Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INS/BDS integrated navigation filter algorithm based on Unscented Kalman Filter

The inertial navigation system (INS) can continuously provide position information, with high precision in short time, but the positioning error accumulates over time. The BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS) has long term stability, but susceptible to interference, data update frequency is low. INS and BDS constitute the integrated navigation system, it can learn from each other. In this paper, the INS / BDS tightly integrated navigation method is described, and the algorithm steps and characteristics of Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) are introduced in details. The mathematical model of the integrated navigation system was established, and the error equation of the integrated navigation system was deduced, the application of unscented Kalman filter in INS / BDS tightly integrated navigation was studied, and compared with Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) algorithm. The experimental results showed that UKF filter can provide higher filtering accuracy than EKF in INS / BDS tight combination.
[Vascular endothelial growth factor expression and microvessel density in stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer and their prognostic significances].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE TNM staging system is used widely to predict prognosis of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients, but patients with the same stage may have very different survivals; better prognostic index is needed. Angiogenesis is considered to be essential for tumor development, progression, and metastasis, but the prognostic impacts of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) in NSCLC is controversial. This study was to evaluate the prognostic value of VEGF and MVD in NSCLC. METHODS VEGF and MVD in 214 specimens of stageI-II NSCLC (20 in stage IA, 137 in stage IB, and 57 in stage IIB) were detected by tissue chip and SP immunohistochemistry. No patient underwent postoperative antitumor treatment. RESULTS VEGF expression didn't relate to gender, age, blood type, pathologic type, and TNM stage (P0.05). MVD correlated with age and pathologic type (P0.05), but did not relate to gender, blood type, and TNM stage (P0.05). The mean value of MVD was 65.8+/-5.2 in VEGF-low patients, and 67.5+/-2.5 in VEGF-high patients (P0.05). The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in MVD-high patients than in MVD-low patients (34.5% vs. 60.0%, P=0.013). Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that MVD (P=0.000) was an independent prognostic factor of NSCLC. CONCLUSION High MVD closely relates to poor prognosis of stageI-II NSCLC.
Dissociation between VO2max and ventilatory threshold responses to endurance training.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the ventilatory gas exchange threshold (Tvent) changes significantly during the first 1-3 weeks of endurance training. Six men were studied during 3 weeks of training, which consisted of pedaling on a cycle ergometer 6 d X wk 30 min per session at 70% of pretraining VO2max. At the end of each week, VO2max, Tvent, and maximal and submaximal heart rates were determined during an incremental exercise test on the cycle ergometer. Constant-load submaximal exercise blood lactate concentrations were determined during training sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week of training. Tvent did not change significantly during the 3 weeks of training (+ 0.091 X min-1; P greater than 0.05). In contrast, significant changes occurred in all other training indexes measured. VO2max increased by 0.36 1 X min-1 (P less than 0.05) after just 2 weeks of training and did not change further after 3 weeks. Significant reductions (40-45%; P less than 0.05) in blood lactate levels during training sessions occurred by the middle of the 2nd week of training. Decreases in maximal (approximately 11 bt X min-1) and submaximal (approximately 14 bt X min-1) exercise heart rates after 1 week of training were significant (P less than 0.05). The results demonstrate that changes in Tvent lag behind alterations in several other cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in response to endurance training. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Conditional deletion of beta-catenin reveals its role in liver growth and regeneration.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The Wnt/beta-catenin pathway plays a role in liver growth and development. To address this conclusively, we used a conditional knockout approach to delete beta-catenin in the liver. METHODS Floxed beta-catenin (exons 2-6) mice were intercrossed with Albumin-Cre recombinase transgenic mice; considerable beta-catenin deletion was evident 15 days after birth by Western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. RESULTS Although these mice were viable, there was a significant decrease in their liver weight/body weight ratio by 14% at 1 month and 28%-35% by 2-6 months of age, which was sustained throughout their normal life span. There was an accompanying decrease in basal hepatocyte proliferation showed by Ki-67 staining. Additional analysis revealed several known and novel genes to be down-regulated in these mice that play a role in normal liver homeostasis. When subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy, the Ctnnb1(loxp/loxp); Alb-Cre(+/-) mice were sick and lethargic, especially during the first 2-3 days only. These mice display a 2-fold decrease in the number of Ki-67- or PCNA-positive cells at the time of peak hepatocyte proliferation at 40 hours, which coincided with decreased cyclin A, D, and E expression. However, a rebound increase in hepatocyte proliferation was evident in the knockout mice at 3 days. Also, increased apoptosis was observed in the knockout livers during regeneration at all stages. CONCLUSIONS Thus, beta-catenin is essential for normal liver growth and development. Also, although regeneration is delayed in the absence of beta-catenin, it does occur suboptimally, showing its redundancy in the liver.
Clinicopathologic Correlates in Alzheimer Disease: Assessment of Clinical and Pathologic Diagnostic Criteria

