Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Power-law models for infectious disease spread

Short-time human travel behaviour can be described by a power law with respect to distance. We incorporate this information in space–time models for infectious disease surveillance data to better capture the dynamics of disease spread. Two previously established model classes are extended, which both decompose disease risk additively into endemic and epidemic components: a spatio-temporal point process model for individual-level data and a multivariate time-series model for aggregated count data. In both frameworks, a power-law decay of spatial interaction is embedded into the epidemic component and estimated jointly with all other unknown parameters using (penalised) likelihood inference. Whereas the power law can be based on Euclidean distance in the point process model, a novel formulation is proposed for count data where the power law depends on the order of the neighbourhood of discrete spatial units. The performance of the new approach is investigated by a reanalysis of individual cases of invasive meningococcal disease in Germany (2002–2008) and count data on influenza in 140 administrative districts of Southern Germany (2001–2008). In both applications, the power law substantially improves model fit and predictions, and is reasonably close to alternative qualitative formulations, where distance and order of neighbourhood, respectively, are treated as a factor. Implementation in the R package surveillance allows the approach to be applied in other settings.
Incorporating Context and Geometry in Kernel Design for Support Vector Machines Contexte et Geometrie pour la Conception des Noyaux

Kernels are functions designed in order to capture resemblance between data and they are used in a wide range of machine learning techniques including support vector networks (SVMs). In their standard version, commonly used kernels such as the Gaussian, show reasonably good performance in many classification and recognition tasks in computer vision, bio-informatics and text processing. In the particular task of object recognition, the main deficiency of standard kernels, such as the convolution one, resides in the lack in capturing the right geometric structure of objects while also being invariant. This paper introduces a novel framework for designing a new class of kernels, referred to as Context-Dependent (CDK), with the particularity of (i) incorporating the geometric structure and the spatial relationships between image primitives (such as interest points, regions, etc.) while (ii) handling invariance and satisfying the positive definiteness which is necessary in all kernel methods including SVMs. Beside these properties, the outperformance of CDKs with respect to standard context-free kernels, is shown for pattern classification problems on standard databases.
Hip Muscle Strength Recovery after Hip Arthroscopy in a Series of Patients with Symptomatic Femoroacetabular Impingement

Purpose The aim of the study was to prospectively evaluate hip muscle strength in a series of patients with symptomatic FAI after hip arthroscopy. Methods Hip muscle strength of eight patients (age: 29 ± 10 years) was evaluated preoperatively and 2.5 years after hip arthroscopy, and was compared to eight matched controls. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) strength was measured for all hip muscle groups. At follow-up, we used the symptom-specific well-being outcome to assess the acceptability of the health state related to the hip. Results Patients showed MVC strength increases for all hip muscles (9-59%, P<.05). At follow-up, only hip flexor MVC strength was lower for patients than controls (-18%, P<.05). At follow-up, four patients (out of eight) were “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied” with the health state of their operated hip. Conclusions Patients with symptomatic FAI recovered their hip muscle strength to normal levels 2.5 years after hip arthroscopy, except for hip flexors. Although all patients showed good hip muscle strength at follow-up, half of them were not completely satisfied with their health state related to the hip.
Desarrollo de habilidades y construcción conceptual: una secuencia sobre flotación en educación básica

Se presenta una secuencia para ensenar nociones sobre flotabilidad en un grupo de estudiantes de educacion primaria. Su objetivo es brindar a los alumnos elementos que les ayuden a desarrollar nociones sobre el proceso de flotacion, identificando algunas de las variables implicadas, como el volumen y la masa, a la par de promover el desarrollo de habilidades para el razonamiento cientifico, en este caso las que les permitan identificar y recolectar datos, elaborar predicciones, probar ideas, predicciones o explicaciones, identificar patrones y relaciones y sugerir posibles explicaciones. La secuencia, que forma parte de las actividades disenadas para el Programa Adopte un Talento (PAUTA), ha sido probada en 6 grupos de estudiantes y los resultados de la evaluacion se encuentran en proceso de analisis.
Radioprotective effects of DNA ligands Hoechst-33342 and 33258 in whole body irradiated mice.

