Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
S Urvey of Decision Field Theory 1 . Introduction

This article summarizes the cumulative progress of a cognitive-dynamical approach to decision making and preferential choice called decision field theory. This review includes applications to (a) binary decisions among risky and uncertain actions, (b) multi-attribute preferential choice, (c) multi-alternative preferential choice, and (d) certainty equivalents such as prices. The theory provides natural explanations for violations of choice principles including strong stochastic transitivity, independence of irrelevant alternatives, and regularity. The theory also accounts for the relation between choice and decision time, preference reversals between choice and certainty equivalents, and preference reversals under time pressure. Comparisons with other dynamic models of decision-making and other random utility models of preference are discussed.  2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Improved Block DFE Equalization for Mobile WiMAX OFDM Systems

In this paper an improved decision feedback equalizer (DFE) for mobile orthogonal frequency division modulation (OFDM) systems is presented. The time-varying nature of the channel, due to the Doppler effect, produces inter carrier interference (ICI) that may be counteracted by using a DFE frequency- domain OFDM symbol equalizer. The proposed algorithm is based on a recently proposed block DFE equalizer exploiting an LDLH decomposition. The main novelty of this work is the idea to modify the backward filter in order to have a complete MMSE linear equalization before the decisions needed for the interference cancellation. Performance may be further improved by re-filtering the signal in an iterative algorithm which makes use of the proposed backward filter at the first iteration. The proposed scheme performance is evaluated by considering a mobile WiMAX IEEE 812.16e standard transceiver.
Frequency, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Colonization and Infection in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Leukemia: Different Patterns in Patients with Acute Myelogenous and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency, risk factors, and outcomes for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonization and infection in patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia. DESIGN Retrospective clinical study with VRE molecular strain typing. SETTING A regional referral center for acute leukemia. PATIENTS Two hundred fourteen consecutive patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia between 2006 and 2012. METHODS All patients had a culture of first stool and weekly surveillance for VRE. Clinical data were abstracted from the Intermountain Healthcare electronic data warehouse. VRE molecular typing was performed utilizing the semi-automated DiversiLab System. RESULTS The rate of VRE colonization was directly proportional to length of stay and was higher in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Risk factors associated with colonization include administration of corticosteroids (P=0.004) and carbapenems (P=0.009). Neither a colonized prior room occupant nor an increased unit colonization pressure affected colonization risk. Colonized patients with acute myelogenous leukemia had an increased risk of VRE bloodstream infection (BSI, P=0.002). Other risk factors for VRE BSI include severe neutropenia (P=0.04) and diarrhea (P=0.008). Fifty-eight percent of BSI isolates were identical or related by molecular typing. Eighty-nine percent of bloodstream isolates were identical or related to stool isolates identified by surveillance cultures. VRE BSI was associated with increased costs (P=0.0003) and possibly mortality. CONCLUSIONS VRE colonization has important consequences for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia undergoing induction therapy. For febrile neutropenic patients with acute myelogenous leukemia, use of empirical antibiotic regimens that avoid carbapenems and include VRE coverage may be helpful in decreasing the risks associated with VRE BSI. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;36(1): 47–53
Your browsing behavior for a big mac: economics of personal information online

Most online service providers offer free services to users and in part, these services collect and monetize personally identifiable information (PII), primarily via targeted advertisements. Against this backdrop of economic exploitation of PII, it is vital to understand the value that users put to their own PII. Although studies have tried to discover how users value their privacy, little is known about how users value their PII while browsing, or the exploitation of their PII. Extracting valuations of PII from users is non-trivial - surveys cannot be relied on as they do not gather information of the context where PII is being released, thus reducing validity of answers. In this work, we rely on refined Experience Sampling - a data collection method that probes users to valuate their PII at the time and place where it was generated in order to minimize retrospective recall and hence increase measurement validity. For obtaining an honest valuation of PII, we use a reverse second price auction. We developed a web browser plugin and had 168 users - living in Spain - install and use this plugin for 2 weeks in order to extract valuations of PII in different contexts. We found that users value items of their online browsing history for about ∈7 (~10USD), and they give higher valuations to their offline PII, such as age and address (about 25∈ or ~36USD). When it comes to PII shared in specific online services, users value information pertaining to financial transactions and social network interactions more than activities like search and shopping. No significant distinction was found between valuations of different quantities of PII (e.g. one vs. 10 search keywords), but deviation was found between types of PII (e.g. photos vs. keywords). Finally, the users' preferred goods for exchanging their PII included money and improvements in service, followed by getting more free services and targeted advertisements.
Reconstruction and analysis of shapes from 3D scans

