identify site-level factors that might allow prognostication of individual implants in partially dentate patients with multiple non-splinted restorations. METHODS We analysed clinical and radiographic characteristics of 222 non-splinted single implants in function for at least 5 years in 86 partially dentate individuals at the time of functional loading and at follow-up, with the outcome variable being peri-implantitis. Principal component analysis identified factors contributing to greatest variability and linear discriminant analysis coupled with Random Forest Classifier used to identify risk predictors. RESULTS After controlling for patient-level factors, the following characteristics were associated with significantly increased risk for peri-implantitis: Periodontal disease on adjoining teeth at the time of restoration (Odds Ratio (OR): 8.0), implant placement at a depth of 6 mm or more in relation to the CEJ of adjacent tooth (OR: 8.5), asymmetric prosthesis (OR: 4.3), history of tooth loss due to periodontitis (OR: 2.4) and a mean baseline plaque index of 1.6 or more (OR: 7.9). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that a system that incorporates both subject level and implant-level factors is required to effectively prognosticate the success of individual implants.
PERFORMANCE SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF A SIMULTANEOUS TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE PHASED ANTENNA ARRAY USING ADAPTIVE BEAMFORMING AND GENETIC ALGORITHM TECHNIQUES

The development of simultaneous transmit and receive capabilities is on the cutting-edge of research in phased array technology [1, 2, 3]. The large disparity in power between the transmitted and received signals in antenna systems has traditionally prevented operation in a simultaneous mode. However, simultaneous transmit and receive offers great opportunities for increased capabilities and performance in communications, radar, and electronic warfare applications [3]. This technology will be made feasible by realizing a high level of isolation between the transmitted and received signals through a variety of techniques. This work explores the feasibility of choosing non-standard array partitions that—when paired with the appropriate beamforming techniques—significantly reduce the self-interference between transmit and receive channels.
A New Species Abundance Distribution Model Based on Model Combination

Abstract Species abundance distribution (SAD) is one of the important measures of biodiversity and one of the most significant concepts in ecology communities. Using this concept, the biologists can infer a lot of information from their collected data. In this article, we proposed a new method for predicting SAD. This method is based on the combination of several measures parameterized by machine learning techniques and decomposition of the model in sub-ranges having their proper combination. The goal is to use the combination of several individual models to design a better and more informative model. We show in this article by using many datasets representing different ecological situations that our new method is more robust and outperforms the predictive capacity of the other existing models.
GATA6 Regulates Aortic Valve Remodeling, and Its Haploinsufficiency Leads to Right-Left Type Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), the most common congenital heart defect affecting 1% to 2% of the population, is a major risk factor for premature aortic valve disease and accounts for the majority of valve replacement. The genetic basis and mechanisms of BAV etiology and pathogenesis remain largely undefined. Methods: Cardiac structure and function was assessed in mice lacking a Gata6 allele. Human GATA6 gene variants were analyzed in 452 BAV cases from the BAV consortium and 1849 controls from the Framingham GWAS (Genome Wide Association Study). GATA6 expression was determined in mice and human tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Mechanistic studies were carried out in cultured cells. Results: Gata6 heterozygous mice have highly penetrant right-left (RL)-type BAV, the most frequent type in humans. GATA6 transcript levels are lower in human BAV compared with normal tricuspid valves. Mechanistically, Gata6 haploinsufficiency disrupts valve remodeling and extracellular matrix composition through dysregulation of important signaling molecules, including matrix metalloproteinase 9. Cell-specific inactivation of Gata6 reveals an essential role for GATA6 in secondary heart field myocytes because loss of 1 Gata6 allele from Isl-1-positive cells—but not from endothelial or neural crest cells—recapitulates the phenotype of Gata6 heterozygous mice. Conclusions: The data identify a new cellular and molecular mechanism underlying BAV. The availability of an animal model for the most frequent human BAV opens the way for the elucidation of BAV pathogenesis and the development of much needed therapies.
Robust Speed Regulation for PMSM Servo System With Multiple Sources of Disturbances via an Augmented Disturbance Observer

Permanent magnet synchronous motors are extensively used in high-performance industrial applications. However, plenty of practical factors (e.g., cogging torques, load torques, friction torques, measurement error effects, dead-time effects, and parameter perturbations) in the closed-loop servo system inevitably bring barriers to the high-performance speed regulation, which can be regarded as generalized disturbances. Most of the existing control approaches only focus on one single kind of disturbances. However, the practical servo system is affected by multiple sources of disturbances simultaneously and these disturbances enter into the system through different channels. To this end, this paper systematically analyzes several representative disturbances, particularly including their features and distribution in the practical servo system, and then, specifically puts forward a novel disturbance rejection framework based on a noncascade structure. Under this framework, a comprehensive disturbance observer is proposed to simultaneously and accurately estimate multiple disturbances such that a composite controller can be designed to correspondingly compensate disturbances. Rigorous analysis of stability is established. Comparative experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a better speed dynamic response and a higher accuracy tracking performance even in the presence of multiple sources of disturbances.
Revolutionizing the inter-domain business model by information-centric thinking

It has been widely agreed that the architecture of the Internet is ossified. Many advanced technologies were proposed to deal with the shortcomings of the Internet, such as Quality of Service (QoS), IP multicast, and BGP multipath, but they have not been deployed widely in the Internet. Information-Centric Networking (ICN) has attracted many interests in the research community. The key insight of ICN is that the usage of the Internet has dramatically changed from connecting nodes to accessing information. By the inspiration of ICN thinking, we argue that it is not the ossification of the IP architecture which matters, but the ossification of the business model between ISPs. In this paper, we propose a Supply Chain Management (SCM) based business model to regulate the business relationships between ISPs. The payment flow along Internet Service Providers (ISPs) is changed from the conventional bottom up mode to a chain like mode, very similar to the payment flow of SCM. Simulation results show that the average Autonomous System (AS) hops can be reduced by 47% at most. The hit ratio of replicated contents can be improved by 28% at most, and the profit change of various ASes is almost balanced.
Multichannel system for structuring and transmission entropy-manipulated cipher signals

The urgency of the problem of the theory development and improvement of software and hardware of structuring and wireless transmission of entropy-manipulated signals in multichannel telecommunication systems is substantiated. There are described the theory of the entropy signals manipulation principle in the codes of the Galois field with the properties of encryption protection and construction of structural solutions of microelectronic receivers based on the special processors for the determination of entropy according to the probabilistic and correlation measures.