Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rapid Identification of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus from Positive Blood Cultures by Real-Time Fluorescence PCR

ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureussepticemia is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and requires treatment with intravenous glycopeptides. For blood cultures positive for gram-positive cocci, 24 to 48 h is required for the detection of S. aureus bacteremia and the provision of antibiotic susceptibility testing results. We describe a molecular biology-based assay that requires 2 h from the time of initial positivity of blood cultures. The assay correctly detected 96% of the S. aureus isolates including all methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates. Clinical data collected during the study suggest that 28% of patients with S. aureus bacteremia do not receive early and appropriate treatment and that 10% of patients may initially be receiving inappropriate glycopeptide treatment.
Multi-pedestrian detection in crowded places on quadrotor's view

In this paper, detecting multi-pedestrian in crowded areas on quadrotor's view is explored. This paper proposes a new method to combine Kalman filter with detection to reduce missed pedestrians. The detection is based on the supervised machine learning method, which is support vector machine (SVM) with histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) feature. And Kalman filter is used to estimate the location of the missed pedestrians. The experimental result is shown and real-time multi-pedestrian detection are realized on GPU Geforce GTX960M.
Rolling-based manipulation for multiple objects

This paper discusses the manipulation of multiple objects under rolling contacts. For manipulating multiple objects, the following two key issues do not arise in the manipulation of a single object: 1) each object's motion is restricted by the other objects; and 2) the contact force among objects is not controlled directly. As for (1), we first formulate the motion constraint for the whole grasp system, and then provide a necessary condition for manipulating multiple objects uniquely. As for (2), we provide a condition for determining the contact forces among objects uniquely. We further show a sufficient condition for manipulating multiple objects within the object motion constraint. Under this sufficient condition, we propose a control scheme for object motion by taking the motion constraint into account. Simulation and experimental results are provided to confirm our idea.
Acoustic Analysis of Voice in Cochlear Implant Recipients with Post-Meningitic Hearing Loss

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the critical time period between the onset of sensorineural hearing loss and cochlear implantation with respect to normal voice production in children with post-meningitic hearing loss. Acoustic measures of voice production were obtained from ten paediatric cochlear implant recipients with post-meningitic hearing loss. Acoustic measures were obtained utilising the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program and Computerized Speech Laboratory (Kay Elemetrics Corp.). Measures were based on sustained phonation of the vowel /a/. Acoustic parameters included fundamental frequency, short- and long-term frequency perturbation, and short- and long-term amplitude perturbation. Measures of fundamental frequency and short-term frequency and amplitude perturbation were comparable to values of children with normal hearing. Long-term control of frequency was within normal limits for subjects with a period of auditory deprivation of less than four months. Measures of long-term amplitude perturbation were normal for all patients except those with cochlear ossification. Early restoration of auditory feedback with cochlear implantation, the absence of cochlear ossification, residual aided hearing following meningitis, and auditory-verbal therapy were identified as factors in preserving the long-term control of frequency and amplitude in the setting of post-meningitic hearing loss.
Prescribing a Website

Aim: To assess the value of directing the attention of patients to sources of medical information on the internet. Design: Prospective qualitative study in an orthopaedic outpatient clinic. Participants: 253 patients agreed to complete electronic questionnaires before and after reviewing information relevant to their conditions on the internet. Patients were allocated randomly into two groups; one group was given indications of general sites and the other recommended specific non-commercial sites. Completed questionnaires were received from 44 patients. Results: 95% of the patients found the internet information easy to understand and 84% said that it was helpful for coping. 86% of the patients were satisfied that their current treatment was appropriate in the light of what they had learned from the internet. Ten patients out of the 36 who expressed a view thought that the internet information contradicted that provided by the doctor. Despite these results most patients still said that the doctor represented the best source of patient education. Conclusions: Increasing numbers of patients are familiar with the internet. Most of our patients felt that the internet was, on balance, helpful in providing information. The main difficulties with the internet are the sheer volume of information, the potential for misleading and the danger of misunderstanding. We feel that there is a real place for the specific prescription of an internet site by a clinician who has personally reviewed it to a patient thought to be able to benefit from it.
Polymer nanocomposites as dielectrics and electrical insulation-perspectives for processing technologies, material characterization and future applications

