Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mortality in diabetic and nondiabetic patients after amputations performed from 1990 to 1995: a 5-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE To compare survival rates after first amputation between patients with and without diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AAND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of all nontraumatic amputations performed at our center in the years 1990-1995 in patients with (n = 100) and without (n = 151) diabetes. Survival status was assessed from the first amputation until 31 December 2001. RESULTS Altogether, 61% of the patients with and 54.3% of those without diabetes died 5.2 (4.5-5.8) and 5.3 (4.7-5.9) [mean (95% CI)] years after the first amputation, respectively (P = 0.80). Survival was not different between patients with and without diabetes after controlling for the level (major versus minor) (P = 0.67) or the cause (ischemia versus infection) of amputation (P = 0.72). No sex differences were found for survival in either study group. Independent predictors of mortality in the diabetic group were duration of diabetes (P = 0.05), history of stroke (P = 0.02), and serum creatinine level (P < 0.0001), while in the nondiabetic group independent predictors were history of stroke (P = 0.04), serum creatinine level (P = 0.005), and higher white blood cell count (P = 0.02). The peak incidence of amputations was observed in the decade of 67-76 years of age in both groups. Major amputations were more common among nondiabetic patients in all age-groups. Median hospital stay and postoperative complications were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS All-cause mortality is high after an amputation in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Mortality rates, hospital stay, and postoperative complications are not different between diabetic and nondiabetic amputees. No modifiable factors, with the exception of nephropathy, were found to improve survival in amputees. Peripheral vascular disease and neuropathy are the main cause of amputations; prevention, therefore, of these complications is warranted to prevent amputations and the subsequent high mortality.
Improved hydrogeophysical characterization using joint inversion of cross‐hole electrical resistance and ground‐penetrating radar traveltime data

Appropriate regularizations of geophysical inverse problems and joint inversion of different data types improve geophysical models and increase their usefulness in hydrogeological studies. We have developed an efficient method to calculate stochastic regularization operators for given geostatistical models. The method, which combines circulant embedding and the diagonalization theorem of circulant matrices, is applicable for stationary geostatistical models when the grid discretization, in each spatial direction, is uniform in the volume of interest. We also used a structural approach to jointly invert cross‐hole electrical resistance and ground‐penetrating radar traveltime data in three dimensions. The two models are coupled by assuming, at all points, that the cross product of the gradients of the two models is zero. No petrophysical relationship between electrical conductivity and relative permittivity is assumed but is instead obtained as a by‐product of the inversion. The approach has been applied to data collected in a U.K. sandstone aquifer in order to improve characterization of the vadose zone hydrostratigraphy. By analyzing scatterplots of electrical conductivity versus relative permittivity together with petrophysical models a zonation could be obtained with corresponding estimates of the electrical formation factor, the water content, and the effective grain radius of the sediments. The approach provides greater insight into the hydrogeological characteristics of the subsurface than by using conventional geophysical inversion methods.
Echo-planar functional MR imaging of epilepsy with concurrent EEG monitoring.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The role of functional MR (fMR) imaging in the evaluation of patients with epilepsy has not been systematically studied. Our purpose was to identify the fMR correlates of interictal epileptiform discharges. METHODS Twenty patients with epilepsy and frequent interictal discharges were studied with concurrent EEG monitoring on a 1.5-T echo-planar magnet to acquire blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) images in the baseline (OFF) and immediate post-discharge (ON) states. Analysis was performed using subtraction of average ON and OFF data (method I); cross-correlation analysis between the ON and OFF states (method II); and individual spike analysis (ISA), with which signal intensity in the individual ON states was statistically analyzed using a weighted comparison with the mean and variance of the OFF states (method III). Agreement of fMR activation with EEG localization was determined. RESULTS Eighteen of 20 patients had interictal discharges during the monitoring period. Method I yielded visually detectable sites of BOLD signal differences in only one patient. Method II resulted in two patients with sites of BOLD activation. Method III, ISA, resulted in regions of increased BOLD signal corresponding to the EEG focus in nine of 10 patients. CONCLUSION fMR studies can often reveal sites of increased BOLD signal that correspond to sites of interictal EEG discharge activity. Because of variable intensity changes associated with discharge activity, ISA resulted in increased sensitivity.
Multimorbidity Patterns in the Elderly: A New Approach of Disease Clustering Identifies Complex Interrelations between Chronic Conditions

