Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RC time constant of single lung equals that of both lungs together: a study in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

The product of resistance, R, and compliance, C (RC time), of the entire pulmonary circulation is constant. It is unknown if this constancy holds for individual lungs. We determined R and C in individual lungs in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) patients where resistances differ between both lungs. Also, the contribution of the proximal pulmonary arteries (PA) to total lung compliance was assessed. Patients (n=23) were referred for the evaluation of CTEPH. Pressure was measured by right heart catheterization and flows in the main, left, and right PA by magnetic resonance imaging. Total, left, and right lung resistances were calculated as mean pressure divided by mean flow. Total, left, and right lung compliances were assessed by the pulse pressure method. Proximal compliances were derived from cross-sectional area change DeltaA and systolic-diastolic pressure difference DeltaP (DeltaA/DeltaP) in main, left, and right PA, multiplied by vessel length. The lung with the lowest blood flow was defined "low flow" (LF), the contralateral lung "high flow" (HF). Total resistance was 0.57+/-0.28 mmHg.s(-1). ml(-1), and resistances of LF and HF lungs were 1.57+/-0.2 vs. 1.00+/-0.1 mmHg.s(-1). ml(-1), respectively, P<0.0001. Total compliance was 1.22+/-1.1 ml/mmHg, and compliances of LF and HF lung were 0.47+/-0.11 and 0.62+/-0.12 ml/mmHg, respectively, P=0.01. Total RC time was 0.49+/-0.2 s, and RC times for the LF and HF lung were 0.45+/-0.2 and 0.45+/-0.1 s, respectively, not different. Proximal arterial compliance, given by the sum of main, right, and left PA compliances, was only 19% of total lung compliance. The RC time of a single lung equals that of both lungs together, and pulmonary arterial compliance comes largely from the distal vasculature.
A third periplasmic transport system for l‐arginine in Escherichia coli: molecular characterization of the artPIQMJ genes, arginine binding and transport

A new binding‐protein‐dependent transport system of Escherichia coli specific for l‐arginine was characterized by genetic and biochemical means. The system is encoded by five adjacent genes, artPIQMJ (art standing for arginine transport), which are organized in two transcriptional units (artPIQM and artJ). The artl and artJ gene products (Artl and ArtJ) are periplasmic binding proteins with sequence similarity to binding proteins for polar (basic) amino acids. The artQ, artM and artP products are similar to the transmembraneous proteins and the ATPase of binding‐protein‐dependent carriers. The mature Artl and J proteins were localized in the periplasm and lacked signal peptides of 19 amino acid residues. Artl and ArtJ were isolated from overproducing strains. ArtJ specifically binds l‐arginine with high affinity and overproduction of ArtJ stimulated l‐arginine uptake by the bacteria. The substrate for Artl is not known, and isolated Artl did not bind common amino acids, various basic uncommon amino acids or amines. It is concluded that the artPIQM artJ genes encode a third arginine‐uptake system in addition to the known argT hisJQMP system of Salmonella typhimurium and E. coli and the arginine (‐ornithine) carrier (aps) of E. coli
Autoregulatory Vasodilation of Parenchymal Vessels is Impaired during Cerebral Vasospasm

Impaired CBF autoregulation during vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) could reflect impaired capacity of distal vessels to dilate in response to reduced local perfusion pressure or simply indicate that the perfusion pressure distal to large arteries in spasm is so low that vessels are already maximally dilated. Autoregulatory vasodilation can be detected in vivo as an increase in the parenchymal cerebral blood volume (CBV). Regional CBV, CBF, and oxygen extraction fraction in regions with and without angiographic vasospasm obtained from 29 positron emission tomography studies performed after intracranial aneurysm rupture were compared with data from 19 normal volunteers and five patients with carotid artery occlusion. Regional CBF was reduced compared to normal in regions from SAH patients with and without vasospasm as well as with ipsilateral carotid occlusion (P < .0001). Regional oxygen extraction fraction was higher during vasospasm and distal to carotid occlusion than both normal and SAH without vasospasm (P < .0001). Regional CBV was reduced compared to normal in regions with and without spasm, whereas it was increased ipsilateral to carotid occlusion (P < .0001). These findings of reduced parenchymal CBV during vasospasm under similar conditions of tissue hypoxia that produce increased CBV in patients with carotid occlusion provide evidence that parenchymal vessels distal to arteries with angiographic spasm after SAH do not show normal autoregulatory vasodilation.
Qualitative Inquiry into Premarital Sexual Behaviours and Contraceptive Use among Multiethnic Young Women: Implications for Education and Future Research

