Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of balance training with Pro-kin System on balance in patients with white matter lesions

Abstract Patients with white matter lesions (WMLs) often present with problems of balance. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of combined Pro-kin system and conventional balance training to improve balance ability in WMLs patients. This is a randomized controlled study, and 40 participants were divided into 2 groups: the intervention group (n=18) received Pro-kin system with additional conventional balance training for 20 minutes per session, 5 times a week, for 2 weeks. The control group (n = 19) received only conventional balance training. Outcome measures were examined before and after the 2 weeks intervention using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Pro-kin system. After completion of the 2 weeks intervention, BBS, TUG, and Pro-kin system results significantly improved in the intervention group (P < .05). In the control group, BBS and Pro-kin system results significantly improved (P < .05). Changes in all outcomes but the ellipse area with eye closed (P < .05) were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group. The combination of Pro-kin system and conventional balance training is a potentially valuable treatment for patients with WMLs.
Open-Transistor Fault Diagnostics in Voltage-Source Inverters by Analyzing the Load Currents

A novel method is presented for the detection and isolation of open-transistor faults in voltage-source inverters feeding AC motors. The method is an extension of the normalized DC-components method. The normalized average currents are combined with additional diagnostic variables which convey information about the percentage of time spent by the phase currents in the near-zero zone. The combined diagnostic signals permit much more robust diagnostics of single-transistor faults and make feasible the diagnostics of multiple-transistor faults. Suggested in this paper is also an alternative solution for the normalization of DC components, which is easier interpreted and simpler to implement.
Differences in generalist and specialist physicians’ knowledge and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for congestive heart failure

ObjectiveTo quantify the extent and determinants of underutilization of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for patients with congestive heart failure, especially with respect to physician specialty and clinical indication.DesignSurvey of a national systematic sample of physicians.ParticipantsFive hundred family practitioners, 500 general internists, and 500 cardiologists.Measurements and main resultsPhysicians’ choice of medications were determined for four hypothetical patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: (1) new-onset, symptomatic; (2) asymptomatic; (3) chronic heart failure, on digitalis and diuretic; and (4) asymptomatic, post-myocardial infarction. For each patient, randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that ACE inhibitors decrease mortality or the progression of symptoms. Among the 727 eligible physicians returning surveys (adjusted response rate 58%), approximately 90% used ACE inhibitors for patients with chronic heart failure who were already taking digitalis and a diuretic. However, family practitioners and general internists chose ACE inhibitors less frequently (p≤.01) than cardiologists for the other indications. Respective rates of ACE inhibitor use for each simulated patient were new-onset, symptomatic (family practitioners 72%, general internists 76%, cardiologists 86%); asymptomatic (family practitioners 68%, general internists 78%, cardiologists 93%); and asymptomatic, post-myocardial infarction (family practitioners 58%, general internists 70%, cardiologists 94%). Compared with generalists, cardiologists were more likely (p≤.05) to increase ACE inhibitors to a target dosage (45% vs 26%) and to tolerate systolic blood pressures of 90 mm Hg or less (43% vs 15%). ConclusionsCompared with cardiologists, family practitioners and general internists probably underutilize ACE inhibitors, particularly among patients with decreased ejection fraction who are either asymptomatic or post-myocardial infarction. Educational efforts should focus on these indications and emphasize the dosages demonstrated to lower mortality and morbidity in the trials.
Toward Good Abstractions for Lifelong Learning

Lifelong Reinforcement Learning presents a diversity of challenges. Agents must effectively transfer knowledge across tasks while simultaneously addressing exploration, credit assignment, and generalization. Abstraction can help overcome these hurdles by compressing the state space or empowering the action space of a learning agent, thereby reducing the computational and statistical burdens of learning. In this work, we offer several new results on the effect of lifelong learning with abstractions. First, we introduce a new class of value-preserving state abstractions whose optimal form can be computed efficiently, improving over existing NP-Hardness results. Second, we provide a generic sample bound for computing high confidence state abstractions of these kinds in the lifelong setting. Third, we show experimentally that only in the simplest of settings do state abstractions offer improvements to lifelong learning. In light of these limitations, we introduce a complementary action-abstraction algorithm that, when paired with a state abstraction, enables efficient learning across tasks. Further, the joint stateaction abstraction defines a closed operator on MDPs, thereby yielding a simple recipe for constructing and analyzing hierarchies for reinforcement learning.
Fundamentals of Photographic Theory

