Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computing new optimized routes for GPS navigators using evolutionary algorithms

GPS navigators are now present in most vehicles and smartphones. The usual goal of these navigators is to take the user in less time or distance to a destination. However, the global use of navigators in a given city could lead to traffic jams as they have a highly biased preference for some streets. From a general point of view, spreading the traffic throughout the city could be a way of preventing jams and making a better use of public resources. We propose a way of calculating alternative routes to be assigned by these devices in order to foster a better use of the streets. Our experimentation involves maps from OpenStreetMap, real road traffic, and the microsimulator SUMO. We contribute to reducing travel times, greenhouse gas emissions, and fuel consumption. To analyze the sociological aspect of any innovation, we analyze the penetration (acceptance) rate which shows that our proposal is competitive even when just 10% of the drivers are using it.
A quantitative analysis of research publications in physical therapy journals.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Many physical therapists depend on their professional journals for high-quality evidence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rigor of research and review articles in 4 national physical therapy journals. SUBJECTS AND METHODS All articles in 6 consecutive issues of the Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Physiotherapy Canada, published between January 2000 and June 2001 (N=179), were reviewed. One trained reviewer identified the type and purpose of each article and assessed the rigor of treatment and review articles according to explicit criteria. RESULTS The majority of articles reviewed were original studies (56%). The majority of the research articles that dealt with human health care (66%) addressed topics that were not directly applicable to the provision of patient care such as measurement topics and studies on subjects without identified pathologies or impairments. Of the 179 journal articles, 19 met the standards for rigor (11%). The majority of these articles dealt with treatment. The pass rate per journal was as follows: Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, 10% (4/42); Physical Therapy, 15% (7/47); Physiotherapy, 12% (4/34); and Physiotherapy Canada, 7% (4/56). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Because such a small percentage of articles in these professional journals were identified as having direct application to patient care, physical therapists should attempt to access other sources of information to find additional high-quality evidence. A larger sample with a greater number of issues per journal may have yielded different results and indicated different trends, and further research appears to be warranted.
Dexamethasone reduces postoperative troponin levels in children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.

OBJECTIVE We previously demonstrated that dexamethasone treatment before cardiopulmonary bypass in children reduces the postoperative systemic inflammatory response. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that dexamethasone administration before cardiopulmonary bypass in children correlates with a lesser degree of myocardial injury as measured by a decrease in cardiac troponin I release. DESIGN A prospective, randomized, double-blind study. SETTING The cardiac surgery operating room and intensive care unit of a pediatric referral hospital. SUBJECTS Twenty-eight patients who underwent open-heart surgery for congenital heart defects. INTERVENTIONS Patients received either placebo (group I, n = 13) or dexamethasone, 1 mg/kg iv (group II, n = 15), 1 hr before initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass. Plasma cardiac troponin I samples were obtained at three time points: immediately before study agent (sample 1), 10 mins after protamine sulfate administration after cardiopulmonary bypass (sample 2), and 24 hrs postoperatively (sample 3). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Mean cardiac troponin I levels (+/-sd) were significantly lower at sample time 3 in group II (dexamethasone; 33.4 +/- 20.0 ng/mL) vs. group I (control; 86.9 +/- 81.1) (p =.04). CONCLUSION Dexamethasone administration before cardiopulmonary bypass in children resulted in a significant decrease in cardiac troponin I levels at 24 hrs postoperatively. We postulate that this may represent a decrease in myocardial injury, and, thus, a possible cardioprotective effect produced by dexamethasone.
The onset of daily torpor is regulated by the same low body mass in lean mice and in mice with diet-induced obesity

