Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship of Closed and Open Chain Measures of Strength with Perceived Physical Function and Mobility Following Unilateral Total Knee Replacement

Background and Purpose: The association between closed‐chain knee extensor strength and perceived physical function following primary knee replacement has not received much attention. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship of closed and open chain measures of strength with self‐reported measures of physical function and mobility following unilateral knee replacement. Methods: Subjects were 9 individuals (68. 7 ± 2.3 years) approximately 16 months postsurgery. The independent variables were closed‐chain (elastic) and open‐chain (isometric) measures of strength, while the dependent measures were perceived physical function (WOMAC) and mobility (Timed Up and Go, TUG). The relationship between independent and dependent variables was described using Spearman Rho correlation coefficients. Results: Force produced during the closed‐chain assessment was strongly associated to the WOMAC physical function dimension (−.96) and total WOMAC score (−.87). A poor to low relationship existed between the open‐chain measure of strength and the physical function dimension (−.34) and the total WOMAC score (−.17). Force production of the entire lower limb, measured in the closed‐chain was moderately related (−.62) with the TUG. The association between knee extensor isometric torque and the TUG (−.25) was low. Conclusions: Closed‐chain assessment of entire lower limb strength, rather than open‐chain measures of knee extensor strength, may provide greater insight to functional limitations.
Ultra high frequency RFID gateway system for identification of metallic equipment

Metallic equipment and objects require special attention for identification in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, due to their interference negative effects. This paper presents an application of ultra-high frequency RFID in a gateway configuration, used to identify metallic equipment. The main purpose of the proposed system is to identify items with metallic content and regardless of their position when passing through the gateway. The UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID technology with passive tagging was implemented. Different tagging configurations were tested and results for each configuration are presented.
An overview of chronic fatigue syndrome.

BACKGROUND Psychological and immunologic factors both appear to contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). By comparing CFS with other disorders in which fatigue is a prominent symptom, the association between fatigue, psychological vulnerability, depression, and immune function may be further defined. Recent data from psychological, neurologic, and immunologic studies that address these issues are reviewed. METHOD Articles and abstracts covering CFS and related topics of fatigue, depression, and postinfectious syndromes were identified through MEDLINE and Index Medicus (1980-1990) and by bibliographic review of pertinent review articles. RESULTS The 1988 definition of CFS by the Centers for Disease Control encompasses several conditions in which the major characteristic is severe fatigue associated with constitutional symptoms. Several studies have identified immune dysfunction in CFS patients, but the specificity of these findings remains unclear. Most studies have shown that CFS patients, compared with other patients with chronic medical illness, experience more disabling fatigue. Some investigators have found a higher incidence of concurrent and past psychiatric illness in CFS patients compared with other medical patients, thereby suggesting an underlying psychopathology in CFS. However, other studies have not found a higher than expected incidence of past depression in CFS patients and have further shown that many CFS patients have no identifiable psychopathology. CONCLUSION CFS appears to be a heterogenous entity. Although there may be a high coincidence of major depression in CFS, a substantial proportion of patients lack any identifiable DSM-III-R psychiatric disorder yet still manifest the syndrome, thereby suggesting it has an autonomous entity. Despite the evolving nature of our current understanding of CFS, a rational diagnostic and therapeutic approach to CFS is possible.
Wireless sensing by means of passive multistandard RFID tags

This paper presents a generic sensor interface built in a 0.13 µm CMOS process capable of being applied in passive HF & UHF RFID Tags without any additional power supply. The sensor interface contains an ultra low-power successive approximation ADC that uses the capacitive charge redistribution technique for its integrated DAC. An on-chip temperature sensor and up to three additional sensor signals can be applied to the ADC. A conversion rate of 100 kSps is reached while consuming less than 1.5 µA at 0.9 Volt supply voltage.
Developmental changes in P2X purinoceptors on glycinergic presynaptic nerve terminals projecting to rat substantia gelatinosa neurones

