Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Switched Feedback Tracking Control of a Nonholonomic Mobile Robot

This paper studies the tracking problem for a car-like nonholonomic mobile robot. A switched feedback control law is developed to achieve global tracking. The control law avoids singularities arising from coordinate transformations used to describe the robot kinematics in chained form. The paper provides a detailed derivation of the control law. Simulation examples are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the tracking controller
Mammographic Screening: A Key Factor in the Control of Breast Cancer

Since the late 1980s, there has been broad agreement, with invitation to screening in women aged 40–49 years and a significant 27% reduction in women aged 50–74 with few dissenters, that mammographic screening significantly and substantially reduced mortality from years.10,11 A sizeable proportion of the evidence comes from the Swedish Two-County Trial of mammographic breast cancer. This was based on the findings of the eight randomized trials of breast screening worldwide.1-9 screening, conducted from 1977 to 1986 in Kopparberg and Östergötland counties in Sweden. Figure 1 shows the results of these with respect to breast cancer mortality. The combined result is a significant For the most part, this consensus on the benefits of mammographic screeningcontinues to prevail, although 24% reduction in breast cancermortality in women aged 40–74 years in association with invitation to screening. it has been questioned by a meta-analysis by that claims to find no benefit of breast cancer screening. Indeed, Overviews of age-specific effects of screening show a significant 18% reduction in breast cancer mortality Gøtzsche and Olsen12,13 claim that screening causes harm by increasing the rates of radical treatment. In particular, the authors of the meta-analysis asserted that
Use of nonprescription weight loss products: results from a multistate survey.

CONTEXT Lifestyle changes to lose weight can be difficult; hence, both prescription and nonprescription diet products are appealing. Usage patterns of the nonprescription products phenylpropanolamine (PPA) and ephedra are of particular interest because of recent safety concerns. OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of overall and specific nonprescription weight loss product use by demographic characteristics, prescription diet pill use, diabetic status, and lifestyle choices. DESIGN AND SETTING The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a random-digit telephone survey conducted in 1998 in 5 states: Florida, Iowa, Michigan, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. PARTICIPANTS Population-based sample of 14 679 noninstitutionalized adults 18 years or older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Prevalence of nonprescription weight loss product use in 1996-1998. RESULTS Seven percent reported overall nonprescription weight loss product use, 2% reported PPA use, and 1% reported ephedra product use. Overall use was especially common among young obese women (28.4%). Moreover, 7.9% of normal-weight women reported use. There was no difference in nonprescription weight loss product use by daily consumption of fruits and vegetables; however, more users than nonusers reported being physically active (for those who exercised >/=30 minutes 5 times per week, odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.0). Among prescription weight loss product users, 33.8% also took nonprescription product. CONCLUSIONS With increasing rates of obesity, nonprescription product use is likely to increase. Clinicians should know about their patients' use of both prescription and nonprescription weight loss products.
Characterization of Brucella abortus lipopolysaccharide macrodomains as mega rafts

The lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of intracellular Proteobacteria such as Brucella, Chlamydia, Legionella and Rickettsia, have properties distinct from enterobacterial LPSs. These properties include deficient LPS induction of host cell activation, low endotoxicity and resistance to macrophage degradation. Together these constitute key virulence mechanisms for intracellular survival and replication. We previously demonstrated that B. abortus LPS captured by macrophages was recycled back to the plasma membrane where it was found associated with macrodomains. Furthermore, this LPS interferes with the MHC class II (MHC‐II) presentation of peptides to specific T cell hybridomas. Here, we characterized the Brucella LPS macrodomains by microscopy and biochemistry approaches. We show for the first time that LPS macrodomains act as detergent resistant membranes (DRMs), segregating several lipid‐raft components, LPS‐binding proteins and MHC‐II molecules. Brucella LPS macrodomains remain intact for several months in macrophages and are resistant to the disruptive effects of methyl β‐cyclodextrin. Fluorescent anisotropy measurements show that B. abortus LPS is responsible for the formation of rigid surface membrane complexes. In addition, relocalization of MHC‐II molecules is observed in these structures. The effects of B. abortus LPS on membrane properties could be responsible for pathogenic effects such as the inhibition of MHC‐II‐dependent antigen presentation.
Macromolecules and Urolithiasis: Parallels and Paradoxes