In this thesis, we measure 3D shapes with the use of 3D laser technology, a recent technology that combines physics, mathematics, and computer science to acquire the surface geometry of 3D shapes in the computer. We use this surface geometry to fully reconstruct real world shapes as computer models, and to analyze the characteristics and proportions of human body models for biometric purposes. Tasks that would require a tremendous effort if not done automatically by a computer.
The Effects of Three Disparate Instructional Approaches on Skill Attempts and Student Learning in an Experimental Teaching Unit

The effects of three disparate styles of teaching were examined to determine their influence on motor skill acquisition, cognitive learning related to the performance of a motor skill, and students’ ratings of self-efficacy. The subjects were third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade children (N = 244) in two rural elementary schools. The three instructional methodologies employed were Command, Guided Discovery, and No Instruction. The criterion lesson was a 20-minute experimental teaching unit using a novel golf task. Results revealed no significant differences between the groups taught by the three instructional approaches on skill improvement or self-efficacy. Cognitive understanding improved significantly for the groups taught by the command and guided discovery approaches, however, as compared to the no-instruction groups. Students in the no-instruction groups had a significantly higher number of skill attempts (M = 29.56) as compared to the command (M = 18.56) and guided discovery (M = 20.63) groups. Th.
Corticosteroid responsiveness and clinical characteristics in childhood difficult asthma

This study describes the clinical characteristics and corticosteroid responsiveness of children with difficult asthma (DA). We hypothesised that complete corticosteroid responsiveness (defined as improved symptoms, normal spirometry, normal exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO) and no bronchodilator responsiveness (BDR <12%)) is uncommon in paediatric DA. We report on 102 children, mean±sd age 11.6±2.8 yrs, with DA in a cross-sectional study. 89 children underwent spirometry, BDR and FeNO before and after 2 weeks of systemic corticosteroids (corticosteroid response study). Bronchoscopy was performed after the corticosteroid trial. Of the 102 patients in the cross-sectional study, 88 (86%) were atopic, 60 (59%) were male and 52 (51%) had additional or alternative diagnoses. Out of the 81 patients in the corticosteroid response study, nine (11%) were complete responders. Of the 75 patients with symptom data available, 37 (49%) responded symptomatically, which was less likely if there were smokers in the home (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.02–0.82). Of the 75 patients with available spirometry data, 35 (46%) had normal spirometry, with associations being BAL eosinophilia (OR 5.43, 95% CI 1.13–26.07) and high baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02–1.12). Of these 75 patients, BDR data were available in 64, of whom 36 (56%) had <12% BDR. FeNO data was available in 70 patients, of whom 53 (75%) had normal FeNO. Airflow limitation data was available in 75 patients, of whom 17 (26%) had persistent airflow limitation, which was associated with low baseline FEV1 (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.90–0.97). Only 11% of DA children exhibited complete corticosteroid responsiveness. The rarity of complete corticosteroid responsiveness suggests alternative therapies are needed for children with DA.
Karst Spring Responses Examined by Process‐Based Modeling

Ground water in karst terrains is highly vulnerable to contamination due to the rapid transport of contaminants through the highly conductive conduit system. For contamination risk assessment purposes, information about hydraulic and geometric characteristics of the conduits and their hydraulic interaction with the fissured porous rock is an important prerequisite. The relationship between aquifer characteristics and short‐term responses to recharge events of both spring discharge and physicochemical parameters of the discharged water was examined using a process‐based flow and transport model. In the respective software, a pipe‐network model, representing fast conduit flow, is coupled to MODFLOW, which simulates flow in the fissured porous rock. This hybrid flow model was extended to include modules simulating heat and reactive solute transport in conduits. The application of this modeling tool demonstrates that variations of physicochemical parameters, such as solute concentration and water temperature, depend to a large extent on the intensity and duration of recharge events and provide information about the structure and geometry of the conduit system as well as about the interaction between conduits and fissured porous rock. Moreover, the responses of solute concentration and temperature of spring discharge appear to reflect different processes, thus complementing each other in the aquifer characterization.
Deregulated E2F and the AAA+ Coregulator ANCCA Drive Proto-Oncogene ACTR/AIB1 Overexpression in Breast Cancer