1 In mechanically dissociated rat spinal cord substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurones attached with native presynaptic nerve endings, glycinergic miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) were recorded using nystatin perforated patch recording mode under voltage‐clamp conditions. Under these conditions, it was tested whether the changes in P2X receptor subtype on the glycinergic presynaptic nerve terminals occur during postnatal development. 2 ATP facilitated glycinergic mIPSC frequency in a concentration‐dependent manner through all developmental stages tested, whereas αβ‐methylene‐ATP (αβ‐me‐ATP) was only effective at later developmental stages. 3 αβ‐me‐ATP‐elicited mIPSC frequency facilitation was completely occluded in the Ca2+‐free external solution, but it was not affected by adding 10−4m Cd2+. 4 αβ‐me‐ATP still facilitated mIPSC frequency even in the presence of 10−6m thapsigargin, a Ca2+ pump blocker. 5 In later developmental stages, ATP‐elicited presynaptic or postsynaptic responses were reversibly blocked by 10−5m pyridoxal‐5‐phosphate‐6‐azophenyl‐2′,4′‐disulfonic acid (PPADS), but only partially blocked by 10−7m 2′,3′‐O‐(2,4,6‐trinitrophenyl)‐ATP (TNP‐ATP). However, αβ‐me‐ATP‐elicited presynaptic or postsynaptic responses were completely and reversibly blocked by either 10−5m PPADS or 10−7m TNP‐ATP. 6 αβ‐me‐ATP significantly reduced the evoked glycinergic IPSC amplitude in postnatal 28–30 day neurones, whereas it had no effect in 10–12 day neurones. 7 It was concluded that αβ‐me‐ATP‐sensitive P2X receptors were functionally expressed on the glycinergic presynaptic nerve terminals projecting to SG neurones in later developmental stages. Such developmental changes of presynaptic P2X receptor subtypes might contribute to synaptic plasticity such as the regulation of neuronal excitability and the fine controlling of the pain signal in spinal dorsal horn neurones.
PRIMSIPLR: Prediction of inner‐membrane situated pore‐lining residues for alpha‐helical transmembrane proteins

Transmembrane proteins such as transporters and channels mediate the passage of inorganic and organic substances across biological membranes through their central pore. Pore‐lining residues (PLRs) that make direct contacts to the substrates have a crucial impact on the function of the protein and, hence, their identification is a key step in mechanistic studies. Here, we established a nonredundant data set containing the three‐dimensional (3D) structures of 90 α‐helical transmembrane proteins and annotated the PLRs of these proteins by a pore identification software. A support vector machine was then trained to distinguish PLRs from other residues based on the protein sequence alone. Using sixfold cross‐validation, our best performing predictor gave a Matthews's correlation coefficient of 0.41 with an accuracy of 0.86, sensitivity of 0.61, and specificity of 0.89, respectively. We provide a novel software tool that will aid biomedical scientists working on transmembrane proteins with unknown 3D structures. Both standalone version and web service are freely available from the URL http://service.bioinformatik. uni-saarland.de/PRIMSIPLR/. Proteins 2014; 82:1503–1511. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Relational Grounded Language Learning

In the past, research on learning language models mainly used syntactic information during the learning process but in recent years, researchers began to also use semantic information. This paper presents such an approach where the input of our learning algorithm is a dataset of pairs made up of sentences and the contexts in which they are produced. The system we present is based on inductive logic programming techniques that aim to learn a mapping between n-grams and a semantic representation of their associated meaning. Experiments have shown that we can learn such a mapping that made it possible later to generate relevant descriptions of images or learn the meaning of words without any linguistic resource.
An invariance property of neural networks

It is often the case that one wants to apply a neural network classifier, trained with a particular mix of the training classes, to a situation where the classes occur in a different proportion. The originally trained network will not be appropriate for the new situation. The authors show that only a single weight of the network needs to be modified to accommodate the network to the new situation. The other weights are invariant to the change in mix. <<ETX>>
Pipeline Creation Language for Machine Translation

