Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Propagated Vasodilation in the Microcirculation of the Hamster Cheek Pouch

Propagated vasodilation has been observed in the peripheral vasculature and may be significant in integrating the behavior of terminal arterioles and larger vessels. We have studied the characteristics of propagated vasodilation induced by acetylcholine in the microcirculation of the cheek pouch of the golden hamster. The technique of microionophoresis was used as a means of achieving relatively precise temporal and spatial application of drugs to single arterioles. Application of acetylcholine to an arteriole usually resulted in vasodilation which spread rapidly upstream and downstream from the point of application at a rate much greater than could be accounted for by diffusion or by other means of movement of the agent. Longitudinal propagation velocities for a series of arterioles 20 to 40μ in diameter averaged 0.02 cm/sec. The propagated response was relatively specific, being induced by acetylcholine but not by histamine, K+, H+, or eledoisin. The response was graded in both extent and magnitude, was propagated bidirectionally from the point of origin, was observed in vessels as small as 15μ o.d. , and could be blocked by lidocaine.
Effects of acute thermal stress and amount of feed intake on concentrations of somatotropin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II, and thyroid hormones in plasma of lactating Holstein cows.

Our objective was to evaluate effects of acute thermal stress, independent of reduced feed intake caused by elevated temperatures, and of reduced feed intake in thermal comfort on plasma concentrations of somatotropin, insulin-like growth factors I and II, thyroxine, and triiodothyronine. Six Holstein cows (averaging 475 +/- 18 kg BW, 2.3 +/- .3 parities, and 96 +/- 12 d in lactation) surgically fitted with catheters in the hepatic portal vein, mesenteric vein, and intercostalis posterior artery were exposed to treatments of thermal comfort environments with ad libitum or restricted (75% of ad libitum) DM intake and a thermal stress environment with ad libitum intake in two balanced 3 x 3 Latin squares. Thermal stress increased rectal temperatures and respiration rates. Dry matter intake of the thermal-stressed cows offered feed ad libitum (11.1 +/- .7 kg/d) was similar to the experimentally imposed reduction in DM intake of the thermal comfort restricted group (11.5 +/- .7 kg/d). Dry matter intake of cows in thermal comfort was 15.1 +/- . 7 kg/d. Plasma somatotropin concentrations tended (P less than .08) to decrease during thermal stress but were unchanged by amount of feed intake in thermal comfort environments. Concentrations of IGF-I were not affected by treatments. Concentrations of IGF-II tended (P less than .14) to increase with thermal stress compared with thermal comfort treatments. Thyroxine concentrations tended (P less than .15) to increase in the thermal stress treatment compared with the thermal comfort restricted intake treatment. Triiodothyronine tended (P less than .11) to decrease with restriction in feed intake in the thermal comfort environment. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A classifier for semi-structured documents

In this paper, w edescribe a novel text classi er that can e ectiv ely cope with structured documents. We report experiments that compare its performance with that of a wellknown probabilistic classi er. Our novel classi er can take adv antage of the information in the structure of document that con ventional, purely term-based classi ers ignore.Conventional classi ers are mostly based on the vector space model of document, which views a document simply as an n-dimensional vector of terms. T o retain the information in the structure, w e ha ve dev eloped a structured vector model, which represents a document with a structured vector, whose elements can be either terms or other structured vectors. With this extended model, we also have improved the well-kno wn probabilistic classi cation method based on the Bernoulli document generation model. Our classi er based on these improvements performes signi cantly better on pre-classi ed samples from the web and the US Patent database than the usual classi ers.
First steps towards a distributed optical fiber radiation sensing system

Ionizing radiations affect installed electronics, limit equipment lifetimes and eventually alter materials both in space applications as well as high energy accelerators and physics experiments. In order to monitor radiation levels and predict equipment and material lifetimes, an accurate radiation dosimetry is highly important and very challenging often due to two main reasons: (i) large areas and (ii) extended dose range of interest.
An integrated approach to engineer and enforce context constraints in RBAC environments

We present an approach that uses special purpose role-based access control (RBAC) constraints to base certain access control decisions on context information. In our approach a context constraint is defined as a dynamic RBAC constraint that checks the actual values of one or more contextual attributes for predefined conditions. If these conditions are satisfied, the corresponding access request can be permitted. Accordingly, a conditional permission is an RBAC permission that is constrained by one or more context constraints. We present an engineering process for context constraints that is based on goal-oriented requirements engineering techniques, and describe how we extended the design and implementation of an existing RBAC service to enable the enforcement of context constraints. With our approach we aim to preserve the advantages of RBAC and offer an additional means for the definition and enforcement of fine-grained context-dependent access control policies.
Detecting Text Similarity over Short Passages: Exploring Linguistic Feature Combinations via Machine Learning