THIS book is a condensed version of "The Theory of the Photographic Process", by Dr. C. E. K. Mees, and it should prove a valuable text-book for those possessing the requisite knowledge of physics and chemistry and the necessary photographic experience to apply this knowledge . The chapter on the photographic emulsion is somewhat meagre, but succeeding chapters on the formation of the latent image and on reciprocity-law failure and other exposure effects are good. As one would expect, the chapters on development (mechanism of development, composition and reactions of developers, and general kinetics of development) reflect the fact that Dr. T. H. James has for many years made valuable contributions to this subject. After a discussion of fixing and washing, the authors devote three excellent chapters to a study of sensitometry, and a further chapter to the theory of tone reproduction. New material published since the date of Dr. Mees's work is included, and the discussion in chapter 11 on the new speed constants adapted by the American Standards Association is of particular interest. Finally, the authors deal with the structure of the developed image and with sensitizing and desensitizing. The book is very free from errors for a first edition ; the only one worth noting is that the formulae on p. 103 are not quite correct. The index is adequate, and the printing, lay-out and paper are first-class.Fundamentals of Photographic Theory By Dr. T. H. James Dr. George C. Higgins Pp. vii+286. (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1948.) 21s. net.
Beta-cell Specific Autoantibodies: Are they Just an Indicator of Type 1 Diabetes?

BACKGROUND Autoantibodies (AAbs) against islet autoantigens (AAgs) are used for type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis and prediction. Islet-specific AAbs usually appear early in life and may fluctuate in terms of number and titer sometimes for over 20 years before T1D develops. Whereas their predictive power is high for pediatric subjects with high genetic risk who rapidly progress to multiple AAb positivity, they are less reliable for children with low genetic risk, single AAb positivity and slow disease progression. OBJECTIVE It is unknown how AAbs develop and whether they are involved in T1D pathogenesis. So far an increase in AAb number seems to only indicate AAg spreading and progression towards clinical T1D. The goal of this review is to shed light on the possible involvement of AAbs in T1D development. METHOD We thoroughly review the current literature and discuss possible mechanisms of AAb development and the roles they may play in disease pathogenesis. RESULTS Genetic and environmental factors instigate changes at the molecular and cellular levels that promote AAb development. Although direct involvement of AAbs in T1D is less clear, autoreactive B cells are clearly involved in various immune and autoimmune responses via antigen presentation, immunoregulation and cytokine production. CONCLUSION Our analysis suggests that understanding the mechanisms that lead to islet-specific AAb development and the diabetogenic processes that autoreactive B cells promote may uncover additional biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Mechanical remodeling of the left atrium after loss of atrioventricular synchrony. A long-term study in humans.

BACKGROUND Tachycardia-mediated mechanical remodeling of the atrium is considered central to the pathogenesis of thromboembolism associated with chronic atrial fibrillation. Whether atrial mechanical remodeling also occurs in response to atrial stretch induced by chronic asynchronous ventricular pacing in patients with permanent pacemakers is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS The study design was a prospective randomized comparison between 21 patients paced chronically in the VVI mode and 11 patients paced chronically in the DDD mode for 3 months. Left atrial appendage (LAA) function and the presence of spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) were determined with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) within 24 hours of pacemaker implantation and after 3 months. The VVI patients were then programmed to DDD and underwent a third TEE after DDD pacing for an additional 3 months. After chronic VVI pacing, LAA velocity decreased from 82.4+/-29.0 to 42.1+/-25.4 cm/s (P<0.01), LAA fractional area change decreased from 74.9+/-17.2% to 49.8+/-22.0% (P<0.01), and 4 patients (19%) developed left atrial SEC (P<0.05). With the reestablishment of chronic AV synchrony, LAA velocity increased to 61.6+/-18.5 cm/s (P<0.01), LAA fractional area change increased to 76.4+/-18.1% (P<0.01), and SEC resolved. In the 11 patients undergoing chronic DDD pacing, no significant changes in LAA velocity (baseline, 86.0+/-28.8 cm/s versus 3 months, 79.6+/-14. 9 cm/s) or LAA fractional area change (baseline, 76.2+/-19.4% versus 72.5+/-15.7%) were demonstrated, and SEC did not develop. CONCLUSIONS Chronic loss of AV synchrony induced by VVI pacing is associated with mechanical remodeling of the left atrium, which may reverse after the reestablishment of AV synchrony with DDD pacing. This process may be partly responsible for the higher incidence of thromboembolism observed in patients undergoing VVI pacing compared with AV sequential pacing.
A 1 . 57-GHz Low-Power Low-Phase-Noise Quadrature LC-VCO

1.57-GHz low-power low-phase-noise quadrature LC-VCO is presented. This paper adopts current source sharing and higher L/C, L/R ratio techniques to achieve power and phase noise optimization. Verified by 0.35-um CMOS process, the VCO features a much lower power consumption of 6.4mW and a low phase noise performance of-140dBc/Hz@3MHz, with a wide tuning range of 14%.
Connected operators for sprite creation and layered representation of image sequences

