Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A virtual reality system integrated with robot-assisted haptics to simulate pinch-grip task: Motor ingredients for the assessment in chronic stroke.

BACKGROUND Among numerous studies on virtual reality (VR) technology for motor rehabilitation, the majorities have only used it as a motor training system and did not use the kinematic or kinetic information obtained as the basis for therapeutic effect assessment. OBJECTIVE Incorporating the kinematic and kinetic information acquired through a robot-assisted VR system on pinch-grip training, this study intends to propose novel motor ingredients represented as indices for the interpretation of motor behaviors and verify the efficacy of them for the assessment in chronic stroke. METHODS Clinical trials were conducted on eight stroke patients and clinical assessments were made as the objective standard. Non-parametric test and correlation analysis were performed on results of motor indices and clinical assessments. RESULTS Non-parametric test indicated that 50% of the motor indices significantly improved while the others showed a trend of improvement, consisting with the findings in clinical assessments. Correlation analysis showed that the three clinical assessment items were correlated to items in the motor ingredients. CONCLUSIONS The proposed motor ingredients gathered from the robot-assisted VR training system were able to contribute to the assessment of therapeutic effect in chronic stroke and were capable for the interpretation of behavior phases.
The predictive power of game structure in dialogue act recognition: experimental results using maximum entropy estimation

Recognizing the dialogue act(s) performed by means of an utterance involves combining top-down expectations about the next likely ‘move’ in a dialogue with bottom-up information extracted from the speech signal. We compare two ways of generating expectations: one which makes the expectations depend only on the previous act, and one which also takes into account the fact that individual dialogue acts play a role as part of larger conversational structures (‘games’). Our results indicate that exploiting game structure does lead to improved expectations.
Campylobacter jejuni Disrupts Protective Toll-Like Receptor 9 Signaling in Colonic Epithelial Cells and Increases the Severity of Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice

ABSTRACT Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation associated with a dysregulated immune response to commensal bacteria in susceptible individuals. The relapse of IBD may occur following an infection with Campylobacter jejuni. Apical epithelial Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) activation by bacterial DNA is reported to maintain colonic homeostasis. We investigated whether a prior C. jejuni infection disrupts epithelial TLR9 signaling and increases the severity of disease in a model of mild dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis in mice. In a further attempt to identify mechanisms, T84 monolayers were treated with C. jejuni followed by a TLR9 agonist. Transepithelial resistance (TER) and dextran flux across confluent monolayers were monitored. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and flow cytometry were used to examine TLR9 expression. Mice colonized by C. jejuni lacked any detectable pathology; however, in response to low levels of DSS, mice previously exposed to C. jejuni exhibited significantly reduced weight gain and increased occult blood and histological damage scores. Infected mice treated with DSS also demonstrated a significant reduction in levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-25. In vitro studies indicated that apical application of a TLR9 agonist enhances intestinal epithelial barrier function and that this response is lost in C. jejuni-infected monolayers. Furthermore, infected cells secreted significantly more CXCL8 following the basolateral application of a TLR9 agonist. Surface TLR9 expression was reduced in C. jejuni-infected monolayers subsequently exposed to a TLR9 agonist. In conclusion, infection by C. jejuni disrupts TLR9-induced reinforcement of the intestinal epithelial barrier, and colonization by C. jejuni increases the severity of mild DSS colitis.
Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals distinct brain activity in heavy cannabis users – a multi-voxel pattern analysis

Chronic cannabis use can cause cognitive, perceptual and personality alterations, which are believed to be associated with regional brain changes and possible changes in connectivity between functional regions. This study aims to identify the changes from resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. A two-level multi-voxel pattern analysis was proposed to classify male cannabis users from normal controls. The first level analysis works on a voxel basis and identifies clusters for the input of a second level analysis, which works on the functional connectivity between these regions. We found distinct clusters for male cannabis users in the middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, cerebellum and some other regions. Based on the functional connectivity of these clusters, a high overall accuracy rate of 84–88% in classification accuracy was achieved. High correlations were also found between the overall classification accuracy and Barrett Barrett Impulsiveness Scale factor scores of attention and motor. Our result suggests regional differences in the brains of male cannabis users that span from the cerebellum to the prefrontal cortex, which are associated with differences in functional connectivity.
Ionic and Cellular Basis for the Predominance of the Brugada Syndrome Phenotype in Males

