Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is INTERdisciplinary COMmunity-based COPD management (INTERCOM) cost-effective?

The study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of interdisciplinary community-based chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management in patients with COPD. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a 2-yr randomised controlled trial, in which 199 patients with less advanced airflow obstruction and impaired exercise capacity were assigned to the INTERCOM programme or usual care. The INTERCOM programme consisted of exercise training, education, nutritional therapy and smoking cessation counselling offered by community-based physiotherapists and dieticians and hospital-based respiratory nurses. All-cause resource use during 2 yrs was obtained by self-report and from hospital and pharmacy records. Health outcomes were the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), exacerbations and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The INTERCOM group had 30% (95% CI 3–56%) more patients with a clinically relevant improvement in SGRQ total score, 0.08 (95% CI -0.01–0.18) more QALYs per patient, but a higher mean number of exacerbations, 0.84 (95% CI -0.07–1.78). Mean total 2-yr costs were €2,751 (95% CI -€632–€6,372) higher for INTERCOM than for usual care, which resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €9,078 per additional patient with a relevant improvement in SGRQ or €32,425 per QALY. INTERCOM significantly improved disease-specific quality of life, but did not affect exacerbation rate. The cost per QALY ratio was moderate, but within the range of that generally considered to be acceptable.
An Architecture for Emotional Facial Expressions as Social Signals

We focus on affective architecture issues relating to the generation of expressive facial behaviour, critique approaches that treat expressive behaviour as only a mirror of internal state rather than as also a social signal and discuss the advantages of combining the two approaches. Using the FAtiMA architecture, we analyse the requirements for generating expressive behavior as social signals at both reactive and cognitive levels. We discuss how facial expressions can be generated in a dynamic fashion. We propose generic architectural mechanisms to meet these requirements based on an explicit mind-body loop and Theory of Mind (ToM) processing. A illustrative scenario is given.
Decentralized Model Persistence for Distributed Computing

The necessity of manipulating very large amounts of data and the wide availability of computational resources on the Cloud is boosting the popularity of distributed computing in industry. The applicability of model-driven engineering in such scenarios is hampered today by the lack of an efficient model-persistence framework for distributed computing. In this paper we present NeoEMF/HBase, a persistence backend for the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) built on top of the Apache HBase data store. Model distribution is hidden from client applications , that are transparently provided with the model elements they navigate. Access to remote model elements is decentralized, avoiding the bottleneck of a single access point. The persistence model is based on key-value stores that allow for efficient on-demand model persistence.
Portable FBG based optical sensor array

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors have become quite common in many applications for monitoring strain, temperature and similar. These systems are usually fixed since the FBG interrogation unit is sensitive to the environment and therefore mounted into the equipment cabinet. However, a portable FBG interrogation unit would be of great benefit in applications where there is no need for continuous monitoring. For this reason here we propose a portable interrogation system based on a temperature stable SLED broadband source, calibrated tunable optical filter and an adaptive peak search algorithm.
Job Classification for MapReduce Scheduler in Heterogeneous Environment

Hadoop MapReduce is one of the most popular publicly available frameworks for big data processing in the cloud environment. Hadoop provides for the needs of a wide variety of possible users but does not provide a means to optimize the scheduler for individual users. This is what we have attempted to do. The MapReduce scheduling system consists of a single Job Tracker per cluster and multiple Task Trackers. One of the primary responsibilities of the job tracker is to schedule all the user jobs which makes optimizing the scheduling by the Job Tracker an interesting problem. For an improved scheduling framework, we have implemented scheduling which also takes into account the actual resource requirements of the job, as opposed to relying completely on number of free Map and Reduce slots. In this paper, an attempt is made to create a scheduler that can learn and adapt itself to any possible application. The scheduler classifies the tasks to be assigned into two classes, schedulable and non-schedulable. This process weeds out jobs that are unlikely to run on a node using a process that is computationally cheap. The experimentation result detects the job which will overload a particular node and indicate the same to the scheduler. Thus, if it is highly unlikely that a job will successfully run on a particular node, that job will be classified as non-schedulable and not be considered for execution on that node. This will prevent jobs from executing partially, then failing and having to be rescheduled.
Factors Influencing Aqueous Proinflammatory Cytokines and Growth Factors in Uveitic Glaucoma