This paper proposes and discusses the use of motion-oriented connected operators for sprite creation. Motion-oriented connected operators are tools allowing the simplification of frames by removing objects that do not follow a given motion. They combine features of filtering and segmentation tools. They are, however, less computationally expensive than most motion-oriented segmentation algorithms. In this paper, we show how they can be used to efficiently remove outliers with respect to the dominant motion and to create layered representation of sequences.
Chord on demand

Structured peer-to-peer overlay networks are now an established paradigm for implementing a wide range of distributed services. While the problem of maintaining these networks in the presence of churn and other failures is the subject of intensive research, the problem of building them from scratch has not been addressed (apart from individual nodes joining an already functioning overlay). In this paper we address the problem of jump-starting a popular structured overlay, Chord, from scratch. This problem is of crucial importance in scenarios where one is assigned a limited time interval in a distributed environment such as Planet-Lab, or a grid, and the overlay infrastructure needs to be set up from the ground up as quickly and efficiently as possible, or when a temporary overlay has to be generated to solve a specific task on demand. We introduce T-Chord, that can build a Chord network efficiently starting from a random unstructured overlay. After jump-starting, the structured overlay can be handed over to the Chord protocol for further maintenance. We demonstrate through extensive simulation experiments that the proposed protocol can create a perfect Chord topology in a logarithmic number of steps. Furthermore, using a simple extension of the protocol, we can optimize the network from the point of view of message latency.
A 48-MHz Differential Crystal Oscillator With 168-fs Jitter in 28-nm CMOS

A 168-fs rms jitter, 48-MHz differential crystal oscillator based on a new active inductor biasing circuit achieves differential operation with low noise, power, and area overhead. This architecture has two significant advantages compared to the single-ended crystal oscillators that are normally used: 1) this circuit rejects power supply noise and interference which leads to lower jitter and 2) the crystal oscillator-induced spurious tones are smaller and therefore less detrimental to sensitive blocks (e.g., LNA) in RF radios. This paper theoretically analyzes the differential crystal oscillator and provides detailed design considerations. A prototype requires half the power and 80% less area than previously reported differential crystal oscillators. Implemented in a 28-nm LP CMOS process, it draws 1.5 mA from a 1-V supply and occupies 0.013 mm2.
The feel dimension of technology interaction: exploring tangibles through movement and touch

This paper presents concepts to extend our understandings of bodily aspects of technology interactions. The aim of the paper is to offer a way of looking at the role our haptic and kinaesthetic senses play in experiencing tangibles. We approach this issue by framing it around how our bodies establish relationships with things. Four themes body-thing dialogue, potential for action, actions in space (consisting of within-reach, out-of-reach) and movement expression are introduced. We discuss the role these themes can play in our thinking about, and exploration for, tangible and non-tangible technology interactions. The idea is that these themes can help us consider, not just how a design or a technology might look, but also how it might feel to use.
A Bound on the Throughput of Radio Networks

We consider the well-studied radio network model: a synchronous model with a graph G=(V,E) with |V|=n where in each round, each node either transmits a packet, with length B=Omega(log n) bits, or listens. Each node receives a packet iff it is listening and exactly one of its neighbors is transmitting. We consider the problem of k-message broadcast, where k messages, each with Theta(B) bits, are placed in an arbitrary nodes of the graph and the goal is to deliver all messages to all the nodes. We present a simple proof showing that there exist a radio network with radius 2 where for any k, broadcasting k messages requires at least Omega(k log n) rounds. That is, in this network, regardless of the algorithm, the maximum achievable broadcast throughput is O(1/log n).
The development of an RDoC-based treatment program for adolescent depression: “Training for Awareness, Resilience, and Action” (TARA)

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the current leading causes of disability worldwide. Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the onset of depression, with MDD affecting 8–20% of all youth. Traditional treatment methods have not been sufficiently effective to slow the increasing prevalence of adolescent depression. We therefore propose a new model for the treatment of adolescent depression – Training for Awareness, Resilience, and Action (TARA) – that is based on current understanding of developmental and depression neurobiology. The TARA model is aligned with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) of the National Institute of Mental Health. In this article, we first address the relevance of RDoC to adolescent depression. Second, we identify the major RDoC domains of function involved in adolescent depression and organize them in a way that gives priority to domains thought to be driving the psychopathology. Third, we select therapeutic training strategies for TARA based on current scientific evidence of efficacy for the prioritized domains of function in a manner that maximizes time, resources, and feasibility. The TARA model takes into consideration the developmental limitation in top-down cognitive control in adolescence and promotes bottom-up strategies such as vagal afference to decrease limbic hyperactivation and its secondary effects. The program has been informed by mindfulness-based therapy and yoga, as well as modern psychotherapeutic techniques. The treatment program is semi-manualized, progressive, and applied in a module-based approach designed for a group setting that is to be conducted one session per week for 12 weeks. We hope that this work may form the basis for a novel and more effective treatment strategy for adolescent depression, as well as broaden the discussion on how to address this challenge.
Estimation of a function with discontinuities via local polynomial fit with an adaptive window choice