Objective Multimorbidity is a common problem in the elderly that is significantly associated with higher mortality, increased disability and functional decline. Information about interactions of chronic diseases can help to facilitate diagnosis, amend prevention and enhance the patients' quality of life. The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge of specific processes of multimorbidity in an unselected elderly population by identifying patterns of statistically significantly associated comorbidity. Methods Multimorbidity patterns were identified by exploratory tetrachoric factor analysis based on claims data of 63,104 males and 86,176 females in the age group 65+. Analyses were based on 46 diagnosis groups incorporating all ICD-10 diagnoses of chronic diseases with a prevalence ≥ 1%. Both genders were analyzed separately. Persons were assigned to multimorbidity patterns if they had at least three diagnosis groups with a factor loading of 0.25 on the corresponding pattern. Results Three multimorbidity patterns were found: 1) cardiovascular/metabolic disorders [prevalence female: 30%; male: 39%], 2) anxiety/depression/somatoform disorders and pain [34%; 22%], and 3) neuropsychiatric disorders [6%; 0.8%]. The sampling adequacy was meritorious (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure: 0.85 and 0.84, respectively) and the factors explained a large part of the variance (cumulative percent: 78% and 75%, respectively). The patterns were largely age-dependent and overlapped in a sizeable part of the population. Altogether 50% of female and 48% of male persons were assigned to at least one of the three multimorbidity patterns. Conclusion This study shows that statistically significant co-occurrence of chronic diseases can be subsumed in three prevalent multimorbidity patterns if accounting for the fact that different multimorbidity patterns share some diagnosis groups, influence each other and overlap in a large part of the population. In recognizing the full complexity of multimorbidity we might improve our ability to predict needs and achieve possible benefits for elderly patients who suffer from multimorbidity.
Maximal transference and summability of multilinear Fourier series

Abstract We obtain a maximal transference theorem that relates almost everywhere convergence of multilinear Fourier series to boundedness of maximal multilinear operators. We use this and other recent results on transference and multilinear operators to deduce Lp and almost everywhere summability of certain m–linear Fourier series. We formulate conditions for the convergence of multilinear series and we investigate certain kinds of summation.
Hierarchical sliding mode control for a class of SIMO under-actuated systems

A hierarchical sliding mode control approach is proposed for a class of SIMO under-actuated systems. This class of tinder-actuated systems is made up of several Subsystems. Based on this physical structure, the hierarchical structure of the sliding surfaces is designed as follows. At first, the sliding surface of every subsystem is defined. Then the sliding surface of one subsystem is defined as the first layer sliding surface. The first layer sliding surface is used to construct the second layer sliding surface with the sliding surface of another subsystem. This process continues till the sliding surfaces of the entire subsystems are included. According to the hierarchical structure, the total control law is deduced by the Lyapunov theorem. In theory, the asymptotic stability of the entire system of sliding surfaces is proven and the parameter boundaries of the subsystem sliding surfaces are given. Simulation results show the feasibility of this control method through two typical SIMO under-actuated systems.
Trusted Noise in Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution: A Threat and a Defense

We address the role of the phase-insensitive trusted preparation and detection noise in the security of a continuous-variable quantum key distribution, considering the Gaussian protocols on the basis of coherent and squeezed states and studying them in the conditions of Gaussian lossy and noisy channels. The influence of such a noise on the security of Gaussian quantum cryptography can be crucial, even despite the fact that a noise is trusted, due to a strongly nonlinear behavior of the quantum entropies involved in the security analysis. We recapitulate the known effect of the preparation noise in both direct and reverse-reconciliation protocols, as well as the detection noise in the reverse-reconciliation scenario. As a new result, we show the negative role of the trusted detection noise in the direct-reconciliation scheme. We also describe the role of the trusted preparation or detection noise added at the reference side of the protocols in improving the robustness of the protocols to the channel noise, confirming the positive effect for the coherent-state reverse-reconciliation protocol. Finally, we address the combined effect of trusted noise added both in the source and the detector.
Delaying Dementia Through Mental Stimulation: A Service Learning Project

The goal of this project was a simple one: to create a mental stimulation focused activity program with the goal to delay the onset of dementia in the elderly. The incidence rate of new dementia cases in our country is increasing due to the large amount of people nearing the age of retirement. This means that more people are at risk of the disease than ever before. Dementia is becoming a major public health concern due to the intense effect it has on society, the patients, their family, and their friends. The mental health of our seniors is becoming just as important as their physical health. Dementia affects the brain in ways that are not yet fully understood. We do know that mental stimulation plays an important role in slowing the development of cognitive impairment diseases such as dementia, and can have as big of an affect as physical activity, a healthy diet, and genetics. Care facilities do their best to address all aspects of health for their residents. Some even go as far as to have specialists on hand to attend to specific needs such as a nutritionist, care physician, or an activities coordinator. Unfortunately not as much attention is given to the cognitive health aspect of health yet. Quality senior care has always been important, but as the average age of our population continues to increase, the need for a dementia prevention program increases as well. This project includes information and statistics on dementia, the effects it has on those afflicted, and on society as a whole. This information was used to create a dementia prevention program in a senior care facility with a collection of mental stimulation based activities such as jewelry making, painting, board games, and card making. By getting seniors involved in craft-based activities, their brain has to work differently in order to Running Head: DELAYING DEMENTIA THROUGH MENTAL STIMULATION 4 complete the task at hand. This type of stimulation is important to maintain mental health by having a positive effect on brain functioning.
Accelerated recombination and primordial baryonic clouds: the recent CMB and SDSS data constraint, and the constraint forecast for the PLANCK surveyor

