Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Video Game-Based Approach in Calf Muscle Training: Lessons from Pilot Study.

Gaming technology is a popular application for physical rehabilitation. However, the key problem with a considerable group of patients is that their muscle function is extensively compromised, which significantly narrows the population eligible for video game-based rehabilitation. We designed a training system to integrate gaming and functional electrical stimulation for the lower leg muscles. Such a system is expected to motivate individuals to exercise more, to assist muscle control, and to promote muscle strengthening. In our previous study, we demonstrated that the training improved the lower leg muscles’ strength and increased the range of motion of the ankle joints. Here we discuss some issues associated with a video game-based approach in rehabilitation, which need to be addressed. In particular, one of the biggest challenges is in maintaining a proper balance between flexibility of the game application to allow adaptation to the patient’s needs from physiological and functional perspectives, and attractiveness of the game interface, all while assuring the most efficient and motivating rehabilitation. As the next step, we decided to design different types of game-based exercises and to expand the variety of game strategies in order to promote and maintain activity of peripheral and central structures of the neuromuscular system, and to avoid the monotony of repetitive tasks. Our ultimate goal is to transfer re-training of movement skills practiced during video game-based interventions to the ability to complete real world tasks and participate in functional activities outside of therapy.
Minimally Simple Binaural Room Modeling Using a Single Feedback Delay Network

The most efficient binaural acoustic modeling systems use a multi-tap delay to generate accurately modeled early reflections, combined with a feedback delay network that produces generic late reverberation. We present a method of binaural acoustic simulation that uses one feedback delay network to simultaneously model both first-order reflections and late reverberation. The advantages are simplicity and efficiency. We compare the proposed method against the existing method of modeling binaural early reflections using a multi-tap delay line. Measurements of ISO standard evaluators including interaural correlation coefficient, decay time, clarity, definition, and center time, indicate that the proposed method achieves comparable level of accuracy as less-efficient existing methods. This method is implemented as an iOS application, and is able to auralize input signal directly without convolution and update in real time.
Nutrient stores and dynamics of woody detritus in a boreal forest: modeling potential implications at the stand level

Concentrations of 14 chemical elements (Al, B, C, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, N, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Zn) were measured in wood and bark of 126 sample trees representing different stages of decomposition in three major tree species of northwestern Russia: Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ), and birch (Betula pendula Roth.). Changes in nutrient stores in decay classes were calculated with adjustments for the loss of density and volume by dead trees. Although the concentration of many nutrients increased relative to the estimated initial level, the total amount of most nutrients contained in dead trees declined with decay. For example, nitrogen stores declined from decay class 1 to 4 by 45% for birch, 39% for spruce, and by 60% for pine. The rate and pattern of these losses varied by nutrient and by species and were primarily related to the patterns of bark loss. Pine lost bark early in the process of decomposition and released many essential nutrients (i.e., N, P, Ca) at the early stages, while birch retained most of its bark throughout the decomposition process and lost nutrients more gradually. The temporal dynamics of N, Ca, and K loss in pine were examined using a chronosequence approach, and the results were used in stand-level modeling. The analysis of modeling results suggests that, in northwestern Russia, post-disturbance release of nutrients from woody detritus can potentially supply a large proportion of the net N, Ca, and K accumulation in live forest biomass. Resume : La concentration de 14 elements chimiques (Al, B, C, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, N, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Zn) a ete
Retail credit scoring using fine‐grained payment data

Banks are continuously looking for novel ways to leverage their existing data assets. A major source of data that has not yet been used to the full extent is massive fine‐grained payment data on the bank's customers. In the paper, a design is proposed that builds predictive credit scoring models by using the fine‐grained payment data. Using a real life data set of 183 million transactions made by 2.6 million customers, we show that the scalable implementation that is put forward leads to a significant improvement in the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve, with only seconds of computation needed. When investigating the 1% riskiest customers, twice as many defaulters are detected when using the payment data. Such an improvement has a big effect on the overall working of the bank, from applicant scoring to minimum capital requirements.
Management of Root Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita Affecting Chickpea, Cicer arietinum for Sustainable Production

