Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dose-Response Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Mortality in Subjects Admitted to the ICU With and Without Mechanical Ventilation

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been associated with increased mortality in the general population, whereas a paradoxical relationship between higher body mass index and lower mortality has been referred to as the obesity paradox in critically ill patients. However, it remains unknown whether a particular subgroup is most affected. The aim of the present study is to elucidate whether obesity is associated with lower mortality in the ICU population by comparing subjects with and without mechanical ventilation. METHODS: A total of 334,238 subjects from a nationwide database who were discharged between July 2010 and March 2012 and who were admitted to general ICUs during their hospitalization were included in this study. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Of all subjects evaluated, 23.3% were started on mechanical ventilation within the first 2 d after ICU admission. Compared with the non-ventilated group, the ventilated group was more likely to have sepsis, pneumonia, or coma. The ventilated group underwent more procedures within the first 2 d after ICU admission compared with the non-ventilated group. A restricted cubic spline function showed lower mortality in subjects with a higher body mass index among the ventilated group, whereas mortality was increased with increasing body mass index in the non-ventilated group. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that a high body mass index is associated with low mortality in the mechanically ventilated group, whereas the non-ventilated group showed a reverse J-shaped association. There was a higher mortality rate in underweight subjects in both groups.
Improving machine translation into Chinese by tuning against Chinese MEANT

We present the first ever results showing that Chinese MT output is significantly improved by tuning a MT system against a semantic frame based objective function, MEANT, rather than an n-gram based objective function, BLEU, as measured across commonly used metrics and different test sets. Recent work showed that by preserving the meaning of the translations as captured by semantic frames in the training process, MT systems for translating into English on both formal and informal genres are constrained to produce more adequate translations by making more accurate choices on lexical output and reordering rules. In this paper we describe our experiments in IWSLT 2013 TED talk MT tasks on tuning MT systems against MEANT for translating into Chinese and English respectively. We show that the Chinese translation output benefits more from tuning a MT system against MEANT than the English translation output due to the ambiguous nature of word boundaries in Chinese. Our encouraging results show that using MEANT is a promising alternative to BLEU in both evaluating and tuning MT systems to drive the progress of MT research across different languages.
Increased smooth muscle contractility of intestine in the genetic null of the endothelin ETB receptor: a rat model for long segment Hirschsprung's disease

Background and aims: The endothelin ETB receptor null rat (ETB(−/−)R) has an intestinal segment without ganglia, and this rat is characterised by intestinal obstruction similar to that observed in human Hirschsprung's disease. In the present study, we have examined the myogenic mechanism responsible for obstruction in the ETB(−/−)R. Results: The ETB(−/−)R had an enlarged belly and the average lifespan was 18.1 days. The bowel from the rectum to the lower part of the small ileum was constricted whereas the upper region was dilated with faecal stasis and thus presented as megaileum. The constricted muscle segments without ganglia had a greater increase in absolute force when stimulated by carbachol, high K+, and endothelin-1 compared with that of normal siblings. In contrast, in the dilated part with ganglia, the absolute contractile force due to these stimulants in the ETB(−/−)R was not different from that in the ETB(+/+)R. Such a functional hypertrophy of the musculature was observed in parts of the colon, caecum, and distal ileum without ganglia but not in the part of the proximal ileum and jejunum with ganglia. Morphological study demonstrated that the thickness of the circular and longitudinal muscle layers was greater in the constricted part of the intestine in the ETB(−/−)R, and these changes were associated with an increase in the number of smooth muscle cells. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that both increased contractility of smooth muscle and increased thickness of the intestinal muscular wall may contribute to the intestinal obstruction in the ETB(−/−)R.
Meteorological implementation issues in chemistry and transport models

Offline chemistry and transport models (CTMs) are versatile tools for studying composition and climate issues requiring multi-decadal simulations. They are computationally fast compared to coupled chemistry climate models, making them well-suited for integrating sensitivity experiments necessary for understanding model performance and interpreting results. The archived meteorological fields used by CTMs can be implemented with lower horizontal or vertical resolution than the original meteorological fields in order to shorten integration time, but the effects of these shortcuts on transport processes must be understood if the CTM is to have credibility. In this paper we present a series of sensitivity experiments on a CTM using the Lin and Rood advection scheme, each differing from another by a single feature of the wind field implementation. Transport effects arising from changes in resolution and model lid height are evaluated using process-oriented diagnostics that intercompare CH 4 , O 3 , and age tracer carried in the simulations. Some of the diagnostics used are derived from observations and are shown as a reality check for the model. Processes evaluated include tropical ascent, tropical-midlatitude exchange, poleward circulation in the upper stratosphere, and the development of the Antarctic vortex. We find that faithful representation of stratospheric transport in this CTM is possible with a full mesosphere, ~1 km resolution in the lower stratosphere, and relatively low vertical resolution (>4 km spacing) in the middle stratosphere and above, but lowering the lid from the upper to lower mesosphere leads to less realistic constituent distributions in the upper stratosphere. Ultimately, this affects the polar lower stratosphere, but the effects are greater for the Antarctic than the Arctic. The fidelity of lower stratospheric transport requires realistic tropical and high latitude mixing barriers which are produced at 2°×2.5°, but not lower resolution. At 2°×2.5° resolution, the CTM produces a vortex capable of isolating perturbed chemistry (e.g. high Cl y and low NO y ) required for simulating polar ozone loss.
Humanoid robots as a passive-social medium - a field experiment at a train station