Abstract A pipeline is a commonly used architecture in machine translation (MT). Statistical MT can require, for example, many computational steps during training and decoding which are best viewed as a pipeline. These pipelines can be tedious to construct and are error prone since little or no type checking is performed, and no clear interface is defined for a pipeline’s components. At times this can manifest itself as components requiring knowledge of how a preceding component’s output is formed in order to consume it. Moreover, collaboration and sharing of pipelines or components becomes difficult since the components themselves may need to be changed in order to be used by others. In order to alleviate these problems a specialised language has been designed called Pipeline Creation Language (PCL). PCL allows users to construct pipelines that have components with well defined and compatibility checked interfaces. Components can be defined in packages, so individual components or packages of components, including entire pipelines, can be shared and composed with others. PCL supports operators which allow components to be executed sequentially, in parallel, or conditionally.
Dynamic Ankle Control in Athletes With Ankle Instability During Sports Maneuvers

Background: Ankle sprain is a common sports injury. While the effects of static constraints in stabilizing the ankle joint are relatively well understood, those of dynamic constraints are less clear and require further investigation. Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate the dynamic stability of the ankle joint during the landing phase of running and stop-jump maneuvers in athletes with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Fifteen athletes with CAI and 15 age-matched athletes without CAI performed running and stop-jump landing tasks. The dynamic ankle joint stiffness, tibialis anterior (TA)/peroneus longus (PL) and TA/gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) co-contraction indices, ankle joint angle, and root-mean-square (RMS) of the TA, PL, and GL electromyographic signals were measured during each task. Results: During running, the CAI group exhibited a greater ankle inversion angle than the control group in the pre-landing phase (P = .012-.042) and a lower dynamic ankle joint stiffness in the post-landing phase (CAI: 0.109 ± 0.039 N·m/deg; control: 0.150 ± 0.068 N·m/deg; P = .048). In the stop-jump landing task, athletes with CAI had a significantly lower TA/PL co-contraction index during the pre-landing phase (CAI: 49.1 ± 19; control: 64.8 ± 16; P = .009). In addition, the CAI group exhibited a greater ankle inversion (P = .049), a lower peak eversion (P = .04), and a smaller RMS of the PL electromyographic signal in the post-landing phase (CAI: 0.73 ± 0.32; control: 0.51 ± 0.22; P = .04). Conclusion: Athletes with CAI had a relatively inverted ankle, reduced muscle co-contraction, and a lower dynamic stiffness in the ankle joint during the landing phase of sports maneuvers and this may jeopardize the stability of the ankle. Clinical Relevance: Sports training or rehabilitation programs should differentiate between the pre-landing and post-landing phases of sports maneuvers, and should educate athletes to land with an appropriate ankle position and muscle recruitment.
Design and Analysis of Non-Binary LDPC and IRA Modulation Codes Using Average Zero-Word Probability

It has been shown that, under belief-propagation (BP) decoding, random-coset GF(q) low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and irregular repeat-accumulate (IRA) codes with q-ary nonuniform signal constellations approach the unrestricted Shannon limit. In previous works, extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts were employed in the design of random-coset GF(q) LDPC and IRA modulation codes. However, in the EXIT charts, there is no closed-form expression for check node decoder (CND) curves. The CND curves for random-coset GF(q) LDPC and IRA modulation codes rely on Monte Carlo simulations, resulting in a high design complexity. This study presents new design methods of random-coset GF(q) LDPC and IRA modulation codes based on the average zero-word probability. The average zero-word probability serves as a surrogate for LLR messages, just as the mutual information acts as a surrogate for LLR messages in EXIT charts. Based on the average zero-word probability, closed-form expressions of CND input-output relations are derived for random-coset GF(q) LDPC and IRA modulation codes. Simple convergence criteria for random-coset LDPC and IRA modulation codes are proposed. Based on the proposed convergence criteria, six codes are designed with nonuniform signal constellations. Simulation results show that the proposed codes have near-capacity performances and are comparable with those designed based on EXIT charts.
Functional Responses and Costimulator Dependence of Memory CD4+ T Cells1

