Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exacerbations and health care resource utilization in patients with airflow limitation diseases attending a primary care setting: the PUMA study

Background COPD, asthma, and asthma–COPD overlap increase health care resource consumption, predominantly because of hospitalization for exacerbations and also increased visits to general practitioners (GPs) or specialists. Little information is available regarding this in the primary care setting. Objectives To describe the prevalence and number of GP and specialist visits for any cause or due to exacerbations in patients with COPD, asthma, and asthma–COPD overlap. Methods COPD was defined as post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio <0.70; asthma was defined as prior medical diagnosis, wheezing in the last 12 months, or wheezing plus reversibility (post-bronchodilator FEV1 or FVC increase ≥200 mL and ≥12%); asthma–COPD overlap was defined as post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC <0.70 plus prior asthma diagnosis. Health care utilization was evaluated as GP and/or specialist visits in the previous year. Results Among the 1,743 individuals who completed the questionnaire, 1,540 performed acceptable spirometry. COPD patients had a higher prevalence of any medical visits to any physician versus those without COPD (37.2% vs 21.8%, respectively) and exacerbations doubled the number of visits. The prevalence of any medical visits to any physician was also higher in asthma patients versus those without asthma (wheezing: 47.2% vs 22.7%; medical diagnosis: 54.6% vs 21.6%; wheezing plus reversibility: 46.2% vs 23.8%, respectively). Asthma patients with exacerbations had twice the number of visits versus those without an exacerbation. The number of visits was higher (2.8 times) in asthma–COPD overlap, asthma (1.9 times), or COPD (1.4 times) patients versus those without these respiratory diseases; the number of visits due to exacerbation was also higher (4.9 times) in asthma–COPD overlap, asthma (3.5 times), and COPD (3.8 times) patients. Conclusion COPD, asthma, and asthma–COPD overlap increase the prevalence of medical visits and, therefore, health care resource utilization. Attempts to reduce health care resource use in these patients require interventions aimed at preventing exacerbations.
New Modes of Governance in the Shadow of Hierarchy: Self-regulation by Industry in Europe

ABSTRACT In technically complex areas, political actors increasingly rely on private actors to shape public policy, due to the greater expertise of private actors. This article theorises and empirically investigates the conditions under which self-regulation by industry (governance) emerges in environmental policy at the European level and asks how effective it is. Is a shadow of hierarchy (governmental intervention) needed to ensure the emergence and effectiveness of voluntary agreements? We show that the willingness to engage in self-regulation is prompted by the threat of governmental legislation. Once legislation has been pre-empted, environmental self-regulation is implemented under a weak shadow of hierarchy. We identify the causes of this weak control and explain the differential performance in the two sectors on the basis of different market incentives.
Universitarios y responsabilidad social.

This research was aimed to study frequency and intention of socially accountable behaviour in 5515 students from six Chilean universities. It used the CACSR questionnaire (Davidovich, Espina, Navarro, 2005) composed by two scales measuring 10 categories of behaviour and 3 categories of intention. Results showed a low self-attribution of socially accountable behaviour because only one (Social Interaction) out of these ten categories fulfils the requirements: frequency and benefit for everybody. These results reflect an impoverishment on the identity formation and a devaluation of interpersonal relationships based on ethical considerations of justice and care. Consequently, there is a progressive disinterest in the concept of welfare for everybody and an increasing possibility of social damage. It is critical to implement strategies to counteract the identified weaknesses and promote the formation of responsible citizens for social welfare.
Mutation enhancement by DINB1, a mammalian homologue of the Escherichia coli mutagenesis protein DinB

The Escherichia coli dinB gene is an SOS gene known to be required for λ phage untargeted mutagenesis. When over‐expressed, it exhibits a potent mutagenic activity without any exogenous treatment to damage DNA. Frameshift mutations at a run of identical bases are most enhanced. The product DinB is structurally related to the E. coli UmuC protein and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rev1 and Rad30 proteins, all of which are shown to be involved in bypass synthesis at a DNA lesion.
Nonlinear multidimensional cosmological models with form fields: stabilization of extra dimensions and the cosmological constant problem

We consider multidimensional gravitational models with a nonlinear scalar curvature term and form fields in the action functional. In our scenario it is assumed that the higher dimensional spacetime undergoes a spontaneous compactification to a warped product manifold. Particular attention is paid to models with quadratic scalar curvature terms and a Freund-Rubin-like ansatz for solitonic form fields. It is shown that for certain parameter ranges the extra dimensions are stabilized. In particular, stabilization is possible for any sign of the internal space curvature, the bulk cosmological constant, and of the effective four-dimensional cosmological constant. Moreover, the effective cosmological constant can satisfy the observable limit on the dark energy density. Finally, we discuss the restrictions on the parameters of the considered nonlinear models and how they follow from the connection between the D-dimensional and the four-dimensional fundamental mass scales.
Comments on the Reanalysis Project