Management of phytoparasitic nematodes with plant products has been supported in favour of the increased awareness of environmental hazards affecting both flora and fauna associated with pesticides. A glasshouse experiment was conducted to control the effect of root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita on the plant growth parameters of chickpea, Cicer arietinum L . var. “Avarodhi”, a highly proteinaceous crop by the different concentrations of leaf extract of Persian lilac, Melia azedarach. Results revealed that the plants treated with higher concentrations of leaf extracts of M. azedarach showed the least impact of M. incognita as compared to the other concentrations. Plants inoculated alone with the 1000 second stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita showed highest reduction in plant growth parameters of shoot and root length (cm), fresh and dry weight (g), number of flowers and pods, total chlorophyll content and nitrate reductase activity with increased root knot index. Plants treated with lower concentrations of leaf extract also showed significant control over the reduction in plant growth parameters. These treatments also reduce the root knot index to a significant level. These studies may go a long way and act as a biocontrol agent and will be an asset in the clean and pollution free environment.
Gr upSM Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension and the Evaluation of Suspected Papilledema

Papilledema is swelling of the optic disc secondary to an increase in intracranial pressure. This is diagnosed not only through funduscopic examination, but also in conjunction with lumbar puncture, ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography, and neuroimaging. There are several disorders that result in increased intracranial pressure, some being potentially life threatening and therefore warranting an expeditious evaluation. As papilledema may be the earliest presenting sign of a life-threatening condition, it is often the eye care provider’s role to identify and evaluate patients with suspected papilledema.
‘Sounds like trouble’

The newly founded project group Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT focuses on applications based on models of the human hearing. One of the domains for application of these models is the detection of incidents in the surveillance domain based on audio information. For this application a system designed to detect human verbal aggression was developed by Sound Intelligence. A case study with this system will be described here as an example of what can be achieved using audio technology in a supportive role for surveillance . Models of human sound processing incorporating aspects of neural processing are now further developed to indicate a surveillance operator possible incidents or unexpected events.
Study of genetic diversity and differentiation of argan tree population ('Argania spinosa' L.) using AFLP markers

The argan tree ('Argania spinosa' L. Skeels, Sapotaceae) is a genetic resource endemic in Morocco. Genetic diversity within and among 13 populations (130 genotypes) of argan tree was studied using AFLP markers. Having checked twenty combinations of labeled primers for regular genomes (500-6000 Mb) (EcoRI+3/ MseI+3 selective bases) and for small genome (50-500 Mb) (EcoRI+2/MseI+3 selective bases), we selected four combinations specific for regular genome able to produce a relatively high polymorphism and a low error rate (0.12 %). A total of 477 unambiguous peaks were amplified ranging from 70 to 500 bp. The average polymorphism information content (PICAVG) value ranged from 0.19 to 0.23. Marker index (MI) and resolving power (RP) varied from 21.23 to 28.82 and 27.63 to 44.92, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 19 % of the genetic variation was partitioned among populations and 81 % of the genetic variation was within populations. This was confirmed by the coefficient of gene differentiation between populations (Gst=0.22), and gene flow was estimated to 1.709. The STRUCTURE analysis, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and Unweighyhed Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) revealed that populations of 'A. spinosa' were clustered into three genetic groups. The present results can be explored in the design of in situ and ex situ conservation and management programs.
Improved Automatic ES Cells Counting Method in Fluorescence Microscopy Images

In this paper we present an improved method for counting embryonic stem cells (ES cells) in fluorescence microscopy images. By applying a graphclustering algorithm, we increased the precision of the original technique [1], making it suitable for images of the migration of embryoid body cells. The improved method was extensively tested on more than a hundred images and the results demonstrated its superiority. Keywords-automatic cell counting, fluorescence microscopy images, grap-based image representation, graph mining, graph clustering.
Automated binning of microsatellite alleles: problems and solutions

