Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Outcome of Alcohol Septal Ablation in Patients With Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Word of Caution

Background—The impact of alcohol septal ablation (ASA)-induced scar is not known. This study sought to examine the long-term outcome of ASA among patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results—Ninety-one consecutive patients (aged 54±15 years) with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy underwent ASA. Primary study end point was a composite of cardiac death and aborted sudden cardiac death including appropriate cardioverter-defibrillator discharges for fast ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation. Secondary end points were noncardiac death and other nonfatal complications. Outcomes of ASA patients were compared with 40 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who underwent septal myectomy. During 5.4±2.5 years, primary and/or secondary end points were seen in 35 (38%) ASA patients of whom 19 (21%) patients met the primary end point. The 1-, 5-, and 8-year survival-free from the primary end point was 96%, 86%, and 67%, respectively in ASA patients versus 100%, 96%, and 96%, respectively in myectomy patients during 6.6±2.7 years (log-rank, P=0.01). ASA patients had a ≈5-fold increase in the estimated annual primary end point rate (4.4% versus 0.9%) compared with myectomy patients. In a multivariable model including a propensity score, ASA was an independent predictor of the primary end point (unadjusted hazard ratio, 5.2; 95% CI, 1.2 to 22.1; P=0.02 and propensity score-adjusted hazard ratio, 6.1; 95% CI, 1.4 to 27.1; P=0.02). Conclusions—This study shows that ASA has potentially unwanted long-term effects. This poses special precaution, given the fact that ASA is practiced worldwide at increasing rate. We recommend myectomy as the preferred intervention in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Remotely measuring the wind using turbine-mounted lidars: Application to power performance testing

Nacelle-based Doppler wind lidars have shown promising capabilities to assess power performance, detect yaw misalignment or perform feed-forward control. The power curve application requires uncertainty assessment. Traceable measurements and uncertainties of nacelle-based wind lidars can be obtained through a methodology applicable to any type of existing and upcoming nacelle lidar technology. The generic methodology consists in calibrating all the inputs of the wind field reconstruction algorithms of a lidar. These inputs are the line-of-sight velocity and the beam position, provided by the geometry of the scanning trajectory and the lidar inclination. The line-of-sight velocity is calibrated in atmospheric conditions by comparing it to a reference quantity based on classic instrumentation such as cup anemometers and wind vanes. The generic methodology was tested on two commercially developed lidars, one continuous wave and one pulsed systems, and provides consistent calibration results: linear regressions show a difference of ∼0.5% between the lidar-measured and reference line-of-sight velocities. A comprehensive uncertainty procedure propagates the reference uncertainty to the lidar measurements. At a coverage factor of two, the estimated line-of-sight velocity uncertainty ranges from 3.2% at 3 m·s−1 to 1.9% at 16 m·s−1. Most of the line-of-sight velocity uncertainty originates from the reference: the cup anemometer uncertainty accounts for ∼90% of the total uncertainty. The propagation of uncertainties to lidar-reconstructed wind characteristics can use analytical methods in simple cases, which we demonstrate through the example of a two-beam system. The newly developed calibration methodology allows robust evaluation of a nacelle lidar’s performance and uncertainties to be established. Calibrated nacelle lidars may consequently be further used for various wind turbine applications in confidence.
The ecology of the tick Ixodes trianguliceps Birula (Arachnida; Acarina; Ixodoidea)

The ecology of the tick Ixodes trianguliceps Bir. is described from material collected at two localities in Wytham Estate near Oxford. The hosts examined were bank voles, Clethrionomys glareolus Schr. , field voles, Microtus agrestis (L.), and field mice, Apodemus sylvaticus (L.). The seasonal distribution of the tick is biannual, with spring and autumnal peaks as found in Ixodes ricinus (L.). Larvae occur throughout the year but principally in spring and autumn. Nymphs are found only from late spring until the autumn, and adults principally in the spring with a small peak in autumn. Larvae and nymphs of I. trianguliceps were more abundant on male than on female bank voles, but there was no significant difference in the infestation of males and females by adult ticks. Similarly there was no significant difference in the infestation of adult and juvenile bank voles. Larvae and nymphs occur principally on the ears, but the adult ticks are found mainly on the neck or body, although the ears were not excluded from infestation. The seasonal distribution and life-history is discussed with reference to similar studies made in the Soviet Union and in Poland. Male ticks were found in copula on the host, and both males and nymphs were collected from the nests of voles. A tentative summary of the life-history of I. trianguliceps is given based on known facts for the hedgehog tick, Ixodes hexagonus Leach, which has a similar seasonal occurrence. We wish to thank Professor Don Arthur for identification of much of the tick material, especially in the early stages of this study, and for useful criticism of the draft manuscript. The work was carried out while one of us (M.J.C.) was a research student in the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford, and the other (C.H.S.W.) a research student at the Bureau of Animal Population, Oxford. For facilities in both departments we wish to express our gratitude.
Visual Feedback Control with Laser for the Position Detection of Crane Hook