Effects of reducing body mass on body core temperature and locomotor activity of mice originally kept on conventional rodent diet (Group-1) were compared to those made obese by feeding them a high-fat diet (Group-2), both groups being kept at a cool ambient temperature. Based on earlier experience, threshold torpor core temperature of 31° was chosen as the endpoint to decreasing body mass. It was hypothesized that the onset of this hypothermia develops in obese mice only when their body mass approaches a similar low body mass as in lean mice. Mice in Group-1 maintained nocturnal core temperature but developed marked daytime hypothermia of 30–31°C with their body mass approaching 20 g by this time. Mice in Group-2 could maintain normal circadian temperature rhythm for 3 weeks before similar daytime hypothermia started to develop while their body mass dropped also to about 20 g. Mice belonging to Group-1 or Group-2 could regain original body mass after re-feeding with the original diet within 2 days or 5 weeks, respectively. In the course of the development of daily torpor, nighttime normothermia was accompanied by progressive increases in locomotor activity in both groups of mice. It is concluded that in mice a marked fall of daytime body core temperature is only induced when a similar low critical body mass is reached, irrespective of the initial body mass. In other words, in both groups of mice the nutritional state determines the threshold for the thermoregulatory change during torpor.
1.9-3.6  μm supercontinuum generation in a very short highly nonlinear germania fiber with a high mid-infrared power ratio.

In this Letter, a high-power supercontinuum (SC) laser source which spanned from 1.9 to 3.6 μm with an all-fiber configuration was reported. This SC laser was obtained by concatenating a thulium-doped fiber amplifier (TDFA) and a 12 cm long highly nonlinear germania fiber. A 1.9-2.7 μm SC laser from the TDFA was spectrally broadened continuously into the mid-infrared region (>3 μm) in the following germania fiber. When the repetition rate was 2 MHz, the obtained SC laser had a maximum output power of 6.12 W with an optical conversion efficiency of 15.3% with respect to the TDFA pump power. The SC laser had a spectral bandwidth of 1506 nm ranging from 1944 to 3450 nm at the -20 dB level. The SC power with wavelengths >3 μm was 2.9 W, corresponding to a high power ratio of 47.4% in the mid-infrared region. The achieved power ratio in the mid-infrared region, as well as the long wavelength cutoff, to the best of our knowledge, were the best results ever reported in germania fibers.
The use of visual context during the production of referring expressions

Most theories of reference assume that a referent's saliency in the linguistic context determines the choice of referring expression. However, it is less clear whether cognitive factors relating to the nonlinguistic context also have an effect. We investigated whether visual context influences the choice of a pronoun over a repeated noun phrase when speakers refer back to a referent in a preceding sentence. In Experiment 1, linguistic mention as well as visual presence of a competitor with the same gender as the referent resulted in fewer pronouns for the referent, suggesting that both linguistic and visual context determined the choice of referring expression. Experiment 2 showed that even when the competitor had a different gender from the referent, its visual presence reduced pronoun use, indicating that visual context plays a role even if the use of a pronoun is unambiguous. Thus, both linguistic and nonlinguistic information affect the choice of referring expression.
Strategies to enhance cell growth and achieve high‐level oil production of a Chlorella vulgaris isolate

The autotrophic growth of an oil‐rich indigenous microalgal isolate, identified as Chlorella vulgaris CC, was promoted by using engineering strategies to obtain the microalgal oil for biodiesel synthesis. Illumination with a light/dark cycle of 14/10 (i.e., 14 h light‐on and 10 h light‐off) resulted in a high overall oil production rate (voil) of 9.78 mg/L/day and a high electricity conversion efficiency (Ec) of 23.7 mg cell/kw h. When using a NaHCO3 concentration of 1,500 mg/L as carbon source, the voil and Ec were maximal at 100 mg/L/day and 128 mg/kw h, respectively. A Monod type model was used to describe the microalgal growth kinetics with an estimated maximum specific growth rate (μmax) of 0.605 day−1 and a half saturation coefficient (Ks) of 124.9 mg/L. An optimal nitrogen source (KNO3) concentration of 625 mg/L could further enhance the microalgal biomass and oil production, leading to a nearly 6.19 fold increase in voil value. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 2010
Role of Transcription Factor T-bet Expression by CD4+ Cells in Gastritis Due to Helicobacter pylori in Mice

