Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systematic review of outcome measures of walking training using electromechanical and robotic devices in patients with stroke.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review was to identify appropriate selection criteria of clinical scales for future trials, starting from those most commonly reported in the literature, according to their psychometric properties and International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) domains. DATA SOURCES A computerized literature research of articles was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINALH, PubMed, PsychINFO and Scopus databases. STUDY SELECTION Clinical trials evaluating the effects of electromechanical and robot-assisted gait training trials in stroke survivors. DATA EXTRACTION Fifteen independent authors performed an extensive literature review. DATA SYNTHESIS A total of 45 scales was identified from 27 studies involving 966 subjects. The most commonly used outcome measures were: Functional Ambulation Category (18 studies), 10-Meter Walking Test (13 studies), Motricity Index (12 studies), 6-Minute Walking Test (11 studies), Rivermead Mobility Index (8 studies) and Berg Balance Scale (8 studies). According to the ICF domains 1 outcome measure was categorized into Body Function and Structure, 5 into Activity and none into Participation. CONCLUSION The most commonly used scales evaluated the basic components of walking. Future studies should also include instrumental evaluation. Criteria for scale selection should be based on the ICF framework, psychometric properties and patient characteristics.
An egalitarian network model for the emergence of simple and complex cells in visual cortex

We explain how simple and complex cells arise in a large-scale neuronal network model of the primary visual cortex of the macaque. Our model consists of ≈4,000 integrate-and-fire, conductance-based point neurons, representing the cells in a small, 1-mm2 patch of an input layer of the primary visual cortex. In the model the local connections are isotropic and nonspecific, and convergent input from the lateral geniculate nucleus confers cortical cells with orientation and spatial phase preference. The balance between lateral connections and lateral geniculate nucleus drive determines whether individual neurons in this recurrent circuit are simple or complex. The model reproduces qualitatively the experimentally observed distributions of both extracellular and intracellular measures of simple and complex response.
Cardiovascular System During the Postpartum State in Women With a History of Preeclampsia

In subjects with previous preeclampsia, differences in cardiovascular and/or blood biochemical parameters are present in the nonpregnant state, and a simultaneous assessment of multiple derived indices better differentiates between women with or without previous preeclampsia. We examined 18 previous preeclamptic and 50 previous uncomplicated pregnancies, ≈16 months postpartum. Cardiovascular assessment included the following: (1) systemic hemodynamics and mechanics (Doppler echocardiography, tonometry, and oscillometric sphygmomanometry); (2) endothelial function (plethysmography); (3) left ventricular properties (echocardiography); and (4) blood biochemical analyses. Compared to women with previous uncomplicated pregnancies, previous preeclamptics had higher mean (80±1 versus 86±3 mm Hg; P=0.04) and diastolic (64±1 versus 68±2 mm Hg; P=0.04) pressures and total vascular resistance (1562±37 versus 1784±114 dyne · s/cm5; P=0.03). Systolic blood pressure, arterial compliance, and left ventricular properties were not different. Although heart-to-femoral pulse wave velocity was not different, heart-to-brachial pulse wave velocity tended to be faster in previous preeclamptics (374±8 versus 404±20 cm/s; P=0.06). Stress-induced increase in forearm blood flow was less in previous preeclamptics (245%±21% versus 136%±22%; P=0.01), indicating impaired endothelial function. No significant differences were observed in markers of endothelial activation, dyslipidemia, or oxidative stress; previous preeclamptics tended to have higher glucose level (58.7±1.9 versus 95±5.2 mg/dL; P=0.06). Logistic regression analysis indicated that a simultaneous evaluation of multiple derived indices better discriminated between the 2 groups. The differences in the previous preeclamptic group are in directions known to be associated with greater cardiovascular disease risk later in life.
Race recognition from face images using Weber local descriptor

This paper proposes a race recognition system from face images based on Weber local descriptors (WLD). In the system, first, WLD histogram is extracted from normalized face images. Then Kruskal-Wallis feature selection technique is used to select the best discriminated bins. City block, Euclidean, and chi-square minimum distance classifiers are used for testing. In the experiments, FERET database is used where there are five major race groups: Asian, African or American Black, Hispanic, Middle-Eastern, and White. Experimental results show that the proposed system with WLD histogram, feature selection, and city block distance classifier achieves accuracies of Asian: 97.74%, Black: 96.89%, Hispanic: 92.06%, Middle: 98.33%, and White: 99.53%. These accuracies are significantly higher than those using principal component analyses.
Patent Space Visualization for Patent Retrieval