We present a new composite similarity metric that combines information from multiple linguistic indicators to measure semantic distance between pairs of small textual units. Several potential features are investigated and an optimal combination is selected via machine learning. We discuss a more restrictive definition of similarity than traditional, document-level and information retrieval-oriented, notions of similarity, and motivate it by showing its relevance to the multi-document text summarization problem. Results from our system are evaluated against standard information retrieval techniques, establishing that the new method is more effective in identifying closely related textual units.
Evolutionary domains: a basis for sound software evolution

Though significant amount of work has been done so far, software evolution problem is still a challenge. It is not only due to the inherent difficulty of changing complex objects such as software, but also it comes from the fact that evolution activities are not performed properly. In this paper, aiming at establishing a sound and scientific basis for software evolution, we propose a general framework of software evolution. It is based on the concept of evolutionary domains and evolutionary development between them. We consider that this will serve as a reference model of software evolution and can be used for evaluating, assessing and guiding evolution activities.
Lysis of Grouped and Ungrouped Streptococci by Lysozyme

Thirty strains of streptococci were tested for lysis with lysozyme, and 29 of these could be lysed by the following method: (i) suspension of the cells to a Klett reading of 200 units (no. 42 filter) in 0.01 m tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer, pH 8.2, after washing twice with the buffer; (ii) addition of lysozyme to a final concentration of 250 μg/ml with incubation for 60 min at 37 C; (iii) addition of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) to a final concentration of 0.2% and incubation up to an additional 15 min at 37 C. Significant lysis was obtained only after the addition of SLS. (Strains of groups A, E, and G were treated with trypsin at a concentration of 200 μg/ml for 2 hr at 37 C before exposure to lysozyme.) These parameters for optimal lysis of streptococci by lysozyme were established by testing the group D Streptococcus faecalis strain 31 which lyses readily with lysozyme and the group H strain Challis which is less susceptible to the action of the enzyme. Viability of S. faecalis decreased 96% after 3 min of exposure to 250 μg of lysozyme per ml, whereas the more resistant strain Challis retained 27% of the initial viability after the same period. After 60 min, there was almost total loss of viability in each case. Variations of three methods of lysing streptococci with lysozyme were compared with respect to the decrease in turbidity and the release of protein and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) effected by each variation. The method presented in this paper allowed the greatest release of these cytoplasmic constituents from S. faecalis and strain Challis. Transformation experiments using DNA obtained from strain Challis (streptomycinresistant) by this method showed that the DNA released is biologically active.
Fertility after treatment for Hodgkin's disease.

BACKGROUND The investigational endeavors of ovarian cryopreservation await the clinical experience of auto- or xenotransplantation, in vitro maturation of thawed primordial follicles, their in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Although promising, this experience is not yet available. Moreover, the risk of possible reimplantation of malignant stem cells with the thawed cryoperserved ovary has been raised following experimental animal observations. Therefore, until these innovative endeavors prove successful, we have attempted to minimize the gonadotoxic effect of chemotherapy by the co-treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonistic analog (GnRH-a) to induce a temporary prepubertal milieu. The immunoreactive inhibin-A and -B in these patients was measured before, during and following the gonadotoxic chemotherapy. METHODS A prospective clinical protocol was undertaken in 60 women aged 15-40 years with lymphoma, 10 with leukemia and 10 undergoing chemotherapeutic treatments for non-malignant diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus or other autoimmune diseases. A monthly injection of depot D-TRP(6)-GnRH-a was administered from before starting the chemotherapy until its conclusion, up to a maximum of 6 months. Hormonal profile [follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), E2, T, P4, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-BP3 and prolactin) was taken before starting the GnRH-a/chemotherapy co-treatment, and monthly thereafter until resumtion of spontaneous ovulation. This group was compared with a control group of 60 women who have been treated with similar chemotherapy. RESULTS Whereas all but three (40, 36 and 34 year old) of the surviving patients within the GnRH-a/ chemotherapy co-treatment group resumed spontaneous ovulation and menses within 12 months, less than half of the patients in the 'control' group (chemotherapy without GnRH-a co-treatment) resumed ovarian function and regular cyclic activity (P <0.05). The remaining 55% experienced premature ovarian failure (POF). Temporarily increased FSH concentrations were experienced by about one-third of the patients resuming cyclic ovarian function, suggesting reversible ovarian damage in a larger proportion of women than those experiencing POF. Inhibin-A and -B decreased during the GnRH-a/ chemotherapy co-treatment but increased to normal levels in patients who resumed regular ovarian cyclicity, and/or spontaneously conceived, as compared with low levels in those who developed POF. CONCLUSIONS If these preliminary data are consisent in a larger group of patients, GnRH-a co-treatment should be considered in every woman of reproductive age receiving chemotherapy, in addition to assisted reproductive technologies and the investigation into ovarian cryopreservation for future in vitro maturation, autotransplantation or xenotransplantation.
Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of Laurus nobilis L. and Myrtus communis L. essential oils from Morocco and evaluation of their antimicrobial activity acting alone or in combined processes for food preservation.

