Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impaired Contractile Performance of Cultured Rabbit Ventricular Myocytes After Adenoviral Gene Transfer of Na+-Ca2+ Exchanger

Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) gene expression is increased in the failing human heart. We investigated the hypothesis that upregulation of NCX can induce depressed contractile performance. Overexpression of NCX was achieved in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes through adenoviral gene transfer (Ad-NCX). After 48 hours, immunoblots revealed a virus dose-dependent increase in NCX protein. Adenoviral &bgr;-galactosidase transfection served as a control. The fractional shortening (FS) of electrically stimulated myocytes was analyzed. At 60 min−1, FS was depressed by 15.6% in the Ad-NCX group (n=143) versus the control group (n=163, P <0.05). Analysis of the shortening-frequency relationship showed a steady increase in FS in the control myocytes (n=26) from 0.027±0.002 at 30 min−1 to 0.037±0.002 at 120 min−1 (P <0.05 versus 30 min−1) and to 0.040±0.002 at 180 min−1 (P <0.05 versus 30 min−1). Frequency potentiation of shortening was blunted in NCX-transfected myocytes (n=27). The FS was 0.024±0.002 at 30 min−1, 0.029±0.002 at 120 min−1 (P <0.05 versus 30 min−1, P <0.05 versus control), and 0.026±0.002 at 180 min−1 (NS versus 30 min−1, P <0.05 versus control). Caffeine contractures, which indicate sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load, were significantly reduced at 120 min−1 in NCX-transfected cells. An analysis of postrest behavior showed a decay of FS with longer rest intervals in control cells. Rest decay was significantly higher in the Ad-NCX group; after 120 seconds of rest, FS was 78±4% in control and 65±3% in the Ad-NCX group (P <0.05) relative to steady-state FS before rest (100%). In conclusion, the overexpression of NCX in rabbit cardiomyocytes results in the depression of contractile function. This supports the hypothesis that upregulation of NCX can result in systolic myocardial failure.
A test bed for smart energy education in the field of computer engineering

Smart energy settings are changing the way undergraduate and graduate programs are conceived in both civil and computer engineering fields. As a result of this, many universities around the world are beginning to offer courses on the topic. This paper presents the initiative that is taking place in the IT department of the Østfold University College in the scope of the Computer Engineering bachelor studies. The initiative consists in a set of labs devoted to smart homes, smart buildings and smart cities designed to be bridge the gap between theory and practice on the field from the perspective of information technology education and more specifically from the prism of computer engineering. Results show a remarkable success of the initiative that is improving employability of students integrating them in companies in the area and serving also the overall objective of the institution, aligned with energy efficiency in education, research and practice.
Computer Vision and Image Understanding

Radar sensors are considered to be very robust under harsh weather and poor lighting conditions. Largely owing to this reputation, they have found broad application in driver assistance and highly automated driving systems. However, radar sensors have considerably lower precision than cameras. Low sensor precision causes ambiguity in the human interpretation of the measurement data and makes the data labeling process difficult and expensive. On the other hand, without a large amount of high-quality labeled training data, it is difficult, if not impossible, to ensure that the supervised machine learning models can predict, classify, or otherwise analyze the phenomenon of interest with the required accuracy. This paper presents a method for fusing the radar sensor measurements with the camera images. A proposed fully-unsupervised machine learning algorithm converts the radar sensor data to artificial, camera-like, environmental images. Through such data fusion, the algorithm produces more consistent, accurate, and useful information than that provided solely by the radar or the camera. The essential point of the work is the proposal of a novel Conditional Multi-Generator Generative Adversarial Network (CMGGAN) that, being conditioned on the radar sensor measurements, can produce visually appealing images that qualitatively and quantitatively contain all environment features detected by the radar sensor.
Collective Operations as Building Blocks for Agent Cooperation

Cooperation is the process of synchronization and exchanging useful knowledge between agents in multiagent systems. Since cooperation associates agents into a collaborative team to reach the overall goals of the systems, it is a crucial requirement for creating intelligent multiagent systems. This paper presents an approach for building complex cooperation protocols from simple primitives called collective operations. Collective operations are implemented in a new agent oriented programming language named Yaccai. The syntax and semantics of collective operations are designed to be effective for description of cooperation protocols while maintaining the autonomous computational model of agents. Our experiment shows that, collective operations are flexible building blocks for realization of cooperative multiagent systems.
Where Only Fools Dare to Tread: An Empirical Study on the Prevalence of Zero-Day Malware