The proto-oncogene ACTR/AIB1, a coactivator for transcription factors such as the nuclear receptors and E2Fs, is frequently overexpressed in various cancers including breast cancers. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we identified several functional, noncanonical E2F binding sites in the ACTR first exon and intron that are critical for ACTR gene activation. We also found that the newly identified AAA+ coregulator AAA+ nuclear coregulator cancer associated (ANCCA) is recruited to the ACTR promoter and directly controls ACTR expression in breast cancer cells. Importantly, immunohistochemistry analysis indicated that ACTR overexpression is highly correlated with the expression of E2F1 and ANCCA in a cohort of human primary and lymph node–metastasized breast cancer specimens. Along with previous findings from us and others that ACTR is involved in its own gene regulation, these results suggest that one major mechanism of ACTR overexpression in cancer is the concerted, aberrant function of the nuclear coregulators such as ANCCA and ACTR, and they point to therapeutic strategies that target the Rb-E2F axis and/or the coregulator ANCCA for ACTR-overexpressing cancers. Mol Cancer Res; 8(2); 183–93
Human Learned Helplessness: A Coping Perspective

The Empirical and Theoretical Basis of Human Learned Helplessness. Proximal Mediators of LH Effects: 1. Coping Strategies. Proximal Mediators of LH Effects: 2. Mental Rumination. Distal Mediators of LH Effects: 1. The Expectancy of Control. Distal Mediators of LH Effects: 2. Emotional Arousal. Moderators of LH Effects: 1. Perceived Task Value. Moderators of LH Effects: 2. Self-focused Attention. A Coping Perspective of Human Learned Helplessness. Index.
An epidemiological transition of health conditions, and health status of the old-old-to-oldest-old in Jamaica: A comparative analysis

Background: There is a paucity of information on the old-old-to-oldest-old in Jamaica. In spite of studies on this cohort, there has never been an examination of the epidemiological transition in health condition affect this age cohort. Objectives: The aims of the current study are 1) provide an epidemiological profile of health conditions affecting Jamaicans 75+ years, 2) examine whether there is an epidemiological transition in health conditions affecting old-old-to-oldest-old Jamaicans, 3) evaluate particular demographic characteristics and health conditions of this cohort, 4) assess whether current self-reported illness is strongly correlated with current health status, 5) mean age of those with particular health conditions, 6) model health status and 7) provide valuable information upon which health practitioners and public health specialists can make more informed decisions. Method: The current study utilized a sub-sample of approximately 4% from each national cross-sectional survey that was conducted in 2002 and 2007. The sub-sample was 282 people ages 75+ years from the 6,783 respondents surveyed for 2007 and 1,069 people ages 75+ years from the 25,018 respondents surveyed for 2002. Results: In 2007, 44% of old-to-oldest-old Jamaicans were diagnosed with hypertension, which represents a 5% decline over 2002. The number of cases of diabetes mellitus increased over 570% in the studied period. The poor indicated having more health conditions than the poorest 20% of the sample. Conclusion: The implications of the shift in health conditions will create a health disparity between 75+ year adults and the rest of the population.
Electrocardiogram and phonogram of adult and newborn mice in normal conditions and under the effect of cooling, hypoxia and potassium.

T HE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM Of SIlld animals is of interest for problems of conductivity, time relationships between heart rate and the various intervals of the cycle, and physiological correlations to body temperature and metabolic rate, but the literature is extremely small. Buchanan (I) found a P-R internal of . 04 second in the dormouse, using a capillary electrometer. Agduhr and Stenstrijm (2) as well as Lombard (3) found no discernible T wave in the electrocardiogram of mice and other small mammals. While O’Bryant, et al. (4) give measurements for the T wave in the mouse electrocardiogram, the published tracings do not show clearly discernible T waves. The absence of a T wave in the mouse electrocardiogram is an intriguing problem. Lombard (3) suggested that this might be due to prolonged repolarization, but did not consider other possible mechanisms. No heart sounds on mice have yet been published although the relationship between mechanical and electrical systole at heart rates as high as 6oo/min. is of importance for the general validity of formulations suggested for a much lower range of h.eart rates.
Association between alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome in Japanese male workers with diabetes mellitus.

AIM Results of previous studies on the relationship between habitual alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome in a general population are not consistent, and this relationship in patients with diabetes is unknown. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship of alcohol consumption with metabolic syndrome in patients with diabetes. METHODS Japanese male workers with diabetes (n = 1960) were divided into non-, light (< 22 g ethanol/day), heavy (≥ 22 and < 44 g ethanol/day) and very heavy (≥ 44 g ethanol/day) drinkers. Relationships of alcohol consumption with visceral obesity evaluated by waist circumference, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia (high triglycerides and/or low HDL cholesterol), hyperglycemia, and metabolic syndrome (3 or more of these risk factors by the NCEP-ATP III criteria) were investigated. RESULTS Odds ratio vs. nondrinkers for high blood pressure was significantly high in all drinker groups, while odds ratio vs. nondrinkers for low HDL cholesterol was significantly low in all drinker groups. Odds ratio vs. nondrinkers for high triglycerides was significantly low in light drinkers and was significantly high in very heavy drinkers. Odds ratio vs. the nondrinker group for large waist circumference was not significant in any drinker groups. Odds ratio vs. nondrinkers for metabolic syndrome was significantly high in very heavy drinkers but was not significant in light and heavy drinkers. CONCLUSION Excessive alcohol intake is associated with a higher risk for metabolic syndrome through elevations of blood pressure and triglycerides in Japanese male patients with diabetes.
A trial of semen collection by transrectal electroejaculation method from Amur leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus)