Polymer nanocomposites are defined as polymers in which small amounts of nanometer size fillers are homogeneously dispersed by only several weight percentages. Addition of just a few weight percent of the nanofillers has profound impact on the physical, chemical, mechanical and electrical properties of polymers. Such change is often favorable for engineering purpose. This nanocomposite technology has emerged from the field of engineering plastics, and potentially expanded its application to structural materials, coatings, and packaging to medical/biomedical products, and electronic and photonic devices. Recently these 'hi-tech' materials with excellent properties have begun to attract research people in the field of dielectrics and electrical insulation. Since new properties are brought about from the interactions of nanofillers with polymer matrices, mesoscopic properties are expected to come out, which would be interesting to both scientists and engineers. Improved characteristics are. expected as dielectrics and electrical insulation. Several interesting results to indicate the foreseeable future have been revealed, some of which are described on materials and processing in the paper together with basic concepts and future direction.
Separating the Polynomial-Time Hierarchy by Oracles (Preliminary Version)

We present exponential lower bounds on the size of depth-k Boolean circuits for computing certain functions. These results imply that there exists an oracle set A such that, relative to A, all the levels in the polynomial-time hierarchy are distinct, i.e., ΣkP,A is properly contained in Σk+1P,A for all k.
Algorithms for Reengineering 1991 Census Geography

The availability of GIS technology and digital boundaries of census output areas now makes it possible for users to design their own census geography. Three algorithms are described that can be used for this purpose. An Arc/Info implementation is briefly outlined and case studies presented to demonstrate some of the results of explicitly designing zoning systems for use with 1991 Census data.
Novel seminal fluid proteins in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus identified by a proteomic and transcriptomic approach

The seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus is a significant agricultural pest and increasingly studied model of sexual conflict. Males possess genital spines that increase the transfer of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) into the female body. As SFPs alter female behaviour and physiology, they are likely to modulate reproduction and sexual conflict in this species. Here, we identified SFPs using proteomics combined with a de novo transcriptome. A prior 2D‐sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis identified male accessory gland protein spots that were probably transferred to the female at mating. Proteomic analysis of these spots identified 98 proteins, a majority of which were also present within ejaculates collected from females. Standard annotation workflows revealed common functional groups for SFPs, including proteases and metabolic proteins. Transcriptomic analysis found 84 transcripts differentially expressed between the sexes. Notably, genes encoding 15 proteins were highly expressed in male abdomens and only negligibly expressed within females. Most of these sequences corresponded to ‘unknown’ proteins (nine of 15) and may represent rapidly evolving SFPs novel to seed beetles. Our combined analyses highlight 44 proteins for which there is strong evidence that they are SFPs. These results can inform further investigation, to better understand the molecular mechanisms of sexual conflict in seed beetles.
Apolipoprotein E: A potent inhibitor of endothelial and tumor cell proliferation

Recombinant human apolipoprotein E3 (apoE), purified from E. coli, inhibited the proliferation of several cell types, including endothelial cells and tumor cells in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. ApoE inhibited both de novo DNA synthesis and proliferation as assessed by an increase in cell number. Maximal inhibition of cell growth by apoE was achieved under conditions where proliferation was dependent on heparin‐binding growth factors. Thus, at low serum concentrations (0–2.5%) basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulated the proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells severalfold. The bFGF‐dependent proliferation was dramatically inhibited by apoE with an IC50 ≈ 50 nM. Under conditions where cell proliferation was mainly serum‐dependent, apoE also suppressed growth but required higher concentrations to be effective (IC50 ≈ 500 nM). ApoE also inhibited growth of bovine corneal endothelial cells, human melanoma cells, and human breast carcinoma cells. The IC50 values obtained with these cells were generally 3–5 times higher than with BAE cells. Inhibition of cell proliferation by apoE was reversible and dependent on the time of apoE addition to the culture. In addition, apoE inhibited the chemotactic response of endothelial cells that were induced to migrate by a gradient of soluble bFGF. Inhibition of cell proliferation by apoE may be mediated both by competition for growth factor binding to proteoglycans and by an antiadhesive activity of apoE. The present results demonstrate that apoE is a potent inhibitor of proliferation of several cell types and suggest that apoE may be effective in modulating angiogenesis, tumor cell growth, and metastasis.
Input-Voltage Feedforward (IVFF) Circuit Minimizing Current Stress of Voltage-Doubler Rectified Asymmetrical Half-Bridge (VDRAHB) Converter

A new input-voltage feedforward (IVFF) circuit for a voltage-doubler rectified asymmetrical half-bridge (VDRAHB) converter is proposed in this letter. The proposed circuit regulates output voltage not by reducing duty ratio but by increasing switching frequency as input voltage increases. Therefore, by employing the proposed IVFF circuit into the VDRAHB converter, the peak currents of the overall components can be greatly reduced, and also, efficiency can be improved at high input voltages.
Aberrancies of human T--and B--lymphocyte populations in peripheral blood.