Purpose To analyze the effects of factors on aqueous humor proinflammatory cytokine and growth factor levels in patients with uveitic glaucoma (UG). Methods In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 143 participants: 1) UG patients (n = 39); 2) primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients (n = 36); and 3) cataract surgery patients, as a comparative group (n = 68). Aqueous humor samples were obtained at the start of surgery. Aqueous cytokine levels were determined using a multiplex immunoassay (xMAP and the Human Cytokine/Chemokine Panel I). Results In UG cases, mean interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, PDGF-AB/BB, and VEGF levels were 171.1, 214.5, 2791.7, 3.5, 23.9, 5.4, and 168.9 pg/mL, respectively, and were higher than those in cataract (non-glaucomatous) cases except PDGF. Levels of IL-6, MCP-1, and VEGF were higher in UG cases than in POAG cases. UG cases with a history of phacoemulsification displayed significantly higher levels of IL-6 (P = 0.0164), IL-8 (P = 0.0003), MCP-1 (P = 0.0465), and PDGF-AB/BB (P = 0.0062) compared to the phakic cases. The presence of cells in the anterior chamber was related to higher levels of IL-8 (P = 0.0002), TNF-α (P = 0.0037), and PDGF-AB/BB (P = 0.0009). The level of PDGF-AB/BB was higher in infectious uveitis than in non-infectious uveitis (P = 0.0211). The level of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 was negatively correlated with the levels of MCP-1 (adjusted R2 = 0.28, t = -2.45, P = 0.031) and TNF-α (adjusted R2 = 0.27, t = -2.43, P = 0.032). Conclusion A history of phacoemulsification, the presence of cells in the anterior chamber, and infectious uveitis were related to aqueous proinflammatory cytokine levels in patients with UG. TGF-β2 might be an anti-inflammatory factor in aqueous humor of UG patients.
Influence of Parents ’ Unemployment on the Health of Newborn Babies March

【Abstract】Recent research has shown that low‐income households have a higher probability of babies being born underweight, which is an indicator of poor health. The causes and effects of the weights of newborn babies need to be analyzed in Japan, where the proportion of low‐weight babies is extremely high relative to the other OECD countries. In this paper, we use panel data by prefecture to analyze the influence of market labor conditions on the weights of newborn babies in Japan. Controlling for heterogeneity among prefectures and years as random effects, we first show that high unemployment rates among parents do reduce the weights of newborn babies. However, our analysis does not confirm the influence of poverty and low income on the weights of newborn babies. Unemployment of parents may hamper the health of a baby for reasons other than financial difficulties. 【Key Words】unemployment, low birth‐weight, panel data, Japan 【JEL Classification Number】I1, J1, J2
Dynamic Group Decision Making Consistence Convergence Rate Analysis Based on Inertia Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

The traditional group decision-making method mostly is static aggregation method which scientifically defines the decision weighted vector of each decision makers. In fact, the group decision making convergence is always a dynamic process. The preferences of decision maker are dynamic changing in this process, it is more realistic to apply the dynamic model to consider the consistence convergence process. This article defines the consistence convergence coeffiecient according to the difference between the average order of decision evaluation matrix and total order. And it proposes an inertia particle swarm optimization model to discuss the influence of knowledge transfer to group decision consistence, specifically to analyze the convergence process. The model applies bionics principle to describe and compute the knowledge transfer and perference convergence process in group decision. Then we discuss and analyze the decision consistence convergence rate and the reason on the study case that decision making individual has the innate knowledge and knowledge transfer in group. In addition, the inertia Pso model proposed in this article is reasonable and effective in solving the project choice plan, and it will provide the basis for consistence convergence analysis in dynamic group decision making.
De novo actin polymerization is required for model Hirano body formation in Dictyostelium

ABSTRACT Hirano bodies are eosinophilic, actin-rich inclusions found in autopsied brains in numerous neurodegenerative diseases. The mechanism of Hirano body formation is unknown. Mass spectrometry analysis was performed to identify proteins from partially purified model Hirano bodies from Dictyostelium. This analysis identified proteins primarily belonging to ribosomes, proteasomes, mitochondria and cytoskeleton. Profilin, Arp/2/3 and WASH identified by mass spectrometry were found to colocalise with model Hirano bodies. Due to their roles in actin regulation, we selected these proteins for further investigation. Inhibition of the Arp2/3 complex by CK666 prevented formation of model Hirano bodies. Since Arp2/3 activation occurs via the WASH or WAVE complex, we next investigated how these proteins affect Hirano body formation. Whereas model Hirano bodies could form in WASH-deficient cells, they failed to form in cells lacking HSPC300, a member of the WAVE complex. We identified other proteins required for Hirano body formation that include profilin and VASP, an actin nucleation factor. In the case of VASP, both its G- and F-actin binding domains were required for model Hirano body formation. Collectively, our results indicate that de novo actin polymerization is required to form model Hirano bodies. Summary: Hirano bodies are F-actin-rich inclusions found in a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases with a complex physiological role. The composition and formation of Hirano bodies were investigated.
ESTIMATING THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM : AN EULER-EQUATION APPROACH