Radioprotective effects of bisbenzimidole derived DNA ligands Hoechst-33342 (H-342) and Hoechst-33258 (H-258) have been investigated in whole body irradiated stain-A and Balb/c mice (Co-60 Gamma-ray, absorbed doses of 2.5 to 10 Gy delivered at dose rates of 0.01 to 0.50 Gy/min). Biodistribution of Hoechst dyes (2 or 5 mg/kg, body wt., i.v.) and their effects on cell cycle kinetics in bone marrow were studied by flow cytometry. Protection against radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations, micronuclei formation, alterations in DNA content dispersion, inhibition of erythropoiesis and animal lethality were investigated. Significant amount of DNA bound Hoechst could be observed in liver, intestine, kidney and brain for more than 14 days after its administration, while in the bone marrow cells, a reduction in the bound Hoechst was noticed after 7 days. H-342 significantly reduced the radiation-induced chromosome aberrations mainly due to a decrease in the frequency of acentrics (nearly 30%), while a marginal decrease (10%) in the dicentrics was observed at all the dose rates studied. Both H-342 and H-258 reduced the radiation-induced micronuclei formation in a dose dependent manner (2-10 mg/kg body wt.) and this protective effect was observed up to 6 days after the administration. Neither of the two compounds induced any cytogenetic damage in the bone marrow cells of unirradiated animals nor induced tumours at the doses used here (< 5 mg/kg, body wt. i.v.). Reduction in cytogenetic damage of bone marrow cells led to a faster recovery of erythropoesis as observed by increased PCE/NCE ratio in the peripheral blood erythrocytes of the animals which received Hoechst before irradiation. H-258 (5 mg/kg body wt.) given 18 hr before irradiation reduced radiation-induced animal death (5-9 Gy), while no significant effect was observed at higher doses (10 Gy). However, H-342, which has a higher cell permeability, even at a lower dose (2 mg/kg body wt.) showed significant protection at 10 Gy. The protective effects could be enhanced further, by combining these DNA binding agents with the glucose analogue, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) which has been shown earlier to protect bone marrow cells against radiation damage.
An interactive control strategy of charging and discharging electric vehicle

This article is proposing a new interactive control strategy of smart charging and discharging of electric vehicle based on existing interactive control strategy, which is firstly to meet the basic needs for charging, then control the real-time load curve and SOC of electric vehicle, and thus to utilize the process of charging and discharging to shift grid load to reduce the load fluctuation. The control strategy is in the form of centralized dispatching control. The distribution dispatching department make schedules for each charging station to reduce grid peak-valley load difference, each charging station optimize timing of charging and discharging according to dispatching instruction and customer's actual charging requirements.
Mechanisms of Helicases*

Helicase protein was first discovered in Escherichia coli in 1976 (1, 2). Since then RNA and DNA helicases with diverse functions have been found in all organisms. Helicases couple the chemical energy of NTP2 binding and hydrolysis to separate the complementary strands of double-stranded nucleic acids, remove nucleic acid-associated proteins, or catalyze homologous DNA recombination. Although helicases display these activities in isolation, most work efficiently as part of a larger protein complex. Interests in understanding helicase mechanisms stem not only from their importance in various cellular processes. Helicases also serve as a model system to understand NTPase-coupled motors. The helicase function is required for efficient and accurate replication, repair, and recombination of the genome. Similarly, helicase functions facilitate RNAmetabolic processes such as transcription, ribosome biogenesis, translation, RNA splicing, RNAediting, RNA transport, andRNAdegradation. The structure, function, and mechanisms of helicases have been widely discussed in the literature (3–16). Here, we focus on the strategies that helicases use to translocate and catalyze strand separation coupled to NTP binding and hydrolysis.
Develop Quad-Band (1.57/2.45/3.5/5.2 GHz) Bandpass Filters on the Ceramic Substrate