As original investigators of the Harvard Six Cities Study (Dockery et al., 1993) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) Study (Pope et al., 1995), we entered into the Heath Effects Institute (HEI) Reanalysis Project (Krewski et al., 2000) with considerable trepidation. This project was a direct response to letters we received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stating that “EPA would encourage reasonable accommodations within the scientific and governmental community that would permit interested scientists and agencies to understand fully the basis for your work” (letters from Mary Nichols to Douglas Dockery and Arden Pope, 31 January 1997). We agreed to the HEI project as a way to provide this understanding in a credible fashion while assuring the confidentiality of the information provided by the study participants and the rights of the original investigators. We hoped that this project would provide a model for objective, structured, open, and sound evaluation
QA with Attitude: Exploiting Opinion Type Analysis for Improving Question Answering in On-line Discussions and the News

In this paper, we explore the utility of attitude types for improving question answering (QA) on both web-based discussions and news data. We present a set of attitude types developed with an eye toward QA and show that they can be reliably annotated. Using the attitude annotations, we develop automatic classifiers for recognizing two main types of attitudes: sentiment and arguing. Finally, we exploit information about the attitude types of questions and answers for improving opinion QA with promising results.
Post-traumatic Arthritis of the Tarsometatarsal Joint Complex: A Case Report

Tarsometatarsal (TMT) arthritis is characterized by instability and pain in the foot. The commonest cause is post-traumatic arthritis. A Lisfranc injury involves the articulation between the medial cuneiform and the base of the second metatarsal, which is considered a keystone to midfoot integrity. Neglected or undertreated injury to the Lisfranc joint complex leads to secondary arthritis and significant disability. We present a case of a young male patient with a two-year-old neglected Lisfranc joint injury and secondary osteoarthritis of the first, second, and fourth TMT joints, which we treated surgically with arthrodesis using screws, with a good functional outcome on final follow-up.
Womanhood 'under terror' : an investigation into the embodied experience of Jewish-Israeli women living in a protracted conflict zone

This thesis constructs femininity within secular Jewish-Israeli socio-culture and considers the influence of 'living under terror' on models of womanhood within this culture. It is my contention that as a Western affiliated culture, Jewish-Israeli mainstream culture tends to deploy its women to buffer the existential anxiety endured by the whole society. As in other preservations of complex power hierarchies this is done through perpetuating certain models of womanhood within mainstream discourse, endowing them with the aura of naturalness. In this thesis I further argue that the global discourse on terrorism has added a significant layer to these models within the last decade. Furthermore, by juxtaposing Terror Management theory and Objectification theory, I show how sexual objectification of women, perceived as a Western value, heightens the over-sexualisation of secular Jewish-Israeli women.
Novel Candidate Genes and a Wide Spectrum of Structural and Point Mutations Responsible for Inherited Retinal Dystrophies Revealed by Exome Sequencing

Background NGS-based genetic diagnosis has completely revolutionized the human genetics field. In this study, we have aimed to identify new genes and mutations by Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) responsible for inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD). Methods A cohort of 33 pedigrees affected with a variety of retinal disorders was analysed by WES. Initial prioritization analysis included around 300 IRD-associated genes. In non-diagnosed families a search for pathogenic mutations in novel genes was undertaken. Results Genetic diagnosis was attained in 18 families. Moreover, a plausible candidate is proposed for 10 more cases. Two thirds of the mutations were novel, including 4 chromosomal rearrangements, which expand the IRD allelic heterogeneity and highlight the contribution of private mutations. Our results prompted clinical re-evaluation of some patients resulting in assignment to a syndromic instead of non-syndromic IRD. Notably, WES unveiled four new candidates for non-syndromic IRD: SEMA6B, CEP78, CEP250, SCLT1, the two latter previously associated to syndromic disorders. We provide functional data supporting that missense mutations in CEP250 alter cilia formation. Conclusion The diagnostic efficiency of WES, and strictly following the ACMG/AMP criteria is 55% in reported causative genes or functionally supported new candidates, plus 30% families in which likely pathogenic or VGUS/VUS variants were identified in plausible candidates. Our results highlight the clinical utility of WES for molecular diagnosis of IRD, provide a wider spectrum of mutations and concomitant genetic variants, and challenge our view on syndromic vs non-syndromic, and causative vs modifier genes.
Association between unfavorable lipid profile and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Recent studies hypothesize that dyslipidemia can predict glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and could be important contributing factor to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the influence of lipid parameters on long-term glycemic control in DM2. Materials and Methods: A total of 275 sedentary DM2 (mean [±standard deviation] age 60.6 [±10.0] years) who volunteered to participate in this cross-sectional study were enrolled. Anthropometric (body weight, body hight, and waist circumference), biochemical parameters (fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipid parameters, creatinine), as well as blood pressure were obtained. Results: Total cholesterol (odds ratio [OR] =1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.02–1.66], P = 0.032), triglycerides (OR = 1.34, 95% CI (1.07–1.67), P = 0.010), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR = 1.42, 95% CI [1.10–1.83], P = 0.006) were the independent predictors of higher HBA1c, and as they increased by 1 mmol/L each, probabilities of higher HBA1c increased by 30%, 34%, and 42%, respectively. Low level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) was found to be the independent predictor of higher HBA1c (OR = 0.44, 95% CI [0.20–0.67], P = 0.039), and increase in HDL-c by 1 mmol/L, reduced the probability of higher HBA1c by 56%. Conclusion: Unfavorable lipid profile can predict HbA1c level in DM2 patients. Early diagnosis of dyslipidemia, as well as its monitoring and maintaining good lipids control can be used as a preventive measure for optimal long-term glycemic control.
Circulating levels of coagulation and inflammation markers and cancer risks: individual participant analysis of data from three long-term cohorts.