BACKGROUND This study describes the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Laurus nobilis L. and Myrtus communis L. essential oils (EOs). This is the first report of the synergistic antimicrobial effect of these EOs in combination with physical food preservation treatments. RESULTS EOs obtained by steam distillation from aerial parts of Laurus nobilis and Myrtus communis were analysed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The main compounds were 1,8-cineole and 2-carene (L. nobilis EO); and myrtenyl acetate, 1,8-cineole and α-pinene (M. communis EO). L. nobilis EO showed higher antioxidant activity than M. communis EO in three complementary antioxidant tests. Although antimicrobial activity tests demonstrated the effectiveness of L. nobilis EO and the lack of bactericidal effect of M. communis EO, synergistic lethal effects were observed when combining each EO (0.2 µL mL(-1)) with mild heat (54°C for 10 min) or high hydrostatic pressure (175-400 MPa for 20 min). In contrast, combination of EOs with pulsed electric fields (30 kV cm(-1) for 25 pulses) showed no additional effects. CONCLUSION This study shows the great potential of these EOs in combined treatments with mild heat and high hydrostatic pressure to obtain a higher inactivation of foodborne pathogens, which might help in the design of safe processes applied at low intensity.
Bootstrapping a Game with a Purpose for Commonsense Collection

Text mining has been very successful in extracting huge amounts of commonsense knowledge from data, but the extracted knowledge tends to be extremely noisy. Manual construction of knowledge repositories, on the other hand, tends to produce high-quality data in very small amounts. We propose an architecture to combine the best of both worlds: A game with a purpose that induces humans to clean up data automatically extracted by text mining. First, a text miner trained on a set of known commonsense facts harvests many more candidate facts from corpora. Then, a simple slot-machine-with-a-purpose game presents these candidate facts to the players for verification by playing. As a result, a new dataset of high precision commonsense knowledge is created. This combined architecture is able to produce significantly better commonsense facts than the state-of-the-art text miner alone. Furthermore, we report that bootstrapping (i.e., training the text miner on the output of the game) improves the subsequent performance of the text miner.
Bayesian Analysis of Structural Effects in an Ordered Equation System

We describe a new simulation-based algorithm for Bayesian estimation of structural effects in models where the outcome of interest and an endogenous treatment variable are ordered. Our algorithm makes use of a reparameterization, suggested by Nandram and Chen (1996) in the context of a single equation ordered-probit model, which significantly improves the mixing of the standard Gibbs sampler. We illustrate the improvements afforded by this new algorithm (relative to the standard Gibbs sampler) in a generated data experiment and also make use of our methods in an empirical application. Specifically, we take data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) and investigate the impact of maternal alcohol consumption on early infant health. Our results show clear evidence that the health outcomes of infants whose mothers drink while pregnant are worse than the outcomes of infants whose mothers never consumed alcohol while pregnant. In addition, the estimated parameters clearly suggest the need to control for the endogeneity of maternal alcohol consumption.
Characterization of the UWB channel based on random partially known frequency responses

In this paper, a new method for UWB channel characterization is introduced. This method is based on the knowledge of the frequency response of several (but not all) randomly selected portions (chunks) of the UWB band. Employing this method, estimation of the root mean square (rms) delay spread (RDS) is investigated. The results for different scenarios are compared to the case when the complete UWB channel is known. Wideband indoor channel measurement data at 2.4, 4.75 and 11.5 GHz of G. Janssen et al. (1996), which fulfils the UWB criteria, is evaluated using the introduced method. The results show that the RDS of the UWB channel can be estimated when the frequency response of the UWB channel is only partially known.
"Peer-Assisted Learning"(PAL) in the Skills-Lab – an inventory at the medical faculties of the Federal Republic of Germany

