Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Luminal loss and restenosis after coronary angioplasty. The role of lipoproteins and lipids.

AIMS Lipoproteins and lipids, especially lipoprotein(a), have been studied as risk factors for restenosis after coronary angioplasty with conflicting results. We investigated the association between serum levels of lipoprotein(a) apolipoprotein A-1, apolipoprotein B-100, total-cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, and coronary luminal loss and restenosis after angioplasty. METHODS The lipoproteins and lipids were measured in 305 consecutive patients who underwent successful angioplasty and reangiography 20+/-3 weeks after angioplasty. Single-vessel dilatation was performed in 251 patients. Luminal loss was defined as minimal luminal diameter post-angioplasty minus minimal luminal diameter at follow-up, divided by the interpolated reference diameter of the vessel. Restenosis was defined according to three dichotomous categorical criteria: (1) >50% diameter stenosis at follow-up (2) loss of >50% of the gain achieved by angioplasty, (3) the need for target vessel revascularization. RESULTS There was no significant association between the serum levels of lipoproteins and lipids and luminal loss. Univariate analysis did not show any significant difference in the serum levels of any of the lipoproteins and lipids between the restenosis and no-restenosis groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that only the angiographic variables (luminal gain and post-angioplasty minimal luminal diameter) were associated with luminal loss and restenosis after angioplasty. CONCLUSION Lipoproteins and lipids were neither associated with luminal loss nor independent risk factors for restenosis after angioplasty.
Cross-Domain Sentiment Classification Using Sentiment Sensitive Embeddings

Unsupervised Cross-domain Sentiment Classification is the task of adapting a sentiment classifier trained on a particular domain (source domain), to a different domain (target domain), without requiring any labeled data for the target domain. By adapting an existing sentiment classifier to previously unseen target domains, we can avoid the cost for manual data annotation for the target domain. We model this problem as embedding learning, and construct three objective functions that capture: (a) distributional properties of pivots (i.e., common features that appear in both source and target domains), (b) label constraints in the source domain documents, and (c) geometric properties in the unlabeled documents in both source and target domains. Unlike prior proposals that first learn a lower-dimensional embedding independent of the source domain sentiment labels, and next a sentiment classifier in this embedding, our joint optimisation method learns embeddings that are sensitive to sentiment classification. Experimental results on a benchmark dataset show that by jointly optimising the three objectives we can obtain better performances in comparison to optimising each objective function separately, thereby demonstrating the importance of task-specific embedding learning for cross-domain sentiment classification. Among the individual objective functions, the best performance is obtained by (c). Moreover, the proposed method reports cross-domain sentiment classification accuracies that are statistically comparable to the current state-of-the-art embedding learning methods for cross-domain sentiment classification.
Effective Reflective Practice

Reflective practice has an allure that is seductive in nature because it rings true for most people as something useful and informing. However, for reflection to genuinely be a lens into the world of practice, it is important that the nature of reflection be identified in such a way as to offer ways of questioning taken-for-granted assumptions and encouraging one to see his or her practice through others’eyes. The relationship between time, experience, and expectations of learning through reflection is an important element of reflection, and to teach about reflection requires contextual anchors to make learning episodes meaningful. This article examines the nature of reflection and suggests how it might become effective reflective practice that can be developed and enhanced through teacher preparation programs.
A new approach to rapid, desktop-level, environmental flow assessments for rivers in South Africa

Abstract An approach is presented for desktop-level environmental flow requirement (EFR) determination that is aligned with the Habitat Flow–Stressor Response (HFSR) method which evolved in South Africa over recent years. The HFSR method integrates hydrological, hydraulic and ecological habitat data, involves ecological and hydraulic specialists and is data-intensive and time-consuming. The revised desktop method integrates hydrological information with estimates of channel hydraulic cross-sectional characteristics to generate habitat-type frequencies under changing flow conditions. This information is used with the expected natural habitat requirements to determine acceptable habitat availability under different levels of ecological protection, which is then used with the hydraulic data to define flow regime characteristics that meet the ecological objectives. The paper describes the model components, discusses the assumptions, data requirements and limitations and presents some example results. The revised desktop approach uses approaches that are aligned with the more complex methods and generates results that are similar. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor M. Acreman Citation Hughes, D.A. , Desai, A.Y. , Birkhead, A.L. , and Louw, D. , 2014. A new approach to rapid, desktop-level, environmental flow assessments for rivers in South Africa. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 673–687.
Analysis of the patterns of large fires in the boreal forest region of Alaska