The neuropathologic findings from a group of 123 patients who have come to autopsy from the Rochester Alzheimer Disease Project (RADP) are presented. Among these 123 cases, there were 94 demented subjects who met the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke–Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS–ADRDA) clinical criteria for the diagnosis of “probable Alzheimer disease,‘’ and 29 normal elderly controls. Autopsy confirmation of Alzheimer disease (AD) was based on the age-graded National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus conference pathologic criteria. Using the NINCDS–ADRDA clinical criteria and the NIH pathologic criteria, the diagnostic accuracy was 88%, the sensitivity was 98%, and the specificity was 69%. Additional strict clinical and pathologic criteria developed by the RADP were applied in the final review of these cases to exclude all confounding causes of dementia, including cerebral infarcts. After applying these additional criteria, a subset of 62 cases of “pure‘’ AD and “pure‘’ control subjects was identified for a more detailed examination of neuritic plaques (NP) and neurons containing neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). The NP and NFT were counted in three subfields of hippocampus and two areas of association neocortex. The density of diffuse plaques (plaques lacking dystrophic neurites) was estimated on a semi-quantitative basis. Results show that the AD patients and control groups could be distinguished from each other easily on the basis of mean NP and NFT counts, but there was sufficient overlap in the counts to present difficulty in diagnosing any individual case. Abundant diffuse plaque involvement and NFT in the neocortex were, however, seen only in AD cases.
Repeat Consumption of Media Goods: Examining Factors Affecting Repeat Theatrical Viewing of Movies

ABSTRACT This study explored the factors affecting repeat theatrical viewing of movies. Integrating content, social influence, and access/competition variables, the analysis reveals that the drivers of theatrical repeat viewing are different from those for box office performance. For example, the effects of genre, transmedia content, and audience review were significant only for the latter and factors such as movie length, critics’ review, and level of news coverage actually played a negative role in the repeat consumption.
An Acoustic Communication Technique of Nanorobot Swarms for Nanomedicine Applications

In this contribution, we present a communication paradigm among nanodevices, based on acoustic vibrations for medical applications. We consider a swarm of nanorobots able to communicate in a distributed and decentralized fashion, propelled in a biological environment (i.e., the human brain). Each nanorobot is intended to i) recognize a cancer cell, ii) destroy it, and then iii) forward information about the presence of cancer formation to other nanorobots, through acoustic signals. The choice of acoustic waves as communication mean is related to the application context, where it is not advisable either to use indiscriminate chemical substances or electromagnetic waves. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is assessed in terms of achievement of the objective (i.e., to destroy the majority of tumor cells), and the velocity of detection and destruction of cancer cells, through a comparison with other related techniques.
Isosorbide dinitrate in experimental portal hypertension: A study of factors that modulate the hemodynamic response

