Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Output Torque Modeling of a Magneto-Rheological Based Actuator

Abstract Recent research intended to integrate robots into the anthropic domains has introduced a new set of challenges with regard to design and control of such robots. Among these challenges, human safety is perhaps one the most predominant issues. While, existing solution relies on highly specialized and high cost actuation mechanisms, a new generation of intrinsically safe robots (manipulators) that use alternative technologies is yet to prevail. There is however a general consensus that the conventional actuation mechanisms are not capable of providing intrinsic safety while maintaining the high performance of the robot. On these premisses, a new Magneto-Rheological (MR) based actuation mechanism was developed in our research group. The actuator uses a magnetic field to precisely control its output torque delivery. The actuator demonstrates remarkable mass to torque ratio and low output inertia, at the same time, its bandwidth is comparable, if not better, than current leading actuators. The output torque of the actuator however, is hysterically related to its input current which makes its control challenging. The objective of the current work is to obtain a precise open-loop model that relates the output torque to the applied input current. The advantages of the obtained model are twofold. While such a model enables accurate control of the actuator, hence the actuated mechanism; in our case a robotic arm, it also eliminates the need for a force/torque sensor for performing high fidelity force/torque control tasks. To validate the accuracy of the constructed model simulation results for the output torques are presented and compared to those measured experimentally using the prototyped actuation mechanism. Results agreements attest to the validity of the presented model.
Absence of relationship between tuberculin reactivity and asthmatic symptoms, level of FEV1 and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in BCG vaccinated young adults

Background: Some recent studies have suggested that bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) vaccination or mycobacterial infection early in life is inversely related to asthma. We wondered if an increase in tuberculin reactivity was inversely related to commonly used indices of asthma in a population of young adults who were BCG vaccinated at age 14.
Memory Impairment Differs in Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzhemier’s Disease.

The aim of this study was to assess short-term and long-term explicit memory and implicit memory in frontotemporal dementia (FTD; frontal variant) and to compare FTD and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients with similar severity of dementia. Fifteen FTD patients [mean age: 68 years; Mini-Mental State (MMS): 24], 30 probable AD patients (mean age: 72 years; MMS: 23) and 12 healthy subjects participated in the study. The three groups were comparable in terms of gender and educational level. Short-term memory was assessed with the digit span and Corsi block-tapping tests. Explicit verbal memory was assessed with the Grober and Buschke test, and implicit memory with a verbal priming task and a fragmented picture test. FTD patients demonstrated a genuine memory deficit with impaired digit span, encoding deficit and retrieval strategy difficulties, but preserved implicit verbal and visual priming. Memory patterns differed in AD and FTD: short-term memory and free recall were similarly decreased in FTD and AD but cues provided more benefit to FTD than to AD; encoding was more impaired and the forgetting rate was faster in AD than in FTD; priming was lower in AD than in FTD. AD patients with clinical and imaging frontal lobe dysfunction tended to have lower memory performance and to differ even more from FTD patients than AD patients without frontal lobe dysfunction.
The Visible Hand: National Oil Companies, Oil Supply and the Ermergence of the Hotelling Rent

Using firm-level panel data, this paper exposes differences in the dynamic oil produc- tion regime between private and state-owned firms. I find that state-owned firms reduce the oil supply, ceteris paribus, by 3.5 percent each year, but private firms hold output constant. Furthermore, state-owned NEWLINE firms have not followed such stringent policy before 1997. My ex- tension of the Hotelling-model attributes the behavior of state-owned firms to a scarcity rent, whereas private firms produce at their constant capacity limit, owing to possible expropriation. The theory also indicates that state-owned firms will only switch to a Hotelling-regime after a certain lag time, attributable to NEWLINE limited capacity. The data further reveals that contractions in the supply of state-owned oil lead to oil price increases, indicating that state-owned firms do, in fact, generate a scarcity rent. My results therefore suggest that the shift from private towards state-owned oil dominance in the 1970s gave rise to a delayed increasing oil price path.
The Distribution of the Capital Purchase Program Funds: Evidence from Bank Internal Capital Markets

We investigate the role played by the internal capital markets of bank holding companies in the distribution of the Capital Purchase Program funds to subsidiaries. We find that while all banks used a similar internal capital allocation to support their subsidiaries, program participants transferred more capital to their subsidiaries than nonparticipants. Smaller bank subsidiaries with lower capital and earnings received more capital than other subsidiaries. Our results support the argument that the distribution of capital was done in accordance with regulatory requirements that mandate bank holding companies to act as a source of strength for their subsidiaries.
Robust Estimation of Metal Target Shape Using Time-Domain Electromagnetic Induction Data