Long-standing interest in the possible role of macromolecules in urolithiasis stems from the observation that all human kidney stones consist of a complex amalgam of mineral and organic material. This review summarises what is currently known or is hypothesised about the influences of urinary macromolecules, especially proteins, on the formation of calcium oxalate crystals, their attachment to renal epithelial cells, and their subsequent destruction within those cells. Although a list is provided of proteins that have either been detected in stones or have been implicated by virtue of their effects on crystallization, only a select handful, which have been intensively studied, have been singled out for individual discussion. The review ends with a speculative discussion of the applicability of current knowledge to the investigation and treatment of urolithiasis.
Effect of hydrogen peroxide spraying on drought stress in soybean plant

We examined whether the spraying of soybean leaves with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) would alleviate the symptoms of drought stress. Pre-treatment by spraying leaves with H2O2 delayed foliar wilting caused by drought stress compared to leaves sprayed with distilled water (DW). Additionally, the relative water content of drought-stressed leaves pre-treated with H2O2 was higher than that of leaves pre-treated with DW. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of H2O2 spraying on photosynthetic parameters and on the biosynthesis of oligosaccharides related to water retention in leaves during drought stress. Under conditions of drought stress, the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of leaves pre-treated with H2O2 were higher than those of leaves pre-treated with DW. In contrast to DW spraying, H2O2 spraying immediately caused an increase in the mRNA levels of D-myo-inositol 3-phosphate synthase 2 (GmMIPS2) and galactinol synthase (GolS), which encode key enzymes for the biosynthesis of oligosaccharides known to help plants tolerate drought stress. In addition, the levels of myo-inositol and galactinol were higher in H2O2-treated leaves than in DW-treated leaves. These results indicated that H2O2 spraying enabled the soybean plant to avoid drought stress through the maintenance of leaf water content, and that this water retention was caused by the promotion of oligosaccharide biosynthesis rather than by rapid stomatal closure.
Designing Service Choreography and Portal from Value Network

Designing a service system requires the model-driven transformation from business-level service models into IT-level software systems. Service Value Network (SVN) that describes the value exchange relationships between multiple participants, is considered as a useful tool to facilitate the service innovation and guide the designing of software service systems. In this paper, we present a general approach to design the service choreography (representing the interactions between multiple software services) and the portal (representing the entry of participants to access the service), based on the value network.
All LODs are not created equal.

Article is free to read on publisher website In recent years, the development of new methodology and/or the improvement of existing methodology in gene mapping, specifically that which is targeted toward the localization of genes underlying complex disorders, have led to a proliferation of linkage analysis techniques, most of which have been implemented in user-friendly programs and have been made freely available to the genetics community. A scan through genetic epidemiological journals reveals the almost immediate embracement of these techniques; however, user interpretation regarding the statistical properties of these tests is often insubstantial and occasionally is incorrect. To assist in this interpretation, this review provides both an overview of the underlying hypotheses and an explanation of the different statistical properties of the most-popular techniques. Furthermore, accepted thresholds for genomewide significance and appropriate corrections for multiple testing are discussed.
Modelling the generic TiO2 memristor with the parasitic components

In this paper the problem of existence of parasitic components in a real memristor has been analysed. These unwanted components have some impacts on behaviour of the memristors causing discrepancies in the observed dynamic characteristics. To model this kind of behaviour additional L and C elements have to be introduced in the memristor model. Simulation tests have been carried out to uncover the changes of behaviour caused by the introduced parasitics. Several graphs show comparisons between characteristics of an ideal element and the model of real one with parasitics.
Case Report on the Illness of Paul Klee (1879–1940)

