Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ERAP1 polymorphisms and haplotypes are associated with ankylosing spondylitis susceptibility and functional severity in a Spanish population.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the involvement of the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) gene in AS susceptibility and functional severity in a Spanish population. METHODS Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the ERAP1 gene were genotyped by allele-specific fluorescent PCR in 300 AS Spanish patients and 300 spondylarthritis-free controls. The influence of the ERAP1 SNPs on the functional severity of AS was analysed with the BASFI corrected for disease duration. Association analyses with AS susceptibility and functional severity were performed. RESULTS Significant ERAP1 single marker association with AS susceptibility was found for five SNPs, namely rs30187 (allele T: P = 0.035), rs17482078 (allele C: P = 0.030), rs2287987 (allele T: P = 0.028), rs26653 (allele C: P = 0.041) and rs10050860 (allele C: P = 0.018). Three of the associated SNPs (rs17482078, rs2287987 and rs10050860) were in strong linkage disequilibrium. After imputing genotypes with the HapMap CEU data as reference, the strongest association was with rs41135 (P = 0.0046) in the 5'-upstream region of ERAP1. In addition, the SNP rs17481856 was found to be a risk factor for functional severity in AS and a borderline trend was observed for rs27044. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the ERAP1 gene is associated with genetic predisposition to AS and influences the functional severity of the disease in a Spanish population.
Estimating Optimal Parameters for MRF Stereo from a Single Image Pair

This paper presents a novel approach for estimating the parameters for MRF-based stereo algorithms. This approach is based on a new formulation of stereo as a maximum a posterior (MAP) problem in which both a disparity map and MRF parameters are estimated from the stereo pair itself. We present an iterative algorithm for the MAP estimation that alternates between estimating the parameters while fixing the disparity map and estimating the disparity map while fixing the parameters. The estimated parameters include robust truncation thresholds for both data and neighborhood terms, as well as a regularization weight. The regularization weight can be either a constant for the whole image or spatially-varying, depending on local intensity gradients. In the latter case, the weights for intensity gradients are also estimated. Our approach works as a wrapper for existing stereo algorithms based on graph cuts or belief propagation, automatically tuning their parameters to improve performance without requiring the stereo code to be modified. Experiments demonstrate that our approach moves a baseline belief propagation stereo algorithm up six slots in the Middlebury rankings
Towards fast OS rejuvenation: An experimental evaluation of fast OS reboot techniques

Continuous or high availability is a key requirement for many modern IT systems. Computer operating systems play an important role in IT systems availability. Due to the complexity of their architecture, they are prone to suffer failures due to several types of software faults. Software aging causes a nonnegligible fraction of these failures. It leads to an accumulation of errors with time, increasing the system failure rate. This phenomenon can be accompanied by performance degradation and eventually system hang or even crash. As a countermeasure, software rejuvenation entails stopping the system, cleaning its internal state, and resuming its operation. This process usually incurs downtime. For an operating system, the downtime impacts any application running on top of it. Several solutions have been developed to speed up the boot time of operating systems in order to reduce the downtime overhead. We present a study of two fast OS reboot techniques for rejuvenation of Linux-based operating systems, namely Kexec and Phase-based reboot. The study measures the performance penalty they introduce and the gain in reduction of downtime overhead. The results reveal that the Kexec and Phase-based reboot have no statistically significant impact in terms of performance penalty from the user perspective. However, they may require extra resource (e.g., CPU) usage. The downtime overhead reduction, compared with normal Linux and VM reboots, is 77% and 79% in Kexec and Phase-based reboot, respectively.
Electronic sensing technologies for autonomous ground vehicles: A review

Autonomous ground vehicles have evolved a lot in the past decade. Several prototypes have been presented and tested in different conditions. A major challenge for such vehicles is the fact that they depend on advanced sensing technologies to perceive the environment and make real-time decisions. The complexity of this task typically requires multiple sensing devices, which is both a technical challenge as well as a limiting factor for autonomous vehicles evolution to mass-production. In this paper we review the current main sensing technologies for autonomous ground vehicles, their suitability and maturity status, as well as the way they have been used in prototype cars. This analysis gives a perspective of their evolution so far, as well as an indication of possible future trends.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induces Localized Immunosuppression during Pneumonia