As genotyping methods move ever closer to full automation, care must be taken to ensure that there is no equivalent rise in allele-calling error rates. One clear source of error lies with how raw allele lengths are converted into allele classes, a process referred to as binning. Standard automated approaches usually assume collinearity between expected and measured fragment length. Unfortunately, such collinearity is often only approximate, with the consequence that alleles do not conform to a perfect 2-, 3- or 4-base-pair periodicity. To account for these problems, we introduce a method that allows repeat units to be fractionally shorter or longer than their theoretical value. Tested on a large human data set, our algorithm performs well over a wide range of dinucleotide repeat loci. The size of the problem caused by sticking to whole numbers of bases is indicated by the fact that the effective repeat length was within 5% of the assumed length only 68.3% of the time.
Cinacalcet and Acute Heart Failure on Dialysis - A New Association

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is common in end stage renal disease and is associated with abnormal bone and mineral metabolism, vascular calcification, bone fracture and increased cardiovascular risk. Cinacalcet is an increasingly widely-used calcimimetic agent for the control of SHPT in such patients and trial data has confirmed its use as an efficacious strategy in achieving target parathyroid hormone (PTH) targets. Here we describe a previously undocumented side-effect of cinacalcet treatment in a man on haemodialysis who developed a new and severe dilated cardiomyopathy in clear association with starting cinacalcet. This subsequently resolved fully after withdrawal of the drug. This case, we believe, is the first documented case of severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction temporally associated with cinacalcet use. J Med Cases. 2013;4(6):389-392 doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/jmc1029w
Extraction, Isolation and Identification of Useful Phyto Constituents from Dichloromethane Leave Extract of Abutilon Pannosum and Grewia Tenax Using Q-TOF LC/MS

Plants are natural reservoir of medicinal agents. These are almost free from the side effects. [1] . Thus, since ancient times, people have been discovering the nature particularly plants in search of new drugs. This has resulted in the use of huge number of medicinal plants with curative properties to treat various diseases. [2] Approximately 80% of the world’s population trusts on traditional medicines for primary health care, most of which contain the use of plant extracts. [3] Phytochemical constituents are the basic source for the establishment of several pharmaceutical industries. The ingredients present in the plant play a significant role in the identification of crude drugs. [4]
Isolation and characterization of an ethylene-responsive element binding protein (EgEREBP) from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis)

The AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor) proteins play important regulatory roles in plant response to stress as well as plant growth and developmental processes. Using yeast one-hybrid system and three tandem repeats of the ERE (ethylene-responsive element) as a probe, an ethylene-responsive cDNA clone designated as EgEREBP (Elaeis guineensis ERE-binding protein) was isolated from oil palm fruits treated with ethylene hormone. The EgEREBP-encoded protein has a conserved AP2/EREBP DNAbinding domain (DNA-BD), a potential nuclear localization sequence, and a putative activation domain. EgEREBP protein was classified as a member of DREB/CBF (dehydration-responsive element binding protein/c-repeat binding factor) proteins based on the multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. EgEREBP showed ERE-binding, transcriptional activation, and transactivation properties in yeast and in vitro. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) revealed that EgEREBP could bind to the DRE in addition to the ERE sequence. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of EgEREBP gene was induced in oil palm fruits in response to a range of hormone treatments, including abscisic acid (ABA), methyl jasmonate (MJ), salicylic acid (SA) and abiotic stresses, including drought, cold and high-salinity. Our data demonstrated the regulatory functions of EgEREBP gene in stress response and ethylene signaling in oil palm which could be potentially useful for the production of stress-tolerant transgenic crops.
Insights on Pupil Dilation , Interaction Technique and Effort

