Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oral mucosa lesions and oral symptoms in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

BACKGROUND Inflammatory Bowel Disease is known for its extra intestinal manifestations, the oral cavity is no exception. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and oral mucosa lesions and symptoms, and complementary to evaluate their possible relation with oral hygiene, smoking habits, drug therapy, duration and activity of the disease. METHODS Patients were selected from the Gastroenterology Clinic of a Portuguese tertiary referral hospital. This sample consisted of 113 patients previously diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease along with a control group of 58 healthy individuals that were accompanying the study group patients to their appointments. Clinical interviews and clinical examinations were performed for data collection. RESULTS The patients in the study group were more affected by oral symptoms (P=0.011), and showed a trend towards a higher incidence of oral mucosal lesions, even though statistical significance was not reached (8.8% versus 3.4% in the control group; P=0.159). Patients in active phase were the most affected. No differences were detected between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, or concerning smoking habits. The corticosteroid and immunosuppressant therapy seemed to increase the incidence of oral symptoms (P=0.052). The oral mucosa lesions increased and the oral symptoms decreased over the course of the disease, however without statistical significance. CONCLUSION Oral mucosa's lesions and oral symptoms were positively associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, mainly during disease activity periods and conceivably, associated with corticosteroid and immunosuppressant therapy.
After braking comes hasting: reversed effects of indirect associations in 2nd and 4th graders

The Associative Read-Out Model (AROM) suggests that associations between words can be defined by the log likelihood that they occur together more often in sentences than predicted by their single-word frequency. Moreover, semantic relations can be defined by associative spreading across many common associates. Here, we addressed developmental effects of associative and semantic priming. Thus, we manipulated sentence-co-occurrencebased direct (syntagmatic) and common (paradigmatic) associations between prime and target words in 2 and 4 graders. Syntagmatic associations decreased response times and error rates in both, 2 and 4 graders. Paradigmatic associations increased errors rates in 2nd graders, whereas they decreased errors rates in 4th graders. These results suggest that 2 graders profit from syntagmatic, i.e. contiguity-based associations, while a benefit from paradigmatic-semantic relationship probably develops from generalizing across many of these simple associations.
Drude Conductivity of Dirac Fermions in Graphene

Abstract : Electrons moving in graphene behave as massless Dirac fermions, and they exhibit fascinating low-frequency electrical transport phenomena. Their dynamic response, however, is little known at frequencies above one terahertz (THz). Such knowledge is important not only for a deeper understanding of the Dirac electron quantum transport, but also for graphene applications in ultrahigh speed THz electronics and IR optoelectronics. In this paper, we report the first measurement of high-frequency conductivity of graphene from THz to mid-IR at different carrier concentrations. The conductivity exhibits Drude-like frequency dependence and increases dramatically at THz frequencies, but its absolute strength is substantially lower than theoretical predictions. This anomalous reduction of free electron oscillator strength is corroborated by corresponding changes in graphene interband transitions, as required by the sum rule. Our surprising observation indicates that many-body effects and Dirac fermion-impurity interactions beyond current transport theories are important for Dirac fermion electrical response in graphene.
Establishment and Characterization of Rat Portal Myofibroblast Cell Lines