ABSTRACT Hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia is a common and serious complication of modern medical care. Many aspects of such infections remain unclear, including the mechanisms by which invading pathogens resist clearance by the innate immune response and the tendency of the infections to be polymicrobial. Here, we used a mouse model of infection to show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a leading cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia, interferes with the ability of recruited phagocytic cells to eradicate bacteria from the lung. Early in infection, phagocytic cells, predominantly neutrophils, are recruited to the lungs but are incapacitated when they enter the airways by the P. aeruginosa toxin ExoU. The resulting paucity of functioning phagocytes allows P. aeruginosa to persist within the lungs and results in local immunosuppression that facilitates superinfection with less-pathogenic bacteria. Together, our results provide explanations for previous reports linking ExoU-secreting P. aeruginosa with more severe pulmonary infections and for the tendency of hospital-acquired pneumonia to be polymicrobial.
Motion segmentation based on factorization method and discriminant criterion

A motion segmentation algorithm based on factorization method and discriminant criterion is proposed. This method uses a feature with the most useful similarities for grouping, selected using motion information calculated by factorization method and discriminant criterion. A group is extracted based on discriminant analysis for the selected feature's similarities. The same procedure is applied recursively to the remaining features to extract other groups. This grouping is robust against noise and outliers because features with no useful information are automatically rejected. Numerical computation is simple and stable. No prior knowledge is needed on the number of objects. Experimental results are shown for synthetic data and real image sequences.
Impact of resolution and image quality on video face analysis

Low-resolution face analysis suffers more significantly from quality degradations than high-resolution analysis. In this work, we will investigate how several face analysis steps are influenced by low image quality and how this relates to the low resolution. In the first step, a simulation of different effects on image quality, namely low resolution, compression artifacts, motion blur and noise is performed and the impact on face detection, registration and recognition is analyzed. Depending on the situation, it becomes obvious that the low resolution is sometimes a minor degrading effect, outmatched by a single one or a combination of the further effects. When addressing real-world face recognition from surveillance data, the combination of the challenging effects is the biggest problem because typical counter measures are individual to one single effect.
Schizophrenia in KwaZulu-Natal : a study of certified patients, accessibility to mental health services and risk.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness. The prevalence of schizophrenia is of concern and highlights the chronicity of the illness (Kaplan & Sadock, 1998; Warner & de Girolamo, 1995). It is therefore important that greater understanding ofthe variables affecting and potentially contributing to schizophrenia is sought. This study deals with three separate areas: 1. Creating a database and describing the socio-demographic profile of 615 certified patients diagnosed with schizophrenia between the years 1995 and 1996, hospitalised at Fort Napier. 2. Exploring whether a meaningful geographical model of socio-demographic variables of schizophrenia can be built, and whether it can determine areas of high schizophrenia sensitivity. Such a perspective of schizophrenia (exploring the combined effect of all the variables connected to schizophrenia) has not been previously researched rather each variable has been studied independently. The model utilised in the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) offers an opportunity to graphically overlay these individual variables and then examine the potential effect. It was only possible to explore sociodemographic variables within this Masters research project. 3. Determining the geographical accessibility of the public provincial hospitals offering psychiatric services to the population, (particularly to persons with schizophrenia). This is relevant to the provision of maintenance programmes and early intervention as encouraged by recent research (Hodges, Byme, Grant & Johnstone, 1999; Yung et aI, 1998). The socio-demographic profile of the certified patients at FNH correlated with most of the international findings. The presentation of schizophrenia remained constant in South Afiica in comparison to international countries and cultures (Warner & de Girolamo, 1995). Overall, the pattern produced by the schizophrenia sensitivity model was unclear other than high and low schizophrenia sensitivity ranges being evenly spread throughout KZN. The model has yet to be further refined to increase its sensitivity to schizophrenia risk. Although statistical significance was not established, the accessibility model suggested that large parts ofKZN fall within the range of easy
Establishing surveillance for diabetes in American Indian youth.

OBJECTIVE To determine prevalence estimates in order to monitor diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, in American Indian youth. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS To explore the feasibility of developing a case definition using information from primary care records, all youth aged <20 years with an outpatient visit or hospitalization for diabetes were identified from the Billings Area Indian Health Service database in Montana and Wyoming from 1997 to 1999, and the medical records were reviewed. Classification for probable type 1 diabetes was based on age < or =5 years, weight per age < or =15th percentile at diagnosis, or positive results of islet cell antibody test. Classification for probable type 2 diabetes was based on weight per age > or =85th percentile or presence of acanthosis nigricans at diagnosis, elevated C-peptide or insulin, family history for type 2 diabetes, or use of oral hypoglycemic agents with or without insulin or absence of current treatment 1 year after diagnosis. RESULTS A total of 52 case subjects with diabetes were identified, 3 of whom had diabetes secondary to other conditions. Of the remaining 49 case subjects, 25 (51%) were categorized as having probable type 2 diabetes, 14 (29%) as having probable type 1 diabetes, and 10 (20%) could not be categorized because of missing or negative information. Prevalence estimates for diabetes of all types, type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes were 2.3, 0.6, and 1.1, respectively, per 1,000 youth aged <20 years. CONCLUSIONS Our definitions may be useful for surveillance in primary care settings until further studies develop feasible case definitions for monitoring trends in diabetes among youth.
Can Norway Be a Role Model for Natural Resource Abundant Countries? Keywords: cross-section models, economic development, natural resources, resource booms

