Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beyond Large Vessel Occlusion Strokes: Distal Occlusion Thrombectomy

Background and Purpose— Endovascular therapy is the standard of care for the treatment of proximal large vessel occlusion strokes. Its safety and efficacy in the treatment of distal intracranial occlusions has not been well studied. Methods— The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Retrospective review of a prospectively collected endovascular database (2010–2015, n=949) for all patients with distal intracranial occlusions treated endovascularly. Distal occlusions were defined as any segment of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), posterior cerebral artery, or occlusion at or distal to the middle cerebral artery (MCA)-M3 opercular segment. Results— Distal occlusions were treated in 69 patients. The mean age was 66.7±15.8 and 57% were male. Patients (29 [42%]) received intravenous tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator). The median preprocedure National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 18 (interquartile range, 13–23). The distal occlusion was the primary treatment location in 45 patients, in 23 patients the distal occlusion was treated as a rescue strategy after successful treatment of a proximal large vessel occlusion strokes, and 1 patient had both primary and rescue treatment. The locations of the primary cases were MCA-M3 (n=21), ACA alone (n=8), ACA with a concomitant MCA-M1 or MCA-M2 (n=10), ACA with a concomitant MCA-M3 (n=3), and posterior cerebral artery (n=3). The locations of the rescue cases were MCA-M3 (n=11), ACA (n=7), posterior cerebral artery (n=4), and both MCA-M3 and ACA (n=1). There was a single patient with primary ACA and MCA-M2 occlusions treated, who then had a rescue MCA-M3 thrombectomy addressed after initial reperfusion. The most common treatment modalities used were stent-retrievers (n=37, 54%), intra-arterial tPA (n=36, 52%), and thromboaspiration (n=31, 45%). Near complete or complete reperfusion of the distal territory (modified Treatment In Cerebral Ischemia [mTICI] 2b-3) was achieved in 57 cases (83%). Three parenchymal hematomas (4%) occurred in the territory of the treated distal occlusion with 2 of these patients also receiving intravenous tPA. At 90 days, 21 patients (30%) had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2 and 14 (20%) had died. Conclusions— Distal intracranial occlusions can be treated safely and successfully with endovascular therapy. These results need to be corroborated by larger prospective controlled studies.
Colistin Heteroresistance and Involvement of the PmrAB Regulatory System in Acinetobacter baumannii

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infection has recently emerged as a worldwide clinical problem, and colistin is increasingly being used as a last-resort therapy. Despite its favorable bacterial killing, resistance and heteroresistance (HR) to colistin have been described. ABSTRACT Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infection has recently emerged as a worldwide clinical problem, and colistin is increasingly being used as a last-resort therapy. Despite its favorable bacterial killing, resistance and heteroresistance (HR) to colistin have been described. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of the PmrAB regulatory pathway in laboratory-selected mutants representative of global epidemic strains. From three unrelated A. baumannii clinical strains (sequence types 2, 3, and 20), eight colistin-resistant mutants were selected. Half of the mutants showed HR to colistin according to the reference method (population analysis profiling), whereas the other half exhibited stable resistance. M12I mutation within pmrA and M308R, S144KLAGS, and P170L mutations for pmrB were associated with HR to colistin, while T235I, A226T, and P233S mutations within pmrB were associated with stable resistance. The transcript levels of the pmrCAB operon were upregulated in all the mutants. Compensatory mutations were explored for some mutants. A single mutant (T235I mutant) displayed a compensatory mutation through ISAba1 mobilization within the pmrB gene that was associated with the loss of colistin resistance. The mutant resistance phenotype associated with T235I was partially restored in a trans-complementation assay turning to HR. The level of colistin resistance was correlated with the level of expression of pmrC in the trans-complemented strains. This report shows the role of different mutations in the PmrAB regulatory pathway and warns of the development of colistin HR that could be present but not easily detected through routine testing.
Humanoid Robot Slope Gait Planning Based on Zero Moment Point Principle

This paper is based on the robot model NCEPU-I. With this model, we proposed a robot slope walking gait method based on improved algorithm of inverse kinematics. With the bar linkage model, the humanoid robot slope gait could be planned by hips and swing leg ankle trajectory planning and then the slope gait planning can be achieved. This method can achieve and apply to different angles with high efficiency. Finally, after mathematical modeling and simulating by MATLAB and ADAMS, the simulation results verify the correctness and applicability of gait planning.
Requirement of lysine for rearing egg-type pullets from 0 to 6 weeks of age