This paper shows theoretically and empirically that an aggregate Euler equation relates the real interest rate to the growth rate of per capita consumption and the ratio of private and social security wealth plus asset income to consumption. Using the estimated Euler equation, the paper then calculates the steady-state effects of social security reform. Reforms that reduce the ratio of social security wealth to consumption are found to shift the balanced growth paths for the capital stock, output, and consumption upward appreciably. JEL Codes: E21, E62, H31
The Relationship between Aggregation and Toxicity of Polyglutamine-Containing Ataxin-3 in the Intracellular Environment of Escherichia coli

Several neurodegenerative diseases are triggered by proteins containing a polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch expanded beyond a critical threshold. Among these, ataxin-3 (AT3) is the causative agent of spinocerebellar ataxia type-3. We expressed three authentic AT3 variants in Escherichia coli: one normal (AT3-Q24), one expanded (AT3-Q55) and one truncated immediately upstream of the polyQ (AT3-291Δ). Then, based on growth rate reduction, we quantified protein toxicity. We show that AT3-Q55 and -291Δ strongly reduced the growth rate in the early stages (2–4 h), unlike AT3-Q24. This correlated well with the appearance of soluble cytosolic oligomers, but not with the amount of insoluble protein in inclusion bodies (IBs). The impact of AT3-291Δ on cell growth suggests an intrinsic toxicity of the AT3 fragment. Besides the typical Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) signal for intermolecular β-sheets, the expanded form displayed an additional infrared signature, which was assigned to glutamine side-chain hydrogen bonding and associated with SDS-insoluble fibrils. The elongation of the latter was monitored by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). This mirrors the well-known in vitro two-step aggregation pattern of expanded AT3. We also demonstrated that final aggregates of strains expressing expanded or truncated AT3 play a protective role against toxicity. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the mechanisms of toxicity are evolutionarily conserved.
Whole body humanoid control from human motion descriptors

Many advanced motion control strategies developed in robotics use captured human motion data as valuable source of examples to simplify the process of programming or learning complex robot motions. Direct and online control of robots from observed human motion has several inherent challenges. The most important may be the representation of the large number of mechanical degrees of freedom involved in the execution of movement tasks. Attempting to map all such degrees of freedom from a human to a humanoid is a formidable task from an instrumentation and sensing point of view. More importantly, such an approach is incompatible with mechanisms in the central nervous system which are believed to organize or simplify the control of these degrees of freedom during motion execution and motor learning phase. Rather than specifying the desired motion of every degree of freedom for the purpose of motion control, it is important to describe motion by low dimensional motion primitives that are defined in Cartesian (or task) space. In this paper, we formulate the human to humanoid retargeting problem as a task space control problem. The control objective is to track desired task descriptors while satisfying constraints such as joint limits, velocity limits, collision avoidance, and balance. The retargeting algorithm generates the joint space trajectories that are commanded to the robot. We present experimental and simulation results of the retargeting control algorithm on the Honda humanoid robot ASIMO.
Independence Fault Collapsing and Concurrent Test Generation

Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this thesis is my own or was done in collaboration with my advisory committee. This thesis does not include proprietary or classified information. Permission is granted to Auburn University to make copies of this thesis at its discretion, upon the request of individuals or institutions and at their expense. The objective of this work is to find suitable targets for Automatic Test Pattern Generation (ATPG) such that a minimal test set is obtained for a combinational circuit. Original concepts of independence fault collapsing and concurrent test generation are developed and a novel test generation strategy based on these is devised. Independence fault collapsing groups faults into independent fault subsets such that each subset includes some faults that cannot be covered by the tests derived for any other subset. Using these fault subsets, optimally compact tests can be found. For an equivalence or dominance collapsed fault set an independence graph is generated using structural and functional independences. Each fault is represented as a node and an undirected edge between two nodes indicates independence of the corresponding faults; two independent faults cannot be detected by the same test vector. A " similarity-based " collapsing procedure reduces the graph to a fully-connected graph, whose nodes specify concurrently-testable fault targets for the ATPG. v Given a set of target faults, a concurrent test is an input vector that detects all (or most) faults in the set. These sets are obtained from the independence fault collapsing procedure. A new algorithm called the concurrent D algebra is presented for concurrent test generation. The independence fault collapsing algorithm and the concurrent D algebra together produced the minimal set of 12 tests for the 4-bit ALU (74181) circuit. But due to the complexity involved in generating the independence graph, this technique was not applied to the ISCAS85 benchmark circuits. A simulation based method was devised for generating the independence graph and for deriving concurrent tests using single-fault ATPG. The simulation based method was applied to the ISCAS85 combinational benchmark circuits. The results show that minimal test sets were generated for some benchmark circuits in CPU times that were almost half of what were required for an alternative dynamic compaction technique presented in the literature. vi Acknowledgments I would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance, encouragement, support, patience and direction provided to me by my …
Molecular Rydberg Laser without Inversion