The major sources of scar-forming myofibroblasts during liver fibrosis are activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and portal fibroblasts (PF). In contrast to well-characterized HSC, PF remain understudied and poorly defined. This is largely due to the facts that isolation of rodent PF for functional studies is technically challenging and that PF cell lines had not been established. To address this, we have generated two polyclonal portal myofibroblast cell lines, RGF and RGF-N2. RGF and RGF-N2 were established from primary PF isolated from adult rat livers that underwent culture activation and subsequent SV40-mediated immortalization. Specifically, Ntpdase2/Cd39l1-sorted primary PF were used to generate the RGF-N2 cell line. Both cell lines were functionally characterized by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, immunoblot and bromodeoxyuridine-based proliferation assay. First, immortalized RGF and RGF-N2 cells are positive for phenotypic myofibroblast markers alpha smooth muscle actin, type I collagen alpha-1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1, PF-specific markers elastin, type XV collagen alpha-1 and Ntpdase2/Cd39l1, and mesenchymal cell marker ecto-5’-nucleotidase/Cd73, while negative for HSC-specific markers desmin and lecithin retinol acyltransferase. Second, both RGF and RGF-N2 cell lines are readily transfectable using standard methods. Finally, RGF and RGF-N2 cells attenuate the growth of Mz-ChA-1 cholangiocarcinoma cells in co-culture, as previously demonstrated for primary PF. Immortalized rat portal myofibroblast RGF and RGF-N2 cell lines express typical markers of activated PF-derived myofibroblasts, are suitable for DNA transfection, and can effectively inhibit cholangiocyte proliferation. Both RGF and RGF-N2 cell lines represent novel in vitro cellular models for the functional studies of portal (myo)fibroblasts and their contribution to the progression of liver fibrosis.
Prognostic importance of paraoxonase, arylesterase and mean platelet volume efficiency in acute ischaemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE To study the prognostic importance activity of paraoxonase and arylesterase, and the value of mean platelet volume in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. METHODS This case-control study was conducted at Harran University Hospital, Sanliurfa, Turkey, from January to June 2014, and comprised patients with symptoms of acute ischaemic stroke who presented to the emergency department. Paraoxonase activity, expressed in units per litre, or U/L, of serum, was evaluated in the absence of basal activity, and arylesterase activity was defined as micromoles, of phenol generated/min, and was expressed as U/L of serum. Mean platelet volume was measured as a routine parameter. SPSS 20 was used for data analysis. RESULTS Of the 94 participants, 48(51%) were patients with acute ischaemic stroke and 46(49%) were control subjects. Moreover, 27(56.3%) patients were females and 21(43.7%) were males. In the control group, 26(56.5%) were females and 20(43.5%) were males. The mean age of patients was 68.39±11.83 years compared to controls' 65±9.95 years. Decreased activity of prognostic importance and arylesterase were significant in patients than in the controls (p= 0.016 and p= 0.001, respectively). The median platelets of patients was significantly lower than that of the controls (p=0.004). However, the median mean platelet volume values were similar in the both groups (p=0.568). Binary logistic regression analyses showed that the paraoxonase and arylesterase were risk markers for the patients. CONCLUSIONS Decreased paraoxonase and arylesterase activity and decreased platelet counts were observed probably due to increased oxidative stress in acute ischaemic stroke patients.
A Fast Database Correlation Algorithm for Localization of Wireless Network Mobile Nodes using Coverage Prediction and Round Trip Delay

In this work a fast database correlation algorithm is proposed for the localization of mobile stations in wireless metropolitan area networks. The algorithm is entirely based on built-in functionalities of mobile nodes. The set of measured parameters used for localization is called radio-frequency fingerprint. To provide a position estimate, it is correlated with a database built from field measurements or propagation modeling. The latter alternative was selected, as it allows a less expensive and faster database update. A novel use of the round trip delay to reduce the correlation space and improve positioning accuracy is presented. Vehicular field tests and Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to evaluate the algorithm’s accuracy in GSM and WCDMA cellular networks, respectively.
Patterns of comorbidity associated with subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among 6- to 12-year-old children.

