Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sample-path based performance sensitivity construction of semi-Markov systems

In this note, we study the sample-path-based construction of performance sensitivities of discrete time semi-Markov chains (SMCs). With a sample path of SMCs, we show that the performance sensitivities of SMCs can be constructed intuitively by the first principle. This results directly extends the potential structure of discrete time Markov chains to semi-Markov models by introducing an extended perturbation realization factor.
[Association of the different types of substance use behaviors in the Hungarian adult population].

BACKGROUND, AIMS There are several examples in international literature dealing with the connection between different types of substance use behaviors. Studies mostly report the strengthening effect of one type of substance use on other types as well among Hungarian high school students. In our study the relationship between different substance use behaviors are analyzed on adult population. METHOD The analysis was carried out within the framework of the Hungarian Population Survey on Addiction Problems (OLAAP) on a sample of 2710 persons from the Hungarian population between 18 and 64 years of age. RESULTS Lifetime prevalence of abstinence regarding all substance use behaviors in the 18-64 years population is 7.5%. 848% of all subjects have drunk alcohol ever, 55.6% have smoked, 13.1% have consumed prescription drugs and 9.3% have used illicit drugs at least once while lifetime prevalence of abusive prescription drug use is 6.1%. One fourth (24.8%) of the surveyed persons have not used any of the studied substances in the last month. Socio-demographic pattern of different substance use behaviors is rather heterogenic, however descriptive analyses on the relationship between different actual (last month) substance use behaviors in line with the cluster analysis carried out on prevalence data of different substance use behaviors indicate the relatedness of substance use behaviors. CONCLUSION Our results support the phenomenon called multiple drug use in literature that was observed on a Hungarian high school student sample as well. At the same time however, based on the substance use data regarding adult population, a slightly different cluster structure was identified.
The Initiative Experiments about New Interface for a Networked Game

Currently so many online games are serving. Nearly all of these networked games still depend on traditional input interfaces only as a keyboard or a mouse as input interface. These interfaces can’t comprehend our metaphor, can’t reflect on our natural behavior aspect, can’t make us immerse into a game, and makes a barrier between virtual game space and our real behavior. It is very challenging issue to utilize human-being’s behaviors or reactions for interacting to machines for the forthcoming ubiquitous world of communication. I attempted an experiment on camera-based interface for networked dice game application. This experiment uses dice artifacts attached a marker which the camera can distinguish the spot on a die. This new game interface guarantees the consistency between the game-player’s behaviors and the gaming environment. This consistency increases friendliness and immersion to a game as well as the ability of bodily sensation for a game. This new interface takes the results of human-being's behaviors as input event, and will open the new field of digital interfaces for forthcoming ubiquitous computing.
The Daysimeter: a device for measuring optical radiation as a stimulus for the human circadian system

Optical radiation incident on the human retina stimulates vision as well as provides time-of-day information to the brain's circadian clock. The visual and circadian systems respond very differently to optical radiation. A device, the Daysimeter, was developed and tested to help progress towards a system of circadian dosimetry. The Daysimeter is a lightweight, head-mounted device that records radiation exposure estimates for both the visual and circadian systems, and is specifically designed for field use. In addition to logging spectrally weighted radiation measurements, it records head position and motion to be utilized as a representation of human circadian activity. This paper provides background on the differences between radiation for the visual and circadian systems, as well as a description of the development and testing of this prototype device.
Molecular cloning and characterization of Dr-II, a nonfimbrial adhesin-I-like adhesin isolated from gestational pyelonephritis-associated Escherichia coli that binds to decay-accelerating factor