By the use of screen-printing technique, four kinds of basic structures (outer-frame, U-shaped resonator, modified end-coupled microstrip line, and defected ground structures) are combined to develop a miniature quad-band bandpass filter on a MgTa1.5Nb0. 5O6 microwave ceramic substrate. The operating frequencies are designed for the applications of the modern GPS (1.57 GHz), WiMAX (3.5 GHz) and WLAN (2.45/5.2 GHz) systems, and the design procedures are discussed in detail and both of the simulated and measured results are presented.
Too much pasta for pulsars to spin down

The lack of X-ray pulsars with spin periods > 12 s raises the question about where the population of evolved high magnetic field neutron stars has gone. Unlike canonical radio-pulsars, X-ray pulsars are not subject to physical limits to the emission mechanism nor observational biases against the detection of sources with longer periods. Here we show that a highly resistive layer in the innermost part of the crust of neutron stars naturally limits the spin period to a maximum value of about 10-20 s. This high resistivity is one of the expected properties of the nuclear pasta phase , a proposed state of matter having nucleons arranged in a variety of complex shapes. Our findings suggest that the maximum period of isolated X-ray pulsars can be the first observational evidence of the existence of such phase, which properties can be constrained by future X-ray timing missions combined with more detailed models.
Managing risk in normal volunteers participating in metabolic studies.

BACKGROUND Much emphasis has been placed on the risks volunteers face when participating in research studies, but little has been said about how to mitigate against such risks. METHODS We review our experiences in over 15 years of managing risk in metabolic studies and the results of an intervention study designed to reduce the risk of femoral artery and femoral vein catheterization. RESULTS Assessing the causes of adverse events and the context of a research study allowed us to design educational processes that reduced the incidence of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Although risk is inherent in any research study, approaching the risk issues in a manner designed to minimize the risk is possible. Ongoing efforts to further reduce risk in the context of research studies can benefit both the volunteers and the scientific community.
Analysis and design of dual-electrode CMUTs

Dual-electrode CMUTs are analyzed using analytical and finite element methods. The analysis results that show improved transmit and receive performance are verified by experiments. We conducted experiments to investigate the effect of side electrode biasing on both the magnitude and the frequency spectrum of the received signals. To show the potential of dual-electrode CMUT for imaging applications, pulse-echo experiments are done by applying dynamic biasing to the side electrodes. The dual electrode configuration eliminates the need for transmit- receive switching or protection circuitry, while significantly improving the CMUT performance. We also present a dual-electrode CMUT membrane design with slots between side and center electrodes which may increase the overall device performance by 10.7 dB.
Fast Real-Time Constrained Predictive Current Control in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine-Based Automotive Traction Drives

The current control in permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) drives is a challenging problem which has to deal with physical and real-time constraints. The goal of this paper is to provide a control solution that can deal effectively with these challenges. The objective is to adjust the stator voltages to obtain fast and monotonic transient current response while satisfying the existing constraints. To this end, using the PMSM model in the rotor coordinates, an explicit one-step ahead predictive control law which uses tools from Lyapunov theory is developed. First, a polytopic approximation of the quadratic constraints is used to reduce the complexity. Then, the optimization problem is reduced to a linear program. Furthermore, a piecewise affine explicit control law is obtained via multiparametric linear programming. As a consequence, the online computation of the control law is reduced to a point location problem yielding a fast control method suitable for real-time implementation. Second, the speed-dependent terms of the mathematical model are considered as disturbance. Then, a state and disturbance observer is designed using a quadratic Lyapunov function to guarantee asymptotic stability of the estimation error. Real-time results obtained in an industrial hardware-in-the-loop test-bench are reported and analyzed.
Model predictive control of three-phase four-leg neutral-point-clamped inverters