ABSTRACT - The objectives of this work were to estimate the requirement of lysine from 7 to 12 weeks and to evaluate their effecton the egg production phase. Two hundred egg-white pullets (EW), and two hundred egg-brown pullets (EB) strains were allotted inrandomized block design, and fed a basal diet with 16.0% of crude protein (CP) and 2,900 kcal/kg metabolizable energy (ME), su pplementedwith L-lysine HCl for the level of 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, and 0.70% of total lysine in the diet. In the laying period, 160 birds from each trademarkwere fed with a production diet, contained 16.5% CP, 2,900 kcal ME/kg, and 2.9% Ca+2 and 0.755% of lysine. The pullets requirem entof lysine based on weight gain was 0.64% or intake of 368 mg daily for EW, and 0.66% or intake of 395 mg daily for EB. The egg production,egg mass and Feed: egg dozen of the two trademarks were affected by a quadratic relation by the lysine levels in the diet. The feed intakeof EW during the laying phase was affected by a quadratic relation, and EB was affected by linear relation. During the growing phase, theEW presented lower weight gain and feed intake and the worst feed:gain ratio than EB. During the laying phase, the EB showed hi gher eggproduction and egg mass, lower feed intake and better egg mass and feed:egg dozen than EW.Key Words: amino acid, egg mass and production, growth
Reconfigurable Magneto-Electric Dipole Antennas for Base Stations in Modern Wireless Communication Systems

Magneto-electric (ME) dipole antennas, with the function of changing the antenna characteristics, such as frequency, polarization, or radiation patterns, are reviewed in this paper. The reconfigurability is achieved by electrically altering the states of diodes or varactors to change the surface currents distributions or reflector size of the antenna. The purpose of the designs is to obtain agile antenna characteristics together with good directive radiation performances, such as low cross-polarization level, high front-to-back ratio, and stable gain. By reconfiguring the antenna capability to support more than one wireless frequency standard, switchable polarizations, or cover tunable areas, the reconfigurable ME dipole antennas are able to switch functionality as the mission changes. Therefore, it can help increase the communication efficiency and reduce the construction cost. This shows very attractive features in base station antennas of modern wireless communication applications.
Lixisenatide Versus Insulin Glulisine on Fasting and Postbreakfast Systemic Hemodynamics in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

The prolonged treatment effects of a short-acting GLP-1RA (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist), such as lixisenatide, on fasting and postprandial systemic hemodynamics in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients are unknown. In this secondary analysis, we included 34 overweight insulin glargine–treated type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (mean±SD age, 62±7 years; HbA1c, 8.0±0.9%; systolic blood pressure [BP], 133.9±16.1 mm Hg; diastolic BP, 75.4±8.39 mm Hg) that were randomized to once-daily lixisenatide 20 &mgr;g or once-daily titrated insulin glulisine for 8 weeks. Systemic hemodynamics (oscillometric device and finger photoplethysmography), arterial stiffness (applanation tonometry), and cardiac sympathovagal balance (heart rate variability) were measured in the fasting state and repetitively (up to minute 175) after a standardized mixed breakfast. Acetaminophen was given orally to estimate gastric emptying rate. Lixisenatide did not affect fasting systemic hemodynamics compared with insulin glulisine from baseline to week 8. Postbreakfast overall, lixisenatide compared with insulin glulisine tended to increase systolic BP by 5.2±2.9 mm Hg (P=0.087) and increased diastolic BP by 5.4±1.4 mm Hg (P<0.001), with respective maximal differences of +10.2±3.7 mm Hg (P=0.007) and +7.2±1.5 mm Hg (P<0.001). Lixisenatide increased systemic vascular resistance (P<0.001) and arterial stiffness (P=0.007). No between-group differences in overall postbreakfast heart rate, cardiac output, or cardiac sympathovagal balance, and circulating catecholamines, angiotensin II, or aldosterone were observed. Both treatments lowered HbA1c similarly, whereas lixisenatide achieved greater reductions in postbreakfast plasma glucose excursions. Lixisenatide slowed gastric emptying rate, which statistically explained changes in postbreakfast BP. Lixisenatide compared with once-daily titrated insulin glulisine for 8 weeks does not affect fasting but increases postbreakfast BP in insulin glargine–treated type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. This effect could, at least in part, be explained by reduced passage rate of nutrients and water and activation of the gastrovascular reflex.
The case of CAUSE: neurobiological mechanisms for grounding an abstract concept

