Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Economic Evaluation of HIV-associated Facial Lipoatrophy Treatments: A Cost-utility Analysis

Introduction: Facial lipoatrophy is a stigmatizing hallmark for HIV-positive status, and can lead to poor social functioning. Information gleaned from an economic evaluation of facial lipoatrophy treatments would inform policy decision making concerning potential public insurance coverage. Methods: A decision-analytic model was used to estimate the lifetime costs and Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained from treatments using either poly-l-lactic or and polyalkylimide gel for HIV positive patients. Disease progression probabilities and utilities were derived from the literature. Costs were obtained from interviews with physicians and product distributors. Findings: Incremental costs per QALY were $66,608 CAD/$57,352 CAD for poly-l-lactic acid, and $48,583 CAD/$45,457 CAD for polyalkylimide gel® (Societal perspective/Ministry of Health perspective). Sensitivity analysis did not have a significant effect on the lower incremental costs per QALY reported for polyalkylimide gel. Conclusion: Our base-case analysis revealed that treatments using polyalkylimide gel offers lower ICUR than treatments using poly-l-lactic acid.
Extracting the Essence from Sets of Images

We use a set of photographs showing similar scenes as a model for a single photograph this scene. A distance measure for this model is defined by correlating the neigborhoods of pixels in similar positions. A cross analysis of the source images yields confidence values for their pixels. The confidence values together with the distances in pixels are used to steer a variable bandwidth mean shift algorithm that moves an arbitrary image towards one conforming with the model. Furthermore, distances are also used for a non-local means reconstruction of image areas that have no consistent explanation in the source images. This allows reconstructing images of scenes that are inconsistently documented in the source images, e.g. are occluded in the majority of images.
Local Applications of Myostatin-siRNA with Atelocollagen Increase Skeletal Muscle Mass and Recovery of Muscle Function

Background Growing evidence suggests that small-interfering RNA (siRNA) can promote gene silencing in mammalian cells without induction of interferon synthesis or nonspecific gene suppression. Recently, a number of highly specific siRNAs targeted against disease-causing or disease-promoting genes have been developed. In this study, we evaluate the effectiveness of atelocollagen (ATCOL)-mediated application of siRNA targeting myostatin (Mst), a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, into skeletal muscles of muscular dystrophy model mice. Methods and Findings We injected a nanoparticle complex containing myostatin-siRNA and ATCOL (Mst-siRNA/ATCOL) into the masseter muscles of mutant caveolin-3 transgenic (mCAV-3Tg) mice, an animal model for muscular dystrophy. Scrambled (scr) -siRNA/ATCOL complex was injected into the contralateral muscles as a control. Two weeks after injection, the masseter muscles were dissected for histometric analyses. To investigate changes in masseter muscle activity by local administration of Mst-siRNA/ATCOL complex, mouse masseter electromyography (EMG) was measured throughout the experimental period via telemetry. After local application of the Mst-siRNA/ATCOL complex, masseter muscles were enlarged, while no significant change was observed on the contralateral side. Histological analysis showed that myofibrils of masseter muscles treated with the Mst-siRNA/ATCOL complex were significantly larger than those of the control side. Real-time PCR analysis revealed a significant downregulation of Mst expression in the treated masseters of mCAV-3Tg mice. In addition, expression of myogenic transcription factors was upregulated in the Mst-siRNA-treated masseter muscle, while expression of adipogenic transcription factors was significantly downregulated. EMG results indicate that masseter muscle activity in mCAV-3Tg mice was increased by local administration of the Mst-siRNA/ATCOL complex. Conclusion These data suggest local administration of Mst-siRNA/ATCOL complex could lead to skeletal muscle hypertrophy and recovery of motor disability in mCAV-3Tg mice. Therefore, ATCOL-mediated application of siRNA is a potential tool for therapeutic use in muscular atrophy diseases.
Role of Gap Junction Protein Connexin43 in Astrogliosis Induced by Brain Injury