OBJECTIVE To study externalizing and internalizing comorbidity patterns in 6- to 12-year-old children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined subtype (n = 27), ADHD inattentive subtype (n = 26), and a normal control group (n = 33). METHOD Children were assigned to groups on the basis of results of a parent structured interview, which reflected DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms. Comorbid problems were assessed via parent and child structured interviews and parent and teacher behavior ratings. RESULTS Logistic regression analyses and multivariate analyses of covariance revealed that (1) children in the ADHD combined group were significantly more likely to have a diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder and had significantly higher scores on parent and teacher ratings of externalizing problems than children in the ADHD inattentive and control groups, (2) children in the ADHD combined and ADHD inattentive groups had significantly higher scores on parent and teacher ratings of internalizing problems than children in the control group, and (3) children in the clinical groups did not differ with regard to internalizing disorders. CONCLUSIONS The results from this study indicate that a significant comorbidity exists between ADHD combined and oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder. Contrary to previous studies that were conducted using DSM-III diagnostic criteria for ADHD, no differences were found between ADHD combined and ADHD inattentive subtypes regarding internalizing disorders.
Weighted codebook mapping for noisy speech enhancement using harmonic-noise model

Most noisy speech enhancement methods result in partial suppression and distortion of speech spectrum. At instances when the local signal-to-noise ratio at a frequency band is very low speech partials are often obliterated. In this paper a method for enhancement and restoration of noisy speech based on a harmonic-noise model (HNM) is introduced. A HNM imposes a temporal-spectral structure that may reduce processing artifacts. The restoration process is enhanced through incorporation of a prior HNM of clean speech stored in a pre-trained codebook. The restored speech is a SNRdependent combination of the de-noised observation and the speech obtained from weighted codebook mapping. The additional improvements of speech quality resulting from the proposed method in comparison to conventional and modern speech enhancement systems are evaluated. The results show that the proposed method improves the quality of noisy speech and restores much of the information lost to noise.
Regulation of Squalene Synthase, a Key Enzyme of Sterol Biosynthesis, in Tobacco1

Squalene synthase (SS) represents a putative branch point in the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway capable of diverting carbon flow specifically to the biosynthesis of sterols and, hence, is considered a potential regulatory point for sterol metabolism. For example, when plant cells grown in suspension culture are challenged with fungal elicitors, suppression of sterol biosynthesis has been correlated with a reduction in SS enzyme activity. The current study sought to correlate changes in SS enzyme activity with changes in the level of the corresponding protein and mRNA. Using an SS-specific antibody, the initial suppression of SS enzyme activity in elicitor-challenged cells was not reflected by changes in the absolute level of the corresponding polypeptide, implicating a post-translational control mechanism for this enzyme activity. In comparison, the absolute level of the SS mRNA did decrease approximately 5-fold in the elicitor-treated cells, which is suggestive of decreased transcription of the SS gene. Study of SS in intact plants was also initiated by measuring the level of SS enzyme activity, the level of the corresponding protein, and the expression of SS gene promoter-reporter gene constructs in transgenic plants. SS enzyme activity, polypeptide level, and gene expression were all localized predominately to the shoot apical meristem, with much lower levels observed in leaves and roots. These later results suggest that sterol biosynthesis is localized to the apical meristems and that apical meristems may be a source of sterols for other plant tissues.
Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC) rates vary considerably depending on the method used to calculate them: a retrospective observational population-based study of PCCRC in the English National Health Service

Objective Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC) is a key quality indicator of colonoscopy. This study compares methods for defining PCCRC rates, proposes a new method of calculating them and quantifies them across the English National Health Service (NHS). Design This retrospective observational population-based study involved all individuals with a first primary diagnosis of colorectal cancer made between 2001 and 2010 and treated in the English NHS. Previously published methods for deriving PCCRC rates were applied to the linked routine health data for this population to investigate the effect on the rate. A new method, based on the year of the colonoscopy rather than colorectal cancer diagnosis, was then used to calculate PCCRC rates. Results Of 297 956 individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer, a total of 94 648 underwent a colonoscopy in the 3 years prior to their diagnosis. The application of the published methods and exclusion criteria to the dataset produced significantly different PCCRC rates from 2.5% to 7.7%. The new method demonstrates that PCCRC rates within 3 years of colonoscopy (without exclusions) decreased in the English NHS over 8 years, falling from 10.6% to 7.3% for colonoscopies performed in 2001 and 2007 respectively. Conclusions The method used to determine PCCRC rates significantly affects findings with potential to substantially underestimate rates. To enable international benchmarking there needs to be a standardised method for defining PCCRC. This study proposes a new methodology using colonoscopy as a denominator and between 2001 and 2007 this method indicated an 8.6% PCCRC rate across the English NHS. It also demonstrated PCCRC rates have fallen over time.
Pressure ulcers in four Indonesian hospitals: prevalence, patient characteristics, ulcer characteristics, prevention and treatment