Using ab-initio simulations, we demonstrate amplification of XUV radiation in a high-harmonic generation type process in the hydrogen molecular ion. A small fraction of the molecules is pumped with 9 eV photons to a dissociative Rydberg state from which IR-assisted XUV amplification is observed up to 22 eV. We show that starting at IR driving field intensities of 2 × 10 15 W/cm 2 , the hitherto dominant XUV absorption of the ground state molecules becomes quasi transparent while, due to stabilisation, strong gain from Rydberg states is maintained, thus leading to Rydberg lasing without inversion. We also show that the amplified windows in the XUV range depend on the internuclear distance and may be controlled by proper timing of the pump pulse and the IR driving field. High-order harmonic generation (HHG) in gases is a table-top technique producing attosecond pulses from the vacuum ultraviolet to the soft x-ray region and beyond [1], opening, in particular, the field of attosecond science [2]. Its main challenge, however, is the low conversion efficiency. One option to address this challenge is to rely on phase matching, see e.g. [3–6]. Alternatively, HHG may be enhanced at the single atom/molecule level by enhancing the first step of the HHG process – ionization – seeding it with single attosecond pulses or pulse trains, see e.g. [7–11]. Here, we focus on the recombination step in HHG and explore the possibility of IR-assisted stimulated XUV re-combination from Rydberg states, leading ideally to exponential growth of the XUV signal with the particle density, as opposed to quadratic growth in standard HHG (Figure 1(a)). While HHG is a coherent process, initially it is spontaneous: no incident field is originally present at the HHG frequencies to stimulate the emission. However , as the generated coherent high-frequency light is accumulated in the medium, it may start to stimulate emission and absorption at these new frequencies. This corresponds to self seeded amplification. Whether these stimulated transitions would lead to XUV light amplification or not depends on the dynamics of a quantum system. Crucially, the strong IR driving field alters and controls its response, see e.g. [12–17] for striking examples of what such control can achieve. If an effective population inversion is created between the states during or after the interaction with the strong IR driving field, light emitted at the corresponding transition frequencies can be amplified. Parametric amplification of HHG might also be …
Multiuser Detection for Random Access Bandwidth Request in WiMAX

Random access is a multiple access communication protocol where the users simultaneously communicate with a base station (BS) in an uncoordinated fashion. In this work, we consider the problem of multiuser detection in a random access bandwidth request context. We propose an enhanced random access scheme where the fixed/low-mobility M2M devices pre-equalize their random access codes using the estimated frequency response of the slowly-varying wireless channel. Consequently, we have developed two different multiuser detection algorithms. The first algorithm works in a greedy fashion where it performs cross-correlation of the received signal with a set of decoder sequences and detects active users based on the correlation output. We derive the condition under which the algorithm can detect a given number of active users with high probability. Subsequently, we demonstrate an efficient decoder design procedure which enhances the user detection performance. A basis mismatched sparse recovery technique has been applied in the second algorithm which exploit an inherent structure of the random access protocol. The performance of the proposed schemes is demonstrated in a WiMAX network environment.
The effect of ambient odour and sound on environmental evaluations.

As part of research on the effects of the environment on behaviour, the current thesis reported two studies examining evaluations made of the environment when aspects were changed. The hypothesis derived from Mehrabian and Russell's (1974) theory stated that changes in the environment would only affect evaluations when these changes influence the emotional (pleasure and arousal) states of the individual. Furthermore, changes in the complexity and familiarity within the environment influence emotional states and consequently evaluations. In contrast. Canter's (1977, 1983) theory predicts that evaluations are affected by the changes in the environment only when the goals of the individual also change simultaneously. The current thesis examined elements of the theories by asking participants to assess various aspects of their immediate physical environment in relation to their emotional states and goals while the sound and/or the odour-were manipulated. Participants in Study 1 were exposed to a "cut-grass" odour and "mower" sound, which were considered as being unidentifiable. During Study 2, a different set of participants was exposed to relatively identifiable stimuli consisting of a "coffee" odour and "cafeteria" sound. The goals were kept constant across the conditions as participants carried out the same tasks across the conditions, hi both studies participants were required to identify the sound and the odour and given a list of words to rate in terms of their relationship to the sound and odour in their environment. The studies revealed that the evaluations corresponding to the emotional states were a function of the whether the sound could be identified. The manipulation of the unidentifiable sound influenced the extent to which the environment was considered as being pleasant and marking participants to feel ill whereas the manipulation of the identifiable sound did not change these evaluations. However the evaluations were not a function of whether the odom- could be identified. Although the data from the studies provided support for some of the elements of Mehrabian and Russell's (1974), and Canter's (1983) theories, these theories do not adequately account for the differential effect of the sound and the odour manipulation. It was concluded that future research into the effects of the environment should consider the combined contribution of the emotional and purposive responses within a theoretical framework.