How can we understand causal relationships and how can we understand words such as ‘cause’? Some theorists assume that the underlying abstract concept is given to us, and that perceptual correlation provides the relevant hints towards inferring causation from perceived real-life events. A different approach emphasizes the role of actions and their typical consequences for the emergence of the concept of causation and the application of the related term. A model of causation is proposed that highlights the family resemblance between causal actions and postulates that symbols are necessary for binding together the different partially shared semantic features of subsets of causal actions and their goals. Linguistic symbols are proposed to play a key role in binding the different subsets of semantic features of the abstract concept. The model is spelt out at the neuromechanistic level of distributed cortical circuits and the cognitive functions they carry. The model is discussed in light of behavioural and neuroscience evidence, and questions for future research are highlighted. In sum, taking causation as a concrete example, I argue that abstract concepts and words can be learnt and grounded in real-life interaction, and that the neurobiological mechanisms realizing such abstract semantic grounding are within our grasp. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain'.
Cover Song Synthesis by Analogy

In this work, we pose and address the following "cover song analogies" problem: given a song A by artist 1 and a cover song A' of this song by artist 2, and given a different song B by artist 1, synthesize a song B' which is a cover of B in the style of artist 2. Normally, such a polyphonic style transfer problem would be quite challenging, but we show how the cover songs example constrains the problem, making it easier to solve. First, we extract the longest common beat-synchronous subsequence between A and A', and we time stretch the corresponding beat intervals in A' so that they align with A. We then derive a version of joint 2D convolutional NMF, which we apply to the constant-Q spectrograms of the synchronized segments to learn a translation dictionary of sound templates from A to A'. Finally, we apply the learned templates as filters to the song B, and we mash up the translated filtered components into the synthesized song B' using audio mosaicing. We showcase our algorithm on several examples, including a synthesized cover version of Michael Jackson's "Bad" by Alien Ant Farm, learned from the latter's "Smooth Criminal" cover. '
Synthesis of Magnetic Wood Fiber Board and Corresponding Multi-Layer Magnetic Composite Board, with Electromagnetic Wave Absorbing Properties

With the rapid growth in the use of wireless electronic devices, society urgently needs electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing material with light weight, thin thickness, wide effective absorbing band width, and strong absorption capacity. Herein, the multi-layer magnetic composite boards are fabricated by hot-pressing magnetic fiber boards and normal veneer layer-by-layer. The magnetic fibers obtained using in-situ chemical co-precipitation are used to fabricate magnetic fiber board by hot-pressing. The magnetic wave absorbing capacities of the magnetic fiber boards obtained with 72 h impregnation time exhibit strongest adsorption capacities of −51.01 dB with a thickness of 3.00 mm. It is proved that this outstanding EMW absorption property is due to the strongest dielectric loss, the optimal magnetic loss, and the dipole relaxation polarization. Meanwhile, the EMW absorbing capacities of the corresponding multi-layer composite magnetic board increases from −14.14 dB (3-layer) to −60.16 dB (7-layer). This is due to the generated multi-interfaces between magnetic fiber board and natural wood veneer in the EMW propagation direction, which significantly benefit multireflection and attenuation of the incident waves. The results obtained in this work indicate that natural wood fibers are of great potential in the fabrication of magnetic multi-layer boards treated as EMW absorbers via a low cost, green, and scalable method.
Learning kernels that adapt to GPU

In this work we develop a framework for kernel machines that are efficient, accurate and are adaptive to modern parallel hardware, such as GPU. Our main innovation is in constructing kernel machines that output solutions mathematically equivalent to those obtained using standard kernels, yet capable of fully utilizing the available computing power of a parallel computational resource. Such utilization is key to strong performance as much of the computational resource capability is wasted by the standard iterative methods. Our approach is based on the idea of interpolation, using the significant empirical evidence that methods achieving near-zero training error show excellent test results. In this work we show how the mathematical and conceptual simplicity of optimization in the interpolation regime can be harnessed to design kernels and automatically choose parameters adaptive to computational resources. The resulting algorithm, which we call \textit{EigenPro 2.0}, is accurate, principled and very fast. For example, using a single Titan XP GPU, training on ImageNet with $1.3\times 10^6$ data points and $1000$ labels takes under an hour, while smaller datasets, such as MNIST, take seconds. As the parameters are chosen analytically, based on the theoretical bounds, little tuning beyond selecting the kernel and kernel parameter is needed, further facilitating the practical use of these methods.
Stability Conditions for Cluster Synchronization in Networks of Kuramoto Oscillators

In this paper we study cluster synchronization in networks of oscillators with Kuramoto dynamics, where multiple groups of oscillators with identical phases coexist in a connected network. Cluster synchronization is at the basis of several biological and technological processes; yet the underlying mechanisms to enable and control cluster synchronization remain unknown. In this paper we derive quantitative conditions on the network weights, cluster configuration, and oscillators' natural frequency that ensure asymptotic stability of the cluster synchronization manifold; that is, the ability to recover the desired cluster synchronization configuration following a perturbation of the oscillators states. Qualitatively, our results show that cluster synchronization is stable when the intra-cluster coupling is sufficiently stronger than the inter-cluster coupling, the natural frequencies of the oscillators in distinct clusters are sufficiently different, or, in the case of two clusters, when the intra-cluster dynamics is homogeneous. We illustrate and validate the effectiveness of our theoretical results via numerical studies.
Origami mechanologic