Copyright is held by the author/owner(s). Abstract Eye Tracking has been successfully applied in Human-Computer Interaction, be it as input mechanism or as measurement of quality e.g. for immersion [6]. In order to validate the quality of interaction modalities of a system, questionnaires or performance metrics e.g. task completion time can be used but these approaches only evaluate the overall quality of a system. Our experiment show that the mean Pupil Dilation increases upon performing a specific interaction technique with a public display ensemble, even more when an interaction does not lead towards the expected outcome – e.g. fails to perform the intended action. In turn, we have established a connection between Pupil Dilation, Interaction Technique and User Reported Effort Ratings in our experiment with a public display ensemble.
GENERALIZED HUBER KINETICS FOR NONLINEAR RATE PROCESSES IN DISORDERED SYSTEMS : NONLINEAR ANALOGS OF STRETCHED EXPONENTIAL

This paper deals with one-variable nonlinear rate processes occurring in disordered systems. A general stochastic approach is introduced for these processes based on the following assumptions. The total rate coefficient is made up of the additive contributions of a large number of individual reaction channels. These contributions are random functions of time and their stochastic properties are characterized by a functional random point process. Exact analytical expressions for the time dependence of the average concentration are derived by using a characteristic functional technique. These expressions are valid for systems with both dynamic and static disorder and are nonlinear analogs of the general kinetic law derived by Huber @Phys. Rev. B 31, 6070~1985! ; Phys. Rev. E53, 6544~1996! # for linear rate processes in systems with static disorder. For independent rate processes with static disorder and a self-similar distribution of reaction channels we derive a nonlinear analog of the stretched exponential. A closed analytic expression of the nonlinear stretched exponential is given in terms of Fox’s H functions. As expected, when the reaction order of the process is one, the nonlinear kinetic law reduces to a stretched exponential with a scaling exponent characterizing the self-similar distribution of the individual reaction channels. For nonlinear processes the tail of the averaged kinetic curve is self-similar and obeys a scaling law with a negative power law. Surprisingly, the scaling exponent of the tail depends only on the reaction order of the process and is independent of the scaling exponent that characterizes the self-similar distribution of the individual channels. We examine the possibilities of experimental evaluation of the statistical distribution of the total rate coefficient: The moments of different orders of the rate coefficient can be evaluated from the time derivatives of the survival function. @S1063-651X~98! 10906-6#
Physicians’ Use of Email With Patients: Factors Influencing Electronic Communication and Adherence to Best Practices

Background With the public’s increased use of the Internet, the use of email as a means of communication between patients and physicians will likely increase. Yet, despite evidence of increased interest by patients, email use by physicians for clinical care has been slow. Objective To examine the factors associated with physician-patient email, and report on the physicians’ adherence to recognized guidelines for email communication. Methods Cross-sectional survey (March–May, 2005) of all primary care physicians (n = 10253), and a 25% stratified, random sample of all ambulatory clinical specialists (n = 3954) in the state of Florida. Physicians were surveyed on email use with patients, adherence to recognized guidelines, and demographics. Results The 4203 physicians completed the questionnaire (a 28.2% participation rate). Of these, 689 (16.6%) had personally used email to communicate with patients. Only 120 (2.9%) used email with patients frequently. In univariate analysis, email use correlated with physician age (decreased use: age > 61; P = .014), race (decreased use: Asian background; P < .001), medical training (increased use: family medicine, P = .001; or surgical specialty, P = .007; but not internal medicine, P = .112), practice size (> 50 physicians, P < .001), and geographic location (urban 17.2% vs. rural, 7.9%; P < .001). Multivariate modeling showed that only practice size greater than 50 (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.01-3.79) and Asian-American race (OR = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.14-0.49) were related to email use with patients. Remarkably, only 46 physicians (6.7%) adhered to at least half of the 13 selected guidelines for email communication. Conclusions This large survey of physicians, practicing in ambulatory settings, shows only modest advances in the adoption of email communication, and little adherence to recognized guidelines for email correspondence. Further efforts are required to educate both patients and physicians on the advantages and limitations of email communication, and to remove fiscal and legal barriers to its adoption.
Effects of breeder age and early energy restriction on fattening performance, some meat quality traits and plasma leptin concentration of broilers