We have constrained the extended (delayed and accelerated) models of hydrogen recombination, by investigating associated changes of the position and the width of the last scattering surface. Using the recent CMB and SDSS data, we find that the recent data constraints favor the accelerated recombination model, though the other models (standard, delayed recombination) are not ruled out at 1-σ confidence level. If the accelerated recombination had actually occurred in our early Universe, baryonic clustering on small-scales is likely to be the cause of it. By comparing the ionization history of baryonic cloud models with that of the best-fit accelerated recombination model, we find that some portion of our early Universe has baryonic underdensity. We have made the forecast on the PLANCK data constraint, which shows that we will be able to rule out the standard or delayed recombination models, if the recombination in our early Universe had proceeded with ǫα ∼ −0.01 or lower, and residual foregrounds and systematic effects are negligible. PACS numbers: 98.70. Vc, 98.80. Bp, 98.80. -k, 98.80. Es Accelerated recombination and primordial baryonic clouds 2
SOME DISCUSSION AND EXTENSION OF MANFRED BIERWISCH'S WORK ON GERMAN ADJECTIVALS

Abstract : The article presents some discussion, criticism, and extension of Manfred Bierwisch's recent paper, 'Some Semantic Universals of German Adjectivals. ' Bierwisch draws conclusions about the structure of semantic theory as the result of his attempt to analyze the meaning of selected words and expressions. Correspondingly, this report paper separates into two parts: (1) an extension of Bierwisch's study of semantic theory, and (2) further analysis of particular expressions. In Part I, certain difficulties that arise from Bierwisch's restructuring of semantic theory are presented along with suggestions for dealing with these difficulties. In Part II, an analysis is made of some words and expressions related to those that Bierwisch has examined. The examples are further evidence of the usefulness of the semantic markers Bierwisch introduced.
Repositories and communities at cross-purposes: issues in sharing and reuse of digital learning resources

Globally, institutions are setting up digital repositories to support the sharing of resources for teaching and learning. The educational rationale is that a single set of resources can be restructured to support different pedagogical approaches and to achieve economies of scale. A key problem is that these learning object repositories (LORs), like many other learning technology innovations, are often designed to exploit the capabilities of technology rather than to meet learners’ needs. The premise of this study is that the nature and organization of a community is likely to impact the way an LOR is used. Key dimensions of repositories and communities are discussed. Three repository systems are analysed to identify how communities use repositories. Guided by Activity Theory, the LORs and user communities are analysed as activity systems. These activity systems are compared and contradictions between them are identified. From the analysis, barriers and enablers for the use of LORs to support learning are discussed and a framework for addressing the key issues in the repository development stage is proposed.
What's the Contingency? A Proposal for Bank Contingent Capital Triggered by Systemic Risk

Contingent capital (coco) automatically recapitalizes the banking system during financial crises if the trigger mechanism is properly designed. We propose a dual trigger mechanism based on: (1) aggregate systemic risk in the banking system, measured using CATFIN, and (2) the individual bank’s contribution to overall systemic risk, measured using delta CoVaR. The dual trigger is highly correlated with system-wide insolvency risk and prices systemic risk. We set different triggers for banks, insurance companies and broker-dealers. Using the 99% cut-off, systemic coco issued by Lehman and Bear Stearns would have been triggered in November 2007, months prior to their actual demise.
The Learning Firm in the Learning Region: Workers Participation as Social Capital

In his book, The Corrosion of Character. The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism (1998), Richard Sennett discusses some of the consequences for especially the well-educated middle class of being exposed to the flexible labour market of the globalising economy. What he describes is a new situation of not any more being able to plan a job career after graduation from universitiy, but, on the contrary, being confronted by a labour market characterised by instability, insecurity and rapid skill exhaustion. Focusing on the situation of the middle class, Sennett typically describes the Silicon Valley type professional labour market, where the rapidity of change, and the challenges of world class competition, has created internal labour markets where “the winner takes all”. However, as the rate of growth of new firms is very high, new job opportunities are continously created, thus, making the individual periods of unemployment short and the aggregate number of unemployed of this category small. But the overall problem remains, i.e. loss of a life project as a consequence of loss of control of one’s life situation.
Pulmonary Hypertension and Indicators of Right Ventricular Function