Background—The Brugada syndrome displays an autosomal dominant mode of transmission with low penetrance. Despite equal genetic transmission of the disease, the clinical phenotype is 8 to 10 times more prevalent in males than in females. The basis for this intriguing sex-related distinction is unknown. The present study tests the hypothesis that the disparity in expression of the Brugada phenotype is a result of a more prominent Ito-mediated action potential notch in the right ventricular (RV) epicardium of males versus females. Methods and Results—We studied epicardial tissue slices, arterially perfused wedge preparations, and dissociated epicardial myocytes isolated from male and female canine hearts. RV epicardium action potential phase 1 amplitude was 64.8±2.0% of that of phase 2 in males compared with 73.8±4.4% in females (P <0.05) at a cycle length of 2000 ms. Ito density was 26% smaller and time constant for inactivation 17% smaller at +40 mV in female versus male RV epicardial cells (P <0.05). The other functional characteristics of Ito, including the voltage dependence of inactivation and time course of reactivation, were no different between the sexes. Pinacidil caused loss of action potential dome in male, but not female, RV epicardial tissue slices. Terfenadine (5 &mgr;mol/L) induced phase 2 reentry in 6 of 7 male but only 2 of 7 female arterially perfused wedge preparations. Two of 6 male and 1 of 2 female preparations developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation. Conclusions—Our results suggest that the predominance of the Brugada phenotype in males is a result of the presence of a more prominent Ito in males versus females.
A Novel Design of Printed Yagi Antenna

In this paper, a novel design of printed Yagi antenna is presented. To improve the input and radiation performance, the driver and directors are modified. And the simulated results are compared with the measured data. This proposed antenna achieves a measured 10% bandwidth for VSWR<;2, better than 11.9 dB front-to-back ratio, and 8.3 dB absolute gain across the operating bandwidth. Furthermore, the proposed Yagi antenna array is simulated. And the mutual coupling effect is analyzed.
Validity and reliability of insomnia severity index and its correlation with pittsburgh sleep quality index in poor sleepers among Indian university students

Abstract Objective: Insomnia severity index (ISI) is a widely used scale in various demographic groups but its psychometric properties have not been established in a sample of Indian subjects. This study was conducted as a preliminary study to extend and confirm the applicability of ISI to an Indian population of university students and to establish its correlation with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Materials and methods: The study was conducted among the student population of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India, with due approval by the institutional ethical committee. Twenty-five poor sleepers with a mean age of 25.24±7.04 years and a BMI of 24.2±2.5 kg/m2 were recruited for the study from the university population. They were administered ISI and PSQI on test day and the same was repeated after 1 week. Results: The test-retest reliability for ISI (intra-class correlation coefficient, ICC2,1−0.84) was excellent. It was further established by the Bland-Altman graph and scatter plot. The results also showed that ISI (Pearson’s coefficient r−0.45) had a strong positive correlation with PSQI. Internal consistency for the ISI (Cronbach’s α–0.84) was excellent. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that ISI has excellent internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity for the university population of poor sleepers in India. Hence, it can prove to be a good tool for screening insomnia in the current population.
Comparative Politics Today

COMPARATIVE POLITICS IS EVERYTHING – OR IT IS NOTHING. Superficially, these appear to be the only logical positions that can be maintained when considering the relationship of comparative politics to the various areas and divisions of the discipline of political science. The now old-fashioned use of the title to indicate either a small number of country studies loosely linked by structural comparison, or a somewhat broader field of institutional comparison, whatever the pedagogic arguments of coherence or convenience, possesses neither logical boundary nor scientific integrity. Yet once that treacherous one step further is taken in the directions of functional comparison, or, further, consideration of the ‘comparative method’ itself and the distinctions between comparative politics and, say, political theory, political sociology or political analysis disappear completely.
E-mail Header Injection Vulnerabilities

Abstract E-mail Header Injection vulnerability is a class of vulnerability that can occur in web applications that use user input to construct e-mail messages. E-mail Header Injection is possible when the mailing script fails to check for the presence of e-mail headers in user input (either form fields or URL parameters). The vulnerability exists in the reference implementation of the built-in mail functionality in popular languages such as PHP, Java, Python, and Ruby. With the proper injection string, this vulnerability can be exploited to inject additional headers, modify existing headers, and alter the content of the e-mail.
Transcatheter Myocardial Needle Chemoablation During Real-Time Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A New Approach to Ablation Therapy for Rhythm Disorders