We propose a method of adaptive estimation of a regression function and which is near optimal in the classical sense of the mean integrated error At the same time the estimator is shown to be very sensitive to discontinuities or change points of the underlying function f or its derivatives For instance in the case of a jump of a regression function beyond the interval of length in order n logn around change points the quality of estimation is essentially the same as if locations of jumps were known The method is fully adaptive and no assumptions are imposed on the design number and size of jumps The results are formulated in a non asymptotic way and can be therefore applied for an arbitrary sample size
The Market for Used Capital: Endogenous Irreversibility and Reallocation Over the Business Cycle

This paper studies the business-cycle dynamics of secondary markets for physical capital and their effects on the macroeconomy. In the data, both capital reallocation and the price of used capital are procyclical. To rationalize these facts, I propose a model with endogenous partial irreversibility, where used investment goods are imperfect substitutes for new ones because of firm-level capital specificity. Equilibrium dynamics in the market for used capital induce countercyclical dispersion of marginal products of capital, propagate movements in aggregate TFP, and provide a microfoundation for state-dependent nonconvex capital adjustment costs. (JEL E22, E23, E32, G31)
Role of nitric oxide in recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced circulatory shock: a study in patients treated for cancer with isolated limb perfusion.

OBJECTIVES To analyze the mechanism of vasodilation and circulatory shock occurring in patients who are treated with isolated limb perfusion with melphalan and recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha for locally advanced malignant tumors. To determine the role of nitric oxide, if any, by measuring plasma nitrite and nitrate concentrations. DESIGN Observational survey. SETTING A 12-bed surgical intensive care unit in a university referral hospital. PATIENTS Eight patients treated with hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion. INTERVENTIONS Ninety minutes of hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion with recombinant TNF-alpha (3 or 4 mg) and melphalan (10 to 13 mg/L limb volume). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS All patients developed sepsis syndrome due to leakage of recombinant TNF-alpha from the perfusion circuit to the systemic circulation. Despite the presence of very high systemic TNF-alpha concentrations during and immediately after perfusion, and despite definite signs of hyperdynamic circulatory shock (increased heart rate, increased cardiac index, decreased systemic vascular resistance), nitrite and nitrate concentrations, as measured in plasma at several time points, were not increased. CONCLUSIONS The hypothesis that in humans, TNF-alpha induces vasodilation and shock through activation of inducible nitric-oxide synthase and subsequent formation of excessive quantities of nitric oxide is not substantiated by our results. Normal nitric oxide metabolite concentrations were found in the presence of high TNF-alpha concentrations and shock. Other mechanisms that do not involve the nitric oxide pathway are likely to play a role in the generation of hypotension and septic shock in this setting.
Unidirectional Key Distribution Across Time and Space with Applications to RFID Security

We explore the problem of secret-key distribution in unidirectional channels, those in which a sender transmits information blindly to a receiver. We consider two approaches: (1) Key sharing across space, i.e., via simultaneously emitted values that may follow different data paths and (2) Key sharing across time, i.e., in temporally staggered emissions. Our constructions are of general interest, treating, for instance, the basic problem of constructing highly compact secret shares. Our main motivating problem, however, is practical key management in RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) systems. We describe the application of our techniques to RFID-enabled supply chains and a prototype privacy-enhancing system.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs): the emergence of a new champion in stem cell technology‐driven biomedical applications

Pluripotent stem cells possess the unique property of differentiating into all other cell types of the human body. Further, the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in 2006 has opened up new avenues in clinical medicine. In simple language, iPSCs are nothing but somatic cells reprogrammed genetically to exhibit pluripotent characteristics. This process utilizes retroviruses/lentiviruses/adenovirus/plasmids to incorporate candidate genes into somatic cells isolated from any part of the human body. It is also possible to develop disease‐specific iPSCs which are most likely to revolutionize research in respect to the pathophysiology of most debilitating diseases, as these can be mimicked ex vivo in the laboratory. These models can also be used to study the safety and efficacy of known drugs or potential drug candidates for a particular diseased condition, limiting the need for animal studies and considerably reducing the time and money required to develop new drugs. Recently, functional neurons, cardiomyocytes, pancreatic islet cells, hepatocytes and retinal cells have been derived from human iPSCs, thus re‐confirming the pluripotency and differentiation capacity of these cells. These findings further open up the possibility of using iPSCs in cell replacement therapy for various degenerative disorders. In this review we highlight the development of iPSCs by different methods, their biological characteristics and their prospective applications in regenerative medicine and drug screening. We further discuss some practical limitations pertaining to this technology and how they can be averted for the betterment of human life. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.