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare disease, whose underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. It is characterized by pulmonary arterial vasoconstriction and vessels wall thickening, mainly intimal and medial layers. Several molecular pathways have been studied, but their respective roles remain unknown. Cardiac repercussions of PH are hypertrophy, dilation, and progressive right ventricular dysfunction. Multiple echocardiographic parameters are being used, in order to assess anatomy and cardiac function, but there are no guidelines edited about their usefulness. Thus, it is now recommended to associate the best-known parameters, such as atrial and ventricular diameters or tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion. Cardiac catheterization remains necessary to establish the diagnosis of PH and to assess pulmonary hemodynamic state. Concerning energetic metabolism, free fatty acids, normally used to provide energy for myocardial contraction, are replaced by glucose uptake. These abnormalities are illustrated by increased 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography, which seems to be correlated with echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters.
Semi-Supervised Acoustic Model Training by Discriminative Data Selection From Multiple ASR Systems’ Hypotheses

While the performance of ASR systems depends on the size of the training data, it is very costly to prepare accurate and faithful transcripts. In this paper, we investigate a semisupervised training scheme, which takes the advantage of huge quantities of unlabeled video lecture archive, particularly for the deep neural network (DNN) acoustic model. In the proposed method, we obtain ASR hypotheses by complementary GMM- and DNN-based ASR systems. Then, a set of CRF-based classifiers is trained to select the correct hypotheses and verify the selected data. The proposed hypothesis combination shows higher quality compared with the conventional system combination method (ROVER). Moreover, compared with the conventional data selection based on confidence measure score, our method is demonstrated more effective for filtering usable data. Significant improvement in the ASR accuracy is achieved over the baseline system and in comparison with the models trained with the conventional system combination and data selection methods.
IEC 61850: ROLE OF CONFORMANCE TESTING IN SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION

The IEC Standard 61850, Communications Networks and Systems in Substations , is an internationally recognized data communications suite of protocols for substation and system-wide protective relaying, integration, control, monitoring, metering, and testing. With multivendor installations, developers and users recognize the risk of varying interpretations of such a complex standard. Standard conformance testing and certification by test laboratories, carried out with standardized procedures and tools by experts who are not the designers of the equipment under test, can remove much of the risk and can bring a common understanding of how to implement the communications so that all products work together. This paper, focuses on the evolutionary nature of the testing program established by the UCA International Users’ Group (UCAIUG) and what the tests can and cannot accomplish. The results from the test activities will be explained. We present a roadmap on how to use the certification process to improve the end-user integration experience. The paper describes additional measures, such as interoperability and functional testing, to traverse this roadmap to interoperable substation installations.
CD16+ Monocyte Subsets Are Increased in Large Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms and Are Differentially Related with Circulating and Cell-Associated Biochemical and Inflammatory Biomarkers

Proinflammatory components are present in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Circulating monocytes display heterogeneity, and three subsets have been identified, based on the differential expression for CD14 and CD16 receptors: CD14+CD16-, classical, CD14+CD16+, intermediate and CD14dim CD16+, non-classical monocytes. Increased proinflammatory CD16+ monocytes with high expression of CD143 are present in CKD patients. D-dimer is increased in AAA patients, and might contribute to the pro-inflammatory response associated to circulating monocytes. We aimed to investigate the frequency of CD14+CD16+, CD14dim CD16+ monocytes and monocyte CD143 expression in AAA patients, and their relationship with D-dimer, eGFR and other inflammatory parameters. Blood from 74 AAA patients and 30 healthy controls was analyzed to determine the frequency of CD14+, CD16+, CD14dim CD16+ monocytes and the monocyte CD143 expression by means of flow-cytometry. AAA patients had expanded CD16+ SUPsets (CD14+CD16+: 7.66 ± 0.31% vs 5.42 ± 0.27%; CD14dim CD16+: 7.43 ± 0.48% vs 5.54 ± 0.38%, AAA vs controls, mean ± SE, both p<0.05). CD14+ CD16+ cells were associated to D-dimer and age, and to reduced eGFR. CD14dim CD16+ cells were associated to uric acid, surface CD143, and reduced count of total leukocytes and neutrophils. Within AAA patients, the two CD16+ supsets and the monocyte CD143 expression display different relationships with D-dimer, parameters of renal function and circulating biochemical and inflammatory biomarkers.
mlegp: statistical analysis for computer models of biological systems using R

UNLABELLED Gaussian processes (GPs) are flexible statistical models commonly used for predicting output from complex computer codes. As such, GPs are well suited for the analysis of computer models of biological systems, which have been traditionally difficult to analyze due to their high-dimensional, non-linear and resource-intensive nature. We describe an R package, mlegp, that fits GPs to computer model outputs and performs sensitivity analysis to identify and characterize the effects of important model inputs. AVAILABILITY http://www.biomath. org/mlegp