Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Puzzlingly Large Ca II Triplet Absorption in Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies

We present central CaT, PaT, and CaT* indices for a sample of 15 dwarf elliptical galaxies (dE's). Twelve of these have CaT* ~ 7 Å and extend the negative correlation between the CaT* index and the central velocity dispersion σ, which was derived for bright elliptical galaxies (E's), down to 20 km s-1 < σ < 55 km s-1. For five dE's, we have independent age and metallicity estimates. Four of these have CaT* ~ 7 Å, much higher than expected from their low metallicities (-1.5 < [Z/H] < -0.5). The observed anticorrelation of CaT* as a function of σ or Z is in flagrant disagreement with theory. We discuss some of the amendments that have been proposed to bring the theoretical predictions into agreement with the observed CaT* values of bright E's and how they can be extended to incorporate the observed CaT* values of dE's as well. Moreover, three dE's in our sample have CaT* ~ 5 Å, as would be expected for metal-poor stellar systems. Any theory for dE evolution will have to be able to explain the coexistence of low-CaT* and high-CaT* dE's at a given mean metallicity. This could be the first direct evidence that the dE population is not homogeneous and that different evolutionary paths led to morphologically and kinematically similar but chemically distinct objects.
Haptic floor for virtual balance training

Replacing the traditional balance training task with tasks in virtual environment in subjects after stroke was a step toward independent rehabilitation. The virtual reality supported balance training relieved the physiotherapist from strenuous work, besides, also enabled rehabilitation treatment on individuals home and functional balance ability assessment. However, adding a haptic floor to the virtual reality balance training enhanced the approach to the postural response training and assessment. We have developed a two degrees of freedom, position controlled, haptic floor plates providing postural perturbations according to the collisions with obstacles in the virtual environment. The subject generated a postural response to stabilize the body during balance training. Such task represents for the subject with stroke a serious challenge. However, the standing frame prevented the possibility to fall. The virtual reality supported balance training with haptic floor was so far carried out in healthy individuals and tested in single subject after stroke. A basic response characteristic of haptic floor was examined. The preliminary results demonstrated a sufficient dynamics of the haptic floor and great acceptability among the participating subjects. Thus the additional haptic feedback in goal based balance training may contribute to the improvement of subject's functional balance and postural abilities and so increase the quality of life. However, to confirm the clinical applicability of the haptic floor in balance training and evaluation of postural responses, a further study including clinical tests within a larger group of stroke population should be carried out.
A comparative study of linear feature transformation techniques for automatic speech recognition

Although widely used, there are still open questions concerning which properties of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) account for its success in many speech recognition systems. In order to gain more insight into the nature of the transformation we compare LDA with mel-cepstral feature vectors with respect to the following criteria: decorrelation and ordering property; invariance under linear transforms; automatic learning of dynamical features; and data dependence of the transformation.
Improving GPS/INS Integration through Neural Networks

The Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) technology have attracted a considerable importance recently because of its large number of solutions serving both military as well as civilian applications. This paper aims to develop a more efficient and especially a faster method for processing the GPS signal in case of INS signal loss without losing the accuracy of the data. The conventional or usual method consists of processing data through a neural network and obtaining accurate positioning output data. The new or improved method adds selective filtering at the low-band frequency, the mid-band frequency and the high band frquency, before processing the GPS data through the neural network, so that the processing time is decreased significantly while the accuracy remains the same.
System-level power estimation methodology using cycle- and bit-accurate TLM

We propose a new system-level methodology for relative power estimation, which is independent of register transfer level models. Our methodology monitors the number of bit transitions for all input/output gate signals on a bit- and cycle-accurate SystemC virtual platform model. For absolute results and reliable technology-based predictions of system power and speed (e.g. in future 32/22nm technology nodes and variations), relative metrics can be multiplied with bit energy coefficients provided by semiconductor technology datasheets and device models.
Self-Assembly of 10-μm-Sized Objects into Ordered Three-Dimensional Arrays

This paper describes the self-assembly of small objectspolyhedral metal plates with largest dimensions of 10 to 30 μminto highly ordered, three-dimensional arrays. The plates were fabricated using photolithography and electrodeposition techniques, and the faces of the plates were functionalized to be hydrophobic or hydrophilic using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Self-assembly occurs in water through capillary interactions between thin films of a hydrophobic liquid (a liquid prepolymer adhesive) coated onto the hydrophobic faces of the plates; coalescence of the adhesive films reduces the interfacial free energy of the system and drives self-assembly. By altering the size and surface-patterning of the plates, the external morphologies of the aggregates were varied. Curing the adhesive furnished mechanically stable aggregates that were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For assemblies formed by plates partially composed of a sacrificial material, a subsequent etching step furnished ful.
Chronic cigarette smoke exposure generates pathogenic T cells capable of driving COPD-like disease in Rag2-/- mice.