We present work describing a novel architecture and user interface for patent queries and visualization of query results. Existing patent retrieval engines such as QPATallow users to enter text queries, retrieve a set of results and then re ne these queries. However this approach and method of presentation of results is not necessarily very informative for the user. We gathered an initial set of requirements from patent engineers at our company and explored techniques that allow a user to build up a stack of queries which allow real time updates of any part of the query and display the results over a 2D map. This allows the user to gain a better understanding of the patent space (the search space for this type of data related to his query). The architecture allows users to develop their own query sets and di erent query modules (such as more sophisticated clustering/analysis algorithms) can be easily plugged-in. A query-part can be a normal retrieval query (eg, search on keyword/assignee), domain speci c (eg search using the International Patent Classi cation (IPC) hierarchy for related information), input (obtain patents from this site, at this time interval), processing (analyse this set using this algorithm), or visualization (use this process/algorithm to display these results).
Learning Browsing Behavior Models to Recommend Relevant Web Pages

We introduce our research on learning browsing behavior models for inferring a user’s information need (corresponding to a set of words) based on the actions he has taken during his current web session, and then using this information to nd relevant pages, from essentially anywhere on the web. The models, learned from over one hundred users during a ve-week user study, are session-specic but user- and website-independent. Our empirical results suggest that they can identify and satisfy the current information needs of users, even if they browse previously unseen pages containing unfamiliar words.
There is a Positive Correlation Between Socioeconomic Status and Ovarian Reserve in Women of Reproductive Age

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential association between socioeconomic status and ovarian reserve, anti-Mullerian hormone level, antral follicle count, and follicle stimulating hormone level in women of reproductive age. Material/Methods A total of 101 married women between 20–35 years of age who presented to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Research System In Vitro Fertilization (HRS IVF) Center between October 2014 and November 2015 and met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. The participants were divided into three socioeconomic groups using Kuppuswamy’s socioeconomic status scale. Thirty-one participants were assigned to the low socioeconomic status group, 37 to the middle socioeconomic status group, and 33 to the high socioeconomic status group. On days 3–6 of the menstrual cycle, 10 mL of blood was collected from the participants for follicle stimulating hormone and anti-Mullerian hormone measurements. Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed for both ovaries for the purpose of counting antral follicles measuring 2–10 mm in diameter. Results Both ovarian reserve parameters, namely anti-Mullerian hormone level and antral follicle count, exhibited a significant association with socioeconomic status (p=0.000 and p=0.000, respectively). The association between follicle stimulating hormone level and socioeconomic status was also significant (p=0.000). Conclusions A low socioeconomic status aggravated by sources of stress such as undernutrition and financial hardships affects ovarian reserve, which should be remembered in approaching infertile patients.
Functional relationships between crown morphology and within-crown characteristics of understory saplings of three codominant conifers in a subalpine forest in central Japan.

Light-related plasticity of crown morphology and within-crown characteristics were investigated in understory sun and shade saplings of three codominant subalpine conifers, Abies mariesii M.T. Mast. , Abies veitchii Lindl. and Picea jezoensis var. hondoensis (Mayr) Rehd. Compared with those of sun saplings, current-year shoots of shade saplings allocated less biomass to needles, resulting in less dense needle packing and hence less mutual needle shading. The proportion of lateral branch biomass in foliage was either similar in sun and shade saplings or greater in shade saplings, depending on the species, suggesting that, over the lifetime of a branch, greater needle longevity in shade compensates for reduced biomass investment in needles of current-year shoots of shade saplings. Saplings with slower-growing branches tended to have greater needle life spans, suggesting that plasticity of branch growth rate and plasticity of needle life span are interdependent. Both Abies species showed greater light-related plasticity of needle life span and branch growth than P. jezoensis. The greater shade tolerance of the Abies species derives from their broad flattened crowns with slow-growing branches. This type of crown development incurs substantial support costs, but the long needle life span of shade saplings of the Abies species compensates, at least in part, for their low annual investment in foliage, especially in the case of A. mariesii, which has a longer needle life span and slower-growing and stouter branches than A. veitchii. Compared with the Abies species, P. jezoensis had a less plastic crown morphology, and less variability of needle life span and branch growth in response to light, resulting in lower shade tolerance. However, compared with the flattened crown of Abies shade saplings, the conical crown of P. jezoensis saplings imposes a smaller support cost, making this species better adapted to rapid height growth than to survival in shade.
Experimental Field Test Results on Feasibility of Declarative Spectrum Management

We describe the design and report on experience fielding an end-to-end framework for declarative spectrum management of frequency agile wireless communication devices. As part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency NeXt Generation communication program, we developed a distributed, policy-driven system that restricts spectrum access based on spectral, temporal and geospatial context. We report on our field framework experimentation, illustrating the capability offered to wireless systems, their command & control management, and individual radios for enforcing spectrum access policies while enabling the radios to fully utilize available spectrum in comparison to traditional, static-assignment spectrum access methods.
Immune reconstitution after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children: a single institution study of 59 patients

