Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A portable document search engine to support off-line mobile learning

Some modern mobile devices have the capability to store thousands of documents and therefore have the potential to be used as powerful offline learning tools. The traditional graphical file browser does not scale well on physically constrained devices. In addition, documents obtained from random sources on the Internet may contain ambiguous names and therefore may be difficult to relocate on the device. This paper describes a solution to these problems using a traditional search engine approach. A powerful open source document search engine was ported to mobile architectures. Support for adding documents to the mobile device was developed using an Internet search enhanced to highlight domain specific results. The software was developed as part of the Remora project to provide mobile learning support for trainee social workers in the UK.
Combinatorial Codes and Labeled Lines: How Insects Use Olfactory Cues to Find and Judge Food, Mates, and Oviposition Sites in Complex Environments

Insects, including those which provide vital ecosystems services as well as those which are devastating pests or disease vectors, locate their resources mainly based on olfaction. Understanding insect olfaction not only from a neurobiological but also from an ecological perspective is therefore crucial to balance insect control and conservation. However, among all sensory stimuli olfaction is particularly hard to grasp. Our chemical environment is made up of thousands of different compounds, which might again be detected by our nose in multiple ways. Due to this complexity, researchers have only recently begun to explore the chemosensory ecology of model organisms such as Drosophila, linking the tools of chemical ecology to those of neurogenetics. This cross-disciplinary approach has enabled several studies that range from single odors and their ecological relevance, via olfactory receptor genes and neuronal processing, up to the insects' behavior. We learned that the insect olfactory system employs strategies of combinatorial coding to process general odors as well as labeled lines for specific compounds that call for an immediate response. These studies opened new doors to the olfactory world in which insects feed, oviposit, and mate.
Exploring the Effects of Pitch Layout on Learning a New Musical Instrument

Although isomorphic pitch layouts are proposed to afford various advantages for musicians playing new musical instruments, this paper details the first substantive set of empirical tests on how two fundamental aspects of isomorphic pitch layouts affect motor learning: shear, which makes the pitch axis vertical, and the adjacency (or nonadjacency) of pitches a major second apart. After receiving audio-visual training tasks for a scale and arpeggios, performance accuracies of 24 experienced musicians were assessed in immediate retention tasks (same as the training tasks, but without the audio-visual guidance) and in a transfer task (performance of a previously untrained nursery rhyme). Each participant performed the same tasks with three different pitch layouts and, in total, four different layouts were tested. Results show that, so long as the performance ceiling has not already been reached (due to ease of the task or repeated practice), adjacency strongly improves performance accuracy in the training and retention tasks. They also show that shearing the layout, to make the pitch axis vertical, worsens performance accuracy for the training tasks but, crucially, it strongly improves performance accuracy in the transfer task when the participant needs to perform a new, but related, task. These results can inform the design of pitch layouts in new musical instruments.
-Adrenergic blockade with practolol in acetylcholine-sensitive asthma patients.

The effect of practolol on ventilatory function of 10 normal subjects and 10 acetylcholine-sensitive asthma patients was studied in a doubleblind test, by measuring FEV1 0 and VC. Spirometric measurements were made initially, after inhalation of acetylcholine and after inhalation of ore- β-iprenaline. In healthy subjects no significant differences were observed between the results obtained with placebo and those with practolol.Initial FEV1•₀ and VC of asthma patients were nonsignificantly depressed by practolol but acetylcholine decrease of FEV1•0 and VC was much more marked after practolol than after placebo. The normal response to inhalation of orciprenaline after practolol suggests that the increase of hypersensitivity to acetylcholine is not mediated by a competitive inhibition of bronchial adrenergic β-receptors.
Signal Recovery From Unlabeled Samples

In this paper, we study the recovery of a signal from a set of noisy linear projections (measurements), when such projections are unlabeled, that is, the correspondence between the measurements and the set of projection vectors (i.e., the rows of the measurement matrix) is not known a priori. We consider a special case of unlabeled sensing referred to as unlabeled ordered sampling (UOS) where the ordering of the measurements is preserved. We identify a natural duality between this problem and classical compressed sensing (CS), where we show that the unknown support (location of nonzero elements) of a sparse signal in CS corresponds to the unknown indices of the measurements in UOS. While in CS, it is possible to recover a sparse signal from an underdetermined set of linear equations (less equations than the signal dimension), successful recovery in UOS requires taking more samples than the dimension of the signal. Motivated by this duality, we develop a restricted isometry property (RIP) similar to that in CS. We also design a low-complexity alternating minimization algorithm that achieves a stable signal recovery under the established RIP. We analyze our proposed algorithm for different signal dimensions and number of measurements theoretically and investigate its performance empirically via numerical simulations. The results are reminiscent of a phase transition occurring in CS.
Dissipative Controller Design for Networked Control Systems via the Markovian Jump System Approach