This paper presents a finite control set model predictive control strategy with a prediction horizon of one sample time to control the three-phase four-leg neutral-point-clamped (NPC) inverter with an output LC filter. The four-leg NPC converter is developed to deliver power to the unbalanced/nonlinear three-phase loads and it can produce three output voltages independently with one additional leg. The proposed predictive method uses the discrete model of the inverter and load to predict the future load and capacitor voltage behavior for each valid switching state of the converter. The control method chooses a state which generates minimum error between the output voltages and their references and as well as between the capacitor voltages. The feasibility of the proposed predictive control scheme is verified by computer simulations, showing a good performance and the capacity to compensate disturbances while maintaining balancing of the dc-link capacitor voltages.
Telomere‐mediated mitotic disturbances in immortalized ovarian epithelial cells reproduce chromosomal losses and breakpoints from ovarian carcinoma

Ovarian carcinomas (OCs) often exhibit highly complex cytogenetic changes. Abnormal chromosome segregation at mitosis is one potential mechanism for genomic rearrangements in tumors. In this study, OCs were demonstrated to have dysfunctional short telomeres, anaphase bridging, and multipolar mitoses with supernumerary centrosomes. When normal human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE) cells were transfected with human papilloma virus 16 e6/e7 genes and subsequently driven into telomere crisis, the same set of mitotic disturbances occurred in a distinct sequence, initiated by telomere dysfunction, followed by anaphase bridging, and then supernumerary centrosomes and multipolar mitoses. The anaphase bridges resolved either by kinetochore‐spindle detachment, corresponding to whole‐chromosome losses in the HOSE karyotypes, or by extensive fragmentation of intercentromeric DNA sequences, corresponding to a high frequency of pericentromeric rearrangements. At later passages, the high degree of instability at telomere crisis was moderated by telomerase expression and centrosome coalescence, ultimately leading to a level of mitotic instability that was highly similar to that in OC cell lines and to complex karyotypes that were similar to those observed in high‐grade OCs. This suggests that a significant proportion of the structural chromosome changes and genomic losses in OC are caused by a specific sequence of mitotic disturbances triggered by telomere crisis. That the model did not produce any of the whole‐chromosome gains observed in OC indicates that these changes develop through a different mechanism. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Scan‐stratified case‐control sampling for modeling blood–brain barrier integrity in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune‐mediated neurological disease that causes morbidity and disability. In patients with MS, the accumulation of lesions in the white matter of the brain is associated with disease progression and worse clinical outcomes. Breakdown of the blood–brain barrier in newer lesions is indicative of more active disease‐related processes and is a primary outcome considered in clinical trials of treatments for MS. Such abnormalities in active MS lesions are evaluated in vivo using contrast‐enhanced structural MRI, during which patients receive an intravenous infusion of a costly magnetic contrast agent. In some instances, the contrast agents can have toxic effects. Recently, local image regression techniques have been shown to have modest performance for assessing the integrity of the blood–brain barrier based on imaging without contrast agents. These models have centered on the problem of cross‐sectional classification in which patients are imaged at a single study visit and pre‐contrast images are used to predict post‐contrast imaging. In this paper, we extend these methods to incorporate historical imaging information, and we find the proposed model to exhibit improved performance. We further develop scan‐stratified case‐control sampling techniques that reduce the computational burden of local image regression models, while respecting the low proportion of the brain that exhibits abnormal vascular permeability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Angiotensin-(1–7) Antagonist A-779 Attenuates the Potentiation of Bradykinin by Captopril in Rats