Background This study was a qualitative investigation into sexual attitudes and behaviours, and contraceptive use among Malaysian youth, based on constructs from the health belief model, theory of reasoned action, and problem behaviour theory. Methods A total of 34 focus group discussions with 185 participants were conducted among the Malay (35%), Chinese (34%), and Indian (31%) young females between November, 2010 and April, 2011. The participants were secondary school students and university undergraduates from Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Results The study found a lack of knowledge about sexual issues and contraception among the participants. Many engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse and relied on periodic abstinence, natural methods, and traditional folk pregnancy preventive practices. The findings also revealed numerous categories of factors influencing sexual attitudes and behaviours: ethnic group and religion, level of religiosity, peer pressure and norms, and parental monitoring. With regard to condom use, factors such as embarrassment about condom acquisition, low perceived susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and perceived efficacy of traditional and folk methods of contraception, were uncovered from the discussions. Conclusion This study underscores the importance of development of culturally specific interventions that address the identified promoting factors of premarital sex. Behavioral interventions to promote condom use should increase awareness about condom effectiveness against not only unwanted pregnancies but also STIs.
The role of caterpillars in mare reproductive loss syndrome : A model for environmental causes of abortion 1

A new abortigenic disease, now known as mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), significantly affected the horse industry in the Ohio River Valley of the United States in late April and early May of 2001 and 2002. In 2001, approximately 25% of all pregnant mares aborted within several weeks (over 3,000 mares lost pregnancies), and abortion rates exceeded 60% on some farms. Mare reproductive loss syndrome struck hard and without warning, it was caused by something in the environment, it was not transmitted between animals, and it was not associated with any known abortigenic agent or disease. These experiments demonstrated that horses will inadvertently consume Eastern tent caterpillars (ETC) when the insects are present in the pasture or other feedstuffs, and MRLStype abortions were induced in experimental animals (mares and pigs) by mixing ETC with the feed of the animals. Eastern tent caterpillars are hirsute (hairy) caterpillars, and the only part of the caterpillar that caused MRLS abortions was the cuticle. The experiments revealed that the setae (hairs) embed into the submucosa of the alimentary tract creating microgranulomatous lesions. It is hypothesized that the alimentary tract lesions allow bacteria from the alimentary tract of the mare, principally streptococci, actinobacilli, and to a lesser extent enterococci, to invade the circulatory system of the mare. The bacteria then establish infections in tissues where the immune surveillance of the mare is reduced, such as the fetus and placenta. Fetal and placental fluid bacterial infections lead to fetal death and abortion characteristic of MRLS. Inadvertent ingestion of ETC by pregnant mares causes MRLS. Currently the only known means to prevent MRLS is to avoid exposure of horses, particularly pregnant mares, to ETC and probably most hirsute caterpillars.
A comparison of DNA amplification, isolation and serology for the detection of Chlamydia psittaci infection in cats