Discriminating metal parts of buried hazardous targets from ordinary metallic clutter is a very difficult and time-consuming task. For that purpose, electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors composed of multiple transmitter/receiver coils in multiaxis arrangements are commonly used. In this way, data of high fidelity and spatial diversity are obtained so that the target can be characterized in terms of its geometric and electromagnetic properties. However, this often increases sensor size and reduces its portability, which is a problem for humanitarian demining applications, where compact, robust, and lightweight sensors are needed. If such sensors are to be used for target characterization, robust estimation algorithms are required, capable of coping with limited spatial information content and uncertainties related to sensor positioning and its coil geometry model. In this paper, we present a robust concept for estimating the general shape of magnetic metal targets using time-domain EMI sensors with single-axis coil geometries. We introduce the signature matrix, a parameter derived from time-dependent eigenvalues of the target's magnetic polarizability tensor, and use it for shape estimation. The proposed method was evaluated both through simulations and experiments, using two different sensor platforms (laboratory-based experimental sensor platform and a commercial metal detector mounted on a mobile robot). The obtained results clearly indicate that the target shape can be estimated from sensor data of limited spatial diversity and under the uncertainties of sensor positioning and coil geometry.
World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) Guidelines for Biological Treatment of Substance Use and Related Disorders, Part 1: Alcoholism

These practice guidelines for the biological treatment of substance use disorders were developed by an international Task Force of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP). The goal during the development of these guidelines was to review systematically all available evidence pertaining to the treatment of substance use disorders, and to reach a consensus on a series of practice recommendations that are clinically and scientifically meaningful based on the available evidence. These guidelines are intended for use by physicians evaluating and treating people with substance use disorders and are primarily concerned with the biological treatment of adults suffering from substance use disorders. The data used to develop these guidelines were extracted primarily from various national treatment guidelines for substance use disorders, as well as from meta-analyses, reviews and randomized clinical trials on the efficacy of pharmacological and other biological treatment interventions identified by a search of the MEDLINE database and Cochrane Library. The identified literature was evaluated with respect to the strength of evidence for its efficacy and then categorized into four levels of evidence (A–D). This first part of the guidelines covers the treatment of alcohol dependence; Part 2 will be devoted to the treatment of drug dependence.
An evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of using CHROMagar for yeast identification in a routine microbiology laboratory.

CHROMagar, a chromogenic differential culture medium, is claimed to facilitate the isolation and presumptive identification of certain clinically important yeast species, e.g., Candida albicans. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness and time advantage of using it in comparison with Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). Three possible pathways, each of which included the use of one or both media, were compared in a routine laboratory. A total of 21 yeast isolates was cultured from 298 clinical samples from neutropenic and AIDS patients. An overall sensitivity of 95.2% was observed for each medium and primary isolation on CHROMagar was found to be 100% sensitive and 100% specific for C. albicans. For identification purposes, after initial culture the use of CHROMagar provided the most economical and least time-consuming method. Direct inoculation on to CHROMagar is recommended for blood cultures when yeast cells are seen on microscopy and where early appropriate therapy is imperative.
In vitro activities of ferrochloroquine against 55 Senegalese isolates of Plasmodium falciparum in comparison with those of standard antimalarial drugs

The in vitro activities of ferrochloroquine, chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine, halofantrine, amodiaquine, artesunate, atovaquone, cycloguanil and pyrimethamine were evaluated against Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Senegal (Dielmo, Ndiop), using an isotopic micro‐drug susceptibility test. The IC50 values for ferrochloroquine ranged from 0.55 to 28.2 nM and the geometric mean IC50 for the 55 isolates was 7.9 nM (95% CI, 6.5–9.7 nM). Ferrochloroquine was 35 times more active than chloroquine (35‐fold greater against chloroquine‐resistant isolates), quinine, mefloquine, amodiaquine, cycloguanil and pyrimethamine. Weak positive correlations were observed between the responses to ferrochloroquine and that to chloroquine, quinine, and amodiaquine, but not compulsorily predictive of cross‐resistance. There was no significant correlation between the response to ferrochloroquine and that to mefloquine, halofantrine, artesunate, atovaquone, cycloguanil and pyrimethamine. Ferrochloroquine may be an important alternative drug for the treatment of chloroquine‐resistant malaria.
Configuration knowledge of software product lines: a comprehensibility study

The configuration knowledge is a key element to the success of software product lines, as it defines constraints on how product line variability should be composed to derive products. Even though configuration knowledge specification is a long standing problem in software product line engineering, the impact of different specification techniques on comprehensibility has never been studied. This paper presents an empirical study to evaluate and compare three techniques for configuration knowledge specification. Each of them is centered on diffierent means to express the configuration constraints: annotations, general-purpose modeling, and domain-specific modeling. Our results suggest that: (i) the use of domain-specific abstractions tends to facilitate the comprehension of coarse-grained variability; (ii) the use of general-purpose models imposes certain restrictions on the location and comprehension of the configuration knowledge; and (iii) the correct comprehension of configuration constraints is not associated with individual expertise
Identification of tonin in brain and exocrine tissues and in the cell-free translation products encoded by the mRNA of these tissues.