The objective of this article was to study characteristics of pressure ulcer patients and their ulcers, pressure ulcer preventive and treatment measures in four Indonesian general hospitals. A multicentre cross‐sectional design was applied to assess pressure ulcers and pressure ulcer care in adult patients in medical, surgical, specialised and intensive care units. Ninety‐one of the 1132 patients had a total of 142 ulcers. Half (44·0%) already had pressure ulcers before admission. The overall prevalence of category I–IV pressure ulcers was 8·0% (95% CI 6·4–9·6), and the overall nosocomial pressure ulcer prevalence was 4·5% (95% CI 3·3–5·7). Most pressure ulcer patients had friction and shear problems, were bedfast, had diabetes and had more bedridden days. Most ulcers (42·3%) were category III and IV. One third of the patients had both pressure ulcers and moisture lesions (36·3%) and suffered from pain (45·1%). The most frequently used prevention measures were repositioning (61·5%), skin moisturising (47·3%), patient education (36·3%) and massage (35·2%). Most pressure ulcer dressings involved saline‐impregnated or antimicrobial gauzes. This study shows the complexities of pressure ulcers in Indonesian general hospitals and reveals that the quality of pressure ulcer care (prevention and treatment) could be improved by implementing the recent evidence‐based international guideline.
User-Centric View of Jamming Games in Cognitive Radio Networks

Jamming games between a cognitive radio enabled secondary user (SU) and a cognitive radio enabled jammer are considered, in which end-user decision making is modeled using prospect theory (PT). More specifically, the interactions between a user and a smart jammer regarding their respective choices of transmit power are formulated as a game under the assumption that the end-user decision making under uncertainty does not follow the traditional objective assumptions stipulated by expected utility theory, but rather follows the subjective deviations specified by PT. Two PT-based static jamming games are formulated to describe how subjective SU and jammer choose their transmit power to maximize their individual signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR)-based utilities under uncertainties regarding the opponent's actions and channel states, respectively. The Nash equilibria of the games are presented under various channel models and transmission costs. Moreover, a PT-based dynamic jamming game is presented to investigate the long-term interactions between a subjective and a smart jammer according to a Markov decision process with uncertainty on the SU's future actions and the channel variations. Simulation results show that the subjective view of an SU tends to exaggerate the jamming probabilities and decreases its transmission probability, thus reducing the average SINR. On the other hand, the subjectivity of a jammer tends to reduce its jamming probability, and thus increases the SU throughput.
Experiments with an extended tangent distance

Invariance is an important aspect in image object recognition. We present results obtained with an extended tangent distance incorporated in a kernel density based Bayesian classifier to compensate for affine image variations. An image distortion model for local variations is introduced and its relationship to tangent distance is considered. The proposed classification algorithms are evaluated on databases of different domains. An excellent result of 2.2% error rate on the original USPS handwritten digits recognition task is obtained. On a database of radiographs from daily routine, best results are obtained by combining the tangent distance and the proposed distortion model.
Testing personality-coping diatheses for negative and positive affect: a longitudinal evaluation