BACKGROUND Basic and clinical research support the hypothesis that activation of the coagulation and inflammation pathways may affect cancer onset, but there is limited epidemiological data to support this. METHODS We examined a large range of haemostatic and inflammation markers, including fibrinogen, in 19 303 male participants from three English cohorts followed for up to 30 years. After excluding the first 3 years of follow-up, 2908 incident cancers were accrued. Competing risk models were fitted to estimate rate ratios (RRs) for cancer incidence, adjusting for age and other confounders. RESULTS Baseline white blood cell (WBC) count and circulating levels of fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), factor VII antigen (VIIa) and prothrombin fragment F1.2 were positively associated with risk of smoking-related cancers, particularly lung cancer. The magnitude of these associations was highest for persistently raised fibrinogen levels. There was, however, substantial confounding by smoking with risk being fully (WBC, CRP and VIIa) or partially (fibrinogen) removed after adjustment. The pooled RRs (95% confidence interval) per one standard deviation increase in fibrinogen levels before and after adjustment for smoking habits were 1.23 (1.12, 1.36) and 1.12 (1.05, 1.20), respectively. The fibrinogen associations were present only among current smokers at entry. The effect of smoking on smoking-related cancers was partly mediated by fibrinogen levels. CONCLUSIONS Our results are consistent with elevated circulating levels of fibrinogen and F1.2 being predictors of risk of smoking-related cancers. Further research is necessary to clarify whether elevated levels of fibrinogen and F1.2 are causally relevant or simply correlates of the smoking-cancer association.
A Low-Power and Portable Biomedical Device for Respiratory Monitoring with a Stable Power Source

Continuous respiratory monitoring is an important tool for clinical monitoring. Associated with the development of biomedical technology, it has become more and more important, especially in the measuring of gas flow and CO2 concentration, which can reflect the status of the patient. In this paper, a new type of biomedical device is presented, which uses low-power sensors with a piezoresistive silicon differential pressure sensor to measure gas flow and with a pyroelectric sensor to measure CO2 concentration simultaneously. For the portability of the biomedical device, the sensors and low-power measurement circuits are integrated together, and the airway tube also needs to be miniaturized. Circuits are designed to ensure the stability of the power source and to filter out the existing noise. Modulation technology is used to eliminate the fluctuations at the trough of the waveform of the CO2 concentration signal. Statistical analysis with the coefficient of variation was performed to find out the optimal driving voltage of the pressure transducer. Through targeted experiments, the biomedical device showed a high accuracy, with a measuring precision of 0.23 mmHg, and it worked continuously and stably, thus realizing the real-time monitoring of the status of patients.
CircularSelection: optimizing list selection for smartwatches

As the availability of smartwatches advances, small round touch-screens are increasingly used. Until recently, round touchscreens were rather uncommon, and so most current user interfaces for small round touchscreens are still based on rectangular interface designs. Adjusting these standard rectangular interfaces to round touchscreens without loosing content comes with loss of precious display space. To overcome this issue for list interfaces, we introduce CircularSelection. CircularSelection is a list selection interface especially designed for small round touchscreens. CircularSelection consists of a ring aligned to the edge of the touchscreen. On that ring, categories of list entries can be preselected. The selected categorie's entries are displayed in the middle of said ring, and can be selected with a tab. In this paper, we explore the design space of CircularSelection by conducting a user study (n = 24) examining its dimensions. We further compare CircularSelection to a traditional smartwatch list selection interface in a second user study (n = 15). Our results clearly show that CircularSelection outperforms traditional smartwatch list interfaces in terms of user preference as well as task completion time (up to 66% faster for large lists and 45% for small lists).
Organic amendments improve soil conditions and denitrification in a restored riparian wetland