In this paper, we introduce an development device which can measure the working radius of crane truck, automatically. This device is equipped with a laser range finder, a CCD camera and two AC servo motors. Each motor has an encoder. First, we propose the method of object recognition to measure the position of mark set of measurement object, and secondly construct the tracking control system to the development device. Then, it has PI control system with an extended Kalman filter. Through experiments, we show the effectiveness of our proposed method
Design and Performance Evaluation of a Quadrature Mirror Filter (QMF) Bank

In this paper, a two channel Quadrature Mirror Filter (QMF) bank is designed and the performance is evaluated. A new method is developed to optimize the prototype filter response. The design problem is formulated as nonlinear unconstrained optimization of an objective function, which is weighted sum of square of error in passband, stop band and overall filter bank response. The proposed method gives better performance in terms of peak reconstruction error and computational time.
The groin triangle: a patho-anatomical approach to the diagnosis of chronic groin pain in athletes

Chronic groin pain is a common presentation in sports medicine. It is most often a problem in those sports that involve kicking and twisting movements while running. The morbidity of groin pain should not be underestimated, ranking behind only fracture and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in terms of time out of training and play. Due to the insidious onset and course of pathology in the groin region it commonly presents with well-established pathology. Without a clear clinical/pathological diagnosis, the subsequent management of chronic groin pain is difficult. The combination of complex anatomy, variability of presentation and the non-specific nature of the signs and symptoms make the diagnostic process problematical. This paper proposes a novel educational model based on patho-anatomical concepts. Anatomical reference points were selected to form a triangle, which provides the discriminative power to restrict the differential diagnosis and form the basis of ensuing investigation. This paper forms part of a series addressing the three-dimensional nature of proximal lower limb pathology. The 3G approach (groin, gluteal and greater trochanter triangles) acknowledges this, permitting the clinician to move throughout the region, considering pathologies appropriately.
Asymptotically exact inference in differentiable generative models

Many generative models can be expressed as a differentiable function of random inputs drawn from some simple probability density. This framework includes both deep generative architectures such as Variational Autoencoders and a large class of procedurally defined simulator models. We present a method for performing efficient MCMC inference in such models when conditioning on observations of the model output. For some models this offers an asymptotically exact inference method where Approximate Bayesian Computation might otherwise be employed. We use the intuition that inference corresponds to integrating a density across the manifold corresponding to the set of inputs consistent with the observed outputs. This motivates the use of a constrained variant of Hamiltonian Monte Carlo which leverages the smooth geometry of the manifold to coherently move between inputs exactly consistent with observations. We validate the method by performing inference tasks in a diverse set of models.
Combining character-based bigrams with word-based bigrams in contextual postprocessing for Chinese script recognition

It is crucial to use contextual information to improve the recognition accuracy of Chinese script in an offline, handwritten Chinese character-recognition system. However, with the increase in the number of candidates given by a character recognizer, contextual postprocessing using a word-based bigram is time-consuming. This article presents a novel contextual postprocessing method that integrates character-based bigram postprocessing with word-based bigram postprocessing in light of the complementary action between Chinese characters and Chinese words. On the basis of isolated character recognition, character-based bigram postprocessing using a forward-backward search is first executed on a big candidate set, which improves both the accuracy and efficiency of the candidate set (the cumulative accuracy of the top ten candidates is greatly boosted). Then, to further improve accuracy, word-based bigram postprocessing (WBP) is executed on a small candidate set. This method obtains high accuracy while paying attention to postprocessing speed at the same time. Experimental results for three Chinese scripts (about 66,000 characters in total) demonstrate the effectiveness of our method: character-based bigram postprocessing improves accuracy from 81.58% to 94.50%, and the cumulative accuracy of the top ten candidates rises from 94.33% to 98.25%. After WBP, 95.75% accuracy is achieved, which is equivalent to the accuracy of WBP executed on a big candidate set. However, our method is more than 100 times faster than that of WBP.
CS 6601-A Artificial Intelligence Project 1 Report A Genetic Algorithm for Symmetric TSP 1 Problem statement