This paper reports a method that uses humanoid robots as a communication medium. There are many interactive robots under development, but due to their limited perception, their interactivity is still far poorer than that of humans. Our approach in this paper is to limit robots' purpose to a non-interactive medium and to look for a way to attract people's interest in the information that robots convey. We propose using robots as a passive-social medium, in which multiple robots converse with each other. We conducted a field experiment at a train station for eight days to investigate the effects of a passive-social medium.
Microglia and Macrophages in Malignant Gliomas: Recent Discoveries and Implications for Promising Therapies

Malignant gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors. Their deadliest manifestation, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), accounts for 15% of all primary brain tumors and is associated with a median survival of only 15 months even after multimodal therapy. There is substantial presence of microglia and macrophages within and surrounding brain tumors. These immune cells acquire an alternatively activated phenotype with potent tumor-tropic functions that contribute to glioma growth and invasion. In this review, we briefly summarize recent data that has been reported on the interaction of microglia/macrophages with brain tumors and discuss potential application of these findings to the development of future antiglioma therapies.
Heterosis studies in GMS based diploid cotton.

A study of heterosis over better parent and checks was carried out during 2005–06. GMS based hybrids were generated by utilizing 18 genetic male sterile lines of G. arboreum and 3 testers of G. herbaceum. The hybrids exhibited high heterosis over better parent and varietal check Rahs-14, while they also exhibited considerable heterosis over standard check, Chamtkar-222 and varietal check, DLSa-17, for seed cotton yield (kg/ha). The two hybrids, Million-GMS × Jayadhar and GAKA-423 × H-221 which were recorded significant positive heterosis for seed cotton yield(kg/ha) over standard check Chamatkar-222 also have significant positive heterosis for yield component trait like boll number and fibre quality traits like, 2.5 per cent span length and fibre strength over all the checks. Only few hybrids recorded significant positive heterosis for economic traits like seed index, lint index and ginning outturn, while many hybrids recorded significant positive heterosis for fibre quality traits like 2.5 per cent span length and fibre strength over standard check, Chamatkar-222 and varietal check Rahs-14. The hybrids, GMS-4 × DDhC-11, GAKA-8614 × DDhC-11 and GMS-4 × DDhC-11 recorded significant positive heterosis over standard check, Chamatkar-222 and varietal check Rahs-14 for 2.5 per cent span length and fibre strength.
Distinct Orbitofrontal Regions Encode Stimulus and Choice Valuation

The weak axiom of revealed preferences suggests that the value of an object can be understood through the simple examination of choices. Although this axiom has driven economic theory, the assumption of equation between value and choice is often violated. fMRI was used to decouple the processes associated with evaluating stimuli from evaluating one's actions. Whereas activity in left posterior areas of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) was associated with processing the objective value of stimuli, activity in medial anterior areas of the OFC was associated with accepting high value gambles and rejecting low value gambles; that is, making correct decisions. These data demonstrate that distinct areas of the OFC provide dissociated representations for use in adaptive decision-making and suggest an important processing distinction between the concepts of good/bad and right/wrong.
The Dynamics of Immigration and Wages

There is considerable debate in the literature about the effects of immigration on workers' labor market outcomes. This paper presents a new approach to the analysis of the relationship between immigration and wages based on a panel vector autoregression (VAR). The VAR analysis of a panel of US states shows that immigration does not have a significant effect on wages or internal migration. By contrast, wages do affect immigration: a 10 percent increase in wages causes up to a 20 percent increase in immigrant inflow. The effect is strongest for low-skill immigrants while it is small and insignificant for high-skill immigrants.
Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in a Telecommunication Service Provider