Low soil organic matter (SOM) levels can limit nutrient cycling and plant growth in restored wetlands. This study examined how the addition of different amounts of compost at a restoration site in Charlotte, North Carolina, affected the development of soil properties, microbial communities, and plant growth and diversity. The stream and wetland restoration was completed in July 2004 and monitored for three years. Available nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) increased with increasing SOM. The microbial community responded to organic matter (OM) additions with increases in both total microbial biomass and microbial activity (as measured by denitrification potential). Plant community responses were less consistent. In 2004, leaf % N significantly increased with increasing OM for two species (Pontederia cordata and Sagittaria latifolia) while two other species (Acorus calamus and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani) showed no relationship; in 2005, however, there was no relationship for any of the species. We also found no relationship between total plant aboveground biomass and % SOM measured in 2006. We found negative relationships between species richness and % SOM in 2004 and 2006, but not in 2005. These results suggest that compost amendments are an effective method for improving soil properties, stimulating microbial communities, and can improve some ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling, but may have limited early effects on plant communities.
Case–control studies for identifying novel teratogens

The case–control study design offers an operationally efficient approach to measuring an association between an exposure and an outcome, especially when the outcome is rare, as is true for specific birth defects. For example, instead of following 50,000 pregnant women to have sufficient statistical power to identify a doubling in risk of oral clefts associated with a common exposure (e.g., cigarette smoking), 75 cases and 3 controls per case could be studied with equal statistical power. Examples of case sources include hospital or clinical series, or birth defect registries. For validity, control subjects should represent the population base of the cases, which can be difficult to identify for non‐population‐based case groups. Case–control studies typically rely on retrospective exposure measurement, which presents a major challenge and sets up the possibility of recall bias. Approaches are discussed to keep sources of bias to a minimum, including recall, non‐differential information, and selection biases. Case–control studies can play an important role in this process for both hypothesis‐generation and hypothesis‐testing of potential teratogens. Examples of case–control studies and their contributions to the field are presented. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Named Entity Recognition from Unstructured Handwritten Document Images

Named entity recognition is an important topic in the field of natural language processing, whereas in document image processing, such recognition is quite challenging without employing any linguistic knowledge. In this paper we propose an approach to detect named entities (NEs) directly from offline handwritten unstructured document images without explicit character/word recognition, and with very little aid from natural language and script rules. At the preprocessing stage, the document image is binarized, and then the text is segmented into words. The slant/skew/baseline corrections of the words are also performed. After preprocessing, the words are sent for NE recognition. We analyze the structural and positional characteristics of NEs and extract some relevant features from the word image. Then the BLSTM neural network is used for NE recognition. Our system also contains a post-processing stage to reduce the true NE rejection rate. The proposed approach produces encouraging results on both historical and modern document images, including those from an Australian archive, which are reported here for the very first time.
Nonthermal Origin of the EUV and Soft X-Rays from the Coma Cluster:Cosmic Rays in Equipartition with the Thermal Medium

The role of cosmic rays (CRs) in the formation and evolution of clusters of galaxies has been much debated. It may well be related to other fundamental questions, such as the mechanism that heats and virializes the intracluster medium (ICM) and the frequency at which the ICM is shocked. There is now compelling evidence, both from the cluster soft excess (CSE) and the "hard-tail" emissions at energies above 10 keV, that many clusters are luminous sources of inverse Compton (IC) emission. This is the first direct measurement of cluster CRs: the technique is free from our uncertainties in the ICM magnetic field and is not limited to the small subset of clusters that exhibit radio halos. The CSE-emitting electrons fall within a crucial decade of energy where they have the least spectral evolution and where most of the CR pressure resides. However, their survival times do not date them back to the relic CR population. By using the CSE data of the Coma Cluster, we demonstrate that the CRs are energetically as important as the thermal ICM: the two components are in pressure equiparition. Thus, contrary to previous expectations, CRs are a dominant component of the ICM, and their origin and effects should be explored. The best-fit CR spectral index is in agreement with the Galactic value.
Changes in craniofacial development induced by growth hormone therapy in children treated with bone marrow transplantation

The effect of growth hormone (GH) treatment on craniofacial development was studied in nine children exhibiting low growth velocity after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Comparisons were made with seven BMT children who had not received GH. Two groups of age‐ and sex‐matched healthy children served as controls for the respective patient groups. After an average observation period of 3.5 years, the BMT children not treated with GH exhibited significantly reduced mandibular length and alveolar height (p < 0.01). The increase in mandibular length was only 30% of that found in healthy controls. Maxillary growth was less affected by BMT treatment. In the GH treated group, no significant differences were found in craniofacial growth increments compared with controls. Although exogenous GH therapy in this group of children did not induce a catch‐up growth, it appears to have prevented further loss in growth potential.