Bacterial adhesins play an important role in the colonization of the human urogenital tract. Escherichia coli Dr family adhesins have been found to be frequently expressed in strains associated with pyelonephritis in pregnant females. The tissue receptor for known Dr adhesins has been localized to the short consensus repeat-3 (SCR-3) domain of decay accelerating factor (DAF), a complement regulatory protein. In this report, we identified and cloned draE2, a gene encoding a novel 17-kDa DAF-binding adhesin, Dr-II, from a strain of E. coli associated with acute gestational pyelonephritis. Despite the significant sequence diversity between Dr-II and Dr family adhesins, the receptor of Dr-II was found to be the SCR-3 domain of DAF. Sequence analysis of the 186-amino-acid Dr-II open reading frame revealed significant diversity from other members of the Dr adhesin family, including Dr, AFA-I, AFA-III, and F1845, but only an 8-amino-acid difference in sequence from that of the 17-kDa nonfimbrial adhesin NFA-I of unknown receptor specificity. N-terminal peptide sequencing of the purified adhesin confirmed the identity of the open reading frame and indicated cleavage of a 28-amino-acid signal peptide. Antibodies raised against purified Dr-II adhesin exhibited little or no cross-reactivity to Dr adhesin. Characterization of the biological properties demonstrated that like the Dr adhesins, Dr-II was associated with the ability of E. coli to bind to tubular basement membranes and Bowman's capsule and to be internalized into HeLa cells.
Chronic exercise partially restores the transmural heterogeneity of action potential duration in left ventricular myocytes of spontaneous hypertensive rats

Hypertension leads to electrophysiological changes in the heart. Chronic exercise induced by a treadmill‐running programme (TRP) is considered a potential non‐pharmacological treatment for hypertension and may have implications in heart remodelling. However, it is not known whether the TRP is able to improve the electrophysiological properties of the heart in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In the present study, we investigated whether TRP affects the electrical properties of left ventricular (LV) myocytes isolated from different layers of the LV wall of SHR. Male SHR were divided into exercised (chronic treadmill running for 8 weeks; CEX‐SHR) and sedentary (SED‐SHR) groups. Age‐matched normotensive Wistar male rats served as controls. Action potentials (AP) and transient outward potassium current (Ito) were recorded in subepicardial (EPI) and subendocardial (ENDO) LV myocytes. In normotensive controls, AP duration (APD) was longer in ENDO cells than in EPI cells. This sort of transmural heterogeneity in the LV was not observed in sedentary SHR and was partially restored in SHR subject to chronic exercise. This partial recovery was associated with an increase in Ito density in EPI cells but not in ENDO cells. The electrophysiological changes observed in the CEX‐SHR group were not accompanied by either amelioration of systolic blood pressure or a reduction in heart hypertrophy. These findings imply that a TRP is able to improve the electrophysiological parameters of isolated cardiac myocytes in SHR. This sort of adaptation contributes to the overall improvement of heart physiology in this model.
99mTc-3PRGD2 for Integrin Receptor Imaging of Lung Cancer: A Multicenter Study

99mTc-3PRGD2 is a new SPECT tracer targeting integrin αVβ3 receptor for detecting tumors, imaging angiogenesis, and evaluating tumor response to therapy. A multicenter study was designed to investigate the efficacy of 99mTc-3PRGD2 for the evaluation of patients with lung cancer. Methods: Seventy patients (51 men, 19 women; mean age ± SD, 63 ± 9 y) with a suspected lung lesion and for whom definite pathologic diagnosis was finally obtained (malignant, n = 58; benign, n = 12) were recruited from 6 centers. Whole-body planar scanning and chest SPECT were performed at 1 and 4 h, respectively, after intravenous injection of 11.1 MBq/kg (0.3 mCi/kg) of 99mTc-3PRGD2. The images were read in consensus by 6 experienced nuclear medicine physicians masked to the source, history, and pathologic diagnosis. The tumor-to-background (T/B) ratios were calculated for semiquantitative analysis. A Student t test was used for statistical analysis, and a P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: With low 99mTc-3PRGD2 background in the lungs and mediastinum, most lung malignancies were prominent on the 1-h images (T/B ratio, 1.65 ± 0.47 for the planar imaging and 2.78 ± 1.52 for SPECT). The T/B ratios were significantly lower in the benign lesions (P < 0.05). The sensitivity was 88% for semiquantitative analysis and could reach 93%–97% in visual analysis when considering the volume effect, necrosis, and metastasis. However, the specificity was only 58%–67%. Most lymph node and bone metastases could also be detected. Conclusion: 99mTc-3PRGD2 imaging at 1 h is sensitive for the detection of lung cancer, meriting further investigation of 99mTc-3PRGD2 as a novel clinical tracer for integrin receptor imaging.
Study of the combined effect of spices and marination on beef meat vacuum packaged.