Tissue-specific expression of the esteropeptidase tonin [EC 3.4. 99. -] was investigated in rat brain, submandibular gland, pancreas and kidney. Specific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to purified rat tonin from the submandibular gland have been developed and characterized and have been purified via a tonin-agarose affinity column. Immunoreactive tonin was measured by a recently developed tonin direct radioimmunoassay using a rabbit tonin antiserum. Resulting tonin levels were found to be 105.27 +/- 2.71 micrograms/mg (of protein) in submandibular gland, 3.18 +/- 0.32 ng/mg in pancreas, 1.35 +/- 0.08 ng/mg in kidney and 0.12 +/- 0.01 ng/mg in brain (means +/- S.E.M.). Western-blot analysis shows that affinity-purified anti-tonin antibody binds to a 32,000-Mr protein from brain and submandibular-gland extracts. The protein, a tonin precursor, was identified from cell-free translation products directly by polyadenylated [Poly(A)+]mRNA species in a wheat-germ system. After the translation products were subjected to immunoprecipitation with affinity-purified tonin antibody, SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of these precipitates revealed two precursors of tonin, with Mr values of 30,000 and 29,000, which are encoded by brain and submandibular-gland mRNA; however, only the 30,000-Mr preprotonin was encoded by pancreas and kidney mRNA. Collectively, the data show that tonin exists in brain, submandibular gland, pancreas and kidney, and can be synthesized by the mRNA of these tissues.
Pharmacology and Functional Properties of NTS2 Neurotensin Receptors in Cerebellar Granule Cells*

The binding and signaling properties of neuronal NTS2 neurotensin (NT) receptors were examined in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells. As shown by reverse transcription-PCR, receptor autoradiography, and confocal microscopic localization of fluorescent NT, these cells selectively express the NTS2 receptor subtype. Accordingly, a single apparent class of125I-NT-binding sites, with an affinity of 3.1 nm, was detected in cerebellar granule cell cultures. This binding was competed for with high affinity (IC50 = 5.7 nm) by the NTS2 ligand levocabastine and with low affinity (IC50 = 203 nm) by the NTS1 antagonist SR48692. Hypertonic acid stripping of surface-bound ligand and hyperosmolar sucrose treatment revealed that 64% of specifically bound125I-NT was internalized at equilibrium via a clathrin-dependent pathway. In cells loaded with the Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dye Fluo4, SR48692, but neither NT nor levocabastine, triggered a marked increase in cytosolic [Ca2+] i . By contrast, both NT and levocabastine, but not SR48692, induced a sustained (>60 min) activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases, p42/p44, indicating functional coupling of NTS2 receptors. Complementary experiments carried out on synaptosomes from adult rat cerebellum demonstrated the presence of presynaptic NTS2 receptors. However, in contrast to perikaryal NTS2 sites, these presynaptic receptors did not internalize in response to NT stimulation. Taken together, the present results demonstrate that NTS2 receptors are present both presynaptically and postsynaptically in central neurons and that NT and levocabastine act as agonists on these receptors.
Brief mindfulness training reduces salivary IL-6 and TNF-α in young women with depressive symptomatology.

OBJECTIVE Pro-inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the pathophysiology and maintenance of depression. This study investigated the effects of a brief mindfulness intervention on salivary pro-inflammatory correlates of depression (IL-6, TNF-α) and self-reported symptoms of depression in college women. METHODS Sixty-four females with a cut score of ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies for Depression Scale (CES-D) were assigned to a 4-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI; N = 31) or a contact-control group (N = 33). For both groups, salivary cytokines and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and posttreatment. For the mindfulness group only, salivary cytokines were also assessed at a 3-month follow-up. RESULTS Both groups showed similar reductions in depression. However, MBI (vs. control) predicted greater reductions in IL-6 and TNF-α; changes in IL-6 were sustained at 3-month follow-up. Higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted greater reductions in inflammation in the mindfulness group. CONCLUSION MBIs may reduce inflammatory immune markers commonly implicated in depression. Individuals with greater depressive symptoms may benefit more from mindfulness training. Although reductions in salivary cytokines in the mindfulness condition were not attributable to changes in depressive symptoms, future work should examine the possibility that such reductions are protective against the development of future depressive episodes. (PsycINFO Database Record
Multiwalled carbon nanotube based supercapacitors — Numerical approach