Background: Over multiple years, the didactic concept of „peer-assisted learning“ (PAL) has proved to be valuable for medical education. Particularly in the field of the nowadays widely established Skills-Labs, the assignment of student tutors is both popular and effective. The aim of the underlying study is to assess the current status of PAL programs within German medical faculties’ Skills-Labs regarding their distribution, extent, structure and content based on a nation-wide survey. Methods: All 36 medical faculties in Germany were contacted and asked for their participation (via telephone or in written form) in the survey encompassing 16 central questions as to the structure of established PAL programs. Data obtained were subject to quantitative and qualitative analysis. Results: 35 of 36 (97.2%) medical faculties participated in the survey. A PAL program was shown to be established at 33 (91.7%) faculties. However, the results show distinct differences between different faculties with respect to extent and content of the PAL programs. Conclusions: Among German medical Skills-Labs, PAL has been established almost ubiquitously. Further studies on the conception and standardization of training concepts appear to be pivotal for the advancement of PAL in the context of Skills-Labs.
Is Unemployment Helpful in Understanding Inflation

The simultaneous decline of core inflation with the increase in the unemployment rate during the recession of 2007-09 has renewed debate about the use of economic slack, such as unemployment, for predicting inflation. Doh examines the relationship between cyclical fluctuations in inflation and unemployment and finds that the relationship varies over time and tends to be stronger and more significant during recessions and early in recoveries than during mature expansions. The empirical results also suggest the trend component of unemployment increases more in a weak recovery than a rapid recovery, resulting in less downward pressure on inflation. Hence, carefully assessing the size of the cyclical component of unemployment is important for understanding inflation dynamics.
Deep saliency quality assessment network

In this paper, we propose to predict the quality score of saliency map by only looking over the saliency map itself. In order to achieve this goal, we propose deep saliency quality assessment network (DSQAN), to predict the saliency quality scores directly from saliency maps. First of all, we model this saliency quality assessment task as a regression problem. To train an efficient regression model, we utilize state-of-the-art deep convolutional neural networks, and reform the canonical architecture, which is used to accomplish image classification problem, to regress the saliency quality scores of saliency maps. As a direct application of the proposed DSQAN, the predicted saliency quality scores can be utilized to rank the saliency maps or choose the best-K saliency maps from a set of saliency maps. The experimental results on the MSRA10K dataset demonstrate that our proposed method has the ability to precisely predict the quality of a given saliency map. The quantitative experimental results show that the prediction error is less than 5.3% in terms of MAE score on the whole test set. We also show the ranking results using the predicted saliency quality scores to show the effectiveness of proposed method.
A Wavelet-Based Approach for Screening Falls Risk in the Elderly using Support Vector Machines

Trip related falls are a prevalent and costly threat to the elderly. Early identification of at-risk gait helps prevent falls and injuries. The main aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of a wavelet based multiscale analysis of a gait variable [minimum foot clearance (MFC)] in extracting features for developing a model using Support Vector Machines (SVM) for automated detection of balance impairment and estimation of the falls risk in the elderly. MFC during continuous walking on a treadmill was recorded on 11 healthy elderly and 10 elderly with balance problems (falls risk) and with a history of tripping falls. The multiscale exponents (beta) between successive wavelet (Wv) coefficient levels after Wnu decomposition of MFC series (512 points) into eight levels from level 2 (Wnu2) to level 256 (Wnu256), were calculated for healthy as well as falls-risk elderly adults. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the most powerful predictor variable was found to be betaWnu16-Wnu8 (ROCarea = 1.0), followed by betaWnu16-Wnu8 (ROCarea = 0.92). These multiscale exponents were used as inputs to the SVM model to develop relationships between the intrinsic characteristics of gait control and the healthy/falls-risk category. The leave one out technique was utilized for optimal tuning and testing of the SVM model. The maximum accuracy was found to be 100% using a polynomial kernel (d = 4) with C = 10 and the maximum ROC = 1.0, when the SVM model was used to diagnose gait area patterns of healthy and falls risk elderly subjects. For relative risk estimation of all subjects, posterior probabilities of SVM outputs were calculated. In conclusion, these results suggest considerable potential for SVM gait recognition model based on multiscale wavelet features in the detection of gait changes in older adults due to balance impairments and falling behavior. These preliminary results are also encouraging and could be useful not only in the falls risk diagnostic applications but also for evaluating the need for referral for falls prevention intervention (e.g., exercise program to improve balance).
Resource allocation game for wireless networks with queue stability constraints

We study the interaction among users of contention-based wireless networks, where the performance of the network is highly correlated with user transmission probabilities. Considering the underlying user incentives, we make use of the conceptual framework of noncooperative game theory to obtain a distributed control mechanism to limit the contention among wireless nodes by taking into account queue stability. We present a comprehensive analysis of the game including existence and uniqueness of Nash equilibrium point and convergence dynamics. Utilizing linear pricing enables us to move the equilibrium point of the game to a desirable region. We obtain conditions on linear prices necessary to achieve stability of user queues in the asymmetric and symmetric cases.