Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relevance of prehypertension as a diagnostic category in asymptomatic adults

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the association of prehypertension with metabolic, inflammatory and cardiovascular risk profile in asymptomatic individuals. Methods: Between 2006 and 2009, 11,011 asymptomatic adults (mean age: 43 years; 22% females), underwent a check-up protocol. They were divided into 3 groups: normotensive group (arterial pressure=120/80mmHg), prehypertensive group (arterial pressure >120/80mmHg and <140/90mmHg) and hypertensive group (arterial pressure≥140/90mmHg or prior diagnosis of hypertension). Each group metabolic and cardiovascular group profile was assessed. Results: The prevalence of normotension, prehypertension and hypertension was 27.9%, 53.9% and 18.2%, respectively. Prehypertensive individuals were older (mean age: 42.7 versus 40 years; p<0.001) than normotensive patients, and had higher body mass index (mean: 26.7kg/m2 versus 24kg/m2; p<0.001), higher plasma triglycerides levels (mean: 139mg/dL versus 108mg/dL; p<0.001), higher LDL-choleterol levels (mean: 128mg/dL versus 117mg/dL; p<0.001), and lower HDL-cholesterol (mean: 46.7mg/dL versus 52.7mg/dL; p<0.001). Prehypertensive individuals were more likely to have impaired fasting glucose (OR: 1.69; 95%CI: 1.39-2.04), overweight and obesity - body mass index >25kg/m2 (OR: 2.48; 95%CI: 2.24-2.74), hepatic steatosis: (OR: 2.23; 95%CI: 1.97-2.53), metabolic syndrome (OR: 3.05; 95%CI: 2.67-3.49), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels>2mg/L (OR: 1.52; 95%CI: 1.35-1.71). Conclusion: Prehypertension is associated with an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome, hepatic steatosis and subclinical inflammation.
Total Leaders: Applying the Best Future-Focused Change Strategies to Education

Total Leaders puts the minds of the most respected futurist, leadership, and change authorities to work for you in one simple yet dynamic leadership model that will help you strengthen your insights, performance, and effectiveness. The authors, a former superintendent and a national reform leader, spent the past 15 years individually reading and collectively synthesizing more than 100 of the leading futurist and leadership theory books, and relating their findings to the realities of educational leadership today. This book is for you if you: are familiar with all the current leadership theory and would like to have it all put together in one practical model; haven't read much leadership research for some time and would like to catch up on it in an effective and efficient way; want proven strategies for dealing with a challenge to change your organization; are responsible for recruiting and evaluating educational leaders; or want to analyze your leadership performance and plan for future professional growth based upon what works.
Fitting periphrastic do in affirmative declaratives*

Abstract Whereas the logistic curve can be used to model the increase in the percentage of periphrastic do in several types of English sentences, a different fit to the data for affirmative declaratives is needed. Two possible fits are considered in this paper, both based on a generalized logistic differential equation with a time-dependent coefficient. Linear and piecewise constant coefficients are used. Linguistic and practical implications of the two approaches are discussed.
Continuously Learning Neural Dialogue Management

We describe a two-step approach for dialogue management in task-oriented spoken dialogue systems. A unified neural network framework is proposed to enable the system to first learn by supervision from a set of dialogue data and then continuously improve its behaviour via reinforcement learning, all using gradient-based algorithms on one single model. The experiments demonstrate the supervised model's effectiveness in the corpus-based evaluation, with user simulation, and with paid human subjects. The use of reinforcement learning further improves the model's performance in both interactive settings, especially under higher-noise conditions.
Mulsemedia: State of the Art, Perspectives, and Challenges

Mulsemedia—multiple sensorial media—captures a wide variety of research efforts and applications. This article presents a historic perspective on mulsemedia work and reviews current developments in the area. These take place across the traditional multimedia spectrum—from virtual reality applications to computer games—as well as efforts in the arts, gastronomy, and therapy, to mention a few. We also describe standardization efforts, via the MPEG-V standard, and identify future developments and exciting challenges the community needs to overcome.
Layered Multishift Coupling for use in Perfect Sampling Algorithms (with a primer on CFTP)

In this article we describe a new coupling technique which is useful in a variety of perfect sampling algorithms. A multishift coupler generates a random function f() so that for each real x, f(x)-x is governed by the same fixed probability distribution, such as a normal distribution. We develop the class of layered multishift couplers, which are simple and have several useful properties. For the standard normal distribution, for instance, the layered multishift coupler generates an f() which (surprisingly) maps an interval of length L to fewer than 2+L/2.35 points --- useful in applications which perform computations on each such image point. The layered multishift coupler improves and simplifies algorithms for generating perfectly random samples from several distributions, including the autogamma distribution, posterior distributions for Bayesian inference, and the steady state distribution for certain storage systems. We also use the layered multishift coupler to develop a Markov-chain based perfect sampling algorithm for the autonormal distribution. At the request of the organizers, we begin by giving a primer on CFTP (coupling from the past); CFTP and Fill's algorithm are the two predominant techniques for generating perfectly random samples using coupled Markov chains.
Increased plasma ghrelin level in lung cancer cachexia.