Chlamydia psittaci is a significant cause of conjunctivitis in cats, but can be difficult to diagnose owing to the small number of organisms in conjunctival swabs. In the United Kingdom laboratory diagnosis is based on three techniques: isolation of the infectious organism, amplification of chlamydial DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or the detection of anti-chlamydial antibodies by immunofluorescence assay. To determine the most sensitive method these techniques were compared in the field. The PCR based on previously published protocols was less sensitive than isolation, but by modifying the protocol its sensitivity was increased by a factor of 25 to 1250 and it was then more sensitive than isolation. The modified PCR detected chlamydia in samples containing non-infectious organisms. Serology was of limited use in predicting which cats shed C psittaci although seronegative cats were negative by PCR and isolation. The modified PCR was the most sensitive and robust method for confirming C psittaci infection in cases of conjunctivitis in pet cats.
Aalborg Universitet Reconstruction Algorithms in Undersampled AFM Imaging

This paper provides a study of spatial undersampling in atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging followed by different image reconstruction techniques based on sparse approximation as well as interpolation. The main reasons for using undersampling is that it reduces the path length and thereby the scanning time as well as the amount of interaction between the AFM probe and the specimen. It can easily be applied on conventional AFM hardware. Due to undersampling, it is necessary to subsequently process the acquired image in order to reconstruct an approximation of the image. Based on real AFM cell images, our simulations reveal that using a simple raster scanning pattern in combination with conventional image interpolation performs very well. Moreover, this combination enables a reduction by a factor 10 of the scanning time while retaining an average reconstruction quality around 36 dB PSNR on the tested cell images.
Design and Fabrication of a Polarization Independent Tunable Interleaver

This paper presents a detailed design, fabrication, and thermal tuning characteristics of a polarization independent tunable interleaver. Its operation principle is by using a double layer waveguide structure and vertically coupled polarization splitters to achieve a polarization diversity configuration so as to manipulate separately transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarization light signals. The fabricated interleaver is with two types of tuning manner. First, its center wavelength can be adjusted by changing the substrate temperature, which can be used to align the International Telecommunication Union grid for the TM polarization modes. Second, the center wavelength in the TE output spectra can be tuned to meet the ones in the TM output spectra by using thermo-optic effect to fine tune the mode index of the upper channel waveguide. The fabricated device was 18 mm × 9 mm and exhibited complete polarization independences with respect to center wavelength and channel spacing with very little tuning power consumption of ~0.6 mW over the entire C band. The tuning range of the center wavelength was about 1.4 nm.
Image Information Hiding Design and Implementation

Based on the research of the current image information hiding theories, a type of image information hiding design based on DCT transform is presented. This program changes the DC coefficient of the DCT domain, ensures the right embedded secret information in the premise of non-visual distortion, through Amold transform establishes reference scrambling matrix, which enhances the robustness and security of the image information hiding algorithm.
The Bekenstein-Hawking Entropy of Higher-Dimensional Rotating Black Holes

A black hole can be regarded as a thermodynamic system described by a grand canonical ensemble. In this paper, we study the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of higher-dimensional rotating black holes using the Euclidean path-integral method of Gibbons and Hawking. We give a general proof demonstrating that ignoring quantum corrections, the BekensteinHawking entropy is equal to one-fourth of its horizon area for general higher-dimensional rotating black holes.
Genome-Wide Identification of MAPKK and MAPKKK Gene Families in Tomato and Transcriptional Profiling Analysis during Development and Stress Response

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades have important functions in plant growth, development, and response to various stresses. The MAPKK and MAPKKK gene families in tomato have never been systematically analyzed. In this study, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the MAPKK and MAPKKK gene families in tomato and identified 5 MAPKK genes and 89 MAPKKK genes. Phylogenetic analyses of the MAPKK and MAPKKK gene families showed that all the MAPKK genes formed four groups (groups A, B, C, and D), whereas all the MAPKKK genes were classified into three subfamilies, namely, MEKK, RAF, and ZIK. Evolutionary analysis showed that whole genome or chromosomal segment duplications were the main factors responsible for the expansion of the MAPKK and MAPKKK gene families in tomato. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that the majority of MAPKK and MAPKKK genes were expressed in all tested organs with considerable differences in transcript levels indicating that they might be constitutively expressed. However, the expression level of most of these genes changed significantly under heat, cold, drought, salt, and Pseudomonas syringae treatment. Furthermore, their expression levels exhibited significant changes in response to salicylic acid and indole-3-acetic acid treatment, implying that these genes might have important roles in the plant hormone network. Our comparative analysis of the MAPKK and MAPKKK families would improve our understanding of the evolution and functional characterization of MAPK cascades in tomato.
The effect of age on temperature selection by laboratory mice (Mus musculus).