Supercapacitors are characterized by high energy and power density. For those reasons, it is possible to use them as a highly efficient sources of energy. The possibility of using supercapacitors grow along with a reduction in their size while maintaining the above mentioned parameters. The fulfillment of this objective requires the use of modern materials for the construction of ultracapacitors (how supercapacitors are also described), such as nanomaterials. Recently, due to the great electrical and mechanical properties and high specific surface, carbon nanotubes, as a material for supercapacitors electrodes manufacturing, are being investigated. This article presents results of parameters calculation based on finite element method, obtained for supercapacitors models. In the described models used for simulation, electrodes are made of carbon nanotubes, obtained by synthesis using LSCVD method.
Defining Moments in Risk Communication Research: 1996–2005

Ten years ago, scholars suggested that risk communication was embarking on a new phase that would give increased attention to the social contexts that surround and encroach on public responses to risk information. A decade later, many researchers have answered the call, with several defining studies examining the social and psychological influences on risk communication. This article reviews risk communication research appearing in the published literature since 1996. Among studies, social trust, the social amplification of risk framework, and the affect heuristic figured prominently. Also common were studies examining the influence of risk in the mass media. Among these were content analyses of media coverage of risk, as well as investigations of possible effects resulting from coverage. The use of mental models was a dominant method for developing risk message content. Other studies examined the use of risk comparisons, narratives, and visuals in the production of risk messages. Research also examined how providing information about a risk's severity, social norms, and efficacy influenced communication behaviors and intentions to follow risk reduction measures. Methods for conducting public outreach in health risk communication rounded out the literature.
Sports corruption and developments in betting markets

In this chapter the author takes a broad look at malfeasance in betting markets through match-fixing. He confronts the critical issue of how and why match-fixing might occur in some sporting competitions. This chapter sets out economic motives for players to engage in match-fixing and also establishes the structural features of betting markets that lead to fixes. The solution, however, is not to make betting markets illegal as this would be counter-productive and would harm consumer welfare. Instead, Forrest argues for the need for sports governing bodies and national and supranational governments to cooperate in detecting and punishing match-fixing.
Genetic screening for SSRI drug response among those with major depression: great promise and unseen perils

This article examines evidence for the potential benefit of genetic testing for SSRI response, as well as potential ethical and practical implications of the implementation of this test into standard psychiatric practice. We reviewed three areas of the literature: the burden of treatment‐resistant and treatment‐intolerant major depressive disorders, the evidence for the value of genetic testing to predict drug response, and the ethical and practical issues of genetic testing in usual care. Treatment resistance and treatment intolerance are common for persons treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and are associated with both financial and quality‐of‐life costs. There is strong evidence from association studies that some polymorphisms are associated with SSRI response. However, no randomized trials have yet tested the efficacy of genetic tests to improve outcome in those with treatment resistance or treatment intolerance to SSRIs. Given the nonspecific nature of the test proposed, several ethical concerns are also involved with administering the genetic tests to patients. A randomized trial comparing response in those treated with standard psychiatric care and in those treated with psychiatric care tailored as a result of genetic test results should be completed before the implementation of these tests can be considered. Additionally, the ethical and practical questions concerning the tests must be addressed now, so that the potential impact of these tests on patient care can be well understood prior to adoption in standard practice. Depression and Anxiety 24:350–357, 2007. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cancer and comorbidity

A narrow subspecialty model of cancer care has led to cancer treatment often being given outside the full medical context of the patient. The full range of comorbid illness must be considered in all aspects of diagnosis and treatment. This study was conducted to describe the prevalence of comorbidity in cancer patients and examine its relation with multiple demographic and clinical variables.
Small Computer Systems Interface protocol over the Internet (iSCSI) Requirements and Design Considerations

This document specifies the requirements iSCSI and its related infrastructure should satisfy and the design considerations guiding the iSCSI protocol development efforts. In the interest of timely adoption of the iSCSI protocol, the IPS group has chosen to focus the first version of the protocol to work with the existing SCSI architecture and commands, and the existing TCP/IP transport layer. Both these protocols are widely-deployed and well-understood. The thought is that using these mature protocols will entail a minimum of new invention, the most rapid possible adoption, and the greatest compatibility with Internet architecture, protocols, and equipment.