RATIONALE Pathogenic T cells drive, or sustain, a number of inflammatory diseases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung disease associated with the accumulation of activated T cells. We previously demonstrated that chronic cigarette smoke (CS) exposure causes oligoclonal expansion of lung CD4(+) T cells and CD8(+) T cells in a mouse model of COPD, thus implicating these cells in disease pathogenesis. OBJECTIVES To determine whether T cells are pathogenic in a CS-induced mouse model of COPD. METHODS We transferred lung CD3(+) T cells from filtered air (FA)- and CS-exposed mice into Rag2(-/-) recipients. Endpoints associated with the COPD phenotype were then measured. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Here, we demonstrate that chronic CS exposure generates pathogenic T cells. Transfer of CD3(+) T cells from the lungs of CS-exposed mice into Rag2(-/-) recipients led to substantial pulmonary changes pathognomonic of COPD. These changes included monocyte/macrophage and neutrophil accumulation, increased expression of cytokines and chemokines, activation of proteases, apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells, matrix degradation, and airspace enlargement reminiscent of emphysema. CONCLUSIONS These data formally demonstrate, for the first time, that chronic CS exposure leads to the generation of pathogenic T cells capable of inducing COPD-like disease in Rag2(-/-) mice. This report provides novel insights into COPD pathogenesis.
Cold Nuclear Matter In Holographic QCD

We study the Sakai-Sugimoto model of holographic QCD at zero temperature and finite chemical potential. We find that as the baryon chemical potential is increased above a critical value, there is a phase transition to a nuclear matter phase characterized by a condensate of instantons on the probe D-branes in the string theory dual. As a result of electrostatic interactions between the instantons, this condensate expands towards the UV when the chemical potential is increased, giving a holographic version of the expansion of the Fermi surface. We argue based on properties of instantons that the nuclear matter phase is necessarily inhomogeneous to arbitrarily high density. This suggests an explanation of the "chiral density wave" instability of the quark Fermi surface in large N_c QCD at asymptotically large chemical potential. We study properties of the nuclear matter phase as a function of chemical potential beyond the transition and argue in particular that the model can be used to make a semi-quantitative prediction of the binding energy per nucleon for nuclear matter in ordinary QCD.
Bayesian Equalization for LDPC Channel Decoding

We describe the channel equalization problem, and its prior estimate of the channel state information (CSI), as a joint Bayesian estimation problem to improve each symbol posterior estimates at the input of the channel decoder. Our approach takes into consideration not only the uncertainty due to the noise in the channel, but also the uncertainty in the CSI estimate. However, this solution cannot be computed in linear time, because it depends on all the transmitted symbols. Hence, we also put forward an approximation for each symbol's posterior, using the expectation propagation algorithm, which is optimal from the Kullback-Leibler divergence viewpoint and yields an equalization with a complexity identical to the BCJR algorithm. We also use a graphical model representation of the full posterior, in which the proposed approximation can be readily understood. The proposed posterior estimates are more accurate than those computed using the ML estimate for the CSI. In order to illustrate this point, we measure the error rate at the output of a low-density parity-check decoder, which needs the exact posterior for each symbol to detect the incoming word and it is sensitive to a mismatch in those posterior estimates. For example, for QPSK modulation and a channel with three taps, we can expect gains over 0.5 dB with same computational complexity as the ML receiver.
Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type.

Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL) is a unique disease entity that is strongly associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. This disease is more common in Asia and Central and South America but is rare in North America and Europe. Pathologically, ENKL involves polymorphous infiltration of variable-size lymphocytes with accompanying inflammation and necrosis. The malignant cells express cytoplasmic CD3 and CD56. EBV is detected by EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization.
An activity-based approach to physical education for preschool children with disabilities.

Traditional motor development programs for preschool children with disabilities usually utilize a behavior-analytic approach in which children are given specific training and instruction on identified IEP objectives. While this approach has its merits in terms of time-on-task and focus on critical IEP objectives, it is not consistent with current developmentally appropriate philosophies in early childhood education. One of the newer techniques suggested by early childhood educators as a “best practice” in educating young children is an activity-based or play-based approach. Children still have individually determined goals and objectives, but these goals and objectives are “embedded” in a variety of child-directed play activities. The teacher acts as a facilitator, encouraging the child to practice individual goals while exploring the environment. The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of activity-based intervention and provide examples of how it can be implemented within a motor developm.
MD-2, a Molecule that Confers Lipopolysaccharide Responsiveness on Toll-like Receptor 4