During the 1950-70s Norway had relatively low GDP per capita compared to the OECD average and even more so compared to Denmark and Sweden. During the 1970s there was a significant catch-up in incomes and from the early 1990s a . take-off. in relative income. Norway is currently ranked among the countries with the highest GDP per capita in the world and is at the top according to UNDP.s human development indicator. We argue that this development is related to the growth of the Norwegian petroleum sector, although many studies of economic growth conclude that countries abundant in natural resources are not blessed but cursed by gifts of nature. How has Norway avoided so many of the possible problems that follow in the wake of a natural resource-based development? Nowadays the standard answer to this question is . good institutions. and . clever policies. In this paper we detail the institutions and policies that may explain the peculiar development success of Norway. There are lessons here that can contribute to policy learning, but only on the provision that the specificities of the . learning. country are understood.
Assessment of channel interference for Licensed Shared Access (LSA) in the 2.3–2.4 GHz band

This text simulates sharing conditions between incumbent spectrum user and mobile network operator (MNO) at the frequency band 2.3 - 2.4 GHz. The probability of interference between radio systems helps to determine appropriate frequency planning rules and specific limits for system performances. Due to rapid technology development in mobile devices and network technologies an explosive growth in mobile traffic demand has led to the need for more market driven approaches for spectrum access. European spectrum regulation administrations have started to consider the development of strategic approaches and policies for spectrum sharing under the Licensed Shared Access (LSA) framework. In Europe the 2.3-2.4 GHz band has been identified as the first potential application area for sharing between a MNO and incumbent spectrum users under LSA framework. Simulations are conducted to assess the sharing conditions between incumbent program making and special events (PMSE) services and entrant LTE (Long Term Evaluation) network. One difficulty in simulations is to describe occurancy of busy and idle periods of intended sharing systems.
Microglia Function in Alzheimer’s Disease

Contrary to early views, we now know that systemic inflammatory/immune responses transmit to the brain. The microglia, the resident “macrophages” of the brain’s innate immune system, are most responsive, and increasing evidence suggests that they enter a hyper-reactive state in neurodegenerative conditions and aging. As sustained over-production of microglial pro-inflammatory mediators is neurotoxic, this raises great concern that systemic inflammation (that also escalates with aging) exacerbates or possibly triggers, neurological diseases (Alzheimer’s, prion, motoneuron disease). It is known that inflammation has an essential role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), since amyloid-β (Aβ) is able to activate microglia, initiating an inflammatory response, which could have different consequences for neuronal survival. On one hand, microglia may delay the progression of AD by contributing to the clearance of Aβ, since they phagocyte Aβ and release enzymes responsible for Aβ degradation. Microglia also secrete growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which are neuroprotective. In addition, microglia removal of damaged cells is a very important step in the restoration of the normal brain environment, as if left such cells can become potent inflammatory stimuli, resulting in yet further tissue damage. On the other hand, as we age microglia become steadily less efficient at these processes, tending to become over-activated in response to stimulation and instigating too potent a reaction, which may cause neuronal damage in its own right. Therefore, it is critical to understand the state of activation of microglia in different AD stages to be able to determine the effect of potential anti-inflammatory therapies. We discuss here recent evidence supporting both the beneficial or detrimental performance of microglia in AD, and the attempt to find molecules/biomarkers for early diagnosis or therapeutic interventions.
A Comprehensive Investigation of Molecular Features and Prognosis of Lung Adenocarcinoma with Micropapillary Component