This paper describes a dissipative controller desig n for networked control systems modeled by the Markovian jump system. Dissipativity refers to the existence of a supply rate dealing with the sys tem such that the closed-loop system has a dissipative property. The main result of this paper is a solvability condition in terms of linear matrix inequalities fo r achieving dissipativity of a dynamic output feedback problem in networked control systems via the Markovian jump system approach. A numerical example is given to show the efficacy of the proposed design.
The role of CLOCK gene in psychiatric disorders: Evidence from human and animal research

The circadian clock system drives daily rhythms in physiology, metabolism, and behavior in mammals. Molecular mechanisms of this system consist of multiple clock genes, with Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput (CLOCK) as a core member that plays an important role in a wide range of behaviors. Alterations in the CLOCK gene are associated with common psychiatric disorders as well as with circadian disturbances comorbidities. This review addresses animal, molecular, and genetic studies evaluating the role of the CLOCK gene on many psychiatric conditions, namely autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder. Many animal experiments focusing on the effects of the Clock gene in behavior related to psychiatric conditions have shown consistent biological plausibility and promising findings. In humans, genetic and gene expression studies regarding disorder susceptibility, sleep disturbances related comorbidities, and response to pharmacological treatment, in general, are in agreement with animal studies. However, the number of controversial results is high. Literature suggests that the CLOCK gene exerts important influence on these conditions, and influences the susceptibility to phenotypes of psychiatric disorders.
Brain-Selective Overexpression of Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Type 2 Attenuates Neurogenic Hypertension

Rationale: Angiotensin converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2) is a new member of the brain renin-angiotensin system, that might be activated by an overactive renin-angiotensin system. Objective: To clarify the role of central ACE2 using a new transgenic mouse model with human (h)ACE2 under the control of a synapsin promoter, allowing neuron-targeted expression in the central nervous system. Methods and Results: Syn-hACE2 (SA) transgenic mice exhibit high hACE2 protein expression and activity throughout the brain. Baseline hemodynamic parameters (telemetry), autonomic function, and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (SBRS) were not significantly different between SA mice and nontransgenic littermates. Brain-targeted ACE2 overexpression attenuated the development of neurogenic hypertension (Ang II infusion: 600 ng/kg per minute for 14 days) and the associated reduction of both SBRS and parasympathetic tone. This prevention of hypertension by ACE2 overexpression was reversed by blockade of the Ang-(1-7) receptor (d-Ala7-Ang-[1-7]; 600 ng/kg per minute). Brain angiotensin II type 2 (AT2)/AT1 and Mas/AT1 receptor ratios were significantly increased in SA mice. They remained higher following Ang II infusion but were dramatically reduced after Ang-(1-7) receptor blockade. ACE2 overexpression resulted in increased NOS and NO levels in the brain, and prevented the Ang II–mediated decrease in NOS expression in regions modulating blood pressure regulation. Conclusions: ACE2 overexpression attenuates the development of neurogenic hypertension partially by preventing the decrease in both SBRS and parasympathetic tone. These protective effects might be mediated by enhanced NO release in the brain resulting from Mas and AT2 receptor upregulation. Taken together, our data highlight the compensatory role of central ACE2 and its potential benefits as a therapeutic target for neurogenic hypertension.
Suppressive effects of nicotine on the cytodifferentiation of murine periodontal ligament cells.

OBJECTIVES Tobacco smoking has been suggested to be one of the important risk factors of developing periodontal disease. Although epidemiological studies have shown the detrimental effects of smoking on periodontal disease, the effects of smoke compounds on gingival tissue are not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of nicotine, which is the major component of the thousands of chemicals that constitute cigarette smoke, for cytodifferentiation of murine periodontal ligament (MPDL) cell. MATERIALS AND METHODS Expression of nAChR subunits on MPDL cells was examined using RT-PCR. The effects of nicotine on gene expression of extracellular matrices and osteoblastic transcription factors were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR. Mineralized nodule formation of nicotine-treated MPDL cells was characterized by alizarin red staining. RESULTS Murine periodontal ligament cells expressed several subunits of nAChR, which have functional calcium signals in response to nicotine. Gene expression of extracellular matrices and osteoblastic transcription factors were reduced in nicotine-treated MPDL cells. In addition, mineralized nodule formation was inhibited in MPDL cells in the presence of nicotine. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that nicotine may negatively regulate the cytodifferentiation and mineralization of MPDL cells.
New insights into the regulation of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis

Plants undergo developmental changes throughout their life history. Senescence, the final stage in the life history of a leaf, is an important and unique developmental process whereby plants relocate nutrients from leaves to other developing organs, such as seeds, stems, or roots. Recent attempts to answer fundamental questions about leaf senescence have employed a combination of new ideas and advanced technologies. As senescence is an integral part of a plant's life history that is linked to earlier developmental stages, age-associated leaf senescence may be analysed from a life history perspective. The successful utilization of multi-omics approaches has resolved the complicated process of leaf senescence, replacing a component-based view with a network-based molecular mechanism that acts in a spatial-temporal manner. Senescence and death are critical for fitness and are thus evolved characters. Recent efforts have begun to focus on understanding the evolutionary basis of the developmental process that incorporates age information and environmental signals into a plant's survival strategy. This review describes recent insights into the regulatory mechanisms of leaf senescence in terms of systems-level spatiotemporal changes, presenting them from the perspectives of life history strategy and evolution.
WACA: Politique de répartition de charge des services web dans une architecture de type Cloud

Résumé. De plus en plus d’applications font appel à des services web déployés sur des architectures de type cloud. Ces services peuvent traiter des données massives et des fichiers en grandes quantités pour répondre à un nombre croissant de demandes (requêtes) des utilisateurs. Ces données peuvent être de différents types allant des données multimédia aux données numériques provenant de capteurs. En plus de la volumétrie des données, les applications web doivent également gérer la satisfaction des utilisateurs ce qui impose une garantie de la qualité du service fourni. Pour ces raisons, la répartition des traitements sur une grappe de machines devient nécessaire pour un grand nombre d’applications. L’efficacité de ces applications dépendra particulièrement de la politique de répartition de charge utilisée. Cet article présente une nouvelle politique de répartition de charge appelée WACA (Workload And Cache Aware load balancing ) qui prend en compte la charge des machines et le contenu de leur cache. Cette politique permet de réduire le temps d’exécution des requêtes des utilisateur en se basant sur des résumés de cache construits sous forme de filtre de Bloom. WACA est un algorithme de répartition de charge centralisé qui affecte les requêtes vers la machine susceptible de contenir les données visées dans son cache en évitant de la surcharger. La politique proposée a été développée et évaluée en utilisant un framework de répartition des applications web appelé CLOUDIZER et la stratégie a été comparée à des algorithmes de répartition de charge traditionnels.
Overcoming peak-to-average power ratio issues in OFDM via carrier-interferometry codes

OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) is susceptible to high peak-to-average power due to an unstable envelope. Many solutions have been utilized in order to decrease the high peaks that are possible, but in these cases complexity is also added to the system architecture. In our earlier work, we introduced CI codes as a powerful tool to increase OFDM performance. This paper shows how carrier interferometry phase coding eliminates peaks in the signal envelope and in effect the problems associated with large PAPR.
USMLE Scores Predict Success in ABEM Initial Certification: A Multicenter Study

Introduction There are no existing data on whether performance on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) predicts success in American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) certification. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of any association between USMLE scores and first-time success on the ABEM qualifying and oral certification examinations. Methods We retrospectively collected USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores and pass/fail results from the first attempt at ABEM qualifying and oral examinations from residents graduating between 2009 and 2011 from nine EM programs. A composite score was defined as the sum of USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores. Results Sample was composed of 197 residents. Median Step 1, Step 2 CK and composite scores were 218 ([IQR] 207–232), 228 (IQR 217–239) and 444 (IQR 427–468). First-time pass rates were 95% for the qualifying examination and 93% for both parts of the examination. Step 2 CK and composite scores were better predictors of achieving ABEM initial certification compared to Step 1 score (area under the curve 0.800, 0.759 and 0.656). Step 1 score of 227, Step 2 CK score of 225 and composite score of 444 predicted a 95% chance of passing both boards. Conclusion Higher USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and composite scores are associated with better performance on ABEM examinations, with Step 2 CK being the strongest predictor. Cutoff scores for USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and composite score were established to predict first-time success on ABEM initial certification.
Non-Anticoagulant Heparins and Inhibition of Cancer

Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) appear to prolong survival of patients with cancer. Such a beneficial effect is thought to be associated with interruption of molecular mechanisms involving the heparan sulfate (HS) chains of cell surface and extracellular matrix proteoglycans (HSPGs), growth factors and their receptors, heparanase, and selectins. The beneficial effects of heparin species could also be associated with their ability to release tissue factor pathway inhibitor from endothelium. The utility of heparin and LMWH as anticancer drugs is limited due to their anticoagulant properties. Non-anticoagulant heparins can be obtained either by removing chains containing the antithrombin-binding sequence, or by inactivating critical functional groups or units of this sequence. The non-anticoagulant heparins most extensively studied are regioselectively desulfated heparins and ‘glycol-split’ heparins. Some modified heparins of both types are potent inhibitors of heparanase. A number of them also attenuate metastasis in experimental models. With cancer cells overexpressing selectins, heparin-mediated inhibition of tumor cells-platelets aggregation and tumor cell interaction with the vascular endothelium appears to be the prevalent mechanism of attenuation of early stages of metastasis. The structural requirements for inhibition of growth factors, heparanase, and selectins by heparin derivatives are somewhat different for the different activities. An N-acetylated, glycol-split heparin provides an example of application of a non-anticoagulant heparin that inhibits cancer in animal models without unwanted side effects. Delivery of this compound to mice bearing established myeloma tumors dramatically blocked tumor growth and progression.
Incidence and prognosis of asthma and wheezing illness from early childhood to age 33 in a national British cohort

Abstract Objective: To describe the incidence and prognosis of wheezing illness from birth to age 33 and the relation of incidence to perinatal, medical, social, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Setting: England, Scotland, and Wales. Subjects: 18 559 people born on 3-9 March 1958. 5801 (31%) contributed information at ages 7, 11, 16, 23, and 33 years. Attrition bias was evaluated using information on 14 571 (79%) subjects. Main outcome measure: History of asthma, wheezy bronchitis, or wheezing obtained from interview with subjects' parents at ages 7, 11, and 16 and reported at interview by subjects at ages 23 and 33. Results: The cumulative incidence of wheezing illness was 18% by age 7, 24% by age 16, and 43% by age 33. Incidence during childhood was strongly and independently associated with pneumonia, hay fever, and eczema. There were weaker independent associations with male sex, third trimester antepartum haemorrhage, whooping cough, recurrent abdominal pain, and migraine. Incidence from age 17 to 33 was associated strongly with active cigarette smoking and a history of hay fever. There were weaker independent associations with female sex, maternal albuminuria during pregnancy, and histories of eczema and migraine. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was weakly and inconsistently related to childhood wheezing but was a stronger and significant independent predictor of incidence after age 16. Among 880 subjects who developed asthma or wheezy bronchitis from birth to age 7, 50% had attacks in the previous year at age 7; 18% at 11, 10% at 16, 10% at 23, and 27% at 33. Relapse at 33 after prolonged remission of childhood wheezing was more common among current smokers and atopic subjects. Conclusion: Atopy and active cigarette smoking are major influences on the incidence and recurrence of wheezing during adulthood. Key messages Incidence of wheezing illness at all ages was strongly and consistently related to a history of hay fever or eczema (atopy). Associations with maternal smoking during pregnancy, abdominal pain, and migraine were largely confined to those without atopy Active smoking was a powerful and potentially avoidable risk factor for wheeze starting in adult life among both atopic and non-atopic subjects A quarter of the children with a history of asthma or wheezy bronchitis by age 7 reported wheeze in the past year at age 33 Recurrence of wheezing after prolonged remis- sion during late adolescence was strongly associ- ated with atopy and cigarette smoking.
A Concept of A-KNN Clustering in Software Engineering

Software Engineering, software decomposition plays an vital role, to increase the quality of the cluster and to handle it properly the software designer decompose the software architecture. The software decomposition is done in various ways and each way provides the different result on same dataset. In software engineering research a new technique has been investigated in which software decomposition is done by using clustering techniques. This paper presents the review of various clustering algorithms and on reviewing various algorithm it concludes that the A-KNN clustering algorithm is the efficient algorithm in terms of accuracy and complexity.
Postprandial alkaline tide: does it exist?

The concept of an alkaline tide which compensates for gastric acid secretion suggests the possibility of indirect measurement of gastric acid secretion. This study was designed to determine whether postprandial changes in renal and respiratory function could be used to assess gastric secretion in healthy adults. Volunteers ate one of three standard (low, medium or high protein) breakfasts on separate days. A fall in urine acid output was observed during 2 h after the high protein meal, but not after the medium or low protein meal. Fasting subjects showed a similar fall in urine acid output over a 2-hour period. Pretreatment with ranitidine 150 mg b.i. d. had no effect on basal or postprandial urine acid output. We conclude that changes in urine acid output are not related to the gastric secretory response to food. In a separate study, treatment with omeprazole 20 mg daily had no effect on postprandial respiratory function (minute ventilation; mixed expired CO2; minute volume of CO2; respiratory exchange ratio; venous blood pH, pCO2 or bicarbonate; and end tidal CO2). Thus we were unable to detect a respiratory alkaline tide after a standard breakfast. These findings suggest that any respiratory or urinary compensation for gastric acid secretion is too small to be of physiological or clinical significance.