PURPOSE Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone-releasing peptide,has been shown to cause a positive energy balance by stimulating food intake and inducing adiposity. We sought to investigate the pathophysiology of ghrelin in cachexia associated with lung cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Plasma ghrelin level was measured in 43 patients with lung cancer and 21 control subjects. Patients with lung cancer were divided into two groups: patients with cachexia (n = 21) and those without cachexia (n = 22). RESULTS Plasma ghrelin level did not significantly differ between all patients with lung cancer and controls (157 +/- 10 versus 132 +/- 8 fmol/ml, P = 0.1). However, plasma ghrelin level was significantly higher in patients with cachexia than in those without cachexia (180 +/- 17 versus 135 +/- 10 fmol/ml, P = 0.011). Furthermore, plasma ghrelin level increased significantly in patients with decreased food intake after chemotherapy (from 136 +/- 11 fmol/ml to 170 +/- 16 fmol/ml on day 8, 179 +/- 20 fmol/ml on day 21 after start of chemotherapy), although plasma ghrelin level did not significantly change in those without decreased food intake. CONCLUSIONS Baseline plasma ghrelin level was elevated in cachectic patients with lung cancer, and follow-up plasma ghrelin level increased in patients with anorexia after chemotherapy. Considering the positive energy effects induced by ghrelin, increased ghrelin may represent a compensatory mechanism under catabolic-anabolic imbalance in cachectic patients with lung cancer.
Trade, Labor-Market Rigidities, and Government-Financed Technological Change

This paper contributes to the debate on the effects of trade versus technological change on wage differentials. We propose an explanation of the stylized facts which is based on interactions between openness and technological change because of labor market institutions and government intervention. In particular, technology change is induced by rigid wage elements for a developed economy which is trading with less developed countries. With a binding minimum wage and given commodity prices, openness induces the government to subsidize technological innovation in the developed country because production activities in the sector hit by foreign competition would have to close down otherwise. The economy with a binding minimum wage and institutionally induced innovations differs from the flexible economy in the following way: -The wage differential becomes more compressed the higher the minimum wage. Not only the wage of the unskilled is higher, but also the wage of the skilled is lower. -The productivity of unskilled workers is higher in the sector intensive in its use. -Skill intensity within the unskilled-labor intensive sector can rise although the wage of the skilled rises as well. This perspective may explain why empirical studies have difficulties to find substantial effects of openness on wage differentials although product markets have become increasingly integrated. Moreover, it can explain why the volume of trade between developed and less-developed countries is relatively small. Finally our model yields predictions for developed countries with different labor market institutions that are consistent with empirical evidence.
Searching for the Self: An Identity Control Theory Approach to Triggers of Occupational Exploration

ABSTRACT Identity control theory researchers have found evidence for two processes of identity development (identity defense and identity change) and have theorized a third process (identity exploration). College students (N = 123) self-rated as high or low in occupational identity certainty and importance received self-discrepant feedback to induce identity disturbance, and dependent measures of identity defense, identity change, and identity exploration were obtained. As predicted, high certainty about identity standards led to identity defense, while low certainty led to identity change. Although an interaction between certainty and importance was hypothesized to predict identity exploration, results showed that the two operated independently. Low certainty predicted exploration of additional occupational areas, whereas high importance predicted exploration of self, environment, and additional occupational areas.
Top-K Nearest Keyword Search on Large Graphs

It is quite common for networks emerging nowadays to have labels or textual contents on the nodes. On such networks, we study the problem of top-k nearest keyword (k-NK) search. In a network G modeled as an undirected graph, each node is attached with zero or more keywords, and each edge is assigned with a weight measuring its length. Given a query node q in G and a keyword λ, a k-NK query seeks k nodes which contain λ and are nearest to q. k-NK is not only useful as a stand-alone query but also as a building block for tackling complex graph pattern matching problems. The key to an accurate k-NK result is a precise shortest distance estimation in a graph. Based on the latest distance oracle technique, we build a shortest path tree for a distance oracle and use the tree distance as a more accurate estimation. With such representation, the original k-NK query on a graph can be reduced to answering the query on a set of trees and then assembling the results obtained from the trees. We propose two efficient algorithms to report the exact k-NK result on a tree. One is query time optimized for a scenario when a small number of result nodes are of interest to users. The other handles k-NK queries for an arbitrarily large k efficiently. In obtaining a k-NK result on a graph from that on trees, a global storage technique is proposed to further reduce the index size and the query time. Extensive experimental results conform with our theoretical findings, and demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our k-NK algorithms on large real graphs.
Prejudice and relative deprivation: the effects of self-referenced individual relative deprivation on generalized prejudice in European democracies