Isosorbide dinitrate, a long‐acting vasodilator, has been tested in human portal hypertension with conflictingresults. In order to determine some of the factors that could affect the individual response to this drug, we infused isosorbide dinitrate at a low dose (10 to 25 μg per kg per min) and a high dose (100 μg per kg per min) to rats with portal vein stenosis. Under pentobarbital anesthesia, portal pressure was measured with an ileocolic vein catheter while cardiac output and regional blood flows were measured with the microsphere technique. At a dose that decreased arterial pressure by approximately 10%, cardiac output remained unchanged while portal vein inflow decreased significantly; portal pressure was not reduced (10.7 ± 0.2 vs. 10.0 ± 0.3 mm Hg), indicating a rise in portal vascular resistance. At a high dose of isosorbide dinitrate, arterial pressure and cardiac output fell markedly; portal pressure decreased only modestly (11.3 ± 0.3 vs. 9.8 ± 0.6 mm Hg, p < 0.05), but portal flow was unchanged, indicating a reduction in portal vascular resistance. In addition, portal hypertensive rats received a constant i.v. infusion of N‐acetyl‐cysteine the combination of the latter and isosorbide dinitrate markedly potentiated the effects on arterial pressure. Thus, the dose of the drug and the presence of cysteine‐containing compounds appear to modulate the hemodynamic response to isosorbide dinitrate. Clinical testing with this drug should be undertaken with consideration of these factors.
High-Volume Hemofiltration in Children With Acute Liver Failure*

Objectives: High-volume hemofiltration has shown beneficial effects in severe sepsis and multiple organ failure, improving hemodynamics and fluid balance. Recent studies suggest that acute liver failure shares many pathophysiologic similarities with sepsis. Therefore, we assessed the systemic effects of high-volume hemofiltration in children with acute liver failure. Design: Retrospective observational cohort study. Patients: Twenty-two children. Setting: Forty-two-bed multidisciplinary pediatric and neonatal ICUs in a tertiary university hospital. Intervention: We evaluated high-volume hemofiltration therapy as part of standard management of 22 children admitted in our unit for acute liver failure. Fifteen patients had fulminant hepatic failure, three had acute-on-chronic liver disease, and four had primary nonfunction. High-volume hemofiltration was initiated in patients requiring emergency liver transplantation and when hepatic encephalopathy grade higher than 2 and/or hemodynamic instability requiring vasopressors occurred. High-volume hemofiltration was defined by a flow of ultrafiltrate of more than 80 mL/kg/hr. Clinical and biological variables were assessed before and 24 and 48 hours after initiation of high-volume hemofiltration therapy. Measurements and Main Results: High-volume hemofiltration was initiated with a median grade III of hepatic encephalopathy. The median flow of ultrafiltrate was 119 mL/kg/hr (range, 80–384). After 24 hours of high-volume hemofiltration treatment, we observed an increase in mean arterial pressure (p = 0.0002) and a decrease in serum creatinine (p = 0.0002). In half of the patients, the encephalopathy grade decreased. After 48 hours of treatment, mean arterial pressure (p = 0.0005), grade of hepatic encephalopathy (p = 0.04), and serum creatinine (p = 0.0002) improved. Overall mortality was 45.4% (n = 10). Emergency liver transplantation was performed in eight children. Five patients spontaneously recovered liver function. Conclusions: High-volume hemofiltration therapy significantly improves hemodynamic stability and neurological status in children with acute liver failure awaiting for emergency liver transplantation.
Nitric oxide mediated effect of cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors.

