Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Proxies to assess Quality of Life: A Review of the Issues and Challenges

If you believe this document infringes copyright then please contact the KAR admin team with the take-down information provided at http://kar.kent. ac.uk/contact.html Citation for published version Rand, S.E. and Caiels, James (2015) Using Proxies to assess Quality of Life: A Review of the Issues and Challenges. Discussion paper. Quality and Outcomes of person-centred care policy Research Unit (QORU), University of Kent
Upper Limits on the 21 cm Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum from One Night with LOFAR

We present the first limits on the Epoch of Reionization 21 cm H i power spectra, in the redshift range z = 7.9–10.6, using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) High-Band Antenna (HBA). In total, 13.0 hr of data were used from observations centered on the North Celestial Pole. After subtraction of the sky model and the noise bias, we detect a non-zero (1-σ) excess variance and a best 2-σ upper limit of at k = 0.053 h cMpc−1 in the range z = 9.6–10.6. The excess variance decreases when optimizing the smoothness of the direction- and frequency-dependent gain calibration, and with increasing the completeness of the sky model. It is likely caused by (i) residual side-lobe noise on calibration baselines, (ii) leverage due to nonlinear effects, (iii) noise and ionosphere-induced gain errors, or a combination thereof. Further analyses of the excess variance will be discussed in forthcoming publications.
The effects of protein-bound methionine and lysine on the growth rate , feed utilization and digestibility for African catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ) fingerlings

Article history: Received 31 December 2016 Received in revised form 13 January 2017 Accepted 17 January 2017 Available online 31 January 2017 This paper reports the effects of protein-bound methionine and lysine on the growth rate, feed utilization and digestibility of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fingerlings. Three types of diets (LyMet A, LyMet B and LyMet C) were formulated by using locally available feed ingredients; earthworm powder, fish meal, soybean wastes, Leucaena leucocephala leaves, and rice bran. Each of the diets was analyzed for their limiting amino acids, protein-bound methionine and lysine. The commercial fish feeds act as a control diet. LyMet A with combination of 25.00 g, 20.00 g, 25.00 g, 10.00 g and 14.00 g of earthworm powder, fish meal, soybean wastes, Leucaena leucocephala leaves and rice bran respectively, gave the highest protein-bound methionine and lysine composition (2.06 and 8.11 % of amino acids in dietary protein respectively) among all diets. Feeding trial was conducted for 12 weeks to determine the utilization of formulated fish feeds towards African catfish fingerlings. The fingerlings, with a mean initial weight of 3.10±0.10 g were fed twice a day at 5 % of their body weight. LyMet A showed the highest weight gain (1676.18±13.60 %), specific growth rate (3.20±0.01 %/day) and methionine and lysine digestibility (92.33±0.11 and 96.39±0.01%, respectively). The results indicate that LyMet A has an adequate amount of limiting amino acids (methionine and lysine) to fulfill African catfish fingerling diets without supplementation of synthetic amino acids.
Learning robotic manipulation from user demonstrations 2017

Personal robots that help disabled or elderly people in their activities of daily living need to be able to autonomously perform complex manipulation tasks. Traditional approaches to this problem employ task-specific controllers. However, these must to be designed by expert programmers, are focused on a single task, and will perform the task as programmed, not according to the preferences of the user. In this dissertation, we investigate methods that enable an assistive robot to learn to execute tasks as demonstrated by the user. First, we describe a learning from demonstration (LfD) method that learns assistive tasks that need to be adapted to the position and orientation of the user’s head. Then we discuss a recurrent neural network controller that learns to generate movement trajectories for the end-effector of the robot arm to accomplish a task. The input to this controller is the pose of related objects and the current pose of the end-effector itself. Next, we discuss how to extract user preferences from the demonstration using reinforcement learning. Finally, we extend this controller to one that learns to observe images of the environment and generate joint movements for the robot to accomplish a desired task. We discuss several techniques that improve the performance of the controller and reduce the number of required demonstrations. One of this is multi-task learning: learning multiple tasks simultaneously with the same neural network. Another technique is to make the controller output one joint at a time-step, therefore to condition the prediction of each joint on the previous joints. We evaluate these controllers on a set of manipulation tasks and show that they can learn complex tasks, overcome failure, and attempt a task several times until they succeed.
Ex-regular users of public transport: their reasons for leaving and returning