Bu arastirmanin amaci, etci piliclerde damizlik yasi ve erken donem enerji kisitlamasinin besi performansi, et kalitesi ve plazma leptin konsantrasyonuna etkilerini incelemektir. Toplam 504 erkek civciv uc farkli yastaki (27, 38 ve 60 haftalik) damizliklardan temin edilmistir. Her damizlik yas grubundan elde edilen civcivler rasgele iki beslenme grubuna (kontrol ve enerji kisitlamasi uygulanan grup) bolunmustur. Enerji kisitlamasi uygulanan gruptaki etci pilicler 8-14 gunluk yasta %10 enerjisi azaltilmis rasyonla beslenmistir. Deneme boyunca canli agirlik, canli agirlik artisi, yem tuketimi ve yemden yararlanma orani haftada bir belirlenmistir. 7, 14 ve 41. gunlerde her gruptaki 7 etci pilicten kan alinarak leptin konsantrasyonu olculmustur. 42 gunluk yasta her gruptan 21 pilic kesilerek, karkas, kalp, karaciger, taslik, dalak ve karin yagi agirliklari belirlenmistir. But eti pH, pisirme kaybi, nem, protein, yag ve kul duzeyleri tespit edilmistir. Sonuc olarak, damizlik yasinin baslangic canli agirligi, toplam canli agirlik kazanci, toplam yem tuketimi ve karin yagini; enerji kisitlamasinin ikinci hafta canli agirlik kazanci, toplam yem tuketimi, toplam yemden yararlanma orani, kalp ve karaciger yuzdeleri ile but eti nem ve protein duzeylerini etkiledigi belirlenmistir. Leptin konsantrasyonu sadece etci piliclerin yasindan etkilenmistir. Damizlik yasi ile enerji kisitlamasi arasinda 2. hafta yemden yararlanma orani disinda herhangi bir etkilesim gorulmemistir
Time Slot Allocation Algorithm Based On TDMA Protocol In Wireless Sensor Networks

In recent years, many researchers have worked in the area of wireless sensor networks that has led to the variety of algorithms and methods for the collection and transmission of environment information; but still many challenges faced by wireless sensor networks using methodologies are applied in various fields. Such as Media Access Control that due to the media being shared on these networks, there is a possibility of collision and data loss. Since the retransmission increases network latency and consequently reduces network energy, therefore various solutions have been proposed for media access control that their main purpose is media access control and prevention of collisions. Hence media access control protocols requirement, more and more felt. In this study, a free collision algorithm with the acceptable ability to media access channel is presented in which we have tried to reduce the number of time slots and increase the network throughput as much as possible.
Management of Comorbid Sleep Disorders in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

S leep in the military has traditionally been thought of as a luxury and is sometimes considered at odds with optimal productivity. Every minute that a service member is asleep, he or she is not performing a primary duty, and getting a minimal amount of sleep is often seen as a badge of honor and strength. Research has recently been conducted, underscoring the importance of sleep management as an operational variable that must be accounted for in order to achieve optimal performance and promote resiliency. Both the quality and the duration of sleep must be considered, particularly given the increasingly complicated tasks that every service member must perform during both war and peace. It has been well established that higher order mental tasks are the most vulnerable to sleep loss, as are those with little mental or physical stimulation, such as guard duty.1,2 Because service members are expected not only to perform in combat, but also to behave and operate ethically in spite of the challenges of war, the importance of adequate sleep must be considered. Many challenges are commonly encountered by service members when attempting to get adequate sleep (Table). 3 This review highlights the recent diagnostic and treatment advances with respect to the overlap of sleep disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).