Astrogliosis is a process that involves morphological and biochemical changes associated with astrocyte activation in response to cell damage in the brain. The upregulation of intermediate filament proteins including glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), nestin and vimentin are often used as indicators for astrogliosis. Although connexin43 (Cx43), a channel protein widely expressed in adult astrocytes, exhibits enhanced immunoreactivity in the peri-lesion region, its role in astrogliosis is still unclear. Here, we correlated the temporal and spatial expression of Cx43 to the activation of astrocytes and microglia in response to an acute needle stab wound in vivo. We found large numbers of microglia devoid of Cx43 in the needle wound at 3 days post injury (dpi) while reactive astrocytes expressing Cx43 were present in the peripheral zone surrounding the injury site. A redistribution of Cx43 to the needle site, corresponding to the increased presence of GFAP-positive reactive astrocytes in the region, was only apparent from 6 dpi and sustained until at least 15 dpi. Interestingly, the extent of microglial activation and subsequent astrogliosis in the brain of Cx43 knockout mice was significantly larger than those of wild type, suggesting that Cx43 expression limits the degree of microgliosis. Although Cx43 is not essential for astrogliosis and microglial activation induced by a needle injury, our results demonstrate that Cx43 is a useful marker for injury induced astrogliosis due to its enhanced expression specifically within a small region of the lesion for an extended period. As a channel protein, Cx43 is a potential in vivo diagnostic tool of asymptomatic brain injury.
Effective implementation of passive radar algorithms using general-purpose computing on graphics processing units

The paper presents an effective implementation of passive radar algorithms which uses NVIDIA CUDA technology for parallel processing of DVB-T and FM signals. Algorithms were tested in the Passive Coherent Location system (passive radar) which utilizes commercial FM radio and DVB-T television transmitters as “illuminators of opportunity” to detect and track airborne targets. Radar taken into consideration was developed at the Warsaw University of Technology. High computing power is strongly needed in order to provide real-time radar data processing. The aim of this paper is to present a solution that provides sufficient performance to achieve real-time calculations.
Saudi EFL Learners’ Reported Reading Problems and Strategic Processing of Text Types: A Think-aloud Case Study

Research in strategy use needs to provide comprehensive and detailed qualitative discussion of individual cases and their strategic processing of texts to deepen our understanding of the cognitive and metacognitive processes readers resort to when reading different texts for different purposes. Hence, the present paper aims to provide in-depth and rich examination and interpretation of four Saudi EFL students (two good and two poor readers) processing two different texts in structure (a narrative and an expository text) for different reading tasks. This involved a detailed qualitative discussion of the differences and similarities in reading problems and strategy use. Using think-aloud reports and follow-up interviews, the study identified four explicit word-related and six text-related problems reported by the four EFL readers in processing the assigned text types. Moreover, the study revealed how the selected cases varied in their strategic reactions to the reading problems encountered in the two texts. The study findings also demonstrated how the structuring variations of the narrative and expository texts had a considerable effect on the quantity and quality of readers' reported difficulties and reading strategies employed in texts.
Problematic Internet Use and Cyber Bullying in Vocational School Students

Article History: Received 18.03. 2015 Received in revised form 13.05. 2015 Accepted 24.05. 2015 Available online 12.08. 2015 This study investigated the relationships between vocational school students’ problematic internet use and cyber bullying behaviors. A total of 563 vocational school students (314 males and 249 females) attending various departments in the vocational schools in Bolu province. Problematic Internet Usage Scale and Cyber Bullying Scale were used in the study. Multiple linear regression analysis was utilized in data analysis. According to analysis results, time spent online and problematic internet use accounted for 13.8% of the variance in cyber bullying. © 2015 IOJES. All rights reserved
Potential Osteoinductive Effects of Calcitriol on the m-RNA of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Alveolar Periosteum