This paper describes the characteristics of former regular users of public transport in the metropolitan area of Lisbon. It also examines why these people stopped using public transport and explores what would make them become regular users again. The empirical results revealed significant socio-demographic differences between current and ex-regular users, namely in relation to gender and social level. Differences were also found in travel characteristics, car ownership, and satisfaction with the transit service. The main reasons given by ex-regular users for no longer using public transport included changes in their lives (e.g., change in workplace/residence/ school or becoming unemployed) and the availability of alternative transport (e.g., company car). Although the likelihood of becoming a regular user again was very low (27%), the strongest potential motive for doing so was a change in workplace/residence/school. Based on the study’s empirical results, managerial implications for the public transport service are addressed in the conclusion.
A Comparison of Wireless Channel Predictors: Artificial Intelligence Versus Kalman Filter

Accurate channel state information (CSI) is a prerequisite to reap the benefits of fading-adaptive wireless communications. In practice, however, the available CSI is generally outdated due to processing and feedback delays, which deteriorate system's performance severely. Channel prediction that is able to forecast future CSI provides a promising solution. In addition to statistical methods, namely modelling a time-varying channel as an autoregressive process and using a Kalman filter to predict, artificial intelligence techniques with the capability of time-series prediction are also being discussed recently. This paper compares performance and complexity of these two kinds of predictors. The numerical results on prediction accuracy measured by mean squared error in both noiseless and noisy Rayleigh fading channels, together with their achieved performance in a transmit antenna selection system, are comparatively illustrated.
Effects of Aspergillus fumigatus gliotoxin and methylprednisolone on human neutrophils: implications for the pathogenesis of invasive aspergillosis

Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) is a ubiquitous mold and the most common cause of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients. In stem cell transplant recipients, IA now occurs most frequently in the setting of therapy with corticosteroids, including methylprednisolone (MP). We showed previously that gliotoxin (GT), an AF‐derived mycotoxin, induces apoptosis in monocytes and dendritic cells, resulting in the suppression of AF‐specific T cell responses. We examined the ability of GT to induce apoptosis in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and assessed GT effects on important neutrophil functions, including phagocytic function, degranulation, myeloperoxidase activity, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast to its effects on monocytes, PMN remained resistant to GT‐mediated apoptosis. Although many essential neutrophil functions were unaffected, GT inhibited phagocytosis and also induced a decrease in ROS generation by PMN. In contrast, MP therapy potentiated ROS production, suggesting a mechanism that may facilitate tissue injury in IA. Distinct from its effects on untreated PMN, GT augmented ROS production in MP‐treated PMN. Our results suggest that although GT may suppress the adaptive immune response, GT may also serve to increase PMN‐mediated inflammation, which is likely to play an important role in tissue destruction in the setting of IA.
Pupil dilation prediction of random events [version 2; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]

We report the results of a conceptual replication of a study that reported that pupil dilation can predict potentially threatening random events above chance level. In this study, participants’ pupil dilation was used to predict the appearance of a threatening or a neutral stimulus, presented randomly in a double sequence of ten trials with replacement, i.e. replacing the chosen trial for the future extractions. In the first experiment, with a sample of 100 participants, the average correct prediction was 55.9%, with a small difference between the two stimuli. This effect was further tested in an exact pre-registered study where the average correct prediction was 58.7%. The reliability of these findings was checked utilizing both a frequentist and a Bayesian statistical parameters estimate approach. These findings collectively support the hypothesis that pupil dilation can be used to anticipate random and therefore theoretically “unpredictable” events in an implicit unconscious way that is without a conscious awareness, and that this ability is another characteristic of the powerful anticipatory adaptive systems of our psychophysiological system.
Effect of Playing a Video Game on a Measure of Spatial Visualization

70 undergraduate students, without any prior experience of video games playing, were given a pretest and a posttest on the Space Relations Test of the DAT, Forms A and B being, respectively, administered on the two occasions. The experimental group of 38 had eight sessions of playing the Zaxxon video game, each session including five plays. The control group of 32 received no such treatment. A 2(sex) by 2(group) analysis of covariance, using pretest scores as the covariate, yielded a significant effect for group which supports the hypothesis that spatial visualization test scores can be improved by video game playing. Moreover, the sex-related difference in visual-spatial skills frequently reported does not appear on the pretest. Finally, no effect for sex and no interaction of group × sex were found, indicating that both male and female subjects gained equally from playing Zaxxon.
Asthma: Diagnosis and Treatment