To examine the functional characteristics of memory CD4+ T cells, we used an adoptive transfer system to generate a stable population of Ag-specific memory cells in vivo and compared their responses to Ag with those of a similar population of Ag-specific naive cells. Memory cells localized to the spleen and lymph nodes of mice and exhibited extremely rapid recall responses to Ag in vivo, leaving the spleen within 3–5 days of Ag encounter. Unlike their naive counterparts, memory cells produced effector cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5) within 12–24 h of Ag exposure and did not require multiple cycles of cell division to do so. Memory cells proliferated at lower Ag concentrations than did naive cells, were less dependent on costimulation by B7 molecules, and independent of costimulation by CD40. Furthermore, effector cytokine production by memory cells also occurred in the absence of either B7 or CD40 costimulation. Lastly, memory cells were resistant to tolerance induction. Together, these findings suggest that the threshold for activation of memory CD4+ cells is lower than that of naive cells. This would permit memory cells to rapidly express their effector functions in vivo earlier in the course of a secondary immune response, when the levels of Ag and the availability of costimulation may be relatively low.
Wall replication in saccharomyces species: use of fluorescein-conjugated concanavalin A to reveal the site of mannan insertion.

SUMMARY: The wall mannan in dividing Saccharomyces cells was labelled by exposing the yeasts to fluorescein-conjugated concanavalin A. The yeasts were then allowed to grow in the absence of excess staining reagent and were examined by fluorescence microscopy at several intervals after the re-initiation of growth. The newly synthesized mannan was non-fluorescent and, thus, could be easily distinguished from the material present at the outset. Most new mannan was deposited in the wall surrounding the bud, and little if any of the mannan in the bud wall was derived from the surface of the mother cell. Deposition of new mannan in the mother cell was detected only in the bud scar. The distal tip of the growing bud was identified as the major site at which new mannan was inserted into the existing wall fabric. This area is also known to be the deposition site of newly synthesized glucan. Thus, with respect to these two major wall polysaccharides, wall replication in Saccharomyces cells resembles the apical mode exhibited by filamentous fungi.
A production of amino acids under possible primitive earth conditions.

atmosphere of methane, ammonia, water, and hydrogen instead of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and water was suggested by Oparin (1) and has been-given emphasis recently by Urey (2) and Bernal (3). In order to test this hypothesis, an apparatus was built to circulate CHI4, NH3, H2O, and H2 past an electric discharge. The resulting mixture has been tested for amino acids by paper chromatography. Electrical discharge was used to form free radicals instead of ultraviolet light, because quartz absorbs wavelengths short enough to cause photo-dissociation of the gases. Electrical discharge may have played a significant role in the formation of compounds in the
Polyclonality of the Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Response to Virus Infection

For many years, it has been known that certain viral infections induce a polyclonal B cell activation that can lead to the generation of antibody against self-antigens and nonviral foreign antigens (1–8). More recently, it has been shown that viruses can also be potent polyclonal cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) inducers, spontaneously stimulating the generation of high levels of allospecific CTL (9, 10) and reactivating memory CTL specific for unrelated viruses from previous infections (11). Virus-induced stimulation of self-reactive or “autoimmune” CTL has also been reported in some systems (12–14). Stimulation of allospecific CTL has been observed in humans during episodes of acute infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] infection) (10, 15, 16) and in the mouse during acute infections with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), vaccinia virus (VV), Pichinde virus, and murine cytomegalovirus (11). One might expect that acute viral infections would, therefore, be detrimental to allograft survival, and clinical studies have correlated allograft rejections with influenza and cytomegalovirus infections (17–19). Because the primary function of the immune system is to protect the host from infection, it is interesting to speculate whether the allospecific CTL contribute to the control of viral infection or whether they are an incidental byproduct of the antigen-specific response to virus. In the case of polyclonal B cell stimulation, proliferation is often due to stimulatory or transforming properties of the viral proteins and may not contribute to viral clearance. EBV infection causes a true transformation of B cells (1), whereas the glycoproteins of Sindbis, influenza, and vesicular stomatitis viruses can be mitogenic to B cells, at least in vitro (3–5). Activated T cells and the cell growth and differentiation factors they secrete cause in vitro bystander stimulation of resting B cells that are not specific for the initial inducing antigen (20). Although polyclonally stimulated B cells do not appear to be involved in clearance of viral infection via antigen-specific antibody production, they have been associated with autoimmune phenomena. For example, EBV-transformed B cells produce anti-nuclear and rheumatoid factor antibodies (21).
C-reactive protein in febrile children 1 to 36 months of age with clinically undetectable serious bacterial infection.