This study characterized alveolar periosteum-derived mesenchymal stem cells (P-MSCs) and examined the hypothesis that 1,25-(OH)2D3 (calcitriol) exerts osteoinductive effects on P-MSCs. The mRNA expressions of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone sialoprotein (BSP), core-binding factor alpha-1 (CBFA1), collagen-1 (Col-1), osteocalcin (OCN), and vitamin D3 receptor (VDR) were assessed after incubation with calcitriol for 2 weeks. Vitamin C as positive control (Vit. C-p) increased ALP and CBFA1 mRNA expression at both 1 and 2 weeks and increased BSP and Col-1 mRNA expression only at the first week. A concentration of 10−8 M calcitriol enhanced ALP, CBFA1, Col-1, and OCN mRNA expression at both weeks and BSP mRNA expression at the first week. Furthermore, 10−7 M calcitriol increased the mRNA expressions of all compounds at both weeks, except that of CBFA1 at the first week. 10−8 M calcitriol and Vit. C-p enhanced ALP activity at the second and third weeks. The results revealed that 10−9, 10−8, and 10−7 M calcitriol induced osteoinduction in alveolar P-MSCs by increasing ALP, CBFA1, Col-1, and OCN mRNA expression. A 10−7 M calcitriol yielded a higher mRNA expression than Vit. Cp on VDR and OCN mRNA expression at both weeks and on Col-1 mRNA at the second week.
The vascular bed as the primary target in the destruction of skin grafts by antiserum. II. Loss of sensitivity to antiserum in long-term xenografts of skin

Rat skin that survives for long periods of time on immunosuppressed mice becomes resistant to anti-graft serum and remains so for as long as it survives. When long-standing grafts are removed and placed on new immunosuppressed mice, they remain resistant to antiserum for as long as they survive. The acquired resistance to antiserum seems, therefore, to be due to changes in the grafts rather than to changes in their hosts. Furthermore, it was found that the acquisition of resistance is correlated with replacement of graft endothelium by host cells, as demonstrated by the use of immunofluorescent techniques in conjunction with mouse anti-rat serum and rat anti-mouse serum. Evidently, humoral antibodies are able to cause acute damage to skin grafts, and presumably to grafts to other organized tissues, only if they react with antigens of graft endothelium. Long-term grafts that are retransplanted to their original donors or to rats syngeneic with those donors are in most cases rejected, whereas 14-d-old grafts similarly regrafted are in no case rejected. Apparently, the responses of the secondary recipients to the mouse endothelial antigens in long-term grafts lead to destruction of the entire grafts. When long-standing rat skin xenografts are removed and placed on untreated mice syngeneic with the primary hosts, they are in every case rejected, although they survive slightly longer than skin taken directly from rat donors. Rejection is accompanied by a mononuclear infiltrate and is qualitatively indistinguishable from the rejection of freshly prepared rat skin. Clearly, sensitized cells are more efficient than humoral antibody in destroying grafted tissues.
'With a little help from my friends' ... the role of informal support systems and life skill development in enhancing successful transitions

Many apprentices are in an important transitional phase as they move from school to work. If not negotiated successfully these transitions may be associated with increased risks for poor health and/or mental health outcomes. Apprentices' personal life skills and the available support systems are important factors in assisting them to successfully negotiate these transitions and complete their apprenticeship. The focus of findings reported here are on construction industry apprentices. Blue-collar workers, such as those in the construction industry, comprise a significant proportion (32 per cent) of the Australian working population. However, construction industry apprentices face high levels of attrition - with up to 40 per cent of apprentices nationwide not completing their apprenticeships (Ball, 2004; BICCIAB, 2008). This has significant implications for apprentice retention in an industry where there are current and predicted future skill shortages (DEEWR, 2010).
Algorithm for Efficient Attendance Management: Face Recognition based approach

Students attendance in the classroom is very important task and if taken manually wastes a lot of time. There are many automatic methods available for this purpose i.e. biometric attendance. All these methods also waste time because students have to make a queue to touch their thumb on the scanning device. This work describes the efficient algorithm that automatically marks the attendance without human intervention. This attendance is recorded by using a camera attached in front of classroom that is continuously capturing images of students, detect the faces in images and compare the detected faces with the database and mark the attendance. The paper review the related work in the field of attendance system then describes the system architecture, software algorithm and results.
Regulation of neural progenitor proliferation and survival by β1 integrins