About 50% of all current immunological papers published in journals have some aspects of T and B cell function being studied. Warner and Szenberg (1961) were the first to define the two cell types: B stands for bursa of fabricius and T stands for the thymus. Since then there is this general concept that B-cells are responsible for antibody production and T-cells fro graft versus host type of reaction. Claman et al. (166) first gave evidence for the need for cooperation between T and B cells, if antibody is to be produced normally. It was in mid-1974 that the controversy on the nature of the immune receptors on T-cells arose that remains unresolved till today. Until we are able to recognize, prepare and manipulate monoclonal populations of T-cells, any suggested interpretations is wholly tentative. The enumeration of T and B lymphocytes were started in 1978 at the Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, and some of the clinical cases reported (Gan et al., 1979a and 1979b). Pang et al., (1979) published some results on the T and B lymphocyte percentages of our local populations. In agreeing with him that there is no known values of our local populations prior to our independent studies, this paper intends to supplement the previous publication on the same.
A New Diagnostic Approach to Evaluating the Stability of Optimal Portfolios

We introduce a new quantitative approach that can be used as a diagnostic tool for measuring the stability of optimal portfolio weights for a very general set of mean-variance optimization methods. We present a derivation of the approach within a numerical analysis framework and demonstrate this method’s benefits using a few common examples of shrinkage estimators of the correlation matrix and volatility vector. Our technique has practical importance in evaluating the improvements in stability gained by employing various statistical estimators of covariance matrixes without having to perform complex calculations or use numerical simulations.
An empirical method that separates irreversible stem radial growth from bark water content changes in trees: theory and case studies

Abstract Substantial uncertainty surrounds our knowledge of tree stem growth, with some of the most basic questions, such as when stem radial growth occurs through the daily cycle, still unanswered. We employed high‐resolution point dendrometers, sap flow sensors, and developed theory and statistical approaches, to devise a novel method separating irreversible radial growth from elastic tension‐driven and elastic osmotically driven changes in bark water content. We tested this method using data from five case study species. Experimental manipulations, namely a field irrigation experiment on Scots pine and a stem girdling experiment on red forest gum trees, were used to validate the theory. Time courses of stem radial growth following irrigation and stem girdling were consistent with a‐priori predictions. Patterns of stem radial growth varied across case studies, with growth occurring during the day and/or night, consistent with the available literature. Importantly, our approach provides a valuable alternative to existing methods, as it can be approximated by a simple empirical interpolation routine that derives irreversible radial growth using standard regression techniques. Our novel method provides an improved understanding of the relative source–sink carbon dynamics of tree stems at a sub‐daily time scale.
Ropivacaine 7.5 mg/ml for elective Caesarean section. A clinical and pharmacokinetic comparison of 150 mg and 187.5 mg

Background: The new, long‐acting local anaesthetic ropivacaine has shown less systemic toxicity than bupivacaine and a concentration of 7.5 mg/ml can therefore be used for epidural anaesthesia in Caesarean section. The present pilot study was undertaken to find indications for an optimal dosage by comparing the clinical effects, quality of anaesthesia and pharmacokinetics of ropivacaine 150 mg (lower dose=LD) vs 187.5 mg (higher dose=HD) for women undergoing elective Caesarean section under epidural anaesthesia.
MK-means clustering applied to user authentication

In this research work, the authors have been proposed MK-means clustering algorithm to enhance the security features of biometric user authentication system with continual learning. The proposed algorithm enhances user authentication by deterring the password sharing. It is used to train individual, per-keyboard profiles that is based on keystroke frequency of users while typing on computer keypad. The important factor here is the system learning is continuous, more and more use the system the security increasing. These profile use Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption algorithm, read at log-on time of actual password key by using the access control techniques to further verify the identity of a user. MK-means values are obtained from the membership functions applied to the keystroke frequency that have been compared against the profile values and a match within a certain precision threshold. If both the parameters are matched, the user grant the access, otherwise, not. The proposed algorithm efficiently searches the number of clusters and their respective location, to optimize the measure. The experiments proved that MK-means provides more security as compare to K-means clustering algorithm.
Polymer-based new type of micropump for bio-medical application