Purpose Lymphocyte subset recovery is an important factor that determines the success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Temporal differences in the recovery of lymphocyte subsets and the factors influencing this recovery are important variables that affect a patient's post-transplant immune reconstitution, and therefore require investigation. Methods The time taken to achieve lymphocyte subset recovery and the factors influencing this recovery were investigated in 59 children who had undergone HSCT at the Department of Pediatrics, The Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, and who had an uneventful follow-up period of at least 1 year. Analyses were carried out at 3 and 12 months post-transplant. An additional study was performed 1 month post-transplant to evaluate natural killer (NK) cell recovery. The impact of pre- and post-transplant variables, including diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNAemia posttransplant, on lymphocyte recovery was evaluated. Results The lymphocyte subsets recovered in the following order: NK cells, cytotoxic T cells, B cells, and helper T cells. At 1 month post-transplant, acute graft-versus-host disease was found to contribute significantly to the delay of CD16+/56+ cell recovery. Younger patients showed delayed recovery of both CD3+/CD8+ and CD19+ cells. EBV DNAemia had a deleterious impact on the recovery of both CD3+ and CD3+/CD4+ lymphocytes at 1 year post-transplant. Conclusion In our pediatric allogeneic HSCT cohort, helper T cells were the last subset to recover. Younger age and EBV DNAemia had a negative impact on the post-transplant recovery of T cells and B cells.
Eliminating invariants in UML/OCL models

In model-based design, it is common and helpful to use invariants in order to highlight restrictions or to formulate characteristics of a design. In contrast to pre- and post-conditions, they represent global constraints. That is, they are harder to explicitly consider and, thus, become disadvantageous when the design process approaches the implementation phase. As a consequence, they should be removed from a design when it comes to an implementation. However, so far only naïve tool support aiding the designer in this task is available. In this paper, we present an approach which addresses this problem. A methodology is proposed which iteratively removes invariants from a model and, afterwards, presents the designer with invalid scenarios originally prevented by the just eliminated invariant. Using this, the designer can either manually modify the model or simply take the automatically generated suggestion. This enables to entirely eliminate all invariants without changing the semantics of the model. Case studies illustrate the applicability of the proposed approach.
Predictors of Progression From Impaired Glucose Tolerance to NIDDM: An Analysis of Six Prospective Studies

Risk factors associated with the progression from impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) to NIDDM were examined in data from six prospective studies. IGT and NIDDM were defined in all studies by World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and baseline risk factors were measured at the time of first recognition of IGT. The studies varied in size from 177 to 693 participants with IGT, and included men and women followed from 2 to 27 years after the recognition of IGT. Across the six studies, the incidence rate of NIDDM was 57.2/1,000 person-years and ranged from 35.8/1,000 to 87.3/1,000 person-years. Although baseline measures of fasting and 2-h postchallenge glucose levels were both positively associated with NIDDM incidence, incidence rates were sharply higher for those in the top quartile of fasting plasma glucose levels, but increased linearly with increasing 2-h postchallenge glucose quartiles. Incidence rates were higher among the Hispanic, Mexican-American, Pima, and Nauruan populations than among Caucasians. The effect of baseline age on NIDDM incidence rates differed among the studies; the rates did not increase or rose only slightly with increasing baseline age in three of the studies and formed an inverted U in three studies. In all studies, estimates of obesity (including BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference) were positively associated with NIDDM incidence. BMI was associated with NIDDM incidence independently of fasting and 2-h post challenge glucose levels in the combined analysis of all six studies and in three cohorts separately, but not in the three studies with the highest NIDDM incidence rates. Sex and family history of diabetes were generally not related to NIDDM progression. This analysis indicates that persons with IGT are at high risk and that further refinement of risk can be made by other simple measurements. The ability to identify persons at high risk of NIDDM should facilitate clinical trials in diabetes prevention.
Object Recognition and Localization from Scanning Beam Sensors

Model-based object recognition and object localization are fundamental tasks in industrial automation. In this article, we present a system that quickly recognizes (5 μs) and accurately localizes (0.025 mm) objects using a scanning beam sensor that consists of an array of binary light-beam sensors. Our scanning beam sensor is robust, inexpensive, compact, precise, and insensitive to ambient light, which are all prerequisites for industrial manufacturing applications. Scanning beam sensing involves moving objects with respect to the sensor and record ing the manipulator positions when the sensor outputs change. The recognition problem and the localization problem share the correspondence subproblem, the task of interpreting the sensed data in terms of model features. In this article, we present a constant-time indexing correspondence algorithm. Indexing in volves discretizing the sensed data to achieve integral indices, and using these indices to look up a table entry containing the correspondence information (the consistent model feature inter pretations). Complete indexing tables are crucial for scanning beam sensing, and for sparse sensing strategies in general, because each experiment only produces a handful of indexing coordinates. Constructing complete indexing tables has previ ously been an open problem (Clemens and Jacobs 1991). In this article, we describe a method for constructing complete indexing tables by enumerating the cells in an arrangement in configuration space.
An Adaptive Multilevel Indexing Method for Disaster Service Discovery