This article reports on the disease that afflicted Paul Klee, the famous artist. He died before the disease that killed him could be properly diagnosed. There was some conjecture afterwards that he may have suffered from scleroderma. The thorough and diligent research the author of this article has carried out over many years allows him to argue that Paul Klee was suffering from this autoimmune disease since 1935. With a degree of probability that borders on certainty, it seems that the artist suffered from ‘diffuse systemic sclerosis', and it is from this, the most severe form of the rare autoimmune disease, that he died in 1940.
Optimizing Hash Join with MapReduce on Multi-Core CPUs

SUMMARY In this paper, we exploit MapReduce framework and other optimizations to improve the performance of hash join algorithms on multi-core CPUs, including No partition hash join and partition hash join. We ﬁrst implement hash join algorithms with a shared-memory MapReduce model on multi-core CPUs, including partition phase, build phase, and probe phase. Then we design an improved cuckoo hash table for our hash join, which consists of a cuckoo hash table and a chained hash table. Based on our implementation, we also propose two optimizations, one for the usage of SIMD instructions, and the other for partition phase. Through experimental result and analysis, we ﬁnally ﬁnd that the partition hash join often outperforms the No partition hash join, and our hash join algorithm is faster than previous work by an average of 30%.
Rapid infusion of intravenous immunoglobulin in patients with neuromuscular diseases.

To the Editor: Grillo et al. reviewed the use of rapid infusion of IV immune globulin in patients with neuromuscular disorders.1 Their abstract and discussion claim the safety and convenience of this practice in their population of patients, and the final sentence of their abstract states: “Rapid infusion IVIg can be …
Structural coincidence of alpha PDGFR epitopes binding to platelet-derived growth factor-AA and a potent neutralizing monoclonal antibody.

We have generated two groups of deletion mutants of the alpha PDGFR and one group of chimeras between alpha PDGFR and beta PDGFR to further investigate the structural requirements of the alpha PDGFR for binding to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA and to a monoclonal antibody against alpha PDGFR (designated as mAb-alpha R1). The mAb-alpha R1 has recently been reported to block high affinity binding of PDGF-AA to alpha PDGFR. The first group of mutants were carboxyl-terminal deletion mutants encoding the first two immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains (alpha R1-216), the first four Ig-like domains (alpha R1-415), or all five Ig-like domains (alpha R1-530) of the alpha PDGFR. Since these mutants lacked transmembrane domains, their expression in NIH/3T3 cells resulted in secretion of the truncated alpha PDGFRs. Using conditioned medium from NIH/3T3 transfectants, we showed that mAb-alpha R1 was able to immunoprecipitate each of these secreted form of alpha PDGFRs, suggesting that the epitope recognized by mAb-alpha R1 is located within Ig-like domains 1 and 2 of the alpha PDGFR. Furthermore, PDGF-AA exhibited detectable binding to alpha R1-415 or alpha R1-530 but failed to interact with alpha R1-216, suggesting that the first two Ig-like domains of the alpha PDGFR are not sufficient for PDGF-AA binding. The second group of alpha PDGFR mutants were internal deletion mutants lacking Ig-like loop 1 (alpha R delta 49-100), Ig-like loop 2 (alpha R delta 150-189), Ig-like loop 3 (alpha R delta 235-290), or part of Ig-like loops 4 and 5 (alpha R delta 375-450). The internal deletion mutants were transfected into 32D cells which lack both alpha PDGFR and beta PDGFR. PDGF-AA bound with high affinity to 32D cells expressing alpha R delta 375-450 but not to 32D cells expressing the other three internal deletion mutants, suggesting that the region required for PDGF-AA binding should be within the first three Ig-like domains of the alpha PDGFR. In addition, mAb-alpha R1 bound to 32D cells expressing alpha R delta 235-290 but failed to bind 32D cells transfected with alpha R delta 49-100 or alpha R delta 150-189. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Enabling health care decisionmaking through clinical decision support and knowledge management.