Asthma is an obstructive lung disease affecting >230 million people worldwide and a significant cause of morbidity in patients of all ages. It is a heterogeneous disease with a complex pathophysiology and phenotype. Diagnosis is made with thorough history-taking and physical examination, and the condition is characterised by variable airflow obstruction and airway hyper-responsiveness. Understanding the severity of the disease is important, and treatment is aimed at symptom control and the prevention of future exacerbations. Pharmacologic treatment with beta-agonists for intermittent asthma and inhaled corticosteroids and a combination of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-2 agonists for persistent asthma are recommended. Additional and alternative treatments with leukotriene modifiers, anticholinergics, biologics, and bronchial thermoplasty are also available. However, understanding an individual’s disease phenotype, endotype, and comorbidities is necessary for asthma treatment, with appropriate consultation with asthma specialists required for those with severe asthma.
Preclinical Evaluation of GS-9160, a Novel Inhibitor of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Integrase

ABSTRACT GS-9160 is a novel and potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) that specifically targets the process of strand transfer. It is an authentic inhibitor of HIV-1 integration, since treatment of infected cells results in an elevation of two-long terminal repeat circles and a decrease of integration junctions. GS-9160 has potent and selective antiviral activity in primary human T lymphocytes producing a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of ∼2 nM, with a selectivity index (50% cytotoxic concentration/EC50) of ∼2,000. The antiviral potency of GS-9160 decreased by 6- to 10-fold in the presence of human serum. The antiviral activity of GS-9160 is synergistic in combination with representatives from three different classes of antiviral drugs, namely HIV-1 protease inhibitors, nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Viral resistance selections performed with GS-9160 yielded a novel pattern of mutations within the catalytic core domain of IN; E92V emerged initially, followed by L74M. While E92V as a single mutant conferred 12-fold resistance against GS-9160, L74M had no effect as a single mutant. Together, these mutations conferred 67-fold resistance to GS-9160, indicating that L74M may potentiate the resistance caused by E92V. The pharmacokinetic profile of GS-9160 in healthy human volunteers revealed that once-daily dosing was not likely to achieve antiviral efficacy; hence, the clinical development of this compound was discontinued.
Developments in Measurement and Models for Suspension-Dominated Wind Erosion

*David Chandler, Plants, Soils and Biometeorology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4820, USA; Keith Saxton, USDA-ARS, Smith Hall-Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6120, USA. *Corresponding author: dchandle@mendel.usu. edu ABSTRACT In recent years, many urban areas in the Western U.S. have experienced concentrations of airborne dust particulates, which exceeded the federal health standards. The policy considerations raised by the impact of eolian dust from upwind agricultural sources on downwind air quality have emphasized the need for improved prediction methods. Most current wind erosion models predict average annual or seasonal erosion amounts, and only approximate estimates of suspended dust emissions are available. Furthermore, most wind erosion research has been conducted on sandy soils and the derived models consider the vertical (suspension) component of wind erosion as negligibly small in comparison to the horizontal (saltation/creep) component. A project on the Columbia Plateau of Eastern Washington State was initiated to develop an empirical method to estimate dust emissions on a wind event basis. Three years of field measurements, wind tunnel tests and laboratory analyses have been combined to provide a wind erosion equation and a related vertical flux dust emission model. Continuing data analysis indicates that suspension may dominate as the primary mode of transport in the study region due to the significant amounts of suspension-size particles prevalent in the regional soils. The application of contemporary wind erosion measurement techniques to loess soils are discussed in terms of project results.
Socio-Ecological Implications of Soy in the Brazilian Cerrado

This paper summarizes the critical importance of the Cerrado savannah biome in Brazil and examines key ways in which large-scale agriculture, in particular large-scale soy farming, threatens water security and increases socio-ecological stress. It connects agribusiness expansion to the globalized meat industry by defining how complex economic relationships result in deforestation on a massive scale. It describes how this radical change in land cover has led to changes in rainfall patterns that are associated with extended drought periods and analyzes how these critical water shortages jeopardize socio-economic health beyond the immediate region. Further, it explicates how intensified transgenic soy farming and other pesticide-heavy crop production contributes to rising public health crises associated with carcinogen-contaminated water and food sources. Lastly, it identifies emerging trends that suggest how agribusiness corporations and governments may be legally ascribed moral responsibilities for maintaining socio-ecological health of the biome . The paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the human dimensions of environmental issues and their impacts and reframe conservation social science discourse in regard to protection of land and water resources in the region.
A xed e¤ects ordered choice model with exible thresholds with an application to life-satisfaction