OBJECTIVES Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) have long been used as anti-inflammatory agents, yet their mode of action is not entirely clear. The inhibitory effects of NSAIDS on prostaglandin production can only partly explain their anti-inflammatory actions. This study was aimed at defining the role of cycl-oxygenase (COX) inhibitors on nitric oxide (NO) production in murine macrophages in vitro. METHODS Murine macrophages were obtained from the peritoneum and after exposure, in vitro to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produced nitrite, measured after 24 hours by Griess reaction. The macrophages were pre-incubated with aspirin or indomethacin before activation with LPS. RESULTS Treatment with aspirin resulted in an increase in nitric oxide production. A similar response was obtained with indomethacin treatment. CONCLUSION This study shows that COX inhibitors significantly increase NO production in murine macrophages in vitro and this may be one of the mechanisms by which they exert their anti-inflammatory effects.
Relationship of chondrocyte apoptosis to matrix degradation and swelling potential of osteoarthritic cartilage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Softening of cartilage is the initial degenerative step of osteoarthritic cartilage by matrix degradation and corruption of interconnection of the collagen fibrillar network. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of chondrocyte apoptosis, matrix degradation, and the corruption of collagen architecture in the development of severe swelling of osteoarthritic cartilage. METHODS Twenty osteoarthritic and 7 normal femoral neck fractured cartilage samples were obtained from patients with knee osteoarthritis and normal patients with femoral neck fracture at the time of total hip joint replacement surgery. Apoptosis was verified by TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine 5-triphosphate nick end-labeling) staining and structural changes were observed under phase-contrast microscopy. Matrix degradation was evaluated by histochemical analysis of proteoglycans. Swelling tests were performed by immersing the cartilage slices in hypotonic solution. The results of ultrastructural study of collagen architecture of osteoarthritic cartilage performed by scanning electron microscopy before and after swelling were compared. RESULTS Matrix degradation was most prominent in the middle zone of osteoarthritic cartilage. The percentage of chondrocytes in osteoarthritic cartilage showing apoptosis ranged from 15 to 20% (average, 18%; standard deviation (SD) = 3.2%) and was correlated with the extent of structural changes and matrix degradation. The swelling strain of the osteoarthritic cartilage varied from 120 to 200% (average, 160%; SD = 40%) depending on the degree of matrix degradation and structural changes. The loss of interconnectivity of collagen fibrillar architecture was correlated with the increased swelling potential of osteoarthritic cartilage. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that chondrocyte apoptosis was correlated with matrix degradation and the corruption of fibrillar architecture and that the extent of these manifestations correlated with the swelling potential of osteoarthritic cartilage. These findings also emphasize the importance of the fibrillar architecture in maintaining the mechanical properties of cartilage.
Lamina cribrosa thickness and spatial relationships between intraocular space and cerebrospinal fluid space in highly myopic eyes.