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a mammalian homologue of Drosophila Toll, a leucine-rich repeat molecule that can trigger innate responses against pathogens. The TLR4 gene has recently been shown to be mutated in C3H/HeJ and C57BL/10ScCr mice, both of which are low responders to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). TLR4 may be a long-sought receptor for LPS. However, transfection of TLR4 does not confer LPS responsiveness on a recipient cell line, suggesting a requirement for an additional molecule. Here, we report that a novel molecule, MD-2, is requisite for LPS signaling of TLR4. MD-2 is physically associated with TLR4 on the cell surface and confers responsiveness to LPS. MD-2 is thus a link between TLR4 and LPS signaling. Identification of this new receptor complex has potential implications for understanding host defense, as well as pathophysiologic, mechanisms.
Reproducible MPI Micro-Benchmarking Isn't As Easy As You Think

The Message Passing Interface (MPI) is the prevalent programming model for supercomputers. Optimizing the performance of individual MPI functions is therefore of great interest for the HPC community. However, a fair comparison of different algorithms and implementations requires a statistically sound analysis. It is often overlooked that the time to complete an MPI communication function does not only depend on internal factors such as the algorithm but also on external factors such as the system noise. Most noise produced by the system is uncontrollable without changing the software stack, e.g., the memory allocation method used by the operating system. Possibly controllable factors have not yet been identified as such in this context. We investigate several possible factors---which have been discovered in other microbenchmarks---whether they have a significant effect on the execution time of MPI functions. We experimentally and statistically show that results obtained with other common benchmarking methods for MPI functions can be misleading when comparing alternatives. To overcome these issues, we explain how to carefully design MPI micro-benchmarking experiments and how to make a fair, statistically sound comparison of MPI implementations.
Performance analysis of unstructured peer-to-peer schemes in integrated wired and wireless network environments

Concurrent with the development of wireless equipment, the development of P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing schemes for integrated wireless and wired networks is also needed. However, research on P2P file sharing has mainly been done only for wired environments or only for ad hoc networks. In this paper, we evaluate existing P2P schemes and propose unstructured P2P caching schemes for integrated wired and wireless network environments. We analyze existing unstructured P2P schemes and propose two kinds of extended Freenet caching schemes: WDC (wireless dependent caching) and HNS (half node storing). We evaluate the performance of the proposed schemes through simulation. The performance of WDC is similar to wired Freenet, however it can save bandwidth of wireless links significantly by replicating files only at wired nodes. With the HNS scheme, although it utilizes more bandwidth than WDC, nodes keep only half of the files of wired Freenet, and both the number of hops for success and the failure rate decrease. Therefore, the WDC scheme is appropriate for bandwidth-limited wireless links or integrated environments with a low proportion of wireless nodes, while the HNS scheme can provide a smaller number of hops to success and higher success rate as compared to wired Freenet.
Causal Discovery on Discrete Data with Extensions to Mixture Model

In this article, we deal with the causal discovery problem on discrete data. First, we present a causal discovery method for traditional additive noise models that identifies the causal direction by analyzing the supports of the conditional distributions. Then, we present a causal mixture model to address the problem that the function transforming cause to effect varies across the observations. We propose a novel method called Support Analysis (SA) for causal discovery with the mixture model. Experiments using synthetic and real data are presented to demonstrate the performance of our proposed algorithm.
Hybrid Constraints of Pure and Mixed Pixels for Soft-Then-Hard Super-Resolution Mapping With Multiple Shifted Images

Multiple shifted images (MSIs) have been widely applied to many super-resolution mapping (SRM) approaches to improve the accuracy of fine-scale land-cover maps. Most SRM methods with MSIs involve two processes: subpixel sharpening and class allocation. Complementary information from the MSIs has been successfully adopted to produce soft attribute values of subpixels during the subpixel sharpening process. Such information, however, is not used in the second process of class allocation. In this paper, a new class-allocation algorithm, named “hybrid constraints of pure and mixed pixels” (HCPMP), is proposed to allocate land-cover classes to subpixels using MSIs. HCPMP first determines the classes of subpixels that overlap with the pure pixels of auxiliary images in MSIs, after which the remaining subpixels are classified using information derived from the mixed pixels of the base image in MSIs. An artificial image and two remote sensing images were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed HCPMP algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that HCPMP successfully applied MSIs to produce SRM maps that are visually closer to the reference images and that have greater accuracy than five existing class-allocation algorithms. Especially, it can produce more accurate SRM maps for high-resolution land-cover classes than low-resolution cases. The algorithm takes slightly less runtime than class allocation using linear optimization techniques. Hence, HCPMP provides a valuable new solution for class allocation in SRM using auxiliary data from MSIs.
Nasal highflow improves ventilation in patients with COPD