ABSTRACT Gastritis due to Helicobacter pylori is induced by a Th1-mediated response that is CD4 cell and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) dependent. T-bet is a transcription factor that directs differentiation of and IFN-γ secretion by CD4+ Th1 T cells. The goal of this study was to use two mouse models to elucidate the role of T-bet in gastritis due to H. pylori. C57BL/6J mice, congenic T-bet knockout (KO) mutants, or congenic SCID (severe, combined immunodeficient) mutants were given live H. pylori by oral inoculation. SCID mice were given CD4+ splenocytes from C57BL/6J or T-bet KO mice by intraperitoneal injection. Twelve or 24 weeks after bacterial inoculation, C57BL/6J mice developed moderate gastritis but T-bet KO mice and SCID mice did not. In contrast, SCID recipients of either C57BL/6J T cells or T-bet KO T cells developed gastritis 4 or 8 weeks after adoptive transfer. In recipients of C57BL/6J CD4+ cells but not recipients of T-bet KO cells, gastritis was associated with a delayed-type hypersensitivity response to H. pylori antigen and elevated gastric and serum IFN-γ, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. In spite of the absence of IFN-γ expression, indicating failure of Th1 differentiation, CD4+ T cells from T-bet KO mice induce gastritis in H. pylori-infected recipient SCID mice. This indicates that Th1-independent mechanisms can cause gastric inflammation and disease due to H. pylori.
Smart dispatch for large grid operations with integrated renewable resources

The uncertainty of generation required to maintain system balancing has been growing significantly due to the penetration of renewable energy resources such as wind power and the impact of demand response. To deal with such uncertainty, RTO's require more look-ahead and forecasting capabilities beyond real-time. In this paper a new dispatch system called Generation Control Application (GCA) is proposed to address the challenges posed by renewable energy integration. With dynamic and robust dispatch algorithm and flexible system configuration, the proposed system will provide adequate system ramping capability to cope with uncertain intermittent resources while maintaining system reliability in large grid operations.
Stimulation of Na+-Ca2+ exchange in cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles by proteinase pretreatment.

The Na+-Ca2+ exchange activity of purified canine cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles can be strikingly stimulated if the vesicles are pretreated with a serine or thiol proteinase. The Km (Ca2+) for Na+i-dependent Ca2+ influx is reduced from 22.2 +/- 2.3 to 8.1 +/- 0.3 microM while Vmax is increased from 15.1 +/- 3.6 to 18.9 +/- 5.2 nmol Ca2+ . mg protein-1 . s-1. Na+o-dependent Ca2+ efflux is also stimulated by proteinase pretreatment although passive (Na+-independent) Ca2+ efflux from the sarcolemmal vesicles is unaffected. Proteinase treatment reduces the sensitivity of Na+-Ca2+ exchange to the inhibitors chlorpromazine and polymyxin B, but not to the inhibitor, palmitylcarnitine. Using a newly developed technique we are able to demonstrate that the Na+-Ca2+ exchange of inside-out sarcolemmal vesicles is being stimulated by proteinase treatment (Philipson, K. D., and A. Y. Nishimoto, J. Biol. Chem: 257, 5111-5117, 1982; this technique uses the ATP-dependent Na+ pump to preload only inside-out vesicles with Na+ prior to Na+-Ca2+ exchange). Right-side-out vesicles may also be stimulated.
The Prevalence and Severity of Microvascular Complications in Pancreatic Diabetes and IDDM