Background—Radiofrequency ablation for ventricular arrhythmias is limited by inability to visualize tissue destruction, by reversible conduction block resulting from edema surrounding lesions, and by insufficient lesion depth. We hypothesized that transcatheter needle injection of caustic agents doped with gadolinium contrast under real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could achieve deep, targeted, and irreversible myocardial ablation, which would be immediately visible. Methods and Results—Under real-time MRI guidance, ethanol or acetic acid was injected into the myocardium of 8 swine using MRI-conspicuous needle catheters. Chemoablation lesions had identical geometry by in vivo and ex vivo MRI and histopathology, both immediately and after 12 (7–17) days. Ethanol caused stellate lesions with patchy areas of normal myocardium, whereas acetic acid caused homogeneous circumscribed lesions of irreversible necrosis. Ischemic cardiomyopathy was created in 10 additional swine by subselective transcoronary ethanol administration into noncontiguous territories. After 12 (8–15) days, real-time MRI–guided chemoablation—with 2 to 5 injections to create a linear lesion—successfully eliminated the isthmus and local abnormal voltage activities. Conclusions—Real-time MRI–guided chemoablation with acetic acid enabled the intended arrhythmic substrate, whether deep or superficial, to be visualized immediately and ablated irreversibly. In an animal model of ischemic cardiomyopathy, obliteration of a conductive isthmus both anatomically and functionally and abolition of local abnormal voltage activities in areas of heterogeneous scar were feasible. This represents the first report of MRI-guided myocardial chemoablation, an approach that could improve the efficacy of arrhythmic substrate ablation in the thick ventricular myocardium.
Android malware classification method: Dalvik bytecode frequency analysis

The number of Android malware is increasing with the growth of Android, so there needs to have a method to classify malware families. There are many classification methods proposed so far, but most of them are based on permission information such as the number of requested permissions and critical permissions. Since permission information cannot represent actual application behaviors and permissions are easily separated into several communicating applications, the permission based classification methods can result in false alarms. Opposed to these permission based methods, our classification method is based on applications' Bytecode that contains actual application behaviors. Each malicious application family may have some similar Bytecode and can be classified using this information. In this paper, we propose a method to classify malware families from known malware, as a pre-step of malware detection.
Look up, look around: Is there anything different about team-level OCB in China?

Abstract Ethical leadership has been widely identified as the key variable in enhancing team-level organizational citizenship behavior (team-level OCB) in western economic and business contexts. This is challenged by empirical evidence in China and findings of this study. Our study examined the relationship between ethical leadership, organizational ethical context (ethical culture and corporate ethical values) and team-level OCB. Team-level data has been collected from 57 functional teams in 57 firms operating in China. The findings suggest that although ethical leadership is positively associated with team-level OCB, ethical context positively moderates the relationship between ethical leadership and team-level OCB. The higher ethical context is found to be, the greater is the (positive) effects of ethical leadership on team-level OCB and the opposite holds true when ethical context is low. Key implications are discussed on the role of contextual ethics for team-level OCB, while managerial implications include how non-Chinese firms could improve team-level OCB in the Chinese business context.
Perspectives on the family in Spain, past and present

This is the first comprehensive study of family life throughout Spain between 1700 and 1970. Using local and aggregate source material, David Reher builds upon the growing interest of historians and social scientists in the study of the family, and its importance for the demographic, social, and economic reproduction of society. The study adopts methodological approaches from a number of disciplines and encompasses the great regional and local complexity characteristic of Spanish society both now and in the past. Key subjects considered include co-residence patterns, family systems, family demography, family economies, kinship networks, marriage markets, infant care, the elderly, the limits of vulnerability, and individual life-course. Despite the major changes that have taken place in Spanish family forms, the author concludes that there is little evidence to support the view that it has become mired in a period of irreversible decadence. His analysis and conclusions are reinforced by well over a hundred maps, figures and tables.
Environment sensitivity in hierarchical representations

Real-world objects often have hierarchical structure—feathers comprise the wings of birds that are members of flocks, leaves hang from the branches of trees in forests, etc. People are capable of extracting the aggregate (“ensemble”) statistics of these groups (Alvarez & Oliva, 2008; Ariely, 2001). This ensemble information is used by visual short-term memory (VSTM) to inform the representation of individual objects (Brady & Alvarez, 2011; Brady & Tenenbaum, 2013; Orhan & Jacobs, 2013). This process is similar to chunking (Cowan, 2001): encoding multiple objects as parts of a larger entity. Chunking assumes that these chunks completely determine their subparts (e.g., encoding “FBI” fully determines its constituent letters). In hierarchical encoding, however, the overarching structure provides only a soft constraint on the components. Imposing different structures upon objects influences the integration of object and ensemble information in these hierarchical representations. The chosen structure determines what ensembles are used, how levels of information are combined, and, ultimately, the accuracy of object representations. Here we ask: Does the hierarchical structure used by VSTM affect the encoding of individual objects? In the present study, we examined the composition, structure, and use of hierarchical encoding in VSTM as evident in how subjects recalled the locations of objects in different spatial arrangements. We predicted that organizing objects into fewer, larger clusters (here called denser clustering) would enable subjects to use cluster information more effectively and consequently recall the locations of objects with greater accuracy. OPAM 2013 REPORT 693
The Cultural Diversity and Its Role in Mathematical Activities