Zero-day malware is malware that is based on zero-day exploits and/or malware that is otherwise so new that it is not detected by any anti-virus or anti-malware scanners. This paper presents an empirical study that exposed updated Micsosoft Windows XP PCs with updated anti-virus software to a number of unsavoury Internet software repositories. A total of 124 zero-day malware instances were detected in our experiment. Our conclusion is that if a user is sufficiently adventurous (or foolish), no anti-virus protection can prevent a zero-day malware infection.
A Conceptualization of Therapeutic Communication: The WHAT Model

Communication forms a major component of the therapeutic process. With words serving as a primary medium, the process of communication during counseling or psychotherapy may be represented by the four-phase model presented the present study. In an effort to teach counseling technique, alleviate initial counseling session tension, as well as potentially increase counseling process efficacy and flow across theories, the WHAT Model is presented. In order to empirically test the viability of the WHAT Model in a therapeutic environment, Brief Counseling Self-Confidence Scale scores (BCSCS) were analyzed before and after presentation of the model to master's level pre-practicum students. Results of a paired samples t -test resulted in a significant difference found between groups, adding support for the model in improving scholarly productivity and counseling efficacy.
The role of gestural polysigns and gestural sequences in teaching mathematical concepts

In this paper, we examine the conceptual pedagogical value of representational gestures in the context of teaching halving to first graders. We use the concept of the ‘polysign’ as an analytical tool and introduce the notion of a ‘mathematics gesture sequence’ to assess the conceptual role gestures play in explicating mathematical concepts. In our study of four teachers each teaching a lesson on halving, they produced representational polysign gestures that provided multiple layers of information, and chained these gestures in mathematical gestural sequences to spatially represent the operation of halving. Their use of gestures and their ability to use gestures accurately to convey mathematical concepts varied. During the lesson, learners, whose teachers used few representational gestures or used gestures that were conceptually incongruent with the mathematical concept, expressed more confusion than learners whose teachers used conceptually appropriate gestures. While confusion can be a productive part of the learning process, our analysis shows that producing conceptually appropriate gestures may be important in mediating concepts and the transition from concrete and personal symbolic processes to institutional mathematical signs.
Autonomous growth and tumorigenicity induced by P40/interleukin 9 cDNA transfection of a mouse P40-dependent T cell line

To test the transforming potential of deregulated P40/Interleukin 9 expression, we transfected a mouse P40-dependent T cell line with P40 cDNA, and examined the tumorigenicity of the resulting transfectants. When the cells, which grew autonomously in vitro, were injected intraperitoneally or subcutaneously into syngeneic mice, a very high tumor incidence was observed with as few as 10(4) cells per inoculum. Animals died as a result of widespread dissemination of lymphomatous tissue to abdominal and thoracic organs. The same P40-dependent cell line transfected with a control construct did not form tumors even after injection of 10(7) cells. These results indicate that uncontrolled expression of P40 can support T cell proliferation in vivo, and may be a transforming event involved in the development of certain T cell tumors.
Distance Measures for QOS Performance Management in Mixed Networks

The integrated Network Enhanced Telemetry effort (iNET) was launched to create a telemetry network that will enhance the traditional point-to-point telemetry link from test articles (TAs) to ground stations (GS). Two of the critical needs identified by the Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP) are, “the need to be able to provide reliable coverage in potentially high capacity environments, even in Over-The-Horizon (OTH) settings”, and “the need to make more efficient use of spectrum resources through dynamic sharing of said resources, based on instantaneous demand thereof”. Research conducted at Morgan State University (MSU) has focused on providing solutions for both critical problems. The Mixed Network architecture developed by MSU has shown that a hybrid network can be used to provide coverage for TAs that are beyond the coverage area of the GS. The mixed network uses clustering techniques to partition the aggregate network into clusters or sub-networks based on properties of each TA, which currently include signal strengths, and location. The paper starts with a detailed analysis of two parameters that affect the performance of each sub-network: contention between the TAs in the mobile ad-hoc network, and queuing at the Gateway TAs that serve as the link between the mobile ad-hoc and the Cellular networks. Contention and queuing will be used to evaluate two performance (distance) measures for each sub-network: throughput and delay. We define a new distance measure known as “power”, which is equal to the ratio of throughput over delay, and is used as a measure of performance of the mixed network for Quality of Service (QOS). This paper describes the analytical foundation used to prove that the “power” performance measure is an excellent tool for optimizing the clustering of a mixed network to provide QOS.
VISUAL DESIGN USING GENETIC PROGRAMMING