I proposed to implement a genetic algorithm [5] to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem. TSP is a classic problem in combinatorial search and optimization that has been well studied. It is often used as a benchmark for combinatorial or black-box optimization algorithms, and is one of the best known problems in graph theory. Applications of TSP include routing (shipping and logistics), job scheduling, and even the analysis of crystal structure [1].
Carotid body function and ventilatory responses in intermittent hypoxia. evidence for anomalous brainstem integration of arterial chemoreceptor input

Obstructive sleep apnea is a frequent medical condition consisting in repetitive sleep‐related episodes of upper airways obstruction and concurrent events of arterial blood hypoxia. There is a frequent association of cardiovascular diseases and other pathologies to this condition conforming the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Laboratory models of OSAS consist in animals exposed to repetitive episodes of intermittent hypoxia (IH) which also develop cardiovascular pathologies, mostly hypertension. The overall OSAS pathophysiology appears to be linked to the repetitive hypoxia, which would cause a sensitization of carotid body (CB) chemoreflex and chemoreflex‐driven hyperreactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. However, this proposal is uncertain because hyperventilation, reflecting the CB sensitization, and increased plasma CA levels, reflecting sympathetic hyperreactivity, are not constant findings in patients with OSAS and IH animals. Aiming to solve these uncertainties we have studied the entire CB chemoreflex arch in a rat model of IH, including activity of chemoreceptor cells and CB generated afferent activity to brainstem. The efferent activity was measured as ventilation in normoxia, hypoxia, and hypercapnia. Norepinephrine turnover in renal artery sympathetic endings was also assessed. Findings indicate a sensitization of the CB function to hypoxia evidenced by exaggerated chemoreceptor cell and CB afferent activity. Yet, IH rats exhibited marked hypoventilation in all studied conditions and increased turnover of norepinephrine in sympathetic endings. We conclude that IH produces a bias in the integration of the input arising from the CB with a diminished drive of ventilation and an exaggerated activation of brainstem sympathetic neurons. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 1961–1969, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PaperFold: Evaluating Shape Changes for Viewport Transformations in Foldable Thin-Film Display Devices

In this paper, we investigate the use of shape changes in a multi-segmented mobile device for triggering viewport transformations in its graphical interface. We study PaperFold, a foldable device with reconfigurable thin-film electrophoretic display tiles. PaperFold enables users to attach, reorient and fold displays in a mobile form factor that is thin and lightweight even when fully collapsed. We discuss how our design was informed by a participatory study that resulted in 14 preferred shape changes. In a subsequent study, we asked users to rank the utility of shape changes for triggering common view operations in map and text editing applications. Results suggest participants were able to attribute specific view operations as automated responses to folding, attaching, reorienting or detaching displays. Collated or full screen views were preferred when users collocated two displays. When adding a third display, alternative views such as toolbars or a list of apps were suggested. Showing 3D views was strongly associated with folding PaperFold segments into a three dimensional structure.
Relationships between use of statins and arterial stiffness in normotensive and hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease

Background Statins improve arterial stiffness in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Hypertension is a predominant contributor of arterial stiffening. However, the influence of hypertension on the effect of statins for improving arterial stiffness in CAD patients has seldom been investigated. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the relationships between statin use and arterial stiffness in normotensive and hypertensive CAD patients. Methods Brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (ba‐PWV) was measured in 437 patients, including 220 hypertensive CAD patients (121 used statins, 99 did not) and 217 normotensive CAD patients (105 used statins, 112 did not). The normotensive and hypertensive CAD patients were matched according to age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Results In the normotensive and hypertensive CAD patients, lipid profiles were significantly improved in the statin group compared with the non‐statin group. No significant differences in the administered statins (i.e., atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pravastatin) and statin therapy duration were found between normotensive and hypertensive CAD patients (all P>0.05). No significant correlation of ba‐PWV and statin therapy duration was found in all CAD patients, normotensive CAD patients, or hypertensive CAD patients (all P>0.05). ba‐PWV in the statin group was significantly lower than that in the non‐statin group in normotensive CAD patients ((1331.68±167.52) cm/s vs. (1468.61±244.54) cm/s, P=0.002) but not in hypertensive CAD patients (P>0.05). In multiple linear regression analyses, statin therapy was significantly associated with ba‐PWV after adjusting for confounding variables in normotensive CAD patients (P=0.018) but not in hypertensive CAD patients (P>0.05). Conclusions Statins may significantly improve arterial stiffness in CAD patients, and hypertension may probably influence the effectiveness of statin therapy in improving arterial stiffness in this population. Further studies are required to investigate the effect of statins on arterial stiffness in normotensive and hypertensive CAD patients.
Matched Metrics and Channels