OBJECTIVES To catalogue study designs used to assess the clinical effectiveness of CDSSs and KMSs, to identify features that impact the success of CDSSs/KMSs, to document the impact of CDSSs/KMSs on outcomes, and to identify knowledge types that can be integrated into CDSSs/KMSs. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE(®), CINAHL(®), PsycINFO(®), and Web of Science(®). REVIEW METHODS We included studies published in English from January 1976 through December 2010. After screening titles and abstracts, full-text versions of articles were reviewed by two independent reviewers. Included articles were abstracted to evidence tables by two reviewers. Meta-analyses were performed for seven domains in which sufficient studies with common outcomes were included. RESULTS We identified 15,176 articles, from which 323 articles describing 311 unique studies including 160 reports on 148 randomized control trials (RCTs) were selected for inclusion. RCTs comprised 47.5 percent of the comparative studies on CDSSs/KMSs. Both commercially and locally developed CDSSs effectively improved health care process measures related to performing preventive services (n = 25; OR 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27 to 1.58), ordering clinical studies (n = 20; OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.47 to 2.00), and prescribing therapies (n = 46; OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.82). Fourteen CDSS/KMS features were assessed for correlation with success of CDSSs/KMSs across all endpoints. Meta-analyses identified six new success features: Integration with charting or order entry system. Promotion of action rather than inaction. No need for additional clinician data entry. Justification of decision support via research evidence. Local user involvement. Provision of decision support results to patients as well as providers. Three previously identified success features were confirmed: Automatic provision of decision support as part of clinician workflow. Provision of decision support at time and location of decisionmaking. Provision of a recommendation, not just an assessment. Only 29 (19.6%) RCTs assessed the impact of CDSSs on clinical outcomes, 22 (14.9%) assessed costs, and 3 assessed KMSs on any outcomes. The primary source of knowledge used in CDSSs was derived from structured care protocols. CONCLUSIONS Strong evidence shows that CDSSs/KMSs are effective in improving health care process measures across diverse settings using both commercially and locally developed systems. Evidence for the effectiveness of CDSSs on clinical outcomes and costs and KMSs on any outcomes is minimal. Nine features of CDSSs/KMSs that correlate with a successful impact of clinical decision support have been newly identified or confirmed.
Microstructure and Thermal Conductivity Modeling of Granular Nanoplatelet Assemblies

Consolidation and sintering of bismuth telluride nanoplatelets is a cost-effective method of manufacturing high thermoelectric figure-of-merit materials. A structural optimization method is employed here to study the effects of columnar structures formed by nanoplatelet composites on thermal transport. The initially sparse and random distribution of nanoplatelets is compacted into a jammed state under an external hydrostatic stress, thereby simulating the compaction of nanopowders in experiments. The jammed morphology exhibits randomly oriented stacks of nanoplatelets and a discontinuous distribution of the pore phase within the microstructure. Grain and pore morphologies are statistically quantified using computational geometry techniques. High aspect ratio nanoplatelets exhibit large degree of stacking that results in large pore size heterogeneity. Quasi-ballistic heat conduction through the grain phase is modeled using a Landauer approach. The volume fraction and morphology of the discontinuous pore phase strongly influences thermal conductance by providing sites for phonon scattering at pore–grain interfaces. A thermal model incorporating interface scattering is employed to explore the relationship between microstructure and thermal transport.
Markers of bone turnover in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer with and following withdrawal of thyroxine suppressive therapy.