Fresh beef slices were marinated by immersion in marinades based on dry red wine, lime-tree honey, salt, spices and seasoning plants as thyme (Thymus vulgaris), marjoram (Majorana hortensis), garlic (Allium sativum) and horseradish (Armoracia rusticana). Control samples were represented by raw meat without marination treatment but stored under the same conditions as marinated samples.
The fibre calibre spectra of sensory and motor fibres in the intercostal nerves of the cat

There appear to be no published fibre-calibre spectra of sensory and motor fibres in the intercostal nerves of the cat. Such data were needed for correlation with the results of recent physiological investigations on the thoracic spinal cord (Eccles, Sears & Shealy, 1962; Sears, 1963). Accordingly, cat intercostal nerves have been de-afferented by ganglionectomy and de-efferented by sectioning the ventral roots so that the fibre-calibre spectra of motor and sensory fibres could be determined. The results of these investigations together with a brief account of the innervation of the intercostal muscles and a suggested nomenclature for the relevant nerves, are described in the present paper.
Ankle taping and bracing for proprioception

▸ Raymond J, Nicholson LL, Hiller CE, et al . The effect of ankle taping or bracing on proprioception in functional ankle instability: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sci Med Sport 2012 online doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams. 2012.03. 008. Ankle injuries account for up to 20% of sports-related injuries,1 of these 33–73% are sprains, most commonly of the lateral ligament complex. This high incidence and the functional consequences ensure that patients with ankle sprains present frequently to sports medical practises. The serious consequences of a sprain include ongoing instability and recurrence,2 although it is unclear as to what physiological changes following the original injury predispose an individual to these consequences. One hypothesis is that proprioception, which refers to a group of sensations, including sense of movement, sense of joint position and sensations related to muscle force,3 is impaired following the first ankle sprain. Taping or a brace placed in direct contact with the skin is thought to improve proprioceptive acuity by stimulating cutaneous mechanoreceptors. Ankle taping or bracing is commonly used by those who have experienced an ankle sprain as a means of preventing further injury. Generally, tape and braces are hypothesised to reduce ankle sprain risk by providing mechanical support to the joint and also by improving proprioception.4 ,5 To determine whether ankle taping or bracing compared to no taping or bracing improves proprioception in people with a history of ankle sprain or functional ankle instability. Eight biomedical databases including …
An Enhanced Extraction and Summarization Technique with User Review Data for Product Recommendation to Customers

In the current world, recommendation system plays a major role in helping consumer find for relevant product information with summarized reviews. It contains collection of opinions, reviews, recommendation, ratings, comment and personal experience shared by different user review on a product through social networks, e-commerce websites, blogs and forums. These reviews become an opinion for consumers to learn different aspects of products like limitations, advantages, features, services and suppliers. Various methods of evaluating products/services to consumer are provided from different review sites. The proposed method extracts reviews and summarises to provide enhanced product recommendation to the consumer
The Reliability of the Diabetes Care Profile for African Americans