Using the SERVQUAL model, this study aimed to examine the impacts of reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangible aspects on customer satisfaction. A total of 200 current users of a GSM provider participated in this study. Gap analysis was used to determine the perceived importance and satisfaction on each dimension of service quality, and regression analysis was conducted to test the relationship between service quality and levels of customer satisfaction. Results indicated that reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy significantly positively influenced customer attitudes in terms of satisfaction and loyalty. In addition, t-test results showed that there was a significant gap between the perceived satisfaction and importance (P-I) on all of the service quality dimensions. Telecommunication service providers (TSPs) are of paramount importance to both developed and emerging economies In Malaysia, TSPs are projected to contribute greatly to the national goal of achieving status as a developed nation by the year 2020. With stiff competition between three providers of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and one private automatic branch exchange (PABX) landline provider, customer satisfaction is a necessity for survival in the market. At the same time, Malaysians are becoming equipped with necessary knowledge about quality service delivery. Many telecommunication service providers in Malaysia offer various products and services in the market. TSPs have to compete with each other to ensure optimal customer satisfaction in terms of products or services. Quality is generally regarded as being a key factor in the creation of worth and in influencing customer satisfaction. Hence, the telecommunication industry in Malaysia has to be strategically positioned to provide quality services to satisfy customers. To provide improved quality service, telecommunication companies need to investigate degree of customers' sensitivity and expectations toward service quality. Armed with such information, telecommunication outfits are then able to strategically focus service quality objectives and procedures to fit the Malaysian market. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of several product and service delivery factors on reported levels of service quality within a single GSM provider.
Visions of Public Safety, Justice, and Healing: The Making of the Rape Kit Backlog in the United States

Large backlogs of untested sexual assault kits have recently come to light in cities across the United States, fueling public controversies over criminal justice responses to sexual assault and sexual assault forensic services. This article examines these controversies to reveal how kit backlogs have come to matter as a political problem. Using a range of textual data, this article traces the history of the sexual assault kit backlog in New York City and contemporary national campaigns around kit backlogs to examine how sexual assault kit backlogs are being defined as threats to public safety, justice, and healing for victims of crime. Drawing on theoretical insights from actor-network theory, institutional ethnography, and feminist technoscience studies, this article examines the implications of the current framing of kit backlogs for sexual assault survivors and their allies, and current dialogues about criminal justice responses to sexual assault.
Nutritional Factors and Susceptibility to Arsenic-Caused Skin Lesions in West Bengal, India

There has been widespread speculation about whether nutritional deficiencies increase the susceptibility to arsenic health effects. This is the first study to investigate whether dietary micronutrient and macronutrient intake modulates the well-established human risk of arsenic-induced skin lesions, including alterations in skin pigmentation and keratoses. The study was conducted in West Bengal, India, which along with Bangladesh constitutes the largest population in the world exposed to arsenic from drinking water. In this case–control study design, cases were patients with arsenic-induced skin lesions and had < 500 μg/L arsenic in their drinking water. For each case, an age- and sex-matched control was selected from participants of a 1995–1996 cross-sectional survey, whose drinking water at that time also contained < 500 μg/L arsenic. Nutritional assessment was based on a 24-hr recall for major dietary constituents and a 1-week recall for less common constituents. Modest increases in risk were related to being in the lowest quintiles of intake of animal protein [odds ratio (OR) = 1.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–3.59], calcium (OR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.04–3.43), fiber (OR = 2.20; 95% CI, 1.15–4.21), and folate (OR = 1.67; 95% CI, 0.87–3.2). Conditional logistic regression suggested that the strongest associations were with low calcium, low animal protein, low folate, and low fiber intake. Nutrient intake was not related to arsenic exposure. We conclude that low intake of calcium, animal protein, folate, and fiber may increase susceptibility to arsenic-caused skin lesions. However, in light of the small magnitude of increased risks related to these dietary deficiencies, prevention should focus on reducing exposure to arsenic.
Current issues and new direction in Psychology and Health : Advancing the science of behavior change

Theories provide an explanatory framework for understanding the relation between constructs – whether they be features of the environment, psychological states, or biological markers – and in doing so inform the work conducted by all health psychologists. To this end, there is no shortage of articles that extol the virtue and value of theories. There are repeated calls for research and practice to be theoretically informed (e.g., Marteau, Dieppe, Foy, Kinmonth, & Schneiderman, 2006) and the creation of the new journal, Health Psychology Review, is motivated, in part, to enrich the role of theory in health psychology. But how do we treat this object of our affection? Despite a shared commitment to theory, there is a growing concern that we are not tending to our theories as well as we ought (Noar & Zimmerman, 2005; Rothman, 2004; Weinstein & Rothman, 2005). As Kurt Lewin once said, ‘‘There is nothing so practical as a good theory’’ (1951, p. 169). Although we share Lewin’s faith in the value of theory, it is essential that we recognize that it is predicated on the availability of good theories. Theories need to be nurtured by the community of researchers and practitioners. Over time, theoretical models should evolve, based on a series of activities in which formal predictions are derived from the theory and tested, with the results feeding back into our understanding of the theory. Through this process, our theories should be able to specify more precisely when findings will be obtained as well as the underlying processes that regulate those effects. For example, empirical work should allow investigators to transform the initial thesis that satisfaction is a critical determinant of sustained behavior change (Rothman,
The Quality of Probation Supervision - A Literature Review