With the globe facing various scales of natural disasters then and there, disaster recovery is one among the hottest research areas and the rescue and recovery services can be highly benefitted with the advancements of information and communications technology (ICT). Enhanced rescue effect can be achieved through the dynamic networking of people, systems and procedures. A seamless integration of these elements along with the service-oriented systems can satisfy the mission objectives with the maximum effect. In disaster management systems, services from multiple sources are usually integrated and composed into a usable format in order to effectively drive the decision-making process. Therefore, a novel service indexing method is required to effectively discover desirable services from the large-scale disaster service repositories, comprising a huge number of services. With this in mind, this paper presents a novel multilevel indexing algorithm based on the equivalence theory in order to achieve effective service discovery in large-scale disaster service repositories. The performance and efficiency of the proposed model have been evaluated by both theoretical analysis and practical experiments. The experimental results proved that the proposed algorithm is more efficient for service discovery and composition than existing inverted index methods.
TO SUPPORT AMBULANCE SCHEDULING WITH EFFICIENT ROUTING SERVICES

For regular patient transportation and emergency transportation with ambulance vehicles a dynamic dial-a-ride (DARP) problem has to be solved. We analyze two scheduling strategies for the regular dial-a-ride orders in order to minimize routing costs and to maximize transportation quality. Furthermore, we review practical requirements and suggest a conceptual architecture for a decision support system based on a customary control center system as basis for future business services. Major results of this contribution are two promising and efficient solution procedures suitable for a simplified bi-objective version of the dynamic DARP and tested with real-world problem instances.
The Effect of Treadmill-based Incremental Leg Weight Loading Training on the Balance of Stroke Patients

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of treadmill-based gait training using incremental weight loading on the ankle of the affected side on hemiplegic stroke patients’ balance. [Subjects] In this study, 30 hemiplegic stroke patients were randomly divided into an incremental weight load group (IWLG, n=15) and a no-load group (NLG, n=15). [Methods] The IWLG performed gait training on treadmills for four weeks wearing a sandbag weighing 3% of the body weight on the affected side ankle, followed by wearing a sandbag weighing 5% of the body weight from the 5th week. The NLG performed similar training without sandbags. [Results] Both the IWLG and the NLG showed significant improvements in balance ability. The IWLG showed a larger decrease in the area and length of movement of the center of pressure in static standing positions after the experiment although the difference was not significant. [Conclusion] We recommend, utilizing the treadmill-based gait training using incremental weight loading on the affected side ankle as a clinical intervention for improving hemiplegic stroke patients’ balance ability.
Temporal Rate Limiting: Cloud elasticity at a flat fee

In the current usage-based pricing scheme offered by most cloud computing providers, customers are charged based on the capacity and the lease time of the resources they capture (bandwidth, number of virtual machines, IOPS rate, etc.). Taking advantage of this pricing scheme, customers can implement auto-scaling purchase policies by leasing (e.g., hourly) necessary amounts of resources to satisfy a desired QoS threshold under their current demand. Auto-scaling yields strict QoS and variable charges. Some customers, however, would be willing to settle for a more relaxed statistical QoS in exchange for a predictable flat charge. In this work we propose Temporal Rate Limiting (TRL), a purchase policy that permits a customer to allocate optimally a specified purchase budget over a predefined period of time. TRL offers the same expected QoS with auto-scaling but at a lower, flat charge. It also outperforms in terms of QoS a naive flat charge policy that splits the available budget uniformly in time. We quantify the benefits of TRL analytically and also deploy TRL on Amazon EC2 and perform a live validation in the context of a “blacklisting” application for Twitter.
Enhancing Exemplar SVMs using Part Level Transfer Regularization

Content based image retrieval (CBIR), the problem of searching digital images in large databases according to their visual content, is a well established research area in computer vision. In this work we are particularly interested in retrieving subwindows of images which are similar to the given query image, i.e. the goal is detection rather than image level classification. The notion of similarity is defined as being the same object class but also having similar viewpoint (e.g. frontal, left-facing, rear etc.). A query image can be a part of an object (e.g. head of a side facing horse), a complete object (e.g. frontal car image), or a composition of objects (visual phrases, e.g. person riding a horse). For instance, given a query of a horse facing left, the aim is to retrieve any left facing horse (intra-class variation) which might be walking or running with different feet formations (exemplar deformation).