Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Failure of activation of spinal motoneurones after muscle fatigue in healthy subjects studied by transcranial magnetic stimulation

During a sustained maximal effort a progressive decline in the ability to drive motoneurones (MNs) develops. We used the recently developed triple stimulation technique (TST) to study corticospinal conduction after fatiguing exercise in healthy subjects. This method employs a collision technique to estimate the proportion of motor units activated by a transcranial magnetic stimulus. Following a sustained contraction of the abductor digiti minimi muscle at 50 % maximal force maintained to exhaustion there was an immediate reduction of the TST response from >95% to about 60%. This effect recovered to control levels within 1 min and implies that a decreased number of spinal MNs were excited. Additional TST experiments after maximal and submaximal efforts showed that the decrease in size of the TST response was related to duration and strength of exercise. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) after conventional transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and responses to peripheral nerve stimulation were recorded following the same fatigue protocol. The size of both the MEPs and the peripheral responses increased after the contraction and were in direct contrast to the decrease in size of the TST response. This points to increased probability of repetitive spinal MN activation during fatigue even if some MNs in the pool failed to discharge. Silent period duration following cortical stimulation lengthened by an average of 55 ms after the contraction and recovered within a time course similar to that of the TST response depression. Overall, the results suggest that the outflow from the motor cortex could become insufficient to drive all spinal MNs to discharge when the muscle is fatigued and that complex interactions between failure of activation and compensatory mechanisms to maintain motor unit activation occur during sustained voluntary activity. When inability to maintain force occurs during submaximal effort, failure of activation of motor units is predominant.
Formation of pollen apertures in Arabidopsis requires an interplay between male meiosis, development of INP1-decorated plasma membrane domains, and the callose wall

ABSTRACT In most plant species, surfaces of pollen grains display characteristic patterns of apertures, formed by the gaps in the pollen wall exine. The aperture patterns are species-specific and tend to be very precise, with pollen of each species usually developing a certain number of apertures placed at distinct positions and acquiring specific morphology. The precision with which pollen apertures are produced suggests that developing pollen grains possess robust mechanisms that allow them to specify particular membrane domains as the future-aperture sites and to protect these sites from exine deposition. Recently, we demonstrated that formation of apertures in Arabidopsis depends on certain membrane domains attracting a novel protein, INP1, that assembles into punctate lines and helps to anchor these membrane domains to the overlying callose wall. Here we show that in the absence of male meiosis the ability of INP1 to assemble into lines at the pollen surface is compromised. However, INP1 still arrives to the pollen surface and mediates the interactions between the plasma membrane and the callose wall, potentially contributing to the formation of grossly abnormal patterns on pollen surface.
Static and Dynamic Methods for Emotion Recognition from Physiological Signals

In this thesis, static and dynamic methods for emotion recognition from physiological signals are investigated. In the first part, we compare feature selection methods on an artificial dataset and evaluate their capabilities to detect interacting features. Further, a systematic analysis of feature extraction and selection from EEG signals is carried out. The second part concerns itself with the development of a novel dynamic approach which allows the combination of theoretical knowledge with data-driven experimental procedures.
Fertility of Holstein Cows in Chengdu, China**

Data on the use of breeding records of dairy cattle farm of Fenghuang-shan in Chengdu areas during a period of six years is systematically analyzed. The results show that Holstein heifers have their 1st estrus at an average age of 513.6±46.7 d which is not related to the calving season. Estrus mostly occurs in the months with mild ambient temperature (March, April, May, November and December). There is a very poor rate of estrus detection; only 30.0% successive estrus is observed within 24 d, 29.3% within 25-48 d, 40.6% over 48 d. The average number of insemination per conception is 1.50 for heifers and 1.74 for cows, but conception rate (CR) is lower in the relatively warm months (July, August and September) ranged from 48.1% to 51.9% compared with 58.1% to 68.5% in other months. High temperature is the most important factor affecting fertilization in warm months, but neither did CR decline immediately with the increased air temperature in June, nor did it increase immediately with the declined air temperature in September. Post partum anestrous period is 119.5±60.5 d. The average interval from calving to conception is 159.4±85.6 d with only 19.8% of the cows conceived within 85 d of calving. Cows with high milk yield have longer acyclic periods and lower conception rates. Improvement of efficient managements must be a precedent condition in Chengdu areas. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 2 : 185-188)
Telenursing: Bioinformation Cornerstone in Healthcare for the 21st Century