Mathematics is subject that can abstract very fast and when loss self-relation to real life which students know out of school then is meaningless for some of them. This meaningless may be the result of cultural and ethnical changes of school. In this study, it is be tried that consider to cultural and ethnical changes and diversities of mathematics students and their how learning. Then Hormozgan province; Kish Island is be selected for cultural diversities and via semi multi-steps cluster sampling method, twenty seven teachers of mathematics and forty mathematics students at high school level are be chosen. Through questionnaire-researcher made, for the study of two hypothesis, related questions are be implemented for teachers and students. The results of study via statistics tests indicated that teachers of mathematics have not cultural diversities management regard to scientific and cooperative activities of mathematics students with cultural diversities but their students belief to this case.
Learning Concise Pattern for Interlinking with Extended Version Space

Many data sets on the web contain analogous data which represent the same resources in the world, so it is helpful to interlink different data sets for sharing information. However, finding correct links is very challenging because there are many instances to compare. In this paper, an interlinking method is proposed to interlink instances across different data sets. The input is class correspondences, property correspondences and a set of sample links that are assessed by users as either "positive" or "negative". We apply a machine learning method, Version Space, in order to construct a classifier, which is called interlinking pattern, that can justify correct links and incorrect links for both data sets. We improve the learning method so that it resolves the no-conjunctive-pattern problem. We call it Extended Version Space. Experiments confirm that our method with only 1% of sample links already reaches a high F-measure (around 0.96-0.99). The F-measure quickly converges, being improved by nearly 10% than other comparable approaches.
Delinquency, Deviance, and Tolerance in a Slum in India: A Quantitative Model

Slum neighborhoods are often associated with juvenile delinquency and other forms of deviance. This has been linked to the level of social or family tolerance. A measure known as Tolerance Quotient (TQ) has been suggested in the literature for measuring such tolerance of deviant behavior. This paper attempts to build a quantitative model of the TQ. Children (N = 100) and parents (N = 100) from a slum neighborhood in Delhi, India were interviewed for information on juvenile deviance and parental reactions. The results indicate the importance and utility of measuring and applying TQ to subcultural settings.
Emphysema and Airflow Obstruction in Non-Smoking Coal Miners with Pneumoconiosis

Background Accumulating evidence shows that functional impairment in subjects with coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) is principally due to emphysema and airflow obstruction, rather than underlying restrictive mechanisms. However, cigarette smoking has remained a major confounder. The aim of this study was to assess whether coal dust exposure was associated with emphysema and/or airflow obstruction in the absence of smoking history. Material/Method The subjects evaluated for possible pneumoconiosis between 2013 and 2015 were retrospectively enrolled into this study. After excluding those with history of smoking, tuberculosis, or lung cancer, the study population was a total of 57 subjects. The emphysema severity and airflow obstruction were quantified by computed tomographic densitometry analysis and spirometry, respectively. For comparability regarding emphysema, 9 age- and sex-matched nonsmoker (n=9) control subjects without known lung disease were randomly selected from a radiology database. Results Emphysema severity was significantly higher in the CWP group compared with the control group (15% vs. 4%, p<0.001). The median percent emphysema and percentage of those with FEV1/FVC <0.7 was 13% and 37% in subjects with simple CWP and 18% and 67% in subjects with complicated CWP, respectively. Percent emphysema and Perc15 (15th percentile of the attenuation curve) was correlated with FEV1/FVC (r=−0.45, r=−0.47) and FEF25–75 (r=−0.36, r=−0.56), respectively, but not with perfusion score. A linear regression analysis showed that factors associated with emphysema were FEV1/FVC (β=−0.24, p=0.009) and large opacity (β=−3.97, p=0.079), and factors associated with FEV1/FVC were percent emphysema (β=−0.51, p=0.018) and tenure (β=−0.63, p=0.044). Conclusions Our results support the observation that coal dust exposure is associated with emphysema and airflow obstruction, independent of smoking status.