Significance Autonomy separates robots from machines. Incorporating autonomy into soft robots is an outstanding challenge due to the mismatch between rigid electronics and the compliant bodies. In this work, we demonstrate origami as a platform for compliant mechanical logic, containing mechanical bits, logic gates, and signal transmission mechanisms that can supplement conventional electronic controls. Furthermore, these processes can be responsive to and programmed by the environment via the integration of adaptive materials. Thus, origami provides a framework in which sensing, computation, and reflexes can be seamlessly integrated into the compliant bodies of soft robotics. Robots autonomously interact with their environment through a continual sense–decide–respond control loop. Most commonly, the decide step occurs in a central processing unit; however, the stiffness mismatch between rigid electronics and the compliant bodies of soft robots can impede integration of these systems. We develop a framework for programmable mechanical computation embedded into the structure of soft robots that can augment conventional digital electronic control schemes. Using an origami waterbomb as an experimental platform, we demonstrate a 1-bit mechanical storage device that writes, erases, and rewrites itself in response to a time-varying environmental signal. Further, we show that mechanical coupling between connected origami units can be used to program the behavior of a mechanical bit, produce logic gates such as AND, OR, and three input majority gates, and transmit signals between mechanologic gates. Embedded mechanologic provides a route to add autonomy and intelligence in soft robots and machines.
A Neuro-Cognitive Perspective of Program Comprehension

Program comprehension is the cognitive process of understanding code. Researchers have proposed several models to describe program comprehension. However, because program comprehension is an internal process and difficult to measure, the accuracy of the existing models are limited. Neuro-imaging methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), provide a novel neuro-cognitive perspective to program-comprehension research. With my thesis work, we aim at establishing fMRI as a new tool for program-comprehension and software-engineering studies. Furthermore, we seek to refine our existing framework for conducting fMRI studies by extending it with eye tracking and improved control conditions. We describe how we will apply our upgraded framework to extend our understanding of program comprehension. In the long-run, we would like to contribute insights from our fMRI studies into software-engineering practices by providing code-styling guidelines and programming tools, which reduce the required cognitive effort to comprehend code.
Video Segmentation by Spatio-temporal Random Walk

Video segmentation is an important part of computer vision research, which has been widely used in the fields of security monitoring, video compression and so on. The popular video segmentation methods can be divided into unsupervised ones and semi-supervised ones. Unsupervised video segmentation methods, which segment the saliency object, do not need the prior information given by users. The semi-supervised methods need usersto mark the object they want to segment in the first frame or some key frames. This paper proposes a new semi-supervised video segmentation method, which is based on random walk model. We need usersto mark the object they want to segment in the first frame, and then we use the spatio-temporal random walk to pass the segmentation results of current frame to the next frame. In this way, we can segment what we want of the whole video. Our experiments are performed on SegTrack database, and the experiment results have proved out the effectiveness of our method.
Seasonal Variations in Water-Quality, Antibiotic Residues, Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes of Escherichia coli Isolates from Water and Sediments of the Kshipra River in Central India

Objectives: To characterize the seasonal variation, over one year, in water-quality, antibiotic residue levels, antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from water and sediment of the Kshipra River in Central India. Methods: Water and sediment samples were collected from seven selected points from the Kshipra River in the Indian city of Ujjain in the summer, rainy season, autumn and winter seasons in 2014. Water quality parameters (physical, chemical and microbiological) were analyzed using standard methods. High-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of antibiotic residues. In river water and sediment samples, antibiotic resistance and multidrug resistance patterns of isolated E. coli to 17 antibiotics were tested and genes coding for resistance and phylogenetic groups were detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Fisher tests were applied to determine seasonal variation. Results: In river water, seasonal variation was significantly associated with various water quality parameters, presence of sulfamethoxazole residues, bacteria resistant to ampicillin, cefepime, meropenem, amikacin, gentamicin, tigecycline, multidrug resistance and CTX-M-1 gene. The majority of the Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli isolates from river water and sediment in all different seasons belonged to phylogenetic group A or B1. Conclusions: Antibiotic pollution, resistance and resistance genes in the Kshipra River showed significant seasonal variation. Guidelines and regulatory standards are needed to control environmental dissemination of these “pollutants” in this holy river.