Bioinformation is at the very core of 21st-century healthcare. Telehealth consists of the range of healthcare-related services delivered through bioinformation-aided telecommunications across health-related disciplines, including nursing. Whereas it is clear that bedside patient-centered nursing can never be replaced, recent developments in bioinformation-aided telenursing will undoubtedly contribute to improving healthcare effectiveness and efficacy. Current trends show that as telenursing becomes increasingly timely and critical, healthcare professionals adopt new and improved evidence-based practices as a standard for patient care worldwide.
Small-Signal Stability Analysis of a DFIG-Based Wind Power System Under Different Modes of Operation

This paper focuses on the super/subsynchronous operation of the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) system. The impact of a damping controller on the different modes of operation for the DFIG-based wind generation system is investigated. The coordinated tuning of the damping controller to enhance the damping of the oscillatory modes using bacteria foraging technique is presented. The results from eigenvalue analysis are presented to elucidate the effectiveness of the tuned damping controller in the DFIG system. The robustness issue of the damping controller is also investigated.
Coalescence and breakup of large droplets in turbulent channel flow

Coalescence and breakup of large deformable droplets dispersed in a wall-bounded turbulent flow are investigated. Droplets much larger than the Kolmogorov length scale and characterized by a broad range of surface tension values are considered. The turbulent field is a channel flow computed with pseudo-spectral direct numerical simulations, while phase interactions are described with a phase field model. Within this physically consistent framework, the motion of the interfaces, the capillary effects, and the complex topological changes experienced by the droplets are simulated in detail. An oil-water emulsion is mimicked: the fluids are considered of same density and viscosity for a range of plausible values of surface tension, resulting in a simplified system that sets a benchmark for further analysis. In the present conditions, the Weber number (We), that is, the ratio between inertia and surface tension, is a primary factor for determining the droplets coalescence rate and the occurrence of breakups. Depending on the value of We, two different regimes are observed: when We is smaller than a threshold value (We 1), a permanent dynamic equilibrium between coalescence and breakup events is established.
Interaction with Decay-Accelerating Factor Facilitates Coxsackievirus B Infection of Polarized Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT All coxsackie B (CB) viruses can initiate infection by attaching to the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR). Although some CB isolates also bind to decay-accelerating factor (DAF), the role of DAF interaction during infection remains uncertain. We recently observed that CAR in polarized epithelial cells is concentrated at tight junctions, where it is relatively inaccessible to virus. In the experiments reported here we found that, unlike CAR, DAF was present on the apical surface of polarized cells and that DAF-binding isolates of CB3 and CB5 infected polarized epithelial cells more efficiently than did isolates incapable of attaching to DAF. Virus attachment and subsequent infection of polarized cells by DAF-binding isolates were prevented in the presence of anti-DAF antibody. Serial passage on polarized cell monolayers selected for DAF-binding virus variants. Taken together, these results indicate that interaction with DAF on the apical surface of polarized epithelial cells facilitates infection by a subset of CB virus isolates. The results suggest a possible role for DAF in infection of epithelial cells at mucosal surfaces.
Primary treatment for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in Alberta, Canada: A population‐based study

The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)‐related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is increasing and has better survival than non‐HPV related oropharyngeal SCC. This study compared surgical to nonsurgical treatments and demographic, clinical, and survival differences in patients with oropharyngeal SCC, stratified by p16 status.
Concept study for fully integrated and photovoltaic inverter

This paper presents a concept study on the monolithic integration of module-integrated converters for the application in grid-connected photovoltaic modules with output powers smaller than 10kW. Therefore three possible models on the basis of the actual grid requirements are developed and their characteristics are compared. These concepts use a boost converter on submodule level to improve the performance in mismatch situations. The boost converter is optimised considering different DC link voltages, areas and submodule numbers. An efficiency of 95.1% is achieved with four submodules and area requirements of 12mm2. In a comparison of the energy output under partial shading of all three concepts, it can be shown that a small number of submodules is advantageous for the energy output. It is shown that a solution with submodule converters and a module-integrated inverter has benefits for cost-effective integration and newer application scenarios.
Simulation of acoustic wave devices using Matlab

A review of the principles and applications of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices is given. An implementation of a design method for SAW devices using MATLAB is described. Results of a comparison between the proposed simulation technique and experimental test results are presented. Streszczenie. Przedstawiono zasade dzialania i wykorzystanie urządzen typu SAW (urządzenia z akustyczną fala powierzchniową). Zaproponowano metody projektowania murządzen z wykorzystaniem platformy MATLAB. (Symulacja pracy urządzen SAW z wykorzystaniem programu Matlab)
Leaders, followers, and group decision-making