Analyses of the patterns of fire in Alaska were carried out using three different data sets, including a large-fire database dating back to 1950. Analyses of annual area burned statistics illustrate the episodic nature of fire in Alaska, with most of the area burning during a limited number of high fire years. Over the past 50 years, high fire years occurred once every 4 years. Seasonal fire statistics indicated that high fire years consist of larger fire events that occur later in the growing season. On a decadal basis, average annual area burned has varied little between the 1960s and 1990s. Using a geographic information system (GIS), the spatial distribution of fires (aggregated by ecoregions) was compared with topographic, vegetation cover, and climate features of Alaska. The use of topographic data allows for a more realistic determination of fire cycle by eliminating areas where fires do not occur due to lack of vegetation above the treeline. Geographic analyses show that growing season temperature, precipitation, lightning strike frequency, elevation, aspect, and the level of forest cover interact in a complex fashion to control fire frequency.
BotMiner: Clustering Analysis of Network Traffic for Protocol- and Structure-Independent Botnet Detection

Botnets are now the key platform for many Internet attacks, such as spam, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), identity theft, and phishing. Most of the current botnet detection approaches work only on specific botnet command and control (C&C) protocols (e.g., IRC) and structures (e.g., centralized), and can become ineffective as botnets change their C&C techniques. In this paper, we present a general detection framework that is independent of botnet C&C protocol and structure, and requires no a priori knowledge of botnets (such as captured bot binaries and hence the botnet signatures, and C&C server names/addresses). We start from the definition and essential properties of botnets. We define a botnet as a coordinated group of malware instances that are controlled via C&C communication channels. The essential properties of a botnet are that the bots communicate with some C&C servers/peers, perform malicious activities, and do so in a similar or correlated way. Accordingly, our detection framework clusters similar communication traffic and similar malicious traffic, and performs cross cluster correlation to identify the hosts that share both similar communication patterns and similar malicious activity patterns. These hosts are thus bots in the monitored network. We have implemented our BotMiner prototype system and evaluated it using many real network traces. The results show that it can detect real-world botnets (IRC-based, HTTP-based, and P2P botnets including Nugache and Storm worm), and has a very low false positive rate.
Atmospheric mixing and the CO2 seasonal cycle

Atmospheric mixing is determined by such factors as advection and diffusion, planetary boundary layer (PBL) depth, and cloud transport‐together they determine an effective ’mixing volume’ to which CO2 is then added or removed. In this study a mathematical model is developed to quantify the key factors determining the local ’mixing volume’ and hence the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2. It was found that the seasonal variation in horizontal advection is more important than the seasonal variation in PBL depth in determining the local mean and seasonal variation in atmospheric CO2 and that cloud transport plays a minor role.
Can–ism and Can'tianism: A Straw Child

B laut offers in this Forum a dramatic and stark contrast between two views of young children's map understandingviews he labels "Can-ism" and "Can'tianism. " He states that he and his colleagues endorse the former. We and our colleagues are said to endorse the latter. A more complete-and careful-reading of our writings demonstrates that Can'tianism does not capture our position accurately either in its generality or in its specifics. Moreover, the rhetoric of Can-ism and Can'tianism obscures the theoretical and methodological issues that are of importance to geographers and geography educators. Therefore, we review the theoretical and empirical bases on which we have argued for the gradual emergence of map understanding in children. In light of this position, we then restate our endorsement-not rejection-of early geography education.
Global distribution of equatorial plasma bubbles in the premidnight sector during solar maximum as observed by KOMPSAT‐1 and Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F15

[1] We investigated the global distribution of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) using in situ plasma density measurements from Korea Multipurpose Satellite-1 (KOMPSAT-1) and Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F15 during the solar maximum period from June 2000 to August 2001. The results were generally consistent with those of previous studies. EPBs were observed at all longitudes around the magnetic dip equator in the equinoctial seasons with the peak occurrence in the American-Atlantic-African regions. During the June solstice, EPBs occurred predominantly in the African sector, with enhancements in the magnetic north in the Indian and west Pacific regions, but were totally suppressed in the American-Atlantic sector. During the December solstice, EPBs occurred frequently in the American-Atlantic sector but were suppressed in the other longitude sectors, especially in the Pacific sector. The EPB occurrence probability was seen to be correlated with the observed topside plasma density and the model prereversal upward drift speed of ambient plasmas (Fejer et al., 1999), with their respective dominance dependent on the seasons. However, the peak EPB occurrence in the American-Atlantic sector during the December solstice was displaced somewhat from the region of peak density and upward drift, probably due to a strong solar terminator influence on the flux tube–integrated E region Pedersen conductivity and due to anomaly morphology. The peak EPB occurrence in the African sector during the June solstice is consistent only with the high ambient density in that region, for there was no coincidence with the maximum vertical drift or the minimum E region Pedersen conductivity.
Spatial and temporal water column and streambed temperature dynamics within an alpine catchment: implications for benthic communities