The Diabetes Care Profile (DCP) is an instrument used to assess social and psychological factors related to diabetes and its treatment. The reliability of the DCP was established in populations consisting primarily of Caucasians with type 2 diabetes. This study tests whether the DCP is a reliable instrument for African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Both African American (n = 511) and Caucasian (n = 235) patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited at six sites located in the metropolitan Detroit area. Scale reliability was calculated by Cronbach's coefficient alpha. The scale reliabilities ranged from . 70 to . 97 for African Americans. These reliabilities were similar to those of Caucasians, whose scale reliabilities rangedfrom . 68 to . 96. The Feldt test was used to determine differences between the reliabilities of the two patient populations. No significant differences were found. The DCP is a reliable survey instrument for African American and Caucasion patients with type 2 diabetes.
Effect of Rapamycin on Hepatocyte Function and Proliferation Induced by Growth Factors

Background: Rapamycin is a specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The effect of rapamycin on proliferation and cellular function was studied in hepatocytes stimulated by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or transforming growth factor-α (TGFα). Methods and Results: When isolated rat hepatocytes were cultured at low density, the addition of HGF or TGFα increased DNA synthesis but did not affect albumin or fibrinogen concentrations in the medium. In contrast, in hepatocytes cultured at high density, the albumin and fibrinogen concentrations, but not DNA synthesis, were increased by HGF or TGFα. The HGF- or TGFα-induced increase in DNA synthesis and in albumin or fibrinogen concentrations was suppressed by the addition of rapamycin, as well as wortmannin, a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor. Conclusion: HGF and TGFα stimulate proliferation and function of hepatocytes depending upon the conditions, and rapamycin inhibited these stimulatory effects, possibly by inhibiting the mTOR-dependent signaling pathway.
Bone Marrow Findings Secondary to Antineoplastic Compounds: Hematopoietic, Bone, and Cytokine Cross Talk

New medullary bone formation has been observed in rats administered a variety of antineoplastic compounds. Similar effects reported in rats administered granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) were attributed to exaggerated pharmacology of G-CSF as a cytokine and growth factor, resulting in stromal proliferation in addition to the intended hematopoietic effects. Similar phenomena of marrow stromal change are reported among other species in association with various growth factors. Case study summaries of test item–related histopathologic changes in bone marrow, reflecting trabecular and/or endosteal new bone formation, are presented. In each of these cases, it was concluded that the new medullary bone and stromal proliferation did not reflect a primary target–related toxicity; rather, the mesenchymal changes were attributed to nonspecific, secondary effects of cytokines elaborated in response to primary cytotoxic effects on hematopoietic cells with subsequent impact on circulating blood cells. The common features associated with marrow stromal changes in the case studies, as well as with a variety of pharmacologic compounds across several species described in the literature, are hematologic effects and/or changes in growth factor levels and cytokine expression.
Reduction of Rat Hippocampal Calcium‐Binding Protein Following Commissural, Amygdala, Septal, Perforant Path, and Olfactory Bulb Kindling

Summary: The calcium‐binding protein (CaBP) content of the hippocampal formation was determined by radioimmunoassay in control and kindled rats. Kindling of a number of different sites resulted in a reduction in the CaBP content of the hippocampal formation, which was shown immunohisto‐chemically to be restricted to the dentate granule cells and their processes. The maximum decline in CaBP varied with the different kindling sites: perforant path, 33%; commissural path, 32%; septum, 30%; amygdala, 18%; and olfactory bulbs, 15%. There were no changes in the CaBP content of the stimulated areas themselves. In cases where the kindling stimulus was delivered unilaterally (perforant path and amygdala), the maximum decrease in hippocampal CaBP was observed ipsilateral to the site of stimulation when the criterion for full kindling was established (six consecutive stage 5 motor seizures). Further kindling trials were required to produce a similar magnitude decrease in the CaBP content of the contralateral hippocampus. These observations are discussed both in relation to the possible role of CaBP in the establishment of a seizure response to kindling and also as a potential compensatory mechanism that may serve to overcome the epileptogenic effects of kindling.
THE AMNIOTIC FLUID LECITHIN : SPHINGOMYELIN AREA RATIO (LSAR) IN PREGNANCIES COMPLICATED BY DIABETES