Social animals have to make a multitude of group decisions on a daily basis. At the most basic level, this will involve coordination of activities and travel directions. In groups of insects, birds, and fish, much of this ‘coordination’ can be the result of relatively simple interaction patterns among group members. Systems are self-organizing, and often do not require specific leaders, or followers. However, in more socially complex groups, achieving collective group action – a consensus – may not be accomplished by simple rules alone. Instead, a consensus may be reached by averaging of preferences (democracy), or by following the choices of specific leaders (despotism). In this mini-review, we discuss the conditions necessary for despotism in animal groups, and focus upon new studies investigating coordinated actions in primates. We ask how specific leaders arise and why others follow them – providing new insight into the mechanisms of effective leadership in groups characterised by strong social relationships.
Application of Business Intelligence in the Banking Industry

A highly dynamic market, changing client demands, fierce competition, the necessity of strict control and risk management are only some of the characteristics of the business environment where modern banks conduct their operations. Better management and better decision-making process make the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful on the market with these characteristics. Business intelligence solutions for banks should provide the decision makers from all business segments of a bank with the ability to manage and exploit information resources, in order to solve the problems and make timely and high-quality decisions. Business intelligence systems in banks must be comprehensive and yet simple for the end user. Business intelligence covers many areas of the bank, and among the most important are: Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Performance Management (PM), Risk Management (RM), Asset and Liability Management (ALM), and Compliance. Data warehouse and online analytical processes (OLAP) form the informational basis for the application of business intelligence. Data mining and knowledge retrieval are also important segments of business intelligence and deal with complex statistical analysis, discovering „hidden’’ relationships between data and forecasting the behaviour trends of business systems.
Effects of regulation, competition, and ownership on mortality rates among hospital inpatients.

Abstract We examined the influence of the regulation of hospital rates, state certificate-of-need programs, competition, and hospital ownership on mortality rates among inpatients receiving care under Medicare for 16 selected clinical conditions that were studied as a group. Data were obtained from the records of 214,839 patients who received care in 981 hospitals in 45 states from July 1, 1983, through June 30, 1984. We found significant associations between higher mortality rates among inpatients and the stringency of state programs to review hospital rates (P≤0.05), the stringency of certificate-of-need legislation (P≤0.01), and the intensity of competition in the marketplace, as measured by enrollment in health maintenance organizations (P≤0.05). Hospitals in the states with the most stringent review procedures for hospital rates had ratios of actual to predicted death rates that were 6 to 10 percent higher than those of hospitals in states with less stringent rate-review programs (P≤0.001). Hospitals.
Architectural Evolution of Integrated M-Phase High-Q Bandpass Filters

-phase bandpass filters (BPFs) are analyzed, and variations of the structure are proposed. For values of that are integer multiples of 4, the conventional -phase BPF structure is modified to take complex baseband impedances and frequency-translate their complex impedance response to the local oscillator frequency. Also, it is demonstrated how the -phase BPF can be modified to implement a high quality factor (Q) image-rejection BPF with quadrature RF inputs. In addition, we present high-Q BPFs whose center frequencies are equal to the sum or difference of the RF and IF (intermediate frequency) clocks. Such filters can be useful in heterodyne receiver architectures.
The Polypyrimidine Tract-binding Protein Is Required for Efficient Dengue Virus Propagation and Associates with the Viral Replication Machinery*

The polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB) functions primarily as an IRES trans-acting factor in the propagation of hepatitis C virus and picornaviruses. PTB interacts with secondary structures within the 3′- and 5′-untranslated regions of these viral genomes to mediate efficient IRES-mediated viral translation. PTB has also been reported to bind to the untranslated region of the single-stranded RNA dengue virus (DENV), suggesting a similar function for PTB in flaviviruses. Indeed small interfering RNA-mediated PTB knockdown inhibited the production of infectious DENV, and this inhibition was specific to PTB knockdown and not due to a nonspecific anti-viral state. In fact, PTB depletion did not inhibit the production infectious yellow fever virus, another flavivirus. Nevertheless, whereas PTB knockdown led to a significant decrease in the accumulation of DENV viral RNAs, it did not impair translation. Moreover, PTB was shown to interact with the DENV nonstructural 4A protein, a known component of the viral replication complex, and with the DENV genome during infection. These data suggest that PTB interacts with the replication complex of DENV and is acting at the level of viral RNA replication.
Improving the quality of software by refactoring