This paper presents a methodology to generate new designs by using e�olutionary algorithms, that is, genetic programming (GP). A design session starts with a number of initial design patterns. �ew appropriate representations emerge as crosso�er and mutation operations are applied to these initial patterns. Emerging designs are assessed and classified based on fitness �alues. Common LISP is used to do processing and to simulate e�olutionary processes. I.INTRODUCTION Designers used to generate new designs using traditional tools, such as pencil and marker. Introduction of computers has changed the process. The arrival of desktop publishing and graphic art software applications introduced a generation of designers to computer image manipulation and creation that had previously been manually executed. Computer graphic based design enabled designers to instantly see the effects of layout or typographic changes , and to simulate the effects of traditional media without requiring a lot of space [3]. Nowadays, computers are accepted as inevitable tools in the visual design. Many different tools and resources made available by use of computers trigger creativity and ease the creative process. Today, many designers use the computer while generating new design images. Designers can explore multiple ideas more quickly and efficiently than what was achieved by traditional methods such as hand rendering or paste up on paper. It is common practice now that designers and engineers benefit from CAD (Computer aided Design) tools in order to help design process. They move the designer through the creative process more efficiently. CAD tools are very good in translating a design idea into a visual form. But we feel the need to add more layers in order to emulate human creativity computationally. In this paper, we exploit the principles of evolution to generate new design images by mimicking nature. For this we use Genetic Programming (PG) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) approaches. [2, 5] Basic operations of GP and GA (crossover and mutation operations) are specifically developed for this project in order to get more accurate and better designs. In the GA approach, a design is considered as two dimensional images. Every pixel on the image has localization (x-coordinate, y-coordinate) and colour information. Chromosomes include the " genetic " information about image are represented as bit strings containing of pixel information and each has a fitness value. In order to generate new design patterns we take advantages of Darwinian principal of reproduction and survival of the fittest. [1, 7] …
Stochastic Modeling of Biological Sequence Evolution by Keyuan Xu

Markov models of sequence evolution are a fundamental building block for making inferences in biological research. This thesis reviews several major techniques developed to estimate parameters of Markov models of sequence evolution and presents a new approach for evaluating and comparing estimation techniques. Current methods for evaluating estimation techniques require sequence data from populations with well-known phylogenetic relationships. Such data is not always available since phylogenetic relationships can never be known with certainty. We propose generating sequence data for the purpose of estimation technique evaluation by simulating sequence evolution in a controlled setting. Our elementary simulator uses a Markov model and a binary branching process, which dynamically builds a phylogenetic tree from an initial seed sequence. The sequences at the leaves of the tree can then be used as input to estimation techniques. We demonstrate our evaluation approach on Arvestad and Bruno’s estimation method, and show how our approach can reveal performance variations empirically. The results of our simulation can be used as a guide towards improving estimation techniques. Thesis Supervisor: George C. Verghese Title: Professor Thesis Supervisor: Peter C. Doerschuk Title: Professor
Trabajo a tiempo parcial y desigualdad salarial en la industria manufacturera en México, 2005-2015

espanolSe pretende analizar la relacion entre el trabajo a tiempo parcial y la desigualdad salarial en los trabajadores de la industria manufacturera en Mexico por entidad federativa en el periodo 2005-2015. Se utilizaron datos de los segundos trimestres de la Encuesta Nacional de Ocupacion y Empleo (ENOE) de la decada de estudio para obtener la poblacion ocupada a tiempo parcial y estimar el indice de Gini (que refleja la desigualdad salarial). Asimismo, se estimo un modelo de efectos aleatorios empleando datos de panel. Los resultados arrojaron una relacion estadisticamente significativa entre el trabajo a tiempo parcial y el indice de Gini por entidad. EnglishThis research aims to analyze the relationship between part-time work and wage inequality in Mexico's manufacturing industry workers by entity, 2005-2015. Second quarter data from the National Survey of Occupation and Employment were used to obtain the percentage of employed population at part-time work and to calculate a Gini Index (wage inequality). Random effects model using panel data was estimated. The results showed a statistically significant relationship between part-time work and Gini Index by state.
Effects of Early Childhood Education Training Program on the Development of Children