Despite the significant influence of temperature upon alpine stream benthic communities, thermal regimes of the water column and hyporheic zone of these mountain streams have received limited attention. This paper reports upon a detailed spatio‐temporal study of water column and streambed temperatures undertaken within the Taillon–Gabiétous catchment, French Pyrénées, that aims: (1) to characterize the nature and dynamics of alpine stream water column and streambed thermal patterns; (2) to investigate stream thermal variability under a range of hydroclimatological conditions; and (3) to consider the implications of (1) and (2) for alpine stream benthic communities. The catchment contains four highly dynamic hydrological sources and pathways: (1) two cirque glaciers (Taillon and Gabiétous); (2) seasonal snowpacks; (3) a karst groundwater system; and (4) hillslope aquifers. Water column temperatures were monitored continuously at four sites located along the Taillon glacial stream and at three groundwater springs (two karstic and one hillslope) over the 2002 summer melt season. An eighth site (Tourettes) was established on a predominantly groundwater‐fed stream with limited meltwater input. Bed temperatures (0·05, 0·20 and 0·40 m depth) and river discharge were measured at three sites: (1) the Taillon stream; (2) the Tourettes stream; and (3) below the confluence of (1) and (2). Air temperatures, incoming short‐wave radiation and precipitation were recorded to characterize atmospheric conditions. Glacial stream water column temperatures increased downstream, although groundwater tributaries punctuated longitudinal patterns. Karstic groundwater streams were cooler and more thermally stable than the glacial stream (except at the glacier snout). Hillslope groundwater stream temperatures were most variable and, on average, the warmest of all sites. Streambed temperatures in the glacial stream were coldest and most variable whilst the warmest and least variable streambed temperatures were recorded in an adjacent groundwater tributary. Temperature variability was strongly related to: (1) dynamic water source and pathway contributions; (2) proximity to source; and (3) prevailing hydroclimatological conditions. The high thermal heterogeneity within this catchment may sustain relatively diverse benthic communities, including some endemic Pyrénéan macroinvertebrate taxa. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Congenital Anomalies in Barcelona

Background: A recent meta-analysis suggested evidence for an effect of exposure to ambient air pollutants on risk of certain congenital heart defects. However, few studies have investigated the effects of traffic-related air pollutants with sufficient spatial accuracy. Objectives: We estimated associations between congenital anomalies and exposure to traffic-related air pollution in Barcelona, Spain. Method: Cases with nonchromosomal anomalies (n = 2,247) and controls (n = 2,991) were selected from the Barcelona congenital anomaly register during 1994–2006. Land use regression models from the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE), were applied to residential addresses at birth to estimate spatial exposure to nitrogen oxides and dioxide (NOx, NO2), particulate matter with diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), 10–2.5 μm (PMcoarse), ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), and PM2.5 absorbance. Spatial estimates were adjusted for temporal trends using data from routine monitoring stations for weeks 3–8 of each pregnancy. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for 18 congenital anomaly groups associated with an interquartile-range (IQR) increase in exposure estimates. Results: In spatial and spatiotemporal exposure models, we estimated statistically significant associations between an IQR increase in NO2 (12.2 μg/m3) and coarctation of the aorta (ORspatiotemporal = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.31) and digestive system defects (ORspatiotemporal = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.23), and between an IQR increase in PMcoarse (3.6 μg/m3) and abdominal wall defects (ORspatiotemporal = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.37, 2.73). Other statistically significant increased and decreased ORs were estimated based on the spatial model only or the spatiotemporal model only, but not both. Conclusions: Our results overall do not indicate an association between traffic-related air pollution and most groups of congenital anomalies. Findings for coarctation of the aorta are consistent with those of the previous meta-analysis. Citation: Schembari A, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Salvador J, de Nazelle A, Cirach M, Dadvand P, Beelen R, Hoek G, Basagaña X, Vrijheid M. 2014. Traffic-related air pollution and congenital anomalies in Barcelona. Environ Health Perspect 122:317–323; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1306802
Sediment removal efficiency of vortex chamber type sediment extractor

Experimental results on sediment removal efficiency of vortex chamber type sediment extractors are reported. A geometric configuration of the extractor is identified that is able to remove even the fine sediment (0.055⩽d⩽0.22 mm) from flow with high efficiency. For the purpose of analysis, the experimental data of present study are compiled with the data from other laboratories and the field that were collected previously by other investigators. Since the existing relations are not found to produce satisfactory results, a new relationship is developed for determination of the sediment removal efficiency of the vortex chamber type sediment extractors.
A simple method for Bayesian model averaging of regional climate model projections: Application to southeast Australian temperatures