ABSTRACT Current literature on the economic determinants of prejudice focuses on how relative deprivation might lead to bias by focusing on group perceptions, with little or no attention given to individual-level deprivation. We address this gap in literature by examining how relative and objective individual-level hardship affects generalised prejudice and suggest that both forms of deprivation lead to increase in a wide variety of out-group biases. We test our hypotheses with data from an original cross-national survey conducted in 2015 in nine European countries (N∼18,000) by applying multilevel models. We include macro-level measures of economic context, including measures of unemployment levels and GDP growth. We make a novel contribution to the growing literature on prejudice in European societies: our results are surprising and suggest that individuals experiencing deteriorating living standards are less likely to express generalised prejudice. We suggest that these findings can be explained using political psychology literature: recent studies suggest that low self-esteem increases altruistic behaviour and reduces the level of out-group bias. These findings open new avenues of research and suggest a new way of theorising the relationship between economic deprivation and prejudice.
Interpolation of Bounded Bandlimited Signals and Applications

A method to interpolate a bounded bandlimited signal from its own samples with minimum complexity is presented that guarantees an a priori specified accuracy. The method is the result of combining a fast-converging sampling expansion with the Farrow interpolator technique. It provides important complexity reductions in various signal processing applications, from which three cases are studied. For the Farrow interpolator, it assures that the interpolation error will be smaller than a known bound, both in the time and frequency domains. For delay estimation, the method allows one to decouple a given estimation/detection algorithm in two steps. In the first one, a few finite convolutions are carried out in order to compute a set of interpolation coefficients. In the second, the algorithm is executed but with a complexity independent of the length of the temporal observation interval. Besides, it is shown how to introduce this decoupling in the matched filter, MUSIC, and conditional maximum-likelihood delay estimators. Finally, the method is employed to give a simple solution to an important efficiency problem in the simulation of communications systems: the generation of Rayleigh processes
Volatility and Mean Spillover from US and China to ASEAN

This paper investigates volatility and mean spillover effects from the US and the Chinese stock markets into individual ASEAN stock markets using a GARCH spillover model. I find strong statistical evidence for both the mean-spillover and the volatility-spillover effects from the US into the individual ASEAN markets. The Chinese volatility-spillover effects are less essential to the individual ASEAN markets, but appear to generally increase over time. The Chinese volatility-spillover intensity is found to be strengthened after China entered WTO. The Chinese mean-spillover effects appear to be almost negligible. Pure local volatility effects are substantial, especially for the emerging markets. Subsequently, the evidence is found for the existence of asymmetric responses of ASEAN markets to upturns and downturns as well as positive shocks and negative shocks in the US and the Chinese stock markets. Finally, all the spillover effects are not necessarily dependent on the economic variables, i.e. exchange rate changes and the ratio of trade to GDP, but the exchange rate changes are able to explain the Chinese volatility-spillover intensities in the majority of the ASEAN markets.
Child Sponsorship: The Approaches Adopted by Two NGOs in Response to Child Poverty in Guatemala