Adult animals have been used for most of the previous mammalian temperature selection studies, and relatively few systematic observations have been made with young animals. In this investigation, laboratory mice (Mus musculus), ranging in age from 1 to 84 days, were studied in a horizontal temperature gradient established along a 5-ft copper bar. Despite poorly developed locomotion and cold immobilization, it was shown that the temperature selection response is present at birth. The initially high level of selection appeared to be maintained for about 2 weeks, after which it began to decrease, rapidly at first, and then more slowly until the adult level was reached.
Age is a risk factor for chemotherapy-induced hepatopathy with vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide.

PURPOSE To evaluate the spectrum of and determine the risk factors for the development of liver toxicity (hepatopathy) after therapy with vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide (VAC) for rhabdomyosarcoma in children and adolescents. PATIENTS AND METHODS We prospectively captured all events of hepatopathy occurring on the ongoing Children's Oncology Group intermediate risk protocol, D9803, for children with rhabdomyosarcoma. Patients enrolled onto this trial were randomly assigned to receive either VAC alone or VAC alternating with vincristine, topotecan, and cyclophosphamide. In addition, we reviewed the toxicity database and requested additional information for all patients with elevated bilirubin or transaminase levels. Risk factors were analyzed. RESULTS Of 339 patients enrolled through August 2002, 18 developed hepatopathy. All events were captured by mandated toxicity reporting and filing of MedWatch forms, with no additional cases found after the additional search of the database. Four children died after developing this toxicity. All cases occurred after cycles of VAC (n = 16) or vincristine and cyclophosphamide with concomitant abdominal radiotherapy (n = 2). The onset of hepatopathy was 5 to 16 days from the start of a treatment cycle. For the 89 patients under 36 months of age, the risk of hepatopathy was 15%, with two deaths. For the 239 children 3 years of age or older, the risk for hepatopathy was 4%, with two deaths. CONCLUSION The greatest risk factor for development of hepatopathy after VAC therapy was age. Dose modifications for younger children receiving VAC therapy are recommended.
Relaxed threaded space-time codes

It is well-known that diversity, despite being widely used as a design criterion, may not be enough to ensure good performance of a wireless system, because the diversity factor may "kick in" at unrealistically high values of SNR. This paper proposes a new class of layered space-time codes with a new design criterion that works well in moderate SNR's. Specifically, we propose to relax some of the constraints of threaded algebraic space-time (TAST) codes, leading to a class of codes with better error performance, which we call relaxed threaded space time (RTST) codes. We also propose a modified design criterion, the average union bound (AUB), which ensures good performance at medium SNR. For a 2 times 2 system operating at 6 b/s/Hz, improvements of more than 1.5 dB have been observed
LIUM’s statistical machine translation system for IWSLT 2009

This paper describes the systems developed by the LIUM laboratory for the 2009 IWSLT evaluation. We participated in the Arabic and Chinese to English BTEC tasks. We developed three different systems: a statistical phrase-based system using the Moses toolkit, an Statistical Post-Editing system and a hierarchical phrase-based system based on Joshua. A continuous space language model was deployed to improve the modeling of the target language. These systems are combined by a confusion network based approach. This paper describes the systems developed by the LIUM laboratory for the 2009 IWSLT evaluation. We extended our work from last year’s IWSLT evaluation in several ways: two new systems were built (an hierarchical phrase-based system based on Joshua and a statistical post-editing system), we started to explore various techniques to perform system combination and we participated the first time in the Chinese/English BTEC track. The reminder of the paper is structured as follows. In sections 2 to 4 we describe the individual systems. Our approach to system combination is explained in section 5 and the experimental results are summarized in section 6. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research issues.
A POLYMER-BASED MEMS ISOTHERMAL TITRATION CALORIMETER