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of early childhood education training program on the development of child. First objective of the study was to identify the existing Early Childhood Training Programs. Second objective of the study was to analyze the effects of Early Childhood Education Training Program in the light of stakeholders. Third objective of the study was to evaluate the ECE Training Program in the development of children. Fourth objective was to suggest some guidelines for effectiveness of ECE trainings programs. The nature of the study was mix method. The population of the research study was pre-schools of Taxila city. The teachers and heads of pre-schools were included in the population. The population of the study was 3 heads and 90 teachers. The sample of the study was 100% of the population sample included 3 heads and 90 teachers. The interview and questionnaire was personally administered by researcher herself. Qualitative and quantitative respondents were randomly selected. Chi-Square association test was utilized to explore the association between responses of the students. In this research study early childhood education training program was the independent variable. ECE training program factors named as knowledge and teaching competency of teachers, command on subject matter, use of AV aids, theories and principles of learning, lesson planning skills, assessment skills and time management skills were used to analyze the effectiveness of training program. The study recommended that to make teaching process more effective and to get better results in field of education teacher may have pedagogical skills to improve classroom management. The study also recommended that in order to make productive teaching teacher may reflect upon their teaching strategies and teaching style.
International consensus on the diagnosis and management of pediatric patients with hereditary angioedema with C1 inhibitor deficiency

The consensus documents published to date on hereditary angioedema with C1 inhibitor deficiency (C1‐INH‐HAE) have focused on adult patients. Many of the previous recommendations have not been adapted to pediatric patients. We intended to produce consensus recommendations for the diagnosis and management of pediatric patients with C1‐INH‐HAE.
Effect of interstimulus interval on visual P300 in Parkinson’s disease

OBJECTIVE Visual event related potentials (ERPs) were studied during an oddball paradigm, to testify whether cognitive slowing in Parkinson’s disease exists and to investigate whether cognitive information processing can be influenced by different interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of an oddball task in patients with Parkinson’s disease and normal subjects. METHODS ERPs and reaction time were measured in 38 non-demented patients with Parkinson’s disease and 24 healthy elderly subjects. A visual oddball paradigm was employed to evoke ERPs, at three different interstimulus (ISI) intervals: ISI(S), 1600 ms; ISI(M), 3100 ms; and ISI(L), 5100 ms. The effect of ISIs on ERPs and reaction time was investigated. RESULTS Compared with the normal subjects, P300 latency at Cz and Pz was significantly delayed after rare target stimuli in patients with Parkinson’s disease only at ISI(L). Reaction time was prolonged in patients at all the three ISIs, compared with the normal controls. There was also significantly delayed N200 and reduced P300 amplitude at Cz and/or Pz to rare non-target stimuli in patients at the three ISIs, compared with the normal controls. During rare target visual stimulation, P300 latency and reaction time in the patients with Parkinson’s disease and reaction time in the normal subjects were gradually prolonged as the ISI increased. CONCLUSION Prolonged N200 latency to rare non-target stimuli might indicate that automatic cognitive processing was slowed in Parkinson’s disease. Cognitive processing reflected by P300 latency to rare target stimuli was influenced by longer ISI in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
A Compact Uniplanar Rat-Race Coupler with Arbitrary Power Division Ratio and Harmonics Suppression

In this paper, a miniaturized planar rat-race coupler is proposed to achieve arbitrary power division ratio and harmonic suppression performance simultaneously. It consists of six enhanced T- shaped line sections. The T-shaped lines can be equivalent to arbitrary electrical length lines rather than the conventional λ/4 lines. The explicit design formulas are derived and the characteristic impedances variations with the freedom variable are discussed. Simulated and experimental results show the harmonic suppression to be over �35 dB, while maintaining the conventional performance at the fundamental frequency. The circuit area of the prototype is only 30.8% of the conventional coupler.
Ablation of CD8 and CD4 T Cell Responses by High Viral Loads1

To evaluate the impact of sustained viral loads on anti-viral T cell responses we compared responses that cleared acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection with those that were elicited but could not resolve chronic infection. During acute infection, as replicating virus was cleared, CD8 T cell responses were down-regulated, and a pool of resting memory cells developed. In chronically infected hosts, the failure to control the infection was associated with pronounced and prolonged activation of virus-specific CD8 T cells. Nevertheless, there was a progressive diminution of their effector activities as their capacity to produce first IL-2, then TNF-α, and finally IFN-γ was lost. Chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection was also associated with differential contraction of certain CD8 T cell responses, resulting in altered immunodominance. However, this altered immunodominance was not due to selective expansion of T cells expressing particular TCR Vβ segments during chronic infection. High viral loads were not only associated with the ablation of CD8 T cell responses, but also with impaired production of IL-2 by virus-specific CD4 T cells. Taken together, our data show that sustained exposure to high viral loads results in the progressive functional inactivation of virus-specific T cell responses, which may further promote virus persistence.