Neural stem cells give rise to undifferentiated nestin-positive progenitors that undergo extensive cell division before differentiating into neuronal and glial cells. The precise control of this process is likely to be, at least in part, controlled by instructive cues originating from the extracellular environment. Some of these cues are interpreted by the integrin family of extracellular matrix receptors. Using neurosphere cell cultures as a model system, we show that β1-integrin signalling plays a crucial role in the regulation of progenitor cell proliferation, survival and migration. Following conditional genetic ablation of the β1-integrin allele, and consequent loss of β1-integrin cell surface protein, mutant nestin-positive progenitor cells proliferate less and die in higher numbers than their wild-type counterparts. Mutant progenitor cell migration on different ECM substrates is also impaired. These effects can be partially compensated by the addition of exogenous growth factors. Thus, β1-integrin signalling and growth factor signalling tightly interact to control the number and migratory capacity of nestin-positive progenitor cells.
Evolutionary convergence of body shape and trophic morphology in cichlids from Lake Tanganyika

The cichlid species ̄ocks of the East African Great Lakes, Victoria, Malawi, and Tanganyika are unique examples of adaptive radiations (Greenwood, 1984). In each lake, highly specialized species that occupy a wide range of trophic niches are found, which are similar morphologically and behaviourally (Fryer & Iles, 1972). The similarities in trophic morphology between ®shes from different lakes could result from common ancestry, followed by dispersal or vicariance. However, recent comparisons between morphological characters and molecular phylogenies have demonstrated multiple convergent events in trophic morphology between lakes (Kocher et al., 1993; Meyer, 1993) and even within a single lake (RuÈ ber et al., 1999). A recent phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences indicated independent origins of strikingly similar trophic specializations, such as dentition characters, in the endemic Lake Tanganyika cichlid ®shes of the tribe Eretmodini (RuÈ ber et al., 1999; see also Fig. 1). This tribe comprises four nominal species currently assigned to three genera: Eretmodus cyanostictus Boulenger 1898, Spathodus erythrodon Boulenger 1900, S. marlieri Poll 1950, and Tanganicodus irsacae Poll 1950. Differences in dentition, and the shape and the number of oral teeth, are the main diagnostic characters that delineate these species (Poll, 1986). The teeth of Eretmodus are spatulashaped with a slender neck region, those of Spathodus are cylindrical-shaped with a ̄attened and truncated crown,
Tarski's geometry modelled in Mizar computerized proof assistant

In the paper, we discuss the formal approach to Tarski geometry axioms modelled with the help of the Mizar computerized proof assistant system. Although our basic development was inspired by Julien Narboux's Coq pseudo-code and is dated back to 2014, there are significant steps in the formalization of geometry done in the last decade of the previous century. Taking this into account, we will propose the reuse of existing results within this new framework (including Hilbert's axiomatic approach), with the ultimate future goal to encode the textbook Metamathematische Methoden in der Geometrie by Schwabhäuser, Szmielew and Tarski. We try however to go much further from the use of simple predicates in the direction of the use of structures with their inheritance, attributes as a tool of more human-friendly namespaces for axioms, and registrations of clusters to obtain more automation (with the possible use of external equational theorem provers like Otter/Prover9).
Seasonal variation in the honeydew, invertebrate, fruit and nectar resource for bellbirds in a New Zealand mountain beech forest