Background Nasal highflow (NHF) provides a warmed and humidified air stream up to 60 L/min. Recent data demonstrated a positive effect in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, especially when caused by pneumonia. Preliminary data show a decrease in hypercapnia in patients with COPD. Therefore, NHF should be evaluated as a new ventilatory support device. This study was conducted to assess the impact of different flow rates on ventilatory parameters in patients with COPD. Materials and methods This interventional clinical study was performed with patients suffering from severe COPD. The aim was to characterize flow-dependent changes in mean airway pressure, breathing volumes, breathing frequency, and decrease in partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). Mean airway pressure was measured in the nasopharyngeal space (19 patients). To evaluate breathing volumes, we used a polysomnographic device (18 patients). All patients received 20 L/min, 30 L/min, 40 L/min, and 50 L/min and – to illustrate the effects – nasal continuous positive airway pressure and nasal bilevel positive airway pressure. Capillary blood gas analyses were performed in 54 patients with hypercapnic COPD before and two hours after the use of NHF. We compared the extent of decrease in pCO2 when using 20 L/min and 30 L/min. Additionally, comfort and dyspnea during the use of NHF were surveyed. Results NHF resulted in a minor flow dependent increase in mean airway pressure. Tidal volume increased, and breathing rate decreased. The calculated minute volume decreased under NHF breathing. In spite of this fact, hypercapnia decreased with increasing flow (20 L/min vs 30 L/min). Additionally, an improvement in dyspnea was observed. The rapid shallow breathing index shows a decrease when using NHF. Conclusion NHF leads to a flow-dependent reduction in pCO2. This is most likely achieved by a washout of the respiratory tract and a functional reduction in dead space. In summary, NHF enhances effectiveness of breathing in patients with COPD, reduces pCO2, the work of breathing, and rapid shallow breathing index as an indicator of respiratory work load.
THE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE AND HEALTHCARE SERVICE PROGRAM ON HAPPINESS IN MYANMAR CHILDREN-SURVIVORS AND HEALTH-PERSONNEL AFTER CYCLONE DISASTER

Objectives: to evaluate the happiness outcome of exercise in children-survivors during crisis and the happiness level of health-personnel after healthcare service program. Method: This retrospective study, composed of pre-experimental study, a one shot case study, used exercise and healthcare-services program under the Royal Patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha-Vajiralongkorn as an intervention. Documents of 200 Myanmar children-survivors and 28 health- personnel were subjects. Playing with local Myanmar songs was used for exercise in children-survivors for one hour per one day and VDO recording while they performed exercising was used to evaluate happiness level among in children. All services of this health-care-services-program were provided in 200 Myanmar children-survivors for 18 days by 28 health- personnel team. 28 sets of disaster-field- document, observational-checklist-form and happiness questionnaire were sent to health- personnel and 27 sets (96.42%) of those had been returned. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results : The result from VDO recording showed that after exercising for 1 hour, 98% of children had a smile on their faces. Happiness was also shown by having brighter on their faces and eyes. After 18 days of the health-care-services-program, the meanSD of health-personnel happiness score was 26.89 3.68 (Min-Max = 20-33) fell within very high happiness level. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for happiness of personnel inventory’s reliability was 0.78 Conclusion : Using local song playing as exercise in children-survivors could make children-survivors feel happy, since it can stimulate the specific neurotransmitter called brain –derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and endorphin in the children’s brain. Therefore this beneficial effect supports the word “exercise is medicine. (Journal of Sports Science and Technology 2015;15(1): 245-252 )
Negative regulators of integrin activity

Summary Integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane adhesion receptors composed of &agr;- and &bgr;-subunits. They are ubiquitously expressed and have key roles in a number of important biological processes, such as development, maintenance of tissue homeostasis and immunological responses. The activity of integrins, which indicates their affinity towards their ligands, is tightly regulated such that signals inside the cell cruicially regulate the switching between active and inactive states. An impaired ability to activate integrins is associated with many human diseases, including bleeding disorders and immune deficiencies, whereas inappropriate integrin activation has been linked to inflammatory disorders and cancer. In recent years, the molecular details of integrin ‘inside-out’ activation have been actively investigated. Binding of cytoplasmic proteins, such as talins and kindlins, to the cytoplasmic tail of &bgr;-integrins is widely accepted as being the crucial step in integrin activation. By contrast, much less is known with regard to the counteracting mechanism involved in switching integrins into an inactive conformation. In this Commentary, we aim to discuss the known mechanisms of integrin inactivation and the molecules involved.