In this paper, we propose a new prototype model of a micro pump using ICPF (Ionic Conducting Polymer Film) actuator as the servo actuator. This micro pump consists of two active one-way valves that make use of the same ICPF actuator. The overall size of this micro pump prototype is 12 mm in diameter and 20 mm in length. The actuating mechanisms are as follows: (1) the ICPF actuator as the diaphragm is bent into anode side by application of electricity. Then the volume of the pump chamber increases, resulting in the inflow of liquid from the inlet to the chamber; (2) by changing the current direction, the volume of the pump chamber decreases, resulting the liquid flow from the chamber to the outlet; and (3) the ICPF actuator is put on a sine voltage, the micro pump provides liquid flow from the inlet to the outlet continuously. Characteristic of the micropump is measured. The experimental results indicate that the micro pump has the satisfactory responses.
Barriers to immunizations: Multiethnic parents of under‐ and unimmunized children speak

Purpose: Childhood immunizations are one of the greatest pubic health success stories. Despite the fact that many children receive immunizations according to the recommended schedule, there are many that lag behind. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers to immunizations in parents whose children are not fully immunized by age 2. Data source: Thirteen focus groups, on four different islands (Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii) were held with a total of 64 parents. Verbatim transcripts were utilized for content analysis. Conclusion: Five core themes emerged as barriers to childhood immunizations, parental, transportation, financial, child, and organization. The majority of responses were in the parental core theme, which included the sub‐themes of issues, beliefs, knowledge, and fears. Implications for practice: Recommendations included identification of specific barriers to target immunization interventions strategies, public policy changes, identification and case management of high risk families, and minimization of organizational barriers.
Parting at the Crossroads

Frequently raised in recent discussions about health care reform in the United States has been the model of the Canadian health insurance system. ' While debates about health insurance often turn into polemical battles over which country offers the "best" health care for its citizens, the issues at stake raise a fundamental question. Why did these two neighbors develop different forms of health insurance, a universal system of government-financed health care in Canada and a dual-tiered system of Medicare and Medicaid targeted at the elderly and poor in the United States? The contrast is even more significant when we consider that these two countries, generally classified as "liberal" welfare states,2 share many common economic, political, and social attributes and resemble one another in many of the features that influence welfare state expansion.3 Why, then, did Canada and the United States embark upon two very different paths to health reform, one of the most important pillars of the welfare state? The extensive literature on the development of the welfare state provides us with at least three clues as to the types of factors that can explain divergent paths to health reform in Canada and the United States: the influence of social forces, the role of state actors, and the impact of state structures and political institutions. Social explanations concentrate on the role and influence of organized groups by examining the power of professional groups and business interests in shaping social reform.4 Neo-Marxist explanations focus on how social policy reflects the class struggle and demonstrate the correlation between higher social expenditures and the political strength of the working class mobilized into a social democratic party. ' The state-centered approach emphasizes the role of individual state actors, influential bureaucrats, and political leaders in setting the policy agenda and shaping legislation and the state's administrative capacity to implement social reform.6 The recent application of neoinstitutionalism to the study of the welfare state has further enhanced our understanding of the interaction between social forces and the state in the development of social policy. This approach builds on the idea that the "rules of the game" of a political system impose certain constraints and opportunities conditioning legislative outcomes. These rules are derived from the constitutional settings that shape political institutions.7
Performance analysis of two-tier multiantenna 5G heterogeneous wireless networks with dual band transmission

The goal of this paper is to present and analyze the performance of new multiantenna heterogeneous network architectures utilizing both the microwave and millimeter wave frequency bands. Two new architectures are presented viz: microwave macrocell base station with dual band small cell base stations and dual band macrocell base station with mmWave small cell base stations. The effect of dynamically selecting transmission frequency and adjusting coverage regions for each frequency band on the proposed architectures is evaluated via rigorous simulation. We perform simulations to study the performance of Zero Forcing (ZF) based transmit beamforming for interference coordination on the two architecture and compare with classical single band heterogeneous network architecture. Our results show that the proposed dual band architectures offer improved sum rate performance over classical single band networks. The performance gain increases with increasing network densification. We observe that the architecture with dual band small - cell base stations offer better performance when compared with the architecture utilizing dual band air interface at the macro-cell base station. The effect of varying mmWave coverage distance on the performance of the proposed network architectures is also evaluated. Our simulation results shows that decreasing/increasing the inner radius of the small - cells results in significant decrease/increase in both sum rate and per user rate. However, no significant change in rate is observed with similar variation in the macro - cell millimeter wave coverage area.