Introduction: Both micropapillary predominant lung adenocarcinoma according to the IASLC/ATS/ERS classification and lung adenocarcinoma with a micropapillary component have been reported to be associated with poor prognosis. However, whether they have different prognosis remains undetermined. Methods: Out of 1302 lung adenocarcinoma patients, 21 patients with micropapillary predominant lung adenocarcinoma (MPP) and 100 patients with nonmicropapillary predominant tumors harboring a micropapillary component of at least 5% (MPC) were investigated for clinicopathologic characteristics, recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and spectrum of well-identified driver mutations including EGFR, KRAS, HER2, BRAF, ALK, ROS1, and RET. Results: Twenty out of 21 (95.2%) micropapillary predominant lung adenocarcinoma harbored driver mutations in EGFR (85.7%), HER2 (4.8%), or RET (4.8%). MPP had significantly worse RFS than MPC in stage I patients (p = 0.003), but not in stages II–III patients. The overall survival was comparable between MPP and MPC regardless of disease stages. Objective response was achieved in 13 out of the 18 MPP or MPC patients with EGFR mutations who received EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) after disease recurrence. The postrecurrence survival was significantly better in EGFR-mutated patients who were treated with EGFR TKIs compared to those who did not receive TKIs (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Micropapillary predominant lung adenocarcinoma is a disease that could be largely defined by targetable driver mutations. For stage I lung adenocarcinoma, MPP was even more likely to recur than MPC. EGFR TKIs might help to control the recurrent disease for MPP or MPC patients harboring EGFR mutations.
Age‐related changes in body composition among Turkana males of Kenya

To determine if age‐related changes in body composition among males from an energetically limited population are similar to those of Western populations, we collected anthropometric data from Turkana pastoral nomads of northern Kenya. Measures included height, weight, and triceps, suprailiac, and subscapular skinfolds. Subjects were 132 nomadic and 90 settled Turkana males, with estimated ages 20+. Skinfold measures were used to calculate both fat‐free mass (FFM) and percent body fat. Results were analyzed by 10‐year age groups, using general linear models. Subpopulations did not differ in FFM, but percent body fat was significantly higher among settled males. Age‐related changes in FFM were curvilinear, peaking in the 30s for nomads and 40s for settled males, with a significant decline in men over 60 years of age. Nomadic males show declines in percent body fat from the 20s onward, while percent body fat among settled males increased across age groups. These results indicate that age‐related patterns of FFM in Turkana men are similar to those found in Western populations, but that age‐related patterns of adiposity can differ. As such, they suggest that age‐related patterns of fat‐free mass in men may vary little across populations, while age‐related patterns of adiposity are more closely related to environmental conditions. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 17:601–610, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Semantics and locality preserving correlation projections

Multi-view correlation learning has attracted great attention with the proliferation of heterogeneous data. Typical methods, such as Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) and its variants, usually maximize one-to-one corresponding correlation of inter-view data, while most of them neglect discriminative multi-label information and local structure of each view data. In this paper, we propose multi-label Semantics and Locality Preserving Correlation Projections method (SLPCP), which seeks for a semantic common subspace by jointly learning view-specific linear projections from intra-view and interview perspectives simultaneously. SLPCP can be easily optimized with generalized eigen value decomposition via concatenating the projections of multi-views. Applied to retrieval tasks of image and text data in experiments, SLPCP out performs state-of-the-art methods on a widely used dataset NUS-WIDE. The extensive experiments also validate that it is effective to preserve the multi-label semantics and locality of multi-view data.
Testosterone Propionate Exacerbates the Deficits of Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic System and Downregulates Nrf2 Expression in Reserpine-Treated Aged Male Rats

There is a controversy over the effects of testosterone supplements on dopaminergic function. Both neuroprotective and toxic effects of testosterone supplements are reported. The status of oxidative stress seems to explain the neuroprotective or toxic properties of testosterone. To determine the efficacy of testosterone supplements in different status of oxidative stress, the present studies analyzed the dopamine (DA)-related behaviors and neurochemical indices, as well as markers of nigrostriatal dopaminergic (NSDA) system in reserpine-treated aged male rats followed by testosterone propionate (TP) supplements. The status of oxidative stress of experimental animals was evaluated by analyzing oxidative stress parameters and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling pathway in substantia nigra (SN). Consistent with our previous studies, TP supplements to 21-month old aged male rats had the beneficial effects on NSDA system and DA-related behaviors and enhanced the antioxidative capabilities in SN. However, the beneficial effects of TP supplements on NSDA system and DA-related behaviors in aged male rats were reversed by reserpine pretreatment to them. Reserpine treatment induced the severe oxidative stress and reduced the expressions of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) in the SN of aged male rats. The TP supplements to reserpine-pretreated aged male rats exacerbated the defects in NSDA system and DA-related behaviors, aggravated oxidative damages and downregulated the expression of Nrf2, HO-1 and NQO1 in the SN. These results suggested that the efficacy of TP supplements on impaired NSDA system was related to the status of oxidative stress in experimental rats.