In this paper, we introduce a polymer-based MEMS isothermal titration calorimetric device for thermodynamic characterization of biomolecular reactions. The device, based on polyimide substrate, consists of thermally isolated calorimetric chambers integrated with passive chaotic mixers, an antimony-bismuth thermopile, and resistive on-chip temperature sensors and heaters. We demonstrate the utility of the device by the measurement of barium chloride (BaCl2, 1-8 mM) reacting with 18-Crown-6 (18-C-6, 5 mM) in a 1 μL volume.
Poster : Automatic Profiling of Evasive Mixed-Mode Malware with SEMU

Malware and malware analysis are in an arms race. While analysis tries to understand the latest malware, malware tries to evade the latest analysis techniques. Modern malicious codes can evade analysis by manipulating structures that are important to the analysis, i.e., OS and virtual machine introspection components (VMI). An advanced evasion technique is orchestrating actions between user-mode and kernel-mode malware components. We also refer to such malware as mixedmode malware. Such malware can evade many kinds of current dynamic malware analysis techniques, including those based on TEMU [5], Anubis [2], and Ether [3], such as dAnubis [4] and Panorama [6]. While many approaches have been proposed in the literature to analyze malware either at the user-level or at the kernellevel, mixed-mode malware has not received much research interest. However, this type of malware is very powerful and can be as dangerous as other forms of malware. Specifically, previous dynamic malware analyses suffer from one or both of the following shortcomings. (1) Many current analysis techniques place analysis components in the same domain in which the malware is executing and thereby expose the analysis to malware manipulations. These approaches are referred to as inside-the-box or inside-the-guest. For example, popular analysis platforms such as TEMU and Anubis run the malware in a virtual machine. To inspect the state of the malware and the VM, such malware analyses often place some virtual machine introspection (VMI) components inside the VM, which exposes VMI and thereby the entire analysis to malware manipulation. (2) Second, many approaches focus on a single domain, either kernel-mode or user-mode, but fail to fully capture malware that operates in both modes. For example, Ether leverages hardware extensions to operates outside-the-box but focuses only on user-mode analysis. To address the shortcomings in the existing techniques we propose a novel dynamic malware analysis system called SEMU, which operates both outside-the-box and across kernel and user mode. SEMU leverages a reverse-engineered OS model to (a) capture the OS state before malware analysis, (b) Kernel User
Patrol Team Language Identification System for DARPA RATS P1 Evaluation

This paper describes the language identification (LID) system developed by the Patrol team for the first phase of the DARPA RATS (Robust Automatic Transcription of Speech) program, which seeks to advance state of the art detection capabilities on audio from highly degraded communication channels. We show that techniques originally developed for LID on telephone speech (e.g., for the NIST language recognition evaluations) remain effective on the noisy RATS data, provided that careful consideration is applied when designing the training and development sets. In addition, we show significant improvements from the use of Wiener filtering, neural network based and language dependent i-vector modeling, and fusion.
Features for the Classification of Civilian Vehicles From Acoustic Data

Classification of the type/model of civilian vehicles from acoustic measurements is important for security applications, especially under conditions that are adverse to other sensor modalities, such as bad lighting for image-based classifiers. We present our ongoing work on developing new and efficient features for vehicle classification, such as the tristimulus response first introduced in music theory. We will also discuss our experience with the extraction of spectral and other features from the acoustical data and discuss the importance of identifying the fundamental frequency of the engine sound, which is directly proportional to RPM. The influence of Doppler shift is considered.1