Software code management has become another key skill required by software architects and software developers. Size of software increases with increase in count of features in software. Code refactoring is process of reducing code maintenance cost. It is achieved by many different techniques like extract, move methods, fields or classes in code. In this research we focused on improving the maintainability of the code by looking into the different refactoring techniques and improving upon them. We proposed an algorithm to improve the refactoring process which results in higher maintainability. To look into the validity of our proposed algorithm, we have used Junit and reffinder to analyse the code and generate the result metrics. We have observed the effectiveness of our work by comparing the different code maintainability indexes generated by the tool. In our research we have examined four releases of the software project for code refactoring and maintainability. Adding some extra features and using enhanced refactoring techniques measuring the code metrics and comparing the results of current releases with the previous releases.
The macrosomic fetus: a challenge in current obstetrics

Background. There has been a rise in the prevalence of large newborns over a few decades in many parts of the world. There is ample evidence that fetal macrosomia is associated with increased risk of complications both for the mother and the newborn. In current obstetrics, the macrosomic fetus represents a frequent clinical challenge. Evidence is emerging that being born macrosomic is also associated with future health risks. Objective. To provide a review of causes and risks, prevention, prediction and clinical management of suspected large fetus/fetal macrosomia, primarily aimed at clinical obstetricians. Methods. Medline and EMBASE were searched between 1980 and 2007 by combining either ‘fetal macrosomia’ or ‘large for gestational age’ with other relevant terms. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was searched for the term ‘fetal macrosomia’. Results and conclusions. Although the causes of high birthweight include both genetic and environmental factors, the rapid increase in the prevalence of large newborns has environmental causes. The evidence is extensive that maternal overweight and associated metabolic changes, including type 2 and gestational diabetes, play a central role. There is a paucity of studies of the effect of intervention before and/or during pregnancy on the risk of having an ‘overweight newborn’. It appears rational, however, that preventive measures should primarily be implemented before pregnancy and should include guidance about nutrition and physical activity in order to reduce the prevalence of overweight. In pregnancy, limited weight gain, especially in obese women, seems to reduce the risk of macrosomia, as do good control of plasma glucose among those with diabetes. Prediction of fetal macrosomia remains an inaccurate task even with modern ultrasound equipment. There is little evidence that routine elective delivery (induction or caesarean section) for the mere reason of suspected macrosomia should be employed in a general population. Vaginal delivery of a macrosomic fetus requires considered attention by an experienced obstetrician and preparedness for operative delivery, shoulder dystocia and newborn asphyxia.
111In oxine labelled mesenchymal stem cell SPECT after intravenous administration in myocardial infarction

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown therapeutic potential if successfully delivered to the intended site of myocardial infarction. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of 111In oxine labelling of MSCs and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging after intravenous administration in a porcine model of myocardial infarction. Adult farm pigs (n = 2) were subjected to closed chest experimental myocardial infarction. 111In oxine labelled MSCs (1×107 to 2×107 cells) were infused intravenously, and SPECT imaging was performed initially and on days 1, 2, 7 and 14. High quality SPECT images were obtained through 2 weeks of imaging. High initial MSC localization occurred in the lungs and slow progressive accumulation occurred in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. Renal activity was mild and persistent throughout imaging. No appreciable accumulation occurred in the myocardium. It is concluded that 111In oxine radiolabelling of MSCs is feasible, and in vivo imaging with SPECT provides a non-invasive method for sequentially monitoring cell trafficking with good spatial resolution. Because intravenous administration of MSCs results in significant lung activity that obscures the assessment of myocardial cell trafficking, alternative routes of administration should be investigated for this application.
Vulnerability analysis on Mobile VoIP supplementary services and MITM attack

Mobile VoIP(mVoIP) is to provide Voice based telephony service using wired/wireless network on Smartphone. We can use several kinds of mVoIP services on smartphone such as the Supplementary Service registration / release process, coloring, call forwarding, absence guide, three-way calling, and simultaneous receipt. But the smartphone based mVoIP services are vulnerable to security threat because SIP protocol used on mVoIP phones can be easily tampered sending or receiving packets and therefore we can find several problems on sender authentication process. Therefore, we analysis the vulnerability of existing mVoIP based telephony services on smartphone and propose a possible attack on existing mVoIP services.