Child poverty is one of the fundamental issues currently confronting Guatemalan society. This study examines the efforts of two international NGOs to address child poverty in this country. Compassion Guatemala is a faith-based evangelical NGO which enables foreign donors to sponsor individual Guatemalan children by funding the costs of support services in areas of the child’s educational, health and spiritual development, from preschool years through to secondary school completion and beyond. Conversely, Plan Guatemala is an agency with no religious affiliation which has adopted the rationale that a greater positive impact on child poverty can be achieved through the implementation of community development projects which target health, sanitation, food security, education and civic participation. The strategies adopted by these two NGOs raise the question: is child sponsorship an effective response to child poverty in Guatemala?
Anemia and Microvascular Complications in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Although chronic kidney disease-induced anemia is more prevalent in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), anemia is a common finding prior to manifestation of kidney disease. In presence of some risk factors at the time of diagnosing DM, microvascular complications must be considered. The effect of anemia as a risk factor on progression of DM complications is still unclear. Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and its association with microvascular complications in patients with type 2 DM. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in the outpatient endocrinology clinic at Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Study was done from February 2011 to February 2012. Patients with type 2 DM without any obvious symptom or sign of anemia were included in study. Results: A total of 93 patients (30.4%) had anemia including 46 (15.1%) with normochromic normocytic, 44 (14.4%) with hyperchromic microcytic, and 3 (1%) with hyperchromic macrocytic anemias. There was a positive correlation between duration of DM and anemia. Microvascular complications were more frequent with normocytic or microcytic anemias. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was higher in patients without anemia; moreover, nephropathy was less frequent among them. Among patients with anemia, 43% had GFR of more than 90 mL/min and 19.4% had normoalbuminuria. Neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy had strong association with anemia (odds ratio of 1.99, 1.7, and 1.5, respectively). Conclusions: Anemia is a common complication of DM and is associated with duration of disease and microvascular complications.
Asymptomatic HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment increases risk for symptomatic decline

Objective: While HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain prevalent despite combination antiretroviral therapy (CART), the clinical relevance of asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI), the most common HAND diagnosis, remains unclear. We investigated whether HIV-infected persons with ANI were more likely than those who were neurocognitively normal (NCN) to experience a decline in everyday functioning (symptomatic decline). Methods: A total of 347 human participants from the CNS HIV Anti-Retroviral Therapy Effects Research (CHARTER) cohort were NCN (n = 226) or had ANI (n = 121) at baseline. Neurocognitive assessments occurred approximately every 6 months, with median (interquartile range) follow-up of 45.2 (28.7–63.7) months. Symptomatic decline was based on self-report (SR) or objective, performance-based (PB) problems in everyday functioning. Proportional hazards modeling was used to generate risk ratios for progression to symptomatic HAND after adjusting for baseline and time-dependent covariates, including CD4+ T-lymphocyte count (CD4), virologic suppression, CART, and mood. Results: The ANI group had a shorter time to symptomatic HAND than the NCN after adjusting for baseline predictors: adjusted risk ratios for symptomatic HAND were 2.0 (confidence interval [CI] 1.1–3.6; p = 0.02) for SR, 5.8 (CI 3.2–10.7; p < 0.0001) for PB, and 3.2 (CI 2.0–5.0; p < 0.0001) for either SR or PB. Current CD4 and depression were significant time-dependent covariates, but antiretroviral regimen, virologic suppression, and substance abuse or dependence were not. Conclusions: This longitudinal study demonstrates that ANI conveys a 2-fold to 6-fold increase in risk for earlier development of symptomatic HAND, supporting the prognostic value of the ANI diagnosis in clinical settings. Identifying those at highest risk for symptomatic decline may offer an opportunity to modify treatment to delay progression.
TP53 and MDM2 Gene Polymorphisms, Gene-Gene Interaction, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk: Evidence from an Updated Meta-Analysis

Background The association between TP53 R72P and/or MDM2 SNP309 polymorphisms and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk has been widely reported, but results were inconsistent. To clarify the effects of these polymorphisms on HCC risk, an updated meta-analysis of all available studies was conducted. Methods Eligible articles were identified by search of databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Chinese Biomedical Literature database (CBM) for the period up to July 2013. Data were extracted by two independent authors and pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. Metaregression and subgroup analyses were performed to identify the source of heterogeneity. Results Finally, a total of 10 studies including 2,243 cases and 3,615 controls were available for MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and 14 studies containing 4,855 cases and 6,630 controls were included for TP53 R72P polymorphism. With respect to MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism, significantly increased HCC risk was found in the overall population. In subgroup analysis by ethnicity and hepatitis virus infection status, significantly increased HCC risk was found in Asians, Caucasians, Africans, and HCV positive patients. With respect to TP53 R72P polymorphism, no significant association with HCC risk was observed in the overall and subgroup analyses. In the MDM2 SNP309–TP53 R72P interaction analysis, we found that subjects with MDM2 309TT and TP53 Pro/Pro genotype, MDM2 309 TG and TP53 Arg/Pro genotype, and MDM2 309 GG and TP53 Pro/Pro genotype were associated with significantly increased risk of developing HCC as compared with the reference MDM2 309TT and TP53 Arg/Arg genotype. Conclusions We concluded that MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism may play an important role in the carcinogenesis of HCC. In addition, our findings further suggest that the combination of MDM2 SNP 309 and TP53 Arg72Pro genotypes confers higher risk to develop HCC. Further large and well-designed studies are needed to confirm this association.