OBJECTIVE To determine the diagnostic properties of quantitative C-reactive protein (CRP) associated with clinically undetectable serious bacterial infection (SBI) in febrile children 1 to 36 months of age. METHODS Febrile children presenting to a pediatric emergency department (ED) with ages ranging from 1 to 36 months, temperatures > or =39 degrees C, and clinically undetectable source of fever were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Demographic information, ED temperature, duration of fever, and clinical evaluation using the Yale observation scale were recorded at the time of the initial evaluation. The white blood cell count (WBC), band count, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and CRP concentration were measured at the same time. All patients received blood cultures and either a screening urinalysis or urine culture. A chest radiograph was obtained at the discretion of the ED physician. Patients with history of using antibiotics within 1 week of their presentation to the ED were excluded. The main outcome result was the presence of laboratory or radiographically proven SBI (bacteremia, meningitis, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, septic arthritis, and osteomyelitis). RESULTS Seventy-seven patients were enrolled in the study. Fourteen (18%) had a SBI (6 urinary tract infection; 4 pneumonia, including 1 patient with Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia; and 4 occult S pneumoniae bacteremia), and 63 had no SBI. The 2 groups were indistinguishable in age, sex, ED temperature, duration of fever, and Yale observation scale. CRP concentration, WBC, and ANC were significantly different between the 2 groups. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, only CRP remained as a predictor of SBI (Beta = 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64, 0.89). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis demonstrated CRP (area under curve [AUC] 0.905, standard error [SE] 0.05, 95% CI: 0.808, 1.002) to be superior to ANC (AUC 0.805, SE 0.051, 95% CI: 0.705, 0.905) and to WBC (AUC 0.761, SE 0.068, 95% CI: 0.628, 0.895). A CRP cutoff point of 7 was determined to maximize both sensitivity and specificity (sensitivity 79%, specificity 91%, likelihood ratio 8.3, 95% CI: 3.8, 27.3). Multilevel likelihood ratios and posttest probabilities were calculated for a variety of CRP levels. A CRP concentration of <5 mg/dL effectively ruled out SBI (likelihood ratio 0.087, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.38, posttest probability of SBI 1.9%). CONCLUSIONS Quantitative CRP concentration is a valuable laboratory test in the evaluation of febrile young children who are at risk for occult bacteremia and SBI, with a better predictive value than the WBC or ANC.
"HausTeleDienst"--a CATV-based interactive video service for elderly people.

Since 1991, 17 elderly persons (aged 75 to over 90) in 15 households have been connected via TV-videophones to a service centre. A standard CATV network was modified to support a reverse channel. This has been world-wide the first fully interactive broadband video communications project implemented in a real setting and operating over an extended period of time. The overall aim has been to prove the ability of frail elderly and mobility-impaired persons to live independently, and to demonstrate strategies for reducing the load on social and health care service resources. Service components include remote care; information and assistance; emergency, counselling, training and exercise services. Practical experience, both from the side of the service provider and that of the users, is discussed. Simplicity of technical design and ease of handling contributed to a feeling of being empowered by the technology. In addition, the very personal and close relationship to the staff--which was strongly supported, not inhibited by the video communications--was a major factor in acceptance of the service. It proved a highly successful activity with a great potential for the future: In different contexts with newer technology, market trials are underway to commercialize this service.