The lecithin : sphingomyelin area ratio (LSAR) was measured in 108 samples of amniotic fluid obtained after 32 weeks' gestation from 66 pregnant diabetics and in 34 samples from 27 women with latent diabetes during pregnancy. A previously reported finding that the normal terminal rise in the ratio did not occur in approximately one‐third of such patients was confirmed. The clinical value of this test, in timing delivery to minimize the risk of neonatal respiratory distress, is discussed; its routine use in pregnancies complicated by established or latent diabetes is advocated.
Cognitive screening in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in early stages

Abstract Few studies have examined the use of a short cognitive screening of ALS patients in order to establish which patients should undergo a more comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. We tested 20 patients with early ALS with four cognitive screening instruments and subsequently with an extensive neuropsychological assessment. Sixty percent of patients showed a deficit in at least two scores of tests administered, while 40% had three abnormal tests. Dysexecutive syndrome was the most common neuropsychological impairment. The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) proved a useful indicator of the presence of cognitive dysfunction to complete neuropsychological evaluation. In conclusion, the FAB can be considered a sensitive cognitive screening tool in these patients. These data will be verified on a larger sample of patients.
Challenges With Health‐related Quality of Life Assessment in Arthroplasty Patients: Problems and Solutions

Assessment of health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) using patient‐reported outcomes in arthroplasty has become popular because it provides a unique perspective on successful elective procedures. However, challenges exist in the assessment of HRQOL in clinical practice and in clinical research. Patient compliance with multiple and sometimes lengthy HRQOL assessments administered at multiple follow‐up visits is problematic. Many well‐validated HRQOL instruments are available, and progress has been made in defining the minimal clinically important difference in hip and knee arthroplasty that denotes the minimal change perceived to be important by patients. Challenges in understanding the literature are attributable to the use of various HRQOL scales, with different scoring ranges and scoring algorithms, different interpretations of highest score, and differences in the presentation of raw versus transformed scores.
Nonlinear data fusion

Consider the following estimation problem: The state trajectory of a random process is observed by K distinct observers, using noise-corrupted observations. Each observer processes his own observation history, to obtain the local conditional distribution of the state, as a function of time. Assume that sufficient statistics representing each local conditional distribution are communicated to a coordinator at a central location at each point in time. The coordinators's estimation problem consists of constructing the overall conditional distribution of the state, conditioned on knowing all of the observations, while using only the sufficient statistics communicated to him.
A Comparison of Four Unsupervised Clustering Algorithms for Segmenting Brain Tissue in Multi-spectral MR Data

The effects of atrophy and diffusion of the boundary between grey and white matter, common in elder individuals, represents a difficult problem for segmentation, not observed in healthy younger adults. The aim of this study is to evaluate four well-known unsupervised clustering algorithms in brain tissue segmentation using MR scans with atrophies and lesions. The brain is segmented into 3 different types: white matter, grey matter and CSF. We used four MR sequences: T1W, T2W, T2∗W and FLAIR to classify each voxel in the image. No spatial information was used. The algorithms tested were k−means, EM (Gaussian mixture), MVQ (minimum variance quantisation) and Mean Shift. The datasets were acquired from an aged cohort (> 70 years). The resulting segmentations were quantitatively compared to expertly collected ground truth on 12 datasets, using the Dice coefficient as an overlap measure. The classification algorithms could be ranked in the following order: MVQ, k−means, EM and MeanShift from best to worst. The MVQ algorithm did best of all with over a . 9 Dice overlap on CSF, and over . 8 on white matter.
A Theory of Consciousness Founded on Neurons That Behave Like Qubits

This paper presents a hypothesis that consciousness is a natural result of neurons that become connected recursively, and work synchronously between short and long term memories. Such neurons demonstrate qubit-like properties, each supporting a probabilistic combination of true and false at a given phase. Advantages of qubits include probabilistic modifications of cues for searching associations in long term memory, and controlled toggling for parallel, reversible computations to prioritize multiple recalls and to facilitate mathematical abilities.