Abstract: We evaluated the possibility that endogenous angiotensin-(1–7) [Ang-(1–7)] could participate in the potentiation of bradykinin (BK) by the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) captopril in conscious Wistar rats. Catheters were introduced into descending aorta (through the left carotid artery) for BK injection, femoral artery for arterial pressure measurement, and both femoral veins for BK injection and vehicle or Ang-(1–7) antagonist, A-779 infusion. Infusion of vehicle or A-779 started 40 to 45 minutes after captopril administration. Sequential BK dose-response curves were made before, 10 minutes after captopril, and within 10 minutes of infusion of vehicle or A-779. To evaluate angiotensin I conversion, dose-response curves for angiotensin I and angiotensin II were made following the same protocol used for BK. Captopril treatment markedly increased the BK hypotensive effect and significantly decreased angiotensin I conversion. Infusion of A-779 did not modify the angiotensin II pressor effect or the effect of captopril on angiotensin I conversion. However, A-779 significantly reduced the potentiating effect of captopril on the hypotensive effect of BK administered intravenously or intra-arterially. These results suggest that endogenous Ang-(1–7) and/ or an Ang-(1–7)–related peptide plays an important role in the BK potentiation by ACEI through a mechanism not dependent upon inhibition of ACE hydrolytic activity.
Global behavior of solutions of a reaction-diffusion equation with gradient absorption in unbounded domains

We study the equation ∂tu−Δu=up−μ |∇u|qur in a general domain (bounded or not). Many results have been established in the case r=0, and we will generalize some properties. If q≥1 and q+r≥p, we will show that there is a strong connection between the finiteness of the inradius of Ω (or the Poincare inequality) and the global existence of the solutions. More precisely if the inradius of Ω is finite, then the solutions u are global and if moreover μ is large enough, the solutions decay exponentially to zero. Conversely, if it is infinite, there always exists unbounded solution. Other qualitative results are also obtained.
Conjunctival and tear film changes after vitamin C and E administration in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND The purpose of our research was to investigate the effect of supplementation with vitamin C and E on ocular surface cytology specimens and related parameters in diabetic patients. MATERIAL/METHODS 60 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were given vitamin C (1000 mg/day) and vitamin E (400 IU/day) for 10 days. Conjunctival brush cytology specimens were obtained before and after treatment. Schirmer tests, break-up time and ocular ferning tests were also performed. RESULTS Goblet cell densities were 50 cells/per field before and 59 cells/per field after supplementation (p=0.002). The stage of squamous metaplasia was 1.12+/-0.42 before and 0.88+/-0.41 after supplementation (p=0.011). The changes were accompanied with improved values for the Schirmer test (p<0.001), break up time (p=0.001), and ocular ferning (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased oxidative stress. Our study suggests that supplementation with antioxidant vitamins C and E probably plays an important role in improving the ocular surface milieu.
Effects of allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, on renal injury in hypercholesterolemia‐induced hypertensive rats

To investigate if increased lipid peroxidation is involved in hypercholesterolemia‐induced hypertension and renal injury, we examined the effects of allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, on these conditions. Groups of male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed for 8 weeks with a high‐cholesterol diet (4% cholesterol), a high‐cholesterol plus allopurinol (10 mg/kgBW/day) diet or a normal diet. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), serum lipids, uric acid (UA) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as a measure of lipid peroxides, and urinary excretion of protein (UP) were measured after 0, 4 and 8 weeks. Urinary excretion of nitrite plus nitrate (UNOx) and iron (UFe), and MDA in the kidney were measured after 8 weeks. The renal injury was evaluated by the glomerular sclerosis score (SS). The high‐cholesterol diet increased SBP, serum total cholesterol and UA, MDA in the serum and kidney, UP, UNOx, UFe and SS. Allopurinol ameliorated cholesterol‐induced elevation in serum UA, MDA in the serum and kidney, UP, UNOx, UFe and SS, but did not affect SBP. Hence, our results suggest that lipid peroxidation may be involved in hypercholesterolemia‐induced renal injury, and that suppression of lipid peroxidation can reduce such injury.
A UPFC-based voltage compensator with current and voltage balancing function

In this paper, a control strategy for a three-phase UPFC-based voltage compensator with the function of current and voltage balancing is proposed. Line voltage variations and line current and voltage unbalance are compensated simultaneously by the proposed compensator. A method for detection of negative-sequence components of three-phase line currents is shown which is needed in performing unbalance compensation. Simulation analysis is carried out to show the dynamic performance and effectiveness of the compensator. Experimental results are included to show the validity of simulation analysis