OBJECTIVE To study whether levothyroxine (LT4) suppressive therapy exposes patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (TC) to an increased risk of osteoporosis. DESIGN AND METHODS Markers of bone formation (serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OC), type I procollagen carboxyterminal (PICP) and aminoterminal (PINP) propeptide) and resorption (serum type I collagen carboxyterminal telopeptide (ICTP) and urine hydroxyproline (HOP)), as well as serum intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2-D) were measured in 29 patients (25 women, 4 men) with a median age of 45 years, and in 38 age- and sex-matched controls. In a subgroup of 14 patients the measurements were repeated after 5 weeks' interruption of LT4 therapy. Since the primary treatment of TC the patients had used TSH suppressive doses of LT4 (a mean daily dose of 215 microg) for 9 to 11 years. The bone mineral density (BMD) of patients and controls was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS When on T4 therapy, patients had significantly higher mean levels of ALP (+21%, P < 0.05), OC (+35%, P < 0.01), PICP (+10%, P < 0.05), PINP (+46%, P < 0.001), ICTP (+21%, P < 0.05), and HOP (+37%, P < 0.001) compared with controls. After stopping treatment, OC (-42%, P < 0.001), PINP (-7%, P < 0.05), and ICTP (-54%, P < 0.001) decreased, whereas PICP (+24%, P < 0.001) and 1,25(OH)2D (+29%, P < 0.01) increased. BMD of the lumbar spine and the upper femur was similar in patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS Patients with differentiated TC have high bone turnover when on LT4 suppressive therapy, After withdrawing treatment both bone formation and resorption decrease acutely. During development of hypothyroidism, serum PICP and PINP, which form from the same type I procollagen molecule and should change similarly, behaved differently. This may be due to different effects of hypothyroidism on their removal through separate receptors in the liver.
Estimation algorithm of tapping movement by NIRS

In recent years, study of brain computer interface (BCI) is conducted actively and many researches of implementation using electro encephalic gram (EEG) are reported. On the other hand, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is noninvasive measurements, but there are many problems remaining unsolved and little is reported about the actual procedures or implementation examples when applying NIRS to realize BCI. We propose a method to quantitatively estimate start and end timing of movement by using a neural network. We measured regional cerebral blood flow during tapping movement of the right hand by NIRS. The following tendencies of total-Hb were observed. Hb increased within 10 s from the movement start time, decreased within 10 s from the movement end time. In this paper, the estimation method showed the possibility of applications to the ON/OFF control of BCI
Male fetal germ cells are targets for androgens that physiologically inhibit their proliferation

In adulthood, the action of androgens on seminiferous tubules is essential for full quantitatively normal spermatogenesis and fertility. In contrast, their role in the fetal testis, and particularly in fetal germ cell development, remains largely unknown. Using testicular feminized (Tfm) mice, we investigated the effects of a lack of functional androgen receptor (AR) on fetal germ cells, also named gonocytes. We demonstrated that endogenous androgens/AR physiologically control normal gonocyte proliferation. We observed an increase in the number of gonocytes at 17.5 days postconception resulting from an increase in proliferative activity in Tfm mice. In a reciprocal manner, gonocyte proliferation is decreased by the addition of DHT in fetal testis organotypic culture. Furthermore, the AR coregulator Hsp90α (mRNA and protein) specifically expressed in gonocytes was down-regulated in Tfm mice at 15.5 days postconception. To investigate whether these effects could result from direct action of androgens on gonocytes, we collected pure gonocyte preparations and detected AR transcripts therein. We used an original model harboring a reporter gene that specifically reflects AR activity by androgens and clearly demonstrated the presence of a functional AR protein in fetal germ cells. These data provide in vivo and in vitro evidence of a new control of endogenous androgens on gonocytes identified as direct target cells for androgens. Finally, our results focus on a new pathway in the fetal testis during the embryonic period, which is the most sensitive to antiandrogenic endocrine disruptors.
On capacity bound of opportunistic cooperative diversity

The opportunistic cooperative diversity is promising to improve the capacity of the wireless communications because it yields the same diversity order as using all relay nodes while requires bandwidth for only one relay node. The more number of relay nodes we employ, the higher diversity order we obtain. From the results in the literature, the recently published paper conjectures that there exists the saturation in obtaining the capacity improvement from increasing the number of employing relay nodes. This means the capacity converges to an upper bound as a function of the number of employed relay nodes. In this paper, we prove that the upper bound does not exist, which means the outage capacity diverges as a function of the number of employed relay nodes.