PURPOSE To evaluate the spatial relationships of the intraocular space, the cerebrospinal fluid space, and the lamina cribrosa in highly myopic eyes. METHODS The study included 36 human globes with an axial length of more than 26.5 mm that showed marked glaucomatous optic nerve damage (n = 29; highly myopic glaucomatous group) or in which the optic nerve was affected by neither glaucoma nor any other disease (n = 7; highly myopic normal group). Two non-highly myopic control groups included 53 globes enucleated because of malignant choroidal melanoma (n = 42; non-highly myopic normal group) or because of painful absolute secondary angle-closure glaucoma (n = 11; non-highly myopic glaucomatous group). Anterior-posterior histologic sections through the pupil and the optic disc were morphometrically evaluated. RESULTS In both highly myopic groups compared with both non-highly myopic groups and in the highly myopic glaucomatous group compared with the highly myopic normal group, the lamina cribrosa was significantly (P < 0.001) thinner. Correspondingly, the distance between the intraocular space and the cerebrospinal fluid space was significantly (P < 0.05) shorter in the highly myopic normal group than in the non-highly myopic normal group and in the highly myopic glaucomatous group than in the highly myopic normal group. CONCLUSIONS In highly myopic eyes, the lamina cribrosa is significantly thinner than in non-highly myopic eyes, which decreases the distance between the intraocular space and the cerebrospinal fluid space and steepens the translaminar pressure gradient at a given intraocular pressure, which may explain the increased susceptibility to glaucoma in highly myopic eyes. As in non-highly myopic eyes, thinning of the lamina cribrosa gets more pronounced in highly myopic eyes if glaucoma is also present.
Mercury, fish oils, and the risk of myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that mercury, a highly reactive heavy metal with no known physiologic activity, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Because fish intake is a major source of exposure to mercury, the mercury content of fish may counteract the beneficial effects of its n-3 fatty acids. METHODS In a case-control study conducted in eight European countries and Israel, we evaluated the joint association of mercury levels in toenail clippings and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3, or DHA) levels in adipose tissue with the risk of a first myocardial infarction among men. The patients were 684 men with a first diagnosis of myocardial infarction. The controls were 724 men selected to be representative of the same populations. RESULTS The average toenail mercury level in controls was 0.25 microg per gram. After adjustment for the DHA level and coronary risk factors, the mercury levels in the patients were 15 percent higher than those in controls (95 percent confidence interval, 5 to 25 percent). The risk-factor-adjusted odds ratio for myocardial infarction associated with the highest as compared with the lowest quintile of mercury was 2.16 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.09 to 4.29; P for trend=0.006). After adjustment for the mercury level, the DHA level was inversely associated with the risk of myocardial infarction (odds ratio for the highest vs. the lowest quintile, 0.59; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.30 to 1.19; P for trend=0.02). CONCLUSIONS The toenail mercury level was directly associated with the risk of myocardial infarction, and the adipose-tissue DHA level was inversely associated with the risk. High mercury content may diminish the cardioprotective effect of fish intake.
Contribution of foods to trans unsaturated fatty acid intake in a group of Irish adults.

OBJECTIVE To assess fat intake with particular focus on trans unsaturated fatty acid (TUFA) intake and the major sources of TUFA among Irish individuals using a Fat Intake Questionnaire (FIQ), designed specifically for an Irish context. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A total of 105 healthy volunteers (43 females, 62 males; aged 23-63 years) were recruited from Dublin Airport Medical centre, Republic of Ireland. Dietary intake was assessed using an 88 food item/food group semi-quantitative FIQ, which was developed and validated for the Irish population. RESULTS Mean energy intake was 10.6 MJ day(-1), and 34% was provided by fat. Saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, trans unsaturated fatty acids and linoleic acid contributed 13%, 10%, 6%, 2% and 5% of energy respectively. Mean TUFA intake was 5.4 g day(-1) (range 0.3-26). Margarine spreads provided the majority of TUFAs (1.93 g day(-1)), but the contribution was significantly greater for men compared with women (2.35 g day(-1) versus 1.33 g day(-1); P = 0.024). Milk and meat also contributed more to TUFA intake for men compared with women, but confectionery was a significantly greater contributor for women (8.6% versus 3.1% respectively, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Although the mean TUFA intake of the total group was 5.4 g day(-1) and was within current dietary recommendations (2% energy intake), some individuals had intakes as high as 26 g day(-1). Public health efforts are therefore required to reduce TUFA intake in those individuals with high intakes.
Enabling Technology for Smart City Transportation in Developing Countries

Traffic in the major cities of developing countries such as the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh cities is chaotic because multiple transport modes such as cars, buses, motorbikes, and bicycles share the same road lanes together with narrow road infrastructure. In addition, traffic is poorly managed due to lack of efficient traffic-management system. These problems have accumulated with the increase in mobility demand because of rising urban population. The objectives of this study are to propose a solution to mitigate traffic-congestion problem, to provide better driving and commuting experience to commuters, and to assist in the implementation of efficient transportation-management system in the Hanoi city. This paper presents data-monitoring and analysis tools to enable smart mobility capability, adaptive traffic signaling that is the scheduling of traffic light timing based on road capacity and congestion indicator. We propose three congestion indicators: stop count, velocity, and travel-time variation, which represent the state of congestion at individual road segment.