Abstract The current study examined how trait-consistent coping and trait-inconsistent coping were predictive of negative and positive affect. It was hypothesized that coping behaviors (e.g., social support) that were consistent with dimensions of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of Personality (e.g., Extraversion) would be associated with positive affect, whereas traits that were inconsistent would be associated with negative affect. Longitudinal data from 673 military recruits revealed that dimensions of the FFM moderated the relationship between coping and affect. Individuals either high on Neuroticism, high on Agreeableness, or low on Conscientiousness who used more avoidance coping experienced more negative affect. Individuals high in Extraversion who used more approach coping and individuals low in Agreeableness who used more avoidance coping experienced more positive affect. The results are discussed with respect to the behavioral concordance model (BCM) (Coté & Moskowitz, 1998) and the differential coping choice-effectiveness model (Bolger & Zuckerman, 1995).
Field enhancement factor for a tall closely-spaced array of identical conducting posts, and implications for fowler-nordheim theory

This paper derives an approximate formula for the field enhancement factor for a tall closely-packed array of identical conducting posts. It confirms a formula derived from the work of Zhbanov et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 110, 114311 (2011)], but displays the principles underlying collective screening more clearly. A formula for the area efficiency of emission (α<sub>M</sub>) for this array is also derived. Since α<sub>M</sub>≪1, it follows that a macroscopic pre-exponential correction factor (λ<sub>M</sub>) must be included in the formula for the macroscopic ("LAFE-average") emission current density (J<sub>M</sub>) for a large-area field emitter (LAFE). Omission of λ<sub>M</sub> may cause great theoretical over-prediction of the value of J<sub>M</sub>.
Stochastic PDEs with multiscale structure

We study the spatial homogenisation of parabolic linear stochastic PDEs exhibiting a two-scale structure both at the level of the linear operator and at the level of the Gaussiandriving noise. We show that in some cases, in particular when the forcing is given by space time white noise, it may happen that the homogenised SPDE is not what one would expect from existing results for PDEs with more regular forcing terms.
Analyzing manuscript traditions using constraint-based data mining

Data mining tasks and algorithms are often categorized as belonging to one of a few specific types: clustering, association rule discovery, probabilistic modeling, etc. For some time now, it has been recognized that concrete tasks do not always fit nicely in this categorization. The concepts of constraint-based data mining and inductive querying have been proposed to alleviate this problem; they offer more flexibility with respect to specifying the task. In this paper, we illustrate an approach that goes one step further: we show how a general-purpose declarative modeling language can be used to specify and solve data mining tasks in the area of philology. These tasks have the following properties: they are easily described in words; they are of real interest to philologists; they cannot be performed using standard querying or data mining systems; manually programming a solution for them is challenging, time-consuming and error-prone. We show that a prototype declarative programming framework, IDP, allows for easy modeling and efficient solving of these tasks. We conclude from this case study that the declarative modeling approach to data mining has a large potential and deserves further investigation.
Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground , MD 21005-5069 ARL-RP-440 May 2013 Mesoscale Modeling of Dynamic Compression of Boron Carbide

An anisotropic nonlinear elastic model is advanced for crystals belonging to either of two polytypes of boron carbide ceramic. Crystals undergo transformation to an isotropic, amorphous phase upon attainment of a local state-based criterion associated with a loss of intrinsic stability. The model is implemented using the dynamic finite element method, and is demonstrated on a representative volume consisting of fifty polyhedral grains subjected to uniaxial strain at a uniform high strain rate and shock compression at axial pressures ranging from 10 to 50 GPa. Predicted stress–strain behavior is in close agreement with experimental data. For polycrystals consisting of both polytypes, amorphization initiates at stress levels slightly below the experimental Hugoniot elastic limit, and occurs more readily than observed in experiment. For polycrystals consisting only of the CBC (polar) polytype, amorphization initiates at impact pressures similar to those suggested by experiment. In either case, transformation is promoted by dynamic stress interactions and elastic coefficient mismatch among anisotropic crystals. Results support a previous conjecture that amorphization is related to shear instability and cross-linking of the CBC chain in the polar polytype. Published by Elsevier Ltd.