The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice. Our role is to commission and provide offender management services in the community and in custody ensuring best value for money from public resources. We work to protect the public and reduce reoffending by delivering the punishment and orders of the courts and supporting rehabilitation by helping offenders to reform their lives The quality of probation supervision – A literature review: summary of key messages
The Multiplicity of the Subgiant Branch of ω Centauri: Evidence for Prolonged Star Formation

We combine spectroscopic and photometric data for subgiant stars of ω Cen to extract results that neither data set could have provided on its own. GIRAFFE@VLT spectra of 80 stars at R = 6400 give metallicities for all of them and abundances of C, N, Ca, Ti, and Ba for a subset of them. The photometric data, which have unusually high accuracy, come from a ~10 × 10 arcmin2 mosaic of HST ACS images centered on the cluster center and on multicolor images of a ~34 × 33 arcmin2 field, taken with the WFI@ESO2.2m camera. Stars with [Fe/H] < -1.25 have a large magnitude spread on the flat part of the SGB. We interpret this as empirical evidence for an age spread, and from theoretical isochrones we derive a relative age for each star. Within the SGB region we identify four distinct stellar groups: (1) an old, metal-poor group ([Fe/H] ~ -1.7); (2) an old, metal-rich group ([Fe/H] ~ -1.1); (3) a young (up to 4-5 Gyr younger than the old component) metal-poor group ([Fe/H] ~ -1.7); (4) a young, intermediate-metallicity ([Fe/H] ~ -1.4) group, on average 1-2 Gyr younger than the old metal-poor population, and with an age spread that we cannot properly quantify with the present sample. In addition, many SGB stars are spread between the intermediate-metallicity and metal-rich branches. We tentatively propose connections between the SGB stars and both the multiple main-sequence and the red giant branches. Finally, we discuss the implications of the multiple stellar populations on the formation and evolution of ω Cen. The spread in age within each population establishes that the original system must have had a composite nature.
CAMA: Contact‐Aware Matrix Assembly with Unified Collision Handling for GPU‐based Cloth Simulation

We present a novel GPU‐based approach to robustly and efficiently simulate high‐resolution and complexly layered cloth. The key component of our formulation is a parallelized matrix assembly algorithm that can quickly build a large and sparse matrix in a compressed format and accurately solve linear systems on GPUs. We also present a fast and integrated solution for parallel collision handling, including collision detection and response computations, which utilizes spatio‐temporal coherence. We combine these algorithms as part of a new cloth simulation pipeline that incorporates contact forces into implicit time integration for collision avoidance. The entire pipeline is implemented on GPUs, and we evaluate its performance on complex benchmarks consisting of 100 – 300K triangles. In practice, our system takes a few seconds to simulate one frame of a complex cloth scene, which represents significant speedups over prior CPU and GPU‐based cloth simulation systems.
Severity Analysis of Neurovascular Contact in Patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia: Assessment with the Inner View of the 3D MR Cisternogram and Angiogram Fusion Imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neurovascular contact (NVC) of the trigeminal nerve is not only detected at the affected trigeminal nerve in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) but is also observed at the asymptomatic nerves on the side contralateral to the TN as well as in normal nerves in control subjects. The frequency and severity of the NVC among the affected, contralateral, and normal trigeminal nerves were analyzed by 3D MR cisternogram and angiogram fusion imaging in relation to the cause of TN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The inner view of the fusion MR imaging projected from inside the trigeminal nerve was used. The severity of the NVC was classified as none, simple, moderate, or severe, according to the nerve circumference in contact with the vessel. The NVC was analyzed in the affected nerves (n = 66) and the contralateral nerves (n = 66). Forty patients underwent microvascular decompression surgery, and 26 were treated medically. The NVC at the normal trigeminal nerves (n = 78) was studied in 39 control subjects without symptoms of TN. RESULTS: The NVC in the affected trigeminal nerve was observed more frequently and much more severely than that at the contralateral and normal trigeminal nerves in controls (P < .01). Additionally, the NVC in the surgical patients was more severe than that in the medically treated patients (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Severity analysis of the NVC with the inner view of the fusion MR imaging may provide useful information in the diagnosis of TN and can be a helpful adjunct in treatment planning for patients with TN.