We collected semen from a male Amur leopard cat using the transrectal electroejaculation method and investigated the semen qualities for about four years. In addition, the influence of the season on the spermatogenic function of the Amur leopard cat was investigated with regard to the semen qualities, testicular volume and serum testosterone level. As a result, we could collect semen with good sperm qualities that would be useable for artificial insemination. Some seasonality was noted in the testicular volume and serum testosterone level. We clarified that the semen qualities were favorable before and during the female breeding season compared with those after the breeding season.
Silencing MED1 Sensitizes Breast Cancer Cells to Pure Anti-Estrogen Fulvestrant In Vitro and In Vivo

Pure anti-estrogen fulvestrant has been shown to be a promising ER antagonist for locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of patients developed resistance to this type of endocrine therapy but the molecular mechanisms governing cellular responsiveness to this agent remain poorly understood. Here, we’ve reported that knockdown of estrogen receptor coactivator MED1 sensitized fulvestrant resistance breast cancer cells to fulvestrant treatment. We found that MED1 knockdown further promoted cell cycle arrest induced by fulvestrant. Using an orthotopic xenograft mouse model, we found that knockdown of MED1 significantly reduced tumor growth in mice. Importantly, knockdown of MED1 further potentiated tumor growth inhibition by fulvestrant. Mechanistic studies indicated that combination of fulvestrant treatment and MED1 knockdown is able to cooperatively inhibit the expression of ER target genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments further supported a role for MED1 in regulating the recruitment of RNA polymerase II and transcriptional corepressor HDAC1 on endogenous ER target gene promoter in the presence of fulvestrant. These results demonstrate a role for MED1 in mediating resistance to the pure anti-estrogen fulvestrant both in vitro and in vivo.
Incidents during Out-of-Hospital Patient Transportation

Out-of-hospital patient transportation (retrieval) of critically ill patients occurs within highly complex environments. Adverse events are not uncommon. Incident monitoring provides a means to better understand such events. The aim of this study was to characterize incidents occurring during retrieval to provide a basis for developing corrective strategies. Four organizations contributed 125 reports, documenting 272 incidents; 91% of forms documented incidents as preventable. Incidents related to equipment (37%), patient care (26%), transport operations (11%), interpersonal communication (9%), planning or preparation (9%), retrieval staff (7%) and tasking (2%). Incidents occurred during patient transport to the receiving facility (26%), at patient origin (26%), during patient loading (20%), at the retrieval service base (18%) and receiving facility (9%). Contributing factors were system-based for 54% and human-based for 42%. Haste (7.5%), equipment malfunctioning (7.2%) or missing (5.5%), failure to check (5.8%) and pressure to proceed (5.2%) were the most frequent contributing factors. Harm was documented in 59% of incidents with one death. Minimizing factors were good crew skills/teamwork (42%), checking equipment (17%) and patient (8%), patient monitors (15%), good luck (14%) and good interpersonal communication (4%). Incident monitoring provides sufficient insight into retrieval incidents to be a useful quality improvement tool for retrieval services. Information gathered suggested improvements in retrieval equipment design and use of alternative power sources, the use of pro formae for equipment checking, patient assessment, preparation for transportation and information transfer. Lessons from incidents in other areas applicable to retrieval should be linked for analysis with retrieval incidents.
In situ structural and microangiographic assessment of human skin lesions with high-speed OCT

We demonstrate noninvasive structural and microvascular contrast imaging of different human skin diseases in vivo using an intensity difference analysis of OCT tomograms. The high-speed swept source OCT system operates at 1310 nm with 220 kHz A-scan rate. It provides an extended focus by employing a Bessel beam. The studied lesions were two cases of dermatitis and two cases of basal cell carcinoma. The lesions show characteristic vascular patterns that are significantly different from healthy skin. In case of inflammation, vessels are dilated and perfusion is increased. In case of basal cell carcinoma, the angiogram shows a denser network of unorganized vessels with large vessels close to the skin surface. Those results indicate that assessing vascular changes yields complementary information with important insight into the metabolic demand.