To examine the seasonal availability of the major bellbird (Anthornis melanura) food sources in a mountain beech (Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides) forest at Craigieburn, the invertebrate, honeydew, and mistletoe (Peraxilla tetrapetala and Alepis flavida) fruit and nectar resources were sampled over 12 months. The total available food varied 2.6-fold from a low in October (8798 kJ/ha) to a high in December (22,959 kJ/ha) with an annual mean of 15,782 kJ/ha. Invertebrates were available all year and represented 88% of the available food energy. Only 16% of the invertebrate resource was on beech foliage, and beech trunks with honeydew had 60% more invertebrate energy than trunks without honeydew. The energy value of honeydew at Craigieburn (0.9% of the total) was much lower than at lower altitude sites. The relative rankings of honeydew standing crops on 25 permanently marked trees were very constant. On an annual basis mistletoe nectar and fruit made up 6.3% and 4.9%, respectively, of total food energy, but P. tetrapetala nectar was 46% of available food in early January, and P. tetrapetala fruit was 25% of the total in March. Bellbirds spent less time foraging on invertebrates, and more time on the other foods, than energy values would predict. However, during the peak of its short flowering season, P. tetrapetala nectar made up 46% of available energy but only 33% of bellbird foraging observations. At this site P. tetrapetala is pollen limited due to insufficient visits from pollinators. This may be because bellbirds require invertebrates for protein, or to feed to nestlings. Therefore the pollination mutualism is faltering, despite high investment in nectar by the plant.
Linear Precoding Based on Truncated Polynomial Expansion - Part I: Large-Scale Single-Cell Systems

Large-scale MIMO systems can yield a substantial improvement in spectral efficiency for future communication systems. Due to the finer spatial resolution achieved by a huge number of antennas at the base stations, these systems have shown to be robust to inter-user interference and the use of linear precoding is asymptotically optimal. However, from a practical point of view, most precoding schemes exhibit prohibitively high computational complexity as the system dimensions increase. For example, the near-optimal regularized zero forcing (RZF) precoding requires the inversion of a large matrix. This motivated our companion paper, where we proposed to solve the issue in singlecell multi-user systems by approximating the matrix inverse by a truncated polynomial expansion (TPE), where the polynomial coefficients are optimized to maximize the system performance. We have shown that the proposed TPE precoding with a small number of coefficients reaches almost the performance of RZF but never exceeds it. In a realistic multi-cell scenario involving large-scale multiuser MIMO systems, the optimization of RZF precoding has thus far not been feasible. This is mainly attributed to the high complexity of the scenario and the non-linear impact of the necessary regularizing parameters. On the other hand, the scalar weights in TPE precoding give hope for possible throughput optimization. Following the same methodology as in the companion paper, we exploit random matrix theory to derive a deterministic expression for the asymptotic signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) for each user based on channel statistics. We also provide an optimization algorithm to approximate the weights that maximize the network-wide weighted max-min fairness. The optimization weights can be used to mimic the user throughput distribution of RZF precoding. Using simulations, we compare the network throughput of the proposed TPE precoding with that of the suboptimal RZF scheme and show that our scheme can achieve higher throughput using a TPE order of only 3.
The External Control of Organizations: A Resource Dependence Perspective.

Examines how external constraints affect organizations and how to design and manage organizations under such constraints. Taking a resource dependence perspective on organizations, the book discusses basic components of control, including the concentration and availability of resources, the role of managers, interdependence among organizations, the environment, and organizational structure. Two case studies, one on Israeli managers and one on American defense contractors, exemplify how governmental external control affects organizational choice. In the case of the Israeli managers, the managers' responses regarding the size of the return they would be willing to give up to invest in a government-created development area were positively correlated with the proportion of the firm's government sales. Similarly, the study of American defense contractors examined how willing they were to comply with affirmative action laws for employment of women, finding a strong correlation between positive replies to women seeking employment and government dependence. Dependence is not restricted to the government, however, as firms are heavily reliant upon resources made available to them from other organizations. Despite external control, the organization is able to achieve internal control to a certain extent, stabilizing activities by institutionalizing roles and patterns of behavior. The question of power within organizations requires further study, as organizations are coalitions of interest and only some interests and goals are accomplished at the expense of others. Organizations also serve to create and transact ideas and the influence these ideas create, so that influence and control are multidirectional. Conclusions show that organizations are not autonomous entities, but are reliant upon the larger network of organizations within the environment - through which they must strive to manipulate resources to survive. (CJC)