OBJECTIVE To investigate and compare the prevalence, associations, and severity of retinopathy and nephropathy in patients with pancreatic diabetes (PD) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Thirty patients with PD due to alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis were matched for age, sex, and duration of diabetes with 30 patients with IDDM. Retinopathy was assessed by fluorescein angiography using the Wisconsin classification. Renal function was assessed by albumin excretion rates (AERs) in at least two timed overnight urine collections and glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) by single injection of 51Cr-EDTA. Microalbuminuria was defined as AER 20–200 μg/min and nephropathy as AER > 200 μg/min. RESULTS Retinopathy was found in 33% of patients with PD and in 40% with IDDM. The spectrum of disease was similar in the two groups. The geometric mean of AER was 15 μg/min (range 1–1,541) in the PD group and 24 μg/min (2–2,288) in the IDDM group. Nephropathy was found in 7 PD and in 5 IDDM patients, and a reduced GFR was present in 8 (26%) and 4 (13%) of the two groups, respectively. Microalbuminuria occurred in 9 (33%) and hyperfiltration in 3 (10%) in each group. These differences were insignificant. Retinopathy correlated with AER in both groups. Retinopathy and AER correlated with duration of diabetes in the IDDM but not in the PD group. CONCLUSIONS Microvascular complications are equally common and severe in PD and IDDM, and improved glycemic control should be the goal in both.
Research Review on Sustainable Supply Chain Management

In recent years,with the concept of sustainable development gradually enjoys people support,enterprise also begin to study their entire supply chain.They hope their supply chain able to sustainable development.Sustainable supply chain is a modern management model that includes the concept of sustainable development.Its goal is making the benefits of economic,social and environmental coordinate,and then eventually realizing the sustainable development of supply chain eventually.The purpose of this paper is that summarize domestic and international achievements by tracking study the related theory of sustainable supply chain management.Firstly,it studies the concept of sustainable supply chain management,then analyzes and summarizes the performance indicators,performance evaluation models and research methods of sustainable supply chain.Secondly,it discusses the development process of sustainable supply chain from four aspects.Finally,it proposes some problems of sustainable supply chain management in China.It is hoped that the paper can provide some new ideas and guidance for future research by summarizing and generating the current research of sustainable supply chain.
In vivo positron emission tomographic evidence for compensatory changes in presynaptic dopaminergic nerve terminals in Parkinson's disease

Clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) do not manifest until dopamine (DA) neuronal loss reaches a symptomatic threshold. To explore the mechanisms of functional compensation that occur in presynaptic DA nerve terminals in PD, we compared striatal positron emission tomographic (PET) measurements by using [11C]dihydrotetrabenazine ([11C]DTBZ; labeling the vesicular monoamine transporter type 2), [11C]methylphenidate (labeling the plasma membrane DA transporter), and [18F]dopa (reflecting synthesis and storage of DA). Three consecutive PET scans were performed in three‐dimensional mode by using each tracer on 35 patients and 16 age‐matched, normal controls. PET measurements by the three tracers were compared between subgroups of earlier and later stages of PD, between drug‐naive and drug‐treated subgroups of PD, and between subregions of the parkinsonian striatum. The quantitative relationships of [18F]dopa and [11C]DTBZ, and of [11C]methylphenidate and [11C]DTBZ, were compared between the PD and the normal control subjects. We found that [18F]dopa Ki was reduced less than the binding potential (Bmax/Kd) for [11C]DTBZ in the parkinsonian striatum, whereas the [11C]methylphenidate binding potential was reduced more than [11C]DTBZ binding potential. These observations suggest that the activity of aromatic L‐amino acid decarboxylase is up‐regulated, whereas the plasma membrane DA transporter is down‐regulated in the striatum of patients with PD. Ann Neurol 2000;47:493–503.
Distributed state estimation for independent linear systems with relative and absolute measurements

In this work we consider a set of dynamically independent subsystems with homogeneous models, interconnected through a suitable communication graph. We assume that relative measurements can be obtained and that there exists a set of subsystems that are endowed with sensors that provide absolute measurements. In this paper we propose a distributed state estimation algorithm, that allows each subsystem to obtain a reliable estimates of its state. We apply the proposed estimation scheme to a set of high-precision clocks.
Three-dimensional band-stop frequency selective structures

Frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) have been extensively investigated in the past few decades. A traditional two-dimensional (2-D) FSS, consisting of a periodical array of conducting patches or slots/apertures, cannot realize a desired number of transmission zeros/poles leading to a quasi-elliptic or elliptic filtering response. In this paper, based on a review of research work related to traditional 2-D FSS, a new class of three-dimensional band-stop FSS consisting of a 2-D periodic array of vertical microstrip lines are described, whose propagation modes and coupling with air can be controlled to obtain a desired frequency response. A generalized equivalent circuit based on multi-mode resonator theory is also introduced to explain the operating principle of these high-performance band-stop FSSs.
POSTER: BGPCoin: A Trustworthy Blockchain-based Resource Management Solution for BGP Security

Origin authentication is one of the most concentrated and advocated BGP security approach against IP prefix hijacking. However, the potential risk of centralized authority abuse and the fragile infrastructure may lead a sluggish deployment of such BGP security approach currently. We propose BGPCoin, a trustworthy blockchain-based Internet resource management solution which provides compliant resource allocations and revocations, and a reliable origin advertisement source. By means of a smart contract to perform and supervise resource assignments on the tamper-resistant Ethereum blockchain, BGPCoin yields significant benefits in the secure origin advertisement and the dependable infrastructure for object repository compared with RPKI. We demonstrate through an Ethereum prototype implementation that the deployment incentives and increased security are technically and economically viable.
Reducing Stroke in Women with Risk Factor Management: Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in adults worldwide. Prevention focused on modifiable risk factors, such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia, has shown them to be of significant importance in decreasing the risk of stroke. Multiple studies have brought to light the differences between men and women with regards to stroke and these risk factors. Women have a higher prevalence of stroke, mortality and disability and it has been shown that preventive and treatment options are not as comprehensive for women. Hence, it is of great necessity to evaluate and summarize the differences in gender and stroke risk factors in order to target disparities and optimize prevention, especially because women have a higher lifetime risk of stroke. The purpose of this review is to summarize sex differences in the prevalence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. In addition, we will review the sex differences in stroke prevention effectiveness and adherence to blood pressure and cholesterol medications, and suggest future directions for research to reduce the burden of stroke in women.
Evaluation of Treadmill Exercise in a Lower Body Negative Pressure Chamber as a Countermeasure for Weightlessness‐Induced Bone Loss: A Bed Rest Study With Identical Twins

Counteracting bone loss is required for future space exploration. We evaluated the ability of treadmill exercise in a LBNP chamber to counteract bone loss in a 30‐day bed rest study. Eight pairs of identical twins were randomly assigned to sedentary control or exercise groups. Exercise within LBNP decreased the bone resorption caused by bed rest and may provide a countermeasure for spaceflight.
Hybrid User-Assisted Incremental Model Adaptation for Activity Recognition in a Dynamic Smart-Home Environment

Identifying on-going activities for the provision of services that are capable of matching the needs of users poses a number of daunting challenges. Most existing approaches to activity recognition require training offline activity models before being applied to the identification of activities in real time. However, the dynamic nature of actual living environments can make previously learned activity models irrelevant. This study addressed the problem of learning and recognizing daily activities in a dynamic smart-home environment, using a novel approach referred to as hybrid user-assisted incremental model adaptation. This approach involves reconfiguring previously learned activity models within a dynamic environment, while pursuing maximum efficiency by using assistance from users as well as the system to annotate new training data. Experiments that are conducted in a fully equipped smart-home lab demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.
Cosmic-ray multi-error immunity for SRAM, based on analysis of the parasitic bipolar effect

This paper describes an investigation of cosmic-ray-induced multi-cell error (MCE) behavior in SRAMs through device- and circuit-level simulation methods developed on the basis that a parasitic bipolar effect is responsible for such errors. The first demonstration that the maximum number of cell errors per cosmic-ray strike depends on the number of cells between well contacts (Nc) is presented. The results are applied in an error checking and correction (ECC) design guideline for the handling of cosmic-ray-induced multi-cell errors. A new architecture is proposed, in which matching of addresses to memory cells is consideration of the Nc. This architecture reduced soft error rate (SER) for an SRAM fabricated by using 0.13-/spl mu/m CMOS technology by 88%.