Recent studies using regional climate models to make probabilistic projections break important new ground. However, they typically lack cross validation, pull the projections toward agreeing models (which can agree due to shared biases), and ignore model skill at reproducing internal variability when weighing the models. Here we conduct the first, to our knowledge, application of Bayesian model averaging (BMA) to make probabilistic projections using regional climate models (RCMs). We weigh the RCMs from the NARCliM project based on their skill at representing temperature over 12 southeast Australian regions in terms of trend, bias, and internal variability. The weights do not depend on model agreement with other models. Using the weighted ensemble, we provide probabilistic seasonal temperature projections. We cross validate the method, and demonstrate that weighted projections are well calibrated and more precise than the unweighted ones. We find considerable differences between the weighted and the unweighted projections in some cases.
The influence of pressure and gas flow on size and morphology of titanium oxide nanoparticles synthesized by hollow cathode sputtering

Titanium oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized via sputtering of a hollow cathode in an argon atmosphere. The influence of pressure and gas flow has been studied. Changing the pressure affects the nanoparticle size, increasing approximately proportional to the pressure squared. The influence of gas flow is dependent on the pressure. In the low pressure regime (107 ≤ p ≤ 143 Pa), the nanoparticle size decreases with increasing gas flow; however, at high pressure (p = 215 Pa), the trend is reversed. For low pressures and high gas flows, it was necessary to add oxygen for the particles to nucleate. There is also a morphological transition of the nanoparticle shape that is dependent on the pressure. Shapes such as faceted, cubic, and cauliflower can be obtained.
Outcome of children with primary resistant or relapsed non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and mature B‐cell leukemia after intensive first‐line treatment: A population‐based analysis of the Austrian cooperative study group

Children and adolescents with Non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and mature B‐cell leukemia (B‐ALL) have an excellent prognosis with contemporary chemotherapy stratified according to the histologic subtype and clinical stage of disease. However, a small subset of patients does not respond to front‐line therapy or suffers from an early relapse.
Secure Channel Coding Schemes based on Algebraic-Geometric Codes over Hermitian Curves

Algebraic-Geometric (AG) codes are new paradigm in coding theory with promising performance improvements and diverse applications in point to point communications services and system security. AG codes offer several advantages over stateof-the art Reed-Solomon (RS) codes. Algebraic-Geometric Codes are proposed and implemented in this paper. The design, construction and implementation are investigated and a software platform has been developed. Simulation results are presented for the first time showing significant performance improvements of AG codes over RS codes using different modulation schemes. The superiority in error correcting and security of AG codes over RS codes has been demonstrated clearly when Rayleigh fading channel is used. Also the results show an obvious improvement when using higher modulation schemes, namely 16QAM and 64QAM.
Comparison of the responsiveness of the Brazilian version of the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) with DASH, UCLA and SF-36 in patients with rotator cuff disorders.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the responsiveness of the Brazilian version of the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) and compare it with the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH), the University of California Los Angeles Shoulder Rating Scale (UCLA), and the Short-Form 36 questionnaire (SF-36) in patients with rotator cuff disorders. METHODS The four questionnaires were administered to 30 patients at baseline and 3 months after treatment (physiotherapy or surgery). The patients were divided into two groups: those who improved after treatment (n=20) and those who did not (n=10) based on an anchor-based strategy to distinguish between the two groups and assess responsiveness. The t-test, the t-value of the paired t-test, the effect size (ES), and the standardized response mean (SRM) were calculated. RESULTS All four questionnaires registered statistically significant changes (p<0.05) in the "improved" group between baseline and 3 months after treatment, and no changes in patients who did not improve. All four instruments showed higher ES and SRM values for the patients who improved than those who did not. WORC registered moderate to high ES and SRM values for the "improved" group, as did the UCLA and DASH. The ES and SRM values measured by the SF-36 ranged from small to large, the physical subscales being more responsive than the other subscales. CONCLUSION The Brazilian version of the WORC (like UCLA, DASH and SF-36 physical subscales) proved responsive to change and suitable for use in the short-term follow-up of patients after rotator cuff interventions.
Compensatory Growth Induced in Zebrafish Larvae after Pre-Exposure to a Microcystis aeruginosa Natural Bloom Extract Containing Microcystins

Early life stage tests with zebrafish (Danio rerio) were used to detect toxic effects of compounds from a Microcystis aeruginosa natural bloom extract on their embryolarval development. We carried out the exposure of developing stages of fish to complex cyanobacterial blooms containing hepatotoxic molecules - microcystins. Fish embryo tests performed with the bloom extract containing 3 mg·L−1 Eq microcystin-LR showed that after 24 h of exposure all fish embryos died. The same tests performed with other diluted extracts (containing 0.3, 0.1 and 0.03 mg·L−1 Eq microcystin-LR) were shown to have an influence on zebrafish development and a large number of embryos showed malformation signs (edema, bent and curving tail). After hatching the larvae were transferred to a medium without toxins to follow the larval development under the new conditions. The specific growth of the pre-exposed larvae was significantly more important than that of the control larvae. This may represent a compensatory growth used to reduce the difference in size with the control fish noted after hatching.