The most common decision criteria for decoding are maximum likelihood decoding and nearest neighbor decoding. It is well known that maximum likelihood decoding coincides with nearest neighbor decoding with respect to the Hamming metric on the binary symmetric channel. In this paper, we study channels and metrics for which those two criteria do and do not coincide for general codes.
Vitamin A intake , status and improvement using the dietary approach Studies of vulnerable groups in three Asian countries

Persson, V. 2001. Vitamin A intake, status and improvement using the dietary approach. Studies of vulnerable groups in three Asian countries. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 1069. 99 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 91-554-5106-3. Studies were performed on methodological issues on vitamin A intake, status and improvement in three Asian countries, to improve the dietary approach recommended by FAO/WHO to alleviate vitamin A deficiency in low-income countries. The reliability of the practical 24-hour dietary recall method to assess individual intake of vitamin A during pregnancy was investigated in Central Java, Indonesia. The usual mean intake of vitamin A can be reliably measured, but data on attenuation of simple regression coefficients suggest that it is difficult to establish associations between vitamin A intake and some health outcome. The majority of women was below the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in all three trimesters and strategies to improve vitamin A intake in all women are thus needed. The applicability of the simplified “Helen Keller International Food Frequency Method” to assess community risk of vitamin A deficiency in South Asia, even though it excludes breastmilk and animal milk, was tested in rural Bangladesh and rural India. Breast milk was found to be an important source of vitamin A even in the second and third years of life in rural areas of Bangladesh. Similarly, animal milk is likely to be an important source of vitamin A among preschoolers in certain areas of India. The method should be revalidated to make it a useful tool even in settings where breastmilk and animal milk are common in the diets of preschool children. Whether it is possible to improve vitamin A status with dark green leafy vegetables in children free of Ascaris lumbricoides was investigated in northern Bangladesh. A substantial increase in serum -carotene was seen after supplementary feeding of these vegetables for 6 weeks. The impact on serum retinol concentrations was less substantial.
Basal Levels of eIF2α Phosphorylation Determine Cellular Antioxidant Status by Regulating ATF4 and xCT Expression*

eIF2α is part of a multimeric complex that regulates cap-dependent translation. Phosphorylation of eIF2α (phospho-eIF2α) is induced by various forms of cell stress, resulting in changes to the proteome of the cell with two diametrically opposed consequences, adaptation to stress or initiation of programmed cell death. In contrast to the robust eIF2α phosphorylation seen in response to acute insults, less is known about the functional role of basal levels of eIF2α phosphorylation. Here we show that mouse embryonic fibroblasts expressing a nonphosphorylatable eIF2α have enhanced sensitivity to diverse toxic insults, including amyloid β-(1–42) peptide (Aβ), a key factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. This correlates with impaired glutathione metabolism because of down-regulation of the light chain, xCT, of the cystine/glutamate antiporter system X-c. The mechanistic link between the absence of phospho-eIF2α and xCT expression is nuclear factor ATF4. Consistent with these findings, long term activation of the phospho-eIF2α/ATF4/xCT signaling module by the specific eIF2α phosphatase inhibitor, salubrinal, induces resistance against oxidative glutamate toxicity in the hippocampal cell line HT22 and primary cortical neurons. Furthermore, in PC12 cells selected for resistance against Aβ, increased activity of the phospho-eIF2α/ATF4/xCT module contributes to the resistant phenotype. In wild-type PC12 cells, activation of this module by salubrinal ameliorates the response to Aβ. Furthermore, in human brains, ATF4 and phospho-eIF2α levels are tightly correlated and up-regulated in Alzheimer disease, most probably representing an adaptive response against disease-related cellular stress rather than a correlate of neurodegeneration.
Importance and toxicological effects of organophosphorus pesticides: A comprehensive review

Environmental risk assessment is an estimate of the likelihood or probability of an adverse impact on the environment resulting from human activities such as applying of pesticides against of target pests (insects, plant pathogens, weeds, nematodes, microbes, mollusks, birds, mammals, fish and so on) in the agriculture. Since the Withdrawal of organochlorine pesticides from use, organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) have become the most widely used pesticides available today in the entire world especially in the Iran. The use of OPs has a number of health advantages, including control of insect vector borne diseases and increasing the food and agriculture productions. However, the use of these toxic compounds on man, animals or in his immediate environment has caused potential hazards that seriously are baneful for public health. There has been increasing awareness and concern on the part of food and health officials and of the dairy industry about the presence OPs in milk and other milk products. In this article, we reviewed some printed articles about OP poisoning and its management.