In many contexts reported outcomes in a rating scale are modeled through the existence of a latent variable that separates the categories through thresholds. The literature has not been able to separate the e¤ect of a variable on the latent variable from its e¤ect on threshold parameters. We propose a model which incorporates (1) individual xed e¤ects on the latent variable, (2) individual xed e¤ects on the thresholds and (3) threshold shifts across time depending on observables. Importantly, the latent variable and the threshold speci cations can include common variables. In order to illustrate the estimator, we apply it to a model of life satisfaction using the GSOEP dataset. We demonstrate that important di¤erences can arise depending on the choice of the model. Our model suggests that threshold shifts are statistically and quantitatively important. Factors which increase reported life-satisfaction are due both to positive e¤ects on the latent variable AND to shifting thresholds to the left, while factors which decrease reported life satisfaction are due to negative e¤ects on the latent variable AND to shifting thresholds to the right. Department of Economics, City University London. Email: Patricia.Cubi-Molla.1@city.ac. uk. Department of Economics, City University London. Email: Firat.Yaman. 1@city.ac. uk.
Comparison of the axial resolution of practical Nipkow‐disk confocal fluorescence microscopy with that of multifocal multiphoton microscopy: theory and experiment

We compare the axial sectioning capability of multifocal confocal and multifocal multiphoton microscopy in theory and in experiment, with particular emphasis on the background arising from the cross‐talk between adjacent imaging channels. We demonstrate that a time‐multiplexed non‐linear excitation microscope exhibits significantly less background and therefore a superior axial resolution as compared to a multifocal single‐photon confocal system. The background becomes irrelevant for thin (< 15 µm) and sparse fluorescent samples, in which case the confocal parallelized system exhibits similar or slightly better sectioning behaviour due to its shorter excitation wavelength. Theoretical and experimental axial responses of practically implemented microscopes are given.
Does handwriting the name of a potential trial participant on an invitation letter improve recruitment rates? A randomised controlled study within a trial

Background: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) often fail to recruit to target, resulting in a lack of generalisability of findings. A wide range of strategies for potentially increasing recruitment have been identified; however, their effectiveness has not been established. The aim of this study within a trial (SWAT) was to evaluate the effectiveness of handwritten personalisation of an invitation letter as part of a trial recruitment pack on recruitment to a host RCT. Methods: A pragmatic, two-armed RCT was conducted, embedded within an existing falls prevention trial (OTIS) in men and women aged 65 years and over living in the community. Participants were randomised 1:1 to receive an OTIS recruitment pack containing an invitation letter on which their name was handwritten (intervention group), or one on which it was printed (control group). The primary outcome was randomisation into the host trial. Secondary outcomes related to trial eligibility and retention. Analyses were via logistic regression and Cox Proportional Hazards regression. Results: Of the 317 SWAT participants, 12 (3.8%) were randomised into the OTIS trial: 3 (handwritten: 3/159 [1.9%]; printed: 9/158 [5.7%]; difference -3.8%, 95% CI -8.0% to 0.4%). There was weak evidence, against the intervention, of a difference in the likelihood of participants being randomised into the host trial between the two groups (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.08 to 1.20, p=0.09). There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups on any of the secondary outcomes. Conclusions: There was no evidence that personalisation of invitation letters improved recruitment to the OTIS trial. However, due to the small sample size, the results should be interpreted with caution. These findings need to be replicated across larger studies and wider populations. Registration: ISRCTN22202133.
A Near-Optimal Decentralized Control Law for a Class of Large-Scale Interconnected Systems

In this paper a decentralized control law is proposed for interconnected large-scale systems with no strongly connected subsystems. This class of interconnected systems includes certain cooperative control topologies such as leader-follower structure. The control law is nonlinear and time-varying but has a simple form which allows for Laplace-domain analysis. Parameters of the decentralized controller are obtained by solving the optimal linear quadratic regulator (LQR) problem for the centralized system. The local controller for each subsystem also uses the nominal parameters of all subsystems and a set of constant values which are, in fact, estimates of the initial states of the other subsystems. However, in practice, the parameters of the system are subject to perturbation and also the estimates of the initial states have errors. The closer the constant values to the initial states of other subsystems are, and the smaller the deviations of the system parameters from the nominal values are, the better the performance of the overall decentralized control system is. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the stability of the overall closed-loop system in presence of parameter perturbations are given through a series of simple tests, and is shown that it is independent of the magnitude of the estimation error of the initial states. An algorithm is also presented which relates deviation from the optimal quadratic performance index to the prediction error of the initial states. The proposed method is much simpler than the existing numerical and analytical design techniques for decentralized systems. Simulation results demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed controller in terms of feasibility and performance.